Should we begin with the bad news, the really bad news, or the pretty good news? I’ll just lay them out and let you decide which is which.
First off, the Dodgers – along with everybody else – were not-so-secretly hoping that good ol’ Clayton Kershaw was going to just bounce out to the mound and completely shut down the harmless little Rockies tonight. Well, that didn’t happen. In fact, the Rockies took a three run lead before the first Dodger dog of the night had mustard put on it.
Kershaw’s first three batters went like this: single, double and home run – and that was just the warning bell. Things just got worse from there, for the ace and the stingless Dodgers offense (we’ll get around to them in a minute).
We all know of Scott’s pet peeve about pitchers that can’t finish five innings; Kershaw was so ineffective tonight, he couldn’t even close out the third. He ended the night charged with four runs, despite striking out seven in his short stint. That’s just how big and bad this funk is that the Dodgers are stuck in.
The bullpen took over and went through five more pitchers. Two of them, Brock Stewart and Edward Parades, gave up five more runs, for a grand total of nine for the night. So the pitchers spotted the Rocks nine runs. How did their offense do?
Two words: Lousy. Again.
In what’s fast becoming a habit, the Dodgers were no-hit for almost the first third of the game, but they broke through with a Chris Taylor single. He was quickly snuffed out by another of their recent habits – getting thrown out trying to steal second base. They scored their lone run in the fourth on a pair of doubles by Yasiel Puig and Cody Bellinger. After that, they resumed their suckiness.
What can we say about the boys at this point? I’ve always considered myself to be the resident optimist here at LADR, but this team’s ineptness is slowly but surely chipping away at that. However, before we all go down the rabbit hole of blue despair, there was one bright spot tonight.
The Dodgers fell so far behind (9-1) that Dave Roberts felt safe enough to unwrap the Dodgers’ first-round draft pick, Walker Buehler. He sent the kid out for the eighth inning, and we observers were not disappointed.
Bueler gave up a single to his first batter, but he rebounded quickly and eliminated his first-ever base runner with a 3-6-1 double play. He then got a ground out to end his first inning.
Happily, those of us who stuck it out to the ninth inning were given a small treat when Buehler came back out for the ninth. That’s when he recorded his first major league strike out – NL batting leader, Charlie Blackmon. His next two batters were a strike out and ground out. Mission accomplished.
Buehler threw six of the seven fastest pitches of the game. His fastball came in a 99 mph, and his curveball dropped to 83 mph. I’ll take this small bright spot with my shrinking blue optimism to bed with me.
I don’t want to think for one second about what to expect from this team tomorrow.
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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I also felt the same way about Buehler. He looked good, like he was in charge. I said the same thing about Paredes, who was not in charge tonight, but I still like him unless he repeats tonight a couple of more times in the near future. They are definitely a bright spot. Brock Stewart, is not.
When I see him pitch, he reminds me of an automated pitching machine that has the same range over and over again. He looks imminently hittable. He does not have the stuff the above pitchers have got. No way he makes the playoff roster.
Kershaw. Geez. What a surprise for us true believers. He looked like the rest of the starters, save for Wood, home runable in the early game leaving us to play catchup. Only, we are unable to play catchup anymore. It’s all come undone. Does anyone really doubt this? They will probably win the division, but even that is not a given and Roberts guarantee was the wrong thing for him to say. We are not stupid and there is a real crisis happening amongst our boys. The players know the score, especially the ones that are facing us. This is the worst baseball I can remember and compares just as intensely to our run to glory when we had a 20 game lead!!
And, you know what? There is no remedy except time. It will change, but it won’t change to the dominant way we were playing earlier. Dodger fans, brace yourselves. Breathe deep and remember it is just a game, or suffer the consequences of attachment to your dreams.
Still the best team in baseball.
Very debatable at this point in time.
Jeff
I agree until we get out of this and have a really good post season, we don’t know that this team is the best.
And I agree with you about Paredes!
I see it as a fact, but one that could change if things don’t improve.
They have the best record, that does not mean they are the best in baseball right now. Sorry but the Indians and D-Backs are the two best in the game right now. 15 and 13 game winning streaks respectively put them in that position. Look at it this way, if the Dodgers had played .500 ball over the last 14 games they would have 97 wins. But they did not. They could have clinched the division by Monday and not made all the fans run for the medicine cabinet for the bicarb. So your facts are skewed big time. If they had played .500 ball, you would have an argument. Right now you are unarmed in a gun fight.
The best? Not so much. The chinks in the armor have showed up. Granted, they have not had Corey for a while and Bellinger was out. But, for an entire team to suddenly quit hitting? An entire pitching staff struggling when they had been pretty much automatic all at once? Grandal leads the league in passed balls and killed rally’s. He is as much an automatic out as Forsythe and Hernandez. Roberts giving Kershaw and extra days rest was the kiss of death. If they are so much into the metrics and all they would have read the stats and seen CK is not very good with that extra day. Resting the players is great. But you do it after you get the job done. They are crawling, not limping to the finish line and they can still be had. Of course they could just as suddenly hit the cover off the ball, but judging from what I have seen over the last two weeks, they have lost their mojo and their momentum. When your best pitcher gets lit up at home like CK did last night, it is time for some deep reflection and a definite kick in the ass. I watch the Dodgers because I love the team, the game and it is fun. These last two weeks have been unwatchable. I turned last nights game off in the 4th inning. The last good thing that happened to this team was Turner’s 9th inning HR to tie the Padres. It has been like a snowball rolling downhill ever since and I do not think Roberts knows how to stop the damn thing.
As Vinny has told us over and over again this is a maddening game, AND, that nothing ever comes easy for the Dodgers!
So we wait it out and eventually the tide will turn.
But in the meantime 2-12 yikes!
Artieboy
That is who we are missing right now Vinny.
He is our only voice of reason, when it comes to the Dodgers!
I am willing to wait this out, if you are, but these line ups that Roberts is putting out there, are frustrating, with what has happened, in the last couple weeks.
I just don’t think last night’s line up, gave us a good enough chance to score many runs.
I don’t include Chase with the rest of these hitters, that don’t hit much, because he is not playing almost everyday, and getting consistent at bats, like these other players are!
If your willing to wait this out, I will too!
What are the guys saying in the radio about this?
I assume your listening since you don’t always see them, on TV.
Hi Artie – agree it’s beginning to get concerning, but totally agree that it was never gonna be easy.
Lot of Baseball left to play & certainly time to right the ship.
In the meantime I like the look of this:
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/amp.timeinc.net/si/mlb/2017/08/31/long-shot-netflix-trailer-dodgers-fan-accused-murder%3fsource=dam
Wonderful hearing from you Watford. Losing is always tough in baseball because it seems to go on and on and on. But these games have become audition more than anything else.
I remember that fascinating story as it unfolded.
Enjoy the match vs the super saints. Cheers!
The offense shouldn’t be surprising when you have three or four hitters in the line up, that are not even hitting 240, so my use of hitter, is being used loosely here!
We may have been able to carry Forsythe’s non bat, most of this year, but we can’t have him and all of these other hitters, and I don’t know why I am referring to them as hitters, in the line up, and have Barnes a hitter, that is hitting just under 300, sitting on the bench, and expect to score more then a run or two, especially when our best hitter, and most consistent hitter, is not in the line up, not to mention Turner!
Basically our offense consisted of Cody and Puig, and Taylor getting a hit, then thrown out again.
If everything is ok in the clubhouse with the players, why is Taylor desperately taking chances he shouldn’t take, when his team is down five runs, and the best hitter in the line up, is on deck?
And this is the third time in the last few games, that Taylor has took this same type of chance.
Once again, it looks like Honeycutt is getting out coached, why aren’t the Dodger pitchers, changing up, the way they are attacking hitters?
Kershaw threw a high fastball for his first pitch, and Arrenado hit the pitch out!
Kershaw usually keeps his pitches down.
It looked like Arrenado knew exactly what was coming!
Nolan practically run into the batter’s box, and eagerly swung at Kershaw’s first pitch, seemingly knowing, exactly what was coming!
I know Arenado had a problem earlier in the season hitting high fastballs, but he is a consumate professional, and he adjusts!
As soon as I saw this line up before the game, I knew we wouldn’t win, unless Kershaw shut the Rockies out!
I don’t know about everyone else, but when Arrenado hit that three run HR off off Kershaw in the first innning, it felt like the Dodger’s were truly cursed, thanks again, Sports Illustrated!
I would play Verdugo in left field, at least he is hitting the ball on the line, and he is better in left defensively, and has a much better arm.
I don’t know why we are continuing to wait for Granderson to hit a fastball, and waiting for Joc to start hitting too, when we wouldn’t even have Granderson, if Joc was able to hit.
And we already know that Forsythe can’t hit, if a rightie is on the mound, and because of that, he has no business starting a game when a rightie is pitching, unless you are throwing a game, to gain on a bet!
And we already know that Taylor won’t be in the line up tonight, so we have to go another day, without having our big four, in our line up together!
Thanks a lot Dave, the Dodgers have never been so bad, that they have lost more then five or six games in a row, and we have already lost games in double figures, and I don’t see any relief in sight, if you continue to fill our line up, with hitters, that are only hitting a little above the Mendoza line!
The only good thing about last night was Buehler, and why didn’t they bring him up with those other AAA pitchers on September first, so we wouldn’t have had to use Baez twice in two games?
Grandal’s game calling is very predictable. I turned the game off for two reasons……they were getting hammered, and I had to listen to the Rockies announcers who are more irritating than a flea.
Michael
I just thought Honeycutt went through every game with the catcher’s.
But those high fastballs, are not working that well anymore, with the relivers mostly, but didn’t seem like Arenado knew what pitch was coming?
I turned if off for a while too.
Grandal just hasn’t been very good on defense lately, and he strikes out way to much, to hit him fourth.
I would put in more down in the order.
They do a game plan based on the scouting report, but after that it is out of Honey’s hands. It is up to the catcher and the pitcher to execute. I want you to watch Darvish tonight. Barnes is catching instead of Grandal. In the games that Darvish has pitched that Grandal caught, they are NEVER on the same page. Darvish shakes him off a lot. I will be watching to see if he does the same to Barnes.
It is not on Honeycutt MJ. You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink. They may not be attacking the batters for any number of reasons, no trust in their stuff is one for instance, but once they are on that mound the pitching coach is out of the equation. Just like Roberts puts players in the line up and it is up to them to produce. He just puts them in a position of opportunity. What they do with that is in their hands. Now, if Roberts pulls a pitcher and puts in someone who brings a gas can with him, then they usually blame the manager.
Just wanted to let you all know I got an email from Badger this morning. He is watching the slide like we are and wondering when and if it will end. Gonzo’s back is barking at him again. Chances are he will not even make the playoff roster…..sad, the guy has had a great career.
Granderson is leading off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seager is back, but no Taylor….Forsythe is playing 2nd against a RHP???????????????????????????????????????????? Does Roberts know how frippen bad he is against righty’s ????????????????????? Brace yourself,,,,,,they do not even look like they are trying to win……WTF???????????????????????????????????????????
Michael
That is why I was so upset about last night’s game.
I felt like Roberts didn’t give us a decent enough line up, to score many runs.
Some of those players are ok, when we have both Corey and Cody in the line up, but all of those players, should not be in the line up together.
It gets old watching Forsythe let good pitches go by, because he is not a good enough hitter, to be down to two strikes all the time.
I think Roberts is going to play Granderson just like he played Reddick.
I bet Badger was amused with those two series, against the Dbacks.
Can you imagine if you paid to go to these games? As general public you can choose when to go, but a season ticket holder can’t. I would be frikin pissed off.
+Only reason tonight will be close to a sell out is because they are giving away a Cody Bellinger bobble head………yeah, it costs about 50 dollars plus to get one from Ebay.
Before we starting losing, anyone would have felt bad at a game when they lost, because they only lost nine times in that run, and that wasn’t just at home.
And I have read they lost 11 in that run too, but that is still so mind boggling, that we have lost as much, or even more games, then we did for two plus months, or a little more, in the last 12 days.
I know this streak dampened my thoughts of getting that special card for Cody, but really I couldn’t find the card, it said every card was sold out, but they didn’t have the card of Cody beating Piazzas rookie HR record.
Don’t hold your breath folks. The only thing interesting tonight is how Darvish pitches. Roberts is not trying to win, he’s testing the resolve of the players before he has to intervene. Pulling a Phil Jackson Zenmaster routine with a lead.
We have not hit rock bottom yet but it’s getting close. The only thing that matters now is the home field race.
Yueh, Great reference to Phil Jackson, however he only inherited great teams, he never built one, see the Nicks.
Is it me or does Turner also seem to have an all or nothing swing lately?
Phil is a great coach for taking a good team to the next level. Bad everything else. Roberts has a good team this year, let’s see how he does with this group.
Tim
Just tonight!
Granderson’s misplay, and Joc not catching a ball, any centerfielder would have easily caught, cost us at least 3 runs!
And Roberts allowing Granderson and Joc hit against a leftie!
MJ, that play Joc missed was not an easy play. He should not have dove for the ball, but it was clearly out of his reach. Granderson on the other hand simply blew that one. With all the guys on the bench, I could not believe he did not pinch hit, but perhaps his biggest mental lapse was letting Forsythe start against a RHP, and having rally killer Grandal pinch hit. Barnes proved he should be out there every day. No passed balls, there was a wild pitch and Darvish did not shake him off once.
By the way MJ, had Taylor been in CF, he would not have made that catch either. His glove would have been on the wrong side. His speed might have gotten him a little closer to the ball, but it was a flair and not hit hard at all.
Chad Moriyama has an article on Dodgers Digest highlighting 6 actual issues for the Dodgers. Basically the same issues this community has been harping on for 2-3 weeks now. Glad the others are catching up.
I read it and thought the same thing. We have been talking about those issues for weeks. Darvish is looking like a mediocre pitcher at this point. He can’t get to the 5th inning. I did read where he has made a major adjustment to his mechanics. His arm slot was way off where it was before the surgery, but doing that in a pennant race seems a little risky. He has had flashes, but cannot sustain them.