Welcome to Opening Day 2012

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© 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

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!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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!

    • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ 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.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ 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.

    • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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!!

    • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_53Y6B3KAAVOECSA5E666M4CVLE MRF

    Goosebump time!

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    I’m so bummed that Dee struck out.  I was loving that 2-1 count. 

    • http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

      Good start defensively for him though!

      (That was a filthy breaking pitch to get him to K.)

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ 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?

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ 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.

      • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

         Thanks, folks.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    Silver slugger Kershaw. 

    • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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. 

  • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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?

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ 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.

  • http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

    Pitcher’s duel, and a pitchers-as-hitters duel, to boot!

  • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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?

    • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ 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. 

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_53Y6B3KAAVOECSA5E666M4CVLE MRF

        I eat food that’s like 2 weeks old sometimes….

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_53Y6B3KAAVOECSA5E666M4CVLE MRF

    RBI BB!  Nice!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_53Y6B3KAAVOECSA5E666M4CVLE 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!

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    Uribe walks!

  • Anonymous

    Garbo talks!

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    AJOBP

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ 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.

    • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

       Does he, though?

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

     Looked to me on replay that Ethier was safe at home on play where he was called out.

    • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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?

    • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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

      • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/IEEROPSCD5O7S5HIAQ7TOIWLBI Larry

    Weirrrrrd.

  • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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.

      • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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?

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/IEEROPSCD5O7S5HIAQ7TOIWLBI Larry

      I don’t know but she was hanging on for dear life.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ 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?

    • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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.

  • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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.

  • http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/ Linkmeister

    Who on earth green-lit a Three Stooges movie?

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    Home Run Derby in the eighth. 

  • Anonymous

     Corny story? Yargh.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    11-pitch single for A.J. Ellis – 1 for 3 with an RBI walk – that’s a nice Opening Day for him. 

    • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ 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. 

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    That pitch that Dee just fouled off was about a foot past him.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    “That’s a cricket swing,” Vin says. 

    • Jack Dawkins

      Makes me think of Lasorda talkign about Garvey….

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ 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 . . .

    • http://underdog.typepad.com/ 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…

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    NPUT