Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Post Game GAB: Last Night: July 30, 2012: Today: A League of Our Own

Ouch. 7-2. !?#@! 
And all of that. Ok, shake it off Boys. Walk it off. We got work to do. Never mind that grand slam in the fifth. That was yesterday. Tonight is a whole new game

Aaron Harang (new girls: our starting pitcher) was not at his finest last night. But I couldn't help but wonder at what point did Mattingly think: "Grand slam? Nah. There's no way. Aaron would never let that happen." To be fair, his pitching had been off the mark all night. This is where I insist baseball cannot - absolutely cannot be reduced to a game of numbers. The right-hander has an ERA of 3.76. Not the best in the league, but not despicable either. He was 7-5 (new Girls: that's wins-losses). So yes, on paper he seems just fine. But everyone is entitled to a bad hair day. Isn't it the manager's job to sense this and perhaps consider the first four innings might be one of those things that make you go "hmmm...?" When Girls are having a bad hair day, we tend to ask for a little help. We tell our friends if that color doesn't look quite right on her (Oh I make my friends tell me. I do NOT want to leave the house looking like a schlub). So maybe it goes back to instinct: USE IT. If the pitcher is having an off-night... take him out. Jim Tracy used to do that all the time- leave pitchers in there when it was obvious they were not at their finest on a given day. Drove me nuts. Well, he's in Colorado now. And there's a reason the Rockies are 17 games out of first in last place. (Ah look, another well-disguised opinion.)
Thank goodness the Mets beat the Giants. I never thought I would be so happy that a New York team won. Dodgers and Giants still tied for first. I can live with that. For now. 

So now the Dodgers have picked up Brandon League, a relief pitcher from the Mariners. 
At last! A little relief.  
League. Brandon League. Yes. I like the name. This is good. A League of our own. {Like!}
He even pitched against the Dodgers in a combined no-hitter earlier this season where the Mariners won. 
(Now let's be fair. Always. Can it really count as a no-hitter if you use umpteen pitchers? Geez-Louise! We could all have "no-hitters" if we used a different pitcher every. single. batter. That "no'hitter qualifier need to be rethunk. Seriously. {snicker} "No-hitter." Yeah right.)
Anyway...Brandon League is now a Dodger. I'm excited. I've been whining all along we need something in the bullpen. A spark. A little pizzazz. Maybe League is just the guy. Here's what I am hoping: closer. We need a CLOSER. I {heart} Kenley Jansen. I really do. But the pitching coaching  staff blew it not grooming him for closer a few years ago. They spent all that time and energy on Broxton (Some of you saw that one coming). So now he is more comfortable in a set-up man spot. I repeat: Find a closer. (I love that show- Kyra Sedgwick is amazing.)
Tonight should be a good game. The Boys in Blue are irritated. They are ready to take back first. Enough of this sharing first place with the Giants. There is simply not enough room at the top. Move over San Fran. Ladies, when we have a bad date, we shake it off. Or at least, we should. Laugh it off and move on, right?
So what if the guy didn't notice our new dress or perfume. That's his problem. 
And even if WE didn't bring our finest silver to the table, we're human and deserve to cut ourselves some slack. That's what the Dodgers need to do tonight. Shake it off. Kirk Gibson bobblehead/bobblefist night.
First pitch 7:10 pm PDT. At the Ravine. I will be there. Look for me. I'll be wearing blue. Waving. Cheering:
"I SEE YOU!"











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