Nice outing by Penny again, by the way.

I think the next road trip will pretty much end it all. Atlanta has been a graveyard for many Dodger pennant hopes in the past.

Pedro looked good all game -- much better than Penny, who consistently dialed it into the mid-90's, but mostly kept the Mets from grouping their ten hits. Pedro may have cracked 90 once, but he was also breaking off that curve in the 60's.

And I have to admit, I was disappointed in the eighth. I've never been at a no-hitter.

I was surprised that Penny stayed in. Did he crack 120 pitches for the game? He was over 100 when he came back out for the 9th.

Not that he doesn't have faith in the bullpen, but I think that a game like this really jacks up the pitcher. I would imagine Penny was going on adrenaline in the 9th.

And when I saw that Kazuo Matsui was going to bat with 2 outs in the 9th, I knew this one was in the bag.

Can you skip ahead in an archived radio broadcast from MLB.com?

On Fox Sports NY they also went out of their way to show a shot of the parking lot while there was 2 strikes on the last batter of the game... and one car leaving.

"And I have to admit, I was disappointed in the eighth. I've never been at a no-hitter."

Here's someone who wasn't disappointed:

"Dodgers executive Tommy Lasorda, who was managing the club when Martinez broke in, didn't have any room in his rotation for the right-hander. Lasorda watched Martinez flirt with history Sunday as he sat in owner Frank McCourt's field-level seats during the game.
'I didn't want him to pitch a no-hitter and I didn't want him to beat us,' Lasorda said as he left the Dodgers' clubhouse. 'And I said, `This is the inning.' Not only was the no-hitter broken, but the shutout was gone and it was a tremendous win." (AP)

10 - No, I of course went Saturday to the loss. Been that kind of year.

I heard it was nice day, even though I was stuck inside for most of it.

I've read the recaps, it sounds like there wasn't even anything close to a hit all game til Perez's triple?

The Dodgers also barely missed two doubles earlier in the game. One inches foul down the left field line, the other inches foul down the right field line.

That 13 million beat one of the best pitchers of all time, and that is why we all love this game so much.

To answer Nagman's question - the impression I got from the Loge section was that Pedro was toying with the Dodger lineup. Just making it look so easy. Only 74 pitches after 7, and not very many fastballs at all. Then Perez broke the spell, and Werth struck gold. And then it was over.

Despite all the hits, Penny was never really in trouble until the 9th. Lots of 2-out hits. 1 DP, and of course the back2back doubles for the run. Both pitchers seemed to be having a great day. I'd love to go back and watch it on TV, with the better angle of the strike-zone.

I listened to virtually all of the Padres' game last night and part of today's. They are a markedly weaker team than they were at the outset of the season. They don't have as much talent as we have, which is not saying much. We don't have a Jake Peavey, but then Jake Peavey hasn't been what he was. Their 2-5 starters are far worse than ours. At least we haven't had to resort to trading one of our power hitters for Chan Ho Park. Their injuries have almost equalled ours -- losing Greene again today is a harsh blow. Adam Eaton will eventually come back, but he's merely average. Padilla gave up something like 7 walks last night, and the Padres couldn't score but one run against him.

Watched part of the Arizona/Atlanta game today, until it became a cruel exercise. Arizona is not exactly a world-beating team either. Among many other problems, they can't play defense. And if our bullpen is a gas can, theirs is a bomb factory.

This truly awful division will come down to the final week, and I rate our chances as no worse than 40 percent to take it. If we were tied with San Diego now, I'd say we'd win in a lock. It's only because we've got five games to make up that our chances are diminished.

We stare and stare at the weaknesses of this team and its outrageous manager, but what we don't see is how bad the competition is. This is a historic situation. We could win this division with 80 wins!

I've been in Acceptance for a while, but I see your point.

The loss of Khalil Greene for the next 2-3 week isn't going to help the Padres.

The Dodgers lost to Arizona 2-0 with Schililng beating Brown

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B04100ARI2001.htm

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B09230LAN2000.htm

Dodgers 2, Padres 1

Kevin Brown beating Woody Williams

Jeff Francoeur: 102 AB's 19 K's 0BB's. 9HRs

Does anyone know the record for most plate appearances to begin a season without a walk? This kid might have it.

It might also be the best move. That way they could move Izzy down to the 8 spot where he belongs.

Although Kent said he would play wherever they wanted him to when he signed, somehow I don't think he likes it at first, but Robles at leadoff with Perez hitting second doesn't sound too bad to me.

Francoeur might also be a candidate for most PAs to begin a career without a walk.

That makes no sense to me.

The logical thing is to always have either Choi or Saenz at 1st, since both are good enough hitters. Kent always stays at 2nd.
AP always stays at 3rd.

That leaves SS as our only hole offensively. I'd start Robles there since he's a lot better hitter than Izturis is.

I've said it on other board, but in my mind our weakest lenghts our Izturis and Jason Phillips. If DePo can find a way to get those two off the active roster, then Trace will have no choice but to put out a good lineup, almost by default.

Sorry, I didn't know and don't have the chops to find that out.

But I would say this guy is the leader in the clubhouse:

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Psanca001.htm

Looks like 207 ABs before Alejandro Sanchez got his lone major walk by Dennis Rasmussen of the Yankees.

He struck out 66 times and walked once. He was also never hit by a pitch. Nor did he have a sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly.

He must have had one heck of a set of tools.

In 1902, Sam Mertes of Chicago (AL) had 35 assist in 123 games.

But outfield assists are a much different thing now.

What's the most outfield assists in the last 20-25 years?

Jon Weber of Jacksonville has 15 assists. It really sucks that he wasn't discovered and wasted so much time in independent ball, he really is a good outfielder

1. Really good outfielders, and
2. Really bad ones, whom everyone runs on.

Unless you watch the player in question, it's hard to tell whether their assist total is high because they're good, or because they stink. (And yes, I'm looking at you, Mr. Sheffield.)

Joe Orsulak had 22 in 1991.

Manny Ramirez's assist totals are helped by playing in Fenway. The Green Monster gives him the chance to throw out his share of runners at second.

Good thing Steve has switched his allegiances to Oakland.

"The Dodgers are expected to add four to seven players when rosters expand Sept. 1. More could come from talent-rich double-A Jacksonville than from triple-A Las Vegas."

Predictions, in order of likelihood of callup:

VERY LIKELY:
Mike Edwards
Mike Rose
Scott Erickson
Jason Grabowski
------------
50/50 CHANCE:
Chin-Feng Chen
Hong-Chih Kuo
Delwyn Young
------------
POSSIBLE BUT UNLIKELY:
Willy Aybar
Brian Myrow
Edwin Jackson
Russell Martin
Nori Nakamura
Chad Billingsley
Joel Guzman
Jose Flores

I don't see any possible way there will be more guys from Jacksonville than Las Vegas as claimed, unless he screws over guys like Rose and Grabowski.

The Padres? Not much. The D-backs. Whoever is still around from '01.

An intangible, yes. I ain't got no computer.

The other thing is-- at least Tracy can improve the team, by playing Perez & Choi. He probably won't, but he could. That gives him options AZ and SD don't have.

I dunno. It is one thing to disagree and debate about specific tactics under the confines of a common overarching strategy, but having fundamental debate about the strategy itself makes for a disjointed organization. But, what else can Paul say in public? "Tracy drives me crazy with his voodoo lineups and arm angle thories?" Nah. You just publicly support your guy.

Which automatically makes #68 the most extraordinary post in the history of Dodger Thoughts. ;)

Of the guys I listed, the following are not on the 40-man roster:

Scott Erickson
Jason Grabowski
Chin-Feng Chen
Hong-Chih Kuo
Brian Myrow
Nori Nakamura
Chad Billingsley
Joel Guzman

We can call up two of those guys easily by putting Gagne and Wunsch on the 60-day DL. (Dreifort & Bako are already there.) If we want to call up more than one of these guys, we'd have to DFA somebody already on the 40-man (coughjoelhanrahancough).

Also, I forgot to list Osoria, who is already on the 40-man and whom I'd put in the "very likely" category.

You mentioned Ross, who I think has basically zero chance, given that both his LV and LA hitting stats stink. In fact, I think he's a better candidate to be DFAed than called up.

Stan from Tacoma

I think if DePo wanted to give Tracy a lesser endorsement-he could have said something as bland as he is under contract for another year, doing the best job he can with the injuries he has had this year and I am looking forward to a good charge down the stretch by the Dodgers. As I have stated many times on this blog-the Dodger season and its dissapointment has many fathers' and DePodesta is definitely one of them I have found many of Tracy's decisions this year strange at best, especially Choi's playing time. However, some have called for DFAing Phillips? Makes no sense-Navarro is only just developing. Sadly the stolen bases against him have lots to do with Doddger pitchers holding runners on.
I feel the Dodgers have one run left and I only hope it can happen soon so the games against SD mean something

So do I, and I hope they use it wisely. Like beating San Diego in a game, 1-0.

Didn't Bush say that in the State of the Union?

"You call that a knife? Now THAT'S a knife."

Giving Tracy a vote of confidence now is unfathomable to me. Essentially, the only way a manager can have a tremendous influence on the game is:
1. setting the lineup
2. managing the bullpen.

Tracy gets an F+ for 1.