Gooooooooood mooooorniiiinnnggg L.A.! It was an early morning 9 a.m. start for Dodgers fans today.
Angelinos awoke to plenty of news: Corey Seager was still missing from the Dodgers lineup. Charlie Culberson‘s call up turned out to be no more than a cup of coffee, as he was optioned back down. LHP Grant Dayton was called up, along with today’s SP, Julio Urias.
LP (Lousy Pitcher) Chris Hatcher was moved to the 60-day DL. And the Dodgers were facing undefeated (!) Stephen Strasburg. Whew! Now to the game.
1st inning
Dodgers
The Dodgers said “Good Morning” to Strasburg with a Justin Turner two-run shot. 2-0 (Adrian Gonzalez was already on with a double)
Nationals
Bryce Harper picked up a sac fly RBI. 2-1
2nd inning Dodgers 2-1
Nationals
Julio Urias with three Ks through two.
3rd inning Dodgers 2-1
A Dodgers rally. Chase Utley and Howie Kendrick with singles.
Adrian Gonzalez delivered the butter and eggs with another single. 3-1
(No outs)
Justin Turner got the green light on a 3-0 count, swung at a high pitch (maybe ball four?) and drove it over the CF wall for a 3-run bomb! 6-1
Nationals
Urias 1,2,3. Job done.
4th inning Dodgers 6-1
Nationals
Another good inning for Urias. Good infield defense helped along the way.
5th inning Dodgers 6-1
Nationals
Urias out. Pedro Baez in.
Baez dragged out the inning. Dodgers announcers clocked him at 20 seconds between pitches. Eventually, job done.
6th inning Dodgers 6-1
Luis Coleman in.
An RBI double made it 6-2.
J.P. Howell in.
7th inning Dodgers 6-1
Dodgers
Yasiel Puig pinch hit and came up lame (again!) about 4 steps shy of first. He was called out, and immediately went from the field to the clubhouse. We’ve seen this way too many times.
Nationals
Joe Blanton in.
Nationals chipping away. Another run. 6-3
8th inning Dodgers 6-3
Nationals
Adam Liberatore in.
Job done.
9th inning Dodgers 6-3
Dodgers
All hands on deck! Kenta Maeda in to PH. K! That turned out to just be silly.
Kenley Jansen vs Nationals
Daniel Murphy: 10-pitch at bat. F8
Bryce Harper: Single. DI to second. Sacrificed to third.
Rendon: F7
Wilson Ramos: Three pitches, three strikes! Save Jansen
Dodgers Win! 6-3
Julio Urias had another very good outing today. His fastball wasn’t overpowering, but his change-up had excellent late movement and fooled most of the Nationals’ batters. He picked up lots of wild swings at balls out of the strike zone. It’s too bad he was only allowed to go four innings. I get that he hadn’t pitched in a while, but with an overtaxed bullpen, and a pitcher in a groove, I say shoot for one more possibly short and sweet inning.
Over the last two games the Dodgers bullpen has begun slipping out of its rarefied air. They again allowed the opponents to chip away and turn a big lead into a too close for comfort game.
Bummer File: Yasiel Puig coming up with a hamstring injury yet again. There goes his season, and there goes any trade value the Dodgers had gained when he was playing well after last coming off the DL. At this point, it’s not about me or you being done with Puig – his hamstrings are done with baseball.
The Dodgers offense scored early and often, but the big man at the plate today was Justin Turner. The skipper moved Turner into the cleanup spot, and JT responded with two home runs and five RBIs.
Sidenote Bright Spot: The Dodgers handed Strasburg his first loss of the season, and their six run game was the first time a team had scored that many off Strasburg that since early last season.
Julio Urias went 4 innings with 1 run, 5 hits, 0 walks, 4 Ks ERA 4.69
Home runs: Justin Turner (2)
Team with RISP: 3 for 6 Bat .500 WRISP and you win. Not rocket science.
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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Smoke and mirrors. They beat team they should be losing to and lose to a team that they should own. BP over stretched again. Is there a starter on this team, other than Kershaw who can go 7???? At least they win and put pressure on the Gnats.
Good game. But seven relief pitchers? Only one left after Jansen was LHP Drayton. Would loved to have seen Drayton in instead of Avilan but His time will come and soon.
I wonder what exactly his pitches are and how hard. 85 K’s in 48 innings and with control. He must be doing something right.
They got him for Chris Reed. Now, if they could just trade Anderson like that…
Days like today is what makes baseball so cool. A rookie vs and Ace who is unbeaten and the Dodgers beat him soundly. If you have a crappy outlook on the team, you can’t enjoy this stuff. I love it!
If before the start of the season you were told that the Dodgers would have most days lost to the DL in the National League ever and that Clayton would be on the DL, you would probably be bummed out. Well, that’s what happened and we are still in it. Very much so.
On Kershaw: I don’t speculate on things I know nothing about. Even if you are doctor, you don’t know without seeing the X-Rays and MRI’s. I do know that disc problems are not good. Things can go South in a hurry, Cancer is not good. If you have cancer, it can go South in a hurry too. But, it didn’t for Jon Lester. Often, you get what you believe. Lester was a fighter and so is Clayton. Different injury, same healing.
Chris Archer for Puig, Alvarez and Holmes. I’m in for that! Do not trade De Leon or Stewart or Bellinger, Verdugo or Calhoun!
Drayton is no spring chicken. Guy is 28 years old…
Good thing they brought Turner along. We’re going to miss him.
He wants to stay in LA. I’d do 3 years/$60 million, but some dope-fiend will likely pay more.
Mark
I think Turner might sign a team friendly contract.
Everyone who is over 30 and upright has a disc bulge in his back or neck or both. The fact that Kershaw has a disc bulge is not the end of the world.
Spinal anatomy is complex. We don’t know if there is a free disc fragment, whether there is nerve root impingement from a disc or just nerve root irritation, whether there is a facet joint problem, whether there in instability such as spondylolesthesis, or any number of other things.
No one here knows enough to know whether Kershaw has a serious problem or not or whether he needs surgery or not. In the last 30 years I have handled 1000’s of spinal injury cases and most resolve without surgery, even people with physically arduous jobs.
I don’t want to speculate about Kershaw but the odds are good that he will be back this year.
Dodger rick
I agree if Kershaw didn’t injure himself further, there is a good chance he can come back.
It sounds like to me, that Kershaw caught this very early, because I read that a mild heriated disc can actually go back to normal.
And non of us really know.
I don’t understand why they would want Kershaw to build up his oblique, while he is trying to heal.
I know our oblique supports our backs, but I would think that is something for Kershaw to do in the off season.
MLB.COM reports that the Dodgers are the front runner to obtain Chris Archer, a 70% chance. There is also speculation that they are working on a couple of other deals to get an impact player…
A good pitcher would certainly be welcome but I think their most glaring need is a good run producing outfielder. Or better yet a catcher. Ellis showed once again he has nothing left.
I heard on the MLB Channel that someone offered the White s’Sox a kings ransom, to get Chris Sale.
I don’t think it was us, because I don’t think we need another leftie starting pitcher.
Not to mention that FAZ wouldn’t offer a king’s ransom for even a king.
Unless that king had a history of injuries…
Nice one.
Well struck.
Without Kershaw, what can Archer do?
If FAZ has seen enough of some of the prospects to think they are not elite, then they might trade a couple of them if they can get one young controllable player just to get a young controllable player that is better than the ones they gave up.
But I don’t think they trade for Archer or Gray to try to win this year if they don’t think Kreshaw will return this year. If so, going after Archer means that FAZ thinks Kershaw will return this year.
Bum
They would get to young pitchers, that have adorable contracts.
So they would be thinking about more then just this year.
Look below what I just wrote.
That is suppose to be affordable
I just read about the mention of Kershaw and surgery, in TrueBlueLA.
No doctor or the Dodgers, told Roberts that Kershaw needed surgery.
Those are only Roberts own speculation, because Kershaw had a set back.
Roberts really doesn’t know for sure.
Go read the article in True Blue LA.
Make sure your reading about Kerhaw and sugery, not just his back problem.
The article about surgery is farther down in True Blue.
It is causing him pain and limiting his effectiveness. It has happened before. It will happen again. At some point there will be surgery. It will not cure the problem forever. Life’s a b–ch!
There is always a price tag on anything we have. Great things have great price tags.
Wondering
Not necessarily.
You better look up what a mild heriation is.
Wondering
if
If he gives it more time this time, he might be fine.
And to avoid it in the future, he will have to build up his strength in his oblique, and that new muscle will support his back better.
Back issues, herniated disk, I know about. They just don’t heal themselves once you get them effecting your lower torso. I’ve had three micro surgeries. It can be a miracle cure. My guess on him not talking is the nerve impact in the legs. If he has what I think he has, best to fix it now and he’ll be ready next year. I wish him only the best luck.
Voice of Reason… and experience.
I had the large heriated disc my doctor has ever saw.
I had a surgery twenty years ago.
They told be I would be 70 percent better.
And I am better then that.
We don’t know anything, and you better look up what a mild heriated disc actually is.,
KERSHAW WILL HAVE SURGERY
or he won’t!
Them theres the facts!
Who knows?
Move along… there’s nothing to see here folks!
Oh, I think there’s something to see here. I’ll say it.
I will be very surprised if Kershaw pitches again this year.
Badger
Did you read the True Blue LA article?
Yes
Cargo in the rumor mix? Another left handed hitter who will be benched vs south paws.
Artie boy
That was a good one!
Another gem. We’ve got this all figured out.
John Sickels has an interesting scouting report on Grant Dayton, who was not on anyone’s radar, evidently because he is not a hard-thrower:
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2016/7/21/12249300/mlb-rookie-report-grant-dayton-lhp-los-angeles-dodgers
He sounds like he could be a useful piece…
A lot of guessing going on here. The only thing we know for sure are the players on the field. We took two from Washington. Now let’s take two from St, Louis. Puig is probably gone. He is now ours. Nobody will take a chance with him. He cannot stay on the field.
In my opinion, Pederson will never make it, if he continues on his path. He has not and will not learn. He still swings very hard. He does not adjust. He is the one I would trade. He has value.
Finally FAZ has made the decision on Hatcher. I doubt he is injured. He will be doing bull pen sessions trying to get it figured out. I think he was offered a decision to go on the DL or be released.
Actually, Hatcher is really injured. They say he can’t breathe without pain. It’s a severe oblique strain which is why they moved him to the 60 day DL.
12 Players on the DL, including our Ace who is the best there is;
Our best player out sick the whole series
We go into the Home Park of the team that is tied for the fewest losses in the NL and take the series.
When Kershaw went down, I said “This could be a good thing,” and many questioned my sanity. I think this has caused everyone to step up as a result. I have no clue if Clayton will be back this year, but I wouldn’t bet against him.
I have had lumbar disk problems all my life and at one time was bent over like a 90 year-old man. I was told I needed surgery, but I went to a kinesiologist who game me a regimen of back exercises. I was in excruciating pain doing them for about 60 days and then one morning I woke up and the pain was gone. If I neglect the core exercises, the pain returns, but at age 62 I have still avoided surgery.
I’m sure Clayton has the same info at his disposal.
Mark
I was wondering
about doing the excercises to strengthen the core muscles while being hurt.
And how long ago did you start doing that?
Because that was part of what they were wanting Kershaw to do.
And medical technology is always getting better, and of course Kershaw gets the best doctors, and the best of everything.
About 35 years ago. I still have the “stick-figure” drawings that he made.
Thanks Mark.
Yeah, guessing is what we do.
What do we really know? As you say, results on the field are the only empirical evidence that what management has done is actually working.
And the team is still on pace for 90 wins and a possible playoff spot. I still find it hard to believe this is a championship team, but the last one we had was a serious underdog too. It can happen. The question for me is – does FAZ believe in this present group enough to do what they were not willing to do when they had both Kershaw and Greinke? I anxiously await the moves.
Badger
Do you just think the Dodgers are just being tight lipped about Kershaw, like they have about everyone else, and that is why you believe that Kershaw might have further injured himself.
Yes, I do.
Somebody knows what the correct course of action is. From what I know about these things, which is limited, and from what I’ve read on this issue, several journal articles, first and foremost you must stop doing that which likely caused the problem. Kershaw must rest the injury to prevent further damage. That is a no brainer. The term “mild” simply means it hasn’t exploded yet. It’s the small leak in the dam. Ignore it and the dam will break.
From my limited frame of reference the first thing is to stop running and get localized therapy on it for several weeks. Take it easy man. I’m sure somebody in the inner circle knows this and is advising accordingly. Since nobody knows here the degree of damage there is no way of knowing if surgery is planned, but my guess is we won’t likely hear anything but spin until after July 31st. I believe the approach of teams dealing with the Dodgers would be different if they knew for a fact Kershaw was out for the year.
So, we guess. My guess is he’s done for ’16, and that is primarily an exercise in caution as I don’t believe this team, as it is currently constructed, makes it worth the risk.
Badger
That is why I thought it was odd, that the Dodgers would say Kershaw possibly might need a surgery.
But it looks like Roberts spoke out to soon.
Because like you said, they don’t want other teams, to know they are vulnerble, and need a good starting pitcher badly.
I do think Kershaw really didn’t take it easy like he should.
If I was the Dodgers, I wouldn’t have wanted Kershaw to go to the allstar game, because that would tempt him just to do more.
Kerhaw is probably kicking himself now, because he might of rushed it a little, and this is something that Kershaw can’t control.
Patient isn’t easy for most, but it is even harder, when you are young, and feel invincible.
Good point Badger. If the brass was unwilling to go for it when they had Kershaw and Greinke, are they willing or even capable of rolling the dice when the odds are really against us going all the way this season? If I had to guess, I don’t think they will be willing and are going to stand pat, collect the ticket sales, parking fees, concession stand sales and wait for another year or two. Sadly, if they are making gobs of money do they really ever consider going for it? These guys are doing this for the cash not the love of the Dodgers, the Dodgers fans or the city of LA, it is all about the investment. This ain’t the O’Malleys and the Dodgers Way anymore. Sad but true, but I’m still TrueBlueThru&Thru!
http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Hillary+Clinton+Hillary+Clinton+Campaigns+-eHst-tMBNAl.jpg
Sad but true. They’ll get $300 MM from TWC if they don’t sell even one ticket or Dodger Dog. On the other hand, they have a… what… $240 MM payroll? Never have so many paid so much for so little.
http://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/scalefit_630_noupscale/5790f245130000140005f276.jpg
The front office have egos, that is obvious.
When people have a lot of money, sometimes they seek other things, then more money.
I really don’t know about this year, but the Dodger owners, and the front office, are going to want a world championship.
That is something, that money just can’t buy, so I think they are motivated to win at least one World Series.
And a World Series will bring more money in.
I don’t think they counted on winning a World Series this year, but sometimes best laid plans, don’t happen, when you want them to happen.
And that is why I think the Giants won’t be winning it all again for a while.
The Giants won those World Series, and they were not even close to being the best team in baseball.
And I think this year’s Giant team, is probably better, then the teams, that won the World Series.
In baseball, more then other sports, the best teams don’t always win it all.
I think fate plays a big hand in baseball, and sometimes the least thing that you think will happen, happens.
And that is why they have to play the game, to find out.
I don’t like Roberts platoon line up, but I think he has done a pretty good job, up to now, especially with all of the injuries, he has had to deal with.
He has this team, still trying to come back and win games, in the later innings, and that is something, that the teams Mattingly managed, didn’t do.
Scott
Some how I accidently added an U after my name, and I fixed it, after I put my last comments through.
No worries mj
The fact of the matter is that they are not turning a profit and they have to do that soon! They will be close this year and then next year and the year after should be profitable. They have to get ROI.
exactly what I mentioned above, they are in it for the investment. If they think they are better off making money without having to invest into the moves for a championship, they will stand pat. If good return requires further investment they will make it. A Championship is only a tool that may or may not be required for the corporation. I will go a step further, if a group came in and offered to buy the club that Gruggs thought was a better return than holding the club, they would start the paperwork on selling the club in a heartbeat.
There was a headline in one of the Cardinal’s blogs, that said that the Cardinals should destroy the Dodgers this weekend.
I hope Roberts saw this, and put it in the dugout, or in the club house, so the players, can see this headline.
It was in the Cardinal blog, that name is in Spanish, that translates to the birds live, or probably long live the birds.
I’m still on the fence when it comes to us making a big deal at this time. Will Chris Archer get us into the playoffs? Will CarGo, or another hitter, get us into the playoffs this year? We all know, once we’re in, anything can happen. We couldn’t win in the playoffs with Kersh and Greinke, so what makes us think we can do anything without those 2? However, I’d rather be in, than be out.
Will these deals help not only in 2016, but all the way thru 2019-2020? How many of our kids will be dealt away? Do we have younger kids that could replace the older kids we trade? Is DeLeon ready to come up now? Do we see him as a #2 or #3? If so, is it worth dealing him for a struggling 2 or 3 like Gray or Archer? If we don’t get to the playoffs this year even with an Archer or Gray, does it still set us up for a strong 2017, with having Kersh , Archer/Gray, Urias, etc in the rotation?
If DeLeon is dealt, who takes his place as our top pitching prospect? Brock Stewart? Holmes? Oaks? Yadier Alvarez? Mike Bolsinger (joke)
What do u all think?
Bobby, you have asked the $64,000 question – if these Dodgers couldn’t win the past 2 years with Kershaw and Greinke, what makes you think that they can win without him? The offense is worse, the bullpen is pitching better, and the rest of the rotation has an ERA over 4.50.
They are winning now – can they keep it up?
If Kershaw is coming back this year, then adding a bat and an arm makes sense for the short term.
If he’s not but the bat and arm aren’t just rentals, then a trade could make sense for the long term as well – that’s why the interest in guys like Archer.
Bobby
Considering we don’t have all of the info it is hard call to make.
But I would tend to be more conservative about my choices.
I wouldn’t trade any of the top prospects away.
But if there is someone out there, that can help this team, that doesn’t cost any of the top prospects, I would consider doing that.
But if it is only a rental, I would try to not give up to much.
Other then the pitchers that have been talked about,
most of the position players that I have seen linked to the Dodgers, really wouldn’t help the Dodgers, that much.
So I wouldn’t bring any of the position players, that have seen linked to the Dodgers, to the Dodgers.
That Yankee Giant game today, is going to be a good match up.
Bumgarner and Tanaka are pitching.
That is, if you can stomach watching Bumgarner pitch.
They start an hour before us.
I see we are facing Walka tonight.
I hope he isn’t pitching that well yet, because those Cardinal games, are always so stressful.
I hope Cory is back too.
And I hope Roberts has, Utley, Cory, Agone, Turner, and Howie at the top of the order tonight.
An example of our problem – the giants pay Madison Bumgarner $9.75 million, we pay Brett Anderson $15.8 million.
That said, I still don’t believe the Dodgers are losing money. And even if they are, they keep spending it on Cuban players so apparently money is no object. The object is the object and clearly the object is young talent regardless of cost or origin. What they don’t want to do is sign aging stars, even if those players improve the “now” odds.
The Cardinals should be favorites in every game in St Louis.
What happened to Heyward?
Bobby, hard to predict what these FAZ guys see with this team. And maybe their evaluation of those untouchables at last year’s deadline has changed. They thought enough of Hatcher, Hernandez and Barnes to bring them in – how’s that working out. I still believe the target date is later. But again, I don’t know what these guys have in mind.
Badger
I like the Dodgers as the underdogs anyways.
The Cardinals have been a bad team at home this year.
We are not facing Wainwright, and I don’t know if we’re facing Carlos Martinez, because that was up in the air, when I read the pitching match ups.
We took the series at home, but you never know.
I want to know why we haven’t seen DeLeon pitch in the majors yet?
He is the other big pitcher in our minor league system, and he is older then Urias.
I would like to see him pitch at the major league level, and see how he handles himself, and how well he pitches.
Next week!
I hope so Mark!
Badger
I saw the Giants president on ESPN the other day.
And he said that they teach, and learn the Giant way, from the bottom of there farm system, to all the top.
They must have some good hitting instructors, in there system.
The way most of there prospects come up, and are able to hit.
And I bet they preach contact, and shortening your swing, with two strikes, especially with runners in scoring position.
Because that is what most of the Giant players do.
And that is what makes them work so well as a team offensively.
I think every club would say the very same thing, and they teach, or try to teach, the same things. I think their advantage over the Dodgers is stability in scouting and teaching departments, because they haven’t had four (or is it five?) different owners in the last twenty years. We had our share of pennants and ROYs when we had a stable organization.
Dodgers did that for years, especially during the O’Malley era. Al Campanis wrote a book about it that I used to own called : The Dodgers way to play baseball. Stressed fundamentals and situational hitting. But these days teams do not even take infield before games.
The Dodgers overhauled their scouting department recently. They must have agreed the people there needed to be replaced. Might take a while to see if those changes produce results.
The Dodgers replaced about 50% of the coaches and managers in the minors over the off-season and the interesting thing is that most are still unemployed. They weren’t wanted by other organizations either.
Ditto on Crawfish and Guerrero. Any team could get them for the minimum, but they ain’t even payin’ ‘dat!
Fact check…..
Stubbs and Radonsky are both still working. If Berryhill, the PCL Manager of the Year in 2015, is not working it’s his choosing. Without looking any further I think it’s safe to say everyone who was working last year is still working if they want to be. Crawford can play if he wants to, as can Guerrero. They may just take the rest of the year off and sign a minor league deal next year ….. again, if they want. They may not want for all we know.
I don’t know where the scouts ended up but I think they found jobs somewhere. Who in that line of work can afford to take a year off?
The Dodgers still own and will be paying them through next year. This applies to both of them but I don’t even want to hear the name “Crawford”. Guerrero could and should indicate to the Dodgers that he would like to sign a minor league contract, go to Tulsa or OKC, and learn to play several positions and see just how well he can hit with consistent at bats. It would open up opportunities with this and other organizations.
Guerrero is headed to Japan!