Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Post-Game 151 Thread: Installations

DODGERS 14, NATIONALS 2

On the day the National Portrait Gallery installed a painting of Tommy Lasorda, the Dodgers installed their foot in the Nationals' ass and won their first-ever victory at Nationals Park. It was a cakewalk that served as a perfect tune-up for the playoffs:

  • Hiroki Kuroda: 6.0 IP, 2R (both unearned), 6K
  • Rafael Furcal: 4-for-5, 4 RBIs
  • Matt Kemp: 2 RBIs
  • James Loney: 3-for-5, 2 RBIs
  • Casey Blake: 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs

Also making appearances were Juan Castro, Juan Pierre, Jason Repko, Blake DeWitt, Jim Thome, A.J. Ellis and Chin-lung Hu. Yeah, it was that type of game.

Want more good news? Clayton Kershaw pitched the last two innings of the game, throwing 39 pitches and striking out four. He hit 94 mph with regularity and looked comfortable, even fielding a high bouncing comebacker to end the game.

Magic numbers drop to 3 (to make playoffs)/7 6 (to win division). Padres and Rockies are tied at six in the fourth inning at Colorado — feel free to scoreboard-watch in this thread!

41 comments:

Dusty Baker's Toothpick said...

Nice to see the Blue Crew get it up for game against the cellar dwellers.

I was afraid they would take the game for granted and not be in the mood.

Good win boys.

Ken said...

Hope O-dog starts tomorrow

NicJ said...

I wouldn't mind seeing o dog get another day or so of rest. I know Blake was out with an injury but it seems to perk up his offense after he sat out for like 5 games or so.

Orel said...

COL 7, SD 6, top 6
ARI 6, SF 4, bot 3

Kyle Baker said...

We could play me on 2nd tomorrow and I don't think it will make a difference.

Steve Sax said...

Pads had a leadoff double in the top of the sixth but couldn't score him. Still 7-6 Rox.

NicJ said...

We know you have ultimate range though, DB.

Man I know people complain about torre abusing his pen. But look at San Franciscos rotation and what's happening to them right now because of overuse. Meanwhile our starters are pretty fresh for the post season.

Steve Sax said...

Rockies up 8-6 in the bottom of the seventh, man on first with none out.

Giants down 9-4 in the bottom of the fourth; AZ put up 3 in the second and 6 in the third inning. Our friend Madison Bumgarner is back in again; Cain lasted 2.1 innings and gave up 7 ER.

Steve Sax said...

Rox just went up 10-6 on an inside the park home run by Clint Barmes. Plus, there's an injury delay now. Ladies and gentlemen, your San Diego Chickens!

Steve Sax said...

Just saw the video of Barmes' inside-the-park HR; Luis Gonzalez dove for it and not only did he miss it, his elbow tweaked as well. Looked bad. Barmes scored standing up as the ball rolled into the right field corner.

Steve Sax said...

11-6 Rockies over Padres, top 9 in COL

10-4 Diamondbacks over Giants, bottom 7 in AZ

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

How could anyone think that picture looks like Tommy? It looks like freakin' Jimmy Carter, and nobody but me can see that?

Steve Sax said...

Wow, nine men come to the plate for SD but they fall one run short of a comeback, 11-10.

Phils split the doubleheader. Cards win.

Giants down 10-5 in the bottom of the eighth, so they've got three outs left.

Steve Sax said...

Giants mounting a comeback; men at corners with none out in the top of the ninth

Kyle Baker said...

Tommy looks a lot like Bill Clinton in that photo. Last year or maybe the year before, at the Yard, Dodgers ran this jumbotron gag where they interviewed various people who talked about their own celebrity look-alikes, and Tommy said "People tell me I look a lot like Bill Clinton." And they showed side by side pics that bore him out on that statement.

Kyle Baker said...

Fuck me in the armpit. This god damned conflicting edits error is going to be the death of me, or the dog I kick. Shit shit shitfire.

Orel said...

But without it, we don't get gems like "Fuck me in the armpit."

Orel said...

AZ 10, SF 8, top 9

Orel said...

Oops, game over.

Kyle Baker said...

Sorry, Orel. Just frustrated after typing some fairly lengthy masterful insight/meaningless snark.

Steve Sax said...

Giants get three but no more, lose 10-8 to the snakes.

Steve Sax said...

"Orel, Dusty Baker, and Steve Sax are hanging out at a bar late one evening..."

Orel said...

Dusty Baker's Toothpick, any relation to Dusty Baker?

Kyle Baker said...

I noted DB's Tothpick made a rare appearance tonight. The gnomed-avatar poster is always lurking, apparently, but no relation.

Kyle Baker said...

Richie Rich says "kill Kill KILL!"

Kyle Baker said...

One of the funniest exchanges of the summer was one time in, probably, June or so after a particularly painful losing effort, I said something like "I'm going to kick the dog, smash a beer bottle, and go to bed without brushing my teeth" and MLASF replied saying "That sounds like the real Dusty Baker."

Kyle Baker said...

Is it ok to root for Angels if it's against Yank-mes?

Orel said...

The lesser enemy of my greater enemy is my temporary friend.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

@Dusty - I do what I can.

Kyle Baker said...

It was well played, MLASF.

Kyle Baker said...

Yanks 5 - 5 Angels going into 9th.

JuanLove said...

i just caught a glimpse of the angels game.


whoa. Phil Hughes just killed Vlad and Torri

Kyle Baker said...

Yanks up 6-5. Rivera in for the save. No outs, bottom 9th. Anaheim has one man on.

Kyle Baker said...

From an MLB.com article re: Belly #2/O situ:

" Belliard raised his average to .264 before being lifted in the eighth inning for pinch-hitter Jim Thome. But while he was hitting just .246 with five homers in 86 games with the Nationals (51-99) through Aug. 30, he's hitting .322 with four homers in just 19 games since joining the Dodgers.

He's been hot enough that manager Joe Torre has had him starting at second ahead of veteran Orlando Hudson for the time being, riding the hot hand, so to speak.

"I had a talk with O-Dog today, and told him that without him, we wouldn't be where we are right now, in a situation to win something," Torre said, "but Belliard is hot right now, so we'll just ride it as long as we can and see what happens. Orlando understood. He couldn't ignore how well Ronnie was hitting the ball right now."

Class all around. That's why it pays to have Torre.

Kyle Baker said...

FUCK YOU BLOGGER!

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Nostradamus said...

How like the Angels to decline the win on a rare occasion that I would prefer otherwise.

Josh S. said...

The Rockies are certainly a bunch of uncooperative SOBs, aren't they? Good thing there are enough games in this road trip to clinch the West without needing that final weekend series.

Josh S. said...

But then I'm kind of glad for that. I would like the Dodgers to clinch the division with a win, instead of having it handed to them like the Snakes did last year.

rbnlaw said...

Sorry I missed all the fun, but what a romp it was. Rick Monday had a good point on the radio about the way Kuroda played the come-backer and got the out at the plate. Some players on lesser teams might have conceded the run and got the out when up by so many runs.

Kuroda, playing for a first place team thought, "We need to make this play every time. It's what we do." As Monday put it, "It's a first place team playing like a first place team against a last place team playing like a last place team."

Insightful.

Kyle Baker said...

Yep, RB, well said by Monday. It was a very satisfying win on many levels. A great Bills outing will be icing on the cake tonight.

Jimbo said...

Why does Tommy resemble Norm McDonald in that portrait?