First baseman Adrian Gonzalez

It’s good to see old No. 23 at first base again. No, not my most beloved former Dodger, Eric Karros. I’m talking about last year’s acquisition from San Diego, Adrian Gonzalez. He was unstoppable in today’s game: 3-for-4 and he batted in four of the Dodgers’ six-pack of runs.

“I was just looking for something out over the plate, and I was able to stay on a couple of pitches and be able to get the hits when the runners were on base,” he explained in a post-game interview. If it’s that simple, maybe he can teach his teammates how to do it.

On paper, that sweep was spectacular. Good pitching, finally some good hitting today, two shutouts. Only it was against the pathetic Pirates. So I’ll wait to get super-excited about “The Whole New Blue” until they face a real team again. But it was nice to see some of the old magic and high-fives.

P.S. I was wearing my earrings for all three games. Count on that to continue.

Aaron Harang has a great sense of humor. Photo by Pamela Wilson

The Super Soaker is gone. The Dodgers traded Aaron Harang to the Rockies yesterday, and, BAM! He was designated for assignment. The pitching-rich Dodgers got a backup catcher in 36-year-old Ramon Hernandez, and Harang got the possibility of being a starter for whichever team picks him up. So it’s a win-win. Except for fans of his hijinx, like me.

While it didn’t happen as often as I would have liked last season, it was so much fun to watch this giant of a man crouch with impish glee in the dugout waiting for just the right moment to spring out with a water cannon and douse whichever teammate did something special. He was pretty stealthy for 6-foot-7. And he always had a look on his face like a kid playing paintball, as if he were on a super-covert operation and would be killed if discovered. I’ll miss that.

And remember the time he broke a team record and fanned nine batters in a row? I do. He could be really good on the mound, and really fun in the clubhouse. That’s the kind of Dodger I like to cheer for. Adios, Aamigo!