At-Game Recap: April 28 vs. Nationals

Is Matt Kemp carrying this team? Yes.

@TheRealMattKemp gives some love to his @dodger27mom.

Bryce Harper takes the field for the first time as a major leaguer.

Stephen Strasburg's first pitch of the night.

Alcohol may have been involved.

More photos after the jump!

Still In Awe

What an amazing night at the Yard!

Tonight those of us in attendance got to see the best player in baseball hit a walk-off home run to deep center on a night that featured everything. Young Stephen Strasburg had a strong night, as did our own Chad Billingsley, a pitcher's duel that we all expected and looked forward to. And we got to see Bryce Harper make his major league debut, which was somewhat memorable considering his late-game RBI double and strong throw from LF to almost nail Jerry Hairston, Jr. at the plate. At least the lad wears his stockings the way they were meant to be worn.

But Matt Kemp. Wow. As I stood there and watched, joining so many others who hadn't left the Yard yet, I saw Matty drop behind in the count on a called then a swinging strike. But even then I told myself that, Kobe-like, Matt could work his magic at any given moment despite pressure and adversity. The fact that he then yanked the 1-2 pitch 429 feet was impressive and powerful, then, but not surprising. I remember standing there thinking that this guy is so good, he can hit one out seemingly at will. And he did.

As I mentioned in the PGT, the Dodgers in-game production folks did a great job afterward in that they didn't immediately queue Randy Newman's "I Love LA." Instead, they let the crowd chant "MVP! MVP!" repeatedly for quite some time first. So many people were still there, and we relished the moment. It was truly an emotional experience with the crowd chanting and Matt reaching through the netting behind home plate to touch his mother's hand.

Let's cherish these moments while we have them. Dodgers move to the best record in the National League and go for a sweep of the Nats during a day game tomorrow. I'm not sure if I'll be back to earth before then. Nomo, I think you're scheduled to be out there so let's keep the Sons' unbeaten record up, ok?

Dusty, out.

UPDATE: Saw an interview with Bryce Harper, who was asked about not making his debut at home. He had some very classy things to say about Dodger Stadium and what a great, historic place it is, and so he was fine with it. Well said, young Harper!

Game 21 Thread: April 28 vs. Nats, 6p

Chad Billingsley (2-1, 3.04) vs. Stephen Strasburg (2-0, 1.08).

Rev up the hype machine! Sons Dusty, Sax and yours truly and reader John G will be in the house to check out the major-league debut of the first pick of the 2010 draft, 19-year old Bryce Harper. Mr. Eyeblack, who signed a five-year, $9.9-million contract, is the most hyped prospect since, well, starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg. The 23-year-old Strasburg, the first pick of the 2009 draft, signed a four-year, $15.1 contract and has already undergone Tommy John surgery in his young career. Is he back on track for greatness? Will Harper live up to the hype? The Dodgers will find out tonight.

Saturday's Game Just Got Even More Intriguing

Stephen Strasburg will start for the Nats on Saturday, by the way, the day Bryce Harper will debut.

— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) April 27, 2012

UPDATE 2:59p (Sax): ESPN story.

Another Dream Team in Florida?

From "Guillen departure ends South Side madness, brings South Beach jolt" by Jon Heyman at SI.com:

The Marlins are about to have the big-name marketable manager they have craved as they head into their new stadium. The White Sox are rid of their headache.

Ozzie Guillen will become the face (not to mention the mouth) of the Marlins as soon as their deal to hire him is completed. The White Sox, surely growing weary of Guillen's continuing public protestations about his contract situation and inability to get along with White Sox GM Ken Williams, announced it had allowed Guillen out of his contract Monday, and are expected to receive minor players in compensation from the Marlins once they sign him.

The Marlins desperately wanted a marquee man to manage their team, one that can help market their revenue-challenged team. And Ozzie should be perfect for that. He's funny in two languages. And now, he is about to become the star of the South Florida show, which is what the Golden Beach, Fla., resident wanted all along.

So the NL East just got a little more obnoxious. What if the Marlins make a run at Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder, as has been speculated? And if Bryce Harper joins Stephen Strasburg on the Nationals, that division could really grab a lot of headlines in 2012. And that's before the Mets' ownership situation gets resolved.

Post-Game 141 Thread: Strasburg, Schmasburg

DODGERS 7, NATIONALS 3

Some guy started the game for the Nationals, and did pretty well all things considered (5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 Ks, 0 BB), in his first game back in over a year. Meanwhile, Ted Lilly had stoked the Nats to a 3-0 lead in his 5.0 IP (4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 Ks), putting the Dodgers in a bit of a hole.

But Andre Ethier was armed with a shovel this time, ready to dig the Dodgers out. Ethier had 4 RBI, two of them in a three-run sixth inning, and then two more in a two-run ninth inning. Rod Barajas added two RBI on his own on a seventh-inning double, and the lone other run (back in the third) was from our MVP machine, Matt Kemp (1-for-4 with 2 runs scored).

Javy Guerra had a very shaky ninth inning, bringing the tying run to the plate with only one out, but the Dodgers clung to yet another come-from-behind victory, to even the series at one a piece.

UPDATE 11:34p: Oh, and about tonight's game: Eric Stephen of TBLA and Mike Petriello of MSTI are really, really hungry. Somebody send those guys some bacon, already (screenshot from TBLA).

Game 141 Thread: Sept. 6 @ Nats, 4p

Ted Lilly (9-13, 4.39) vs. Stephen Strasburg (0-0, -.--).

Stephen Strasburg! Stephen Strasburg! STEPHEN STRASBURG! It's been a Strasburgless year since he underwent Tommy John surgery on September 3, 2010. And who does he get upon his return to the majors? The hapless Dodgers — at least it probably looked that way when the Nationals were scheduling his return. Did you know the Dodgers haven't been shut out in their past twenty games? Not a big deal for most teams, but significant for this offensively challenged team. Now, who's looking forward to Kemp vs. Strasburg?

Five Things I Learned in Yesterday's LA Times Sports Section

1. Occasionally I agree with Bill Plaschke. You gotta go with the players who give you the best chance to win — right, Charlie Manuel?

2. Kirk Gibson is pretty blunt. "I shouldn't say this, but we have a lot of really good ballplayers. I'd rather have a lot of bad ballplayers who win ballgames."

3. Except for parking, prices at Dodger Stadium and Angel Stadium match up fairly well (from print edition):

2010 price list
Parking: Dodgers $15, Angels $8
Cheapest seat: Dodgers $4 (game day only), Angels $12
Hot dog: Dodgers $5, Angels $4.50
Peanuts: Dodgers $5.50, Angels $6
Bottled water: Dodgers $5, Angels $4
Cheapest beer: Dodgers $6, Angels $4.50
Small soda: Dodgers $3.75, Angels $3

4. The Angels are not popular outside of Anaheim. "The Angels ranked last in the major leagues in road attendance last year, next to last in the previous year." (Although SeatGeek only places them in the bottom seven this year).

5. Some stadium giveaways weren't so popular this year.

Stephen Strasburg, Meet Your Mr. Glass

Now that we know who you are... I know who I am. I'm not a mistake! It all makes sense. In a comic, you know how you can tell who the arch-villain's going to be? He's the exact opposite of the hero, and most time's they're friends, like you and me. I should've known way back when. You know why, David? Because of the kids. They called me Mr. Glass.

The anti-Strasburg debut has arrived: reliever Jay Sborz, called up yesterday to the majors. And his line read like Major League 3 (aka Back to the Minors).

Hits Barajas by pitch to load bases

Hits Francouer by pitch to drive in run

Two outs and three singles later, Sborz leaves with a 67.50 ERA

All of us at SoSG wish Mr. Sborz better luck in his next appearance. Unless it's against the NL.

Speaking of Stephen Strasburg and comics, anyone else notice Mr. Strasburg's eerie similarity to Watchmen's Moloch?

Speaking of Watchmen, anyone else notice the similarity between them and Peanuts.

Wednesday Notables

• I was going to try to summarize the Dodgers' draft picks, then I realized Memories of Kevin Malone has it more than covered. But hey, I saw Leon Landry play!
• They say money talks. We'll find out. LSU's Miles: Lee won't sign with Dodgers (Dodgers.com)
• Believe the hype. Mr. Precedent! Strasburg fans 14 in debut (MLB.com)
• The three-year-old girl injured by a Russell Martin BP line drive is expected to recover fully. Best wishes to her and her family, and hang in there, Russell. Girl injured during BP OK after surgery (Ken Gurnick, Dodgers.com)
• Jerry Stephenson, former Dodgers pitcher and scout, died at age 66 of cancer. Jerry Stephenson, longtime Dodgers scout, dies (LA Times)
• Andre Ethier is still on track to make the All-Star Game. Ethier continues to rack up All-Star votes (Gurnick)
• George Sherrill is back; Vicente Padilla is closer. Dodgers activate Sherrill, option Link (Gurnick)

photo by Chris Parent/LSU Athletics

Tuesday Notes, Strasburg Hype-o-matic Edition

• Happy Stephen Strasburg Day! The fun starts at 4 p.m. PT. Teammates join in Strasburg anticipation (MLB.com)
• Drafting a player who's committed to playing baseball and football at LSU? That's egg-Zach-Lee what the Dodgers did. Dodgers take high school righty at No. 28 (Ken Gurnick, Dodgers.com)
• The ThinkCure! auction starts today. ThinkCure! Auction
• And it's ThinkCure! weekend at Dodger Stadium on Friday and Saturday. ThinkCure! Weekend (Dodgers.com)
• Congratulations to Josh Rawitch and his wife on the birth of their second child. How do I know? Vin Scully told me last night.
• If Russell Martin seems distracted, we'll know why. Girl injured by Martin line drive in BP (Dodgers.com)

Game 49 Thread: May 29 @ Rox, 5p

Hiroki Kuroda (5-2, 3.03) vs. Aaron Cook (1-3, 5.40).

COMMENTS: Once again, the sweet fruit of first place tantalizes us, but the reward will be hard fought. Kuroda is the Dodgers' most consistent starter, but Coors Field promises to be a Cold-Activated Battle. "In his only previous Coors Field start, he was pushed around for five runs in six innings. In four career starts against the Rockies, Kuroda is 0-2 with a 6.94 ERA," Dodgers.com tells us.

Meanwhile, only a Dodgers win combined with a Padres loss to the Nationals will make this a first-place Saturday night, but the Nationals are basically flipping a coin to decide which of two Triple-A pitchers will start for them. Why couldn't they start Stephen Strasburg a little earlier?

Also: Lakers @ Suns, 5:30p PT on TNT. Go Purple & Gold!

War of the Words

Who the heck is Brian Bruney? He's a reliever for the Yankees, a guy who sounds like he'd be a great henchman in a Jean-Claude movie, and he really hates K-Rod. (And apparently, according to the NY Post, the feeling is mutual.)

BB - [Re: K-Rod's emotional reaction to Luis Castillo's WORST CATCH EVER]: "Unbelievable. I've never seen anything like that. I have, but in high school," Bruney told reporters in Trenton. "It couldn't happen to a better guy on the mound, either. He's got a tired act."

K-Rod: "Instead of sending a message through the paper, next time when he see me at Citi Field come up to me and say it to my face," Rodriguez said. "Don't be sending a message through the media.

"I don't even know who that guy is. Somewhere in Double-A? I believe he hasn't even pitched one full season. He's always been on the DL. That's all I know right now. He better keep his mouth shut and do his job and not worry about somebody else."

K-Rod could have made his response simpler. As I once heard at a roast, "I'd S--T on you, but I don't know who the f--k you are."

I'm hoping Stephen Strasburg goes after Nolan Ryan next.

Nationals Unfazed by Strasburg's Purported Price Tag

From Jon Heyman at SI.com:

The Washington Nationals are primed to select San Diego State star pitcher Stephen Strasburg with the No. 1 overall pick in next month's draft, sources said.

The Nationals will not be scared off by the high price tag expected to be set by the rightander Strasburg, which is believed to be $50 million-plus, a Nationals source said. Asked whether there was any chance they'd take someone else, a team official answered, "No chance I know of."

In a sport where hype is as routine as disappointment, the buzz surrounding Strasburg is palpable. If the chatter is to be believed, this guy will make Tim Lincecum look like Tim Russert. I guess the only suspense left is how close Boras gets to the magical $50M mark.

Earlier: $50 Million?!?!?!? (SoSG)

$50 Million?!?!?!?

Getting his b--- squishing vice ready, Boras is about to blow the roof off the rookie market with his rumored $50 million price tag on Stephen Strasburg. The kid sounds like the real deal. Though for that cost, I'd rather get...