Maybe we can close our eyes and pretend Bud Norris is Kershaw? We would really have to use our imaginations for that. Oh Boy.
The Dodgers finally return home tonight to start a ten game home stand which will close out the first half and take them up to the all-star break. They’ll kick off the home stand with a series against Colorado. They’ll do so without Clayton Kershaw, (who was placed on the DL with a herniated disc), without Joc Pederson, (who is likely to go on the DL with an AC joint bruise in his shoulder), without their entire pitching rotation (Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-jin Ryu, Alex Wood, Kershaw), without Kike Hernandez, without Andre Ethier, without Yimi Garcia, and maybe without Justin Turner who had leg cramps…etc, etc, etc.
You get the picture. The Dodgers have tallied up more disabled list days than any other club in MLB. This is why the Dodgers are 6 games behind the Giants in the NL West. Somehow miraculously they remain 1.5 games ahead in the NL Wild Card race with a 44-37 record.
With Kershaw now out indefinitely and literally nobody else in the organization that can come up (such a great farm system!) the front office made a trade. Of course you can bet that when trades or other interesting news breaks that I will be at work when it happens. Believe that. Anyways, the Dodgers acquired right hander Bud Norris from Atlanta in a 5-player swap. By the way, ever wonder why the Dodgers are considered to have such a great farm system yet can’t produce a single competent starter nor have any viable run producers ready to be promoted? I digress though.
Dodgers Lineup vs. Colorado-TBA
Jorge De La Rosa-4-7 vs. Bud Norris-3-7
Game Time – 7:10 PM – TV- SNLA
Back to Norris, he’ll be reuniting with Dave Roberts, who was his coach during his short stint in San Diego. He’ll draw Colorado left hander Jorge De La Rosa in his Dodger Stadium debut.
De La Rosa is a long time Colorado southpaw. He’s 35-years old and has been pitching with Colorado since 2008. This season he’s been pretty bad. De La Rosa has posted a 4-7 record with a 6.47 ERA in 9 starts. Over 48.2 innings pitched he’s struck out 49 and walked 24 and posted a 9.1 strikeout per nine rate and given up a lot of home runs.
The Dodgers have not faced him in 2016, but he has seen the Dodgers many times over the years. He was the opposing pitcher in Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter back in 2014. In 21 career starts against the Dodgers he is 7-11 with a 5.21 ERA. In 10 career starts at Dodger Stadium he is 2-6 with a 3.90 ERA. Adrian Gonzalez is batting .354 (17 for 48) with 3 home runs and 15 runs driven in against him.
De La Rosa vs. Dodgers
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 58 | 48 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 9 | 16 | .354 | .448 | .667 | 1.115 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Chase Utley | 23 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .333 | .391 | .619 | 1.010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| A.J. Ellis | 18 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | .083 | .389 | .333 | .722 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Scott Van Slyke | 16 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .000 | .063 | .000 | .063 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Howie Kendrick | 15 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .357 | .400 | .429 | .829 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Yasiel Puig | 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .250 | .364 | .375 | .739 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Joc Pederson | 10 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | .125 | .300 | .500 | .800 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clayton Kershaw | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .111 | .111 | .111 | .222 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Turner | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Yasmani Grandal | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | .200 | .500 | .400 | .900 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Corey Seager | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .500 | .500 | .500 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 182 | 153 | 37 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 26 | 24 | 39 | .242 | .348 | .438 | .786 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
For Bud Norris, this will be his first time facing the Rockies in 2016. If you remember the Dodgers actually faced him on June 4 in Atlanta, and he allowed one earned run on three hits over 5 frames in that outing. This time he is a Dodger. In 10 appearances and 5 starts against the Rockies, Norris is 2-1 with a 6.23 ERA. He is 0-2 with a 3.10 ERA at Dodger Stadium. Best watch out for Daniel Descalso, he is batting .381 (8 for 21) with 7 extra-base hits against Norris.
Norris vs. Rockies
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Daniel Descalso | 26 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | .381 | .500 | .857 | 1.357 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Carlos Gonzalez | 13 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | .364 | .462 | .727 | 1.189 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Hundley | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .100 | .100 | .100 | .200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mark Reynolds | 10 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .222 | .300 | .667 | .967 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charlie Blackmon | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .167 | .286 | .167 | .452 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nolan Arenado | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .286 | .286 | .714 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Barnes | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .500 | .500 | 1.500 | 2.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ LeMahieu | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 | .500 | .500 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 78 | 68 | 20 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 8 | 18 | .294 | .377 | .632 | 1.009 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
|
#
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
PCT
|
GB
|
HOME
|
AWAY
|
L10
|
||
|
1
|
|
50
|
31
|
.617
|
–
|
24-16
|
26-15
|
6-4
|
||
|
2
|
|
44
|
37
|
.543
|
6.0
|
23-15
|
21-22
|
6-4
|
||
|
3
|
|
37
|
41
|
.474
|
11.5
|
18-20
|
19-21
|
5-5
|
||
|
4
|
|
36
|
45
|
.444
|
14.0
|
13-28
|
23-17
|
4-6
|
||
|
5
|
|
33
|
46
|
.418
|
16.0
|
18-24
|
15-22
|
6-4
|
||
Sorry about the lack of recap yesterday everyone. Oscar and I were both unavailable. Expect a recap tonight as usual. We now return you to your regularly scheduled disappointing season.
Go Blue!
God willing Kershaw will be back this year and this will just be a speed bump in his brilliant career. But it does point up that when you have a window of opportunity to get to the World Series, you’d better jump through before it closes. Who knows when we will have a team as good as the 2014 Dodgers again? I know, FAZ is building a juggernaut–but the baseball gods laugh at the plans of GMs.
I agree with the last part.
The Big Dodger is the Sky is pissed about all the stupid deals: Brown, Schmidt, Jones, The Trade…
Next year you will see the movement as Verdugo, Belligner, Farmer, Barnes, Calhoun, Toles and a few others will come knocking.
Toles? I doubt that, he was hitting over 300 at AA but is 0-4 at AAA. . And he is another Fried Brains retread. 5 of the 6 guys you named are at AA. I do not see anyway all 5 make the jump…….and I am sure you meant Bellinger………Calhoun has an iron glove, but can hit. And even if I close my eyes and imagine Norris is Kershaw…….that would have to be a very vivid imagination. If there is any movement, it will probably be on the pitching side……
You doubt Toles because he’s 0-4 so far??
No, I doubt Toles because he has had a lot of problems. He is a Tampa reject and reclamation project. He is at AAA right now. And the Dodgers have plenty of OF’s . He also is not that great an OF, he has pretty good speed, and he was supposed to compete for a spot in spring, never happened. I just think AF gave him a chance to kick start his career after a few years of behavioral problems. He is also not even one of the top 30 prospects…24 years old..
Joc to DL. Venable up
Well, that surprised me – Brandon McCarthy is starting Sunday verses Colorado!
WOW!
Yea but what McCarthy will we see? The AL McCarthy or the NL McCarthy? He reminds me of Dan Haren, pinpoint control but allows a lot of HR’s. What will his pitch count max be? Another night to keep an already taxed BP busy.
Dodgers now 25/1.
I’m waiting until they are 50/1 then I’m putting nothing down on them.
McCarthy. Hmm. It would be nice if he could throw a QS. Will he do it? Yeah, sure, why not?
I’ll answer that.
Because it’s not likely?
This article is ridiculous from its title on. No one is pretending Norris replaces Kershaw. That he’s starting tonight in place of Kershaw is the luck of the draw.
There is NO MLB team that can be staffed so deeply as to lose an ENTIRE starting rotation + Montas and expect to go unscathed, none. 2 of the starters were injury prone? Ok, I’ll agree…what about the other four guys? Yet we’re not that far behind. If you can be 6 games behind in half a season you can make up 6 games in half a season. Not saying they will; they may not want to give up all the young guys they’ve been building up just so the genius writers won’t make fun of them & call them names like 5th graders. Yet the writers just insist on bitching about this front office just to have something to write about. I’d say the challenge of rebuilding a McCourt-destroyed farm system while STILL contending for going on four years Including winning 3 division titles in a row proves they’re doing something right. Geez
It proves nothing. Most of the players in place are from the prior regime, and they had already started rebuilding the farm system before the Fazter came to town. The first 2 division Titleist’s were Colletti’s teams. Only last year did Fried Brains have anything to do with it, and they did bupkis when they needed a boost at the deadline…..what they acquired was more deadwood.
Most of the players in place are from the prior regime. Really? Want to re-consider?
1. They didn’t trade Urias, Pederson, Seager or De Leon – most here would have.
2. They traded for Thompson, De Jong, Barnes and Montas.
3. They drafted or signed Alvarez, Verdugo, Sborz, Hansen, Heredia, Davis, Stewart, Buehler and Calhoun.
13 of the TOP 30 have been acquired by FAZ and most of you old geezers would have traded the other 4 mentioned, so in 1-1/2 years FAZ has done more than Ned did in the past 5 or 6 years. Geez, Do you just say stuff and think it’s true?
By next years list, 3/4 of the TOP 30 Prospects will be FAZ’s! Watch and learn!
By next year they will have been here 3 years. At the rate they’ve been moving people around I fully expect at least 3/4 of Dodgers top prospects will be theirs. It’s obvious to me that is the goal. In fact, if the next month goes like I think it will, I would support being sellers. Stack ’em up. We can use half in trade next year and the year after.
Go Bud. He’s taking Kershaws spot in the rotation. The way I read it, that’s what Scott was saying. I would add “hold your nose” to “close your eyes.”
Personally I have no problem with how Scott presents his opinion. You disagree, and obviously some do, then just say so. Why personally attack the one that writes about what he sees?
Not necessarily and watch who you are calling an old geezer butt head. The farm system was on the rebound and Logan White drafted some of the better players including Seager. And who the hell said anything about trading the top kids, Buehler has yet to throw a pitch, None of the other guys are above AA ball. What I said and what I stand by, is that when they had the opportunity to go for it, they dropped the frippen ball. They got trash at the deadline last year, and they were this close……How many of those guys mentioned above have contributed anything at the major league level??? Thompson is the only one, and Barnes has played sparingly. Watch and learn? That’s for guys like you who buy into their plan. I see a lot of prospects, I see very few guys contributing right now at the big league level. Like I told you before, we have different views of the right way to do things. And will probably never agree, but I will tell you this, if you called me an old geezer to my face I would knock you on your pompous ass…….that’s a fact Jack…..
If ignorance is bliss, why are you so unhappy?
The thing is, even when you are proven wrong you won’t understand.
“if you called me an old geezer to my face I would knock you on your pompous ass.”
You know what – you might! But I’m from Missouri and I have walked among the baddest of the bad… and I thrived! But, maybe you are much worse than that. So, you might knock me on my ass… I would never predict something I didn’t know.
I would advise you to be careful who you try that with. I have never said I would do that because maybe I wouldn’t! All, I can tell you that if you did knock me on my ass, it would be the first time, but there’s always a first time for everything!
😉
“I would never predict something I didn’t know”
You mean like 95 wins?
You do it every day. It’s what all of us do.
Well Mark, you might be from Missouri, but that means nothing, and just to be clear, you are pompous. People like you get knocked down every day by someone like me. And believe me….I am big enough to back it up. You may have never tasted the gravel, but I have, and because of that, I never stop. Learned a long time ago it is easier to keep pushing on than to quit, and I have never been a quitter. I have had to fight my entire life in one way or another. You are entitled to your opinion, but don’t get to righteous about it. That’s what gets people mad. As far as being proven wrong, well if someone shows me it in black and white, I readily admit I am wrong, and I have eaten crow a few times, as for being unhappy, well I am not. Baseball is a game, and I enjoy the game, I also enjoy talking about the game, but I do not analyze it all the time. I see with my eyes, not my heart, and what I see is chaos. Granted, Norris did a great job last night. Fine, hope he keeps it up. But that does not mean he will not be hammered more than once. McCarthy and Ryu close to coming back, and that might take some of the pressure off IF they perform well. But they still could give up a prospect or 2 and not really be hurt by the loss. They could get a solid guy like Terhan who is under contract for the next few years at a reasonable price instead of more retreads and injury prone players. Their philosophy is what it is, and we as Dodger fans are stuck with it no matter what. Does not mean we have to be lambs to the slaughter, and go meekly into the night and enjoy it. You are what you are and you will probably never change…..that’s fine, but do not ever think that you are the brightest bulb in the chandelier all the time, nor that you are always right. There is always someone around the corner with a book that says otherwise.
Verdugo and Stewart were drafted in 2014. Check your facts!!!
You are correct. I was relying on memory. I apologize! The mind is the second thing to go…
Would not help if he did, he is committed to being a FAZOPHILE.
Dan,
You must be lost – you don’t fit in here.
I like that!
Yeah, Dan representing- except those three Division Titles had very little to do with FAZ doing something right.
It looks like the guys they picked to be in the rotation are just terribly unlucky. What are the odds so many would be hurt and the others just not very good? It’s just too many failures on the mound for it to be anything but bad luck.
Sometimes bad luck evens out.
Dan how about Wood, and his delivery?
genius writers, sure Dan, but they will dole out 75 million dollars plus to injury riddled and medicore pitchers and unproven Cuban players. What smart spending. Just to let you know Anderson, McCarthy, Ryu, and Wood are all injury prone or have long and established histories of injuries. It comes as a suprise to absolutely NOBODY that these guys were unable to pitch, or remain healthy. Ryu was acquired under Coletti, but he was the only one that’s pitched well. To be fair Wood was starting to right the ship, but Anderson and McCarthy have been disastrous signings. If Ned had made those signings everyone would have piled on him endlessly. Speaking of Ned, the Dodgers were always competitive under him. In his 9 seasons as GM the Dodgers had 5 playoff appearances, 4 division titles and 3 NLCS appearances. Until Friedman’s clubs do better than Ned’s then we can start talking about how “smart” they are.
A smarter front office would have acquired pitchers with solid histories of health and success instead of betting on injury riddled mediocre hurlers who have never been good. The Dodgers could have had a number of proven starters in the free agency (Greinke, Cueto, Price, Zimmerman, Hamels, etc etc ), or via trade. News flash, most prospects never make it or become backup players. To assume that everyone of those single-A and double-A prospects will be every day all-stars is delusional, and to horde those prospects like they are gold while the MLB roster deteriorates is insane and idiotic.
However, the Dodger are still in the wild card race, and perhaps Mark could be right about the club joining together and rallying without Kershaw. They may become more determined without him as crazy as that sounds.
FYI Dan, don’t take everything so seriously on the internet 🙂
Scott, I love ya man! You made my case totally. I have said from the get go that most prospects do not pan out, and Mark the brainiac had 6 of them making the jump from AA to the majors next year! How many of the Cubans the team has signed have had an impact at all??? ONE….Yasiel Puig, and he was from Ned’s watch. Colletti gets a bad rap, but he made some astute mid and late season trades. Getting Greg Maddux was one of them, the Manny Ramirez trade, although it ended bad, gave Dodger fans 2 of the most exciting months in Dodger history. Remember the Manny dreadlock’s at the ball park? And everyone was wearing #99. If they had gotten a true #2, then a lot of the bitching would be silenced. But they choose the bargain bin…..and that’s what causes all the anger.
I understand Scott – he stays that stuff tongue in cheek to feed into the moronic drive that is rampant here. I like Scott – he’s a good writer and I do disagree with him but he has a take – some of it for shock value… and I do know a little about that.
Scott pays me by the word to come here and stir things up!
OK, that’s a lie!
Moronic drive?
So, you’re saying he says what he says just to get you to post?
Everyone takes him too seriously. Ask him – not me!
Here’s the whole fallacy – IF THE DODGERS DIDN’T TRADE THOSE TOP PROSPECTS, THEY COULDN’T HAVE REALLY MADE A RUN.
YOU CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS, BUT MOST OF YOU CAN’T GRASP THAT!
Ignorance is bliss, I guess!
“if the dodgers didn’t………….”
I don’t follow you there.
You must be the happiest man in Indiana.
I am!
I have no doubt that the Dodgers could have traded prospects and received Tulo, Price, Hamels and one or two more, but that would have gutted the farm. Maybe they would have won it all with a rotation of Kershaw, Greinke, Hamels and Price. Probably…
Firstly, the farm would not have been gutted. Secondly, if we win it all – who cares if it was?
I totally agree…..27 years is too long for Dodger fans…..this is not Chicago….and another reason would be to shut the Gnat fans up…
Bud looked like Clayton!
Been medically very busy the past two full days, with either my wife’s or my appointments. I have some new issues now, have to have a brain MRI as well.
So not much from me here for several days.
1. Dollar General store, closed in our neighborhood. Moved and left. So I was in hopes that the Dodger GMs would start shopping elsewhere. That could mean that Bud Norris will be a gem.
2. I have changed my mind of trading the top tier of Dodgers minor league prospects. Keep ’em. But maybe some of the 2nd or 3rd tier prospects.
Still too many lacks to go and try with sending out key kids. Lacks: true leadoff hitter, new starting catcher needed, 8th inning closer guy, middle pen guys, 3 starters. Not sure the GM can cover all of that.
Godspeed Roger!
Praying for you Roger. Let us know how you are doing.
Sorry to hear that Roger. Hang in there. I am dealing with a good friend and room mate dying of cancer. He has maybe a month or so, or less left. And I am in charge of everything, not his family. I am not looking forward to that. And I agree there are really too many holes to fix.
Well, I watched some film on Norris and see that he has changed some of his mechanics and pitches. He has looked good through 2 innings. I want to see more… but he looks like he could be a nice find.
I just noticed Norris has a red and white stripe on the fingers of his glove. That used to be illegal.
Dodgers have no baserunners through 2 against a pitcher with an ERA over 6.
However, the last month he has been 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA, but the hitters still suck!
Didn’t you hear Vin say, that this pitcher, has been pitching really well, in his last seven games?
No, I have the TV on, but I’m working on the computer… that’;s my life these days: writing copy!
Nothing new on that situation. Has happen many times to this lineup.
Mark, remember some months back I said I was concerned with Kershaw’s delivery and the high kick? You commented that you agreed. I think this might be some of the cause or adds to the cause.
Years ago, before my Stem Cell Transplant (2004) I had the lower right back pain about every 6 months or so. Needed shots, pills, rest, could never have pitched an inning. Hard to sit in a car. Then after several long weeks, it would get better with the medical and rest. Since that 2004 SCT — not a problem since. So, Clayton — consider a Stem Cell Transplant (oh, they were my own stem cells). Just a thought.
That’s probably an option. He does put a lot of torque on his back and hip.
I have had back issues for most of my life – much of it self-inflicted, but I am facing surgery too. I had my hip replaced 7 years ago and it still hurts – there’s no damn joint there – so I don’t get it. It takes me about a half hour to get loose enough in the morning, but life is good and I am blessed.
Give my regards to your wife too. Take care!
Hopefully, Norris will give them an arm that can be a part of the rotation for the rest of the season – but I have misgivings…
Well, Scott was right – Kershaw is pitching… so far!
Yeah, props to Bud Norris. Great 6 innings so far. He left one there for Arrenado and he just missed it; thank god! Now hopefully our pen can save it for him.
Cotton went 6ip today, 0ER, 9k.
Is everyone behaving in here?
Uh……sometimes…..depends on how much of an ass Mark becomes.
Meanwhile, for Rancho today: Ryu 7ip, 5hits ,2 runs, 4k
great to see he went 7 and threw over 90 pitches
Maybe Mark’s theory about the team stepping up with Kershaw out is going to pan out. Great team win tonight.
do not understand because maybe using English too, how to provide Indonesian translate too?
Translate dot Google dot com