Dodgers 3, Braves 0 -- Kuroda just misses a date with destiny
In case you haven't seen it yet, this is the news of the day:
http://www.dailynews.com/dodgers/ci_9812507
or at least it WAS the news of the day, right up until Hiroki Kuroda went out and nearly pitched a perfect game. Turned out to be a one-hit shutout in which he retired 27 of 28 batters, giving up only a leadoff double to Mark Teixeira in the eighth inning. And with that, the Dodgers (44-45) move into a first-place tie with the idle Snakes. Dead even. No percentage-point separation. This is as tied as tied can be. It's a whole new ballgame, with 73 ballgames to go for each team.
Some Kuroda trivia
--it's the first one-hitter by a Dodgers pitcher since Derek Lowe on Aug. 31, 2005 at the Cubs
--it would have been the first perfect game by a Dodgers pitcher since Sandy Koufax, also against the Cubs, on Sept. 9, 1965
--it would have been the first no-hitter by a Dodgers pitcher since Hideo Nomo at Colorado on Sept. 17, 1996
--it was the third complete-game shutout by a Dodgers pitcher this year, something that hadn't happened even once during the past two seasons or since Lowe's aforementioned one-hitter. The previous shutouts this year were by Kuroda against the Cubs, a four-hitter on June 6, and Eric Stults against the White Sox, a four-hitter on June 25.
--Kuroda pitched seven shutout innings in his previous start on Wed. night at Houston and now has allowed six hits over 16 shutout innings since coming off the DL.
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About Inside the Dodgers
Tony Jackson has covered the Dodgers for
the Daily News since 2004 and has covered Major League Baseball on a
regular basis since 1995. He previously covered the Colorado Rockies
and Cincinnati Reds. He is a native of Springdale, Ark., and a graduate
of the University of Arkansas.
I'm glad McCourt put the kibosh on a deal saying the players dont match up. Especially after reading rumors regarding Matt Kemp for Jack"I look like I have AIDS"Wilson. A 23 year old five tool beast for a light hitting career 270 hitter. That has to be some kind of cruel joke.
If Ned "The Gnat" traded Kemp for Wilson I would burn my Dodger gear and denounce my fanhood. IMO that would be as bad as Pedro for Delino, or Konerko for Shaw. Sorry for venting so much, but some of these god awful rumors scare me with Ned "The Gnat" running things.
I agree. This was a good "no trade" for the Dodgers. Unless you have an absolute guarantee that Sabathia gets signed long term, why waste Kemp or any other top prospects. Starting pitching is not the reason the Dodgers aren't winning games. It's offense and Jonathan Broxton giving up the big hit lately. Blake is not the answer to that.
There are a couple of potential deals they could make, but probably in the offseason. If they're dead set on trading Kemp, I'd rather see them try to package him and see if they can get Uggla (arbitration year) and Josh Willingham from the Marlins, or with Milwaukee looking to jettison JJ Hardy and possibly Prince Fielder, package Loney in a deal for those two.
If this deal actually made it to the point of being vetoed by Frank McCourt, then it's long overdue for Ned Colletti to be shown the door out of the Dodger organization. He has no clue with regard to trading prospects for rental players... and this isn't the first time... but this definitely would have been the worst of it. Please Frank! Get rid of him now while you sill can! Logan White will be the best GM you can ever wish for and will do the Dodgers proud for years to come!
If Jack Wilson has more intensity than Matt Kemp, that trade should be made instantly. It's not about having more talented players...it's about having intensity and playing hard. That is, if you're listening to the local media's rationale for why the Dodgers are winning.
It has nothing to do with Juan Pierre suddenly being out of the lineup and taking his outs with him. Hey, maybe Juan just didn't work hard enough and play with enough intensity.
It doesn't have anything to do with the pitching staff having the lowest ERA in the NL. Obviously, that is intensity fueled, rendering talent secondary in significance.
So come on fans, ignore the quantifiable and embrace that which can't be quantified. It's a lot easier than alienating players and management. Hey, if Emmanuel Burriss says it, it must be true.