Not that Broxton was the only Dodger hurler to get shelled during tonight's 11-4 thumping against Washington.  But his was the easiest last name to turn into a snappy title, so he got the nod.  Nothing personal, Big Jon.  Besides, I'll go out on a limb and predict that Broxton's standards for himself are high enough that he'd consider his four earned runs, two hits and two walks over two-thirds of an inning fair game for a zinger.

The Dodgers, like the rest of baseball, have their share of stars.  Guys like Jeff Kent, Derek Lowe, or Luis Gonzalez who have made big money and carved out long and in at least Kent's case, Hall of Fame caliber careers.  On the other end of the spectrum are players like Rudy Seanez.  Originally drafted in June of 1986- there aren't many guys still in uniform who sport "Class of '86" buttons- by the Indians, his big league career reads more like concert tour than anything else.  Cleveland, San Diego, Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Diego (again), Atlanta (again), Texas, Boston, Kansas City, Florida, San Diego (again squared), Boston (again), San Diego (again cubed), and this year, he's returned to the Dodgers for a second go round.  Include his minor league stops, and it's fair to say the man has seen much of America.  Toss in Tommy John surgery in 2000, and Seanez becomes a study in perseverance and endurance.

He's managed to stake out over eleven years of Major League service in twenty plus seasons as a pro, despite always seeming to pitch on the fringes.  In this day of big contracts and egos, when Seanez talks about appreciating the game and loving what he does, you can believe him. 

Sure, a lot of those politicians may not have realized the Nationals played a game yesterday. Or that D.C. even has a baseball team. But if you're one of those folks who takes victories over anything "Washington" as "sticking it to the man," a 5-0 blanking of the Nats equals a bunch of self-serving bureaucrats being put on notice. But after criticizing those yahoos for the crummy job they're doing passing bills, save a little of that venom for Derek Lowe. Assuming there's even anything left to say about his weak stuff, since he was pretty thorough in bashing his seven innings worth of 5K/3H/0R.  Guess there's no pleasing some people (although Rick Honeycutt may not qualify as "some"). Although, despite what some folks say, Russell Martin's actually pleased with Blue offense. After seeing what everyone from himself to Lowe contributed to the box score's run department, it's easy to understand why he's willing to get a little geeked in the face of pessimism.

For the second night in a row the Blue scored enough runs, and more importantly didn't allow a Nationals player to touch home plate.  Not from third, at least, as they offed Washington at RFK 5-0 behind seven stellar innings of three hit ball from Derek Lowe, a two-run bomb from Russell Martin, and a pair of hits each for Rafael Furcal and Luis Gonzalez.  How good was the groove on Wedesday night?  Lowe, who generally swings the bat like a man with a serious allergy to wood, managed to reach base three times.  He singled in the third, then added two walks and a run scored.  This is a trend unlikely to continue, so it's probably worth clipping the box score for use in the ol' time capsule. 

And cynics say nothing good ever comes out of D.C.  Shame on them.  More on the game tomorrow.

BK

... wait for it...

batty.

Hey, if that pun is the worst you're stuck dealing with as a prize for a 10-0 win over the Washington Nationals, I imagine that'll work every time and then some.  What began as an everyday, average, ho-hum pre-game routine for the speedy (and often under-performing) new Dodger turned into a explosion at the dish.  Four hits in five at bats, three of which were doubles and the other a triple (His first of the season.  It's a "Dear Diary" day!!!).  Hell, had that slacker Brad Penny not been gumming up the works on the base paths, Pierre might have made it a pair of three-baggers (and at least another ribbie).  But Penny redeemed his Yugo-like running prowess with yet another productive outing on the mound.  How checked did Penny leave the Nats?  While minding second base, Jeff Kent didn't chat up a Washington player until the seventh inning.   That ain't bad.  Between Penny's chucking and the collective Blue bats, it would have basically been impossible for Yhency Brazoban and Brett Tomko to take over and screw up the box score.   As it was, they actually carried out the goose egg parade.

I think it's fair to say that when Juan Pierre has four extra base hits, his team is going to win.  That kind of thing just doesn't happen very often.  As in, never, before tonight, when Pierre ripped a triple and three doubles in five ABs as the Dodgers cruised to a 10-0 win over the Nationals in Washington Tuesday night.  As you might glean from the score, it was a rock solid night all around for the Blue.  6 1/3 shutout innings from Brad Penny (7-1).  A three run jack from Luis Gonzalez.  Three hits, two RBI for Nomar, two hits and two runs scored for Tony Abreu.  Yhency Brazoban lowering his ERA to a more manageable 16.20 with a perfect 2/3 of an inning.  RFK is a football stadium, and the Dodgers hung a nice football number on the scoreboard.  Solid.

More on the game in the morning.

BK

As the Dodgers begin a three-day series against the Washington Nationals, one featuring the still-smoking Brad Penny vs. the apparently faceless Jason Simontacchi, we are reminded of the message our government has imparted upon us since this nation's founding: That America is a place where dreams can be achieved.  And for a few young Dodgers, that sentiment is being experienced and believed.  For young Andre Ethier, his dreams are being fed through acquired smarts.  For young Yhency Brazoban, his dreams are being achieved by enduring the roughest of times.  And for young Russell Martin, who appears to be on an unusually accelerated path, his dreams are being achieved in part through the guidance of a Blue fave.

Who knows if the Dodgers of tomorrow will look to seize those same opportunities?  And if the Dodgers dreams of a solid hot corner man will ever come to fruition?

The monumentally Cublike way in which Chicago managed to gift wrap Sunday's 2-1 Dodgers win was certainly noteworthy.  Three walks, a missed attempt to catch a guy off second base, and a hit batter to finally lose it?   No Dodger puts a ball in play?  If you wrote a movie where Chicago loses a critical game in that fashion, people would dismiss it as cliche. "That wouldn't even happen to the Cubs," they'd say. 

But as much fun as that was (I already sent a note to my buddy J.T., a native of the Windy City and devoted Cubs fan, making fun of his team), the most interesting part of the game came in the eighth.  Lots of maneuvering, a few pitching changes, and very mixed results for each manager.  It's was the sort of stuff that makes baseball ripe for debate, provided a good illustration of long term and short term thinking and how it can impact a game, and perhaps a small window into managerial styles. (Note:  If you're not the type who likes to dissect strategy, you'll want to skip the rest of this post...) 

That's how the Chicago Cubs must have felt after seeing Juan Pierre deflect a pitch with his knee to trigger a 2-1 Dodger victory.   Pierre was at the plate with all the bases occupied, no outs and Chicago already out of sorts after Ramon Martinez's whiffle ball prowess put him at third base in scoring position.  You can thank Cubs catcher Michael Barrett for the staggering brain cramp.  With Wilson Betemit already on first courtesy of a walk, superior mitt man Rafael Furcal got the identical, identical treatment to create a force at home.  Cue errant pitch into Pierre's knee.  Cue win.  Which was nice, considering Russell Martin had literally bent over backwards earlier to make an out.

The Cubs and Dodgers go way back.  Horse and buggy back.  Spanish-American War back.  Entering Sunday afternoon's game, in their long often illustrious (Dodgers) and disastrous (Chicago) histories they'd met a total of 2,012 times, and in a bit of a statistical oddity, the series was dead even at 1,006 wins apiece.  So this game wasn't just about two teams trying to keep and/or gain some momentum in the 2007 season.  This was about over a hundred years of history.  Of toil.  Of sweat.  Of itchy woolen uniforms that induced sweat when toiled in.  About bragging rights in two of America's finest cities, and being able to look a Cub or a Dodger square in the eye, pop 'em in the nose and declare, "We own you!"  Maybe that explains why L.A.'s 2-1 win in 11 innings was so tight.  Both teams recognized this game was bigger than all of us. 

Much of the pregame time was swallowed up by picture day at the Ravine, and the rest was filled with reaction to the big UFC fight last night.  There was a lot of pre-fight chatter yesterday among the Blue, so I figure they did their part to juice the pay-per-view numbers.  I know nothing about UFC, really, since mixed martial arts isn't really my bag, though I will say octagons are inherently more interesting than squares.  Apparently the whole thing lasted under two minutes.   I don't speak very good Spanish, but I'm pretty sure I witnessed Rafael Furcal reenact the action for Wilson Betemit and Tony Abreu.  A lot of pantomimed punches, a couple elbows, and an emphatic slam to the ground.  Furcal's performance was good enough that I'm willing to say he saved me $60, or whatever it cost to buy the fight.  So I appreciate that. 

No comebacks, either, as the Dodgers fell short in a bid for last minute razzle dazzle in a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs.  The eighth inning saw a substitute-heavy lineup force Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano into a bases loaded spot of trouble.  A spot the Dodgers were hoping pinch-hitter Jeff Kent could convert into a granny, especially with lefty Will Ohman take over for Zambrano.  Deja vu all over again?  No dice.  Kent went down looking and the Dodgers' chances followed in a similar fashion.  Rafael Furcal watched it all from the bench, having been taken out of the lineup at the last minute due to a stiff knee.  He showed up at the Ravine ready to play, but eventually decided it wasn't worth chancing any further irritation.   Furcal's absence not only put a wrench in any potential box score results, but Grady Little's master plan to rule the world (which seems at best like a roundabout manner of achieving global domination, since it mostly involves flip-flopping his 1-2 spots in the lineup based on lefty vs. righty pitching.  But we'll see how it goes).

Why?  Because after seven weeks or so of mixed-but-generally-bad performances by Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano, I stuck him on the bench of my fantasy team this week.  And, obviously sensitive to the fact he's pitching for a spot in my rotation (and a fat new contract, though realtively speaking I imagine that's more of a back burner issue) Zambrano came out chucking Saturday afternoon against the Blue, allowing only two runs over 7 2/3 innings in Chicago's 4-2 win.  Clearly I awoke the sleeping giant.  Lou Piniella ought to send me a muffin basket.  Aside from a little hiccup in the fourth- a pair of singles from Juan Pierre and Tony Abreu opened the inning but no runs were scored- Zambrano was basically untouchable until the seventh, when Wilson Betemit cracked an 0-2 offering over the wall in right for his fifth homer of the year. 

Given what I do for a living, the following revelation will not likely reveal much to most of you:  I suck at math.  Always have, and barring some sort of cranial transplant (can they do that?), always will.  But I'm sharp enough to put the following equation together- 7:40 Friday night start + 3:14 game time + 12:55 Saturday afternoon game = slow clubhouse.  And not just for the players.  I hit the room around 10:00, and thought I might have missed Grady's pregame confab, because only one other writer was in there.  Turns out I was just early.  Everyone started rolling in, and a tired bunch they were.  Brett Tomko was sporting bed head the likes of which I hadn't seen since I quit teaching.  But I knew something was up when I asked Derek Lowe if, with his Pistons up 2-0, he was ready to put them in the Finals. 

"I'm so tired I can even think about it," he said.  Wow.  Considering Lowe would probably talk Pistons at a funeral, that's some serious tired he's fighting. 

The Cubs are a perennially sad bunch in need of help, and on Friday night the Dodgers seemed primed and ready to donate to the cause.  In the seventh, they turned a four run lead into a three run deficit  before cutting off aid to Chicago, coming back in the eighth to take the lead in their 9-8 win.   The last three innings seemed to take place in a parallel universe, with the bullpen in shambles and the offense leading the way.  To say that Joe Beimel, Yhency Brazoban and Jonathan Broxton were ineffective in the seventh frame would be a mild understatement.  The Cubs turned 12 batters, eight hits (most hit between hard and really hard), a walk and an error into seven runs and a cushy 8-5 lead. 

I don't know which sounds more improbable.  The Dodgers' typically trusty pen giving up 7 runs in the seventh inning, shifting a 5-1 Dodger lead into an 8-5 deficit.  Or the often anemic Blue offense immediately responding with four runs in the eighth inning, allowing Takashi Saito to hold serve and preserve a 9-8 win over the Chicago Cubs.  Tie goes to the runner, I guess.  Or in this case, the Dodgers.

After starter Derek Lowe allowed just one run over his six innings of work, the haywire seventh inning saw Joe Beimel, Yhency Brazoban and Jonathon Broxton (tagged with the official "BS") combine to allow 8 hits and 6 earned runs, putting the game seemingly on tilt before Rudy Seanez finally got them out of the inning.  His eighth inning contribution to the box score was also scoreless, which settled things down for the Blue runs coming in the bottom of that same frame.  "It's gonna happen," said Seanez of the pen's roller coaster ride.  "It's not the first time it happens.  It's not going to be the last."   

But just leave it on the doorstep and ring the bell, because he's all covered in flu germs.  Schmidt came down with a bug during the off-day- sweet way to relax, huh?- and was told to stay home during tonight's game, lest the whole team end up feverish and queasy.  What are the repercussions of this sudden illness?  Well, aside from the fact that Schmidt likely feels like absolute crap right now, his simulated game scheduled for today required postponement.  For those of you who laid a little cash in Vegas on the results of Schmidt's imaginary game, I imagine the casino will just refund your original bet or allow you to put it on another simulated game down the road.  Mark Prior has one penciled in for April 2008, if you wanna get on the stick early.

On a related note, BK and I have a buddy named Rob who'd easily bet on a simulated baseball game.  Gladly.  In, like, two seconds.  Hell, he would bet on simulated simulated baseball if a line was made available.  The boy likes him some gambling.

Much is made in the media of the fact the Dodgers have won only one playoff game since the '88 World Series championship.  Well, no amount of futility compares to what Cubs fans have endured since 1908.  So as the Blue open their series tonight against the Baby Bears at the Ravine- sending out Derek Lowe (4-5, 3.84) against lefty Ted Lilly (4-2, 2.69) it's important to remember success, specifically the lack thereof, is very relative.  This season, the Cubs have had little of it on the road so it'll be important for the Dodgers not to do them any favors and allow Chicago's natural, expertly cultivated shaky karma do its job.  Certainly it did in Derrick Lee the last time he visited the Ravine.  And while the players on both teams wait for that to happen, they can discuss what they have in common- a lack of consistent run production. 

Yesterday we asked where the Dodgers would be without Russell Martin, and of course nobody on, connected with or rooting for the Blue wants to find out. So when balls start flying in the general vicinity of his head, as they did in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Brewers, folks get upset. The trouble came in the fifth, after a Martin home run bid was correctly ruled foul. The next pitch from Milwaukee's Carlos Villanueva flew over Martin's head like a wayward offering from a $.50 batting cage. Villanueva then tossed ball four, sending Martin to first. That's when the yapping started between the Brewers dugout and first base coach Mariano Duncan, then Duncan and Prince Fielder. Benches and bullpens cleared, players generally stood around (this is baseball, after all), then left the field. Much ado about nothing. Of course, the box shows by his point Martin--who beats Brewers starter Chris Capuano like John Bonham did a snare--had already doubled in three, scored a run and almost homered. He'd add a sac fly just for some extra icing on that cake.  Which is why, as we mentioned, nobody wants to learn about life without Russell.

As Dodger fans replay visions of tonight's 5-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in their heads, they'll be tempted to sing Russell Martin's praises.  And I understand why, on the surface, the night would appear like primo resume material.

A) Career-high 4 RBIs.

B) Scoring the Dodgers' other run.

C) Nearly knocking in another run on a homer eventually ruled foul- despite a trip around the bases- after an ump conference (Don't see that very often.).

D) Helping keep the peace between first base coach Mariano Duncan and Brewers first base coach Ed Sedar (then Prince Fielder) in a tiff that eventually cleared the benches (but no punches thrown). 

Pretty solid work, for sure.  But let's be honest.  Were this truly a night to declare young Russ having "done it all," the kid would capped things off by also writing this postgame report.  There's a laptop in the Dodger clubhouse.  The Ravine's wireless Internet likely reaches the dugout.  He's got time to kill between innings.  The fact that he didn't take the initiative to recap (thus leaving me to do it) makes this a decidedly "slacker" effort on his part.  Or at the very least, a "B-/C+" game with serious wiggle room for improvement.  Time for someone to decide if he really wants to play professional ball.    

More to come later.  (NOW ADDED, AFTER THE JUMP)

AK

Why do I say this?  Not because I think Little's political leanings would either pit him at odds or align him too heavily with the host.  I have no idea if Little votes Republican or Democrat.  Frankly, I don't know if Little even votes.  Nor do I care.  And it's not because I don't think Little is witty enough to pop by the set.  He's got a very good sense of humor and spins a nice yarn.  And it's certainly not because I don't think Little's a suitably high profile guest.  The guy manages the Los Angeles Dodgers.  That's "title"  enough to do ten minutes with O'Reilly, depending on the topic.  Ain't like you can book Bono every week, anyway.

No, the reason Little's wrong for that program is because O'Reilly has decreed it a "No Spin Zone."  I'm not sure I'm buying it, but those are apparently the rules.  And as Little showed before today's game, he's willing to pull a "Michael J. Fox" of his own from time to time.    

The Dodgers, given their blend of vets (replete with "crusty" potential) and highly touted prospects, pitching and offensive problems, are always a good subject for discussion- or so I hope, since my job depends on it.  So yesterday's promotion of Tony Abreu generated some talk.  Rob Neyer of ESPN.com weighed in on his blog, and wasn't all that impressed. 

It's cliche in sports to play the "Where would the _______ be without _______?" game in discussing a team's success.  Old, tired cliche... and we're not above it.  So after Tuesday night's 3-2 win over the Brewers we ask, "Where would the Dodgers be without Russell Martin, Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito?"  After some quick calculating, the answer is clear. Instead of first place, they'd be in, like, a billionth place.  Give or take.  No worries, though.  The trio came up large last night, as they have all season.  Martin was all over the field, not just jacking a big two-run homer of blister laden Milwaukee ace Ben Sheets (who has never lucked out at Dodger Stadium), but also drawing a walk, stealing a base, and scoring twice, as the box score shows.  On the other end, Broxton and Saito preserved Randy Wolf's seven top shelf innings, a result more predictable these days than the arrest of another Cincinnati Bengal.   

They generally don't have the pyrotechnics of your average Michael Bay film, but what is becoming a stereotypical Dodger win- the likes of which they delivered in Tuesday night's 3-2 defeat of the Brewers- still gets the job done (and have the added benefit of not inducing migraines or killing one's faith in the future of cinema).  By now, we all know the blueprint well enough to pull a Mike Brady and draw it up ourselves.  A quality start, followed by lights out performances from the back of the bullpen, supported by just enough offense to earn the W.  Tonight, the blanks were filled in by Randy Wolf's seven strong innings (2 ER, 3 H, 4 K) and a spotless effort from BroxSaito.  The only slight deviation from the formula came via the manner in which the barely adequate offense was delivered- that of a white rhino rare Dodger home run, supplied by Russell Martin.

Here's where the pillow comes in.   

It's fair to say the wheels are spinning for the Blue.   The Dodgers promoted Tony Abreu, he of the gaudy .347 BA/.397 OBP down in Triple-A Las Vegas, and sent down Hong-chih Kuo.  The lefty will start in Vegas, in an effort to start stretching him out to the point where he will be available to join the rotation with the big club.  In other news, off days will allow for Brett Tomko's next start to be skipped, and the notion of stretching out Bills is on the table as well. 

Which is more than you can say for Shea Stadium, that's for sure. 

BK

On the heels of a miserable series in Anaheim, Grady Little went ahead and shuffled his lineup for Monday night's tussle with the first place Brewers, and the Dodgers did get a little more production.  Unfortunately, it came late in L.A.'s 9-5 loss, and only after they were down big to the Brewers.  Which segues nicely into the next point- that the Dodgers may have to shuffle the back end of the rotation.  Mark Hendrickson has started to get a little wobbly, while Brett Tomko suffered Monday through another tough outing Monday night (5 runs, 8 hits over 5.1 IP) that led to postgame questions about whether he'd make his next scheduled start.  Toss in a totally ineffective outing from Chad Billingsley, who as the box shows allowed three runs in 2/3 of an inning, and it's no surprise the boo birds were chirping.  It gave them something to do while watching Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder dismantle the home team while Brewers starter Jeff Suppan kept the bats quiet. 

Sure, it was another loss, but this 9-5 loss featured the most runs the Dodgers have scored in any loss since the weekend's Freeway Series began.  As a matter of fact, the scoring tally ties the Friday-Sunday total combined.  Something of a desperate silver lining, to be sure, but when you're staring a four game losing streak in the kisser (along with a slim half game lead over NL West rivals San Diego and Arizona), one forgives a writer if he transparently reaches for moral victories. 

And keeping with that theme, it's worth a smile or two that Brett Tomko only allowed scores in four of the six frames he was on the hill.  Those other two innings?  Left the box score clean as a whistle.  One even included a double play induced.  And while on the surface, Chad Billingsley's outing- two-thirds of an inning with three runs allowed- sounds terrible, but that's when you don't factor in the two strikes outs.  That's a 2K/3ER ratio.  Assuming the squad can score a quartet of runs each inning, kid's golden.  Throw in the fact that the Dodgers saved all their runs until the latter half of the game, an expert display of dramatic suspense construction...

Ah, screw it, y'all ain't buying this crap.  But points for trying, right?

More to come later.

AK    

Actually, let me rephrase.  You may very well be drunk (and no worries if that's the case.  What you people do on your time is none of my business.), but tonight's 1-8 would look all mixed up even to those who just received a sobriety chip.  Juan Pierre will now lead off with Rafael Furcal on deck, Russell Martin and Luis Gonzalez will flip their usual 5/6 spots and Andy LaRoche (in tonight for Wilson Betemit) and Andre Ethier reversed things as well. 

Lest anyone be concerned Grady Little got too wacky, rest assured.  The pitcher will continue batting 9th.

Interesting stuff on www.baseballprospectus.com today, from Bryan Smith, who is systematically going through the bigs and scouting the scouting directors with the idea of perhaps predicting who teams might snag in the '07 draft.  Fortunately for the Dodgers, it looks like in the end, Julio Lugo did provide something useful.  To get familiar with some names, check out the prospect list of ESPN.com's Keith Law.

BK

It's fair to say that if a team isn't going to score much, they best catch everything hit to them if they want to win.  And, in what is becoming a disturbing refrain to the first 44 games of the year, the Dodgers did neither in their 4-1 loss to the Angels on Sunday, allowing L.A.A. to complete the sweep of their rivals up the 5.  The loss, which pushed the Dodgers to 1-20 in interleague road games since '05 (they're already rolling out the red carpet for the Blue in Toronto in Tampa for L.A.'s June visits), can't be pinned on Derek Lowe.  The righty polished off his second complete game loss of the season, allowing three earned and walking none.  Nope, this one belongs to a Dodger offense that, as the box shows, matched their three singles off Angels starter Kelvim Escobar with three double play balls (capping off a 2-22 series with RISP) and a defense that did very little to help Lowe out.  Errors by Rafael Furcal and Wilson Betemit (who could/should have been tagged with a second) helped sustain Angels rallies in the first and fifth.  That made for six errors in the series, part of a season-long bad leather trend that needs to change, even if it means changing the guys wearing it.   

Technically, they hail from Anaheim (by way of Los Angeles, somehow), but if you ask the Dodgers, these Halos- who just tagged them with a 6-2 loss- are residents of Beelzebub's 'hood.  Sure, the night was heavenly enough for Jered Weaver, who inflicted some damage on the team he grew up worshiping.  But as far as the Blue perspective goes, their opponents might as well have been Satan's minions, what with all the evil luck on their side.  Jeff Kent had his troubles from the jump, his home run negated by a throwing error, reflecting what's hardly been his best defensive season.  Of course, the struggles did allow him to wax poetic.  Mark Hendrickson pushed the metaphorical rock up the hill for a reasonably successful five innings, only to see the fruits of his labor go bad in the sixth.  And the entire team felt the heat of some flames as they left a slew of runners stranded.  Although really, what else is new?  Until the (theoretical) reinforcements arrives, similar results could litter many a Dodger box score.

Apparently, me being too clueless to double check the start time before heading out to Anaheim serves in no way as a good omen for the Dodgers.  It's more similar to this kind of Omen, but rather than doom and gloom coming in the form of an adorably creepy child, it comes in the form of a 6-2 loss to the Halos.  Mark Hendrickson had a good thing going for five innings (only 2 of his 3 runs surrendered were earned).  But a three run sixth put the Dodgers behind an insurmountable 8-ball.  The Blue did their best to mount a bottom of the ninth comeback, beginning with Andre Ethier's two out single.  Mike Lieberthal walked, putting a pair on base for Rafael Furcal to bring home.  But alas, Furcal grounded into a fielder's choice and the dim hopes of a brighter box score were dashed.  It's all over but the shouting (most of which comes while fighting the traffic on the 5 freeway).

But hey, I'm all over the post-game comments.  They start in an hour, right?

More to come later.  (AND NOW ADDED, AFTER THE JUMP)

AK

Guess which crack journalist thought the festivities kicked off at the usual 7:10 start?  You guessed it.  This guy.  To say the least, I feel kinda dumb (although in all fairness, it's not like this kind of information is readily available on the Internet, the newspaper or spoken about on sports talk radio.  I was basically left to fend for myself in a jungle of shrouded mystery.).  Thus, I don't have much of a pre-game bombshell to report, other than I'm an idiot (which may not qualify as a "bombshell," frankly).  But I promise to pay close attention from here on out, which should dramatically increase my chances of properly identifying when post-game begins.

For what it's worth, I did arrive on time for a 7:10 first pitch.

There's a school of thought that says if you're gonna lose, it might as well be a spectacular wipe out.  Get your money's worth, right?  Well, that's basically what happened during the Dodgers' 9-1 loss to the Halos.  One of those babies were pretty much everything went wrong.  Take Brad Penny, for example.  He entered last night's contest having surrendered an octet of runs all season.  He matched that tally in just five innings.  There is some comfort to be had knowing Penny maintained a Fonz-like composure throughout, especially after a few dicey calls.  Unfortunately, there are no extra runs alotted just because your ace fire baller didn't get all fiery.  In the meantime, Jeff Kent was his usual grouchy self, but this time for a reason.  He hates interleague play.  A lot.  Mr. Smiley might get a little more cheery (for him, at least) if his squad began putting up a few more runs on a regular basis.  Just ain't this team's style of late.  But even though they're not adding gaudy point totals to the box score, the Dodgers (and their neighbors) shouldn't start making October vacation plans just yet.

Chalk one up for the Angels fans. 

Whether you call it the Freeway Series, a bitter rivalry, a classic interleague battle, or just another game between two pretty good teams, it's fair to say everything went right for the red and white down in Anaheim Friday night.  The Angels were solid while the Dodgers were shakier than a sauce-free Shooter in T.L.A.A.O.A's 9-1 win over the Blue.  Call it a Murphy's Law night for the Dodgers.  A partial list of things that could go wrong, and did: Poor and fairly unlucky pitching from starter Brad Penny (his eight earned over five innings included a fair share of bleeders and well placed choppers).  Bad defense (three Dodger errors and a poor job by the pitchers, especially Penny, keeping runners close).  Don't forget bad hitting (one run doesn't win a lot of games), bad aim (the Blue lost at least two runs, possibly more, when line drives were picked clean by Casey Kotchman at first and Macier Izturis at second to stifle rallies in the fourth and fifth, respectively), and bad umpiring (Izturis' glovework aside, questionable calls by Ron Kulpa behind the dish helped helped the Angels escape the fifth unscathed).  Let me know if I'm forgetting something, like liberal-to-grotesque use of italicized parentheticals by a blogger.  That probably cost 'em, too. 

Since AK and I don't travel with the team, the trek down the 5 Freeway to Angels Stadium is as close as we get to a genuine road trip.  Granted, since we're talking about a Friday afternoon drive on an L.A. freeway, it would probably be quicker to fly to Pittsburgh when the Dodgers visit there this June, but that's not the point.  It's my chance to peek into the window of a visiting club and compare it to the home experience.  My hypothesis?  It would be no different.  A decade plus after my last science class, it's good to know I've still got the touch.  Sure, the BP schedule is different and Grady talks to the media about an hour later (something to remember for next time).  Guys play more cards in the clubhouse, but that's likely a function of the teeny tiny nature of the Dodgers' home locker room.  There's no space for card tables, so they'll play in one of the rooms where we're not allowed to go.  I watched the Dodgers stretch, which only reinforced my pre-existing belief that pregame warmup routines across baseball are a complete joke.  But there were no revelations.  Interesting to see the big plastic (is it rubber?) rat in Luis Gonzalez's locker travels.  "Some of the time," he says.  And from a comfortable work environment standpoint, the chairs in the Angels Stadium press box are light years better than Chavez Ravine, and to say there's more space here is an understatement.      

Because you're excited about the Freeway Series kicking off, because you're geeked for interleague play that needn't rely on gimmickry to get your attention (After all, it might be preview of an even bigger series!)... and because it just takes that long to reach the O.C. from anywhere in L.A.

On the plus side, the time spent negotiating bumper to bumper brutality gives you time to ponder the following Dodger-Halos storylines.  Will Brad Penny succeed in his quest to hit a 6-0 clip, a sweet start that explains why he's no longer being shopped.  Will Juan Pierre need an assistant to plan his get-together schedule, since he's apparently buddies with everyone in baseball?  Can Wilson Betemit parlay his improved May into a productivity as a full-timer (or at the very least, a lefty version of  Olmedo Saenz's productivity)?  And has Chad Billingsley found his stride as a middle reliever?

Part II of what we now dub "Andy LaRoche Day."

As most Blue Notes regulars probably know by now, I'm a writer oft fascinated by sports stories that  could be categorized as "quirky."  Whether uncovering the secret behind Sandy Alomar Jr's pre-game use of socks or breaking down the cookie eating habits of Derek Lowe, there's pretty much nothing I find too trivial, ridiculous or just plain silly to garner a little ink.  As long as I'm entertained, it's going on the blog.  That's just kinda how I roll.  Knowing that, it should come as no surprise that I pay rather close attention to a player's at-bat music.  To me, it can make or break a batter's vibe when he steps to the plate.  I've more or less got Dodger theme stored away in the ol' brain file.  Among the ones that have stood out for me...

With Wilson Betemit struggling mightily, the Dodgers promoted prized prospect Andy LaRoche from Triple A Las Vegas on the last roadie.  Given the organization's strong desire to make sure the kids get plenty of PT (which goes a long way to explaining why Matt Kemp is still a 51), LaRoche is presumably here to stay, or at least to play.  And, most likely because he understands the ability of Blue Notes to crush even the most promising careers before they really start*, LaRoche took some time to speak with me before a game earlier this week. 

*not actually true

BK

It might be a little premature to start referring to Wilson Betemit as a pinch hit menace along the lines of reigning Blue Kahuna Olmedo Saenz. Seriously, the Tomato's been good enough to garner a nickname with the phrase "Killer." But after coming through with a pinch hit home run that supplied the goods to clinch a 5-4 win over the Cardinals, Betemit's starting to gaining some rep as a sub option. With his April batting so bad it prompted an unideal call up of rookie Andy LaRoche, Betemit's reassignment to bench duty felt more necessity than "secret weapon" creation. But after two fill-in homers against Atlanta and one last night, Betemit's finally helping his squad while helping validate Grady Little's faith. He even helped ease the nerves of the kid who snagged his gig.

For a guy who's sporting a rather paltry .194 clip at the dish, Wilson Betemit's been pretty good of late in one shot at-bats.  Tonight, his pinch hit jack was the difference in a 5-4 win over the Cardinals.  Drilled left-handed into dead center field, Betemit's 5th inning, three-ribbie yard-abandoner proved just barely enough insurance.  Randy Wolf went just five innings, but struck out seven and only surrendered two earned runs.  And Takashi Saito picked up save number lucky 13, bumping him to a 2nd place tie in the National League.

Unfortunately, Rafael Furcal's four-hit streak came to an end.  While some might claim it's a touch  extreme, I'm guessing Grady Little plans to bench his shortstop for a few games to teach him a lesson about only getting one hit.  As you know, this is Hollywood, baby.  It's all about "What have you done for me lately?"

More to come later.  (And now there, after the jump)

-AK   

Luis Gonzalez's rep as a clubhouse prankster is common knowledge along the lines of Jeff Kent's rep as the exact opposite, so the idea of him pulling a fast one doesn't exactly throw me.  But this guy is so good, he can punk you without even trying.  I was walking around the clubhouse in my usual pursuit of a scoop when all of a sudden, I saw a honkin' big rat- about one and a half feet long- alongside Raffy Furcal's chair while Mr. Four Hits A Night stood on it to organize his top shelf.  Upon letting out a horrified gasp, I realized it was just a plastic rat.  Sure, the jet black coat, beady eyes, sharp teeth and octet of nipple-teats do lend a reasonably threatening appearance.  But nonetheless, not a real rat, which made me feel kinda stupid.  When I told Furcal how this toy scared me like a six-year old girl watching "The Exorcist," he smiled casually and told me it belonged to Gonzo.      

Last Friday, Rafael Furcal was a slumping lead-off man struggling to hit a not-so-respectable .220.  This morning, he's sitting just under .300, his quartet of hits helping to propel a 9-7 Dodgers win over the Cardinals.  For those keeping score, Raffy's four knock night was his third straight, a feat leaving Steve Garvey and the Davis Twins (no relation) in the dust.   In fact, his streak is no rare, video game Rafael Furcal might not be able to pull it off.  But the... wait for it... fourocious achievement wasn't just about the record books and hooplah, even though Milt Stock is sweating in his boots.  One of Furcal's hits was a third inning triple that drove in three runs and helped bust the game open for L.A.  The trio of ribbies accounted for half the frame's total, creating a cushion soft enough to give a so-so-at-best Derek Lowe his "W" in the box score.

First things first- the Dodgers (finally, thankfully, mercifully) ended their ten game losing streak against the Cardinals, beating them 9-7 on Tuesday night.  With that out of the way, now let's talk about Rafael Furcal.  His Tuesday line included four hits, two runs, and three RBI.  That alone is worth a kudo or two.   Maybe even three or four.  But the Kudometer cranks into overdrive when you realize this is the third straight game in which Furcal has had four hits.  He's 12-14 (good for a robust .857 BA) over that span, and in his last 16 at bats, he has 14 hits (.875... I'll let that dangle for a moment).  That makes Furcal hotter than your average FHM cover girl.  Metaphorically speaking, at least.  Smokin' like the Marlboro Man.  On fire like The Human Torch swimming in the Cuyahoga River.  Historically torrid as well.  No Los Angeles Dodger has ever had three straight four hit games.  Only four other big leaguers in the last 55 years have accomplished the feat.

"He should be pretty much a lock for Player of the Week," quipped Luis Gonzalez. "I'm gonna go home tonight and turn my kid's PlayStation on and see if I can go 14 of 16.  It's an incredible run."
Download luis_gonzalez_5.15 on Furcal.mp3

Turns out there is a little news.  After batting practice, the Dodgers announced that Wilson Valdez had been designated for assignment, with Hong-Chih Kuo being recalled from Vegas to take his place on the roster.  In essence, the team had gone as long as they could with 11 pitchers and felt they needed a 12th, especially after last night's pen stretcher.  The possibility of adding another arm has been a front-burner issue for a while among the L.A. braintrust.  "I don't know the last day we didn't talk about this.  It's been a day to day situation that we've kept track of and monitored," said GM Ned Colletti.  "Today, we had to make a move."

The baseball season is long.  162 games, plus off days, plus spring training.  And while I always try to find something interesting to put in these pregame updates, sometimes I just come up empty.  This, my friends, is one of those nights.  I got down to the clubhouse, and there was very little going on.  Only saw a couple players, period.  Went out to the dugout for Grady Little's pregame media confab... which was uncharacteristically short.  I'm afraid there just isn't a lot of news to report.  No impending roster moves to discuss, no brand new controversies.  Which may be a good thing, since it leaves the Blue free of distractions as they try to snap their ten game losing streak against the Cardinals.  Not surprisingly, this is the longest such streak in the majors, and hasn't been replicated in the very long, very rich history of the Cards vs. Dodgers since 1951, when the Brooklyn incarnation of the Blue offed the Redbirds a whopping 14 consecutive times. 

Payback is apparently a bitch.