Ignite That Hot Stove

Hiroki Kuroda? David Price?

ESPN.com completed its divisional review with the NL West, and says the Dodgers-- "heavy favorites in the West"--will be dealing this winter:

On June 21, the Dodgers were 30-42, they were 9.5 games out of first place, Don Mattingly was about to be fired and the team with baseball's highest payroll was a complete disaster. Then the Dodgers won six in a row, kicking off one of the most remarkable stretches in baseball history: They would go 42-8 over a 50-game stretch during which they posted a 2.45 ERA and averaged 4.9 runs per game.

Yasiel Puig was a lightning rod for the surge, having been called up in early June, but Hanley Ramirez returned from the DL and was the NL's best hitter the final four months, Clayton Kershaw had another Cy Young-caliber season and Zack Greinke showed why he was worth the big free agent money. The season ended with a disappointing loss to the Cardinals in the NLCS, with Kershaw getting shelled in Game 6 and Dodgers fans wondering what would have happened if Ramirez hadn't fractured a rib in the first game of the series.

Primary needs

The Dodgers have three-fifths of the rotation locked in with Kershaw, Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu and will have Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley returning from injuries (with Beckett expected to be ready for spring training and Billingsley perhaps in May after Tommy John surgery), but expect them to be a player in the starting pitcher.

They also signed Cuban infielder Alexander Guerrero, who is expected to compete for the second base job. Juan Uribe is a free agent, opening up a potential slot on the left side of the infield, depending on whether Ramirez plays third base or shortstop. Bullpen depth will also be a priority.

Free agents
• 2B Mark Ellis
• 3B Juan Uribe
• IF Michael Young
• IF Nick Punto
• IF Jerry Hairston
• OF Skip Schumaker
• P Chris Capuano
• P Ricky Nolasco
• RP Brian Wilson
• RP J.P. Howell
• RP Carlos Marmol

Expected losses

The Dodgers may bring back Ellis to hedge their bet on whether Guerrero is ready to jump straight to the majors. They'd consider bringing back Wilson and Howell, although Wilson will look for the opportunity to be a closer, which he won't get with Kenley Jansen around. The team could decide to bring back Uribe, but the Dodgers may still have the taste of his poor 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Potential targets

For the Dodgers, that's just something to walk around with in their very deep pockets. They do have about $30 million coming off the books, although Kershaw will get a big raise in his final year before free agency and they do have $175 committed to just 12 players (not including Kershaw). Expect them to make a huge offer for Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka. Barring that, they could look to re-sign Nolasco, bring back Hiroki Kuroda on a one-year deal, or look to deal prospects for Tampa Bay lefty David Price.

Shortstop Stephen Drew is another attractive free agent who would improve the team's defense if Ramirez is moved over to third.

Outlook

No matter who the Dodgers bring in --- and they'll bring in somebody -- they'll enter 2014 as the heavy favorites in the NL West. The most interesting offseason decision they face could be whether they trade Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier – in either case, they'd have to eat some money to make a deal happen -- to erase the outfield logjam, not that the group will ever be healthy at the same time. Ethier is probably the guy they'd like to trade as he's not a center fielder and doesn't have a position with Puig and Carl Crawford in the corners."

Let's get that hot stove cookin'!

Options Declined On Mark Ellis, Chris Capuano

$1M to both Capuano and Mellis, as the Dodgers declined options on both, rather than pay either big money for the 2014 season:

The Dodgers on Thursday declined the 2014 options on left-hander Chris Capuano and second baseman Mark Ellis, buying out each for $1 million to make them free agents, although either could re-sign with the club.

The Dodgers and Capuano had a mutual option at $8 million for 2014, while the club held a $5.75 million option on Ellis. The team seems to have more interest in bringing back Ellis, but in a reduced role after signing Cuban free agent infielder Alexander Guerrero, based on comments made last week by general manager Ned Colletti.

Ellis, 36, would be viewed as insurance at second base if the 26-year-old Guerrero isn't ready to start the season in the Major Leagues. Ellis also could be a starting option at second if the Dodgers believe Guerrero can handle shortstop and Hanley Ramirez would be willing to move to third base. The Dodgers will evaluate Guerrero while he plays in the Dominican winter league. [...]

Capuano, 35, had a rugged season in 2013, also his second with the club. He went on the disabled list in April with a strained calf muscle suffered in a benches-clearing incident with the Padres, then in June with a strained lat muscle and was limited in September with a strained groin. He went 4-7 with a 4.26 ERA in 24 games, 20 starts, one of them on three days' rest in June when the club was in a real jam. He would still be valuable to the club as a left-handed swingman, but not at an $8 million salary, especially with right-handers batting .312 against him.

Mark Ellis was a steady albeit old second baseman, and this certainly puts a lot of pressure on Guerrero to be ready soon. As a friend of mine mentioned last night, Mellis could have made a good Schumaker-like utility player for us off the bench.

Capuano wasn't worth $8M to be a distant 4 or 5 starter. Hopefully he ends up finding a home at a lower salary, but my hope is that that home is somewhere else; despite rare pockets of steadiness, Capuano was more often than not a shaky starter. Either player could still end up back with the Dodgers having tested free agency.

Post-NLDS Game 3 Thread: Whup-Ass Can Opened

DODGERS 13, BRAVES 6

And this game really wasn't even that close. The football score from Sunday night's NLDS Game 3 was led by the Dodgers' 13 runs, which was the most the Dodgers had scored in a postseason game since the 1956 World Series. For those of us that were there, as I was, it was an incredibly satisfying game to see.

Not that it didn't start with a bit of a scare. Cognizant that the winners of Game 3 in a five-game series have gone on to win the series 14 out of 15 times, Dodger fans had to feel worried when the Braves came out fast and feasted on Hyun-Jin Ryu early, staking a 2-0 lead in the first. Carl Crawford singled and took second on a WP with none out in the bottom of the first, but couldn't score, deflating the crowd. Ryu had a 1-2-3 top of the second inning to help, but you could still cut the tension with a knife.

And then came the bottom of the second. Leadoff singles to Yasiel Puig and Juan Uribe gave cause for hope, and Puig eventually came around to score when Ryu poked a sacrifice fly to right (2-1, Atlanta). But before you could blink an eye, Carl Crawford hit a shot into the right field bullpen to make it 4-2 Dodgers (scoring Uribe and A.J. Ellis, who walked). And the place started going nuts.

The Braves quickly notched two more runs in the third to make things worrisome again (tie game at 4). And then Hanley Ramirez led off with a monster double, scoring on Adrian Gonzalez' RBI single; Puig forced out Gonzalez at second but took second base after the Braves' attempt to turn the DP led to a Elliot Johnson throwing error. Despite the out, Puig's turn from so far up the first base line (almost on the outfield grass) and then hustle and slide into second created even more energy from the crowd. Skip Schumaker knocked Puig in with a single to left, and suddenly it was 6-4 Dodgers. Braves starter Julio Teheran had been chased. Sighs of relief abounded.

But the beatdown didn't stop there. In the bottom of the fourth, Ramirez' triple off the base of the wall in left center (compounded by Evan Gattis' misplay to not back up Jason Heyward) scored a seventh run; Puig singled home HanRam to make it 8-4; and Uribe followed with a dagger HR to right to make it 10-4 (good buddy)!

The Dodgers added three more runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 13-4 (all three runs scoring off of small ball play). And the crowd went wild, and kept going wild. It was great.

The Dodgers' offense was a juggernaut. Crawford: 2-for-5 with 3 RBI. Ramirez: 3-for-4 with 2 RBI. Gonzalez: 2-for-5 with 2 RBI. Puig: 3-for-5 with 2 RBI. Uribe: 2-for-5 with 2 RBI. Mark Ellis was the only Dodgers position player in the starting lineup without a hit tonight.

There were some causes for concern, most notably Ryu, who lasted only 3.0 IP (68 pitches), did not look sharp all night (though to be fair, the strike zone was called a little strangely by home plate umpire John Hirschbeck), and Ryu made two bad fielding errors (failing to cover first on a DP; picking up a squibbler that he should have let roll foul which allowed a Braves runner to score). Chris Capuano ended up getting the win with three scoreless innings after Ryu.

But that energy in the Stadium--I will talk about it later in a At-Game Recap, but it was absolutely incredible. What a great evening for the Dodgers and all Dodgers fans. Let's keep it rolling!

Post-Game 160 Thread: Boobies and Ice Cream

DODGERS 11, ROCKIES ZIP

We were way overdue to administer an ass-whuppin, and boy did we administer one. Boobies and ice cream, indeed, thanks to the offense and pitching.

Clayton Kershaw was on from the first pitch. He struck out eight and walked none. It was one of those outings where he seemed to be able to get a batter out at will, as if he were playing a video game and had the strike-this-mofo-out cheat code. Kid K moves to 16-9 with a - are you sitting down - 1.83 ERA on the season. He is the first Dodger to do so since the revered Sandy Koufax in 1966. And he became the first pitcher to lead the majors in ERA in three consecutive seasons since Greg Maddux did so from '93-'95. That's some good company, Clay.

On the offensive side, well, there was a notable lack of noffense. The bats came alive from the first inning, when the Dodgers put up four on Colorado rookie Collin McHugh thanks to a two-run double by Uribe and RBI singles by both Ellis boys. Crawford got off the home run schneid with a three-run homer in the fourth. A-Gone notably got his 100th RBI of the season with a solo shot to his favorite spot past the right field foul pole. AJEllis also got in on the red hot HR action with a two-run homer in the fifth. Honestly the Dodgers could have added several more runs, but were classy enough not to run up the score in several situations where they could have easily crossed the plate.

The only negative to the night was that Puig fouled a ball off what appeared to be his calf and had to leave the game. Subsequent x-rays were negative, thankfully, but he is likely very sore. Mattingly later noted that Puig would be day to day. But, aren't we all, Vinny?

Post-Game 159 Thread: Dodgers, Giants Solidify Placements

GIANTS 3, DODGERS 2

The Dodgers lost the rubber match and ended up the season with an 8-11 record against San Francisco this year. But the Dodgers, 36-37 against the NL West, are going to the playoffs while the Giants, 42-31 against the NL West are not. This is because the Dodgers went 55-31 against the rest of the majors, while the Giants went a dismal 32-54. But enough math!

The Dodgers' loss...demonstrated that Edinson Volquez might be passable as a fourth starter (5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB and 4 Ks). Paco Rodriguez, who lost the game on an eighth-inning Angel Pagan HR, might be a bit worn. And the offense wasn't fully clicking; Carl Crawford had a first-inning triple and scored on an Adrian Gonzalez sacrifice; Juan Uribe and Mark Ellis strung consecutive doubles to notch another run.

But the Dodgers have more important games to consider, especially with their fate solidifying as the third-best division-leading record in the NL. This would put the Dodgers on the road for the first two games of the NLDS, with home games October 6 and 7 (and a final fifth game on the road, if necessary). Both Atlanta (54-24 at home) and St. Louis (51-27) are formidable at home, so I suppose it's a tossup.

The Giants win...vaults them ahead of the Mets in the standings, making them the 12th worst team in the majors. This is a good thing. On top of that, Tim Lincecum (7.0 IP of 2 ER ball) didn't look all that bad last night. So the Giants should really be picking up Lincecum (10-14 this season; ND last night) on a long-term deal. Absolutely.

Because This Story Can't Die #Poolgate

Bill Shaikin did a great job capturing the Dodger player reactions to the ongoing Poolgate (no relation to the Dodgers' equipment manager Mitch Poole), and succeeded in capturing the class guys we have on the team, despite what Senator McCain may think.

Ethier said it was one thing to criticize the act of jumping in the pool — "Maybe some of his constituents were complaining to him, wondering if he could do something," Ethier said — quite another to label the players as overpaid, immature, arrogant and spoiled.

"That's over the line," said Ethier, who lives in Arizona.

"It is absolutely absurd that he would even comment on that," said Mark Ellis, who also lives in Arizona. "I would have thought he would know better than that. He doesn't know any of us. The whole thing is absolutely ridiculous.

"To call us overpaid? Come on. Coming from a politician?"

Young said he would welcome the chance to meet with McCain, to explain how players are heavily involved in charities in the cities in which they play, and in their hometowns.

"I'd like to change his tune that we're spoiled," Young said. "I've never had the pleasure of meeting him. I'd love to."

As I was hammering the Senator on Twitter yesterday, that's the theme I hit. Our players are incredibly dedicated to giving back to their communities, and to call them overpaid and spoiled is just ignorant and ill-informed. Give Clayton a call and ask him about his charity work. Ask Matt Kemp about the terminal kid he flew down for a Dodger game. Meet Ethier over at the Union Rescue Mission. And the fact that McCain has now offended two constituents...well, I guess he's likely to retire after this term so it doesn't matter. Stick to calls for carpet bombing at the drop of a hat, Senator.

ps- Sorry to cross the line and bring politics in, but this is a rare nexus of Dodger baseball and criticism from an elected official.

Post-Game 151 Thread: Corbin, Blue

Chicken Corbin Blue

DODGERS 9, D'BACKS 3

Like a geyser waiting to erupt, the Dodgers lineup (finally at full strength, thanks to the return of Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp in the starting lineup) exploded for four runs in the first inning and two runs in the third inning. Matt Kemp played a key part in the first inning, hitting a two-run double in the first inning (Juan Uribe homered Kemp home. Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run HR in the third. 'Zona starter Patrick Corbin lasted only 2.0 IP (7 H, 6 ER, 1 BB and 1 K).

The Dodgers scored two more runs in the fourth (Mark Ellis singled home Zack Greinke, who walked and advanced on a Yasiel Puig groundout; Kemp singled to center scoring Ellis). And they scored one more in the eighth on a Michael Young triple, scoring Ramirez.

Quite an offensive blowout for the Dodgers--12 hits in all--with the exception of Puig (0-for-5 in the leadoff spot) and AJ Ellis (0-for-5 with 7 LOB). Kemp, in his first start in months, went 4-for-4 with 3 RBI, a run scored, and two doubles.

And that Greinke kid? Just another 6.0 IP performance (6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB and 5 Ks). Ronald Belisario had a shaky eighth, but we'll save that concern for later. For now, let's just revel in the fact that the Dodgers' magic number is down to 2. Whaddya say, Tommy? Ready to feast?

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).

Post-Game 135 Thread: Arriving Fashionably Late

Swiped from a 2012 post from Rog Hernandez' blog. Which goes to show you: Giants fans show up late on purpose.

DODGERS 2, PADRES 1

Chris Capuano had a pretty good start on Saturday (7.0 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB and 7 Ks), yielding only a solo HR to Ronny Cedeno in the fourth. The Dodgers were apparently so surprised by this Capuano performance that they did nothing offensively for seven innings, before Adrian Gonzalez' RBI single in the seventh to tie it, followed by Mark Ellis' PH RBI single in the eighth to win it.

Brian Wilson gets the win for his scoreless eighth inning; Kenley Jansen gets his 23rd save for his scoreless ninth.

2-1 victories against the Padres aren't very inspiring (as we know now, there's another one coming in the series' final game), but hey, we'll take it. We won't be able to show up fashionably late come October, however.

More recent posts from that aforementioned blog:

Post-Game 121 Thread: Loose Ends / Sad Rhino

DODGERS 4, PHILLIES 0

The Dodgers welcomed new Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg to the role with a 4-0 crushing, extending their win streak to nine games. Welcome to manager life, Ryno!

While the Phillies were reeling due to the sudden news about Charlie Manuel's firing, Zack Greinke took advantage and shut the team down: 7.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB and 3 Ks. Paco Rodriguez and Ronald Belisario each got an out and then Kenley Jansen wrapped up the shutout win.

On the offensive side of the ledger, we got two runs off of Hanley Ramirez' HR in the fourth (scoring Adrian Gonzalez, who singled with one out). Mark Ellis doubled in his "brother" A.J. Ellis in the seventh, to make it 3-0 LA. And in the ninth, Ramirez singled, stole second (his eighth SB), advanced to third on a throwing error by Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, and then game home when Scott Van Slyke singled to left. 4-0 Dodgers, and we're done.

drawing swiped from here

Post-Game 118 Thread: +18 (Over .500)

DODGERS 4, METS 2

The Dodgers just keep on winning, taking their sixth in a row by beating the Mets in the first of a three-game series. Though Dodger starter Ricky Nolasco had a rough second inning, allowing four straight singles to start off the inning (two runs) before settling down for a K and a GIDP, Nolasco settled down to last 6.1 IP with 7 H and only those 2 ER (2 BB, 2 Ks).

Meanwhile, the Dodgers bided their time until breaking out in the sixth inning, opening up with three straight singles of their own (Carl Crawford, Mark Ellis, and Adrian Gonzalez--just like they drew it up), and helped by a throwing error by Mets CF Juan Lagares on a ball that skipped past third base and into the Dodgers dugout. Yasiel Puig hit a sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers the 3-2 lead. And an inning later, Nick Punto launched his second HR of the year into right for a 4-2 lead.

Ronald Belisario and Paco Rodriguez picked up holds, and Kenley Jansen got a 1.1 IP save. 18 games over .500, the Dodgers are definitely NOT unbeatable. But man, they do look pretty damn good lately.

Post-Game 117 Thread: Rays And Arizona: Dodgers Open Up 7.5 Game Lead In West

DODGERS 8, RAYS 2

What is Coen on here? The Dodgers finished off a sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays (tied for the AL Wild Card with Oakland, at 66-50), by pounding Jeremy Hellickson into a short 51-pitch, 3.0 IP, 4 ER outing. Got you on an awful short leash, don't she?

The Dodgers fattened up on Alex Torres (two more ER in an inning of work) and Josh Lueke (two more ER in two innings of work). And the Dodgers rolled to a 8-2 victory.

Clayton Kershaw went a masterful 8.0 IP with only 1 ER (two runs total), 2 BB, 8 Ks. He also went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and two runs, breaking the seal for the Dodgers in the second inning with a clutch two-out, two-on single to right. Mark Ellis (3-for-5, 3 RBI) had a two-run HR in the sixth. Every starter had a hit, with Carl Crawford, A.J. Ellis, and Dee Gordon all having multi-hit games.

And about that Gordon kid, who raised his average to a microscopic .213 with a 2-for-4 performance (one of which was another infuriating bunt to leadoff an inning, which usually don't work for Gordon). Gordon had an astonishing three errors: a throwing error in the third, another throwing error in the sixth, and a fielding error in the eighth. The Dodgers won tonight, but it's only a matter of time before this beanstalk loses us a tight game with his lack of accuracy. If almost a full year in the minors can't help him find the target (or his bat), I'm getting less hopeful this will turn around.

Oh, and Arizona? They lost their series with the 54-61 Mets to drop 7.5 games back in the NL West. Son, you got a panty on your head.

Post-Game 115 Thread: Rodney Gets No Respect

DODGERS 7, RAYS 6

This is getting ridiculous. Down 6-0 in the seventh inning to the red-hot Rays, the Dodgers rallied for four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for the improbable walkoff victory.

The Rays summoned Fernando Rodney in the ninth, and here's what transpired: Skip Schumaker (2-for-4 with an RBI) led off the ninth with a single, followed by a Dee Gordon K. Mark Ellis tripled to left to score Skip, making it 6-4 Rays. Nick Punto then doubled home Ellis; 6-5 Rays. Adrian Gonzalez doubled to right, scoring Punto; tie game. And after an intentional walk to Yasiel Puig, Jerry Hairston hit a comebacker to Rodney, who swiveled to try and get the double play...but sent the ball wide right and into right-center field, allowing Gonzalez to score from second. Dodgers win. Unbelievable.

Chris Capuano went a miserable 4.1 IP, yielding 6 R (5 ER). Brandon League even pitched the sixth and seventh innings (scoreless). Carlos frickin' Marmol pitched a scoreless inning. And even with those three walking disasters on the mound, the Dodgers pulled out the win. This is crazy.

The Dodgers are now 18-3 since the All-Star break. Who knows if they can win tomorrow's game, with Zack Greinke on the mound?!

Post-Game 108 Thread: Early Win

DODGERS 6, CUBS 2

The Dodgers tied their franchise record with their 12th-straight road victory, and because the game was so early, I wasn't there to see it. Neither was Mark Ellis or Don Mattingly, both of whom were ejected in the fourth inning arguing a called strike three (to Mellis, not Mattingly).

But that two-run fourth inning, in which the Dodgers stretched their lead to 5-1 (thanks to a Hyun-Jin Ryu single, a Nick Punto infield single, an Adrian Gonzalez RBI single, a Yasiel Puig HBP, and a Scott Van Slyke sacrifice fly), was the dagger.

Ryu only ended up going 5.1 IP and giving up 11 H but only 2 ER, along with 0 BB and 6 Ks. J.P. Howell completed the sixth inning and Brandon League, Ronald Belisario, and even (gasp!) Carlos Marmol followed with scoreless innings each.

Tomorrow's game is @ 1p again. I'll be ready this time.

Post-Game 105 Thread: Jeters Never Prosper

Sad Jeter (0-for-4 tonight).

DODGERS 3, YANKEES 2

Deadlocked at 2 since the fourth inning, the Dodgers watched Zack Greinke (7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 Ks, 1 HR) match Andy Pettitte (7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3Ks, 1 HR) in a stalemate. Ronald Belisario and Kenley Jensen (who got the win) each pitched a scoreless inning to stretch the Dodger bullpen's streak to 9 1/3 innings of work without yielding a hit.

After Andre Ethier, 0-for-3 and in a 0-for-16 slump, singled to left with one out, Juan Uribe struck out. But tonight's hero was Mark Ellis, who waited for Ethier to steal second (on a 1-1 count; Ethier's fourth SB of the year), and then hit a walk-off single to center on a full count. Dodgers win.

And check out the Dodgers' recent record:

The Dodgers now are 10-1 since the All-Star break for the first time in franchise history, having won their last four. Their 19 wins in July are one short of the Los Angeles record, and they are 29-5 during a 34-game run for the first time since 1953.

But even more important than that:

The 15th sellout crowd of the season included a broad array of entertainers and sportsmen -- from Jay-Z and LL Cool J to Jack Nicholson, Mel Brooks, George Lopez and Ice Cube, as well as Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Keyshawn Johnson and Luc Robitaille. Even owner Magic Johnson, back from his European vacation, made it.

And that's what counts! Hey, I'll take it.

Okay, maybe not all that sad (or unprosperous) after all.

Post-Game 100 Thread: Canadian Sweep

DODGERS 8, BLUE JAYS 3

This team. This fucking team. This is getting downright ridiculous.

This did not look like a game the Dodgers were going to win. There were what felt like dozens of wasted scoring opportunities. Sure, Nolasco had a no-hitter going for a while, but that dissolved fairly quickly after he served up a two-run double in the fifth. The Blue Jays went ahead 3-2 in the eighth after an A-Gon error. Hanley had gone 0-5 by the top of the ninth.

Then, down to their last strike, something nutty happened. (It's always something nutty lately.) Ethier hit a single to center that would have just moved Puig (who had walked...nutty!) over to third. But the ball took an Astroturf-powered super bounce over the head of Colby Rasmus and Puig scored the tying run.

After a second scoreless inning from Brandon League (Miraculously nutty!), the Dodgers broke the game open for good in the tenth. Two-run home run by Mark Ellis, solo shot by Puig, a walk by A-Gon, a double by Hanley, and a two-run single by Ethier. Whew!

Kenley Jansen wrapped things up (Don't question Donnie here, the alternative was Marmol.) and the Dodgers won their tenth straight road game. Happy flight home to face the Reds for four. At the time of this writing, the Cubs were up on Arizona, but first place is assured regardless.

THIS TEAM!

Post-Game 99 Thread: Ain't Nothin' Gonna Break My Stride

DODGERS 10, BLUE JAYS 9

On a day when the SoSG Game Thread was earmarked with this, it's only fitting to use a worse song for the PGT. But here we were, with the Dodgers down 8-3 entering the seventh inning, having notched a record of 1-35 when trailing after six frames (prior to this game).

But buoyed by a three-run seventh inning (bases loaded walk by Andre Ethier, and a two-RBI single from Mark Ellis), and an eighth inning capped by a three-run homer by Adrian Gonzalez (not to mention a solo shot by Ethier), the Dodgers rolled to a 10-8 lead.

Kenley Jansen had a slightly shaky ninth, yielding one run, but keeping the Dodgers from losing the game in regulation. We should talk about the ineffectiveness of recent call-up Carlos Marmol, who went 1.2 IP with 3 ER and was by all accounts a disaster in his Dodger debut. But hey, we're 5-0 on this road trip, with a chance to make the roadtrip undefeated tomorrow. So we're not going to break our stride here.

Oh, no. We've got to keep on moving.

Post-Game 91 Thread: Cap, Mellis Deliver

DODGERS 6, ROCKIES 1

The Dodgers continued the tennis scoring as the kickass Chris Capuano showed up tonight, striking out eight over 6 1/3 scoreless innings. Mark Ellis did the offensive damage, going 3 for 4 with four RBIs.

Word is getting out about Hanley, as he drew two intentional walks. Belisario, who pitched yesterday, added 1 2/3 scoreless tonight and Brandon League (!) closed it out despite allowing a mammoth home run to Cargo.

Only downside is that Puig left the game in the 7th with what the Dodgers are calling "an aggravated left hip." Breath: held.

D'bags and Gints also win, but the Dodgers can only take care of their own business. Kershaw tomorrow!

Dodgers Finally Whom We Thought They Are?

Mark Saxon channeled everything I was thinking in watching last night's 6-5 win (besides the fact that letting Brandon League enter the game was a huge, huge miss). Might the Dodgers finally be whom we thought they are?

LOS ANGELES -- If things stay as they are -- nobody goes down and Carl Crawford is back in a couple of weeks -- the Los Angeles Dodgers soon will be dealing with the hassle of finding enough at-bats to keep all their hitters happy.

Let that one sink in.

For a team that has struggled to field enough healthy bodies, divvying up playing time for good players won't exactly be a depressing task. The Dodgers are as deep as they have been all season, with the possible exception of the first two weeks of the season, and it has shown with this four-game winning streak, the latest being Tuesday night's 6-5 win over the San Francisco Giants. [...]

The Dodgers' lineup had its deepest look of the season with Kemp returning from the disabled list before the game. Kemp batted fifth behind two of the hottest hitters in the game, Hanley Ramirez and Yasiel Puig.

Puig, who provided the pop Monday, had a quiet evening by his standards -- aside from some wobbly fielding in his new position, left field -- but Ramirez continues to mash. He hit another line drive so hard it carried out for a home run, this one clanging hard off the left-field foul pole.

It may have been the hardest-hit ball in baseball this season. According to ESPN Stats and Info, the ball left the ballpark in 2.97 seconds, the fastest a ball has left a stadium in the majors this year. Ramirez hit a similar ball in San Diego last weekend.

Ramirez is 14-for-30 (.467) with four home runs and 10 RBIs in his last seven games.

The only player still missing from the Dodgers' projected Opening Day lineup is the leadoff hitter, Crawford, who is expected to be out another two weeks and appears to have a more-than-adequate replacement in Puig.

Last night, our top six spots were Mark Ellis, Yasiel Puig, Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier. Insert Carl Crawford at leadoff and maybe substitute Puig with the outfield three, and suddenly we've got six great slots, plus one in the wings. Plus OBP-machine AJ Ellis at catcher. Plus maybe even Juan Uribe every once in a while.

I don't know if it's the euphoria of four in a row talking, but suddenly that lineup looks pretty formidable. Let's hope we can stay healthy and see if that lineup can produce like we all thought it could.

Post-Game 76 Thread: League, Minimum

DODGERS 6, GIANTS 5

Brandon League has pictures of Don Mattingly and the phone number for TMZ. That's the only way I can justify why Don would insert Brandon League in a ninth-inning save situation, Dodgers up 6-3, on the verge of winning our fourth game in a row for the first time this season. Why not laugh right in the faces of the baseball gods? Why use logic to guide reliever selection? Why the fuck would we put in Brandon League?

League surrenders (and I use that lightly; more like rolls-over-and-plays-dead) a Hunter Pence single, a Brandon Belt RBI double, and an Andres Torres RBI single. 6-5. Mattingly finally goes to Paco Rodriguez.

And Rodriguez saves Mattingly's bacon, yielding a Brandon Crawford single but getting the next three batters out, including a deep fly ball from Marco Scutaro to center field, which Matt Kemp tracked down on the track with his back to the plate. Dodgers win. Barely.

Stephen Fife did great: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB and 3 Ks. Fife yielded solo HR to Oyster Pubes and Belt. But Fife got four runs of support from two two-run shots (Mark Ellis and Hanley Ramirez, the latter of which hit the left foul pole), as well as a RBI single from Tim Federowicz and a throwing error from Giants reliever Jake Dunning which scored Nick Punto from third. The Dodgers vault to seven games back of Arizona.

And if Donnie can keep League off the mound, we may even have a shot at continuing this winning streak!

Four in a row, baby! PLAYOFFS!