After coughing up a five-run lead and heading for extra innings, you’d think the Dodger offense would just roll over and die, and drop their fifth straight game to Houston.

                Not so fast. Apparently, these are the new-and-improved Dodgers, who have scored double-digit hits in each of their last two games. True, they lost the first, but last night three old hands were there to right the ship after the youngsters nearly caused it to capsize.

                Jeff Kent hit a solo homer in the 11th inning to give the Dodgers a 7-6, giving them their first win against the Astros this season and crawling back within 2½ of Arizona for first place in the NL West. Also coming up big was Chan-Ho Park, who continues to get it done despite having started the season in Triple-A in favor of, er, Esteban Loiaza. Park got out of a jam in the ninth and pitched a solid tenth for the win. Takashi Saito looked good in the bottom of the 11th, retiring the side in order for his 13th save.

Continue reading "Kent's 11th-Hour Homer Gives Dodgers Come-From-Ahead Win"

Before Wednesday’s game the Dodgers sent rookie pitcher Clayton Kershaw to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for Hiroki Kuroda, who was coming off the disabled list. While Kershaw has been inconsistent throughout his first major-league stint, Kuroda has been even more so in his first season in the America. Kuroda has had brilliant games, such as his start in May against the Astros, and some horrific outings, such as his last start before the injury, when he gave up six runs in less than three innings in San Diego.

Manager Joe Torre hoped Kuroda could be at least decent, and could get through a few innings to cover for the bullpen tired by the previous game’s 11-inning win. However, with Kuroda there’s been good and bad, and rarely anything in between. On Wednesday, Good Kuroda showed up.

Continue reading "All 4-1 and Kuroda for All: Righty Returns from DL, Beats Houston"

It’s tough to say that the Dodgers, a sub-.500 team in baseball’s worst division, are feeling good this holiday weekend. But inching ever closer to division leader Arizona while welcoming back two injured players left L.A. feeling Reborn on the Fourth of July.

                The Dodgers busted out the big bats on a Friday matinee game, beating up on the archrival Giants to win 10-7 in the opener of the three-game set in San Francisco. L.A. connected for 13 hits, eight of which went for extra bases, while rallying from an early 5-2 deficit. The victory stretched the Dodgers win streak to four, and the Dodgers were also glad to welcome back infielder Nomar Garciaparra and outfielder Andruw Jones.

Continue reading "Dodgers Beat Giants 10-7; Nomar (2-for-4), Jones (4 Ks) Return"