Saturday, July 05, 2008

Game 87 Thread: July 5 @ Giants, 6p

Chan Ho Park (4-2, 2.45) vs. Barry Zito (3-12, 5.99).

COMMENTS: Yesterday's win over the Giants was unusual for the Dodgers in some ways: They weren't wearing Dodger blue caps (due to MLB's stars-and-striped-logos-on-navy-caps policy), they came from behind, and Derek Lowe actually got some run support.

The Dodgers have won four straight, making them undefeated in July—a small thing but thine own, especially in light of Rafael Furcal's potentially season-ending (and Dodger-career-ending?) surgery. Andruw Jones did not impress in his return but Nomar Garciaparra did, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs.

In fact, the Dodgers hit seven doubles yesterday, and today they've got a decent chance for another offensive outburst against the Giants' struggling curveballer. Zito's struggles this season have been well chronicled, but he should at least be happy to be starting at home. Oh wait, he's 0-8 at AT&T Park. Never mind, Barry.

Brad Penny isn't ready to return to the Dodgers' rotation, so Park gets another spot start. Before Park's last start I was down on his chances, and he promptly shut out the Angels for six innings en route to an unexpected Dodgers victory. To which I say: eh. (Get it?)

69 comments:

Damon said...

Kemp, RF
Ethier, LF
Martin, 3B
Kent, 2B
Jones, CF
Garciaparra, SS
Loney, 1B
Ardoin, C
Park, P

LaRoche 1-3 yesterday with 2 walks and a HR
What does he have to do to get some ab's

Damon said...

back to back doubles by Kemp and Ethier 1-0 dodgers

Damon said...

Will Ethier make it the 4th game in a row with a HR?

Damon said...

Jones gets a rbi on a 6-4 FC

Damon said...

Nomar draws a walk

karina said...

Glad to see Jones got a RBI.

Hello Damon!

karina said...

I misunderstood you, Damon. Jones grounded out (at least he hit the ball, that's already an improvement from yesterday)

Doubles party hasn't finished yet!

Damon said...

He reached base but it wasn't a hit

Damon said...

I hate these hats by the way.
I might stop posting in a while the UFC is on tonight

Damon said...

Martin gets 3b eligibility today in yahoo fantasy

karina said...

I didn't know that, so if i have Martin as catcher, i don't get any points?

Damon said...

No it means that you can use Martin as 3rd base

karina said...

Not a fan of the hats, too.

Bad baserunning by Kemp?

karina said...

Thanks, i'm new on fantasy.

karina said...

Park got out of a jam, let's go blue!

Damon said...

Andruw K's in other news the sky is blue

karina said...

The only logical reason i can give Loney batting 7th for second game in a row is maybe Garciaparra and Jones get better pitches. Fact is Jones will strike often and a lot, no matter what.

Damon said...

there is no logical reason karina

karina said...

hahahahahahahahaha, Damon. You're right, i'm just trying to be optimistic.

karina said...

Can't believe Martin has struck out twice this game against Zito. Go son, be merciless with him!

karina said...

He grounded out. I'm panicking, this game is too close, though the Dodgers bullpen rocks.

Damon said...

giants pen sucks don't worry

karina said...

You know, anything Giants sucks... you could define it as a redundant or even as a synonym...

karina said...

Bottom of the 6th. Durham walks. Wynn grounds out. Durham to 2nd. Molina K's. Rowand doubles.

Dodgers 2-you know who 1

karina said...

Garciaparra single, King James at the plate...

karina said...

King James struck out. Ardoin, believe it or not, DOUBLED!. Garciaparra is at 3rd. LaRoche is pinch-hitting for Park.

karina said...

LaRoche grounded out. He saw 4 pitches, 2 of them were ball, one pitch was strike. Urgh.

Beimel legend is pitching on the 7th.

karina said...

Dbacks were defeated by the Padres, 4-2. So, this is a new mantra:

"first-place Dodgers, first-place Dodgers, first-place Dodgers"

karina said...

Castillo doubled off Beimel. Not digging it, besides a giant, he's a Leones del Caracas. In my book, those words are synonyms of douchebag.

Orel said...

Epale, Karina and Damon! I see we haven't bombed Zito as I had hoped, but we're still winning. Just.

karina said...

Vizquel out on a bunt. Castillo at 3rd. Both venezuelan, giants and leones. Urgh.

karina said...

Epale, Orel!

karina said...

Epale, Orel!

karina said...

He was sooooo sweet. Best date of my life.

karina said...

Give some insight:
a) Is douchebag a very rude word?
b) Am i allowed to write it on this blog?

Orel said...

Awww! That's sweet, but now we're all jealous.

Orel said...

Damn! Giants tie it up!

karina said...

*blushing* don't get jealous yet! i don't give my heart easily, besides you all came first. How about that?

Orel said...

a) "Douchebag" is considered rude but not obscene.

b) You may use "douchebag" here.

Orel said...

Now we're *blushing*!

karina said...

I mean it.

karina said...

Dodgers 2-blah 3

Orel said...

I guess no first place today, kids.

karina said...

That post about douchebag was brilliant. Though i promise not to use that word again, unless i have to describe negatively a leones and/or a giant. As being a giant-leones guarantees my unconditional and irrational hate, i can't help it.

Exbihit A: bottom of the 7th inning, which hasn't concluded. Giants/Leones players fault.

Orel said...

What happened to our bullpen?

karina said...

Let's have some hope. As previously mentioned by Damon, orange-black bullpen sucks.

Orel said...

Three-run deficit (and maybe more) is pretty hard to overcome in two innings.

karina said...

If they actually lose this game, Torre needs to get Loney back at the 5th spot in the lineup.

Orel, they can score 4 runs.

Steve Sax said...

Damon, Karina, I salute you both. Thank you both for picking up the lineup and the gamethread conversation!

We just got back from a lovely afternoon at the beach. Unfortunately, like Orel yesterday, I too am now watching this game with a Giants fan. The Giants taking a 5-2 lead has not been helpful.

Orel said...

4 outs left....

Steve Sax said...

We can't win with the black hole of Jones in the lineup.

Orel said...

Martin walks, Tyler plunks Kent! That must have been pretty satisfying for some Giants fans.

Orel said...

Oh shit, Andruw's up.

Orel said...

Moral victory: Andruw didn't strike out!

karina said...

Steve, you have a point. We only had to endure one black Sweeney hole appearance per game, now we have to cope with 3,4,5 black Jones holes appearances per game.

Glad you spent a lovely afternoon.

karina said...

How lovely would be a Giants sweep and first place Dodgers?

karina said...

Steve, you missed one more reason to hate Jones: when Pierre gets back, it's Ethier or Kemp in the bench again.

Steve Sax said...

Karina, your comments are so poised and thoughtful, I now feel bad for swearing.

I feel like a douchebag.

But I still hate Andruw Jones.

karina said...

I love when people swear with reason. You're one of them, and not a douchebag, for sure.

Vizquel and Castillo=douchebags (we could name some dodgers if it is some relief)

Orel said...

Sweeney was "only" making $400K. What's Andruw's excuse?

Orel said...

Nomar with infield dirt power!

karina said...

He gave an excuse: he's homesick, he misses his bed, his wife and kids.

However, 99% of ballplayers spend at least 6 months away from home and don't use that excuse to low performance, specially when they are "elite" players.

Steve Sax said...

Thanks Karina.

Loney nailed by a 41-year old.

karina said...

Rowand is making Colletti look bad.

Steve Sax said...

Shit, we lose. Okay, let's get 'em tomorrow, boys. Stults vs. Cain.

Orel said...

First place will have to wait another day.

Orel said...

Sax, I got tomorrow's GT.

karina said...

First place tomorrow. They didn't sweep, but Dodgers still own Giants at San Francisco.

karina said...

Night, guys! (hope the Giants fan isn't giving you a hard time, Sax)