Blake activated from DL stint for neck stiffness; Uribe to DL with groin strain. Related?

"Lower... lower..."

Amidst the flurry of activity leading up to tomorrow's trade deadline, the Dodgers have made a different kind of roster move: Casey Blake has been activated from the DL, with Juan Uribe replacing him there after trying- and failing- to play through a groin strain.

Sexual innuendo aside, I'm all for anything that gets Juan Uribe out of the lineup, and it's nice to see Blake again in what will almost certainly be his last season in Dodger blue.  While it'd be nice to pay lip service to the idea that this will hurt Uribe's chances to get picked up as a waiver claim in the next few weeks, well... that's not going to happen.  So enjoy having Casey Blake back on the field, for as long as his body will allow, and try to pretend for the next 15 or so days that we don't have Juan Uribe signed for the next two seasons.  Ugh.

Things we learned from Yesterday's Game (7/20)

Clayton Kershaw can't believe Dioner Navarro just hit a homerun either.

Overview:  Clayton Kershaw is good at throwing baseballs.  Dodgers 1, Giants 0.

Pros:  Aside from Kershaw's continued dominance over the Giants?  Well, not much.  Dioner Navarro hit a homerun in the seventh to break a scoreless tie and Javy Guerra picked up his 6th save of the season in a perfect ninth.  But Kershaw was definitely the star of this show, pitching 8 scoreless innings, striking out 12 while walking just one.  We seem to remember the old days when people said as soon as Kershaw figured out his control issues he'd be one of the best in the game.  Well, with a 4.29 SO/BB ratio, we think it's safe to say that time is now.  Kershaw is, quite simply, among the elite in baseball right now.


Cons:  Again, the offense didn't show up, but that's nothing really new anymore.  Navarro, despite his homerun, made two errors behind the plate, once again questioning his ability to defend adequately.  Juan Uribe went 0-4, with a couple of strikeouts, but that's hardly worth reporting anymore.


What we learned:  That the only time my friend, who happens to be a Giants fan, doesn't talk shit to me during a Dodgers-Giants series, is when Kershaw pitches.  He respectfully keeps his mouth shut, because he knows that's the one game the Giants are likely to lose.