Dodgers Order A Side Of Division Title With Breakfast
A funny thing happened on the way to the division title. A series of hits, grounders, and sloppy defense thwarted the Dodgers in attempt number one at clinching the division on Sunday. Luckily for the Dodgers they have the luxury of a big lead and have many more opportunities to get the job done.
Starting this morning. It is getaway day in Pittsburgh, so the Dodgers and Pirates will start at 9:35am this morning. What a way to start the work week.
Hiroki Kuroda takes the mound today, looking for his ninth win, which would match his total from last season. Kuroda has won his last three starts, and since returning from getting hit in the head he is 3-1 with a 2.16 ERA and 3.10 FIP in four starts.
Zach Duke pitched very well at Dodger Stadium 13 days ago, allowing only two runs in 7.1 innings in a no-decision. However, since the beginning of August, Duke is 1-6 with a 6.28 ERA and 4.93 FIP over nine starts.
Over his last 17 road games, James Loney is hitting .362/.472/.672 with five home runs, 15 runs batted in, and 13 runs scored.
Rafael Furcal has an 11-game hitting streak, and a 20-game streak of reaching base via hit or walk.
Garrett Jones, who has hit 20 home runs for the Pirates since being called up on June 30, is hitting .333/.424/.556 in September. He will definitely get some votes for NL Rookie of the Year.
Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported that Chad Billingsley will start Tuesday, followed by Jon Garland Wednesday in San Diego. Vicente Padilla will be available in the bullpen on either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on whether you choose to read Gurnick's interpretation or that of Dylan Hernandez in the LA Times.
Barry Bloom of MLB.com speculates that Ned Colletti will not return to the Dodgers in 2010 unless he receives a multi-year contract (thanks to BHSportsGuy for the link). Colletti currently has a mutual option for 2010. However, I really wanted to link to this blog post by Bloom for the Bob Dylan reference.
The Rockies are off today.
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Don't forget to RSVP for True Blue LA Day at Dodger Stadium, on the next-to-last day of the regular season, October 3 against the Rockies. There are three tickets left.
Get your guesses in for our today's "One, Two, Three Strikes, You're Out," here.
Game Time: 9:35am
TV: Prime Ticket
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McCourt can save money by letting Colletti go
As a first-time GM, Ng will command less salary. Truly though, I’d be surprised if Ned and Frank don’t reach an agreement; after all, McCourt, in 2007, called Ned the best decision he’d made as owner of the Dodgers. I can’t imagine the playoff appearances have changed his opinion, although he can’t be happy about a couple of the large contracts he handed out.
Colletti is gone
Ng gets the job, unfortunately that probably means White is gone too…
by Michael White on Sep 28, 2009 7:53 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree. I think a contract gets worked out.
by Eric Stephen on Sep 28, 2009 8:18 AM PDT up reply actions
I was going to make a joke ...
… that the AP lead for yesterday’s game would be something like:
"For the second time on the current road trip, Andre Ethier committed an error to allow the winning run to score, this time thwarting the Dodgers from clinching …"
But when I read the AP story it is less funny. But check out the first four paragraphs "By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer":
PITTSBURGH (AP)—This should have been so easy for the Dodgers: Jonathan Broxton on the mound, a three-run lead in the ninth inning against the dismal Pirates and an NL West title to celebrate as soon as they closed it out.Instead, easy turned into excruciating as Los Angeles let a victory slip away when the majors’ second-worst team pulled off a four-run rally aided by several defensive lapses.
Right fielder Andre Ethier misplayed Lastings Milledge’s two-run single for an error that allowed the winning run to score, and last-place Pittsburgh beat the Dodgers 6-5 to prevent Los Angeles from clinching the NL West title on Sunday.
“You’ve got to get 27 outs. That’s why baseball’s a little crazy sometimes,” said shortstop Rafael Furcal, who committed one of two Dodgers errors in the ninth
I suppose the lead on a game like this has to the walk off play, but it’s a little funny that the first error mentioned isn’t the biggest one.
He’s getting them out of the way before the playoffs this year :)
by Eric Stephen on Sep 28, 2009 7:48 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
RT @RobBiertempfel: #Pirates v. #Dodgers 9/28: McCutchen 8, LaRoche 5, Jones 3, Doumit 2, Milledge 7, Moss 9, Young 4, Cruz 6, Duke (10-15, 4.06) lhp
by Eric Stephen on Sep 28, 2009 7:47 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
#Dodgers @ #Pirates 9/28: Pierre lf, Hudson 2b, Ethier rf, Kemp cf, Loney 1b, Lorretta 3b, Ausmus c, Castro ss, Kuroda (8-6, 3.65) rhp
I figure Blake is sitting to protect his hamstring because the sprinklers were on and the field has a few drops of water on it :)
by Eric Stephen on Sep 28, 2009 8:05 AM PDT up reply actions
kemp needs a day off
and i am actaully glad belliard is not playing today at 3rd because he played some of the worst 3rd base defense i have Ever seen in my life
Belliard probably would be playing today if he wasn’t hurt.
by Eric Stephen on Sep 28, 2009 8:38 AM PDT up reply actions
How did Belliard hurt himself yesterday in the 9th? Was it on his single, or running the bases after? I caught the condensed game on my phone, but that part was missing.
Was listening on radio. Steiner said he took a particularly aggresive turn on a singe and pulled up right away.
by Michael White on Sep 28, 2009 8:09 AM PDT up reply actions
Thanks. Yesterday was a rare game where I had no audio nor video. I was following on my phone, and when it was 5-3, Gameday got stuck on “in play, run(s)” for a while, and I figured the worst had happened. Then it finally switched to 6-5. Sadness.
by Eric Stephen on Sep 28, 2009 8:11 AM PDT up reply actions
Hate seeing Furcal getting player of the week
after boctching those ground balls. I know he hit the shit out of the ball this week but I still blame him for changing the complexion of the Phillie series.
BELLIARD
Man we need Blake back because while they both only have the range of 3rd base of their body length at least Casey has a long body length compared to stubs.
While the loss certainly sucked, I am having a hard time getting worked up because the division is all but clinched and we still have a large lead on best NL record. I’ll postpone my anger for yesterday until after Sunday if we don’t get the best record in the NL :)
by Eric Stephen on Sep 28, 2009 8:24 AM PDT up reply actions
Oh I couldn't care less about the loss
just hate seeing fail in the 9th and screwing up big Jon’s success rate.
I guess Furcal smashed his glasses in frustration in the locker room after the game. I’m sure he has another pair, but it would be sort of funny if he happened to play today and make a misplay because the sun was in his eyes. :)
by Eric Stephen on Sep 28, 2009 8:25 AM PDT up reply actions
Per the pregame show
Casey Blake is in California getting his hamstring treated by Dr ElAttrache. Sounds like just a precaution, and he will join the team in San Diego.
So did anyone talk yesterday
about Stiener commenting that the Pirate clubhouse guys wanted the Dodgers to clinch because they have never had anyone clinch since the new park opened. How sad is that.
I did hear that on the pregame. They made the Pirates employees almost sound giddy at the thought of a glimpse of success in their house.
by Eric Stephen on Sep 28, 2009 8:23 AM PDT up reply actions
If Belliard never plays again this year
I just want to thank him for making Sept much more fun then it would have been watching Hudson and his limp wrist flail away. We haven’t had a wrist that limp since Glenn Burke patrolled CF.
Wow. We’re starting off this week with a zinger.
by Eric Stephen on Sep 28, 2009 8:26 AM PDT up reply actions
For all those USC fans who weren't going to go to the True Blue game
because you thought you were going to see the Pac 10 game of the year, have fun watching two teams already saddled with one loss while a special guest visits us and we knock the Rockies out of the playoffs.
Way to go...
How about for those TBLA members who are missing both events due to their mother getting married?
Eric
we should do a quick poll on the GM question
Should the Dodgers?
1. Sign Ned Colletti to a multi – year deal
2. Let Ned walk and give the skirt a shot
3. Let Ned walk and whitewash the front office
I just put up today’s simulation. Perhaps someone could do me a favor and give me the Vegas ML for the Dodgers game and the Phillies game. Those lines weren’t available when I left for work very early this morning. The links is at my blog and click on the “Vegas Odds” link, and I need the ML for both games. Thanks.
vr, Xei
Lineup oddity
Today’s house money lineup features the four players who made up the Dodger bench for most of the season.
This is only the fourth game that all four of Pierre, Loretta, Castro, and Ausmus have started. Two of the other three were during Manny’s suspension, and were all Dodger wins in day games:
May 3 vs SD: 7-3 win
May 17 at Fla: 12-5 win, the Kershaw no-no through 7 (and Mota turning point game)
July 1 vs Col: 1-0 win, the final game of the Manny suspension
The 6-1 spots aren’t intimidating.
Watch, they will combine for 7 hits or something. :)
by Eric Stephen on Sep 28, 2009 9:10 AM PDT up reply actions

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