A Showdown In The Desert
by Eric Stephen on Aug 14, 2009 3:00 PM PDT
in Dodgers Game Previews
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PrintClayton Kershaw has allowed zero runs in seven of his last 11 starts. Yet he has only won three of those seven games.
Dan Haren can empathize, as he posted a 1.89 ERA after three starts this year yet an 0-3 record to show for it. Haren has five "tough losses" this season, which are losses despite pitching a quality start. However, Haren over the last few weeks has been merely human, allowing 17 runs (16 earned) in his last 23 innings.
Tonight, the two starters face off in Arizona as the Dodgers and Diamondbacks open a three-game series at Chase Field in Phoenix. The Dodgers have a 32-13 record against the NL West this season.
Since May 1, Kershaw has an MLB-best 1.87 ERA, and over his last four road starts has allowed only one run on 13 hits and 13 walks in 27 innings.
Weird stat of the day: Haren has not been removed mid-inning in any game all year. The last time he handed the ball to his manager and made the lonely walk back to the dugout was last August 9, a span of 32 starts.
Rafael Furcal has reached base in 23 straight games, matching his longest streak of the season. Over those 23 games, Furcal is hitting .301/.354/.417 with 17 runs scored.
After having an amazing two-month stretch during which he allowed only one run over 34.1 innings, Guillermo Mota has really come crashing down to Earth. In his last eight appearances, Mota has allowed runs in five of them, compiling a 9.95 ERA. Over that stretch, opposing batters have been licking their chops to the tune of .345/.441/.759 against him.
The Dodgers expect Orlando Hudson, limited to one pinch at-bat over the final two games in San Francisco with a strained groin, to return to the starting lineup tonight, so says Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Today, Mark Loretta turned 38 and Juan Pierre turned 32 years old.
The Dodgers just finished their second stretch of 20 games in 20 days. Here's a quick overview of each 20-game set, with the stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com:
| Dates | W-L | RS | RA | BA/OBP/SLG | ERA | FIP | WHIP |
| April 21 - May 10 | 12-8 | 102 | 87 | .274/.362/.393 | 4.15 | 3.87 | 1.344 |
| July 24 - August 12 | 8-12 | 89 | 88 | .286/.350/.402 | 3.83 | 3.85 | 1.319 |
We are having our first True Blue LA day at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, September 19 against the Giants. If you are interested, please post a comment here.
Get your guesses in for "Just A Bit Outside" here.
Game Time: 6:40pm
TV: KCAL
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After today
we’ll probably have seen the Cy Young winner in the last two games. If the Dodgers can walk away with a win, that will be more than anyone else can say.
"Andre Dawson has a bruised knee and is listed as day-to-day.... Aren't we all?"
by Mr. LA Sports Fan on Aug 14, 2009 3:26 PM PDT reply actions
who has a lower ERA after todays game
Clayton Kershaw or Dan Haren?
I am not a fan of being older than Juan Pierre.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 14, 2009 3:36 PM PDT up reply actions
Dodger Lineup, from Rawitch:
Furcal, SS
Martin, C
Ethier, RF
Manny, LF
Blake, 3B
Loney, 1B
Kemp, CF
Hudson, 2B
Kershaw, P
You know there are some Rockies fans
are saying the Dodgers will miss the playoffs completely? Lol.
http://www.purplerow.com/2009/8/10/983597/2009-nl-wild-card-the-los-angeles
That article says Broxton was on the DL
He was never on the DL. He did miss a couple of games to let his toe heal, but he was never placed on the 15-day. Big, big difference.
"Andre Dawson has a bruised knee and is listed as day-to-day.... Aren't we all?"
by Mr. LA Sports Fan on Aug 14, 2009 4:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah
That’s the first thing I said to them in a post I made. He never missed more than like 3 games…maybe.
He had seven days off between July 10 & July 18, but 3 of those days were the All-Star break, so he only missed four games.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 14, 2009 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions
Vladdy just got a hit
with the pitch bouncing on the ground before it hit his bat lol
by SeanMillerSavior on Aug 14, 2009 4:16 PM PDT reply actions
Is that counted as a hit?
You wanna know how great baseball is? The greatest basketball player ever left his sport to play baseball.
Rule 2.00 (Ball) Comment: If the pitch touches the ground and bounces through the strike zone it is a "ball." If such a pitch touches the batter, he shall be awarded first base. If the batter swings at such a pitch after two strikes, the ball cannot be caught, for the purposes of Rule 6.05© and 6.09(b). If the batter hits such a pitch, the ensuing action shall be the same as if he hit the ball in flight.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 14, 2009 4:35 PM PDT up reply actions
nice start for Jered
only 11 batters in the 1st
by stillnotah8er on Aug 14, 2009 4:41 PM PDT up reply actions
Dan Haren on my fantasy team.
I normally have a policy of benching opposing pitchers. Should I start him?
You wanna know how great baseball is? The greatest basketball player ever left his sport to play baseball.
It could very well be a 0-0 tie in the ninth
Though no pitcher would receive a decision.
"Andre Dawson has a bruised knee and is listed as day-to-day.... Aren't we all?"
by Mr. LA Sports Fan on Aug 14, 2009 4:37 PM PDT up reply actions
By the way
That’s an amazing picture at the top of this article that Jim Prisching took.
You wanna know how great baseball is? The greatest basketball player ever left his sport to play baseball.
Curse you Mota you tricked me with those 34 scoreless innngs into believing you were a major league pitcher but I won’t make that mistake again.
Release Mota!
It's always darkest just before it goes pitch black.
we should release broxton too
for being horrible the last month too then? and troncocso?
Vin might not retire after 2010.
Since this is Scully’s 60th year it had been speculated he might retire after this one. But Scully made it clear that won’t be the case.
“In my conversation with Bill Plaschke the subject of one more year came up and I said ‘that makes sense,’ Scully told me Sunday. “But I regret that I said that.”
The fact is Scully hasn’t made a decision on how much longer he’ll work.
“And if I did make a decision I wouldn’t reveal it,” Scully told me. “It would be proper for the Dodgers to make the announcement.”
http://www.smmirror.com/MainPages/DisplayArticleDetails.asp?eid=10763
josh johnson of the marlins
is KILLING the Rockies… 4 innings of perfect ball with 8 Ks!!!! at one point he struck out 7 of 8 batters he faced!!!!
Wandy Rodriguez is getting messed up right now.
Just gave up 8 runs on 5 hits, 3 walks, and he’s got 3 K’s in the FIRST INNING! And it only took him 42 pitches.
You wanna know how great baseball is? The greatest basketball player ever left his sport to play baseball.
thats not even the worst line of the night
take a look at the young Charlie Morton for the Pirates
by SeanMillerSavior on Aug 14, 2009 5:42 PM PDT up reply actions
ryan braun
hes going to beat shawn greens record of Total bases in a game. he has 8 in 2 innings so far… just 11 more to go… they are both jewish lol
johnson gives up a homer to break up the no hitter
to one of the worst hitter vs RHP in the MLB
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