Dodgers Use Bison Power To Light Up The Win Column

by Eric Stephen on Jun 13, 2009 9:53 PM PDT in Game Recaps Comment 15 comments

If you look closely, you can see a Bison roaming in the distance.

After five innings tonight, the game was a scoreless tie, and it looked like it would take an extraordinary event for the Dodgers to score a run. At that point, the Dodgers hadn't scored a run in 22 innings, while the Rangers hadn't given up a run over 24 innings. Then, with visibility waning and a light fixture out due to a breaker malfunction, the game was temporarily suspended.

The 101-minute delay was all the Dodgers needed, as they tallied three runs over the next two innings, including a Matt Kemp go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning, as they snapped a two-game losing streak, beating Texas 3-1.

Randy Wolf was brilliant for the Dodgers, allowing only two hits and a walk during his five scoreless innings. However, thanks to the nearly two-hour delay, both Wolf and Rangers' starter Scott Feldman left after their five innings. The Dodgers scored a run in the sixth, thanks mostly due to the second throwing error of the game by catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, allowing Juan Pierre to advance from first to third base on a stolen base attempt. Orlando Hudson also advanced to third on a nearly identical play in the fourth inning, but did not score.

Cory Wade entered the game in the sixth inning with a 1-0 lead, and got the first two outs on deep fly balls. The third time was not a charm in this case, as Andruw Jones deposited a Wade offering into the right field stands for his sixth home run of the season. Jones now has more total bases this season than he did all of last season, in 110 fewer plate appearances. The home run meant another no-decision for Randy Wolf, who leads the majors with nine no-decisions on the season.

After a Mark Loretta walk in the seventh inning, Matt Kemp launched a Jason Grilli pitch over the 390 marker in left-center field, giving the Dodgers their winning margin. Kemp, batting ninth for the first time in his career, had two hits in his (only) three plate appearances. Over his last 22 games, Kemp is hitting .372/.424/.538.

Jonathan Broxton returned from the birth of his first son, Jonathan, to retire the Rangers in order for his 15th save. Broxton has recorded at least one strikeout in 25 of 28 appearances this season, and has struck out 50 batters this season, a whopping 14.52 per nine innings.

I thought this was cool: because of the delay, the Rangers are allowing fans with a ticket for tonight's game to exchange it for a ticket to a game on July 5.

The Dodgers, trying for a series win and a winning week Sunday, will send Chad Billingsley to the mound to face Derek Holland.

WP - Cory Wade (2-3): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run

LP - Jason Grilli (0-1): 1 IP, 1 hit, 2 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Sv - Jonathan Broxton (15): 1 IP, 1 strikeout

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We used Russell Martin's struggles to our advantage

From the Dallas Morning News:

Grilli said the home run ball was a mistake pitch. He was trying to throw the same pitch he struck Russell Martin out on.

Silly Grilli, you can’t fool The Bison that easily.

by Eric Stephen on Jun 13, 2009 10:00 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

“It feels so good to be back in California,” he said. “I hadn’t been back to L.A. since I played for the Dodgers. When I arrived at LAX there were some people who were looking like, ‘Is that Lima?’ I got the feeling what I did was special. Then I went to a Dodgers game and up on the Jumbotron they showed video from 2004. It was Lima Time again! I was so happy I was breaking out in sweat.”

by Tripon on Jun 13, 2009 11:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs