Today's lineup
J.D. is still a little too sore for today’s game after getting a knee to the quad.
Here’s the lineup for the series finale:
Furcal, SS
Cruz, RF
Nomar, 1B
Kemp, CF
Aybar, 3B
Ethier, LF
Martinez, 2B
Martin, C
Lowe, P
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Inside the Dodgers 
Our best chance to see the Big 5 play together, but Grittle blew it for us. No surprise.
Grady starting Cruz against a right-hander? Should I take this to mean he wants Guzman to focus on playing third base? Both Guzman and Lofton are actually capable of hitting right-handed pitching. Hope I’m proven wrong here.
Dodger fans, watch closely. Kent returns Tuesday, and Izturis and Navarro are on rehab assignments. Let the traffic jam begin.
I kind of expected Drew to be out, it’s all good man, we need his bat for the long haul.
Go Dodgers
Ok, strike that remark. I checked Dodger Thoughts, and apparently Lofton is scheduled for an off day, and Guzman may still be sore from being hit on the wrist. Craig Biggio needs to make an instructional video on how to survive being hit by a pitch.
While Cruz’s average still makes me nervous, he’s good at walking, and he’s in his favorite part of the lineup. Maybe everything will click after he solves his Sudoku puzzle.
And Cruz doubles in the first. Go Dodgers!
Guzman should be headed back to Vegas shortly, hopefully Kent will be ready to go by Wednesday. Biggio has a bullet proof elbow pad, that’s how he survives so many beanballs(plus he’s a gamer)! This Kemp guy look’s like something really special, I hope he can stay healthy. Dioner will get some action, Russell need’s a little rest. D.Lowe in trouble, gotta go.
“D.Lowe in trouble, gotta go.”
Were you going over to help him? The Dodgers are still up 2-1, so I guess it worked.
Almost halfway through the game and the “KIDS” Kemp, Aybar, and Ethier, are 5 for 6. We can trade Odalis, Repko, Ledee for at LEAST one good arm!!!!!
See David Ross is getting some catching time with the Reds. Doing quite well – seventh homer today, ave. over .300. Always good to see hard workers succeed out of the Dodger system regardless of whom they play for.
As far as the traffic jam is concerned, you’re right, the furcal, kent, izturis situation is going to be difficult. But more to that later.
The Navarro/Martin situation should be the easiest one the Dodgers have had to make in a long time. Navarro can’t hit as well, doesn’t block the plate as well, doesn’t catch balls coming from the outfiled as well and can’t throw people out. What else is a catcher supposed to do? Trade him
If Izturis is as healthy as he was, the desicion making becomes a lot easier. Izturis is a far better fielding shortstop than Furcal made 15 errors last year … it’s only June and he’s already made 13. Move furcal to 3rd (he’s got the arm to throw to first and Aybar’s no better defensively) and leave Cesar at SS. The only hard thing about this situation would be where to put him in the lineup. 3 leadoff hitters (Furcal, Lofton, Izturis)?
If he can’t throw as well, then we have serious issues. You cannot move Nomar, that would be bad luck, and he’s a great 1B-man. So you can’t move Kent to 1B. My point is, let’s hope Cesar can throw like 2004.
I favor having a rotation, because Izzy, Kent, Furcal, Nomar have all had injury issues.
But here’s a question for you: what will Grady’s first lineup of the year with a DH look like? Dodgers in Oakland this weekend.
Is Russell Martin a clutch player or what? Not bad for Saenz and Alomar either. The pitching problems must drive Grady crazy and GM Colletti.
Good job Saito. Concerned that Gagne may have a short career.
DH this week allows Grady to have Kemp, Drew, Lofton and Ethier in the lineup. Maybe Kent sees a little DH duty if healthy.
GO Dodgers!!!
if everbody’s healthy maybe: furcal, lofton, nomar, drew, kent, kemp, aybar, ethier, martin.
although i’d hate to give up any of our prospects, i would really love to see barry zito in dodger blue. too bad the a’s have recovered from their early swoon~
PITCHING. the dodgers need it badly. not outfield help from c. crawford or soriano as has been rumored.
do it whatever it takes to get dontrelle. can you imagine a playoff rotation of d-train, lowe, and penny?!?
the fish need of, p and catcher. why not guzman, billingsly and navarro. yes, i know its a lot, but willis was a cy young caliber pitcher last year, is only 24, is signed thru 2008 and already has a world series ring.
teams win championships with pitching, defense and timely hitting. we have he hitting, okay defense, but the pitching is really becoming suspect.
great win today, and yes, the dodgers are in first…i still only worry about the giants. i think the rest of the division are pretenders. the giants always gamers, with our without bonds, and they always scare me!
Dontrelle is intriguing, no doubt. Not sure they need to include Billingsly. Perhaps a pitcher lower on the scale than him. Think they have to protect their top pitching prospects in consideration of the next few years. Can’t keep bringing in high priced pitchers. What to do with Odalis? Big salary to swallow.
Andy LaRoche’s numbers at Jacksonville are approaching Kemp’s with the Suns. Wonder when he will be promoted to Las Vegas. Probably in the second half of the season.
As it stands, the Dodgers have their position players covered now and a few years ahead. So pitching will be the focus for the short and medium (2 years) term.
Going for Dontrelle Willis might be a bit ambitious as the Dodgers would risk giving up too much talent – in a trade the Marlins would easily get 2 or 3 low salary high-quality players for him.
On the upside, though, I would think he could adjust well to LA since he’ll be joining former teammate Brad Penny. That leaves a question of what to do with Perez and Seo. Seo might be traded off. Perez has been getting consistently better in relief apperances, and the Dodgers would do well if he could hold down things in the bullpen. So assuming those events fall into place, that leaves a rotation of
Lowe, Penny, Willis, Sele, Tomko,
and next year
Lowe, Penny, Willis, Tomko, Billingsley.
When the top 3 starters already have World Series rings, that’s not bad at all.
Around the division, Cody Ross came through again with a big homer to help the Fishies top the Padres. As for the Giants being good this year, they lost a series to the Pirates.
D train was hot but geeze he’s 3-6 4.32 so far this year. I think I’d rather look elsewhere for a better deal.Our defense has been marginal at best especially with furcal and I don’t think he would do well throwing from 3rd as he can’t throw from 2nd or short…I really think we need to keep izzy and maybe eat some contract on a furcal navarro trade for a Good SP. I wouldn’t deal Repko unless it was for a killer starter young proven and Doing well this year.I Agree that Nomar stays at first and can only Hope Kent comes back to 100% by the allstar break. Mueller had as many errors as Furcal through the same game span but I do like his bat in the lineup but haven’t seen a dropoff because of the kids. I still believe in GM Colletti so whatever he does i know it will be in the best intrest of the Team!! Go Blue Great Win Today!!!
Fisher, you have to remember that Willis is playing in Florida. Not only is the whole team struggling but it has to weigh heavily on Willis. Look at LoDuca and what he’s doing for the Mets, a contender !!! Just think what being traded to a contender would do to Willis’ spirit. I don’t think we have a chance of getting him but I do think it would be great if we could, but only if it makes sense !!! When guys start getting heathy again Ned’s going to have some very serious issues to balance out. Thank God he has those options to make.
Go Dodgers !!!
Gary look at 22 year old Josh Johnson who is 4-4 on the same team with a 2.11 or so era. That’s the kind of talent that I’m looking for. Makes 327K and has alot of potential.Willis ia a 10 mil pitcher and kids at that price scare me a bit.As far as the mets being contenders I think it has more to do with all the bats and defense they have. They looked like the Dodgers 2003 team the way they turned every possible out last week I was impressed.
ok before you do let me correct myself thought it was 10 mil its only 4.3mil and he has done well in his last 2 starts against NL west teams. J Johnson is 6-7 and gets alot of groundouts and strikeouts.
Tomko will come around, but he’s a streaky kind of guy, and I expect him to put up a 4.5 and pitch about 13-10. Odalis was improving as a reliever, and got himself out of a jam in his last relief appearance. His salary may be a bit much for that role, but that’s where the club has the greatest need right now. If he can make the adjustment, that might be just what the club needs. It might not be that bad an idea to hold on to him next year, because that will be a contract year for him, and the Beltre effect just might kick in. The trades will all depend, though, on how much longer the organization wants to keep Billingsley in the minors.