My god Brandon McCarthy is bad. The Dodger’s “experiment” of using the tall veteran right hander as a reliever failed miserably in Friday evening’s 9-3 loss to the Giants in the opening game of the final three game series. McCarthy allowed 6 runs and was unable to retire a single batter and provided more proof why he should not be anywhere near the Dodger’s postseason roster. Honestly the guy should do himself and everyone else a huge favor and just call it a career. Seriously Brandon, hang up your spikes because the guy has nothing left. The guy is toast.
This afternoon the Dodgers will play the second game of the series as Clayton Kershaw will counter rookie left hander Ty Blach. The Giants still hold a one game advantage over the Cardinals for the second National League wild card. The Mets clinched at least a tie for the other wild card spot last night.
Dodgers Lineup @ San Francisco
Today's Dodger lineup:
Kendrick LF
Turner 3B
Seager SS
Puig RF
González 1B
Grandal C
Pederson CF
Utley 2B
Kershaw P— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 1, 2016
Clayton Kershaw 12-3 vs. Ty Blach-0-0
Game Time – 1:10 PM – TV-SNLA- KTLA 5
So who is this Ty Blach? He’s a 25-year old left hander from Denver, Colorado. He was drafted by the Giants in the fifth round of the 2012 amateur draft. This is just his second MLB start and fourth major league appearance. He’s tossed 9 innings and allowed 2 earned runs on 5 hits while striking out 4. In his first appearance in the majors he tossed 3 shutout innings against the Rockies back on September 5 in front of his home town crowd. On September 21 Blach pitched 3 shutout innings against the Dodgers in relief.
According to the scouting report Blach has three pitched with a fastball in the low 90’s. Apparently he demonstrates good control but lacks a viable out pitch to put hitters away. Blach had a career 6.2 strikeout per nine rate in the minor leagues and is also a great fielding pitcher.
Clayton Kershaw will be making his final tune up before the postseason. This is his 21 start of the season and he is 12-3 with a 1.65 ERA in 142 innings pitched. He’s struck out 168 and walked just 10 which has given him a 17-1 strikeout to walk ratio. Kershaw has faced the Giants four times this season and is 2-0 with two no-decisions.
In his last start he tossed seven shutout frames against Colorado and has a grand total of one walk in the month of September. Kershaw is 18-7 with a 1.58 ERA in 34 career starts against the Giants. Those include 5 shutouts and 274 strikeouts. Kershaw is 10-3 with a 1.30 ERA in his career pitching at At&t Park. Four of those five shutouts were pitched in San Francisco.
Kershaw vs. Giants
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Buster Posey | 91 | 88 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 16 | .227 | .253 | .330 | .582 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Angel Pagan | 68 | 66 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 15 | .273 | .294 | .348 | .643 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Hunter Pence | 64 | 63 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 16 | .095 | .109 | .095 | .205 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Brandon Belt | 52 | 48 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 26 | .063 | .135 | .083 | .218 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Gregor Blanco | 31 | 28 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | .179 | .258 | .179 | .437 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Crawford | 27 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | .115 | .148 | .115 | .264 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Madison Bumgarner | 21 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 12 | .200 | .200 | .500 | .700 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Panik | 15 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .267 | .267 | .267 | .533 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kelby Tomlinson | 15 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .000 | .067 | .000 | .067 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denard Span | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Cain | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .111 | .111 | .111 | .222 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ehire Adrianza | 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .125 | .125 | .500 | .625 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gorkys Hernandez | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .400 | .571 | .600 | 1.171 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gordon Beckham | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .400 | .500 | .400 | .900 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Johnny Cueto | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jarrett Parker | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevor Brown | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Conor Gillaspie | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eduardo Nunez | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Peavy | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 449 | 429 | 70 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 16 | 140 | .163 | .197 | .221 | .418 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
The Dodgers return to a more normal lineup today as Howie Kendrick bats lead-off and Chase Utley will man the keystone. Yasiel Puig is back in right field and the rest of the regulars have returned to the lineup. Remember these last two games are simulcast on KTLA 5 as Vin Scully broadcasts the final games of his legendary career.
The Dodgers need to get with the program and give the Giants some payback. It would seem they have the advantage today with a better pitching match-up. No more experiments please. I better not see Brett Anderson enter in the sixth inning this afternoon. Seriously or I will gouge my eyes out.
Go Blue!
Some good news so far as far as WC is concerned:
Mets- 5 Phillies – 3 in the 9th
Pirates and Cards tied in the 8th 3-3
also: Marlins and Nationals start at 4:05 EST
I want HFA vs the Nationals and have Gnats watch PS on TV.
Kersh looks good so far. Rookie lefty for the Gnats pitches like his hair is on fire. Gonzo has only hit so far……Cardinals beat the Pirates…..
You know, if Baez would pitch like that he might be unhittable. You can make a sandwich and drink a beer between his pitches.
We look horrible today. Who is this rookie anyway????
This rookie
pitcher is really nothing special.
It always seems like someone ambushes Kershaw for one HR when the offense is like this.
Bobby
The Giants are having better at bats against Kershaw, then the Dodgers are having against the rookie pitcher.
And Howie shouldn’t be batting at the top of the order.
He doesn’t have patient at bats, and isn’t hitting at all.
He needs sit on the bench, because he isn’t helping the team.
He is an automatic out lately.
Guess we’re seeing what happens when the regulars play against lefties.
Hawkeye
That might be true or not, because this is the first time all year.
But we face another leftie tomorrow.
On the bright side…….
i got nothing
Bobby
All of the positive momentum we had yesterday was taken, after going ahead of Bumgarner, by putting McCarthy into the game.
The four times that McCarthy was on a team that went to the post season, he never pitched in those four post seasons.
And there has to be a reason for that.
He must have been hurt, or not effective.
There could really be something behind playing it out as scripted. If you think of how the “so called” home field advantage did for us the last couple times it’s where Dodgers got eliminated and the opposite occurred not having it. However HFA would be important for the Pennant vs Giants, and that could very well come to be. I don’t think it could be much sweeter than taking Giants out in the league championship playoffs. It seemed to me if Dodgers wanted some runs today all they’d of had to do was swing their bat a tad more aggressively. Those pitches weren’t all that fancy!
Well, Friday and Saturday we go to DC.
Wait, I know what’s happening: We’re so mad at StL for 2013 and 2014 that we’re losing to SF on purpose, just so we can return the favor and knock StL out!!!!!
Was this leftie pitcher today, much better then the lefties the team hit in San Diego?
Because Hairson didn’t think he was anything special.
Hairston didn’t have to face him. Come to think of it, they probably should have activated JHJ before September. He couldn’t hit much worse than some of the guys on the bench lately.
This team is starting to look like it has for the past three playoffs – scares me.
They have a good record against Washington this year, but I will not be surprised at the same results.
SP is not there (not good enough and they don’t go long enough), and they can’t hit lefties.
Big improvements this year in Mgr, BP, and adding youth but is it enough?
Here we go again. Regular season over and we sound like we didn’t learn anything.
Are we really going into the new season, the playoff season, with the same negativity as we did 6 or 7 months ago?
Bum
I think we are feeling negative because we just lost two series, to teams, that have done nothing in this second half of the season.
And this last loss was against our biggest rival, who has won three World Series, in the last six years.
And with this win, the Giants edge closer to doing that again
Because we gave them the ammunition, to start there ascent to another, by giving the often injuryed pitcher McCarthy a try out, when he hasn’t been able to pitch more then three good games, all year.
And the only thing we have been able to do, is win four National League West titles, with early exits in three of the four years, we have played in the post season.
And the one year we did advance farther, we didn’t win the that series.
I know it doesn’t bother you Bum, that the Giants are close to being in the post season again.
But everyone else is sick of the Giants waking up in the last week of the season, and being rewarded from short tournament play, to get all of the spoils of victory.
After the Dodgers have won the long 162 season, in four of those six years, that the Giant have took the World Series.
And even those three World Series that the Giants have won, has not changed there obnoxious fans one bit..
They still don’t know how to act like they have been there before, even after winning these three recent World Series.
Nobody is going to roll over for the Dodgers, and the Giants have beaten the Dodgers 15 of the last 19 games at AT&T. It is their home field and they know at this point that they own the Dodgers in SF. That being said, Washington has 1 lefty and he is struggling…….It all starts in 5 days…..
Holy smokes the negativity today! I was also disappointed the last two days but they are in the past. My son in law, a Giants fan, sent a selfie next to the SF World Champs trophies today. Obnoxious? Oh yeah. The positive mental attitude is here, just find it. Time to win for Vin. We owe him one!