Tony Gwynn Jr., LF
Mark Ellis, 2B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
James Loney, 1B
A.J. Ellis, C
Adam Kennedy, 3B
Justin Sellers, SS
Ted Lilly, P
To all of the mothers and grandmothers out there, and to all who are remembering theirs, I hope this is a special day. Especially to the one that lives in my house – who is also celebrating her birthday!
Anonymous
Today’s pitching matchup is Lilly-White. :)
Anonymous
My favorite is Lilly-Lowe, as in hi Lilly, hi Lowe.
Anonymous
I’m impressed to see A.J. in the No. 6 slot, less impressed to see Kennedy in the lineup at all (as if the alternative were much better). And it’s about time for Gordon to get a day off.
Anonymous
I want to see SVS in left.
Jon Weisman
Six NBC first-look posts plus schedule analysis from Rick Kissell. bit.ly/96D8jq
casey stewart
Ya seriously why bring him up if he’s not even going to play on a day like today ?
Gobias Bluth
Agreed. This is the perfect day to play him. As was yesterday…
Anonymous
Could be a bullpen game today.
Anonymous
And for those who were wondering who the long man in the pen is, we may find out.
Anonymous
I thought they were hyping ted lilly too much during the pregame show. the baseball gods were not amused.
Anonymous
I hope Gywnn just pretends every at bat is a pinch hit today
Anonymous
thats 1 out ted, now lets keep that ERA low
Anonymous
not the best of starts, we need those bats today
Anonymous
That went well.
Anonymous
Terrific effort by CarGo, and great hustle by TGJ.
Linkmeister
It’s my fault Lilly gave those runs up. I was slicing fruit for a salad and not focusing on the game.
Happy Mother’s Day to the Moms and Grandmoms, and Hau`oli Lā Hānau to Mrs. Weisman!
Anonymous
You may not be responsible. Twice early in the season when I settled in to watch a game at a reasonable time here on the East Coast, the dodgers were behind the eight ball early on.Today I figured it might be safe with Lilly, but before I even got the volume right, Lilly had given up three runs!
But the Dodgers seem to be hanging in there and so am I.
Anonymous
You can’t stop A.J. Ellis. You can’t even contain him.
Anonymous
Dodgers’ Twitter feed says that AJ has reached base in 23 consecutive games.
Anonymous
I like this Sellers kid. Tough Break!
Anonymous
Can’t hit the ball a lot harder than Sellers did there.
underdog
That is baseball in a nutshell! Sellers (or Jellers, as Vin called him ;) ) smokes it, caught for an out, Ellis fights it off for a bloop hit. Hey, whatever works. Now it’s anyone’s game.
I think the Dodgers should have Honeycutt come out for a mound visit before each inning starts because whatever he says sure seems to work. Lilly been much better since then.
Anonymous
No tv or radio right now, so glad to read Sellers make good contact :)
underdog
I think stolen base stats shouldn’t count against a catcher when Lilly is pitching.
Anonymous
Bad luck, for A.J. and for Fowler.
Old Bear
Neither watching, nor listening. Why was Kemp removed from the game?
KT
tweaked his hamstring again trying to beat out the grounder to Tulo
Anthony Forkush
Can someone please tell me why Matt Kemp has left the game, and if there is any ongoing report as to his medical status. His precipitous decline for the month of May, and him coming out of this game, definitely has me concerned. What gives?
Anonymous
it appeared as though kemp irritated his hamstring while running out a grounder. he was headed back out to his position between innings, and donnie stopped him. kemp was clearly annoyed at being taken out.
it didn’t appear to be a serious injury.
Christopher Staaf
Yeah, it is better to err on the side of caution here. Kemp was not happy at all. Given he is hitless in his last dozen plus at-bats, he also feels the frustration as well. I would rather see Kemp miss a game or two to heal the hammy than go on the DL and miss several weeks any day.
Anthony Forkush
Just saw this tweet on Jon’s sidebar, from truebluela:
RT @truebluela: Matt Kemp is done for the day after talking with a trainer #dodgers 11 minutes ago
Not good.
Anonymous
AJ. robbed indeed! I said recently A.J. reminded me of Yeager. He’s like Piazza and Ferguson in being almost too big to be catcher. But he looks like he might be able in his early thirties to turn in that 40+ % catching base stealers that only Yeager could. Anyway, he is an all around find!!
That Gwinn play was amazing.( I hate to see some of these great defensive plays by G, Loney and A.J. wasted for a lack of offense. Oh, Well—-we have to give new ownership a bit of time.
Anonymous
Abreu pays another dividend.
Anonymous
Well, Kemp couldn’t have done much better than that.
Old Bear
Given that right-hander White had walked two straight batters and that the Dodgers had three consecutive lefties due up in Abreu, Ethier and Loney, I am surprised that Clint Hurdle didn’t go to a left-hander to face Abreu. Mind you, I am not complaining.
Anonymous
Hurdle probably didn’t do so because he’s in Pittsburgh.
KT
^_^
Anonymous
Jeez, running out of outfielders today. I thought it was a strike, though.
Anonymous
Vinism of the day;
After Ethier gets tossed, he goes back to jaw at the umpire.
” . . . and now he’s spending house money”.
Anonymous
What did Ethier get run for? I’m guessing balls and strikes.
Anonymous
exactly.
Anonymous
Who needs Kemp and Ethier, anyway?
KT
AJ!!!!
Anonymous
Rox coming apart.
KT
Adam needs all the help he can get
Anonymous
Well, everyone is kicked out!
I’m afraid the Rockies will not stop hitting( though the dodgers may now that Kemp and Ethier are gone.) Loneys getting back and should walk. I give the Dodgers a bit better relief pitching as long as they use their young guys and not Guerier or whats his face. A.J. amaze —-8-4 Yeah!!
Anonymous
doink! there’s something you don’t see every day. not above little league.
KT
Adam needs all the help he can get
DXMachina
And Kennedy gets a gift.
Old Bear
Whoops. Meant Jim Tracy, not Clint Hurdle. Thanks, WBBsAs, for the correction.
Anonymous
No snark intended, but I couldn’t resist.
underdog
AJ Ellis, All Star catcher. Prepare yourself, folks! (And start voting just in case.) Man oh man, of all the interesting stories about the Dodgers this season, he’s my favorite so far, by far.
Anonymous
Will Mattingly drop him back to eighth tomorrow?
KT
if he does you won’t hear any complaints from him
KT
Mine too…totally suprised and loving every minute of it
Anonymous
Van Slyke remains perfect, at the plate and in the field.
Anonymous
Phenomenal throw by Van Slyke, but a little late.
underdog
Whatever the defensive worries about him, his rep for having a great arm certainly showed there. Wow.
Belli comes in and quickly ends any further threat, nicely done. Still two more innings to go.
Anonymous
That’s good old Belli!
Anonymous
Belisario was vicious.
It’s the seventh-inning stretch, and time to mute the TV.
Anonymous
SVS remains perfect, in all aspects of the game.
Anonymous
Right now Van Slyke has a better stolen base % than Gordon or Kemp!( I think)
Anonymous
Kemp and Ethier both showing lack of emotional control on Mother’s Day. Good to see Mattingly come out to defend Ethier, though.
Anonymous
At least Kemp threw his glove, which didn’t bounce back and open a ten-stitch gash, instead of his bat.
Anonymous
I get an eric byrnes sort of thing from harper. byrnes was so hyperactive that he tore both hamstrings . . . that’s pretty hard to do. most people stop running when the first one tears.
Anonymous
Van Slyke—–what a speedster!!
Anonymous
El squeezo!
Anonymous
To give credit where it’s due, Kennedy bunted a very tough pitch, high and away, for the squeeze.
Anonymous
Maybe we should use pink bats every game :)
Anonymous
A bunt that works! Kennedy has a productive out and a sacrifice squeeze today. Just don’t ask him to get a hit and he may do OK.
KT
Nice of Adam to do it right
KT
Love M. Ellis’s defense and bat…pleasently suprised with him
KT
finally caught up with the game
KT
Really the Ellis brothers have been phenominal
Christopher Staaf
Now I see once again why the Dodgers never gave up on Belisario despite all of his weirdness the last couple of seasons. He is a buzzsaw and I think could be a great bridge to Jansen. Elbert however still makes me nervous.
underdog
Yep. He has wicked stuff, especially when his control is good. Makes it worth all the off field stress.
Anonymous
he wasn’t costing any money so they had no reason but to do nothing which is what they did.
KT
So can Scott get his 1st HR and make it a granny…Let’s hope so
KT
Nice Scotty!!
Anonymous
S-V-S! S-V-S! S-V-S!
Anonymous
SVS is better than perfect!
Jeffrey Thomas III
Oh Donnie please start SVS, I want to see him as much as possible while he’s up.
Christopher Staaf
Hopefully tomorrow at LF against Ian Kennedy. I can’t believe I am saying this but I hope Kemp sits tomorrow out to give that hammy another day. Use Kemp only as a pinch hitter.
KT
too soft James…Come on AJ…make the score ridiculous
Anonymous
Could SVS or AJE contimue to hit in the Majors–Stay tuned
Anonymous
SVS is a true one-outcome player. And that outcome is awesomeness.
Jon Weisman
Love it.
Anonymous
Unusually, A.J. swung at ball four there.
KT
Yea probably looked like a fat HR pitch
Anonymous
Maybe he thinks he’s a power hitter! How dare he!!!!
Anonymous
this game is ending very differently than it began. different than it was in the middle, for that matter.
KT
Nice series against the rocks
Now time to sweep AZ
Anonymous
Nice inning by Javy. Great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Anonymous
Happy, Happy, Happy :)
Jon Weisman
NPUT