Jake Arrieta hasn’t lost a game yet this season, but the Dodgers have played well on the road, and their lineup finally reflected something I have advocated for weeks – the dumping of Justin Turner out of the top third of the lineup.
The change only came about because JT was getting a rest, but either way, I liked the Dodgers’ chances with Adrian Gonzalez batting third, and the young power hitters, Joc Pederson and Trayce Thompson, batting behind him. Scott Kazmir was on the mound for the boys. Here’s how it played out.
Scott Kazmir delivered well in the first three innings, keeping the Cubs scoreless. Unfortunately, Arrieta was performing as advertised, and shutting down the Dodgers as well.
4th inning No score
Cubs
Scott Kazmir was visited by the Dodgers’ trainer at the mound before the inning. They checked something on his pitching hand and Kazmir went back to work. He began the inning at 54 pitches.
He kept the Cubs scoreless again, and recorded his fifth strike out.
5th inning No score
Cubs
Kazmir mowed the Cubs down once again.
6th inning No score
Cubs
Dexter Fowler gave the Wrigley faithful a thrill, and the Dodgers Nation a scare when he took a Kazmir pitch all the way to the center field wall, but it stayed in and Pederson made the catch.
Ten straight retired, only one hit, and no score on 89 pitches for Kazmir.
Would the Dodgers score and get a lead for him?
7th inning No score
Dodgers
The Dodgers finally got something going against Arrieta. Arrieta got the first two Dodgers out, and then walked three straight (Carl Crawford on four pitches) to load the bases.
Justin Turner came up. Quickly he was down two strikes, and then watched a borderline pitch land for a called third strike. Turner had to absolutely protect the plate, and protect the inning at that point, but he didn’t. The Dodgers were done, nobody scored.
Cubs
Kazmir out and Joe Blanton in.
Blanton held them scoreless.
8th inning
Dodgers
Jake Arrieta out now. Clayton Richard in.
New pitcher and the top of the Dodgers order.
Chase Utley got a lead off single to right.
Corey Seager with an infield single! Two on and nobody out.
Adrian Gonzalez went to left with a solid single! Dodgers on the board 1-0
Joc Pederson with a deep fly out to advance Seager to third. Trayce Thompson walked to load the bases again.
Howie Kendrick with a RBI sac fly to score Thompson. 2-0
Cubs
Blanton still in.
Easy inning for Joe.
9th inning Dodgers 2-0
Dodgers
Carl Crawford opened with a single.
Enrique Hernandez followed with a single. Crawford was going on the pitch, so he ended up at third.
Corey Seager blasted a deep home run to the scoreboard in right field to score three and break the game open! 5-0
Cubs
Adam Liberatore in. Three up, three down.
The Dodgers win! 5-0
Scott Kazmir paired his fastball with an excellent change up to match Jake Arrieta, scoreless inning for scoreless inning. For the first seven innings the Dodgers were kept quiet, as expected, but once Arrieta left the game, the Boys in Blue got to work.
The Dodgers’ lineup with the new and improved front four batters came through to start the rally in the 8th, and got the team on the board. Turner will probably be back in the lineup tomorrow, but I just gotta hope Dave Roberts is going to take a fresh look at the team, and keep Turner in the lower third of the batting order, where he truly belongs.
Scott Kazmir went 6 innings with 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk and 7 Ks. ERA 4.38
Home run: Corey Seager
Team with RISP: 2 for 7 Better tonight.
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 the Blue’s best win of the year!
1 – Beat the Cubs at home – supposedly the best team in baseball
2 – Beat Arrieta, Cubs hadn’t lost in his last 24 straight starts
3 – Kazmir pitched great – 2 good starts in a row!
4 – Great work by the pen
5 – Timely hitting
Maybe they HAVE turned a corner
Don’t play with our emotions – don’t tease us Dodgers.
We didn’t beat Arrieta, we beat Richard. Arrieta throttled us for 7. But our staff throttled them for 9. A corner? It’s possible. Outstanding win.
Great news to wake up to.
We took the series in NY – a split in Chicago would be a big step in the right direction.
Well done Kazmir.
Watford
Utley started the rally again, and Cory and Agone followed, with good hits! Then Joc moved the runners over, into scoring position.
And Howie had a really good at bat, and hit in another run, with a sac fly. I think you call that, a productive offense!
I expected to wake up to a full page of excited chatter here this morning. We just beat the best team in baseball and Arrieta isn’t 10-0 this morning. though he did lower his ERA to a league leading 1.56, tied with some other guy…. where is everybody? Our questionable staff just one hit the on pace for now only 113 wins Cubs. It’s a good day! Rejoice!
It was a good win! But the 3 ‘mainstays’ were the only ones that contributed offensively which I had said would have to happen. So much for the righties ‘hitting’ Arrieta. The fact that the Cubs have 35 wins with many of their players underperforming at this point is a little scary.
Chili
One game does not prove that lefties hit Arrieta better. And I didn’t make that reverse stat up. I read and heard that, about Arrieta last year, before the Dodgers were no hit by him. And Mattingly had a almost all leftie line up in the game, against Arietta last year. He had only one right hand hitter. And by the way, Roberts didn’t have a all leftie line up last night, and the team won.
Over Arrieta’s career, righties are hitting .215 and lefties are hitting .227.
And it is impossible for Roberts to field an all left handed hitting line up unless Kershaw and friends are inserted in the line up.
And not one righty got a hit off of Arrieta last night.
And that was in one game. And Mattingly had every left handed bat, in the line up he had last year. The only rightie playing in that game, was Turner!
Chili
That is very decieving, because Arrieta wasn’t always a very good pitcher. He only turned the corner in 2014, and last year, was his biggest year. We are talking about mosly 2015, and toward the end of 2014, and this year! I wasn’t talking about when Arrieta played for Baltimore, and no one was talking much about Arrieta, until the end of 2014! He is not the same pitcher. And he sure didn’t have the same great stats either.
And both Crawford and Kike got hits, and there were other players, that contributed to the offense last night, with just really good, at bats.
Crawford and Kike both got hits off the Cubs bullpen. The ONLY 3 players to get hits off of Arrieta were Utley, Seager and Gonzalez. Righties can hit Arrieta (I mean good right handed hitters) but my comment was because Dodger right handed hitters, well not sure I should identify any of them as hitters, not that good. Can read my post hours before the game….identified who needed to hit for the Dodgers to win.
You said it there were only three players, that helped get the win. We were not talking about Arrieta. You said that the Dodgers only got the win, because of three players! Don’t you remember what you write? You said that the Dodgers got the win, because of the three main stays in the line up. You didn’t say a thing about Arrieta!
That is correct….the 3 got 75% of the hits, scored 60% of the runs and drove in 80% of the runs. Anyone that watched the game can see who did the damage. You were the one that said righties hit Arrieta. No rightie got a single hit off Arrieta.
Can Kershaw play OF on his off days?
Here’s the Dodgers OF’s BA that Roberts gets to choose from each day…….
.266
.239
.233
.231
.205
.202
Where do they need help?
Chili
How did those runners get in scoring position, to be hit in? Other players, had good at bats, to get those runs in. That is a productive offense. And you change these three players, to help your dialog. I remember you including Kershaw, as one of the three players. Also, one game does not prove that righties don’t hit Arrieta better. That is not a big enough sample size. And look on Fangraphs, and Arrieta and the babip on lefties and righties, they have a graph on what lefties and righties, Babip has been in his career. And Arrieta didn’t start pitching decent, until 2013. Before that, he had one of the highest eras for starting pitchers, in the American league. And you will see in this graph, that lefties Babip starts going down, in 2013. And Righties Babip stays about the same. Lefties goes up a little, in the first couple months, of this season, but that is still, to small of a Sample size! And those lifetime batting averages don’t look right to me, that you posted, considering how bad Arrieta was, in Baltimore. I didn’t make that up!
Chili
By the way, how many teams have more then three really good players? There is always role players, on every team. And the Dodgers are bringing young players, on to the team.
There won’t be excitement here. Most have nothing to bitch about. They have lost their purpose. It was high comedy to read all of the doom and gloom of the AntiFazOfants yesterday, blasting Grandal, Kazmir, Hernandez and that Roberts was a puppet.
Then there were these comments:
• With Kazmir throwing his gopher ball at Wrigley, must be double digit, right?
• My answer to this question, Do Dodgers have a chance against Arrieta? Answer is no and we may see another no hitter today by him.
• I think they will have a better chance to hit Arrieta today, only if Roberts, doesn’t have a all leftie line up. That is because righties see Arrieta a lot better, and because of this, they hit Arrieta better. Because Arrieta has reverse numbers, with lefties.
… there were a lot more.
This board has become infested with AntiFazOfants of late, but there are still a few voices of reason here. This version of the Dodgers has been slow to get it going at the beginning of the season, but are now 3 games over .500 and 7-3 in their last 10 games. The pitchers of record last night were (drum roll) Kazmir (who pitched like a number 2), Joe “Freaking” Blanton and Adam Liberatore – all FAZ acquisitions.
Look, misery loves company and lemmings just follow the leader. AntiFazOfants are not realists – they are jokers who love to be miserable and make others feel as miserable as they are. The fact that the 2016 version of the Dodgers has not started well does nothing to obscure the fact that this is a very talented team. VERY TALENTED and DEEP… and your mocking jabs at FAZ and Roberts only demonstrates your lack of baseball acumen – it’s a long season, some teams start slow, some start fast. Mocking and taunting at the quarter mark tells me a lot. Some end slow, some end fast!
It’s painfully obvious that most here have no comprehension of the actual plan. Someone said something to the effect of: “If they hadn’t signed Anderson, Kazmir and McCarthy they could have afforded a real #2.” That’s just a plain stupid statement and has no root in reality. I’d be glad to elaborate if needed.
This team has a long way to go, but they have had injuries galore and are still in good shape despite the lack of hitting and early bullpen failures. The Dodgers are currently up to 5th in MLB team ERA and likely will overtake Seattle for 4th soon. So, Honeycutt gets to stay! 😉
Guerrero is gone. Crawfish will be gone when Andre is activated. Urias is back and we have 3 others starters at various stages of rehabilitation. Trayce Thompson is not going down. What has hurt the team is Justin Turner’s inability to hit. If his knee were bothering him, I think they would DL him. He is lighter, moving better and running faster than last year, but still in a funk as is Grandal. I think you will see breakouts by Turner, Hernandez and Grandal soon. Until they do, they have to hit lower in the order.
Rick Suttcliffe said it last night “Corey Seager needs to be installed in the #3 spot, like now!”
I think Turner needs to sit a couple more games. I would move Trayce Thompson up to #2, but Corey needs to go to #3. I think A-Gone should be #5, so who hits #4? Kendrick is my choice. I want to split up the two lefties.
NOTEWORTHY:
• Zack Lee got rocked again.
• Austin Barnes is playing a lot of 3B. Are the Dodgers planning a trade?
Mark
I don’t know why you are using one of my quotes, because I am the one that said, that the game before, was just one game, and the Cubs didn’t look that more impressive.
And Roberts didn’t use a all leftie line up, like Mattingly did. And just like Oscar, I have been saying that Turner needs to be moved in the order, until he starts hitting like a number three hitter.
And I also said I would move Cory to third in the order, and I thought about putting Howie second, when it seems like he was getting hot, but I don’t know if I would want to break up the top of the order, that Roberts had last night.
Which went Utley, Cory, and Agone. Thompson has done well, but I don’t think I would put Trayce, in the heart of the order yet. I’m sorry, no one is giving Agone, any real respect here!
The reason that Agone, was not hitting as well, as he normally does, was mainly, because he had to real protection, in the line up. And having Cory in front of Agone, and Joc behind Agone, gave Agone much more protection, then when Turner was batting in front of Agone, and Puig was batting, behind Agone.
And The problem is this front office, choose to not do anything to help this terrible bullpen! Everrybody here, knows that the Dodger bullpen, has been probably the Dodgers biggest problem, for three years now. And just the fact that this front office, went out, and tried to get Chapman, shows that this front office, knew that this Dodger bullpen, needed some big reinforcements, to help the team, win games, throughout the season. And after going after Chapman, that proved that they knew the bullpen was a big problem, but they choose to not really do a thing. And Sorry, Blanton is not even close, to being the answer, to the Dodgers bullpen problems! Blanton has already given up three HRs, in this short season. And he only gave up one HR, the second half of the season last year, when he pitched for the Pirates, so he hasn’t pitched well either. This front office have given Roberts a bullpen, that regularly gives up HRs, and gives away games. And this can’t happen, when a team, doesn’t have big offensive players, and even then, this bullpen, would find a way, to give up HRs, or give away the game. And they constantly, give away games, after the Dodgers go ahead, and they give away games, in a blink of a moment! nal hitter, on the Dodgers. And that is to everyone, that has written, Agone off!
And I think the Dodgers will start hitting better at home, when they come back, because it is suppose to be warming up in Southern California, this week end, or next week.
Oscar or Scott, something is wrong with my comment!
Towards the end of my comment today, another old comment, showed up, that I had wrote, weeks before, and then my last paragraph, of my today’s comment, showed up, at the end of part of that old comment. Can one of you, just delete the whole comment, and I will
Write another one later!
Guerrero has been DFAed. That just means the Dodgers intend to remove him from the team, by trade, release or whatever, right? If he agrees, and he certainly should, could they send him to OKC? It is what he should have done long ago. If he can get his hitting going, he could then be recalled to the 25 man roster. Turner is busy creating a need for him..,. Since he is paid $7MM a year either way, I’ve never understood his refusal. Going down and hitting well can’t do anything but good for him.
Geez Mark. Get a grip dude. If anyone sounds miserable it’s you.
Can’t help yourself, can you?
does that mean you agree with that rant?
A rant is rambling. He even used bullet points.
Ahhh. Bullet points makes the difference.
A rant to me is an onslaught of philippic haranguing. That diatribe above, complete with bold all caps and bullet points qualifies.
I think Guerrero is getting bad career advice from somebody. He is not doing himself any favors by not going someplace he can play every day. Alex, you have already proved you can crush AAA pitching, go do it again and somebody will pick you up.
Badger
We both understand why Guerrero might not feel like he has been given a chance. And that may be the reason, he showed up to spring training, a little to heavy, and not in good shape.
He is getting his chance now, so he needs to do what he has to do, to show a team he can play. He needs to get his weight down, where it was before, and agree to play on some team’s AAA team, and play and hit like he did, when he played, at the Dodger’s AAA team.
The Dodgers probably would have given him a chance, to prove himself again, but I understand why Guerrero might not trust anything that they say, so he needs to do what both me and Badger, have said.
And it might have been different for Guerrero, if he would have came to spring training, in good shape, and ready to play, epecially with Turner, having trouble hitting.
Crawford (I refuse to use the name Timpax uses for name calling is childish) has a 1.66 aLI and a 7 DFS(DK) as well as a 9 BOP. I think those numbers speak for themselves and perhaps we should show a little more respect.
You buy them books, you send them to school………
I like FAZophobe
MJ pointed something out to me the other day about the Cubs. I just assumed that they were raking top to bottom both pitching and hitting. I realized that, aside from Zobrist, Bryant and perhaps Fowler, a few of their players are underachieving, too…same as the Dodgers- though Zobrist is tearing it up.
It’s their pitching that is really outstanding….all the way down to Hendrick. Hammel is pitching like an ace, which is unexpected since he’s really not been all that exceptional in his long career. Lester is pitching like Lester, but even their off season signing, Hendrick, is putting up solid numbers. The relief core has been consistently solid – not exceptional – but solid.
It took a couple of variables to bounce the right way for the Cubs to be in the position they’re in. I think if a few variables bounce the right way for the Dodgers the could be right there challenging the Giants and making some of us who predicted 92 wins look like geniuses.
-If Kazmir has found his control and he continues to pitch anywhere near what he’s done the last couple starts, then the team perhaps got it’s Jason Hammel to complement the ace. Maeda had a good bounce back game in his last start. We wait on Ryu. We see what Urias has – if he can settle down.
The Giants are another team that hasn’t exactly been tearing the cover off the ball. They’re doing it, like the Cubs, with pitching. This brings up one facet of the FAZ way that I’m becoming critical of. It really annoys me to see Cueto dominating up there with the team’s hated division rivals. The Giants went after Greinke. Didn’t get him. Went after and got Cueto. The Dodgers went for Greinke. Didn’t get him. Sat on their hands. I have no problem with the majority of the moves this front office has made ..even the McCarthy’s and the Anderson QA. I love the Maeda signing, and I think Kazmir is a better sign than Samardija.
But the Dodgers had money on the table they had offered to Greinke for five years. Once he signed with AZ, the Dodgers couldn’t throw some of that at Cueto for three years and the opt out? It would’ve been a relatively short deal with his opt out, and he wouldn’t necessarily have blocked the kids. It would have fit with The Plan. The Dodgers, so far, haven’t had anyone truly fill the gap left when Grienke left. All the top teams that the Dodgers are competing with have that top 1-2 punch at top of the order. The proof is in the signing. The Giants are in first because of that signing. The Dodgers aren’t because of that non-signing.
Using novel ways to find hidden value and buying stocks low is smart. I want a front office that out thinks the other teams. Most of the traditional moves by GMs are like chasing your own tail: doing the same thing, making the same kind of deals, occasionally getting lucky and winning a WS, then falling back into mediocrity again. It ultimately is futile and pointless. I want long term excellence. I want a dynasty. Being cute with finding value is fine. But still, the easiest way to get talent and get performance is simply pay for it. Idiots! You should have gotten Cueto.
This team has flaws. …but it’s not terrible. I think it can contend and turn it around. The folks here who want to blow everything up and trade Kershaw are friggin lunatics. I think the FO does need to do something that shakes things up a little. Interesting about the Turner trade possibility. At the very least, unloading Turner could free up that spot for Kendrick, who’s been starting to hit. Maybe Barnes could be the new utility guy. Kike’s disappointed so far.
….read a trade proposal in Yardbarker this morning. They suggested a trade for Julio Tehran….the Dodgers giving up Joc and Jose DeLeon. ……I say …NOPE.
If they would take Joc, they’d probably take Puig instead…
I agree with most of Patch’s post, especially in regards to Cueto. As I recall, many of the same people who said Cueto was injury-prone cheered signing Anderson twice. Sorry if I didn’t get up at dawn this morning to cheer our front office because the team finally played to its full potential. Kazmir’s best start of the year, the bullpen did its job, and some good hitting against the depleted Cubs bullpen.
Don’t knock getting lucky; I’m at the age where I’d be happy to get lucky once more IF you know what I mean. A dynasty starts with the first championship.
Dodger patch
And I think Zobrist has had, only one hit, in the these last two games. I said earlier in the season, that a lot of teams were really not hitting, but some insisted, it was only the Dodgers. I said that the Giants would hit one week, and not hit in another week.
And that the Giants are suppose to be a much better hitting team, then the Dodgers. It hasn’t been only the Dodgers, a lot of teams, have had problems, hitting consistently.
Roberts said that he thought that the Dodgers were not hitting well at home, because it has been unusally cold, in Southern California this year.
And I believe he is right, because it hasn’t been very warm at all, in Southern California this year. It is suppose to be warming up this weekend, or next week.
And that will be right when the Dodgers get back home, so I think we will see more hitting at home, when they come back.
And about Arrieta, he might have won more games then Kershaw, but he has had much more run support then Kershaw. And Arrieta was saved by his team’s run support, in the previous game, when he pitched.
It is much easier to pitch, when a pitcher, has a good lead. And Kershaw has pitched, with little run support, but he has still flourished.
And I think Roberts, and his coaches, have helped this team, be a better team. And they need to be given the credit, that they deserve.
Because this team is playing more like a team, and not giving up, when the other team has the lead. And this didn’t happen much, in previous years.
And everyone needs to give Agone more credit too. He is still is the best situational hitter, on the Dodgers. And he has proven this again, in the last couple series, that the Dodgers have played in.
Some want to say he is having a big decline, but it is more about who was hitting in front, and in back of him. And I agree with Mark, that Turner not hitting, has been the biggest problem, with the Dodger’s offense this year.
And Turner isn’t hitting much at all, let alone, like a number three hitter.
Who wants to trade Kershaw? Show of hands.
I don’t see any.
I too want our FO to outsmart the other guys. I haven’t seen it on the ML roster yet, and maybe the new Cubans are better than the old Cubans, variables…………..
I remember seeing an article, maybe at fangraphs, don’t remember, that said the giants signing Samardzija was not as crazy as it sounded, and proceeded to give the SABR reasons why. I like him because he is a horse, and is much more likely to pitch 200+ innings than Kazmir. Shark is 31, younger than Kaz, has never been on the DL, still throws low to mid 90’s and should fare well on a better defensive team in a pitchers park Division. His cap hit is only $10 million this year, so, there’s that. I think it’s a good signing for SF. Of course no guarantees on any of these guys, but so far it appears our bargain signings are not keeping pace with the gints high profile signings. Yeah, variables. Long season. Everybody here is a moron. Yada blah blah zzzzzzzzzzzzz
We still have a good shot at the playoffs IF……………fill in all the blanks.
“Who wants to trade Kershaw? Show of hands?”
At least two, though they’re usually absent after a Dodgers win. Truther! You out there!? How are the Dbacks doing? They gonna win that 109 games like you predicted?
…Even you advocate essentially giving up and tanking this year and the next. Yep! True. If you advocate playing all the kids and watching them struggle initially….and you have….instead of getting vets like Utley you’re essentially throwing in the towel for the now and putting all of your chips in the for the Mythical 18. And don’t try to walk that back, either. You advocated putting both Urias and DeLeon in the starting lineup THIS YEAR, which, aside from hurting their development and possibly hurting their arms, is a concession that you don’t intend to contend this year. But wait!! You also said the FO “blew it” by bringing Urias up….that “The Plan” was to wait till August so good ol’e venerable Vin (who’s a shadow of his former self) could announce his first game. It’s hard to keep track of your continually variable positions.
“Yeah, variables. Long season. Everybody here is a moron. Yada blah blah zzzzzzzzzzzzza”
*sigh* I won’t even respond
DP-
Sticking up for ‘the Truth’, since they didn’t sign the likes of Grienke, Cueto, etc.(which is your complaint as well) and instead signed McCarthy, Anderson, Kazmir & Maeda in place of the logical perception is that the FO isn’t really trying to win now. You do recall Grienke walking and do you know what the Dodgers will get in return…..one compensation pick. If they are not going to pay Kershaw his true worth than guess what the Dodgers will get in return….yep, one compensation pick. Even the Reds, Phillies and Tigers were smart enough to trade their top prizes for multiple prospects.
So the question is, do you think the ‘great FAZ’ will sign Kershaw?
The Truth feels like they will not. I also think they will screw it up. Therefore the NEXT best thing to do is to get a boatload of prospects.
Mark is on record, originally of the Dodgers winning 95 games….you are on record of them winning 92 games. I say to both, hope your both around come September and not saying that to be a smart ass, I just don’t see this team winning 90+ games. They are currently on pace to win 85 games and that’s considering their 7-3 record (last 10) and Kershaw pitching better than ever before. Their depth is a fallacy as all of their eggs are in 3 players hands…..Kershaw, Seager and Gonzalez. None of the 3 were purchased, traded for nor drafted by this bunch.
I too think all are talking Kershaw opting out, and even asking privately to get out of here. Him leaving is absolutely on the table. I don’t want to trade him, I want to add to him. Here’s a thought, how about trading for Greinke? Arizona might be having buyers remorse. They will want Seager and Urias.
How is it we can have the best system, and the best traders, and yet allowing young hitters that they traded for actually play is throwing in the towel?
I still have the under on 92 that was posted at the beginning of the season.
My official position was that the Dodgers would win 87-95 games. If they’re unlucky, injured or don’t perform up to expecations – 87. If everything bounces their way – 95. It’s a little too late for everything to bounce their way, but still a chance for them to get over 90.
It seems a little far-fetched that Truther and a random collection of commenters on a Dodger blog are able to forecast that Kershaw has an opt out in 18, but somehow that future is hazy for the entire Dodgers organization and executive team. You think that hasn’t occurred to FAZ, Kasten and AA? Do you think they would just be CONTENT to let him walk for just a pick? If the narrative is the moneyball bullshit geeks want to lowball every player and get prospects and cheap fill ins a la Tampa Bay and Oakland, I think things would be in the works to trade Kershaw sooner rather than later. If these guys are about any philosophy, it’s buying low and selling high.
I just seriously doubt that letting Kershaw go is really in their plans. Even if you buy into the most cynical conspiracy theories that Truther would proffer, that the team simply wants to be just good enough to continue to get butts in the seats, but don’t want to be too good lest they have to pay anyone, there are still very sensible and obvious dollars and sense motives for the Dodgers to keep Kershaw and pay enough to field a contender. Kershaw adds value to the brand. The Dodgers, as an organization, would likely increase in overall value with a Kershaw as the face of the franchise.
I think this fairy tale about FAZ turning the Dodgers into Oakland and Tampa Bay moneyball cheapskates is overstated.
Well stated despite what some might think. I also would take Samardzija over Kazmir for the reasons you stated and the fact that LAD is heavy on lefties. He would have helped balance out the staff.
I am not in favor of trading Kershaw in fact I would be trying to negotiate with him right now. But I wonder how the FAZofants will feel like when Kershaw ‘possibly’ walks in 2-1/2 years….is that when all of the FAZofants will then figure out this whole MONEYBALL scheme?
Well stated Badger…. ‘timing is everything.’ 🙂
Dodger patch
I hope the Dodger’s hitting instructor, can help the Dodger players, find a way to not let Cueto’s differerent wind ups, mess with there hitting.
Because Cueto really is nothing, without those different wind ups, and the different times, he uses with his wind ups.
He has only a 90 fastball, most of the time.
And when Cueto has runners on base, he doesn’t use his wind ups, or mess with the timing of his delivery.
It is so frustrating watching Cueto, get away with this, with hitters.
I think Cueto is more than a windup MJ. He’s a great fit on that team. 11 starts, 81.2 innings? That’s second only to Kershaw. ERA of 2.31. WHIP 1.02. Numbers get you victories and Cy Young considerations. Cueto is doing very well in SF.
Badger
He throws a 90 fastball, and doesn’t have really great, other pitches. Hitters, seemed to have most of there problems, because of the timing of his wind ups.
Badger
I guess I am not in the same discussion, that you, and the others here, are in.
I was just thinking about a way to get the Dodger hitters, ready to hit Cueto better, the next time they face him.
He mainly bothered the hitters, with changing the timing of his wind up, and quick pitching and to the Dodger hitters. Weren’t you told, when a pitcher had an unsual wind up, or a crazy wind up, not to look at the wind up. And we’re told instead, to just watch the ball, coming from the pitcher’s hand?
Cueto fits in perfectly with the Giants as he seems to be an ‘even’ year pitcher. Probably should be very fearful cause a top of the rotation of Bumgarner, Cueto and Samardzija in the playoffs is very formidable. In fact I think I would take those 3 over any other NL teams (hell any other ML team). The Nats with Scherzer, Strasburg and Gonzalez is close but they do not have the post season success. Arrieta, Lester and Lackey a distant 3rd.
And forgot about the Mets….Thor, DeGrom & Harvey/Matz…..wow. I think these are the top 4 teams and all in the NL. There is some crazy good pitching in the NL.
There sure is chili. Maybe our starters will be competitive with those guys. Adding Urias to the group might be helpful, but according to some, playing youngsters and watching them struggle is throwing in the towel. We might be waving it eventually, but I don’t see us throwing it.
Playing youngsters before they are ready and in place of veterans who offer better current performance comes at the obvious detriment of the team’s current playoff prospects. If Kike was the starting 2nd baseman and there was no Utley, Bellinger was playing 1rst, and DeLeon and Urias were playing instead of Maeda and Kazmir, the team would be battling it out with AZ and Pods for the cellar. You can’t honestly say otherwise. You might object to the phrase, “throwing in the towel,” but how else to you describe conceding 16 and 17 for 18?
Another great Faz signing: http://blogs.mycentraljersey.com/patriots/2016/05/31/breaking-patriots-reliever-schlosser-signs-with-dodgers/
signed: FAZOPHOBE (better than being a FAZAHOLIC !)