The Dodgers are coming off an 8-4 victory over the Pirates yesterday which hopefully ended the jinx against them. The game wasn’t without casualities. Justin Turner didn’t play due to a right hand contusion and Brandon McCarthy exited in the 2nd inning due to a hip issue. The Dodgers kept pace with the Giants and remain 1 game back in the NL West.
Today marks the return of P Brett Anderson who will make his first start of the year and his first start since last year’s NLDS against the Mets. Bud Norris, Adam Liberatore, and Rich Hill should make their returns this week as well. So the Dodgers are getting some reinforcements.
Today’s Dodger lineup against the Pirates:
Utley 2B
Reddick RF
Seager SS
Gonzalez 1B
Grandal C
Pederson CF
Kendrick LF
Segedin 3B
Anderson P
Brett Anderson 0-0 0.00 ERA against Chad Kuhl 2-0 3.91 ERA
Game Time – 1:10 PM – TV – SNLA
Chad Kuhl last faced the Dodgers on 6-26 which was the last game that Clayton Kershaw pitched. Kuhl actually got the win in that game. The Dodgers managed four hits in that game, including a double and home-run by Turner. As you can see no Justin Turner again. Corey Seager also had a double in that game. In regards to Justin Turner he should play on Tuesday. McCarthy and Josh Ravin are headed to the DL aka “mash unit.” Bud Norris will pitch on Thursday.
This will be the Pirates lineup today:
Harrison 2B Marte LF McCutchen CF Freese 1B Kang 3B Mercer SS Cervelli C Rodriguez RF Kuhl P
This is how Brett Anderson has done against some of the Pirate’s players in the past:
| Francisco Cervelli | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 |
| Eric Fryer | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 2.000 | 3.000 |
| Josh Harrison | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Andrew McCutchen | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | .333 | .333 | .667 |
| Jordy Mercer | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Gregory Polanco | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Sean Rodriguez | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .667 | .750 | .667 | 1.417 |
| Totals | 29 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | .172 | .226 | .207 | .433 |
So it would seem they have hit him pretty well especially Andrew McCutchen. The Pirates would seem to have the advantage since this is Brett Anderson’s first start. The Dodgers bullpen should keep ready. Brock Stewart was seen in the clubhouse. He probably will be the long man today.
Brock Stewart is in #Dodgers clubhouse.
— AlaNNa Rizzo (@alannarizzo) August 14, 2016
The Dodgers have been hitting the cover off the ball against the Pirates this weekend and hopefully will figure Kuhl today because he was a “Kuhl Customer” last time. I also hope to see Johnny Cueto continue his 2nd half flameout against the Orioles today.
The Dodgers will go on the road and play three against the Phillies and four against the Reds this week. They have to take advantage of this trip. The next Dodger home stand will feature the Giants and the Cubs.
James Moya
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Break out the DL, new (old) customer…
Apparently, Anderson was not ready to come back and face major league hitters.
Anderson was not ready to face A hitters…this is so ridiculous. 15.6 million dollars for 1 inning……hell give me that money… I can go 1.
OK bullpen. Today, only need to give us 8 innings!!
Forget the Rams, Kersh needs to give our bullpen some of those blue label bottles!!!
Bobby
That is for sure!
That $16 million could have been better spent.
I can’t blame FAZ for that… up until this year no one had accepted a QO.
How could someone with a PhD in behavioral economics possibly have seen that coming?
But McCarthy and Anderson almost gave us 3 innings… almost!
Here comes Brock Stewart.
Oh… and Anderson won’t get a QO!
MAYBE NOW WE CAN FINALLY SEE DELEON. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY HE ISNT UP HERE. SORRY, BUT , BOTH ANDERSON AND MCCARTHY ARE DONE. PUT DELEON AND URIAS IN THE ROTATION AND WE WILL BE JUST FINE. BEFORE I GET CRITICIZED, THATS JUST MY OPINION.
Urias is not ready. He has not the innings nor the experience to pitch every 5th day, and especially not in a pennant race…the kid is 19 and not ready for prime time….
Mark
Stop your disclaimer!
Mark
Even you have to admit that that was the most pathetic pitching performance, and attempt to field a ball, that you have ever saw.
Mark
That is a big switch on Anderson.
I just read on MLB Trade Rumors that Stanton will be out for the remainder of the season.
Big loss for the Marlins and loss of Stanton will probably knock them out of the WC race. Stanton and Bour( who is out) comprised a total of 40 of the teams 90+ HR this season.
Richie
You never know, look how our team, has done after Kershaw went out.
Dodger starters have gone 4 innings or less in 6 of the last 13 games
Urias may get a spot start here and there, but he has 96 innings. I think they will keep him around 130, so he’s in the pen.
URIAS IS NOT READY? WHEN WILL HE BE READY
When he is mature and strong enough to pitch an entire season. Give me a break, the kid is not Fernando, he is Julio Urias, he has a great make up, some really good pitches, but he does not have the stamina, nor the pitching experience to go 9 innings, or a full 162 game season. I would say in 2018, he will be ready for the full load, He is on a innings limit for good reason. He is a kid, let him grow a little….fans want him, I understand that, but he could just as easily get an injury that would slow his development. He has only been pitching a couple of years….lots of talent and potential, but not there yet
With McCarthy yesterday and Anderson today, one has to wonder how long our bullpen can last at this pace. They’ve done a great job so far but still…………….
I think Urias is ready to be honest. Best thing to do is let him pitch. How else are you going to be able to build his arm strength and prepare him to be a major league starting pitcher?
Norris coming back next week. Hill after that (maybe). Rotation will be Maeda, Kazmir, Hil, Norris and ?
Maybe JDL? I don’t know. Stewart is still an option and or Stripling.
Scott, I disagree, and his appearances so far have done nothing to change my mind. He is 19, on a innings limit,,and he throws way too many pitches to get the job done.
Scott, I thought he was honest already.
I wanted to beat this Pirate rookie pitcher this time, I hope they can turn this around.
It was to bad, that Anderson didn’t fall down, before he gave up that last HR.
He is as graceful as ever. Nobody feels worse than Anderson.
Bum
If it wasn’t so tragic, it would be funny!
I do because I wanted them to finally take a series from the Pirates.
And I am tired of some of these starters, getting us behind, before we even come up to bat.
The players, can’t always come back and win these games, and if we lose today, we will probably be two games back, on the Giants.
Stewart needs to stop getting behind on these hitters, and he will be ok today
MJ:
Have faith, this game is far from over. That’s why they play 9 innings.
Reddick is starting to heat up. After an 0-12 to start with the Dodgers, he’s hitting a a more palatable .258 and .280 for the season.
Yeah, I actually like his style of hitting in the 2 hole.
He is a rookie….he is not experienced, he is not that good at this level……and Deleon is still at AAA ..bring up someone new, have some friggin imagination…..anything…this is painful to watch
Bum
To bad that pitcher, caught Grandals line drive, because your guy hit another one out!
I bet your having a lot of fun right now!
Joc, like Loney before him, hasn’t made it easy for me.
Bum
Once they got away from Mattingly, they did better.
Meanwhile, Giants up on baltimore 7-1 in the 6th
Bobby
I know, I hope we can come back, and win this game.
I bet Anderson broke his arm, or hand with that fall.
It was funny how Mark dropped his QO on Anderson, right after that
DREAM ON! They are a gritty bunch, but the pitching put them in a DEEP hole, and the Gnats are winning………hello
2 games back
I’m dreaming. Orioles catching up as well.
Now 8 – 7 Baltimore in bottom of 9th.
Orioles win
yeah, did not see that coming….Bochy must be pulling out his hair. If we had any kind of starting pitching, we would be 5 games in front.
There’s no need to offer this guy a QO. There’s no point! No team will try to sign him if they know it’ll cost them a draft pick. There are 30 Brett Anderson’s available every year. Why give up a draft pick to sign one??
Just admit this was a gigantic $16million gamble/mistake, and let’s move on. We have too many young guys with way more upside than Anderson anyway.
On a more positive note, Joc is up to .262. Joc with a .270 or higher average is a very valuable player, with his power and defense! Glad he’s learning.
Anderson falls down:
http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/lad/video/v1050990283/pitlad-anderson-exits-with-mild-left-wrist-sprain
Wondering
What is your take on Anderson?
Two Quick Grand Slams and we win!
It’s that simple!
You are using some serious drugs……
Dodgers can’t keep falling behind early and expect to win.
Dodgers need reliable starting pitchers – guys they have can’t stay healthy.
The Giants can’t keep jumping ahead early and expect to win! 😉
I felt good once the Orioles got that lead, because I know they have a very good closer, who the Giants would have a lot of trouble, coming back on.
It wasn’t that easy. They got 2 runners on and Span’s ball came this close to going through..
Dodger rick
The Dodgers have more pitchers on the DL then the forty man roster.
Next up: Norris and Hill.
Wow. Just pathetic.
Talking about the Giants, of course.
We have our secret weapon. Scott, we need a lot of that special mojo, and soon.
SF fans will have to do with their interminable stack of always rah rah bloggers. Well, that and their FO and HoF manager. ha ha.
Thank you Baltimore Orioles for breaking stupid cisco’s hearts today ! I’m actually in Baltimore right now, so it was fun to watch live on Baltimore’s network.
Saved us from going 2 back. The day turned out ok at the end. This week, we go to Phil for 3, and Cincy for 4 (including the game next Monday at 930am). SF is home vs Pitt and Mets.
Next Tuesday sf comes to LA for 3. It’ll be a good intense week again!
Bobby
How did the crowd in SF react to the sudden change in the score?
Maybe Anderson won’t miss a start. He just had a bad day.
So we have Kaz – who pitched well his last start.
We have Maeda. We have Hill and Norris and Stripling.
That’s six. We are good!
Mark
The reason Anderson came out, was because his arm or wrist was throbbing.
Isn’t that what everyone wrist feels like when we fall on it?
I only saying the above, to make a point that Anderson doesn’t have what it takes, to be a grinder.
And I wouldn’t say anything, if I haven’t delt with something similar.
Look how Maeda was when he was hit in on his hand, from that batted ball, in NY.
He did what it took, to pitch the most innngs he could, to help the team, and that ball was scorched.
This isn’t a criticism I am just sayin the truth.
Anderson is just plain physically retarded. International pitchers have their private interpreter. Why can’t players like Anderson use a walker when they are pitching? That should be in compliance with the American Disabilities Act. 🙂
Only a mental retard would give a physical retard a QO. I was on the record last year to not give a QO to Anderson because I thought nobody would be dumb enough to give him a multi-year contract.
Got to give it to the FO cause they brought up Stewart as a Long reliever to protect he bullpen today. They are learning, FINALLY. In this case learning also means admitting your mistakes and slowly stopping being so arrogant.
BOB
Please don’t hold back!
LAD has 28 pitchers on the 40(+) man roster and only one (Avilan) who is not on some kind of DL list and available to be called up the the Bigs. ROFLOL at the new LAD training staff.
Maybe we will see one of the FO Favs DFAd (Culberson?) , or a fake 60 day DL Injury (Ravin?) and DeLeon brought up as a SP.
What a joke.
BOB
In the Dodgers article today, they said that the Dodgers have more pitchers on the DL, then the forty man roster.
If I gave up 5 runs in 1 inning I’d complain my wrist was hurt too.
I’d love to see De Leon in August.
And just put McCarthy and Andersen on long term or permanent DL already.
Or at the very very least don’t ever ever put them back to back. I had to apply for bereavement leave after watching Anderson almost kill himself trying to make a bang bang play.
I feel like a broken record. This needle keeps getting stuck in the same groove. Pitching. It was obvious last year and more than obvious this year. Bats are batting and we keep allowing runs to score. The woefully inadequate starters allow the weakness of the bullpen to show itself. It’s almost a lottery as to who gets to start and who comes out of the bullpen. The only thing keeping the Dodgers in the mix for the playoffs is the awful play of the Giants, Mets, and the sporadic play of St. Louis and Miami.
Can anyone truly say there is a ‘plan’ for the pitching staff? If there is one, it has not worked to date and both Maeda and Kazmir have not looked very solid as of late.
YF
I don’t know how I forgot, but I forgot that McCarthy pitched yesterday, and did about the same, without the dive, is what
I think that Vinny called it.
Can we DFA the training staff. This is pathetic. I am not blaming the players at all. OK maybe Anderson is as athleticly challenged as Mark and myself combined. But this training staff if frikin a joke. Really!!!!!!
Slotim
But that is why they got rid of the other training staff, from last year.
And have you heard from Badger?
Yes MJ. He is laying low. Badgers are stealthy and strike when provoked. His striking is on hold.
This is something I mentioned some weeks ago. Finding the right help is not an easy task in this area. So many experts! You would think that with the walking wounded that the Dodgers seem to import and produce, they would have magicians to transform them into super-athletes.
The Dodgers won last night in spite of the re-injured McCarthy. They lost today in spite of the re-injured Anderson. They were saved yesterday by one of the kids (Urias) and the bullpen was saved (partially) by another one today (Stewart).
As much as some here want to defend the Braintrust’s decision to sign the old and infirm to populate the pitching staff, what we have seen here is what anyone who has looked at their histories should have expected.
McCarthy has pitched the following number of innings in his career:
67, 84, 101, 22, 97, 170, 111, 135, 200, 23, 34 (this year). In an 11 year career, he has thrown regular innings twice.
Anderson has pitched the following number of innings in his career:
175, 112, 83, 35, 44, 43, 180, 1 (this year). In an eight year career, he has thrown regular innings twice.
Hill has pitched the following number of innings in his career:
23, 99, 195, 19, 57, 4, 8, 19, 38, 5, 29, 76 (this year). In a twelve year career, he has thrown regular innings once.
If anyone is surprised that McCarthy, Anderson and Hill have been largely unavailable this year, they aren’t paying attention.
Rather than see the old and infirm, I don’t see what the team has to loose by letting some of the kids pitch. i would let Urias and Stripling in the rotation. I would like to see DeLeon.
Dodger rick
I didn’t say this, but I thought Urias pitched really well yesterday, and Stewart did a pretty good job today.
There biggest problems, are just not being able to get ahead on a hitter, and put them away, or they end up walking a hitter, that they had a 02 count on.
But I really think Urias had one of his best outing yesterday, and the team really needed it.
Rick
Now make a list of the money the front office has spent on all of these different pitchers, to pitch for these pitchers, that couldn’t make there starts, and the money the pitchers on the DL are still collecting, even though they are not making there starts.
… and it;s not very much compared to obligations other teams have (Price, Greinke, Cueto, Samardzija)
As I mentioned on the last thread, they could have signed JA Happ, but he went early and has been the best pitcher signed in free agency last year… so far.
When you will not give up draft picks or prospects like Seager, Urias, De Leon and Pederson, you have to usually settle for the blind, crippled and crazy.
You guys are talking like we are 12 games behind the Giants like the Cards are behind the Cubs. We are one game out and 3.5 games up in the Wild Card. If McCarthy and Anderson can pitch, fine. If not fine. We have plenty of choices and our ace will like be back in early September. Every team has issues right about now. Ask Bochy!
Most of you pined for Greinke – how did that work out? Price? No so hot, and now Cueto is doing his annual 2nd half dive.
Cueto has a 4+ ERA in his last 7 games.
Samardzjia is over 5 in his last 7 games.
Cain is over 5.5 in his last 7 games.
MadBum is nails.
Moore has walked 11 batters in his first 12 innings as a Giant.
… and their pen blew a game big time today.
The Giants were hot early. The Dodgers are just coming together. Watch out!
We could have had Archer or Sale, but the cost was HUGE – De Leon, Bellinger, Verdugo and the three we traded. No thanks. We are still STRONG contenders!
And just how far do you expect them to go in the playoffs with the GARBAGE they have for starters. Maeda and Kazmir are the only 2 that are half way dependable, There is no Guarantee Kershaw is back before mid September the way things are now. He has not even thrown off a mound yet, and the month is half over. He has almost zero chance of making any rehab starts since the minor league seasons end the first of September. Sorry, they needed someone better than Hill who still has not thrown an inning. They could have traded for someone besides Sale, who is at least healthy enough to contribute. Experience beats potential every time. They are loaded in the low A and AA levels, they could afford to give up some of that so called potential for a proven starter. But no, they went sideways and got a wounded pitcher, and a mediocre OF who can’t hit lefty’s. 2 Rentals for 3 of your so called depth guys. It is tiring and it is ridiculous to expect the fans to think that these guys are trying to win. They are close because the Giants are playing so bad, and some of the players on the Dodgers have stepped up to fill the gap. Mainly the bull pen, but to expect the bull pen to carry this team to a championship is pure fantasy. They showed some of the strain today……
Anderson coming back after only 3 rehab starts and not going more than 5 innings in any of them was just plain stupid. He got hurt fielding a ball? What a shocker. He’s not built to be a professional athlete. I know Mark likes to say, I said I said all the time. Well said last offseason I said that Anderson would take the QO and it was stupid to give it to him. $16 million flushed.
Nice return for that money…one inning and flooey…..down he goes again, and they have given McCarthy almost 24 million for 5 wins, and they said Ned was nuts.