Hanley! Hanley! Hanley!

Say that name 3 times real quick.

Hanley!  Hanley!  Hanley!

It's like in the movie Beetlejuice, but instead of calling up a ghost from the underworld you get the heroic power of a Dominican.

Hanley Ramirez is on fire, and I think it's quite clear that it is he who is the real driving force behind the Dodgers resurgence.

Tonight, Hanley did it again by doubling home the winning run in the 10th inning against the Nationals to win their 2nd game in a row.

We now find ourselves a game out of 1st place, and face the possibility of going 1/2 a game behind the Diamondbacks if they lose tonight's game against the Giants. 

Wow!  It's great to finally see the Dodgers playing the way we had all hoped when the season began.

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Blog Kiosk: 7/20/2013 - Dodgers Link - Claude Osteen, Tommy Davis and Don Newcombe

Puig just impacts every game he plays in.  Gif above via Dodgers tumblr.

• Via Bob Lemke, "Thompson, Newcombe made history July 8, 1949".

I wonder if the 34,468 fans at Ebbets Field on July 8, 1949, had any idea they were witnessing baseball history when Henry Thompson of the New York Giants stepped to the plate to lead off the top of the first inning.

On the mound for the Brooklyn Dodger was Don Newcombe. It was the first time that a black batter had faced a black pitcher in a regular major league game.

• Claude Osteen: Dodgers’ Valuable Third Wheel," Via Paul Swydan at FanGraphs.

Everyone remembers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. The duo pitched 11 years together in Brooklyn and in Los Angeles. Together, the pair  helped the Dodgers reach the Fall Classic five times, three of which their team won. But there’s a good chance  they wouldn’t have won their third and World Series title without the help of their third wheel, Claude Osteen.

• "Rancho Cucamonga honors ex-Dodgers star Tommy Davis, " via Neil Nisperos at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

"I came out here in 1981 and it was because of my sister-in-law, my wife's sister, she was staying out here and we kind of fell in love with it ... We've been out here ever since and we really love it out here. We've met some nice people and have some great neighbors, and I wouldn't have it any other way." 

• Ethier heating up?  "Ethier strikes again in familiar scenario, "  via Mark Simon at ESPN.
• "Kemp faces live pitching, eyes Sunday return," via Andrew Simon at MLB.com.

"I don't know. We'll see when I start playing," Kemp said. "It's hard to tell. Practice is totally different from the game. But I feel good."

Kemp has hit .254 with a .666 OPS in 61 games this season, and now is trying to bounce back from an injury for the second time.

"It is what it is. You've got to deal with it," he said. "When you do come back, try to not get hurt. Just dealing with it. It can be frustrating at times, but it is what it is. Injuries are part of the game."

• BTW, Kemp batted against Lilly in a simulated gate earlier today and did well.  Via a tweet from David Vassegh.

Kemp hit 2 bombs off Lilly in 17 pitches.  He is now out of cage and Lilly continues to pitch
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) July 20, 2013

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