Kemp and Ethier are MVP candidates

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By Matt on August 31, 2009 3:14 AM 4
They aren't Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday and they aren't Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, but Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier have turned into a very lethal Major League combination.
Continue reading Kemp and Ethier are MVP candidates.

The List: The Rise of Juan Pierre

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By Matt on August 29, 2009 6:53 PM 4

I've finally decided to soften my views on Juan Pierre. He's been incredibly valuable, he's been a professional and nearly every time he's in the lineup he makes something happen.

He has been removed from the bad list. I'm not ready to move him to temporary free pass, but he's certainly on his way up.

Here's the rest.

Continue reading The List: The Rise of Juan Pierre.

Time to get rolling

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By Matt on August 28, 2009 7:14 PM 1
After taking two out of three against the surging Colorado Rockies, the Dodgers wind down August with a Reds team they own.
After that, September sees them playing just one team with a record above .500. Basically, it's time to get rolling.
Continue reading Time to get rolling.

The Biggest Series of the Year

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By Matt on August 24, 2009 11:54 PM 4
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Suspending the use of hyperbole for the first time in my life, the Dodgers three-game series at Colorado starting on Tuesday is the biggest series of the season, to this date.
The Rockies are still playing very good baseball, and they are nipping at the Dodgers heels. 
The Dodgers played better as far as winning games against the Cubs, but the offense still didn't look very good.
Starting Tuesday, the Dodgers have a chance to bury these Rockies, get things going in the right direction while gaining momentum for a run in September that hopefully results in home field advantage throughout the National League playoffs.
Despite recent success for the Dodgers against the Rockies, this will not be an easy series.
The Rockies are 11-5 at home since the All-Star break, and what's more impressive is they are 50-22 since early in June.
The Dodgers are 10-2 against the Rockies this year, which would lead the pessimist in me to believe that Colorado is due. Further more, the Dodgers are 5-1 at Coors Field, which seems bound to change. Again, this is the pessimist in me talking.
So after Monday night's win against the Giants the Rockies are three games behind the Dodgers. I watched all 14 innings and now a Rockies win means a sweep of the Dodgers could result in a tie atop the NL West. If the unimaginable does happen, we know LA can leave no worse than tied for first.
Let's take a look at the upcoming series...
Continue reading The Biggest Series of the Year.

The Chicago Cubs: Just what the doctor ordered

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By Matt on August 22, 2009 11:25 PM 1
In need of reprieve, the Dodgers were happy to welcome in the Chicago Cubs.
The North Siders, a team sinking like the Andrea Doria, they came into Chavez Ravine losers in nine of their last 13.
The Dodgers struggles, on the other hand, have been well documented on this website, so we know they were in need of a few wins in a row.
Continue reading The Chicago Cubs: Just what the doctor ordered.

Tonight is a must win

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By Matt on August 20, 2009 9:14 PM 1
I don't like throwing around the term "must win" too loosely because most of the time it's not. People tend to overreact and think that if their club doesn't win a certain game, the season is over.
With that said, the Dodgers season is coming close to unraveling and I am dubbing tonight's game, on Aug. 20 against the Cubs, a must win.
Continue reading Tonight is a must win.

How to fix the Dodgers

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By Matt on August 19, 2009 12:33 AM 4

You know what I am getting tired of hearing? Vin Scully saying "And the Dodgers strand a pair."

This team is leaving runners on all over the place and that is one of the problems that this team is having while playing under .500 since the All-Star Break.

Hitting with runners in scoring position is something that needs to be remedied, but there is no quick fix for it. It's either going to happen or it's not. The only thing in Joe Torre's power is how he assembles his lineup, which is one of the things I think needs to be done to fix the Dodgers.

How can that be done, you ask?

Continue reading How to fix the Dodgers.

What is wrong with this team?

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By Matt on August 17, 2009 3:48 AM 2
I don't care that they scored nine runs on Sunday to pick up their 70th win. I just don't.
All I care about is figuring out what the hell is wrong with this team.
Continue reading What is wrong with this team?.

A good series in SF

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By Matt on August 12, 2009 3:50 PM 4
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Regardless of what happens in today's afternoon tilt against the Giants, it was a good series in San Francisco.
The Dodgers will take at least two of three, they will have expanded their lead and they will have gotten off the snide a little bit. It's a tough task against Lincecum today, so a sweep will be hard to come by.
As evidenced by the smile on our faces, the first two nights went well as we sat and watched the Dodgers take games on and game two at AT&T Park on Monday and Tuesday.
Continue reading A good series in SF.

Andre is the man

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By Matt on August 7, 2009 2:57 AM 2
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With the game on the line, there is simply one man to call on in this situation...
His name is Andre Ethier.
He isn't the most clutch hitter overall with runners in scoring position (hitting .254 with runners on and .238 with them in scoring position) but when the bottom of the  ninth inning rolls around and he has the chance to win the game, he seems to come through.
With his dramatic three-run walk off home run against the Braves on Thursday, he now has five game-winning hits. Four of those hits are home runs.
It has been so much fun over the last four years watching this young man develop into a good hitter. Now that he is 27 and developing power, he is a legit threat at the plate. He has a team leading 23 homers, 72 RBI and is on pace for over 30 bombs and 100 driven in.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Billy Beane for trading Ethier for the insane Milton Bradley (who is deteriorating) and Antonio Perez (who is nowhere to be found). Beane isn't the genius that most people think he is, but that's another subject for another time.
For now, let's just revel in Andre and his ability to come through in the clutch, hitting a home run that hopefully snaps the club out of its recent doldrums and gets them rolling again as the post-season approaches.

The List

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By Matt on August 7, 2009 2:49 AM 1
Time to update this.
Continue reading The List.

The boys come home

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By Matt on August 3, 2009 10:27 PM 0
When it was all said and done, a 3-4 road trip wasn't all that bad.
Continue reading The boys come home.
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