Withrow Likely Out For The Year

Yeah, I know this is late, just trying to pick up loose ends here. It sounds like it's not quite final yet pending a second opinion, but a tear in an elbow ligament can't be good:

Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Chris Withrow has been diagnosed with a ligament tear in his right elbow and has been told he needs Tommy John surgery.

The team said Thursday that the right-hander was examined last week by a team physician, who diagnosed a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. He is seeking a second opinion before deciding on surgery.

"It is a blow, because he has a power arm and he's a guy who had success for us in that playoff run last year," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Obviously, you all saw how I used him this year, into the eighth inning, the seventh inning. I remember him pitching with the bases loaded and 2-0 and getting CarGo (Carlos Gonzalez) and Tulo (Troy Tulowitzki). He's a guy we're going to miss."

Withrow's got a 2.95 ERA in 20 games, with 21.1 IP (18 BB, 28 Ks). He's on the 15-day DL from May 30th. Get well soon, Chris!

Post-Game 46 Thread: Beckett Streaks, Gonzalez Strokes

Streaks and strokes.

DODGERS 9, METS 4

Sure, it's only the Mets. But with SoSG mainstay Fred's Brim wnjoying the antispetic sterility of Citi Field, the Dodgers showed some of the vibrant signs of life that we'd been expecting of them all year:

• Starting pitcher Josh Beckett got his second consecutive win, going the minimum 5.0 IP of 8 H, 4 ER ball (2 BB, 6 Ks);
• Adrian Gonzalez went 3-for-4 including a double and a fifth-inning, two-run HR that opened up a four-run inning and broke open the game;
• Yasiel Puig also had a 3-for-4 night with a double and RBI;
• Carl Crawford had two hits and a walk, and scored three runs;
• The Dodgers' bullpen, of J.P. Howell, Chris Withrow, Brian Wilson, and Kenley Jansen, shut down the Mets with four scoreless innings.

With San Francisco's heartbreaking 5-4 walkoff loss to the Rockies, the Dodgers move to four games out of first. There's no way the Giants could rebound from such a loss, so they may as well pack it in from here.

In bad news (because it can't be all good, the way this year has gone), Juan Uribe looks like he may have re-injured his hamstring, pulling into second gingerly during the ninth inning, on a double down the left-field line. Paging Justin Turner! The Big Apple beckons!

Post-Game 8 Thread: Kemp and Hanley Restore Order To The Ravine

DODGERS 6, GIANTS 2

After watching the Giants spoil the other two games of our opening homestand, Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez came out slugging, both knocking two HR each to drive the Dodgers to victory. Three of those four HR came at the hand of Matt Cain, who lasted only six innings and gave up five ER, raising his ERA to 5.73 on the season. Andre Ethier (0-for-2) added a sacrifice fly and the Dodgers rolled to a 6-2 win.

Zack Greinke was dealing for the Dodgers, lasting six innings in kind and giving up solo shots to Hunter Pence and Brandon Belt in the sixth. Chris Withrow, JP Howell, Chris Perez, and Kenley Jansen came in to nail down the final three innings (yielding two hits in aggregate), and the Dodgers narrow the gap to a half-game behind the Giants, who get the soft fleshy Diamondbacks on Wednesday while we host the AL-leading Detroit Tigers. Let's hope Yasiel Puig (scratched from Sunday's game) and his thumb get a clean MRI report (and stop diving headfirst into first, dammit! who do you think you are, Nick Punto?).

photos: Victor Decolongon / Getty Images

Post-NLDS Game 2 Thread: Minor Victory, No Big Deal

BRAVES 4, DODGERS 3

The Braves got a Minor victory this evening, to split their two home games in Atlanta before the series moves to Dodger Stadium Sunday. The Dodgers outhit the Braves 10 to 6, but were beset by three GIDPs (Skip Schumaker, Mark Ellis, and Carl Crawford) that seemed to take the air out of any potential rally.

Zack Greinke pitched fine--6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB and 3 Ks--and muscled through an 83-pitch effort that wasn't his best stuff, and should have been enough to win (which went to the Braves' Mike Minor). Handed a two-run lead, a nightmare seventh inning involving Chris Withrow, Paco Rodriguez, Ronald Belisario, and J.P. Howell allowed the lead to stretch to 4-1.

Hanley Ramirez knocked a two-run HR to left in the eighth, with none out, to make it interesting at 4-3. But the Dodgers ninth-inning attempts to tie the game did not go well: A.J. Ellis with a one-out walk; Dee Gordon PR immediately CS for the second out; Andre Ethier with a two-out PH walk; and Crawford K swinging to end it.

Hey, it's one game. The series is now a best-of-3 series with two of the games at home. If we can string some of these hits together a bit better, we'll be fine. Credit Hanley Ramirez for going 3-for-4 with 3 RBI: the rest of you guys, take notes.

Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. Julio Teheran features two 14-8 pitchers with ~3 ERAs. Take a breath. This is a minor speedbump, not a big deal.

deviant Bioshock Infinite art from here

Post-Game 156 Thread: Greinke Gets Short Tune-Up

This wrench sure has a tiny head.

DODGERS 1, PADRES 0

Zack Greinke, unfazed by the Padres' camouflage uniforms, pitched a quick five innings (72 pitches), giving up only 2 H (1 BB and 3 Ks), before being replaced by Jerry Hairston to PH in the top of the sixth.

It was a short leash but that's all the Dodgers needed of him Sunday, after Michael Young doubled home Adrian Gonzalez (Young took third on RF Will Venable's error). Watching Gonzalez truck home from first base exerted as much energy as Gonzalez used. Meanwhile, J.P. Howell, Chris Withrow, and Kenley Jansen shut the Padres down.

I suppose I should be concerned at how Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp, Skip Schumaker, and Tim Federowicz all 0-fered today (a combined 0-for-17). Whatever. The Dodgers' win kept pace with Atlanta, whom we're two games behind; St. Louis, our likely NLDS opponent, lost to Milwaukee to stay a game ahead of us.

Off-day Monday. Relax before our three-game series in SF.

Post-Game 144 Thread: Scott Van Slyke, Baby

"Really, even after getting drenched by Hanley and Yasiel, I'm happier than this."

DODGERS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 3 (11)

Scott Van Slyke had a walkoff pinch-hit HR with Mark Ellis aboard and one out in the bottom of the 11th, nailing a 1-0 Josh Collmenter pitch just inside the left field foul pole. Wow.

The Dodgers got two in the second inning thanks to a Miguel Montero throwing error on an Edinson Volquez bunt, and then a Yasiel Puig force out RBI. Arizona got one back in the fourth and took a 3-2 lead in the fifth, off a Didi Gregorius HR. Andre Ethier doubled in Hanley Ramirez in the bottom of the fifth to tie it.

Volquez went 6.0 IP with 4 H and 3 ER, 1 BB and 5 Ks. Not a bad outing for a pickup dueling for the fifth starter slot. Paco Rodriguez, Ronald Belisario, Kenley Jansen, JP Howell, and Chris Withrow all combined for scoreless innings to hold down the fort, giving Van Slyke the opportunity to get ready.

And so it went to extra innings, where Van Slyke's heroics ended it. Magic number drops to six. And the magic seems like it's coming back...

That's a six, right? Because it also looks like a nine, which wouldn't work for this PGT.

Dodgers tickets

Post-Game 138 Thread: Forever, Young

DODGERS 7, ROCKIES 4

Michael Young, who estimates that he went to Dodger Stadium around 20 times a year while growing up in Covina, got his first hit as a Dodger tonight. Young was 0-for-4 in the ninth inning when he singled to left field, and then came around to score on Charlie Culberson's three-run E7 (dropped fly ball). There's your Dodgers memory, Young! Cherish it forever!

Ricky Nolasco had another solid if not shutout outing (6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB and 3 Ks). J.P. Howell was nails in the seventh, Ronald Belisario was the opposite of nails in the eighth and ninth (this is starting to be worrisome, if he's reverting to early-season form), and Chris Withrow got the final out.

Carl Crawford went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI; Nick Punto followed in the two-hole by going 4-for-5; and even Tim Federowicz had a 2-for-3 night with an RBI. Andre Ethier went 1-for-2 with three walks (two runs scored) and that fly ball in the ninth off the bat of Mark Ellis was the insurance we needed to win the game. Dodgers take the series, with the final game at Coors Field tomorrow evening.

Magic number drops to 13, pending the outcome of the Blue Jays @ D'backs game (6-4 Toronto in the bottom of the seventh).

Ping Pong 4 Purpose Action, Part 6

Pictures from Clayton Kershaw's Ping Pong 4 Purpose by Scott Killeen.

The Kershaws with host Eric Stonestreet.

Hey, no spoilers for the next photo!

Eric Karros & Sons. The hair has not skipped a generation.

Who owns that stunning mustache?

It's even better when paired with a plaid shirt.

Warmups.

Everyone listens as the rules are announced, except Cat Belanger, who is probably thinking of sharks.

Andre Ethier and Mark Walter are The Black Paddle Gang.

Post-Game 130 Thread: An End To Streaking

RED SOX 8, DODGERS 1

Wait a minute, aren't we already streaking again? Well, it's not easy cleaning up dirty laundry around the SoSG bar, but the end of the Dodgers' 18-consecutive-series-without-a-loss streak seemed like it should be worth noting, even if it's a delinquent PGT. The Red Sox took the rubber game thanks to a complete game from Jake Peavy, who allowed one run and only three hits. Meanwhile, Boston got all over Chris Capuano (who took the loss; 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER) and Chris Withrow (2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER). So, on national television, 19 didn't materialize.

Blecch. Shake it off, Dodgers, and let's start a new streak.

photo swiped from here (interesting accompanying story, as well)

Post-Game 125 Thread: Slack Pays

"Only Four Bottles of Cris with LeBron Last Night, Skipper!"

DODGERS 6, FISH 4

On a day when Yasiel Puig couldn't be bothered to show up to the park on time, was fined, and was left out of the starting lineup, and on a day that Capuano pitched, the Dodgers still managed to find a way to win the game. Now, to hear Donnie tell it, Puig was left out because he was slumping and was just scheduled for a breather. For whatever reason, we didn't see the big fella until the 6th inning when he was put in on a double switch. Always with a flair for the dramatic, Puig took the first pitch he saw to lead off the 8th inning out of the Yard to left center, breaking a 4-4 tie. Dodgers added one more in the 9th for insurance to preserve the win. Chris Withrow got the win in relief and Kenley Jansen marked his 20th save.

The four-game series is tied at 1 apiece now, with Kershaw and Greinke going the final two games in Miami. The Dbags won tonight but with a Dodgers win, stay 7.5 games back with only 37 to play.

Post-Game 98 Thread: That's What It's All Aboot

DODGERS 14, BLUE JAYS 5

The Dodgers had a field day at the Rogers Centre tonight, eh. "Eh Jeh" Ellis had a two-run HR to open up the game (AJEllis went 4-for-6 with 5 RBI). Carl Crawford went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI, looking like he might be coming out of his slump. Hanley Ramirez was 2-for-5 with 2 runs scored and a double. And the surprise offensive output came from Skip Schumaker, who was 2-for-5 with 3 RBI off a three-run HR in the seventh inning, opening up a 14-4 lead. In fact, the only starter to not get a hit today was Juan Uribe, 0-for-4 with 4 LOB (Yasiel Puig was 1-for-5 with 6 LOB and some horrifyingly embarrassing strikeouts, but to be fair, like Uribe, he had some great defensive plays).

Hyun-Jin Ryu went 5.1 IP and gave up 9 H, but only 4 ER (2 BB, 3 Ks). It wasn't stellar Ryu, but it was more than enough tonight. Jose Dominguez, JP Howell, and Chris Withrow had 3.2 innings of work among them, yielding only one more run to the Blue Jays.

After struggling through a slew of low-scoring games in Colorado and the first two games of the Nationals series, it's nice to see the Dodgers have big offensive outputs two nights in a row (23 runs total in the two games). For a split second here, for the second day in a row, the Dodgers are tied for first. Let's see how the evening ends.

Post-Game 90 Thread: Extrasweepalicious

DODGERS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 5 (14)

On a night when the vaunted Dodgers rookies weren't at their best — Ryu gave up five earned over five innings, and Puig went 1 for 7 with three Ks — their teammates scraped together the grittiest win we've seen this season. Appropriately enough, it came against the Diamondbacks.

Tonight's heroes:

• Hanley put the Dodgers ahead with a booming two-RBI double in the 5th, kept the Dodgers' rally going in the 9th with a single, and hit what would be the game-winning homer in the 14th. And you know what? His defense is getting better too.
  
• Ajellis got the game-tying RBI in the 9th, and homered in the 14th for some valuable insurance.
  
• Mellis went 2 for 7; he should have gone 4 for 7 but was robbed on great diving plays by Ross and Pollock. He also played his usual strong defense, and worked a sweet 14-pitch AB off Collmenter in the 10th to drive up his pitch count.
  
• AGon homered in the 7th to pull the Dodgers to within one.
  
• The bullpen (J.P., Beli, Dominguez, Paco, Withrow, Kenley) basically threw a CGSHO. Special mention to...
  
• Withrow, who didn't back down from the dangerous Goldschmidt in his three innings of work, and Kenley, who went two strong for the save win.
  
• Vin, for amiably guiding us through five extra innings he wasn't planning on.
  
• Kirk Gibson, for inexplicably forcing Cody Ross to bunt with one on and no out in the 13th, even with two strikes (Ross bunt-popped out for strike three...which should have been a DP, if you think about it).
  

It was a team victory in every sense of the term. The Dodgers sweep the D'backs (6-1, 6-1, 7-5; game, set, match); on this crucial road trip they mowed through the NL West, going 7 of 9 (thanks, Sax!) against the Rox, Giants, and Snakes, and vaulting from last to second place. The Dodgers are at .500 for the first time since April 30 and are 1.5 games out of first.

Come home, boys! Put the Rockies in their place and take a well-earned few days off (except you, Clayton, and maybe you, Yasiel).

Dodgers In Need Of Reload Strategy?

ESPN.com's Jim Bowden thinks so, as the Dodgers are one of three teams to get his recipe for future success. Here's Bowden's plan for the Dodgers' return to glory (link insider only):

Los Angeles Dodgers | Fifth place | NL West | 7½ GB

Overview

The Dodgers are the most expensive last-place team in baseball history, and yet they have enough star power to overcome a slow start with just a few shrewd moves.

First, a return to health by its star players is paramount. Consider the Dodgers have had to use the disabled list more than 15 times, with the likes of Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford, Hanley Ramirez, Mark Ellis, Zack Greinke, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly and Chris Capuano all spending time on the DL.

The Dodgers got a big boost from rookie Yasiel Puig, whose promotion might not have happened without the injuries to Kemp and Crawford. Puig has taken over right field and it’s unlikely he’ll ever give it back. When healthy, an outfield of Puig, Kemp and Crawford will give the Dodgers one of the best power/speed combinations in baseball. The odd man out: Andre Ethier.

Reload strategy

The Dodgers need upgrades at shortstop or third base, closer and/or bullpen depth and starting pitching. Ethier is in only the first year of his six-year, $95.95 million contract, so if the Dodgers are willing to eat enough of it (perhaps up to $5 million per year), they could get a significant prospect in return. Teams that should want Ethier include the Yankees, Mariners, Mets and Blue Jays.

Trade chips
OF Joc Pederson: Top OF prospect, but Dodgers have depth and could deal him.
SS Dee Gordon: Good pickup for a team that will gamble on his bat.
RHPs Chris Withrow, Matt Magill: Pitchers with good arms.
Utilitymen: Jerry Hairston, Nick Punto, Skip Schumaker and Juan Uribe are solid throw-in type players for a blockbuster deal.

Trade targets
Shortstop: Alexei Ramirez and Stephen Drew
Third base: Aramis Ramirez, Brett Lawrie, Matt Dominguez and Mike Moustakas
Bullpen: Jonathan Papelbon, Casey Janssen, Chris Perez, Aaron Crow, Jim Henderson, Drew Storen, Mike Dunn, Jose Veras, Ernesto Frieri, Mike Dunn and Jesse Crain.
Starting pitching: Yovani Gallardo, Ricky Nolasco, Bud Norris and Jake Peavy

Dream deal

Ethier and $5 million, Pederson, Gordon, Magill and Withrow to the Chicago White Sox for Jake Peavy, Alexei Ramirez and Jesse Crain.

This deal could nearly solve all of the Dodgers’ ills in one fell swoop. Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti deals from his surplus of outfielders and utilitymen to a team looking to get younger. With impending free agent Paul Konerko’s departure likely, Dayan Viciedo moves to first, opening left field for Ethier until Pederson is ready. (Ethier becomes DH when Adam Dunn's deal expires next year.)

For the Dodgers, Hanley Ramirez at third base alongside Alexei Ramirez at short solidifies the problematic left side of the Dodgers’ infield.

With Billingsley lost to Tommy John surgery, Peavy would join Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Zack Greinke to give the Dodgers perhaps the NL’s best starting four.

Wow, that would sure be a lot of guys named Ramirez on this team all at once. Maybe this would presage Manny Ramirez's return (he's idle, you know)?

Post-Game 70 Thread: Dodgers Earn 1-7 Split

DODGERS 6, YANKEES 0

As surprising as it might seem after Game 1, the Dodgers ended up with a rare split of their 1p and 7p games in the Bronx today, thanks to an unusually gritty performance by Chris Capuano (6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 Ks), coupled with two solid innings of relief from Chris Withrow and a rare offensive breakout at the hands of many. Our first five slots in the lineup:

• Skip Schumaker, 2-for-5 with a run;
• Yasiel Puig, 2-for-4 (including a solo HR) with 3 runs and a RBI;
• Adrian Gonzalez, 3-for-5 (including a double) with a run and a RBI;
• Hanley Ramirez, 2-for-4 with a run and 2 RBI;
• Andre Ethier, 2-for-4 (including a double) with a RBI.

Hard to argue with that output, especially juxtaposed against a Yankees team which scattered only three hits all game.

Speaking of asymmetrical leaves, Brandon League didn't screw things up in the ninth. Luis Cruz and Tim Federowicz each went 0-for-4, the latter leaving 5 on base.

And, the Dodgers didn't have any errors! Imagine that! Off to Petco Park for a night game tomorrow. Good night, everybody!

bowling analysis swiped from this blog, "bowl movements"

Withrow Willthrow With Dodger Organization

From "Dodgers ink first-round pick Withrow" by Ken Gurnick at Dodgers.com:

LOS ANGELES -- First-round Draft pick Chris Withrow signed on Friday for a $1.35 million bonus and was a Dodger Stadium visitor, meeting players and touring the clubhouse.

Withrow, a right-handed pitcher out of Midland (Texas) Christian High School, was the 20th overall pick in the Draft, received as compensation from the Red Sox for the signing of free agent Julio Lugo.

Withrow is 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, and assistant general manager Logan White compared him to a young John Smoltz for his delivery and body type. Withrow's father, Mike, pitched in the White Sox Minor League system and was his pitching coach in school.

Withrow was 8-1 with a 1.32 ERA, recording 90 strikeouts and eight walks in his senior year. Last year's 20th overall pick, high school first baseman Chris Parmalee, was taken by Minnesota and signed quickly for a $1.5 million bonus.

Scouting director Tim Hallgren said the club has signed all of its picks in the first 17 rounds except supplemental first-round pick James Adkins, a left-handed pitcher from the University of Tennessee; fifth-rounder Kyle Blair, a right-handed pitcher from Los Gatos (Calif.) High School; and 14th-rounder Devin Fuller, a right-handed pitcher from Gilbert (Ariz.) High School.