The Dodgers baby, the Dodgers

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Greg Maddux earned his 330th win to move into 10th place on the career list, which he acknowledged was "kind of cool."

Pitching for a contender puts things in an entirely different perspective.

Maddux worked seven solid innings, and the Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-3 Wednesday night to complete one of the most successful months since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

Off on Thursday, the Dodgers will begin September with a three-game lead over San Diego in the NL West -- not bad considering they were in last place a month ago at this time. That's when they acquired Maddux from the Chicago Cubs, a team that had no chance to make the playoffs.

"You try harder," Maddux said when asked about pitching for a contender. "You're not pitching for yourself. Any time you're not pitching for yourself, you do better."

The Dodgers went 21-7 in August, matching their highest single-month victory total since the move west from Brooklyn. Six of those wins came over Cincinnati for their first season sweep of the Reds while playing in Los Angeles.

Outside of the Florida Marlins there is no team that surprised me more this year than the L.A. Dodgers. I mean, what a homecoming for Maddux. You leave a terrible team to enter a pennant race in your hometown and start pitching lights-out. Couldn't have written it better myself.

But I can give you some of LA's finest Flogging Molly in honor the great month of August the Dodgers had. Here's to you guys; put on "Irish Drinking Song," pop open the champagne (or milk if you're hanging with Brad Penny) and invite Alyssa Milano over for some fun...watching "Charmed," of course.


Flogging Molly - "Black Friday Rule"
Flogging Molly - "Devil's Dance Floor"
Flogging Molly - "Drunken Lullabies"
Flogging Molly - "Factory Girls"
Flogging Molly - "Grace of God Go I"
Flogging Molly - "Irish Drinking Song"
Flogging Molly - "Light of a Fading Star"
Flogging Molly - "The Wrong Company"
Flogging Molly - "Salty Dog"