LA Sports Update

Sports by Jonah Chodosh — May 1, 2009 at 9:50 am | 1 comment | | Print

To help you know what’s going and what to talk about tonight at the game, here’s a quick update on the Dodgers and the Lakers.

Los Angeles Dodgers
April marks the beginning of a long, optimistic Dodgers baseball season. Los Angeles, leading the National League West with a record of 15-8, looks to defend their division title. Friday’s CMC-subsidized match up features Dodger’s young gun pitcher Clayton Kershaw, and San Diego Padres’ 2007 Cy Young Winner Jake Peavy. Backed by one of the best pitching lineups in the majors, the Dodgers’ offense is centered around Manny Ramirez and Andre Ethier. But the Big Blue hasn’t won a World Series title since 1988, and Dodger fans are getting anxious. This season will put manager Joe Torre to the test, to see if he can bring the championship trophy back to LA.

Los Angeles Lakers
After ending the regular season as the best in the west (65-17), the Lakers look to take care of unfinished business in the postseason. On Monday, the Lakers finished their series with the Utah Jazz, cruising to the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets that starts next week.  Right now, the focus is on bringing home a ring, although it will not be easy.  The Lake Show, led by the swift Kobe Bryant and the smooth Spaniard Pau Gasol, poses an offensive threat that gives coaches nightmares.  Unfortunately, offense alone doesn’t win championships.  The boys in purple in gold must tighten up their defense and find a way to weather the LeBron storm, if they expect to make a run for the 2009 NBA Championship.