Whenever the Dodgers are feeling blue they usually end up facing former farmhand Rubby De La Rosa and they beat the crap out of him. Nothing makes us feel better than knocking around De La Rosa again. The Dodgers always demolish him. I’m sure they’re licking their chops right now and thanking the Dbacks for sending him out tonight. The Dodgers just have to figure out a way to keep the bullpen far away from the game.
For that to happen Alex Wood has to go at least 8 innings, which is highly unlikely. De La Rosa will counter Wood in the second game of this three game series between the Dodgers and Snakes at Dodger Stadium. Last night the horrendous bullpen blew another game for the Dodgers. No lead is safe with those bums.
Dodgers vs. Arizona
Utley 2B
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Gonzalez 1B
Puig RF
Grandal C
Kendrick LF
Pederson CF
Wood P
Rubby De La Rosa-0-1 vs. Alex Wood-0-1
Game time – 7:10 PM – TV- SNLA
If you think Harry Potter will waive his wand over them and then they will suddenly morph into actually relievers, well sorry to burst your muggal bubble. It’s just not going to happen. The front office built a terrible bullpen and the problem should have been addressed during the winter. Louis Coleman and Joe Blanton are not solutions. The Dodger bullpen sucks yet again. Same guys, same problem, different year.
De La Rosa has a career 11.21 ERA against the Dodgers and an 0-3 record in four starts. He has a 6.33 ERA at Dodger Stadium and is 0-1 this season. The Dodgers are hitting .302 (13 for 43) against De La Rosa with three home runs.
De La Rosa vs. Dodgers
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Justin Turner | 12 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | .250 | .250 | .500 | .750 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 10 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .200 | .200 | .500 | .700 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joc Pederson | 10 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | .300 | .300 | .600 | .900 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Utley | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .333 | .375 | .333 | .708 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yasiel Puig | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Corey Seager | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 2.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 45 | 43 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 7 | .302 | .311 | .535 | .846 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wood vs. Dbacks
Wood was awful against the Giants his last time out, allowing five runs on eight hits over five innings. Maybe he can try and last longer than five innings and allow less than 5 runs this time around. Shoot for those starts Alex. He’s trying to win his first game of the season tonight. Against the Dbacks he is 1-3 with a 3.96 ERA. The current group of Dbacks are batting .300 (18 for 60) against Wood. Of course Paul Goldschmidt is hitting .444 (4 for 9) with two home runs.
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Paul Goldschmidt | 11 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | .444 | .545 | 1.111 | 1.657 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Ahmed | 9 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .333 | .333 | .444 | .778 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Owings | 9 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .375 | .375 | .750 | 1.125 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Welington Castillo | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .400 | .500 | 1.000 | 1.500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| David Peralta | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .167 | .167 | .167 | .333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zack Greinke | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | .250 | .250 | .500 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jean Segura | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Yasmany Tomas | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | .250 | .250 | .500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rickie Weeks | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 | .500 | .750 | 1.250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbie Ray | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Drury | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Philip Gosselin | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | .500 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 65 | 60 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 13 | .300 | .333 | .533 | .867 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The Dodger lineup should be interesting tonight. There is a right hander on the mound and Yasmani Grandal is expected to make his first start of the season behind the plate. Kendrick is back in action and Crawford and Scott Van Slyke are not expected to be out long. The Dodgers are hopefully starting to get healthy. Now if they can just do something about that rotten bullpen of theirs. Then they might be onto something. Oh well. We’ll probably have weeks more of this before the front office faces reality.
Enjoy the game! Don’t forget to check over here for the recap afterwards. Go Blue!
Scott, even Dustin Nosler over at DD gets it. They had better extend Jansen now before it’s too late. Everyone who thought this bullpen would “git ‘r done” is having second (and third) thoughts. Hope the offense shows up tonight.
I haven’t even looked at the number for today’s game – I got the over.
I thought (imagined?) that I witnessed Baez, Hatcher, and Garcia throwing off speed pitches in spring training. I thought we talked about it but I am getting older and we were all optimistic about throwers becoming pitchers.
Maddux was helping. Game Over was showing how he held and threw his change up.
We all know this but just are too fed up to say it but the 3 – 0 fast ball Hatcher threw to Goldy was meant to be outside and maybe fade onto the outside corner and instead it came in toward the outside part of the plate and faded into the middle of the plate. It was a command issue and not a stupid issue assuming Hatcher forgot that he has a command issue, then it goes back to stupid.
The homerun Baez gave up was in a great location and the only way it was hit for a home run was for Baez to tip the pitch. For a guy that throws 97 mph to have a home run hit off a 75 mph ball three inches off home plate, the hitter has to know it was coming.
I didn’t want Howell back. I included Baez in many trade ideas. I thought Blanton was another Peralta even though the former was a free agent and the latter was traded for although that trade also netted Liberatore. I wanted Chapman.
But just because I wanted a few different players doesn’t mean that it was possible to get them or that those I would have gotten would be doing any better. I will be patient for awhile longer.
Bum Hatcher doesn’t have command, he only has control, and that is why his fastball, keeps on getting hit out. A pitcher with command, doesn’t make mistakes like that, over and over.
I used to look at it like this: The strike zone runs from the top of the knee to a point midway between the belt and the sternum when a hitter is in his hitting position. The plate is 17″ wide. A box of Cherios is about 8″ wide and 12″ tall. Picture a box of Cherios right in the middle of the strike zone. Now, throw whatever pitch you choose and don’t hit the box.
Hatcher hits the box more often than he misses it.
Good one Badger!
Badger I also think that Hatcher loses his cool a lot, after he does something, like he did, yesterday, and I’m afraid that another one, is going to go out. Badger what do you think is going on?
Bum you forgot Wood. You have him going else where too.
I did MJ but only packaged for a 1.5 pitcher.
So, the Dodgers just need to extend Kenley?
OK!
Tell me what that number is!
It’s easy to say… what’s the amount and term?
Papelbon and Kimbrel both have $13 million dollar a year payouts in their deals, so since Kenley is 28 and still in his prime, his agent is going to ask for $17 million/7 years. That’s a $119 million dollar deal to a reliever! Someone might pay that, so why in the hell would Jansen settle for anything less than a 5 year $75 million extension…. and he might not take that.
Yeah, who needs a closer when you’re not going to improve the rest of the pitching staff anyway.
I don’t think they want to extend Jensen. What our great front office had in mind all along was to develop Baez and/or Hatcher as his replacements. Could be why they are giving them so much rope. This being a Dodger Fan in the New Millennium wears on you, doesn’t it?
Oh Jesus! These guys are going to outsmart themselves again–I can see it coming…the prelude to the big Kershaw walk-away.
Nobody is going to pay a reliever $100 million. He’s not even the best in the game and those guys don’t make that kind of dough. No where near it in fact. Closers are a mercurial lot. Guys like Rivera, who did his thing in three different decades, are outliers. For every one of him, which IS one by the way, you got 150 Jim Johnson’s. He led the league for two years, age 29 and 30 You know what happened to him.
I’m with snider and Wondering. I don’t think they are going to do it and why do it now. I’m betting the scorpions are looking several moves, and a few years, ahead at closers for ’18-’20.
That said, an effort should be made to extend him. He’s currently the 5th highest paid in baseball, which is about where he ranks. Some have him even lower. Even though he’s not the best, make him the highest paid in baseball – 4 years $48 million with an option to leave after ’19. That’s a good deal. The Dodgers can afford it. Even mover is on board with that. Kenley don’t like it ef him.
Like it, especially the Scorpions reference.
That seems like a kids show so why do I watch it?
Agnate brethren?
Like Badger said, there isn’t any relievers getting that many years, lately. Four is about the longest contract. And they are not getting that kind of money.
I’m just glad that Utley is in the line up tonight. He seems to make things happen. I just hope that they don’t under estimate, the Dbacks pitcher tonight, because even he, is capable of pitching a tough game.
I guess Roberts is thinking about using Kenley, in more then just closer situations. That tells me, we are not seeing any bullpen help, for a while, or at all.
I also hope that Turner gets back on track, because he hasn’t had to many good at bats, lately. And the Dodgers need his bat.
I don’t know what to think after seeing the Dbacks stats against Wood. I was already worried about Wood tonight, but those are some bad stats, on Wood, against the Dbacks.
And I think most of us, don’t have much confidence when Wood is pitching, and his last game, wasn’t good. I hope he throws a good game, to change those feelings, but that might be, just wishful thinking.
I would agree with those that do not believe that FAZ wants to extend Jansen right now, because I do not believe anyone knows what the market is for relief pitching. I agree with Mark that it makes no sense for Kenley to agree to an extension because he is going to wait to see where the market goes. Chapman is going to set the bar. The Royals can (and probably will) exercise the Wade Davis option at $10M. Andrew Miller signed for 4 years at $36M in 2015; Craig Kimbrel is guaranteed $24M over the next 2 years, with a club option at $13M for 2018 ($1M buyout). Luke Gregerson signed for 3 years at $18.5M in 2015. But then David Roberson signed a 4 year contract at $46M with the ChiSox in 2015. 4 years at $52M should probably be at his top, but he would not extend at that, and somebody stupid is going to overpay.
I do not believe that teams should offer more than 3 years for relievers, but that is not the market. Darren O’Day signed for 4 years as a setup guy at 33. So it makes perfect sense to me that neither side is going to blink on this. I am a Kenley Jansen fan, but the Dodgers were looking for a closer when this converted catcher came on the scene. I would doubt that FAZ will offer more than 3 years to any reliever. I think they believe in Jacob Rhame, and believe that Frankie Montas or Yaisel Sierra are potentials in the closer role. I do not blame FAZ on this one. Reality needs to creep back into FA contracts.
Makes sense to me AC.
The Dodgers aren’t going to unilaterally fix the escalating price of free agents. If they want to compete, they have to compete for talent too.
12 ERA vs 9 ERA, this will be interesting……….
Given the sorry state of the Dodgers’ bullpen, they should have moved to extend Jansen a year or 2 ago. I agree that it is probably too late now – he will test the market. That doesn’t mean that they can’t keep him – it just means that they will have to compete for his services and pay him top dollar. Given what we know about the Braintrust, they won’t pony up to keep him (they won’t give him a deal long enough to suit him) so enjoy seeing Jansen for the last year in a Dodgers’ uniform.
And worry about who will close next year. Picture the Dodgers’ ‘pen for the past 2 years and then picture it without Jansen. Yeah, I know – scary, isn’t it?
And we know that they won’t pay top dollar for any other reliever either to don’t get too excited that they will sign Chapman when he hits the market next year either.
I don’t understand those who think that Wood isn’t a good starter so he will be a good reliever if we put him in the bullpen when Ryu comes back. I know that works sometimes if a pitcher can wrest 3 or 4 extra MPH if they relieve, but Wood isn’t a velocity pitcher so I don’t see that happening.
The Braintrust does think that relievers are fungible and they will keep signing spare parts from the waiver wire and will run the OKC to LA express to try to catch lightening in a bottle and hope to find a bullpen.
THIS IS NOT A PLAN DESIGNED TO SUCCEED. Branch Rickey: “Luck is the residue of design”, vs. “I hope we find a good relief pitcher somewhere.
Dodger rick all I can think, is they believe Wood, might do better, not facing the line up, more then one or two times.
I think they may be stacking relief prospects in the minors as we type. As AC mentioned – Rhame, Montas, Sierra are all names that could be considered. I would add Cotton to that list and maybe even Chris Anderson. Also, I haven’t given up on Garcia. He’s 25 so it’s time. Baez and Hatcher are old enough to have gotten it together by now. As far as I’m concerned this is it for them. Show us something. And soon would be good. As a fan I want to see an attempt to extend, or maybe more likely bid for Jansen. Clearly he is one thing that has gone right. If he has another great year, make the offer or give us a good reason why not.
I am not Jansens agent, but if you offered 4 years/$48 million, I’d laugh my ass off!
David Freaking Robertson got that.
Are you crazy?
If Jansen has a good year he will get well over $75 million…. maybe $10o million. FAZ DIDN’T EXTEND HIM BECAUSE THEY CAN’T… UNLESS THEY WANT TO PAY THAT MUCH MONEY! Do you guys really not get that? Damn!
1 – they could have tried to extend him a couple of years ago when they could have had him cheaper, but didn’t
2 – they can pay him the going rate for all-star closers if they want to remain competitive but won’t
3 – they don’t have anyone who can replace him that I have seen (what – you want Hatcher or Baez to close?) and the ‘pen will be even a bigger mess next year
4 – they won’t get anyone better on the open market
Do you really not get that? Damn!
No. His concern for the welfare of our billionaire owners Trumps all else. Stockholm Syndrome.
Where is the kidnaping?
I get all that, except that FAZ wasn’t here 2 years ago.
I wouldn’t pay him the going rate for closers either.
Dodgerrick,
1. Kenley has had health issues throughout his career, including heart surgery in October 2012. How comfortable would you be in offering a multiple year contract to a pitcher after heart surgery? He also had foot surgery last year. No arm issues, but still one who has to have some concern with offering him a 4 or 5 year contract.
2. With all due respect, what is the going rate for an all-star closer? 4 years at $36M given to Andrew Miller? 3 years at $18.5M for Luke Gregerson? 4 years at $42M plus club option at $13M for 5th year for Craig Kimbrel? 4years at $46M to David Robertson? Or 5 years at $61M for Papelbon? I think the problem is nobody knows what the market is? After 2016, Aroldis Chapman will be setting the standard for next year’s reliever crop.
3. No, they do not have anyone who can replace him that I am aware of. But when Jansen became the closer, people were wondering who was going to replace Javy Guerra, and Jonathan Broxton (2009 & 2010 AS) before him and Saito (2007 AS) before him and Game Over (3 Time AS and CY) before him. The Dodgers have done well in finding closers. Whether they do it again we will have to wait and see. But no it will not be Baez or Hatcher.
4. I know Drew Storen, Mark Melancon, and Chapman are FA next year. Will the Astros make Ken Giles available? How about Andrew Miller with Betances becoming the Yankees closer next year. But I would agree it will be difficult to find anyone better on the open market. Its just going to be a matter of years and $$$.
AC good point about Kenley’s health. I don’t think the Papabon price, is going to happen again, at today’s price, except for someone like Chapman. Is Chapman even a free agent after this year? Because he might have missed a little to much time, because of his suspension.
“David Freaking Robertson got that”
A couple things come to mind regarding that. 1. No, he didn’t 2. the $46mm contract he did get may be an example of why you don’t do that. Robertson had a few good years and got overpaid. There are a lot of very good relievers out there now. Davis, Chapman, Betances, Miller, Kimbrel, O’Day, Britton – the list goes on. I think the market will be 4 years for these guys, somewhere in the $48-50mm range. It’s just too risky to go over that. For me it’s risky to go 4 years, especially for guys that throw that hard in over 60 appearances a year.
Turner just tried to pull an outside pitch. On a 1-1 count. That is not a high percentage approach and not very Turner like.
Is the Dodgers still a big market team?
Well, yeah. Do you mean local tv contract?
Badger I just asked that, because Mark was being to stubborn about the bullpen, that Friedman gave Roberts.
It is ok to be positive, but when something is so obvious, and has been a constant problem, for four years, it gets crazy to back everything, especially the bullpen.
It is normal to feel like they should have done better, especially after they went after Chapman, and stated the Dodgers needed to get stronger in the bullpen, with Greinke gone
. And especially if the bullpen, has continuely lost games, and big games, in the last few years. They didn’t spend big money on Greinke, I think they could have done much better with the bullpen, whether it is though a trade, or being creative with there money.
It is good to be good with money, but that should give you even more options, with a big money team like the Dodgers. You don’t have to treat every move, like your still working for the Rays.
And obviously they didn’t think Honeycutt was the problem, so that is on them, because they had no problem, getting rid of everyone else. I do think that the Honeycutt question, does have merit.
Someone needs to get that shortstop off the plate. He is way to comfortable! The Dodgers need to pitch more inside, at times. And Wood all ready has more then fifty pitches. Are odds are going down, with every pitch he throws.
Joc was choking up on the bat. Awesome.
Bum I don’t know about choking up, but Joc had a good hit, up the middle.
Turner does not look like he is running well. Has he always been that slow?
Yessssssss!!!! Gonzo selfie time!!!!
Here we go – third time through the lineup.
De La Rosa is like our 97 mph guys. If he develops an off speed pitch he could be very difficult.
A few big games on tonight. I need 3 tv’s in here.
We are scoring on errors like in SF, when we won. When is someone going to hit some runs in? We need this win, but we also need to hit some runs in.
Damn. Good Wood through 6. 89 pitches. Encouraging.
“That damn Wood needs to be a reliever because he can’t go through the lineup 3 times.”
I think Doc is going to see if he can go 7!
I am duly impressed. That’s a +1 for him tonight.
Nice play by Grandal. This is how this team is supposed to look…… except maybe for that 0 for WRISP. Somehow we still have been able to put up 2 earned. We need more.
Utley. Keep it going geezer. Show ’em how it’s done.
It’s one game, but it’s a big game for Alex! I am not going to say he’s the second coming, but I have always felt that he was a solid #3 or #4!
Some of you are certainly bummed by Woods performance, because you have one less thing to bitch about!
THE DODGERS HAVE THE BEST STARTING PITCHING IN BASEBALL… SO FAR!
Hint: Focus your bitching on the pen while it’s still bad. I fear that soon you will have nothing to bitch about… and then what?
I gotta say, Wood pitched very well tonight. Good for him. The Dodgers are a good club with a really bad bullpen. If only they could fix it.
Okay, Alex did his job. Now let’s see if the bullpen can close it.
AC Wood seem to have better control, the more he pitched, and got stronger, but he did throw a lot of pitches early.
This is the 3rd batter the D-Bags have hit tonight. Maybe it’s not on purpose, but they are making it a point to pitch inside.
It’s time, way past time to stop this. Drill the next D-Bag with a fastball! It has to be done! Baez had better do this. Hit the first guy! PERIOD!
They are bring out Wood to drill someone?
I hope so!
How about instead of doing something stupid by bringing the tying run to the plate we just beat ’em.
Drill ’em and beat ’em!
This sets a bad precedent. You have to retaliate…
IMHO!
Mark I am right with you on that! The Dodgers should have moved there shortstop off the bag, after that second HR.
They may not be doing it on purpose, like the Cardinals claim, but Russa was a Cardinal. I think he got any hits after that, but he has hit way to many HRs against the Dodgers in the last two years, and he isn’t that great of a hitter.
But I liked his throw, except he hit Joc with it. They have been pitching Turner inside, he now needs to adjust, if his hand is fine.
Remember when Goldy got hit, and how mad the Dbacks were. Well Turner is pretty important to the Dodgers, they need to stop the Dbacks, from hitting our players!
just like they drew it up – Baez puts on 2 so he can pitch to Goldy
Jansen on for the 5 out save – Roberts trusts the bullpen obviously
By bringing Wood out in the 8th after 101 pitches, and now Jansen for the 5 out save, I think Doc just told FAZ what he really thinks about his bullpen. Jansen probably cannot go tomorrow, so maybe we see a change to bring someone up tomorrow, and Baez down.
Dodgerrick I am with you now, that the Dodgers need to start hitting with players, in scoring position. They only won there last two games, because of errors from the other team.
They need to start having better at bats, with people on base!
Had to catch up. Watched Kobe’s finish. I have it recorded.
Down Butkus. Well get back at them. You have to pick your spots.
Yeah, wtf, Jansen ain’t coming back here. Let him be the long man.
Not by his pitching motion, but more by his physical characteristics, seeing Tyler Clippard tonight I had a flashback to Kent Tekulve.
I took the over because I trusted our offense to score and Wood to surrender to the bullpen after 5. I was wrong on both counts. We won 2 earned to 1. We won and went 0fer WRISP. It’s a W. And the performance by Kobe was electric. It was historic. It was f’n amazing. What a night.