Dodger Thoughts

Edwin Jackson takes the mound at Dodger Stadium today, 9.97 years after his unforgettable Dodger debut on his 20th birthday against Randy Johnson in Arizona.

Time is crazy, and our journeys even crazier. From Dodger Thoughts, September 10, 2003:

‘You Just Hope He Never Changes’

So said Vin Scully about Edwin Jackson last night, and I couldn’t agree more. Especially because Vin was talking not only about Jackson’s pitching, but his smile.

Call me a sentimental fool, but there is nothing like seeing a young baseball player thrilled. And to see that ballplayer balance his excitement with poise – that’s pretty much the pinnacle of enjoyment for me as a fan.

If it weren’t for the television coverage and the 36,000 people in attendance, it would have been the same as watching a second-grader excel in the lead role of Tomato in the school play, Les Vegetables.

Anyway, it was a night the most casual observer could appreciate. As I wrote in April, a large part of appreciating baseball is just understanding the characters in the movie.

As for Jackson’s moundsmanship …

In his six innings against Arizona, Jackson allowed four hits, struck out four – and in a particularly amazing feat for a pitcher who walked or hit nearly four batters per nine innings in AA ball, he walked no one.

The righthander threw 80 pitches, 49 for strikes. He did not throw many first-pitch strikes: 11 out of 22 batters faced. But on only three occasions did he reach a 2-0 count, and only once did he go to 3-0. In fact, he went to three balls on only three batters.

He threw with heat – reports said he reached the high 90s – and movement. He had the requisite pitch tailing down and away that always foils batters like Raul Mondesi (who struck out twice against Jackson and once against Eric Gagne). Jackson also had a pitch that moved outside to inside on righthanded batters, almost like a screwball.

With Andy Ashby following Brian Jordan on the disabled highway out of Los Angeles, speculation has arisen that the Dodgers would add Jackson to a potential postseason roster in the same manner that the Angels added Francisco Rodriquez last season. Don’t count on this happening.

For one thing, the Dodgers seem very conscious of nurturing Jackson, and aware of the risks of stressing Jackson’s arm at age 20. Additionally, the Dodger staff is deeper than the Angel staff was in 2002 – a guy like Steve Colyer, who throws hard and from the left side, seems like a more likely addition. And that’s assuming that the Dodgers even went with 11 pitchers in a postseason that has more off days than the regular season does.

But with Hideo Nomo’s return date uncertain, and Kazuhisa Ishii’s September performance unsteady, there is every possibility that we haven’t seen the last of Edwin Jackson and his young man smile this season.

Cubs at Dodgers, 12:10 p.m.

Because he’s Matt Freakin’ Kemp.

Because even struggling through an injury-plagued season, even at his absolute worst, his 2013 OPS (.700) is almost as high as the Dodgers’ healthy outfielders in left (.755) and center (.762).

Because in the 11 games he managed to play after his first stint on the disabled list in 2013, Kemp had a .390 on-base percentage and .622 slugging, with three home runs in his most recent 14 at-bats.

Because even if he is never going to hit 39 homers in a season again, he’s still 13 months shy of his 30th birthday with the potential to hit as well as virtually any Dodger.

Because he’s a guy who can do harm in the playoffs. Because he wants to prove himself. Because he wants to win.

Because he’s the Bison.

He’s Matt Freakin’ Kemp.

Matt Kemp is running the bases. Looked fine going from first to third.

— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) August 27, 2013

#Dodgers Matt Kemp doing base running drills before tonight's game http://t.co/dCW6bfYlOP

— Vincent Bonsignore (@DailyNewsVinny) August 27, 2013

Matt Kemp consults with the #Dodgers medical staff after running second to third at full speed. @… http://t.co/0ETljSLPom

— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) August 27, 2013

Cubs at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Kershaw CLXXVII: Kershawd on Entebbe

Cubs at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.

Former Dodger announcer Ross Porter, who hasn’t been part of the franchise since the McCourt regime sent him on his way after the 2004 season, said he will be throwing the ceremonial first pitch before Saturday’s game at Dodger Stadium.

While taking on other broadcasting duties, Porter has focused his post-Dodger career on his website, Real Sports Heroes. He was an early friend of Dodger Thoughts, and it’ll be great for him back at the ballpark.

Dodger Thoughts/August 18, 2004: Next Stop, Porterville

Red Sox at Dodgers, 5:05 p.m.

Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2

I can’t remember when the Dodgers hit into three double plays without the ball on any of them touching the ground. Luck was not their lady, today, but still Los Angeles made a game of it after falling behind 4-0 with one out in the first inning.

Hyun-Jin Ryu was great except for that first frame, when he hit Shane Victorino with a barely inside pitch, allowed an infield single to Dustin Pedroia, an RBI single to Mike Napoli and the big blow, Jonny Gomes’ three-run home run. The runs ended the Dodger pitchers’ 26-inning scoreless streak.

After that, Ryu and five Dodger relievers combined to shut out Boston over 8 2/3 innings on five hits and two walks with 13 strikeouts. Adrian Gonzalez had a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth, but after Hanley Ramirez walked to put the tying run on base, A.J. Ellis struck out against Red Sox closer Koji Uehara, making a rare venture into the eighth inning.

Uehara, who had made 25 consecutive appearances in the ninth inning or later, retired the Dodgers in order in the final inning to finish the game. The Dodgers lost their fourth game in August and first at home.

Red Sox at Dodgers, 1:05 p.m.

Clayton Kershaw has thrown exactly the same number of innings in 2013 that the Dodgers have thrown in August: 198 1/3. And the dominance for each is almost exactly the same.

Dodgers in August vs. Clayton Kershaw in 2013:

The last pitcher to throw at least 300 innings with an ERA below 2.20 in a season was Jim Palmer in 1975.

Red Sox at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.

Quotes from Vin Scully this afternoon, via The Associated Press:

‘‘I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that I have always felt that I am the most ordinary of men who was given an extraordinary break of doing what I love to do at a very early age. I pray that I’ll be allowed to do it for at least one more year.

”As far as I’m concerned, it could have been one line in the note sheet tonight. But I don’t take any of it for granted in any way, shape or form. I know that this miracle was given to me, and I could lose it in 30 seconds between the time I leave here and go up to the booth. I’m just so blessed to be doing what I love to do and full of thanks.

”I do think that the success of the team had something to do with it. These last 50 games, coming to the ballpark and watching them pull out some miraculous victories, it was so thrilling – even for someone who had seen however many games I’ve seen before.

”It became so much exciting again and so much fun. I don’t really know how I would have felt had they stayed in last place with 30 some-odd games left. I probably would have come back, anyway, because I love it so much, but this made it pretty easy. And as long as I feel the emotion, I feel like I should be here.

”The thought of just suddenly walking away from all these friends in the ballpark, and this great game, and this very exciting team, and this fandom that’s so thrilled with what’s going on, I thought there’s just no way. The best way that I could describe it was the night of the bobblehead, a couple of weeks ago, and they played that little tribute on the screen. And the ovation was overwhelming. I was as close to crying as I’ve been in a long long time.”

With six earned runs in 53 innings, Clayton Kershaw has brewed a 1.02 ERA since the All-Star break.

Over eight innings, he allowed eight baserunners in the Dodgers’ 6-0 victory over Miami, and his WHIP rose.

His ERA+ is now over 200. He had another RBI hit, a line-drive single to left field that broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning.

And this wasn’t even his best game. His control was shaky at the outset, with seven of his first eight pitches called out of the strike zone and 18 balls to his first seven batters.

But with the help of three timely double-play grounders, the Marlins couldn’t score.

Kershaw called it a day after 103 pitches, 66 for strikes. Brian Wilson made his first Dodger appearance in the ninth inning, striking out two and allowing a two-out double to Greg Dobbs. He threw 19 pitches, 11 for strikes.

Five Dodgers had doubles, and Skip Schumaker had a single to go with twice being hit by a pitch. It was the 24th time a Los Angeles Dodger was twice plunked, with Nomar Garciaparra remaining the only one to record the painful hat trick.

Yasiel Puig, who had a double and a sacrifice fly, was also hit by a pitch. In the fourth inning, he was safe at home on a pitch to Schumaker that bounced about 10 feet away from the plate, but it had been ruled dead because the ball hit Schumaker. It would have been a smart hustle play, though.

Arizona lost to Cincinnati, meaning the Dodgers lead the National League West by a season-high 9 1/2 games. In the divisional era, here are their biggest winning margins:

10.0 games in 1977
7.0 games in 1988
5.5 games in 1985
4.0 games in 1974
3.0 games in 2009
3.0 games in 1983
2.5 games in 1978
2.0 games in 2008
2.0 games in 2004
1.0 games in 1995
0.5 games in 1981 (split season, first half)

Dodgers at Marlins, 9:40 a.m.

Dodgers since June 22
Number of games: 54
Record in those games: 44-10 (.815)
Number of games allowing more than three runs: 17
Record in those games: 12-5 (.706)
Number of games allowing three runs or less: 27
Record in those games: 32-5 (.865)