The NLDS between the Dodgers and the Nationals is scheduled to start on Friday evening and the Dodgers will be without one of their best relievers. This is another causality of the starting rotation being unable to provide adequate Innings all season.
Left handed reliever Adam Liberatore will have arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow on Thursday. He is expected to be ready for the 2017 season, but will miss the entire 2016 postseason. This is a huge loss for the Dodgers since Liberatore was one of their most reliable relievers this season until he succumbed to elbow inflammation.
Liberatore at one point did not allow a run for 28 consecutive games from May 20 through July 22 this season. That broke the previous Dodger record set by John Candelaria back in 1991. Unfortunately the lack of innings provided by the starting rotation directly led to several relievers being forced to the disabled list stemming from overuse. Liberatore was one of those relievers. The left hander was placed on the disabled list for about a month during the summer from July 20 to August 19 with the official diagnosis being left elbow inflammation.
Liberatore was almost flawless out of the Dodger bullpen throughout the majority of the season until he began to suffer from elbow inflammation this summer. The 29-year old left hander finished the season with a 3.38 ERA in 58 appearances. He posted a 2-2 record and struck out 47 in 42.2 innings pitched. Liberatore allowed just 17 walks and posted a 1.195 WHIP while striking out 9.9 per nine innings pitched. Liberatore allowed just two home runs this season and 7.2 hits per nine innings pitched.
Rookie left hander Grant Dayton is rumored to be taking Liberatore’s spot on the postseason roster, but the Dodgers have several other left handers they can choose from. The list includes veterans J.P. Howell, Luis Avilan, starters Brett Anderson, and rookie Julio Urias.
Badger and Michael Norris have been placed in communication. Any other board members who want to communicate offline please register at relay1#snakebite.com and I will put you in offline communication with other board members.
I use gmail and those that can figure out 1 +1 can reach me at frednaz
Libertore gave his all for this team, in the first half of the season, so I hope he will be ok.
He had complete concentration when he came in to pitch, and that is part of the reason I think he did so well.
That is the problem with the bullpen having to pitch to much, because the starters were not able to pitch much past the five inning mark.
These relievers are not getting paid that much, but most of these veteran starters are being paid more.
That is why I expected more out of a pitcher like Kazmir.
Kazmir’s problem sounds like a chronic disorder to me.
And when something is chronic, there is no real cure.
Hopefully the front office can trade McCarthy or Kazmir in the off season, and take advantage of the shortage of pitchers on the free market.
Kazmir will be tough to trade, with the uncertainty with his health.
But I guess McCarthy can be traded, because it looked like the Brewers were willing to take him.
The Dodgers were not the only team, that lost quite a few games, towards the end, the Red Sox also lost about the same amount of games, in the end.
I saw the interview with Roberts, and he didn’t use the word reset, those words came from Alannna, but Roberts just agreed.
Corey also talked about these last six games being a recovey period for the team.
And Roberts talked about having to get a look at everyone to choose the final post season roster.
Utley was also interviewed and he sounded positive too.
This made me feel a little better about the team.
Now if the Mets, and there fans, can get a win against the Giants, that will be another positive.
Thoughts:
1. Too many playoff games.
2. Keep wild card at one game sudden death.
3. Make next series a 2 win series.
4. Make the League series a 3 win series.
5. Keep the WS a 4 win series.
Bum
Scherzer is the one you lost!
He is the one pitcher I still think the Dodgers should have signed. You remembered that MJ. I’m impressed.
Baseball games too long. Pitcher’s can’t go nine innings. Solution: 7-inning games. The regular season is too long: back to 154!
But seriously, Commissioner: I’d get rid of the stupid second wild-card, which was instituted because the WC was winning too often. First result: Giants win 2nd WC and then World Series. If fairness is the issue, why not make the LDS 7 games as well. At least everyone could start at the same time. The LCS used to be 5 games until they decided it would be more fair (not to mention profitable) to play 7.
I’d love to go back to 12 teams in each league and one less round of playoffs, but the greed that gave us TWC will never let that happen.
If I were the Nats, I’d be considering starting their lefty instead of Scherzer. This would give them an immediate advantage and a win could kill the Dodger chances with Scherzer pitching the 2nd game. Just food for thought.
I’d agree with you, but then the ace would get pissed. You know how prima donas are!
But your logic is sound
I’ve always said that in the playoffs if I was the Mgr for example, I would announce a righty starter……have him throw one pitch then bring in a lefty (who would have been warming up also). Now the lineup is set up for a righty BUT they now face a lefty the rest of the way. Would do that to any team that is platoon heavy. So much for the Sabrmetric guys then.
In your plan Chili which I like btw, the starter would not have to warm up much and therefore could be available for game 2 but, and there is always a but with everything it seems, the best pitcher might only get one start in a 5 game series and the rotation might not be set up for the next series.
Very true. But if you had 2 ‘equal caliber’ studs, one left, one right….then that would work OR you wait until games 2 or 3 to do it where the difference in pitching is minimal and in actuality the advantage would be to your team cause their lineup is set.
But we’ve seen mediocre lefties dismantle the Dodger bats all year and the Dodgers set their lineup for a lefty knowing full well who they are going to face and it hasn’t helped. For some reason, there is a very large gap in their production when facing lefties. How can a team NOT take advantage of that? I think the only thing a fan can hope for is the occasional breakout of the Dodger bats when facing LH pitchers. We will certainly see what happens in Washington and whether the Dodgers do breakout of their slump against LH pitchers. To me, this is the key to victory. It is the bats that must produce and support the pitching. Without them, even pitchers like Kershaw don’t win.
You could tell Liberatore and Coleman weren’t right since late July. Too bad, both were effective up until then. I’d go Dayton and Avilan. Although Wood is making a case.
In case this hadn’t been posted, for your reading pleasure:
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/major-league-baseball-is-about-to-get-random/