Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Juan Uribe Ends Dodger Skid with a Home Run Parade


The Dodgers unloaded last night, belting 6 home runs to win 8 to 1 against the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks.  In doing so, they dropped their "Magic Number" to 8. 

The man of night was Juan Uribe.  He hit 3 bases-empty home runs, along with a run-scoring infield single, to drive in 4 runs.  In celebration of Uribe's heroics check out the below .gif showcasing each homer.
(gif via Dodgers tumblr)

Heck, Uribe was so great the Dodger fans gave him a standing ovation, and he returned the favor by providing a curtain call.
(gif via Dodgers tumblr)

Somewhat lost in the Dodgers victory was the continued great pitching of Ricky Nolasco.  He went 6.2 innings and didn't give up an earned run.  Since coming to the Dodgers in early July he is 8-1 with a 2.07 ERA and a .213 batting average against.  Either Ricky loves playing for his hometown team, or he has been greatly under-appreciated by the league. 

If you want to check out videos of each Dodger homer, then go to the list below.
  • Andre Ethier's home run in the 1st Inning - (link)
  • Juan Uribe's 1st homer in the 1st Inning - (link)
  • Adrian Gonzalez's 2-run home run in 3rd Inning - (link)
  • Juan Uribe's 2nd home run in 3rd Inning - (link)
  • Hanley Ramirez's home run in 5th Inning - (link)
  • Juan's 3rd home run in 5th Inning - (link)

We face the Diamondbacks again tonight, with the hopes of lowing the "Magic Number" to 6, on LA Kings Night. 
LA Kings defenseman/assistant captain Matt Greene and forward Jeff Carter are scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Former Kings players Rob Blake (who is the current Kings Assistant General Manager), Jim Fox (TV color commentator), Ian Turnbull, Daryl Evans (radio color commentator) and Sean O’Donnell (TV analyst) are scheduled to be in Autograph Alley from 5:40 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. along with Bailey, the club’s mascot, and members of the Kings Ice Crew.
The Dodgers will also honor 86 employees who have over 25-years of service to the team.  Go here for more details.
"The Dodgers are extremely grateful to all of our employees and we are particularly appreciative of the long-time service of those being recognized this evening," said Dodgers' President and CEO Stan Kasten. "Without the dedication of our employees it would be impossible for the Dodgers to fulfill our commitment to the greatest possible fan experience for those visiting Dodger Stadium."

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* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Blog Kiosk: 9/10/2013 - Dodgers Links - Juan Uribe's Big Day and a Newly Released Willard Mullin Book


Juan Uribe's big day means a big crowd at his locker.  Pic vis @Dodgers on twitterTony Jackson at Dodger Scribe has video of the postgame activities surrounding Uribe.  As always, Jon SooHoo has a bunch of great photos from last night, here.
"The one thing about Juan: He always, always, always played quality third base,” Mattingly said. “The thing that opened our eyes was how good a teammate he was last year. Luis was here tearing it up and the darling of L.A. last year for a period of time, and Juan was a really good teammate. He gained a lot of respect in that clubhouse.” 
“It would be nice (to have it),” Mattingly said. “It depends on what we do. If we get to that point, we’ll talk about the risk-reward of that. If you have a guy whose leg is sore or whose hammy is a little tight, do you keep playing him, or do you give him a breather and try to keep him healthy?”
As corny and goofy as these techniques were, he sold more cars than anybody. Make no mistake, he was a smart cookie. He understood the value of advertising, showmanship, and sound business practices. He was also a decorated war hero in WWII.

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *
* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *