Stick THAT in your humidor!
For most of the 2008 season, if we told you the Dodgers posted 16 runs in one game, most of you would have asked, "On what gaming system?" For this offensively challenged bunch, 16 runs in a week was more their M.O. The Blue, though, are showing signs of turning things around. They pounded the Marlins for nine runs in the last game before the break, hit the ball well in Arizona (including a five run ninth to win on Sunday), and on Monday turned all that momentum into an eight run first inning off the almost implausibly ineffective Rockies starter Kip Wells and 16 runs in the first five frames en route to a 16-10 win in Denver.
James Loney led the the way for LA with five RBIs on run scoring singles in the first and second, then a bases loaded triple in the fifth. He's always been a productive hitter at Coors, and Monday night was certainly no exception. Loney had plenty of company, though, as the box shows 18 Dodger hits, eight different players with an RBI, nine with at least one run scored. The only negative? Another poor post-break outing for a starter. Eric Stults, spotted to a huge lead, was still unable to escape the fourth. The bullpen was also beaten around the park. But perhaps they were owed a game like this, given how the staff has carried the team this year.
In other news, Clayton Kershaw has been recalled from AA-Jacksonville, where he had been lights out since returning there after a shaky maiden stint in the bigs. He'll start tonight against Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez, the first in what is likely to be a string of outings for the 20-year old. Joe Torre says they anticipate using Kershaw in the rotation for the rest of the season. The move pushes Jason Johnson into a long relief role, and could leave the Dodgers with a surplus of starters...
...which could help them be an active player in the trade market. Torre says he doesn't expect the team to sit still ahead of the July 31 non-waiver deadline.
Brad Penny and Juan Pierre are both making progress and could return soon- Pierre, though, before Penny.
DT guesses who plays and who doesn't when Pierre returns.
A look at what has been a very busy 48 hours for the Dodgers.
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I like what I've been seeing from the O lately. The only thing to slow them down in the past week (besides the All-Star break, of course) has been Dan Haren and Brandon Webb, who are both top-notch pitchers who were on their game. Instead of folding against that kind of competition, the hitters now seem to be more patient -- biding their time and finding other ways to win.
But who's out the door now that Kersahw is back? Please let it be Falkenborg....
Posted by: Eric B. | July 22, 2008 at 09:55 AM
I think it's a no-brainer that Jones sits when Pierre comes back. If you were stacking the deck against one player, it couldn't be more obvious. There are 18 million reasons to keep playing FAJ, but none of them have to do with ability.
Jones will keep playing every day until Pierre returns, but that's a long enough leash for him. If he doesn't start to produce by then, he's riding the pine. Even Dodger management should be able to see the error of their ways.
Let's just hope Torre has the sense to leave Matt Kemp in the leadoff spot when Pierre comes back. It's no coincidence that the offense has come alive since Pierre's injury. Kemp is hitting over .300 in the top spot, with an OBP over .400. Those are numbers Pierre can only dream of. He should hit 7th or 8th, depending on who's playing third.
Huston Street is available. Would a package of LaRoche and a minor leaguer get it done? If so, where do we sign?
Posted by: SaMo | July 22, 2008 at 10:18 AM
Is looking at LaRoche the same thing as showcasing? Thats a mighty big word for his type of play. I hope he plays well enough to get showcased.
Package
Posted by: Package | July 22, 2008 at 10:33 AM
AK/BK
I have looked back at many many threads and have not seen any postitive feedback on Nomar. Let's see, he is hitting .288, OBP .350, SLG .507 and has not made an error at SS. This certainly ranks up with most of his teammates. I did see your glowing report for Nomar on position players at the break. Inc. I guess you are waiting for something bad to happen so you won't need to give a little credit to Nomar. Or maybe you think he will be injured soon. Either way he has contributed to the team. Maybe that shows he is back home at SS where he is comfortable. And for sure, as long as LaRoche is around you can continue to comment on his potential for great things. I also saw where Joe said it just wasn't fair for Andy not to play. You and I both know you said that being fair wasn't necessary nor should it be.
Package
Posted by: Package | July 22, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Our Dodgers have to be the best 8 man team in the major leagues. I have excluded Jones as being a member of the team and last night was the best evidence ever. Ten butters reach base in first inning, all except Jones who struck out...and who then repeated that in his next at bat.
It is unbelievable that a player can suddenly lose the ability to hit a pitch but his decline began 24 months ago this month and was obvious to the Braves who expressed no interest in him last year.. As for Scott Boros, has he made any comment as to Jones failure. After all, he is the person who "sold" the Dodgers on Jones.
Posted by: bob | July 22, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Package-
You are indeed correct- Nomar has been solid since returning to the lineup, better than I thought he'd be. I certainly don't have a problem giving him credit for that.
As for LaRoche, to me it's not a question of fair, but what would best benefit the team. I don't think LaRoche is owed anything, but with DeWitt having come back to earth, there's a very legitimate argument for giving LaRoche, who has the potential to be a better source of power and offense than DeWitt. To be sure, defense is a consideration, given that with Nomar and Kent the Dodgers are sacrificing a lot up the middle. That's certainly a mark in DeWitt's favor, since he has the better glove.
The other end is that if indeed the team is showcasing him, LaRoche has to play. If they're not, they still need to find out definitively what they have... meaning he needs to play. Perhaps not every day, but many. At third, at second (especially true before Kent started heating up) on JK's days off, even at first to spell Loney if he needs it.
But yeah, fairness doesn't really play into the equation.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | July 22, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Nomar is hitting the Chrissy Snow out of the ball again.
(how's that package?)
Posted by: benzojones | July 22, 2008 at 12:17 PM
AK/BK have you guys informed the Claw of his nickname yet?
Posted by: poppinfresh | July 22, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Benzo,
You got it. Ha Ha!
Package
Posted by: Package | July 22, 2008 at 12:58 PM
One possibility for LaRoche that hasn't been discussed, would be for him to play some left field. I believe he's had experience in the outfield, and I wouldn't mind replacing Jones with LaRoche on occasion, with Kemp moving to center and Ethier to right. As for LaRoche's defense in the outfield, anyone's guess is as good as mine. That we would have to see.
Posted by: Brooklyn Dodger | July 22, 2008 at 01:21 PM
SaMo has the right idea about Pierre - Tubby Jones HAS to be benched when Juan comes back healthy. Tubby's uselessness at the plate has snowballed into epic proportions of futility. Send him down to A-ball and see if he can find a stroke. AND - when Juan comes back, put him in the 8-hole. He'll be great there when he IS able to get on with less than two outs - sac bunt - set up Matt for an RBI oppotunity......
And with no outs (I don't know why this isn't done more often) - straight steal on the 1st pitch, then sac bunt him to third - all you need is a sac fly, or ground-ball to score him......
Posted by: ASW | July 22, 2008 at 01:29 PM
Brooklyn Dodger
I am with you on that one!! I would much rather have LaRoche than Jones in the outfield, even though he is not trained to play there. He definitely could be. I don't know what is wrong with Jones but after last year and so far this year it doesn't appear that he will ever be up to the task.
Package
Posted by: Package | July 22, 2008 at 05:13 PM
Closers are a dime a dozen. We're far better off letting Broxton adjust to the role than spending quality players to improve the bullpen. Rob Neyer did a great history of mid-season trades for relief pitching a few years back (he's now on ESPN Insider access only, which I refuse to pay, so I can't find it to provide a link), essentially concluding that while it can help, it never makes THE difference. And it usually doesn't help all that much anyhow...
But I gotta say: everything I'm seeing here suggests we are going to make a trade SIMPLY TO MAKE A TRADE. That is not good management.
If we can trade DeWitt, fine. I doubt anyone else is going to value his 6 hot weeks over his sub-par minor league numbers and ATROCIOUS June and July, but if they do, great. Pull the wool over their eyes and get, I dunno, middle relief (see above for caveat). Otherwise, I think we would be absolutely foolish to trade anyone on the big league roster (excluding, of course, Slappy and FAJ, because expensive albatrosses aren't very tradeable).
I am actually losing sleep over the fact that we might trade a .400 OBP third baseman and be stuck with a huge hole at the hot corner for ANOTHER 4 years...
Posted by: VA Blueblood | July 22, 2008 at 05:27 PM