One Game Above: Game 37 Unfair Win Shares

After last night's tense win over the Florida "Land" Marlins at Land Shark Stadium, the Dodgers are now 25-12, or 13 games above 500. But when a team is winning as much as the Dodgers, it's time move to a different frame of reference than 500. That 500 reference scale if for teams such as the Giants, who bravely march on at one game above 500. The Dodgers ( at least right now ) demand a higher scale, to better match their feats of glory and luck ( I'm looking at you, Pierre ).

The Dodgers are one game above the beast.

So, games above 500 are found by subtracting losses from wins; if the answer is negative, then you're below 500 of course. Games above the beast are found by subtracting twice the number of losses from number of wins. The Giants are 16 games below the beast. It must be said that the beast is truly a beast, for each loss will drop you two games down in this scale, while wins only gain you one spot back up ( natually, since break even is twice as many wins as losses ). This beastly reference frame is named after the number of the beast, which is 666, which is nearly what two thirds is, if you put a decimal point in front of it. Some may tell you that two thirds is even closer to 0.667, but 667 isn't anything interesting so I'm ignoring that.

Who allowed the Dodgers to edge a game above the beast last night? Blake was the first to act against Volstad, with a double in the third and then a home run in the sixth to help the Dodgers taste the heady run-scoring brew for the first time all night. Up until Blake's home run Volstad had prohibited the Dodgers even a taste of an intoxicating rally. Blake, as the cork puller, the bottle opener, if you will, gets his first unfair share of any kind this year.

In an alternate universe Pierre might be getting an unfair loss share for this game. If his sharp ground ball finds a fielder's glove during the seventh inning rally, then he ends the inning with a double play. That would have been two rallies he messed up, counting his silly caught stealing in the sixth inning. But instead his hard grounder found the hole, two runs came in, and he was the hero of the moment, giving the Dodgers the lead for the first time.

The last unfair win share will go to Broxton, who was shaky, but battled through it, and made the defensive plays he had to make, inspired Eric Collins to call him a "dancing bear", and sealed the win in the end.

Volstad gets an unfair loss share after the Dodgers repealed him with a three run sixth and a leadoff man in the seventh. Uggla and Amezaga were the late rally killers for the Marlins, and so they get the other two shares. Uggla was spared making the last out of the game only because he got himself kicked out earlier. Instead Gload took his place and flied out. I doubt Uggla, who is batting below 0.200, would have done any better.


Unfair Win Shares ( Dodgers )

Blake -- 1
Pierre -- 1
Broxton -- 1


Unfair Loss Shares ( Marlins )

Volstad -- 1
Amezaga -- 1
Uggla -- 1