The last time we saw Clayton Kershaw was at Chavez Ravine, and it was 100° afternoon. It wasn’t quite a hot LA Sunday, but it was a humid Pittsburgh night. The Dodgers had already dropped the first two games to the Pirates, and were once again looking to number 22 to be their savior.
The trouble with this strategy is, you have to win more than once every five games to win a pennant, and despite popular opinion, Clayton Kershaw is only human.
Note: Dave Roberts sat Adrian Gonzalez for a “mental” day off. Perhaps two.
We pick up the game in the second.
2nd inning
Kershaw was having trouble finding the strike zone. He was squeezed on a couple of pitches by the umpire, but mostly he was not hitting the spots he wanted to hit, and definitely leaving too many fast balls over the plate. The result ended up – bases-loaded.
A single with two outs brought in the first run of the game. 1-0
And on the very next pitch Kershawleft one over the plate again. David Freese turned it into a bases-clearing double, making it 4-0.
3rd inning Bucs 4-0
Dodgers
Corey Seager blasted a one-out double off the center field wall.
Justin Turner followed up with a home run to left center field that barely cleared the wall. 4-2
5th inning Bucs 4-2
Dodgers
With Corey Seager on first, JT blasted a fly ball high off the right field wall, scoring Seager. 4-3
They played nine, but nothing really happened after five.
Dodgers lose 4-3
CLayton Kershaw had a rough start to the game. The big blow was the bases loaded double he gave up in the second. Keshaw settled down afterward, and the Pirates never scored again, but the Dodgers just could not overcome those four runs.
Justin Turner and Corey Seager combined to put up a big three, with JT registering all three RBIs, but the rest of the lineup was no help. Yasiel Puig went 0 for 4, and Yasmani Grandal continued his swirl around the bottom of the bowl, also going 0 for 4, with three strike outs.
Dave Roberts sat Adrian Gonzalez, which was a good move, but unexplainably, he went to Gonzalez as his first pinch hitter of the night. If you’re going to give the guy a night off, commit to the idea and stick with it. When you sit a guy for not hitting, what in the world makes you think he’s going to hit!?!?!?!?!?
I left the game in the seventh for a run to the local brewery. The Dodger game was on the screen there, as was the final game in the Copa America between Chile and Argentina. It was telling that 95% of the crowd was focused on the soccer game, as the Dodgers are just not providing much entertainment or hope for the fans.
Clayton Kershaw (L 11-2) went 6 innings with 9 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 2 Ks. ERA 1.79
Home run: Justin Turner
Doubles: Turner, Seager
Team WRISP: 1 for 3
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:
The ump had a bad night. Maybe it was the humidity. Maybe he was framed. By both catchers.
I’d like to have a discussion about not allowing bad ball/strike umps to work behind the plate. Probably not feasible as the union would go ape, but guys as bad as Conroy can indeed effect outcomes. And that is bad for baseball. He, and others like him, further the discussion on electronic strike zones. Frame that.
Umps aside, we got 4 hits. Only 3 at bats all game with runners in scoring position. Kershaw now 11-2. Cueto 11-1. Will obtaining Jay Bruce ignite a fire under the Dodgers O? Uh, I think it might take more than that. There has to be a fall guy, right? Blame must be assigned. It’s the American way. Ward. He was great in Arizona, but it could be their algorithms for drafting hitters are better than ours.
I just noticed that 3 NL West teams are in the Top 11 in hitting. I guess that shouldn’t surprise. We are 28th. .236. Damn. That’s bad.
Oscar
Once again Roberts has this right handed line up of part time players, hitting against a tough leftie pitcher.
This team ranks 29th in all of baseball, when facing a leftie starter.
I rather have leftie hitters, that are getting more consistent at bats, facing this leftie pitcher, then right hand part time players, that rank 29th in baseball, in offense.
This reminds me when Roberts took Utley out, and had Kike hit, last week.
And Utley had just got a hit against the same leftie pitcher, that night before.
Kike might have hit lefties well last year, but he is even making contact this year, against any pitcher!
And why is he sitting Cory?
Are they even trying to win at this point?