Are US players feeling the recession?

Los Angeles, CA

This morning as I was reading the news, I came across headlines of Sir Richard Branson's foray into space travel. He unveiled his prized aircraft, WhiteKnight Two. It will be the carrier vehicle that hauls the main, Spaceship Two, near the outer limits of our world before releasing the spacecraft to blast herself the remaining distance, just above Earth's atmosphere. Naturally, as a born athlete and man of competition, my first thoughts were of watching future generations racing spaceships competitively throughout our galaxy. My second thought was, ouch, this is going to be really expensive!

According to the BBC News article, about 300 people have already signed up, and are willing to pay the $200,000 (£121,000) fare. For this price, passengers receive six minutes of weightlessness during a two-hour flight. After the holiday feasts are over, weightlessness is just the feeling I'll find myself looking to achieve. As for the cost again, well, it will take a hefty salary to afford a trip aboard a Virgin Galactic flight. With Sir Branson being a supporter of England's Nuneaton Borough F.C., I figured it would be appropriate to see which footballers could make the trip.

In unison with a list of the highest played players in football, published by a Portuguese website Futebol Finance, 20 of the top 50 hail from the English Premiere League. The highest ranking non-European player was David Beckham, who landed at 44th on the list. He may have been higher, except the list only accounts for team salary, therefore not including any endorsement deals. All of this still left me a bit unsettled. When I glanced over the list that features Kaka, Ronaldinho, Frank Lampard, John Terry, and Fernando Torres as the top five paid athletes, I felt no closer to my goal of reaching space. As much as I enjoy watching these men display their foot-skills on the pitch, they seemed almost as far off as my final destination. With that in mind, I began my search a bit closer to home. In the MLS the salaries are far less than that of our cousins abroad. Here are the top 25, according to MLS Daily.

Rank	Name	Club	Salary
1	David Beckham	Los Angeles Galaxy	$6,500,000.04
2	Cuauhtemoc Blanco	Chicago Fire	$2,943,702
3	Juan Pablo Angel	New York Red Bulls	$1,798,000
4	Freddie Ljungberg	Seattle Sounders FC	$1,314,000
5	Landon Donovan	Los Angeles Galaxy	$900,000
6	Guillermo Barros Schelotto	Columbus Crew	$775,000
7	Luciano Emilio	D.C. United	$758,857.14
8	Shalrie Joseph	New England Revolution	$450,000
9	Christian Gomez	D.C. United	$430,000
10	Taylor Twellman	New England Revolution	$420,000
11	Brian McBride	Chicago Fire	$385,333.33
12	Darren Huckerby	San Jose Earthquakes	$385,000
13	Dwayne DeRosario	Toronto FC	$357,000
14	Amado Guevara	Toronto FC	$323,750
15	Chad Marshall	Columbus Crew	$320,000
16	Carl Robinson	Toronto FC	$315,000
17	Pablo Vitti	Toronto FC	$303,000
18	Pablo Mastroeni	Colorado Rapids	$300,500
19	Kasey Keller	Seattle Sounders FC	$300,000
20	Jeff Cunningham	FC Dallas	$267,500
21	Fred	D.C. United	$257,000
22	Justin Mapp	Chicago Fire	$255,000
23	Jaime Moreno	D.C. United	$250,000
24	Ricardo Clark	Houston Dynamo	$248,050
25	Bobby Convey	San Jose Earthquakes	$244,500

At least five of the top-25 salaried soccer players in the United States would have to play just about their entire season to earn the required fare for a galactic journey. Is this the result of an American recession, or are we indeed, a lagging second rate to our across the pond counterparts of the pitch. The upcoming FIFA 2010 World Cup may shed further light on the truth of the matter. The U.S. team headed by coach Bob Bradley, will begin play against England on June 12, 2010 at Rustenburg.

McCourt calls an audible...

Los Angeles, CA

With the Winter Meetings looming just around the corner in a cold Indianapolis, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt called an early audible. While many of the Dodgers faithful fans are hoping to land a veteran ace like Toronto's Roy Halladay, or even a sexy-pick second baseman like Florida's Dan Uggla, McCourt had some fishing of his own to do. The whopper that he landed was Dodgers current Hall-of-Fame Broadcaster, Vin Scully. More reliable than Yellowstone's Old faithful Geyser, the former raven haired broadcaster has been the voice of the Dodgers since 1950.

In his 61 years at the helm of the Dodgers radio broadcast, Scully has etched himself a place in history, as well as the hearts of millions of baseball fans. The legend, who turned 82 years young on Sunday has garnered numerous awards over his illustrious career, spanning more than six decades behind the mic. He was inducted into the broadcaster's wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. A record 29 times, he has been named the California Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. In the year 2000, more than 500 members of the American Sportscasters Association named him the "Sportscaster of the 20th Century". Earlier this year, the same group called him the best to ever sit behind a microphone.

Scully had reportedly already decided before that he wanted to return. The press conference Tuesday afternoon confirmed these reports.

"We have had two exciting seasons consecutively--getting into the second round of the playoffs--and when you get that close, you look to the next year as perhaps the one that you go all the way, said Scully in the press release. "I'm very excited and optimistic about 2010 and the direction we're heading and we'll take it year-to-year after that."

He will call all of the Dodgers games in 2010 West of the Rockies. Scully will continue to call all 9 innings of the Los Angeles TV broadcast with the first three innings being simulcast on radio.

Photo Credits- Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Time for a pilgrimage...

San Diego, CA

It seems as if the Chargers that started the season 2-3 have charted a new course. The new-look Bolts have righted their ship, won six straight games, and set sail for Miami. The latest win, a 43-14 conquest over the Chiefs indigenous of Kansas City, seemed like an organized banquet for a hungry Chargers defense.

Although Thanksgiving has just passed us by, San Diegans must feel confident with their team owning a 9-0 record during the Christmas month under head coach Norv Turner. In a season that has celebrated so many Chargers of yesteryear, a veritable pilgrimage to The Big Game would be a welcome sight to more than just Gale Gilbert. It was he alone that suffered five straight Super Bowl defeats, (4 with Buffalo, then in '94 with SD) but it is now the ownership and Chargers fans together that agonize with each missed opening. It has been well chronicled over the past few years that San Diego has possibly the most talented team in the league, yet find themselves falling short in the playoffs year after year.

Falling short may be a dying trend for San Diego. Sunday, the Chargers got more than bargained for from their defensive unit. One which still ranks near the leagues worst in run blocking, and rests middle-of-the pack in almost every other defensive category. On this day four defensive take-aways led to 28 points for a potent San Diego offense. Coach Turner's squad scored a league high 43 points in the Week 12 win over Kansas City. The last five points could have easily been attributed to the defense as well. The Chargers forced a fourth-quarter safety, and the final field goal came as a result of the Chiefs ensuing kick-off. Coming off as a bit indifferent following one of their best statistical games of the season, defensive coordinator Ron Rivera's bunch, seem to feel certain there is still room for improvement.

"We can tackle better and we know we can get a better push in the middle," said linebacker Stephen Cooper. "When we do get to the quarterback, we know that we have to bring him down. We've missed quite a few sacks. We know that when we have the opportunity we still have to make plays. We know that we can get better."

As far as I'm concerned, that is exactly the kind of talk you want to hear from one of your team leaders. That veteran attitude is precisely what will propel the Chargers to greatness in the near future. San Diego is currently tied with Dallas for seventh in the NFL, recording 28 sacks. The Minnesota Vikings are first with 40 total sacks. Having men like Stephen Cooper in the lineup may shake up those statistics.

Now, again taking up the notion that San Diego has a genuine opportunity to reach the promised land this year, it will undoubtedly be in part to a balanced team. Everybody knows that football is a three part game. Offensive, defensive, and special teams units alike must be firing at full bore to compete on the biggest stage. With the sudden resurgence of the Chargers defense, it has almost been swept under the rug how well the other units are playing. San Diego has a superb special teams unit with Kassim Osgood, Jacob Hester, and the always timely kicking of punter Mike Scifres. As of late, you can add the Chargers run game to the mix. Playing on the Pacific shores, they seem to have found their sea legs once more.

LaDainian Tomlinson is cruising through milestones weekly. His 8 TDs are good for 7th in the league, and in the previous two weeks, L.T. has climbed over Marcus Allen and Edgerrin James, to take control of 10th place in the NFL's All-Time leading rushers list. His 12,257 career rushing yards (8 years) are a scant 22 yards behind Marshall Faulk and tread on the heels of the great Jim Brown by 55 yards. Brown, who inhabits the 8th spot on the All-Time list, is a special assistant coach to the Cleveland Browns. He will most likely be in attendance for next Sunday's matchup.

The 1-10 Browns maintain one of the leagues worst records. To spread the icing on the cake, Tomlinson will surely play inspired football with one of his longtime mentors watching from across the gridiron. A 29th ranked Browns run-defense will be hard pressed to stop him.

L.T. photo credits- Chris Carlson/AP

Wigan players to refund and rebound

White Hart Lane, Tottenham

In the wake of Tottenham's biggest Premier League win, and biggest win in 32 years, the Wigan Latics are paying up. The Wigan Athletics players have decided to personally refund each Latics fan who purchased tickets at the DW Stadium box office for their last match at Tottenham Hotspur. The 9-1 drubbing at the hands of the Spurs prompted the players to do something bold. Skipper Mario Melchiot making an announcement on behalf of all the players said,

"We feel that as a group of players we badly let down our supporters yesterday, and this is a gesture we HAVE TO make and pay them back for their tremendous loyalty." He then added, "We are professionals, we will take it on the chin and move on but it's important that we do not take our supporters for granted."

England's Jermain Defoe who scored five, yes 5, of the nine goals netted by Tottenham in the second-half scoring frenzy. After notching his first goal in the 51st minute, Defoe quickly completed his hat-trick a mere seven minutes later. It was the fastest hat-trick in Premier League play since Robbie Fowler scored 3 goals in four minutes for Liverpool against The Gunners in 1994. The incredible task also moved him up to the top spot in goals scored (12) in front of both Drogba (10) of Chelsea and Fernando Torres (10) of Liverpool.

"The lads can't believe it," said Defoe. "If you look at the finishing, all the goals were unbelievable. I looked over at the manager and he looked shocked as well. It's like a dream, it's brilliant."

Not so brilliant for the Latics, who must try and redeem themselves in a home match against Sunderland on Saturday. Roberto Martinez explained his team would play straight away if they had the chance, in trying to erase the memory of the White Hart Lane struggle. "Mentally it's important that we're not fragile and that we're ready to compete as we've always been at home," said the gaffer. "More than anything it's a case of giving a straight reaction, nothing complicated, to last weekend's result and make sure the fans see that reaction. The players need to have that mental strength to cope with the disappointment, and that will be a big test for us."

Is LA ready for fútbol?

Burbank, CA

As the LA Galaxy battled club Real Salt Lake on Sunday evening in front of 46,000 screaming fans, another group of fans made noise back home. Landon Donovan, David Beckham and the lot played for the MLS Cup Final over 1,000 miles from Los Angeles at Seattle's Qwest Field. Meanwhile back in so-cal, the Burbank Bar and Grill, just 26 miles from Home Depot center was brimming with Galaxy fans. This particular party was set up by Galaxy Ambassador Steve Lasse, who plans on hosting regular viewings at this same venue for each Galaxy away game during the upcoming 2010 season. It was one of five major viewing parties arranged in the greater Los Angeles area, while thousand of others surely watched the match from their homes. According to Nielsen ratings it was seen in well over 850,000 homes.

Mike Magee tallied the matches first goal in the 42nd minute, assisted by Donovan and Beckham. During the halftime intermission minutes later, there were raffle give-aways of Galaxy hats, jerseys, and tickets for their March 25th home opener vs. New England. Also, in characteristic LA fashion, one could not entirely escape the Hollywood scene. One small section featured a short film screening that overtook the games audio for the maiden minutes of the second half. Upon the short films conclusion the cast and crew all chanted "Ga-lax-y, Ga-lax-y, Ga-lax-y!", and toasted the fans for their patience. Not much long after, Real Salt Lake tied the game on a goal by Findley in the 66th minute. It was the by-product of a blocked shot in the penalty area off the foot of Real's Yura Movsisyan. The equalizer prompted the game to head into two overtime periods, and 7 rounds of penalty kicks.

Although a startling and rare missed PK by Galaxy captain Landon Donovan opened the door for what became the eventual championship winner by Robbie Russell, soccer is positively on the rise in southern California. Both in between the touch lines, and the turn-styles alike, Los Angeles is priming for major success.

"PKs are one of those things where anyone can miss it, and anyone can make it", said Russell of Donovan's miss. "You look at some of the greatest players in the world. They've missed PKs."

Donovan the regular season league MVP and winner of three MLS Cup Championships already falls into that category. Some fans at the BBG agreed with Russell's comments. One Galaxy fan, Ignacio, of Burbank wondered, "Why we can't go back to the Golden Goal rules?", referring to the sudden-death type of ending that has been around in years past. It is also similar to how a playoff hockey game ends in the NHL. Most critics of the Golden Goal rules however, argue that teams relied too heavily on a defensive style of play. Thus leading to excruciatingly long overtime periods.

Whether the games end on PK or Golden Goals, the game is here to stay in LA. Maybe next time you hear someone talking about billionaire Ed Roski and his City of Industry stadium concept, you should think of fútbol instead of football. Or at least tune into what is sure to become LA's next hot ticket. This MLS Championship may have gone to Utah but it is here in the southland that soccer is really surging.

Fan photo credits: Brandon Vondera

Findley & Movsisyan credits: AP Photos

Going Griffin

Los Angeles, CA

Tomorrow night marks the opening of the 2009 NBA season. While the Los Angeles Clippers can't wait to unveil their newest toy, first overall lottery pick Blake Griffin, their big brothers will once again steal the spotlight. Their elder brothers, the cross-the-hall World Champion Lakers, will hold a ring ceremony. For those Clippers fans out there, this could be the best thing ever. As THE LA team unveils it's 15th banner in the rafters, the OTHER LA team will be plotting.

A year removed from 19 wins, this Clippers team has a chip on its shoulder. With the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Mike Dunleavy and company selected the 6'10", 252 lb. power forward from Oklahoma. Sharing the qualities of his namesake, F Blake Griffin has the heart of a lion and the on court cunning of an eagle. He's super-aggressive (as witnessed jumping into the stand after a loose ball during a recent preseason game) and will be looked upon to run a pick-and-roll with G Eric Gordon. Also looking up is the offensive tempo that coach Dunleavy has injected into his game plans. Super-star Baron Davis trimmed 15 lbs. this offseason in hopes to build on the disaster that last year was. Your 2009-2010 Clippers just may be headed to the playoffs. Look for them to put up a fight with the champs who might miss F Pau Gasol in the opener.

Breaking News!!!

Clippers forward Blake Griffin could miss up to six weeks with a broken left kneecap according to team sources. The Clippers who have only two winning seasons in the last 30 years, will play 20 games in the first 6 weeks of the 09-10 season. The 'Curse of the Clippers' may be real after all.

NLCS Preview...

Los Angeles, CA

The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home waiting for a rematch with the Philadelphia Phillies, who beat them, in last years National League Championship Series. The team will need to beat Philadelphia if it plans to end a 21 year World Series drought. The Dodger will turn to 21 year old Clayton Kershaw, who was just a baby when the team last won the Commissioners Trophy, to be a catalyst in this years NLCS. On the mound for the Phillies will be Cole Hamels. The Phils lefty is the proud papa of a newborn baby himself. On Friday morning, Hamels and his wife Heidi welcomed a healthy baby boy -- Caleb Michael into their family. It is the 25 year olds first child. Some of his teammates think it is going to make him that much better, more focused.

"I think he's going to have fun out there, "Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins said."I've heard having a baby gives you a different perspective on life. There's more meaning. Hopefully that will show up on the mound. You know that's going to be in the back of his head."

The Dodgers lineup is probably knows Hamels needs no extra confidence as he has been superb against the Boys in Blue throughout his career. In his six career starts (including postseason play) against Los Angeles, Hamels has gone 4-0 with a 1.64 ERA. In the NLCS a year ago, he won two games posting a 1.93 Era. His lifetime ERA at Chavez Ravine is 1.83 (16 games).

Clayton Kershaw seems ready for his close-up with the nation watching him take the mound first at 5:07 p.m. PT time tonight. He has a devastating curveball deemed 'Public Enemy No. 1' by Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, and is not afraid to go right at hitters. In his first postseason start Kershaw went 6 2/3 innings, battling a Cy Young hopeful in Adam Wainright of the Cards. Previous to that the 21 year old lefty pitched the Dodgers past the Rockies in their division clincher striking out 10, including the first 5 batters he faced. When speaking to reporters about his role in this upcoming start, Kershaw was relaxed as ever. "Be aggressive -- that's what I try to do every time," said Kershaw.

"The pitcher's job is to just go right after them with your best stuff, and if they beat you -- tip your hat to them."

I think it's a combination of moxie as much as it is his raw talent that is going to make him a star. He really seems to get it, and get it he must if the Dodgers want to beat a lineup as potent as Charlie Manuel has put together. Former league MVP Ryan Howard hit .375 in the NLDS. Chase Utley hit .429 with a HR. Adding to that was Jayson Werth, non-tendered by Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, who hit .357 with 2 HRs and the 'Flyin' Hawaiian' Shane Victorino that batted .353 with a double and a HR. Victorino also adds a lot of speed on the base paths. Kershaw should feel confident in his bullpen once he establishes himself. Los Angeles relievers posted a 3.12 ERA in the regular season, tops in the NL, and had a 2-0 record with a 1.86 ERA in the NLDS sweep of St. Louis.

The Dodgers clutch performer of the year, Andre Ethier is confident in his teams chances. "It's just another opportunity," said Ethier. "This team is different, that team is different. It's not about revenge. It's about the team we're facing and being four games closer to our goal." Look for Andre to be a major contributor again in this series. He led the club with 2 HRs in the division series and like Kershaw, never seems to shy away from the spotlight.

Fresh out of the broom closet...

St. Louis, MO

In beer, err, baseball town USA the Dodgers pulled off a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals. With the 5-1 victory over the RedBirds, the Dodgers will now see time in the NLCS for the second consecutive season. Los Angeles, led by Joe Torre, hopes to see different results in the rematch.

Torre has managed his teams into an LCS in 9 of his last 14 seasons. The Dodgers were led by pitcher Vicente Padilla. He managed a first inning well before settling in and dominating the Cardinals most of the way. Padilla has been another veteran bright light shining in the postseason for Los Angeles. In now his 11th season in the bigs, this was his first postseason start and he showed up ready to play. In seven innings Padilla went scoreless allowing only four hits. Vicente struck out four and walked one before turning the ball over to the bullpen. That back end of the Dodgers pitching staff has definitely played a vital role in the playoffs so far. In Thursdays win over the Cards, George Sherill came in and pitched two outs before Torre brought in closer Jonathan Broxton to face Albert Pujols for the third time. Pujols got the better of Broxton this time, singling to right field and scoring Julio Lugo. It was the likely NL MVP's only RBI and just third hit of the series. The next batter faced by Broxton was Matt Holliday who popped up, and then Broxton closed out the cards in the ninth. Broxtons' 101 MPH fastball to get Rick Ankiel swinging to end the game was just the exclamation point to the story the bullpen has been telling. In 9 2/3 innings pitched, the Dodgers 'pen allowed only two runs and was credited with two victories (Weaver, Sherrill) in the series sweep.

All season long the Dodgers have been led by Andre Ethier and his clutch performances. In the closeout game at New Busch Stadium, Andre struck a bit early. In the first inning with two out, Manny doubled to score Matt Kemp. Two innings later in a similar two out situation, Ethier blasted one 402 ft. to right field. Furcal scored first on the two-run shot that gave the Dodgers a quick 3-0 lead, and quieted the shocked crowd. In two previous series, the Dodgers have never beat the Cardinals. They lost in both the 1985 NLCS and the more recent 2004 NLDS. It marked only the third time the Cardinals have been swept in postseason play. The Dodgers got a solid performance from both Furcal and Ethier in the sweep. Both went 6-12, as Manny lagged behind a little going 4 for 13 on the series. Ramirez did seem to heat up in the final game, going 3-5 with 2 RBIs. When asked about his series performance Rafael Furcal replied,

"All year it was a struggle. I know I'm not that kind of player. I knew if I could get on base two times, we could win every game. That team, they beat us five of seven. They throw two Cy Young pitchers at us. But people see we're a different team in the playoffs."

Los Angeles will now go home and await the winner of the Phillies-Rockies series. Last year the Dodgers lost to the Phillies in the NLCS, as they advanced to win the World Series.

Loretta walks over Cards!

Los Angeles, CA

With bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the 9th inning, Mark Loretta did what the youngsters dream about everywhere. He smacked a line-drive to shallow left field that plated the Dodgers 3rd, and winning run in walk-off fashion. Similar to kids of the sandlot, Loretta accomplished the feat in his own backyard. The 11 year veteran grew up in nearby Arcadia, just twenty minutes from Dodger Stadium.

"I feel like this is the best moment of my career, for sure," Loretta said. "As long as you're on the roster, you have a chance. Joe [Torre] had a lot of tough choices to pick. But once you're on the roster, anything can happen. The game was already tied at the time, so I felt like all the pressure was on them at that point, and I was fortunate to find a little bit of fairway out there."

The big hit and the Dodgers unlikely 3-2 victory over St. Louis most likely wouldn't have been possible without the efforts of 3B Casey Blake. It was Blake that made Ryan Franklin work so hard, keeping himself at the plate for a nine pitch at-bat. There was also a controversial check-swing call by 1B umpire Mike Everitt putting Casey in a hole with a 1-2 count. Blake battled, fouled off three, watched three more miss, and was awarded a walk. In turn Franklin had to throw strikes for Ronnie Belliard, who hit the first pitch he saw to plate Juan Pierre and the tying run. "Blake just wore down their pitcher," said center fielder Matt Kemp.

On the mound Clayton Kershaw was equally impressive in his playoff debut. He came out strong and pitched a 1,2,3 first inning. He did give up a Matt Holliday solo HR and a pair of singles in the second, as well as 1 more earned run in the seventh. Overall the 21 year old lefty looked sharp. Kershaw pitched a 2 hit game for 6 2/3 innings, striking out 4 and giving up only 1 intentional walk to Pujols. When evaluating himself, he wasn't slinging praises as much as his teammates and skipper.

"It was OK," Kershaw said. "Wainright, he's going to be the Cy Young [award winner] for a reason. Anytime you pitch against a guy like that, you know you can't give up too many runs and I made a couple of mistakes. I came out of the game losing," he said. "When you're pitching in the postseason, you want to give your team a chance to win, and coming out of the game losing is not what you want to do... I did all right. I'm not saying I didn't do fine, but it could have been better."

Torre saw it differently, "I was very comfortable watching Kershaw pitch today, said the skipper. "I thought he responded to the challenge very, very well." Right fielder Andre Ethier added, "He's not going to back down -- he hasn't ever before."

The Dodgers now head back to St. Louis with a commanding 2-0 series lead for game three Saturday. First pitch is set for 3:07 p.m. Pacific time. Rock and Roll legend, Slash of Guns and Roses fame entertained fans with his rendition of the National Anthem before the game as well as God Bless America in the seventh inning.

Kemp, bullpen carry Dodgers over Cards

Los Angeles, CA

In Game 1 of the NLDS, a Matt Kemp home run in the first inning proved to be the difference as the Dodgers beat St. Louis 5-3 on Wednesday night. It was the RedBirds that lit the lamp first, scoring via a Ryan Ludwick bloop hit that went off the tip of Dodger 2B Ronnie Belliards' glove and dropped to the ground as Matt Kemp came running in from center. Belliard got the start over Gold-Glove winning Orlando Hudson, who has been slumping at the plate for some time. In the bottom half of the first, after giving up one run, leadoff hitter Rafael Furcal singled, and Matt Kemp blasted a two-run shot over his own office space in center field. I really feel like that two-run shot rattled Cardinals ace, Chris Carpenter, as he gave up 7 more hits and two additional earned runs following that inning.

It was LA's left-hander Randy Wolf that was quoted as saying, "The way you beat them is to get their starting pitcher out of the game as soon as possible...", when predicting how to beat a team with two potential Cy Young Award winners. On this night, it happened a little bit differently. Wolf was chased after just 3 2/3 innings after giving up 2 runs on 6 hits, with five walks to boot. Carpenter after getting out of the first down only one, seemed to hang around somehow. Clearly unsettled, and looking uncomfortable on the bump most of the game, he actually managed to give skipper Tony LaRussa 5 innings and just over 100 pitches. The big righty did concede 9 hits and 4 earned runs, including that two-run blast to Matt Kemp (1).

Between the two teams, a new MLB record was set. It was not a record to be proud of. The Dodgers (16) and Cards (14) combined to leave a whopping 30 runners on base. Albert Pujols was held ineffective by the Dodgers who walked him twice and Matt Holiday who is supposed to be that huge number two batter garnered only 1 hit, while striking out twice. The Dodgers were happy with what they were able to accomplish at the plate. Furcal went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored in the leadoff spot. Kemp hit only 1 of 5, but had the decisive blow that proved huge in the end of the game.

"We always talk about battling and going out there and having good at-bats and that's what we did tonight," said Kemp. "And that's the key to winning games and working pitchers and just trying to make them go out there and make mistakes. And hopefully we just keep doing that."

And hopefully they can continue to do that Thursday afternoon at 3:07 p.m. when Clayton Kershaw faces off against St. Louis staff ace No. 2, Adam Wainright in Game 2. The young Dodgers lefty looked spectacular in his last start, pitching the division clincher this past Saturday night vs. Colorado. The Rockies lost 5-1 to the defending Champion Phillie's before LA played last night. Clayton struck out the first 5 batters of the game, and ended the night with 10 K's. If he isn't as sharp as he was that night, Los Angeles has no reason to fret. Their superb bullpen gave up only one run in the 5 1/3 innings they were called upon to pitch in Game 1. Jeff Weaver who helped the Cards win a World Series a couple years back was just what manager Joe Torre needed to fill the void in time (1 1/3 inn.) before the back end of the bullpen could drive the Dodgers home. Weaver got Ryan Ludwick to hit a comebacker to end the fourth inning, and aligned himself for the win. Ronald Belasario, Hung-Chih Kuo, George Sherrill, and big Jonathan Broxton completed the onslaught of arms. Broxton recorded a four out save that started with one on in the eighth inning. He got Albert Pujols to hit a bouncer for the final out.

The game lasted 3 hours, 54 minutes and was played in front of a sell-out crowd of 56,000 fans.

If the Dodgers win on Thursday, they could have a 2-0 series lead before their Freeway-Rivals even begin their postseason. The Halos play host to the Boston Red Sox, Thursday night beginning at 9:37 p.m. Pacific.

Second Season

Los Angeles, CA

On Wednesday night the Los Angeles Dodgers will host the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of the 2009 National League Division Series. The Dodgers have a formidable foe in St. Louis that can appear downright scary at times. The Cards have arguably the two best pitchers in the Nation League with Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. The two pitchers whom combined for 36 wins, are likely the best 1-2 staff in all of the majors heading into the post-season.

"The way you beat them is to get their starting pitcher out of the game as soon as possible, whether it's Carpenter or Wainwright, that's 67% of the Cy Young voting. But they are human. They didn't go undefeated this year," Wolf said of the Cards fantastic pitching duo.

With that being said, it was the Dodgers jumbled mix of a rotation (12 different starters) that lead the NL in both Overall ERA and Relief Era, while going second in Starter ERA. The Redbirds rested right behind, falling fourth place in each category. Los Angeles will now call upon left-hander Randy Wolf in game 1 of the series, which begins at 6:37 p.m. at Chavez Ravine. It will be Wolf's first career post-season start, in arguably the best of his 11 year service. Wolf enjoyed career highs in both starts (34) and innings pitched (214 1/3) while posting a 3.23 ERA and a .227 opponent batting average. He was also the teams most consistent pitcher, even though he posted a mild 11-7 record. He had 16 total no-decisions, and at one point went 17 straight games in which he lasted through at least six innings. The Dodgers rode his back for an impressive 22-12 record when he started.

On the offensive side of the ball, neither team is lacking with the Cards probably holding the advantage. St. Louis struts out stud 1b Albert Pujols, likely the league's MVP Award winner. Also after midseason acquisitions of both Mark DeRosa and the former Rockies power hitting Matt Holliday, the team is poised to swing their way through the playoffs.

Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier paced the Dodgers, as the team's first duo to hit 100+ RBIs since 2000 (Sheffield and Green). The Boys in Blue finished the year 1st in OBP (.346) and 4th in runs scored (780). Los Angeles likewise include in their line-up Manny Ramirez, who is on of baseball's most prolific playoff hitters, and keep Jim Thome on the bench with 564 career HR's. Once they reach base, expect the Dodgers to utilize their speed. LA was 3rd in the NL with 116 stolen bases, 64 of which came on the wheels of Juan Pierre, and the five-tooled outfielder, Kemp.

Anyway this thing turns out, we are guaranteed to see some great managing of rosters by two of the league's best. Dodgers skipper Joe Torre has reached the playoffs for his 14th straight season and has 4 World Series Titles to his name. His good friend, and mutually respected Tony LaRussa, has managed a World Series winning team in both league's and is a 3x Manager Of The Year.

Better be this week...

Los Angeles, CA

The Los Angeles Dodgers (93-66) tip-off a three game series with the Rockies (91-68) tonight at Chavez Ravine. That would not be newsworthy until the recent tailspin the first place team has taken. Los Angeles holds a two game lead in the West with these final three games to go. The Dodgers once boasted a 9 1/2 game lead, and now are in a must win situation of sorts. They have claimed a playoff spot but need to win at least once this weekend to win the division for the second straight year, and to celebrate a little. The Dodgers were once so confident that they would win the division outright, that they put off celebrating their entrance into the playoffs, as it was only a mere stepping stone. The team, now losers of their last four, are skipping stones and making wishes in hopes of winning a game to end the slump.

When asked to put his teams recent woes in perspective, Mark Loretta had this to say, "Better this week than next week." Well, let's all hope he's right.

Left hander Randy Wolf (11-6, 3.22) will lead the charge against Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez (14-12, 3.52). Wolf has pitched a quality start in 15 of his last 16 attempts. He also leads the team with 16 no-decisions, and is just 1 1/3 innings shy of his career high. He pitched 210 2/3 innings in 2002. He's also a perfect 6-0, with a 2.73 ERA in his last ten starts. Los Angeles will rely on him to be the consistent workhorse he has been all year come game time. His cross field foe is Ubaldo Jimenez. It's no secret that Jimenez has been feasted on by the Dodgers in the past. In ten career starts he is 4-3, but has a high 6.84 ERA, with many of those runs coming in bunches off the Dodgers bats.

In Wednesday nights loss to the Padres, the Dodgers only came up with one hit. That is the lowest output of the year for the team. In related bad news, the team finished the month of September with a very mediocre 15-12 record. In going 0-3, Rafael Furcal saw the end of his 12 game hit streak. If Los Angeles fails to record a victory over Colorado this weekend, they, not the Rockies will be the Wild-Card winners. I can think of maybe only one Dodger that would be happy about that scenario. Dodgers first baseman James Loney has hit 12 of his 13 HR's on the road this season

Kiss it goodbye!

Los Angeles, CA

With yet another series win, the Los Angeles Dodgers have pushed themselves closer to the post-season. They have accumulated 90 wins to just 60 losses and the magic number is down to four. Their lead over division foes Colorado is 5 games. The win which put the team 30 games over .500 for the first time since 1985, sank the Giants to 4.5 games back in the Wild-Card race. In a remarkable year that saw the Dodgers lead the majors for all of the spring and early summer, being highlighted by the emergence of a dynamic duo in the outfield, the team is now poised to win 97 games. That would be the highest total since they emerged victorious 98 times, way back in 1977. It's also a possibility they could see the 100 win mark if they get any hotter over the seasons remaining twelve games. (3 @ Was., 4 @ Pitts., 2 @ S.D., 3 vs. Col.)

"This club is playing with a purpose right now," said manager Joe Torre. "They understand what's out there and what's at stake and they can't expect anyone else to do it for them."

Sunday's win marked the last game between rivals LA and San Francisco for the 2009 season. The Dodgers won not just this series, but also the season series by a 8-5 margin. Randy Wolf the Dodgers southpaw starter (11-6), won the game on 6 plus strong innings. He gave up only two runs, both solo homers to Andres Torres, 5 hits, 2 bases on balls, and struck out three. For Wolf, it has been consistency that keeps him successful. He is 6-0 with a 2.41 ERA in his last eight starts. The Dodgers are now 21-11 in games he starts, and after going six innings against the Giants, Wolf topped the 200 inning mark for the first time since 2003. For Giants ace, Tim Lincecum it wasn't such a happy day. San Francisco was looking for wins as they battle the Rockies for the NL Wild-Card spot. Lincecum, the defending NL Cy Young Award winner, came into the game with the leagues lowest ERA. He was promptly given the boot by a Dodgers offense that retired him to the bench after just four plus innings, his shortest start since Opening Day.

"Definitely today was a big game. You can tell by the look on my face I'm not really happy about my outing and the way I let the team down," said Lincecum. "It's hard to say you let the team down, but I just felt like I could have done a better job out there, put up a better fight, and hopefully it would have been a closer game. But that wasn't the case today."

That wasn't the case at all as Andre Ethier belted a two-run blast, his 31st as well as his 100 and 101st RBIs, to right center field two batters after Dodgers pitcher Randy Wolf drew a four pitch walk in the third inning. Shortstop Rafeal Furcal also had a triple and recently acquired Ronnie Belliard drove in two runs in the 6-2 win. After the game Ethier commented on the opposing pitching as well as his own accomplishments of reaching the 100 RBI mark. He is the first Dodger to do so since J.D. Drew in 2006, and the first to have a 30 Hr/100 RBI season since Adrian Beltre in 2004. "That's why teams have an ace," said Ethier. "They don't get beat too often. This is a good test and warmup for what's to come hopefully." He also added, "Seeing those guys, when you're growing up, hitting 100 RBIs, they're the guys doing the job and now I'm one of them." Almost lost in the mix was another solid performance by the Los Angeles bullpen. Hong-Chih Kuo, George Sherrill, and Jonathan Broxton three three perfect innings to end the game. Sherrill and Broxton each had two strikeouts. Broxton is tied for eighth overall and sits fourth in the NL in saves with 35.

I suppose not only is wining infectious, but it's fun. The sold-out game on Sunday that lasted two hours and 38 minutes had a couple of amusing moments for the fans as well. In the outfield it wasn't just 'Manny being Manny' but 'Ethier being Ethier' as well. The top of the sixth inning saw an Andres Torres home run blasted deep into the left-field pavilion. Slugger Ramirez immediately turned to the crowd and opened his glove motioning for the fans to throw the ball back on to the field. After a couple seconds of contemplation the ball was thrown back and then Manny, apparently pleased, threw the ball back to the fans for a souvenir. An inning later in the seventh, Andre Ethier gave a thumbs up to a lucky young fan sitting in the front row of the right-field pavilion, who was shown on the Kiss-Cam enjoying a smooch with not one but two beautiful women who sat surrounding him. We may well soon see the Dodgers outfielders kissing and raising a Commissioner's Trophy, awarded to the winners of the World Series.

If you'd like to see some more interesting facts about the Dodgers-Giants rivalry check out www.great-sports-rivalries.com. I found some neat facts there, as well as the bat-to-the-head picture seen above.

Dodger dreamin'

Los Angeles, Ca

It's a warm 74˚ night in LA and the stadium at Chavez Ravine sits empty under the stars. It's Thursday September 17th, and the Dodgers are tops in the National League with an impressive 88-59 record. Only the New York Yankees, the team last headed by LA's current skipper Joe Torre, have a better mark in all of baseball. (94-53) This ball club that plays it's games 2.8 miles from the nearby Venice Beach has no Mr. October, and certainly no Mr. November. What this team does offer is a lineup chalk full of talented, hungry players anchored by two young home-grown studs in Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. Oh yeah, they have a character named Manny Ramirez as well, and he's pretty good at this baseball thing.

Tomorrow starts a three game series with arch rival San Francisco. As the players are surely spending time with there families resting and slumbering before a weekend workout with the team by the bay, GM Ned Colletti should be resting easy. He is the man charged with putting this squad together and he has done a fine job. Mr. Frank McCourt owns the team, Joe Torre manages them, but it is Mr. Colletti that has been busy piecing together talent for a championship run. Los Angeles last won a World Series in 1988, 21 long years ago, too far off for such a large market team with throngs of amazing fans that keep the turn-styles spinning year after year in record numbers. Through 75 home games this year, the Dodgers lead the league in attendance drawing 3,442,261 fans. That's a lot of Farmer John Dodger Dog's, in fact as of 2005 at least 1.61 million per season.

"When a team plays hard and puts itself in position to win, they deserve to see that you're trying to get them more tools to win." -- Ned Colletti

This weekend's matchup will feature two pitchers Vicente Padilla (picked up after the Rangers released him) and Jon Garland (acquired via trade for Tony Abreu Aug. 31) who GM Colletti recently brought in to help push the Dodgers further through the playoffs. Sunday afternoon the man on the mound facing off with SF's ace Tim Lincecum, will be Randy Wolf. It was Colletti again that re-signed Wolf for $5 million back in February after pitching last for the Houston Astros. The three have combined for a 15-6 record with neither the newly acquired Garland or Padilla recording a loss for Los Angeles thus far.

Offensively speaking Manny Ramirez was brought in at the trade deadline last year in a three way deal with the Pirates and Red Sox. Not only did Colletti get Boston to pay Ramirez's remaining salary, he only had to give up Andy LaRoche and pitching prospect Bryan Morris. Manny promptly hit .396 with 17 HR's and 53 RBIs in as many games down the stretch. This year he's hitting .302 with 18 HR's and 56 RBIs in 91 games. (he missed 50 games for violating the leagues substance abuse policy - human chorionic gonadotropin) Our young guns, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier have done nothing but blossom into fine ball players this year. Kemp is sitting at .305 with 24 HR's and 94 RBIs, and has vastly improved his outfield play. Ethier continues to be one of the premiere clutch performers in baseball. He leads all big leaguers with six walk-off winners this year, four by way of the home run ball.

With October looming and the rosters set, it is now up to the Dodgers players to do the rest. Joe Torre has the pieces. Now it's his turn to fit them into this post season puzzle and hopefully come out on top. His resume speaks for itself. With two AL Manager of The Year awards sitting atop his mantelpiece next to 4 World Series trophies, Mr. Torre is a proven winner. Now all of Los Angeles is hoping to share some of that success. The Series is tentatively scheduled to start Oct. 28, the latest start ever, now in it's 105th edition.

Ice cold!

Los Angeles, Ca

When Andre Ethier stepped in the batters box to face Pirates relief pitcher Phil Dumatrait in the bottom of the 13th inning on Tuesday night, he led all major leaguers with five walk-off hits this season. Then he did it again! Driving a first pitch fastball deep to right field, and out of the park propelling the Dodgers to a 5-4 win, and helping to extend their lead in the West to 5 games over the recently struggling Rockies. With the late inning blast Ethier became the first Dodger left handed batter to reach the 30 HR mark since Shawn Greene did it in 2002, and the first to reach the milestone since Adrian Beltre knocked in 48 in 2004. As has usually been the case, Ethier wasn't alone. His outfield mate Matt Kemp drove Ethier home in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 3-3.

"You pinch yourself now," said Ethier, who now has four game winners via the longball. "To hit one in a season, to hit one in a couple of years is a great thing. To hit more than a couple? I don't know what's going on. But it's fun and I'm going to enjoy it while I'm doing it."

Ethier is batting .283 with an .896 OPS, 40 doubles, 98 RBIs, and a club high 30 HR.

Los Angeles is now 28 games over .500 (87-59) and have a 5 game lead over Colorado, while San Francisco lingers close-by at 7.5 games back. It seemingly took the Dodgers match-ups with their hated rivals (SF) and now a last place team (Pittsburgh) to get themselves on track, but they are looking like world beaters again. This team is starting to come together in a way that made them look unbeatable in the early days of the season, especially with the emergence of rising stars Kemp and Ethier carrying the team. Also looking bright for the boys in blue is a pitching staff that appears to be coming together in time for a post season push. Huroki Kuroda is back from the DL after taking a laser-like comebacker to the dome in early August, Randy Wolf is feeling better in the elbow area, newly acquired pitchers John Garland and Vicente Padilla are both pitching well and despite recent struggles, Dodgers Opening-Day and All-Star starter Chad Billingsley is feeling confident. Manager Joe Torre seems to be just as optimistic for his club. "As Yogi would say, 'It's déjà vu all over again,'" said Torre talking about Ethier. "You've seen him do it, you want to visualize it. And when he does it, it's just surreal. We talk about guys growing up and this kid is just growing as he goes, " Torre said. "He's been through some rough spots, he fights himself, he probably gets himself out a lot of times - but he's not afraid of the spotlight."

Developing a Dodgers dynamic duo!

Los Angeles, CA

At Chavez Ravine on Tuesday night it was fireworks early and acrobatics late that led the Dodgers to their NL best 79th win of the season. With the help of a marvelous catch at the wall by Andre Ethier to end the eighth inning, Los Angeles (79-54) held on to beat Arizona (60-73 ) 4-3, and keep their lead over Colorado and San Francisco at 5.5 games. Ethier also gave the Dodgers their go ahead run in the bottom of the seventh taking a 3-1 count for a walk with the bases loaded. Ethier's special catch appeared to save a potential go-ahead home run with a runner on first.

"Troncoso had to come in with a good pitch and I was expecting Allen to get a good swing, so I knew I had to get a good jump if he hit it," Ethier said. "I got aggressive, saw the ball off the bat, got a good jump and stayed with it the whole way."

After crashing into the wall, tumbling down, smiling to center fielder Matt Kemp, and showing that he still held the ball, the inning was over. A much appreciative Ramon Troncoso awaited the right-fielder with a fist pound as he jogged in. "I half-jumped and ran through the wall at the same time," said Ethier. "I checked my body with the wall." That read, that catch, that analysis. That is the kind of play coaches will be showing Little Leaguers around the country. Attentiveness and good hustle have a way of making players shine in the biggest moments. What a catch.

It wasn't all Andre Ethier on this Tuesday night in Tinseltown either. As the Arizona State product was busy taking walks and flashing the leather, another young gun was getting things done. With a loud crack of his bat, Matt Kemp hit a solo-shot over the left center fence to get things rolling in the first inning. It was Kemp's fourth home run (23) in as many games. Matt Kemp has gotten so good so fast as of late, it will be no surprise if he reaches the 30/30 mark by seasons end. His 23 HR's and 87 RBIs (just 1 behind team leader Ethier) are both career highs and at 29 he is just six shy of his career best in stolen bases. To top it off he is batting .316 good for 13th in the Majors and he really looks like he's coming into his own. As if Kemp soaring to new heights wasn't enough, in the sixth inning a small remote-control plane interrupted play for about two minutes. The plane that appeared to be handmade at first went about making acrobatic loops, circling over the field, soaring and diving, before eventually crashing into the barrier of the Diamondbacks dugout. Fittingly as the planes night came to a halt, so did that of Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla, all the tune of M.I.A.'s Paper Airplanes playing throughout the stadium. Reactions to the plane varied with Vin Scully finding it briefly cute but worried about a potential recurring distraction. After its long flight it shared the same fate as Lost Flight 815, ripped in two, as Arizona's Augie Ojeda destroyed it to the dismay of the crowd. "Only in Hollywood," Ojeda said. "It's the first time I've ever seen that. It landed right next to me, so I figured I would put it to an end." It was Air Force night at Dodger Stadium.

For Vicente Padilla making his second start for the Dodgers since coming over from the Texas Rangers, he looked alright. After a shaky first inning in which he walked the first two batters, Padilla corrected his arm angle and pitched well. Padilla was pulled by skipper Joe Torre after 5 1/3 innings, throwing 97 pitches, and giving up only one run on a bases loaded come-backer single that went off his calf. He gave up 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. His left calf was badly bruised and he appeared to be limping heavily throughout the clubhouse after the game. Torre should be able to give him an extra day of rest with the likely return of Huroki Kuroda to the rotation this weekend. Kuroda was placed on the DL after taking a come-backer off his head two weeks ago.

Look for Matt Kemp to be in the running for Player of the Week or possibly even Month, if he continues his sharp play. The center fielder is hitting .391 with six homers, 11 RBIs and four steals in his last 12 games.

A miss is as good as a smile.

Cincinnati, OH

With the bases loaded and two out Manny Ramirez struck out looking at a slider. It was the third such time in the game Manny was ineffective with runners in scoring position. A timely hit could have propelled the Blue Crew to victory as they ended up losing by a small margin 4-2. Joe Torre was not thrilled after the game.

"We had the people we wanted up," said Torre. "We just didn't get it done. There's no question we need him [Ramirez], that's the responsibility he's had for years. Right now, he's just out of whack. He's dangerous and he's going to continue to be dangerous and start hitting again hopefully tomorrow," Torre added. "I have confidence in that part of him."

It makes me wonder what parts of Man-Ram skipper Joe Torre doesn't have confidence in. Is he worried the slugger won't be the same without steroids? Is he not confident in his fielding or his hustle? For the sake of Dodgers fans throughout the country, optimism remains high on the super capable slugger. Since LA last played the Reds on July 21st, the night Manny was hit on the hand, Ramirez has seen his average drop from .348 to .306.

Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley (12-8) was outperformed by the home teams Homer Bailey (4-4). Billingsley who started the season 10-5 with a 3.71 ERA has struggled as of late. Since his last win (vs. Cinn. July 22) the right hander was 2-2 with a 4.28 ERA in his last five starts. Last night Billingsley gave up 4 runs in 5 innings for a 7.2 ERA. He gave up seven hits and only faced one batter in the sixth inning. "I'm struggling right now," Billingsley said. "I just need to get back into a groove and find my rhythm again." He has been wearing a tightly wrapped bandage on his left hamstring, but claims he is OK. We will all find out how true that is soon enough. The Reds Homer Bailey pitched rather well. In fact he had a career game. His 8 innings and 7 K's were both career highs for the former first round pick. He allowed only seven hits, all singles, and one walk in leading Cincinnati to their fifth straight victory.

"I think it's just this much time being up. It's probably my longest so far," said Bailey when asked what has been different during his back-to-back victories. "I'm getting comfortable and realizing the things I can and can't do."

The Dodgers (76-53) meet the Reds (56-71) this afternoon at 1:10 p.m. Pacific Time. The game will be broadcast on FOX as part of the Game of the Week package with Eric Karros and Thom Brennaman calling the action.

Knocking on September's door...

Cincinnati, OH

Chad Billingsley, an Ohio native and the rest of the Dodgers (76-52) open up a three game series with the Reds (55-71) at Great American Ball Park tonight. Billingsley (12-7, 3.73 ERA) enjoys pitching in his home state and boasts a record of 3-1 with a minimal 1.40 ERA when pitching vs. Cincinnati. He is still wearing a tightly wrapped bandage on his tender left hamstring. His opponent will be fellow right hander Homer Bailey (3-4, 6.82 ERA). In his one previous start against Los Angeles, Bailey lasted only 2 2/3 innings giving up 9 runs (six earned) on 8 hits and 2 walks on July 21st. Bailey did get past a dismal first two innings in Pittsburgh on Sunday earning his first win in his past five starts, giving up just one run in seven innings against the Pirates.

The Dodgers who now have improved their lead over the Rockies in the West to 4.0 games hope to increase that number over the weekend. They could get some help if the Giants can continue what LA did and cool off the Red-Hot Rockies as they start a three game series with Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, and Matt Cain going against Ubaldo Jimenez, Jason Marquis, and Jason Hemmel respectively. Hopefully for the Dodgers, they are too busy pounding the Red Stockings back to Riverfront stadium to notice the battle going on back West. Skipper Joe Torre seemed optimistic and upbeat after the Colorado series saying,

"We just need to enhance our record. Our high-water mark was 27 games over .500. We came in here 23 games over and now we're 24 games over. You just hope to keep going in that direction." He also added, "We haven't been God-awful. Those guys have played their tail off."

When looking at the Dodgers offense, God-awful may not be too far off. With the exception of Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier who have both bettered their career highs in Home Runs, Los Angeles has been mired in a sour patch as far as slugging is concerned. LA for most of the year has led the league in almost all offensive categories besides the long ball still lead the NL in hits (1,217) and team batting average (.274). As far as hitting for power though, they are 9th in 2B, 6th in 3B, and 13th of 16 NL teams in HR's hit. Ethier (27), Kemp (19), and Blake (16) all have more HR's than Manny Ramirez (13).

Ethier blast lifts Dodgers!

Los Angeles, CA

In a hard fought opening game with the visiting Atlanta Braves, it was Andre Ethier's late inning heroics once again. After trailing two runs in the 7th inning the Dodgers failed to convert twice (Ramirez, Kemp) leaving all of four men on base from that point on. A statistic that has actually been kind to the team all year, with 848 LOB at the All-Star break, the lowest in the NL. That can only help explain their good record. Thursday night both teams stranded nine total. The Dodgers also lead the NL in hits (1049).

For the Dodgers, Randy Wolf went seven innings giving up 4 runs on nine hits. He also struck out four in his ND effort. This is a ND I'm sure he'll enjoy as it could have been another loss. He had his first career stolen base in the bottom of the fourth eluding Derek Lowe and Brian McCann. He was previously 4-12 lifetime, losing in every decision since 2004 against Atlanta (0-5).

For Atlanta, Chipper crushed his 14th HR, a solo shot off Wolf in the seventh inning. He also posted a single and a double, ending his night just short of the cycle. Not helping the cause, it was Braves closer Rafael Soriano that didn't record an out and served up the decisive walk-off winner to Ethier in the bottom of the ninth. "I didn't have my good stuff that I've had all year," Soriano said after the game. "I missed with a lot of pitches and I had some bad luck." Braves reliever Peter Moylan, who provided timely strikeouts in both the seventh and eighth innings said,

"You just don't expect to see it. It's more of a shock than anything else. You're obviously not happy that you lost. But you are shocked that he actually gave up a run. Soriano has been so good all year."

Time to talk about Ethier, he is hitting .293 with a team-high 23 HRs and he comes up clutch time after time. This was his fifth walk-off hit of the season, also tops on the club, and the Majors for that matter. His high numbers, clutch performances, and good arm from right field are propelling him to become a true fan favorite and go to guy for his club. It was the MLB leading Dodgers 29th come from behind win of the season. That puts the magic number to make the playoffs 48.

Chargers open camp to public!

San Diego, CA

Qualcomm stadium opened its parking lots and gates free of charge for fans wanting to catch an early glimpse of the team Wednesday night. It was the first practice in open to the public and let fans watch L.T., Gates, Merriman, and Rivers go through some reps all while munching on $1 hot dogs. A perfect evening out for the Chargers family, even in this slumping economic time. For the five thousand or so who showed up, the Bolts backfield of LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles showed some life speeding through gaps and taking off for a few nice runs. It was a good sight, especially the moves put on by L.T. who recently turned 30 and has been hampered by injuries in each of the last two seasons.

The practice session ran from 7p.m. to 9:20p.m. and was broken down into small segments with a horn between each set. The fans gave the loudest cheers of the night for L.T. and Sproles each time they broke free, as well as on a one handed grab by Antoine Cason and a Clinton Hart interception off QB Billy Volek. Even the kickers got some reps in while working out the special teams units which seemed to be some of the fastest moving segments of the practice. Most fans already showed up wearing their Chargers jerseys and a few had faces painted and sported Mohawks. San Diego is famous for its fans wearing more jerseys on game day than almost any other team in the NFL. One Raiders fan was booed mercilessly near the West end zone for showing off his colors.

The Chargers will now hold a fan-fest that includes an autograph session this Saturday from 10:00a.m.-1:00p.m. The free parking will open at 8a.m. with the gates opening at 9:30. The final fan practice will be held the same time next Wednesday evening, the 12th of August. The team hopes to be back to a full open training camp for the fans next season.

Blue crew routs Brew crew in LA!

Los Angeles, Ca

Right from the jump, the Dodgers (66-41) took to beating the pants off the Milwaukee Brewers. That was until after the game, when Prince Fielder wanted some revenge for being hit. The 17-4 victory was the highest run total put up by the Dodgers since May 25, 1979. Matt kemp and Manny Ramirez led the club with a home run each and 8 RBIs between the two. Offense was the key to the night as Los Angeles scored four quick runs in the bottom of the first off pitcher Yovani Gallardo (10-8). LA starter Huroki Kuroda (4-5) went six strong innings giving up 3 runs on 9 hits but also struck out seven in his second start since returning from a two month stint on the DL.

For the 45,535 fans at Chavez Ravine, the price of the ticket was well worth it on this warm summer night. The home town Dodgers got their biggest home win in 30 years, with a big first inning to start things off, a streaker (albeit clothed) running through the outfield before finally being tackled and carted off to jail in the third, home runs from a pair of sluggers (Manny & Kemp), four hit batsmen, and a Juan Pierre catch at the let field wall to end the game. Dodgers security guards worked for their wage on the night too. After the young fan ran onto the field they had to corral a bigger fella' after the game. The Brewers 270lb. vegetarian first baseman tried to run into the Dodgers clubhouse after the game for a word (and presumably more) with relief pitcher Guillermo Mota after being plunked in the leg with two out in the 9th inning.

"He ran over there, and they weren't going to let him in, and everybody came back," said manager Ken Macha. "I don;t know if you can restrain Prince. I don't think I can. I don't think there's anybody else out there who can."

Dodgers security did well despite what Milwaukee's skipper had to say.

With four players HBP and a fuming Fielder, this should set up for a good rubber match at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night. This will be the final regular game of the season between the two clubs. Milwaukee and Los Angeles rank 3rd and 5th respectively for most hit batters this season. (46, 42) More important to Los Angeles and most likely over shadowed by the Brewers post game antics was slugger Manny Ramirez breaking out of a 7-for-44 slump with two big hits. After going 0-2 on two flyouts, Man-Ram hit a towering solo shot over the left-field fence and then drove in two on a bases loaded double in part of the Dodgers 7 run 6th inning.

"Manny was struggling and hopefully he broke out of it tonight," said Torre. "He's important for us. Not only for what he does for his bat, but what he does for people around him."

I think those words could not be more true than for center fielder Matt Kemp. After Manny hit his HR to gain his first RBI in 44 at bats (His last being the Bobblehead-Night Grand Slam) I looked over to my friend Travis who took in the game with me and said, "Now watch out for Kemp." I have noticed that Matt Kemp more than any other Dodger player really seems to explode on nights that Ramirez does well. When I watch this club it really seems like the young outfielder pays so much attention not his hero's production but to his focus and intensity. Keep an eye out for Kemp, one of my picks to be a future perennial All-Star. Really take your time and watch this blossoming star on nights that Ramirez plays well. I think the sky is the limit for this kid and he may just bring James Loney and Andre Ethier (the clubs HR leader) along for the ride. After Kemp's four hit, five RBI night, he had this to say. "I don't think you ever get used to five RBIs. It feels good to get five RBIs and help the team win." Get used to it Dodger fans, this kid is special.

In other notes, Matt Kemp's .323 avg. is good for fourth in the NL. Second baseman Orlando Hudson who missed the game with stomach problems should play in the series finale. Former Charger and Patriots linebacker Junior Seau was on hand as a dodger bat boy. The Chargers host their first training camp practice open to the public Wednesday night at Qualcomm.

Fantasy baseball anyone?

Los Angeles, CA

Chavez Ravine has seen its share of special moments. Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game, Fernandomania had a no-hitter of his own, and nobody will forget Kirk Gibsons Home-Run with no legs to steady himself, or the back-to-back-to-back-to-back homer game against San Diego, stay classy. Now on this 22nd day of July 2009 Manny Ramirez left his mark on the Ravine. After getting hit by a pitch in yesterday's blowout over the Reds, Ramirez was not expected to play. The gamer that he is, Man-Ram approached Dodger manager Joe Torre and told him he'd be available to bat if need be. It turns out in the bottom of the sixth inning against relief pitcher Nick Masset, Torre made the call. The crowd was already in a frenzy, as loud as any playoff game, in anticipation of seeing their hero step into the box with bases loaded on Manny Ramirez Bobblehead Night. Masset delivered a hard 96 MPH fastball over the plate, and Manny mailed it return to sender, well over the left field wall into the Mannywood section of all places. The ballpark erupted once more and the fans gave Ramirez a long ovation until he came up the steps for a curtain call. "It was great", said Ramirez."One of the best moments of my career. I'm just happy it happened here. It was kind of crazy, but I loved it." A top moment in his career is pretty accurate. Manny (21) moved within two Grand-Slams of Lou Gherig (23) for the most all time. He has the most of all active players. This was his first career pinch-hit grand slam. In the duggout afterwards, Manny playfully shook himself like a bobblehead with teammates. 

For his first victory since June 14th, All-Star pitcher Chad Billingsley allowed just two runs in six innings of work. His 10-4 record has helped the Dodgers, winners of five straight, reach a plateau they haven't seen since the days of Kirk Gibson. Los Angeles is now 27 games over .500. Andre Ethier hit his team high 20th HR on the season, becoming the first Dodger outfielder to do it in back to back seasons since Shawn Green in 2001-02. James Loney also had an RBI triple for LA. Next up is Clayton Kershaw (8-5, .295 ERA) vs. Josh Johnson (8-2, .272) as the Dodgers play host to The Fish starting Friday night. In his last seven starts, all Dodgers wins, Kershaw is 5-0 with a mightily impressive .063 ERA.