Tonight the Dodgers sent Alex Wood to the mound in the hopes of a win and a sweep of the Cheatin’ Cardinals. Those things were not in the cards however, as Wood pitched well enough to win, but the Dodgers reverted to their old habits of scoring early and then going quietly for the rest of the night, and giving up runs with two outs.
It was a pitching duel for the first two innings, and then came the third.
3rd inning
Cardinals
Matt Carpenter hit a home run to deep right field. Cards 1-0
Dodgers
Corey Seager launched one all the way to the left field bullpen to tie the game.
5th inning Tie score 1-1
Wood settled down after that Carpenter home run. The Cards had not threatened since the third.
6th inning Tie score 1-1
A walk and hit batter brought the Dodgers’ skipper out to the mound. He talked to Wood and left him in to face Matt Carpenter with two men on.
Wood got a double play and eventually escaped the inning with no harm done.
7th inning Tie score 1-1
Wood out after six innings and 92 pitches.
Manager Dave Roberts then used Louis Coleman, J.P. Howell, and Joe Blanton.
Blanton gave up a pinch-hit double to Yadier Molina with two on. 3-1
Another single made it 4-1.
All with two out.
8th inning Cards 4-1
Blanton gave up three runs in the seventh, and yet returned for the eighth.
He then gave up another run, 5-1.
Just when it looked like Blanton was going to have to take one for the team, and just eat the rest of the inning, Roberts pulled him for Adam Liberatore.
If you’re going to pull Blanton, why let him start the eighth? He already gave up three runs. What did Roberts expect Blanton to do when he sent him out there again?
Dodgers
Corey Seager blasted his second homer of the night (third in two games) to make it 5-2.
Dodgers lost 5-2.
Alex Wood deserved a win tonight. The Dodgers deserved a sweep and a furthering of their momentum. That didn’t happen as the Dodgers’ bats went nowhere – with the exception of Yasiel Puig‘s bat, that may have gone to bat heaven after he smashed it on the dugout floor after making an out.
Tonight’s moment of positive: Corey Seager with two home runs, three total against the Cardinals.
We didn’t get a sweep, but this guy happened…
Alex Wood went six with 1 run, 3 hits, 1 walk, 5 Ks, 1 home run. ERA 4.17
Home run: Corey Seager
Team with RISP 0 for 3
Oscar Martinez
I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.
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Lots of problems in this one, after the 6th.
I don’t have much to say about the players. But I do want to say that I think Roberts is a slow learner. However I must caveat that with I do think he’s a good manager building toward great, because I like the changes this team as compared with last year, with the same players have shown so far. I like Roberts style of play and I think the players like it too. But it’s clear to me that he’s a rookie manager at this point.
All in all I like how we’re playing even with lower batting averages all around. It’s becoming more and more of a pitchers league, and we are headed in the right direction.
I wonder if he uses his coaches advice regarding what he does with pitchers?
Yes he does Bum!
Cory leads the Dodgers in Batting Average, Runs Scored, RBIs & HR.
He is gonna be good.
Yes. We need to build a great team around him!
Yes, that Seager kid is pretty good and has a really good demeanor.
Badger (and others) — we are moving to a new Independent Living senior facility being built in San Antonio. But the facility is not to be finished now, till August 1st (new date as of last Friday). They are are building adjacent to it an Assisted Living facility and then a Memory Care facility. One could just move down the line as health and needs change. ((Some folks as they age, consider these kinds of places, but would rather die in their own beds, alone.))
Our apartment will be 1,684 sq ft – 3 bedrooms and more. So we will have a lot of room. Deluxe meals provided, happy hour every Wed & Fri with lots of things to do (if you want to be involved).
Dodgers — Roberts is doing his best with what he has on the roster. When he needs to go to the pen — he only has the guys he has — and he uses them. Not his fault they are mostly weak baseball pitchers. That is on the GM for signing them.
Just think — for 10 or 20 million more dollars, the Dodgers could have had a much better team this season. And that would have brought in more money to the team and a better shot at post season.
Final point: unless the GM has an awaking to their job and how to really build a roster — things here will not change. Should have kept Chapman, for one. Watched him pitch the other day. Really something.
I can’t speak for the total fan base but if Chapman was decent in the clubhouse and doesn’t throw firecrackers at fans when leaving the ball park, I would have welcomed Chapman.
Your new home sounds great.
We all we would have welcomed Chapman. I view that unmove as cold feet chicken sh*t bungling by FAZ. I’m sure others view it as pure FAZonian brilliance.
I was just talking with my wife about your new digs Roger (she says hello and sends you and your wife her best) and we both see the advantages of living in a facility like that. We’re all getting older. Funny how that happens. Hope it works out well for you two. If you haven’t already, take up pickle ball when you get there.
What has come of the Baby Boomers?
If they would have kept Chapman, that would have been probably there best move to date. They just got lucky with Maeda, because he had those films, and he wanted to be a Dodger, so they were able to negotiate with him.
Imagine if Joe Torre had applied for the Dodger Manager job:
Friedman: Thank you for applying for the job, Mr. Torre. I see by your application you have a lot of experience, as a player and as a manager, lots of awards, postseason, World Series, etc. I don’t think we have to look any further. I’ll send you a packet before each game, stats, projections, instructions for handling interviews, lineup card, and instructions on pitching changes…
Torre: Hold up, there must be some mistake, I must have misread that announcement. Are you looking for a field manager or an office boy?
Friedman: Thank you, Mr. Torre, we’ll let you know if there are any openings. NEXT!!!
MJ, you were wondering if Seager might help the team more if he hit 3rd and I was thinking the same thing. In years past that might have been the thing to do but it seems current thinking puts the best hitter second in the lineup and I think Trout has hit second much of his career.
I like clutch hitters in the 1st and 2nd spots because other than the first inning they could hit in an inning that the bottom of the lineup has got the inning going and if a runner is on base it will probably be accompanied with two outs.
Turner probably should be hitting 8th until he plays himself into shape. He couldn’t work out in the off season because of his surgery and barely had time in spring training to prepare for the start of the season. Add Kendrick to the players that didn’t have a normal spring training and the Dodgers have two key players that were not going to start the season close to their ability.
Add Crawford to the mix who is not a platoon player because he seems to need constant at bats and the Dodgers have three players that on aren’t going to get the job done.
Pederson and Puig are changing their swings and mind set so they need to be eased into the line up and they too would benefit from hitting at the bottom until they hit their grooves.
Grandal is hot and cold and keeping him in the 5th spot means that the team has a 5 hole hitter that is inconsistent. An inconsistent hitter needs to hit lower in the lineup.
The Dodgers at this time in the season have about 5 #8 hitters in the lineup at any one time.
Good analysis Bum.
I’m still old school with my lineup. I’ve been about OBP since my grandpa taught me the concept when I was 11. I was in Little League. He said “you’ve got 18 outs to work with. Don’t you make any of them.” I’ve talked about this before. Your lead off guy gets on and gets over. Think Maury Wills. Your two hole hitter is left handed, can straighten out fastballs he will see with a base stealer on first. He’s left handed cuz there’s a hole on the right side with the lead off guy being held on. He can bunt and he can run, avoiding a double play. Seager. #3 is your best hitter, and he can hit the outfield gaps. Puig or Turner. Cleanup hitter is AGon. 5-7 are the other guys in order of average. 8 is another OBP guy your pitcher can move over. This philosophy is decades old and always worked on the teams I was associated with for about 50 years. I’m sure SABER guys look at it differently.
The Dodgers, on paper, have the sticks. I have more faith in Crawford than most of you do, but am not willing to risk another 500 push-up bet on him. He may be near the end, but I think if given enough at bats can be productive. With so many good outfield bats on this club, I just don’t see how he gets the at bats to get done what he needs to get done to earn his money. Ethier can hit of course, but how long will he need to recover. SVS is about ready, Thompson deserves to play and what we are doing with Kiké is, in my opinion, shameful. This team has a strange makeup but we cannot look at it without asking the question – why so many injuries? Is there no algorithm for keeping players on the field? I don’t recall the need for platoons in the decades leading up to moneyball. Where are the 162 game players now?
Things change. Baseball is a thing. It’s changed.
Regarding changes…… yes and no. The Royals have been to the last 2 W.S. and the defending champs. If I recall, IF Gordon would have stayed healthy, they would have had 8 players with over 500 AB’s. That is a set line-up. Righty/Lefty, doesn’t matter and none of those players are what you would call ‘superstars’, they are just damn good baseball players. Many of them are 4 tool players with a couple 5 tool folks.
Good stat. I wonder how many other teams have 8 players with 500 at bats. Maybe a more honest number would be 500 plate appearances. KC did a number of things right, and had some luck along the way. Strong athletes under the age of 30 have a far better chance of staying on the field day after day.
I would think that most teams would have 6 players with 500 AB’s. IMO, if you are platooning or rotating at more than 2 positions than you need better players. The ideal position to platoon is at catcher so that leaves one other position.
After double checking, the Royals last year had 6 players with over 500 AB’s but Gordon and Rios were both on pace to go over that number until their injuries. Infante finished with 440 AB’s but came up short cause after they traded for Zobrist he received the bulk of the playing time and finished with over 200 AB’s.
But the previous year, 2014, they had 9 players all with at least 457 official AB’s. Dyson was next with 260 AB’s. THAT is running out the same line up day after day.
Badger why do you have so much faith that Puig will hit? I don’t question Puig’s physical make up, but he is so ruled, by his emotions, and has hardly any impulse control.
There are hitters, that just see the ball, and hit the ball, that are successful, and that is probably why Puig did so well, when he first came up, and then the pitchers adjusted to him.
Puig wants instant gratification, like they say, most young people from his generation want, but hitting consistently, is probably the hardest thing, to do in sports.
And you said the Dodgers just need to hit, but the Giants barely scored runs, in there last two games, as well as the Dbacks, and there suppose to be good hitting teams. And look at the Mets, and the cardinals, they didn’t score many runs either, and the Cardinals, are suppose to be a good hitting team too.
That is why I said, that it looks like pitching is becoming more dominate, in this era, where the drug testing is getting better. And that is why teams, want younger players, and are valuing there picks so much, because with out steroids, the older players, are not able to do as well, without that help, because of the long schedule. The last time I said something like this I was attacked, but they were saying stuff, I didn’t even refer to.
Bill Russell didn’t do so badly in the #2 spot, and Gilliam was a switch-hitter. With all the shifts there’s less of a hole on the right side, unless you have a guy like Wills on first. Bunting the guy over with a guy like Seager is just giving up an out. These are some of the changes you’re talking about.
Platoons have been around more than a century, and they’ve been controversial from the beginning. In some cases they’re a good idea, because not every team has 8 everyday players as good as the Royals. But we saw way too many of them under Donnie. I’m hoping that at some point when the weather heats up the best hitters will play almost every day.
Good points. Under this ‘management’, I’m not sure Wills would even be wanted.
Point made snider.
If teams are shifting with a runner on first, and I know the do, all the more reason to bunt the other way and make them pay. I swear I think I could hit .500 against the shift. Ok, maybe not against ML pitching, but I know I could hit them out of the shift. You got a two step head start and there are huge holes on the left side. Even AGon has done it a few times and he’s two steps slower to first than most right handers. Pederson has tried, but not often enough for my liking. There are ways smart hitters, and smart teams, can beat the shift. Run the numbers FAZstein. There must be an algorithm for it. Try this one: a + b = .500. Where a is no third baseman, b is hit it toward third = c, success half the time. Arithmetic. I think it adds up.
Bum I probably said that about Cory, because Turner just isn’t doing the job, and he is affecting Agone’s at bats, and everyone else in the middle of the line up.
Agone’s HRs are down, because of Turner, and Puig batting behind him. Roberts moved Puig down, in some of the games, but he still puts Puig fifth, at times.
Someone has to bat fifth. Could have been Frazier (and his 12 HR’s) or Cespedes (and his 12 HR’s)…..
Could have easily had a line up (for the next 2 years) that looked like this:
Puig (RF)
Seager (SS)
Cespedes (LF)
Gonzalez (1B)
Frazier (3B)
Pederson (CF)
Grandal (C)
Utley/Kendrick/Turner (2B)
Bum you know I want both Puig and Pederson, to bat seventh, and Eighth.
Roger, Bum – the decision to not sign Chapman is the one that irks me most. A Chapman, Jansen 8/9 innings combination would have been lights out.
That would have been a huge improvement to the Pen.
Enjoying the season so far, as it’s been easier watching with little expectation.
What I’m looking forward to is seeing Urias & Deleon before too long.
Agree that Chapman would have been a nice addition but not sure that 2 alpha dogs would have got along. From all reports Jansen did not like the idea so either one or the other would not have been happy in the 8th inning role.
He is now the Yankees closer (as they moved Miller to the set up man role) and arguably the best closer in the game today. By trading for Chapman, that would have for sure been the end of Jansen as a Dodger.
Orel said that they would get along, and they would have had, a healthy competion, between each other.
And I don’t think that Chapman would caused Kenley to get less money, either.
So you would have had Kenley setting up for Chapman?
If so, then the concern would have been how much does Chapman earn on the open market at the end of the season and more than likely the bridge would have been burned between Jansen and the Dodgers so who would close games next year?
They still might be in that situation if they do not sign or attempt to sign Jansen and this FO track record with Dodger FA’s is not good.
Chili it is to late, to sign Kenley for this front office. And I would use them back and forth probably. And no team is going to give any dominate relief pitcher, less money, because they set up, and closed games.
Every team in baseball, know that Kenley and Chapman, are really good relief pitchers.
I would think that Chapman would get a little more money then Kenley, because of his fastball, but that would have happened, if Chapman wasn’t on the Dodgers, are was on the Dodgers, because Chapman has the fastest fastball, in all of baseball, and there is not one pitcher, even close, to throwing as hard as Chapman does.
And he is a leftie, and lefties are valued a little more.
And Chili they both have long history of closing games. And a team looks at there stats, not if one set up more, then the other. They would understand why sometimes one set up, and even if Kenley was made a set up guy, he would be setting up, only because Chapman, has a consistent fastball, at a speed that no other pitcher can match. And maybe a team would value Kenley more, on the free agent market, because he has a better, reputation, then Chapman has, because Kenley, has been almost as dominate, as Chapman, if you look at there stats, and saves.
I’m not debating value or the quality of either pitcher. It was reported that Jansen was not excited to hear about the Chapman talks. It is more of an ego thing. Could it have worked, of course but I still think that one or both would have felt short changed. Despite what us fans want or see, this is a ME game at that level.
(In college or minors you play for the name on the front of the jersey but in the pro’s you play for the name on the back of the jersey.)
And if it’s too late to sign Jansen, of which I do not totally agree with, than he should be traded prior to the deadline unless they prefer 1 comp pick for him.
How do Miller and Betances feel about it?
If Jansen was pouty, doesn’t that say something about his character? A team player welcomes ANYBODY that will make the team better. I think Jansen is walking anyway.
Well, if you had just put in several years of excellent work and your boss decided to hire someone to do your job and demote you, how would you feel? Especially if it was likely to cost you $millions in future earnings? And they hadn’t even bothered to offer you an extension? Wouldn’t you be looking around for another situation?
A lot of folks here LOVE the prospects, but as soon as a player has a chance to make some real money they’re greedy SOBs. I think players have feelings, even if their agents don’t.
Of course. But, that isn’t how I see it. I think Jansen would have remained the closer and Chapman would be the 8th inning guy. Talk about shortening the game. We win the first 7 innings we win the game.
I think part of the problem here is the fact that both are free agents in ’17. If they are on the same team, one is going to leave. This year we’d have them both and be in the driver’s seat for who we want to offer an extension. They’re both going to get a step van full of money. They are both 28 and stone cold closers. Who you want going forward? And if we suck by the deadline, who you want to trade. Win win.
And Chili Miller had no problem with being moved to be the set up guy. Because Miller, wanted to do what would make the Yankees the best team they can be.
And Kenley or any Dodger, should want to do, what is the best for the Dodgers to win. And I really wouldn’t want a player, that wouldn’t do that, because it is about the team.
Who’s Chili Miller?
Just messin with you MJ. Good name for a baseball player though.
One thing I would add. You want guys who are great teammates. That’s always true. Maybe we’ve all been on teams that had great chemistry. Funny thing about that, those teams that I was on all won. And in the pros, after the last out of the season, it’s no longer about the team. It’s about the bling, the Benjamin’s, the chedda, the gwop, the racks, the Spondulix – or whatever word they are using for it now. Money can do strange things to chemistry.
OK Michael, I mean Badger.
Yes MJ , it should be that way…..but with Miller if my memory serves me correctly he hasn’t been a closer for much of his career so it was easier for him to move to the set up role. He hasn’t been coddled like a lot of the closers therefore has more of a team first approach.
Chapman setting up for Miller would have went over like a lead balloon.
Chili I wish we had Miller, because he can pitch to both lefties and righties, and he is just a good pitcher. I would rather have him, instead of MCCarthy, and I think they have about the same contract. MCCarthy was a terrible contract.
No doubt about it. Miller is a very good pitcher and without looking at his numbers I believe he has been consistently ‘good.’
But on the surface, I’m not sure MONEYBALL management values relief pitching, hence why they did not lay out top dollars for Miller nor anyone else.
To win (meaning vying for a Championship) you need to have either Dominant SP, a Dominant closer with ho-hum relief pitching OR average to good SP, with dominant relief pitching and a very good to dominant closer.
So I ask,
What were the Dodgers missing last year?
What are the Dodgers missing this year?
Oh, I got this one.
Last year the Dodgers were missing a #3 and somebody to cover third base.
This year they are missing more than that.
Did you know that last year we had a franchise record 55 players play for the Dodgers. I wonder if we will break that record?
Badger-
Getting 1 of 2 right, guess I’ll have to grade with a curve and give you a B (for effort), everyone else….F. 🙂
Last year, had dominant closer and ho-hum bullpen but needed the dominant SP and did not have that with our 3rd starter.
This year, have a dominant closer, and it appears possibly an average SP but needs to have a dominant bull pen to help the average rotation. It’s kinda like what everyone has said that with our 5-6 inning starters we needed Chapman and Jansen on the back end. Didn’t happen and it will be the demise of this team throughout the course of the season.
He was not a free agent……it was a trade…….they backed out because of the domestic violence case. You really want that kind of person on your team? Puig had a case hanging over his head, but there was not enough evidence to support it. In Chapman’s case the man fired a gun. The guys that were involved in that trade ended up going to Cincy anyway when they got Thompson, Montas, and Johnson from the White Sox. Peraza, Schebler, and Dixon were dealt to the Reds for Frazier, who was in turn flipped to the Sox for the aforementioned trio of players. By the way, the Dodgers have a closer. Jansen. You believe that Chapman would enjoy being a set up guy? Chapman also just came off the restricted list. He was suspended.
Um, thanks for all that information Michael. Who are you responding to?
I think we all know it was a trade. Wondering posted the tweets about who we might have offered a while ago. And do I want a guy like that on my team? Oh hell yes. That incident had happened months before the trade was talked about. There were no charges filed. You do understand that, right? The Yankees sure understood it. Now look at pen. Yikes. And if they decide to sell? Damn. I say again, if there is no other history of behavioral dysfunction, Chapman is worth having on your team. ESPECIALLY if your team needs bullpen help.
With the Jankees mired in last place what about a Miller or Betances trade come June???
Peter that is what I was thinking, and the Yankees need starting pitching. It is to bad that MCCarthy, won’t be pitching until after the Allstar break, because if he was able to pitch ok, maybe the Dodgers could deal him, and someone else, to get one of those pitchers, from the Yankees. But since they let Chapman go, who knows if this front office will do anything, when they brought Blanton to the Dodgers, after not keeping Chapman. That was a complete joke!
Getting Chapman, would have made the Dodgers much stronger, because they would have had, two dominate arms in there pen, to help with the pitchers the front office brought to the Dodgers, that can’t pitch deep into games. And Mark said that Blanton has been mostly good, but it was just last week, against the Bluejays, that Blanton gave another game away, when a player, hit a HR off him, in the eighth!
Ok by me Pete. Make it so.
I don’t blame the Braintrust for not trading for Chapman. yeah, he’s good, but one of the things that they have tried to do is to rid the clubhouse of headaches and bad character guys. That’s why losing Hanley and Kemp may have been addition by subtraction. Given what little we know of Chapman, pulling out of the Chapman deal was probably a good move.
Something on which we disagree. That’s rare.
I forget who was going over for him. Probably Urias, Seager and De Leon. And I’m not aware of any previous or subsequent behavioral disorders with Chapman. He temporarily lost his mind, over a woman it would appear, and shot off a gun. Happens every day. Maybe to someone you know. He’s a guy who throws the ball 100 mph. I find it reasonable to assume anyone who can do that might be strung a little tight. Now if has a history, ok, priors should be considered. “Are you sorry son?” “Yes sir. I am”. “Ok then, sign here and welcome aboard!” Maybe we could ask him to sell the firearms and get a hundred pound bag. At any rate, I wish we had him.
https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/673887298837225472
https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/673912249929572352
Thanks. Good info.
Peraza and Verdugo make sense. Damn. That close.
I would have kept Kemp, over Mattingly. And that is one of the Dodgers biggest problems, they don’t have a good power bat, from the right side, because they moved Kemp, and didn’t replace his bat.
And Puig was a much bigger problem in the club house, then Kemp. Mattingly just can’t handle conflict, and didnt handle Kemp, in the right way.
He wasn’t talking to Puig at the end of the year, anyways. If the Dodgers still had Kemp in the batting order, Agone would have more HRs, and better offensive stats, at this time. Puig was suppose to step up, after Kemp was traded, but Puig is not a big run producer, like Kemp.
And Kemp is a much better hitter then Puig, at this time, and has much more power.
I’m guessing Frankie Montas is due back soon from his rib injury. He could be a nice late inning bullpen piece with his 100mph fastball
Can he throw it for strikes?
🙂 Asking a good honest question these days comes across negatively…..but a good question nonetheless.
I’m a former teacher. There are no negative questions. If you have a question, let’s hear it. How else we gonna learn?
Here in Latin America there are a lot of negative questions. You are telling the truth, no? But you didn’t teach in Latin America; so I understand where you are coming from, no?
Yes, belt high down the middle and straight as an arrow. I don’t think 100MPH pitchers with good movement and good location plus an off speed pitch get traded.
Bum only if they are injured.
MJ, a while ago you asked why the faith in Puig. Reasonable question.
It’s nuanced, but I can break it down to things: skill and attitude
He’s a different guy now. Maybe Mattingly didn’t bring out the best in him. I don’t think many would say “couldn’t have been Mattingly”. Maybe Roberts can help him mature. I think it’s already begun. Puig is having fun again. And his tools are off the charts – every one of them is All Star level. He just needs to be coached up. He’s doing some things wrong that I think are easy to fix. He has 30/30 potential and could already be the best defensive right fielder in the league. I love guys like him. He smiles a lot, but is not happy with failure. I still see 7 WAR yearly potential in him. He’s 25. His 26-30 years could be Puiawesome.
Badger I mainly mean, his hitting. I want Puig to hit well, because of his good defense in right, and I like him, but sometimes I lose patience with him, when he keeps on making the same mistakes, especially when he is hitting.
And that is why I said that I didn’t want him to get another hit in between third and shortstop anymore, until he learns to stop always pulling the ball.
Maybe Roberts needs to keep Puig in the sixth position, until he starts hitting consistently, because he becomes to impulsive, in RBI situations. But I really want Puig to do well.
Badger, I agree with you and appreciate your writing that. I believe that, simply put, Puig did not know how to act. Seeing him and Turner romping in the sand with the kids assured me that all is well since I have also seen Puig interacting with other players. (By the way did you notice the Puig-like bat-flip Turner made when he hit Puig’s pitch?) I think that nationally Puig may be the happy face of the Dodgers, and the happy dive for the ball, and the happy rocket sent from the right field wall to third base.
I don’t think that there is anything wrong with Chapman, except maybe for a public image that the Dodgers might have decided not to buy into. That’s a close call that I can except whether it is the same call I would have made or not.
I did see that. Kids having fun on the beach. Loved it.
Puig hung off a skyscraper in Toronto with Culberson after he had an early morning fishing trip with Agon. Agon expecially is taking Puig under his wing.
I think this was said in a previous thread but I liked what the ESPN announcers were guessing about Puig–that when he looks for a slider he is late on the fast ball and when he looks for the fastball he swings at sliders that are out of the strike zone. I don’t understand why a hitter can’t be ready for a 95 mph fastball and an 88 mph slider 😉
If a 20 year old is hitting about .400 so far in May and chokes up on the bat wouldn’t it make sense for a more seasoned player that is struggling to choke up as well. Bonds did it. Maybe Puig and Pederson should as well.
I never meant that Puig is a problem this year, if it sounded like I that. I just want Puig to hit. I think Puig is a big kid, and he wants to do well, for his coaches, and especially for Roberts, and the fans. I just want him to hit, and drive the ball up the middle, and to the right side. Puig is much smarter then people think.
Badger when Joey Bats slid yesterday, he slid right where Utley slid, or almost later then Utley slid, right before the base. And this guy on High Heat, is saying that Utley’s slide was still worse. But like you and I, have said, the only difference, is that the Ranger’s second baseman, didn’t have his back turned, while stepping on second base.
And when Utley slid, he had no idea that Tejada, had his back turned, to the base. And all shortstop’s and second baseman, are told never to have there back, turned when a runner, is coming to second.
That situation was underpinned by emotions going back months. The Bautista exaggerated bat flip. Yesterday he was sent the message that everyone knew was coming. Bannister lied through his bridgework on that by the way. Bautista got pissed and went after Odor. And because Odor knew it was coming Bautista missed. Maybe you noticed, maybe you didn’t, but Odor submarined that throw wildly to first. He was trying to bean Bautista with it. Odor then got him good with a right cross. (Suspension?) It should have been over. Then Fielder gets it. Is it over now? Who knows. The difference between the two slides to me was the simple fact Bautista was in the baseline when he went down. But 6:01 now covers that.
Old school–if the runner doesn’t get down you try to hit him in the throat.
But retaliation for bat flips strikes me as BS. Bautista should’ve let his pitcher even the score IMO.
Bautista got down. The throw should always be made in an effort to get an out. If a guy comes in standing up, yeah, he gets it full mug. That throw hit nothing but air and ended up 100′ down the right field line, technically still in play when the hoopla began. The runner from first could have kept running. He was of course called out on 6:01, but Odor made no real attempt on the batter runner. He was head hunting. I doubt we hear much about it. The only place I’ve seen it discussed is here.
The silver lining is that we got great efforts from BOTH Kazmir and Wood this weekend. Will that continue? Probably not but nothing wrong with hope.
And about 75 miles east of DS Ryu has begun his slow rehab assignment to major league form. I don’t know how it went but two innings with no pain is a step in the right direction to improving this rotation.
You’re right Artie. And something else to add along that line of thought – though I don’t expect it, if McCarthy can come back and spin a two seamer for 100 pitches a night, he too could help this rotation.
I find it interesting that we get good outings from Wood and Kazmir at the same time the gnats get good outings from Peavy and Cain. Could signal a real horse race for the entire year. Could be a lot of fun.
Both at Dodger Stadium. I’ll be (very pleasantly) shocked if they keep it up on the road.
Yesterday is on Blanton. There continues to be a reason these guys are RELIEF pitchers. They are not good enough to start and many haven’t been that good since high school. How many pitchers start out by wanting to be RELIEF pitchers? I say, none. What a group. BTW: the Marlins have a better record than the Dodgers, and just played the Nats tough. Do we want Mattingly back? You all seem to like Mr. Rah Rah, our new manager. Other than players having fun at the beach or making baseball fun again, I don’t see much difference. I thought the brawl in Arlington was fun to watch. Boys being boys.
I think the differences are personality and experience.
Did the Mattingly ran Dodgers, split with the Mets, and take the series against the Cardinals? And Mattingly had two number one pitchers, in his starting rotation, and Roberts doesn’t.
Ryu threw a lot of curveballs yesterday. Good ones, it looked like. A good sign.
That is really good to hear Bobbie 17, because Ryu can pitch. I guess the Dbacks are having trouble with getting hits, with runners in scoring position, just like the Dodgers have. The Cardinals were not that good with runners in scoring position, in these last three games, either.
The Giants four and five pitchers are doing better, but so are the Dodger’s four and fives. But we will see how long that lasts, with both the Dodgers and Giants, back of the rotation pitchers.
I hope they bring Urias up pretty soon, to help in the bullpen, and to have some spot starts, to give some days off, to the starting pitchers. But with Ryu getting ready to comeback, and Bolsinger coming sooner, I just don’t see that.
And Blanton really hasn’t been as good, as Mark thinks, because this was the second game, he has lost, in two weeks.
Our bullpen did have a good week, but we also had two starters, almost pitch a complete game, in the last week too.
The Giants have an easy schedule in the next week, just like the Dodgers, except the Giants play three games, with the Cubbies at home. Our team didn’t have good at bats last night, but I hope they can come back tonight, and have better at bats. And I hope Cory keeps hitting and driving the ball out, but with more runners on base.
I couldn’t see any break on Blanton’s pitches last night MJ. I wonder how he was doing in the bullpen warming up.
I couldn’t either Bum, until a faced Matt Holiday. Before that, he was pitching a 80 right down the middle of the plate.
You guys had better get used to this kind of baseball because this is that kind of team. The Bargain Bin Boys are not going to go trade prospects for proven players, and they are not going to get huge returns for their garbage. CC, SVS, Anderson, McCarthy, Hatcher, Wood, all are the FO’s fair haired boys. They could not get a decent used pick-up truck for Crawford, and would get a marginal minor leaguer for SVS. Anderson cannot be traded as long as he is on the DL, McCarthy has the same problem as Crawford, an unwanted contract. Wood is good at home, mediocre on the road, and still has not proved to be anything more than a 6 inning pitcher. Hatcher is Faz, and Fried Brains step child. They love the guy even when he stinks.
Let me guess… You’re not really a Dodger fan?
Doesn’t sound like it.
1. I was to only one who wanted to trade Puig after his first season, but noooooooooooo……..
2. Seager should always be the Dodgers #3 hitter – end of story!
3. I have it on pretty solid authority that while FAZ wasn’t excited about Chapman’s legal issues, it was Kenley Jansen’s snit-fit that caused them to call of the deal. I can’t say it’s for sure, but it’s a pretty good source from one of the teams involved.
Snit fit?
Not a team player. He’s gone.
I could have handled Janson easily. Chapman not so easily. I would have kept Jansen as the closer and used Chapman whenever needed or as the setup pitcher.
Sorry Mark, I too have offered Puig in many trade scenarios from day one including, incorrectly, calling up Pederson ahead of Puig.
….Mark said “2. Seager should always be the Dodgers #3 hitter – end of story!
Not very Paul Harvey like Mark.
1.) Always want to move someone at highest value….and Puig’s value has never been higher than after that first season.
2.) Think most agree but the concern is putting ‘too much’ pressure on the kid. The kid should not have to carry this team….it’s a $235-$250M team and he makes .0002 percent of that.
3.) I can see that being the case. Jansen made it clear that he did not like it. Many, if not most of the players are alpha males….ego’s will get in the way quicker than you can say _____ ____ and it’s NOT all about the team.
https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/732292622673383425
The Angels might be the only team that will guarantee him a spot in the rotation.
The Angels need help everywhere. That line up would struggle to compete at 3A. At one time I thought no way that they trade Trout but that might not be a foregone conclusion any longer and there is no pitching help next year with Strasburg now off the market. But I think it will take 2-3 bona fide major league ready prospects or cost controlled players and 2-3 more in the lower levels to get the talks started.
They just swept the Mariners.
2-3 bonafides – which ones of ours you willing to lose?
Cost controlled players, plus 2-3 more. I’m with you so far. Can you come up with some names? SVS, Hernandez, Grandal, Thompson, Pederson, Puig, there are a number of guys we could use.
By the way, they are talking on ESPN about Odor’s throw aimed at Bautista’s melon. Plaschke said two week suspension is warranted.
Would you trade De Leon, Holmes, Verdugo, Bellinger, Thompson and Barnes for Trout?
I know you’re going to say I’m stupid, but if his contract gives us control for at least 6 years, I would. Thompson and Barnes will be journeyman players at best. The others are good prospects but how many prospects become stars? I’d go for it.
I would.
But I would sure like to do it for “pick 5” of these.
Better yet Kazmir, Kendrick and 4 of them.
I don’t think it’s stupid. With the state of the farm now, I would consider it!
Seager #3
Trout #4
Gonzo #5
Puig or Pederson, whichever they prefer. DeLeon, Thompson, Lee and either Holmes or Stripling, whichever they prefer. I think that would get their attention. Maybe throw in SVS.
Gives them 2 young OF’s and 3 young pitchers.
The Dodgers can put a package together as good as any they would be offered but I think the biggest challenge will be getting the Angels to trade him to the cross town rivals.