Extra! Extra! (9.13)
Should the Dodgers find themselves on the outside looking in come playoff time, they've officially got their "They'll look back at that one with regret!" game, courtesy of Tuesday night's 9-8, 11 inning loss to the Cubs at Wrigley.
Chicago opened the contest playing about as sharp as actual young bears (yes, they grow up to be fearsome, but aren't known for their glove work) as L.A. built a quick 7-0 lead. Six of those were gift-wrapped by Cubs second baseman Freddie Bynum and his three errors in the first three innings. Maybe at that point the Blue thought the rains were coming? That some sort of mercy rule would be invoked? That the Cubs would continue to field like they had skillets attached to their hands? Only the last one turned out to be true, not that it would matter. In the fifth, Derek Lowe, who had shut out Chicago to that point, surrendered hits to seven of the first eight batters he faced. Toss in a Rafael Furcal error (that throw must have scared the hell out of those people in the first few rows behind first base), and the lead was quickly down to 7-5.
After Brett Tomko loaded the bases in the seventh, Aramis Ramirez golfed a Jonathan Broxton slider into center to tie the game, 7-7. When J.D. Drew suffered a bout of Wall-itis in the eighth, the Cubs took an 8-7 lead.
It was all over, right? Please. That would have been too easy. Proving that bad defense is indeed contagious, the Dodgers turned errors from Gold Glovers Cesar Izturis and Derrick Lee into a run in ninth. Somewhere, Tom Emanski was watching, and he was pissed. In the 11th, after Tim Hamulack thought he had struck out Ramirez to end the inning, Izturis put everyone out of their misery by shooting a grounder up the middle to score pinch runner Juan Mateo (yes, the pitcher). Game over. Dusty Baker called it the wildest game he'd ever seen. We doubt that was a compliment. Not when the box score shows eight errors. Fortunately for the Dodgers, thanks to Jason LaRue, they managed to maintain their 1½-game lead over San Diego in the NL West.
As for Izzy, he was happy to win the game, but isn't holding a grudge against his former employers. He's just happy they found him a place he can play shortstop again. So that means both parties to the deadline deal that brought Greg Maddux to L.A. are pleased (as is Nomar, for the record). Maddux likes his new digs, though he isn't ready to discuss whether he'll return to them next season.
Chad Billingsley, who had his simulated game rained out yesterday, will try again today if the weather cooperates. The delay shouldn't impact his status as the starter for Saturday night, but if he can't get the workout in, the highly coachable Eric Stults will get the call.
TONIGHT'S GAME: The wayward ship that is Brad Penny and his 6.46 second-half ERA will once again try to get back on course (sailing metaphors rock!), against Chicago's Angel Guzman, whose 9.51 post-break ERA actually makes Penny look solid. Heads up on Waveland Avenue.
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This just in:
The Dodgers and Cubs are not allowed on the baseball diamond until Tom Emanski lifts the ban.
Posted by: LoLo | September 13, 2006 at 09:35 AM
Orel F,
They did show some Dodgers fans in the stands, one actually was wearing a grey Dodger hoodie or sweatshirt high fiving other fans. But that was from CLTV(ChicagolandTV), so I dont know where the other bloggers are from, they might not have gotten that shot.
Regarding that dark corner. It looks like JD lost the ball in the lights rather than worrying about crashing into the wall. His reaction looks so much like he didnt want to get hit in the face with the ball and stuck his glove out anyway. Same thing happened to the Cubs right fielder Jones.
Posted by: MTI | September 13, 2006 at 10:10 AM
I have to say that Izturis getting the game-winning hit against the team that discarded him was sweet, as much as I am rooting for the Dodgers.
Posted by: d_f | September 13, 2006 at 10:12 AM
THE CONTINUED USE OF TIMBER KEEP THE DODGERS FROM
BUILDING A SUBSTANTIAL LEAD IN THE WEST. THE CONTINUED USE OF TOMKO WILL PREMATURELY END THE DODGERS SEASON.
I'M STARGAZIN AND I AUTHORIZED THIS MESSAGE
P.S. KNOWING LITTLE, HIS REACTION TO TOMKO'S POOR PERFORMANCE WILL PROBABLY BE TO USE HIM MORE SO
HE CAN OVERCOME HIS "SLUMP" AND "FEEL BETTER ABOUT HIMSELF". TO HECK WITH WINNING THE PEENANT.
Posted by: stargazin | September 13, 2006 at 10:37 AM
I AM CERTAIN THAT LITTLE WILL CONTINUE TO " SHOW
CONFIDENCE" IN TOMKO.
I'M STARGAZIN AND I AUTHORIZED THIS MESSAGE.
Posted by: stargazin | September 13, 2006 at 10:39 AM
What a tough loss yesterday. I feel like Little when I say everything is going to be okay.
Dont you wish a pitcher can ask the umpire where his strike zone is. Geez if that's not a strike to Ramirez, I dont know what a strike is anymore. It sucks cause I feel we lost two games out of the last three because the umps have the head up their butts. 1. That Tomko 2-2 off speed pitch to David Wright on Sat. was a strike and 2. That pitch to Ramirez. Both happened at critical times in the ball game and we lost those games right after it happened.
And one more thing. If I see another Dodger hitter swing at the first pitch at critical at-bats, Im going to strangle someone. I cant take it anymore. Im not naming names (Either) but when there are two outs in extra innings, and the pitcher walks two batters before you. Try to work the count. It's not like you were 3 for 4 earlier in the game. You were 0 for 4. At that point try and get on base anyway you can. It's called baseball not brain surgery. Why must watch professional ball players play like their in little league. It disgusts me cause I wasnt blessed with a over 6 foot frame but I still know this game and you should be ashamed that a regular person knows more about the game than you do. Get your act together boys. NOW
Posted by: Brian | September 13, 2006 at 10:43 AM
WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE.
EARTH TO LITTLE. EARTH TO LITTLE.
HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Posted by: stargazin | September 13, 2006 at 10:50 AM
GEICO SAYS "ITS SO EASY, EVEN A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT."
YEAH BUT CAN GRADY LITTLE DO IT????
THE STAR GUY
Posted by: stargazin | September 13, 2006 at 10:59 AM
BRIAN- NOT ITS NOT "BRAIN SURGERY". LITTLE JUST MAKES IT SEEM LIKE IT IS.
Posted by: stargazin | September 13, 2006 at 11:02 AM
wasabi- thx for trying to raise the bar on font size. your heart's in the right place, don't give up.
AK= ak gets the cyrstal ball award. announing that the game was not "hamalack proof" and in deed it
was not.
baseball gods- please give us a sign. we only want to appease you. some of us in poorer health may
not survive many more games like last night.
have mercy upon us.
Posted by: stargazin | September 13, 2006 at 12:28 PM
Lolo
Stargazin is back on his meds and he is one person now (I guess...)
Stargazin
Do you do the all caps because you're too lazy to hit the shift key? Come on you can do it! It's easy and it's fun!
Sorry, we all need a laugh after that loss.
Posted by: Andy B | September 13, 2006 at 01:08 PM
Wow, yesterday was about the ugliest game of baseball ever played. And to think that I was started to feel sorry for the Cubs around the 4th inning last night.
It looks like we were robbed yet again by another questionable call by the plate umpire. Hamulack should have survived the 11th, and Izturis shouldn't have had a chance for a walk-off RBI, though the Dodgers probably would have found yet another way to lose.
Can anyone give me a reason why Little let Lowe pitch for so long in the 4th after it was clear that he was losing it? Little had no hesitation pulling Penny in an identical situation at Altanta earlier in the season (triggering the first of the Penny outbursts). Oh, wait. It's September, the team is in a pennant race, and with expanded rosters, bullpen arm conservation is hardly an issue. It makes perfect sense why Little wouldn't manage with a sense of urgency.
Posted by: Makoto Ueno | September 13, 2006 at 01:11 PM
andy- thats pretty funny but accurate. you will notice its either all uppercase or all lowercase.
just plain lazy. maybe the king of lazy,huh???
as far as needing a laugh-thats obviously what i'm all about. i'm a very avid fan but you got to keep
your sense of humor . life's too short.
finally found a blog with a sense of humor.
Posted by: stargazin | September 13, 2006 at 02:07 PM
Furcal is no joke! Dude is hot!
GO DODGERS!
mike
Posted by: Michael Teniente | September 13, 2006 at 06:20 PM