Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: The Worst Team Ever Projected?

Dodgers Race To Save Face, Put Their Ace On The Case

We were one day away from having an epic Clayton-on-Clayton showdown today, but our Clayton won't pitch until Friday at home.  The Dodgers instead will have to settle for handing the ball to their ace, Chad Billingsley, to face off against 25-year old White Sox lefty Clayton Richard.

Billingsley, who walked five batters in a no-decision Friday in Anaheim, has his second chance to tie Roy Halladay and Kevin Slowey for the major league lead with 10 wins.  Billingsley is also just three strikeouts away from 500 in his career.  He will become just the 12th Dodger with at least 500 strikeouts before his age 25 season (13th if you count Adrian Beltre's 503 batting strikeouts through age 24).

The Dodgers are 13-6 (.684) in day games this season.  Then again, they are 34-19 (.642) in night games, so maybe they're just good.  The Dodgers are 7-3 in "rubber games" this season, including winning their last four such games.

The Dodgers will give James Loney a day off today, as Mark Loretta will start at first base against the LHP Richard, says Bill Shaikin of the LA TimesBrad Ausmus will catch, and Russell Martin will be the designated hitter.

Here's a stat that should have been expected, but was still shocking to me when I saw it:   Russell Martin has started 23 of the last 26 games, and over that span he has one RBI.  That RBI came Saturday night in Anaheim when he knocked in himself.  He has come to bat with 55 men on base (25 at first, 22 at second, 8 at third) in his last 92 plate appearances, and none have scored during Martin's time at the plate.  The last time Martin drove in a teammate was on Memorial Day in Colorado, when he knocked in Dos Juans (Pierre and Castro) with a pair of singles.

Josh Fields, who hit two home runs while playing first base for Chicago Wednesday night, will start at third base today in place of rookie Gordon Beckham, says Adam Jahns of the Chicago Tribune.

Get your guesses in for "She Is Gone" here.

Baseball Reference Preview

Comment 13 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

Joe Torre is about to be a guest on the Dan Patrick Show

by Eric Stephen on Jun 25, 2009 8:05 AM PDT reply actions  

The Martin stat is just amazing

and yet he’s our DH today. I guess when your only skill is a walk it is hard to drive in a run unless the bases are loaded.

by meercatjohn on Jun 25, 2009 8:12 AM PDT reply actions  

J Mart

Missing the old Russell Martin with no J. Hopefully he can pick it up sometime this season, maybe since he wont be going to the all-star game this season, he can go home, refresh and start over. It’s been a long season of watching him replace Juan Pierre as the automatic out in the lineup.

by Alex Serena on Jun 25, 2009 8:21 AM PDT reply actions  

Martin DH

Don’t like it really. Just give him a day off. He’s not hitting very well anyway, so it’s not like we’ll desperately miss his bat. Should have left Loney in at first base (better defensively than Loretta) and let Loretta DH. At least Torre abandoned the idea of giving Martin a “day off” by playing him at 3rd.

by Michael White on Jun 25, 2009 8:24 AM PDT reply actions  

yeah that 3rd base experiment is over. Remember when they were discussing making Martin the permanent 3rd basement and signing a varitek like catcher in the offseason? it was just a rumor but just imagine what a nightmare that would’ve become.

by Alex Serena on Jun 25, 2009 8:29 AM PDT up reply actions  

I know. Considering if you wanted to make Martin a full time catcher you shouldn’t have given Navarro or Santana away for nothing.

/beats dead horse

by Michael White on Jun 25, 2009 9:24 AM PDT up reply actions  

mitch jones should start today…. we facing a left hander, which he kills, who throws mostly fastball, which he kills, and his off speed isnt that good which is good for mitch jones

by matthewmafa on Jun 25, 2009 9:40 AM PDT reply actions  

Hu

I’m wondering if he has any value left at all. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s shipped out but at this point he’s a throw in.

by silverwidow on Jun 25, 2009 9:53 AM PDT reply actions  

House Money lineup (courtesy of DT)

Juan Pierre, LF
Russell Martin, DH
Orlando Hudson, 2B
Casey Blake, 3B
Matt Kemp, CF
Mark Loretta, 1b
Mitch Jones, RF
Brad Ausmus, C
Juan Castro, SS

by silverwidow on Jun 25, 2009 10:08 AM PDT reply actions  

That is the worst lineup of the year. Going to have to change my “she is gone” pick.

Only 4 of today’s starters will be starting on June 3rd.

by Michael White on Jun 25, 2009 10:13 AM PDT up reply actions  

Mitch Jones gets his first HR today.

by Alex Serena on Jun 25, 2009 10:21 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yesterda I said the Sox lineup

was the weakest of the year and they bombarded us. I’m also going to change my She is Gone pick, Jones is going yard today but Kemp will beat him to it. I think this lineup will score some runs today.

by meercatjohn on Jun 25, 2009 10:25 AM PDT reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

A place for Dodger fans to congregate without spending $15 on parking.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

100_1427_small
Dodger Blogger Softball Tourney Update
2011-philly-game-me__2__small
2011 Dodgers Spreadsheet Project
Ed-ak286_scully_g_20091006143938_small
It is time to play - Name the BA Top 30

Recent FanPosts

Albatross_small
All-star predictions
Img_0247_small
Dodgers.com might have a job opening...
Small
Law Ranks Dodger System #12
Small
DODGERS -- 2 GREAT SEATS FOR SALE
Small
Joe Torre Horrow Show
Small
Are you the Biggest Dodger Fan?
P1010315_small
1st Trip to LA

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

2012 Dodgers Payroll

Italics denote estimates
Pos No Player 2012 Salary
C 17 Ellis $500,000 team control
1B 7 Loney $6,375,000
2B 14 Ellis $2,500,000
3B 5 Uribe $8,000,000
SS 9 Gordon $485,000 team control
LF 21 Rivera $4,000,000
CF 27 Kemp $10,000,000
RF 16 Ethier $10,950,000

IF/OF 6 Hairston $2,250,000
OF 10 Gwynn $850,000
2B/3B 3 Kennedy $800,000
C 18 Treanor $850,000
IF 12 Sellers $485,000 team control

SP 22 Kershaw $6,000,000
SP 58 Billingsley $9,000,000
SP 29 Lilly $12,000,000
SP 37 Capuano $3,000,000
SP 44
Harang $3,000,000

CL 54 Guerra $485,000 team control
RHP 74
Jansen $500,000 team control
RHP 55 Guerrier $4,750,000
RHP Coffey $1,000,000
RHP 66 MacDougal $650,000
LHP 57 Elbert $485,000 team control
RHP 36
Hawksworth $500,000 team control

TJ 41 De La Rosa $485,000 team control



Manny $8,087,432 deferred


Andruw $3,375,000 deferred


Pierre $3,050,000 deferred
Furcal $3,000,000 deferred
Kuroda $2,000,000 deferred
Garland $1,500,000 option buyout
Blake $1,250,000 option buyout

Totals
$112,162,432

For more detailed information, click here.

Players on 40-man roster used as roster
fillers until moves are made.

Current 40-man roster count: 40
(not including Belisario)

2012 Non-Roster Invitees

No Player Age*
63 Jose Ascanio rhp
27
61 Alberto Castillo lhp
36
60 Matt Chico lhp
29
35 John Grabow lhp
33
59 Angel Guzman rhp
30
47 Wil Ledezma lhp
31
72 Shane Lindsay rhp
27
62 Fernando Nieve rhp 29
73 Scott Rice lhp 30
70 Will Savage rhp
27
71 Ryan Tucker rhp
25

30 Josh Bard c 34
82 Griff Erickson c 24
81 Matt Wallachc 26
67 Jeff Baisley 3b/1b 29
62 Luis Cruz ss/2b 28
33 Josh Fields 3b 29
64 Lance Zawadzki if 27
56 Cory Sullivan of 32

*Age on June 30, 2012

NRI count: 19

For more info, click here.


Manager

Eric___ned___reporters_2011_trade_deadline_small Eric Stephen

Editors

100_1427_small Phil Gurnee

Dgy_small David Young

Hanauma_bay_small Chad Moriyama

2501_small Michael White

Raptors_small Brandon Lennox