If this keeps up, the Dodgers are going to start receiving a bulk discount on brooms. The Dodgers steamrolled the White Sox tonight, making this their fourth series sweep in a row, with two sweeps before and two after the All-Star break.
The Dodgers almost always win when they score first, and they set out to make that happen once again when leadoff batter Chris Taylor sent a ball screaming out of the stadium in the top of the first. That was only the first of four bombs the Dodgers unleashed on the White Sox, with two by Enrique Hernandez and another hit by Corey Seager.
Kenta Maeda gave everyone a bit of worry when he gave up a first inning home run, but the boys quickly let Maeda know they had plenty more runs in their bats tonight, as Kike went out and put the Dodgers ahead to stay with the first of his two homers in the second inning.
Maeda settled down after the home run and held the Sox scoreless over the next four innings. He picked up the win (and an additional cool million by making his 15th start) but still only went five innings. He gave up five hits and struck out three. Ross Stripling took over in the sixth and blanked the Sox until the game was called for rain in the eighth inning.
The Dodgers’ big inning was the sixth. They scored four runs, and amazingly, they did it without a single home run. They did it with singles and doubles, and good old-fashioned base running. It’s been a while since I saw an extended rally from these guys, who have really established themselves as a team of mashers. They now have seven different players with ten or more home runs apiece.
With the boys ahead 9-1, the game was called in the bottom of the eighth. Due to a downpour – of Dodgers runs – and some rain.
The Dodgers return home for an extended homestand that runs until the end of the month. Next opponent: Atlanta Braves.
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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I have to say my favorite trade rumor is getting Rivero/McCutcheon. Who would I trade? Joc, Forsythe, Tree Stump, Thompson, SVS, Romo, Hatcher, ??? Seven for two? Sounds fair to me, and I’d even throw in their salary, that can’t be much…
Jonah
I guess everyone else, likes Scott’s and Oscar’s writing , better then the guest writer like you said, since yours, was the only comment there.
The White Sox were not a great team before they traded most of the players off, so that wasn’t much of a game, but you got to make sure you win those games like that too.
And Dbacks lose again, and Martinez hurt his hand in that game, but X-rays were negative so he is day to day.
From MLBTR: Crasnick classifies the Dodgers’ interest in Orioles closer Zach Britton as “legitimate” but notes that they’re a bit cautious due to his 2017 forearm issues. Ken Rosenthal wrote yesterday that L.A. is reluctant to part with prospects Alex Verdugo and Walker Buehler in trades, and Crasnick echoes that statement while also adding righty Yadier Alvarez to the list. While the three aren’t quite “untouchable,” none of the three seems especially likely to go.
All three of those prospects should be off limits in a trade. Even some more sober commenters here and elsewhere are pretty quick to want to include Alvarez in a trade scenario. The deals that have been completed so far if anything tell us that you don’t have to give up the farm – literally – to upgrade the team.
Joc’s not getting dealt.
The only reason Joc won’t get dealt is that the other teams are not interested. On the Dodgers, he’s replaceable, and that’s a fact.
Of course he isn’t.
It’s not like the Dodgers are light on assets to move, but Tolesy would have been a wonderful trade piece (young, cheap, power) but he got hurt.
Barnes probably has magnificent trade value. Young, cheap great at framing. His WAR is top 10!
More on Barnes and his value here:
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2017/7/20/15992554/dodgers-trade-rumors-chris-taylor-austin-barnes-team-control-andrew-friedman-should-scare-you
To me, Joc has lost most of his value. A home run once a month or so just doesn’t pay his salary. Puig, Taylor, Toles (yeah, I know, injured), Verdugo, Kike and probably even Bellenger can play centerfield and hit better than Joc.
Bluto, that is an excellent article. Thanks for posting.
Jonah
I think Brach might be a better choice, because he was closing, when Britton was out.
He isn’t a leftie but since he had no trouble closing, he would to be a good setup guy, and he would make our bullpen stronger.
Because Baez has never pitched well in the post season, in the last three years, so I don’t totally trust Baez, in tough situations.
And Brach is healthy, and he is also less expensive, then Britton.
The problem with Britton is that he has had to go out twice this year, for forearm tightness.
I believe Brach’s contract goes through the 2018 season, so we would have him for an extra year, so he would not be a rental, like Britton would.
Is Brach available?
His contract is up this year, but he has one more arb year of team control.
Since his salary is lower than Britton and he’s healthier, and the Orioles haven’t shown an inclination to trade him, wouldn’t that increase his return cost?
Bluto
I read that he was one of the Orioles three relievers, that was available.
But if those factors you said are right, he would cost more, but like I said, I have read and seen different.
Bluto
There is a piece about the Orioles making their relievers available in MLB Trade Rumors, on the 18, of this month.
Sergio Romo waived.
Awwwwww
He still gets his $3MM.
Jonah
Maybe they are clearing a spot, for another arm in the pen.
It’s because Dayton is back and they didn’t want to put anyone back on the DL. So Romo gets DFA’d.
And thanks Bluto for that SB Nation article. Looks like the rest of baseball is starting to catch on to what we’ve been discussing here for two weeks. Namely that we a lots of quality catcher depth to trade and we can empty our many blocked and MLB ready prospects for the likes of Britton and Wilson.
Although I don’t agree that the Astros currently have a better playoff roster than us, but that’ll depend on how Keuschel and Co. do vs. Kershaw and Co. I like our starters over the Astros.
YF
I agree we do have better starting pitching.
The Astros probably are better at getting hits when runners are in scoring position, then us.
But I think the Nats match up with us, with starting pitching, but they don’t have the bullpen and closer we have.
But they too, have a lot of their starters, hitting for a high batting average, and their hitters, have OPS’s to match their very good batting averages.
And they are probably better, at having a productive offense, in general.
Because they have a better team batting average, but there too hitters, also have good OPS’s.
Bobby
I looked up Heywards and Puig’s advanced defensive stats to see how close they were this year, and Heyward had 12 defensive runs saved, and Puig only had 5 defensive runs saved.
But I think their other numbers are a little closer.
And I believe Betts has 20 something DRS.
Call them stats if you like but many of those “stats” are just one or several people’s opinions and that is ALWAYS subject to prejudice and human error.
Jonah
I agree but I have seen the balls that Betts gets to, and playing right field in Boston, is much harder, then playing right at Dodger stadium.
Betts was defensive player of the year, last year!
And he could be a pro bowler if he wanted to, that is how good of a bowler he is.
And in these defensive stats, they do take Puig’s arm in mind.
Actually Heyward has a pretty good arm too.
I don’t think it is quite as strong as Puig’s, but it isn’t that worse either.
I don’t know if these defensive metrics hold as much value, that they do, considering most outfielders make routine plays, most of the time.
Jonah
You will get to see Matt Kemp play in the series, that starts tonight.
MJ, you and Badger are right about them Russians being no good. A long time ago they infested half our country with Russian Thistle and it’s a constant problem where I live…
Jonah
Did that start the Red Scare?
I don’t necessary think the Russian people are bad, but I am not fond of any American that would help Putin and his corrupt government, interfere in a election in the US.
Putin is a killer, he probably had a few Russians that helped the Russian government, interfer in our election, killed so they couldn’t talk.
One guy took a dive off a tall building, and there was some suspicious heart atttacks too.
Putin has had someone poison a Russian that was going to run against Putin, or was part of an opposition party, twice already but the guy survived both times.
He and his family live in the US, so I don’t know why he went back to Russia again, to help out, but he is here now.
There have been some money laundering over here too, I wonder which American helped the Russians do this.
Pardon me.
The water is rising.
Help Agon pack his bags…. https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/888198921180327937
The Yankees can do better.
Even if Dodgers pay half his salary?
Nope.