The due to lose/win factor is very important in baseball. No matter how good or bad a club is, they are always due to win or lose at some point. That’s what I was hoping for before the Dodgers and the dbacks played the series finale on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. The dbacks had won 12 in a row, and the Dodgers had lost 10 of their last 11 and five straight.
The Dodgers possibly were due to win and the Snakes due to lose a game. But the Dodgers are so bad….so so so terrible that those laws of averages went out the window. As expected the Dodgers lost again 3-1 to the Snakes, as Arizona sweeps the Dodgers yet again. The boys in blue have now lost 6 in a row and the Dbacks have now won a franchise record 13 consecutive games. The lead continues to dwindle and is now down to 10.5 games. It was once at 21 games. There are still 23 games left to play and don’t think for an instant that this pathetic stretch can’t last for another 23 games because it very well could.
Before the game the Dodgers recalled Joc Pederson and called up rookie hurler Walker Buehler. The young pitcher didn’t appear in the game, although it wouldn’t make much of a difference. The Dodgers can’t score and they would have to pitch a shutout in order to win. Not going to happen against most major league clubs.
Dbacks 3 8 1
Dodgers 1 4 1
WP-Walker-9-7
LP-Avilan-2-2
SV-Rodney-38
You can’t blame this on Kenta Maeda. He was terrific as he allowed just one unearned run on four hits while striking out 8 across five strong frames. He came out of the game with the score tied at 1-1 so he didn’t take the loss.
The Dodger offense was pathetic again. They scored just one run and tallied only four hits. The Dodgers had three walks and were 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position. They left five men on base and never really threatened.
Arizona starter Taijuan Walker picked up the win by tossing six innings allowing just one earned run on four hits and striking out four. He walked three and was in control throughout the game. The Dodgers can’t hit anybody, let alone score more than one run.
The Dodgers did take the lead early in the bottom of the first inning, scoring their only run of the ball game. Chris Taylor’s sharp line drive to third ate up Arizona third baseman Jake Lamb and Taylor had a double. After a Curtis Granderson fly ball advanced Taylor to third, Cody Bellinger’s fielder’s choice grounder (Justin Turner drew a walk in the previous at-bat) scored Taylor to put the Dodgers up 1-0. That was all from the Dodger bats. FOR THE REST OF THE GAME. You and I can’t be surprised by this.
Maeda was shaky at first allowing back to back singles to David Peralta and Chris Iannetta in the top of the first. But he worked his way out of it, getting Lamb to fly out to the wall. He struck out four homer J.D. Martinez and Daniel Descalso also flied out. Granderson made the play interesting when he lost the ball in the lights and had to dive to make a snow cone catch.
The Snakes tied the game in the top of the second, but it certainly wasn’t Maeda’s fault. A.J. Pollack reached on a fielding error from Taylor which should have been a routine out. Pollack stole second and then Brandon Drury was struck out. Ketel Marte lines out to left, but then Walker (The pitcher!?!?!) doubles to center to score Pollack. Tie game.
Yasiel Puig walked to lead-off the bottom of the fourth, but was immediately thrown out trying to steal second. Of course. Josh Fields pitched a scoreless top of the sixth. Good to see him back. Things got worse for the Dodgers because when do they not?
Move to the bottom of the sixth and Justin Turner, and Yasmani Grandal both strike out. Turner got called out on a questionable called third strike. After the inning was over Turner was ejected from the game for arguing balls and strikes from the dugout by home plate umpire Chad Fairchild. Logan Forsythe took over at third base. Awesome.
The dbacks scored two runs to go ahead for good against left hander Luis Avilan in the top of the seventh. Marte singles to right, and pinch-hitter Adam Rosales immediately doubles him in to put the Dbacks up 2-1. The suck wouldn’t stop there. David Peralta singles and after Iannetta struck out, Lamb was retired on a soft grounder. Martinez was intentionally walked and with the bases loaded Avilan hits Descalso with a pitch to force in a run. The Snakes take a 3-1 lead. Josh Ravin had to come in to get the last out, but we all knew it was over.
In the bottom of the eighth inning Jorge De La Rosa hit Austin Barnes with a pitch with one out. However automatic out Enrique Hernandez grounds into an inning ending double play. The Dodgers had one runner reach base on a throwing error in the bottom of the eighth, but that was it. The Dodgers then went down quietly in bottom of the ninth against Fernando Rodney. Final score Snakes 3 Dodgers 1.
Everyone is saying not to panick. I’m not panicking, I just expect the Dodgers to lose every game no matter who or where they play. And well….they are.
The losing continues on Thursday as the Colorado Rockies come in for a four game series to end the home stand. Clayton Kershaw takes the mound and Colorado will counter with Jon Gray. Don’t worry Kershaw has to only pitch a shutout to win. Good luck Clayton.
Why did Roberts pull Maeda after 6 innings? His pitch count was at 85 and he was throwing well.
Now that we know the Dodgers DON’T have what it takes to win the World Series, what is there to be done? This is a team that only knows extremes. They were godawful to begin the season, then miraculously, with the addition of Bellinger and subtraction of Agone, they shot to legendary status only to fall back to earth with a very hard landing. This is the same team we all complained about for the last few years. Slumping batters, rocky pitching, and a very over-confident manager. Why not rest all the starters and give the B-team the floor. What difference would it make?
Wow you talk about going from the penthouse to the basement! But we still need to put things into perspective. 10.5 game lead in September, it’s over! The division was won between May and August.
If they were playing solid baseball I would agree. But nothing they are doing as of right now merits that kind of confidence. This team the way they are playing right now inspires dread. They have gone out there day after day for the last two weeks and done nothing. Losing to a team that is blazing hot, well that is to be expected. Losing to the Padres over the weekend that way, well, it seems now that was a portent of things to happen. The Rockies come in here not playing good baseball at all either. Believe me, they can still lose this unless they snap out of it PDQ. I think, and I have seen this before, that they are beginning to press a little. Trying to do too much instead of the things they were doing in June and July. Your only win in a 12 game stretch is a 1-0 shutout? No comebacks from a team that has done that more times than anyone else in baseball this year. Total mediocrity from your dead line day trade for a ace to pitch behind Kershaw. Your SS, who is the glue that holds the batting order together goes down. An initial burst from a hitter you acquired because of his experience, and then he becomes WORSE than Reddick if that is possible. He can’t even hit s single. Worst of all, they have lost 5 of their last 6 at home. They have dominated teams at home, and even worse than that they have instilled in the Snakes the feeling that they can BEAT the Dodgers anywhere any time. Situational hitting has gone to poop in a handbag. Nothing is working. Everyone two weeks ago was saying Roberts was going to win manager of the year again. His decisions over the last two weeks are changing that. Yeah, the players should be rested, I get that, but usually you do that AFTER you clinch. Trust me, they blow this, and all the great vibes that were going on during that incredible stretch will be gone like a puff of smoke, and FAZ is going to get the brunt of the blame.
Michael made a good point, we not only let the Dbacks beat us, we lost three games to the Padres too, but that tells me, that the Dbacks are not as good as they seem, we are just playing bad, because we didn’t even beat the Padres.
It was our starting pitching that first went bad, in that first series, against the Dbacks, but our players were hitting in that series.
Maybe now that our starters are back on track, maybe we will start hitting, once Corey comes back.
I don’t expect that to happen in the first game that Corey starts on Friday, but that would be nice.
At least when Corey comes back, Granderson won’t be hitting second!
Like I already said, Roberts isn’t helping Granderson to hit any better, by batting him second.
That is a disservice to Granderson and the team, because Granderson is the type of hitter, that should be hitting seventh or eighth.
Michael is right that the players are starting to play desperately.
Roberts needs to settle his team down, because all these running mistakes, is a team that is desperately trying to do to much.
After Avilan hit the batter with the bases loaded, I knew it was over, and that is something that Baez would do, with the bases loaded, but we do have to hit!
And it wasn’t Granderson that lost that ball in the lights, it was Joc, but Granderson saved Joc on that.
These line ups are not helping the team score runs, either.
I think Taylor is over swinging, and he just needs to slow the game down, and just try to get on base, with a walk, or a hit.
All of our players, are not having good at bats, and they are over swinging.
I was thinking maybe Roberts should move Puig back to eighth, when Corey comes back, because he was driving in more runs in the eighth position.
And Puig hit a lot of HRs when he was hitting eighth too.
Puig is still hitting, but he isn’t getting the same pitches, and getting into the same RBI situations, now that he has been moved up in the order.
And Forsythe who has been hitting eighth, has had a lot of RBI chances lately, and we would be lucky if Forsythe did hit in a run, because that is not his game.
And Puig can take advantage of a pitcher more, when he is hitting eighth!
I think this is the first time we have lost so many games in such a short time, in the last five years, so it is a little scary.
Let’s hope our offense turns this around as fast, like our starting pitchers did, in these last two weeks!
Because we will be playing the Nats soon!
Dodgers were outscored 19-2 against the Dbacks in their 3 game series.
Against the Padres, outscored 19-12.
Outscored 38-14 in the last 7 games, winning only once.
Outscored 59-25 in the last 10 games winning just twice. 2.5 runs per game.
Jeff, they have lost 11 of 12. They have not won 2 games in their last 10. They lost two to the Brewers then were swept by AZ, 5 game losing streak, they won Friday 1-0 with Kersh pitching, then dropped 3 in a row to the Padres and 3 to the Snakes. They have 2 wins in their last 13 games not 10. Castillo DFA’d. Buehler called up and Farmer will be here sometime this weekend.
Trust me, I never said Roberts was going to win Manager of the year.
Michael and everyone,
There is an good article in the LA Times today, and I think you all should read it, it might make everyone feel a little better, and I know it isn’t a win, but just read it!
I believe the title is something like this, Some Friendly advice to Dave Roberts, from a Concerned Dodger Fan
You can’t win if you don’t score.
Absolutely….and you cannot win when you keep experimenting instead of running the guys who have done the job so far out there every day.
This I don’t agree with, I think the whole reason this Dodger team has done so well is because of their depth and the multiple points of contribution.
MJ, I don’t understand your question in the context of my post. How is pointing out you need to score to win, any derivation from reason itself?
Bluto
You are suppose to be the mind of reason, are the Dodgers going to win the west, this year?
Old Doc removed Old Mo from the line-up card a few weeks ago. Old Mo may never crack the line-up again.
Old Mo??? Oh, momentum…you got that right. You rest your players after you finish the job, not before. They lost whatever mojo that they had during that stupid players weekend. Have not been the same team since.
Your right, let’s get back to the yesteryear of August.
This has nothing to do with Cody and Corey going out, one after another, and the fact that Cody and Corey, have not been in the line up together, during this time!
Most teams would have a problem if their best hitter went out, and we have had two of our best hittters, go out during this time.
And our best and most consistent hitter, is still not back yet!
And the team carried Joc and Forsyhe, in the line up, when we had both Cody and Corey, in the line up together!
What you say is factual, but I can tell that you just don’t get it, either.
In retrospect what they were doing was eventually going to end. Very hard to sustain that level of play for a full season. And remember they started off 9-12. They took off after Cody came up from OKC. Losing Cody for 10 days got the offense out of sync and then Corey going down just as Cody came back did not allow for any continuity. I would not worry about Cody setting any rookie HR records except for maybe the NL record. Judge hit #39 today. McGwire hit 49 his rookie year. Weird that they DFA’d Castillo. I know they needed the spot for Buehler. But I would have cut Font loose. That guy showed nothing in either of his appearances. The Snakes offensive pick up, Martinez has been much better than what the Dodgers got, Grandyman, who since the first week in LA has really stunk up the joint. Big difference between baseball when I was growing up and now, Kike, Forsythe, and Pederson would not have jobs in the old days. Kike’s average over the last 2 seasons is PALTRY at about the Mendoza line. They have waited all year to get anything out of Pederson and Forsythe. Baez would have been in the minors trying to get his mojo. Production was the name of the game back then. Striking out was a cardinal sin. I actually did not think that FAZ could get a worse player than Reddick was. But somehow they managed to do that. Averages and ERA meant something. They are a statistical tool. All this saber garbage does nothing to say anything about guts and grit. Of course all the manipulation of the DL has kept this team ahead of the game this year. Now they have to suck it up and play like they want to win. This regular season means nothing if they blow it. One thing about DM, after the week Baez has had, DM would never use him again…no trust.
Michael
I don’t know about that, because Mattingly continued to have Brian Wilson go out there, even though he had lost velocity and he was ineffective, in that second year.
Let’s just hope the team steps up tonight, and gets Kershaw some runs, and remember this will be the last night, that Granderson will hit second.
Read that article if you didn’t, it might make you feel a little better.
It made me feel a little better, as well, as others.
That last line was meant as a joke MJ. I will feel better when I see a few more W’s in the win column and some crisp baseball instead of the menagerie of errors we have seen the last 2 weeks.
Michael
During our run fromJune 7th to August 19, we only lost nine games.
And like you know, we have lost 11 games in 12 days, that is so odd!
The only recent team I can think that has done something like this, is the Giants.
And I am talking about our losing streak in the last 12 days.
But I think the Giants lost more games then this, even in some of the seasons, they won it all.
For some reason I have a good feeling, about the game tonight.
I hope we win, and score a lot of runs early, and throughout the game, but that last wish I may be pushing it!
And in the last five years, I don’t think we ever did something like this.
RIP Gene Michael. Former player, and a former Yankee GM. Michael started out in the Pirates organization and was traded to the Dodgers in the winter of 1966 along with Bob Bailey for Maury Wills.
Is this just a losing streak, or is this who we are?
Meanwhile our home field advantage is down to 6 games. Watching the other playoff contenders is the only thing I am paying attention to these days since we are a total embarassment.
I don’t think Corey returning to the lineup is going to be magic solution either. The whole team is back in April mode and they are getting lit up because the other teams are in September mode.
I will feel better about the starters’ successes if these starters string more than one good outing together.
Our major year long problem has been (1) giving up too many home runs – this goes for the starters as well as the relievers, and this is on the FAZ because we have way too many flyball pitchers, and (2) relying too much on the HR and the walk, and this is also on the FAZ because they undervalue speed and contact. Our relievers, by the way, are getting hit hard by minor leaguers from other teams. Not a good sign. Our starters are so inconsistent that I have basically given up on them, and that includes Kershaw, but I am hoping for our bullpen showing improvement soon and get back to what they were.
I don’t think Roberts is overconfident, but the players starting to press and play out of their comfort zones, and this will be a test for him. I think he needs to start by sitting the players whose playing styles are not conducive to pressing – i.e. the all or nothing hitters like Grandal, Granderson, Kike, Pederson, and I even put Forsythe and Puig in this camp, even though Puig has been consistent and Forsythe just takes too many pitches. I just want Puig to get a breather and not try to do too much, and Forsythe just sucks so sitting him for any reason is a boon. This means sitting most of the lineup but it is what it is. Just for a few days before they go on the road.
Then I think we hit rock bottom during the Nationals series and start to flip the switch thereafter.
YF
You know how I feel about all or nothing hitters.
And these all or nothing hitters, are part of the reason our offense isn’t productive, like it should be.
And I don’t care what sabers think, a batting average does mean a lot.
The combo they use for OPS, is ok for most of the time, but with certain players, that can’t hit for a decent average, and have to depend on walks to much, I believe these player’s OPS is over valued, because I don’t believe their production numbers.
About the starters, I think they were pretty good, for a good time there, before they fell apart in that first Dbacks series, so I am not worried about them.
And I did have a good feeling about the game tonight, before I saw the line up.
Taylor
Granderson
Cody
Grandal
Puig
Joc
Chase
Forsythe
Kershaw.
I rather have Puig hitting fourth, because he doesn’t strike out, as much as Grandal does!
And Kershaw will probably get a hit, before Forsythe and Granderson will!
To be honest, with this lineup I have zero confidence this team can come back from a 4 run deficit, even after only 2 and a half innings. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer but this is frikin sad.
It is more than that. It is embarrassing. I cannot remember a stretch this bad ever. Kershaw is as bad as he was against the Mets earlier this year. You do not expect that from your ace.
Kershaw had an extra day rest, and you know what that means!
Three players not hitting above 230 and Grandal striking out in clean up.
I wonder why you think that Tim!
Joe is starting to sound like a total Homer who has been been sipping a bit too much blue Kool Aid. Michael you are soooo right, this is brutal to watch.