Post-Game 162 Thread: Kershaw Gets 300th K (And 301st); Dodgers Sweep

DODGERS 6, PADRES 3

The Dodgers finish the year 92-70 and champions of the NL West for the third straight year, following today's sweep of the Padres. More importantly, Clayton Kershaw became the first pitcher in 13 years to reach 300 strikeouts. And even more important than that, no one was injured today (though Jimmy Rollins, given the role to manage by Don Mattingly, walked awful slowly out to the mound to relieve Kershaw in the fourth inning. Rollins, wearing Lasorda's #2 jersey, took his own sweet time from the dugout).

Joc Pederson uncorked a two-run HR in the second. Corey Seager had a solo shot in the sixth, and Chris Heisey had a two-run HR in that same frame. Ronald Torreyes singled for his first major-league RBI in the eighth.

Kershaw, with seven Ks, was his old dominant self. Chris Hatcher got the save, as Kenley Jansen was playing the role of Rick Honeycutt (pitching coach) today, alongside Rollins.

The Mets won vs. Washington, snapping a five-game losing streak. We face them Friday at the Ravine.

Post-Game 161 Thread: Greinke Clinches Home-Field Advantage for Dodgers

DODGERS 2, PADRES 1

Xack Greinke gave up one run over eight innings and held the Padres in check, allowing the Dodgers' two runs to hold up for the series-winning victory. What's more, with the Mets getting no-hit in the second game of a two-game, two-loss doubleheader, the Dodgers secured home-field advantage for the NLDS. At the start of the weekend, the Dodgers needed four of the six remaining outcomes to go our way in order to secure home field. We went 4-for-4, so tomorrow can be rest day before Friday's home playoff opener.

Justin Turner had a solo HR in the first, and Adrian Gonzalez GIDPd but scored Howie Kendrick from third (in the fourth inning). Kenley Jansen notched his 36th save with a one-hit ninth.

Yasiel Puig, activated from the DL, went 1-for-3 with a single in the second inning.

Rest up boys; you've earned it!

Post-Game 157 Thread: THE WEST IS WON

DODGERS 8, GIANTS 0

The Dodgers win the NL West, marking the third-consecutive NL West title for the first time in franchise history. Clayton Kershaw was indeed lights out, with the first one-hit CG SHO against the Giants since Hideo Nomo in 1995. And all of those ghosts of having lost all seven games at AT&T Park this year? Even with Ashley Madison on the mound, the Dodgers won the one that counted, tonight.

Kiké Hernandez batted leadoff and went 2-for-5 with a HR and two runs. Justin Turner went 1-for-3 in cleanup with another RBI. Corey Seager went 1-for-5 but also had an RBI. Justin Ruggiano and A.J. Ellis, the latter of whom went 2-for-4, had back-to-back home runs in the sixth off of Bumgarner, which chased Madison (actually, the 13-pitch groundout by Kershaw in the top of the fifth also helped.

Five more games, and we really could rest everyone...except we are one game back of the NL East leader Mets (who also own the tiebreaker). Should we care? Relative to resting all of our injured players? All I know is, tonight I'm drinking!

Post-Game 151 Thread: Late Breaking (Good) News

DODGERS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 1

The Dodgers won a game! Can it be so? Actually, the Dodgers looked pretty moribund through seven innings, quiet following a leadoff (?) home run (?) from Chase Utley (?). Carlos Frias gave one right back to Paul Goldschmidt to deadlock the teams at 1.

But in the bottom of the eighth, the zombie Dodgers came back to life. Jimmy Rollins reached on a bunt ground ball between first and second; Ronald Torreyes sacrificed Rollins over, and Chase Utley doubled J-Roll home for the lead. One batter later, Corey Seager launched one just past the right field foul pole into the lower deck, giving the Dodgers the 4-1 lead.

Meanwhile, the Giants lost in the ninth inning to the Padres on a walkoff Jedd Gyorko single that scored Matt Kemp and his beard (only one run was awarded). The Giants had battled back to tie it in the top of the ninth on a wild pitch, but lost in the bottom of the frame when Bruce Bochy's 11-pitcher roulette game finally ended with Santiago Casilla giving up the final hit.

Magic number is 5, with a day game tomorrow!

Post-Game 150 Thread: Nervous Time

D'BACKS 8, DODGERS 0

Alex Wood was fine, taking a 1-0 game into the seventh inning. But the Dodgers were horrible, making stupid errors all over the place (Alex Guerrero getting flummoxed by an over-the-shoulder catch; A.J. Ellis letting a ball pass for a run; Jim Johnson being Jim Johnson), and adding no offense to boot. The magic number stays at seven. And this team, which apparently includes Chris Heisey in centerfield thanks to Don Mattingly, does not seem to give a damn.

So let's consult Don Mattingly, right? Surely Mattingly will instill some urgency here:

"Guys do look ahead," he said. "You've got to win a game. We've got a veteran group for the most part that's been through battles; it's not like we're going to get surprised by what's going on. We've got Chase [Utley] and Howie [Kendrick] and Jimmy [Rollins] and even our guys have been through this a few years. I feel like we won't panic."

Well, that wasn't very reassuring.

AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Post-Game 149 Thread: Stuck On Seven

DIAMONDBACKS 8, DODGERS 4

All 7, and we'll watch them fall? Certainly not if the Dodgers' offense keeps up its listless ways. And, like a bad earworm, we can't get rid of 7 (as it stands in the way of love!).

The St. Louis Cheaters have already clinched, but the Dodgers aren't knocking the Giants out of it, maintaining their magic number at a healthy seven games with 13 to play. I'm not comfortable, certainly not with Chase Utley having to play third base to fill in for an injured Justin Turner (Utley was 0-for-3); Adrian Gonzalez experiencing stiffness in his back (2-for-4 with a HR), Howie Kendrick just getting back (1-for-5, with 5 LOB), and Joc Pederson and Yasmani Grandal both looking lost again.

Brett Anderson lasted only 4.2 IP, giving up 10 H and 5 ER with only 1 K (and 1 BB). Juan Nicasio remains useless with 0.1 IP and 2 ER yielded. And if Jim Johnson could get a 1-2-3 inning one of these days, it would be a welcome surprise.

But it comes back to the offense--come on guys, it's the Snakes. What are you waiting for?

Post-Game 139 Thread: It's All Mat Latos' Fault

ANGELS 3, DODGERS 2

Last outing, Mat Latos complained about being pulled early in yet another ineffective start in his Dodger career. This time, Latos didn't even make it to the mound for game time, complaining of a stiff neck. And he's probably also complaining about being pulled from the starting lineup early, knowing Latos, who then watched us fall 3-2 to the Angels.

Losing our first game out of nine to the Angels shouldn't be all that bad, so I suppose I won't pull a Latos and complain about things, such as understudy Joe Wieland lasting a Latos-like four innings and giving up two runs, dropping his ERA to 8.31. Or about Luis Avilan coming in for the bottom of the eighth, in a 2-2 tie, and giving up a leadoff double to Kole Calhoun. Or Andre Ethier badly misplaying the ball to give Calhoun third base, easily. Or Pedro Baez relieving Avilan to give up a game-winning RBI to Albert Pujols. Or the Dodgers only going 1-for-5 with RISP tonight.

No, I won't be like Mat Latos; I'll just keep my mouth shut, and be thankful the Giants lost, so the magic number drops to 15 as the division lead stays at 8.5 games.

Post-Game 138 Thread: Kershaw Just Keeps Rolling Along

A bit of an obscure pull on a pretty average movie, I know. The play was better.

DODGERS 6, ANGELS 4

Clayton Kershaw pitched us into our fifth consecutive victory, our eighth-straight win against the Angels, and a magic number of 16 with 24 games to go (our 8.5-game lead is wider than any other division leader's except Kansas City). And as things keep rolling along, while Don Mattingly fields lineups with Justin Ruggiano (.247 batter; 2-for-5 with a HR and double), Chris Heisey (.133 batter who inexplicably notched an RBI, his first all season), and Chase Utley (1-for-5; okay, maybe there's no excuse for Utley at this point)--it is shocking that we're coasting to victories like this.

Corey Seager went 2-for-3 with an RBI double. Carl Crawford had a FC RBI. A.J. Ellis even had a RBI. What is going on here?!

Pedro Baez was ineffective in the ninth inning (two batters faced, two ER ceded; turned a 6-2 lead into a 6-4 margin), so we had to go with Kenley Jansen to maintain the victory (and notch his 31st save). Kershaw only had eight strikeouts in his seven innings, which is entirely mortal (for Kershaw). Mike Trout went 0-for-2 with two walks, and Albert Pujols went 0-for-4.

And yet, we keep winning, things just keep...rolling along. It's great to see, and everything. But I have this sinking feeling that we're peaking too early. I've got a singular impression things are moving too fast.

Post-Game 137 Thread: Van Slyke Gets Gift

DODGERS 7, ANGELS 5

Scott Van Slyke had two RISP and one out in the top of the seventh, with the Dodgers up 4-3 in a back-and-forth game. His "double" on a chopper up the middle, deflected by Angels pitcher Trevor Gott, went into left field on the carom, scoring Justin Ruggiano and Corey Seager to put the Dodgers up 6-3. We did not look back, winning 7-5 (Greinke with his 16th win).

Stroke of brilliance: In the fifth inning, with Mike Scioscia sending in left-hander Jose Alvarez to replace starter Nick Tropeano, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly countered by pulling Andre Ethier for PH Ruggiano. Ruggiano doubled to left to score two and put the Dodgers up 3-1.

Offensive incompetence: The Dodgers were an astounding 7-for-22 with RISP, which is impressive for the .318 average (better than the Dodgers usually do with RISP), but horrible given there were 15 opportunities wasted. Let's tally the LOB by batter, shall we?

• Carl Crawford, 1-for-4, 5 LOB
• Chris Heisey, 0-for 1, 3 LOB
• Chase Utley, 2-for-6 (with 3 Ks), 4 LOB
• Adrian Gonzalez, 0-for-4 (with 3 Ks), 5 LOB
• Justin Turner, 2-for-6, 3 LOB
• Andre Ethier, 0-for-2, 2 LOB
• Corey Seager, 1-for-3, 3 LOB
• A.J. Ellis, 1-for-4, 3 LOB
• Joc Pederson, 3-for-4, 2 LOB

That's 30 LOB for the team. We've got to learn how to score some players from the bases.

Upside, however: The Dodgers are now 8.5 games up on that other team, thanks in part to Mike Leake's meltdown in Arizona today (see below; Grumpy Cat was the Diamondbacks' special guest, throwing out the first pitch). Magic number is 17!

Post-Game 136 Thread: 19, Again?

DODGERS 5, PADRES 1

Wait a minute, didn't I just post that the Dodgers, with a win today, were supposed to be up +20 games over .500? So what gives with the PGT picture?

We did indeed win (thanks in part to a great Padres gift, an error thrown by Padres pitcher Nick Vincent down the right field line, scoring three runs for the Dodgers), and we did indeed go up +20 games (78-58 to be exact). But our 7.5-game lead now means our magic number to win the division is 19.

So Brett Anderson's 5.2 IP (4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB and 4 Ks) did help the cause (even if Anderson did have to exit the game early with a leg cramp). "Real" RBI came from Andre Ethier (first-inning sacrifice fly) and A.J. Ellis (run-scoring single in the sixth). And the Dodgers head north (but not all the way north), to Anaheim, for three games starting tomorrow.

+20! Magic number at 19! Let's keep it going.

Post-Game 132 Thread: Kershaw Koncludes Giant Sweep

Buster Posey, post-game (note how he has turned away from the 12-year-old asking for an autograph). Hat tip Cliff Beefpile!

DODGERS 2, GIANTS 1

It took 132 pitches and was definitely white-knuckled at the end there, but Clayton Kershaw struck out Marlon Byrd with two on in the bottom of the ninth to secure his 15th K, tied for his career high, as well as give the Dodgers the victory. With the win, the Giants were summarily swept in the three-game series, sending them to their fifth straight loss. The Giants now sit 6.5 games back in the NL West, as well as 6.5 games back in the wild card. I would never count these cockroaches out, but obviously we could not have asked for a better outcome in this series--particularly not after being no-hit by the Cubs on Sunday evening.

Like last night, the killer blow came from an unlikely hero with a solo HR, and this time it was off the bat of Chase Utley--his first as a a Dodger and only his sixth HR all year.

The Dodgers' other run came from Carl Crawford, who had an RBI double in the second inning which Angel Pagan misplayed, giving Crawford another base and making sure Justin Turner scored from first without a throw home. Pagan later had an RBI single, but still ended the game a loser.

We will see if Mattingly's extended usage of Greinke (last night) and Kershaw (tonight) leaves our pair of aces drained for the home stretch. However, the returns in this series were pretty solid. Now we make the long trip down to San Diego for four games.

Post-Game 131 Thread: Madison Hacked on Joc's Jack

DODGERS 2, GIANTS 1

Zack Greinke threw 114 pitches, holding the Giants helpless into the seventh inning. By then, the Dodgers already wielded a 2-0 lead thanks to a majestic solo shot to center field off the bat of Joc Pederson. Pederson, who had been demoted to ninth in the batting order for this game, looked ebullient rounding the bases--Joc's emotion looked a lot like the type of energetic boost that this team so desperately needs (and has been missing from stoics like Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, fwiw). Pederson's HR off of "Ashley" Madison Bumgarner handed Bumgarner his seventh loss of the year.

Two runs was all the Dodgers needed, as well. When Greinke exited the game with two on and a run already in (to make it 2-1), Luis Avilan got Brandon Belt to ground into double play to shut off the threat. Kenley Jansen came in for the ninth and seal the win.

Dodgers are now 5.5 games up in the West, with one more game in this series tomorrow. Let's go, Dodgers!

Post-Game 130 Thread: Dodgers Finally Grab Spotlight Off Broadway

DODGERS 5, GIANTS 4 (14)

The Dodgers won a game. Against the Giants.

Adrian Gonzalez had a walk-off single with the bases loaded and none out in the bottom of the 14th, lacing the first pitch from Yusmiero Petit to left field to score A.J. Ellis. Ellis, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley had all reached in succession off of Mike Broadway, who ended up with the game's worst line (0.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 Ks). With the bases loaded, even third base coach Ron Roenicke couldn't hold up the Dodgers from scoring--and really, it was about time, after this five-and-a-half hour ulcer-creating tightrope walk.

What was good--actually, what was amazing--was that the Dodgers' bullpen actually did pretty okay. Nine innings of work, post-Brett Anderson's five-inning, 3 ER start, and Pedro Baez, Luis Avilan, Kenley Jansen, Jim Johnson (two innings!), and Chris Hatcher (three innings!) all put in great scoreless efforts. Juan Nicasio blew the save in the eighth inning, allowing the Giants to score off a Marlon Byrd double.

But after that, the scoring completely shut down for both teams, though it seemed like it was the Dodgers who were regularly narrowly escaping jams AND blowing chances to win. Losing would have been dispiriting, particularly to Justin Turner (who doubled in a run in the first inning off of Jake Peavy), Adrian Gonzalez (whose two-run HR tied the game at 3), and Andre Ethier (who put the Dodgers ahead 4-3 until Nicasio's effort).

But six innings of scoreless bullpen work from our boys? Pretty damn impressive, and certainly needed. Dodgers' lead grows to 4.5 games; Giants' losing streak extends to three games; and though we won't have any arms for the rest of this series, Zack Greinke (Tuesday) and Clayton Kershaw (who PH unsuccessfully tonight; Wednesday) might be able to go beyond five innings?! Either way, we'll take it.

Post-Game 129 Thread: Sad Trombone

CUBS 2, DODGERS 0

I told you so. While the Cubs were getting motivated to have a pajama party this evening, the Dodgers rolled over and played dead on national television, ceding their second no-hitter in fewer than two weeks. Jimmy Rollins, Andre Ethier, Yasmani Grandal, and Joc Pederson all helped the Cubs' cause with two strikeouts tonight (Arrietta had 12 total).

Mark McGwire should probably get a lot of the criticism and scrutiny--sure, we lead the league in HRs, but tonight was total ineptitude tonight in his players' at bats. To be no-hit twice in the span of nine games is pathetic, and demonstrates the Dodgers have no gameplan whatsoever--except to predictably fail whenever they're on the national stage.

But I still blame Ron Roenicke.

Post-Game 126 Thread: Red Sweep

Red sweep, standing by

DODGERS 1, REDS 0

The Dodgers scored the game's only run, when Yasmani Grandal had a bases-loaded GIDP in the second. Aside from that, Yasiel Puig re-injured his hamstring (Don Mattingly brought in Juan Nicasio to pinch-run, which is preferable to Nicasio entering the game any other way), Adrian Gonzalez injured his knee on a foul ball, and Zack Greinke pitched seven shutout innings. It is not clear whether Ron Roenicke had anything to do with either injury.

The Cubs rolled over and played dead for the Giants, so the lead stays at 2.5 games. Let's get back home now (after a 3-5 road trip) and see if the Cubs stay dormant.

Post-Game 125 Thread: Dodgers Again Limp To Victory Over Reds, Roenicke

Unconfirmed picture of Chase Utley's glove, after Ron Roenicke got to it before the game

DODGERS 7, REDS 4

Thanks to an outpouring of three home runs, scoring five runs in the fourth inning (Scott Van Slyke solo shot; A.J. Ellis and Yasiel Puig with two-run HRs each) off of Reds starter David Holmberg, the Dodgers jumped out to a 6-0 lead and looked ready to have Dodger starter Brett Anderson coast to victory.

Not so fast, said Dodgers third base coach Ron Roenicke. Unsubstantiated claims of his tampering with Chase Utley's glove (see above) led to Utley's two-out fielding error in the seventh, ushering in a three-run frame by the Reds; and in the ninth inning, Utley's porous glove again allowed former Dodger Skip Schumaker to reach base with two out--extending an inning which allowed the tying run to the plate, creating nervousness for most Dodger fans about the potential culmination of Roenicke's machinations.

Good prevailed over evil, however. Kenley Jansen eventually got the save, but it was another white-knuckle experience watching the bullpen (who really need to be more bare-knuckle, than white-knuckle, if we're to advance in the postseason).

Adrian Gonzalez added an RBI double in the ninth to score Puig. Anderson went 6.2 IP and gave up five hits and three earned runs, to earn the victory.

Cubs are up 2-0 2-1 in the first inning in SF. Let's go, Cubbies!

Post-Game 124 Thread: Dodgers Win Game Despite Roenicke

DODGERS 5, REDS 1

Surprisingly, the Dodgers finally brought an end to their season-high five-game losing streak, but don't think that new coach Ron Roenicke didn't try his hardest to foil the Dodgers' winning plans. When the Dodgers opened up the game with back-to-back doubles (Yasiel Puig scoring Jimmy Rollins before the first out), Roenicke used his third base forces to make sure the next four batters couldn't advance Puig another 90 feet.

For the rest of the entire game, Roenicke was able to hex spell the Dodgers away from third base, as the only time other Dodger players were allowed to even touch third base were due to home runs (Justin Turner and Jimmy Rollins, each with two-run HRs). Roenicke made sure that, if a Dodger came near third, he had better have a damn good reason.

And rumors have it that it was Roenicke who inspired John Lamb to lead off the fifth with a HBP on Adrian Gonzalez. After that, Roenicke allegedly turned his Dodgers-dooming wrath towards our leaky bullpen--brainwashing manager Don Mattingly into pulling Alex Wood after 5 2/3 innings (a move which immediately backfired when Chris Hatcher allowed a run-scoring double).

Roenicke's last big attempt at sabotaging the game for the Dodgers came in the eighth, when he tried to call Juan Nicasio in for relief work, only to see Juan load the bases with Reds. Luis Avilan entered the game to replace Nicasio and record the third out in the bottom of the eighth, but really: Roenicke was that close to causing yet another loss.

So the Dodgers overcome the Reds, and Roenicke, for the first game in Cincinnati. The red-hot Cubs also beat down the Giants, extending the Dodgers' lead back to 2.5 games. Will Roenicke destroy us Wednesday, with Brett Anderson on the mound? I'm sure he'll try.

Post-Game 118 Thread: Rock(ing) Steady

DODGERS 2, REDS 1

While most of the Sons (and friends of Sons) were recovering from hangovers, the Dodgers went out and took the series from Cincinnati by beating the Reds 2-1 on a Sunday afternoon. Zack Greinke was on as usual, 7.0 IP with 6 H and only 1 ER, a sacrifice fly yielded to Billy Hamilton in the fifth. But Greinke came out in the bottom of the fifth and followed Joc Pederson's 23 HR (a solo shot) with a HR of his own, his second, a no doubt shot which even had a Greinke-like bat flip at the end.

The Nationals rolled over against the Giants and played dead, allowing the Giants to win four in a row as the Nats descended below .500. But the Dodgers have a three-game win streak of our own, so our lead remains at 2.5 games in the West. Rock steady, boys!

Post-Game 105 Thread: Just Another Ethier Walk-Off

DODGERS 5, ANGELS 3 (10)

Andre Ethier has been known for his walkoff hits. But it has seemed like a while since he's had some walkoff heroics (though I have no idea; I'm sure there is some way to do this search on baseball reference, but I'm not smart enough to know how to do this).

Sunday afternoon, Ethier was the man. Sure, Mat Latos' debut wasn't too shoddy: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB and 1 K; Howie Kendrick had another HR (second this series against his former team), and Juan Nicasio had a rare hold. And Jim Johnson's debut with the Dodgers was not so good: an eighth-inning solo HR by Kole Calhoun that tied the game at two.

But it was Ethier who put the Dodgers up 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth, a lead the Dodgers could not hold--but no matter, as Ethier got another HR in the tenth, with Adrian Gonzalez aboard, to win the game 5-3 and complete the sweep against the Angels. With the Giants' loss, the Dodgers now have a 2.5 game lead in the West, and a rare day off while the Giants go to toothless Atlanta (47-58) for a three game series.

Post-Game 104 Thread: Hipster Kershaw Downs Angels

DODGERS 3, ANGELS 1

Clayton Kershaw overcame the hip issue that had scratched him from two starts, and sat many an Angel down (7 Ks; retired his last 15 batters) en route to victory today. Kid K's scoreless streak is now at 38 innings; the Angels got a run in the ninth off of Kenley Jansen, whose shakiness is starting to get a little concerning. Albert Pujols snuck in a pop fly right in front of Scott Van Slyke to score David Murphy for the Angels' only run; Jansen did have two Ks, including Mike Trout, in the final frame.

The Dodgers' offensive outburst came in the sixth inning, with a Van Slyke sacrifice fly to left (scoring Howie Kendrick, and a Yasmani Grandal HR scoring Adrian Gonzalez. The Dodgers had other chances, ending the game 0-for-6 with RISP. But three runs was enough to make Kershaw's effort stand up.

Scoreboard watching: The Giants are facing Cole Hamels in his debut with Texas, and are down 2-0 in the second (Giants have Chris "Charlton" Heston on the mound: 11-5 / 3.14). As of this posting, the Dodgers have a two-game lead in the West, with only 58 left to play.