That's More Like It (Except for the Injury Part)

The Dodgers once again ran into some strong pitching Saturday at RFK, but they had enough of their own to stay in the game and eventually find a way to win.  Derek Lowe (3-3), whose run support this year has been weaker than watered down Starbucks, wasn't blessed with much today, either.  But his seven strong innings, allowing only one run on five hits and a walk, was enough to take the 3-1 win.  Lowe also struck out three and lowered his ERA to 2.90.  The Dodgers finally chased Nats starter Shawn Hill- who threw seven good innings of his own in his first big league appearance since 2004- then touched up Mike Stanton (1-5) and Gary Majewski in the eighth.  Shockingly enough, the big blow was dealt by Nomar Garciaparra.   His RBI single plated Rafael Furcal, and a Damian Jackson error gave the Dodgers an insurance tally in the ninth.  Solid relief work from Danys Baez and Takashi Saito (S,2) sealed the deal for L.A.

The bad news?  Jeff Kent had to leave the game in the second with a sprained left wrist, which he dinged while swinging... at a pitch, that is.  He'll most likely miss Sunday, and hopefully won't be out for long after that.  J.D. Drew also missed the game with a bad shoulder, which meant Grady Little played with a very short bench Saturday afternoon.  Hopefully this isn't a return to the bad old days (you know, like three weeks ago) when it seemed like Dodgers were landing on the DL faster than Paris Hilton on the pages of supermarket tabloids. 

More news as it becomes available.  Keep those blue fingers crossed for now.

BK

Extra! Extra! (5.27)

Technically, you actually can win them all.  You're just not going to.  Because even when a team is going good, they'll occasionally lay a collective egg.  Such was the case Friday night for the Dodgers in their 10-4 loss to Washington at RFK.  The good news for L.A.- who in building a seven game win streak had played ludicrously good team ball- is that last night they continued to stick together, getting little offense and less pitching.  Brett Tomko struggled with his location all night, throwing 101 pitches in only 4.1 innings.  The bullpen, outside of Odalis Perez (yeah, you read that right), wasn't much better.  Lance Carter and Tim Hamulack's continued struggles ensured the Dodgers wouldn't be able to climb back into the game.  Was it because good luck charm Russell Martin was given a day off?   (If he's that charmed, Blue Notes plans on boosting the ol' income by taking him to Hollywood Park as our special Celebrity Horse Picker.)  On the other end, Nats starter Livan Hernandez was disposing of Dodgers hitters with uncanny efficiency through the first six innings before a hiccup in the seventh led to three L.A. runs.  By then, the damage was done.  A check of the box score shows the middle of the Dodger lineup- Garciaparra, Drew, Kent- finally had a slow day, going a collective 1-12 with no RBI. 

I Have a Confession to Make

I hate Dodger Dogs. Hate them.

Now before you scream "blasphemy" and scribble "Kill that bastard A.K." on signs for a protest march outside the Ravine, hear me out. I don't like hot dogs of any kind. Point blank. Period. I got sick off one when I was about 2 or 3 and they haven't worked for me since. The hot dog's extended family is basically acceptable chow. I'll eat just about any kind of sausage. Bratwurst, knockwurst, Polish, etc. I'll go exotic (I once bought alligator sausage at the Fairfax farmer's market — tasted like chicken) or slum it (the occasional Jimmy Dean link). But hot dogs are another story. I don't know if it's a difference in the meat (if the substances comprising a hot dog can even be classified as such), texture (sausages have a little more substance) or just a pure mental block caused by a bad childhood experience. But whatever the reason, you can't get me to eat them.

Extra! Extra! (5.26)

Thursday was a nice little day off, but Friday means back to bidness for the Dodgers, who are in our nation's fine capital today for a three-game series against the Washington Nationals. For the record, the team took a plane to D.C., but given the practice they've had so far this season, they're more than qualified to have walked there. Come to think of it, sprinting probably wouldn't have been out of the question, but you probably wanna expend your energy on the field, as opposed to the commute. Of course, with so many rookies kicking booty in the spotlight at the moment, a forced cross-country run would have been the ultimate in humbling hazing. Especially for this Andre Ethier character, who's now sending mini-mart employees into tizzies upon the sight of him. The success of the team's young pups in The Show, to say nothing of the dudes who'll get the call soon enough, is exactly why Ned Colletti's not losing sleep over Luke Hochevar's hold out. Big basket. Room for a lotta eggs.

Some cool details about baseball's techie side.

The Daily News' Steve Dilbeck is rooting hard for Barry to hit 715.

What Sele Said

As many of y'all have enthusiastically noted, starter Aaron Sele has been pretty much en fuego since getting the call back into the bigs. 3-0 with an ERA under a deuce? Yeah, I think that would qualify as somewhat toasty warm.

He began on somewhat of a trial basis, filling in out of necessity when the struggling Odalis Perez took a bereavement leave to tend to his sick mother. Perez may have eventually lost his spot in the rotation either way, but Sele's performances made it a done deal.

Here's what Sele had to say Wednesday night after his scoreless seven innings and a 7-1 win. Most of these questions came from the general media throng, with only the ones marked "AK" coming from yours truly.

On Sele's penchant for early season success throughout his career:

"I don't know. I don't change anything at the start of the season or the end of the season. Just try to work into a zone, let the defense work behind you. And when guys are playing good, when you get ground balls, you keep them on their toes, they play great defense for you.”

Extra! Extra! (5.25)

There are good home stands, great home stands, and first ballot inductees into the Home Stand Hall of Fame home stands. After their 7-1 win Wednesday night against the Rockies capped off a perfect 6-0 stint at the Ravine in which the Dodgers outscored their opponents 52-10, it's clear this home stand was an HOFer.

Not surprisingly, the center of attention after the game was starter Aaron Sele, whose seven shutout innings continued his remarkable run from the nonroster invitee scrap heap to (hopefully long term) success. Since replacing Odalis Perez in the starting rotation, Sele, traditionally good early in seasons, has surrendered a grand total of five earned runs in four starts. The veteran righty was probably just trying to keep pace with the rest of L.A.'s starters, who haven't given up an earned run in their last 28 IP. Perez, who has been banished to the hinterlands of Dodgerdom, understands Sele is pitching well and says he's trying to stay patient.

Offensively, Rafael Furcal and Jeff Kent paced a hit parade that produced all seven Dodger runs with two outs. The box score also shows another big game at the plate from Nomar, and a key contribution from Russell Martin.

Third Verse, Same as the First (Two)

The stock market may be down, but the broom market is booming in Los Angeles. The Dodgers capped off their second consecutive series sweep with a 7-1 win over Colorado Wednesday night at the House that Ron Cey Didn't Build But Played Very Well In. Continuing the trend they've been riding the last couple weeks, the Blue had their choice between relying on excellent starting pitching and a productive offense. And, as has been the trend, they decided to choose both. Aaron Sele (3-0) threw seven shutout innings, three Rockies hits and a single free pass the only blemishes on an otherwise perfect night that lowered his ERA to a (frankly kind of ridiculous) 1.69. Afterward, Sele looked about as hyped up as a guy waiting for a bus. He's been around long enough to know that good times come and good times go. "You just try to keep it start to start," Sele said. "Keep it basic, keep it simple. Let the defense work behind you."

Whatever works for you, Aaron.

Granted, if he's going to keep pitching well (and making himself the star of postgame interviews), it's not all going to be smooth sailing. Jose Cruz Jr. caught a glimpse of Sele on the clubhouse TV, and wasn't exactly impressed.

"You're on TV, homie. Get a new hairstyle," Cruz said.

"You didn't know I was that good looking on TV, did you?" Sele replied.

Happy May 24

I couldn't come up with a snappy title for this pregame post. But then I thought, "It's a pretty freakin' happy May 24 in Dodgerland at the moment, so any Dodger fans reading this are probably feeling like they're celebrating a holiday, too." And there's no reason to be paranoid about the party ending, considering starter Aaron Sele's tear since joining the team.

Aside from the actual hurling itself, which manager Grady Little praised for both his command of the strike zone and fastball, Sele's appearances prompt optimism since he tends to get run support. Little was asked if there's any correlation between a pitcher's performance and the runs that typically follow him, a question I've actually wondered myself. Why do some pitchers always seem to get spotted 9 runs while other guys practically have to put a gun to their batsmens' heads to get some love? As it turns out, the whole thing isn't just one big popularity contest. Little said that it mostly has to do with the pitcher you're matched up against. Depending on how the schedule shakes out, some guys get a consistently lucky draw while others inevitably find themselves against an ace or a guy having a career night. Fate, she is oft a bitch.

More reason to be happy. Brad Penny's visit to the back doc came out aces. Bad news would have been a particular bummer for Penny, since it's his 28th birthday today. And who would Jae Seo celebrate his 29th with if Penny was in a bad mood? It was only a precautionary visit, but you never know. They could have found some kind of slipped disc or learn that he was slowly evolving into a humpback (not sure what the exact medical term is). Penny will be making his next start as scheduled. For that matter, Little doesn't anticipate any changes in the rotation in the near future. Which prompted the usual question: Whither Odalis? For now, he's in the bullpen (and none too thrilled about it), but Little said Perez is keeping himself in shape and throwing. "One of these days, we're going to need him." The day can't come too soon, because the dude's looking a little sulky in the clubhouse lately.

But again, we're in happy thought mode. As is the case each day, Little was posed with the "who's gonna play where and get send up/sent down when everybody's healthy?" inquiry. "This is what I consider a great problem," smiled Little. He and his staff know they have some tough choices ahead, but "if the answers aren't made for us, then we'll make them."  Doesn't sound like a guy losing sleep to me.

FYI - Ethier being sat tonight in no way reflects punishment. Little just prefers the match up of Jose Cruz Jr. on Rockies starter Aaron Cook.

Tonight's Lineup
Rockies
Sullivan CF
Atkins 3B
Helton 1B
Holliday LF
Hawpe RF
Gonzalez 2B
Barmes SS
Ardoin C
Cook P

Dodgers
Furcal SS
Lofton CF
Garciaparra 1B
Drew RF
Kent 2B
Aybar 3B
Cruz LF
Martin C
Sele P

AK

Extra! Extra! (5.24)

Big six. Gotta love that.

The Dodgers took care of business Tuesday night at the Ravine, putting another thumping on the Rockies for their sixth win in a row and their 14th victory in their last 17 contests. The box score reveals stars aplenty in the 8-1 win. Start with Brad Penny (5-1), who threw five scoreless-but-long innings and lowered his ERA to 2.31 before a high pitch count (and mercifully, he says, not his back) forced him from the game. Still, he'll head today for a regularly scheduled appointment with ol' Doc Watkins, his back specialist, just to be safe. Then there was Kenny Lofton, who returned to the lineup Tuesday with three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored, raising his average to .304. Nomar and J.D. Drew each had two hits and an RBI. The 'pen was mighty, giving up only one run in four innings. And — broken record alert — the trio of Russell Martin, Willy Aybar, and Andre Ethier went a combined 5-11 with two runs and two RBIs.

That, folks, is balance, and Grady Little likes it.

Ain't Rocky Facing the Rockies

Six games and counting. That's the streak the Dodgers have going as they made easy work of the Rockies in an 8-1 win. Brad Penny was a work horse, working both batters (five scoreless innings) and his own arm (the 104 pitch count explains a high success, low mound time night). Penny obviously would have liked to remain on the hill, but after tossing so many fouled off balls, the exit made sense even to a competitive athlete like him. More importantly, the flurry of tips didn't frustrate him ("Stuff like that is out of my control.") and his recent back problems didn't flare up again. Penny will be visiting back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins tomorrow, but this had been planned before tonight's game, anyway. Everything felt good and he experienced no tightness.

Grady Little praised the "good performances all over the field," and thought the pitching was excellent, "outside of the one ball that left the ball park." Sure, Garrett Atkins' blast probably wasn't what Tim Hamulack had in mind to start out the 6th. But on a night when Kenny Lofton alone accounted for 13 bases, it seems rather trivial. What doesn't feel like a trifle, however, is the actual amount of running K. Lo did, given that he just rested a bad hammy. Lofton's season will be a balancing act of balls out sprinting and rest, but a formula that Little won't tweak too much. "If we sway from our program, maybe he won't be able to give us that kind of production." Little also played devil's advocate when a reporter commented that the team was making winning look easy. "It's easy to lose games," insisted Little. Fortunately, that outcome is looking awfully tough at the moment for the Dodgers.

More to come tomorrow.

AK