Somebody Check the D.J.
Sorry about the late pregame. Ned Colletti was made available to talk a little trade deadline, so that threw a wrench in the typin'. I'll try to get some of that up today, but I'll offer this as an appetizer: Don't expect big movement. Colletti said he had one deal that still has some life to it and another on life support, but neither sounded groundbreaking in nature. Granted, Colletti was speaking in terms so vague he might as well have been speaking Russian. Stay tuned.
So while we were all gathered in the dugout with Grady Little this morning for today's media information extravaganza, the stadium P.A. was playing U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday." I asked Little if that was a good or bad omen. "Who's request is this?" he asked. "They didn't get that CD out of my car."
Little's rotation, while likely heavy on country, doesn't come exclusively from Nashville. "It depends on what we can find at the pawn shop. You ever buy CDs and DVDs at the pawn shop? You get great deals, man. You can get all kinds of movies at a pawn shop. Check it out sometime."
Little said during his last visit he walked off with a big stack of entertainment options for around $30, so he's got a point. Of course, anyone who frequents the pawn shop knows in-kind trading is key. A little jersey bartering could make removing his wallet unnecessary. "About two weeks ago, the price was going down on that. One week. They'd make me pay them to take it. Timing is a factor," he said.
Before that diversion into Grady's shopping habits, he told us that Nomar would probably be ready for Tuesday's game in Cincinnati, Wednesday at the latest. Or, maybe it'll be Aug. 9, when he's eligible to come off the 15-day DL for his sprained knee. As we mentioned in the last post, he's officially going on the shelf.
As for Jeff Kent, 10 days (give or take, I predict give) still seems to be the magic number for his return. He's started swinging, but the Dodgers are going to treat this injury with kid gloves. "We're going to make doggone sure that he's ready to play before we put him in there," Little said.
It won't necessarily require a rehab stint, though. Little said they can get him up to speed through simulated games and the like. They just want him swinging without any hint of pain.
Given his druthers, Little will hold off on using Takashi Saito again today. The reliever is capable of throwing, but Little hopes to be able to give him another day of rest. "When you turn 37, some things just take a little longer to recover," he said. "I'm sure he feels like he could pitch today, but ideally we'd like to give him one more."
I asked if it was a concern that a long inning from his closer could potentially burn him for a week. "Sure it is. But this guy's been good for us," he said. As a result, Jonathan Broxton could again see the ball in the ninth. Still, Little doesn't anticipate changing closers. "When Saito's ready to pitch, he's done nothing to lose his job."
LINEUPS
Wilson Betemit and James Loney are both in the Dodger lineup, and Alfonso Soriano is suited up for Washington.
Dodgers
Furcal ss
Lofton cf
Drew rf
Ethier lf
Betemit 3b
Loney 1b
Izturis 2b
Hall c
Hendrickson p
Nationals
Soriano lf
Lopez ss
Zimmerman 3b
Johnson 1b
Kearns rf
Church cf
Jackson 2b
Schneider c
Ortiz p
—BK
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Lowe would do well to learn how to hold some runners from Hendrickson.
Posted by: Makoto Ueno | July 30, 2006 at 01:35 PM
The way Hendrickson is mowing them down, Saito's gonna be getting in the game today out of necessity.
Posted by: wmm | July 30, 2006 at 01:36 PM
Down 2-0 already...why isn't Repko in center....he does the little things like able to move the runner unlike Lofton...and plays better defense with a better arm. Or put him in for Drew, people got off his case a little bit for that grand slam but he still sucks!
Posted by: Tom | July 30, 2006 at 01:43 PM
Princess Drew didn't need his back to back days off today! Little loved to rest him before an off day.
Posted by: Tom | July 30, 2006 at 01:45 PM
Nice power by the new guy!
Posted by: Makoto Ueno | July 30, 2006 at 01:46 PM
Loney, A ROOKIE, is a better player than Lofton, able to move the runner over. Trade Lofton!
Posted by: Tom | July 30, 2006 at 01:47 PM
This is pathetic ... infield back and we can't drive in the run.
Posted by: Tom | July 30, 2006 at 01:48 PM
J.D. Drew 2-20 in his last 7 games 1 HR and 4 RBI (that one swing accounted for his run production in 7 games)
Posted by: Tom | July 30, 2006 at 01:58 PM
I fear this is another example of Grady Little not managing his offense. The last couple of nights, home runs have bailed him out, but with guys like Lofton and Izturis at the plate with a chance to move guys over, they shouldn't be swinging away.
Posted by: Makoto Ueno | July 30, 2006 at 02:08 PM
Amazing. Drew finds his power stroke when Kent and Nomar are on the DL. Good going, JD.
Posted by: Makoto Ueno | July 30, 2006 at 02:11 PM
By doing some thinking I realized how many games the coaching has cost the Dodgers. Rich Donnelly, third base coach, constantly sends catchers around to score whether it is Alomar or Hall. The most recent incident was against the Padres, down 4-3, they send Hall home on a single to Cameron, who has a good arm, Hall is thrown out by a mile. Honeycutt doesn't know what he is doing, bottom line. Little is the worst of all. The Dodgers started this losing streak after the all-star break. People don't realize that this happened beacuse Little completely changed the momentum and chemistry of this team when he sent O. Perez to the mound in the fourteenth inning against the Cardinals and Pujols hit that homer off of him. Baez, though not that good himself, was still avaliable and Pujols wasn't 11-14 against him. Perez messed up the momentum and the chemistry by calling the Dodgers treating him like trash.
Posted by: Tom | July 30, 2006 at 02:14 PM
Well, at least Ethier can still hit. All this does is give Little's inadequacies another chance to hide behind some uncharacteristic power.
Posted by: Makoto Ueno | July 30, 2006 at 02:15 PM
Bradley who?
Posted by: Tom | July 30, 2006 at 02:18 PM
Bradley for Ethier .. great move by Ned... he should try doing that again for Cruz Jr.
Posted by: Tom | July 30, 2006 at 02:19 PM
To his credit, Grady Little has put together a neat little lineup today.
Switch
Left
Left
Left
Switch
Left
Switch
Right
Pitcher (Lefty)
Ortiz is marginally worse against lefties.
Posted by: Makoto Ueno | July 30, 2006 at 02:20 PM
Wait a minute... Since when has Davey Lopes been coaching for the Nats? I thought he was still in San Diego?
It's only a couple innings into his first game, but I'm liking Betemit....
Posted by: Eric B. | July 30, 2006 at 02:23 PM
I don't know, Tom, I kind of liked that move by Donnelly. It was an aggressive play that had more pros than cons. I highly doubt the Dodgers would have been able to drive in Hall with 2 outs that day. Remember, Drew had just used up the clutch hit of the day.
Posted by: Makoto Ueno | July 30, 2006 at 02:24 PM
My bad Makoto, i forgot it was Furcal batting after Drew, not Ethier, that would have made a difference.
Posted by: Tom | July 30, 2006 at 02:47 PM
Tom,
If my memory serves, Baez actually wasn't available that game in St. Louis. I wanna say he had the flu. Thus, Little was basically out of options when he put in Perez.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | July 30, 2006 at 03:06 PM
Dany Baez had that flu forever... Must of been bad flu. I hope he didn't pass it around. -=X
Posted by: Anthony T. | July 30, 2006 at 03:17 PM
Are we an homerun hitting team now? WTF?.. -=]
Posted by: Anthony T. | July 30, 2006 at 03:21 PM
See, why can't the Dodgers do that? Leadoff double, runner bunted over to 3rd. Twice today Loney had the presence of mind to pull the ball down the 1st base line with Betemit on 2nd, but Little decides to let Little swing without once showing bunt. I get that Betemit doesn't have much speed, but how many times did Vinny mention that Ortiz was prone to WPs and balks? I'm sure the Dodgers coaching staff got the same scouting report.
At this point, I'll take victories however they come, but the Dodgers should be losing right now.
Posted by: Makoto Ueno | July 30, 2006 at 03:34 PM
Anthony T,
I think Baez never got over that 'bullpen bug'. My guess is that he was the carrier.
Posted by: Makoto Ueno | July 30, 2006 at 03:36 PM
Trade Andy La Roche for Greg Maddux?
Posted by: manny mota | July 30, 2006 at 04:09 PM
Good win...hope Ned gets us Tejada for a package including Furcal and we be rollin!!!
Posted by: Fish Guy | July 30, 2006 at 04:10 PM