Opinion of Kingman's Performance

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Dodgers lose first game of the season as Padre bats wake up.

With an 8-4 victory over the Dodgers today. The Padres avoided what would have been an embarrassing four game sweep to start the season at home.  In a game void of many Dodger highlights the exceptions were Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier who each hit a two run homer.

Dodger starter Aaron Harang took the loss in his first start against his former team (photo by Gregory Bull/AP)
The Dodgers return home and enjoy a day off before Tuesday’s home opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Clayton Kershaw will start  the Tuesday afternoon affair against Pirate starter Kevin  Correia.
James Loney still seeks his first hit of the season, starting the season 0-12 with three strikeouts.  Juan Uribe tallied his first hit of the year, a single in the top of the fifth inning, only to immediately be erased by a Loney double play grounder.  Thus far the middle of the order made up of Kemp, Rivera and Ethier are carrying their weight.
Hot hitters Mark Ellis and A.J. Ellis each had the day off, something that didn’t entirely make a lot of sense considering that the Dodgers have an off day on Monday.
This day in Baseball history.
Thirty-eight years ago today, Henry Aaron homered off of Al Downing in the fourth inning at Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium for his record breaking 715th home run.  It was a Monday night nationally televised game, Aaron blasted a Downing fastball into the Atlanta bullpen in Left Center Field.  The Braves won the game 7-4.

This was a game that my whole family had gathered around the television to watch and I must admit that I was distracted when Aaron hit the homer.   I missed him hitting the pitch live.   I recall my dad saying, “There it goes,” and I looked up and there it went.   It was an amazing moment in history and as a witness to the Bonds home run chase during the last decade, the Aaron race against the Babe was much more exciting.  There was nothing to tarnish Hank's accomplishment.  He was out and out a great hitter.



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