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Kershaw, Dodgers Hang on To Even Series, Cody Bellinger Debuts

Clayton Kershaw

Did you know that the Dodgers had lost 17 out of their last 22 games in San Francisco before Tuesday night’s game? After Monday night’s awful 2-1 loss you wouldn’t figure the Dodgers would probably win. Normally the Dodgers fold up like a beach chair whenever the play the Giants in the bay. But tonight Clayton Kershaw was on the mound. And you are probably well aware of how much he dominates the Giants. Thanks to another magnificent performance from Clayton the Dodgers beat the Giants 2-1 and even the series at one game apiece. Kershaw is now 19-8 against the Giants in his career.

Dodgers 2 7 0

Giants     1 8 0

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LP-Blach-0-1

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Bellinger 1 for 3 – infield single, IBB

The Dodgers especially needed this win because the club is just not hitting a lick right now. Most nights they can’t muster up more than two runs. So before the game the club announced that top prospect Cody Bellinger would be promoted to the big club as the Dodgers optioned Brett Eibner to make roster room. The move smells of desperation, as most did not think Bellinger would see big league action until later in the season. Hopefully he can breath some life into this listless offense.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

That set off massive hype across social media of course as the top youngster made his MLB debut. The Dodgers stuck him in left field, which is where he figures to get most of his playing time for the foreseeable future. Bellinger (who wore number 35) was 1 for 3 during the game with an infield single and an intentional walk. The Giants also called up their top hitting prospect Christian Arroyo as we all got to see two top prospects from both sides going head to head. Pretty cool I would say.

The Dodger hitting was anemic as usual against opposing southpaw Ty Blach. Remember Madison Bumgarner fell off his dirt bike in a foolish accident, so Blach was tapped to fill in for him. He pitched well, although it doesn’t take much against the Dodger bats. Thankfully Kershaw was on the mound so the Dodgers didn’t need to score many runs.

The Dodgers were 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left 8 men on base. The Giants were 2 for 7 and also left 8 stranded. The Dodgers had just one extra-base hit and the go-ahead run scored on a grounder. It was the Giants who actually got on the board first getting to Kershaw early and putting the Dodgers in an early hole.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Kershaw had to pitch out of jams in the first and third innings before surrendering a run in the bottom of the third. Kershaw allowed an Arroyo single and a Buster Posey walk in the first frame, but escaped getting Brandon Crawford to line out. In the third inning opposing pitcher Blach doubled and advanced to third on a single from Hunter Pence. Kershaw whiffed Arroyo and Nunez, but Posey singled just under Kike’s glove to score Blach and give the Giants a 1-0 lead. That was all Kershaw would allow as he would finish with 7 strikeouts and 1 walk over 7 commanding frames. Kershaw allowed 6 hits and made 90 pitches as he improves to 4-1.

Blach tossed 5 innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits and struck out 2. Both of those runs came in the top of the fourth inning. Corey Seager walked and Justin Turner singled to put runners at first and second for the Dodgers. Yasiel Puig’s run scoring ground ball bouncer into center tied the score. Then Adrian Gonzalez’s force play grounder erased Puig at second, but Turner broke to score from third. Giant’s backup catcher Nick Hundley (Posey was playing first base) dropped the throw allowing Turner to score and put the Dodgers ahead 2-1.

The Dodgers had a golden opportunity to pad the lead in the seventh when they loaded the bases after a lead-off double from Gonzo, a walk to Yasmani Grandal, and an intentional walk to Bellinger. But of course the Dodgers failed to score in typical fashion. Taylor popped out, Kershaw flied to left, and pinch-hitter Andrew Toles struck out against George Kontos on what looked like ball four. Toles has been pretty bad lately.

The Dodgers had two runners on in the eighth, but again couldn’t score. Gonzo flied out and Grandal whiffed. The Giants had their only chance to tie or take the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Human rain delay Pedro Baez began the frame by retiring Arroyo and Nunez on consecutive pop outs.

With two outs and nobody on base Dave Roberts decided to bring in Kenley Jansen for a four-out save because the Dodgers have been playing so awful of late and he didn’t want to take any chances. So Posey immediately singles to left and Crawford singles Posey to third. The throw from Bellinger into third was close, but the replay correctly showed that Posey was safe, sliding underneath the tag. Kenley refocused and was able to whiff Brandon Belt to end the inning and the Giant’s hopes of winning.

The bottom of the ninth was much calmer for Kenley. He struck out Joe Panik on a called strike three. Drew Stubbs popped out and finally Conor Gillaspie grounds out to end the game. The Dodgers win 2-1!

We were hoping that the Dodgers adding to the Giant’s miseries would help take our minds off of this frustratingly mediocre start to the season for the Dodgers. Then they lost last night adding fuel to our annoyance, so this was a win they badly needed. Can you imagine how frustrated and depressed we would have all been had they lost this game? Beating the Giants always makes us all feel better.

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The Dodgers now improve to 10-11 on the season while the Giants fall to a putrid 7-14. Like I have said before, it could always be worse. Look at the Giants. The Dodgers have finally come to their senses and have announced that Julio Urias will be called up to start the series finale on Thursday. In the meantime four inning struggler Alex Wood will counter Johnny Cueto on Wednesday night at 7:15 PM.

Scott Andes

Scott Andes: Longtime writer and Dodger fanatic

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Scott Andes
Scott Andes: Longtime writer and Dodger fanatic
https://ladodgerreport.com

82 thoughts on “Kershaw, Dodgers Hang on To Even Series, Cody Bellinger Debuts

  1. Toles need to be sent down to play everyday. Pitchers are using his aggression against him. I called that entire pitch sequence against him, no big deal I know as everyone at the bar was pretty ho hum about it, but my point is that it’s very obvious and he needs to work on some things, like either learn to hit the high heater or lay off it and force them to throw low (which he can hit plenty).

    1. Can’t argue with that YF.

      Just read through yesterday’s thread and Badger had some great lines that made me chuckle.
      We seem to go through these troughs where just can’t collectively hit – been like it for a few seasons now. This gives me hope that it will turn around. Badger made a good point about the lack of a true Lead Off Man.
      I hope they play Belinger now he’s up. Platooning must be difficult at any time, but especially if you are 21.

      Many of you make good points about Grandal, but his “Framing” really did help Kenley out of a hole.
      I think MJ has been the most consistent in her concerns about our batting lineup & its love of the long ball, and not enough single hitting.
      That concern is looking more & more justified.

    2. YF

      If this continues with Toles, I have no problem with him going down, because I know he will hit there.

      And since he has only started two of the last six games, I think the game is speeding up on him.

      And I can’t beat him up, because Joc still does stuff like that, and Puig has been good, but he still will do something like that, and he is playing everyday.

      Are biggest problem, is these platoons, and like last night, I think most of the offense with this platoon line up, comes mostly from the everyday players, that play with them.

  2. I don’t think it was framing W, that ump had a strike zone wider than my Sony flat screen.

    Yeah, Kershaw is an animal out there. And I worry about him because animals have to go to the vet often, especially older ones. He only knows one speed and every now and then, like last night, we see him with a hitch in his gait. Even finely tuned athletes get scroinged on occasion. I’ve predicted a Greinke-like 30 year old opt out mega WAR performance next year but watching him play is like watching a bullfight. Is he gonna make it to the end of ’18? He was good. The rest of the Dodgers currently are white bread and baloney.

    Bellinger is here until Pederson gets back. If he lights it up, Toles will take his spot in OKC.

    On every night, churn, churn churn.
    For the whole season, churn, churn, churn.
    And a time to platoon, under FAZ.*

    *copyright – Sung by the Badgers

    1. Expanding the strike zone (or taking advantage of an expanded one (it’s one and the same (parenthesis alert))) is exactly what framing does.

      1. Then back up journeyman -0.2 defense Nick Hundley is as good at it as the Squirrel is.

        Your premise is acceptable.

    1. Yeah, he most probably is a better player than:
      A. What he showed last year
      B. What people on this boards think.

      1. Huh? He is what the stats says he is – an average ML outfielder who in the couple of months he was with LA was in a slump. And with a career .256/.316/.430 slash line he probably had a few slumps.

          1. “You just said it better”

            Then maybe you misread it.

            I’m gonna go pull weeds. It’s therapy for me.

      2. Well he sure has not shown he is an above average player, and I think the Astros over paid him…..but he likes the AL better anyway

  3. MJ, had my eye surgery yesterday. Turned out OK, as far as I know, but what a royal mess. Had my nephew drive me to Vegas, got there about 12:30, appointment at 1:20. No food since dinner night before, one cup of water at least 6 hours before the operation. There were 5 women in the front office taking care of the insurance papers and copays, maybe 6 to 8 patients altogether. One by one we’re “papered” and led into the back, what I would call the holding cell area. There were maybe 6 to 8 curtained off areas with easy chairs in them for patient privacy. In about 20 minutes time I was visited by half a dozen new attendants who put a paper hat on my head, a hospital gown over my clothing, booties over my shoes, a red dot over the eye to be operated on, splashed with at least 7 different eye drops, confirmed who I was and that I had completed all my pre-op instructions, given a name tag on wrist…. And then totally ignored for the next 2 hours while the employees told each other jokes and played grab ass. There were about 10 of them there doing nothing except two of them in the “recovery” section who had to quit playing to handle the finished “operatees” as they were returned. One removed all the applied accoutrements , attachments, and hospital clothing the confused patient was wearing. The other had a deck of CYA insurance vouchers for him to sign. All that took about 5 minutes, then one of them rolled the patient out of the building in a wheel chair (more CYA) and returned to playtime. About 3;30 I was rolled back to the operating room. Think I was the last patient. I thought I had seen the main event but apparently that was all just a warmup to the main event. At the door, the Doctor and 5 assisants descended upon me, all trying to put blood pressure cuffs, heart monitors, drapes, oxygen tubes and I don’t even know what else. All simultaneously and as I was getting out of the wheelchair and onto the operating table. Needless to say they ended up with a tangled mess that was inoperable and had to do it all over. The doctor was quite anxious to get started and moved right in. They had put in a stint (?) to inject tranquilizers into my left hand in the holding cell. When they tried to use it, it didn’t work, so they tried to do another one on my right hand as the doctor continued on, They couldn’t get that one to work either, the only tranquilizers I felt were running down my fingers. I never mentally felt any drugs and I’m sure the op was completed without them. No matter, there was never any pain. Eventually it was over, I was wheeled to the recovery station where one guy removed a bushel of tubes and crap that were attached to me as a woman had me sign CYA forms and I was wheeled out at last. A (hopefully) short visit to his local office today to remove the bandages and one follow up visit next week and I’m done for six months and then the cataract surgery. Really, I have seen better run Chinese Fire Drills. How in Heaven’s name could anyone enjoy going to doctor’s offices? Sorry for the long comment.

    1. Ugh. Never have had an experience like that. I had my stomach done with a Fobi pouch to lose weight in 1992. The pre-op stuff was the worst part. I have a pretty high pain tolerance level, but when the male nurse came in and took my blood gasses, that hurt like hell. They have to go into the artery. Needle was not that big, but it felt like they were trying to shove a Mack truck in my hand. Operation worked, I lost 235 pounds, so it was worth it. Probably saved my life.

    2. Jonah

      That doesn’t sound like fun at all.

      I know what you mean, about having to wait around.

      Why do they always want you to get there so early, to wait around?

      I hate that too.

      I can tell you this, your cataract surgery will be nothing compared, to what you, just went through.

      I don’t even remember having to wear a hospital gown for that.

      And remember, I had my cataract surgery twenty years ago, so technologically, should be much better by now.

      Do you have to put medicine in your eyes, periodically?

      I assume they only operated on one eye, or you wouldn’t be able to write this.

      I’m sorry for what you went through, just be glad, that it is over, and your next surgery, will be much easier.

      Take care my friend!

      1. Yes, one eye and 3 kinds of eye drops for a month. As far as improvements, remember you used Kaiser, a well organized sensible medical group. I’m sure they would be rolling in the aisles laughing at this operation. By the way, take my complaints with a grain of salt: I’m still pissed at God for continuing to make flawed models that need a lot of maintenance and repairs… In a better world a competitor would have brought out a better model and put him out of business eons ago…

  4. Well we know Bellinger will be in the lineup the next 2 games, and we know Urias is starting Thursday afternoon. We do not know what kind of a game we will get out of Wood against Queto. We also know that Grandal is a double play machine. I am not going to berate Toles for chasing that high pitch, he is after all technically a rookie, and no doubt since he has not been hitting, and the bags were juiced, he really wanted a hit in that spot. Even though he is slumping, I would have sent Utley up there, much calmer in that situation, and he would have taken that last pitch, but we will never know. Kenley made it interesting in the 8th, but got out of it. Jeter and Bush submit the high bid for the Marlins. Does that mean DM will be out of a job when they take over? Well it will be a few months before it is even approved.

    1. Someone said Roberts suggested Urias is now “in the rotation” or something to that effect. If so, he’ll be done by October.

      Bellinger looked calm and collected. I like his swing. There will be a learning curve in the Majors. Do you think we should start the clock on him now?

      1. It was a quote from Joe Davis who mentioned it on the broadcast. Said that was the plan all along and they got that from Roberts. Urias will be one of the 5 starting Thursday. Which raises all sorts of questions since that means Wood goes back to the pen as a long man. Who gets sent down? With Hill on the DL it means the 5 starters will be Kersh, Ryu, McCarthy, Maeda, and Urias. Who gets bumped when Blister Boy comes back??? They can pretty much keep him on the DL for a while. So far Maeda is the least effective. Going to be interesting, and it also sets up some trade possibilities. As for Bellinger, I think he will be here until at least when Joc gets back. If he hits, he will most likely stay a while. Neither Ethier, nor Gutierrez anywhere close to returning, and Thompson needs a lot of work. If he hits, Toles will go down.

    2. Michael

      He didn’t have a good at bat, and if the game is speeding up on him, I rather see him go down.

      I know he will hit in AAA.

      Because it will be hard for him to be able to slow the game down, and regain confidence, with out having consistent at bats, and he won’t be getting them at the major league team right now.

      I don’t want to see him stay up, and flounder, like Joc did, in his first year.

      I rather he went to AAA, and get consistent at bats.

      1. He actually has more AB’s than Joc. So his only thing is they do not start him against lefty’s. Now will he be in the lineup tonight? Probably. I think Roberts is going to put him in CF. Bellinger in LF and Puig in RF. Normal team around the inf, but Utley will probably be at 2nd. With a RH going, Grandal will catch. I would not put Toles at the top of the order. He is no leadoff man. ESPN swung the axe today and announced it’s expected layoffs. Figured that was coming since more and more people are dropping cable and it’s high costs and are now using streaming devices, like I am. Most notable for baseball fans, Jason Stark and Jim Bowden, gone. About Toles MJ, AAA is loaded with OF’s too. Thompson, Eibner, Holt, Dickson and Verdugo already down there. Of course someone like Holt, who was a non roster invitee and who is not doing well at all could be cut.

        1. Michael

          The whole team is not hitting as well, as they, should.

          These platoons are not good for the hitters, or the team.

          It is a lot different starting a game, and getting four at bats, a night.

          Toles has started in two, of the last six games.

          He may get one or two at bats, at the end of a game, and that is not the same, and you know that.

          Puig has been playing everyday, and he was slumping too.

          And there are only a few players on the team, really hitting.

          Joc is not in his first year, he is in his third year.

          And yes since Joc went out, Toles does have the same amount of at bats, now.

          Thompson is one for 38 and he has struck out in 17 times.

          It is like Chili said, all of the outfielders better hit, and do there jobs, so it isn’t just Toles.

          And they will expect more, from the other outfielders, because they are not in their first year.

          1. I did not say Joc was in his first year. And Puig may have been in a slump, but he was hitting the ball and usually pretty hard. He only struck out 4 times in that stretch, last night was his 5th K. If you are at least making contact you have a chance. The difference between Toles and Joc is day and night. Toles is a contact hitter with speed and a little power. Joc is a pure power hitter. He is a better defensive outfielder than Toles. Toles will hit for a higher average, but Joc will hit for power. Toles is a pretty good speedster, but so far this year that has not shown up in his game. He IS getting playing time. If he was not, he would not have more at bats than Pederson. It does not matter when you get your AB’s. Your job as a professional baseball player, and this applies to all of them, is to get on base and do the job you were signed to do. Your job is to be READY to play at any time because a guy can go down in any part of the game. Last year Toles took advantage of those opportunities, this year he has not so far. His aggressiveness and newness to the league obviously helped him last year. But teams have a book on him now. They saw him last year and this year they are pitching him different and he has as yet not been able to adjust to that. Will he? Who knows. Toles started the games that RH pitched. He has not at this point convinced DR that he can hit lefty’s, so his being on the bench is understandable, but when a RH pitcher comes in, he needs to be ready, because DR has been putting him in the game before he uses Utley. SVS in my humble opinion is taking up valuable roster space and he is not producing. Utley has looked terrible at the plate. The only guys hitting are Turner and Seager. Gonzo and Turner have not provided power yet, Grandal had 16 days between homers and he still is terrible in the clutch. Kike has raised his average, but still looks like he is trying to pull the ball with power. And kid, you may as well get used to platoons with this front office. It is Friedman’s and Zaidi’s belief that this is the way to win games. They play the numbers and matchup’s and have been pretty much since they got here. It is not going to be like Lasorda’s glory teams and run the same 8 out there every night. To his credit, DR tries to get everyone playing time. But he also likes to ride the hot hand, just like Mattingly did. If it works, we will be eating crow, if not, the FO will feel the heat from the fans. And I am sorry to tell you this, but Toles is never going to be an everyday outfielder on this team. There is way too much OF talent ahead of him, and I am not even counting Andre and Gutierrez.

          2. My starting outfield was Ethier, Pederson, Puig and I was looking to a whole year of all three. Ethier may be the most capable hitter on this team when healthy. .285/.359/.463 slash is as good as any veteran we have, short of AGon’s .290/.361/491. If those two guys are done replacing what they bring might be organically not so much easily done. Starters going down, even the short term owies makes things complicated. Surgeries, and 60 day DL visits are season killers. As long as Seager, Turner,Puig, Pederson, Kershaw, Grandal (can’t believe I’m including him) are able to contribute normal production levels we should compete. If our team starts hitting as a unit it would be exciting. But that said, I’d like to see more of Bellinger, Taylor and maybe even Verdugo and Calhoun later on. Let’s see some youts.

  5. By the way Scott, that single that gave the Giants a 1 run lead was under Corey’s glove. Kike was playing CF, would have been really hard for him to stop that thing. I was impressed with Bellinger’s poise. And the sheepish smile on his face after he beat out his bleeder was refreshing. Bet he was telling the 1st baseman, I scorched the crap out of that one!

    1. Michael

      Bellinger looked much more mature in his at bats, then either Joc, or Toles right now.

      Did you see him spit on those two off speed pitches?

      Heck he recognized off speed pitches, better then Puig does.

      And he has a lot of back spin, on the balls he hits hard.

      That ball he hit to right, had tons of back spin, and it looked, like it was going to carry, much farther then it did.

      And the ball that that pitcher hit off Kershaw, that carried farther then the outfielders were positioned, Bellinger got to that ball, quicker, then Kike, did.

      1. A lot of poise in that boy MJ. Not sure how he will do, but I wish him the best. If Grandal had that kids poise, he would hit 300.

        1. Michael

          I guess his poise may come from being a former major leaguer’s son, but he might have just been born that way, like Seager.

          But you are right, we have only saw him, have three major league at bats.

          Darn Bochy!

          1. Pederson’s dad was a big leaguer for a little bit too. But he has picked up a few bad habits and they are working hard to get rid of them.

    2. Michael

      First Joc might be a power hitter, but he hasn’t shown much power yet, this year.

      But he still struck out over 18 times.

      I am not saying Toles should start against lefties.

      I think these platoons are hurting the team.

      They say the front office is in to numbers, but they continued to play this platoon team, all last year, even though they were last in offense.

      That just doesn’t make sense, with those low numbers.

      1. MJ, as you have made statements about A-Gones lack of power this year being connected to his elbow problem, the same could be said of Pederson. It was revealed right after the injury that the strain had been bothering him since spring training. And he has exactly 18 strikeouts. Power hitters do that you know. Seager has 20 already. Grandal has 17. Joc’s power will be there. When he gets healthy it will come. And another thing, Joc is in the lineup as much for his glove as he is his bat. That’s why he was out there the entire year he was a rookie. And like I stated above, you may as well get used to the platoons because this front office is matchup and stat motivated. They believe in their saber metrics and they will stick to what they think will make them win. Not fun to watch, but it is their belief. I believe Joc would have caught that ball Brach hit last night because Kike was playing too shallow, and Joc plays a deeper CF. I know they played platoon even when the numbers said it was not working. They are trying to prove something. The Dodgers will have a set lineup when they feel they have the right players in place……MAYBE. For now, it is what we have got. We can complain, be pissed off, rant all we want and it is not going to change anything. The fact is that NONE of those guys are playing that great. You can’t win if your 8 cylinder is only hitting on 2. Seager-Turner and that is about it. Like I said, it is time to send SVS packing, and Utley is not doing as they expected either…..which is sad, because he had a decent spring.

    1. For every plan, churn churn churn
      There is another plan, churn, churn……

      That song is getting old and it’s only April.

      Depth. Our incredible depth is keeping us just below .500.

      For every plan, depth, depth ….. forget it.

      Took a break from weeding to have a bagel. Maybe I should get back into the weeds. Feels like I’ve been in them since the season started.

        1. After being discharged in ’69 I made up for ’66-’68. So, though I wasn’t really a hippie, I was groovin’.

          1. 65 to 74. Got out after it was all over. I hated hippies! LOL. I was learning a new trade and playin country music…..so in a way I was grooving too. Favorite Byrd’s song…..Drugstore Truck Drivin Man…

    2. Jonah

      I am glad that you are back to your old self, and you are making things, real again.

      And don’t ever apologize, for writing to much!

  6. I for one am glad to see Urias coming up. I assume that he is taking Wood’s place in the rotation (and he’s taking Hill’s place). Who takes Maeda’s place? Or Ryu’s?

    I have been pleasantly surprised by McCarthy’s performance – I am afraid to believe that he will pitch this way all season but am willing to be convinced. But even if he does, this gives the Dodgers 2 sure things – 3 if Urias is all we think that he is. I still am concerned about the rotation.

    can’t remember a more bedraggled, injury-prone, inconsistent group of Dodger starting pitchers ever. Even in the bad seasons in LA like ’67 and ’68 the Dodgers had better pitching than they do now. (I would take a Sutton, Drysdale, Bill Singer and Claude Osteen – the foursome from ’67-’68, or Rich Sutcliffe, Sutton, Hooton & Reuss (’79) or Hersheiser, Candiotti, Ramon Martinez, Kevin Gross & Pedro Astacio (’92) over the starters we have now and those were some of the really bad Dodger teams.)

    1. Urias goes into Maeda’s spot for the one start, and every one gets pushed back a day. Maeda starts Friday vs Philly. Urias will be in Hill’s spot, so the Dodgers do not have to rush their 48 million dollar Blister. If Maeda continues to struggle, no one has a clue what they will do then. Ryu has had 2 pretty effective outings in a row. Orel was saying last night that Oaks was doing really well at OKC, so who knows, maybe he gets here sometime soon. We know it will not be Stewart. He is just starting to throw. Ya know, I could get a blister for 48 million….be happy doing it. Oh and give huge thanks to FAZINSKI for the rag tag bedraggled bunch of misfits they have now…..it is all in his secret plan to employ the unemployable arms of major league baseball…….

  7. A Dodger starting pitcher and his wife were sitting watching a TV program about psychology and explaining the phenomenon of mixed emotions.

    The pitcher turned to his wife and said, “Honey, thats a bunch of crap. I bet you can’t tell me anything that will make me happy and sad at the same time.”

    So she takes a second thinking then says: “Dear, out of all your teammates, you have the biggest penis.”

    I got nothin else.

  8. With the C & C boys, a rejuvenated Joc, Urias, alongside kid K and Puig this might actually be a fun team to watch, or in my case listen to.

    But that all depends on the FAZ probability charts.

      1. I just hope everyone hits Cueto tonight.

        Because Cueto mize well be a leftie, with the way, we hit against him.

        1. Badger

          Thanks.

          I went back and looked.

          We are still not good, and our stats mean a little more, then the other teams, because we have faced more lefties.

          At least Bellinger seems to be more like Corey.

          I hope he can be a complete hitter, because we need that.

          I didn’t know that Colletti drafted Bellinger too

          He has to be proud to see Bellinger come, to the bigs.

  9. Cueto has owned us, especially our Three True Outcome hitters, with his timing and fast pitch tricks. Let’s how Bellinger and Toles do today.

    The Giants seem no better and no worse with Bumgarner out. Maybe even the aces are overvalued and overrated.

    1. YF

      It is so frustrating watching our hitters, against Cueto.

      Because his stuff isn’t that good, it is more just his different wind ups, like you said.

      His era is 5 in his first four starts, this year.

      Did you see Bellinger is leading off?

      They want to see as many at bats, as they can.

      I read that Bellinger has hit lefties, throughout his career.

      That is good because we need another good at bat, on this team.

      I am not a fan of the all, or nothing hitters.

      Saber metrics just don’t penalized strike outs, that much, and that is why, we have these type of hitters.

      Like I already said, if Toles can’t turn himself around, I rather he goes down, so he can get consistent at bats.

      That is what should have happened with Joc in his first year.

      I just hate to see a young player, struggle.

      1. He beat the Dodgers and Kershaw last year with 8 innings of shut out ball. He has good stuff. Lacked a little control last night, and he would have been in the rotation, but Bochy went for experience with Cain.

          1. He obviously has not needed it against the Dodgers……….I remember a lot of soft cheese guys giving them problems.

  10. Bellinger in the leadoff role, should be interesting. Queto will definitely use all his tricks, he does not seem to be fooling anyone so far. He needs to get on track because most likely he will exercise his out clause since he wants to pitch in the AL. He is a challenge all right, but they have had some success against him in the past. Scored 5 in the first inning once last year, then the pitching gave the game away.

    1. Michael

      Was that pitcher Kazmir?

      We didn’t score a single run off him, after that first inning, I believe.

    1. Utley should not be playing at this junction. Taylor deserves to play. Utley and Toles at the bottom, what are they thinking? Let’s go Dodgers. Wake the heck up!

    2. .033. Gotta be less than his pant size doesn’t it? Don’t worry. He’ll be back near the Mendoza line by summer.

      Bellinger pulling his head out. Ease up with two strikes kid. Take it back through the middle.

    1. Badger

      We know who to bring in from the pen, when it is a tough situation against Panick, Belt, and there shortstop tonight.

  11. Might gosh, Corey to dead center, and in this weather!

    Amazing swing!

    I know Bellinger is the new kid, but
    don’t forget about me!

  12. There was once a guy on Twitter who called out Friedman/Zaidi for the Wood-Peraza/Olivera deal.

    “Worst trade in Dodgers history”

      1. Stretched out? He’s already thrown over 70 twice including 76 last start. Time to throw 90 was tonight.

      1. Ok. If you say so. I posted the pitch counts. Out of curiosity before moving on, what was it we were supposed to review in the link you posted?

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