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Golden Boys – A Dodgers Dynasty


xiberger

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Well, I used to serve in the army, so I know how to "shoot" people. ;-)

EDIT: The more I take a look at this post, the more it doesn't feel right. I'm aware that this is a very delicate issue and I hope that nobody feels offended by my remark. It's supposed to be funny, but actually it's not...

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Update:

Flash Gordon suffered a minor concussion against the Phillies. He'll be out for ten days and has already been placed on the 15-day DL. I've called up lefty relief pitcher John Franco (44) from AAA and moved Roberto Hernandez into the setup position.

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Game 115: Mets (48-66) @ Dodgers (68-46)

Meddling Mets Rally For Comeback Win

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Left: PH David Ortiz drives in two runs in the seventh; Right: Closer Jason Isringhausen earned his 24th save.

LA's bullpen could not hold down the opposing offense, as the Mets rallied late for a 4-3 win over the Dodgers. Down by two runs, NY got on the board in the seventh inning when Matt Stairs' RBI single allowed Mark Sweeney to score from second base. In the next at-bat, pinch hitter David Ortiz delivered with one out. Big Papi's single down the right field line scored two runs to give the visitors the lead. Coco Crisp then hit a sacrifice fly, allowing Chris Woodward to trot home from third.

In the beginning of the game, the Dodgers had the better start. Omar Vizquel drove in LA's first run in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly. Starting pitcher Shane Reynolds allowed just two hits over 5 2/3 innings and struck out four batters. "I'm aware that I'm only filling in for Kevin [brown], but I want to show the coaches that I'm capable of solid pitching", Reynolds declared. "And if we make it to the playoffs, I might get a chance to pitch there."

In the sixth inning, Eric Young connected for his second home run of the season, making it 2-0 for the Dodgers. After the Mets' big seventh, the home team tried to come back in the ninth. Vinny Castilla hit a two-out double off NY's closer Jason Isringhausen, scoring Larry Walker all the way from first base. Benito Santiago then stepped to the plate, but the catcher, who had three hits in as many at-bats so far, flied out to end the game. "Well, you can't win them all", Santiago said afterwards.

Boxscore: NYM 4 – LAD 3

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Game 116: Mets (49-66) @ Dodgers (68-47)

Roaring Rogers Leads Dodgers To Victory

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Left: B. Molina and O. Vizquel collide at home plate; Right: LA's starter K. Rogers pitched eight strong innings.

With a stunning performance, starting pitcher Kenny Rogers led his team to a 2-1 win over the Mets. The left-hander was in total control of the game, giving up just one run on nine hits over eight innings. Additionally, Rogers recorded six strikeouts and was finally awarded with his eighth win of the year. "In the ninth inning, I was getting very tired", the southpaw told reporters. "I really wanted to go the distance, but with the score being so close, I just couldn't."

The Dodgers did not only shine defensively, but also proved their abilities with the bat. In the third inning, Vinny Castilla opened the frame with a lead-off double. Omar Vizquel then stepped up to the plate and drove his teammate in on an RBI single to give LA the lead. The home team added another run in the sixth when slugger Barry Bonds ripped an inside fastball for a two-out home run. It was Bonds' 25th long ball of the season and his 90th RBI overall.

NY could not get much going on a mild night at Dodger Stadium as the Mets only came to life in the final stages of the game. In the top of the ninth inning, Coco Crisp grounded to second baseman Craig Biggio. The Dodgers wanted to turn a game-ending double play, but the speedy Crisp was able to beat the throw to first, thus allowing Bengie Molina to score from third base. In the end, Trevor Hoffman recorded his 34th save of the year as Kevin Mench flied out to center field.

Boxscore: NYM 1 – LAD 2

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Game 117: Mets (49-67) @ Dodgers (69-47)

Dodgers Rusch To Big Win Over Mets

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Left: Steve Sparks once more dominated on the mound; Right: Kenny Lofton's single scored a pair in the second.

Thanks to another stellar performance by starter Steve Sparks, LA remained victorious in the rubber match against NY. The Dodgers played excellent baseball, scoring run after run. Glendon Rusch, who started the game for the Mets, got crushed by a dominating home team, giving up a total of seven runs over the first four innings. "We put so much pressure on our opponents that it completely destroyed their morale", slugger Barry Bonds stated at the press conference.

Early in the afternoon, the Dodgers took the game away from the visitors. In the second inning, Kenny Lofton drove in two runs on a single, and Larry Walker added two more on another base hit. One inning later, Vinny Castilla connected for a two-run shot, and Bonds gave LA a seven-run lead in the bottom of the fourth with his 26th long ball of the year. In the eighth, Craig Biggio hit a double that scored Omar Vizquel from second base for the final score of 9-1.

While Rusch was pounded by LA's power lineup, Sparks surrendered just a single run on four hits over more than seven innings. NY's only run of the game came on a solo home run by Kevin Mench in the fourth inning. Apart from that, Sparks continued to amaze the crowd at Dodger Stadium. "If he's able to keep up his current numbers, he'll definitely be a Cy Young candidate", his manager Jim Tracy commented on the knuckleball specialist, who lowered his ERA to a fantastic 2.04.

Boxscore: NYM 1 – LAD 9

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Game 118: Dodgers (70-47) @ Braves (45-73)

Rueter Does It All For Bashing Braves

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Left: Atlanta's SP Kirk Rueter empties the bases with a two-bagger; Right: CF Laynce Nix is safe at home plate.

Kirk Rueter was the hero in the first game of a three-game series between the Dodgers and the Braves. The left-hander earned his sixth win of the year, despite giving up four runs over six innings. It was not Rueter's defensive performance that won the game for Atlanta, but his offensive one. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the starter stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. Rueter came through with a double to the left field wall, allowing all runners to score.

Prior to this, the Dodgers had taken the lead in the second inning on Omar Vizquel's two-out double that scored two runs. The Braves tied the game in the fourth when Laynce Nix and Raul Mondesi hit a pair of RBI singles. After Atlanta's four-run fifth, the Dodgers cut the lead to three runs in the sixth on Barry Bonds' 27th home run of the year. Pinch hitter Kenny Lofton drove in another run in the seventh, but the Braves quickly answered on Sean Borrough's pinch hit two-run homer in the bottom of the inning.

LA's starting pitcher Terry Mulholland only lasted 4 2/3 innings in which the southpaw allowed a total of eleven hits. Mark Guthrie came in as a reliever in the bottom of the fifth, but he could not prevent the home team from taking control of the game. In the ninth, Greg Myers took relief pitcher Al Levine deep for the second pinch hit home run of the night, making it 5-8. After that, closer Armando Benitez came to the mound and recorded the final out to end the game.

Boxscore: LAD 5 – ATL 8

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Update:

While hustling around the bases, LF Eric Young suffered a minor injury (a sprained ankle). He'll miss twelve days of action and has already been placed on the 15-day DL. I've called up LF B.J. Surhoff from AAA to fill in for Young as a backup outfielder.

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Game 119: Dodgers (70-48) @ Braves (46-73)

Bonds' Blast Completes Turner-round For LA

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Left: Barry Bonds goes yard in the twelfth inning; Right: Raul Mondesi makes a phenomenal inning-ending catch.

With a clutch home run in extra innings, Barry Bonds lifted the Dodgers over the Braves. The slugger's three-run shot off Atlanta's relief pitcher Joey Hamilton broke a 3-3 tie in the twelfth inning of a hard-fought battle at Turner Field. Bonds' 28th home run of the season was also his fourth in as many games. "I'm in the zone right now", LA's left fielder stated after the game. "So, opposing pitchers better watch out because I'm not missing out on too many good pitches at the moment."

The Braves had the better start into the game, scoring three runs in the third inning. One day after Atlanta's Kirk Rueter had driven in three runs with a double, fellow starting pitcher Eric Milton hit a bloop single into shallow center field, allowing two runs to score for the home team. Neifi Perez added to the lead with another RBI single off LA's starter Roger Clemens. All in all, the Rocket had a mediocre night on the mound, pitching six innings and striking out three batters.

In the seventh inning, pinch hitter B.J. Surhoff ripped a two-run double off Milton, and Kenny Lofton tied the game on an RBI single. The game went into extra innings in which the Dodgers remained victorious, thanks to Bonds and Greg Myers, who had five hits in six at-bats on the night. After Bonds had gone deep, Myers drove in the game's final run for LA's 7-3 triumph over the Braves. "That was one crazy game", the catcher admitted afterwards.

Boxscore: LAD 7 – ATL 3

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Game 120: Dodgers (71-48) @ Braves (46-74)

Dodgers Trio Shuts Down Harmless Braves

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Left: LA's 1B Julio Franco went 3-for-4 against Atlanta; Right: SP Mark Guthrie earned his tenth win of the year.

In their sixth consecutive game versus a left-handed starter, the Dodgers were able to beat Mark Mulder and the Braves, 2-0. Starting pitcher Shane Reynolds, reliever Mark Guthrie and closer Trevor Hoffman combined for a four-hit shutout at Turner Field. While Guthrie, who struck out five opposing batters, recorded his tenth win of the season, Hoffman got his 35th save. "Good pitching is the key to success in baseball", GM Jim Tracy said after the game. "And it looks like we got that key."

Julio Franco got things started for the visitors in the fourth inning. His single brought home Craig Biggio from second base for the first run of the game. Franco continued to shine at the plate, going 3-for-4 on the night. "I know I'm 47 years old, but today I felt like 20 again", the first baseman was all smiles at the press conference. LA faced a dangerous situation in the bottom of the fifth when Atlanta had loaded the bases with only one out. However, no damage was done as Guthrie replaced Reynolds on the mound and retired the side with two strikeouts.

In the seventh, LA added to the lead on Biggio's RBI single. With Guthrie on second base and Vinny Castilla on first, Biggio ripped a single of Mulder, allowing Guthrie to score easily. The Braves tried to come back into the game, but the Dodgers continued to play flawless defense. With the latest win, Barry Bonds & Co. increased their lead in the NL West to 1 1/2 games over Colorado. Next up for the Californians is a four-game set at Florida against the Marlins.

Boxscore: LAD 2 – ATL 0

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To quote myself from page 2:

Graphics card: ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 (64 MB laptop card; certainly not the best in the world, but I can play the game fine at 800x600 resolution)

Since I'm playing the game on a huge LCD projector, I would love to set the resolution to 1280x1024 (or even higher), but my graphics card just ain't built for that.

Well, I've learned to live with it...

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Game 121: Dodgers (72-48) @ Marlins (42-78)

Outfielders Lift Dodgers Over Marlins

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Left: LA's Larry Walker rounds the bases after his second long ball; Right: Kenny Rogers prepares for the pitch.

Four home runs by LA's outfield department led the Californians to a 11-4 shellacking of the Marlins. Center fielder Kenny Lofton got things started by going deep in the game's opening at-bat. "My first lead-off homer in over 120 games", a relieved Lofton said at the press conference. "It was about time!" Larry Walker followed in Lofton's footsteps by connecting for a two-run shot in the same inning. With a three-run lead after the first frame, the Dodgers dominated the home team over the next four innings.

Kenny Rogers, who started the game for the visiting team, kept the Fish quiet until the fifth inning when Richard Hidalgo singled in Alfonso Soriano from third base. The Dodgers replied by scoring another run on Vinny Castilla's RBI double in the sixth. One inning later, slugger Barry Bonds capped a five-run seventh by taking relief pitcher Joe Beimel deep for a three-run blast. The home run was the left fielder's 29th of the year.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Marlins regained some strength when Dustan Mohr homered off LA's right-hander Mike Jackson. Mohr's three-run shot brought his team a bit closer to the Dodgers, but Walker's second home run of the night sealed the deal on the Marlins' loss in the ninth. Despite allowing nine hits over five innings, Rogers recorded his ninth win of 2005.

Boxscore: LAD 11 – FLA 4

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Game 122: Dodgers (73-48) @ Marlins (42-79)

Sparkling Sparks Enjoys Fish For Dinner

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Left: B. Santiago celebrates his home run; Right: S. Sparks gets caught in a run down between second and third.

Although Dodgers starting pitcher Steve Sparks was not as excellent as in his previous appearances, the knuckleball specialist did not have too many problems in going the distance against the Marlins. Sparks gave up four runs on five hits while striking out four batters for his ninth win of the season. His opponent, Florida's Bartolo Colon, continued his struggle in 2005, suffering his 16th (!) defeat. "I feel kinda sorry for him because he's definitely not as bad as his numbers suggest", Sparks commented on Colon.

Offensively, the Dodgers once more benefited from a good start into the game. Catcher Benito Santiago homered in the second inning to give his team an early lead. The visitors kept on putting pressure on the Marlins, scoring four more runs over the following two innings. Barry Bonds' single in the third drove in his 100th run of the year. "If I stay healthy for the rest of the season, I might have a shot at coming close to my personal best [137 RBIs - 2001]", a confident slugger declared after the game.

Paul Konerko went deep in the fourth inning, thus putting the home team on the board. In the bottom of the sixth, Chad Tracy scored on Alfonso Soriano's RBI triple, and Marco Scutaro's sacrifice fly brought the Marlins within two runs of the Dodgers. Frank Thomas made it 6-3 for LA with an RBI single in the seventh, giving Sparks enough room to pitch his third complete game of the year. Scutaro homered in the bottom of the ninth, but could not prevent his team's loss.

Boxscore: LAD 6 – FLA 4

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Hi!

Steve Sparks has been the pitching story of your season so far ;)

His strikeout-ratio is okay...

His knuckleball is dancing nice so far.

Good Luck!!!

Sac51

PS: Schöne Grüße aus Deutschland

PS: Was in german: Greetings from Germany :)

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Thanks/Danke, Sac51!

After I had put Sparks into the bullpen (following your suggestion), he really turned up the heat. I guess he didn't like it there... ;-)

PS: Ebenfalls schöne Grüße aus dem sonnigen Österreich!

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