Dodgers 5, Reds 2

The wind was blowing so hard during the early innings that the foul poles were swaying, but it finally died down about midway through the game, and now that the game is over, it appears to be kicking back up again. Watching the rightfield foul pole go back and forth reminded me of that walkoff homer Hee Seop Choi hit against the Twins back in 2005 that hit high off the pole. I wondered what would happen if someone hit one to that exact spot tonight while the pole was leaning to the left in the wind, which would have resulted in the ball going BY the pole to the foul side. I wonder what the umpires would have called in that case. … Anyway, the Dodgers have now swept the Reds at home three years in a row, and one of the Japanese reporters told me that tonight is the first time in major-league history that a Japanese pitcher has gotten the win and another Japanese pitcher has gotten the save in the same game. Kuroda became just the second Dodgers pitcher this season to go eight innings (Derek Lowe vs. SD on April 12), and he held the Reds to two runs on five hits. James Loney homered and now has hit both of the Dodgers’ only two home runs in their past seven home games. … Dodgers go to 25-21 and move within three of the Snakes, the closest they have been to first place since May 7.