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Y E S T E R D A Y…

Dodgers 12, Padres 4: Manny Ramirez hit his 17th homer and drove home his 53rd RBI since joining the Dodgers as LA waxed San Diego at the Ravine. Combined with Arizona’s 4-2 loss in St. Louis, it means the Dodgers have clinched no worse than a tie in the NL West.  One win in their last four games or one more Diamondbacks loss, and it’s on to the postseason for the Dodgers.

Angels 6, Mariners 5: Mark Teixeira’s solo bomb in the eighth, one of his four hits on the day, gave LAA a lead before that K-Rod fella nailed down the win (LAA’s 98th) for the 62nd time this season.  That’s the good news.  The bad?  Jon Garland- 5 IP, 11 hits, 5 ER- continues to pitch himself out contention for a postseason rotation spot.

T O D A Y…

USC at Oregon State (6 pm, ESPN):  The Trojans open up Pac-10 play in Corvallis, where weird things tend to happen.  Fog, for example. With two weeks to prepare, it’s unlikely that Pete Carroll’s bunch will look past this one, not when one slip up in a weakened conference could cost them a shot at the BCS title.  Still, I’m thinking that the game will be closer than the 25 point spread indicates.

Dodgers vs. Padres (7:10, FSN): The Dodgers, the aforementioned one win away from the NL West title, send Greg Maddux to the mound against Jake Peavy.  Of course, by the time the game actually starts, they could already be champs.  Arizona plays the Cardinals at 12:15 local time, and should they lose, the Blue take the division before they get to the park.  What’s the rule about pregame champagne?

Angels at Mariners (7:10, FSN): Two up on Tampa Bay with four to play, the last road game of the regular season could go a long way to helping the Halos nail down home field throughout the playoffs.  They’ll send Dustin Moseley to the hill against Seattle’s Cesar Jimenez.

N E W S W O R T H Y…

• Rafael Furcal is finally healthy enough to rejoin the active roster for the Dodgers.  Brad Penny isn’t and won’t be, either, at least this season.  He was moved to the 60 day DL to make room for Raffy.
• Instant replay, baseball style, made an appearance in Wednesday’s Angels-Mariners game, and seemed to run smoothly enough.
• The Lakers introduced Chinese guard Sun Yue to reporters at their facility in El Segundo.  Fair to say he drew a bigger crowd than your average second round pick.
• USC recruit Maurice Simmons was sentenced to four years in prison for his participation in a robbery.
• Brian Cushing, the Trojans’ outstanding linebacker, is expected to play tonight despite hammy issues.
• UCLA is making a push to fill the Rose Bowl with fans this Saturday.  Fresno State fans, that is. 
• Point guard play has helped the Sparks into the Western Conference Finals.  
• For once, the Kings have too many players at one position.  Can any of the extra centers play some defense?
• The Ducks opened their exhibition season with a 6-4 win at Honda Center.

I N  T H E  B L O G S…

•  Adam Rose of the LAT’s All Things Trojan notes that officiating isn’t quite up to the times, at least when it comes to HD technology. 
• USC Blitz takes a look at tonight’s SC/OSU game. 
• The ladies of Purple Crushed Velvet discuss the Kings’ preseason opener… podcast style.

O N  S P O R T S H U B  L A

• Ted Green explains why the Dodgers need to resign Manny, despite the cash it’ll cost.
• Ali Jawad’s Power Rankings indicate that Ramirez fellow has helped a little, too.
• Check back later today for our weekly podcasts with Adam Rose of the LAT.

C O L U M N S…

•  Gregg Patton of the Press-Enterprise notes that nothing about USC’s march to a national title is inevitable or ironclad, something that if they’re not careful the Trojans could learn tonight in Corvallis.  It’s a place where strange bounces happen, the opposition is well coached (and knows USC well), the elements could factor in (rain is a possibility), and the crowd is fierce.
• Bill Dwyre of the LA Times was there for Opening Day at Santa Anita, and says you should have been there, too.  As you were likely stuck behind a desk all day, I can’t imagine why you’d disagree.
• Steve Dilbeck of the Daily News writes that for all the Manny Mania (and there’s been plenty), it’ll be starting pitching that helps get the Dodgers through the playoffs.  In the first round, they’re set to throw Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, and Hiroki Kuroda.  If those guys don’t come through, it won’t matter what Manny does.  He’s right, of course, and only moreso given the short series format of MLB’s first round.
• SportsHubLA.com Column of the Day: Bill Plaschke writes that now that the Blue are (more or less) in the playoffs, simply being there isn’t enough.  Another first round exit followed by an uncertain winter doesn’t do much to restore tradition, especially given LA’s record and questions about Manny in ‘09.  This is a franchise, he writes, that should be better than it is, that doesn’t have the record of performance fans deserve.  I don’t think he’ll get much argument.  Of course, it matters who they play.  Should the Dodgers head east to meet Philadelphia or New York, from a competitive standpoint, there’s no reason they couldn’t win against those teams.  Both are imperfect, to say the least, and suffer from pitching questions.  Chicago, on the other hand, is built well for a short series.  Zambrano, Harden, Dempster.  That’s a big Big Three.  Should the Blue end up in the Windy City, advancement could be tough.

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