The Dodgers prevailed in the bottom of the eleventh with a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night which gave them a two-game sweep of the shortened series. Matt Bush’s wide throw to the plate on the Austin Barnes weak grounder back to the box pulled catcher Carlos Perez off the plate to allow Enrique Hernandez to score the winning run. It wasn’t ideal but hey we’ll take the win.
This was a chippy bizarre game that saw the Dodgers blow a golden opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. The Rangers made three errors and the Dodgers took advantage. Yet the game remained stalemated until the eleventh inning. The Dodgers used six relievers (Edward Paredes, Scott Alexander, Josh Fields, Kenley Jansen, Erik Goeddel, Adam Liberatore) that tossed six shutout frames allowing just three hits, three walks, and five strikeouts. I was hoping that Kenta Maeda would give the Dodgers some innings to rest their weary pen, but alas that didn’t happen. Regardless the bullpen was fantastic.
The big question was whether Maeda would be effective in his first outing returning from a hip injury that had sidelined him for the last several weeks. For the record Maeda was ok, allowing just two earned runs on five hits across five innings. The Japanese right hander walked three and struck out one. He was not involved in the decision. His mound opponent Cole Hamels tossed six innings giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits over six innings. Hamels who the Dodgers were rumored to be interested in acquiring at the trade deadline several years ago struck out six but walked four.
Rangers 2 8 3
Dodgers 3 6 0
WP-Liberatore-2-1
LP-Chavez-2-1
HR-Turner-2
There was a strange scuffle at home plate in bottom of the third inning involving Matt Kemp and Texas backstop Robinson Chirinos. But let’s set the stage first before I get into the quarrel that resulted in both men being ejected. The Dodgers scored in the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead. Justin Turner went deep recording his second home run of the season. The Dodgers have now hit 30 home runs in the month of June. In the bottom of the second Yasiel Puig and Cody Bellinger walked and after a force play, Puig steals third base. He had the bag stolen but the throw from Chirinos was low. Former Dodger and future hall of famer Adrian Beltre was unable to pick the throw which bounced under his glove and into left field. Puig scores on the error and the Dodgers take a 2-0 lead.
The brawl in the third inning came from a play at the plate. Kemp singled and advanced to second on a throwing error shortstop Jurickson Profar. Enrique Hernandez singles to right and the Dodgers waive in Kermp to score from second. Nomar Mazara’s throw pulls Chirinos into the base running lane which gives Kemp no choice but to run right into Chirinos who easily tagged him out. The home plate collision rule requires the catcher to give the base runner a clear lane to the plate unless the throw pulls the catcher into the base running lane. Chirinos obviously annoyed gives Kemp a little shove. Kemp responds by shoving Chirinos right back and the benches clear. Both men are ejected after the ruckus. Kemp would have been out anyways, but the shove from Chirinos seemed unnecessary.
The Rangers still clearly angry from the third inning dustup rallied for two runs in the top of the fourth to tie game. Beltre doubles and Profar’s dunker single into left center brings him home, but Hernandez’s throw to the plate was close. The umpires originally call Beltre safe but the Dodgers challenged the call which was upheld. It was a bang bang play. You make the call………..
The game remained tied and we move to the bottom of the ninth. The Dodgers had a golden chance to win but they ran out of pinch-hitters. Former Dodger Jesse Chavez begins the inning by walking Yasiel Puig. Logan Forsythe’s ground-ball single into right moves Puig to third and the Dodgers have first and third with nobody out. With the Texas infield playing in, Austin Barnes comes to the plate with a shot to win the game. Remember with the Dodgers unable to get any kind of length from their starters meant that they had to burn through pinch-hitters earlier in the game (Breyvic Valera struck out for Maeda in the fifth, Max Muncy walked for Alexander in the seventh). It’s something I’ve been harping on and on about on this blog for years now. It has a cascading effect. Using a parade of middle relievers also means you have to hit for them when their spot comes up. So instead of having Muncy or Valera or anybody available to bat for the atrocious Barnes, (who struck out three times during an 0 for 5 night).
The Dodgers had Yasmani Grandal as the lone hitter left on the bench, but Kenley Jansen’s spot was on deck. So Barnes was left into hit and he immediately grounded into a weak double play that ruined the inning. Grandal would smash a deep fly to center but Delino DeShields made a leaping catch against the wall to rob the Dodgers of a walk-off.
Ironically Barnes would knock in the winning run in the bottom of the eleventh. Hernandez led off with a walk and tagged up to second on Bellinger’s fly out to left. The Rangers would intentionally walk Puig to try and setup a force play or double play. Reliever Matt Bush walks Forsythe to load the bases. Barnes hits a little bouncer to the mound as Hernandez was running on contact. It should have been at least an easy force out and possibly a double play, but Bush’s throw was wide as Enrique danced around the tag to score the winning run. Baseball is a strange game.
The Dodgers now improve to 35-32 and with Arizona’s loss earlier this evening move to within two games of first place in the National League West. Thursday is a scheduled off day for the boys in blue before the hated Giants come into town for a weekend series. Ross Stripling will take the mound in the series opener on Friday night while the Giants will counter with Derek Holland.
Our great starter, was the only pitcher who gave up any runs. IMO, he should have been yanked after 3 innings. That’s all we need from him. No problem with the relievers doing their job, Scott. It’s Roberts who is constantly over-managing and pulling guys after 1 inning. If you do that, you will definitely run into trouble as you will not only run through the bullpen, but your PHitters, too. Roberts is a poor in-game manager. We see this all the time. Those relievers are not wearing out. They were perfect today. Bringing Jansen in with a 2-2 score is dumb if you ask me. You wait to bring in your closer. Paitence.
We pick up a game on Arizona. 2 back and steadily closing. Az is looking very good again, scoring big time. It’s gonna be a dog fight.
Jeff, what’s your reasoning for wanting Roberts to wait on bringing Jansen into the game? It was already the 9th inning so Jansen wasn’t going to have an opportunity to save a game.
The score was tied. Jansen wasn’t coming in to save the game. He was coming in to hold it. We could have used another pitcher to do that and saved him in case we needed him later. That was my reasoning. Roberts tends to go through too many pitchers. Luckily, we had another chance to win it in the 10th.
Wait to bring in your closer?
Lol
Karma strikes. I thought Barnes has in fact tagged the runner out and we should have won 2-1.
I have no problem with the call on the collision – the ball was thrown in the path and Kemp went full bore into the catcher as he has the right to do under the circumstances. But the catcher had words for Kemp which was uncalled for. Kemp had every right to that path and there was no malice or gamesmanship whatsoever there. Show some respect for yourself.
Anyways we won on the Barnes nubber. I don’t actually think that’s an error – the pitcher made a really tough throw under the circumstances. If he has to collect himself he would have been late.
Think about the phrase “the ball was thrown into the path of the runner” for a minute.
It’s nonsense. The ball was thrown toward home plate. It may be on the third base side of the plate, but if you are standing inside the line you can certainly catch it before it “takes you into the basepath”. No matter where the ball is headed a catcher has plenty of time to receive it on the inside then take a step toward the runner. Every time I hear that term I bust out laughing. If you’ve ever played the game you know that concept is absolute bullshit. You either have to give a path to the plate or you don’t. You can catch the ball inside the line then step into the baseline or you cannot. Which is it?
As an umpire if I’m told the new rule clearly states you can no longer block the plate even with possession of the ball then I rule Kemp safe on obstruction. AND, I don’t throw anybody out of the game for that altercation. Heat of the moment. Go to your dugouts and cool off.
YF
What did you think of Hamels last night?
Our bats are not going to show up in every game, and the next two series are not going to get any easier, because we know the Giants won’t roll over, and I believe we go on a road trip after the Giants series, to play the Cubs and the Mets.
A few years back, I would have been pleased with getting Hamels. Now, I’m luke warm. He’s had a very good career, but this year his production has fallen. 18 homers given up already. HR’s are the kiss of death to a pitcher.
Jeff
I saw that before last night’s game, but I didn’t know that was the most in baseball.
But Hamels does pitch in a bandbox, and he must have pitched well last year, to only allow 17 HRs last year.
Did you know that Scherzer won the Cy Young one year, even though he gave up the most HRs in the National League?
HRs mostly kill a pitcher, only if there are runners on base, but no one wants to see a pitcher give up, a HR.
MJ, Hamels shut down the hottest hitting team in the league on a hot day in LA, with a bunch of walks. He battles and limits runs. He will give up the home run but the home runs are being given up league wide. Its June, but I think he’s still got something left for one more postseason run if he can get it. I’d trade a starter prospect and a catching prospect for him, like Yadier Alvarez and Farmer. And that’s because I’m not too impressed with our prospects these days outside of Keibert Ruiz. I’m not sold on Will Smith, Verdugo and the rest of our pitching prospects.
Hamels makes $23 million a year. Why are we discussing Cole Hamels trade talks? He’s not coming here.
The most important point about Arizona this year, is that we only have two more series against them this year, so we have to keep them close.
Bert Blyleven gave up 430 HR’s in his career and still won 287 games. Kershaw gave up 23 last year and won 18 games. HR’s do not kill you if they are solo shots. It is the big booms that drive up your ERA and lose games. Hamels has given up 282 HR’s in his career and is still a 54.2 WAR player over his career. He has given up double digit HR’s every year he has been in the majors. Colon has given up 426 in his career, leads the majors with 19 this year and is also a 40 plus war player over his career. You can give up dingers, but as long as a majority are solo shots, especially if your team does not score a lot of runs, you can win a lot of ball games. You also have to factor in where your team plays. Dodger Stadium is a pitchers park. Arlington is a hitters park. Kershaw gave up 4 dingers in a game last year and won.
Well Michael, when I didn’t see your post this morning, I thought you turned into a pumpkin, on your birthday today, Happy Birthday!
Naw, I slept in a little then had to go on face book and answer all of my birthday wishes since I was in face book jail until noon. Thank you for the birthday wishes. By the way, the original group of people who started that whole split from California thing actually wanted to take most of No Cal not including Sacramento and part of southern Oregon and form a state called the State of Jefferson…..weird stuff.
Michael
That sounds somewhat religious, for some reason.
But I hear there are plenty of former California residents in Oregon anyways, my brother lives there, but my sister in law, rather be in Southern California, during the winter.
That sure doesn’t sound like a winning proposition to me.
The worse thing about Southern California is the cost of living, as you, and Badger, both know.
Yeah it did, but they had T-Shirts printed with Thomas Jefferson’s picture on them. I just thought it all was a little weird. Cal’s cost of living is way too high. One of the reason’s I did not retire there. My car insurance would be probably 100 dollars a month more than it is now. Oh yeah, y’all have Governor Moonbeam too…..
Michael
That sounds somewhat religious, for some reason.
But I hear there are plenty of former California residents in Oregon anyways, my brother lives there, but my sister in law, rather be in Southern California, during the winter.
That sure doesn’t sound like a winning proposition to me.
The worse thing about Southern California is the cost of living, as you, and Badger, both know.
Did you see the Marlins took the Giants to the 14th inning, so the Giants bullpen will probably be wore out, before this series starts?
Looks to me like Governor Brown is doing for California what he did for Oakland – bringing it back from the brink.
The only honest way to get out of debt is to stop borrowing money, tighten the belt and pay your bills. Oh, you can stiff your creditors and file for bankruptcy, multiple times, like some people we all know do, but that doesn’t work for the people. Yes, California cost of living is higher, and we all wish it wasn’t, but California is doing a lot of things right.
Right? Ole Moonbeam is off his rocker. You can’t afford to buy gas there. The taxes are outrageous. That is one of the reasons my sis is considering moving the hell out of there. I am glad I left when I did.
Longoria had his finger broken today on a hit by pitch. Probably will not be available for this series.
Michael
I saw that, but at first I didn’t think it was that much of a big deal, because I didn’t think Longoria was really producing well.
But he leads the team with HRs and RBIs.
Looks like the Panda will be at third tomorrow night.