Monday, April 15, 2013

Post-Game 13 Thread: On Jackie Robinson Day, Dodgers Out At Home

Out by about three miles.

PADRES 6, DODGERS 3

On an evening with so many pathetic moments, it's hard to isolate exactly which Dodgers moment tonight most disgraced the legacy of Jackie Robinson, whom we honored across baseball on this fine day. Was it:

  • Opposing pitcher and former Dodger Eric Stults knocking a three-run HR off of Chad Billingsley in the top of the second?
  • Having the Dodgers claw back with a run in the third (Adrian Gonzalez ground-rule double to right center, scoring Carl Crawford), a run in the fourth (Crawford singling in Luis Cruz), and a run in the fifth (AJ Ellis singling in Matt Kemp),...but squandering further scoring opportunities by settling for fenceposts in the scorecard?
  • Watching Ronald Belisario allow his three runners to reach in the seventh (two on walks), only to see Paco Rodriguez come in and walk the next batter, scoring the go-ahead run, and allowing one more to score before ending the inning (down 5-3)?
  • Getting AJ Ellis and Andre Ethier on base to start the eighth, and having Cruz sacrifice them both into scoring position...only to watch PH Skip Schumacher hit back to Padres pitcher Luke Gregerson...and have Ellis try and score from third as Skip is being thrown out at first? Because the lumbering Ellis, who never should have left in the first place, was thrown out at home to end the threat AND the inning?

Yeah, it probably was Ellis, on one of the most boneheaded plays so far in this short season. Even if Ellis had scored, we still would have been down by a run with two out, requiring a single. Idiotic.

We're supposed to WIN on Jackie Robinson Day, boys. We're not going to win when we're all competing for the most hair-brained move of the night.

Matt Kemp went 2-for-5 including a key strikeout in the seventh and the game-ending fly out to right. Kemp is batting .200. I know it will turn around for Kemp, but I'm really thinking he may need a day off here. There's just too much weight on his shoulders, certainly to carry this team of lunatics, not to mention turn around his slump. We're only 13 games in, a game above .500, and I'm not sure if I can take it, either.

Oh, and Dusty Baker's Toothpick? This is for you (if not the rest of us):

photo: Mark J. Terrill / AP

13 comments:

Alex Cora said...

So sad. Big crowd tonight but had to leave early as its a school night. Would have been even more pissed if I stayed and watched us run out of that inning. Grrrr...

Dusty Baker said...

Sorry I missed seeing you, AC! We were with the proletariat tonight.

Dusty Baker said...

Here's a Dodger moment that disgraced his legacy:

Not having any fucking coffee or hot chocolate on a night when the thermometer barely hit fifty.

#MrsDustyProblems

Hideo Nomo said...

No guys with the hot chocolate Ghostbuster backpacks?

Wicks said...

This went under the radar but we signed 3B Sean Burroughs to a minor league deal. Things are so bad he may get a shot at 3B!

Dusty Baker said...

@Nomo

There was like one hot chocolate guy roaming the entire reserve level. None at the stands.

BJ Killeen said...

There was none at CB Ranch either on the freezing night, and none when we went to the game on the 5th...seriously, how hard is it?

Steve Sax said...

Roaming hot chocolate guys carry a lot of insurance liability. Last year, I think in Cleveland, there was a roaming hot chocolate attendant who slipped on some sauerkraut and the portable vat of hot chocolate fell on him, giving him second- and third-degree burns on his exposed shins. I might be wrong on these facts.

Dusty Baker's Toothpick said...

Panic Button has been depressed...

Now stand back.

karen said...

Years and years ago I heard Mark Grace on the Jim Rome show telling about the hated Slump Buster. What do you think, Matty, are you up to it??

karen said...

Just heard Dodgers send down Cruz and call up Puig.

Dusty Baker's Toothpick said...

@Karen... what you talking about Karen?

karen said...

@Dusty...I saw it on Dodgers Facebook page. It was made by someone making a comment so maybe it's not right.