Week Recap: 04/14/09 - 04/19/09

Anyone else listen to the Jr. Dodgers broadcast during the game today? It made me jealous, but I was enjoying it.

In case you didn't, what happened was the Dodgers gave two young fans, who I believe joined some Dodger youth club or something, the chance to call a game from a press booth that would be streamed online on Dodgers.com.

I was listening and I was kinda into it. It was cool.

Well, check that. I was really into it, that is, until the 8th inning when Matt Kemp hit his second homerun and the call was something to the effect: "Deep to centerfield, Mama's calling for dinner, but this one is not coming home."

That was the most cringe-inducing thing I've ever heard watching a game. And I watch a team that has Charley Steiner, Rick Monday, and Steve Lyons employed as announcers.

I believe the Dodgers are going to be doing this every Sunday home game. If you check out Dodgers.com/jrdodgers, I think it'll be archived there soon.

Anyway, let's get to the week that was with the Dodgers.

Last time I recapped a week, the Dodgers were in the midst of a three game winning streak. They've since turned that streak into an eight game winning streak.

They completed their sweep of the Giants with a comeback win on Wednesday, and a beat down on Thursday.

The Rockies came into town for the weekend series and following a second comeback win on Friday, the Dodgers flexed their offensive muscles on Saturday and Sunday, and swept the Rockies.

They went 6-0 on the homestand and now leave for a nine-game road trip, starting with a three game series in Houston on Tuesday.

And now, I present to you: Round 2 of HOT, COLD, or ROOM TEMPERATURE.

COLD:

• Hong-Chih Kuo - 0-0 (2 games), 54.00 ERA (2 earned runs in 0.1 innings), 2 hits, 2 walks, 1 hit batter - Kuo only made two appearances this week, but didn't fare well in either. He came in in the 8th inning of the April 15th San Francisco game (a 5-4 win) and hit a batter and gave up a single before being pulled. The two runners later scored. Then he came in in the 8th again, this time during the April 17th game against the Rockies (a 4-3 win). He gave up a double before recording a ground out, and then walked the next two batters before being pulled for Jonathan Broxton. If our bullpen is going to be a success this season, Kuo's got to be a big part of it. Appearances like those he had this week are no good.
  
  
  

• Cory Wade - N.A. - Cory Wade didn't actually appear in any games this week. He went on the DL instead. I don't suppose this is really an instance of "COLD," but I'm putting it here as basically a way of saying: "This is troublesome." This is the third time Wade's had shoulder issues in the last year. His shoulder flared up in Spring Training, but that was apparently settled in time for the season to begin. This week, however, he ended up back on the DL for shoulder bursitis, which isn't as horrifying as it sounds. Still, like Kuo, Wade's an important part of this bullpen. If both he and Kuo have easily hurt-able arms, and we can't pitch them that often, we are really going to have to start looking to other places for help.

ROOM TEMPERATURE:

• Russell Martin - .333 (4-12), 1 2B, 5 walks - Martin has picked it up a little bit in this last week. No RBIs is kinda a bummer, but he's doing a better job of getting on base, so things are starting to look up for him. I would like to see a little more power, though.


• James Loney - .176 (3-17), 4 RBIs, 4 walks - After I dubbed James Loney to be "HOT" last week, he responded by going 3-17 in his next five games. I almost would have to bump him down to "COLD" if not for the fact that Loney found a way to get more RBIs this week than hits. This included drawing two bases-loaded walks, one coming at the end of the game to win it for the Dodgers (April 15th).
  
  

• Casey Blake - .363 (4-11), 1 HR, 3 RBIs - Blake has done a better job this week of getting some hits. He's still not lighting the world on fire, but he, like Martin, could be rounding a corner. Also, he, like Loney, is doing a good job of collecting RBIs for the amount of hits he is getting.

HOT:

• Orlando Hudson - .474 (9-19), 5 walks, 5 runs, 3 RBIs - Hudson was hot last week, and he's staying hot. I'm really liking this late off-season pickup so far, even if he did cost us a #16 pick in the Draft this year.

• Manny Ramírez - .350 (7-20), 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, 3 walks - Manny continued getting on base like he did last week, but added some power. Two homeruns in Saturday's game (a 9-5 win over Colorado) were a much needed power boost.


• Andre Ethier - .368 (7-19), 2 HRs, 2 2Bs, 8 RBIs - Ethier has had an excellent week. Another two homerun game on Saturday (which he collected four RBIs in) and a three RBI game Sunday. In fact, Ethier has been so good, he's moved into a first place tie atop the entire league with 16 RBIs this season. And that would probably be good enough for the best week on the Dodgers if not for:
  
  
  



• Matt Kemp - .421 (8-19), 2 HRs, 1 3B, 3 2Bs, 3 walks, 3 SBs - What a great week for Matt Kemp. He's getting walks, he's stealing bases, he's collecting extra base hits, he's driving in runs. He's doing it all. And he's extended his hitting streak to 13 games. And his 14 RBIs have him tied for third in the entire league (though admittedly with a handful of people). In any case, Kemp is on fire, and that's a good sign for the Dodgers.

Ok, there's Week 2 in a nutshell. I'm heading off to Vegas for the week, so probably no updates, though I will be back for Week 3 in a nutshell. I think I've also decided to do recaps on Monday for the previous week. Again, still figuring this out. Bear with me.

Anyway, see you all then.