Minnesota Bargains

$1 Hot Dogs

Five cents off gas

SEVEN cents off gas

Feeling Minnesota

Greetings from Minnesota

There's also a game against that San Diego team, whose roster is apparently filled with contest winners 

Stupid Answers To Stupid Questions

Kershaw, in a landslide. Even the red states go blue here.

From ESPN.com, August 5, 2014, 7.23p.

Paco Rodriguez: Two Innings, 15-Day DL

Stan Conte is clearly working overtime. Or maybe he isn't, which may be the issue.

Paco Rodriguez, who was just called up to the Dodgers in the hopes he could provide support to a depleted bullpen, has already been put on the 15-day DL with a Teres major strain:

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers' pitching situation worsened on Tuesday when left-handed reliever Paco Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a Teres Major strain, three days after being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque.

Rodriguez was replaced by right-hander Pedro Baez, his third recall this year.

Rodriguez pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the Dodgers Sunday after being recalled to replace Paul Maholm, who was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee suffered Friday night.

It was the first time this year Rodriguez pitched two innings and he didn't bounce back well. On Monday he said he was sore and played pregame catch under the watch of vice president of medical services Stan Conte. At the time, Rodriguez said he didn't think it was serious. The injury is the same one that sidelined Clayton Kershaw for a month earlier this year.

The baseball gods are not liking us. Or, they're not liking Stan Conte.

Post-Game 114 Thread: Halo? Is It Dre You're Looking For?

DODGERS 5, ANGELS 4

I suppose the hero of tonight's game should rightfully be Juan Uribe, who hit a three-run HR in the second to put the Dodgers up 3-2, and then singled with one out in the ninth inning, took third on an A.J. Ellis single (heroic itself, the way Ellis has been batting), and then came home to score the winning run. But it was Andre Ethier's PH walk-off fielders choice, hit to Angels 3B David Freese, which won the game; Freese threw home but Uribe's impact dislodged the ball from Chris Iannetta's glove. Freese got the error, Andre "got" the game-winning "hit," and Dodger fans went home happy.

Looking at the replay, it looks like the Dodgers might have had a case with Iannetta blocking the route to the plate, as well, had that tag been applied. No matter.

Clayton Kershaw was rewarded for his seven-inning performance with a chance to earn his 14th victory, an honor denied when Brian Wilson let Albert Pujols homer in the eighth inning. We did get some early revenge on Pujols in the third inning, when he was thrown out at home by Uribe, squelching a potential Angels rally. Oh, and the hyped Kershaw-Trout showdown? Trout went 2-for-3 with a double, but one strikeout, against Kershaw.

So Dre gets to be the focus of the headline, mostly because he fits the syncopation, but also because he was the target of the jersey-shredding revelry. But bacchanalia aside, these are the kinds of games where if we had lost--which would have meant losing our fourth of five games at home, dropping games with our #1 and #2 starters--this would have been catastrophically horrendous. As it is, the walk-off win gives the Dodgers a split at home before two in Anaheim; and, with the Giants' Panik-ing loss in Milwaukee, the Dodgers move back to 2.5 games up and complete a respectable 5-3 homestand. And I feel a lot better!

But wait, the puns get better!

Game 114 Thread: August 5 vs. Angels, 7p

Clayton Kershaw (13-2, 1.71) vs. Hector Santiago (3-7, 3.76).

After last night's unappetizing opener, let's fast forward to the game for which everyone has been waiting: Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw vs. Angels phenom Mike Trout. The question is, with Kershaw and the Dodgers fishing, will they be able to hook any Trout?

It seems like the Angels always have our number, but the stats are that we're only 40-57 against them (Sax's note: Orel reminds me that 40-57 is indeed pretty horrible. He was always better at math.). And until last night's debacle, we were .500 at home. So all we need is for Yasiel Puig to field fly balls with aggressiveness. And Hanley Ramirez to stop making errors. And A.J. Ellis to get a hit every once in a while. And maybe get a hit with a runner in scoring position. See, that was easy! It should be like shooting fish in a barrel!

Post-Trade Deadline Predictions: Schoenfield Predicts Dodgers in WS

I definitely wouldn't treat this as gospel, but it did make me feel better to read David Schoenfield's ESPN.com piece (having read the article after watching Josh Beckett and Dan Haren blow their Cubs starts).

First, some predictions:

4. The Los Angeles Dodgers made a mistake by not getting Lester or Price.

Prediction: The Dodgers win the NL West.

Josh Beckett didn't do anything to boost the confidence of Dodgers fans with another poor effort on Sunday; he got knocked out after scuffling through 94 pitches in four-plus innings. In three starts since the All-Star break, he has gone 3.2, 4.1 and 4 innings, respectively. Dan Haren has been even worse, with a 10.03 ERA over his past five starts.

Still, I agree with the decision to hold on to Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and Julio Urias. At some point, you need to infuse some youth, and with Pederson heating up again at Triple-A, he may be in the Dodgers' outfield sooner rather than later. The Dodgers will win the West thanks to the best top three in the NL in Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

And last, here's his World Series predictions:

10. The A's are now World Series favorites.

Prediction: OK, I'll go with that. Aren't the A's overdue for some October magic?

So, my post-deadline picks:

AL wild card: Angels over Blue Jays
NL wild card: Giants over Brewers

ALDS: Tigers over Orioles
ALDS: A's over Angels

NLDS: Dodgers over Giants
NLDS: Nationals over Pirates

ALCS: A's over Tigers
NLCS: Dodgers over Nationals

World Series: A's over Dodgers ... Jon Lester wins Game 7 and then signs a $175 million contract with the Dodgers in the offseason. Sam Fuld wins World Series MVP honors. Billy Beane announces retirement and says, "I was never really into this sabermetrics stuff anyway."

How Blatantly Can The LA Times Swipe An SoSG Theme?

August 3, 2014 / 8.01p. Sons of Steve Garvey: Post-Game 112 Thread: The Black Hole of 4 and 5, by Steve Sax

August 4, 2014 / 10.35a. LATimes.com: "How long can Dodgers continue with black hole in back of rotation", by Steve Dilbeck

Two Steves. One similarly-themed headline.

Hmm.

Post-Game 113 Thread: Angels Of Destruction

ANGELS 5, DODGERS 0

I'm not sure what this 1994 movie, whose release date and box office results are unlisted, represented. Let's look at the imdb summary of the 5.4/10-rated movie:

When a controversial rock star is stalked by a psychotic fan, undercover cop Brit Alwood is called in to help. But when Brit's kid sister Jo finds out about the crime, she sets out for revenge. Pulled into the dark, erotic world of sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll, Jo is forced to confront the crazed mind of a vicious serial killer.

Okay, so now let's play mad libs on tonight's game.

When a usually-dependable Dodgers starter is lit up by a multi-double, four-run first inning, center fielder Yasiel Puig is called in to help. But when Puig misplays a fly ball and allows Angels 1B Albert Pujols to tag up from first base and advance, due to lackadaisical play and laziness, he sets out for revenge. Pulled into the dark, steely-cold pitching performance from Angels starter Garrett Richards, who threw a complete-game shutout, Puig is forced to suffer through an 0-for-4 performance (contributing to the team's 0-for-7 with RISP outing), not to mention Hanley Ramirez' two-error night.

Yecch, that makes for a pretty crappy GT. And a pretty crappy movie, too, from the looks of it. Guess I'll wait for more Angels in the outfield (another 1994 classic) tomorrow.

Game 113 Thread: Aug. 4 vs. Angels, 7p

Zack Greinke (12-6, 2.65) vs. Garrett Richards (11-4, 2.74).

Well, isn't this exciting. Both Southern California baseball teams meet for the first time this season, both in legitimate contention for postseason play.

The Dodgers (63-49, in first place ahead of the Giants by 2 games) have stumbled a bit, losing two of three to the last-place (we know, we know) Cubs after spirit-raising sweeps of the Giants and Barves. The Angels (66-44, in second place behind the A's by a game), would be in first place in any other division.

Richards, the Angels' best pitcher to date, takes on the Dodgers' second-best in Greinke. The tenor of both Western divisions could be impacted by this series, so give 'em An-hel, Dodgers!

Giants Get Chewie, And Dodgers Get Palpatine? Screw Off.

I suppose, a nice effort from this guy, but this character assassination is pretty weak, in the sauce department.

Click through for the other teams' logos. At least we're not Cleveland, I suppose.

Post-Game 112 Thread: The Black Hole Of 4 and 5

CUBS 7, DODGERS 3

As the movie poster says, "You can't escape the most powerful force in the universe." That may be true for Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun-Jin Ryu; however, when we throw up Dan Haren or Josh Beckett this second half of the season, much like a black hole, you can't escape the suck.

Beckett had yet another non-quality start, this time going 4.0 IP before being pulled three batters into the fifth, having given up two more runs to put the Dodgers down 3-1. Beckett did have 6 Ks to go with his 3 BBs, but was as shakey as a pizza parlor and Mattingly had no choice but to go to the pen early...which proved fateful when Brandon League and Chris Perez combined to give up four runs in the last two innings to put the game out of reach. Not even Matt Kemp, who homered again and went 2-for-4 on the day, could claw back this deficit.

You might have heard this once or ten thousand times during the broadcasts, but when a last-place team comes out and spanks you Friday, and again Sunday (and our Saturday win was only due to extra-inning heroics), it doesn't give one a lot of confidence. Nor does the back half of our starting rotation, which seems universally catastrophic. Better fire up those waiver wire deals, Neddie.

Game 112 Thread: August 3 vs. Cubs, 1p

Josh Beckett (6-5, 2.74) vs. Edwin Jackson (5-11, 5.79).

Edwin Jackson was a 19-year old Dodger prospect in 2003; he lasted three seasons with the Dodgers and posted a 6-4 record with a 5.50 ERA and a 75 ERA+. It wasn't until 2009, two stops later, when Jackson made an All-Star Game; he's languished overall with a career 4.57 ERA / 92 ERA+. With the Cubs the last two seasons, he's worse: 13-29 with a 5.31 ERA and a 73 ERA+. Still, given the issues with four and five in our rotation, including #4 starter Josh Beckett this afternoon, might we be singing "I Want You Back" to Jackson?

If you ask me, the register is just too high, even for Jackson. Not to mention that crazy sunburst collar. (The afro is sweet, however; Edwin should look into that.) With our exhausting of the bullpen yesterday night, it would be great if Beckett could go long and save some arms for the upcoming two-game "series" vs. the Angels. I'm not even asking for a no-hitter, Josh. Just a solid outing.

And then maybe we'd sing, "I Want You Beck(ett)".

Colletti's Lack Of Trade Deadline Movement Earns Him Passing Grade

Now that Jim Bowden has had time to digest all the trade deadline moves, he ranked Dodgers GM Ned Colletti down the list, at a "C" grade (link insider only):

Ned Colletti, Los Angeles Dodgers / Grade: C

Trades: Traded Jonathan Martinez to Cubs for second baseman Darwin Barney.

Analysis: Sometimes the best trades you make are the ones you don't make, and that was the case here. The Dodgers were able to keep all of their elite prospects, and in staying quiet at the deadline (other than the minor trade for Barney, who has been assigned to Triple-A) , the management showed its players that it has confidence they can win a World Series with what they have.

The Tigers' Dave Dombrowski led all GMs with his move for David Price, and an A grade. The Giants' Brian Sabean picked up a B for snagging Jake Peavy.

Depressing Starting Pitching News

First off, Paul Maholm, potential starter given the struggles in the back of our rotation, is out for the year with an ACL tear suffered Friday:

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers left-handed reliever Paul Maholm suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Friday night and is lost for the rest of the season.

Lefty reliever Paco Rodriguez was recalled to replace Maholm in the bullpen. Rodriguez had a 4.40 ERA at Triple-A Albuquerque, where he threw a perfect inning Friday night. This is the third recall this year for Rodriguez, who also was on the Opening Day roster.

Maholm underwent an MRI that revealed the tear. The Dodgers said treatment plans are still to be determined, but the injury almost certainly will require reconstructive surgery. Maholm tore the ACL in his left knee in high school.

If you go to the link, you can see the play where Maholm got hurt, but it's not something you'll want to see. I feel bad for Maholm, as you never want to see a guy in blue go down like that. Get well soon, Paul.

In other depressing news, Dan Haren, who has lost the groove that Stella had found, has no choice but to take his next start Wednesday, against the Angels:

LOS ANGELES -- Right-hander Dan Haren had another rough outing Friday in an 8-2 loss to the Cubs, but as of now the Dodgers are still planning to start him Wednesday against the Angels.

"As I sit here today, Danny goes," manager Don Mattingly said Saturday. "I guess anything could change. You don't know what could happen between now and then. There's no plans, no talk of changing."

Haren allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings Friday, earning his fifth straight loss. Haren has a 10.03 ERA in that five-game losing streak, allowing 36 hits and six home runs in 23 1/3 innings. Opponents have hit .340 with a 1.016 OPS in that stretch.

After going 5-3 with a 3.28 ERA in his first 11 starts, Haren has going 3-6 with a 6.52 ERA in has last 11.

After Red Patterson, the next option for the Dodgers is Zach Lee, who is 6-10 with a 5.22 ERA in Triple-A ball this year. Gosh I'm hoping Beckett can figure it out, quick.

Post-Game 111 Thread: Gordon, Ramsie Cook Up A Storm

No, not this Gordon Ramsay.

DODGERS 5, CUBS 2 (12)

With the exception of Matt Kemp's two-run HR in the fourth, the Dodgers looked pretty weak offensively tonight: 0-for-13 with RISP going into the pivotal 12th inning. But with two out, Dee Gordon singled to center (off the glove of Cubs SS Starlin Castro, if I recall correctly), then stole second base. Justin Turner worked a full count and walked anyway, leading to Hanley Ramirez--who nailed a line drive HR to left field, winning the game 5-2.

It would have been great to have seen this highlight, but my f'ing internet feed dropped right as HanRam started his at bat. But enough about me. (Just saw the highlight, which I've conveniently embedded below, because I'm a giver (unlike mlb.tv). Why the Cubs' Blake Parker hung a curve up there for Hanley, who was waiting for it on a 1-0 count; I don't know. It was cool to see the ball go into the left-field Dodgers' bullpen, and see Chris Perez in there with his arms raised up. According to Vin, that was HanRam's first career walkoff HR.)

Hyun-Jin Ryu went 7.0 IP and had 9 H but only 2 ER, with 1 BB and 6 Ks. The Dodgers trotted out everyone after that (Brandon League, J.P. Howell, Kenley Jansen, Brian Wilson (who had an impressive business-like tenth inning)), but capped it with Jamey Wright, who had a very nice 2.0 IP with 2 hits but 2 Ks, most notably on Justin Ruggiano with two on and two out in the 12th. Thankfully, we didn't have to go to Chris Perez (who was next in, given Adrian Gonzalez PH for Wright in the 12th, striking out).

But it was a long, strange, rainy evening at the Stadium. As for a gutty win that barely gets us over a weak Cubs team? I'll take it.

Game 111 Thread: Aug. 2 vs. Cubs, 6p

There's a stock photo for every occasion.

Hyun-Jin Ryu (12-5, 3.44) vs. Tsuyoshi Wada (1-1, 3.38).

Earlier this season it seemed the Dodgers were beating the bad teams but losing to the good ones. Lately it's been the opposite: After sweeping the second-place Barves, the Dodgers got whomped by the Cubs last night, thereby ruining our hamburger meme. Let's see if Ryu has any stopper in him.

Post-Game 110 Thread: Six Days Of Burgers Leads To Hendricks Hangover

CUBS 8, DODGERS 2

You know what happens after nothing but burgers for six straight days (not including a day off in there)? Your entire body revolts, with shit flying out of your colon that you swear has to include a couple of organs.

Such was the evening at Chavez Ravine, when the Dodgers did their best to give the woeful 46-62 Cubs a hospitable series opener. First, we served up Dan Haren on a plate, whose BP session this time lasted only 4.1 IP (8 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2BB and 3Ks). Haren's third inning meltdown was also helped by a throwing error by Matt Kemp, in a frame that saw a 1-1 tie turn into a 4-1 deficit.

Haren inexplicably came back out in the fifth to load the bases with one out, and Chris Perez kept up the hospitality by allowing three more runs to score, making it 7-1 and for all intents and purposes completing the game. Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks did his Dartmouth Green proud (not to mention his family and friends) by surviving a shaky first inning and settling down with a seven-inning, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER session.

On top of that shit burger, the Dodgers were felled in the field as well: Adrian Gonzalez bruised his right knee sliding unsuccessfully in the vicinity of the plate (and getting tagged out); Yasiel Puig left the game early with mild left hamstring soreness (not to mention something that was bothering him in the right side of his mouth, for much of the game); and Paul Maholm injured his right knee covering first base. A.J. Ellis also took a foul tip off his right knee for the second straight game. Haren, for what it's worth, was not injured in the game, not that Dodgers.com writer Ken Gurnick didn't speak for all Dodger fans wondering, why not?

Look, we swept the division rival Giants in their house, and then the always tough Braves at home. None of those games involved Dan Haren, and when we tried to trot him out there today, even the Cubs feasted on him. So it goes. Let's hope this passes through the system, and isn't E Coli. In the meantime, we should probably get some nutrition!

Hat tip to SoSG Gnomes for the picture idea

Game 110 Thread: Aug. 1 vs. Cubs, 7pm

Dan Haren (8-8, 4.49) vs. Kyle (Sadly, not Christina) Hendricks (1-1, 2.33)

While the SoSG burger meme continues to be exceptionally good luck for the Dodgers, trying to find Dodger-burger connections is proving to be increasingly difficult. Thankfully, a little restaurant in Tampa*, Florida called Danny's All-American Diner & Dairy Bar has come to our rescue! Their weekly special this very week just happens to be...

A Danny Burger with grilled veggies and a sun-dried tomato, roasted garlic and goat cheese spread!

A Danny Burger straight from Chavez Ravine! It's like FATE. Because, above all else, Dodger Stadium is known for its grilled veggies, sun-dried tomatoes, and goat cheese spread.

Though, I'm pretty sure Danny Haren isn't exactly "A L.A. favorite" at the moment, but just work with me here. Not all of these references are going to be 100% Grade A.

*See? We did get help from Tampa this week, after all!