Dodgers vs Angels Game Two.
The Dodgers handed the ball to the man who stops the losing streaks, Clayton Kershaw – although that might tell you more about the Dodgers than the man.
Let’s see how this one turned out.
1st inning
Kershaw vs Angels
3 up, 3 down with 2 Ks
2nd inning
Angels
Three singles and a balk brought in the first run of the night. 1-0
3rd inning
Dodgers
Clayton got a hit, but was later erased on Chase Utley‘s base hit, while trying to stretch it from first to third. Kershaw was thrown out by Mike Trout sliding into third looking like he was on a water slide.
Utley came around to score on a Justin Turner fly ball that Mike Trout dropped for an error.
4th inning Tie score 1-1
Dodgers
Howie Kendrick was on when Joc Pederson went BOOM! 3-1
Things went quiet for a while.
6th inning Dodgers 3-1
Kershaw vs Angels: 73 pitches, 7 Ks.
7th inning Dodgers 3-1
Dodgers
Corey Seager went BOOM! Solo shot 4-1.
8th inning Dodgers 4-1
Dodgers
Joc Pederson lead off home run – BOOM! 5-1
9th inning Dodgers 5-1
Kenley Jansen came in and faced the minimum, striking out 2, using only 7 pitches.
Dodgers Win! 5-1
Kershaw was most definitely the man, but make no mistake about it, while he took the bats out of the Angels’ hands, the youth of the Dodgers blasted those LA impersonators right out of Chavez Ravine and back to Orange County. Let’s do it all again tomorrow – but skipper – no more Crawfords and silly platoons. Just play the guys who are winning. You might be surprised at the results. Although, many of us out here won’t be.
Clayton Kershaw went 8 innings with 4 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, 11 Ks ERA 1.67
Home runs: Pederson, Seager
Double: A.J. Ellis
Team with RISP: 0 for 6 I guess you can’t have everything.
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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Did you see the stat they showed where Kersh’ k/bb ratio is like 19.5 or something insane??
A few observations from various Dodgers’ sites on line:
From Dodgers Digest before today’s game:
“…the Dodgers still look to somehow figure out how to hit at home. Going into Tuesday’s game, they are dead last in the National League with a .215 batting average, 14th in OBP (.285) and 12th in SLG (.354) and OPS (.640) at home. ”
From True Blue LA after today’s game:
“Kershaw’s May is shaping up to be one for the ages – four starts, four wins, 33 innings, three runs, one walk, and 48 strikeouts.”
From Dodger Insider after tonight’s game:
“For the season, Kershaw now has 88 strikeouts and still only four walks. Twenty-two strikeouts for each walk. In his past five starts, he has 58 strikeouts. And one walk. (Tonight), he averaged 13.4 pitches per inning, right in line with his MLB-leading and career-best average. Meanwhile, the Dodgers — who have averaged more than five runs per game in support of Kershaw this season — once again didn’t let him go to waste.”
Observations:
1 – Kershaw is so great I can’t put it into words. Thankfully, the Dodgers score enough runs not to waste the games that he pitches.
2 – The offense seems to stink the rest of the time.
3 – Even with the best pitcher in baseball, they are still only 2 games over .500 at the quarter way point,
4 – I expected that the offense would carry the pitchers before the season started (excluding Kershaw), but many of the Dodgers’ offensive players are underperforming in a big way. So, is Turner going to snap out of it? Or is his knee done? Does Puig have it in him to play up to his talent level? Do Kendrick or Crawford have anything left? Can Grandal and Gonzalez show consistency? Kike Hernandez has already turned into a pumpkin – will Thompson?
Let’s see what tomorrow brings.
I don’t think Kike is as bad as his average is. But it looks like the pitchers, are pitching Turner inside, and he hasn’t been able to adjust.
I think it will be more fun to watch the Dodgers if the young players do the heavy lifting. If Pederson, Seager, and Thompson prove to be very good and if Bellinger can join them, the Dodgers could have 4 players that we can watch grow and play together for the next 10 years. That’s why I like young players. Older players that didn’t start out with the Dodgers are more like rentals to me.
Verdugo and Puig could also be part of the Dodgers for the next 10 years but for some reason I think Puig could be traded. If the Dodgers were to try to get Trout, it could cost them both Puig and Thompson plus ready or near ready young pitchers.
Bums the other guy that lives with the kids, is Stripling. There house rule is no visitors can bring in a phone.
I guess that means no pictures can be taken. Joc’s average was slipping, before yesterday. I thought he might be having way to much fun, at home.
After the 1st inning of last night’s game — I had penciled in Kershaw going down to AAA for a bit more seasoning. He needs to be more ready to start pitching his game in the 1st inning as well as the last 8 innings. But he seemed to turn it around.
Bolsinger coming in, who’s leaving? I’ll take a wild guess: J P Howell to the Marlins for????
I drew up this rotation last season and presented it. Some of you like it.
A 5-man rotation, with a slip in the names. Pitching, then 4 days rest, then pitch for everyone, except MAEDA, he slips back one each time for that extra day.
Kershaw
Kazmir
MAEDA
Wood
Stripling
Kershaw
Kazmir
Wood
MAEDA
Stripling
Kersahw
Kazmir
Wood
Stripling
MAEDA
Kershaw
Kazmir
Wood
Stripling
MAEDA
Add the 2 or 3 days off per month and some rain-outs – arms should be fine.
I am not sure that Kershaw and most of the other pitchers want to pitch once a week, or have to wait 5 days to pitch. If MAEDA needs the extra day, just slip him back a slot.
And when Ryu comes back – slip them both back a day. Keep their arms happy.
But the guy that Maeda would be slipping behind every week would be throwing on 3 days rest. Not sure Wood, Stripling or Kazmir could handle that.
You sure about that?
If that question is aimed at me….yes, WITH A 5 MAN rotation, can’t drop a guy back and still have 4 days rest ‘for everyone’…….just look at his order…after first cycle, Wood has to go on 3 days rest, after 2nd cycle Stripling has to go on 3 days rest….his last cycle he didn’t show Maeda slipping down, if he had then Kershaw would have went on 3 days rest.
It doesn’t have to be as precise is Roger has mentioned, but it can be worked out in some way, and it is still a good thought from Roger.
Ok….live in fantasyland. The answer is to sign proven pitchers that don’t need to be coddled.
And I wasn’t being critical towards RD….just pointing out that someone has to pitch on 3 days rest if a pitcher is pushed back every cycle.
Excuse me for pointing out the obvious and letting the facts get in the way.
Unless it changes down the line, Roger’s rotation above has everyone with 4 days rest. It might change, I didn’t take the time to run it out another cycle. Whatever. I’ve said from the beginning a Japanese pitcher, used to a 6 man rotation, might have some difficulty adjusting. Add a tender elbow to the equation it’s my feeling it would be a miracle if this guy makes it to the end of the season without issues. Yeah, his contract is easy enough to deal with, but replacing him won’t be.
Wow….seriously…so after reviewing his rotation AS IS you still think everyone is pitching on 4 days rest (or a normal cycle of rest)?
So with a normal 5 man rotation and no off days a pitcher would pitch, rest, rest, rest, rest and then pitch again. That would be 4 days of rest between starts.
Might want to review the above rotation and tell me how ‘everyone’ is still pitching with 4 days of rest.
I did. I’m still counting 4. A 5 man rotation has 4 days between starts. You pitch, then 4 other guys pitch, then it’s your turn again. Not sure where the confusion remains.
Kershaw
Kazmir
MAEDA
Wood ————
Stripling
NOT 4 days rest!
Kershaw
Kazmir
Wood————-
MAEDA
Stripling——————-
Kershaw NOT 4 days rest!
Kazmir
Wood
Stripling——————–
MAEDA
Kershaw——————
Kazmir
Wood
Stripling
MAEDA (If he was bumped down a spot than Kershaw would show up here, again NOT 4 days rest.)
Unfortunately could not apply graphics to illustrate but Woods’ would be pitching on 3 days rest, then Stripling would be pitching on 3 days rest, than Kershaw would be pitching on 3 days rest and so on….IF Maeda was ALWAYS pushed back a spot in a 5 man rotation.
If someone is getting an extra day than someone is being shorted a day. Simple math.
I can’t be the only one here…
Kazmir, Maeda, Wood, Stripling. That adds up to 4.
I do see one spot where Wood pitches on 3 days. Maybe it rotates like that occasionally. Stick Bolsinger, Urias, De Leon or Ryu in there if it does. Or, better yet, just go to a 6 man when Ryu gets back. Why not? Kershaw still gets 30 starts, gets 7-8 innings every time out and get 200+ innings. And, he might be able to throw 15 more pitches per outing on extra rest he could very likely go 8-9 more often giving him more wins. Win win for Kershaw.
I’m not getting your counting. If Kershaw goes on the first day, and then you have 4 – count them -1, 2, 3. 4 – pitchers pitching in between Kershaw’s next start, how is that not four days rest?
The ones who get shorted in this scenario is Wood on his second go around, and Stripling on the third cycle, where he gets three days. Kenta is the beneficiary with five on the first cycle, but loses a day on the fourth. Insert Bolsinger for Wood’s second run through the order and Stripling’s third, and insert him before Kershaw’s 5th cycle and switch Kershaw and Kenta and that gives Kershaw four days rest and Kenta five.
Of course that doesn’t account for individual matchups. We don’t really want Bolsinger matching up with the other team’s ace.
The proposed concept was for Maeda to ALWAYS pitch with 5 days rest within a 5 man rotation. For that to happen then there will always be someone else (from the other 4 pitchers) pitching on short rest (or 3 days rest.) Looking at the first cycle and saying Kershaw pitches then has 4 days off then pitches again is a little short sided.
If you notice (in RD’s) example, that in the 2nd cycle through the rotation that Wood would be pitching on 3 days rest. In the 3rd cycle, Stripling would be pitching on 3 days rest, the 4th cycle it would have been Kershaw and the 5th it would have been Kazmir.
And that cycle would repeat itself. That was my whole point. I think this horse is dead!
Roger I think your pitching rotation schedule really is a good idea. With your schedule Maeda pitches once a week, and we still have Kershaw pitching as much as he can.
And if the Dodgers need some long relief, like they seem to always need, Roberts can still play with a rotation like you are thinking Roger.
Odor 8 games. He had it coming.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the move to be made was AGon to the DL. I knew somebody was going, didn’t figure it would be him. Father Time gets us all.
Kershaw is pretty good.
Greinke won again. Still 2 wins behind Clayton.
I still think a 6 man rotation is a good idea. For everybody, including Kershaw.
Badger Agone already told Roberts, that he already was feeling better, before the game yesterday. And Agone was available to hit last night. I think Agone knows his back and body well, and knows when he needs to take a break.
He never lets it go so far, that he would be that bad. That is why he has been able to play in so many games, in the last ten years.
Badger you are right. I know Kerhaw would want to pitch the regular schedule, but sometimes, someone needs to slow Kershaw down a little, for the best for Kershaw. It is good to get everyone of your starters a little extra rest.
Most pitchers pitch better with a little more rest. Vinny always has all of those stats on starting pitcher’s days rest, and how they perform.
Badger Puig looked terrible last night, when he was up to bat. He is using just his arms, and doing the opposite, of keeping inside on the ball.
That is why he is poping up, and rolling over on the ball. He is looks like he is getting worse, instead of better.
I ran a couple of swings back a few times, getting a good look. He still attacks first pitch fastballs, but pitchers know this and they are hitting corners with them. He doesn’t drive enough of those. He can’t because of the location. It looks to me at times like his arms aren’t getting extended. I think he needs to move away from the plate maybe 4″. He’s still late too. I’d start his handsome a few inches higher. (Joc had the the same problem) There’s a few things he can do. I’m sure Ward sees what is wrong. Getting Yassie to adjust might take a while. Remember, we have it on……. authority….. having an above average IQ does not mean one is not a stupid, bumbling, inept person.
Badger No common sense! He needs to let the inside pitches go, and just let the pitchers beat him there, and just drive the ball up the middle or to right side, and hit only pitches that are middle, or outside corner.
He is also getting caught up in all the other young players, hitting HRs. He badly wants to join the club!
And I agree about Ward, but get him a hypotist or something.
Well, it’s my opinion that you have to be able to square up strikes, wherever they are. Last night he got one of those inside strikes , got on top of it a bit, ground ball to third. A couple of feet either direction it’s a hit. If he gets just a bit of backspin on that pitch, the left field fence directly behind the third baseman is not that far away. A man of Puig’s size and strength can reach that fence rather easily, especially if he gets all of it. He guessed right, just missed it by 1/2″. That tells me he’s close. But I don’t like his elbows so close to his body when his bat is in the contact zone. Big guys should be able to extend. Most of them stand far away from the plate.
Badger Your right, a batter should be able to hit strikes, but if he just concentrated on hitting the middle and outside corner, maybe he would stop pulling every pitch he hits. He may need a over correction, Something like Jock had, in spring training, to break his bad habits.
And he does pull pitches on the outside corner, and that is why he is turning over on the ball, all the time. He is somewhat off balance with his body, but not on his feet like Joc. He doesn’t even look like he is striding in to his swing at all.
If Puig used more then his arms, to swing the bat, he would have the power, that he should have, with that body he has. Badger Don’t you wish that you had the raw talent that Puig has, and knew what you knew now?
If I had his skills, and his body……
Actually I don’t want to go there. I already spent years upset that I was 5’9″ 175. If I was built like Puig I would have played football for Nebraska or UCLA, or gone ahead and accepted the Dodgers offer out of high school. If I had Timmon’s size and my skill level I would have made millions. but, it just doesn’t work that way.
I know Ward is, by all accounts, a knowledgeable hitting instructor. If Puig listens, he will get better. When he does – 30 home runs and 100 ribbies.