Dodgers 10, Diamondbacks 9
This devolved in the late innings into a really bad game that lasted three hours, 29 minutes, so I won't bore you with too many of the gory details except to say that if the Dodgers hadn't scored an unearned run in the top of the ninth to break the tie, it wouldn't have gone beyond nine innings because the Dodgers were out of pitchers. The Dodgers now have five more games to get through THE ENTIRE SPRING without a single tie. Anyway on to the more important things. ... Joe Torre came as close as ever after the game to saying James McDonald is the fifth starter.
``He really hasn't done anything wrong for me,'' Torre said.
He then made it a point to point out that he wasn't officially NAMING McDonald the fifth starter.
``I haven't made that commitment yet.''
James had a rough first inning, but settled in from there and pretty well dominated until he gave up a leadoff homer to Mark Reynolds in the fifth. He'll start on Sunday against the Giants, then presumably will be stretched out enough to start against these same D-backs in phx on April 10, the fifth game of the regular season.
Will Ohman had a rough debut for the Dodgers, giving up a home run to the first batter he faced, a lefty no less (it was Chad Tracy). Ohman also walked Conor Jackson, allowed a stolen base that wasn't even close and threw a wild pitch. But he struck out Miguel Montero to end the inning. He won't pitch tomorrow against the Giants, but he said he will pitch in back-to-back games sometime before the Dodgers' season opener on Monday.
Finally, Blake DeWitt and Chin-lung Hu continue to make it very difficult for Dodgers officials to send them to the minors, even if that probably is where they are both headed. Hu went 2 for 5 today with a pair of singles to raise his average to .280, and this was AFTER Torre said before the game that Hu has been ``the star of spring training'' based on how far he has come since last season. DeWitt went 3 for 5 with a double and a two-run homer and is now hitting .299. The burning question for both of them is whether their development will be hurt by playing part time, something Torre says clearly happened with Hu last year.
Also, Andre Ethier went 3 for 5 with a pair of doubles and three RBI. Dodgers improve to 15-18. At the Giants tomorrow, then they break camp and head home for three at Dodger Stadium. Your humble correspondent will be L.A.-bound, as well, for the first time since the day after the boys lost to the Phillies last October. See you there.
I'd love to see the day when we are no longer talking about batting averages and RBIs, two of the most deceptive statistics in baseball. Instead, every time a batter has a plate appearance, show their OBP, Slugging and fielding ability. We'll get there eventually but it's going to take a long time before the media figures it out.
And as usual Flanders signs veterans to block the emergence of our young kids. Dewitt is a stallion in the making, and they are trying to make him a pony. He can play great def and has some power, not to mention he can play 3 positions. If he is in the minors I am going to cry.
tony, welcome back!
i see chan ho park locked up the fifth starter slot with the world champion phils. any thoughts on why the D's couldn't find a spot on their pitching staff as a starter of long relief? was it money, was it the emergence of J. McD, or did they just lose confidence in him?
He was simply too competent and versatile.
Brad Penny is the fifth man for Bos. Ned better pray that he gets hammered in the superior AL East and Wolf does better than he did in years gone by. If you can't pitch in the NL W, you can't pitch anywhere.
Except that Park didn't WANT to be versatile; it was starter or bust for him this winter and he found a team willing to essentially guarantee him that job. With his fastball, he's better suited for a middle relief/set-up role, something Park wasn't interested in with the Dodgers.
That stallion in the making hit .238 with 31 RBIs in his last 82 games with the Dodgers...
He's got a bright future, but he ain't there yet...