Odds are that Rich Hill is going to allow a run at some point. Until then it’s a lot of fun watching him pitch. Could we possibly have another situation where he’s pulled from another no-hitter or perfect game? Speaking of pulled, the Dodgers pulled out a tough rain soaked 2-0 win over the Yankees on Wednesday evening to take two out of three in the Bronx. Clayton Kershaw looked like the vintage Kershaw of old as he tossed 6 shutout innings and took a no-hitter into the fifth frame.
The game was scoreless until the top of the ninth when Corey Seager reached base on a New York fielding error, stole second and came around to score on Justin Turner’s RBI double. The Giants were swept by the Padres again, and the Dodgers lead is now back to five games in the National League West. The magic number is now a Hanley Ramirez lucky number 13.
Tonight the Dodgers will finish their 10-game road trip by beginning a four game series in Arizona against the Dbacks. Rich Hill will take the mound against Arizona youngster Archie Bradley. Hill has tossed 19 consecutive scoreless frames as a Dodger. Let’s see if he can keep the perfect pitching going tonight.
Dodgers Lineup @ Arizona
Tonight's lineup:
Utley 2B
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Gonzalez 1B
Grandal C
Reddick RF
Ethier LF
Pederson CF
Hill P— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 15, 2016
Rich HIl-12-3 vs. Archie Bradley-6-9
Game Time – 6:40 PM – TV-SNLA
Hill has been nearly flawless as a Dodger. He’s allowed just six hits and 2 walks while whiffing 20 batters. He has a 9.5 strikeout per nine rate and a 2.8 hits per nine allowed rate while wearing Dodger Blue. The last time he allowed a run was on July 7 against Houston. He’s allowed one hit in his last two starts. His sharp breaking ball and pinpoint control have been a big reason for his success. Overall he is 12-3 on the season with a 1.80 ERA. Hill has 4 career starts against Arizona and is 1-1 with a 4.14 ERA. Hill is 0-1 at Chase Field.
Hill vs. Dbacks
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Rickie Weeks | 15 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | .167 | .333 | .167 | .500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Chris Herrmann | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 16 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | .154 | .313 | .154 | .466 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
The 24-year old right handed Archie Bradley has struggled for most of the season. He’s posted a 6-9 record with a 5.10 ERA in 22 starts. Over 120 innings pitched he’s allowed 130 hits and 58 walks and has posted a 1.5 WHIP. He has 113 strikeouts to give him an 8.5 K/9 rate. He can miss some bats, but too many base runners and walks have hurt him.
Bradley has faced the Dodgers twice this year and is 0-1 with a no-decision. The last time he faced the Dodgers was back on July 16 at Dodger Stadium in which he allowed one earned run on three hits over 6 innings pitched. That was the game he earned a no-decision. Bradley had a terrible month of August, posting a 7.14 ERA and giving up 27 runs over 29 innings of work. Bradley is 1-1 with a 3.03 ERA in 3 career starts against the Dodgers.
Bradley vs. Dodgers
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .000 | .222 | .000 | .222 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Howie Kendrick | 8 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .571 | .625 | .857 | 1.482 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Utley | 8 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | .375 | .375 | .500 | .875 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Turner | 7 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .333 | .429 | .833 | 1.262 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Corey Seager | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .200 | .333 | .400 | .733 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yasmani Grandal | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .000 | .400 | .000 | .400 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joc Pederson | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .400 | .400 | 1.600 | 2.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yasiel Puig | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrew Toles | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Andre Ethier | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | .500 | .000 | .500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clayton Kershaw | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | .500 | .000 | .500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenta Maeda | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carlos Ruiz | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 2.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 61 | 50 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 14 | .260 | .383 | .520 | .903 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
The Dodgers have decided that Julio Urias will pitch the rest of the season out of the bullpen. So who’s going to take his spot in the rotation? Why it’s Bud Norris of course. This is quite annoying news since Bud Norris is horrible. Oh and he is scheduled to pitch on Saturday against Shelby Miller so that should be a lot of fun. NOT. The rest of the series matches up like this: Kenta Maeda will go up against turncoat and professional Dinger server Zack Greinke on Friday night. Rookie Jose De Leon will counter Robbie Ray in the series finale on Sunday.
The season is winding down. There are only 17 games left to play and 7 home games left. This also means that there are only 10 more Vin Scully games remaining as well. Make sure you catch those games since he won’t be announcing any games this postseason.
Go Blue
Rich Hill will never give up a hit again… let alone a run and Dave Roberts will pull him whenever he has a chance to make history, because Roberts is FAZ’s puppet and he wants to drive Hill’s price down do they can sign him on the cheap because he is injury-prone and Reddick is a communist spy who steals little old ladies purses and wets the bed!
I could be good at this – it takes no talent!
Maybe Reddick will get his fourth RBI today.
Yup,
pretty soon it’ll just be you, Patch and Box.
So you’ll need to keep it up or Scott will not have any traffic here.
Rock,
I can count on you to show up and almost always say something negative about me. Last night I got called an A-hole by Slow Tim. You guys always show your character, or I should say Lack of it!
For almost two years, I have been repeatedly ridiculed, mocked and the like because I said I understood what FAZ was trying to do and endorsed it. Others beat the drum that FAZ were idiots over and over ad nauseum. If you think I am going to just sit back and say nothing to all the haters, you are stupider than I think and that’s says a lot.
I don’t like to talk about people when they are gone and can’t defend themselves, so I will not single anyone one out, but I have been berated for a long time, repeatedly and it turns out I was right. I have no problem rubbing their noses in it. If they don’t like it, they shouldn’t dish it out.
Several have shown their true colors by even resorting to lies. I am not surprised considering their character. You might be surprised to know that traffic is actually up at this site, but it may look like less because a couple of people were posting 20-30 times a day.
You only show up to complain, so how can I take you seriously? I’m flattered I have so much control over you and others. If you look back you will see that Patch, Bum and Michael Norris don’t always agree with me, but there is respect… and respect is earned! Maybe you don’t get that either!
All I want is to put the Giants out of the playoffs altogether. That and home field would be nice.
Rich “Freaking” Hill! Maybe he is worth a $45 million gamble. Even if he only pitches half the time, h’s a bargain!
I guess I jinxed him.
You did. Scott knows what’s up and saving his mojo.
Interesting article about Jansen’s pending free agency:
http://www.todaysknuckleball.com/nl/los-angeles-dodgers/heyman-dodgers-jansen-noncommittal-impending-free-agency/
Notice Heyman’s description of Jansen as one of the top 2 or 3 closers in baseball.
Top 2 or 3? Maybe last year. Not this year. If you look at blown saves he is Top 2 or 3.
The Dodgers will give him the QO and he will have a decision to make.
Rick
I hope your wife is resting now, and the worse is over for both of you.
Take care of yourself too
This dodger malaise is getting old. Offense needs to wake up. Once a left handed comes in. It’s over.
Well, Scott was right. Now we know 2 things: Rich Hill is human and Hershiser’s record is safe for another year.
Interesting that on a night when Hill didn’t have his best stuff, DR had no problem letting him make 93 pitches. Just sayin’.
Yep. It is what it is, and what it is don’t look all that good. But both Roberts and Honeycutt have earned (and I do mean earned) a lot of slack with me. FAZ, not so much.
Tomorrow is another day! (And I think we play the Giants eventually to kick them out of the playoffs … So it’s going to be up and down until then …)
Snider, why would you want to make that comment? Hill didn’t start a new inning after 89 pitches and was taken out mid-inning after 93 pitches.
Bum
I agree with what you said, but if Snider feels that way, he has a right to say it.
MJ, just asking the question. I get curious about what I might be missing when I can’t see any logic to something.
Nice play on words, or should I say “letters” Mark. It’s slotim not “Slow Tim”. But that’s okay because you don’t call people names.
I have said you have great baseball acumen a number of times. And you are a great cheerleader. It’s just the in people’s face stuff that is a turn off.
Cal Poly SLO, alma mater of the Wizard.
Tim
I’m glad to hear from you.
FAZ worries me. Not because I doubt they will make the Dodgers winners year after year but because they might do it in a way that is different, and we are all uncomfortable with different.
1. I don’t like that they believed a minuscule improvement was better than keeping pieces of the team together that had gone through spring training together and played most of the season together as well as more important than glue. I think trading AJ gave us a window into FAZ that exposed IMO a flaw.
2. I am not against platoons if they help young players ease into the lineup and help older players ease out of the lineup. But once a player is established and in their prime then I want them playing all the time. I don’t know if this matches FAZ concept of platooning.
3. I do like that FAZ wants to build from within even if their reason is to keep payroll down. I worry that I will get attached to players that are home grown and successful will be replaced with prospects instead of giving them a big contract. I want to watch players that are long-term Dodgers.
Bum
I want them to sign our good young players, and lock them up, before they reach free agency, like a lot of teams do.
And Corey would be the first one they need to lock up.
Friedman locked up that Rays third base man, but I don’t think Friedman would think that that contract worked out, with his standards.
The third base man has had a good year this year, but he didn’t, the last couple of years, before this year.
The reason we are having so many problems with lefties, is because the front office didn’t do anything, to replace our big right hand bats, that they traded, and let go.
They did try this year, but the right hand bats, have been missing, for two years now.
I am only bringing this up, because this flaw is so apparent, that it could stop us from going any farther, possibly.
Bill Russell came to the Dodgers as a 20-year-old outfielder in 1969, and his first two MLB seasons were spent in the outfield. During the 1970–71 offseason, Russell was converted to a second baseman, and then – the following year – to shortstop, becoming a regular in 1972. Russell was the club’s everyday shortstop for the next eleven years, anchoring an infield that included third baseman Ron Cey, second baseman Davey Lopes and first baseman Steve Garvey.
Davey Lopes was a second-round pick for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968, Lopes began his professional career as an outfielder with the Division A Daytona Beach Dodgers. He was moved up to the AAA Spokane Indians in 1970, for which he played second base until being called up to the majors. He made his debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 22, 1972.
Who will be the next outfielder to be converted to an infielder? Toles to second base? Puig to third base? Diaz to short stop?