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Golden Boys – A Dodgers Dynasty


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Game 101: Reds (54-46) @ Dodgers (59-41)

Goodbye Streak! Raging Reds Win Wild One

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Left: LF Matt Holliday went 4-for-5 with a home run; Right: SP Mike Mussina earned his sixth win of the season.

After ten consecutive wins, the Dodgers have suffered a 5-7 loss against the Reds. LA's starter Kenny Rogers struggled again on the mound, giving up six runs on 13 hits over 6 2/3 innings. "Since my return from the DL, I haven't been able to find my rhythm", the southpaw told the press after the game. His opponent, Cincinnati's Mike Mussina, surrendered the same amount of hits, but only allowed three runs over seven innings. In the end, Moose was able to record his sixth win of the year because his offense helped him out.

On a beautiful night at Dodger Stadium, Cincinnati was the first team to score. In the third inning, the Reds drove in three runs, two of which came on a double by Carlos Quentin. Matt Holliday added to the lead with a solo home run in the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, the Dodgers got on board when Kenny Lofton singled in Omar Vizquel from second base. LA scored again in the sixth, but the visiting team quickly answered by scoring two more runs in the very next frame.

Larry Walker went deep in the seventh inning, and Vinny Castilla also drove in a run, thus cutting Cincinnati's lead to only two runs. Each team scored once in the eighth, so in the ninth, Billy Wagner got a chance to go for his 20th save of the year. The closer did his job well, striking out two of the final three batters for the Reds' hard-earned win. "We all knew that our streak would end someday", LA's manager Jim Tracy said after the game. "Let's just hope this isn't the beginning of a losing streak."

Boxscore: CIN 7 – LAD 5

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Game 102: Reds (55-46) @ Dodgers (59-42)

Spark-tacular Dodgers Mow Down Cincy

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Left: Starting pitcher Steve Sparks goes yard in the fifth inning; Right: The Dodgers leave the field after the win.

Steve Sparks was all the Dodgers needed in the final game of a four-game series against the Reds. The starter dominated the opposing side, pitching all nine innings in which he allowed just a single run on six hits. Sparks and his devastating knuckleball fanned a season-high nine batters on only 82 pitches in total. Additionally to pitching a gem, he also brought his big bat to the game. Sparks doubled in the third inning, homered in the fifth and drove in another run in the sixth.

After Sparks had reached second base in the third inning on a one-out double, Kenny Lofton brought him home with an RBI single to open the scoring. Two innings later, Sparks' long ball off Cincinnati's starter Brad Penny made it 2-0 for LA. It was the first home run by a Dodgers pitcher this year. "Today, I really felt good with the bat in my hands", Sparks stated after the game with a big smile on his face. The home team continued to pound Penny, scoring three more runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Sparks was denied a complete game shutout in the eighth inning when Matt Holliday singled in Kazuo Matsui from second base. The Dodgers also scored a run that inning with the help of Cincinnati's reliever Dan Meyer. His wild pitch allowed Vinny Castilla to score from third base for the final score of 6-1. "It was his day", GM Jim Tracy commented on Sparks after the game. "We're all very proud of him, especially since he struggled a lot during the first months in our organization."

Boxscore: CIN 1 – LAD 6

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Game 103: Cardinals (59-42) @ Dodgers (60-42)

Seventh Inning Outburst Enough For LA

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Left: 2B Craig Biggio had three hits on the night; Right: SP Terry Mulholland gets some company on the mound.

It was a very close game for the first six innings between the Cardinals and the Dodgers, but a four-run seventh put the game out of reach for St. Louis. Craig Biggio's single drove in pinch hitter Jose Vizcaino from second base, and Larry Walker followed with an RBI double. After Barry Bonds had been intentionally walked to fill the bases, Frank Thomas hit a sharp ground ball to right field. St. Louis' Ray Durham dived for the ball, but could not come up with it, allowing two more runs to score for LA.

In the first inning of the game, the visiting team had opened the scoring on three consecutive singles. With Juan Encarnacion and Garret Anderson on first and third, Adrian Beltre hit another single off LA's starter Terry Mulholland to drive in the first run of the night. "Starting the game by giving up three singles doesn't really help your confidence", Mulholland stated afterwards. However, the veteran southpaw did not allow much after that, thus giving his team the opportunity to shine offensively.

The Dodgers tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning on Omar Vizquel's RBI single, but the Cardinals regained the lead in the next frame when Brian Schneider scored on a fielding error by Biggio. LA's second baseman made up for his mistake by tying the game again in the bottom of the fifth. Biggio first tripled and then scored on a wild pitch by starter Victor Zambrano. In the end, Mulholland, who had pitched seven strong innings, recorded his seventh win of the year.

Boxscore: STL 2 – LAD 6

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Game 104: Cardinals (59-43) @ Dodgers (61-42)

Dodgers Walk Off With Win Over Cards

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Left: Kenny Lofton scores the game-winning run in the tenth; Right: LA's ace Roger Clemens snares a line drive.

Julio Franco's two-out single in the bottom of the tenth inning drove in the game-winning run for the Dodgers in their 4-3 win over the Cardinals. After Kenny Lofton had reached first base on a single to start the frame, Craig Biggio bunted him over to second. Jeff Conine flied out with no harm done, and Barry Bonds drew a free pass to first. Franco then managed to hit the ball into the hole between shortstop and third baseman, thus giving the speedy Lofton enough time to round third and score the winning run.

For the most part of the game, LA's starter Roger Clemens had dominated the opposing side. The Rocket pitched seven innings in which he gave up just one run on seven hits while striking out six batters. Additionally to his great pitching, Clemens got the necessary run support by his teammates. In the third inning, the home team scored three times on Greg Myers' sacrifice fly and Jose Vizcaino's two-run single. However, the three-run lead was not enough for Clemens' twelfth win of the year, as the Cardinals rallied late to tie the game.

In the seventh inning, Eli Marrero went deep for his third long ball of the season. One inning later, Adrian Beltre hit a fly ball just deep enough into left field to allow Juan Encarnacion to score from third base. Ray Durham then tied the game on a two-out double off LA's setup man Tom Gordon. In the end, relief pitcher Roberto Hernandez recorded his third win of 2005, after taking over for closer Trevor Hoffman in the tenth. "Every win is important, but a win in extra innings is crucial for the team's morale", manager Jim Tracy said.

Boxscore: STL 3 – LAD 4

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Game 105: Cardinals (59-44) @ Dodgers (62-42)

Sweep Success For LA Over St. Louis

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Left: 3B Adrian Beltre makes a great catch; Right: SS Omar Vizquel crosses home plate with the go-ahead run.

The Dodgers continued their impressive hot streak with a sweep over the Cardinals. LA has now won 14 out its last 15 games. "We're on a roll right now", GM Jim Tracy stated after the game. "But things are still very close in the NL West, so we need to stay concentrated in the upcoming road trip." Against the Cardinals, the Dodgers once more relied on excellent pitching. Starter Shane Reynolds went five innings in which he recorded as many strikeouts. Mark Guthrie entered the game in the sixth and finally earned his eighth win of the season.

LA's Omar Vizquel opened the scoring in the third inning. His RBI single gave the home team the lead, until Eli Marrero tied the game in the seventh with his second solo home run in two days. The Dodgers regained the lead in the eighth when B.J. Surhoff ripped a double off St. Louis' reliever Ron Mahay, thus allowing Vinny Castilla to score the go-ahead run all the way from first base. "Over the past few weeks, we've developed a tendency for coming up with big hits late in the game", Castilla said at the press conference.

Trevor Hoffman came to the mound in the ninth inning. The closer retired the opposing side without any problems for his 31th save of the year. According to Hoffman, one reason for LA's win might have be the fact that both teams played the game in retro outfits. "Hey, we're a team of very old players", the future Hall of Famer told reporters after the game. "So, it's only natural that we feel more comfortable in equally old clothing."

(Once again, I was too fast after the end of the game and forgot to extract the boxscore. So, here's the linescore:)

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Game 106: Dodgers (63-42) @ Nationals (57-48)

Dodgers Rally, But Fall Short Against Nationals

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Left: R. Baldelli rounds the bases after his two-run shot; Right: F. Thomas breaks his bat on a pitch by B. Arroyo.

The Dodgers suffered a 3-4 defeat at Washington, despite rallying in the ninth inning. Kenny Rogers did not have a bad day against the Nationals, but LA's starter made two costly errors, both resulting in home runs. After Cesar Izturis had opened the scoring in the second inning with an RBI single, Rocco Baldelli connected for a two-run homer off Rogers to make it 3-0 for the home team. In the eighth, center fielder Jim Edmonds also went deep for his 24th long ball of the year.

Rogers stayed on the mound for all eight innings and struck out seven opposing batters. "If I had started better, I might have had a shot at going the distance and win the game", the southpaw stated after his sixth loss of the season. "For the first time since the injury, I felt completely healthy." His opponent, Washington's Bronson Arroyo, recorded six strikeouts and only allowed five hits over 8 2/3 innings for his tenth win of 2005.

In the ninth inning, the Dodgers finally showed some aggressiveness at the plate. Frank Thomas broke up Arroyo's shutout attempt by homering with two outs and two men on base. "As long as the team doesn't win, home runs like that mean absolutely nothing", Thomas later commented on his 14th long ball of the year. The Nationals handed the ball to Akinori Otsuka and the closer did not disappoint the fans at RFK Stadium. He got LA's catcher Greg Myers to fly out to end the game, thus earning his 22nd save.

Boxscore: LAD 3 – WAS 4

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Game 107: Dodgers (63-43) @ Nationals (58-48)

Spark-tacu-s Continues Campaign Of Conquest

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Left: LA's Steve Sparks makes a beautiful backhanded catch; Right: Omar Vizquel homers in the fourth inning.

The Dodgers took the second game of a three-game set against the Nationals, 6-1. Steve Sparks pitched another gem for LA, earning his seventh win of the year. Despite giving up six hits over eight innings, the knuckleball specialist only allowed a single run, thus lowering his ERA to a microscopic 2.25. In his last four appearances, Sparks has surrendered just four runs over a total of 30 innings. "We've got a lot of good arms on our team, but he's clearly the best at the moment", GM Jim Tracy commented on Sparks.

LA had a good start into the game, scoring twice in the opening frame. First, Barry Bonds came through with an RBI double, and then Vinny Castilla drove him in with a single. Shannon Stewart's RBI single in the bottom of the third cut the visitor's lead to a single run, but Omar Vizquel took Washington's starter Mark Buehrle deep in the fourth. With one runner on base, the shortstop connected for his seventh home run of the season, making it 4-1 for the Dodgers.

In the ninth inning, Vizquel drove in his third run of the night with a two-bagger off relief pitcher Huston Street. Pinch hitter Jose Vizcaino followed with a single that brought Vizquel home from second base. After hovering around a batting average of .180 for most of the year, Vizcaino has improved greatly over the last several weeks. He is currently on a hot streak, with nine hits in 20 at-bats. "I had been in a terrible slump before", the infielder admitted. "But it seems as if I'm back on track."

Boxscore: LAD 6 – WAS 1

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Game 108: Dodgers (64-43) @ Nationals (58-49)

Dodgers Take Series On Vizquel's Late Blast

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Left: C Benito Santiago goes deep; Right: SS Omar Vizquel is congratulated by his teammates after the victory.

In the rubber match of a three-game series, the Dodgers remained victorious against the Nationals, 5-3. With the score being tied after eight innings, the visiting team scored two runs in the ninth on Omar Vizquel's homer. It was the shortstop's eighth long ball of the year and his second in as many days. "So far, it hasn't really been a good year for me in terms of home runs", Vizquel told reporters after the game. "However, I'm pretty happy with my batting approach lately."

The Nationals were the first team to score on a mild night at RFK Stadium. In the bottom of the third inning, Richie Sexson hit a double which allowed Rocco Baldelli to score all the way from first base. The Dodgers answered instantly in the fourth when Julio Franco connected for a two-run shot off Washington's starter Damian Moss. Only one frame later, Moss made up for his mistake by driving in the tying run on a sacrifice fly. Terry Mulholland pitched six innings for the Dodgers in which he gave up two runs on four hits.

Benito Santiago homered off reliever Jason Frasor in the seventh inning to give LA the lead again. The home team did not give up, though, and finally scored a run in the eighth. Third baseman Willie Bloomquist singled in Richie Sexson from third base to tie the game once more. After Vizquel had homered, Trevor Hoffman came to the mound, replacing Tom Gordon. LA's closer retired the side on only seven pitches for his 32nd save of the season.

Boxscore: LAD 5 – WAS 3

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Game 109: Dodgers (65-43) @ Pirates (55-54)

LA Cruises To Easy Win At Pittsburgh

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Left: Larry Walker connects for a two-run homer; Right: Roger Clemens throws out Terrmel Sledge at first base.

Three home runs and a solid performance by ace Roger Clemens was enough for the Dodgers in a 5-2 win over the Pirates. Second baseman Craig Biggio went deep in the first inning to give his team an early lead at PNC Park. Two innings later, Larry Walker also homered off Pittsburgh's starter Paul Byrd. The two-run shot was the outfielder's 17th long ball of the year. In the fourth, Omar Vizquel hit his third home run in as many games, and Barry Bonds made it 5-0 by drawing a bases-loaded walk.

Clemens did not allow much for the home team, pitching six innings in which he only gave up two runs on six hits. "I had some control problems today, but our offense helped me out", Clemens commented on his twelfth win of 2005. The Pirates were put on the board in the fourth inning on Fernando Vina's RBI double. In the sixth, Clemens faced a dangerous situation with the bases loaded and no outs. A.J. Pierzynski then grounded into a double play that scored one run, but the Dodgers managed to end the inning without further damage.

After Mike Fetters had replaced Clemens on the mound and pitched two innings, Trevor Hoffman entered the game in the ninth inning. Once more, LA's closer was dominant and quickly retired the side for his 33rd save of the year. "We're now entering the final phase of the season, so every win's huge", Hoffman stated at the press conference. "And that's especially true for wins on the road."

Boxscore: LAD 5 – PIT 2

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Game 110: Dodgers (66-43) @ Pirates (55-55)

Sledge Hammers Bucs To Win Over Dodgers

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Left: The fireworks go off at PNC Park as T. Sledge rounds the bases; Right: B. Lidge celebrates his 28th save.

A grand slam by center fielder Terrmel Sledge proved to be the difference in a fierce battle between the Dodgers and the Pirates. In the eighth inning, Sledge homered off LA's setup man Tom Gordon with the bases loaded and one out. His twelfth long ball of the year turned the entire game upside down, giving the home team a 4-2 lead, which Pittsburgh's closer Brad Lidge converted into his 28th save of the season in the ninth.

Prior to the dramatic finale, the Dodgers seemed to be in total control of the Pirates. Shane Reynolds started the game for the visitors and allowed just three hits over more than six shutout innings. His opponent, Pittsburgh's Ben Sheets, struck out ten batters over 7 2/3 innings, but also gave up two runs on ten hits. Barry Bonds opened the scoring in the fifth inning with a two-out RBI double. Melvin Mora's errant throw to first base allowed the Dodgers to score another run in the eighth.

However, Sledge turned the game around with just one swing of the bat. "That's how baseball works", Dodgers catcher Greg Myers stated afterwards. "All it takes is one good hit, and suddenly you're on top." While Flash suffered his third loss of 2005, relief pitcher Antonio Osuna recorded the win for the Pirates. It was Osuna's Major League-leading twelfth victory of the year, although he only tossed three pitches.

Boxscore: LAD 2 – PIT 4

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Game 111: Dodgers (66-44) @ Pirates (56-55)

Big Hurt Brings Big Bat To Pittsburgh

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Left: Frank Thomas homered twice against the Pirates; Right: Kenny Rogers earned his seventh win of the year.

The Dodgers came up victorious in the rubber match at PNC Park, 7-2. First baseman Frank Thomas went deep twice against Pittsburgh's starter Jeff Weaver. The first long ball came in the fourth inning, and the second in the sixth. Due to the fact that both home runs were lead-off hits, Thomas only drove in two runs. "I might be past my prime, but I can still hit balls a long way", he commented on his first multi-homer game of 2005.

Southpaw Kenny Rogers started on the mound for LA. Although he had struggled over the past few weeks, Rogers pitched a gem against the Pirates. He allowed just two runs on three hits over seven fabulous innings. Additionally, he took a perfect game into the fifth inning, until Geoff Jenkins singled with one out. In the end, Rogers earned his well-deserved seventh win of the year. "This win gives me a lot of confidence for the remainder of the season", the 41-year-old stated after the game.

Kenny Lofton opened the scoring in the third inning with a two-run single. Outfielder Larry Walker followed with an RBI double to make it 3-0 for the Dodgers. After Thomas had homered for the first time of the afternoon, the Pirates got on board on Jeff Weaver's two-out hit in the bottom of the fifth. With the bases loaded, Pittsburgh's starter drove in two runs with a single to left field. However, the Dodgers added three more runs on Thomas' second home run of the day and two RBI singles by Barry Bonds.

Boxscore: LAD 7 – PIT 2

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Game 112: Phillies (61-51) @ Dodgers (67-44)

Dodgers Crumble Against Phillies In Extras

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Left: Ryan Freel drives in two runs in the twelfth inning; Right: Bob Wickman celebrates his first win of the year.

In the first game of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium, LA seemed to have almost no problems defeating Philadelphia, but the Phillies rallied late to force extra innings. Down by three runs, the visitors scored twice in the eighth inning on pinch hitter Aubrey Huff's RBI double. The Dodgers also scored a run in the eighth, but the Phillies tied the game in the ninth when Marquis Grissom and Carlos Beltran drove in one run each. LA's closer Trevor Hoffman could not get the job done, giving up both runs.

The Dodgers had a perfect chance of winning the game in the bottom of the eleventh inning. Back-to-back singles by Eric Young and Frank Thomas, and an intentional walk to Greg Myers filled the bases with no outs. Despite the bases being loaded, LA could not take advantage of it, recording three consecutive outs on pop-ups. "If you want to go to the playoffs, you can't let opportunities like that go by", a puzzled GM Jim Tracy said after the game.

In the twelfth inning, Philadelphia gave the home team a lesson in terms of effectiveness by putting three runs on the board. Ryan Freel's double allowed two runners to score, and Carlos Delgado added another run with an RBI single for the final score of 7-4. While Phillies closer Bob Wickman recorded his first win of the year, LA's relief pitcher Roberto Hernandez suffered his third defeat of the season.

Boxscore: PHI 7 – LAD 4

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Game 113: Phillies (62-51) @ Dodgers (67-45)

Hard-throwing Harang Mows Down LA

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Left: A. Harang throws out V. Castilla at first base; Right: L. Walker is robbed of a sure home run by M. Grissom.

Starting pitcher Aaron Harang dominated LA and led the Phillies to their second straight win at Dodger Stadium. The visiting team's starter almost pitched a complete game shutout, but Greg Myers' home run in the bottom of the ninth inning made an end to Harang's night on the mound. Prior to that, he had only allowed six hits and struck out five opposing batters. Bob Wickman took over for Harang and retired the side for Philadelphia's 4-1 win.

The Dodgers did not have the slightest chance that night, trailing by three runs after the first inning. Shortstop Rafael Furcal opened the scoring with an inside-the-park home run. His fly ball to right field hit the outfield wall and ricocheted towards center field. By the time Kenny Lofton had picked up the ball, Furcal was already heading for home plate. Ryan Freel also scored on that play, and one out later, Daryl Wards hit a solo shot off LA's starter Terry Mulholland.

In the fourth inning, Bobby Hill drove in Carlos Beltran from second base, making it 4-0 for the Phillies. Mulholland was later pulled for reliever Mark Guthrie, but the Dodgers failed to put enough pressure on Philadelphia's defense. Myers' long ball in the ninth remained the only highlight in a poor performance by the Dodgers. "Last night, it was bad luck, but tonight, it was our own fault", second baseman Craig Biggio commented on his team's second loss in a row.

Boxscore: PHI 4 – LAD 1

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Game 114: Phillies (63-51) @ Dodgers (67-46)

Strong Finish Lifts Dodgers Over Phillies

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Left: Omar Vizquel connects for a two-run homer; Right: Philadelphia's Rafael Furcal makes an excellent catch.

A five-run seventh inning provided enough offense for the Dodgers to avoid the sweep against the Phillies. With Benito Santiago on first base and one out, shortstop Omar Vizquel blasted a two-run shot off Philadelphia's starter Chan Ho Park. Pinch hitter Julio Franco then went back-to-back with his 16th long ball of the year to end Park's night. Joey Eischen took the mound for the visitors, but LA kept on scoring. Jeff Conine drove in one run on a sacrifice fly, and Barry Bonds capped a huge inning with an RBI double.

Roger Clemens started the game for the Dodgers, going for his 13th win of the year. The Rocket pitched seven innings, giving up just two runs on five hits while striking out six batters. "It was important for us to win today", Clemens stated at the press conference. "After two defeats at home, everybody in the organization was starting to feel a bit nervous. I'm very much relieved that we were able to overcome this minor crisis."

The home team struck early in the game, scoring one run in the first inning on Craig Biggio's RBI double. LA's second baseman went 3-for-4 on the night, improving his remarkable streak to 9-for-13 in the recent series against the Phillies. In the third, Conine added to the lead with an RBI single. Philadelphia got on board in the fourth and tied the game in the fifth. Still, the big finish lifted the Dodgers over their opponents. Bad news came from Tom Gordon, though. The setup man suffered a concussion when he was hit in the head by a line drive in the ninth.

Boxscore: PHI 2 – LAD 7

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