Today the Dodgers brought the Sunday, sunny day, righty lineup to face the Diamondbacks in the last game of the homestand. Scott Van Slyke occupied first base, and Chris Taylor held second. Yasiel Puig returned to right field, and Kiké Enrique Hernandez returned to the big club to patrol center field.
Who knew this hot day which began with a funky lineup would end up being one of the highest scoring games of the season for the boys in blue?
1st inning
Snakes
After seven pitches Bud Norris pulled up as though he tweaked something on a pitch. There was a conference on the mound, and a couple of warm-up tosses, but Norris remained in.
After recording one out on a pop fly, the skipper lifted Norris, and replaced him with Ross Stripling, who quickly proceeded to give up a run before ending the inning. 1-0
Dodgers
With two on and two out, Yasmani Grandal walked to load the bases. This brought up Yasiel Puig. He worked a full count, and then harmlessly bounced one to third.
2nd inning Snakes 1-0
Dodgers
Kiké opened with a double.
Dodgers left him there.
3rd inning. Snakes 1-0
Dodgers
Three up, three down.
This was not looking good for the boys.
4th inning Snakes 1-0
With two out, a bounced pitch went up and inside Yasmani’s chest protector. The umpire ruled Wild Pitch and waved in the second Snake’s run. 2-0.
Stripling gave up another run, to make it 3-0.
Dodgers
Bases loaded, nobody out.
Here came Chris Taylor again. He chopped a high, bouncing worm killer to move everyone up 90 feet and get the Dodgers on the board. 1-3
Up came PH Adrian Gonzalez. DP, but Puig scored. 2-3
Howie Kendrick chipped an RBI single into right field, tying the game. 3-3
5th inning. New ball game 3-3
Luis Coleman in. A good inning, with two umpire-assisted strike outs.
Dodgers
Justin Turner blasted a double off the CF wall to lead off the inning.
Yasie Puig followed that one with a double of his own to score Turner and break the tie. 4-3
6th inning Dodgers 4-3
Snakes
Luis Avilan in. Job done
Dodgers
Kendrick and Seager on with base hits. JT slapped a hopper into CF. RBI! 5-3
Yasmani Grandal then stepped up and crushed a three run home run! 8-3
7th inning Dodgers 8-3
Dodgers
This time it was Corey Seager‘s turn! Another three run bomb to CF. 11-3
8th inning Dodgers 11-3
Pedro Baez in. Job done. Eight Snakes down in a row.
Dodgers
Grandal opened up with a double.
Yasiel Puig followed with a double down the right field chalk that scored Grandal. 12-3
Joc Pederson in to PH for Baez. He jacked one out so far, and so fast, the RF didn’t bother to turn and chase it. 14-3
9th inning Dodgers 14-3
J.P. Howell in. Job done.
Dodgers win! 14-3
At first it looked like the Dodgers would suffer through a snake-bit loss today. They lost their starting pitcher in the first inning, gave up quick runs, and even lost a run to a one-in-a-million wild pitch call. Vin Scully has been around a long time. He’s seen just about everything, but Vinny said he’d never seen one like that wild pitch call today.
It looked bad early, but instead it turned out the Snakes would be the ones to suffer under a barrage of Dodgers’ long balls. After chipping away and erasing Arizona’s lead in the fourth and fifth innings, the Dodgers turned on the power, with (once again) twin three run blasts, this time from Grandal and Seager.
Kudos to the Dodgers’ bats:
- Grandal was red-hot today with a walk, a single, a double, and a home run. Yup, he just missed the cycle.
- Yasiel Puig had two doubles and a single.
- Corey Seager had three hits, 3 RBI’s, and scored 2 runs.
No Dodger pitcher lasted long enough today to earn a line in the recap.
Home runs: Grandal, Seager, Pederson
Team with RISP: 8 for 20 That’s what we like!
Oscar Martinez
I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.
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The Dodgers are “still trying to move” outfielder Yasiel Puig, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Puig’s name has popped up in trade rumors lately — most recently surfacing in rumors involving Reds outfielder Jay Bruce.
Great summary, Oscar. Bet it was fun to write!
Let’s keep Puig!
Puig, Grandal, Pederson and Seager are all young and can still be special. Oh course, Seager already is.
Hey Boxout – Thanks for the compliment.
It was definitely fun to watch and write about this one
Well at least the final July of Vinny’s career ended with a win 🙂
Greeaaat….
“Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Giants are pursuing a trade for Rays’ left-hander Matt Moore.”
With Archer being a righty, I’m sure the Dodgers would covet him more so than Moore anyway.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that the Reds have “found a match” for a Bruce trade and expects Cincinnati to trade Bruce to a National League club this morning. That team is not the Dodgers, according to Nightengale. The Giants and Mets are the two non-Dodgers NL clubs that have been most heavily linked to Bruce in the past day or two.
I for one think it’s time to start pissing and moaning about the lack of ‘The Trade’… Personally I’m pretty much covet Urias and Deleon, because they’ll be my #1 & #2 pitcher in 2018… Bellinger or? @ 1B, Verdugo cruising the OF…
Aw hell I feel worse for the team… F.O. show me a sign… Gimme a lil help…
Giants blocking us from getting Bruce…
Speaking of the Giants, I’d like to cruise up there for the final series to cheer up Vinny… Anyone heading up???
No need to do anything as the evidence of FAZenius abounds.
The last time the Dodgers did THE TRADE should have forever taught them not to make dope-fiend moves.
Unless some deal makes a lot of sense, I would stand pat!
If the Dodgers play .500 ball, they will end up at 88 wins. If they play .550 ball the rest of the way, they will have 90. In they play .600 the rest of the way, they will have 93 or 94 … just where I predicted. For all those fans (I use the word loosely) who thought the Dodgers would be below .500, I have this to say:
This team had the most injuries of any MLB team. We lost our Ace for an extended period and we are right in the thick of it. FAZ put this team together with duck tape and bailing wire and all I can say is:
Not crazy about Toby Keith. Wasn’t before, certainly not now. Or were you asking about you? Same answer.
.600 ball? Still have the under. But I will admit I am surprised – at how bad the Dbacks are, not the Dodgers. I had the Dodgers in it to the end of the year, which is still months away so I could be wrong about that yet.
Mark
I give Roberts and the players most of the credit, because of all the predictable injuries in the starting rotation.
Roberts has had to deal with all the injuries, in the starting rotation, as well, with starters that don’t pitch deep into games.
Let’s give the credit to the team and there manager and coaches, especially after Kershaw went down.
And now let’s see what the front office does, to help this team.
Didn’t like you before and and like you even less currently. Thanks for asking.
Mark-
Speaking for myself, yes, YTD they have exceeded my expectations. If they finish with 90 or more wins, that would be impressive because on paper this team is not THAT good. Sorry.
There’s still 2 months left in the season so a lot can happen.
The bullpen has been over worked….can they hang in for another 2 months. The starting pitching is being held together with bandages. The offense seems to be coming around but not sure AZ pitching is a good barometer.
But I would still ask, if they win 86, 88 or 90 games and do not make the playoffs, will it have been a good season?
The Nationals, Cubs, Marlins and Giants all have bolstered their teams. Even the Cardinals picked up a LH reliever. Still a few more hours to see what develops. I can see both sides of the argument regarding the Dodgers staying pat or making some trades. IMO, the time to make the moves were 1.) last years trade deadline and 2.) this past off season so we’ll see what the great and mighty FAZ decides to do.
Chili
That is why I give the credit to Roberts and his coaches, as well as the players.
They all made the best of the situation that the front office put them in.
Roberts had to keep the starting rotation going, after starter after starter, got hurt and couldn’t pitch.
He also had to deal with starters, that can’t pitch deep into games.
Kershaw was really the only starter, that Roberts could count on, to pitch deep into games.
Also Roberts had to figure out which relief pitcher to use in different situations of the game.
This is because the pitchers that were suppose to set up, couldn’t do there job, so Roberts had to find out which relief pitchers could do the job.
And Roberts and his coaches got all the players, to buy in to playing as a team.
And because of that, this team has still played hard, after Kershaw went down.
And this team suprised everybody, when they played even better, and and won more games, then when Kershaw was still pitching in the rotation.
What does this have to do with the front office?
Now let’s see what the great Faz does, to help this team.
The trade deadline is on them, to show how great they really are.
Chili
And you know even the best laid plans, don’t always work, and that is why I don’t think the Giants will be winning a World Series this year.
There team this year, is probably better, then the teams they had, when they won the World Series.
And everyone was suprised with what they did.
MJ,
I get what your saying about the Giants, and yes many times the team (in baseball) on paper to win a title usually do not. But that’s baseball. The other take is that it usually always takes a good team to win the title.
The Giants having Bochy, Bumgarner and Posey alone gives them excellent leadership come the post season and Bumgarner usually turns it up a notch. I sure wouldn’t bet against them…..well maybe if someone gave me the field.
Chili
I never under estimate the Giants, but it takes some fate to get there.
And the Giants have had there time.
But I never thought once, that the Giants wouldn’t turn it around.
Quiet in here.
Dope fiend. Only Mark uses the term, and for good reason. Dope: Mark. Fiend: addict. He’s addicted to himself.
So, would De Leon, Bellinger and Holmes for Archer be a junkie move? How about Urias and 4 others out our top 5 for Sale?
How about No Sale for anybody?
Badger
You don’t think that the front office values DeLeon as much as Urias.
I’m not sure what the FO thinks of De Leon. Since he’s been virtually invisible it would not surprise me to see him gone in a few minutes.
Front office HAS to value Urias more, if only because of the 4 year age difference! Give Urias 4 years and he’ll be a #2 starter at least in baseball, when he’s 23. Hopefully it’s for us, but if not, then he better net us someone like Sale or another young true #1. I would NOT trade him for Archer, but to me DeLeon is a good asset to give up for Archer.
Now, we have 3.5 hours to go!
Good points Bobby!
Jay Bruce headed to the Mets, via Buster Olney. Good, he and his horrendous defense would NOT fit with our pitching staff.
According to Ken Rosenthal, we just traded for Reddick and Rich Hill. So far, Jharrel Cotton going to Oakland
Holy moly, for these 2 Oakland guys, we gave up Cotton, Montas, and Grant Holmes
Montas has been injured his entire tenure with the Dodgers. First cervical rib resection surgery is no joke.
Cotton doesn’t have good secondary stuff.
Holmes hasn’t been developing quickly and doesn’t yet have good control.
They have Reddick for another year I think (team option).
This is the first what may be multiple deals. With Reddick on the team (he is a RF), expect to see Puig moved.
Hill on DL, so he fits in just fine. Plus he is a lefty who doesn’t throw hard. So there is that.
Glad to see team addressing its lack of DL depth.
Snider
Good one!
Reddick and Hill are both rentals. Hill is on the DL for a few more days. We better hope he comes off the DL throwing the same which was way above his career norms. Montas was destroying AAA when he went down. Thought he might be next year’s closer. Nice haul by Oakland. We can’t say FAZ did nothing.
No option on Reddick. And he’s below the Mendoza line vs LHP.
Bobby
I was afraid of Hill, look at what Chili has on Hill, farther down in the comments.
Blisters heal.
And that’s why they call us the LA Tampa A’s!
Dodgers Top Ten Prospects (going into this season)
1.SS Corey Seager
2.LHP Julio Urias
3.RHP Jose De Leon
4.RHP Grant Holmes
5.RHP Frankie Montas
6.RHP Yadier Alvarez
7.OF Alex Verdugo
8.OF Yusniel Diaz
9.1B/OF Cody Bellinger
10.RHP Jharel Cotton
So the FO just traded 3 of their top 10 prospects for 2 ‘rentals.’ Just looking at Reddick and Hill’s numbers, I would say that the A’s definitely traded these 2 at their highest value and would not have resign either player. This looks to be a steal of sorts for the A’s unless FAZ does not value their prospects as high as others do. Is Zaidi working for the Dodgers or the A’s?
The Dodgers traded a 24, 23 and 20 y/o for a 36 & 29 y/o…….
Chili
That is why I didn’t want them to make a deal with Billy Beane.
If this is all they do, this is a far cry from elite players.
Are you implying that the Master duped the trainee? Now why would he do that.
Advantage Oakland. Perhaps.
It’s ad out and the game is still alive. Blisters heal. Maybe. And Reddick can hit. Probably.
The chess game goes on. Trading pieces for a while longer.
Badger
I think they will trade Puig now.
If Hill is the only pitcher they get, they laid a big egg.
Reddick is hitting 297 and only has eight HRs, but he is a better defensive player then Bruce, and he doesn’t have a lot of strike outs, which is good.
Is he “elite”?
I was thinking Puig too MJ.
Feels like a lateral move. 36 year old on the DL and another lh outfielder?
But he is only hitting .176 against lefties……career average is .226 vs lefties. Probably explains his AB’s not being too high cause he sits against most lefties so basically another platoon player.
Let’s hear the cheers, FAZaholics…
Did everyone see that Cashner got hurt in his first start for the Marlins, and the Marlins sent him back to the Padres.
MJ,
Colin Rea was returned, not Cashner. Buyers remorse? HaHa
The Padres are returning one of the minor league prospects in the deal to the Marlins.
Chili
I guess I got that one wrong.
‘Hill, 36, is 9-3 with a 2.25 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. He’s emerged as a surprise borderline All-Star after compiling a total of four starts between 2010 and 2015. While few have ever questioned his talent, Hill has been a regular on the disabled list and seemed to be at a loss when it came to staying on the field over the last half decade. ‘
So with it being contract year, he’s doing everything possible to stay healthy and pitch well. 4 starts in 6 years coming into this season. Oh my!
Chili
Is Hill Anderson’s Siamese twin, that was separated at birth?
IDK. Maybe Badger can research that. But these guys can’t seem to get out of their way to pick up injury prone pitchers. It’s definitely in their DNA.
Rich Hill is the top of Summit Avenue in St Paul. Look it up. Lots of wealthy people live there. Old money.
Brett Anderson was seen at a donut shop a couple blocks from Summit Avenue.
That is the only connection I could find. But I’ll keep looking.
Most of the players they get are more like after-birth…
Not sure whey the Dodgers “have to” trade Puig after picking up a player who is not only a rental, but a platoon player. I’m not opposed to trading him for the right deal, but trading him because Reddick is a Dodger makes zero sense. This team still lacks a RH bat and trading one of the few the Dodgers have makes zero sense.
Agree. The 2 most urgent needs are reliable starting pitching and a proven RH bat.
Juan Uribe DFAed. Possible?
The instant result of trading for Riddick will be sending Tole back to Oklahoma, because he is a left-handed batting outfielder. Improvement? I doubt it.
Toles is the platoon I was referring to earlier. Reddick could be an offensive improvement. Hard to say. Toles looked ok to me.
Hill was having a good year right up until he wasn’t. Trading for a 36 year old on the DL is so ……… FAZ.
The Giants get Moore from Tampa pretty cheap in my book. We couldn’t top that?