Official Dodgers 2009 Thread

[ducks]

manny is under .200 since july 3 with runners in scoring postion
boy glad dodgers are giving that overrated guy 25 million for that kind of production

[ducks]

D Backs whopping that Dodger ass :lmao

I seriously feel like I'm watching the Clippers play, just as pathetic as pathetic gets. Oh well, since we traded for Garland the D Backs have no pitcher tom. so we should be able to get a split, which is pretty sad in itself.

be intersting to see garland pitch tomorrow he was traded in the 8 inning monday

will he try to hold and try to make dbacks pay for trading him

[EricB]

Might as well just put the Cardinals in the WS at this point. They never lose.

As nice as that would be, I don't think they can beat the Phillies in a 7 game series.

[ducks]

they're (dodgers) getting it done though. IMO it's all Torre. Guy is a helluva manager. With Thome, Belliard, and Garland you definitely got better, especially Garland. He'll bring some stability back to the rotation. I listened all day to people discussing what in the hell to do with Thome since he can't really play the field. Thoughts?? Pinch hit or DH for the WS??

Did you guys see Brad Penny against the Phils today?! WOW. He looked dominant, with great command and a mid 90s fastball in the 7th & 8th innings. If he continues that the Giants have absolutely no holes in their rotation. Once we get F Sanchez healthy they should start hitting a bit more too. Don't get me wrong, the hitting still stinks, but it'll get at least a bit better.

I heard Penny left LA on bad terms, what do you guys know???
do you really think torre is all that?
what manager could not win in new york with that talent and payroll?

as you can see joe has the yankees rolling right now

[KSeal]

As nice as that would be, I don't think they can beat the Phillies in a 7 game series.

It's a tough call but I'd go with the Cardinals. I'd be stunned if the two teams didn't meet in the NLCS.

[EricB]

It's a tough call but I'd go with the Cardinals. I'd be stunned if the two teams didn't meet in the NLCS.

If they met, their hitting unfortunately I think would best the Cardinal's.

They being able to throw two lefties in games 1 and 2 against a team like the Cardinal's who can't hit lefties would also be problematic.

[KSeal]

After the Phillies lineup got shutdown by Brad freaking Penny I don't think so highly of them. Meanwhile Pujols and Holliday get like 3 hits a game, Holliday has been amazing. You might be right though, we'll see. I just think the duos of Carpenter/Wainright and Pujols/Holliday are too deadly.

[KSeal]

Reynolds and Young for the D Backs strike out like 3 times a game, it's sad.

[ducks]

reynolds is trying to hard

he wants to make up for his error
I wish he would get the average up closer to .300

young should have stayed back in triple a this season he has sucked this year

be intersting to see what the dbacks do
upton,para, jackson (if he is over yellow fever) should be the starters next season
then they got a bloated bynes and a bad contract in young

[ducks]

reynolds is like .150 against the dodgers!

[ducks]

damm upton can not see and he still gets a double ph
smoke is bothering him also

[ducks]

get a hit

[ducks]

reynolds got him once before this season
time for number 41 mark

[ducks]

damm it mark

[ducks]

lets go

[ducks]

well dbacks split the series
walked in the winning run either great catch cost them that game
should have been 3-1 but a split with the dodgers I take it in la

[KSeal]

Garland mowed down 14 in a row at one point, damn good debut by him. 7 innings, 2 runs, 5 hits, I'll take that all day long from my fifth starter.

[IronMexican]

Frustrating game to say the least.

[KSeal]

Yeah, it was basically the all time low for the offense. It has been struggling for a while now but yesterday was the worst. Getting shut down by a double A pitcher, embarrassing.

[KSeal]

lol dodgers, losing 4 of 7 at home to the dbacks and padres. Way to go guys, you're well on your way to being on the wrong end of the biggest comeback ever.

[KSeal]

Division lead at 2.5, awesome..

[ducks]

one game over 500 since allstar break

[iggypop123]

like the giants?

[symple19]

Yeah...The Giants are done. No bats. No fucking bats. Being a Giants fan, my only solace is that this will motivate them to spend some money in the off-season on somebody who can hit for power and lock down the middle of the lineup. Otherwise they don't have a chance against the Dodgers for the foreseeable future.

[ducks]

is torre the most overrated manager

he tells everyone manny but his stats prove otherwise
sure manny hits more homeruns but nothing else

[IronMexican]

Batting 303 means you only hit for power?

[KSeal]

is torre the most overrated manager

he tells everyone manny but his stats prove otherwise
sure manny hits more homeruns but nothing else

Manny's stats in 87 games this year, 305/425/560 with a 986 OPS, 18 HR, 54 RBI. In other words Manny does everything at the plate, average, gets on base, drives in runs, hits for power.

[KSeal]

one game over 500 since allstar break

While your team just won it's first game in it's last 7 tries, GTFO.

[ducks]

Manny's stats in 87 games this year, 305/425/560 with a 986 OPS, 18 HR, 54 RBI. In other words Manny does everything at the plate, average, gets on base, drives in runs, hits for power.

dodgers won without him

[ducks]

rockies down to their last strike and scored 4 in the 9th
got to love that

[ducks]

Batting 303 means you only hit for power?

getting thrown out for agrueing strikes when as a career player you hit over .415 is stupid

[ducks]

While your team just won it's first game in it's last 7 tries, GTFO.

dude they are not trying
they are looking at young players
pay attention

[KSeal]

rockies down to their last strike and scored 4 in the 9th
got to love that

Dodgers owned the Giants 10-3 and doing it off one of the best pitchers in baseball, Matt Cain.
got to love that

[symple19]

fuckin sucks. Cain can't get it done against the Dodgers for some damn reason, this is an ongoing thing. I couldn't even watch the whole game. Just what the Dodgers need, a trip to SF to own the Giants. $%#^^#^$^$^$%#%#^&#*$&(*$#

[ducks]

Dodgers owned the Giants 10-3 and doing it off one of the best pitchers in baseball, Matt Cain.
got to love that

good thing because they would be tied if giants owned them

[KSeal]

good thing because they would be tied if giants owned them

The Dodgers would have still been up a game had they lost yesterday. It's amazing the Giants are still this much in the race with their offense, once they get a few bats they're going to be scary with the pitching they have.

[symple19]

The Dodgers would have still been up a game had they lost yesterday. It's amazing the Giants are still this much in the race with their offense, once they get a few bats they're going to be scary with the pitching they have.

If Sabean and the front office decide to actually spend money, that is. Lincecum might be looking at arbitration, and that is going to cost a lot of dough. Free agent market isn't really all that great this winter, and no left handed hitters want to call the Bay area home because of the ballpark. Young phenom Buster Posey may be relied upon to be the power in the middle of the order, and he's unproven. Next year is still an enigma for the Giants.

Props to the Dodgers for wiping the Giants out in a pressure situation/atmosphere. I'm sure the Giants will lose again today...

[IronMexican]

Ethier, senor clutch.

[KSeal]

Ethier, senor clutch.

He's unbelievable, 6 walk off hits, 4 walk off HR this year.

[symple19]

booo on that ethier hit. At least the Giants are beating up on the Rocks again.

[EricB]

:lmao

Is anyone watching this?

Theres two guys sitting behind homeplate with like authentic looking umpire unis on and calling strikes and strikeouts and acting like they are going to the ball bag and throwing the ball to the pitcher.

:lmao Its hilarious.

[iggypop123]

its more common than you think. but i love it. rich bastards from wallstreet though

[KSeal]

Chad Billingsley isn't even a major leaguer at this point, pretty depressing to watch. He'll most likely get left off the playoff roster, hopefully next year he can bounce back and at least be a consistent middle of the rotation guy.

[EricB]

Billingsly is out of the rotation!?!?!?

Wha wha wha?!?!?!!?

[KSeal]

Billingsly is out of the rotation!?!?!?

Wha wha wha?!?!?!!?

The guy is absolutely horrible. He can't get anyone out. He needs to take the rest of the year off and come back next year with a clean start. Dodgers beating the Giants 12-1 :)

[EricB]

Was Billingsley NOT the ACE about a month ago!?!?

What the hell!?

[KSeal]

Was Billingsley NOT the ACE about a month ago!?!?

What the hell!?

Not really, people tried to make him that but no. He was really good the first two months of the year and has been pretty horrible since. Then he pulled his groin like a month ago, came back and has been even worse. He's the Dodgers sixth best starter at this point. I don't see any way Torre uses him in the postseason, he can't get anyone out.

[iggypop123]

pulled a hammy a moderate sprain was back in less than 2 starts. i say he is hurt. all he throws are 88mph cutters. arm angle is changing.
on the bright side great to see penny destroyed

[EricB]

So does that mean their rotation for the playoffs would be Kershaw, Wolf, and Garland?

[symple19]

Penny and the Giants sucked today. Worthless Zona couldn't get it done against the Rocks. Hopefully Lincecum can win the game tomorrow, but something tells me the Dodger ownage will continue. I wish the damn Giants would do something one way or another and put me out of my misery...

[iggypop123]

So does that mean their rotation for the playoffs would be Kershaw, Wolf, and Garland?

kershaw, wolf, kuroda, garland

[KSeal]

kershaw, wolf, kuroda, garland

Yup. Not sure the order but Wolf, Kershaw and Kuroda are the top three and Garlond is the fourth if we need him. Dodgers beat the almighty Lincecum, take the series, up 5 and 9.5, best record in the NL :)

[KSeal]

One of the most pathetic losses I've seen from this team all year. Still five up with ten games to go so whatever.

[IronMexican]

6 more wins or Rockie losses till this team clinches. Hopefully both happen today.

[EricB]

Cardinals will do their best to help starting tomorrow.

[IronMexican]

weak

[ducks]

One of the most pathetic losses I've seen from this team all year. Still five up with ten games to go so whatever.

they will not nothing this postseason

the real question will manny even hit .300 this year:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol

[KSeal]

they will not nothing this postseason

the real question will manny even hit .300 this year:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol

They will not nothing this postseason? :lmao

Who gives a shit if Manny hits 300, the team is 30 games over 500. He can hit 230 for all I care if the team is successful as it's been this year.

[ducks]

dodgers were more suffessfully with manny away from the club


dodgers will not win it all
their team is not good enough

[KSeal]

Suffessfully? That just goes to show how good this Dodger team is and will continue to be for years to come. Take Manny away and they're still the best team in their division.

Playoffs are a crapshoot for the most part, you can never say a team won't win it all or will. Lots of times the best team doesn't win it all, the team that gets hot at the right time does.

[ducks]

how good they are
oh how overrated manny is
he is not even hitting .300 this year

[KSeal]

how good they are
oh how overrated manny is
he is not even hitting .300 this year

lmao at you thinking batting average is the only thing that defines a good player. The guy has a 411 OBP, a 545 Slugging and a 963 OPS, those are all elite numbers. Not to mention 19 HRs, 61 RBI in 98 games.

[ducks]

torre teams choke in oct
yeah his team won some world series
but if he was really great manager with the yankees
he would have won many more
I mean the dbacks beat the yankees in the world series

[ducks]

Suffessfully? That just goes to show how good this Dodger team is and will continue to be for years to come. Take Manny away and they're still the best team in their division.

Playoffs are a crapshoot for the most part, you can never say a team won't win it all or will. Lots of times the best team doesn't win it all, the team that gets hot at the right time does.

playoffs are a crapshoot?
the hot team wins alot imo
but alot have to do with your confidence and the teams overally confidence
when rockies went so far
they felt they could beat anyone
but talent does catch up with teams in series

[KSeal]

Serious question, how old are you ducks?

[IronMexican]

This is pretty bad.

[crc21209]

Damn the Dodgers are never gonna clinch the division! :lol

[KSeal]

Ethier was like 1 for 30 on that road trip (ouch), Manny has been stinking for awhile and Kemp has slowed considerably lately. Those three guys are the team, they need to get going again if the Dodgers want to do anything the rest of the year. The Dodgers have owned the Rockies all year, hopefully that continues this weekend.

[iggypop123]

the terrible luck continues. blake is still hurt and kuroda is out for the nlds. it would be nice if one yr the dodgers didnt go into the playoffs at less than 100% when other teams are going in at full strength

[KSeal]

the terrible luck continues. blake is still hurt and kuroda is out for the nlds. it would be nice if one yr the dodgers didnt go into the playoffs at less than 100% when other teams are going in at full strength

Well Blake is in the lineup tonight so I think he'll be ok for the playoffs. Losing Kuroda sucks of course. Looks like it's going to be Wolf, Kershaw, Bills, Garland, Wolf. Or Wolf, Kershaw, Bills, Wolf, Kershaw.

[ducks]

the terrible luck continues. blake is still hurt and kuroda is out for the nlds. it would be nice if one yr the dodgers didnt go into the playoffs at less than 100% when other teams are going in at full strength

yeah bad luck manny is not suspended now
dodgers are better without him
they relly on him to much with him in there

[ducks]

wolf 37 pitches in first wow
gooooooooo
rockies

[ducks]

M. Ramirez struck out looking
NICE

[ducks]

M. Ramirez struck out swinging
nice with bases loaded clutch hit! NOT

[ducks]

wolf settled down nicely

[ducks]

M. Ramirez struck out swinging
3 times in a row
I think rockies starter owns him
he has 9 ks tonight so far
3 against manny

[ducks]

Last Play: T. Tulowitzki homered to deep center, T. Helton scored
4-1

[ducks]

R. Martin homered to deep right

[ducks]

4-2

[ducks]

A. Ethier singled to shallow left, C. Hu scored, R. Furcal to second
4-3

[ducks]

Last Play: M. Ramirez struck out swinging
with someone on first and second and one out
failing to move players over
not a productive out
what a CLUTCH PLAYER!

[ducks]

Scoring Summary
Top 1st: Colorado
- Y. Torrealba doubled to deep right center, D. Fowler and T. Tulowitzki scored, G. Atkins to third


Bot 3rd: LA Dodgers
- O. Hudson scored, R. Furcal to third, A. Ethier to second on wild pitch


Top 7th: Colorado
- T. Tulowitzki homered to deep center, T. Helton scored


Bot 7th: LA Dodgers
- R. Martin homered to deep right

- A. Ethier singled to shallow left, C. Hu scored, R. Furcal to second

4-3 rockies win

they win tomorrow
who wins sunday wins the divsion!

[ducks]

Dodger doldrums start with Ramirez

By Steve Henson, Yahoo! Sports
7 hours, 21 minutes ago


Printable View
Return to Original Buzz up! 4 PrintLOS ANGELES – Dreads on his head, dread in the heads of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Manny Ramirez(notes) can’t hit and the Dodgers can’t win.

Yes, they’ve already clinched a playoff berth, even if the NL West crown continues to be maddeningly elusive. No, they won’t last long at this rate. Not with Ramirez morphing from baseball’s best hitter to its biggest rally killer. He struck out four times Friday night in a 4-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies, who trail the Dodgers by one game with two to play.

Ramirez swung and missed at fastballs, curveballs and changeups. Especially fastballs. He came to the plate with six runners on base, five in scoring position. Fans exhorted him to deliver, standing and screaming in Mannywood. Manny wouldn’t.

By the third punchout, fans booed him lustily. He has struck out in his last seven official at-bats over three games, and the Dodgers’ losing streak is at five. They could have taken the West by winning any of those games.


LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 02: …

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Related CoverageDodgers lose 4-3 Playoff scenarios Not that Ramirez is openly concerned. “I don’t control [the fans],” he said, sitting back in a chair in front of his locker, batting away questions far more effectively than he did pitches.

“My confidence is always up. I’m one of the best hitters. All you have to do is check my police report and see that I’m still a good hitter.”

The baseball police might have ticketed him in the third inning – Ramirez was unaware of the count. After swinging through a curveball by Ubaldo Jimenez(notes) for strike three, he loitered near the batter’s box, pushed his helmet down on his head, adjusted his elbow pad, took a deep breath … and heard the umpire say something to the effect of, “You only get three in this league.”

“That was funny,” Jimenez said.

Maybe Ramirez was flabbergasted that the Rockies were pitching to him at all. The at-bat began with the bases loaded, but Jimenez uncorked a wild pitch and the runners advanced, leaving first base open. Until recently, Ramirez – who has more grand slams in his career, 21, than any player except Lou Gehrig – would have been walked intentionally.

But Jim Tracy, who has led Colorado to a record of 74-40 since replacing Clint Hurdle as manager, is well aware that for three months Ramirez routinely has been blown away by hard-throwing pitchers such as Jimenez.

“Manny is living on soft stuff, that’s all he can get around on,” said a scout for a team the Dodgers might meet in the playoffs. “Guys who wouldn’t have dreamed of challenging him in the past are going right at him with fastballs.”

Guys like Rafael Betancourt(notes), who struck out Ramirez with one out and two on in the seventh. Jimenez, who owns one of the league’s liveliest arms, got him three times.

“You can’t throw him too many breaking balls,” Jimenez said. “I located my fastball good against him. I was throwing hard.”

The Dodgers tried to execute the same game plan they used to defeat the occasionally wild Jimenez three times this season – get ahead in the count, take walks, and deliver hits with runners in scoring position when he is forced to groove pitches. Jimenez walked four and threw 115 pitches in six innings, but the Dodgers managed only two hits against him.

One hit from Ramirez could have changed the outcome. Champagne would have flowed in the Dodgers clubhouse. The Rockies would have talked about how all they cared about was making the playoffs, that the wild card was fine. Instead, they have the NL West title in their sights.

Don’t think Tracy doesn’t want it. He said before the game that a division title would be “something that’s never been done in the history of the game.” The Rockies’ media staff was incredulous. What could he possibly be referring to? A couple of hours of intensive research later, the answer: No team has won a title after trailing by more than 15 games. The Rockies were 15½ games back of the Dodgers on June 3.

“We aren’t going away,” Tracy said. “It’s a lot more fun to come out here knowing something is at stake.”

The Dodgers also know what’s at stake, but they aren’t having fun. A huge question mark clouds their playoff hopes, a hulking, 37-year-old dreadlocked question mark. Can Ramirez turn it around by Wednesday, when the Dodgers open against the St. Louis Cardinals or Philadelphia Phillies?

“All I can do is write his name in the lineup, pat him on the back and expect better things to happen,” manager Joe Torre said. “We’re committed to him. He’s done tremendous things in the postseason.”

Ramirez is the all-time leader with 28 postseason home runs, and his 74 postseason RBIs rank second. But doubts linger. Presumably he no longer is taking whatever caused his testosterone level to spike before his suspension. Manny is mortal.

“When you get suspended, there is a whole lot of stuff that people say,” Torre said. “Fair or not.”

Ramirez joked his way out of the clubhouse, reporters trailing him to the door. What about the strikeouts? What about not knowing the count? He took one more half-hearted swing as he stepped out the door.

“That’s all in the past,” he said. “It’s over. We’ll all come back [Saturday] and try again.”

Steve Henson is the MLB editor for Yahoo! Sports.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=ArOeHFP0H.q9UUfa.6QY7nr.gYl4?slug=sh-manny100309&prov=yhoo&type=lgns&print=1

[ducks]

lmao at you thinking batting average is the only thing that defines a good player. The guy has a 411 OBP, a 545 Slugging and a 963 OPS, those are all elite numbers. Not to mention 19 HRs, 61 RBI in 98 games.

artcile was scout says this throw manny fastballs
without steriods he is useless:lol:lol:lol

[ducks]

Last Play: M. Ramirez lined out to right
with runner on third
CLUTCH HIM AGAIN MANNY

[ducks]

M. Ramirez struck out looking
with J. Pierre on second

he is 0-7 against rockies
with 5 stickouts
what a clutch player

[ducks]

dodgers 1- rockies 0

[ducks]

2-0 dodgers

[ducks]

3-0 dodgers
:bang

[ducks]

4-0

2 out manny up

[ducks]

5-0
manny finnally got a hit

[IronMexican]

woohoo

[ducks]

next season rockies has tracy all year
but rockies are still in the playoffs

[ducks]

you have to prop rockies for making it close they were 15.5 out

[KSeal]

Dodges win it!!! Yeah baby!!!! Bring on those faggot Cardinals!!!!! Fuck the Rockies!!!

[KSeal]

Give Kershaw a year or two to develop his slider and change and this guys going to absolutely dominate by the time he's 23, 24. He's 21 right now and has just two pitches and still goes out there and makes some of the best offensive teams look silly. I sure wouldn't mind this guy pulling a Hamels and dominating in the post season this year :)

[Kobe™]

Rockies can Rocktober their ass outta the 1st rd.

[crc21209]

Colorado taking it up the ass again from LA.

Again? :lol. The Dodgers are the ones who look like they're in some serious trouble heading into the Playoffs...I mean it only took them a week to clinch! :lol

[KSeal]

Again? :lol. The Dodgers are the ones who look like they're in some serious trouble heading into the Playoffs...I mean it only took them a week to clinch! :lol

Yeah cause the Sox sure look good going into the playoffs... NOT! The Dodgers manned up and got the job done. Bring on the Cards!

[crc21209]

Yeah cause the Sox sure look good going into the playoffs... NOT! The Dodgers manned up and got the job done. Bring on the Cards!

Our hitting is just fine and our 1-2-3 pitchers look pretty good...Lester gave up 0 runs 2 nights ago, Beckett is still clutch when it counts, and Bucholz or Matsuzaka will be just enough to get it done...:tu

[KSeal]

Our hitting is just fine and our 1-2-3 pitchers look pretty good...Lester gave up 0 runs 2 nights ago, Beckett is still clutch when it counts, and Bucholz or Matsuzaka will be just enough to get it done...:tu

Your team lost like six in a row before they clinched a playoff spot and only clinched because the Angels knocked off the Rangers. So don't come talking shit around here when your team limbed into a playoff spot.

[crc21209]

Your team lost like six in a row before they clinched a playoff spot and only clinched because the Angels knocked off the Rangers. So don't come talking shit around here when your team limbed into a playoff spot.

Oh please, before that the Sox we're on a semi-roll and our starting pitching/hitting will be just fine for the Playoffs. My team has shown that they can get it done in the postseason...not so sure about yours.

[ginobili's bald spot]

My team has shown that they can get it done in the postseason...not so sure about yours.

lol 0-1

Dodgers 2-0

Nice call cock breath.

[Kobe™]

Hoping Padilla can pull through tomorrow. And hoping that Manny can actually produce.

[IronMexican]

It's time to bring in Pierre. Manny can bat late in the game if it's needed.

[ducks]

Big blunder bites Holliday, Cardinals
Steve Henson

By Steve Henson, Yahoo! Sports Oct 9, 2:28 am EDT

*
Buzz up! 44
*
Print

LOS ANGELES – Two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the St. Louis Cardinals led by a run. Like any major leaguer worth the leather on his hand, Matt Holliday(notes) stood in left field hoping the ball would be hit to him.

Sure enough, James Loney(notes) drove a pitch on a line to left. Holliday ran up a few steps, and everybody in the ballpark could tell the ball was headed straight for him.

Everybody, that is, except Holliday.

“It was a helpless feeling,” he said later, standing at his locker fielding questions with much more aplomb than he displayed on Loney’s drive.

Holliday lost the ball in the Dodger Stadium lights, unsure of its whereabouts until it struck him squarely in the groin and fell to the turf. Loney scampered to second base on the error, triggering a blur of events that resulted in the Dodgers winning 3-2 Thursday to take a 2-0 lead over the Cardinals in their National League Division Series.
More From Steve Henson

* La Russa and Torre are at a loss Oct 4, 2009
* Dodger doldrums start with Ramirez Oct 3, 2009

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Photo Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday reacts after missing the ball with two outs in the ninth against the Dodgers.
(US Presswire)

It might be remembered as one of the most egregious drops in baseball history except that Holliday didn’t drop the ball. Once he lost it in a bank of lights that fortuitously for the Dodgers had been turned on only two innings earlier even though there was plenty of daylight, any contact the ball might have made with that leather on his hand would have been purely accidental.

“If I see it, it hits me in the glove and the game’s over,” he said. “It wasn’t for a lack of effort. I had it at the beginning but the ball came down into the lights and I couldn’t see it. Obviously, I feel terrible.”

The sentiment was shared by the rest of the Cardinals, who wasted a dominant performance by right-hander Adam Wainwright(notes). The Dodgers knocked around another Cy Young award candidate, Chris Carpenter(notes), in Game 1 and can advance to the NL Championship Series for the second year in a row with a victory Saturday in St. Louis.

Wainwright, who allowed three hits and walked one in eight innings, was understandably frustrated but wrongly blamed Holliday’s error on promotional towels handed out to fans as they entered the ballpark.

“That ball got lost in 50,000 white towels shaking in front of Matt’s face,” Wainwright said. “It doesn’t really seem fair that an opposing team should be able to allow their fans to shake white towels when there’s a white baseball flying through the air. How about Dodger blue towels?”

Those towels undoubtedly will become part of Cardinals-Dodgers folklore, erroneously so. And if the Cardinals are eliminated, Holliday will forever be remembered as a goat instead of as the midseason acquisition that bolstered the lineup enough for a second-half surge to the NL Central title. He likely will still rake in more than $100 million as the premier free agent this offseason. The Yankees and Red Sox won’t sour on him because of one blinding moment.

But he’ll have to wear it forever. And he knows it.

“It hit my stomach,” Holliday said, a region a bit north of where replays indicated the ball hit. “I was just glad it didn’t get by me.

“If the lights aren’t on, of course it makes a difference. I can catch a ball hit right at me.”

The umpires determine when stadium lights need to be turned on, and they gave the word in the seventh inning, shortly after 5:30 p.m. PT. The bank of lights that swallowed up Loney’s drive has caused other outfielders fits.

“I’ve seen five or six balls this year fall because of the lights,” Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier(notes) said. “This game was played at an odd time because it’s the playoffs. Early on, the sun was a problem. Then it was those lights.”

Dodgers left fielder Manny Ramirez(notes) was openly thankful circumstances were unkind to Holliday instead of to him. “It could have been me, of course,” he said. “The ball can always get lost in the lights.”

A different glaring issue pertaining to left field is dogging the Dodgers, and has for two months: the increasing ineffectiveness of Ramirez with a bat in his hands. One of the greatest postseason hitters ever, he is 1 for 8 in the series and appears overmatched by nearly every pitcher he faces. Manager Joe Torre could start Juan Pierre(notes) instead, but he probably won’t do it, at least as long as the Dodgers are winning in spite of Ramirez.

Ramirez popped out meekly to center field for the second out of the ninth inning against Ryan Franklin(notes), the Cardinals’ wobbly closer. Franklin unraveled after Holliday’s miscue, walking Casey Blake(notes), giving up a run-scoring single to Ronnie Belliard(notes), walking Russell Martin(notes) and surrendering a walkoff single to 38-year-old pinch-hitter Mark Loretta(notes).

Torre has managed more than 4,000 games. He played in more than 2,000. He was incredulous at what he witnessed after the ball left Loney’s bat.

“For us to be able to come back, especially with Ethier making the first out and then Manny making an out and all of a sudden we got a break,” he said, shaking his head and smiling.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has seen as much baseball as Torre. Invariably stoic and stone-faced, La Russa had to admit this one hurt. Early in the ninth he’d caught a foul ball by Ethier in the dugout with his cap. Never in his wildest imagination would he have expected that two batters later his left fielder would miss an easier play than that.

And he wasn’t about to let his team forget the loss quickly.

“It was a tough loss, very tough loss, very disappointing,” La Russa said. “We’re disappointed but not discouraged. There’s a big difference between the two. We can win a game, so we have to wait until Saturday.

“But right now it’s important to get upset about the game that got away. We did a lot to win that one and didn’t win it. Turn the page too quickly and it means you don’t care.”

Holliday cared deeply, but if it’s all the same to his manager, he’d just as soon recede from the glare of those blasted lights and put the error behind him.

“I’d love to undo what was done,” he said. “It doesn’t work that way.”

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