Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Game 46 Thread: May 22 vs. Brewers, 7.10p

Dodgers start Randy Wolf, LHP (5-3, 3.91) vs. Ben Sheets, RHP (4-2, 3.86).

Dodgers: 25-20 (1st place NL West, 0.5 GA, L4)
Brewers: 28-17 (1st place NL Central, 6.5 GA, W2)

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

Dodgers: Wolf would've liked to pitch deeper into Wednesday night's win over the Cardinals. The lefty ran out of gas after five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out seven. Wolf mainly used his fastball mixing up the speed, ranging from 87-92 mph. For Wolf, this was the second consecutive win, and he now has 62 K’, good for third in the NL. He lost his first outing against the Brewers, allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings.

Brewers: Sheets called his previous start his best of the season. He surrendered two runs on five hits in 7 2/3 innings of a Brewers win in Philadelphia and notched a season-high eight strikeouts. Sheets' strikeout numbers have improved since he made a mechanical adjustment on his curveball last month, and that bodes well as the Brewers continue what is arguably their toughest stretch of the season. Los Angeles has been a bad place for Sheets, and not just because he's 2-4 in seven starts there. He suffered the onset of a rare inner-ear condition at Dodger Stadium in 2004 and was scratched from a start against the Dodgers there in 2006 with shoulder issues that would cost him more than two months on the disabled list.

COMMENTS:

  • Good-bye first place? It could be so if the Dodger bats don't show up again (if at all) until the team is already down by eight runs. But Randy Wolf has been a pleasant surprise thus far, and the bullpen is rested (except for Chad Billingsley, who got touched for three runs in 2/3 of an inning last night).

UPDATE:

From Tony Jackson, the lineup:

CF Pierre -- 8-24 lifetime against Ben Sheets
SS Furcal -- 9-gm hitting streak (21-38)
1B Nomar -- 6-gm hitting streak, but just 6-23
2B Kent
C Martin
LF Gonzo -- strikes out once every 18.6 PAs, second best in NL
RF Ethier
3B Abreu -- major-league debut
LH Wolf -- 10.5 Ks/9 innings, second best in NL

23 comments:

Orel said...

Chin up, everyone! Things can only get better!

Orel said...

First batter, E-5. Welcome to the bigs, Abreu.

Orel said...

Diamond Leung: "First batter. Rickie Weeks. E5. Tony Abreu double-clutched, then threw the ball well wide of Nomar Garciaparra. Welcome to the bigs, rook."

Orel said...

First inning, two out. Wolf's already up to 25 pitches.

Orel said...

Three up, three down for the Brewers in the second. Wolf seems to be settling down.

Orel said...

Tonight's scoring summary: Walk, stolen base, single. Walk, single, single. 1-1 going in to the bottom of the third.

Orel said...

A home run! By the Dodgers! A two-run home run, at that! By Russell Martin!

Orel said...

It seems the Dodgers hit more home runs at home, but I don't have any numbers to support that half-assed conjecture.

Orel said...

"T Abreu bunt popped out to pitcher." I think someone has the opening night jitters.

Alex Cora said...

Let go blue!!! Nice play by Furcal at short. Almost as good as that barehand earlier in the game.

Damon said...

Incoming pitch hit homerun for betemit

Damon said...

For some reason i thought the pitcher spot was up.

Lasorda said...

I love me some Russell Martin. Think he has one eye on the Stanley Cup playoffs?

Orel said...

Ducks win!

Orel said...

Solid outing by Wolf. 7.0 IP, 2 ER.

Steve Sax said...

Forget the Ducks--focus, guys! What the heck is up with the dodgers in the 7th: we knock out Sheets with one out, then Ethier and Abreu get outs on three pitches. TAKE A PITCH SOMEBODY?!?!

Orel said...

Broxton gets it done. 1.0 IP, 2 K's.

Orel said...

Betemit pinch sighting!

Orel said...

yay

Damon said...

so this is what a win feels like

Steve Sax said...

You know, if we had a power bat, we wouldn't have to eke out wins like this.

Good night, everybody!

Orel said...

SoSG: Where there's always something to complain about.

Lasorda said...

Maybe that should be our motto?

I know it is still early in the season, but it is never too late to pile on Grady for silly lineup construction. We can only hope that the "2 leadoff hitters" concept (with Pierre batting ahead of Furcal!?!) runs its course quickly.

Any thoughts to the possible Rolen trade? Maybe looking to pick up E. Encarnacion might be the better play?