Live to fight another day, perhaps literally
We jest, of course, but if there's a Really Big Story! from Sunday night's Game 3 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium, maybe even more than the final score (oh by the way, the Blue won 7-2, pulling them to a 2-1 deficit in the best-of-seven series), it's the boiling over of the bad blood built up between the Dodgers 
and the Phillies over the course of the series, primarily Friday night in Philadelphia. The Dodgers had been buzzed inside with pitch after pitch, and a few sticks were wondering what the arms would do about it. They got their answer in the third, when Hiroki Kuroda buzzed Shane Victorino's head like Maverick did the tower in Top Gun. There was some jawing- you had to love Victorino's "hit me here," my ribs, "not here," my head, response- and after Victorino grounded to first... more jawing. The benches cleared, Manny sprinted in from left and had to be restrained, and the Dodgers had, with one pitch, restored order in a way they couldn't (wouldn't?) on Friday, something many in the clubhouse regretted. Afterward, the Phillies said they knew it was coming.
The one thing to remember, though, is that important as the purpose pitch was- and it was necessary for LA to establish a little swagger (not drill people in the head, but get back on the inside corner with regularity)- the really important work of Game 3 had already been done by the Dodgers before the made-for-TV moments.
In the first inning, the Dodgers obliterated Philadelphia starter Jamie Moyer.
Month old peaches have fewer
bruises than the amount with which the
venerable lefty suffered before mercifully exiting 1.1 innings into the
affair, thanks to an aggressive approach typified by Rafael Furcal, who had a bounce back night, and carried through the rest of the order. Manny put the Dodgers on the board with an RBI single, and Casey Blake added a second run with a single to right.
But the big blow, the game changer, really, belonged to the future
mayor of Sikeston. With two outs and two strikes, Moyer looked poised
to escape the inning with only two runs scored, which given the
circumstances would have given Philly a little momentum. Instead, Blake DeWitt cleared the bases with a triple to right.
Given how effectively Kuroda would pitch (the box shows six strong innings of work, plus two more great frames from Cory Wade), the game was effectively over.
Furcal added another run on Moyer's first pitch of the second inning, driving a homer over the wall in left to make it 6-0. One batter later, Philly made a change, ending Moyer's night and very likely his series. But it was that first inning that revived the Dodgers, and set up all the other fireworks of the evening.
Now the Dodgers have a little life. More than a little, actually. The Phillies opened the door, and in tonight's Game 4, we'll see if the Dodgers walk through it. The Dodgers will send Derek Lowe back to the hill on short rest, needing a win to knot up the series. He'll face Joe Blanton, up and down all season for Philadelphia, but very good in his start against Milwaukee in the previous round.
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From Jill Painter of the Daily News (10-13-08):
"The Philadelphia Phillies center fielder repeatedly pointed to his head and torso, almost as if he was playing the head-shoulder-knees-and-toes game. Essentially, he was telling any Dodger who would look his way that they could throw at him anywhere but the head. He even turned toward the Dodgers' bench to continue his message. Some of the Dodgers returned an obscene hand gesture."
SOME OF THE DODGERS RETURNED AN OBSCENE HAND GESTURE...
Hahahahaha.... that was one the funniest lines I've read in quite a while.
Dear Jill made me snort and spit up my mornin cup o' joe all over the keyboard and monitor. No worries. They both needed cleaning anyway.
In some ways, viewing a MLB game on television seems to be a lot like watching a duck glide across a pond: from above the birds seems to be kind of relaxed and quiet...while below...the webbed feet are peddling furiously to move it forward.
The crowd can be charged-up and electric, especially during the postseason, of course. But, for the most part the benches seem to be kind of relaxed and laid-back, until something like what happened between Kuroda and Victorino happens. Then, things get peeled away quickly, and the fiercely competitive emotions that are just below the surface come out in a frenzy of barking and posturing. It's just too funny...
With this said, the Dodgers needed something dramatic to grab the momentum away from the Phillys, and I'm glad Kuroda had the guts to do what Billingsley should have done in Game 2. However, in Chad's defense, it's gotta be that much harder to throw a retaliation pitch on the road than at home.
I believe that Derek Lowe will take the baton from Kuroda, accept the challenge of pitching on three day's rest, and throw a great Game 4 to even things up. Then Billingsley will redeem himself by pitching well in a pivotal Game 5 to send the Dodgers back to Philly needing just one win to advance to the Fall Classic.
P & G R
Posted by: Purple & Gold Reign | October 13, 2008 at 10:14 AM
PG&R:
It's also harder to throw a retaliation pitch when you're losing, and when putting a runner on base might lead to falling behind yet another run. Bills didn't really have that option without throwing away any chance the Dodgers might have had at winning Game 2.
Kuroda picked the perfect spot: two outs, nobody on, and a 6-1 lead. If the Dodgers hadn't exploded for 5 runs in the first, we wouldn't be having this conversation at all. The big lead, not the brushbacks, put the Phils on the defensive from the get go.
Posted by: SaMo | October 13, 2008 at 10:32 AM
I have to agree with Victorino: plunking batters is a part of the game at the major league level, but I think throwing at a guy's head is off-limits. Hit him in the ribs and it hurts, the message is clear, and the game moves on. Hit him in the head, and he could have brain damage. Head-hunting messes with players' livelihoods, and that's just dirty pool.
I do agree that Kuroda should have been throwing at a batter, just not at the head.
Posted by: VA Blueblood | October 13, 2008 at 10:54 AM
Just wanted to let you Dodgers fans know that I'll be laughing and smiling tonight when the Phillies kick the blue right out of you. Big deal, you won a game. Good luck with that one win, Milwaukee did the same and we promptly dispatched them to obscurity. Your best player is a punk and your fans are a bunch of celebrity douches. I wouldn't mind losing one more out there on the right coast just so we can celebrate our world series birth at home in style, and you can all watch on your plasma tv's as we rub your elimination in your face, Philly-style. Seriously, the Dodgers suck and were lucky to make the postseason. Now we're gonna show you who's boss.
Punks.
Go Phillies!!!!
Posted by: Christopher Manganello | October 13, 2008 at 12:46 PM
Dear Chris,
Can you tell me what you've been smokin', because I want some.
Go BLUEs!!!!!!
Posted by: JV | October 13, 2008 at 01:18 PM
Chris,
Not much to say about your rant except that no matter what happens - you still live in Philadelphia.
Posted by: akrasian | October 13, 2008 at 01:21 PM
Good luck pitching to Manny tonight, here's a quick stats out our current LF against Joe Blanton.
14-for-25 (.560) lifetime off Blanton, including 6-for-13 with a home run and six RBIs against him in 2008.
Go BLUEs!!!!!!!
Posted by: JV | October 13, 2008 at 01:29 PM
Looks like the Dodgers are finally getting more production from the line-up outside of Eithier and /Manny.
Posted by: A Scanner Darkly | October 13, 2008 at 01:52 PM
Just like to say that I thought Manny got so heated to show Kuroda he had his back for what he did and that it's not just pitchers protecting hitters, but hitters should also protect the pitchers.
Posted by: dominic | October 13, 2008 at 02:01 PM
Christopher
You may be just trying to get a rise out of someone, but seriously, if the Philles win do you think that makes you a better person than someone else?
If you do I feel sorry for you.
Enjoy the games.
Posted by: Andy B | October 13, 2008 at 03:54 PM
I went to Game 3 to see a playoff game because a friend found tickets at a decent price and was shocked an horrified at the behavior of some of the fans. I may have expected that stuff if I were in Philadelphia, but the constant "F the Phillies" chants and throwing peanuts at women and kids was sicking. If I was a Dodgers fan, I'd be disgusted with how some fans are portraying this organization's supporters.
http://nojoshin.blogspot.com/2008/10/dodging-abuse.html
Posted by: No Joshin | October 13, 2008 at 11:22 PM