© Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers 2012
Dodgers at Padres, 4:05 p.m.
Kershaw CXVII: Kerhsawrfegnugen
Dee Gordon, SS
Mark Ellis, 2B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Rivera, LF
James Loney, 1B
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Clayton Kershaw, P
Kershaw CXVII: Kerhsawrfegnugen
Dee Gordon, SS
Mark Ellis, 2B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Rivera, LF
James Loney, 1B
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Clayton Kershaw, P
On an Opening Day for many teams that has had runs at a distinct premium, it will take some swift work by the Irony Committee for a dusky game at Petco Park to generate any offensive fireworks. But the folk on that Committee are known for their around-the-clock efforts, so we’ll see …
I’m enjoying these last few moments before we enter the blender. But I’m also ready to suffer with every pitch and be reborn with the next. To shake my head at the disappointments and revel in the celebrations. To accept my lot in life, which is to be a follower of the confounding team that is the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Source: FanGraphs
Anonymous
It’s time for Dodger baseball!!!!!!!!!!!!
underdog
Game is on MLB Network for those of you (like myself) not in the LA area.
Not sure if they’re covering it themselves or using the Dodgers or Padres broadcast. Hope it’s Vin!
Anonymous
Jay Bruce, first homer in the NL this season!
Jon Weisman
In Miami, they’re not saying “Bruuuuce,” they booing.
Anonymous
I’m not sure what they’re doing in Miami since they’re playing in Cincinnati.
Jon Weisman
I find myself perhaps most curious about whether Juan Uribe will get a hit today. (I know he won’t get a walk.)
Anonymous
I’m voting yes. One of the Dodgers’ 14 hits today.
underdog
But not so fast! I looked it up and Uribe is 0-for-1 vs Volquez BUT with 2 walks (!) You just never know. ;)
But I expect him to be 1-4 with no walks today.
Anonymous
They said Vin will be announcing on MLB Network. Ohhhh myyyyy! Blacked out in San Diego. Stuck with Enberg…
Anonymous
We’re going to step aside for Vin Scully now. Yes—I’m in heaved with DTV!
Anonymous
Kershaw’s really low with the flu?. DON’T LET HIM PITCH!!
underdog
Yeah this makes me worried. Hopefully he’ll make the Padres sick, rather than just vomit on them. Yikes.
Andrew Shimmin
No reason he can’t do both.
MRF
Goosebump time!
Jon Weisman
I’m so bummed that Dee struck out. I was loving that 2-1 count.
underdog
Good start defensively for him though!
(That was a filthy breaking pitch to get him to K.)
Jon Weisman
Refresh this post to find a live embedded Fangraphs win probability graph.
Anonymous
From the Masters to MLB.tv …. These are the days when I can’t explain to my wife what I do with my time.
Anonymous
Well, okay…. Kid K looks low, doesn’t he?!?
Anonymous
I’m thinking about instituting these Volquez rules for my 4 year old son.
Jack Dawkins
Im thinking about it for my 25 year old…..
Anonymous
Does Prince make that play?
Anonymous
I think the most important thing here is to pull Kershaw the minute he gets in trouble.
A close second is for his teammates to get him a few runs
Anonymous
What about when he hits the double?
Jon Weisman
Can anyone describe the K-2-3 play for me?
Jack Dawkins
Strike three bounced in the dirt and went to the backstop. Ellis got to it quick and fired. Loney was in foul territory and swiped the runner while in the stretch. I think he got pulled off the bag.
Anonymous
Ball squirted under 17’s glove to the back stop. He up and fired to the dugout side of first. Loney came off a bit to get it and, I think tagged him or had a toe still on the bag. A nice snatch by Loney.
Jon Weisman
Thanks, folks.
Jon Weisman
Silver slugger Kershaw.
underdog
You just had to know that was gonna happen. Talk about bittersweet.
Btw, also love Vin’s TMI moment:
“Before the game Kershaw was vomiting, had diarrhea, you name it!” – Vin
Anonymous
Yeah, that was a little much, Vin.
underdog
That is one filthy pitch right now, from Volquez.
I would suggest laying off it when you see it coming but obviously they aren’t seeing it coming, and what do I know?
Jon Weisman
Quite a game for Toronto and Cleveland.
Jack Dawkins
Kershaw pitching smart. Pitching to contact. Im sure if dodgers get a run he is done after 5.
underdog
Pitcher’s duel, and a pitchers-as-hitters duel, to boot!
underdog
WHEW. Right down the middle with the cutter. Siddown Chase. Grab some fluids, Kersh.
Brian Lampert
Tough inning, nice to see him escape the jam.
Anonymous
Did Kershaw eat the same room service cheeseburger that Kobe Bryant ate in Sacramento a few years back?
Jon Weisman
If it was the same one I think that would explain anyone getting sick. My wife is afraid of me eating our two-day-old Tito’s Tacos that are leftovers in our fridge right now.
MRF
I eat food that’s like 2 weeks old sometimes….
MRF
RBI BB! Nice!
MRF
Out?!?!??!
Anonymous
Last call for Cleveland in the bottom of the 16th. Jays lead 7-4 on a 3-run homer by J.P. Arencibia. One of the runs was scored by Toronto first baseman Omar Vizquel.
Jack Dawkins
A Uribe walk!
Jon Weisman
Uribe walks!
Anonymous
Garbo talks!
Jon Weisman
AJOBP
Jon Weisman
Was it just last year that Tim Stauffer had that crazy walk explosion against the Dodgers? When Ethier had both the first and second hits of the inning.
Andrew Shimmin
Adam Kennedy still plays baseball. I was unaware of this.
Jon Weisman
Does he, though?
Jon Weisman
Looked to me on replay that Ethier was safe at home on play where he was called out.
underdog
He was safe indeed. Not an easy call to make but looked safe for sure.
Anonymous
I don’t have tv and am going by ESPN internet play-by-play. How did Ethier get called out, while sandwiched between two walks?
underdog
Came home on a wild pitch, that bounced back to catcher pretty quickly. He swiped a tag on Ethier, looked like EThier’s hand touched home just before the tag.
Anonymous
Just walked in the door from a midweek Bay area trip (son in SFSU)
—good to hear Vin working, good to see kid K get out of a jam, and LMAO at the Pods!
Anonymous
Just realized K’s out w flu, what a trooper though
underdog
Your son’s going to my undergrad alma mater!
And yes, he was a trooper, even got a double, which probably made him feel even worse.
Anonymous
single and error; not a double
Jack Dawkins
Ack!!!! Frank is at the game! Sitting next to Magic.
Anonymous
Magic hoping Frank’s not contagious.
Larry
Weirrrrrd.
underdog
HOLY COW, DEE. Wow, what a play.
Anonymous
Restarting a Dodgers SS tradition?
Anonymous
From my viewpoint, 11,482 feet above sea level in the Chilean Andes, that was a pretty good play.
underdog
That is some telescope you have!
Anonymous
My coca leaf tea may have played a role in it, but MLBTV and the iPad also help.
Marcelo .
side note, I love the coca leaf tea; helps me with the altitude when i got to S. America. gold!!
Anonymous
Especially with fresh coca leaves (as opposed to what comes in tea bags). Yes, you can buy mate de coca in tea bags here.
Andrew Shimmin
Who’s the babe clutching McCourt’s arm?
Larry
I don’t know but she was hanging on for dear life.
Jon Weisman
Mark “bat control” Ellis strikes out with a runner on third and no outs – oh well.
Jack Dawkins
That was a classic run. The CF playing in on Dee, who hits it almost to the track. CF drops it going back, for a 3 base error. Dee scores on the next error, caused when Kemp bounces to SS, who has one eye on Dee streaking home and has the ball bounce off the heel of the glove. Dee is small, but causes a lot to happen with his speed.
Anonymous
A generous official scorer might have called that a triple.
Jack Dawkins
No….it was in the glove….and he wasn’t streatched out or anything, and sun wasn’t in play. He flat out dropped it.
Anonymous
I’ve seen far worse plays scored hits.
Anonymous
Do we really need to see Macdougal this early in the season?
underdog
Guess so.
Of course on a normal Kershaw outing we wouldn’t have seen any relievers by that point, but thus is flu. At least Lindblom was excellent.
Anonymous
Lindblom was indeed excellent.
Anonymous
On Gameday, there is a feature where “SCOUT” pops in and interjects commentary on how some pitcher or hitter is doing.
SCOUT told me that MacDougal was not pitching well.
Anonymous
MacDougal is cringe-worthy.
Anonymous
Hit the ball to left. Guzman is the worst defensive player in the majors, at any position.
underdog
Every time I see the replay of Ethier being tagged at home, I’m more convinced he was safe. Oh well, hopefully it won’t matter.
Great double play there, too.
Anonymous
But, as Vin remarked at the time, Ethier did not complain. Hundley benefited from a sharp bounce back to him, and made a perfect throw.
Anonymous
ethier did look quite bemused at being called out
KT
FSSD had a replay that definitely showed Ethier safe
Anonymous
That was worth watching.
Anonymous
Rivera. Lame.
Linkmeister
Who on earth green-lit a Three Stooges movie?
Jon Weisman
Home Run Derby in the eighth.
Anonymous
Corny story? Yargh.
Jon Weisman
11-pitch single for A.J. Ellis – 1 for 3 with an RBI walk – that’s a nice Opening Day for him.
underdog
That was a superb at bat, saved the best for last.
Anonymous
Could be the most underrated player in the league.
Anonymous
Terrific AB by AJ.
Jon Weisman
It might have been 10 pitches for Ellis – that’s what the play by play says. That would mean 28 pitches in his four at-bats for today’s game.
Jon Weisman
That pitch that Dee just fouled off was about a foot past him.
Jon Weisman
“That’s a cricket swing,” Vin says.
Jack Dawkins
Makes me think of Lasorda talkign about Garvey….
Jon Weisman
Kemp up with bases loaded. He can make a statement here.
Or a prepositional phrase, if the feeling’s not as strong.
Anonymous
ugh. dangling participle . . .
underdog
INTERJECTION! Damn! He grounded out instead. Ow!
Anonymous
Here we go! Let’s close this one out!
Anonymous
Your wish is Javy Guerra’s command.
Anonymous
Nice no-drama save by Guerra.
Anonymous
With all the talk of Jansen as future closer, I’ll take Javy and the no drama save. .
Anonymous
Kershaw’s the recipient of my “You Gotta Have Heart” Award. Talk about leading by example…
Jon Weisman
NPUT