Albuquerque lost 15-13

Rafael Furcal – 2 for 3, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R
Chin Lung Hu(26) – 1 for 2, 2 R, BB, SB (.303 BA)
Ivan De Jesus Jr(23) – 2 for 4, 2B, 3 RBI, R, BB, K, SB (.300 BA)
Russell Mitchell(25) – 1 for 5, 2B, R, 2 K’s (.321 BA)
Jamie Hoffman(25) – 2 for 5, 2 R, 2 K’s (.311 BA)

BOXSCORE

Chattanooga won 7-5

Dee Gordon(22) – 1 for 4, RBI, BB, SB (.280 BA)
Jerry Sands(22) – 1 for 5, 2 K’s (.271 BA)
Kyle Russell(24) – 4 for 5, 2 HR (9,10), 2 RBI, 2 R, K (.258 BA)
Pedro Baez(22) – 1 for 4, R, 3 K’s (.429 BA)

Cole St Clair(24) – 2 IP, Hit, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K’s (4.30 ERA)
Javy Guerra(24) – 1 IP, 2 Hits, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K’s (2.52 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Inland Empire won 10-5

Alfredo Silverio(23) – 4 for 5, 2 2B’s, 2 RBI, R (.292 BA)
Ramon Jean(22) – 2 for 6, 2 R (.275 BA)
Austin Gallagher(21) – 3 for 3, 2B, RBI, R, BB (.290 BA)

Aaron Miller(22) – 5 IP, 9 Hits, 5 ER, BB, 5 K’s (2.92 ERA)
Robert Boothe(24) – 3 IP, 2 Hits, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K’s (6.80 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Great Lakes won 4-3

Angelo Songco(21) – 1 for 5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K’s (.276 BA)
Blake Smith(22) – 1 for 3, K, HBP (.284 BA)
JT Wise(24) – 1 for 3, R, BB, 2 K’s (.297 BA)

Matt Magill(20) – 6 IP, 3 Hits, 2 ER, BB, 6 K’s (3.28 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Ogden won 6-2

Leon Landry(20) – 2 for 3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K (.347 BA)
Bobby Coyle(21) – 0 for 3, R, BB, SB (.303 BA)
Jake Lemmerman(21) – 2 for 4, HR (9), 2 RBI, R, K (.357 BA)
Blake Dean(22) – 1 for 3, R, BB (.296 BA)
Jon Garcia(18) – 1 for 3, HR (9), RBI, 2 R, K, E, HBP (.306 BA)

Garrett Gould(19) – 5 IP, 4 Hits, 2 R (1 ER), BB, 5 K’s (3.93 ERA)
Shawn Tolleson(22) – 1 IP, 0 Hits, 0 R, BB, K (0.68 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Highlights

-Yikes. The ‘Topes entered the 9th with a 7 run lead and leave with a 2 run deficit. Jesus Rodriguez allwoed a walk, a double, a homer and a single before being lifted. Jon Link entered and was greeted with a throwing error from John Lindsey. He wild pitched the lead runner to 3rd, then allowed a double to plate him. The first out was finally recorded when the 7th batter to come to the plate struck out. Needless to say, it went downhill from there. On offense, Lindsey hit his 40th double and 24th homer. This Furcal kid looks like he could make it to the bigs. Chin Lung Hu stole a base, so his thumb appears to be fine.

-Kyle Russell may have collected 4 hits, including 2 homers, but the spotlight was stolen by reliever David Pfeiffer, who hit a grand slam in 4th inning. Will Savage, who’s struggled mightily since being promoted to Chattanooga, lasted just 2.2 innings and threw nearly as many balls as strikes. Russell started off the final month with a bang (or two) and is hitting .312 with an OPS of 1.000 since the All Star break. He’s still striking out too much, but at least he’s producing.

-The 66ers finally picked up their 50th win with 5 games to play in the season. Aaron Miller picked up the win in spite of allowing 5 runs. After hitting .381 in August, Alfredo Silverio starts September off with 4 hits, including 2 doubles. Since the AS break, he’s hitting .327 with a .906 OPS. Not quite on par with Russell, but impressive nonetheless. Austin Gallagher also had a nice game and he’s been hot of late as well.

-Great Lakes battled til the very end of their game. Starter Matt Magill allowed a triple to the 2nd batter of the game, followed by a homer to the 3rd batter of the game. After that, he allowed just 1 hit over the rest of his 6 innings of work. Fun fact: he’s 4th in the MWL in strikeouts, trailing teammate Josh Wall, who’s leading the circuit, by 8. The Loons tied it up in the second on a Chris Jacobs double and then it went silent. For the following 7 innings, no runs were scored. Reliever Steve Smith went (I believe) a season high 4 innings in relief, holding the Lake County Captains scoreless until the 10th, when a crucial error proved to be more costly than it first appeared.

A leadoff single was followed by a sacrifice bunt, putting the go ahead run on second. The next batter hit a ball to the shortstop, Christian Lara, who threw the ball past JT Wise, who was playing first base at the time. Wise alertly fielded the ball and threw out the runner at third, who’d taken too big a turn. Disaster averted? Not quite. The runner on first then stole second and would eventually score on a two out single. The Loons entered the bottom of the 10th trailing 3-2. Chris Jacobs, who had already doubled twice, including plating the only 2 runs Great Lakes had scored to that point, singled to start off the inning. That was followed by a Nick Buss walk. Then, when Christian Lara attempted to sacrifice the runners to second and third, the pitcher mishandled the ball and all 3 runners were safe. So up walks Angelo Songco, mired in a month long slump, with a chance to be the hero. And he came through with a ringing double that nearly left the yard to plate the winning runs and give the home crowd a thrilling walk off win.

-The Raptors were hungry after sitting on their hands the past two days due to a rain out and an off day. So they came out quick with a solo home run from Jake Lemmerman in the first inning. Idaho Falls struck back with a run of their own in the top of the 3rd, but Ogden pulled back ahead with a score in the bottom of the inning. Idaho Falls again answered with a run of their own in the top of the 4th, but Ogden one-upped them once more with a run in the next half inning. And to put matters to rest, the Raptors added a 3 spot in the 6th to seal the deal. Jon Garcia also hit his 9th homer of the season and also committed his 9th error. I’m not concerned about his defense, however, as he’s likely committing errors on balls other fielders probably wouldn’t even touch. Garrett Gould yielded just 1 earned over 5 frames and picked up his first career victory. He’s enjoyed a fairly successful season.

Albuquerque played a doubleheader

Game 1 – Albuquerque won 11-10

Jamie Hoffman(25) – 1 for 5, 2B, R, 3 K’s (.310 BA)
Russell Mitchell(25) – 1 for 4, RBI, K (.320 BA)
Ivan De Jesus Jr(23) – 1 for 3, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB (.297 BA)
Justin Sellers(24) – 2 for 3, GS (8), 5 RBI, 2 R, BB (.295 BA)

John Ely – 0.1 IP, 3 Hits, 4 ER, BB, K
Charlie Haeger – 6 IP, 6 Hits, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K’s

BOXSCORE

Game 2 – Albuquerque lost 8-6

Ivan De Jesus Jr – 1 for 3, 2 R, BB, K, 2 E’s (.298 BA)
Russell Mitchell – 0 for 4, 2 K’s (.322 BA)
Jamie Hoffman – 2 for 3, HR (8), 4 RBI, R (.310 BA)
Scott Van Slyke(24) – 0 for 3, 2 K’s (.308 BA)
Justin Sellers – 0 for 1, BB (.293 BA)

BOXSCORE

Chattanooga won 7-3

Dee Gordon(22) – 2 for 5, RBI (.280 BA)
Jerry Sands(22) – 1 for 5, HR (16), RBI, R, K, OF Assist (.272 BA)
Kyle Russell(24) – 0 for 4, R, BB, 2 K’s (.247 BA)
Pedro Baez(22) – 2 for 3, R, SB, HBP (.667 BA)

Chris Withrow(21) – 6 IP, 6 Hits, 2 R (1 ER), BB, 6 K’s (5.51 ERA)
Javier Solano(20) – 0.2 IP, 2 Hits, ER, 0 BB, K (2.81 ERA)
Justin Miller(23) – 1 IP, Hit, 0 R, BB, 0 K’s (2.65 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Inland Empire lost 10-4

Alfredo Silverio(23) – 2 for 5, R, SB (.285 BA)
Ramon Jean(22) – 1 for 4, 2 K’s (.274 BA)

Geison Aguasviva(23) – 2.1 IP, 6 Hits, 5 R (3 ER), BB, 0 K’s (3.80 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Great Lakes won 13-7

Brian Cavazos-Galvez(23) – 2 for 6, 2B, 3B, RBI, R, K (.318 BA)
Blake Smith(22) – 2 for 4, R, BB, K (.284 BA)
JT Wise(24) – 3 for 5, 2B, RBI, 2 R (.296 BA)
Angelo Songco(21) – 2 for 5, RBI, R, K (.277 BA)

Ryan Christensen(21) – 2.2 IP, 8 Hits, 5 ER, BB, 3 K’s (7.67 ERA)
Steve Ames(22) – 2 IP, Hit, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K’s (2.84 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Ogden did not play

Highlights

-Albuquerque split its twin bill, with homers from Justin Sellers, Jamie Hoffman and Travis Denker. Charlie Haeger picked up a win in the first contest, after starter John Ely left in the first inning after recording just 1 out. Even though Iowa scored 4 times in the top of the first, the ‘Topes came back in the bottom half of the frame with half a dozen, including a grand slam from Sellers. They scored another 5 runs over the next two innings, though the pen nearly coughed up the lead and made a game of it for the fans. How generous of them.

In the second game, the relievers actually succeeded in surrendering the lead, with a little help from starter Edgar Gonzalez and a pair of miscues form IDJ2. Hoffman hit his 8th HR of the year, while Travis Denker added his first Triple A longball of the season.

-That’s two good starts in a row for young Withrow, who allowed just 1 earned run in his previous start as well. It would be great if Chris finally turned things around, but this sample size is just too small to draw any solid conclusions. Meanwhile, Jerry Sands hit his 34th home run of the season, tying him with three others for the minor league lead. Pedro Baez was a surprise addition to the roster, singling twice and stealing a base in his Double A debut. Dee Gordon also chipped in with a pair of singles, raising his average to .280.

-And then there’s the 66ers, who lost their 4th game in a row. Geison Aguasviva struggled, going 3 appearances in a row allowing runs (though only about half of them have been earned). On the brighter side of life is Alfredo Silverio, who continues to rake to the tune of .381/.418/.602 to close out August. He’s hitting .100 points better since the All Star break and OPS’ing nearly .300 points higher.

-The hit parade reached West Michigan today, to the tune of a combined 34 hits and 20 runs. Great Lakes had 13 runs on 21 hits, and every starter had a multi-hit game. The Loons hit 8 doubles, with Christian Lara and Brian Ruggiano snagging a pair a piece. BCG hit his 4th triple and finished August with a .377/.389/.598 line. His OPS since the All Star break is 1.040. The lack of walks still concerns me, but you can’t ignore the production.

is said by Dennis Wasser, one of Jamie McCourt’s attorneys:

Photo from TMZ

“The chances of a settlement always get better as the case goes on. Both sides get pounded, and they get tired.”

Jamie is getting her a$$ handed to her.

There will be a settlement soon!

The Dodgers have announced that eight of their prospects are headed to the Arizona Fall League (or AFL for short). The players are:

Javy Guerra, RHP – The Dodgers’ 4th round pick in 2004 made 2 appearances with the big club this spring, showing a low 90s fastball and a tight slider. He’s pitched just 26 innings this summer, including a pair of frames for the AZL Dodgers on a rehab assignment. He’s struggled with his command but been lucky enough to keep his ERA below 3. He’s currently on the 40 man roster.

Jon Link, RHP – Acquired in the Juan Pierre deal, Link’s had a few stints with the big club but hasn’t been able to stick. He showed a pair of ok offerings: a 90 mph fastball and a slider, but doesn’t really have the stuff to pitch in late innings. He’s also on the 40 man roster.

Justin Miller, RHP – No, not that one, the other one. Yes, the Dodgers have two relievers named Justin Miller. This one was drafted in the 6th round of the 2007 draft. A position player in high school, Miller showed a dominant sinker in his debut that he’s maintained throughout his young career, but hasn’t been able to throw strikes. His gained a few ticks on the pitch since moving to the pen, touching 95mph, but still struggles to find the strike zone and doesn’t miss enough bats. Were he to hone his command, he could be a decent middle reliever.

Matt Wallach, C – The other, other Wallach. Son of Tim, brother of Brett, Matt is lauded for his defense behind the plate. He’s thrown out 34% of attempted basestealers in his career, including 57% in his 17 games with Chattanooga. He’s played sparingly over the past few weeks, so hopefully he’ll get more consistent playing time in the Fall League.

Ivan De Jesus Jr, 2B/SS – The Dodgers’ second round pick in 2005, IDJ2 looked poised to assume the starting 2B job during spring training in 2009 before a collision at home plate resulted in a broken leg and caused him to miss nearly the entire season. In 2008, he had a breakout year in Double A where he hit .324 with nearly as many walks (76) as strikeouts (81). He hasn’t regained that exceptional plate discipline, which coupled with his utter lack of power, severely limits his offensive value. Defensively, he’d be a very good second baseman and just an ok shortstop. Also on the 40 man roster.

Jerry Sands, 1B/OF and Trayvon Robinson, OF – Depending on the composition of the team, Jerry and Tray may be playing next to each other for at least another month, giving Dodgers’ talent evaluators even more time to pick which one they’d prefer to take Manny’s spot in 2011. Robinson has the advantage of being on the 40 man roster, though Sands could easily take the spot vacated by Ramirez’ egression.

The last spot is being held open for my favorite prospect, PTBNL. When i find out, you will too.

It was the end of the season, in more ways than one. Blazing summer heat was turning to mild fall weather, as clouds crept over mountaintops well beyond the confines of Arrowhead Credit Union Park. It was late afternoon when I arrived at the stadium. A line of fans greeted me when I entered the main drive, and another line waited patiently, bending around the patches of grass outside the front gates. I parked, picked up my pass, and entered the stadium.

I was greeted by a plethora of pitchers throwing to one another along the left field foul line, some long tossing, others playing catch and even a few squatting to see what it’s like from the other side of home plate. To my right, closer to the infield, lies the bullpen, where Pitching Coach Charlie Hough was tutoring a player I could only identify by number. 29.

Since this was over an hour before the game, players weren’t wearing their jerseys. Practices tees with their numbers made my job a little more difficult, but I immediately recognized one southpaw heaving a ball to his counterpart: Geison Aguasviva.

The 23 year old Dominican native has been having himself quite a year. After starting in his first five appearances of the season, the results were an ERA of 6.30 and 13 walks in 20 innings. Management decided to make a change and moved the kid to the bullpen. How’d that work out? Well, all he’s done is post an ERA of 2.40 with 40 strikeouts and 19 walks in 48.2 innings. After throwing for a bit, he came into the stands and took a seat in the first round. Seeing an opportunity, I squatted down next to him and asked him if I could ask him a few questions. Isn’t that redundant?

There wasn’t much of a language barrier, though he insisted his English wasn’t very good. We understood each other perfectly and he explained to me how he turned his season around. “I have better control with the fastball, my slider’s better, my changeup,” he said. “(The fastball is) a little bit more hard than before: 93, 92. Before, when the season had started, it was 90, 89.”

I wondered if this could have been a result of moving to the bullpen, but Geison insisted that he has the same approach every time out. “Starter or reliever, I think just, throw the ball good, y’know?” “Just go out and practice…throw a little bullpen and practice and prepare for the game.”

No matter what his role is, Aguasviva will be happy to pitch. That type of attitude is what coaches look for: someone who’s willing to do whatever it takes to help the team.

I saw Ethan Martin near the bullpen, talking to teammates and seemingly light-hearted, which is a feat in and of itself given the fact that he walked in 2 runs the night before. I wanted to talk to him, but he scampered off and I didn’t see him again.

That’s when I saw the Dodgers’ 2009 first pick, Aaron Miller. My interview with him is available to read in this article.

Once the interview concluded and I saw Aaron walking back to the bullpen mound, getting ready to throw, I immediately went up to Charlie Hough and apologized for keeping the young lefty from getting his work in. Luckily for me, the former knuckleballer didn’t give me a knuckle-sandwich and forgave me of my misgivings. I then watched as the former Dodger mentored the future Dodger, instructing him on how to hold the ball and release it, how his arm should move through his delivery.

Finally, I found my way up the elevator up to the press box, where I settled in for the night. It was a cozy room, adjacent to the visiting team’s play-by-play booth and book-ended by a suite. A cover of a baseball was splayed on the wall, while the upper half of a mannequin was wedged in the corner of the room. Somehow, I feel these two objects were related.

There were two reporters in the room with me, who left prior to the first pitch, so I had the box all to myself. I chose to move to the far left chair behind the double-paned glass windows (this is important) for a better view of the game.

The first pitch was thrown and the action was underway. Starter Josh Walter came out of the gates blazing hot, inducing a weak ground ball that couldn’t have traveled more than 8 feet in front of the plate before striking out the next 5 batters he faced. The cheers of the 4,121 in attendance grew louder as the batters flailed away helplessly at breaking ball after breaking ball and returned to their bench in defeat.

Then, the unthinkable happened. As I was sitting quietly in my chair, enjoying the festivities, I noticed that I foul ball was hit in my general vicinity. As it came off the bat, I could tell it was traveling in my direction. The line drive narrowly evaded the clutches of the netting behind home plate and accelerated toward the press box. It seemed to gain speed as raced closer and closer to the window right in front of me and SMACK. My eyes opened. It was over. I was alive. And the ball was simply just another souvenir for a random fan.

The third inning is where the action picked up. Walter, who had retired the last five batters via strikeout, suddenly lost his control. One walk was followed by another and suddenly, Bakersfield had a runner in scoring position with no outs. The #9 hitter was called on to bunt and did so to the left of the pitcher’s mound. Pedro Baez began to charge, then had a change of heart and waited for Walter to field the ball, only to realize the pitcher was waiting for him to pick it up. Baez grabbed and threw as quickly as he could, but to no avail. Bases loaded, no outs.

Walter’s breaking ball was his bread and butter for the first two innings, but it betrayed him in the third. A bender found dirt in front of the plate and careened off toward the 66ers dugout. The catcher, Austin Yount, was convinced the ball was still at his feet, as he frantically searched for it in a radius of no greater than 3 feet from where he was standing. Walter came flying into the area, pointing at the ball so hard I thought his arm would fall off, before he finally made a b-line for the ball and fielded it himself. By that time, not only had the runner on 3rd scored, the runner on 2nd had as well and the infamous bunter had made his way to 3rd. That at bat ended with an RBI single to plate the third run of the inning.

It didn’t take long for the Empire to strike back (if you think that’s the last time I’m using that, you’re sorely mistaken), as Johan Garcia tripled to begin the bottom fo the third and came home on the next play. A 1-2-3 fourth for Walter was followed by another leadoff extra base hit, this time, a double to the LCF gap from Austin Gallagher. After advancing to third on a groundout, the cause seemed to be lost when Pedro Baez popped out to second, But Garcia came through again, singling to the shortstop who proceeded to throw the ball away and allow Johan to take 3rd. He’d be left there, though, as Austin Yount flied out to left.

And as soon as Walter had been given a run, he gave one away on the first pitch of the fifth inning, a no doubter to left field from Blaze catcher and Sopranos extra Vicent DiFazio. Walter would get out of the inning without incurring further damage but that ended his outing. 5 innings, 4 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks and 8 strikeouts.

The 66ers would again benefit from an error by the Blaze shortstop as Alfredo Silverio was given 2 bases on a throwing error that skipped past the first baseman. After stealing 3rd, he’d come home on a groundout from Ramon Jean. But that wasn’t the last time those three were involved in a crucial play.

In the 7th inning with 2 outs, Silverio doubled on a line drive to left field, which brought up Jean. Ramon had already been angry about a called strike and was looking to equalize the score, which sat at 4-3. A groundball to the third base hole would have resulted in a close play at first had the shortstop fielded the ball cleanly, but he bobbled it. Silverio, a smart baserunner, sped around third and raced home. And on the throw to the plate, a bang-bang play, Silverio was called…….OUT! Infuriated, Alfredo ripped off his helmet and spiked it on the ground. The umpire who wasn’t watching, apparently heard the sound of the protest and ejected Silverio from the game. Jean, who had already been angered by the umpire’s discretion, was incensed and had to be restrained by the first base coach.

And that was the deciding factor in the game. In the background, Robert Boothe pitched 3 perfect innings, striking out three. Matthew Sarter pitched a perfect 9th, striking out a pair. But over the final two innings, Inland Empire’s bats were silenced by a pair of hard throwing Blaze relievers. And that ended the game, 4-3.

This season was a struggle for the 66ers, as they lost 51 home games and have not won 50 overall. But help is on the way. From Great Lakes and Ogden and Arizona, there will come players who have talent to spare. Pitchers and hitters alike. They will make this Empire great again.

Since I got so much good stuff from Miller alone (The interview only lasted a little more than 4 minutes, but I wanted to share pretty much all of it), I’ve decided to break up my piece into two stories: 1 will be more about the experience I had on Sunday, and the other will be the following interview with one of the Dodgers’ top prospects, Aaron Miller.

7 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts. Not a bad line, especially for a guy who’s only in his first full season of pro ball. All the more impressive is the fact that he had been struggling so much in Chattanooga that he returned to High A in order to straighten things out.

“Aaron,” I called half-heartedly. He turned his head, but immediately went back to what he was doing. “Aaron!” I said, this time with a little more authority. He spun around, saw me and walked over. I introduced myself and asked if he minded talking for a few minutes. He said no problem, and I grabbed my recorder. Or, wait, where was it?

As I fumbled around in my pockets, I asked if he was happy to be back in California. What a stupid question. Of course he wasn’t happy to be demoted from Double A to High A. Of course he wasn’t happy to be forced to return to a level which he’d already dominated. And as soon as the words left my lips, I regretted them. But he answered with class, not being stung by my unintended affront and brushed the matter aside. We then chatted for what seemed like an hour while I continued the search for the missing device until I finally located it, hiding behind my pass.

Sensing his sense of humor and easy-going nature, I decided to begin the interview with a mild jab. “You took a no-hitter into the 7th inning. Couldn’t get that second out in the 7th? I said, with a coy grin. He laughed. Thank God. “You know, I mean, it’s just how some things happen,” he responded. “I still felt like I threw a pretty good pitch and, you know, he just got around it and…put it in the right spot.”

After such a tremendous first half of the season, Miller’s decline with the Lookouts caught me off guard. He’d been pitching so well and then, like a certain prospect before him, developed an allergy to the strike zone. But over his past two outings, he not only kept himself in the game but thrived, not allowing a run while surrendering just 5 hits and 5 walks over 13 innings. What was the culprit? “It was probably just a little bit of everyting,” he explained. “Gettin’ back down here with Charlie (Hough), you know, Charlie’s been awesome.” He certainly has been, since I was delaying some side work Aaron was supposed to get in and Charlie didn’t come right over and wring my neck.

“Once I got up there, realized where I was, that narrow, tunnel focus kind of widened out a little bit. I started thinking about different things and at that kind of level, you can’t really do that. You have to worry about only what you can control. And once I got back here, I started narrowing my focus a little bit, you know, concentrating a little more on some little things that, eventually, I’m really going to have to work on if I want to be a big league pitcher.”

Well, the talent is certainly there, and so is the mindset. To go from outfield prospect to Double A in the course of a year is a feat not accomplished by many. How does someone define that journey? “It’s been a very exciting ride. I mean, it’s been a lot of run. I’ve been really blessed to be where I am, really blessed to have the opportunities I’ve gotten. To start out, working with Charlie, I owe Charlie a huge amount of my success, just in what he’s been able to do with me, turn me more into a pitcher instead of a thrower.”

Which led me back to the no-hit bid. Throwers don’t get no-hitters. Pitchers do. And even the best pitchers have to be on their game in order to prevent a single batter from bumping his average up a tick or two. Was it command? Was it velocity? What enabled the kid who couldn’t find the strike zone 2 weeks ago to go 6 innings without allowing a hit? “This last game was probably one of the best games I’ve ever had where I’ve had all 3 pitches and location. Usually, for a lot of guys, you might have two good pitches that day and one is kind of iffy. Then you have those special days where all three of them work and you’re throwing the ball where you want to. Those are the really fun days.”

Yes they are, for the fans as much as the pitchers. When Aaron was in college, he just threw hard and tried to blow guys away. In the pros, that doesn’t fly unless you’re Aroldis Chapman and throw 105. Being a pitcher is about sometimes trusting yourself enough to not throw as hard as possible, realizing that the trade off for speed is movement and location. “I was mainly just a reliever in college. I came in and tried to throw the ball as hard as I could. Now I’m worried a little bit more about location and some mechanical things. (The velocity) has taken a little bit of a dip, you know, it’s been fairly solid. Velocity is the one thing I try not to worry about too much because it’s either going to be there or it’s not.”

And when you’re going every 5th day for five months (or six months in the majors), you need to pace yourself. For someone who’s not used to the workload, it can be a burdensome task. Luckily, Aaron is a hard-worker and has a good head on his shoulders. “It’s been a long, probably last 18 to 20 months. To go from back when college first started to getting drafted, finishing up the season, then going to fall league. I had a few months off, then basically started back in January or February with our camps and things like that. So, it’s going to be nice to get a good offseason in to kind of relax and just lay in the bed at home, lay on the couch a little bit.”

And it will be rest well-deserved for the kid from Channelview, Texas. “I’ll probably be back at school a little bit, I got a trainer there I really like, works out really well with him and the facilities there, at Baylor, still are second to none, to help me staying in shape. So that’s probably where I’ll be.”

No matter where he is, Dodger fans will be rooting for him.

Albuquerque lost 20-9

Ivan De Jesus Jr(23) – 2 for 5, RBI, R, BB (.298 BA)
Russell Mitchell(25) – 2 for 5, R, BB, K (.326 BA)
Jamie Hoffman(25) – 1 for 5, RBI (.309 BA)
Scott Van Slyke(24) – 2 for 5, 2 2B’s, 2 K’s (.348 BA)
Justin Sellers(24) – 2 for 3, 3 R, 2 BB, K (.289 BA)

Josh Lindblom(23) – 3.1 IP, 9 Hits, 6 R (4 ER), BB, 2 K’s (6.70 ERA)
Cory Wade – 1.2 IP, 3 Hits, ER, 0 BB, 0 K’s
Travis Denker – 0.0 IP, 4 Hits, 5 ER, 0 BB, 0 K’s

BOXSCORE

Chattanooga did not play

Inland Empire lost 5-4

Alfredo Silverio(23) – 3 for 5, 2B, HR (12), RBI, 2 R (.284 BA)
Ramon Jean(22) – 1 for 4, BB, K (.274 BA)
Austin Gallagher(21) – 1 for 5, 2B, R, K (.284 BA)
Pedro Baez(22) – 2 for 5, RBI, K (.259 BA)

Vicente Padilla – 3 IP, 2 Hits, 0 R, 0 BB, K

BOXSCORE

Great Lakes lost 10-3

Brian Cavazos-Galvez(23) – 2 for 4, 2B, R (.318 BA)
Blake Smith(22) – 1 for 4, HR (19), 2 RBI, R, 2 K’s (.281 BA)
Angelo Songco(21) – 1 for 4, 2B, R, K (.276 BA)

BOXSCORE

Ogden did not play

AZL Dodgers did not play

Highlights

-Obviously, there’s one pitching performance that every Dodger fan will be talking about around the water cooler tomorrow: Travis Denker’s debut! It wasn’t all bad, as he did manage to hit 2 batters. And his ERA is infinity! Seth Etherton, or Setherton, lasted only an inning plus, recording just 3 outs and facing 3 batters in the 2nd before getting pulled. Josh Lindblom came in to relieve, but didn’t fare much better, as he allowed a pair of homers and 6 runs over his 3.1 innings of work. Looks like he aint makin the big club anytime soon. At the plate, John Lindsey stayed hot, collecting 4 hits. Scott Van Slyke doubled up and artie’s boy Justin Sellers reached base safely 4 times.

-The 66ers made a game of it once again, but fell in their home closer by a single run. Alfredo Silverio led off with a home run and ended the night a triple short of the cycle. He’s been hitting really well over the past month. Rehabbing Vicente Padilla overpowered batters through his 3 innings of work, but Bobby Blevins couldn’t keep the ball in the yard, yielding a trio of home runs, including back to back solo jobs in the 4th. Pedro Baez singled twice and Austin Gallagher hit his 23rd double of the year.

-The Loons trailed from the get go, after starter Josh Wall allowed 3 runs in the first and another pair in the second. Blake Smith hit his 19th longball, finally passing long-since-promoted Jerry Sands for the team lead. BCG collected double #41 while seeing his average rise to .318. After one more game in West Michigan, the team will head home to Great Lakes for a 6 game stand before entering the playoffs.

Yes.

Ok, that’s not all I was going to post. There have been a number of excellent articles written about the slugger’s departure to greener (or Whiter?) pastures, including a couple on this very site, so I thought I’d look at the situation from a different angle. Seeing as how my focus is on the Dodgers’ farm system, I thought I’d look at some prospects who very well could be permeating the chasm left by Manny’s exodus.

Right now, there are two Dodgers’ outfield prospects who are having very good years. Both of them are 22, both are at Double A and both of them should be ready for a big league job next spring. However, the two are different types of prospects.

Jerry Sands

If you’ve been reading my articles this season, you’d know I’ve been on Sands’ bandwagon since last year. I predicted he’d break out in a big way this summer and he didn’t make a fool of me. In 69 Midwest League games, he batted .333/.432/.646 with 18 home runs. Jerry then skipped High A altogether and went to Chattanooga, where he homered in 4 of his first 5 games. However, he faltered in July, seeing his average dip to .244 and his strikeouts soar. However, he’s bounced back in August, batting a solid .277 with an OPS of .836.

Sands is your prototypical corner outfielder. He’s a big guy at 6’4 225 lbs but he has at least average speed. His arm is an asset defensively, as he’s amassed 23 outfield assists in 163 minor league games in the OF. If the outfield doesn’t fit, he can also play first base well, as he was named the best defensive first baseman in the Midwest League by the league’s managers.

At the plate, he gets the bat through the zone very quickly and has extremely strong wrists, enabling him to drive the ball out of any part of the park. He often uses the opposite field, but can turn on good fastballs as well. He’s major setback is his approach against quality breaking balls, as he often quits on them. He’ll also force swings when he’s behind in the count and chase bad pitches. However, the fact that he hits for so much power and draws a lot of walks can hopefully allow him to overcome those shortcomings.

Jerry has been compared to Jason Bay, which I think would make any Dodger fan happy. Were he lucky enough to live up to that comparison, you’re looking at a guy who could hit in the middle of the Dodgers’ order for the next several years.

Trayvon Robinson

Earlier today, Keith Law commented on Manny’s departure and said the real winner of this move was Tray. A 10th round pick out of Crenshaw High School in the 2005 draft, Robinson was slow to develop but really broke out last year by hitting .300 with 17 home runs and 47 stolen bases between the Inland Empire and Chattanooga (all but 19 games were played in High A). This April, Robinson looked like last year’s production was a Cally League mirage, as he hit just .224 in his first 21 games. But he improved over the next few months, hitting .262 in May and .370 in June. While his production has dropped off a bit, he’s still batting .300 with an .842 OPS to go along with 38 steals.

Robinson isn’t the biggest guy at 5’11 195 lbs, but he’s solidly built and strong, allowing him to post modest power numbers. His speed is his best tool, allowing him to wreak havoc on the basepaths and cover plenty of ground in the outfield. Most importantly, he’s developed a discerning eye at the plate, allowing him to draw an impressive amount of walks: his 73 free passes ranks second in the Southern League. However, like Sands, Tray is prone to strikeout and he places 3rd in the circuit with 125 whiffs. But like Sands, I don’t foresee that being a major hindrance, given his walk rate and ability to still make good contact.

He’s fully capable of handling CF, but were the Dodgers to play him in left, he’d offer a Carl Crawford type of skillset: lots of speed, some power, good contact. And when I say he could be like Crawford or Sands could be like Bay, I’m not saying they’re going to produce the same numbers, I’m simply comparing their skills. And again, I’m sure Dodger fans would be happy with having that type of player on the team.

Either of these guys would be a great replacement for the be-dreadlocked one. Sands is a quiet leader, a hard-worker who inspires his teammates with his professionalism, while Tray is a fun-loving crowd-pleaser who is loved by everyone who sees him. Maybe one day, we could see both of them together in Chavez Ravine. But for now, there can be only one.

Mannywood and Mannymania – It was fun for a season!

In 2008, Manny arrived in LA and proceeded to take the Dodgers on his back and carry them to the playoffs.  In 2009, he became a distraction, but was still a cog in the Dodger machine.  However, this year it was his inability to stay off the DL that cost the Dodgers their chance for a record three years in the post-season.  That, and Raffy’s extended stays there as well.

What happened this year was exactly what I feared when the Dodgers signed Manny for two years – and some people wanted the Dodgers to ink him for five?  Manny may be productive for a couple of more years as a DH, but his time in LA had expired.  I am sure Joe wasn’t playing him at the request of Ned to keep Manny healthy, but I doubt that Joe had to be prodded.  Manny was still being Manny.  Sometimes he didn’t hustle, other times he did.  His fielding was the major concern and he didn’t appear to have fun anymore.  Let’s face it, after his 50 game suspension, he was really never the same hitter – he had flashes, but he was not the difference-maker he once was.  It was time for him to go and when the Dodgers had someone (ChiSox) step forward, his fate was sealed.

When he got thrown out of the game with the bases loaded yesterday because some Ignorant Savage named Gary Cederstrom, behind the plate called a pitch that was 8″ outside a strike, and Manny dared question him, I thought that Manny got himself ejected on purpose.  However, after further review, I really saw no justification, other than the umpire was an Ignorant Savage!  I won’t go into some diatribe about the umpires, but I will say that was over-reaction.

Speaking of over-reaction, the opposite was true of Joe Torre.  He just sat there while Manny was ejected, serving out his time as Dodger Skipper barely going through the motions.  I will be glad when this season is over and he is gone, hopefully with all the rest of the coaches.  FREE TIM WALLACH!

The McCourt Divorce Trial Starts today and it should be interesting, unless a settlement is reached along the way.  If one side or the other begins to feel the pinch, they will be motivated to settle.  You just never know how a trail will go.

Me, I’ve got better things to thing about, like:

1. Will the Dodgers try and sign Ted Lilly (a 3-year deal might be nice)?
2. Is Ryan Theriot the answer or a question at 2B?
3. The Dodgers really won’t try and sign an aging Scott Podsednik?   Will they?
4. Can the Dodgers find a 3B like, oh, maybe Adrian Beltre and make Casey Blake a super-sub?
5. Who will get traded in a blockbuster deal?  The Dodgers need a REALLY big bat!
6. Can Russ Mitchell be a serviceable backup?  He’s really Casey Blake!

Albuquerque won 10-5

Ivan De Jesus Jr(23) – 1 for 5, R, 2 K’s (.297 BA)
Russell Mitchell(25) – 2 for 4, HR (23), 2 RBI, R, K (.325 BA)
Jamie Hoffman(25) – 1 for 3, 2 R, BB, 2 K’s (.310 BA)
Justin Sellers(24) – 3 for 4, 2 2B’s, HR (13), 3 RBI, 2 R, K (.285 BA)

John Ely – 7 IP, 8 Hits, 4 R (3 ER), BB, 4 K’s

BOXSCORE

Chattanooga lost 9-4

Dee Gordon(22) – 0 for 3, R, BB, 2 K’s, SB (.279 BA)
Jerry Sands(22) – 0 for 2, RBI, 2 R, BB, OF Assist (.274 BA)
Kyle Russell(24) – 1 for 3, 3B, K, HBP (.251 BA)

Rubby De La Rosa(21) – 7 IP, 7 Hits, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K’s (1.37 ERA)
Javy Guerra(24) – 0.1 IP, 2 Hits, 2 ER, BB, 0 K’s (2.63 ERA)
Cole St Clair(24) – 1 IP, 2 Hits, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K’s (4.45 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Inland Empire lost 4-3

Alfredo Silverio(23) – 1 for 3, 2B, R, BB, SB (.280 BA)
Ramon Jean(22) – 1 for 4, RBI, K (.275 BA)
Austin Gallagher(21) – 1 for 4, 2B, R, K (.285 BA)
Pedro Baez(22) – 0 for 4 (.257 BA)

Robert Boothe(24) – 3 IP, 0 Hits, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K’s (7.27 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Great Lakes lost 8-1

Angelo Songco(21) – 0 for 4 (.278 BA)
Blake Smith(22) – 2 for 4, 2B, R (.282 BA)
JT Wise(24) – 0 for 3, BB, K (.291 BA)

Greg Wilborn(23) – 5 IP, 9 Hits, 5 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 5 K’s (2.94 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Ogden lost 9-5

Leon Landry(20) – 0 for 4, BB, K (.343 BA)
Nick Akins(22) – 0 for 1, K (.324 BA)
Jake Lemmerman(21) – 2 for 5, 2B, HR (8), RBI, 2 R, K (.355 BA)
Bobby Coyle(21) – 1 for 5, K (.307 BA)
Blake Dean(22) – 2 for 5, RBI, R, SB (.296 BA)
Jon Garcia(18) – 2 for 4, 2 R, BB, K (.305 BA)

BOXSCORE

AZL Dodgers lost 5-4

Joc Pederson(18) – 0 for 2, 2 BB, 2 K’s, HBP (.000 BA)
Noel Cuevas(18) – 2 for 4, 2B, K (.333 BA)
Devon Ethier(20) – 1 for 4, 2 RBI (.200 BA)

Nathan Eovaldi(20) – 4 IP, 3 Hits, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K’s (4.32 ERA)

BOXSCORE

No highlights tonight, I’m exhausted and something I ate isn’t agreeing with me. I’ll post an article about my time at the 66ers game tomorrow. Do you guys prefer an article talking about the game with quotes from the interviews or transcripts of the interviews? Or both?

Albuquerque won 10-4

Ivan De Jesus Jr(23) – 2 for 5, 2B, HR (7), 3 RBI, R (.298 BA)
Russell Mitchell(25) – 1 for 5, HR (22), RBI, R, K (.323 BA)
Jamie Hoffman(25) – 0 for 4, 2 K’s (.310 BA)
Scott Van Slyke(24) – 1 for 4, R (.333 BA)
AJ Ellis – 2 for 3, 2B, 2 R, BB, K
Justin Sellers(24) – 3 for 4, 2B, 2 RBI, R (.278 BA)

Ramon Troncoso – 2 IP, 0 Hits, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K’s

BOXSCORE

Chattanooga won 7-6

Dee Gordon(22) – 2 for 5, R, K (.281 BA)
Trayvon Robinson(22) – 1 for 4, RBI, K, SB (.300 BA)
Jerry Sands(22) – 0 for 3, R, BB (.276 BA)
Kyle Russell(24) – 2 for 4, 2B, HR (8), RBI, 2 R, 2 K’s (.250 BA)
Jaime Pedroza(23) – 2 for 4, 2B, HR (6), 2 RBI, R, K (.283 BA)

Javier Solano(20) – 1 IP, 0 Hits, 0 R, 0 BB, K (2.35 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Inland Empire lost 7-3

Alfredo Silverio(23) – 3 for 4, 2B, BB, K (.279 BA)
Ramon Jean(22) – 1 for 5, RBI (.275 BA)
Austin Gallagher(21) – 0 for 4, BB (.286 BA)
Pedro Baez(22) – 0 for 3, BB, K (.260 BA)

Ethan Martin(21) – 1.2 IP, 4 Hits, 3 ER, 5 BB, K (6.20 ERA)
Tim Sexton(23) – 7.1 IP, 7 Hits, 4 ER, 2 BB, 8 K’s (7.04 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Great Lakes lost 10-5

Blake Smith(22) – 1 for 4 (.280 BA)
Brian Cavazos-Galvez(23) – 1 for 4, K, CS (.316 BA)
Angelo Songco(21) – 0 for 4, K (.278 BA)

Allen Webster(20) – 6 IP, 6 Hits, 6 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 6 K’s (2.94 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Ogden lost 7-5

Leon Landry(20) – 2 for 4, R, K (.350 BA)
Bobby Coyle(21) – 2 for 4, R, K (.310 BA)
Jake Lemmerman(21) – 0 for 4, RBI, R, K (.354 BA)
Nick Akins(22) – 0 for 4, R, 3 K’s (.327 BA)
Jon Garcia(18) – 1 for 3, 2B, RBI, R, K (.302 BA)

BOXSCORE

AZL Dodgers did not play

Highlights

-And the hits keep on comin’. Last night’s out-pour spilled over into tonight’s contest as Albuquerque put up a 10 spot in support of Francisco Felix, who had been pitching in the Mexican League. He made 14 relief appearances for Albuquerque last year and posted a very respectable 3.38 ERA. Nice to see him back in the organization. The ‘Topes hit a combined 4 homers: 2 from the usual suspects in John Lindsey and Russell Mitchell, and 2 from fairly surprising sources in Michael Restovich and Ivan De Jesus Jr. Restovich’s blast, off of highly touted Rangers’ prospect Tanner Scheppers, cleared the video-board at Isotopes’ Park.

-Chattanooga won a tight battle, edging the Dodgers’ former affiliate Jacksonville Suns by a run. The Lookouts did all their scoring in the first half of the game, sandwiching a trio of runs in the 2nd and 4th around a delicious single run filling in the 3rd. Kyle Russell and Jaime Pedroza each doubled and homered, while Dee Gordon had a pair of hits, including his 28th bunt single of the season. Alberto Bastardo had a decent start, followed by a perfect inning from Javier Solano, but closer Jon Huber nearly gave Lookouts fans a heart attack in the 9th. A leadoff double was followed by a two run homer from Tim Torres, which decreased Chattanooga’s lead to one run. After a groundout, another double placed the tying run on 2nd with 1 out. But Huber fought back and struck out the last two batters in order to preserve the win.

-Ouch. Ethan Martin struggled through the first inning, after walking the first batter and allowing a subsequent single which was misplayed that put runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. Disaster had seemed to have been averted when a comeback was turned into a double play; the runner on 3rd decided to return to the bag and the runner on 2nd tried to advance, which resulted in both runners being tagged out. But another pair of singles plated a run, so Martin didn’t exit the inning completely unscathed. The second inning started much better, with a groundout and a strikeout. But then, the wheels came off. A single to right was followed by 4 consecutive walks that plated two runs and ended the night for Ethan after recording just 5 outs. Tim Sexton came in and recorded the final out of the inning. Hopefully Martin can kick this Steve Blass-esque lack of control, though there’s always third base…

-Speaking of less than stellar outings from top pitching prospects, Allen Webster suffered his 9th loss of the season after allowing 6 runs (4 earned) in 6 innings. It’s the third time in his last 4 starts that he’s allowed 3 or more earned runs. However, his overall ERA is still under 3 and his August ERA is still under 4. He’s pitched nearly twice as many innings this year as he did in 2009, so fatigue is a likely culprit. It also didn’t help that the big 3 (Smith, BCG and Songco) went a combined 2 for 12, but when the pitching staff allows 10 runs, the offense really can’t be to blame.

-AZL had the night off, so Ogden was the only rookie league affiliate in action tonight. And this time, the bullpen couldn’t stave off an upset. Starter Red Patterson had a strong outing, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) over 6 innings while striking out 5. Jake McCarter, who turns 26 on Tuesday, relieved him but only in the literal sense of the word, since blowing a 3 run lead and the starter’s shot at a win is anything but a relief. It wasn’t all McCarter’s doing, though, as the Raptors’ defense committed 3 errors in the game, including a crucial 2 for 1 gaffe from Jesse Bosnik and Steve Domecus that plated the eventual winning run in the 7th inning.

Tomorrow, I’ll be attending the 66ers’ second to last home game of the season and will attempt to get as many interviews as possible. It will be a late night for me and I can’t guarantee a report tomorrow evening, but I’ll definitely post an article on Monday that details my up close look at the club.

Albuquerque won 12-3

Jamie Hoffman(25) – 0 for 5, 2 K’s (.313 BA)
Ivan De Jesus Jr(23) – 0 for 5 (.297 BA)
Russell Mitchell(25) – 3 for 4, 2B, 4 R, BB (.325 BA)
Scott Van Slyke(24) – 3 for 5, 2B, 3 RBI, R (.357 BA)
AJ Ellis – 2 for 5, 2B, RBI, R

BOXSCORE

Chattanooga lost 8-4

Dee Gordon(22) – 0 for 3, R, BB, K (.279 BA)
Trayvon Robinson(22) – 0 for 3, BB (.300 BA)
Jerry Sands(22) – 2 for 4, RBI, R, K (.280 BA)
Kyle Russell(24) – 1 for 3, 2B, RBI, R, 2 K’s (.246 BA)
Jaime Pedroza(23) – 1 for 2, 2B, K (.280 BA)

Javy Guerra(24) – 1 IP, 0 Hits, 0 R, 0 BB, K (1.90 ERA)
Cole St Clair(24) – 1 IP, 0 Hits, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K’s (4.20 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Inland Empire won 2-1

Alfredo Silverio(23) – 0 for 4, K (.274 BA)
Austin Gallagher(21) – 1 for 3, 2B, R, BB, K (.305 BA)
Pedro Baez(22) – 0 for 3, K (.283 BA)
Ramon Jean(22) – 1 for 3 (.276 BA)

Aaron Miller(22) – 7 IP, Hit, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K’s (2.61 ERA)
Geison Aguasviva(23) – 1.1 IP, Hit, ER, 0 BB, 2 K”s (3.54 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Great Lakes won 6-3

Blake Smith(22) – 1 for 4, RBI, K (.280 BA)
Brian Cavazos-Galvez(23) – 0 for 3, R, BB (.317 BA)
Angelo Songco(21) – 1 for 4, HR (15), 2 RBI, R, K (.281 BA)
JT Wise(24) – 1 for 3, R, BB, K, E (.294 BA)

Matt Magill(20) – 5 IP, 4 Hits, 2 ER, BB, 10 K’s (3.29 ERA)
Steve Ames(22) – 1.1 IP, 0 Hits, 0 R, 0 BB, K (3.09 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Ogden won 6-3

Leon Landry(20) – 1 for 5, K (.347 BA)
Bobby Coyle(21) – 1 for 4, 2B, BB, K, SB (.306 BA)
Jake Lemmerman(21) – 3 for 5, 2 R, K, CS (.360 BA)
Nick Akins(22) – 2 for 4, 2B, HR (12), 2 RBI, 3 R, K, HBP (.336 BA)
Blake Dean(22) – 2 for 4, RBI, R, BB, SB (.293 BA)
Jon Garcia(18) – 2 for 5, 2 RBI, K (.301 BA)

Shawn Tolleson(22) – 1.2 IP, Hit, 0 R, 0 BB, K (0.70 ERA)

BOXSCORE

AZL Dodgers won 8-7

James Baldwin(18) – 3 for 4, RBI, R, 2 SB (.274 BA)
Preston Mattingly – 2 for 4, RBI, 2 R, BB
Chance Gilmore(23) – 2 for 4, HR (2), 5 RBI, R, BB (.287 BA)
Scott Schebler(19) – 0 for 4, K (.294 BA)

BOXSCORE

Highlights

-The Isotopes’ offense awoke from its slumber to pound out a dozen runs on its way to a convincing win. Minor league veteran John Lindsey had 4 hits on the day: 3 doubles and his 22nd HR of the year. The 33 year old 1st baseman is what’s considered a “AAAA” player, meaning he’s too good for Triple A but not quite a major leaguer. Also leaving the yard was 24 year old shortstop Justin Sellers, who has 12 home runs this year and 6 in his last 10 games. He had 12 home runs in 2007-2009 combined. The Cal State Fullerton grad shouldn’t be looked at as an offensive force, given the fact that his production outside of the hitter-friendly PCL has been less impressive, but he’s at least giving the Dodgers an option if the big club is in need of a middle infielder.

-Chattanooga went down by 4 in the first inning and never recovered, as starter Jesus Castillo had a rare off night. Jerry Sands had a pair of hits, lifting his Double A average to .280. He hit just .244 in July and has bounced back this month by improving his batting average by .045 points. He’s still the Dodgers best prospect, in my opinion. Kyle Russell hit his 21st double with the Lookouts and is hitting .314 in August with an OPS of .996. Now, he’s still striking out like he’s trying to win a contest, but the fact that he’s walking and hitting for power while sporting a good average is encouraging. Or it’s a product of an inflated BABIP. Let’s pretend it’s the former.

-A pitcher’s duel? In the California League? I don’t believe it. And it gets even better. Aaron Miller, who was brought back to A ball after struggling in Double A, took a no-hitter into the 7th inning and left the game surrendering no runs on just 1 base hit. That’s 2 very impressive starts in a row, which is incredibly small in sample size, but he’s missing bats and not getting himself into trouble with walks. As is the case with Russell, my optimism outweighs my analysis.

-The Loons had to battle back from 2 deficits over the course of the game, first in the 5th and then again in the 8th. The first comeback was initiated with BCG reaching on an error on Fort Wayne’s shortstop. The next batter was Angelo Songco, who launched a ball over the right field wall to tie the score. The Tin Caps battled back, with a leadoff homer in the 7th that gave them a 1 run lead. But in the 8th inning, Christian Lara walked with 1 out and advanced to third on a single by Rafael Ynoa. After Ynoa stole second, Nick Buss then hit a sac fly to center field that scored Lara and evened the score. A wild pitch sent Ynoa to 3rd and he came home on a Blake Smith single. Great Lakes added 2 insurance runs in the 9th, but shut down relief pitching from Steve Ames made them moot. Ames earned his 14th save of the year for the Loons.

-Both rookie ball affiliates won tight contests, as the Raptors managed to double up on the Voyagers and the AZL Dodgers edged the Brew Crew. Ogden fell behind in the 3rd, but didn’t stay down for long, as back to back singles from Blake Dean and Jon Garcia plated Jake Lemmerman and Nick Akins. In the 6th, Lemmerman led off with a single but was cut down attempting to steal second. Akins promptly doubled and Dean reached on an error. Garcia singled in Akins and, following a walk to Chris Henderson, Mike Pericht hit a scoring fly ball to plate Dean. Lemmerman’s 3rd hit of the game came in the 9th and was followed by Akins’ 12th HR with the Raptors. He now has 18 in just 58 games.

The Dodgers led big early, as a wild pitch scored James Baldwin in the 1st and the Dodgers poured on a handful in the second, concluding with Chance Gilmore’s second homer of the season. The Brewers scored once in both the 6th and 7th innings, but the Dodgers came back and matched those with 2 of their own in the bottom of the 8th on an error. Those runs, that led to an 8-2 lead, seemed to be unnecessary as the game entered its penultimate frame, but they proved to decide the fate of the team. Adam Dedeaux, grandson of Rod, entered the game with a 6 run cushion. The 24 year old southpaw hadn’t allowed a run in his previous 6 appearances. That changed tonight, as Dedeaux had one of those nightmare outings that every reliever dreads.

A leadoff walk was followed by back to back singles that scored a run. 8-3. A comebacker recorded the first out. Then came another walk to load the bases, but that was followed by a popout to second for the second out of the 9th. A brief sigh of relief was followed by a exacerbated groan as the next batter singled to center, plating two runs. 8-5. That ended Adam’s outing, but not his stat line, as he left two runners on base for Yimy Quiepo-Rodriguez, formerly known as Yimy Rodriguez. The first batter the newly be-hyphened reliever faced lined a single to center plating another run. 8-6. Then the canuck at the hot corner, Jeff Hunt, booted a groundball that scored Dedeaux’s final runner and moved the tying run to second base. 8-7. Reaching down into the very depths of his soul, Quiepo-Rodriguez induced a game-ending popout that left the Dodgers with a bitter-sweet taste in their mouths. And those two runs scored in the bottom of the 8th, which seemed meaningless at the time, ended up winning the game.

A week ago, the Dodgers were dead and buried.

Are They?

Everyone said it.  I said it!  That didn’t make it true.

There was one difference:  I have always maintained that this team had the talent to win it all.

I felt that they were dramatically under-performing.  It too much to ask them to win the division, but the Wild Card spot is realistic.  This team has too much talent to have played so poorly.  Sometimes baseball is a game of streaks and these guys have shown they are nothing if not streaky!   I may have thrown dirt on their grave too soon.  Not only do I think they can win the Wild Card, but I think they could be very difficult for other teams in the playoffs… providing they stay healthy.

• Jon Broxton looks better with the 9th inning heat off.
• Belisario is getting it together, not a moment too soon.
• Kuo is amazing.
• Jansen has the “swagger” of a closer!
• Lilly, Kuroda, Billingsley and Kershaw are about as good as any 4 in baseball and Padilla (if healthy) makes a nice staff.
• Rod Piazza may just get his 6 weeks of fame.

It’s a lot to ask!   Manny needs to stay healthy and Raffy needs to stay healthy.  Raffy was on his way to a career year.  Can he keep injury free?  I would doubt it… but you never know!  They could be helped by some call-ups in September, namely RDLR, AJ, IDJ2, Flash’s kid, X-Man and another one or two role players, and they would have to be really, really lucky, but it could happen.  Again, I will assert that the team has the talent.  Now, all they HAVE to do is win, Baby!

What happens against the Rockies will determine the Dodgers season.  They have until Tuesday to decide what to do with Manny.  If they sweep the Rockies (anything short of that won’t work), then it’s on, and Manny will stay in LA the rest of the season.  This team has some vets who have been there, done that, and can deliver in the clutch – Theriot, Podsednik, Belliard, Johnson, Ausmus, Barajas, Blake, Manny, Raffy, et al.

Factor in that Kemp, Ethier and Loney are due to get hot and the Dodgers could become an offensive juggernaut!

The fat lady ain’t singing!

It’s time to fish, not cut bait!

Will it happen?  I don’t know!

Can it happen? Yes, it can!

Could these be Destiny’s Dodgers?

Albuquerque lost 8-1

Jamie Hoffman(25) – 1 for 4, R, 2 K’s, SB (.316 BA)
Ivan De Jesus Jr(23) – 3 for 4, 2B (.300 BA)

Josh Lindblom(23) – 2 IP, 5 Hits, 4 R (3 ER), BB, 0 K’s (6.55 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Chattanooga won 8-1

Dee Gordon(22) – 2 for 5, 2B, CS (.281 BA)
Trayvon Robinson(22) – 0 for 4, R, BB, 3 K’s, SB (.302 BA)
Jerry Sands(22) – 2 for 4, 3 R, BB, K (.276 BA)
Kyle Russell(24) – 1 for 3, 2B, 3 RBI, BB (.245 BA)

Justin Miller(23) – 3 IP, Hit, ER, 3 BB, 3 K’s (2.72 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Inland Empire lost 12-5

Alfredo Silverio(23) – 2 for 5, 2 2B’s (.277 BA)
Austin Gallagher(21) -1 for 5, 3 K’s (.288 BA)
Ramon Jean(22) – 0 for 3, RBI (.276 BA)

BOXSCORE

Great Lakes lost 6-4

Blake Smith(22) – 0 for 5, K (.280 BA)
Brian Cavazos-Galvez(23) – 3 for 5, HR (15), RBI, R, K, CS (.319 BA)
JT Wise(24) – 2 for 4, HR (10), RBI, R, K (.294 BA)

BOXSCORE

Ogden lost 14-5

Leon Landry(20) – 1 for 4, 3B, 2 R, BB, K (.350 BA)
Bobby Coyle(21) – 1 for 5, 2B, 2 RBI, R (.307 BA)
Nick Akins(22) – 0 for 3, BB, K, E (.331 BA)
Blake Dean(22) – 0 for 3, BB (.289 BA)

BOXSCORE

AZL Dodgers lost 6-4

James Baldwin(18) – 2 for 4, R, 2 K’s, 2 SB (.263 BA)
Preston Mattingly – 1 for 4, R, K
Scott Schebler(19) – 1 for 4, 3B, R, 2 K’s (.385 BA)

BOXSCORE

Highlights

-Looks like the well went dry for Isotopes, as they only mustered a single score in route to a 7 run loss. IDJ2 had himself a nice day, raising his average to .300. He should get a shot at the starting 2B job for the big club next spring. A guy who isn’t helping his cause is Josh Lindblom, He has 1 scoreless appearance in his last 6 outings, with an ERA approaching the summit of Everest. I’m getting tired of saying “hopefully he’ll turn it around”, so I won’t.

-Chattanooga got 6 scoreless from Brent Leach and another strong 3 from Justin Miller, limiting the opposition to just 3 hits. Dee Gordon and Jerry Sands each had a pair of hits. Gordon was caught stealing for the 20th time this season, which I believe wins him a set of steak knives. Trayvon Robinson stole his 37th base and is a homer and a steal away from going 10/40 for the second year in a row.

-The 66ers lost big and went home. The game was all but sad and done thru the first 3 innings, when High Desert scored a total of 10 runs before making 10 outs. Alfredo Silverio doubled twice, giving him 22 for the year. He also raised his average to .277, which is respectable. The problem I still have with him is the utter lack of walks, though his total has risen dramatically in the second half of the season. He’s been a very good hitter in the 2nd half, posting an OPS of .859 with 9 home runs and 14 walks after putting up an OPS of just .594 with 2 homers and 2 walks in the first half. The real test comes next year, when he faces advanced pitching in Double A and will prove if he can get on base enough to profile as an MLB regular.

-Great Lakes trailed from wire to wire and not even homers from Wise and BCG could help. Wise’s 10th homer was his first of the month, but he’s still been one of the best hitters in the minors over the past 2 months. Since the all star break, he’s hit .388/.421/.631 in 25 games. Given his age, he’s a candidate to skip the Empire and go straight to Chattanooga. BCG may be joining him, as he’s also been hitting extremely well since the all star break, with a line of .383/.392/.661 with 13 home runs in 56 games. The ridiculously low walk rate is why his OBP is only .009 points higher than his BA. That’s something he needs to turn around.

-Ogden and AZL didn’t have much luck either. Landy collected his 4th triple of the short season, while Bobby Coyle hit his 14th double. Nick Akins threw a runner out at 1st but also threw one away, one of 5 Raptors errors.

AZL fell, but was led offensively by James Baldwin the 3rd, who singled twice and stole a pair of bases, his 14th and 15th of the year. He’s only been caught 3 times. He’s got a ways to go in terms of development, but the tools are certainly there. Bolivar Medina didn’t quite live up to his previous outing, but Andres Santiago and Joel Lima provided 5.1 quality innings of relief. Santiago has allowed just 1 earned run in his last 14.2 innings of work. The 18th rounder out of Puerto Rico in 2007 has yet to make it out of rookie ball. Lima, a Dominican signee who recently celebrated his 21st birthday, has allowed just 1 earned run in his last 8 appearances.

Albuquerque won 11-3

Jamie Hoffman(25) – 3 for 4, 2B, HR (7), RBI, 3 R, BB, K (.316 BA)
Ivan De Jesus Jr(23) – 2 for 5, 2B, HR (6), 4 RBI, 2 R, K (.296 BA)
Russell Mitchell(25) – 3 for 5, 2B, 2 HR (20,21), 3 RBI, 3 R, 2 K’s (.322 BA)
Scott Van Slyke(24) – 1 for 4, 2B, R (.222 BA)

Charlie Haeger – 6 IP, 2 Hits, 3 ER, 5 BB, 5 K’s
Cory Wade – 2 IP, 2 Hits, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K’s

BOXSCORE

Chattanooga won 3-2

Dee Gordon(22) – 1 for 3, RBI, BB, E (.280 BA)
Trayvon Robinson(22) – 0 for 3, R, BB, 2 K’s (.305 BA)
Jerry Sands(22) – 1 for 4, R (.272 BA)
Jaime Pedroza(23) – 0 for 2, 2 BB, K (.282 BA)
Kyle Russell(24) – 1 for 3, RBI, BB, K (.243 BA)

Chris Withrow(21) – 7 IP, 5 Hits, ER, 0 BB, 5 K’s (5.71 ERA)
Javy Guerra(24) – 1 IP, Hit, R (0 ER), 0 BB, K (1.99 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Inland Empire won 6-4

Alfredo Silverio(23) – 1 for 4, RBI, R, BB (.275 BA)
Austin Gallagher(21) – 1 for 3, R, 2 BB (.289 BA)
Pedro Baez(22) – 0 for 4, BB (.265 BA)
Ramon Jean(22) – 0 for 3, BB, K (.279 BA)

BOXSCORE

Great Lakes won 8-4

Blake Smith(22) – 0 for 5, RBI, R, 2 K’s (.284 BA)
Brian Cavazos-Galvez(23) – 2 for 5, 2B, HR (14), 3 RBI, R, SB, OF Assist (.316 BA)

BOXSCORE

Ogden lost 6-2

Jake Lemmerman(21) – 1 for 4, 2 K’s (.355 BA)
Nick Akins(22) – 0 for 3, K, PO, HBP (.338 BA)
Blake Dean(22) – 1 for 3, R, BB (.293 BA)
Jon Garcia(18) – 0 for 4, 2 K’s, 2 OF Assist (.298 BA)

Garrett Gould(19) – 6 IP, 5 Hits, 2 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 4 K’s (4.15 ERA)

BOXSCORE

AZL Dodgers won 5-0

James Baldwin(18) – 0 for 5, 3 K’s (.257 BA)
Preston Mattingly – 3 for 5, 2 R, K

Ralston Cash(18) – 5 IP, 2 Hits, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K’s (3.60 ERA)
Beyker Fructuoso(20) – 3 IP, 0 Hits, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K’s (3.04 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Highlights

-The Isotopes exploded offensively, led by Russell Mitchell who homered twice. Justin Sellers, Jamie Hoffman and Ivan De Jesus Jr all pitched in with longballs of their own. Charlie Haeger struggled with his command but scattered just 2 hits over his 6 innings of work. Justin Miller and Cory Wade added 3 innings of scoreless relief.

-Chattanooga played an early game but the real action took place late in the contest. Mobile scored first, with a solo run in the 6th. The Lookouts waited an inning to equalize. Then the two teams traded runs in the 8th to make it 2 all. After Jon Huber pitched a scoreless Top of the 9th, Jerry Sands singled to start of the bottom of the frame. An Eduardo Perez sacrifice was followed by an intentional walk to Jaime Pedroza. So with the winning run on second, Kyle Russell came to the plate and brought him home with a single to right field.

-Behind a quality start from Bobby Blevins, the 66ers won their second in a row in their last week of home games. Doubles from Johan Garcia and Steve Caseres spearheaded the offensive attack, while relievers Robert Boothe, Miguel Sanfler and Eric Krebs nailed down the win.

-Great Lakes knows that 8 is enough, especially when your pitching staff only gives up 4. Homers from BCG, Franklin Jacobs and Jaime Ortiz helped, and BCG added his 40th double, his 42nd stolen base and even threw a runner out at home. Josh Wall won his 8th, allowing 4 runs over 5.2 innings.

-Ogden took an early 2-1 lead but couldn’t sustain as the offense went silent and the bullpen struggled. Garrett Gould pitched well, allowing just 1 earned run over 5 innings. The Raptors scrounged for 4 hits and drew only 2 walks. Jon Garcia had an 0′fer at the plate, but threw one runner out at 2nd and another one out at home.

-2010 2nd rounder Ralston Cash had his best showing as a pro, pitching 5 innings of shutout ball, allowing just 4 baserunners and striking out 7. The offense was led by Preston Mattingly, who’s been on an extended rehab assignment. 2010 25th rounder Chance Gilmore added a double and a triple, while Enily Morales had a pair of singles and 3 RBI. Reliever Beyker Fructuoso added 3 perfect frames with 5 strikeouts, giving him 21 in his last 15 innings.

WHAT: The Dodgers are holding a batting practice hosted by legendary Dodger pitcher Fernando Valenzuela this Friday, August 27. The event is sold out.

Ticketed fans will take live batting practice “Under the Lights” at Dodger Stadium. Those in attendance will also get the chance to take photos with and get autographs from Valenzuela on limited edition “Under the Lights” Rawlings baseballs, will receive a batting practice jersey, tour the Dodger clubhouse, throw in the bullpen, play the field, run the bases and enjoy food and drinks.

WHEN:           Friday, August 27, 2010

6 – 9 p.m.

WHERE: Dodger Stadium

Media can park in Lot G behind center field

MISC: More information on DODGERLIFE events can be found by visiting www.dodgers.com/dodgerlife.

Media interested in attending should contact the Dodgers’ Public Relations department at (323) 224-1301.

The two-time defending National League West Division Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, pioneers in sport and world culture, have won more games, more pennants, and more World Series than any other club in the National League since moving to Los Angeles.  Since the start of the modern era in baseball, the Dodgers of Brooklyn and Los Angeles, combined, have a cumulative attendance of more than 185 million, the highest total in the history of baseball or any other sport.

Visit the Dodgers on the Internet at www.dodgers.com.

Albuquerque played a doubleheader

Game 1 – Albuquerque won 6-5

Ivan De Jesus Jr(23) – 2 for 4, R (.297 BA)
Russell Mitchell(25) – 4 for 4, 2 2B’s, 3 RBI, 2 R (.318 BA)
Jamie Hoffman(25) – 0 for 3, BB, K (.313 BA)
Scott Van Slyke(24) – 1 for 3, R, K (.250 BA)

John Ely – 4 IP, 6 Hits, 4 ER, BB, 5 K’s

BOXSCORE

Game 2 – Albuquerque lost 8-3

Jamie Hoffman – 1 for 4 (.313 BA)
Ivan De Jesus Jr – 0 for 3, BB, K (.295 BA)
Russell Mitchell – 1 for 3, K (.318 BA)
Scott Van Slyke – 0 for 1, K (.200 BA)

Ramon Troncoso – 1.1 IP, 3 Hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K’s
Josh Lindblom(23) – 1 IP, 0 Hits, 0 R, 0 BB, K (6.39 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Chattanooga won 10-2

Dee Gordon(22) – 2 for 5, RBI, R, PO, E (.280 BA)
Trayvon Robinson(22) – 2 for 3, 3 RBI, R, 2 BB, SB (.307 BA)
Jerry Sands(22) – 1 for 4, BB, SB (.272 BA)
Jaime Pedroza(23) – 1 for 4, 2B, 2 R, BB, K (.283 BA)
Kyle Russell(24) – 2 for 2, R, 2 BB, PO (.242 BA)

Rubby De La Rosa(21) – 7 IP, 6 Hits, 2 R (1 ER), 4 BB, 6 K’s (0.92 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Inland Empire lost 9-4

Alfredo Silverio(23) – 1 for 5, RBI (.276 BA)
Austin Gallagher(21) – 1 for 4, R, BB, K (.289 BA)
Pedro Baez(22) – 0 for 5, 2 K’s (.269 BA)
Ramon Jean(22) – 1 for 4, 2 RBI, 2 K’s (.283 BA)

BOXSCORE

Great Lakes won 9-3

Blake Smith(22) – 2 for 5, 2 2B’s, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 K’s (.288 BA)
Brian Cavazos-Galvez(23) – 3 for 4, 2 RBI (.315 BA)
Angelo Songco(21) – 0 for 5, 4 K’s (.281 BA)

Greg Wilborn(23) – 6 IP, 4 Hits, 0 R, BB, 7 K’s (2.20 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Ogden won 13-3

Leon Landry(20) – 2 for 5, 2B, 2 RBI, R, K, SB, CS, HBP (.352 BA)
Jake Lemmerman(21) – 2 for 3, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB (.356 BA)
Nick Akins(22) – 3 for 6, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R (.346 BA)
Blake Dean(22) – 3 for 4, 2 BB (.293 BA)
Jon Garcia(18) – 0 for 5, R, BB, 2 K’s (.305 BA)

BOXSCORE

AZL Dodgers lost 11-2

James Baldwin(18) – 1 for 3, K (.265 BA)
Noel Cuevas(18) – 0 for 1, K (.000 BA)
Preston Mattingly – 1 for 4, K
Devon Ethier(20) – 0 for 1, K (.000 BA)
Scott Schebler(19) – 1 for 2, R, K, SB (.444 BA)

Nathan Eovaldi – 2.1 IP, 3 Hits, 4 ER, 4 BB, K

BOXSCORE

Highlights

-The Isotopes split their twin bill. The first game ended with a walk-off hit from Mike Rivera that scored Russell Mitchell. Mitchell is quietly having a nice season, dominating against lefties to the tune of a 1.172 OPS. However, it’s mostly a product of the PCL, since he hasn’t OPS’d over .800 over the course of a full season since 2007, when he was playing in the California League.

Game 2 was a different story, as John Ely was handed an early 3-0 but gave it up in the 5th, allowing a home run to Brett Carroll to lead off the inning. Then, with 2 outs and Ramon Troncoso on the mound, Carroll hit his 2nd homer of the inning to cap off the Zephyrs 8 ball. The lone bright spot was Josh Lindblom, who needed only 9 pitches to retire the side in order.

-Chattanooga sent its ace to the mound and gave him 7 runs in the third inning to seal the deal. De La Rosa walked 4 batters, but mitigated the damage by inducing a pair of double plays. However, after throwing 95 pitches in 7 innings, manager Carlos Subero decided to send him back to the mound to pitching the 8th. Rubby was pulled after allowing back to back singles, both of which scored, as Mario Alvarez and an error on left fielder Elian Herrera couldn’t prevent the inherited runners from crossing the plate. The fact that RDLR was sent back out boggles my mind: it’s August, he’s pitched more innings this year than the previous 3 years COMBINED, he didn’t have a no-hitter going. I just really don’t understand the logic behind the move.

-The 66ers once again fell as they enter their final week of home games for the season. The game got away from starter Josh Walter in the 5th, when he entered the inning with a 3 run deficit and left with an 8 run deficit. The offense mustered a few extra base hits and pushed 4 runs across, but they were never really in it.

-From the bottom of the standings to the top, Great Lakes just keeps on winning. Behind a very strong start from Greg Wilborn, the Loons’ offense scored 3 in the 4th, 4 in the 5th and a run in each of the subsequent two innings. Blake Smith hit his 27th and 28th doubles of the year, while BCG had 3 hits of his own and saw his average rise to .315. Angelo Songco came a strikeout away from the ever elusive “platinum sombrero” and has struggled of late, outside of his moonshot. Songco is batting just .195 in the month of August after hitting so well in June and July. Hopefully he figures things out in time for the playoffs.

-Ogden and AZL were polar opposites today. The Raptors were actually tied with Billings thru the 5th, until Ogden scored a pair of runs in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings, capping off their uproar with 4 in the 9th. Chris Henderson, Nick Akins and Blake Dean each had 3 hits, while Leon Landry, Jake Lemmerman and Pedro Guerrero had 2 a piece. A solid, if erratic start, from Arismendy Ozoria followed by scoreless two inning stints from Andrew Pevsner and Jake McCarter were more than the Raptors needed to earn the win.

AZL led briefly, after taking a 2-1 lead in the second, but then the wheels came off. Another Dodger rookie made his debut, as Andre Ethier’s kid brother Devon entered the game late and struck out. Noel Cuevas came in for James Baldwin and did the same. Scott Schebler managed to collect a hit in his 3rd straight game and steal his first pro base. After pitching 2 perfect innings with 5 K’s in his last rehab start, Nate Eovaldi gave up a run in the first and nothing in the second, only to come apart at the seams in the third, recording just one out and surrendering 3 more runs.

This just in from TMZ:

Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt claims his wife, Jamie McCourt, diabolically tried to strong-arm him into showing his love by giving her a piece of the team — at the same time she was secretly consulting divorce lawyers.

In Frank’s legal brief, obtained by TMZ, the Dodgers owner maintains his wife signed over her interest in the team, in return for getting sole ownership of more than $100 million in homes.

Frank claims in legal papers Jamie never wanted to buy the Dodgers in the first place.  According to Frank, Jamie felt buying the team in 2004 was a “risky business venture,” because the Dodgers had been losing millions and the deal was insanely leveraged.

Frank says Jamie — a lawyer who has drafted marital agreements herself — was more than happy to sign the marital property agreement that gave Frank the team and gave her all the homes.

But fast forward to 2008 … the Dodgers became profitable while the value of real estate began plummeting.  According to the docs, Jamie came to Frank with a proposal:  “If we’re going to be life partners, we’re going to be business partners.”  Frank says Jamie wanted him to give her half interest in the Dodgers but she would keep most of the homes herself.  Frank smelled a rat and said no.

Frank claims Jamie was stricken with celebrity-itus and wanted a piece of the team, calling it “her ticket to become the mayor of Los Angeles, the Governor of California, and maybe even the President of the United States.  To create the fairytale of ‘Brand Jamie,’ she recognized she had to rewrite history.”

Tune in to TMZ on TV weekdays Monday through Friday (check http://www.tmz.com/tmztv/ for syndicated/local listings)

I think you are starting to get a glimpse of what Frank’s case is going to look like, and Frankly (no pun intended), Jamie is probably going to be toast!

Albuquerque was postponed

Chattanooga played a doubleheader

Game 1 – Chattanooga lost 4-2

Dee Gordon(22) – 1 for 3 (.281 BA)
Trayvon Robinson(22) – 3 for 3, 2B, R (.304 BA)
Jerry Sands(22) – 1 for 3, HR (15), 2 RBI, R (.277 BA)

Cole St Clair(24) – 2 IP, 3 Hits, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s (4.28 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Game 2 – Chattanooga lost 4-1

Dee Gordon(22) – 0 for 4, 2 K’s (.278 BA)
Trayvon Robinson(22) – 1 for 2, BB, 2 SB (.305 BA)
Jerry Sands(22) – 0 for 3 (.273 BA)
Kyle Russell(24) – 0 for 2, BB, K (.236 BA)

Javier Solano(20) – 4 IP, 2 Hits, 0 R, BB, 3 K’s (2.51 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Inland Empire lost 11-10

Alfredo Silverio(23) – 3 for 5, 3 R, OF Assist (.277 BA)
Austin Gallagher(21) – 2 for 4, GS(6), 5 RBI, R, BB (.290 BA)
Pedro Baez(22) – 2 for 4, 2B, RBI, BB, K, 2 E’s (.274 BA)

Tim Sexton(23) – 3.2 IP, 8 Hits, 8 ER, 2 BB, 5 K’s (8.04 ERA)
Geison Aguasviva(23) – 2 IP, 2 HIts, R (0 ER), BB, K (3.48 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Great Lakes lost 5-2

Brian Cavazos-Galvez(23) – 1 for 4, K, OF Assist (.311 BA)
Blake Smith(22) – 0 for 3, BB, K (.286 BA)
Angelo Songco(21) – 0 for 3, BB, K (.284 BA)
JT Wise(24) – 1 for 3, E (.291 BA)

Allen Webster(20) – 5 IP, 5 Hits, 2 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 3 K’s (2.79 ERA)
Steve Ames(22) – 1.2 IP, 3 Hits, R (0 ER), 0 BB, 4 K’s (3.27 ERA)

BOXSCORE

Ogden did not play

AZL Dodgers did not play

Highlights

-Albuquerque was postponed due to thunderstorms. They’ll play 2 tomorrow.

-Chattanooga played 2 today and probably would have preferred the thunderstorm. Emulating the big club, they exploded for a whopping 3 runs in double duty. The lone bright spot on offense was Trayvon Robinson, who went a combined 4 for 5 and stole a pair of bases. That gives him 35 swipes on the season, though he’s been caught 15 times, including being thrown out 5 times this month alone. Still, he’s shown not just speed but an ability to get on base that makes him a valuable offensive player even without loads of power. Since he profiles best in CF and at the top of the order, the modest home run totals are more than acceptable.

-Inland Empire lost a nailbiter, a back and forth affair that ended in Bakersfield’s favor. Tim Sexton has really struggled since his demotion, allowing 14 runs in just under 16 innings. The other side of the coin is Geison (pronounced Jason) Aguasviva, who hasn’t allowed an earned run this month and has an ERA of just 1.51 since the All Star break. The 23 year old southpaw has held lefty hitters to a miniscule .158 OBA and has given up just 2 home runs all year. Given his age, role and platoon splits, he profiles as more of a lefty specialist than late innings reliever. However, if he keeps pitching like he has in the second half, he could force a change of opinion.

-A day after back-to-back-to-back homers, including a shot from Songco that has yet to land, the Loons’ offense went on hiatus and couldn’t hand starter Allen Webster his 12th win of the season. Technically, the bullpen took the loss, but you don’t win many hands with just a pair. Webby had a hickup in June, when his ERA ballooned to 5.23 for the month. He bounced back, though, and has a 2.39 mark since the break. However, it does seem that he’s tiring, as his strikeout rate has dropped and his homer and walk rates have risen. This was fairly predictable, as he only pitched 18.1 innings in ’08 and 68.2 innings during last year’s regular season, Right now, he’s at 119.1, The walks are back down to an respectable level in August, but the strikouts are below 6 for the month. He’s got the complete package as far as tools go, but be sure to read the sticker that says “Handle with care.”

-Rookie league affiliates were off today but return to action tomorrow.

Before this season started and “The Divorce” was in full swing, many readers and fans held Arte Moreno up is as an ideal owner, and held FrankMcCourt up as a “scumbag owner.”  Now, on August 24, 2010, both Dodgers and Angels fans find themselves in just about the same predicament:  The Dodgers are one game over .500 and out of the pennant race (and wild card race), and the Angels are one game below .500 and out of the pennant race for all practical purposes.

It could happen to anyone.

The Yankees have spent over $2 billion on payroll since 2000 and have only one World Series Championship to show for it.

It could happen top anyone.

The Red Sox, whose GM is touted as among the smartest in baseball and have a payroll of over $160 million are also out of it for all practical purposes.

It could happen to anyone.

That’s what losers say.  I prefer to say that while it can happen to anyone, the good teams make sure that it doesn’t happen to them again.

Nothing is so constant as change and unless the Dodgers are insane (insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results), they need to make some big changes.  While those changes can’t all me made immediately, the white flag needs to be raised and the purge needs to begin.  12 games have been overcame in less time, but not with this team.  This is a team whose biggest question going into the season was lack of starting pitching.  Even the naysayers who predicted a .500 record said they didn’t doubt that the team would score runs.

Well, they haven’t scored – at least on the field!  Since the All-Star break the Dodgers have averaged about 3 runs a game.  That in itself, is horrible, but then the bullpen imploded and blew nearly every winnable game.  Surprisingly, the starting pitching has been solid.  The lack of hitting and lack of a bullpen has killed the Dodgers.  I also think there is one other factor:  The Manager and Coaches Have Lost This Team!

When it happened, I don’t know.

How it happened, I don’t know.

Look, Joe Torre is nor a cerebral manager.  He is a Hall-Of-Famer, but sometimes being a Hall-of-Famer is just being in the right place at the right time.   Maybe Joe Torre was the perfect manager for the Yankees and their big contracts and big egos and the bigger pressures of playing in NY.  I am not going to take away his HOF status, but this team has quit on him.

Speaking of being in the right place at the right time, I wonder if we would look at Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks differently if Dan Mario had played for the 49′ers with All-Pros 2 or 3 deep at every position and an offensive genius as a coach, and Joe Montana had played for the Dolphins with no running game and few All-Pros.  Time and place are everything.

Ned Colletti is part of the problem.  He has done some very good things and also some very bad things in his tenure.  I believe he deserves another year, but the last time the Dodgers had such a disappointing year, both the GM (Paul DePodesta) and the Manager (Jim Tracy) were shown the door.  That’s possible here as well, but I would give Ned another year, because he seems to learn from his mistakes, James McDoanld and Blake DeWitt notwithstanding.  In my opinion, this year is a bigger disappointment, because of the level of talent on this team.

Joe Torre and Company need to be shown the door.  We don’t need a manager who is ineffective as a hitting coach, and our pitching needs a fresh approach.  The new manager needs to be a younger guy (in my opinion) and needs to be someone who can “work a room.”  He needs to be a motivator, a disciplinarian and a tactician.  Could that guy be our backup catcher?    Maybe.  Maybe not!

I just know that change must come.  How sweeping it is needs to be determined soon.  At this juncture, Ned should make sure that Manny, Blake, Kuroda, Lilly, Theriot, Podsednik and Broxton are all on waivers.  The Dodgers could get lucky on one or two of them.

Russ Martin may never return and Loney, Kemp and Ethier have not blossomed as they should have.  It could happen to anyone is something that I will not accept as an excuse.

It’s time to turn the page!