Why is everyone in such a great mood at work today? The answer is Clayton Kershaw of course, of course. The ace pitched his third complete game shutout of the season in the Dodger’s 1-0 win over the Reds during the series opener on Monday evening. The Dodgers have now won two whole games in a row. Somebody get excited. Miracles do happen every day.
Tonight the Dodgers give the ball to Mike Bolsinger. Ross Stripling was supposed to pitch, but he was needed during the Dodger’s crazy 9-5 seventeen inning marathon win on Sunday afternoon against San Diego. Stripling tossed three scoreless frames for the win and then was immediately sent back down to Oklahoma City. Poor kid.
Dodgers Lineup vs. Cincinnati
Utley 2B
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Gonzalez 1B
Thompson LF
Pederson CF
Puig RF
Grandal C
Bolsinger P
Daniel Wright-0-0 vs. Mike Bolsinger-0-1
Game Time – 7:10 PM – TV- SNLA
Bolsinger is making his second start of the season after being on the shelf with a strained oblique muscle since spring training. He didn’t look particularly sharp last week against the Angels. In that game he allowed three earned runs on seven hits and struck out two over 4.1 innings. The Dodgers got blown out in that game by an 8-1 score and Bolsinger was charged with the loss.
He’s never faced the Reds before, but he has a 4-4 record and a 3.99 ERA at Dodger Stadium. Jordan Pacheco is 0 for 2 against him and is the only Red to have ever faced him. That may be an advantage for young bolsinger.
The Reds will counter with a pitcher that the Dodgers have never seen before either. 25-year old right hander Daniel Wright makes the jump from double-A reliever straight to the majors. This is his first MLB start and first MLB game ever. Wright was originally drafted by the Reds in the tenth round of the 2013 amateur draft. He’s from Bartlett, Tennessee, and attended Arkansas State University. Coincidentally Bolsinger went to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
Wright has split his time this year between the double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos of the Southern League, and the Louisville Bats of the Independent League. The scouting report says he has a three-pitch arsenal which consists of an 88-93 fastball, 12-6 curve, and change. He attacks the strike zone and has good control. He has a 1.9 career walks per nine rate in the minors that points to that being true.
|
#
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
PCT
|
GB
|
HOME
|
AWAY
|
L10
|
||
|
1
|
|
28
|
19
|
.596
|
–
|
14-11
|
14-8
|
9-1
|
||
|
2
|
|
23
|
23
|
.500
|
4.5
|
11-12
|
12-11
|
4-6
|
||
|
3
|
|
21
|
22
|
.488
|
5.0
|
8-10
|
13-12
|
6-4
|
||
|
4
|
|
21
|
25
|
.457
|
6.5
|
7-17
|
14-8
|
4-6
|
||
|
5
|
|
19
|
27
|
.413
|
8.5
|
10-15
|
9-12
|
3-7
|
||
Chase Utley returns to the lineup at second base with a right hander on the mound. Grandal returns behind the plate as well despite battling a sore ankle. He fouled a pitch off of his ankle during the San Diego series. Here’s hoping he can find his form again. He’s been lackluster this season.
Thank god for Kershaw. He gave the bullpen a little bit of rest. The Dodgers may need all hands on deck if Bolsinger can’t make it out of the fifth inning. The Reds have lost eight in a row and I worry about their due to win factor.
Go Blue!
Daniel Wright. Makes his MLB debut vs us.
i call 6 2/3 ip, 1 run, 4 hits, 7k
Optimist!
Didn’t Bolsinger say he only threw one kind of pitch last time? I think he said it was a slider.
What I noticed about Bolsinger last game he pitched, was that he had no heat. Everything he threw were off speed pitches, sliders. He’s got no power. Guys like this usually get rocked sooner or later.
Been watching the Dodger AA team on MILB.com. Some nice players in the lineup.
Getting excited about the up and coming June Draft?
The Dodgers have: #20, #32, #36, #65, #101, Then they have Rounds 4-40 to follow.
So where are we with the Draft last season? Remember watching MLB TV during some of the draft, and they would have some way of saying things like: This kids is special, or, he is just what they need . . .
Of all the names on the 2015 list, 7 did not sign at all.
Looking at the Dodger website, have to go to the 2012 Draft to see results: Corey Seager, Paco Rodriguez, Ross Stripling, Darnell Sweeney.
2011 – nothing yet.
2010 – Zach Lee, Joc Pederson, Scott Scheduler, Red Patterson, Shawn Tolleson,
2009 – nothing I can see.
So if that is a model — I see only 9 players that have made the majors in 7 years of Dodger drafts. This must change.
I usually find myself rooting for guys making their debut. Except those debuting with the midgets. I’m just pulling for a W tonight. We can get it later. I’ll say Wright can go 5.
It took me while to log on tonight. MLB determined that I was in a local viewing area, since Cincy is 90 miles away. However, it is not on any channel I can get. So, I had to go to HideMyAss.com and select Dallas Texas a my location. aMpw, I can watch!
BASTARDS!
Mark
But they are not at home!
Awaiting moderation?
Because I said “Bastards?”
Sorry about the typos!
Sorry Mark, the spam filter has been acting a bit weird lately. It’s spammed a few comments that it shouldn’t have. I pushed your comment through
Good evening everyone
Back at you Scott!
Doesn’t Puig know that the pitchers, know he likes the first pitch?
Utley looks well rested tonight!
Bolsinger looking good
well, that didn’t take long, did it?
The young ins!
I think I jinxed him
Scott
Just don’t do it again! I’m joking, you didn’t jinx him!
But we do need more runs!
Ok so Wright actually is a good AAA SP.
Will Bols change his pitch selection third time through?
he didn’t make it 3 times through
MJ – which hide your VPN service do u use again ?
Bobby unblockus! I don’t have to use it anymore, but it is cheap, and it worked on my Apple TV, but it didn’t work on my iPhone. You can try it out for four or five days free, and it cost five dollars a month.
1 game above .500. Beat a terrible team to do so.
Not very impressed.
Just keep the midgets with striking distance. We are just (trying) to tread water until the vet bats come around … Hopefully to coincide with bullpen and 4-5 starters help on the way.
We are playing the short-long game at this point.
YF
That is what I am hoping too.
Reality starts on Friday.
I agree with you Bob,let’s see how this weekend goes before we say we’re on a roll.