Dodgers get kind of win they need By Anthony Witrado | Special to ESPNLosAngeles.com LOS ANGELES -- As soon as spring training started nearly two months ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers took a bottle of shoe polish and scribbled "World Series or Bust!" on their season. If you're a team with that kind of aspiration, and when countless baseball pundits believe you can do such a thing, you have to win exactly the kinds of games the Dodgers found themselves in Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. They were facing a World Series contender -- the Detroit Tigers -- from the other league, and said league's reigning Cy Young winner and MVP in Max Scherzer and Miguel Cabrera, respectively. And they nearly blew it before prying a 3-2, 10-inning victory out of the warm Chavez Ravine air. It was the kind of win that reaffirms belief after you do something like, say, drop two of three to your division rivals the weekend before, as the Dodgers did against the San Francisco Giants, then blow a ninth-inning lead against a Tigers team expected to contend for the World Series title you hope to win. It was the kind of game that forced the Dodgers to show some mettle and an ability to survive. In front of a sellout on a Tuesday, after taking a lead against Scherzer in the seventh inning and with the game seemingly won, this club suddenly was in the corner getting hit with hooks and in danger of going down in a fight they should have already won. "We feel like we are going to win these games," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "The expectations aren't that big of a thing for us right now. We had them last year so that part is over, but we're a confident club and we also know we have to play well. We can't just show up and expect it. "I like guys thinking they are good but also knowing they still have to play." Closer Kenley Jansen blew the one-run save after pumping high-90s gas by Cabrera for a huge second out. The stadium became deflated. The home dugout did not. Chone Figgins drew a walk to start the bottom of the 10th inning and scored on a double by Carl Crawford, who sliced a ball to left field that got to the wall after Tigers right fielder Rajai Davis misplayed it. It was the first walk-off win of the season for L.A., but more important it showed this team of mostly veterans can pick themselves up and knock the dust away to win a game against a quality opponent. "The nights that we may not hit, we can score a run any way we have to. That's important," said Figgins, who was the best player on a Los Angeles Angels team that made it to the American League Championship Series in 2009. "Not everyone pays attention to it this early, but guys get used to thinking we can come back and win, and that's big. The expectation is to win. You focus on beating someone that night, go home, come back and beat someone again. We won a lot of games with that mentality with the Angels, just thinking about that game only." The Dodgers will lose games like this. No doubt. They won't get the big hit every night. It's a long season. They'll have the silent clubhouse from time to time, but wins against good teams, against good players, they build. Confidence and momentum are fleeting things during a six-month regular season, but when a team knows it can consistently win in these circumstances, your opposition starts believing, too. And that's when a team really gets dangerous. __
probably the most excited figgins has been in years certainly on a baseball field like him or not, nice to see for a guy who's been through so much the past few years...
Correct he's opposing Annibal Sanchez. Interesting note they were both traded for each other. HOPEFULLY Beckett can show SOMETHING promising. GREAT job by Haren last night but I have to wonder when that bubble will burst.
I decided to look it up 2005 Marlins/Red Sox Trade To Boston: Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, Guillermo Mota To Florida: Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, Jesus Delgado, Harvey Garcia
Rare time you see a fair trade on both sides. Sox got Beckett and Lowell for a lot of years good production for them brought them a WS Mota had some good seasons as a reliever, Marlins Hanley was a beast for the fish and Sanchez, he threw a perfect game or no hitter for them right? or was that with the Tigers? I can't remember but he was a decent starter for them.
Yeah, great win after a possible crushing blown save by Henley; that would have been tremendous suckitude not to come away with a W. I think he could have pitched around Martinez, and got the the RH HR boy on deck. That pitch Victor hit was right down the pipe. I guess right after you throw harder than you've ever done before, and K the best hitter in the cosmos, you feel everyone after that is mince meat. But they're not, obviously. I was taken by complete surprise by the AJ surgery, and I sure hope it's Fedex as the No.1 catcher; but why was Butera left up and he sent down after ST then? I can't figure that one out. Injuries suck and are playing a part already, and there seems to be no respite for the LAD with this....ever. It never stops. I hope Fedex can hit the damn ball some. I know he can catch, maybe his arm is not up to par with AJ's, but he needs to hit a little....AJ did give us a guy who got a good look at most every pitcher, although not a gret offensive force. Nice contributions from Dee and Uribe, not to mention two superb outings by Wolfman Dan. I'm still holding out hope for Withrow as a starter one day.
Hanley's package? I thought everyone here was mesmerized by that big fat smelly guy's package, Prince Fielder's...
Just speculating here, but maybe they wanted Fedex playing every day as they see a higher ceiling, while Butera may already be as good as he gets.
