Clayton "Minotaur" Kershaw (0-0, 3.00) vs. John "Remember the" Maine (5-4, 3.41) (SoSG's first Spanish-American War reference!)
COMMENTS: The Dodgers are of to a rollicking start to this roadtrip, now 0-4 with three games to go. In the past four games we've witnessed impotent offense (particularly with RISP), blown saves by both of our bulwarks (Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito), and runners thrown out at home (Juan Pierre, yesterday in the first inning). Despite daily shuffling of the cards, the nine spots in the lineup aren't enough to hide the warning-track power of Jeff Kent, the three-pitch strikeouts from Matt Kemp, the average-plummeting slump of James Loney, or the sub-Mendoza numbers from Chin-Lung Hu. And that's not even counting the worthless spot reserved for Mark "Black Hole" Sweeney, the worst pinch-hitter slot in the majors, let alone the DL spot occupied by Andruw Jones. With Rafael Furcal still unavailable, this comedy of errors is enough to raise the (presidential campaign-paraphrasing) question: are we better off now (under Joe Torre) than we were with Grady Little? I shudder at the thought.
But don't blame the Sons of Steve Garvey, as we are once again pulling out all the stops, putting SoSG's own Eric Karros on a plane to get out to Shea this evening and root on our intrepid Dodger squad. Look for the dashing man with Dodgers body paint swimming around in 50% humidity. (Oh yeah, and EK can't bend at the knees, so don't ask him to pick up the card you want him to autograph off the ground.)
123 comments:
Pierre, LF
Kemp, CF
Kent, 2B
Loney, 1B
Martin, C
Ethier, RF
DeWitt, 3B
Maza, SS
Kershaw, P
Loney's card was drawn to play cleanup for this hand! Let's see how this goes...
I wish they would move Kent down 3 spots
Of all the lineups to produce, this is the one I didn't think he would do. Must be going for some kind of record.
Why Kemp was moved up is odd. Is he getting the Andruw Jones treatment. Must have a knee problem
I thought you were mistaking "minotaur" as the Monitor (from v. Merrimac fame) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hampton_Roads
Which would have been SoSG's first US Civil War reference, as well as SoSG's first reference to a fifth grade modeling project made by yours truly).
Though I might have once referred to GnR's "Civil War"
Torre: Hey Kershaw, come on in my office, I want to talk to you about tonight.
Kershaw: Yeah, coach.
Torre: Well, you know this is an important game. So I picked a lineup especially for you! (Shows him the lineup card). See how much offense we are going to generate! Aren't you excited? We have TWO rookie infielders and TWO sophomore players. You have great veteran leadership in Pierre too. So go get 'em buddy. We will spot you one run the entire night. Just go out there and pitch a shutout and you just might win.
Amen Damon.
I am splitting my time on MLB.tv between the Dodgers game and the Red Sox game, so I hope you guys will be on top of updates.
The good news? Here in Chicago tomorrow, Fox is showing the Dodgers/Mets game.
Pierre walks on what seems like 3 pitches then promptly steals 2nd. Good start.
Good news: I tuned in just in time to see that it took six pitches to strike out Matt Kemp this time.
With a runner at second, no less.
Kemp K's. Kent in an 0-and-2 hole faster than you can say...something clever.
I wish they would move Kent down seven spots...off the lineup for an evening, maybe to a masseuse to rest those tired old "muscles".
If I have to hear Rick Monday again lament the team's late night flights and late arrivals to the hotel...come on, Rick, they're 25 years old! They can handle it!
Cuz if nothing else, the dodgers have shown if they get men on base, they're a lock to score.
Kent grounds out. Pierre is going to have to steal third and home for us to score.
Well, it's a great start so far. 0-2 with RISP.
Oh wait, now Monday is waxing philosophic about nearby LaGuardia airport.
At least Loney's double shuts Monday up! Yay James!
WOW! Loney RBI! O happy day!
Martin with a ground rule double, back-to-back RBI doubles for the Blue! 2-0.
And Karina's son follows with an RBI ground-rule double! 2-0!
Whoever is doing the Mets' broadcast (Keith Hernandez?) tells us something unique about John Maine: he's better when he throws balls at the knees and at the letters, but suffers when he throws them at the belt. What amazing insight.
Something tells me Elias could tell me some stats about how most pitchers fare when they throw the ball to a hitter at the belt.
Two runs in the first inning? I don't know what's going on.
EK, are you posting from Shea? What's the price of a beer?
What's going on??? Ethier with the RBI single! 3-0 Dodgers!
EK, Sax wants to know so he can start figuring out how much I'll set him back when we have a blogger convention at Shea.
I assume the 3 consecutive 2-out rbi hits means I can bypass the usual SoSG travel expense approval process in the future...
I am indeed posting from shea but my battery is dying so will stop checking in (I haven't been to the concession stand yet)
DeWitt grounds out to Delgado. Or, as Rick Monday would say, Geldado.
Jose Reyes greets Kershaw with a single. Should that play have been made by Maza?
Gameday says Kershaw is throwing mostly fastballs.
Kershaw tipped the ball trying to make the play, probably slowed it down some. With the speed Reyes has, Maza didn't have a chance. He didn't even make the throw.
Shit. Castillo with a 2-run homer off Kershaw. Welcome to the bigs.
Welcome to New York, Clayton.
And Kershaw starts Wright off with two curveballs.
Wright K's. Nice recovery.
Tatis up. Chan Ho Park is getting flashback chills.
According to SNY's radar gun, Kershaw is only hitting about 92 mph on the fastball. I thought he was hitting 96 mph in L.A.
Someone must have told Kershaw to trust his defense. Castro just hit a bouncer over Kershaw's head, much like the ball Reyes hit in the first. Kershaw thought about jumping up, but stopped, and Maza was able to make the play.
Apparently radar guns aren't standardized. Some parks are known for generous readings.
Kid learns fast!
Who is Nick Evans?
Orel, he's the third out.
And that's all we need to know.
Maine is settling down.
Nice, Erin.
Kershaw walks the bases loaded with one out. I think they call this trial by fire.
What happened to Kershaw in this inning? Got the side on seven pitches in the second, and has now walked three batters in the third.
...and escapes with giving up only one run. 3-3 tie.
He's erratic. It's a tradition among Dodger pitchers.
The Mets announcers are bitching about the ump's strike zone. I really don't see what they're talking about.
Martin's homer makes it 4-3 Dodgers. We have three XBH in four innings—uncanny.
Kershaw could aid this offensive explosion by possibly throwing a strike or two.
Kershaw's playing with fire again. Bases loaded on three consecutive singles.
Erin, how bad is he missing the zone?
Ugh, the Dodgers have made so many mental errors. Kershaw gets an early hook and he's down 4-3 and leaves with the bases juiced.
Maine somehow outran that double play by jogging at 1/3 speed.
And that does it for Kershaw after 83 pitches. CHP comes in, Fernando Tatis licks his chops.
I tuned back in to see Kershaw pulled, so I didn't see how badly he was missing.
I've got dewitt on my fantasy team. Luckily, fielding does not count. Man, that Clayton kid looks reeeeallllyyy young.
And CHP gets out of the bases-loaded jam! Gotta admit, Chan Ho has been pretty effective this year.
Rick has told me that the mets have taken the lead, as well as the act that it's a 4-4 tie. What the hell is the score, anyone???!!!
another party in this house, i'll sneak from time to time for updates.
epale, everyone!
Epale, Karina.
Sax, it is tied at four. Stupid Rick Monday.
Erin, what up? How's Chicago tonight?
Gameday can be so mean. "Juan Pierre grounds out softly." Why not just add "and runs like a girl" while you're at it.
Party at Karina's!
Sax, seems like it might rain any second in Chicago, if it hasn't started already. But it was a nice, warm, humid day. Looks like the freezing nights were only around for the Dodgers.
And I just ordered Chinese food. Party in my hotel room!
In the bad news category, MLB.tv sucks tonight and I can't find my television remote control. I live in one hotel room. Where could it possibly have gone?
I hope someone in the Dodgers organization doesn't get the bright idea that Chan Ho Park should be starting. He's doing just fine where he is.
Right now, MLB.tv is like watching streaming video on a 56K modem in 1999.
Erin's...Karina's...Erin's...Karina's...a tough choice indeed. I may have to clone myself.
Erin—check the sofa. I think I saw it there.
Success! Had to take the comforter off the bed, but I found the remote. Now I can watch an NBA playoff game whose outcome does not matter to me in the least
Well done, Erin. I knew you could do it.
Anyone else wondering why Maza is here and LaRoche is not?
Gameday is frozen!
Maza can play more positions.
He's just another black hole in the lineup, though. We need some offense. Teach LaRoche or DeWitt second base, and let's get both those guys in the game.
DeWitt leads off with a single, but Maza quickly erases him with a dp. Karina had better not be watching.
Orel, my Gameday said "Juan Pierre grounds out feebly.".
Or maybe it was "meekly."
DeWitt is taking grounders at second.
Oh yeah, that basketball thing. I spent most of my 76ers-loving childhood rooting against the Celtics and Lakers. But it'll make for an amazing series.
Ah GameCast, how I've missed you.
Celtics-Lakers would be David Stern's wet dream come true.
One thing I've learned in watching these two games: Shea stadium really overuses the Superman theme.
The charm didn't last long. Bases loaded, one out for CHP.
Awful, awful decision from Blake DeWitt. He had the runner out at home by about 45 feet. Damn it.
The IBB to Geldado works. I hope this doesn't turn into another 8-4 loss.
Does Monday really say Delgado's name that way? Does he do it every time?
Replay shows Pierre was out at first by about three inches, but the ump calls him safe. Could end up being big for the Dodgers. I hope.
And the Bison comes through!!!
The Pierre-Kemp 1-2 punch ties it back up!
I just heard Rick say Geldado once. But once is enough for me to mock him endlessly!
Old Man Kent gives the Dodgers the lead! This is a wild one, folks!
One more run and the Dodgers will equal their offensive output of the last four games combined.
Let's see Martin get a triple here, for the cycle.
Loney continues the hit parade! Four straight hits!
I'm obviously well ahead of you guys, so I'm going to avoid posting anything until Orel does. That way I don't ruin any surprises.
Not a triple, but a single by Martin makes it 7-5. Heilman for President!
Hail to King James!
and my son is behaving as he should, i love him!
Wow, crazy explosion of an inning...which I dare say started with an infield hit by none other than Juan Pierre.
Schoeneweis gift-wraps a run. Time for DeWitt to make up for his earlier miscue.
And Pierre was actually out at first to begin the inning. So the Dodgers got lucky, but all that hitting certainly helped.
And my Chinese food finally just arrived.
That's okay, Erin. Those online pauses can be torture.
Good blake: RBI! Bad Blake: thrown out at second. Was it close?
Hey, I was the 100th comment!
But thanks for thinking of us.
Blake being thrown out was actually a good thing. Martin hesitated even though the ball was clearly going to drop, so Blake made the turn to get the cutoff throw to him to allow Martin to score.
100th comment. We should come up with a prize for that.
Bon appetit, Erin!
Blake's off the hook then.
We need the Broxton of last night, not the Broxton of Tuesday night.
And the Saito of not Wednesday night.
Okay, off to battle Friday night traffic with Rick & Jerry. Hope things stay Dolly with this 9-to-5 score! (Erin, you're too young for that joke.)
Maybe, Orel, but I'm a huge Parton fan, so even though the movie and song came out the year I was born, I know it quite well.
Here comes Sweeney. For those not watching, picture the catcher motioning for the outfield to move way the hell in.
Erin, tell us about your hotel. Modern a la W Hotels, or stodgy a la Four Seasons?
I'm hoping you're in that Park Hyatt off of Michigan Ave, it's sweet. And the cafe has a good bar menu.
I walked past the Park Hyatt the other day, and it did look nice. My hotel is nice, one block off of Michigan on Ontario. It's called The James. Even nicer still is that I don't have to pay for it. I stayed at The James in Scottsdale, and they can be pretty pricey. I would say it's very much like a W, actually.
woo hoo we get a win. I bet Martin hits 4 tomorrow
I hate these mets announcers
Okay, I had to run into a restaurant with two out in the ninth...what's the scoop?
5 run 8th dodgers win
Dodgers win, Sax.
And Arizona is losing against Washington.
The Cubs sound like they're en fuego.
Of course, three of those recent wins were against the Dodgers. Don't get too excited.
Thanks Erin and damon, you guys are great. And you don't even plug tumblr.com!
Off to a nice dinner with some good wine. Kampei! Go Dodgers! 1 game over .500!
Speaking of which, EK's attendance at the game brings SoSG +1 over .500 as well...
Erin, to reference your earlier comment, I thought Tim Donaghey was David Stern's wet dream...
...until Donaghey was caught.
Oh yeah, "rogue agent.". Right.
Wish I'd have known one of the Sons was at Shea - I was there as well (picture from my seats up on my blog momentarily). Would have been nice to meet up and help me torment the poor Mets fans, especially when Aaron Heilman arrived.
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