DEVELOPING: Beckett Throws No-No Against Phillies, First of 2014

((HT: MLB/TWC Sportsnet))

Let's go to the last out first, since the pitch before, Chase Utley started walking to first on a three-ball count...


Beckett throws the 21st no-hitter in the history of the Dodgers franchise and the first since Hideo Nomo in 1996.

Michael Radano over at mlb.com has some stats on Beckett and his lack of success going into this game:

Beckett, who has one career one-hitter, entered the game 4-12 in his last 20 road starts -- including a 1-1 record in three road starts this year with a 4.32 ERA.

Beckett, whose previous closest call to a no-hitter was 6 2/3 innings against Detroit when he was with Boston on June 4, 2009

After a walk to Marlon Byrd in the second inning, Beckett would go on and retire 21 in a row. He threw 128 pitches, walking 3 and striking out 6. It was the outing in his career with the most pitches thrown- facing 30 batters along the way.

It's Official: Dodgers go for broke with Monster trade (UPDATED w/Immediate Results)

Hmmm...it's amazing what happens when a team having to scrape by on pennies for a couple of years all of a sudden is sold to a guy with gazillion's of dollars to spend.

That's what happened over the last 48 hours as the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a massive trade with the Boston Red Sox.

The end result, the Dodgers get Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett along with Nick Punto for James Loney and 4 minor leaguer's. Granted the minor league guys were all prospects, but still a strange trade.

The Dodgers take on some $250 million more in Salary and the Red Sox clear space for next year. The Dodgers are 3 back of San Francisco as we write this, the Red Sox, all but out of the playoff's.

Our Take: The Dodgers are going out on a limb. A BIG limb. Gonzalez hasn't been the same guy he was since leaving San Diego. Crawford is and has been hurt...and done nothing in Boston. Beckett has been pretty good, though he has sucked so far this year. And now, if this doesn't work out...there's nobody of note left in the minor league system to bail them out.

And the Sox, finally stop trying to be "The Yankees" north. They have the flexibility and depth in the system to get much younger, leaner and probably in the long run...better.

Sure, there are a lot of baseball people who said "Oh, crap, the Dodgers just bought the championship". To them we say "Settle Down".

They may win won someday, but anyone who follows baseball closely knows you don't win on paper. And while on "Paper" they have lots of big names, unless those names live up to their paychecks, this may be a decision the Dodgers regret for a long, long time.

SUNDAY UPDATE: So, Gonzalez hits a home run in his Dodgers debut- good enough for the 8-2 win...

He speaks...
((HT: PTDodgers))