Oh .500 how you tease us Dodger fans. Fresh off of Walker Buehler mania on Monday night, the Dodgers laid a dud on Tuesday night, scoring just two runs against guys named Dillon Peters, Nick Whittgren and Drew Steckenrider. The Dodger bullpen (Tony Cingrani, Pedro Baez) wasted a solid Kenta Maeda performance after blowing a 2-1 lead by giving up one run in the eighth and ninth innings respectively.
The Marlins also got an assist thanks to a controversial balk call from umpire Joe West. No matter how you look at it, scoring two runs on five hits off the Miami pitching staff is pretty pathetic honestly. The Dodgers fall back to .500 at 11-11 and are thoroughly mediocre at the moment.
Marlins 3 8 0
Dodgers 2 5 0
WP-Steckenrider-1-0
LP-Baez-0-1
SV-Ziegler-2
HR-Realmuto-2
The Dodgers scored first in the bottom of the second on a ground-rule double from Matt Kemp, and a ground double from Austin Barnes that bounced down the right field line. The Marlins struck back in the top of the third when J.T. Realmuto (who hits like Ted Williams against the Dodgers) blasted a home run into the right field pavilions. That tied the score at 1-1. Realmuto is not only hitting over .400 thus far in the young season but also is batting over .400 in his career against the Dodgers.
The Dodger offense continued to suck against Mimi youngster Dillon Peters. The boys in blue threatened to score in the bottom of the third. There was a one-out double from Corey Seager and a walk/wild pitch to Cody Bellinger. But Kemp and Hernandez both flied out and the Dodgers didn’t score.
Neither club would do much of anything offensively through the middle innings. Maeda would pitch six innings allowing just the one run on four hits while striking out seven. Mound opponent Dillon Peters would toss 5.1 innings allowing one earned run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Neither pitcher would be involved in the decision.
So that turned the game over to the bullpens and you would figure the Dodgers had the advantage. But the Marlins have a bunch of young relievers with long names that are hard to spell or pronounce. And they all throw around 98-99 on the radar gun. Which meant the Dodgers were screwed. Go figure. Skip to the bottom of the seventh.
The Dodgers would grab the lead thanks to three walks from the Miami bullpen. The peak of the rally was a pinch-hit bases loaded walk from grandpa Chase Utley. The Dodgers could have scored more but what can I say about the Dodger’s situational hitting this year? Spoiler alert…..it’s bad!
After Daniel Hudson pitched brilliantly in the top of the seventh, Tony Cingrani was tabbed for the top of the eighth and preserving a 2-1 lead. After a strikeout Derek Dietrich singled. With Realmuto at the plate Cingrani was called for a balk by first base umpire Joe West which advanced Dietrich to second. The call was borderline and the ump show was in full effect at Dodger Stadium. West’s buckles were jingling and jangling all over the diamond. After the balk call from Joe West, Realmuto flied out, but stupid Starlin Castro’s RBI double plates Dietrich to tie the game at 2-2.
Son naturally a 2-2 tie game is the perfect spot for Pedro Baez to be brought in…..NOT. The high leverage king just started the inning by giving up a single to Brian Anderson, and a double from Maybin to blow the tie. Marlins up 3-2. The Dodgers go down 123 in the bottom of the ninth against Brad Ziegler and an embarrassing loss at home to a bad team is secured.
The Dodgers look to get back above the .500 mark against the mighty Marlins again on Wednesday afternoon’s series finale. Rookie Trevor Richards battles Clayton Kershaw and the first pitch is slated for 4:35 PM PST.
Nothing much has changed about the way the Dodgers hit lefties. They still sing the blues and can’t seem to find any hits when they need them.
A funny thing about the use of the bullpen. Baez has been coming in earlier in the games, not as a setup man or closer. So, why does Roberts use him at the end of a game this time?
Also, did they really send Buehler back to the minors and call up Daniel Hudson to be used in the pen? I thought we needed an SP for Rich Hill. Can’t figure out who is making these decisions. Anyone know?
They sent Buehler to Rancho Cucamonga. It is purely a paper move. He is not going to pitch down there. But thinking Buehler is going to be here for more than these two starts is wishful thinking. Hill comes of the DL next week. They needed another reliever since they DFA’d Font.
The Buehler move is to take advantage of a loophole concerning doubleheaders. You’re allowed to carry a 26th player then. Of course they really didn’t have to do that, or they could have pitched Hudson instead of Baez just to see what they have in Hudson in a pressure situation. Hudson is 31 years old – no need to protect him and he needs the spotlight to jumpstart his career. But anything that seems sensible to us, this FO refuses to do. Sigh.
Using Baez in late innings is just so dumb. His only real purpose is to save wear and tear on our other arms. And he’s great at that. Clean low pressure 6th innings are his specialty. But that’s too easy for this coaching staff. They prefer the hard way always.
Agreed, YF. Hudson seems nothing special to me. He was terrible tonight along with a subpar performance by Kershaw who just seemed to melt down. 6 walks? Either his head or his body is not in the game. Add no run support, again against a lefty, and the result seems appropriate. There are some real problems with this team. Do you think Roberts will ever get realistic and state anything near the actual state of the team?
My mistake. Richards is not a lefty.
Well they are back at .500, and down to 3rd place and the Giants are only 1/2 game behind. They should win tomorrow with CK going. But who knows if the offense will show up. Not much you can say about the balk. It got the runner in scoring position, but the run was earned since Cingrani gave up the double. It wasn’t like Castro crushed the ball, he just hit it to the right spot. They had chances to score, but just could not get the job done. Big 10 game road trip coming up with some winnable games on the slate…..but the most glaring thing is that they really miss Justin Turner’s presence in the lineup. But they have to be careful to not dig themselves too big a hole. They are 5 out right now, but they need to beat teams like the Marlins. Blowing this game was just wrong. I was surprised that Roberts did not use Grandal when the RH pitchers came in. His hottest hitter spent the entire game on the bench.
What did we hear the broadcaster say about Baez in Sunday’s game, he was missing Grandal’s target the whole time he was pitching, so he was very lucky, he wasn’t hit.
People keep on saying Kenley is not right, but Kenley has to pitch regularly, to pitch well.
Baez is consistently unpredictable, so you are always taking a chance in losing a game, when you bring Baez into a close game, because once again, Baez does not consistently pitch well, especially in tight games.
But they got to score more then two runs against the Marlins, these are suppose to be blow out games, especially at home.
But Roberts needs to have our everyday players, playing together more often, and stop putting individual players, over the team.
Kemp was hot but after he got hot, Roberts started pulling him out of games way to early, and then he sits him almost, the entire weekend.
And Kemp was the only one in the outfield, really contributing on offense, to this team.
You can’t sit your hot bats, especially when your team is not hitting, you ride those hot bats, you don’t sit them!
Especially a player like Kemp, that is use to playing everyday, and getting consistent at bats.
MJ
Dodgers got a right hander tonight so I guess Kemp will sit? Roberts thinks he is a real genius. Dodgers got Kersh so I guess Roberts thinks he doesn’t neeed any offense. Maybe I will be wrong, I hope so.
Package
I hope he isn’t sat, because although Kemp has had two hits, in the last two games, he certainly isn’t as hot as he was, and sitting him, is not the right thing to do, especially when the team, is not really providing a lot of offense.
And although Taylor has warmed up, we need every bat we have, to provide the team with some offense, because we are not scoring enough runs, especially against this Marlin’s half, AAA league team.
I would have Puig sitting next to Turner Ward, and put him in the eighth position, like Roberts did last year, so Puig would have to wait for his pitch, or take the walk, because this is when Puig really started to take off, last year.
I can’t agree more MJ. With the offense as stagnant and iffy as it is, they need Matt’s bat in there more often. And it is early in the year. He might need rest later, but not now. He also looks pretty good in the outfield, so pulling him for defensive reasons makes no sense.
MJ
You are right. Sitting Kemp definitely hurts him. To continue to sit him and take him out early hurts his momentum. You would think he would learn that Joc will never be the player that they thought they had. Sad but true.
It is more of an afternoon game than a night game with that 4 something start. Kershaw that time of day is not going to be fun for the Marlins. I told you this on an earlier post, but Joe was talking about what Roberts said at the media scrum before Mondays game. Roberts told the media that he was going to get Joc as many opportunities as he can. Why? I have no clue Package, but he seems committed to getting Joc hitting again. I personally think it is really dumb to put a player over the play of the team. One thing I did notice last night, Puig is finally looking like he is really frustrated. He came close to exploding after a couple of those weak at bats he had. Turner Ward has a job on his hands getting him back on track. Kemp should be in the lineup a majority of the games. He is a much better hitter than Pederson could ever be….Roberts is clearly nuts.
Mr. Norris
Truer words were never spoken. Roberts will never stop doing it until the fans grow tired of losing and demand that Kemp be in the lineup instead of Joc. If Roberts takes Kemp out for another player who is hot, say Kiki or one of the Rookies, then OK but not Joc. With him it is what you see is what you get and I believe he will never measure up. Joc’s time is clearly over.
“That’s a decision that didn’t work out, and I take full responsibility for it,” Roberts said. “That was a decision I made, going against the book. But that was the decision I made.”
The decision to stay away from Jansen was puzzling. Jansen did not object to the decision. He defended his manager, who has stuck by Jansen during his early-season troubles.
“Doc is the best,” Jansen said. “I think with him. I stand with his call. … We win together. We lose together.”
I could not figure that one out. Baez has had 2 bad games in his last 3.
Taylor
Corey
Grandal
Cody
Kemp
Joc
Utley
Kike
Kershaw
Font to the A’s which is quickly becoming a Dodger alumni society. Dodgers receive LHP Logan Salow.
This is by far the worst Kershaw game in years. 6 walks, 5 K’s and then he gives up a 3 run homer to a banjo hitter. The offense is once again impotent. All this by a guy who last off season was working at a brewery in Milwaukee.
Michael
This feels like the Outer Limits show.
Our hitter’s look so bad, and Kershaw is at 105 pitches in the fifth inning.
You are not kidding there. Cody is hitting like .125 over his last 5 games and has struck out 7 times. I still say they are striking out way too much. K’s through 22 games not counting today….Grandal 15, Kemp 19, Utley 7, Bellinger 21, and 2 more today, Hernandez 16, Barnes 7, Seager14, Taylor 25 and 2 more today, Farmer 6, Puig 18, Pederson 7, and Muncy 7. The meat of the lineup is striking out almost once a game….That is pretty bad.
Mr. Norris
What is going on? They are getting killed. No pitching and no hitting. What gives??
MJ
Please don’t tell me you are quitting on the Dodgers. I know they are not doing like they are supposed to do but they will do better. Kemp is not doing good but I believe it will get better. Check and see.
We are who they said we are.
Definitely…these guys are not the 2017 Champs, they are the 2018 CHUMPS> ..thanks a lot FAZMANIA>
Tim
who might that be???
Pack, they are the over managed, over thought, and under performing team we thought they are. We have beat this to death.
If Donnie dumb dumb out managers DR I will burn all of hats
Tim, you might get the lighter fluid out. As Norris said, Roberts is nuts. You are most correct, over managed, over thought, underperforming team. I’ve said this for 3 years, now. The team is an inconsistent mess with no bright side to look at except the return of Turner. They need players who are hungry. They need to start making a statement about performance and earning the playing time. At least Joc and Kike are being tested. This is not the case with Taylor, Seager, and Puig. The best players in baseball are good every year and earn their $$$. This FO is being embarassed big time. The decision making and the future direction is really in question. What they thought they had is turning sour.