Game 25: Dodgers @ San Diego Padres 5:6 (10 innings)

Before anything else - I feel so sorry for Derek Lowe. 5-0 up in the top of the 9th and not enough to get him a W :(.

Mark my words: this is the first and only time this season that we gave up such a big lead in the ninth. I don't know why, but I'm sure our guys will draw appropriate conclusions out of this. It's not over until it's over - we forgot it, putting the ball casually in play for the easy outs since the seventh inning. It stung us in the ass big time...

(from here on you will find the regular report written *during* the game)

Amazing how many Dodger fans were cheering in Petco during the fifth inning LA rally. On TV it felt almost like Chavez Ravine :). Regarding that fifth - I was full of good thoughts with Furcal at third and Lofton at second, even when Drew struck out and Kent lined out (unbeliveable reflexes by Padres shortstop Khalil Greene!). It seemed like it was only the question of time that we'll get to Chan Ho Park. Nomar keeps amazing me - still swinging at first pitches, but with excellent results the last couple of days.

All right, let's see what caught my eye:

(1) Petco and the Dodger fans - you could not tell which was the home team until that Padre rally in the ninth. Is it always like this when the Dodgers are in town?

(2) Derek Lowe's amazing sinker away to left-handed batters has made a miraculous comeback. Unhittable. The Padre announcers did everything the could to jinx Lowe's no-hitter through four innings, but no-no or not, Lowe was in full control most of the time.

(3) Bill Mueller's homerun stroke is back. High time - the Dodgers seem to be in the bottom half of the NL in terms of HR.

(4) Bringing in Lance Carter in the top of the ninth with a 5-0 run lead. Good move. Let the guy get some confidence, let's see if this tape watching thing worked. Keeping Lance in the game after two batters reached? Bad move. Little should have pulled him after two batters in order not to get to a bases-loaded none out jam.

(5) The Franquelis Osoria Watch: 2.0 IP, 1H, 0 ER, 2K, ERA down to 3.77.

(6) Tomorrow we start a quick two-game set in Arizona. Brad Penny takes on RHP Claudio Vargas. We need anything close to a complete game - throw strikes, Brad! The exhausted walk-prone bullpen needs rest...