The Dodgers officially placed Clayton Kershaw and Joc Pederson on the 15-day disabled list on Friday afternoon. The opening game of the home stand was the first day of A.K. also known as life after Kershaw. It’s tough and makes me want to break furniture but the Dodgers were able to make their record 1-0 in the post Kershaw era. I told everyone to squint their eyes and imagine Bud was Kersh, and he certainly pitched like him. Newly acquired Bud Norris tossed six shutout frames and the Dodgers defeated the Rockies 5-0. Today the Dodgers continue the series against Colorado as right hander Chad Bettis faces veteran Scott Kazmir.
Dodgers Lineup vs. Colorado
Kendrick 2B
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Gonzalez 1B
Puig RF
Thompson CF
Van Slyke LF
Ellis C
Kazmir P
Chad Bettis-6-5 vs. Scott Kazmir-6-3
Game Time – 7:10 PM – TV-SNLA
Bettis is a 27-year old right hander originally from Lubbock, Texas. He is 6-5 this season with a 5.84 ERA in 15 starts. He’s allowed more hits (115) than any other pitcher in baseball. He’s posted an 11.6 hits per nine rate and has allowed 58 earned runs. He has yet to face the Dodgers this year but has pitched atrociously all season. In his last start he got pummeled for seven earned runs on 12 hits over five innings in a no-decision against the Dbacks. He’s made six appearances and three career starts against the Dodgers and has posted a 4.58 ERA. The Dodgers are batting .294 (15 for 51) against Bettis
Bettis vs. Dodgers
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 10 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | .111 | .200 | .222 | .422 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Utley | 9 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .250 | .333 | .375 | .708 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yasmani Grandal | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .500 | .571 | .500 | 1.071 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Howie Kendrick | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Venable | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Ellis | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .500 | .600 | .750 | 1.350 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yasiel Puig | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 | .400 | .250 | .650 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Scott Van Slyke | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .600 | .600 | .600 | 1.200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Turner | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 56 | 51 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 14 | .294 | .357 | .373 | .730 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Oscar was right last night. Dave Roberts needs to stop using the entire bullpen every single night. It’s irritating that he refuses to let any non-Kershaw starter go over 90 pitches. Instead of looking at pitch counts he needs to look at how each hurler is pitching. Last night he took out Norris after 6 frames despite him making just 88 pitches. Either one of two things will happens tonight as Oscar explained before.
Either Kazmir will get hammered again in the first or second inning and last four innings while the bullpen has to come in for six grueling innings. This also means that it is very likely that we have to see Friedman’s favorite bullpen gas can Chris Hatcher. Or Kazmir will go his usual 5-6 innings and the bullpen will still have to toss three or four innings in relief anyways.
Either way Kazmir has been pretty bad this year. He’s 6-3 with a 4.67 ERA in 16 starts. Although he’s put up pretty good strikeout to walk numbers. Kazmir has struck out 91 and walked 36 in 88.2 innings pitched. He’s faced Colorado once back on April 22 at Coors Field and allowed four earned runs on six hits over five innings in a no-decision. Kazmir is 1-0 with a 5.73 ERA in two career starts against the Rockies.
Kazmir vs. Rockies
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Ryan Raburn | 20 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | .211 | .250 | .526 | .776 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carlos Gonzalez | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Barnes | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .250 | .250 | 1.000 | 1.250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ LeMahieu | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevor Story | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nolan Arenado | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 2.500 | 3.500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jon Gray | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Hundley | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mark Reynolds | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 | .500 | .500 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tony Wolters | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 48 | 47 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 14 | .191 | .208 | .468 | .676 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
In other news Corey Seager was named NL rookie of the month. Congratulations to young Corey! Brandon McCarthy is finally making his return to the mound on Sunday afternoon. Perhaps he’ll finally start to justify that 48 million dollar contract that was given to him over a year and a half ago. That would be nice.
|
#
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
PCT
|
GB
|
HOME
|
AWAY
|
L10
|
||
|
1
|
|
51
|
31
|
.622
|
–
|
24-16
|
27-15
|
6-4
|
||
|
2
|
|
45
|
37
|
.549
|
6.0
|
24-15
|
21-22
|
6-4
|
||
|
3
|
|
37
|
42
|
.468
|
12.5
|
18-20
|
19-22
|
4-6
|
||
|
4
|
|
36
|
46
|
.439
|
15.0
|
13-29
|
23-17
|
3-7
|
||
|
5
|
|
34
|
46
|
.425
|
16.0
|
19-24
|
15-22
|
6-4
|
||
The Dodgers (45-37) are still 6 games behind the Giants in the NL West, but are now 1.5 games ahead in the NL Wild Card race. The Dodgers have also won seven consecutive games at home.
Go Blue!
Maybe Kazmir can act like a #2 or #3 tonight? Is that too much to ask?
We cannot trade Puig, and let me tell you why.
I just finished reading the previous blog, It repeats a long- standing theme that occurs on all the blogs. The Dodgers needs another elite player to win the division and the WS. To get that player we need to trade Puig, plus A plus B fir the savior. A and B used to be Crawford and Ethier. Now A and B are some combination of prospects.
As long as Puig is here, that dream lives on. We are so close. But once Puig is traded, the dream is gone. Whoever he is traded for cannot possibly deliver that dream. And Dodger Puig will no longer exist to sustain the dream. He may be our MVP. He generates dreams. We cannot permit him to be traded.
I do think we may see a six man rotation soon. Especially with Clayton gone for some time. It will be good for Clayton when he comes back. It will help Urias and Stewart. It will be good for the arms. I know Badger has talked about this often. I think it can become a reality with Clayton on the DL. I also think Urias will stay in the rotation for a little while longer and then he will go to the bull pen. At some point this year Hatcher has to be terminated. Baez still scares me. You cannot put him in a tight ball game. He will throw the home run ball.
A lot of second guessing going on with the manager not Letting the starting pitcher go another inning. They know more than we do and we won. So what is wrong with the decision.
hp, do you really feel this team is close?
Kazmir will do what Kazmir do. The Rockies aren’t great on the road. Bettis’ road ERA is 5.23. Kazmir’s ERA at home is 3.97. Their bullpen is not good, ours is ok when certain pitchers have the night off. I think it’s those guys night on. I’ve done the math. We win 5.73 to 5.47. Or is it they win by that score? Tell you what, I’ll get back to you on that.
6 man rotation is coming. Why not us? Why not now? This is a staff that could use an extra day off.
I have no idea, Badger. I have just been amazed at the number of times that it has been suggested that Puig be traded to address a deficit of the Dodgers. There’s not a serious word in it.
Thanks for not mentioning the typos, my girl friend called while I was editing it.
The point was that Puig allows fans to fantasize about the player we would receive for him, and once he is traded that fantasy would be gone. He is the MVP because he fuels the fantasy.
Badger
Did you see that the Braves scored six runs on Fernandez?
Nope. Any given day, the unexpected happens in this game.
Atlanta is going to be good very soon.
I give Roberts some managerial points for his assessment of Puig which he expressed as: Sometimes you love him and other times he leaves you scratching your head. I can’t imagine a better summary.
“Close your eyes and imagine Kazmir is Cole Hamels.” If it worked once…
See? Snider sees the power of fantasy.
(By the way, Duke was my childhood idol.)
I did that with Anderson in the playoffs. I’m still in therapy.
Puig has no trade value. He won’t get traded because there is no one who would give up much for him. He’s ours, like it or not!
Now, I do think we could trade him for Chapman. The Yanks would do that. Would you?
Obviously you think he has some trade value.
no kidding hp
Would I do that trade? I doubt it. I don’t do anything big – yet. I don’t want to trade Puig but there may come a point where a change of organizations is needed.
I liked the song Duke of Earl. I don’t know why. Dumb song. Duke’s best years were in Brooklyn. I missed them. I did see him hit one over the right field fence at the Coliseum one night. It was a bomb. What I remember most was the ball disappearing into the darkness. It was like he hit into a lake on the other side of the fence.
One of the major magazines of the day had a picture of Del Ennis trying to reach up on the center field wall to touch a cleat mark left by the Duke after he had climbed the wall and successfully made the catch on a ball on its way out of the park. With Mays, Mantle, and Snider, New York had a pretty good corner on the center fielder market in the 50’s.
Mantle was my first favorite player. Then Roger Maris. As I’ve said before, Maris lived in the same little town I did outside Kansas City. In LA I really liked all those guys – Wills, Gilliam, Hodges, Roseboro, Moon, Demeter, the Davis’. And of course Koufax. Snider was there of course, but he belonged to Brooklyn.
The Sportsline Projection Model (whoever they are) just gave the midgets a 76.9 percent chance of prevailing in the West. For good reason. And that is why the smart money is not on making knee jerk moves at this time. If they still have those kind of numbers on July 30th, then it’s my opinion we hang on to our Top 10 prospects and see what waiver wire moves might present themselves later. If things change in the coming weeks, well, we look at options at that time. Guys like Norris will be available all year. Continue to nibble the margins and see which way the wind blow.
See? People keep suggesting how we can trade Puig. You couldn’t resist.
I would not do that deal, but some might!
I just hope Kazmir doesn’t start pitching defensively, one or two batters, before he faces Arrenado.
He often walks the hitter before the best hitter on the team, and sometimes two hitters, before the best hitter, on the other team.
And when he does that, of course he makes it worse.
We should hit with them tonight.
Is everyone behaving over here tonight?
Yes mother…,
Yeahhhhh!!!!!
I try to behave but sometimes I mis.
I don’t play well with others.
Yes you need supervision
He needs a pacifier
Does drinking bourbon-ade early and often today count as behaving or misbehaving?
Kasmir is showing a little athleticism. He ran well to first base on a ground ball, and he made good snag of a high bounder to right of the pitcher’s mound. He kind of surprised me.
When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading!
Mark
Where did you get that one?
Where’d everybody go?
5 games back. It’s going just like I didn’t plan it.