Stacie Activated From DL for Dodgers Last Clash in SF

Dodgers @ Giants

Game 1

7:15pm

Clayton Kershaw (17-5, 2.45)  vs. Tim Lincecum (12-12, 2.75)

Can Kershaw Win the Cy Young this Season?

On a strict game count, I am returning from maternity disability just in time to cover the last showdown in the bay between the hated Giants and the Dodgers. First off I just want to applaud Scott for doing an amazing job with the blog in my absence. Since the weekend of the trade deadline he hasn’t missed a beat, and I’m really proud of the way he handled the extra work. So I’ll be back to cover a few games here and there for the remainder of the season. I’ll also be blogging throughout the offseason as well.

Let’s see, I missed the frenzy of the trade deadline when we saw the sad departure of Hit Machine to the Cardinals. Rafael Furcal has been an integral part of the team for many years, and I will surely miss his extraordinary arm at shortstop and his vibrant bat. Then there was the much debated and somewhat hated Trayvon Robinson trade. I heard about all this while I was in the hospital by the way. At first I was shocked, but now I realize we did desperately need a catcher. I look forward to seeing how FedEx pans out. Then there was the exciting 6 game winning streak and James Loney’s phoenix from the ashes comeback. His swing is definitely different in my eyes, and his hot bat has really fueled this Dodger upswing. I wouldn’t mind having this Loney back next season. Finally, the Andre Ethier debacle flooded the bloggosphere after an inflammatory LA Times article was written. As you know, Dre is my favorite current player. I could care less what he says to the media. There are always two sides to a story, so I won’t attempt to figure out what really happened. All I know is that we will not see Dre play for the remainder of the season while he figures out what to do about his injured knee. I hope he recovers quickly, and I look forward to watching him play next season. He is an exceptional player, and please stay tuned for a special Andre Ethier post in the near future.

So the big question is can we get to .500? If we do I’m going to celebrate like we’ve won the World Series.

Tonight Clayton Kershaw will be vying for his 18^th win of the season in a rematch against Giants ace Tim Lincecum. Both hurlers have over 200 strikeouts this season. This will be their third meeting of the year including Opening Day. Kersh has out pitched him in both previous games. Kersh’s last start in SF went very well when he struck out 12 Giants on 3 hits getting the win in SF. The only run in that game was Navarro’s homerun dunker into McCovey Cove. Fatty is long gone, but Kersh’s dominance remains. Last time out, Lincecum lost to the D-Backs on Saturday and allowed 5 runs. He has been dinged with 9 runs in his last two starts. He has lost 3 of his last 4 starts. He has a career record of 5-3 with a 3.05 ERA against the Dodgers. Kersh is even more impressive with a 4-1 record against the Giants and a very low 1.41 ERA in his career.

Yesterday’s second game of the doubleheader was canceled due to rain, and it won’t be played unless it has some bearing on the season. It won’t.

The Dodgers could pull within 1 game of .500 with a win tonight in the bay. They have won 13 of their last 16 games. Can our Cy Young candidate, Clayton Kershaw, shut down the long-haired ace Tim Linceum and pick up the victory? Brian Wilson a.k.a. Blackbeard is still recovering from elbow problems so we will be spared his annoying presence this series most likely.

Lineup:

Gordon 6

Loney 3

Kemp 8

Rivera 9

Miles 5

Sands 7

Big Rod 2

Sellers 4

Kershaw 1

Rivera in right field is downright bumbling, isn't he? It really makes me miss Dre, sigh.

Stay tuned for the recap Dodger fans! Let’s spoil the Giants hope for any chance at the playoffs, shall we?

Go Blue!