Mark It A Loss

Do you see what happens when you write a few kind words about someone? This is what happens when you write a few kinds words about someone. (OK, here's all I could find on You Tube.)

Though Guillermo Mota served up the winning home run to Juan Riviera in eighth inning, look no further than Chad Billingsley's inability to hold a three run lead earlier in the game as the glaring reason for last night's loss. Home runs by Rafael Furcal and James Loney, stellar defense plays by Casey Blake, and even an intentional walk given to the corpse of Russell Martin couldn't save this one as the Dodgers fell 5-4 to their crosstown rivals.

The Dodgers managed to get the tying run on base in the ninth inning; however, for the second time in the last three games Joe Torre took the bat away from the team's hottest hitter (3 hits, 2 of them doubles, on the night for Orlando Hudson) and ordered the sacrifice. Strikeouts by Casey Blake and Matt Kemp soon followed, and that's all she wrote. Tonight's loss moves the Dodgers record to 2-11 in Anaheim since the beginning of 2005. Pathetic.

Tomorrow night, the battle of the Weavers.