Slow math
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.
Jason Schmidt was back in building today, but I didn't get too close after he told me he was there to work up a good sweat and "try to blow it out." Meaning his flu, I presume.
The only real news came after all the pregame talk had ended. Rafael Furcal became a late scratch with what was described to me as "shoulder tightness," then "shoulder stiffness." Not that I see a big difference between the two, but since God is in the details, I figure I'd pass both reports along. When I hear something more definitive, you'll know. (NOTE: Turns out it was right knee stiffness, and he should be back in the lineup tomorrow. Totally precautionary.)
But his removal from the lineup made a moot point out of the big topic of the day, which was the order in which Juan Pierre and Furcal were batting. Pierre was scheduled to lead off today against the righty Carlos Zambrano, with Furcal behind him. Basically, Grady said that's how it'll be- Pierre leading off against righties, Furcal against lefties. "We'll see how it works out," he said. "My choice. That's about it. We feel a little more comfortable with Rafael against lefthanded pitching than we do Pierre at this point, so when we have a lefthanded starter, we'll go in that direction. When we have a righthanded starter out there, we'll put Pierre at the top."
Download grady_little_5.26 on leadoff situation.mp3
Jeff Kent gets the day off, mostly because he's kind of old. Little has no worries that the rest will take the edge off his current hot streak. "He was off Thursday like the rest of us and it didn't seem to bother him yesterday." True enough. Download grady_little_5.26 on Kent day off.mp3
LINEUPS-
Dodgers- With Furcal sitting, Tony Abreu (in the lineup anyway at second) bumps up from eighth to second. Ramon Martinez will start at short.
Juan Pierre- CF
Tony Abreu- 2B
Nomar Garciaparra- 1B
Russell Martin- C
Luis Gonzalez- LF
Wilson Betemit- 3B
Andre Ethier- RF
Ramon Martinez- SS
Mark Hendrickson- P
Cubs-
Alfonso Soriano- LF
Angel Pagan- CF
Derrek Lee- 1B
Aramis Ramirez- 3B
Mark DeRosa- 2B
Matt Murton- RF
Henry Blanco- C
Cesar Izturis- SS
Carlos Zambrano- P
BK
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