Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Game 120 Thread: August 18 vs. Red Birds, 7p

Chad Billingsley (11-6, 3.73) vs. Mitchell Boggs (1-1, 3.78).

COMMENTS: Chad Billingsley brings his Thunder Thighs and sore hammy back to the mound tonight after skipping his last start; Bills saw the Cards in St. Louis earlier this season and coasted through his first five innings before imploding in the sixth with a six-run debacle. On the other side, young Boggs is 4-3 lifetime with a 5.61 ERA, and has 31 Ks but 20 BBs over 43 IP this year. Dodger fans are hoping that the team, mired in a losing spurt of four straight home games and seven losses in their last 11 games, can successfully wade boggs and get our offense back on track.

To help the team along, we're pulling out all the stops (or at least, two of them) for this game. Firstly, we're not calling out our opponent's team name in the Game Thread title, which seemed to work well on Sunday. And secondly, SoSG Sax will attend tonight's game; Sax is 6-0 this year at the Stadium. What more could you need, Bills? Let's go, Dodgers!

165 comments:

Paul said...

I want to take bets on where Matt Kemp will hit in tonight's lineup?

My money is on the 5th spot.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

PITT...THE...ELDER!

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

LORD...PALMERSTON!

Nostradamus said...

LORD PALMERSTON!

karina said...

In Sax we trust :)

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Let's hope at the end of the game, Mitch Boggs lays unconcious on the barroom tile.

karina said...

I need a kind soul who can answer me two questions:

to tell the truth, i don't get the Lord Palmerston reference, does anyone wants to explain?

and what does MFPGT mean?

Josh S. said...

"I want to take bets on where Matt Kemp will hit in tonight's lineup?

My money is on the 5th spot."

Try 10th (though probably 11th, after Loretta):

Furcal SS
Pierre CF
Ethier RF
Ramirez LF
Blake 3B
Loney 1B
Martin C
Hudson 2B
Billingsley P

Josh S. said...

Karina, MFPGT is "Mother 'Fornicating' Post-Game Thread".

I have no idea about your other question.

Steve Sax said...

Wow, Kemp looks a lot shorter out there in centerfield person than on tv. I thought it was the other way around? And why is he wearing stirrups?...

Oh.

This must be a mistake.

Steve Sax said...

@karina, I don't get the pitt or Palmerston references either. Explain me?

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Karina: We only have kind souls on this blog...right???????

Josh S. said...

Sax, are you there as a press-box-blogger or as a fan tonight?

NicJ said...

The reds are doing us a favor. Lincecum shakey early reds lead 4-0 in the 3rd.

Nats lead the rox 2-1 bottom 3rd.

Paul said...

@Josh

I think Torre is planning for Kemp to get a walk off hit tonight right after Lorretta gets the second out to make it that more dramatic.

Well any bets on JP's night? I say 1 for 3 with a walk.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Google "Wade Boggs Pitt the Elder"

Loney Fan said...

I'm going to tonight's game to personally see that Loney turns this around. And for the first time I have a data phone so I can post from the game!

karina said...

Thanks, Mr LASF. I didn't remember why Boggs fought with Barney or maybe they translated differently in Spanish.

@Sax nice try at being candid. Have fun!

karina said...

Thanks Josh. I also suspect you were acting candid.

@Neeebs We all are Jedi. Not Sith (don't know how to translate it to Star Trek lore)

karina said...

Pitt the Elder vs Lord Palmerston

http://tinyurl.com/nh9477

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Karina: translated its, we are all federation, not Klingon.

However, I am VERY fluent in Star Wars, too.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

See how it's done?

Neeebs (The Original) said...

I always wondered, how do you convert to tinyurls?

Josh S. said...

I'm actually embarrassed that I forgot where the Pitt the Elder/Lord Palmerston thing was from.

Nostradamus said...

Neeebs,

all you have to do is to tinyurl.com homepage, paste the long url into the window provided and press convert.

Nostradamus said...

@ Josh S,

Don't feel too bad. Everyone knows that William Gladstone was England's greatest prime minister anyway.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

I personally liked England a whole lot better when King's ruled, rather than bloody Prime Ministers.

Thanks Mr. Customer for the tiny tip.(that doesn't sound good, does it?)

karina said...

@Josh why should you be embarrassed?. Look what i found:

http://tinyurl.com/qr9j9a

Just a little refreshing.

karina said...

Neeebs, why Greedo as avatar?

Nostradamus said...

Neeebs,

So, are you a Henry II or Edward I guy?

(What does it take to start a bar brawl over historical minutiae, here?)

Neeebs (The Original) said...

I thought greedo was kind of a cool character, albeit a scoundrel. So I have a greedo bobblehead in my office next to my captain kirk, Count Chocula and james loney bobbleheads

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Henry II of course.

karina said...

Neeebs, your decorative items are lovely.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Karina: I also have a wookie collection, next to my LA Kings hockey pucks, but don't tell anyone.

karina said...

@Mr. Customer: it's awesome how your latin plural nouns are always correct.

If you ask me, i'd say Elizabeth I was an incredible queen.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Elizabeth I has nothing over Catherine the Great of Russia.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

catch you on the flip side. Heading home.

karina said...

Random wookies or Chewbacca's family?

SoSG: where geeks gather to talk about Dodgers baseball.

karina said...

We were talking about british royalty, right?

Erin said...

Sax, you always seem to miss me by one game. I'm going to four of the next six games (Thursday night in the press box), and you choose to go to the stadium tonight?

Steve Sax said...

@Erin, the lengths to which you will go to avoid buying me a beer!

@Josh, I am going as a fan. A very large-living fan, mind you; I am sitting here enjoying the sunset in a Aero chair, leaning back and soaking BP in. It's awesome.

Steve Sax said...

@Mr Customer: are you an OK! Fan, or Hello! Or Grazia, if you're slumming? (Trying to contemporize you Anglophiles)

Steve Sax said...

Rox up on the Nats, but they have a man on in bottom 9

gnats tied with reds in eighth, 5 apiece

Erin said...

4-3, Rockies. Runners at first and third and two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Ryan Zimmerman at the plate for the Nationals.

Steve Sax said...

I just saw the Pitt the Elder clip. Awesome!

It's saving me from the abyss that is a female lead singing Sweet Child of Mine, over the dodger PA system.

Oh wait, now it's Kool and the Gang's Celebration. Kill me now, please.

Steve Sax said...

Come on Nationals!

Erin said...

Damn it. Zimmerman flies out. Looked for a second like it might drop, but no such luck.

karina said...

Game is tied between the Reds and the Giants.

Erin said...

All right, Sax, here are the games I'm scheduled to attend the rest of the season:

Aug. 19
Aug. 20 (press box)
Aug. 22
Aug. 23
Sep. 5
Sep. 6
Sep. 14
Sep. 19
Sep. 20
Oct. 2
Oct. 3
Oct. 4

So there are twelve chances for you. Do any of these mesh with your schedule? If so, let's schedule you for a free beer right now.

karina said...

Hello Erin! is Christine all right?

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Karina: random wookies AND chewy.

And we were talking English royalty. I just threw in Catherine because she is cool

Erin said...

Hi Karina. Yes, Christine is doing well. The incision is healing nicely and she has good movement in her arm. Physical therapy starts sometime this week or next.

karina said...

Bills dominated Pujols with two pitches. Good forecast, don't you think?

karina said...

That's great, Erin. I really wish she fully recovers ASAP.

karina said...

In Cincinnati, the bad guys have scored 3 runs and they are still hitting. Giants 8, Reds 5, top of the 9th

karina said...

Top of the 10th, i mean.

karina said...

Bills is getting the outs, but i suspect they are making too much contact out of him.

karina said...

King James leadoff walk. Hope sparks.

Paul said...

This team is starting to become oppressive on My Dodger Blue soul.

MR.F said...

Damnit. Tomorrow's game is sold out. I told my brother to go. =(

karina said...

@Paul Patience. Everything will be all right. Breathe.

NicJ said...

Three innings, five LOB.

karina said...

Fanerman, watching Wolf pitching on Friday wouldn't be so bad...

karina said...

It's very unusual Bills doesn't have a K yet.

Paul said...

Thanks Karina.

I will try to breathe. However if the Dodgers don't score here soon I might start to hyperventilate.

Hey Russ picked up a 2 bagger. nice.

karina said...

See? just a little bit of patience.There's just one out, maybe Bills will pull a Wolf here.

MR.F said...

Karina, it's just that tomorrow is... MATT KEMP BOBBLEHEAD NIGHT! Of course I can't go since I'm stuck in norcal, but my brother got tickets through stubhub.

Nostradamus said...

Bills delivers! Let's keep them coming, guys.

MR.F said...

I love how Chad is such a good hitting pitcher.

karina said...

Furcal RBI single. Dodgers up by 2!

Paul said...

Okay I will get off the ledge...for now.

karina said...

@Fanerman i forgot that! so if your brother got tickets, will you get the Bison's bobblehead?

P.S no more baseball on TV over here, so i'm watching Prisoner of Azkaban :)

Erin said...

I believe that was just a five-pitch inning for Chad.

Nostradamus said...

@karina (from above)

I'm glad my efforts are appreciated! (and I can't really argue with the Elizabeth I call, either)

karina said...

You're right, Erin. This game is promising.

Paul said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Paul said...

Hey where is Dusty?

Is he out having Guinness milkshakes social with his other Dodger blog family?

Andre triple!!!

Nostradamus said...

3 for E

karina said...

I think Dusty and Rbnlaw are at the stadium right now. Not sure, though.

karina said...

M. Ramirez, in play (runs)!!!!!!!!!

PenosCabell said...

3-0 Dodgers.

PenosCabell said...

Beard hit.

Boggs looks like he's done already.

PenosCabell said...

He is done.

Josh S. said...

Oh my God! We chased a starter!

karina said...

@Josh "Always the tone of surprise"

Paul said...

All right! I might be able to sleep tonight.

karina said...

Faith and hope, anything else, despite the LOB.

Josh S. said...

Surprise yes, Karina, but also elation.

Russell didn't get the memo that everyone gets a hit this inning.

karina said...

5-0!

karina said...

No one is perfect, Josh.

NicJ said...

Chad why are you trying to give it back?

Erin said...

It's Chad's regular sixth inning hiccup.

Nostradamus said...

Crap

PenosCabell said...

DP.

Chad needed that.

NicJ said...

I'm pretty confident the bullpen will not be able to hold the lead. We need some
more runs.

NicJ said...

She forgot the words!!!

HAHAHA

Julie Hibbard said...

All time worst!!!!!!!
Oh poor God!!!

Kyle Baker said...

One of the worst GBA 7th inning stretch singers EVER. Skanky looking, too. 0-2.

Steve Sax said...

Well, we're up 5-3 but it's shaky with breezy there

MR.F said...

100

MR.F said...

Damn. Even when we're not playing I still can't get 100.

MR.F said...

Oh yeah? Well, I'm not very confident that the bullpen will not be able to hold the lead.

I don't even know what that means.

Kyle Baker said...

Naw, I had to work late tonight so I've been listening to the radio on the way home. Will be in the Yard tomorrow night, though. Got home just in time to catch that hideous warble.

NicJ said...

I was trying to mask a negative comment by putting the word confident in there.

Paul said...

The bats are asleep again

Kyle Baker said...

SIZZ-AFE!!!!!!*

*Whether he was or not.

NicJ said...

Wow, now that was hustle.

Kyle Baker said...

Vinny, be a homer just for once. We NEED this.

MR.F said...

Gods Loney is slow.

Kyle Baker said...

I got up and made a Guinness milkshake in the time it took for Loney to make it home.

Kyle Baker said...

Excellent move to keep Breezy in. Come on, lads, bring it on home!

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Sherrill is looking sharp tonight.

Kyle Baker said...

Neeebs-

YOU are looking sharp tonight; at least, your new avatar is. Nice work.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

not worried at all.

NicJ said...

Nooooooo. Not a walk with Albert on.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

I opted for the change of pace, Star Wars reference instead of the old school star trek motif.

Doh, here comes trouble.

NicJ said...

Now this is a test.

I Alivandi said...

When did Brox change from Johnnie B Goode to Ozzy?

Josh S. said...

I'd be lying if I said this move didn't worry me, but Brox was pretty good at this 4-out save stuff earlier this year.

Loney coming out is a head-scratcher, since he's having a hot game.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Passed the test, despite the shot to 3d.

Kyle Baker said...

This was only a test. Should it have been an actual emergency...

NicJ said...

Whew.

Kyle Baker said...

Finally got Loney going then took out out. Hmmm...

I Alivandi said...

Whew on that play.

Josh S. said...

"When did Brox change from Johnnie B Goode to Ozzy?"

It's been a couple months now. The place goes nuts when the guitar riff hits.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

It was either Loney or Odog.

MR.F said...

Casey's managed to grab a couple of those dropped balls and turned them into outs tonight.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Fanerman: both when Pujols was running

I Alivandi said...

A Hudson-Castro double switch would have been better.

I can't get over Hawksworth's name. It is straight out of a comic book.

Josh S. said...

BEAST MODE REACTIVATED.

Paul said...

An extra run here would be nice

NicJ said...

Brox went from b goode to paralyzer ( which sucked) and then went to iron man. I noticed it when I went to manny bobble head night. The crowd goes nuts when it hits.

Josh S. said...

State Farm!

Nostradamus said...

Andre cannot be contained.

Paul said...

An extra two runs here would be nice.

I Alivandi said...

Josh - Ask and ye shall receive.

Kyle Baker said...

I need to ask my sis-in-law if that was an insurance run or a for-fun run.

I Alivandi said...

Paul does not have the power.

Kyle Baker said...

This is the money shot, Brox.

Josh S. said...

Hey rulebook junkies,

Is this still a save situation for Brox, since he entered with a three-run lead?

Paul said...

I tried to use the force and get that other run but an empty beer can hit me in the head instead.

NicJ said...

Glad to see brox is locating his pitches better.

Paul said...

Maybe J Bro just needed that awful game in Arizona to regain focus.

I Alivandi said...

Josh - Yes. At least 1 full inning. Also, he came in with the tying run on deck.

Ox absolutely blew Holliday away.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Come on Brox. Throw strikes for god's sake.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Ali, what type of law do you practice?

Kyle Baker said...

Vinny, tell us more about how Ankiel switched from being a pitcher.

Paul said...

All right one more to go.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Nice pick by Martin

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Brox needed this outing tonight.

Paul said...

I loved Greene an his two other brothers when they came out with that mmmmm bop hit. Game over!

Nostradamus said...

Thank the gods.

NicJ said...

I LOVE LA!!

Kyle Baker said...

My fragile psyche brought on by early childhood memories of Cardinal success is saved!

I Alivandi said...

The slider is eating people alive tonight.

I love L.A. I hate the song.

I Alivandi said...

Neeebs - I'm a trial lawyer. Most of my practice is employment.

Paul said...

Boggs gets bombed.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Cool. I'm business/real estate. About 60% litigation.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Jackie not looking great tonight.

Steve Sax said...

Sax here, stuck in lot K, but this was a sweet one I'll savor.

Sax improves to 7-0 this year!

Go Dodgers!

Kyle Baker said...

This victory was all yours, Saxy! YDM.

MR.F said...

So say we all, Mr. Customer!

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Hooray for Hollywood!

rbnlaw said...

@Sax:
My friend got us into Lot B by way of his handicap placard (he has bum knees. . .it's hell getting old) and we sailed out onto Sunset and the 101 then onward to Long Beach.

Great game and great crowd. Rbn improves to 3-2 for games this year with 2 of the wins coming on the road.

Orel said...

@Neeebs "Jackie not looking great tonight."

INFIDEL