It looks like the last couple of weeks of my complaining have really paid off. The red hot Dodgers pulled a rabbit out of their hat with a come from behind 3-2 win over the Nationals on Tuesday night. Yasmani Grandal’s beautiful three-run home run put the Dodgers ahead and Scott Kazmir turned in a quality start. Kenley Jansen shut the door to earn his 163rd career save and the Dodgers have now won five in a row. The Giants demolished the Pirates in Pittsburgh so the Dodgers could only keep pace.
The boys in blue are now 40-33 on the season but are still leading the wild card race. Maybe I can stop complaining now? Fat chance there. Come on, you don’t actually believe I’ll stop complaining when it’s starting to work so well? Do you? I’ll give you a hint…..I won’t! (whispers)
Last night Howie Kendrick and Justin Turner took ohfers to snap their respective hitting streaks and Vin Scully called out sick. Yasiel Puig went 1 for 3 in his return to the lineup. But the Dodgers still won anyways. Sending good vibes to Vin Scully for a speedy recovery. Hopefully he won’t miss anymore games. Tonight the Dodgers will go for a series sweep of the Nationals and 6 out of 7 wins on this home stand. The solid play is starting to make us forget about the first two and a half months of mediocrity. The Dodgers are en fuego!
Dodgers Lineup vs. Washington
Utley 2B
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Gonzalez 1B
Thompson LF
Pederson CF
Grandal C
Puig RF
Urias P
Joe Ross-6-4 vs. Julio Urias-0-2
Game Time – 7:10 PM – TV- SNLA
Wednesday’s pitching match-ups in the home stand finale will see right hander Joe Ross opposing super rookie Julio Urias. This could be one of the last starts for Urias this season because the Dodgers are considering shutting him down for the rest of the season. They’re petrified that he’ll blow out his arm. The Dodgers better think long and hard about it because they don’t have a lot of reliable options to replace him. Frankie Montas could be the top choice, but Hyun-jin Ryu, and Brandon McCarthy are getting closer to returning. Top prospects Jose De Leon and Jharel Cotton are also possibilities.
Ross is the 23-year old right hander that is the younger brother of Tyson Ross who pitches for the Padres. Ross was drafted by the Padres in the first round of the 2011 draft but was traded to the Nationals. Ross defeated his brother’s team in his last start pitching 6 innings and allowing three earned runs on 6 hits and striking out 6. This is his third MLB season. He’s 6-4 with a 3.13 ERA in 13 starts.
He’s been generally solid whiffing 65 and walking 24 in 77.2 innings of work. He has a career 3.38 ERA in 29 games. He pitches better at home than on the road. He’s posted a 2.92 ERA in Washington and a 3.84 ERA away from the nation’s capital. He’s made one career start against the Dodgers in which he allowed five earned runs on six hits over 4.2 innings. Ross is a power pitcher, throwing a 91-93 fastball with a sinker/slider combo. The current Dodgers have just 7 plate appearances against him.
Ross vs. Dodgers
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yasmani Grandal | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | .667 | .000 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Enrique Hernandez | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joc Pederson | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | .500 | .000 | .500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | .000 | .300 | .000 | .300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Julio Urias is reaching his innings limit. Nonetheless he is coming off one of his best starts in which he tossed five shutout innings against the Brewers allowing one hit and striking out eight. He has yet to earn his first MLB win. Overall he is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in five starts. However he has struck out 29 and walked 8. That gives him an 11.9 strikeout per nine rate. Obviously the kid extremely talented and whether he pitches again this year or not, is going to be a permanent fixture in the Dodger’s rotation for years to come.
The Dodgers are now 40-33 on the season and have a 22-15 record at home. The Dodgers are off on Thursday and then travel to Pittsburgh to begin a seven game road trip with four games in steel town and three in Milwaukee. Let’s see if Dave Roberts rolls out the B-squad on getaway day. Will Trayce Thompson be the odd man out now that Puig is back? Discuss.
Five in a row!!!!
Go Blue!
Nice win. But I still dislike Grandal. They claimed some guy named Layne Somsen from the Yankees….RH relief pitcher……WHO?????? If these guys have a plan, well I cannot fathom it at all. Some guy on Yahoo sports suggested that the Dodgers should trade Adrian Gonzalez to the Yankees for Andrew Miller and call up Cody Bellinger to be the first baseman……..I am not making that trade quite yet. Bellinger has a lot of skills, but AA pitching is not the MLB.
Interesting trade idea. An everyday lh power hitter for an 8th inning reliever. My initial thought was – yeah, I can see them doing that.
The only reason that Agone/Miller deal isn’t horrible is we get rid of $46mil after this season for a declining player, and take on a guy making $18 the next 2 years, who’s still producing at a high level.
But even though Agone is down offensively right now, he’s still playing gold glove D. An avg first baseman can’t save his defense from as many errors Agone does. That is HUGE for a team like ours who can’t hit half the time.
As far as who plays 1b until Bellinger is ready: Segedin? Howie? Chase? Ethier when back? Grandal somtimes? Turner? Again, not the worst thing, if it makes our bullpen dominant.
Grandal???? no way…he is a terrible 1 baseman, and not much better behind the plate……rotating the guys you mentioned would be a possibility, but., Ethier is not going to be back before August, and expecting him to immediately produce is unrealistic.
Bobby
I don’t think it is a decline with Agone.
It is probably his back, that is bothering him, and that can effect his swing.
Sometimes when a person has a back problem, it helps to just rest your back, for a short while.
Even Dodgers Digest, don’t think Agone is in a decline, because this is to much, and to fast.
And I imagine that Agone is the type of player, that takes pride in being able to play in most of the games, in a season.
Roberts might have to make him, take more days off, to have him at his best.
I hope Thompson ISN’T the odd man out. But with these guys almost everyone is a role player.
According to Davey boy, the guys producing are going to play…means this, if you hot you are in…not so hot you are out….Puig goes 1for 22 he is back on the bench…he goes 12 for 20…he is pretty much in there……Thompson was in a minor slump…striking out a lot
Thompson is starting in LF tonight
Thompson had a little slump, but he still has much better at bats, then both Puig and Joc.
And Thompson has very even numbers with both leftie, and rightie pitchers.
We are trying out another Cuban? Cannot believe it!
I think it would be good for Roberts to give Agone a day off, every eight or nine games, just like he gives Turner.
Because Agone is probably having a back problem, and that would help him, to be able to hit better, and regain his power.
Maybe he is doing to much at home, when the Dodgers are playing at home, because his road numbers, are really good.
Agone probably won’t have to do this all the time, like Turner does, but it might be a good idea, for right now.
Meanwhile, for OKC tonight: McCarthy 3.2ip, 3hits, 1 run, 2bb, 4k
Bobby
Which pitcher is starting Fridays game, in AAA?
The OKC dodgers website says Brock Stewart
Thanks Bobby! One of those three curve balls, was a strike on Worth.
That umpire made Urias throw to many pitches, because of that Worth’s at bat.
Hey guys
The Giants June Swoon can start any day.
Not tonight Badger!
Seager!!!!
I would trade A-Gon to the Yanks for Miller in a heartbeat. The thing is (1) A-Gon is in steep decline; and (2) Miller doesn’t want to leave the East Coast!
I doubt that Bellinger is ready, but A-Gon’s bat would not be missed! He does have a great glove and he’s a great teammate, but this is business.
The Yanks would want the Dodgers to pay half of A-Gon’s salary.
Mark
That is not what your favorite Dodger Digest says! Agone needs a day off, every seven days, like Turner!
Mark
It is Agone’s back, he isn’t 100 percent, he doesn’t get every six days off, like Turner does!
AGon’s bat is already missed. I don’t think that trade works unless Miller says he wants to be here.
Our hitting instructors are not getting through to Puig.
Badger
Maybe no one can get through to Puig!
If Puig can’t learn under Roberts, he will never learn.
Because Puig is anxious to please Roberts.
I agree with you Badger, Puig looks lost. He needs a change of scenery. It looks like Thompson is starting to struggle with sliders on the outside corner.
Can anyone fathom WTF Roberts is doing this inning? He used Van Slyke as a pinch-runner and sends Hernandez to the plate? Has SVS gotten an AB since that 3-run homer?
thought the same thing; I actually was surprised he took the veteran Utley out of the game and DIDN”T have Howie pinch hit for him.
Unless Utley is 0 for forever vs. Perez, I’d rather Utley hit. Kike looks lost right now, so perhaps going down for a few weeks would be good for him
Bobby
Utley hit in a run against the same leftie pitcher last night!
Roberts and Baez of course, lost this game!
Kike has came up with less then two outs, with a runner on third, four times, in the last three weeks, and he has struck out, on three pitches every time.
He can’t even hit a flyball, to the outfield, or hit to the right side!
Roberts lost this game.
And Baez does his usual thing.
I can say this about Baez, he sure knows how to lose a game quickly!
4 for 20 with 3 walks. But why not Kendrick?
Snider
Why not Utley? He got a hit off this same leftie pitcher last night!
And he didn’t even have to get a hit!
All we needed was a flyball, to the outfield, or a slow grounder, to the right side!
How can Roberts take Utley out of this game.
He hit in a run off that same leftie pitcher?
And they need to send Baez down!
I am so sick of him giving up HRs!
He has been doing this, way to long, and way to often!
Baez has given up more HRs, then Kershaw, and Maeda!
Baez has given up
Seven HRs!
Dam we are having the Giants luck right now! Puig wins the game!
WILD HORSE! Shades of Preston Gomez trying to hold Willie Davis.
There’s something happening here……. what it is ain’t exactly clear
Ain’t no doubt, Dodgers simply own the Nats. It’s an act of nature.
Hey Quasi!
Wow what an amazing finish. Headline should read : Michael Taylor and Yasiel Puig bail out Dave Roberts
That is for sure Scott! I am still mad that Roberts took Utley out of the game.
And had Kike do his usual thing in this situation, by striking out on three pitches, with a runner on third, with less then two outs.
Kike only needed to hit a flyball, or hit a slow grounder to the right side.
It has been four times now, when Kike couldn’t put the ball in play, to hit a run in!
And even if Roberts still took Utley out, it should have been Howie hitting, or even Scott, before Kike.
Everyone would all over Joc, if he did this!