It was frickin' fantastic to see the Dodger roll into the Big A and take two out of three from the Angels, in fact, it should have been a sweep, but I'll live with it.
Let me start off by saying that I absolutely hate the rally monkey. That thing drives me insane. I mean, it's just a fu$@ing monkey that jumps up and down!!!
As far as actual baseball is concerned, the Dodgers are 22 games above .500 for the first time. To put things in perspective, the Rockies have won 16 out of 17 games and are still 9.5 games out. It's amazing how this team has played consistently all year.
In their last 21 games, they haven't been amazing, going 12-9, but we know they haven't been playing well and they are still winning more than they lose.
James Loney is making me eat my words. I should have never mentioned trading him because the dude just keeps driving in runs. The guy comes up with hits with runners on base. He might hit 10 home runs this year, which is fine because he's on pace to drive in 109.
Juan Pierre keeps playing well on Manny Ramirez' absence, but you guys know I won't cut him any slack. Let's just say I am not yelling at him as much with him coming through.
Clayton Kershaw is starting to grow up before our eyes. Does anyone realize how good this kid is, especially when he throw's strikes?!?
He's 23rd in the National League with an ERA of 3.76. That's incredible for a 21-year old. He's third in the NL in opponents batting average. Teams are batting just .213 against him. He ranks fourth in all of baseball in that stat and is in the top 40 in ERA.
Now, it's time to face the White Sox.
After losing to Texas in the first game of that series, the Dodgers fell to 5-29 in their last 34 games at American League parks. They have since gone 4-1, meaning the tides have turned.
They are facing a White Sox team that lives and dies by the home run. It's up to Hiroki Kuroda, Randy Wolf and Chad Billingsley to keep them in the yard. They aren't very good at manufacturing runs, so just keep them in the yard and they'll be fine.
Tomorrow they face John Danks, who threw six scoreless innings at them at Dodger Stadium last year when the Sox took two out of three.
Danks has a 4.48 ERA, but has been pitching much better in his last two starts, giving up just three earned runs in 14 1/3 innings.
Wednesday is Gavin Floyd, who is 0-3 with a 10.50 ERA in his career against the Boys in Blue. He, like Danks, has been very good lately, giving up just eight earned runs in his last 44 2/3 innings.
Thursday the Sox will throw Clayton Richard at Billingsley. Richard is a young kid with control issues and average stuff. That is a matchup the Dodgers have to take advantage of.
Loney is playing well and is a playing amazing defense, but he isnt the guy who is going to carry the team, just contribute a lot.
LOOK AT PIERRE KNOCKING IN THE FIRST TWO RUNS AGAINST LACKEY...what a stud!
Kershaw proves how devastating he can be when he throws strikes, just keep it going.
Lets sweep a struggling sox team! Go Blue
p.s. giant and rox fans...sucks your team is amazing (wont last) and you still cant sniff our butts yet!
Be careful. The Dodgers slump and the Rockies keep playing well and we'll be right back in it. The Giants have the pitching. Don't look now because both teams are coming!!
They have been coming again playing amazing baseball and still have made little impact.
The giants have pitching, no doubt, its their impressive power offense that really scares me!
And as for the rox, they can hit, but its the collection of cy young winners that I look forward to on the hill.
Bring it NL West cause your going to have to play even better to catch the DODGERS!
why is there a rockies fan here? i guess thats good for matt and the site...
since they had an ex dodger manager take over the helm they think they have a shot at catching the Dodgers...Will the real Jim Tracey please stand up, please stand up! Its only a matter of time unless the rockies are going to play .900 ball the rest of the year...not with that pitching staff!