In Activity: Dodgers End Busy Day With a Win
The Dodgers entered chilly Philadelphia Monday having lost six of their last seven games, but they managed to beat back against the wind and rain for some positive reinforcement.
The Boys in Blue defeated the Phillies 4-3, ending a day full of news and moves. The game was tied at three runs apiece going into the ninth, when Dee Gordon started the top of the inning with his first triple of the season off Jonathan Papelbon. Gordon immediately scored the go-ahead run when the next batter, Elian Herrera, singled on the first pitch he saw.
The Dodgers looked to be set for an offensive explosion, scoring twice in the first inning and once in the second. Juan Rivera and Bobby Abreu had back-to-back RBI-singles in the first, and Gordon hit an infield single that Jimmy Rollins could not field cleanly to score Adam Kennedy in the second. However, the Dodgers could not muster anything else against the combination of Vance Worley, John Slavery and Alberto Bastardo.
Clayton Kershaw was victimized by the cozy confines of Citizens Bank Park, giving up a two-run home run to Placido Polanco in the third that barely reached the stands to tie the game. Kershaw lasted seven innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and no walks. Ronald Belisario pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning for the win, and Kenley Jansen struck out two batters in the ninth for the save.
The game was not without a fair degree of controversy. Don Mattingly was ejected in the middle of the sixth for arguing with home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn. Reyburn gave Philadelphia pitchers a generous strike zone, and Mattingly reached his tipping point after Jerry Hairston was caught looking at a very high strike three to end the top of the inning.
Elsewhere, the Dodgers made two roster moves and a lineup adjustment before the game. Scott Van Slyke was optioned to the minors to make room for the activated Rivera. Meanwhile, Javy Guerra went to the DL with a sore right knee, and Shawn Tolleson was recalled to take Guerra’s place in the bullpen. Tony Gwynn Jr. was originally pencilled in for a start Monday, but Mattingly held him out after complaints of a tight hamstring.
Off the field, the Dodgers had two selections in the first two rounds of the 2012 MLB Draft. With the 18th overall pick, LA took Corey Seager, a left-handed-batting shortstop from Northwest Cabarrus High School in North Carolina. MLB.com offers this scouting take on Seager:
"Corey Seager has some serious bat speed and shows the ability to make consistent hard contact. He’ll often use more of a two-strike approach, which minimizes strikeouts, but he did start showing the ability to drive the ball more over the course of the summer. He’s not a runner and the lack of speed may necessitate a move to third at the next level. He does have excellent instincts defensively, with plenty of arm for whatever infield position he ends up at"
With the 51st overall pick, received as compensation for the departing Rod Barajas, LA chose another shortstop: Jesmuel Valentin, a switch-hitter from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy.
Los Angeles returns to action Tuesday, as Chad Billingsley takes on Cliff Lee.