Free baseball? It's not so free.
I realize in today's shaky economy, anything Average Joe can get for free is generally a good thing. Thursday night, the 40,417 Dodger fans who ponied up for parking, snacks, refreshments, and perhaps even a souvenir, all at considerable cost, were given the unexpected gift of extra innings. Two, to be specific. That's 22% more baseball, plus two more hours at the park, than was offered to the poor saps who sat through Wednesday's night's brisk nine inning affair. But while a bargain for the ticket holders, of late, free baseball at the Ravine hasn't treated the local nine very well. Florida's 5-4 win over the Blue in 11 was LA's third straight extra innings loss at home, something that doesn't sit well with Joe Torre. "It was just frustrating," he said. "You play at home in extra inning games, you feel the advantage should be yours, but we haven't used it very well."
Tonight, they were victimized in part by a tough outing from Chan Ho Park, a flagging offense, and a killer effort from Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who had a career high five hits, including the game winning homer with two down in the top of the 11th. "He was a one man gang," Torre said. Not a One Man Gang, mind you, but equally as devastating. (As long as we're on the subject of the OMG, how the hell did this "transformative" vignette ever get green lit? Mean Gene deserved better.)
With the loss, the Dodgers again drop two games below .500 and one back of Arizona in the NL West after the D-Backs knocked off Washington earlier in the evening.
Ugh. Click below for the breakdown.
The Good:
- Hong-Chi Kuo: Three innings, two hits, one walk, three strikeouts, no runs. In relief of an extremely ineffective Park (see below), Kuo gave the Blue the same sort of performance he's been delivering all season. It wasn't exactly spotless, as Kuo had to work around a leadoff double from Hanley Ramirez which eventually became a two-out, bases loaded jam in the seventh, but it was effective. Plus, he was 1-1 at the plate, raising his average to .375 while lowering his ERA to 1.69, including a blistering 0.66 over his last 27.1 IP. Rule of thumb: When a pitcher's BA is "double" his ERA, that guy is throwing well. Kudos to the bullpen in general, as long as I'm on the subject. Yes, Brian Falkenborg allowed the game winning homer to Ramirez, but as a group the pen allowed only one run in seven innings. That ought to be enough.
- Russell Martin: 2-4, with two RBIs and a run scored, plus a stolen base. LA's All Star was a major factor in the Dodger attack, singling home Andre Ethier with two outs in the third to cap a three run rally, then launching a solo shot to left in the sixth to tie the game at four. Add in a walk in the tenth, and it means he reached base three times in five at bats. That's a .600 OBP to you and me.
- Andre Ethier: Singled to right in the first, singled to left in the third (atta way use the whole field, kid!) to score Kemp, then stole second before scoring on the aforementioned Martin knock. In the 10th, he fell behind Florida reliever Joe Nelson 0-2, then worked the count all the way back for a walk. Like Martin, that means three productive ABs in five tries. Solid.
The Bad:
- Chan Ho Park: Over the course of the season, Park has been an amazing story, resurrecting his career and serving as one of the Dodgers' best and most reliable arms. And a night like the one he had Thursday, where Park was beaten around the yard like one of those tomato cans in a Kimbo Slice YouTube clip, only emphasizes that point. It was ugly from the start for the righty. An infield single from Hanley Ramirez to start things off, then a balk to send him to second. Then Park was hurt by some shoddy defense- a Matt Kemp error helped one run score, and he didn't exactly break like Mays on Josh Willingham double- before a little leather got him out of the inning when James Loney snagged a Mike Jacobs grounder and turned it into an inning ending 3-6-1 DP. So while he only allowed one earned run in the frame, the Marlins were hitting him hard. They continued to do so in the second (a John Baker homer), third (a Jorge Cantu double), and fourth (three hits, one more run). Final line: four innings, nine hits, four runs- three earned- and a walk.
- Sticks: Stop me if you've heard this. After the fantastical two out, three run rally in the third, the Dodgers managed to scrape out three hits over the rest of the game. The Martin homer in the sixth, and singles from Kuo and Blake DeWitt. Given that the contest went into the 11th, to manage one run in eight innings isn't all that impressive.
The Mixed:
- Kemp: He had a nice AB in the third, laying off the sort of two strike slider that has hurt him of late before lining a single to left, then stole second and scored on the Ethier knock. In his last at bat, Kemp lined a shot right to Uggla at second. That was the good stuff. He also had the defensive kerfuffles in the first, and struck out two more times. Some nights he's going to be good, some nights not so much, and on many he'll be both. We've said it before, we'll say it again. And again, and again, and again- work in progress.
More on this one tomorrow.
BK
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Extra innings, if they happen, are included in the ticket price. If anything, part of the ticket price should be refunded if they don't go a full nine. Home team only batting eight innings?! Crap, I say.
What about "our free ups" when we were kids? Aren't players wanting theirs?! They should. After all don't half of them play for the love of the game? And I know as a fan I'd certainly like to see the Dodgers bat nine innings after already having secured the win. Spoiled, pampered players is what they are. 8.5 inning home games. Psssshaw!
Anyway, exactly how are those extra innings free? Yeah, yeah, yeah, literary device you say. Well, literary device, schmiterary device. Let's not be such lazy bloggers, huh? Or at least acknowledge your laziness.
Posted by: Joe Paterno | July 11, 2008 at 12:41 AM
I think most fans would agree that scoring in the fifth inning and beyond has been a huge struggle for this team. I think this may be due in part to this idea that we need to go into "manufacture" mode as soon as the game is in its 2nd half and it's anywhere near close. Every time we get a guy on, it's all about bunting him over, stealing, or otherwise wasting an AB to move over the one base-runner. And this is done in the hopes of getting just one more hit from the remaining hitters in the inning to score that single run. Often, this becomes just one more hitter. One hitter he needs to get a hit to drive in a crucial run. And that one hitter feels a helluva lot of pressure--which he should, since the odds against just one guy getting a clutch hit are fairly high.
I suppose it's Torre's "style" to play small ball with this team, but sometimes I think it's harder--or less likely--to score those small runs. I think we'd be better off if all our batters had approaches like Martin and Ethier tonight (and Loney, who is getting much better at working the count), not just in those tight situations, but throughout the game and regardless of situation. I think playing "big ball" would take the pressure off the young guys in the tight spots--and ultimately lead to more runs late in games.
I guess what I'm saying is, I think Torre's small ball style ultimately reduces this lineup's run output, and might explain why we tend to score so few in the 6th inning and beyond.
Posted by: VA Blueblood | July 11, 2008 at 01:46 AM
Sadly, if the Dodgers inept offense took the field in the bottom of the ninth, with the win secured, they would somehow manage to give a run or two back and lose the game.
Sucks to lose. Still have time to get to .500 or better before the break. Geaux Blue!
Posted by: gus2327 | July 11, 2008 at 06:31 AM
Can Kimbo Slice take Failureborg's spot on the roster?
Thankfully, I fell asleep before the misery, but I did get to see Broxton.
Broxton like throw hard.
Broxton get Cookie?
Broxton strong.
Posted by: benzojones | July 11, 2008 at 07:02 AM
What a surprise -- Chan Ho Park getting behind in the count then serving up the duck soup. Surely at least Lasorda remembers how happy Dodger fans were to be rid of Park not so many years ago, but here he is again. And nice job keeping Falkenborg over Kershaw. It's Bombko all over again. Also probably too late to unload Kemp for a bat given that he has something like 98 strikeouts and a handful of homers before the All Star break. Yeah, he's a great looking athlete. Meanwhile the likes of Cody Ross, yes, Cody Ross, has twice as many homers as Kemp. Rose colored glasses are getting smudged. Let the pillow fight continue.
Posted by: LossLeader | July 11, 2008 at 09:23 AM
Anyone see McCourts comments about some of the "kids" being ready to be winners and some not. To me, this speaks to the selfish attitude of the modern player. Anyone want to take a guess who he may be referring to?
I'll fire the first salvo, James Loney. Lots of talent, poor situational hitter, doesn't seem to lead, loves to be flippant with the press.
Posted by: dalegribel | July 11, 2008 at 09:26 AM
Supposedly, McCourt is talking about dealing away some of the kids. I can only assume he's talking about Kemp when he means guys who don't learn after being told numerous times.
I hate to give up on any of the kids, but if Kemp is a goner, could we at least get something decent for him? Like Clint Barmes, maybe? He's a young guy who happens not to be as good as Troy Tulowitzki, but could certainly hold down shortstop for the Dodgers for the next two to three years and hit .290. I'm surprised the Rockies are in selling mode given that they went to the World Series last year, but if Matt Holliday is available, he should be gotten before the Mets steal him away.
What kind of package would it take to get one or both of these guys? Kemp and Broxton, maybe? Probably one more stud prospect. But I might be willing to do it if the prospect weren't Kershaw.
Posted by: SaMo | July 11, 2008 at 09:49 AM
Starting to think you're reading my mind SaMo as I agree with almost everything you post. I'd hate to give up Kemp, because I don't think he's McCourt's target, but if we can get Holliday for the package you mention, it would be too good to pass up. That said, I just can't see why Colorado would want to move him.
Posted by: dalegribel | July 11, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Loney and Kemp are leading the Dodgers in RBI's and we want to get rid of them in favor of Clint Barmes or Cody Ross? Are you kidding me? Meanwhile Kent goes 0 for 4 and is continually declining. He and FAJ are significantly less productive then any of the younger dodgers that are currently carrying the team in the NL west race. I say continue the youth movement, we are in a horrible division and the D'Backs are in the same boat as us: trying to develop young guys. You cant expect the young guys to consistently produce while learning baseball at the major league level.
Posted by: TrueBlue4 | July 11, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Loney and Kemp are leading the Dodgers in RBI's and we want to get rid of them in favor of Clint Barmes or Cody Ross? Are you kidding me? Meanwhile Kent goes 0 for 4 and is continually declining. He and FAJ are significantly less productive then any of the younger dodgers that are currently carrying the team in the NL west race. I say continue the youth movement, we are in a horrible division and the D'Backs are in the same boat as us: trying to develop young guys. You cant expect the young guys to consistently produce while learning baseball at the major league level.
Posted by: TrueBlue4 | July 11, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Haha Benzo, you make him sounds like Mongo from blazing saddles. "Don't shoot him... you'll just make him angry."
Posted by: poppinfresh | July 11, 2008 at 01:08 PM
I didn't see anyone suggesting we should trade Kemp for Cody Ross -- we've already had Ross and he did very little for the team. What is evident is that many bloggers here are overly enamored with Matt Kemp, when in fact he is simply not that good a hitter. 98 strikeouts with 8 homers this late in the season is a joke for what Kemp's "potential" was supposed to net. The first four or five batters on the Marlins lineup each have over twice as many homers as anyone on the Dodgers -- and for a team with a $118 million dollar payroll and 4 million fans a year that is totally unacceptable. If we could land Holliday in some form of package deal including Kemp, the team would be improved. I'd like to keep Loney, because he is a perfect 1B with a high average bat who will, like Ethier and Martin, consistently produce over time if allowed to play regularly. But I'm just repeating myself. The bottom line is that Colletti has proven to be incompetent and needs to go.
Posted by: LossLeader | July 11, 2008 at 02:27 PM
Broxton no want to get traded.
Broxton throw HARDER.
Posted by: benzojones | July 11, 2008 at 04:15 PM
Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating trading anyone. In fact, I think Ned's best moves are the ones he has not made. I just think the McCourt may have been pointing a finger at Loney (my guess) as one of those that hasn't learned what it takes to be a winner at this level.
However, if we can get Holliday, then the move must be made, even if it takes Kemp or Loney.
Posted by: dalegribel | July 11, 2008 at 04:37 PM