Rookie Ely Leads Dodgers to Eight-Straight
John Ely (2-1) threw first-pitch strikes to 20-of-25 hitters and went to a three-ball count just five times en route to the Dodgers eighth-consecutive win last night over the Houston Astros, 6-2.
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Last night’s performance marks 84 consecutive batters Ely has faced without allowing a walk—the longest current streak in the majors. The right-hander. who turned 24-years-old last Thursday, hurled eight K’s in his fourth career start and allowed only five hits in seven strong innings, six days after beating Arizona for his first big league victory. (more…)
The Man Behind the Mask: Russell Martin
In today’s Semi-Weekly Nut-Up Award: Players That Step it Up in the Clutch, we’re going to recognize the man behind the mask: Dodgers’ catcher Russell Martin.
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Last night, manager Joe Torre thought about sitting Russ, not because he’d been slumping or anything like that, but because he’s caught every single game in the month of May.
Since Manny, Ethier and Casey Blake were all taking the day off (Ethier sitting out because of a broken pinkie), Torre thought better of that idea and let Russell catch last night’s game against the first-place Padres. It turned out to be a wise choice.
In a game where offense was hard to come by, Russell Martin stepped up in the sixth inning and hit a go-ahead single to center scoring shortstop Jamey Carroll. The single was L.A.’s first hit of the game and the only run scored by either team, which turned out to be the difference as the Dodgers went on to win 1-0, sweeping the San Diego Padres.
And this isn’t the first time Russ has come through for the Dodgers in the past couple of weeks. Martin continues to be one of the Dodgers’ most reliable bats hitting safely in the last 11 games dating back to May 5 against the Brewers. During that span he’s batting .304 with seven RBI, seven runs-scored and two huge home-runs, one against the division-rival Rockies and one against the Milwaukee Brewers.
For a man who struggled all of last year to find any kind of rhythm, Russ is catching his stride on both sides of the plate this season. In fact, Martin has been the catalyst behind the Dodgers’ resurgence, winning seven-in-a-row and 12 of the last 15. That’s the very definition of nutting up.
After beginning last week more than five games back, the Dodgers (19-7) find themselves back in the mix of things. The Blue Crew is now only two games out in the division returning home to the friendly confines of Chavez Ravine to take on the Houston Astros (13-24) tonight @ 10:10 EDT.
Billingsley Hurls Shutout, L.A. Wins 7th-Straight
On a day when offense was hard to come by, Chad Billingsley hurled a shutout over the first-place San Diego Padres and Russell Martin’s RBI single was all the streaking Dodgers needed to win their season-high seventh-in-a-row, 1-0.
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Ethier Fractures Bone in Right Pinkie
The Dodgers’ celebration of their sixth-straight victory was soured upon hearing the news that they’d be without slugger and triple-crown leader Andre Ethier, who missed last night’s game with an injured right pinkie.
I know what you’re thinking…it’s just a pinkie, and Ethier is a grown man, how long can this possibly keep him out of the line-up? Well, the truth is, we won’t know until later.
The report right now is that Ethier fractured a bone in his right pinkie while taking swings in the indoor batting cage when he pinched his right pinkie against his bat. He took a few more swings during batting practice before telling hitting coach Don Mattingly about the problem. Ethier also said the finger bothered him while he was playing catch.
Here’s a quote taken from Yahoo Sports:
“It’s a big thing,” Ethier said. “It could be a couple of days, it could be longer than that. I’m a little disappointed in the fact that it’s something this small.”
Unfortunately, the broken finger caused Ethier to miss today’s game against the Padres. According to team officials he’ll be examined by a hand specialist today. At the very least, Dodger blogger Eric Stephen says Ethier won’t be able to do the following in the immediate future (his words, not mine):
- Swing a bat
- Portray Dr. Evil
- Give the “hang loose” sign
- Do the classic Magic Johnson and A.C. Green handshake from the Showtime days
- Properly drink tea
Tea or no tea, it’s no secret the impact that Ethier brings to the Dodger line-up. The left-hander leads the majors with a .392 batting average and 38 RBIs, and is currently tied for the NL lead with 11 homers.
Kershaw Pitches Dodgers to Sixth Straight
[picappgallerysingle id="8750454"]Kershaw pitched a three-hit gem and James Loney hit a towering shot to center as the hottest team in baseball won their sixth straight over the first-place Padres, 4-1.
It was another masterful outing for Kershaw (3-2, 3.55) as he kept the Padres off-balance all night long throwing seven strong and allowing only one run off three hits, seven K’s, and only two walks.
The lone run came in the first inning after walking lead-off man Scott Hairston, who later scored on Chase Headley’s fielder’s choice. After giving up a lead-off double to Yorvit Torrealba in the second, Kershaw retired 12 of his next 13 batters.
It just goes to show that when Kershaw’s control is on, he is one of the most dominant pitchers in the league; the lefty started the Dodgers’ tear last Sunday striking out nine in a two-hit, eight-inning shut-out over the Rockies.
“He keeps it together,” head coach Joe Torre added. “He doesn’t unravel. For a kid his age, it’s pretty remarkable. It’s a lot of fun to watch him grow into his ability right now. He’s not going to give you the ball. You’re going to have to take it away.” (from Yahoo Sports)
Ramon Troncoso added a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts and then Jonathan Broxton came on to secure the ninth with his sixth save in eight chances.
Loney’s fourth home-run of the season came in the top of the second to tie the game 1-1. Shortstop Jamey Carroll (2-for-3 with a run and a RBI) continued to swing the bat well with a go-ahead single in the fifth scoring Casey Blake. Carroll later scored off Russ Martin’s single to center, and then Garrett Anderson added an insurance run with an RBI triple in the sixth. Just enough offense to squeak by the Pads.
The win does come with some bad news, though, as the Dodgers found out they’d be without slugger and triple-crown leader Andre Ethier, who missed the game with a broken right pinkie.
Ethier said he was taking swings in the indoor batting cage when he pinched his right pinkie against his bat. He took a few more swings during batting practice before telling hitting coach Don Mattingly the problem. Ethier also said the finger bothered him while he was playing catch. According to team officials he’ll be examined by a hand specialist today, but he doesn’t expect to miss more than a few games.
The win does bring the Dodgers within three games of first place, and L.A. could close more ground with a win tonight. After getting over that .500 mark for the first time Friday night, the Dodgers look to build on the momentum with a sweep over the Padres, which would mark back-to-back divisional sweeps.
Chad Billingsley will be looking for his third win in four starts, and second straight on the road. He’ll be taking on Padre left-hander Wade LeBlanc (2-0). Billingsley is 7-4 with a 2.74 ERA in 14 career starts against the Padres, and has earned wins in four of the last six match-ups. Bring out them brooms, Blue!
