I have no analogy to match that. All I have is increasing frustration at the LOB numbers. When the bases are loaded, can't somebody even get hit by a pitch?

In case you missed it, tonights Over/Under for Derek Lowe is 7 IPs.

vr

Xei

Random Dodger game callback

May 17, 1985

If one looked at the Los Angeles Dodgers on this date 20 years ago, one would not have been optimistic. The Dodgers fell a game under .500 and into fourth place 2 games behind San Diego after a dismal 10-5 loss to the Phillies at Veterans Stadium. Starting pitcher Jerry Ruess got an early shower at the end of four innings after giving up six runs, the final two on a Von Hayes homer.

Tom Brennan came in to relieve and gave up four more runs in the fifth and for the remainder of the game, the Dodgers weren't able to close the gap against Phillies pitchers Kevin Gross and Rocky Childress. Ten days later, Brennan pitched his last game in the majors.

The Dodgers starting lineup this day was: Steve Sax 2B, RJ Reynolds CF, Greg Brock 1B, Pedro Guerrero 3B, Mike Marshall RF, Mike Scioscia C, Terry Whitfield LF, Mariano Duncan SS, Reuss P. Bob Bailor came in to give Guerrero, who was off to a slow start, a rest. Ken Landreaux came in off the bench and Al Oliver, who was briefly a starter in left field, pinch hit. Mike Ramsey (the white one, the black one came up in 1987) pinch-hit. This Ramsey played just nine games for the Dodgers.

But in June, Guerrero and the Dodgers turned things around. Guerrero belted out 15 of his 33 home runs on the season that month. This power spike coincided with Guerrero's move from third base to the outfield. Manager Tommy Lasorda tried a variety of replacements at third base for Guerrero, including Bailor as well as Enos Cabell and Dave Anderson before the Dodgers acquired Bill Madlock from the Pirates in August to bring another bat to the lineup. Duncan played a solid shortstop in his rookie season to help out as well. Duncan was a late addition to the roster after Bailor was put on the disabled list to start the season. The Dodgers went 15-10 in June and 25-7 in July and led the NL West by five games heading into August.

The Dodgers pitching staff in 1985 was missing Bob Welch for most of the start of the season, but the strong performances from Fernando Valenzuela (17-10, 2.45) and Orel Hershiser (19-3, 2.03) and Reuss (14-10, 2.92) made that absence less noticeable.

In the bullpen, the Dodgers finally gave up on the troubled Steve Howe, but Tom Niedenfuer took over the role of closer. Niedenfuer struck out 102 batters in 106 1/3 innings and 19 saves. Niedenfuer was the subject of trade rumors in spring training, most frequently he was rumored to be on his way to Boston in exchange for a Red Sox third baseman by the name of Steve Lyons. Many thought that Lasorda overused Niedenfuer, often sending him out for 3 inning stints down the stretch. And in Game 6 of the NLCS, a tired Niedenfuer gave up a 3-run homer to Jack Clark of the Cardinals and the Dodgers 95-67 season and the heroics of Guerrero and Hershiser and co. went for naught.

Thanks to the Los Angeles Times, BaseballReference.com and Retrosheet

i'm going to the game tonight, and i think this will be a very good one to watch. i'm really looking forward to see dontrelle willis. plus, i'm going to philippe's for a french dip beforehand, so what's not to be excited about?

I'm going to take the over on 7 innings pitched. Call me an optimist.

Jon (from previous string): "Everyone assumes that Saenz is a better hitter against lefties than Choi, and they may be right, but there's pretty much no evidence for it at all."

The rough numbers:

(over the past three seasons)

Saenz vs lefties -- .999 OPS
Choi vs lefties -- .507 OPS

Admittedly, during this time (pretty much his whole career) Choi has only 57 ABs vs. lefties.

So there you go. Am I missing something?

As I said, I'm all for giving Choi at bats against a lefty, but in a situation as in the 7th last night, I'm sending Saenz up to hit a 3-run dinger for the lead, then turning the game over to Brazoban and Gagne.

Has anyone seen the Shout Factory DVD "Dodger Blue"? It would appear to be either a compilation of all the old Pennant/World Series videos or edited versions of them. Since it doesn't give a total time it's hard to tell. Does anybody know: The manufacturer's description is at http://www.shoutfactory.com/.

Vishal, the lamb french dip at Phillipe is terrific. Slather the hot mustard on and its heaven

That mustard at Philippe's is hot. Hot in the sense that it catches up to you later and makes you see God.

They always seem to run out of lamb when I'm there. Tell me if there is a very tall German woman working the counter. She usually is at the very end toward the Alameda side of the restaurant.

She seems really tall and I'm curious as to if it's an optical illusion.

I want the Dodgers to win as much as anyone, but does anyone think the Dodgers might be better off in the long run if they were out of contention by the trading deadline? Depodesta would not have to trade any of the prospects for the final piece of the puzzle. More significantly, he might be able to trade Weaver to a team desperate to contend (Phillies) for some top of the line talent. Given Weaver's current salary and agent, it seems unlikely the Dodgers will resign him next year. When (or if) it comes to the decision between keeping Penny or Weaver, Penny seems like he has much more to offer in the long run. I am not saying I want the Dodgers to keep losing. I was just wondering what everyone else thinks.

My feeling is that there is a drop in power. Look at last night's game where every Dodger hit was a single.

The Marlins had 2 HR's, 1 triple, and 5 doubles. And I am sure the numbers are similar for the Braves game against Hudson.

JD Drew's RISP line this season:
.143/.350/.286
JD Drew's RISP line since 1987:
.294/.408/.525

It would appear that pitchers like to pitch around Drew. When he cooperates, he walks. When he tries to make contact, he's an easy out. He seems amenable to extending the inning due to his high OBP, but he's not driving in the runner(s) in scoring position, a big part of the #3 hitter's job.

Milton Bradley's RISP line this season:
.211/.244/.395
Milton Bradley's RISP line since 1987:
.256/.357/.405

It would appear that Bradley is hitting the ball with as much authority as he ever has (marginal difference in SLG), but is making contact a lot less frequently. Even more alarming is the drop-off in OBP. Does this suggest the opposing pitchers don't respect the 6/7/8 hitters? Is Bradley being too aggressive at the plate? I think it's a combination of the two with emphasis on the latter.

Jeff Kent's May 2005 line to-date:
.212/.271/.365

It appears our clean-up hitter is having a garden variety slump.

In a very small (and over-simplified) way, this is my spin on the current slump. Maybe moving some guys around in the lineup for a week or so will help:

Izturis
Ledee/Repko
Bradley
Kent
Choi
Drew
Phillips
Antonio Perez
Pitcher

I don't believe bench time will help, but maybe a different slot in the lineup (and a LOT of time with Tim Wallach) will help these guys.

RE: 11

You sound like a Red Sox fan, pre-2004.

thanks, marty! i'll give the lamb a try.

and bob, no worries for me. i'm young, i have a good constitution, and i'm used to spicy food. i'll keep an eye out for your tall german lady, though ;)

Thanks, Bob. The '85 Dodgers. I never saw a better hitter in the 80's than Pedro Guerrero. From what I've read, he's not doing so hot.

Speaking of 80's names, did anybody catch that Oil Can Boyd is making a comeback? He's 45. I was flipping channels away from last night's debacle and caught the story on ESPNews. I did not catch what league he was playing but he still looks the same.

----------------------------------------------

TODAY'S FACT OF CHOI, SB'S FAVORITE PLAYER, 2005:

... is not fact at all because I'm packing for a move. But I do need help from the more statistically inclined folks on this group, as well as from those of you who don't mind doing more research than yours truly.

In other words, everybody here but me.

Jim Tracy was quoted as saying that Choi should stick to hitting against the righthanders because he didn't want to ruin him against lefties. In addition to that, Saenz has a record of socking the southpaws.

So here's my question: If we stick to this strict platoon, are we not in reality weakening an up and coming player (Choi) by taking it as a given that he can't hit lefties? Choi's past history against southpaws is all but irrelevant due to small sample size and his recent surge. But it is a little relevant, I guess...

Shorter version: Are we damaging a young player's long-term growth by platooning him? Or does it actually help him in the long run?

I suppose I could track similar situations that occured during the history of this grand game but that takes work so I submit this question humbly to the group on the off-chance that someone might actually know.

Under. Way under.

Regarding lineup shuffling, with Brian Giles mired in an 0-for-the-road-trip slump, he was flip-flopped with a hot Klesko from 3 to 5. Not saying this had anything to do with anything, but look at him (over .500 since then)/them now. To say he snapped out of it is an understatement, while Klesko maintained the hot bat.

Interestingly, it seems Giles and Drew have similar approaches -- while they weren't hitting, the OBP was at a decent level.

#16 - pick and choose exposure to lefties. As I've probably explained more than anyone cares, I fully endorsed Tracy pinch hitting for Choi last night. Give Choi at bats against lefties (maybe even start him occasionally, gasp!), but when you have someone whose sole duty on the team is to crush lefties, let him serve his purpose in obvious game changing situations. If there had only been one runner on, and Choi did not represent the go ahead run, let Choi swing away. But with 2 outs and extra base hit needed, go with the known quantity.

SB,

... is not fact at all because I'm packing for a move.

Have you picked out a dog yet?

The Baseball Musings article Jon posted is a bit of a downer. Two of the teams ahead of the Dodgers in LOB are also ahead of them in the standings (Padres and Diamondbacks). I'm not sure exactly what it means, but it doesn't seem good, considering we've been blaming some of the recent record discrepancies to luck.

Man, you guys are killing me! Last night doughnuts. Tonight Philipps! Bob, I'm 43 and even though there is a price to be paid for the mustard, its worth it. Have to veto the lamb and stay with the roast beef (but I hate lamb). Vishal, if there's room for pie, and there should always be room for pie, the pumpkin is outstanding.

I need to adjust my priorities. Its open house at the kids' school tonight and I would rather be eating frech dip and pie and watching the game. Shh, don't tell anyone I said that.

All things being equal, yes, pinch hitting for Choi might have been a smart move.

However, Hee Seop is beyond locked in right now. Whenever he makes contact with the ball, he's crushing it.

Everyone knows Hee Seop is not a .320 hitter, so we might as well ride this hot streak as long as we can.

#6 - give them the same number of plate appearances against lefties from here on out, and see how those OPS numbers change.

". . .Pedro Guerrero. From what I've read, he's not doing so hot."

SB, what's the story there. I loved that guy.

". . .Oil Can Boyd is making a comeback? . . .but he still looks the same."

Still looks like a heroin addict? How could that guy weight 98 lbs and throw as hard as Louis Tiant.

How could that guy weight 98 lbs and throw as hard as Louis Tiant.

Maybe Ramon Martinez could tell you.

I hope Oil Can is going into the same league as Ricky. Wouldn't it be great to see those two face each other.

Icaros, was Ramon Martinez that skinny? I don't recall him being all that thin, but then I never noticed the tall German woman at Philippes either.

Baseball Reference lists him at 6'4" 173 lbs. I don't know if you ever saw that picture of him and Eric Enders in Albuquerque, but he looked like a walking pipe cleaner.

I don't remember Tiant throwing all that hard. He had a million breaking balls from a million angles.

Here's the link. Check out that forearm.

http://www.ericenders.com/ramon.htm

I am 6'4" 220. When I was in high school I was 6'4" 170 and you couldn't see me if I turned sideways. That said, I recognize how skinny he was/is.

19 - Nice post. It appears to me that Saenz' sole purpose on the club is to hit lefties in place of Choi. I don't know if Saenz has pinch-hit for Ledee and I'm sure he hasn't PH'd for Drew.

20 - We are being strongly encouraged to save a dog's life at the shelter. I think that's the route we're going to go and thank you for remembering! It'll be my first dog in two decades and my wife and son's first dog, period. Should be interesting...

25 - http://tinyurl.com/9wsq9

This wasn't long after OJ Simpson made his girlfriend walk home from Guerrero's house because she was on an all-night cocaine binge. Simpson made a 911 call from his house that was played on Jim Rome's radio show.

That was five years ago, though.

SB, thanks for the Guerrero link. That article is sad on every level.

BYW, when we rescued our dog 3 yrs ago, Petco was running all kinds of specials and discounts for resecued dogs.

I would say LAT and I are about the same size. I'm 6'5" and probably 215, although it could be 220. I have an aversion to scales. In grad school, I weighed 170.

For the record, I have never spoken to the German woman. Nor do I know if she's really German.

Just an educated guess. She does tend to stand from the rest of the staff at Philippe's.

Bob, you and the allegdly German woman have given me an excuse to go to Philippe's in the near term. Maybe before tomorrow's 12:10 businessman's special.

RE: Choi/Saenz. It seemed like this was a problem when Valentin was eating at-bats at third, and Saenz needed some ABs -- unfortunate that they would have to come from Choi, but they had to come from somewhere. Now, I don't even see why there is an issue. Saenz at third against lefties, Choi at first. When Perez comes back tomorrow, Choi at first against righties, Perez at third.

Until Perez ends up in Nakamuraville, and then we go to Aybar, Guzman, LaRoche, and finally George Wendt in Gung Ho.

Bob, your description reminds me of that big Asian (Korean?) guy with the James Brown 'do who used to work at the original Tommy's at Rampart and Beverly. Talk about standing out from your co-workers. Don't know if he still works there, though; been a while since I've haunted that part of town.

Does anyone know how much input or influence Jim Colborn has with Jim Tracy? Is he as disappointed with how his pitchers are being used as we are?

And rather than hearing way too much about Erickson's opinions about the defense, it would be interesting to know what the other pitchers think about continually being left in 2 batters too many. Actually I would think less of them if they did take verbal swipes at Tracy's decisions, but I am curious.

Down six runs, Dallas McPherson gets thrown out trying to go from first to third on a single. Sometimes people do get what they deserve, and this world is better for it.

I'm going to take the line and bet that Lowe goes exactly 7.

Suffering Bruin - 3 yrs ago I was in almost the exact position you are in now ("my" last dog was 20 years earlier - although I didn't really take care of it, being just a kid). My wife and I chose a rhodesian ridgeback and it has been great. Wouldn't trade it for the world. Having a dog has been a tremendous experience.

And for any single guys out there looking to meet more women...get a dog, a really handsome/pretty dog. The girls will flock to you. It is well worth the added responsibility. You will be amazed. (The preceding message was brought to you by the "If I knew then what I know now" advice channel.) ;)

For the record, I already date a tall woman. You can see the two of us Saturday in Blue Section 19, Row S.

This thread condensed into 15 words: If you want to meet tall women, pinch hit for Choi and get a dog.

A corollary to the "get a dog" postulate. Walk the dog in public. Don't just let it run in your large backyard; none of those tall women will see it. Or you.

I own a cat. A really, really, really old cat.

But about 10 years ago, I had to "dog-sit" for my brother. I took his beagle and basset out for a walk in Redondo Beach. It was amazing how many women came up to me. If it weren't for the fact that I was already going out with someone and those two dogs were going to pull my arms out of their sockets, I would have followed up.

Astros lead the DBacks 1-0 after 4.

When walking your dog you have to "reluctantly" explain how someone abandon the dog and you rushed into a burning buidling to save it.

Don't get a dog that likes to hump legs. That kinda ruins the magic

Lineups are in:
Izzy SS
Repko LF
Drew RF
Kent 2B
Bradley CF
Saenz 1B
Phillips C
Edwards 3B
Lowe P

That, and when an overly excited dog runs circles around you, tripping you on the leash...

The Marlins are going to have batters too:
Pierre CF
Lo Duca C
Delgado 1B
Cabrera LF
Encarnacion RF
Lowell 3B
Easley 2B
Gonzalez SS
Willis P

My dogs tried to kill me the other night. They were wrestling in the backyard and I wasn't paying attention. The next thing I know, they've run full-speed into my bad knee. I'm on the ground writhing in pain and they are looking at me quizzically.

re 49: Someone opined a couple days ago that Tracy juggles lineups too much. But for all that, this lineup was entirely predictable. I bet 99% of us could have Jim Tracy'd on this one. No RH hitters on the bench. Just Choi, Ledee, Grabs, Bako, and Robles. Note that the bench includes two of the three hottest hitters, who will likely only see action if unneeded (that is, if Dontrelle is knocked out).

Repko in the "good situational hitter" slot tonight.

53 -- it only appears random when you can't explain it any other way.

Suggested lineup improvement:

Izturis SS
Choi 1B
Drew RF
Kent 2B
Bradley CF
Saenz 3B
Phillips C
Edwards LF
Lowe P

I would much rather have Choi in the lineup than Repko, even considering the loss in defense at 3B. Choi's ABs don't have to come at the expense of Saenz or Edwards, who are both hitting well.

THis lineup brings up an interesting question (to me, anyway). Have there been any (many?) bench players, other than regulars getting a rare day off, who were switch hitters? Tracy's strict platooning of starting lineups would be less risky if some of the scrubs were switchers. My brain's not working, so I'm wondering if others can come up with examples. Was Chad Fonville?

Someone update the Heart & Soul sidebar:

Lima today: 3ip, 7er, 3hr

Spotted 8-2 lead in the 2nd... leaves an 8-8 tie.

2005: 0-3, 7.77era, 21k, 21bb

With Dontrelle Willis pitching, the best case scenario for the Dodgers tonight is a low-scoring game. That puts a premium on defense, so Edwards rather than Saenz at third makes sense.

Amazing though that we've reached the point where our third baseman is batting 8th.

Nakamura has already hit a 3 run HR for Las Vegas tonight. He and Chen may be the seeds for our new AAAA franchise.

With the caveat that Edwards is almost destined (if he's even on the roster tomorrow) to go on a Repkowski like 0 for 150 slump, I concur that Saenz against lefties at third is the way to go.

#59: The Dodgers score is certainly going to be lower with the free out Willis gets at the top of our order.

P.S. I'm talking additional smack in the hopes that Repko will prove me wrong.

Tonight is the night we derail the D-Train.

And purely to act as a contrarian to Steve (and highly my current inability to practice objective thought), I'll take the over.

There's another oddity from the AAA box score. Perez is not in the starting lineup, even though today is the last day of his 20-day rehab stint. If he wasn't going to play in AAA tonight, than why isn't he playing for the Dodgers?

GoBears, I was gonna say Jim Gilliam, but he was a starter for most of his career.

Um, it's a long flight from Vegas to LA?

Jim, my old nemesis. We meet again. :)

65: That could be the answer, I suppose. If a switch-hitter is good enough for the majors, then his versatility earns him a starting job and not a bench job. Put another way: a mediocre MLB hitter who is equally mediocre from both sides gets to start. If he's mediocre and doesn't switch, he's a part-timer (platooner).

Or something.

Oh, great...Lowe's got a cod.

Whoops. `cold'

Who knew Lowe liked to fish.

Az leadoff single in top 8th.

October is prime fishing time.

Arizona out in the eighth -- 1-0 Houston.

I'm not making any predictions, but Lowe's pitches have some sharp action on them.

As much as I enjoy watching Dontrelle...the TV guys are aware that playing train sound effects as he takes the field doesn't really bolster my confidence in the Dodgers tonight, right?

Does anybody else get the feeling this is the night the Dodgers break out of their slump in dramatic fashion against the D Train, ending his current streak?

Now that's situational hitting

Dang, they forgot to water the warning track.

Remind me, how much are we paying for that strikeout?

Thank you, Jeff!

That it worked doesn't make it better. But Rob's prophecy is looking pretty good right now.

Told you nothing was wrong with the offense. Of course, Lowe still has to go six more innings.

I have Dontrelle on my fantasy team, but nevertheless... YES!!

And Houston goes up 3-0 on Arizona simultaneously!

Choi woulda hit that out.

Choi woulda hit that out.

Go Astros!

I'm a bit late to the party but I meant to post this in the pregame...

Willis has the 4th lowest BABIP (.225) in the NL and was due for a nice little correction. His DIPS ERA was 2.65 vs the 1.08.

6 innings of 3 hit, 1 run ball by Kaz Ishii tonight. 2 BB, 2 Ks. Happy for him.

#82

"That it worked doesn't make it better."

Sure it does. Like an old boss used to tell me, better to be lucky than good.

Man, they couldn't even clear the pitcher. What's wrong with this team?

Can't believe Garner is pulling Oswalt for Lidge. He has a chance for the shutout!

Hehehe -- I was waiting for that.

93: Was Oswalt's pitch count low, or the lead huge? Otherwise, this would seem to be the opposite of Tracy's "leaving the starter in to blow the lead" tendency.

How about we just start Saenz at 3B and sacrifice the defense for the offense? I know Perez is ready for his audition now, but Saenz really is hitting well against both righties and lefties.

Uh yeah - Izturis is plenty fast.

And a bad baserunner.

Grrrrrrrrrrr

That's it - Izzy gets the red light from now on.

Dumb as a box of rocks. Don't go for the kill or anything.

Steve -- will you just hold on a second until I can grab some cover . . .

Too late, I see.

This calls for a reminder of the best scenarios, as outlined earlier by GoBears and slightly amended by me:

3) Teach Izturis how to steal bases
2) Jim Tracy not sending Izturis to steal
1) Someone else not sending Izturis to steal

Lidge finishes off the D-Backs. Shawn Green with a key strikeout to assist the non-rally. J.D. Drew and Green start wearing similarly colored shirts at weekend bar-b-ques.

Drew .254/.385/.421
Green .253/.309/.390

I guess the difference, so far, is lots of walks for Drew, and smidge more power. And (I'd say) much better defense. Note, these are not park-adjusted, so it's not as close as it looks.

But I take Steve's general point - Drew needs to pick it up. Outhitting a fading Shawn Green is not really sufficient.

Way to raise that OBP!

A plunk and a walk and the game is ours...

Or not.

The crowd should be chanting... "PLEASE DON'T BUNT, PLEASE DON'T BUNT, PLEASE DON'T BUNT"

Damn bat failed Milton.

Lowe has a headcold and wants to go home early. Only two ways for that to happen. So far, looks like he's taking the high road.

104 -- Yeah, it disturbs me that you can put them in the same sentence and have it look good. But I am an OBP convert, and recognize its all-important power, and therefore will simply continue to crack wise about J.D. Drew until no longer necessary.

AFLAC: most wins to start a season by a pitcher?

19-0? All hail...

Quick quiz. Most hits during a game by a Dodger shortstop in the last 15 years? (hint: it was at the end of his tenure).

Greg Gagne!

Let me guess...nobody in the bullpen.

Did Gagne ever get a hit?

No, later.

Great, another Lowe-scoring game.

This may not prove to be an advantage.

Oh man. Singles to 7 and 8 hitters. Cheap garbage run. Heart of the lineup coming up. NORAD has disaster alarms going at DEFCON 2.

Sure looked like that hit the line.

So, it looks like the Dodgers aren't interested in scoring any more runs? Just want to make those outs as quickly as possible? Have they noticed that it's a 1-run game?

113: I'm going to guess Bill Russell - the year he had all those doubles...

Beltre would have caught that, done a cartwheel and thrown his man out in one fluid, gutsy motion.

Primer for playing third base: Let Izturis play it.

Saenz wouldn't have got to the ball so Izzy would have made the play. Another reason to have Saenz at third and Choi at first...

A pitcher must have invented first-pitch swinging.

The number of hits was six. They were playing the Giants, if I remember correctly.

His name was not Jose Jimenez...

I wonder if Repko can play third. He's more scrappy than gutsy, but that would qualify.

Repko is 1/5 scrap, 3/5 guts and 1/5 intangible.

Grabowski principle?

Guess not.

Am I panicking if I want Yhency to come in now?

Anyone have a problem with sending Lowe up to bat, having thrown 73 pitches with a "head cold?" I don't. If Lowe blows up the next inning, I don't think we can really blame Tracy, because his decision was sound.

Anyone know why Beltre came out of the SEA-NYY game tonight in the 5th inning? The box score shows good ol' Dave Hansen at 3B now.

Bunts forever. Makes a guy breathe a little easier

Dodger win expectancy is now...

Top of 7th, one out, runner on first.

72.5%

vr

Xei

Beltre has an "injured leg" according to Gameday.

Lowe cant believe it.

Oh, okay. AAARRRGGGHHH!

Dodgers are 15-5 in games where they have the lead when my baby goes down for the night. A win expectancy of 75% using that formula.

vr

Xei

Wow.

Wunsch time!

Did I miss anything?

Derek Lowe's Over/Under was set at 7 IPs (see post #2) and he fell one out shy of the Over/Under the same as Penny last night. Probably should've pitch hit for Lowe with a runner on base with two outs in the last inning.

vr

Xei

Tracy attempts to avert disaster before it occurs. News at 11!

Vin just mentioned that Tracy's an idiot.

Oh oh -- Vinny says Pierre hits lefties at .400 :)

Lowe/Tracy dugout conversation:

Lowe: Why did you take me out?

Tracy: Take you out of what?

Lowe: The game.

Tracy: What game?

vr

Xei

#144: Thinking the same thing. Even if Wunsch doesn't pull it out, I think Tracy made the right call.

Just clicked over to the Mariners game for a minute. They said Beltre came out with a "tight left hamstring." For his sake I almost hope he has some sort of nagging but healable injury that explains why he's been so bad this year.

Nice!

Now we will get to see if the Yhency-Gagne combo will work.

That was some nice pitching by Wunsch. Good mix of speeds.

I don't think leaving in Lowe or going to Wunsch was an easy managerial decision to make, either way.

Tracy Actually Does Avert Disaster Before It Happens! Huzzah!

Perhaps the way to deal with Tracy is to have all the starters say they have a cold the day of their start?

Would be nice to get an insurance run.

vr

Xei

Bob T could answer my shortstop quiz.

Fool me Wunsch, shame on you. Fool me twice...

154 - at this stage, seriously not a bad idea.

85.7% win expectancy now.

vr

Xei

Why on earth do you have the pitcher bunt, then pull him?

Pierre 15 for 38 this year against LHP. 14 singles, 1 double.

I say this sort of behavior should be encouraged, and therefore will sing praises.

Bat for Repko!

Cesar, stand on the bag.

Left after the first inning for the kids' open house figured game was in the bag. Just got home. Shoulda known better. But at least now we get to see if the back-end of the bullpen can do what its supposed to.

160: Because Willis is a better hitter than most of the bench guys.

NO DP!!!!!!

Repko saves Tracy by fouling a pitch off, then gets the cheapie!

160.

I thought the same thing, then figured McKeon thought that Willis was a good bunter and he wanted a runner in scoring position for Pierre. Still not a good idea to bunt in that situation. Pinch hit was the call.

vr

Xei

Raise your hand if you think Drew is going to knock in a run here.

vr

Xei

Jon (152): "I don't think leaving in Lowe or going to Wunsch was an easy managerial decision to make, either way."

Indeed, there's no such thing as a free Wunsch.

[I know, it's a little forced, but I've been dying to type it for weeks now].

160,
Yeah, I thought bunting was dumb too. I'd rather have two shots to bring a runner home from first than one shot to get him in from second.

Bunting is a good idea if it's against us!

Drew needs to watch the movie `Reanimator'.

Xei, if the Dodgers can't cash in here does the shfit in momentum change the percentage? Cuz if we don't get at least one I predict we loose.

JD, now this concerns me. Because that pitch was right down the middle. I don't know whether you need an eyecheck, but that's about three times tonight that you've walked away from a pitch right down the middle trying to buy a walk out of it.

J.D., scream at the ump or something when you get hosed. ACT like you care, at least.

if we don't score here the win expectancy drops to 78%.

vr

Xei

Drew is NOT going to take this home plate ump out for dinner tonight. 3 times he's been rung up on 3-2 pitches. All 3 times, I think they were balls, but by the 3rd time, you'd think ol JD would just hack at it.

Grand slam for Bradley?

vr

Xei

If a pitch starts inside and moves over the plate, Drew seems frozen. Willis did it earlier, and Bump - a righty - did it just now.

Can someone help me with some Pitching 101? I thought a pitch that came back toward the side the pitcher throws from (left to right for a righty, right to left for a lefty) was a screwball. That's what Fernando was famous for. But Bump doesn't throw a screwball, does he? What would you call that?

Insurance!

Alex Cora would have....

probably struck out.

Win expectancy up to 94.5% now. Perhaps Choi will get into the game.

vr

Xei

Perhaps a cut fastball or something like that?

179,
It's probably just a cut fastball, Jon.

I love it when Steiner calls Bradley "Uncle Milty".

Seems as though Kent is breaking out of the slump. Maybe he can tell Drew how to do it.

#175, #177 - I saw two of Drew's called third strikes, as I wrote in #179, and they looked like great pitches for strikes to me.

That 3-1 pitch hurt me. But it's ok!

I thought they were all strikes. But your point stands either way. Gotta be swinging at the close ones when the umpire isn't giving anything (and this one isn't -- three walks combined in the game)

re 174: I guess this shows how hard umping is. Steve thinks all 3 were strikes; I think the first 2 were low and the 3rd inside. Drew apparently agrees with me, but the ump agreed with Steve.

TODAY'S FACT OF Drew:

Drew's OPS:

Home 1.002
Away .620

Oh - thanks 183 and 184. You know, I never really knew what a cut fastball was - that makes sense. So what's the difference between that and a screwgie?

179 - Cut fastball.

Thanks, Uncle Milton!

I'd call it a fastball with movement. They call Rivera's a cutter, when he busts it inside on a right handed hitter.

vr

Xei

Will LaRussa hose Bradley for the All-Star team this year? We always have one.

"It's probably just a cut fastball, Jon."
When I typed this, my inner voice sounded just like Joe Morgan.
Eww.

Does anyone know the address for the Marlins bullpen? I'd like to send Nate a Thank You note.

So can we assume/hope that Choi will hit for Edwards later and Saenz will move over to 3B?

A cutter is just a two-seam fastball, held slightly off-center.
A screwball is a full-on breaking pitch.

197 - We can hope...

Thank goodness idiot McKeon was playing for one in the bottom of the 7th!

Peter Gammons is talking about the Yankees and AROD right now. Surprise??? Not!

vr

Xei

Is there any lead big enough to justify sitting Yhency and Gagne back down (and handing it to Houlton or whoever)? Or do we just really wanna see Ghame Yhalmost Over followed by Game Over, no matter what the sitch?

Re: Bradley's nice double.

Nothing close to controversial happened on this play, but as the ball heads toward the low outfield fence near the left field line, you could see most of the entire front row reaching over with their hands. I'm not trying to be a killjoy, but this is wrong. That's not protecting yourself, that's potential interference. Keep your hands out of the game.

To piggy-back on 198..

You can hold the "cutter" on either side of the seems to make it move different ways.

One thing I learned when I was a kid (cause my dad didn't let me throw curves) is that there are a lot of different ways to get movement on a pitch.

The whole world has gone mad. Saenz gets an IBB.

Wow. Last year, Bradley goes nuclear on that call.

Why'd they send Bradley? Left fielder had the ball before Bradley hit third base, and was in shallow LF. Dumb!

vr

Xei

Ummm...he was safe.

He looked safe on the replay

he was safe

Good deke by Paulie, acting like there was no play.

#202 - Yes, but I doubt we'll reach that point.

I don't know what made Hoffman, if he sent Bradley, think he should. Cabrera fielded that ball in shallow left.

But that doesn't absolve Glenn Hoffman of being a Mike Scioscia level idiot.

So if Jack McKeon's last name is spelled wrong does that apply to America's Sweetheart Nancy McKeon, too?

The Dodgers deal themselves a pair of 4s!

Choi batting!!!!

vr

Xei

there is a god!

On second thought, maybe I should a send the Thank You note to the whole bullpen.

It appears that the Dodger coaching staff is under the impression that Milton Bradley is faster than he is.

Yes he was, Steve.

will they let Choi hit up by 4 in the 7th with a LOOGY coming in? Great chance for Choi to show his MVP stuff.

vr

Xei

Can we borrow the Marlin bullpen whenever the boys need to get back in a groove?

ok, now I won't object to Grabs.

What was funny about the Bradley play was that Vin did something football announcers do -- they insist a play went a particular way even as they're watching a replay that shows the exact opposite. Vin said Bradley "was out by plenty" just his foot clearly beat the tag in slow motion.

Bradley was actually safe. He beat the throw because Lo Duca had so far to reach to make the tag.

So now that a lefty is coming in, does Tracy replace Choi with Weaver?

Never mind. Vin just took it back.

Mike Edwards is kinda Fimpleizing, no?

Bradley was safe. Definitely. Bradley was a man about it.

Vinny just caught up with the call -- good job Milton for pleading your case and getting out of there.

202 -- I just went back on the TIVO to make sure the blame was with Hoffman before we called him names.

It is.

Choi takes one for the team.

vr

Xei

Choi versus a LHP. Hooray!!

Yikes!!

Painful way to boost the OBP.

As Yakov Smirnoff would say, "In Soviet Union, Lefthanded pitchers hit Choi."

Win expectancy is up to 129.4%

Game called! :)

vr

Xei

#206: The play made me think of cartoons where the red runs up the character's body like a thermometer and if it gets to his head, he explodes. On that bad call, Milton's thermometer didn't go past his waist, before dropping back down. Very impressive.

Good thing he hit Choi before he could have his approach versus righties ruined.

So, the bad call at the plate actually cost us two runs.

As has been said already, Bradley would have blown his lid about that call last year. Good for him.

Hoffman sending Bradley cost us two runs!

vr

Xei

Andruw goes deep for some insurance. End of 7 1/2.

Gotta give Bradly credit for not losing his s--t. Last year he would be outta the game by now. Maybe he is a new man.

What is Fimpleizing?

Did anyone catch that smug shot of Phillips on second after his base hit?

Hopefully we won't need them.

I meant 212, not 202

idiot fan touches ball. Must be tuesday night! Ejected!

vr

Xei

Some people will be going home early.

Jon, you were saying about fans down the LF line?

TOSS THAT FAN!!!!

Time to make a statement. Give those fans in left field the boot and then tell Vin to announce it on the air.

Fans really tick me off. Kick out the entire row!

"Fimpleize" - v. -- To make an unexpected contribution when being called up from the minors and then immediately return to obscurity.

(circa 1983)

What is Fimpleizing?????

Jack Fimple, non-descript rookie callup, bails out the Dodgers in 1983 when injuries deplete the catching corps. He wasn't really that good, but he did just enough to hold his own and ward off a collapse at the position.

Uh oh... group think. Hey Jon, your new nickname is "Big Brother." Not your fault -these things just happen.

244 - yep, I was saying ...

Thanks for the Fimple explanation. Looks like we have to make Gagne the set up guy and Yhancy the closer. Apparently Yhancy doesn't like going back to his old position.

Well, it's Repko throwing and LoDuca running. There might have been a play at second.

When Perez comes up tomorrow, the Dodgers should consider sending Repko down. Edwards provides some defensive cover at 3B and can play OF. Additionally, Repko, who's still only 24, should benefit from playing on a daily basis in Las Vegas.

Jeez, Steiner! It's NOT "En-cah-nar-see-own"! You only said it wrong 10 times in the AB.

According to Dodgers.com - Gurnick's notebook tonight - Edwards has probably beaten out Repko to stay on the team.

255: Vinnie gets it wrong too - always has. Puts the emPHAsis on the wrong syLAble.

23 pitches

Interesting. I was just going to say it would be a shame to see Edwards sent down.

BTW, seems a good time to mention you all have the day off tomorrow, to attend the game.

256 -- that tells me that scrappy is assigned its proper place in the pecking order.

Jack Fimple had a 2-run double to start the Dodgers scoring in their epic 7-6 win over the Braves on 9/11/1983.

Jon wrote a great piece about that game.

Innhing Over

#259 I'll be there.

Nice of Yhancy to try and get Gagne a save opportunity

2-1 Braves in the 8th.

Brian Falkenborg in to pitch for the Pads.

#256: Thanks for the heads up. Gurnick even mentions Grabowski as a possibility, but he's out of options, so it seems unlikely the Dodgers would risk losing him.

Now it's time to say one good thing and one bad thing about Yhency's performance tonight.

Good thing: The two runs scored may allow for Gagne's first save opp of the year.

Bad thing: I have Yhency on both my fantasy teams (don't worry, Holds is a category in both).

Didn't the Civil Rights movement get rid of guys like the Marlins pitcher?

(listen to Vin pronounce his name)

I love the day games on TV. Makes being a stay-at-home Dad so much nicer.

265: Geez, Fearing. I'd sure risk it.

I predict Drew gets a hit here--because it will be meaningless.

Oh yeah! Grabowski! #()&$*#^^%%#

This is getting Cora-ish

Let's see Grabowski do that!

Thatta boy, Jason!

What a great AB from Repko. For a while, i thought he was trying to put a teammate in the dugout on the DL so that he could stay up.

#269: Tracy seems to have some strange fascination with the fellow. I, on the other hand, would trade him for a luke-warm burrito.

Drew enters this at-bat with a .600 OPS against lefties this year.

Is that the golden sombrero for JD?

So much for my prediction. Sounded like a smattering of boos on that strikout.

276 -- Not to mention DePodesta, for which you can put a debit in his account.

Geez at least Green could move runners with the 3-1 putout.

#277: Time to start pinch-hitting Saenz for Drew. :)

Jeff's back.

Kent has awoken, even if Drew is still asleep. As long as they're not both slumping at once, this team is OK.

#280: Assuming the runner's already on second.

I feel like we must be leading the league in HBPs this year. Even without Mike Kinkade and Alex Cora.

Third HBP of the game, right? Time for blood. Hope Gagne is back up to speed.

No save opportunity for Gagne.

Damn!

#281 - hmm ...

Saenz is not helping the don't bat for Choi argument tonight.

Olmedo goes sonic.

I'll take a win over a Gagne save anyday

280 -- and with runners on first and third and less than two outs, it was a surefire way to score a run, since that double play is hard to turn.

Dan Kolb is blowing up as we speak. Don't count on the Braves tonight.

As someone (wait, was it you, Steve?) said, it's not Saenz vs. Choi. It's Saenz vs. Edwards. Unless this reference was just to last night's single PA.

#292 I agree.

I've had company and not able to sit down and watch much of the game. Been glancing at gameday. Looks like among other things, Kent may be coming out of his slump.

294 - that was someone else, but I totally concur. Saenz at third against lefties. Screw his defense.

I bet McKeon is thinking "When is Tracy going to put Grabs in and kill this rally."

Tying run scores -- winning run on second with one out. Dan Kolb's soul-owning demon hovering over him to flip the switch

I knew it!!!!

This is the only situation I approve of using Grabowski.

Oh thank goodness. I was worried we'd miss Grabowski tonight.

Was starting to sweat the fact we hadn't seen Grabowski...

Watch Grabowski take a called 3rd strike.

LA entered tonight with 21, 22 or 23 hit batters. (ESPN.com kept changing the number every turn of the page.) 23 would lead MLB.

Natch. THat just earned him another 2 weeks on the roster.

Grabs with a hit when it doesn't matter. Maybe they can get two more hits to make it an even 20.

Boy, this Marlins reliever is really bad. Even Grabowski got a hit...Maybe Drew will get a chance to strike out for the 5th time. :)

Grabs got a hit. Grabs got a hit. He must have doubled his avg. Tears of joy must be streaming down hia face.

Re # 303: Oh ye of little faith.

Way to go, Sneezer!

One more!!!

Ok guys save some for tomorrow

Re 309: Just trying to unjinx him.

i lost all respect for this jim crowell pitcher. grabowski can hit him.

First and third and one out -- Kolb still laboring.

At least he can use this opportunity to lower that ERA

Loved the comment about Green, here is what I would do with Drew as was done with Green, move Drew to 5 and Bradley to 3. Although I think Milton is doing great in the 5 hole and Drew even with his strikeouts usually gets his share of walks, but if you look over the past 10 days what Izzy has been doing and everybody's favorite Choi has been up to, Drew is just killing the offense at the top of the order...As far as Repko goes, even though Jason Grabowski is out of options and he is left handed, Repko does far more for this team between his defense and ability to hit. If somebody claims him, even if Repko falters or has to be sent down once Werth returns-we can use him for another month...How much money can we offer Robin Ventura (this is not a joke-switch hitting 3rd baseman who can also play first and a great pinch hitter!)

Steiner just called out leadoff hitter "Little Cesar".

So, does that mean you get two RBIs for the price of one?

Dan Kolb about to blow it. Maybe we can send the braves a run or two. We certainly don't need all of these.

Izturis double was The Grabowski Principle in action, but it didn't really matter

Cox loads the bases. Pretty stupid IW.

Repko mercifully pops out, stranding Drew in the on deck circle.

how much does it cost FSN to skip commercials to watch Gagne come in?

KABOOM!

Niccccccccccccce

With Gagne back, the Padres and Arizona have to be concerned....All this offense tonight without Drew...No bad.

#323: I assume that's the sound of Dan Kolb exploding?

GAME OVER

Many thanks to Danny Kolb, he of the 6.48 ERA

Make that 10-0 for SD in their last 10 one-run games.

Well, I feel better.

Better keep this offense going tomorrow and with LAA coming to town

And in time for The Daily Show, no less. Nice game.

Let this settle in your mind for a moment:

The Braves traded somebody to get Dan Kolb.

Now, it's true that when we traded for Dan Kolb v. 1.0, we gave up Paul Konerko. But that's not going to happen anymore.

Tomorrow should be a good one.

I'm a little concerned about Fiday night with Erickson on the hill.

This weekend: Drew v. Finley: Battle of the over paid under performing superstar. One of them has to bust out. . .don't they?

Raise your hand if, at any time in the past, you ever expected to see the following on ESPN's NL leaderboard:

BATTING AVERAGE
5. Cesar Izturis, LA .339

Whoops, wrong thread...