Dodgers take game one of the three game series in San Francisco. Game one marks the first series the Dodgers and Giants have played against each other since the Brian Stow incident in Los Angeles on May 31.
Tonight's game log:
(7:06pm): Juan Uribe receives his 2010 World Series ring on the field. Awkward to say the least. He deserves it. It was the right thing to do, but still awkward. Not sure if it was as awkward as Orel Hershiser wearing the orange and black, but very close.
(7:11pm): Jeremy Affeldt starting to choke up talking about injured Giants fan Brian Stow.
(7:13pm): Jamey Carroll adding his (Dodgers’) perspective of the Dodgers-Giants rivalry. Both speeches needed, but very awkward. A person might think they were at a youth baseball park and being cajoled by the league president to ensure everyone adheres to sportsmanship and fair play on and off the field.
(7:18pm): Vin Scully tells the viewers a colorful story about the history of World Series rings. Dodger fans, hold on to your favorite Scully memories. This is one of the examples why he is the best in the business. Cherish him. He is a national icon.
(7:21pm): Scully tells us Casey Blake is not in the line-up due to being shaken up in a collision in San Diego yesterday. This is an example of the game today. Players, managers, general managers, agents, and the entirety of Major League Baseball want to ensure the safety and health of players. It is absolutely the right thing to do, but fans appreciate their favorite players putting everything on the line each and every game. Cal Ripken’s record is probably safe for the foreseeable future.
(7:29pm): End of the 1st inning. Pitchers Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw both go 1-2-3 and look like they are going to be on-point tonight.
(7:35pm): As Juan Uribe strikes out, KCAL does a fantastic job of cutting from Bumgarner’s release with Matt Kemp on first. Kemp continues to freeze on the delivery, and is not getting a good secondary lead.
(7:37pm): Kemp guesses on Bumgarner and breaks for second base. Bumgarner goes to first, but Miguel Tejada drops the ball and cannot put the tag on Kemp in time. Giants are gifting the Dodgers another base in 2011.
(7:38pm): James Loney hits a liner to Freddy Sanchez which Sanchez drops. Kemp scores on what is ruled a hit for Loney. Dodgers leading 1 – 0.
(7:48pm): Kershaw throws a breaking ball which looks like strike three to Aaron Rowand. Stay tuned to see if this makes any difference.
(7:49pm): Kershaw strikes out Rowand on a high heater. So, no, the missed call has no impact on the game.
(7:51pm): Kershaw strikes out Brandon Belt looking. Pat Burrell is left stranded on first after drawing a one-out walk. End of the 2nd inning, Dodgers leading 1 – 0.
(7:58pm): Giants turn a double-play to end the top of the third. It was a text book 4-6-3, but every ball hit by the Dodgers feels like it is going to be kicked all over the field by the Giants tonight.
(8:04pm): With one out, Bumgarner hits a solid grounder up the middle for a base hit. To be determined if this comes to haunt the Dodgers later.
(8:06pm): Freddy Sanchez hits into the 4-6-3 double-play to end the 3rd inning. Dodgers still leading 1 – 0.
(8:13pm): Thames grounds to third baseman Pablo Sandoval to end the Dodgers half of the 4th inning. Kemp left stranded at second base. Kemp has been a monster so far this year. He is always on base, and is running the base paths well.
(8:24pm): Jamey Carroll short-arms what looks to be a fairly routine 6-4-3 double-play. This is an example of what happens when Casey Blake is out of the line-up. Uribe moves to second with Blake standing in at third.
(8:26pm): Brandon Belt strikes out on three pitches with runners on the corners to end the 4th inning. Dodgers up 1 – 0.
(8:29pm): Rod Barajas clears the “Woody” Chevron car in left field for a home run. Dodgers lead extended to 2 – 0.
(8:31pm): Kershaw picked off at first base by Bumgarner. Last year, Harold Reynolds of MLB Network discussed how Bumgarner’s move is borderline a balk. Regardless, it is nasty.
(8:36pm): Rafael Furcal steals third on what looks very close. The replay shows Sandoval’s knee blocking Furcal’s body and the tag being applied almost simultaneously as Furcal’s hand hits the bag.
(8:37pm): Andre Ethier singles to center field. Furcal walks home. Dodgers 3 – 0.
(8:38pm): Adventures in the outfield continues for the Giants. Kemp hits a looping shot into left field that Pat Burrell misplays allowing both Carroll and Ethier to score. Dodgers increase the lead to 5 – 0.
(8:40pm): Loney strikes out swinging, bringing the bloodshed of the top of the 5th to an end.
(8:47pm): Giants go down in order. End of the 5th. Dodgers still 5 – 0.
(8:52pm): Ramon Ramirez relieves Bumgarner and restores some order for the Giants, setting down Marcus Thames, Barajas, and Kershaw in order.
(9:00pm): Buster Posey fouls off a two-strike curveball that is almost in the dirt. Kershaw’s breaking ball has been baffling hitters all evening. Compared to what Scully describes as Kershaw’s 94 MPH heater, the Giants hitters look off balance.
(9:03pm): Giants receive first gift of the evening on a 3 – 2 fastball to Burrell that is called inside for a ball.
(9:06pm): KCAL shows Kershaw’s statistics tonight, 40 balls and 60 strikes. Watching the game, a person would get the impression it has been 80 strikes to only 20 balls. Rowand grounds to third to end the inning with Huff and Burrell stuck at second and first respectively. End of the 6th, Dodgers 5, Giants 0.
(9:08pm): Aaron Miles singles for Furcal, who has left the game due to a sore wrist. Presumably due to his slide into third back in the fifth.
(9:14pm): Ethier starts continues the hit parade, getting the third hit in a row and scoring Aaron Miles from third. Dodgers with 6 runs.
(9:18pm): Uribe is now 4 for 31 on the season after grounding into a 5-4-3 double play to end the Dodgers half of the 7th.
(9:27pm): Manager Don Mattingly goes to the mound and takes Kershaw out. Kershaw is one pitch shy of his career high of 118 pitches.
(9:29pm): Matt Guerrier is now on the mound. He has not given up a run in four appearances. He quickly gets Tejada to pop up to shallow center field where Carroll (who moved to shortstop after Miles batted for Furcal) flags the ball down. End of the 7th, Dodgers 6, Giants 0.
(9:37pm): Dan Runzler strikes our Barajas to end the top of the 8th.
(9:43pm): Posey grounds out to end the inning. Not much drama left in this game. End of the 8th, Dodgers up 6 – 0.
(9:49pm): Javier Lopez sets down Jamie Hoffmann, Miles, and Carroll in order. Bottom of the ninth coming up.
(9:53pm): Burrell ends the shut out with a solo home run off Mike McDougal, hitting the ball off the left field fair pole. Dodgers 6, Giants 1.
(9:56pm): Sandoval flies out to Kemp in center field to end the game. Dodgers take game one of the three game series.
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