Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Game 3 Thread: April 4 @ Brewers, 5.05p

Dodgers start Jason Schmidt (0-0) vs. Jeff Suppan (0-0).

Dodgers: 0-2 (Solely in last place, NL West)
Brewers: 2-0 (T-1st, NL Central)

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

Dodgers: Somebody doesn't want him to pitch against his old friends in San Francisco so he comes up third despite the ace-like contract. He's not the pure power pitcher of earlier years and his spring was erratic, but he's smart enough to win when he doesn't have his best stuff.

Brewers: The Brewers' money man makes his home in Los Angeles and is 3-3 lifetime against the Dodgers with a 3.98 ERA in seven games. This will be his Brewers debut, but he will be pitching in comfortable surroundings; Suppan is 5-0 in seven career starts at Miller Park with a 1.76 ERA, one reason the Brewers decided to pursue the free agent last winter. He has also been very good at his home ballpark throughout his career, going 60-47 with a 4.37 ERA for his various teams.

COMMENTS

  • We'll start with the positive. This is ace Jason Schmidt's Dodgers debut and we can't be more excited. His velocity appeared to be down in spring training, but we'll see if he can help the Dodgers avoid the sweep in Milwaukee. It would be great to have one of our starting pitchers get a win.
  • On the flipside, Schmidt can pitch great but if you can't score, you can't win. So let's talk about the Dodgers who have not yet gotten hits, right Juan Pierre (3 LOB yesterday, though he did walk and score a run) and Luis Gonzalez (4 LOB yesterday)? Matt Kemp also went 0-for-4, meaning that his platooned spot with Andre Ethier has collectively gone 0-for-6. Russell Martin alone will not get it done.
  • Finally, there's the defense. The rag arms of Gonzalez and Pierre have led the Brewers to run on any ball hit to the outfield. Pierre did have the wheels to catch up to a tough fly ball yesterday, though, which is more than we can say for Gonzo. Brewers manager Ned Yost is clearly telling his team to be aggressive on us. Aside from the Giants, I'm guessing the rest of our opponents this year will do the same until we address this issue.

UPDATE

The lineup, courtesy of Inside the Dodgers:

Pierre, CF
Martin, C
Garciaparra, 1B
Kent, 2B
Gonzalez, LF
Betemit, 3B
Ethier, LF
Martinez, SS
Schmidt, P

UPDATE #2--BREAKING NEWS!!!: Sons of Steve Garvey will be at today's Dodgers/Brewers game, our first SoSG game of the season. Look for us! We'll be wearing the blue LA hat.

Pictures to follow....

70 comments:

Eric Karros said...

If the Dodgers lose three in a row I'll change my name to Ben Sheets.

Steve Sax said...

EK, it would probably enhance your hall of fame likelihood.

Steve Sax said...

Hey, a lineup change! Wait, no, I guess that's not much of a change at all.

Two games with an impotent offense, and Grady's already digging in his heels...

Steve Sax said...

JUAN PIERRE HAS HIS FIRST DODGER HIT!!!

It almost went all the way to center field, too.

Steve Sax said...

Martin moves Pierre over to second... Nomar is up.

Steve Sax said...

And the 2/3/4 hitters can't bring Pierre in. Oh well... on to the bottom of the first. Here comes Schmitty.

Steve Sax said...

2Ks for Schmidt in the first. Nice!

Orel said...

What'd I miss?

Steve Sax said...

Luis Gonzalez doubles! Do my Gameday eyes deceive me?!

Steve Sax said...

...and once again, we can't score either baserunner. Too much to ask of Schmidt, but Ethier is still hitless this year and has no excuse.

As for Ramon Martinez, someone get Raffy back fast.

Orel said...

Must be a typo.

Steve Sax said...

Schmidt gets out of the second, having given up only one hit.

I have to say, the new ESPN Gamecast animation is pretty good. We should review the pros/cons of all of these in a future post.

I'm going to go listen to Vinny.

Orel said...

Pierre's lighting it up! What a great signing!

Eric Karros said...

Hey folks...thought I'd check in. The game isn't being shown here in NJ, but "Mad About Mambo" is, so I probably wouldn't be watching the game anyways.

Steve Sax said...

2-0! How did Pierre get around to score?

Steve Sax said...

EK, put down the mambo and fire up the ESPN Gamecast!

Orel said...

POWER SURGE

Eric Karros said...

Gamecast fired up just in time to see it simulate Ethier's flyball to left.

Steve Sax said...

With Suppan hitting it up the middle, Vinny just called it "gloved by Ramon Hernandez.". Then he seamlessly said "great play by Ramon Martinez" right after that.

EK, you should spend the $120 for mlb.tv...

Steve Sax said...

Rick Monday actually had an insightful comment, noting that Schmidt has had four pitches so far at 90+.

Steve Sax said...

Crap! 2-1 Dodgers, Estrada at second with 2 out.

Eric Karros said...

Yeah as cool as it is, watching on Gamecast isn't quite the same. Who's the bright yellow circle throbbing on first? Oh, it's Estrada.

Meanwhile, on Mad About Mambo, Keri Russell is canoodling with some guy in a pool.

Orel said...

Why is Schmidt handing out walks like candy?

Orel said...

Gonzo 2 for 3 so far.

Orel said...

EK, that is a dreamy profile picture.

Orel said...

Dr. McSlicey!

Orel said...

Pickoff! Nice! "Beimel hangs him out to dry." —Vin

Orel said...

"Bill Hall, sadder but wiser, in the dugout...."

Orel said...

Uh-oh, Vin is talking about Waterglassgate.

Orel said...

Yeah yeah, he got a tattoo, we know.

Orel said...

Just saw Martinez's nice defensive play in the 3rd. Who knew he could move like that?

Orel said...

Nomar with cat-like quickness!

Orel said...

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is becoming the new Peyton Manning.

Orel said...

Kemp doubles!

Orel said...

I didn't think they would ask Beimel to pitch two innings.

Orel said...

Triple, ugh. Glad ol' penguin-arm (to quote 6-4-2) is out there.

Orel said...

How did we get out of that inning.

Orel said...

Bases loaded! Elmer Descends!

Orel said...

What is this strange feeling? A...three-run lead?

Orel said...

Olmedo delivers. What a talent, to be able to come off the bench, cold, and deliver.

Orel said...

Estrada dares not test the arm of Juan Pierre!

Steve Sax said...

I have been quiet as I am not so comfortable with all this talk about "dreamy pictures" and "throbbing circles."

Boy, that Matt Kemp guy shore can hit the ball awful far.

Orel said...

Bases loaded for the Brewers. Thank you, Rudy Seanez.

Steve Sax said...

I've Seanez enough. Yank him, dammit!

Ooh, doubleswitch with Pierre out too...

Orel said...

Wow, this AFLAC commercial with Yogi Berra never gets old.

Steve Sax said...

How many years have we seen the Yogi Berra Aflac commercial? It's gotta be at least three years.

Orel said...

8th inning, bases loaded, 1 out—this is no way to treat your closer.

Steve Sax said...

Oh boy, Saito for more than one inning...shades of the end of Gagne's era...

Steve Sax said...

Orel, did you use a "Not" comment?

Are you wearing a flannel shirt right now, and listening to Nirvana?

Orel said...

FUCK YOU GREG COUNSELL

Steve Sax said...

Craig Counsell ALWAYS f'n kills us!

Orel said...

Even when he's playing for us!

Orel said...

Did Vin just say so-pho-more?

Orel said...

phew

Steve Sax said...

Juan is still in...and he made a nice catch there to end the threat. Let's get some insurance runs!

Orel said...

Good job, Saito. Inheriting bases loaded is a thankless situation.

Orel said...

Why is the image of Luis Gonzalez in that commercial squeezed? Is that Drew McCourt's fault too?

Orel said...

Derrick Turnbow...dude!

Orel said...

Dude...that was nasty.

Orel said...

Bonds goes yard!

Orel said...

The Mets outscored the Cardinals 20-2 in their three-game series.

Orel said...

OH MY GOD hot dog with pastrami at Wienerschnitzel

Orel said...

Jesus...here we go.

Steve Sax said...

Every time Barry hits a home run, an angel gets his wings clipped off.

Steve Sax said...

5-4. I can't take this. I am dying here.

Orel said...

eeep

Orel said...

Fielder dares not test the arm of Juan Pierre!

Orel said...

"Large Asian community"? Like a lot of sumo wrestlers?

Orel said...

EXHALE

Steve Sax said...

Wow, you can't get much closer than that. Grady screws Saito by putting him in too early, and he still pulls it out of his hat. Nicely done, Sammy.