Dodgers Look To Get Offense In Geer

A night after Petco Park was filled with at least 70% Dodger fans -- the first time I can remember seeing more Dodger fans than Padre fans at a game in San Diego -- the Dodgers look to take game two on big Fox today.  Dick Stockton and Eric Karros will be on the call.

The Dodgers face a pitcher in Josh Geer that is winless with a 6.19 ERA in his last six starts.  However, for you quality start fans, Geer's last three starts have been of the "quality" variety.

At this time last year, Randy Wolf was a Padre.  He was not traded to Houston until July 22.  Wolf is coming off a rough June -- 0-2 with a 5.23 ERA in six starts -- and leads the majors in no-decisions with 11.

Manny Ramirez, who is "going to go day by day," is expected to start today, in a day game after a night game.

Today marks the halfway point in the season, Game #81

The Dodgers are 86-80-2 all-time on July 4.

Get your guesses in for our new July contest, "Clogging The Bases" here.

Baseball Reference Preview

After the jump, there are some pictures from last night's True Blue LA outing, with a brief recap...

• I lived in San Diego for 14 years or so, and over the years I have seen more than my fair share of Dodgers-Padres games.  I can never remember seeing as many as half the stadium filled with Dodger fans, but last night there had to be at least 70% Dodger fans.  It was kind of cool.
• I'll have to check my notes when I get home, but the Dodgers' record in San Diego with me in attendance is something like 10-21, so I cherish every win I see in person down there
• At two seperate times during highlight packages on the LF video screen, a clip of Kevin Kouzmanoff getting hit by a pitch was used as a "highlight."
• The view from our seats wasn't great -- deep in RF semi-blocked by the foul pole, but a fun time was still had by all
• The Petco radar gun was obviously pumped up, because one of Jonathan Broxton's pitches registered at 103 MPH
• Russell Martin must be energized by the ugly red caps.  The last time Martin drove in somebody other than himself was when he had two RBI in Colorado on Memorial Day, before his two RBI last night.
  
• I've found that heckling Padres fans who wanted to remind us that Manny Ramirez was a cheater didn't have much to say after the name "Ken Caminiti" was uttered.
• The last out of the game was made by a batter who has been suspended by MLB for 50 games, but Padre fans weren't happy because it was their catcher, Eliezer Alfonzo, and not Manny Ramirez
• We ran into DodgerTalk's own Ken Levine in the Gaslamp Quarter, and he was cool as always.  Then on our way back the car, we cross paths with Joe Torre.  Good times.
• Thanks to True Blue LA members BHSportsGuy, caesarbook, Jacob Burch, yodasbrthr, JJ24, and Alex Serena, and their family and friends for making it such a fun section to sit in

On to the pictures...

A few of us stopped at Hodad's in Ocean Beach for burgers before the game:

Then we sat in the all-you-can-eat section. Not smart:

Lots of Dodger fans in our section:

The Dodger dugout in the 1st inning:

Rafael Furcal had a good night, with four hits, a run, and a steal:

This is the point when I first noticed the awful red hats, on Ken Howell and James McDonald:

Another shot of the dugout:

Manny in LF:

Another shot from our seats.  Where is home plate again?

Manny in the on-deck circle:

again:

and again:

There aren't many things cooler than seeing this on the road:

Here's the scoreboard after the game.  Nary a Dodger highlight on the screen: