Sunday, April 20, 2008

Game 18 Thread: April 20 @ Braves, 10.30a

Hiroki Kuroda (1-1) vs. Jair Jurrjens (1-2).

COMMENTS: Someone fire the equipment manager. The Dodgers clearly forgot to pack their bats on this trip, scoring a paltry two runs off the Braves' patchwork pitching staff. We're only 17 games into the season (a little over 10%), but is it too early to be concerned that this is not a good offensive team? Is it a matter of a poor lineup (we're leaving plenty on base and are 1-for-13 with RISP this series), poor performances from key players (Martin seems lost, Kemp continues to free swing, and Nomar has been abysmal), or Mattingly's absence? This season will be pretty sad if we're just fighting to stay ahead of last-place San Francisco all year. Let's see if a game pitching against the most loathed character in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace improves our lot.

53 comments:

Steve Sax said...

Wonderful, nothing says "offensive production" like Juan Pierre batting second.

Furcal, Pierre, Loney, Jones, Ethier, Martin, Dewitt, Hu, Kuroda. Interesting lineup.

Orel said...

Normally I wouldn't be thrilled with this lineup but after the last two games I'm okay with it.

Erin said...

I don't know if any of you have noticed this, but Juan Pierre is not very good.

Orel said...

Andruw with the backwards K to strand Furcal at 3rd. Looks like we're picking up right where we left off.

Orel said...

Erin, WHA???!?

karina said...

so far, Jurjjens has fanned four, living it up to his hype...

Steve Sax said...

Hey, we're not losing yet, and we're already in the third!

But we haven't scored any runs yet, either.

Orel said...

Jon't jelieve jhe jype!

Eric Karros said...

The Dodgers were put down really quick that last half inning.

Eric Karros said...

Jerjjens Binks having only four fingers is an unfair advantage.

Steve Sax said...

Jurrjens is lamost as fast as Juan Pierre.

And he hits about the same, too; slappy.

Erin said...

Wouldn't it be nice to have someone in left field who could throw the ball? Seems like there might have been a play at the plate in that case.

karina said...

Orel, i dropped Francouer off my team yesterday, i felt heartbroken and someone had to pay. Still some Braves...

karina said...

maybe they got confused and they think they are playing at the LA Coliseum

Orel said...

Karina, manage with your head, not your heart!

Steve Sax said...

Well Thank God. Martin with a HR to tie it!

karina said...

Russell Martin homered!!!! i hope he gets back wherever he's been!

karina said...

You got a point. There must be another way to deal with my baseball frustations, but i got a young promising pitcher, it might work

Erin said...

That Joe Torre bobblehead commercial with Lasorda is weird. Why wouldn't they just have Lasorda make the bobblehead's head actually bobble, instead of pushing it into a nod? It's a bobblehead! It's supposed to bobble!

These are the kind of things that bother me.

Erin said...

Or, to be more grammatically correct: this is the kind of thing that bothers me.

Eric Karros said...

Looks like the Pope is bumping the Laker-Nuggets game out where I am. I'm annoyed but should probably refrain from swearing.

Steve Sax said...

Watch Pierre knock Furcal in here...

Steve Sax said...

Yeah, right. Boy, am I glad to see Juan Pierre in the two-hole again!

karina said...

at least it was "just" a solo HR

Orel said...

Chipper Jones hates us.

Eric Karros said...

So does Andruw Jones

Orel said...

I can now confirm scraping the plaque off my dog's teeth is more interesting than watching the Dodgers lose.

Eric Karros said...

But alas, of the two, only the Dodger game is televised

karina said...

If Jar Jar Binks would have been this Jurrjens cool, people would have actually liked The Phantom Menace.

Erin said...

So, did Steiner just saw Kuroda is at 90 pitches? I thought we were told he was at 100 in the last inning. I'm confused. I suppose I could just look it up.

Erin said...

Nevermind. Jurrgens is at 90. Kuroda is indeed over 100.

One run game, I think you go for the sure out, even if it means a runner in scoring position with two outs. Martin disagrees, I guess.

Orel said...

Nasty "shuuto"!

Orel said...

Kuroda at 110+ pitches. Does he have enough in the tank for one more out?

Orel said...

IBB to load the bases....

Erin said...

Holy cow! Nice catch, Andre!

Orel said...

ANDRE ETHIER! THE DEVIL DOES NOT WEAR PRADO!

Orel said...

Let's use some of this momentum, boys!

Delino DeShields, Sr said...

Uh... wow. Heckuva catch.

Best line of the game. "If Pierre can get a hit here" LMAO

Orel said...

Nomar works a walk. Maybe the best AB he's had all Jair.

Orel said...

Just what we needed, great defense from the Braves. And Juan Pierre is scheduled to lead off the ninth! If Torre doesn't pinch hit Kemp, he's insane. Insane, I tells ya!

Orel said...

What a hustle play by Martin! Too bad it won't show up in the box score.

Erin said...

All right, are we taking bets on whether or not Kemp pinch-hits for Pierre here? I say Pierre leads off and tries to bunt the first pitch.

Erin said...

I was half right. He leads off, but takes the first pitch for a strike.

Erin said...

Pierre almost falls for the hidden ball trick, but now has two stolen bases in the inning.

Do you think Matt Kemp will ever play again?

Erin said...

Well, that ought to do it.

Orel said...

How wrong was I about Pierre? It's too bad, oh, only the HEART OF OUR ORDER couldn't drive him in.

Until tomorrow, everybody.

Steve Sax said...

I don't know what's worse--hearing the Dodgers collapse in the eighth, or listening to Rick Monday call this inning.

A very, very embarrassing weekend series in. Atlanta. I'm going to go get drunk.

Eric Karros said...

Braves hit for cycle in the 8th. I wonder how the plaque on Orel's dog's teeth is faring.

Steve Sax said...

Hey Orel, just finished up the Shepherd's Pie. You may even get your pot back by the end of the next homestand.

Steve Sax said...

Pierre FLIES OUT to end the game with two on.

This is a perfect example of why he sucks. Two stolen bases today, but who the hell cares when he kills more rallies than Hee Seop Choi?

Alex@DodgerFan said...

20 innings, 2 runs. What a joke.

Orel said...

Excuse me, sir, that would be 27 innings 3, runs.

At least the Lakers are winning.

Steve Sax said...

And let's be clear: that's three one-run innings in the last 27.

If the meek shall inherit the earth, we are rich. With dirt.