Dodgers Sweep Colorado in a Wild Mother’s Day Win

Before the game, the Dodgers honored their mothers by having several of them throw out the ceremonial first pitches. Mama Bison, Mama Dre, Harang, Kennedy, Loney, and Sellers moms all threw out the first pitches. All throughout the major leagues, players were honoring their moms by wearing ribbons and using pink bats. The moms would be proud though as the Dodgers win a wild one 11-5 over the Colorado Rockies to complete a three-game sweep. The game saw Lilly start off shaky and allow four runs in first three innings, Kemp leave with a tight hamstring injury (he is ok, taking him out was just precautionary like when he didn’t start in Chicago), Ethier and Mattingly both getting ejected, and the Dodgers scoring six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. That inning’s highlight’s included a three-run double by Bobby Abreu and a three-run home run from A.J. Ellis, who was clearly the offensive star today. AJ was 2 for 4 with four RBIs, a walk, and a run scored. Ted Lilly picked up the win despite the shaky start as he improves to 5-0 on the season. This is the first time in Lilly’s career he has won five games in a row to start a season.

The game does not start out well for the Dodgers as Colorado scores three runs off four consecutive singles,and a double steal. Mom would not be happy. Marco Scutaro, Tyler Colvin, Cargo, and Michael Cuddyer all single to plate two in the top of the first before the chairs are warm. After Mullet pops out, Colorado pulls a double steal off of Lilly and the Dodgers. Cargo and Cuddyer advance to second and third.  Ramon Hernandez’s ground out scores Cargo for the third run of the inning. Chris Nelson grounds out to end the frame.

The Dodgers get one back in the bottom of the first. Tony Gwynn, who has had game winning pinch-hits in the last two days, doubles off of Cargo’s glove in left field. Cargo dives face first into the dirt, but the ball popped out of his glove as he was diving. Tony advances to third on a Mark Ellis ground out. Finally Matt Kemp’s ground ball scores Gwynn to make it a 3-1 game.

Lilly pitches a scoreless second inning, despite allowing a double to the opposing pitcher Alex White. The Dodgers come roaring back to score again in the bottom of the second.  Loney leads off with a gapper for a double. A.J. Ellis flares a duck snort into right field which scores Loney to cut Colorado’s lead to 3-2. As Vinny once said, “the Dodgers are good and lucky!” A.J. also just barely slides safe into second on the throw home. Professional out-maker Adam Kennedy weakly grounds out to move A.J. over to third. Justin Sellers smokes a line drive that is caught by Chris Nelson. I think Nelson was more just trying to defend himself. That line drive almost took his head off. Lilly fouls out to end the inning.

Ted wiggles out of a jam in the top of the third. Cargo attempts to bunt up along first base, but he is thrown out by Lilly. Cuddyer walks. Mullet flies out. Cuddyer steals second base off of Lilly, but Lilly whiffs Hernandez to end things In the third. Lilly has settled down but has now made 52 pitches already.

The Dodgers go down quickly and quietly in the bottom of the third. White retiring Gwynn, Ellis, and Kemp in order. Kemp grounds out in the final at-bat, and feels that left hamstring tighten up again. He wanted to come back out, but Mattingly and head trainer Sue Falsone said no, and Bison slams his glove down in frustration. Gwynn moves to center field and Bobby Abreu into left. Of course without Bison in the lineup we stand no chance of even beating the worst teams in the league. Remember we lost to the Cubs in Chicago when he sat with the tight hamstring. At the time we are not sure what the injury is, but he clutched his hammy while running to first. So we assume it is the same hamstring injury again.

Colorado scores another run in the top of the fourth on a walk, a throwing error by A.J. Ellis that was questionable, and an RBI single from Marco Scutaro. This was after Fowler walks, and White tries to sacrifice, but AJ’s throw is kicked out of Sellers glove, and runners are at second and third. Mattingly argues with the umpires, but to no avail. Scutaro’s single scores Fowler to make it 4-2 Colorado. Tyler Colvin grounds into the double play to end the frame

Tony Gwynn makes a super man like full glove extension catch on a Cargo fly ball that looks like it was going to the gap for a double in the top of the fifth. The Rockies don’t score in this inning.

The bottom of the fifth inning gets crazy. The Dodgers score six runs in the fifth inning, while Andre Ethier and Don Mattingly are both tossed for arguing balls and strikes. The inning starts out quietly enough. Sellers singles, and is sacrificed to second base by Ted Lilly. Then Alex White proceeds to have a flustery meltdown. He walks Gwynn and Ellis to load the bases for the Dodgers. Remember Bison is out of the game with the tight hamstring, so Bobby Abreu is the hitter instead. Jim Tracy and the Rockies have a meeting on the mound. Tracy has a lefty (Matt Reynolds) in the pen warming, but he decides to stay with White. Big mistake. Bobby goes boom. A bases clearing double into the gap suddenly gives the Dodgers a 5-4 lead. Dodger Stadium is rockin’ on Mother’s Day! Abreu moves to third on a wild pitch as Ethier is at the plate. Ethier is called out on strikes on a called third strike. Ethier gets real pissed and begins to argue with the home plate umpire Mark Carlson and is quickly tossed. Mattingly tries to come out and corral Ethier before he is tossed, but way too late, and Donnie is thrown out of the game himself. Needles to say many expletives were used. Such language to use in front of mom guys. Tsk. Tsk.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

Reynolds is called in to replace White, and he walks Loney. Then A.J. Elli slugs his third home run of the year, a three-run blast into the left field pavilion to give the Dodgers a commanding 8-4 lead. Wow! Kennedy’s weak fly ball drops  in between Cargo and Colvin, and generous score keeping rules it a pop fly double. Things would finally settle down after Sellers is walked intentionally, and Lilly grounds out. With the ejection, Scott Van Slyke is put into the game to play right field for Ethier.

Both teams have 123 innings in the sixth. Lilly remains in the game for the top of the seventh. Even though Lilly started out very shaky, he has settled down quite nice. Herrera pops out. Scutaro is walked. Lilly is hooked by acting manager Trey Hillman. Lilly pitches 6.1 allowing five runs, four earned three walks, and one whiff. He made 103 pitches and exits with a chance to win his fifth straight to start the season. Scott Failbert is brought in to get some outs against some lefties, and is terrible once again. Colvin singles, sending Scutaro to third. Cargo grounds out,to score Scutaro, and Colvin advances to second. Mattingly is forced to bring in Ronald Belisario to clean up Failbert’s mess. Because you know, when can Scott Elbert ever finish an inning this season? Belisario does his job by whiffing Cuddyer easily to end the top of the seventh.

Josh Roenicke comes in to pitch the bottom of the seventh for Colorado. Van Slyke walks in his second career MLB plate appearance. Then Van Slyke shows he has some wheels by stealing second base. Loney grounds out, A.J. walks, and a wild pitch sends Van Slyke to third. After all is said and done, a suicide squeeze by Adam Kennedy scores Van Slyke to give the Dodgers a 9-5 lead. Wow, now that was a surprise. I guess bunting worked out for us this time (facepalm).

Belisario stays out and pitches a 123 eighth inning. Esmil Rogers Enters for the bottom of the eighth. Uribe bats for Belisario and draws a walk. Gwynn flies out to left. Then Rogers has a walkapalooza. Ellis and Abreu both walk to load the bases for Scott Van Slyke. SVS doubles into the gap to score two, and the Dodgers go up 11-5. Wow this game sure turned around in our favor! A.J. whiffs to end the frame, but the Dodgers score two more.

With a comfortable six run lead, Javy Guerra is asked to come in and get some work in. Guerra retires the side in order, and the Dodgers sweep Colorado by a final score of 11-5. Ted Lilly wins his eighth straight game. When we have more information on the extent of Kemp’s hamstring injury, we will pass it along to you, but it is not expected to be serious. Hopefully he will be in the lineup tomorrow night, which will see the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks in town for a quick two-game series. Ian Kennedy will face off against Clayton Kershaw in a 7:10 PM start time. Bison is having an MRI on his left hamstring tomorrow so we will know more tomorrow. As soon as we hear anything we will pass along the information to you.

This was a win for Mom today. We should all take some time today to tell our mom how much we love her. Where would any of us be without our Moms? My mom, Bobbie Andes, is an accomplished writer, former English teacher, and a huge Dodger fan. Join us tomorrow for more Daily Dodger Coverage on your number one Dodger site. Mom, this wins for you!