Dodgers 2, Nationals 0
Clayton Kershaw finally gets his first big-league win, giving the Dodgers six-plus shutout innings in which he allowed just four hits. Dodgers outscored the hapless Nats 11-2, holding them scoreless for the final 19 innings. This Washington team is, to put it mildly, not very good. Dodgers got a home run from James Loney, and an RBI single from Russell Martin, and that was more than enough to complete the three-game sweep. Dodgers finally get back to .500 at 52-52, first time since they were 27-27 on May 30, and since then they had fallen as many as seven games under -- 31-38 on June 15 after getting predictably swept in Detroit. That's the good news. The bad news is that while the Dodgers were sweeping the Nats, the Snakes were sweeping the Giants, so the boys stay a game back in the standings, and the Rockies were sweeping the Reds, so they stay six back. They'll be a factor before it's all said and done.
What's the news on Nomar's injury Tony? He's got to be the most fragile guy in the bigs.
I just hope Nomar's injury doesn't force the Dodgers into panic mode and an ill-conceived deal for a shortstop. As I pointed out in an earlier post, Chin-Lung Hu has 7 hits in his last two games, and appears to have overcome any vision problems he may have had. Bringing him back to play short is no more risky than bringing in some questionable veteran at what would probably be an unacceptable cost.
Time for a LaRoche and Hu for Jack Wilson deal. Then we can here from Colletti what a "gamer" Wilson is.
Hu is now 10 for his last 13 after a 3-3 day today; he's red hot!
Tony, any insight as to why they brought Sweeney back? Or at least, maybe I should ask, how short a leash he's on? He's been absolutely abysmal this season. I know he's been a great PH in the past, and is a lefty off the bench, but unless he's suddenly going to come back having turned it all around I don't understand the love here. I realize they don't have many decent lefties in Vegas to call up but there has to be someone decent out there. Any thoughts?
It appears that the Indians are putting Meloan back where the Dodgers should have kept him.
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080726&content_id=3198984&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle
Mark Sweeney is still on the team because he has photos of Ned Colletti in a comprising position (wink, wink).