Post-Game 53 Thread: Kazmir Beats Arrieta, As Expected

Well, that was surprising!

DODGERS 5, CUBS 0

The Dodgers won a game, on national television no less, only by beating the ace of baseball's hottest team. Jake Arrieta hadn't lost a start since July 2015 (a string of 23 starts in which the Cubs had won; Arrieta had won 21 of those starts).

But the Dodgers kept pace with Chicago, scoreless through seven frames, thanks to Scott Kazmir pitching six frames of one-hit ball. When Clayton Richard relieved Arrieta for the top of the eighth, the Dodgers got on the board thanks to Chase Utley and Corey Seager leadoff singles, an Adrian Gonzalez RBI single, and then a Howie Kendrick sacrifice fly, to make it 2-0 LA.

Corey Seager then unloaded a three-run HR in the ninth off of Trevor Cahill to put the game well out of reach. Joe Blanton had two innings of scoreless relief, followed by Adam Liberatore in the ninth.

Series is tied 1-1 with two more to play at Wrigley.

Game 53 Thread: May 31 @ Cubs, 5p

Scott Kazmir (4-3, 4.84) vs. Jake Arrieta (9-0, 1.72).

Yesterday, we chased the Cubs starter from the game (helped by a leg cramp), in the second inning. We still only had one hit all game, and we unsurprisingly ended up losing.

Today, we face Jake Arrieta, who hasn't pitched fewer than five innings on any of his starts this year. If we can get more than one hit, it will be a miracle; the last time Arrieta faced us at Wrigley Field, he no-hit us last year.

That said, if there's a glimmer of hope in looking at Arrieta's starts, it's that his first four starts of the year were each 7+ innings in length, whereas the last six starts have had half of the outings last the minimum five innings duration. But Arrieta's on national television (ESPN Tuesday Night Baseball) tonight.

I've got...well, you know.

There. And. Here.

Not a newsflash to our more loyal readers, but I ain't from around these fair parts. I grew up in a faraway land of zero sales tax and a short commute to the epicenter of sports fandom depravity: Philadelphia.

Sometimes a select few of the Dodgers Stadium faithful remind me of home... usually when they're being carted away by security or calling the opposing pitcher a word I'd rather not write.

And then there's times when I realize how many miles lay between me and the Veterans Stadium of my youth.

PHILLY

HERE

If interested in said Yoga - which I understand involves bending parts of the body not meant to be bent, like one's back - or said Yoga mat (I'm looking at you Dusty), click here and Namaste Up.

Game 52 Thread: May 30 @ Cubs, 2p

Alex Wood (1-3, 4.03) vs. Jason Hammel (6-1, 2.17).

Happy Memorial Day! I guess we can argue all day about whether these camo unis and caps are respectful or ridiculous, but there's beers to be drunk and thanks to be given. Go Blue!

Buster Olney Marvels At Kershaw

From ESPN insider (link for subscribers only), Buster Olney opined on how incredible our own Clayton Kershaw is:

We are witnessing the eighth consecutive season in which Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw has an ERA below 3.00, and Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis mentioned in conversation Saturday that Kershaw has been so good for so long that you grow accustomed to his excellence. But what Kershaw is doing this season might be a case of the best pitcher of all time doing his best work, particularly in how he controls the ball-strike count.

Kershaw, who is set to start against the Mets and Bartolo Colon on Sunday, has 95 strikeouts and five walks this season and a 19-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which is vastly better than Phil Hughes' major league-record 11.6-to-1 ratio for a full season -- and more than double Kershaw's career-best of 7.71-to-1.

Ellis said the difference for Kershaw has been the way he has executed strike 1 on the first pitch of at-bats, not just throwing a strike designed to get ahead in the count, but firing a quality strike, a particularly well-placed fastball or slider to the fringes of the zone. Once Kershaw gets strike 1, Ellis said, "The world opens up to him," because at that moment, opposing hitters are at the mercy of his whole repertoire, from a fastball he throws in the low-to-mid 90s, to the slider he is throwing harder than at any point in his career, to the curveball that crashes downward, like a roller coaster.

That's a tall order. In Kershaw's most recent start against Cincinnati, Ellis' sense was that the Reds' game plan was merely to put the ball in play -- not necessarily with authority, but to avoid the strikeouts -- an approach that minimizes the possibility of hitters doing major damage.

The numbers bear this out: When Kershaw has gotten ahead in the count with a first-pitch strike this season, opponents are batting .113 thereafter (17 hits in 151 at-bats), with only one extra-base hit. When Kershaw starts out with a 1-0 count, opponents are hitting .221 with seven doubles and a home run in 86 at-bats.

Cincinnati's approach isn't ideal for any lineup, but against the pitcher who might be the greatest of all time, maybe that sort of concession is inevitable.

From ESPN Stats & Information, more on Kershaw:

• The Dodgers are 9-1 when Kershaw starts this season and 17-23 when anybody else starts. That's the equivalent of a 146-win team when Kershaw starts and a 69-win team when anybody else does.
• Kershaw has 95 strikeouts and only five walks this season. From the Elias Sports Bureau: No pitcher in modern major league history (since 1900) has had fewer than seven walks at the time of his 100th strikeout of a season. Cliff Lee had seven in 2010, and next up is Curt Schilling, who had eight walks when he recorded his 100th strikeout in 2002.
• As mentioned above, Kershaw has a K-to-BB ratio of 19.0 (95 K's, 5 walks). That would shatter the modern-era record of 11.6 (set by Phil Hughes in 2014). If he makes as many starts as he did last season (33) and averages the same number of strikeouts and walks per game as he's averaging this season, he'd finish the season with 314 strikeouts and 17 walks. The fewest walks in major league history in a 300-strikeout season is 33 by Schilling, who paired that with 316 strikeouts in 2002. Also, Pedro Martinez had 313 strikeouts and 37 walks in his incredible 1999 season.

Game 51 Thread: May 29 @ Mets, 5p

Chase Utley. He's a smooth son of a bitch, ain't he?

Clayton Kershaw (7-1, 1.48) vs Bartolo Colon (4-3, 3.44).

Last time these two pitchers met, things fell our way. In that game, Chase Utley went 3 for 4 with a home run. Yesterday, Chase Utley hit two home runs, including a grand slam. Conclusion: Chase Utley will be in the lineup today. ANALYSIS

Utley Be His Name

A few times a year, Delino faces a dark Civil War within himself. Mets vs. Dodgers. Team of my Youth vs. Team of My Adulthood. And this is personified by one (in my best Alan Rickman voice) Person. Chase. UTLEY.

Long before he was in Dodgers blue, he applied dagger after dagger into the hearts of Mets sufferers everywhere. As a Dodgers fan, I wish he showed half the moxie reserved for the Mets against ANY OTHER TEAM. As a Mets fan, I wish him every form of groin injury one can imagine.

As if "THE SLIDE" wasn't enough. Or his very presence causing Thor to let loose his mighty hammer. Or the RBIs. Or the Home Rungs. Now there's this...

The New York Mets' majority owner, Fred Wilpon, has a reported net worth of $500 million. But on Saturday night, the Mets were not owned by a suit who made their profits from real estate development.

No, the Mets were owned by former Phillies second baseman and current Los Angelers Dodger Chase Utley.

At least according to the Mets' Wikipedia page.

Joey Zasa in Godfather III perfectly articulated my feelings about this Man

I wish the Dodgers all happiness... including the NL West and beyond.

What I wish for Utley I'd rather not put in writing.

For the Record

Thanks to SoSG reader Orlando Zepeda from the on-the-spot reporting from tonight's game at Citi Field. He writes:

Great game! Wore the Drysdale jersey to the game, which ended up being appropriate.

Way to represent, Orlando!

Game 50 Thread: May 28 @ Mets, 4p

Kenta Maeda (3-3, 3.29) vs. Noah Syndergaard (5-2,1.94).

Well after that heartbreaking loss last night, we send out King Kenta who faces another one of those long haired (hippie) Met pitchers. Last time out, Maeda was cruising until the 5th inning. Here's to hoping he lasts longer. Also, of note, it looks like Puig is sitting this one out, with the kids in the outfield (and "Dad" patrolling left in Hendrick). Think we can get back to the winning side tonight and take a bite out of the big apple? Let's go blue!

Game 49 Thread: May 27 @ Mets, 4p

JULIO URIAS (0-0, -.--) vs. Jaacob deGrom (3-1, 3.07).

Triceps experiencing some soreness? Send in Julio Urias, who will make his major league debut at the ripe old age of 19 tonight at Citi Field. Urias, the #2 prospect in baseball (behind the Nationals' Lucas Giolito), has some great scouting reports:

The best left-handed pitching prospect in the game, Urias possesses plus or better stuff across the board. He can throw his lively fastball, which parks at 91-94 mph and reaches 97, for strikes on both sides of the plate. There's also some deception with Urias' heater, and opponents can't sit on it because he has such good feel for his big-breaking curveball and fading changeup.

To go up against the same team that knocked us out of the playoffs last year (and with whom we split four games earlier this season), Urias has got to be pretty excited. So are we. Go get 'em, Julio!

Vin Scully Reads from 'Field of Dreams'

He may not be broadcasting this year's All-Star Game, but Vin Scully is still giving us gems like the tidbit above.

Behold The Age Of Urias

Julio Urias will be 1st 19-year-old phenom to pitch for @Dodgers since another LHP from Mexico: Fernando Valenzuela. pic.twitter.com/DP6qxjM4Rh

— MLB (@MLB) May 26, 2016

Urias has been on fire in triple A ball this season, with a 1.10 ERA over 41 innings, and more strikeouts (44) than baserunners (24 hits, eight walks, one HBP).

Alex Wood is scratched with triceps soreness, so Citi Field becomes the debut park for Julio Urias. Congrats, Julio!

Post-Game 48 Thread: Red Sweep!

DODGERS 3, REDS 1

I know it's not a big deal--the Reds have been swept in all three of their last series, going a combined 0-10 over that stretch--but for the Dodgers, we'll take it. Scott Kazmir gave up only four hits and 1 ER over 6.0 IP; Dave Roberts made some logical bullpen choices (i.e., not Chris Hatcher) in summoning Louis Coleman, Pedro Baez, and Kenley Jansen, each of whom had 1-2-3 innings; and the Dodgers got the win and the series sweep.

Joc Pederson was the hero tonight, with a two-out bases-loaded single to turn a 1-0 Cincinnati lead into a 2-1 Dodgers lead. Yasmani Grandal tacked on a HR later in the game to make it 3-1. We bolster our confidence right as we take off for a seven-game roadtrip against the Mets (3) and Cubs (4). Which will probably be a lot more difficult than these games against the Reds.

Game 48 Thread: May 25 vs. Reds, 7p

“But the mean reds are horrible. You're afraid and you sweat like hell, but you don't know what you're afraid of. Except something bad is going to happen, only you don't know what that is.”

Scott Kazmir (3-3, 5.23) vs. Dan Straily (2-1, 2.85).

So said Truman Capote in "Breakfast at Tiffany's". Look, it's hard to be afraid of a 15-31 team, and the Dodgers certainly have been out to a good start in this series against the Reds (taking the first two games). But tonight, we throw Kazmir, whose last start (against the Padres) was so pathetic, even Kenley Jansen couldn't come in to salvage the victory.

Something bad is indeed going to happen tonight. But at least there's a day off tomorrow.

Post-Game 47 Thread: Dodgers On Verge Of Unlikely Sweep (Of Last Place Team)

Don't break open the bag just yet!

DODGERS 8, REDS 2

The Dodgers are on the verge of sweeping their first series since the season opener in San Diego, from April 4-6. Mike Bolsinger led the way from the mound, pitching 5.2 innings of 3 H, 2 ER ball, and the bullpen didn't give up a hit the rest of the way.

On the offensive side of the ledger, we were buoyed by opportunistic base stealing from Joc Pederson (stole third in the fourth inning after doubling in a run, and scored on the errant throw that sailed to left field) and Yasiel Puig (who was off and running for third base when Howie Kendrick PH in the sixth; Kendrick hit a ball to Reds 1B Joey Votto who bobbled the ball, allowing Puig to just beat the tag at home). Justin Turner went 3-for-5 with three RBI, and when Adrian Gonzalez finally got his first hit in the eighth inning (an RBI single), the score was 8-2 and effectively out of reach.

Tomorrow night we can go for the sweep! Except Scott Kazmir is pitching. But anything is possible.

Game 47 Thread: May 24 vs. Reds, 7p

Bolsinger, in his pre-game warmups

Mike Bolsinger (0-1, 6.23) vs. Daniel Wright (0-0, -.--).

Mike Bolsinger may have found positives in his last start, his season debut, but I think the noteworthy thing from his last start was that the Angels found their way with Bolsinger, who yielded seven hits and three earned runs in a short 4.1 inning stint. Which the Dodgers lost, 8-1.

Luckily for the Dodgers, the second-worst team in the NL happens to also be sending an unproven lamb into the slaughter (if the Dodgers' woeful offense had a shred of potency), with Daniel Wright from AAA-Louisville making his major league debut tonight. Wright, a 10th round draft choice in 2013 from Arkansas State, , had his worst season last year in double-A ball:

The 2015 season, spent in Double-A, was by most measures his worst, and it wasn’t even that bad. He struck out a career-low 7.5 batters per nine innings and walked just 2.7 per nine.

So, to recap: We're throwing a soft tosser. The Reds are throwing someone who isn't that bad. Sounds like a hell of a night at the Stadium this evening. Take a chance, and win some crap!

Post-Game 46 Thread: Dodgers Beat Sorry 15-30 Team Without Having 1 RBI

To be fair, this headline was from last year

DODGERS 1, REDS 0

Seriously? 1-for-7 with RISP, and the only way we can score a run is a GIDP (one of our four GIDPs this evening)? Howie Kendrick got the GW GIDP. And aside from Clayton Kershaw's CG SHO (which we needed for the win; however Kershaw only notched 7 Ks, thereby breaking his streak of six straight games with 10+ Ks), there wasn't much else for which to cheer this game.

Pathetic.

Game 46 Thread: May 23 vs. Reds, 7p

Clayton Kershaw (6-1, 1.67) vs. Brandon Finnegan (1-2, 4.44).

riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs. Today's game should have had a rested Kershaw, except Kershaw was pressed into service as a pinch hitter in yesterday's marathon against the Padres (Kershaw grounded into a forceout, advanced to second on defensive indifference but was stranded there). Kid K has won his last four stsrts, and has struck out 10+ in his last six starts, so let's hope that quick effort Sunday didn't throw off his gameday preparation any. A way a lone a last a loved along the

Post-Game 45 Thread: Dodgers Sack Up And Win Game; SoSG Ends GT Boycott

Alex Wood shows what 16 innings does to a man.

DODGERS 9, PADRES 5 (17)

After rolling over and laying dead for four straight games (both games at Angel Stadium; then the first two games of this San Diego series, both of which were walkoff losses), the Dodgers went out and actually won a major league baseball game! Never mind it's against the 19-26 Padres: it's a win.

Yasiel Puig was the catalyst after a two-run RBI single in the 17th, followed by a stolen base and then advancement to third on a wild pitch (that scored Joc Pederson, to make it 8-5 LA). Puig scored on a Carl Crawford force out to make it 9-5 LA, which ended up holding up to give Ross Stripling his second win of the year (3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 K).

Howie Kendrick went 4-for-8 with a HR and double; Chase Utley went 3-for-9; Joc Pederson went 2-for-7 and Puig had a 3-for-7 outing. A.J. Ellis went 0-for-5 with three walks.

We got a win! So yeah, we'll come back to writing some Game Threads again. Thanks for your patience.

Game 43 Thread: May 20 @ Padres, 7:30p

Scott Kazmir (3-3, 4.89) vs. Christian Friedrich (0-1, 1.50).

Kazmir is coming off his best start of the season, in which he went 8 2/3 innings against the Cardinals, who suck. Can he keep the momentum going at pitcher-friendly Petco Field against the Padres, who also suck? He's going to have to, since our bullpen sucks too. Here's to a sucktacular game!

Game 42 Thread: May 19 @ Angels, 7p

Ross Stripling (1-2, 4.26) vs. Jhoulys Chacin (0-0, 2.57).

It's the battle of the teams desperate for starting pitching! Stripling got off to a hot start for the Dodgers but has since regressed to serviceable, while the Angels picked up Chacin after half their staff landed on the DL. Does this mean the bats will shine tonight? Or just the Angels' bats?

Game 41 Thread: May 18 @ Angels, 7p

Mike Bolsinger (0-0, -.--) vs. Nick Tropeano (1-2, 3.68)

Mike Bolsinger's back! We're saved!

Kidding aside, we like Mike around these parts. He's probably only here long enough to give the non-Kershaw starters an extra day off, but since winning non-Kershaw starts has been difficult, we'll take what we can get.

The Dodgers will be facing Nick Tropeano. We don't know much about Tropeano, except that he has a dome named after him in Tampa Bay. Weird that he doesn't play for the Rays, then...

Game 40 Thread: May 17 vs. Angels, 7p

Clayton Kershaw (5-1, 1.74) vs. Jered Weaver (3-2, 6.10).

Happy Clay Day! The Dodgers #1 man/stopper/future Hall of Famer goes against the Angels' soft-tossing Weaver. This better not end up being a pitchers' duel, dammit.

Game 39 Thread: May 16 vs Angels, 7p

But which company sponsors the Subway Series?

King Kenta Maeda (3-2, 2.30) vs. Matt Shoemaker (1-5, 9.12).

The Angels, soon to be the first non-Giants team that Tim Lincecum will play for, are hurting, with a bunch of starters on the DL and a 16-21 record. BUT they just swept the Mariners and always play the Dodgers tough, so assume nothing.

For years we've longed for a proper Dodgers doormat image to use when the team is scuffling. Thanks to tonight's stadium giveaway, our players have been answered!

And Then, There's This Guy

Dodgers fan, from Sunday night's game. Hoo, boy.

Hat tip: mlb.com Cut4

Post-Game 38 Thread: Laying Another Egg On National Television

From the Topps 2016 Series 1 set. How perfect.

CARDINALS 5, DODGERS 2

Dodgers are once again on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball this evening, coming off of two decent wins against St. Louis and looking for the sweep...and this time, it was late inning bullpen choices which did them in.

Joe Fucking Blanton. That was Dave Roberts' choice late in the game, after Alex Wood skated through six innings (including a very perilous sixth inning: two on and none out, and he escaped without the Cardinals scoring a run) into a 1-1 tie through six full. We aren't going to see Alex Wood make this good of a start again, so we sure as hell shouldn't waste it.

But after Louis Coleman recorded the first out, and J.P. Howell gave up a single and then got the second out (man on second), Roberts went with Joe Blanton, who has been largely useless all year. Sure enough, Blanton proceeded to give up three runs in the seventh, and then put a cherry on top by giving up another run in the top of the eighth.

Corey Seager hit a second home run in the bottom of the eighth to make it 5-2, but what the hell, Roberts? After making good bullpen calls all series, this was a horrible, horrible call. And on national television, no less. Great.

Dodgers slip out of first place thanks to the Diamondbacks rolling over and playing dead for the Giants' four-game sweep.

Game 38 Thread: May 15 vs. Cardinals, 5p

Alex Wood (1-3, 4.58) vs. Mike Leake (1-3, 5.10)

The good news: This is the Sunday Night Baseball game on ESPN so everyone can watch. The bad news: The nation will be watching, so performance anxiety could be a factor.

Few predicted that the Dodgers would be going for a series sweep against the Cardinals this afternoon. Poor as the Cardinals have been this year, they usually have the Dodgers' number (especially in the playoffs). And the pitching setup did not bode well going into the series: Stripling-->Kazmir-->Wood. Yet here we are pinning our hopes on the third leg of that coyote ugly rotation. Will Wood be able to go the distance, and not struggle with the long ball? Can he hold up for more than four or five innings? I mean, come on, it happens to everybody sometimes, right?

Post-Game 37 Thread: Holy Kazmir!

Holey cashmere!

DODGERS 5, CARDINALS 3

Scott Kazmir pitched his best game of the year, his best game of his Dodgers tenure, in a completely unpredictable performance that almost went the full way (except for a two-run Jeremy Hazelbaker HR in the bottom of the ninth with two out, which chased Kazmir and allowed Kenley Jansen one K for the save). Kazmir: 8.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB and 7 Ks. Never, never, never would have seen this one coming against St. Louis.

Corey Seager was the offensive man tonight, 3-for-4 with a run and 2 RBI, thanks to a RBI single to left in the bottom of the fifth, and then a solo HR in the bottom of the seventh that was at Seager's shoelaces before he launched it to center. Seager did have two errors this evening--still one fewer than Aledmys Diaz last night--but unlike Diaz he ended up helping his team win.

Adrian Gonzalez also had a solo HR, as well as a run-scoring ground out. Justin Turner had a sacrifice fly for the other run.

The Dodgers now have one more against the Cardinals tomorrow, the Sunday Night Baseball game. Surely, on national television, we won't play this well, right? (And certainly not with Alex Wood pitching, right?) But then, didn't I think this about Kazmir?

Game 37 Thread: May 14 vs. Cardinals, 6p

Scott Kazmir (2-3, 5.54) vs. Carlos Martinez (4-2. 2.51).

Carlos Martinez has lost 15 pounds in the 10 days he was ill due to respiratory illness, which ended up cutting short his last outing over a week ago. Scott Kazmir, on the other hand, is just a bad pitcher.

We Sons had been hoping this game was going to get rained out, hence the late posting of the GT. But here we are, ready for the Cardinals to even the series (and drop us out of first place; Giants already up 1-0 on the Diamondbacks in the first). Sigh.

We're late on this GT, so the lineup has already been posted:

• Utley, 2B
• Seager, SS
• Turner, 3B
• Gonzalez, 1B
• Grandal, C
• Pederson, CF
• Puig, RF
• Crawford, LF
• Kazmir, P

Post-Game 36 Thread: Buenos, Diaz!

Diaz boots #3

DODGERS 8, CARDINALS 4

A sloppy game on all fronts, but most notably for Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz, who had three fielding errors in tonight's game, all three of which led to Dodgers runs. Sure, Diaz had a HR and double as well, but he still gave away more runs than he notched, and we sure appreciated it. The Cards had four errors on the evening, though Matt "Nutshot" Holliday didn't cause any of them.

Yasiel Puig had a first-pitch HR in the sixth inning, the last scoring shot of the game. That was Puig's fourth of the year and 50th in his career; 19 have come on the first pitch in the AB. Puig went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and 2 RBI.

Howie Kendrick batted leadoff and went 2-for-5 with 2 runs scored and an RBI. He was smoking the ball this evening, which lookos promising against his .200 BA this year.

Ross Stripling got the win, the first in his career, with a mediocre line (5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB and 2 Ks). It was just enough, however, thanks to good performances in the bullpen from Adam Liberatore, Louis Coleman, Pedro Baez, and Kenley Jansen (Joe Blanton, not so much). Nice to see Dave Roberts making some intelligent bullpen decisions this evening. Maybe there's hope!

Game 36 Thread: May 13 vs. Cardinals, 7p

Ross Stripling (0-2, 3.82) vs. Michael Wacha (2-3, 3.12).

Happy Friday the 13th, Dodger fans! Speaking of superstitions, anyone worried about facing the Cards? At least Kershaw isn't pitching this series. Fingers crossed anyways.

Game 35 Thread: May 12 vs. Mets, 7p

Clayton Kershaw (4-1, 2.04) vs. Bartolo Colon (3-1, 2.82).

Clayton Kershaw and his bat vs. Bart Colon and his bat...and the entire Mets lineup. It seems unfair that Kershaw has to do everything by himself, but the 2016 Dodgers aren't built for offense. Or relief pitching. Or a particularly deep rotation. Or staying above .500. Other than that they've been a dream to watch follow this year. Enjoy!

UPDATE 7:46p: Hey look, mlb.com must read SoSG, too! Nice original idea, guys!

Game 34 Thread: May 11 vs. Mets, 7p

Kenta Maeda (3-1, 1.66) vs. Noah Syndergaard (2-2, 2.58).

Three games into this series, and we haven't even mentioned last year's fateful NLDS, when Chase Utley slid into infamy at the expense of the Mets' Ruben Tejada. The Mets lost a shortstop but won the series in five.

One year later, Utley is off to a surprisingly torrid start, batting .290 with a .823 OPS (126 OPS+). Tejada isn't even with the Mets anymore (he was released in March and was picked up by the Cardinals, where he's batting .190 with a woeful .494 OPS (30 OPS+). But Tejada is still angry at Utley. So far, the Mets haven't retaliated on Tejada's behalf; and yesterday's walk-off HR probably poured more salt in any lingering open wounds. Let's keep it up tonight.

photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Image

Charley Steiner Must Not Be Watching Dodgers Broadcasts, Either

We know that 60% of Southern California households cannot watch the Dodgers on television. Sadly, it appears that Charley Steiner is included in that number.

Charley Steiner's profession necessitates being able to watch the team play the game. However, it's clear from this call that Steiner is not watching the game, or maybe just following the game on ESPN.com GameCast or mlb.com GameDay.

Steiner not only miscalls the ball (with his homerun-level voice pitch and everything), he loses track of the ball, and then miscalls the Dodgers player involved in the play altogether. Someone cut Charley off from the mid-game flask. And get the man access to Time Warner Cable, for pete's sake!

hat tip: link noted by SoSG AC

The Wisdom of Dave Roberts (Part 1)

It just seems that every mistake he makes seems to go out of the ballpark."

--Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, on Scott Kazmir

Post-Game 33 Thread: Trayce Thompson, Ladies And Gentlemen

DODGERS 3, METS 2

Alex Wood pitched surprisingly well (6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB and 9 Ks), dueling the Mets' Jacob deGrom (7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB and 4 Ks). But Trayce Thompson's pinch-hit, two-out, bottom-of-the-ninth HR off of Hansel Robles won the game, tied the series, and earned Thompson a bubble-gum shower early and a Powerade shower later (both on the field; I assume Thompson got a real shower at some point tonight as well). Not much more to say about this one besides Vin's call, so I'll leave it at that.

Game 33 Thread: May 10 vs. Mets. 7p

Alex Wood (1-3, 5.18) vs. Jacob deGrom (3-1, 1.99)

Jacob deGrom looks like Blake from Workaholics. That's all I've got.

No, really. You try putting a positive spin on another Alex Wood start. "Hey, maybe it won't be so bad this time. Maybe it'll be just OK instead of brutal!" Whatever. This is a .500 team playing like a .500 team. (Yet, due to the entire division saying "Not it!", they're miraculously tied for first place.) It's hard to get fired up right now.

Can we just skip this one and go right to the more entertaining Maeda/Syndergaard and Kershaw/Bartolo matchups?

Game 32 Thread: May 9 vs. Mets, 7p

Scott Kazmir (2-2, 5.68) vs. Steven Matz (4-1, 2.83).

Ugh, these fuckers again. Although the Dodgers have righted the ship against the NL East by taking two of three from the Blue Jays, you can bet these next four against the Mets are going to be tough, what with the Mets joining the short list of teams that have tortured the Dodgers in the post-season (a list that includes the Cards and Phils and may as well include the Giants).

pic from here

Post-Game 31 Thread: Stripper, Clubbing, And A Lot Of Pink

Joc being Joc: 6th HR of the year.

DODGERS 4, BLUE JAYS 2

It took a while to get rolling, but after Ross "Stripper" Stripling threw six innings of one-hit ball, Joc Pederson clubbed a solo shot to deep right field to tie the game. The Blue Jays answered in the bottom of the frame to make it 2-1 Toronto, thanks to the completely ineffective Chris "Teri" Hatcher. The SoSG stats department (SoSG Dusty) did the research to find that in Hatcher's last seven games, his line is: 5.1 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 6 BB, 2 K. That is horrible.

Luckily, Howie Kendrick singled home the go-ahead run to make it 3-2, and Corey Seager singled home Trayce Thompson in the ninth for insurance. Kenley Jansen notched the save (his 11th).

Dodgers take the series from the Blue Jays, and, coupled with the Giants' loss at home to the Rockies, move into a tie for first place (which we lead by a thousandth of a percentage point). 16-15, baby! World Series here we come! (The Cubs are quaking in their boots.)

Oh, and the pink was due to the Dodgers' wacky, but cool, Mother's Day uniforms. Happy Mother's Day, moms--from the Sons.

Game 31 Thread: May 8 @ Jays, 10a

Ross Stripling (0-2, 4.33) vs. Marco (Polo!) Estrada (1-2, 2.64).

What happens when our own Stripper goes north of the border? Things are bound to get a little loony!

Stripling hasn't reached the fifth inning in two of his last three starts, and has no wins in four starts on the year. The rubber match today determines whether the Dodgers return to Chavez Ravine above or below .500, in an entirely mediocre division where our record only puts us a game out of first place. Let's get the win, go celebrate at the strip club, and get the heck out of Canada.

cartoon swiped from here

Yasiel Puig Is Not Rays Mascot's Friend

Good times from Tampa Bay, the Dodgers' stop before Toronto.

A touch of orange in a sea of dark blue

No, that's not a new romance novel about an unholy Oompa Loompa / Smurf affair.  

The Seven Train has come to Petco.  A hive of scum and villainy with a deep love for all things Wright. 

And the mets fans are here in full force.   Just in time to see Big Sexy get his first homer.  

Here's to old

Men going yard. And fans who have trouble pronouncing "water".  

Game 30 Thread: May 7 @ Blue Jays, 10a

Clayton Kershaw (3-1, 1.96) vs. R.A. Dickey (1-3, 5.73)

What the hell? Who schedules a game this early on a Saturday? Especially after another disappointing loss that drove us to drink. (Instead of drinking of our own free will, which we would have done anyway.)

Oh well, grab some Canadian bacon and Tim Horton's coffee because it's...BREAKFAST BASEBALL.

Game 29 Thread: May 6 @ Blue Jays, 4p

Views From the 66 (ft. King Kenta)
Kenta Maeda (3-1, 1.41) vs. Marcus Stroman (4-0, 3.77)

The Dodgers' Artificial Turf 2016 Tour rolls into Toronto! Fresh off a disastrous pitching performance all around in an airless dome, can King Kenta prevent a repeat in similar conditions? Or will we Blame Canada?

Game 28 Thread: May 4 @ Rays, 4p

Death Star.

Tropicana Field roof.

Alex Wood (1-2, 4.82) vs. Drew Smyly (1-3, 2.60).

In the spirit of Star Wars Day, we bring you a comparison of two structures. One of these places is the soulless home of an evil empire — and it also holds Trayce Thompson's home run ball from yesterday's game.

Chewie Makes Star Wars Night Shirt

Game 27 Thread: May 3 @ Rays, 4p

Scott Kazmir (1-2, 5.76) vs. Matt Moore (1-2, 3.66).

Welcome to Capri Sun Field or whatever it's called, Dodgers! The Boys in Blue will experience some dome action for the first time in quite a while (too lazy to look it up), but without Clayton Kershaw's glove and bat, will they score a single run?

Josh Ravin Pulls A Dee Gordon

Just like Barry Bonds-coached Dee Gordon, Dodger Josh Ravin has been suspended for 80 games for PEDs.

Dodgers minor leaguer Josh Ravin was suspended for 80 games under baseball’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Ravin tested positive for growth hormone releasing peptide 2, the commissioner's officer said.

Ravin, a 28-year-old reliever, suffered a broken left forearm in a car accident in February, and has been on the disabled list all season. He was not expected to be able to pitch until June.

Somewhere, Chris Hatcher chuckles.

Game 26 Thread: May 1 vs. Padres, 1p

Clayton Kershaw (2-1, 2.43) vs. Drew Pomeranz (2-2, 2.86)

These were the words from A-Gon to the team last night after their sixth loss on the trot. Better than most of our Game Threads, to be fair. Come on, boys, do it for A-Gon! (And for us...we're suffering out here.)

Today's stab at winning:

Puig RF (!!!)

Hernandez LF

Gonzalez 1B

Turner 3B

Kendrick 2B

Thompson CF

Seager SS

Ellis C

Kershaw P