OFFICIAL 2009 DODGERS SEASON THREAD : Season Over. Congratulations Phillies.

kemp
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That's the rangers reading kemps scouting report right there.
 
The Dodgers needed a win today to both win the series with Texas and ensure their eighth straight winning week. Enter Chad Billingsley and Casey Blake. The highlights:
  • Billingsley pitched into the eighth inning, allowing only two earned runs on five hits, picking up his National League-leading ninth win.
  • Casey Blake gave the Dodgers their first run with a sacrifice fly in the first inning, then unleashed a three-run Beard Bomb well over the left field wall in the third inning to give the Dodgers the lead for good.
  • The Dodgers piled up 10 hits and seven walks, infusing some life into their offense. The only player without a hit was Juan Pierre, who still got on base twice via walks.
  • Andre Ethier, James Loney, and Matt Kemp each stole second base
  • Ramon Troncoso pitched a scoreless eighth inning, lowering his ERA on the season to 1.51
  • After allowing a leadoff single in the ninth inning to Michael Young, Jonathan Broxton fanned the next three hitters to close out the series
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[h3]Dodgers' Martin trying to solve slump[/h3]Catcher hitting .107 in June, still homerless on season

ARLINGTON -- Dodgers fans might have to worry about their All-Star catcher a little bit longer. Russell Martin has been watching video and hitting extra in the batting cages, but he hasn't discovered what's causing his recent slump.


"I don't know," he said. "It's probably a bit of pitch selection, a bit of bad luck. I'm hitting the ball right at people. My timing may be a little off. I'm just not squaring the ball up."

Entering Sunday, Martin was hitting .107 with no extra-base hits in June. He has posted a .194 on-base percentage this month.

His season stats are off from his career stats, as well. Martin's on-base percentage is a respectable .353 entering play Sunday, but his power is missing. He hasn't hit a home run this season and is slugging .289.

His batting average on the season is .244.

"I think it's creeped into his approach a little bit," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "I'm not concerned about the lack of home runs. I'm just waiting for him to hit line drives. The home runs he hits are line drives that go over the fence."

Torre said Martin is more successful when he hits the ball to the middle of the field. Martin said he might have gotten away from that.

"I might be pulling off at times to create something," he said. "You can't think about what you're doing wrong, but only what you're doing right."

His lack of production at the plate also could be compounding.

"He's struggling," Torre said. "You go up there and you lose what you want to do. When you're not getting hits, you're not quiet in the batter's box."

Martin, however, isn't ready to blame his mini-slump on his strenuous duties behind the plate. He has started at catcher in 54 of the Dodgers' 63 games this season.

"Not at all," he said. "It's definitely a heavy workload. Everyone gets to a point where you hit the wall."

This season continues a stretch of rigorous work for Martin at catcher. He collected 514 at-bats at the position last season and 528 the season before. Martin, 26, thinks his young age allows him catch that many games without feeling the effects too much.

Could starting Sunday's game as the designated hitter get Martin going?

"We'll have to wait and find out," he said. "Hopefully, I'll get it back."

So many high expectations on Martin not getting off to a slow start going into the season, we're 64 games in and he's yet to get in thegroove.

[h3]Kershaw learning to manage pitch counts[/h3]Los Angeles (42-22) vs. Oakland (27-35), 7:10 p.m. PT


ARLINGTON -- Clayton Kershaw has the stuff to dominate at the Major League level, but standing in the 21-year-old's way is one more skill.

"He needs to manage his pitch counts," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "He's asking, 'How does my pitch count get up so high like that?'

"It's all about command and being able to locate. That's a major part of what you need to control the game better. It's all part of the growth stuff."

Like many young pitchers, Kershaw is still making the adjustment to the Major Leagues. He walked 3.7 hitters and struck out 11.3 batters per nine innings in 48 games (44 starts) at the Minor League level. Those rates have changed to 4.8 and 8.6 per nine innings, respectively, in 34 games (33 starts) at the Major League level.

His strikeout-to-walk ratio has dropped from about 3-to-1 in the Minors to about 1.8-to-1 in the Majors.

Kershaw, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, has made just 33 career starts. He has a 4.35 career ERA and an 8-10 record.

Kershaw knows he must throw better pitches but won't give in to hitters.

"I don't like the term 'pitch to contact,'" he said. "I'm not trying to strike hitters out, but I'm not going to let somebody make solid contact. I just gotta go after hitters and stay aggressive."

Pitching matchup
LAD: LHP Clayton Kershaw (3-5, 4.50 ERA)
Kershaw allowed three earned runs over 2 2/3 innings against the Padres on Wednesday. He walked four and allowed five hits, which forced him to throw 81 pitches in that outing. Kershaw will be making his career debut against the Athletics on Tuesday. In 11 career starts at home, he is 3-2 with a 3.41 ERA over 60 2/3 innings.

OAK: LHP Dallas Braden (5-5, 3.33 ERA)
Braden, 25 years old and in his first season as a full-fledged member of Oakland's starting rotation, put together his fifth consecutive quality start his last time out, giving up two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four over seven innings against the visiting Twins. He hasn't lost since May 16, but thanks in part to poor run support, he's only 2-0 over that five-start span. He left with a 3-2 lead against Minnesota, but the bullpen gave up four runs in an eventual 6-3 loss, sticking Braden, who has gotten zero runs of backing three times this year and one run three times, with a no-decision. He has never faced the Dodgers.

Tidbits
The Dodgers have scored 55 runs and allowed 21 in the first inning this season. ... The Dodgers are 6-3 on Tuesdays this season. ... Special advisor to the chairman Don Newcombe turned 83 on Sunday.
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I think Martin got so caught in up in having 0 home runs that for the last two weeks he's been trying to hit one with every swing.

He'll get it together. I'm not worried.
 
Troncoso on pace for 104 innings
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Belisario on pace for 93 innings
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Something has to give. Hopefully Wade can step up and regain Torre's confidence. I don't see any other way Torre stops using these guys so much.
 
wooo!

lakers champs!

now lets get this city behind our boys in blue.. thank god i dont have to miss a free parking day next week because of the lakers...

screw you fatdruw! i REALLY wish billz or someone else hit him..eff that guy.. show him no respect.. bean him next time.. may it be in the world series?
 
Originally Posted by eyegiantjackpot

wooo!

lakers champs!

now lets get this city behind our boys in blue.. thank god i dont have to miss a free parking day next week because of the lakers...

screw you fatdruw! i REALLY wish billz or someone else hit him..eff that guy.. show him no respect.. bean him next time.. may it be in the world series?
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Not everybody in this city is a Laker fan, so they have been behind the boys in blue.

As far as World Series goes, let's not talk about that now. Way too early. Your sig is bad enough,
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.

Unfortunately our cities celebrations are now associated with the "Left Pavilion"/ "Outer Reserve" crowd. Damn shame!
 
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