Ishii dominates! sorry RS :)

Ishii dominates Diamondbacks
Lefty tosses one-hit shutout as Dodgers sweep
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com



Kaz Ishii picked up his 10th win of the season on Wednesday night. (Jon SooHoo/Dodgers)



• Ishii dazzles in series finale: 56K | 350K
• Cora goes deep in the first: 56K | 350K
• Werth and Grabowski hit back-to-back homers: 56K | 350K


LOS ANGELES -- The unpredictable Kazuhisa Ishii, one start removed from a three-inning, seven-run mess in Anaheim, nearly pitched himself into immortality on Wednesday night.
Ishii threw a one-hitter in an 11-0 rout, as the Dodgers completed a series sweep of the last-place Diamondbacks. Powered by home runs from Alex Cora, Jason Grabowski and Jayson Werth, and three hits from Shawn Green, the Dodgers pulled back into a tie for first with their fifth consecutive win. It was also the Dodgers' eighth win in their last 10 games.

Despite the scoring windfall, an injury list that includes Juan Encarnacion and Milton Bradley added the name of the biggest Dodger bat. Adrian Beltre, who has carried the team's offense despite a left ankle that needs surgery, suffered a strained right quad on a swing and left the game after five innings.

By then, staked to a 6-0 first-inning lead, Ishii was cruising. Mixing in a new cut fastball that pitching coach Jim Colborn wouldn't even talk about ("That's for the advance scouts to discover," he said), Ishii raised his season record to 10-4 and his career mark against Arizona to 6-1 with his second shutout of the year and his Major League career. The entire staff had only three complete games in 2003.

Kazuhisa Ishii / P
Born: 09/09/73
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 215 lbs
Bats: L / Throws: L

More info:
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Stats | Splits
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"I was messing around with the cutter in the bullpen a couple weeks ago and Colborn told me it was a good pitch," said Ishii. "I used it against Anaheim (in a June 27 win), but last week in Anaheim (in a July 2 loss) it wasn't working too much. It was a key part tonight. I think I'm getting the hang of it."

The only hit Ishii allowed was Shea Hillenbrand's fifth-inning line single to left field, which came after a leadoff walk to Luis Gonzalez. But Ishii escaped by retiring Alex Cintron on a fly out, getting a called third strike on Chad Tracy and a groundout from Juan Brito.

"He had great stuff all night and that cut fastball really kept them off balance," said catcher Paul Lo Duca. "That cut was the key. If he can throw that, and spot the curveball like he did tonight and get first-pitch strikes, he's awfully tough to hit."

Ishii is the biggest winner in a Dodgers rotation hobbled by injuries to Hideo Nomo and Odalis Perez, but big first halves are Ishii's custom. He is a combined 29-12 before the All-Star break in his three Major League seasons, but only 4-9 in the two injury-plagued second halves in which he has pitched.

"He needs to challenge the second half," said Colborn. "He can't slip. He needs to finish strong. If he finishes strong, we finish strong.

"But he was great today. Six runs in the first inning helps. But he pitches with much determination after a bad game. With Odalis and Nomo out, we needed this."

Ishii, who pitched a no-hitter in Japan, nearly allowed a second hit to Tim Olson, who led off the ninth inning with a long fly to left center that Grabowski ran down. Ishii's other shutout this year was a four-hitter against the Giants on April 25.

"This was as good a game as he's pitched since he's been here," said manager Jim Tracy.

Jason Grabowski / LF
Born: 05/24/76
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 200 lbs
Bats: L / Throws: R

More info:
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Stats | Splits
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With Encarnacion and Bradley again out nursing shoulder injuries, Grabowski had a career-high four RBIs, Cora had three and Werth and Green a pair each. The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth spots in the batting order drove in all 11 runs and scored eight.

Werth is on fire. He homered, singled, walked twice and stole a base. He has reached base 11 times in his last 14 plate appearances, going 6-for-8 with two homers, a double, four walks and a hit by pitch.

There were two outs in the bottom of the first when the floodgates opened. Lo Duca singled, then went to second on a wild pitch. Beltre walked and Green singled home Lo Duca. Werth walked to load the bases, and Grabowski singled an 0-2 pitch through the right side to score Beltre and Green.

Cora then tagged a 1-0 pitch over the right-field fence, doubling the lead to 6-0. It was Cora's sixth home run of the season, a career high.

Werth and Grabowski teamed for another run in the third. Werth singled with two outs, then stole second. He then scored on Grabowski's single.

Werth was at it again in the fifth, following a walk to Green with his fifth home run. Werth's homer chased starter Steve Sparks and brought on Stephen Randolph.

New pitcher, same results: Randolph was greeted by Grabowski's sixth home run. The Dodgers scored again in the sixth inning on Green's RBI single

 

beating the dbacks is nothing to be proud of. they're worse than the expos.

 

however, we not only beat, but swept, and then one hit them....thats something to be proud of. this is major league baseball.

 

thats where you're wrong. with the dbacks, its pretty much triple A with a couple old guys threw in.


sorry rs honey, but you know its the truth.

 

So much for sex tonight

 

as sad as it is, she agrees. not about the no sex, but about my comments.

 

It's true, beating the d'backs is no great feat. It doesn't help any that almost all of our good young players (basically the future of the d'backs) now play in Milwaukee. I'm pissed.

Don't get me wrong, I still love my boys, but damn, we suck right now.




P.S. I miss Bob Brenly and Robin Yount