Friday, June 13, 2008

Game 67 Thread: June 13 @ Tigers, 4p

Derek Lowe (4-5, 4.15) vs. Armando Galarraga (5-2, 3.70).

COMMENTS: Happy Friday the 13th! The luck o' the Dodgers could hardly be worse; in addition to being sans Furcal, they've been hapless and luckless. But it gets worse. Now the Dodgers are...gnomeless.

An effective Lowe (7-1 with a 1.82 ERA lifetime against the Tigers) will induce lots of grounders, so let's hope the defense doesn't muffuletta plays. What, you thought we were done with the sandwich puns? Ha ha, focaccia!

92 comments:

Eric Karros said...

It's amazing how effectively a photo of a good sandwich makes one need to have a sandwich. After the last sandwich post I went out and got one later that day, and today I'm sure I'll end up doing the same.

Steve Sax said...

EK, I call baloney.

Eric Karros said...

Maybe this is the game the Dodgers rediscover their power stroke. A late-inning 450-ft Muenster Jack from Martin or Loney might be just what we need to get the offense back on track.

karina said...

God helps them!

(write some updates i gotta go to the church right now)

Steve Sax said...

karina, ricotta go to church more often if you think that will help the Dodgers' bats.

EK, Asiago-pherball pitch happening to Loney in the third inning, with Martin and Kent on base. It'll be a brie-run shot.

Steve Sax said...

Lineup (wait for it...):

Pierre CF
Young LF
Ethier RF
Kent 2B
Martin C
Loney 1B
LaRoche 3B
Sweeney DH
Berroa SS

WHAT THE HELL IS TORRE THINKING GIVING SWEENEY THE DH SPOT?!?!?!?!

Please, please prove me wrong here, Mark.

Erin said...

I just threw up in my mouth.

Steve Sax said...

Sorry about that Erin. We'll try to cut the cheese...puns.

Meanwhile, we're on rain delay, so KABC is debating the war in Iraq.

Erin said...

According to Gameday, we have started. Good news.

Erin said...

Guillen gets caught in a rundown after rounding third. Berroa tagged him, and the ump made a terrible call, claiming Berroa missed the tag. Not cool. The ump just sort of guessed at the call, and with the naked eye on MLB.tv, you could tell Berroa made the tag. Let's see if that comes back to bite us.

Orel said...

1st & 3rd, 2 out. Sweeney up. Odds on scoring?

Erin said...

Guess I'm the only one here. Blown call in the rundown didn't hurt us. Loney just hit a two-out triple, and LaRoche walked, probably because Sweeney is behind him.

Erin said...

Oh, oops. I'm not alone!

Orel said...

At least Sweeney isn't hacking early. 2-0 count.

Orel said...

Hi Erin!

Erin said...

Hello, Orel! One swing of the bat here could double Sweeney's RBI total for the year. Of course, I'd settle for a one-run single.

Orel said...

Oh my god, Sweeney struck out! How totally unexpected!

Orel said...

Blorf.

karina said...

I need Joe Torre to call a press conference to explain WHY Mark Sweeney is the designated hitter.
I'm sorry but i don't see the logkc.

Erin said...

The Red Sox lost their game in Cincinnati at roughly the same time Thames hit that homer. What a great moment in my night.

karina said...

I hope that solo homer isn't enough for the Tigers to win this game.

Orel said...

Uh oh, what'd I miss? Tigers 1, Dodgers 0.

Orel said...

DeWitt should be the DH.

Erin said...

Absolutely, Orel. It makes no sense to sit his bat and put Sweeney in. There's no justification for that. Period.

Orel said...

Tigers 2-0 on an RBI fly ball by Hollimon, whoever that is.

Erin said...

Well, if that home run from Thames wasn't enough to win the game for the Tigers, the second run they just scored might be.

Orel said...

Sweeney is getting his veteran props.

Orel said...

Five innings in, we are getting 2-hit.

Erin said...

It's just madness. Why can't Torre see that it doesn't make sense to play a bad hitter just because he's stuck around in this game for so long? Particularly at the expense of a rookie who has proven himself quite a lot already this season.

Erin said...

The Phillies are beating up on the Cardinals 13-1, and it's only the fourth inning. Yikes.

karina said...

It's beyond that. Kid's clutch, something Dodgers clearly have been lacking so far in the season.

Erin said...

No matter what the Dodgers' radio announcers say, .345 is not a good enough OBP for a leadoff hitter. So I'll thank them to stop talking about how Pierre continues to set the table for his team, but they don't do anything about it once he gets on base.

karina said...

what happened, what's the injury delay?

Erin said...

For the record, Pierre is ninth on the team in OBP. Take out LaRoche and Tiffee and their small sample sizes, and Pierre is seventh. And only .005 ahead of Kemp.

Erin said...

Pierre's single went off the pitcher's leg. He's still in, though.

karina said...

Galarraga is good, he was pitching in my fantasy team but i had to drop him, because he was pitching against the Dodgers.

Erin said...

The problem is, it was Juan Pierre that hit the ball that went off the Tigers' pitchers' leg. That means that it was relatively weakly hit, and the pitcher was able to stay in the game. And so our hitters continue to do nothing in this game.

Erin said...

I was just reading about the new law regarding cell phone use in your car in California (goes into effect on July 1). I find it funny that the law does not prohibit dialing or texting while driving, just talking. I would think both dialing and texting are inherently more dangerous than just talking while driving, but maybe that's just me.

Orel said...

That ball to Loney had so much spin on it....

Erin said...

And Loney boots a ball that probably should have been the final out (I'm not watching, but that's what it sounds like) of the inning, and the Tigers are up 3-0. What do we think? Will the Dodgers be shutout tonight?

Erin said...

Radio guys say he didn't get behind the ball, and he should have made the play. I'm angry enough about this team to believe it was our poor play that gave the other team another run.

Orel said...

I thought TWD was prohibited.

Erin, what do you think a leadoff batter should be OBPing?

Erin said...

Hard to say, Orel, but I certainly don't think the leadoff guy should be getting on base less often than six other members of the team.

Orel said...

Speed is a factor. With Furcal out, Martin seems the only reasonable candidate. Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing that.

Erin said...

I really think Martin should be given a shot. I've seen that brought up on other blogs, and I don't see why there shouldn't be an effort made. Torre messes with the lineup every damn night, but he makes no changes to the top, despite the relative lack of production. Granted, no one else in the rest of the lineup is producing either, but it does start at the top. And speed can only be a factor if the guy gets on base. Let's see Martin go out there. Everyone would be talking about a catcher batting leadoff.

Orel said...

Young's got an arm—almost threw out Raburn at second.

karina said...

I think it's time to call someone from the bullpen...

Orel said...

"The last 20 years, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, nine catchers have hit leadoff in a major league game: [Jason] Kendall, [Ivan] Rodriguez, Craig Biggio, [Brad] Ausmus, Michael Barrett, Don Slaught, Jason Varitek, Paul Lo Duca and Scott Hemond. That list is so short because most catchers don't run very well, most aren't a threat to steal and most are beaten up halfway through the season by the punishment they take behind the plate. Most catchers are done as good hitters in their early 30s because of the toll the position takes on their bodies."

Erin said...

Yep. That's why we need to take advantage of Martin's speed while still has some.

Orel said...

Lowe @ 115 pitches.

karina said...

I'm glad Young has a good arm. He should play more...well, if Kemp returns tomorrow (you never know with Torre), he could be an option for the DH.

Erin said...

...while he still has some.

Orel said...

Lowe gets out of it. I think he threw 2,000 pitches tonight.

Erin said...

Torre's excuse for Sweeney at DH has to be that Kemp is suspended. It doesn't explain why DeWitt wouldn't be used, but if Kemp is available, he should be in the field or batting as the DH. So we'll see what Torre does tomorrow.

karina said...

Hollimon should be the last batter Lowe faces, what are they playing here? overworking him in a game he's losing in the 8th inning for 3 runners and Dodgers offense? are they risking an injury?

Orel said...

Karina, are you ready for your close-up?

karina said...

correct: seventh inning

Orel said...

They showed Lowe talking Torre into letting him pitch that last inning.

karina said...

hahahahahahahaha, not yet

Orel said...

There's really no excuse for Torre to start Sweeney, who's "only" making $600K this year.

Orel said...

What are you doing, trashing your trailer? Don't be a diva!

Erin said...

I would provide roughly the same production as Sweeney does, and I'd do it for 25% of his salary.

karina said...

Im watching the A's and the other team of the bay, this team you should not named is wearing a similar uniform to the Aguilas uniforms. My heart is broken.

karina said...

I'm waiting for my vodkatini and i won't be working 'till i get it.

Erin said...

Philadelphia 17, St. Louis 1.

So, it could be worse.

Orel said...

Prime Ticket is playing an old interview the Vin Scully and Chick Hearn!

karina said...

At least, it's a darker hue of orange. It's a copy from 80's Aguilas uniforms.

Erin said...

The Dodger radio announcers must be in love with Juan Pierre. More talk about how hard he's been hitting the ball in the last month.

Orel said...

So we've got Erin swinging the bat at DH and Karina trying to find her motivation for this scene.

Three vodkatinis, coming up.

karina said...

ah? are they talking about his outstanding strenght of his arm?

Erin said...

No mention of arm strength so far. I don't think they're quite that crazy.

Orel said...

Karina, don't worry, it's only colors!

Erin, is it Rick & Jerry? I think former players tend to go easier on guys like Pierre.

Erin said...

I actually don't know who it is (I rarely listen to the games on the radio, so I don't pay attention to who is speaking). Probably, though. It's not Steiner, that's for sure.

Orel said...

Wade plunks Guillen, Guillen glares at Wade, Wade points to first as if to stay take your base, the benches slowwwllly clear, everybody's milling about as if it's a mixer.

Erin said...

And all the boys are getting out the rulers to see who has the biggest.

Orel said...

Steiner & Lyons are on TV.

Orel said...

It's as if you disapprove of macho posturing, Erin.

Orel said...

Great line, by the way.

Erin said...

Well, then it's definitely not Steiner. :)

I know he's on TV. I don't know what I was thinking.

Erin said...

Guillen was being ridiculous if he thought Wade would want to intentionally hit him.

Orel said...

That ball was crushed. Cory Wade, you lose.

Erin said...

Great. Game over.

karina said...

Guillen is a huge man. I bet Cabrera and Maza are discussing where they are gonna get their after work drinks.

karina said...

My boy Greincke should pitch well against Arizona. Good for the Dodgers, good for my fantasy team.

Erin said...

The only thing Dodger fans can root for these days is an Arizona loss.

Going into tonight, the Giants are only 1.5 behind us, though. So we're going to have more to worry about soon enough.

karina said...

You know what i hate the most about this game, tomorrow every media in this country will talk about Galarraga's great performance and Cabrera's HR, reminding me my beloved Dodgers sort of suck.

Erin said...

Well, that should just about do it, I guess. Another disappointment.

karina said...

Greincke is with bases loaded, 2 outs and Reynolds is at the plate.

karina said...

and Reynolds struck out! that's my boy!

Erin said...

I don't think it would be possible for us to go more quietly in the ninth than we just did.

karina said...

another disappointment...my prayers were not listened...

Orel said...

Oh don't worry, SoSG will do its part in reminding you that your beloved Dodgers sort of suck.

Until next time!