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Colorado Rockies defeat LA Dodgers 3-0. How pathetic are the Dodgers? The only fireworks they displayed was in the bottom of the eighth inning when Matt Kemp and Rockie's catcher Yorvit Torrealba decided to go bush league and shove each other after getting tangled up after a strike three ball landed on the ground. The benches cleared, and both players got ejected and are likely to receive suspensions. Other than that it was a snoozer of a game. The Dodgers could not figure out Rockie's starter Jeff Francis despite only having one win and an ERA over six.
LA Angels defeat Seattle Mariners 5-4. Angel's starter Joe Saunders is the first pitcher in the American League to notch nine wins. He got an early show of offensive support with the Angels scoring five runs by the fourth inning chasing Mariner's starter Erik Bedard out of the game. What the offense giveth, the defense taketh away. Although Saunders gave up four runs, three of them came from two errors made by the normally airtight Angel's defense. But the bullpen did their job and got Saunders the win.
Notable Notes
Joba Chamberlain made his first start for the Yankees. You know things wouldn't bode well when the first pitch he threw with the New York crowd standing was a ball to the Toronto Blue Jay's Shannon Stewart. Chamberlain walked three, got his first balk, gave up a single and a run with help from a pass ball and made 38 pitches. Being held to a pitch count of under 65, he made it through 2 1/3 innings giving up two runs one earned. He left the game with a 2-2 tie. Unfortunately the Yankee bullpen coughed up the game in the seventh inning giving up six runs eventually losing 9-3.
What happens to a head coach after taking his team to three consecutive Eastern Conference Finals? Well if you're Flip Saunders coaching the Detroit Pistons, you get fired. While it may seem like a case of scapegoating when you are at the helm of a team like the Pistons and get upset in the Conference Finals by the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers, you can see the writing on the wall. Sources close to the evil four letter network say that Piston's assistant coach Michael Curry has the inside track for the position.
Ah Roland-Garros. I absolutely hate clay court tennis. It may be my American bias, but watching the French Open makes me feel uneasy. Nonetheless, one of the two semifinals in both the men's and women's draws are cemented. Rafael Nadal will face Australian Open Champion Novak Djokovic Friday. Nadal is undefeated in Roland-Garros, but Djokovic is showing much improved play so far this season. On the women's side the Serbs Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic will meet Thursday in the semifinals. With the abrupt retirement of Justine Henin, anyone can win on the women's side. By the way, Roger Federer is still alive. If he somehow manages to win the French Open, he will have captured a career grand slam: winning the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.
Tonight's Action
Colorado Rockies at LA Dodgers. Sssssh. My entire department is going to take a long lunch to partake this game. Aaron Cook takes the hill for the Rockies while Clayton Kershaw hopes to rebound from a poor outing in New York. This is the last warm up game before the Cubbies come to town. 12:10 pm FSN Prime Ticket, AM 790 KABC.
LA Angels at Seattle Mariners. Another afternoon game! Jered Weaver goes to the mound against Carlos Silva. 1:40 pm FSN West, AM 830 KLAA.
AP Photo by Danny Moloshok
