Clayton Kershaw took the mound this morning, hoping to give the Dodgers a two-game winning streak.
The game featured a tweaked lineup for the Dodgers, with Adrian Gonzalez batting fifth for the first time this season. Trace Thompson moved up in the batting order to bat clean up.
They also sat Joc Pederson, despite his emergence from a slump, and two home run performance last night.
1st inning
Dodgers
Men on the corners and two out for Adrian Gonzalez. You struck out, making it five strikeouts in a row, after earning a golden sombrero last night.
Dbacks
1,2,3 for Kershaw with two strikeouts.
2nd inning
Dbacks
Kershaw gave up a homer 1-0
5th inning Dbacks 1-0
Dodgers
Dodgers have done nothing up to this point.
6th inning Dbacks 1-0
Dodgers
Back to back singles by Gonzo and Howie Kendrick with two out, brought up Scott Van Slyke.
Three run home run!!! Dodgers up for the first time in the game 3-1.
Dbacks
Paul Goldschmit missed a homer by a couple of inches, but he got an RBI. 3-2
7th inning Dodgers 3-2
Dbacks
Kershaw,at 86 pitches, gave up a lead off double, but escaped trouble.
8th inning Dodgers 3-2
Dodgers offense back to sleep.
9th inning Dodgers 3-2
Kenley Jansen vs Dbacks
1,2,3 inning
Dodgers win! 3-2
The Dodgers’ bats were quiet until the sixth, when they got Van Slyke’s three run homer in the sixth. The boys won, but there still remains the situation of very few rallies, and very few innings with scoring.
That said, today’s positives far outweigh the knocks. The Dodgers turned around a road trip that began roughly (two losses in SF), and ended things by taking two of three from Arizona.
Scott Van Slyke has missed most of the season with a back injury, and was experiencing a slow start in his return to the lineup. It was great to see SVS drive the ball deep for a home run and a double, especially on a day that it made all the difference. Hopefully, Van Slyke will build on today and get a hot streak going.
Kershaw maintained his dominant numbers, (11Ks, 1W) and held the Dbacks to two runs through seven. Kenley Jansen also imposed his will on the Diamondbacks, securing his 19th save of the season, and tying Eric Gagne at 161, for the most saves in Dodgers’ history.
Clayton Kershaw went 7 1/3 innings with 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 11 Ks, 1 HR. ERA 1.58
Home run: Scott Van Slyke
Double: SVS
Team with RISP: 1 for 4
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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Jesse Sanchez ?@JesseSanchezMLB · 36m36 minutes ago
Source: Dodgers have added another international prospect, agreeing to $2 million deal with outfielder Yordan Alvarez, 18. #Cuba
http://www.todaysknuckleball.com/knuckleball-news/dodgers-sign-cuban-outfielder-yordan-alvarez-2-million/
I see Alex Guerrero and Carl Crawfish have suitors lined up out the door waiting to sign them.
Yeah, Right!
Crawfish, When Venable replaces you, you had better hang it up!
I am not so stupid as to say the Venable signing is good or bad, because you never know. History will tell us. I seem to remember a few acquisitions that looked like crap turn our to be pretty damn good as role players (Marlon Anderson and Fat Boy Belliard).
The Joe Blanton Bashers have went back in their holes, I see!
The Bullpen is becoming elite by any measure and will get better. Yes, I said “becoming elite.”
The starters will get even better – especially with in-house options.
The hitters are coming alive. Watch out!
Be very afraid!
I hope the Giants trade for Braun… because it will deplete an already depleted Farm System.
Except in high leverage situations.
BR says the Dodgers are in on signing Gurriel. He is 32 years old. He plays second and third. He batted .500 in Cuba last year. The writer thinks he would be major league ready the second half of the season. He does hit for ave. and power. Both Utley and Turner’s contracts are up at the end of the year.
Good point, Al.
The Dodgers will offer Turner a contract, but if he has a good second half he will get more elsewhere, Utley is a one year deal. Gurriel? I have no opinion. Those who do have no foundation for it.
I was one of those who did not like the signing of Blanton. He has done very well. The bull pen is doing well. We still have Hatcher and Howell who are not very strong. Baez still scares me. He throws very well most of the time. Then he throws a fast ball right down the middle for a HR. I just hope Montas will be brought up to take Urias place as a starter. Then I hope Urias is moved to the bull pen. This will control his innings and keep him in the majors. He will learn nothing by sending him back to AAA.
Idahoal
Yes we were really lucky, that that opposite field drive by Goldly, was a foul ball yesterday.
Baseball has changed for some teams – like the Dodgers. Playing this left – right, platoon idea.
I would have you consider the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers.
Remember, 154 games schedule – their record that season was 105 – 49
They scored 955 runs and allowed 689 runs
Their usual lineup was:
Jim Gilliam – 2B – lead off guy .287 – 151 games, 100 walks, 38 Ks
Pee Wee Reese – SS .271 – 140 games, 82 walks, Hall of Fame
Jackie Robinson – LF .329 – 136 games, 74 BB, 30 Ks, 95 RBIs, Hall of Fame
Roy Campanella – C .312 – 144 games, 67 BB, 58 Ks, 142 RBIs, 41 HRs, Hall of Fame
Gil Hodges – 1B .302 – 141 games, 75 BB, 31 HRs, 122 RBIs
Carl Furillo – RF .344 – 132 games, 32 Ks, 21 HRs, 92 RBIs
Duke Snider – CF .336 – 153 games, 42 HRs, 126 RBIs, Hall of Fame
Billy Cox – 3B great glove man .291 – 100 games, 8th place hitter
Pitcher slot . . .
Now, the rest of the playing roster over the season were:
Dixie Howell – he played 1 game, 1 BA in 1953
Dick Teed – he played a total of 1 game, 1 BA in his major league career = 1 game.
Carmen Mauro – OF – 9 AB for the season as pinch-hitter
Dick Williams – OF – started only 3 games all season
Bill Antonello – OF – 43 ABs in 40 games; only season in the majors
George Shuba – OF – 169 ABs over 74 games
Don Thompson – OF – 153 ABs for the entire season, over 96 games
Wayne Belardi – 1B – 163 ABs over 69 games
Bobby Morgan – Inf – 196 ABs over 69 games, started 18 games at SS & 26 at 3B
Rube Walker – C – 95 ABs over 43 games; started in 24 games
Bottom line, these players came to play and play they did.
If we had any players as good as those eight they would be playing every day. If Utley were five years younger he’d be playing almost every day, as is Seager.
Well – I am as opposed as you are to all of the platooning, but the Yankees of that era actually did some platooning with success.
Baseball has changed a lot over the years. When I started watching most teams had 4 man rotations, not 5. The “closer” was the fireman who didn’t come in to pitch a clean 9th inning only if the team had a lead, but came in tough situations and pitched as long as needed. For example, Ron Perranoski pitched 129 innings in 69 games with the 1963 Dodgers and won 16 games in relief, with 21 saves. A different era. Koufax stated 41 games in 1966 (his last season, when his arm was falling off) and completed 27 of them. The 1st place Brooklyn Grooms of 1890 had a 3 man rotation.
All of the platooning is the result of the Braintrust believing that platooning is the best way for the team to win games. I tend to agree that there is too much platooning going on but some is certainly warranted.
Think back to the Big Red Machine teams that Cincy had in the 70’s. Sparky Anderson played Captain Hook, using his deep bullpen frequently because his starters weren’t too good, tended to be injury prone, and didn’t pitch deep into games. His teams were able to win pennants and Series because he worked around a weakness with a strength. And the way he managed his teams changed the game – everyone started to manage the way that Sparky did.
If Andre Ethier were here, he would be platooning, probably with Van Slyke. And for good cause. Grandal and Ellis should platoon, so should Utley and Hendrick. Otherwise, I wouldn’t platoon, although it makes sense to give players who need a day off an off game against a same-sided pitcher.
I could be wrong, but the Big Red Machine had a pretty good lineup? That might have had something to do with their winning….Rose, Morgan, Foster, Bench, Concepcion, etc etc?
I do agree however, too much platooning. When a hitter starts swinging the bat better and seeing the ball well, I don’t think it matters if he is facing a lefty or righty pitcher. I am of the belief that you ride the hot hitters til they cool off, regardless of pitcher.
Dodger Dog
I totally agree with you. I don’t like platooning just for the Match ups. A manager should use common sense, when making a line up sometimes, instead of just pure numbers.
For example, yesterday both Utley and Joc had decent numbers against Conroy. Why not let them play, considering there past numbers were decent, and they both have been hitting.
Joc had a small hitting streak, and Utley, practically hit in all the runs, in the game before.
And Roberts instead, had Kike leading off, because he had really good numbers against lefties last year.
But lately, Kike has been struggling, to even make contact. And he has not made contact, in the last few games, with runners in scoring position, with less then two outs. He is trying to hit a HR every time he has been up lately.
A-Gon is a good #5 hitter at his age.
Seager needs to hit #3, with a RH hitter between him and Gonzo.
That leaves Turners at #2 and Utley/Kendrick at leadoff.
Thompson and Puig are RH and could hit in the #4 hole… if they can produce.
Really, either one would be better at #6 or #7. You can’t be sure…
If Grandal could hit up to his potential, he would be perfect at #4… but there’s the reality of where he is hitting-wise.
I am always looking for an angle…. Grandal is 27. Puig is 25. Thompson is 24. The Brewers want value. So, give ’em Grandal, Puig, Barnes. Thompson, Wood, Stripling and De Jong for Braun and Lucroy. Dodgers take on the salary.
Here’s what it looks like:
1. Utley/Kendrick – 2B (L/R)
2. Turner – 3B (R)
3. Seager – SS (L)
4. Braun – LF (R)
5. Gonzo – 1B (L)
6. Lucroy C (R)
7. Ethier/Van Slyke RF (L/R)
8. Pederson CF (L)
Subs:
Ellis
Hernandez
Venable
The Brewers get several young players with potential, salary relief. Stripling and De Jong would both be in their rotation next year. Thompson is replaceable with Verdugo in the future.
It’s worth a risk!
I might pull the trigger….
Please – don’t trade for Braun and Lucroy. Braun is Matt Kemp – an aging, overpaid, injury prone, poor defensive OF with right-handed power. Lucroy is also injury prone.
Dodger rick
I agree with almost everything you have said, except Braun isn’t Kemp.
Kemp stopped producing as much as he did, because if injuries, not steroids. And I heard that Braun has only hit six HRs.
I don’t know if that is right, but he hits in a hitters park, and he doesn’t have but one more HR then Agone, if that is true. And he has five more years on his contract.
You are totally Looney tunes…..7 kids for 2 aging vets…..crawl back in your hole please
Someone ought to put the gun to your head and pull the trigger….that is the stupidest trade idea I have ever read…….Braun? What is the fascination with that guy>? A cheater, and a albatross contract that will block the youth you so badly want to come up. Moronic, and desperate….
There’s disagreeing with a trade idea, …and then there’s that. Was that really necessary?
You have went off your rocker Mark.
How ’bout Grandal, De Jong, and Stripling for Lucroy.
For someone who hates The Trade because of the long term dead money, you seem strangely open to paying big bucks to an aging, injury prone doper till he’s 37.
I read the Giants were in talks for Braun but they broke down for the same issues. No one wants to pay his contract. That, and the Giants don’t have many prospects to offer.
I would not make that trade. First, I do not want Braun. Second, I would not give up Thompson or DeJong. Grandal, Stripling and Puig for Lucroy I may consider. They would get a starting right fielder, starting pitcher and catcher.
Nobody makes that trade al. That is a trade idea created by mixing lithium and J.D.
We already have most everyone we need to do exactly what it is The Plan calls for. There will be some International signings and a couple of marginal ML additions to cover the injuries that will no doubt be forthcoming. It will all play out accordingly. Just sit back and enjoy the show.
Badger
Mark said yesterday, that he wanted the Giants to go for Braun, to clean out the rest of there players, they still have left in there bad minor league system.
Looks like Chad Billingsley is finished: http://www.crescent-news.com/sports/local_sports/chad-billingsley-i-m-fine-if-i-ve-thrown-my/article_4b666340-b3e6-5672-9d6f-e6378f4bfd35.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share
My account was hijacked. That wasn’t me. 😉
Actually, it was. I just try and get you guys riled up. 😉
That would be THE TRADE REVISITED EVEN STUPIDER.
You know I want the young guys. What I suggested yesterday is what I would really do: Purge the Vets!
Actually, I like Trayce Thompson a lot. You just never know with Yasiel Puig – so much potential – it makes you crazy! You know I’m a Barnes guy and I believe Gradal will come back strong.
The truth is: Unless they can get a younger RH Power hitter, nothing will happen. It can’t – if they stood firm, last year, they will this year.
The future is bright – in Tulsa, 9 Dodger AA players were named to the All-Star Team, and it doesn’t include who might be the best prospect, Cody Bellinger, who started late and is adjusting to AA pitching.
A guy who has been under the Radar at AA is Andrew Toles – I look for him to be promoted to AAA – he’s a speedster who can play all three outfield positions. He’s just 24 and Friedman rescued him off the bone pile.
Tulsa is absolutely LOADED with prospects and Brock Stewart was just promoted to AAA. I thought the Dodger minor league teams with Kemp, Loney, LaRoche, Young, Martin, et al were loaded, but there’s no comparison… especially with pitching.
Now that we learn Kike Hernadez has been dealing with his father’s battle against cancer maybe we can be a little more patient with him. He will come around as will this whole team and again, I hope the Giants sign Braun so that their 19th rated farm system is fully gutted.
The Wild Card is that Guggs is pushing FAZ to made a deal for a big bat. We will see if Friedman stands firm…
Everything I’ve written here is true – NO TO BRAUN!
Like J D Martinez?
50-60% might be good enough for FAZ.
I see we just paid 4 mil for another Cuban. We will likely get at least one more, and maybe sign some other internationals. Another sign the Dodgers are not the impecunious bunch some have suggested. They will continue to add to payroll for unproven talent.
Yes, the future looks bright. If the gints do get Braun, it’s a sign they indeed are going for it now. I hate it when that happens. They seem to be able to do it when they set their minds to it.
Badger
I think when the Giants signed both Cueto and the Shark, that was a sign that the Giants were going for it all.
They got those two pitchers, to make sure they won the division, instead of just a wild card.
I didn’t really want Cueto for five years.
But the Cueto signing, would have been a good signing, for the Dodgers.
Because Cueto has an opt out, after two years.
And Cueto would be more apt, to opt out, then Kazmir would.
Because Cueto has been a much better pitcher, then Kazmir has, in the last few years.
And that would have given the Dodgers coverage, for the next two years.
Until all the pitchers in AAA, we’re ready to pitch in the majors.
That is why I thought the opt out in Kazmir’s contract, was a joke.
Kazmir will never opt out.
It’s not that they’re impecunious – it’s that they won’t spend on actual major league players.
Badger
I just heard that the Dodgers spent 50 million on I think Cubans, but it also might be international signings.
And that the Dodgers will also, have to pay a 40 million dollar fine.
A lot of fans are blasting FAZ for signing so many Cubans. The fact of the matter is that the only one who knows if it’s good or bad is Father Time. We have to wait and see. To say it is smart brands you are a moron and to say it’s dumb makes you an idiot. Since I am neither, I have no opinion except to say that I hope they know what they are doing!
Mark
The problem with the Cubans, that are declared free agents, a team has to pay them more, then prospects, and it is hard to tell, if they are good enough for Major League Baseball.
They are paying some of these guys up front, without knowing what they are.
And the Dodgers haven’t been good doing this, so that is why some, don’t like paying for Cubans.
Look what the Dbacks payed for Tomas, and he is a bust.
Mark
That isn’t much insurance on your part.
“I have no opinion. Those who do have no foundation for it.” So Ben Badler is just talking through his hat at SI.com? For the record, if the FO signs him based on unfounded assumptions, would that be irresponsible? Like the Hector Olivera signing?
I”m not as down on getting Braun as others. I think Mil would love to dump the rest of his $80 mil, so he shouldn’t cost as much in prospects. He’s still hitting .307 with 11hr right now, and near .900 OPS. He had 25/85 last year, so he’s not anywhere near done.
Even if we got 2-3 more productive years from him, before his decline, our entire payroll will be going down in the next couple years anyway as our kids come up, and the vets are told to go on vacation. Gonzales is due $22 in 2017, and $22 in 2018, and he’s done. Ethier is almost done. Howie and Utley will be gone (we think). We can still afford to have a bad contract or 2. Braun is due $20mil in 2017, $20 mil in 2018, $19 in 2019, and $17 in 2020. I’d take my chances he’s at least solid thru the majority of his contract. If we need to waive him, we probably can easily afford to. But he could help us in 2016 and 2017 and that’s just as important.
And the PED thing doesn’t bother me. It bothered me in 2011 because Kemp should have been MVP, but Kemp is gone now too, so whatever. I’d do the deal, IF it didn’t cost too much prospect-wise.
It’s my opinion if the gnats sign Braun it will work out well for them in the short term, which is what matters to that organization. They seem to be ok with winning it all every other year. They don’t much care their farm system isn’t deep. They don’t need deep. Deep ain’t their plan. Their plan is a good one every year, supplemented by key veteran acquisitions.
It’s also my opinion that signing young talent anywhere you can find it is a good thing. And since I believe costs for those type of purchases don’t really matter to ownership, and The Plan calls for abundance later, I’m fine with the Cubans. Sign them all as far as I’m concerned.
I don’t think the Giants will get Braun. They are to smart, and they don’t make desperate moves.
They make small moves, that almost always, seem to work out well.
I read that the Giants brought back that outfield, that hit the game winning HR, that gave the Giant’s the pennant aganist the Cardinals.
He is now down in there minor league system, getting at bats in.
The Giants don’t have many good players, left in there minor system, because they are now up with the big team.
Key stat of the day:
“The Dodgers are 13-1 when Kershaw starts, 21-31 when it’s anyone else.”
Clearly we should start Kershaw more often. Platooning pitchers is not working.
maybe the rest of the pitching isn’t as good as some have suggested?
Dodger rick
That seems to be true. And that is why numbers, don’t always tell the truth. Because Kershaw is pitching so well, he makes the Dodger starter’s combined era, look better then it is.
What is the the term for that, skewed?
What are the numbers with Kershaw and Maeda?
Wondering
Better then everyone else’s numbers, in the starting rotation.
I bet you knew which starting pitchers, had better numbers, just by watching the games.
And Dodger rick the bullpen, is not good in high leverage situations, but they are almost elite.
From Houston Mitchell:
Where there’s a Will, there’s a way
I was inundated with emails after the Dodgers signed Will Venable on Tuesday, with most of them saying a variation of: “The Giants are trying to trade for Ryan Braun, and here we get Will Venable.”
Relax. The Dodgers aren’t expecting a guy like Venable to solve the offensive problems. What he does provide is more flexibility in the outfield and a left-handed bat on the bench. When Yasiel Puig comes back this month, Venable will probably be the one sacrificed to make room on the roster.
Venable is OK. A career .250 hitter who hit a career high 22 home runs for San Diego in 2013. He has hit only 20 since then, however. Hey, at least he’s not Chris Heisey.
I think the Giants would be more interested in Carlos Beltran if the Yankees fall further behind. Throw in Chapman and they should have enough to win the NL Worst. With their top 3 starters they would be dangerous in a short series.
Our FO wouldn’t go in when we were leading the division with two aces; why would they do it when we’re behind with one? Wait for the kids at Tulsa and sign more Cubans is the plan and it won’t stop unless fans stop showing up.
Snider
I thought about Beltran for us, but the Yankees, are not going to trade before the trade deadline, unless, they are 15 games out.
But the Yankees might trade Chapman, because they really don’t need Chapman, because they have two other great relief pitchers.
And they will pick up some really good prospects for Chapman. Better prospects, then they initially gave up for him.
I heard the Cubbies we’re bringing up there top catching prospect today.
I don’t think they are going to carry three catchers, so maybe they are trading, that catcher, Miguel Montero.
David Ross, their other catcher is 39 years old and won’t be back next year. So I think they keep Montero, but who knows how the mind of a GM works….
Venable gives the team flexibility? This team has so much flexibility that it can’t even stand up. How about more who can make an impact? We have a chance to pick up some games on the giants, who are on the road with some decent opposition. Brewers got swept by the giants in games hardly close. By every measure, we should at least take this series with some real authority. If Urias is going to help this year at all, the next game against an inferior team at home should be a coming out party. If it is not, expect him to go back down to AAA and wait his turn, which probably will be in September with the team mathematically out of it.
Bobbie17
I heard the Brewers, made a lot of errors, in that series.
45 international players. 45 million in tax. 5 Cubans. The front office should all be let go. With them should go the international scouts, who recommend these guys.
And a 40 million dollar fine also. We will find out whether they were good investments, in time.
And we have to give it time. And if Cueto doesn’t opt out, that signing, may not look good down the road, for the Giants either.
‘I hope the Giants trade for Braun… because it will deplete an already depleted Farm System.’
So if Braun helps them maintain their lead and helps extend their line-up come October and they ‘possibly’ get in the WS or win it……AGAIN. You really think that it was a crazy move to acquire him? Last time I knew the ultimate goal of every MLB organization was to win a WS, not worry about how deep (or depleted) their Farm System is. Last time I checked most fans could care less what the brain trust was telling them as to how good the prospects are when the ML team is under performing. I think they call that ‘job security.’
If I had received over a 3X pay raise I would instantly go with the ‘long term’ plan as well. Who is fooling who?
Cueto has been primarily an even year pitcher so he might ONLY be good this year and in 2018 but if that helps the Giants contend for another WS title or two I think they would take that.
The way some of you talk about these contracts……you act like their operating with your personal finances. The TV contracts, etc bring in billions of dollars. Taking a chance on a ‘proven’ commodity isn’t such an outlandish idea.
Have some of you begin to wonder what it must feel like to be a Giants fan? Do you think their fans are saying…..oh, why did they sign Cueto, he’s too costly and might flop. Or why are they pursuing the ‘over priced’ Ryan Braun? The answer is NONE of them are saying this. They all understand that WS titles (and the capabilities to win them) are very fleeting. When you have a couple of horses, i.e. Bumgarner & Posey, you get them as much help as possible.
Absolutely right!!!
Hear, hear! I just don’t think the Giants have to prospects to get Braun.
To get Braun…….I think if they offered Christian Arroyo, Tyler Beede and Mac Williamson and took on Braun’s entire contract, I think the Brewers would jump all over that.
Sabean & Bochy have places at the big boy table. F & Z have yet to see what the table looks like as they have not been allowed to enter the ‘Championship’ room.
Not sure I would be too critical of anything they do as every Giants fan knows what the plan is.
Sabean & Bochy eat at Outback; FAZ goes through the garbage cans looking for scraps….