You might have thought that the only way the Dodgers would score a 10-0 victory was if major league baseball converted to Base 3. Nothing would boost the Dodgers' offensive totals like a little bit of new math - which still treats a shutout like old math would.
Instead, Base 3 refers to where Juan Pierre ended up on the first of his four extra-base hits Tuesday, kicking off a pristine Dodger victory. It was the feel-good night of the year, with once-and-future maligned Dodgers like Pierre, Luis Gonzalez, Nomar Garciaparra, Tony Abreu, Brad Penny, Yhency Brazoban and Brett Tomko providing peak performances in the very same game.
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Say what you will about the roster of Tuesday's opponent, the Washington Nationals, but the team had won 12 of their past 17 heading into the game. The Dodgers deserve credit for taking it to their opponent – even though it took them 6 1/2 innings to put the game out of reach.
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I was kicking myself after the game for not buying low on Pierre and suggesting he was due for a big night soon. As much as I would like to see someone else playing center field, Pierre has been underperforming even our lowest expectations for him. He has always had this game in him, and it would have been a good time for a hunch bet. In any case, I'm thrilled that he did it – but no longer holding my breath for the next one.
The designated hitter gives the Dodgers potentially two more plate appearances per game by a non-pitcher. Last season, Dodger pitchers averaged 2.23 plate appearances per game. Based on the total number of plate appearances by Dodgers last season (6,282), divided by total games (162), divided by nine spots in a batting order, the average number. MoonshotMath.com is a free website that allows parents and teachers to create Dodgers specific math worksheets. Best of all, these Dodgers worksheets use real game data! Sports gaming channel that mainly focuses on MLB THE SHOW and in real life softball games!
There was something sad about Tomko coming out to mop up (even in a good way) when 20 days earlier, he was throwing 5 1/3 innings of no-hit ball at Florida. But that's what the game is for mediocre players like Pierre and Tomko – as always, it's not that they can never do well, it's that they can't do well consistently.
On a different scale, some will be wondering whether the second-half spike will again drop on Brad Penny, he of the season-long homerless streak and scintillating ERA. Dodger Thoughts commenter Bhsportsguy points out (in comment 428) that Penny has improved his groundball ratio to better than 2:1, so even without massive strikeouts, there is hope for him to maintain a good chunk of his effectiveness. My own feeling is that Penny's continued health will play as much a factor as anything. Penny can't go through the entire season without allowing a homer, but I'm hopeful that he can avoid the utter collapse of 2006 Part Deux.
One final note: Yes, Russell Martin should have been removed from the game in the bottom of the seventh. While he didn't need the rest coming off an off day, this was an opportunity to give him something extra at no cost. More importantly, had Martin gotten hurt in the final innings, it would have been the darkest moment of Grady Little's tenure here. There was no need to take the risk.
More prudent was Takashi Saito, who asked for some time off to rest a tired shoulder after pitching or warming up five consecutive days.
But the morning after 10-0 is not a morning I want to rain on anyone's parade. After so many close games, it was so nice to have a cakewalk.
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Jason Schmidt has his first rehabilitation start at 11 a.m. with the Inland Empire 66ers of the Class A California League.
Tuesday night, Rancho Cucamonga's Anthony Ortega took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the 66ers, but Blake DeWitt's bloop single broke it up. The teams were scoreless until the 12th inning before RC colaed the IE, 7-4.
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Times beat reporter Steve Henson said he will be joining former colleagues Tim Brown and Dave Morgan at Yahoo! Sports. Whether Kevin Baxter, Ben Bolch or an outsider will replace him on the beat does not seem to have been officially determined.
All my best to Henson on this move.