Know Your Foe #2: Bring on the Dodgers

by Andrew Martin on Apr 5, 2011 2:00 PM MDT in Know Your Foe

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 31: Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela throws out the ceremonial first pitch as former Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda looks on prior to the Dodgers playing the San Francisco Giants on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium on March 31, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Dodgers (3-1, 1st in the NL West)

Last Series v Colorado: September 27-29 (3-0 series win at Coors Field)

The last time we saw the Dodgers in regular season play was during the disastrous finish to the 2010 season where the Rockies lost 8 straight. Ted Lilly beat Ubaldo Jimenez in a 3-1 Game 1 finish. Hiroki Kuroda and Jeff Francis both got beaten up in game 2, but the deciding factors really came down to whose bullpen wanted it more (LA's did, 9-7). Finally, Jhoulys Chacin was roughed up for 7 runs, only 2 earned, and the Rockies dropped the series 7-6.

Interestingly enough, the Rockies went 4-5 in Dodger Stadium in 2010, the same park they went 2-9 in 2009, 4-5 in 2008, and 5-4 in 2007. Now, 4-5 isn't great, but a 3.40 ERA and a 2.03 K/BB ratio in LA is pretty decent. After 2009, Chavez Ravine became the place the Rockies needed to win in, despite a 2-9 performance in AT&T park that season (5-4 in Chase Field and PetCo Park). The Dodgers went 6-3 in Coors Field during the 2010 season.

Last Series Results: W 3-1 vs San Francisco

The Dodgers have scored 13 runs over the past 4 games against San Francisco, and are batting a collective .248/.300/.333 - small samples of numbers which are bound to improve any moment, especially given their arrival in Colorado. 2 of the 4 games were 1 run games, another a 2 run game, and the 3rd game of the series was a 10-0 flaying of the Dodgers' pitching staff. But the important part is that Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley both pitched well and guess who the Rockies are facing in these 2 games?

The Dodgers have some key injuries to their rotation in the forms of Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla, but neither are really needed until later in April, as the Dodgers are functioning as a 4-man rotation right now. However, their Awesome Beard Quota is sadly lacking, given the absence of 3B Casey Blake. They are carrying 3 catchers right now, but one will likely be demoted once the need for a 5th starter comes back into play.

Tuesday-Wednesday: 2-game series at Coors Field

Expected Pitching Matchups

Wednesday, April 5, 2010 @ 6:40PM MT

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2010 - Jhoulys Chacin	9-11	28	21	0	0	0	0	137.1	114	64	50	10	61	138	3.28	1.27

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2010 - Clayton Kershaw	13-10	32	32	1	1	0	0	204.1	160	73	66	13	81	212	2.91	1.18

Be Forewarned: Kershaw pitched 7 innings of 4-hit, 9 strikeout ball in his first start.

Thursday, April 6, 2010 @ 1:10PM MT

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2011 - Jason Hammel	10-9	30	30	0	0	0	0	177.2	201	97	95	18	47	141	4.81	1.40

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2011 - Chad Billingsley	12-11	31	31	1	1	0	0	191.2	176	82	76	8	69	171	3.57	1.28

Billingsley was more hittable and somewhat fallible in his first start, going 6 and allowing 3 runs.

Expected Lineup:

Name	Pos.	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA	wRC+	HR	R	RBI
Rafael Furcal	SS	.333	.333	.417	.280	74	0	2	2
Ivan De Jesus	2B	.000	.125	.000	.088	-60	0	0	0
Andre Ethier	RF	.333	.375	.333	.319	100	0	0	1
Matt Kemp	CF	.417	.533	.833	.568	272	1	4	3
James Loney	1B	.133	.125	.200	.132	-29	0	1	2
Juan Uribe	3B	.286	.375	.286	.312	95	0	0	0
Rod Barajas	C	.250	.308	.250	.257	58	0	1	0
Tony Gwynn	LF	.167	.167	.167	.147	-19	0	1	0

Bench

Name	Pos.	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA	wRC+	HR	R	RBI
Jamey Carroll	IF	.300	.417	.500	.365	132	0	1	1
A.J. Ellis	C	1.000	1.000	1.000	.882	489	0	0	0
Marcus Thames	UTIL	.286	.286	.571	.347	120	0	0	1
Xavier Paul	OF	.333	.333	.333	.294	83	0	0	0
Hector Gimenez	C	.200	.200	.200	.176	2	0	0	0
Aaron Miles	IF	.222	.222	.222	.196	15	0	2	1

Closer

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2011 - Jonathan Broxton	0-0	3	0	0	0	3	0	3.0	3	2	2	2	0	1	6.00	1.00

Injuries

Los Angeles Dodgers Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jay Gibbons	eye	03/26/2011
Casey Blake	lower-back	03/22/2011
Vicente Padilla	forearm	03/22/2011
Jon Garland	oblique	03/22/2011
Dioner Navarro	oblique	03/22/2011

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Comments

Huh.

Going by W/L Billingsly and Hammel were pretty close last year.

two Icehouse 24 oz beers = $3.20 two "fancy" Bud Light 24 oz beers = $5.00

NOW who comes out on top?

by frightened inmate #2 on Apr 5, 2011 2:25 PM MDT reply actions

Yeah,

and going by RBI’s, Tulo and James Loney were pretty close last year too!

"My eyes! The goggles do nothing!" - Rainier Wolfcastle

by BittenAnkles on Apr 5, 2011 2:54 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs

Dodger Closer

Broxton was not warmly received by LA fans and while LA press indicates management is not concerned about his perfomance, velocity is down and he only made 2 bad pitches, for mammoth home runs! Dodgers appear very vulnerable if front line starters don’t leave with commanding lead.

by pitcherwatcher on Apr 5, 2011 3:03 PM MDT reply actions

Except that Broxton seems to own Colorado

It’s like he has to suck extra hard for the Rox to get to him :(

"My eyes! The goggles do nothing!" - Rainier Wolfcastle

by BittenAnkles on Apr 5, 2011 3:30 PM MDT up reply actions

Since he throws lefty and

has “Dodgers” written across his chest, Fernando could probably still hang a three-hit gem on the Rockies. I don’t even mind so much when we fall to pieces against Kershaw. It’s losing to the Randy Wolfs of the world that drives me crazy.

Let’s hope tonight begins a new era of not getting curb-stomped by the Dodgers.

by Northsider1964 on Apr 5, 2011 3:08 PM MDT reply actions

While I think it's pretty clear

That I wasn’t referring to the Giant fan who get beaten up, or to anyone else getting beaten up, or to any other violent incident – the site moderator can feel free to take down my post.

If the offended party had simply said, “Hey that’s a bad choice of words” or something to that effect, I would have gladly accepted the correction. But if posting a sanctimonious little verse in a whispery HTML voice makes him feel superior, so be it.

by Northsider1964 on Apr 5, 2011 4:00 PM MDT up reply actions

I think your point was clear.

Looks like whoever else had thoughts on the matter got hidden.

two Icehouse 24 oz beers = $3.20 two "fancy" Bud Light 24 oz beers = $5.00

NOW who comes out on top?

by frightened inmate #2 on Apr 5, 2011 4:05 PM MDT up reply actions

"whispery HTML"?

“Sanctimonious”
Oh, I was blessing the children with one hand and posting with the other.

No, I didn’t do it to feel superior.
I did it because I felt the complete opposite of how I do now.
I felt quiet.

See, the whole incident has me a little rattled.
Of coursed, nowhere near as rattled as Bryan Stow.

Just a week ago he was targeted and assaulted.

They hit him from behind, and his head hit the parking lot.
And then you know what they did?

They CURBSTOMPED him. No, really!
(That’s NOT meant to appear “whispery”. Just for you.)

That is EXACTLY what they did!
They kicked his effin’ head around like a effin’ soccer ball!
While a crowd so dense his friends couldn’t protect him did…who knows what.

From a FOX news bulletin today:

"One of the doctors who has been treating him said Stow suffered “a very severe fracture to his skull, as well as contusions, which are very bad amounts of bruising in both frontal lobes.”

Dr. Gabriel Zada said surgeons inserted a pressure-relieving device in Stow’s brain, but on Friday, his condition worsened and he underwent surgery, which successfully eased his brain pressure.

“However, since that time, he has remained in a comatose state and our medical team has done and is doing everything to ensure that the most optimal outcome that is possible is achieved, and we’re working tirelessly to do so,” Zada said. “It’s very hard to say what the prognosis is. It’s really too early at this point. He does remain in critical condition and over the next week or so we’ll be able to make a better assessment, but at this time the prognosis remains guarded.”

Nomadic baseball fan, with no agenda other than observation/conversation/mass confusion/mass consumption.

Prosecutor: "Jesus Christ, did ANYBODY tell the truth to the grand jury?"
Barry Bonds: "I did."
Prosecutor: "GAH!"

by victor frankenstein on Apr 5, 2011 4:39 PM MDT up reply actions

OMG.What in the hell has gone wrong with people heads. Its an f'ing baseball for God's sake.Grow up, just cause he likes another team..

If you don’t like it, CRY ME A RIVER, BUILD ME A BRIDGE AND GET THE F*** OVER IT. There is no need to kick someone’s ass just because he likes the enemy. Hell, I like to have conversations with someone who likes the other team…It adds to the excitement of going to a ballgame.

by Roxman4ever on Apr 5, 2011 4:49 PM MDT up reply actions

thank you

If we had this attitude more often I don’t think the blow up between the rockies and the giants would have been as bad last year. (shame cause I like both teams)

by nightninja13 on Apr 5, 2011 5:24 PM MDT up reply actions

If I had, in any way shape or form, made light of the Giant fan getting beaten up

I would deserve all the scolding I received and to be banned from this site. But I didn’t do that, and you damn well know it. If I had said, “I hope we kill the Dodgers in this series” I would hope you would have enough sense not to take that literally.

My apologies to anyone I offended, but I would guess that list is one person in length.

by Northsider1964 on Apr 5, 2011 4:57 PM MDT up reply actions

there is no way in the world that I would hurt another guy at a ballgame. He's there for the same reason I am.

I don’t care if its a Yankees, BoSox,Giants,Phillies—whomever-fan. I hope they find the idiots that did it and nail their asses to the wall. Let people kick them in the head for awhile.

by Roxman4ever on Apr 5, 2011 5:01 PM MDT up reply actions

Of course, and we're all in agreement on that

If you read above, you’ll see what I posted had nothing whatsoever to do with it.

by Northsider1964 on Apr 5, 2011 5:08 PM MDT up reply actions

Curb stomped is a common phrase

the wording just comes at a bad time. Don’t feel too bad about it.

by nightninja13 on Apr 5, 2011 5:25 PM MDT up reply actions

I remember seeing Fernando pitch...

his eyes seemed to roll back in his head before he released the ball…sooo weird.

"..whoever heard of an agressive butterfly ? " --V.F.

by butterfly on Apr 5, 2011 3:28 PM MDT reply actions

Fernando!

Viva Fernando!

Wyoming baseball --- GO GHOSTS!

by Kris Hansen on Apr 5, 2011 5:30 PM MDT up reply actions 2 recs

OMG..I've never laughed so hard on this thread. Very well played !!!!!!!!

"..whoever heard of an agressive butterfly ? " --v.f.

by butterfly on Apr 5, 2011 5:36 PM MDT up reply actions

Let’s hope tonight begins a new era of not getting curb-stomped by the Dodgers.

Take my hand.
Now say it with me…ready?

“Too soon.”

Have a thought, people. Thx.

Nomadic baseball fan, with no agenda other than observation/conversation/mass confusion/mass consumption.

Prosecutor: "Jesus Christ, did ANYBODY tell the truth to the grand jury?"
Barry Bonds: "I did."
Prosecutor: "GAH!"

by victor frankenstein on Apr 5, 2011 3:30 PM MDT reply actions

Okay then,

…Not getting beaten like a drum by the Dodgers.

My apologies to any percussionists who might be offended by the above remark.

by Northsider1964 on Apr 5, 2011 3:40 PM MDT up reply actions

People were talking on True Blue LA that the Dodgers don't think it's a rivalry

and i would tend to agree, other than knocking them out of the playoffs in 07 it hasn’t been very close. But even that allowed them to get rid of Grady Little, so I doubt they’re too upset.

two Icehouse 24 oz beers = $3.20 two "fancy" Bud Light 24 oz beers = $5.00

NOW who comes out on top?

by frightened inmate #2 on Apr 5, 2011 3:44 PM MDT up reply actions

I posited on a lesser site that it was largely a media tool and more in the fans' minds than the players.

Oh, was I taken to task for that.
Still I’m not budging. Much.

It’s now mostly in the minds of the fanbase, who need that emotional release because they can’t just run out and spend a few thousand on a car/meal/convenient friend. They have to vent the frustration of their less lucrative lives in the fanatical world of hero worship.
“CarGo, take me away!”

Nomadic baseball fan, with no agenda other than observation/conversation/mass confusion/mass consumption.

Prosecutor: "Jesus Christ, did ANYBODY tell the truth to the grand jury?"
Barry Bonds: "I did."
Prosecutor: "GAH!"

by victor frankenstein on Apr 5, 2011 4:07 PM MDT up reply actions

LETS GO ROCKIES!

BEAT LA!….would really love both games but I would take a split

LETS GO RED WINGS!

2011 will be the year....better be....

Troy Tulowitzki: "When people think of the Rockies, I want them to think of a winning organization."

by TuLoRocks2008 on Apr 5, 2011 4:18 PM MDT reply actions

I would rather grab 2

BEAT LA!

by nightninja13 on Apr 5, 2011 5:27 PM MDT up reply actions

The Rox can play

If they just hold solid and don’t self destruct, they should be able to take them.

by Real Perspective on Apr 5, 2011 4:18 PM MDT reply actions

Lineup is out...

Fowler, Spilly, Cargo, Tulo, Lopez, Helton is in the 6th spot, then Wiggy at 3rd, CDI and Chacin

by Roxman4ever on Apr 5, 2011 4:44 PM MDT reply actions

I can't believe they moved him down to the 6th spot

by Roxman4ever on Apr 5, 2011 4:45 PM MDT up reply actions

Thats odd to me

I mean he hasn’t been as bad as tulo at bat(for the whole 0-8 thing) seems too early to me. maybe it makes the lower half of our rotation more scary.

by nightninja13 on Apr 5, 2011 5:29 PM MDT up reply actions

Not odd to me

With all due respect to Helton, I think Kershaw is less likely to work around Tulo if there’s another RH hitter on deck. And yeah I know Tulo’s oh for April, but Kershaw’s not going to want to be the guy who breaks his “mini-slump.”

by Northsider1964 on Apr 5, 2011 6:29 PM MDT up reply actions

But kershaw has a history of beating up tulo

tulo has something like a .180 lifetime average against the guy… Me, I question the move because it is the 3rd game in the season and that seems way too early for a demotion in batting order.

by nightninja13 on Apr 5, 2011 6:50 PM MDT up reply actions

LOL!!! wow SDcat fail

I’m reading through all of this, and I’m thinking, why are there no Dodger fans getting in this brouhaha. And why are those so many Rox fans discussing the Giant fan beating.

And then I realized..

/ultimate self facepalm

"I think I speak for everyone in here when I say: it's playoffs or bust" - Jason Hammel
Our O's are better than yours - Ubaldo, Tulo, CarGo(and the Toddfather)
Orig.Thugget Loyalist #4, UNugg #4, QPU Emeritus, Proud member PR Gynocracy

by SDcat09 on Apr 5, 2011 5:45 PM MDT reply actions