Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Game 34 Thread: May 7 vs. Mets, 12p

Brad Penny (5-2, 3.19) vs. John Maine (3-2, 3.48).

COMMENTS: Business-person's special today, a curious fluke in the schedule given both teams have a day off tomorrow (so there are no travel needs); Dodgers pick up the homestand Friday vs. Houston, though the Mets do have to travel home to meet the Reds Friday. As accommodating as we are to the Mets' itineraries, we have been positively belligerent as hosts at the Stadium, soundly beating the Mets in game 1 and then pulling off an amazing come-from-behind victory last night that featured an awesome relief pitching performance from Hong-Chih Kuo and a thrilling 16-second rush of an inside-the-park home run from rookie Blake DeWitt. The resilience and tenacious play of the Dodgers has been great to watch and sorely missing since...the first half of last season, before the collapse...HEY! This is a new season, with a new manager, a new third-base coach who knows when to send runners, with a new $18M .162 batter in the lineup; I don't recall the Dodgers pulling off 11 of 12 any time last year. Go Blue!

Today's game also gives most of us a chance to watch those hypnotizing pulsing yellow circles on ESPN Gamecast. Let's hope the Dodgers get a lot of pulsing yellow circles (and subsequently score said circles) to support Penny's outing.

73 comments:

Erin said...

Yes, I will be watching this one on television, having decided to not spend $15 to go park and watch the game live. See what you've done to me, McCourt? One day of parking at Dodger Stadium is a one month subscription to MLB TV, which I'll need when I go to Chicago. That's just plain crazy.

Steve Sax said...

Erin, you can park at that house that Delino bought, and just sneak through the gates. Right, Delino?

Orel said...

Pierre, LF
Ethier, RF
Kemp, CF
Kent, 2B
Loney, 1B
Martin, C
DeWitt, 3B
Hu, SS
Penny, P

Glad to see the 1977 Ford Mustang in the garage. Torre's strategy works with Kent: Kent rests and we win yesterday. Hope Furcal is okay.

Alex Cora said...

Wow, nice catch - Pagan went head over heels into the stands.

Erin said...

Those of you who can't watch the game missed a circus catch from Angel Pagan. He caught Ethier's foul pop-up right at the wall down the third base line, and then flipped head over heels over the wall. He was eventually okay, but it was pretty scary looking.

Erin said...

Okay, good, AC. I'm not the only one actually watching this.

Alex Cora said...

Yeah, after working till the bottom of the 8th inning the last 2 games, I get to see this one - hopefully all the way through.

Alex Cora said...

Church laced a curve into center - man on first.

Alex Cora said...

Uh oh, pagan pokes one into left. 2 men on.

karina said...

So that play means Ethier hit it well and hard.

The reason to buy new cars is, with appropiate care, they'll last for years, depending the model, they'll become a classic.

If you keep these kind of cars that i'm talking about, not only you get classics but lots of joyful memories.

That's why i'd prefer the 1977 Ford Mustang in the garage. New cars are also low maintenance.

Orel said...

Yikes, Dodgers got lucky on Marlon's ground-rule double.

Erin said...

Every guy has been making solid contact this inning. Penny isn't fooling them.

Alex Cora said...

Uhoh, ex dodger Marlon Anderson hits a ground rule double, Mets score...1-0

Orel said...

Penny fooling nobody. 3-0 Mets.

Erin said...

Cripes. Penny sure doesn't have anything this inning. This is quite discouraging.

Alex Cora said...

Uh.....this looks bad - laced a single to score 2, mets 3-0. Penny is throwing meatballs across the plate.

Erin said...

I'm going to get a sandwich. I hope things have improved by the time I get back.

Orel said...

Is Penny hurt?

Orel said...

I sense a Chan Ho Park appearance in our near future....

Orel said...

"Something is wrong with Wright." He can't hit Brad Penny, that's what. 4-0 Mets.

Alex Cora said...

Crap - Mets score 4 runs, maybe I should call work and go back. Penny gets Wright, but the damage is done (god I love that cliche').

Orel said...

Do you think the Dodgers are less intense today since they've already won the series?

karina said...

Has someone noticed David Wright hasn't been hitting at Dodger Stadium?

Orel said...

Vin says Wright has K'ed six times this series. But he's playing great defense. Too bad that doesn't help your fantasy team.

Orel said...

"The hit parade continues for the New York Mets."

Orel said...

5-0 Mets...

Orel said...

Pitchout and Martin's throw still not in time!

Orel said...

We knocked Angel Pagan out of the game! Time for a comeback!

Steve Sax said...

Just got back from a bar where I watched the first two innings. Penny does not look in the game today. But then, neither do his teammates.

Maybe they all went out and partied hard last night to celebrate the series win.

Steve Sax said...

Pagan is out of the game. Guess he was hurt, after all.

Orel said...

Torre bats Penny. I think we are conceding this game.

Alex Cora said...

Hey Hu's on second - comeon Pierre!

Alex Cora said...

Hey Sax isn't it a little early to be at a bar? Darn, Pierre grounds out.

Alex Cora said...

Gosh, did anyone see Pierre crash into the wall to field that ball? Looked like a little leaguer.

Alex Cora said...

Wright is always sticking his tongue out at the plate.

Steve Sax said...

AC: Pierre IS a little leaguer. In more ways than one.

And as for the bar, it's never too early to be at a bar. The key is to go along with someone from HR so you're covered.

Erin said...

I had John Maine on my fantasy team for a while last year, and as I recall, he was never very good.

Steve Sax said...

Cubbies lost (they were trounced 9-0, including four home runs in ONE INNING), so we won't lose the wild card lead even if we lose today.

Steve Sax said...

John Maine only ha 45 pitches through four. I thought the line on the Dodgers this year was that we were more patient at the plate?

I guess everyone wants the early afternoon off to go along with their day off tomorrow.

Erin said...

A comeback is possible, but only if the Dodgers act like they care about winning. John Maine isn't unhittable.

Steve Sax said...

Penny should just bean Maine here just for the hell of it, even though it walks in a run.

Steve Sax said...

Dammit, something worse just happened.

"In play, run(s)"

Steve Sax said...

Penny must have seen the Reds/Cubs score and is trying to see if he can beat that.

Torre clearly doesn't care either, leaving him in. With an extra day of rest tomorrow for the whole team.

Steve Sax said...

Walk to load the bases again

Can we please stop this train wreck NOW

Orel said...

Goodbye, Brad Penny. Go get better.

Steve Sax said...

11-0.

Ah, I don't think we are going to win this game.

Orel said...

Back to the bar!

Alex Cora said...

Wow, went to do laundry and came back to an 11-0 Mets lead. WTF?

Erin said...

I get in the shower with us down 5-0, and I come out to find us down 11-0. Lesson learned. I'll never shower again.

Oh well. I guess this just gives me more time to concentrate on my second post about recycling at Dodger Stadium. Thanks for the comment on the first one, by the way, Orel.

Alex Cora said...

RALLY CAPS!!! Loney with a double - 11 runs this inning!

karina said...

Good Job, King James!

Steve Sax said...

Martin is going to crank an 11-run HR right here...

Alex Cora said...

Martin walks - Maine getting tired? Here comes the power hitter in DeWitt.

Orel said...

No problem, Erin. Looking forward to the next installment.

Orel said...

That's it, Dodgers, get it all out of your system today.

karina said...

don't you feel frustrated?

Alex Cora said...

Ok, how about we see Dewlyn Young, Bennett, and Sweeney get some action now.

Orel said...

Only a little, Karina. We won this series and we've won our past four series. The boys get to rest tomorrow and come back fresh Friday.

Alex Cora said...

Hey Torre was listening to me!

Erin said...

Let's hope Torre doesn't look at this game and go, "Oh, we lost 12-0. That outfield of Pierre, Kemp and Ethier just doesn't work."

karina said...

Penny was starting in fantasy too...ouch.

Erin said...

I am madly in love with Vin Scully, and I don't care who knows it. Every game, I swear there's at least one moment where I fall in love a little more.

This game, it was Scully's explanation of how we've all been mispronouncing Kuroda's last name. Scully was being Kuroda checking out of a hotel, and Kuroda said his name with the emphasis on the first syllable. Scully demonstrated, and gave a bit of a Japanese accent in the attempt, but said that he wouldn't be able to do that every time. He could say it once, but not every time.

"So, my apologies, Hiroki."

karina said...

He's the best. he had me when i finally got to hear an entire game narrated by him. He has to be one of the baseball gods.

it seems our Dodgers really want their off day ASAP?

Alex Cora said...

Park is dealing - so who should be our 5th starter now - Loaiza, Park, or Kuo?

karina said...

hmmm, the Mustang could be the designated pinch hitter?

karina said...

I like Loaiza better as long reliever. Hard call between Kuo and Park.

Erin said...

There goes the shutout!

Alex Cora said...

I think Torre likes the Asians in the Bullpen - didn't they make that into a movie? Hmmm, guess not, that was Angels in the Outfield.

karina said...

At least it's not a shoutout!

karina said...

Erin, we're on the same page for the second day in a row.

Steve Sax said...

Ugh, that was painful. I am going to pass along this shoutout from Delino, who was at the game:

the delino is in the house...one large beer...one sausage...number two hat won. thinking about buying a cheese cup for $1.50...not sure if you can tell at home, but penny was not at his best.

Marc said...

Whew - What a game!

My Recap:
http://dodgersblog.mlblogs.com/archives/2008/05/sweep_failed_mets_crush_dodger.html

I'm surprised you guys were following the game at noon. Did you sneak out of work or something?

Delino DeShields, Sr said...

Ah, the joys of the businessman special. Alas, I think someone forgot to tell the Dodgers that they had a game to play.