After the Dodgers lost yesterday to the Reds, manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers losing record at home was unacceptable. He showed angst that a lot of fans feel towards the front office. Former Met ace Matt Harvey recently traded to the Reds was on the mound for the Reds against Kenta Maeda. The Dodgers bats have been silenced thus far this season as the league has started pitching them differently since the 2nd half of last season. Dave Roberts shook up the line-up today and had Chase Utley in the lead off spot.
#Dodgers Dave Roberts: "I don’t know. I just know it’s not happening. They’re all trying to win. It’s just not happening. … We know we’re better than this. We’ve got to keep believing it. It hasn’t shown itself recently. But to just keep grinding, that all we can do"
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) May 12, 2018
The league has also caught on to attacking Maeda on the first two pitches. Jesse Winker doubled to start the game and went to third on a wild pitch. Joey Votto singled him in and the Reds took a 1-0 lead. The Reds had the bases loaded until Maeda got out of the inning. In the top of the third, former Dodger Jose Peraza hit a double. Scooter Gennett singled him in and Reds took a 2-0 lead. Tucker Barnhart singled in a run to take a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Joey Votto walked and then Scooter Gennett hit a home run and the Reds took a 5-0 lead. Meanwhile Matt Harvey tossed four innings of one hit ball. In the bottom of the fifth, Chris Taylor hit a triple. Max Muncy doubled him in and the Dodgers got on the board. In the bottom of the 7th, Max Muncy hit a solo shot and the Dodgers trailed 5-2.
Kemp was pissed and Roberts had his back. I woulda been totally cool with Roberts being ejected too. Somethings gotta fire this team up. pic.twitter.com/KaJZJVjIRG
— Randi (@randi9320) May 12, 2018
The Reds would add a run the ninth inning to make the score 6-2. Maeda usually gives up early runs and gets attacked on the first two pitches. He isn’t starter material. He hasn’t been able to make the adjustments. The Dodgers offensive attack isn’t the same as last year as the league has changed how they attack the Dodger hitters. The front office who always talks of analytics hasn’t made the adjustments and didn’t add anything to the team in the off-season. The Dodgers have injuries but the will miss Corey Seagers bat for the rest of the season. The Dodgers opted not to get a bat in the off-season when they should have.
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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Another pathetic showing.
The Dodgers are simply a pitifully bad baseball team right now. I guess the Dodgers’ front office forgot one very basic lesson when they planned for this season – Past performance is not indicative of future results.
CTDodgerFan
I would love to see the FO just stand up and take accountability for this team. Doing nothing will not make the team better. Making money is important to them and that is happening I’m sure. I wish the whole FO and manager would just get out. They are disgusting.
100 percent in agreement with that statement……and I will go you one better….when you lose to the worst team in the game and are made to look bad doing that, you are worse than pitiful……you fall into the abysmal category. By the way, that new picture is the USS LA Dodgers blowing up and sinking!
I guess we can just pick an excuse for not winning this one. Any excuse will do.
Package
This is more on the front office and the owners.
But especially on the front office, because they tried to be over cheap to many times, by signing all of those pitchers, that were a disaster.
They paid out a heck of a lot of money on starting pitchers, but got hardly any production from those pitchers.
And Roberts lets this front office get into his mind to much, because he knows how to make an offense more productive.
He needs to call some hit and runs, and get runners in motion to avoid double plays, and make the other teams defense move, to open the defense, and to make things happen.
I would have made Taylor bunt when Cody was on third with one out, because they have to get that run in, and to make a point, because they haven’t been doing that.
Turner is going to be back on this next road trip, after this weekend.
MJ
Didn’t you just make a case that Roberts is the problem? The fact that the FO won’t let him steal, put runners in motion is on Roberts. He is a problem in my opinion but I do understand your
point. I think the whole crowd needs to go.
MJ, it’s my opinion that to attempt hit and run strategies with a group of hitters who swing and miss as often as the Dodgers would be a disaster. These guys do not know how to hit behind runners. It’s not part of sabermetric baseball. The Dodgers approach at the plate, simply put, is all or nothing. What we are witnessing is what nothing looks like.
In the words of the great McCullough from last nite’s dismal showing:
The Reds are putting on a situational hitting clinic. Well, not really, but anything feels like an improvement over their counterparts. 2-0, Reds.
Badger
That is a very good point about the strike outs, but I think any of these players if they set their mind to make contact, they can, in these situations.
Because look at what Joc has done in a month, and if he can make contact more often then not, so can any of these players on this team, in these situations, in games!
According to fangraphs, Joc’s Contact% is 77.2, which is actually down from last year’s 77.8. What we are seeing is his O-Swing% , percentage of pitches a batter swings at outside the strike zone, is improved from 24.9% to 21.2%. His K% is down from 21% to 15%. He’s becoming more disciplined but even with his improvements he too is not a hit and run batter. I don’t know who is on this team. I don’t believe the tactic is valued by FAZ, therefore I doubt it’s practiced.
Not hitting?
What else is there?
Not pitching and not playing defense.
Yeah, they are not hitting that 3 run homer…..you sound like Zaidi when he claimed that the problem is simply the Dodgers are not hitting homers. What a goofball. But that does come from someone that never played the game growing up. He might know his fantasy football players but he is clueless when it comes to actual baseball fundamentals and strategies.
If there isn’t a Colletti player waiting in the minors to save this team ‘again’ than it looks like we are officially in the Friedman era……and is this ever going to suck. They can’t draft. They do not sign free agent stars or pay market price for known proven commodities. Their International signings have been disastrous. They are clueless when it comes to starting pitching. The concept of giving up an out (or two) for a run blows their minds. How many ML games are decided by a run?
Without the ‘star power’ that was already here and the call ups of Seager and Bellinger this team would have been a disaster way before now. As I had stated, Ownership could have saved $7M a year by hiring a guy off the street and the Dodgers would have ‘at least’ accomplished what they have so far. Hell, the ‘guy off the street’ might have dealt for Chris Sale. Or he might have packaged Joc and others for something of value to help the pen. (By comparison, the Cardinals FO is much smarter than these clowns as Grichuk had better numbers than Joc and they still traded his ass away. I’m betting that the Cards FO isn’t in a FFL with their players so they had no loyalty to Grichuk.)
Stay positive Chili!
Positive? I’m a realist.
For me to be as ‘positive’ as the FAZophants, I would have to disregard years of factual information.
They inherited all of the best players on this team. Haven’t added much, if anything.
They have had 4 off seasons and 3 drafts to do something and it appears that nothing is in the minors, except for all of the over rated pitchers as most every pitching prospect has been so overly rated that it is now a joke.
Every time the Dodgers have an injury they have to go out and find some other teams ‘castaway’ because they have nothing in the minors. We have no 2B, no SS, no 3B, no starting pitchers ready. No bullpen pieces in the pipeline (which should be future starting pitching) but they do not understand that concept.
4 off seasons and 3 drafts…..NOTHING.
Can you say ‘FIRED!’
The Raptors had the best record in the East. Their coach was nominated ‘coach of the year’ by his peers. AND THEY FIRED HIS ASS.
Remember your weak point about a coach being 2 years removed from being ‘coach of the year’ so how can you fire someone so quickly.
Let me remind you that if we are still 6 or 10 games under .500 at seasons end, people should be fired and if I’m part of the ownership group it starts with the bozo’s that do not understand the game of baseball. Baseball is not equivalent to stock trading!
Not sure what your point equating Casey and Roberts, but they are both coaches.
But I don’t really ever see the point of your posts. I do enjoy them though.
And that is coming from someone that admittedly doesn’t watch Dodger games. That alone would make any of my posts much more prevalent than yours.
But hey, it’s a free speech country so do continue to be a mouthpiece for the folks that have bought into all things FAZotopia and repeat what they say. Those are the same people that will buy into the next regime and the next because it serves their agenda.
Badger
I guess the small sample size, is deceiving, I was only going on his strike outs.
But I still think any of these players can make contact, to protect a runner, if they want to.
But your right, they may have to shorten up their swing, or choke up.
Isn’t that what they should do, when runners are in scoring position, anyways?
And wouldn’t that help them to learn to do this, in those situations?
As I just said in the previous thread, put the same 8 guys out there every night and ride this out until the team is at full strength. My choice – Kemp, Verdugo, Puig, Farmer, Taylor, Utley, Bellinger Grandal. Rotate backups Hernandez and Pederson in normal patterns. Send Barnes down to bat lead off at AAA until his mind returns to his body. Rotation sucks, but it is what it is. Stripling and Stewart are in it for me, along with Hill, Maeda, Wood, Buehler and Kershaw. The summer DL dance is on.
This schneid will be stopped or it won’t. This is a cap reset year so no salary will be added. This is us. Enjoy the FAZercoaster ride.
I agree on the reset year. I also think we should note that the team may not be willing to start the clock on anyone else not on the 40 if it is a reset year. Not sure that makes sense, but I’m not an astute predictor as I have to admit I didn’t imagine Puig and Taylor cratering nearly to the extent they have.
I’d like to see Forsythe instead of Utley and Toles, when/if he get healthy instead of Pederson.
I think it does make sense Bluto. If management has privately conceded, starting the clock on prospects will not be in this year’s plan.
Toles is still hurt. Who knows when he will be available and if he’s any good at this point. Accept Pederson for what he is or unload him. It’s time to go with Verdugo.
Badger
It is not like Toles got back on the field, and got hurt again.
It is only going to take him a little longer, because he had a small set back, but who knows what kind help Toles gets, at the minor league level.
And I wouldn’t blame the guy if he got over anxious, to try to get back on the field, although I don’t know that, to be the case.
But I am sure he won’t be out as long, as some think, because he never got back on the field, to further injure, himself.
And I don’t think his strain, was beyond a one.
But you never know with the Dodgers, because they keep all that info, close.
Here is a little history of the Dodgers before and during the 2015 season. The many changes that were made and no really big improvement. In fact, in my opinion they were slightly worse. The FO blew up the team for no reason and I submit that with an addition of a starter and an improved bullpen they could have won in 2015. Plus they gave up some good Matt Kemp seasons and Dee Gordon seasons. Plus they let Hanley walk. Bad move.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Los_Angeles_Dodgers_season
Package
I lost respect for Hanley, after the way he acted, when he was playing left, for the Red Sox.
He didn’t put any real effort in, in left, because it looked like he didn’t really want to be playing in left, but he know he would be playing left, before he signed that contract.
A shortstop could easily play left, especially in Boston, because playing left in Boston, is much easier, then anywhere else.
Good dialogue in here this morning. I thank you and encourage you all to keep posting. This is therapy for me. I believe it’s therapeutic for all of us.
When do you decide the season is not worth saving?
I’m with chili on most of what he just said. But in my personal orbit there is this – at the beginning of last year, a year that started coming off 4 consecutive Division titles, I had the under on 94 wins. I predicted another Division but no way did I see that squad as a championship team. No way. Then they won 104 and came within 1 game of accomplishing something I believed could not happen. I was very surprised. We did it with Colletti players driving the bus, and a couple of FAZ players following in a golf cart. It was, in my estimation, a surprisingly remarkable season.
This year? Most of the best of that 104 win team was coming back so I figured a repeat of the Division but no title was a safe prediction. If I was to be told in February that Turner and Forsythe would be out for 2 months, Seager would be gone for the year, Taylor, Barnes and Puig would in mid May be Mendoza hitters, Kershaw and Hill would both be on the DL in May, Wood would have no wins in mid May, Jansen would have a 4+ ERA…… would I pick them to win the Division again? I really doubt it.
If you guys are right, this year was the last and best chance we had at actually closing the deal. Who knows about Jansen, but clearly something has changed. Kershaw is fading and Urias is not yet ready to step into his shoes and may never be ready. Buehler is the real deal but who else in our system is? Taylor may be exactly what he was projected to be – .268/.335./.429, maybe 15 home runs – Bellinger won’t likely repeat ‘17, neither will Puig and Seager is gone. I’m staying positive but with each loss, and losing to lousy teams, it’s harder to hang in there.
I figure we have until the All Star break to get a real picture who this team is. That’s 58 more games. That’s a lot of baseball to be played. And after that there are still 66 games to be played. So, I ask again…… when do you decide the season isn’t worth saving?
We will all need therapy if this crap keeps up, and sorry James, this is not the Big Red Machine, it is more like the Little Red Tonka truck. There are so many holes and so many things wrong with this team that it would take days to list them. More strikeouts from Bellinger and Mr Whiffle, Chris Taylor. They can’t hit a guy with a ERA around 7. They don’t bunt, they can’t field, and let alone have a starting pitcher out there who can make it through the first inning without giving up a run. Granted, the UMP last night had a strike zone wider than the Mississippi river when the Dodgers were hitting. BUT, I saw them take so many first pitch strikes right down the pipe and then swing at pitches that were not even in the same county. The injury’s have hurt, but what has hurt more than anything is the FO’s absolute refusal to pursue any kind of real talent to help. Logan Forsythe is starting to become one of the worst trades in the history of the team, oh I know Deleon has not been much in Tampa, but Forsythe has been basically AWOL since he got here…sorry gang old military term meaning he is not here when he should be. Forget Toles, the story I read this morning on Yardbarker says he is going to miss significant time. Kershaw has no time table for return, Ryu late July, Urias, who knows and I have written that guy off for the season at least because he has not pitched in well over a year, so how effective can he possibly be? I believe like Badger does that Roberts at this point in time should consider a stable everyday lineup and let the chips fall where they lay. Since Turner is a couple of days away, I would go Bellinger, Utley, Taylor, Turner, Kemp, Verdugo, Puig, Grandal and hope for the best….maybe rotate Utley with Forsythe who will be back next week also. But let the utility guys be what they are, backups. Even though Joc has the lowest K rate on the team, I see if I can trade him somewhere for some BP help. You know they will not part with any prospects for a solid starting pitcher. Gee, we sure could have used that Cole guy. He was available this winter. There are some guys at AAA with MLB experience as starters, Banuelos, DeFratus, Moscoso, Pill and Asher. I really believe they should bring up Venditte. He has been the best reliever down there. But like was mentioned earlier, unless you are on the 40 man, they do not seem likely to move someone and call up a non roster guy. They will instead most likely waiver wire dive again. Bailey going tonight for the Reds…0-5 with a 5.61 ERA…..how much ya wanna bet he shuts out this bunch for a few innings?
I just read they brought Venditte up.
They did.
Bear I agree with most of what you said. I think management was caught by surprise by the number of injuries and bad starts by experienced players. They are handcuffed by a spending freeze and their pants are around there ankles with the whole depth charade too. They don’t know what to do. This team is so far a sweeping disappointment and an embarrassing one at that. We ride this one out and yeah, I am hoping for the best. It’s going to take outlier performances from a crooked number of players to pull it off. I still give them to the All Star break. If we are playing well then – we make a move.
Hey Badger
Hope you have those pushup muscles in order as Kemp has 111 abs and the team has not played 25% of their games. I am starting to get cocky.
I’m ready pack. I’ll do them gladly.
Badger
I don’t think I need any more than 420, right?
I got the under. You got the over. 420 is a push. If he gets 420 we get high.
Only if they are edibles.
MJ
Whatever do you mean?