Was anyone surprised that the Dodger hitters were completely feckless against Max Scherzer one of the greatest pitchers of our generation in game 4 of the NLDS against Washington on Monday night? It shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone. Scherzer limited the Dodgers to just one earned run on four hits over seven dominating frames as the Nationals defeated the Dodgers 6-1 to even the series and force a game 5 at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night. If the Dodgers want to advance to the NLCS all they have to do is beat game 2 winner Stephen Strasburg. Yup should be a piece of cake.
The Dodger’s “plan” to start gimpy veteran Rich Hill for a couple of innings and then use the bullpen was a terrible idea. That should show everyone how little pitching depth they actually have this season. No offense to Hill. I love the guy, he’s a gutsy performer but he was in no shape physically for this kind of assignment and the Dodgers did not have anyone else they trusted to give the ball too. That’s something that may indeed sink the season. It’s something I have been mentioning all season and if you want to blame Dave Roberts for this then please tell me who could have started this game? Perhaps Dustin May, or Kenta Maeda, or a combination of those two? This is a problem that is completely on the front office for not beefing up the pitching staff when they had a chance at the trade deadline. The lack of importance the front office places on pitching in general is what really ticks me off.
As for game 4, the Dodgers didn’t have much of a chance unless they worked counts and ran up Scherzer’s pitch count to get him out of the game as quickly as possible. They didn’t do that. Instead they had zero plate discipline or plate approaches and Scherzer mowed them down without breaking much of a sweat. The lone blemish on the night was Justin Turner’s first inning solo home run. The Dodgers got just four hits against Scherzer who finished the night making 109 pitches.
The Nationals plated one run in the third and then scored four runs in the fifth inning to put the game on ice. The three-run home run from Ryan Zimmerman off of Pedro Baez in that fateful fifth frame was the decisive blow. The Nationals added one more run just to twist the knife a little deeper.
The Dodgers did get a brief glimpse at the game in the top of the seventh inning. With Scherzer nearing 100 pitches and seemingly tiring, the Dodgers loaded the bases. Joc Pederson hit a line drive down the right field line that literally landed about two inches foul, and Scherzer was able to escape the inning without allowing anything. Goes to show you how much baseball sucks doesn’t it?
In the end it has been the bats that have really let the team down. Other than that big rally in game 3, the hitters have not been able to figure out the National’s two aces or Anibal Sanchez for that matter. Now they’ll have to beat Strasburg in a winner take all game 5 at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night. The Dodgers will give the ball to Walker Buehler. It’s going to be a battle. I don’t get off work until 6, so I should be arriving home right around the time Kenley Jansen or Clayton Kershaw is blowing the scoreless tie in the top of the seventh. Awesome. In other news, if the Dodgers don’t make it then Wednesday’s contest will be my final recap. I really hope it doesn’t end like that. At least the Dodgers will get one more home game before the slow dark winter envelopes us.
Gulp.
Sigh. Game 5.
Well, it seems that the results of game 4 were eminent. Choosing to go with Kershaw in game 2 turned out to be a big mistake, and put them in a tough spot. Instead of a 2-0 lead, they were now locked in a 3-game series. Ryu managed to get the win in game 3 Now the Dodgers were looking for Hill to give them at least 4 innings, but he ran out of bullets after 2.2 innings, serving up four walks in the 3rd inning, forcing in a run. Hill left Maeda a mess, but Kenta was able to slam the door shut, and keep the damage at one run.
Other than JT’s HR in the 1st, the Dodger offense was flat, blowing many scoring opportunities (0-8 RISP), with 8 KO’s, literally handing the game to Scherzer on a silver platter.
The game got out of hand, when DR left Urias in too long, and the romp was on. Baez and Stripling could not stop the bleeding.
So, a game lost, that should have been won. Instead of winning the NLDS, the Series is down to a do-or-die 1 game, winner take all.
All we can hope, is for Buehler to carry them through game 5. A tough task with Strasberg going for the Braves.
So the big questions are, WHY did DR put two injured pitchers, Kelly and Hill on the post-season roster? WHY did he choose to let Hill start game 4? Why did he put Lux at 2nd, and play him there the whole game, when he could have played Kiké Hernandez there instead? WHY did he have to take Maeda out for a PH? and especially, Why did he use a 0-12, 10 KO, Pollock? Maeda could have pitched another inning, and he is definitely a better hitter than Pollock is, right now. Freeze was 3-3 last night, and didn’t even start game 3, so why did he not get the start in game 4? Where are the big bats? They are Missing in Action!
We’ll have to wait and see what other bonehead Management decisions arise for game 5.
You can’t place all the blame on Roberts when the front office didnt do their job. When adam kolarek was the lone pitching acquisition at the trade deadline that should tell you all you need to know about this. Look pitching wins championships and the Dodgers dont have great pitching. The staff is serviceable maybe even pretty good but not great. The onus was on the front office to fill in those gaps and they refused to part with a couple of Prospects or spend any money. We have known all season long that the bullpen had holes but they could have used another starter as well with the injury to rich hill. They used hill because they literally had nobody else to start in that game. Again that should tell you something. If hill doesnt start then the choices were mediocre Maeda who seems to be better in short outings then as a starter or rookie may who cant go more than 5 innings anyways. Again that’s on the front office.
I agree that the lineup choices are on Robert’s but he’s forced to use the cards that are dealt to him. There are a lot of rookies/young players on the roster. Too many to be honest. If he starts the veterans than those rookies have to be used off the bench as pinch hitters. Who would you rather come off the bench in the late innings to get hits off the Washington staff? Gavin lux? Or david Freese. I would choose Freese every time. Some of the rookies are overhyped or were called up too soon. Lux has some potential but I would trade ten luxs’ for one great pitcher any day.
Great pitching wins championships. The staff is just not good enough to win when the offense doesn’t score 6 or 7 runs. All the relievers are one or two inning guys and none are capable of pitching multiple innings or giving the team any length in games. That’s why you see urias and baez coming into the game in the 3rd inning. The position player roster is solid. The pitching staff is thin. If I’m Roberts on Wednesday I let buehler go as long as he can then give the ball to Kershaw and hope for the best. Pitching is the name of the game. A pretty good staff with limited options wont win rings. A great staff wins rings. Friedman has had nearly 5 years to win a championship and couldn’t do it although he did come close a couple times. Most of the seasons they didn’t have the pitching. It’s time to give Robert’s a break and realize he doesnt build the roster.
Scott
I have not given up on the Dodgers but let’s face it, all of management is on the wrong path. When they came here they assured us that they would build a powerhouse and they do have bits and pieces but they will not spend the money necessary to get the job done. Kasten is a playoff guy but do not count on a championship from him. The FO is only trying to build their resumes and make money and the people of LA are doing what those guys expected. Just get into the playoffs. I hope they can pull it out but my patience ran out a long time ago with the FO and DUMMY.
Agree Scott,
The majority of the blame all points to the Front Office. Dave Roberts was given a deck of cards with no face cards and wild cards. That is why the pitching staff has been the Achilles Heal of this team from the start. It is hilarious how this team boasts about how deep their starting pitching is, or how great their closer is, at the start of the season. Then by season’s end, they are scrambling to find starters in the playoffs. Lack of relief pitching has forced two starters to be sent to the pen, and injuries have been the demise of Hill and Strips. The acquisition of Kelly turned out to be a “lemon”, coupled with the ineffectiveness of Jansen…. this has forced DR’s hand.
The only thing I really blame DR for, is the erratic use of the position players. The constant shuffling of positions, and order of lineup. Having three rookies on the playoff roster was not his doing. The injuries and listless play of Pollock, and the failure of Barnes have forced DR’s hand. Pollock has proven to be another “lemon” acquisition. When it comes to playoff time, the numbers and saber-metrics mean nothing, to me. There are certain players who have what it takes to play at playoff level. Most often way too over the head of rookies, and it has exposed a few of the veterans, who just cannot shift it into playoff mode (you know who they are). Kiké and Freese seem to have that ability, yet they sit, in favor of the rookies, who look like they have come to the Battle Royal with their Boy Scout knife.
So, if Buehler is not on his game Wednesday, in game 5, then the Dodgers are in deep do-do. With the feast or famine offense, pitching will be the deciding factor in the do-or-die Divisional Championship Game.
Go Dodgers…. Good Luck.
Bluefan, right on the money! And by what we have seen in this division series so far from this offense, they too are to blame because they are not as deep as many are led to believe and what ya said as far as how Roberts handles his lineups and position players could not be any more right on than what ya said here!
Scott, ya mentioned how FO failed to address the pitching needs when they had a chance last off season and or the trading deadline but at the present time NO team will deal with the Dodgers unless the very top prospects, and we know who they are, would be included in any deal. Teams will and have wanted more from the Dodgers in trades than they would even consider asking from any other team.
So what? So you expect other teams to just give the Dodgers good pitchers for nothing? That’s the tradeoff. You can either win a championship this year or keep gavin lux. What would you rather do? You already know my opinion on this.
Yes, and I would be willing to deal a couple top prospects in the right deal. But remember that with this inconsistent offense that has struck out 52 times in 4 games, there is NO RELIEVER OR STARTER on the planet that would guarantee anything. I honestly think if Dodgers lose game 5, it most likely will be due to an offense that yet again strikes out 10 to 15 times leaving RISP at every step. Scott I KNOW that teams won’t give Dodgers needed parts for nothing, but the fact is they would not expect as much from any other team as far as who is part of any deals made.
First they had 3 rookies in the line up. Not the ones who hit in yesterday game. I didn’t like that ; they never went all out to win that game. It’s Dave’s fault:the lineup was bad; meada should of stayed in for more inning. He is a stater
I thought that in nearly every AB, particularly early in the game, we left our bats on our shoulders as we watched the1st pitch sail over the middle of the plate.
In nearly every case, that was the best offering that we got, and instead we ended up trying to hit less favourable pitches.
Good point Watford.
No excuses if we cannot win Game 5 against possibly the weakest of the playoff teams.
Nervous time at Chavez Ravine.
Yueh_Fei, it kind of comes down to this based upon what ya said to which I fully agree with you:
Some teams have what it takes…
And the Dodgers just have excuses!
?. That is it in a nutshell guys! Dodgers continue to make excuses and just a little too much sugar coating to hide the blemishes.
False hope.
I don’t want Kershaw as a back up pitcher. He gives up runs the first couple of innings he pitches. He must not warm up right
Jerry,
I agree with you. Kershaw puts up a big show, pacing back and forth in the bullpen like a hungry tiger, but I just do not think he has the ability to slam the door shut. Too vulnerable in his first two innings.
But, if it comes down to the Dodgers bringing him in game 5, I’m open to surprises. … nothing I can do about it, so hope for the best. ????
I am revising my predictions here. the Dodger off season begins right after Wednesday’s Game 5. With 52 K’s in just 4 games do any of you honestly think Dodgers will get by Strasburg in game 5?
Dodgers have shown time and time again that they are not a match for the better pitching in the league. The won 106 games in the regular season by beating up teams with sub par pitching staffs. But when it comes to pitchers such as Scherzer and Strasburg, the striking out by this offense says it all. May just be a long off season but IIWII.
I and many in here have been saying all this stuff since April.
Is Bellinger following in Kershaw’s post-season footsteps? So far, YES!
Every single season, this FO has failed to acquire players to make a true championship run, this year they only acquired a guy for about a dozen outs, one out at a time. That doesn’t win championships.
This post-season has been foretold thru out the last 3 years.
Can the last guy out of Dodgers Stadium tomorrow night please turn out the lights?
hello True Blue. I concur here but part of FO’s problem is that all the other teams will not deal with Freidman and Co. unless he is willing to part with very top prospects and even a MLB position player or 2.
There are not too many that can dispute what Scott says here about the pitching:
“Great pitching wins championships. The staff is just not good enough to win when the offense doesn’t score 6 or 7 runs. All the relievers are one or two inning guys and none are capable of pitching multiple innings or giving the team any length in games. That’s why you see urias and baez coming into the game in the 3rd inning. The position player roster is solid. The pitching staff is thin. If I’m Roberts on Wednesday I let buehler go as long as he can then give the ball to Kershaw and hope for the best. Pitching is the name of the game. A pretty good staff with limited options wont win rings. A great staff wins rings. Friedman has had nearly 5 years to win a championship and couldn’t do it although he did come close a couple times. Most of the seasons they didn’t have the pitching. It’s time to give Robert’s a break and realize he doesnt build the roster.” But let me add this: the offense is not as good as many may believe either. Come on…52 strike outs in 4 games? I will say it again that Dodgers only do well offensively most of the time against the sub par pitching they saw most of this year Freese should be playing in every PS game but when it comes down to it, Dodgers really lack any real RH impact hitting.
I agree.
Every year they boast about how deep their starting pitching is, so they sit on their hands and do nothing to improve it…..Maybe good on paper? Maybe because they have too much guaranteed money or contract years invested in the staff? What they have done in the past does not mean squat…. “What can you do for me now”, should be the order. These starters are basically 5-6 inning guys, then they have to bring in the bewildered bullpen…. the addition of Kelly was obviously no help. DR playing matchups, is also a burden on the overworked relief corps, as relievers are called upon almost every game, to pitch to just one batter, or one inning.
Many of us have been saying since the beginning of the season that pitching is the “Achilles Heal” of this team. Well that has proved to be true, and the “feast or famine” offense certainly does not help matters.
Added note. IMO the Cy Young Award will not go to Ryu. Because Of piss poor relief, he has lost many games. Because of piss poor run support, he has lost games or win opportunities. Because DR chose to yank Ryu too early on many occasions, Ryu has lost many win opportunities. Ryu had a great ERA, but his win/loss record, and innings pitched is mediocre, at best. Other candidates have proved they can rise to the occasion.
Belli may also be passed for MVP honors, due to his poor performance during the second half of the season and the playoffs. Other MVP candidates have performed better down the stretch or in October.
You said it Paul,
This is just the Nats. Scherzer was not at his best, nor was Hudson. A little plate discipline should have been the order of the day but the Dodgers chose to hack away and chase bad pitches or “look” at good pitches. They had plenty of opportunities, but chose to squander them (0-8 RISP, 8 KO’s)…. Same-O, Same-O.
Wait until they have to face ATL or STL! Then, if they somehow reach the finale, they will face the American League’s elite pitchers. The offense has to wake up.
Wednesday’s game 5 will be a battle, with Strasburg going for the Nats. We will see if Buehler can rise to the occasion. Also need some good relief, ready to go. “All Hands On Deck”, but I think Kelly needs to be locked in the clubhouse closet, and offense must provide enough run support to avoid a Kershaw and/or Jansen meltdown.
Still need nine more wins. A real uphill battle. I’m not holding me breath.
Come on, Dodgers…. surprise me! I do not want to have to say, “I told you so”.
When it comes right down to it, folks, winning 106 games during the season won’t matter one bit IMHO if Dodgers fold up the tent on Wednesday evening to start their off season. Nobody will care or even remember those 106 wins if Dodgers get eliminated on Wednesday.
Don’t forget Paul, there are some who think that 106 wins is good enough, screw championship rings. So cherish your 106 wins, I think that is all you are going to get this season.
One more thing that Scott says about the pitching also holds true, and that is this pitching staff is simply not good enough to win unless the Dodgers score 6 or 7 runs.
With this bullpen, sometimes 6 or 7 runs isn’t enough either.
What a crying shame.
Winning 106 games and really having a very spotty pitching staff and a feast or famine offense really tells you how bad the MLB is league wide. If we can win 106 games with this swiss cheese roster, how bad are the rosters on most of the MLB? This home run mentality at all costs has sure watered down the game IMHO. The MLB lends itself to more frustration than entertainment for the fans, that is going to bite the MLB in the ass in the future.
True, I have read somewhere that the issue with the BP falls on the fact that Roberts plays match ups and goes through many relievers most of the time, especially when a starter cannot get past the 3rd or 4th inning. By the end of the year, their tanks are pretty much empty in part with the way they have been run out there on a daily basis. In 2020, Roberts and all the other managers will not have that luxury of making these excess pitching changes with the new rules for BP use put into effect.
Maybe the MLB will save Roberts from himself.
Bottomline is if the Dodgers do not win tomorrow that means for the 5th year this ownership/Management/Manager did not deliver what was promised. In other words, They didn’t do any better than the previous group. Through all the media hype, and all the sabermetrics and more or less all the B.S. they are no better. I say run them all off and start again with people who have a little honesty and are willing to spend what it takes to win no matter what, even if it means trading a prospect or two. Losing is awful and after 31 years shouldn’t we expect better? When some still cannot even watch the Dodgers doesn’t that say “We don’t care because we are raking in the cash”? To me these folks are despicable.
Spot on, Package! As far as the TV issue, my guess is Kasten and Co. have washed their hands because they have put all the blame for many fans not being able to see the games into the hands of the various cable/satellite providers. I have told DTV time and time again that since they have service throughout the country that it’s a shame they cannot man up and carry the Dodger station.
I feel your pain Package, but if you think the owners are going to dump this FO, as long as they are raking in cash, well twist up what you are smoking and pass it around, lol. Cash is king, championships are well just championships. If the team puts butts in the seats, sells gobs of merchandise and makes TV cash, these owners will stay with this program.
The league made a decision to juice the balls, move in the fences, etc. in order to have it be home run derby, sure it is a total bastardization of the game, but that is the direction they have taken. It will not ever change unless fans stop showing up and watching the games on TV. I hate to say it but they are driving me away from wanting to tune in. I stopped watching the Lakers and the NBA years ago when the league turned into a one on one, kick it out, blah blah blah league. So I’ve been driven away from a bad game (NBA) before and it is happening again with another bad game (MLB). Shame on them.
Peace and Love (and stay off my lawn you damn kids!)
I hear you True,
I gave up on NBA many years ago. It turned into a glorified version of jungle ball. Players getting butchered, traveling, palming the ball, showboating, taunting, and the players get paid way too much money, and greedy, spoiled free agents going to any team they want to. Hey, wait a minute, sounds like the direction baseball is going. Heck, we might as well start watching the two pro wrestling shows…. WWE with the return of Rock and Hulk Hogan, and the new AEW. Even fans have bought into fake wrestling again.
But sticking with baseball. Like you and I said, as long as the fans keep filling the seats, the front office AND owners will make no changes. Raking in the “Green” is more important than winning a damn trophy. Hand over these ridiculous contracts, and worry about them later. Unfortunately, MLB will continue to bastardize baseball, as long as it keeps the fans happy, and keeps the money rolling in.
Go Blew!
Yep, all very true, Bluefan. I myself have a solution for when I am sick and tired of seeing what’s going on with the Dodgers and all of baseball, and that is recording and watching episodes of the Nat. Geo series LIFE BELOW ZERO. Talk about those living near the Alaskan Tundra who REALLY know what it’s like to earn a real living! I f any group of people deserve any $ they may be getting it’s them. Truth be told these people chose their completely subsistence life styles. But as far as pay the $$ to go see the Dodgers, that is no longer an option for me because I live approx. 800+ miles away now.
Well it is do or die, put up or shut up. We will see what the team is made of tomorrow afternoon. Strasburg is 1-1 at Dodger Stadium this year, and as bad as the Dodger offense has been, DC’s has been worse. Buehler can match Strasburg pitch for pitch. And as Verlander showed today, a big star pitcher can lose just as easily as a mediocre one can. I don’t start 3 rookies against Strasburg. I put Freese at 1st, Muncy at 2nd. The only rookie in the lineup should be Smith. Kike or Taylor in left for the slumping Pollock.
Agree Micheal,
Agree, this is it. No time for excuses. They got to put their money where their mouth is…. well, DR has been talking through his a**, lately, so maybe not.
Agree Lux and Beaty to the bench, and Pollock needs a day of rest. Freese and Kiké must play. The big bats have to show up, and give Buehler an early lead. Patience is the key at the plate.
Glad Verlander got slapped. He thinks he is Superman, or something. That move, deciding to pitch Verlander on three days rest by the Astros, may have lost them the series. That is one reason why I don’t think Kershaw should be used in relief. All Kershaw needs is another October meltdown. I hope Buehler can go at least 7. Lock Kelly in the broom closet. Use Jansen only as a last resort. Don’t let him close, just because he is “supposed to be” their closer.
Go Blue! Don’t lose at your house.
Agree, no time for rookies in this game. Pollock has to sit, maybe even bar him from entering the park, don’t forget he was the FO’s big signing in the off=season, talk about missing the boat (once again). The wasted the money on this putz instead of acquiring pitching. God please end the suffering and remove Friedman for the FO, he would probably make a great peanut vendor in the stands. Give me more Taylor and Kinke. Shake up the batting order as well, move Kershinger out of the 4 hole, put Seager back in the 2 hole, do something dammit, Bert has F***ed with the line=up all season, now he decides to move into lockdown, same old, same old mode. For shyte sake.
AWESOME POST! A little LOL but all true (no pun intended) But for you and others here, the lineup has what many here have said would not be in the best interests in game 5:
1) Joc Pederson, RF
2) Max Muncy, 2B
3) Justin Turner, 3B
4) Cody Bellinger, CF
5) Corey Seager, SS
6) Matt Beaty, LF
7) Gavin Lux, 2B
8) Will Smith, C
9) Walker Buehler, P
CT3 and Kike are on the bench and Will Smith is catching. I am not too concerned as far as Smith goes but honestly for this do or die game, Martin ,with his abundance of playoff experience should be in there catching Buehler. Pollock however is not in the lineup.
Me, I do not put 3 rookies in a row like that followed by the pitcher. I want my most experienced playoff players in the game. If they start, there might not be a need for Kike or Taylor or even Freese to come off of the bench. This lineup is a recipe for disaster.
Amen to all that
Seems they had a change of heart (attack), and put Kiké in, instead of Lux. I still think Freese needs to start at FIrst Base, instead of Beaty.
Hang on to your Dodger Caps and Blue Goggles, Dodger Fans…..Get ready for a wild ride!
Embarrassing night for Braves at home. Not too many tomahawk chants tonight. 13-“zippo” so far…. only in the 4th. Cards are dangerous. If Dodgers get past Nats, beware of the Angry Birds,
This is actually comical. The wailing and gnashing of teeth! The angry and bitter criticism over what should have been done – after the fact! You’d think the Dodgers had been swept.
In fact, the series isn’t over. It’s tied. The Dodgers, if they win tonight, will advance to the next round. That’s something to be hopeful for and to look forward to….but noooo! It’s a disaster for some reason, maybe because the Dodgers didn’t win every game 10-0.
Did anyone think getting past the Nats would be easy? Although that team has its weaknesses, Scherzer is a shoe in for Cy Young, and Strasburg is easily a top five NL pitcher. At the end of May, well into the season, the Nationals were one of the worst teams in baseball. Since May 24 until the end of the regular season, they had a 68-38 record, which made them one of the best teams in baseball.
They are a good team….and strange things happen in short series. Look at the Astros. They could be booted from the playoffs in the first round, and they were considered an invincible juggernaut.
What SHOULD Friedman have done?
I know all of you were no doubt clamoring to trade Lux for Vasquez, and were just as bitter then when they didn’t. How would that have worked out? Lux is not getting traded because HE IS THE FUTURE SECOND BASEMAN. He was a 1rst round draft pick, he is the minor league player of the year, and the Dodgers will have a hole at second base. If you whiners had had your way, the Dodgers would have traded away their future for a guy who’s now rotting in jail because he’s a pedo. Brilliant move!
Starting pitching. The Astros were lauded as making the best move of the deadline when they picked up Greinke. “Why didn’t the Dodgers get someone like Greinke?!….we literally have no one because Hill is injured…and wha wha”
Let’s take a look at how Greinke has done in his playoff starts. Hmmm…Let’s see. It looks like in his one playoff start he pitched 3 2/3 innings and gave up 6 runs and 3 home runs. He sports an ERA of 14.73. If the Stros lose and are out of the playoffs, that is all they will have to show for trading for Greinke and assuming his boat anchor contract for the next several years.
You whiners operate on this assumption that getting some name brand player and doling out cash and the future for some sparkly new toy is a GUARANTEE of a WS win. That’s not how the world works. There are not guarantees. ANYTHING can happen in the playoffs.
So, if it was up to you armchair GMs and grumpy sad sacks throwing your empties at the TV, the Dodgers would have traded half their farm system for a jailed pedophile and a 36 year old fading junk baller. …and you want your criticism to be taken seriously?
If the Dodgers lose tonight….bummer. Just tweak the formula a little and try again next year. The formula is working.
Patch, your just accept it, good is good enough mentality is why the Dodgers are what they are. You make tons of assumptions on what you think that other posters are thinking, nice try but that strawman tactic don’t wash. I never ever saw one post in here about trading Lux, I never heard one post about getting by the Nats would be easy, in fact, just the opposite, no one that I can remember thought that the Dodgers should have gotten Greinke. If you are going to come in here and bash posters, at least get a fact or two correct. You are delusional, you must have this site mixed up with another site you frequent.
Well said, True Blue.
Oh here we go again. Andrew Friedmans personal defense committee has woken and come over to LADR to ride to Friedmans rescue. I know how much you love, absolutely LOVE defending executives wallets. So here’s something you can do next time. Any time friedmans net worth rises you can cheer. There may be something on the Dow jones to alert you. Anytime the Dodger’s payroll lowers or mark Walter’s stock prices lower by a quarter point please start cheering.
Let me explain this so you get it. I can only speak for myself when I said I wasnt specifically clamoring to trade Lux for Vasquez. Nobody knew he would be in jail. Although I still would have done it regardless, because at the time….He was not in jail. But the key point is the pitching staff needed a boost to get them over the hump. You cant expect the offense to score 7 runs every game, and yes Strasburg and scherzer are great pitchers. They needed pitching help and Friedman refused to do anything to plug the holes. They needed another starter to replace Hill. They needed a couple of good to great relievers for the pen. He got nothing (unless you count kolarek) speaking of houston, they are willing to make bolder moves to win championships. Acquiring Verlander, Greinke etc. And they got their ring. The Cubs traded for Chapman, etc. Its about getting that extra one or two guys that can out your team over the top. Friedman tried with the Machado’s and Darvishs but those guys are nowhere near the Verlanders and the chapmans.
Yes they may win tonight, and if they lose again, yet again (5 years now under Friedman) then no the formula isnt working. If the formula is just reaching the playoffs then cool. But let me tell you something, that’s not the goal. The goal is to win championships. And if they cant do that then the formula is not working. So please excuse me and others here for questioning the mighty Friedman. Now quick Patch, go check the reports because I think Friedmans portfolio just increased!!!
Scott, what would really be hurting to see is losing a PS series (WS included) for a 3rd straight year ON OUR HOME FIELD!
Let’s pray that does not happen again
Here we go again, indeed.
How about this past off season as the time to address these issues? I agree it’s really on the players at hand as far as the offense reverting to their 2018 strikeout or HR or bust approach. Nobody here says that having picked up Vazquez would guarantee anything but let’s look at HOW and the ways Roberts and Co. manage these shuffling lineups and the pitching. Games are won or lost on the field but don’t think management has nothing to do with these game’s outcomes.
“You make tons of assumptions on what you think that other posters are thinking, nice try but that strawman tactic don’t wash. I never ever saw one post in here about trading Lux…” – True Poo
“You can either win a championship this year or keep gavin lux.”
That’s a quote, by the way.
So, to reiterate the points being made here, the FO should have done whatever it took to get the marquee pitchers on the market, both starting and relief, that would guarantee a championship. This includes trading Lux.
I can say unequivocally, however, that this would not guarantee a championship. Do you know how I know this?
I know this because the marquee relief pitcher on the market the Dodgers would have traded for in your scenario … IS.IN.JAIL!!!
Nice try, you ain’t fooling anyone in here. So someone maybe made a statement bout Lux and you color all comments and posters with it. Please return to your House Intelligence Committee meetings. Thanks for stopping by.
Vazquez is indeed in jail, but as many fans who were pushing for that trade, there were equally as many who thought it was a bad idea. We have gone down the coulda-shoulda road with AF many times. They did not trade Seager, or Ruiz or even Lux, and the main hold up on the Vazquez deal was the insistence of the Pirates that they get both Lux and Ruiz. There was no way that trade was made. Not in AF’s DNA. The Braves managed to trade for 3 bullpen arms, and even DC went out and got a couple. Kolarek was AF’s only pickup. But the OKC shuttle remained open all year. Schultz, Chargois, Sborz, Sadler, all out of LA’s system as they looked for help. Kolarek has been pretty effective in limited duty and he has done the job they got him for. Shut down lefty sluggers. They probably could have gotten Smith if they were willing to deal with the Giants, but that did not come to fruition. So we are in a do or die, win or go home for the winter game. They still have to play good old fashioned hardball to win. For really the first time all season you see a sense of urgency in this team. Rest assured, if they lose, AF is going to be verbally crucified on every Dodger blog and web page. Fans are going to want someone’s head if the march to a WS championship is ended once again in the NLDS. Then in about a month, Kasten will announce AF has signed another 5 year contract, and it will all start over.
Michael, I did mention a while back that those crucifixions would really be taking place as far as Freidman and Roberts are concerned. I honestly can’t wait to see these blogs tomorrow after today’s results..
Dammit, you guys quit trying to give facts and common sense to StickyPatch, he isn’t capable, thats why he hangs at the Pedro Files, he’s a good fit over there in that StrokeFriedman den of idiots. I thought I was the only one willing to set StickyPatch back in his circle-jerk hole.
“Blind acceptance is a sign of stupid fools who stand in line” — Sex Pistols
Now if the Dodgers do win tonight, they may, and that’s a big may have enough to make it to the WS. If they do make it to the WS and face the Yankees, YIKES!
The Yankees or the Astros would give the Dodgers or any other NL a real run for the money, meaning the WS ring most likely will remain in the AL
Cody should not be in the clean up spot. That’s just my opinion; he should move down since he is not hitting
Jerry, I take it you saw the lineup for today’s game I posted. Roberts is doing what he does, and most likely as a directive from the FO. Nothing against Will Smith but for this game the more playoff experienced Martin should be catching. Lux and Beaty, IDK but perhaps Roberts is thinking he would much rather have guys like Kike and Tailor come off the bench later in the game as opposed to Lux or another rookie.
Agree, Cody should not be cleanup, but DR always does this. He puts players in important positions, hoping they will break out of their slumps. DR is setting Belli up for failure.
Glad Pollock is sitting (I hope in a puddle of Gorilla Glue). Would rather see Freese at 1B, and Muncy at 2nd. Sit Lux. Having Beaty in LF vs. Kiké is a toss-up. Boils down to “Who would you rather come in the pinch hit, Matt or Kiké?”
Another elevator lineup concocted by Roberts. I wonder how many different lineup he has used this year? Impossible to establish any offensive consistency with the ever changing lineups…. it is no wonder why they have so many non-productive at-bats, strike out so much, and leave so many RISP.
Funny that after 166 games, the Dodgers’ survival depends on this one game.
Go Blue! Surprise me!
I think most Dodger fans dislike of AF comes from the fact that he has always run the team like it was a low budget team. Largest contract they have given anyone during his tenure, the 93 million that Kersh got last winter. Everyone was screaming for them to sign Harper, which obviously they did not. 300 plus million players are not a part of the over all plan. Ownership says they are committed to a championship, they have been saying that since day one. Harper was not signed because he would not take the 4 year deal LA offered. They are still shooting to stay under the luxury tax. He has signed a ton of players off the garbage heap and gotten really lucky with a couple. Same with his trades, like getting Taylor, who re-invented himself after 2016. Muncy came from no-where. But some of his parts were already here. But I would guarantee if this team gets eliminated tonight, the fans outcry will be far louder than ever before and they are going to want heads rolling down the block.
Don’t you hate it when you see the line-up and it looks like a total suicide mission? Bert did this in Game 7 against the Astros too. I don’t get it, how can Roberts set his players up to a slaughter? He really isn’t a good manager both in line-up making and in the in-game management. The regular season strategy of this FO has made Roberts a lot of money. Why can’t the Dodgers get a manager that gets more out of the sum total of his players rather than less. I hear people bitch about Tommy but damn, that guy got the most out of his players, even beyond their talents, and he has the rings to show for it.
Tonight’s line-up gives me that exact same feeling in my gut as I had for Game 7 two seasons ago, think I will go puke now.
Okay, I feel a little better seeing Kinke in LF tonight.
I still think a batting order with Pedersen first, Seager batting two, Turner three and Muncy four, Kershinger six, Beaty seven, Kinke eight would be a much better order. I hope I’m wrong and Blind Squirrel finds a nut in the line-up he has put up tonight.
That shift hurt us again
I feel like Roberts is on the razor’s edge. Buehler has got to be done for the top of the 7th.
GREAT game.
They do tend to overshift a lot.
WHY THE FUCK IS Buehler pitching in the seventh?!???!??!?
Not sure I agree with anything Roberts is doing post-6 inning.
15 Nationals have faced Maeda and Kolarek this series. They have given up one single.
Granted Maeda may not be used to coming in mid-inning, but Kershaw isn’t either.
I really have no clue at all what Roberts has been doing. It’s a cluster-fuck of nonsense.
We all said no Kershaw
Inexcusable.
Package should be reveling.
HORRIBLE usage.
Nobody is reveling in this Bluto. But many of us over here saw the writing on the wall early in the season. The pitching staff was poorly put together. Management made poor decisions….again. but hey NL west Champions right???? Barf. Great pitching wins championships.
I always thought the dodgers was obligated to start CK in the playoffs.
him coming out of the pen is crazy!
champagne should of been spraying right now…
kurseshaw strikes again!
Dear Package,
You are 100% correct.
That was, by far, the worst and most ill-conceived bullpen usage I have ever seen by a manager.
OMG
Unbelievable!
Who were the major free agent signings by this great FO….. A.J. Pollock and Joe ‘Wild Man’ Kelly.
How did they perform on the big stage?
We could not hit. Take the strikes down the middle and swing at the ones out side the zone ;;use the wrong reliever and give the game away
I’m sure that mouthy, double talking, narcisstic host on the other site that continues to bash this site will come up with some good excuse for this over rated team.
When you play 76 games (47%) against the weak NL West it misleads the fans as to how ‘average’ most of the players on this team really are.
I Did not want to say “I told you so”, but I guess I have to.
Big bats fail to show up. RISP and KO’s were the story, offensively. Belli passed MVP to Rendon.
This one is definitely DR’s fault. I said, “Do Not bring Kershaw in”. I said, “Leave Kelly in the clubhouse”. I said, “sit Pollock in a puddle of Gorilla Glue”. As much as I Respect DR, he may have written his own pink slip. Really, the entire blame goes to AD, Not Roberts.
Belli Flopped. Cory went cold. Offense over 60 KO’s, and many RISP. Kershaw just has to face the devil, and realize he is not a Dodger God, anymore. Kelly and Pollock were disastrous aquisitions, and Dodgers are stuck with their contracts. They had Strasburg on the ropes and let him boob and weave out. Should have scored more runs.
The only ones that came to ply were Muncy, Maeda, Buehler, Ryu, Freese, and Kiké.
Even if they had won, they had a tough road ahead. Better they exit now.
“I TOLD YOU SO”