© Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
We’ll start by going straight to the finish line, which saw what appeared to be the rarest of things: a tailor-made double-play fly ball.
The Dodgers and Brewers were tied in the 10th inning, 2-2, but Milwaukee loaded the bases with one out and defending National League MVP Ryan Braun at the plate. With the Dodgers turning to a five-man infield, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier were left to patrol the outfield by themselves.
But Braun lifted a short fly ball to center field that Kemp had plenty of time not only to catch, but to set up a big throw home that would nail Nyjer Morgan should he try to score from third base.
Kemp originally seemed to have it in mind to have forward momentum as he caught the ball, but he got to the spot too soon, and ended up being flat-footed as he threw a two-bouncer home toward Dodger catcher A.J. Ellis (whose throwing error moments earlier contributed to the Dodgers’ 10th-inning woes). Ellis actually appeared on replay to make the tag on Morgan a hair before he tumbled across home plate, but the Brewer was ruled safe, giving Milwaukee its second consecutive eyelash victory over Los Angeles.
Kemp drove in the Dodgers’ first run with a single (after Mark Ellis tripled) in the first inning, but struck out with two on and two out in the eighth and the score tied. The other Dodger involved in the final play, A.J. Ellis, had the team’s other RBI.
Chris Capuano pitched six innings, allowing two runs on eight baserunners with four strikeouts.
Anonymous
More evidence. The video of the second angle clearly shows A.J.’s glove bend as he tags Nyger before crossing the plate.
Anonymous
My heart says he was out, but my mind says it’s inconclusive.
Anonymous
The ball appeared to drift, ending up with Kemp being in poor position toile the throw.
Anonymous
Bartolo Colon had a string of throwing 38 straight pitches for strikes tonight for Oakland against the Angels.
Anonymous
One more. No, we didn’t deserve to win after a leadoff walk, error, weak throw and questionable approach on the catch/tag at home, BUT – he was out.
underdog
The only excuse I can make for ump at all is clearly he thought (though I don’t know how when he’s standing right there) that Ellis missed the tag. I don’t want to make a crude comment about also hearing sound of glove hitting a… person, but obviously he missed that, too.
Instant karma got us is all I can say!
Anonymous
It was a tough call from the live TV view because you couldn’t see if A.J. whiffed on his swipe or not, but it was clear even from that angle that the tag beat him crossing the plate. The thing that kills me is that the replay angle that is closest to what DiMuro had you can clearly see the glove bend as A.J. gets him. I apologize – I know that serves no purpose going over this again and again. I’m done. We lose. Karma and all that…
underdog
I honestly wonder if home teams get a slight boost from umps on plays like that, though I have zero statistical backup for this theory. Based more on hazy memories. Otherwise, yeah, we were boned. Time to move on I guess.
Anonymous
I actually read a book, http://www.amazon.com/Scorecasting-Hidden-Influences-Behind-Sports/dp/0307591808/ref=pd_cp_b_0 , that addresses issues such as this. It’s a good read with statistical evidence and such.
underdog
Nice, thanks.
PS: Great season in 1990, Chuck!
Anonymous
Well.. Bang-bang, you couldn’t really tell… Why not call it a ball game and go home?
Adam Luther
Kemp continues to catch the ball over the wrong shoulder. Here’s a similar play from last season (roughly the same depth and line) perfect two hop throw on line to the plate, Ellis blocking. http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=18630569&c_id=mlb
underdog
It’s true that the leadoff walk, plus Ellis’ throw, plus Kemp’s imperfect throw home all contributed to that loss, too. Though I will say Guerrier really didn’t get popped around otherwise in t hat inning. I kind of wish AJ had eaten the throw to second though. They’d almost picked Weeks off at 1st, too, but Guerrier didn’t quite get enough on that throw over.
I predict the Dodgers pound old friend Randy Wolf tomorrow and that makes these two close losses less painful.
Jon Weisman
Cliff Lee has completed 10 innings in 102 pitches. Phillies 0, Giants 0.
Anonymous
Kudos to the Brewers announcers for not being complete homers. After the replay: “…the Dodger’s… They have an argument. Looks like the tag was on him.”
underdog
Those guys are actually pretty good. I’ve switched back and forth in this series and since Collins keeps annoying me (even more than Lyons) I may switch over to the Brewers guys tomorrow.
Adam Luther
After twice referring to Kemp’s throw as being “terrible”. Well he’s thrown two hoppers home before the first hop here took the funky bounce off the mound to Ellis’ left, hence the poor position to field the ball. He still puts the tag on and makes the out. The ball did look like it drifted perhaps, but I think this was more a case of letting the ball play the fielder and not executing the catch and throw soundly. Drew Stubbs nails it here: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=8076221&c_id=mlb
Anonymous
Imagine if Joe Ferguson had decided to nonchalant his memorable throw home in 1974. But he didn’t…he threw like a man. Joe Ferguson is a MAN!!! And Kemp demonstrated (at least tonight) that he isn’t!!!!
If I sound like Larry Bowa maybe I’m showing my age…or something worse.
I still believe Kemp was last years’s MVP :)
Jon Weisman
Well, making this about manliness seems silly – though perhaps that’s your intention.
Anonymous
This is starting sound more like a rant about Oklahoma State’s quarterback.
Anonymous
Not getting into the manliness debate, but that throw by Ferguson was phenomenal. One of my favorite Dodger memories.
Anonymous
There was a video a few days ago of Rick Ankiel making a throw home. How come Kemp can’t do that?
Anonymous
How come Matt Kemp can’t hit .167 like Rick Ankiel? Or .239 like he did last year?
Bernie Williams played center for 16 years in New York and he had a horrible arm. And he’s beloved.
underdog
If people start pining for Juan Pierre I’m leaving.
Joe Pierre
You can’t come much closer to winning.
Anthony Forkush
Another tough loss for the Blue Crew tonight in Milwaukee, almost identical in
every way to last night’s. Two very evenly matched teams, in many
respects, but the Brewers are just invincible in Miller Park, hence they
made every big play when they needed it and broke the Dodger’s heart in
extra innings. Dodgers still 9 and 3, which ain’t too bad, but some
real truths have come out in this series. Namely, everyone needs to
realize it is a very long season, and that the team still has a lot of
work to do, namely in the front office.
Anonymous
Elbert hasn’t pitched since the 13th, Wright and MacDougal since the 14th; Coffey will be back in a week or so. Elbert, because of his not pitching well, is reduced to a LOOGY for low-leverage situations- a LOOGYLLS. I think the Dodgers may have to come up with an injury for Elbert so he can get some game time.
Kennedy, our LH PH, hit 244/284/385 in 334 PA last season vs RHP. While I do realize that he can play many positions and I wouldn’t switch him for Trent Oeltjen, I would start thinking about alternatives even including RHH’s.
Anonymous
With Hairston’s versatility, the Dodgers may need to start considering VanSlyke.
Using the fish or cut bait rule, time for Uribe to hit or be replaced by Josh Fields. I understand the financial ramifications, but they will either be paying him to sit the bench or sit the couch.
Jon Weisman
NPUT