Dodgers Drop Series to Braves

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Altanta Braves 8-2, dropping the four-game series 3-1. Javier Vazquez held the Dodgers to just one run over eight innings of work, and the offense floundered again, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Martin Prado had two hits and three RBI's, and Matt Diaz homered, scored twice and drove in two runs. Yunel Escobar and Kelly Johnson both scored two runs. Manny Ramirez had three hits and a run scored for LA, and Andre Ethier scored the only other run. Casey Blake had the lone RBI.

Eric Stults had the start for the game, and went five innings while allowing three runs. To make room for Stults on the roster, Tony Abreu was demoted to Triple-A.

Braves Hold Down Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Atlanta Braves 2-1 in 10 innings, their second straight loss to the Braves in extras. Clayton Kershaw threw a gem, allowing only three baserunners over seven innings of work while striking out 10. The Dodgers could not get a clutch hit, going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Atlanta took the lead after Kelly Johnson hit his second two-run homer in as many games in the 10th inning. LA tried to stage a comeback, but ultimately fell a run short. Andre Ethier had the only RBI, driving in Juan Pierre. Matt Kemp had two hits and a stolen base.

Scott Elbert was demoted to Triple-A Albuquerque, and Ronald Belisario was activated to take his place. Eric Stults will be called up to start tomorrow's game.

Pitching Mish-Mash Spells Dodgers' Doom

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Atlanta Braves 9-5 in 12 innings, evening the series at a game apiece. The Dodgers were cruising along with a 5-2 lead until Chad Billingsley hurt his hamstring running the base-paths. Hong-Chih Kuo was brought in, but without being able to warm up in the bullpen, he gave a large chunk of the lead back after surrendering a two-run homer to Kelly Johnson. LA nursed the lead going into the ninth, and with Jonathan Broxton on the mound, he gave up a single to Garret Anderson that scored Nate McLouth with two out to tie the game. Things were quiet up to the 12th inning, with Scott Elbert coming in to get the final two outs of the frame with two runners on despite being penciled in for the start on Sunday. Yunel Escobar singled to plate Anderson, and Ryan Church stuck the nail in the coffin with a three-run homer. Casey Blake had his own three-run blast, and Russell Martin had three hits and a run scored.

Jason Schmidt was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to pain in his right shoulder. Infielder Tony Abreu was called up to replace him. Abreu hasn't been on the big-league club since the 2007 season.

Mr. Walkoff: Ethier Sends Dodger Fans Home Happy

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 5-4, their second victory over Atlanta this season. With the Dodgers down 4-2, Juan Pierre and Rafael Furcal scratched out bases hits, and Andre Ethier knocked a home run over the right-field wall, his fifth walk-off hit of the season. Furcal had two hits, and Manny Ramirez knocked in a run. Orlando Hudson had a run scored, and Pierre collected an RBI. Derek Lowe pitched 6-plus innings against his former club, limiting LA to just two runs. Chipper Jones hit a homer, and Matt Diaz had three hits, a run scored and an RBI for the Braves.

Dodgers Blow Past Braves in Finale

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 9-1, taking the series 2-1 and ending the road trip with a 3-4 record. LA scored four runs in the fifth inning, all with two outs, and never looked back. Chad Billingsley pitched five dominant, two-hit innings before being lifted after an injury. The Dodgers totaled 19 base hits, as Matt Kemp led the way with a three-run homer and a two-run single. Mark Loretta drove in and scored a run, James Loney had three hits and two RBI's, Andre Ethier reached base four times, and Manny Ramirez scored twice. Martin Prado had two hits and Atlanta's only RBI.

Billingsley was pulled after the fifth inning when he felt pain in his right leg. It was later described as a cramp in his hamstring.

Casey Blake had to sit out after he injured his wrist last night. He is day-to-day.

Corey Wade was activated from the 15-day disabled list, but was subsequently demoted to Triple-A.

Martin's Miscues Cost Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Atlanta Braves 4-3, evening the series at a game apiece. The Dodgers had a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning, but when Martin tried to pick-off Adam LaRoche at first, the ball got away from James Loney, allowing LaRoche to take second base. Diory Hernandez then singled, and Martin dropped a throw from Andre Ethier that could have gotten LaRoche out at home. Hernandez took second on the throw, and Greg Norton singled him in for the winning run. Ethier had a homer, his second in as many days, and scored two runs, and Loney had two hits and drove in a run. Casey Blake had a double and an RBI. Former Dodger Derek Lowe got the win, holding LA to only three runs over six innings of work.

Schmidt Leads Way to Dodger Victory

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 5-0, the first meeting between the two clubs this season. Jason Schmidt cruised to his second victory, allowing only one base hit in six innings of work. Andre Ethier had a three-run homer which was more than enough, and Rafael Furcal drove in a run. Orlando Hudson scored twice, and Russell Martin had two hits and a run scored. Ethier capped it with another RBI. The Braves had only three hits in the entire game, with Chipper Jones reaching base three times, twice by walk.

George Sherrill made his Dodger debut, inheriting a two-on, no-out situation. He struck out the side, allowing only a walk.

Hawks Snap Lakers' Streak

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Atlanta Hawks 86-76, snapping their 7-game road win-streak. The Lakers shot just 35% from the field, and 4-for-20 from 3-point range. While Atlanta had a .393 shooting percentage, they made 10-of-19 three-point tries. Both teams turned the ball over 14 times, and LA's bench scored only 14 points. Pau Gasol led the Lakers with 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Kobe Bryant had an off-day with 17 points on 7-for-19 shooting. Mike Bibby led the Hawks with 21 points on 5-for-6 shooting from three-point range. Flip Murray scored 14 off the bench, and Maurice Evans added 13.

Lakers Get Back on Track

The Los Angeles Lakers started the second half of the season by defeating the Atlanta Hawks 96-83, their 43rd win of the season. Atlanta shot a meek .369 from the field, and only sank 2 three-pointers. The Lakers out-rebounded the Hawks 67-39 and blocked 9 of Atlanta's shots. No player from either team scored more than 15 points. Trade-acquisitions Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown both played in the fourth quarter, and combined for 1 point, 1 assist, and 3 rebounds. Lamar Odom continues to rip up the backboard, scoring 15 points and grabbing 20 rebounds. Pau Gasol had the third triple-double of his career with 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Derek Fisher scored 14 points, and Kobe Bryant, Trevor Ariza, and Jordan Farmar each had 10. Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 14 points.

Kings Can't Handle Thrashing

The Los Angeles Kings fell to the Atlanta Thrashers 7-6 in a shootout, and are 5 points out of a playoff spot. The game was a hazard for goalies, as Jonathan Quick was quickly replaced by Erik Ersberg in the first period after saving 4 out of 7 shots. Johan Hedberg made 39 saves on 45 shots for Atlanta. Anze Kopitar had 2 goals and 2 assists for LA, including a game-tying goal with 5 seconds left in the game, and Alexander Frolov, Jarret Stoll, Jack Johnson, and Denis Gauthier each scored a goal. Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty, Patrick O'Sullivan, and Frolov each had two assists. Ilya Kovalchuk scored 2 goals for the Thrashers, and Zach Bogosian had 3 assists. The Kings lost the shootout 2-1.

Clippers Keep Train Rolling

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 121-79, their second win in a row. The Clips erupted to shoot 57% from the field, including 11-for-22 from three-point range. LA committed only 6 turnovers and allowed just 5 offensive rebounds for Atlanta. All 5 starters scored in double-figures, led by Al Thornton with 31 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Zach Randolph finished with 25 points and 9 rebounds, and Marcus Camby scored 16 points to go with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Baron Davis had 13 points and 8 assists, and Eric Gordon scored 11. Ricky Davis came off the bench to score 12 points, all coming from 3-pointers. Josh Smith couldn't help the Hawks with 16 points and 15 rebounds.

Clock Strikes 12 for Clips

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Atlanta Hawks 97-80, their 12th straight loss and 30th of the season. LA, who got Ricky Davis back after he served his 5-game suspension, could only muster a .425 shooting percentage with only 3 3-pointers. That paled in comparison to Atlanta's .493 shooting percentage. The Clips' 18 turnovers did not help either. Al Thornton led LA with 25 points, and Marcus Camby had a double-double with 12 points and 18 rebounds. Eric Gordon scored 18 points and Mardy Collins had 15. Josh Smith led the Hawks with 26 points and 8 rebounds, and Joe Johnson added 21 points with 7 assists.

AP: Furcal Returns to LA

The Associated Press is reporting that the Los Angeles Dodgers and SS Rafael Furcal have agreed on a three-year contract with a 4th-year option. Furcal had come to an agreement with his former team, the Atlanta Braves, however his agent explains nothing was official, not even a verbal agreement. Now that the infield is solved, GM Ned Colletti will look to add pitching and possibly Manny Ramirez.

Hold the Phone: Furcal Still Up in Air

Reports are swirling that the "agreement" between Rafael Furcal and the Atlanta Braves is premature, and Furcal is still negotiating with the Dodgers. Calls were sent to Dodger GM Ned Colletti about the issue, and he responded saying negotiations were still in progress between the two sides.

Furcal Chooses Braves

Rafael Furcal has apparently made up his mind, according to MLB.com, and has agreed to a 3-year deal with the Atlanta Braves, the team he played for before signing with the Dodgers. Teams like LA, Oakland, and Toronto are now shifting their attention to Orlando Cabrera, the now-top shortstop on the market.

Dodgers Still in Hunt for Peavy

The Los Angeles Dodgers are still a possible trade destination for Jake Peavy, says ESPN. They are however a long shot behind the Cubs and Braves, as an interdivisional trade would require the Dodgers to give up much more compared to Chicago or Atlanta.