After a six-game, .500 road trip, the Dodgers returned to Chavez Ravine (and Vin Scully) to take on the Brewers. Chase Utley returned to the lead off spot, Will Venable started in right field, and Scott Kazmir took the mound, with Yasmani Grandal as his battery mate.
We’ll pick up the action in the top of the third, where as Vinny said, “Kazmir has been in trouble since the national anthem. ”
3rd inning
Brewers
After a one-out double steal, Jonathon Lucroy hit a double into the right field corner that scored two. 2-0
Another double and a sac fly brought in another run. 3-0
Finally, the damage was done, and Kazmir stood at 75 pitches through just three innings.
Dodgers
Their best chance of the night. Two on and two out for Trayce Thompson.
KA- BOOOOOOOM!! A three run home run for Trayce! 3-3
4th inning Tie score 3-3
Brewers
Casey Fien in for the Dodgers. He immediately gave up a home run to give the Brewers back the lead. 4-3
That wasn’t enough, because Fien then gave up a two-run homer. 6-3
6th inning Brewers 6-3
Dodgers
Howie Kendrick blooped a single into left-center, which was booted by Broxton to give him an extra base. In the meantime, Trayce Thompson scored from second on the hit. 6-4
The same thing happened for Joc Pederson! Single, error advancing him to second, and an RBI. 6-5
A wild pitch then advanced Pederson to third.
Justin Turner with a sac fly to tie the game at 6-6.
8th inning Tie score 6-6
Brewers
Pedro Baez in to pitch. 1,2,3 inning.
9th inning
Brewers
Baez stayed in and gave up a single and home run to give the lead back to the Brewers. 8-6
Dodgers
With two out, Justin Turner hit a single.
A.J. Ellis hit for Baez, and he blooped a single.
Chase Utley was HBP to load the bases!
Clayton Kershaw came in to pinch run for Ellis at second.
The mighty Corey Seager struck out to end the game.
Dodgers lose 8-6
Scott Kazmir was never really in control. He wasn’t walking many, but he wasn’t hitting his spots, and he was definitely leaving too many fat pitches in the Brewers’ hot zones. His pitch count escalated far too quickly, and he was gone after only three innings.
Casey Fien, who started out strong when he debuted, has slowly been deteriorating as an effective reliever, and tonight was his worst outing so far. He gave up three fast runs as well.
Luckily, the Brewers are worse than the Dodgers, so they eventually committed enough errors to cough up their lead and let the Dodgers back into the game. Twice.
Unfortunately, in the battle of “whose bullpen is worse?”, the Dodgers lost when Pedro Baez couldn’t string together two good innings. He gave up a ninth inning, two-run, home run that was the death blow for the Dodgers.
The Brewers still sucked enough to allow a two-out mini-rally to give the Dodgers some hope in the bottom of the ninth, but young Corey Seager struck out to end the game. Maybe next time.
Scott Kazmir went 4 innings with 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 8 Ks. ERA 4.64
Double: Trayce Thompson
Home run: Trayce Thompson
Team with RISP: 3 for 6
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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Baez has given up 6 HR so far this season in only 30 ip – that’s 3rd on the team. Roberts can’t keep bringing him into close games!
Roberts is either FAZ’s lapdog, or he is singularly blind when it comes to pitching and lineups. Why did they choose this guy to be mgr? What does he bring that is particularly helpful to the team? Is he just a yes man?
Yes
Yes…..and Yes Sir!
Time to give Seager some spring training drills on playing SS. I have just seen him take too many bad routes to pick ground balls. Rather than get infront of the ball, and play the hop — he tries to grab it sideways. Risk is too great.
Badger, can you take him out later today and work on that?
How low can Grandal’s batting average fall before he takes a seat on the bench? I mean, Ellis is hitting .010 points higher.
Good sign = Hatcher goes 2 innings with no runs against him. Not bad.
Roger, I agree. Seager is really bad going to his right (in the hole) and pretty bad going up the middle. He does not take aggressive routes. I don’t see him taking any hits away from the opposing team (other than the type of nice play he made yesterday on the pop-up he caught on the dead run). While he does “dive” and end up on the ground, on occasion, I have yet to see him come up with one of those and throw somebody out. It’s hard to move that big frame around.
He also has a tendency to make many low throws to first base and second base. He needs to work on delivering the ball at its most catchable height. I love his hitting — he is a stud and will be a star for years to come, but I see a pretty limited fielding shortstop who will cost his team some runs on the defensive side. I look forward to a position change when the time is right.
As for Grandal — I mean wow! He can’t hit. He can’t throw out runners. He doesn’t move well behind the plate to block balls. He can’t stay healthy. And now he doesn’t know how to run the bases. I HATED the Kemp trade and it kills me seeing this guy stink up the joint.
Does Cory really dive? I don’t see him doing that much, but I’d he isn’t comfortable doing that, it is probably for the best.
Because we don’t want him to injure himself.
He looks great on some plays, clumsy on others. He gets caught between bounces way too often. I think that’s just a footwork issue. He’s a gifted player, but he is an average defensive shortstop. If I’m in charge, and I’m not, I get this staff stronger up the middle defense. They need all the help they can get.
I’m listening to Vinny make mistake after mistake and I’m watching a very boring Dodgers team inning after inning. This is just not high value entertainment. I forgive Vinny of course, after all he’s 88 years old, but the team these Moneyball dudes have cobbled by computer is butt ugly boring. I did notice a lot of empty seats around the ballpark last night. Attendance was listed at 44,000, but I think many of those came late and left early or just found something better to do.
It was not that difficult to foresee, but looks like I was right about this starting staff. There is one workhorse in the entire group. Say what you want about Greinke, but he’s 9-3 with 93.2 innings pitched, and the duo of Cueto/Samardzija are 17-5 with 183 innings pitched. It would appear Sabean/Bochy have won Round 1 of 2016. I sure hope our genius team doesn’t do something stupid in attempt to make up lost ground.
Badger exactly! Greinke, and Cueto, make most of there starts, so they are very dependable. And they pitch well, and keep there teams, in games.
And that is why they get the big money! And Kazmir pitches fifty percent of the time, like he pitched last night. And because of that, Kazmir, isn’t a dependable pitcher.
And Kazmir, can’t be depended on, to keep his team in games, unlike both Greinke, and Cueto. And actually, Kazmir pitches more like a rookie pitcher.
Because he constantly, allows a good hitters, to get him rattled, and to lose control, of the game.
And this causes him to walk hitters, and to have innings, where he pitches way to many pitches. And because he pitches way to many pitches, early in a game, he cant, be depended on, to pitch deep into games.
And because of that, Kazmir makes the bullpen, come in way to early in games.
And this exposes the Dodger’s bullpen, weaknesses, because they are pitching, to early, and pitching to many innings, in a game.
And you would think that a veteran pitcher, like Kazmir, would be able to pitch deeper into games. And that should be Kazmir’s ultimate goal, to help his team, and to save the bullpen.
Roger
We were not leading the game, when Hatcher pitched.
I’ll take Vinny with his mistakes and great lines such as “Kazmir has been in trouble since the national anthem” over Steiner any day.
But yeah not much entertainment so far. It’s a snooze fest.
I’m taking Vinnie too artie. I bought mlbtv this year just for him. There will never be another like him. For those of us who had Scully and Chick Hearn, count your blessings. It’s a damn shame Vinnie has to call games for this group in his last year.
Steiner is no play bye play announcer, don’t even know why he’s here,maybe he from the bargain ben.
On Urias… https://twitter.com/BillShaikin/status/743581155534876672
Yeah, I think everyone but Kershaw is limited.
This is such BS. Kershaw came up at age 20 after pitching 60 innings at AA and pitched over 100 innings in the majors. Obviously it has ruined his career. Does being 19 make that much difference? Didn’t they plan to let Urias throw more than 100 innings in the minors this year?
It seems to me these guys should be running a youth soccer team: everybody plays, and we’re not going to keep score. If Johnny hits two home runs tonight he has to sit out tomorrow to give someone else a chance. I may have to take back some of the things I said about Donnie because clearly not much has changed since his departure.
Snider
I also wonder why, they are not allowing Urias to pitch more innings, to get him built up, to pitch deep into games.
When are they going to let him pitch, into the seventh, and eighth innings?
And when is the right time? And about Mattingly, he was doing stuff like this, even before this front office was here.
Remember how he would sit a player, when they were getting hot, and hitting?
Two more stars basically takes us through the end of June. So starting July we get Ryu. Assuming he is back to what he was (big assumption) then it’s Kershaw, Maeda, Ryu. Not bad.
Now 4 and 5:
Kazmir
Wood
McC
Bolsinger
What a mess!
Might as well keep Urias in the rotation or give Montas a try. Let them share a start.
What happened to Strippling? Looks like he fell of the radar.
Kazmir has 14,starts. That’s good. 4 of them have been quality starts. That’s bad.
Ryu, McCarthy? Does anyone really expect much from them?
We are approaching the half way point of the season. I don’t expect anything better than .500 in the next 13 games as we look like a .500 team. The second half? Can we expect better play? Will there be moves made that will be difference makers? At what positions? And who are we willing to part with to get all we need to compete with the better teams in the league?
Badger
Remember how all of the Faz lovers, that it was great that the front office, gave Kazmir, an opt out? This guy will never opt out!
The attendance was mentioned above. I went to the game last week in which Urias started. The stands were not packed whatsoever. The numbers said 44,000 came, but there weren’t more than 30k there.
It was easy getting in. It was easy getting out. It was easy getting garlic fries. Fans don’t care as much. We are a very boring team.
A mess is right. And over in Florida Mattingly has a better record with his batting champion, leadoff guy out for the season and his power guy in a season long slump. I didn’t like Mattingly because he was a Yankee at heart and I noticed something at Spring Training I didn’t like, but I’ll still take him over Manager Happy and his excitement over great “approaches.” At least Kazmir calls it like it is–bad. Too many pitches. Too many foul balls. Maybe for him, it’s 1 step forward and 4 steps back. We lost to a team that was totally devastated by the giants. We are not even close to them, and we can only hope for some injury to at least one more of their starting pitchers because otherwise they will win the division by 15 games, probably over the Rockies.
I almost forgot. We have nothing to worry about. 66 will be back next week. The rest of the league is shaking, I’m sure.
Kazmir has now lasted less than six innings in eight of his 14 starts this season.
Dodgers only have one starter averaging 6 ip or more per game – we all know who that is. The ‘pen will never get a rest.
Maybe the little fight last night, might wake everyone up. And they may start playing better, and with more intensity.
I don’t know how Grandal, didn’t see that throw coming into second. That was just another stupid mistake on the bases, and that can’t happen.
Grandal can’t make mistakes like that, especially when he isn’t hitting, and isn’t playing good defense. He is also allowing the other team’s runners, to get in scoring position, with his pass balls.
If this front office, wasn’t the one who brought Grandal to the Dodgers, Grandal might be in danger, of losing his job. And I am not a Grandal hater, but he hasn’t looked good at all, with his hitting, and with his defense.
He looks very unstable, behind the plate lately. An about
Baez, Baez has not been as good, as some like to say. He has almost been as bad as Hatcher. Baez continuing gives up game tying, and game winning HRs, to the other teams, that the Dodgers play.
And he almost gave up, a go ahead game winning HR, to Goldy, in the game before. He just can’t be trusted, when he comes in to pitch!
Baez can’t be depended on, to keep his concentration, and make good pitches, in one or two innings, and that is unacceptable. And because the Dodger bullpen, has the best era in the National league, doesn’t prove they are the best.
Because a pen’s era, doesn’t really tell how well a bullpen has pitched. The fact that they are not good in high leverage situations, tells more about how well a bullpen has pitched. And isn’t high leverage situations, are what a bullpen is for?
Also because the front office signed all of these pitchers, with long injury histories, Montas is now being built up to be a starting pitcher, instead of a bullpen, set up guy, so there won’t be any help for this bullpen this year.
And the bullpen needs more help this year, then in previous years, because the front office brought starting pitchers to the Dodgers, that don’t pitch deep into games.
Alex Wood is now due back in mid-July. His numbers on the year are 1-4 with a 3.99 earned-run average in 10 starts this season.
And when he gets back Roberts will start him and they will sit Urias down because, you know, innings.
The Dodgers are 35-33 on the year. (.514) At this pace, they will win 83 games.
They have played 42% of the season.
This may just be who they are this year. Great.
I’m feeling a “stupid” lecture coming sometime soon.
MJ I am waiting for the Grandal that has been proclaimed. He was an All Star, so, there must be some talent there. He keeps it well hidden for most of the time. If he’s hurt again, get him out of there.
Badger
I don’t even think Mark, would say , that that wasn’t a stupid base running error. And to be fair, Grandal, isn’t the only Dodger player, to make stupid base running errors, this year. But Grandal looked like he just didn’t care.
Like I said above, Grandal looks like he is falling apart, because he is not hitting. And he is letting his hitting problems, affect his defense, behind the plate.
I still don’t understand, why the front office, brought Venable to the Dodgers, with Puig coming back on Monday. I think Puig will hit, when he joins the team again, after he gets in to the flow of the games.
I just want to see what he does, and see if he can hit consistently. Steve Garvey even said, that he has never seen any hitter, like Puig, miss so many fastballs, right down the middle of the plate.
It looks like Cory and Thompson, can see, and know the spin on the ball, much better, then Puig does. I just hope he can hit consistently, and remember, what he needs to do, to keep hitting.
Puig seems more happy this year, and he is anxious to please, so we will see, if Roberts magic, will help Puig, be the player, he can be.
I was all over Baez, and he deserves it, but really, Kazmir’s, continues to disapoint, and make his signing, just what everyone thought.
And he is a better first half pitcher, so who knows how he will pitch after the Allstar break. Badger you are right, the Giants are not that much better, then the Dodgers.
But they now have the starting pitching, at least for this year. And they just don’t make the same mistakes, that the Dodgers do. And that is maddening!
And that is why the Dodgers lose so many one run games. I do think the offense is going to get better, like you have always said, but are they going to stop making so many mistakes, that quickly, causes the games, to go the other way is the question?
And if Puig can come back and hit consistenty, that will really help the offense, and make the line up longer, and that should make the offense better.
Especially since, Turner and Howie, are hitting now. I just want to see how the Dodgers come out and play to night, after Turner’s and Grandal’s little scuffle.
Cubs lead almost the entire N.L. in voting for All Star positions.
1B is Rizzo by lots.
2B is Zobrist by a nice lead
SS Russell leads
3B Bryant leads
Outfield: Cubs have 3 in the top six: Fowler, Hayward, & Soler
C is where they fall off with Montero in 3rd. BUT today the Cubs bring up their young catch that was like Superman in AAA – Willson Contreras.
I know that Heyward isn’t hitting, so he shouldn’t be an Allstar, and there are quite a few Cubs, that are not hitting, like the Dodgers. What has made the Cubs so good, is there starting pitching.
A writer asked Roberts if he like the emotions, between Turner, and Grandal, and Roberts said, that he loved it! Roberts does get it
I don’t care about the emotions of ballplayers. I care that they play well. Neither Turner nor Grandal has played well this year so they can be as emotional as they want – it obviously doesn’t help.
Dodger rick
Emotions are what brings out intensity, and intensity can win games.
Intensity that is controlled, makes players play harder, and play better.
As long as they can keep it under control, and make the right plays, and make the right decisions.
And intensity brings life, to lifeless players.
Turner (since Puig is not there at present) is the last one qualified to get on another for stupid base-running mistakes…
Wondering
Your right, but the difference is that Grandal, just didn’t look like he cared.
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