Welp folks Dodger baseball is certainly fun again. Thanks to a huge power surge and some timely pitching. The Dodgers beat Madison Bumgarner and the stupid Giants by a 3-1 score on Saturday night baseball televised on Fox. The pitching matchup pitted southpaws Bumgarner against Alex Wood. The Dodgers and Wood prevailed as the usually cool as a cucumber Bumgarner lost his control. Bumgarner had ten full counts and walked four over six innings. The Dodgers continued to pound the baseball. Matt Kemp and Enrique Hernandez hit booming home runs and the Dodgers took the series.
But the Giants hung around until the very end of the game and it was a lot closer than it seemed. Wood turned in a quality start, tossing 5.1 innings allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out two. The Dodgers had six hits and three were for extra-bases. The Dodgers also flashed some leather as well. They made several outstanding defensive plays which really helped Wood. Here’s an interesting stat about the Dodger’s number two hitters.
Kike Hernandez is hitting 2nd for the @Dodgers tonight and just homered off Madison Bumgarner.
The #Dodgers have had a HR by their No. 2 hitter in 7 straight games, the longest streak in MLB history.
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) June 17, 2018
The great glove work started in the top of the second when Hernandez made a terrific diving snag of a Buster Posey liner. The Dodgers got on the board in the bottom half of the second when Matt Kemp crushed his twelfth home run of the season while FOX was interviewing manager Dave Roberts. Don’t worry Roberts halted the interview to give Kemp his props. Thankfully.
The Dodgers loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth after Bumgarner issued three walks, (one intentionally) but they couldn’t score. Both pitchers ran into trouble in the fifth frame. Wood who hadn’t allowed a base hit through the first four innings gave up consecutive singles to Mac Williamson and Joe Panik. Bumgarner was unable to move the runners over and struck out. With runners at first and third, Allen Hanson’s sacrifice fly tied the game.
In the bottom half of the fifth, Austin Barnes led-off with a single. Wood moved him over to second with a sacrifice and after Chris Taylor grounded out the Dodgers took back the lead on a two-run home run from Enrique Hernandez. The Dodgers now up 3-1 looked to add more but after Justin Turner’s ground-rule double, Yasiel Puig grounds out. Before we move ahead in the game it’s important to note that Hernandez was batting .467 versus Bumgarner before the contest. That was his fourth career shot against him. The banana has his number.
Giants 1 4 0
Dodgers 3 6 1
WP-Wood-2-5
LP-Bumgarner-0-2
SV-Jansen-17
HR-Kemp-12-Hernandez-10
The Dodgers got more terrific defense in the top of the sixth. With Wood still on the mound and seemingly wavering, Andrew McCutchen singled to open the inning. Posey’s deep drive to right field is snagged by Puig as he crashed into the wall. He looked a little shaken up, but was unfazed. Logan Forsythe made a great diving stop on a Brandon Crawford grounder to record the second out for the Dodgers. The Dodgers hooked Wood and called on Yimi Garcia to get the last out of the inning, which he did by getting Williamson to fly out to Puig.
The Dodger bullpen was once again fantastic. Scott Alexander struck out two in the top of the seventh which also included a caught stealing (Panik) to get out of that inning unscathed. Right hander Josh Fields pitched a 123 top of the eighth inning as well. Let’s move to the top of the ninth with the Dodgers still leading 3-1.
Kenley Jansen gave us a bit of a scare in the final frame, but held on to record his seventeenth save. Posey reaches on a Turner throwing error to start the inning on a bad note. Turner made a great stop on the sharp grounder but his throw was low and Bellinger couldn’t pick it. I think Bellinger should have had that. Kenley then whiffs Crawford for the first out on a low cutter. Williamson walks to put runners at first and second. Panik’s grounder moves the runners to second and third but there are two outs. Not out of the woods yet (no pun intended) Kenley gets Pablo Sandoval to foul out to Turner to end the game. Dodgers win it!
There’s nothing better than beating Bumgarner and the Giants. The Dodgers improve to 37-32 and can move to within 1.5 games of first place if the Mets beat Arizona tonight. The Dodgers go for the sweep on Father’s Day and what a great gift for Dad that would be. Chris Stratton battles rookie Caleb Ferguson in the series finale. The Dodgers will immediately fly to Chicago after the game.
On another note, my girlfriend is a Seahawks fan, but I think she’s starting to come around. What do you think? As expected I got plenty of compliments while wearing this shirt all weekend long. This has definitely brought some great mojo for the boys in blue. Beat those Giants! Happy Saturday all!
great win and the dirt bags lose. Only 1.5 out now. Kenley almost gave me a heart attack in the 9th. But he got out of it. Wood looked a lot better. Kemp still swingin it. Kike with his 4th blast off of the Mad Bum! Fields looked really good, Alexander a little shaky again.
Jansen did not look good, but he got it done. 23 pitches, only 12 strikes. Yoiks. In his last 4 he’s walked as many as he’s struck out. Shaky, but no runs.
Kiké appears to own Bumgarner. Granted, MadBum isn’t himself yet, and hopefully won’t be.
I feel compelled to point out Hernandez is hitting .218 with a .748 OPS. Last year’s MLB averages were .255 and .750.
1.5 out. Seems things have calmed down a bit in here. The sky hasn’t fallen. Yet anyway. We are now again favored to win the Division, 48%-42%, over the dbacks. I give us better than 50%. I’ll say 52%.
Scott
The Seahawks are a football team, that shouldn’t stop her from being into the Dodgers.
She is now. I’ve converted her.
Badger
How can a player that doesn’t get consistent at bats, really hit for an average?
Manny Mota was great because he could, but Kike is still hitting with enough power, for a part time utility player to make a difference, once and a while.
Taylor and Puig May hit from the right side, but they both have reverse splits against lefties, and this is the second year in a row, that Puig has not hit lefties well.
And from what I read, the team has not been as good against lefties this year, when it comes to offense, although we just beat two lefties in a row.
And Forsythe who is almost playing everyday, is hitting a hundred points lower then Kike is, when it comes to OPS.
I do agree with you, that Bumgarner doesn’t have his good command yet.
But sometimes umpires give Bumgarner those high pitches that are either high in the strike zone, or just higher then the strike zone, and that makes it harder for hitters, to hit his 92 fastball.
I don’t think the strike zone should be that high, myself.
And I am glad the umpire didn’t give in to Bumgarner that much, but his whining will still get him some calls, unfortunately.
But I am sure it will be different when we face Bumgarner again, at the end of the year.
.865 lifetime OPS (137 OPS+) vs. lefties.
.791 (117 OPS+) vs LH starters.
Yeah. Not bad. Especially given how starters are going less and less innings, right?
MJ, Hernandez hit .307 in 202 at bats as a 23 year old. That was his first year with LA. He hit 7 home runs and OPSd .836. I was very encouraged by that production, put up in a limited measure. I think that may have been before he was encouraged to swing for the fences no matter the count or situation. He’s not come close to those numbers since and apparently that’s ok with management.
It’s important to remember Forsythe, with all his warts, put up 1.9 rWAR, 1.7 fWAR last year. He’s recently upped his game to 0 fWAR at this point and it’s absolutely possible he could match last year’s numbers by the end of the year. I wouldn’t bet on it, but I wouldn’t bet against it either.
Badger
What you are forgetting about that year, is that Kike was getting more consistent at bats during that season unlike now, especially after they finally pulled the plug, on Joc that year.
And Forsythe already has a bad defensive war this year, because he has already committed 7 errors this year, and I don’t see him producing enough on offense, to change that around.
What I’m forgetting?
MJ I read the splits before I posted that comment. He had 100 at bats the first half, 102 the second half. The individual months are fairly evenly distributed. He was just a more successful hitter in ‘15.
As for Forsythe, I referenced his stats too. Currently he has a 0.2 dWAR. If he plays the rest of the year the way he played last night he could match last year’s 1.2 dWAR.
There is still a long way to go. I don’t give up the season this early.
My personal opinion is that even with more consistent at bats, Kike would not hit much above his career .233 average. There are only 5 players on the team with more than 186 at bats. Grandal, Puig, Kemp, Bellinger and Taylor. The rest are under the 160 that Joc Pederson has. Kike has 156, Forsythe, despite the fact that he seems like he is the regular at 2nd base, has only 124. Kike’s value has always been his versatility and that is what the FO values him for, not his batting average. He does have a flare for the dramatic and has had some very good games. He hits lefty’s well for the most part, although not as well this year. He has struck out in more then a third of his at bats this year. I am not picking on Kike, just pointing out he is not the only player on the team not getting consistent at bats. Muncy has fewer AB’s than Kike, but is hitting 50 points higher. One thing I have noticed is that Kike has a tendency to pull off the ball a lot. Other than Kemp, no one is hitting over .300, and only 2 players above .260. They all strike out too much with Bellinger and Taylor the biggest offenders. Both of those guys on a pace to out do last years numbers. The fact is that Kike is more valuable to the team as a utility player and that is all he will ever be as long as these guys are in control. They traded for Forsythe to be the regular 2nd baseman and then picked up his option. To them, he is the regular. But other than Turner, Kemp, Puig, Taylor and Bellinger, and right now Grandal, there are really no regulars at 2nd and CF.
Good analysis, Badger. While it’s sexier to focus on our batters, it has been our pitching that has been winning the tight games where we are not hitting so well, except for the HR’s. They are doing an amazing job of holding teams from scoring lately. Teams are averaging .237BA against us and that figure is getting lower and lower. Arizona is .233. There used to be a much wider gap between them and us. We are gaining in both our hitting and our pitching. The relief army is working and our batters are settling in, not everyone, but enough to see and make a difference.
The other key to winning Jeff is the run differential. The Dodgers are well over 50 against their opponents. So they are out pitching and hitting the opposition right now.
Michael
When I am talking about consistent at bats, I am talking about at bats, from day to day.
And remember Forsythe was out on the DL, for quite a while, and he is still not hitting with power like Kike is, and he didn’t last year, either.
And Kike doesn’t get consistent at bats, from day to day, like the other players you are talking about, because there are far more rightie pitchers in baseball, then leftie pitchers.
And that is my point about Forsythe, you are always going to expect more, from an everyday player, that is getting consistent at bats, from day to day, then a part time utility player, that doesn’t get consistent at bats.
Taylor should not be striking out as much as a power hitter, like Cody.
You are right, Taylor should not be striking out as much as Bellinger. Right now, he is striking out more. He has that sluggers all or nothing mentality right now, and his 2 strike approach is terrible.
Badger
You can’t look at the amount of at bats Kike had, in the first half of the season, and the second half of the season, and know he got consistent at bats, from day to day.
In the beginning of the 2015 season, Kike didn’t play much and he didn’t get many at bats, because he only played in 16 games, in the entire month of May.
And he only had 34 at bats, in those 16 games, and an everyday player, would have normally have 64 at bats, in 16 games.
And in June, Kike only played in two
more games then he played in May, although he did have 17 more at bats, but these were still not consistent at bats.
And he only played in 12 games, in July, but the later part of July, after the Allstar break, Kike started to play more often.
He played in most of the games in July after the Allstar break, and he played more consistently throughout August, too.
And that is when he was able to really bring his average up, because he had more consistent at bats, starting in the last part of July, and throughout, most of August.
And he played in more games in August in that season, which was 21 games, and he had more at bats in August in that season, which was 68 at bats.
But because these sample numbers are pretty small, that was probably more an outlier year, then anything else.
When I am taking about consistent at bats, I mean consistent at bats, from day, to day.
And doesn’t most people expect more, from an everyday player, then a part time utility player?
MJ, I know what consistent at bats means. So quit acting like I do not know the game or what you are talking about. But Kike and Joc have played in almost the same amount of games and Joc only has 4 more at bats than Kike. So how can you say that Joc is getting more consistent at bats than Kike? That’s just not true. Kike has played in all 3 games against the Giants and Joc sat until today. We all know that Forsythe and Turner were injured so they are not getting consistent playing time either. My point is that no body but the 5 guys I named are in there pretty much every day. There is no argument. Kike is what he is. Kike is a utility player and for the last time, that is where his value with this team lies. As a matter of fact, for the amount of games he has played, Kike is averaging a little more than 2 at bats a game. Pretty much exactly the same as Joc. The reason I am comparing those two is because they have almost identical amounts of games and AB’s. Consistent at bats has nothing to do with that. It is the way each is handling those at bats. Kike is more of an all or nothing hitter than Joc is now. They are both nothing more than part time players. Kemp and Puig are the only regular outfielders. Turner, Bellinger and Taylor the only regulars in the infield. Kike has 18 at bats as a pinch hitter and is hitting .278 in those situations. Joc has had 11 at bats as a pinch hitter and is hitting .273 in that role. Barnes has 20 at bats in that role. Kike hits better at home, and Joc is better on the road. There is really no reason to argue about it at all. The FO values Kike for his versatility, not his bat. Occasional power, good fielder, average hitter. And like I said before, I doubt, and most analysts agree he will be more likely to hit close to his career average .233 than much higher than that. Most also think Joc will be closer to .250 than up around .280 where he is now.
Michael
There are more rightie starters, then leftie starters in baseball, and because of that, right hand platoon hitters, don’t start as consistently, as a leftie hitters do.
Duh. We all know that MJ. But you have no argument and your statement does not matter because they have had virtually the same amount of games and at bats, and Joc to this point in the season has been more successful than Kike. Why do you continually try to school me about a game that I have been watching a lot longer than you and that I have a lot of experience playing? Kike’s value has always and will always be his versatility. That is PURELY where his VALUE to the team lies. Is that so hard for you to understand? He has never been considered as an everyday player his entire 5 year MLB career. Whether he gets consistent playing time, and so far he has had as much as Joc, makes no difference. It is what he does when he is playing. His OBP is below .300, he strikes out almost twice as much as he walks, something Joc has cut down on. He is what he is, and all or nothing guy who has occasional power, hits LHP well, and is good defensively at several positions. End of story. …..Oh by the way, you are the only one on here or anywhere else that I have seen who complains about consistent at bats for Kike.
I’ll hand it to you Michael for your third sentence. I can’t really tell what point MJ was making so I appreciate your response.
As to the just wrapped game, Ferguson’s definitely got potential. Needs more time in the minors though. He hasn’t thrown the change enough, and we know why now.
Bluto
I was comparing Forsythe to Kike, not Joc.
I said I expect more from a player like Forsythe that plays almost everyday, then a part time player, like Kike.
Because it is easier for most players to hit for an average, when they are getting consistent at bats, like Forsythe is.
And my point is, that right hand hitters, are on the short side of a platoon, unlike Leftie hitters.
Because there are more rightie starters.
And because of that, Kike doesn’t get consistent at bats, like Forsythe does.
And my point was that even though Kike doesn’t play everyday, and get consistent at bats, he is still hittIng for about the same average, that Forsythe is, and he has a higher OPS then Forsythe does too.
If you understand that there are more rightie starters in baseball then lefties, why are you trying to argue that a rightie hitter like Kike, is getting consistent at bats?
Because he mainly only starts a game, if we are facing a leftie starter.
Right hand hitters are on the short side, when it comes to platoons, because there are so much less, leftie starters.
And I was comparing Kike to Forsythe, who plays almost everyday, against both lefties and righties.
And it is much easier to hit for an average, if a player is starting, and playing everyday, and getting consistent bats, like Forsythe is!
But Forsythe is not hitting any better then Kike is for an average, and Kike also has a higher OPS then Forsythe does, and he did last year too.
Yup, still don’t understand what point you are trying to make.
Bluto
I don’t care!
Because it is obvious, that hitters hit better, with consistent at bats, then not.
Bluto
I never said a thing about Joc today!
But I do know what you are trying to do!
I’m not trying to do anything.
I honestly have no idea what point you are arguing or trying to make.
If you had mentioned Joc I would still have no idea what you are going on about.
Michael
I was comparing Forsythe to Kike, not Joc!
I never mentioned Joc’s name!
And Forsythe does get more consistent at bats, then Kike does.
And leftie hitters, do play more consistently then rightie hitters, in a platoon, because there are more rightie pitchers.