
Hiroki Kuroda (5-5, 4.21) vs. Doug Davis (7-10, 3.62).
COMMENTS: The balancing/juggling/tricycle-riding* act continues for Joe Torre.
Davis is still a Diamondback, Kuroda is still proving he can be a reliable starter, and the Dodgers still are awful in August (5-8 record). Last night's loss, while disappointing, at least came against Dan Haren. The Dodgers won't have the "ace" excuse tonight; Davis' is 5-4 with a 3.46 ERA lifetime against them.
How much rope will Torre give his latest lineup configuration? With Manny starting to produce again, the top of the order needs to get on base. Yesterday, the one-through-three hitters went 0-for-10; Russell Martin, recently promoted to batting second, and James Loney had especially disappointing nights.
The Dodgers' shortage of pinch hitters was also exposed, with Torre burning up Juan Pierre in Kershaw's spot early on and Mark Loretta lining out to end the game. But as long as the starters fail to go deep into games, don't be surprised to see 13 pitchers on the roster for the rest of the regular season.
*Okay, maybe not that last one.
190 comments:
I'm getting sick of waiting for some kind of waiver deal. We're halfway through August and so far there's only been rumblings. I get it if they're waiting for Smoltz to be released, but this is driving me crazy.
MLASF - I completely agree. Although they could always use more pitching, the big glaring weakness is the Dodgers lack of a bat off the bench. It's painful watching Mark Lorretta pinch hit, especially in clutch situations.
Loretta was good earlier in the season, though, as a PH.
Mets are up 1-0 in the sixth over the Giants; both Johan Santana and Matt Cain pitching well.
SF 1, NYM 1, Giants threatening in the top of the sixth. Matt Cain beans David Wright in the head.
Dammit, they tied it up. Come on, Johan, go for blood!
@Orel: is the mets game on? I am tiring of these Shane Co. adverts that I'm hearing on the Giants radio station, KNBR.
2-1 SF.
No outs in the 6th.
What's up with Johann?
Aha, found it.
But now SF is up 2-1.
Make it 3-1 SF.
Boy, those are fugly uniforms that the Mets are wearing.
90 pitches for Santana through 5.1
Schierholtz has power... Not good for Johann
Fugly uniforms on a fugly team.
Damn, the Mets suck.
Is there a line-up yet for the Dodgers?
What channel, Sax?
Not yet, PC.
Yet!
Furcal, SS
Ethier, RF
Manny, LF
Kemp, CF
Blake, 3B
Loretta, 1B
Hudson, 2B
Ausmus, C
Kuroda, P
Thanks Orel.
Mets/Giants on big Fox. Game of the week.
Thanks again Orel.
Damn, Lorretta and Ausmus in the line-up.
Torre giving Loney more time off.
Hoooooow in he'll did Johann not hit Sandoval? With that big a target?
Panda goes deep. What the hell is going on?
Johann should have plunked Sandoval! 4-1 SF
I think Johann is done.
Mets have no life in them.
Johann pitches inside to Bengie Molina, another Giant fat-ass, and at least hits HIM. One batter too late, fly boy!
Damn these Miserable Muts.
Five PM can't come soon enough.
I might be in and out for today's GT, but I'll bs keeping tabs on the game!
@Steve Sax Santana wouldn't bean Sandoval, they belong to the same team in Venezuela, technically they are teammates, however i don't think neither of them will play next winter (Santana hasn't played in years)
@Sax, @PC i saw those uniforms yesterday, i think the problem is there's too much kerning between the letters and somehow the size of the letters looks gigantic and therefore, disproportionate. Maybe it's consequence of the inadequate kerning.
Agreed, the space between the N and the Y is too large, making it look awkward.
Mets score again. Cain is finished.
4-2 SF.
Cain tips his cap to a booing Mets crowd. Stay classy, Matt!
Tatis RBI single, Giants 4-Mets 3
4-4 now.
Tied game in N Y
They need to get that kerning shit worked out already.
No comments yet about Kemp batting 4th?
Dusty - I love seeing Kemp in the middle of the line-up. Thats where he should be. I don't think Torre will keep him there though.
Giants/Mets go into the 10th.
What's with the fatasses getting homers?
Molina unties it. The power of being fat.
Totally agree...we've been calling for it for - forever. Just glad to see it. Now that Manny is swing the bat well, moving Kemp up will provide great power there in the lineup.
Game, please start soon. I'm in mope around the room, nervously flipping channel mode.
Yeah, the Dodger game can't come soon enough.
I'm the only fatass who hasn't homered today.
The beauty of it is that I thought game time was 6:10, not 5:10, so now it's not that far off. Pity I didn't get around to getting dinner cooking in time, though. These are going to be some quick-ass fajitas.
Douche-bag is still pitching. That's good.
He just retired the first two batters. That's bad.
Giants have been winning in extra innings. I hate to say it, but they're showing some guts. (And not just Molina and Sandoval.)
As much as I loathe the Giants, it must suck for their fans to have their best season in years the same year the Dodgers are having THEIR best season in years.
I won't be on tonight's thread.
LAA pounding Os. Get this crap off my telly!
Just saw the new "Lil Matt" Kemp bobblehead video.
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/fan_forum/media_network.jsp
Apologies if this has already been posted; it was new to me.
Saw that, DB. We'll be posting about it tomorrow.
Coo. Didn't mean to get ahead of ya.
Did anyone else just see Darth Vader, Stormtroopers, Mr. T, and Robocop on the big screen at Chase Field? I wanna know what that's about!
Oh, it's "80's Night".
What a novel concept!
1-0 good guys!
Vin talking about our upcoming home stand puts it in stark perspective. Cards then Cubs coming up, guys. Tough stuff. Vin said Torre said the knuckleballer will get a start Monday night. Can you imagine him hanging one and Pujols just creaming it to Glendale? Yikes.
Haeger gets a start on Monday?
At least that won't be the first time Charlie pitches in dodger stadium. He did late last year when he was on the pads.
Haeger is shaking like a French soldier at the prospect, I'm sure. He's probably doing the "Who, me?" *looks at the guy behind him thinking Torre is point to that guy* routine.
From Dodgers website:
" PHOENIX -- Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger will start Monday night for the Dodgers against St. Louis and Chad Billingsley is slated to pitch on Tuesday night, manager Joe Torre announced Saturday.
Haeger will be making his first appearance with the Dodgers. Billingsley will be returning from a strained left hamstring that caused him to miss his scheduled start on Wednesday in San Francisco.
Torre said Haeger's selection comes with "an asterisk" and could change if he's needed to pitch long relief on Saturday night, because Jeff Weaver is still unavailable after starting for Billingsley on Wednesday. Torre said he expects Weaver back in the bullpen by Sunday."
Vinny jinxed Manny by saying he rarely hits into DPs.
If Charlie can pitch in albuqueque, which is a jitters park becuase of the altitude and the dry weather, he will welcome nice big pitcher friendly dodger stadium. When is the last time we had a knuckleballer on the team?
We've had some knuckleHEADS, that's for sure.
Did we seriously get no runs out if that inning?
Dennis Springer?
We'll lose tonight and win tomorrow, 21-4.
For the record, so those in the future will believe it:
Runner is scoring position, no outs, no runs to show for it.
-- August 15, 2009
Gotta be the Candy Man.
i hate listening to matt williams
James Roney!
tough luck, loretta ripped that ball
Does it seem like we're swinging on a lot of three-ball counts?
I think we are better off not swinging at all.
on the diamondbacks broadcast now watching matt williams minor league home run highlites from the '80s. nice.
Alright! Our big bat is finally up.
is that 83 mph pitch his fastball?
Hey, I'm using my MLASF ticket to see a knuckleballer on Monday.
I'm so excited.
and another GIDP.
Doug Davis is trying to give us this game.
I hope this bad luck doesn't bite us at the end.
This is getting annoying.
I'll just re-post this:
For the record, so those in the future will believe it:
Runner is scoring position, no outs, no runs to show for it.
-- August 15, 2009
Glad those tickets will be used, Rbn.
What, Hiroki, you were expecting more than one run?
Anyone else still think I'm crazy for wanting to sign Giambi? Besides the power off the bench, his name sounds like the genie from Pee Wee's Playhouse.
Meka-leka-hi-meka-hiney-ho
@Orel:
Yep. Taking my daughter's friend's dad.
Going to the Shortstop before the game as well. . .finally.
Anyone want to meet up, I'll be there around 5:30.
What night is it, rbnl?
Kemp's a busy guy this inning.
Giambi IS sounding better...but we need 18 pitchers on the roster these days, though.
@Dusty
Monday, 8-17.
Just showed the Candy Man! Vinny said he was "sweet." I don't know if he meant that as a play on words or something else...
@rb
I'm contemplating going 8-17; intrigued by the knuckleball prospect. And I want to leave work early and go have beers and watch a game.
Will drop a line if I end up going.
nice no more dp
1 out double.
They will walk Ethier, then Manny goes GIDP.
It's the optimist in me.
I've got that post from above ready to paste in again. Please prove me wrong, Manny.
u would think manny would kill a guy like davis, not great so far tonight however
way to show up tonight manny
well thats one way to score, thank you mr davis
Dodgers' MVP: Doug Davis
Davis is doing everything possible to lose this game and I'm still not confident we are going to win.
i feel the same way nic
Nice defensive play by Manny. At least he brought that tonight.
Did they just use the Cosby show theme as someone intro music?
Wow there are a lot of dodger fans there.
do u think augie ojeda bobblehead night will be a sell out?
Vin said "deuces are wild." Drink!
Nice glove, Loretta.
stand up triple from the beard, how many times has that been said before?
Heh...tripling into a double play. I think I remember that story from childhood; it was in one of those "baseball's most amazing plays" books from the 70s.
Come on Davis is just soft tossing it trying to get strikes now!
Sorry, context:
That was the story Vin just told.
I guess Beard just tripled into a triple.
Kuroda needs a little praise, don't you think?
agreed karina, a solid outing thus far
You are correct as usual, Karina!
Vasquez is going to be gassed by the time he gets to the mound.
DB: We need some insurance runs.
DB sis-in-law: We need some runs just for fun, too.
@koufax, @Dusty awwwww!. He's the one responsible about the Dodgers being ahead, because the hitting has not been the most opportune yet.
@Dusty Baker: your sister in law rocks! she just reminds us we watch this game for fun.
We have not gotten one 3 ball hit tonight. 0-6. That is horrible.
OH NO!
Mattingly looks really broken up.
oh man
I'm not religious in the least but I am definately sending positive thoughts. That did not look good.
Christ. I had flipped the channel so I missed it live, but I've pretty much cursed every time I've seen the replay. It sure doesn't look like it glanced off his arm or anything; just a direct shot at his head. Damn it.
I suppose it's a good sign he's conscious.
Oh no!
God hope he is ok
Kuroda got nailed in the head by a line drive off the bat of Arizona's Ryal.
is his translator out there, he doesnt speak much english, which is tough in this situation
Torre motioned almost immediately for the translator. He ran out there.
They're taking their time getting him on the stretcher. He's conscious and it didn't seem to be a, "Holy shit, we need an ambulance in here immediately" situation. I hope that's a good sign.
Im a little teary right now.
i think he has a concussion for sure
Hope he's OK, this situation is awful.
Yeah, he's got to have a concussion. And even if he's fine physically, there's always the emotional toll something like this takes. Some guys have a hard time getting back in the box after being hit, and I've heard of some pitchers struggling with it, too.
that was horrible, that ball could not have hit him any harder or more square
I got a little teary, too, especially when I saw Ryal just wandering out like he just didn't know what the hell to do. Poor guy.
Props to o dog. He sprinted over to hiro.
O-Dog's reputation as a teammate was confirmed there. He was out before anyone. Russ looked torn apart, as did Rusty Ryal.
This is the second game I have watched where a pitcher has been hit like that. The first was the game where Billy Wagner was hit. That was even scarier, because he was immediately knocked out and didn't move.
It looks like Hiro was responsive, so here's hoping he will be ok and back soon.
I've watched baseball for many years but that's one of the worst hit pitcher situations I've seen.
Gahhhh. Don't show it any more. You can hear the pop.
Not religious - beer is my religion, so here's to you Hiroki - hang in there.
I was watching a Red Sox game (on TV) a few years ago when Matt Clement got hit just like this. I think it was in Tampa, against the Rays. Clement ended up being okay.
Erin that's a great point. I mean, in the short term, we just want him to be ok. But long term this kind of thing is something pitchers struggle with mentally afterward.
I think we should all send positive thoughts to Hiro and if someone feels like it, pray.
that should be an error on kemp, gotta hit the cutoff man
I'm going back into hiding now. Sending positive thoughts to Kuroda.
I hope Hiro deals with it the way Wagner did. Billy was just as good after.
well we still arent hitting with RISP
Young Mc looked zonked in the dugout right before they left for commercial just then. Yikes.
I hate to do it, but:
For the record, so those in the future will believe it:
Runner is scoring position, no outs, no runs to show for it.
-- August 15, 2009
Holy smokes, I'm worried for Hiroki.
Vin just said that Hiro never lost consciousness and the towel was for support, not bleeding. So that's prelim good news. I mean, as good as it can be.
Sax - Vinny just gave the first update. Kuroda never lost consciousness, was alert and responsive and there was no immediate sign of bleeding.
looks like we are going to have to make due on three runs tonight, hope its enough
Nice runner by Andre. That was one of the first balls I have seen go in the air against Sherrill since he came to the Dodgers.
sherrill looks awesome once again
lets see if broxton can hold it
Thanks for the updates.
Nastizzy from Flat Breezy.
What is it with the half naked woman and the six dollar burger. You know she doesn't eat those.
Pringles can in to pitch for the D-backs.
(I'm still broken up about Hiro.)
Beast Mode
Well, there went that. An insurance homer by Dre would be nice.
@ josh
i like his mustache
feels like a barber shop quartet
hope hiroki is ok
wright got beemed with the helmet on and got a concussion.
hiro got hit with a comeback liner with no helmet, and with the ball prolly a lot faster than a fastball.
Josh - We all are. Vin gave us reason to be hopefull.
Funny about calling Zavada Mr. Pringles.
parra helped out broxton there.
please dont blow it brox
is anyone worried about broxton NOW!
i knew that was going to happen.
Damn Broxton.
ask ali, he said that broxton was ok a couple of games ago
Wow. That will probably be the only time that ever happens to Brox.
If there was any MLB pitcher that deserved a win tonight, it had to be Hiroki Kuroda. Game tied with one out, bottom of the 9th
should have left sherrill in
if there was ever a game for us to need a game closed out in the ninth it was this one. Now we can play extras with have of our bullpen gone.
half
Bison steal.
Damn I am still pissed off about the blown save.
bison swipes twice
steal, but the strike out takes away the sac run option.
i think kemp is going to have to steal home to get in.
i knew it.
Torre sticking with Lorretta
just put mota in and end this game. At least the guys will be able to make it down to the hospital in time to visit Hiro.
If Torre was gonna replace Lorretta, why didn't he let Loney pinch hit?
because loney is probably hitting worse than Loretta right now.
thanks alot broxton.
u suck broxton
Sherrill for closer.
i cant take this anymore
Goawddamnfuckinshit.
I'm not happy.
Time machine almost complete. Just need the flux capacitor and we get Victor Martinez.
Then I go back and slap Colletti about the face and neck several times until he cries.
BTW, I don't think a MFPG thread is necessary. We've lost 3 straight and the Gnats just gained another game on us.
Let's face it. . .it's time to be concerned. Especially about Broxton's toe.
Agree a MFPGT not necessary. What else can be said.
Dinner and a cocktail did not change my mood after the end of this game, but then I never really believed it would.
Now it's mope around another hour then slink of to bed concerned about both Hiroki, the bullpen the starting pitching, the Cards, lack of firepower in some bats, RISP frustration...
Night all.
Post-Game Thread is finally up. Sorry it's so late, but I have been drinking myself to oblivion here in a corner of my closet.
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