Halladay-Deal Hopes Begin to Dwindle

The Los Angeles Dodgers are becoming less and less likely to land Toronto-ace Roy Halladay, according to Sports Illustrated. Talks between the Blue Jays and Philadelphia have increased, and with the Phillies willing to part with their top prospects, the Dodgers are at a marked disadvantage. LA has been scouting Cleveland's Cliff Lee, as well as many relievers such as George Sherrill, Matt Capps, John Grabow, and Jason Frasor.

UPDATE: Nevermind. According to ESPN, the Phillies are balking at the Blue Jays' asking price, and refuse to meet their demands.

Bullpen Falters in Loss

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Florida Marlins 6-3, snapping a five-game winning streak. The Dodgers tied the game in the bottom of the six, but with two out, the bullpen gave up a single, walk and single that gave Florida the lead for good. They would then score two more insurence runs in the eighth off Ramon Troncoso. Andre Ethier doubled twice and drove in two runs, and Casey Blake tripled and scored a run. Emilio Bonifacio had two hits and two runs scored for the Fish, and Hanley Ramirez scored a run. Chris Coghlan had a home run.

Odom Restarts Talks with Lakers

Negotiations between the Lakers and Lamar Odom are back on according to the LA Times. The Lakers pulled their offer of "three years and $30 million or four years and $36 million, with the fourth year only partially guaranteed". Teammates such as Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher have publicly expressed their desire for Odom to return, and the talks have been deemed "productive".

Buehrle Throws Perfection Against Rays

While this blog is devoted to sports of Los Angeles, I can't help but stand in awe of the history only a chosen few can ever experience. Today, Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox became the first pitcher to throw a Perfect Game since Randy Johnson tossed one in 2005. 27 batters came to the plate for the Tampa Bay Rays, and none managed to reach first base safely. It truly was a memorable game, and I would like to congratulate Buehrle on his incredible achievement.

Grand Return: Manny-Slam Gives Dodgers Sweep

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cincinnati Reds 6-2, sweeping the Reds three games to none. The game was tied in the sixth inning before the Dodgers loaded the bases, when Manny Ramirez came in to pinch-hit. He sent the first pitch he saw into the left-field stands, putting LA up by four with a grand-slam homer. Chad Billingsley struck out seven in six innings while giving up only two runs to earn his 10th victory of the season. Andre Ethier had a solo-home run, and James Loney scored and drove in a run. Matt Kemp and Russell Martin both had a run scored. Joey Votto had three hits for the Reds, including a double, and drove in a run.

Several factors made Manny's pinch-hit slam exciting and incredible. Ramirez was out of the lineup after being hit on the hand by a pitch in Tuesday's game. He previously was 3-for-27 in pinch-hit appearances. It was "Manny Ramirez Bobblehead Night", and the ball landed in the section now titled "Mannywood". Manny is the active-leader in grand slams with 21, and is second all time.

Dodgers Hammer Reds to Take Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cincinnati Reds 12-3, becoming the first team in baseball to reach 60 wins. The Dodgers scored at least two runs in four of the first five innings, and Randy Wolf held the Reds to just two runs for his fifth win of the season. Manny Ramirez tripled and drove in two runs before leaving the game after being hit on the hands by a pitch. Matt Kemp and Rafael Furcal both homered, and James Loney scored three runs and knocked in two runs. Wolf had a double, RBI and run scored, and Furcal finished with four runs-batted-in and two runs scored. Cincinnati collected only five hits; Joey Votto homered and Jonny Gomes drove in a run.

Manny left the game after being struck on the left hand by a pitch. He immediately underwent an x-ray, which came up negative. Manny will be day-to-day.

Orlando Hudson returned to the lineup after sitting out just one game. Hudson injured his left wrist after running into an Astros pitcher on Sunday. That same wrist underwent surgery last year, and as a result Hudson cannot bend it backwards.

Dodgers Make Most of Schmidt's Return

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cincinnati Reds 7-5 in what was Jason Schmidt's first start with the Dodgers since 2007. Schmidt gave up three runs in the first inning, but that was all as he cruised through the next four to earn only his second win with LA. The Dodgers helped his cause by scoring four runs in the bottom of the first, and never trailed after that. Jonathan Broxton collected his 23rd save of the season. Russell Martin had three hits and scored twice, and Andre Ethier doubled, homered, scored two runs and drove in two runs. Manny Ramirez had a home run, and Casey Blake had a double and two RBI's. Brandon Phillips had three hits for the Reds, as well as a run-batted-in and a run scored.

In order to make room for Schmidt on the 25-man roster, Scott Elbert was optioned to Triple-A. Eric Milton was transfered from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL.

Clips Trade Richardson

Just a few days after finalizing a trade that sent Zach Randolph to Memphis in exchange for Quentin Richardson, the Clippers sent Richardson to Minnesota for guard Sebastian Telfair and forwards Mark Madsen and Craig Smith. This is the third trade this off-season that has dealt Richardson; he was previously traded to the Grizzlies from New York. Madsen previously played for the Lakers for the first three years of his career.

Editor's Note: Non-Halladay Options

With the trade-deadline looming (it's official end is next Friday), here is a list of the players I believe the Dodgers should pursue whose names don't sound like an Englishman's vacation:

LaTroy Hawkins (Houston) - Solid set-up man, could also sub-close if necessary. His current set-up role gives him more versatility in the bullpen, such as multiple innings. Catch: Houston never admits it's out of contention.

George Sherrill (Baltimore) - Lefty closer could make him both a lefty-specialist/set-up man. Catch: Baltimore acts like it has the power in the trade, and will try to strong-arm teams into giving up a top prospect in return.

Jarrod Washburn (Seattle) - A solid middle-of-the-rotation starter who could stabilize the rotation. Catch: No one knows what Seattle wants to do.

Matt Capps (Pittsburgh) - A diamond in the rough, Capps is a solid closer. Catch: No catch. With the Pirates, mid-season trades are like a bodily function.

Dodgers Complete Comeback Against 'Stros

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Houston Astros 4-3, splitting the series two games apiece. Houston opened up with a three-run lead after the third inning, but the Dodgers scratched back for two runs before tying the game in the seventh on two errors by pitcher Alberto Arias. In the eighth, Matt Kemp homered with two out to give the Dodgers the lead for good. Jonathan Broxton rebounded from a tough outing yesterday to get his 22nd save. Kemp also doubled and scored all four runs, and Brad Ausmus doubled twice, driving in Kemp both times. Andre Ethier had three hits, and Rafael Furcal had an RBI. Michael Bourn doubled and scored a run for the Astros, and Geoff Blum hit a two-run homer.

Orlando Hudson injured his left wrist after bumping into Astros pitcher Russ Ortiz while running to first. It is the same wrist that Hudson underwent surgery on after he injured it last season. However, the Dodgers are saying the injury was sustained in a different area, and it is not serious. He is listed as day-to-day, and will have X-rays.

In addition to Jason Schmidt, who will make his first start since 2007 tomorrow against the Reds, two other Dodgers are on the verge of returning from the disabled list. Hong-Chih Kuo is making progress in his rehab starts, and Doug Mientkiewicz is ready begin his rehab and could be back in a matter of weeks.