June 2008 Archives

Same old, same old. Dodgers went 1 for 9 w/RISP and the one hit didn't even get the run home, a single by Luis Maza in the fifth on which Blake DeWitt could only move up one base to third. Two strikeouts and a fly ball later, DeWitt still hadn't moved, and the Dodgers still hadn't scored. They have now scored a total of two runs in their past three games, both of them on sacrifice flies. And Jason Repko's first major-league game since October 2006, when he pinch ran in Game 1 of the NLCS? He went 0 for 5 with four Ks that would have been five Ks if plate ump Gary Cederstrom hadn't called a balk on Jose Valverde as Repko was striking out for the fifth time. Repko also misplayed a ball in CF, a key moment in a decisive, three-run fourth for the 'Stros. Eric Stults wasn't going to dominate forever, and this ballpark isn't kind to lefties with its short porch in left field. If that got in Stults' head, he wouldn't admit it afterward. But that fourth-inning rally did start with a one-out walk to Lance Berkman, who had taken Stults off the ivory-colored wall ABOVE the leftfield paviliion in the first inning. With half the season still to come, Berkman looks suspiciously like the N.L. MVP. ... Dodgers fall to 38-44. The bad news is the Snakes won, so the boys fall to 3 1/2 back. The good news is the Giants are getting hammered at home by the Cubs, so they'll stay 2 1/2 behind the Dodgers.

As Joe Torre said, it could have been a lot worse. JP should be able to start doing some form of exercise in about six days. Meanwhile, Matt Kemp is out tonight, and possibly tomorrow as well, with an infection in his right eye. He couldn't get his contact lens in this morning. And Angel Berroa, who went 4 for 28 on the homestand, also is sitting. ... Finally, an I call 'em or what? Repko leading off.

CF Repko
RF Ethier
C Martin
2B Kent
1B Loney
LF Young
3B DeWitt
SS Maza
LH Stults

JP has a sprained MCL in his left knee. That's what the MRI showed. Doesn't sound like something that will keep him out for a long period, but I'm not a doctor, so that's just a guess. Also just a guess: Repko probably leading off tonight, but the lineup isn't here yet.

And hold the phone on what I reported earlier today about Pierre, because he may NOT be the everyday LF. In fact, he may be headed to the DL. Or not. He isn't flying to Houston with the team tonight, and he will have an MRI tomorrow. If it shows nothing, I'm guessing he'll fly to Houston on Tuesday and maybe play that night. If it shows something, he'll probably go on the DL for the first time in his career, and the Dodgers undoubtedly will recall Jason Repko from Vegas and put him in the leadoff spot until Furcal is activated in a week. Torre said after the game that Delwyn Young is the most likely candidate to lead off tomorrow night, when the Dodgers will operate with 24 players, but he didn't commit to that. Said Matt Kemp is a remote possibility, too. If you didn't see it, Pierre stole second in the sixth inning, sliding in headfirst as always, and Erick Aybar fell on the back of Pierre's left knee. Pierre rolled around in agony for a few minutes, then tried to walk it off, then tried to talk Torre into leaving him in the game, but that wasn't going to happen. ... Dodgers fall to 38-43 and stay 2 1/2 behind the Snakes. Meanwhile, the Giants are creeping up again. They're just 2 1/2 behind the Dodgers, whom they will host for three starting Friday.

Torre just told us this morning, although he said Rafael Furcal would probably go back into the leadoff spot when he comes back, with Pierre dropping to second.
``(Pierre) has been that consistent guy for us every day, and he refuses to acknowledge any bumps or bruises, even though you know he has them,'' Torre said. ``He has been great. Juan is going to be our left fielder, and Andruw will be our center fielder.''
That means, of course, that Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp will compete for playing time in RF. Although Torre wouldn't acknowledge that was part of the plan, it is apparent that those two benefitted from pushing each other early in the season. Ned Colletti is a big proponent in the value of having players compete, his thinking being that it brings out the best in the players doing the competing.

This morning's other news is that Chan Ho Park is out of the rotation. It isn't that Joe is backing off on his plan to go with a six-man rotation. It's just that it won't start until Brad Penny comes off the DL, probably on Saturday at San Francisco, when he is tentatively slated to pitch UNLESS he suffers some sort of setback in his simulated game on Tuesday at Houston. Yes, Chan Ho has had two really good starts in a row. But they weren't going to go with seven starters, so somebody was going to have to go sometime, and Joe wants Chan Ho as a long reliever, a role he has been really good in all year.

Here's today's lineup

LF Pierre
RF Ethier
C Martin
2B Kent
1B Loney
CF Kemp
3B DeWitt
SS Berroa
RH Lowe

Here are the four occasions during MLB's modern ear (1900-present) that what happened tonight happened previously:

April 12, 1992 -- Boston's Matt Young in a 2-1 loss at Cleveland (see previous post)

July 1, 1990--Yankees' Andy Hawkins no-hits the White Sox for eight innings in a 4-0 loss at Comiskey Park

April 30, 1967--Baltimore's Steve Barber (8 2/3) and Stu Miller (1/3) combined to shut out Detroit for NINE innings at Memorial Stadium, but the Tigers win 2-1.

April 23, 1964--Houston's Ken Johnson no-hits the Reds for nine innings at Houston, but the Reds win 1-0.

The last time the Dodgers were no-hit at home was on April 8, 1994, by Atlanta's Kent Mercker, and the only other time it happened at Chavez Ravine was on July 28, 1991, when Dennis Martinez pitched a perfect game for Montreal. Finally, Montreal's Mark Gardner no-hit the Dodgers for nine innings on July 26, 1991, then gave up a hit in the 10th and lost the game 1-0. From what I understand, Gardner was INITIALLY credited with a no-hitter in that game, but that ruling later was nullified, and the no-hitter came off the books.

The rule is that it doesn't go into the books as a no-no if the visiting team no-hits the home team for eight innings in a game the home team wins without batting in the bottom of the ninth. There are all kinds of rules, such as rain-shortened games, extra-inning games, etc. But basically, the only way to get credit for a no-hitter is to no-hit a team for at least nine innings and win the game. This is the first one of these in the majors since Matt Young did it for Boston at Cleveland on April 12, 1992, with the Indians winning 2-1. By that time, Young had been converted into a serviceable starter, several years after he had been a horrendous closer for the Dodgers. ... Anyhoo, what got lost in the way Jered Weaver pitched tonight was the fact that Chad Billingsley absolutely DOMINATED in what statistically was his best outing of the season. This marked the third time he has thrown seven shutout innings, all three of them coming in the past six weeks, but he allowed four hits each of the first two times. Tonight, he allowed only three, and struck out seven. He did walk three, but obviously, none of them came back to haunt him. He was helped by two spectacular plays in RF by Andre Ethier, one a running grab of a ball hit up the gap by Howie Kendrick with a man on first in the seventh inning, taking away what probably would have been an RBI double. He also made a great play to cut off a ball that was heading toward the corner in the sixth and gunned down Erick Aybar trying to stretch it into a double. Then, in the ninth, Luis Maza, who had just entered defensively for Jeff Kent to start the inning, made an unbelievable diving stop of a grounder to his left by Casey Kotchman, and Maza needed every inch of stretch he could get out of his body and his arms to get to it. He got up and threw Kotchman out. ... Also lost in all the oddities of this game was the fact the Dodgers have now won an interleague series for just the second time in the past three seasons, and they also won their first series against any team other than the Cincinnati Reds since taking two of three at Milwaukee May 13-15. First back-to-back shutouts for the boys since May 29-30, 2007, with both of those coming at Washington. ... Dodgers improve to 38-42 and stay 2 1/2 behind the Snakes.

He pitched 2 2/3 innings, gave up a run (earned) on three hits, walked two and struck out one. Left with Vegas leading 4-1 over Fresno. Threw 45 pitches, right on schedule. We'll probably find out what the next step is tomorrow morning, but at this point, I can't imagine it's anything other than him making another rehab start for the 51s in a few days.

... unless he feels some sort of residual negative effect from the 45-pitch simulated game he pitched today, which was split into three ``innings.'' Rafael Furcal, Danny Ardoin, Andruw Jones and Mark Sweeney all took turns taking their cuts, and Kuroda looked good. .. As for Brad Penny, he is probably going to throw a similar simulated game (trying saying that three times quickly) sometime during the Houston series, although there still is a slim chance he could be sent on a minor-league rehab, something manager Joe Torre said he would rather not do. Guessing if the sim game goes well, Penny would come off the DL and return by the start of the next homestand a week from Monday if not sooner. ... Update on bullpen coach Ken Howell, who is hospitalized: he is being administered antibiotics for a foot infection, which is believed to be diabetes-related. He will remain at University Hospital for now and will not make the Dodgers' trip to Houston and San Francisco. Triple-A Las Vegas pitching coach Jim Slaton, who grew up in the Antelope Valley and informed me in spring training that his parents are avid Daily News readers, will fill in for Howell until he returns.

Although I learned many years ago to never fill out my scorecard this far in advance of game time, because when you do, it's all but guaranteed that someone will be late scratch, and you will have to get out the whiteout. But these are the lineups as of right now, three hours, 38 minutes before first pitch.

Angels:

Izturis. 3B
Aybar. SS
Anderson. LF
Guerrero. RF
Hunter. CF
Kotchman. 1B
Kendrick. 2B
Mathis. C
Weaver. RHP

Dodgers:

Pierre. LF
Ethier. RF
Martin. C
Kent. 2B
Loney. 1B
Kemp. CF
DeWitt. 3B
Berroa. SS
Billingsley. RHP

Anybody who could have imagined these Dodgers beating Joe Saunders before the game started would have seemed delusional at the time. But now, they seem prescient. Russell Martin homered in the first inning, a solo shot, and Andre Ethier hit a three-run blast in the seventh after entering defensively to start the inning. It marked the first time the Dodgers homered twice in the same game since June 7, the day they beat the Cubs and Carlos Zambrano. Only three of the runs came off Saunders, because the Dodgers drove his pitch count to 92 by the end of the fifth inning, so Scioscia had to pinch hit for him in the sixth. Chan Ho Park was magnificent, shutting out the Halos on four hits over six innings, and he now has allowed a run on seven hits over 11 innings in two starts since being inserted into the rotation. Brian Falkenborg, Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito retired the final nine Angels batters in order, Broxton and Saito striking out the final six. Dodgers go to 37-42 and move within 2 1/2 of the Snakes, the closest they have been since May 30. The Snakes are now leading the division at 40-40. Unbelievable.

... even if it's delivered with crossed fingers and held breath. ... Rafael Furcal, Andruw Jones and Nomar Garciaparra all are scheduled to begin minor-league rehabilitation assignments on Monday at Las Vegas, and Furcal and Garciaparra are expected for now to rejoin the team in time for the final homestand of the first half, which begins a week from Monday. Jones is expected for now to rejoin the team in time for the start of the second half on July 18 at Arizona. His rehab will be split into two segments, the first four days to test his knee and make sure it holds up to the stress, then a three-day break back in Los Angeles, then eight more days at Vegas to get his swing back in midseason form. ... Jason Schmidt will start his second rehab assignment by pitching for Las Vegas tonight at Fresno. His previous assignment was spent entirely with Single-A Inland Empire. He'll throw 45 pitches. ... Brad Penny will NOT throw a simulated game tomorrow, but he will throw a bullpen, as will Hiroki Kuroda, and Kuroda might even pitch batting practice to one or two batters.

Finally, here's today's lineup

LF Pierre
CF Kemp
C Martin
2B Kent
1B Loney
3B LaRoche
RF Young
SS Berroa
RH Park

Can't believe THIS lineup didn't score. Dodgers left at least one runner on base in each of the first seven innings, then went without a whimper over the final two. Three times, the Dodgers got a man to third with less than two outs. Obviously, they didn't score any of them. Forget about the standings, because if this team doesn't learn situational hitting, it's not going anywhere. Snakes are idle today, so the boys fall 3 1/2 back, and their record falls to 36-42. Starting to look like a long summer, folks.

The former big-league right-hander was last seen going 0-5 with a 7.20 ERA in six starts for the Nationals last year before they released him. He also spent 2 1/2 seasons with the Giants and 1 1/2 with the Cubs. For his career, he is 23-29 with a 4.25 ERA in the majors. But to illustrate just how far his star has fallen, the Dodgers have assigned him to high Single-A Inland Empire. He was originally drafted by the Giants as a first-round sandwich pick in 1999.

He'll play for the World Team. He is batting .294 for Double-A Jacksonville, with 11 doubles, a triple, two homers, 30 RBI and 51 runs scored. He has a .409 on-base percentage, having walked 50 times while striking out just 44 times. ... The U.S. team will feature the U.S. Olympic team's coaching staff, meaning it will be managed by former Dodgers skipper Davey Johnson. The hitting coach will be former Dodgers OF Reggie Smith. The game will be played on July 13 at Yankee Stadium.

He already fielded a one-hop throw from third for a force and started a GIDP, all in the first inning. Looks pretty comfortable there so far. The 3B who made that throw was Russell Martin, who is starting there for the fourth time while Ardoin catches. ... Dodgers stole THREE bases in the bottom of the first and DIDN'T SCORE. Now that's hard to do.

LF Pierre
CF Kemp
3B Martin
1B Loney
2B LaRoche
RF Young
SS Berroa
C Ardoin
LH Kershaw

Eric Stults becomes the second Dodgers pitcher, and arguably the least likely, to throw a complete-game shutout this month, this year or in any of the past three years, and he was dazzling. He held the Sox to four hits and allowed only two runners to get as far as second base. Torre intended to take him out after eight innings, going so far as to shake his hand and tell him he was done, but Russell Martin pled Stults' case to Torre, and Torre agreed to let him start the ninth and take it batter by batter. So I'm sure he was cutting it close when he started the first batter, Carlos Quentin, off 3-0. But Quentin eventually flied to deep center, and Stults wound up pitching a perfect inning. He threw 116 pitches, an incredible 81 of them for strikes. In case you forgot, Kuroda had the other shutout, on June 6 against the Cubs. It was also a four-hitter. ... The boys go to 36-41 and move within three games of the Snakes, who are now just one game above .500 at 40-39. What a division. ... See ya bright and early.

This is from the group interview he did earlier today. I wasn't there for it, but Padilla was.

``To me, it sounds like an excuse and that's the hardest part for me," Proctor said. ``Bottom line, I don't care how bad you're hurt it's just about execution. I don't like how this thing looks right now but you have to take it how it is.
``Right now all I care about is the respect of my teammates and my coaches. As long as those guys understand this situation that's all that matters because those are the guys that battle together every day.''

This is Torre:

"You ask if anything was bothering him and he'd say, 'I'm all right,' " Torre said. "That would be the answer. You love him for his heart and he has a belly full of guts and all that stuff but he doesn't always make the right choices."

This is Proctor again:

"I don't like talking about injuries," Proctor said. "I wanted to go my entire career without going on the DL and unfortunately now that's lost. Right now I can focus on getting healthy and getting right, that way I can take the ball every time."

OK, this is going to sound like a manager covering his player's rear end, but after listening to Torre's explanation for the Proctor issue and checking it out with another source, it appears that what Torre said in his pregame media session is legit. Basically, Joe admitted that the original plan with Proctor was to option him to Vegas, and apparently, Proctor was willing to go, but after continuing to press him on the issue of his physical health, only then did Proctor admit that there was a problem with his elbow.
``I know it sounds like he just did that to keep from going to the minor leagues,'' Torre said. ``But I checked with (trainer) Stan (Conte), and I think he had the same conversation with (Proctor) late last night.''
Torre went on to say that Proctor isn't the type of pitcher to admit -- either to his manager or to himself -- that he is hurt.
``Scotty is that guy who figures that even in spite of it, he can go out and get people out,'' Torre said.
Torre said Proctor was even willing to accept the option and go to Vegas and pitch hurt, but that club officials weren't going to allow him to do that.
So there you have it. That's it from me for a while. Padilla is covering the game tonight while I work on some other stuff. I'll check in with a recap when it's over.

Not sure what the injury is, but what I can tell you is that we were originally told he was being optioned to Las Vegas. I'm not sure what's behind that, because we haven't talked to anyone yet, but rest assured we will. ... Falkenborg has 13 saves at Vegas and a 3.60 ERA in 32 relief appearances. He isn't on the 40-man, so to clear a spot, the club moved Gary Bennett to the 60-day DL, which is significant for Bennett because it means he isn't coming back anytime soon. According to my very quick math, July 18 will be the day he becomes eligible.

Well, at least it was quick. Two hours, five minutes, to be exact, in a game that perfectly illustrated everything that this Dodgers offense is struggling with right now. Good postgame quote from Jeff Kent about the team's lack of patience:

``In reality, it's a catch between patience and being aggressive. There is that fine line. There is a time to be patient and a time to be aggressive when you're an offensive player. There is a time to be patient when you're coaching, too. There are decisions to be made about your action plan. There is a time to be aggressive and take some action, because you can't wait too long.
``As long as I have been playing, there has been that fine line. Coaches can say be patient, but in the same breath, they're saying this (opposing pitcher) throws strikes early. How can you be patient when a guy throws strikes early? That's the catch, and it's hard.''

Kent was trying to be as diplomatic as he possibly could. Let me say what he couldn't, or wouldn't:

Your humble correspondent and blog host (that would be me) is a firm believer in the Joe Torre approach to hitting, the idea that you make an opposing pitcher work as much as possible, throw as many pitches as possible and that you go to the plate with an idea of exactly what you want to do. The proof is in the pudding -- and in the four World Series and six A.L. pennants Torre's Yankees teams won by taking that approach. But you have to remember, those were VETERAN teams. This is a young team. And it's just possible that they aren't ready to take on this cerebral approach to the game just yet. Not that they won't ever be. But let's put it this way: this approach has been preached to them since Day One of spring training, and it obviously still hasn't caught on with any consistency -- and because these guys are so young, it might not catch on anytime soon ,either (read: anytime in 2008). These guys are still at a stage of their careers where they would prefer to keep things as simple as possible, and Torre's way is definitely not simple.

Dodgers fall to 35-41 and remain four behind the Snakes, who lost at Boston.

His name is Doug Eddings, and he has been around for a while. Anyway, he just did something that I thought was great in this era of confrontational umpires. He rang up Nick Swisher to end the third inning, and Swisher responded by dropping his bat in an exaggerated show of disbelief that a lot of umpires would have interpreted as an attempt to show them up. Eddings did it the old fashioned way. He immediately turned his back and walked about 15 feet away from home plate, toward the Dodgers dugout, as the Dodgers jogged off the field. At this point, if Swisher wants to continue the argument, he has to FOLLOW Eddings onto the grass in foul territory. Wisely, he chose not to do so.

Was off my game on that first post today, so we'll just forget it ever happened. ... Nomar appears close to going back out on his rehab. He would have 19 days left, but I doubt it will take that long before he comes back. Torre said it could happen as soon as next week, when the team goes on the road. ... Still no timetable on Andruw Jones, either, but he seems to be progressing well.

Apparently, the fact he took ground balls means nothing more than the fact he took ground balls. He still hasn't run, and that will be the big test he has to be pass before he is allowed to go out on a minor-league rehab assignment. If I had to guess, it still looks like he won't be back before the All-Star break.

Several of them, in fact, and it appeared effortless. Blake DeWitt was taking them at 3B at the same time, and both players were throwing across to ... Andruw Jones standing on 1B. All of this has to be a good sign, but I'm not sure exactly what it means in terms of the next step. I'll try to find out when I get downstairs.

Here's tonight's lineup, with no Ethier or DeWitt. LaRoche starts against a RH
LF Pierre
CF Kemp
2B Kemp
C Martin
1B Loney
3B LaRoche
RF Young
SS Berroa
RH Lowe

The boys hung four on Paul Byrd before he even recorded an out, but they would get no more. Thanks to the bullpen, it stood up. Dodgers improve to 2-7 in interleague games this season with six more to go. They're 35-40 overall, and they actually gained a game in the standings today, moving within 3 1/2 of the Snakes, who lost at Minny. ... By the way, I'm interested in hearing whether anyone agrees with me on this, but IMHO, there is simply too much artificial noise at Dodger Stadium. Everything that happens on the field, whether it's a strikeout by the opposing team, a walk by a Dodgers batter, a stolen base by Juan Pierre, Matt Kemp NOT striking out, there has to be some sort of loud sound effect played over the PA. And if nothing happens for a while, they have to play some sound effect anyway, like that super-annoying EV-RY-BOD-Y-CLAP-YOUR-HANDS chant. This is a knowledgeable fan base in Los Angeles, They know when to cheer, they know when to clap their hands, and they know when the Dodgers do something good.

Kent is sitting. Apparently, there is no roster move to add a reliever, or at least we haven't been given one yet.

Pierre. LF
Kemp. CF
Loney. 1B
Martin. C
DeWitt. 3B
Ethier. RF
Berroa. SS
Maza. 2B
Billingsley. P

I was all set to write about the Dodgers' bullpen coming through yet again. And then, in the 11th inning, a couple of guys got on against Cory Wade. And then, for some reason, Joe Torre lifted Wade for Scott Proctor, and that's when it all broke loose. Five batters later, it was Proctor whom Torre was coming to get. Proctor didn't record an out, gave up three singles and walked two (one intentional), although it was Wade who got tagged with the loss. Proctor had a good inning last night, but something clearly isn't right with him, whether it's something physical or something mental. Could it be that he is just worn down from all the innings he has pitched the past couple of years? The Dodgers, meanwhile, appear to be going nowhere. They still can't beat American League teams -- 1-7 this year and 16-40 since the start of 2005. They fall to 34-40 for the season. Snakes are scoreless in the second at Minnesota, but does it really matter?

Sitting here last night, I couldn't help but be reminded of the press box, er, sweat box, at old Busch Stadium in St. Louis. It was all concrete, so the chairs would send shivers down your spine every time you scooted forward or backward. Even the counter top that you worked on was concrete, although they painted it ballpark green. There might have been no place in America more miserable than St. Louis in June, July and August, what with the combination of the heat, the suffocating humidity and that old stadium that thankfully is long gone now, But I have to say, this soon-to-be-replaced-and-moved box at Chavez Ravine wasn't much more comfortable last night. I can't remember, in the four-plus years I have lived in Los Angeles, there EVER being humidity on the level of last night. When you're working, you just kind of tune it out and press ahead. But by the end of the night, as I was leaving, I just felt nasty and disgusting. I'm sure the Indians felt right at home, though. ... No news or lineup yet today. I'm sure the lineup is coming shortly. As for news, I can't imagine there is going to be that much today, but we'll see.

After the boys rallied for two in the eighth and two in the ninth to erase a 4-0 deficit, this smelled a lot like the sort of emotional victory that could have turned their season around, especially with Arizona having already lost. But after they left the bases loaded in the ninth, and after Takashi Saito gave up two in the 10th, it smacked of the sort of game that could send them reeling. Only time will tell. At any rate, the Dodgers left 11 men on base, eight of them in scoring position and five of them at third base. Juan Pierre was stranded at third base three times, including as the potential winning run in the ninth. Dodgers fall to 34-39 and remain 4 1/2 back.

Jones had previously hit in the cage only. He looks good and is getting close to being ready to go on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment. ... Ramon Troncoso, who began the season in the majors and was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on April 16, was called up to take Hiroki Kuroda's spot on the roster and Chan Ho Park's spot in the bullpen.

Here's the lineup

LF Pierre
CF Kemp
2B Kent
1B Loney
3B LaRoche
RF Ethier
SS Berroa
C Ardoin
LH Kershaw

Eric Stults was outstanding, going six innings and allowing three runs, only one of which was earned. With that, he matched his victory total from each of his first two seasons and ran his career mark to 3-4. James Loney had another big day, with a double and two singles. Matt Kemp had a big day, with a home run and a two-run double. And Stults even contributed at the plate with a perfectly executed hit-and-run through the left side of the infield when shortstop Paul Janish went to cover the bag with Angel Berroa breaking from first. That led to a Dodgers' run on Juan Pierre's subsequent bunt single. ... Dodgers win their season series from the Reds for the fourth consecutive year, taking six of seven. Dodgers go to 34-38 with their first three-game winning streak since the last time they swept the Reds almost a month ago. Snakes and A's are scoreless in the fourth.

First two-game winning streak since they took the middle two games of that four-game split with the Cubs to close out the last homestand. The diagnosis on Kuroda is good. He's probably going on the DL so they can call up a reliever to replace Chan Ho Park, who is going to start in place of Kuroda on Saturday against the Tribe. But if you do the math, he hasn't pitched in a week, so he'll be eligible to return a week from Saturday against the Angels, so he'll only miss one more start in addition to the one he already missed tonight. ... Because I know someone is going to ask me, the reason D-Lowe was yanked with a 4-1 lead with one out in the sixth and after just 85 pitches was because he threw 121 his last time out and because being moved up a day messed with his between-starts routine (even though he was pitching on normal rest). Derek had done his lower-body workout on Tuesday, before he was told he was pitching. He normally does that TWO days before he pitches. ... Dodgers go to 33-38. Snakes are up BIG on the Charlie Finleys, so probably no movement in the standings tonight.

When he woke up this morning, something ``didn't feel right,'' according to Joe Torre. Well, of course it didn't. Nomar went 1 for 2 with a home run in his debut for Triple-A Las Vegas last night against Tacoma. Stan Conte talked to him today and said Nomar felt confident he would be ready to play by Friday, which I guess means he's out for tomorrow, too.

LF Pierre
3B DeWitt
2B Kent
C Martin
1B Loney
CF Kemp
RF Ethier
SS Berroa
RH Lowe

It isn't that often on Dodgers road trips that I stay at the team hotel, but I usually do here because there aren't that many choices, and the Westin Cincinnati is probably the best hotel in town. Well, this morning at about 11:15, I was lacing up my shoes in ancticipation of heading out when the fire alarm went off. Like I usually do with fire alarms, I ignored it, although I realized it meant I was probably going to have to walk down 13 flights of stairs to get out. Well, then they came onto the intercom and said, ``Please evacuate the building, this is NOT a drill.'' So I entered the stairwell, immediately ran into Mike Noto, the radio engineer for the Dodgers' Spanish-language radio broadcasts who was coming down from the 14th floor, and we proceeded to walk all the way down to the street, where there already were about five fire trucks blocking the street, with hose lines laid. Immediately ran into several Dodgers personnel, some of whom (I won't name names) admitted that they had still been sleeping when the alarm went off. After about 20 minutes, we were allowed back in. We never really did find out where the fire was. Not sure exactly what the point of this story is, except that I don't have any news on anything yet, and I figured I should post something before heading to the clubhouse.

Most interesting thing that happened in this one was that Troy from West Virginia got hauled out by four cops, resisting all the way. According to the arrest report -- which somehow had been posted above Joe Beimel's locker by the time the game ended -- he was charged with disorderly conduct (fighting) and resisting arrest. I asked Joe if he was going to go bail his No. 1 fan out of jail, and I got a very definitive NO. ... Big night for Billingsley, who took a shutout into the seventh inning before Troy's favorite player relieved him and got out of a mini-jam. Saito got his first save in almost a month (May 21 to be exact), and Jeff Kent went 3 for 4 with a double, a run and an RBI. ... Dodgers improve to 32-38 and snap a five-game losing streak. Snakes are getting pounded 8-0 by the A's, so unless they mount a comeback for the ages, the Dodgers will pick up a game in the standings.

They ruined this place a few years ago when they built that monstrosity in center field -- it's a party deck. It obscures the view of a beautiful old courthouse across the river in Newport, Ky. All the scenery you see in the background, beyond the Ohio River, is Kentucky. At the bottom of the screen, you can see the very top of a TV monitor in the front row. Every seat in the front row of this press box has an individual TV monitor for replays. My last year covering the Reds, which was the first year they moved into this park, they were so bad (69-93 if I remember correctly) and their games were often so boring that I would frequently switch my monitor over to TNT and watch Law & Order reruns. ... By the way, the Dodgers have agreed to terms with their fifth-round draft pick, right-hander JonMichael Redding out of something called Florida Community College. They have now signed three of their top five picks, with first-rounder Ethan Martin and second-round Josh Lindblom still to go. Florida State and Rice have been eliminated from the College World Series, so negotiations will begin soon with sixth-rounder Anthony Delmonico (FSU SS) and seventh-rounder Allen St. Clair (Rice LHP) should get under way soon.

This doesn't sound like anything major, but he told Joe Torre today that he has shoulder discomfort and that he has had it for a while. Not sure why he is only now telling the manager, but that's what happened. Derek Lowe will start in place of Kuroda tomorrow night, that will be on normal rest because of the off-day. Stults goes Thursday, Kershaw moves up to Friday. ... The other bad news is that Torre acknowledged today that Rafael Furcal probably won't be back before the All-Star break, which isn't a huge development given that the week before the break was the earliest he could possibly return anyway. ... There is SOME good news. Andruw Jones has been hitting at Dodger Stadium as part of his rehab, and from what I'm told, his swing looks better than it has all season. No longer dropping the elbow. Maybe the time away was just what he needed. No word yet on when he might start his minor-league rehab.

Berroa plays SS, Maza sits. Other than that, it's about what you would expect.

LF Pierre
3B DeWitt
2B Kent
C Martin
1B Loney
CF Kemp
RF Ethier
SS Berroa
RH Billingsley

He is already here. He'll pitch Friday night unless Torre decides to bring Kershaw back that night because of the off-day and the fact he didn't throw that many pitches (65) on Sunday. But they are so careful with Kershaw that I can't see that happening. ... Saw Troy from West Virginia walking around downtown in his Dodgers jersey today as I was driving to the park. Those muttonchop sideburns are the greatest.

Dr. ElAttrache found no structural damage in Brad Penny's shoulder, just some mild inflammation and some mild tendinitis. He won't pitch on Friday, but he WILL throw on Friday. No word yet on whether he is headed to the DL, but it's probably a safe bet at this point. ... Nomar Garciaparra also saw Dr. ElAttrache today and was cleared to begin his minor-league rehab assignment tomorrow night with Triple-A Las Vegas. ... Chin-lung Hu saw the eye doctor, who told him there is nothing wrong with his eyes. He'll return to action immediately.

If I lost you at the headline, don't worry, I understand. This place is the exact opposite of that old saying, ``It's a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.'' I lived here for four years, and it was GREAT. Made a lot of great friends, had a great time, all that. But to come here for four days and stay in a hotel downtown, well, that isn't so great. As for the Dodgers, they really need to win this series, because they haven't won one since sweeping the Reds at Dodger Stadium May 19-21. Wow, that was almost a month ago. They do have one split since then, at home against the Cubs last weekend. But the Dodgers need momentum to take into that all American League homestand they have coming up. ... I'm not expecting any update on Brad Penny until tomorrow. The MRI results probably won't come until this evening, by which time it will be really late out here.

The ninth-inning rally was great and all, but a loss is a loss, and the losses are starting to pile up for this team, which has now lost five in a row. This is getting dire. Worst part is, the Dodgers will begin a nine-game homestand on Friday night that consists entirely of American League opponents, and the Dodgers proved yet again this weekend that they simply can't compete with good A.L. teams. At least two of those teams coming in, the White Sox and Angels, are VERY good teams. ... Dodgers fall to 31-38, and they haven't been seven games under .500 since July 28, 2006, when they were 48-55 after winning the first of what would be 17 victories in 18 games. That entire stretch camea against Washington, Cincinnati, Florida, Colorado and San Francisco, all of whom finished well under .500 that season. The Dodgers aren't going to win 17 of 18 now. Snakes are losing 6-2 to the Royals in the fifth inning.

It is REALLY raining here, coming down in torrents. They just put on the tarp. The worst possible scenario is this game getting rained out because the Dodgers don't come back, and the fact the Tigers are starting to look like a contender and the Dodgers aren't raises the very real possibility that the Dodgers might have to come back here in September for a game that would mean nothing to them but might mean a lot to the Tigers. ... Once, when I was a young scribe, I asked a grizzled older scribe during a rain delay if the rain was supposed to stop. ``It always does,'' he said. ``The record is 40 days and 40 nights.'' ... Game is scoreless after four innings. Kershaw has walked a couple, but is otherwise pitching really well. ... By the way, this city gets a bad rap, and some of it is deserved. But I should point out that the hospitality I have encountered here this weekend has been amazing, both at my hotel, the Westin Southfield in Southfield, Mich., and among the employees here at the ballpark. Everyone goes the extra mile to make you comfortable here, and it's very much appreciated. ... As I sit here waiting out this rain delay, I can't help but admire some of the great old buildings that can be seen beyond right field. This is an old city, and the early-20th century architecture -- some of it may go back farther than that, actually -- is really something to behold. The modern-looking Renaissance Center, probably the most recongnizable landmark in the Detroit skyline (you've seen it, it's a really tall cylinder surrounded by four shorter cylinders), actually looks kind of out of place among all the much older buildings. ... The sun just came out, but it's still raining hard.

LaRoche got hit in the face by a bad-hop grounder during BP and had a severe nosebleed, but he's fine.

LF Pierre
2B Maza
3B DeWitt
DH Martin
1B Loney
CF Kemp
RF Ethier
SS Berroa
C Ardoin

LH Kershaw

... and especially to my own dad, Mr. Mickey Jackson, back in Fayetteville, Ark., who so many years ago introduced me to this game that I now cover almost every day. I had actually forgotten that today was Father's Day until a very friendly stadium worker with whom I shared an elevator this morning wished me a Happy Father's Day. ... Kind of ironic that the world lost Tim Russert on Father's Day weekend, what with his having written that book Big Russ and Me about his relationship with his father. I haven't had the chance to read it, or even acquire it at this point, but it has been on my list for a while. ... Nothing new on the Dodgers so far today, and we probably won't know anything concrete on Penny until late tomorrow or possibly even Tuesday (my money's on Tuesday). My guess is he won't be DL'd until then, either, just on the very slight chance that he'll be told everything is fine and be given the go-ahead to continue pitching.

If you have watched him pitch these past few weeks, it was fairly obvious something wasn't right. He just hasn't been himself. Below is the story I filed for tomorrow's paper which gives all the details. Should know more on Monday, according to Stan Conte, but my guess is it's highly unlikely that he'll be told nothing is wrong and he can just keep on pitching. That NEVER happens in a case like this.

By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
DETROIT -- On an afternoon that wasn't nearly as long ago as it now seems, a day when Dodger Stadium was bathed in bright sunshine and even brighter hopes for the home team, Brad Penny took the mound and looked every bit the part of a two-time All-Star. He pitched into the seventh inning, shutting out the San Francisco Giants on four hits, and ultimately got credit for the Dodgers' first season-opening victory in five years.
Two and a half months later, the real Penny hasn't been seen since. And after what happened on Saturday, when the Dodgers fell 12-7 to the Detroit Tigers before 42,348 at Comerica Park, the knockoff version might not be seen for a while, either.
Penny, who has been taking oral doses of an anti-inflammatory drug called toradal before starts for most of the season to lessen the effects of discomfort he now says he has been feeling in his shoulder for weeks, will fly back to Los Angeles this morning and see team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday. The veteran right-hander is expected to undergo an MRI exam to determine why he hasn't gotten any better.
The decision was made after Penny's latest implosion, a 3 2/3-inning, seven-run nightmare that was horribly timed to coincide with a day when the Dodgers' train derailment of an offense finally seemed to get itself back on track. And the saddest part of the whole thing is that Penny's potential absence isn't likely to have much of an effect given the way he has pitched lately, and against the backdrop of a starting rotation whose combined ERA drops by nearly half a run (4.43 to 3.98) when you remove Penny's numbers from the equation.
It isn't that the pain has gotten worse. It's just that there is so much more of it.
``I didn't feel good in the first inning, and I didn't feel good in the bullpen,'' Penny told reporters. ``I feel it on every pitch, so that makes it tough. It affects everything. The big thing is location. When you know it's going to hurt, you don't really want to throw it.
``It's not going to get any better, so I need to find out what's going on.''
For two innings, Penny looked fine, even if he didn't feel that way. He retired the Tigers in order in both of them. But it was clear something was wrong by the third, when he walked the first two batters, gave up a game-tying single to Curtis Granderson and was lucky to keep it there when he got Placido Polanco to ground into an inning-ending double play.
By the fourth, the Tigers were exploding for six hits off Penny. Two of them were two-run homers by Miguel Cabrera and Marcus Thames. Another was an RBI triple by Curtis Granderson.
It isn't immediately clear what Penny's absence will mean for the rotation. It also was revealed after the game that long reliever Chan Ho Park, the most likely to step in if there were an opening, also is dealing with a shoulder issue. But that one is believed to be minor, and manager Joe Torre said Park should be available for today's series finale.
It also isn't immediately clear whether Penny will even be absent. But then, these things almost never end well.
``It's obviously something we have to tend to,'' Torre said. ``We'll have to wait and see what Dr. ElAttrache says.''
Although Penny is the Dodgers' alleged ace, he has mostly been a shadow of his usual self, whether because of the injury or not. Although he had given the Dodgers (31-37) quality starts in each of his previous two outings, he hadn't gotten enough run support to win either of them. In his five starts before that, he had given up 29 earned runs in 27 2/3 innings.
Penny (5-9) hasn't been credited with a win since May 2.
At least this time, he couldn't complain about the offense -- not that he ever complained about it anyway. It might have been the pregame meeting called by hitting coach Mike Easler, or it might have been some jitters on the part of Tigers right-hander Eddie Bonine (1-0), who was making his major-league debut. But whatever it was, the Dodgers exploded for seven runs on 13 hits, with six of those hits going for extra bases.
Andre Ethier had a huge day, going 2 for 4 with a two-run double and a two-run homer, and James Loney went 3 for 5 with two doubles and scored two runs.
That, alas, was little comfort to Penny.
``I'm not doing the team any good,'' he said. ``I'm not doing myself any good.''

The Dodgers finally broke out and scored some runs -- and their pitching completely collapsed. Whatever is wrong with Brad Penny seems to be anyone's guess at this point.He was perfect through two, shaky through three and long gone through four, having been lit up for seven earned runs on seven hits over 3 2/3. Scott Proctor wasn't much better, although three of the four runs he gave up over the next two innings were unearned. I'm sure when we get down to the clubhouse in a few, somebody is going to tell us that it's early. But the Dodgers, who fell to 31-37, are 13 games away from the halfway mark. If this is going to turn around, it needs to turn around QUICKLY. ... Snakes play later, but again, they're hosting the Royals, so it seems rather bleak.

Second time this year he has done so.

LF Pierre
3B DeWitt
2B Kent
1B Loney
C Martin
RF Ethier
CF Kemp
DH Young
SS Berroa

RH Penny

It's getting to a point where it doesn't even matter who many runs the other team scores. Dodgers have now gone 23 innings without scoring, and they have scored one run in their past 27 innings. The most life they showed all night was in the bottom of the eighth, when Cory Wade hit Carlos Guillen on the right upper arm and Guillen started jawing at him. Wade, the rookie, pointed at first base, as if to tell Guillen, the veteran, to shut up and take his base. Both benches and bullpens quickly emptied, but Wade and Guillen never got close to each other, and both stayed in the game. Wade then gave up a two-run homer to Magglio Ordonez, but that was all moot. This one was over from the moment Marcus Thames went yard to lead off the fifth, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Then again, maybe it was over before it started. ... Dodgers fall to 31-36, a season-worst five games below .500. Snakes are scoreless, but they're hosting the Royals, so ... Oh, and the Giants are hosting Oakland tonight, and if they win, they'll be just a half-game behind the Dodgers.

Dodgers have now gone 19 consecutive innings without scoring. They're down 2-0 in the sixth, which might as well by 20-0. Anyway, here's the photo. Glassed-in press box here, so I hope it didn't create a glare.

A few minutes ago, I had my doubts. But now they are tentatively slated to start at 7:45 (that's 4:45 back home). Gives me a little more time to get a little more pregame work done. I'm going to wait until they take the tarp off to take a photo to post.

Anyway, here is tonight's lineup, in case this game actually happens:

CF Pierre
LF Young
RF Ethier
2B Kent
C Martin
1B Loney
3B LaRoche
DH Sweeney
SS Berroa

RH Lowe

My first time at Comerica Park since the 2005 All-Star Game, and before that, I was here with the Reds for a three-game series in 2000, the year it opened. Nice to see some different scenery for a change, and this is the Dodgers' only interleague road series this year other than the one in Anaheim. I'll try to post a photo later tonight. It's gray and overcast, and there is a chance of rain, but I'm told they have a good drainage system here -- most of the new parks do -- so there is very little chance of not getting the game in. ... No news so far, at least not that I'm aware of.