Sunday, September 06, 2009

Game 138 Thread: Sept 6 vs. Friars, 5p

The Return of Hiroki Kuroda! (5-5, 4.08) vs. Tim Stauffer (3-6, 3.76).

COMMENTS: There is facing your fears. And then there is facing your fears when you fear is a 100-mph ball coming back at your head in the blink of an eye, and you're on national television (ESPN) in the game of the week (and the last game of the day) over a Labor Day weekend when everyone will be at home watching since the NFL season hasn't started. The second Kuroda steps on that mound, the Dodgers win. And if he throws a pitch, it's a blowout victory. Everything else is just gravy.

The Dodgers played around with the lineup yesterday, following a Joe Torre team meeting, and responded well with only their second 7-run game in their last 15 outings (an 11-5 win over the Reds on August 29 was the only big-output win since a 7-4 victory over the Cubs on August 20). The Dodgers lost the first game of their last three series, but in none of those cases did they lose the series (going 2-0-1). Let's hope that we can take today's rubber match against the Friars and hold pattern to form.

217 comments:

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Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Brewers have the bases juiced with two outs

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Crap in a bucket. Kendall had the bases loaded and a 3-0 count and lined out to KFP

Josh S. said...

I hope we get some Stauffer's meatballs.

JuanLove said...

True Blue LA:

Furcal SS
Pierre CF
Ethier RF
Manny LF
Loney 1B
Belliard 3B
Martin C
Hudson 2B
Kuroda P

NicJ said...

Prince with the walk off hr to beat the giants!

Ken said...

The Rockies are gonna swept the D-backs. They are fairing way better against the D-backs than the Dodgers did.

Kyle Baker said...

Brewers win! In their honor, I will have a beer.

Steve Sax said...

Giants indeed lost to the Brewers in 12. Rox are romping, though, so that will narrow the NL West lead to 4.0 pending our first pitch.

Ken said...

yay Giants lose!

Greg Zakwin said...

Triple play for the Brew Crew. Wow.

JuanLove said...

Philly lost AGAIN

Cards actually coughed up a game for once.

we need this tonight

NicJ said...

Nice to see that kemp is getting the day off. Kinda seems like he has been forcing it the past few days.

Kyle Baker said...

Ye, NicJ. As well,it's great that we really seem to have some good moving parts so we can afford to give fellas a day off, routine or otherwise, and still keep chugging away. Belliard definitely helps make this possible.

Let's get this shit ON!

Kyle Baker said...

Addendum to my previous post:

Let's get this shit ON so I don't have to keep watching Project Runway as Mrs. Dusty is in control of the remote.

[That's Mrs. Dusty with a "." not the decoy "Mrs Dusty".]

NicJ said...

were getting ESPN2 tonight? We never get any respect.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

What is on ESPN1 anyway? NASCAR? Football? Skiing sqirrels? Dodgeball tourneys?

karina said...

@Mr LASF: The U.S Open

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Damn hippies

Kyle Baker said...

I just had to watch a few minutes of drag racing before Baseball Tonight began. Mrs. Dusty asked what the strategy was for such a thing, and I replied "Driver faster and don't crash." So much easier to explain than the infield fly rule.

NicJ said...

Chris Young heats up, nice it happens right before we go into AZ.

check out the celebration after the fielder walk off.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

I'm off for dinner.

Kyle Baker said...

Nice, fun celebration after Princess' walkoff. Good on them. Keeps Fielder from going after the opposing team's clubhouse. Wait, Gnats were opposing team - he should go after them.

Erin said...

At the game. Feels like I'm here way early, even though first pitch is in about 40 minutes. Kuroda is warming up, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed while simultaneously looking up to say "good luck" in Japanese. It's apparently "gambatte kudasai," which Christine is going to yell at him when he gets a little closer. We'll see how that goes.

Kyle Baker said...

ESPN just showed an awesome shot of Dodgers BP and Manny and Thome talking. Good shot of the field and stadium. Chavez Ravine representin' in front of a national audience!

*throws a west coast*

Kyle Baker said...

Erin- Good to hear...I'm hoping the crowd supports Hiro tonight during what must be a mentally challenging game for him.

Kyle Baker said...

John Miller already getting in a dig at Dodger fans for arriving late. How a man wearing a tie like he's wearing just cannot make and judgments on anything.

NicJ said...

manny and Hiroki have a secret handshake?

Unknown said...

We need a catch word bino card for tonights game.

Josh S. said...

Jon Miller OPENLY CHUCKLING at the Dodgers recent performance.

That's some real professionalism there.

Nice clown hair, btw.

Kyle Baker said...

How many cuts will Joe Morgan take at Manny tonight for steroid use?

NicJ said...

Miller looks like Scrooge without the money.

NicJ said...

i really hope we beat the tar out of the pads tonight.

Kyle Baker said...

Beautiful shots of LA and the Ravine; good camera work. Now I wish I were out there.

Kyle Baker said...

Stauffer: How long am I supposed to microwave my french bread pizza?

karina said...

I'm really grateful one of the ESPN Deportes broadcasters is a Dodgers fan. I could switch languages and hear whatever trash they are talking but i won't :)

NicJ said...

Lets beat the Stuffing out of Stauffer.

Orel said...

@Josh "I hope we get some Stauffer's meatballs."

@DB "Miller looks like a giant inflatable penis."

You guys are in fine form tonight!

Kyle Baker said...

Karina, thanks - I forgot that it was also on ESPN Deportes. I'm switching from ESPN Gringo so I don't have to put up with these chuckleheads.

NicJ said...

these shadows are terrible.

Kyle Baker said...

I'm just getting warmed up, Orel. It's all been pent up inside me all day!

For the record: I'm rockin' some Peruvian cerveza today - Cusquena

Kyle Baker said...

Sun and shadows may be messing with O Dawg.

NicJ said...

i forgot we suck on national games.

NicJ said...

are you kidding me?

Kyle Baker said...

I don't think Hiro is fooling anyone with his pitches right now. His pitches are just sort of hanging there for all to see (and hit).

He just needs to acclimate.

karina said...

@Nic j: exactly my thoughts

karina said...

Salio barato!

Erin said...

From my seat at the game, there is NO WAY that Martin should have missed that tag. What the hell happened?

I really don't like hating one of my own players, but every night Martin does something to make it my only logical reaction.

Remember, we let them get a run in the first inning last night, too. It'll be okay.

Kyle Baker said...

Good on you, Furcal. I hate when teams easily concede a run in that situation. A perfect throw would have gotten him, but it was worth the try.

Kyle Baker said...

Erin- Furcal's throw was slightly to the 3rd base side, so Martin had to come back across a bit to make the tag, and missed it. From my position (eg wearing an ass groove in the sofa), I still thought Martin should have done better with it and gotten the tag down.

But it's only one run, as you said.

NicJ said...

great inning.

Unknown said...

Furcal leading off is becoming as bad as hitting Kemp 8th.

Kyle Baker said...

JP almost got all of that one. He needs to equal his Dodger single season HR mark of...one.

Eric Karros said...

Hi folks. We didn't get any runs, but we did make Stauffer throw like 7 or 8 pitches.

Kyle Baker said...

11-pitch inning for Kuroda.

karina said...

Epale, Eric!

Remember 2009 is the season where the Dodgers make opposing mediocre pitchers look like Cy Young worthy material.

He only threw 7 pitches.

Erin said...

Picture from the ballpark:

www.twitpic.com/gsc2c

Kyle Baker said...

JLo still getting warmed up!

karina said...

I decided he was going to be "King James" again.

Eric Karros said...

Eeps Karina (short for Epale)

karina said...

Beautiful pic, Erin.

Kyle Baker said...

EK-

Can I use that in a sentence like "What's tha eeps?"

Eric Karros said...

"Eeeps to my peeps!"

Kyle Baker said...

This would be a good point to try to convince me to move your bobblehead to a more respectable place, JMart.

And to try to use fewer prepositions in a sentence.

Kyle Baker said...

Manny and Thome: get a room!

Kyle Baker said...

"They got Jim Thome for his bat." Brilliant point!

karina said...

Candy Maldonado: "Rafael Furcal is not on a very good offensive moment right now"

Me:if you hadn't mentioned it, i wouldn't have noticed, not even a little bit.

Candy Maldonado:"The Dodgers will perform the the same as Rafael Furcal's performance"

Me: are you jinxing them?

NicJ said...

that was BS.

0-1 with RISP

Kyle Baker said...

So Candy's take is that Furcal is our offensive fulcrum? Uhhhh....

Kyle Baker said...

Karina- ESPN Gringo broadcast is taken up with 93% talk of Manny's slump, so you're not missing anything.

Wait, they switched talk of his slump for a second to talk about his suspension.

Eric Karros said...

what is the origin of the phrase "happy go lucky"? The words seem relevant but when you break it down it doesn't really make sense.

Eric Karros said...

DB, according to the # of comments tracker in the sidebar, you are close to lapping the field

NicJ said...

our offense is choking more than tila tequila

NicJ said...

Miller, you unbiased bastard.

Kyle Baker said...

Did he just say Eckstein being Eckstein?

Eric Karros said...

Nic J - perhaps, but it's still not quite as ugly

NicJ said...

Hayooooo

Kyle Baker said...

EK-

Clearly I have way too much time on my hands.

Does that mean I shouldn't pursue the "happy go lucky" origin and report back?

Eric Karros said...

Karina, are you watching the game with Candy Maldonado?

Eric Karros said...

DB, that means I expect nothing less

NicJ said...

this is getting ugly, comparing eckstein to manny.

Kyle Baker said...

"The dictionary cites a first use in 1856. I don't have an origin. The meaning is blithely unconcerned, blissfully without care.

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY - "Carefree, unconcerned. This is the only meaning of the phrase today, and it dates from the 19th century. Herman Melville has it in 'Moby Dick' (1851): 'A happy-go-lucky; neither craven nor valiant.' An earlier meaning was haphazard, as luck would have it. It is seen in Edward Arber's 'An English Garner' (1699): 'The Redcoats cried, 'Shall we fall in order, or go happy-go-lucky?'" From "The Dictionary of Cliches" by James Rogers (Ballantine Books, New York, 1985)."

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/5/messages/1156.html

NicJ said...

i waited all day for this?

Kyle Baker said...

Someone pick up Pierre in a golf cart so he can drive the ball into the cutoff man.

Eric Karros said...

Thanks DB. I am a bit smarter now.

Game getting uglier.

karina said...

@Eric Karros: he works at ESPN Latino but i'm used to have dialogues with my computer, printer, scanner and baseball broadcasters.

Kyle Baker said...

I'm going to go back to looking at that picture of the gals doing the splits.

karina said...

Juan Pierre on his best Gold Glove impersonation.

Eric Karros said...

Beast unleashed!

Kyle Baker said...

JP made the catch. Should have been easier but he got a bad start on it. Nonetheless, that was HUGE, JP. Now let's get some runs, lads!

Erin said...

I really didn't think Pierre had a shot at that ball. Nicely done.

Eric Karros said...

Interestingly that's exactly what happened to me last time I got pulled over by a cop.

NicJ said...

is it good when your pitcher gets the 2nd hit of the game?

Kyle Baker said...

WOW! An informative "sideline" in-game interview. I'm impressed (not being sarcastic). Kemp and Ethier had some really keen insight.

Erin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kyle Baker said...

@ Erin

I heard they did a jumbotron montage of Jaime Jarrin that was really cool. Did you catch it?

Erin said...

Yeah, I saw it DB. It was nice. He acknowledged the crowd afterward, sort of like Valenzuela does when they show his video. I don't know if they normally show a Jarrin one, or if this was the first time. Pretty sure I've never seen it before.

karina said...

Mom, referencing Ethier and Kemp:those Dodgers players are really good looking.

Me:looking at her, *silence*

Mom: aren't they?

Me:looking at her, *silence*

Mom: what's wrong with admitting it?

Me:i don't care if they're good looking, as long as they win games.

Mom: why can't you be normal?

Kyle Baker said...

Karina, I would high five you if you were not halfway around the world. Well said!

Kyle Baker said...

Masterful, timely insight from Paul! Well said.

Eric Karros said...

Kuroda with his own 7-pitch inning

Kyle Baker said...

@ Erin-

Yeah I haven't seen it before, either. Hopefully I'll catch it before the end of the season. Jarrin is such a great guy.

Kyle Baker said...

F U Jeff Kent.

NicJ said...

espn stirring the dodger pot.

Erin said...

They just showed the Brewers' celebration on DodgerVision. It was funny.

But during the video they played that song that samples "You Spin Me" by Dead or Alive. The redone version says, "you spin me right round...when you go down." I'm sure that means exactly what I think it means, which makes it an odd choice to play at a stadium.

NicJ said...

good at bat by the dreadlocked one.

Eric Karros said...

Karina, based on your answer to my Maldonado question, now I'm not sure if your last comment means your Mom works for ESPN Latino.

NicJ said...

that rally was killed rather quickly.

Kyle Baker said...

Can we do a quick round of the Assassin' Circle? I'm feeling like I want to kill.

[Kidding, Josh S]

NicJ said...

finally!!

Kyle Baker said...

EK-

That JMart RBI was happy go lucky. Or rather, just lucky. I'll take it.

karina said...

That was an excellent at bat by Martin. Go son!

NicJ said...

no, please not Elbert.

karina said...

On the replay, he looked like he knew what he was doing (in my humble opinion)

Kyle Baker said...

Thome and Eyechart both getting or staying warm. Are we going to just start hitting them with the big bats and running through a lot of pitchers?

Hope so.

karina said...

@Eric Karros: no, she doesn't work for ESPN, she just got into the room to make sure i took my medicine and stayed to watch a little bit of the game.

We had a similar conversation on the day of the Miss Universe Pageant, when i refused to watch it with her because i was watching baseball (i wouldn't anyways).

Her response: it's not even a Dodgers game, why can't you be normal?

karina said...

@Dusty Baker: i told my mom. Her response: it was a man who said that, right?

My mom is never boring :)

NicJ said...

Hiro give the run right back.

Kyle Baker said...

@ Karina

You told your mom I said "FU Jeff Kent"? Good.

;-)

Kyle Baker said...

@ Karina-

Hilarious about your mom and the Miss Universe pageant. Keep being you and get well soon.

Kyle Baker said...

Which commentator will be the next to mention yet again that Venables' dad was Max Venables? Come on, guys, prove me right!

Eric Karros said...

@DB, when conceptualizing Assassins' Circle I briefly considered allowing kills on all posts (not just Kill Threads).

The Hottie and the Nottie is on right now. Picture in Picture was made for times like this.

Kyle Baker said...

@ EK

Funny re all threads. I actually liked that it was isolated so that it didn't get in the way of our usual snark/masterful insight/vitriol in GTs the way that the 100s does.

NicJ said...

please dont bring back the 100's game.

NicJ said...

this sucks.

Kyle Baker said...

Right on, Nic J!

karina said...

@Eric Karros is that movie as bad as they say?

@Dusty Baker thanks :), i think i'll be right tomorrow, the antibiotic is working.

Kyle Baker said...

@ NicJ-

I meant about the 100s, not about this sucking. Although it does.

karina said...

I liked the hundreds game.

Erin said...

I hate watching this team lose, but I really hate losing to a team as bad as the Padres. It's pathetic. And on national television at that.

Eric Karros said...

DB, yeah that's the main reason why I didn't do it on all threads (plus it'd be an administrative nightmare).

Karina, I think it's totally underrated. imdb.com voters gave it a 1.7 out of 10, I say it's at least a 2.

Eric Karros said...

I wonder if Chase Headley gets paid slightly above market because his name sounds like Chase Utley.

NicJ said...

the padres have actually been one of the better teams lately.

Erin said...

Once again, moronic fans choose to start the wave while the other team is batting (it's ridiculous anytime, but especially in the top of the inning). Thanks for making Dodger fans look like idiots to a national audience, guys

NicJ said...

maybe they are trying to distract the batters eye, erin.

Kyle Baker said...

Wave starters should be taken behind CF and shot point blank. The first one that the camera caught during play actually hit right behind home as DreamWeaver was making a pitch. Is had to mess with his concentration, if not his line of vision.

NicJ said...

that was sarcasm by the way.

Erin said...

Hot streak or not, they're still the Padres.

And the pitcher swung there. That was strike three. Turned out not to matter, but still.

Bayareadfan said...

Is another cy scrub having another career or season best night at our expense?

Say it ain't so!

Kyle Baker said...

Did the camera just catch Casey putting in a set of dentures?

NicJ said...

looked like a pop tart.

NicJ said...

another career outing for a no name pitcher.

Kyle Baker said...

JMart, I'm sorry, I really am...I have your t-shirt even, but man, YOU SUUUUUCK. A slump can't last all friggin' season. There is something fundamentally wrong.

NicJ said...

dusty, that BS has been going on since the allstar break last year. I think this is just what russ really is.

karina said...

You are right, but there's hope: the RBI single was clearly a ball that he pulled to the opposite side, saw his wrist and how he pulled the bat?

Kyle Baker said...

@ Karina

He also appeared to have his eyes closed during that swing, which sort of precludes him from doing it on purpose.

@ NicJ

You are absolutely right. I guess I've just been to close to it to stand back and realize how bad it had gotten.

Erin said...

I don't know enough about the fundamentals of hitting to know what (if anythIng) this means, but I've noticed something about Martin's swing lately. Often, he will swing at a pitch and drive it straight into the ground so that it bounces up twenty feet in the air. Most of the time this is a foul, but every now and then it ends up as a groundout. Does this mean anything to anyone, other than that he's just sucking?

Paul said...

Another pitcher having his best game against us.
I am so frusterated. Can we do anything? Do we need to have a candlelight Vigil. Take a shot simultaneously. Find ourselves on a weekend retreat. Burn a Jeff Kent jersey. Anything???

NicJ said...

i burn a jeff kent jersey every sunday anyways.

NicJ said...

with loretta on 2nd we are gonna need a double to get him in.

Kyle Baker said...

@ Erin-

He's sucking.

NicJ said...

why do people like pierre?

Kyle Baker said...

@ Paul

Would we be going on the retreat, or the team?

NicJ said...

out comes the lefty, so i guess that the end of that rally.

Kyle Baker said...

JP is just smacking the ball. I mean, for his size and power he is. I never thought I'd say this, but he needs to hit with LESS power so it falls into the fielding gap between infield and outfield. As it stands, he's now hitting it right to the outfielders.

Paul said...

Erin.

Way back when I use to drive balls in the dirt my coach said I was pulling my body out too quicly and need to keep the front shoulder in. I now have the problem drinking beer which causes some spills. Practice makes perfect.

karina said...

The duo Kuroda-Weaver is been better than Stauffer, the problem is the lack of clutch.

NicJ said...

christ, what luck.

Kyle Baker said...

FAIR BALL!!!!!!

NicJ said...

come on manny keep it going.

karina said...

Back in the game! ladies and gents

Kyle Baker said...

Paul, have you been in a beer slump since last All Star Break?

karina said...

@Nic j "with loretta on 2nd we are gonna need a double to get him in."

you called it, congrats!

Kyle Baker said...

Torre going to the bench.

NicJ said...

alright come on loney, you have been doing well lately.

or kemp?

Kyle Baker said...

Bison Mode, engage. Mission: at least tie the game.

karina said...

Oh boy...i'm nervous

NicJ said...

kemps been struggling a bit lately, lets hope he can come through.

Kyle Baker said...

Yo quiero mas Cusquena.

karina said...

Ernesto Jerez talking about Ethier and Kemp: "the future of this organization. And Loney, of course"

How about Martin?

karina said...

@Nic j can you make a positive prediction?

NicJ said...

that was a positive prediction.

NicJ said...

well that sucked.

Kyle Baker said...

Mission fail! Mission fail! Abort!

karina said...

hahahahahahahahahaha, i was talking about Kemp's at bat.

NicJ said...

why did kemp start chasing sliders off the plate all of a sudden?

Kyle Baker said...

Belly #1 is in. Keep em in check.

Paul said...

Dusty

I have been. I am not picking up on the pilsner quick enough and totally looking tequila when I should be preparing for a whiskey shot.

Kyle Baker said...

Torre over-managing?

Kyle Baker said...

Paul, you're not seeing the cheap PBR cleanly out of the pitcher, eh? I think you're just pressing.

Remember, a nice gin and tonic is as helpful to the team; you don't have to have a zombie maker every time out.

NicJ said...

Careful with the Tequila Paul, It can get you in trouble. Just ask Shawne Merriman

Dusto_Magnifico said...

torre is an fn retard!

NicJ said...

seems like the tide is turning.

SING IT ERIN!!!!

Paul said...

Nic

are you saying I shouldn't choke on the tequila?

NicJ said...

haha, bingo.

Paul said...

Dusty

you are right a couple of PBRs can make a difference in a close game.

NicJ said...

martin looked like a fool right there.

Kyle Baker said...

Kim Ng has been on her BBerry the whole night. Hopefully she can program it to go back in time and trade for VMart.

karina said...

You know what's sad? when Henry Blanco gets a long at bat and he even manages to get a single (as much i admire the guy)

JT_Dutch said...

Christ, will Thome just get his ass in the batter's box so that ESPN can stop showing him before every pitch?

NicJ said...

looks like that tide already turned back.

NicJ said...

lets hope bell is gassed, he has been warming since the last inning.

NicJ said...

is thome gonna do this!?!?!

NicJ said...

look at manny laughing, haha.

JT_Dutch said...

Well it looks like Furcal is the only one who can take pitches, the rest of the team looks like they're late for the plane to Arizona.

Ken said...

praying for a miracle

NicJ said...

damn

Ken said...

still lots of power

hope is with dre

NicJ said...

does andre have one more walk off in him?

Matt said...

Come on, Andre!

JT_Dutch said...

The trainer's there. Maybe Thome's ego hurts.

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