Thursday, July 30, 2009

Player of the game: Matt Kemp (above), who hit a two-out, two-RBI single in the tenth inning to put the Dodgers ahead for good. (He ended up going 3-for-5 with three RBIs.) Nothing like a clutch hit to send the team to Atlanta in a good mood.

Honorable mentions: Hiroki Kuroda (6.0 IP, 2 ER), Hong-Chih Kuo (who struck out Rick Ankiel on three straight heaters after Joe Torre ordered Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday intentionally walked to load the bases in the eighth) and Jonathan Broxton (who got Pujols, the tying run, on a weak dribbler back to the mound to end the game).

Also, Rafael Furcal had a two-RBI double as his only hit of the game, and Casey Blake went 4-for-5, scoring two runs.

Good-bye, St. Louis, home of home-field advantage. If the Dodgers never return to play at Busch Stadium, it'll be too soon.