Sunday, August 05, 2007

Game 111 Thread: August 5 vs. Diamondbacks, 1.10p

Dodgers start Brad Penny, RHP (13-2, 2.60) vs. Brandon Webb, RHP (10-8, 3.08).

Dodgers: 58-52 (3rd place NL West, 3.0 GB, L3)
D'backs: 62-50 (1st place NL West, 1.5 GA, W2)

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

Dodgers: Penny took his first loss in 2 1/2 months and the five walks with one strikeout make one wonder what effect an abdominal strain will have if it nags at him for the rest of the season, as those injuries tend to do. Penny wasn't throwing particularly hard and was using more splitters than usual. Considering the injury siege that has hit the Dodgers pitching staff, the last thing they need is a Penny at less than full strength.

D'backs: Webb mixed his pitches well in his last outing, a 4-0 win over the Padres at Petco Park. Lefties can give Webb trouble because they can take his signature slider to left field. So this year Webb has thrown his curve and changeup more often. Against the Padres, he struck out seven with all of them coming on changes. The right-hander allowed just three hits and walked two. Webb comes into his start riding a 15-inning scoreless streak. In his previous start he tossed seven shutout innings against the Marlins at Chase Field.

COMMENTS:

  • Game over, says Tony Jackson:
    A loss is a loss is a loss, no matter how furiously you rally in the late innings, and this was a HUGE loss for the Dodgers. They fall to 58-52, the first time they have been no more than six games over .500 since May 22, when they were 26-20, and they fall three games behind the Snakes, their biggest deficit of the season. But hey, the Rockies lost, so the Dodgers don't have to worry about falling into fourth place for at least two more days. If you were waiting to book that non-refundable vacation for the first week in October, you can probably go ahead.
  • Which Penny will show up, first-half Penny or second-half Penny? A loss today puts the Dodgers 4.0 games out of first place. Meanwhile, the Padres have taken second place, letting Barry Bonds hit all the historic homers he wants while still remembering to beat the last-place Giants.
  • Is the Dodgers' current slump related to Ned Colletti's inaction at the trading deadline? Would we be getting ready for the post-season if he had traded half the farm system for, say, Mark Teixeira or Jon Garland? All I know is this team has more than one problem, and I'm glad guys like James Loney, Matt Kemp and Chad Billingsley are around to try to fix things.

The lineup, from Inside the Dodgers:

Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Martin, C
Gonzo, LF
Nomar, 3B
Loney, 1B
Martinez, 2B
Ethier, RF
Penny, P

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Russell, would you like to show up sometime this second half?

Anonymous said...

Saxy,
Aren't you riled up yet?

Damon said...

Where are you Kent

Anonymous said...

Kent Schment. He allows as many runs as he produces.

Orel said...

Yeah, Saxy, aren't you riled up yet?

Orel said...

Dodgers down 2-0. Final score will be 14-13 D'backs.

Orel said...

That dive by Eric Byrnes was probably unnecessary.

Orel said...

3-0 D'backs. Penny actually pitching okay but the gloves are killing him.

Orel said...

Brad Penny imploding. Here we go.

Orel said...

Seems he has a point, at least.

Orel said...

"An incendiary inning." But Penny recovers his head and gets out of it.

Orel said...

"Sometimes you do better with a change of scenery." —Vin

I don't think he was talking about moving from first to third place.

Steve Sax said...

After seeing Friday's and Saturday's games live, Sax is sitting on the corner of his sofa, no lights in the room, drunk. Every team goes through a streak, but this is ridiculous.

Orel said...

Your grammar and spelling are excellent for a drunk person.

Steve Sax said...

Maybe going to Cincy is just the tonic we'll need.

Steve Sax said...

Not that I need more tonic.

Orel said...

Penny hurt himself bunting.

Orel said...

Pitching hand.

Orel said...

Fingers behind the bat, Brad.

Orel said...

Then he singles. Go figure.

Orel said...

How did Ethier not advance on that?

Orel said...

Two men on, one out...guess the outcome. WE SUCK. 3-0 D'backs.

Orel said...

Dodgers go down easier than Jenna Jameson.

Orel said...

"Air Bud Spikes Back" is on channel 5!

Orel said...

Loney still a stud with the glove!

Steve Sax said...

Not that I need more tonic.

Orel said...

Heads-up play by Nomar. Good pick by Loney.

Orel said...

More tonic, Sax?

Orel said...

SOS