Clayton Kershaw is human. Sunday night certainly wasn’t his usual dominating performance. The ace left hander was handed just his second loss of the season in the Dodger’s pathetic 4-3 defeat. Kershaw can’t win every game and he’s going to have outings where he give sup a few runs. Maybe he had his strict pregame rituals interupted?
The Dodgers simply can’t put their entire season on his shoulders. That’s too much pressure for anyone. Whatever the reason is, he just didn’t pitch well on Sunday. What’s the offense’s excuse? The Dodgers couldn’t muster up more than 3 runs against a rookie pitcher making his MLB debut. It’s pretty embarrassing honestly. The Dodgers have now lost three games in a row in Pittsburgh and one more would give them a humbling sweep at the hands of the Pirates. The club is 8 games behind the Giants now. Scott Kazmir is pitching today. It’s pretty obvious how this is going to end.
Dodgers Lineup @ Pittsburgh
Hernandez LF
Turner 3B
Thompson CF
Puig RF
Kendrick 2B
Van Slyke 1B
Ellis C
Taylor SS
Kazmir P
Scott Kazmir-5-3 vs. Francisco Liriano-4-7
Game Time – 9:35 AM- TV- SNLA
Kazmir has been remarkably unremarkable this year. His 5-3 record and 4.52 ERA have given the Dodgers very little stability in a rotation full of question marks. Kazmir has turned in just 6 quality starts out of his 15 and posted a 4.59 FIP. Kazmir has struck out 87 over 83.2 innings. The home runs and walks are what have really killed him in 2016. Kazmir has walked 3.4 per nine and allowed 14 home runs. Kazmir has made 2 career starts against the Pirates and allowed 13 earned runs in 9.2 innings. He’s 1-1 with an 11.17 ERA against the Bucs.
Kazmir vs. Pirates
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| David Freese | 9 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .125 | .222 | .250 | .472 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sean Rodriguez | 9 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | .500 | .667 | .667 | 1.333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Erik Kratz | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matthew Joyce | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Stewart | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 2.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 28 | 23 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | .217 | .357 | .304 | .661 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
The Pirates will counter with left hander Francisco Liriano. The 32-year old Dominican has had a terrible year. He’s posted a 4-7 record and an uncharacteristicly poor 5.17 ERA in 14 starts. Over his 78.1 innings pitched his problem has been his lack of command. He’s walked 49 and posted a 5.6 walks per nine rate. The big lefty has struck out 80 batters, so he’s almost walked as many as he’s struck out. He’s allowed 14 home runs as well. Home runs and walks will kill you. Ask Kazmir, he’ll tell you.
He’s dominated the Dodgers throughout his career and I don’t expect that to change on Monday morning, regardless of his poor performance this season. Liriano is 4-0 with a 2.73 ERA in 5 career starts against the Dodgers. Howie Kendrick is batting .455 (10 for 22) with one home run and 4 extra-base hits. He better be in the lineup.
Liriano vs. Dodgers
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Howie Kendrick | 24 | 22 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | .455 | .478 | .773 | 1.251 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .375 | .545 | .375 | .920 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Scott Van Slyke | 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | .125 | .125 | .125 | .250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Turner | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .600 | .667 | .800 | 1.467 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Ellis | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .200 | .200 | .400 | .600 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yasiel Puig | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .250 | .400 | .250 | .650 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Utley | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yasmani Grandal | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Corey Seager | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Enrique Hernandez | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 4.000 | 5.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clayton Kershaw | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joc Pederson | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 75 | 64 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 22 | .313 | .392 | .500 | .892 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Since it’s getaway day and there’s a left hander on the mound expect to see the all righty loser lineup. That means Joc Pederson sitting out. The execrable Kike Hernandez will probably be batting lead-off. Scott Van Slyke will likely be at first base again, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Dave Roberts did something unbelievably stupid, like for example resting Corey Seager. Because you know, you gotta put your weakest hitters out there when a left hander is on the mound. Duh! The Dodgers will fly to Milwaukee after the game and begin a three game series at Miller Park.
The Dodgers haven’t been a disaster this season. They’ve just been a monumental disappointment. Just like the front office. The division race is over. The Dodgers are 8 games back and the Giants have the second best record in the majors. Let’s face it the Giants are a superior club in almost every facet of the game. The Dodgers have a chance at a wild card, but those chances wane every day as the club struggles to score runs and the starting pitchers don’t pitch past the fifth inning.
We still don’t know who’s going to be the fifth starter, although there are rumors it’s going to be Brock Stewart. There’s really nothing left to do this season but look at the stupid wild card standings and count the days until the dimwits in the front office are run out of town. Oh and Zack Greinke is just 10-3 with a 3.61 ERA/3.51 FIP. Sure would have been nice to have that in the rotation.
On the bright side we have Dodger baseball in the morning. So grab your cup of coffee, skip school, play hooky from work! Reschedule your appointments! It’s time for Dodger baseball in the morning!
Go Blue!
If it’s the end if June and the division has truly been lost then this season really is a disaster!
It’s not a disaster if the LA Tampa A’s get one of the wild card spots. Wins the wild card game. Takes on the team with the best record and defeats them in a best of seven. Then takes on another good NL team and wins a best of seven. Then moves on to the World Series…….at that point the season would not be a disaster.
How much you betting the above scenario takes place? That’s what I thought.
Hernandez leading off and Taylor playing SS.
This should be interesting.
Scott is right on que! So the question is……Is Dave Roberts that stupid or that much of a pushover? It’s either or.
What good ‘independent’ Managers will run Hernandez out there or sit Seager?
Maybe the LA Tampa A’s are playing for a higher draft position, otherwise how can anyone explain these moves.
For all practical purposes, a much needed win and you sit your best hitter. Unbelievable.
Hernandez looks like he can’t hit this year.
As a side note, if the Dodgers trade for Bruce, Pederson will either be sent back to AAA or traded. Bruce will play RF. Puig in CF and Thompson, Ethier & Kendrick will man LF.
Not sure how that helps. But, whatever.
We’re hitting .236. So is Pederson. Shake it up.
No way Bruce replaces Puig in RF….sorry, Thompson is better in CF than Puig, and Bruce would have to move to left. But they are not going to trade for that guy and take on his contract…..
I’m not necessarily advocating the trade now. Bruce could have been had in the off season (and probably for less) and therefore his 17 HR’s, 58 Rbi’s and .279 BA could have already helped win a few more ball games. If he performs at his career averages, then he will be descending from his current numbers.
There is zero vision with this FO. Everything is reactionary. I’ve said this for the past year. The plan changes on a weekly (or monthly) basis.
Chili
I totally agree with you about kike leading off, and sitting Cory.
It looks like he just wants to throw this game away, while the Giants are running away with the division.
They purposely threw away the first game in this series, and any time they use this part time player, right hand platoon line up, it is more likely to be a loss.
The Dodgers right hand platoon team, is 29th in all of baseball, in offense!
Why do they continue to run this team out there?
I thought at least this front office, knew numbers.
They need to play the best line up, because this platoon is a complete failure!
I rather have a lefty lefty match up, with players that are getting consistent at bats, then part time players, that are not getting consistent at bats, that have hit poorly all year long!
Kike might have had good stats against lefties last year, but he has trouble even making contact when he is hitting this year!
He has had trouble just putting the ball in play, with runners on third, with less then two outs, on numerous occasions this year!
He shouldn’t be leading off, or at the top of the order.
And why isn’t one of the only two players hitting, not playing today?
It is bad enough that this front office, caused this starting pitching void, with there stupid signing, of pitchers with long injury histories, but these right platoon teams, are just a total failure!
A platoon is suppose to give a team an advantage, not a disadvantage. And ranking 29th in all of baseball, is a total failure!
Chili
Bruce is doing that for the first time in his career, at a hitters park.
He is a left handed Kemp, but Kemp is a much better hitter, and Kemp has more HRs, in SD, which is a tough park to hit in.
The Dodgers need right hand power, more then leftie power.
They have needed that since Hanley left, and since they traded.
Yes, Bruce, as one might suspect, hits well in Cincinnati. What you may not know is how well he clobbers NL West pitching.
Career BA numbers:
Dodger Stadium – .155
Chase Field – .209
Coors Field – .242
Petco – .177
SF – .321
He likes San Francisco. Maybe they should get him.
I’m still waiting for the FAZtastic over-the-top genius move that snaps this team out of its lethargy. It’s tough watching SF do it right while we platoon ourselves into Tepeschosity. Oh well. The Lakers and Rams are something worth reading about.
I wonder if anyone who wants Bruce have looked at those numbers. Ugh!
As I said all year so far, the Gints deserve to win the division, and the assclown run Dodgers deserve to sit at home come October. Gints went out and opened their wallets and spent to remake their rotation, the Dodgers sat on their asses and did nothing but sign bs filler after Greinke left.
A completely mediocre season has gone as expected. Yeah, we knew Seager and Urias would be good, but it’s those lesser prospects these idiots have hoarded since coming aboard. Interesting to see how they all turn out.
I’ll go on my front office rant this am. These guys have done nothing to improve this team. One prospect has panned out: Seager. The versatiles are just that: not really good at anything. This team is based on mediocre players trying to play over their collective head with a rah rah manger. Look how its working out. The farm system might be ranked high, but it has produced only a couple of bona fide major league players. Maybe only 1. When this season is over, all of these guys should be shown the door. I haven’t even mentioned the money wasted. Money for nothing.
BTW: giants call-ups have won a couple of games for them last week. What have ours done?
Bobby
I saw that in the bottom of the ninth. Didn’t both of those rookies get hits to win the game in the bottom of the ninth?
This Scott Kazmir guy just f’ing blows. Declining wrong side of 30, gopher ball specialists who has lost all command this year. Gave him all the power in his deal.
More sunk costs.
3 BB in the first. Apparently Ellis is a lousy framer.
🙂
Sometimes a team just has your number. Dodgers couldn’t win in Pittsburgh last year either. It’s probably as big a mistake to judge the team on this series as it was when they won those games at home against the Braves and the Brewers.
Having said that, I agree with most of the posts above. This is a mediocre bunch. Are Hernandez and Grandal playing because sending them down would be an admission of failure by our uber-genius front office, or what?
Just a couple of weeks ago the Cardinals sent Wong down to find himself. Just recently they sent Grichuk down to straighten things out.
Here’s the interesting aspect. Both Wong & Grichuk were hitting way above where Grandal & Hernandez are hitting. And both Wong & Grichuk are former 1st round draft picks. With the Cardinals production and winning comes before ego’s.
Cards hate to lose. Our guys shrug their shoulders and tell you it’s still early.
Is it me, or is Puig’s batting stance and swing stiffer than Adrian’s back? They mentioned Roberts was pleased with his batting mechanics last night on ESPN. Low expectations I guess. Puig cannot be The man for the team. He performs best when he’s a complimentary player or on a where there are no expectations to win. Trade him for some pine tar and a rosin bag…at least those two will fulfill their responsibilities.
Badger I’d like to catch up with you. I don’t have your email address. Do I email Scott or just ask him here?
Way to go with the pitch Puig!
Yes! Cash in that dumb error! Way to hustle AJ!
Was a hit.,…AJ’s speed scared him
Good to see the boys hitting a little bit this AM. Kazmir has stunk it up again (so far). Great ERA of 4.72 and FIP of 4.56 – 14 HR in 87 ip. I know that Mark says the pitching will be fine, but I just don’t see how.
Another 5 inning start. Great.
Alvarez is off to a great start…he could be up in September 🙂
Dodger rick
On the Dodger pre show, someone asked If Ryu or MCCarthy was going to pitch that Wed. game, and Hairson said yes, but Colletti said no.
He said we would know by now.
Kazmir definitely settled down after the first, but one again, he goes 5.
Something needs to change, and with Kersh now getting treatment for slight back issues, we may need a 15 man bullpen
Well a win is a win. Not pretty but we will take it. Nice first AB for Taylor. Think he surprised McCutcheon on that ball. BP did the job, but another hi wire act for Jansen.
I have a suggestion:
We fire all the offensive players except for Seager and have a roster with Seager and 24 pitchers.
They might hit better…
I know that is sarcasm, but it is also just plain asinine.
Well, we won. On a day the team batting average actually went down, we squeaked one out. But…… 2 for 8 WRISP, so did that average go up? Kazmir 4 earned in 5. Speaking of 5, 5 more out of the bullpen today. Can they hold up?
Steward will be starting on Wed!
Isn’t this the third straight start the offense has bailed Kazmir out after a terrible start? Better lucky than good. I hope Turner’s knee is OK or we’re toast.