The San Francisco Giants aren't the Chicago Cubs or the Philadelphia Phillies, but that's a discussion for a different night.  For now, praise Greg Maddux for career win 355, which came in LA's 2-1 win Saturday night, putting him one ahead of Roger Clemens on the all-time list.  There are many baseball fans, I'm sure, who are happy to see him move a spot in front of the Rocket.  As for the game, Maddux was outstanding, throwing six innings of two hit, one run ball, needing only 47 pitches (38 of which were strikes) to get it done.

Rafael Furcal had two hits in four at bats, Blake DeWitt was 3-4 with two RBIs, including a solo homer in the third and a tie breaking single in the seventh. 

The Blue finish the regular season Sunday against the Giants, but still don't know who they'll play in the first round of the playoffs.  The Mets will send Oliver Perez to the mound against Florida's Scott Olsen, while in Milwaukee, CC Sabathia will face Chicago's Angel Guzman, inserted into the rotation for a resting Carlos Zambrano.  If both New York and the Brewers win, there will be a one game playoff Monday to determine the Wild Card qualifier. 

BK

From Dodgers PR...

• No real shock, but the playoff rotation will go thusly: Derek Lowe in Game 1, Chad Billingsley in Game 2, Hiroki Kuroda in Game 3.  Game 4 is currently a pick 'em.  Lowe could be an option, as could Clayton Kershaw and Greg Maddux.  Kershaw will be used out of the pen in the first three games, which could limit his availability to start. 
• Joe Torre is currently leaning towards carrying 11 pitchers.
• The goal is to get Hong-Chih Kuo an inning tonight and see how he feels.
• Torre said he's "pretty comfortable" with Jeff Kent's health and progress, and believes the possibility he could start is still there. 
• Rafael Furcal is going to play tonight, and continue to work himself back into form.  Torre said he didn't think he'd start both Kent and Raffy in the same game, though, come playoff time.  Should they have to leave, of course, that would be an enormous strain on the bench. 
• Everyone's hoping Maddux can tonight get the win he needs to pass Roger Clemens on the all time list.

LINEUP:

Furcal, SS
DeWitt, 2B
Ramirez, LF
Kent, 1B
Ethier, RF
Martin, C
Kemp, CF
Blake, 3B
Maddux, P

BK

The upside to instant replay? The increased ability to get the call right?  The downside to instant replay?  Sometimes the call doesn't go your way, as was the case in a 6-5 loss to the Hated Ones.  During the sixth inning, Bengie Molina hit a shot that was originally ruled as having bounced off an area where the ball is considered still in play.  Thus, the SF catcher was given a single, but that one-bagger was eventually stretched out after manager Bruce Bochy called for a second look.  The extra pair of runs awarded to the Giants ultimately proved enough to conquer a trio of long balls from Jeff Kent, James Loney and a pinch-hitting Russell Martin.  Disappointing, on some level (although a tribute to Omar Vizquel's hearing), but when the box scores don't really count for much anymore, these kind of switcheroos become considerably easier to swallow.  Especially in a season where big obstacles were hurdled.

Interestingly enough, the first draft sent out by Dodgers PR didn't have Kent in it.  He must have felt pretty good after last night's game, because he'll play and bat fourth.  Rafael Furcal will play as well, leading off and playing short.  As it was on Thursday, I doubt either will play too long, especially on a cool night in San Francisco.  But it's a good sign healthwise for both players that they're able to go on consecutive days, even if only for a few innings. 

Russell Martin gets another day off, as does Matt Kemp.  Derek Lowe gets the ball in a final tune up before the playoffs.

Other notes, courtesy of Dodgers PR, from Joe Torre's Pregame Media Extravaganza:

ESPN The Magazine runs a regular feature called "Things You Should Know About (Pick a sports category)."  In the newest issue, the topic was "being a middle reliever," with revelations coming courtesy of lefty Joe Beimel.  In particular, the part about fans lying that he's on their fantasy team is very funny.  In an odd bit of coincidence, the interview was not only conducted by our buddy and semi-regular Purple, Gold and Blue guest Molly Knight, but I believe she actually got off the phone with us during the September 19th broadcast to conduct it.  I guess Beimel has more clout than us.  Whoda thunk it?

Enjoy.

AK

Well, check out Sons of Steve Garvey, which is featuring some great snapshots of rookie hazing, even more rookie hazing, and just some good old fashioned, garden variety mayhem.  Fun stuff.

AK

Last night's actual game, a 7-5 loss to the Padres, wasn't anything close to the proverbial "story line."  Truth be told, it was barely a footnote, since the thickened plot had already revealed its ending before Dodger players even showed up to work.  Well, almost all of them.  Manny Ramirez didn't learn until getting into the Ravine elevator that the Diamondbacks got a 12-3 whomping earlier in the day, which sealed a blue fate that made everyone feel anything but blue: The Dodgers were guaranteed an NL West title and a postseason slot.  With the fate happily sealed and impervious to a losing result or even a totally anti-climactic setting, Thursday night was just a matter of waiting out nine innings before kicking off a party that came 100% Russell Martin approved.  And these kind of "Deja vu all over again" celebrations are exactly why Joe Torre is living the good life since touching down in L.A.

Because being in the clubhouse under those circumstances, even after an ultimately meaningless 7-5 loss to the Padres, is a seriously fun time.  And with that atmosphere in mind, I've decided to forgo with the standard "Good/Bad/Ugly" breakdown for a few reasons.

1) Like I said, the game was meaningless, so is a formal analysis really necessary? 

2) I was afraid to bring any audio/video equipment of value into a clubhouse that makes Kevin Costner's "Waterworld" look like it was set in a desert.  Good call, by the way.  The digital recorder I was willing to risk getting toasted to take verbal notes is just now starting to work.

3) Interviews generally fall apart when the subject and reporter are getting stuff poured on them.

Thus, I decided to provide some highlights/general observations from the chaos that is a title-clinching post-game clubhouse.  And without further adieu...

The division is wrapped, but for ol' time's sake.

AK

It's been something of a zoo here.  And in my effort to spend as much time around the animals (metaphorically speaking, of course, as I'm not referring to anyone in the Dodger organization as a non-human species), I've had to spend a lot of time racing around recording it.  unfortunately, I'm having issues downloading it.  I'll try to get the remaining copy up ASAP, but for now, here's what I have.

Pretty cool pregame:  Not only did Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson throw out the first pitch, the entire team came out and threw special pitches of their own.  Into the crowd, as a way of saying thanks.

AUDIO
Andre Ethier: Download andre_ethier_pregame_9.25.08.mp3
Manny Ramirez: Download manny_ramirez_pregame_9.25.08.mp3 Download joe_torre_pregame_3_9.25.08.mp3
Joe Torre, Part I: Download joe_torre_pregame_1_9.25.08.mp3

AK