Tony on the Dodgers: August 2007 Archives

Some players bristle when you approach them after a loss to ask about a play they might have been involved in that might have cost the team the game. Tonight, there were two such players for the Dodgers, center fielder Juan Pierre and reliever Rudy Seanez, and, as we all expected, they both handled themselves with complete class. These are two of the most professional, standup guys around, guys who understand the reason we approach them after such games is to be fair to them, to give them a chance to tell their side of what happened. Pierre, who lost Khalil Greene's first-inning popup against the low cloud cover above the stadium and allowed it to drop several feet behind him, said, ``I take full responsibility for this loss. I have to try to make that play.'' Of course, there were about a hundred reasons why the Dodgers lost this game, and no matter how much he tries to take full responsibility, Pierre's gaffe was only one of them. Seanez came on to start the sixth inning and promptly hit the first batter he faced, Adrian Gonzalez, who came around to score the tiebreaking and eventual winning run. Afterward, Seanez said this: ``That was the game.'' Of course, it wasn't the game. Not by itself, anyway. Not on a night when the Dodgers had 12 hits -- including 10 off one pitcher -- and only scored four runs. ... Dodgers fall to 70-64 and remain four back in the NL West, but they also fall to four back in the wild card.

The Wolf saga in more detail and a couple of other things

By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
SAN DIEGO -- Dodgers pitcher Randy Wolf's last-ditch effort to return from the disabled list before the end of the season has been snuffed out by another setback. The left-hander felt more discomfort in his shoulder this week and will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Wednesday at the Kerlan-Jobe clinic to determine the cause.
The development casts Wolf's future into doubt, especially given that he spurned a handful of multi-year offers last winter to accept a one-year contract with his hometown Dodgers.
``Obviously, I took a huge risk to come here,'' Wolf said. ``I knew it was a risk, but I took a gamble, and I lost. Life is full of them.''
The Dodgers hold a $9 million option on Wolf for next season that they clearly aren't going to exercise, which will leave him in the unenviable position of being a free agent after a season in which injury prevented him from pitching after the All-Star break. But Wolf also is a veteran lefty with a proven track record, so there is a strong chance some team -- perhaps even the Dodgers -- will take a chance on him at a much lower price.
``I really have no idea,'' Wolf said. ``I'm in unchartered waters.''
Wolf had reconstructive elbow surgery two seasons ago, but proved he was healthy last summer when he came back and pitched well in 12 starts for Philadelphia. But before he had that surgery, he had undergone an MRI exam that failed to show the need for it, so for a while he tried to pitch through his elbow discomfort. Wolf speculated that his current shoulder injury might be the result of a mechanical change he made to accommodate the elbow pain before it was discovered that he would need Tommy John surgery.
If Drs. Lewis Yocum and Neal ElAttrache find the cause of Wolf's discomfort, they will repair it immediately. But no prognosis for Wolf's return to the mound will be known until after the surgery.
``If it's only an impingement, which we think it is, he'll be down six to eight weeks,'' Dodgers trainer Stan Conte said.
Wolf was less optimistic.
``If they find nothing, I'll be surprised,'' he said. ``It's just too weird. I haven't thrown (off a mound) in four weeks, and it still isn't right. Usually you feel better after four weeks of not throwing.''

Getting close: Dodgers manager Grady Little said that although Nomar Garciaparra (strained left calf) still hasn't felt good enough to try running, he has looked good enough in batting practice that he might be activated for pinch-hitting purposes as soon as today, when active rosters can be expanded to as many as 40 players.
``He really looks good swinging the bat and fielding ground balls, too,'' Little said. ``But he still feels a little something in there (running), and we don't want to push it until he feels comfortable.''

Also: Newly acquired right-hander Esteban Loaiza will make his Dodgers debut on Monday at Chicago, with Brad Penny starting on Tuesday night against the Cubs and the rest of the rotation staying in order thereafter. ... Lefty Eric Stults was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas to clear a roster spot for Loaiza, but Stults is expected to return to the majors after the 51s' season concludes on Monday ... The Dodgers are expected to promote some players from Las Vegas today and some more on Monday. If Double-A Jacksonville reaches the Southern Leaue playoffs, none of the Suns' players will be promoted until their season ends.

Randy Wolf experienced more pain when he started throwing harder while playing catch. He'll have a diagnostic arthroscopic procedure on Thursday at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic just to get a more up-close look than what the two MRIs could show. If they find nothing, he will be out six to eight weeks, which knocks him out for the season. If they find something, they'll fix it, and he could be out six to nine months. Stan Conte said they don't think there is anything seriously wrong, but Randy Wolf didn't seem so optimistic. This might or might not mean he is done with the Dodgers, but the club clearly isn't picking up his $9 million option for next year. ... The move to clear a roster spot for Esteban Loaiza looks like it will go right down to the 9 p.m. deadline. It's going to be Eric Stults unless another trade is made or somebody gets hurt, so stay tuned.

I learned earlier today that the Dodgers will NOT open the 2008 season in Japan. Not terribly surprising, given that the only lobbying they did for it was a casual comment that Frank McCourt happened to make to Bud Selig when the commish was visiting Dodger Stadium a few weeks ago. ... Jack Cassel will be recalled from Triple-A Portland tomorrow and start for the Pods against David Wells. ... Best wishes to Rai Henniger, a senior VP with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox of the Pacific Coast League, whom I remember from when I covered that team back in the mid-90s. Rai suffered multiple head injuries and lost an eye in an explosion when he was helping set up for an on-field fireworks display on May 12. He is now out of the hospital, and while my buddy Bob Stephens of the Colorado Springs Gazette reported earlier this week that Rai still faces a long road back that will include numerous surgeries, it's good to know he's going to recover. This was a very bad thing that happened to a very good guy, but it has turned into an inspirational story. I also read that Rai is hoping to return to work for the club, which is a great sign. ... That's it for today. Heading to San Diego in the morning. I'll check in when I get there.

Shea Hillenbrand came through with the sac fly with the bases loaded in the 12th. A good throw by Austin Kearns might have gotten Jeff Kent at the plate, but it was to the opposite side, and Jesus Flores couldn't get the tag down. Kent went 4 for 5, Loney wnet 2 for 5 with four RBI, and Hillenbrand went 2 for 4 with three RBI. But the hero was Scott Proctor, who pitched three shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk, and the last pitch he threw induced a HUGE GIDP from Robert Fick to end the top of the 12th after runners were on the corners with one out, and Proctor got the win after the Dodgers rallied. ... Dodgers improve to 70-63. D-backs and Pods play at Petco tonight. If the Pods win, they'll be tied for first with the D-backs, and the Dodgers will be just 3 1/2 back, with a three-game series of their own at Petco on tap beginning Friday. This thing is a long, long way from being over.

He'll take Stults' spot in the rotation. The roster move has to be made by Friday for Loaiza to be eligible for the playoffs (Hey, it could still happen). My guess is they'll option Stults because they could then recall him 10 days later, by which time the roster will have expanded to a 40-man max. By the way, Grady said they will recall some players on Saturday (Sept. 1), some others on Tuesday after the minor-league regular season ends on Monday and then, if Jacksonville makes the Southern League playoffs, possibly more players from the Suns when that playoff run ends.

Here's the lineup for today's game

SS Furcal
CF Pierre
RF Kemp
2B Kent
LF Gonzo
C Martin
1B Loney
3B Hillenbrand
RH Penny

The Dodgers just claimed Esteban Loaiza off waivers from Oakland, and this is a significant pickup. The veteran right-hander is a two-time All-Star, and he is signed through next season with a club option for 2009, so he figures to be in the Dodgers' starting rotation through next season. He has a three-year, $21.375M contract, which means the Dodgers will be on the hook for about $8.5M even if they don't pick up the option. Loaiza missed the first 4 1/2 months of the season with the A's because of injuries, first a bulging disk and later surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, but he was solid in the two starts he made since coming back, both of them against Toronto. He pitched a total of 14 2/3 innings, giving up just three earned runs on 10 hits. No word as to when he will start for the Dodgers, but his last start was on Monday night, so my guess is he'll be slotted somewhere into the San Diego series, possibly on Saturday night to give Lowe and Billingsley an extra day of rest. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers moved Jason Repko to the 60-day DL. There won't be a 25-man move until he shows up on Friday.

The boys scratched out a run on a sac fly by Ethier in the seventh inning, and Broxton and Saito set down the final six in a row, getting a win for Billingsley. Billingsley improved to 9-4, and for all the criticism this guy has taken for deep counts, high pitch totals and short outings, he has really had a pretty good first full season in the bigs. Saito, who has been as good these past few appearances as he has been in the two years he has been here, got his 36th save, moving him past Todd Worrell for the sixth-highest single-season total in franchise history, and he tied Charlie Hough for ninth place on the career franchise list with 60. He has now converted 13 save opportunities in a row and has allowed just one run in 12 1/3 innings this month. Dodgers go to 69-63 and pick up a game in the division because the Pods beat the Snakes. Dodgers are now 4 1/2 behind the Snakes and 3 1/2 behind the Pods. As for the wild card, still 3 1/2 behind the Pods and half a game behind the Phils.

Jeff Kent hit his 362nd career home run, moving him into a tie with Jason Giambi for 65th place on the all-time list and pst Joe DiMaggio. But Billingsley is just sort of muddling through. He is falling behind in a lot of counts, like he usually does. But he has gotten out of a couple of tight spots, including getting Ronnie Belliard to pop up with the bases loaded to end the first after Bills had hit the previous two batters and getting Austin Kearns to GIDP with runners on first and second to end the third. ... Dodgers 3, Nationals 2, middle 4

Fox has picked up the Sept. 15 game at AZ, so it's now a 12:55 PDT start. Meanwhile, the Sept. 29 home game with the Giants will be at 7:10 p.m. No, that is NOT because Fox has given up on the Dodgers for that final weekend of the regular season. It's because, according to a Dodgers spokesman, Fox had reached its limit on Dodgers broadcasts. ... Billingsley is struggling through the first inning. A run already in on Dmitri Young's RBI double, and Bills just hit Austin Kearns. Church up now, first and second and two outs. ... Nationals 1, Dodgers 0, top 1

The Dodgers held a big press conference at 2:30 to announce the next phase of stadium renovations, none of which they were willing to reveal yesterday (at least not to OUR paper). Frankly, the whole thing turned into a big yawner (I should admit that I wasn't there, I'm just going by what is in the official release). What they're going to do is renovate the concourses on the field level, doubling the number of concession stands and restrooms, and create additional clubs for those holding season tickets to the baseline seats. They also will improve walkways and signage, adding what they are calling ``energy-efficient'' equipment. Of course, none of this will mean ANYTHING to anyone who isn't sitting on the field level.

SS Furcal
CF Pierre
RF Ethier
2B Kent
LF Gonzo
C Martin
1B Loney
3B Hillenbrand
RH Billingsley

SS Furcal
CF Pierre
RF Kemp
2B Kent
LF Ethier
C Martin
1B Loney
3B Martinez
RH Lowe

Just saw something I have never seen on a major-league field since I have been covering ball: a general manager bringing his girlfriend on the field during batting practice. Yes, Jim Bowden is back in town. Unbelievable. ... Light blogging tonight. In fact, this might be it, because I never had time to sleep last night between the night game and the early flight home, and I am TIRED. So hasta manana

Wells was good enough not only to win, but also to inspire his teammates, all of whom -- yes, even Jeff Kent and Luis Gonzalez -- are at least four years younger than he is. He went five innings, allowed seven hits and gave up two runs, and the Mets left six runners on base -- three of them in scoring position, while he was on the mound. Mike Lieberthal said after the game that Wells didn't have his curveball working and also didn't have a great changeup. But the fact he was able to fight through it and pitch well enough to win says a lot about why the Dodgers wanted this guy in the first place. ... Jeff Kent appears to be OK after leaving the game in the fourth inning when he was hit in the side of his helmet with a pitch. Grady said he should be OK to play tomorrow. ... Good to see Furcal and Pierre making things happen at the top of the lineup. They got on base back to back in both the third and sixth innings, and the Dodgers wound up scoring at least a run each time. They combined to go 5 for 9 with a walk, three runs scored and two RBI, both by Pierre. Pierre now has a 14-game hitting streak, Furcal a seven-gamer. ... Dodgers improve to 67-63, remain 6 1/2 behind the D-backs and tied with the Rox for third in the NL West and

He came on to get five outs afte Joe Beimel retired just one of three batters. Brox has recorded three of those outs so far, including getting out of Beimel's jam in the seventh. But he just gave up a single to Jeff Conine with one out in the eighth. A win tonight was be fairly big for the Dodgers, who would break even for the trip. Broxton just got another out. One out to go for him, four to go for the team. ... Dodgers 6, Mets 2, bottom 8

First of all, he took a called third strike, on a pitch that appeared to be right down the middle, with a man on third and one out in what became a scorless first inning for the Dodgers. Then, in a similar situation in the fifth, he came through with a well-placed blooper that fell into shallow right field, allowing David Wells to score the tying run and Juan Pierre to move to third (the still-athletic Wells had led off the inning with a bunt single, of all things). But when Ramon Martinez followed with a line drive to the wall in right-center that clearly wasn't going to be caught, Kemp stopped just as he reached second, made a slight motion like he was heading back to first, then finally took off running again, all of which resulted in his only reaching third on a ball he probably should have scored on. He then got picked off third when he wandered too far off the bag, and catcher Mike DiFelice threw down. ... Wells has already gone farther than conventional wisdom might have suggested he could after a three-week layoff. He is in the fifth inning and has allowed two runs on seven hits. ... Dodgers 3, Mets 2, bottom 5

He got hit in the left side of the head by a pitch from John Maine in the top of the fourth and appeared woozy as trainer Stan Conte led him off the field and up the clubhouse tunnel. David Wells made a passing remark during his introductory media session before Friday's game about always protecting his teammates, so we'll see if this turns into something. ... Dodgers presently have men on the corners with one out, which means they probably won't score. Mets 2, Dodgers 1, top 4. ... Here's tomorrow's notebook, but I warn you there isn't much there.

By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
NEW YORK -- As Mike Lieberthal prepared to make his first start behind the plate in exactly two weeks, Dodgers manager Grady Little dismissed the fact the club was 2-10 when Lieberthal starts and the fact Lieberthal had a 7.02 catcher's ERA during those starts.
``It doesn't really mean anything, especially when you catch as little as Mike has this year,'' Little said. ``When you start talking about his combined stats over that period of time and the very few times he has caught, that would be unfair. You have to look at who was pitching for us and who we were facing in each of those individual games.''
In fairness to Lieberthal, that catcher's ERA was dramatically inflated by his three previous starts since the All-Star break. Two of those came when the starting pitcher was Mark Hendrickson, who has been outstanding out of the bullpen this year but not so great out of the rotation. In those two games, the opposing clubs scored 27 runs, with Hendrickson giving up a combined 15 earned runs on 22 hits over a total of 5 2/3 innings.
The other Lieberthal start was a typically ineffective performance by Brett Tomko in which he gave up five runs over six innings.
Meanwhile, Little said he still is unconcerned about burning out primary catcher Russell Martin, who is expected to make his 118th start of the season tonight against Washington.
``He certainly isn't dragging right now, but we will try to catch that before it starts happening,'' Little said. ``When you play the game as hard as he plays it, if I had played him (Sunday night), and then we had flown all night and I had played him again (tonight), I think we would have seen it right away.''

Pitching plans: Little said that if David Wells had a strong showing in his Dodgers debut on Sunday night against the New York Mets, he likely would start again on Friday night at San Diego, meaning lefty Eric Stults would be at least pushed back and possibly even skipped the next time through the rotation because the Dodgers are off on Thursday.
Stults struggled on Saturday against the Mets. Although he allowed just three runs on five hits, he also walked five batters and didn't survive the fourth inning. After Thursday, the Dodgers won't have another off-day until Sept. 10, so they still will need Stults to start at least twice on their upcoming, 10-game road trip.

Trade complete: The Dodgers sent minor-league infielder Travis Denker to San Francisco to complete the Aug. 9 trade in which they acquired Mark Sweeney from the Giants. Denker, the Dodgers' 21st-round draft pick in 2003, was hitting .294 with 27 doubles, 10 home runs and 57 RBI for Inland Empire. But he was in his third season at advanced Single-A and wasn't considered among the organization's top prospects.

Also: Dodgers center fielder Juan Pierre extended his hitting streak to 14 games with an RBI triple in the third inning. He is one short of the 15-game streak shortstop Rafael Furcal had in May, the longest hitting streak by a Dodgers player this season. ... Wells, 44, became the Dodgers' oldest starting pitcher since the club moved to Los Angeles in 1958. The previous mark was held by Don Sutton, who was 43 years, 129 days old when he last started for the club on Aug. 9, 1988. Wells is the sixth pitcher to start a game for the L.A. Dodgers after turning 40, joining Sutton, Greg Maddux, Orel Hershiser and Tom Candiotti.

Sorry about the no blogging yesterday. Just needed a break. Anyway, the Dodgers sent minor-league infielder Travis Denker to the Giants to complete the Mark Sweeney trade. Denker hit .294 with 27 doubles, 10 homers and 57 RBI at Single-A Inland Empire this season. He was originally a 21st-round draft pick in 2003 and was playing in high Single-A for the third year in a row, so he didn't have a prominent place on the organizational radar.

Too many men left on base. Too many wasted chances. Dodgers stranded a dozen, six of them in scoring position, and went 1 for 8 with RISP. The one hit they did get with a RISP didn't even score the run. And Oliver Perez shuts them out for seven innings. Dodgers fall to 66-62. Pods won, so the boys fall to 3 1/2 back in the wild card. Looks like the Snakes are going to lose, which would put the Dodgers still 5 1/2 back in the division. Stults goes tomorrow.

The Dodgers got a runner to third with less than two outs in the first and third innings and didn't score either time, going 0 for 4 w/RISP. Since then, Oliver Perez has settled in and retired eight in a row while the Mets have built a three-run lead off an unusually shaky Brad Penny, and really, the deficit should be worse because Penny walked the first two batters in the fourth inning and managed to pitch out of the jam when No. 8 hitter Mike DiFelice inexplicably sacrificed with Perez on deck. Martin just walked, but Loney then ended the inning by grounding to third on the first pitch, and while it took another dazzling play by David Wright to rob Loney of a hit, the fact remains that Loney went after Perez's first pitch immediately after a walk. ... Debating whether to hit the Carnegie Deli when I get back into Manhattan after the game. It's calling my name, but it is going to be really late, and we have the day game (sort of) tomorrow that starts at 3:55 local time so ... oh, who am I kidding? Of course I'll be there. ... Mets 3, Dodgers 0, bottom 6

By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
NEW YORK -- The Dodgers severed ties with embattled right-hander Brett Tomko on Friday, designating him for assignment to clear a roster spot for newly signed lefty David Wells. But Tomko, who is a miserable 2-11 with a 5.80 ERA this season, wasn't exactly devastated upon being told of his fate.
``There is a little bit of a sense of relief,'' he said. ``I love all the guys on this team, and the coaching staff has been great. But it has been a rough year for me in L.A. I haven't been received well at all there. Hopefully, I will get the chance to go somewhere and get a fresh start for a month and get back to the basics of what made me successful.''
The Dodgers have 10 days to either trade or release Tomko. There is a strong likelihood that a handful of other clubs will have interest in him, but they might wait until the Dodgers release Tomko to sign him. It is believed the Dodgers front office has been trying for weeks to trade him but couldn't find another club willing to give up much to get him.
The Dodgers still owe Tomko the rest of his $4.1 million salary for this season plus a $1 million buyout of his $4.5 million mutual option for 2008.
``Brett struggled for a good part of the year,'' Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. ``At this stage of the season, we had to make a move. We had to give ourselves a chance, even if it's only 1 percent more of a chance.''
Tomko, who also pitched in San Francisco while Colletti was the Giants' assistant GM, was optimistic about landing with another club.
``Ned and I have a pretty tight relationship,'' Tomko said. ``I don't think there will ever be any hard feelings. I hope he will take care of me out of respect and not let me sit around and rot without a chance to go pitch.''

Wells rusty: Wells threw a light side session, saying later it was the first time he had thrown off a mound since being designated for assignment by San Diego on Aug. 9. He will make his Dodgers debut on Sunday night against the New York Mets, his first start since Aug. 6, and it isn't clear how deep into that game he will be able to go.
``I'll just pitch my heart out until they take me out, I guess,'' Wells said. ``Every starter would love to go nine innings, but this being my first start back, I don't know what is going to happen. I'll just give it my all and hope for the best.''
Dodgers manager Grady Little didn't say what he expects of Wells.
``The only thing I know about David Wells is that every time he goes out there, he is going to give it everything he has,'' Little said. ``I have seen that for a few years, and he is no different right now. How many (pitches) that is, I can't answer that.''
The Dodgers are paying Wells a base salary of only about $80,000, a prorated share of the major-league minimum $380,000, with the Padres picking up the rest of his $1 million salary for the season. His agreement with the Dodgers also includes incentives based on games started that could result in the Dodgers paying him a total of $800,000 if he doesn't miss a start the rest of this season. The detailed breakdown of those incentives isn't clear.
Although Wells said he hopes to be pitching somewhere next year, he spent the past week believing his career was over, and he still believes it probably will be when the season ends.
``It kind of looks that way, but I have been lying ... for a long time saying I was going to retire,'' Wells said. ``I'll just see what happens next spring, if I can get an invitation early enough that I can get ready for another season.
``I might not look sexy, but I feel sexy.''

All indications are the Dodgers are closing in on a possible agreement with veteran left-hander David Wells, who was released last week by San Diego, making him a free agent. Gregg Clifton, Wells' Phoenix-based agent, said earlier today that, ``If it's going to happen, it will probably be within the next 24-36 hours,'' saying Wells didn't want to negotiate with any club beyond tomorrow. The Dodgers could have Wells for a prorated share of the major-league minimum salary of $380,000 (about $80,000), but in order to lure him out of semi-retirement, they might have to agree to play a complicated performance bonus in Wells' contract that was nullified when the Padres released him. Wells' contract called for him to receive an additional $176,471 per start for starts No. 11-27, and he present has 22 starts. That means the deal could cost the Dodgers an additional $882,355. If he signs with the Dodgers, Wells likely would take the rotation spot of Brett Tomko, meaning he would make his Dodgers debut on Sunday night against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. It isn't clear whether other clubs are still pursuing Wells, but Clifton said Wells has a strong desire to play for a contending NL West team that plays on the West Coast -- a preference that leaves the Dodgers as the only suitors with a legitimate chance of signing him.

The Phillie Phanatic is the greatest phriggin' sports mascot in the history of the phree world. But that is just my personal opinion, so pheel phree to disagree if you pheel so inclined. Anyway, he took this scantily clad woman out of the stands during the last inning break and was dancing on top of the Phillies dugout with her. The idea was for her to watch him closely and repeat every dance move the Phanatic did, and she managed to keep up with him pretty well until right when the song was ending, and the Phanatic grabbed the bottom of the phront of his Phillies jersey and yanked it up, showing off his green, phurry belly. Wisely, the woman declined to repeat that move. ... The only major-league player ever to have his name included in the title of a Stephen King novel came on for the Phillies to start this inning and issued a leadoff walk to Matt Kemp, who stole second and scored on a single by Kent. Loney followed Kent's hit with a blooper that Pat Burrell couldn't come up with in left, and Burrell lost the ball just long enough for Kent to take third. Martin up now, still nobody out. ... Dodgers 3, Phillies 1, top 8

He extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a bloop single that fell into shallow center field. More importantly, the hit came with two outs, a man on third and the game tied in the seventh inning. It was the Dodgers' second hit in eight ABs w/RISP, and the first one that actually drove in a run. Billingsley had a hiccup in the sixth, walking the leadoff man, and it ended up costing him a run. Other than that, though, he has been brilliant, giving up just four hits to this point. ... Pierre just got thrown out trying to steal second, snapping his string of successful steal attempts at a career-high 18, and he dislocated his left pinky finger diving into the bag. Apparently, trainer Stan Conte popped it back into place, because Pierre is going back out to CF. ... Dodgers 2, Phillies 0, middle 7

Despite my best efforts to state my case in this morning's paper that Ethier and Kemp have to be in the lineup together on a regular basis -- a position that was supported by their dual performances last night -- Ethier is sitting today in favor of Gonzo. Hillenbrand is playing 1B to get Loney a day off, with Martinez playing 3B.

SS Furcal
CF Pierre
RF Kemp
2B Kent
1B Hillenbrand
C Martin
LF Gonzo
3B Martinez
RH Billingsley

Bills got through the first inning on just a handful of pitches, retiring all three batters and striking out two of them. Looks like he might be ON today, but it's too early to really tell. Fabio Castro retired the Dodgers in order in the first but has walked two of the first three batters here in the second. Gonzo coming up. ... Dodgers 0, Phillies 0, top 2

In losing two of three at Dodger Stadium last month, the Phillies managed to win the middle game by a score of 15-3. The Dodgers won 15-3 tonight, so does that mean they're destined to lose today's rubber game? We'll see, but one thing that might help them win it is having Kemp and Ethier in the lineup together, something those of you who regularly post comments on this blog have been clamoring for for weeks. It happened tonight, and the two went 6 for 10 with a double, triple, homer, five runs and five RBI. Grady said after the game he'll stick with the plan of rotating Kemp, Ethier and Gonzo into those three spots. In more than a dozen years of covering this game, Gonzo is one of the classiest guys I have ever been around, and he has been a huge positive presence in the Dodgers clubhouse this season. But the time for this transition, in my humble opinion, has come. Ethier-Pierre-Kemp is going to be the Dodgers' OF for years to come, and it's their best OF now. ... Dodgers go to 65-61 for the season. They stay 2 1/2 back in the wild card, because the Pods won. D-backs are up 3-2 in the eighth, so Dodgers probably remain six back in the division. Wild card is too complicated for me to figure out this late at night. Good night, all.

He just singled off Jose Mesa in the seventh. Meanwhile, D-Lowe is sailing, although he did dodge a bullet in the sixth when he got Ryan Howard to ground out 4-3 with runners on the corners and two outs. Of the 18 outs Lowe has recorded, 13 have come on ground balls.He also has three strikeouts. Dodgers added two runs in the sixth on RBI double by Kent, giving him 1,445 career RBI and tying him for 54th place on the all-time list, and an RBI single by Loney. ... Dodgers 5, Phillies 1, top 7.

Another crazy day, so I'm only now getting around to posting. Great pitching duel going on here between D-Lowe and J.D. Durbin. Durbin gave up a one-out double to Kent in the fourth followed by a two-run homer by Ethier, and that is the difference so far. D-Lowe has allowed just one baserunner, a leadoff double by Jimmy Rollins in the fourth, but Rollins didn't advance. Dodgers 3, Phillies 0, bottom 5

By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA -- Dodgers left-hander Randy Wolf, who played catch on Wednesday for the first time since his ill-fated rehabilitation start for Single-A Inland Empire on July 25, said that if he does pitch in the majors again this year, it likely will be as a reliever.
``I think (starting) would be hard, because we're running out of time,'' said Wolf, who has been on the 15-day disabled list since July 4 with shoulder soreness. ``The minor leagues are going to be over. For me to build up my stamina and get enough innings to start will be difficult. So realistically, I think to help out in the bullpen would be my best bet.''
Wolf said his throwing session went ``great,'' and he plans to have another one today. But there still is no target date for throwing off a mound.
``Usually when I don't throw for a while, my arm feels really funky, like I have never thrown a ball before in my life,'' said Wolf, who was celebrating his 31st birthday. ``But I actually didn't feel that way this time. ... I don't want to get caught up in the calendar. You want to be smart about it. If I have to take it easy one day, I don't want it to feel like a setback.''
Left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo (elbow inflammation) also played catch for the first time. Right-hander Chin-hui Tsao (shoulder) is not on the trip and isn't expected to start playing catch until sometime next week.

Not yet: The Dodgers aren't considering promoting right-hander James McDonald from Double-A Jacksonville to start Sunday night's game at New York, so embattled right-hander Brett Tomko apparently will stay in the starting rotation.
``When (McDonald) is ready, he will be here, just like all our other young players,'' Dodgers manager Grady Little said. ``(Tomko) is one of our five starters right now.''
The front office is still trying to find another pitcher outside the organization and is believed to have at least some interest in veteran lefty David Wells, who was released by San Diego a week ago. An additional pitcher probably would push Tomko back to the bullpen or even off the roster.
Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti has personally witnessed three of McDonald's starts this season, including Tuesday night's loss to Mississippi when McDonald gave up three runs in a shaky first inning but otherwise dominated in a five-inning performance.
``He looked really interesting, in a good way,'' Colletti said. ``This kid had a great feel for pitching. He has four pitches, and he throws them for strikes, he changes speeds, he changes eye levels, he throws on a downhill plane, he puts a lot of thought into what he does, and he is successful doing it.''
McDonald is 6-2 with a 1.65 ERA since his promotion from Single-A Inland Empire. But he also has thrown 125 2/3 innings this season, and his velocity, which reached the 92-93 mph range earlier in the season, is topping out now at 87-88. That probably is a sign he is tired, and that could be enough to dissuade club officials from calling him up this year.

Nostalgic trip: The Dodgers will make the 130-mile trip to New York after today's game by train, a mode of transportation they haven't used in recent memory. Traveling secretary Scott Akasaki had arranged for the team to travel by bus, but a couple of veteran players who had taken the train with their previous clubs suggested the Dodgers do the same.
``It's a little bit quicker as opposed to the bus because we don't have to worry about getting stuck in rush-hour traffic,'' Akasaki said.
While the team will ride a regularly scheduled commercial train from 30th Street Station to Manhattan's Penn Station, special arrangements have been made to ensure the team's security. The Dodgers will ride private cars and will wait in a first-class lounge before boarding the train. The club then will be escorted onto and off the train by Amtrak police.
Major-league clubs traveled primarily by train until the 1950s, when the game's westward expansion and the advent of the jet engine made air travel both more necessary and more convenient.

Dodgers never got a hit after Loney's leadoff homer in the seventh cut it to 5-4, and they never got a man on base after Furcal walked with two outs in that same inning. But this rotation is a mess, and it's tough to imagine Tomko going back out there with this team in the middle of a playoff race. McDonald lost tonight at Jacksonville, but he went five innings and struck out seven batters, and all three of the runs he gave up came in the first inning. Seems like as good a time as any to give the kid a shot, even if it means he pitches on Sunday night at Shea Stadium on national TV. Hey, everybody has to start somewhere, right? ... Dodgers fall to 64-61, but they got lucky when the Mets rallied to beat the Pods, so the boys stay 2 1/2 back in the wild card. D-backs are playing now. Rockies are going to win, so they'll be tied with the Dodgers for third place in the division.

Veteran sportswriter Joe Reaves, who has worked in recent years for the Arizona Republic, has been hired by the Dodgers to lend his international baseball expertise to the front office. Reaves will continue to live in the Phoenix area. His new position will not include work specifically in scouting or player development, but will be more administrative in nature. His official job title has yet to be determined.

The rain has stopped, the tarp is off, and every indication is that we will have a game tonight. But it is miserably cold and windy. I'm bundled up in my leather jacket and still not that comfortable. But after all the heat we have been dealing with lately, especially on that Midwestern swing a couple of weeks ago, it's kind of a nice change of pace. Here's the lineup:

SS Furcal
CF Pierre
RF Ethier
2B Kent
LF Gonzo
C Martin
1B Loney
3B Hillenbrand
RH Tomko

It has been raining ALL day long (although it just stopped), and it is supposed to continue doing so throughout the three days we are here. Rumor has it that a rainout will result in a day-night doubleheader, not a traditional twinbill like the one the Dodgers played after they got rained out once here last year. We already have one of those on the docket, for Sept. 18 in Denver, and we sure don't need another one. ... Woke up this morning (OK, it wasn't this morning, it was 12:30, but if you saw my previous post, I had a good excuse) and looked out my 20th-floor window at the Penn campus below, and I had to wonder: Does this make me an Ivy Leaguer? At least for the next three days? Probably not. ... No news so far, no roster moves, no trades, no nothing. But stay tuned.

Just to clarify, I don't actually hate BEING here. I just hate ARRIVING here. For anyone who has ever landed at PHL, you know what I mean. I just got to my room, and it is 4:32 a.m. Because of the weather, the flight arrived at 1:45 a.m., not 11:15 p.m. Nothing anybody can do about that -- and by the way, I saw the most spectacular thunderstorm just over Omaha, this thing was non-stop lightning, almost like a laser light show. FA said the pilots had just told him they had never seen anything like it before. Just about the time we were past it, it dawned on me that I should have photographed it and posted it on this blog (too late). OK, so here's why it took me almost three hours to get from the gate to my room. First, this airport is NOTORIOUS for bags taking forever to get to the carousel. The claim area was PACKED when I got there, and this was at 2 a.m. I didn't get my last bag until 3 a.m. Then I took the bus to Avis, where they had canceled my reservation because I was late and the Avis Preferred desk (it's NOT a frequent renter program, anybody can be Preferred, they just have to sign up) was closed, and so I stood in line for another 45 minutes because they only had two people at the counter. Almost every flight in here was delayed at least two hours because of the weather, but apparently it never dawned on the good folks at the local Avis facility that they might want to make adjustments for that. Finally get the car at 4 a.m. Long story short, the much-anticipated stop at Jim's Cheesesteaks has been postponed 24 hours. Staying at the Sheraton University City this time, great part of town, right across the Schuylkill River from downtown and right where Penn and Drexel bump up against each other. And hey, after tonight, the trip has nowhere to go but up. It certainly can't get any worse. ... No Dodgers news today, apparently. Had an interesting interview with Mike Lieberthal a few days ago about coming back here for the first time, and got a nice feature out of it that you can read in today's paper (or on the web site). ... Off to bed for me now. Going to try to be asleep before the sun comes up

Ramon Martinez came into the day with a .168 average. He might go down as the guy who saved the Dodgers' season. He came up with a two-run single off Jeremy Affeldt in the bottom of the eighth after Affeldt walked Jeff Kent to load the bases. Saito then struck out three batters in a row in the ninth. Meanwhile, the D-backs lost, so the Dodgers actually gained in the standings for the first time since July 26, when they were in first place and increased their lead from one game to 1 1/2 games by beating these Rockies at Coors. Dodgers improve to 64-60 and move past the Rockies into third place, and they still trail the Pods by 2 1/2 in the wild card, with Philly and Atlanta in between. This ride ain't over yet, folks. I'll try to post tomorrow night, but it'll be late. Don't get into Philly until 11 something, and I plan to head straight for Jim's Cheesesteaks on South Street before checking into the hotel.

Helton went yard wth a man aboard off Scott Proctor in the eighth, giving the Rox the lead and putting the Dodgers in a position where it looks like they will now have gone a full month without winning a series. That decisive inning came immediately after the bottom of the seventh when Matt Kemp came to the plate with runners on the corners and two outs. Although Juan Pierre had just walked on five pitches against Ramon Ortiz, Kemp apparently thought it would be a good idea to swing at the first pitch from Ortiz. He popped it up, of course, and Matt Holliday hauled it in in shallow left, ending the inning. Dodgers are 1 for 7 w/RISP. ... Rockies 3, Dodgers 2, bottom 8

He went five solid innings on three days' rest, and although he was a little out of character -- he walked five batters and struck out only three -- he held the Rockies, a good-hitting club, to two hits. He only got into serious trouble once, when the Rox loaded the bases with none out in the fourth on a double and two walks, but Juan Pierre saved his bacon with a diving catch in shallow center that turned what should have been a three-run double by Brad Hawpe into a sac fly. A baserunning blunder by Todd Helton on the next play -- he rounded the bag after a ball hit by Troy Tulowitzki got far enough up the middle that Furcal had no play anywhere, but Furcal alertly threw behind Helton and got him at third -- got Penny almost off the hook, and Penny then got Yorvit Torrealba on a called third strike to end the threat. Beyond that, it was fairly smooth sailing, as the Dodgers look to win a series for the first time in a month. ... Dodgers 2, Rockies 1, bottom 6

The short rest didn't affect Penny in the first inning. After a leadoff walk to Kaz Matsui, he set down the next three in order to get out of the inning. ... Just checked the weather for the trip, looks like rain every single day in both cities. High of 68 tomorrow in Philly, and I don't get there until after 11, by which time it might be really chilly. But who's complaining, especially after what we have been through the past couple of weeks with all this humidity? I just hope there aren't a bunch of postponements and/or doubleheaders. I especially hope there isn't a return trip to either Philly or New York for a makeup game later on. ... Rockies are wearing their third different jersey in this three-game series. Today it's the black sleeveless ones with the black shirt underneath. Come on. Remember when every team had one home jersey and one for the road? Remember when no team wore these ridiculous pajama tops? Oh, wait, the Dodgers are still like that. ... Furcal just led off with a double. ... Rockies 0, Dodgers 0, bottom 1

This could have been an unforgettable victory, a game that would have moved the Dodgers within 1 1/2 games of the lead in the wild card and given their fans a reason to pay attention again. It also would have assured them their first series win in a month. Instead, it was none of that, because the Dodgers ran themselves out of a 10th-inning rally, and Rockies relievers Jeremy Affeldt, Matt Herges and Manny Corpas then combined to set down the Dodgers' final 11 batters in a row. The Rockies finally broke through with three runs in the 14th in Roberto Hernandez's second inning of work. Dodgers slip to 63-60 and back into fourth place in the NL West, a season-worst 7 1/2 games behind the division-leading D-backs.

Sorry I haven't posted in a couple of days. Tried to post twice yesterday, but a computer glitch caused both of them to time out as I was trying to post them, and then tney got lost and were un-recoverable. Anyway, Matt Kemp just went deep with two outs in the first inning, welcoming Franklin Morales to the majors, but Morales set down Furcal, Pierre and Kent on ground balls. Helton just led off the second with a single up the middle off Billingsley. ... By the way, Penny volunteered to pitch in three days' rest whenever the Dodgers needed, so Grady decided to take him up on it -- tomorrow. That means Penny gets to pitch against the Rockies, whom he dominates, and that he will then pitch the series opener in New York on Friday night. ... Dodgers 1, Rockies 0, top 2

Sweeney is 4 for 11, all doubles, against the Rox this year, and Loney is 2 for 15 on the homestand, so Sweeney plays 1B

SS Furcal
CF Pierre -- 13-27 vs. Josh Fogg
1B Sweeney
2B Kent -- 13-27, 5 HR, 12 RBI vs. Fogg
LF Gonzo -- 1-16 against Fogg
C Martin
RF Ethier
3B Hillenbrand
LH Stults

No surprise to anybody. It's tough thing being Eric Hull. He's called up for the express purpose of holding down a roster spot until someone else needs it. Nothing else to report so far.

It won't go down as one of Roberto Hernandez's best performances -- he faced five batters, walked two, gave up a double and had another batter reach on an error -- but it will be one of his most memorable. The Dodgers reliever made his 1,000th career appearance tonight in a major-league career he was sure was never going to even happen when he had surgery as a minor leaguer on June 14, 1991, to have a dangerous blood clot removed from his right forearm. Unbelievably, even to him, he made his major-league debut later that summer, for the Chicago White Sox, in the same game that Bo Jackson came back from hip surgery. Sixteen years later, here he still is, reaching milestones. Congratulations to a class act, and one of the truly good guys in the Dodgers clubhouse. ... Dodgers go to 62-59 and remain 6 1/2 behind the D-backs.

Sorry I never got around to posting pregame. Crazy day. By the way, just to clarify, I was somewhat misinformed as to what Mark Sweeney did in the dugout tunnel after Tuesday night's game, as he pointed out to me before the game in a respectful, professional manner. It was NOT a profanity-laced tirade, and he did NOT destroy his own equipment. He admits he was very angry at himself, but it wasn't as I described it in either the paper or this blog. And as I told him, in no way did I intend to portray him as a hothead. But if every player who takes issue with something I or any other reporter writes would handle it exactly the way Sweeney did today, pulling me aside for a mutually respectful conversation in normal speaking voices, a coherent explanation of his point of view and an amicable resolution, the relationship between them and us would be much more productive -- and beneficial to both sides.

By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said on Thursday that it is unlikely the team will add a significant piece before Aug. 31, the last day for teams to trade for players who have cleared waivers if those players are to be eligible for the postseason.
But Colletti did say he will keep looking.
``We're trying to find that piece,'' Colletti said. ``If it presents itself, we'll do it. But the list of players who have cleared waivers doesn't present us with a lot of opportunities or intrigue.''
Last year, the Dodgers picked up utility man Marlon Anderson from Washington minutes before the deadline passed for lightly regarded minor-league pitcher Jhonny Nunez. While the trade seemed fairly insignificant at the time, Anderson soon became the Dodgers' everyday left fielder and was a key part of their run to the playoffs.
Before a player can be traded after the non-waiver deadline, which was July 31, that player must clear waivers. But in the continuation of what has been a trend in recent years, only a handful of players actually cleared without being claimed by other clubs, many of whom claimed players simply to prevent them from being picked up by rival clubs.
Most of the players who are claimed are pulled off waivers by their present clubs, precluding them from being traded the rest of this season.
``So many guys get claimed now,'' Colletti said. ``The only players who don't get claimed are players you suspect are breaking down and you're seeing the results, or there is a lot of contract to go, two or three years, and they have underachieved this year. So yeah, you can roll the dice on that type of player, but I'm not sure that does you any good.''
Colletti said the Dodgers have put in at least 40 waivers claims on other clubs' players this month, about half of which were on players the Dodgers actually were interested in and half of which were on players they wanted to block from going to other clubs.

Wolf update: Dodgers pitcher Randy Wolf is experiencing no pain and full range of motion in his left shoulder and is expected to start his throwing program sometime next week, but it still is too early to tell whether the veteran lefty will pitch again this season.
``We are cautiously optimistic,'' Dodgers trainer Stan Conte said. ``We don't want to say everything will be OK, because we thought that before he made his rehab start.''
Wolf felt good in a rehabilitation start at Single-A Inland Empire last month, but experienced pain in the days that followed. He hasn't thrown a ball since then.

Moving on: Colletti said any disagreement over whether infielder Tony Abreu was truly injured -- he didn't play for almost a month after the Dodgers optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas on July 18 -- would have no impact on Abreu's standing within the organization.
Abreu is expected to be one of a handful of players promoted to the majors for the September roster expansion.

First home victory since Aug. 1 and just their fourth since the All-Star break. I had forgotten what Randy Newman's I Love L.A. sounded like. By now, you know Martin homered twice and the boys went 3 for 9 with RISP, and that all three hits came with two outs. You also know they improved to 61-59 and avoided falling to .500 for what would have been the first time since April 6, when they were 2-2. And that they stayed in fourth place, 6 1/2 behind the D-backs. What you do NOT know is something I uncovered before the game. Mark Sweeney's baserunning gaffe in last night's game happened after 9 p.m., our time, which meant it was after midnight Brooklyn time, which meant it happened on Aug. 15 Brooklyn time, which meant it happened on the 81st anniversary of the time the Dodgers committed one of the all-time baserunning gaffes at Ebbets Field when they got three men on third base at the same time, with two of them called out. All of which led to the famous joke: ``The Dodgers have three men on base.'' ``Oh yeah? Which base?''

At least two players, Brett Tomko and Luis Gonzalez, were upset with the media for going back to Mark Sweeney today to ask him about last night's baserunning mistake that ended the game. Their point was that it was over, and we should all just move on. In a way, they were right. But Sweeney didn't talk about it last night. In fact, he didn't come out of the video room until all the media had left the clubhouse. The reason we want to talk to players after a mistake like that is to get their side of the story and find out why they did what they did. It's a fairness thing -- fairness to the player. You don't want to make assumptions about why he did what he did. Good reporting involves going straight to the source and asking him.

By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
The Dodgers could not agree to terms with right-hander Kyle Blair, their fifth-round selection in this year's amateur draft out of Los Gatos High, before Wednesday night's deadline for signing 2007 draft picks. As a result, Blair will honor his scholarship to the University of San Diego and be ineligible to re-enter the draft until the summer of 2010.
The Dodgers ultimately balked at giving Blair what was believed to be a $1.1 million signing bonus that was well beyond Major League Baseball's prescribed range -- or ``slot'' -- for a fifth-rounder. But Blair would have gone in one of the first two rounds if clubs hadn't been concerned with his signability after he let it be known before the draft he was seeking a bonus in the $1.5 million range.
``I think like any player, there was that goal on Kyle's part of being a major-league baseball player,'' said Brodie Van Wagenen, the New York-based agent who was advising Blair. ``But now, he will have to delay that for three years before he has a chance to sign with a major-league organization. Kyle was prepared to not receive what he was looking for, and he is definitely ready to go on with his life.''
Dodgers assistant general manager Logan White said the negotiations ended amicably.
``We wish Kyle Blair the best and know he is going to have a good career,'' White said. ``He is a good kid. I talked to Kyle, and there is disappointment all around that we weren't able to get it done. But there certainly is a positive feeling toward Kyle, and I think he feels the same way toward us.''

Standing up: After declining to speak with the media following his inexplicable baserunning gaffe that led to a game-ending double play on Tuesday night against Houston, the Dodgers' Mark Sweeney did explain himself before Wednesday night's game.
``It was a mistake I made, and there is nothing I can do about it now,'' Sweeney said. ``It was an embarrassing moment, obviously. There are no excuses.''
Sweeney said he somehow had it in his mind that there were two outs. It isn't clear whether first-base coach Mariano Duncan reminded Sweeney before the play there was only one out, and Duncan declined comment after the game. But that still doesn't explain why Sweeney broke on what was clearly a foul ball by Juan Pierre and got doubled off first.
Sweeney had been inconsolable after the game. He reportedly destroyed a couple of pieces of his own equipment in a profanity-laced tirade in the clubhouse tunnel, then sat in the video room in stunned silence for more than a half-hour.

Abreu back: Infielder Tony Abreu went 2 for 4 with a double and three runs scored for Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday night in a 10-4 win at Colorado Springs. It was Abreu's first game action since he was optioned on July 18 because he had claimed during that time he was still suffering from an abdominal injury he had battled -- and come back from -- during his time in the major leagues.

Davis released: The Dodgers released veteran catcher Ben Davis, who batted .218 in 36 games at Las Vegas. The move was made to clear a roster spot for Chad Moeller, the catcher the Dodgers acquired last week from Cincinnati's Triple-A Louisville affiliate. Moeller made his debut for the 51s on Tuesday, going 2 for 3 with an RBI.
The Dodgers are expected to promote one of the 51s' catchers, Moeller or Ken Huckaby, to the majors for the September roster expansion.

Gonzo dropped to seventh, Kemp moves up to third, Ethier sits against the lefty (he is 2 for 13 against Jennings).

SS Furcal
CF Pierre
RF Kemp
2B Kent
1B Loney
C Martin
LF Gonzo
3B Hillenbrand
RH Penny

The club couldn't reach an agreement with fifth-rounder Kyle Blair, the right-hander who now will go to the University of San Diego. It is believed that the final proposal from Blair and his representatives was a $1.1 million signing bonus, which is well above slot for a fifth-rounder, but Blair was considered a legitimate first-rounder who fell in the draft because of perceived signability issues (he initially let it be known he was seeking $1.5 million. But the Dodgers ultimately decided that was more money than they were willing to commit. ``We were unable to come to terms,'' Dodgers assistant general manager Logan White said. ``We wish Kyle Blair the best and know he is going to have a good career. He just weren't able to get it done. He is a good kid. I talked to Kyle today, and there is disappointment all around that we weren't able to get it done. But there certainly is a positive feeling toward Kyle, and I think he feels the same way towards us. I think everybody made as much effort as they could, but it was just a no-go.''

Mark Sweeney never came out of the video room after the game, and who can really blame him? Matt Kemp was on deck when Sweeney got caught in no-man's land, and would have represented the tying run if he had actually come to the plate. But the fact is, the Dodgers had lost this game long before Sweeney's ninth-inning gaffe. They went 1 for 9 w/RISP, with the only hit being Sweeney's RBI single in the ninth, and they now are 3 for their last 55 w/RISP. Kent had an RBI double in the sixth, snapping his hitless streak at 25 ABs. The boys fall to 60-59 and remain 6 1/2 behind the D-backs.

Tomko is sailing along without incident, even though he has walked a couple of batters. He pitched around a potentially disastrous two-base error by Kemp in the first inning, and Kemp redeemed himself in the bottom of the first with a first-pithc homer to straightaway center, his seventh of the season. ... Dodgers 1, Astros 0, top 4

By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
Dodgers third baseman Nomar Garciaparra went onto the 15-day disabled list Tuesday when it became clear the strained left calf he had tried to play through for more than a week wasn't going to get any better without rest.
Shea Hillenbrand, whose contract the Dodgers had purchased from Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday, will get most of the playing time at third base in Garciaparra's absence. Reliever Eric Hull was recalled from Las Vegas to take Garciaparra's roster spot, giving the Dodgers a 12-man pitching staff.
The injury is believed to have happened in the fifth inning on Aug. 4, when Garciaparra ran first to third on a long fly ball by Ramon Martinez that was dropped by Arizona right fielder Justin Upton. Garciaparra hesitated to make sure the ball wasn't caught, and that was when he felt something in the calf.
``It was kind of in an isolated spot and wasn't that bad,'' Garciaparra said. ``I continued to feel it on certain movements, but it wasn't consistent. But it just kept getting worse, and this past weekend, I could feel it on more of a consistent basis. I took a day off on Sunday, hoping that would calm it down. But I still felt it (Monday) night at the end of the game.''

Pitching plans: Little all but announced that lefty Eric Stults will be recalled from Las Vegas to take the rotation spot that used to belong to Mark Hendrickson on Friday night against Colorado. When someone asked if there were other options besides Stults, Little simply said, ``Not many.'' Although Little didn't say it, Hull likely will go back down to clear a roster spot for Stults.

Lineup (re)shuffle: Less than a week after Juan Pierre was dropped to seventh in the order, he was moved back to second. Catcher Russell Martin, who entered the game with two hits in his past 16 at-bats, was dropped from second to sixth.
In five games since the change -- including one in which he batted second because Martin didn't play -- Pierre was 7 for 17. He went 3 for 4 in Monday night's loss to Houston, when the Dodgers had a total of six hits.
``We have to find some combination where we can start driving in a few more runs than our current pace,'' Little said.
Little said he also plans to find more playing time in the coming days for outfielder Matt Kemp, who entered the day hitting .311.

Also: Negotiations with fifth-round draft pick Kyle Blair, a right-hander who has signed a letter of intent to pitch for the University of San Diego, are expected to last well into the day. The deadline for signing 2007 draft choices is 9 p.m. tonight. Blair is believed to be seeking a bonus of $1.1 million. ...
Pierre hung an old photo on the front of his locker on Tuesday of himself and Bill Robinson, wearing Florida Marlins road uniform pants and champagne-soaked championship T-shirts, immediately after the Marlins won the 2003 World Series. Robinson, then the Marlins hitting coach, died two weeks ago of an apparent heart attack during a stop in Las Vegas as the Dodgers' minor-league hitting coordinator.

But let's get this out of the way first: the free cookie gag is over. Jeff Kent approached me during batting practice and extended the olive branch. It was a classy move on his part. I appreciated it and thanked him for it. So from now on, I will eat my free cookies in silence (last reference, I promise). ... Nomar apparently has been battling a left calf injury, which they are calling a strain, for several days. It wasn't getting any better, so they shelved him and brought up Eric Hull to be their 12th pitcher, although the guess here is that Hull will go back on Friday to make room for Stults so he can pitch that night. ... I haven't fact-checked this, but Grady said the Dodgers are now 4 for their last 27 w/RISP. He moved Pierre back to the two hole tonight and pushed Martin back to sixth. Oh, and Hillenbrand will get most of the snaps at third while Nomar is out.

SS Furcal
CF Pierre
RF Kemp
2B Kent
1B Loney
C Martin
LF Ethier
3B Hillenbrand
RH Tomko

I have decided that I will drop at least one reference to free cookies into every post on this blog until Jeff Kent finally gets a hit. ... Matt Albers' record isn't terribly impressive, but don't forget, this is the same guy who shutout the Dodgers on three hits over five innings on July 25. Astros ended up winning that game 2-1 on a home run by Carlos Lee. Dodgers got a leadoff triple from James Loney in the third inning that night, and he didn't score. For the game, the Dodgers went 0 for 5 w/RISP, including four strikeouts. Sound familiar? At any rate, the Dodgers will have their hands full tonight. With any luck, I will have my hands full too ... full of free cookies.

Refer to my last few postgame posts, because nothing has changed -- other than the fact the Dodgers are now 2 for their last 46 with runners in scoring position. The boys fall to 60-58 and 6 1/2 back in the NL West. Oh, and Jeff Kent dusted off that free-cookie reference that he also used last year to describe the media. As in, ``This game is easy when you write about it. It's really easy to deal with the pressure and manufacture runs when you're up in the sky box eating free cookies.'' That line just gets funnier and funnier every time he uses it. The fact he is now 0 for 23 makes it even funnier.

By the way, Hillenbrand is fitting right into this team so far. He came on after Nomar got ejected, and in his first at-bat, with runners on first and second and one out in the sixth, and promptly GIDP'd. Welcome to the Dodgers. ... Astros 4, Dodgers 1, bottom 7

By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
Dodgers manager Grady Little held a closed-door meeting with his struggling club before Monday night's game with Houston. The floor was not open for questions, comments or any input whatsoever by anyone not named Grady Little.
``It was like a baseball chapel, and I was the preacher,'' Little said.
The Dodgers limped home from the Midwest having lost 17 of their past 24 games and with the offense having scored a pathetic 19 runs in the past 10 games. That lack of production has led to almost everyone in the lineup pressing, and that, more than anything else, was the reason Little felt compelled to call the meeting.
``(The key is) for each individual to just do their job better,'' Little said. ``I think in a lot of ways, what might make something like this last longer is everybody trying to be that one person who carries us. It takes everyone doing their part. It doesn't work for one person to say, `Jump on my shoulders, here we go.'''
Little continued to hint that roster changes might be in store if the malaise continues. Truthfully, though, the club is running out of alternatives, especially with six players on the major-league disabled list and two top prospects on either the disabled or inactive list in the minors.
The meeting came just before the punchless Dodgers had to deal with Astros ace Roy Oswalt, one of the toughest starting pitchers in the league and not exactly a viable target for that one offensive explosion the Dodgers keep saying they need to right themselves.
``It was the type of meeting I'm not really fond of having on a night when we're facing Roy Oswalt,'' Little said. ``But we needed to talk about some things and see if we can't get it going. We're going through some tough times right now, and we will get through it.''

Roster move: The Dodgers did make a change just before game time, purchasing the contract of veteran infielder Shea Hillenbrand from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioning outfielder Delwyn Young to Las Vegas. The Dodgers signed Hillenbrand last week, just after he was released by San Diego after going 5 for 34 for the Padres' Triple-A Portland affiliate.
Hillenbrand, 32, began the season with the Angels but was released after hitting just .254 in 53 games. A right-handed batter, he has a career .285 average in seven big-league seasons.
Young was hitting .500 (7 for 14) since his July 31 callup, but he had appeared in just eight games during that stretch and started just twice.

Rotation change: Struggling left-hander Mark Hendrickson is out of the starting rotation
again after giving up eight earned runs in 2 2/3 innings in Sunday's loss at St. Louis. But because Hendrickson will be available out of the bullpen starting tonight, the Dodgers are OK for now with an 11-man pitching staff.
Little wouldn't say who will take Hendrickson's spot on Friday night against Colorado, but he did say it was someone not presently on the 25-man roster. That probably means it will be lefty Eric Stults, who was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on July 23, even though Stults has a 7.56 ERA for the 51s and lasted just 2 1/3 innings on Friday night against Sacramento. He gave up six earned runs and walked five batters in that game.
Right-hander D.J. Houlton would be a candidate, but he was optioned last Friday and must stay at least 10 days unless a major-league pitcher goes onto the disabled list.

Grady had a closed-door meeting with the club before batting practice today, the primary topic of which was that each player needed to do his job individually and that no player needed to try to carry the team on his shoulders. Or something like that. He also said the floor wasn't open for questions or comments. It was just Grady saying what he had to say, and that was it. Sounds like it might have been fairly intense, but that's just me speculating. ... Hendrickson is going back to the pen. Grady wouldn't say who is taking his spot, except that the person isn't presently on the active roster. That probably means Eric Stults, because Houlton won't have been down 10 days by then, so he can't come back to the majors unless someone goes on the DL. Here's the lineup:

SS Furcal
C Martin
1B Loney
2B Kent
LF Gonzo
3B Nomar
CF Pierre
RF Ethier
RH Billingsley

By the way, Billingsley is the first pitcher since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles to lose consecutive 1-0 games.

The rest of me is pretty shot, too. But, stalwart that I am, here I am at Dodger Stadium, ready to cover tonight's game. I don't envy the boys tonight. They are in a position where they absolutely, positively have to win, and they are facing Roy Oswalt. No news so far, but the club is expected to release one of its Triple-A catchers today, either Ben Davis or Ken Huckaby, to make room on the Vegas roster for newcomer Chad Moeller. It's a stunningly gorgeous day out here, without much in the way of smog, so at least the Dodgers have that going for them. Other than that, it's looking bleak.

By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
ST. LOUIS -- The Dodgers are holding out hope they still can sign right-hander Kyle Blair, their fifth-round draft choice who has signed a letter of intent to attend the University of San Diego. The deadline for signing draft picks is 9 p.m. on Wednesday.
``We definitely have interest in Kyle Blair, and we like his ability,'' Dodgers scouting director Tim Hallgren said. ``We just have to see how it works out.''
Blair made it clear as far back as draft day, more than two months ago, that he wouldn't sign for fifth-round money. It probably will take around $1.1 million, which is almost $1 million more than the Dodgers gave fourth-rounder Andrew Lambo ($165,000), a high-school outfielder. Of all the picks the Dodgers have signed, only first-rounder Chris Withrow ($1.35 million) received a seven-figure bonus.
The Dodgers did sign 25th-round pick Tim Sexton, a right-hander, last week. He received a $123,000 bonus, commensurate with where he would have been drafted if he hadn't fallen so far because clubs were concerned about his signability. Sexton made his professional debut on Saturday for the Dodgers' Single-A Great Lakes affiliate, a scoreless, five-inning relief stint in which he struck out six batters and didn't issue a walk.

Pitching depth: After Dodgers left-hander Mark Hendrickson lasted just 2 2/3 innings in Sunday's loss to St. Louis, resulting in manager Grady Little having to use four relievers, Little hinted the club might have to go back to 12 pitchers for tonight's game with Houston.
``If something needs to be done, we'll see,'' Little said.
That could mean the long-awaited major-league debut of top relief prospect Jonathan Meloan is at hand. The fireballing right-hander has been as impressive in eight appearances at Triple-A Las Vegas, where he has struck out 11 batters in 11 2/3 innings, as he was in 35 outings at Double-A Jacksonville, where he struck out 70 in 45 1/3 innings.
Meloan, 23, has a 1.54 ERA for the 51s.

Touchy subject: Dodgers infielder Tony Abreu hasn't played since the club optioned him to Las Vegas more than a month ago. The official reason is that he still is suffering from the abdominal injury that sidelined him for about a week in early July, but it is intriguing that Abreu is on the inactive list instead of the seven-day disabled list.
``I don't want to get into (that),'' Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said.
The problem is that Abreu actually came back from his injury and played in each of the Dodgers' final four games before he was sent out. That naturally would lead to skepticism about the injury.
``The last time I saw Tony Abreu, he was running first to third and playing in the big leagues,'' Colletti said.
In fairness, the last time Abreu ran first to third in the majors was on July 2, before his injury. But Colletti's point, however cryptic, still holds.

For the trip, the boys go 2-4 in wins and losses and 2 for 42 w/RISP. Nice. They fall to 60-57. Pods won, D-backs and Rockies are winning.

Cardinals pitcher Anthony Reyes is out of the game now. This is the same Reyes who came into today with a 1-11 record anda 5.66 ERA. Today, he went six innings, held the Dodgers to two runs on seven hits, struck out five and walked just one. The Dodgers have 45 games left after today. In order to finish .500, they have to go at least 21-24. Tell me, where is this team going to get 21 victories? From a pitching rotation of Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, Brett Tomko and Mark Hendrickson? From an offense that, so far anyway, is 2 for 39 w/RISP on this six-game road trip? Tell me. ... Cardinals 10, Dodgers 2, middle 7

Hendrickson gave up a three-run bomb to Ryan Ludwick in the first and then gave up five runs in the third, not getting out of the inning. The Dodgers have ONE starting pitcher, ONE, that doesn't make you nervous when he takes the mound, and thanks to a profound lack of run support, even HE hasn't won a game since July 26. As for the offense, don't get me started. Dodgers are now 0 for 12 for the series w/RISP. This game is lost, and so, it appears, is this season. ... Cardinals 8, Dodgers 2, bottom 4

SS Furcal
CF Pierre
1B Loney
2B Kent
LF Gonzo
C Lieberthal
RF Ethier
3B Martinez
LH Hendrickson

The only real news was that the club acquired Chad Moeller from the Reds in a minor-league trade. He had been playing at Triple-A Louisville and was assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas, but I would imagine he'll be up in September as a third catcher.

By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
ST. LOUIS -- Derek Lowe had faced two batters, thrown five pitches and recorded zero outs. And already, he had given up more runs than the Dodgers would score all afternoon.
A leadoff single by Aaron Miles and a first-pitch homer by Rick Ankiel -- one of two on the day by the celebrated ex-pitcher -- and the Dodgers were well on their way to a 6-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. And Lowe was well on his way to extending his winless drought, which now stretches more than seven weeks.
In eight starts since his last win on June 22 at Tampa Bay, Lowe is 0-5 with a 5.05 ERA.
``I think this being my second time to pitch in 17 days, maybe that has a lot to do with it,'' said Lowe, who continues to battle a sore left hip. ``I'm used to pitching every five days. I think I was a little rusty, and as the game went along, I got into the flow of (it). Maybe next time, I'll have a little better first inning.''
Lowe gave up five runs -- two of which were unearned because of two errors by shortstop Rafael Furcal in the third -- over six innings. He occasionally felt pain in his hip while pitching and batting.
``I would think ... the only time I'm going to feel 100-percent recovered is (after the season), when I stop doing what I do,'' Lowe said. ``But it was 100 times better than it was a week ago. I can't feel sorry for myself and put my head in the sand. I just have to go out there next time expecting to win.''
The Dodgers have now gone 13 consecutive games without a win by a starting pitcher.

No concerns: Veteran infielder Shea Hillenbrand went 3 for 4 and drove in two runs in his first game with the Dodgers' Triple-A Las Vegas affiliate on Friday night. The Dodgers had signed Hillenbrand to a minor-league contract earlier that day and are expected to promote him to the majors for the September roster expansion if not sooner.
Dodgers manager Grady Little, who also managed Hillenbrand in Boston in 2002 and part of 2003, said he never had any trouble with Hillenbrand, who got into a highly publicized dispute with Toronto manager John Gibbons just before the Blue Jays traded Hillenbrand to San Francisco last July. Little also said he has no concerns about managing Hillenbrand again.
``I don't even think any of us has the right to answer that question if we weren't there,'' Little said. ``Those who believe everything they read and hear, that is their own fault.''

Minor trade: The Dodgers acquired non-roster catcher Chad Moeller, an eight-year major-league veteran, from the Cincinnati Reds for cash and assigned him to Las Vegas. Moeller, 32, will likely be called up in September.

Drastic measure: A sputtering offense can make a manager do unusual things. It was in that spirit that the Dodgers intentionally walked Albert Pujols with the bases empty and two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning of a scoreless game on Friday night.
Actually, reliever Joe Beimel initially appeared to pitch to Pujols, then gave up and put him on after falling behind 2-0. But Little said Saturday that Pujols was never going to get a pitch to hit, anyway.
``We fell behind on purpose,'' he said. ``We were trying to get him to get himself out on a bad pitch. But once it got to 2-0, it got kind of scary.''
Pujols eventually did get himself out, though. Before Beimel threw a pitch to Jim Edmonds, he threw to first just to keep Pujols close. Pujols, who was running on Beimel's first move, took off and was easily thrown out at second. The Dodgers then scored two runs in the ninth to win the game.

D-Lowe gave up more runs than the Dodgers would score before he recorded an out, and his teammates then proceeded to make Braden Looper look like, well, D-Lowe back when D-Lowe used to win a game every now and then. Dodgers, who went 0-7 w/RISP, drop to 60-56 and are threatening to drop out of sight in the NL West. Padres are getting pounded. D-backs and Rockies play later.

It is staggering how often this season the Dodgers have gotten a man to third with nobody out and failed to score him. It happened again in the fifth, when Nomar led off with an infield single to spoil Looper's bid for immortality and Andre Ethier doubled. With runners on second and third, Juan Pierre opted to go after the first pitch. And while it's fair to point out that it took a diving catch from Chris Duncan in shallow left field, right near the line, to rob Pierre of a hit, it also is fair to point out that we will never know what would have happened if Pierre had chosen to make Looper work a little bit and throw him a few pitches. Ramon Martinez then had a spirited at-bat before taking a called third strike, D-Lowe did what pitchers usually do at the plate, and another golden opportunity passed the Dodgers by. Then, in the sixth, after the Dodgers finally did get a run on a two-out single by Loney followed by a double by Gonzo. But Nomar, as he so often does, then went after Looper's first pitch and flied weakly to center, stranding Gonzo. Boys are presently 0 for 6 w/RISP in the game. ... Cardinals 5, Dodgers 1, middle 7

D-Lowe is looking for his first win since June 22, and it doesn't look like it's going to come today -- unless there is anybody out there who still believes the Dodgers are capable of scoring six runs in a game. He gave up a single to Aaron Miles and a two-run homer to the Feel-good Story of the Year, aka Rick Ankiel, before so much as retiring a batter. The Cardinals then got to Lowe for three more in the third -- two of them unearned because of a pair of errors by Furcal. Meanwhile, Braden Looper is working on a no-hitter, which, frankly, isn't that hard to believe right now. ... Cardinals 5, Dodgers 0, top 4

Not sure why, but I'll find out when I get downstairs. Probably because he is 2 for 13 against Braden Looper. Loney still third, Pierre still seventh.

SS Furcal
C Martin
1B Loney
LF Gonzo
3B Nomar
RF Ethier
CF Pierre
2B Martinez
RH Lowe

So late last night (early this morning, actually), I was in the Key West Cafe at the Union Station mall with my mom, my brother and my brother's girlfriend, and there was eclectic mix of songs emanating loudly from the juke box. Seated alone at a table in the corner was a slightly built African-American man who bore a striking resemblance to the late Arthur Ashe, and he was drinking beer and smoking cigarettes, and he was LOUDLY singing along with every one of these songs, no matter what genre of music each one happened to fall into. He even sang along to Walk the Line, by Johnny Cash, at the end of which he bellowed out, ``Yeeeeeee-hawwwww!!!'' But the piece de resistance was when he sang along with Shania Twain's Man! I Feel Like a Woman. And every time it would come to the title line, he would shout as loudly as he could, "I FEEL LIKE A WOMAN'' The things you see in St. Louis in the wee hours of a Friday night/Saturday morning.

Loney looks like a good fit for the three hole so far, even though he went hitless in his first three ABs. He barely missed a home run in the fourth inning before it hooked JUST foul. In the ninth, he hit a no-doubter about six rows back in right-center after Martin singled past a diving Scott Rolen. The shot came on Wainwright's 108th pitch of the evening. Poor guy pitched a gem and got nothing but a loss to show for it, but the boys needed this one. Beimel got the win after walking Prince Albert intentionally with two outs in the eighth after falling behind 2-0, then promptly picking him off without throwing a pitch to Jim Edmonds. Penny pitched seven shutout innings, allowing five hits. In his past three starts -- two L's and a no-decision -- the Dodgers have scored a total of three runs, only one of which came while he was still in the game. Saito had a shaky ninth, giving up a run and two hits, but managed to get out of it. Boys improve to 60-55.

At night here, if you look toward the windows at the top of the Gateway Arch, you can actually see flashbulbs popping, the tourists willing to brave the claustrophobia of those tiny little elevator cars that transport people from the base to the top taking pictures of the city below. ... Hey, I gotta find something to occupy my time during this scoreless game, don't I?

Great pitching duel between Brad Penny and Adam Wainwright. Cardinals have five hits to the Dodgers' three, but Penny has gotten out of a couple of tight spot with GIDP's, one by Jim Edmonds and the other by Albert Pujols, to end innings. Dodgers, on the other hand, haven't come close to scoring. They have gotten just one runner as far as second base, but Andre Ethier struck out after back-to-back singles by Nomar and Pierre in the fifth. Dodgers 0, Cardinals 0, top 7

The Dodgers have signed veteran first baseman Shea Hillenbrand to a minor-league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Las Vegas. Hillenbrand was released twice already this season, once by the Angels and later by the Padres, for whom he never played in the majors and went 5 for 34 at Triple-A Portland.

This is just Loney's fourth start of the season in the three hole, but Grady says he will hit there at least through the weekend. The lineup alternates left-right all the way down to seven and eight, where Pierre and Ethier are both LH batters. Grady wouldn't say it, but that probably has something to do with La Russa's tendency to engage in late-inning chess matches. This makes it more difficult for him to do that, especially since the Cardinals have just two lefties in their pen.

SS Furcal
C Martin
1B Loney
2B Kent
LF Gonzo
3B Nomar
CF Pierre
RF Ethier
RH Penny

D.J. Houlton was optioned to Las Vegas to make room for Mark Sweeney, meaning the Dodgers are carrying 11 pitchers now. ... When I got to my room at the Westin, I noticed that the cover of the St. Louis 2007 Convention and Visitors Guide features a great shot of Albert Pujols appearing to take Brad Penny downtown in a game here last year. Several of the fans have raised their arms in triumph, and Kenny Lofton (remember him?) is on a dead sprint toward the centerfield wall. Well, never wanting to be accused of not doing my homework, I checked the box score on retrosheet.org and discovered that Pujols didn't homer off Penny in that game. It was one of two doubles off the centerfield wall. But if the publishers wanted to make it look like Prince Albert was going yard, they did a good job of it.

DODGERS ACQUIRE SWEENEY FROM
GIANTS
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced today that they have acquired veteran first baseman Mark Sweeney from the San Francisco Giants for a player to be named later or cash, according to Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti.

“Mark provides us with another experienced bat off the bench and from time to time he may be called on in a starting role,” said Colletti. “He has tremendous makeup and will bring a lot to this club.”

Sweeney, 37, is one of the best pinch-hitters in baseball history and recently surpassed Dodger coach Manny Mota for second place all-time with 155 pinch-hits. The 13-year veteran trails only Lenny Harris (212) on the pinch-hit list and leads all active players in pinch-hit home runs with 15 and pinch-RBI with 96.

The Massachusetts native has played 1,090 games with the Cardinals (1995-97), Padres (1997-98, 2002, 2005), Reds (1999), Brewers (2000-01), Rockies (2003-04) and Giants (2006-07), compiling a lifetime .260 batting average, with 42 homers and 242 RBI. This season, the left-handed hitter is batting .256 (23-for-90) and leads the Major Leagues with 16 pinch hits, including six pinch-hit doubles, the most in baseball.

Sweeney’s best season came in 2005 with San Diego, when he established career highs in games (135), at-bats (221), hits (65), doubles (12), average (.294) and stolen bases (4). In 17 career postseason contests, Sweeney is hitting .357 (5-for-14) with three runs scored, a double and an RBI. The 1991 graduate of the University of Maine went 2-for-3 with an RBI in three games during the 1998 World Series for the Padres.

The Dodgers originally selected Sweeney in the 39th round of the June 1990 First-Year Player Draft out of Maine, but he returned for his senior season and was drafted by the Angels the following year.

The deal marks the first time the Dodgers and Giants have orchestrated a trade since December 11, 1985, when Los Angeles sent outfielder Candy Maldonado to San Francisco in exchange for catcher Alex Trevino.

For a player to be named. This guy is now No. 2 all-time on the career pinch-hitting list, having passed Manny Mota and trailing only Lenny Harris. He is a free agent after the season. No corresponding roster move to clear a spot for him until tomorrow, but my guess is they might DFA Saenz because Sweeney is a 1B/OF. They also might send Delwyn Young back to the minors, as a thank you for his going 4 for 4 today. Or, it could be something else.

Just got this release via email from the Rockies. Guess it would have made too much sense to play the game on Sept. 17, when both clubs are off.

DENVER – The Rockies/Dodgers game that was rained out on Friday, July 27 has been re-scheduled as part of a split doubleheader on Tuesday, September 18 at Coors Field. The makeup game is slated to begin at 1:05 p.m. MT, with the second game starting at 6:35 p.m. MT as originally scheduled

The three-game scoreless streak ended in the first inning, and the six-game losing streak ended more than 3 1/2 hours later. The boys broke the scoring drought with sac flies in the first, second and seventh innings, then finally got a hit to drive in a run when Ramon Martinez singled in Andre Ethier to tie the game in the eighth. Scott Proctor pitched the ninth and 10th, giving up one hit. and got the win. Saito got the save. Dodgers improve to 59-55. What it means in the standings won't be known for a few hours.

The Dodgers haven't lost yet. And it now looks like they might ..... ummm .... WIN. Furcal just went yard of Victor Santos with one out in the 11th, his fifth of the year, all from the left side. Saito is warming up. ... Dodgers 5, Reds 4, top 11

Yes, the boys and their revamped lineup have produced two runs today, one in each of the first two innings, both on sacrifice flies. They also have a hit with a runner in scoring position, a sharply hit single by Olmedo Saenz in the first inning that didn't score Furcal from second. On the other hand, Tomko gave up his team-leading 12th home run of the season in the second, a two-run blast by Alex Gonzalez, and that has been the difference in the game so far. Reds 3, Dodgers 2, top 4

Grady said this lineup might not be a one-day thing. He also said that Pierre batting seventh will NOT be a one-day thing. In fact, this is EXACTLY what he said: ``One thing that probably will be consistent in there for a while is the top of the lineup. I'm going to go with Furcal and Martin for a while at the top and put Juan down. Early in the season, there were some struggles there. Now, we're looking at nearly 450-500 at-bats. We need a little bit more on-base percentage. That is the bottom line right there.'' Pierre declined to comment until after the game, and because he is normally one of the most cooperative guys on the team when it comes to dealing with the media, he gets some slack on this one. But Grady also made it clear Pierre isn't the only scapegoat for this team's freefall. ``We are searching for something that will work,'' he said. ``We have a lot of people in this lineup that we're depending on, that we were depending on coming into spring training and that we have depended on throughout the season, and it isn't happening. ... If (this) doesn't work, maybe some of the bodies you see in there will be different than some of the bodies you see in there now.''

No Nomar. No Gonzo (which we knew yesterday). No Loney. No Ethier. Pierre is batting seventh. And Martin, on what is expected to be the hottest, stickiest game of the year thus far for the Dodgers, is starting behind the plate for the 10th consecutive game. But hey, you can rest assured that the Dodgers aren't going to score any less runs today than they have scored in their past three games, even with this lineup

SS Furcal
C Martin
1B Saenz
2B Kent
RF Kemp
LF Young
CF Pierre
3B Martinez
RH Tomko

I knew for the past two days there was something different about Great American Ball Park, and I finally figured out what it is. They built this gigantic party deck on top of the batter's eye in center field, a two-level structure designed to look exactly like a riverboat, but it's a bit of an eyesore, to be frank. And, it obscures the big courthouse across the river in Newport, Ky., a beautiful domed building which used to be the centerpiece of this ballpark's backdrop. Now, all you see is a hillside with a big water tower on top of it. This was never a great ballpark to begin with, but it sure beats the you-know-what out of that monstrosity they used to play in next door. What an awful place. I saw more different species of spiders in three years of working in that dump than I ever knew existed. ... Haven't seen the lineup yet, but I know Delwyn Young and Olmedo Saenz are in it. Hey, anything to shake things up, right?

If the Dodgers don't score in the first or second inning tomorrow, it will match their longest drought since 1996, when they went 30 innings without scoring. This is trully awful. Even for someone like myself, who is supposed to be impartial, this is getting depressing to watch. The boys officially fell into fourth place tonight, a game behind the surging Rockies, and they are now just three games above .500 at 58-55. And, they are now 1 for their last 43 w/RISP. Horrendous.

... because, after all, how do you put into words the fact the Dodgers ARE NOW 1 FOR THEIR LAST 40 with runners in scoring position. For the mathematically challenged, that's an .025 batting average. The latest failure came in tonight's fourth inning, after Rafael Furcal broke up Aaron Harang's perfect game bid with a single up the middle, and Russell Martin followed with a single to right that put Furcal on third with one out. So what did Jeff Kent do? Why, he struck out, of course. And what did Andre Ethier do? Well, he flied out to left, of course. And the Dodgers have now gone 23 consecutive innings without scoring. ... Reds 1, Dodgers 0, bottom 4

Juan Pierre is leading off, with Furcal batting second. Anything to get this thing jumpstarted, I suppose. Furcal has one hit in his past 15 ABs, and Pierre had three hits last night. Also, Gonzo is sitting, probably because he is a career 1 for 12 against Aaron Harang. Oh, and for those of you who keep complaining about Ethier batting eighth, how does fifth grab you? Here you go:

CF Pierre
SS Furcal
C Martin
2B Kent
LF Ethier
3B Nomar
1B Loney
RF Kemp
RH Billingsley

The boys have now been blanked three times in their past four games. If the Rockies win, they will tie the Dodgers for third place. Dodgers are starting to look like a team playing out the string, even though they are only four games out, although that probably will be five after the Snakes cruise past the Buccos. Dodgers will fall to 58-54. Forget about the playoffs, because the thing you have to wonder now is whether this team can finish above .500. Dodgers will go into tomorrow 1 for their last 38 with RISP

He made it through six innings, and although he gave up four runs, it isn't his fault the Dodgers are now 1 for 36 -- THAT'S ONE HIT IN THEIR PAST 36 AT-BATS -- with runners in scoring position. After Furcal and Pierre got on back-to-back to start the sixth, putting runners on first and second with none out, I said to no one in particular, ``Hey, after this inning, the Dodgers will be 1 for 35.'' Sure enough, Martin took a called third strike and Kent and Gonzo each flied to center. And Furcal just popped up to end the seventh with runners on the corners. By the way, the game time temp was 97 degrees and the heat index was 100.4. Seanez in now for the boys. ... Reds 4, Dodgers 0, middle 7

Remember Grady's comment after Sunday's game, the one about how the boys had hit ``rock bottom''? Turns out that was only wishful thinking. Hendrickson gave up three in the first. Brandon Phillips took him over the wall in dead center to lead off the third. The Dodgers, meanwhile, wasted a first-and-third, none-out situation in the third when Juan Pierre fouled to first and Russell Martin GIDP'd. Dodgers are now 1 for 32 w/RISP since Rafael Furcal's RBI single in the second inning a week ago tonight. Oh, and it gets worse: the first-place D-backs are hosting the Pirates.... Funny quote from Grady pregame when asked if the Dodgers expect Hong-Chih Kuo back sometime this season: ``I have been managing here for two years, and I have been expecting him back most of that time.'' ... Reds 4, Dodgers 0, top 5

By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
CINCINNATI -- The Dodgers have promoted left-hander Clayton Kershaw, their first-round pick in last summer's draft and arguably their top pitching prospect, to Double-A Jacksonville from their Single-A Great Lakes affiliate in Midland, Mich. The surprise isn't that Kershaw was moved -- he struck out 134 batters in 97 1/3 innings for the Loons -- but that he leapfrogged advanced Single-A Inland Empire.
``We want to see if we can fast-track him,'' Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. ``We want to see if he is prepared to advance to that level. I saw him one time in Michigan, and he dominated. Others in the organization have seen him numerous times and come away with the same impression.''
For Kershaw, 19, the rest of the season will amount to an audition of sorts that will largely determine where he will begin next season. If he pitches well for the Suns, it might put him on track to possibly be in the majors sometime late in 2008.
``We felt like with his stuff and where he is developmentally, this will give him an opportunity for five or six starts to kind of get acclimated to facing advanced hitters,'' Dodgers player development director DeJon Watson said. ``It will also be an opportunity to gauge exactly where he is.''
Kershaw is expected to make his Double-A debut tonight, when Jacksonville hosts Carolina, and Colletti plans to attend.

Pitching plans: Dodgers right-hander Derek Lowe has been pushed back to Saturday at St. Louis, so Brett Tomko will start on Wednesday against Cincinnati. Lowe went more than a week between starts because of a left hip injury, then had a rough, five-inning outing against Arizona on Saturday night.
``We have a chance to allot him a day or two more,'' Dodgers manager Grady Little said. ``The next time around, it won't be that way. We think it will help him this time.''
The Dodgers don't have another off-day until Aug. 20 and thus won't be able to tinker with their rotation before then without making a personnel change.
Lowe didn't suffer a setback with his injury. But pushing him back in the rotation allows him to delay his customary side session to today, which gives his hip three full days to recover from his last start.

Left behind: Reliever Chin-hui Tsao, who has been on the 15-day disabled list for the past three weeks with a right shoulder injury, was supposed to accompany the team on its current trip and begin a throwing program. But he stayed behind after he complained to Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Sunday that he continued to feel pain in the shoulder, a development trainer Stan Conte said could be termed a setback.
``He will see Dr. (Lewis) Yocum (today) for a second opinion,'' Conte said.
Meanwhile, lefty Hong-Chih Kuo, who had a bone chip removed from his elbow, is on the trip, but Conte said it hasn't been determined when Kuo will start a throwing program.

Robinson tribute: All the Dodgers' minor-league affiliates will wear a black sleeve patch for the rest of the season bearing the initials ``B.R.'' in white as a tribute to Bill Robinson, the club's minor-league hitting coordinator. Robinson died two weekends ago of an apparent heart attack while in Las Vegas with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate.

By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
CINCINNATI -- The Dodgers have promoted left-hander Clayton Kershaw, their first-round pick in last summer's draft and arguably their top pitching prospect, to Double-A Jacksonville from their Single-A Great Lakes affiliate in Midland, Mich. The surprise isn't that Kershaw was moved -- he struck out 134 batters in 97 1/3 innings for the Loons -- but that he leapfrogged advanced Single-A Inland Empire.
``We want to see if we can fast-track him,'' Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. ``We want to see if he is prepared to advance to that level. I saw him one time in Michigan, and he dominated. Others in the organization have seen him numerous times and come away with the same impression.''
For Kershaw, 19, the rest of the season will amount to an audition of sorts that will largely determine where he will begin next season. If he pitches well for the Suns, it might put him on track to possibly be in the majors sometime late in 2008.
``We felt like with his stuff and where he is developmentally, this will give him an opportunity for five or six starts to kind of get acclimated to facing advanced hitters,'' Dodgers player development director DeJon Watson said. ``It will also be an opportunity to gauge exactly where he is.''
Kershaw is expected to make his Double-A debut tonight, when Jacksonville hosts Carolina, and Colletti plans to attend.

Pitching plans: Dodgers right-hander Derek Lowe has been pushed back to Saturday at St. Louis, so Brett Tomko will start on Wednesday against Cincinnati. Lowe went more than a week between starts because of a left hip injury, then had a rough, five-inning outing against Arizona on Saturday night.
``We have a chance to allot him a day or two more,'' Dodgers manager Grady Little said. ``The next time around, it won't be that way. We think it will help him this time.''
The Dodgers don't have another off-day until Aug. 20 and thus won't be able to tinker with their rotation before then without making a personnel change.
Lowe didn't suffer a setback with his injury. But pushing him back in the rotation allows him to delay his customary side session to today, which gives his hip three full days to recover from his last start.

Left behind: Reliever Chin-hui Tsao, who has been on the 15-day disabled list for the past three weeks with a right shoulder injury, was supposed to accompany the team on its current trip and begin a throwing program. But he stayed behind after he complained to Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Sunday that he continued to feel pain in the shoulder, a development trainer Stan Conte said could be termed a setback.
``He will see Dr. (Lewis) Yocum (today) for a second opinion,'' Conte said.
Meanwhile, lefty Hong-Chih Kuo, who had a bone chip removed from his elbow, is on the trip, but Conte said it hasn't been determined when Kuo will start a throwing program.

Robinson tribute: All the Dodgers' minor-league affiliates will wear a black sleeve patch for the rest of the season bearing the initials ``B.R.'' in white as a tribute to Bill Robinson, the club's minor-league hitting coordinator. Robinson died two weekends ago of an apparent heart attack while in Las Vegas with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate.

Lunch was outstanding, although I got full pretty quick and didn't get to finish something called Big Ted's Sampler Platter, which was a small helping of ribs, a big pile of pulled pork and an even bigger pile of brisket, all smothered in sauce. But a good time was had by all. We had a table overlooking the Ohio River, which is the closest thing you're going to get in Cincinnati to the seaside dining we Angelenos seem to take for granted. ... It's a balmy 98 here right now, but for some reason, the rooms in the hotel are freezing. I turned the AC completely off last night, put on a leather jacket that I almost didn't bring on the trip, went to bed. woke up this morning, and it was still cold. I thought maybe someone had previously died in my room and I was feeling their ghostly presence. But after checking with Scott and Josh, turns out their rooms were freezing, too, so try explaining that.

Here's the lineup, with Jeff Kent in it and Loney dropped to eighth. Ethier is playing, probably because he is sizzling hot, but the fact he is playing and Kemp is sitting is a bit curious considering this is a park was MADE for right-handed pull hitters. Maybe Grady just doesn't want Matty to fall into any bad habits.

SS Furcal
CF Pierre
C Martin
2B Kent
LF Gonzo
3B Nomar
RF Ethier
1B Loney
LH Hendrickson

It's 11:30 p.m. and roughly 90 degrees. Welcome to the Midwest. Not a lot to report so far. Flight was an hour late, which was not a problem for me, but it might have been a problem for the hundred or so people on the plane who were connecting in Cincinnati and going elsewhere. Picked up the rental car, checked into the Westin, went to dinner at Palomino with Diamond Leung, and now I'm back in the room and about to hit the sack. Going to treat Josh Rawitch, the Dodgers' PR guy, and Scott Akasaki, their traveling secretary, to lunch tomorrow at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse, a Cincinnati landmark with the best bbq ribs this side of Memphis, just as an appreciation for all they do for me and the rest of the beat guys over the course of a season. Two really good guys who are great at what they do. Other than that, not much going on. Talk to you tomorrow from Great American Ball Park.

That canned recording of Nancy Bea playing Just Thinkin' About To-morrow that they play after every home loss is getting a little repetitive. Final was D-backs 3, Dodgers 0. The boys went 1-5 on the homestand, and only a four-run rally in the eighth inning on Tuesday night saved them from going 0-6. ... Nomar must have been in a hurry to get to Carne Asada Sunday, because he led off the bottom of the ninth by rolling over to short on the first pitch from Webb, who almost threw a CG shutout on less than 100 pitches (he wound up with 103). When things were going well for this team, it was because the hitters were working counts. Suddenly, they have stopped. The Dodgers have lost four in a row, during which they are a ridiculous 1 for 25 w/RISP. They fall to 58-53 and trail the D-backs by four games in the NL West. Start thinkin' about next year, folks.

With Brandon Webb batting and runners at the corners with two outs in the fourth inning, Penny threw what appeared to be a perfect pitch that Webb stared at. Plate umpire Gary Cederstrom called it a ball, leading the formerly temperamental Penny to throw his hands up and yell a few things at Cederstrom as he walked back to the mound. Once he got on top of the mound, Penny then held up his hands again, stretching them far apart, and although I'm not quite sure what Brad was trying to say there, Cederstrom responded by doing something that ought to get him suspended, in my humble opinion. He took off his mask and stormed out toward the mound, with Russell Martin following him to try to dissuade him and Grady bursting out of the dugout. In the old days, umpires tried to diffuse situations like this. Cederstrom did nothing but try to inflame it, with the sort of chip-on-his-shoulder attitude that perfectly illustrates the God complex that so many of these umpires seem to have today. Anyway, order was quickly restored, and Penny went about the business of striking out Webb. Webb then went about the business of continuing to dominate the punchless Dodgers who are now 1 for 23 w/RISP in their past four games, all of which will have been losses in about another hour. This one was pretty much over before it started -- and it was really over after that weird play where Penny couldn't get to the bag. Webb is two batters into the seventh inning, and he has thrown 78 pitches. Work the count much? ... Oh, by the way, Kent is expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday night at Cincinnati. ... Diamonbacks 3, Dodgers 0, bottom 7

The boys just wasted a leadoff double by Andre Ethier, who never advanced. and they are now 1 for 21 with RISP over their past four games. THAT'S ONE HIT IN 21 ABs. Unbelievable. And they wonder why their season is circling the drain. ... Not sure what happened on that play in the second inning, but with a runner on second and one out, Mark Reynolds hit a grounder to Loney's right. Loney snared it, turned and threw to Penny covering. But for some reason known only to Brad Penny, he froze about a foot from the bag while waiting for the throw. By the time he had the ball in his glove, Reynolds had crossed safely, and Penny was still off the bag. Cost himself a two-run inning instead of a one-run inning. But the way the Dodgers are hitting right now -- and considering the fact they're facing Brandon Webb -- that one run probably would have been enough, anyway. Dodgers are about to be swept in a series where they really couldn't afford to lose two of three. Too late to avoid that, though. Diamondbacks 2, Dodgers 0, top 4

SS Furcal
CF Pierre
C Martin
LF Gonzo
3B Nomar
1B Loney
2B Martinez
RF Ethier
RH Penny

Andy LaRoche took BP today and is expected to return to the Las Vegas lineup tomorrow. He hit .411 in July

A loss is a loss is a loss, no matter how furiously you rally in the late innings, and this was a HUGE loss for the Dodgers. They fall to 58-52, the first time they have been no more than six games over .500 since May 22, when they were 26-20, and they fall three games behind the Snakes, their biggest deficit of the season. But hey, the Rockies lost, so the Dodgers don't have to worry about falling into fourth place for at least two more days. If you were waiting to book that non-refundable vacation for the first week in October, you can probably go ahead.

This is beginning to look really bleak. Every run the boys have scored in the past three games, including this one, has come on either a bases-loaded walk, a bases-loaded groundout or a sac fly. In those three games, the boys are 0 for 16 with RISP. Production, anyone? Meanwhile, D-Lowe's health appears to be the least of his concerns, although the Snakes' four-run fifth got a spark from a bad feed from James Loney to D-Lowe after Loney made a nice stop on a grounder to his right. D-Lowe left after five and now has given up 16 runs in his past 12 innings. Diamondbacks 8, Dodgers 2, middle 7

The Dodgers have now scored exactly two runs in 21 innings since their game-winning, four-run outburst in the eighth inning on Wed. night. Tonight, they have two hits off Livan Hernandez and haven't gotten a runner past first base. Derek Lowe walked the second batter of the game, then gave up a two-run homer to Eric Byrnes. Since then, he has set down nine in a row, but that two-run deficit looks awfully large considering the way the Dodgers have been hitting lately. This is a game the boys simply can't afford to lose, in my estimation. Diamondbacks 2, Dodgers 0, top 4

SS Furcal
CF Pierre
C Martin
LF Gonzo
3B Nomar
1B Loney
2B Martinez
RF Ethier
RH Lowe

Hendrickson will pitch the Cincinnati opener, followed by Billingsley and Lowe, meaning Tomko has been pushed to the back and probably will start on Saturday at St. Louis. ... By the way, James McDonald had another stellar outing for Double-A Jacksonville last night. Since his July 12 promotion, he is 4-1 with a 1.30 ERA and has struck out 36 batters in 27 2/3 innings.

Just checked the forecast for the upcoming road trip, which a colleague of mine who used to be on the beat with me used to refer to as the annual ``Humidity Tour.'' It's going to reach triple digits on Wed and Thurs in Cincinnati and on Friday in St. Louis. The forecast I checked didn't go past Friday. Triple digits in the Midwest is a little different from triple digits in, say, Phoenix, which is very dry. Triple digits in the Midwest means humidity, sweat and extreme discomfort. My mom, brother and brother's girlfriend are driving up from NW Arkansas for the St. Louis series, and I'm looking forward to seeing them, but my mom isn't real big on hot weather. Sure hope the AC works at the Casino Queen. This should be a very interesting week, to say the least. ... Just got to the park. Doesn't appear to be any notable news as of yet. Heading downstairs now.

Pods rallied to beat the Giants. The free fall continues.

Chris Snyder's leadoff homer in the eighth proved the difference. Doug Davis stuffed the Dodgers on three hits over eight innings, and they didn't come close to getting a hit off Jose Valverde in the ninth. Dodgers fall to 58-51 an two games behind the Snakes in the standings and are now closer to the fourth-place Rockies (3 1/2 back) than to the D-backs. It's getting late, folks. Fifty-three games left to turn this around, and right now, the Dodgers give no indication that they are about to do so. See you tomorrow.

He managed to avoid the tag and dive back into the bag the first time. But then, he got caught again, and this time, he wasn't so lucky. It happened with two outs in the bottom of the sixth and Saenz at the plate, so the Dodgers weren't going to score anyway. Furcal has made three nice plays at SS. He is one of those guys who you have to see every day to appreciate how good he is defensively. Hard to believe this guy has never won a Gold Glove. ... Billingsley still sailing along. He just threw his 90th pitch and still has given up just two hits and, most remarkably, one walk. Diamondbacks 0, Dodgers 0, top 7

Yes, the Bonds Brigade is gone, and the press box has precious breathing room once again. And it gets even better. Chad Billingsley is dealing -- and keeping his pitch count down. He just gave up a harmless two-out hit to Chad Tracy, snapping a string of 10 consecutive batters retired. On the flip side, Doug Davis has been pretty dominant for the D-backs so far. A fitting start to a huge series for both clubs. Diamondbacks 0, Dodgers 0, bottom 4

Bonds is playing for the Jints, as if there were ever any doubt. Kent remains day to day. Stan Conte says it's a matter of how far Jeff can run at full speed before feeling something in his hammy. D-Lowe took some light PFP to make sure he could sprint to 1B if he has to, and he can, so he's a definite go for Saturday. No other news of note, except that Andy LaRoche continues to burn up the PCL. He homered again last night.

SS Furcal
CF Pierre
C Martin
LF Gonzo
3B Nomar
1B Loney
RF Kemp
2B Martinez
RH Tomko

Not much of a surprise to anybody. Oh, and Derek Lowe was fine after his side session. Here's tonight's lineup, with Kent still not in it

SS Furcal
CF Pierre
C Martin
LF Gonzo
3B Nomar
1B Loney
2B Martinez
RF Ethier
LH Hendrickson

They made a slight change to the seat assignments since last night, which will allow me to actually stay for the game. I got the coveted aisle seat that usually belongs to Dodgers PR staffer Yvonne Carrasco, who very graciously is taking one for the team the next two nights and going without a seat. ... Still no roster move for Proctor. Talked to Josh Rawitch a few minutes ago, and he said he hadn't heard from baseball ops yet. I'll update as soon as I know, but I'm sure it's a nervous drive to the ballpark today for both Eric Hull and D.J. Houlton.