Since this is more of a game thread comment anyway:

Nomar is the only Dodger to have seen Lopez anything approaching a significant number of times.

12-32, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 3 BB, 1 K, .375 / .429 / .781 / 1.210

All Lowe needs is a little leg rub and alot of morphine.

Canuck's LAT'd post in the last thread . . .

148 -- This is just getting silly. Wolf is two starts away from returning. Lowe at most would be unavailable for two weeks. No team makes a trade to cover THAT short a time span . . .

Yeah, but refresh my memory about that Julio Lugo trade from last year.

just take it for what it's worth but it is interesting to see Ethier have the game off. This is because there is a strong rumor out there that the dodgers are trying to get Texiera and a reliever from texas (maybe GAGNE! or benoit) for Ethier, Loney + a minor league pitcher. I personaly, as long as the minor league pitcher isn't one of the major names, would pull the trigger on this deal with a contract extension from texiera. What are your thoughts on this trade and also on the possible return of Gagne?

4 Tex is a Boras client. There is no possibility of an extension. Ethier is not playing because Pierre never sits and Kemp is going to start against more than just left-handers.

3 - Funny, I inadvertantly responded to you all up top.

4 - Ethier has had many nights off. And that rumor has gotten a lot of play but makes no sense given the Dodgers' needs.

4

there is no contract extension from Tex.

Lee, Ensberg go back to back off Wells. Houston 3, San Diego 1, 1st inning.

yes personally i don't see it happening but I think it would be a solid deal knowing we need a reliever. We can get Gagne back and have him leave for 2 draft picks and Ethier could be replaced by the extremely hot Delmon Young in AAA. My bet is that Dotel will the only trade deadline deal.

9-Delwyn Young

6 Sorry , Jon. I always read your up-top post before opening mine own big fat keyboard. Except for this time. The opportunity to make timely and pithy Julio Lugo comments got the better of me.

Maybe Colletti should buy low on Olsen.

11 - Not at all! I was adding on to my post and hit publish, and at the same time, your comment appeared.

13 Cool. Just so long as we all remember the Lessons of Lugo.

The whole point of having Tomko and Hendrickson on the roster is so that they can start in situations like this, with Houlton, Stults, and Meloan to be called up as necessary. Or, of course, Houlton and Stults starting with Tomko and Hendrickson still playing the pitcher-of-last-resort role.

9

A lot of people seem to have the hots for Dotel, i'm personally not impressed with the dude specially knowing we have somebody younger, stronger (the guy has tree trunks for legs very intimidating) & cheaper waiting in Vegas.

The local ABC sports guy (I don't recognize him; he must be a summer fill in) just took a shot at Buddy Carlyle. If anybody knew who he was, he'd have made a very powerful enemy.

How would a bullpen of Brox, Gagne and Saito be utilized everyday?

...and would Guns and Roses/George Thurgood be played in the 8th?

It's an exciting, if unlikely, collection of talent. Meloan too, yikes. Who needs Dotel.

3 -- I think Lugo was obtained specifically to be a utility player, and what Colletti gave up he considered garbage anyway (Guzman's stock had sunk that low). You don't get a "name" starting pitcher at the deadline and then have the option of making him a "utility pitcher," especially given the price of what that pitcher cost to acquire in talent. And we already have plenty of utility pitchers -- Tomko, Hendrickson, Houlton, Stults. The only way another starter fits on this club -- to go along with Penny, Lowe, Billingsley, and Wolf -- is if we get a really top arm, and nobody like that is available. The starting pitchers available are Hendricksons and worse, and Colletti has all but said just that in interviews. Jose Contreras? Give me a break! And I don't believe all the nonsense about Teixeira or Dunn or Dye. People are just making that crap up. We changed gears away from looking for offense long ago. No, the only trade I really believe Colletti is in danger of making is one for a reliever, like Dotel, or Weathers, and from what I have heard Colletti has ruled out giving up an Abreu-level prospect for that.

16 Dotel pro - 27 Ks in 22 IP this year.

Dotel con - I'd be worried about adding a pitcher who'd go straight to the DL with the rest of our pitchers.

Steiner and Monday said no word on the MRI, might not hear tonight.

Wolf is with the team. Monday said he wasn't smiling, FWIW.

6-1 Houston in the third.

I believe that trading James Loney would rank in club infamy with trading Pedro Martinez and Mike Piazza. As I Dodgers fan for more than 50 years, I think that Loney will be something particularly special.

Lopez looks overly excited on his gameday mug.

23

we already see glimpses of what could be greatness so i see your point

Bob, do you know what the club record is for most consecutive games started by the same catcher? My guess would be that it is held by either Scioscia or Piazza.

Bob, do you know what the club record is for most consecutive games started by the same catcher? My guess would be that it is held by either Scioscia or Piazza.

Ah yes Will Taveras. The right handed Juan Pierre, who hits for less average.

Please excuse the double posting, which followed the doubleplay.

28

if anything Will Taveras has a better arm from what i understand.

Now 7-1 in Houston. Biggio another HR. Wells is really getting hammered. Remember the rumors last year that we were going to get Wells? Weren't they saying Kemp for Wells?

Put me down as one who would not like to see a panic trade for pitcher - especially a starter. While it's true Tomko and Hendrickson are not that reliable, anyone we get is likely to be of the David Wells caliber. In other words, probably worse than Tonko and Hendrickson.

that was a beautiful first inning from penny.

one more note on Jonathan Meloan, I really think the Dodgers are playing the Meloan card really well bringing him up nice & slowly (too slowly if you ask me) but i feel upper management knows what there doing with him.

ugly at-bat from gonzo.

30

and taveras makes about 8.5 million less than pierre.

not Dodger-related, but baseball related, the Onion declares Bonds to be the feel-good story of the summer

http://tinyurl.com/379q4l

9 Delwyn Young it is, but he is the one traded and nothing else. They have to make some moves---we don't

Well, it looks like we are going through an offensive slump. And I didn't even know Lowe was hurt, I've been so out of it. I'll do some reading and be back, but it is beginning to appear it is us that are making the last several pitchers look like Babe Ruth.

rockies announcers were gushing over loney.

38 - sounds gross.

31 t, any relation to a? ;-)

(ethier, I mean! get your minds out of the gutter...)

C'mon, Penny.

36 Well, wouldn't you rather be Bud Selig than David Stern or Roger Goodell right now? A guy who's perceived to be guilty of PED is still better than a ref fixing games or a star QB executing dogs.

As somebody (John Feinstein, maybe?) said, the guy eating this all up is Gary Bettman of the NHL.

From Gurnick:

"That was a crazy game," said Loney [of his 9 RBI game]. "I've thought about it coming back here and a lot of people have told me they saw the game on TV. It wouldn't have happened if we hadn't had so many people on base. Nobody would even be talking about it."

Loney understands how the RBI statistic works. Awesome.

40 We're cousins...just kidding. We do have the same last name though.

I've been a Dodger fan since 1965 and so it's pretty cool having an Ethier as a Dodger, or in the major leagues for that matter. Needless to say, Andre is my favorite Dodger. I just hope they don't trade him. Too bad they won't do the 4 outfielder rotation that some have suggested.

[38] that's not how i meant it, rob. :P

[42] wow, i've never heard a ballplayer say that.

41- I'm not altogether sure I'd rather be Bud Selig than Rosanne Barr's hemorrhoid donut. But I'll say this for the man: He has a very fine pair of glasses. Rimless, hingeless; superb.

Maybe if we just start calling BB's hits, people will figure it out.

Nice base hit by Betemit there.

way to go ump.

... Looked like the pitch was inside to Kemp.

George Frazier, the awful Rockies' color guy, said having someone as good as Kemp (of course, he only mentioned the traditional ".361-6-23") hitting 8th reminded him of Butch Hobson getting 115 RBI batting 9th for the Red Sox.

Hobson only had over 90 RBI once, in 1977 (he had 112). Hobson also only had 24 PA batting 9th that year. He mostly batted 8th, but only had 63 RBI batting 8th.

Facts!

This seems like logic to me. You have a fine young team coming up. This is obvious. The reaper of fate takes out 4 of your best 6 starters. The majority of them are probably coming back.
Solution. You don't give up anyone in your future plans for starting pitching, which is so obviously unreliable.
And I'm such a crank my feelings about trading for relief pitching are probably too well known.
Of course if any desperate team will make a stupid trade, I'm ok with that.

penny's got a higher batting average than his ERA. the last dodger pitcher to do that is fernando, according to the rockies guys.

... Ahhh, the Dodger luck strikes again.

Of course with four starters down, any starter they get won't make much difference unless he is at least twice as good as Houlton or Stultz, and that means better than Willis for sure.

ah, that's a shame. wilson had a good jump.

Brad Penny is scorching the ball, unfortunately it was right at Helton for the DP.

... OUTSTANDING double play. Great job.

Nice slick play by Loney to Furcal for the DP.

Look! at Loney! Thats runs there!

Nice job by Loney right there.

Furcal too.

I could get used to watching that.

[56] it also looked to me like he was told to try a bunt on the first pitch, but he didn't want to sacrifice, so he waved at it. like he was thinking "dude, this is coors field. i'm not bunting!"

i've grown to like brad penny a lot.

Vin sees a helmet.
Vin happy to see helmet.
Vin unsatisfied with helmet.

Vin is my Idol.

62

It doesn't hurt that he's pitching well post all-star break either.

With the trade deadline approaching, here is a proposal: The Giants send Barry Bonds to Denmark for Dennis Rasmussen, the Tour de France leader who was removed from the competition by his team. Bonds' first wife was Scandinavian -- she was Swedish -- so he would likely have some affinity for the country. Also, his presence there would fulfill Marcellus' line in Hamlet: "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." Rasmussen, meanwhile, would probably feel comfortable in San Francisco, with its laidback attitude toward drug use. Also, he could practice his bicycling on its many hilly streets.

does furcal do anything anymore?

... Furcal's monthly batting averages this season remind me of Ken Landreaux.

the carmax tex message question is a know brainer for me "The Natural"

carmax choices were:

The Natural
Pride Of The Yankees
8 Men Out

Pierre: 2 grounders, 2 hits. I'm shocked.

maybe grady needs to put furcal in the 7 or 8 hole again like he did last year

65 Whoops. Make that Michael Rasmussen, not Dennis Rasmussen, a former big league pitcher.

O.K. Martin concentrate a little harder now with a runner at 3rd.

65 I found out last night that the Lake Elsinore Storm -- single A affiliate of the Padres -- used to have a mascot named Hamlet.

... That's a GREAT at-bat for Russ.

great AB by Martin there. His bat does look a bit slower at the plate today then usually.

Speaking as the proud owner of a standard poodle, I was very happy about that comment by Vin.

Coincidentally (and appropriately, given Randy Wolf was pitching), last night at the Inland Empire 66ers game was bring your dog to the park night.

gonzo got all of that

... Attaboy, LuGo.

yay, we scored something

Looks like Taveras has the same fielding skills as Pierre. ;o)

Hmmm, I think Willy should have had that.

OK, you guys had to see that. Do you see why Willy Taveras stalks my freaking dreams? What a crummy ballplayer.

73 Really? That's remarkable. I wonder if they served White Castle hamburgers.

82

At least you don't have him locked in for five years.

84 Yeah, but Willy's pop ain't nothing on JP's.

73 Too bad the mascot is no more. It's such a tragedy.

I hear he has been replaced by a new mascot named Fortinbras.

... Wow. Nomar had a great at-bat as well. So far, so good.

Scoring runs is so much better than not scoring runs.

Nomar nice hitting

hoping the baseball gods don't toy with us today.

70 Furcal started one game batting 7th in 2006. Do you really think that turned around his season?

86

Let four ballboys
Bear Hamlet, like a player, to the dugout;
For he was likely, had he been put on,
To have proved most professionally: and, for his passage,
The organ music and the PA announcer
Speak loudly for him.
Take up the bodies: such a sight as this
Becomes the infield, but here shows much amiss.
Go, bid the players play.

91 - that was the game where Nomar got beaned 3 times

92 - heh.

82 Mark, bright side in two words: Matt Holliday.

Doesn't erase Taveras, but, it's something.

Boy they positioned Gonzo perfectly vs. Atkins there.

---

Man, I have a 9pm soccer game. 9pm! I can't even have dinner tonight basically. Sigh.

96

Where do you play? Kezar?

Alfonso Soriano's car: http://tinyurl.com/2lqcpg

At least, I think it's his.

82 I have a friend who used to blog about the Astros and his disdain for Taveras was up there with what this board can accomplish with regards to Juan Pierre. Taveras was still pretty popular in Houston, and if I recall was in the top 5 of vote getters for ROY in '05 or '04.

Penny is so cool.

haha!

... Furcal! Crushed tomatoes.

Ferkel Blast!!!

As a staunch advocate of the AL game, I have to admit I respect Penny's prowess with the stick.

I respect Furcal's jack even more, of course.

Penny may sign with the Rockies when he gets to free agency, just because he hits so well at Coors.

66

well at least he hit a dinger.

105

He has also pitched well there in his career as well.

OPS watch
Penny - .685
Nomar - .684
Pierre - .654

107

I went to the well one too many times.

Maybe Furcals ankle is getting better?

two things:

1. 66 yes

2. Remember on NFL Countdown on ESPN when Cris Carter would catch a TD?

Berman: Cris Carter, all he does is...

Tom Jackson: ...Catch Touchdowns!!!!

can we the same for Nomar, except substitute the phrase "hit rbi singles" ?

98

mother nature sheds a tear.

Penny has a nice pitch count, for him, or4 anyone!

[104] if you're playing, you should have to hit. DHs are crap.

92 Unless you teach Shakespeare or poetry, you missed your calling. But be of good cheer.

Looked like Furcal almost passed Penny on the bases there. Well, anyway, that was good to see. Maybe this game will be called in the next inning and I can leave.

Hi everybody:
Re: rain delays. At what inning is a game stopped because of rain considered an official game? Or, will the game be restarted where it left off but at a future time?

btw, to the guys at DT Night, it was so fun just quoting Major League.

"TOO HIGH, TOO HIGH!"

Penny's getting a bit lucky, too, given the number of balls that have been tattooed.

114. I second that emotion.

117

... The game's official now.

118

That was on Beltran's, right?

Loney more like slowney.

j/k

uh oh, Matt Holiday up with 2 on.

looks like the umpire kinda screened betemit a little. though play anyway, though.

er, tough.

Icaros

Good memory, sure was. It was good having you out at the game bro. Good baseball talk.

Oh, Penelope

We'll take a sac fly there. Whew.

Penny got a little bad luck when the ump called that one pitch a ball, but it was a good at bat by Holliday to get a walk out of that.

125

It was a hot shot you can't blame Betemit for not making the play.

127

Thanks. You too.

... Well, when you walk the World, sometimes it comes back to bite you.

It's like Penny's throwing rain-balls this inning.

wow, they had Betemit playing way over the 1st base side. I guess Hawpe is a pull hitter or something, positioning him over there didn't seem right. IMO.

Icaros is getting upset!

He's only thrown 34 balls out of 90 pitches; it's not like he's Nolan Ryan when Ryan was with the Mets.

phew.

39% of walks have come around to score thats pretty much 40%.

Whew. Could've been worse, could've been better. Sure wouldn't mind an insurance run or three, before I have to leave.

Betemit isn't a very good 2nd basemen this game.

All of a sudden it's a 2 run game, we really need some insurance runs.

That was odd. Torrealba basically took Lopez out there. He couldn't throw all the pitches in his repertoire.

[139] but he hasn't been a very bad one, either.

old friend alert

No!!!

NO!

oh

my

god

I hope that was a cramp.

Jiminey.

Tapdancing.

Christmas.

... I don't believe it. I just don't believe it. Penny now, too.

Dodger luck just keeps striking.

We've been hexed.

NOO!!!

You've got to be kidding me. Did Penny just do the same thing Lowe did last night? Okay, maybe the DH isn't such a bad idea after all.

Bleh.

Make that five-fifths of the Dodgers starting rotation getting injured.

grabbed his stomach?

It didn't look all that bad though, He touched his belly so i'm wondering what he hurt?

god, i hope it's just a cramp.

Well, he looks okay, I mean he looks better than Lowe did last night, so it's probably nothing big, but jeezlouise, this is all they need. Okay, gotta take off. My fingers are crossed that they a) win, b) don't lose anyone else to injuries.

Penny looked like he pulled his groin.

how does one hurt one's stomach running to first base?

Yeah, I bet you it's a cramp. I pray it's a cramp.

So. Trade your future for a pitcher. I don't think so!! One or even two starters aren't going to do us much good.

152 - no kidding. To your pitchers in the batter's box and on the basepaths is to get them in situations they will not necessarily be good at in exchange for a much greater risk of injury. No thanks.

So. Trade your future for a pitcher. I don't think so!! One or even two starters aren't going to do us much good.

the 2 out squeeze bunt failed?!

I don't know which hurts more: Losing his arm or losing his bat:

AVG: .293
OPS: .716 (1.088 "Away")
per MLB Gameday

Penny said something like "I'm fine" when the trainer came over. He was taken out for precautionary purposes.

[152] is it too much to expect professional to be able to run in a straight line without injuring themselves?

166

how do u know this?

Pierre bunting with 2 out and a RISP? It's not quite to the point where Pierre should be wearing a dress out there, but it's getting close! vr, Xei

From his reaction and some history with muscle pulls, I'd guess he pulled a groin or strained an abdominal muscle. Either way he would miss some time. I hope that's not the case.

I predict a start by D.J. Houlton and/or Eric Stults on August 1 against the Giants.

man, i didn't get enough sleep last night. expect a professional athlete

That could be anything from a cramp to a hernia.

167 - see Garciaparra, Nomar.

New starting rottion: Stults (after he is recalled), Hull, Hendrickson, Tomko and Billingsley

172 - I figured.

168-I read his lips, he either said "I'm fine or I'm okay".

Maybe a little hubris, playing Betemit at second? Though I hate to dis a guy for one error.

173 Thanks for the link earlier. This time tomorrow, I will be an ordained minister!

This is a religion I can really get behind, Marty.

These games have been very irritating lately.

175-Hull is not a starter.

I see all the other GMs licking their chops.

james wasnt on the bag why?

182-Nothing but garbage is available, starting pitching wise. It doesn't matter what other GMs think.

179 I thought that would be in your wheelhouse.

179 - Religion? Do tell.

i can't believe loney didn't have his foot on the bag.

184 No, it only matters what OUR GM thinks.

166

I did see that so i'm hoping for the best, I think his words wore "I'm fine" I really feel it's nothing to serious.

185 I want to take this very seriously, but that would be antithetical to the tenets of dudeism.

179 www.dudeism.com

Every time a Dodger pitcher gets hurt, Gio Cararra oils his glove.

This is it boys, the moment we've all waited for, Pierre on the pine, Gonzo-Kemp-Ethier in the OF!

Be careful out there, Broxton!

169 - ha! that was funnier than 164

Could they find some excuse to play Madonna's "Holiday" when Matt comes up?

192 - careful. That last trio might be in the rotation pretty soon at the rate the Dodgers keep losing pitchers.

So, can we lose a whole pitching staff on this road trip?

For the longest time, I thought LaTroy Hawkins would be a stud. Never quite happened.

the rockies announcers now are talking about the need to rest russell martin.

CRAMP!

it was only a cramp. yay.

ab-cramp by Penny not serious as i suspected, very good news.

forearm tightness on the other hand, not so good.

How many lives does LaTroy Hawkins have? I mean, c'mon!

Penny's the CY Young winner unless he just totally totally sucks the last two months.

His W/L record should get it for him for sure.

203

man, some of you guys will find ANY negativity out of something don't you! ;o)

183 [187} - I love James Loney, but defensively I have noticed a tendency for him to make little league errors on fairly routine plays. Slow (lazy?) footwork, not keeping the glove down, etc. He also kinda hotdogs catches of pop-ups.

On the other hand, he usually makes the spectacular plays. This indicates to me a lack of mental focus - which he can fix. Hope he does.

That was a series of feeble hacks from Nomar. Bleeder foul, way late swing foul, way late swing foul out.

Feeble

207 I've noticed it as well. He cadillacs it out there once in a while. Being awesome can do that to ya, I guess. I'm sure it's been discussed.

On the other hand, he's good. So that's nice.

As I took the train by Busch Stadium tonight in the eighth of a Cardinals 11-1 rout of the Cubs, there were THOUSANDS of Cardinal fans lined up EARLY to go home at the train station.

My friends and I said "But these are the Best Fans in Baseball!"

207 Jeff Kent said something to the youngster after Loney made the third out with a hotdog catch the other day. And he wasn't complimenting him on his form. :)

That said, my (possibly mistaken) impression was that Loney had to step off the base earlier to get the ball.

209 - Wasn't that Franklin Stubbs' nickname? Cadillac? Is that why?

Smoke 'em inside

211 - Good for Kent. Yay for veteran leadership.

On point #2, you're probably right, I couldn't see the whole play.

tough break there it looked like Gonzalez was gonna catch that.

helton got pretty lucky there if gonzo catches that thats an easy DP

212 If that was Stubbs' nickname, I wouldn't be surprised. He wasn't exactly Hustles McGee out there.

reading ItD the other day Saito is read if need be today I presume.

218

that should be IS READY.

... Loney chased a bad ball there.

207 I share your concern about Loney and your praise for him. Including tonight, he has made seven errors in 36 games at first base this season. For a full season, that would be about 30 errors, an incredibly high number. In 2006, however, he made only one error in 39 games at first. Neither Parker nor Garvey ever reached double figures in errors at first base. (Don't ask about Garvey's trials at third base early in his career).

If the team were really cursed, Loney would have broken his back when he stepped on the ball he fouled off. So: good omen.

Way to make Jorge Julio look like a good pitcher.

... Since Furcal's homer, the Dodgers have looked terrible at the plate; as if they want to get this one over with. I hope Saito's up to the challenge here, because I don't see the Dodgers scoring again if it goes to extras.

223 - Jorge Julio is a proven closer.

Well, disproven closer.

Here is a wonderful little baseball idiosyncrasy: On Friday, ARod will be on deck when the Yankees resume a suspended game against the Orioles in the eighth inning. If he homers in the completion of the suspended game, it would count as being hit on June 28, when the contest began. That would make it home run No. 493 -- and his homer off Gil Meche on Wednesday night would become No. 500.

Sammy's back! Up by two.

That's two pitches a million times better than the strike three called on Kemp earlier.

Oops! Bad click there. Hope I didn't jinx this.

227 Am I a few minutes behind or something? There are 2 outs right now with a man on first.

227 Don't tempt the fates.

226 Always found that to be a reason why some people don't like baseball. For example, why don't postseason homers count on the career numbers? I understand why, but I know some people who hate baseball just because of that rule.

2-2 pitch to Matsui was a strike. Home plate umpire has been very inconsistent tonight.

227,229 "Congratulations, 1986 World Champions Boston Red Sox"

dkminnick = prophet

... Ahhh, so nice to see that fistpump from Takashi.

We win!

227 Now you can say it.

For a win, this game really sucked.

There we go sammy

Nice.

Saito issues his 6th walk on the year, wow. I wonder what his record vs Kaz Matsui was in Japan.

227229 234- LOL. I can exhale now.

235

Doug From Cincinnatti?

239

... Yeah, I agree with that. If ever the phrase "escaped with the win" were appropriate, it's tonight.

242 All's well that ends well.

237 GB, was that post from an iPhone?

Post up top is open for comments.

246 You can safely assume that will not happen again for some time. If ever.

207,221 I think your feelings describe one syndrome--Rookie. He didn't have to be a rookie this year, but he is. I have enjoyed watching him and other young D's make great plays and mistakes. With our pitching staff misfortunes, I don't know if we will make the playoffs, but it would be a mistake to give up anyone in our plans. We actually have some good trade fodder that doesn't seem to be in our future.

Marlins are my favorite team for the next half hour or so.

250 I get it. I'm slow this late.

Dang it, Armando Benitez. Even when he's not on the Giants, he still finds a way to not help the Dodgers. Walk-off to Eric Byrnes.