Even with that, though, I think we have enough pen depth to get by. Both Wilson and Dessens' return to the pen after Penny comes back will immediately bolster the relief corps. As it shakes out, I think Brazoban will close with Gio and Wilson sharing setup-man duties. Dessens will fill Gio's old slot for the seventh inning. Duaner and Houlton can share general middle relief duties and Wunsch will continue as the situational lefty.

Another long-term problem is who gets cut if and when we go to an 11-man staff. If Nakamura continues to tear it up at Vegas, who will give up his roster slot? I would think Houlton, even though I'd hate to lose the Rule V pick. If Houlton starts to pitch well consistently, I would also be willing to trade Duaner for prospects, who didn't really impress me yesterday, and who should have decent value.

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I have virtually no confidence in any of the current bullpen including the three holdovers from last year. YB may have redeemed himself psychologically with the two big strikeouts in what could have been a loss. I was watching Eric Gagne playing with the ball and catcher's mitt in the BP and agonizing over his absence. It would be nice to have an update on how his elbow feels and when he might start rehab.

You mentioned the other day that Cesar Izturis has been having lapses of concentration, which you feel will be rectified. His baserunner blunder in that 8th (?) inning go-ahead rally killed what might have been another scoring opportunity which could have avoided the extra-inning theatrics. I don't mean to be critcal of a guy who does so much for our team, but I guess he needs to focus more. I'm kind of surprise since he has matured before my eyes over the last couple of years.

Never thought I'd love Jeff Kent, but so far he's been tons more than I expected. I have a feeling that when J.D. finally breaks out of his funk it will be earth-shattering.

I like Milton Bradley, but he seems like the type of guy who is kind of scary even when he's just being exhuberant. If he was your buddy, he'd run up to greet you, and give you a bear-hug which might break several ribs. Beautiful plays, however, and I feel he has certainly earned the right to be the center fielder.

Let's go for the SWEEP!

Normally I'd advocate that Alvarez be slotted as the #5 starter, but the way our bullpen looks, I think I like him relieving, at least until Gagne comes back. If we send Wunsch down, then Alvarez would be our only lefty in the bullpen, right?

Elmer's numbers are much better as a reliever. I actually prefer him in middle relief to Sanchez. I've thought for a while that Duaner is over-rated, and at least Dessens can spot-start on occasion.

If Erickson ends up tanking, how about Houlton starting? It might work, if the kid can be more consistent.

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I don't think Wunsch should be grouped with the rest of those guys; he has an extremely impressive track record in both the major and minor leagues. I'll be shocked if he's not on the major league team all season.

I love this blog, btw. Youse guys are a lot smarter than Dodger Talk callers. Hehehehe.

WWSH

Wow. Just wow. I think we were watching two different games. Cesar Izturis has been awful in the field, last night included. But in last night's game he also made two ingenious baserunning plays, without which the Dodgers lose the game. And the "blunder" you mention was one of them.

If you look at the replay, Weaver was dead meat at the plate unless the throw is cut off. Seeing that, Cesar tried to advance, hoping Arizona would stupidly cut off the throw and allow Weaver to score. Which, of course, is exactly what they did. As soon as the throw was cut off, Cesar stopped in his tracks, forcing Arizona to run him down and allowing Weaver enough time to touch the plate with the go-ahead run.

Then in the 11th, there was the play in which Arizona failed to get an out on Drew's routine grounder because they tried to catch Izturis off third. The ball beat Izzy by quite a bit, but he faked out Glaus with a hand deke and avoided the tag. Bases loaded.

Alas, no Dodgers on the tv today out here.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/wunscke01.shtml

Three excellent MLB seasons, one bad one. And an excellent 2004 in AAA as well.

Looks like Nakamura is coming up for A Perez, so that means we can keep all 12 relievers for a bit longer.

The next time a fifth starter spot comes up would be April 19, but that is virtually out of the question for Penny, who would probably need two or three game appearances before the Dodgers would bring him to the Major Leagues.

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050408&content_id=1009048&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la

So is Nakamura the backup at shortstop? If so, stay well, Cesar, stay well.

15 Ks now for Smoltz

And Pat Burrell has hit another home run and has driven in 15 runs the first week of the season and I have a feeling that he will be the first NL Player of the Week unless Jeff Kent can go crazy again today.

And Tom Martin gives up a home run to make it 3-1 Mets.

I wonder if they decided to be extra cautious with A. Perez's hamstring injury, which didn't seem all that serious, in order to free up a space for Nakamura. Our short-handed bench might have also played a role in the decision.

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It was really the cutoff, moreso than the rundown, that allowed Weaver to score. If the throw goes through, Weaver's a dead man.

my thoughts exactly on izzy's baserunning last night. i thought weaver was going to be nailed for sure.

In the end, Chavez summed up the evening best when asked to describe Devil Rays starter Hideo Nomo's night.

"(He had) nothing," [Eric] Chavez said. "Probably the worst stuff I've ever seen. The guy throws 83-84 (mph). Come on! He was like (Baltimore's) Rodrigo (Lopez)—very mediocre stuff. You think that we could get 20 hits off a guy like that. That's the way it is in baseball. Sometimes it's hard to explain."

is Bradley not playing for a reason?

cool. go blue

#51--Yeah, it was a poor attempt at humor. :)

How has Drew done in the past at the start of seasons? Has he always been a slow starter?

The Rockies are the NL West team that finishes up outside the division. They play the last week on the road at Atlanta and New York.

His OPS is 881 in April for his career.

Kent is having his name legally changed to that.

Who holds the LA Dodgers record for strikeouts (by a batter) in a single season? I'm looking at the list of LA Dodgers records and I think this one is more likely to fall than others.

Mine is Edward Edgerock.

Will Ortiz walk a run in, or will Drew break out of his slump?

Izturis swung at Ball 4.

Izturis swung at Ball 4

In 1976, Bill Buckner played in 154 games and struck out just 26 times.

Everybody will be happy with that won't they?

Ugh.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Derek Lowe left the game due to an injured neck/shoulder.

Was the line drive off that area of his body?

Just bloody wonderful. I hope it's just a bad bruise on his elbow.

From my own purely selfish perspective, Lowe was also pitching for my fantasy team. sigh . . .

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It's hard to anticipate a play like that.

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Houlton just blew away Clayton.

At least Houlton got out of the inning. We can still win this game--it's Ortiz after all--but the last thing we need is for Lowe to go on the DL.

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Kent just hit a single. Come on guys--win one for the comrade who just went down.

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Anyone TIVOing this? Argghhhhh--I'm irritated MLB Extra Innings didn't carry the game. I feel quite literally blind.

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I can feel it now, Tracy is going to have Houlton bat for himself.

He was missing by a lot.

I think an injured Lowe may still be worth more than a healthy Ortiz.

A bruise is one thing. He could miss just one start if that. But if there's nerve damage or structural damage of any kind, it could be months.

WWSH

I would think that since the ball ricocheted off of Lowe instead of just falling to the ground, he might be better off.

I'm disconsolate.

And heaven knows how we'll get enough innings out of the pen to keep this close with Houlton no longer available.

WWSH

I think he has a pact with Satan.

We're still only down one run!

Still no word on Lowe. I assume they can do an x-ray by the end of the game, but an MRI might need to wait for a day or so.

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Wait and see now, I guess...

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And let's hope the Baseball Gawds didn't just smite him.

Can Repko play 1st?

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But I'm not superstitious, so it's just a fun fact, not a rule for how ballplayers should go about their business.

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BTW, Jim, I hope you're right!

Still no word on Lowe. Not sure if that means anything.

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X-ray negative...

Then again he also told us that Izturis scored the first run for the Dodgers today.

If he'd just shave the beard part of the goatee, leaving himself with a sculpted Valentin-esque mustache, there'd be no doubt.

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He finally retired from baseball this year. Injuries were the official reason, but he had other issues to deal with.

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"Remember this guy? He hit a home run off of you."

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Last year the Dodgers swept a four game series in Arizona.

The Dodgers have never swept a four game series from San Diego in L.A., but they have done it in San Diego.

Oh well, waste not, want not.

There was a lot of wastage today.

Let's hope Lowe really is alright. I'm still worried that they'll later discover something more serious in an MRI in the near future.

WWSH

Cesar had as good a day as a lead-off man can have.
Drew got two hits.
We got to see Nori (I was very impressed. He will be a lot of fun to watch this year. Maybe he can play first?).
Repko got his first homer in the bigs.

I'll let y'all list all the negatives.

Choi is constantly getting jammed. Koplove, I think, threw a sidearm pitch and jammed him on the flyout. He doesn't seem to be adjusting, he's not hitting the ball hard...

It's not like the Dodgers don't have options. My "fact of Choi" might be very short-lived.

Guys are on the bus and a stretch limo about the size of the Gadsden purchase pulls alongside. The players are understandably curious and who pops out of the window but Nakamura. The guys cracked up.

I think he'll be here for awhile.

Will it be Saenz at first or Nakamura? Probably Saenz because he seems to hit well against Rueter.

Long-term, though, it's interesting to speculate if Choi falters. Who's on first? I suppose time will tell but Nakamura is very intriguing.

If Lowe is flying to Boston tonight, I assume he will have a heating pad with him.

I agree, Bob, the injury was quite different. Any word on Alvarez?

Tuesday would have been my grandmother's 101st birthday (she passed away a few weeks before she turned 97). She was born in St. Louis and was a Cardinals fan, but switched when she moved out to L.A. in 1960.

It was nice to talk to my grandmother who could compare second basemen to Rogers Hornsby.

In a worst-case scenario of Choi tanking, I think the options are either Kent full-time at 1B with Perez as a regular, or Nakamura as a de facto regular and Perez/Valentin in a rotating platoon--i.e. the infield against RHP is Valentin-3B, Kent-2B, Nakamura-1B and against LHP Nakamura-3B, Perez-2B, Kent 1B. This would be comparable to last season's short-lived rotating platoon of Green, Werth, and Choi. It also takes into account Perez's inability to play 3B.

And don't forget, what was his name, the Mexican League player who crushed the ball in ST, Oscar Robles, especially if Perez is out for an extended period of time.

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They were section 59 of the Blue however.

I worked with a lady for years who used to work a drugstore counter a block from Fenway. Loved the DiMaggios, hated Ted Williams (her words: "He was a bastard").

1)This time last week after the Freeway series who knew what this team could do;

2)You can't win them all on the road. The Dodgers will gladly take a .667 winning percentage on all their road trips;

3)The Dodgers were in all six games, and could have easily won them all;

4)The team can hit well, can field well enough, has three solid starters (hope Lowe is ok), and the bullpen will straighten out when Gagne comes back.

All in all, a good first week for the Blue.

and anyway, despite being jammed a lot, he still got decent wood on a few pitches. he lined a couple really hard but just foul(turned on them, which seems good for choi, considering the rap on him is a slow bat), and hit one to the warning track. i thought he looked a lot better today than the other day. and he made a couple of good defensive plays. he'll come around. [fingers crossed]