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Russell Martin, Dodger’s Potential Two-Way Player?

Russell Martin

The Dodgers pounded the Padres 9-0 on Tuesday night at Petco Park. The Dodger bats had been in a bit of a lull so it was great to see them breakout again and we all needed a laugher. In the bottom of the ninth inning of the blowout win veteran backup catcher Russell Martin made another relief appearance and once again tossed a scoreless frame. That’s his fourth consecutive scoreless relief appearance in blowout games this season and I am beginning to wonder. Is it worth considering using Martin as a two-way player?

Look obviously this is an extremely small sample size. Of course Martin is not a pitcher. Not really. There’s not a chance the Dodgers start using him as a high leverage reliever or anything ridiculous like that. I am certainly not advocating that either. He would probably get hammered and possibly blow his arm out. However maybe there is something real here because he hasn’t allowed a single earned run, or walk over those four shutout frames.

Embed from Getty Images

I think Martin was a pitcher in high school, but I am not sure. During this era of position player relief appearances Martin’s has stood out amongst the rest for his excellence. Martin has allowed just two hits and struck out two. His ERA is 0.00, and that is not a typo. Perhaps the Dodgers could give him a chance to pitch in a couple of high leverage situations, very sparingly of course in a few of these games down the stretch and see how he does. Don’t laugh at this because you know you are all probably thinking something similar. Maybe the Dodgers have something here? Besides, he’s already better than Yimi Garcia. Check out this strikeout from Tuesday night’s win below. Looks like an off-speed pitch. Go Martin!

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

54 thoughts on “Russell Martin, Dodger’s Potential Two-Way Player?

  1. Russell cannot possibly fit into the Dodgers bully, he doesn’t walk, hit the batter or give up a base hit to the first batter he faces, like the rest of the pen. Yipi Garcia, Baez, and GasKanley are ulcer-creating monsters. Pepto Bismal should have a sponsorship deal with our bullpen area.

    Pollock has reverted to the April and May Pollock. He looks absolutely lost at the plate.

    Bellinger is missing so many pitches that he should be crushing, he looks lost up there over the month of August.

  2. Right on cue: Yipi hits the first batter he faces, next inning Baez gives up a bomb, now we wait as GasKanley enters the game in the 9th. Sheez, this bullpen is so easy to predict what is going to happen, it’s frightening. So now onto GasKanley and his 20 Million Reasons, well here goes nothing.

  3. “Dodgers manager Dave Roberts defended Jansen, as the run he allowed reached base on a bloop double that tipped off the glove of left fielder Chris Taylor as he slid after a long run.”
    “He’s throwing the ball well, he really is,” Roberts said. “I still think the ball’s coming out really well.”

    ~ Ken Gurnick – 8/28/2019 ~

    Yeah right…. right over Russell Martin’s head! Maybe one poster was right. Put Jansen behind the plate, and let Russell Martin close. I don’t think so, but maybe worth a try.

    Other than Kelly, the whole bullpen was ineffective. Yimi hits a batter, Baez serves up a dinger, and our so-called “Closer” unable to close the door.

    Maeda had another rough start, but was able to gain his balance, and leaves leading after 5 gutsy innings.

    Other than Maeda, who had a 2-run single, the offense was AWOL, once again,

    Dodgers escape San Diego by the skin on their teeth. Is this a Playoff or World Series caliber baseball team? Come on, be truthful, Dodger Fans….Sugar-Coated is good for donuts only.

    1. Bluefan4Life, I believe you already know what my answer to your question about whether Dodgers are a Playoff or WS caliber team. They are not close and it comes down to again shuffling the lineups daily based upon the handedness of the opposing pitcher, hot bats being out of the lineup the very next day and of course with KJ and the rest of this BP not named Joe Kelly would be no match for who they would see in the WS should they get that far and with he way things are now…we may not have to worry about the team after the 1st round of playoffs are over.

  4. Thank you BlueFan for recapping my prediction from last night in real time. Should our pen be that predictable that I can map out exactly is about to happen? NO!

    Roberts needs to wake up and face some facts. Publicly he has to try and show support, but inside the clubhouse he has to make some moves, it’s gotten beyond the point of ridiculousness. Besides, GasKanley is now a mental case, just look at the tape. He’s struggling mightily, he thinks if I just throw it harder things will work out, so overthrowing is causing pitches to be up and dumped into the outfield (bloop double) and why pitches are sailing over everyone to the backstop, and why he is giving up HRs. Send him down to AAA and let him try and regain some confidence or something. To keep doing the same thing over and over again, well, that is the definition of… (ah fug it, this is pure stubborn stupidity at this point)

    Time for Kelly time!

    1. They can parachute Jansen to Camelback on the way to Chase Field, or get him an Uber at the airport, straight to the Ranch. Did you see him in the dugout? He is a beaten man.

      1. He has totally had his ass kicked, it’s as if he actually realized that it is all over and his tank is empty, a closer with a loser mentality is over. Put a fork in GasKanley, he is done (overdone in this case).

        It was great while it was great but it ain’t great no mo.

        On your point, about Cameltoe Ranch, I don’t think GasKanley will even ask for a parachute.

        “Turn out the lights, the parties over” – Dandy Don Meredith (google it youngens) .

        Kelly Time!

        The sad thing in particular about this season, this FO knows better now and they knew better in the off-season, they knew it in July that needed real help in the bully but did absolutely nothing. Sort of like having a championship race car but you go into the race and nobody brought any fuel with them.

        As you know, I have said it before and I’ll say it again, No Rings as long as this FO stays in charge.

        20 Million reasons doesn’t buy shit anymore.

        1. The biggest problem with the Dodgers is they continue to tie up so much money, with these huge guaranteed contracts (Kershaw, Hill, Jansen, Ryu, included), then their hands are tied when these players do not live up to their expectations. Instead of admitting they made a mistake, they continue to hang with them, hoping they will turn things around, or fully recover from injury. Hill’s injury has been a disappointment, Kershaw is having an OK year, but is extremely vulnerable, Ryu had been a disappointment for 3 years, now he is doing great, but is running on fumes. Will Ryu have enough in the tank to get through October? As for Jansen? I do not have to say a thing. Like you said, True Blue, they know they have issues, but have refused to seek solutions. Especially with the game as it is played today, you obviously need a Closer specialist…. a guy that you can count on to just get you three outs, per game. Better just go with Kelly now, and see if he can handle it. They really do not have any options at this point in the season. Middle relief will really need to get better. There is no guarantee that Strips will return strong, and the way Maeda has been pitching in the early innings, I do not think he can be trusted to come in from the bullpen. Baez is about their only go-to man right now, if Kelly takes over closing duties. The “Kids”, May and Gonsolin, are crap shoots out of the pen. Yimi and Ferguson are too hot or cold…. don’t know who or what you will get.

          I do not have the answer, and it is obvious the FO does not have one either.

  5. Jansen looked totally defeated in the dugout. He was saved by an error. But what I see is a pitcher who has no confidence in what he is throwing up there. When a runner is on second, he stares at him until just before he delivers the pitch. How can a pitcher pick up the catchers target like that? And they still steal at will off of him. He has never been great at keeping runners close anyways. Muncy has a wrist contusion, they said the same thing about Taylor, then he was out for 5 weeks. If Muncy is hurt worse than they suspect, they may have no choice but to give Lux a call up. No matter what, Mad Max is going to be out for a few days at least if not more. As for Martin. It is ok to use him in these blow out games if for no other reason than to save some arms. But high leverage spot? I do not think so. But I am not running the team. Offense did just enough to win. And it was not very pretty. Just gets them one game closer to clinching the division. AZ on the other hand has been playing better of late, so these four games will not be easy either. And the Dodgers have that target on their back for sure. One plus I took out of last nights game was that Bellinger was not swinging at pitches that had been getting him out lately and he drew 3 walks. Much better plate discipline from him last night. With as many walks as they got, they should have scored a lot more. If I were Roberts, I would give Kenley a blow from closing games. It is obviously in his head no matter how well DR thinks he is throwing. Sadler and Kelly look to be the best options there right now.

    1. Yeah, I tend to agree.

      I like that Sadler and Kelly can miss bats. I worry that May pitches to contact too much for a high-leverage reliever. Maybe Gonsolin will prove to be more useful.

      This feels A LOT like what Houston went through with Giles. Hopefully it ends the same way.

      1. Same here. Santana is pitching in relief now at OKC. Scouts seem to believe he is much better suited as a reliever and even think he might become a really good closer sometime. He does have some pretty nasty stuff. Just a thought, but since they have to protect some guys come December, who do you think is gone from this pen come next year? I would think Garcia is toast as is Kolarek. Probably Sborz and Floro. Other than that I really believe they will sign a bunch of fringe guys like they always do and hope someone comes out of nowhere. I am pretty sure Kenley will not opt out, so he, Baez, and Kelly for sure and Sadler will probably get a new contract too. Ferguson, but probably not Alexander unless he shows he is healthy.

        1. That looks pretty much on target or close enough for argument.

          I think there is some hope for Baez, but GasKanley has the look of death in his face, he knows he is done, I don’t care what spin he puts on it. GasKanley may well be released or traded (probably not much value though) during the off-season. So Jansen actually becomes Sadder while Sadler becomes one of the dependable bull pen guys in the near future.

          Wow, when you throw all those bullpen names up on the wall, we really are saddled with quite a bit of garbage.

          Is Santana on the 40-man roster? If so, he gets his tryout in September and may very well supplant some of the garbage that is in there currently stinking up the pen.

          Can the Dodgers catch a little bit of lightening in the bottle, from OKC, and make a legitimate championship run. If they don’t, it is going to be a short post-season and a long off-season.

          Based on past history of this FO, don’t expect any big name relievers to arrive for next season, as Michael pointed out, they will take the dumpster drive route to fill the void. I am still of the strong opinion that the Dodgers don’t win a ring as long as this FO is in place.

          1. Santana is on the 40 man, so he is definitely a candidate for call up. Jansen has 39 million dollars guaranteed over the last 2 years of this deal if he does not opt out, and in reality, there is not one good reason he should or will. No team is going to trade for that contract unless the Dodgers eat some of the money. Is that possible? Yes, probable, no. Would the team consider releasing him? Your guess is as good as mine. But I do not think they do unless they have a viable candidate already in place. Since Friedman took over, the only very large contract summarily released was Crawford. The ate close to 18 million on that deal. The bull pen will be built the way it has been since AF arrived in the winter of 2015. Fringe free agents, trades for arms they think might get the job done. Do not expect a real quality arm unless a trade literally falls into their laps. If the Pirates try to move Vazquez, AF would likely be at the front of the line trying to obtain him, but he would not come cheap.

          2. Interesting, Michael. Exactly what I was saying about those long term guaranteed contracts. Would you say the Jansen situation would be similar to the Kemp situation, when they traded Kemp to SD? Does Jansen have a no-trade clause?

        2. I could see them pursuing Vazquez again.

          Other than that I really don’t see any big money. They spent on Kelly and relievers are ridiculously variable. To risky…

          I could see the team going after Rendon.

          1. Rendon? Iffy at best. The guy is going to get a 200 mil plus deal. Dodgers have not come close to giving any player that kind of money. They have 31 million committed to Turner over the next 2 years. He is the 3rd baseman. Where would they play Turner if they signed Rendon? Sorry, I just do not see it.

          2. Turner has one more year after this.

            He can go to 2nd. Muncy to first for a year. Lux rotating in the IF.

            After that you have Rendon, Seager, Lux, Muncy/Belli.

            Just throwing it out there. Perhaps the organization’s only weakness is a mature 3B prospect. No reason for the team not to spend money if it fills a need.

          3. You are right about Turner, my bad, but I doubt seriously that Rendon is even on their radar, and Bluto, you know as well as I do that they are not going to lay out that kind of money on a free agent. They have not come close to paying any position player that kind of contract. Turner at 2nd at 35 years old? Do not see that. He doesn’t have that kind of range anymore. The money they offered Harper was for a much shorter deal than what he ended up getting. Dodgers would go no more than 5 years and they turned that down. I do not see ownership or AF changing their spots for Rendon. I’ll give you another reason, Rendon turns 30 during the season next year in June. I just do not see him as a fit on this team, and I am not altogether convinced his power numbers would be that great at Dodger Stadium. I’ll give you an even better reason, his agent is Scott Boras. That right there means that he is going for the Golden Goose. Dodgers will not get engaged in a contract war. The final reason is that 3rd base is not the priority, the bullpen is.

          4. Well, I’m probably wrong. That’s true.

            It’s just something that makes more sense to me than a reliever not named Vazquez.

          5. Andy got his Hazmat Suit on, and he is embarking on his annual, nationwide, September Dumpster Patrol. I am almost sure he will hook a a big smelly fish from the bottom of the barrel.

  6. Well, not exactly how the Dodgers wanted to open the series in AZ. After barely escaping SD by the hair on their chinny-chin-chins, the Dodgers get spanked by the Snakes.

    Ryu looked awful, after the wheels fell off the Dodger Band Wagon in the 4th. I thought the Dodgers were going to cut down on his pitch count, so as not to wear out the Cy Young candidate. They left him in too long, trying to get him 5 innings and a win. That backfired when he could only make it to 4 2/3 innings, and 93 pitches, giving up 7 runs. The offense certainly did not help as they blew many scoring opportunities, with a 2-9 RISP, 8 LOB performance.

    Just when we thought it might be “Kelly Time” to replace a broken Jansen, Kelly quickly reminded us of his former self. So, it is back to square one with this pitching staff. Starters and relievers are toast. No way they will make through October, especially without offensive support.

    Magic number is 9, but the Dodgers have a big target on their backs. Teams are out to get the best of them. Even if they manage to clinch that playoff spot, it will not be an easy September, the way I see it.

    I would hate to see it happen, but Ryu might end up losing the race for Cy Young, and Bellinger might fall out of the MVP competition before he knows it.

    1. I’m confused about Ryu. I thought, based on the intelligent people here, that it was the level of competition against the Yanks.

      But now it’s looking like it could be a slump or fatigue.

      From Jayson Stark:
      “Maury Wills was stealing 100 bases in the ’60s,” one AL exec said. “But he was pretty close to the only one doing it. And back then, it wasn’t like there was a really dangerous hitter coming up in every spot in the lineup, one through nine. But that’s where we are now. So why would you steal? The math doesn’t add up.”

      And what is that math? Thanks for asking. Nearly twice as many runs score on home runs now (45.3 percent) as on singles (23.3 percent). So according to STATS, it’s never been less likely, at any point in history, that your team is going to drive in a run with a single

      1. Bluto,

        The whole problem today, is everyone in the lineup “thinks” they are HR hitters.

        One reason you steal, is to put pressure on the pitcher. He is limited on his approach to the plate, if a baserunner tries to steal on him. Pitcher must have a shorter leg kick. He has to get the ball quicker to the catcher. Has to seriously hold him on, having to check the runner 2-3 times before they pitch to the batter, impeding his concentration on the target. And they got to make sure you give the catcher a pitch he can catch…. more meatball fastballs right down the middle of the plate. The baserunner can get the pitcher out of his rhythm. If they don’t run, the pitcher ignores him and can throw sliders, knuckle curves, curves, sinkers, at will. Look at Jansen. They run on him all day because he does not hold them on.

        Another reason you steal, is to get into scoring position. A fly ball with a runner on second or third, is an automatic sacrifice to get the runner to third or home. A fly ball with runner on first, usually a go half way, and return to 1st base. A wasted out.

        Lastly, you steal to get out of the GIDP and force out situations. The way batters are swinging for the fences, they end up toping the pitch, and hitting soft grounders to the infield… automatic force out, or GIDP.

        Stealing is an art, that guys like Wills and Lou Brock, Ricky Henderson had. I am surprised that teams no longer teach it. It would really change the game for the better, as would productive hitting to opposite field, hit and run,…. old school baseball. Today, they are more interested in swinging from the heels HR’s.

        1. I know all that. Why would you presume I don’t.

          Even with all that, those positives don’t outweigh the negative. That’s why it’s not promoted. It may, along with sacrifices, still be taught and practiced though.

          1. You asked “Why steal?” So I said why!

            Half the stuff you say does not have any merit…. how am I supposed to know.?

            Sheezz! You crack me up, Bluto????

          2. Bluto just think of how Dodgers, among other reasons were able to win the 1988 WS on a team that hit a TOTAL of 99 HR’s all year. But here is another reason for their success that year…the pitching staff allowed a TOTAL of only 84 HR’s all year. And yes, we all know that would be completely unheard of in today’s game.

          3. I didn’t say nor ask Why Steal.

            Jayson Stark wrote that.

            @Paul:

            The 1988 team won mostly by luck.

            And the game has greatly changed since then. That’s the point everyone here is making.

      2. Bluto, you are basically backing his statement.

        Who the hell is Jason Stark anyway? Tony Stark’s Daddy?????

        It is just his opinion, just as stealing bases is my opinion.

        If you know so much, why ask the question, Bluto?

        1. I didn’t ask the question! I do have a question:

          Are people on this board incapable of reading?

          I love that you have no idea who Jayson Stark is. That actually speaks volumes.

          1. Bluto,

            I don’t give a rat’s ass who This Stark character is. It is just his opinion, and you agree with it, and I don’t! Simple as that. End of story!

            Sheez!

          2. Jayson Stark was elected the 2019 winner of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, an honor presented annually to a sportswriter “for meritorious contributions to baseball writing.”

            The longtime scribe made a name for himself in his hometown of Philadelphia before gaining wider acclaim with national outlets.

    2. Bluefan4Life, the Dodger offense and pitching as of now anyway are not as good as some make them out to be. Holes have already been talked about and honestly it just may end up as a 1st round exit come the PS, sorry to say, but everything I have watched over these past couple of weeks has convinced me of what I have been saying is pretty much the case. Can anyone here honestly feel that this Dodger team, as it stands now can compete with either the Yankees or Astros in the WS?

      1. They can’t even match up against the Halos, Snakes, or Padres. How the heck will they be able to challenge the Braves, Cards, Cubs or Nats, let alone any of the AL powerhouses?

        Real possibility of a first round KO. How the heck they got 88 wins so far this season is nothing more than a miracle.

      2. Of course, Paul. They’re the easily the best team in the West and anything can happen in a 7 game series. No reason to think the Yanks or Astros will be better in a potential WS.

        The intelligence level on this board today is, sadly, very low.

        1. If past occurrences are any indication it could be a tough PS. Being the best team in the NL West is great but those other teams in this division are not at the level of the other good teams they will see. And yes I said myself that today’s game is different than in 1988. Dodgers won with luck, as do other teams but even back then the good pitching the Dodgers had was good enough to stop the A’s power offense, meaning those kinds of things can be done.

  7. Pretty disappointing game all around. They had the AZ starter on the ropes and only got 3. AZ did the smart thing and did not let Bellinger bat when they had runners in scoring position. Seager and Pollock failed to deliver in the clutch this time. I am not worrying about Kelly having one bad game. He has been the most reliable pitcher out of the pen, so he is allowed a stinker. Ryu on the other hand has lost 3 straight games now and given up 14 runs in the last 2. To his defense, a lot of those hits were weak. It wasn’t like they were teeing off. But a loss is a loss. Especially when you have as many opportunities to break that game wide open as they had. Joc got a hit off of a lefty……alert the media. Turner’s 25th dinger in the 9th meant nothing.

    1. Seems the Dodgers have a tendency to come out flat in the early innings. How many times have we seen the opposing pitchers on the ropes, and the Dodgers fail to take advantage of the situation. Almost can mail in the first two/three innings, cause the Dodgers often go 1-2-3, or fail miserably when they manage to get baserunners on.

    2. Michael, I have said this before but part of Bellinger’s issues and the reason for the opposing team like AZ walks him is who is batting 5th in the lineup to allegedly ‘protect’ him. Would you give Cody anything to hit if guys like CT3, Kike or Tyler White being behind him recently?

      1. Agree Paul. That is why the batting order is important. Every player is in a position of the lineup, for a purpose. The constant shuffling works against Belli. He need to be protected from the use of intentional walks. Having him bat in front of any automatic out is a huge disadvantage.

  8. I turned off the game after Ryu imploded, can’t comment on the rest except to say that I have watched the clown show all year and can only imagine the bullpen meltdown. When the Dodgers blew two golden opportunities to poor on the runs early in the game, I told my wife that would kill them, not a tough prediction.

    Pollock has reverted to being what I thought he was going to be this season, when the hell does Verdugo return?

    Does the team have GasKanley on suicide watch? (hopefully it isn’t the same guys who were preventing Jeff Epstein’s suicide, btw nice inside hit on the pervert)

  9. Longenhagen Chat:

    Q: Mitch White, Josiah Gray, Leo Crawford, Gerardo Carillo. Who are you taking long term, and which one is least likely to pan out?
    Eric A Longenhagen: Gray is in our overall 100. White is near-term potential starter who has had injury/consistency issues. Carrillo has more variance but def a relief risk. Crawford sits 86-90.

    Q: Any updated thoughts on Andy Pages? Has been dominating the Pioneer League as an 18 year old.
    Eric A Longenhagen Probably a LF/RF but yup, has big power

    Jay Jaffe Chat:

    Q: what do you think is wrong with Jansen?
    Avatar Jay Jaffe: Velocity. Via Pitch Info, here’s his progression for his cutter:
    2016 94.2
    2017 93.5
    2018 92.7
    2019 92.1

    That’s two full clicks gone, and with it some movement — about 2 inches of horizontal movement and an inch of vertical movement. Not great, Bob! Now, how much of that is mechanical versus physical, I don’t know, but it’s a pretty big deal for the Dodgers, perhaps the biggest one facing them over the next two months

    Q: Russell Martin and Brian McCann are both among the top 10 catchers in career WAR; a lot of that is defense. I’m a little skeptical … In your opinion, are they legit HOF candidates?
    Avatar Jay Jaffe: I’m definitely in the minority on this one but given how much we’ve learned about framing, I don’t think it’s implausible at all, and wrote about it back in the spring https://blogs.fangraphs.com/framing-the-hall-of-fame-cases-for-martin-…. I don’t think you can elevate Yadier Molina beyond the stats to “must-have HOFer” without doing the same for them.
    By the time they’re eligible, we’ll have a better perspective on what we might call the Peak Framing era and may have also found ways to tease out pitch framing pre-1988 based on WOWY strikeout and walk rate models, not to mention staff handling. Obviously, the effects won’t be as large because of the noise level and need for regression but that kind of stuff might show us how rare their accomplishments are.

    Q: I’m very impressed with May’s two-seamer, both speed and movement. Do you think he should throw it more and not try to work in his other pitches so much?
    Avatar Jay Jaffe: He’s throwing it 49% of the time, per Pitch Info. That’s probably too much — only 5 guys with at least 80 IP are throwing it that frequently: Chirinos, Arrieta, Davies, Lucchesi, and Matz. Also, it seems pretty silly to tell a 21-year-old top prospect to stop working on other pitches; he’s a talented youngster but not a finished product.

    Q: Is speed the most underappreciated aspect of Cody Bellinger’s game? He’s second in MLB in home to first time, per Statcast.
    Avatar Jay Jaffe: Speed and athleticism, yes. He’s a hell of an outfielder.

    Keith Law chat:

    Q: Keith — Here in LA it felt like the Dodgers chances to win the WS dropped from 33% to 20% after the Yankees beat up Ryu and also will likely get home field advantage — and the Astros might too. Over-reaction to one 3 game series?
    Keith Law: There is no reaction to a 3-game series that is not an overreaction.

    Paternostro Chat (BP)
    Q: What does Jeter Downs’s upside look like? Could he be a first-division SS?
    Jeffrey Paternostro: That feels a bit lofty for me, although Brandon but an OFP 55 on him earlier this year. https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/eyewitness_bat.php?reportid=549

    Mark Berry Chat (BP)
    Q: A non Gavin Lux related Dodgers question! Any idea what’s going on with Yadier Alvarez? I know there were questions about his coachability last year and this season he only pitched in two games in April. Is it a serious injury or more?
    Mark Barry: It’s easy to say it’s just the trials and tribulations of a pitching prospect, but it’s also kind of the trials and tribulations of a pitching prospect. Especially one that throws so hard. Finding news on and injury stuff is pretty tough, too. I think he’ll be more frustrating than not, but even in a limited sample this season, the strikeouts have been encouraging.

  10. Once again True you are wrong. Over the last 28 days Pollock is hitting .300. He has been one of the better Dodger hitters. In fact he has more HR’s over that period than Bellinger. And he is hitting close to 100 points higher than Cody. As for Verdugo, he was on the bench at last nights game, but has not even started baseball activities yet. His injury still bothers him. Even if he was healthy, he is not the starting CF. That’s Pollock.

    1. Over 28 days, he was on fire for the first 10, batting over .500 or something ridiculous. After his adreneline rush from being back he has sunk like a rock (did you see his 1 for 6 with 3ks and two very weak grounders, yes he got the hit in the 10th but geez really, that’s .167 for that game. He has been pretty dismal for the rest of his season. We can pick and choose and massage numbers all we want, but you have to admit overall Pollock has been more than disappointing. Is he doing what you hoped he would contribute over the season? Be real, don’t give me some boxed up reply, IS THIS REALLY WHAT YOU HOPE POLLOCK HAS AND WILL DELIVER?

      BTW, I love the “once again” line , Lucy.

      1. He is close to his career numbers, had he not been injured he would be over 20 dingers. No, I think we all wanted more, but it is what it is. Yeah, he had a bad night. They all do. The entire offense is in a slump. But if you want to single out Pollock, that’s your business. Muncy has been worse and striking out a lot too. Bellinger has not homered in 10 games. That what you want from your so called best hitter? I am real. You are the biggest negative Nellie on this site. Nothing they do is good enough for you. Maybe you should be watching competitive tiddly winks or something Your woe is me the Dodgers lost attitude is getting old. You are an insufferable prick when someone disagrees with you. That about it Lucy>???? Yours is not the only opinion. So take your prick attitude and shove it up your ass. You are nothing but a cyber bully, and I for one am tired of it. I do not care if this gets me banned from here, any more conversation with a giant asshole like you is worthless.

        1. Michael, I can only add that whatever does end up happening here in 2019 will be a team effort, one way or another. No 1 player, slump or no slump or pitcher, giving up a bomb or not giving one up will determine who is the last team standing. BTW if Dodgers do bring up Lux for an apprenticeship in September, that’s not a bad idea, as they did this with Will Smith last year.

        2. I love it Lucy, give me more girl.

          Could you possibly go over your insistence on why GasKanley will be our closer throughout the playoffs? I love the deep thought and the 20 Million Reasons blah blah blah. You nailed that one.

          So your Pollock defense didn’t really even sound convincing to you, so you decided to throw Muncy and Bellinger info into your argument to mask your silly take. Strong debating skills, very strong Lucy.

          Come on Lucy, you must be trying to sound ignorant and lacking any creativity, your smoke screen reasoning is weak. How about running that thru your mind one more time and give it another shot. It should be quite entertaining.

          Lucy, you needs lots of splaining in order to keep up. Lucy, Lucy, Lucy, what are we to do with you?

        3. Michael,

          The guy / girl is useless to debate or engage.

          This was evident last year with his/her Ed Dinger and Grand-Mal sophisticated humor and continued on with the Planned Parenthood bullpen.

          Just ignore him/her, it’s remarkably easy since the content is devoid of value.

  11. Well, another loss in game 2 vs the Snakes. A valiant effort by Rookie Gonsolin, only to be wasted by Yimi and Sandler, yup, that bull (S@#%)-pen.

    Another poor offensive performance. Wasted scoring opportunities. Dodgers had the Snake pitchers on the ropes several times, but failed to seal the deal. 11 KO’s…. Pederson 0-5, with 4 KO’s alone.

    Muncie out at least two weeks, maybe more, ???question mark??? starting rotation, bull (S@#%)-pen, lackluster, sputtering offense, no “Closer”…. shall the Dodgers throw in the white towel, Dodger Fans? Like I have been saying all season long, “Way too many holes!” In this Dodger team. One or two late additions to this roster will not be enough.

  12. Just a rebuttal to the conversation about “small ball” and scoring runs by singles.

    “Someone” on this blog had said most runs are produced by HR’s. Here again, just another “stat” that is twisted and makes no sense. Naturally, the game has changed, and with everyone swinging for the fences, and very little emphasis small ball, the percentage of runs obviously are going to be produced by the HR. Just like with case of Joc Pederson. Pederson’s numbers say “He hits more HR’s vs. Righties”…. duh, majority of his at bats are against righties. Or, “Joc cannot hit Lefties”… duh, Dodgers rarely allow him to hit against lefties.

    Final note. Last Thursday, the Twins had a small ball barrage vs. the White Sox. In the first two innings the Twins scored 6 runs on 8 singles. Then yesterday vs. the Tigers, they scored 13 runs on 14 hits, only three attributed to one, 3-run HR.

    So, why hit singles? Why play small ball? I know, it is only two games, but it just shows that it is logical and it works. If teams focused more on small ball, the game would be more exciting. This “Live by the Sword, Die by the Sword” mentality may be fun for some. But, I bet those Twins Fans were Rockin’ and Rollin’ in their Lazy Boys, not just watching with a blank stare, praying for a long ball. Bet those pitchers were rattled too.

  13. OMG. Robbie Ray escapes with a win again. Dodgers had him on the ropes several times, and he slithered away, like a slippery Snake. Dodgers were Snake bit with double plays, two in the first two innings, and the deadly one in the ninth. Again, blown scoring opportunities… 1-8 RISP, 3 GIDP, and 5 LOB.

    In the mean time, the vulnerable Kershaw once again serves up costly dingers, this time back-to-back. Clayton leaves the game with his tail tucked between his legs after 5 innings, losing 5-4. Then there is Jansen, who cannot hold the Snakes at bay, and gives up a dinger to increase the Snakes’ lead to two….. That dinger ended up being the deciding run, as Archie Bradley rubs the Dodgers’ face in the dirt again.

    Can Strips save the Dodgers face tomorrow? Only time will tell.

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