In the rubber match of the three game series between the Dodgers and the Mets, where the Dodgers had sleepily lost the first game and then dominated the second, the Dodgers sent Hyun-Jin Ryu to the mound for a late afternoon Chavez Ravine start.
Ryu started out well enough, being perfect through the first three innings. That little dream ended quickly in the fourth. He gave up two quick hits, had a third hit bounce off his cleat, and the first Mets’ run came in to score. Then came a shallow pop fly, fielded and thrown home perfectly by Joc Peterson, who was out in left field. Grandal pulled a Grandal, and couldn’t hold on to the ball. A sure-fire out became the second Mets run. Instead of being out of the inning, the Mets got an extra at bat and picked up an extra run. It was now 3-0 New York.
Max Muncy got the Dodgers on the board in their half of the fourth, with a screaming shot to the top of the left-field pavilion. Measured at 430 feet, believed to be his furthest hit home run to date. The Dodgers were now within one run, down 2-3.
The Mets came right back at Ryu in the fifth, with two straight hits. Suddenly Ryu couldn’t get anybody out. When the smoke cleared, it was Mets up 5-2. In fairness, I can’t really see it was all review. The Mets got a couple of seeing eye singles out of that inning, and I just can’t emphasize enough the two runs that scored because Grandal couldn’t hold on to a perfectly thrown ball.
Ryu got into a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, but picked up at double play and escaped further damage. The Dodgers still had enough innings to come back – but could the Dodgers’ bullpen shut them down?
That question was answered quickly when Ryan Madson replaced Ryu in the seventh. The Dodgers continued to play sloppy in the field and pitch horribly from the mound. The Dodgers went into the seventh inning stretch down 7-2.
Cody Bellinger gave the home crowd reason to cheer in the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run, bringing the Dodgers within four.
The score remained 7-3 until the ninth, when Kenley Jansen appeared for what will probably be the last time until the Dodgers are on the other side of the series in Colorado. Earlier today, the team cardiologist recommended Jansen not make the trip to the mile-high city.
Kenley made quick work of the Mets, and the Dodgers went quietly in their half of the inning. They silently gathered their gear from the dugout and shuffled their way to the clubhouse with hats and heads held low.
The good news is the Mets are gone, and the Dodgers are headed for Colorado. That’s good, right?
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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This is what the 2018 version of the Dodgers are. They beat a team badly and against a better pitcher the next game, they can’t hit. Give Wheeler credit. The guy did his job. Bad fielding put them behind the 8 ball and they never recovered. Now they are off to Denver, a perennial house of horrors for any team, down a game and a half. So the bottom line is they need to sweep. Last time in they lost 3 of 4 because they did not have their closer. This time, Jansen, on doctors orders, is not even going to be there. And as we all have come to know, no lead is safe at Coors. Scenarios, if they are swept, they are 4.5 out with 19 to play, and none against the team ahead of them. they win 1, they are 2.5 out with 19 left. 2 of 3, right where they started. These games are crucial. Bottom line, forget the platoon and matchup BS and send the A team out there every night regardless of who is pitching …Muncy at 1st, Dozier at 2nd, Machado at SS, Turner at 3rd, Kemp in left, Belli in center, and Puig in right. Catcher is a toss up….Barnes defense, or Grandal’s sometimes explosive bat. Me, I put Gale back there and see what happens. You can flip flop Freese and Muncy in my mind. Freese a better defender. Come to think of it, now is the perfect time for a Chase Utley sighting. He is a catalyst.
Michael
Dozier really?
He is hitting under 196 since he joined this team, and he is hitting 220 overall.
Those numbers don’t warrant Dozier starting everyday, that is ridiculous.
Well MJ, he is in there for his defense, so it is not ridiculous as you put it. He can trade off with Utley. You want Kike in there everyday, or Taylor? Options are limited. You could put Muncy there, and then the defense is weakened. So yeah, I stick with the vet with proven abilities and pennant race experience. My choice, obviously not yours, but surely not ridiculous since he is being played almost every day since he got here, and hey, he might have a miraculous turn around.
Michael
Just because they have played him that often, doesn’t mean it makes sense.
It is still ridiculous!
This is much what they did with Reddick, Granderson, and most every player they have brought to this team.
And a hitter, hitting 196 since he has been with this team, and is not hitting lefties at all, certainly shouldn’t be in the line up everyday, and especially, not in the lead off position.
In the last 7 games, Dozier is hitting 0.40, so both of our lead off hitters, are hitting under 200, in the last 30 games too.
That might be ok if the Dodgers were playing well, but they aren’t!
Again MJ as much as you have watched this team since Dave Roberts became the manager, have you ever seen him do anything except keep playing guys in slumps and trying to get them untracked? That is the way he and FAZ operate. Just look at how long he kept running Taylor out there even though the guy is a human whiff machine this year. Roberts and FAZ thrive on stuff that makes no sense. Personally? I would have tried to get Scooter Gennett from the Reds rather than Dozier. He was on the block. But I doubt the Reds would have taken Forsythe in return/
Just for shits and giggles, let me see who you play every day down the stretch. You going to send Grandal out there with the way he is hitting and playing the field? You are usually going to have one weak link in the chain and hopefully the rest will pick up the slack. Are you going to play Verdugo over Puig? Toles over Kemp? Lots of choices. I put the guys with experience out there. Use the rookies when you have a blow out or something like that. If Freese had experience at 2nd I would probably start him over Dozier. But he does not.
Michael
I think Freeze was a good idea, because we didn’t need another all or nothing hitter.
But the problem with Freeze, is that he plays two positions, that two of our best players, happen to play, so it is not easy to get him in the line up.
I didn’t say anything about any of those other players, so I don’t understand why you are bringing them up?
This roster is filled with to many second baseman, that don’t hit well enough, to play them everyday.
And because of that, we didn’t need another second baseman, and especially another all or nothing hitter, like Dozier is.
About Grandal, I think Barnes is a far superior defensive catcher, except when it comes to throwing runners out, at second.
And I would play Barnes more often, to see if he could hit better, because it is awfully hard for any hitter, to hit well, when they are only getting four at bats, a week.
And how often has Roberts pulled Barnes, before he gets his third or fourth at bat, this year?
But we know that is not going to happen.
The problem is that there is really no true fix. If Taylor was the Taylor of last year I would stick him in there everyday. But he is no where near that guy. He would fill the good defensive guy and was a decent lead off player. As for the guys I mentioned, well, I am looking at who is on the bench and what is available. There are a lot of guys to chose from, but as far as better options go, I do not really see much there that has produced on a consistent basis. Grandal, Barnes and Dozier are all hitting below .200 since the all star break. Grandal’s slide probably hurts the most since he is counted on for power and his so called pitch framing acumen. Kike is hitting .240 since the break, so maybe they should just put him in there against all comers and hope for the best. He is after all pretty good on defense.
Michael and MJ,
You bring up some interesting points and point to a problem area that has haunted us all season, 2B. Dozier has not produced but he is a good defensive player. He also draws BB’s and does have some power, but he is slumping. There are 3 possibilities here the way I see it. Hernandez at 2B, Taylor at 2B, or Muncy. Freese is a lock for 1B. All the players at 2B are not in a slump like Dozier and Grandal but they are not true defensive players.
Kike typically plays against LHP, but he has improved against RHP. He has been horrendous at Coors getting only 1 hit in 5 games but drawing 4 BB’s. He has only 1 error in 35 games at 2B.
Taylor has been decent against RHP, a bit weak at .219 against LHP. He has hit well in 7 games at Coors, .318 and 2 HR’s. He has 0 errors in 5 games at 2B.
Muncy hits both RH/LHP pretty well, the best of the bunch. He’s hit 5 HR’s against the Rockies, 4 at Coors and is batting .278 there. He has 1 error in 12 games at 2B.
My choice is starting Freese at 1B and Muncy at 2B.
Catcher is a different problem. It would be a ballsy move to give Gale a try at Coors. Grandal hits .143 at Coors! Could it get any worse? Grandal doesn’t have a chance starting this game if I were managing but giving Gale the start would take a lot of courage or stupidity depending on how you look at a situation like this. Barnes is terrible against RHP, .156., terrible against the Rockies, and batting .222 at Coors. He is not particularly known for his defensive catching with a low Caught Stealing %. For me, you don’t go with Barnes, but you strap on your ba**s and give Rocky the start!!
I have never seen such inconsistency. Pitchers not capable of holding their own, running out of gas by the 4th inning. Offense sputters again. Defense no help.
Ryu showing his true colors tonight. He is not a quality pitcher, just a 5th or 6th starter, at the most. Maeda wasting away in the pen.
Madson is proving to be the Walmart “Dodger Blue-light Special” he is. A totally worthless acquisition. When will the FO learn. Just throwing money down the drain.
Lottery lineup again proves to be a mistake. Only about 20 games left. If you are a gamer, you do not need rest at this point in the season. I’m sure these players do not want to sit, but these players have no choice, as FO calls the shots on who plays, and who sits. It is time to throw those spreadsheets away, and let these players play…. no excuses now. No pointing fingers. Leave it on the field. Inconsistencies in offense and defense probably due to the daily shuffling of lineup.
Tough road ahead, Rocks, Cards, then Snakes and Gnats (aka, “Dodger Spoilers”).
This Dodger team better wake up.