August 2009 Archives

The Dodgers fell to Arizona 5-3 tonight at Dodger Stadium.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

* The Diamondbacks scored two runs in the tenth inning off James McDonald to put the game away.

* Ronnie Belliard launched a solo home run in the second inning, becoming the first Dodger to homer in his first at bat with the club since Garey Ingram's pinch-hit homer in his first big league plate appearance on May 19, 1994 vs. Colorado...Jose Offerman (8/19/90 vs. MON) and Dusty Baker (4/9/76 vs. SF) are the only two other players to accomplish this feat in Los Angeles Dodgers history...Each of these occurrences was a solo home run...Thanks to Stats LLC for the research.

* Matt Kemp homered in three straight games for the second time in his career, previously doing so from June 1-3, 2006 in his fifth, sixth, and seventh career Major League games.

* The Dodgers homered for the seventh consecutive game, their longest streak of the season...Los Angeles matched its longest streak from 2008, when it homered in seven straight from August 30-September 6...The Dodgers homered in nine consecutive games from July 18-26, 2007.

* Randy Wolf is unbeaten in his last six starts, going 4-0 with a 2.57 ERA (12 ER/42.0 IP)...It marked Wolf's 14th no decision.

ETC...ETC

* The Dodgers homered for the seventh consecutive game, their longest streak of the season...Los Angeles matched its longest streak from 2008, when it homered in seven straight from August 30-September 6...The Dodgers homered in nine consecutive games from July 18-26, 2007.

* The Dodgers compiled a 14-15 record in August, marking their first losing record in a calendar month and matching their win total from June (14-12).

* Los Angeles acquired 1B Jim Thome from the Chicago White Sox and RHP Jon Garland from the Arizona Diamondbacks, both for players to be named later.

* The Dodgers became the first team in baseball to reach three million fans in attendance with this year's total of 3,004,726 through 66 home games. It is the 14th consecutive season that Los Angeles has reached the three million attendance plateau.

ON DECK:
* In Game 2 of the four game series the Dodgers send RHP Vicente Padilla (1-0, 3.60) against RHP Yusmeiro Petit (3-8, 5.59)

The official release:

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired veteran right-handed pitcher Jon Garland from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for a player to be named later. General Manager Ned Colletti made the announcement.

Garland is a 1997 graduate of Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, where he was a two-time All-State Player of the Year and a high school All-America.

In separate deals consummated just minutes before the 9 p.m. PST deadline for postseason eligibility, the Dodgers have dealt for designated hitter Jim Thome and righthander Jon Garland.

Thome is hitting .249/.372/.493 this season for the White Sox for an OPS of .864, more than 100 points better than Dodger first baseman James Loney's .738. Thome, 39, has 564 career home runs, but hasn't played first base since 2007. He'll likely be relegated to pinch-hitting duties with a start here and there. Chicago will get a player to be named later.

Garland, 29, has a 4.29 ERA in 167.2 innings this season for the Diamondbacks. He has made at least 32 starts in each of the last seven seasons. The Dodgers reportedly gave up minor leaguer Justin Fuller to Arizona. Fuller was hitting .254 in his age-26 season with Inland Empire.

Tonight's lineups:

DIAMONDBACKS

Roberts LF
Ryal 2B
Upton RF
Reynolds 3B
Montero C
Young CF
Allen 1B
Ojeda SS
Davis P

DODGERS

Martin C
Ethier RF
Ramirez LF
Kemp CF
Blake 3B
Belliard 2B
Loretta 1B
Castro SS
Wolf P

The Dodgers beat the Reds 3-2 today in 12 innings. For a full recap and boxscore, click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• Clayton Kershaw was at his best, striking out 11 in seven innings while allowing only two runs. His only real blemish was a second-inning two-run homer by Darnell McDonald -- James' cousin.

• Until the 12th, the Dodgers' only runs came in the fifth inning, when Matt Kemp hit a solo homer and Clayton Kershaw drove a ball up the middle that found a hole and brought in Casey Blake.

• Then, with the bases loaded in the 12th, Kemp hit a deep fly ball to center that looked like a possible grand slam. Cincinnati center fielder Drew Stubbs caught it on the warning track, but Manny Ramirez came in to score on the sacrifice fly.

ETC...ETC:

• The Reds' Bronson Arroyo was also effective. Arroyo scattered six hits over 7 1/3 innings, maneuvering his way through the Dodger lineup by changing speeds frequently. He struck out only three.

• The Dodgers had 11 hits as a team, but not one player had more than one. Rafael Furcal was the only starter held hitless.

• The Dodger bullpen continued to shine, as George Sherrill, Ramon Troncoso, Hong-Chih Kuo, James McDonald, and Jonathan Broxton pitched five scoreless innings.

ON DECK:

• The Dodgers host Arizona tomorrow night, sending Randy Wolf (9-6, 3.25) against Doug Davis (7-11, 3.75).

The Dodgers have acquired infielder Ronnie Belliard from the Nationals in exchange for minor leaguer Luis Garcia and a player to be named later.
Belliard, 34, has hit .346/.406/.600 in August while platooning at second base for the Nats.
Garcia, 22, has posted a 2.92 ERA in 34 relief appearances this season for the Class-A Great Lakes Loons.

Today's lineups:

Dodgers
Furcal, SS
Pierre, LF
Ethier, RF
Kemp, CF
Blake, 3B
Loney, 1B
Martin, C
Hudson, 2B
Kershaw, P

Reds
Stubbs, CF
Janish, SS
Votto, 1B
Phillips, 2B
Rolen, 3B
Gomes, RF
McDonald, LF
Miller, C
Arroyo, P

Tonight's lineups:

Dodgers
Furcal, SS
Kemp, CF
Ethier, RF
Ramirez, LF
Blake, 3B
Loney, 1B
Martin, C
Hudson, 2B
Billingsley, P

Reds
Stubbs, CF
Janish, SS
Votto, 1B
Phillips, 2B
Rolen, 3B
Balentien, LF
Gomes, RF
Miller, C
Bailey, P

The Cubs beat the Dodgers 3-1 today. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• Chad Billingsley was effective, but didn't have his best stuff. He lasted six innings, allowing three earned runs and nine hits.

• The Dodgers' only run came in the second inning off a Tony Abreu RBI single. It was only Abreu's second start with the big club this year.

• The Cubs' Ryan Dempster went 7+ innings, allowing only four baserunners and one earned run.

ETC...ETC:

• Cubs closer Carlos Marmol pitched an impressive ninth to get the save; he struck out two Dodgers, including Manny Ramirez on a called strike three to end the game.

• Mark Loretta made another start at first base and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. The Dodgers only had three hits: Abreu's, a pinch-hit single by Juan Pierre, and a double by Andre Ethier.

• With a Colorado victory, the Dodgers are now just 3.5 games in front of the Rockies.

ON DECK:

• The Dodgers have a day off tomorrow before traveling to Colorado for a three-game set.

The Dodgers beat the Cubs today 2-0 at Dodger Stadium. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• Charlie Haeger simply shut the down the Cubs today, going 7+ scoreless innings and earning his first win with the Dodgers. He allowed only three hits and four walks.

• Meanwhile, the Dodgers' two runs came on solo jacks from Matt Kemp and Casey Blake. Kemp's homer, a huge shot to left, came in the second inning, and Blake's was in the fourth.

• Interestingly, Jonathan Broxton -- who's posted a 3.86 ERA in August -- pitched the eighth, and George Sherrill pitched the ninth. Sherrill was a bit shaky in the ninth, but got the job done in his first save opportunity as a Dodger. He's still yet to give up a run since he was acquired.

ETC...ETC:

• In the eighth inning, Matt Kemp lost a fly ball while playing right field. It was ruled a double, and it put runners on second and third with one out for Aramis Ramirez, but Broxton shut the door.

• Haeger threw more fastballs today then the two he threw in his first start, but he still made his living with the knuckler. It'd be hard to not give him another go after that performance.

• The Rockies and Giants play at 5 p.m. If Colorado wins, they'll stay just 4.5 games back of the Dodgers.

ON DECK:

• The Dodgers try to sweep the four-game set with the Cubs, sending Chad Billingsley (12-6, 3.70) against Ryan Dempster (6-7, 4.28).

Today's lineups:

Cubs
Fuld, LF
Bradley, RF
Lee, 1B
Ramirez, 3B
Fukudome, CF
Baker, 2B
Soto, C
Miles, SS
Lilly, P

Dodgers
Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Ramirez, LF
Blake, 3B
Kemp, RF
Hudson, 2B
Loretta, 1B
Ausmus, C
Haeger, P

The Dodgers defeated the Cubs 2-1 tonight at Dodger Stadium. For a full box and recap

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

* Three Dodger pitchers combined to limit the Cubs to a season-low one hit...The last time the Dodgers one-hit an opponent was July 7, 2008, when Hiroki Kuroda shut out the Braves 3-0...the Cubs were limited to one hit for the first time since August 31, 2005 by Derek Lowe and the Dodgers at Wrigley Field.

* On the eve of his 33rd birthday, Randy Wolf went 1-for-1 with a double, a walk, and two RBI...With 11 RBI, he tied his career high set in 2003 as a member of the Phillies...Wolf also tied a career-best four-game hit streak, going 6-for-10 (.600) with two doubles, a home run, and five RBI in that span...Wolf's 11 RBI are tops among Dodger pitchers and are the most RBI by a Los Angeles pitcher since Fernando Valenzuela's 11 RBI in 1990...Don Drysdale holds the Los Angeles Dodgers record for RBI by a pitcher with 19 set in 1965.

* Wolf allowed a season-low one hit in 7.0 innings...he is 3-0 with a 1.99 ERA (5 ER/22.2 IP) in his last three starts.

ETC...ETC:

* Los Angeles improved to 73-50 and leads St. Louis (70-54) by 3.5 games for the best record in the Senior Circuit.

* Juan Pierre has six hits in his last 10 pinch-hit opportunities dating to August 8...Pierre is batting .333 (10-for-30) with two walks and two sacrifices in 34 pinch-hitting appearances overall.

* The Dodgers improved to 22-16 in one-run games, 18-6 at home.

Tonight's lineups:

CUBS

Theriot SS
Bradley RF
Lee 1B
Ramirez 3B
Baker CF
Soriano LF
Soto C
Fuld 2B
Wells P

DODGERS

Furcal SS
Kemp CF
Ethier RF
Ramirez LF
Blake 3B
Loney 1B
Martin C
Hudson 2B
Wolf P

The Dodgers defeated the Cubs 7-2 tonight at Dodger Stadium. For a full box and recap click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS

* With the Rockies breathing down the Dodgers necks and threatening to climb one game closer in the West Division standings, Russell Martin said enough is enough, blasting a grand slam in the sixth inning to break open a tie game and give the Dodgers a 6-2 lead. The Dodgers never looked back and for one night, anyway, kept their 3 1/2 game lead over the Rockies.

* Martin slugged the second grand slam of his career and the Dodgers' fifth bases-clearing homer of the seaso. His other granny was a walk-off shot on April 21, 2007 vs. Pittsburgh...Oddly enough, Los Angeles' last grand slam by Manny Ramirez on July 22 vs. Cincinnati also broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning.

* Jeff Weaver tossed a season-high 5.1 innings and lowered his ERA to 3.13 (11 ER/31.2 IP) in his seven starts.

* Matt Kemp went 2-for-4 for his 39th multi-hit game of the season, one behind Andre Ethier's 40 for the club lead. Kemp continues to pace the Dodgers with 140 hits.

ETC...ETC

* The Dodgers improved to 72-50 and remain 2.0 games ahead of the Phillies (69-49) for the best record in the National League.

* With roughly three quarters of the season completed, Los Angeles leads the National League with a 72-50 record, a nine game improvement over its 63-59 mark at the 122-game mark in 2008.

* The Dodger bullpen has allowed just one earned run over its last 15.1 innings (0.59 ERA) in five games.

* The Dodgers improved to 1,015-1,014 against the Cubs in 2,029 all-time meetings between the franchises.

ON DECK

* THe four-game series continues Friday with the Dodgers sending LHP Randy Wolf (7-6, 3.43) against RHP Randy Wells (9-5, 3.01)

Tonight's lineups:

CUBS

Theriot SS
Bradley RF
Lee 1B
Ramirez 3B
Fukudome CF
Soriano LF
Baker 2B
Hill C
Gorzelanny P

DODGERS

Furcal SS
Kemp CF
Ethier RF
Ramirez LF
Blake 3B
Hudson 2B
Loney 1B
Martin C
Weaver P

The Cardinals defeated the Dodgers 3-2 tonight at Dodger Stadium. For a full box and recap click here

BARE ESSENTIALS

* Albert Pujols walked, stole second - taking third on a bad throw - then scored on Matt Holliday's fly ball to center in the bottom of the ninth against Jonathan Broxton as the Cardinals beat the Dodgers.

* The Dodgers' division lead shrank to 3.5 games over the Rockies, their smallest margin since May 12 when they led the Giants by 3.0 games.

* The Dodgers committed a season-high three errors for the second time this season...Los Angeles also committed three miscues on July 4 at San Diego.

* Clayton Kershaw threw 97 pitches in 3.2 innings, his second shortest outing of the season...he entered the night 1-0 with 21 strikeouts and a 1.29 (3 ER/21.0 IP) in three career starts against St. Louis.

* The Dodgers dropped their fourth straight one-run game, falling to 21-16 overall and 17-6 at home.

ETC...ETC

* Despite the loss, four Dodger relievers combined to toss 5.1 innings of one-run ball, allowing just three baserunners on one hit and two walks.

* Jonathan Broxton had his win streak snapped at seven, dropping his first decision of the season...Since his last victory, Broxton has successfully saved three of six opportunities and allowed six runs in 10.1 innings (5.23 ERA) over 10 appearances.

* Los Angeles dropped its fifth consecutive series to the Cardinals...the Dodgers last claimed a series victory against St. Louis from May 14-16, 2007, taking two of three at home.

* Orlando Hudson's one-out single in the sixth ended Adam Wainwright's no-hit bid, marking the longest the Dodgers had been held hitless to start a game...Los Angeles' previous hitless drought to start a game was 4.2 innings on June 16 vs. Oakland.

* Los Angeles signed Vicente Padilla to a minor-league contract today...According to manager Joe Torre, Padilla is expected to pitch this weekend for Triple-A Albuquerque and take the hill for the Dodgers on Thursday at Colorado.

* Prior to the game, the Dodgers placed Hiroki Kuroda on the 15-day disabled list (concussion) retroactive to August 16 and recalled infielder Tony Abreu from Triple-A Albuquerque.

ON DECK

* The Dodgers open a four-game home series against the Cubs, sending RHP Jeff Weaver (5-4, 3.71) against LHP Tom Gorzelanny (5-2, 5.24).

The Dodgers have signed Vicente Padilla, who is expected to join their rotation next week in Colorado. Joe Torre talked about the signing moments ago, here are some of the highlights:

We are bringing in Padilla and he will probably start a week from tomorrow in Colorado. He'll pitch this weekend in Albuquerque..

Its fair to judge a guy on the time you spend with him. I won't judge his past. He's here to help us win ballgames on a clean slate. If he steps out of line we'll deal with it but right now he's one of our pitchers.

I don't see it as a risk. This is not a team that one bad influence could make a difference.

Like I said in an earlier post, this is a big risk, considering all the baggage Padilla brings, but the Dodgers really have no choice at the moment, considering the state of their rotation.

Tonight's lineups

CARDINALS

Ryan SS
Lugo 2B
Pujols 1B
Holliday LF
Ludwick RF
Derosa 3B
Molina C
Rasmus CF
Wainwright P

DODGERS

Furcal SS
Kemp CF
Ethier RF
Ramirez LF
Blake 3B
Loney 1B
Martin C
Hudson 2B
Kershaw P

ESPN's Jayson Stark is reporting the Dodgers are considering adding former Texas starter Vicente Padilla to their rotation.

Starks writes: Initially, the Dodgers had decided not to pursue Padilla, who was officially released this week by Texas after being designated for assignment earlier this month. However, that was before Hiroki Kuroda experienced post-concussion symptoms after being hit in the head by a line drive Saturday in Arizona.

Now the Dodgers are talking with Kinzer about Padilla, who pitched five shutout innings against the Dodgers in June during interleague play. And it's possible a deal could be reached as early as Wednesday afternoon.

Padilla wasn't expected to clear release waivers until Wednesday afternoon, so he can't sign with anyone until he clears.

Padilla comes with some serious baggage, no doubt, and you always have to be concerned when former teammates celebrate your depature, as the Rangers did upon Padilla getting released recently.

But desperate times call for desperate measures, and right now the Dodgers' pitching staff is in flux. So, why not, right?

The Dodgrs defeated the Cardinals 7-3 tonight at Dodger Stadium. For a full box click here.

* Chad Billingsley, making his first start after suffering a strained hamstring last week, went six innings while giving up two runs on three hits.

* Orlando Hudson went 3-for-4 with an RBI, his 10th game with three or more hits. He is batting .327 (17-for-52) with a homer and seven RBI in 15 August games.

* Rafael Furcal went 1-for-5 with an RBI and has reached base safely in a season-high 27 straight games dating to July 20.

* Russell Martin had two doubles to end his 10-game stretch without an extra-base hit.

* Chad Billingsley stroked an RBI single in the fourth inning and ranks second on the Dodgers' pitching staff with four RBI, five behind Randy Wolf's nine.

* Jonathan Broxton picked up his first save of more than 1.0 inning since June 21, when he tossed 1.1 innings to close out a 5-3 victory against the Angels at Anaheim Stadium.

ETC...ETC

* The Dodgers snapped a season-high four-game losing streak at home and improved to 24-23 at Dodger Stadium since their record-setting 13-0 stretch to start the season.

* Chad Billingsley has gone a career-high five straight starts without allowing a home run (28.1 IP) for the fourth time...do note, he did not allow a home run in his first five starts of 2009 after finishing the 2008 campaign with a homerless outing.

* George Sherrill worked 1.1 scoreless innings and has tossed 9.2 consecutive scoreless innings in nine games since his July 30 acquisition...do note, Sherrill allowed his first inherited runner (of six) to score in the seventh.

* The Dodgers improved to 994-993 in 1,987 all-time meetings with the Cardinals.

ON DECK

* In the finale of the three-game series the Dodgers send LHP Clayton Kershaw (8-7, 2.91) against RHP Adam Wainwright (14-7, 2.62).

Tonight's lineups:

Cardinals

Schumaker 2B
Ryan SS
Pujols 1B
Holliday LF
Ludwick RF
Ankiel CF
Greene 3B
Larue C
Boggs P

DODGERS

Furcal SS
Pierre CF
Ethier RF
Ramirez LF
Blake 3B
Loney 1B
Martin C
Hudson 2B
Billingsley P

The Cardinals beat the Dodgers 3-2 tonight at Dodger Stadium. For a full box and recap click here

THE BARE ESSENTIALS

* Albert Pujols and Rick Ankiel both hit home runs and Chris Carpenter allowed five hits in eight innings to win his eighth straight decision

* Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp both doubled for the only extra-base hits for the Dodgers.

* Charlie Haeger recorded his first career big-league quality start, allowing three runs in seven innings with two strikeouts in a losing effort.

* The Dodgers dropped a season-high fourth straight at home, their longest home losing streak since a four-game skid May 7-11, 2008.

ETC...ETC:

* The Dodgers fell to 23-23 at home since their record-setting 13-0 stretch to start the season.

* The Dodgers fell to 21-15 in one-run games, 17-5 at home.

* With Russell Martin's eighth-inning throwing error, Los Angeles snapped its season-high streak of 85.2 consecutive errorless innings.

* Haeger became the 10th different Dodger pitcher to start a game this season, one behind last season's total.

* With his first-inning single, Rafael Furcal reached base in a season-high 26 straight games dating to July 20. Furcal is batting .296 (34-for-115) with two homers and 11 RBI during that span.

ON DECK:

* In Game 2 of the three-game series the Dodgers send RHP Chad Billingsley (11-6, 3.73) vs. RHP Mitchell Boggs (1-1, 3.78) at 7:10 p.m.

Tonight's lineups:

CARDINALS

Schumaker 2B
Ryan SS
Pujols 1B
Holliday LF
Ludwick RF
Ankiel CF
Derosa 3B
Molina C
Carpenter P

DODGERS

Furcal SS
Hudson SB
Ethier RF
Ramirez LF
Blake 3B
Kemp RF
Loney 1B
Ausmus C
Haeger P

The Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks today 9-3. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• Randy Wolf was on his game today, pitching 7 2/3 strong innings and knocking three hits (including a home run and a double) while getting his seventh win.

• The top of the lineup was quite productive for the Dodgers today -- especially in the first inning, when Andre Ethier drove in Matt Kemp and Orlando Hudson to begin the game, putting the Dodgers at a 3-0 advantage before Arizona starter Yusmeiro Petit recorded an out.

• Hiroki Kuroda is okay, amazingly. He wants to throw his bullpen tomorrow -- that's not likely to happen, but it looks like it could be a shorter timetable for his return than was originally thought.

ETC...ETC

• More on Wolf: He ended up allowing three runs, all in the eighth, but that doesn't speak to how masterful he was. He recorded 20 straight outs at one point and provided 3 RBI of his own. He also had a season-high 10 strikeouts.

• Hitters 9-3 in the Dodgers lineup: 11-for-19. Hitters 4-8: 2-for-17, including an 0-fer from Manny Ramirez.

• Arizona's Mark Reynolds, who punished the Dodgers' Jonathan Broxton with a home run in the ninth inning last night, went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts tonight.

ON DECK:

• Chris Carpenter (12-3, 2.27) faces Charlie Haeger (making his Dodgers debut) in the first game of a crucial homestand for the Dodgers tomorrow at 7 p.m.

Hiroki Kuroda this morning was discharged from St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. He is expected to rejoin the team today, and doctors have cleared him to fly with the team to Los Angeles following today's series finale at the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers 4-3 tonight in 10 innings. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• The big story for the Dodgers tonight was what happened to starter Hiroki Kuroda. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Arizona pinch-hitter Rusty Ryal lined a 2-2 pitch right back at Kuroda's right temple, and the 34-year-old righthander went down immediately. He did move, however, and CAT scans taken after the game at St. Joseph's Hospital were negative.

• Meanwhile, the Dodgers held a 3-1 lead into the ninth but closer Jonathan Broxton allowed back-to-back homers -- only his third and fourth homers allowed of the season -- to blow the save.

• The Blue couldn't put anything together offensively in the tenth, and the D'Backs came back with a perfectly executed bottom half of the inning off of Ramon Troncoso to get the win. Augie Ojeda singled, Dan Haren bunted him to second, and after two walks, Gerardo Parra hit a walk-off single.

ETC...ETC

• The Dodgers took a 3-0 lead, but Ryal's hit -- ruled a ground-rule double -- sparked the first run for the D'Backs. From there, the L.A. offense wasn't the same, with only two hits.

• Hong-Chih Kuo and George Sherrill both feasted on an Arizona lineup that was incredibly left-handed in scoreless seventh and eighth innings. The 1-7 hitters in the D'Backs order were lefties.

• Offensively, Brad Ausmus had an RBI single in the second, Doug Davis threw a pick-off away in the fifth to score Rafael Furcal, and Mark Loretta hit a sac fly to bring in Casey Blake in the sixth inning.

• Matt Kemp didn't have a hit but still wreaked havoc on the basepaths, reaching base via walk in the tenth inning and stealing second and third.

ON DECK:

• Randy Wolf (6-6, 3.43) tries to salvage a game for the Dodgers against Arizona's Yusmeiro Petit (2-6, 5.87) tomorrow at 1 p.m.

CAT Scans on Hiroki Kuroda taken at a nearby Phoenix hospital were negative. As soon as trainer Stan Conte came out to talk to the 34-year-old, he reportedly asked if anyone had caught the ball that bounced off his head.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Arizona pinch-hitter Rusty Ryal. Ryal, replacing D'Backs starter Doug Davis, hit a 2-2 pitch right back up the middle. Kuroda reacted violently to the ball and hardly moved while on the ground. Ryal appeared apologetic; among notable Dodger reactions included 21-year-old lefthander Clayton Kershaw, who looked legitimately shocked. Eventually, a car came to take Kuroda away and James McDonald replaced him. We'll know more later.

Tonight's lineups:

Dodgers
Furcal, SS
Ethier, RF
Ramirez, LF
Kemp, CF
Blake, 3B
Loretta, 1B
Hudson, 2B
Ausmus, C
Kuroda, P

Diamondbacks
Drew, SS
Oeljten, LF
Parra, CF
Reynolds, 3B
Montero, C
Tracy, 1B
Romero, RF
Ojeda, 2B
Davis, P

The Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers 4-1 tonight at Chase Field. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• Clayton Kershaw didn't have one of his better outings, lasting only 4 1/3 innings while walking four and giving up six hits. He was charged with four runs, all of which came in the second inning.

• The Dodgers were shut down by one of the better pitchers in baseball, as Arizona righthander Dan Haren went eight strong innings. The only run he allowed was a fifth-inning homer by Matt Kemp -- Kemp's 17th of the year.

• Manny Ramirez went 3-for-4 batting fourth, but the 1-3 spots in the order -- Rafael Furcal, Russell Martin, and Andre Ethier -- were an alarming 0-for-10.

ETC...ETC

• The Dodgers announced the signing of second-round pick Garrett Gould to a $900,000 bonus. Ken Gurnick has more on the 18-year-old from Kansas.

• One good sign was the performance of the bullpen, which pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings once Kershaw exited. Ramon Troncoso, Ronald Belisario, and Guillermo Mota combined to allow only one baserunner in that time.

• Haren also hit the Dodgers well, knocking an RBI single off Kershaw in the second and hitting Andre Ethier in the eighth in an apparent retaliation. Belisario had hit Arizona' Mark Reynolds in the seventh.

• A Rockies loss to Florida means the Dodgers stay five games in front of Colorado.

ON DECK:

• Hiroki Kuroda (5-5, 4.21) and Doug Davis (7-10, 3.62) in game two in Arizona.

A SAN FRANCISCO SWEEP? - The Dodgers today play the finale of their three-game series at San Francisco, continuing their six-game road trip that also includes a stop in Arizona over the weekend after an offday tomorrow. Los Angeles returns home on Monday to open a seven-game stay with the first of three vs. St. Louis.

►The Dodgers today conclude a stretch of playing 20 days in a row, which began July 24 vs. Florida. Los Angeles is 8-11 thus far during the stretch.

►Los Angeles has won two straight games for the first time since July 30 at St. Louis and July 31 at Atlanta. A win today would give the Dodgers their first winning streak of at least three games since a five-game streak from July 18-22. A victory today would also be the 70th for the Dodgers. The club last year got win No. 70 in their 140th game on September 3, a 6-4 triumph vs. San Diego.

ROSTER NEWS - Prior to yesterday's game, the Dodgers purchased the contract of right-handed knuckleballer Charlie Haeger from Triple-A Albuquerque and optioned left-handed pitcher Eric Stults to Albuquerque. There were 39 players on the 40-man roster prior to the transaction, so no 40-man roster move was necessary.

►Right-hander Chad Billingsley on Monday was scratched from starting today's series finale with a mild left hamstring strain. Right-hander Jeff Weaver takes the mound in his place. Weaver is making his sixth start for the Dodgers, his first since July 11 at Milwaukee. The 32-year-old is 2-0 with a 3.47 ERA (9 ER/23.1 IP) in his five starts.

SIMPLY THE BEST - The Dodgers have the best record in the National League at 69-45, as well as the largest division lead of any first-place Major League team, 6.5 games better than West rival Colorado (62-51). The Dodgers are 1.5 games behind the Yankees (70-43) for the best record in the Majors.

►The Dodgers are off to their best 114-game start since 1985, when they were an identical 69-45 after a 5-2 loss at San Francisco on August 17. A win tonight would give the Dodgers their best 115-game start since 1974, when they were 75-40 after a 3-1 win at St. Louis on August 11. Cardinals first baseman Joe Torre that day went 0-for-4.

HOME ON THE ROAD - The Dodgers have won three straight road games and five of their last six road contests, and are 33-23 overall away from Dodger Stadium. The 33 road wins are tied for the Major League lead with the Phillies (33-19). The Dodgers have won two straight against the team with the best home record in the NL (38-20).

►At 33-23 on the road, the Dodgers are 10 games above .500 away from Dodger Stadium for the first time since ending the 2002 regular season 11 games up at 46-35.

►Since giving up 10 runs in 8.0 innings in a 10-0 loss July 28 at St. Louis, the Dodgers pitching staff has posted a 1.70 ERA (13 ER/68.2 IP) in its last seven road games. The Los Angeles pitching staff ranks third in the Majors with a 3.86 road ERA (214 ER/499.1 IP) overall, trailing Colorado (3.73) and Arizona (3.76).

►The Dodgers' offense is batting .304 (207-for-682) in its last 18 road games beginning July 3, recording at least 10 hits in 10 of those contests.

►The Dodgers have hit exactly half of their home runs on the road, slugging 47 of their 94 homers away from Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles has hit 30 homers in its last 26 road games after belting only 17 in its first 30 road contests.

START ME UP - With victories by Hiroki Kuroda and Randy Wolf in the last two games, Dodgers starting pitchers have posted back-to-back wins for the first time since July 20-22, when Jason Schmidt, Wolf, and Chad Billingsley won three in a row in a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium.

LET'S DO IT - Los Angeles had lost three series in a row at AT&T Park until winning the first two games of this series and assuring itself of a series victory. The Dodgers today go for their first sweep at AT&T Park since July 13-15, 2007. The three wins in that series were the final three victories of an 11-game winning streak in San Francisco that began on August 19, 2006.

►The Dodgers are 16-13 against the Giants since the start of the 2008 season, when Joe Torre became manager.

►Unlike going three months between series like this last time, the Dodgers and Giants will next meet in only one month, a three-game series from September 11-13 at AT&T Park. The two teams then close out their season series with a three-game set at Dodger Stadium from September 18-20.

ON THE VERGE? - Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp are tied for the team lead with 75 RBI, with James Loney close behind with 69 RBI and Casey Blake right there with 65 RBI. Those players are vying to become to the first Dodger to record at least 100 RBI in a season since J.D. Drew drove in exactly 100 runs in 2006. Los Angeles last had a pair of teammates with 100 or more RBI in 2001, when Shawn Green (125) and Gary Sheffield (100) accomplished the feat.

►The Los Angeles Dodgers have never had three players with at least 100 RBI in a season. The franchise last had a troika of 100-RBI players in 1955, when Brooklyn's Duke Snider (136), Roy Campanella (107), and Gil Hodges (102) turned the trick en route to winning the World Series.

ON THE OFFENSIVE - The Dodgers lead the National League in hitting with a .278 average, ten points higher than the next closest team, the Houston Astros (.268). Los Angeles also leads the NL with a .353 on-base percentage. The Dodgers are tied for second in the NL with Colorado with 565 runs scored, trailing only Philadelphia (573).

►The Dodgers rank 26th in the Majors with 94 home runs and are tied for 17th with a .414 slugging percentage.

THIS DATE IN DODGERS HISTORY - On August 12, 1995, thanks to an odd play‚ the Dodgers defeat the Pirates‚ 11-10‚ in 11 innings at Dodger Stadium. With one out in the 11th and the potential winning run at third base, Mitch Webster swings at a pitch in the dirt. When Pittsburgh rookie catcher Angelo Encarnacion casually picks up the ball with his mask‚ Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda appeals‚ citing the rule which awards a runner two bases if a fielder uses his mask to touch a thrown ball. The umpires agree and allow the winning run to score. Encarnacion is given an error.

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UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES (All times Pacific)

Date Time Opponent Scheduled Pitchers TV

Friday, August 14 6:40 p.m. at ARI LHP Clayton Kershaw (8-6, 2.73) vs. RHP Dan Haren (11-7, 2.57) KCAL

Saturday, August 15 5:10 p.m. at ARI RHP Hiroki Kuroda (5-5, 4.21) vs. LHP Doug Davis (7-10, 3.62) KCAL

Sunday, August 16 1:10 p.m. at ARI LHP Randy Wolf (6-6, 3.43) vs. RHP Yusmeiro Petit (2-6, 5.87) KCAL

The Dodgers beat the Giants 9-1 tonight in San Francisco. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• Randy Wolf was dominant in eight innings of work, allowing just one run on three hits and a walk. He got his sixth win of the year and lowered his ERA to 3.43.

• Manny Ramirez was truly a formidable force in the Dodger lineup, going 2-for-3 with a double, a homer, and 3 RBI, as well as two intentional walks. No. 3 hitter Andre Ethier went 3-for-5.

• The runs for the Dodgers came in bunches -- four in the fifth and five in the seventh. Ethier led off the scoring with a fifth-inning two-run double, and Matt Kemp capped it with a three-run homer in the seventh.

ETC...ETC:

• Juan Castro made the start for the injured Orlando Hudson. Hudson's likely to miss tomorrow's series capper but is listed as day-to-day.

• Jeff Weaver was announced as the starter for tomorrow's game, replacing ace Chad Billingsley, who's out with a hamstring strain. Weaver has posted a 2-1 record and 3.47 ERA in five starts so far this season while working primarily out of the bullpen.

• The Giants had only one hit after the fifth inning, a single by Pablo Sandoval in the ninth. James McDonald retired the side in the ninth on just seven pitches by then getting Juan Uribe to ground into a double play and Ryan Garko to foul out.

ON DECK:

• Jeff Weaver (5-4, 3.90) faces Tim Lincecum (12-3, 2.20) as the Dodgers try to sweep San Francisco.

The Dodgers beat the Giants 4-2 tonight in the first of three games in San Francisco. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• Timely hitting gave the Dodgers the victory tonight, even though they went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. All four runs came in the fourth on a Matt Kemp three-run double and Mark Loretta RBI single.

• Hiroki Kuroda turned in a solid start, giving up just one run on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. It was also his longest outing since June and gave him wins in consecutive starts for the first time this season.

• Joe Torre used his bullpen by the book. Hong-Chih Kuo faced one batter after replacing Kuroda, Ronald Belisario came in to set up a righty-righty matchup, and George Sherrill and Jonathan Broxton pitched the eighth and ninth innings. Kuo, Belisario, and Sherrill all got holds. You hear a lot of criticism of the Dodger pen, but there are quite a few solid arms.

ETC...ETC:

• Broxton gave up a solo jack to Bengie Molina and a single to Randy Winn with one out in the ninth, but he got Fred Lewis to ground into a force out and Juan Castro made a nice play on a Ryan Garko grounder to end the game.

• Chad Billingsley won't make his Wednesday start with the hamstring injury, so the Dodgers will have to bring up another Triple-A starter or use Jeff Weaver, barring a waiver wire pickup. Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger has a 3.55 ERA in 22 starts with Albuquerque, and he averages nearly seven innings a start.

• The Dodgers victory puts them 6.5 games in front of the Giants in the NL West, but the Rockies -- on the strength of a cycle by Troy Tulowitzki -- stayed 5.5 back.

ON DECK:

• Randy Wolf (5-6, 3.55) and Joe Martinez (2-0, 5.87) take to the mound in the second game of the series.

Fox Sports is reporting that Reds pitchers Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang have cleared waivers

As a result, each player is free to be traded by the Reds to any team.

Harang defeated the San Francisco Giants on Sunday for his first victory since May 25. He is 6-13 with a 4.43 ERA but has recorded an out in the seventh inning in four of his past five starts.

Arroyo has an ERA above 5.00 this season but is 2-3 with a 3.02 ERA over his last six starts.

On one hand, I'm surprised the Dodgers didn't put a claim in on either of these pitchers, considering the state of their rotation. On the other, I get the sense the Dodgers aren't too keen on adding payroll, and each is owed the remaining amount of this year's contract plus their contracts for next year.

Still, I woulnd't be surprised if the Dodgers try to swing a deal for either pitcher with the understanding the Reds assume some salary.

The Braves beat the Dodgers 8-2 today to win the series 3-1. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• Not a good day for the Dodgers. Eric Stults kept the game close in a spot start, but the bullpen couldn't keep the team in the game. Manny Ramirez went 3-for-4 but the team went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

• Javier Vasquez was really dealing for the Braves. His stuff looked great throughout, and he shut the Dodgers down to the tune of eight innings of one-run baseball. The Blue had only two extra-base hits in the game, doubles by Manny Ramirez and Orlando Hudson.

• Matt Diaz homered in the second, but the Braves didn't really put together any significant on offense until the ninth, where five hits and a walk, capped by a two-run single by Martin Prado, made the score 8-1.

ETC...ETC:

• The Dodgers put together a brief rally in the ninth but Mark Loretta, starting for James Loney at first, flew out to end the game.

• Stults, recalled earlier today to replace Tony Abreu on the active roster, certainly did what we asked. He pitched five innings, giving up three runs while on just two days' rest after a Triple-A start Thursday.

• There's definitely cause to be worried about Ramon Troncoso. Since pitching back-to-back-to-back games July 18-20, his ERA has been a not-so-hot 13.50 in six innings of work. He's given up 15 hits and struck out just four in that time and was shelled in today's ninth inning.

• Don't look now, but both the Giants and Rockies are tied for the NL Wild Card lead 61-50 and are just 5.5 games back of the Dodgers in the West. The Rockies are a simply incredible 43-22 since Jim Tracy took over as manager on May 29.

ON DECK:

• Hiroki Kuroda (4-5, 4.44) and Jonathan Sanchez (5-9, 4.49 and of no-hitter fame) match up in the first game of a crucial three-game set in San Francisco. The Dodgers won't have to face Matt Cain but Tim Lincecum is set to take the ball Wednesday.

The Braves beat the Dodgers 2-1 in 10 innings tonight. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• For the second consecutive night, the Braves won it in extras -- this time in the tenth on a Kelly Johnson two-run homer off Guillermo Mota. Andre Ethier hit an RBI double but Matt Kemp grounded out with runners on second and first to end the game.

• The game had been scoreless until the tenth, as both Clayton Kershaw (7 innings, 2 hits, 10 strikeouts) and Kenshin Kawakami (7 innings, 4 hits) shut down the opposition. The Braves' Kris Medlen got the win by pitching two scoreless innings in relief.

• The Braves had three hits in the game. No typo. A double by Ryan Church to lead off the game, a Garrett Anderson single in the fourth inning, and Johnson's homer.

ETC...ETC:

• Ronald Belisario made a surprising early return from the disabled list and was effective in pitching part of the eighth. He walked one but got two outs before being removed for George Sherrill.

• Manny Ramirez went 0-for-4 to lower his average to .302. Tony Abreu, making his first start in the big leagues since 2007, went 1-for-3 with a walk.

• Tomorrow's starter still hasn't been announced -- but it's likely to be Jeff Weaver. Weaver last pitched on Monday against the Brewers. He's made five starts this season.

• The Dodgers have won just six of their last 16 games. They're currently 1 1/2 games back of the Yankees for the best record in baseball.

ON DECK:

• The Dodgers will attempt to salvage a 2-2 series split with the Braves tomorrow, with Javier Vasquez (9-7, 2.99) facing a TBD starter for the Blue at 1:10 p.m.

Tonight's lineups:

Tonight's lineups:

Dodgers
Furcal, SS
Ethier, RF
Ramirez, LF
Kemp, CF
Loney, 1B
Hudson, 2B
Abreu, 3B
Ausmus, C
Kershaw, P

Braves
Church, CF
Prado, 2B
Anderson, LF
Escobar, SS
Diaz, RF
LaRoche, 1B
Ross, C
Hernandez, SS
Kawakami, P

The Braves beat the Dodgers 9-5 in 12 innings late last night. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• The Braves won it in the 12th on an RBI base hit that unlocked the 5-5 tie, then broke it open with a three-run homer by Ryan Church. Jonathan Broxton, who entered the game with a 5-4 lead in the ninth, blew the save.

• The loss went to Ramon Troncoso, who simply wasn't effective beginning the 12th inning. Scott Elbert, the Sunday starter (as announced today), then entered in relief and gave up the bomb to Church.

• Chad Billingsley pitched six strong innings but again exited early due to injury, this time with a left hamstring strain termed mild. Sunday he left early with a right hamstring strain. He allowed four hits and three walks in his six innings of work.

• Only two Dodgers had multiple-hit performances, as Casey Blake went 3-for-6 with a home run and Russell Martin went 3-for-5 to raise his average to .271.

ETC...ETC:

• Only James McDonald shined out of the bullpen tonight, as he pitched two perfect innings. Hong-Chih Kuo had his first bad outing since his return from the disabled list, getting only one of three batters out. George Sherrill wasn't charged with any runs but gave up three hits in 1 2/3 innings.

• It could be speculated that Broxton blew the save in part due to a fan that ran onto the field in the top of the ninth. From that point, he walked Nate McLouth and wasn't in control.

• Manny Ramirez went 0-for-3 with a walk before leaving in a double switch to start the ninth. Andre Ethier went 0-for-2 with, count 'em, four walks.

ON DECK:

• The Dodgers send LHP Clayton Kershaw (8-6, 2.89) against Braves RHP Kenshin Kawakami (5-9, 4.38).

Joe Torre suggested the injury that ended pitcher Chad Billingsley's night in the sixth inning against the Braves Friday didn't appear serious, at least after an initial evaluation.

Billingsley suffered a mild strain in his left hamstring legging out a single, and was pulled from the game to start the top of the seventh.

Billingsley will be re-evaluated Saturday, and while he didn't dispute what Torre said, he sounded slightly less convincing about the severity of the injury.

When asked how he felt, he resounded: "Not good at all."

Billingsley added he didn't think the injury was serious, but he was in obvious discomfort by the time reporters spoke to him after the game.

Tonight's lineups:

Dodgers
Furcal, SS
Ethier, RF
Ramirez, LF
Blake, 3B
Loney, 1B
Kemp, CF
Martin, C
Hudson, 2B
Billingsley, P

The Dodgers beat the Braves 5-4 in dramatic fashion tonight, thanks to a game-winning three-run home run by Andre Ethier. For a full boxscore click here

BARE ESSENTIALS

* What more can you say about Andre Ethier, who hit his third game-winning walk-off home run of the year, while collecting his league-best fifth walk-off hit of the year. His eight walk-off hits since the start of the 2008 season also lead the Majors.

*The Dodgers won in walk-off fashion for a Major League-leading 11th time, and their 19 walk-off wins since the start of the 2008 season are also a Major League best...Los Angeles notched its 29th come-from-behind win, including their fourth when trailing after eight innings.

* The Dodgers improved to 21-12 in one-run games, including a 17-3 mark at Dodger Stadium.

* Randy Wolf got his first career stolen base, swiping second off Derek Lowe in the fourth inning...it was also his first career stolen-base attempt, giving him a 100-percent success rate.

ETC...ETC

* Orlando Hudson collected the 1,000th hit of his career with an infield single in the fourth off Derek Lowe.

* Hong-Chih Kuo has tossed 5.2 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts in six appearances since returning from the disabled list.

* Ronald Belisario made his second rehabilitation appearance, tossing a scoreless first inning for Single-A Inland Empire vs. Rancho Cucamonga (Angels)...he allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out two...Belisario also tossed a scoreless inning for Inland Empire Tuesday vs. Rancho Cucamonga.

ON DECK:

* In Game 2 of the four-game series the Dodgers send RHP Chad Billingsley (11-6, 3.82) against RHP Jair Jurrjens (9-8, 2.85) at 7:10 p.m.

Just got home and caught the rebroadcast of the Red Sox - Rays game with Rick Sutcliffe doing the color commentary. In the sixth inning, Sutcliffe told a story of a similar situation he had with the Dodgers back in the day.

``I did that with the Dodgers,'' Sutcliffe said. ``Pedro Guerrero hit a home run off of me and stood there looking at it. I was going to get him the next time up but he took himself out of the game.''

After that, Sutcliffe said he went over to the Dodgers clubhouse after the game to have a few words with Guerrero. Some of the Dodgers let him in and told him Guerrero was in the training room.

He was about to enter when Manny Mota stepped in front of him and talked him down.

Sutcliffe turned around and went back to the visitors' locker room.

``I know a lot of people are all over Prince for that, but I applaud him,'' Sutcliffe said.

The Brewers defeated the Dodgers 4-1 tonight in the final game of a three-game series. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• Jason Schmidt lasted just 3.2 innings while giving up four runs on five hits. Simply put, Schmidt was no match for the powerful Brewers, who feasted on his mid-80's fastball and chased him out of the game by loading the bases in the fourth inning.

• Ryan Braun, the former Granada Hills High standout, concluded his successful three-day stay in Los Angeles with three more hits and two more RBIs. Braun had six RBIs in the series, and has 18 RBIs in his last 16 contests.

• The Dodgers managed just one run in the bottom of the first inning on a leadoff home run by Rafael Furcal, his 25th career first-inning leadoff home run. Furcal has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games, batting .338 (25-for-74) with 13 runs scored.

• Manny Ramirez came up as a pinch hitter with two-on and two-outs in the seventh, but grounded out to second to end the threat.

ETC...ETC:

• The Dodgers lost a series to the Brewers for the first time since April 2-4, 2007, snapping a string of four straight series wins.

• Los Angeles suffered its first series loss to the Brewers at home since May 30-June 1, 2003, ending a run of five straight series victories.

• James McDonald has worked 7.1 consecutive scoreless innings over his last four appearances, lowering his ERA to 4.35 from 5.34.

• Juan Pierre made his first start in 10 games, getting the nod for the first time since July 26 vs. Florida.

ON DECK:

• The Dodgers open a four-game series against the Atlanta Braves Thursday, sending LHP Randy Wolf (5-6, 3.47) against RHP Derek Lowe (11-7, 4.21).

Dodgers' manager Joe Torre wrapped up his pregame talk with reporters a few minutes ago. Here are some highlights:

Re: Does he expect any carry over from last night:

I just expect baseball tonight (re: last night's issue).

Re: His reaction to Prince Fielder trying to barge into the Dodgers clubhouse:

There's a lot of passion in this game. A lot of things go on. I'm a little surprised and disappointed that this is getting all the attention. It's baseball. I think we're making more of it than there is.

People getting hit by pitches has been going on a lot longer than you or I have been around the game.

Nobody likes to see anybody get hurt. There are certain things that happen in this game that you chalk up to "that's what this game is like" and getting hit by pitch is one of those things.

Re: Does he expect any warnings from umpires:

We'll wait and see (if both teams get warned before the game)

Re: Manny getting the dayoff:

Manny is just getting a blow today. It was a long road trip with the extra inning games and late arrivals. He'll be back tomorrow. It has nothing to do with last night. Will try to give Kemp a day tomorrow.

Tonight's lineups:

Brewers:

Lopez 2B

Counsell SS

Braun LF

Fielder 1B

McGehee 3B

Cameron CF

Catalanotto RF

Kendall C

Looper P

Dodgers:

Furcal. SS

Pierre. LF

Ethier. RF

Blake. 3B

Loney. 1B

Kemp. CF

Martin. C

Hudson. 2B

Schmidt. P

Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder, upset at getting beaned by Dodgers pitcher Guillermo Mota, tried to barge his way into the Dodgers' clubhouse after tonight's game, but was stopped by security guards and a few of his Brewers teammates.

Check out Doug Padilla's story, which will be posted on the Daily News site shortly, for a full account.

The Dodgers defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 17-4 tonight in the second game of a three-game series. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• The Dodgers tagged Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo for nine runs on 10 hits over 5.1 innings, scoring four runs against him in both the first and sixth innings.

• Matt Kemp matched his career-highs with four hits and five RBI on the night, going 4-for-5 with a double and a homer. Kemp now leads the Dodgers with 69 RBI (tied with Andre Ethier) and is second with 15 homers. Kemp's .323 batting average is tied for fourth in the National League.

• Manny Ramirez blasted career home run No. 539 tonight, snapping an RBI-drought of 44 at-bats, which tied his career high, set in 1997. Ramirez finished the evening 2-for-4 with a homer, double, three RBI, and two runs scored, raising his average on the season to .310

• Dodger starter Hiroki Kuroda won for the first time in six starts, going 6.0 innings and giving up three runs. The outing was just Kuroda's fourth quality start of the season and his second straight.

ETC...ETC:

• Joe Torre gave the Dodgers a break from batting practice today and they responded with a season-high 17 runs, 18 hits, and a season-high tying eight extra-base hits.

• The Dodgers have the best record in baseball, 1.5 games ahead of the Angels (.606). Los Angeles has had a share of the best record in the game since the start of play on May 3. The Dodgers lead in the National League West remains 6.5 games over the Colorado Rockies.

• The Dodgers tonight became the third team in Major League Baseball to have four players accumulate at least 60 RBI. Casey Blake's two RBI tonight gives him 61 on the season and he joins Matt Kemp (69), Andre Ethier (69), and James Loney (68) in the Dodger quartet. The Angels (Bobby Abreu, Kendry Morales, Torii Hunter, and Juan Rivera) and Phillies (Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, Chase Utley, and Jayson Werth) are the only other teams to boast four 60-RBI men.

• The 13-run victory was the Dodgers largest winning margin this season, besting their 12-run victory over Colorado on April 19. The 17 runs for the Dodgers were their most since Sept. 28, 2006 at Colorado and their most at Dodger Stadium since May 25, 1979 vs. the Reds.

• Dodger reliever Ronald Belisario pitched in his first rehab outing tonight in San Bernardino and tossed a scoreless inning while striking out one and giving up one hit. Belisario has missed 24 games and hasn't pitched since July 6, after being diagnosed with a strained right elbow.

ON DECK:

• The Dodgers look to take the series, sending RHP Jason Schmidt (2-1, 4.50)
Against RHP Braden Looper (9-5, 5.03) at 7:10 p.m.

After a long road trip, a long flight home from Atlanta Sunday night and a loss to the Brewers Monday, Dodgers manager Joe Torre gave his team a break from batting practice Tuesday.

Needless to say, it's had a positive affect. The Dodgers scored five runs in the first inning, slamming Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo for five hits, including doubles by Casey Blake and Russell Martin.

Orlando Hudson was scratched from tonight's lineup due to an upset stomach. He was replaced by Juan Castro, who will bat eighth.

The Dodgers lost to the Brewers 6-5 tonight at Dodger Stadium. For a full boxscore click here.

BARE ESSENTIALS:

* The Dodgers rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth, and had the winning run in scoring position for Manny Ramirez with the bases loaded and two outs. But Ramirez flew out to right field against Trevor Hoffman for the final out.

* Clayton Kershaw struggled with his command, walking six and giving up three runs on four hits over four innings to take the loss. Kershaw's outing was the second-shortest of his season, after going just 2.2 frames against the Padres back on June 10 at Dodger Stadium. The loss snaps Kershaw's career-high five game winning streak that began on June 21.

* Jeff Weaver gave up a three-run home run to Ryan Braun with two outs in the sixth inning.

* James Loney had two hits and two RBIs.

* Orlando Hudson added two RBIs.

ETC...ETC:
* Los Angeles has lost six of its last nine games, but still holds the best record in baseball at 65-41, just percentage points ahead of the Angels, .613 to .612.

* The Dodgers lead in the National League West is now 6.5 games over the Colorado Rockies. That margin is still the largest of any division leader in baseball, but is the Dodgers' smallest lead since a loss to Houston left them 6.5 games up on July 17.

* The Dodgers are just past the halfway mark of a stretch of 20 games in 20 days that began July 24 and will go through August 12. Los Angeles is 4-7 thus far during the stretch.

* Dodger reliever James McDonald worked 2.0 scoreless innings, lowering his ERA on the season to 4.62. McDonald changed from No. 52 to No. 31 on Thursday, to accommodate recently acquired All-Star reliever George Sherrill, who wore No. 52 in Baltimore. McDonald has worked 5.0 consecutive scoreless innings out of the 'pen and overall has a 2.28 ERA (6 ER/23.2 IP) in relief (19 games).

ON DECK:

* In Game 2 of the series, the Dodgers send RHP Hiroki Kuroda (3-5, 4.44) against RHP Yovani Gallardo (10-7, 3.13).

Tonight's lineups:

DODGERS

Furcal. SS

Ethier. RF

Ramirez. LF

Blake. 3B

Kemp. CF

Loney. 1B

Hudson. 2B

Ausmus. C

Kershaw. LHP

BREWERS

Lopez. 2B

McGehee. 3B

Braun. LF

Fielder. 1B

Cameron. CF

Hardy. SS

Hall. RF

Rivera. C

Parra. LHP

The Dodgers beat the Braves 9-1 today at Turner Field to win the three-game set in Atlanta. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• 19 hits for the Dodgers tonight, as Matt Kemp (3-for-5, HR, 5 RBI) and James Loney (3-for-6, 2 RBI) shined on national television.

• Chad Billingsley threw five solid innings but exited early with an apparent right hamstring cramp. He attempted to convince Joe Torre that he could stay in, so things don't look too serious.

• Jair Jurrjens has been one of the best hurlers in baseball thus far, but the Dodgers got hold of him pretty well in the fifth. He ended up with a line of 10 hits, two walks, and four runs in five innings.

ETC...ETC:

• When Jason Schmidt comes up to pinch hit and knocks a single, you know you're going good. Schmidt pinch hit for Billingsley in the sixth and eventually came around to score.

• Braves outfielder Matt Diaz on Ramon Troncoso: "I don't know what the role that last guy has on their team. But I know he has a 2.00 ERA and nasty stuff. He's not their setup guy and he's not their closer. So when you've got that guy just getting innings, that's a pretty deep bullpen."

• Casey Blake hurt his hand lifting weights over the weekend and was unavailable today, leading to a Mark Loretta start. X-rays on Blake were reportedly negative. Loretta had his first two-hit game since June 25.

• Scott Elbert pitched well in relief of Billingsley, going 2 2/3 innings and being charged with just one run. George Sherrill replaced Guillermo Mota in a double switch and got Chipper Jones to fly out to end an Atlanta mini-rally.

ON DECK:

• Clayton Kershaw (8-5, 2.76) and Manny Parra (5-8, 6.50) meet tomorrow at Dodger Stadium.

Tonight's lineups:

Dodgers
Furcal, SS
Ethier, RF
Ramirez, LF
Loney, 1B
Kemp, CF
Martin, C
Loretta, 3B
Hudson, 2B
Billingsley, P

Braves
McLouth, CF
Prado, 2B
Jones, 3B
McCann, C
Anderson, LF
LaRoche, 1B
Diaz, RF
Hernandez, SS
Jurrjens, P

The Braves beat the Dodgers 4-3 today at Turner Field. For a full recap and boxscore click here.

THE BARE ESSENTIALS:

• Randy Wolf turned in his seventh consecutive quality start but took the loss again, falling to 5-6 after allowing nine hits in his five innings of work.

• The Dodgers had two leads early on, 2-1 in the fourth and 3-2 in the sixth, but failed to hold on to both.

• Former Dodger Derek Lowe essentially matched Wolf, allowing three runs in six innings as well. The Braves' bullpen shut the Blue down. Rafael Soriano blew Casey Blake, James Loney, Matt Kemp away in the ninth to get his 16th save.

ETC...ETC:

• The Dodgers had only six hits as Manny Ramirez continued to struggle, going 0-for-3 to lower his average to .310 and .182 since the pinch-hit grand slam.

• Left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo threw a scoreless inning. He hasn't given up a hit in 3 2/3 innings since returning.

• Reliever Ronald Belisario threw a simulated game today, and looks to be on pace to return sometime in mid-August.

ON DECK:

• Chad Billingsley (10-6, 3.96) and Jair Jurrjens (9-7, 2.69) start tomorrow at 5:15 P.M. PST.

Today's lineups:

Dodgers
Furcal, SS
Ethier, RF
Ramirez, LF
Blake, 3B
Loney, 1B
Kemp, CF
Martin, C
Hudson, 2B
Wolf, P

Braves
McLouth, CF
Prado, 2B
Jones, 3B
Anderson, LF
Diaz, RF
LaRoche, 1B
Ross, C
Hernandez, SS
Lowe, P