The suddenly red-hot Dodgers were trying to win their fifth game in a row for the first time this season, but the Pittsburgh Pirates had different ideas. Not only did that Blue-tinted dream balloon burst, but it went down in flames like the ol’ Hindenberg.
The Dodgers newest pitching call up, Caleb Ferguson, made his major league debut last 54 pitches, but the trouble was, the Dodgers yanked him in the second inning after three walks and three runs in, with more waiting on the bases. Perhaps young Caleb just couldn’t shake his debut jitters; we’ll know more after seeing him next time around.
Meanwhile there was plenty of baseball left, and the Dodgers and Bucs took advantage of all of it. By the top of the 3rd inning, the Dodgers were down 4-0 and it looked like a lousy afternoon was ahead of them. In the end, it was, but the boys did not go down without a fight and a couple of exciting comebacks.
Matt Kemp missed hitting one out in the third by a few feet, but his double off the CF wall was still good enough to score Max Muncy and Justin Turner. Cody Bellinger followed Kemp with a two run blast – making him the first Dodger to hit 10 home runs on the season – and the score was suddenly tied at four apiece.
Unfortunately the Pirates just as quickly took the lead back when Max Muncy, attempting a double play, threw a ball off David Frees’es helmet while Freese ran to second base. A runner scored and it was 5-4 Bucs. Freese later came around to score and it was 6-4. All of those base runners were courtesy of Daniel Hudson, who replaced Ferguson. Hudson continued to allow more base runners in the fourth and Freese added two more Pirate runs with a double.
With the Bucs up by four, Matt Kemp continued his clutch hitting and blasted a 3-run home run to bring the boys within one run. It was now 8-7 Pittsburgh. Scott Alexander and Yimi Garcia came on to continue the suck for the Dodgers in the sixth. By the third out, the Bucs had scored three and they had their third four-run lead of the night.
The Dodgers got within two in the eighth when they scored two, and managed to whimper a bit in the ninth, but the pitching staff had just put up too much of a deficit, including ten walks. Despite Kemps five RBIs, the Dodgers fell 11-9.
The series will conclude with an afternoon game tomorrw, which means an early morning game for everyone on the west coast.
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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This one was solely on the pitchers. 10 walks, 3 hit batters. Totally pitiful, and Tony Cingrani left the game with a shoulder injury…Looks like DL time again for Tony C. I did not expect much from Ferguson, but he started off ok. Managed to not give up any runs in the 1st, then unraveled in the 2nd, and the bullpen was the gas can gang again. Matt Kemp stayed hot, but even his 5 RBI game could not save the bullpen. Ferguson will be fine. I just think he had some first game jitters, and his catcher and coach did him no favors by not going out to the mound to try and calm the kids nerves. No one really talked to him much until he got to the bench and Roberts sat down and talked to him.
Here’s a shocker….Bartolo Colon tied Juan Marichal for the most wins by a pitcher from the Dominican, 243. Has to be from longevity because he has not been a dominant pitcher for year, but he just manages to keep winning. The Dominican Dandy was one of the best I ever saw, but he ended his career in a Dodger uni with a 1-2 record. I was watching part 2 of Ken Burns documentary, Baseball. It really is a great historical document of the game, and there is some footage of some of the turn of the century greats that is awesome to watch. One that really caught my attention was Walter Johnson. He threw sidearm and had kind of a buggy whip action on his pitches. Imagine how many games he would have won had he played on a good team and not the Washington Senators. As it was, he won 417 games and lost 279. He had a 2.17 ERA and 3,508 strikeouts. He still holds the major league shutout record at 110. Amazing stats.
I’ve got the book “Baseball in Orange County” and it’s meaningful to me that I stood on the same mound Walter Johnson stood on – Amerige Park in Fullerton. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig went hunting in my home town of Los Alamitos and also played on that field. Joe DiMaggio, Satchel Paige. Many others.
History can be so cool…
We should think about adding Colon. Yes, that’s where we are.
1. Joc Pederson (L) LF
2. Max Muncy (L) 3B
3. Yasmani Grandal (S) C
4. Matt Kemp (R) RF
5. Cody Bellinger (L) 1B
6. Chris Taylor (R) SS
7. Breyvic Valera (S) 2B
8. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF
9. Dennis Santana (R) P
Santana’s projections for this morning:
W – .29. L – .33. IP <5. ERA – 4.34.
I would do the same thing with him I would have done with Ferguson. Minimum 75 pitches no matter how far it gets him. We start a series against a good club tomorrow. Go get ‘em today kid.
Badger
I would have kept Ferguson out there yesterday too.
Because it was two outs, and there was only one runner on base, at that time.
I see Roberts pulled Santana early today.
And once again we get Hudson. Methinks we might need 9 again.
Michael
Both Puig and Kike, have strong arms, but even the strongest arms in baseball won’t throw a runner out at home on a fly that deep, more often, then not, so the throw has to go to second there.
I feel the same way, about Kike here!
You can see that Valera was taught the fundamentals of the game in the Cardinals system, with that good bunt!
Santana pulled with a lat strain, most likely will go to the DL. Cingrani to the DL, Paredes and Baez recalled. Jon Jay traded to the Diamondbacks who have 2 of their better outfielders on the DL, Souza and Pollock. Maeda back Tuesday or Wednesday. Hudson started todays game and Pederson led off the game with his 5th HR. Valera drives in Bellinger with a squeeze bunt that was absolutely perfectly executed.
I kinda like Valera.
I really like Joc, of late.
Joc pop, and Cody pop today, and we face the pitcher Badger named, tomorrow, McBrittle.
Well we didn’t need 9.
Good thing Cody wasn’t sent down hey?
Joc looks dialed in. Wonder how long it will last? .272? No. Joc won’t hit .272 for the year.
You like Valera? He won’t hit .272 either. Grandal at .243. He won’t hit .240. Squirrels. A whole team of them. It’s heating up, and just like we ALL knew would happen, the squirrels are out gathering nuts in the warmer weather.
We can beat McBrittle. His ERA is the same as Hudson’s.
Badger
That is why I thought that was a good bet!
Let’s just hope, all of these squirrels stay hot, as long, as they can.
I do remember you saying many times, just wait, until it gets hot.
Wild game. Kenley with a 6 out save, and he gave up another homer in the 9th to Cervelli. Dodger pitchers can sure make you want to tear your heart out. Baez, 1 run, and got the win, Fields 2 runs, and got 1 out, Stewart 3 runs, and Jansen 1 and the save. 2 multi homer games for Joc on this road trip. Bullpen has to be gassed. Hudson, Alexander, Baez, Fields, Paredes, Goeddel, Stewart, and Jansen. They had no one left at the end. Bellinger with 3 hits, but I was more impressed with his opposite field single and his homer over the left center field wall. Going the other way will make him a better hitter. Joc Homered to right, Homered to center and doubled to left….nice days work. They did not really need Matt today, but he did get 1 hit and drove in a run on a fielders choice ground out that he busted his ass to beat out. Oh yeah, Garcia pitched too,..they used 9 pitchers…..