Editor's Note: How the West Can Be Won

I won't keep talking about how the Lakers need to win this Game 7 against the Rockets, or about how much it means for LA to come out strong or anything else like that. You already know that. Instead, I'll tell you how the Lakers must play in order to win:

1. Contain Brooks: Aaron Brooks may not be the best point-guard, but he is one of the fastest. And that exploits Derek Fisher's one weakness: he's slow. Fisher needs to be a bench-warmer for this game, and let Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar try to keep up with Brooks. Remember, with Fisher the Lakers are 2-3 in this series; without him they are 1-0.
2. Exploit the Froncourt: Luis Scola is not as good as his Game 6 performance led some to believe. He is Houston's only legitimate inside presence, which should mean easy pickings for Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom. They need to attack the basket, no matter what the score is.
3. Ariza Needs to Arize: Trevor Ariza has been a non-factor in this series, so much so that Phil Jackson won't put him in the game when the Lakers need stops. Ariza is the Lakers' best defender, and he can be deadly when he's on. The only problem is he's been off. Ariza needs to wake up and become a fierce threat.
4. Either Make It or Don't Try: The Lakers' three-point shooting has been consistent all season. Or at least in each individual game. Their early shooting is always an indicator of how they will do from behind the arc for the entire 48 minutes. If they're hitting their shots, then they should keep going. But if they're missing, they have to give up and attack the basket. They can't keep settling for jump-shots during the third quarter.
5. Bench-Warmers need to Light Fire: The bench became more critical after Yao Ming's departure left Houston short-handed. Luke Walton, Brown, Farmar, and Sasha Vujacic need to take advantage of the tired players on the court.

If the Lakers can follow these guidelines, they will find themselves struggling to keep up with Denver by next week.

UPDATE: Check, check, and check. The Lakers met all criteria, and are now in the Western Conference Finals.

Weaver Spins Nightmare for Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Florida Marlins 6-3, snapping a three-game winning streak. Eric Milton made his Dodger debut, pitching four innings and allowing just two runs on two hits and four walks. However, Jeff Weaver let the game get away when he gave up a two-run homer to John Baker that gave the Marlins the lead. Juan Pierre had two singles, a triple, and two stolen bases, and Orlando Hudson hit two sacrifice flies resulting in two runs. Russell Martin reached base three times. Dan Uggla had a hit, two walks, an RBI, and a run scored, and Cody Ross had a one-run double.

Dodgers Edge Marlins

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Florida Marlins 6-4, their third straight win. Cody Ross staked the Marlins to an early 2-0 lead with a two-run homer, and Emilio Bonifacio added some insurance after he tripled and scored on a grounder. However, Casey Blake had his eighth home run of the season in the sixth, and immediately following Blake's bomb Xavier Paul connected for his first career blast to put LA within one. The Boys in Blue had the game from there, scoring a total of three runs in the sixth, two in the seventh, and one in the ninth. Blake also double, and Juan Pierre had the go-ahead two-run single in the seventh. Andre Ethier had two RBI, and James Loney had two hits and scored a run. Jonathan Broxton had his ninth save of the season, pitching a scoreless ninth. Jeremy Hermida had three hits for the Fish, and Hanley Ramirez doubled and drove in a run.

Editor's Note: It's Now or Never

The Lakers had their chances. They could have easily put away the Rockets. Everyone thought they would. Except for Houston. Now they can upset the Lakers and advance to the Western Conference Finals with a win on Sunday. But there will be a large obstacle in their way. The Rockets will have to deal with a raucous Staples Center crowd expecting them to fail. They will face a rejuvenated Laker team that only needs the right motivation to enter Kill-Mode. They will face a strong front-court in Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom that won't let Luis Scola trick them again. They will face a Kobe Bryant with a serious chip on his shoulder. They will face a Laker team that won't give in so easily. Everything needs to come together for the Lakers on Sunday. The season hangs in the balance.

Game 6: Lakers Slow Out of Gate in Loss

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Houston Rockets 95-80, tying the series at 3 games apiece and forcing a decisive Game 7 to determine both teams' fate. The Lakers were put into an early hole after Houston took a 17-1 lead to start the game, and never recovered. LA scored just 15 points in the first and fourth quarters as their poor shooting did them in; the Lakers shot just a paltry .357 from the field. Kobe Bryant led the Purple and Gold with 32 points, and Pau Gasol added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Jordan Farmar was the only other Laker to score in double-figures with 13 points. Aaron Brooks exploited LA's perimeter defense as he scored 26 points, and Luis Scola put up 24 and 12 rebounds. Carl Landry added 15 points off the bench. Game 7 will be played on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Dodgers Pull One Out in Matinee

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 in 10 innings, taking the series 2-1. The Dodgers had a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the ninth, but Jonathan Broxton gave up a game-tying double to Carlos Ruiz with two outs. However, Andre Ethier walked with two out in the top of the tenth, and Russell Martin doubled, James Loney walked, and Matt Kemp doubled to put LA up by two. Chad Billingsley was sharp despite not getting the win, allowing only one run on three hits and nine strikeouts. Ramon Troncoso had his second save of the season. Martin finished with three hits, Kemp had a triple and finished just a homer short of the cycle, and Loney had his second home run in as many days. Xavier Paul doubled, the first extra-base hit of his career, and Casey Blake added a single, double, RBI, and run scored. Raul Ibanez had two hits and scored a run for the Phillies, and Jimmy Rollins had a double.

The Dodgers optioned James McDonald to the minors, and called up veteran Eric Milton to replace him. Milton will start Saturday against the Marlins instead of Jeff Weaver. McDonald struggled in his rookie season, going 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA.

Dodgers Blow Past Phils

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 9-2, snapping a two-game losing streak. LA put the hurt on Jamie Moyer, tagging him for seven runs in less than five innings of work. Randy Wolf was solid against his former team, allowing only one run on three hits and striking out 8 in six innings. James Loney had his first homer of the season, a three-run dinger, and Casey Blake had a two-run blast, his seventh home run. Loney finished with 5 RBI, and Blake finished with 3. Juan Pierre had a single, double, and two steals, and Orlando Hudson doubled twice and scored a run. Russell Martin and Matt Kemp both scored twice. Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez both had solo-homers for the Phillies.

Joe Torre was chosen by Philly's manager Charlie Manuel to be part of his coaching staff in the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis. Torre played for the Cardinals during his professional career, and also managed them for six seasons before he joined the Yankees.

Game 5: Lakers Exact Revenge

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 118-78, taking a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Lakers dominated from the beginning, outscoring Houston 35-24 in the first quarter. The Rockets then scored 15 points in each of the next two quarters. LA put up a .512 shooting percentage, while Houston shot just .326. The Purple and Gold defeated the Rockets in almost every catagory, including rebounds, assists, steals, turnovers, blocked shots, and fouls. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 26 points, and Pau Gasol added 16 points and 13 rebounds. Andrew Bynum had his best night of the playoffs, scoring 14 points and grabbing 6 rebounds, and Trevor Ariza had 13 and 3 steals. Jordan Farmar, Lamar Odom, and Josh Powell each scored in double-figures off the bench. Aaron Brooks led Houston with 14 points, Luis Scola had 12, and Von Wafer added 13.

Phils Steal Victory from Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3, their second loss in a row. The Dodgers scored a run in the first inning off former Blue Crew member Chan Ho Park, but Clayton Kershaw gave up three runs in the fourth, and LA could not come back. Another former-Dodger burned the Boys in Blue: Jayson Werth had two hits and scored twice, and collected four steals, including a steal of home. Orlando Hudson had three hits, an RBI and a run scored for the Dodgers, and Matt Kemp drove in a run. Mark Loretta had an RBI pinch-hit single. Raul Ibanez drove in two runs for Philly, and Shane Victorino had a run scored and run batted in. Pedro Feliz walked four times.

Editor's Note: Live From Dodger Stadium

Your's truly had the privilege of attending today's marathon of a baseball game at Chavez Ravine, where the Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the rival San Francisco Giants. There are also plenty of photos to boot.

Only a few feet away

First Dodger Dog of the season

The Giants' dugout. Less fire and brimstone than I expected

An empty Dodger Stadium

A pink ribbon in honor of Mother's Day and breast-cancer awareness. Plenty of pink could be found on the players and in the stands.

Juan Pierre at the (pink) bat

Tim Lincecum on the mound

Pierre scores one of his three runs

Xavier Paul stretches at first after getting his first career hit

Jonathan Broxton goes into the wind

Casey Blake returns to the dugout after hitting his sixth homer of the season


Plenty more at-game photos will come as the season progresses

Game 4: Lakers Go Silent in Loss

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Houston Rockets 99-87 in Game 4 of the Western Conference semi-finals, evening the series at two games apiece. The Lakers were quiet right from the start, exiting the first-quarter trailing 29-16, and entering halftime down by 18. Only a 33-16 fourth quarter made the final score respectable. LA was only 11-for-18 from the free-throw line, and Houston was 17-for-20. Both teams were evenly matched in shooting percentage, turnovers, and blocked shots, while the Rockets won in rebounds, assists, and fouls. Pau Gasol dominated with the absence of Yao Ming, scoring 30 points, and Kobe Bryant was quiet with just 15. Shannon Brown added 14 off the bench. Without Yao Ming, the Rockets took advantage of their back-court offense as Aaron Brooks scored 34 points. Shane Battier had five 3-pointers and finished with 24 points, and Luis Scola added 11 and 14 rebounds.

Unlucky 13th Does in Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the San Francisco Giants 7-5 in 13 innings, dropping the series 2 games to one. The game went into extra innings with the score tied at four apiece, but Guillermo Mota surrendered the lead run in the 12th. However, Casey Blake hit a line-drive homer to keep the game alive. But Mota could not, giving up two in the 13th and the Dodgers could not respond. Juan Pierre had three hits and scored three times, and Blake had a hit in all three at-bats. Orlando Hudson doubled and drove in two, and Rafael Furcal had a run-batted-in. The Dodgers exhausted the entire bullpen minus Brent Leach when Jeff Weaver could only go five innings. Randy Winn finished with four hits, four runs scored, and the game-winning two-run single. Edgar Renteria added two hits, a run, and an RBI, and Emmanuel Burriss had four hits.