Let’s All Thank the Giants

It’s 6-0 now in the top of the 8th, and that’s probably where I’ll leave you tonight. But with apologies to yet another incredible Clayton Kershaw performance (that’s now 23 2/3 scoreless innings against the Giants), a Rod Barajas homer, and eleven Dodger hits so far (six coming in the 5th inning alone), let’s focus on what’s becoming a weekly tradition: the Giants trying their best to play defense with both hands wrapped around their necks.

James Loney singling off Freddy Sanchez‘ glove, preventing Matt Kemp from being doubled up immediately after Miguel Tejada dropped the ball when Madison Bumgarner had Kemp picked off.


Pat Burrell playing a Kemp drive as though it were a hand grenade, scoring Jamey Carroll.

 

Aaron Miles gets a hit in the books, but only because Tejada is playing shortstop.

In case it weren’t obvious, massive thanks to Chad Moriyama for showing me how to make the GIFs.

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Prior to the game, John Ely was sent down, with Jamie Hoffmann being recalled. I’d joked before the game that I wanted the righty Hoffmann to start over Andre Ethier against the lefty, though I of course never seriously thought it’d happen. Still, the Dodgers do face two more lefties this week before Hoffmann inevitably gets shipped out for Jon Garland, so I really would like to see him get one of those.

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The injuries keep piling up: Rafael Furcal was already dealing with a sore wrist, and now Dylan Hernandez reports that he injured his thumb sliding into third in the fifth inning. That explains why Miles hit for him to lead off the 7th. Shockingly, he hurt it sliding headfirst, and shouldn’t we know better than that by now? Casey Blake also sat out with a sore leg, the aftereffect of being run down by Chase Headley over the weekend. With the left side of the infield hurt, and the right side of Uribe and Loney atrocious, well… at least Carroll’s looking great, right?

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Jerry Sands hit his third homer of the season for ABQ today. That’s good, in theory. But it came off of Ramon Ortiz – yes, that Ramon Ortiz – so I’m afraid I can’t give him much credit for it.

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