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Y E S T E R D A Y…

Dodgers 2, Nationals 0: The good news is the Dodgers swept the Nationals, keeping them one game off the pace in the NL West.  More?  Rookie pitcher Clayton Kershaw earned his first Major League win, Johnathan Broxton notched his fourth save since taking over as the closer, and James Loney had a home run.  With 59 games left, perhaps it’s time to revel in the idea that the boys in Blue are finally putting things together?  Okay, maybe, maybe not.  But at least the sense of dread is fading, right?

Orioles 5, Angels 2:  They’d won nine of ten, so losing at the hands of an Orioles team on a five game losing streak may not be so bad. Even with the bad result, the Angels certainly had their opportunities, they simply busted out.  2-10 with runners in scoring position.  The Orioles were hungry , and Ervin Santana was the prey, giving up seven hits and five runs in five innings. The Angels chalked it up to mistakes and are looking ahead, and it’s not like one loss is going to ding the feeling of being up 10.5 games in the division.

Sparks 92, Minnesota 84: Lisa Leslie anchored the Sparks in overtime win against the Lynx with 23 points. Candace Parker had 23 of her own helping lift the Sparks to a win the last game before the Olympic break.                          

T O D A Y…

Angels at Boston (4:05 pm, ESPN): Another preview of a potential AL Championship series.  After the Halos handled the champs at home, they look to remind them that they can play on the road, too.  Certainly LAA’s 33-19 on the road says they can do it.  With a lot on the line, look for big nights from Jered Weaver and Daisuke Matsuzaka on the hill.

Giants vs. Dodgers (7:05 pm, Prime): The Dodgers have a chance to get over the .500 hump while beating up their hated NorCal rivals.  Talk about potential fun at the park!  Hiroki Kuroda gets the start opposite Kevin Correia in front of what will likely be the hostile, Giants-are-in-town crowd.  Leave your orange at home.

N E W S W O R T H Y…

• For Tommy Lasorda, the competative fire began at an early age, as well as his love for the Dodgers.
• In Southern California, surfing is totally a sport.
• AVP tour stop in Long Beach has familiar outcome, Walsh and May-Treanor on top.
• It’s never good to hear the words “dead” and “arm” in the same sentence when a pitcher speaks, especially if you’re John Lackey and the Angels.
• Andy LaRoche is heading back to Triple-A.
• The news wasn’t all good for the Blue on Sunday, as Nomar Garciaparra left early with a sore knee.

C O L U M N S…

• Don Mattingly shows why his a class act not only as a coach, but as a father too. Helene Elliot of the L.A. Times reports on how Mattingly made the tough decision to leave the team in order to be a rock for his youngest son, and why he’s enjoying his return to L.A. that much more.

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