Make that four, as Randy Johnson drove in a run.

Petco Park can't save Clay Hensley from being awful.

I imagine this is also what will allow Torre to give Casey Blake an occasional day off.

Let's not hit anything to third tonight!

2 Even Brandon Webb can be awful in Petco once in a while, too.

Martin's last true off-day (when he didnt play at all) was August 7th.

He's started 18 games in a row, with 1 team off-day in that span.

FREE DAVID ARDOIN.

6 Danny?

6 - Danny Ardoin.

Ooops sorry Danny!

It probably would be a great thrill for him to catch Maddux.

The way Maddux's last start went, we probably don't need a catcher when he pitches. Just put the catcher at the rover position and hope to catch everything they hit.

Is it just me or does anyone else think we should move Russ to batting 2nd and Ethier to 5th given his power surge this month?

Ha!

Loney's minor league career had OPS' that looked like this, .737, .638, .776, .727.

INSIJS

4-1 Arizona on a Jody Gerut triple and an Edgar Gonzalez infield single with one out in the seventh.

Oh boy! 4-3 D'Backs Bot 7.

4-3 Snacks on a Nick Hundley homer.

14 And then he figured something out and broke out. Unless there's evidence his great year was a fluke, those numbers really aren't relevant.

15 Gerut = building piece

How is it Yahoo has the score 4-2? Their scorer must be in the head.

18 I'm as happy as the next guy to have a cheap, young, average 1B on our team.

I'm just not expecting that much more from him, unless he can find a way to hit .320 on a regular basis.

20 Gonzo didn't score from 1st on the HR, I thought that'd only be possible from Kent.

Yahoo fixed it.

just got home in time to watch Randy Johnson give up 3 easy runs as I was changing to more comfortable clothes.

they still need one more run though.

all everyone does is dump on Loney...last I checked he has been hitting around .300 all year and is leading the team in runs batted in, and for the most part plays steady defensively

20

try CBSsportsline Dot Com LAT it works a little better.

base hit by Giles, with no outs to start of the 8th.

24 I don't think anyone today was dumping on Loney. All I'm saying is I don't expect much more than what we're getting, sure he'll probably have a few years better than this year and a few years worse.

I think that's the only thing said today that'd be precived as negative, I don't see it as a negative however.

Giles is red hot of late.

Yes Giles!

I highly suggest everyone check out AthleticsNation.com and read the interview with team owner Lew Wolff.

Great guy, willing to answer a ton of questions honestly and he explains how a smart organization is run.

Giles moves to 2nd base with one out.

c'mon Kouz.

it's all tide up.

4-4

TIED UP 4-4!

woot woot!

woot woot!

No 295 for Randy.

i don't know how well the snakes bullpen is but every time I watch them, they give up a run or two.

Stolen base runner at 2nd with 2 out.

5-4 Pads.

Jody Gerut! 5-4 Them Padres.

5-4 Padres, is it good that the Padres are playing better with the Dodgers scheduled to play them 9 times.

nice hit by "building block" Gerut for the lead!!

5-4 Padres on a Jody Gerut single.

30 - From that interview's Part I, Lew Wolff:

" I'm talking about all of baseball. I don't know of one injury in all of baseball where the player wasn't legitimately injured. The biggest problem we have are the ones who want to play when they're injured as opposed to the ones who want to take care of themselves. But I don't believe any of it is fake or any of that."

Sounds like a refrain we've heard on this site - nice to see it's shared by at least one of baseball's higher-ups. I just wonder if that extends to the Bums.

the snakes broadcasters sound sad.

"Once again, the Dodgers are lovin' this." You betcha.

There will always be a soft spot for Jody Gerut in my heart after Monday and today.

I didn't think it was possible, but I love Jody Gerut even more now.

I hear bells of the hellish variety.

(Actually, I don't hear them. I'm in Carlsbad today, nowhere near Petco)

49 More than Chad?

This is crazy we could walk into Arizona 1 1/2 games back.

50 There is a part of me that kind of wishes Arizona had put the Dodgers out of their misery over the past few days.

51 There are different tiers. I love Jody Gerut as much as I could possibly love a non-Dodger.

The Dodgers could go 4-6 on this road trip and only trail by half of game on Labor Day.

One down in the ninth.

51 Or did you mean, did I love Jody Gerut more than Chad loves Jody Gerut?

55 Of course they could lead by half of a game too, depending on when they win the 4 games.

56 Stattracker is down, could you please keep me updated?

54 - so your heart is shaped like a wedding cake.

Ojeda K'd. Tony Clark is up.

Hoffman paints the corner, 2 outs.

Clark strikes out looking. 2 down!

Tony Clark down on strikes. Two down.

two out

60 Or like those Star Trek chess boards.

Hoffman vs. Stephen Drew

YES!

Drew goes down swinging, 3 out and 5-4 Padres, final.

HE STRUCK HIM OUT! Two wins puts us 1 1/2 games back.

"Hell's bells!!"

I hope this can loosen up the Dodgers. They already know they can gain the game. I already feel relaxed, so should they.

The second Jody does this to the Dodgers, though, I'm proposing that he be put on Bob's obelisk.

Considering who the Padres were playing today (No Greene, No Adrian G.), I don't know what the Win Probability was but it had to be around 5% or less for the Padres.

8/27/08 AZ vs 8/26/08 LA: whose fans were more frustrated?

The Diamondbacks keep dragging my heart around.

Now the big question is which Maddux is gonna show up tonight?

KT has another gem on FJM

Oh, and GO PADRES!

The same one who has been showing up for 20 years.

76 Greg, not Mike, nor Appa.

75 I knew you were a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers fan.

79 Nor Otto?

Hoffman struck out the side with 13 pitches.

82 Joe Morgan said it would be like this.

and if the Dodgers lose today and the Rockies win again....shades of last year

So this move allows for Elbert to be added to the 40 man right?

Blez: You mentioned leaving the team in good shape for your son and the Fisher family. Are you in this as an A's owner for the long haul?

Wolff: Absolutely. I tend to be a hypochondriac and I get off the phone with someone my age who is ill and I say well, there is an end. I hope it doesn't come for many years, but I like succession planning. Billy's twins, I've got them taking Billy's job.

Blez: (laughing) Wow, you really are in it for the long haul. My question to that would be who winds up taking it, Brayden or Tinsley?

Wolff: I think it's both of them. (laughing) Sort of like the McCourts.

75 ,80
I would enjoy that reference more if it didn't involve Stevie Nicks. I have an irrational hatred of her for some reason, and even though I like her in that song.

Also, that song inspired one of Weird Al's first parodies ("Stop Dragging My Car Around").

I went to the Petty concert in Irvine on Friday (awesome, as was Steve Winwood) and my only fear was that Stevie Nicks would somehow weasel her way into the concert.

Thankfully, she was absent.

85
Yes, but bringing Ozuna back (which seems like a possibility and maybe even the club's plan) would require another move if Elbert also came up.

I considered chuckling at the D-backs misfortune but then I remembered that the Dodgers lost to Collin Balester of the Nats last night, a guy whose name sounds more like the stair repairman at Fawlty Towers than a pitcher.

From an AZ Snakepit commenter: "We can NOT expect the Dodgers to lose to the Nationals AGAIN..."

If only it were so...

89 Fawlty Towers? Is that what they are calling Petco these days?

88 Ozuna seems redundant when they could just bring up Hu, Repko and even Xavier Paul to do what Ozuna would do (pinch run, defensive replacement).

91
If you do not know Fawlty Towers then you must see this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nod_NjmfPgM

87 I'd rather see Petty bring out Maria McKee to sing a duet of "Ways to Be Wicked".

woot woot i drop by for a pregame update and see the snakes have already lost. i was always a laroche guy but since he's gone i'm fully behind dewitt over ozuna. now can we just bring up hu and get rid of berroa also? please???

92 Ozuna and Berroa are redundant to DeWitt and Hu. Repko and Paul do not play the infield.

There's an article up on espn.com about the powerful Mitch Jones and how he has been held back all these years.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3554767

97 Didn't Mitch Jones take his act to Japan last year and got owned?

Have you met Mitch Jones
Someone said as we shook hands
He was just Mitch Jones to me...

97 Jones hit .242/.326/.430 as a 25 year old in AA. I'm guessing the Yankees weren't going to hand that guy a job. Even the year he hit 39 jacks he struck out 152 times as a 26 year old in AAA.

98 100 And still the Dodgers shoulda played him in center over Pierre last year.

The way it looks right now, the only way the Dodgers face Lincecum is if the last game of the season means something and the Giants have him pitch more than a few innings.

He deserves more of a shot than say, another Jones, age 31, making $18 million batting .161/3/14 in the big leagues. =)

87
If you were my age when Nicks was singing you might have a different tune. The Buckingham/Nicks album cover they did together before they joined Fleetwood Mac was shall we say prized by this teenager. If you have never heard the album, check it out, because once they joined Fleetwood Mac you could tell how much they changed the style of the old bluesy Mac to the tunes that made them lots of money.

80
Yeah, big fan. Some him play the night after his house burned down, but it didn't get his rickenbacker.

102 I have to think that he will be shut down for the year by then.

94
Lone Justice, I remember the days. Man she had a voice.

Andre came to play today.

Remember for a while back there, it seemed like we scored in the first inning in every game.

The Nationals commentator just used the phrase
"Strap on a uniform" when reffering to Jeff Kent.

Why would you want to score runs anyway?

I'm expecting a good pitched game by Maddux.

and there's another stranded RISP..

108 As opposed to wizard's robes?

104 I definitely remember that cover. 12" album covers have so much more impact than CD inserts, er, little jpgs in iTunes. Somehow managed to never see Petty in concert, though I did meet Mike Campbell once - very quiet guy. I saw Fleetwood Mac once (Tusk tour) and came away very impressed with Lindsey Buckingham - I like some of his solo work too.

The bad thing about day games is that you feel like a lush when you start drinking before 5pm.

114 Or east coast night games.

106 Yes, great pipes. Had a little crush on her.

112 or leathers.

113 I spent much of the 70's as a confused geeky kid trying to divine some sort of meaning from all of those trippy Roger Dean Yes covers.

6 pitches.

114 Well, if its any comfort, you feel like a reprobate staying up until 1 am drinking on a random weekday when you try to follow the dodgers on the east coast.

Or at least like you're still in college.

Man, Maddux has either really good innings or really bad ones.

119 Didn't his last start begin with similar efficiency?

Loney steppen' up.

LONEY POWER!

Jeff Kent is an old man who eats little children.

And Loney is average and probably a complementary player. All that means is that we should keep him until Andrew Lambo is ready.

Course I typed that, and Loney hits a HR. He's been hot lately!

118 But it was ELP's Brain Salad Surgery that confused me the most. Years later I find that something that is in the original artwork is airbrushed out for the album cover.

SQUEE!

Yay.

Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo-Looooooooney!!

The cashier at the local Trader Joe's thought I was in the 8th grade. I'm sure I'll appreciate it a few years from now, but damn.

Weird Game!

Atta boy Loney!!

126 Yep, that one too. What got 'brushed out?

Not bad for a below average 24 year old first baseman who has yet to live up to unrealistic expectations.

glad to se dewitt back. and is there any way to get an rss feed of the main articles here?

Old Weird James start the scoring!

130 When I was 26 years old, I got carded... at a movie theater for a movie rated R.

When Ethier works the count, he gets hits.

When Loney is aggressive, he can hit for power.

If both of those guys would put it together more consistently they'd be considered much more then complimentary players. Can they do it? Not for me to say but I wish they would!

Of course. Couldn't let the inning get away without a double play.

Nomar is on a DP tear of some kind.

133 This is a family blog. Let's just say the original piece is a bit more adult.

134 Heh.

I'm not here. I'm logging in from the "mountains".

But -- Squeee! Squee, indeed.

Hey, Lyons making sense.

134 I need to be negative about our guys way more often.

Oops. That double play was my fault. Back to lurking.

I'm sure Tony Jackson will note that Loney's HR was NOT a hit with RISP.

Casey wakes up!

nice. i'm glad Blake hit that out, he needed a pick-me-up home run.

2 dingers.

And Blake goes yard!

that Maddux swing was almost Sele'esk.

almost.

SQUEE again!

I haven't been able to say that in a while.

geez boys, don't spend it all in one place now..

Hey get the pitcher out of the way AND score a run, nice hitting by The Beard.

What in the Jeebus.

Lonestar and beard, bottom of the lineup baby...if we can just get the top back on track

134 , 144 - That Kemp kid will be out of baseball by 26.

137

I was carded this year when I was in line with my Dad at Ralphs. He was the one buying the beer, and she still carded me.

And the Nats begin to peck away again. We are become Prometheus chained to the pillar...

Time to make stuff happen.

Drats. I was hoping the Bison was going to notch his 30th.

I got guarded at BevMo even with a beard going and the woman at the counter said, "I thought you were a lot younger than 23."

Funny thing was, behind me in line was my third grade teacher and her husband with a whole shopping cart filled with booze.

Alright Kent and Manny here's another chance with Ethier at second.

161
*carded

It's all about the xbh for the Dodgers, and all about the infield hits for the Nats. Interesting.

Kemp needs a ton of work stealing bases. His lead was about 2 feet too short and started with his hands on his knees. His natural ability has gotten him 29 steals, but he has terrible fundamentals. You almost never see him have to go back on a pickoff, and thats because his leads are so short. An extra foot or 2 on the lead off and he is safe. A guy with his speed should never be caught by that kind of throw.

165

That should read have to go back head first on a pick off.

Isn't no outs, runner on first and your 2nd, 3rd and 4th hitter coming up the perfect time not to steal. Or is this one of Bowa's aggressive-on-the-bases-when-leading situations. Seriously, results be damned, before he took off, I was hoping he wouldn't go. Maybe with one out. But zero outs? Psychologically the Dodgers are expecting not the score.

are expecting not to score.

is what I meant.

167

The third base coachmakes no decisions when it comes to stolen bases, etc. The Nats catcher had thrown out 15% of guys. Thats terrible and worth the risk to go, especially with a guy like Kemp. Matt has to get a better lead and be in better position to go, because he cannot get caught in that situation by that poor of a throw.

Post beat writer reports that Bowden was clowning around in a Manny wig before the game.

Sure that was something to see . . .

Rick Sutcliffe says Jason Varitek is the most important player in Red Sox history.

Kemp is now 4-25 with 2 walks in the last 27 PAs (sorry I didn't check if there were any HBP, S or SF).

That is a semi-slump.

Gammons is slurping it up too.

I remember getting chills up my spine when Maria McKee sang You Are The Light at the Hollywood Palace. Musta been about 1986.

Our middle infield is atrocious.

Maddux the Flammable.

169 Not saying Bowa made the call to steal. Just, I don't like the timing. It's ok, I can see why they did it. I just don't like it.

Lush be damned.

Having worked in a liquor store once upon a time it is no wonder old people get carded. The son of the owner was working behind the counter one night when a guy came in with a full beard, very scary looking. He asked for his ID and the guy said he just came out of prison and that he didn't have one. He was a surly SOB and eventually the kid sold him the liquor and then was popped for selling to someone under age. They set the kid up, it was ridiculous. I saw the whole thing, it was offensive and an eye opener for a 16 year old.

177

I ddint mind the decision, but Kemp's execution was atrocious. As were those last 2 plays. What a trainwreck.

Hey, it's past 5pm!

Maddux no gold glove no more.

Did Lasting hit the ball so hard he broke game day?

181
Dodgers, the gift that keeps on giving.

This is hilarious.

Um Casey you're aloud to move.

180 Yeah. AZ fans must feel like we did in the SD-AZ game in the 8th.

Free Eric Stults!

So it's an unearned run even if it's the pitcher's fault?

I really wish someone claimed Maddux.

There was a liquor store in Monrovia back in the day that would sell to anyone that looked over 12. They also were the local connection for any drug you wanted. About the only thing not for sale there were hookers.

Taft

I want Chan Ho to start

Ok Toy let's hear it...

Can the Dodgers hit 3 doubles and not score any of them?

Please don't try to steal, James.

If disparaging the Dodgers first baseman causes him to excel: Loney is teh suck.

191 You probably didn't look in the right aisle. Or ask nicely.

191 - were they on retainer?

Greg Maddux will start every game unless he is hurt and since he has never gotten hurt, he will start.

Move along people.

195

Is that a rhetorical question?

179 That's ridiculous. I have similar problems selling smokes to youngish looking people too. One time, this guy came on a skateboard and a backup from a local highschool said, he was 18 and I asked for ID. Told me my dad knew he was 18 so I could sell him the smokes, I told him that I didn't know he was 18 so I couldn't. After about ten minutes, after increasing yelling and obscenities, I told him I wasn't going to sell to him unless I see some I.D. and told him to leave. Still, the whole situation can get ugly fast if the person in question won't leave.

The Dodgers hit fly balls when they need just ground balls and then they hit ground balls when they need fly balls, they hit ground balls.

Nomar is one for his last twenty-one ABs.

Blake is six for thirty-five.

We should've traded for Jody Gerut.

We could send up our A ball squad and do better than 4 for 45 with RISP. Thats one of the worst stats I've ever seen. Didn't we do the same thing last year, also?

We need to move Loney to 3rd or something.

204 If I had to guess, Nomar is probably a little hurt but he won't take himself out of the game. And given the options, the Dodgers are not going to force him out.

206 But the thing when they hit well, they'll go something like 10 for 21 in a stretch.

Sorry, I guess I shouldn't type things like that anymore.

Jay Mariotti, the opinionated and polarizing sports columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, told the Chicago Tribune he resigned on Tuesday after 17 years with the paper.

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/newsstand/discussion/chicago_tribune_sun_times_columnist_jay_mariotti_resigns/

And I would bet that if you looked it up, Maddux would have some ridiculous percentage of turning that double play probably 95 out of 100 or better than that.

209

It just seems that everyone is stuck in the mud. They do something right (not talking about the homers tonight) like a leadoff double, catch a break and get on base, and then nothing comes after that. I've just never seen a team in contention play this poorly and keep getting let off the hook. If the Dodgers played semi-decent fundamental baseball this year, they would be up 2-3 games. Just really aggravatingt o watch a team go through this.

211
He will just be on TV more. Which is far worse.

207 Not 3rd base mind you, but 3rd in the batting lineup.

This reminds me of the 2004 Cubs, who had a good shot at the Wild Card and were in second place on 9/22 with four to play with the division-trailing Reds. They totally muffed it, losing three of four.

211 - Hooray!

214 - no it isn't, because I never watch TV except for baseball.

OH MY GOD.

TWO ERRORS ON KENT. TWO MILLION ERRORS

217
Why would you read his columns?

This is the most disgusting thing I've ever watched.

This is ridiculous.

Jeff Kent can play, alrighty.

Watching the Dodgers play defense makes me throw up in my mouth... no rule 6 violation either.

Seriously, Kent should have gotten two errors on that play.

224 But it is a rule 13 violation.

This is where Zimmerman puts one in the bullpen.

220 - I don't, but he gets a lot of reaction at BTF. He's Chicago's version of Bill Plaschke, only stupider, if that's possible.

224 - but it does violate my banishment of the "throw up in my mouth" locution.

Merciful God, thank you for the fly-out.

Every out is an adventure.

Peter Gammons is talking about how the Dodgers staff wants Robinson Cano.

That's proven veteran leadership for you, folks. If veterans lead by example, then McCourt and--if he's still going to be around--Colletti better be paying attention. Then again, they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks...

Maddux, Nomar, Manny and Kent have the lowest WPA thus far.

Everytime somebody points out that management wouldn't be comfortable with all rookie defensive lineup outside of Loney, I will point to Jeff Kent and his horrible defense.

232 Isn't Cano the Chris Young of 2nd basemen?

226 Unfortunately, I'm not part of the cool crowd and don't know what that is.

I'll take another double for $600 Alex.

237 See 229

232 - he's (a) drunk, (b) sarcastic, (c) taking stupid pills, (d) shilling for the Yankees, (e) all of the above.

Oh, gee , great, now I get to go home and watch the game on TV...

This is nuts.

So, can we hit a HR with someone on next time?

squee...

Andre!

Apprently Jay Mariotti was on a 3 year/ $6 million dollar contract with the Sun Times. Seriously? For Mariotti? Mariotti is the Juan Pierre of Sports writers.

Ethier must be drinking some of that PVL energy drink, whatever it is. Solo homer, 4-3 Dodgers.

Cano is pretty good for a 2nd baseman but he does have some very serious 1st/2nd half splits in his career.

Our only hope apparently is to hit repeated solo homeruns, as that way we are not hitting with men on base. Men on base=Krytonite to Dodger hitters lately.

So that would be a Yellow Alert for Andre Ethier, no?

Maybe we need Pierre to take 'Dre's spot to spark the off.... nevermind

Is baseball-reference.com really, really slow for anyone else?

252 Yes.

Someone sound the cycle alert for Bob. I'm not sure what color to use.

Yes Lyons, Manny is a better hitter when he has 2 strikes on him. How do these people get jobs to actually talk about baseball?

252.
It wasn't even loading for me last night.

Is there a color for 2 doubles and a HR?

Andre the Giant sends another mighty blast. Lyons says it's his 6th in 12 games. Let's see what DeWitt can do in place of Kent the next game.

247 - I must be drinking. 4-3 Nats.

250
Sorry, didn't refresh in time.

He still needs a single and a triple.

Dodgers are so out of sync. Six extra base hits, but only three runs. And in two of those XBH, the runner before was either caught stealing or wiped out in a DP. Still, at least we are hitting well. Just need some breaks to go our way.

Why a cycle alert? Two doubles and a homer do not a cycle alert make as far as I know.

253 256 Thanks. Cube time.

257 Actually my mistake. I read the box score and didn't notice it was TWO doubles, I thought the third hit was a single. I will stand down.

257
Bruin Blue

I got my misinformation from True Blue. Should have known better then to trust that hack site.

Loney's more likely for a cycle in tonight's game due to his crazy ability to get triples.

And Maddux decides this game sucks and plunks Millidge.

At least Nomar didn't hurt himself that time.

268 Loney's ability to get triples despite his serious lack of speed is my favorite thing about him. It is so random.

That's a great play by Milledge.

How does Milledge go from 1st to 3rd on a ground out?

When Maddux gets into the dugout, I bet he starts writing his retirement press release.

271 Tried to do the same thing in LA and that's how nomar hurt himself, didn't work that time.

Maddux is so sneaky.

Great play by Maddux.

Now that was brilliant!

I admit, that was a really nice PVL play by Maddux.

Maddux conned Lastings.

I still don't like the way the Dodgers do pickles though...

An offseason trade with Baltimore for Roberts/Mora/Huff would go a long way in replacing the PVLhood of Kent/Manny/Blake (assuming Nomar signed with SD).

We have 3 home runs and 3 doubles for a total of 3 runs. The Nats have 0 XBH for 4 runs. Thats amazing.

That rundown was AWESOME.

That was an awesome fakeroo by the Mad Dog.

First he plunks Milledge and then fools him on the basepaths.

Yay!

284
What are you doing out of your cave?

How does this game have no strikeouts?

281 San Diego is trying to shed payroll. I doubt they'll sign anyone of importance this off season. So unless Nomar is willing to work for the vet's minimum, he's not going to the Padres.

287 - Maddux explains half of it.

288

that raises a good question, I wonder were Nomar will play next season. I'm sure he'll play in the NL West but with whom

290
SF Giants.

If Ed Wade is still around, Houston.

Martin forgot the first rule about playing the Nats: don't hit the ball to Zimmermann.

Zimmermann

Was that intentional?

If Blake gets on they have to take out Maddux right?

294 - yes, but it was misspelled anyway.

Well, Maddux's still in the game.

Its going to be SWEENEY TIME.

298 - it's like Daylight Savings Time, only without the reliability.

Maddux walks Redding. Gah.

299 He reliably sucks, so there's that.

good move by Torre here, & i actually like this Troncoso move.

One of the Nationals' top few pitching prospects is named Zimmermann.

302 I would have to say I agree with you, always efficent when you pitch 0.2 IP with 1 pitch.

That was... too easy of a double play.

Something else will go horribly awry.

1 pitch, two outs.

That was as efficient a relief appearance as you can get, TronTron! And he'll be fresh if needed tomorrow.

{cue sinister suspense music} Can... the... Dodgers... score a run in three innings. {thunderclap}

{evil laugh}

We'll see... we'll see.

TronTron suddenly became the new Wade.

Hopefully Wade won't become the old TronTron.

JP being Sweeney.

Great job Juan.

Nationals Park is the new Bermuda Triangle.

I wonder if Kemp will get a day off.

that was a comical try by Dukes.

I will raise my glass for Elijah on that muck-up.

make 'em pay bison

If Pierre was as young as Kemp, he could steal second now.

Kemp gets lucky twice.

So I'm going assume Millidge is a better player over Dukes.

Kemp hasn't had a day off since the ASB so he is due.

312 - We face a lefty tomorrow and I can't imagine Torre benching Kemp against Arizona this weekend. He needs to play.

316 He hit the first two pitches so he never had a chance.

It's very hard to post here using sticks, dirt and matches. I'm still in the mountains if you recall.

It is not working you might as well come home. Don't want a bear to get you.

Every good Dodger hitter has become committed in this stretch to hitting into double and triple plays. Go figure. They can't put anything together, thats a given.
Ethier is typical, he hits 2 doubles and a home run until someone is on base. It is weird. Couldn't a vet like Kent do something?

No.

A vet like Kent is a vet like Kent.

The Cursed Week continues.

Jeff Can't.

323 I will sacrifice myself to the bears if that's what it takes to get the Dodgers to the playoffs!

well, this place is pretty big so I'm cool with Chan Ho Park coming in to pitch here.

It is definitely an unnatural thing and there is no use worrying about it, so I will try not to.

On Gameday that Kent flyball looked out. What happened?

I almost Charlie Steinered on Kent's ball at first. But t hat was just wishful thinking.

Out meaning out of the park.

Spectacular.

James is so good when he has no time to think.

I hope that play by Loney sparks up the boys in blue.

332 - Caught in the deepest corner of left field, actually went foul, very close to the wall.

329 - how about to the Cubs?

The Lincoln Park Trixies are supposed to be pretty cute.

http://digamma.net/btfwiki/index.php/Lincoln_Park_Trixie

Yeah, the D'Backs don't have to worry about us.

330

well there goes that theory... (ah!)

And that might be it for tonight.

I've had it.

Is this the one where we lose a ton of games and then go on a 16 game win streak? u_u

330 - you were saying ...

Zimmerman was launching double plays yesterday, now he's launching dingers.

Chan Ho Yard strikes again.

345 A glimmer of hope for Nomar?

347 Never mind; was thinking the reverse.

these are the Nats for crying out loud. we still gotta face the likes of Hanrahan, yes I'm still hopeful.

this is making me sick, or else its jersey mikes

Let's go Manny, oh there you go.

come on James Loney...

why do i now expect a double play

A DP would be so fitting. A hit would be so sweet.

Homer, Double, single for Loney?

Loney needs to hit the ball to Zimmerman to make the insanity complete.

alright Loney!

And his average now sits right on 300

man, give Manny a gas tank. did you guys see that?

Now can we call for an alert?

o.k. Russell, destiny calls!

Please, Russell. Please

353 - door #2. Hope flickers!

oxygen tank.

My kingdom for a sacfly...

Maybe we score on a wild pitch.

little fly ball will also do.

Oh come on Martin!

ok now comes the double play

We are putty in the hands of a pitcher with a man on base. Nomar will now end the madness with a DP shot to Zimmerman or a 3 run home run.

361 - Don't play B17.

The time for getting mad passed about 4 days ago. We're a Greek tragedy at this point.

Rivera is relying on the curve for both Russell & Nomar.

My gosh, our hitters have the worst plate discipline with RISP. Try swinging at strikes, guys. This team is worse than futile

Of course. OF COURSE THEY CAN'T SCORE A RUNNER IN SCORING POSITION.

No DP, anyway.

371 - this is comedy.

Is Sweeney really our best bet? Where's Blake Dewitt?

everybody wants to be a hero, nah man, just have a good at bat, that's all man.

OMG, they finally did it! They finally did it!

OMG, they finally did it! They finally did it!

look who delivered Casey Blake, alright.

A bloop that falls in...

FINALLY.

I hope Sweeney induces a BB.

Holy mackerel, I'm shocked he didn't make a diving catch of that one. Shocked!

i hope the tide has turned.

Why don't pitchers challenge Sweeney? Not like he is going to crush the ball.

Is this Sweeney . Oh no Good night from the East Coast.

Nice job Sweeney.

nice AB by Sweeney, gotta give him props, he has been good of late.

Bermuda Triangle, I tell you.

And then the Nats remembered that they suck.

Whew. It's up to Kemp to do something here. {{clap clap clap}} Let's go Bi-son!

Sweeney is a walk machine. I admit, Sweeney's actually better since he came off the DL. He even raised his Sweeney line from under a .098BA to .175 BA. I'm not even being factious, Sweeney's actually a pinch hitter, and not a belly itcher.

384 - you get your wish.

387

from what I've seen of Sweeney he absolutely has no more pop in his swing but hey what can you do, at least he induced a walk.

Wherever Sweeney got the force field, I like it.

Tell them Diddy says Kemp's hitting a salami.

let's see what we get from the Bison.

398 Baloney.

Bison, if Hanrahan wants to walk you again, let him.

i feel ya' Bison, it's cool...

Kemp needs his own forcefield.

Jeeze,he had a pitch to crush. Right off the end of the bat.

Sigh, that was kind of weak, Matt.

Would've been good if there'd been one out, a perfect sac fly swing. Unfortunately...

Or not.

9 LOBsters.

I feel all oogly inside.

Either it's all the nuts and berries I've been eating, or the Dodgers. Or both.

Kemp needs more patience.

Once again, they get within one. Just to make the inevitable loss more torturous.

what can you do man, he actually got a good pitch to hit but not the result he wanted.

there playing with our emotions...

...Kemp knew it too. Poor guy :(

D'Backs lost to the Padres 5-4. Just saying....

Gosh, why did Arizona have to be so bad this week? Just makes this more frustrating doesn't it?

seriously though, Hanrahan is a walk machine, I hope the Dodger hitters practice patience.

414 - dig dig dig ...

What's more embarrassing: getting swept by SD or WAS?

In perhaps the biggest setback of a difficult summer for the Warriors, team officials confirmed Wednesday that Ellis -- just awarded one of the biggest pay raises in league history -- will be sidelined at least three months after suffering a severe high ankle sprain in his hometown of Jackson, Miss.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3556108

The Dodgers are like a cute babe, after all these years I finally figured it out.

Broxton has his "want it" face on today!

419 - Since I figured that wasn't Dale Ellis, I had to look at the link to see who it was.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3556345

Kotsay officially traded to the Red Sox. Braves get minor league outfielder Luis Sumoza

421 How unclutch of him!

I wish he has his "wanted it" face against Philly.

Sumoza's actually a pretty decent Low A prospect, from what I've read. And also a tasty Indian appetizer.

409

Overall, definitely. Basically, he swings the bat too much. He needs to learn that early in the count, or if the count is in your favor, dont swing at anything you cant purt a hurting on. Yesterday was a prime example. What we just saw if him swinging at a fastball down the heart he knew was coming, but he just missed it. Would have been nice to see him square one up.

Hopefully, Broxton got that mechanic flaw figured out.

we seriously have good batters coming up.

if anything it will be interesting.

man, Zona is probably loving this. crude curves is life.

Are you men, or are you mice, Dodgers? Or are you Devo?

Now's the time to prove something.

426 Sumoza is the type of guy we should be giving up in the Maddux trade. Well, not should, but would since Maddux so far hasn't panned out. ...That play conning Lastings Milledge not withstanding.

I have to believe this is some kind of supernatural bad luck streak. And as long as the D-backs continue to lose it doesn't matter. (at least until teams start catching us from behind).
It is terrible to look at the possibility that it is not bad luck, for then you would conclude that the organization needs to be stripped from the top down quite a ways, and the minor's system built up also, in hopes of being competetive in two or three years.

Why did Ethier swing at ball 4? Was he trying to launch another low and outside pitch?

Jeff Kent is right. Manny ani't doing anything for him at the moment.

it seems like the Dodger hitters didn't get the memo that Hanrahan walks a lot of batters.

Why does everyone seem to suddenly have their best stuff when facing the Dodgers this past week?

there pressing man. ugh.

Manny keeps the inning alive.

Its Loney time!

lets go Loney take us to a w.

There's some drunk hecklers at the D.C. park today.

oh man... the Nats are gonna win the series.

The homer Park gave up is the difference. Blargh.

{{commit hari-kari}}

I'm relying on Brian Williams to console me.

ugh i blame the bad mojo on torre's insistence that manny cut his hair. it can't be because this is just a mediocre team.

One of the more depressing weeks for baseball in recent memory, right after one of the more positive weeks. Sounds like the Dodgers, all right.

I'm gonna go for a jog. I'll try not to kick any small furry animals en route.

440 That's Ned, they lost his resume at Kinko's.

Way to go, blue. Lose 8 of 9 in chrunch time. Poor fundamentals, mental errors, no luck, poor play. Really a disgusting 10 days or so. Shoot, the Rockies might end up winning the division.

442

I was taking a nap but the Dodgers also committed 2 errors, it was just bad all around.

Jim Bowden just held his on air audition for the Dodgers GM job.

Doesnt really matter what the dbax do if the Dodgers cant win any games.

443

The thing about that Underdog, is it is wasted sybolism because the Dodgers haven't had any honor for about 20 years.

all we can do is dust off & move forward, Zona baby Zona.

We still have another game in D.C. Kent should have sat yesterday, and he should sit tomorrow., hopefully with Blake DeWitt with the team, Kent will.

I feel like Frank Ricard after Dean Pritchard announced that Joseph "Blue" Polaski's score of 0 would make the fraternity ineligable.

Does anybody know for a FACT if we play good in Arizona?

I will now excuse myself before I get banned.

420 - ... in what way? They take your money without giving you anything in return?

456 I doubt it. The Dodgers needed to have a winning record on this road trip to be in a good position to win the NL West. That we can't even win a game from the Nats shows that we have no business being in a divisional playoff race.

I'm not speaking to the Dodgers right now. Could someone please tell them I'm mad at them and I'd like an apology?

[442.] "The homer Park gave up is the difference. Blargh."

Yeah, either that or one of the four runs our HOF gave up.

it's frustrating but we still have 6 games against zona, so I'm still o.k.

461 Those four runs were a sunk cost. And if you want to give Maddux the lost, we should give Kent part of the loss somehow.

Tron Tron now has a 3.90 ERA. He's is becoming awesome.

76 days until Bruin basketball...

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/newsstand/discussion/boras_fires_back/

Boras responds about Alverez. Er, doesn't sound like he has anything to stand on.

421 Well it wasn't a save situation, of course Broxton looked comfortable and blew everyone away. Now that Hanrahan kid, what a closer! I wonder how you get a guy like that on your roster.

How can Frank not fire Ned at the end of this season?

Waiting for college basketball or football season is no comfort. I can only wait for spring training next year.

459 On May 12-15 the Nats took 3 of 4 from the Mets. Does your logic also mean that the Mets have "no business" being a playoff contender?

Pretty much every division leader, the Rays and Cubs and Angels included, have been swept or badly beaten in a series this year by some of the worst teams.

This is tough for me to say and despite having 6 more games with Arizona, I am getting ready to stick a fork in this season. Arizona will put us out of our misery this weekend. If we can't win a game in Washington, we are not leaving Arizona with one win. Can we start thinking offseason plan?

471

watch. The Dodgers are gonna win by a lot tomorrow & they will believe again, just watch.

467

I admit, Brox looked really good today.

460 - a relationship requires both parties to communicate. You'll just have to tell them yourself.

470 The Mets play the Nats 18 games out of a season, so there's going to be some anomaly like the 3 out 4 that you mentioned, and they're 8-4 against the Nats so far with 6 more games between them.

Dodgers play the Nats only six times, and a .500 record against them would basically sum our season. We need to beat teams like the Nats to pad our record. Yes, the Mets lost a 4 game series to the Nats, but they're not the ones in a losing streak right now. The Dodgers are.

475 Something tells me my issues will fall on deaf ears.

Obama just kissed Joe Bidden's wife on the lips. I might be violating rule 5 but that was incredibly amusing.

Bluebleeder, I hope you're right. One thing I've noticed is that they are at least scoring some runs again. However, they still haven't scored more than 3 since two Sundays ago. Maybe the pressure is getting to them.

---

Speaking of "playing under pressure"... I had a chance to watch Nastia Liukin on Leno on DVR tonight, and it thought it was a rare instance of a talk show guest having more poise than the host of the show!

I didn't notice she had a Texas accent.

477
I guess swing state has a different meaning to them.

473 - about the only good thing to come of it.

479 Bah-dum bum bum. =)

479

Zing!

This time, it might not even be Sturtze getting sent out, as the team could still option Ramon Troncoso so they don't lose Sturtze, as they can recall Troncoso in September. "He certainly understands when I tell him something that I'm telling him the truth for the moment, for that minute," Torre said of Sturtze. Torre also said Sturtze "was not OK" with all of this. Sturtze declined comment.

Say goodbye to TronTron for a couple of days.

http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/mlb/dodgers/

The Dodgers seem to have beaten the chatter out of everyone.

Hey, I came up with a great line to describe Ned and other stuff:

"Never hire a Giant to do a Dodger's Job!"

I won't give up, trainwreck. Anybody want to talk fantasy football?

Tim Lincecum is at 126 pitches in the 8th inning.

486 Are the Giants trying to ruin his arm?

Lincecum finishes with 132 pitches and the crowd is booing Bochy for taking him out.

I got an e-mail from someone I went on one date with. He somehow found out my eBay ID and found out the items I'd won, and listed them in the e-mail.

This is beyond creepy.

485
Are you in the DT league?

489
Sporky has a stalker.

Eric Patterson on the A's can fly around the base paths.

489

Yikes. Did you respond to the e-mail?

http://www.pe.com/sports/baseball/cal/stories/PE_Sports_Local_S_cal_league_feature_27.47b2cfc.html

Van Slyke Hopes to Create His Own Legacy

493 No... I don't know what I would say.

I'd like to think it was just a really, really, really tasteless joke on his part, but I don't ever want to talk to this guy again.

Tim Linecum's 15-3, with a 2.43 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. How is Webb's the front runner for the Cy Young?

Glad to see everyone is still here. After tonight's game I half expected to log on and find out DT followers had gone Hale Bopp.

496
Because sportswriters care about wins and losses too much.

http://tigers-thoughts.blogspot.com/2008/08/projected-elias-rankings.html

If you were ever wondering, Matt Kemp would be a Type A FA at the moment. Ethier would be a type B, graded just below Moses Alou.

Oh, and Sweeney grades to 8 points, out of 100.

Kent was awesome tonight.

The Cy young so far really should be Linecum's. He is a 15 game winner on a horrible team. Webb is a 19 game winner on just a bad team.

498 I can't bring myself to hate Linecum. Heck, I think he's the best pitcher to come out of his draft, and this was the one that had Kershaw in it and Picked 3 spots in front of Lineicum.

I don't know what that says about me as a Dodgers fan.

503
I have said before here that I like to watch him and Cain pitch. Sanchez should be another fun one to watch.

You can hate the team and still appreciate good play. I love to watch good pitching on display.

We've traded maybe 6 prospects this year.

Do we have a Ned Colletti prospects traded count?

Seems to me Ethier is the one and only prospect ADDITION during this three year reign of error.

I seriously don't like how the Giants brain trust are treating Timmy Lincecum.

503

He's beyond a great pitcher. It would be criminal for you not to like the dude.

505 7 minors leaguers were traded this season for players. one for Berroa, two for Maddux, two for Casey Blake, and two for Manny.

490

There's a DT League?? Dang... is there room for one more?

Lincecum is my personal Cy Young if he doesn't get the actual one. He's easily the best pitcher in the NL this year. He literally can stop losing streaks. Nobody on the Dodgers can do that.

---

Prediction: Shawne Merriman is going to blow his career this year. I will be front and center if it happens, after ignoring the advice of four doctors!

509

I wonder who is the top guy on the league.

Thank God I am going away for Labor Day weekend and I will not watch one day of the current debacle that is the Dodgers. The Snakes are losing giving the Dodgers an open door and we keep shutting the door closed. Losing to the Nats twice prove to me this team does not have what it takes and being below .500 again, I prefer to not root for mediocrity!! I will now root for my friend to have his dream come true and have the Cubs reach the WS this year and play the Angels so he can maybe catch a game out here. The Dodgers do not deserve to win! Pathetic, we may be looking at an 0-10 or a 1-9 trip!!

Where's Bob when you need him? He left on a plane for someplace... and I'm dyin' to find out the last time the Dodgers went 0 for a road trip.

Didn't the Lakers go something like 9-0 or 10-0 on a road trip this year? The Dodgers could do the reverse :)

509
Dang, seems to be full now.

510
He is such a meat-headed moron. His knee is going to snap at some point this season. People will be gunning for him, since he is not exactly the most liked guy. Plus, two of the teams in his division (Raiders and Broncos) employ a cut-blocking scheme.

515 The Chargers are pushing for him to play too. Its clear the Chargers don't care for the guy's well being.

I am a Ricky Gervais fan, but that Ghost Town movie looks like one pile of dribble.

Sadly, much like Simon Pegg's new movie.

I guess it should be pond of dribble.

So why is it that when I look at the AL East and see Boston 3.5 games behind the Rays I think it is still a viable race, but when I look at the Dodgers 3.0 games behind a team that is considerably worse the the Rays I think its all over? Is this what they mean by "lack of objectivity"?

From the Simers column:

""What about statues for Vin Scully, Tommy Lasorda, Jackie Robinson and Don Newcombe?" countered the Dentist, who also works as Dodgers PR guy."

So Josh Rawitch is "the Dentist"? Odd. I guess it's better than "Google Boy".

No, the Dodgers are still in it. (Sigh.)

If they win the West, I'll be happy. The reason I'll be happy is that in the course of making up a three-game deficit, they'll have to win a few more games, at least four. There is no way they can go the rest of the season without winning again and end up in the playoffs.

Even if they lose every game in the playoffs, there would have to be wins between now and then and wins are fun.

I think "The Dentist" is Dr. Charles Steinberg, one of McCourt's Red Sox imports.

522
Ah yes. Thanks. I forgot about him.

522 - I thought it was Orin Scrivello, DDS.

523 I don't really know what he looks like, but I tend to picture him as Laurence Olivier in "Marathon Man."

I went to the Nat's ballpark yesterday, intending to watch the game with my (reluctant) girlfriend, but decided to skip the game b/c it was sprinkling -- and the last two games I've seen the Nats played, I've gotten absolutely soaked. So I figured I'd watch Kershaw pitch in person for the first time today, and it's POURING. These storms come and go in DC, but I'd be surprised if the game isn't rained out today.

I agree the Dodgers don't have the heart and passion to win this year. They should be up in the standings by at least 4 games. Instead they are lucky to be 3 back and not 6 or 7.

What I find really frustrating is that teams like the Twins, Marlins, A's (most of the time) seem to always be competetive with guys that come out of nowhere, while the Dodgers always fall on their face with big names or "kids with tremendous upside"

I'm really trying to find some sort of pattern or corrolation as to why the Dodgers have been so lousy for 20 years. There really isn't any excuse.

I'm going to continue to root for them but it's getting harder and harder to stand by them when they show no heart and passion.

I agree the Dodgers don't have the heart and passion to win this year. They should be up in the standings by at least 4 games. Instead they are lucky to be 3 back and not 6 or 7.

What I find really frustrating is that teams like the Twins, Marlins, A's (most of the time) seem to always be competetive with guys that come out of nowhere, while the Dodgers always fall on their face with big names or "kids with tremendous upside"

I'm really trying to find some sort of pattern or corrolation as to why the Dodgers have been so lousy for 20 years. There really isn't any excuse.

I'm going to continue to root for them but it's getting harder and harder to stand by them when they show no heart and passion.

I agree the Dodgers don't have the heart and passion to win this year. They should be up in the standings by at least 4 games. Instead they are lucky to be 3 back and not 6 or 7.

Are they running slower than they're capable of? Are they swinging more softly? Are they throwing and pitching more slowly and/or less accurately?

Which particular performance features do you think are being negatively affected by a lack of heart and passion?

528 I just think they haven't been good enough to be better this year. This is a team that started Blake DeWitt, Angel Berroa, Luis Maza, Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones regularly for huge portions of the year.

525 I now this man . . . its Szell!

The Dodgers problem this year: everyone that good has been really bad, has been really bad. Everyone that could have broke out didn't.

528 Arizona and Los Angeles are under performing their expected win-loss by two games. Should the Dodgers record be better? In theory, yes. Should they be four games up on the Snakes? No, they should be exactly where they are.

Let's try that again: Everyone that could have been bad has been really bad, everyone that could have broke out didn't except Bills.

532 A good distinction from 2005, where the bulk of the problem was injuries. Both Tracy and Torre were unable to play the right people, though Tracy's choices were quite a bit worse than Torre's.

530 There is some truth in that.

Wishful thinking--I know it is very rarely done but it would be wonderful if Furcal gave the Dodgers a test year in return for the great contract they gave him in which he was really healthy only one year. And I don't mean play for cheap, just take one year. That would show real "class" (one of my least favorite expressions). Didn't Randy Wolfe do something similar.

535 It's arguably just as unlucky though.

I have a feeling we're gonna break out of it today.

530 that just means its Torre-he stayed with inferior performing players too long

528 I agree with you, its the LA hype and the lack of a coherent plan...you want to go with young players, then you play them, suffer with their growth, and a couple years later they come into their own...that is what the Twins and A's of the world do

you don't bring in high priced guys past their prime to block the youngsters progress...you don't trade for past their prime players and throw away young players for the 2 month rental (Manny excepted)...

with Wade and Saito iffy, Hanrahan might have been nice in our bullpen...who did we get for him?

537 Sort of. Injuries are mostly unpredictable (I'll hold aside Bradley 2005, Penny 2004/5 and Schmidt 2007/8 as having some predictability. But getting smacked on the hand with a fastball is not something you can factor in). Downside has an expected risk. Outside of Furcal, which I account entirely to bad luck (and even with that bad luck, it was a good signing and an extension would have merit as well), Ned's acquisitions have had substantial downside risk with little upside - or rather I should say the upside was equaling earlier performance with only a slight decline. (Jones is almost certainly an exception here as well, in the sense that I thought he had substantial upside compared to his 2007 performance. I had expected him to perform on a reasonable decline from 2006 - which would have substantially outpaced his 2007 performance.)

and back to Torre...Nomar plays and can't hit...I'd rather have Hu defensively...but what do I know

539 Lost to minor league free agency. He struck out 46 and walked 39 in 74 innings in AAA his last year, so it's understandable that we gave up on him.

540 So that just leaves Kent then.

Though we never did think "maybe we should try Hanrahan in the bullpen" so that's our fault.

If the Dodgers are not passionate I still say it is largely due to Torre playing Jones so long it created the teams personality that we are complaining about. Add Kent's uninspiring attitude and sluggishness, and then go back to Torre who failed to say that the core of this team is Kemp, Loney, Martin, and Ethier and instead blamed their inexperience while ignoring in his public comments the pitiful performance of Kent, Jones, Nomar, Sweeney, and Pierre.

545 The core you mentioned has either started all year, or started most of the year (Ethier). What exactly would Torre saying "THIS IS OUR CORE" have done to improve the team's performance? And who would we have played in place of Nomar and Kent?

544 I guess you can't keep them all and some get away.

NPUT