Dodgers Tab Kershaw To Balance The Seesaw

Torre can not keep burning the bull-pen.

Kuo (back-to-back last two nights), McDonald (two innings), and Sherrill (31 pitches, longest outing of season) are out tonight.

Also, who knows what is up with Sunday now, so Weaver and Elbert might be out too.

Which leaves the bullpen tonight as:

Mota (off last night; probably available for 2 IP tonight)
Troncoso (11 pitches last night, off Thursday)
Broxton (23 pitches last night, off Thursday)

So, yes, a long outing from Kershaw would be appreciated.

I’m thinking 9 IP, 0 hits, 0 walks, 30 strikeouts (with 3 passed balls of course) :)

Sounds like nothing, but I’m throwing it out there!

Ausmus is starting tonight.

Furcal, SS
Ethier, RF
Manny, LF
Kemp, CF
Loney, 1B
Hudson, 2B
Abreu, 3B
Ausmus, C
Kershaw, P

It’s hard to have perspective when you are experience something as opposed to reflecting upon it, but it SEEMS like there has been more whining, carping and complaining about the Dodgers than I’ve ever seen for any sports team, relative to performance. The last part is key; of COURSE people have complained more- look at how Yankee fans were screaming after the first month- but given how good the Dodgers have been, it seems like no one, other than maybe Manny, is protected from being pummeled by the fans these days. The Russell Martin thing I can KIND of understand, as he has underperformed dramatically relative to his past. But ever since everyone caught Halladay-fever, it seems to have really got out of hand, as if not selling half the franchise for this pitcher (who has struggled lately, by the way) was a sign that the Dodgers don’t want to win. Billingsley’s not a gamer, Broxton can’t be trusted, Elbert doesn’t have major league stuff (as another poster showed earlier, take a look at Halladay’s numbers at 23 years old, if you want to see someone who allegedly didn’t have major league stuff), and oh, did you see those 3 strikeouts and error by Loney? Awful. Just awful. Trade the whole team, besides Manny, Kemp and Ethier- until Ethier finds another month to hit below .200, of course. Then get rid of him, too. Maybe Milton Bradley is still available! (Hey, with some Dodger fans interested in signing Giambi, why not Milton, too?)

Let’s all just relax, at LEAST until the end of the San Francisco series. And if they don’t do well there, THEN we can get the torches out! :))

RT @mlbbowman: Braves lineup:Church 8, Prado 4, Anderson 7,Escobar 6, Diaz 9, LaRoche 3, Ross 2, Hernandez 5, Kawakami 1

for a True Blue forum. When Kemp goes yard into the Loge, the guy in the Fernando jersey is going to get that ball.

Love the lineup tonight. Don’t fail me now Tony.

And while the Dodgers and Angels have signed their top picks, both teams have some work to do a little further down their draft lists. Teams lose the right to negotiate with any draft pick not signed by midnight on Aug. 17, and of the 51 players the Dodgers took, 21 remain unsigned, including Kansas high school pitcher Garrett Gould, one of the team’s two second-round picks. But Logan White, the Dodgers’ assistant general manager for scouting, thinks a last-minute deal will be worked out.

“It’s going to go down to the wire,” White said.

Mississippi State first baseman Connor Powers, an 11th-round pick, is the only other selection from the top 19 rounds still unsigned, and the Dodgers are unlikely to reach terms with him.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-bb-line9-2009aug09,0,422930.story

I don’t mind losing Connor Powers. He’s already 21, and the Dodgers already have some middling prospects at 1st base in the minors. Why add another one.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/P/Connor-Powers.shtml

My prayers have been answered.

No McLouth, Chipper, McCann or KJ (who i said couldnt hit $h!t last night…just for him to hit a 2 run bomb…sorry.)

Church hasnt hit leadoff…ever.
David Ross doesnt have a hit in 2 months (well, he might have one or two, but thats it.)
Diory Hernandez got so lucky with his pinch hit last Saturday, im still wondering about it.
And Kawakami is either brilliant or horrible. Nothing in-between is acceptable.

Should be an interesting game.

Can you say, Esteban Loaiza? :)