Wake-up call: Dodgers, Rays, Kings, Condoleezza Rice

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First things first: Tonight is Game 5 of the NLCS, and Chad Billingsley is scheduled to be the Dodgers’ starting pitcher against the Phillies. We know what has gone on for the last few days. The throw behind Manny Ramirez’s head, Billingsley not retaliating. Manny not visibly reacting when the ball ‘slipped’ out of Brett Myers’ hand but certainly reacting later. It’s no surprise that Billingsley’s game fell apart shortly after that. The pressure was from his teammates in the dugout. As ex-L.A. Times baseball writer and now Yahoo columnist Tim Brown says: Billingsley’s ‘hardball manhood was challenged. ... It’s all petty. It’s all childish. But it’s real in those clubhouses. ...’ Our own Bill Shaikin calls on Billingsley to stand strong and live up to the name of his hometown. The game is on Channel 11.

Crushed at Fenway: The Tampa Bay Rays ability to score almost at will (13-4 was the score) left the Fox announcers reeling, and by the eighth inning, they were speaking glowingly, almost adoringly, of the young Rays. The Rays now lead the series 3-1 and seem to own the ever-fickle momentum. Yes, it was a bad night for the Red Sox, but they never gave up. Particularly Kevin Youkilis. Game 5 is on Thursday.

Crushed on ice: The Kings are now 1-2-0. By the end of Tuesday’s game, the score was 6-3. As Helene Elliott notes this morning in her column, the Kings powered past the Ducks because the Ducks mostly sat in the penalty box. Again. Ryan Getzlaf leads in penalty minutes with 15, and Chris Kunitz is next with 12. And that’s in only three games. Times staff writer Dan Arritt blogged from the game last night too, recording the onslaught. At one point, there seemed to be so many shots on goal, it reminded me of Tuesday’s ‘In the Bleachers.’

Just crushed: Much is being made of how the Estero High (Florida) football team lost to Naples High 91-0. The Naples Daily News has an online poll, and as of this writing, 992 votes have been tallied and 62% say you shouldn’t blame Naples if Estero is just that bad. And 37% said Naples Coach Bill Kramer and his Golden Eagle should be ashamed.

Just in: The Sporting News’ Mike Florio reports that ‘a league source tells us that an outside-the-box name is being mentioned as a possible candidate to replace the late Gene Upshaw as executive director of the NFL Players Assn. And the below-the-radar (for now) candidate is Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.’ She may be looking for a new job, so no surprise she turns again to the NFL. As Florio notes, she admitted in 2002 that she was interested in being commissioner. Maybe it was leaked to Florio to, as they say, ‘test the waters.’ It would be an interesting choice, that’s for sure.

-- Debbie Goffa