Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Happy Hairston, Jazzy Jamey save Dodgers

Matt Kemp hit his seventh home run, but he’s not stealing the spotlight today. That goes to Jamey Wright and Jerry Hairston Jr.

Wright entered a one-run game in the seventh inning and struck out the first five batters he faced, before essentially turning the game over to Hairston.

The utility infielder, who has made an early case to be this year’s Jamey Carroll, made sensational plays in both the eighth and ninth innings to help the Dodgers hang on to a 4-3 victory at Milwaukee today.

In the eighth, with the tying run at third base, Hairston made a diving stop and from his knees threw out Alex Gonzalez. If a Dodger third baseman makes a better play this year, I’ll be surprised.

The next Brewers batter, Travis Ishikawa, led off the ninth with a bunt that Hairston barehanded to throw Ishikawa out.

Javy Guerra put the demons of Tuesday behind him, striking out the next two batters — giving Dodger relievers seven strikeouts in three innings — for the victory.

Kemp had a single to go with his home run, while Andre Ethier singled and doubled. Both players now sit at 18 RBI.

Juan Rivera had the Dodgers’ other RBI hit, while Matt Treanor had a sacrifice fly to go with a triple.

In his first game since striking out 13, including nine in a row, Aaron Harang went six innings and allowed three runs on nine baserunners with four strikeouts.

Wright has now faced 16 batters this season. They are 0 for 12 with four walks and six strikeouts.

Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun had the game-winning sacrifice fly Wednesday but otherwise went 0 for 11 against Los Angeles in the series.

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27 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    SO glad our Big Blue pulled out a win.  It’s a crying shame the other two games were tipped in their favor but a sweep would have been way worse.

    I never usually root for someone not to do well, but I was doing that a little bit for Ryan Braun – In the first game of the series when Billingsley was pitching, Braun was hit on the 3rd or 4th pitch of the atbat.  When Matt Kemp came up in his next atbat and Gallardo’s 1st pitch was out and away from from the plate, there was a shot of Braun throwing his arms to his sides, then shaking his head.

    He was lucky to get that game-winning sac fly, considering the umpire missed the call.  Mr. 0 for 11. 

    • Anonymous

      I feel the same. I lost a lot of respect for Braun when I saw that.  I posted on here that there is no way his gesture was regarding the pitch that was just thrown being called a ball as he really has no angle on that from LF, so it had to be that he was let down there was no retaliation.  0 for 11, 5 K’s and a gift RBI.  Nice series “MVP*”.

  2. Anonymous

    Cruz at short, Van Slyke in OF, and Fields at 3B pushing to move up.

    • Anonymous

      I don’t see any chance of Gordon being sent down.  Mattingly has already said he is comfortable with him learning OTJ.

      • I wouldn’t be so sure about that. If his overall game continues to slide, or takes its time to round into shape, I could see them sending him down for a “refresher”. As it stands, there does seem reason to be concerned, not to bore you with the numerical details, but I think we all know where he currently stands, not to mention the potentially harmful defense. If this continues then I think the organization will take some steps to stem the tide, particularly if it begins hurting the team on a rather consistent basis, which you could suggest is starting to happen. His game is rather troubling right now.

  3. Anonymous

    Kemp + Ethier: 11 HRs, 36 RBIS, 1.240 combined OPS.
    The Rest: 1 HR, 23 RBIs, .668 OPS

    Unless Kemp and Ethier continue their torrid pace (and if they do, they’d each have 224 RBIs for a full season), the Dodgers will need some kind of contribution from the rest of their order to stay above .500.

    • I think it’s reasonable to expect some cold players to heat up as some hot players cool down. But certainly, what you say is true.

  4. Anonymous

    What a play. I love the Brewers fan signaling safe at the end.

  5. “The Dodgers haven’t had an outfielder voted onto the (All-Star) starting lineup in two consecutive seasons since Jimmy Wynn in 1974-75.”

    http://atmlb.com/Ir8M0v

  6. Driving to the office from lunch today, I heard Kevin Kennedy on the
    postgame Dodger Talk for the first time. It took him two sentences and
    about six seconds before he referenced his managerial experience.
     

    • He used to manage. Did you know that? He was a former big league manager.  Just thought I should mention that. He was a manager. So he knows about managing. 

  7. Update: Gurnick now writes that Uribe “was examined by the Brewers’ team doctor on Thursday and will not see a specialist in Houston, as was considered.”

  8. Anonymous

    I think the most encouraging news is that the Dodgers bounced back from two tough losses to pull out a win, with “unusual suspects” as the heroes!

  9. Anonymous

    Does anyone know how many SB kemp has?

  10. Anonymous

    Does that mean at our next home game the crowd will shout out ‘Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry”

    BTW – Do you still have the Jerry Springer show on, I always remember the smiling body guard who always broke up the enevitable fisticuffs :)

    • Anonymous

      >> Does that mean at our next home game the crowd will shout out ‘Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry”
      .
      COTD candidate!

  11. Before i read the comments i was thinking to myself the Dodgers should be giving other guys reps at 1b and 3b and LF. The current options are not going to cut it this year or in the future. try out the youngsters and find out what we have. Loney, Uribe, Rivera etc suck and the younginscant produce much  worse. i feel this is a team that can be rebuilding while trying to compete because most positions are held by terrible players.

    • Anonymous

      Based on performance, why did you not include Gordon?

      I am more than ready to put Fields at third and Van Slyke in left.  I will continue to support Loney through May and then if he continues to struggle he will have to do it with one less fan and, like his hits, are getting fewer and fewer.

      • Well, I mainly left out Gordon because I think the Dodgers are already in “see what we got here” mode at SS with Dee. The season is short and Dee should be given a real chance. I think they already know what they got with the vets at 1b, LF, and 3b and they all stink. Does Loney really need more time at this point? Are Rivera, or Uribe really going to turn into productive long term options? Or even short term?

        • Anonymous

          Loney is only 27 so I like him playing.  Uribe and Rivera are rent a vets and I would like to see prospects take their spots when they can.  Loney has been more than adequate for a player under 27 most of the time.  Pujols isn’t doing good either so far. 

    • Anonymous

      It’s worth noting that the 1B/LF candidates (Van Slyke, Sands) are already on the 40-man roster, but the 3B candidates (Fields, Cruz) are not.  Right now there are 39 on the 40-man, but that doesn’t include the slots for 60-day Hawksworth and De La Rosa or RL Belisario.

  12. Anonymous

    “0 for 11, 5 K’s and a gift RBI.  Nice series “MVP*”
    Purely a “technicality.” 

  13. Anonymous

    Irony: My Habitat window installing buddy Jerry Hairston shuts the door on the Brewers offense.  

  14. Anonymous

    Tonight’s opener in Houston is on MLB Network.  That makes two in a row!

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