Today’s afternoon matinee could not have gone much better for the Dodgers. It featured the boys in blue scoring double-digit runs for the second time in one series, excellent pitching, great fielding, and the crowning jewel(s), two massive bombs sent out of the stadium by Yasiel Puig.
Yours truly was lucky enough to be able to attend. That meant I was able to have a great view of Yasiel at bat, and to be involved in the Puig-lovefest that swept through Chavez Ravine as the Dodgers took their third win from the four game series against the Padres.
Brandon McCarthy went to the mound for the boys, and as I indicated above, he was better than many expected in his 2017 debut. He went six innings and only gave up four hits. Unfortunately for his ERA one of those hits was a home run, but his defense was steady behind him, and his offense was also steady in the way it just kept putting runs upon the board. There really wasn’t a time we in the stadium felt McCarthy was losing control of the game, and he was still throwing 94 mph heaters in the sixth.
As far as the rest of the pitching went, Luis Avilan and Chris Hatcher combined for three scoreless innings to hold the Padres down while the offense just kept piling up the runs against the seemingly helpless Padres.
The Dodgers’ offense was not flawless however, as Andrew Toles seems to be in danger of falling victim to Juan Pierre syndrome. That’s the affliction where a team’s lead off batter keeps on hitting fly balls into the outfield as though he’s a power-hitter, but he’s really not, so they just become harmless outs. This puts every inning he leads off in danger of beginning with an automatic out. Someone might have finally intervened and informed Toles the advice to hit balls into the air was meant for Puig and not him, because he eventually grounded out before finally walking with the bases loaded in his last at bat to bring in Yasiel Puig.
Did I mention Yasiel? He was on fire today, slamming two-run home runs out of the park in his first two at bats. He hit one in the second to drive in Chase Utley (who started at second base) and in the fourth, bringing in Joc Pederson.
The biggest offensive inning for the Dodgers came in the 7th – that had a lot to do with lousy Padre pitching. The Padres walked the bases loaded and then walked Toles, bringing in a run. With the bases still loaded (and a new Padre pitcher) Corey Seager blasted a ground rule double deep into the left field corner.
That scored two more runs and advanced Toles to third. Padres catcher Luis Torrens let a pitch glance off his glove for a passed ball and Toles trotted home with the fourth run of the inning.
For the Kike Marching and Chowder Society: Enrique Hernandez pinch hit for Hatcher in the sixth and hit a beautiful double to drive in today’s catcher, Austin Barnes. Kike later scored from third on a brilliant double-steal that caught the Padres napping.
It was a fun game and a wonderful afternoon of baseball in the Ravine before the boys leave town and head for Colorado. They’ll play another afternoon game tomorrow, and I sure wish I could be there.
Brandon McCarthy went 6 innings with 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 4 Ks and 1 HR ERA 3.00
Home runs: Yasiel Puig with TWO!
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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Welcome to Colorado boys. Have fun in Coors. You are lucky that the weather will be better than it has been the last few days. Enjoy the view of the snow capped Rockies…
That’s good news about the weather. Steiner had said it was going to be wet and cold in Denver this weekend.
I heard Friday and Saturday will be nice, and on Sunday it will be about fifty, but Michael is our resident expert on here, when it comes to Colorado, and its weather.
I wondered before today, if they should have let Ryu have his first start in LA, instead of Colorado, because things can get out of hand there.
But if he survives this, and pitches a good game, that will say a lot more, about Ryu.
I am rooting for Ryu, and if he is himself, he will be just fine.
And thank you to the Dbacks, for giving us, a three game lead on the Giants, before we go on this road trip.
If we can stay at 500 on this road trip, that will be good for me.
Those Rockie hitters, love fastballs, and Ryu’s change up, will help with that.
In Colorado? Watch out for SWAT. They are trigger happy up there and are known for showing up at the wrong address.
Denver weather can change pretty fast, the forecast for today is 73 degrees and cloudy. Saturday 73 and partly cloudy and Sunday 55 partly cloudy and windy. That’s the latest as of 10:13 Mountain standard time. or about 3 hours from game time. Now Saturday night, and that is a night game I think, temps will get down to 48, and if there is any wind at all, it will be cold. That’s Kershaw’s game. Actually MJ, it is a 2 game lead. If the Giants were 0-4 it would be 3. That Puig fellow looks pretty good so far. Might be an asset this year. And today we will see if the DR. trots out his best players, or that lame ass mostly RH lineup of scrubs.
Michael
Thanks for the tip on the lead!
Did they ever think about putting a retractable roof, in Denver?
I hope Puig continues to hit in Colorado, and the Wild Horse, finally runs free, of the criticism, he often gets!
awwwwww Charlie is all wet on that one. They might get some moisture, but rain is not in the fore cast.
Keep politics out of it!!!
Catbox and Melvin continue to offer nothing but insults, and I get moderated. Nice.
I have not seen that Badger, but I guess it is probably true. Last night after I posted my welcome to Colorado post, I checked back and it said there were 2 posts, but mine was the only one here. Do what I do now my friend. Ignore the morons.
I’m trying. They have a site set up just for them. Dodgertalk exercises censorship so they are safe rom reprisals there. I’m not going to do what they do, but I am tired of seeing the site get dragged down by their 7th grade behaviors. Scott apparently doesn’t mind. It’s about hits here. I can see why so many have said “enough!”
I know what you mean. The Dodger web site really polices what is said on there. I posted some comments the other day and every one of them had that little yellow PENDING box pop up. You say something critical of the regime there and up pops the devil. I have gotten to the point that it is better for my blood pressure to just ignore that stuff. And I absolutely will not get into a political debate on here. We all have our opinions, and my take now is say what I think and read the reply’s and if their argument is solid, well that’s ok with me, but if they want to throw insults, I just ignore it. I did see Mark’s reply to Dodgerrick on that other stream, and he was his same old pompous self. Hope you have a great day brother……enjoy the game. we are too damn old to do otherwise!
Amen to that. I only respond to MJ when she speaks directly to me. That’s when the rectal brothers show up.
I broke down and purchased mlbtv, after I said I wouldn’t because Vin retired. I’m ok with Orel but that other guy gotta go. You know who might fit there – Sutton’s kid Daron. Not sure what he’s doing but I thought he was good when he was with the dbacks.
Just checked for lineups and ours isn’t up yet. Last minute RH changes?
Maybe DR’s pleading with FAZ to put out the good lineup instead of FAZ’s Losers…
Michael
Did you talk about Kike, on the Dodger.Com site?
Because Kike’s name, will bring up those yellow pending things.
Because I guess that is a bad slang, that some people, use against, Jewish people.
Maybe there’s a good reason for moderation over at that other Dodger site. I seem to notice the discussions are all on topic, the members are civil to each other and the responses are of a very high caliber. I’m glad to see that Always Compete is posting there – and writing articles. He was one of my favorite posters and an impressive baseball mind, I think he boycotted this place because of bad feelings from contentious posts. Dodgerrick is able to post there freely, and responses to him, though often in disagreement, are respectful and acknowledge his points. It elevates the level of discourse tremendously. This place just got ugly, and judging by the responses above, there are still people who won’t let things go and just want to insult because it’s all personal for them.
If I was Mark, I’d block some of you people from my site, too. Why would anyone want to put up with that nonsense on his own blog? In fact, I would protest if he ever let Badger in there. I’m sorry, you two just can’t be in the same room. Doesn’t work.
Apparently it’s moderated closely, and it works.
No changes Badger. Same lineup with Joc hitting 8th. No MJ, I did not mention Kike`. If you put that little accent on the end of his name it is in no way derogatory to Jewish people. And most people who use the word kike, would not capitalize the k. Also Badger, I have to watch the games here on ROOT sports, you think Davis is bad? You ought to hear the lead TV guy here. He is about as bad as the D-Backs guy was a few years ago. Total homer, states the obvious because he thinks you do not have eyes to see what is going on. I will turn down the sound on the TV, and use the Dodger radio feed so I will get Steiner and Monday. Did you read that quote from Lorenzo Ball’s dad about the Bruins are bad because they have too many slow white guys? Wow, what a moron.
There is one person who makes this site a problem. We all know who it is. patch says he would “protest” my posting on the other site. It would never happen. It was difficult enough having to listen to the bloggers abusive attacks, but to find out his history was it for me. I want nothing to do with him.
I did see that Michael. I wonder if the Lakers might go a different direction because of that guy. Probably not, but he could be a PR problem for an organization.
Badger
I only saw one post from the little m, sorry about the clutter.
Yeah, me too MJ. You and I talking about anything other than Dodgers is a window for those who wish only to troll to step through.
Michael
I always capitalize it, but I am lazy with that accent mark.
I feel sorry for the Lorenzo Ball’s boys, but they are probably use to him.
Lorenzo’s wife is white, and his sons are half, so I don’t know why he would say something like that.
But why does he say the things, he does, is the question.
With all the talk about our line up, the young pitcher that Bud Black was talking about today, on the MLB Channel, must be an young leftie.
Badger sorry, I didn’t mean to get you attacked!
I was merely talking to you, another concerned citizen, about the concerns, of the day.
I too, try not to fall for some of the name calling, but sometimes, it is hard to do.
Every time one walks down the street, the dogs bark. Don’t mean nothing. (Grammar experts, take the day off, “Don’t mean nothing” was an accepted phrase in the 70s) Barking back just makes them worse. Tell them you hope when they go home their mother comes out from under the porch and bites them…
OK Jonah!
It is Freeland’s MLB debut. He is a local Denver boy. Went to high school in Denver and they showed a picture of him on the pre game show here in a Rockies onesey as a baby. Always been a Rockies fan, so them drafting him was a dream come true.
Did you guys know that we face three lefties, in the next four games?
Freeland today, and Anderson on Sunday then Lester when we play the Cubs. Guess that platoon lineup had better play pretty good. Or else this will be a very forgettable road trip.
Michael
Yes we face Lester on Monday.