Entering the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers had talked about the quality of Philadelphia's starting lineup, how all eight of the Phillies' starters were tough hitters.
If they didn't know that before, they certainly do now,
Three-run homers by the No. 6 hitter, Raul Ibanez (.272, 34 homers, 94 RBIs in the regular season) and the No. 8, catcher Carlos Ruiz (.255, 9, 43) were the decisive blows in the Phillies' 8-6 win in Game 1 of the NLCS, helping Philadelphia win although outhit 14-8 by the Dodgers.
Ruiz's homer erased a 1-0 Dodgers lead began the five-run rally that chased starter Clayton Kershaw.
"The last two months, he's been hitting good," said manager Charlie Manuel. "Basically tonight, he got a hit in the count, and that's what hitting is. He got up in the count 3-1, and he zoned a fastball up and middle in, and he crushed it. ... When you get pitches that you're looking for, then you're supposed to hit them."
Said Ibanez, "He's had some great at-bats and a really good approach at the plate. He looks great at the plate, and he's swinging the bat great."
Ruiz came in as a career .378 hitter against the Dodgers, 14 for 37 with a homer and seven RBIs.
"He's hit lefties and righties," said Dodger manager Joe Torre. "He's that guy that seems to be that pain in the neck, or some other part of your body. But he certainly battles us, and he's had good success against us.
"I think there's always probably one guy on each team that gives certain teams hell to pay. And when it's the eighth-place hitter, it frustrates you. But it's certainly something he's done more than once."
While Ibanez is clearly the more accomplished hitter, his homer was at least as surprising, given that it came against George Sherrill, who has been extremely reliable since his July acquisition from Baltimore.
"I think that was a shock for everybody," said Torre, "especially the walks" -- Sherrill walked Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth before the homer -- "which really hasn't been something he has done a lot of."
Manuel agreed.
"Tonight, of course, Raul got a big hit," said the Phillies manager, "but that's the first time I've ever seen (Sherrill) not have his command."
The Ibanez homer came on the first pitch after the walks, going against the conventional wisdom of taking a pitch when a pitcher is struggling with his control.
"You're definitely not trying to do too much," said Ibanez. "He's tough. He's a tough pitcher. He's tough on lefthanders. You're trying to do less, and a lot of times in this game less is more. So you're really just trying to stroke -- get a decent pitch from him and stroke a line drive somewhere."
Other thoughts: A few other postgame comments:
-- Torre, asked if it was frustrating to lose despite 14 hits and six runs: "We kept bouncing back. You fall behind four runs to this group, and we did it two different times, and fought our way back into it. The frustrating part is how many walks we issued" -- seven, four of which were cashed in for runs -- "because there's really no defense for that."
-- Manuel, on Brad Lidge, who struggled in the regular season but earned the save, meaning he's converted on his last 10 save opportunities in the postseason: "Lidge was the guy," said Manuel. "... I liked the way it was set up with the righthanded hitters leading off the inning.
"If we pin down one closer, it's always been Lidge. But at the same time ... when he started struggling a bit, we had to do some maneuvering and give him a break, give him some time off and everything."
-- Ibanez, on the idea Game 1 was a typical Phillies win: "Guys are pulling for each other. Guys are sticking together and trying to string quality at-bats together. You can feel the excitement when it builds up in the dugout. ...
"I saw it for six months of the regular season. I saw it even in spring training, some of the excitement in the dugout ... when I got there. It was great to be a part of. It's an entire group of guys pulling in the same direction. It's incredible."

Vicente Padilla -- or perhaps his interpreter -- was the picture of diplomacy on Thursday.
Talking about his start scheduled for Friday's Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, Padilla (speaking through an interpreter) offered a rather mild assessment of his release by the Texas Rangers -- a move drawing surprisingly vocal praise from Texas players -- and his gratitude for his opportunity with the Dodgers.
"When they released me, I wasn't really surprised," said Padilla, 8-6 with a 4.92 ERA in Texas. "They had to do whatever they had to do. You just have to go on, and you just can't really dwell on the fact they released you."
As a Dodger, Padilla was 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA in eight regular-season games after his Aug. 27 debut, and followed that up by winning Game 3 of the first-round series with St. Louis." When I found out that the Dodgers had an interest in me, I was very happy," said Padilla. "I was very happy to have this opportunity to play on this great team."
And why has he been so successful in L.A.?
"I think in point of fact, it's the fact that my teammates welcomed me, and they took me as one of their family members."
Manager Joe Torre noted Padilla had pitched well against the Dodgers in an interleague game this year (five shutout innings in a 6-0 Texas win).
"We knew he had good stuff," said Torre. "... So we certainly were hoping that he would give us a boost. But would I have dreamed at the time that we got him that he was going to pitch Game 2 of the championship series? No, I certainly didn't envision that."
A vote for Pedro: After playing things fairly close to the vest, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel tabbed Pedro Martinez to start Game 2. It will be the first start for Martinez (5-1 with a 3.63 ERA in nine games) since going four innings in a Sept. 30 start against Houston, and just his second outing in the last 27 days. He did pitch in a simulated game a few days ago.
"I'm going to have to take that for now," said Martinez, "because there wasn't any time to do anything else. I guess I'm going to have to rely on whatever I was able to, and I just had two innings of (batting practice) to (Eric) Bruntlett and (Greg) Dobbs."
Manuel is confident Martinez will be ready.
"We feel like the other day when we was watching him in a simulated game, he was throwing the ball very good," said Manuel. "As a matter of fact, he was throwing hard, and his command was good, and he's had enough rest and his experience and everything. I feel like he's always pretty sharp with his command and control."
For Joe Torre, whose Yankees matched up against Martinez often in the pitcher's seven seasons in Boston, it will be like old times. Sort of.
"We've seen him a ton of times," said Torre, "and it won't be any different this time. You don't try to beat Pedro. You just try to outlast him. You need your pitcher to match what he does, because he's such a great competitor, knows how to pitch, and has a variety of stuff.
"But it's going to be strange, that's for sure, to have both of us over here in the National League, where we both started, and go at it again."
That Martinez is back in Dodger Stadium where he started his career as a 20-year-old in 1992 -- he was 10-6 as a Dodger before being traded to Montreal in a much-lamented deal for Delino DeShields -- has some significance to the pitcher.
"It's going to be special, especially brining back memories about my start here," said Martinez. "I was born in this place, and I hope this is not the last one that I pitch here. But if it is, it would be a great joy to actually do it in the place I started."
Said Manuel, "This is a good ballpark for him. He likes a moment, and actually I liked him in this game better than I did in the third or fourth game" of the Colorado series.

*--Revised to include Joe Torre comments

LOS ANGELES - Joe Torre's decision to tailor his bullpen to reflect Philadelphia's left-handed hitters will leave Jeff Weaver on the outside looking in for the National League Championship Series.
Lefthander Scott Elbert (2-0, 5.03 ERA in 19 2-3 innings during the regular season) will replace Weaver (1-0 this postseason; 6-4, 3.65 in 79 regular-season innings) for the NLCS. It's one of two roster changes for the series; in the other, Hiroki Kuroda returns after missing the first round with a bulging disk in his neck, bumping Jon Garland.
"We just thought, even though we have two lefthanders in the bullpen, they're not necessarily matchup guys," said Torre. "Even though we have the two, we felt we wanted the option of having another for somewhere in the game, if we have that situation arises where we aren't going to use the other two guys."
Weaver was reported to be suffering from flu-like symptoms on Wednesday, but Torre said that did not figure into the decision.
"I let him know yesterday, and had to call him at home," Torre said. "I can tell you he was sad, but I'm not sure if he was sad or just felt bad. ...
"It's tough, because you spend the season with 12 to 13 pitchers, and now you're using four starters, so somebody's going to have to come off, even pitchers that help you. The righthanders the Cardinals had in the first round made him necessary in my mind, and he helped us win Game 1. ... I felt we needed the lefthanded option, even though we hopefully don't use him, because that means our starters are doing well.
"He seemed to understand, even though he would much rather be on (the roster)."

A few postgame comments from the Dodgers' 3-2 comeback win Thursday afternoon:
Joe Torre:
-- On Clayton Kershaw's performance (6 2/3 innings, two runs) that kept the Dodgers in position to come back: "This is what you save all those innings for during the season. Again, he was very economical going into the seventh inning. He pitched great. ... I was very comfortable watching Kershaw pitch today. I thought he responded to the challenge very, very well."
-- What he thought when Matt Holliday dropped the fly ball that would have ended the game: "It's a break. The first thing I did was go to James (Loney) and ... made sure he was running. I would have been very surprised if he wasn't. Being on second base puts an enormous amount of pressure on (Cards reliever Ryan) Franklin at this point, because it takes just a single to score a run."
-- On Albert Pujols, walked intentionally for the third time in two games and 1 for 6 in the series: "As I have said many times, Albert is in a class by himself. I think Albert is such a threat that you are willing to put the winning run on base. You're willing to give them an opportunity to hit a three-run homer instead of a two-run homer.
"I just want to make somebody else beat me, basically."
Tony La Russa:
-- On the effort by Adam Wainwright, who went eight innings and allowed three hits and one run, but ended with no decision: "The quality of that is so good it's almost impossible to describe under the circumstances. We kept making enough contact we thought we could get some runs. We couldn't get anything to fall." (The Cards were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position, and are 3 for 22 in the series.)
"He had very little to work with. ... He made quality pitch after quality pitch. The lineup saw him several times. He kept making adjustments. Outstanding."
-- On the way his team lost: "I think it's about as tough as loss as you can have, except we still have an opportunity to play Saturday. Thinking about the Tigers and Jim (Leyland), and you lose a game like that and you're done. But we have another opportunity.
"So it was a tough loss, very tough loss. ...
"Right now, we're feeling disappointed, like I said. But we're not discouraged. There's a big difference in the two. We can win a game, so we have to wait until Saturday.
"But right now, I think it's important to get upset about the game that got away. We did a lot to win that one and didn't win it. Turn the page too quickly (and it) means you don't care."
Dodger second baseman Ronnie Belliard:
-- On facing Wainwright: "You know, he's tough to pick up the breaking balls. And risers. He's not a soft thrower, gets up to 95, 93. He's got a good sinker, good cutter. I know that. I played behind him. ...
"And when it's like that, when that shadow is in between or the sun is back in center field -- but I think our break just came in the bottom of the ninth, that line drive to left field" (dropped by Holliday).
-- On facing Carpenter and Wainwright and winning both games: "I think I told the guys yesterday, hey, we have got to make him pitch. Gotta get in our bullpen. We all know the bullpen. Their bullpen is good, because they're here because they're good. ...
"I think today (Wainwright) was something else, you know."
-- On his reaction to the Dodgers comeback: "I think this is one of the greatest times for me ever in baseball."

ANAHEIM -- Well, that was easy.
Yeah, right.
I'm now in the press box in Anaheim -- walked in and sat down just in time to stand up for the seventh-inning stretch -- after 90 minutes of pure driving torture. Traffic control kept me from getting out of Dodger Stadium in the direction I'd hoped (I ended up in Chinatown, which was definitely not on the agenda), there was a five-car accident at the 5/10/60 interchange, a traffic-choked mess even in the best of times, and then when I reached the ballpark here, the entry gates were all closed (I had to talk my way in) and it took five minutes to find a parking space.
Other than that, things went perfectly.
Anyway, now that I'm here -- oh, by the way, the Angels lead 3-0 and have the bases loaded -- I'll catch my breath and post a few more postgame notes from the Dodgers-Cardinals stunner, and have postgame Angels-Red Sox coverage.

Pregame notes from Game 2:
Staying with Belliard: Dodgers manager Joe Torre said he'd stick with the Game 1 lineup for Game 2, meaning Ronnie Belliard again starts at second base. That disappoints Orlando Hudson, the starting second baseman for most of the year, but, said Torre, "He's a team guy.
"Orlando and I had a conversation when we were in San Francisco (late in the regular season)," Torre continued. "... At that point, I told him I didn't know what I was going to do on a day-to-day basis."
Torre says he continues to tell Hudson and "anybody that wants to listen" about the importance of the second baseman's early-season performance. "And I probably played him too much, especially coming off the surgery he had. We didn't even know if he was going to be ready for spring training, but he was ready and played every single day.
"But at this point, he's fighting it a little bit. He still contends he's 100 percent healthy, but we played him a lot, and I think the effects of that are showing up a little bit.
"Belliard, right now, he's probably giving us a more productive bat at this time, and that's why I've chosen to go with Ronnie. That doesn't mean when we get to St. Louis, I won't change my mind."
Wolf's words: Torre was asked how starter Randy Wolf had reacted to his Game 1 struggles.
"His spirits are fine," said Torre. "He was out there last night for the rest of the game. ... When I went by his locker after the game to shake his hand, he said, 'I'll be better next time.' I said, 'I know you will.'
"It was one of those days, and it doesn't necessarily tell me anything. Because he's always excitable, so I can't say if he's overly nervous or anything. He's got that kind of personality.
"He just wasn't locating. The indicator to me was the lefthanders' success. If you look at his numbers, the lefthanders really had a tough time against him (in the regular season). So that sort of raised the yellow flag for me."
Lineup change: As he'd suggested before Game 1, when he started Skip Schumaker at second base, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa switched to Julio Lugo to lead off and play second in Game 2.
"I just think that Julio has been a good early spark plug against left-hand starters for us," said La Russa, "and we've got a left-hand starter today, went the other way yesterday, so I think he's capable of doing some stuff."

This was written in advance of Game 1 just in case the game was in extra innings at deadline -- although it was almost needed just because the game was so incredibly slow. Since it wasn't needed in the paper, here's an online-only bonus column:

LOS ANGELES -- On paper, it looks like Clayton Kershaw has been handed the role of sacrificial lamb, matched as he is in Game 2 of the Dodgers' first-round playoff series against Adam Wainwright, who was merely 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA in the regular season.
If Kershaw (8-8, 2.79) is rattled, unnerved or otherwise displeased with this prospect, you'd be hard pressed to tell. In fact, in his conversations on the two days before the start, you'd be hard pressed to tell Kershaw's Thursday involved anything more challenging than, say, signing on to read e-mail.
Calm? Kershaw was so laid back it seemed as if it would be challenging to detect his pulse, let alone any kind of elevated heart rate.
"I'll probably be nervous for sure," Kershaw said Wednesday, sounding anything but. "I'm nervous every time I pitch.
"I think it's how you handle the nerves, how you channel it, how you can use it to your advantage. ... Get the adrenalin going, maybe throw harder or have better break on your breaking balls. Just depends how you use it, I guess."
This is probably a good time to remind you that Kershaw is all of 21 years old. You know it when you see him, but not when you listen to him. Or, for that matter, when you watch him pitch.
Remember, it was Kershaw who finally allowed the Dodgers to clinch the Western Division title, pitching six impeccable innings (no runs, three hits, 10 strikeouts, three hits) on Saturday when the Dodgers scored five runs in the seventh to beat Colorado.
Joe Torre, who of course remembers that, had to think for a moment to find a comparable 21-year-old in terms of demeanor and savvy.
"Not me, I know that," said Torre.
The closest match he could come up with wasn't a pitcher, but a shortstop. You may have heard of him: Derek Jeter.
"I'm thinking of another pitcher who he would remind me of," said Torre, "and there probably is somebody, but nobody I think that I've managed. I guess if there was, I wouldn't have been fired three or four times, right?"
Certainly, Kershaw's work in the division-clincher was the kind of work that saves managers, or at least makes their jobs easier.
"We've tried to protect the kid the last year or so from any outside pressure or game pressures, and watch his pitch count," said Torre, "and then you hand him the ball Saturday and he wins a game that we couldn't win for a week. He didn't win it, but he pitched well enough to win it."
But in an up-and-down season -- Kershaw is, after all, 8-8 -- it's been the way Kershaw handled the lows that impressed Torre as much as any of the highs.
"He's had some ugly games," said Torre, "and to watch him come back from those games and pitch well in his next outing ... he could have fallen off the planet at that point in time, trying to overdo this and overdo that.
"I think (today) you're still going to see some overdo, because he's got extraordinary stuff. So he may go out there and overthrow it or whatever. But I don't think that's because he's 21. I just think that's because he's competitive."
Certainly, Kershaw isn't interested in putting any extra emphasis on his youth, even if he is the youngest pitcher on the team's postseason roster (by almost four years) and the youngest player on either team (next would be 23-year-old St. Louis outfielder Colby Rasmus).
"Any time you're given the responsibility to start in the postseason," said Kershaw, "there's obviously some added expectations there. I don't think that has anything to do with age. I think if you're given the responsibility of starting Game 2 of a post-season series, there's going to be some expectations for you to pitch well."
No one probably expects that more than Kershaw. And if most people don't expect him to pitch well enough to outduel Wainwright, well, he's not going to get too animated about it.
During Tuesday's workout day, Kershaw was asked point-blank why he thought the starting pitching wouldn't be the mismatch anticipated by most observers. While it was a reasonable enough question, the way it was asked would have raised the hackles of a lot of people.
"I probably can't think that they're better pitchers than me, you know. That's not how you go into a start. ... It's just the way you've got to go after it -- pitch your game. That's really all you can do."
We'll find out today how that goes. However it turns out, it's hard not to be impressed by the attitude Kershaw carries into the spotlight.

A little pregame housecleaning:
The roster: The Dodgers went with a roster including 11 pitchers -- five with no prior postseason experience -- for the series with the Cardinals.
In addition to the announced starters -- Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, Vicente Padilla and Chad Billingsley -- the pitching staff includes righthanders Ronald Belisario, Jonathan Broxton, Jon Garland, Ramon Troncoso and Jeff Weaver, and lefties Hong-Chih Kuo and George Sherrill. Wolf, Padilla, Belisario, Sherrill and Troncoso have no prior playoff experience.
The 14 position players included no real surprises: infielders Ronnie Belliard, Casey Blake, Juan Castro, Rafael Furcal, Orlando Hudson, James Loney, Mark Loretta and Jim Thome; outfielders Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Juan Pierre and Manny Ramirez, and catchers Brad Ausmus and Russell Martin.
Cards roster: St. Louis went with 12 pitchers on their 25-man roster, with reliever Mitchell Boggs earning the final spot.
"Going to 12 pitches made us not have to make a decision on Boggs versus one of the young guys," said manager Tony La Russa. "... He came in there in several situations against good hitters, and was very tough to center. Got strikeouts ... kept his composure, delivery together. ...
"I just think he was exciting when he pitched."
Cards lineup: In the two spots in the St. Louis lineup where La Russa had real decisions to make about starters, he went with Skip Schumaker, leading off as his starter at second base (over Julio Lugo) and Colby Rasmus batting eighth in center field (rather than Rick Ankiel).
"I think Colby earned the start," La Russa said. "It was close. If you have a good team, you have a choice to make.
"At second, I've been going with Lugo a lot against lefthanders," he continued. "I would expect him tomorrow at second base, but we'll see how today goes. I felt like Schu is a good matchup for Wolf, and Julio has struggled against Wolf. In fact, quite a few of our guys have."
Part of the decision in center may have been that Ankiel has been productive as a pinch-hitter, going 6 for 22 (.273) with two homers.
"I hate to penalize him just because he's a great pinch hitter, or a really good pinch hitter," said La Russa. "But it's a factor."

More from Tuesday's workouts for the Dodgers and Angels:
Playing his Cards: Dodger pitcher Jeff Weaver is in the playoffs for the fifth time, the last time being 2006 when he was with St. Louis, and won the fifth and final game of the World Series.
"Obviously, I have a lot of fond memories of playing there and everything," said Weaver, " but it's a new task going up against them and trying to take them out. Regardless of the team you're on, you're still trying to go out there to win, and despite who you're playing, you're trying to do the same.
"It's kind of funny -- there's only a couple of guys still over there that I played with. It's a whole new team, we're on different teams, and go out there and try to do our job."
That win in Game 5 of the 2006 World Series, he said, is definitely helpful as he returns to the postseason.
"Even the previous experience when I was with the Yankees (in 2002 and 2003) ... obviously the results went the other way, but even those experiences helped me for getting back there with the Dodgers the first time, and a little bit more experience then, and you take it into the next postseason.
"I think that's all you can really do. You're pretty fortunate just to get the opportunity, and you've got to learn from each experience. And hopefully if you get back there again it will help you. I think there's no doubt the experience of being in the postseason obviously helps for in the future."
A house divided: With both Weaver brothers in the playoffs -- the first time that's happened -- Jeff said his parents had decided to take sides: his father, Dave, will follow Jeff and the Dodgers, while his mother, Gail, will follow Jered and the Angels. "I think she wants to go to Boston," Jeff said. "She's never been there."
Finding himself: Chad Billingsley was 9-4 in the first half of the season, earning a spot in the All-Star Game. He was 3-7 in the second half, trying mightily to regain that early form.
"I mean, it's a lot easier said than done," Billingsley said. "The last couple of outings I had to finish up the regular season felt a lot more like my first-half stuff."
Looking back, he has an idea when and how his problems started.
"It was about the all-star break," he said. " I was having a hard time throwing to the left-hand side of the plate, away to a right-handed hitter. And I kind of started forcing my mechanics to go that way, and just doing one little thing that led to some other things. You fly open, you start drifting off, drifting other ways. I moved over to the left side of the rubber to allow myself to be more consistent to that side of the plate, and it just lead to other things. Just trying to do too much."
His last two starts -- a six-inning no-decision at Washington in which he gave up three runs, and a loss at San Diego in which he gave up two runs in six innings -- offered some hope, he said: "I mean, it felt great. I'm not quite there, but it was a step in the right direction."
Manager Joe Torre said Tuesday that Billingsley would be his Game 4 starter. Vicente Padilla will start Game 3 in St. Louis, following Randy Wolf and Clayton Kershaw.
Updates: Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Howie Kendrick would get the start at second base in Game 1 of the series with Boston. "Maicer Izturis is good to go," he said. "He'll get a lot of action in this series, most likely play on Friday. But Howie will play on Thursday."
Reliever Jason Bulger, who left Saturday's game with shoulder stiffness, played catch at Tuesday's workout and "feels much better," Scioscia said. "He'll throw a light bullpen tomorrow. We'll be able to evaluate to see if he's available for Thursday."
In and out: Torre said Ronnie Belliard, rather than Orlando Hudson, would start at second base on Wednesday.
"He doesn't have as wide a range as Hudson does," said Torre. "But I think offensively he's maybe a little fresher right now. We asked O-Dog to do a lot of stuff early in the year. And he played his tail off and continues to do that. But it was just a decision I decide to make, and we'll go day to day right now."

It came in the eighth inning, and might have been the Dodger Stadium press-box announcement of the year: "That is the manager, Brad Ausmus, pinch-running for Jim Thome."
In keeping with a Joe Torre tradition of handing the final-game reins to a veteran player, Ausmus was the acting manager for the Dodgers' 5-3 win over Colorado to wrap up the regular season.
As far as Torre could remember before the game, none of his other player-managers had inserted themselves in the game. "They're having too much fun sitting there and playing with it," he said.
But, with other veterans taking other coaching roles, that eighth-inning substitution meant the manager ran for one of his two hitting coaches.
Ausmus, the backup catcher, did not try to claim he'd simply picked his fastest available runner for the job.
"Second least-fastest guy on the team, next to Thome, I think," he said. "Maybe Loretta. I might be third. But somebody had to pinch-run so I figured I'd get myself out of the way."
Overall, Ausmus said it was an enjoyable experience.
"To me, it was actually a little more difficult because we have 30-some players here, and a handful of them out in the field who you want to let come off the field to get ovations from the fans." (As an example, he let Casey Blake take the field in the fourth before sending out Blake DeWitt as a substitute.)
"So you're trying to mix and match and get people off the field and get people on the field, and not run out of players, and be able to pinch-hit for the pitcher. So it was a little bit more of a chess match, I think, than it would be with a 25-man roster in a regular game."
Beforehand, Ausmus had jokingly made it clear he understood how the manager's role would work, or at least how he hoped the post-game press meeting would go: "I do everything right, put all the guys in a position to succeed and we win 10-0. Then I can take the credit. If we lose, it's the players' fault."
Afterward, Andre Ethier, equally tongue in cheek, offered an opposing view.
"He was horse(bleep)," Ethier said. "The players won that game. If we'd lost, it would have been the manager's fault."
The more realistic view, given the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of baseball, was claimed by Matt Kemp.
"He's 1-0, so he's good so far," said Kemp.
Coach Weaver: Jeff Weaver was also part of the Ausmus coaching staff, taking the role of bullpen coach for the day.
"Last night, he brought me in. Short-term contract," Weaver said, laughing.
"It was good. I think everybody had fun with it, but still took it seriously -- get an idea what it's all about, and have fun with it. And fortunately, it worked out pretty good."
And what did he do in his bullpen coaching debut?
"Just answered the phone," he said. "Made sure guys got up and ready, and let them know who they're going to be facing, and something they might do against them."
Sunday's relaxed atmosphere was clearly a welcome change from the stressful final week that saw the Dodgers lose five straight before finally clinching the NL West.
"We did that intentionally," Weaver joked. "It's nice to get it out of the way and come out and enjoy the last day, and then get back to work."

LOS ANGELES -- The struggles continue for the Dodgers' starters, and so does the team's slide back toward the rest of the NL West field.
With Wednesday's 3-2 loss to St. Louis, the Dodgers are now just 3 1/2 games ahead of Colorado (three in the loss column), and the inability of the starters to provide innings remains a constant.
Clayton Kershaw went just 3 2/3 innings Wednesday night -- laboring through 97 pitches in the process -- marking the fourth time in the last seven games a Dodger starter has gone five innings or less. The Dodgers are 0-4 in those games, 2-5 in that seven-game stretch.
Kershaw, who showed flu-like symptoms on Tuesday and was an uncertain starter Wednesday, didn't blame illness for his issues against the Cardinals: "I don't think my health had anything to do with tonight."
But he did blame himself for the eventual outcome, even though he didn't get a decision. Jonathan Broxton ended up taking the loss with an unearned run in the ninth.
"I've got to figure out how to go deeper in games," he said, "and give this team a chance to win. It's disappointing. I know I let the team down tonight. I let everybody down. The bullpen had to bail me out. It just doesn't do anything for your team when you don't last very long."
Kershaw did give the Cardinals more than a little credit for the way his night went.
"That team, golly, they fouled off pitch after pitch," he said. "There just wasn't an easy out, and I wasn't throwing enough strikes. ... It was just a bad night."
The Dodgers are now 4-8 in the last 12. Starters have averaged seven innings in the four wins, and a fraction over five innings in the eight losses. (Kershaw, in an extra-inning loss at Atlanta, and knuckleballer Charlie Haeger, who lost on Monday, are the only starters to get past the sixth inning in those losses. They each went seven.)
The rotation issues -- struggles by Kershaw and Billingsley, the concussion to Hiroki Kuroda, and the long-term inability to identify a fifth starter -- led the Dodgers to sign Vicente Padilla, bad reputation and all, on Wednesday. He's slated to pitch in Albuquerque on Saturday and make his first Dodger start next Thursday in Colorado.
The way things are going right now, who knows? First place might be on the line in that game.

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers' latest effort to plug the holes in their starting rotation clearly has some risks, but manager Joe Torre isn't too worked up about them.
Vicente Padilla was picked up by the Dodgers on Wednesday, the day he became a free agent following his release by the Texas Rangers. He'll pitch Saturday in Albuquerque, then make his Dodger debut Thursday in Colorado, Torre said.
Padilla, 31, was 8-6 with a 4.92 ERA this year for Texas, and 94-85 in an 11-year career with Arizona, Philadelphia and the Rangers. More problematic than the numbers, though, is Padilla's reputation. His release by Texas led to a Fort Worth Star-Telegram story headlined "Rangers bid farewell to malcontent Padilla."
In that story, outfielder Marlon Byrd was quoted as saying, "About time. It's absolutely a positive for this team. We have to get rid of the negatives to make a positive, and I believe this is a huge positive for this team." And general manager Jon Daniels said the move was "a culmination of things. It's about being a good teammate, acting like a professional and representing the team the right way."
Angels fans will also recall that Padilla was a key figure in a September 2007 incident in which the Angels and Rangers engaged in a two-day exchange of beanballs, a sequence which led to a five-game suspension for Padilla, another Rangers pitcher, three Angels and the managers of both teams. This season, he was involved in incidents with Oakland and the Yankees.
Torre made it clear he isn't interested in the reputation Padilla brings with him, only in what he does as a Dodger.
"Through my experience ... I've had players that have been questioned for one thing or another," said Torre, "and I've always felt it would be fair to judge them on the time you spend with them.
"I guess what had me think that was getting traded from Atlanta to St. Louis, and I was in St. Louis for a year or two before somebody came up to me and said, 'You're not a troublemaker.' I said, 'I didn't know I was.' Evidently, that's what everyone was prepared for.
"So I just decided that it's probably the safest thing. Because you can't do anything about your past. ... He's going to have a clean slate here and play baseball."
That being the case, Torre also said he's not concerned Padilla could disrupt the chemistry of what is considered to be a particularly harmonious clubhouse.
"I don't think it's a risk," he said. "I think we're, as a team, far enough along that if someone is a bad influence, I don't think that's going to affect other people. ... If there's an issue, we'll deal with it. And I have not had an issue with this man."
Padilla's signing follows the decision Wednesday to place Hiroki Kuroda on the disabled list as he recovers from his concussion, but Torre said one did not necessarily lead to the other: "I still think we'd probably look to be better. I'm just thinking about starters we have right now. ... We were talking about him before he got hit in the head."
Torre also said the Dodgers had been talking about John Smoltz, just released by Boston, but Smoltz signed with St. Louis on Wednesday and will join the Cardinals on Thursday in San Diego.
Padilla fits into a piecemeal and ever-shifting Dodgers rotation that had Clayton Kershaw start Wednesday, though that was in doubt Tuesday after Kershaw showed flu-like symptoms.
"We had Jeff Weaver at the ready," said Torre. "We sent him home (Tuesday) night saying, 'You're pitching Thursday, but you may pitch tomorrow.' So we had a backup plan where we would have flip-flopped them, if we felt he needed another day. But he feels pretty good."
Weaver, then, will pitch the opener of the series with Chicago. Randy Wolf goes Friday, knuckleballer Charlie Haeger gets his second start on Saturday and Chad Billingsley goes Sunday.

LOS ANGELES -- The news on Hiroki Kuroda remains positive -- amazingly so, really, given the frightening moment on Saturday when the Dodger pitcher was struck in the head by a line drive while pitching at Arizona.
Stan Conte, the team's trainer and director of medical services, said tests conducted before Monday's Dodgers-Cardinals game confirmed that Kuroda had a mild concussion, and nothing more, and while the pitcher is experiencing intermittent headaches, they are mild, and at times he has no symptoms at all.
"Today was better than I expected," said Conte.
That was also true when Kuroda spent time on an exercise bike -- testing to see if an increased heart rate would bring on increased symptoms, another indicator of the degree of the concussion -- and had no adverse effects.
Still, Conte sent the pitcher home once the tests were complete, well before Monday's game, not wanting him to be part of game-time activity, even as a spectator.
"The brain has to heal," said Conte. "All the sensory stimulation that's out here, which is amazing -- the clubhouse, the background sounds, the crowd, all that kind of stuff -- overstimulates the brain.
"So we sent him away to just have him rest. But we'll bring him back, and if he's doing well, I'm going to want him to see how he responds to a lot of the sensory input, and whether that increases or decreases the symptoms.
"I'm not sure that will be tomorrow (Tuesday). It will depend how he's doing."
Kuroda is also scheduled to see a Los Angeles neurologist Tuesday for further examination.
While the pitcher is doing well, Conte said it's impossible to know when he'll be ready to return to action. Brain function must be at 100 percent before he's cleared to play -- to return at less would increase susceptibility to another concussion -- and recovery time is unpredictable.
"Some of these mild concussions clear up in a couple days," said Conte. "Others remain for several weeks. So it's a little bit of an unknown at this point."
Manager Joe Torre was encouraged enough by Kuroda's condition to make a small joke.
"I asked some questions today in English for Kenji (Nimura, Kuroda's translator), and he seemed to know the question before Kenji translated. So I'm not sure what was triggered over there. I mean, I'm not accusing him of anything," he added, to laughter.
"But the greatest gift for me right now is that smile on his face. And he feels a lot better than we all thought he would when it first happened."
Torre said, not surprisingly, that Kuroda will definitely miss his Thursday turn in the rotation -- no decision has been made about a replacement -- and that there's no way to know how the pitcher will react when he gets back on the mound.
"I think each one's an individual case," he said, "whether it's a hitter (or pitcher) -- and I've been that hitter. Frank Robinson was that hitter.
"It takes a little bit of a meeting with yourself, because there you are back out there, and it's got to be a déjà vu involved in there somewhere. But I think with each individual, it's a hurdle you've got to deal with. And you can't practice it.
"It'll be when you go out there, and then see how you are."

Selected comments from Joe Torre's pregame press conference:

Asked what advise he had given Manny Ramirez:
"Well, you know, some of my advice was basically just to concentrate on what you have to do ahead. You can't really do anything about the past, and the fact that he's already apologized, and hasn't denied wrongdoing, and really, I don't think there's much more.
"I just really want him, and I need honesty from here in the early going, especially, about the kind of shape he's going to be in playing this game. I know he wants to go out there and be there every day, but I'm not sure how much -- again, until we start playing -- to find out what kind of game shape he's in."

Asked -- having managed Jason Giambi when he returned to baseball after discontinuing steroid use and struggled -- if he was confident Ramirez would still be the same player:
"I think everybody's a separate case and we're going to have to wait and see. I wish I had those answers. I think you're going to have to play the game and see where he is.
"The only thing I do know is that Manny is a legitimately good hitter. You know, Jason was more a power-type guy, and I remember encouraging Jason early on to just think about hitting line drives the other way. And it really wasn't the right advice, because it wasn't until he started -- that Donny [Mattingly] sort of encouraged him to pull the ball -- that he got more of his bat speed back. But I was just trying to keep him from trying to hit home runs at the start.
"Manny's a little more -- even though Jason, in my opinion, is a .300 hitter -- Manny is probably a little more adept at using the whole field and has his whole career."

Asked if he is concerned Ramirez' return will be a distraction:
"No. You should have been around our ballclub here. It's been a little tight, because we haven't scored many runs. So I think Manny coming on board is certainly going to lessen the load on a lot of these kids.
"But I don't think it's going to be a chemistry problem. I really don't. I'd be very surprised if that was the case."

Asked for his thoughts on fan support for Ramirez:
"Well, I don't think baseball's cornered the market on that. I think we've seen it in other walks of life.
"Am I defending what he did? Is he defending what he did? No. And certainly, the young kids need to get a message that what any of the players did, and have been punished for, certainly isn't advisable for them. Even though we're role models, whether we want it or not, that's who we are.
"But again, on the other side of the coin, knowing Manny the person, first of all, you can't control how people are going to react to him, but as far as him paying the punishment and coming back, I mean, do we think he should be out of the game for life.
"He made a mistake, he's done his time, and now he's going to come back. And as I say, I think it's going to be a little time before he's back to being the guy we're used to seeing."

Asked how he was dealing with the situation:
"I'm trying to get as much sleep as I can. We go from here to New York, and I have a sense there maybe another person or two there.
"I'm happy that he's back, because as I said, the ballclub, we've been doing well. We've won our share of games and maybe a few more. I think they're ready for him to come back.
"I'm answering the questions, they're answering the questions, and I think now that he's back -- and again, not that the questions are going to stop here in the immediate future, but I think they're ready for it.
"And that's more of a relief that this is over with. We haven't been holding our breath till he came back, because we obviously wouldn't have played as well. But a lot of our guys have really, I don't want to say have gone above and beyond. They've tried as hard as they could try. And as I've mentioned a number of times, we've been fortunate in a lot of games that we have won. We had a lot of home games and we had a lot of chances to walk off where we didn't have to defend a lead. And I call that luck, schedule-wise. The type of team we've had so far, it certainly isn't luck. They've worked at it. But certainly, where we played the game gave us a little bit of an edge."

Here's my complete transcript of Manny Ramirez' pregame press conference before Friday's game. Questions, being off-mike, are sometimes paraphrased or unintelligible. Answers are as exact as I could make them:

MANNY:
(Sitting down at mike) Showtime.

Question: How long were you doing steroids? When did it start? What was the regime?
First, I want to say that God is good, and good is God. And I don't want to get into my medical records right now. I'm happy to be here, I missed the game, I'm ready to play, I was practicing in Triple-A, and I can't wait to get into the field.

Q: Have you been contacted by the DEA about their investigation?
Like I said, I don't want to get into my records. I want to talk about the game.

Q: Since you just want to talk about the game, can you talk about how much you missed it, and how anxious you are to get back?
Oh, man, I can't wait to get into the field, man. I missed the game that I love. You know, I missed being around the guys. It is what it is, but I'm here, I feel great, and I'm ready to play.

Q: You've already addressed your teammates, but what would you like to say to your fans?
I want to say I'm sorry to the fans, to my teammates, that they're always there for me. I want to thank Frank McCourt for his support, and I'm here. I'm excited. I can't wait to get into the field.

Q: How emotional has this all been for you?
It's been great, because everywhere I go, man, people are there for me. They give me the support. So it hasn't been that bad. And like I said, man, I can't wait. I'm ready to play. I just want to get out there with the guys and move on.

Q: What do you think will be the most difficult part of coming back?
Well, you know, haven't played in two months, so I know it's going to take time for me, you know, to get my rhythm, to get my timing. But that's what I'm here for, and I'm just going to go day by day.

Q: How often are you going to play? Every day to start out?
Um, I'm going to take it day by day. I want to pass this day tonight, and then I want to know how it feels.

Q: Some of the Padres' more prominent players have said they felt this whole celebration of your return has been a bit much and wrong for somebody who's been on suspension. What are your thoughts on that?
Well, everybody got their opinion, you know. I focus all my energy on me and what I'm going to do. I think if they say that, go right ahead, you know. I'm just here to play the game.

Q: Having been away for so long, does it give you a greater appreciation of the baseball and your teammates?
Not really. I appreciate the game very day, and I'm just blessed, you know, to play this game every day the way I play it.
I'm not going to say I didn't miss the game. I missed the game, because this is the game that I love. I appreciate every time I put the uniform on.

Q: How tough was it for you to sit out 50 games?
Well, it was tough, but it is what it is. It's over. I'm moving on.

Q: Do you believe steroids are bad for baseball?
I'm not getting into that, sir. If you want to talk about the game, I'm accountable. If you guys want to talk to me about the game, I'm in my locker. If you want to talk about anything, Scotty's there to answer your questions. [Note: "Scotty" is agent Scott Boras.]

Q: You've said you're sorry to your teammates and your fans. What are you sorry for?
Oh, not being there for them. Not for playing the game, because I'm a huge part of the Dodgers, and I'm proud to wear that uniform. And when I say I'm sorry, I let those fans down, that they go out there to see me.

Q: How do you think this affects your legacy?
I don't want to talk about my legacy right now. I want to wait until I retire. And then I want to think about it.

Q: How much embarrassment has come from this whole thing?
A lot, but you know, we're humans, we learn from our mistakes. There was only one man that was perfect, and they killed him. So that's how I look at life.

Q: When you went out, there was some concern the Dodgers wouldn't be able to maintain their lead. They actually extended it. Now that you've come back, what does that mean for the team going forward, that they've played as well as they without you?
Hey, they're professionals. Everybody played great. Juan Pierre, he did a hell of a job out there, a good player. I'm happy that he's on my side. Hey, all those guys out there, they know how to play the game. They play the game the right way. They play hard. So I knew it was not going to be any problems. They played great. They're in first place. That's where we want to be. And the main goal is to go to the World Series.

Question unintelligible.
A lot, but I'm pretty sure I can handle it. You know, this is not my first rodeo. So I know I'm going to be fine. I know I can play this game, and I'm going to enjoy it as much I can.

Q: Are you nervous?
A little bit, but when you're nervous, that's good.

Q: What were you thinking about last night, knowing that this game was coming and we would all be here?
I wasn't thinking about that. My friend texted me -- hey, big game tomorrow, showtime. So I told him, hey, I'll be ready. I know I haven't been playing in two months, but I've still got it on me, so bring it on,

Q: Throughout the course of the suspension, have you been keeping in contact with teammates? And what have you been saying to them, and them to you?
[laughing] I've been calling Raffy a lot and joke around with him, the way he's doing. But everything's fine. They supported me all the way. They're happy that I'm back, and we're ready to take this to another level.

Q: How helpful were those minor-league games, and how long do you think it will be before you're back where you were?
It wasn't tough ... I love it. They have great kids out there, they're going to be pretty good.
It's going to take me some time to get ready, but let's go and see.

Q: You've always had thick skin. Are you prepared for some of the comments that may come from the stands?
Hey, I'm used to that. When you're good, and you're not at home, they're going to boo you. So it's good. That's only going to give me more fire to do good. So bring it on?

Q: Do you know Dr. [unintelligible] and his son?
I don't want to talk about my criminal record. [he laughs]

Q: You say you're sorry for your fans or teammates. Are you sorry for doing steroids, or --
I already answered your question, sir. I already answered that question. Next.

Q: You say they're a lot of good kids in the minor leagues. Did you have a chance to talk to them about the problems you went through, so they might not --
Not really. Because I was focusing all my positive energy on me.

Q: How bad was this for you?
At first it was bad, but then you move on. So that was in the past, I'm in the present, so I'm not bringing that back.

Q: Dodger fans have been really supportive, almost unanimously. Are you surprised?
No. Because they know when I step on the field, I'm going to give it all I got. And they know I can play. So I'm not surprised. You know, when I went out there, they're the best fans in the whole world, and I wish I could have been there a long time ago.
But I'm not surprised, because I'm one of the best players who ever put on a uniform.

Q: You seem very upbeat. What are you so upbeat?
Now I've got a challenge, so I've got to go out there and show people I still can do it. I know I can do it, so that's good. That's going to five me more fire to play the game.

Q: Because you know there are people who hope you fail.
I'm not going to fail. So -- I'm going to be good. I'm going to be fine.

Q: What did you learn from this experience?
What I learned? You do the right thing, you never have to look back. So that's what I learned.

Q: Have you done the right thing?
I guess so.

Q: What was that?
Playing the game, you know? I know I made a mistake, but I learned from that, and I'm moving on.

Q: What do you expect from the fans tonight as a reception?
It's going to be all good.
I can't control the fans. But I can control myself.

Q: Do you feel different physically than you did two months ago?
I feel great. I know it's going to take some time, like I said, but it's going to be all good.

Q: Are your strength, energy, things like that down?
Nah. I'm great. I've got plenty of energy. I haven't played for 50 games, so I'll be good. I'll be all right.

Q: Will you play the whole game tonight?
I don't know. I want to go inning by inning, and then we'll find out.

Q: Why did you wear sunglasses for this?
Because I want to. [laughs]

Q: Is this like coming in late to spring training, with your contract situation, where you have to catch up a little bit?
I do. I need to catch up. But I will.

Q: Does it bother you that, because you're not going to explain if you did steroids ... that people are going to assume you were cheating, just like a lot of the 500-home-run guys?
Like I say, you cannot control what people are gonna say. You've got to move on, and move on with your life. So I'm just going to enjoy my time playing. I'm against the clock, so I'm going to enjoy the most I can.

Q: You don't think you owe fans of baseball an explanation?
I don't think so, because I say I'm sorry.

Question unintelligible.
Nah, I don't got nothing to prove.

Q: Are you w\orried about aggressive fans? When Barry Bonds was here, somebody threw a fake syringe out on the field.
No. I'm not surprised. No.

[leaving dais]Showtime tonight!

With the Lakers out of town, I took the opportunity to check in with the Dodgers Wednesday. Here's some of the material from Joe Torre's pregame media session:

Manny Ramirez's first semi-public appearance at Dodger Stadium since beginning his 50-game suspension -- visiting with teammates and talking briefly to a handful of reporters on Tuesday -- serves as a reminder that the outfielder's return (July 3, unless the Dodgers have a rain-out between now and then) is drawing near.
So does the fact that manager Joe Torre is starting to think about the minor-league rehab assignment that will precede Ramirez's return, telling Ramirez during his Tuesday visit that they'd discuss the matter next week when the Dodgers return from their brief road trip to Texas.
"Ideally, you'd want to do something where he's going to be in the same place for a while, as opposed to having a carnival atmosphere everyplace you go," Torre said. "That's not idea', but again, that's just something you have to deal with. Speaking of carnival, we're going to New York as soon as he gets activated anyway, and we know what that's going to be like. So it's just part of when you're a public person, and you're in sports, and as good a player as he is, you attract a lot of attention. That's just part of what goes with it."
It's not so much trying to avoid that carnival as much as minimize the number of times it moves to a new city, he said.
"I'd rather it be new in one place and then just stay there. But I don't know if the schedule's going to let us do that," Torre said. "It's not trying to run away from something. You're just trying to have him go someplace where he's playing baseball, and spend most of his time doing that."
Ideally, he said, that rehab stint would be with triple-A Albuerquerque -- "because the pitchers have a better chance of throwing the ball over the plate" -- and a quick look at the schedule for the Dodgers' minor-league affiliates would seem to make that a strong possibility.
Looking 10 to 12 games ahead of that July 3 return date -- the triple-A Isotopes are home from June 18-26, make one four-day road trip to Omaha (June 27-30) and then are home again July 1-2. Double-A Chattanooga has a six-game road trip in that same interval (although all six games are at Huntsville), and class-A Inland Empire of San Bernardino alternates home and road series.
Short staff: With off days Thursday and Monday -- as well as the one last Monday -- the Dodgers will be able to take three turns through the pitching rotation without calling on a fifth starter. Hiroki Kuroda, Randy Wolf and Chad Billingsley will pitch in the weekend series at Texas; Clayton Kershaw, Kuroda and Wolf in the Tuesday-Thursday home series with Oakland, and Billingsley in next Friday's opener of the three-game series at Anaheim. The Saturday game in that series will be the next time the Dodgers need a fifth starter, and Torre will have to choose who gets the start, since Eric Milton, who had been the fifth starter, is now on the disabled list.
More book reviews: Torre's book "The Yankee Years" was back in the news Wednesday, with a New York post story that outfielder Johnny Damon was unhappy with critical comments by Torre in the book.
Torre said he was "very careful" specifically in his comments about Damon specifically -- "I don't think there was anything in there that really shouldn't be discussed" -- and with the book in general.
In fact, when someone started to ask him a question about writing "a tell-all book," Torre interrupted with good-natured but clear exasperation.
"It's not a tell-all book!" he said. "I read that thing six times and said everything I wanted to say, knowing that I was going to read it and I wasn't afraid to work with Tommy (Verducci, the co-author) because I trusted him.
"If I had just retired from New York" -- rather than joining the Dodgers -- "that book still would have been written. When I won 1,000 games as a Yankee manager and people were asking to reflect, I said, 'I can't reflect. I'm still doing this.'
"This was a chance for me to enjoy it, finally. Everybody thinks because I left the Yankees, this is one of those books where I dropped it in a room and ran. This was a book I wanted to write because it was sort of therapy for me, too, to look back and admire and enjoy the time I spent there and the success we had.
"But I certainly spent a lot of time in not violating anything. But again, that doesn't mean that every single person's going to agree with my evaluation. But that's the way I approached it."
No hanging Chad: Torre is clearly pleased with the progress Chad Billingsley -- 8-3 with a 2.73 ERA after Tuesday's win over San Diego -- has made from last season, when he was 16-10 with a 3.14 ERA.
"He bends but won't break," said Torre. "(Tuesday) night was just frustrating as hell for him. He'd get to two strikes and he couldn't put people away. It's just foul ball, foul ball. I think a big part of that was his breaking ball wasn't probably as good as it normally is. That's usually a pitch he can use to put people away."
Billingsley gave up eight hits, two walks and three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, laboring through 117 pitches, but did manage to pick up the win.
"He's in such a good place right now, even with a game like yesterday, to have a presence," said Torre. "Last year, he came unraveled a lot. He was young, learning, I think it's something you have to understand to make adjustments as you go along.
"Right now, especially after the last game he pitched last year in Philadelphia, and he carried that all winter" -- a playoff loss in which he went just 2 2/3 innings, giving up four hits, four walks and three earned runs -- "he came this spring with the understanding that there were certain things he felt he could do better."

(Oops, failed to hit the right command on this when it was written this morning. Here it is now)

Well, it's still going to a full day. Just not the one I expected.
Once again, I'm at that Coffee Bean by the Lakers' practice facility, about to head over for the media session before the team flies to Houston.
After that, instead of heading southeast to Ducks-Red Wings Game 4, I'll be going northeast to Dodger Stadium, for the inevitable media circus connected with Manny Ramirez' 50-game drug suspension.
I'm thinking if you sat in that Mannywood section and got the T-shirt, you may have a collector's item. But that's just one of many Manny questions that have to be answered. What do you do when the player you've built your team and all your publicity around turns out to be a drug cheat?
Fortunately for the Dodgers, the Manny Ramirez bobblehead giveway isn't until late July, after the suspension ends. Still, that should be an uncomfortable night, don't you think?

There are baseball games that get to the final out, and as a writer, you're still thinking, "What the heck am I going to write about?"
The Dodgers' home opener, Monday's 11-1 win over San Francisco, was definitely NOT one of those games.
I ended up columnizing on Orlando Hudson, given that his cycle was the first by a Dodger in 39 years and first for a Dodger at Dodger Stadium, among other distinctions.
On another day, I might have written about Andre Ethier, who homered twice and drove in four runs.
But in the long term, the most significant performance might have been that of starting pitcher Chad Billingsley, who pitched seven innings of five-hit ball, allowing one earned run while striking out 11 and walking none. He threw 106 pitches, 67 of them strikes.
You'd be hard-pressed to say the Dodgers have a clear-cut No. 1 starter, but Billingsley may be changing that. Last year, he was 16-10 with a 3.14 ERA, but the more impressive stat is this: Since June 17 of last year, he's 14-3. He's now won six straight decisions, last losing Aug. 25 at Philadelphia.
Not that he's going to claim to be the guy.
"I'm not going to worry about it," he said. "Every fifth day, when I get the ball, I'm going to go out there and try to win the ballgame. That's what any guy in our rotation is going to do."
Billingsley got stronger as the game went on (and the lead mounted) Monday, striking out the last five batters he faced and seven of nine. He retired all nine batters he faced after the six-run fourth that gave the Dodgers a 7-1 lead.
"Raffy (Furcal) came up big with the two-out hit with (runners at) second and third to get the rally going," said Billingsley, "and I was able to go out that next inning and get a quick inning, and everything fell into place after that."
Billingsley also helped himself with the bat, getting down a beautiful sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third for Furcal in that fourth-inning rally.
"The game was tight and I had to get a bunt down, and get it down the third base line, because I knew the first baseman was charging," Billingsley said. "I was able to get that done."

LOS ANGELES -- It's the great undeclared Southern California holiday, the Dodgers' home opener, meaning 54,000 people will have to explain to their bosses (or employees) tomorrow how they got a sunburn at a dentist's appointment.
Vin Scully is throwing out the first pitch, and was just telling a very funny story in the press box about the last time he did it (this will be his third time). Since I can't tell it nearly as well, I'll hope he tells it on the air. Let's just say he did some very clever pre-planning so he wouldn't have to worry about getting the throw over the plate.
This is traditionally the day when the press box feels a lot like a New York subway at 5 p.m., but so far, it doesn't seem quite so horrifically overcrowded -- which may be a sign of the times in the newspaper business.
I must admit, it's pretty cool to be included in a new sign on the back wall of the press box listing the names of 320 reporters who have covered the team at Dodger Stadium since 1962 (third name down, row 15 of 16) -- but it's also sobering how many of those people are no longer in the business (or no longer with us, as in the case of the much-missed Matt McHale, for example).
Anyway, game time is approaching. I'll check in again at the end of the afternoon.