Cole Hamels (0-0, -.--) vs. Clayton Kershaw (0-0, -.--).
Hey, they reset pitching stats after each round. Who knew? Anyhoo, it's time to put aside Dodger Divorce Thoughts and refocus on the here and now: 21-year-old Kershaw, who in two years has gone from callow rookie fireballer to grizzled (see above) NLCS Game 1 starter. Kershaw's left-handedness will come in handy against Subway pitchman Ryan Howard, although it won't necessarily give him the edge against Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez.
And if Kershaw needs a hand, we can expect to see Chad Billingsley out of the bullpen — a move he took graciously. "We're here to win games. We're not here for individual achievements," he said, and it makes you root for him that much more. (Additional roster updates: Hiroki Kuroda and Scott Elbert in, Jon Garland and NLDS Game 1 bullpen hero Jeff Weaver out.)
As for the Dodger hitters, they're big boys now. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp are the boppers; Manny Ramirez is now a complementary piece, not the centerpiece. Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake and James Loney are the glue. Remember, this is the same lineup that outscored the Cardinals 13-6 in the three-game NLDS.
Hamels went 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA against the Dodgers in last year's NLCS, but don't expect those numbers again this year. Why? Call it the Brett Tomko Effect. (Plus, Hamels is a new daddy and therefore sleep-deprived. If he's not? Deadbeat dad.) Tell you what, Mr. Hamels: Prove us right and we'll rename this principle Cole's Law. Get it? HA HA HA
Kershaw 1: AP photo; Kershaw 2: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images; Kemp: Mark J. Terrill/AP
659 comments:
1 – 200 of 659 Newer› Newest»Slingbox is ready.
So's Slingblade.
Hmmm uhnnn.
I likes me them biscuits with mustard.
I remember back in 2002 when a local team sent a young Texan out to tame team full of sluggers.
What was that result again?
Don't mess with the Texan.
Ahhh...a game thread! No divorces, no boys who may or may not be in balloons, just BASEBALL.
I'm pumped beyond all reason!
@RBN
I kinda like the way you talk.
"It's (almost) time for Dodger baseball!"
Nothing is getting done today at work. I need my fill of Vinny!
@Josh S:
I call BS on that boy in the balloon. I can't believe he was ever in there.
Q7 drive by.
Sweet jeebus. If time crawled forward any slower it would be going backward. Between having to watch a bunch old old white farts debate on the Senate floor and having to wait for the game tonight, I'm about to rip my secretary's arm off and strangle myself with it.
I hereby declare this a no boy/balloon story zone, effective immediately.
I never found an alternate avatar that really spoke to me, so if it's okay I'm going to go with the one that brung me. Let me know if anyone has any suggestions (Neeebs will have final say).
@DB:
As much as I like Richie Rich, I hereby deem your existing Avatar as an omen of good fortune. Stick with it.
Bless you, Neeebs.
I thought about switching avatars like everyone else here, but I always forgot once I got home from work. Sticking with mini Manny.
I need to just leave this thread page open. If I go to the main page, I have to play that famous game, "Scroll Past the Playboy Cover Image As Fast As You Can So No One Sees You Looking At It On Your Work Computer". (Or SPTPCIAFAYCSNOSYLAIOYWC.)
Jobu says, "Stick with the girl whut brung ya."
@neeebs:
Who do you reckon I would call if'n I was to kill somebody?"
@RBN:
Hmmm uhnnn.
@Josh S.:
SPTPCIAFAYCSNOSYLAIOYWC
I was trying to come up with some "game" I could play that had the initials LAWINSNLCS, but I've given up. My brain is not functioning well today.
Liftoff in approximately 2 hours.
I heard people mentioning that you can listen to Vin's radio telecast on the net. Is that true? Anyone got a link for me? Much appreciated if so :)
Half an hour and no new posts? Are you people paralyzed by nerves, already at the game, or driving home like mad men and women to get to the TV by 5:07?
My avatar is more of a familiar, really.
Obi Wan is back. We need the force to be with them tonight.
Here's some favorable stats for this series.
Some of the Phils big guns BA vs. the Dodgers staff this year.
Rollins .179
Utley .154
Victorino .125
Howard .107, w/ 11 K.
Go Blue!
1 hour!
I feel like I'm going to puke.
(It could be the stuffed crust pizza.)
¡Si Se Puede!
¡Si Se Puede!
Yes we puede!
Listening to Dodger Talk now on the radio. I don't normally, but I need the Dodger influence right now.
@Nic & DB,
What did you call me?
And for Josh S.
Here's what you have to look forward to as a dad. The orthodontist just informed me that my darling son, age 8, will need an expander, braces, and head gear if he hopes to avoid an adolescence of loneliness and isolation. Much like his father's.
@Rbnlaw yes, we can!
Doesn't wearing an expander, braces, and head gear also lead to loneliness and isolation?
@ RB
The irony is that if your lad wears spacers, braces, headgear, etc., he will experience an adolescence of loneliness and isolation.
It's a zero sum game.
Josh, my spiritual brotha, on the same wavelength re braces.
Christine loves you guys, but she'll be pissed if I spend the whole game logged on to this game thread. So, I'll be here sporadically if I can.
Either way, GO DODGERS!!!
@Rbnlaw see the bright side, the younger he gets all the gear, the sooner that gear gets removed.
Also, it's time to teach him to ignore all the criticism and to be proud off himself.
Erin-
Maybe just drop in to make the traditional prescient prediction, and to make sure some of us are behaving (specifically: FB, RBN, Mr C, Neeebs, and myself).
Eh, look on the bright side Josh S. From my experience, avoiding the spacers, braces, and headgear don't guarantee an adolescence free of loneliness and isolation. Oh wait... that doesn't sound too bright. Nevermind.
Almost forgot:
SS Furcal
RF Ethier
LF Manny
CF Kemp
3B Blake
1B Loney
2B Belliard
C Martin
P Kershaw
I thought Martin had the flu.
Just in case y'all didn't see this:
http://tinyurl.com/yzn6pq5
The sad thing is the "Werth/Furcal" photo caption is the closest thing to a factually correct statement in the entire story.
Martin did have the flu, so the fact that he's starting either means he is past it or is playing through it.
I guess he can't hit any worse than usual.
Maybe it's the homerun flu?
Maybe it's the boogie-woogie flu.
After reading that I must apologize to Plaschke for all the bad things I've said about him. He is only the second worst writer.
Sax is here! And dad is throwing the first pitch!
I wonder why the McCourts decided to announce this NOW instead of waiting a couple of weeks.
Anyway it's still Almost Game Time.
I'm putting the pizza in the oven and cracking the first beer.
Todd, why did you show that article to me? It's going to piss me off all night until I email a response to that moron.
Yes, let's make light of gang warfare to compare the two teams. That will get this man a Pulitzer (actually it may given the lowered benchmark these days).
He gives us this jewel:
"Basically, Dodger Crips are a bunch of Porsche-driving, starlet-chasing, cocaine-sniffing, surfboard-waxing, Armani-wearing, spritzer-drinking, sunshine-soaking, tofu-eating, leg-hair-waxing, sunglasses-wearing weinies."
Cocaine sniffing? That's kind of a big boy accusation to make, Mr. Bykofsky.
I need to move on so I can enjoy the game.
doesnt it seem like our media disasters always come at the worst time? Manny suspension right after 13 home game record and right before a first big roadie, now this.
Anyways, its baseball time!!
Time for me to head out of Mid-Wilshire on my trek home to Pasadena. I'll have to catch a few innings on el radio before I can watch in person and post some masterful insight. Hold the fort down!
let's do this!!
Gibby's home run was 21 years ago today according to Vin!
russ almost knocked himself out on that post
Nice snag Jmart!...
victorino already is a pest
my internet's acting up so I may not be able to misbehave to my full abilities. DB, I hope you guys can pick up my slack
Hey nic j...see any 'porn 'staches' out there today...hahah
Kemp is the man!...
Close one.
sweet!
thats right asshole!!
Good sign.
Victorino, what are you complaining for? Furcal didn't touch your head!
nice work!
and Howard is up in the second with nobody on
Then KKKKershaw can pitch the big lugnut...
Cool.
damn, lets have better at bats than that.
hey! andre got a hit off a lefty!
There's one...Let's Go Blue!...
Victorino can suck my left one.
I like the aggression coming out in these first at-bats.
Keep making contact Big Man.
that was pretty close to a cheap homerun.
I know they've been foul balls, but we're hitting Hamels pretty hard.
hanging tough...
Crap! Soccer practice.
Switching to radio.
10th pitch?...
manny's battling.
Dammit.
damn changeup
manny dies...
Lousy pitch to swing at.
I'm really delaying my departure.
Why did he swing at that?
Hooray for Bison. Now make something of it, Beard.
Hamels makes a living off his changeup.
Crap in a bucket.
we'll get him yet
thats probably one of his higher pitch count innings at dodger stadium, so thats good.
manny!....
that was a homerun in philly
Manny hustling to the spot
Ew, Werth.
Vin: Werth is a great guy, and we are so happy for him.
Who's we? Got a mouse in your pocket?
here comes the curve again
Siddown, Jayson!
siddown!
Kid is working it...
Quick, we need a blogger to suggest there's the possibility that Raul's enhanced. That will throw him off his game.
SIDDOWN, RAUL!
KK
WOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
narsty!
Is Ibanez 'juiced?'...
loney in a national MLB commercial?
LONEY!!!!!!!
SUCK IT, COLE!!!
OCTOBER LONEY!
BYEBYE!...
Home James!!!!
Big Game indeed!!!!
King James!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
get that man a muthafukin raise!!!
@Fanerman indeed, he's big game King James!
haha it almost hit EK!
Hola everyone.
Good start for Kersh!
Free King James!!!
rats
we're hitting him though
I dont even like Hawaiian bread anymore.
at least work the count russ.
ugh i forgot about Feliz - i don't like that guy
dont yell at your glove cole, its not the one making crappy pitches.
hahaha...
Points at Hamels
HA HA
nice, Clayton!
I like Hamels' strategy of walking the pitcher especially since it’s more likely to benefit us.
at least we made him make some pitches and got a run.
Alright lets keep the one run lead we got.
1-0 good guys
keep 'em locked down, Clayton!
look at loney and his 5.000 OPS, haha.
did he just call him clinton kershaw?
what happened to the SF Feliz who was so impatient at the plate? something happened to him this year
woah watch out for the bag
I miss Chavez...it's foggy up here right now...and no Vin...
maybe the giants hitting coach WAS the problem.
damn we cant ever get this guy out.
dangit
I went to HS woth Carney...we were starters in our FB teams backfield and he played short and I played third on the baseball teams...good dude...
almost had a shot there
"Kershaw looks back on the grass like it done him wrong." I love Vin.
sup everybody, im on a virgin america flight from new york to LA, got my girlfriend holding her computer and camera up to the tv to watch the game right now.
more runs...coming up!...
nice
Nice
nice work Clayton!
off the bat, it looked like he sliced it into right but he just nubbed it
MLB is gonna get you Koufax.
haha.
haha nice work koufax! and Mrs koufax of course
@Dusty Baker
Sorry to enrage you. If you didn't have a chance to read the comments even the Philly fans lit that dude up for being such a moron.
haha, FB
is that Evil Chan Ho Park with the beard?
I just saw that article on Philly.com. That is incredibly racist.
man, the crowd is surprisingly dead right now.
Though I have to admit, it is nice to see comments of Phans really berating Stu for being so insensitive.
hamels at 54 pitches through 3, not bad.
Vin used the word "gloaming." That is so cool. I'll softly open my mouth in the cold for that.
Anyone else is worried about Pedro Martinez starting tomorrow?
Time to make a break for it between innings. I'm switching from gameday-at-work mode to radio mode, to be followed shortly by ass-on-the-couch mode.
nope.
does that guy ever shut up?
hey dodgersfanman...
kkkkersh appears to be throwing well from up here
@Koufax...he is throwing beautifully!...
that was a swing!
OH COME ON!
BS!...
That was a strike, dammit.
that was strike 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
four strikes gets you a walk now i guess.
Were those good calls or did Kershaw throw 5 strikes to Howard?
so is it 5 strikes per out in the playoffs?
Err, 4 strikes. I can't count =(.
FUCK YES!!!...
stupid umpire almost cost us the lead.
I stopped breathing.
That was way too close.
whoo...
that was TOO close
wow I thought I was going to have to reach through my TV screen to choke those umps if that had gone out
and that was 10 rows deep in Philly
Guys, the umps did the same thing in the Rockies series. It costed the Rockies several runs on both sides of the innings
Perhaps we'll get that call back.
"Randy Marsh?" isn't that the character from South Park?
Ryan Howard struck on twice. Okay he at least should have struck out once.
Damn Tom Brady rules.
Now it is time for James to free the Dodgers.
Nice...loo-hoo-sin it...
lets go beard!
wow, that looked bad.
TRAITOR!...
hamels settling in, lets fix that.
C'mon Ballyard.
at least hamels didnt get those pitches
crap...looking like a fight...
maybe next inning then...
are we not taking as many pitches as we should/could be?
anyone going to a nlcs game?
I need more than this!
gemalogical? is that a real word?
well, the problem with that is that if you take pitches you run the risk of getting in a whole. Then comes the changeup and you are done.
Hamels already at 67 pitches so its not bad.
hole, rather.
The Dodgers will score in the next inning. Seems unlikely, I know, but I feel it.
Whattup.
either way i doubt we can hold them to no runs, so lets score so more.
sup DB
man, not calling the lower half of the zone tonight.
Let's get some runs after this.
thats no good.
dammitall
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