This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
LAst Night's Action: Dodgers Blinked in Limited Offense in San Francisco
San Francisco Giants defeat LA Dodgers 2-1. In an almost carbon-copy game as Tuesday’s 1-0 thriller, the first team that sneezed between the Dodgers and Giants would be the loser. Well in this game Chad Billingsley (L, 11-10) had the allergies. After Travis Ishikawa hit a one-out double in the seventh inning, Billingsley made a wild pitch that sent Ishikawa to third base paving the way for Mike Fontenot’s bloop single that scored Ishikawa. Having never won a game in his career against the Dodgers before August, Matt Cain (W, 12-10) has now won two since August 1. The Giants added another run in the eighth inning that was set up by a wild pitch by Kenley Jansen that allowed Aubrey Huff to take third base and score on Pablo Sandoval’s fielder’s choice. Andre Ethier made the game a little more respectable with a solo homer with two outs in the ninth against closer Brian Wilson (S, 43).
LA Angels defeat Cleveland Indians 7-0. Hank Conger made his first Major League start as a catcher, and all he did was guide starter Jered Weaver (W, 12-11) to seven innings of a one-hit shutout against the Indians and his first win since August 6. In addition to receiving the game ball from Weaver, Conger got his first Major League hit and RBI with a two-run single in the first that gave the Angels the 4-0 lead. The only mistake made by Weaver was a single by Conger’s and my fellow peoples Shin-Soo Choo’s single in the fourth inning. Meanwhile the Angels offense took Indians’ starter Jeanmar Gomez (L, 3-4) to task pounding him for seven runs in the first two innings. Angels’ reliever Matt Palmer pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth innings giving up only a single and a walk to secure the shutout.
NOTABLE NOTES
Kershaw’s Wonderful Night. Coming into the baseball season I wrote about how the offense would be reliable and the pitching was the big question mark. Well the bullpen is questionable at best, but when one thinks of a word to describe the Dodger offense the word “reliable” would hardly be used as the appropriate adjective. But this isn’t about that. No. The starting pitching for the Dodgers has been among the best in the Major League.
Which brings me to Tuesday night’s performance by Clayton Kershaw against the San Francisco Giants. Kershaw tossed the first complete game shutout in his career, a four-hit variety, in the Dodgers 1-0 victory over the Giants. The crazy folks at Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness demonstrate why despite not being a no-hitter or a shutout it was more impressive than Dallas Braden’s perfect game. Based on the metric Win Percentage Added, the fact that Kershaw was pitching from the sixth inning on with a razor thin 1-0 lead gave him more brownie points than Braden’s 4-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Also did the way the Dodgers scored their one run last night seem very reminiscent of the way the Dodgers scored their sole run in support of Sandy Koufax’s perfect game against the Chicago Cubs on September 9, 1965? In both games the Dodgers got only one hit which didn’t figure into the scoring, and an error was what got the Dodgers their unearned run.
NHL Tiebreaker Change. The NHL Board of Governors on Tuesday approved of a change to eliminate shootout victories in tiebreaker procedures used to determine standings. In previous seasons if two teams were tied in points at the end of the season in the standings the first tiebreaker was the total wins. The ruling will eliminate the shootout victories in this equation putting more emphasis on regulation and overtime victories.
Sponsored message
TONIGHT’S ACTION
LA Angels (71-74) at Cleveland Indians (59-86). Ervin Santana (16-9, 4.00 ERA) vs. Fausto Carmona (12-14, 3.86 ERA). 4:05 pm FSWest, AM 830 KLAA.
LA Dodgers (72-74) at San Francisco Giants (82-64). Ted Lilly (8-10, 3.58 ERA) vs. Jonathan Sanchez (10-8, 3.29 ERA). 7:15 pm KCAL9, AM 790 KABC.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
