Happenings In Blue

Randy Wolf is a go for Tuesday.

------------------------------------------------

Guillermo Mota was activated from the 15-day DL.

------------------------------------------------

Dodgers 19-year-old minor league pitcher Jose Dominguez was suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for Stanozolol, a PED. Dominguez is part of the Dodgers' Dominican Summer League team. His suspension will start next season.

Notes From Sunday's Game

1. Randy Wolf was outstanding over 7.2 IP (5 Hits, 3 ER, O BB, 10 K, 1 HR allowed, 100 pitches - 71 for strikes). He was also dynamite at the plate, going 3-4 with a HR, double, 3 RBI, and 2 Runs Scored.
2. Wolf retired 20 straight at one point, including 5 via strikeout.
   
3. The bullpen got a much needed rest today.
   
4. Rafael Furcal had the day off.
5. With Furcal resting, Matt Kemp stepped into the leadoff spot. It'll be interesting to see what Joe Torre does with the order tomorrow when Furcal returns, especially after such an offensive outburst. Knowing Joe, not only will Furcal be back atop the order (which I don't really mind) but Kemp will probably be slotted 7th or 8th again (which of course I do have a major problem with).
6. Along with Wolf, Andre Ethier and Orlando Hudson homered.
7. Kemp and Hudson reached base twice.
8. Ethier went 4-5 with his 24th HR and a double. He drove in 4.
9. Guillermo Mota looked much better today than he has in a few weeks, though it was in mop-up duty.
10. Hiroki Kuroda was released from the hospital.

Notes From Wednesday's Game (VIDEO UPDATE)

Wow.

1. Weaver's day detailed here at the bottom of the post.
   
2. How badly do you have to manage a game to, by the 10th inning, be out of position players and have gone through pretty much the whole bullpen?
3. As I was in the process of typing, Mota gave it up. On the bright side, this was pretty much a throw-away-game to begin with, what with it being Lincecum vs. Weaver/Bullpen.
   
4. Charlie Haeger did not get into the game. Shame. He'll probably be sent back to AAA tonight.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, and this happened.




Both benches cleared. No punches were thrown. Video Here. Giants announcers, and did I miss the memo that banned pitching inside?

Jeff Weaver To Start Wednesday (What A Shock) ((UPDATES))

Jeff Weaver gets the start for the Dodgers against Tim Lincecum and the Giants on Wednesday. This really wasn't that hard to see. Torre likes veterans, and Weaver is a veteran. The start should have gone to James McDonald, Scott Elbert, or the just-called-up Charlie Haeger. Haeger will be the long-man for the Dodgers in Wednesday's game.

Is that the face of a man who inspires confidence? That's what I thought.

Here's hoping someone talks Torre into using logic, and we see El Knuckleballero starting tomorrow with Weaver as the long-man (or long-gone-man, I'd be down with that).

God speed Chad Billingsley, God speed. May your hamstrings heal faster than any hamstrings have ever healed before.




UPDATE: Weaver went 3 innings, allowing 4 baserunners (2 Hits, 2 BB) while striking out 3. He threw 61 pitches, 39 for strikes. I was against Weaver starting, but considering he was actually pitching fairly well for 3 innings, why not let him continue? Torre instead chose to use 5 relievers after the 3rd inning (5 up until now, the top of the 10th. No doubt we'll see at least one more).

UPDATE 2: That next reliever was Guillermo Mota. A shocking ending, really shocking. Like "Hey, that kick to my groin hurt!" shocking.