Dodgers Week 16 In Review: Pinch Me, I'm Dreaming

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The Dodgers were able to string together a winning week, thanks to a couple of memorable events.  On Monday, Jason Schmidt made his return to MLB after 765 days, and was somehow able to get a win after it looked like wouldn't get out of the first inning against the Reds.  Alas, by the end of the week it appeared Schmidt's carriage tuned back into a pumpkin, but for one night it was a nice story anyway.

Then on Wednesday, Manny Ramirez provided on of the most memorable moments of the season with his pinch-hit grand slam to shock the Reds, one night after leaving the game after being hit by a pitch on the left hand.

Dodger Batter of the Week:  Manny Ramirez had an amazing week, including by far the top moment, but this award has to go to Andre Ethier, who was scorching hot all week.  Ethier had 12 hits in 22 at-bats, good for a .545/.630/1.045 batting line.

Dodger Pitcher of the Week:  Randy Wolf had an excellent start against the Reds, pitching 7.1 innings on Tuesday, allowing only two runs.  Outside of the two Jason Schmidt starts, the other Dodger starters all provided a quality start this week.  Honorable mention goes to Jonathan Broxton, who retired all nine batters he faced en route to picking up a win and a save on the week.

Week 16 Record:  4-2
38 runs scored (6.33 per game)
27 runs allowed (4.50 per game)
.665 pythagorean winning percentage

Overall Seasonal Record:  62-36 (.633)
491 runs scored (5.01 per game)
381 runs allowed (3.89 per game)
.624 pythagorean winning percentage

The Bobbleslam: One of the most memorable moments of the season happened on Wednesday night.  One night after being hit by a pitch in the hand, Manny Ramirez was not in the starting lineup in the series finale against the Reds.  In the sixth inning, with the score tied at two, the Dodgers loaded the bases with one out, and Mark Loretta was pulled back from in the on-deck circle in favor of Ramirez, much to the delight of the sold out crowd.  Did I mention it was Manny Bobblehead giveaway night?

The crowd stood and cheered for a few minutes, as the Reds were making a pitching change.  Nick Masset threw one pitch to Ramirez, who deposited a line drive into the "Mannywood" section in left field to give the Dodgers a 6-2 lead and, eventually, the win.  Ramirez moved to within two grand slams of all-time leader Lou Gehrig by hitting the 21st of his career.

Coming Through in a Pinch:  Dodger pinch hitters, notably Mark Loretta, started of the season on fire, with 13 hits in 28 at-bats in April,  hitting .464/.516/.536.  However, they have been in a horrible slump ever since.  From May 1 until Manny's Bobbleslam, Dodger pinch hitters had 15 hits in 90 at-bats, for a line of .167/.257/.278.

Going Streaking:  Andre Ethier hit .545/.630/.1.045 for the week, and had a stretch of eight straight plate appearances reaching base.  Over those plate appearances, Ethier did this:  single, double, double, walk, double, single, single, walk

Worst Burglars Ever:  Matt Kemp was able to successfully steal second base on Sunday, but for the week the Dodgers were only one for six in stolen base attempts.

Transactions:  Just one transaction this week, but it was a significant one:

• Monday: Scott Elbert was optioned to Albuquerque to make room for...
  
• Monday:  Jason Schmidt was activated from the 60-day disabled list, to make -- and win -- his first major league start in over two years.
  

Upcoming Week:  The Dodgers hit the road this week, starting with a four-game set in St. Louis to face the newly-fortified Cardinals lineup featuring recent pickups Matt Holliday and Julio Lugo.  The Dodgers play the weekend in Atlanta, including the ESPN Sunday Night Game of the Week.  The Dodgers are expected to face some tough pitching this week, including Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Joel Pineiro, Tommy Hanson, Derek Lowe, and Jair Jurrjens.

Week 16 Stats