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Written by Tamhas Woods
The Dodgers entertain the Orioles in a three part series that spans July 5-7, and it has the potential to be a hugely fascinating affair, with little to separate the sides in terms of their overall win rates. In the NL West, frustration has been a constant theme for the LA Dodgers, and it is only the recently uncompromising form of the San Francisco Giants which has prevented the Dodgers from establishing a prolonged reign at the summit.
Pictured: Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers are about to host the Orioles for the first time in 12 years. Prices for games involving the LA Dodgers can be found at Betfair (Betfair Casino).
CREDIT: UCinternational – CC BY 2.0
This latest chapter in the Dodgers-Orioles saga is the first since April 2013, when the Dodgers managed to score a consolation win in a 2-1 road series defeat. The Dodgers last hosted a series against the Orioles twelve years ago, claiming a three-game whitewash which bodes well for them, albeit only on a psychological basis.
That Dodgers whitewash over the Orioles was a huge boost to their cause when it came to winning the division and qualifying for the playoffs. The margin of Win % which won the division was just .012 in favor of the Dodgers over none other than San Francisco Giants. By contrast, the Orioles failed to qualify for the playoffs by virtue of a curiously terrible home record, which stood at 38-43.
Twelve years on, the situation has changed significantly for the Orioles, but the signs point at another three-game haul for the Dodgers. Though the Orioles spent much of June 2016 top of their own division, their form was not as consistent as any of the other division leaders in the American League, and they have been heavily reliant on home comforts throughout the current season.
However, weakly as they have travelled so far this season, it is a sign of the Orioles’ unpredictability that road wipeouts are not a frequent occurrence. When wipeouts have occurred, landslide victories in individual games have generally been a rarity, with geographical location having little impact on the Orioles’ margins of defeat.
Bookmakers’ Verdict
There is still much to play for in the interim, between now and the arrival of the Orioles in Los Angeles, and this will be reflected in the constant shifting of prices in the coming weeks. It is set to be a close race for victory in the NL West, but for outright victory in the National League, a Dodgers triumph currently ranges between +900 and +1400.
Hugely fascinating affair? Ok. If you say so. I’ll watch.
Bookmakers Verdict. My take? Don’t bet on the Dodgers.
Trade. Puig.
Ok.
Give me the details. I’ll run it through committee. Committees. Committed. AA. FAZ. The Grain Bin. Mr Byrnes. Homer. Scott. Oscar. And of course, Timmons.
Prepare yourself. There will be blood.
Rangers. Red Sox. A’s. Best hitting coaches. Other league.
Don’t trade. Puig.
yes he is way over rated..trade puig.. got a good arm and that it.
Ride Puig, he needs to continue learning and understanding what this is all about. Too much talent and too young to trade. Trade him and you trade a future superstar, you’ll regret it.
“Illigetimi don carborundum” Ah, words to live by.
Our coaches are not getting through to him. Doesn’t mean they won’t. Give me the trade idea. I’ll listen to anything at this point.
Stewart the 9th starting pitcher for Dodgers this year. Last year we had 16, I think. Will we match that this year? I think I remember an O/U of 12 being thrown out there. I don’t believe we will hit 16, but we will hit 12. We’re only 80 games in. By September this staff could be wore out.
Trade Puig when the Dodgers get better. Too many times right now, he is the only interesting thing going on.
Our starter tonight is a college guy with about 20 innings of pitching in college. He was an infielder. Zipped through the minors this year after a slow start last year. If he does well, it will be support for the notion that pitchers should be drafted who: 1) are from college and who have graduated; and 2) have pitched only limited innings in college. College graduates are physically more mature than high school graduates and physically stronger. If they can get through and have another primary position, other than pitching, their arm has a chance to strengthen gradually. The problem with what I have described is that those type guys are usually not very good pitchers and don’t get drafted, at least until the later rounds. Maybe all these guys should learn to pitch AFTER they are drafted so that arm strength can develop naturally while playing another position in college. I’m pulling extra hard for this guy tonight. Wasn’t Jansen a catcher?
Check out the misconception of depth article in Dodgers Nation. I agree with most of it.
Me too
Agree
Bobbie 17
You never get the best out of players, when they are not playing everyday, and getting consistent at bats.
Personally, I would be looking to trade most everyone on the major league roster not named Kershaw, Urias & Seager. FAZ has shown their inability to add to a championship caliber roster so might as well trade em. They are not going to sign any of them when their contracts end. It is ludicrous to hang onto players to the bitter end…..for what, a draft pick. Go acquire some ‘proven’ minor league talent. If they had a good eye for talent (or hired good people as scouts) than why not make some deals. There will be 10+ teams looking to improve their 2016 rosters for the pennant drive. Take advantage of it.
I’m of the mindset that Kershaw, Urias, Maeda, Seager & 21 other random players can play .500 ball so what is there to really lose this year.
Yes, trade Utley, Kendrick, Agon, Kazmir, Grandal, Turner, Hernandez, SVS, Blanton. Those I would be looking to ‘dump.’ Would also look to move Pederson, Puig & Jansen.
I prefer drafting big strong 18 year olds. College coaches have their careers to think about. Who knows what they have done to those pitchers arms. With 18 year olds, you can develop them at a safe pace. Having said that, what does the mountains of evidence on the issue have to say? How many of the top 50 pitchers in the Major Leagues went to college?
I think as long as we are in playoff contention there will be no sale of our aging platoon players, or our young knuckleheads. FAZ can point to the Wild Card and say “odds tell us the Wild Card team has as good a shot as any to win it all”. If the playoffs start today, we play Miami in LA and we win it with Kershaw on the mound. Of course, the next 3 games against the Cubs are going to be dicey, but, you know…. Wild Card….. Giants …..Cardinals…… Red Sox….. Angels…. Etceteras….
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs/brock-stewart-a-dodgers-project-set-to-debut/#more-224184
I just want to know how did any of you guys watch the game yesterday, with all of your discussion going on.
Badger
Not sure who you missed but we actually had 18 different starters last year.
Anderson(31), Baker(2), Beachy(2), Bolsinger(21), Frias(13), Yimi(1), Greinke(32), Huff(1), Kersh(33), Latos(5), Lee(1), McCarthy(4), Nicasio(1), Ian Thomas(1), Wieland(2) and Wood(12).
The year before we have 12 who started a game. I didn’t mean to correct you but just to point out it was worse than you stated. JFYI.
Actually you are right. I should have proof read before I posted. My bad
I know of one College coach who would let starters throw 140 pitches in a game. You better know the coach and if he cares for pitchers or if they are just a means to an end.
Interesting numbers: Extra base hits /AB/EBH%
Seager – 37/303/12.2%
Gonzalez – 18/272/6.6%
Turner – 25/256/9.8%
Utley – 18/250/7.2%
Pederson – 29/229/12.7%
Kendrick – 11/212/5.2%
Puig – 12/210/5.7%
Thompson – 20/193/10.4%
Grandal – 14/169/8.3%
Hernandez – 10/127/7.9%
Ellis – 5/100/5%
The Dodgers are, with just a couple of exceptions, a team of singles hitters. Not only are the batting averages low, they don’t hit with power either. Only 3 guys (Seager, Pederson, Thompson) have EBH% over 10%. Gonzalez is lower then everyone except AJ , Howie, and Puig. The Dodgers have only 4 players above the average derived from dividing all AB into all EBH in the NL this year, including the AB taken by pitchers!
What’s even more horrible is that the NL League average EBH%, INCLUDING PITCHERS, is 8.7%.
The Dodgers can’t keep hitting Gonzalez 3rd or 4th. They shouldn’t keep platooning Pederson.
Dodger rick
Those are really misleading stats.
Joc doesn’t hit many clutch HRs, or hits.
Nine of his 13 HRs, were solo HRs.
A HR or extra base hit, is not always better, especially if a player isn’t doing this, when people are on base.
Joc has trouble putting the ball in play, when it is needed, sometimes.
Just getting hits more often, is better then HRs, here and there.
How many strike outs and pop ups does Joc have, with runners are on base?
Also Joc doesn’t hit at the top of the order, like some of the other players you mentioned.
Joc doesn’t get pitched as tough, lower in the order.
Take a look at Agone’s stats away from Dodger stadium.
Agone is a proven player, and he went three for three yesterday.
Joc had one really good hit yesterday, with runners
in scoring position, and he hit in a run.
He hit the ball up the middle, but he hasn’t done much of that, since the first month of the season.
But he couldn’t put the ball in play, a couple times yesterday, with runners were in scoring position.
And he didn’t shorten his swing with two strikes either.
And when runners are on base, and Joc doesn’t shorten his swing, with two strikes, he isn’t being a team player.
I don’t like platoons either, but making contact, and having a good batting average means more to me, then some other stats.
Strike outs don’t do anything, and I bet Joc has the most strike outs, on the team.