Game Thread 8/28 (LAD) - No One's Listening Edition

[08Cubs]

The juggernaut continues. Man Purse drives in Hernandez. 8-2.

Man, I'm starting to worry about Strasburg.

[HamptonRoadsNatsFan]

Guzman hits for the cycle!!

[08Cubs]

Jesus H Flores!

11-2 final.

YouTube - I Love L.A. - Randy Newman

[08Cubs]

[08Cubs]

Dodger Blues Fan Forum :: View topic - 8/28/08 - Masochism IV: The sweep....

I actually have to say that these guys sound like we might get along with them pretty well.

[33 Years]

Originally Posted by 08Cubs

Dodger Blues Fan Forum :: View topic - 8/28/08 - Masochism IV: The sweep....

I actually have to say that these guys sound like we might get along with them pretty well.

They eat with those mouths?

[08Cubs]

Just In-n-Out Burger.

[hondo9]

Originally Posted by 08Cubs

Dodger Blues Fan Forum :: View topic - 8/28/08 - Masochism IV: The sweep....

I actually have to say that these guys sound like we might get along with them pretty well.

Undoubtedly. We could probably teach them a thing or two about in-game *****ing, though, since we've become polished professionals after four years of this mess. Some great usernames over there, too, as I'm sure you've noticed.

Favorite quote: "Steiner's drunk again." - Posted by DruwsFatAss

BTW, if you haven't yet had the pleasure of listening to Steiner when he's half in the bag, I heartily suggest that you do so. It's some high comedy. Harry Caray was a teetotaler compared to that sot.

[Natsman*]

our team is going to SUCK next year without manny....

replace 'manny' with 'fonzie' here, and it's like BPG circa 2006.

[Natsman*]

Guzman hits for cycle
Shortstop accomplishes rare feat against Dodgers
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com

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WASHINGTON -- Nationals shortstop Cristian Guzman hit for the cycle in an 11-2 victory over the Dodgers on Thursday night at Nationals Park. Guzman is the second player in Nationals history to perform the feat. Outfielder Brad Wilkerson did it against the Philllies on April 6, 2005.
"I feel great. As you can see, I'm still sweating," the switch-hitting Guzman said. "It's hard to do. When other players do it, you feel great and happy."
In the first inning, with left-hander Clayton Kershaw on the mound, Guzman homered over the left-field wall to cut the Dodgers' lead to 2-1. An inning later, Guzman singled to center and tried to stretch it to a double but was called out. Three innings later, Guzman doubled off Ramon Troncoso to drive in a run.
It wasn't until the eighth inning that Guzman realized he needed a triple for the cycle. When he got to the on-deck circle, he heard his teammates encouraging him to go for the rare feat.
"Everybody was saying, 'Hit the triple, hit the triple.' And I said, 'Ok, I'll try.'"
Guzman knew he had a shot when he saw left-hander Joe Beimel take the mound. Guzman is familiar with Beimel because the two were teammates with the Twins. Guzman then hit a one-out triple to left-center field to drive in Aaron Boone, completing his feat.
"The moment I hit the ball, I said I was going to third," Guzman said.
Manager Manny Acta acknowledged that he was concerned about Boone scoring all the way from first because the veteran is coming off a calf injury. But Boone said he didn't have any problems running the bases.
"It was nice [for Guzman]. I was fine," Boone said. "The ball was in the gap. Let's get to steppin'!"
The team could be seen jumping for joy in the dugout after Guzman reached third.
"We were all going crazy because it's a good thing for him," pitcher Jason Bergman said. "And if it's good for him, to see a smile on his face, it's good for our team. And we'd like to be a little happier around here.
"It was a great feeling in a season of not-so-happy memories. We have been playing well of late. It's just good to see a smile on everybody's face."
Dodgers manager Joe Torre was impressed by what Guzman accomplished and said the shortstop turned the game around in the Nationals' favor.
"He had a good night, no question," Torre said of Guzman. "He sort of took the air out of our sails -- hit the home run in the first inning [when] we had the lead. He's got ability. I've seen this kid for a while. He has a special ability."
During the three-game series against the Dodgers, Guzman went 9-for-13 with a home run and four RBIs, proving that he is over his left thumb injury.
"Before he hurt his thumb, he was our most consistent hitter, so it seems like he's healthy now and feeling better. It was very nice," Acta said.

[Natsman*]

The talent of Elijah Dukes (chico's blog)


You must grant Elijah Dukes this much. The man puts his goals in hard-to-reach places. When he returned from the disabled list on Wednesday, he did so with one number in mind: Twenty. Yes, twenty. That's how many homers Dukes wanted to finish the season with.
Dukes, at that time, had six.
But here's the thing.
If there's one Washington player capable of hitting 14 homers (and Dukes crossed two off the list last night) in the final month of the season, it's Dukes. As a player, he is unpredictable and seemingly injury-prone. But he's also dynamic, with a talent that's so blatant and a power that's so devastating, it almost seems unfair. Few players in the major leagues are more tantalizing, more capable of showcasing their ability in the kind of concentrated form Dukes served up last night. This was all of Dukes' best in shot glass form -- it hit you between the nose, opened up your nasal passages, and still had you remembering it the morning after.
The homers he hit yesterday were the kind perhaps no other Nationals player can hit. The shot he hit in the first inning (off Clayton Kershaw) was a thick liner to the opposite field. Dukes hardly even rotated his hips. He swung all arms. Then again, Dukes' arms are the size of most players' torsos.
The second homer, in the eighth, might have been the hardest ball anybody's hit out of Nationals Park this season. It almost made its way to the walkway beyond the left field stands. Just my guess: It felt like a 440-foot shot. Garrett Mock later joked that he thought the snipers from the White House would have to shoot it out of the sky.
"He brings to our lineup what we so desperately need, and that's why it's so good to have him in there," Manny Acta said of Dukes. "He gives us the threat of, every time he steps into the plate, he has a chance to hit the ball over the fence. That's how strong he is."
Dukes got short shrift in my game story, only because of Cristian Guzman's cycle, but his performance last night was probably just as impressive as Guzman's. Because he's been on the disabled list three times this year, Dukes has only 189 at bats. It's been enough to witness what he can do, but only in glimpses. The last month of the season is particularly important for Dukes, mostly so he can test himself. Can he sustain a high level of hitting for a long period? Will he look like the sort of player Washington can count on for 2009 and beyond?
If the answers to both are "Yes," the payoff for the Nats will be huge.

[NatsForMe]

Hmmm ... Nats are 3-0 since BPG went into its cocoon. Coincidence?

[va_nats_fan]

Goozie's cycle made #2 on Sportscenter's top ten plays this afternoon.

[Frediemac48]

Originally Posted by 08Cubs

The juggernaut continues. Man Purse drives in Hernandez. 8-2.

Man, I'm starting to worry about Strasburg.

Yeah I have a strong feeling this team is about to have a very good last month of the season which will virtually put us in the area of the 3rd overall pick in the draft. Strasburg will not be on the board when our turns comes.

[Brue]

Originally Posted by 08Cubs

Alyssa's not going to be happy.

Oh I beg to differ