Los Angeles Dodgers News

Interest in Lilly about to pick up?
Comment
July 29
Foxsports.com
 
"If the Astros trade right-hander Roy Oswalt, they will be even more unlikely to move righty Brett Myers. And if the Astros won't trade move Myers, then Cubs lefty Ted Lilly will be the best starting pitcher left on the market -- assuming, of course, that there isn't a late rush on a mystery starter. Last July, that starter was the Mariners' Felix Hernandez. This year, it could be the Royals' Zach Greinke. But for now, Lilly would be the best known starter available. The Phillies' acquisition of Oswalt would end their interest in Lilly. But the Twins and Dodgers remain active on Lilly, the Mets and Tigers are on the periphery and other teams could enter the mix. The Twins are on Lilly's"
Royals trade Scott Podsednik to the Dodgers for two minor-leaguers
Comment
July 29
Kansas City Star
 
"The deal Wednesday night that sent veteran outfielder Scott Podsednik to the Los Angeles Dodgers resulted in part from the Royals' desire to create playing time for other players over the season's closing weeks. "It allows us to put Alex Gordon in left field and just left him go," manager Ned Yost said. "It also opens up a spot for Mitch Maier to get more playing time. Both of those things are important." The Royals also view their two minor-league players acquisitions — catcher Lucas May and right-handed pitcher Elisaul Pimentel — as a preferred alternative to the likely compensatory draft pick if Podsednik departs after the season as a free agent. "Without the assurance that we were"
Padres dump Dodgers blues
Comment
July 29
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Finally, the drought has ended and the Dodgers are beaten. After going scoreless for 31 straight innings at Petco Park against the Dodgers, the Padres scored two runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings Wednesday night to defeat the Dodgers 6-1 before 40,188 at Petco Park. Jerry Hairston Jr. paced the attack with a run-scoring double in the seventh and a two-run single in the eighth after the Padres had taken a 2-1 lead in the seventh on a run-scoring single by Adrian Gonzalez and a tiebreaking sacrifice fly Nick Hundley. As important as the offensive breakout was, so was the work of Padres starter Clayton Richard and four relievers. Padres pitchers retired the last 19 Dodgers they"
Dodgers falter against Padres, 6-1
Comment
July 29
Los Angeles Times
 
"And here to jumpstart the Dodgers offense … Scott Podsednik? Their once high-scoring lineup mired in a two-week slump and Manny Ramirez's return date unknown, the Dodgers weren't about to sit around and wait for something to suddenly change. So General Manager Ned Colletti did what he does at this time of the year and Wednesday sent two minor players to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Podsednik, a fleet-footed .310 hitter. As if on cue, Colletti's team promptly offered a nine-inning explanation as to why the deal might have been a necessity instead of a luxury, falling to the first-place San Diego Padres, 6-1, to drop six games back in the National League West. "He's a player that"
Dodgers acquire outfielder Scott Podsednik from Royals for pair of minor leaguers
Comment
July 29
Los Angeles Times
 
"All those questions about the Dodgers' pitching this season gave way Wednesday to their sudden need for another bat. The Dodgers announced prior to Wednesday's game in San Diego they had acquired outfielder Scott Podsednik from the Kansas City Royals for a pair of minor leaguers, catcher Lucas May and pitcher Elisaul Pimentel. Podsednik, 34, was batting .309 for the Royals, with five home runs and 44 RBI. He also has 30 stolen bases in 42 attempts. The Dodgers expect him to join the team Thursday. He is owed about $600,000 the rest of the season. There is a club option next year at $2 million, with a $100,000 buyout."
Cubs willing to cover some of Lilly's salary
Comment
July 28
ESPN.com
 
"Lilly had a rough stretch just before the All-Star break. But he's done nothing but help his marketability since, with 24 strikeouts in 20 innings and a 1.80 ERA in three starts -- including 5 2/3 shutout innings in Houston on Tuesday. The 34-year-old left-hander has more than $4 million left on his $13 million salary for this year. But the Cubs have indicated a willingness in recent days to take some of that money. And that would be a key to getting a deal done with the Dodgers, whose interest in Lilly has appeared to pick up lately as their chances of getting Oswalt have dwindled. The Cubs also don't seem to be operating from the same position of strength they were in a week ago. Back"
Hiroki Kuroda starts Wednesday, but it's all very hush-hush
Comment
July 28
Los Angeles Times
 
"In his third season in the majors, Hiroki Kuroda has an increased understanding of American culture — enough to understand the concept that he could be jinxed by the written word. So when initially approached Tuesday, Kuroda smiled and used his left hand to simulate the sealing of his lips. The reason? He starts on Wednesday. The last time he had something written about him in this newspaper on the day he started was on July 2. He was pounded by the Arizona Diamondbacks for six runs in a season-low 1 2/3 innings. "After that, I don't want to take a chance," Kuroda said, laughing. That only happened once, Kuroda was told. This could serve as an experiment. "Experiment?" he replied, still"
Dodgers excel to date in field of indifference
Comment
July 28
Los Angeles Times
 columnist T.J. Simers
"Before the biggest series of the year, I'm getting lip from Jamey Carroll, and I know it's Carroll because the batboy look-alike has his name on the back of his jersey. First day back from vacation, and it's just like old times when the Dodgers were boring, no good and overloaded with loudmouth bums, this one coming across like a poor knockoff of F.P. Santangelo. I go away for a month and return to find all it takes is one more Schlichting or Taschner added to this roster and the Dodgers really can start thinking about spring training. As it is, the team announced Tuesday that Don Mattingly will be managing the Phoenix Desert Dogs in the Fall League, obviously to prepare him for managing"
An ill win blows the Dodgers' way in San Diego
Comment
July 28
Los Angeles Times
 
"This wasn't quite Kirk Gibson hobbling to the plate, the stage not as grand, the ailment not as severe. But when Andre Ethier was sent to pinch-hit at Petco Park on Tuesday night, he was said to be feeling weak, infected with the same stomach virus that shelved Jonathan Broxton and Brad Ausmus in recent days. And Mr. Clutch delivered. In what was arguably the Dodgers' most important game of the season to date, Ethier's two-run single with the bases loaded and two out in the seventh inning was the difference in a 2-0 victory over the first-place San Diego Padres The Padres' NL West lead over the third-place Dodgers, six games at the start of the game, was cut to five. The Dodgers improved"
Oswalt talks going nowhere, Dodgers looking into Lilly
Comment
July 27
ESPN.com
 
"A source familiar with the Roy Oswalt talks tells Rumblings they're "going nowhere" at the moment. And there are increasing questions at this point as to whether Oswalt is going to get traded, period, unless the price drops considerably. As we reported yesterday, the Astros have asked teams for four players -- one front-line young player off the big league roster, two high-end prospects and one second-tier prospect. And at this point, said one source, "nobody is even close." So the Dodgers are now looking into Ted Lilly. The Phillies have kicked around a variety of other options -- from bullpen (primarily Scott Downs) to infield bats (primarily Miguel Tejada). And the Cardinals, according"
Suspended Kershaw to start Sunday
Comment
July 27
ESPN.com
 
"Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers have decided to have the lefty drop the appeal of his five-game suspension, which he will serve this week, postponing Kershaw's next start until Sunday in San Francisco. Kershaw was suspended for hitting Giants outfielder Aaron Rowand with the first pitch of the seventh inning July 20, after both teams had been issued warnings earlier in the game. Dodgers manager Joe Torre and coach Bob Schaefer served one-game suspensions related to the game last week. The 22-year-old Kershaw pitched eight shutout innings against the Mets on Sunday, lowering his ERA for the season to 2.96, 10th in the National League. He is fifth in the NL in strikeouts, and"
Dodgers reliever Sherrill finds hiding answer to woes
Comment
July 27
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Dodgers found a new talent in rookie pitcher Kenley Jansen this past weekend. They might have also found some lost talent in a veteran. George Sherrill was the final Dodgers pitcher in Saturday's 13-inning victory over the New York Mets. He earned the victory by retiring all three batters he faced, and needed just nine pitches to get the job done. The inning was anything but routine for him. "We've used him in important situations but not in the roles he's used to," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "I think (Saturday's) pressure was more what he was used to and what he's been used to. It was nice to see how he responded because he pitched through an impressive part of the lineup.""
Ronald Belisario works out at Dodger Stadium
Comment
July 27
Los Angeles Times
 
"Ronald Belisario started to work out at Dodger Stadium on Monday, nearly three weeks after he was put on the restricted list to reportedly undergo treatment in a substance-abuse program. The Dodgers said in a statement that Belisario was still on the restricted list and that no timetable has been set for his return. The reliever's absence was never explained by the Dodgers or Belisario's agent, Paul Kinzer. The Dodgers said Monday that they would not comment on Belisario. Kinzer also declined to offer information about his client's whereabouts over the last few weeks. "I'm sorry about that," Kinzer said. "This is one case where I have to respect Ronald's privacy." Asked to confirm or deny"
Can Dodgers afford to keep Martin?
Comment
July 26
Foxsports.com
 
"The Dodgers face a major decision on catcher Russell Martin. Maybe not right away. But soon. Martin's OPS dropped from .843 to .781 to .680 from 2007 to '09, and is at .680 again this season. But his salary, currently $5.05 million, will continue to rise in his final two years of arbitration. Would the Dodgers pay $6 million or more for such limited production next season under the strict budgetary limitations of owner Frank McCourt? The question probably answers itself. The Dodgers are not actively shopping Martin, major-league sources say, but would at least consider moving him in the right deal. An immediate trade seems unlikely — the Dodgers would be left with a catching tandem of A.J."
Kershaw stifles Mets for 1-0 victory
Comment
July 26
Orange County Register
 
"After what happened the previous day, this was exactly the type of performance the Dodgers needed out of Clayton Kershaw on Sunday. After seeing their bullpen stretched to its limit in a 13-inning victory Saturday, Kershaw stepped up Sunday and pitched eight sparkling innings in a 1-0 victory the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium. "It wasn't just the pitching today," Manager Joe Torre said. "It's knowing what we are up against, how he has his focus and ability to pitch under the pressure he has pitched under. "He has pitched some great, great games this year. This one here, where we knew we were not only short, but very short, down in that bullpen ... he's a special kid." Russell Martin's"
For reliever Jansen, it's a matter of trust
Comment
July 26
L.A. Daily News
 
"The secret is out. Kenley Jansen, who pitched the second inning of his career for the Dodgers on Sunday and earned his first save, revealed the source of the confidence that enables him to stare down the David Wrights, Carlos Beltrans and Jason Bays of the baseball world. In Jansen's mind, trust outweighs the pressure. "I block it out of my mind and trust the catchers, Russell Martin and Brad Ausmus," Jansen said. "I just trust them and go with them because they have a lot of experience. They've been facing these hitters all the time. "I trust them a lot, so I go out there and I'm aggressive." Jansen pitched a perfect inning in his debut on Saturday night, when he struck out Wright and"
No offense, but Dodgers defeat Mets
Comment
July 26
L.A. Daily News
 
"Clayton Kershaw pitched eight shutout innings and Russell Martin scored Casey Blake with an eighth-inning double as the Dodgers finished off the New York Mets, 1-0, Sunday at Dodger Stadium. The victory enabled the Dodgers to win three of four games against the struggling Mets despite scoring just six runs in the entire series. "They're pitching well," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said of his staff. The Dodgers used nine pitchers in Saturday's 13-inning victory and didn't have all of their relievers available for Sunday's contest. Friday-night starter Vicente Padilla was warming up in the bullpen when the final out was recorded. "We are missing some pieces offensively so we need to pitch,""
Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw gets a key pickoff
Comment
July 26
Los Angeles Times
 
"Clayton Kershaw's most important pitch Sunday wasn't a pitch at all. It was a pickoff attempt to first base that proved crucial in the Dodgers' 1-0 win over the New York Mets. It came in the sixth inning. Shortstop Jose Reyes had singled and Luis Castillo was up to bat. Reyes had a wide lead at first base, and Kershaw took advantage, quickly turning to throw to James Loney. Reyes took off for second, but Loney's throw to Jamey Carroll was in time, and Reyes was tagged out. What made the play significant was that Castillo then doubled to right field, and had Reyes, one of the fastest men in baseball, been on base, he surely would have scored. Kershaw's pickoff, his sixth of the season,"
An unlikely source closes out Dodgers' 1-0 victory over the Mets
Comment
July 26
Los Angeles Times
 
"The kid didn't become a pitcher until a year ago — and there he was, a former catcher standing on the mound for the Dodgers, the game resting in his 22-year-old hands. Kenley Jansen tried to keep cool, not looking into the crowd, not thinking about the moment, even though it was his dream, one people told him could come true if he switched positions because his strong arm was better throwing fastballs than catching them. So, he just stared at his catcher, and those hands fired heat until the final batter struck out and the crowd roared and a celebration ensued. Jansen's perfect ninth inning Sunday gave him the first save of his career and the Dodgers a 1-0 win against the New York Mets in"
Torre talks with Ethier about outburst
Comment
July 26
ESPN.com
 
"Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre met with Andre Ethier before Sunday's game with the New York Mets. The subject was the emotional style the All-Star right fielder brings to the field, which Torre has said he doesn't want to stifle but also doesn't want to become a detriment. Ethier attacked the bat rack with his bat after popping up with a man on third and one out in the 12th inning on Saturday, but Torre wasn't as concerned about that as he was with Ethier's reaction to the previous pitch, when third base umpire C.B. Bucknor made a questionable ruling that Ethier had gone around on a checked swing, giving him a 2-2 count that could have been 3-1. Torre said that with the bench"
Question for Angels, Dodgers is if they can pay cost at trade deadline
Comment
July 25
L.A. Daily News
 columnist Vincent Bonsignore
"The one-game suspension Joe Torre served this past week had at least one positive effect. It allowed the Dodgers skipper to sit in general manager Ned Colletti's suite during his team's game against the San Francisco Giants, providing the Dodgers' top two bosses a rare chance to watch a game together. They used their time wisely. "We talked," Torre said. A lot, as it turns out. Somewhere over the course of Chad Billingsley's complete-game shutout the conversation veered to the Dodgers' strengths and weaknesses, what was working for the club and what wasn't as it prepared for the final two months of the season. The timing could not have been better, the good and bad of the Dodgers easy to"
James Loney delivers final blow for Dodgers
Comment
July 25
Los Angeles Times
 
"Perception-wise, first baseman James Loney was snubbed when he, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Russell Martin joined the Dodgers in 2006. They had flash. He didn't. He was just steady, productive, dependable. And even as he has stacked impressive statistical seasons on top of each other, perceptions haven't changed much. Flash is still flash. But Saturday at Dodger Stadium, in the 13th inning with the Dodgers' bullpen on empty, it was Loney who flashed, hitting a walk-off home run to give the Dodgers a 3-2 win over the New York Mets. "It doesn't matter how you do it," Loney said. "Nobody cares. Just get the job done. It's the same result. We've got all different types of personalities on this"
Frank and Jamie McCourt have reached their selling point with Dodgers
Comment
July 25
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Bill Plaschke
"An open letter to Frank and Jamie McCourt: I know, I know, this is a worn and hackneyed literary device, about as fresh as a Dodger Stadium concourse, but I don't really have a choice. I want to send a message to both of you, but you're never together anymore. I see Frank looking lonely in a half-empty owners' box. I hear Jamie sounding defiant behind some fancy Beverly Hills designer desk. I long for the days when you stood together next to the dugout and engaged in a theatrical postgame smooch. Well, no, not really. But this open letter is the only way I can get a message to both of you before you drag this town's oldest sports treasure through the humiliation of a late-summer trial."
Loney HR off Perez marks 12th walk-off loss for Mets
Comment
July 25
New York Post
 
"Oliver Perez was a hero for about 15 minutes yesterday before ultimately discarding his cape for his more familiar goat horns. Nevertheless, Perez was only third on the depth chart when assessing blame for the Mets' 3-2 loss to the Dodgers on James Loney's 13th-inning home run at Dodger Stadium. Start with a Mets lineup that went the final seven innings without a hit, then direct some blame at manager Jerry Manuel for rolling the dice and sending Perez to the mound for another inning, after the left-hander had defied the gods and escaped trouble in the 12th. But with Francisco Rodriguez remaining as the only reliever and the manager staunchly opposed to using his closer on the road in a"
Lilly could be traded before weekend's over
Comment
July 24
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"With contenders struggling to find the right match for available starters Roy Oswalt and Dan Haren on the trade market, interest in Cubs left-hander Ted Lilly has stepped up dramatically and a trade could be completed by the end of the weekend, major-league sources said Friday. Lilly's trade value skyrocketed after he held the Houston Astros to one run in 7 1/3 innings Wednesday. His next scheduled start is Tuesday in Houston, and sources say the Cubs would like to complete a deal before that outing. The struggling New York Mets have shown the most interest in Lilly. The Detroit Tigers are also believed to be shifting their attention to Lilly after hitting a wall in talks with the Arizona"
More teams pitching for Oswalt
Comment
July 24
Cincinnati Enquirer
 
"As the days get fewer to the July 31 trade deadline, the number of teams reported to be interested in acquiring Astros right-hander Roy Oswalt grows longer. Add the Dodgers, Yankees and Twins to the Cardinals and Phillies who have expressed a desire to add the three-time All-Star to their rotations for a second-half push. Who knows? Maybe the Reds could be quietly involved in trade talks with Oswalt, who can veto any deal. On Friday, Oswalt didn't rule out playing for any team, even the Reds, a team he pitches against tonight at Minute Maid Park as he tries to tie Joe Niekro's franchise record of 144 wins. "I haven't rejected anybody," said Oswalt. "I haven't told anybody no to any team.""
Move to mound works well for Jansen
Comment
July 24
L.A. Daily News
 
"It was just more than a year ago that Kenley Jansen was a catcher in the Dodgers' farm system. On Friday, he made the jump from Double-A Chattanooga to the big-league club - as a pitcher. De Jon Watson, the Dodgers' assistant general manager for player development, deserves credit for recognizing the hidden talent that Jansen possessed, and former Dodgers pitcher Charlie Hough put in the time to help the youngster make the adjustment. The rest was up to Jansen. "It was quick," Jansen said of the transition. "All of the stuff that I did happened so quick. I'm happy and I want to learn more. I want to keep learning because I think I have more in me. I'll keep learning about pitching and get"
Mets break skid, beat Dodgers
Comment
July 24
L.A. Daily News
 
"The New York Mets broke free from their four-game losing streak by scoring more than enough runs. With Johan Santana pitching another strong game and his defense turning in a handful of brilliant plays, the Mets' 6-1 victory over the Dodgers on Friday night at Dodger Stadium seemed like overkill. Santana scattered five hits through seven innings and surrendered one run, leaving his counterpart, Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla, a tough-luck loser. "We ran up against a tough pitcher in Santana," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "You know what he's all about." The Mets entered the game on the heels of a 17-inning scoreless drought and were facing a Dodgers team that had shut out its opponents"
Dodgers' Kenley Jansen called up to pitch
Comment
July 24
Los Angeles Times
 
"A couple of years ago, Kenley Jansen would have found what happened to him Friday unthinkable. The 22-year-old was called up to the major leagues for the first time — as a pitcher. "It was quick," Jansen said. Jansen had never pitched before last season, when he was still known as a strong-armed catcher out of Curacao. The signature moment of his career to that point had come in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, when he caught Willy Taveras trying to steal third base in the ninth inning to preserve the Netherlands' one-run lead over the heavily favored Dominican Republic. But Jansen couldn't hit. In 4½ minor-league seasons, he batted .229, including .202 in 26 games at Class-A Inland Empire"
Dodgers fall to the Mets, Johan Santana, 6-1
Comment
July 24
Los Angeles Times
 
"Friday was feeding day for Larry the Boa, the infant snake housed in the Dodgers' clubhouse. Four days removed from his last meal, Larry unhinged his jaw and swallowed whole a frozen mouse purchased for him by clubhouse manager Mitch Poole. A crowd of curious players looked on, some pointing, some laughing, some wondering if the small serpent was overfed. So the reptile was sated. But the third base coach after whom the snake was named was a figuratively famished man that night, as Larry Bowa saw only one of his players run by him and score in a 6-1 defeat by the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers had the displeasure of facing an in-form Johan Santana but said that shouldn't have"
Ned Colletti says Dodgers are serious buyers
Comment
July 24
Los Angeles Times
 
"One week to go before the non-waiver trading deadline and Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti is like a kid waiting for his birthday. "It's a fun time of the year. Because now you get a chance to see who's serious and who isn't," he said. "We make far more calls than we get. It shows we're active. Shows we're trying to be active. We're buying." The Dodgers buying? That concept doesn't mesh with moves that have cut their payroll to about $83 million for current players. Or with owner Frank McCourt and his estranged wife, Jamie, spending nearly $20 million on acrimonious divorce proceedings. But Colletti said the Dodgers' deficit in the NL West, which was 5 1/2 games before they played the"
Mets' six-run outburst in L.A. snaps losing streak
Comment
July 24
New York Post
 
"Who knew the Mets had it in them? The dam -- or is it the damn! -- finally burst in last night's eighth inning at Dodger Stadium as Jason Bay was emptying the bases with what seemed like his best swing in weeks. It all came together perfectly for the Mets: A typical Johan Santana start, great defense and finally something that resembled an offensive attack in a 6-1 victory over the Dodgers. Not only did the Mets (50-47) snap a four-game losing streak, they ended a 13-game stretch in which they had scored four runs or fewer. Bay's three-run double in the eighth against reliever Travis Schlichting was the final dagger. Bay batted seventh, with Luis Castillo second and Angel Pagan third as"
Bay Breaks Out, and Pulls Mets With Him
Comment
July 24
New York Times
 
"The low point came two days earlier in Phoenix when Jason Bay went hitless in six at-bats, striking out four times. Upon seeing that, manager Jerry Manuel had to take action, so he gave Bay the next game off and then dropped him to seventh in the batting order before Friday's game. A day of rest along with the demotion seemed to provide the sputtering Bay with the wake-up call he needed. He was the player of the day Friday, collecting two hits, including a bases-clearing double to break the game open in the eighth inning. He also made a terrific catch in left field and held on to the ball after a jarring collision with the wall in the second inning. Behind Bay's contributions, as well as a"
Lilly Logical Trade Target for Dodgers
Comment
July 23
MLB.com
 
"Manager Joe Torre said Thursday "I think something will be done," meaning the acquisition of pitching help before next weekend's trade deadline. The most logical candidate the Dodgers have been scouting is Cubs left-hander Ted Lilly, originally a Dodgers farmhand who pitched parts of three seasons for Torre with the Yankees."
Infielder Carroll says he can pitch, if needed
Comment
July 23
L.A. Daily News
 
"Now pitching: Jamey Carroll. It hasn't happened yet but the versatile utility player said that he's willing to take the mound for the Dodgers if it'll help. "I'm all for saving the bullpen," Carroll said. "I'd throw fastballs, right down the middle because at that point in time, it wouldn't matter." He's right. Whenever a non-pitcher on the mound, the game is usually out of reach and the manager is merely trying to find a way to keep from burning up his pitchers' arms. But those times in which Carroll has been used in various positions this season, it has mattered. Carroll was the Dodgers' starting left fielder in Thursday's game against the New York Mets. It was his third start in left"
Kuroda bests familiar foe, Dodgers pitch another shutout victory
Comment
July 23
L.A. Daily News
 
"The pitching matchup Thursday night at Dodger Stadium had a familiar look to it - in Japan. Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda found himself locked in a duel with the New York Mets' Hisanori Takahashi. It was the seventh time the two pitchers faced each other, but their previous six meetings took place before they came to the United States. Another similarity between the two pitchers - who are separated in age by less than two months - was the result. Kuroda scattered five hits over eight innings in a 2-0 shutout over the Mets, improving to 5-0 lifetime against Takahashi. "I didn't really know that I was 4-0 against him before the game," Kuroda said through a translator. "Takahashi used to play"
Dodgers' James Loney keeps a low profile
Comment
July 23
Los Angeles Times
 
"He ranked fifth in the National League in runs batted in heading into the Dodgers' game against the New York Mets on Thursday. He was tied for fourth in doubles and fifth in hits. But James Loney has kept a relatively low profile this season, in part because he counts high-profile players such as Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Manny Ramirez among his teammates. Loney was even overshadowed on his bobblehead night, as Ramirez's third trip to the disabled list stole the headlines Tuesday. Not that Loney didn't appreciate the effort to push him into the spotlight. "Any time you play here, you get pretty good recognition," Loney said. "But it was nice they tried to get me recognition." Loney said"
Hiroki Kuroda fills in blanks for Dodgers
Comment
July 23
Los Angeles Times
 
"From the time Hiroki Kuroda and Hisanori Takahashi were teenagers, they frequently crossed paths. Their collegiate teams belonged to the same league. They faced each other as professionals in Japan, Kuroda pitching for the small-market Hiroshima Carp and Takahashi the big-money Tokyo Giants. They met again Thursday night at Dodger Stadium, not as the stars they were in their homeland, but as two pitchers trying to lift their teams out of ruts. The result was one familiar to them: Kuroda won. Kuroda went eight shutout innings in the Dodgers' 2-0 victory over the New York Mets, who lost for the 10th time in 12 games. Kuroda improved to 5-0 in the seven games he and Takahashi have gone head"
Dodgers' attendance isn't always what it seems
Comment
July 23
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Dodgers attract fewer fans to their stadium than they did three decades ago. And, despite three trips to the playoffs in the last four years, one in five tickets has gone unused in that time. The attendance figures, part of a court filing in the divorce between Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and his estranged wife, Jamie, provide rare insight into a question Major League Baseball hasn't answered in 17 years: How many people attend games? In 1993, in consolidating business operations between the National League and American League, MLB standardized the definition of attendance as tickets sold, not tickets used. The NL clubs, including the Dodgers, previously had announced the turnstile"
Mets scoreless streak reaches 17 consecutive innings in 2-0 shutout loss to Dodgers
Comment
July 23
New York Daily News
 
"Jerry Manuel sat on the bench in the visitors' dugout at Dodger Stadium for five hot minutes Thursday afternoon, when Omar Minaya entered from the stands. With cameras, tape recorders and sun in his face, the manager once again faced questions about job security. Manuel flashed a broad grin and employed his favorite coping strategy, humor. "O, what's going on?" he yelled to the GM. "Did you say two-year extension?" Joking aside, all indications Thursday were that - despite the Mets' disastrous start to the second half of the season - neither Manuel nor Minaya is in immediate danger of losing his job. But Thursday night's snooze-inducing 2-0 loss to Los Angeles did nothing to suggest the"
Stark: Lilly will get traded
Comment
July 22
ESPN.com
 columnist Jayson Stark
"Unlike the two guys above him on this list, there's one thing we can say for sure about Lilly: He will get traded, probably any day now. At least a half-dozen teams are still in on him -- a group headed by the Tigers, Mets and Dodgers. And the Cubs are officially in nearly-everything-must-go mode. So not only are they confident they can trade this guy, but they Cubs are also telling teams they don't have to pay any of the approximately $5.5 million he has left on his deal this year. "They said they're going to move him," said an official of one club. "And they've got enough action where they won't have to pay any of the money." But Lilly -- who also has a limited no-trade clause -- isn't a"
Torre uncertain amid gloomy L.A. forecast
Comment
July 22
Yahoo! Sports
 columnist Tim Brown
"A half-century ago, three young men – a catcher from Brooklyn, an outfielder from Tampa, Fla. and a second baseman from Selma, Calif. – signed their first professional baseball contracts. The catcher had reported to Eau Claire, Wis., the outfielder to Selma, Ala., and the second baseman to Reno, Nev., all within a couple years of each other. Born of a simpler time and game, today they are lifers, still. And so they will remain, for a few more months, at least."
Umpires erred with Broxton, MLB says
Comment
July 22
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The umpiring crew erred when it forced Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton to leave Tuesday night's 7-5 Giants victory, a league official said Wednesday. In fact, Broxton should have been required to face Andres Torres, whose two-run double off new pitcher George Sherrill gave the Giants a 6-5 lead. "Really? That's unbelievable," Torres said when told the umps made a mistake. "We won, right? They can't take it away from us, right?" Indeed they cannot, for while that sort of rules misapplication is grounds for a protest that could result in the game being replayed, the Dodgers failed to lodge a protest, so the case is closed. With the bases loaded and Torres about to bat with one out in the"
Blake, Billingsley completely put halt to Dodgers' six-game losing streak
Comment
July 22
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Dodgers didn't need an offensive explosion to snap their six-game losing streak. All they needed was Casey Blake. And Chad Billingsley. Blake hit a solo home run in the second inning and Billingsley made it stand up as the Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 2-0 Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. The shutout was the second in Billingsley's career. His first came July 20, 2008 - also against the Giants. Billingsley (8-5) held the Giants to four hits in that game. The Giants managed just five Wednesday. "I kept the ball down in the zone," Billingsley said. "We got groundballs and you have a little bit better chance of success when you stay down in the zone. That's what I try to do."
Mattingly's mistakes turn into mound of trouble
Comment
July 22
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Dodgers' cloud of confusion that enveloped their 7-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants started to clear Wednesday, leaving some participants red-faced. Don Mattingly took responsibility for his actions that helped lead to the Giants' three-run, ninth-inning rally Tuesday, but the umpires had to share in some of the blame. Mattingly, managing because Joe Torre had been ejected, took two trips to the mound with closer Jonathan Broxton pitching and the Giants' Andres Torres batting. The visits were separated by a few seconds and couple of feet. Mattingly turned to walk back to the dugout but was called back by first baseman James Loney. Since he had walked off the mound, his return trip"
Baseball weighs in on umpires' ruling but does little to clear up confusion
Comment
July 22
Los Angeles Times
 
"A day later, there was still widespread confusion. If anything, there was more confusion. What exactly happened in the ninth inning of the Dodgers' loss to the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night? More to the point, what should have happened? In case you missed it, here's a quick summary of what was visible to the eye: Jonathan Broxton entered the game with the Dodgers holding on to a 5-4 lead. The All-Star closer, who threw 44 pitches Sunday, loaded the bases. That prompted a visit from hitting coach Don Mattingly, who was serving as the manager in place of Joe Torre, who had been ejected. Mattingly talked to Broxton and stepped off the mound, but he turned around when he was called to"
Chad Billingsley cuts Giants down to size
Comment
July 22
Los Angeles Times
 
"On the night Don Mattingly managed the Dodgers in place of a suspended Joe Torre, he didn't take any chances. He didn't make a single trip to the mound. Mattingly was spared a return visit to the site of his first major managerial debacle by Chad Billingsley, who pitched the Dodgers' first complete game of the season in a 2-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. Billingsley was, in a word, magnificent. He held the Giants to five hits and two walks and ended the Dodgers' season-long losing streak at six games. "You get pitching like that, it's pretty easy, I guess," Mattingly said. The previous night, Mattingly was forced to take over as manager when"
Don Mattingly has made minor league errors
Comment
July 22
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Bill Plaschke
"He has a hitter's steady stare, a first baseman's swaying gait, a calm veteran presence so stitched into the daily fabric of his game that it's actually part of his nickname. For goodness sakes, he's Donnie Baseball. But right now he is simply Don Mattingly, a hitting coach being groomed as the next Dodgers manager even though he has never managed at any level, a guy whose glittering pinstriped resume contains none of the dull mortar usually necessary to build a baseball boss. In the wake of Tuesday's ninth-inning debacle against the San Francisco Giants, it's probably time to point this out. After two Mattingly managerial bloopers this season, it's certainly fair to ask the question."
Dodgers' Manager, coach and pitcher draw suspensions
Comment
July 22
Los Angeles Times
 
"Clayton Kershaw, Manager Joe Torre and bench coach Bob Schaefer drew suspensions for the parts they played in the brushback war between the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night. Kershaw was suspended for five games and fined an undisclosed amount, as the officiating crew and commissioner's office believed he deliberately threw at Aaron Rowand in the seventh inning. Kershaw is appealing the punishment and his suspension will be put on hold until the appeals process is complete. Because Rowand was hit after both benches were warned when Matt Kemp was hit by a fifth-inning pitch by Tim Lincecum, Torre was suspended for a game. Schaefer also earned a one-game ban for arguing that"