Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Game 85 Thread: July 4 vs. Braves, 6.10p

Dodgers start Mark Hendrickson, LHP (2-3, 4.08) vs. Chuck James, LHP (7-7, 4.08).

Dodgers: 48-36 (T-1st place NL West, W3)
Braves: 43-41 (2nd place NL East, 4.0 GB, L3)

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

Dodgers: Hendrickson is back in the rotation as the fifth starter, reclaiming the job he lost to Hong-Chih Kuo after eight starts. He's pitched better out of the bullpen (2.84 ERA) than as a starter (4.81). His longest outing of the year was a six-inning start against Arizona May 2, his last win. But it's been more than a month since he's had an appearances lasting longer than three innings. He's allowed nine home runs in 68 1/3 innings.

Braves: James, who has won two of his past three starts, limited the Marlins to one run and four hits over 6 2/3 innings on Friday night. The 25-year-old southpaw has allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his past eight starts. High early-inning pitch counts have led to some middle-inning trouble for James, who occasionally struggles when going through a lineup for a third time.

COMMENTS:

  • The Dodgers have shown an uncharacteristic amount of grit heading into the All-Star break, against a team that usually wipes us up and spits us out. The young kids are getting playing time, the veterans' bats are showing signs of life, the pitching has been amazing, and we've been running like rabbits on the basepaths. If we can celebrate the Fourth of July holiday with another victory, it guarantees a series win against the Braves.
  • As for the starting pitcher matchup, let's hope we can Chuck James before the opponents Mark Hendrickson.
  • Happy Independence Day, everybody!

UPDATE, 3.04p:

From Inside the Dodgers:

Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Martin, C
Kent, 2B
Loney, 1B
Nomar, 3B
Kemp, RF
Ethier, LF
Hendrickson, P

27 comments:

Steve Sax said...

Lurch works out of a jam in the first, but James matches him the bottom of the inning.

Now in the second, man on first with one out.

Steve Sax said...

Sorry, it's OUR man on first with one out and Big Bat Kemp at the plate.

Steve Sax said...

Kemp gets fooled by a heater right down the pike. Didn't he used to feast on pitches like those?

Steve Sax said...

Ethier strokes a single to right, advancing Loney to third. Still two out, and up comes...LURCH. Can he help out his cause?

Steve Sax said...

Lurch's strike zone is enormous. He has not moved the bat from his shoulder and it's a 3-1 count.

They should just send Loney now.

Steve Sax said...

Lurch works the walk! Bases juiced, two out, conference on the mound with former Brave Furcal at the plate.

Steve Sax said...

James superfreaks himself out of another jam in the second, getting Furcal out with the bases loaded.

That James. He's a very sexy girl.

Steve Sax said...

Lurch Ks James and then picks off Escobar huge time. Escobar was running and was dead in the water. Two out in the third for the Braves.

Steve Sax said...

Lurch Ks Renteria for the final out of the third.

On to bottom 3.

You know, it's times like these when I actually think I could survive solitary isolation by just talking with myself. I don't mind hearing the sound of my own voice (or keystrokes).

Steve Sax said...

The only question now is if I can get to 122 comments all by myself....

Steve Sax said...

Dammit, Larry Jones gets to us in the fifth. Two-out single up the middle makes it 2-0 Braves, and Lurch, who had been pitching fine up until now, is on the ropes.

Eric Karros said...

More tall pitcher karma evidence: Unit back on DL yesterday, Lurch scoreless thru 5 today

Steve Sax said...

What to do with this Andruw Jones character? Watching the Braves send the man from second on a single to Pierre was such a fait accompli, Pierre obviously had no shot to muster a decent throw home. Can't we get a CF with an arm? And is it worth it to bid for Jones, batting .200 this year?

Steve Sax said...

EK joins the party!

Or maybe I'm just hearing voices.

Steve Sax said...

Ethier strokes a leadoff standup double!

Steve Sax said...

Gonzo wastes no time in popping up the ball to second base. Shades of Eddie Murray, please take some frickin' pitches, Blue!

Eric Karros said...

I brought some bad karma (and bad information) to the party.

Eric Karros said...

I bid thee good night Sax. Dodgers generally do better when I'm not here anyways. I make them nervous.

Steve Sax said...

Okay, I'll pick up where EK left off. 4-1 Braves, but Kent just stroked a leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth. Here sits Loney with his .377 avg.

Steve Sax said...

Ledezma has a 3-2 count to Loney and Loney RIPPED one to Saltamacchia that bounces off him for a single. Men at the corners with Nomar coming up.

Steve Sax said...

Four-pitch walk to Nomar, Kemp at the plate. No out in the sixth.

Here we go...

Steve Sax said...

Kemp hits into a broken-bat DP. Kent scores, 4-2. Man at third with Ethier up.

Steve Sax said...

Ethier chases ball four and grounds out. 4-2 Braves, going to the seventh.

Steve Sax said...

Tsao is pitching now...just gave up a dinger to Andruw Frickin' Jones. Nice.

Steve Sax said...

Pierre is 3-for-4 with at least one RBI. But since he followed Ks to Abreu and Furcal, his third hit goes for naught when Martin ground to second ON THE FIRST PITCH.

I do not think we're going to win tonight's game. But I'm still watching, holding out hope.

Like a true Dodger fan.

Steve Sax said...

To the ninth inning, 5-2 Braves, and for some F'd up reason, saito is in to pitch the ninth in a non-save situation, with Broxton having pitched the eighth in a non-hold situation.

Why is Grady playing with fire??????

Steve Sax said...

One-out grounder to Nomar and he lofted it, almost past the already-tall Loney. Shades of Knoblauch...or even me, Sax!