The Dodgers came roaring back to erase a four run deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 in the Memorial Day series opener. If you remember the Dodgers had a similar game such as this last year against the Phillies in which they hit three consecutive home runs in the ninth inning. Today they scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth and then plated three unanswered runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to steal a win and give us a memorable Memorial Day.
The game started out terrible for the Dodgers though. However it’s not how you start a game, it’s how you finish it. Patchwork starter Brock Stewart, was predictably horrendous (again) allowing four earned runs over four innings. Stewart’s troubles began early for the Dodgers, as he allowed one in the first and three more in the top of the second. Meanwhile the Dodger bats couldn’t figure out hard throwing Vince Velasquez who blanked the Dodgers through the first five frames.
Phillies 4 7 2
Dodgers 5 7 1
WP-Garcia-1-1
LP-Morgan-0-1
SV-Jansen-12
HR-Hernandez-7
The Phillies scored their first run on two walks, a catcher’s interference, and a wild pitch. In the second inning Stewart gave up consecutive bloop singles to Scott Kingery and Jorge Alfaro. One out later Cesar Hernandez’s three-run home run put Philadelphia up by a 4-0 score. The game seemed well out of reach. Ironically Hernandez would be the goat later in the game.
Velasquez continued to flummox the Dodgers, who did not have a hit (two base runners) through the first five innings. The Dodgers finally got to Velasquez in the bottom of the sixth. Yasiel Puig laced a single and advanced to second when Rhys Hoskins bumbled the ball for an error. Soon afterwards Joc Pederson’s line drive double plated Puig to get the Dodgers on the board. Later in the inning Justin Turner’s RBI single cut the score to 4-2. Velasquez would last 5.2 innings allowing two earned runs on three hits and striking out six. But the Phillies would unravel in the bottom of the eighth.
Puig got the rally started again with a ground ball single that deflected off of third baseman Maikel Franco. Veteran assassin Matt Kemp slashed a double to score Puig and cut the score to 4-3. The Phillies make a pitching change, (Adam Morgan for Luis Garcia) and the Dodgers got another huge break. Pinch-hitter Enrique Hernandez’s pop-up is lost in the lights by the other Hernandez, and Kemp advances to third on the error.
The comeback! #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/dYpc32CCXF
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 29, 2018
That was huge for the Dodgers because Max Muncy’s ground ball single bounced off the mound to score Kemp and tie the game at 4-4. After a Turner force play and a wild pitch, Yasmani Grandal pokes one through the hole at short to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead! What an amazing comeback!
That was all the Dodgers needed. The Dodger bullpen actually made good by pitching five scoreless innings. Scott Alexander, Erik Goeddel, Yimi Garcia, (who got the win), and Kenley Jansen combined to hold the Phillies to just two hits and no walks over five innings. Jansen earned his twelfth save of the season.
The Dodgers improve to 25-28, and could be just 2.5 games back of first place in the National League West depending on the outcome of the Giants/Rockies game. The Boys in blue face a tough challenge in the second game of the series on Tuesday night as Jake Arrieta will counter Kenta Maeda with the first pitch scheduled for 7:10 PM PST.
Oh, my. What a lovely evening watching the Warriors dismantle Houston, then seeing the Dodgers come from behind win to beat the Phillies!! Nice.
While I have very little faith in Stewart as a starter, the rotation doesn’t seem to have an alternative it thinks can be efficient. Heck, I don’t even have faith in Stewart as a RP long man ala Stripling. They need to keep auditioning to stay in the race. Luckily, the bats awoke and did their job. Even with Bellinger sliding into oblivion(not really), we seem to have enough bats to look to for the help. Muncy has certainly been clutch, sort of like last year’s Taylor and we haven’t even seen him for very long. Lots to discover. He should be displacing Kike once another reliable outfielder is found. Dodgers seem to take baby steps towards solidity. Turner and Kemp will always be spark plugs that will rally the team and I like Grandal’s refusal to slide any further. He our main rbi guy and clutch, too.
Please don’t take Taylor out of the leadoff position.
Alexander is not being groomed for the setup position to Jansen. Yimi did well but for how long? We’ll see if he can help the boys out.
He made the right move taking Taylor out of the leadoff position tonight. He struck out 4 times, with Utley striking out twice and Bellinger the same, that was 8 of the 11 total by the team. Utley is definitely on the down low, and he should retire. Muncy can do his job more than adequately. I disagree about Bellinger. He looks totally lost up there and he is not even hitting center cut fastballs that he used to kill. Sophomore jinx is in full bloom. Kershaw will be back on Thursday and Hill not far behind, So you have pretty much seen the last of Stewart as a starter. As a reliever his ERA is below 3 and a starter closer to 5. He kept Kemp out of the starting lineup because RH hitters were hitting under .100 against Velasquez. It proved to be a great move. BP was nails tonight. One thing about Stewarts outing. He was a little bit snake bit. The only hard hit ball he gave up was the HR. One runner walked and another got on by catchers interference. The walks were on Stewart. Grandal sticking his mitt into the bat was not Stewarts fault. Scary moment when a photographer fell into the photo well. He landed pretty hard and was taken out on a stretcher. Another scary moment when Hoskins fouled Kenley’s pitch off of his nose. He was bleeding pretty bad and removed from the game.
I am genuinely concerned about Bellinger at this point. His batting average has dropped over .50 points in the last month. Both Bellinger and Taylor have 50 K’s or more. Taylor is averaging a K a game. He hit better the last week or so and then managed to win the Golden Sombrero with a 4 K night this game. Only one player is above .260. Matt Kemp at .338. Grandal is hitting .260, no one else is above that mark. Verdugo got 2 hits in a loss for OKC today, he is just back from a ankle injury. Toles is also close to returning. Koehler is projected to come off the DL after the all star game.
Michael
How did it prove to be a great move to not start Kemp?
Only one left hand hitter got a hit against that starter, and three right hand hitters got hits, against that starter.
The problem when you look at a general stat like that, not all right hand hitters, hit lefties better, and vice versa.
Puig has hit righties much better then lefties in the last couple years, and Kemp has better numbers then Joc does, against righties, so that didn’t prove anything.
It might have been good to give Kemp day off, but that stat didn’t prove anything, because only one left hand hitter, got a hit off that starter!
And who knows what Kemp would have done, if he got two of Joc’s three at bats.
I don’t see him weakly popping up, like Joc did, in two of his three at bats.
MJ
I don’t think there is any strategic move by Dummy to not starting Kemp. Kemp is hitting .321 with 4hrs in 106abs, compared to Joc’s .267in 105 abs. Kemp only has roughly 50 abs against leftys. Let’s face it, Joc is the FO favorite. If Joc had Kemp’s numbers, that is all you would read but because he is Matt Kemp they play it down a lot. Kemp does not deserve that kind of treatment. He has been a model teammate not to mention his numbers. He deserves to play until there is a good reason to sit him.
Package
Exactly, that stat didn’t prove anything in this game.
Because if that stat really was the reason Roberts gave Kemp a day off, why was Puig and Taylor in this game, that also hit rightie.
And like I already said, only one leftie got a hit off that starter, and Kemp is a much better hitter, even against righties, then most of the lefties, on this team.
MJ
One other stat, Kemp is hitting .400 at home. I don’t think there is any question that Kemp needs to play. That is why I pinned Dummy on Roberts.
Let me ask you guys a question – you are planning to take your wife and kids on trip from LA to NY and back this summer. You’ll be gone til mid to late August. You have two cars, one with 200,000 miles on it, the other with 30,000 miles on it. Which car will you choose to drive on that trip?
Taylor and Puig are 6 years younger than Kemp. Puig has played about 800 fewer games, Taylor about 1200 fewer. I say let Puig, Taylor and Turner pull the right handed load for a great deal of the Dodgers summer trip. It’s a long trip. Kemp should play of course, but let’s make sure he’s available when you get back from that trip. I’d hate to see that nice old car breakdown before September.
It was a great move because Kemp was available to pinch hit. He delivered the double and scored the tying run not much later. And you are wrong because the Dodgers got 3 hits against Velasquez and he was pulled. Puig’s single, Pederson’s double, and Turners single and they pulled Velasquez. No one, not even you knows if Matt would have fared better than Joc. But you are arguing a pointless argument after the fact. I do not know Roberts reasoning for sitting Kemp, but I am pretty sure it had to do with the way Velasquez had been handling RH hitters and for 5 innings he had them no hit. Matt is hitting .338 this year and I am pretty sure the manager knows what Kemp has done. But here you sit, ragging on Pederson for popping out twice before he delivers the first run with some nifty opposite field hitting and not one peep about Taylor’s Golden Sombrero performance or the continuing futility of Cody Bellinger to get any kind of streak going. The point is they won the game and you still find fault. And all of that when you know from watching the Dodgers since Roberts took over that he does stuff like this. The stat may not prove anything except that stat kept Kemp on the bench so he could deliver. Every game is different. I would love to see a set lineup myself, but it is not happening any time soon. Arguing the move is moot because it is the way Roberts manages a team.
Mr. Norris
You are correct, no one knows who is going to hit and who is not, but with a clean start wouldn’t you try and put the best players out there you had?? You have Kemp who is 4th in hitting in the ML but you sit him? Why? Badger says they do that to keep Kemp fresh. I say that is looking for an excuse to justify Roberts moves. Kemp has Joc, Puig , Cody, and Taylor all beat but he doesn’t start? You say we all know how Roberts manages but that doesn’t make it right and try to justify it in my opinion. Don’t sit Joc if you don’t want to but please play Kemp, that is all I am saying. I also do not think they saved Kemp for that one reason. If they did it makes no sense as Kemp could have had every at bat, not one. Just my opinion.
It does not matter what we think is right or wrong Package. Kemp is no spring chicken. He has been injury prone and keeping him fresh at this point is something they really need. So why complain about something you A, have no control over, and B you know is going to happen whether you, I or anyone else thinks it is the wrong thing to do. I do not think they saved Kemp for that particular spot either, but answer this, who would you have rather had up there, Barnes or Kemp? Because those were your choices. They are not going to run Kemp out there everyday for precisely the reason I stated. He is 33 and has had injury issues. I will take a healthy Kemp any day than someone sitting on a bench nursing an injury and being no help to any one. I understand how frustrated you are. But my friend, I would bet you if Kemp was 25, not 33, he would be out there everyday. The way things are right now with this team, he is not going to play everyday and when the stats dictate that RH have problems against a certain starter, you can bet, even if he is hitting .600 against RH pitching, they will sit him if they think the pitcher has the advantage. That is just the way it is going to be. We all have to live with it.
Michael
No you are wrong, because you made the statement about the Phillies starter being so much better, against righties.
Turner is a rightie, and so is Puig, two righties got two of the first three hits, and that were all the hits, against the starter.
And I was comparing Kemp to Joc, not those other players.
Joc got a hit, but that is expected, he isn’t a rookie,but he was worse then both Taylor and Cody, in his first year, so I don’t know why you are all over them.
Joc is hitting 248, I know for Joc that is good, but that isn’t that good, for a player in their fourth year.
No MJ, you are wrong because you stated, and I quote your words above, only 1 left handed hitter got a hit off that starter and three right handed hitters got hits off of that starter. Wrong. He gave up 3 hits, a single to Puig, Pederson’s double and Turners single and he was pulled from the game. And according to the stats quoted by Joe and Orel, RH handed hitters were hitting less than .100 against Velasquez. What game were you watching? That is why Roberts loaded the lineup with LH hitters. It made little difference since he NO HIT the entire team for 5 innings. Who cares that Pederson is a 4 year player only hitting .248? There are a lot of players with that much time and more hitting a lot less. Goldschmidt is hitting .208, Harper is hitting .228. Stanton is at .246 and they all have more big league time than Pederson. Pederson is a part time player. He does not even have enough plate appearances to qualify in the batting race. He hit more HR’s than Taylor did last year his rookie year and Taylor was not a rookie. It was his first full season. So your comparison means nothing. What Joc is doing is not striking out the way he used to and his OBP is above Bellinger and Taylor. Both of whom have struck out 50 times or more. You need to lighten up because every thing you say is wrong on so many levels and check your own posts before you tell me I am wrong when I know I am absolutely right.
Mr. Norris
I agree that Bellinger is not doing well. With this manager, they could be hurting the guy by playing him as much as they have but it is all about where you are in the popularity pecking order.
Bellinger’s not doing well has nothing to do with his playing time Package. Just watch a video of his swing last year and compare it to what he is doing now. And in all reality, with Seager gone for the year, they have no other options. There is no one at AAA who is anywhere close to his skill set at 1st base. And with both Verdugo and Toles coming off injury, there is no one to play CF full time with Taylor having to play SS. With all his faults, Pederson right now is the 4th best hitter on the team. Taylor, Bellinger, Puig, Forsythe, Barnes, Utley, Hernandez, all have averages lower than Joc. They hit HR’s but pretty much not much else. Taylor finally gets up in the .240’s and promptly strikes out 4 times giving him 56 in 52 games. Bellinger has seen his average plummet almost 50 points THIS MONTH. That all or nothing approach of his has become mostly nothing. Only 2 guys beside Kemp are hitting over .250. Grandal and Turner. So this is more about the numbers than some popularity contest. They like Joc’s approach at the plate. He is not striking out nearly as much as he did in previous years. You know how much of a stat geek FAZ is, Joc’s OBP is higher than Taylor’s and Puig and most of the hitters except Kemp, Grandal, Turner and Barnes. That is why Roberts is not afraid to sit Kemp and give him some rest now and then. Plus he has been a decent defensive player in LF. Look at that throw he made the other day. It is all about production and solid play, and in Joc’s case good at bats. He has only struck out 21 times and walked 17. That’s a pretty good ratio.
Michael
Joc hasn’t had a good month either.
Here are his numbers for May.
203/288/322/610
Take a look at that last number, that is what this front office looks at!
Joc’s strike out to walk ratio is not that good, because he has not hit with any power!
And Joc has never had even one season close to Cody, and he has still not proved, he can hit consistently, after three plus years.
Cody has had one bad month.
Whoopdee doo …..so what ? When you only strike out 4 more times than you walk your strikeout to walk ratio is excellent, it matters not if you hit for power or not. Cody has been slumping for over a month. He is not hitting with any authority. He is colder than Luca Brasi. And I have never once tried to compare Joc to Cody. They are entirely different players. Puig has more MLB time than both of them and he is not hitting all that well either. Bellinger is striking out at 2 1/2 to 1 ratio over his walks. That is not great. Bellinger has 75 more at bats than Pederson. Sorry MJ, you arguments do not hold water because they are irrelevant to anything. You have had it out for Joc for a long time. Nothing he does will be enough for you. But it is enough for the front office and Roberts. You can put what you think in writing to DR if you like. I am sure he will be on pins and needles to hear your opinion of his managing skills and Joc in particular.
Michael
I am still right, more right hand hitters, got hits of the starter, so that starter being tough on righties, was not proved like you tried to point out, because more righties got hits, then lefties, off that starter.
And who knows what Kemp would have done if he was started, and got three at bats.
No, you are wrong because what you wrote was entirely different than what you are saying now. Look at your post. We could put what you know about the game in a thimble…Like I said big whoop dee doo..you are one of those who will never admit when they are wrong types. Arguing with you is pointless because you are going to spin it which ever way suits you. The manager made the right decision whether you agree or not so get over it already. 2 righty’s got hits and 1 lefty wow who cares?
Michael
Your out of your mind, if you think a walk to strike out ratio, means a lot, with no power.
It is a lot easier to make contact, when a player is not hitting with power.
We are not talking about a 300 hitter.
The truth is you like Joc, and that is what this is about.
And how can you constantly complain about Cody after one month, after what Joc has did, in the last three plus, years?
That is what this is about!
You are the one who is nuts. If you are striking out at a 2 1/2 to one ratio, you are striking out way too much. Cody is swinging from the heels way too much. Just because Joc is not hitting with power does not mean his K to BB ratio does not mean anything. It means he is making contact and not sacrificing at bats. It has nothing to do with me liking Joc as much as it does with your insatiable hatred of the guy. I do not constantly complain about Cody you dolt. I have been saying his strikeouts and lack of solid contact are of concern. Cody is no .300 hitter either. Ya know something, you don’t like what I say, just keep it to yourself because your understanding of how hard it is to play major league baseball no matter how long you have been in the league is zero. Your baseball knowledge is zip, you think you have all the answers. You think you are the end all know all of all things Dodgers when in truth, you bitch more than anyone else on here and I have been watching your endless drivel about Joc for as long as I have been on here. I have said things about him when he was playing lousy, but you with your peanut of a mind, don’t remember those posts. So just ignore what I say if you disagree because arguing with a nut bag like you is a waste of time. Your opinion is so warped it is unreal, and even when confronted with your own words, you still want to argue……I am totally tired of you arguing everything I say. And I am tired of you telling me this is because I like Joc, it has nothing to do with how I feel about any player.
I don’t know if I can say Grandal is clutch. Kemp and Turner clutch. Grandal’s routine grounder looked more like an error to me. But hey we will take it and I think that run scores anyways.
Stewart looks bad. I don’t think I want him in there as the long man either. Goeddel, Yimi Garcia and Alexander may be able to stabilize the bullpen a little. Why haven’t we seen much of Paredes when he was up? He is not a bad option as a 1-2 inning middle reliever.
And lest I forget, Joc had a protective swing there with 2 strikes. Amazing. I thought I’d never see that from him.
Other than a few notable teams (Houston) many pitching staffs (ours) are starting to look like a large group of relief pitchers. It appears the game is moving that direction.
We’re favored again vs Arrieta. 7 runs. I’d like to see us get 5 again. Might be enough.
Badger
That is because Houston is smart enough to know if you use your relief pitchers to much during the regular season, they won’t be the same, in the post season.
And every team that goes to the post season every year, should know that.
And why pay these starters big money, if they are not able to pitch well, at least through six or seven innings.
If Arrieta is on tonight, our average hitters on our team, probably won’t be able to muster, to many hits tonight.
Arrieta makes $30 million. Maeda makes $3+ million. We’re favored. Go figure.
We. Are. The. Tampa. Rays. Our pitcher makes less money today.
Sing it everybody!
Badger
I think Maeda will be fine, but our average hitters, won’t find Arrieta easy to hit, if he is on his game.
And if I remember correctly, Arrieta has reverse splits, against lefties, so Kemp better play.
When was the last time the Rays made the postseason, and the A’s haven’t made it to the post season, for a couple of years.
That may be ok for teams that don’t have to depend on a bullpen in the post season, but the Dodgers are different.
And our bullpen did have issues in the post season, in the last three years.
Badger
I have to hand it to you. In all these years I have never heard a baseball player compared to a car with 30000 or 200000 miles. If the 200000 mile car was a good one, I would save putting on miles on the 30000 mile car and take the old one besides, that pretty much sums up my trip to N.Y. I have a Cadillac with 25000 miles and a Z71 Suburban with 175000 and I took it. It worked out great and I was much more comfortable in the Z.
If I have my wife and kids in the car, I take the safest, most reliable car in the garage. In my house, that’s the new one.
I already heard from someone privately about the metaphor. Just trying to add some perspective. It’s a long season and Kemp has already earned over 80% of his salary. I still say if it’s working don’t try to fix it.
MJ, this month Arrieta has thrown 23 innings and given up only 3 earned. Maeda has been good, but he hasn’t been that good. Maybe they’re both due for a blowup.
Badger
I guess I was saying, I am more concerned with our hitters tonight, then Maeda, because he has pitched better, lately.
And because I remember that Arrieta has a reverse splits, against lefties.
I’m not following you with that reverse splits comment MJ. Lefties are hitting considerably higher against Arrieta than right handers are, which is to be expected. A reverse split means the opposite happens.
Michael
It is stupid to argue about this, you are right.
I didn’t care that Kemp had a day off, but I don’t think what Joe said last night, made much sense.
I am concerned about Cody too, but it has only been a month, so I would like to see what he does, because he did hit well last year, and he had a good month in April.
And Taylor is not the type of hitter, that should strike out four times your right, and he did look bad last night, but maybe that was just a bad night, I don’t know, but that can’t continue.
I don’t think Puig really started hitting, until June last year.
He struggled to keep his average up last year, in the first couple months, of the season.
About Joc, I think what Joc is doing now, is what he should have done, a long time ago.
But I feel he is being more of a team player on offense this year, and I am glad he is doing that.
And I don’t really care that he isn’t hitting HRs, because I know he knows how to do that, and I think he is helping himself, and the team more, with the approach he has been using.
I don’t know if he can put it all together, but I really think he is contributing more on offense this year, then in the past.
Because a lot of both Joc’s and Grandal’s HRs in the past, really didn’t make a mark on the team.
Because they often would hit their HRs, after we already had a lead.
They did hit some in the clutch, but I think it was more, of the other.
Regardless of whether you think you’re right or wrong, I think we can all agree that the pop-out video is really annoying. USA Today’s website uses the same/similar technology but their videos reappear after you close the little player in the corner and I haven’t been able to figure out how to stop it. It’s like a horrible disease, a technology plague. At least on this site, once you close the player, it stays closed.
CTDodgerFan
Are you really Badger? Disquised as CTDodgerFan? He hates popups.
Yeah, I do.
I get advertisements. I used to be in advertising. What happens here with that annoying pop up crap is not your basic brand recognition billboard or click bait advertising. It’s ef you, in your face and in your way bullshit. If it were on the side, like the other 4 or 5 ads we are bombarded with, I wouldn’t mind it so much. But that thing is the middle finger being given to all posters by Scott Andes.
Badger
I didn’t know lefties were hitting him this year.
Because after he no hit us, they said he had reverse splits against lefties, because of where he stood, on the pitching plate.
The splits are at Baseball Reference. I believe it was .265 against LH, .200 vs RH.
Badger,
There is definitely no ad bombardment on this site whatsoever. The ads are stationary on the right hand side and never move.
As for the video it’s only there for one reason, to make a few bucks for the site and it’s staff. Let me tell you this blog isn’t free to run. Domain renewals, hosting fees all cost money. Usually several hundred dollars per year. All that comes out of my pocket. The stationary ads and the video are simply ways to alleviate the cost of running the site. We haven’t made a dime off the video yet. If it’s not making some bucks for us rest assured I’ll take it down. Just click the x at the top of the video and it closes out. It’s not that big a deal.
As for the Dodgers, they are an unwatchable disaster that is unbelievably poorly constructed. The problems start and end in the front office with management. The roster is built so poorly and so unimaginably that it makes me wonder if it was designed specifically for losing.
The pitching staff is injury prone and generally innefective. When you replace your two best relievers with minor league castoffs and journeymen you’ll get very poor results.
The lineup is abysmal save for anything done by Matt Kemp or Justin Turner. Several automatic outs and minor league castoffs are starting on the daily and sometimes at the top of the lineup. It’s a mess. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that they have the worst bullpen in baseball or that the bats are totally useless.
The game management is a joke as well. When your main strategy is to use 7 relievers before the sixth inning or use up every player by the seventh inning stretch then you’re going to lose. Length, health and innings count for something. Not acquiring injury riddled pitchers or minor league castoffs when you have the highest payroll in baseball. Not subtracting a year after you won the pennant to save money and not operating with a small market mentality would make sense. Common logic and standard baseball fundamentals go far. Believe me I’ve watched my fair share of awful Dodger teams in my time and this one gives that glow of suck.
But the solution is to get all the cooks out the kitchen before you can start by building a new recipe.
Puig and Bellinger continue to struggle. Have to figure that’ll change, right?
OTOH, Matt Kemp has started 23 games this month. He has multiple hits in 10 of them.