Weekend Wake Up: Dodgers Clinch, ‘Canes Survive, Trojans Roll, Garcia Grouses

While Tommy Lasorda frolicked with some sort of Star Wars convention at Dodger Stadium yesterday, one of the Dodgers’ young masters was on the mound. Clayton Kershaw fanned ten, including five of the first six batters he faced in six scoreless innings, and the Dodgers used a five-run seventh inning to put away the Rockies both in their 5-0 win and the NL West division race. Making matters worse for Colorado, Jorge De La Rosa, who started, left in the fourth inning with tightness in his groin, and may not be available in their opening round series against the Phillies. Miami Wins By a Slice. How close was Miami’s 21-20 win over Oklahoma? Both teams recorded 21 first downs, and The U outgained OU by just one yard, 342-341. Jacory Harris recovered from picks on his first two drives to throw three TDs, but it was Javarris James, who rushed for a career-high 150 yards against the nation’s best rush defense, including 38 on the final clock-killing drive, who sparked the ‘Canes.

Men of Troy Dump Cal’s Boys. USC may be just fine. Cal is not. After a thorough 30-3 destruction of the Golden Bears, the Trojans appear to be stout on defense and good enough to win comfortably on offense. Cal, though, appears as fraudulent as a three-dollar bill: They’ve lost their last two games by a combined 72-6 margin, and their early-season wins over middling Maryland and Minnesota look diminished and distant.

Garcia Grumbles. It’s not surprising that Jeff Garcia is ripping JaMarcus Russell and the Raiders; the Raiders richly deserve to be ripped. But it is unusual that Garcia would air out grievances while still actively seeking an NFL gig. Having an employee talk poorly of a former employer makes that employee, for his or her indiscretion, look almost as bad as the employer, and Garcia, good enough to be signed by the Eagles earlier this fall, could be reducing his chances of finding work with another team in a tumultuous by showing his willingness to ream all comers on the way out.

↵