Post-Game Report: Dodgers vs. Braves (7/9/08)

On Wednesday, Derek Lowe took a perfect game into the 7^th inning only to have it broken up by a single up the middle by Atlanta’s Gregor Blanco. We haven’t seen this kind of pitching from the Dodgers since, well, Monday as Hiroki Kuroda took a perfect game into the 8^th inning. 

It’s no surprise the Dodgers pitching staff has the best ERA in the National League at 3.67 but these performances have been nothing short of remarkable. I’m not one to be overly optimistic about anything let alone the heart breaking Dodgers but with these displays of domination against a top notch offensive team has me cautiously excited about the second half of the season. 

Top 3 performers 

1. The obvious choice is Derek Lowe. How often does a major league pitcher flirt with perfection deep into a game? Oh, maybe once in a lifetime.
2. I’m convinced Matt Kemp’s 2 out home run in the bottom of the 6^th innings caused a short fuse in Derek Lowe’s brain mechanism resulting in him losing his perfect mojo. Nevertheless, Kemp hit the game changing bomb and ended with a 2 for 4 evening.
3. If I told you a particular Dodger drove in the difference making RBI, walked once and did not, I repeat, did not strike out all night would you guess it was Andruw Jones? Yea, me neither but it was.

The Andruw Jones 0for performance of the Game: Andre Ethier, for contributing no more or no less to the final outcome of the game than the fans in the Top Deck. 

Play of the game: I think I’ve said enough about Derek Lowe already. His continuous pitching was the “play” of the game. 

What to look for next game: Josh Johnson (who you ask?) of the Florida Marlins makes his first start of the year against the paltry Dodger offense right before he re-injures himself and is promptly placed on the 60-day DL.