HIROKIWATCH: NOW
Hiroki Kuroda (1-0, 1.59) vs. Billy Buckner (1-1, 7.16).
COMMENTS: Coming off a 5-2 roadtrip, the big news is the return of Kuroda, who won Opening Day and was slotted as our #1 pitcher before an oblique muscle strain sidelined him for the last two months. Kuroda's last start in A ball was not kind, but according to Josh Suchon, he was literally practicing pitches (i.e., only throwing a fastball for a full inning), so it probably isn't a good barometer of how he'll do today. Unless, of course, the gameplan is again to only throw the same pitch for a full inning. The Snakes might catch on by the fourth inning or so.
25-year old Buckner has only started two games this season, but he did face the Dodgers on April 11 in Arizona, where he was shelled for 5 ER, 2 BB, and 1 wild pitch over a short 0.2 IP. I'm expecting Buckner to be all over the place, in which case we won't expect to see the Hiro take a fall on this manic Monday.
451 comments:
1 – 200 of 451 Newer› Newest»I need a Hiro!
I was already going to the game tonight, and now there's a bonus of seeing Kuroda pitch! Sweeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!
Speaking of Mannywatch, I'm giving serious thought to taking a trip down to Petco on July 3rd. My only worry is that I'll buy the tickets and then one of the games against the White Sox will get rained out. (Or there will be a "Manny Being Manny" moment and he won't be in the lineup on the 3rd.)
So, does anyone have recommendations as to where to sit at Petco?
I've been to Petco Once and sat in one of the upper decks behind homeplate. It was a pretty good view, but field level would have been nice. I know the prices are cheaper than Dodger Stadium, and you can walk around any of the levels once you're inside. I'd take the time to explore the park if you have time before the game. Plus, there is a pretty nice bar at the top of the Western Metal Supply Building that has a patio open to anyone up until the 4th inning. The view from up there is pretty cool and worth checking out.
Josh: I'd sit in the left field bleachers, in the power alley so you can catch Manny's HR ball(s).
Josh,
I hear you, I'm also thinking about the game on 7/3, but I'd buy my tickets on the fly. I've been to Petco before and had great seats just a shade up the first base line for a day game. It's the holiday weekend, so it might be sold out, but on the other hand it's the Pads, who have only sold out Opening Day and have been drawing crowds of sub-20K all year...
Why is the bar open to all until the 4th inning? Special tickets needed after that?
Josh and Quad, I suppose we're moving from MannyWatch to WatchManny.
rbnlaw, not for Mr. Western Metal Supply.
Oh wait, acc. to the website, WMSC went bankrupt in the 1970s.
After the fourth inning the bar needed reservations I believe. You could wait in line to get a seat out there if you didn't have reservations though. There is a nice bar area inside that is filled with Padre memorabilia too though.
Correction: The patio needed reservations. The bar inside was open for the entire game that I was there last year.
I think I want to hang out with Quad at a game. If nothing else, I'll be sure to have a brew in hand.
Well, if the price is right, I might be making the trip to Petco for the game. If I'm lucky, the kids won't be in tow, but somehow I know they will be.
Doesn't mean I can't find the bar with the kid's menu.
I'd gladly buy you a beer if we meet up at a game sometime Sax.
Is that an open invitation Q7, or only an invitation to Sax?
We're actually scheming a SoSG day, though I'm not sure if it's going to be July 3. Stay tuned.
I am not going to any games this week but MAY be going to game later on this homestand, btw.
Pierre LF
Loretta 3B
Hudson 2B
Loney 1B
Martin C
Ethier RF
Kemp CF
Castro SS
Kuroda P
Blake and Furcal out, Ethier back. Not the most potent lineup to greet Hiro back, but who knows.
From Josh Rawitch's Inside the Dodgers, Torre's pregame comments said that Kershaw will be on point in case Kuroda stumbles in this outing: "Throughout the season, we are going to keep an eye on Kershaw's innings. Tonight is one of those situations, so he'll get pushed back. If [Kershaw] gets into the game tonight, he'll pitch Friday and if he doesn't get in the game he'll pitch Thursday."
SoSG Day....Nice. Make it a Saturday to avoid traffic and an early meet and greet.
I'd be up to meet for a beer Neeebs. An sosg day sounds like a fun idea too Sax.
Well if it's the three of us, I could have it in my backyard. And I could grill some dogs, too.
Seriously, we'll figure out a date--good idea on the Saturday, neeebs. Let me talk with our event planning department.
"We're actually scheming a SoSG day, though I'm not sure if it's going to be July 3. Stay tuned."
TBLA is doing a meetup at Petco that day.
I may attend that game irrespective of the TBLA thing, but since it will have to be on the fly, we'll see.
No, I was thinking about a home-game SoSG day, instead. We'll have to see when the stars align here. I'll email SoSG Event Planning again.
If the event goes down, does that mean that you will need to wake up Lasorda and Pedro and make them attend the event too?
BTW, I just noticed that AC is the only SOSG with a at game loss this year. No more games for Alex
Neeebs,
AC can't be blamed for that. I brough my own bad mojo to that game, which was more than sufficient to wipe out any good luck that SOSG attendance might generate
I won't argue because the Customer is always right.
SoSG Day at Dodger Stadium. I suggest Wednesday, July 1. Businessman's Special as they used to call them. Meet up at the Shortstop on Sunset (right below the stadium) for $2 PBR's before the game.
If not, I'm down for the whole Saturday thing. I'm thinking of going on Wednesday (let me check the probable starters) oooh. Bills and Jon Garland. This looks promising.
Neeebs, I can't even begin to tell you how funny your 6:17p comment is. Classic.
Okay guys, I'm moving to a different light. See you shortly.
Let's go, Hi-Ro!
Bad news guys. No Marzen to be found on the Reserve level today. Settled for a water instead, Bud Light.
Vin just introduced Shawn Johnson (who threw the first pitch) and didn't even mention Dancing with the stars. Ha!
First pitch, ball. Second pitch, ball. Then a strike.
Lopez goes down 6-3.
Parra, 4-3 2 down.
Upton k!
Hey Orel, anyone in the blogger seat tonight?
that was a pleasant start for Hiro (or Kokimon as the missus likes to call him)
Kuroda looks good so far. Either that or Arizona looks really bad. I'd believe both.
Bottom 1. Pierre grounds out to start.
Loretta flies out to Upton. Two away.
haha Chipper was Buckner's favorite player: The Onion had a funny article about him
Loretta and hudson also retired. 0-0.
Ethier gimpy after that double, his toe, i hope and not something else
wow pickoff!
Does he look hurt?
jeez when they say daylight play, Juan was in Alaska on June 21st
Drew with a leadoff double, then picked off. "Drew a little sadder and wiser in the dugout."--Vin
karina, he ran to the ball ok but after he and Matt met at the wall, he stepped gingerly
Kuroda walked Reynolds so he can pick him off. I think he saw Little Big League before the game
Vin with a "Carousel" reference!
cmon, Hiro, find the zone
Kuroda's getting a little shaky.
A double and back to back walks. Not looking good. You can Hero!
that was a swing, you bum!
Kuroda walks two. One out, men at first and second
AZ 29th in the league batting with RISP.
big strikeout of Young! one more to go!
Kuroda K's Young.
Kuroda, this dude hits .107, c-mom!
Kuroda's not getting any help from the umps.
haha Vin said "buttocks"
jeez that was a meatball
That was not very Hero
get ahead of the hitters and you dont have to throw those pitches, Hiro
Good thing they picked off Drew.
James seems to get in a lot of 0-2 counts.
Swing at those pitches Russ.
Loney was on sports science last night trying to hit off the best wiffle ball pitcher in the country. Wiffed on all of them.
17" pFx. Buckner is pretty nasty.
Ethier makes it if his toe isnt messed up
Ethiers foot is botherin him. He ran to first like garret Anderson.
Nic, did Loney stuff his bat with newspaper like all good whiffleball players?
or Richard Dean Anderson
Haha. FB your gonna get suspended for 50 games for performance enhancing newspapers
PS. nothng like hearing vin talk about child abuse.
haha Nic - i only used the Pennysaver, never magazines!
ps throw strikes to these bums, Hiro
this ump is racist
That had to be a nice play, given Upton's wheels.
Open letter to Mr. Gerardo Parra:
We're proud you became a big leaguer, we never doubted about it. When i say "we". i mean the four people who seat on the first base infield level, first lane, seats 1-4, the ones who incline towards your defensive genius, your clutch abilities and speed, the bunch you always see like you wouldn't believe they worship you.
The only girl in the group is a Dodger fan and you might notice it, if you have been able to see her wearing lots of different Dodgers gear throughout the years, please don't break her heart, ok?
Do your job but don't be over the top this series and i promise i won't make fun of the awful vallenato songs you pick for your at-bats.
Thanks for your attention.
p.s: you're one of the reasons i bought season tickets in May for a season that starts on October. A la Cargaaaaaaaaaaaa!
it was right at Castro, 10 feet from second and Hudson was already on the base
bison heating up
Pure, grass fed Bison.
"Hey Orel, anyone in the blogger seat tonight?"
Not that I know of. I'll check around.
Epale, y'all!
The hell was Castro swinging at?
im hopeing we do a little better the second time through the lineup
C'mon Hiro. Go Hong-Chih Kuo on one of these pitches.
Ernest from Blue Heaven will be in the press box tomorrow. I'll be there Wednesday.
Kemp needs to haul it to 3B on that pitch.
Oh well. Time to shift into BEAST MODE.
will that be twice now Orel? you're gonna get your name on the press box wall at this rate!
wow, that kinda looked out.
That's the Juan Pierre we all know, and don't love all that much. Nice leg IF hit though.
Time for some Loretta clutch!
Epale! :)
Miguel from LADodgerTalk.com is in the press box tonight.
"will that be twice now Orel? you're gonna get your name on the press box wall at this rate!"
Ha!
The problem with that Pierre we came to loathe is that was all he could do. No problem now, because he turned into Beast Mode.
Pierre steals second, go Loretta!
rats!
Orel, do you think you'll be able to speak with Vin about Dodger baseball?
100!
Yuck. Loretta = ok < Beard Mode.
You almost burned me, Orel.
Aflac: What is the only year the LA Dodgers had the best record in baseball over a full season?
"Orel, do you think you'll be able to speak with Vin about Dodger baseball?"
I don't know. It's such an intimidating prospect. But DodgerTalk co-host Ken Levine has encouraged us to introduce ourselves, so we'll see.
Orel, just bring him a farmer john hotdog as an ice breaker.
Nice to see Hiro's velocity up.
Drew is owning Kuroda.
"Orel, just bring him a farmer john hotdog as an ice breaker."
Shank and butt sections!
Orel, go for it! i bet he'd delighted to talk with a hard core Dodger fan, maybe he tells you one of his wonderful stories.
Hiroki is about ready to come out.
The answer of the question might be 1988. Not very sure.
He's hanging in there.
Once again the offense is in a coma.
he has a pitch limit of 80 that he is about to hit soon, technically he has already passed it with all the pickoff attempts.
It's not 1988. That's when the A's had the best record.
haha, arent you supposed to swing at that?
"Orel, go for it! i bet he'd delighted to talk with a hard core Dodger fan, maybe he tells you one of his wonderful stories."
That's just it. I think of Vin as a baseball fan, not necessarily a Dodger fan. But he seems like a genuine kind person in either case.
I'm researching, i should know something like this, it might be 1974...
Missed by inches!
i think vin being a baseball fan first is what makes him such a great commentator, when guys are super homers its kind of a turn off. (ex. the cubs tv guys)
damn that was almost out.
The O-Dog barks. Cliche I know.
strike 1 was a bad call there.
We need to get O-dogg into the All Star game, Dodgers have been very underrated.
1974. Who knew?
1974 good job karina!
trivia: 1974 (102-60)
Is it 1974?
How about a shock bunt from Russ?
o dog doesnt have a chance unless Utley gets suspended for 50 games.
1974: The Dodgers, battle the Cincinnati Reds again for the top spot, this time emerging victorious, by four games with a 102-60 record. The Dodgers are led by newly acquired veteran OF Jimmy Wynn and 1B Steve Garvey, who in his first full Major League season, led the club offensively winning the NL MVP. Meanwhile, pitcher Mike Marshall set a modern major league record with 106 appearances (which earned him the Cy Young Award) in relief of a staff that was the league's best bullpen. The Dodgers would get past the Pittsburgh Pirates in 4 games of the NLCS to earn their 5th World Series appearance since moving to Los Angeles. In the World Series the Dodgers were the only thing standing in the way of a 3rd Straight World Championship for the Oakland Athletics. After losing Game 1 the Dodgers won Game 2 on a Joe Ferguson's 2-run sixth Inning HR. However, once the series got to Oakland the Dodgers were swept in the final free games losing the series in five games to dominant A's team.
Wow. How high was that third pitch?
it would help if the dodgers had more national exposure
man, reynolds owns martin.
The ump is giving Buckner a wide berth.
Be ready 'dre, a strike is coming.
Andrewatch: Please?
Nic j, it's true they don't have more national/international coverage, but i suspect we could be one of the biggest fan bases in the sport.
Kuroda, remember this is the worst hitter of a slumping lineup, don't help him to get on base.
Karina yeah thats probably true, its hard to see how good the team is in 15 second highlights on ESPN though.
How many ESPN games have we had this year? 2? I think the Yankees and red sox have that many this week.
hopefully kuroda can get this last man out, only a few pitches left.
Leach warming up?
Hiro's finding his groove and the Dodgers are sniffing.
ive heard that schlichting has actually done well this year in AA
yeah hiro's hit his pitch limit.
not a bad outing for a guy who has been out for quite a while.
Espn broadcasted tonight Yankees-Indians, tomorrow they'll have Yankees-Rangers, i know they are both in their divisions, what's the point to broadcast two games on a row of a single team?
I get lucky with Dodgers highlights, because Sportscenter in Spanish is produced in Mexico, Dodgers and Padres have lots of fans over there (at least that's how it looks like to me).
so thats where all the Padres fans are, there sure arent many in San Diego.
86 pitches for Kuroda. Maybe we can get him the win here.
lets get hiroki some runs, he at least deserves a ND for being such a trooper.
did Buckner spit into his glove before that crazy curve (ball 2 i think)?
haha, milton with the pinch hit.
Milton PHing for Kuroda. This made sense with 13 pitchers, but now? Maybe because of two outs.
pinch hitting with pitchers is pretty sad
Scratch that. We're back to 13 pitchers.
You are shitting me with Milton pinch hitting. At least it could have been Wolf.
the drawbacks of needing a 13 man pitching staff
"did Buckner spit into his glove before that crazy curve (ball 2 i think)?"
Really? I missed it.
yeah i didnt see that, maybe though
Duke Snider was an avocado farmer!
there you go Orel, bring Vin an avaocado.
WOW, what a curve by wade.
Orel, it sure looked like it, then he threw a wicked breaking ball
phew
sorry upton, thats not a homer at the Ravine.
"there you go Orel, bring Vin an avaocado."
Very nice.
Wade looks good today. Maybe having Hiro keeps him calm.
Cory looking like Cory
why cant wade pitch like this with a lead?
i dont like this blue's strike zone.
I'm glad Gerardo Parra has sucked big time today.It's liberating.
alright, lets get it started.
BEAST MODE.
karina, im assuming the orange and black your wearing is for a local team in your area?
Karina - Gerardo isn't quite Rico Suave, eh?
DAMN LORETTA!
dadgummit
Loretta is stinking it up tonight.
alright, two walks.
ok russ, dont hit it to Reynolds.
Earl Weaver Mode perhaps?
Loretta has out-stayed his welcome in the lineup. We need Beard Mode back.
the guy with the sweet stache is up in the dbacks pen.
Wow. Buckner has been clutch tonight.
WOW, russ hit the showers you are done.
Russ goes down on strikes. This looks more and more like the second shutout in three games.
did anybody see the pornstache on that guy in the pen? i think I am a little turned on right now
i am not turned on by our bats right now
"did anybody see the pornstache on that guy in the pen? i think I am a little turned on right now"
settle down there
Nic j, orange and black are the team colors of Aguilas del Zulia, my winter baseball team. In our defense, Aguilas orange is way much brighter.
he has gotta wax that thing, it looks like a hispanic rollie fingers over there.
Guest fashion police needs to see that pornstache.
Dodgers: this can't be a shutout.
There can only be one porn-stache in LA this week, and that's Stan Van Gundy.
Dodgers get the leadoff man on on 3 of 6 innings, yet haven't scored yet.
10 Pitches - 9 Strikes, 1 Ball.
That is the Corty Wade we know and love.
My hit-list: Cody Ross, Chris Andersen, Mark Reynolds. That douche does nothing but steal base-hits from Dodgers.
Pitching is getting done tonight.
"it done"
Nic j, Gerardo Parra isn't rico and suave, but i have great memories of him, like that time he hit a walk off double from Francisco Rodriguez. That stadium went nuts, i lost my voice and got soaked from all the beer people threw. Did i care? not a little bit, i was just happy. By the way, he played on Class A that season.
two strikeouts, only one out.
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