Blog Kiosk: 9/8/2014 - Dodger Links - Dodgers Expand Lead in West to Three Games

Adrian Gonzalez was a lightening rod yesterday afternoon.  He rocketed two three-run home runs to power the Dodgers over the Diamondbacks.  Above is a photo of AGon's first home run swing from yesterday, via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014.  Go here for more pics from the day; including a sampling of the breakfast created by Chef Joyce Simonds that the Boys in Blue enjoy in the clubhouse.

Of note, in the seventh inning both Don Mattingly and Clayton Kershaw got thrown out of the game.  Mattingly got thrown out for arguing with an umpire's warning on a hit-by-pitch, and Kershaw was tossed for being unruly from the dugout during the ensuing argument.  Eric Stephen at True Blue LA has a good rundown of the events (go here). 

"It was a slider, man," said Kemp. "They were just jumping the gun a little too much. It's a pitch that doesn't really hurt too much."

"Dre got hit with a slider, they weren't trying to hit him," said Gonzalez.

BTW, AGon now has 100 RBI's; his fifth straight season.  The Dodgers expanded their lead over the Giants to 3.0 games.  Now, below are some more links to check out:

• Via the Dodgers on tumblr, check out this bubble celebration in the stands.
• Via Michael Lananna at MLB.com, "Mattingly: Unfair to hold Kemp to 2011 standard."

"I don't think we should be trying to compare and go back three years," Mattingly said Sunday. "I think it's better off staying right where we're at. Matt's been swinging the bat good, been driving the ball, been driving in runs. As much as anything, he's doing the job now. ... Hopefully this is glimpses of things to come."

• Via Mike Petriello at Dodgers Digest, "Juan Uribe Leading Some Fabulous Dodger Third Base Defense."
• Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA writes, "The intangibles."

It is commonly referred to in a variety of ways: getting into their head, rattling their cage or simply psyching them out. It is the affect that an individual or a specific incident has on an opposing player, usually a pitcher, in high stress situations and it is a game-changer – and Dee Gordon is the Jedi Master at it.

• Via Mike Petriello at FanGraphs, "Matt Kemp’s Great and Terrible Year."
• Via Scott Lindholm at Beyond the Boxscore, "Clayton Kershaw's stunning year."
• Dodger Penguin shares his day getting Joc Pederson's autograph at Frank & Sons on Saturday.

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