Dodgers start Derek Lowe, RHP (2-3, 4.62) vs. Tim Hudson, RHP (3-0, 1.40).
Dodgers: 17-12 (1st place NL West, 1.5 GA, L1)
Braves: 18-10 (T-1st place NL East, W2)
From Dodgers.com, the scouting report on the starters:
Dodgers: Lowe couldn't protect a 4-1 lead Sunday against the Padres in what turned into a 17-inning marathon that pressed the entire bullpen into service, although he did get into the seventh inning. Lowe is keeping the ball in the park, but allowing plenty of hits. His ERA is higher than normal, and he has allowed almost as many walks as he has strikeouts.Braves: Hudson is enjoying one of the finest six-start stretches of his career, and his numbers would look even better if he hadn't been saddled with no-decisions in his past two outings. Through six starts, opponents are hitting just .186 against him. His sinker and split-finger fastball have allowed him to gain a 2.60 groundout-to-flyout ratio. Hudson has completed at least seven innings in each start this year, and he has allowed one earned run or fewer four times.
COMMENTS:
- We're all looking for the Dodgers, who have scored five runs in their last four games to break out of a slump--two runs may get a win against the NL West, but Atlanta is another matter altogether. Tim Hudson on the mound for the Braves seems to indicate more helpings from the can of whup-ass on the listless Dodgers, anemic at the plate of late. Grady announced after the game that some changes are going to come, but given his slow pace, I'm not sure if they'll come in time for today's train wreck.
UPDATE (12.25p):
Today's lineup, from Inside the Dodgers (MLB):
Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Nomar, 1B
Kent, 2B
Gonzo, LF
Martin, C
Ethier, RF
Martinez, 3B
Lowe, P
As expected, there are no major moves to the lineup, and instead of Wilson Betemit we've got the red-hot Ramon Martinez at third. Martinez is batting .182, and his .229 OBP trails Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, and Jason Schmidt. Whoop dee frickin' doo.
45 comments:
First place still!
FREE WILSON BETEMIT
Orel, that's crazy talk.
And it's time for Dodger baseball! Luis Gonzalez just showed off his mid-center-field power. Fly out.
You mean OPTION wilson betemit.
Okay, suddenly MLB Gameday is telling you how many outs there are after every play. Such as:
"Luis Gonzalez flies out to Andruw Jones. Two out."
Yawn.
Turn on TBS, it is on TV if you get cable.
TBS is replaying Betemit's strikeouts last night leaving 7 men on base. Salt in the wounds.
I'm getting the channel 9 feed in HD. Charley Steiner is drooling at the mouth over Russell Martin's smart play to let that high-hopping bunt roll foul for a third strike.
Renteria's swing on a 2-1 Lowe pitch that wasn't anywhere near the plate was comical. Derek pitches two more far and away to lose Renteria. Third inning, two out, men at the corners.
Man, here goes Lowe again, one man gets on and the flood gates open up.
Lowe had Chipper 1-2, threw an obvious ball, and then got a bad call for ball three...but Jeff Kent blows the easy grounder to give the Braves their first run. E-4.
Holy smokes, Andruw Jones just smacked one foul. Lowe had better be careful.
Error costs the Dodgers a run. 1-0 Atlanta, heading to the fourth.
AC, they're not letting us get the TBS feed here due to local programming. If it keeps us from having to hear that tomahawk chant, though, it's worth it.
Tim Hudson has thrown only 26 pitches through three innings.
FIRE EDDIE MURRAY
Back to back singles from Furcal and Pierre! Is that how it's supposed to work?
No out, and the 3-4-5 coming up. Let's see about that RISP....
NICE! Nomar comes through again. Nice running by Fucal - amazed that Donelly sent him.
NOMAR!!!
Nice running by Furcal. 1-1 tie.
Nifty backhand by Edgar. Would have been a DP if he caught that cleanly.
If Kent or Furcal had done that stupid behind-the-back flip and botched the DP, they would have crucified either of them. Dodgers get a gift.
2-1 Dodgers, after Kent and Martin can't do much with their ABs.
Bottom 4 coming.
Leadoff double, but they can't score him due to a K, infield pop, and 5-3 groundout. The surprise is, it was Atlanta in bottom 5, not the Dodgers.
2-1 LA, on to the sixth.
Who has a worse arm Pierre or Gonzo?
an infant
Ramon Martinez is thinking, "well, I can't possibly bat worse than Betemit, so I'd better field at least on par." Nice throw for the second out in the sixth.
Gonzo Martin Ethier go down 1-2-3 in the seventh. On to bottom 7.
Gonzo is 0-for-3 and has seen only FIVE PITCHES all day. He flied out on the second pitch, then grounded into a force out on the second pitch, then grounded out on the first pitch.
What is Eddie Murray teaching Gonzo?
I always liked that Wilson Betemit.
Home run, Betemit. Dodgers lead 3-1. Charley just passed a gall stone.
First home run by a Dodger in 207 at bats (the last time was in the second inning last Sunday in SD, according to Charley), when Kent and Gonzo went back to back.
Wilson is smiling over on the bench. I have to say, good for him.
I still might not play him tomorrow, though.
MEAT
Betemit is batting .140 now. Martinez is batting .170 on the back of his 0-for-3 evening.
And Pierre grounds into a double play. As pissed as I was last inning that his sac bunt attempted forced Furcal at first, perhaps that's a better outcome than letting him swing into a DP.
"An infant"
"MEAT"
You on the ritalin again, Orel?
Brox on the rox?
Jeff Kent, meet first base. First base, meet Jeff Kent.
0-for-3 with a walk.
Gonzo swings at the first pitch...but gets on base with a single! Enough to call it a night (only 1-for-4, but to be appreciative it's his 2400th career hit acc. to Steve Lyons).
Insurance runs for Saito. Glad to see the Dodgers are playing like a first-place team again.
Okay boys, I'm going to dinner. We'll be home by 2am.
And yes, I'm going to see Spider-Man 3.
"And like a top 40 station, for the Dodgers, the hits just keep on coming." --Charley Steiner wisdom.
Dodgers 6, Braves 1. Here comes the killer tomato.
Six runs is one more than the Dodgers have scored in the last four games combined. Man, that Eddie Murray is genius (this comment is facetious; we love Eddie, but this first-pitch-swinging crap has gotta stop).
Saito gets a breather, Beimel is up. One out, men on first and second, top 9.
Good for Beimel. He could have fallen apart after last season but he put it behind him and came back strong.
By the hammer of Scott Thorman!
Okay, maybe I take that back about Beimel.
Furcal threw that guy out and now the braves have a chance
give it away
give it away
give it away now
yay
time to watch oscar and floyd
Meanwhile, there's Tommy at the De La Hoya/Mayweather fight! Ringside, nice seats.
Ringside? No wonder why Lasorda wasn't commenting tonight.
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