The Dodgers will welcome the Rockies into town tonight as they close out the home stand with a two game series against Colorado. The Dodgers got a split with Arizona after losing the last two games of the series in the same pathetic way they lose most of their games. The offense with a lineup full of utility players did absolutely nothing last night in their 4-2 loss to the Snakes. I’ve said this so many times that I am almost getting sick of repeating myself. You can’t win with utility players starting in the lineup every other game.
Utility players should never be in the starting lineup unless one of the regulars is hurt, or someone needs a day off. That should only happen occasionally. Utility players are meant to be used at the end of games as pinch-hitters, or late inning defensive replacements. Scott Van Slyke should be used primarily as a pinch-hitter and should only start maybe once every couple of weeks to give Adrian Gonzalez a night off. Kike Hernandez should only be used as a late inning defensive replacement. I like Rob Segedin, but the same with him as well.
Dodgers vs. Colorado
Tonight's Dodger lineup vs. Rockies:
Forsythe 2B
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Puig RF
Hernández LF
González 1B
Barnes C
Pederson CF
Ryu P pic.twitter.com/SncKaQdjJj— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 18, 2017
Kyle Freeland-1-1 vs. Hyun-jin Ryu-0-2
Game Time – 7:10 PM – TV-KTLA5 SNLA
Speaking of Kike, he’s back in the lineup tonight, playing in left field and batting fifth behind Yasiel Puig. It’s hilarious actually. Just because he accidentally ran into a home run last night, Dodger management feels he should be providing Puig with “lineup protection”. It’s only a matter of time before his batting average falls below .190 and he’s back batting lead-off every other game.
Most of the regulars are back in the lineup this time as Hyun-jin Ryu will battle opposing southpaw Kyle Freeland. Ryu has been awful this year, posting an 0-2 record and a 5.79 ERA. The Rockies beat him last time and he has not looked good at all. Ryu has given up 11.6 hits per nine innings pitched and12 hits across 9.1 innings of work. Ryu is 3-3 with a 3.98 ERA in 6 career starts against Colorado.
Ryu vs. Rockies
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | OPS |
| Gerardo Parra | 18 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .222 | .222 | .500 |
| Charlie Blackmon | 15 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | .417 | .533 | 1.033 |
| Nolan Arenado | 9 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .333 | .333 | .778 |
| Carlos Gonzalez | 9 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .429 | .556 | 1.413 |
| Alexi Amarista | 7 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .286 | .286 | .571 |
| DJ LeMahieu | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .167 | .167 | .333 |
| Stephen Cardullo | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Kyle Freeland | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | 1.000 |
| Dustin Garneau | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | 2.500 |
| Mark Reynolds | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Trevor Story | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Total | 74 | 69 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 13 | .290 | .338 | .758 |
The Dodgers couldn’t hit rookie Kyle Freeland on the last road trip so I don’t see any reason why they would be able to hit him now. Maybe they did some work in the video room and in the cages and will have a different approach? I doubt it, but I suppose it’s possible. Freeland is 1-1 on the season with a 5.91 ERA so that means the Dodgers will probably get shutout again.
Oh btw, our friends at numberfire seem to think the Dodgers have a 55.6% chance of winning tonight.
Oh and this is lovely. More injuries.
Dodgers recall Josh Fields, put Grant Dayton on DL.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) April 19, 2017
Enjoy the game on KTLA 5 tonight guys and check back in over here for the recap immediately following the game. Go Blue!
“Utility players SHOULD NEVER be in the starting lineup unless one of the regulars is hurt, or someone needs a day off. That SHOULD ONLY happen occasionally. Utility players ARE MEANT to be used at the end of games as pinch-hitters, or late inning defensive replacements. Scott Van Slyke SHOULD BE used primarily as a pinch-hitter and SHOULD ONLY start maybe once every couple of weeks to give Adrian Gonzalez a night off. Kike Hernandez SHOULD ONLY be used as a late inning defensive replacement. I like Rob Segedin, but the same with him as well.”
The bold emphasis is mine. This reads like it’s some sort of religious rite, some law or rule.
Why?
Its a strong opinion, held by many. It’s not a rule, it’s just not Moneyball, where platoons put starters on the bench. Are you asking why it reads like a law, or why some believe your starters should be in the lineup everyday?
Scott doesn’t want the Dodgers go with this platoon team all season long, like they did last year, when they were last in offense, in all of baseball.
And they still continued to put this platoon team, on the field, even in the post season last year.
Platoons are suppose to give a team, an offensive advantage, and that isn’t happening.
Placing last in offense in all of baseball, is no advantage.
They need to try something different, and and play the regular players instead.
And really now, these part time players, are becoming the regular players, because we are facing mainly lefties.
At Dodgerpatch. This is tiresome.
Scott didn’t say it was a law. It’s more than obvious that is his opinion, and while it’s a strong opinion he is entitled to it and he’s been backing it up. So why are you spinning up another straw man?
And we are still waiting to see your post on who exactly said that Cotton was a Cy Young player. I don’t think anyone here even came close to saying Cotton’s an All Star. Oh did you mean that was meant as a hyperbole? Then don’t attribute it to others, which is what you and Boxout do ad nauseum. If you want to spew hyperboles and opinions, it’s welcome here just don’t pass it off as the statements of others.
It was an honest inquiry. Is baseball so rooted in it’s unwritten traditional rules and ways of doing things that change is bad for the simple fact that it’s change.
I don’t have a problem with his opinion. To me it just read as a pedantic recitation of the way things should be without offering insight or reasons why. In the interests of having a discussion I’d like to see Scott or anyone else with an opinion also make a good argument.
“Scott Van Slyke SHOULD BE used primarily as a pinch-hitter and SHOULD ONLY start maybe once every couple of weeks to give Adrian Gonzalez a night off.”……Adrian Gonzalez is a perpetual All Star. This team is comprised of starting players for a reason, because these starters are the team’s best players. When the front office, with it’s obsession with splits and statistics, continually puts in replacement players instead of the players who are generally superior and have earned the starting job, they aren’t fielding their best team.
That’s a decent reason. That’s not so hard is it?
And don’t misquote me. I didn’t say Scott said it was a law. I said it read like one. Baseball is a sport that is rooted in tradition and ways of doing things – unwritten laws. When you have a disrupting influence sometimes there is pushback, and people reject changes simply because they’re changes. Maybe Moneyball tinkering is taken to excess. That could be a fair argument. Make the argument…and make it a compelling one.
Yes, I was being hyberbolic with Cotton to poke a stick at those who used Cotton’s one recent good game to make the rather rash and broad assertion that the trade that sent him to Oakland was a bad one and yet another example of FAZ malfeasance. I thought that conclusion, based on one game, was hyperbolic.
Based on one game? Where have you been?
You can be hyperbolic and snarky, but others can’t? As for presenting arguments as to why one thinks it better to play your starters instead of platooning with weaker hitters I would like to suggest you read what those who believe that have been saying for about a year. It isn’t working patch. Stats proving that are posted daily and have been for a long time.
And without even looking I can tell you Adrian Gonzalez is not a perennial All Star but he is still a better option than Van Slyke.
I know you like to debate. I appreciate that. I know you like FAZ. I respect that. You ask for facts to support an argument but it appears you choose to ignore them when they are staring you in the face.
That said, I still believe this team will hit. I don’t know what’s wrong with Van Slyke but I’ve grown weary of waiting on him. I’m not as sure about Hernandez anymore and I don’t believe Forsythe will do here what he did in Florida. Bats don’t seem to get better when they come to LA. I still believe Utley should be a coach and I don’t think Segedin is an answer. If you demand that I present more than an opinion on that I would ask you to ignore his minor league numbers and instead look at what he’s done in the Majors. He’s 28, in his prime and he’s a .230 hitter, .209 career vs LHP.
Scott doesn’t need to provide all the stats and details to prove his opinions have merit. Not to me anyway. I can read, I can see, and what I read and what I’ve seen tells me he’s right. This team needs some polishing. I think a good start might be to let your best hitters try to hit left handed pitching. It may not work, but in the mean time the league is on to us and we will see left handers, a lot if them, the rest of the way.
Top of the 1st, Arenado hits a 2 run homer off Ryu. Oh, my! What a way to start a game.
Barnes, Kike, our only B players in the lineup. Let’s see what the hitters can do against the lefty onslaught. The Dodgers have really dug themselves into an uphill battle not being able to hit lefties. I think we are in for more struggling times if the pitching doesn’t hold up, and it’s not holding up, so far.
To be fair, that HR to Arenado was a good pitch. Low in the zone and he went down and got it, so he gets a lot of credit there. The HR by Story and the 2nd Arenado HR were hangers. Right down the middle, belt high and they got crushed. Other than that, Ryu looked pretty good considering what he is coming back from, close to two years out of the game. He also has the only hit by a RH stick in this game and he reached my prediction of 6 full innings, and that was a nice DP to end the 6th. Dayton to the DL with left intercostal strain, Fields recalled. Turner hit in the hand, but remained in the game, Forsythe hit in the toe and came out. SVS continues to flail away and after getting a walk in his first AB he grounded into a force play with the bases loaded. They left more runners on in the 5th. Baez in for Ryu here in the 7th. Baez shuts Arenado down with a strikeout…….they have 4 walks, 2 hit batsmen and 4 hits. They have left 9 men on base…….sure worth 242 million there……time for some offense..
Michael
Orel said the balls to oArrenando, were not inside enough.
But I agree if Ryu can clean up his command, he will get better.
I was glad to see Roberts have Ryu pitch six innings.
That will build up his endurance and I guess his arm, because Rick says he needs to build up his arm still.
And really, only Arrenando hit Ryu, beside the hanger Story got.
And I noticed that about Forsyth and this is the second time he has went out in this homestand, but he has had problems, with his feet.
Turner is getting hit way to much, Roberts is going to have to make sure he protects Turner, and hit the other team’s best player.
He won’t do that with Colorado, because of Black, but the Dbacks need to be taught!
Well MJ, I disagree with Orel. I watched the entire game on ROOT Sports here in Colorado, and they replayed that homer about 12 times. The first homer was on a pitch that was below his knees. close to being below his calf. That he even hit that pitch was amazing. The other two homers were definitely right down main street, belt high middle of the plate. Another thing that irked me, Seager and Turner both struck out on pitches you could not hit with a 10 foot pole. They looked like Puig did flailing at that low outside pitch at least a foot off the plate. They helped Freeland get easy outs.
I predicted less than 5 innings by Ryu and a loss of over 2 runs. Not a good start
It will get worse with another lefty tomorrow.
Another frustrating game. But I think we can win this. They need to start manufacturing runs for once.
Cain went 7. 1 earned. Don’t want to see him doing that very often. Melancon a save, his 3rd. Peraza scored 3, stole another base but neither will help his OPS so he still blows. Is Cincinnati this good? Nah. Couldn’t be. Arizona rolling the Pads.
Ok, lefthander out. Let’s go.
Badger
We are facing another left hander tonight.
Yep. Until further notice, I think teams will line up as many lefthanders as they can.
Ryu with 6. Got that wrong. Shelby Miller with 7.
He went 6 but gave up 4 runs in 5. they are down 3. they didn’t hit another southpaw
I have a question…..what in the wide wide world of sports is Kike Hernandez doing hitting 5th? He has little power, he is definitely not a contact hitter, and he sure as hell is not an RBI man. Baez 2 clean innings. They have 6 hits tonight, all singles, 4 by LH hitters and 2 by RH with Ryu being one of those. The other was Yasiel who beat out a grounder to 2nd, other than Pederson, they have zero hits with men in scoring position. This offense is offensive. In other words it stinks…..time to go to bed, them down by 3 going into the 9th, pretty much a lost cause with this bunch.
Michael
Roberts left Kike in the game the night before, against a rightie.
And Kike was able to stay in and hit, against a rightie last night, because of Forsythe going out again, for the second time in this homestand.
And they were not able to take film on him, because his foot was to swelled up.
Kike did the same thing last night, he did the night before, when he came up with runners on base, he hit a little flyball, to right.
If that second right hand hitter was Forsythe who got a hit, that means non of these part time players, got a hit.
And I suspect that that happens most of the time, so why play the part time players?
MJ, I read your post twice because I have a nasty habit of just scanning posts and then replying. I wanted to take in all you said. First off, Kike started the game batting 6th and playing LF. My point was and is, that I understand him starting the game against a LH pitcher since he is supposed to be this great lefty killer. What I do not understand and cannot really comprehend, is what is he doing in the 6 hole behind Puig and in front of A-Gone. He is not that kind of hitter. Not today, not tomorrow and certainly not in that situation. He scored a run because he walked and the pitcher was pretty wild. His offense at this point in time is pretty non existent. But I am not going to just pick on Kike. Roberts made that lineup out. Of more concern to me was the fact that Seager after 2 AB’s in this game had struck out 8 times in a row! Double Golden Sombrero. Not good. He finally drew a walk, and then got his bloop single. He did drive the ball to CF, but for some reason none of the balls the Dodgers squared up went anywhere. Sad as it is for me to say, it is time for Scott VanSlyke to go. He walked and when he could have really impacted the game he hit a weak ground out. I actually thought in the 9th that Puig had tied the game. But warning track power does not a homer make. Good thing was that there were 6 regulars in there including 3 LH bats against the LH pitcher, and the first RH hitter to get a hit was Ryu, so what does that say about all those great lefty killer bats. Pederson drove in the first run. And now the injury’s are starting to come, so FAZ’s depth thing is going to be tested. Forsythe will be re-evaluated today. Hopefully, since he has had foot problems in the past, it is no more than a bruised toe, but considering it was very swollen, I am thinking broken. Turner stayed in the game after he was hit, but was having problems driving the ball. His hand was pretty sore. I am not worried that they are 3 games out. What is worrisome is they are losing games they should win. They should have swept Arizona. Kershaw on the bump tonight, but Rockies throwing another lefty. I put my money on Kersh’s ability to shut teams down. Another Dodger Stadium no-hitter against these guys would be nice. Positive note, even though he was tagged for 3 HR’s, Ryu pitched well. The ump behind the plate last night was terrible. He was calling a lot of pitches that were balls, strikes. Puig was the 2nd RH hitter to get a hit, and infield grounder he beat out…I get your point, Grandal, and Toles should have started.