Chad Billingsley

osed deal that would have seen the Dodgers send Matt Kemp, James Loney, Andy LaRoche, Andre Ethier, Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershw, Vladamir Guerrero, the letter “L”’ from the Hollywood sign (the one on the left, not the one on the right), Kobe Bryant, and DJ Mbenga to the Indians for C.C. and Casey Blake is no more. The Brewers, in a possible drunken haze traded four minor leaguers (including the perpetually well traveled “player to be named later”) in what appears to be a great move for the Brew Crew. They have no interest in keeping C.C. outside of this year if it is going to cost them a lot (and it likely will) so they will be able to pick up a couple of draft picks from the next team that signs him, and get to use the skills of a man in a contract year who is trying to make a good impression on any team that’s courting him. Smart move by the Brewers that is pretty much win, win. The Indians got a good package, but one has to wonder what they could have fleeced from the Dodgers if their deal went through. My exaggeration from the top is probably not too far off.

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More importantly, the Dodgers are only a game back in the loss column. And with Chad Billingsley going tomorrow in the finale, the Dodgers could pull even closer…

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ings, and they’d already stranded runners in scoring position in the third and sixth innings. Chad Billingsley of the Dodgers had been looking hard to beat, having given up three hits thus far, striking out seven. His Angels were fighting off Oakland in their division, three-and-a-half games back.

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quo; pitching staff being capable of reaching brilliance? Well, it happened on Saturday night, with Chad Billingsley throwing seven fantastic innings to even his record at 7-7.  Jonathan Broxton followed with a quick eighth, and Takashi Saito, despite running into a spot of trouble, nailed the game down for his 12th save.

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owed a combined one hit and zero walks over the last four innings, securing a win for a beleaguered Chad Billingsley.

                Kuo, Beimel, Broxton and Saito. Sounds like a sitcom, or a really weird international law firm. Two Asians, two Americans; two lefties, two righties. A long reliever who’s finally found his niche; a lefty specialist who can also pitch an entire inning; a fireballer who has a closer’s arm but not his heart; and a sly veteran who has a closer’s heart but not the overpowering arm. What a motley crew. These are the Fantastic Four I trust late in the game. If the bullpen door opens and I see Ramon Trancoso jogging in, I know the game either is over, will be over shortly, or has been over for a long time (that is, a game decided by more than seven runs either way).

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Chad Billingsley threw 6⅓ superb innings, surrendering one run and improving to 5-7 on the season. Billingsley’s fifth win puts him into a tie with Brad Penny for the team lead; Penny has lost his last seven decisions, and no Dodger starter has a winning record. Additionally, Billingsley’s position as Dodger ace may have been solidified with Penny going to the disabled list yesterday, with Eric Stults to replace him Thursday against these same Reds. Then again, the way Penny has been pitching lately, he may have been the worst of the Dodger starters.

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 Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, and Hiroki Kuroda form a solid rotation that has somewhat underperformed so far.  However they have been without the services of their big investment Jason Schmidt.  So they have been without a fifth starter for most of the year.  That is why the Dodgers have called up Clayton Kershaw.  Hopefully Kershaw can ignite some excitement in the Dodgers organization.  With the Lakers drawing so much attention across town, the Dodgers could do with some excitement.  They need some sort of buzz to turn this season along.  If they continue at this pace they will win 84 games which is only 2 more then last year.  

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