The final game of Gotham City vs the City of the Angels brought with it another great marquee matchup: Clayton Kershaw vs King Kong, Bartolo Colòn.
This one was going to be well worth the watch (if you’re one of the 40% of LA residents lucky enough to have access to the Dodgers on tv). Here’s what happened.
1st inning
Dodgers
Two pitches, two singles.
Justin Turner up. Base hit! One run in.
Yasmani Grandal – three run bomb! Dodgers up 4-0.
2nd inning Dodgers 4-0
Dodgers
Chase Utley with a solo bomb to the Endless Dodger Dogs pavilion. 5-0
5th inning Dodgers 5-0
Pitch check: Kershaw 56, Colon 58 – but that’s the only thing close between these two pitchers tonight.
8th inning. Dodgers 5-0
Kershaw has sat the Mets down like an outs machine.
Nothing much happened offensively for the Dodgers since the onslaught in the first two innings.
9th inning Dodgers 5-0
Kershaw dominated, and finished the game out, his second CG of the season, 14th of his career.
Dodgers Win 5-0
Clayton Kershaw was magnificent and almost flawless tonight. At times he almost seemed to be toying with the Mets hitters. His curve ball was working tonight, and when it is on, it is a beautiful thing to behold. He even inspired the HP ump tonight to add extra oomph! to his strike three calls when Kershaw struck someone out with that magnificent, sweeping curve.
Although the offense scored five runs tonight, they fell into a troubling pattern that I’ve seen too many times this season: They strike and score early, and then the bats just shut down for the rest of the game. Do they get complacent? Do they lose focus? Who knows. What I do know is sometimes this costs them games when the bullpen can’t hold the lead.
Luckily Kershaw was dominant tonight, so those runs held up. He also provided needed rest for the boys in the pen and after the come one-come all bullpen blowout last night.
The Dodgers split the series with the Mets, and turn to face the Cheatin’ Cardinals tomorrow night.
Clayton Kershaw (5-1) tossed 109 pitches for a CG with 3 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 13 K’s. ERA 1.74
Home runs: Grandal, Utley
Team with RISP – 2 for 3 <— When this is fixed, everything else takes care of itself.
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.
Follow Me:
I will go with what Vin said regarding the Dodgers hitting after they scored their 5 runs. He said Colon was finding his groove.
5 runs is usually enough. Especially with Clayton on the mound.
Greinke lost. Cueto didn’t.
Grandal at .250. But he smoked that one hit last night. And with runners on. We could use more 3 run bombs.
All in all a good night. 6-4 in our last 10. We keep that pace up the rest of the year, we might get home field for a series in the playoffs.
PLAYOFFS?!?!
Maybe the Dodgers could trade the Greinke elbow grease formula for an AZ reliever.
Alex Guerrero went 2 for 3 with a walk last night at Rancho Cucamonga. (Remember the song about The Battle of Kookamonga? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0mGFjAySTw )
If they can fit him on the roster, (How about DFAing Crawford?) I can see him getting at-bats at third base. Turner needs a couple of days off a week and he can also play first, giving them a chance to sit Agon against lefties. Another reason to trade Kendrick.
I would think that trading Guererero would be best for both the Dodgers and Alex. I thought Alex, if kept, should be worked out at 3rd and 1st.
There was an article about the need to not rush Cubans into the Majors before they became acclimated to money and big city USA. Arruebarrena was the main cause of a bench clearing brawl in AAA ball, there might have been a reason why, with so many ears to choose from, it was Guerrero’s ear that was bitten, and Puig is just now fitting in with the Dodgers and that took 3 years.
I have never seen, small sample size, Guerrero do anything to antagonize coaches or players. His biggest problem is that he has been making so much more money than the younger players and players that have been around awhile like SVS, Turner, most of the relievers, and a few of the starting rotation. That has to be awkward for Guerrero and resented by some players, like the old catcher that bit his ear.
Guerrero can catch grounders all day long at 3rd but he has to play the position before he positions himself where he needs to be on non routine plays. He needs experience at 3rd. Unfortunately, his contract has kept him from getting that experience and has been asked to play second, third, and left field since playing ball in the USA instead of putting him at his best position, 3rd base. Badger and I agree on that 3rd base thing.
Both Kendrick and Guerrero are probably not going to be Dodgers past 2016 regardless of contract, IMHO. I usually don’t get supportive of players that are basically rentals. For me, Crawford, Kendrick, and Guerrero are rentals. However, Utley is a one year needed plug that is needed. Only my imaginary shrink can figure out why I make that distinction.
It’s my opinion the Dodgers have not treated Guerrero fairly. I don’t know what really happened in that dugout with he and Olivo, but I suspect it was a Caribbean thing. I do know Guerrero was hitting about .370 at the time, OPSn around 1.200 and other than his hot start last year, he hasn’t really been the same. Maybe he would be a better fit in Florida. And while on the subject, what up with Arruebarrena? All we know is he has behavioral problems. Did he come with them, or was he too handled poorly? What caused him to go off in that minor league game? Did that altercation involve another Caribbean player? Just curious. It feels like both of these players have been kept in the shadows. I think there is more to the story. There always is. At any rate, do all involved a favor and trade them both.
Badger they said that catcher was mad, because a runner ran to steal second, and Guerrero wasn’t able to tag the runner out. I don’t know if it was a good throw or not, but that catcher, was in a hurry to get back to the bigs. And he didn’t want to look bad, so that wouldn’t come in the way, of going back up to the bigs. And of course that catcher, missed his chance, because right after he bit Guerrero’s ear, one of our catchers, went on the DL hurt. And I guess the catcher, already didn’t have a good rep anyways.
I think it goes back further MJ.
Did you know those two played each other for their National Teams in the Caribbean Series? In a close game Olivo called for a brushback pitch that hit Guerrero. They went after each other, were separated and “this isn’t over” words were exchanged. Did you know that? Well, I didn’t either until I made it up, but now that I read it it makes perfect sense. The DR and Cuba probably don’t like each other. Especially after things like this don’t happen.
He attacked a front office executive last year. I know a player that was in AZ last spring who stayed back for extended spring training and referred to Arruebarranea as a “piece of crap”.
Bum what I think is different about Guerrero as compared to some of the other Cubans, is that he is a family man. He is married and has kids. I remember reporters asking him if he was like Puig, and he said that he was more mellow.
Thanks Badger I didn’t know that!
Bum your right about just being able to play third, in real games, to get that experience. I think Guerrero played in Cuba’s top league, much longer, then Puig, and can hit.
But his latest hits, were in a A game, not a AAA game, and that is not to say he can’t hit AAA, because he did. I think he needs to hit in AAA, before anything is done. And because Guerrero was hurt, he can go to AAA, and get ready, and I don’t think he could veto that. I just saw a headline from the LA Times, and it said, that Puig should go down to the minors, but I didn’t read it yet.
Agreed AGon does need rest on occasion but solely vs LHP? As a Dodger in 603 AB’s his BA is .269. Not an automatic out by any stretch of the imagination.
AGon needs his batteries recharged and then he’ll return to his normal greatness. At least to me he appears to have caught a case of burnout. He says he doesn’t take any part of the game home with him but then he trains every bit of the off season. If this is another ‘close, but no cigar’ season I could see several having the burnout bug for early retirement.
Why Cheatin’ Cardinals?
A Trumpism makes an appearance.
There’s a bunch of them. Obscene buffoon or political genius?
Well, they hacked Houston’s computer database. And they throw at our hitters, not that there’s any rule against that.
Did anyone notice that the addendum to Molly Knight’s book, “The Best Team Money Can Buy” is out, and in it, she mentioned that a Cole Hamels deal last year was centered around DeLeon and SVS???? And that we turned that down?????
Are we run by complete idiots??? These clowns cost us a world series if that’s true.
Bobby I wonder if she really knows, because this front office, doesn’t want anything to get out, because they don’t want other teams, to know what there thinking, or what they want to do. I think they think, that always gives them the edge, with other teams. The thing about Hamels is that he is under a contract, for three or four more years, I believe, but I could be wrong. And you just never know, about prospects.
There is a link below where you can download a free PDF version of the book.
http://myebooke.com/pdf2/free.php?asin=1476776296
Thanks Wondering!
Bobby says: “Are we run by complete idiots???” I am afraid he is right.
If what you say is true, then what you said in paragraph II is understandable, but may not be entirely accurate.
I’ve said all along that 2 top 5 prospects, Seager and Urias, were NOT needed to get that deal done. The reason it wasn’t made was two fold: 1. Hamels makes a lot of money, Latex does not. 2. No prospects were involved. It wasn’t about winning a World Series in ’15. It’s about the future. The World Series victories will come later.
Badger and they say that Hamels contract, is good by today’s standards.
I don’t think that Vin meant to say Koufax last night, because the night before, he said that Koufax and Kershaw, are incomparable. And it sounded to me, that Vin thought Koufax, was much more dominate.
And that is what Koufax’s stats, look like. It was just a Freudian slip, or just an accident from Vinny.
Would you trade Crawford ($30MM) and Kazmir ($40MM) for Braun ($90MM)? Crawford has a year and a half remaining, Kazmir two and a half and Braun four and a half. I personally don’t like Braun but I’m tempted.
That’s interesting.
Is it FAZian?
If someone was stupid enough to make that trade, sure. Then I would trade Braun for a big RH bat and a #2 starter.
You rate Braun higher than I do. Which is why you think the trade is stupid, I guess. Not arguing, just ???
Braun has averaged over 28 HR’s a season over his career and is a career .306 hitter. And this year has 7 HR’s, 27 RBI’s and is hitting .376. Would lead the Dodgers in all 3 categories.
If the Brewers were to move him I would think it would be in a deadline deal for prospects. I doubt they would have any interest in those two Dodgers. I was thinking the salary dump would make sense, but Braun isn’t really a liability. The money saved makes sense but the WAR doesn’t balance out. The bottom line – the Brewers can do much better.
The Brewers wouldn’t do that. They want young players and salary relief. To dump Crawford on them it would take the inclusions of young talent.
As unorthodox as his delivery is, Kershaw has more of old fashioned stride and balance than the current crop. More leg action and throwing through the ball, not against it or to the side of it. I think this is the reason he has been so durable. Plus, he is a big, tall Texan. Last night he had pinpoint control so that he got all those strikeouts and still only threw a few over 100 pitches. I don’t think you can teach mechanics like his; but to get your body in that position to release the ball can be taught. It has to start in Little League, though. Our scouts shouldn’t touch a guy that falls all over the place when he pitches. It is too hard to unlearn them. We are starting to see some of the younger starting pitchers throw with a more balanced motion. The bullpen guys don’t even try. They throw as hard as they can. Period. Remember Nate Eovaldi, now with the Yankees? A lightning arm. Good balance. Everything that goes into a real good starting pitcher. Yet he can’t get through a lineup 3 times. I always wonder about him because he might have the best natural arm in MLB. He has developed secondary pitches and still has a hard time. He might still be good. They Yankees are being patient with him, probably because they don’t have any other options. Nice win last night. Tonight the 2 starters pitched together a Texas A&M. Should be interesting.
Interesting take on Kershaw Bobbie
This was written a few years ago, but I think is still accurate. Kershaw has multiple pitches thrown at variable speeds and he puts them where he wants them. His breaking balls spin like nobody else’s and he seldom makes mistakes. If you have what he has, you can challenge hitters. Our other guys spend more time trying to trick them. Kershaw just goes at them.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/clayton-kershaws-deception/