I say this because you and I know full well that Dave Roberts is going to play the entire B-squad during the rubber game against the Snakes on getaway day. Will Venable, Scott Van Slyke, A.J. Ellis, and the execrable Kike Hernandez will all probably be in the lineup. That makes no sense after most of the regulars had a great game on Tuesday. Is Roberts going to be the fire stopper and roll out the all righty loser lineup for the hundredth time?
The Dodgers finally broke out of their season long offensive drought on Tuesday night by slugging four home runs in their 7-4 win over the Snakes. Joc Pederson hit two of the four and even slumping third sacker Justin Turner hit one out as the boys in blue scored 7 runs on 7 hits. Even Kenley Jansen got back on the horse by recording his 18th save of the season. Of course we can’t ever have just one happy night. After all this is the 2016 season. Starter Kenta Maeda had to be removed in the sixth inning after Paul Goldschmidt smacked a line drive (reminiscent of Hiroki Kuroda several years ago) off of his right leg. Maeda was helped off the field and was unable to walk under his own power.
Fortunately the x-rays were negative and the Dodgers reported that he has a lower right leg contusion. Hopefully he’ll be ok enough to make his next start because the Dodgers are royally screwed if they lose him for any extended amount of time. The only viable candidates to replace him should he be unable to answer the bell would be rookies Frankie Montas or Jharel Cotton. At least Maeda picked up the win.
Dodgers @ Arizona
Clayton Kershaw-9-1 vs. Patrick Corbin-3-5
Game Time – 12:40 PM – TV- SNLA
Today the Dodgers finish up their series with Arizona and then head back home to begin a seven game home stand against Milwaukee and Washington. The question on everyone’s mind is if Dave Roberts will punt another game by playing the B-squad on getaway day. Will Will Venable bat lead-off? I can tell you one thing, bet money on seeing most of the regulars resting since left hander Patrick Corbin is on the mound. The Dodgers will send ace Clayton Kershaw to the hill to counter.
The 26-year old southpaw has been merely mortal this season. He’s pitched to a 4.81 ERA in 13 starts and posted a 3-5 record. Corbin has whiffed 58 and walked 23 but given up 12 home runs in 78.2 innings pitched. He’s allowed 9.4 hits per nine innings.
On April 12 Corbin allowed one earned run on 6 hits over six innings in a no-decision. Oddly he only struck one in that game and his swing and miss stuff seems to have decreased this season. He struck out 6 in his last start against the Marlins which was a no-decision. Corbin is 3-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 9 career starts against the Dodgers. The boys in blue are batting .273 (24 for 88) with 11 runs driven in against Corbin.
Corbin vs. Dodgers
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 17 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | .250 | .294 | .438 | .732 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Ellis | 15 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .231 | .286 | .462 | .747 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Justin Turner | 14 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | .385 | .429 | .385 | .813 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Scott Van Slyke | 13 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .154 | .154 | .154 | .308 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Howie Kendrick | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Corey Seager | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | .167 | .000 | .167 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yasmani Grandal | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | .250 | .250 | .500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Chase Utley | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .333 | .500 | .333 | .833 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Enrique Hernandez | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .667 | .667 | .667 | 1.333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clayton Kershaw | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joc Pederson | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trayce Thompson | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .667 | .667 | .667 | 1.333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenta Maeda | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Austin Barnes | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 94 | 88 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 9 | .273 | .312 | .341 | .653 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Clayton Kershaw continues his chase for history. He is now 9-1 with a 1.52 ERA and 122 strikeouts against 6 walks in 100.2 innings pitched. Kershaw has allowed 5.3 hits per nine and has a 22-1 strikeout to walk ratio. Seriously unreal.
Kershaw struck out 13 in last week’s win over the Giants. Oddly this is the first time he has faced the Dbacks this season. Kershaw is 11-8 with a 2.76 ERA in 23 career starts against the Dbacks. However he is 4-7 with a 3.90 ERA at Chase Field.
Kershaw vs. Dbacks
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Paul Goldschmidt | 38 | 36 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 13 | .250 | .289 | .472 | .762 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rickie Weeks | 20 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | .294 | .400 | .529 | .929 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael Bourn | 10 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .200 | .200 | .400 | .600 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jean Segura | 10 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .200 | .200 | .200 | .400 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Welington Castillo | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .400 | .400 | .400 | .800 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Corbin | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Ahmed | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Archie Bradley | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Philip Gosselin | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Peralta | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Drury | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .500 | .500 | 2.000 | 2.500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yasmany Tomas | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .500 | .500 | .500 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Collmenter | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Randall Delgado | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daniel Hudson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 106 | 99 | 24 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 34 | .242 | .292 | .414 | .707 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
I won’t be able to see the game because I’ll be at work. I hate missing Kershaw starts. Oscar will be here after the game to provide the highlights. Right fielder Yasiel Puig is scheduled to rejoin the club on Monday. Hopefully he’ll return a different hitter. The club is still 6 games back of the Giants and has a ton of work to do to even be considered in the race again.
Oh and I think it’s hilarious that Justin Turner has been trolling Oscar all week.
Go Blue!
I wouldn’t say “slumping third sacker” when describing Turner. Looks to me he’s woken up.
But I will agree that Roberts will throw his all rightie lineup out there today because, well, because who the F knows why
Bobby
You and Scott, are right about the line up today. I hope Kershaw doesn’t have to step up his game today, and get a couple of hits, like he has done, in the past.
I hope the team comes out hitting again.
These guys still think they are in the class of the giants, Cubs. So why not give the guys a rest? There is lots of time left in the season. It’s not hard to come back from 10 games out (eventually). No problem. After all, this is the team that brains put together. How can they be wrong? Manager Rose-Colored thinks everything is wonderful. Everyone had a good “approach” against Grienke. This is becoming a team of good” approaches” every 3 days. Well, if the B team doesn’t win, it will only be 7 games out, with Kazmir? on deck and with another 4 days until Kershaw pitches again.No problem. Everything is wonderful in lala land. Especially now that we have Will Venable. He is a difference-maker all right. Another .240 hitter is good on a team that has a bunch of starters at about .220. I can’t wait.
I am amused by those who insist that the Venable signing either is totally supportable or, as an alternative approach, insist that some fan tell them who they would have signed as an alternative.
As to the first, while Venable’s numbers were OK with the Pads a few years ago, last year he hit .244 with a .669 OPS and the previous year hit .224 with a .613 OPS, so he has been below a replacement-level player. This year, he was hitting .205 with the Phillies’ AAA team in 149 AB and had an OPS of .614 at AAA! There is no way this guy is going to help the Dodgers this year – he hasn’t been even a mediocre player since 2014. He was signed because of his connections with Josh Byrnes and Dave Roberts and that is not a good reason to sign a player. (Remember when Ned Colletti caught grief for signing all of those wretched former Giants because of his previous connection to them? That’s how the Dodgers ended up with Dave Schmidt and Bill Mueller, among others.)
Second, I didn’t see the need for the Dodgers to sign any scrap heap player at this point. They just DFA’d Guerrero, Crawford and Tabata and have been described as clearing out the “dead wood”. If they wanted a poor hitting fast left handed outfielder, they had one in Crawford – so why DFA Crawford and grab this schmuck?
I would rather see them go for quality players or not make any moves at all.
Nice, low-risk moves have their place but it seems like that is all we’ve seen this year, which is why we’re looking up at a Giants team that is not great. I’ll be surprised if Venable remains on the 25-man when Puig gets back but then I’m surprised Hernandez is still here.
I just don’t think it’s worth getting exercised over one way or the other. At least this guy can throw the ball. Crawford was an offensive liability, a defensive liability, and if you want to make an argument that his contract and subsequent obligatory playing time contributed to a culture of entitlement, a team chemistry liability.
And when I make the “then who?” query, it’s because reflexive criticism is cheap and easy; and it is reflexive around these parts. Criticism has more credibility when it’s both constructive and the one doing the criticizing offers something that invites reciprocal criticism.
Just out of curiosity what has Justin Turner been telling Oscar?
With kid K even our B squad has a chance. I think we are poised to go on nice winning pattern up through the all star break.
I want the team to come out hitting today, just like they did last night.
But both Chase, and Joc are not in the line up today.
I know it is because the Dbacks pitcher is a leftie, but Joc and Chase, have decent stats against Conroy.
And Joc has a little hitting streak going right now, and he has been hitting the ball hard lately.
And Utley did hit in most of the runs, in last night’s game. And one of Chase’s hits, came against a leftie, last night.
I just don’t think, that Roberts, should platoon, just to platoon.
Especially when he is taking out, two players, that are hitting now!
Scott
You forgot Utley’s big offensive production in last night’s game. He was the one that drove in the most runs, last night.
Did Turner hustle out of the box or did he stand there staring at the ball?
5 baserunners in 3 innings but no runs yet. typical.
7 baserunners in 4 innings – still no runs.
Just for the heck of it, I figured out what today’s lineup does vs LHP. I also did that for the bench:
Hernandez- .224(11-49)
Turner – .234(11-47)
Seager – .281(18-64
Thompson – .267 (12-45)
AGon – .250 (13-52)
SVS – .000 (0-5)
AJ – .242 (8-33)
Total – .249 (85-342)
Bench
Grandal -.200 (4-20)
Pedersen -.130 (3-23)
Utley -.167 (6-36)
Total -.165 (13-79)
Total Team – .233 (98-421)
This includes last night’s game. Just thought it may be interesting to some. It does seem like DR has put the best offensive team out there today.
Good stats; thanks!
BTW: Venable ,222 vs LHP
not this year – he hasn’t been in MLB this year
Correct Rick. I forgot to mention lifetime BA. That’s why I didn’t mention him on the Bench.
I just do not know why the 8 best do not start each day. When everybody knows their roles, you have the best chance of winning.
🙂
SVS a 3 run BOMB. Shades of Earl Weaver
Van Slyke! – He’s needed more of a chance to play. I have no idea why Roberts insists on playing Kendrick in LF when Van Slyke is on the roster. He has to be rusty – he’s hardly played. Maybe he’ll get more AB now.
I think as the season goes on, Utley and Howie should be splitting at 2b. Give the vets more time off than the kids.
Huge home run for SVS. We looked asleep up until then . Except Turner, of course, who has crushed the ball the last 2 ab’s. He is back!
Bobby
That is for sure about Turner. Now if we can get Agone hitting like Agone!
Hey, that was a GREAT job by Blanton!!
Goldschmidt scares the living hell out of me!
I always thought if SVS played a full season he would hit 30 HR’s. Also many people wanted to know why Blanton was signed. Nothing but trash they said. So far they have been proved wrong.
The hitters were average today hitting .233 in the game. Sound familiar?
our team BA is .232, so I’d say .233 is an explosion!!
Just read the our BP is tops in the NL and 3rd in the majors. I think it was 3.04. Just an insinificent fact as it doesn’t address the IRS category.
Our BP also 1st in the Majors for BAA at .199.
I read somewhere that Friedman’s big fear coming into the season was the bullpen. I’d like to see the splits. I think most agree it was grease fire early in the season. I think most will also agree it’s settled down.
I also read that our bullpen wasn’t very good in high leverage situations. And I read what Richie said in the same article.