PROGRAMMING NOTE:  LIVE BLOG TONIGHT!  AK will be at the Ravine, hosting the fun, starting at game time.  Stop by if you can.

After an incredibly productive 16 year career, Mike Piazza is calling it quits.  For many in LA, the May 15, 1998 trade that sent him to Florida is still considered a black moment in the city's history.   Before being moved, Piazza was a Rookie of the Year (1993) and five time All Star for the Blue, and will go down in the annals as one of the great offensive catchers the game has ever seen. 

In other catching news, the Dodgers have placed Gary Bennett on the DL with a case of plantar fasciitis.  Danny Ardoin was brought up from Vegas to take his spot.   

Good Audio from last night I forgot to post:  Matt Kemp- Download matt_kemp_5.19.mp3

BK

Okay, maybe this Cincinnati team isn't quite that good, but still, the Reds arrived at Dodger Stadium Monday night having won six straight games, then built a 4-0 lead on the Dodgers after their half of the third.  So armed with that information, LA's 6-5 comeback win over the Reds seems a lot more impressive. It took a combination of excellent bullpen work, some clutch hitting, and a little help from the Reds, who definitely did the Blue some favors via faulty leather.  But let's focus on what the Dodgers did right, right?  Start with Matt Kemp, who was 4-4 with a walk, and threw out two Cincinnati runners from centerfield.  Or the 14 hits the box score shows they pounded out, including multiple knocks for five different players.  None, of course, were bigger than the ninth inning, one out, bases loaded, game winning single from Blake DeWitt, who continues to play beyond his years. 

After losing two of three in Anaheim in rather putrid fashion, the Dodgers had the pleasure of welcoming the Cincinnati Reds, owners of a six game win streak fueled by a scorching hot Adam Dunn, to Chavez Ravine.  That was enough to make Dodger fans nervous.  When the National Anthem was scuttled by a wonky stadium sound system, it seemed like a bad omen.  When a shaky Brad Penny allowed four runs over the first three innings, spotting the Reds a 4-0 lead, fans of the Blue likely turned their attention to whatever reality show the picture box folk air on Monday nights.  After all, the Dodgers hadn't overcome a deficit of more than a three runs all year. 

Bad move.   

After the tough start, the Dodgers came flying back, using a wicked combination of hitting, bullpen work, and solid defense (really!), coming all the way back to beat the Reds 6-5 on a Blake DeWitt single in the bottom of the ninth.  As good a win as the Dodgers have had all year.  Be sure to read the notes  in the breakdown below for updated  news on Andruw Jones.

The Dodgers don't like it, at least if today's happenings are any indication.  As they were taking their hacks, the Blue were serenaded, or should I say irritated, by the sound check provided for famous (for a violin player) and attractive (for anyone) violin player Miri Ben-Ari.  Personally, I enjoyed the preview, but judging by some of the grumbling on the field, apparently the Blue would prefer to swing without accompaniment.  At one with their thoughts, if you will. 

In less musical news, Andruw Jones is on the bench with a combination of bad mojo and a swollen right knee.  The injury isn't considered that bad (no, that isn't intended to bring you down), and Joe Torre did say that if he had to, Jones could have gone tonight.  But given how his already shaky mechanics flew out the window this weekend in Anaheim, Torre didn't hesitate to give him an evening of rest.  "Just a combination.  He really struggled with the bat.  Yesterday, he really struggled and was flying out with his front side and everything like that, so I decided to give him the night off.  I don't think it's going to hurt him." 

Safe to say, the Dodgers are happy this "Freeway Series" attraction will be tabled until late June.  Perhaps by then we'll see the Blue figure out the formula for winning two or three against their (waaaaay) crosstown rivalry, because as evidenced by yesterday afternoon's 10-2 fall, which clinched a series loss.   If nothing else, the Dodgers definitely won't mind not seeing Mike Napoli for a while.  To be blunt, dude beat the snot out of them on Sunday, homering twice and racking a grand total of five ribbies on the day.  Not bad for a part-time dish minder (and certainly better when compared to backup Gary Bennett, particularly when you take into account the defensive side of things).  Even taking into account that one long ball came against Scott Proctor in relief, Napoli still got his share of licks against starter Derek Lowe, doing more than his share to tag an "L" in the box score next to Sir Sinker Ball's name.  Of course, some infield communication lapses didn't help Lowe's cause, but the bottom line is that he (along with ace-ish counterpart Brad Penny) aren't providing stability at the top of the Joe Torre's rotation.  Skip digs the way Chan Ho Park and Hong-Chih Kuo are teaming up to make some noise, but without a strong presence from the bread and butter hurlers, more results like the one on Sunday are likely in the works. 

The Dodgers, beneficiaries of great performances at the plate from Russell Martin and Blake DeWitt and Chan Ho Park and Hong-Chi Kuo on the mound on their way to a 6-3 win Saturday afternoon in Anaheim against the Angels, will look to make it two of three this afternoon in, oh, a couple hours.  Brad Penny's scheduled start will be delayed by a day as a result of arm stiffness after a between-starts bullpen session, and Derek Lowe, working on short rest, will swap spots with him.  Jered Weaver pitches for LAAoA. 

Jason Schmidt had a successful rehab outing for the Class A Inland Empire 66ers. Not quite as good a day as John Lindsey had for the 51's in Vegas, but still pretty good.  Nine batters, 34 pitches, three Ks, one walk. 

Very interesting column today from Bill Shaikin of the LAT, discussing the trend for smaller market teams to lock up their best young players early, assuming the risk of diminished performance for salary certainty through the years of arbitration and early free agency.  With the likes of Russell Martin, James Loney, Chad Billingsley, Andre Ethier, and Matt Kemp, certainly the Blue will be in a position to follow suit.  Shakin argues, though, that teams like the Dodgers, who can pay the prevailing market rate for good players, don't have to dive in with early money.  Shaikin reports that the Blue have twice tried to open the early-contract door with Russell Martin, and were twice turned down.  It's an interesting debate, and the risks are substantial (ask the Indians if they'd like that Travis Hafner money back...).  Which leads to today's QOTD:

Should the Dodgers do what they can to lock up their best young players sooner rather than later?  If so which ones do you want to see signed first?

BK

Assuming that's your approach, it's fair to say that the Dodgers totally own the Angels.  After all, on Saturday afternoon, with their fifth starter on the hill and coming off a tough loss the night before, the Blue came out and beat the Angels in Anaheim, 6-3, only their fourth win in the last 19 tries at the Big A.  Whatever.  In this "what have you done for me lately" world, all that matters is the here and now, right?  After all, they can't go back and win the games they've already lost to them.  Might as well start a new streak, and after dropping five in a row, the Blue seem to have turned the ship around.  They've now won three of four, buoyed today by a homer from Blake DeWitt, three hits from Russell Martin, and an extremely strong performance from the tandem of Chan Ho Park and Hong-Chih Kuo. 

Click below for the breakdown. 

Second verse, and the Blue hope it's not the same as the first.  Chan Ho Park vs. Ervin Santana on a bright, sunny day.  Can't beat that. 

Hi folks.  I'm on my way down to Anaheim now, but we'll have a Live Blog for you this afternoon from the Big A.  Dodgers vs. Angels, Game 2 of this year's Freeway Series.  Hope you can join in.  The window should be live around 12:45, in time for the 12:55 start. 

Thanks.

BK

Another game against the Angels, another loss for the Dodgers, this time a 4-2 clunker Friday night at the Big A.  For those of you keeping score at home, that's nine losses in their last 10 tries against the Angels.  No doubt, Halos starter Joe Saunders pitched well, as he's done all season, but once again that thing that seems to mess with the Dodgers every time they travel down the five reared it's ugly head again tonight.  Two errors, other defensive miscues, flares that fall in for the bad guys, balls in the dirt, Andruw Jones called out at first for making a move towards second after Angels shortstop Erick Aybar airmailed Casey Kotchman at first. 

That sort of thing.   

Against a team that requires a crisp, heavy starch comportment, the Dodgers were a pile of rumpled linen.  Click below for the breakdown.