Reds 3 – Dodgers 1

Kuroda struggles gives up 6 hits and 2 runs in 2.1 IP.

Sandman goes 2-2 with an RBI.

De Jesus “banges a single to right,” according to Charley Steiner, in his only AB .

Rubby De La Rosa strikes out 3 in 2 innings of work! Go Rubby.

Jansen gives up a hit and a BB but pitches his way out of it. Nice Piece on Jansen by Ken Gurnick at MLB.com.  Jansen is the 6’6 220lb 23 yr old converted catcher who within 1 year of switching positions skyrocketed to the Majors in 2010, registering 41 K’s in only 27 IP and a .067 ERA. One reason he was able to do this was by honing the ability to throw a cutter, much like his idol, the greatest closer in baseball history, Mariano Rivera.

“My ball naturally cuts,” Jansen said of the darting sideways movement of his fastball that makes it difficult for hitters to square the bat barrel on the ball. “It just has life on it. I throw a four-seam fastball, and when I want to throw a cutter, I spin the ball around and spread the fingers just a little and press with my middle finger and I know it’s going to cut. When I started pitching, I was playing around with it and it worked right away.”

Dodger Nation let’s hope he becomes the next “Game Over,” ala Gagne, and breaks the franchise record for saves as the clubs closer for the next decade.