The Ravine was fairly well packed for Monday night's matchup against the D-Backs, and a feisty, excitable bunch they were.  Unfortunately, the Blue didn't give them much to cheer about, and given little alternative, there was a whole lot of booing and hissing in L.A.'s 9-1 loss.  Starter Randy Wolf, with Sunday's 17 inning, bullpen burning affair in the rear view mirror (objects are closer than they appear), flirted with trouble all night before finally taking her home for the evening in the fifth and sixth innings.  The killer blows came from Arizona catcher Chris Snyder, who with pitcher Brandon Webb on deck singled home Eric Byrnes on a horrible two strike, two out offering from Wolf.  Webb then followed with a flair to center that Juan Pierre misplayed then dropped when he dove after the ball in an attempt to recover.  4-0.  The Diamondbacks added another pair in the sixth, again with two outs, both charged to Wolf, who didn't make it out of the inning.  Thus, his fun little streak of five straight six inning efforts ended on a night where the Blue really needed him to go seven and beyond.  Not that Grady didn't push him.  110 pitches worth of pushing, to be exact.  And man alive, did the hometown hero hear it from the fans.  They were not afraid to boo (or get oddly enthusiastic down 7-0 when the Dodgers staged a mini-rally accounting for their lone run).  I imagine Little wanted to boo, too, since he was forced to use Rudy Seanez, Brett Tomko, and Joe Beimel just to get out of the game. 

Of course, you can argue Wolf's performance really didn't matter much, since L.A. was unable to muster an attack on Cy Young winner Brandon Webb.  A pair of hits through six, and four overall.  The Dodgers weren't able to accomplish much all night.  Unless, of course, you count enhancing the value of Webb or centerfielder Chris Young, who had a pair of homers, three hits, and three RBIs.  Don't look now, but with the win the D-Backs are a half-game ahead of the Blue.     

More on the game to come.  Sorry.  NOW ADDED AFTER THE JUMP.

BK   

And while I'm fairly sure that Steve Garvey is starting at first and former British ski jumping sensation Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards is on the mound for the Blue, I can't be entirely certain.  Fortunately, most of time when I was interviewing people I had the ol' recorder going, so the quotes can probably be trusted.  Moving on...

Because he caught all 17 innings of Sunday's marathon win in San Diego, Russell Martin is getting one of those rare Russell Martin Days Off.  Not that he thinks he needs it.  Talking to Martin before the game, he said he came through the game just fine.  No fatigue.  Hunger, yes ("I should have had a Snickers, or something," he said).  Fatigue, no.  "That's why you get in shape in the offseason.  I'd tell you guys if I was sore or anything, but really, I'm not.  They were quick innings."

Yeah, Russ, but there were 17 of them.  Martin shrugged off that point, unsure what to do with the awe expressed at his stamina by the media throng before him.  Of course, we're a bunch who can't look at a flight of stairs without panting and sprints only when free food is involved, which probably puts everything in perspective. 

Minus all the CGI-created soldiers and 200 mil in box office receipts, but you get what we mean.  A big time, 17 inning battle went down in the SD and when the smoke finally cleared, it revealed a 5-4 Dodger victory.  The offensive gladiator for the Blue was the recently recruited Brady Clark, who doubled in Wilson Valdez for the game winning RBI in the top of the 17th.  You could sense things were heading L.A.'s way even before Clark's fortuitous hit, since Valdez reached base after the throw to first that beat him got bricked.  Of course, it was also a nice bit of luck that backup catcher Pete LaForest was playing first at the time. 

I'm not going to lie.  With the Lakers playing Game 4 against the Suns today at Staples (both K brothers in attendance) at the same time the Dodgers were facing the Pads at PETCO, I figured I'd have to catch the end of the baseball game on the ol' DVR when I got home.  Shows what I know.  In fact, I was able to enjoy a couple innings.  Fortunate, too, since the machine probably stopped recording around the 11th.  Not nearly enough to see the conclusion of Sunday's 17 frame, 4 hour 55 minute, ultimately satisfying 5-4 win.  Brady Clark drove home Wilson Valdez with a two-out double for the go-ahead run, capitalizing on an error by San Diego catcher-turned-first baseman Pete LaForest.  In the bottom of the inning, Chad Billingsley pitched around a Ramon Martinez miscue to pick up his second win of the season.  Big ups for a Dodgers staff that allowed only nine hits and four walks all day. 

More on the game tomorrow. 

BK

Anyone who forgot the little boost Greg Maddux gave the Dodgers pitching staff last year had a chance to reminisce Saturday night.  Not just because Maddux pitched well (7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER) in San Diego's 3-2 win over the Blue at PETCO, but because between the always efficient righty and a generally sharp Brett Tomko, the game was finished in barely over two hours.  Would have been shorter, too, if Maddux hadn't attempted about seventy-eight pickoff attempts on Juan Pierre at second base in the first and third innings.  For Tomko, everything went swimmingly before and after the fourth inning.  Just not in the fourth inning itself.  Tomko lost the no-hitter, shutout, and potential win in a span of four straight hits and three San Diego runs, all with two outs.  So the pitchers were stingy, save an inning.  And offensively, the Dodgers didn't really spread the wealth, either.  Six hits total, five between Juan Pierre and Jeff Kent, accounting for both Dodger runs.  5-8 for that tandem, 1-23 for everyone else.  Yeeps. 

There were a lot of fun things to take away from Friday night's 6-5 win over the Padres at PETCO.  Yes, there was the whole four-run-rally-off-perhaps-the-greatest-closer-of-all-time-on-the-night-he's-being-honored thing as the Dodgers blew up on Trevor Hoffman in the ninth, ruining Trevor Hoffman Night.  Though really, if it's not done with a bunch of consecutive homers, is it worth talking about?  Then there's the ascension of Russell Martin, whose two-run double off Hells Bells put the Blue ahead, Nomar's four hit night (and the fact he's hitting around a billion with runners in scoring position), and a box score that shows another solid outing from Mark Hendrickson (five IP, 1 ER, 4 Ks)... though not such a hot night from Chad Billingsley.   But what put the Dodgers in a position to make their miracle comeback was some excellent glove work, particularly from Andre Ethier, whose two diving catches (including one with the bases loaded in the eighth) saved at least three or four runs.  Rafael Furcal, Garciaparra, and Jeff Kent flashed some leather as well.  And while chicks may dig the long ball, on this squad, it's all about the cowhide. 

Plenty more on the game coming up tomorrow morning, but it'll be nice for Dodger fans to put head to pillow knowing the losing streak is officially, mercifully, blessedly over at four thanks to a 6-5 comeback win over the Padres at PETCO Friday night.  And it came courtesy of some serious glove work and a four run ninth off uber-closer Trevor Hoffman... on Trevor Hoffman Night, no less!  It's never a bad thing when irony injects itself into the sports world.  And while last night was dedicated to Nomar bobbleheads at the Ravine, Garciaparra celebrated tonight with four hits and a pair of RBIs.  We can all forgive him for being off by a day.

BK

It's the first trivia question of the year, so I figured I'd go with something fairly reasonable.  It's still early, and I don't want anyone pulling a brain hammy on the first go round.  So brush off your Dodgers history banks and see what you find.  As always, no cheating.  And, of course, a steaming hot bowl of pride to the first to answer the question correctly.  So without further delay:

QUESTION: At 2014, Pee Wee Reese has played more games at shortstop than any other Dodger in Franchise history.  But who is the leader since the team moved to L.A.?  While your at it, name the Los Angeles career game leaders by position (1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, C, P).

BK

On the bright side, the Dodgers had plenty of chances in their 5-4 loss to the Giants Thursday night at Chavez Ravine.  Oh wait, that just makes it all the more frustrating.  Our bad.  It was the fourth in a row for the Blue, who now find themselves in a tie for first in the West with the scalding hot Giants.  And it came on Nomar Bobblehead Night, no less.  Just adds to the sting.   The air was thick with missed opportunties early, as L.A. put a whopping 10 of their first 15 batters on base, but scored only three times.  Juan Pierre didn't help matters, missing a squeeze sign in the second and compounding the error with some less-than-clutch (though none too simple) defense in the eighth.  But don't just blame J.P.  There are plenty of candidates for your collective ire.  The box score shows that starter Brad Penny was good, not great, but considering he probably should have had a 29 run cushion, it's hard to skewer him too much. 

Since, you know, he's a hell of a lot bigger than me.  Like, way the hell bigger.  But I even have less desire to go nose to nose with the fire-throwing righty now that I'm aware of his Ultimate Fighting knowledge.  Or more specifically, Pride Fighting Championships, a Japanese rival circuit that Penny was watching on the clubhouse TV.  Dude knew all the competitors, what you're allowed to do and what's against the rules (choking is cool, but hits to the back of the head are a no-no.  Which makes sense, since you wouldn't want anyone getting hurt.) and was even familiar with the commentators' background.  And if Penny's anything of a quick study, I'll go out on a limb and declare him a black belt in "brawl."  Brady Clark is a "Pride" novice, but Penny gladly took him under his wing to explain the finer points.  Clark seemed entertained enough, although not to the point where he's debating a career change.  I asked Clark what his asking price would be to step into the ring.  A cool ten mil, and it would require a financial crisis.

  To say Wilson Betemit is off to a slow start offensively is like saying the Lakers are in a little trouble in their playoff series or that Don Imus has had some trouble at the office- a fairly massive understatement.  To put things in perspective, Randy Wolf, Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, and Jason Schmidt all have better BAs than Betemit's .122.  In only 41 ABs, Betemit has struck out 11 times, good for second on the team.   If he had ten hits in his next ten trips to the plate, Betemit still would be under .300.  For now, Grady Little will stick with him, but that begs the question:

For how long should they let him work through his problems before making a change?

Randy Wolf had struggled with first innings (and pitches 1-30, for that matter) in his first five starts as a Dodger. He also went into Wednesday night's game with a serious track record of success against Barry Bonds, holding him to 3-17 with nine Ks over his career.  So when they faced off with two men on and nobody out in the Giants' half of the first with San Francisco already up a run, something had to give.  Unfortunately for the Dodgers, it was the whole "Randy Wolf owns Barry Bonds" thing. Bonds jacked his seventh homer of the year to give the Giants a 4-0 lead, goosing them to an eventual 6-4 win over the Blue.  So much for trying to be aggressive. It was L.A.'s third straight loss and San Francisco's seventh straight win, and put the Giants a scant game behind the Dodgers in the West (especially significant if the season were 25 or so games long). That the Bonds blow wasn't even the most frustrating for Wolf says a lot, too.    

*Unfortunately for Dodgers fans, not really...

Just because nearly 44,000 fans chant something in unison doesn't make it true, as Barry Bonds proved (much to the collective chagrin of Dodgers fans) in San Francisco's 6-4 win over the Dodgers Wednesday night.  In a serious blow to the power of group will, Bonds was a factor in four of San Francisco's six runs in their 6-4 win over the suddenly cold Blue.  The most serious was a three run jack to dead center off L.A. starter Randy Wolf, who was to say the least, not razor sharp in the top half of the first.  Four consecutive hits, capped off by Bonds' homer of the season.  That gave the Giants a 4-0 lead that the Dodgers couldn't completely overcome.  Sure, they teased, tying the game up in the fourth when Ramon Martinez doubled in Russell Martin, and Rafael Furcal brought Martinez around on a single.  But a Pedro Feliz dinger in the sixth gave San Francisco the lead, and a Bonds single led to a Giant (Get it?  Giant?) insurance run in the eighth.  Wolf (five earned in six IP) took the loss, the third in a row for L.A.

At least Wolf got a little revenge on Bonds, striking him out for his 1,000th career K.  Wolf actually struck him out twice, leaving Bonds a mere 4-20 career against him.  Unfortunately, that fourth hit was a doozy. 

More to come.  NOW ADDED BELOW THE JUMP.

BK

Tonight's fun fact: Both of Wednesday night's starters (San Francisco's Noah Lowry and Randy Wolf for the Blue) played ball on the sun soaked fields of Pepperdine up in Malibu, a place that looks so freakin' beautiful from the PCH that you wonder how anyone there actually makes it to class.  I'll venture to say this isn't something that happens all that often, even for the Waves, who despite playing in a small conference (WCC) have a decent baseball heritage.  So Pepperdine alums, puff out your chests and walk proudly, because tonight is your night!  Incidentally, the fourth guy who strikes out against Wolf tonight will have the honor of being the lefty's 1,000th.  Not quite Al Downing territory in terms of finding the footage replayed over and over again, but since nobody likes to strike out, I'm sure every Giant will be looking to avoid the honor.

Another stat to absorb and then not know what to do with: On this date in '95, Dodger reliever Rudy Seanez recorded his first save in the bigs.  I'm sure you remember where you were.  Anyway, on to actual news... 

Sometimes when you avoid the Howitzer, the cap guns get you.  Such was the case in Tuesday night's 5-3 loss to the Giants at the Ravine.   The Blue held Barry Bonds to 0-2 with a pair of walks, but were victimized by Randy Winn and Dave Roberts, who had four hits, three RBIs, and a homer between them.  Toss in 7+ strong innings from Matt Morris, part of a red-hot Giants pitching staff, and it was enough to sink L.A.  That Morris was probably throwing soft enough for L.A. hitters to catch and throw back his offerings didn't really matter.  Still, the Dodgers had their chances.  But rallies in the eighth and ninth fizzled like a wet bottle rocket, and that was that.  The box score shows Derek Lowe didn't look pretty in his seven frames (nine hits, three walks), but he pitched well enough to keep the Dodgers in the game (and should get props for his willingness to take time for some kids on a day he was pitching). 

Okay, that might be somewhat exaggerated.  But Little did spend his off day riding the bike Juan Pierre gave him in exchange for the skipper's old #9.  From about 11 am- 4pm, Little, with his wife Debi holding his waist, tooled around Sunset and Mulholland checking out Los Angeles (including a stop at Carney's for a hot dog).  They both enjoyed The Strip, but Mulholland's geography wasn't quite Debi's taste.  "That took some of the enjoyment out of it, a couple of those curves," laughed Little, who clearly got a kick out of his better half's fearful reaction, which wasn't much better on the freeway, either.  "She wasn't really fond of that."  Truth be told, the L.A. freeway vibe was even a little hair raising for the guy holding the handlebars.  And that hair was no more upright than when the pair started heading home to Pasadena during rush hour.  "You know where the 134 and the 210 come together?  There's about 8 lanes of cars in 6 lanes?  It got exciting there, too." 

For those of you wondering, there's nothing in Little's contract prohibiting him from getting on a steel horse.

It's time for some straight up rivalry action- even if Jeff Kent's over it- down at the ol' Ravine.  The Giants of San Francisco are in town for a three day stint.  And with them travels the always beloved Barry Bonds, who should expect his standard one-finger salute while chasing Henry Aaron.  Perhaps the former reality TV show star should take congeniality lessons from one Luis Gonzalez, who's always been good at making friends.  Derek Lowe will look to bounce back after a horrible outing against Colorado, although his competition in Matt Morris is no slouch.  And should Lowe cause batters to drop like the sinker he throws, the boys closing out his efforts got it under control of late.  Unless, of course, you remain unimpressed by Takashi's Saito's conversion rate of 100%.

Give the Dodgers this much.  When the #2 Blue decides to let defense kill any shot at a win, they get their money's worth.  Or maybe they were hungover.  But witness Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Pirates.  A first inning throwing error by Russell Martin set the tone for the Dodger sloppiness in the field.  Juan Pierre dropping a ball that was apparently blinded from sight by fierce cloud cover made it clear this wasn't just a fluke.  And there must have been a mistake our two with reliever Chad Billingsley's approach on the mound, since one assumes his game plan wasn't to surrender a pair of runs in just a third of a frame.  In any event, Brett Tomko probably decided he made a mistake even bothering to take the mound.  While his 8 hits and 3 earned runs in 6 innings isn't exactly the stuff of ESPN Classics box scores, the "help" he was given didn't make things easier.  Even a blind man can see that.

And thus, we're gonna be a little occupied today, meaning we won't be doing any posts and I can't promise the comments will be getting updated.  We're hoopefully getting a little help from the folks at the Times, but it's the weekend, so who knows?  We'll be back to normal after the weekend.  Thankfully, the series is against Pittsburgh, so how much help from BK and I could they possibly need?

Go Blue,

AK

When Mark Hendrickson arrived in L.A. last season via a Devil Ray swap, he went from much-needed lefty starter to banished, if solid, middle reliever.  But if this season's start is any indicator, dude's on a mission to reclaim his good name (and rotation membership).  Filling in for an injured Jason Schmidt, Hendrickson's first start of the season amounted to an 8-1 win over the Colorado Rockies.  Exhausted, but maintaining a new focus harnessed though work with a professional mind molder, Hendrickson made the most of his 5.2 innings on the hill.  He also got by with a little help from his friends, particularly Joe Beimel, who's also juicing the box scores as a result of making adjustments.

Last season, Mark Hendrickson's time as a starter was similar to the world of Forrest Gump, in that you never knew what you were gonna get, except for that whole part about "not knowing."  For the most part, counting on unimpressive results was a safe assumption.  But the Lanky Lefty finished last season doing a solid job in relief, nearly regained a rotation spot after spring training and has done terrific work killing middle innings.  After today's 8-1 win over Colorado, he's looking pretty sharp no matter when he throws his first pitch.  Of course, it helped that the woodsmen came through for him at the dish.  Juan Pierre, Andre Ethier and Jeff Kent came through with multiple hits games, and the Dodger second baseman also accounted for a pair of ribbies. 

For those keeping score, Jonathon Broxton remains a blanking machine.  Sure, it's early and eight innings is a ridiculously small sample size, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that he makes history by finishing the season without giving up a run.  And I'll cover all wagers if any reader wants to doubt my prediction. *

AK

* - Assuming he or she good with the idea of there being no chance in hell of me actually paying up.

A few of the regulars (Luis Gonzalez, Jeff Kent, Russell Martin), got to kick their feet up all at once during last night's game against Colorado.  Whether or not that's the direct reason for the 7-2 loss is up in the air.  On one hand, the team definitely could have used a little boom in their bats.  On the other hand, they would have needed to really tear the cover off the ball to overcome the pitching fiasco put forth by the Blue.  Derek Lowe, coming off back-to-back-lights out performances, was pretty much a dim bulb, exited the game after 4.2 innings after giving up with 5 runs (4 earned) and 8 hits.   In other words, par the course for a Rockie squad that tends to rock him.  But hey, at least they didn't kill him while killing the box score.

Derek Lowe's last outing was among the best all-around games I've seen from a pitcher in quite some time.  The follow up?  Not so much.  Lowe left tonight's 7-2 loss to the Rockies before the fifth inning concluded, having served up 5 runs (4 earned) and 8 hits to the Colorado batters.  His counterpart starter Rodrigo Lopez also left the game early, but in his case, it was due to hurtin' hammys.  Before checking out, Lopez was actually inflicting a little hurting, holding the Dodgers to just a run.  The Blue batters couldn't capitalize on Lopez's early exit stage left, but that was something of a moot point, anyway.  The theoretical catch up work would likely amounted to bupkiss after Rudy Seanez contributed a late shelling to the box score.

AK 

Last season, Chad Billingsley admirably stepped into a major, injury induced void in the Dodgers rotation. Billingsley's 7-4 record and 3.80 ERA were an integral part of L.A.'s '06 playoff run, and it was encouraging to see him get better as the season went on (September blowup notwithstanding).  And while Bills was fairly good at getting himself into trouble (.378 BAA with nobody on, nobody out), he was even better at getting out of it (.191 BAA with runners in scoring position, .182 with the bases loaded).  The additions of Jason Schmidt and Randy Wolf squeezed Billingsley out of the rotation this year, but he'll be back eventually.  I had a chance to talk with him before Sunday's game. 

Brian Kamenetzky: What was different for you coming into this year's spring training?  Was your approach, having spent so much time in the majors, different? 

Chad Billingsley: Last year, being my first big league camp and everything, I was just trying to come in and make a good impression and pitch to the best of my ability.  Just go out there and try to turn some heads a little bit, and keep pitching well.  I wasn't real worried about making the team so to say, I just wanted to make a good impression, being my first time up in big league camp.  Coming into this season, I felt like I had finished out last year pretty strong, and was still out there competing for a job.  I thought I was competing for the fifth spot, and ended up in the bullpen.  I was fine with that.  I'm still happy to be here. 

And right now, it's a process of learning a new role.  Being able to bounce back, I've been fine.  My body has been pretty good, my arm's been bouncing back great.  All in all, it's just a matter of trying to get the mental part of it.  Coming into a game during an inning, and things like that.

But as the asterisk would indicate, it didn't come without a qualifier.  Yeah, the evening's vibe certainly consisted of factors one typically categorizes as "good."  The Dodgers beat the D-Backs 6-4, sweeping the short series.  Juan Pierre's double and triple, the latter of which knocked in Wlison Valdez for the go ahead run, perhaps signaled a player who's coming around with the stick.  The combined bullpen efforts of Chad Billingsley, Jonathon Broxton and Takashi Saito sustaining said lead also smacks of "positive."  Oh, and this winning box score belongs to a team that's crushing divisional opponents.

But with their 6-4 win over the D-Backs, your Los Angeles Dodgers are the first 10 game winners in baseball, and at .714 have the best winning percentage in the game.  If the season were to end today (which would be totally unfair) all roads to the World Series for National League teams would pass through l.A.  And while the news of Jason Schmidt's trip to the DL wasn't all sunshine and moonbeams, there's plenty of stuff to be happy.  One?  The back end of the bullpen.  Broxaito tossed a pristine eighth and ninth innings, lowering their collective ERA to somewhere around -2.82.  Meanwhile, Brett Tomko was clearly off his game (8 hits, 4 walks in 5 IP), but managed to limit the Snakes to two earned runs, four overall.   Chad Billingsley threw two solid innings, as well.  But best of all?  Juan Pierre just might be heating up.  After a 2-4, two run effort Monday, Pierre had two more hits, three runs scored, and a big seventh inning RBI that put the Blue ahead to stay.  Solid.

More on the game tomorrow.

BK

Right around this time last season, Brad Penny was ass kicking and name taking his way towards an All-Star worthy first half before collapsing down the stretch.  And after last night's 5-1 win over the D-Backs, it's looking like deja vu all over again (hopefully without the August and September letdown).  Penny kept the Rattlers in check for 7 innings, with the five hits he allowed turning into just a run.   And if you pay attention, there's less huffing and puffing on display when the righty's on the mound (and in the clubhouse, too).  He also breathed easier after getting a huge- some might even say rare- defensive boost from former 'Zona man Luis Gonzalez.  Had the fans have seen that one coming, they may not have given him a standing ovation during his first at bat.  Nah, they probably would.  After watching 8 seasons of class on display, the Arizona faithful is probably fine giving Gonzo one winning box score at their expense.  Especially after the D-Back front office pulled something of an "out with the old..."

But if setting the table for this 5-1 win over the D-Backs means an ERA jumping to a whopping .089, should we really be celebrating too much?  I mean, the man allowed his second run in three games.  Over seven innings?  Dude, unacceptable!  If he keeps allowing himself to get shelled at such a pace, he'll actually be averaging one earned run per contest before we know it.  Then, as Bill Murray said in "Ghostbusters," we're talking "human sacrifice.  Dogs and cats living together.  Mass hysteria!"

Well, despite Penny transparently and irresponsibly phoning this one in, the box score still featured some positive elements.  Thanks to his two hits (one being a homer), Nomar Garciaparra's RBI tally jumped into double digit territory.   The offensively challenged of late Juan Pierre got two hits and the offensively desperate of late Wilson Betemit got his second hit of the season.  Throw in the ribbie and maybe it's a sign of a slump broken.  Or at least a batting average that'll eventually rise higher than Penny's ERA, whichever comes first.

AK

Luis Gonzalez arrived in L.A. this year after eight seasons in Arizona. In modern baseball, with constant player movement, that might as well be 20. But tonight, he'll return as the Dodgers open a quick two gamer against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. After a tough couple games in Milwaukee, Gonzo has settled down and at least offensively, has fit well into the lineup. He spoke before Sunday's game about what it'll be like to return there in a different uniform, about cleaning out eight years worth of memories (and clutter) from his locker, and the process of leaving Arizona for L.A. Whether he pans out on the field for the Blue remains to be seen (given their outfield depth, the Dodgers should be able to keep him fresh enough to be productive all year), but he is undoubtedly going to be a big part of what is looking like a top notch clubhouse atmosphere. That should count for something.

A few quote pulls, and a bunch of audio are posted below the jump.

BK 

It would probably start feeling a little stale by the "60th year, 134th day" anniversary, but judging by yesterday's 9-3 win over the Padres, it might worth the Dodgers' while to pay tribute to Jackie Robinson every game. On a day celebrating Robinson's shattering of the color line 60 years ago (with Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson tossing the opening ball), the Dodgers followed suit and shattered the Padres pitching staff. San Diego starter Chris Young's two-inning cameo yielded seven hits and five runs, and Dodger baserunners stole on him like he was a narcoleptic security guard. Even Jeff Kent got one, and that dude's older than dirt. Long after Young got put on the shelf, Andre Ethier broke out of a vicious slump in big way, going yard and putting up a quartet of RBI's. The Dodgers would have smiling all game in any event, having been extended a once in a lifetime honor. But opportunity coming in the form of a winning box score made the evening truly one to remember.

But stop worrying yourself sick about Wilson Betemit's 1 for 24 non-success at the dish thus far, because Grady Little isn't freaking out.  "I see a guy that's playing outstanding defense and I see a guy that's getting started out a little slow," said Little, when asked what he "sees" right now with Betemit. "That happens with baseball players.  But you've got to keep sight of the bigger picture and that's 162 games.  We know what this guy can mean to us throughout the course of those 162 games."  Little acknowledged that his third baseman may be pressing a bit in an effort to make something happen, but found it understandable.  "I think that's human nature when a guy's in the position he's in."  And even if Betemit does continue to press, he'll be getting plenty of at bats to keep doing just that, since continual cuts are part of the fix-it process.  "The best way a guy can get out of this is by playing.  Not by watching the game.  He's going to play himself right into being the player that he wants to be."  In other words, don't read too much into Wilson Valdez starting at the hot corner.  "It's his turn," said Little in summing up the nod.  "He knows his role on this team and that's to be ready to play in any position whenever he call on him to play.  And he'll be swinging that bat when he gets in there."   

Normally, we try to put all the morning news together into cogent, reasonably entertaining paragraphs that can be read and clicked until all informational needs have been met.  Today, there is so much material available on the web in conjunction with the Jackie Robinson Day celebrations across baseball that our normal style won't really work.  So below the jump are a wide variety of links and the news outlets on which they appear, including some really good, thought provoking work. 

What's interesting, too, is to contrast the media coverage of the day Robinson broke baseball's color barrier with the coverage of the 60th anniversary.  There's no question times have changed, in both society and the news organizations that cover it.  I was in the office last week, and pulled up the L.A. Times article from the day Robinson was signed by the Dodgers.

There's no rule that says a guy has to throw a million miles an hour to be an effective pitcher.  So that Jason Schmidt isn't hitting 95 on the gun isn't itself cause for alarm.  What could sound the doomsday whistle, however, is an ugly combination of no velocity or location, which is what Schmidt brought with him to the mound in Saturday night's 7-2 loss to the Padres.   It's never a good thing for a starter when the next day's papers praise the middle reliever- kudos to Mark Hendrickson for five quality innings!- but after the Pads shellacked the Schmidt for six runs in two plus, there really wasn't much choice.  It's not like Jake Peavy was opening the door for a Dodgers comeback.  The box score shows the San Diego righty absolutely dominated the Blue to the tune of three hits and an earned run over seven innings.  That's good. 

Relatively speaking, that hammy cramp Jason Schmidt sustained in his last start was a lot less painful than his effort Saturday night against the Padres in L.A.'s 7-2 loss.  Two plus innings, seven hits, six runs (five earned), two homers allowed, and a partridge in a pear tree.  San Diego was up 1-0 on a first inning Brian Giles homer before most fans had reached their seats (not a dig at the parking system), and up 6-0 after in the second before most fans had reached their seats (okay, that's a little dig- but "66-19," our man on the ground, says it's still a little Lord of the Flies out there).  With Jake Peavy on the mound for the Friars, at that point the game was pretty much over.  Yeah, there were 7 1/2 innings to play, but given a) Peavy has been red hot since about the midpoint of '06 and b) he owns the Dodgers anyway, it didn't really matter.  The Dodgers scraped out all of three hits and a single earned run in the San Diego righty's seven innings. 

On a positive note, Mark Hendrickson continued his strong long relief work, striking out four and allowing only one run in five innings.  And that's about it for the positive note update.  While much attention has been given to Schmidt's lack of velocity, he was betrayed tonight by terrible location as well.  Too many grooved pitches.  And there just wasn't enough contrast between the offspeed stuff and the fast-ish offerings.  It's early, and in two of the last three April's Schmidt has struggled before righting the ship.  I'm not concerned yet, but if there are Dodgers fans out there who choose to be, I will not begrudge you.

More on the game tomorrow.   

BK

Why?  Because you can never be too careful.  And because Juan Pierre, who has played 648 games over the last four seasons- that's the max possible, by the way- is not in tonight's starting lineup.  Call it a combination of a rough start to '07 (8-43, for an anemic .186 BA) and a rough career against Padres starter Jake Peavy (2-18, .111).  Not exactly a recipe for slump bustage.  Grady Little said he'd likely see some action tonight, so Cal Ripken still may need to watch his back, but it won't be at the beginning of the game.  I had a chance to speak with him before the game, and while he looked kind of sad, he did smile and remind me that his slow start was just part of baseball, "and I'm not on suicide watch or anything."  In mid-season, said Pierre, a bad stretch over 35 or 40 ABs isn't nearly as noticeable.  Still, it's not surprising that Pierre put the blame on himself.  "If I was doing my job, it wouldn't be a problem."  Never mind his impact on the team.  Between his renowned work ethic and the fact he may have, both literally and figuratively, the smallest head in baseball, I hope he turns it around.  It kind of made me sad to see him sad.

On the happier side of things, Matt Kemp was practically bouncing in the clubhouse before the game.  "Today is a good day," he said of his injured shoulder.  "A very good day."  Those of you watching Fox 11 before the game may have caught sight of Kemp throwing in the OF in the background of a live Brett Tomko interview.  Kemp said he tried to throw Friday and couldn't, so he was stoked to be feeling better.

All the pregame audio, from Little to Pierre, is below the jump.  In terms of other notes- Rafael Furcal is okee-dokee after last night's '07 debut, and Brett Tomko is the fifth starter until further notice.

Guess having that Furcal guy in the lineup really does help.  The Dodgers, who through their first nine games had scratched and clawed to score just enough to win, went Gonzo (metaphorically and literally) with their shortstop back in the lineup, beating San Diego 9-1 Friday night at the Ravine.  Given that nine runs had been a week's allotment to this point, it was an encouraging sign.  Furcal picked up where he left off last season, going 2-5 with two doubles, a run scored, a pair of RBIs, and a diving stop in the field.  He seemed to energize the entire lineup, including Luis Gonzalez and Brady Clark, who started in place of Andre Ethier, showing that Matt Kemp's injury doesn't mean everyday PT for the sophomore OF.  Gonzo, who has historically owned Padres starter David Wells, popped a second inning homer and drove in another run in the third.  Clark, as the box shows, had two hits, two runs, and a ribbie.  On the mound, Derek Lowe had his second consecutive strong start, pitching through the eighth, allowing a lone run and striking out six. 

Tonight's 9-1 Blue win featured a do-it-all performance by sinker specialist Derek Lowe.  While in dugout, Lowe passed the time sculpting, writing a novella, and making omelette's for his teammates.* And during his 8 innings on the field, Lowe stymied the Padre batters (7 hits, 6 K's and just 1 ER), worked the Padre pitchers (Aside from drawing two walks, he got a base hit and accounted for a run.), made two dazzling plays with his mitt (including a DP set up) and ran from first to third after Rafael Furcal's double while displaying speed that a cheetah on performance enhancing drugs could only dream of matching.

* - Dugout activities listed above may or may not be an embellished version of "sat and watched the game."

Your starting right fielder this evening. 

Clark will be manning the "All you can eat " section, adding a right handed bat to face Pads starting southpaw David Wells.  And even though it's hardly the outfielder's first day at the office- 2007 marks his 8th season in the bigs- the first start for a new team still sparks butterflies in the ol' belly.  Especially since he didn't realize he was going to start until he checked out the lineup card in the clubhouse.  But even though he didn't necessarily see Little's decision coming, the surprise remains pleasant (as opposed to jarring), since Clark always shows up to the park assuming he'll be in the lineup until receiving express written confirmation otherwise.  "I don't want to ever get caught off guard.  I come prepared to play everyday and make the adjustments."

As MLB's Jackie Robinson Day celebration approaches, the sports world has entertained a wide variety of debates and discussions about his legacy, from the number of African-American managers and front office execs to the the shrinking number of black players on Major League rosters.  One of the most intriguing to me is the question of how many players should be wearing 42 Sunday afternoon.  Every Dodger will have it on his back, as will over 150 players across baseball, something that isn't sitting well with everyone.  The fear, of course, is that the intended tribute is diluted by the sheer volume of players wearing his number.

So here's the question: What is the best way to honor Robinson's legacy?  Should so many players, including white players (the Cardinals, for example, a team with only one African-American player, are among the squads who are all wearing 42) be part of this tribute? 

It'll be Derek Lowe vs. David Wells when the Dodgers host the Padres tonight at the Ravine.  And there will probably be reflections on last September's amazing ninth inning, four homer comeback against San Diego- though probably more from media types than the players themselves.  They're looking forward, hopefully to the prospect of Rafael Furcal making his season debut.  After pulling himself out of a Wednesday rehab appearance down in Single A because of tightness in his injured ankle, Furcal was evaluated on Thursday, and everything seemed on the up-and-up.  Should the same be said for pregame today, he could be good to go against Wells.  Anything to goose what has been a fairly timely but generally anemic Dodger offense. (If Raffy can't go, how about bringing back Rob Deer?*)  One guy who may stick around despite Furcal's return could be Wilson Valdez... otherwise known as "Kitten."   

At this point, it would probably be easier for the Colorado Rockies to collectively contact their inner Pedro Martinez and admit that Brad Penny is their daddy.  The somewhat-less-burly-than-last-season Dodger righty shut out the Rox on two hits (only one to the outfield) over 6 1/3 innings in L.A.'s 3-0 win over Colorado Wednesday night in the finale of their three game set.  The Rockies had a shot to (metaphorically) touch Penny early, when he walked three of the first four hitters he faced.  But Penny wriggled out from that jam, and rolled from there.  Not a surprise, since he's used Colorado as his personal resume builder throughout his career.  Offensively, it was another subsistence level performance for the Blue- enough to get by, not enough to thrive over the long haul.  Their three runs were generated with foot speed, timely hitting, and an assist from Juan Pierre's video study of Rockies starter Jason Hirsh.  In the third, Pierre exploited the righthander's tendency to hold the ball too long and focus too intently on home plate by stealing third while the hurler stood on the mound, ball in hand.  (Chad Billingsley probably had horrible flashbacks in the pen.)  Trailing the play, Russell Martin stole second behind him, and both came home on a Nomar single.   The box shows Jeff Kent added an RBI single, not that they needed it. 

There was only a half inning's worth of scoring throughout tonight's 3-0 win over the Rockies, but when the Blue runners finally began crossing home plate, it happened via highlights equal parts cool and odd.  In the bottom of the third, having reached on back to back singles, Juan Pierre and Russell Martin pulled off a sweet double swipe.  That's the cool part.  It was odd because there were two outs, Martin basically just followed Pierre's cue (which surprised everyone, including Pierre) and throughout the entire proceedings, the ball never even left Colorado pitcher Jason Hirsch's hand.  "It's not something you see everyday, pulled off just exactly like that," shrugged Little.  "Maybe that's what created the result.  What we're looking at is the result and the result was good for us today."  From there, Nomar Garciaparra, whose paltry .200 batting average to start tonight's contest might have sparked fan  concerns that last season's slew of clutch hits was a "2006 thing," came through with a clutch hit and  scored both runners.  After advancing to second on Hirsch's balk (like I said, odd inning), Nomar added the final run courtesy of a Jeff Kent single to left.

Incidentally, Nomar's now batting .235.   

Because if the shortstop's rehab stint with the Inland Empire A-club remains status quo, there won't be many days to snag one.  Rafael's first assignment while playing in Rancho Cucamonga went off without a hitch.  Five DH at bats.  No setbacks physically.  Granted, he was an "0-fer," but as Grady Little pointed out, "We weren't concerned about that."  He'll be in the 66er lineup tonight manning the gap between second and third, then get evaluated during Thursday's off-game.  Assuming it's all flying colors, he'll be back in lineup on Friday.  There are also no immediate plans to ease last year's iron man into his regimen of rarely, if ever, skipping a day.  If Furcal's in the pink, Grady Little plans to let him hit the ground running.  "We'll let the way he feels dictate that.  Raffy's not the type of person that if he's feeling good likes to sit on the bench and watch a game." And as far as the skipper is concerned, Furcal in the dugout for nine full innings ain't his first choice, either.  "He's too loud," said Little with a sly smile.

Really, here we are in mid-April, and the guy hasn't given up a run all season!  The extremely well rested Dodger righty was very nearly perfect, striking out nine and shutting out the Rockies over six innings in L.A.'s 2-1 win over Colorado Tuesday night.  Tomko effectively used the real estate approach to pitching (location, location, location) to shut down a Rockies lineup with a lot of juice.  Questionable choice of words in the modern game, but you get the point.  That Tomko is sharp early isn't a total surprise, given his initial success in '06. All that was missing last night for him was a W.  It almost escaped the Dodgers, too. Chad Billingsley gave up L.A.'s 1-0 after entering in the seventh, and in the eighth only some nifty relief work from Joe Beimel kept the sophomore from potentially facing a loss.  Beimel became a winner in the bottom half of the inning when Russell Martin, who had a hand in just about everything positive for the Dodgers last night, brought home walkin' Wilson Betemit for a 2-1 lead.  Jenga!  The box score shows a still struggling offense, but the (ludicrously early) standings reflect a team that's won five of six.  So no harm, no foul, at least to this point.   

For eight innings Tuesday night, the Dodgers and Rockies matched each other effective pitcher for effective pitcher, squandered opportunity for squandered opportunity.  Brett Tomko, making his first start of the season, looked in midseason form.  Chris Carpenter's midseason form, to be specific.  6 IP, 9 K's, only three free passes.  92 pitches, which I'm willing to bet is more than Vegas would have predicted.  Unfortunately, the first inning run L.A. spotted Tomko was all they'd provide.  In the fourth, the Blue had a chance to give Tomko some breathing room, with Russell Martin on third, Nomar on second, and nobody out... and didn't push anyone across.  Unfortunately for Tomko, Chad Billingsley entered in the seventh and Colorado tied it up, and it would have been worse in the eighth had Joe Beimel not wriggled out of a Bills-inspired mess, coaxing Matt Holliday into a 1-2-3 DP to end a Rockies rally. 

Inspired by the swanky relief work, the Blue scored in the bottom of the frame, on a Martin sac fly that plated Wilson Betemit.  A perfect Sammy Saito ninth later, the Dodgers were winners.  And everyone loves a winner. 

And I've got to hit an ATM before dinner, since I'm a buck short for the $7 press meal.  Just thought I'd throw that out there. 

Last season, it seemed like every time the Dodgers were staring down the barrel of a tough roster decision, fate, usually in the form of an injury, intervened and essentially made it for them.  Nice to see the Blue are consistent year to year.  Matt Kemp's battle with the right field wall in Monday's loss to Colorado can officially be chalked up as a win for the wall.  More examination today revealed a grade one separation (apparently just a fancy way of saying "bad bruise") to Kemp's right shoulder that'll keep him out for a week or two, so he'll head to the DL.  "It's precautionary," said Grady Little, "but it's the right thing for us to do right now.  We're just thankful it's not worse than what it is."  If it feels a little deja vu-ish, it can't be helped.  Little's feeling on L.A.'s ability to work through this stuff also has an '06 ring to it.  "We've got to keep going forward.  We can't cancel games because people have injuries or have to leave the game," he said.  "You never want it to be (because of injury), but we kind of pride ourselve