Casey Blake

Each time a gap has emerged in the Dodgers' infield this season, Jamey Carroll has seemed to ably fill it. After playing 25 consecutive games at shortstop for the injured Rafael Furcal , the 36-year-old utility fielder lately has filled in at third base for Casey Blake , who has been sidelined by back spasms. Entering Saturday night's game, Carroll was nine for 16 (.563) in his prior four games and was hitting .306 overall in 47 games. He has been particularly effective against right-handed pitching, batting .351.

The Dodgers' latest walk-off victory was the team's most bizarre in some time, delivered not by a long ball from Andre Ethier but by a few quick strides by Casey Blake. In a sequence that expanded the definition of what it means to be "clutch," Blake broke from third base toward home with two out in the ninth inning, eliciting a balk from a startled Esmerling Vasquez that lifted the Dodgers to a 5-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on Monday night. "Most of the time it doesn't work," Blake said.

Reporting from Denver -- Casey Blake and the Dodgers got what they wanted from the umpires, albeit one day too late to help them: The umps are going to keep an eye on Ted Lilly . Blake had charged the Cubs pitcher with working from in front of the rubber during Thursday's game. After a video review Friday, the commissioner's office advised umpires to be aware of the issue when Lilly pitches, spokesman Pat Courtney said. Courtney said the video was inconclusive as to whether Lilly had repeatedly pitched without maintaining contact with the rubber.

Reporting from Chicago -- Casey Blake accused Ted Lilly of cheating on Thursday, trying unsuccessfully to persuade the umpires that the Chicago Cubs pitcher should have been cited for starting his windup on some pitches from in front of the rubber. "I know he doesn't have an overpowering fastball," Blake said. "I know he's trying to get as much of an edge as he can. But he moved in. "That's cheating. You've got to stay on the rubber." Lilly did not hesitate to fire back.

Apparently, no Dodgers pitcher wants to be the one responsible for breaking the streak of the hottest team in baseball. Despite laboring at times and squandering an early lead, Hiroki Kuroda kept fighting long enough for his hitters to score again, and the Dodgers won their ninth consecutive game Tuesday night, a 7-3 victory over the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium. Casey Blake homered and Manny Ramirez and James Loney each had two-run singles to spearhead the Dodgers' offense in the win, the Dodgers' 11th in their last 12 games.

Hard to say who's been on a bigger high in recent days, rookie pitcher John Ely or the surging Dodgers overall. Either way, neither is ready to come back down just yet. The 24-year-old Ely turned in another outstanding start, Blake DeWitt and Casey Blake each had run-scoring extra-base hits and the Dodgers defeated the Houston Astros, 6-2, Monday night at Dodger Stadium for their eighth consecutive victory and 10th win in 11 games....

The day is coming, and probably soon. The Cleveland Indians will promote catcher Carlos Santana , and we'll start to find out whether the kid the Dodgers traded for Casey Blake two years ago was a surplus prospect or the next John Smoltz or Jeff Bagwell , a long-term stud sacrificed for short-term help. The Dodgers did just fine, for their purposes. They got Blake to help push them toward October, and with him they advanced to the National League Championship Series in consecutive years.

A quartet of Dodgers slugged home runs – including Manny Ramirez, who drilled his first of the season – and pitcher Clayton Kershaw delivered a solid if not spectacular start as the Dodgers rolled past the Arizona Diamondbacks, 9-5, to win their home opener Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. Casey Blake and Matt Kemp also homered, as did right fielder Andre Ethier, who blasted a three-run shot in his first start in five games after suffering a sprained ankle.

One is from Iowa, the other from the Moon. Two of the stars of Tuesday's 9-5 Dodgers win in their home opener were Casey Blake, Mr. Middle America, and Manny Ramirez, Mr. Starship Galaxy. Blake hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning and the notoriously slow-starter is now batting .389. Ramirez hit a solo shot to get things started for the Dodgers, leading off the fourth, and is now batting .304. His homer was one of those that arrived before it left. It was hard to tell if he hit it with a bat or shot it from a cannon.

Dodgers 7, Milwaukee Brewers 3 AT THE PLATE: Casey Blake was three for four with a run and a run batted in. The Dodgers were six for 14 with runners in scoring position. ON THE MOUND: Josh Towers gave up three runs in five innings. Manager Joe Torre used fellow fifth-starter candidate Ramon Ortiz out of the bullpen and Ortiz responded by striking out two in a scoreless inning. Closer Jonathan Broxton and setup man George Sherrill each tossed a scoreless inning.