'Cause the Dodgers are the Champions.  Of what is yet to be determined, but Saturday afternoon's 4-2 win over the hated Giants put the Dodgers in the postseason, and gave fans what I'm sure will be the incredibly satisfying and lasting image of their boys celebrating on San Francisco's home turf.

Enjoy your Saturday night.

BK

Here are your starting lineups.  Philly is holding on against the Marlins, and the Cards have taken the lead against Milwaukee.  Pads kick off at 1:15 as well. 

BK

At the very least, there will be playoff.  Not necessarily playoffs, but at least the one (possibly two) game variety that allows a team to officially qualify for the postseason.  With Friday night's 4-3 comeback win in San Francisco, the Dodgers whittled their magic number down to one, clinching no worse than a tie for the Wild Card and a birth in the Hall of Fame of Obscure Statistics.  A Dodger win or a Philadelphia loss, and the Blue are in.  At the same time, with San Diego's 3-1 loss to Arizona, L.A. is once again knotted up with the Pads for the lead in the NL West.  The decisive blows came in the ninth off San Francisco closer Mike Stanton.  Jeff Kent led off with a single, and was replaced by Jason Repko.  Back in the dugout, he went into information sharing mode with Olmedo Saenz.  Good move.   After J.D. Drew struck out looking- give him a break, since Drew's two run homer in the seventh put L.A. in position to make the comeback- Russell Martin drew a walk. 

Grady Little sent Saenz to the plate for Marlon Anderson, despite some numbers that might have suggested otherwise, and inspired by Kent's information and a little help from upstairs, Saenz spoiled an inside cutter from Stanton (so far in, it eventually came back to the mound smeared with pine tar), squirting a soft liner to right to score Repko.  After a hustling Julio Lugo beat out a potential double play ball, Stanton bounced one through the wickets of Eliezer Alfonzo.  Martin scores, 4-3 Blue.  Takashi Saito shut the door in the ninth.  Jenga. 

Philly's ahead 14-2, so nobody's ready to concede anything yet.  Got to win.

BK

They say kids these days like offense.  More hits than the Billboard Top 40.  More runners than the Boston Marathon.  If that's true, Thursday's 19-11 win against the Rockies is ripe for ESPN Instant Classic candidacy.  If nothing else, it'll be one of those box scores James Loney cuts out for his refrigerator door.  After all, when you enter a game with eight RBI and exit with seventeen, that's pretty good.   His nine ribbies in a single game set a National League record for rookies, and last we checked the National League is pretty old.  Plus, he tied Gil Hodges for the franchise record.  At worst it was a decent pitch for a regular gig at first next season.  Combined with the Phillies losing at Washington, the win put L.A. in prime position to clinch a Wild Card birth this weekend in San Francisco, where Barry is playing well (not that the Giants planned on rolling over if he wasn't).  Two games up with three to play.  And with San Diego a mere game ahead, the division isn't out of reach, either.  Not for a team so hot they're on fire. 

The 2006 Dodgers has been nothing if not interesting, and you can take a pick from a variety of reasons. If you like your teams absurdly streaky, the Dodgers had you covered and then some. If you enjoy the return of local products done (and still doing) good, Nomar Garciaparra certainly fits the bill. Junkie for roster turnover? First-year GM Ned Colletti pulled that off. Twice. For that matter, Colletti's arrival itself, along with new skipper Grady Little, have given fans plenty to keep their eye on.

But for my money, the most enjoyable and exciting part of this season has been watching a plethora of rookie talent develop and make their presence felt. And make a difference, often carrying the team through stretches when the veterans were injured or under-performing. They've become a huge part of this team's present and future, and for that, Dodgers fans should be very optimistic.

There have been a lot of first year guys making contributions all season, but the five guys who've spent the most time up are Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, Andre Ethier, Russell Martin and Takashi Saito (36 years old, but a rookie nonetheless). I caught up with all five throughout last week and will be posting a series of interviews with each. Today's chats are with Takashi Saito and Jonathan Broxton, the closer and set up man respectively who've become (along with Joe Beimel) the rocks of an otherwise frequently erratic relief staff. With Eric Gagne, Yhency Brazoban and newly acquired Danys Baez in the fold, neither was predicted in April to play huge roles, and they didn't start the season with the club. But after Gagne and Brazoban's early season-ending injuries and Baez's ineffectiveness got him dealt to Atlanta, the pair became a tandem and ran with it. In talking with both, I learned about- among other things- the difference between Japanese and American baseballs and Broxton's steadiness in the face of projectile towels (much less random after you read the interview). Here's what they had to say.

(Note: Saito's interview was translated for me with the assistance of Mayumi Inaba, a reporter with JATV. Mayumi is awesome and did this for me out of the goodness of heart, which I really appreciate. For those readers who can speak Japanese, check out some of her work.)

Andrew Kamenetzky: What's the experience been like for you, your first season in the Major Leagues?

Takashi Saito: I just wanted to come here to be on the mound for one (game) at the Major League level, but it's been a wonderful and exciting season, more than I expected.

AK: Was were some of the bigger adjustments for you going from the Japanese league to playing here?

TS: The ball's stitches are much bigger here in America, so it gets a really big curve and the slider gets really pronounced, so it's been difficult. I've had to adjust for that. And the mound is more solid. But now I've gotten used to it and I think that I like it more here.

When the Rockies rocked Brad Penny for three runs in the bottom of the first during L.A's eventual 19-11 win, it looked really, really ugly for the Blue.  Chad Billingsley was warm and ready to go before the Dodgers finished the inning.  Once it was done, so was Penny, yanked ostensibly because of his sore back (though his performance couldn't have helped). 

That all happened before James Loney had a chance to bat.  His second inning grand slam off Byung-Hyung Kim gave the Dodgers a brief 4-3 lead.  They hung another four on Colorado in the third, two on a Loney double.  The Rockies roared back into the lead in fourth, with a touchdown and extra point (that's seven runs for you non-footballers).  That was before Loney tied the game with a single in the fifth.  And just in case the Rockies had any crazy comeback ideas, Loney hit a two run jack in the sixth as L.A. lit Colorado for seven of their own.   Should you have been keeping score at home (and seriously, if you were, why?), that's nine RBI (tying a Dodgers record) for the young first baseman, only playing because Nomar Garciaparra is currently being held together by chewing gum and high grade twine. 

So it's on to San Francisco with no less than a one game lead over Philly, and no more than a one game deficit to San Diego.  Time for a little scoreboard watching, Dodger fans!

More on the game tomorrow.

BK

Because it's more fun to get upset with Brad Penny as a group.

Below, I'm cherry-picking from an article by Nate Silver at Baseball Prospectus (baseballprospectus.com), sizing up the rotations of potential playoff teams. He's using one of those fancy metrics the eggheads love, something called QERA. The formula, should you be wearing your wonk hat, looks like this:

QERA =(2.69+K%*(-3.4)+BB%*3.88+GB%*(-0.66))^2

Enjoy that. Click below for the relevant information on the Dodgers, the team they're chasing, the one chasing them, and the teams they could see in the National League playoffs.

—BK

Programming Note: Blue Notes has once again returned to Blue Notes Central, and will be following today's game as usual. Basically, it's all back to normal.

Today's forecast calls for a 9.9% chance of a division title mixed with a higher probability of wild card, thanks to Wednesday night's 6-4 comeback win in Colorado. The victory pulled the Dodgers to within a game of San Diego — 4-2 losers in St. Louis (go figure!) — and kept them a game ahead of Philadelphia, who topped Washington 8-7 in 14 innings, a game that got more attention in the visiting clubhouse at Coors than Evangeline Lilly modeling lingerie.

Blue starter Derek Lowe wasn't exactly sharp, giving up four runs and 10 hits over six innings, but it was good enough to keep the Dodgers in the game, pick up the win, and conserve enough energy for a possible short rest start on Sunday in San Francisco. Plenty good enough for him. And plenty good enough for the Dodgers, who once again received solid contributions up and down the lineup for the win (proving again that the Monforts may own the Rockies, but the Dodgers own the Rockies).

The box shows three hits from Nomar, who we believe showed up at the game in a full body cast before emerging to play, clutch hitting in a two-run triple from J.D. Drew, clutch pitching from Broxaito in the seventh, eighth and ninth, and clutch baserunning in the decisive three run seventh that put L.A. ahead for good.

The 2006 Dodgers has been nothing if not interesting, and you can take a pick from a variety of reasons. If you like your teams absurdly streaky, the Dodgers had you covered and then some. If you enjoy the return of local products done (and still doing) good, Nomar Garciaparra certainly fits the bill. Junkie for roster turnover? First-year GM Ned Colletti pulled that off. Twice. For that matter, Colletti's arrival itself, along with new skipper Grady Little, have given fans plenty to keep their eye on.

But for my money, the most enjoyable and exciting part of this season has been watching a plethora of rookie talent develop and make its presence felt. And make a difference, often carrying the team through various stretches when the veterans were either injured or simply under-performing. They've become a huge part of this team's present and future, and for that, Dodgers fans should be very optimistic.

There have been a lot of first year guys making contributions all season, but the five guys who've spent the most time up are Chad Billingsley, Jonathon Broxton, Andre Ethier, Russell Martin and Takashi Saito (36 years old, but a rookie nonetheless). I caught up with all five at various times last week and will be posting a series of interviews with each. The first is with Russell Martin, one of the most mature young athletes I've ever met. He's also a born leader, which comes across both from talking with him and hearing others talk about him. I didn't have a ton of time with Martin, as we talked on the day of Nomar's "salami," so the clubhouse was predictably chaotic. But in talking about his rookie season, making himself an equal with the vets, and being proud of his dad, the words make it clear that the dish is in good hands. Here's what he had to say.

Andrew Kamenetzky: Have you had a chance to take a moment and reflect upon your rookie season? Just thinking about it?

Russell Martin: Well, I don't really think about personal statistics or anything like that. Is that what you're talking about?

AK: No, I mean just the entire experience in general.

RM: Oh, OK. It kind of happened quickly. I came up, got my opportunity and I just tried to make the best of it. My attitude is just out there and play hard every day. Just try to take of the things that I can take care of. Things that I don't have control of, I don't worry about. It's been fun, the whole season, and I'm just happy to be here. Now we're in a playoff run and it's the reason I play baseball.

Programming Note: Sorry for the slow posting last night. Tonight, we'll try to figure something out so that comments stay refreshed over the course of the evening, as we'll be in the air again during the game. Fingers crossed.

If you're the guy with the Nomar voodoo doll, please put it down. The guy's got enough injuries to deal with at this point, especially now that he's added a strained oblique to the bum quad and swollen knee that have plagued him for weeks. Besides, if his two-hit, one-homer, three-RBI night in L.A.'s 11-4 romp over Colorado is any indication, the pin treatment isn't hurting him anyway.

Garciaparra's big night, along with an even bigger one from Russell Martin (four RBIs) and some killer work from Rafael Furcal and Kenny Lofton were enough to overcome a performance from Greg Maddux that was less Picasso and more starving artist in nature. Still technically art, but nothing that'll find the walls of a museum. Whatever. All that mattered to the future HOFer — just one of the AARP crowd making an impact down the stretch — was that the win put the Blue ahead in the wild card race thanks to Philly's 4-3 loss to Washington. Not to mention screwing with Jason Jennings' attempt at becoming a historical footnote.

After a day of rest, refocusing and regrouping, the Dodgers head into, as Mitch Martin would say, "Denver. The sunshine state. Gorgeous!" What awaits the squad upon this voyage to Colorado? A three-day series with the Rockies, half of the remaining games that will make or break the Dodgers' playoff hopes (given a boost by Houston last night).

The mountain-residing ball players have already been eliminated from contention, which may or may not be a good thing. Teams with nothing to lose often compete with an unpredictability that can be tough to counter or prepare for. Then again, given the topsy-turvy nature of the Blue's entire season, it's only fitting that "the unknown" play a large factor right down to the wire. But for what it's worth, they've had more than their share of luck against Colorado this season.

The Dodgers have been plagued all season by starters who have been unable to go deep into games, putting serious strain on a bullpen that has been inconsistent all year and faded badly down the stretch. One relatively consistent exception has been Derek Lowe, who has lasted at least seven innings in seven of his 10 starts since Aug. 1 and has been L.A.'s most consistent starter this season. His team leading 212 IP beat runner-up Brad Penny by 24 innings, and the innings difference has been even more pronounced in the second half.

As a member of the '04 championship Red Sox (as he'll remind you from time to time), Lowe is one member of the Blue with plenty of postseason experience, and he hopes to make it back this season. We had a chance to sit down with him before Wednesday's game.

—BK

Brian Kamenetzky: Have you been on many teams with this sort of night and day, multiple personality problem?

Derek Lowe: I've never been on a team that has had this much change, either. I think that has something to do with it, from the standpoint of, as we all know there's only three guys on this team that started the year on the pitching staff. So with all those changes I think you're going to get ups and downs, but at this point in the season, this is who you are. We've got 11 to go, and hopefully we get hot the last 11, instead of being the team that didn't win many for 11.

BK: So what's good about who you are? What works?

DL: The fact that we could get hot, and reel off seven or eight. Obviously the negative side is we've shown that maybe we lose more games in a row than we should.

All tied up, bases loaded, two out, must-win game. Technically, a broken-bat single will do the trick, but this is L.A. Where's the sense of drama in that? You know what makes for better Hollywood-style highlights? Walk off grand slams, like the one Nomar Garciaparra crushed to left center, giving the Blue a 5-1 win Sunday afternoon.

With San Diego and Philadelphia both winning, L.A. couldn't afford to slip back any more in the NL West or wild card. With only six games left, including three in Colorado and three more in San Francisco (where the games will matter, even if they don't), the math puts a beat down on teams that fall behind.

Not much of a postgame report, since I was off doing some separate interviews with a few players that had to be completed before the team hits the road. They'll be posted throughout the course of the upcoming week and hopefully, everyone will dig them. But I would be remiss in my Blue duties if I didn't at least create a new thread to celebrate Nomar's jack of all jacks. Methinks he'll probably frame this box score.

—AK

Hey all! Sorry this just went up. I was having some issues signing on with the wireless. Plus, I couldn't get a seat in the press area, it's so crowded. The media lot was even full, forcing me to find parking elsewhere. I'm actually live blogging from a dining room table while watching a TV. That's how much I care about you good people!

First Inning
Good start, both by the Dodgers and Mr. Kuo.

Nomar just misses. The crowd grew electric as that ball started dropping. FYI, this is the earliest I've seen folks get to the Ravine in quite some time. I don't know if it's because people didn't have to work today or because the urgency is there. But well done, Blue Nation.

The good thing about baseball is that there are 161 tomorrows. Of course, the way the Dodgers are limping towards the end of the year, that's the bad thing, too. Depending on your perspective, the Blue have seven more chances to make things right, or seven more cracks at totally crushing the spirit of loyal fans across these great fifty states. And I don't want to be a pessimist, but given the general tenor of L.A.'s September, your average betting man would throw the mortgage down on the latter. There are plenty of places to find fault, but start with starters who rarely finish, or even come close.

"I think if you sit back and itemize everything throughout the course of a season, how you do is going to be based on your starting pitching. Whether it's April, or May, and throughout the course of the season. When they're strong, it's good, when they're faltering, things are a lot tougher," Little said. And the high pitch counts his starters have racked up don't just screw with the bullpen. The effects are felt all over. "You ask your defensive players to stay on their toes, and that becomes a difficult thing to do and comes into play." Anyone looking for evidence of that can check the tape of last night's loss.

There are some people who feel that when things go badly, everything might as well come off the rails, with the hope of getting everything bad outta the way in one shot. For such mentalities, last night's 9-3 trouncing by the D-Backs may carry a positive of sorts. For everyone else (people we at Blue Notes like to call "cognizant of how a playoff race works"), there was nada good about the disastrous outing. Were the game arbitrarily called after the first inning (which would have surely raised some D-Back front office eyebrows), Blue smiles would have filled L.A.

Doubles by Nomar and a newly dialed in J.D. Drew. Quick 3-0 Dodgers lead. From there, little went the Dodgers' way. Snakes starter Miguel Batista became a finely tuned machine. For their part, L.A. pitchers became lemons a used car salesman wouldn't have the heart to pawn off. Brad Penny, who apparently hit the wall after the All-Star break, put his team in early trouble, giving up five runs and a kajillion pitches in five innings. Those in relief looked just as worn down as the early season ace. It's hardly unusual these days to see Penny huffing and puffing through a game. Russell Martin? That's kinda surprising. One would assume the box score didn't perk the rook up much, either.

Here we go!!!

First Inning
Well, you'd like things to start out a little less ominously than a first batter hit. But hey, it's early. In the meantime, Martin was pretty close on that throw to nail Byrnes swiping second. The crowd really expected an out.

Not quite sure what that meeting of the mind on the mound was about, but I hope nobody's concerned the wheels are already coming off. Nope. 3rd out pop out to Betemit. Wheels still on.

Of course, if Byrnes first at-bat hit was an omen against those live blogging for the Dodgers, Furcal's same knock will equally spook those in Phoenix online rooting Snakes. The whole thing just evened itself out. Still anybody's game.

Dude! Raffy even stole second, just like Byrnes. This game is so back to neutral.

Ain't neutral anymore after that double by Nomar. Two runs scored. 2-0 Dodgers.

Jeff Kent either changed his entrance music to some hip hop song, or P.A. guy is freelancing from the playbook. But in any event, didn't see that coming.

It wasn't back to back, but we'll still call Drew's almost immediate two-base hit after Nomar's a "double double." Why the hell not? Nomar scores. 3-0 Dodgers.

For those who've been wondering why they haven't seen Ramon Martinez on the field much lately (or even glimpses of him in the dugout), he's been dealing with some complications after the recent birth of his child.  Grady Little wouldn't share any specifics, other than Ramon and his wife are holding up okay (all things considered), but the baby is still in the hospital.  They talked with Ramon this afternoon and hopefully will have a better idea by Monday as to when he'll rejoin the team.  Obviously, Ramon's situation puts a lot in perspective, making tonight's game seem somewhat trivial in the big picture. 

In the small picture, however, tonight's game is pretty important.  And for that matter, so are the ones on the horizon against Colorado and San Fran, which is why Grady Little's taking as much sweet time as he possibly can before nailing down a rotation during the final weekend.  Tomorrow's starter will be Hong-Chih Kuo, with Greg Maddux, Derek Lowe and Brad Penny scheduled to hurl in Colorado.  No need to double check that list.  You won't see Chad Billingsley's name.  "Chad will work first out of the bullpen a little bit instead of starting in that series against Colorado," explained Little of the relief work that probably won't begin until Tuesday.  But just because Bills won't be kicking off the action against the Rockies doesn't mean he won't get that opportunity facing the Giants.  "Not necessarily," said Little.  "We'll see what we look like after those games against Colorado."  And obviously, a lot would have to do with how and when Bills was used in that series (and of course, his effectiveness).  If the kid only goes Tuesday, no worries.  But any appearances on Hump Day and beyond, Little "might be a little hesitant."

Hey y'all.  In maintaining what appears to be a winning formula, I'll be keeping the live blog flames burning this evening.  However, we received an email from the site that houses Blue Notes stating that it will be down for scheduled maintenance from 1am-5am ET (10-2 PT).  What they're specifically fixing, I have no idea.  But unfortunately, that means that I not only won't be able to do a post-game report (because I can't start a new thread), I also won't be able to post the comments being left during those hours because it'll be impossible for me to access the area where that happens.  Thus, if the game's still happening during the hours (a real possibility), the live blog will cease to continue updating.

This is terribly inconvenient and annoying, but unfortunately, there's absolutely nothing BK or I can do about it.  But we'll have the live blog for as long as we can (unless you guys think an incomplete live blog will somehow mess up the energy).  And who knows, maybe when the site has finished its tuneup, the blog will be better, faster and stronger.  Just like The Six Million Dollar Man.  Which would make me the 21st Century Lee Majors.  BK, however, remains decidedly un-bionic.

AK

There's nothing like getting a crucial series off to a roaring start, which makes last night's 2-0 win over the Diamondbacks some serious lion's yell material.  The king of this here jungle was Derek Lowe, who took ownership of the hill from the outset.  In seven innings of work, the Snakes could only muster up five hits and nary a run against the sinker ball kahuna.  Think how devastating the performance would have seemed if Lowe had been throwing stuff he was actually proud of.  And when it comes to pride, Stephen Drew was likely somewhat conflicted.  Happy for his big brother J.D., who hit a Major League home run.  A little bummed, since J.D.'s jack came against the team Stevie plays with.  For what it's worth, the younger Drew might as well have been stoked for his sibling, since uber-acquisition Marlon Anderson eventually knocked in Russell Martin for another ribbie, anyway. And if the D-Backs didn't have enough runs to match "1," they certainly couldn't have topped "2."  Not according to Blue Notes math.  Or the box score.  The Dodgers were just concerned about matching the simultaneous wins of San Diego and Phillie, big players the NL West and Wild Card races.

And let me tell you, that's high praise, considering the subtle, sublime, sweet flavor the creamy, slightly exotic topping for my Dodgerdog created as it danced over my tongue.  Thanks to the amazingly polite and well dressed Chilean Haas Avocado Ambassadors who provided me and all fans in attendance the spectacular condiment, and to Tommy Lasorda, who made it all sound so appealing in his multiple Jumbotron pitches for the special, one-night-only Dodger Stadium treat.  I mean, screw ketchup!  Give me Chilean Haas Avocados from here on out! But satisfying as it was (don't get me started!), the Dodgers provided more nourishment in their 2-0 win over Arizona, which allowed them to keep pace with Philadelphia and San Diego in the National League playoff race. 

With the Dodgers bullpen hungering for a night off (okay, from this point on, I'm dropping the food theme... you're welcome), Derek Lowe stepped up with seven strong shutout innings, limiting the Snakes to five hits.  It wasn't easy, though.  Lowe fought his stuff all night, surrendering three walks and generally struggling to locate his pitches.  "It was beyond a struggle, but at the end of the day when you get positive results, you feel a lot better about things like this," he said. "I really struggled.  I came up and looked at video in between innings trying to figure out what I was doing wrong.  The only thing that really saved me is when I threw (bad pitches), they were so bad they were not competitive pitches, and were just balls."

It doesn't hurt that the guy is a serious competitor, despite an demeanor that screams goofball.  "As little as he likes to let on," said Grady Little, "he's an outstanding athlete and he's got ice water in his veins.  It doesn't always show on the exterior, but this guy is one of the people you want out there when the money's on the table." 

A "mummy" just threw out the first pitch.  Not a real one, of course, but the Universal Studios variety.  His hand fell off when he threw the pitch (props to the boys in the special effects department!), so we know it wasn't Jonathan Broxton.  Had it been the rook, it would have been the whole arm. 

By the way, if it seems like I'm typing slowly, it's because I'm trying to finish my dinner.  Just a little window into the world of live blogs.

Quick update if you don't already know- the Phillies won, and the Padres are up a run in the top of the 3rd.  This is one of those crunch time sorts of performances for D. Lowe.  The Blue need a big one... here we go.

TOP OF THE FIRST

69 degrees at gametime.  If this were a Tampa Bay Bucs game, that would probably mean something.  Lowe falls behind 3-1 on Counsell, and then walks him.  I'm sure that's exactly what they had in mind.   Does he not know he reputation of the Live Blog hangs in the balance tonight?

Quick note on the crowd.  Very mellow.  A little too mellow.  I understand the traffic issues in terms of why the place isn't full yet, but the ones who are here are giving off a Xanax vibe. 

Hudson beats out a chopper to Betemit.  First and second.  This is going swimmingly, I'd say.  For some reason, Lowe has taken a page from the Brad Penny, pitch real slow playbook.

But he gets the chopper to Furcal for the unassisted double play to end the inning.  Huge stuff.  The way the offense has been (save Monday) you don't want to fall too far behind.  And I love those plays where the SS throws on the off foot.  Just looks cool.

Which is why they beat up on the Marlins, which is why the Dodgers can't screw around with the Snakes tonight.  After all, they do control their own destiny... sort of, at least.  If the Dodgers win out, they can do no worse than tie for the Wild Card.  That assumes the Phillies and Pads do the same, which is unlikely (about as unlikely as the Dodgers winning the rest of their games, too, but we don't want to dwell on that).  Basically, you're talking about three teams that are essentially tied for the final playoff spots.  Which means there's some pretty intense scoreboard watching.  "Sometimes I stare at it and pray, like I do sometimes when there's a hitter at the plate with a runner on second and third with two outs," Little said. 

As requested, Live Blog Friday night. Game time 7:40 p.m.

—BK

Gotta love those snappy Blue Notes titles.

I didn't catch this article while putting together today's "Extra!," but wanted to make sure y'all saw it. Between Martin, Ethier, Broxton, Bills, Kemp, Loney and Betemit (and that's just the usual suspects currently playing with the big club), the Dodgers certainly aren't hurting when it comes to planning for a nice future.

—AK

Had the Dodgers ended up getting swept by the Pirates, this weekend's series against the D-Backs would become ridiculously important. Instead, winning the final game 5-2 makes the Arizona contests...well, ridiculously important. But at least the victory gave the Dodgers a current hold on the Wild Card (with San Diego refusing to make L.A.'s night truly cool).

The night got off to a quick bang — literally — with Olmedo Saenz's two-run smacker in the bottom of the first. The Tomato was filling in for Nomar Garciaparra, president of the Still-Tender Quadriceps Muscle Club. Starting next Tuesday, Nomar will hopefully impeach himself, come hell or high water.

Oddly enough, the next biggest offensive plays were the results of little to no bat motion whatsoever. In the meantime, Chad Billingsley made some progress towards regaining his pre-injury form, but the real pitching fireworks came in the form of — and this is not a typo — relief pitching. In particular, the often unsung Joe Beimel's two innings were key, having tossed an extra to make up for Billingsley exiting a frame earlier than hoped (which puts him in good company with his fellow starters). Followup work by Jonathon Broxton and Takashi Saito was stellar, creating a box score that left the fans thinking blue, not feeling it.

Not that the citywide fingers resting poised on its surface hasn't left that baby full of smudges.  But in pulling off a 5-2 win over the Pirates, the Dodgers not only avoided a sweep both untimely and embarrassing, they kept the panic button (which I've always pictured as cherry red, over-sized and emitting a pitch more annoying than a helium binging Fran Drescher) temporarily on ice. The evening got off to a roaring start with a first inning, two-run jack by season-long Pirate killer Olmedo Saenz, filling in for Nomar at first.  Given that the guy's hitting .526 against Pittsburgh hurling, it's hardly shocking to see him deck one into the stands.  But high predictability doesn't make such results any less appreciated. "He's done that for a couple years," admired Grady Little. "And tonight, he gave us a jump start."  Little deemed that long ball "big," but in his mind, the truly gargantuan feat was "being able to hang in there and hold onto (the lead) for nine innings." 

Here we go kids! The road to not getting swept begins here!

Top of the First
I gotta tell you people, I'm starting to think that the reason Dodger starters are having trouble getting through the 5th is because they're not seeing a home crowd until then. I realize there's traffic in this city, but this place is half full at best and dead quiet.  Would it kill ticket holders to get to the game before the third?

Three up, three down.  Billingsley throws under 100 pitches in half a frame.  Everything's coming up Dodgers!  haha

Bottom of the First
The Killer Tomato Strikes again!  Never question the power of a Van Halen intro.  2-0 Dodgers.

By the way, I don't mean to blow everyone's minds, but do you realize that Saenz has homered in every one of his appearances against Youman?  Think about it.

Of course, before this morning I didn't even know how to spell "Youman," since I had never heard of this cat taking the hill for Pittsburgh.  Grady Little and co., much less slackerish than myself, have familiarized themselves with the lefty (and before complimenting me for that nugget of knowledge, I literally just looked up which arm he uses).  But even with those film sessions in the bag, the skip  admitted facing the Shane Youman's of the world can be tricky.  And in that sense, it's fitting that Youman tosses for the Bucs, since facing "spoiler" teams while making a playoff push is something Little is "always scared of, personally."  Opponents with nada to lose by playing overly aggressive or just plain loopy can throw a wrench in the works when it comes to preparing for them.  Then again, Little has certainly had his share of practice juggling a thousand balls at once.

AK will be live blogging from the Ravine tonight.  Tune in, so to speak, around 7:10 (makes sense, since that's when the game starts). 

BK

Sometime during the Milwaukee series, I asked where you were both physically and mentally relative to the panic button. Most seemed somewhere in the neighborhood of "aware of but not pushing." After watching two consecutive losses to the Jim Tracy Express drop the Blue out of first and into a tie with the scalding hot Phillies for the Wild Card, I've felt the collective mood shift. This is, of course, largely because of the L.A. bullpen, which would currently be no less effective if it held actual bulls. With that in mind, and in an effort to anticipate the needs of loyal Blue Notes readers, here are some images of different panic buttons you guys can print out, totally suitable for home use. Use them in good health.

As for tonight, the Dodgers season may very well swing on their ability to beat someone named Shane Youman. I'll be honest- I have no idea who this person is. So I did some digging, and want to pass the information on to you. After all, nothing is more frustrating than watching your team get shut down by some guy you've never heard of. Knowledge is power.

You know that commercial where the football players keep yelling, "We must protect this house?" Well, the Dodgers need to put that one on a continuous loop on the clubhouse flat screens, because the casa is looking seriously vulnerable after last night's 6-4 loss to the Pirates. With each game putting hopes for a divisional title (or even a wild card entry) in the balance, the Dodgers put this one in the hands of a long-time picture of reliability, one Gregory Alan Maddux. But even the most stable of athletes will occasionally prove human. Maddux's 5 IP/7H/3ER performance certainly didn't stink up the joint, but it definitely smacks of "flesh and blood."

Even more "noncyborg" was Aaron Sele's tough seventh inning, a typically erratic Dodger middle relief appearance made no easier by Russell Martin's throwing error. And the least Terminator-esque moment may have been a ninth inning featuring Matt Kemp and Jeff Kent strikeouts with runners in scoring position (the latter with the bases loaded). Ahnuld put out three of those flicks (with a fourth possibly in the works). The Dodgers certainly don't need this series (and the accompanying box scores) to become a franchise of sorts.

All kidding aside, his saxed out National anthem had heart and soul to spare. Really cool stuff. Unfortunately, as stirring as the rendition was for jazz lovin' baseball fans (and blog writers) in the house, it wasn't capable of inspiring more than a 6-4 loss by his son's squad. While the bleeding was somewhat lessened by San Diego simultaneously enduring a thumping, the Dodgers are still the ones on the outside looking in with the meter running.

And when it comes to the concept of actually conquering borrowed time, few in baseball seem more capable of inspiring hope at age 40 than Greg Maddux.  Unfortunately, tonight wasn't among the zillion throughout the Hall of Famer's illustrious career when his 30 mph stuff kept opponents looking silly. Instead, the righty served up 7 hits over the course of five innings, exiting the game with three earned runs added to his permanent record. Hollywood may be a few miles away from the Stadium, but everything was still about "location, location, location."  "He was just missing his spots a little bit tonight," noted Grady Little of Maddux. "He's fully aware that he's not a pitcher that can do that very much."

Okay, to be more accurate, it's actually a toy pedal car that's getting signed by the players for auctioning at the Carousel of Hope, a benefit presented by Mercedes to prevent juvenile diabetes. And I mean it sincerely when I say that every Dodger pimping the mini-ride with his John Hancock is doing it because he wants to help a good cause. But if it happens to bring about some good mojo in the process, so be it. When you're in the thick of a playoff chase, there's  very little margin for bad breaks.

There's also very little margin for bad outings on the hill, which has made Grady Little's job tough lately when it comes to his relief staff. "It's a concern," said Little of their collective erratic performance of late. "It's something that we need to get through and we need to get through quickly." Asked for a method of making that happen, Little's response was very K.I.S.S. "Keep calling on them and running them out there."  Ironically, that solution, which essentially amounts to pitching themselves through the hard times, is somewhat similar to the cause of the problems in the first place. "You have to remember, these guys have been through a lot recently," explained Little of the frequent need to work the pen earlier and more often than desired. "Their workload has been tremendous. Right now, we're having to monitor a couple of guys down there."

Just about any win would have been anticlimatic following Monday's "classic to end all classics." And by those standards, a loss just plain sucks. Hence, things were plenty sucky after the Dodgers went down 10-6 in a series opener against the Pirates. Not that the Blue didn't attempt another excursion down "Comeback Avenue." Hong-Chih Kuo learned that the third time (as a starter) isn't always a charm, with eight K's eventually morphing into 5 ERs after falling into a sixth-inning jam. Cue Elmer Dessens' entrance with the bags full. Cue Jose Bautista granny.

Giving up a grand slam is never a particularly good thing. But when the opposing pitcher (in this case, Ian Snell) has already been holding you to a single run over six innings, it's quite the pickle. Especially with Brett Tomko unable to do his thing in the ring. But as noted, there was a rally attempt. Marlon Anderson, possibly the greatest trade deadline acquisition EVER, hit a three-run jack in the eighth to bring his team within four. But alas, another potential "night to remember" was just another "box score to forget." Hopefully, the team hasn't been out of first long enough to forget what it takes to get there.

That would be the rotting carcass of a thrilling, breathtaking, potentially season galvanizing win on Monday night, all swollen and bloated like highway roadkill after Tuesday's 10-6 loss to the Pirates.  And who made quick work of the Blue's historic night?  None other than Ian Snell.  Oooh, that Snell.  Can't you Snell that Snell? (Sorry, couldn't resist.  Even worse, I haven't even gotten to my Hong-Chih Kuo puns yet.)  The Pittsburgh righty looked awful for one pitch- his first, which Rafael Furcal launched over the wall in right-center- and awfully good after that, morphing into a magical combination of Doug Drabek, Kent Tekulve, and Elroy Face, holding the Blue to that single run and only five hits over six innings.  A Freddy Sanchez single, well placed Jason Bay double, intentional walk to Xavier Nady (exit Kuo, enter Elmer Dessens), and grand slam by Jose Bautista in Pittsburgh's half of the sixth gave Snell plenty of cushion before he left.  (By the way, kudos to Marlon Anderson for heading ass over tea kettle into the stands in left in pursuit of Bautista's blast, and jeers to the fan who neglected to put the ball in his glove so he could pretend like he caught it.)  Enough to earn his 14th victory of the year. 

You get the feeling that no matter how much you kill, you're still gonna suck.  Tough act to follow.  So it is for the Dodgers who, given the unlikely proposition of following last night's shocking win  with an even more exciting one* will have to settle for your average, run of the mill victory over a lesser opponent.  Don't try to be better than Rock, Blue, just do the job.  Grady Little thinks it'll happen.  "I think we've gotten over the excitement, and we're ready to get out on the field and win today," he said.  "We've been through a lot of times this year where we've got to turn the page and get on with our business the next day, and there's no doubt in my mind that will happen today. We've gone with the philosophy of 'yesterday doesn't mean anything' all season long, and that will continue today."

*Just out of curiosity, what could that possibly be?  Nine consecutive inside-the-park homers?  A perfect game from Kuo?  Four scoreless innings from Tim Hamulack (sorry, that would be shocking, not exciting... ZING!)?

Did you hear? Pretty good one last night over at the Ravine. Not bad at all, really. But here's the question:

Where does last night's incredible comeback rank on your list of best Dodger games ever? How about outside of baseball? How does last night stack up against some of the best games you've seen across sports?

I don't have the years of Dodger games to draw on, so let me pull another biggie, as an example. Having been at "'81," I think this is right up there, if not above it in terms of the whole arc of the game. No doubt, Kobe's singular achievement was more impressive and the night was absolutely spectacular, but in terms of the game itself, with playoff implications, incredible, unprecedented comebacks, and 10 innings up and down the emotional roller coaster, I think last night beats it. Other games? I'll give it some thought (last year's Rose Bowl didn't suck). That's just a quick comparison to another seminal (and recent) L.A. sports moment.

—BK

If divorces are suddenly on the rise by 300% in Los Angeles, it's likely because a string of wives insisted that their husbands sell their tickets for last night's game in lieu of a quiet dinner. Well, unless that fettuccine Alfredo was good enough to leave Wolfgang Puck sobbing in ecstasy, your average baseball fan isn't going to be able to forgive the ol' ball and chain for causing him to miss an 11-10 Dodger victory for the ages.

Starter Brad Penny gave up an early quartet of runs, a tally soon matched by the Dodgers. But after that score held firm for four innings, the Padres gained advantage, ending the top of the ninth up a Dolly Parton (that's 9-5 for the non-cinema/country music buffs). And mind you, the Dodgers aren't exactly known for their long ball prowess.

Well, that myth was dispelled after a new legend was born. Jeff Kent. J.D. Drew. Russell Martin. Marlon Anderson. All going yard. All in a row. Seriously. If such mini-home run derbies strike you as rare, that's because they are. For Anderson, the jack capped off a five hit extravaganza that fully qualifies as a "Dear Diary" night. Of course, that simply knotted the game at 9 going into free extra baseball. The Pads quickly scored a 10th run at the top of the 10th, putting the Dodgers' backs against the wall yet again. Bottom frame action opens with a Kenny Lofton walk. Nomar Garciaparra takes the plate.

Walk off homer.

The quad-impaired first baseman Grady Little was apprehensive to ended up the ultimate hero, a symbol of a team not ready to give up on a divisional title. And because of this instant classic (and its box score to match), they don't have to quite yet.

After it was over, when the media had finished with Marlon Anderson, Ned Colletti peered through the temporary lockers in the center of the Dodgers clubhouse. "Hey Marlon, thanks for showing up." Anderson laughed. "Thanks for letting me," he replied.

James Loney came out of the showers, practically unable to speak. "I don't even want to get dressed," he said.

Nomar Garciaparra stood in front of his locker, digesting what had just happened. "I've never seen anything like it. I was glad to witness it, I was glad to be a part of it," he said. "I was just proud to be a part of what these guys did."

What these guys did was among the most amazing things in one of the most amazing games I've ever seen, in any sport, anywhere. Monday night's 11-10 win over San Diego, capped by Garciaparra's game winning two-run homer, put L.A. back into first place in the NL West. How it happened will forever be a part of Dodgers folklore, one of those games where 54,831 had tickets but 154,831 will claim they were there. What seemed more than once like a game destined to be among the most outrageously frustrating losses in team history became one of the franchise's most unlikely and memorable wins.

First things first- if the Dodgers don't deliver a better performance tonight than the guy who did the anthem, this is going to be a serious blowout.   Keep an eye on Nomar to see if he reinjures himself heading to first.

Judging by the applause, Marlon Anderson hasn't really had a chance to endear himself to the Dodger faithful at this point.  Kind of tepid. 

Okay, here we go, TOP OF THE FIRST.  I've always wondered if anyone has kept track of how the first pitch effects the outcome of the game (i.e. a strike means a better chance of winning vs. a ball), kind of like who wins the jump ball in hoops.  Penny started Roberts off with two strikes, so we'll see.  Somebody look that up.  Roberts grounds to Kent.  One out.

Jake Peavy owns the Dodgers.  This much we know.  Apparently, he also owns orthotics which he needs to pitch, and for about twenty minutes this afternoon the shoes that contained them (a pair of crosstrainers, I was told) were missing.  After tearing up the clubhouse, they were eventually found in manager Bruce Bochy's office.  How they got there, nobody knows.  But down the road, if any of you are looking for a way to sabotage the guy's season, swiping Peavy's therapeutic footwear is a good place to start. 

Speaking of therapy (sweet segue, BK!), Dodger fans are hoping they won't need some- or more, at least- after tonight's game, and Nomar has apparently undergone enough on his left quad to man first base this evening.  "We're going to try him today and hopefully he'll get though it okay," said Little.  "It's a little bit of a gamble, with this muscle that we're dealing with here.  There's a possibility that if he overextends it a little bit it could blow up and he'll miss an extended period of time, but we're going to take a chance on it tonight."  The injury doesn't effect his fielding at first, but running is an issue.  So there's a good chance he'll see a pinch runner late should the need arise.  Before that?  Keep your fingers crossed.  "When (a player gets) under the gun, and they've got a chance to beat out an infield hit, or score from second on a base hit, it's hard for them to back off.  So hopefully he'll be able to get through it with no damage."  So there's more evidence, on the odd chance you need it, that tonight's game matters.  A lot. 

Tonight's finale of the four-game set against the Padres may be the single most important baseball game every played. Ever. Even going back to when baseball was base ball. As such, it gets the Blue Notes top-shelf treatment, otherwise known as The Live Blog. So hit the site when the game starts (7:10 p.m.) and praise or vent as events dictate.

—BK

When bummed out Little Leaguers finish in second place, parents are always quick to reward them for a still-great accomplishment. But when big leaguers lose their top-dog standing, they rarely receive orange slices and a trip to Showbiz Pizza. Thus, yesterday's 2-1 loss to the Padres, with its extra wrinkle of dropping the Dodgers to an NL West second, sparked little in the "citrus and pepperoni" department.

The results aren't entirely shocking, considering how the Pads have owned L.A. all season. But considering Derek Lowe provided them with quite the winning foundation, the results are more than a little frustrating. Coming off his sudden meltdown in Chicago, Lowe pitched seven sweet innings, allowing just one run while tallying a season-high 9 Ks. His reward? Very little run support.

Russell Martin, in his legit campaign for ROY, went yard off Cla Meredith to knot the game at one apiece. But unfortunately, that accounted for one quarter of the Dodgers' hits and all of their RBIs. Thus, the "sledgehammer" coming down on Jonathan Broxton really, really hurt. Terrmel Sledge's guesswork in the top of the ninth was enough to put San Diego over the top for good. Especially withTrevor Hoffman doing his thing in the ring. At the end of the day, a box score marking a team suddenly on the outside looking in.

In San Diego's case, that team may have been too tuckered out from last night's hit parade to muster the strength for an offensive onslaught. But if you're the Los Angeles Dodgers, having only burned two runs worth of energy in that same contest, that excuse doesn't hold much in the H2O department.

Simply put, their bats didn't come through in today's 2-1 loss to the Padres. Four hits in all (one of them Russell Martin's solo shot to tie the game in the seventh inning). 0-4 with runners in scoring position (with three of the four crap outs coming from Julio Lugo). Nine strikeouts by men carrying a blue stick. These stats aren't typical of a team resting in first place. In that sense, everything is simpatico, since the Dodgers no longer are. "We gotta throw some hits out there," noted a frustrated Grady Little, "and I think we'll give it our best shot tomorrow against Jake Peavy."

Martin, for one, is already wrapping his head around how to beat Monday's San Diego starter. "I've got Peavy on my mind already. I'm already focused for tomorrow," he said.

There are two ways a team can react to a drubbing like the monstrosity the Dodgers endured last night. They can clench up and walk intensely around a clubhouse suddenly made of eggshells. Or they can keep the vibe relaxed and loose. The Dodgers fall decidedly into the latter category. I'll go out on a limb and declare that nobody went out for drinks afterwards and toasted the 11-2 beating against a divisional rival nipping at their heels in a divisional race. But as Fleetwood Mac reminded everyone in 1977 (a year the Dodgers went to the series, for what it's worth), "yesterday's gone."

And with that ditty in mind, the Blue was rather laid back in the clubhouse this Sunday afternoon. Matt Kemp and I joked a bit about the Sooners' loss to Oregon (or more accurately, I joked and Kemp grinned through gritted teeth). When Andre Ethier called out to Takashi Saito for the spelling of a Japanese word he was googling, Saito reacted with a jokingly exasperated, "What?!", then proceeded to walk over in a mock huff to help his fellow rook. A rather animated Rafael Furcal held court with Einar Diaz, Oscar Robles and Elmer Dessens while the quartet took in the Marlins-Braves game. Eagles-Giants was on the other flat screen, prompting Eddie Murray to yell, "Get 'em Philly! Put 'em down Philly!" And Ramon Martinez, doing his usual pregame Sudoku puzzle, joked that he had Emmitt Smith on his fantasy team. At least, I assume he was joking. Otherwise, he's the worst roto GM on the planet...or a hands down visionary genius. There is no in-between when one's roster features a retired back.