Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Game 21 Thread: April 28 @ Mets, 10a

On this we can agree.

John Ely (-, -.--) vs. John Maine (0-1, 8.64).

Gameday

COMMENTS: At this point, why the hell not? I mean, after dropping an entire series in one day yesterday, losing their fifth of five road series this year, why wouldn't we send a 23-year-old with only three triple-A starts under his belt, to start in Citi Field in what some might call the Maine event?

Through Eric Stephen of TBLA, we've learned that Ely is admirably nonplussed by the spotlight opportunity, so why should we be worried? Just because Rafael Furcal won't be in the lineup doesn't indicate that this Ely will end up like some other eely characters. Ely may not even know he'll be starting for the worst team in the NL and the second-worst team in all MLB (after yesterday's twin drubbings). But isn't it quite refreshing to hear a Dodger--any Dodger--sporting some rare (albeit flexible) backbone?

GT idea, links, and skeleton: Orel; words: Sax; complete lack of participation: Lasorda

140 comments:

Fred's Brim said...

Maybe we never should have voted Pedro Guerrero out. Has that upset the cosmic Dodger juju?

Nostradamus said...

Le sigh

Nostradamus said...

The best I can say right now is that the the lowered expectations are strangely liberating.

Josh S. said...

Is it worse to be 8-12 the way we are or 8-12 the way the Braves are (8-5 start, followed by a 7-game losing streak)?

Josh S. said...

Good point, me.

Wicks said...

I'm unhappy with the start but I'm not in panic mode yet. Last year we played our best ball in April and May. Maybe just maybe we will play our best ball in Sept and Oct when it counts.

Betsy said...

On the plus side we already know to expect a lot of walks from this guy so he'll fit right in with the team!

Greg Zakwin said...

Orel (or other Son)- I meant to request this video be included somehow today, so maybe you guys can still make my wish come true? Game Recap perhaps?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W-nCmN_Ovk

Josh S. said...

Your moment of zen:
The 2008 NL West Champion Dodgers were also 8-12 after 20 games.

PLAY BALL!

Josh S. said...

Moment of Zen, Pt. 2:
That 8-12 record in '08 had the Dodgers 7 games out of first, while this team is only 4 games back.

Fred's Brim said...

ok guys, I am heading to the ballpark. See you on the other side of a victory

Steve Sax said...

@Josh S: That is indeed a great moment of zen!

I'm calm again. I'm going to yoga.

Steve Sax said...

I don't understand why Mr. Met needs to use their division rival's weapon in order to beat the Phillies. Can't they beat the Phanatic themselves?

Paul said...

All I know is they better get healthy and right in May because June is going to be the Dante's inferno of baseball schedules.

Josh S. said...

Paul: This team is defying logic on an epic scale. I would not be surprised if they swept the Yanks and Sox.

Betsy said...

@ Josh - best joke i've heard all morning! But i also had that sneaky thought when we were plummeting toward the ground in game 1.

I decided to work from home in order to watch the game, it's hard to listen to wreckage when my imagination is so active.

Steve Sax said...

Anyone got a lineup?

Betsy said...

Dodgers.com isn't sure what the line up is either...

Greg Zakwin said...

Via Yahoo:

R. Martin c
M. Kemp cf
A. Ethier rf
J. Loney 1b
C. Blake 3b
R. Belliard 2b
X. Paul lf
J. Carroll ss
J. Ely p


And Sons, I expect the video to be included in return for this tireless effort I had to go through to find the lineup.

karen said...

Pray to the baseball gods we're about to get on this ride again

Steve Sax said...

KempKershaw, really? We tend to ignore Jersey Shore altogether here...

I mean, we love you and everything, but really?

Steve Sax said...

Really?

Josh S. said...

Here's hoping J. Ely doesn't get in a jam.

Josh S. said...

*sigh* Another 3 hours of Steiner trying to come up with different ways to describe the weather.

Josh S. said...

AC's in the game!

Jason said...

Alex Cora is still playing for an MLB team?

Steve Sax said...

at least the pods are down 4-0 already

Paul said...

@Josh

I hope you are right although playing the Angels on top the east teams and a stint with the gints is a brutal stretch for a team with pitching problems. Still I have no love for the empire so I will remain positive.

karen said...

3 up and 3 down

Jason said...

I get the impression the Dodgers want to get this game over with as quickly as possible and get home.

Betsy said...

We should simultaneously play the DSB song and play the video of the DSBG, maybe our luck will change?

Steve Sax said...

well that was fast. 14 pitches, and we're out of the first.

Greg Zakwin said...

Sax- Never watched the show, never will, but that video is gold. Too funny, it is.

But it's up to you guys, I mean it's not like I haven't seen it before.

Oh, and I love you guys too. We're just one big happy dysfunctional family.

Does that make Torre the crazy uncle?

Paul said...

I haven't watched a game in forever.(a week). Is Matt Kemp still trying to catch a ball with a Polo on?

karina said...

Epale everyone!

Just dropping by to not disturb mojo, before i get my daily electricity shortage.

Can we root for the rookie?. Maybe he'll have beginner's luck and might start a winning streak!

karina said...

@KempKershaw only because i like you, i'm gonna watch that link, in spite i have tried my hardest to ignore that show everyone is talking about.

Steve Sax said...

Alex Cora gets a frickin' one-out walk. Talk about a Son who needs to go.

Steve Sax said...

kempkershaw: You make a good point. It is hilarious. Okay, let me see if I can drum up a take (Orel is still hung over from yesterday's doubleheader doubledisaster).

Betsy said...

Anyone hear the Colleti interview?

Steve Sax said...

come on, ely: bay has only 1 hr

Josh S. said...

Jason Bay: "Former Boston and Bucko" - Charley Steiner.

Steve Sax said...

iPhone audio seems to be caught up with PC Gameday again. Have they fixed the iPhone lag issue?

Steve Sax said...

ELY GETS HIS FIRST K!

ON JASON BAY!

HIP HIP HOORAY!

Steve Sax said...

Oh, it's pronounced "ee-lie". Whoops. guess that changes the GT.

Wesley Vento said...

nice start Ely

Josh S. said...

Or is Gameday lagging too?

karina said...

This was a decent inning for Ely. C-mon, get your first MLB win.

Wesley Vento said...

grow the beard back!

karina said...

I'll be back in a couple of hours. Go Dodgers!

I really expect a win when i come back.

Steve Sax said...

SD has come back to take a 5-4 lead.

Frickin' MSB.

Steve Sax said...

XP and his .143 average comes to the plate

Steve Sax said...

first inning: no one on base
second inning: casey gets on first but we strand him

At this rate, we'll score a run by the fifth inning

Josh S. said...

XP fails to level up.

Greg Zakwin said...

karina- Thanks for the kind words. And it really isn't like watching the show, it's juts a character from that god-awful show in a funny commercial with a Met, hence how it relates to this series.

And look who's up now. D-Wright.

Greg Zakwin said...

Ely looks good.

Steve Sax said...

HLACK: Eckstein = Mini Sirloin Burgers.

Mentioned a week ago in the first page of comments, here.

Josh S. said...

Steiner already comparing Ely to Fidrych. OK then.

Greg Zakwin said...

Betsy- Ned stupidly ripped Kemp, but what else is new?

Steve Sax said...

Vitamin Water boy gets on

Casey Lombardo said...

What did Ned say about Kemp?

Josh S. said...

"Betsy- Ned stupidly ripped Kemp, but what else is new?"

On one hand, Colletti is wrong to go public with the criticism.

On the other hand, Kemp is playing like ass lately.

karen said...

We're going to see how Ely handles pressure

Steve Sax said...

41 minutes in and we're not losing yet

Steve Sax said...

whoops, there goes.

Steve Sax said...

why didn't Ely nail wright?

Steve Sax said...

Ely doesn't even have a hat in his mlb picture. I love that.

Josh S. said...

Hmmm...Ely handles pressure by attempting to murder two guys with one ball. Interesting.

Steve Sax said...

hbp

Greg Zakwin said...

Casey-

http://www.vinscullyismyhomeboy.com/2010/04/matt-kemp-responds.html

Steve Sax said...

two RISP, two out, Pagan up. Come on, Ely

Wesley Vento said...

fuck

Steve Sax said...

SHIT

karen said...

I guess Ely doesn't handle pressure all that well

Steve Sax said...

This is already getting ugly and we're not out of the second inning.

3-0 Mets.

Wesley Vento said...

god damn it

Casey Lombardo said...

Unbelievable.

Steve Sax said...

4-0 and even Alex Cora (of the .167 average) can get a double.

Steve Sax said...

For all of you who say, "oh, the whole McCourt divorce thing and the fact that their acrimony has tied up the team's finances, hasn't hurt the team at all"

I say, SCREW YOU.

Josh S. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Neeebs (The Original) said...

Listening/watching Dodger games is no fun anymore.

Steve Sax said...

Carroll singles, setting us up so we can strand him in the third

karen said...

2nd time around, c'mon guys

Josh S. said...

With Carroll at 2nd, there may be something to your "score in the 5th" theory, Sax.

Steve Sax said...

Carroll sac'd to second, so we've got a RISP with one out. Man on second to be stranded...it's all coming together as planned.

Josh S. said...

Whoa. Carroll goes to third. Ahead of schedule!

Josh S. said...

A RUN!

A RUN?

A RUN!

Wesley Vento said...

i'll take a run anyway we can get one

karen said...

We take unearned runs here

Steve Sax said...

wait a minute, scoring on an error shouldn't count. My theory still holds.

Steve Sax said...

third SB of the year for Kempy

Steve Sax said...

deuces wild

karen said...

Maybe Kemp and Ethier really can't hit without Manny in the line-up

Josh S. said...

I GET IT.

THERE IS TRASH ON THE FIELD.

(And litter blowing around too.)

Steve Sax said...

Andre Ks. Of course.

See, we still stranded a runner at second after all.

4-1 Mets after 2.5.

Steve Sax said...

back in a second, chappies

Wesley Vento said...

bleh, i'm getting used to this

Wesley Vento said...

i'm calling this shit, poop.

karen said...

C'mon now Dodgers John Maine is NOT that good

Paul said...

It is a dark time for the rebellion.

Josh S. said...

I call BS on the wind. If it's so bad, why are they still catching everything?

karen said...

1-2-3 inning for Ely

Greg Zakwin said...

Steve Lyons = FAIL

karen said...

RUSSELL!!!

Josh S. said...

Wait...what?

Russell gets it going! Sweet.

Steve Sax said...

J MARTIN!

Josh S. said...

THEY'RE ALIVE!!!!

Unknown said...

Martin flexing his muscle! Heck yes!

Betsy said...

Yay! A HR and a double ;D

karen said...

Finally Matty

Unknown said...

And a Kemp double! Did the Dodgers just wake up from sleepwalking or something?

Steve Sax said...

ethier is swinging for strikes all over the f'ing place

does he have a dining appt today or something>?

Casey Lombardo said...

What's with Andre?

Steve Sax said...

wtf ethier, that third pitch wasn't even CLOSE to the zone.

Three pitches, three swinging strikes

Josh S. said...

OK Loney, just a single...

Steve Sax said...

three Ks for Andre

Steve Sax said...

a HR would be really nice right now, Loney

Steve Sax said...

wiht a 1-2 count to Loney, I dont' think a HR is going to happen

Steve Sax said...

why do we have a 0 HR person batting cleanup today

Steve Sax said...

shit FJL, that ball at which you swung wasn't close

Josh S. said...

So, Maine throws nothing but 87-mph 4-seamers, and Andre can't figure him out?

Josh S. said...

@karen: "Maybe Kemp and Ethier really can't hit without Manny in the line-up"

Between this year and last year, there seems to be mounting evidence of that being true for Andre.

Casey Lombardo said...

Ely breaks 100 pitches. Guess he's cannon fodder?

Casey Lombardo said...

Cy Maine, folks.

Josh S. said...

He has ONE PITCH!

karen said...

good inning for Ely

Steve Dittmore said...

Someone give me a report on Ely, please. His line does not look great, but I can't tell. Has he been hit hard? He seems like he navigated the last three innings efficiently.(I'm following on Gameday).

Casey Lombardo said...

Just need another 2-run job from Russ and we're golden!

Josh S. said...

@Steve D.: He really hasn't been hit all that hard. Aside from the rough 2nd inning (which could have been nerves), he looks like he'll be a halfway decent #4 or #5 while Padilla's gone.

Steve Dittmore said...

Thanks Josh S.

I wondered how much range was lost with the Beli-Carroll DP combo. Of course, they wouldn't stop a triple or double.

karen said...

Our bullpen is an arson squad

Casey Lombardo said...

5 outs away from the first sweep in Queens of the post-O'Malley era.

NicJ said...

I find it funny that the radio broadcast chose to lead in the 9th with "hate" by the plain white tees. Given how the dodgers are playing at the moment.

karina said...

@Casey guess we can say we are witnessing history being made :(

Josh S. said...

GA, then Get-Away.

Josh S. said...

All the joy of a wet fart...

Josh S. said...

Pending the outcome of PIT/MIL, that is.

NicJ said...

So when I said I wasn't sure If the dodgers would ever see .500 again I was wrong, they were at .500 for a day and then sunk like a stone.

Hopefully homecooking will help us out.

Greg Zakwin said...

At least the recap may be humor-filled?

I cAn haz funny?

Kyle Baker said...

I have an armpit that is crying out...

Nostradamus said...

Dusty,

Make sure your armpit carries protection with it at all times this season.