The Dodgers hopped into their DeLorean and travelled back in time to the month of April before Friday night’s pathetic 12-3 loss to the Braves. The team was sent through some kind of time vortex to the month of April when they couldn’t beat anyone. Friday night’s disaster was very reminiscent of the 10-12 club that started the season unable to beat even the worst of teams.
The losing formula is simple and repeatable. The starting pitcher, whoever that be gives up multiple runs in the first inning before the chairs are warm and then melts down in the fifth frame. The defense makes several stupid plays and the offense does absolutely nothing for the entire contest.
Braves 12 13 0
Dodgers 3 7 2
WP-Garcia-4-7
LP-Wood-11-1
HR-Freeman—18-Garcia-1-GS-Flowers-8
That’s exactly how the Dodgers lost on Friday evening as Alex Wood’s winning streak came to a painful end. The Braves scored two runs in the first inning against Wood before Dodger fans had a chance to even get their Dodger dogs. The Dodger defense helped them along as Corey Seager was unable to bare hand an Ender Inciarte dribbler and Kike Hernandez misjudged a Johan Camargo line drive to center that went over his head. He misjudged the ball, getting a bad read on it as he was playing way too shallow. Charitable scoring gave Camargo a triple.
Tyler Flowers‘ RBI single into left scored Camargo and the Braves had two runs less than 60 seconds into the game. Wood got into the act himself as he dropped a routine pop up (off the bat of Garcia) in the fourth inning and then gave up five more runs in the fifth. That fifth inning was highlighted by a grand slam home run from opposing starter Jaime Garcia, who also shut the Dodgers down through seven strong innings.
LOLZLOLZLOLZLOLZLOLZLOLZLOLZLOLZLOLZLOLZLOLZLOLZLOLZ
I think the important thing to remember here is the due to lose factor. Wood had won eleven consecutive decisions and at some point he was due to lose. Any team or pitcher is going to lose at some point and nobody is going to go through the entire season undefeated. What irritates me the most is the pathetic hitting and shoddy defense. The way Wood has pitched this season he’s allowed a stinker in my opinion.
That doesn’t make this loss any easier to stomach. I can’t remember the last time the Dodgers lost consecutive games at home. It’s been a while, possibly months. Jaime Garcia had quite a night for the Braves. It was rumored that he had been traded to the Twins last night, but low and behold he had not been.
I guess he was auditioning for his new club and wanted to make an impression. Boy did he ever. Garcia tossed seven innings allowing three earned runs on seven hits and struck out three. He issued one walk and became the first Atlanta pitcher to hit a grand slam since Tony Cloninger in 1966 hit two of them in the same game.
To recap, Alex Wood Gave up seven earned runs on nine hits in 4.2 innings, muffed an easy pop-up and then served up a grand slam home run to the opposing pitcher. Awesome night.
Wood pitching line: 4.2 IP 9 R 7 ER 9 H 4 BB 4K
Have a laugh: Former Dodger Matt Kemp was 3 for 5 with two runs scored.
The Braves added three more in the sixth on a three run home run from Tyler Flowers to make the score 12-1. The route was certainly on at that point. The Dodgers scored a few runs later on in the game, but this one was over during the national anthem. Arizona beat Washington, so the Dodgers lose another game in the standings and their lead in the NL West is now 9.5 games. The Dodgers fall to a horrible 66-31 record and are now 39-13 at home.
The Dodgers continue their quest to get swept by the Braves on Saturday night. Rich Hill looks to give up two runs in the first inning tomorrow as the Braves will send Julio Teheran to the mound to counter. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 PM.
That was about an abysmal performance as I have seen in a long time. Wood dropping the pop up that Cody could not find was the opening of the flood gates. Had he caught that ball, it would still have been only 2-0. But giving up a grand slam to the pitcher, well that was just horrible. I put that on Dave Roberts. Wood was obviously struggling, he had Stripling up in the pen. He should have changed pitchers right there. Well, just chalk this one up and hope Hill looks more like Kershaw than Hill.
It was the pitcher up to end the inning. I would have left him in. I don’t recall any manager bringing in a reliever to face a pitcher. Stuff happens. I watched Scherzer give up three straight home runs to start the game last night. The way I look at it Wood was long overdue for a hairball. He’s Alex Wood, not Whitey Ford. Even without the slam and the dropped pop up we lose. Put this one in the rear view.
Badger
I agree I would have left Wood in to face the pitcher.
Michael might mean that he would have took Wood out sooner then that.
Yeah, maybe. With starters only going 9 total in the previous 2 games I’m sure Roberts wanted to see 5 out of Wood. Sometimes you just have to let pitchers take their lumps. I think we all believed Wood would get Garcia. He had him 0-2.
I would have pulled him when there were 2 on. Before Swanson. He obviously was totally lost out there. You are down 5 already, let the BP handle it.
The Panda has resigned with the Giants as expected. MLBTR lists his stats with them and they are impressive, much more so than those with Boston. I don’t know, could Willie Tree Trunks be our version of The Panda? Willie is younger, what will he look like in 6-8 years????
Kirby Puckett? Tony Gwynn? Yogi?
Yogi Calhoun. Now there’s a baseball name.
The Tree Trunk is as good a name as The Panda.
Jonah
I don’t think tree trucks is a good name.
His legs are not out of proportion, from his body.
I would call him a little chunky, but he has to be pretty strong, and have quick wrists, to hit like he does.
He is one of those hitters, that when his bat hits the ball, it makes a difference sound, from other hitters.
He has better offensive numbers, then the number one prospect in baseball, that just got called up, to the White Sox, when we were playing them.
And the numbers are not even close.
It is to bad Calhoun isn’t a little taller, to play first base, or have a good enough arm, to play catcher.
I wonder how much a player can work to strengthen their arm, when they are already in their early twentys.
Since it was pronounced by the godblogger he was slower than a speeding microorganism why not File Cabinet II? FB II for short. Though 24 doubles, 5 triples and 75% success rate in SB might suggest those who say he’s slow don’t their ass from a cell keyhole.
How about we just call him Chuncky. I used to love those little square chocolate bars
Do you remember the last line of those commercials?
“What a chunk of chocolate”.
Might not be PC in today’s climate.
Boston signed the Panda on what he did in the post season.
The Panda’s stats during the regular season were already going down, the last two years he played.
And he didn’t have bad stats, but they were not good enough to give him that much.
But like Jonah has already said, you have to be careful giving a player like that a multi year contract, when they are not good at staying in shape, even in their twentys.
We all know it is much easier to stay in shape when your younger.
Easy for you to say. I never had much success at it, probably because I didn’t try. I had a physical job, that was enough for me.
Jonah
I would say I had a physical job too, but it wasn’t outside.
Jonah
I have always liked working out.
But that was a good thing for me, and it is still a good thing, for me.
Because my doctor told me I had to ride an exercise bike, to strengthen the surrounding muscles, of the muscle, I had nerve damage in, to walk normal again.
Just like they say, God never gives people more, then they can handle.
Sometimes he does, MJ, we see and hear of them everyday. But nobody promised me a rose garden…
Anybody look at the upcoming schedule? Only 8 games at home in August.Only 2 days off in September. Gulp.
Badger
I don’t think Calhoun is even close in size to refrigerator Perry, by no means.
I did look and I did hear, that we have a tough schedule in August, but I haven’t got to September yet!
Refrigerator Perry? I thought the File Cabinet was AGon.
Take a close look at both months. August we have only 8 games at home. September we have only 2 days off. To keep our Cinderalla staff strong for the grueling post season we are going to need a plan.
Badger
Except Kershaw, the pitchers are only pitching five innings most of the time, so they should be more then fine.
Wood has pitched a little deeper in games, but I would worry more about the bullpen, and Kershaw.
But most of the guys in the bullpen, have not pitched way to much, like last year.
I have glanced at it a few times. That’s one reason I know they need to really take advantage of the 30 of 36 game stretch against sub .500 teams. Not to worried about September, the re-enforcements will be here. Gonzo is saying he will be back next month. Ethier not until September, Kazmir and Hatcher probably not back at all. Unless they do something really stupid and trade one of these guys, you will probably see Calhoun and Verdugo. Anyone on the 40 who is not injured is a candidate for a call-up. I think they will definitely go with some pitchers.
And I think they will find some of those pitchers superior to some of the crap we have now….
Jonah
That is what Trump has kind of said, but we know he has never had to do a physical job!
He says he doesn’t exercise because he doesn’t want to sap his energy in that way.
Lets keep it to baseball and no politico crap.
Michael
I was not talking politics, believe me, I would have plenty to say.
I just thought it was funny they both said that,
The first 2 runs in the !st would not have scored if Pederson was in CF. Hernandez just misplayed it. How might the game have changed if that catch and the catch of the popup Wood missed had been made?
Nick name for Calhoun. Well I kind of like Toy Cannon 2. He is built like Wynn, and hits like Wynn. Or we could call him Pop Gun. I do like Yogi though…or Boo Boo.