Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Game 95 Thread: July 18 vs. Phillies, 12.10p

Dodgers start Chad Billingsley, RHP (6-0, 3.26) vs. Kyle Kendrick, RHP (4-0, 3.82).

Dodgers: 53-41 (1st place NL West, 1.0 GA, L1)
Phillies: 47-46 (3rd place NL East, 5.0 GB, W1)

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

Dodgers: Pretty nice record for Billingsley, and while he's still a work in progress, he stepped up to get the second half off to a fine beginning with six scoreless innings on four hits and three walks against the Giants. Two of the three walks he issued were to Barry Bonds, so nothing to be ashamed of there. He escaped his biggest jam by getting a double-play grounder from Bonds.

Phillies: Kendrick did everything but sell popcorn Friday against the Cardinals. He lasted a career-high seven innings and yielded just one earned run to pick up his fourth win in six starts. The 22-year-old also had two hits and two RBIs. The Phillies have scored at least five runs in each of Kendrick's six starts since being called up from Double-A Reading. He has never faced the Dodgers.

COMMENTS:

Business-person's special! Time to play hooky and go support our Dodgers under the hot hot sun. Let's see if Billingsley can bring us back to the +13 state that Mark Hendrickson promptly ceded in last night's 15-3 debacle.

27 comments:

Steve Sax said...

Billingsley Ks one and Martin catches Victorino stealing in the first inning. Onto bottom 1, 0-0.

Steve Sax said...

Furcal raps the second pitch for a single to right. Pierre follows with a deep hit to center, advancing Furcal to third with none out.

Here comes Voix Pour Le Russell--I want a double steal with Pierre going to second, drawing the throw, and Furcal coming home to score!

Steve Sax said...

Martin indeed scores the runner with a single.

Then Gonzo, subbing for Kent in the cleanup spot, hits into a double play that must have been a frozen rope since it doubled Pierre off second (unless Pierre was an idiot).

For some reason, Betemit is in the five-hole rather than Loney (who is batting only 140 points better than Wilson B.). Martin steals second base (17), but Betemit Ks on a bad pitch WAY outside. Loney is stranded in the on-deck circle.

1-0 Dodgers, on to the second.

Steve Sax said...

Well, that was short. Billz cedes a HR to Howard on the second pitch. Tie game, 1-1.

Steve Sax said...

Billingsley is getting hit hard. Man on second with one out in the top of the 2nd.

Steve Sax said...

Billingsley is now falling apart. Having given up two doubles and walked one in the inning, he is now down 2-1 and has men on second and third with two out vs. Rollins. He is also up to 45 pitches.

Steve Sax said...

Loney saves Chad's hide from further damage, and amazingly Bills only gave up two runs on a HR, two doubles, and a walk. Yikes. He's now at 49 pitches.

On to bottom 2, 2-1 Phils.

Steve Sax said...

Dodgers go quietly in the second. 2-1 Phils going to the third.

Orel said...

Guess we used up all our runs on Monday.

Steve Sax said...

Ethier knocks in Betemit and Loney (both of whom singled) with a HR! 4-3 Dodgers after four full frames.

Steve Sax said...

BIllingsley is really battling with Howard, it's a seven-pitch AB so far with five of them strikes. Come on, Chad!

Steve Sax said...

And Howard wins the battle with a two-out single on the tenth pitch of the AB. Chad's at 102 pitches, but he still has good speed (4-95 mph)

Steve Sax said...

Unfortunately, Howard ended up coming around to score...but we got the run back in the bottom of the sixth. 5-4 Dodgers.

Now in the seventh, Kemp (batting for Rudy Seanez who pitched a scoreless sixth), promptly singles his way on as the leadoff batter. Furcal is now up. 5-4 Dodgers.

Steve Sax said...

According to Gameday, Juan Pierre just grounded to third on a pitch that was about 10 million miles away from him and way the hell out of the batter's box (let alone strike zone).

Slappy is not going to get it done!

5-4 Dodgers into the eighth.

Steve Sax said...

Broxton pitches a lights-out eighth, with one ground out and two called Ks.

So this begs the question, do you now bring in Saito for the ninth? In a 5-4 game? When Broxton is pitching well? To face the 8-9-1 slots in the Philly lineup?

I am leaning toward yes, since Saito didn't pitch last night and it's the 8-9-1.

Steve Sax said...

Saenz hits for Broxton, so I guess there's our answer.

Seems like forever since Saenz has had his last hit, but it's not true. Though he got his last hit on Jul 13 vs. SF, he has only one hit in his last 10 ABs...

Steve Sax said...

Saenz walks. Too bad this game is so close, or I'd send him. Instead, Grady puts in Brett Tomko to pinch-run. Nice.

Steve Sax said...

Why not have Hendrickson pinch run? All he would have to do is take a three-step lead and fall over to his right, and he'd be near the bag.

Steve Sax said...

Betemit singles to right, moving Tomko to second! With only one out, Tomko better have those wheels ready to run.

Steve Sax said...

Loney grounds out to advance the runners, so they intentionally walk Ethier to get to Ramon Martinez and his pathetic .157 average. no surprise there.

Steve Sax said...

Ruiz grounds out for the first out in the ninth. Saito looks sharp.

Remember game 1 in the series, in which there was a moment before the Dodgers broke it open against the Phils and Phils Manager Charlie Manuel had his starting pitcher stay in to hit with two outs and the bases juiced? One of the things he cited was his lack of pinch hitter options available.

Well, he just put in a pinch-hitter (Greg Dobbs) who singles on the fourth pitch. One out, man on first, Saito now pitching to the leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins.

Saito had better get two outs before seeing Utley in the three hole or Howard in the cleanup hole.

Steve Sax said...

Dobbs was hitting .260 before his pinch hit, now he is at .292

Orel said...

SAMMY

Steve Sax said...

Bourn steals second with Rollins at the plate, but Rollins flies out and Victorino swings at the first pitch for a comebacker to Saito. Dodgers win 5-4!

Saito gets the save (25), Brox gets the hold (23), Seanez gets the win (6-1).

Good afternoon, everybody!

Alex Cora said...

Was Kent hurt? Or are we playing Ramon Martinez to "showcase" him for a possible trade.

Steve Sax said...

Day game after night game, I think Grady had Kent resting his weary bones. Nomar, who was shellacked in today's LA Times by Plaschke, also rested.

Martinez goes 0-for-4 with 4 LOB, dropping his batting average to .155. He becomes yet another former-Giant-turned-lame-Dodger. I don't think it's much of a showcase!

Mets play a late game in SD before rolling into town for the start of tomorrow's four-game series.

Steve Sax said...

By the way, Broxton's 23rd hold still has him trailing Derrick Turnbow by one small hold. The Dodgers need some more skin-of-their-asses victories.

Broxton is still on pace for 39 Holds.