Dodgers Notes From Monday's Game 6/7/2010

Dodgers 12, St. Louis 4

Box Score.

• Carlos Monasterios went 6 innings (3 ER, 4 Hits, 0 K, 3 BB, 2 HR Allowed, 86 pitches - 52 for strikes).
• Bullpen: 3 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 K, 0 BB.
• Blake DeWitt hit his 1st HR of the season.
• Rafael Furcal stole his 9th base of the season, while Ronnie Belliard stole his 1st base.
• Matt Kemp (2 Singles, BB), James Loney (3 BB), and Belliard (2 Singles, BB) each reached base 3 times, while Andre Ethier (Single, BB), Furcal (Double, Single), DeWitt (HR, Single), and Reed Johnson (2 Singles) each reached base twice.
  
• The offense struck out 6 times, drew 6 walks, and had 4 extra-base hits.

[Photo: Getty Images, via True Blue LA]

Dodgers Notes From Friday's Game 5/28/2010

Dodgers 5, Colorado 4

Box Score.

• Carols Carlos (someone wasn't paying attention, eh?) Monasterios, the temporary 5th starter, went 5 solid innings (4 Runs [2 ER], 5 Hits, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 HR Allowed, 1 Hit Batter, 1 WP, 68 pitches - 42 for strikes).
• Bullpen: 4 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 8 K, 2 BB [1 IBB], 1 Hit Batter.
• Matt Kemp hit his 10th HR, a bomb to just right of dead center, and Manny Ramirez added his 3rd HR.
• Reed Johnson was the only Dodger to reach base more than once, with a single and HBP.
• Rafael Furcal, aside from Monasterios, was the only starter to not reach base safely.
  
• The offense, with no extra-base hits in 3 of its last 4 games, had 4 extra-base hits tonight. The offense struck out just 3 times while drawing just 2 walks.
• Scott Elbert was recalled from AAA. Nick Green was designated for assignment. The useless veterans are falling quickly now. I'm sure it pains Torre and Colletti to their very cores. But for the rest of us: HOOOOOOORAYYYYYYY!!! Better watch out Garret Anderson: you should be next.
  

Dodgers Notes From Thursday's Game 5/27/2010

Chicago 1, Dodgers 0

Box Score.

• John Ely went 7.1 really good innings (1 ER, 4 Hits, 4 K, 2 BB, 98 pitches - 65 for strikes).
• Bullpen: 0.2 IP, 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 1 K, 0 BB.
• Russell Martin (Single, IBB), Casey Blake (2 Singles), and Reed Johnson (Single, BB) each reached base twice.
• Blake DeWitt struck out in 3 of his 4 plate appearances.
• The offense went down swinging 9 times, drew 4 walks, and had 0 extra-base hits for the third time in the last 4 games.
• Ramon Ortiz was designated for assignment, and Justin Miller was recalled from AAA.

"He [Justin Miller] can pitch every day. I saw him do that with the Giants last year," said Torre. "In Spring Training, we knew we couldn't take him, even though you want on your staff someone with durability."

So basically what Joe Torre is saying is that because Justin Miller wasn't on the team, he was obligated to burn through Ramon Troncoso. Lovely.

Dodgers Notes From Friday's Game 5/21/2010

Dodgers 4, Detroit 1

Box Score.

• Chad Billingsley went 7 fantastic innings (1 ER, 4 Hits, 5 K, 2 BB, 105 pitches - 66 for strikes).
• Bullpen: 2 IP, 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 4 K, 1 BB.
• Jonathan Broxton pitched a scoreless 9th, striking out the side. He has 27 Ks and 2 BB on the season in 17.2 innings.
• Manny Ramirez returned to the lineup from his toe injury.
• Reed Johnson (Double, 2 Singles, BB) reached base 4 times, while Casey Blake (BB, HBP) and Nick Green (Single, HBP) each reached base twice.
• Russell Martin, Blake DeWitt, and James Loney had the night off, with Loney coming in as a defensive replacement.
• The offense struck out 4 times, walked 3 times, and had 2 extra-base hits.

Dodgers Notes From Wednesday's Game 5/19/2010

San Diego 10, Dodgers 5

Box Score.

• Ramon Ortiz was atrocious again, getting pulled after 3.1 innings (5 ER, 6 Hits, 1 K, 3 BB [1 IBB], 1 Balk, 76 pitches - 45 for strikes). He's still on the team. Why, exactly? #ReleaseOrtiz
• Bullpen: 5.2 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 4 K, 5 BB [1 IBB], 2 HR Allowed, 1 WP, 1 Hit Batter. 4 Relievers.
• Casey Blake hit his 5th HR.
• Another Dodger goes down pregame: Manny Ramirez injured his left foot and was scratched, striking out in a pinch-hitting capacity. He's day-to-day.
• Russell Martin (Double, BB, HBP) and Blake (HR, 2 Singles) reached base 3 times, while Xavier Paul (Double, Single), Jamey Carroll (Single, BB), and Reed Johnson (2 Singles) each reached base twice.
• The offense struck out 5 times, drew 2 walks, and had 4 extra-base hits.
• The Padres stole 4 bases off of Martin and the pitching staff. Somehow Matt Stairs had a stolen base. I'm sad I missed what must have been awkward, clumsy, painful-looking glory.

Dodgers Notes From Monday's Game 5/17/2010

Dodgers 6, Houston 2

Box Score.

• John Ely, with 13 Ks and 0 BB in his last 2 starts, went 7 strong innings (2 ER, 5 Hits, 8 K, 0 BB, 1 WP, 97 pitches - 67 for strikes). It's Ely's third straight start without walking a batter. That's a phenomenal 21:0 K:B ratio over his aforementioned last 3 starts, spanning 19.2 innings.
• Bullpen: 2 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 1 K, 0 BB.
• Matt Kemp (Double, Single), Manny Ramirez (Double, BB), Russell Martin (Single, BB), Blake DeWitt (2 Triples), and Reed Johnson (2 Singles) each reached base twice. Kemp was also originally credited with a single in the first that was later changed to an error on the Astros.
• The last Dodger to triple twice in a game was currently-injured/rehabbing Rafael Furcal, way back on June 13th of 2007. Catching for the visiting Mets that day: Paul Lo Duca.
• The offense struck out just twice, drew 3 walks, and had 5 extra-base hits.

Andre Ethier Injury Fallout

With the news that Andre Ethier fractured his pinkie, the likely, and smart outcome, is a DL stint. There's no reason to send Ethier out with an injured finger, which Dre himself has said would be affected when holding the bat (via True Blue L.A.):

"It's a flexion thing,'' he said. "I kind of position that pinky right above the knob, and it's a leverage point in my swing.''

The next question is who replaces Andre in the line-up. Garret Anderson, Reed Johnson, and Xavier Paul are the options. Though Paul has spent most of the year in AAA, this is an extremely easy decision.

Anderson's OBP .161, Johnson checks in at .233, and Paul sports the high-water mark at .323. Paul is also the best defender, has an absolute cannon for an arm, can play all three outfield positions well, and has upside, even though his best chance to start would be as a one-year gap filler until other prospects are ready to advance.

Johnson is a decent 4th OF, and Anderson is, of course, awful. He's a bad defender, can't hit, doesn't get on-base, has never walked, and is a walking corpse of a man.

Do the right thing Joe, and start Xavier Paul, assuming his injury suffered the same day as Ethier's wasn't serious. And if by chance it was bad enough to prevent him from coming up and playing, start Johnson.

Dodgers Notes From Saturday's Game 5/1/2010

Dodgers 5, Pittsburgh 1

Box Score.

• Carlos Monasterios went 4 solid innings in his first big league start (1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 K, 2 BB, 2 Hit Batters, 1 HR Allowed, 73 pitches - 39 for strikes). He was definitely wild, but looked pretty good when he did find the strike zone. Still best suited to be a reliever, but a good spot start when the Dodgers needed one.
  
• Bullpen: 5 IP, 0 Runs, 3 Hits, 6 K, 0 BB.
  
• Andre Ethier hit his 7th HR of the season.
• Ethier (HR, 2 Doubles) reached base 3 times, while Matt Kemp (Single, BB), James Loney (2 Doubles), and Reed Johnson (Double, Single) each reached base twice.
• The offense drew just 2 walks and struck out 7 times.
• Somehow Ramon Ortiz threw 3 scoreless innings of relief and struck out 5 while allowing just 2 baserunners, including striking out the side swinging in the 6th. Hew should still immediately be designated for assignment and never pitch in a Dodger uniform again.
  

Dodgers Notes From Tuesday's Games 4/27/2010

-- Twice As Nice In New York, Doubleheader --

Game 1:

New York Mets 4, Dodgers 0.

Box Score.

• Hiroki Kuroda went 6 innings (2 ER, 5 Hits, 4 K, 3 BB [2 IBB], 1 WP, 1 HR Allowed, 88 pitches - 48 for strikes).
  
• Bullpen: 2 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 K, 2 BB [1 IBB]. 4 Relievers.
  
• James Loney stole his 4th base of the season. Who would have guessed he'd have twice as many steals as Matt Kemp at any point in the season? My hand is definitely not raised.
• Jamey Carroll (Single, 2 BB) and Russell Martin (Single, 2 BB) each reached base 3 times.
• The offense drew 5 walks, but struck out 10 times.
  

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

Game 2:

New York Mets 10, Dodgers 5

Box Score.

• Charlie Haeger went 4 innings (5 ER, 5 Hits, 1 K, 4 BB, 78 pitches - 42 for strikes).
  
• Bullpen: 4 IP, 5 Runs [1 ER], 6 Hits, 4 K, 2 BB. 4 Relievers.
• Andre Ethier (Single, 2 BB) and Reed Johnson (Double, Single, BB) each reached base 3 times.
• James Loney was ejected in the 4th inning. It was quite a show.
  
• The offense struck out 7 times and drew 6 walks.
  

Dodger Roster Moves Weekend Roundup: Manny Ramirez, Xavier Paul, Hong-Chih Kuo & More!

Reviewing recent roster moves made by the club, we find:

Manny Ramirez heads to the 15-day DL due to a right calf strain. Xavier Paul has been recalled to take ManRam's place, though it is likely he will serve in a reserve role and spell the tandem of Garrett Anderson and Reed Johnson, with Anderson likely to get the bulk of the playing time.

I would personally like to see Paul get the majority of the starts over the next 2 week. Highest upside, clearly, and what's the point of calling him up to be a reserve when he could be playing full-time in AAA? Isn't that the reason why he wasn't our 4th OF to begin the season? Paul's AAA numbers: .361/.409/.574/.983 through 15 Games and 66 plate appearances.

FREE XAVIER PAUL

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

Ronald Belisario returns, and Jon Link heads back to AAA after making one appearance and throwing 2 scoreless innings. Link looked good, and will probably see time up in the show again this season, certainly when rosters expand, if not sooner.

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

Hong-Chih Kuo returned from elbow issues, while a corresponding move saw Jeff Weaver head to the disabled list with a strained lower back.

Notes From Sunday's Game 4/11/2010

Florida 6, Dodgers 5

Box Score.

• Charlie Haeger, making his first start of the season, went 6 very effective innings (4 Runs [3 ER], 3 Hits, 12 K, 4 BB, 1 HR Allowed, 3 WP, 117 pitches - 67 for strikes). The knuckle ball was dancing all game long, and A.J. Ellis had his problems holding onto it, but Haeger did what he's asked to do out of the 5th spot in the rotation: keep the team in the game and eat innings.
• Haeger struck out 7 of the first 10 batters he faced, struck out the side in the 3rd inning, and had at least 2 Ks in each of the first 5 innings.
  
• Bullpen: 2 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 1 K, 1 BB.
• Manny, Russell Martin, Casey Blake, and Andre Ethier all started the game on the bench, with Dre pinch-hitting and Russell catching an inning and drawing a BB. Andre is expected back in the lineup for Tuesday's home opener.
• Ronnie Belliard (3 Singles) reached base 3 times, while Matt Kemp (2 Singles), James Loney (2 Singles), and Reed Johnson (Triple, Single) each reached base twice.
• Johnson stole his first base of the season, while Matty was caught for the first time.
  
• Blake DeWitt did not reach base at least 2 times for the first time this season.
• A.J. Ellis, in his first start of the season: 0-0, 2 RBIs, 1 BB, 1 sacrifice fly, 1 sac bunt. New Three True Outcomes, perhaps?
  
• The offense drew just 2 walks while striking out 9 times.
  

Kemp Talks About Close Call

Ken Gurnick collects some quotes from Matt Kemp on his near collision with Reed Johnson in Thursday's game against Pittsburgh:

"That was scary. Really scary," said Kemp, who has the right to any ball he can reach as the center fielder. "It can be tough with new outfielders, and yesterday I had new guys on each side, with Garret Anderson in right. I'm used to working with [Andre Ethier], and with Manny [Ramirez], I know what he can get, and he knows when I can get to the ball, he backs off.

"Yesterday, Reed got a good jump, and I got a good jump at the same time. We both called for it, but when you're running and calling, you can't hear anybody else calling. And the wind made it tougher. And when I'm looking at a ball that I can catch, I'm not looking at anything but the ball, so I won't see another outfielder coming. That can be good, because I'm focused on the ball, but it can be bad, because I won't see a collision coming."

[AP Photos]

Ethier Out Again

Andre Ethier will miss his second straight game while battling a sprained left ankle.

Reed Johnson will take his place in RF and bat second today.

Notes From Thursday's Game 4/8/2010

Dodgers 10, Pittsburgh 2

Box Score.

The first win of the year is in the books, and I was unable to watch a single second of it. Sigh. All observations today will be made having only looked at the box score.

• Chad Billingsley had an impressive debut, going 5.1 innings (1 ER, 5 Hits, 7 K, 4 BB, 107 pitches - 66 for strikes). He struck out the side in the 4th inning, and perusing the Yahoo box score, I see almost every hit he gave up being listed as "shallow". All in all, an impressive debut for Bills.
• Bullpen: 3.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 K, 1 BB.
• Jonathan Broxton made his first appearance of the young season (though he should have been in at some point in yesterday's game) and threw a scoreless 9th inning, walking one and getting one Pirate down on strikes swinging. He threw 11 pitches, 5 for strikes.
• Manny, Andre Ethier, Blake DeWitt, Russell Martin, and Casey Blake all had the day off. Manny pinch-hit and grounded out in the 8th inning.
• The re-tooled bench was quite impressive today. It went a combined 9-21 with a HR, Triple, 3 Doubles, 6 RBI, 1 BB, a sacrifice fly, and a sacrifice bunt.
• James Loney (3 Singles), Ronnie Belliard (HR, Triple, Double), and Reed Johnson (Double, 2 Singles) each reached base 3 times, while Matt Kemp (Double, Single), Rafael Furcal (Double, Single) and Garret Anderson (Single, BB) each reached base twice.
• Belliard made 2 fielding errors at third base. They didn't bring him back for his defense, that's for sure.
  

Spring Opener Recap

Featuring Manny, Reed Johnson, and Vicente Padilla not shooting himself.

Always a good thing.

Brian Giles? It Just Never Ends

The Dodgers have signed Brian Giles - Brian Giles?!?! - to a minor league, 1-year deal. Invitation to Spring Training included.

I really don't know what to say anymore, and I've stopped guessing what the hell Ned Colletti is trying to do. My initial thought: Xavier Paul, Brian Barton, Jason Repko, Reed Johnson.

Giles, 39 and a native of El Cajon, CA, has played for 15 seasons, splitting time between Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and San Diego.

The career numbers are actually quite impressive: .400 OBP, .502 SLG %, 136 OPS+. The man knows how to take a walk. All of this would have been great, if not for the fact that he's 39. Oh, and he may have beat his girlfriend, while pregnant, causing her to miscarry. Lovely.

Reed Johnson's Goatee Officially Signs Deal

So Tweets Dylan Hernandez.

I made my feelings about Johnson known here.

Reed Johnson May Be Coming To A Stadium Near Us

The Dodgers are reportedly close to inking a 1-year deal with OF Reed Johnson, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.

Johnson, 33, has split his 7 big league seasons between Toronto and the Cubs, amassing 2862 plate appearances and a .344 OBP over that time.

He appeals to the Dodgers because he can play centerfield.

I'd still prefer to go with a combination of Xavier Paul and Brian Barton. Paul has experience in the minor leagues playing centerfield (260 games).

Oh, and that over to the right there, well, that looks mighty mighty painful.