The Juice is back for its fifth season of fun! Stop by each weekday for an ample serving of news from the action, plus great photos, stats and video highlights.
'You hit one of of ours,' etc.: Baseball players (and managers) forget nothing. Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers edged Ian Kennedy and the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 on Monday night, but the D-backs won 2-1 in brush-backs attempted on the other starting pitcher. In the third inning, Kennedy threw a pitch up and in to Kershaw, which drew a smile from the Dodgers lefty. Kershaw probably was recalling the time he hit Gerardo Parra in the elbow in September 2011 and was ejected by umpire Bill Welke. The D-backs obviously remembered, and Kennedy followed up in the same at-bat with another tight one that zipped behind Kershaw. Smile at that one, kid! Not willing to leave it there, Kershaw backed Kennedy off the plate in the fifth, throwing a pitch to the backstop. Both sides were warned by the home plate umpire. Both at-bats ended in walks, but neither one scored. The brushing back continued afterward with quotes.
Willie Bloomquist spoke for Arizona:
''He obviously didn't like it, so he came back at us. ... It's the game within the game. Nobody's trying to hurt anyone, it's just to prove a point. Baseball has a way of taking care of itself, so if it happens again, it'll happen again."
Kershaw:
''Old-school baseball's one thing, and I understand what the manager's trying to instill over there, but there's no place for that here,'' he said. ''It's obvious what they were trying to do, but I don't agree with what they did."
'Bison' delay: Andre Ethier hit his eighth home run and Tony Gwynn prevented a run by throwing a runner out at home plate. Timely contributions, considering that Matt Kemp sat out the game, ending his consecutive streak at 399, and was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left hamstring. Kemp had not missed a game since Aug. 18, 2009, and had not been on the DL since 2007.
''It's hard for me to sit out for 15 days. I mean, I was going crazy tonight watching them play,'' Kemp said.
Angels with dirty faces: Tyson Ross allowed five hits and a walk over six innings, lowering his ERA to 6.25 (hmm) in a 5-o victory for the Oakland Athletics against the Angels. Josh Reddick, perhaps known to A's GM Billy Beane as "Reverse Andre Ethier 3000," added his ninth home run already. Dan Haren was less-than-ordinary again for the Angels, Albert Pujols singled in four at-bats to raise his average to .197, and Torii Hunter was not there because his son was arrested. Good times.
San Francisco treats: After right-hander Sergio Romo pitched out of a jam, Buster Posey delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth in a 3-2 victory for the San Francisco Giants against the Rockies. Colorado lost supershortstop Troy Tulowitzki on a freakish foul ball that glanced off his knee as he stood on the dugout steps in the eighth. X-rays were negative. Tulowitzki called it bad luck he got hit, manager Jim Tracy said it was good luck he wasn't hurt.
Sing for Placido: In a 5-1 victory for the Philadelphia Phillies, longtime guy Placido Polanco notched his 2,000th career hit — a home run. Stylish! You want to see it?
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Quote of the Day: ''I don't really keep track. All my stuff is in just a box. Posters, magazines — I don't really care." — Bryce Harper, on what he'll do with the ball used to hit his first major league home run in the Washington Nationals' 8-5 victory against the Padres.
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Photo of the Day: Bobby V. and a cherry tree.
Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, supported by pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, accepts the gift of a cherry tree from the Consul General of Japan in Boston — Takeshi Hikihara — and his wife. The gesture symbolizes the gifting of 100 cherry trees by the mayor of Tokyo to Washington, D.C. 100 years ago, and also is meant to show appreciation to the United States for its assistance following the earthquake and tsunami that damaged Japan in 2011. Oh, the Red Sox beat the Mariners 6-1 behind Jon Lester.
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Three Facts for the Water Cooler:
• Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster has not received a win in 15 consecutive starts going back to 2011. He entered Monday night with a 1.02 ERA, lowest in the majors, and he did not receive a decision in the Chicago Cubs 6-4 victory against the Cardinals.
• 41-year-old right-hander Miguel Batista threw seven shutout innings at the Milwaukee Brewers, retiring 10 straight at one point, in a 3-1 victory for the New York Mets. New York improved to 20-15.
• The Kansas City Royals have won 11 of 17 after their 12-game losing streak earlier in the season. Bruce Chen allowed five hits over 6 2/3 innings against the mighty Texas Rangers, leading KC to a 3-1 victory at Arlington.
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