Extra! Extra! (6.27)
Dodger rookies haven't spent much time looking overmatched this season, so it was bound to happen at some point. Chad Billingsley, making only his third start in the bigs, was beaten around the Heftydome in Monday night's 8-2 loss to the red-hot Minnesota Twins, stopping L.A.'s winning streak at four (including three against Pittsburgh, which should only really count as 1.5). Billingsley ran into problems from the start. In the bottom of the first, following a Joe Mauer — get used to that name — RBI single, Torii Hunter nearly lit Bills for a grand slam before grounding into an inning-ending double play.
Trouble was only temporarily averted. After one Minnesota run had already scored in the second, a Mauer triple plated two more before Grady Little took a moment to remind Billingsley what he was capable of doing. Billingsley, who said he was trying to be too fine on the corners, managed to escape the frame and stretched his outing to the sixth, but by the time it was over, the box score shows he had given up seven hits (four to Mauer), six runs (five driven in by Mauer), plunked a guy, and worst of all, walked seven. Those are Oliver Perez numbers. That L.A.'s top pitching prospect hasn't seen the seventh in any of his three big league starts shouldn't surprise, since he wasn't doing it at AAA either.
Normally an outing like that would have a kid making sure he had gas money to get back to AAA. Fortunately for Billingsley, he plays for the Dodgers, who are thinner at pitcher than your average St. Louis-style pizza. That's thin. Trust us. Brett Tomko's status for Wednesday's start is still in the air — as is a possible trip to the DL — but barring the miracle touch of a healer, it doesn't look like he'll make it. Odalis Perez will replace him. As for Eric Gagne, the pain in his elbow is now gone, but this round of rehab is going to be slow, in hopes of avoiding the next round.
The good news is Ned Colletti seems to have secured a little help for the starting staff, while simultaneously finding someone to guard San Diego's Chris Young in interdivision pick-up basketball games. Thirty-two-year-old lefty Mark Hendrickson, all 6-foot-9 of him, could be heading to Los Angeles with catcher Toby Hall in exchange for Dioner Navarro in a trade with Tampa Bay. The D-Rays have apparently had their eye on Navarro for a while.
The Metrodome needs more broadcast booths, as the Dodgers' Spanish-language broadcast team learned Monday. It's a problem that should — and needs to be — rectified for tonight's game.
The inventor of the Dodger Dog has passed away at age 84.
Sandy Alomar Jr. has intangibles.
The Elias Sports Bureau has noticed the Twins are beating the snot out of their opponents at home these days. Considering the Dodgers will see Francisco Liriano in tonight's game, followed by Johan Santana on Wednesday, it doesn't figure to get much easier for the Blue. At least with Derek Lowe on the hill for L.A. Tuesday night, it figures to be a potential TiVo moment.
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I just read the article about Navarro getting traded. If that's all they have to give up to get Hendrickson, then by all means it's a good trade. No disrespect to Navarro, but Russ Martin is clearly the franchise catcher now. Big Mark would fit nicely in a rotation that needs a lefty starter. Let's hope this happens
Posted by: Aaron | June 27, 2006 at 09:43 AM
We're dead, HAHA! I hope we somehow salvage one game, but given how bad we have played against the AL on the road, I seriously doubt it.
I was checking out Hendrickson’s stats: I don’t know if I’m reading it right, but for his career do batters have a .291 AVG against him? Not good.
I AM TIRED OF INTER-LEAGUE PLAY!! Selig, end the madness once and for all!!!!
Posted by: LoLo | June 27, 2006 at 09:59 AM
Well, Hendrickson's numbers are mediocre at best, but there seems to be an upside. He'll be pitching in the NL, so in the early innings at least he'll have one potentially easy out every nine batters. Plus, away from the AL East, he won't have to face the Yankees or Red Sox anymore. And, since the Dodgers probably won't play on turf for the rest of the season after this series, his life should get a little easier wearing blue.
Posted by: Makoto Ueno | June 27, 2006 at 10:32 AM
Billingsley looks like he is hanging by a thread. It's a shame the Dodgers have put him in this situation, he's obviously not ready. That being said, once he gets more control of his pitches (almost as many balls as strikes) I think he will be an excellent pitcher.
Baez is turning into a complete bust. It seems like he gives up runs everytime he comes in. Keep him for the 9th inning of games we are behind by 5 or more runs...
Posted by: Andy B | June 27, 2006 at 11:36 AM
Makoto,
Baez and Carter were “good” pitchers that came from Tampa Bay. You would think that them moving to a pitcher’s park and to the NL would make them better. Well, we all know how that has turned out. I am starting to think that Honeycutt is to blame for the pitching woes (both the rotation and the lack of good pitchers in the minors). I wrote something up on that matter in the “Trade Alert” thread. If this guy is a pitcher who needs “tutelage” (unlike a front-of-the-rotation type pitcher) then Honeycutt might end up screwing this guy up as well. Still, I am VERY worried about his BAA. Batters hit in the .300s against him last year. Pitcher’s park or not, if this guy keeps letting hitters get base hits something bad is bound to happen.
Posted by: LoLo | June 27, 2006 at 11:40 AM
Andy B,
I swear, I think I can remember the same thing, verbatim, being said about another top prospect of ours. For the life of me I can’t remember his name. What was it? It’s on the tip of my tongue.
Oh yeah! Edwin Jackson.
Yes, you are right. Bills looks like he is hanging from a thread. Let’s hope we don’t blow up our second top prospect in a row.
Posted by: LoLo | June 27, 2006 at 12:28 PM
Honeycutt may be to blame for this year's pitching woes, but I'm not sure if firing him is going to solve anything. I'm more inclined to believe that Jim Colborn had that 'special something' that caused Dodgers' pitching in years past to overachieve. Here is a list of pitchers who flourished for at least one season under Colborn's guidance between 2001 and 2005:
Kevin Brown
Chan Ho Park
Matt Herges
Terry Adams
Omar Daal
Giovanni Carrara
Darren Dreifort
Kazuhisa Ishii
Hideo Nomo
Odalis Perez
Jeff Weaver
Wilson Alvarez
Jose Lima
I'm sure I'm missing a couple here and there, but all of these guys had career years, or comeback player-type years with the Dodgers between '01 and '05. None of these guys amounted to much after leaving the Dodgers and Colborn.
Do you think there's another guy anywhere in the major leagues that has a similar track record? I just don't agree with firing someone without having a viable replacement ready to take his place.
Posted by: Makoto Ueno | June 27, 2006 at 12:43 PM
Makoto,
Two words as far as the replacement for Honeycutt is concerned...
Orel Hershiser
Posted by: LoLo | June 27, 2006 at 12:55 PM
Yeah, Hershiser would definitely be nice, but I have a feeling he's really happy where he is right now on ESPN. Plus, he already turned down an opportunity to work with the Dodgers once already, so he and the Dodgers probably aren't on the best of terms right now.
Besides, if he came back as a coach, Russell Martin would have to find a new number!
Posted by: Makoto Ueno | June 27, 2006 at 01:27 PM
Makoto,
Here's another idea...
Bring in the Tampa pitching coach. Aparently HE knows how to get Baez and Carter going. With Hendrickson coming over as well, we definately need someone to make sure these three stay on track.
Posted by: LoLo | June 27, 2006 at 01:58 PM