Heh. That last quote from Scully is cute.

Now 3-1 Phils over the DBacks.

Probably just my underworked optimistic side, but that quote from Scully makes it sound like he plans to keep his current job for a little longer.

2 I meant the part of the quote about the move, not the part about the sign.

Apparently with 2 out and runners on 2nd and 3rd, Doug Davis wild pitched a run home while pitching to the 8th place hitter and then with the pitcher up and a 1-2 count, the Phillies pulled off a steal of home with the runner on 1st getting tagged out after the fact.

3-1 Phillies going to the 7th.

I wish Vin was my grandpa. I mean, I love my grandpa, but I've only got one, so there's an opening. I wonder if he takes applications.

I got a sneak peak at the Dodgers photo exhibit at the Central Library as detailed here:
https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1042906.html

It's not a huge collection because of the space, but the selections are quite compelling.

My favorite shot is from Game 6 of the 1985 NLCS. It shows fans in the LF pavilion reaching for Jack Clark's home run ball while a disgusted Pedro Guerrero gets ready to slam his glove down on the ground.

There's a good mix between iconic shots and some that are quite unexpected.

Phillies suck.

3-3 in Philly

It must be quite weird to be Vin's mailman or someone else who runs into him in everyday life.

If he answers the phone when his wife isn't home, does he say "She is gone"?

My dad delivered mail to Rick Monday and a few other Dodgers in the late 70s.

I hope this doesn't violate rule 5, but Keith Olbermann appears to be answering questions via phone from the Mets game right now.

11 Begone left winger!

12 maybe I was scouting the opposition!

I think I nailed rule #3, #5 and #7 in 3 words.

13 Good one.

11

No mentioning "Bathtub Boy" is a violation of rules, 3, 7, 10, 11, and 12. Who cares about rule 5, well unless you're Josh Hamilton.

Those darn AZ youngsters.

0

OK...so when do we start planning the DT road trip to Phoenix ? Early or late in Spring training, which is better?

17 Actually, probably the big addition is Chad Tracy.

9
That is a good one!

18

You guys can crash at my apt.

19 And Emilio Bonifacio.

22 Who, prior to that at bat was 0-7 against RHP with 5 strikeouts, why do I want to believe that his double was a flair down the LF line.

21

Only if you bring booze though.

I'm wondering if any of our stat guys here have any idea how many games they think DeWitt has saved with his glove?

21

Are there any Native American casinos near Phoenix? Might as well mix two vices in one trip, gambling and the Dodgers, Prescott is too far to go.

24 hmm, is this by quantity or quality?

24

I want to stay in Larry Bowa's hotel....the chance to breath the same air as Larry is just...just...makes me want to wear a helmet or something.

Phillies have 1st and 3rd for Utley with one out down by one in the seventh.

26

Yes, there are Indian Casinos in Phx.

27

Doesn't matter!

Amazing double play by Orlando Hudson (and Stephen Drew) to keep it 4-3 AZ. Bad luck for Utley, who hit a smash to 2B.

Orlando Hudson is incredible. Still 4-3 AZ in the eighth.

30 Quantity + Quality= super fun blurry time. Also given the plethora of vices that can be placated in the area.

23 Let our flairs be so effective.

24 Because you'll be bringing the women?

Nate, did you get a job in Phoenix? Have you graduated yet? I'm actually considering staying in Oregon (Portland) after I graduate.

Chase Utley had only grounded into 3 double plays and he had 5 sacrifice flys, plus he was 2 for 3 lifetime against Chad Qualls. And then he hits into a first pitch 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

36

Yes and yes. I start in August. I'm just hanging out now.

24 et al... it seems you have awakened a monster.

25 I don't know if there is any stat that could tell us that, but I've often thought that part of the reason Torre keeps playing DeWitt is because of his glove. He may feel that right now LaRoche and DeWitt will give him similar offensive production but DeWitt is better in the field. I'm not saying DeWitt is, but he has looked pretty good and that may be the perception of management. He certainly looked good fielding that bunt the other night.

Indiana (from last post:368) if you want Laroche at third that is fine with me, I just hadn't got down to that level of detail yet.

40 - Going over a month without an error would probably help that assumption as DeWitt has done.

Shane Victorino 2 RBI triple! 5-5 in the eighth.

Phils just tied it 5-5 - on a triple by Victorino - bottom of the 8th.

I was wrong.

The rotation to begin the second half will be per Tony Jackson, Kuroda, Billingsley, Lowe, Park and Stults. Penny is not expected back until the end of the month, I guess Schmidt's rehab assignment is up around then too.

Kershaw will bide his time in Jacksonville for a while.

42 He's looked good to me - can't say much about Andy since he hasn't been out there enough to form an opinion.

45
Wow, Kuroda goes from might be stretched/bumped to first game out the chute!

DeWitt in his MLB career has made 0.11 errors per nine innings at third base. LaRoche has made 0.12.

Blake DeWitt has been very good thus far defensively. From Bill James Online, he is given an A- grade on bunts (3rd in MLB among 3B), and has a plus/minus rating of +8, which is 7th in MLB.

Orange alert for Brian Roberts in Boston. This is an orange alert.

Oh Boy so does that mean we have to actually play Schmidt? Or can we re DL him or how does that work. The whole thing is a charade.

49 It'll mean nothing due to sample size, but what does he have for Andy last year?

Phillies will have to walkoff to win it. 5-5 Top 9.

51 If Schmidt wants to play the part of Brian Falkenborg for a while, he can be my guest, but I wouldn't support putting him back in the rotation.

51 He doesn't have to be activated but he can no longer pitch rehab assignments in the minors. If he is not ready, he'll have to pitch simulated games.

My hunch is that if he builds up to 90 pitches, they'll start him just to see where he is at.

Brian Roberts when I dropped him from my fantasy squad: .268/.355/.419, with 14 SB in 52 games.

Since, he is .320/.393/.562, with 11 SB in 36 games.

54 he'll be in the rotation until he's 1-4 and goes back on the DL.

54 Another pronouncement from the dugout, if and when he returns, it will be as a starter.

Which is probably fair considering, one, the money they allotted to pay him and two, he has been a starter is entire career.

LaRoche 2007:

237 innings at 3B
D grade on bunts (3 opportunities)
+1 on the plus/minus

DeWitt, for comparison, has 642 innings at 3B this season.

Roberts is up now.

58 I don't doubt that's the logic that will be used. I'll merely note that the surest sign of a bad organization is that it assigns roles to players based on how much money they make, rather than baseball-related factors.

You think he would win a game? I bet he goes 2 innings and is DL'ed again.

What we all need is for Bob to proclaim that Schmidt will never pitch effectively for the Dodgers again.

swinging strikeout. The O's are up 6-3, so they won't see Papelbon. They could still bat around.

I hope that Schmidt can be an effective MLB pitcher next year, but I'm not counting on it.

Lidge does his job. Werth, Utley and Howard due up in the bottom half of the ninth. 5-5.

65 well if he is - one year for $47 million or whatever he was paid. Right now, I think that is the best we can hope for.

These Friday games that start 30 minutes late kind of creep me out. The extra half-hour feels like a vacuum. Give me baseball already! It's Friday! I have stuff to do!

9 - has Vin remarried since his wife died? I'm totally serious here, I don't honestly know.

Here's a thought related to the last thread.

Moreno - United States Marine Corp and self made man.

McCourt - Managing the family fortune that he was born into.

68 - for only $120 or whatever it is, you can get Extra Innings and watch the Mets beat up on the Rockies.

70 - kind of. Arte took a family business and parlayed it into a much larger fortune, sort of like Howard Hughes that way only without the koo-koo for Coco Puffs thing at the end. So far.

69 I guess I don't know either. I know his first wife died in the early seventies in, um, tragic circumstances. He remarried a woman who was a secretary for the L.A. Rams. I was under the impression that his second wife was still alive.

72 - I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't think it's entirely fair to bag on McCourt for what he did with his family's money. After all, the property he purchased turned out to be quite valuable -- just not quite valuable enough to make anyone comfortable with his "buying" the Dodgers assets.

Jason Schmidt will never pitch effectively again for the Dodgers.

Free baseball in Philly.

From the I miss Ross Porter stat file...

Starting pitchers with a last name beginning with V are 43-33 (.566 win%) all-time against the LA Dodgers.

For some reason Bob felt it necessary to include the word "again" in his post.

78
He was being a good solider!

Schmidt has pitched one good game for LA: 6 scoreless IP in SD last June.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SDN/SDN200706050.shtml

Joe Torre Upside Down cake.

72
Not able to reference the article that appeared -in the OC Register or the Times -
it portrayed Moreno as a guy that just got out of the service and took a job as a salesman for outdoor billboard ads and just worked his way up the ladder until he bought the company and then followed the path that you describe. Maybe I'm not remembering correctly or maybe it was just good PR?

Looks like there will be two unrrelated Buchholzes taking losses tonight.

Montero's foul ball of his foot gets counted as a fair ball groundout to 1B. Runner stranded at 3B; time for the Phils to end this just in "time for Dodger baseball."

Short Chris Young is really sucking for the D-bax.

He's had now over 1,000 Abs in the bigs with little improvement.

Not a good sign for them.

The Flyin' Hawaiian© is on the loose!

74
Not bagging on McCourt for his business acumen. The public comments attributed to McCourt regarding the young players leaves alot to be deired for me. For that I am bagging on him. Better presentation vs. alot to be desired in what is being presented?

While we're waiting for the game to start, I have a suggestion for a trade that Ned could make that would save his job and help him get back on Plaschke's good side.
Ned should package a player who has been good for the Dodgers but is getting a bit past his prime with a middling outfielder and one of our bullpen setup men and try to get a young starting pitcher with a World Series ring who knows how to win. Everyone would love it.

86 - and he has a triple, double and single now correct? So if they strand him again we might possibly have an alert?

88
I see what you did there. :)

Werth can win it!

IBB'ing Rollins to get to Werth.
Not smart.

Old Friend Jason Werth up with runners on 1st & 2nd, with 2 outs in the 10th.

89
Werth pops up, so I believe that makes an Orange Alert for Shane Victorino.

Thank you Jayson Werth!!

No really, now we can all stand down from the alert for Brian Roberts. Yes that means you, mlb.com.

Wow, the FBI is investigating Jim Bowden. (And it's not for signing Cristian Guzman.)

Oh man, tonight and tomorrow night the Dodgers are on KCAL which means Marlins' broadcasters for me.

95
Is that the international signing investigation that Keith Law alluded to in his chat the other day?

95
Oh yeah, and that's All-Star Cristian Guzman to you, bub! :)

Cycle alert canceled in Boston.

Stand down.

Gonzalez is not playing the numbers by going righty heavy against Stults.

Romero grounded out to Romero to start the 11th.

97 Yep.

Orange alert for Shane Victorino in Philadelphia. This is an orange alert.

96 I'm stuck with you.

Nomar receiving that throw looked quite awkward. That looked like an injury waiting to happen.

104
In the middle?

that was unpleasant.

104 Fortunately (unfortunately?) I don't have to listen to Eric Stephen call the game. I have to listen to Tommy Hutton, though.

88 - Adam Wainwright?

Holy crap, I didn't realize Bowden is only 46.

Uh, how long 'til Penny's back?

aw, jeez. unacceptable

I think Stults misses Vegas.

This is not going to be pretty...

108
I would have a ton of Major League references peppered into my broadcast though. I would probably devolve off-topic into whining about Vince Young, though.

Uh. How long until Kershaw's back? We sent him down instead of this guy.

Extended BP tonight.

Well, it was fun while it lasted Stults. Time to bring back Clayton.

Good bye Vero Beach we hardly knew you.

I would start worrying if Mark Fainaru-Wada started asking questions about me.

115 references like, "Juust a bit outside?" Because I would watch that broadcast.

115 I would listen to him if he had Bob and Marty in together as 7th inning guests.

100 Any split with Stults is small sample size city. Just removing Fred Lewis (5-6 against Stults) drops the LH BA from .366 to .323, for example.

I see the numbers against him for both sides is rising.

122
Marty and I will go to the press box and see if we can be guests.

Utley-Howard-Pitcher due up. Did the Phils really remove one of the league's top 5 hitters from the game?

DBacks with four outs in the top of the 11th, the old K/WP occurred. Phils up in the bottom 11th, still tied.

The highlight of the first inning so far is my large bowl of orange Jello (sugar free).

125 Burrell was PR-ed for in the 8th - that was the tying run.

DBacks got five outs in the eleventh as they had a runner get picked off and then Rollins flubbed the throw from Howard.

Allright, where's my thunder. Who's got it.

Is there a stealer of thunder around here?

125 In there defense, he's not even an All-Star.

Five true-outcomes in one inning - not good. (Six if you're willing to throw in the HBP.)

OK, time for a walkoff cycle for Victorino

Mr. Orange Alert is up with the winning run on second and two outs.

I would welcome any DTer as a guest during the broadcast, even Shimmin, assuming of course he would answer hard-hitting Eric Byrnes related questions.

1st and 2nd, two out, Flyin' Hawaiian up.

Awww and the O-Dog lets us stand down for another inning or two :(

sigh

Kemp is wearing glasses...

Kemp needs to swing the damn bat. He takes to many called hrid strikes because he fails to hit pitchers mistake consistently. Volstand threw two fastballs ovetr the heart and a hanging breaking ball. This dude doesnt strike out anyone and he makes Kemp look stupid.

Non-pertinent stat of the moment. According to THT - Only 1.5% of Matt Kemp's fly ball outs are on the infield.

139 Buddy Holly or Brian Bosworth?

sorry Vin, I definitely do not remember the Volstead Act. And I think we're better off ignoring it.

MLB.tv is now showing me an ad for Bob's Statue of Liberty toy. "Own a piece of All-Star Game history!"

137 Would you tell your Phillies to win already!

Well, that top of the first could've gone better. I wouldn't give up on this game just yet, though.

Vin has to stop getting jokes out of "Highlights."

140 The Dodger coaching staff has done two things to Kemp this year that have made him a worse hitter, although they may help him improve in the long run. They are teaching him patience and he is definitely taking more pitches. He's just taking the wrong ones. In addition, they are teaching him to hit the opposite way and it's hurting his power. I wish they would just let him go back to being wild swinging 2007 Kemp.

Old friend Rudy Seanez pitching for the Phils.

Some first time vs. the pitcher kind of swings in this first inning. Get it out of your system now, guys.

147 Bison are better wild rather than domesticated.

147

I've been saying that the least 2 months. Its not surprising that their "instruction" has made him a far less effective hitter now. It might help him in the future, but the production does not come near what it needs to be for the strikeout numbers.

148 Sigh. Waiting for the "in play, run(s)"

Vin keeps saying "flavor" in place of "favor."

152 LOL - Hudson, Jackson, Tracy went 1-2-3.

I shouldn't have doubted old friend Rudy!

153 At least he's not saying Flavor Flav.

152- Looked like O-Dawg was going to come through, but he choked. J.D. Drew's little brother is rubbing off on him.

153 Aw. He's just like my mom, who used to say "Do me a flavor" just to be annoying.

Lead off hitter on for Phillies in the 12th.

Yet Kemp has a 26.3% line drive pct. this year (THT). Man, the liner he hit right at Uggla to start the last inning last night was smoked - Uggla may have a mark left from that one.

What I can't understand is why they still think Kemp is uncoachable. He's obviously listening to them, even when he shouldn't.

The Phillies better win soon because they have no position players left and just one more reliever.

There's no doubt in my mind Matt Kemp would have upwards of 15 homers if he were on the Marlins.

Ariz decides against pulling the IBB Rollins/pitch to Werth gambit again.

Walk him! Walk Hanley!

That damn Kemp. He's too coachable. Trade him.

Nevermind, they throw J-Roll a couple of pitches and then decide to walk him again.

164 They got fickle!

C'mon Werth, prove BH right about you. . .

147 I agree - he seems better suited to just go up there and free-swing. Keeping in mind that the picthes have to be in the strike zone. Right now it seems like they give him hittable picthes early, and he takes them. Then he chasing the picther's pitches. Someone, today I think, mentioned that he is "overcoached." Seems reasonable.

161 It's because they tell him to hit for a higher average, and more home runs, and he apparently refuses. It's like when I coached little league. Whenever they'd lose, I'd give them advice like "score more runs than the other team." Not my fault if they don't listen. Stupid kids.

Woo hoo! Well done, Stultsie.

Phils win!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WERTH!!!!!!!!!!!

Woo hoo!!! Werth ends it.

Ja(y)son!

140 - Ucla, I know you mean well, but the anger that comes out so often with Kemp is getting to be a bit much. Just say what you want to say without the intensity. Thanks.

1/2 game back.

Old friend Jayson Werth wins it for old friend Seanez!

Drat.

Cycle alert canceled in Philadelphia.

Stand down.

I read [172-176] before the event actually happened on MLB.com.

Including tonight, Ryan Howard has a 14-game hitting streak, with 9 HR and a .357/.438/.839 line.

Andruw makes me sad. That was awful.

How good is this kid expected to be?

185 I expect him to be better than Stults.

well, at least Stults stays warm. Way to work the count guys.

185 - He'd make an excellent San Diego Padre.

185 Baseball America's scouting report on him says "he projects as a solid No. 3 starter for years to come."

What's up with the Volstead act, anyway? Didn't I watch this game yesterday?

Nice play, old man.

See? Kent has range.

Based on the pattern established during the past few days, the Dodgers should win so they can tie AZ as sub-.500 division leaders.

nice play by kent...

Kent's range > Nomar's range

Marlins announcers don't understand park factors.

What's up with the Moustache these days? Did he drink from the fountain of youth? Is he Benjamin Button?

"Marine biology"? He doesn't look ... uh ...

196 Why are you listening to Marlins announcers, pray tell?

196 - why are you listening to the Fish feed?

199
Because the greater LA basin decided they needed Eric Karros and the pregame on KCAL.

197 My buddy is an editor on the Benjamin Button flick! woo hoo!

199 ,200
To clarify, because I don't have DirecTV, so I can't choose the feed I want.

I'd pay Ethier to shave. Or pay KCAL/FSN to blur out his noggin.

Uggla swing on that single.

204 - you have something against facial hair?

206 against THAT facial hair

Nice play by DeWitt to pick it.

Good thinking on DeWitt's part on that play too.

203 Ah! Gotcha.

Hmm. Maybe I'll watch a DVD and watch this one on fast forward later. This game is all poopy so far.

Mike Scioscia decided that one night after his starter gave up 15 hits in 5 2/3 innings, he wouldn't press his luck and took out Garland after he gave up 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Fortunately, Scioscia will get the Angels to win the game by the sheer force of his personality.

206 Just ugly facial hair.

211 - that's exactly why I've got the Dodgers on the TV.

I still hate Denon.

This Volstad fellow has a Kurodan pitch count.

Matt!

That's Matt Kemp.

based on the way I spent my lunch hour, I will now refer to Matt Kemp as Hancock.

Now - no glasses...

The Bison makes a contribution to the offense.

Whew! No perfect game.

211 That used to be the Dodger way!!!

Oh wait. Never mind me.

So who is Ethier trying to emulate with that sad handlebar moustache attempt?

Wyatt Earp.

Or maybe a village person.

My great aunt.

220 Ethier singled in the first.

Snidely Whiplash.

224 LOL

223 , 224 - Wyatt Earp is your great aunt?

American mythology is in desperate need of a revamping!

Wasn't it a sad fu manchu attempt last night?

222 an ugly game of Tetris

Is Ross 27 years old?

Just wonder'in

Also a product of Steubenville, Ohio- my grandfather.

The last time the Angels had two consecutive starting pitchers give up double digits in hits was toward the end of the 2005 season. Ervin Santana and Paul Byrd both got knocked around by Tampa Bay.

Dean Martin makes the Notable People part of Steubenville's wikipedia page. Hoover does not.

222
Ethier is clearly trying to emulate this guy, brother:

http://tinyurl.com/ethierstache

Ha! Martin gets Cody on a double clutch!

228 Only my great aunt was from North Korea (before there was a North or South Korea).

Wow, what is this thing where a runner is thrown out at second trying to steal?

203 There is no choice on DirecTV tonight. No HD either.

nice play Nomar!

And the last time the Dodgers had two straight starters give up 10 or more hits in a game was also 2005 and it was the eminently hittable Odalis Perez and Jeff Weaver.

Guh.

I've met someone related to Wyatt Earp. But I don't think that's all that unusual.

Good thing Jayson Werth came through tonight.

Dodgers look flat.

Bad night for the NL Worst.

Tee hee. I was thinking of the moustache as more like something I saw on "Ice Truckers" but I'll accept the other answers.

Man! Giving up a hit to the pitcher. Bad Stults, bad!

239
I feel vengefully satisfied now. My Time Warner still has yet to add any HD games on EI this year (as they said they would).

Please, four pitches in the vicinity of HanRam's torso and let's move on to Hermida.

Russell's mohawk is growing out.

Hanley can hit it 400 feet or 40 feet, but no matter where it goes he owns Dodger Stadium.

Jeez. Even when he doesn't do anything he does something. {throttle}

okay, it's time to get, um, anything. This is pathetic.

Is Kuo available again tonight? Uh, just askin'...

"Bad night for the NL Worst"

The Padres are up 2-0

Who WASN'T used last night?

I'll take a series of "little nubbers."

When does Hanley go on the trading block, after the 2010 season?

256 He's signed through 2014.

:(

254 Wade, Beimel, Troncoso, I think.

256 I guess that depends on what is offered. LA would have to offer Jacksonville.

257 Oh, right, not the Miggy thing.

253--Do their games even count at this stage of the season?

They locked him up so it's up to them as it does not contain a no-trade clause.

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com

1 year/$0.439M (2008)
6 years/$70M (2009-14)

258 ... so Borg was used before all three of them?

wow, a David Neid reference. DN was the first pick of the Rockies in the expansion draft. Man did he stink.

254 {Raises hand}

Andruw!

A hit for Jones! Srike up the band!

Andruw...

263 Yup.
W - Vulcan
L - Borg

Whoa! A hit! For Tiramidruw!

Andruw actually had a good jump, but that throw happened to be at the perfect spot. Unfortunate.

and there goes that

Jones! what the...?

Why is McManboobs trying to steal?

Ouchy facial.

Sigh. That actually wasn't a bad idea. The Marlins just executed it perfectly.

Down three with a left-hand hitter up. Hmmmm.

He runs faster than he looks, I'll give him that.

Can we actually give Hanley Ramirez Dodger Stadium in a trade to get him here? He certainly has earned a share of it.

275 - "McManboobs" = best howler of the week!

Jody Gerut drives in two runs off of Buddy Carlyle.

Jon's internal conflict rages.

280 - actually for 274 .

Loney miss a hit-and-run sign?

I'd say after 2010, Florida might try to trade him as his contract gets to the more expensive years:

2009: $5.5m
2010: $7m
2011: $11m
2012: $15m
2013: $15.5m
2014: $16m

But that's assuming the same modus operandi for Loria, et al in Florida in a few years.

And isn't Andruw "still rehabbing" that knee?

The Borg is warming up.

The Borg is up.

Beautiful.

Andruw feeling spry tonight! I sense an extra base hit tonight.

NICE catch by Andruw!

Jones with a snazzy play.

That was not at all a good move. Jones shouldn't have tried to steal down 3-0.

Jones definitely looks like he's dropped some weight.

You've got to give Stults some credit for not caving after the first inning.

Using, the MLE calculator on www.minorleaguesplits.com, Marlins' AAA 3B and ex-Angel Dallas McPherson's 31-HR season for Albuquerque translates into .226/.316/.485, 21 HR for Florida. Not bad for a K machine.

292
It may have been a busted hit & run, but even so Jones had a good jump and only a pinpoint throw got him.

Borg is down. Wade is up.

I was thinking "Wow, Kemp got a great jump on that ball!" before I realized it was Jones in CF. Based on the balls hit over his head yesterday, I don't think Kemp would have got a fast enough jump on the ball to have made the catch.

292 296 I feel like Torre has been running all year, no matter the situation. I seriously doubt that Jones would have run on his own.

Would Joe Torre be the Falkener?

If Stults comes out will they do a double switch?

58 pitches through 5 - way to make the kid work.

299 IIRC, Jones has a greenlight, along with Pierre, Furcal, Martin and Kemp.

301 For one spot in the batting order? I think not.

303 Wow. That should really not be the case. But I defer to knowledge. Apologies all around.

Torre gambling with Stults here, who was already up to 91 pitches.

I'm guessing they'll take him out when Hanley's up.

Or not.

Stults gambling is legal in six counties in California, including Los Angeles County.

307 - Hopefully it won't come to Hanley.

Nice throw on the run from Nomar.

Quality start(!)

Only a year and a half more of Andruw Jones' hijinks!

ANDYYYY

312 - Stults would be alright for a team that could score a few runs - capable 5ht starter.

Darn.

So her lies the fate of LaRoche... and now he'll not be seen again for a fortnight.

Andy LaRoche fans in the audience got their cameo.

7 assists from Ramirez.

He's halfway to the record!

Tonight's 3B umpire, Bill Hohn, was apparently borrowed from the 1890s. Mustaches are taking over America!!!

I hope Volstad doesn't get a CG SO in his first start.

A nice game by Stults. I understand that people were angry in the first inning, but Stults didn't deserve all the abuse people were hurling at him, any more than Billingsley deserves it (from the Dodger Stadium crowd) when he has a bad inning. Stults has been more than solid this year. 2.67 ERA so far. Penny's ERA after his first five or six games (when he comes back) will be much worse.

321
In fact, someone should act to prohibit such a thing!

Volstad is in CG SH terrority.
65 pitches in 6 ip.

Using LaRoche, a power guy, as a leadoff PH doesn't seem like the best move. Burn off Berroa there instead.

322 - Back to back homers tend to bring out the worst fan in me.

I refuse to hear this shutout phooey. Dodgers are scoring at least 4 tonight. It's up to the bullpen to hold the lead they don't quite have...yet.

321 - the Dodgers always seem to have trouble against pitchers making their debut.

325
To be fair, though, LaRoche is also on on-base guy.

This isn't Volstad's debut.

But, Stults overall did just fine. This game is more about Volstad and the inability to figure him out.

322 Tis fair to say. He did settle down a lot. It's just too bad he was outdueled by Volstad today, and that the Dodgers haven't made the latter work at all.

Ah well.

I think the Dodgers should do a Moustache Night like they did at Yankee Stadium. Except it would be harder to find ones that look like Ethier's, or Kemp's for that matter.

328 Cue Eric Stephen.

330 But it is his first start.

Is Harold Ramis at the game?

323 none of your historical talk

328
Dodgers are 2-10 since 2001 against starting pitchers in their first or second MLB game.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/shareit/DGeE

Hermida's like the white Matt Kemp.
Plenty of tools, not so much production.

I doubt Marlins management wants to trade him though. Not yet anyway.

336
Vin started it!

330 - debut as a starter.

Excellent DP.

Nice DP

nice DP

DeWitt starts the nice DP.

Everyone is too nice here.

Dodger bats have been pretty cold against Vostok so far.

Russ you gotta take on 2-0.

Leave it to the PVL to work the walk.
Good job Kent.

How is the Marlin's bullpen?

Looking for anything, his first three ball count...and now the walk.

With every swing, Andruw Jones makes puppies and kittens cry.

351 - as I was saying ...

349
The Dodgers got a home run against it the Marlins pen last night.

And nothing else except for walks.

In the eighth in 1:45.

78 thru 7.

353 - It looks like it won't matter much anyhow. Jones had a pitch to hit on the 2-1 count and missed it.

349 Might not see it tonight.

356 - Worse than that, what he missed was an easy grounder to the 3rd baseman because it went foul. On the next pitch he straightened it out.

Wade has really been a find for the Dodgers this year.

358 He should have hit the 2-1 pitch into the gap.

Haha, the Florida announcers are blaming Deadspin for the awful coverage of AROD's divorce. They should ask their wives about Entertainment Tonight and People Magazine.

Another solid outing for Wade. Attaboy.

360 - Looks like he has closed his stance a little bit from the other night. So he is trying things...

not a single stupid run

Didn't look pretty, but Ross still got the out. I didn't think Nomar hit it that hard.

DeWitt's going to hit a home run on the fourth pitch.

Book it.

Ross - running to the spot to make the catch.

Here it comes. . .

The race is on to claim Volstad in all fantasy leagues.

366
Repent or Byrne.

Oops. Wrong corner of the multiverse. It was parallel dimension DeWitt who went long. My mistake.

It's been a while since DeWitt hit a HR, no?

370- Eleven more PAs and I can start rooting for him, again. I'm looking forward to it, since it looks like he's going to be playing an awful lot for the foreseeable future.

Borg.

May 29th was his last. He's due. After eleven more PAs.

365 I know what you mean about it didn't seem all that hard hit. The ball does seem to carry better of of Nomar's bat this year - unlike last year when it just seemed to die.

The last pitcher to throw a shutout in his first MLB start was current Marlin Doug Waechter in 2003.

The YouTube on Diamond's site on Borg was pretty funny - if you have 8:30 to kill.

373
What is significant about 11 more PA?

I can't tell how much of tonight was Volstad genuinely pitching great - and I really think he did, with very fine control - and how much was just Dodgers' patheticness. But I do think more the former. Still, working the count a bit more might have helped.

They better win the next two.

Well, that was certainly fast work for the Borg, I'll say that.

379- Puts him at 300 PAs for the year. The point where I predicted (on pain of having to wear corduroy pants to the DT picnic; which would also mean having to go to the DT picnic) he'd be OPSing under .700.

How heavily do teams depend on video of pitchers?

Congratulations to Russ Martin for tying the game.

Good job Pee Wee!

And hey, next week Mattingly's back!

Young - get back out there full time Young!
Jones - back to re-hab.

Big Bird in the pen!

383
I am a liar.

Comment 146:

https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/977492.html

Last pitcher to throw a complete game shutout in one of his first two games was ...

Clay Buchholz

YES!

Well, we have the tying run to the plate. There's that.

Martin breaks through.

There goes the shutout.

And Clay Buchholz still has that distinction.

And there goes the complete game.

Martin wants to win.

Martin prevents the CG shut out!

Huzzah! A run!

Man, did you see that stat for how many games its been since last Marlins CG?

388
You're an honorable man.

I can't say that the list of pitchers who threw shutouts in either the first or second game is one to get all that excited about:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/shareit/vdwh

Kent vs. Kevin Gregg: 2 for 6 both singles.

However, Juan Marichal's big league debut was pretty good. 12 Ks and 1 just one hit allowed.

Oh, dear god, if Kent gets on...

Kent has the fastball timing down...

388 Sigh. From that same thread:

underdog
"The injury news isn't tragic, though hopefully Furcal just needs the day off."

Famous last words.

Time for the weight room.

Baseball is misery.

My post on the Griddle on pitchers getting one out saves became obsolete very quickly.

Sometimes I really hate Dodger Stadium.

Well, that happened.

Time for the Dodgers to return to the clubhose and resume study of today's Times Sports section.

Baseball is cruel. Except when things go well. Then it's wondrous.

Win the next two, that's all I can say. And with Kuroda and Bills going I do have some confidence. But the offense needs to get it going.

Buenos noches, amigos y amigas.

413 - Hasta lumbago.

414 - Gout night.

When you compare the Dodger's lineup with the Marlin's, we really have a pathetic, mediocre team. Uggla and Ramirez each have 23 HRs, Jacobs has 19 HRs, Cantu has 17 HRs.
All we've got is good pitching.

416 Son, you're too young. We used to say that in the 1960s! ;)

If only Mike Scioscia were around to make the Dodgers win by sheer force of his personality.

418 - in which case, the Dodgers would have lost by 9-2.

415 - that's the giveaway at Citizen's Bank Park, right?

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_4_97/ai_59021296

(I know, I know, this title has shifted around over the years. But it's still funny.)

3 letters in LAT re Dodgers, two on McCourt wanting accountability and the other asking for patience with the kids.

Most of the letters are about Elton Brand.

From some of the talk on KABC DodgerTalk tonight on the way home from the movie, I think there are some Dodger fans drinking Plaschke's Koolaid! If Colletti and McCourt give their approval to another misguided and panicked trade for a over the hill-soon to be on the DL PVL'r at the expense of some of our young talent, I may have to disown my fandom in Dodger Blue until we get enlightened leadership in the FO. One guy thought we could trade Loney, Kemp, Laroche and Ethier and a pitcher for the Pirates outfielders. Then he would move Nady to first base. I almost wanted to reach my hands through the radio and strangle him. He was repeating the same drivel Plaschke has been spewing! God help me tomorrow night at the game, I hear fans booing our youngsters. They need our encouragement, they certainly aren't getting it from the Dodgers "brain trust"!
Now we face Nolasco, great, right after we can't get Johnson that well coming off the DL recently and then Volstad in his first MLB start. Good luck Kuroda-you will need it-this team can't score runs. You may need to pitch another shutout to win.

It's refreshing to know that the Dodgers are now behind the Clippers in the L.A. sports pecking order.

My rankings:
1. Lakers
2. Clippers
3. USC football
4. Dodgers
5. Angels
6. UCLA basketball
7. Ducks
8. Galaxy
9. Kings
10. UCLA football
11. USC basketball

423 The Clippers will soon return to their normal place somewhere above soccer and hockey.

424
ToyCannon is not going to like that attitude.

At what depths does Chivas USA place?

422 I was the caller from a few days ago that told them that Holliday had only 3 home runs in 128 at bats at Dodger Stadium.

Has the press given a detailed account of why Andruw's rehab was cut short?

I considered a lengthy rehab the best and perhaps only way for him to piece together a serviceable swings without the expense of prolonged ineptitude at the major-league levele. For a change, the Dodgers appeared prudent. They were placing Jones where he belonged, not trying to justify another bloated contract (in this case, to a bloated ballplayer). Wisely, they told us they would give Jones a few weeks in Triple-A. What better way for a slumping hitter to find hiself wsile simultaneously adjusting to knee surgery and rust?

I concede that Jones represented a defensive upgrade, even if brought back early in his rehab, but when measured against the likelihood of continued futility with the bat, it seemed foolish to bring him back.

The original timetable was after the All-Star break, no?

The Dodgers once again seem allergic to intelligent process.

NPUT