The Dodgers look for their fourth straight win and a sweep of the Reds tonight in the series finale and final game of the home stand. The Reds have lost nine consecutive games and are looking to avoid becoming the first team in the majors this season to lose ten games in a row. The pitching match-up will feature right hander Dan Straily and left hander Scott Kazmir. The Dodgers are looking to win four in a row for the first time this season. A win would also bring the Dodgers a .500 record at home.
Right hander Straily was acquired by the Reds off of waivers from the Padres back in April. The 27-year old has pitched well for the Reds this season. He’s made 10 appearances in seven starts and posted a 2-1 record with a 2.85 ERA. Straily has allowed 6.5 hits per nine and struck out 41 while issuing 23 walks over 47.1 innings of work. Straily made his MLB debut in Oakland and has pitched for the A’s, Astros, and Cubs. He has a 15-14 record and a 4.33 ERA across 5 major league seasons. Straily is from Redlands, California and attended Marshall University. In his last start he earned a no-decision by allowing one earned run on four hits across six innings against Seattle. He has not lost a decision since April 29th.
Dodgers Lineup vs. Cincinnati
Utley 2B
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Gonzalez 1B
Thompson RF
Pederson CF
Kendrick LF
Grandal C
Kazmir P
Dan Straily-2-1 vs. Scott Kazmir-3-3
Game Time – 7:10 PM –TV- SNLA
Straily was an intriguing pitching prospect with Oakland until shoulder problems derailed his career. He has four pitches in his repertoire. Straily uses a four-seam fastball that usually touches anywhere from 92-94. He also has a curve, slider, and change. Straily has made just two career appearances against the Dodgers allowing six earned runs on four hits over 2.1 innings pitched. The Dodgers are hitting .316 (6 for 19) against him in limited plate appearances. Howie Kendrick is batting .357 (5 for 14) versus Straily.
Straily vs. Dodgers
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Howie Kendrick | 14 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | .357 | .357 | .357 | .714 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Ellis | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | .500 | .000 | .500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joc Pederson | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | .500 | .000 | .500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yasiel Puig | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | 2.000 | 2.500 | 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 |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 22 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | .316 | .409 | .474 | .883 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Dodgers will counter with Scott Kazmir. The veteran left hander’s poor season continues. He got hammered again in his last start against San Diego giving up five earned runs on three hits over 5.2 innings pitched and walking an eye-popping seven batters. That was the first time since 2013 that a Dodger pitcher had walked 7 in a game. The lack of control is so unusual for Kazmir who has had pinpoint command for the majority of the later years of his career. Right now Kazmir has a 5.23 ERA and a 3-3 record in 9 starts. He’s allowed 8.5 hits per nine and struck out 8.4 per nine across 51.2 innings pitched. He’s also allowed 12 home runs. He’s made one career start against the Reds which he won. In that start he allowed one earned run over eight hits across seven frames. The Reds haven’t seen much of him. The current Reds have had just 11 plate appearances and two extra-base hits.
Kazmir vs. Reds
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Jay Bruce | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .667 | .667 | 1.000 | 1.667 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Phillips | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Votto | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Eugenio Suarez | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 11 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .273 | .273 | .455 | .727 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
#
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
PCT
|
GB
|
HOME
|
AWAY
|
L10
|
||
|
1
|
|
29
|
19
|
.604
|
–
|
15-11
|
14-8
|
9-1
|
||
|
2
|
|
24
|
23
|
.511
|
4.5
|
12-12
|
12-11
|
4-6
|
||
|
3
|
|
21
|
23
|
.477
|
6.0
|
8-10
|
13-13
|
5-5
|
||
|
4
|
|
21
|
26
|
.447
|
7.5
|
7-17
|
14-9
|
4-6
|
||
|
5
|
|
19
|
28
|
.404
|
9.5
|
10-15
|
9-13
|
3-7
|
||
Scott Van Slyke is rehabbing and on the mend from his back problems that have plagued him since the beginning of spring training. He’s currently on rehab with Oklahoma City and the Dodgers are expecting for him to return some time after the next Road trip.
The lineup looks pretty much the same. Except for Kendrick in left field and Grandal batting in the eighth spot. Yasiel Puig is not in the lineup and I am not sure if that is due to his little disciplinary action from last night or if he is just getting a day off. In the meantime Thompson moves to right field.
The Dodgers better get all the wins in now before they head for this next road trip which will see them play series in New York and Chicago.
Don’t forget the broom depot will be open all night running their special discount on all of your Dodger sweep needs. Enter the promo code “DodgersSweepReds” in the order field in order to receive your 10% discount. Thank god the Reds are horrendous.
Go Blue!
Benching Puig is the first in a long line of messages that LAD needs to send to the players. MAN UP, GROW SOME, PAY ATTENTION.
Puig deserves this. Everyone knows it and he accepts it. Move on – there’s nothing to see here folks.
On the Last Thread, Rick said this: My observation is that the Braintrust has a visceral need to show themselves to be the smartest guys in the room and to build a roster using non-traditional means just to show that they can do it and outsmart the competition …
Do you have anything actually said by FAZ that leads you to that opinion or is it just something you “feel?”
I said it was an observation. I have not been invited to join the innersanctum of the Council of the Braintrust to hear their plans.
They are building a roster using non-traditional means. They have signed guys like Howie Kendrick, a life-long 2B and turned him into a utility player, but he’s not a plus guy at any position except 2B. They already had a utility buy in Kike Hernandez, but I guess they need several of them as they announced that they plan on using Chase Utley the same way (even though they really haven’t).
They platoon almost everywhere. Joc Pederson should not be platooning at this stage of his career. They platooned Cory Seager with Charlie Culberson before they sent Culberson down. They platoon at 2B and C as well.
They didn’t replace an ace-quality pitcher (Greinke) with another one. (And yeah, while Greinke isn’t pitching like an ace this year, he sure did during his 3 seasons with the Dodgers.) Instead, they signed Maeda and Kazmir. These 2 guys are so-so from all appearances, but it was supposed to be OK because of the team’s “depth”. But the depth is all injured guys.
The most obvious weakness in last year’s team was the bullpen. They signed one free agent who was let go by KC (Coleman) and one who had 1/2 of one good season with Pittsburgh last year (Blanton) but didn’t sign an 8th inning guy, even though the team obviously needed one. Again, “depth” rather than quality.
And oh – let’s sign all of the Cubans.
None of this is the way that any other contending team has been put together. But the Braintrust has repeatedly told the fans that they are trying to “win now”. If this is in fact true, then the way that they have gone about it is decidedly “non-traditional”. The alternative conclusion is that the Braintrust has lied and aren’t really trying to win in 2016.
These are all facts, not feelings. You can put together a circumstantial case from facts without a confession.
Two LF!
I think Thomspon is playing RF, right?
Yup I read the post!
Am I the only one who feels Kendrick should bat 3rd against this guy?
Embarrassing team
Crawford .200
Hernandez .190
Grandal .188
Is the “Depth” any better?
That is how the Dodgers define “depth” — hanger-on’s.
Kendrick should bat behind Gonz who really need the protect thees days. Well not as much as the above 3 dead players.
BOB
I agree about Agone. Turner needs to get moved down. It would be best for Turner, and the team. Now that I wrote this, watch Turner, turn it around tonight! I sure hope so!
BOB
I swear that Vinny just called Kazmir, quagmire.
Notice of late that James Loney, a Dodger favorite of mine — is maybe going to be a Met:
http://metsmerizedonline.com/2016/05/james-loneys-representatives-set-to-meet-with-mets.html/
Met him several times back in Spring Training when Mark and I used to go. Nice guy. Have a great image of him the our Dodger Spring Training book, Vero Beach 2006-2008.
IMG_0069enh copy.jpg
If I could figure out how to place the image here (above) I would do it. Help . . .
Ugly, Seager, pull names out of a hat.
Good explanation rick, though I certainly didn’t think you needed to. Pretty obvious to me, and I would think to most people.
Watching Rubby blow up in the 5th. He is an example of a guy with a terrific arm that just can’t seem to get over the hump.
Ugly? Sorry. Didn’t catch it in time.
I guess that means the Dbacks are losing.
Its cold tonight in Southern California. It is sixty three degrees at 6:30 pm. I can’t wait intil it starts getting hot. It is usually warmer in May. Did Brandon Belt get hurt today, in that game against the Padres?
Not really. Mild sprain. Says he will be back on Friday.
Thanks Badger!
What is obvious to me is that those who continue to ridicule FAZ don’t understand THE PLAN. You try and act smart, but your lack of comprehension shows otherwise, although I think Rick is starting to catch on. His last post articulates part of the plan.
If you can’t figure it out, I will explain it to you. I’m not part of the inner sanctum, but I don’t have to be to comprehend what is going on. Now, you have a right not to like what they are doing. You have a right not to believe in what they are doing. You have a right to disagree. I’m down with that, but ridicule brands you as unintelligent. People are always scared of things they don’ t fully understand and reveal their fear through hate and anger. Hundreds of years ago, some people thought science was black magic and killed anyone who invented or did something different.
The fact of the matter is that FAZ is doing something that has never been done before. Will it work? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe some aspects. Maybe not all aspects. Some of it is already working. Look I am not a rocket scientist, but I figured it out and so can you if you just THINK.
Badger has part of it figured out – maybe him and Rick can put what they have figured out together…
The plan is obvious. Get marginal professional talent around those who aren’t going anywhere and mark time until somewhere down the road. I say 2018. Could happen next year, could happen in 2019. Not this year. Not yet anyway. Miracles do happen though.
You aren’t even close! Ridicule, anger and hate clouds your judgement!
SABRphiles have run baseball teams before – lots of them. Even the Dodgers (remember Paul DePodesta? ugh). This is not new.
Teams tearing down or not investing in current players but spending on the farm has been done to death – look to Pittsburgh and Houston, Chicago and Boston.
What the Braintrust is doing isn’t new – what is new is that in Oakland, Chicago, Houston, etc., when the management gave up on the current group of players, they didn’t usually lie about it and pretend that they were trying to win. I despise dishonesty.
By the way, satire isn’t ordinary ridicule, and the Braintrust has earned its share. (eg, the Council of the Braintrust.)
And we are all glad that we have your permission “not to like what they are doing. You have a right not to believe in what they are doing. You have a right to disagree. ” I didn’t know that we needed it. I’m pretty sure that what you describe is what frequently goes on here.
Like most who post here, I have been a Dodger fan for over 50 years. I don’t blindly accept all of the moves made by the team as magical and perfect – it is our right as fans to disagree. If i see a bad baseball player, I will speak my mind. If I see an underachieving team, I will make note of it. Those of us who remember how bad the team was in 67-68 knows that a Dodger fan can hate the players that the management has supplied the team.
The thing is that I root for the Dodgers, not their management team. I don’t care how many current or former GMs are on the team – I only care that the team is good.
As to your obviously superior intellect (you repeatedly state that you do not make such a claim right after having made it), I respectfully disagree. Most here have figured out what the Braintrust is doing. We just don’t like it.
You are not even close – I thought you might be getting there. See I don’t claim to be smarter than anyone, but I do have more common sense than most. But, if it makes you feel good to believe I think I am smarter, by all means, feel good! To compare DePo and Friedman is just plain silly.
Not even close. I do believe you will figure it out, however.
Badger? Not so much. Bob? Well, BOB is his name today!
All of us have complained about what we considered stupid moves all the way back to trading away Maury Wills. No one needed anyone’s permission. So far these guys have not impressed me, and this year’s team looks weaker than last years which was weaker than the previous year…well, you get my drift. Help is on the way–maybe–but probably not this year.
Honestly a lot of their moves have been questionable, but it is too early to really judge anything yet. Let’s see where the team is in a month. However they can’t fall too far behind the Giants this early in the season. Already 4.5 games back.
Scott
Please tell all of the people that do not currently own this website to shut the fuck up when they try to prevent our attempts at free speech. We are only expressing our opinions. We are rarely stating facts unless we include facts in a table or a link to another reputable website . Moronic control freaks seem to do not know the difference.
BOB,
I just said: You have a right to disagree. I’m down with that, but ridicule brands you as unintelligent.
I stand by that. “By their fruits you will know them!”
I rest my case! You just proved it!
How can I prevent your free speech, but you want me to STFU? WOW! That’s twisted!
Everyone has the right to express their opinions here. All are welcome
I thought we were all friends here,can we all just get along.
Easy
I agree.
Did you guys read that Ryu pitched four innings in AAA, and struck out three and gave up a few hits, and gave up no runs?
I think he needs to be able throw at least 5 innings a couple of times before be comes up, but maybe they can’t wait that long. Lest we forget, he’s pretty good!
I think he might be better, but only after he has pitched for a while. Ryu taught himself to be a lefty, and
he was a natural rightie. I just think about the dexterity he had to have, to pitch all the different pitches, and do it as a leftie. That is pretty impressive. And the guy can hit.
Good Evening everyone. Looks like Kazmir is kazifying the Reds
Strailey looks better. On pace for a no hitter.
He was. Hasn’t been good since August of ’14. That was a while ago. He’s at AAA. He should be able to go at least 6 and throw 90 pitches. It is the minors.
Some of us smell pieces of “The Plan” and not sure we want “that” plan.
Get rid of the big contracts of THE TRADE to help clear the decks.
Sell more DodgerDogs.
Get 5 or 6 of the young kids far enough along the way of professional baseball to make an impact on the main club.
Get the most of the cheap talent out there. Keep signing players being cut by other teams and stashing them in the minor leagues. Or, keep resurrecting players that have been cut by other teams, that the GM still thinks has a motor that can go forward.
Sell more DodgerDogs.
Don’t worry about cornerstone players at each position, that would cost too much when they all mature at the same time. So keep a balance of Left and Right handed lineups, and use AAA and AA to move players around, more balance.
Sell more DodgerDogs.
See Mark and Sarah Palin understand all of this, but they are both in another league. You betcha’
I like the whole part about selling more Dodger dogs.
Pork, water, salt, corn syrup, dextrose, natural flavorings, sodium lactate, sugar, sodium phosphates, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, oleoresin paprika, sodium nitrite
Yuk
Mark was a Palin supporter.
Yuk
Roger, we could be scary good in a few years. That’s the plan.
Palin supporter?
You ARE silly.
You probably think I like Trump too.
…Because most of what you think is erroneous.
Thanks for responding Mark. Can’t be a Palin supporter and be taken seriously at the same time.
Mark’s political affiliations are well documented. He has a long history of supporting conservative candidates. We went round and round about Bush/Cheney and I know of his dislike of Obama. It’s possible he didn’t vote for McCain, but I doubt he sat on his hands. And I doubt he sits on them in the upcoming contest.
Scott why did the Padres let this pitcher go?
Not sure MJ, but he wasn’t pitching well in spring training and had some shoulder problems
There’s that ugly ridicule again.
If you connect me with Palin, then you must be connected to Hitler!
Jude 1:10
Jude vs. 10 (only 1 chapter). Really?
“But these — Without any shame; speak evil of those things which they know not — Namely, the things of God; of whose nature and excellence, truth and importance, they are entirely ignorant.”
The things of God?
What you opine are the things of God? Talk about hubris.
I guess if you want to interrupt it that way. I was merely demonstrating the similarity, but I can see why you would take it that way.
Kiss and make up you two
LOL, Roger!
Face it, Kershaw might resign or up his contract in a year or so, but want like #40,000,000. Seager will get better and better — and he will want $24,000,000 soon.
Would this Dodger group go for that now? Not sure they would.
Or, by the way, the Dollar General store near our home, closed. The Owner of the strip mall, wanted to up their rent and Dollar General Corp said no. All I saw there on Sunday afternoon, were some Doritos chips. Not even any DodgerDogs.
Bum that was for you, straight from Joc!
Vinny
In his last year, is trying to teach us everything he knows, and what he thinks is important to learn.
And he is also talking about all the important baseball history, and especially, the Dodger history.
And really, he has been doing this from the first moment each and everyone of us, first heard Vinny speak.
Vinny difinitly has purpose to his last year.
And we will never get enough!
Right on MJ.
Everyone still up?
Of course!
I am just sitting here speaking hubris, listening to Sarah Palin speeches, relishing how I am so much smarter than others and plotting how I can silence their opinions.
Just the usual… 😉
Excuse me… I have to go to Dollar General and meet Andrew….
It’s only 12:15 in Indy!
Ryu – 4 IP, 4 Hits, 0 Runs, 3 K’s, 0 BB.
One or two more starts and he is ready.
Montas with a perfect inning. He’s coming too!
Since returning from surgery he has been clocked at 100 MPH!
… and he’s just getting warmed up!
More importantly, Ryu with only 55 pitches. He will need to be stretched out. And 100 mph is impressive only if he can hit his spots. Yesterday, 11 pitches, 8 for strikes, only 1 strike out. So far – 3 IP, 3 K’s, 1 BB, 2 H, ERA of 3. Both will need more work. We could use them, that’s for sure. Do we have anyone down there that can hit?
7 hits 27 Ks
Still, it’s another win.
3 for 27 with 13 K’s. Yoiks. An offensive juggernaut.
But you’re right. A win is a win. However, Cincinnati looks terrible. Gonna be a very long year for that club.
Yep – we could be Reds fans.
My numbers above reflected the cumulative efforts of both teams last night.
As mentioned before, if we aren’t gonna win the WS, then it would help if the games were at least entertaining.
Yeah, I understood it was the total. Neither of those pitchers are that good. Both of those offenses appear to be that bad. Will that change for us? At this point I’m not sure. In the past I’ve believed you have to wait until players have 100 at bats to get a good idea of what they will do and we are way past that point. Maybe the veterans will heat up in the summer months. Old joints you know.
Watford
I wish you could have been a Dodger fan, in the middle to late 70s, to 81, because they were really good teams. It was great to be really young, and watch those teams play.
’62, ’63 ’65 and ’66 were fun teams to watch. Though back then it was followed mostly on radio.
Born in 66…
You missed the days before free agency. You knew every year who was on your team, and every year a couple of your own rookies came up.
Andy Messersmith went to my high school. I knew him, played in the same summer league. Not a friendly guy.