Fernando Valenzuela presents Clayton Kershaw with his 2011 Cy Young Award plaque prior to Wednesday's game. © Jon SooHoo/ Los Angeles Dodgers 2012
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underdog
Two of my faves, side by side!
Btw, speaking of nasty pitchers, here’s KJ in action vs Clint Barmes, twice.
http://www.fangraphs.com/not/index.php/double-gif-kenley-jansen-harassing-clint-barmes/
Anonymous
Jonathan Broxton was the first pitchers since Stu Miller in 1966 to lose a game on consecutive HBPs.
Data is incomplete, but Jonny Gomes may be the first batter to ever win two different games on HBPs with the bases loaded. He did it last year with Washington.
The Dodgers last won a game on a walkoff HBP was back in 2007 when Carlos Marmol hit Juan Pierre.
I have no memory of the Dodgers losing this extra inning game at Candlestick 1-0 on a walkoff HBP by Kevin Mitchell delivered by Kevin Gross.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN199108090.shtml?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=Share&utm_campaign=ShareTool
Terry Pruett
Re: last night’s game. As one who has been very critical of Billingsley…with good reason…it was good to see him pounding the strike zone with his fastball last night. However, pardon me if I reserve judgement until he actually faces a real offense. He’s done nothing over the past year to earn unreserved trust. Generally, though, it’s good to see the team beating the teams they SHOULD beat. With the Padres coming in Friday, they have an opportunity for a great start, obviously. And…it’s great to have baseball back!
Jon Weisman
I agree with this comment.
Anonymous
I agree that Bills doesn’t deserve unreserved trust just yet. But he has been wonderful so far. I just hope he keeps it up….performance that is, not the pitch up over the plate :)
Jon Weisman
Most surprising review of the year: Variety praises “The Three Stooges.”
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117947380/
Terry Pruett
VERY surprising. Bythe way, I saw Springsteen at Madison Square Garden on Monday night…and he and Steve Van Zandt basically turned Rosalita into a Three Stooges epic, complete with “Nyuck, Nyucks” and whoops. Very cool….
Anonymous
I love that Kershaw’s cap is already disgusting after just 2 starts and 10 innings. Maybe it’s a carry-over from Spring Training…
Anonymous
And how come they didn’t give him the Left Handed Cy Young ?
Anonymous
I thought the actual award was a trophy, not a plaque. Congrats anyway and way to keep it in the family.
Anonymous
But, the hand carrying the ball is 3-D!
Anonymous
I was just remembering Jon’s comment the other day about Maury Wills and Gordon and how the numbers don’t so justice to what the eyes see and your gut tells you. I was wondering if the numbers would look different to you Jon and others if you moved all those stolen bases into doubles. So Gordon has 2 doubles now officially, but what if you looked at it as having 7 doubles already and there’s only been 6 games. I know it is doesn’t entirely work, because a double with men on base is different than a single and a stolen base, but it at least makes the stolen base number mean what your eyes tell you, that the guy is always in scoring position.
Jon Weisman
Looks pretty good to me.
Anonymous
This is all well and good, as long as you also remove this hit/walk every time he’s caught stealing or picked off. Gordon has one out on the basepaths so far (a bad call, but you take a risk when you put it in the ump’s hands) and he should have been picked off last night. Still, I predict that Gordon will make fewer outs on the basepaths than, say, Juan Pierre.
Jibin Park
That error really should have been an infield single last night. He clearly would have been safe regardless of whether the ball was caught or not.
Jon Weisman
I’m still trying to repudiate his one caught stealing, for which he was really safe.
Anonymous
You will have as much luck as me getting a save for Jae Seo.
Phil Gurnee
I never appreciated Dee Gordon until the first moment I saw him live. I’m guessing the sames holds true for Maury. You can say you need a .340 OBP but after six games and a sub .300 OBP can anyone say that Dee Gordon has not already had a huge impact on this team?
Adam Luther
5 SB’s in 6 games, and all one has to do is look at his walk totals from last season (7 in 233 PA’s) compared to this year (3 in 29 PA’s) and he battled back last night after being hitless against the leftie Bedard (career vs. LH starters – .240) to reach on the double starting the insurance run rally.
Jon Weisman
With all this talk of Mark Trumbo’s fielding woes, I hadn’t realized he’s 4 for 9 with a walk and a home run.
Anonymous
How about Trumbo as a replacement for Uribe or Loney?
Anonymous
Who gets the call in the 8th and 9th tonight with both Jansen and Guerra having already pitched the last two games?
Jon Weisman
Guerrier, Coffey?
Anonymous
With Capuano starting, it sounds like the JVs will be getting the ball for the Dodgers tonight. Hope the position players bring their bats.
Jon Weisman
Actually, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Jansen and Guerra used again tonight.
Anonymous
I don’t think Mattingly risks it this early in the season. I expect Guerrier in the 8th and McDougal in the 9th or the other way around. Elbert/Lindblom before the 8th.
Anonymous
It could rain tomorrow!
Anonymous
Way cool story/podcast on Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey..
http://www.npr.org/2012/04/10/150283169/winding-up-as-the-mets-knuckleball-pitcher
Jon Weisman
Twins reliever Jeff Gray gets two wins on three pitches.
http://bit.ly/I726o8
Anonymous
Beard looks hurt saving that game vs Rocks
Anonymous
We look much weaker against left handed pitching, even with Loney not hitting righties, then against righties. Ethier and Gordon mean that much to our lineup, and Ethier loses power and average against lefties, and Gordon loses hits and possibly an extra step on the basepaths versus lefties. Not to mention the lost defense with Rivera at first.
Anonymous
I heard an interesting interview of Brad Ausmus on my drive back from the “biggest little city in the world” last Friday (link below). I would have posted it sooner, but I’ve been busy catching up after being out of the office last week. Fortunately, I haven’t been too busy to watch some of the Dodger games!
http://tinyurl.com/Asumus-interview
Jon Weisman
NPUT