Official Los Angeles Dodgers Season Thread: NLCS vs Phillies

[jpap348]

big opportunity to grab 1st place...wasted

 

[Los Angeles]

Wow, I'm still bitter right now.

That game was so important because it would have placed the Dodgers 1/2 game atop the NL west with the D'backs tryna catch up.

Jeff Kent continues to produce at that 3 spot. He smashed that ball to Left Field, giving us a 2-1 lead ....

even some Giants fans left after that ....

Then Broxton, there's a reason the organization hasn't made him a closer for almost 3 years ... he has overpowering stuff, but he can't changespeeds effectively and seems to choke at the closer role.

Now setup, he's money - I hope Torre experiments that closer role just like he did with the 3 spot.

I say put Brox as setup and try Kuo at closer.

Also pickup Maddux, send trancoso back down and lets prepare for the final push to the playoffs.

Bills
Lowe
Penny
Kuroda
Kershaw
Maddux

6 man rotation to keep the arms fresh.

Jason Johnson, CHP and the rest of the gang do some spot starts here and then, and lets win some damn games.

 

[p mac one]

Kuo can't pitch back-to-back days because he's had like 9 TJ surgeries. Broxton will be fine, it was one game. Even Mariano Rivera blows saves.

 

[Los Angeles]

comparing Mariano Rivera to Brox?

 

[Los Angeles]

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Hudson hurts wrist, could miss season

Second baseman suffers fracture going for throw on Saturday

By�Mike Ritter�/�MLB.com
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PHOENIX -- D-backs second baseman Orlando Hudson walked off the field holding his wrist in the sixth inning of Saturday night's game against the Braves.
Hudson could miss the rest of the season after suffering a dislocation fracture of a bone in his left wrist which occurred while attempting to snare an errant throw from pitcher Juan Cruz.

Hudson, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, is hitting .305 with eight homers and 41 RBIs and had consistently been slotted in the second and third spots in the lineup this season. He will consult with a hand specialist to determine the extent of the injury.

D-backs manager Bob Melvin said the team was not sure if Hudson's injury would require surgery, but was not optimistic about his player's prospects.

"If he has the surgery, he's out for the rest of the year," said Melvin. "If he doesn't, there's still a chance he could be out for the rest of the year."

Hudson was injured in a bizarre play that started when a line drive off the bat of Brian McCann got past third baseman Mark Reynolds with the bases loaded and two outs. Reynolds went after the ball as it rolled into the outfield. Then Reynolds threw the ball to shortstop Stephen Drew, who was covering third, and the ball got past him. Cruz, who was backing Drew up on the play, threw the ball down to second when McCann broke towards the bag, but his off-target throw pulled Hudson toward first base.

Hudson's glove pressed against McCann's stomach, bending his wrist back as he fell to the ground. The second baseman rolled around and winced in pain for a few minutes before walking off the field holding the wrist.

The D-backs suffered another scare on the following play when McCann was stealing third base and ran into Mark Reynolds, who tripped and fell on his left shoulder. Reynolds remained in the game.
Mike Ritt

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Dodgers, Broxton put loss behind them

Los Angeles (58-5 at San Francisco (49-66), Sun., 1:05 p.m. PT

By�Ken Gurnick�/�MLB.com
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Having pitched in three consecutive games, Jonathan Broxton might not even be available to bounce back Sunday from his blown save Saturday night.
But with Takashi Saito's replacement or without him, the Dodgers have no choice but to bounce back from a disappointing defeat as they wrap up the series against the Giants with the first-place Phillies and second-place Brewers next on the schedule.

"We have to, if we expect to do something special and play in October," said manager Joe Torre. "You just move on. There's not a lot we did that we'd do different."

Torre said "I don't intend to stop giving him opportunities" after Broxton let a 2-1 lead in the 10th inning turn into a 3-2 loss to the Giants. It was the first blown save for Broxton after seven successful conversions since he assumed the closer role three weeks ago.

"It's part of baseball," said Broxton. "Everybody's human. You bounce back as good as you can. I have to clear my mind and come back [Sunday]. That's the big thing and I've been able to do that my whole career real fast."

Broxton said letting a lead get away to cost a game is the same in the ninth or 10th innings for a closer as it is in the eighth inning for a setup man. Before getting Saito's job, Broxton had let five leads get away from his setup role this season.

Torre said he couldn't fault Broxton's velocity and gave him a pass on the throwing error on a key play at the plate during the Giants' winning rally.

If Broxton is unavailable Sunday and he needs a closer, Torre will probably go with Hong-Chih Kuo, who pitched one perfect inning Saturday night. Chan Ho Park pitched 2 2/3 innings Friday night.

Pitching matchup
LAD: RHP Chad Billingsley (11-9, 3.01 ERA)
There was nothing wrong with Billingsley's follow-up to his first shutout as he pitched five strong innings in St. Louis, but two rain delays shortened his outing. He was charged with one run and struck out six without a walk. He lowered his ERA to 3.01, lowest among Dodgers starters.

SF: RHP Matt Cain (7-9, 3.60 ERA)
It's safe to say Cain is on a roll following a bumpy June and early July. In his past three starts, the righty has limited opponents to one run or less, including his win against the Braves in his last outing. In 6 2/3 innings, Cain allowed a lone run despite walking five -- he hadn't issued a free pass in his previous two starts. He attacked batters with his overpowering fastball, notching his seventh win, matching his 2007 total.

Tidbits
Andre Ethier had two hits and nearly a third Saturday night. He is 9-for-18 at AT&T Park this season with four extra-base hits. Ethier, Jeff Kent and Manny Ramirez went a combined 7-for-14 Saturday night, but as a team the Dodgers went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners. ... James Loney returned to the lineup after missing his first game of the year Friday night. ... The Dodgers game in Philadelphia on Aug. 24 will be telecast nationally by ESPN and the start time has changed to 5:05 p.m. PT. ... Brad Penny's thoroughbred Synnin N Grinnin is entered in Sunday's fifth race at Del Mar.

 

[frenchblue23]

Blown saves happen, he was what, 7 for 7 in saves?

Dodgers should have scored more than 2 runs last night, they had so many opportunities to drive in runs.

I love Kuo for the closers role, IF his arm hadn't been butchered so many times already. He's a great situational pitcher.

 

[Los Angeles]

[h1]MANNY'S REVENGE: EYES BX.[/h1]
[h3]By GEORGE A. KING III[/h3]
Posted: 3:54 am
August 9, 2008

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Having successfully orchestrated his divorce from Boston and his landing in with the Dodgers, Manny Ramirez would like to make life miserable for the Red Sox during the next few seasons.

According to people who have spoken to the eccentric outfielder since he was dealt to L.A. on July 31, Ramirez wants to sign a free-agent deal with the Yankees New York Yankees

this offseason and get 19 chances a year to punish Boston.

"He wants to play for the Yankees so he can get at the Red Sox," a close friend of Ramirez's told The Post.

Of course, every free agent says he wants to play for the Yankees. They pay well, will always have a chance to make the postseason, and when they show an interest in a free agent, the price from other clubs skyrockets.

Considering Ramirez is represented by Scott Boras, every imaginable angle will be played when the 36-year-old, a product of George Washington High School in Washington Heights, will become a free agent following the World Series.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman would not comment on the situation. Ramirez forced the Red Sox to deal him to the Dodgers by badmouthing the organization, not hustling and sitting out a July 25 game against the Yankees with a knee injury that didn't show up on an MRI the next day.

Once Ramirez was dealt, two club options for $20 million (2009-10) were eliminated.

Ramirez, the premier run producer of his generation and a Hall of Fame lock, has hit four homers in his first six games for the Dodgers, giving him 514 for his career.

So many Manny articles

 

[frenchblue23]

I'll believe it when Manny comes straight forward and says "I want to play for the Yankees next year"

 

[mr jordan04]

Manny's gone at the end of the year

 

[Los Angeles]

Damn Kemp gets to second with no outs, Ethier lines out to Rowand, Kent caught looking, Manny dinged in the head, 2 runners on 2 out and Loney swings at thefirst pitch ....

Dave Roberts continues to swing a hot bat gets in scoring position and Wynn drives him in ...

1-0 giants

Dbacks up 2-0 vs atl

 

[Los Angeles]

Tim McClennum (sp) pausing when calling balls and strikes is irritating.

 

[cl2423]

Right as I turn on the TV, Manny comes thru again....

Hopefully bullpen closes the game for us today.

 

[jpap348]

MANNY!

 

[Los Angeles]

Manny you're a damn beasssttt!

Looks like AZ is gonna win, so that lost last night was big.

 

[Los Angeles]

Troncoso bout to @*!$ everything all up.

 

[Los Angeles]

Oh hell no, this aint a good look.

 

[Los Angeles]

Son of a mother *$%%+! .....

 

[krey1231]

Why not put Broxton back in, get his confidence back up. Damn Casey..

 

[Los Angeles]

I can't believe this @%@! .... what a *#$+@$ joke

 

[TheGodFresco]

Great series guys

 

[jpap348]

did we really just blow two back-to-back 9th inning leads to the giants? ridiculous

 

[cl2423]

Disgusting.

Going to the game tomorrow. Don't even want to anymore on this sour note.

 

[Los Angeles]

Our bull pen is really huffin&puffin as the season is nearing to the end ... I guess its due to the fact how overworked they were in the beginning of theseason when our starting pitchers couldn't even go 5 innings, but still that's no excuse.

Manny drove in 2 big runs, the yankees better start making him a new jersey, I bet he's frustrated as hell in Dodger blue

 

[ooiron manoo]

Unbe-freaking-lievable, there is no excuse for blowing those two leads in the past two games. Instead of having a 4-2 road trip, we end up with a 2-4 roadtrip. Instead of being 1/2 a game up on the D'Backs with the Phillies coming to town, we end up 1.5 back,

. So many bad things I could say, so manybotched plays. Too many winable games on this road trip that were simply blown.

 

[dland24]

Another year of spectating in October.