New York, New York

The Dodgers started off a ten-game road trip by winning the opener against the New York Mets 7-6. The seven runs scored by the Dodgers represents about a weeks worth of runs scored here lately and I am hoping they didn't use it all up. Aaron Harang (7-5) hung around long enough to get the win and Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth to get his 17th save. Sometimes watching the Dodgers bullpen labor through the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings is like watching a car wreck and this game was no different. Matt Kemp hit a homer, his 14th, in his second straight game and it is paramount for the Dodgers for him to get rolling again. Shortstop Luis Cruz hit his first major league homerun off Johan Santana of the Mets and I have to admit, I know very little about Luis Cruz and I had to do a little bit of research. He looked good in spring training from what I saw of him but so do a lot of players I never hear from again. He can play a variety of positions in the infield. He had previous experience with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee Brewers and I didn't realize he is as big as he is (6'2" and 220)and he has showed some pop in his bat in the minors, hitting 9 homeruns last year at Round Rock in the Pacific Coast League and hitting 8 homeruns thus far at Albuquerque this season before the call up. He became the Dodgers shortstop by default when Dee Gordon got hurt.