Today's game
Walked to the park today in perfect weather…Derek Lowe decided that rather than run around the track inside PETCO Park, he’d run around downtown San Diego, so we exchanged head nods and hand signals while listening to our iPods. Funny how modern communication has changed the way we all interact.
Also stopped by a room in our hotel where a number of our sponsors and dugout club members were checking in for a two-game trip. That’s one of the perks of being tied into the club in that fashion – they took a trip to Vegas earlier this year and I think they’ve got another one later this year.
For the third straight year, you can take your dad to Dodger Stadium this Sunday to celebrate Father’s Day. The annual Father’s Day Catch will be from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. and is free, but it fills up quickly, so come down early and have a catch with your dad on the outfield grass.
Reporting early to the park was Chad Billingsley, who said he slept well last night, given the circumstances, but that his phone started ringing off the hook around 6 a.m. from friends back home who had read the news. Needless to say, he’s pretty psyched about tomorrow’s start and said that Andy LaRoche’s homer last night was a bomb. LaRoche has two taters in two games with the 51s.
Today’s lineup:
Furcal, SS
Lofton, CF
Nomar, 1B (could qualify for the batting title by the end of the night with 5 PA)
Drew, RF
Kent, 2B
Ethier, LF
Aybar, 3B
Martin, C (has an RBI in six straight)
Penny, P
Inside the Dodgers 
I was hopping for a Lofton sit. Well, right it seems like a Kemp/Ethier platoon…
Penny followed by Billingsley makes me think this series can still be won. I hope Grady doesn’t give Martin an off day tomorrow. If Kenny Lofton gets and off day, we could still see a 5-rookie lineup.
Hail Cesar!
Line up looks pretty good, I hope Kemp gets AB today, will we see LaRoche in the show this season?
i hope we see LaRoche in the show soon, out of all of my kids, hes my favorite… and for the love of god release odalis perez, no one wants him, no one is gonna take his huge ridiculous contract (thank you depodesta), maybe they can sell him to the seibu lions, just like jason grabowski (i sencerely thank depodesta on that move), well i hope hes gone as soon as possible..
BELIEVE IN THE RELEASE!
i am happy for kemp and laroche, but i live in Jacksonville and it is sad to see them leave.
Hope last night was a fluke and they bounce back tonight. I like the line up and it should net us at least 6 runs !! I to hope Ned is looking for a way to get Odalis out of here. My concern is Sele, Tomko and Seo !! We need these guys to get hot. Can you imagine what would happen if they did ??? Someone needs to take these three guys and have some fun !! Loosen them up or something.
Go Dodgers !!!
bigd33 – Must have been great to watch LaRoche and Kemp. How do the Suns keep on winning without Kemp and now LaRoche? Their pitching looks quite good. Is that the difference?
Gary, do you really think that Sele/Tomko/Seo have more potential for good success this year than Odalis? I think Sele and Tomko have reached their limits this year and are ready for decline, but Odalis has been a very good pitcher in the past, and will be again, I just hope the Dodgers don’t give up on him too soon. The other three have proven themselves to be career 5th starters.
I think what ever potential Odalis has he negates it with his terrible attitude on the team. Throughout time, sports and all types of business, it has to be about the team, not the individual. At least Tomko, Sele and Seo all have passion and team spirit and will try. His actions speak volumes, he won’t cover 1st, hold runners on or push it to the limit for the sake of the team. I believe the other three will and to the best of their ability. Maybe they won’t work out and change is needed, but I’m sure Odalis will never amount to anything on this Dodger team. I own my own business and employ a number of sales people and I can tell you from experience that when a sales person loses that drive to succeed it’s a lost cause. I’ve watched Odalis for several years now and I’ve never seen the passion in him to succeed, it’s always been what’s in it for him. I really think that’s why other teams aren’t interested in him, they see him for what he is, a problem. This Dodger team is the future and management knows it. They’ll make the right decisions.
Go Team, Go Dodgers !!!
great report–thanks!
i love kemp, but i’m glad to see ethier in there . . .
when some of us talk trade, aybar’s name comes up, (not by me) all this guy does is rake. plays 2 nd 3 rd, in time left field. he is a keeper.
good move with billingsley,
I agree we still need more pitching, but don’t trade the future. how about moving broxton back into a starter? he great as a set up man, but he was a very good left handed starter, better than Perez.
Broxton isn’t left handed.
dang, don’t know why I forgot that, but as a right hander, he still a better left hander than perez. also hate it when we get runs then our pitcher gives them back and more. sorry for my goof up on broxton.
availableto trade for a pitcher:
Navarro
Izturis
Cruz
Perez
Seo
Carter
Kuo
Osorio
Other teams take your pick, mix and match from this list!!!
sorry no one from the following list
billingsley
broxton
loney
laroche
aybar
kemp
ethier
martin
I really have to wonder why Honeycutt didn’t make his case better to Perez about a mechanical flaw. Perez is really convinced he’s just unlucky and doesn’t need to adjust anything.
And is it just me, or are the Dodgers always throwing more pitches than their opponents?
I like the instant gratification. As I was typing that, Brad Penny retired the Padres in order on 8 pitches.
Nobody out with a runner on 2nd and your best hitters leave him out there…Vintage! How are we suppose to win ballgames?
Sincerely, Odalis Perez
Odalis,
We can win games by having you pitch as often as possible.
Sincerely,
Barry Bonds
Good idea putting in Kuo; he’d only been hit once in 4 2/3 before tonight, and the splits were in his favor. Unfortunately, he was having trouble throwing strikes, and so did Furcal. The Dodgers have their work cut out for them, in the top of the 9th, though.
Cosmow are you high or something? Izturis is going to be our salvation and cure to most of our pitching problems.Pitch counts are high because everyone is afraid of letting a ball get hit to short, ends up being a 4 run inning then.Can’t wait to see Izzy back in His Position. Hope to see magic on the mound tomorrow.
Does anyone else think that it’s sick that the Giants are helping the Dodgers stay in first?
I am really getting frustrated with Furcal. I know he had a good big league record and the management thought they did something great to get him for the Dodgers. He just is NOT PERFORMING. I wonder if his injury ever completely healed. He should be just left out of the lineup for several days in a row once Izzy comes back to see if that makes a difference. If there is any lingering injury, now would be the time to put Furcal on the disabled list and let him get back to his norm for the second half of the season. His performance so far has just been pitiful, regardles of what Grady says in public.