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Pro Sports BLOG

July 2008
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Craig P on Dodgers: Paging Mr. Jones...pick a better song: I wish fans would just le ...

UnderdogOverdog on New Angels' Vladimir Guerrero Video: Actually, Vlad said on Su ...

Susan on New Angels' Vladimir Guerrero Video: Vladdy backing out of the ...

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Dodgers: Paging Mr. Jones...pick a better song

9:59 PM Tue, Jul 08, 2008 | | Comments (1)
Posted by: Kevin Pearson

Andruw Jones is being booed relentlessly by the Dodger Stadium crowd again, despite getting an infield hit that raised his average into the .160s. In his ninth-inning at-bat, his music was "Don't Worry, Be Happy."

I just find an incredible sense of irony in the choice of music for that one but I will let you find your own punch-line....

(And on a side note, he did single in that at-bat)



Jason Schmidt in Sin City....

9:36 PM Tue, Jul 08, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Kevin Pearson

Jason Schmidt threw a four-inning rehab assignment in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. He threw 59 pitches, allowed three runs (two earned), a walk, five hits and two strikeouts.



Rangers 3, Angels 2

8:05 PM Tue, Jul 08, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Matt Hurst

Making his Major League debut, left-hander Matt Harrison limited the Angels to two runs on five hits in seven innings to lead the Rangers to a 3-2 victory on Tuesday night.

The Angels loaded the bases in the ninth inning, but failed to score when pinch-hitter Juan Rivera grounded out to end the game.

Joe Saunders went eight strong innings, allowing six hits and three runs but fell to 12-5. He missed out on his 13th win, which would join him with Nolan Ryan and Bill Singer as the only two Angels pitchers with 13 or more wins by the All-Star break. Ryan was 13-8 in 1977 and Singer was 15-5 in 1973.

Chris Davis hit a solo homer to center in the fifth, to tie the game at 2-apiece before Ian Kinsler extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a leadoff double in the sixth. Josh Hamilton, who leads the majors in RBI and had a sac fly in the first inning, singled two batters later for the Rangers' third run.



Angels' Organizational Players

6:32 PM Tue, Jul 08, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Matt Hurst

The Angels announced their Organizational Players for the month of June.

The following is the team's press release:

"ORGANIZATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE MONTH: The Angels' minor league department announced the Organizational Players of the Month for June: double-A Arkansas OF Brian Stavisky was named the Player of the Month after batting .353 (36/102) with 21 runs scored, 10 doubles, five home runs and 15 RBI in 27 games; LHP Trevor Reckling, who was 3-0 with a 0.77 ERA (35 IP - 3 ER) and allowed 19 hits, six walks with 19 strikeouts in five starts for single-A Cedar Rapids, was named Pitcher of the Month; and triple-A Salt Lake INF Gary Patchett was named Defensive Player of the Month, after committing two errors in 97 total chances (25 PO/70 A) in 22 games."



Dodgers Second-half Rotation TBD

6:13 PM Tue, Jul 08, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Kevin Pearson

Manager Joe Torre said he will sit down with pitching coach Rick Honeycutt in the next several days to determine the rotation coming out of the second half, but he alluded that Hiroki Kuroda may be bumped back to allow for some extra rest. Kuroda recently came off the DL and is pitching every five games instead of every six like he did in Japan.



Dodgers' Penny Injected

6:11 PM Tue, Jul 08, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Kevin Pearson

Brad Penny received a cortisone injection in his right shoulder and will likely not throw for several days. It is still undecided if he will need a rehab start.



Angels-Rangers Rain Delay

6:04 PM Tue, Jul 08, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Matt Hurst

The game just began after a 56-minute rain delay and here's the Angels' lineup against Rangers LHP Matt Harrison, making his major-league debut:

Figgins - 3B
Matthews - RF
Aybar - SS
Guerrero - DH
Hunter - CF
Kendrick - 2B
Anderson - LF
Quinlan - 1B
Mathis - C

Saunders - P



Angels' Reagins Take on Harden Trade

4:21 PM Tue, Jul 08, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Matt Hurst

Upon hearing news that Oakland traded right-hander Rich Harden - as well as top reliever Chad Gaudin - the Angels more or less shrugged their shoulders.

With a six-game lead heading into tonight's game, the Angels have the largest lead of any first-place team in baseball. Does that show that the A's are waving the white flag?

"I really don't see that at all," Angels general manager Tony Reagins said. "That team is a competitive team and who knows what else they might do. I don't see them waving the white flag at all. We've got to play our game on a day-to-day basis. That's all we can do."



Dodgers lineup Tuesday v. Braves

3:08 PM Tue, Jul 08, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Kevin Pearson

Tonight's lineup...

Kemp RF
Ethier LF
Martin C
Kent 2B
Loney 1B
Jones CF
Garciaparra SS
DeWitt 3B
Billingsley P



New Angels' Vladimir Guerrero Video

2:04 PM Tue, Jul 08, 2008 | | Comments (2)
Posted by: Matt Hurst

Featuring the past two Home Run Derby champions:



Dodgers v. Braves on Tuesday

9:00 AM Tue, Jul 08, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Kevin Pearson

Chad Billingsley (8-7, 3.12 ERA) takes the mound for the Dodgers on Tuesday. The Dodgers are tied with Arizona for first in the NL West and will look to get back to .500 for the first time since May 30.

Billingsley is coming off an 8-inning, no-earned-runs performance against Houston.



Angels' Saunders Goes for 13

8:47 AM Tue, Jul 08, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Matt Hurst

Lucky 13?

That would have to be asked twice during today's Angels-Rangers game, assuming Joe Saunders makes his scheduled start.

Saunders is on red alert since his wife was due with the couple's first child on Monday. He reported that she wasn't experiencing contractions yet and he's good to go for tonight's 5:05 p.m. (PST) game but if he leaves in the second inning, you'll know why.

Saunders is gunning for his 13th victory this season and will be making his first start vs. Texas this season and sixth overall. He is 2-2 with a 6.08 ERA against them lifetime.

He will be opposing Matt Harrison, making his major-league debut, who was acquired in the Mark Teixeira trade last summer. Harrison was 3-2 with a 3.33 ERA in nine Class AA starts and had a no decision in his lone Class AAA start this season.



Dodgers' Kuroda nearly perfect

9:57 PM Mon, Jul 07, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Kevin Pearson

Dodgers P Hiroki Kuroda allowed a leadoff double in the eighth inning to break up his perfect game in leading the Dodgers to a 3-0 victory over the BRaves and back into a tie for first place in the NL West.

He was trying to join Sandy Koufax as the only Dodger to throw a perfect game. He becomes the 36th Dodger to throw a one-hitter and got it thanks to a pair of amazing defensive plays.

Blake DeWitt charged a ball in the seventh when Gregor Blanco tried to break up the perfect game with a bunt. DeWitt bare-handed it and threw Blanco out at first. In the ninth, Angel Berroa made an amazing spinning throw on the outfield grass deep in the hole to nail Greg Norton at first.

"He was as close to perfect as you could be," said Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who has been a part of two perfect games. "That's the only way to describe it. You couldn't get much closer to perfect than that.



Dodgers' potential deal for Wilson dead?

9:52 PM Mon, Jul 07, 2008 | | Comments (3)
Posted by: Diamond Leung

I'm told that that it is very unlikely the Dodgers will be able to trade for Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson.



Angels 9, Rangers 6

7:47 PM Mon, Jul 07, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Matt Hurst

Four home runs by the Angels, tying their season high, led to a 9-6 victory over the Rangers as Ervin Santana earned his 10th win and Francisco Rodriguez set a major-league record for saves before an All-Star Game with his 35th.

Rodriguez allowed a leadoff double to Ian Kinsler, the Rangers' second baseman's fourth hit of the night, and walked Milton Bradley with two out before David Murphy, who had already hit a three-run homer against Ervin Santana lined out to end the threat.

Torii Hunter homered twice, both mammoth shots totaling 855 feet of power, and Vladimir Guerrero and Jeff Mathis provided two-run shots.

There was some intensity to the game that began 8-0, as Manager Mike Scioscia was ejected in the fifth inning after he argued vehemently that Howie Kendrick was hit by a pitch.

Then in the eighth, Mathis bowled over Texas catcher Max Ramirez and Mon the top step of the Rangers' Milton Bradley was seen dugout yelling at the Angels' bench.



Scioscia Ejected From Angels' Game

6:31 PM Mon, Jul 07, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Matt Hurst

With the score 8-1, Manager Mike Scioscia was just ejected from the game.

Upset by an earlier call that awarded Milton Bradley a base on a phantom hit by pitch, Scioscia was irked when Howie Kendrick appeared to get hit on the arm in the fifth and not given a base.

Replays showed Kendrick was indeed hit by a pitch from Dustin Nippert.

Scioscia came out to argue, lengthily, then retreated to the dugout where he continued yelling at home plate umpire Andy Fletcher.

Apparently it was enough and Scioscia was ejected from his second game this season.

It was just a ploy to get into his air conditioned office and out of the 91-degree Texas heat.



Some Dodger tid-bits....

6:14 PM Mon, Jul 07, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Kevin Pearson

*Brad Penny will meet with a team doc sometime tonight regarding the discomfort in his shoulder stemming from his simulated game on Saturday.

*Outfielder Juan Pierre, who injured his left knee on June 29, was walking through the clubhouse without crutches but with a noticeable limp. He declined to comment about the injury.

*Pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney, who is hitting just .094 this season and is sidelined with a hamstring injury, could begin a rehab assignment as early as Wednesday at Class AAA Las Vegas.

*Pitcher Jason Schmidt will throw three full innings or about 70 pitches in a rehab game Tuesday with Las Vegas.

*Reliever Scott Proctor, who is out with a sore elbow, could begin throwing later this week.



More on Angels' Three-Homer Inning

6:03 PM Mon, Jul 07, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Matt Hurst

The three home run inning the Angels enjoyed in the second was their first since June 30, 2006 when Orlando Cabrera, Vladimir Guerrero and Juan Rivera did so in the third inning against Boston.

It is the 29th time in Angels history they have had a three home run inning.

The seven hits the Angels had in the inning tied a season high, of which they had done on April 4 vs. Texas.

The most homers the team had in a game is four, when they did so vs. Cleveland on April 9.



Angels' Mathis, Guerrero, Hunter Go Deep

5:51 PM Mon, Jul 07, 2008 | | Comments (0)
Posted by: Matt Hurst

The Angels hit three home runs in the second inning, including back-to-back shots on consecutive pitches to take an 8-0 lead over the Rangers.

Jeff Mathis started it off with a two-run shot on 0-2 pitch, then Vladimir Guerrero hit a two-run job. Torii Hunter followed with an upper deck shot, only the 15th in Ballpark at Arlington history.

Guerrero's homer went 436 feet and Hunter followed with a 442-foot shot.

Hunter is just the third opposing player to hit an upper tank shot, following Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria earlier this season and Mark McGwire, who did so for Oakland in 1997.



Angels' Guerrero Will Not Compete in HR Derby

5:00 PM Mon, Jul 07, 2008 | | Comments (2)
Posted by: Matt Hurst

According to a team official, Vladimir Guerrero will not participate in next week's Home Run Derby, even though yesterday he told reporters he would defend his title.

Guerrero shrugged when asked by one reporter about competing in the Derby and was not available for comment by the time the team official said the Angels' slugger would not go to New York for it.