When a pitching staff features an ace like Brad Penny, a name like Derek Lowe, a 300-pound fire baller like Jonathon Broxton and All-Star closer Takashi "Eric Who?" Saito, it can become easy for hurlers succeeding via workman-like consistency to skirt hoopla.  But those guys indeed make their mark, and it's safe to say this Dodgers squad would have been a heckuva lot worse off without Joe Beimel.  The Blue's best lefty is rarely flashy but typically reliable, an asset that will come in handy during the Dodgers' (hopeful) playoff push.  I caught up with Beimel before the first game of the Washington series, the squad now home from a .500 roadie.  Mind you, this was before the current four-game winning streak, which explains some "losing"-themed questions.  But I imagine Dodger fans would rather the victorious ways continue, context for a few of my questions be damned.  Here's what Beimel had to say:

Andrew Kamenetzky: You guys come back from an important road trip 3-3.  Depending on how you look at the closing window of time, the Dodgers either stood in place or actually lost ground.  Do you feel the urgency growing game by game?

Joe Beimel: Yep.  Definitely.  Every game is important, and when we lose it kinda gets to you a little bit, just because we have a little bit over a month left and we still got some games to make up if we want to make the playoffs.  As far as winning division, that's getting a little bit further and further out of reach every day that we're not gaining ground.  So I think we really have to concentrate on the wild card and just getting in the playoffs.

Big, big, big, big, big, biiiiiiig series going tonight.  Gi-the-hell-normous.  The kind where folks gotta step up and account for themselves.  You got your David Wells taking his second start for the Blue locked in a head to head against Jack Cassel, who's making his second big-league appearance.  Or locked in a head to head against Wil Ledezema, who's tossed a little more on the grand stage.  But no matter which counterpart emerges, if you're looking to get a sense of how big these next three games are for the Dodgers, don't search for clues all over the face of David Wells.  Dude's just not a worry wart.  The lack of stress shouldn't be construed as indifference toward a squad he used to despise.  It's just that he tends to keep it loose before going into battle (and a pokerstars.com cap on his shaved dome).   Of course, if you're one of five dudes on a roster with a World Series ring -- a fishy Brad Penny and Juan Pierre also know the secret handshake --  you've earned the right to get battle-ready any way you damn well please.

Ned Colletti met with the media Wednesday to discuss the signing of Esteban Loaiza.  Interesting stuff on a couple of levels.  Not only does he explain the motivations for bringing in Loaiza, but some of his remarks on the big-picture stuff show his perspective on the current climate for player acquisitions and hint at what we might look for this summer. 

Click below the jump for the Q&A. 

-- BK

An explanation much more face-saving than "we're just not all that good," an explanation that would justify the bad defense and close-out prowess displayed throughout the series, the latest gaffes coming in yesterday's 12-inning 10-9 loss.   The Nationals had more than their chances to win.  Hell, they had a five-run lead going at one point.  But a combination of Dodger scrap and Washington accepting scraps helped the Dodgers continually crawl back from behind and eventually win off Shea Hillenbrand's sacrifice fly.  It was a great day for Hillenbrand, who smacked a homer to help overcome the Dodgers' biggest deficit.  Matt Kemp also hit a long ball and James Loney decorated the box score with four ribbies.  The outcome was enough to turn Jeff Kent into one of those smiling-on-the-inside, granite-face-on-the-outside kinda clowns.  But you don't gotta be all bubbly to set an example, as Kent's shown in spades during the last three games.

If the Dodgers end up making the playoffs -- and that's still a big if -- they'll have to send one hell of a fruit basket to the Washington Nationals.  I'm talking the good stuff, with mangoes, papaya, some nice fresh strawberries and juicy white peaches.  All organic, no pesticides.  And some crackers and wine tossed in.  Why?   Because the Nats did everything they could to keep the Blue in Wednesday's game before eventually bowing in true cellar-dweller fashion, 10-9 in 12 innings.  The biggest Washington favors came in a five-run Dodger sixth that, at least for the time being, tied the game at eight.  With Jeff Kent on second and Luis Gonzalez on first, Nats shortstop Felipe Lopez kicked a grounder from Russell Martin.  Bases loaded.  James Loney followed with a hard ground ball badly misplayed by Robert Fick at first.  Very badly misplayed.  Like he was on roller skates.  The gift double cleared the bases and gave the Dodgers new life. 

The big -- only, really -- news before today's game was the announcement that the Blue have claimed former A's (and Nationals, Yankees, White Sox, Blue Jays, Rangers and Pirates) right-hander Esteban Loaiza off waivers.  No players changing hands.  Oakland is content to let the Dodgers pick up the mil or so owed Loaiza this season and the $6.5 he'll get in '08.  Given the paucity of quality pitchers that will be available this winter and the goony-bird economics of modern sports, it's not a bad move for L.A.  Pricey, but not bad.  Anytime all something costs is money (as opposed to players), there's an upside, and I think the last two seasons have taught everyone that you can't have too many arms.

Loaiza, who will join the team Friday in San Diego and likely start Tuesday in Chicago, is very capable of being very good.  He's also equally capable of imploding.  Hence the career 4.60 ERA.  But his last two starts (Loaiza's only of the season) in O-Town have been very good, and he's likely an upgrade over Eric Stults down the stretch.  Hey, it's not my money, right?

The original title of the John Wayne classic, by the way, until test audiences walked away confused.  But last night's 4-3 win over the Nationals got plenty of high marks from the Ravine faithful.  Chad Billingsley's shaky start signaled another of the kid's "high pitch count/early exit" outings that have been his weakness throughout his young career, but he regrouped and hung around for seven innings.  And keeping in theme with Bill's will, the Dodgers kept finding a way to overcome whatever obstacles were thrown their way.  It helped that the Nationals got all goofy with the mitts, but the victory couldn't have come without some elbow grease.  Case in point, the go-ahead run in the seventh.  It all started with Mark Sweeney, who came through with yet another of the pinch-hits that keep his bread buttered.  The vet was moved to third by a Felipe Lopez error, then touched home courtesy of a sac fly from Andre Ethier, who can handle being all over the place.  That kinda scrap was displayed all night, culminating in a winning box score reminiscent of the philosophy employed by the Evans family on "Good Times."  Scratching and surviving.

It's far too late in the season to concern oneself over any style points that go along with a win.  Good thing, since the Dodgers' 4-3 win over the Nationals contained few, if any.  But that's not about to supply rain on your average Dodger fan's parade, considering the importance of taking (and fingers crossed, sweeping) this series against Washington.  Mission accomplished, however seesaw the battle.  Chad Billingsley struggled mightily during his opening frame, giving up one run, hitting consecutive batters and tossing over twenty pitches before wriggling out of a bases loaded nail biter.  From there, the kid settled down, allowing just two more over the next six innings, but the ugly tone was set.  Natty errors help set up two of the Dodgers four scores (including the Dodgers' go ahead run in the 7th inning).  Save a few sparkling plays by the hometown gloves, weren't much gorgeous entering this box score.   

Not just a candy chew enjoyed by millions of children and adults alike worldwide.  It's also a philosophy currently employed the Dodgers powers that be, signifying how they're both trying to win games right this very second (a perfectly logical plan, since they're in a tight wild card race) and also trying to create a foundation for wins down the road.  "We're trying to win the game tonight and at the same time, we're thinking about the future," admitted Little.  While the Dodger skip conceded that he's often balancing on a tight rope when it comes to trying to meet both goals, he also assured me that the recipe for balance includes many a similar ingredient no matter which side you're thinking about.  "It's real close and that makes it somewhat easier."  Little's also never felt forced to shortchange the future by tailoring the lineup to appease a "present" player, or vice versa.  Bottom line, whomever Little has picked to bat in spots one through eight, "that's a good lineup.  That's the best lineup that gives us a chance to win the game that night." 

 

You know that expression "can't buy a win"?  Well, for Derek Lowe this season, if he had literally shown up at the park with a check made out to Bud Selig, the umps and the opposing manager, it probably would have applied.  Lot of hard losses attached to good performances.  Thus, nobody will begrudge his name attached to a 5-4 win where he didn't quite put his best foot forward.  One where he got away with serving up three -- count 'em, three -- homers.  Down by two runs, the Blue eventually converted themselves into Teflon via a strong sixth inning filled with fortuitous base hits and continuous productivity.  Consecutive singles from Jeff Kent, Andre Ethier, Russell Martin and James Loney opened the frame and accounted for two ribbies.  From there, Ramon Martinez took himself out and took Martin across the plate.