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.