Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Post-Game 39 Thread: Three Sweeps

DODGERS 7, ASTROS 3

Once the Dodgers finally decided to crest over the .500 hump, they certainly took it with gusto. LA wins its ninth in a row, with all nine outings seeing the Dodgers hold opponents to three runs or fewer.

Hiroki Kuroda gets the save with six innings of 3 ER ball (1 BB, 2 Ks), while Ronald Belisario and Hong-Chih Kuo each get holds (one inning and one K each) and Ramon Troncoso makes quick work in the ninth. James Loney, Casey Blake, and Manny Ramirez each have two RBI (Jamey Carroll added one as well), and Blake's solo shot in the eighth marked his 150th career HR.

Next up: a two-game series with the Padres, sweep victims one short series ago. Does this streak go all the way to 11?

99 comments:

MotoMikey said...

Amazing what a little facial hair can do for the cause.....Beyond Casey Blake, I think everyone outside Kuroda had at least 3 days worth on their chin.

Steve Sax said...

Seriously, it's all about the Beard. Right, Casey?

Casey hadn't had a HR in almost a month, but beard coming back means balls going yard

MR.F said...

Nothing is more refreshing than a butterbeer at the three broomsticks.

Steve Sax said...

4-4 in the Padres Giants game, going to extras at Petco

Paul said...

Damn it feels good to be a gangster.

rbnlaw said...

HFYPGT x 9.

Sweet. Sweep.
Sweet sweeps.

karina said...

@Mr F since we are of age, i think this triple sweep should be celebrated with firewhisky.

rbnlaw said...

Some guy named Aubrey batting for the Jints in the 10th.

rbnlaw said...

Pods and Jints could go a loooong way.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

@Rbn - are you sure it's not a woman in drag?

Paul said...

Funny thing, (well to me) I mentioned the other night there would be no stories this week about Torre leaving.

Then I listen to the Mike & Mike Podcast with Jayson Stark today and Greenberg started (after leading with the "story" of one game of the Sox-Yanks series) that the Dodgers had lost 8 in a row and does this mean that Torre might leave after this year cause they are so bad. Then even after corrected that they had WON 8 in a row he still went on with the question.

So I guess I was wrong.

rbnlaw said...

In play, no outs.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

If it's not dyed in Jet-green, Greeny doesn't pay attention to it.

rbnlaw said...

AdGo boots Bowker aboard.

Alliteration goes wild.

MR.F said...

Ooh. I like your thinking karina! I could suggest some mead, but it might be poisoned!

rbnlaw said...

Bottom of 10 in the other city by a bay.

Josh S. said...

You can thank me and Dusty for this one. The game was looking a little ugly until I went up to chat with him. As soon as I did, they broke the tie and it was gravy from there.

(Just kidding. It's all on the Beard.)

Paul said...

Trying to see if I can get tix for ESB night.....might have to settle for Saturday's weird time warp game.

rbnlaw said...

Jints wave the white flag; bring in Guillermo Mota.

Paul said...

Watch out Mota I see Piazza!

rbnlaw said...

Wow, Matt Stairs really sucks now.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

I think all sports outlets will milk Ethier's absence until his return.

"Dodgers still unfazed by Ethier's week-long absence, win 12th in a row"

rbnlaw said...

MSB up with a man on for the Pods.

karina said...

@Mr F if you have a bezoar, we could drink some mead.

karina said...

Tomorrow most media will focus on the awesome Yankees-Red Sox game. It was a very entertaining game to watch.

rbnlaw said...

To the 11th in Shamutown.

Paul said...

Yankees suck.

rbnlaw said...

@karina,
The Yankees and Sox were playing tonight?
Do tell.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

I can't believe it, but the Daddies and Jints are actually killing each other. GO TO THE 19th!

Josh S. said...

Gnats only have 4 runs on 13 hits? Wow.

rbnlaw said...

Man in scoring position; one out for the Jints.

rbnlaw said...

Make that 2. Rowand goes down swinging.

rbnlaw said...

KFP down swinging. To the bottom of the 11th.

Josh S. said...

Isn't 9 games the longest streak by a team this year?

karina said...

@Josh let's not openly talk about that aspect of the streak, just for superstition.

rbnlaw said...

12 innings South of the Border. I've had enough.
They can go till dawn.

Josh S. said...

Noted, karina. Good thing I didn't mention the team name or what kind of streak.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

The best part of the Jints/Pods game is that no matter what, the Pods have to pitch a full inning.

Paul said...

Giants take the lead. Damn it.

Unknown said...

oh snap, jints scored two. Pads, you've got work to do.

Nostradamus said...

2 run double for Downs, SF up by 2

Double downs?

Nostradamus said...

More evil up by 3 now

Unknown said...

Leadoff ball for Wilson. Ha!

MR.F said...

Evil sucks.

Unknown said...

Good start, pads.

Nostradamus said...

Ooh, I forgot how annoying Brian Wilson is. Come on SD, bring the rally.

Unknown said...

Dang it, Cabrera.

Paul said...

Brian Wilson just killed my buzz. I hate that guy.

Two on!

Unknown said...

Sweet, tying run at the plate.

Paul said...

Back to Sopranos.

Nostradamus said...

Tying run at the plate...

Unknown said...

damn.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Even though Hairston fails, doom is approaching. MSB is on deck.

Unknown said...

C'mon MSB, at least inflate Wilson's ERA.

Paul said...

Hmmmm do I or do I not go for a small taste if laphroaig before bet that is the question.

Unknown said...

YEAH DAVID! YEAH

Unknown said...

heheh.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

I told ya!

Unknown said...

suck it, wilson.

Nostradamus said...

MSB Double, tying RISP!

He torments others, too!

Paul said...

Holy shit Padres may pull off a miracle.

Unknown said...

Ugh, I can feel my heart actually start to pump now.

Unknown said...

2-2 the count. SO TENSE!!!

Unknown said...

You stink, Headley.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Damn. Well, we'll get those damn Pods tomorrow.

Nostradamus said...

Crap, more evil wins. At least they didn't let him off easy.

Kyle Baker said...

Gnats win. Pod Rays will get into LA at what, 1:45 and hotel by 2:45 tonight? Love it.

Watch out, NL West.

Kyle Baker said...

MLB.com lead headline:

"Despite Andre's giant absence, LA keeps winning"

Nostradamus said...

And we're only 1 game off the pace, too.

Paul said...

Do they even head up tonight?

Paul said...

MLB headline should say

"Ely says keep winning. Dodgers win"

Kyle Baker said...

@Paul

I'm pretty sure. Rarely do teams travel on the same day they play. They take the hit on the evening end and do some sleeping in the next morning.

Kyle Baker said...

I love that we have half the number of comments in the HFYPGT than we did on the GT.

Paul said...

@Dusty

that last sentence is my life motto.

MR.F said...

GT = dinner time.

Paul said...

We have starters and closers.

I am usually a set up man for Sax


Tonight I am working on a complete game.

Kyle Baker said...

Hate to kill your collective buzz but RaOrtiz is pitching tomorrow.

Kyle Baker said...

@Paul

Nicely played re that sentence.

Paul said...

There are some benefits to statewide court furlough days. Jeans, coffee no shave and a slight hang over.

Steve Sax said...

Holy shit you guys are prolific tonight.

Kyle Baker said...

@Paul

How does that differ from other days?

Thanks BTW for reminding me that tomorrow is anal cavity search Wednesday. I work in a building that houses mostly courts, and so on furlough days, a different security team works the metal detectors. And they are veeeeery strict.

Kyle Baker said...

@Sax

Just holding the fort down for you, brother!

You guys are never going to believe this, but when I was at the stadium I saw some advertisements that said that Dodgers were going to play the Yankees. Can you believe it?

Paul said...

Bring in the closer. Sax =game over for the opposition

Paul said...

Ohhhhh awesome the Yankees! Is Jeter going to be there he is a dreamboat!!!

Josh S. said...

@Dusty

Excuse me, sir. Which way to my seat?

Kyle Baker said...

@Paul

The game will feature only John Ely versus Derek Jeter, and no other players. It will be like Godzilla vs Megalon.

Paul said...

@DB

I have to shave and wear suits. The slight hang over is the same. Funny our security guys would let the DSB guy in without ID.

Kyle Baker said...

Here's the way tonight broke down:

I was sitting there in my seat minding my own bidness when my usher sense started tingling. Our recent usher (or lack thereof) conversations were fresh in my mind, I guess, because ot was between innings and I reminded myself to observe what the usher situation was like.

In a nutshell, there are hardly any ushers left at all. No one stands at the top of the aisle and helps people to their seats. No one walks down to the end of the aisle between innings or during a pitching change. Nary a soul. No lame but retro cool straw hats and navy vests. Now, I DO see a number of these folks out in LFP, but clearly that's a security detail and a different situation they're working. But on the reserve level, nada. And as far as my eyes could see, nada anywhere else on the other levels.

I thought to myself, the funny thing is that most people in the crowd don't realize this, so they are, for the most part, behaving as if there is still some sort of adult supervision present. I was already composing in my head a HFYPGT entry to describe all this when I looked up and saw Josh S at the top of the stairs. I bounded up to greet my brother from another mother.

We said hey, and I noted how I just happened to look up and see him because I was checking for ushers. Josh said he had walked all the way from loge level on the opposite side of the field and, besides the ticket checkers at the stairwells between levels, Josh noted not a single usher. Josh then went on to note that most people in the crowd don't realize this, so they are, for the most part, behaving as if there is still some sort of adult supervision present. Yep, we had the same thought.

As we stood and talked in the alley leading to the concourse, two different people stopped and asked us for help finding their seats. I guess we looked important. But we weren't wearing straw hats or navy vests, so I don't know what people were thinking. We actually helped one lady find section 49. Finally another group came back with some sort of usher acolyte looking kid who barely had any idea where the lady's seats were. I'm not even sure I can technically term the fellow an usher.

Luckily the crowd was pretty tame tonight and I didn't note any scuffles in the stands. Other than being pretty crowded due to the collective Ethier crush, it was a great night for Dodger baseball.

WWWWWWWWW

-- Dusty and Josh

MR.F said...

WWWWWWWWWWWWWW?

Josh S. said...

MLB Network had a Dre bobblehead in the studio during Quick Pitch.

So there's your backup plan to get one, Sax: Cozy up to Hazel Mae.

LLCoolL said...

# of post-game comments = (Win Streak)^2

Fred's Brim said...

@Dusty - good story
maybe after ESB night, we should organize a night where everybody dresses in blue vests and staw hats. That would confuse the eff out of people

Fred's Brim said...

I am waiting for MSTI to do some Beard Power crowing this morning :)

Fred's Brim said...

I like how Hiroki recovered from that long inning. It felt so much worse than it was. The 0-2 pitch that Caballo singled on was supposed to be higher. Maybe he's so used to keeping the ball down that an occasional high fastball is difficult. And I can't believe he only ended up with 96 pitches

Kyle Baker said...

@FB

Yeah I don't know what the back story was on that pitch. People around us were murmuring the same question. I don't know if JMart called the wrong pitch or if Hiroki just missed. Should have been a waste pitch.

Fred's Brim said...

Russ raised his glove and sprung up a little before the pitch to encourage him to get the ball up and out of the zone, but it was belly/letter high, not shoulder high.

What's Little Dre doing this morning?

Kyle Baker said...

@FB

Interesting. That's the kind of thing you can only get by watching on tha TEE-vee.

Steve Sax said...

100 comments for a PGT. Nice!

karina said...
This comment has been removed by the author.