The Dodgers came off a game were they smacked home runs left and right. Tonight with the Rockies winning and the Diamondbacks losing. The Dodgers sent Rich Hill to the mound to face Erasmo Ramirez. This would turn out to be a frustrating game. Joc Pederson started the game off with a walk. Then he moved to 2nd on a ground-out. Cody Bellinger hit a single and the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead. The Mariners would strike right back in the bottom of the first. Mitch Haniger walked. He was advanced to 2nd base by a ground-out.
Robinson Cano reached on an infield single. Haniger moved to third on an error by Machado. Nelson Cruz singled in a run to tie the score. Kyle Seager then hit a three run shot and the Mariners took a 4-1 lead. During this game the Mariners got a lot of infield hits and played great defense to keep Erasmo Ramirez in the game. In the top of the 2nd, with the bases loaded and two outs, Manny Machado came up and smoked a ball that Cameron Maybin made a great play to catch.
In the top of the 8th, Alex Colome came in to pitch for the Mariners. He had 20 scoreless innings. Justin Turner started the inning with a solo shot to make the score 4-2. Cody Bellinger then came up and hit a moon shot to make the score 4-3. All of sudden the Dodgers had a chance. Throughout the game the Dodgers smoked the ball but right at Mariners as Ramirez avoided the barrel of the Dodgers bats. Rich Hill and the Dodgers bullpen did a great job keeping the Mariners at 4.
Edwin Diaz who hadn’t blown a save since June, came in during the 9th to get the save. With one out Max Muncy hit a solo shot to tie the score at 4-4. Caleb Ferguson came and got out of a jam in the bottom of the 9th to give the Dodgers a chance.
is it just me, or does every walkoff balk happen in a game the dodgers are involved in?
— Jeremy Frank (@MLBRandomStats) August 19, 2018
Justin Turner started the 10th inning with a walk. Machado, Bellinger, and Dozier were due up after that. You would think the chances are good. Justin Turner even stole second. But all three men big bats made outs in the clutch. Mitch Haniger hit a single to start the bottom of the 10th. Cameron Maybin then grounded into a fielders choice. Robinson Cano reached on an infield single. Dylan Floro was brought in to face Nelson Cruz and walked him. The next batter Kyle Seager came up and Floro got sidetracked by Justin Turner trying to keep Maybin at third and balked in a run. Tough loss. Clayton Kershaw pitches tomorrow. Hopefully Kenley Jansen will be back Monday.
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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Why in the wide wide world of sports was Ferguson even out there to face a RH hitter to begin with? Roberts still is a nut bag with that bullpen. He leaves the kid out there instead of bringing in the vet, Maeda, to go multiple innings. He is some sort of sadist that way. That was a pitiful inning. They gave the game away and let the Rockies gain a full game on them. Floro should know better. But the big bats were no help after Turner walked in the 10th. 3 straight fly ball outs.
Why in the wide wide world of sports was Ferguson even out there to face a RH hitter to begin with?
Easy
tan(x) = x+x33+2×515+⋯+22n(4xn−1)Bnx2n−1(2n)!−π2<x<π2= 1/2 – 1/2 cos(2x)
cos^2(x) = 1/2 + 1/2 cos(2x)~§…9{*xLV2|3} ) = 1/2 – 1/2 cos(2x)
cos^2(x) = 1/2 + 1/2 cos(2x)
sin x – sin y = 2 sin( (x – y)/2 ) cos( (x + y)/2 )
sin x – sin y = 2 sin( (x – y)/2 ) cos( (x + y)/2 ) = .617
The OPS of RH hitters vs Ferguson
It’s pretty simple Bear. You need to climb out of that old wool suit you’re playing in and put your high tech hat on. Roberts is thinking with 2020 vision. Your vision is 1965. According to Pythagorean baseball, we will have home field until the World Series. Get with it man.
This band of squirrels and never heard of him balkers needs to play well in September. They do, they win the Division. They don’t, and you guys may get your wish – a new squirrel trainer could be named.
Me? I’m close to being fed up with all of this. From FAZ to Roberts, from Timmons threatening to sue, then shoot me to Catbox suggesting I have relations with farm animals to balking in the winning run, launch angles, exit velocities and Pythagoras telling me we are the best team in the NL while I look at standings and see 7 NL teams with better records. None of this sh*t makes sense anymore.
Maybe the Rams can take me away from this until October.
You seem to be enjoying whatever it is you are on, so keep on riding it, you’re really not missing much in the baseball world. November might be pretty busy though,,,
Pythagorean Baseball sucks rocks. I do not know what that means and I could care less what their stupid rhythms tell them.
If you don’t know what it means, how can you be so sure it sucks rocks? You may love it.
For the record, I know what it means and I find it meaningless.
Or, did you mean you don’t know what sucks rocks means?
Sucks rocks means it is not worth shit in the real world.
I’ve heard of this thing called the real world. I think it does not exists. The mystics tell us it’s ALL an illusion. I believe they are right.
Read up on Pythagorean baseball yet?
At least they found a new way to blow a game, I don’t think they have given up a “balk off” so far this year, but there is still a lot of games left, I’m confident they can do it again.
I’ve watched the film over and over. Floro stepped backwards off the rubber. I didn’t see the balk. I challenge anyone to step off the rubber without bending your knee.
The balk as written is described as a move to deliberately deceive the runner, which as a former player and umpire I believe to be a ridiculous concept from the outset. That runner is allowed to do whatever he wants to deceive you.
Moments like this tell me the stick is too far up MLB’s ass. To lose a game like that is ridiculous.
Peg Leg McCracken of the 1923 Phillies had no choice to bend his knee when stepping off the rubber, damn he was good.
Well they only scored one run off the starter who had an ERA over 6.
And they did nothing much of the game, so that doesn’t put the team in good hands.
They were pretty lucky they hit those three HRs off the Mariners set up guy, and closer.
I don’t see Muncy doing that again, because most hitters, don’t get deep in counts, against a closer like that.
And we can’t trust this bullpen in these situations, so the team has to score more runs.
Why did the pitcher from Louisiana come out of that game so fast?
I didn’t understand that, wasn’t he only in this game against one hitter?
Once again, we left to many runners on base, this is an on going theme with this team.
And when a team does this, it almost always seems, to come back to haute them.
J.T. Chargois MJ. He faced 1 batter and gave up a hit, with a lefty coming up, Roberts went to the pen and called Ferguson in who got out of the inning. The M’s pitcher gave up 3 hits and 4 walks in 5 innings. In the teams defense, the Mariners made some pretty good defensive plays to keep the Dodgers off the board. The pitch Muncy hit was a hanger and he did what a good hitter does, he crushed it. The 8th inning guy had only given up 2 homers all year and no runs in 20 innings, but he made 2 mistakes and we were back in the game.
Michael thanks!
I didn’t know Muncy got another hanger, it sounds like he is living with good luck, in Seattle.
Because the other pitch he hit out, was a hanger too.
I thought Nomar said it was a low fastball.
But any time you get deep in a count with a pitcher, the odds are always with the pitcher.
I really didn’t see that many great defensive plays.
The one that Kemp hit, was a very good defensive play, but the other plays, were nothing exceptional.
It was a fastball, but it was not that low and it was right in Muncy’s wheelhouse. You have to remember their vantage point up there in the broadcast booth. Looking at it from field level gives you a better idea, and they are watching the field, not their monitor.
You are exactly right, there was no deception. He stepped back off of the rubber. As for all that gobbledygook you wrote after my earlier post, I like being stuck in 1965, it was a Championship year with a team that knew how to play fundamental baseball, and all the graphs and made up stats in the world do not throw a single frippen pitch. It’s easy, wily veteran or green kid in the late innings, I am pitching the guy with experience, especially since the last time you stuck that kid in a pressure cooker he wilted like one of my cheap T shirts. You got lucky and won that game, this time you wasted one of the most exciting come backs of the year. Of course, your offense sucked most of the game and your starting pitcher immediately put you behind the 8 ball. But this is not a championship caliber team by a long shot. They have not shown they can sustain a concerted run. Oh, they had a 42 game stretch where they climbed out of a hole, but now they need a run, a good one, and there is no respite when they get home because they run into a steam roller named the Cardinals, who suddenly are relevant again and hotter than a cup of cocoa just off the stove. By the way, I have a Brooklyn Jersey that is wool.
True blue. But they have had a walk off, and a few blown saves……new ways to lose. The Dave Roberts mantra.
At least Roberts isn’t stuck in a rut, he keeps finding new ways to blow games.
True Blue
Stuck in a rut? Is that what you call it? I just thought he was a DUMMY.
Leonys Martin, the recently acquired Cleveland centerfielder, would seem to be out for the season if the way I interpreted MLBTR’s report is correct. Could we send them an outfielder, maybe Joc, or Puig, or Toles? I don’t think any of them would clear waivers. Kemp would but he can’t play center anymore. Do they have anyone we would want (and reasonably expect to get)?
Their player would have to clear waivers also Jonah, so unless it was someone they had already waived, the chances are slim. They have a lot of good players, and their pitching staff is pretty good, but no way you would be able to slip one of their top relievers through waivers, and they are fighting for a playoff slot. So they would not want a castoff of any sort.
Balks are probably not reviewable, but I think any play or decision that directly helps a team win or lose a game, should be reviewable, especially a decision that causes a walk off.
3 umps stood there with wtf looks on their faces. One ump, walking quickly away with a crowd around him, was trying to explain himself. Again, no Major League game should be decided like that.
Michael – it is exactly what it is. Decisions are made by computers now. A techno chimp could manage the Dodgers
We were 6 for 35 and 1 for 6 WRISP and lost on a balk. I agree we are not a championship caliber team, and the reason I believe that is we lose too many games like this and at this moment there are 13 teams in MLB with better records than us. Yes, anything can happen in the playoffs, but how many times since 1988 have we been to the playoffs with the same thing happening? Sure. We’re due. I’m not hanging my hat on that hook.
If only we had a Peg Leg McCracken kind of player, then we would really go places, albeit without the ability to bend our knee, of course.
Regarding the picture of Hill for this discussion. Is Hill giving birth or being birthed, either one appears to be occurring.
Badger
In the LA Times and at Dodger com, it said that Floro did something with his hands.
The first base ump made the call, but Floro had his back to this ump, so how did he see Floro’s hands, is also what I read too.
I am not good on balks, because we don’t have balks in softball.
Michael, Muncy hit a fastball out, not a hanger.
I read that in the Times, and at Dodger com, but I still appreciate your answer anyways.
It was right over the middle of the plate. That’s a hanger by any definition. Even if it is low in the zone. Lefty’s love the low pitch. I know what my eyes saw and I saw the replay 5 times. And believe it or not, a fastball in the middle of the hitting zone can be classified as a hanger.
I have never heard anyone refer to a fastball, as a hanger.
That is just getting to much in the middle of the plate.
MJ, what makes you think reporters or broadcasters 400 feet away from home plate and at an angle, can accurately discern a pitch that is visible for less than one half of a second? They are simply people who are trying to appear more knowledgeable than they really are. Only the pitcher knows what he actually threw.
Jonah
They have a monitor in their broadcast booth, and both the Times and Dodger com, reported that.
Jonah
Remember the writers interview the players, too.
They often ask a player, what kind of pitch, did you hit out.
Yeah, well that’s not baseball, that’s a board game. Roberts plays what he was given, I do not put all the blame on him. The players on the field decide the game no matter what the manager does. Hell even a slug like Grady Little had a winning team. I dislike the all or nothing approach at the plate. Roberts problem to me has always been his in game management. He wears out his bullpen, and when the situation calls for a veteran and not some raw green kid 3 months out of AA, he makes the wrong choices. And this is not just something that has just transpired. He has been doing it all year. The Dodgers, in all reality, should be riding a double digit winning streak. Last years team would be doing that. This collection, which is built to bludgeon the opposition into submission, can’t even do that. At least Roberts had the National League strikeout leader, Taylor, on the bench last night. Due? You have to earn it on the field, and FAZ has not assembled a team capable of that yet. Yeah, I get it, 1 game short….but that’s old news.
Badger
I don’t know about the chimps and the use of computers but I do know that you are only 40abs away from pushup city.hahaha
Hahaha?
Tell you what – tomorrow is my bench day. I’ll just do them tomorrow and be done with it.
Here, I’ll learn you something. A proper push-up is pushing about 56% of body weight. Bet you didn’t know that little factoid did you. You do now. 56% of my body weight is about 90 pounds. I’ll put that on the bar and whip out 50 reps and we can put this to rest. Fair enough?
Badger
No harm intended. Just playing. If you want to do that, go for it baby!
Brian Dozier (R) 2B
Justin Turner (R) DH
Manny Machado (R) 3B
Matt Kemp (R) LF
Cody Bellinger (L) 1B
Enrique Hernandez (R) CF
Chris Taylor (R) SS
Yasiel Puig (R) RF
Austin Barnes (R) C
Haven’t been watching or following much ball. Sox still playing well, Dodgers learning how tough without arguably best hitter and pitcher. What I did observe from a far is my only real lament about Roberts, he’s a little too orthodox at times with odd match-up dynamics. Too quick, in my limited opinion, to pull the pitcher before the third time through the lineup. Too quick, in my limited opinion, to play matchups with the pen when the pitcher’s name doesn’t rhyme with Blansen.
I agree with Michael, not sure how that balk was called. Little to no intent to deceive.
Oh well, I remember the Dodgers beating the Giants on a balk in the somewhat recent past.
All winning streaks must come to an end….
The Dodgers best hitter is the guy who replaced their best hitter
The Dodgers best pitcher is on the mound today. He should go 5.
Roberts’ decisions on pulling a starter early is based on information gathered when he doesn’t pull a starter early.
Matchups are us. The new Dodger program being printed has “The Los Angeles Matchups” on the cover. Pantone 294 T-Shirts are being made as I type.
Sometimes I wonder who or what, they are matching up.
Because sometimes the obvious seems to be missing.
I am glad the guys are doing better today.
It is good to see Cody continue to use the right approach, and to see Puig go to the right side, for the easy RBIs.
But I am not to impressed with the Mariners pitchers.
Their starter couldn’t even throw a strike for the life of him.