OK, what’s going on.  We’ve seen two walk-off home runs in the past week, but Dodger both were for Dodger wins. 

Kind of hard to believe that after all this time, with a team whose home run total was almost insignificant to their success for half the season, the Dodgers are starting to crush the ball.

They’ve had 12 home runs this homestand (seven games).  Ethier has had three home runs in his last two games (guess he really does excel when given a full-time opportunity).

Compare that to the five home runs they hit in the late-June nine-game home stand against the Indians, White Sox and Angels–or even the three home runs in the late-July seven-game homestand prior to the acquisition of Manny Ramirez. 

Maybe I’m just a pessimist, but I didn’t think the ManRam trade was going to do anything.  The Dodgers have beaten my fragile psyche for years with poor deadline decisions, trading for Robin Ventura, trading Paul Lo Duca (yeah, that may have been valuable in the long-run, but the catcher spot was an offensive maelstrom after he left).

I’ve rarely thought of deadline deals as winners, and they’re usually bad ideas.  The teams always trading for quality players are the ones getting screwed because they give up seven or so years of cost-effective players who have tremendous talent for a two-month rental that usually doesn’t work because seriously, even if you take off the worst player on your team and replace him with a guy OPSing .900, you still have eight guys from the same batting order.  In this case, though, the Dodgers replaced Juan Pierre/Andruw Jones (thank effing god) with Manny Ramirez and Dewitt/Laroche (both were terrible offensively this year) with Casey Blake (above-average, though not by much).  In addition, they’ve replaced that gaping offensive hole at short stop with an average hitter in Nomar.

And now the Dodgers have effectively replaced three way below-average bats for three average to above-average bats. 

Funny thing is, Ethier and Kemp are raking.  Since Aug. 1, Ethier’s OPS has been 1.212 with four home runs, Kemp’s has been .900.

Ethier’s also been surprisingly patient at the plate, OBPing .426 in that same time for about a .069 ISOD (not bad).  Kemp has not.  Batting average is .329, OBP is .338 (though he’s slugging at .562).

8:52 p.m.: I don’t know if you can call this a microcosm of the season or maybe just another good close game that can go either way, but the Dodgers are down 6-4 in the 5th inning.

If you’re reading this and not watching it, watch it. Then read this.

9:58 p.m.: Dodgers tie it up 6-6 in the eighth inning on a two-RBI double by Kent. I know I’ve made fun of him in the past, but he’s certainly turned it around and brought his VORP above a replacement player, so I have to commend him.

10:08 p.m.: Shaky call at third. Could have gone either way–looked like the umpire had to think about it before he made the actual call–but it effectively ended the inning. I’m sure it’ll be mentioned all over the game stories tonight and tomorrow.

10:14 p.m.: Broxton pitches a perfect ninth, this game has had everything.

10:18 p.m.: And Nomar ends the game on a walk-off home run.

Thus ends a ridiculous game.

Just an hour before Penny threw his first pitch in today’s match up, I said this:

6. Penny comes back and pitches well

In the first inning he gave up four earned runs off two walks and two home runs (to Ryan Howard and Greg Dobbs (!))

Next to be jinxed: Nomar coming off the DL

I’m kind of glad I didn’t keep up this blog the past week, mostly because of the erratic behavior of the team, losing two to the Giants and now on the verge of sweeping the Phils at home.

Here’s a brief synopsis:

1. Dodgers trade for Casey Blake
2. Dodgers hover around .500
3. Dodgers trade LaRoche and get Manny
4. Dodgers start winning more
5. Penny comes back and pitches well
6. Andruw gets benched
7. Pierre loses lion’s share of starts and Ethier starts almost every day
8. Nomar comes off the DL, Berroa benched
9. Andruw goes on DL

It’s been more or less fortuitous. Sort of like a roller coaster: they went up high, went way down low, but ended up a little higher than where the ride started. Some smart moves have been made and hopefully Andruw is sent down to AAA to get his stuff together.

Regardless, I’m in the press box tonight, chillin, maxin. Greg Dobbs lives in the area and we’re covering a brief story on him, giving him his due. He’s a cool dude, he married a woman named Heidi who’s grandfather was a coach at Glendale High. Performing well this season in the time he’s given, but it doesn’t seem like the Phillies want him around much longer (Feliz is signed for next year despite having inferior numbers).

The Dobbs story will be in the paper next week, should be a good one.

Slow news day as New York gets prepped for the All-Star game tonight at 5 p.m. PST.

Martin has been given some lofty comparisons by this butthole (Lyle Spencer) over at Dodgers.com:

Since Roy Campanella, coming right behind Jackie Robinson in Brooklyn, integrated his position in 1948, the Dodgers have had a succession of brilliant receivers: John Roseboro, Steve Yeager, Mike Scioscia, Mike Piazza and now Martin, the pride of East York, Ontario, and Montreal.

A little unfair to a) leave Paul Lo Duca off that list, considering he put Scioscia on it and b) to already be comparing Martin to the great Dodger catchers.  Yeah, I think we all feel that way, but Martin’s been in the majors for almost two years.  Can’t we have this discussion when his career is over?  Maybe after he’s put up 10 or so years of these kinds of numbers?  Can’t we be a little patient before bestowing the catching crown upon his head?

Martin, being the wonderful man he is, said this:

There are some names there that have done a lot, had great careers.  I feel like I have a long way to go before I can be compared to all those names. Maybe, when it’s all said and done. … [About being compared to Roy Campanella]  You can’t put my name and his name in the same sentence.  What he did was unbelievable. It’s something I can look up to. It’s a good objective, to try to follow someone like that. But as far as achieving what he achieved, that’s tough.

Martin’s always had a great respect for history.  This is probably why we all love him so much (plus, he’s a great player) and some day, a young catcher may see Martin as his objective; to follow someone like that.

Spencer then wrote this sentence:

Martin said his focus is on helping the Dodgers make a second-half charge and claim a postseason assignment in the Mild, Mild West.

Uuuuuggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

So, if you were like me yesterday yelling at Joe Torre through your computer/TV screen for starting Jason Repko and batting him first in the line up, you can at least feel relief for that first part.

Matt Kemp was out yesterday with an eye infection.  No word if he’ll be in today’s line up, but jesus, you have to hope he’ll be back ASAP, because Repko almost got a platinum sombrero. 

Sources say Kemp might have been high, those sources being someone on the internet. 

Frankly, I’d be more surprised if Kemp actually had an eye infection than if he came in high.

Gotta say that the Dodgers were impressive this weekend.  An offensive burst in the first game, followed by two games of virtually no runs scored.  Bills pitched amazingly on Saturday and Broxton and Saito helped him out.  Lowe was pretty good as well on Sunday, though his one blemish ended up costing him.

The pitching is performing again.  Since Brad Penny’s DL stint, the Dodgers are 7-7.  Not amazing, but .500 ball is nothing to scoff at when your team is six games below. 

They’ve allowed 48 runs in the 14 games (3.4 RA) and racked up 50 (3.6 RF), so the record is reasonable.

But more to the point, the Dodgers have allowed 3 runs in the last 5 games, with three shutouts and scored 11.  Those opponents were the White Sox and Angels, both AL teams with some decent to mid-range line ups, so this is hopefully the upswing that we’ve all been hoping for.  Granted, small sample size, but still impressive.

Now, if they could just score some runs.

The DL stint for Brad Penny is helping the team.  Eric Stults has pitched wonderfully (he’s so dreamy!) and now the team is going with a six-man rotation.

Park pitched well last night and has certainly stepped it up since becoming a starter again.  There’s no doubting that even if he fails for the rest of the year, he’s been a phenomenal off-season signing.  17 VORP and a sub-3 ERA.  Can you really ask anymore of a guy you signed to the team for a near-minimum contract?  A guy who almost retired at the start of the year to return to Korea?  Jesus; remarkable.  I never thought I’d say this after the 2001 season, but thank you so much, Chan Ho Park.

He also made 85 or so pitches in six innings–it may have seemed premature, but, as my father pointed out, it was wise, since he’s spent most of the year as a reliever and hasn’t pitched that many pitches in a row.  Guess he’ll make 90 in the next start or something.

Seeing two Dodgers homer in one game was absolutely shocking.  Martin’s was astronomical, and he ended up 2-for-3 on the night.  Ethier’s was gone as soon as he touched it.

Someone on the post-game radio said this could be the turnaround in the offense.  It could be, yes.  I hope it is.  I would love to see that.  I think we all would love to.

The Dodgers are only 2.5 games back behind the Diamondbacks.

Been an absolutely awful week. On top of all the things that happened this week, I just suddenly lost my mojo today and can’t put together any coherent thoughts for more than 200 words. I had to write about 1,500 words today for the paper, I think about 10 of them made sense.

This isn’t a livejournal, so I’ll just leave it at that, but my brain is struggling and I didn’t feel it necessary to make you suffer.

Anyway, here’s something fun to read while my brain goes on sabbatical. I should be back tomorrow, come back soon.

Dodgers are beating the White Sox right now, 2-0 in the second inning.  Stults is pitching–he doesn’t look sharp, but he looks like he’ll be good enough to get the win.  we’ll see

Kershaw is pitching against the Indians tonight.

It’s early, but 21 pitches, six outs.

Base hit by Casey Blake.
Home run by Shoppach.

Hmm. Perhaps I jinxed it.

More thoughts on this game after the game.