The Dodgers fresh off a pathetic loss to the Miami Marlins on Wednesday with Clayton Kershaw on the mound. The Dodgers began their longest road trip of the season against the hated ones. Corey Seager sat out with a sore hip. Hyun-Jin Ryu went up against Derek Holland. In the bottom of the 2nd inning, Ryu gave up solo shots to Evan Longoria and Brandon Crawford. Those two Giants have been struggling mightily so of course facing the Dodgers is the remedy.
In the top of the fourth, the Dodgers decided to attack back. Matt Kemp walked followed by a Yasmani Grandal RBI double. It was Grandal’s 19th RBI of the year. Cody Bellinger then walked and the Dodgers had something going. Yasiel Puig then doubled to score a run to tie the score. Another should’ve scored but due to fan interference Bellinger was ordered to go back to third. Then this happened:
Hyun-Jin Ryu delivers a two-run double. Huh. 4-2, Dodgers.
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) April 28, 2018
That’s right Ryu battled Holland during his at bat and hit a double to score two runs and the Dodgers took a 4-2 lead. It was a type of hit that can get a team out of a funk. But this years Dodgers team seems different. This season is going to be a struggle and needs a spark. The bottom of the 7th was a house of horrors for the Dodgers. The bullpen and offense have not been consistent this year. Injuries to key players haven’t helped. Tony Cingrani came in during the bottom of the 7th and gave up a bunt single to Brandon Belt.
The Dodgers lose, 6-4. They are 11-13. Pedro Baez fell down. I won't ever forget this game.
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) April 28, 2018
Brandon Belt went to 2nd on a wild pitch. Brandon Crawford walked. Gorky’s Hernandez singled in a run. Kelby Tomlinson then scorched a double scoring a run to tie the score. Pedro Baez the came in. Dave Roberts keeps pulling the Baez card. Baez then balked a run. Dodger killer Joe Panik then hit a sac fly to score a run and the Giants took a 6-4 lead. That was pretty much all she wrote for the Dodgers. Ryu pitched a good game. The Dodgers have a double-header tomorrow.
James Moya
Hi I’m James Moya. I am an avid Dodgers fan. I graduated Cal State Fullerton with a Bachelors in Communications. I used to freelance at the San Bernardino Sun. I’m excited about this opportunity to write for LA Dodger Report to gain experience. I’m a straight shooter on my opinions and I hope to get some good conversations going. My dream has always been to report on the Dodgers because Baseball is the National Past-time. I hope you enjoy the ride with me.
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Kemp injured. This was foreseeable, but why didn’t they play Kemp more when he was healthy and hot? We may have won a game or two there.
Now Joc can get his chance anyways. This all just reeks of politics and stupidity.
What is also foreseeable is Roberts’ mistaken choices from the bullpen. It keeps happening.
Joc is not doing too badly at present. Let’s give it some time to see whether Ward can work some magic there. We have no choice anyways so let’s roll with it. Barring wholesale changes in the lineup, we should be seeing more of the same medicority from this group. I liked Farmer’s contribution, and of course Ryu’s. Too bad Roberts and the pen lost this one for him. Ryu couldn’t go one more inning?
“This all just reeks of politics and stupidity”
They’re the same thing but point made.
The Savage has a dead arm. The Savage and the Sink (Koehler). Nice pickups. Add Alexander the Mediocre and you hit the Trifecta.
This sh*t is getting old. Maybe we win two and turn it around.
I see a Verdugo Moon about to rise.
Ok, maybe it’s time for a May Day roster churn. It seems a little early for that but FAZ does prefer the sick and infirmed so could be it’s a Spring cleaning instead of the usual summer DL spin. So…. what to do.
First, grind about a quarter inch off Baez’ spikes. Second, put Kemp on the jacuzzi wheel and bring up…. Ramos I guess. They won’t get rid of Pederson which makes my choice of Verdugo redundant. Third, get another arm for the pen. Who? How the hell do I know. Banuelos is at the top of the stat sheet, by a few lengths actually, followed by Stewart, and Venditte leads the relievers. Choose. Banuelos might could eat up multiple innings, which on this team would be a very good thing.
And here’s one pulled out of Badger air – find a way to get Locastro some innings. He hits he fields he runs he balls. We need more like him on the ML roster.
Ok I’m done.
Badger
With Turner and Forsythe out, it is going to be hard for Kike to platoon for Joc against lefties, so maybe Verdugo is the right guy to call up, because he hits both lefties, and righties.
I don’t know about Locastro when it comes to hitting lefties or Ramos, but Locastro could come up to play second, and he also plays center.
He is also a true lead off hitter, with speed and smarts, when it comes to the bases, or taking a base, and he has been hitting pretty well, lately.
I would send Muncy down, and I would bring both Verdugo and Locastro up, to see what they do, at the major league level.
Because beyond Grandal, non of the other players, are really hitting, so let’s see what these other young players will do.
Because they are going to miss Kemp’s bat in this line up, because he was the only hitter other then Grandal, that was hitting consistently, on this team.
But they didn’t take advantage of Kemp’s hot bat, because they were more concerned, about getting Joc to hit.
Good calls.
I know it’s proper FAZthink to consider “hit lefties” but I’m of a to think “hit baseballs”. Hitters hit. Yeah, it may be true that an average drops a few points against same side pitching but is it any worse than what our bench players hit?
I think it’s time for the manager to step in shake things up. If it’s me I go with MJ’s call. Kemp to the cold tub, Verdugo to left, Muncy back to Indiana, Locastro in the lineup. I want it done by today’s first game.
One more thing – the Savage gets 10 days in the Dungeon Lounge. Between neck deep ice baths he gets the rack – or hung by the thumbs …. or both. Gotta stretch those “dead” arm joints, get some blood in there to heal. Bring up Venditte. Make it all happen, even the ice baths, by 1 today.
The Manabadger has spoken.
I remember one brilliant poster that predicted Kemp would go down with injury before June. That dude knows his shit. LOL
When I saw Baez come in, I couldn’t help but hear the announcer at Indy 500 announce, “Drivers start your gas cans!”
Thank God we had Ryu come up in an RBI at bat, because we know the regulars are more than likely not to drive in the runs.
Bellinger needs to fire his trainer that convinced him to bulk up more for this season, IT AIN’T WORKING! Unless he was going for warning track power, if that’s the case he is kicking ass.
Roberts has to go, there was no reason to pull Ryu when he did, unless Roberts is going for Ls, if that’s the case he is kicking ass.
For God’s sake, let Farmer play 3B, unless Roberts is seeking no offense from 3B spot, if that is the case he is kicking ass.
I think it is time for me to take another break from the Dodgers, totally frustrating and no entertainment value watching these guys, unless I like seeing inept play, inept managing and inept effort, if that is the case I am kicking ass.
True
In spring training, Monday was talking about Cody, and he said it takes a lot of flexibility to swing, like Cody does.
And I have always wondered if Cody bulking up this year, would effect his swing, because of what Monday said in spring training.
I also wondered if it would effect his speed a little too.
They haven’t catered to Farmer at all, so Farmer hasn’t got the starts, and at bats, that Joc has, yet Farmer is hitting higher then Joc.
When the air heats up, so will Cody.
I think Joc should take PEDs, get suspended, then we can bring up Verdugo.
That’s what you might call some Mensa outside the box thinking hey?
I expect some feedback on my other Menstrual ideas mentioned above.
Sounds about right. I’m not too worried about Cody. I worry more about Roberts and the FO. Without their help, this team is lost. So far, no help from them. They’ve botched it big time. With the pitching falling apart, there is no hope because the bats have quit. Sure, they’ll win some games, but their problems are popping out like pimples.
Badger
It is good to hear from you, that it isn’t Cody’s lack of flexibility, causing him not to hit as well, as he can, right now.
And Joc is almost there, because his last name begins, with PED, but we are missing the S at the end, so he won’t be going anywhere soon.
But someone better step up, with Kemp out!
Having Baez lose another game, seemed like redemption, in some way, in a bad way.
True
Farmer is hitting 294 against righties, and 267 against lefties, this just doesn’t make sense.
Kemp had quad tightness. He said he felt it tighten when he was chasing a ball down the LF line. He is having treatment today and will see how he feels at game time. It does not look like a quad pull which would automatically put him on the 10 day DL. OKC is on a roll. They won again last night. Venditte got the save. No real outstanding bat there last night, no one had more than 1 hit. Verdugo a shade under .300 down there, Ramos at .333. One interesting development though, Locastro came in as a defensive replacement in CF. Tulsa won both games of a double header. Scavuzzo is tearing it up down there. And Rancho won a blowout. Lux made 2 errors, but made up for it with a homer and 5 ribbies. In the second Tulsa game, Ruiz went 3-3 and is now at .303. 2 exe Dodgers playing for the Iowa Cubs, Mike Freeman and Efren Herrera. Up until the 7th, I was enjoying the game. I could not understand Roberts pulling Ryu when he took that bouncer off his heinie in 6th. What was more puzzling was not letting Fields go out and pitch the 7th. He had only faced 1 hitter and got him out. He has been one of the more effective guys out of the pen, so let the man pitch. They are now saying Cingrani has a tired arm. Baez must have a tired brain if he has one at all. As soon as he stepped on the mound I knew it was over. Pederson now has a higher BA than Taylor. Puig is below the Mendoza line, the strikeouts keep piling up. Taylor now has 29. They did draw 7 walks, but once again when they had guys on the ropes, they failed to put them away. Both Hernandez, why the hell is he hitting in the 3 hole, and Taylor left 4 men on base. As long as the bullpen is as ineffective as it has been the last few days, they are going to continue to lose. The good news is that Turner is now swinging a bat and will most likely go out on a re-hab assignment next week. The bad news is that there really, at least with Toles down, are no viable replacements at OKC who have any kind of experience. I would call up Locastro and probably Venditte. Send down Muncy and Alexander, place Cingrani on the 10 day to get over his tired arm, and probably promote Banuelos in his spot. Otherwise, this team has no spark, no leader ship, and little drive and desire. And the so called depth, that’s an illusion created by the FAZMASTER to make you think this team is going to magically turn it around….by the way, they are now 6.5 behind AZ, in 4th place BEHIND the Giants, 3-4 vs the Giants and going into AZ for 4 games on Monday…..it is shit or get off the pot time.
Taylor will be fine. He most likely won’t hit .288 again but he’ll figure out the contact problem. I keep him in the lineup and tell him to focus on “line drive back through the box”. Like playing pepper with a full swing.. Put a line drive right back through the pitchers grill. I had hitting instructor tell me that’s the surest way out of a slump. Works every time.
See my post above. Several moves have already been made.
Today’s lineup:
Taylor CF
Seager SS
Bellinger 1B
PuigRF
Verdugo LF
Farmer 3B
Barnes C
Locastro 2B
Badger
When I looked at your line up, it looked to good to be true, because I couldn’t imagine them, making so many good moves at once, but I was excited there for a minute, until I looked at the real line up, today.
And let’s just say, I liked your line up better, at least in your line up, I had a little hope.
Venditte isn’t on the forty man roster.
Like I said, think line drive back through box. Works every time.
Why would the AAA team’s best reliever not be on the 40? Who’s running things here?
Hate to tell Y’all this, but with 2 hits and 2 RBI’s today so far, chances of Joc being sent down pretty much not happenimg…
After amazing catch and injuring the wall, Puig out of the game with hip soreness.
Package
Don’t worry, I think Cody will be fine, he is to good of an athlete, to miss step again.
Puig will be fine, he is just upset, because he has not got a hit, like most of the team.
If Puig gets a hit in this next game, he will feel much better.
I feel for the kid, because he has worked hard, in the last two seasons.
Puig will be hitting soon.
That kid Utley, he is a pretty good player.
Does anyone there know how to play this game?
Think I’ll watch a movie.
This Baez guy, he is awful why is he even here????????????
Pederson a 4 hit day..
Pederson now has a higher BA than Corey Seager…….I think the entire offense woke up…..
Well they needed most of that offense. They need to be this aggressive in the 2nd game against Cueto
Now that’s embarrassing…..Sandoval gets the side out 1-2-3 on 11 pitches….all ground balls……
What the heck happened? The volcano erupted. All that pent up energy was harnassed into a dominant win. Buehler gets his first win of the season. Utley & Joc gets 4 hits each, 20 hits total. Now that’s what I call baseball.
We may have solved the Puig slump for a short while. He will probably be out and I’m looking for a call up here. No doubt, the biggest value Puig brings is his defense. The rest is like playing roulette. You never know what is going to show up.
The brain-farting Roberts begs us to lose. Baez gives up another 3 runs. When will they ever learn…
Where was Kike today? He will probably play in the 2nd game. Kemp seemed to be okay.
Well, Verdugo has been called up and is starting tonight in right field. What a real slap in the face to Matt Kemp. Yeah, Yeah Kemp is hurt but he did pinch hit in the earlier game. We have to face the fact that the Dodgers do not want to play Kemp. Makes you think.
Package
Utley is playing in the second game, but Nomar said, Roberts should have made him rest, to keep him fresh.
Just remember Kemp got a hit in his only at bat, and he is still hitting over 300.
Non of these guys will be replacing Kemp, this year.
Because hitting is not that easy as we made it look, today.
And just be happy we won, and the team hit.
MJ
A down day for me. I am glad the Dodgers are winning but their management is less than honorable for sure. I know this means nothing to the Dodger Management but to me it is very important. I am just a little fan but this cuts to the core.
Package
This is about Verdugo, Kemp is fine, and he would have started.
But I am sure Roberts asked Kemp if it was ok, to give Verdugo his start, since he came all the way from Oklahoma or somewhere else, in the mid west.
But I understand how you feel, and I have felt that same way, but Kemp will be in the line up tomorrow, because he is the only one in this outfield, that can really hit lefties.
Package
Remember that was just one game, don’t worry.
You will feel much better tomorrow, after he good nite slept.
And remember you are not alone!
MJ
This has become about the franchise now to me and I have concerns. Thank you for the support and understanding.
That has more to do with Kemp having a slight tightness in his quad than a slap in the face to Matt. They have had a short bench since the beginning of the season and now with the demotion of Alexander, they do not. With Puig getting hurt in the first game, it made sense to call up Verdugo. This extra time is not going to hurt Kemp at all and he will be back in the lineup tomorrow against the lefty Blach. It is a sound baseball move there package……don’t take it personal.
Mr. Norris
I respect your opinion but I am sorry but I do not believe the Dodger Management or Manager. They lie repeatedly and frankly I have no use for any of them except Colletti. They never wanted Kemp back and they do not want him to play for fear that he will do too good and keep them from playing their type of baseball in my opinion. I am at a crossroads and I am not a Kemp fan. He is OK but he is being abused. Not a good thing for a storied franchise. What a shame.
Not a problem Package. I understand your feelings totally. I also dislike these guys a lot and I have pretty much since they took over. When you look back on that first off season and see what they did, I was never impressed. I know why they made some of the moves. Kemp was in their eyes a club house cancer, they did not like Dee Gordon’s game or defense. But you look at what those guys did while they were gone and you shake your head in wonder. Kemp was very productive in both San Diego and Atlanta. Yeah, he was not that great defensively, but he hit well and with power. Pretty much better than anyone the Dodgers had out there. Gordon, although he got a suspension for PED’s his 2nd year in Miami, has done nothing but shine. He has 10 steals already and has pretty much stolen more bases than the Dodgers all by his lonesome. He is also a pretty decent lead off hitter. Never going to hit a lot of dingers, but he is pretty consistent, and he does not get injured much. But the real hair of the dog is the consistent accumulation of very mediocre players. Yes, you are totally right, they did not want Kemp and it continually looks like they want him to fail so they will have a reason to get rid of him. Actually I kind of revel in Matt’s success so far because he is spitting in their face being productive, for the most part healthy, and so far defensively he has been good. Like I have said many times, and what I believe is that Roberts is a good players manager. He does communicate with his players and he talks with them about his reasons for playing someone else. His downside for me is the constant tinkering with the lineups, his in game managing skills, and his penchant, especially this year for making the wrong move at exactly the right time. Also for sticking with guys like Baez, who obviously are never going to get it. The inconsistency is on the players. Badger is totally right on that. But the guys in the dugout, that’s on FAZ. They have never went after a premium free agent. Not their style. They tinker, and get damaged goods and hope like hell they all of a sudden quit being damaged and become Brandon Morrow, or someone like Turner who was a career utility man up until he replaced the injured Juan Uribe at 3rd. Morrow by the way has 5 saves already for the Cubs. And Turner is Colletti’s pick up. And I also agree with Badger and some others who feel that all the Guggenheim group wants to do is build the value of the team so they can sell. Other than Magic Johnson, who always has craved victory, none of these guys seems to care about Championships, nor the fans. What did they do after last years trip to the Series? They RAISED ticket prices. So high on some of the seats that the increase was over 100 %. They don’t give a rats ass about the fans, their whole thing is raising the value of the franchise, not its history. And so far it has worked, they are right behind the Yankees as the highest valued franchise in the majors….and by the way, Colletti really is not part of the FO anymore. His title is merely ceremonial at most. He is more of an analysis than anything else, which is a shame, because Colletti actually knows real ball players when he sees them. Now they all toe the party line, Joe, Orel, Alana, Nomar, Jerry, all of them. And could the Dodgers have hired two more BORING announcers than Joe Davis and Hershiser. They are about as exciting as watching a casket warp.
What a weird day.
Obviously I’m not as down on Roberts as pack is as I believe it’s on the players. I think I posted the the stats on wins and losses managers mean to a team. It’s surprisingly minimal. He had little to do with the great win or the miserable loss yesterday. I don’t care much for FAZ though. This team has the feel of a team of backups.
I think we can within time, soon maybe, mid year most likely, expect our players to regress to the mean. Grandal and Utley are not .300 hitters, Joc will hit .230, hopefully he gets some power back, Barnes will be good, not great and Puig will excite but likely disappoint overall. Bellinger, Seager and Taylor will improve. What will it mean for wins? Who knows for sure. Certainly not 104.
Hudson is not Morrow is he. Keep looking Friedman.
Baez. Why can’t the guy find corners consistently? Another disappointment. He finally starts throwing other pitches and he throws them right down the pipe.
Verdugo should stay. He probably won’t.
We beat a young starter who had a lot on his mind and we lost to a professional pitcher. .500 day by a. 500 team. I think we are better than this. Hope I’m right.