Lineup Card: Game 2 @ Los Angeles

Rockies Lineup

• LF Smith
• CF Fowler
• 1B Helton
• SS Tulowitzki
• RF Gonzalez
• 3B Stewart
• 2B Barmes
• C   Phillips
• P   Chacin

Phillips and Chacin have been attached at the hip so far.  That's not a bad thing.  

Dodgers Lineup

• C  Martin
• CF Kemp
• RF Ethier
• LF Manny
• 1B Loney
• 3B Blake
• 2B DeWitt
• SS Furcal Carroll -- sorry, he looked so much like Furcal last night that I got confused.  
• P  Knuckleball Haeger

Well damn... Dodgers are getting to full strength.  

Looking Ahead: Knuckle Up

Jhoulys Chacin vs. Charlie Haeger

It's been a long time since the Rockies have seen a knuckleballer.

I have no idea what to expect.

Haeger's starts have ranged from 6 IP, 3 ER, 12 K to 4 IP, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K. He's been skipped a couple times. Been used in relief a couple times. That's just the unpredictable nature of a knuckleballer.

My suggestion to Rockies hitters would be to take a patient approach first time around to see what kind of read they can get on the pitch.

My suggestion to Jhoulys Chacin would be to do the same thing he did in San Francisco. Pound the zone. Trust the defense to help. I understand that's a bit much to hope for these days, but you just have to have the mentality that they'll make all the plays.

My suggestion to the defense... make the ****ing plays!

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Rock Solid Recrap: Dink & Dunk Dodgers

Dodgers 6, Rockies 5

There's no other way to say this...

The Dodgers are annoying.

Annoying because they ALWAYS play the game the right way against the Rockies. They can look like complete garbage for stretches -- like their series with Milwaukee for example -- and they will always find a way to right the ship against the Rockies.

The Rockies do their part in that as well. When a team has your number like this, you have to tighten up the strings. That didn't happen tonight. The defense let down young Esmil Rogers. The end result was another loss to the Dodgers.

Same script.  Different season.

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Running Thoughts: Rogers vs. Kuroda

Checking in a little later after a Mother's Day gathering with the family.

1st Inning

• Doesn't look like I missed much.  

2nd Inning

• I see Tulo at third with one out.  
• And Ian Stewart is able to sacrifice him home on a flyball.  Good start.  
• Rockies 1, Dodgers 0
• Dodgers showing sound fundamentals as well.  Leadoff double by Blake, moved to third by Martin.  Sets up Blake Dewitt
• Dewitt pops out, but Rogers make bad pitch to the pesky Jamey Caroll, who dumped right in to right field.  Rogers will learns a valuable lesson there.  You have to focus and execute every pitch at this level.  Even the Jamey Carroll's can make you pay in their own way.  It won't be a blast, but a bloop can hurt just as much.  
• Rockies 1, Dodgers 1

3rd Inning

• Feeble looking swings in that inning.  Sometimes Kuroda will do that to you and you don't understand how or why.  
• Wow.  Rogers strikes out Xavier Paul on a fantastic changeup.  Nasty.  
• Ian Stewart with another horrendous throwing error.  Fast runner in Kemp, yes, but slow down and make a big league throw.  
• And now Matt Kemp steals second.  Poor defense opening doors for the opponents again.  Should be 2 out with no one on.  
• Predictably, Ethier knocks in Kemp.  Dodgers take advantage of all Rockies errors.  Been that way since 1993.  
• Rogers isn't sharp by any means, but he's at least making the Dodgers earn it.  Defense needs to back him up.  
• Dodgers 2, Rockies 1

4th Inning

• Tulo smacks one off the base of the wall for a double, CarGo bloops one right over second base to even the game at 2.  
• Olivo with another rally killing AB.  6-4-3.  Just when I was about to compliment the patient ABs the team was having.  
• Rockies 2, Dodgers 2
• The dreaded leadoff walk.  Couple good takes by Martin.  
• Rogers gets three very weak grounders to strand the runner.  Solid poise!

5th Inning

• Rockies hustle their way into 2nd and 3rd with no.  Smith single, 1st to 3rd on a Fowler single, Fowler takes second on a bobble.  
• Casey Blake robs Helton with a diving stab.  Big play.  
• CarGo battles tough, earns a sac fly RBI.  
• Rockies 3, Dodgers 2
• The back and forth continues.  Xavier Paul leads off with a double.  
• Ethier ties it up again.  Ringing double to deep right.  He's a really studly baseball player.  
• Somehow Barmes misses a liner.  Right off the glove.  Dodgers retake the lead.  
• Wild pitch, RBI single by Martin.  
• It's just another replay of every Rockies/Dodgers game in 2009.  
• Feel awful for Rogers.  He wasn't great, but geez, if a couple more plays get made behind him he's probably only allowed two runs right now.  
• Dodgers 5, Rockies 3

6th Inning

• Casey Blake with another Web Gem.  Dodgers winning this one with defense.  
• EY rips a triple down the right field line.  Smith dumps a single into left center.  
• We gots a barnburner.
• A Dodger error helps steal the Rockies a run.  Helton gets a sac fly.  Back and forth.  Poor defense at poor times.  
• Tulo walks, CarGo bounces out on the first pitch.  Maybe learn to take one of those sometimes.  
• Dodgers 5, Rockies 5
• Matt Daley in.  Another leadoff Dodger double.  Jamey Carroll this time.  Pressure right back on.  
• This figures.  Two quick outs after the double, but Kemp just flips one perfectly between Fowler and Gonzalez.  That craps just never ends with the Dodgers.  
• Dodgers 6, Rockies 5

7th Inning

• Vin Scully points out the Rockies are hitting .185 from the 7th inning on.
• Matt Belisle throws the Rockies best inning of the night.  1-2-3.  

8th Inning

• Nothing for Fowler, Helton or Tulo against Ramon Troncoso.  
• 6 up, 6 down for Matt Belisle.  He deserves a win... hint hint... offense.  

9th Inning

• Broxton.
• Odd he blows a save two nights in a row?  
• CarGo with a great AB.  Fouled off 7-8 pitches before singling.  
• Gonzalez out by 4 steps stealing.  Not even close.  

Looking Ahead: Time For Sharper Baseball

Throw the records out the window.

I don't care if the Dodgers are 20-8, 14-14, or 8-20, they're a talented team. Not only are they talented, but I think we're all aware of how well they play against Colorado.

I don't care that the Rockies are 14-14. The baseball they've played to get them that very average record simply won't cut it against this LA team. It barely cut it against San Diego, and it damn sure won't cut it in the Philadelphia series coming up next week.

But let's not get too far ahead.

Esmil Rogers vs. Hiroki Kuroda

Runs probably won't be easy to come by again for the offense. Kuroda is a solid pitcher that's off to a nice start. He's over the scary incident last season where he was struck in the head by a line drive. He's throwing the ball confidently, more confidently than anyone else on the LA staff, and will present a challenge.

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