The Dodgers had a nice winning streak going against the Cardinals for a while there, but St. Louis is now back to being a place of nightmares and daymares. Pounding Los Angeles with 18 hits — the most the team has allowed since April 15, 2011 — St. Louis sent the Dodgers to a third consecutive sweltering defeat, 7-4.
Andre Ethier (2 for 4) and Hanley Ramirez (1 for 2 with two walks) each singled as the Dodgers scored four in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead, but the Cardinals came right back to knock out Chris Capuano in the bottom of the inning. Capuano allowed 12 baserunners while getting 13 outs.
Los Angeles will next play a three-game series against the Giants, whom they trail by three games in the standings. The last time these two teams played in San Francisco with one of the teams ahead by three games in the National League West, the other team swept the series.
Anonymous
If the Dodgers return to their 2009 form of ineptitude against the Cardinals during the regular season, only to sweep them in the playoffs, then I’m ok with this development.
Anonymous
Holliday failed to make his usual contributions in this series. He was a real disappointment.
Anonymous
I’m also ok if he saves up his boners for the playoffs. And by boners, I mean the Merkle kind, not a rule 1 violation.
Anonymous
Ethier did his best Holliday impression on that one ball in the outfield.
Anonymous
On a completely separate note, I was wondering what uniform # Hanley will wear when the team returns home (Assuming he doesn’t stick with 13). He’s accustomed to #2, which of course is retired. But 11 (1+1=2 for you semioticians) isn’t, although it hasn’t been worn for the past 30 years. Nobody has “gone to 11” since Manny Mota. Is this a semi-retired number? I know Mota is a legend, but is he worthy of having his number retired?
Anonymous
The same logic might support keeping 13 as 1 and 3 are bookends to 2.
Anonymous
11 isn’t retired for Manny Mota, but Mota still wears a uniform at times. So it’s not retired as much as it’s occupied.
Anonymous
In what capacity does Mota still wear a uniform? As a spring training instructor? John Tudor wore Maury Wills’ number. Davey Lopes got his customary #15 back when Furcal was shipped to St. Louis; I don’t recall what number he wore last year. Is Mota so revered that he gets to hang onto his number forever?
Anonymous
Mota is an instructor in spring training and sometimes fills in on the bench when someone is out sick.
Anonymous
How appropriate that he is the pinch-coach.
Anonymous
Speaking of Mota, why don’t the Dodgers do Old-Timer’s day? If they’re going to borrow Yankee traditions, I’d much rather it be this than God Bless America.
Anonymous
The Yankees invited Tanyon Sturtze to Old Timers Day.
I can’t say that it’s all that much of an honor.
Anonymous
Sturtze has the lowest ERA in Dodger history!
Anonymous
Last time Doyers were at AT&T? Didn’t Juan Marichal, Cristy Mathewson and Carl Hubbell pitch for the Giants?
Anonymous
So far I am very impressed with hanley’s swing and eye.
If the Dodgers get a first baseman I hope Loney is part of the trade and his replacement is most like Hanley and least like Rivera. I don’t want Loney to sit on the Dodger bench.
Anonymous
I’d rather Loney sit on the bench than play on the field. Except that would mean more Juan Rivera in the field.
Anonymous
Is there always a positive hidden somewhere in a double negative?
Robert Daeley
Two wrongs don’t make a right. ;)
Breck Lundin
quick someone find a couple guys named Wong that can be traded to the Dodger for Wright…but you know…two Wongs don’t make a Wright.
Linkmeister
You really would rather Loney not play at all? The guy’s a great defensive first-baseman, and his replacements have the mobility of Lego blocks.
Anonymous
I’d rather the Dodgers sign somebody who is a good first baseman. Or at least a better first baseman than James Loney offensively. Don’t get me wrong, I love his defense. But he doesn’t hit enough to be a major league 1B.
Anonymous
With the present roster, Loney’s defense is a greater positive than any of his replacements’ offense.
Jason Ungar
Yah I can’t wait to get a 1b who can hit, but since we don’t have one may as well play the one who could field.
Anonymous
Last year in late August we beat the Cards three in a row to put them 10 games behind the Brewers and therefore out of the post-season I thought. This year we will play them 4 more games in LA in mid-Sept.
Anonymous
Loney, Rivera: I was surprised Rivera started today. Westbrook splits were 732 vs 639 in favor of the LHH playing; Rivera was 2 for 9 with a double and an RBI but 3 K while Loney was 0 for 3. Those facts usually have Loney starting.
Anonymous
Some days I think Donnie either tosses a coin or starts who ever got him his coffee in the morning
Anonymous
I think like me, he has seen enough of Loney.
Anonymous
What might the Brewers want for Greinke?
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mlb-roundup-brewrs-trade-greinke-221026038–mlb.html
Would it suffice if the Dodgers agreed to stop chanting “steroids whenever Braun comes to the plate? Or would they have to throw in Mark Loretta?
Anonymous
Deal?————Kendrys Morales and Ervin Santana to the Dodgers for Chad Bilingsley and Stephen Fife AAA.
Chad could use a change of scenery and could be a great #4 without the stress of trying to be a #2 or 3.
Anonymous
No Santana, please. He’a awful.
Anonymous
No Trout?
Anonymous
Uribe to the Yankess and we will cover half the salary. Just throw in a low level prospect and a bucket of balls!
Anonymous
Uribe’s value, to quote Elvis Costello, is “less than zero.”
Jon Weisman
WBB – I think you can give the Uribe remarks a rule 8 rest at this point.
Jon Weisman
“The Cubs offered to send Ryan Dempster to his preferred Dodgers straight
up for solid right-handed pitching prospect Allen Webster, but the
Dodgers have rejected the offer.”
http://cbsprt.co/SWuuhM
Anonymous
On the surface, the Dodgers I think should do that deal, but I suspect (like the Garza reason) there is more to the story and hopefully more trades brewing
Anonymous
I think no more than Gould. Now that we have Hanley (and Dempster’s stated he wants to go to the Dodgers) the Cubs have little leverage.
Jon Weisman
New root beer post up top.
foul tip
No baseball comments under the root beer post, so I’ll put this here-
FWIW. Chuck Todd of MSNBC–long-time high-profile Dodger fan–was asked about HanRam acquisition a few minutes ago.
Says he’d like to see him at SS in order to make him happy. Predicts 3 months of hitting over .300 for him, Dodgers to overtake SF, but lose to the Nats in the playoffs.
Anonymous
How ’bout them Nats. Then, again, we wouldn’t have to face Strasburg.
veryolddodgerfan
Good story on the Hanley situation by Jonah Keri. Chock full of advanced metrics. I don’t mind when Jonah uses them. Here.
http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/33051/another-summer-of-discontent-in-miami
also this updated trade story. http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/33239/the-other-guys-on-mlbs-trading-block How about that sports fans. VODF pimping a sabre guy. I like the professionals because they see a wider playing field.
Jason Ungar
thanks for posting this. the article was interesting and so were some of the comments..
Jon Weisman
New baseball post up top.