Well it seems first place didn’t last that long. The Dodgers gave a lackadaisical effort in getting shellacked yesterday by the Mighty Big red machine. Bud Norris came off the DL and had trouble right from the start. The Dodgers have lost two in a row and the Giants have won two in a row. The Giants lead the NL West by 1/2 game. The Dodgers have three against the Giants next week as well as the Cubs. It would stand to reason to take care of business against meager teams like the Reds.
The Phillies threw a lot of fastballs to the Dodgers hitters and the Dodgers made them pay. Well the Reds threw a lot of breaking stuff to the Dodgers hitters who failed to make the adjustments and capitalize on Red’s pitcher Tim Adleman who seemed like he was on the ropes the whole game. Today the Giants game will be over by the time the Dodgers game gets started.
Brett Anderson will try another attempt at a start. We all know he lasted one inning last time out against the Pirates at Dodger stadium before he did an awkward dive to catch a grounder and ended up injuring his wrist. That game turned out to be a disaster. The latest trend for Dodgers pitchers is to give up a lot of early runs. We need Rich Hill and Clayton Kershaw. The Reds will counter today with left hander Brandon Finnegan who is:
| ERA | W-L | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.54 | 7-9 | 98 | 1.42 |
With a left hander on the mound we know the Dodgers will go to their right handed lineup. Here it is:
Dodgers:
Kendrick LF
Hernandez 2B
Gonzalez 1B
Turner 3B
Segedin RF
Pederson CF
Ellis C
Taylor SS
Anderson P— AlaNNa Rizzo (@alannarizzo) August 20, 2016
Game is on at 410 PM on SNLA.
Josh Reddick is really pressing so it makes sense to give him a day off. I agree with an article written by Oscar that Reddick shouldn’t be batting cleanup. Kendrick is in the leadoff spot today. No Utley, Seager, or Grandal. For a team that needs to score runs it doesn’t make sense to sit Seager or Grandal who have been two hot hitters. Who knows if Brett Anderson is going to be effective. In the playoffs the Dodgers will have to face left handed pitchers, so what are they going to do sit all the left handed hot hitters all the time.
#Dodgers Dave Roberts said he sees Josh Reddick pressing. Will not be in lineup v LHP Sat. "Give him chance to watch MLB game and reset"
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) August 20, 2016
By the way there is a minor league right handed hitter who is tearing it up who could help against left handers named Yasiel Puig. He needs to be on the club. He is batting .481, with 13 hits in 27 at-bats. He has hit three home runs and struck out once. His OPS is 1.474. I guess we need to keep Kiki Hernandez. I would love an outfield of Puig, Pederson, and Reddick. Utley and Kendrick can platoon at 2nd.
This will be the Reds Lineup for tonight:
Hamilton CF
Peraza SS
Votto 1B
Duvall LF
Phillips 2B
Schebler RF
Suarez 3B
Cabrera C
Finnegan P
Two former Dodgers in the lineup in Schebler and Peraza. In yesterdays game despite the Dodgers loss their was a tender moment when Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen clubbed his first career homer in his first game back after the unexpected death of his father, Clif. The homer was off Pedro Baez.
This is how Brett Anderson has fared against some of the Reds in the lineup today.
| BATTER | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Billy Hamilton | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | .500 | 1.000 |
| Brandon Phillips | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 | .167 | .167 | .333 |
| Eugenio Suarez | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 | .167 | .000 | .167 |
| Joey Votto | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .333 | .333 | .500 | .833 |
This actually looks promising. The Dodgers will need to grind it out today since they have their right handed lineup today. Let’s see how the Dodgers have done against Brandon Finnegan. It seems like Howie Kendrick is our best hope. Today will be a tough one with the lineup against a left hander. The Dodgers need to make the adjustment against the breaking balls. The Dodgers need to have runners in movement today and not just be stationary. Let’s go Dodgers and lets go Mets.
| BATTER | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| A.J. Ellis | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 | .250 | .250 | .500 |
| Enrique Hernandez | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Howie Kendrick | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .500 | .667 | .500 | 1.167 |
| Corey Seager | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Trayce Thompson | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .333 | .333 | .667 |
| Justin Turner | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | .500 | .000 | .500 |
James Moya
Hi I’m James Moya. I am an avid Dodgers fan. I graduated Cal State Fullerton with a Bachelors in Communications. I used to freelance at the San Bernardino Sun. I’m excited about this opportunity to write for LA Dodger Report to gain experience. I’m a straight shooter on my opinions and I hope to get some good conversations going. My dream has always been to report on the Dodgers because Baseball is the National Past-time. I hope you enjoy the ride with me.
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Some excellent points on the last thread. I had zero desire to chime in thru my iphone, however!
Quick points/responses:
1) Kemp regressing or not doesn’t matter. I think what scared everybody was his arthritic hips diagnosis. We sold high (clearly, as SD had to pay for him to go away 15 months later), and we got a good catcher with power. I loved Kemp and thought he had a chance to be the greatest LA Dodger hitter ever, but the shoulder injury really stopped that from happening. Plus, he only wanted to be in RF or CF, and there was no way that was going to happen with Joc and Puig in CF and RF
2) Grant Holmes. Yes he was a top pick and a top 100 prospect. If he’s a future #2, then it’s hard to trade him unless we get real impact in return (not 2 rentals, 1 of which is hitting a buck and the other of which hasn’t earned a dime from the Dodgers yet). However, if he’s only a future #4, innings eater type, well then who cares! Those are a dime a dozen. We can always buy a #4 starter later. Urias and Deleon are future 2 and 3 type starters so we can easily replace the 17 #4/5’s we have now.
3) Let’s stop saying “the starters need to start going deep into games!!” We dont’ have anyone right now that will realistically go deep into a game, so let’s stop asking for them to be who they aren’t. We have guys that could give us a solid 5, and maybeeeeeee 6 on a good day, but that’s it! We are what we are. We’re a team with below avg starting pitching, and a very good and deep bullpen. Nobody is giving us 7 until either Hill or Kersh is fully healthy. I sure as hell don’t expect more than 4 from Anderson today!
I think everyone agrees that Matt was never going to be the player he was. That was a given, and trading him at that point in time was the right thing to do. I disagree that we got a good catcher. We got an enigma. He has power, but is terrible blocking pitches in the dirt. He is not all that great a game caller, but has improved some because AJ, who is excellent at calling a game has worked with him a lot. He is also injury prone, but what catcher is not. He will never hit for high average, but he is not that great with runners on base. He has a good on base percentage because he walks a lot, but he also strikes out a lot too. Our very good and deep bullpen will not stay that way long at this rate, they are like a piece of space junk and will soon burn up on re entry. Sold high on Kemp? Only Grandal is left from that deal. I think we got jobbed…….neither pitcher we got is with the team and we traded one of them for Rollins who was a mess.
You really have to look at the trades with SD, Philly, and Miami as one. You might think we got jobbed still. I wasn’t happy about trading Kemp but I’m glad they did now. Grandal’s game calling is just fine. Greinke loved throwing to him. AJ’s stats have been skewed by catching Kershaw.
Kemp’s OBP is awful as is his defense and when people talk about clubhouse cancer’s, he became the #1 culprit. Two teams are paying him to be elsewhere.
I thought I would never see the day where the Dodgers are trotting out such garbage to the mound. Just let the kids pitch. No more Norris or Anderson.
No, you cannot look at those 3 deals and call them one. Miami was a different deal entirely and was used to set up getting Howie Kendrick. And just because Greinke liked throwing to Grandal had nothing to do with his game calling. It had to do with his pitch framing. Whether Kemp was a clubhouse cancer or not is up for debate. He was vocal and DM did not like that. Yeah, Kemps stats took a hit and it is because he got injured, but he still drives in more runs and hits more homers than any of our OF’s do. He is gone now, so it is over. AJ caught everybody before he got injured during Beckett’s no hitter. And a lot of people forget that last year he was the hottest hitter on the team the last couple of weeks and one of the worst decisions of the playoffs was to play Grandal who could not hit water if he fell out of a boat at that time in 3 of the games. He was horrid and they lost. They could have used AJ’s hot bat in there at the time.
I agree that Grandal should have sat in the playoffs.
“Here’s a nickel…go get me half a dozen.”
4 innings or HRs?
perhaps both?
Dime a dozen? We won’t have one that gets a sniff of 200 innings. A number 4 behind Kershaw, Urias and De Leon sounded sweet to me. Those other 3 are throwing 200 innings of 3.5 and less and Holmes is throwing 200 of 4.0.
You may ask the color of the sky in my world. It’s blue. Dodger Blue.
Michael, I agree 100% with your comments at the end of the previous thread. I too cheer for my favorite team with my eyes, not a computer algorithm. People can spew out all of the alphabet soup stats they want. It’s still played by players, managed by a manager, coached by coaches and cheered and jeered by fans, and all of the afore mentioned have eyes. Bottom line is it’s been since”88” and we watched the “evil empire by the bay” celebrate 3 times this decade. Supposedly their farm system is in tatters, well they are in first place, as of this writing. And they can still rebuild.
Remember prospects are just subjects until they prove themselves otherwise.
Okay we are building for the future, or so I am told by a bunch of posters on here. That’s cool, so is just about every other team in MLB. And some have done it and celebrated with a WS win WHILE DOING SO.
We won the division 3 times in a row. WOOPPEE frikin cushion. All that has to show is that we came in tied for 3rd in MLB in 2013, tied for 4th in MLB in 2014 and again tied for 4th in MLB in 2015. If coming in 3rd and 4th is satisfactory for some fans, all the power to them. I want a World Series Title not a participant award.
Since 1988 there have been 9 different small market teams that have won the World Series, and a few more than once. S.F, Boston, N.Y., Chicago, St. Louis, Philly, Anaheim (maybe) I do not consider small markets . S.F. was probably a small market prior to 2010. Yes a few of them have been in stinkville for a while since they have won. The bottom line I feel is like MN said earlier, we are not a small market team, we have won in the past and we expect to win NOW. The way this team is cobbled together WILL NOT get us past maybe a wildcard. Too many AAAA combinations and fringe players. Yes, they have the heart of the “88” team but not the skillset in today’s MLB world.
At times this season I have enjoyed them and have been very impressed and at times I can’t even bear to watch, which by the way I haven’t been able to since the all Star break. MLB.tv zapped unlocator, my proxy server.
Hats off to Roberts, he has done a superb job with what he has been given. And with what he has been told to do.
Every team is going through injury issues and lack of player production, that’s a natural part of the game, but this is the Frikin L.A. Dodgers. As long as everyone buys 3 million tickets and those twits at TWC continue to pay on that contract Guggs laughs all the way to the bank. And in spite of what some continue to preach, ALL CONTRACTS CAN BE RENEGOTIATED.
The fans of the Dodgers are getting hosed. I live and breathe Dodger Blue but I just can’t get behind FAZ. Sorry I’m just not there yet.
You can’t even watch up in SLO? MLB seems determined to squeeze as much revenue out of fans today at the expense of fans tomorrow. Who wants to root for a team you can’t see? We were lucky to have Vin Scully to describe the games to us all those years before cable.
Agree
Have you tried any of the other unlocator companies?
It is really annoying not being able to watch. I subscribed to MLBtv and unlocator to watch this season. Zappoooo not no mo.
Halfway between LA and SF and nobody here can watch their favorite team. It is a great place to LIVE though.
But damn it give me my frikin team on TV. Greedy nerds. OK someone kick my soap box out from under me please.
Right about now, Brett Anderson is a train wreck!
4 earned runs on 9 pitches.
You have to admit, that is rare. It may be historical.
What Anderson falling down on the way to first base again?
I think my 4 or 4 comment is really safe
When games in my area are blacked out, I load hideMyass and select The Netherlands as my location. Works every time. Last time I was in LA, I used it too and it works.
It’s on sale:
https://www.hidemyass.com/
Hidemyass.com does not work for me, I’m in socal blackout area. My guess is that MLB is using the billing address to block us.
I google stream Dodgers free and try the various sites that are FREE and don’t give any info/credit card info.
Watching the game right now on firstrowsports.
With unlocator I was in France and MLBtv threw up the surrender flag for me.
Clayton Kershaw reports his back feels 100% after today’s Bully!
You know, Farm Systems (Prospects) are like money. As long as you don’t use it, you are rich.
Yeah, all those prospects never paid off for the Cubs, Giants or Royals did it?
Peraza looks like a keeper.
We will use our assets. Either in trade or in the lineup on our way to 92+.
Anderson 3 IP. Anyone really surprised?
Badger
Peraza is playing shortstop not second.
We are getting no hit. Might as well fold up and rest everyone.
Love the lineup FAZ.
I would put the rest of the regulars into the game, and get these part time players out, instead of allowing a no hitter.
I think Anderson was hurting before this game started, and told nobody.
I have faith we will get at least one hit
I know. Bold
Based upon tonight, Peraza goes in the HOF.
He wanted to show up the Dodgers and did.
Let’ see if he can keep it up. Maybe he will!
Wow!!!!! Zero hits. LazyBoy time for team. Write it off. Like was said days ago, a win in May means one less needed in August.
Wasn’t that the Turner 3 hole Era?
Bounce back tomorrow with a FAZ lineup.
Well, Anderson 4 innings, 11 runs in 2 starts since his return from the DL.
The Cavalry isn’t coming
He lowered his ERA, fell down without getting hurt and then a blister pooped up. A good night for Anderson. Yikes I hope that is the last that we see of him on the mound for the Dodgers.
I don’t think a blister just popped up.
He wasn’t throwing well, from the begining.
Do most of you only look at the Dodgers box score? It sure sounds like it to me because you are always talking about the lineup?
Have you ever really looked at other successful teams batting orders. As an example, yesterday, Joe Maddon batted Solar 4th (.240) and Russell 5th (.246). But he’s a genius and FAZ is an idiot (Roberts is not an idiot because you all “know” FAZ makes out the lineup)!
Silly, Silly!
Mark
Joe Maddon can do that because the Cubs have much better starting pitching and they bought some free agents players, to help a Cubs offense, that was already good.
That utility player they bought for there team, was hitting really well, the last time I looked.
And they also brought back that former Rockies centerfielder, and he is hitting really well too.
The Cubs are stacked with good position players, good starting pitching, and good arms in the bullpen.
And bottom line, the Dodger offense shouldn’t have to be carrying Redddick.
He was brought to the team to help the team with the offense that was taken, when Puig was sent down into AAA.
Reddick has been with the Dodgers for three weeks now, and he isn’t hitting much over 100.
And those two Cubs players you used for your example, are at least batting close to 250.
Even when Toles was brought up to the bigs, he did more then Reddick has done in more at bats, and in three weeks.
And Toles started the season in A ball.
The Cubs are stacked, and they are stacked so much, they can carry of couple of players in there line up, that are not hitting really well, but they are still hitting better then Reddick has for this team.
That team is stocked with offense and pitching.
Losing these two games aganist the Reds, could cause us to miss post season all together.
The Giants lost and we don’t have to worry about them, with this game.
But the Cardinals were only a couple of games out, the last time I looked.
And if we can’t beat the Giants, we may not even be able to get that wild card, if this stuff continues.
There is no excuse for these ill prepared major league pitchers, who just got off the DL .
The front office should have brought up a pitcher from AAA for this game, instead of betting on Anderson again.
This front office shouldn’t have bet on Anderson the first time!
Because even the first time, was to big of a gamble, and they were really really lucky that he made it through that one season, because those odds were stacked against Anderson heavily.
Gota agree with Hawkeye on this comment: hope it’s the last time we see Anderson on the mound for the Dodgers
There’s only ONE WORD to describe Anderson, and I”m gona spell it out for ya:
S A W F T Sawwwwwwwft!!!
Howard Cole over at Forbes.com suggested trading for Santana and it makes sense to me. Get someone who can pitch, for crying out loud. And I’ll bet Maddon had a good reason when he made out the lineup…Soler is batting over .300 the past two weeks, for example.
And Russell has over 70 rbi’s which I believe leads all NL shortstops. With a .250ish batting average sounds like he produces with men in scoring position, hence why he would bat behind Bryant and Rizzo.
The Cubs ARE the juggernaut we hope to be in a few years.
You know what I find interesting is Toronto is playing well in a very good division. Not bad for a team that “sold the farm” and would never ever be good as long as the grass grows and the wind blows. Some might remember they were my early guess for the World Series. Now? Uhhh …….. Texas and Chicago? That Hamels guy looks like a real ace. Who knew?
Badger
Hammels was a free agent the year that this front office signed McCarthy and Anderson.
He is one of the pitchers I have told Mark that the front office could have signed instead.
Cole Hamels is signed through ’18 at 23.5 with a team option of 20 in ’19. He’s 32 and pitching well so that could be a very good deal for Texas. You never know. Post 30 pitchers fade quickly these days. I think some doctor scripted repair damaged tissue steroids should be allowed. Slippery slope perhaps, but guys like Kersahaw should be allowed to what they can to heal.
LAD SP = ROFLOL Bad. That is a current tense statement for the uninformed. First English lesson for today for the negative people with a low level of reading ability and who think that they are positive, but can’t not refrain from being negative toward others.
August Team LAD ERA 5.21. Now that is a past and current tense statement for the uniformed. Second English lesson for today.
Badger = Please bring on the humor!!
Two Dodgers walk into a bar at 1 o’clock. One leaves at 3.2 and the other at 4:20. Which one was the pitcher and which one was Puig?
Hey Mark!!!!! We do look at the box score and it says says 8-0 with one hit for us as of this writing. Yes Indy we do look at the box score. Maybe Ronnie Millsap doesn’t but we fans do look. With our eyes!!!!
I have often said that a pitcher with a WHIP above 1.50 should not be allowed on the LAD roster nor in the MLB.
LAD pitchers who have started games during August 2016:
1. Meada 0.96
Stripling 1.12
Kazmir 1.65
Urias 1.88
Stewart 2.43
McCarthy 2.64
Norris 3.00
And last but not least Anderson 6.00!!
Still ROFLOL at this roster
Maybe next week will be different. 🙂
BOB
You still crack me up!
This game should have been forfeited before it even started.
That is how I feel about these last two games.
Because obvious Michael’s son wasn’t ready to pitch yesterday.
And obviously Anderson should have never been a sinker ball pitcher, not with those bad wheels.
Don’t relate that guy to me! At least I could miss the middle of the plate…might freak em out to see a 56 mile an hour heater coming up there…..
Michael
I hear the front office is looking for starters right about now.
You mise well give it a try.
I heard the last guy only lasted about three innings, and is getting paid 15.8 million just for a few innings.
Why is it a bad thing to look at box scores? I don’t get that connection.
I think anyone who says silly twice is probably both.
Personally I don’t know the lineup matters all that much. Hitters hit. On the nights Anderson is pitching out AGon 4th and Ellis 8th and pull the other 6 out of a freakin hat.
If this game restarts it probably won’t be with Finnegan in there. And if it is his momentum could be lost. We got ’em right where we want them. Overconfidence can make you vulnerable. Happens to me all the time.
I think maybe McCrystal, Stay Puft and Not Michael Norris should all pitch 3 innings in the same game. Bring up De Leon. I don’t care about the roster move contract affect. That’s silly silly. Oops. We need a starter and he’s next man up.
Badger
I don’t know about that, because they are dropping like Flys.
Are we done here?
Amorphophallus Titanium also known as Titan Arum. The Corpse Flower. Worst smelling flower on the planet I’m told.
Hard to believe after these two stinkers we are a playoff contender.
Anybody watching the Rams?
Per True Blue LA, prior to today’s game:
“That record has been despite the starting rotation struggling in Kershaw’s absence. The rotation in the last 44 games has a 4.98 ERA while averaging 4.88 innings per start. In August things have gotten worse, with a 6.25 starters ERA in 16 games, averaging 4.5 innings per start.”
I understand that the Corpse Flower smells the most after 2 years. Right about where FAZ is coming up on.
I just heard that Kazmir recently cleared waivers.
I said it before this road trip started. These are the teams they need to beat. 5-2 on this road trip would have been ok. But now they are 2-3, and need to win the next 2 to limp home 4-3. They have blown 2 chances to put the Giants further back, and the pitching the last 3 days has been dismal. You CANNOT keep trotting mediocrity out there and expect to win. You cannot sit most of your regulars and expect to win. You trot the second team out and you get the GARBAGE you witnessed today. Brett Anderson is obviously not ready for prime time. Bud Norris is not either, but the Dodger FO in their infinite wisdom has assembled the worst collection of starting pitching I have seen since I began following the team. I am at the point where I say screw it, bring up Oaks, Deleon, and Stewart and pitch them. Even the kid at AA ball, Chase Dejong, anybody, somebody who can throw strikes and get people out. There is no way FAZ or any of his FAZOPHILES can defend this bunch. Their great deadline pickup has failed to show up yet and the other part of that deal continues to flail aimlessly at pitches. Bring back Puig, please. Pick up someone on waivers who can actually play this game. What we are seeing right now is a train wreck.
I give Roberts credit for resting some guys on a night when Anderson was pitching. They weren’t going to win that one anyway. Maybe now they will put him on the DL and make a roster move.
Michael check your email, you are starting tomorrow. Short flight from Denver. I am on the red eye to releave you.
Cheers Bro.
Tums or Jameson? Sorry I’m part Irish
JD on the rocks, after this mess, make it a double