Monday, April 16, 2007

Game 13 Thread: April 16 @ Diamondbacks, 6.40p

Dodgers start Brad Penny, RHP (2-0, 0.68 ERA) vs. Edgar Gonzalez, RHP (1-0, 4.50 ERA)

Dodgers: 8-4 (2nd place NL West, 0.5 GB, W1)
Diamondbacks: 9-4 (1st place NL West, W2)

From Dodgers.com, the scouting report on the starters:

Dodgers: Penny needed 65 pitches to get through three innings Wednesday against the Rockies, but then found the strike zone and made it into the seventh inning. He walked the bases loaded in the first inning and escaped the jam, but closed the game by retiring 11 of the last 12 hitters he faced. Penny made a diving catch of Willy Tavares' bunt attempt in the second inning and said he pitched with a sore chest for the remainder of the game. There's no cause for concern because the soreness was on his glove side. An important realization for Penny is to sacrifice a touch of velocity for command, and when he worked in his secondary pitches the second and third time through the order, he found success to turn what could have been a dreadful start into his 11th career victory against Colorado.

Diamondbacks:Gonzalez overcame a costly three-batter lapse to keep his team in the game against the Reds on Tuesday. Leading 3-1, Gonzalez walked the pitcher, allowed a two-run homer to Josh Hamilton and then a solo shot to Brandon Phillips. After that, he didn't allow another run while lasting through the seventh in a game the D-backs won, 5-4, in 11 innings. In his previous outing, Gonzalez had struck out a career-high seven in five innings against the Nationals.

COMMENTS

What's better than an 8-4 record? Winning three consecutive series against division rivals! The big test starts tonight against the team that many are picking to win the division: the Diamondbacks. It's only a two-game series and the Dodgers figure to avoid Brandon Webb, but any intra-division headway would be welcome.

UPDATE

Tonight's lineup, from Inside the Dodgers:

Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Garciaparra, 1B
Kent, 2B
Gonzalez, LF
Martin, C
Ethier, RF
Betemit, 3B
Penny, P

24 comments:

Alex Cora said...

Hey Grady, It was the OTHER Wilson that raked yesterday at 3rd base.

Alex Cora said...

cubs are killing the pads. I hopw that we can score in EVERY inning!

Damon said...

who's this juan pierre guy and how did he get a hit

Alex Cora said...

Legged out something, I don't think he has hit the ball out of the infield yet. But heck, he wrecks havoc on the basepads and came around to score. Nice hustle.

Alex Cora said...

He He Betemit with a hit. 2 for 25!!!

Steve Sax said...

Nice play by Rafael and Russell Martin (and oh yeah, that weak arm in left). I like how Furcal was halfway in left to take the relay from Gonzo...

Steve Sax said...

Martin's block-the-plate-with-the-left-leg thing is good, but it's a matter of time before someone either runs him over or breaks his leg.

Alex Cora said...

That was a ROCKET from Furcal. You are right, Furcal should run out to left and pick it up for Gonzo and throw it in to Martin.

Steve Sax said...

Home run, Nomar! Nice golf swing.

Alex Cora said...

NO-MAR!!! Homerun!!!

Steve Sax said...

Looks like a bunch of fenceposts in the box score. Maybe by May, we'll learn how to put together a multi-run inning.

Steve Sax said...

Vin Scully just did his close-up shot wiht the nostalgia piece ("on this day in Dodger baseball..."). He is really looking a bit worn down, probably from the whole Jackie Robinson thing leading into an overnight flight to AZ. Get some rest, Vin!

Damon said...

Oh i wish i had vin to listen too. Mark Grace is a horrible announcer

Alex Cora said...

I agree damon, it is painful to listen to these d-back announcers. Grace sounds like Rex Hudler. Makes me sick.

Steve Sax said...

Gotta love Penny running over Orlando Hudson and not even looking back after steamrolling him.

Gotta love Hudson for laughing at the whole thing, too.

Steve Sax said...

Kent takes one for the team! 5-1 Dodgers.

Steve Sax said...

Long inning for the Dodgers, but no runs. On to the bottom of the eighth.

Alex Cora said...

For those of you who do not have the pleasure of listening to these D-back announcers, Mark Grace is having an orgasm over Jonathon Broxton warming up - saying he is 8 foot 4, 750 lbs, Big Georgia boy, literarlly screaming into the mic. Sad, sad, sad.

Alex Cora said...

Ok, Pierre is having a good game, but everytime he hits a pop fly, he needs to pull the Willie Mays Hayes and do 20 pushups at home plate. Juan, you can leg out a groundball, not a pop fly!

Steve Sax said...

Jonathan Broxton is to Mark Grace what Russ Ortiz is to our own Delino Deshields.

Steve Sax said...

Crap, my tivo just clicked over to record 24. Gotta run back and forth from the other room...

Alex Cora said...

Nice win by the dodgers, see you all tomorrow! GO BLUE!

Steve Sax said...

Dodgers take first place! A great win for the good guys. See y'all tomorrow.

Steve Sax said...

Good night everybody.