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.

Clayton Kershaw registered double-digit strikeouts, but was unable to avoid the gopher ball as the Phillies beat the Dodgers, 5-1. The Phillies took two of three in Dodger Stadium, which helps their quest for the Wild Card. The Dodgers, obviously, did nothing to improve their standing.

It didn’t take long for the Phillies to strike, as Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a home run. An inning later, Shane Victorino copied that feet with a blast himself, and the Phillies grabbed an early 2-0 lead.

All the Dodgers could muster for much of the game were walks off of Roy Oswalt. That’s not bad, but then they couldn’t get a hit if their lives depended on it. And it’s not like they have any home run threats in the lineup, especially with Manny Ramirez no longer around.

Through four innings, the Dodgers took four walks, but did nothing with them. In the fifth, Jayson Werth dropped a fly ball off the bat of Rod Barajas for a two-base error. It didn’t matter, as after Kershaw sacrificed him to third, Scott Podsednik struck out and Ryan Theriot flew out.

Entering the sixth, Oswalt had yet to give up a hit. Boy, wouldn’t getting no-hit be the icing on the cake, huh? Thankfully Casey Blake singled into right after James Loney drew a walk. With two outs, Ronnie Belliard (who used to be able to hit, not that you would know that based on this year’s lousy performances) popped up.

The Phillies upped their lead in the seventh. Carlos Ruiz and Oswalt both struck out to begin the inning before Kershaw ran into a bit of trouble. Rollins walked and stole second. Chase Utley hit an RBI double for the 3-0 lead.

Theriot walked with one out in the bottom of the seventh to end Oswalt’s day. In came J.C. Romero to face the speedy Podsednik. It worked for them, as Podsednik grounded into an easy double play to end the inning.

The Dodgers were still well within striking distance at being down only 3-0 in the eighth. Just in case you had any thoughts that they might be able to have a big inning, Mr. Five Tool Star Matt Kemp made sure those thoughts were flushed down the toilet.

Here’s the skinny. Ryan Madson came on to pitch, and Jamey Carroll singled leading off. Ethier flew out, but Kemp got a break by reaching on an error by Rollins. With runners on first and second, Loney lifted a long fly ball that smacked the wall in right to score Carroll.

The ball was smoked, so it was an obvious double. The only problem was that Kemp somehow rounded second without touching it. He then had to go back and touch it, and was forced to stay with the ball back in the infield. Larry Bowa stood in the third base box shaking his head, which may as well have been representing every Dodger fan on Earth.

You should know what happened next: Blake grounded into a double play. It wouldn’t have been if Kemp had any clue what it’s like to play hard and concentrate. But nope, that’s asking too much of the Hollywood star. There’s just no way he can be bothered with the fundamentals of baseball.

Rollins and Utley both drove in runs in the ninth off of Hong-Chih Kuo, who entered with Dominik Brown on second and one out. I was surprised to see Kuo out there again considering he should be the closer and the Dodgers were losing. The other option was George Sherrill, and he offers practically nothing. The lack of lefties in the bullpen was fully exposed in this spot.

Brad Lidge struck out a couple in the ninth to end the game.

There’s no guarantee at all that anymore runs would have scored had Kemp at least gone to third. But, with runners on second and third, perhaps Blake’s grounder scores one, cutting it to 3-2. Even if nobody scored there, at least someone else would have been given the chance to drive in two with a single. We’ll never know.

It’s a shame to see just how far Kemp has fallen this season. It’s not like he’s just slumping at the plate and nothing else. The issue with him is that his focus sometimes doesn’t enter the ballpark with the rest of his body. He’s clearly the best athlete on the team, yet it doesn’t matter when he can’t even run the bases correctly. It’s pretty sad.

Add Kemp’s blunder to a season full of horrible baserunning mistakes for the Dodgers. They have got to be the worst in the majors at this. There’s just no excuse for constantly screwing up on the bases time and time again. Maybe Kemp’s bad vibes have rubbed off.

Thursday will be an off day, but maybe Joe Torre will bring the whole team in to learn how to run the bases. Or maybe just Kemp anyway. Friday starts a three-game set with the Giants as Chad Billingsley takes the mound.

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.

Two rare events occurred at Dodger Stadium on Monday night for Hiroki Kuroda. The first was that he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Phillies.

The second? After 45 at-bats of nothing but failure, Kuroda finally got a hit. It was a single off of Roy Halladay, no less.

Things got quite interesting for Kuroda and the Dodgers, as he was five outs away from getting his first career no-hitter. Unfortunately, former Dodger Shane Victorino hit a sharp single into right to end it. Kuroda and Hong-Chih Kuo went on for a combined one-hitter as the Dodgers got the win, 3-0.

The Dodgers pretty much limped into this game, having suffered two straight losses in Colorado, and watching Manny Ramirez leave through the back door, never to be heard from again. Oh ya, they had to face Halladay too.

But, the Dodgers got on the board with runs in the first couple of innings. In the first, Ryan Theriot drew a walk with one out. Andre Ethier singled, but Matt Kemp struck out. James Loney came through with two outs with an RBI single and a 1-0 lead.

Casey Blake and Jamey Carroll singled to start the second. Rod Barajas grounded into a double play, but Blake was still able to score to grab at 2-0 lead.

With Kuroda rolling, Barajas led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run, his third as a Dodger. It was a nice treat for him, as he is a native of California and had plenty of friends and family watching his first start in L.A.

Once the Dodgers got up 3-0, the attention fully shifted towards Kuroda’s no-hit bid. The seventh inning was a tough test, as Chase Utley, Placido Polanco, and Ryan Howard were due up. Kuroda mowed through them on a flyout, lineout, and pop-up.

After getting through the heart of the order, a no-hitter was now a distinct possibility. Plus, Kuroda’s pitch count was only in the upper 80′s. To start the eighth, Jayson Werth drew a walk. Raul Ibanez grounded into a fielder’s choice, as Werth’s hard slide broke up a double play.

Up came Victorino, who left no doubt with a single to right. Kuroda stayed on to strike out Carlos Ruiz before exiting for Kuo. Kuo faced pinch-hitter Mike Sweeney, who grounded out on one pitch.

Kuo stayed on to get the Phillies in order in the ninth for his seventh save.

Kuroda was the true star of the night, as he did everything he could to nearly give the Dodgers their first no-hitter since Hideo Nomo got the Rockies in Coors Field on September 17, 1996. It was close, but the Phillies had just enough good hitters to prevent that from happening.

The Dodgers haven’t exactly had that many big moments this season, so it was great to see such excitement in the stadium again, even if it was only for one night. With their postseason hopes pretty much slim and none, I’m glad the fans, both live and at home, had a reason to stand up and cheer.

So now the question can be asked: Where will the Dodgers go from here? Their post-Manny era has started off beautifully, with a big win against a good team. Maybe the team can relax, forget about Manny drama, and just play ball? It sure looked like that was the case tonight. Beating Halladay is never easy, and they did it without the guy that’s given them many big hits the last two seasons.

In looking at the remaining schedule, the Dodgers have 11 games left at home. That’s a good thing since they’re 40-27 there. The downside is that they have 16 games left on the road, where they clearly don’t play as well. So any thoughts of going on a late run appear to be against the odds.

All the Dodgers can do for now is concentrate on winning this series and the next one against the Giants. In the very least, they can get some momentum for next season, and see which players are worth bringing back. Plus, they can give their fans a reason to care by playing inspired baseball, much like they did tonight.

Carlos Monasterios has a really tough act to follow, but he will try his best to do so on Tuesday. The Phillies will counter with Kyle Kendrick.

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?

Manny Ramirez was only with the Dodgers a little over two years, but he sure knew how to create highlight moments.

The last one he made in Dodger blue came on Sunday. Pinch-hitting with the bases loaded in Coors Field, Manny was ejected for arguing after only one pitch. The new hitter Reed Johnson then grounded into an inning ending double play. The Rockies went on to beat the Dodgers, 10-5.

And with that, the Dodgers not only lost their slim hopes for a playoff spot, but also lost Manny for good. The White Sox will be awarded a waiver claim for him on Monday. That means they’ll assume the remaining $4.3 million of his salary for this season.

As for the game itself, the Rockies started the scoring in the second. Todd Helton doubled leading off. One out later, Chris Iannetta hit an RBI double off of Ted Lilly to make it 1-0. A solo homer by Carlos Gonzalez an inning later bumped it to 2-0.

A microcosm for the Dodgers’ afternoon (or should I say season?) came in the fourth. Scott Podsednik and Ryan Theriot singled leading off to put men on the corners. Manny wasn’t starting again, so the “power” of Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and James Loney came up.

Here’s how they did: Ethier popped up, Kemp struck out, and Loney grounded out. No sac-fly, not RBI groundout, nothing. That’s why the Dodgers will be on the outside looking in during the playoffs.

That blown opportunity just led to a barrage of runs for the Rockies in the bottom of the fourth. Five runs scored on a single by Jason Hammel, a two-run triple by Dexter Fowler, and another homer by Gonzalez. It was 7-0 just like that.

Jay Gibbons finally got the Dodgers on the board in the fifth with a pinch-hit RBI single. Once again the Dodgers had big chances to plate some runners. Once again, they didn’t. Ethier found himself up with the bases loaded and struck out. This is not a day he’d like to remember, as he was an awful 0-for-5 with eight men left on base. Ouch.

Both teams traded runs in the sixth. The Rockies got another homer, this time from Ryan Spilborghs to go up 8-1. Kemp doubled leading off and came home on Loney’s RBI double, making it 8-2. This was also the inning where Manny got tossed, ending his L.A. career. So, you guessed it, the Dodgers again failed to deliver with runners on.

The eighth got pretty interesting in that the Dodgers looked like they may make it a close game. Ronnie Belliard pinch-hit and hit an RBI single for the first run. Podsednik loaded the bases with a single, and Theriot drove in two with another single, putting the score at 8-5.

There was still only one out with two men on for the heart of the order. Ethier again struck out. Kemp reached on an infield single to load the bases. In sticking with the theme of the day, Loney grounded out just to make sure the Dodgers couldn’t possibly get another big hit.

The Rockies added two more on a Fowler triple and Gonzalez sac-fly. Huston Street mowed through the Dodgers in order to end the game.

In looking at the hit column, it reveals that both teams had 13 apiece. Then you look deeper to see what kind of production each team got in those hits. The Dodgers had four extra-base hits, the Rockies had eight. The Dodgers had one two-out RBI, the Rockies had six. The Dodgers left 12 men on, the Rockies left seven. You get the point by now.

Lilly suffered by far his worst outing as a Dodger, as he took his first loss after five straight wins. He went four innings for nine hits, seven runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts. It’s pretty surprising he had that many strikeouts considering he was hit all over the place. Could he be the next to go? He was placed on waivers, so we shall see.

At this point, the Dodgers find themselves in a position to try some new things. Being 6 1/2 games in back of the Wild Card isn’t insurmountable, but there’s four other teams in front of them that look a whole lot better. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be this year.

When the rosters get expanded on September 1, the Dodgers don’t have to be as afraid to let guys like Chin-lung Hu and Ivan DeJesus play. I’m not saying bench all the veterans, but they might as well let the youth show what they’ve got.

In the meantime, the Dodgers will welcome the Phillies to Dodger Stadium for three starting Monday. The Phillies just got a four-game sweep over the Padres. Oh joy. Hiroki Kuroda goes in the first game against the great Roy Halladay.

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.

Hold on, Manny. You’re not going anywhere yet.

On a day where Manny Ramirez was claimed by the White Sox (then sat out this game), the Dodgers entered Colorado needing to make a statement to keep their playoff hopes alive. They did in the first game, as Casey Blake’s grand slam in the eighth led to a win, 6-2.

The game featured a great pitching matchup between Clayton Kershaw and Ubaldo Jimenez. Back on May 9 in Dodger Stadium, Kershaw got the slight edge in a 2-0 game that gave Jimenez his first loss after six wins. Not much has changed since then, as both are still among the best hurlers in the National League.

To start the game, the Dodgers had a chance to score but couldn’t come through. Scott Podsednik led off and singled, but was soon erased on Ryan Theriot’s double play. Andre Ethier hit a bloop double to left and went to third on a wild pitch. Matt Kemp struck out for the last out.

Kershaw got the first five hitters in order, but then Todd Helton hit a solo shot to left to put the Rockies up 1-0. It’s not surprising to see Helton jack one out, but it was against Kershaw, who had plenty of success getting Helton out in the past.

Not much was happening for the Dodgers for much of the game against Jimenez. Ethier lined into a double play to end the third, Barajas struck out with two on to end the fourth, and Jay Gibbons pinch-hit and grounded into an inning ending DP in the seventh. There were opportunities, but nothing was cashed in.

The eighth was when it all came together. Despite being over 100 pitches at the time, Jim Tracy stayed with Jimenez. It turned out to be a bad decision. Podsednik singled again and easily stole second. Theriot was trying to lay down the sacrifice bunt, but instead walked on some pitches that weren’t even close.

Ethier was up in another big spot for the Dodgers, but this time he gave the team a big lift with an RBI double to tie it at 1-1. Just like that, Jimenez went from possible winner to possible loser.

Matt Belisle came on, and he hadn’t given up an earned run the entire month of August. Would the Dodgers take the lead anyway? They sure did. It didn’t happen right away, though, as Kemp grounded out to short, failing to get either run home. James Loney was intentionally walked to load the bases for Blake.

It was a battle between pitcher and hitter, as Blake fouled off some close pitches. With a full count, Belisle grooved one right down Broadway that Blake deposited into left for a grand slam and 5-1 lead. The old man can still get it done.

Jonathan Broxton came on an inning before and got the Rockies in order. He stayed on in the bottom of the eighth and gave up a double to Carlos Gonzalez with one down. Troy Tulowitzki popped up for two outs, but Melvin Mora’s RBI single cut it to 5-2.

Joe Torre brought in Hong-Chih Kuo to face Helton and get the four-out save. It worked, as Helton struck out on a fastball looking.

Kemp added an RBI single in the ninth to make it 6-2. Kuo stayed on and got the side in order, ending with a strikeout of Chris Iannetta to end the game. Since Kuo entered with a three-run lead, he still got the save in case you didn’t know.

Before the game started, I was initially surprised that Manny wasn’t playing. But when you consider that he may be traded, it makes since to protect him from injury. He’s already been on the DL three times this year, so a potential deal would disappear if he gets hurt again.

At the start of this week, the Dodgers didn’t look much like a playoff team. A lot had to right for them to get back into the race. Well, a lot has gone right so far. They swept the Brewers and got a big win in Coors Field. They still have plenty of work to do, but with five wins in six games, they’re on the right track.

Even though Broxton gave up a run, he still did a good job in keeping the Dodgers comfortably ahead. Kuo deserves plenty of credit for getting the final four outs in order. Using both of these men in this order is exactly what needs to keep happening.

The Dodgers will go for five straight by sending Chad Billingsley to the mound on Saturday. He was pushed back to this start because of a right calf issue, so hopefully he’s over that. It’s a little scary since he had leg issues last season that really caused him to tank in the second half.

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.

Everything came together for the Dodgers on Thursday afternoon. Carlos Monasterios was solid, the bullpen didn’t give up a hit, and Casey Blake hit a two-run homer. Add it all up and it meant a win for the Dodgers over the Brewers, 7-1. The Dodgers swept the three-game series.

Scott Podsednik singled leading off the game to get things going. Ryan Theriot lifted a long fly ball to center that bounced over the wall for a ground rule double, which actually hurt since Podsednik would have easily scored if it didn’t. Only Matt Kemp’s groundout could score a run as the Dodgers went up 1-0.

The only thing that went right for the Brewers all day came in the fourth. With one out, Prince Fielder hit a solo shot to right to tie the game at 1-1. After that hit, it was all Dodgers. In fact, they didn’t give up a hit the rest of the way.

The Dodgers got the lead back and for good in the fifth. Brad Ausmus had a great day with three hits, and this was one of them with a single. Monasterios put a sacrifice bunt down to get Ausmus to third, and Podsednik’s RBI single made it 2-1.

Joe Torre had to play matchup again to get out of the fifth unscathed. Monasterios walked Yovanni Gallardo with one out, then beaned both Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart to load the bases.

Just like the previous night, Ronald Belisario came on and got Ryan Braun, this time with a strikeout. George Sherrill faced Fielder and again got a good result with a grounder for a fielder’s choice.

The sixth inning was interesting. Andre Ethier struck out looking and jawed about it. After Kemp struck out swinging, home plate umpire Adrian Johnson tossed Ethier for continuing to argue. With that out of the way, James Loney walked. Blake stepped up and hit a two-run shot to make it 4-1. It was his 13th homer of the season.

Kenley Jansen relieved Sherrill in the sixth and got through the Brewers in order. He then got to hit in the seventh and somehow drew a walk. He is a former catcher, so it’s not like he’s clueless on how to hit. Podsednik singled to chase Gallardo from the game.

Todd Coffey came in, and Theriot greeted him with a soft single to center to score Jansen. The throw home by Chris Dickerson sailed over everybody, so both runners advanced. Reed Johnson, who replaced Ethier, hit an RBI single to make it 6-1. Another run came across on a wild pitch.

Jansen stayed on and stuck out the side in the seventh. Octavio Dotel did the same in the eighth, and Jeff Weaver retired the side in order to finish the game.

It was another impressive performance by the bullpen, who came into this series looking like a mess. The combination of Belisario, Sherrill, Jansen, Dotel, and Weaver pitched the final 4 2/3 innings for no hits, no runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts. The Brewers stink, but they still have some big power, making the bullpen’s performance very impressive.

Monasterios did what he needed to do, which was keep the Dodgers in the game. In fact, he left on the winning side. He ended up with 4 1/3 innings, two hits, one run, one walk, and three strikeouts. He also beaned two guys, but thankfully it didn’t hurt. Well, it did hurt, but only those who got beaned. Not the Dodgers. You get all of that? I’m not sure I did.

With Manny Ramirez getting the day off (day game after a night game = not gonna happen), it was good to see the offense come through anyway. They went 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Podsednik added a two-out RBI, and Blake had two.

The Brewers are a long way from the team that went to the playoffs in 2008. They’re 14 games in back of the Reds in the NL Central, and are five games under .500 at home. So, beating them three straight is nothing to get too excited about. It’s nice, but not worth getting carried away about.

What the Dodgers should be happy about is that they look like an actual team again. They’ve been burned in so many different ways in the second half (bad baserunning, horrible bullpen, no clutch hitting), it was good to see them finally get things right.

Will it last? That’s always tough to tell. Manny is still pretty much as good as gone, so you can’t factor his bat into the equation. Who knows, maybe he’ll stay, but I’m guessing he won’t. If they can still get guys to drive in runs with runners on and get more solid bullpen work, they should be fine. I just don’t want to see the boring team we’ve had to suffer through watching from before this series.

Next up is three in Colorado, which are always wild games. The Dodgers took two of three from them at home last week. The Rockies have won four straight, including a big three-game sweep of the Braves. If the Dodgers can take a couple in this series, then maybe they have turned a corner. Clayton Kershaw and Ubaldo Jimenez will go in the first game.

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.