Category Archives: Game Threads

For discussion of today’s game

Sep 29

Five to go

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It’s Blanton v. Chatwood today at 5:00PM PDT in Dodger Stadium. Blanton’s had little success since coming over to the Dodgers from the Phillies, posting a 1-4 record with a 5.57 ERA in nine starts. In his last start he showed some improvement, giving up one run in 5 2/3 innings against the Reds and getting a no-decision for his trouble. Chatwood is 5-5 with a 5.49 ERA this season, but he too had a pretty good game his last time out, giving up two runs on three hits over 5 2/3 innings to the D-Backs and getting the win.

The Cardinals’ magic number is three. The Dodgers have to win and hope the Nationals can do their part by beating St. Louis this evening. The Nats send out Jordan Zimmermann against the Cards’ Kyle Lohse.

Lineup:

Punto 2B .345
Ethier RF .285
Kemp CF .303
Gonzalez 1B .276
Ramirez SS .251
Victorino LF .252
Cruz 3B .306
Ellis C .268
Blanton P

Gameday

Sep 28

Six to go

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Kershaw v. Francis on Prime Ticket @ 7:10pm PDT.

I’m still nervous about Kershaw’s continuing to pitch with a diagnosed hip impingement. All we can do is hope that the Dodgers’ medical staff, coaches and front office know what they’re doing when they sign off on allowing him to do so.

Francis had a wonderful year in 2007, helping the Rockies to their only World Series appearance as he went 17 – 9. Since then he’s played for the Rockies, the Royals, and back to the Rockies, and he’s been essentially mediocre. This year he’s 5 – 6 with a 5.54 ERA.

Lineup:

Ellis, M, 2B
Cruz, L, 3B
Kemp, M, CF
Gonzalez, A, 1B
Ramirez, H, SS
Ethier, A, RF
Victorino, S, LF
Ellis, A, C
Kershaw, C, P

Gameday

My attention may be diverted a little this evening, as the U of Hawai’i plays Brigham Young University in Provo beginning at 2:00PM HST. The Dodgers game starts at 4:10PM HST, so I can see a full half of football before I have to worry about Kershaw.

Late news: The Dodgers have sent Stefan Jarrin, Jaime’s grandson, to the Phillies as the PTBNL in the Victorino deal. Young Jarrin hit .209 with three homers and nine RBIs in 26 games for the rookie-level Arizona Dodgers.

Sep 27

Game Thread 9/27/12

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It’s Capuano v. Kelly and the devil take the hindmost!

Maybe more later. There’s a medical problem today which may entail a trip downtown, so I thought I’d put this up before anything later kept me from doing so.

Lineup:

Punto, N, 2B
Ethier, A, RF
Kemp, M, CF
Gonzalez, A, 1B
Ramirez, H, SS
Victorino, S, LF
Cruz, L, 3B
Ellis, A, C
Capuano, C, P

Gameday

Oh, by the way, the Reds beat the Brewers in the ninth with a walkoff triple after a home run tied the game 1 – 1 and a single followed that. That leaves the Brewers 1/2 game back of the Dodgers and 4 back of the Cardinals for wild card #2.

Sep 26

Game Thread 9/26/12

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Nobody told me today’s game was at 12:35pm HST!

The Dodgers send Aaron Harang out to do battle with Clayton Richard. Harang hasn’t won a game since August 18 (not a surprise; if commenter scooplew’s math is correct, yesterday’s game was the 20th consecutive one in which the Dodgers’ starter did not get a win). Meanwhile, Richard’s been on a roll. In his last eight starts he’s 6-1 with a 3.25 ERA.

The game is televised by Prime Ticket today, so I’ll have an opportunity to watch. I’ll post the lineup later when Mattingly tells the media who’s starting.

Lineup per Eric Stephen @ True Blue LA via Twitter:

Victorino RF
Herrera LF
Kemp CF
Gonzalez 1B
Ramirez SS
Cruz 3B
Punto 2B
Treanor C
Harang p

Victorino was a late scratch. Here’s the new lineup:

Herrera, E, LF
Punto, N, 2B
Kemp, M, CF
Gonzalez, A, 1B
Ramirez, H, SS
Cruz, L, 3B
Rivera, J, RF
Treanor, M, C
Harang, A, P

Sep 25

I’m hip, baby!

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Actually, I’m probably not. But Jerry Hairston’s hip is, and the condition he had is the same as the one Kershaw’s described as having: a hip impingement. Here’s what repairing that involved:

The procedure is arthroscopic, but not minor. His left leg was placed in traction to separate the leg from the hip far enough for arthroscopic tools to enter the joint. The torn labrum was repaired and an irregularity in the head or neck of the femur that caused the impingement was shaved to allow for smooth rotation in the joint. When the ball and socket don’t fit properly, friction tears the labrum.

Having undergone surgery recently myself, I’m inclined to think there’s no such thing as minor surgery if it’s being done on your own body, and that certainly doesn’t sound minor to me. Separating the leg from the hip via traction? Ouch!

Today’s game pits Josh Beckett against Edinson Volquez. If you can rely on history (doubtful), Beckett ought to be favored. He’s 5-1 with a 2.16 ERA in six career starts against the Padres, which sounds good, but the last time he pitched against them was five years ago. I’m pretty sure the entire Padres roster has flipped in those five years.

It’s a KCAL game, so I’ll have to rely on Gameday and you folks for game action. Let this be the game thread.

Lineup:

Ellis, M, 2B
Ethier, A, RF
Kemp, M, CF
Gonzalez, A, 1B
Ramirez, H, SS
Victorino, S, LF
Cruz, L, 3B
Ellis, A, C
Beckett, J, P

Gameday

Sep 23

Game Thread 9/23/12

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Gratuitous Giants video, only because a) it’s a helluva play and b) Kung-Fu Panda is actually blowing a bubble when he takes off after this foul ball!

When ESPN scheduled this game for its final Sunday Night Baseball game of the season, I’m sure it thought it would have a bearing on at least one if not two division titles. As the season went along, I imagine they felt pretty good about it until the All-Star break, when the Dodgers’ injuries were starting to mount up. After the past month of Dodger futility, by now the guys in charge of baseball programming in Bristol are all saying “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!”

Lineups aren’t out yet, but Ken Gurnick reports at Dodgers.com that Kershaw has been cleared to pitch tonight.

If it were me managing, I’d say “Clayton, you’ve had a very good year, but the likelihood of us going into the playoffs isn’t going to be increased if you pitch anymore this season. Unless we start to hit, there’s no reason to risk you hurting yourself permanently. Sit down and rest that hip.”

Lineup:

Ellis, M, 2B
Ethier, A, RF
Kemp, M, CF
Gonzalez, A, 1B
Ramirez, H, SS
Cruz, L, 3B
Herrera, E, LF
Ellis, A, C
Kershaw, C, P

Gameday

Sep 22

Dodgers Game Thread 9/22/12

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The Dodgers’ win last night kept the Reds from clinching the NL Central, but the successor to the Big Red Machine gets another chance today. Any combination of a Reds win or a Cardinals loss gives the Queen City its second division title in three years after fifteen years without one.

Young Mr. Fife takes his 2.49 ERA up against the likes of Votto and Phillips as well as two Old Friends today: Messrs. Paul and Navarro are in the lineup for the Reds. The game is on Big Fox TV.

Lineup:

Ellis, M, 2B
Ethier, A, RF
Kemp, M, CF
Gonzalez, A, 1B
Ramirez, H, SS
Cruz, L, 3B
Rivera, J, LF
Ellis, A, C
Fife, S, P

Gameday

If you need something to divert you before the Dodgers game, it’s OSU at UCLA at the Rose Bowl this afternoon.