World Series Game 4 Thread: Cardinals @ Rangers, 5p

Edwin Jackson (1-0, 5.84). vs. Derek Holland (1-0, 5.27).

"The Cardinals and Rangers have scored a total of eight runs in their first two games. Expect them to exceed that in Game 3 alone," I wrote yesterday. Game 3's total runs? 23. Herewith:

FIVE THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN IN GAME 4

1. Um, fewer than twenty-three total runs. Pujols fewer than three homers. Going out on a limb here.

2. A former Dodger (Jackson? Furcal? Theriot? Beltre?) does something productive, annoying Dodger fans everywhere.

3. Shot of Nolan Ryan with MASSIVE TENSION HEADACHE.

4. Yadier Molina signs an endorsement deal with Maybelline eyeliner.

5. Ogando vs. Craig (Part 4) settled by arm wrestling.

photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Meet the New Juan

Two former Giants, but only one has a World Series ring.

"So many shirts...and they're all miiiiine!"

Nomar looks a little different this year.

Also, the Dodgers acquired right-handed reliever Blake Hawksworth yesterday: Dodgers deal Theriot to Cardinals (Ken Gurnick, Dodgers.com)

photos by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers

Unsigned Theriot Laments Gulf

Not a gulf in his contract negotations; rather, Dodgers second baseman and free agent Ryan Theriot is trying to raise funds for a charity golf event benefitting the Louisiana oil spill recovery, as well as the fight against autism:

Next month, the Dodgers must decide whether to tender a contract to Ryan Theriot and he knows it's no slam dunk. But this week, Theriot's focus is not on baseball.

Instead, the Dodgers second baseman is holding a celebrity golf tournament Friday in his native Louisiana to raise funds and awareness for the recovery from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill as well as for the fight against autism.

Theriot, an LSU alum, will donate money to the National Wildlife Federation: Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund, the Autism Society of America Baton Rouge and the Fore! Kids Foundation, which exposes children to the game of golf. The tournament will be held at the Carter Plantation in Springfield, La.

But good deeds aside, let's pivot (as second basemen are prone to do) and talk about whether Theriot, who joined the Dodgers on August 31 last season, is worth picking up next year:

Theriot committed only one fielding error while with the Dodgers and hit .309 in August, but tailed off offensively in September, when he hit .141. He didn't have an extra-base hit after Aug. 26, but he led the club in runs scored from the time he arrived.

"Numbers-wise I didn't feel I was where I want to be," said Theriot, who will be 31 next month. "I can get better, and from a team standpoint, it was disappointing watching other teams in October because we were capable of doing just that."

Theriot lost an arbitration hearing last year with the Cubs, receiving the team offer of $2.6 million and not the $3.4 million he was seeking. Arbitration-eligible again this year, Theriot figures to be looking for something close to $4 million, which makes him a threatened non-tender candidate. The top Minor League candidate at the position is Ivan DeJesus Jr., but there is no obvious in-house choice to step in if Theriot is cut loose.

Yikes. Yet another position where we are pretty thin with alternatives.

Keith Law Thinks the Lilly/Theriot Trade Rocks, BTW

Keith Law of ESPN.com's not only got Ted Lilly love, but he also think Ryan Theriot beats Blake DeWitt by a nose when it comes to potential-left-in-peaked-2Bs (insider only):

The Dodgers did well to get Ted Lilly, who has drifted into "crafty lefty" territory but has the array of off-speed weapons to pull it off.

His stuff isn't always consistent from start to start, but over the course of several outings you'll see an above-average curve, change and sometimes even slider from him. By changing speeds and throwing any pitch in any count, he helps his now below-average fastball play up. The main concern on Lilly, as with any pitcher who works in the mid- to upper-80s (or below), is that he's becoming increasingly homer-prone, although he's moving to a slightly better environment for fly-ball pitchers.

The Dodgers also acquired Ryan Theriot, who can run and fill in all over the infield but shouldn't be trusted with too many at-bats, as he has no power and pitchers seem to have figured out that they're better off challenging him than risking a walk. Unlike Blake DeWitt, who goes to the Cubs, Theriot offers defensive value and flexibility at a small cost at the plate.

Picking up Lilly while improving their defense at second slightly without giving up any of their top 10 prospects is a solid move for the Dodgers. Lilly is a strong upgrade over their various fifth starter options and is good enough to pitch in their playoff rotation if necessary.

In exchange, the Cubs get DeWitt, who can't run, can't play short and isn't a good enough hitter to play every day at second or third. He's young and at least has a chance to improve, whereas Theriot has already peaked, but DeWitt wasn't a great prospect even before he exhausted his eligibility.

Somehow, I'm not convinced. Maybe it's because the Dodgers haven't won a game since this trade was rumored. I don't know.