LOS ANGELES DODGERS CLIPS
THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2012
ESPN.COM
Brewers walk off on Dodgers in 10th on Nyjer Morgan's rush home
MILWAUKEE -- Nyjer Morgan tagged up and took off, running past a stop sign from his third base coach. And he might have been tagged out just before he reached home on a sideways slide.
None of that mattered when Morgan was called safe, then mobbed by his teammates after scoring the winning run in the 10th inning to lead the Brewers over the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Wednesday night -- the second late-inning thriller in a row for Milwaukee.
"Nyjer, he's got energy, and he felt it," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of Morgan's decision to ignore the sign from third base coach Ed Sedar. "Sometimes a player sees something a little different than a coach does."
Then came perhaps the most unlikely development of the night: The Brewers' eccentric center fielder left the clubhouse without making some sort of offbeat comment about his big night to reporters.
For what it's worth, Brewers starter Zack Greinke thought Morgan made the right decision.
"I thought he should have tagged," Greinke said. "You've got to make a good throw, and Nyjer's fast. I thought it was worth the risk."
With the bases loaded and one out, Ryan Braun lofted a shallow fly ball to center field.
Morgan tagged up and took off for home despite the stop sign from Sedar and was called safe on a close play at the plate -- although replays showed that he may have been tagged out.
"I had the luxury of seeing the replay," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "We should still be playing."
Mattingly called the play "another argument for instant replay."
Reliever Matt Guerrier (0-1) took the loss for the Dodgers, who have lost the first two games of the series.
KameronLoe (1-0) earned the win.
Aramis Ramirez hit his first home run of the season for the Brewers, a massive shot that could help him shake off a sluggish start to the season with his new team.
Ramirez hammered a pitch deep to left center field to tie the game at 2 in the sixth. It was his 313th career homer as a third baseman, giving him sole possession of eighth place on the all-time list of homers at the position.
Ramirez said he wasn't feeling any extra pressure to perform after starting the season slowly.
"It happens," Ramirez said. "It's just unfortunate that it happened for a new team. But like I said, I've been around long enough that I know that you're going to have ups and downs. It's a long season."
Guerrier walked Jonathan Lucroy to lead off the bottom of the 10th, and Lucroy was lifted for Morgan as a pinch runner. Cesar Izturis then popped out on a bunt attempt, but Morgan stole second with Rickie Weeks at the plate, then went to third on a bad throw by catcher A.J. Ellis.
The Dodgers put Weeks on first with an intentional walk, bringing backup catcher George Kottaras to the plate as a pinch hitter. The Brewers also won Tuesday night's series opener in thrilling fashion, on a two-run double in the ninth by Kottaras.
The Dodgers made a defensive shift, with five infielders and two outfielders, and Weeks stole second. Guerrier then walked Kottaras to load the bases for Braun with one out.
Greinke gave up two runs and four hits in seven innings, with two walks and seven strikeouts.
"Last year, it seemed like we had so many games like the last two where we just found a way to win the game," Greinke said. "Like tonight wasn't anything special, but we found a way to win."
Greinke came into Wednesday's game with a 12-0 record and 2.91 ERA in 16 starts as a Brewer at Miller Park. His 12-game home winning streak is the longest in franchise history.
Greinke was coming off a rough road outing against the Cubs last Thursday, where he gave up eight runs in only 3 2/3 innings and took the loss.
Dodgers starter Chris Capuano went six innings, giving up two runs against his former team. Capuano had two separate stints with the Brewers, from 2004-07 and in 2010, and was an All-Star in 2006.
"I feel comfortable here," Capuano said. "It almost felt like a home game my last two starts here."
Game notes
Brewers SS Alex Gonzalez returned to the lineup after missing three games for the birth of his son on Sunday. ... Andre Ethier lined into a double play in the fourth, when Carlos Gomez threw behind Kemp to double him up at first base. ... Milwaukee LHP Randy Wolf (0-1, 10.61) faces RHP Aaron Harang (0-1, 5.91) in the series finale on Thursday afternoon.
LA TIMES
Dodgers walk off angry after 3-2 loss to Brewers in 11 innings
Manager Don Mattingly and catcher A.J. Ellis say the umpire got it wrong when he called Nyjer Morgan safe at the plate on the winning play.
By Jim Peltz
April 18, 2012, 11:20 p.m.
MILWAUKEE — Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis makes his off-season home in the Milwaukee area, but at a key moment in the 10th inning Wednesday night, Ellis looked as though he'd rather have been anywhere else.
With the Dodgers and Brewers tied at 2-2, Milwaukee's Nyjer Morgan broke for second base, Ellis' errant throw flew into center field, Morgan moved to third base and a dejected Ellis stood at home plate with his right hand on his side.
Ellis' miscue opened the door for Morgan to score on Ryan Braun's sacrifice fly that gave the Brewers their second walk-off run against the Dodgers in as many nights and a 3-2 victory at Miller Park.
After Morgan reached third base, the Brewers loaded the bases against reliever Matt Guerrier. The Dodgers used a five-man infield in hopes of preventing a run and Braun lifted his shallow fly to center fielder Matt Kemp.
Kemp's throw arrived with Morgan and home-plate umpire Mike DiMuro ruled that Ellis tagged Morgan too late, leaving Ellis and Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly arguing in vain with DiMuro as they walked off the field.
"We should still be playing," Mattingly said a few minutes later. "It looked like the ball [from Kemp] beat him."
Ellis said that "it was a good throw by Matt" but that "you've got to move on. Come back and salvage the series tomorrow."
After starting a sizzling 9-1 this season, the Dodgers have dropped the first two games of a three-game series with Milwaukee, the defending National League Central Division champions.
The Dodgers' Jerry Hairston Jr., a former Brewer who played third base and left field Wednesday night, said, "We're playing good baseball — we are — and we're pretty much in position to win and that's all you can ask for."
"These guys are tough, especially at home," he said of the Brewers.
"We're a confident group and it just didn't go our way tonight."
Starters Chris Capuano, another former Brewer, and Milwaukee's Zack Greinke both gave up two runs, with Capuano lasting six innings and Greinke — who remains 12-0 in 17 starts in Miller Park — going seven.
Before then, a pivotal moment came in the seventh inning when Hairston —playing third for a resting Juan Uribe — made a diving catch of a drive hit by Jonathan Lucroy down the line against reliever Josh Lindblom.
If the ball had gotten by Hairston, the Brewers would have had the go-ahead run on second base with nobody out.
Instead, Lindblom retired the next two batters and the score remained tied.
The Dodgers scored their first run in the first inning when Kemp singled home Mark Ellis, who had tripled. It was Kemp's 17th run batted in, tying him for the league lead with teammate Andre Ethier.
Dodgers' Dee Gordon draws pitcher's attention
Even though the speedy shortstop is batting only .208, he makes opponents, such as Milwaukee reliever Francisco Rodriguez, keep a close eye on him when on the basepaths.
By Jim Peltz
April 18, 2012, 10:57 p.m.
MILWAUKEE — The Dee Gordon effect was evident in the eighth inning Wednesday night, as Milwaukee Brewers reliever Francisco Rodriguez could attest.
With the score tied and Gordon having just stolen second base, Rodriguez spun three times and threw behind Gordon to second baseman Rickie Weeks, just to keep the speedy Gordon — the potential go-ahead run — closer to the bag.
Milwaukee defeated the Dodgers, 3-2, in 10 innings, but the moment reaffirmed how Gordon's blazing speed can rattle opposing teams, and why it's crucial to the Dodgers' hopes this season that Gordon, their leadoff batter, get on base.
Trouble is, Gordon so far has been inconsistent in reaching base. Although he now has a big league-leading eight stolen bases, his batting average is .208 after he was one for four Wednesday night. His on-base percentage before the game was a less-than-stellar .271.
But Manager Don Mattingly said "it's going to be up and down" with Gordon, who turns 24 on Sunday. "He hasn't really swung the bat yet. He's gotten a few hits. But for the most part he's just been OK at home plate."
Still, Gordon is making strides, Mattingly said.
"He does understand now when to take" pitches, Mattingly said. "You're seeing him in counts where he should be making that [pitcher] work to lead off an inning, especially being patient, and making the guy throw a strike."
Said Gordon: "I'm definitely not worried about [how often he has gotten on base so far]. That's going to get me nowhere. What are we, 12 games in? The only thing I'm worried about is winning. If we're winning, my numbers will be there."
Mattingly said he could accept Gordon's inconsistency at getting on base.
"There are going to be stretches where he's swinging the bad good, there are going to be stretches where he struggles a little bit," Mattingly said. "You got to be prepared to live with all that.
"If we can gain an inch a day over the course of the season with Dee, by the end of the year we've gained a lot."
Lineup shuffle
With the Dodgers scheduled to play a day game Thursday against the Brewers, Mattingly opted to start Tony Gwynn Jr. instead of Juan Rivera in left field, and Jerry Hairston Jr. instead of Juan Uribe at third base, Wednesday.
The moves were intended not only to give the Dodgers two right-handed bats Thursday against left-hander Randy Wolf, but also to rest Rivera and Uribe.
Rivera did play Wednesday as a replacement in the seventh inning.
Mattingly said Matt Treanor likely would catch Thursday to rest A.J. Ellis.
Dodgers learning how other half lives: Brewers win in 10th, 3-2
Nyjer Morgan scores the winning run on a bases-loaded fly by Ryan Braun in the 10th inning as the Dodgers post their second straight loss.
By Steve Dilbeck
April 18, 2012, 9:05 p.m.
Say this for the Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers, they are making their games interesting. Alas, for the Dodgers, they’ve been a tad more interesting for the Brewers.
For the second time in as many nights, the Brewers won a taunt game with their final at-bat, cooling off the Dodgers with a second consecutive loss.
This time Ryan Braun’s bases-loaded fly to shallow center field in the 10th inning was enough to drive in pinch-runner Nyjer Morgan with the winning run in Milwaukee’s 3-2 victory Wednesday.
Matt Kemp sort of circled the fly, catching it flat-footed and on the wrong side of his body. His throw had little on it, bouncing several times and slightly up the third base line before catcher A.J. Ellis fielded it and tagged Morgan on his rear.
It was a bang-bang play. Ellis and Manager Don Mattingly argued in vain that the tag came first.
Reliever Matt Guerrier started all the trouble in the 10th inning with a leadoff walk to Jonathan Lucroy. Morgan pinch-ran for Lucroy. Cesar Izturis’ attempt at a sacrifice bunt went in the air and to Adam Kennedy at third base.
But Morgan next broke to steal second and Ellis’ throw sailed into center field for an error that allowed Morgan to advance to third base. Guerrier intentionally walked Rickie Weeks and Mattingly brought in Jerry Hairston Jr. from left field for a five-man infield.
Only Guerrier then walked pinch-hitter George Kottaras to load the bases for Braun.
The starting pitchers left this one with the score tied, 2-2. Chris Capuano went six innings for the Dodgers, giving up two runs, six hits and two walks. Zack Greinke went seven innings for the Brewers and gave up two runs, four hits and two walks. He struck out seven.
The Dodgers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning after Mark Ellis tripled with one out and scored on a hit by Kemp.
Milwaukee tied it in the second inning on a Cory Hart double and Mat Gamelbloop single.
The Dodgers went ahead, 2-1, in the fifth inning after Hairston, who started at third base in place of Juan Uribe, doubled and took third base on a single by Tony Gwynn Jr.
A.J. Ellis hit a bouncer into the hole but third baseman Aramis Ramirez fielded it on the run and threw to second base to force out Gwynn as Hairston scored.
But the Brewers tied it when the slumping Ramirez led off the sixth inning by crushing a home run to left-center field. The Brewers said the blast traveled 444 feet. He started the game batting .103.
Josh Lindblom, who initially only made the team because Ted Lilly started the season on the disabled list, continued to shine in relief. Lindblom threw two scoreless innings and has yet to give up a run in his first six appearances (8-2/3 innings).
Typing such a deal for former Dodgers executive Steve Soboroff
By Steve Dilbeck
April 18, 2012, 1:14 p.m.
Steve Soboroff, have I got a deal for you …
Dodgers fans must remember Soboroff, whose tenure with the Dodgers was brief but, as they say, memorable.
On the list of Frank McCourt acts of desperation, Soboroff would merely earn a mention. Still, hiring him last year as the vice chairman of whatever, will always be noteworthy, if only for what they say about flames that burn brightest.
The day after Soboroff was hired one year ago Thursday and declared “Frank McCourt is financially fine” -- hey, he was a man ahead of his time! -- Major League Baseball seized the team and cut him off at the, er, pass. Ah, the memories.
Two disastrous months later Soboroff resigned, leaving no one to walk around Dodger Stadium and hand out pins. Two days after that, McCourt took the Dodgers into Bankruptcy Court.
Not that Soboroff exactly disappeared into the mist. He became a senior advisor for the arrival of the retired space shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center and continued his passion for collecting typewriters of the famous and infamous.
That led to this, an A1 story in Wednesday’s Times about Soboroff’s typewriter collection. Sadly, 320 million words and not a mention of his career as a Dodgers executive.Still, very interesting stuff.
Steve, if you are reading this, I loved the part about how you got started in all this by outbidding The Times for Jim Murray’s typewriter. Not only do you kick The Times’ butt, but they write a glowing story about it! Who doesn’t love America?
The story said you had 15 classic typewriters and are looking for more. Man, are you in luck. I own a typewriter! Seriously, I have three kids to put through college. For you, such a deal.
I also own a vintage Remington Porto-Rite model with leather case and everything I picked up 20 years ago at the Golden West Community College swap meet that the seller swore Einstein used to write his theory of relativity. Or maybe it was Ben Stein’s commercials for FreeScore.com. I get so confused.
There are probably tons of others to nab you just haven’t considered. Why, you could own two Frank McCourt models, one that wrote “Angela’s Ashes” and another that typed Jamie McCourt’s termination letter.
There must be all kinds of interesting typewriters just hanging around Dodger Stadium. Go for the Ned Colletti edition, the one that produced contracts for Andruw Jones and Jason Schmidt. Maybe there’s still a typewriter around that produced the first contracts for Jackie Robinson, Vin Scully and Sandy Koufax. Somewhere there’s a model that typed the letters telling all those residents of Chavez Ravine to pack up.
Did Vladimir Shpunt ever type, or did he just communicate telepathically? Has the typewriter that produced the Pedro Martinez trade been bronzed? The typewriter that told Dodgertown it could no longer call itself Dodgertown?