Results tagged “Matt Kemp” from Inside the Dodgers

The Dodgers beat the Cubs today 2-0 at Dodger Stadium. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• Charlie Haeger simply shut the down the Cubs today, going 7+ scoreless innings and earning his first win with the Dodgers. He allowed only three hits and four walks.

• Meanwhile, the Dodgers' two runs came on solo jacks from Matt Kemp and Casey Blake. Kemp's homer, a huge shot to left, came in the second inning, and Blake's was in the fourth.

• Interestingly, Jonathan Broxton -- who's posted a 3.86 ERA in August -- pitched the eighth, and George Sherrill pitched the ninth. Sherrill was a bit shaky in the ninth, but got the job done in his first save opportunity as a Dodger. He's still yet to give up a run since he was acquired.

ETC...ETC:

• In the eighth inning, Matt Kemp lost a fly ball while playing right field. It was ruled a double, and it put runners on second and third with one out for Aramis Ramirez, but Broxton shut the door.

• Haeger threw more fastballs today then the two he threw in his first start, but he still made his living with the knuckler. It'd be hard to not give him another go after that performance.

• The Rockies and Giants play at 5 p.m. If Colorado wins, they'll stay just 4.5 games back of the Dodgers.

ON DECK:

• The Dodgers try to sweep the four-game set with the Cubs, sending Chad Billingsley (12-6, 3.70) against Ryan Dempster (6-7, 4.28).

The Dodgers beat the Giants 4-2 tonight in the first of three games in San Francisco. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• Timely hitting gave the Dodgers the victory tonight, even though they went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. All four runs came in the fourth on a Matt Kemp three-run double and Mark Loretta RBI single.

• Hiroki Kuroda turned in a solid start, giving up just one run on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. It was also his longest outing since June and gave him wins in consecutive starts for the first time this season.

• Joe Torre used his bullpen by the book. Hong-Chih Kuo faced one batter after replacing Kuroda, Ronald Belisario came in to set up a righty-righty matchup, and George Sherrill and Jonathan Broxton pitched the eighth and ninth innings. Kuo, Belisario, and Sherrill all got holds. You hear a lot of criticism of the Dodger pen, but there are quite a few solid arms.

ETC...ETC:

• Broxton gave up a solo jack to Bengie Molina and a single to Randy Winn with one out in the ninth, but he got Fred Lewis to ground into a force out and Juan Castro made a nice play on a Ryan Garko grounder to end the game.

• Chad Billingsley won't make his Wednesday start with the hamstring injury, so the Dodgers will have to bring up another Triple-A starter or use Jeff Weaver, barring a waiver wire pickup. Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger has a 3.55 ERA in 22 starts with Albuquerque, and he averages nearly seven innings a start.

• The Dodgers victory puts them 6.5 games in front of the Giants in the NL West, but the Rockies -- on the strength of a cycle by Troy Tulowitzki -- stayed 5.5 back.

ON DECK:

• Randy Wolf (5-6, 3.55) and Joe Martinez (2-0, 5.87) take to the mound in the second game of the series.

The Dodgers beat the Braves 9-1 today at Turner Field to win the three-game set in Atlanta. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• 19 hits for the Dodgers tonight, as Matt Kemp (3-for-5, HR, 5 RBI) and James Loney (3-for-6, 2 RBI) shined on national television.

• Chad Billingsley threw five solid innings but exited early with an apparent right hamstring cramp. He attempted to convince Joe Torre that he could stay in, so things don't look too serious.

• Jair Jurrjens has been one of the best hurlers in baseball thus far, but the Dodgers got hold of him pretty well in the fifth. He ended up with a line of 10 hits, two walks, and four runs in five innings.

ETC...ETC:

• When Jason Schmidt comes up to pinch hit and knocks a single, you know you're going good. Schmidt pinch hit for Billingsley in the sixth and eventually came around to score.

• Braves outfielder Matt Diaz on Ramon Troncoso: "I don't know what the role that last guy has on their team. But I know he has a 2.00 ERA and nasty stuff. He's not their setup guy and he's not their closer. So when you've got that guy just getting innings, that's a pretty deep bullpen."

• Casey Blake hurt his hand lifting weights over the weekend and was unavailable today, leading to a Mark Loretta start. X-rays on Blake were reportedly negative. Loretta had his first two-hit game since June 25.

• Scott Elbert pitched well in relief of Billingsley, going 2 2/3 innings and being charged with just one run. George Sherrill replaced Guillermo Mota in a double switch and got Chipper Jones to fly out to end an Atlanta mini-rally.

ON DECK:

• Clayton Kershaw (8-5, 2.76) and Manny Parra (5-8, 6.50) meet tomorrow at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers beat the Cardinals 5-3 tonight to end their season-high four-game losing streak. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• Oh, was this one big. The Dodgers eeked out a victory to salvage a game out this four-game set with the Cardinals. Neither the pitching nor the offense was great, but the Blue found a way to win.

• Matt Kemp came up with the game-winning single in the top of the 10th, knocking in two runs with two outs against Todd Wellemeyer.

• The 1-4 hitters in the Dodgers lineup went 1-for-17, including a woeful 0-for-5 day for Manny Ramirez on the day his name came up in a New York Times report that said he tested positive for PEDs in 2003.

• Hiroki Kuroda turned in a quality start, going six innings and giving up two runs. Cardinal starter Kyle Lohse did him better, allowing only one run in his six frames.

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• The Dodgers revamped their bullpen today, trading for George Sherrill and replacing Brent Leach on the active roster with Scott Elbert. The 'pen did a solid job, allowing only one run in four innings -- a solo shot by Rick Ankiel off Guillermo Mota. It broke Mota's 20+ scoreless innings streak.

• Casey Blake went 4-for-5 and scored two runs. Matt Kemp had two other hits besides the game-winner and had an incredible stolen base in which he took off before Kyle Lohse even started his delivery.

• Jonathan Broxton got the save but didn't look all that impressive a day after he blew a crucial save attempt. His fastball didn't appear to have the same velocity as usual and he walked the leadoff batter, Joe Thurston.

ON DECK:

• Jason Schmidt (1-1, 7.88) and Tommy Hanson (5-1, 2.95) at 4:30 P.M. PST in Atlanta tomorrow.

The Dodgers beat the Brewers 7-4 today in the finale of the first half of the season. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• Dodger starter Clayton Kershaw continued his utter dominance of late, going 6+ strong innings and allowing only two hits and one run. Hiroki Kuroda came in in relief and allowed three runs of his own and Kershaw's run. Unbelievably, Kershaw now has the best ERA on the staff and the 18th best in the majors at 3.16.

• Matt Kemp had his first hitless game since July 1 -- striking out twice and leaving 5 men on in four at-bats -- but Orlando Hudson picked up the slack, hitting two solo homers.

• The Dodgers' offensive effort off of a solid starter in Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo was impressive: six hits and four walks in five innings. They scored five times off of him.

• Manny is the same old Manny, in case you were wondering. 3-for-3 and a walk puts him at a .308/.400/.654 clip since he came back.

ETC...ETC:

• Brad Ausmus went deep for his first homer of the season. That makes the Dodgers' season total of home runs from behind the plate three.

• James Loney was solid, hitting two base knocks to drive in runs. He's two behind Andre Ethier for the team lead in RBI with 54. Casey Blake has 55 as well.

• James McDonald and Ramon Troncoso pitched well in relief, going 1 2/3 scoreless.

ON DECK:

• The Dodgers will take a three-day break before hosting Houston for a four-game set beginning Thursday. Randy Wolf is scheduled to make the start.

The Dodgers beat the Brewers 12-8 in 10 innings tonight at Miller Park. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• And what a game that was, as the Dodgers rallied to tie the score in the ninth off Trevor Hoffman and then put up six in the tenth to open the game up, only to have the Brewers put up a mini-rally in the bottom of the tenth off Jonathan Broxton. Still, the Blue came away with the win.

• It was the Matt Kemp show tonight, as the snubbed center fielder went 3-for-5, including a masterful bunt for a base hit in the ninth and grand slam in the tenth. That's not to mention his Willie Mays-esque catch to end the game, running with his head turned towards the wall but still managing to make the grab.

• Chad Billingsley struggled, lasting only 5+ and allowing five runs on five hits and four walks. He raised his ERA to 3.37 heading into the all-star break.

• Jonathan Broxton wasn't great either, giving up two runs in the tenth inning in his first appearance since Sunday. It wasn't a save situation, though. An indicator: Broxton didn't strike out any of the seven batters he faced.

ETC...ETC.

• Five homers for the Dodgers tonight, the most they've had in a game since the epic back-to-back-to-back-to-back home run game against San Diego on September 18, 2006. You may remember that Hoffman was the partial culprit in the game as well.

• Home run hitters included Andre Ethier, Manny Ramirez, James Loney, Russell Martin and Kemp.

• Solid relief turned in by Guillermo Mota (allowed only one runner to score when he inherited a bases-loaded, no-out situation, Ramon Troncoso (a scoreless inning and two thirds), and Cory Wade (another scoreless inning).

ON DECK:

• The Dodgers continue the three-game set in Milwaukee, sending RHP Jeff Weaver (5-2, 3.32) for his first start since June against Brewers RHP Mike Burns (1-2, 5.57) at 4:05 PST.

It was speculated that Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp would replace Carlos Beltran on the NL All-Star roster, but it turns out that Phillies right fielder (and former Dodger) Jayson Werth will be in St. Louis instead. Werth has hit homers in his last four games and evidently proved his all-star worth to Phillies -- and NL -- manager Charlie Manuel. All three Philadelphia starting outfielders will be All-Stars.

This means that barring a last-minute injury replacement, the Dodgers will have only one position player in St. Louis: second baseman Orlando Hudson. Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Broxton will accompany the O-Dog as well.

The Dodgers fell 5-4 last night, with Andre Ethier (0-for-5, 8 LOB) going down as the main culprit. Randy Wolf vs. Livan Hernandez tonight at 4:10, but first, let's recap some of the day's blue-related news.

A year ago today: Derek Lowe took a perfect game into the seventh inning before giving up a single, and eventually, a solo home run but still earning the 2-1 victory over Atlanta. The Dodgers' record entering play that day? 44-46.

Ronald Belisario is okay, relatively. Dr. Neil ElAttrache found no structural damage in the 26-year-old's right elbow in a Wednesday MRI, but the rookie reliever has been placed on the DL in what appears to be primarily a precautionary measure. Belisario missed the entire 2005 and 2006 seasons due to Tommy John surgery.

There are less than 10 hours left to vote for Matt Kemp in MLB's Final Vote 2009 campaign.

Lastly: yes, Daniel Murphy really did make that play last night.

Few notes to pass along before Hiroki Kuroda and Oliver Perez -- making his first start since May 2 -- face off in New York.

31-year-old outfielder Mitch Jones, who spent 16 days with the big club and was designated for assignment last Thursday, cleared waivers and has been sent down to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Two more picks from the June draft have signed with the Dodgers in the last week: lanky high-school righthander Brandon Martinez and Oklahoma catcher Jeremy Wise. The Dodgers took Wise in the fifth round at 157th overall; Martinez -- who's yet to turn 18 -- was a seventh-round selection.

Lastly, our Clay Fowler has a nice feature on Matt "The Bison" Kemp, who's currently in fourth place out of five candidates in the MLB Final Vote campaign. Find out how to vote here.

4:10 p.m. PST first pitch tonight.

The New York media is already feasting on Manny Ramirez's trip to the Big Apple.

The Daily News' Roger Rubin and Times' Chris Hine attended Joe Torre's charity gold tournament Monday in Briarcliff Manor. They bring similar perspectives. Rubin's piece discusses how, amidst the Manny madness, Torre himself will judge accomplishments from the steroid era; Hine's focuses on how Torre has been able to navigate the Dodgers through the first half of the season. MLB.com's Jared Diamond was there as well.

An interesting blurb from Ken Gurnick on the Dodgers' get-out-the-vote effort for Matt Kemp: "The Dodgers are attempting to enlist two of Kemp's NBA friends, Trevor Ariza and Sheldon Williams, via their Twitter accounts in hopes of enrolling all of their followers to vote for their buddy."

In other news, the LAT's Kevin Baxter has an interesting story on Manny's stomping grounds.

Manny, Orlando Hudson out of the lineup for today's day game. Hudson is one of the Dodgers' three All-Stars, as named today. Jonathan Broxton and Chad Billingsley also make the list, and Matt Kemp still has a shot to get in with the final vote or as a replacement for the likely-to-bow-out Carlos Beltran. Find out how to vote here.

Rubber game today.

Dodgers
Furcal, SS
Pierre, LF
Loney, 1B
Blake, 3B
Ethier, RF
Martin, C
Kemp, CF
Castro, 2B
Billingsley, P

Padres
Gwynn, CF
Eckstein, 2B
Hairston, LF
A. Gonzalez, 1B
Kouzmanoff, 3B
E. Gonzalez, RF
Alfonzo, C
E. Cabrera, SS
Banks, P

The Dodgers took this one 5-4 on a big walk-off single by Matt Kemp in the bottom of the tenth inning off of Oakland reliever Brad Ziegler. Kemp's hit came just two pitches after a questionable call at first base on a James Loney grounder.

With runners on second and first, Loney hit a ball on the ground to A's second baseman Adam Kennedy. Kennedy stepped on second, but his throw took Jason Giambi off the bag at first -- or so it seemed. Loney was ruled safe immediately by first-base umpire Adrian Johnson, but Oakland manager Bob Geren came out to protest, the four umpires conferred, and the call was reversed and Loney was ruled out.

This brought Dodgers manager Joe Torre out of the dugout but to no avail, and play went on. Kemp stepped to the plate, took the first pitch for a ball, then knocked the next pitch into right field to break a 4-4 and score Orlando Hudson from third.

The Dodgers put the first runs of the game on the board in the sixth with consecutive RBI doubles from Casey Blake and Loney, but usually-dominant reliever Ramon Troncoso gave up two home runs in the eighth to give the A's a 4-2 lead.

An RBI single by Blake and an RBI groundout from Andre Ethier tied the score in the eighth, and the score held into the tenth inning.

The win makes the Dodgers 43-22 and 8.5 games ahead of the Giants in the NL West, and moves Oakland to 27-36.

21-year-old A's righthander Trevor Cahill faces Dodgers righty Hiroki Kuroda tomorrow.