Chad Billingsley (11-9, 3.05) vs. Chris Carpenter (0-0, 2.25).
COMMENTS: Since returning from Tommy John surgery on July 30, Chris Carpenter has only had one other start all year, pitching four innings and giving up five hits and one ER vs. Atlanta. On our side, Chad Billingsley takes the mound after being proclaimed the team's ace by dodgers.com. But the spotlight on this game won't be on the pitching; it will likely be all about Manny Ramirez, who is coming off his first four-hit game of the year and has two HR and five RBI in his three games as a Dodger. The Dodgers' day off yesterday was almost too much for us to bear, but let's see if Manny Mania can continue in St. Louis today, the first of 13 straight games without a day off.
STAT OF THE DAY: While everyone trumpets the power of Manny's 8-for-13 (.615) debut, let's not forget that Jeff Kent has been slotted fifth in the order in those three games, where Kent hit a mediocre 3-for-12. Imagine how powerful Manny might be with some real protection in the lineup; look for Loney (5-for-11 over the same three games) to bat fifth tonight (Loney's batting average is almost 50 points ahead of Kent's).
138 comments:
Kemp, CF
Ethier, RF
Martin, C
Ramirez, LF
Loney, 1B
Kent, 2B
Blake, 3B
Berroa, SS
Billingsley, P
Finally Joe figures it out! Can't wait to see this:
Furcal
Kemp
Martin
Manny
Loney
Kent
Ethier
Blake
P
I'll settle for this
Kemp
Eithier
Martin
Ramirez
Loney
Kent
Garciaparra
Blake
P
Heck, I'll settle for this
Pierre not starting
Jones not starting
I'd settle for this:
Manny
Manny
Manny
Manny
Manny
Manny
Manny
Manny
Manny
Manny just needs to greet every batter before they leave the dugout and touch bats with them. Worked for Kemp on Sunday.
Nice new avatar, Orel! You were always popular with the sistahs.
A sister joke, and nun too soon.
Nun puns? Now you've made this into a habit.
Don't let Pujols get to you, Chad!
Slap on the wrist with a ruler for you, Erin.
With the exception of Kemp, we're not taking many pitches...but we're making tons of outs.
Manny flied out? NOOOOOOOOOO
Out efficiency, Sax!
Okay, enough with the nun puns. I'd like to suggest a not convent-ed here syndrome.
Kent breaks up the no-hitter in the second, but Blake promptly flies to right. 0-0, going to bottom 2.
We can handle the nun puns. Don't be a wimple!
Could you guys priest stop with the puns?
For those of you watching on tv... what do you think of the camera angle?
It's from direct center and I'm not used to it. I'm so used to the off-center view that I haven't been able to adjust yet.
I'm having problems with balls and strikes and can't tell how hard the ball's hit off the bat.
Chad K's the #8 hitter with two on. It was the pitcher. Now he just needs to get Izturis.
Got him!
It certainly seems further away, and maybe a little higher, too.
I get annoyed when they go on the road and the games aren't broadcast in HD.
Little Cesar is batting .230 and is slotted ninth, below the pitcher.
Maybe that's an idea for the rare starts that Juan Pierre should get.
It is higher and further away... they've got to get above the pitcher's head so we can see home plate.
Okay, now we're getting back to baseball comments. Whew!
Looking at all these nun comments cloistered around made me nervous.
To continue with these nun lines isorassa-pe for disaster.
Gameday was skipping Kemp in the order but seems to have restored.
Kemp and Ethier, 0-fers so far.
I don't like Steiner's inability to read balls off the bat. Please don't use the "way back" catchphrase unless it actually has a legitimate shot of going out.
Berroa grounds out
Bills singles
Kemp flies out
Ethier flies out
What's wrong with this picture?
Gameday mysteriously hides the previous AB. I'm surprised they haven't fixed it yet.
Hey Orel and EK: Remember when we saw Adam Kennedy hit three HRs to clinch the ALCS in 2002 with the Angels? That game was unbelievable.
0-0 after 3! I'm going to the other side...
Glad to see Chad get Pujols for the third out.
When Gameday hides an at-bat, I just hit "refresh" and it seems to solve the problem.
Yeah, that was awesome.
One day I hope to see a Dodger game that exciting.
St. Louis, as a town, sucks. The ballpark is gorgeous, but I'm telling you that the people in St. Louis are not nearly as nice as they're reported to be. They're aloof and not the least bit friendly. My parents lived there for six years, and my dad asked for a transfer because they couldn't stand to live there anymore. My parents are friendly people, and they didn't really know one of their neighbors, despite living on the same street twice (different houses, separated by three years, for three years each time).
Anyway, my point is, I hate St. Louis, and I hate listening to people talk about how nice the people are.
Manny with single power!
I've heard that sentiment echoed at DT, Erin.
Can you keep with the nun puns? PLEASE.
James, up to old tricks. DP to end the inning.
It's strange, because the Midwest is purported to be the "land of nice people" or whatever. In Chicago, they live up to that. Everyone there was super friendly. Not so in the STL, though.
or everything else i can laugh of!
I came up with one nun pun, and it's the only pun I've ever done here.
I guess you could say I'm a novice.
Karina, be careful what you parish for.
Berroa picked a good time to make an error. Chad makes three extra pitches to get out of the inning.
Off to the other side. And I'm not talking about heavenly ascension.
Carpenter has only 51 pitches through five innings.
Here's a crazy strategy: make the guy coming back from Tommy John surgery work the count.
Idiots.
Rain delay.
Nice job with the "novice" line, Erin.
Reuss is on the radio show praising Ethier for saying the right things (unlike the disgruntled Juan Pierre). Fans are also skewering Juan for whining.
Thanks, Sax. I wasn't sure if it was too obscure.
Pierre is coming off like a pretty big whiner. Of course, people have been paying him millions for years for doing what he does, so it's got to be hard for him to see what the problem is. Blame Colletti for that $45 million contract.
Sounds like the game might be back on shortly...
All I've ever tried to be was Steve Sax.
Weisman over at DT made the point that, even when only compared to Juan Pierres of the past, the number are down. So he's not even succeeding at being Juan Pierre.
And Kemp starts us off by making a bad play. Shouldn't have dived for a ball he wasn't going to catch. Run would have scored anyway, but it still didn't look pretty.
Shit. 1-0 Cards.
Erin and Steve, all that talk about Pierre is depressing me...love your novice line too, Erin.
One out, 2 on base, Pujols is at the plate. Not looking particularly good.
Whoo! Who doesn't love a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play?
Now we need to go out and get that run back.
Bills Ks Pujols, Martin nails skip at third on the same play!
Another rain delay. This can't be good for Billingsley.
Tonight, i need my dodger baseball as much as oxygen.
dammit, when is James going to stop GIDPing???
surprise surprise, Chan Ho comes in and promptly gives up a meatball to Pujols. Two-run HR, 4-0 Cards in the seventh.
I think Manny is 2-for-3, but it doesn't matter since we swung at every frickin' pitch and let a guy released from the hospital beat us in the first five innings. And Loney did not provide the protection I thought he would (when I wrote the GT).
Shit.
Believe me, Sax, I'm with you on the frustration. When Park came in, I said to my girlfriend, "Great. The home run hitters coming up against a guy who likes to give up home runs." Sure enough, Pujols jacked one. This is quite a pathetic performance from our "offense."
Karina, it sounds like you need lots of distractions tonight.
Wish someone would distract Pujols. Well, I guess if you're going to get beat, you might as well get beat by the best.
D'backs 3, Pirates 0, 8th inning.
Guys, the upcoming schedule looks troubling. We have eight (!) games against the Phillies this month, while all of the D'backs opponents (outside of us) this month have a losing record.
WTF? ANDRUW HR!
I'll quote my girlfriend on that one:
"Miracles can happen."
And then:
"That's not good for Andre, though."
"Well, guess who's coming to dinner?" --Charley Steiner
Ramirez coming to the plate with one out and two on, Cards leading 4-1.
If I'm LaRussa, I walk Manny....
No problem, say Andre and Russell.
9th inning, one out, two on, down by three...Manny is the tying run.
Ah, they're pitching WAY around Manny. 2-0 count. FJL on deck.
3-2 count to Manny...come on, Manny!
Bases loaded for James!
NO DP, JAMES!
Erin, you're right, the schedule is not in our favor here. We have 29 games in 30 days and if we keep serving up gopherballs to hungry batters like Pujols, we're screwed.
Loney up with the bases juiced and one out. PLEASE do not GIDP!
IZZY BOBBLE!
4-2 Cards!
C'mon, miracle toast!
Kent delivers! 4-3!
Lyons says Manny got a bad jump off second.
Holy. Crap.
Manny probably should have scored there, but maybe it would have been an out at the plate. I don't know We've got some magic happening here.
Will Bowa's conservatism prove fateful?
Crap, now I have that freecreditreport.com song stuck in my head.
They credit FJL with a basehit on that nubber. Generous, those St Louisisiaisisiaians. Wouldn't you agree, Erin?
Jeff Daniels ties it!
MANNY SCORES ON A SAC FLY!!! It's tied!
Mark Sweeney? Are you freakin' kidding me?
Oh my god, you guys. This is insane.
Very generous of those in St. Louis. Even more generous is them handing this game to us.
Mark Sweeney, now is your chance to be a hero.
"Line drive BASE OHHHHH!" —Steiner
Steiner was calling that liner a base hit as it landed in Pujols' glove.
I thought Sweeney was going to do it for a second, too.
Hold 'em, Wade!
Holy crap. I don't believe what I just saw. And yes, Steiner is horrible.
Steiner may be horrible, but at least he didn't choose to bat Sweeney and effectively kill our rally inning with a RISP.
Wade lets Schumacher reach, so here comes Kennedy with Pujols on deck.
C'mon, Kennedy. Be a hero and hit into a DP.
Steiner just said Martin's only thrown out 10 of 65???
IBB Pujols.
I generally like Steiner. He just gets trigger-happy sometimes.
Blake decoys the ump! Nice job, Casey!
Never mind, I thought Casey turned two there.
Into the 10th! Nice job, Wade! Here we go, boys!
Yes, i need a distraction. Keep it going!
Ozuna PHing. Our bench is weak.
In fact, Jones HR gives me some hope.
Karina, the Dodgers are doing everything they can to distract you. Two rain delays, extra innings...all we need now is the win!
Kemp singles! Good AB, Matt!
Don't run, Matt! Molina will gun you down!
Andre Beefier working the count!
Andre singles! 1st & 3rd w/1 out!
Russell, first pitch swinging, foul ball.
Russell Martin is not biting on those outside pitches...
Russell K's. He went down swinging.
Turnabout is fair play. Manny IBBed.
dammit dammit dammit
Kent may have gotten a clutch hit earlier, but he has the range of a toothpick. 1st & 3rd for the Cards.
Phew. On to the 11th.
Into the 11th!
Why is Wade still on the game? unless he's a Zambrano-like hitter, i don't get why he's batting.
I should stop complaining since Torre pen a great lineup today.
I'm pretty sure Torre doesn't want to overwork the bullpen on the first game of a roadtrip.
Wade walks anyway!
Cory Wade walks. See? i can't even complain tonight...
But they come from a rest day...
At the least we got Ozuna out of the way.
But Pujols is up next inning.
True, Karina. But we've already used Falkenborg, Beimel, Park and Troncoso. Broxton is the only non-starter left. And we don't want to use him in a tie situation on the road.
Wait, there's Kuo too.
Surprise surprise, Jason Johnson's in. And if you're wondering why Wade batted for himself: Only Ardoin was available off the bench.
Another bleeder past Kent.
Dodgers do have a great bullpen, don't they?
If we bat Wade in the top of the 11th, why are we pitching Johnson to the Cards in the bottom of the 11th?
Sure...when they play games that end after nine innings.
And we're not even the longest game in extras tonight. The Tigers and White Sox are tied at six in the 13th inning.
Good job by Johnson to get Pujols to pop out!
Whoops, should have read your comment first Orel. Thanks.
White Sox and Dodgers keeping me awake and distracted tonight! i hope both teams win their games, i'm watching Seattle and Minnesota.
Screw you, Ryan Ludwick.
We should have left Wade in.
Good night.
I hate you, Ludwick. With all the strength and passion of my heart.
of whatever it is my heart right now...
"With all the strength and passion of my heart." Sheer poetry, Karina!
Tonight i've got a poet's soul, i guess. Detroit is winning the White Sox on the 14th, Minnesota to Seattle in the 8th, Arizona won...
2.5 games back now. Ugh. Good night, all.
We should have left Wade in.
Good night.
Night. You all know 2.5 games is not much of a difference, even in the remaining of the Dodgers calendary.
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