Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Game 112 Thread: August 5 @ Cardinals, 5p

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:

Dusto_Magnifico said...

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

Loney Fan said...

I'll settle for this

Kemp
Eithier
Martin
Ramirez
Loney
Kent
Garciaparra
Blake
P

Steve Sax said...

Heck, I'll settle for this

Pierre not starting
Jones not starting

Orel said...

I'd settle for this:

Manny
Manny
Manny
Manny
Manny
Manny
Manny
Manny
Manny

QuadSevens said...

Manny just needs to greet every batter before they leave the dugout and touch bats with them. Worked for Kemp on Sunday.

Steve Sax said...

Nice new avatar, Orel! You were always popular with the sistahs.

Orel said...

A sister joke, and nun too soon.

Erin said...

Nun puns? Now you've made this into a habit.

Orel said...

Don't let Pujols get to you, Chad!

Orel said...

Slap on the wrist with a ruler for you, Erin.

Steve Sax said...

With the exception of Kemp, we're not taking many pitches...but we're making tons of outs.

Orel said...

Manny flied out? NOOOOOOOOOO

Orel said...

Out efficiency, Sax!

Steve Sax said...

Okay, enough with the nun puns. I'd like to suggest a not convent-ed here syndrome.

Steve Sax said...

Kent breaks up the no-hitter in the second, but Blake promptly flies to right. 0-0, going to bottom 2.

Orel said...

We can handle the nun puns. Don't be a wimple!

Eric Karros said...

Could you guys priest stop with the puns?

Unknown said...

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.

Orel said...

Chad K's the #8 hitter with two on. It was the pitcher. Now he just needs to get Izturis.

Orel said...

Got him!

Erin said...

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.

Steve Sax said...

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.

Unknown said...

It is higher and further away... they've got to get above the pitcher's head so we can see home plate.

Steve Sax said...

Okay, now we're getting back to baseball comments. Whew!

Looking at all these nun comments cloistered around made me nervous.

Steve Sax said...

To continue with these nun lines isorassa-pe for disaster.

Steve Sax said...

Gameday was skipping Kemp in the order but seems to have restored.

Kemp and Ethier, 0-fers so far.

Erin said...

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.

Orel said...

Berroa grounds out
Bills singles
Kemp flies out
Ethier flies out

What's wrong with this picture?

Orel said...

Gameday mysteriously hides the previous AB. I'm surprised they haven't fixed it yet.

Steve Sax said...

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.

Steve Sax said...

0-0 after 3! I'm going to the other side...

Orel said...

Glad to see Chad get Pujols for the third out.

Erin said...

When Gameday hides an at-bat, I just hit "refresh" and it seems to solve the problem.

Orel said...

Yeah, that was awesome.

One day I hope to see a Dodger game that exciting.

Erin said...

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.

Orel said...

Manny with single power!

Orel said...

I've heard that sentiment echoed at DT, Erin.

karina said...

Can you keep with the nun puns? PLEASE.

Orel said...

James, up to old tricks. DP to end the inning.

Erin said...

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.

karina said...

or everything else i can laugh of!

Erin said...

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.

Orel said...

Karina, be careful what you parish for.

Orel said...

Berroa picked a good time to make an error. Chad makes three extra pitches to get out of the inning.

Orel said...

Off to the other side. And I'm not talking about heavenly ascension.

Steve Sax said...

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.

Steve Sax said...

Rain delay.

Steve Sax said...

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.

Erin said...

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.

Steve Sax said...

Sounds like the game might be back on shortly...

Steve Sax said...

All I've ever tried to be was Steve Sax.

Erin said...

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.

Erin said...

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.

Steve Sax said...

Shit. 1-0 Cards.

karina said...

Erin and Steve, all that talk about Pierre is depressing me...love your novice line too, Erin.

karina said...

One out, 2 on base, Pujols is at the plate. Not looking particularly good.

Erin said...

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.

Steve Sax said...

Bills Ks Pujols, Martin nails skip at third on the same play!

Erin said...

Another rain delay. This can't be good for Billingsley.

karina said...

Tonight, i need my dodger baseball as much as oxygen.

Steve Sax said...

dammit, when is James going to stop GIDPing???

Steve Sax said...

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.

Erin said...

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."

Orel said...

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.

Orel said...

D'backs 3, Pirates 0, 8th inning.

Orel said...

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.

Orel said...

WTF? ANDRUW HR!

Erin said...

I'll quote my girlfriend on that one:

"Miracles can happen."

And then:

"That's not good for Andre, though."

Steve Sax said...

"Well, guess who's coming to dinner?" --Charley Steiner

Ramirez coming to the plate with one out and two on, Cards leading 4-1.

Steve Sax said...

If I'm LaRussa, I walk Manny....

Orel said...

No problem, say Andre and Russell.

9th inning, one out, two on, down by three...Manny is the tying run.

Steve Sax said...

Ah, they're pitching WAY around Manny. 2-0 count. FJL on deck.

Steve Sax said...

3-2 count to Manny...come on, Manny!

Orel said...

Bases loaded for James!

NO DP, JAMES!

Steve Sax said...

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!

Orel said...

IZZY BOBBLE!

4-2 Cards!

Orel said...

C'mon, miracle toast!

Orel said...

Kent delivers! 4-3!

Lyons says Manny got a bad jump off second.

Erin said...

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.

Steve Sax said...

Will Bowa's conservatism prove fateful?

Crap, now I have that freecreditreport.com song stuck in my head.

Steve Sax said...

They credit FJL with a basehit on that nubber. Generous, those St Louisisiaisisiaians. Wouldn't you agree, Erin?

Orel said...

Jeff Daniels ties it!

Steve Sax said...

MANNY SCORES ON A SAC FLY!!! It's tied!

Orel said...

Mark Sweeney? Are you freakin' kidding me?

Erin said...

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.

Orel said...

"Line drive BASE OHHHHH!" —Steiner

Erin said...

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.

Orel said...

Hold 'em, Wade!

Alex Cora said...

Holy crap. I don't believe what I just saw. And yes, Steiner is horrible.

Steve Sax said...

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.

Orel said...

C'mon, Kennedy. Be a hero and hit into a DP.

Orel said...

Steiner just said Martin's only thrown out 10 of 65???

Orel said...

IBB Pujols.

Orel said...

I generally like Steiner. He just gets trigger-happy sometimes.

Orel said...

Blake decoys the ump! Nice job, Casey!

Orel said...

Never mind, I thought Casey turned two there.

Orel said...

Into the 10th! Nice job, Wade! Here we go, boys!

karina said...

Yes, i need a distraction. Keep it going!

Orel said...

Ozuna PHing. Our bench is weak.

karina said...

In fact, Jones HR gives me some hope.

Orel said...

Karina, the Dodgers are doing everything they can to distract you. Two rain delays, extra innings...all we need now is the win!

Orel said...

Kemp singles! Good AB, Matt!

Orel said...

Don't run, Matt! Molina will gun you down!

Orel said...

Andre Beefier working the count!

Orel said...

Andre singles! 1st & 3rd w/1 out!

Orel said...

Russell, first pitch swinging, foul ball.

Steve Sax said...

Russell Martin is not biting on those outside pitches...

Orel said...

Russell K's. He went down swinging.

Orel said...

Turnabout is fair play. Manny IBBed.

Orel said...

dammit dammit dammit

Orel said...

Kent may have gotten a clutch hit earlier, but he has the range of a toothpick. 1st & 3rd for the Cards.

Orel said...

Phew. On to the 11th.

karina said...

Into the 11th!

karina said...

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.

Orel said...

I'm pretty sure Torre doesn't want to overwork the bullpen on the first game of a roadtrip.

Wade walks anyway!

karina said...

Cory Wade walks. See? i can't even complain tonight...

karina said...

But they come from a rest day...

Orel said...

At the least we got Ozuna out of the way.

But Pujols is up next inning.

Orel said...

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.

Orel said...

Wait, there's Kuo too.

Orel said...

Surprise surprise, Jason Johnson's in. And if you're wondering why Wade batted for himself: Only Ardoin was available off the bench.

Orel said...

Another bleeder past Kent.

karina said...

Dodgers do have a great bullpen, don't they?

Steve Sax said...

If we bat Wade in the top of the 11th, why are we pitching Johnson to the Cards in the bottom of the 11th?

Orel said...

Sure...when they play games that end after nine innings.

Orel said...

And we're not even the longest game in extras tonight. The Tigers and White Sox are tied at six in the 13th inning.

Orel said...

Good job by Johnson to get Pujols to pop out!

Steve Sax said...

Whoops, should have read your comment first Orel. Thanks.

karina said...

White Sox and Dodgers keeping me awake and distracted tonight! i hope both teams win their games, i'm watching Seattle and Minnesota.

Orel said...

Screw you, Ryan Ludwick.

Steve Sax said...

We should have left Wade in.

Good night.

karina said...

I hate you, Ludwick. With all the strength and passion of my heart.

karina said...

of whatever it is my heart right now...

Orel said...

"With all the strength and passion of my heart." Sheer poetry, Karina!

karina said...

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...

Orel said...

2.5 games back now. Ugh. Good night, all.

Steve Sax said...

We should have left Wade in.

Good night.

karina said...

Night. You all know 2.5 games is not much of a difference, even in the remaining of the Dodgers calendary.