James McDonald News

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti on Monday disputed reports that he's shopping reliever George Sherrill at the Winter Meetings and said the Dodgers' planned payroll for 2010 hasn't dropped from 2009.

In January, Baseball America ranked Andrew Lambo the Los Angeles Dodgers' #1 prospect.

Next week, Major League Baseball holds its Winter Meetings, and the patient Dodgers are expected to be mostly bystanders.

2) Scott Elbert and James McDonald step up and prove themselves ready to hold the No.

Voting Results User Choice: Jim Tracy, Rockies Scott Miller's prediction : Jim Tracy, Rockies.

On the same day Dodger Stadium would've hosted Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, two sets of very different but equally important processes were beginning.

From Philadelphia City officials spent the day greasing the light poles, street lights and nearby trees knowing Vicente Padilla was pitching for the Dodgers and the drunken uglies here would go stupid once the Phillies clinched the pennant.

Weaver's biggest fan: another Weaver. FROM WIRE REPORTS Friday, October 09, 2009 When Jeff Weaver came out of the Dodgers' bullpen into a sticky bases-loaded situation against the Cardinals late Wednesday, his little brother down in Orange County was probably even more jittery.

Published: Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 4:24 p.m. Last Modified: Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 4:24 p.m. When Jeff Weaver came out of the Los Angeles Dodgers' bullpen into a sticky bases-loaded situation Wednesday night, his little brother down in Orange County was probably even more jittery.

Doug Mientkiewicz rushed back from a dislocated shoulder that was supposed to end his season, thinking that playing the final month of the regular season could prepare him for the playoffs.

The Dodgers were already trailing by the final score in the eighth inning Tuesday night when Scott Elbert took the mound for the Dodgers, but it wasn't a meaningless outing for the rookie left-hander. "He's auditioning," said manager Joe Torre, who has been impressed enough by Elbert's composure and stuff to suddenly use him in close games with an ...

Chances are, the Washington Nationals won't transform henceforth into a 99-loss juggernaut, finishing their season with 12 consecutive wins, avoiding the indignity of triple digits. One more loss, and they've got 100 of them. Perhaps it's inevitable. Perhaps it's been inevitable since April.

But if the Nationals somehow go crazy, not losing again until 2010, it'll be no less improbable than Wednesday night's 5-4 victory over Los Angeles -- a celebration of microscopic odds, turned right.

The Nationals, down 3-0, were under the no-hit spell of Chad Billingsley until the sixth inning. Their relievers in a tie game walked leadoff men in the seventh and eighth innings, allowing no runs. Their go-ahead run in the top of the eighth came only when the Dodgers botched a routine fly ball and an inning-ending double play. They entered the bottom of the ninth tied only because relievers Sean Burnett and Sa?l Rivera retired Los Angeles's 3-4-5 hitters with the bases loaded and no outs.

Of course, Sherrill's not really this good ... but then again, he doesn't have to be, because the bullpen is absolutely stacked.

Justin Maxwell scored the game-ending run on Pete Orr's fly to right, as the Nationals overcame a blown ninth-inning lead to top the Dodgers, 5-4, in the middle contest of a three-game series.

How has Rick Honeycutt done as the Dodgers' pitching coach? "He's been here four years and we've been near the top in the league in ERA every year," said general manager Ned Colletti, who provides Honeycutt the arms that currently lead the league in staff ERA, as they did last year.

The Dodgers are receiving a visit from the team psychologist at a time when their hold of the National League West is looking increasingly unstable.

On a night when Dodgers GM Ned Colletti made two big moves to bolster his club's roster, one of his other midseason acquisitions suffered his first poor outing with the Dodgers.

Rusty Ryal's 10th-inning homer helped the D-backs past the Dodgers, 5-3, on Monday night in front of 45,211 at Dodger Stadium.

Matt Kemp hit a sacrifice fly in the 12th inning that proved to be the difference, as the Los Angeles Dodgers edged the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2, in the rubber match of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.

Giants first base coach Roberto Kelly tries to keep Pablo Sandoval separated from Dodgers catcher Russell Martin during the fifth inning.