The Laugher: Game 6 Unfair Win Shares

The game only became a laugher for me in the top of the eighth inning. The edge was long gone from the game, and my wife and I were in and out of the house, doing things in the back yard as the daylight failed. I happened to come in and see Orlando Hudson's double to drive in two, and I shouted the news out to my wife, along with the suggestion that she come in to watch Manny bat. It was to be the capper to a game, perhaps, a nice celebration of the Dodgers first blowout win of the year.

So she comes into the house, happy over the double, anticipating watching Manny one more time, and --- Juan Pierre comes up to the plate.

Of course it should have been obvious that this is what would happen, and it's certainly the correct move to make. But in that moment it was quite a surprise. My wife said something to the effect of, "it's not Manny, it's little Juan Pierre!" with all the indignation she could muster. That was the moment when the easy mirth of a game well in hand reached the brim and laughter spilled over.

It was fun to watch him bat, with the game on the line. I want to root for Pierre, of course, and I don't relish lobbying against him getting playing time, and --- well, none of that really matters anymore. We watched him slap a few balls foul, then finally poke one into right field and secure the eleventh run for the Dodgers. Pierre won't get an unfair win share for that, be he will get a laugher share, which is almost as good, since it's rarer, so rare that it didn't exist before I wrote this sentence.

Stults became the new Dodger number one starter, or at least he took that slot in the rotation, and his results were nearly in line with what we'd like from the ace starter. The scarcity of runs allowed were there, the battling mentality was there, he even had a strikeout per inning --- only the innings pitched were lacking. So it is with all the Dodger starters so far. At least the 'pen innings today were stress-free ones. For that we can thank the Dodger offense finally breaking out and reaching its potential.

The Dodgers should score in double digits or close at least once a week, which should win the game no matter how the starter pitches unless he has a Tomko-twin performance. It looked like another tough offensive game early, but Hudson knocked the first brick loose with his home run in the fourth inning, Martin blasted a wide hole with his two-run double, and the rest of the Dodgers eventually poured through the breach to seal the win.

Unfair Win Shares ( Dodgers )

J. Martin -- 1
Hudson -- 1
Stults -- 1


Laugher Shares ( Dodgers )

Pierre -- 1


Unfair Loss Shares ( Snakes )

Petit -- 1
Buckner -- 1
Upton -- 1