It’s my job to observe and comment. I’m tasked with analyzing and opining. I’m a guy who loves to talk and write about baseball, but this team has left me speechless. How does one describe the worst slide in the history of a franchise? When it immediately follows the most incredible run of success in the history of the franchise? My jaw sits agape.
Last night the Dodgers opened a critical series in San Francisco against their hated rivals – and they once again proved the cynics right. They just don’t have it, they couldn’t find it with GPS, and they wouldn’t know what to do with it if it dropped right into their dugout.
The night began gloomily enough, with a surprise downpour that forced a rain delay after just one batter. Curtis Granderson, batting in the First Out position, swung through ridiculously low pitches to start the Dodgers off on the wrong cleat. The umpires apparently felt there was no way they were going to put everyone in harm’s way for this ineptitude, so they called a delay.
That delay lasted 2 hours and 54 minutes. When the rain lifted and everyone took the field again, the Giants switched their pitcher. The Dodgers should have done the same, because they trotted out Kenta Maeda – and brother, he was a mess. He gave up a two-run homer in the first, a solo homer in the second, and just for variety, a small ball run in the third. It was 4-0 Giants, fast approaching midnight, and looking like more of the same from the clueless ones in blue.
The Dodgers didn’t exactly roll over, as they put together a rally of their own in the fourth inning, and came back strong to tie the score. They loaded the bases and Logan Forsythe (who was subbed in for Chase Utley when the Giants switched pitchers in the first inning) knocked in the first run with a rolling single. Chris Taylor and Corey Seager both followed with singles tie the game at four apiece. The Dodgers still had the bases loaded with two out, but Cody Bellinger grounded out to end the inning.
Dedicated Dodgers fans in the cold Frisco stadium and awake late in their homes felt vindicated and rewarded. There were signs of fight in the team! Something good just might happen on this strange and wet night! Right? Right?
Yasiel Puig further excited the Blue Nation with a solo smash in the fifth to give the Dodgers the lead for the first time. The score was now 5-4 with the good guys ahead.
Trouble is, this is the Dodgers we’re talking about, and the smiles did not last long.
Manager Dave Roberts inserted Josh Ravin to replace Luis Avilan in the fifth (Avilan replaced Maeda and pitched a scoreless fourth). Ravin immediately began setting fire to the Dodgers lead. He walked his frst batter and gave up a single to his second. Ravin out, Tony Cingrani in. He promptly gave up two more runs, and the Giants were back in front, 6-5.
The Dodgers tied it up again in the sixth, and in the bottom half of the inning, Roberts went to everyone’s favorite, Pedro Baez. Could Baez maintain the tie? Hahahahaha! What do you think? It was 7-6 Giants and the groans from Dodger fans echoed up and down the state.
Tony Watson replaced Baez in the seventh and blah, blah,blah, the Dodgers gave up another run. There were two more innings to play, but it was all over. The Blue Titanic had broken in half, and all that was left was for the band to play on as the inevitable approached.
There you have it, folks. The Dodgers scored six runs and still managed to lose. Should we point fingers at Adrian Gonzalez, Chris Taylor, Curtis Granderson, and Justin Turner who combined to go 0 for 13? Should we blame the pichers who combined to give up 8 runs? Should we blame Roberts for yet another ridiculous lineup, despite the fact that time is running out and each loss further damages the team’s psyche? Should I blame myself for staying up late and watching and hoping until stupid-o-clock?
My mouth sits agape.
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 blame Dave Roberts his decision have been bad ..this 10 day disable list is just a farce and it all started when gonzales came back ..its never been the same..this left hand right hand stuff is a crock of crap ..go with who can get outs..when you score 6 runs you should win the game..Baez should not picture another game this yr..put him on the 10 day list, just go with who hit s the best ..
Oscar
I bet your heart felt like mine, when Maeda allowed that two run HR, in the first inning, of that game!
My heart took another hit, when Maeda gave up that second HR, in the next inning too.
At the time, you are thinking, how can this happen again, to the Dodgers again?
I stayed up long enough, to see our team come back and put up four runs, in that one inning.
I watched the inning when Turner hit in Corey, and they showed Baez in the bullpen warming up, so I decided to go to bed.
I didn’t want to stay up and watch the rest of the game, and not see us not win again, and I am happy with my decision today, because I figured it would end up the way it did!
The way Roberts is making up these line ups, doesn’t promote confidence for the team, and in the team, for us fans!
It seems to me that Roberts didn’t learn much, from the way, he played Reddick, last year!
Roberts wanted to get Reddick right last year, just like he is doing with Granderson, this year.
But if my memory serves me right, Reddick never got right, and Roberts never noticed!
MJ—–The voice of reason! Good post. I knew you knew the deal.
I am sure Oscar that the lateness of the game is affecting your memory. Ravin replaced Avilan IN the 4th inning and struck out Hundley to end the inning. Roberts mistakenly took this action as a portent of a solid inning from said hurler and sent him back to the mound, where he, like many of those before him during this continuing handbook of bad baseball, walked the leadoff hitter and the rest is history. This has reached a state of ridiculousness that is unprecedented in the annals of Dodger history. It proves a couple of theory’s. 1. Resting your players BEFORE the job is done……bad idea…….giving extra rest to pitchers who have for the most part been in a regular routine for almost all season………bad idea…….trading for Curtis Granderson…….terrible idea…….trading for Yu Darvish, good idea for 1 start, pretty dumb since. Having 39 players on the roster and having to use them in 1 night…..bad form………It all comes down to what we have been screaming since the get go. They have a good not great team. They have one really good pitcher, Kershaw, one pitcher having his best year, Wood, 1 pitcher unable to capture his prior success, Darvish, 3 others who have been the HR darlings of the NL, Ryu, Maeda, and Hill, a solid closer, Jansen, one good set up man, Morrow, and a cast of guys who are at this point sinking the ship. They have NO regular second baseman who is worth a crap, no left fielder who can hit, and a catcher who slumps at least 3 or 4 times a year and never met a fast ball in the dirt he would let go by without swinging. FAZ will be bald from pulling out his hair over this mess. Orel had a great idea last night, just put all the kids in there and give the regulars the day off to just watch the game……they have tried everything else, so why not? Sorry I broke my promise not to come back until they won, but after last nights classic meltdown, I am pissed, and I am tired of seeing L’s up there every night.
One last thing, and this has been missed in most of the blogs and posts. That game should have never been played last night. Almost a 4 hour total delay. Started at almost 11:00 local time. Ridiculous for the players, ridiculous for the fans and embarrassing to the league as a whole. Putting the players at risk this late in the year just to avoid having to play a doubleheader today. Or cancelling the game altogether.
Michael
They could have played these other two games, and just waited to see, if this one game would even make a difference, in the pennant race, down the line.
But I also know that might be a scary proposition, if we had to face the Giants at the end of the year, and had to beat them, to determine the pennant race.
But this one game would probably not mean that much, but with the way this team has played, you just never know.
I am basically ok with Cody playing in the outfield in general, but I didn’t think Cody should have been in center last night.
That outfield in SF is a hard outfield to play in, especially if a player, has never played there, not to mention the weather, and the wet fields.
Look what happened with Puig, and Puig is built!
And you know I think if Agone is healthy, he could be a good bat at the back of our line up, but I thought Ethier should have got the start, last night.
And I just didn’t think this was a good time, to get Agone in the line up.
And I know those two guys don’t off set each other in the line up, but we don’t want Agone, Utley, and Ethier in the line up, at the same time right now.
I am not very confident in this game to night, and that is because we have never really gotten Cueto’s number, except in that one first inning, in a game, in that first series in SF, last year.
MJ
You had to mess it up, didn’t you. A good post and then you want to put Agon in ahead of Cody at first base. WRONG! Cody is the 1st baseman, not Agon. He is the pinch hitter. Putting Cody in CF increases his chance for injury or fake injury and more time on the DL for Roberts to try more players. I know it must just be and oversight by you.
I think Cody needs to be more patient in his at bats, and try to hit the ball the other way, because he has been rolling over a lot lately, and hitting grounders to second.
He looks like is trying to hard, to hit one out.
And Cody can get hurt running the bases, and even while playing at first.
And no one here, doesn’t want Cody to be the full time first baseman, including Agone.
But the Dodgers like their players to be versatile and athletic, and to have the ability to play different positions, so you better get use to that.
The Dodgers interfered with the chemistry of the team. When they put Cody on the CL they hurt the team. Agreed, Cody needed some time away to nurse his ankle but not 10 or 12 games. That was a crock of BS. Roberts should have his butt kicked for doing that. Cody is a 1st baseman, not an outfielder. Quit trying to find a job for Agon, his time has passed. If Cody had not been in the outfield he would not have been injured.
Rangers called up Willie Calhoun…
Tonight’s game is on free tv 🙂
Watch it rain 🙁
Artieboy
I checked the weather report in SF, and it doesn’t say anything about any rain, just cloudy weather.
Tonight’s line up…. Taylor CF Seager SS Turner 3B Bellinger 1B Puig RF Granderson LF Grandal C Utley 2B Kershaw P….Giants…..Hernandez CF Panik 2B Pence RF Posey 1B Hundley C Slater LF Calixte 2B Tomlinson SS Cueto P…….why Granderson is still in the lineup is a total mystery to me. Ethier or even Verdugo should be out there instead of that slug…….
Michael, This is meant in fun but you said you were not going to post until they won. Sorry Bro…. Shut Up.
Geez I am trying anything to the bust the SI cover players weekend curse. Sorry MM
Tim
There was a article in Sports Illustrated about the Dodgers losing streak.
It didn’t make the cover, and that is to bad, because maybe that would reverse the Dodger’s fortune!
Yeah I did and I said why in my first post on this stream….put it this way, I am pissed off and tired of poor play, poor managing and a general lack of fire in this team. They have no sense of urgency. The pitchers are throwing cookies up there to the opposing hitters. Baez could not get my grandmother out and she is dead.
Both Jerry and Nomar said they would play Ethier over Granderson, especially with how the team is losing!
And they said Granderson would probably benefit with a 4 days off, to reset, instead of continuing to stick him in the line up.
You know that Cueto changing the timing of his deliveries, will easily strike out Grandal!
They also said the same about Grandal!
They said both of these players would benefit more, from having four days off.
They don’t understand why they are continuing to play these two players, that are not producing, especially with the team going through.
I guess the key word was they.
No excuse! Cody should have scored on that error.
Looks like they are having fun right now ?
It’s about bloody time!
We need to fight and play out this series. Last night, there was fight and we lost because of Robert’s poor lineup at the outset, and Maeda giving up the early runs. Ravin and Baez didn’t help either, especially Ravin with his lead off walk – we have bunch of relief pitchers who are front-runners. When they walk the first guy in the post-season, you need to take them out immediately. The only post-season pitcher I let pitch when they walk the lead off guy is probably Jansen. And maybe Morrow and Ryu if he pitches in relief in the postseason. Everyone else, when they walk the lead off pitcher, and there is only a 3 run lead or less, I am pulling them.
Curtis Granderson is going to go down as the WORST mid season pick up in Dodger history. He could not hit one of those pitchers from the little league world series.
Puig is showing why batting #5 is the right spot for him. Top 5 players are set. Granderson, Grandal, are the weak links , both sinking fast. Granderson should not even be on the team. How do you let him bat with bases loaded, 2 out? If they want change, let Verdugo or another outfielder take over in CF and LF. Those were the positions that we needed auditions. No one has auditioned properly. Roberts is full of shit.
Bellinger needs to be at 1b, not Gonzalez. Taylor can play at LF or 2b. Utley can still play 2b, too. Isn’t that why they signed him for another year? Forsythe should sit for a good long while.
Get the rotation back to its 5 man cycle. No more auditions for the bullpen. If you don’t know who you have by now, it’s too late. Go with confidence in your team who have gotten you to where they are. Don’t screw with it, Roberts. You have really messed things up in a big way, but you either don’t realize it, or are incredibly stubborn. The players will adjust themselves. They are pros, they will learn from this, not from you. The manager is there to optimize the lineups and instill confidence. You have done neither.
Meanwhile, Verlander so far at Anaheim tonight: 8ip, 9k, 0 runs, 110 pitches.
Bobby you’re killing me
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They never do anything easy do they????????????????????