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.

Dodgers Pulverize Brewers

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 17-4, the most runs LA has scored in a game this year. The Dodgers collected 18 base-hits, five walks and two hit-by-pitches in their onslaught. The real damage came in three innings, with four runs coming in the first, seven coming in the sixth, and for good measure, five in the eighth. Manny Ramirez busted his mini-slump with a solo-homer and a two-run double, and Matt Kemp homered and drove in five runs, matching a career-high. Russell Martin reached base five times, scoring twice, and Casey Blake had two hits, two runs scored and two runs-batted-in. Andre Ethier had two RBI's and three runs, and Rafael Furcal scored twice. Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun both had two hits and an RBI for Milwaukee.

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.

Billingsley Implodes as Dodgers Drop Third Straight

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the St. Louis Cardinals 10-0, their third loss in a row and their first three-game losing streak. Chad Billingsley cruised for the first five innings, but he fell apart in the sixth, giving up three hits, four walks, two wild pitches and their first six runs in the inning. The Dodger offense did nothing to help, stranding nine runners while going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position (the "one" being an infield single). Rafael Furcal, James Loney and Russell Martin each had two hits, and Andre Ethier doubled. Ryan Ludwick and Yadier Molina both drove in two runs, and Matt Holliday had a hit and a run scored.

The Dodgers are rumored to have focused their energy on acquiring George Sherrill from Baltimore, according to various sources. The Dodgers are also reported to have interest in Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Jarrod Washburn, though they are considered long-shots to trade for any of the three.

Mark Loretta pitched to two batters in the eighth inning after Brent Leach surrendered four runs. Loretta hit a batter and produced a fly-out.

Dodgers Can't Make Up Ground Against Marlins

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Florida Marlins 8-6, dropping the series two games to one. Florida roughed up Jason Schmidt for five runs, then tagged Jeff Weaver for three more runs to take an 8-0 lead. However, the Dodgers tried to come back, scoring four in the sixth and two in the ninth, and had the tying run at the plate in Matt Kemp, but he popped out to end the game. Andre Ethier had two hits, two runs scored and an RBI, and James Loney drove in three runs. Russell Martin had a two-run home run, and Rafael Furcal tripled and scored a run. Hanley Ramirez had two hits and three RBI's for the Fish, and Jorge Cantu doubled twice. John Baker scored two runs and reached base three times.

Blake DeWitt was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque in order to make room for the return of Hong-Chih Kuo. Since Kuo is on the 60-day disabled list, the Dodgers must make a corresponding move to clear space on the 40-man roster.

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 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.

Billingsley Gets Slaughtered in Loss

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Houston Astros 8-1, their fourth loss to Houston in five games this year. Chad Billingsley had his worst outing this season, giving up six runs on nine hits in less than two innings of work before being pulled. Roy Oswalt was just as good as Billingsley was bad, allowing only one run on four hits while going the distance. Orlando Hudson tripled on a ball lost in the sky, and scored on Russell Martin's RBI-ground out. Miguel Tejada homered for the 'Stros, and Ivan Rodriguez had four hits, two RBI's, and two runs scored. Hunter Pence knocked in two runs, and Kazuo Matsui, Michael Bourn and Carlos Lee each scored a run.

Dodgers Overpower Brewers for Win

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 12-8 in 10 innings, their first victory of the season against the Brew Crew. The Dodgers had an early lead after Andre Ethier homered in the first, but Chad Billingsley did not have his A-game, yielding two runs in the first before recording three outs. After trading runs in the fourth innings, Manny Ramirez and Russell Martin both slammed jacks to give the Dodgers a two-run cushion. Billingsley once again surrendered two more runs to tie the game. Mat Gamel then homered in the eighth to give Milwaukee a one-run lead. However, the Dodgers got to closer Trevor Hoffman, with Mark Loretta singling home the tying run in the ninth. In the 10th, LA broke the game open, scoring two runs before loading the bases, where Matt Kemp delivered a grand-slam home run to put the game out of reach for Milwaukee. Despite allowing two runs in the bottom of the inning, Jonathan Broxton held on to seal the victory. Kemp finished with a double and single in addition to the grand-slam, and Martin had three hits and scored three runs. James Loney homered, and Casey Blake hit an RBI-triple in the 10th that gave the Dodgers the lead. Gamel finished the game with three RBI's for the Brewers, and J.J. Hardy smashed a homer and drove in three runs. Prince Fielder scored twice, and Mike Cameron had three hits.

Dodgers Pummel Mets for Series Victory

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Mets 11-2, taking the series two games to one. The Dodgers led before the first out could be recorded, and scored enough runs in the first inning to win the game. LA totaled 17 hits, and Randy Wolf's shaky outing was enough to get him his fourth win of the season. Rafael Furcal doubled twice and scored three runs, Manny Ramirez had two hits, RBI's and runs scored, and Andre Ethier collected two runs. Casey Blake drove in and scored a run, and Orlando Hudson had a three-run double. Matt Kemp had three hits, and Russell Martin had two runs-batted-in. David Wright had two hits and scored a run for the Mets, and Gary Sheffield drove in a run.

Orlando Hudson was struck by a pitch on the leg, and had to be replaced with a pinch-runner. He will be in the lineup for Friday's game in Milwaukee.

Randy Wolf changed his number to help him get his fourth win. He previously wore #21, but after four out of five of his last starts ended in a no-decision he changed it to #43, the record he hoped to reach with tonight's start. He did get the win.

Dodgers Come Up Short Against Mets

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the New York Mets 5-4, splitting the series at a game apiece. The Dodgers struck early, scoring in the first, but Hiroki Kuroda could not get outs, giving up eight hits and two walks that resulted in five runs scoring. The bullpen held New York back, but the offense failed in the clutch, hitting 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. The Boys in Blue tried to get back into the game, scoring a run in the eighth and in the ninth to cut the deficit to one. However, with two on and one out Andre Ethier grounded into a double-play to end the game. Rafael Furcal had two hits and two RBI's, and Matt Kemp tripled and scored twice. Russell Martin reached base four times, twice by hit and twice by walk. Manny Ramirez hit a home run in the ninth to cut the lead in half. David Wright scored two runs and drove in a run for the Mets.

Ronald Belisario was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a stiff shoulder, though the MRI revealed no structural damage. Corey Wade was called up from Triple-A to take his place.

Manny's Return Sparks Offensive Outburst

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 6-3, their first game with Manny Ramirez since he was suspended for violating MLB's drug policy. While Manny went 0-for-3 with a walk, the rest of the lineup seemed to be invigorated by his return, scoring five runs in the first inning. Rafael Furcal collected four hits, including a double, and scored a run, and Russell Martin singled twice and drove in two runs. Andre Ethier scored twice, and Matt Kemp had a two-run double. James Loney had a run scored and RBI. Hiroki Kuroda was shaky but solid enough to get his third win of the year, and Jonathan Broxton's perfect ninth gave him his 20th save. Scott Hairston had a solo-homer for San Diego, and Adrian Gonzalaz doubled to drive in two runs.

Dodgers Scratch Out Win over Rox

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 1-0, taking the series 2-1. Both teams had trouble scoring, collecting only three hits through the first seven innings. However, Brad Ausmus singled to start the eighth, Juan Castro bunted him to second, and with Russell Martin pinch-running, Rafael Furcal hit a pinch-hit single that scored Martin. Clayton Kershaw went five innings, allowing only one hit, and the bullpen held Colorado to nothing for the rest of the game. Jonathan Broxton pitched a perfect ninth for his 19th save of the season. Brad Hawpe had two of the Rockies' three hits, including a double.

This was the last game the Dodgers played without Manny Ramirez. The embroiled slugger will return to the lineup Friday due to tomorrow's off-day.

The victory gave the Dodgers their 50th win, the first team in baseball to reach that mark.

The Dodgers made a few moves during the day. Eric Stults was activated from the 15-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A so he could play regularly. Catcher A.J. Ellis was sent down to Triple-A as well, and Mitch Jones was designated for assignment. Jones now has 10 days to be traded, claimed by another team, or released. If he clears waivers, he will return to the minors. Claudio Vargas is expected to be activated from the 60-day DL, a move that could force the Dodgers to move Hong-Chih Kuo to that same list from the 15-day DL. Manny Ramirez will be activated from the Restricted List now that his suspension is over.

Dodgers are Winners with Andre

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 4-2 in 13 innings, halting a brief two-game skid. The Dodgers won on the heroics of Andre Ethier, who lined a homer into right-field with a runner on. Randy Wolf gave up two runs in six innings, but helped is cause with a two-run single that tied the game. The bullpen held serve for the rest of the game, throwing seven scoreless combined innings, allowing only two hits and one walk while striking out 13. Juan Pierre had three hits, and Casey Blake scored the winning run. Matt Kemp and Russell Martin both had a hit and run scored. James McDonald received his second career win after pitching a perfect 13th. Ryan Spillborghs hit a two-run homer for the Rockies, their only offense of the game.

Manny Ramirez went 1-for-3 with two strikeouts in his final rehab appearance for Single-A Inland Empire.

The Dodgers saw a familiar face in the visitor's dugout in the form of Jim Tracy. Tracy managed the Dodgers from 2001 to 2005, taking them to the playoffs just once in 2004. Tracy is the interim manager of the Rockies, having assumed the job after Clint Hurdle was fired.

Dodgers Can't Survive Extras

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Chicago White Sox 6-5 in 13 innings, dropping the series 2-1. The Dodgers had an early 4-0 lead, but Chad Billingsley fell apart in the fifth and sixth innings, giving up five runs over that span. The Dodgers came back to tie it in the seventh, but the offense shutdown after that, not getting a hit for the rest of the game. The bullpen, specifically Jeff Weaver, held Chicago back well, but he faced a jam after the ChiSox loaded the bases with nobody out in the 13th. After getting two shallow flyouts, Weaver had Scott Podsednik on a 2-2 count. However, Podsednik lined his next pitch into centerfield for a base-hit, and won the game. Neither team hit well with runners in scoring position, going a combined 6-for-28. Orlando Hudson had three hits, two RBI's and a run scored, and Mark Loretta doubled twice and drove in two runs. Juan Pierre and Russell Martin both had a hit and run scored, and Casey Blake collected a run and an RBI. Paul Konerko had a solo-homer for the Sox, and Jermaine Dye had two hits and scored a run. A.J. Pierzynski's three-run homer gave Chicago their first lead of the game, and turned out to be a huge difference.

Manny Ramirez did not start for Triple-A Albuquerque today as planned; a rain-delay forced the team to keep him out to avoid any risk of injury.

Dodger Weaver Beats Angel Weaver in Historic Matchup

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 6-4, their sixth win in eight games. The Angels had an early 2-0 lead, but the Dodgers came back after Russell Martin homered for the first time this season. Jeff Weaver faced his younger brother Jered for the first time ever, and the matchup was the first time brothers opposed each other since 2002. The elder Weaver held Anaheim to just two runs over five innings, while LA touched the younger Weaver for all six runs. Orlando Hudson and Casey Blake both had an RBI and a run scored, and Andre Ethier tripled and drove in two runs. Matt Kemp had two hits and scored once, and Martin had two additional hits. Kendry Morales hit a home run for the Angels, and Gary Matthews, Jr. knocked out a two-run bomb in the ninth off Jonathan Broxton, the first homer he has given up all year.

Manny Ramirez agreed to a minor-league rehab stint before his suspension ends. Manny is allowed to play for the Dodgers' farm teams before his return, but the Dodgers can only have him play with the clubs with his consent. Ramirez will most likely play with Triple-A Albuquerque for three games, then go to Single-A Inland Empire for another three-game set.

Dodgers Fall Apart Against Angels

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 5-4, their second loss in six games. The Dodgers had an early 4-1 lead, but Chad Billingsley coughed it up in the sixth inning, and the game was tied. In the eighth, Juan Rivera connected and homered to left to give the Angels the lead. LA went a combined 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, leaving the bases loaded in the eighth and stranding the tying run on second in the ninth. James Loney and Rafael Furcal both homered for the third time this season, and Orlando Hudson had three hits. Juan Pierre and Russell Martin both scored a run, and Casey Blake had an RBI and an amazing diving-catch to end a serious bases-loaded threat. Chone Figgins had two hits and scored a run for the Angels, and Vladimir Guerrero had an RBI and a run scored. Maicer Izturis drove in two runs.

The Dodgers recalled James McDonald from Triple-A Albuquerque. McDonald was on the Opening Day roster, but struggled in his first career starts, posting an ERA of 6.75. However, he had a tremendous turnaround in the minors, and compiled an ERA of 3.26 and 40 strikeouts. Travis Schlichting was demoted to make room for McDonald. Schlichting was rarely used as a reliever, pitching just 2.2 innings in his rookie-season.

Dodgers Get Enough to Beat A's

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Oakland Athletics 3-2, taking the interleague series two games to one. Oakland scored first, but Orlando Hudson drove a home run into center-field to tie the game. The Dodgers scored again in the fifth inning, but the A's came back as Rajai Davis took advantage of a fielding blunder; Rafael Furcal directed Juan Pierre to throw to second-base after a single sent Davis to third. Davis saw the throw go to second, and immediately left for home and scored. However, LA took the lead for good in the seventh. Pierre had an RBI-single, and Mark Loretta knocked in the go-ahead run. Casey Blake had two hits and helped start three double-plays. Russell Martin and James Loney both had a hit and scored a run. Ramon Troncoso recorded two outs in the ninth for his fifth save of the season. Randy Wolf allowed only one run in six innings, but did not receive a decision. Kurt Suzuki had an RBI-double for the A's, and Matt Holliday also doubled but did not come around to score.

Jonathan Broxton was unavailable for the game due to a sore big right toe.

The win gave manager Joe Torre his 2,195th career managerial victory, putting him fifth on the all-time list. He passed Sparky Anderson after tying him on Tuesday.

Power Surge Lifts Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 6-4, their 40th win of the season. The Dodgers are the first team to reach the 40-win mark. LA received most of its offense from the home run, as Andre Ethier, Orlando Hudson and Matt Kemp each went deep; Ethier going yard twice. Kemp totaled three base-hits and 2 RBI's, and Rafael Furcal had a hit, run scored, and run-batted-in. Casey Blake scored a run, and Russell Martin had two hits. Chad Billingsley had a shaky five-and-two-thirds innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts, but still got his eighth win of the season. Jonathan Broxton gave up a run in the ninth, but held on to get his 14th save. Tony Gwynn, Jr. made his Padre-debut, getting three hits and scoring a run. David Eckstein also had three hits and a run scored, and also drove in a run. Kevin Kouzmanoff had a two-run single.