Yasiel Puig Versus Baseball Tradition

Yasiel Puig showed off his youthful exuberance for the game of baseball last night when he hit a triple off the top of the right field wall last night by flipping his bat while he was still at the plate (because he probably thought he had hit it out) but he still had the speed to make it to third base. He played up to a home crowd when he reached third base as well. Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran was very outspoken about Puig's actions after the game. Puig had been 0 for 11 with 7 strikeouts before he hit the triple. Is it because Puig is a Rookie and hasn't earned the respect of the veteran's in baseball? When Adrian Gonzalez hit the double down the right field line to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, he showed some emotion after he slid into second base. No one has said a word about that. I remember back in the late '70's when Reggie Jackson "earned" the moniker "Mr. October", he thrived on controversy. He showboated, he demanded to be the center of attention, and he thrived in the spotlight whether it was good or bad. I remember the World Series in which Reggie hit the three homeruns and on the last homerun it took him about an hour to round the bases. The play in which he stuck his hip out and deflected the ball when he was caught in the rundown was more controversy. Reggie was revered by the fans and the press alike. It's a good thing ESPN wasn't around back then. Jackson was a 10 year veteran by this time and I think his actions were much worse than Puig's show of enthusiasm. I guess that is the difference between a 10 year veteran and a Rookie.

A Calculated Risk

Pitching Clayton Kershaw on three days was a calculated risk by the Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly. Kershaw had thrown 124 pitches in his Game One win. He did not want the series to go back to Atlanta and Kershaw wanted the ball. He pitched well enough to win (2 unearned runs in six innings with six strikeouts) but he got them deep into the game without having to go too deep into their bullpen. Kershaw only gave up one earned run in 13 innings with 18 strikeouts against the Braves with an ERA of 0.69. The comparisons to Sandy Koufax have been inevitable throughout Kershaw's young career and their is a great pic of Kershaw and koufax embracing in the locker room after the game. Koufax has become a mentor to Kershaw over the past couple of seasons and the friendship has really paid off for the Dodgers.

The Longest Bunt In Dodgers History

Juan Uribe's failure to get a bunt down in the bottom of the eighth inning worked out pretty well for the Dodgers. Uribe's two-run homerun to deep Left Field gave the Dodgers a 4-3. Kenley Jansen closed the door in the top of the ninth inning to clinch the Dodgers 3-1 series win over the Atlanta Braves. Carl Crawford hit two homeruns, giving him three in the four game series, to provide the rest of the Dodgers offense. Clayton Kershaw pitched 6 innings, giving up 2 unearned runs, on only three days rest. Ronald Belisario gave up a run to leave the Dodgers trailing 3-2. Brian Wilson, the Beard, Mohawk and all, got credit for the victory. Yasiel Puig's hustle double on a hard roller down the first base line to lead off the eighth set up Uribe's heroics. Say what you want about Puig but he didn' even slow down on that hit to Right Field. For most anyone else, that would have been a leadoff single or a 9-3 putout at Second Base. The Dodgers take on the Cardinals-pirates winner in the NLCS.

Kershaw Rolls On

The Clayton Kershaw train rolled on in the first game of the NLDS last night in the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves last night. He struck out 12 in 7 innings giving up only one run. Brian Wilson and kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless inning a piece to finish it out for the Dodgers. The Dodgers scored the first 5 runs of the game in the first four innings before the Braves could get on the board. The big blow was a two run bomb to Centerfield by Adrian Gonzalez off Braves starter Kris Medlen in the third inning. Catcher A.J. Ellis had two doubles and a RBI and Hanley Ramirez, Mark Ellis, and Skip Schumaker also drove in runs. There was an article in the USA Today about the electric but sometimes erratic play of Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig yesterday but last night it was all electric. He hustled from first to third on a single to center and he doubled off Braves baserunner Gattis with a catch and throw from Right Field. You cannot doubt Puig's natural ability or his enthusiasm for the game.

A Nice Day For A Swim

The Dodgers locked up the National League West yesterday with a 7-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The celebration started on the field when Skip Schumaker secured the last out in Left Field in the bottom of the ninth inning, continued in the Dodgers locker room with the popping of champagne and some dance moves by Yasiel Puig, and then carried over to the swimming pool that sits beyond the right Center Field fence in the Diamondbacks park. Some of the Dodgers were jumping into the pool (fully clothed)and splashing around and jumping back out. Evidently the Diamondbacks had asked them not to do this before the game and the Dodgers probably would not have even thought about it until the Diamondbacks asked them not to. The big story should be the Dodgers won the National League West not that they went swimming. Some of the Diamondbacks took exception to the swim, most notably Willie Bloomquist, and referred to it as a "classless" act. Reliever Brandon McCarthy responded on Twitter that the Diamondbacks needed to work on what would win them the National League West next season rather than what the Dodgers did after the Dodgers won the West this season. William L. Marcy, a Senator from New York, first said in 1832 "to the victor belongs the spoils." The Dodgers won and can celebrate however they would like to and at least they did it with style. I hope Willie Bloomquist enjoys watching the Dodgers in the playoffs.

Reds And Diamondbacks And Dodgers, Oh My!

The Dodgers got swept by the Reds last weekend which in the greater scheme of things really, did not mean that much. The Reds needed the wins much more than the Dodgers at this point and time in the season but I am looking at any potential Playoff matchup. The Reds still have to leapfrog either the Pirates or the Cardinals to win the Wild Card spot or even winning the National League Central is not out of the question. The Dodgers have taken the first two games from the Diamondbacks with 8-1 and 5-3 wins and have shown some rarely seen power for this season. In the 8-1, win Juan Uribe went deep three times and Adrian Gonzalez hit his 20th. Starter Ricky Nolasco improved to 8-1 with the Dodgers, 13-9 overall. In Last night's 5-3 win, Pinch Hitter Scott Van Slyke hit a two run walk off homer in the 11th inning to seal the deal. It gave reliever Chris Withrow his third win of the season against no losses. Newly signed Edinson Volquez had a solid showing in his second start for the Dodgers. The Dodgers now own the largest lead, 13 games, of any team in baseball with only 18 games to go in the season.

Rocky Mountain High

Clayton Kershaw got his 14th win in yesterday's 10-8 win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field but it was Kershaw's second bad outing in a row. Kershaw hasn't historically pitched well at Coors Field with a career ERA of now over 5 and this game was no different. This being Coors field, he was still able to pick up the win. He gave up 5 runs in 5 innings and gave up a career high 11 hits. Kershaw helped his own cause by going 2 for 2 at the plate and drove in a pair of runs. The offensive stars were Andre Ethier (3 for 4 and his 11th homerun and 3 RBI's) and Juan Uribe (3 for 5 and 2 RBI's) and the defense turned 4 Double Plays behind Dodger pitching. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth inning, giving up a solo homerun before earning his 25th save. Yasiel Puig left the game in the sixth inning when he strained his knee but Manager Don Mattingly said he was going to held out of Tuesday's game anyway. That gives the Dodgers a 12 1/2 game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks with 25 games to play.

September Roster Moves

The Dodgers were able to expand their rosters to a max of 40 on September 1st and they quickly recalled five players from Albuquerque. They recalled Shortstop Dee Gordon, Outfielder Scott Van Slyke, Starter/Reliever Stephen Fife, and Relievers Peter Moylan and Chris Withrow, who will be recalled on Tuesday when he is eligible. All five have spent time with the Dodgers this year with the exception of Drew Butera who was acquired from the Minnesota Twins on July 31st. The most interesting and important acquisition they made over the weekend was acquiring infielder Michael Young from the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league pitcher Rob Rasmussen, one of the Dodgers Top 20 Prospects according to dodgers.com. They are not looking to supplant the Dodgers infield rotation or Juan Uribe at Third Base, but Young can play multiple positions, provide veteran leadership, and be a quality right-handed bat off the bench.

Another Series, Another Sweep

The Dodgers swept the San Diego Padres this weekend and with 26 games to go, hold an 11 1/2 game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Zach Greinke was the pitching star in yesterday's 2-1 win, going 7 innings and giving up two hits and the one run, striking out 7 and walking 2. He improved to 14-3 on the season. He also had a hit and is batting .347 and even stole his second base on the season. He went in with the head first slide, beat a good throw, and is the first pitcher on the Dodgers since Orel Hershiser in 1987 to have two stolen bases in a season. Yasiel Puig hit his 14th homerun in the bottom of the 6th inning to provide the winning margin. Kenley Jansen closed it out for his 24th save.

Carl Crawford Vs. The Boston Red Sox

The media seems to have turned the three game series versus the Boston Red Sox into Carl Crawford versus the Boston Red Sox. Carl Crawford basically said before the series that he really didn't enjoy his time in Boston for whatever reason and he really wanted to win all three of these games pretty badly. Just about every player would say that about his old team. This series is much bigger than a Carl Crawford grudge match. The Dodgers are now leading the National League West by 10 1/2 games over the Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston is fighting it out with Tampa Bay over the leadership of the American League East. Boston and Tampa are virtually tied for first place. Now the Dodgers have to be thinking about potential World Series matchups. The Dodgers won game one of the Boston series 2-0 behind Ricky Nolasco (10-9). He allowed 2 hits in 8 innings and Kenley Jansen closed them out in the 9th for his 22nd save. Nolasco got all the run support he needed from Hanley Ramirez who hit his 13th homerun, a two run shot to center field in the 4th with Carl Crawford on second. Crawford had two of the Dodgers three hits and stole two bases. He is playing to win all three of these games.

Better Late Than Never

Yasiel Puig was late yesterday for the Dodgers game against the Marlins, was benched and fined, and made a late game appearance and hit the game winning homerun in the top of the 8th inning. The homerun was his 12th and the RBI was his 28th. His heroics are to many to number. Chris Withrow (2-0) picked up the win with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Kenley Jansen came on to pitch a scoreless 9th and earn his 20th save.

A Streak In The Wrong Direction

The Dodgers lost their second game in a row last night for the first time in a couple of months, this one to the Miami Marlins 6-2. Hyun-Jin Ryu (12-4) pitched well enough to win (7 1/3 innings, 3 earned runs) but the offense fell short again. Juan Uribe had 3 of the Dodgers 6 hits, including an RBI. The Dodgers ran into a hot pitcher, Marlins rookie Jose Fernandez (9-5) and potential Rookie of the Year, who gave up 1 earned run in 6 innings, only giving up 3 hits and striking out 8.

The Streak Ends

A couple of Hanley Ramirez errors in the ninth inning, including a potential inning ending double play, allowed the Philadelphia Phillies to score the winning run in a 3-2 loss on Sunday afternoon. Starter Ricky Nolasco pitched a solid game, 6 innings, 2 earned runs, but reliever Brandon League absorbed the loss (6-4). The Dodgers offense consisted of Andre Ethier's solo homerun, his 9th and he scored both runs, the second on a Jerry Hairston, Jr., RBI single. The bottom half of the Dodgers lineup-Ethier, Van Slyke, and Hairston all had 2 hits- had 7 of the Dodgers 8 hits. That loss ended the Dodgers 10 game winning streak and dropped their lead in the National League West to 7 1/2 games.

Still Rolling

The Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies last night 5-0 behind Clayton Kershaw's 8 shutout innings. He improved his record to 12-7 and dropped his ERA to 1.80. The Dodgers offense was powered by Juan Uribe's 9th inning three-run homer, his 7th. That homerun kept Kershaw from pitching the 9th as he gave way to Brandon League. Kershaw even drove in his 7th run on the season with a 5th inning double. The Dodgers are 42-8 in their last 50 and are 22 games over .500 for the first time this season. They maintained their 8 1/2 game lead on the Arizona Diamondbacks.

A Streak Like No Other

The Dodgers are on a winning streak like no other in Dodgers history. They are 41-8 since they were 30-42 at their lowest point of the season. They were behind 9 1/2 games to the Arizona Diamondbacks at that point. They have now built a 8 1/2 game lead in the National League West. Their current winning streak is nine straight. They swept the Tampa Bay Rays, one of the Contenders in the American League East, last weekend. They won an improbable 7-6 game in which they were behind 6-0 and won 7-6 in extra innings when Rays reliever Fernando Rodney took a one hopper and potental game emding double play and fired it into centerfield, allowing Adrian Gonzalez to score the winning run. They beat Mets wunderkind and potential Rookie of the Year, Matt Harvey, in a sweep of the Mets. Hanley Ramirez comes back from missing nine games and stayed just as hot as he did before he got hurt. No matter who they plug into the lineup to replace hurt regulars, they hit like future Hall of Famers, Skip Schumaker and Nick Punto are prime examples of that. Schumaker had a 4 RBI game against the St. Louis Cardinals and Punto hit his second homerun of the year against the New York Mets. Punto got to celebrate his homerun with television and movie star Danny De Vito. De Vito was wearing his Nick Punto #7 Dodgers jersey and De Vito might also be one of the few people that Punto towers over.

Back With A Vengeance

The Dodgers got back on the winning track with a vengeance in a 13-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Carl Crawford knocked out Cardinals starter Shelby Miller with a line drive off his pitching elbow on the second pitch of the game and Miller's night was over. The Dodgers scored 6 runs in the second inning off of pitching replacement Jake Westbrook and they ran away with it from there. Andre Ethier and Skip Schumaker had 3 hits and 4 RBI's a piece, Carl Crawford had 4 hits and Tim Federowicz had 3.The Dodgers totalled 18 hits but only three of them went for extra bases. Dodgers starter Ricky Nolasco went 5 innings, gave up 3 runs (0 earned) to improve to 8-9 on the season, 3-1 since being acquired by the Dodgers.

All Things End Eventually

The Dodgers finally lost a road game the other night to the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 and Clayton Kershaw was once again the victim of a lack of run support. Kershaw (10-7) pitched well enough to win (6 innings, 2 runs) but Brandon League came in and did his thing to the tune of 1/3 of an inning, giving up 3 runs and 2 homeruns. The Dodgers had 9 hits but could only push across 1 run, Adrian Gonzalez driving in Carl Crawford in the 6th inning. Crawford and Nick Punto had 2 hits a piece and that was about it for the Dodgers offense. 15 road wins in a row has been the longest streak since the San Francisco Giants won 16 in a row in 1916 and I ssomehow knew it was going to end in St.Louis. That streak is very impressive nonetheless, and they still have two games left in St. Louis before returning home.

Two More To Go

The Dodgers won their 15th road game in a row over the St. Louis Cardinals last night 3-2. Zach Greinke went 6 1/3 innings and gave up 2 runs to get the win (9-3). He also drove in what proved to be the deciding run with a 7th inning single, giving him a .405 Batting Average. He shouldn't have wasted his time in the American League. Andre Ethier and A.J. Ellis drove in the other two runs in the 4th inning. Yasiel Puig was back in the lineup and went 1 for 4 with a run scored but he did strikeout twice. Paco Rodriguez came on and pitched the last two innings for his second save on the season. Rodriguez has only given up one run since June 5th. Kenley Jansen needed a day off.

Sweeping The Cubbies

The Dodgers did not exactly knock the cover off the ball (2 hits, 1 run) but it was still enough to win 1-0 and improve their road winning streak to 14 games. Catcher A.J. Ellis drove in Hanley Ramirez with the the games only run and Rookie starter Stephen Fife (4-3) pitched 5 1/3 innings in his return from the Disabled List to get the win. Kenley Jansen closed the door by striking out the side in the ninth and earned his 17th save. Chris Withrow continued his strong pitching in middle relief with 1 2/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.51 on the season in 11 games and 14 1/3 innings. It seems that Withrow has been on the Dodgers top prospect list since he was drafted in the First Round, #20 overall in the 2007 player draft. He had been mostly a starter in his minor league career until being converted to a full-time reliever this season in Albuquerque. The more the wins pile up, it seems the longer the Disabled List gets. The Dodgers lost Hanley Ramirez to a shoulder injury making a defensive play in the 7th inning. In the Cubs series, they lost Yasiel Puig and Ramirez and they lost Matt Kemp in the series before. They move on to St. Louis next.

Lucky 13

The Dodgers won their franchise record 13th road game in a row last night with a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Just when I was ready to write Dodgers starter Chris Capuano off, he comes up with his second great start in a row. He scattered 6 hits over 6 1/3 inning, struck out 5 and walked 1. He improved his record to 4-6. The Dodger offense was supplied by Carl Crawford's 3 hits and a 2 RBI single in the 6th inning and Yasiel Puig and Andre Ethier had 2 hits a piece. Puig left the game in the 8th inning after making another sliding catch and the Dodgers are calling it a left thumb "contusion." It is not known if he will miss any time. Brandon League, Ronald Belisario, and Paco Rodriguez got the game to closer Kenley Jansen who saved his 6th game in the 13 game winning streak and his 16th overall.

Scattered And Smothered

I had to borrow this headline from the Waffle House menu. Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu gave up 11 hits but only 2 runs in 5 1/3 innings in yesterday's 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs but he hung around long enough to get his 10th win on the season. The Dodgers offense was led by Nick Punto's 2 RBI's and Yasiel Puig, who was on base 4 out of the 5 times he was at the plate. He had 2 singles, a walk, and was hit by a pitch and drove in a run. Puig also threw himself all over Wrigley Fields' outfield grass making one sliding catch, barely missed on an all out sprint into the right center field gap in which the ball popped out of his glove, and a missile of a throw from right field to Juan Uribe at third that almost nailed a sliding Junior Lake. A lot of people in baseball and in the press are questioning Puig's attitude and his respect for the game but you really cannot question his effort between the foul lines. He is raw and he makes his share of mistakes but the potential is unlimited. Manager Don Mattingly and Second Baseman Mark Ellis were not around to see the end of the game as they got tossed by Home Plate Umpire Alan Porter for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the fourth inning. Porter's strike zone was inconsistent all game and he called Ellis out on a pitch that was outside. Even the Cubs announcers commented that Porter gave Ellis a quick hook and Mattingly even a quicker one. In Mattingly's argument with Porter in defense of Ellis, the replays looked like Porter and Mattingly came in contact with each other. It looked to me like Porter initiated the contact. I am sure Major League Baseball's League Office will be taking a look at that one.

11 In A Row

The Dodgers notched their 11th consecutive road victory last night 6-4 over the Chicago Cubs. All four of the Cubs runs came via solo home run- 2 each by Junior Lake and Anthony Rizzo. Dodgers starter Ricky Nolasco gave up 3 of the home runs but stuck around long enough to get the win, (7-9 overall and 2-1 with the Dodgers) by lasting 5 innings, giving up 4 hits, 3 runs, and he had 6 strikeouts. He was pulled in the top of the sixth for pinch-hitter Jerry Hairston, Jr. who delivered a two-run single and the go ahead runs. He probably inherited that skill from his father. Adrian Gonzalez later drove in Hairston from third after a Yasiel Puig double and Puig added an insurance run in the ninth with his 11th homerun. Four Dodgers relievers combined to pitch 4 innings of one run baseball. J.P. Howell, Chris Withrow, Paco Rodriguez (who gave up Anthony Rizzo's second home run), and Kenley Jansen, who struck out the side in the ninth for his 15th save. Hanley Ramirez drove in the first two Dodgers runs with a third inning double.

Can I Get A Little Run Support?

I would love to see what Clayton Kershaw's record would be if he could get a little bit of run support. As it is, He pitched 8 shutout innings against the New York Yankees last night, striking out 5 and scattering 5 hits, and lowering his ERA to 1.87. The Yankees scored 3 runs in the top of the ninth, only one earned, and Ronald Belisario absorbed the loss (4-6). Yankees starter and former Dodger Huroki Kuroda, matched Kershaw pitch for pitch and the Dodgers only had 6 hits of their own, 2 each by Andre Ethier and A.J. Ellis. The Dodgers move on to play the Chicago Cubs next.

Beatin' The Yankees

I love watching the Dodgers beat the Yankees. I don't even care if it is in Spring Training. I still remember how much grief I took in the 6th and 7th grades in 1977-78 when the Yankees beat the Dodgers in those two World Series. I got a small measure of revenge in 1981 when the Dodgers got their measure of revenge but it wasn't as sweet because it was a strike-shortened, tainted victory. Mark Ellis hit a "duck snort" (a phrase used by White Sox announcer Ken "Hawk" Harrelson) over Yankees Shortstop Derek Jeter with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Dodgers a 3-2 win over the Yankees. Andre Ethier singles and stole second base allowing for Ellis' heroics. The Dodgers are 10-1 since the All Star break. Zach Greinke went 7 innings and only gave up two runs but closer Kenley Jansen got the victory by pitching a scoreless ninth. Juan Uribe hit the only homer for the Dodgers, his 6th.

One More Rag Armed Reliever

The news came across today that the Dodgers have signed former San Francisco Giants and Amish Farmer look a like Brian Wilson to a one year contract. Maybe the Dodgers did not have enough rag armed relief pitchers with astronomic ERA's and needed one more to fill out the bullpen. Granted Brandon League, Carlos Marmol, and Brian Wilson were all top relievers within the past couple of years. It does not take much to lose it as a relief pitcher. Very few relievers can maintain stay on the top of their game as long as Mariano Rivera or in the past a Rollie Fingers, Lee Smith, or Bruce Sutter. I hope the Dodgers have pulled one off the scrap heap in Brian Wilson but I only see him pitching in middle relief at the most.

Yasiel Does It Again

Yasiel does have his redeeming qualities. Yesterday in the series finale against the Cincinnati Reds, Yasiel Puig struck out three times, was picked off of first base, and was caught stealing for the 5th time and walked once for good measure. In the bottom of the 11th inning, he launched a walk off home run, his 10th of the season, into the left field bleachers to give the Dodgers a 1-0 win and their 9th win in ten games since the All Star break. In his youthful exuberance from hitting the game winning home run, he slid into home plate to place an extra emphasis on the victory. In so doing, he broke the unwritten baseball code of showing up the other team. The Los Angeles Dodgers do play the Reds one more time in Cincinnati in early September and Yasiel had better be prepared to be ducking fastballs his first couple of at bats. The Dodgers got a great effort from starter Chris Capuano (6 2/3 innings, all three Reds hits) and and 4 Dodgers relievers combined to pitch 4 1/3 innings of hitless relief. Brandon League (6-3) pitched two scoreless innings to earn his third win in the last week and acquiring Carlos Marmol seems to have greatly improved League's pitching. The Cincinnati Teds had only had 3 hits in 11 innings and the Dodgers only had 5 so it is a good thing Puig hit that home run or they still might be playing.

Pitching Rules The Day

The Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds last night 4-1 behind the pitching of Hyun-Jin Ryu (9-3). He went 7 innings, gave up 2 hits, allowed one run (a second inning solo homer by Jay Bruce), and struck out 9 qhile walking only 1. Hanley Ramirez got the Dodgers scoring started in the bottom of the first inning with an RBI double and Skip Schumaker broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the 5th inning with a two-run homer (his second home run in less than a week). Adrian Gonzalez added an insurance run in the 7th with an RBI single (his 65th RBI). The Dodgers relievers came in and pitched two innings of hitless relief(Ronald Belisario-2/3, Paco Rodriguez-1/3, and Kenley Jansen- 1 inning). Jansen earned his 14th save. You have to love the versatility of the Dodgers team. Skip Schumaker batted leadoff in this game and the Dodgers have become a team of interchangeable parts. Over a 162 game season, that is what it takes to win a pennant.

Back On Track

Any time the Dodgers need to recover from a loss, giving the ball to Clayton Kershaw is a good bet to get back on track. After a 5-2 loss to Matt Latos and the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night, Clayton Kershaw with some help from Hanley Ramirez, beat the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 last night. Kershaw went 8 innings, scattering 6 hits and giving up one run, and struck out 8. Ramirez hit a two run homer, his 11th, in the bottom of the sixth to provide all of the scoring Kershaw and the Dodgers would need. Kenley Jansen came on in the ninth, struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced, and earned his 13th save on the season. Yasiel Puig is starting to struggle a little bit now as he struck out 3 out of the 4 at bats he had last night. ESPN showed all three of his strike outs and the fristration he showed in the dugout after the last one as part of their baseball highlight package and that is really unfair to a young player. Almost all players show their frustration at some point and time but partly because of Puig's skill set and partly because of his rapidly growing bad reputation as a prima donna, every move he makes is magnified and broadcast for the world to see.

The Dodgers Bench

The Dodgers bench this season has been a good mixture of veterans who can play multiple positions and rookies who have been in the revolving door between Albuquerque, Chattanooga, and Los Angeles. I was most impressed with utility man Nick Punto. It seemed like every time the Dodgers scored an important run against the Toronto Blue Jays, Punto was at the top of the Dodgers dugout steps being the first player to congratulate the player that had just scored. He can play multiple positions with third base being his natural position but he gets the occasional start, he's a defensive replacement, and he can come off the bench as a pinch hitter from either side of the plate. Veterans Juan Uribe, Skip Schumaker (who hit his first home run of the season in the Toronto series) and Jerry Hairston, Jr., have performed the same functions. Several rookies and young players-Yasiel Puig, Scott Van Slyke, Tim Federowicz, Dee Gordon, and Justin Sellers- have made key contributions in between shuttle runs between Albuquerque and Los Angeles. Puig is the only one that seems to be here to stay. During the Toronto series, I was impressed to see Puig sitting between two veteran players, Uribe and Hanley Ramirez, when he was out of the lineup and he was cutting up with the two of them and didn't seem anywhere near the arrogant player that has been portrayed in the press. Now if they could just get him to lay off that pitch just off the plate with two strikes.

I Can't Wait To Get On The Road Again

I had to borrow from the lyrics of music icon Willie Nelson as the Dodgers won their 10th straight road game, their most since 1954, and two shy of the franchise record of 12 in a row set in 1924. They beat the Toronto Blue Jays last night 8-3 in 10 innings as Mark Ellis hit his 5th homerun, a two run homer in the top of the 10th and Yasiel Puig followed with his 9th homerun. The Dodgers tacked on two more runs on an Andre Ethier double to win going away. Ethier had 4 hits and Puig 3 to lead the Dodgers offense. Brandon League (5-3) got the win for the second game in a row. I hate to see the Dodgers leave Toronto. They scored 32 runs in 3 games and the ball seemed to jump out of the Rogers Centre. The Dodgers won the final two games in come from behind fashion.

Mounting A Comeback

The Dodgers trailed the Toronto Blue Jays 8-3 after 6 innings last night but came roaring back to secure a 10-9 win in gaining their fifth victory in a row. Jerry Hairston, Jr., and Andre Ethier hit solo home runs for the Dodgers and Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run homer in the 8th inning that gave the Dodgers the lead. Chris Capuano had another subpar start for the Dodgers (4 1/3, 5 runs), Carlos Marmol, pitching in his first game as a Dodger, came in and poured gasoline on the fire (1 2/3, 3 runs), but Brandon League (2/3, 0 runs) pitched long enough to get the win (4-3). Kenley Jansen came in to nail down his 12th save but made it interesting by giving up a run on 2 hits and a walk in the 9th. Mark Ellis, Ethier, and Gonzalez all drove in 3 for the Dodgers. By adding Carlos Marmol to the roster, the Dodgers added another reliever that is very shaky on his best day. The Dodgers are in a pennant race now and I hope they are not betting the race on the chance that Marmol and Brandon League can regain their form from a couple of years ago.

North Of The Border

The Los Angeles Dodgers broke out the bats last night in a 14-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. They had three four run innings (2nd, 6th, and 7th) fueled by Catcher A.J. Ellis' career night at the plate. Ellis went 4 for 6 with one home run, 5 RBI's, and 3 runs scored. Skip Schumaker, playing rightfield, had his first homerun on the season in the 7th inning with two on and Carl Crawford had 2 RBI's. Hyun-Jin Ryu did not have his best game of the year and it was his first game action since July 10th. He went 5 1/3 innings and gave up 9 hits and 4 runs. That is the beauty of run support. You don't have to be at your best every game when your team is scoring a lot of runs. Ryu improved his record to 8-3. The Dodgers are 4-0 since the All-Star break and moved into sole posession of first place.

The Kershaw Leap

In Football there is the Lambeau Leap and in Baseball, there is now the Kershaw Leap. In the top of the fifth inning with the Dodgers holding a commanding 9-1 lead, one of the Washington Nationals hit a screaming line drive towards third base. Nick Punto, all 5'9" of him, leaped high into the air to snag the line drive. The replay showed Clayton Kershaw leaping high into the air at the same time Punto did like he was going to catch the line drive himself. His eyes were glued on Punto the entire time and it was like he was willing Punti to catch the ball. That kind of passion displayed by Kershaw was just a natural display of a desire to win in a game, for all practical purposes, that was already over. He dispalyed that same sort of passion when he struck out twice, swinging at bad pitches. The Dodgers scored 7 runs in the top of the second on the strength of a lead off solo home run by Matt Kemp his 5th, fresh off the Disabled List, and a three-run home run by Hanley Ramirez, his 10th, both off hanging sliders from Nationals' starter Jordan Zimmerman. Matt Kemp ended up 3 for 4 with 3 RBI's, but twisted his ankle making the final out of the top of the 9th. It was a meaningless play in what ended up being a 9-2 win and now Kemp is going to miss even more time. Clayton Kershaw (9-6) pitched 7 innings, allowing 2 hits (both long, solo home runs by ex-Dodger Jayson Werth) and struck out 9 with no walks. Kemp, Carl Crawford, and Mark Ellis all had three hits and Kemp and Ramirez had 3 RBI's a piece. The Dodgers handed Jordan Zimmerman his first home loss on the season.

Making Their Push Now

The Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals last night 3-1 in 10 innings and are only 1/2 game out of first place in the National League West. Zach Greinke pitched a great game, pitching out of trouble in several innings including a bases loaded, one out jam in the bottom of the first. He did not factor in the decision. He went 6 innings, gave up 1 earned run, and also went 2 for 2 at the plate. The Dodgers used 6 relievers to pitch the next 4 innins and the only reliever that did not get in the game was Brandon League. Chris Withrow (1-0) earned his first major league win by pitching a scoreless bottom of the ninth inning. Hanley Ramirez drove in Adrian Gonzalez with a double in the top of the tenth inning and he later scored on Andre Ethier's sacrifice to provide the final score. Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless bottom of the tenth inning for his 11th save. Ramirez went 3 for 5 for the game. Yasiel Puig went 0 for 5 amd is now 0 for 9 with 5 strike outs since the All-Star break. Matt Kemp should be coming off the Disabled List within the next few games to give the Dodgers their full compliment of outfielders in a couple of months.

Getting The Second Half Off To A Good Start

The Dodgers got the second half of the season off to a good start on the road by beating the Washington Nationals 3-2 last night. Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run homer (his 9th) over the right centerfield fence in the top of the third inning off of Nationals ace Stephen Strasborg that drove in Adrian Gonzalez to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. Ramirez may hit the hardest homeruns in the the major leagues because that ball left the field in a hurry. Andre Ethier hit his 6th homerun in the top of the ninth off of Nationals closer Rafael Soriano that barely cleared the rightfield fence to provide the winning margin. Kenley Jansen got the save with a scoreless bottom of the ninth, striking out two. Ricky Nolasco got his third start of his Dodgers tenure and he went 5 1/3 innings, giving up 2 earned runs, and Jose Dominguez (1), Paco Rodriguez (1 1/3), and Ronald Belisario (1/3), all came in and pitched scoreless relief in support of Nolasco. Belisario (4-5) got credit for the win. Yasiel Puig may have gone 0 for 4 in the game but he made the defensive plan making a running catch of a foul ball in the right field corner, crashing into the fence and holding on to the ball.

All Star Break Starts Early

The Dodgers offense started their All Star break about three games early as they only scored 2 runs in losing 2 of 3 to the Colorado Rockies. Ricky Nolasco (6-9) was pinned with the loss yesterday giving up all 3 runs in 5 innings. The Dodgers could only muster 6 hits (Schumaker and Van Slyke had 2 a piece) and Adrian Gonzalez had the only RBI, his 59th. Former Asheville Tourist Jhoulys Chacin (9-4) pitched 6 innings for the win.

Sometimes One Run Is All You Need

Hanley Ramirez drove in Skip Schumaker with a ground out to Shortstop in the top of the first inning yesterday and Starter Zach Greinke made it hold up. Greinke threw a two hit shutout, striking out 9 and walking 1, and improved his record to 8-2. The Dodgers could only muster four hits of their own against Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood (one of those by Zach Greinke and he also stole a base- a rarity for pitchers) as he pitched a complete game as well. The Dodgers will go into the All Star break with a .500 record at worst and considering they were 30-42 on June 22nd, that is a remarkable recovery considering the fact that Matt Kemp has only played a little over half a season, and not at full strength at that.

The Train Gets Derailed

The Train that has been the Los Angeles Dodgers got derailed a little bit last night. The Colrado Rockies shut the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw out 3-0 in which the Dodgers could only manage 4 hits. Kershaw had 10 strike outs in 7 innings but he gave up all three runs. His record dropped to 8-6 and his ERA "jumped" to 1.98.

Capuano Catches The Fever

Chris Capuano came through with a great start last night (6 1/3 IP, 6 hits, 0 runs, and 8 K's) to keep the Dodgers hot streak alive and well. He improved his record to 3-6. Mark Ellis provided almost all of the offense for the Dodgers going 3 for 4 with 4 RBI's from the leadoff position. Its seems like a different player is coming through for the Dodgers every night. The Dodgers are 16-3 since June 22, the best record in the majors over that span, and are 46-45 on the season.

Gutting Out A Sweep

The Dodgers gutted out a tough 14 inning win over the Arizona Diamondbacks last night, 7-5. Hanley Ramirez and A.J. Ellis both hit homeruns in the top of the 14th after Adrian Gonzalez was singled in by A.J. Ellis in the top of the 9th to tie the game at 5. Hyun-Jin Ryu did not have his best outing of the year, giving up 5 runs in 5 innings, but the Dodgers bullpen really held down the fort. They only gave up 2 hits in 9 innings in relief. This was highlighted by the best outing of Chris Withrow's young career, going 3 innings, only giving up 1 hit while striking out 3 and walking 2. Kenley Jansen (3-3) went the last two innings for the win. Hanley Ramirez was the hitting star for the Dodgers going 3 for 6 with 3 RBI's. The win also allowed the Dodgers to pull even at .500 with a 45-45 record. Chris Capuano stays in the rotation with Stephen Fife going to the 15 day Disabled List and he opens against the Colorado Rockies tonight.

A Successful Debut

Ricky Nolasco showed why the Dodgers gave up three pitching prospects for him last night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He pitched 7 innings, gave up 4 hits and one run, and struck out 5 with no walks. Nolasco also went 2 for 2 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI. That gives Dodgers pitchers 5 straight hits. I wonder what the record is? Adrian Gonzalez carried the big bat with 3 RBI's giving him 57 on the season. With the big push on to get Yasiel Puig put on the National League All Star team, Adrian Gonzalez got overlooked and he has been the Dodgers Offensive MVP thus far this season. Andre Ethier and Skip Schumaker both had 2 hits and Andre Ethier has boosted his batting average up to .272 over the past couple of weeks.

Greinke On The Mound And At The Plate

Zach Greinke did the job on the mound and at the plate last night. His stat line read 7 innings pitched, 2 hits allowed, 7 strikeouts, and 2 walks. He also went 3 for 3 at the plate with a run scored, raising his season average to .370. Puig had 2 hits, Hanley Ramirez had 3 with an RBI, Ethier had 3 with an RBI, and A.J. Ellis had 2 more RBI's. It was an important series opening win versus the National League West leading Diamondbacks. Newly acquired Ricky Nolasco makes his Dodgers debut versus the Diamondbacks tonight and he is now in a pennant race. It will be interesting to see how he reacts.

Better Late Than Never

Clayton Kershaw (8-5) hung around long enough to get the win as Catcher A.J. Ellis hit a bases clearing double in the top of the ninth inning to give the Dodgers a 4-1 win over the San Francisco Giants and to take two out of three. Kershaw pitched 8 innings, 1 earned run, and struck out 3. Kenley Jansen held down the ninth for his 9th save. Yasiel Puig had quite the game as he was the rave of ESPN's Baseball Tonight. He went 2 for 4 with a run scored and a stolen base and a stellar defensive play in right field. He is also up for the final vote (is this starting to sound like survivor?) to get on the National League All-Star team as is First Baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Clayton Kershaw is the lone Dodger representative.

Madison Bumgarner Owns The Dodgers

Madison Bumgarner beat the Dodgers again last night 4-2 but he had a lot of help from the Dodgers. They committed almost as many errors as they had hits (3 to 4) and only had Tim Federowicz's two run homer two show for run support behind Stephen Fife (3-3). Fife went 4 1/3 innings and only gave up one earned run but the errors helped to end his day early. Yasiel Puig had his worst game as a pro going 0 for 4 with 4 strikeouts. It will be interesting to see how he handles that and how he adjusts his next game out.

A Juan Uribe Sighting

Juan Uribe appeared as a major contributor on the stat sheet last night for the first time since he has been a Los Angeles Dodger. Seeing him stuffing the stat sheet is as about as rare as a Big Foot sighting or seeing my ex-wife cooking in the kitchen. Uribe had a double, a bases clearing triple that chased Giants starter Matt Cain, and his 5th homerun and totaled 7 RBI's. He fell a single short of the cycle, a rarity for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Only two others in Dodgers history- Wes Parker in 1970 and Orlando Hudson in 2009- have hit for the cycle. More importantly for me is that was the 4th win in a row over the San Francisco Giants and their 11th win in 13 games. Hyun-Jin Ryu went 6 2/3 IP and only gave up 2 runs and improved his record to 7-3. He also drove in a run. The bottom third of the Dodgers batting order Uribe, A.J. Ellis, and Ryu) accounted for 9 of the 10 Dodger RBI's. He had pitched in 5 straight games without a decision. Isn't run support a beautiful thing? The sudddenly brittle Matt Kemp hurt his shoulder in his first at bat of the game but finished the at bat, drawing a walk. He was removed after that for precautionary reasons and Carl Crawford, in his first game back from the Disabled List, finished the game for him. Since the game was not in doubt in the ninth inning, the Dodgers gave Brandon League an inning to work and he pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth.

Lit Up Again

I had to borrow this title from the rock group Buckcherry but in Coors Field, we are talking about a completely different kind of lit up. Chris Capuano got lit up for the second start in a row (4 1/3 IP, 5 runs), Brandon League came in and poured gasoline on the fire (1/3 IP, 2 runs) and the Dodgers never really in the game after holding a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning. The Dodgers wasted a 4 hit, 2 RBI night by Adrian Gonzalez and 2 RBI by Matt Kemp. It is about time to call it quits on the Brandon League experiment. He lost his closers job about three weeks ago, His ERA has ballooned to 6.37 after yesterdays outing and it will be interesting to see what happens since the Dodgers claimed Carlos Marmol off of waivers from the Chicago Cubs. Marmol has always been an enigma as he has had great stuff, he just has had a hard time harnessing it. Maybe the Dodgers should have traded League for Marmol.

An Old Fashioned Coors Field Kind Of Game

The Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies last night 10-8 in what I would describe as an old fashioned Coors Field kind of game. The Dodgers grabbed a quick one run lead in the top of the first, that lasted until the bottom of the first when the Rockies tied it, the Dodgers got behind 4-1, went ahead 5-4, and were able to maintain a one to two run lead throughtout the game. The Dodgers hit two homeruns (Ramirez and Kemp) in the top of the ninth and they needed both runs as Jansen gave up one in the bottom of the ninth before he closed the deal for his 8th save. Zack Greinke (6-2) pitched the first five (giving up 5 runs) to get the win. The Dodgers hit 4 homeruns (Uribe, Gonzalez, Ramirez, and Kemp) and Yasiel Puig had an off day going 1 for 3 with an RBI but provided a scare when he had to leave the game in the late innings when he crashed into the outfield wall and bruised his hip. He is listed as day-to-day.

National League Player And Rookie Of The Month

Yasiel Puig was named the National League Player and Rookie of the Month today, the day after Jonathan Papelbon of the Red Sox referred to Puig being named to the National League All-Star team as "a big joke." All I have to say, is suck on that, Papelbon. I remember Omar Infante of the Atlanta Braves being named to the team and he barely had 150 at bats and not nearly the stats that Puig has. Don Mattingly said that he was not sure if Puig deserved to be an All-Star or not and after only 27 games and I don't believe he has been in the majors long enough, but you cannot deny he has had the hottest start to a career in major league baseball history. The last time a player had 44 hits in his first 100 career at bats was Earle Combs of the 1924-25 New York Yankees. That is 90 years worth of baseball history that he has covered.

Kershaw and Puig

Clayton Kershaw (7-5) pitched a shutout and Yasiel Puig (his 8th) homered in last nights 8-0 win over the Colorado Rockies. Kershaw's shutout was noteworthy because historically, he has not really pitched that well in Colorado. The Dodgers have gotten to the halfway point of the season winning 9 of 10, getting their key players back and running, contributions from rookies (Stephen Fife and Yasiel Puig), and some veterans are also getting hot (Adrian Gonzalez- 11 homeruns and 50 RBI's). With the win last night, the Dodgers climbed out of last place in the National League West for the first time in two months and are beating down the door to first. As Manager Don Mattingly pointed out, there are still a lot of games left but they are playing solid baseball right now, getting good starting pitching and some timely hits.

Fife Continues The Roll

Stephen Fife (3-2) pitched 7 shutout innings against the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday, Yasiel Puig went 4 for 5, falling a homerun short of the cycle, and stole two bases to help the Dodgers win their 7th out of 8 games. On one of the stolen bases, Puig overslid the second base bag and Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins tagged him out at least twice but the ump did not see it that way. The umps probably owed the Dodgers one at some point and time so I'll take it without complaint. Catcher A.J. Ellis went 3 for 4 with an RBI, and Matt Kemp went 2 for 4 with an RBI. 22 year old right-handed reliever Jose Dominguez, just called up from AAA Albuquerque, made his major league and pitched a scoreless 8th, striking out one.

Back On Track

After the Dodgers winning streak came crashing to Earth on Friday night in a 16-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies (Skip Schumaker even got to pitch an inning, a scoreless one at that), the Dodgers got back on track last night in a 4-3 win. Once again, Hyun-Jin Ryu once again pitched well enough to win (7 IP, 2 Earned Runs) but two outfield errors (one by Puig and one by Kemp)in the top of the ninth allowed the Phillies to tie the game at 3 off of Kenley Jansen. The Dodgers got their second walk-off win of the season when Catcher A.J. Ellis singled in Hanley Ramirez from second base. The Dodgers have won 7 of 8 now and need to finish the rest of the first half of the season strong. Hanley Ramirez went 3 out of 4, including his 6th homerun of the season, to raise his batting average to .394. Matt Kemp had a very forgettable game as he struck out in 3 out of his 4 at bats and walked in his other one.

Six In A Row

The Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies last night 6-4 as Yasiel Puig came through in the clutch with a two out, two run single in the bottom of the 7th inning to plate the winning runs. Zach Greinke got the win pitching 7 innings, giving up 4 runs (2 homeruns), but with a little offensive support, pitched well enough to get the win (5-2). It wasn't his best effort of the year but he went deep into the game, kept them close, and allowed the Dodgers hitters to do their job. Kenley Jansen pitched the 9th for his 7th save and a new closer is born. The Dodgers only had 7 hits but they made them count. Andre Ethier also drove in two runs and Matt Kemp went 2 for 4 with an RBI.

Clayton Kershaw Back In The Winning Groove

Clayton Kershaw (6-5) pitched 8 innings of one run baseball last night in the Dodgers 4-2 win over the San Francisco Giants, striking out 7 and walking 1. He bested pitching rival Tim Lincecum (4-8) as the Dodgers scored three times in the bottom of the 6th to put them over the top. Kenley Jansen pitched the 9th for his 6th save. That gives the Dodgers a season best 5 game winning streak, a sweep of the Giants (I really love the sound of that), and momentum, something they have not had all year long. Yasiel Puig had a more Puig-like night going 3 for 4, Hanley Ramirez went 2 for 3 with an RBI and is now batting a robust .375. The Dodgers are now 35-42 and their offense is slowly improving as the players that have been missing start returning from the Disabled List. They have improved to 27th in runs scored (it is hard for me to write that is an improvement) and they have gotten themselves to within reach of moving up in the National League West standings, 6 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks, the only team in the NL West with a winning record.

A Four Game Winning Streak

The Dodgers beat the Giants last night 6-5 and extend their winning streak to 4 games. A four game winning streak is great but more importantly, it has come against the National League West. Ex-closer Brandon League tried his best to blow a three-run lead in the ninth inning but Paco Rodriguez got the final two outs for his first save on the season. The last out came on the catch of the year by Matt Kemp, in his first game back from the Disabled List. Stephen Fife got the win (2-2) with 6 2/3 innings, giving up 3 runs. The offense was led by Mark Ellis (4th homerun) and Hanley Ramirez (5th Homerun). Yasiel Puig put up an 0 for 4 but you can't expect him to do it every game. Mark Saxon of ESPNLosangeles.com reports that this is the deepest and healthiest the Dodgers have been all season with the exception of Outfielder Carl Crawford who is still about two weeks from returning. As hot as Yasiel Puig has been, Crawford may have a hard time getting his job back.

Beating The Giants

The Dodgers beat the Giants and current Dodger killer Madison Bumgarner last night 3-1 behind the strong starting pitching of Hyun-Jin Ryu and and the hitting of Yasiel Puig. Ryu pitched 6 2/3 innings, only giving up one run but the win went to reliever Paco Rodriguez (2-2) and Puig hit a solo homer, his 7th, in the first and drove in the go ahead run in the eighth. Kenley Jansen got his fifth save on the season. There are reports off of Dodgers.com that Matt Kemp and Scott Van Slyke are on the mend and I see Van Slyke headed back to AAA Albuquerque thanks to the bat of Yasiel Puig. The Dodgers only have three true outfielders on the roster and I can't see them keeping five so Van Slyke is the odd man out. He also has options left whereas Skip Schumaker does not and Puig is the hottest hitter in baseball.

Road Woes

Any type of road woes in any sports is cured by winning. In spite of the Dodgers two game road winning streak, the Dodgers are tied for the second worst road record in baseball at 13-22. The Miami Marlins are the only team with a worse record at 11-27. The Dodgers got strong pitching from starters Zach Greinke yesterday and Chris Capuano today and some timely hitting in the 4-2 and 3-1 wins. The offense is still not there. Mark McGwire is the hitting coach and I was always curious about that choice. It has always been referred to as "the science of hitting" and a hitting coach has to have the ability to dissect a hitters swing and figure out what he can do to make the hitter comfortable and improve his swing. The principles might be the same but it is different for every player. Thinking and hitting do not go hand in hand. The Dodgers have been slumping across the board for just about the entire season with the exception of Yasiel Puig and I guess he has not been with the Dodgers long enough for the coaching to take his swing down yet.

Mattingly's Return To The Bronx

Don Mattingly returned to the Bronx for a short two games series with the New York Yankees and earned a split. The Dodgers won the second game 6-0 behind the combined 3 hit pitching of starter Chris Capuano (6 IP, 3 hits), Chris Withrow (a perfect two innings), and ex-closer Brandon League got in some work, pitching a shutout in the ninth. Rookie Outfielder Yasiel Puig continues to produce no matter where he bats in the lineup. He batted second in Game #2 last night and went 2 for 4 with 3 runs scored and a solo homerun, his 5th. His average is still an unworldly .474 and he continues to light up the stats sheets. He also got hit by another pitch so major league pitchers are trying to back him off the plate.

The Targets Extend To The Minors

Evidently the Dodgers and their minor league affiliates have targets on their backs. Their AAA affiliate the Albuquerque Isotopes were involved in a basebrawl with the Memphis Redbirds yesterday when two Isotopes batters were plunked in back-to-back innings last night in the Isoptopes 13-10 win. In my opinion the Isotopes players have a right to defend themselves. Warnings were issued, ejections were made, but Justin Sellers still got one high and tight after Isotopes player Jeremy Moore hit a three-run homer. When warnings like that are issued, a pitcher loses his ability to pitch inside. There is no way to tell intent but if a pitch comes close to being inside, you run the risk of getting tossed from the game. I'm a baseball purist and pitching inside and beanballs have always been an accepted part of the game. Going head hunting is a different matter altogether because that signifies an intent to injure. I am sure suspensions will be handed down but I think baseball needs to take at the umpires not being able to control the game and letting situations like this escalate.

The Object Is To Win

I am sure Clayton Kershaw will be the first to tell you that the Dodgers getting the win over the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday is more important than him picking up the win to pad his own stats. He is 5-4 with a 1.84 ERA and could easily have 10 wins with any type of run or bullpen support. He pitched another great game yesterday (7 IP, 1 earned run, 8 K's, 3 BB) but the Dodgers bullpen let him down yet again. Newly appointed closer Kenley Jansen gave up a game tying homerun to Travis Snider in the bottom of the ninth to tie it at 3. The Dodgers were able to push across two runs in the top of the 11th inning. Brandon League came in to pitch the bottom of the 11th, promptly gave up two hits, but eventually closed the door to earn his 14th save. I believe Don Mattingly had to turn to him out of necessity because all of the other relievers were spent. A win is a win.

The Modern Day Don Drysdale

Zack Greinke does not mind pitching inside and the Dodgers have needed a pitcher like this for a long time. Greinke is a modern day Don Drysdale. Baseball legend has it that Drysdale used to keep a list tucked in his hat of hitters he needed to go after. After Greinke plunked Cody Ross, there is no doubt in my mind that there was an unspoken order from Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson to go after Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig, the hottest batter in the Dodgers lineup. Gibson is an old school baseball purist who believes in pitchers protecting their hitters thru retaliatory strikes. Gibson's hard line, no nonsense approach to the game was essential to the Dodgers beating the Oakland A's in the 1988 World Series. Luckily the Dodgers had Greinke on the mound. He nailed Diamondbacks Catcher Miguel Montero between the humbers after the Puig beaning and that was when the umpire should have put a stop to it. It ended when Ian Kennedy went head hunting (that seemed to be a common theme for Kennedy) on Greinke and then a brief baseball scrum ensued. No one got hurt, no serious punches were thrown, and ot ends up looking like a WWE cage match than the MMA. I do not like the fact that Kennedy did go head hunting on both Puig and Greinke because players can be seriously hurt and careers ended. Puig got hit in the face but was able to stay in the game. The Dodgers ultimate retaliation occurred in the bottom of the eighth inning when Dodgers Catcher Tim Federowicz hit a bases clearing double to nail down the Dodgers 5-3 win. Kenley Jansen (it's about time) came in to close the door for his third save of the season. A baseball fight can have a unifying effect on a team and Greinke proved himself a team player by protecting his batters.

The Trials And Tribulations Of A Closer

Brandon League may have blown his last save for the Dodgers. He gave up 4 runs in the top of the ninth inning last night against the Arizona Diamondbacks as the Dodgers lost 5-4. I hope Don Mattingly is not staking his managerial career on the resurgence of Brandon League. That was his fourth blown save and the Dodgers 11th overall as a team. I have a hard time believing that they cannot find someone to close the door. Kenley Jansen is the next likely candidate to have a shot at being the closer. The Dodgers lost their third in a row after a promising weekend start against the Atlanta Braves and they wasted another good performance by Clayton Kershaw. After another heartbreaking loss, I can only believe that Mattingly's job hangs in the balance.

Walking Off Happy

The Los Angeles Dodgers got their first walk off win of the year last night over the Atlanta Braves 2-1 in 10 innings. Skip Schumaker scored the winning run in the bottom of the tenth on a wild pitch. 60 games into the season the Dodgers get their first walk off win. That is more of a statement of disbelief than it is anything else. The starting pitching from Hyun-Jin Ryu was excellent (7 2/3 IP, 1 earned run), the relief pitching gave them an opportunity to win, and the batters are still not not knocking the cover off the ball but I am hoping this is a sign of things to come. Yasiel Puig continued his torrid start with his 4th Homerun in 5 games, a game tying shot to left field off of a curveball in the bottom of the sixth inning. I read the other day off of mlb.com via Facebook that Yasiel Puig was the first Dodger since 1916 to hit a grand slam 4 games into his career. I love stats like that. Baseball has a history like no other sport.

Yasiel Puig

Yasiel Puig has had quite a start to his major league career. He received his promotion from AA Chattanooga at the beginning of the week. It is very unusual for the Dodgers to promote a regular from AA with no major league experience and I couldn't begin to tell you the last time that happened. In 4 games he is 7 for 16 with 3 Homeruns and 9 RBI's, including an opposite field grand slam against the Atlanta Braves last night that slammed the door on that 5-0 victory. There were quite a few baseball people, including Puig himself, that thought he should have made the Dodgers coming out of Spring Training. Now, thanks to the Dodgers never ending battle against injuries, Puig is making the most of his chance. Scott Van Slyke is not doing too badly with his opportunities either as he has hit 6 Homeruns and has 16 RBI's in 57 at bats. Neither one of them will be able to keep up this pace but it is exciting to see them give the Dodgers the offensive spark they have been lacking all season.

The Rest Of The Season

The Dodgers are almost one-third of the way through the season and are the proud owners of a 20-27 record and are languishing in last place in the National League West, 6 games out of first. Luckily no team has decided to run away the National League West and it is not as serious as it sounds. 90 wins could conceivably win the West so that would mean the Dodgers would have to go 70-45 for the rest of the season to be in contention at the end of the season. Several of their injured players are starting to make their way back from the Disabled List and we need a few players to get hot (primarily Matt Kemp) and the Dodgers still have a legitimate chance. That chance has to begin now. The Dodgers still have questions to answer and the biggest question is whether Don Mattingly will make it to the All-Star break.

Adrian Gonzalez

It was quite obvious that Adrian Gonzalez had lost his power stroke after his 36 game stint with the Dodgers last year in which he only hit 3 Homeruns. He will never be the 30-40 Homerun hitter he was a few years ago. He, however, has not lost the ability to drive in runs. He drove in 3 of the Dodgers 5 runs in yesterdays 5-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. That gives him 33 RBI's on the season, more than the total of Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp combined. Ted Lilly pitched a solid 5 1/3 innings giving up one earned run and Ronald Belisario promptly came in and gave up the tying run. Paco Rodriguez got the win in relief (1-2) when Mark Ellis drove in what proved to be the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kenley Jansen and Brandon League came in and finished it off for the Dodgers, with League earning his 10th save.

Don Mattingly Makes A Managerial Decision

For the first time since Don Mattingly has been the Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, he decided to act like a manager. He decided after the second game of the Milwaukee Brewers series that outfielder Andre Ethier was not "competing" the way he would like so he benched him for the final game of the series. It turned out to be a 9-2 Dodgers win in which Ethier replacement Scott Van Slyke went 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI's. The benching of Ethier may be a decision that was long overdue and dates back to the end of last season. I believe the Ethier era in Los Angeles will probably be over by the All-Star break and the trading deadline at the latest. I am not saying that Scott Van Slyke is the short or long term answer in Rightfield for the Dodgers but I do believe that Ethier has worn out his welcome in Los Angeles. The best case scenario would be that this benching serves as a wakeup call for Ethier and the worst case scenario is that the Dodgers can pick up a couple of prospects for him at the trading deadline.

Spahn And Sain

When Warren Spahn and Johnny Spain were a great pitching tandem for the Milwaukee Braves, the fans had a saying "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain" because the rest of the pitching staff was not that good. The 2013 Los Angeles Dodgers should develop their own slogan. Maybe it can go something like "Kershaw and Ryu and pray for the flu" or maybe "we need to be ahead by ten before we can go to the bullpen." The bullpen lost every game in the sweep by the Atlanta Braves. They wasted good performances by Ryu, Matt Magill, and Chris Capuano. Of course the offense did their part by not giving them any run support. Clayton Kershaw threw a complete game three hitter in the 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers last night, striking out 11. I think Manager Don Mattingly was afraid to go to the bullpen and Kershaw got to finish it off himself. Matt Kemp hit his second homerun of the season and Andre Ethier also went yard in support of Kershaw's pitching performance. Clayton Kershaw is now 5-2 and lowered his ERA to 1.35.

Zach Greinke Returns

Zach Greinke made his triumphant return from the Disabled List in the Dodgers 3-1 win over the Washington Nationals the other night. He pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up one earned run, and earning the win. The Dodgers used 5 relievers to finish it off with Brandon League earning his 9th Save of the year. Greinke even helped his own cause with an RBI single and on this Dodgers team, the pitchers have to be able to hit with runners on base and in scoring position. Greinke only threw 83 pitchesa but the coaching staff probably has him on a tight pitch count for the first couple of games back until his arm gets stretched back out.

Devaluing The Won-Loss Record

I had read a few years ago where there was a big push by baseball historians and statisticians to do away with the won-loss record as a statistic. Wins and losses have always been how a pitcher has been measures. That, ERA, and later on Saves. If there was ever a pitcher that was a poster child for doing away with wins and losses as a statistic, it would be Clayton Kershaw. After last nights 2-0 win over the Washington Nationals, Kershaw is sporting a 4-2 record with a miniscule 1.40 ERA. He is entering Bob Gibson territory with that ERA. With any run support at all, Kershaw could easily be 7-1 or 8-0. Andre Ethier hit a two run single in the bottom of the third that plated Matt Kemp and Kershaw and that was all the run support he would need. He struck out 11 and walked 1 but Kenley Jansen had to come in with 2 outs in the ninth to get the final out and his second Save. It looks like it is going to be another bullpen by committee year. I was never completely sold on the idea of Brandon League as the closer but luckily the Dodgers have enough live arms in the bullpen to make it work.

Two Wins In A Row Is A Winning Streak

The Los Angeles Dodgers won their second game in a row last night over the Miami Marlins 5-3. Chris Capuano went 6 1/3 innings and only gave up one run, striking out 7 and walking 1, for his first victory on the season (1-2). Scott Van Slyke, just recently called up from AAA Albuquerque and getting a spot start at First Base for Adrian Gonzalez, wielded the big bat for the Dodgers with 2 hits including his first home run of the year and 2 RBI's and Dee Gordon stole his 4th base on the season. About half of the Dodgers regulars got the day off to recharge their batteries. Scott Van Slyke was tearing up the Pacific Coast League to the tune of a .397 Batting Average, 9 Homeruns and 30 RBI's, when he was recalled. The Dodgers need some type of offensive infusion and maybe he will be the one to provide it. His bat and Dee Gordon's speed.

All Things End Eventually

All thins come to an end, both good and bad. Last night the Dodgers season long eight game losing streak came to and end with a 7-1 victory over the Miami Marlins. No one was more happy to see that skid end than Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly. The heat is still on in spite of the support given by lifetime Dodger Tommy LaSorda in the media for Mattingly but winning solves everything. The Dodgers got great pitching from Hyun-Jin Ryu (6 2/3 Innings pitched, one earned run). He improved to 4-2 on the season. The Dodgers also got some timely hitting from season long non-contributors Skip Schumaker (3 RBI's), Dee Gordon (his first homerun on the season), and Juan Uribe (2 RBI's). The Dodgers need more production from the bottom of the lineup like that on a consistent basis. Starting pitcher Zach Greinke is about ready to come off the Disabled List possibly as soon as Wednesday. He is making a few rehab starts at Rancho Cucomonga first, and that means that Matt Magill will probably be headed back to the minors for a little more work.

Matt Magill

Matt Magill, the Los Angeles Dodgers 9th ranked prospect according to Baseball America going into the season, gets his third start of the season tonight against the Miami Marlins. He was brought up tue to the Dodgers numerous injuries to the pitching staff and was probably not ready to make his major league debut until later on in the season. Due to the Dodgers injuries, however, he gets some on the job training in the National League. His first two starts of the season have left him with no decisions and only 8 innings pitched. He has given up 7 earned runs, sports a 7.71 ERA with 9 strikeouts and he has battled control issues with 6 walks. He has shown major league ready pitches but as in real estate a lot of it is location, location, location. You have to be able to paint the black with all of your pitches and be able to command all of your pitches at any point in the count.

Another Game, Another Loss

The Dodgers lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks last night 5-3 as closer Brandon League gave up a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to lose it. As the old baseball joke goes, a closer is supposed to put out the fires, not pour gasoline on them. Josh Beckett had a decent start, good enough to get a win anyway, but the Dodgers cannot seem to get over the hump. That drops them to 13-19 on the season. Nick Punto is the only one that brought a productive bat with him to the game as he doubled and hit his first homer on the season. The Dodgers left 15 men on base led by Catcher Ramon Hernandez and his .045 Batting Average with 4. That Aaron Harang trade is looking better and better all the time. There comes a point and time when it is time to cut your losses and bring Tim Federeowicz up and let him get some meaningful playing time at the major league level.

How Long Is The Leash On Don Mattingly?

With the Dodgers off to such a slow start (13-18), the offense is struggling (28th in runs), the injuries are piling up (8 currently on the disable list), and the pitching is struggling (4.25 ERA and 21st in the league), I have to start wondering when the Dodgers new ownership group is going to pull the trigger on the firing of Don Mattingly. A slow start, the Dodgers massive payroll, and great expectations cannot be good signs for the future of Don Mattingly as the Dodgers skipper. Yhey are 5 1/2 games out of first but have not fared well (2-7) against the three teams ahead of them in the National League West. They are not playing fundamental baseball and that falls on the manager. Tim Wallach is waiting in the wings.

The Disabled List Gets Longer

The Dodgers placed Second Baseman Mark Ellis on the Disabled List making him the 9th Dodger to hit the Disabled List in the season's first 30 games. To put it in monetary terms, there are $60 million worth of Dodgers drawing paychecks and rehabbing. Six of the nine are pitchers (Chris Capuano just came off the DL) and three of those were slated to be in the starting rotation- Zack Greinke, Chad Billingsley and Ted Lilly. We quickly discovered after two starts that Zach Greinke was not signed to be a Linebacker or an MMA fighter, Everyone in Dodger Land with the exception of maybe Chad Billingsley and the Dodger brass, knew that his elbow was going to fall apart after a few starts, and I think Ted Lilly has spent more time with the Dodgers on the Disabled List than he has on the field. Stephen Fife was called up from Albuquerque to replace Chad Billingsley and went on the Disabled List after one start. If I was a starting pitcher at Albuquerque and the Dodgers tried calling me up, I believe I would tell them "Hell no! I am staying here. Going to Los Angeles would not be good for my health." Shortstop Hanley Ramirez did make it on to the field for four games before he tore his hamstring. Throw in Scott Elbert and Shawn Tolleson and the Disabled List roster is set.

Adrian Gonzalez Breaks Out

Adrian Gonzalez drove in 4 runs yesterday in support of Hyun-Jin Ryu's 6 1/3 innings of 2 run baseball. He picked up his first major league win in the process and gave the Dodgers the sweep of the Pirates in the 6-2 victory. Ryu's only mistake was allowing a two-run homer by Andrew McCutchen in the top of the first. The Dodgers quickly got that back on a two-run single by Adrian Gonzalez in the bottom of the frame. Gonzalez had three hits, all singles, on the day and Justin Sellers had his first hit on the season, a solo homerun in the seventh inning. I still really don't understand the reasoning behind keeping Sellers over Dee Gordon to open the season, especially with Hanley Ramirez on the Disabled List. Sellers is not going to hit much over .200 whereas Gordon is probably going to hit more but with less power. Gordon is going to offer much more speed on the basepaths and on defense as evidenced by his highlight making catch for the Albuquerque Isotopes a few games ago. Sellers does offer defensive versatility as he can play multiple positions but so can Luis Cruz and Nick Punto. Matt Kemp had his second hit and second RBI on the season so here is to Kemp breaking out of his mini-slump and regaining his MVP form.

Clayton Kershaw Does It Again

I would hate to think that Clayton Kershaw has to throw a shutout every time he takes the mound for the Dodgers this season but that has been the case thus far. He pitched 7 shutout innings against the Pirates on Saturday night in his second start of the season extending his scoreless innings streak to 16 and Mark Ellis drove in the lone run in the third inning to give him all the run support he would need. Matt Kemp went hitless for the fourth time in 5 games but I am sure he will snap out of it. I remember the year, I believe it was somewhere around 1980 or '81, that Ron Cey, Steve Garvey and I believe it may have been Dave Lopes that all started the season in something like 1 for 20 slumps. Carl Crawford is the only Dodger that has really been hot at the plate hitting .438 to this point. The Dodgers go for the sweep against the Pittsburgh pirates tomorrow with Hyun Jin-Ryu on the mound in his second start of the season.

Vin Scully

I got to actually watch my first Dodger game of the year last night on the free preview o0f the MLB package on Directv with Vin Scully doing the announcing. He is by far the smoothest broadcaster in the history of the game. He may not be the most colorful and he doesn't have a signature homerun call like the majority of the other announcer do, but he is a professional in the finest sense of the word. He is the Dodgers announcer but he is not blatantly biased, screaming outrage at every missed or bad call, and that is part of what makes him such a great announcer. He may have been the most important free agent the Dodgers kept this off season.

Greinke's Dodger Debut

The Los Angeles Dodgers biggest free agent acquisition during the off season, starting pitcher Zach Greinke, made his debut last night against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Greinke delivered in his first outing only giving up 2 hits and 0 runs in 6 1/3 innings but the Dodgers could still only put up three runs on the board in a 3-0 victory. I realize they have only played 4 games but they have only scored 10 runs in those 4 games, and with that much offensive firepower, I was hoping for 7 or 8 runs a night. Andre Ethier led the Dodgers offense last night with a solo homerun, his first of the year, and Matt Kemp had his first hit and RBI, a double in the fifth inning. Closer Brandon League came on to pitch the ninth inning and get his first save of the year.

Not The Beginning I Expected

Losing two out of three to the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants was not the beginning to the season that I envisioned. Dodgers starter Josh Beckett fell victim to the long ball as he gave up two homers in six innings, 5 runs, 3 earned, struckout 4 and walked 2. The Dodgers also failed to take advantage of Giants starter Tim Lincecum's uncharacteristic wildness, he walked 7 in 5 innings, as the Dodgeres went 1-14 with runners on base. The Giants starters did not give up an earned run in 19 innings in the three game series and calling the Dodgers offense anemic would be a gross understatement. Dodgers starters Matt Kemp and Luis Cruz have failed to get a hit thus far this season and Adrian Gonzalez only has one hit. The only Dodger that has come out with a hot bat is Outfielder Carl Crawford going 5-9 in the three games against the Giants.

A Solid Debut

Hyun-Jin Ryu made his major league debut last night, and it was solid but not spectacular. He scattered 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings giving up 3 runs, only one earned, struckout 5 and walked none. The Dodgers could only muster two hits, AJ Ellis and Andre Ethier, and 0 runs against new Dodger killer Madison Bumgarner in the 3-0 loss. You can cue up Bob Uecker's character Harry Doyle from the movie "Major League", "All we got was two goddamn hits?!"I know it is early in the season but I expected more offense from a team this talented and with this big of a payroll. They have gone up against two of the National League's best in Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner neither of which they scored a run on.

An Opening Day For The Record Books

Clayton Kershaw accomplished something on Opening Day that had not been accomplished since Bob Lemon of the New York Yankees in 1953. He pitched a shutout against the San Francisco Giants and hit the go ahead homerun in the bottom of the eight inning off San Francisco reliever George Kontos to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. It was a blast that cleared the Centerfield fence and was only his second extra base hit in 261 career at bats. The Dodgers added three more in the bottom of the eighth to win 4-0. Kershaw struck out 7, walked none, and threw a very economical 94 pitches. His curveball was off the charts. Is it to early for me to start campaigning for Kershaw for Cy Young/MVP of the National League? Carl Crawford and Mark Ellis led the way with two hits a piece and who needs a bullpen? Magic Johnson was a visible presence at the game and he is the face of the new Dodgers ownership. He was excited at Kershaw's homerun and was all over ESPN's highlights.

The Right Public Relations Moves

The new Dodgers ownership- being referred to in the media as the Guggenheim Ownership group- is making all of the right PR moves to bring the Dodgers fan base back into the fold. They spent the money on payroll to bring in a top notch lineup and pitching staff and the latest is signing Sandy Koufax to a one year consulting contract. That one is huge for me. Koufax has been very private almost to the point of being reclusive, since his retirement from baseball in the mid-1960's and that was mostly due to his dislike of dealing with the media. Koufax has worked with various pitchers in the past and they didn't even have to play for the Dodgers. He just did it out of the love of the sport of baseball. He has made appearances at both the Dodgers and the New York Mets camps before out of friendship of various people within those organizations. He immediately jumped into the fray today with pitching coach Rick Honeycutt working on pickoff moves. Sandy Koufax has a way of getting young pitchers' attention based solely on his reputation as one of the greatest pitchers ever to play the game. Koufax career was cut much too short by injury but his whole career was spent with the Dodgers and I love to see that "once a Dodger, always a Dodger" being applied in the case of veterans like this.

Let The Analysis and Over Analysis Begin

South Korean free agent left-handed starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu had his first bullpen session with the Dodgers yesterday and the bigger story seemed to be that he couldn't keep up in the running drills. I really don't remember Fernando Valenzuela being a Mexican Track star when he began with the Dodgers but he could pitch, field his position, and hit a little bit and I think he had a pretty decent career in spite of the fact no one knew how old he really was.

Spring Training

Spring Training. There is something so magical about those two words. Every team starts out with a chance to be a World Series contender. A couple of veterans will emerge to have one more standout season in the sun. A couple of rookies that have not been on anyone's radar will emerge as serious contenders for a roster spot or to be this years Spring Training "phenom." It can also go the other way. Several veterans will decide they don't have what it takes any more and retire on their terms. Some veterans will have it decided for them by getting cut and not being picked up by anyone else. There are also usually rookies that are supposed to set the world on fire will not be able to cross that bridge between minor league All-Star to productive major leaguer. Watching it all develop is what makes Spring Training so exciting. That is the beauty of baseball.

The Dodgers Off Season

The Dodgers big splash this off season was the signing of two starting pitchers. Zack Greinke, the prize of the free agent pitching class and $147 million in salary, and Hyun-Jin Ryu, a left-handed starting pitcher from South Korea and a $61 million investment. They also signed infielder Skip Schumaker away from the St. Louis Cardinals. He is a left-handed bat and will compete for playing time at Second Base with incumbent Mark Ellis. The Dodgers off season was prefaced during 2012 by several big trades that set the team up for this year. Outfielder and reclamation project Carl Crawford never stepped onto the field last year for the Dodgers, Hanley Ramirez will be moved back to his natural position of Shortstop, Adrian Gonzalez will look to regain his power stroke after only hitting 3 Homeruns after his trade to the Dodgers, and right-handed starting pitcher Josh Beckett who had a 2-3 record with a sub-3.00 Era after the trade. The Dodgers have 8 starting pitchers on their roster right now and if Chad Billingsley and his elbow are healthy, it looks like Chris Capuano, Aaron Harang, and oft-injured Ted Lilly are the odd men out and depending on what happens over the course of Spring Training, might be traded before the beginning of the season. Shane Victorino and left-handed reliever Randy Choate were the big free agent losses for the Dodgers but they were quickly replaced. Victorino did not relish the thought of being a part-time player and if Scott Elbert cannot make it back from his second elbow surgery of the off season, Choate may be a bigger loss than the fans might think.