So the Dodger bats magically came to life in Tuesday night’s 10-5 win over Tampa Bay. The series opener saw the Dodgers blast three home runs, highlighted by Trayce Thompson’s gigantic bomb. Thompson was the offensive star of the night driving in four of the ten runs. Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson each added a dinger for good measure, and the Dodgers survived another J.P. Howell atrocity to take the opening game. It was great to see Howie Kendrick finally bust out of his slump with a four hit night. He was 4 for 5 with two runs driven and two runs scored. If you remember, I preached patience with him. He’s just too good of a player to keep hitting in the .140’s forever. The Dodgers needed every run they could muster after Scott Kazmir turned in another dreadful performance. Although to be fair, he did strike out 9 in 6.2 innings, so maybe there is hope.
Interesting how the Dodgers don’t score for a week at Dodger Stadium, and then immediately score ten runs on the road. Kind of supports my theory that the club can’t or doesn’t, or refuses to hit at home. (Ok refuses is a bit much, but it is funnier, and I firmly choose to believe in the funnier more outrageously false sub-theory)
Dodgers Lineup @ Tampa Bay
Hernandez LF
Puig RF
Gonzalez 1B
Turner DH
Kendrick 2B
Thompson CF
Grandal C
Seager SS
Culberson 3B
Alex Wood-1-2 vs. Drew Smyly-1-3
Game time- 4:10 PM TV- SNLA
Last night’s win puts the Dodgers (14-13) back over .500, and allows me to not get mad or break any furniture. The final game of this mini two-game series will feature Alex Wood battling another lefty Drew Smyly. Remember the Dodgers pushed back Kenta Maeda until Friday, so he can get a bit of extra rest and face a predominantly right handed Toronto lineup.
Wood’s last start against the Padres gave us hope that he might not suck. In that start he pitched seven innings of one-run ball. He allowed five hits and struck out nine. Unfortunately he got a no-decision and the Dodgers lost. Overall he is 1-2 with a 4.82 ERA in 28 innings pitched. He’s whiffed 21 and walked 12 while allowing 10.0 hits per nine. He’s still got a lot of stuff to work on. Wood credits his latest quality start with a mechanical fix. Apparently he’s not lifting his leg as high as he used to.
Wood has an FIP of 3.52, which means the advanced metrics that I like to poke fun of consider his pitching this season to be much better than originally indicated. Wood has never faced or pitched in Tampa Bay, but does have a 3.74 career ERA in road starts. This season’s home and road splits are quite worrisome though. Wood has an 8.36 ERA away from Dodger Stadium, and a 1.29 ERA at home. Wood pitches better at Chavez Ravine. The current Rays have not seen much of Wood. The Tampa Bay club is 3 for 11 against Wood, with one home run.
Wood vs. Rays
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Logan Morrison | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .250 | .500 | .250 | .750 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Corey Dickerson | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Steven Souza | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | 2.000 | 2.500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Logan Forsythe | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brad Miller | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 13 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | .273 | .385 | .636 | 1.021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Tampa Bay will counter with left hander Drew Smyly. The 26-year old is from Little Rock, Arkansas and was originally drafted by the Tigers in 2010. Smyly has been quite effective this season. He is 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA in 5 starts. He’s struck out 41 and walked 6 in only 34.2 innings pitched. He has a league leading 0.692 WHIP and has allowed just 4.7 hits per nine.
Smyly is coming off a loss to Toronto in which he allowed two earned runs on two hits over six innings. He struck out eight in that contest and still got the loss because Tampa Bay’s offense has been poor too. Smyly has only pitched three career innings against the Dodgers and does not have a decision. He has a 3.53 ERA at Tropicana Field. The current Dodgers have not faced him much either. However Howie Kendrick is 3 for 9 with a home run during his American League days.
Dodgers vs. Smyly
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Howie Kendrick | 9 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | .333 | .333 | .778 | 1.111 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .250 | .250 | .500 | .750 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carl Crawford | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Turner | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 15 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | .267 | .267 | .600 | .867 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
In other news, shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena was suspended by the Dodgers for the rest of the season because he failed to comply with his contract. He’s fallen way out of favor with the Dodger front office. He was a Ned Colletti signing and then never really panned out. He had other issues with insubordination and inciting brawls. He was signed to a 5-year 25 million dollar contract after defecting from Cuba. I would assume that hitting .182 at Tulsa wasn’t helping his case either.
In other more exciting news, Julio Urias tossed six six no-hit innings for Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. He struck out six in the game, and lowered his ERA to 1.88. He’s been dazzling in triple-a and I wonder when the Dodgers are going to call him up.
Tonight the Dodgers will be having Justin Turner at DH. Last night it was Kike at DH and leading off. Kike is leading off again, but in left field. That means Culberson jumps in to play third base and bat ninth. Trayce Thompson is in center field as Joc Pederson gets benched because you know; don’t want any of those pesky home runs cluttering up the lineup. I jest, but Joc is actually playing very well of late. His strikeouts are down, (.269/.395/.507) and his OBP is way up. Perhaps all of the mechanical tweaks to his his swing are finally paying off. Yasiel Puig is batting second.
Go Blue!
Culberson? Well, you have to give the AL a chance to get even, right? Did anyone see the article at DD that explained Kendrick’s problems at the plate this year as “whiffs and BABIP?” In English, he’s not hitting. Whatever did we do without sabermetrics?
So….. players who swing and miss a lot tend to have a lower success rate. Hmm. Who knew? Wouldn’t put those two together.
Kornheiser just said Cubs win 114. Wilbon said 112. They think the Cubs are pretty good.
Arruebarrena again. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/05/dodgers-suspend-erisbel-arruebarrena-for-season.html
Cubs will lose in the playoffs because the last 112 years says so. Or, I’m just guessing/hoping. Only Chicago team I root for is the Bears.
Looking at that picture of Wood above makes me wonder how on earth he doesn’t fall down more during his motion. Must have insane balance on that right leg
I was looking at that picture and thinking “now why don’t he throw harder”.
Doesn’t Wood’s delivery look slow?
Did everyone see that someone is trying to get Vinny the Presidential Freedom Award? I didn’t see where you could put your signature. But they need so many signatures, to get Vinny the award.
Where is everyone tonight?
I don’t know but I don’t blame them now.
Wood is exactly what everyone thinks here. He makes the Rays offense look so powerful. Both Kazmir and Wood do. The Rays haven’t scored more then three runs in a long time. And most of the time, the Rays score much less. How many HRs between Wood and Kazmir this in these two games?
I can’t stand it…
BASEBALL IS SIMPLE
Kazmir should be on the DL
Stripling should be given only one more chance
“WOOD SHOULD BE THE PRECURSOR TO A LONG RELIEVER EVERY GAME THAT HE STARTS”
Hatcher should be the 5h inning reliever
Howell should be DFA’d
Avilan should be put out with the horses
LOOKS ANOTHER DUMMIE AS MANAGER
Wood has had enough chances that it now shows he doesn’t have what cuts the mustard. If it does in fact exist in his heart it simply doesn’t appear often enough to occupy a slot in the rotation. Why do I expect we’re going to see him for several more games than he has any right to hope for? Stubbornness? Likely. His norm is a most likely loss.
The Dodgers need a bus. Baez and Wood need a seat on that bus. It doesn’t need to be a big bus, but it needs to get moving.
I like Wood more than Kazmir. Then again, that’s like saying I like Rosie O’Donnell over Rosanne Barr…….
Meanwhile, DeLeon and Urias banging on that AAA door.
Crawford seems to be loved in Tampa. Can we leave him there?
The club doesn’t have the pitching to be competitive
but they have depth
Too bad they can’t leave Wood in LA when they go on the road. Baez horrible. Let’s hope Bolsinger is back soon.
I don’t understand pulling Thompson, who drove in four last night, for a pinch-hitter. Donnie move.
For the record I think the offense will be fine, but the pitching needs a major overhaul
That is something good, because that looked like Turner really hits!
They can’t let any of the pitchers, that the front office brought to the Dodgers, other then Maeda, to face the other team, more then two times.
And it always seems once the Dodgers go ahead, or tie the game. One of these same pitchers, can’t hold the other team, from scoring, or going ahead, in the very next inning.
How many HRs has Kazmir, Wood, Hatcher, and Baez have given up, in little over a month?
They have gave up 17 HRs.
I do not know who to feel sorry for ???
The Dodger manager, looking at his roster and saying I need more and better players to select from.
Dodger fans, looking at this mess of a team that sees .500 as wonderful.
Dodger announcers, like Vin, who have to watch these performances, game after game.
Flash — F&Z just might find some guy in the Mexican League or somewhere else, that they think has a chance of making the Dodgers better.
This is enough to make one a Cub fan.
I heard one of the Dodgers owners, has season tickets for the Cubbies. And this is true.
Mark Walter went to Northwestern and Guggenheim is headquartered in NY and Chicago, so that would be natural. The Dodgers are a business, not a mistress.
Don’t worry, we’re still on a pace for 95 wins….in 2018.
Of course Wood said he felt good. He always says that.
Don’t feel sorry for the manager, he had to know the kind of players he had and that he wouldn’t be calling the shots. If he had any self respect, he wouldn’t have taken the job.
That sucked. Not surpring though. Horrible whiff of mephitic BABIP. Not to mention the team’s seriously lacking NERD WRISP LIPS.
AGon’s apparently going fishing tomorrow. I’m going to Starbucks.
Yawn… you all are so predictable.
“eyes, but they cannot see;
ears but they cannot hear.”
you are the predictable one. the Dodgers stunk it up (again); Wood and Baez are bad (as usual). they lost and are still around .500 – yet they will magically win 95 games by the end of the year.
they are 14 – 14. to win 95 games they will have to win 81 out of 134 remaining games (.605). given that they haven’t won 95 games since 2009, what makes you think that they will win more than that this year? (no Manny on ‘roids this year.)
If you think this is what it will be like, then you must believe that Daniel Murphy will hit .398, Mark Trumbo will hit .333, Troy Tulowitzki will hit .160, Justin Heyward will hit .211, David Price will have a 6.14 ERA and Zack Greinke will have a 5.50 ERA… because that’s what they have now!
YOU CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!
You really aren’t that….
nevermind….
I know!
Well – obviously it is a long season, but there are trends that go back a ways. Wood hasn’t been consistently good as a Dodger. For me, he doesn’t pass the eyeball test. Baez and Hatcher as well.
I’ll keep saying this – they are about the same bunch as last year, plus Seager, minus Greinke. They won 92 last year and the Division will be tougher this year than last. 88 wins would be doing pretty well.
I assume that this bunch will hit better eventually, but outside of Kershaw, Maeda and Jansen, the pitching just isn’t good enough – unless they bring up some of the young talent and they are ready now and not in 2017 or 2018.
What you mean by “can’t have it both ways”?
The Dodgers are probably better hitters then they’ve showed, though hitting with runners in scoring position continues to be a problem. They weren’t stellar with that last year and they suck so far this year. If AGon is showing signs of age, it could be a real problem for this team. We hit a lot of home runs last year but so far we don’t look that powerful. I think that could change, but I don’t know it will. We could be a middle of the pack offense and if so it shouldn’t surprise anyone. You know how I feel about our pitching. De Leon could help. I don’t believe Urias will be rushed. This is an important development year for him. I don’t know what to say about the pen.
I just don’t have the expectations some of you do, though it would appear many of the FAZophants have left the building. There aren’t as many left to cheer the nibbling of periphery moves being made, hopefully the team starts winning and Mark’s legions will be back to tell the naysayers how wrong they were and ask “how could you be so stupid?”. In the mean time we wait for that win streak. I think we will see one. Not sure when, but the team will hit better, I’m pretty sure of that. However – the pitching? I’m not so sure about that. Thank goodness we have Kershaw to stop the streaks.
W’s & L’s will tell the story. Be around in September to discuss.
One thing they are not doing, is taking the extra bases, and being agressive on the bases, like they were doing in spring training. They should have tried to have Cory try for home, and there was another base runner, who they could have given, the chance, to let the runner, try to score, instead of stopping at third.
They are just not trying to make things happen, on the bases. And Kazmir, and Wood, can’t be counted on, to pitch to the other team, more then two times in the order, and that is not a starting pitcher. They seem to give up the lead, the very next inning, after the Dodgers go ahead, or tie the game.
And they take away any momentum, that the Dodgers might have had. And Kazmir has been the worse of the starting pitchers, and Wood is next in line, after Kazmir. Kazmir has continually made the same mistakes, and doesn’t pitch, like a veteran pitcher.
He constantly leaving his below average fastball, up in the zone, every game he pitches. And that is why he had given up, so many HRs. Kazmir can’t be counted on, to even pitch five clean innings, and Wood is about the same. And a pitcher, that can’t be counted on, to pitch more then five innings, is not a starting pitcher. And the front office, brought these two pitchers to the Dodgers, and didn’t do anything, about the terrible bullpen.
And this is a complete recipe, for a subpar team. If a team can’t count on there starting pitching, except for the first two in the rotation, and don’t have a decent bullpen, they are not going to be a good team, because pitching, is almost everything, in baseball. And the front office, just got lucky with Maeda, because he wasn’t even there first back up, for Greinke, and he wasn’t even on there list, until there list, ran out.
It isn’t a coincidence, that the Dodgers have so many former Rays, and have even more, former A’s, on the team now. The problem with that is, that the LA Dodgers, are not a small market team, just trying, to be competitive. And after this front office, signed terrible, and injury prone pitchers, and traded away, the only big right handed power bat, that the Dodgers had, they better have a better team on the field, in 2018, then the Cubs have right now!
Because the Dodgers, have never been as far down, as the Cubs. So it should be easy, for this front office, to make the Dodgers, a team that should be in the World Series, for many years, by the begining of 2018! And actually, this shouldn’t take that long. Because the front office were lucky, because they inherited, some really good young pitchers, in the Dodgers minor league system, that they can’t take any credit for.
I really hope that Ryu can come back, before the Giants start taking advantage, of the Dodgers 500 play. And the only other thing to hope for, is that the front office, brings up some of the Dodgers good young minor league pitchers, to help the Dodgers, with there terrible, set up pitchers, in there bullpen. Because these two pitchers, should have learned from there mistakes, last year, after there terrible performances, at the begining of the year, last year.
Badger I don’t think it is age catching up with Agone! I think it is Turner not hitting behind, or in front of him, when they are changed from batting fourth, and third in the line up. But Turner is starting to hit, and his last at bat yesterday, he looked like the Turner of old. Mark has been here, but I haven’t seen Boxout, or AC, I hope they are ok, and it isn’t what you said Badger.