Monday, May 05, 2008

Game 32 Thread: May 5 vs. Mets, 7p

Chad Billingsley (1-4) vs. Oliver Perez (2-2).

COMMENTS: Happy Cinco de Mayo! Los Mets beat the Diamondbacks yesterday, 5-2. Thanks, Mets! Today we root for you...to lose! And what better way for the Dodgers to start a new winning streak than against resident Mets headcase Perez? The Mets have lost four of his six starts; his last outing lasted 1 2/3 innings and earned him the enmity of teammate Billy Wagner. Meanwhile, Billingsley leads the Dodgers in strikeouts with 40 (Derek Lowe and Hong-Chih Kuo are tied for a distant second with 25 each). Billingsley's losing record is more an indication of his weird inability to pitch a smooth fifth inning than anything else.

The Dodger bats took the day off yesterday with the exception of Andre Ethier (solo homer) and—gulp—Juan Pierre (.324/.395/.382. That's right, OBP > SLG). Which begs the question...what to do with $18 million paperweight Andruw Jones? Joe Torre is trying everything short of offering a cigar and rum to Jobu in an effort to diagnose Andruw's malaise. Since Perez is as hittable a pitcher the Dodgers will see this week, Andruw's whereabouts today—lineup or bench?—will give us some insight into Torre's feelings about his slump. The rest of the Dodgers' offense would be well served to give Billingsley some early run support so he doesn't feel as if he has to throw a perfect game in order to win.

63 comments:

Erin said...

I think I like the game thread being posted right on the hour. That gives me a good feeling about tonight's game.

And I'll be there!

Steve Sax said...

Erin, you're getting so far ahead of us Sons on games attended, that our only hope is to stock back up while you'll be in Chicago.

Enjoy the game.

Orel said...

lineup:

Furcal, SS
Pierre, LF
Kemp, RF
Kent, 2B
Martin, C
Loney, 1B
Jones, CF
DeWitt, 3B
Billingsley, P

Whither Andre?

Eric Karros said...

I have a feeling Bills'll have a good night.

Eric Karros said...

1-2-3 with 2 K's. So far so good.

Eric Karros said...

Woo hoo, Dodgers up 2-0 after 1. Bills'll like that (note use of 5 l's in a 6-letter span).

Anyhow I gotta go, I hope the lead holds up!

Steve Sax said...

2-0 after 1, Furcal and Pierre with runs scored. Hmm.

Orel said...

Bills escapes a 2nd-inning jam. Nice!

Steve Sax said...

Bills escapes the second with two RISP and one out. Nice.

Steve Sax said...

Orel: Nice.

Eric Karros said...

Bills kills rally.

Above sentence is 43% pure l's.

Orel said...

Jones doesn't strike out! Sad when a groundout counts as progress.

Eric Karros said...

Ok I really have to go now - g'night gents

Orel said...

Good night, EK. LLLLLLLLLL

Orel said...

Bills K's Wright with a heater to escape Reyes on third! Still 2-0 Dodgers.

Orel said...

Aflac trivia question: Joe Torre is 1 of 2 to coach the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets. Who is the other?

Orel said...

Hey Moises! I jinxed you today!

Steve Sax said...

Why did Slappy try a bunt single with none on in the third?

Orel said...

Two more left on for the Mets. Bills escapes the 4th....

Orel said...

Pierre tried to draw the first baseman off the bag with his bunt. Almost worked.

Steve Sax said...

Bills is, how do you say, walking a tightrope?

Maybe one could say, he's like a skywalker looking to cross han solo?

Orel said...

trivia answer: Casey Stengel

Orel said...

You love that headline, don't you. The dude writing it must have been high-fiving himself all day.

Steve Sax said...

I was going to guess Stengel, really.

As for the headline, I wouldn't be surprised if the guy scheduled the whole frickin' competition just to write the headline.

Orel said...

Loney K's on a busted H&R but the throw bounces into CF and Martin moves to third.

Orel said...

Phillies 5, D'Backs 1 in the 5th.

Orel said...

Bills and the treacherous fifth....

Steve Sax said...

Jones' 0-for-2, the last whiff coming with Martin 90 feet away with two out, now has his batting average down at .160.

Someone please stop Jones and give him a minor league assignment, or at least a breather. Andre Ethier, perhaps?

Delino DeShields, Sr said...

Anyone else think that little girl in the All You Can Eat Pavillion ad looked like a vampire. (Still feeling the breeze from Perez's strike)

Delino DeShields, Sr said...

On my fantasy team - Ryan Church, Oliver Perez. Yep, doing great tonight.

Orel said...

Furcal with the amazing play to save Bills' bacon in the fifth! Loney with the nice stretch!

Orel said...

DeWitt homers! He's getting mobbed in the dugout and makes a curtain call!

Orel said...

That was sweet! The entire team totally froze out DeWitt for five seconds after he entered the dugout. Then they mobbed him all at one.

Erin said...

I have now witnessed, in person, DeWitt's first base hit, first triple and first home run.

Orel said...

Bills at 75 pitches through five.

Orel said...

MATT KEMP 2-RUN HR! 5-0 DODGERS!

Orel said...

Nice to see Andruw in the thick of the congratulations to Kemp.

Orel said...

Erin's going for the Blake DeWitt Career Cycle!

Erin said...

I think his first hit was a single, and I'm sure I've seen him hit a double, too.

You know what's nice to see? Three home runs from the Dodgers tonight. I brought my glove but they haven't come that close to me in section 309 (front row--can you see me?).

Orel said...

Uh oh, Beltran triples to open the sixth.

Orel said...

And Mr. Century City singles him in. 5-1 Dodgers.

Erin said...

So is this the curse of the sixth inning?

Nevermind. Double play. Sweet.

Orel said...

And...Bills escapes the sixth with the help of a nifty DP by Furcal. 91-92 pitches.

Orel said...

Replay of the HCK batflip!

Orel said...

When Jones isn't striking out, he's hitting into inning-ending DPs.

Steve Sax said...

Jones is now batting .158, or about 1/2 his weight. STOP THE MADNESS

Delino DeShields, Sr said...

Jones is fast becoming the VILLAIN of the Dodgers. It's like the response Bonds got for the past year or two.

Orel said...

Chad out after 96 pitches. Beimel in.

http://www.sonsofstevegarvey.com/

Orel said...

I like how Beimel shows off his bad pickoff move early on.

Matt Kemp with the nice catch in foul territory!

http://www.sonsofstevegarvey.com/

karina said...

hello everyone!

i'm watching the game on tv, but the mets broadcast, no Vin Scully or Jaime Jarrin, but we're winning.

what do you think? It's Pierre or Jones, Ethier should spend more time on the field.

karina said...

Is the blonde actor from Beverly Hills 90210 in the first row just behind the home plate?

Alex Cora said...

Hey guys!!! Hows our blue doing? Just got home - seems like we are doing pretty well!

Alex Cora said...

Kemp is NL player of the week! Awesome!

karina said...

Jonathan Broxton came back and looked good.

Those are excellent news for the Dodgers (and a certain fantasy team)

Steve Sax said...

AC, post on Kemp goes up tomorrow morning about his Player of the Month. Aren't you just breathless with anticipation??? Dying in suspense??? On the edge of your seat???

Alex Cora said...

I'll be waiting in eager anticipation. In fact, I will keep my computer on and refresh this site every minute until it comes up. It will be a long night.

Steve Sax said...

Or, you can just wake up at 6:27 am pacific time.

Alex Cora said...

nice Fastball by saito

Steve Sax said...

It's allllllll over!

Dodgers win, 5-1! Next winning streak starts tonight!

Damon said...

I love LA

Steve Sax said...

If the Snakes can't score seven more runs in the bottom of the ninth, we'll gain a game. Good night, everybody!

Alex Cora said...

3 games behind AZ. Great to see us start a new streak. Go Blue!!!

karina said...

Dodgers matan culebras. It's only May!