What's up with this liveblogging, you may ask? Well, I've decided I need to limit the scope of this blog. Trying to meaningfully cover everything that goes on around the major leagues (or at least everything interesting that happens) was just too much for me. So for the moment, I'm only focusing on immediate sensory input - namely, games I'm watching.
So let me jump right into the Dodgers/Marlins game at the end of the fifth inning. Charlie Haeger, the knuckleballer who was recently named the Dodgers' "fifth starter,"* has been relatively dealing. He's struck out 11 batters over 5 with his nasty dancer. But he's allowed two of those strikeouts to reach base on a dropped third strike. (But he just picked one of them off, so that cancels out.) And he allowed a big 3-run homer by Jorge Cantu. So now it's 4-3 Dodgers.
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Fast forward to the 9th inning. Circumstances beyond my control caused me to miss the second half of this game. Thus I have no idea how Haeger fared or how it became 6-5 Marlins.
Leo Nunez is now in to try and save it for the Fish. He just walked Russell Martin to lead off the inning, who was pinch-hitting in the 9th spot. Oops, then he struck out Rafael Furcal looking for the first out.
Nunez just recently broke out as a "closer." With Kansas City he was a decent spot starter for a short season, then a pretty good reliever, despite not striking anybody out. In Florida in 2009, they had him pitch at the end of games and he racked up 26 saves with a pedestrian K/BB ratio.
This outing so far is in line with his core numbers: a walk, two strikeouts, and a single. Now the Dodgers have 1st and 3rd with two outs and James Loney at the plate. Soft groundout, and the game is over.
Now it's time to check the gameday (while the A's/Angels game is on TV in the background) to see the big picture ramifications of this game for our boys in blue...
Turns out the Dodgers manufactured another run in the 6th against Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez with a Sac fly. In the bottom of the 6th, the Marlins answered with an unearned run against Haeger.
Then in the 7th, veteran Jeff Weaver comes in and blows the lead by giving up a big double to Jorge Cantu (what a day: 5 RBI on the game). Clay Hensley and Leo Nunez shut down the Dodgers, and the rest is history.
So at least Haeger didn't totally melt down towards the end. I'd really like to see him trotted out there every fifth day, but he has to prove that he can keep his composure.
As far as Jeff Weaver giving up a couple of runs, that's to be expected. It happens to every reliever once in a while. I don't know if he's the right guy for that situation though. A former starter, Weaver strikes me more as a long-relief kind of guy - someone who can eat up a few lower-leverage innings, rather than someone who can come in sharp and get guys out immediately. But with both extra-veteran Ortiz's (Russ and Ramon), long-relief is pretty covered.
Maybe Weaver will bear down later in the season. And once Ronald Belisario gets some time to build up his strength (after missing most of spring training with visa problems) he'll pick up some of that slack. That would be quite a trio of Latino relievers with long awesome names: Troncoso, Belisario, and Montaserios. These guys setting up Sherrill and Broxton with your choice of veteran long reliever would be a formidable 'pen.
That's it for this game. Now it's time to catch up with the A's and the Angels...
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