Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Post-Game 133 Thread: Barely Better Than Snakes

DODGERS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 3

The Dodgers continue their offensive somnambulation by relying upon a bases-loaded walk to Andre Ethier in the seventh to score the winning run against the woeful, 20-games-back Arizona Diamondbacks. With one out and the bases still juiced, Manny Ramirez got caught looking for what seemed like the 10th time this week, and Casey Blake flied to short right to end the rally.

Vicente Padilla went 5.1 IP and had 5Ks and 1ER, but newly promoted Scott Elbert gave up 2 ER to tie the game at three, before Ronald Belisario and Ramon Troncoso restored scoreless order (the latter thanks to an acrobatic inning-ending catch by Andre Ethier in right). Jonathan Broxton got two quick outs, then surrendered a single to Justin Upton (who stole second), before getting Mark Reynolds to popout to Orlando Hudson (Reynolds went 0-for-5). The Dodgers keep the Rockies 5.5 games back, and watch the Giants (who lost 1-0 to the Phillies) recede to 6.5 GB.

A first inning solo HR from Matt Kemp capped a 2-for-3, 2R, 1BB night for the Bison, but our 3-4-5 (Ethier (who had a sac fly), Ramirez and Blake) all 0-fered, providing a gaping hole smack dab in the lineup. Perhaps the team is waiting for tomorrow's arrival of Jim Thome; clearly, the newly-suited Dodger Jon Garland (who dressed in Diamondback red and black last night, standing in the opposite dugout) didn't do much to inspire the team. Maybe Garland's day is coming up soon?

26 comments:

rbnlaw said...

That was quick.

I wish our bats would come back from their late summer vaykay. I miss them.

3 walks and a double to get the winning run? Not good. Welcome Big Jim Slade!

JuanLove said...

i know, we are freaking in the longest slump.

Matt Kemp is the boss though.
This dude needs some more notoriety.

eric nusbaum said...

That was impressively negative for a game we just won. I understand it was a meh performance, but let's just take this time to appreciate the fact that our no. 2 hitter is scary enough to merit an intentional walk.

Steve Sax said...

@EricNus, point taken. I guess I'm just frustrated by seeing all these opportunities squandered, when we could have put the Snakes away early and then trotted out the new 40-man roster additions just for kicks. Instead of a Repko sighting, however, we make it a tight game, more difficult than it had to be.

Meh is right. I need a drink.

Kyle Baker said...

Back from the Yard.

MATT FUCKING BISON KEMP! This man is tha ba-haaaa-oooomb! It was a true privilege to watch him not be too proud to bunt, steal second, smartly tag up to move himself to third but in so doing draw a throwing SNAFU that led him to be able to leg out a run, scoring from second. Brilliant as a Guinness milkshake!

Another quick note: Doucheschke sent a tweet that said that airplane in the air over the field was remote controlled. What sort of fucking moron are you, man? (That's rhetorical.) It's called being made of a material that is as light or lighter than air, combined with air currents to include the fact that some air is hotter than other air. Fuck me runnin'.

This wasn't exactly a pretty win, but it was an important win. And Ethier, I will kiss my pillow tonight and think of you after that catch you madeto get us out of a pickle of a dilly of a jam late on.

Crusty, out...

Greg Zakwin said...

rbnlaw- Nothing wrong with walks, better than outs.

Bayareadfan said...

Write up works for me. This Snakes team sucks yet they're playing us like the Cardinals. Enough already, the schedule doesn't get any easier than this so start hitting in more than 2 games a week would be good right about now.

Nostradamus said...

@db

Yeah, what you said

@Neeebs

I had your back. Barely, but I had it.

Bayareadfan said...

Speaking of the Cards, are they ever going to lose? They look like they're going to run the table on the year.

NicJ said...

Did anybody see David wrights new futuristic batting helmet they supposedly spent a long time designing?

What a massive let down. It's just a normal helmet but twice as thick. It made him look like Juan Pierre when he had it on.

Steve Sax said...

@bayareaDfan: cards are rolling, yank-mes too. Not to look ahead, but I'm nervous, even with the new additions.

@NicJ: Orel has a post on the Wright (helmet) stuff soon. Great minds think alike.

Steve Sax said...

@dusty, Im a day's gamethread late but thank you for agreeing with me about the kabc radio psa voice being so f'ing annoying-and not at all funny btw--that I want to punch him in the face. And the larynx, so he will stop making radio commercials that suck.

NicJ said...

It looks like padilla might be going on the DL already. Apparently he was limping pretty badly after that liner to the leg.

Bayareadfan said...

Well, if Padilla goes to the DL that solves the 6 man rotation dilemma. Joe didn't really want to go there.

Greg Zakwin said...

Plaschke's latest shitty excuse for journalism.


http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke2-2009sep02,0,1475047.column

MR.F said...

I love The Bison!!! Now OPSing .900!!!!

karina said...

All i can say, because i just realized no one followed Orel's game thread theme:

"I hate snakes, Jock. I hate 'em." (sorry for being slow)

You can complain about the bats, but Kemp had a spectacular game and Ethier made a swell play, resulting in a good game.

Josh S. said...

Not to defend Plaschke, Dusty, but it was clear from the broadcast that it was indeed some sort of mini R/C plane. Vin even said so, and Vin is infallible. He's the Pope of Baseball.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

@Plaschke - SHUT UP ABOUT AN ACE

karina said...

The Phillies have Hamels and Cliff Lee. The St. Louis Cardinals have Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. The San Francisco Giants have Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.

The Dodgers?
"That's what the rest of the season will tell us," Colletti said.

So far, so-so.


Does this guy actually pay attention to the Dodgers?

"Their second starter would be Chad Billingsley, who has disappointed the organization with his inability to either act or pitch like an ace. Not to mention, his career postseason earned-run average is 7.24."

He has 3 appearances, one as a reliever, the year he got promoted to the bigs. Not too many innings to judge his performance, right?

"Their third starter will be Clayton Kershaw, who will be a postseason ace in coming years, but not now, not at age 21, not with the sort of inconsistency that could end a game early."

Clayton Kershaw has been the picture of consistency lately and Wolf can compensate his lack of play-offs experience with his ample MLB experience.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Plaschke's article is a load of crock. He says Wolf has no postseason experience, even though Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay don't either. Then there's Billinglsey's post-season ERA, which is made of all of three games.

Fred's Brim said...

When does Mark Reynolds hit his homerun this series? I am hoping it's a solo shot in the 8th tonight to pull them within 6

Fred's Brim said...

Plaschke make me tired

rbnlaw said...

@KK:
Good link to the Plaschke crap. I agree, the Phills have Lee and Hamels, but they beat J. Sanchez 1-0? Looks like they'll need some run support, and if the Dodgers throw lefties at Ryan Howard, where's it going to come from?

Kuroda, by all reports, looked good in his rehab start. He should start next week, so let's see how that goes, Billy-Boy. Kershaw's been unhittable lately, but he gets no run support. Wolf is the Jedi Master. The mind trick is apparently enough to get over. Padilla, Garland, and even Haeger should be servicable enough to get to the post-season. I just hope someone comes up behind Bills and smacks him in his great, huge, melon to wake him up.

I love guys like Douchke who need to make up controversy when there is none to report.

Oh, and I'll take a walk when we get them, but the bats still need to come home to roost.

Steve Sax said...

I want to spend the morning poking holes in Bill Plaschke's latest schlock. But I'm tired, oh so tired, of this.

When, when will the LAT get a real sports columnist?

Greg Zakwin said...

rbnlaw- Love the moniker Douchke, can't believe I didn't somehow stumble upon it. I'm going to
"borrow" it, but credit will be given.