The Dodgers had the day off yesterday. But today they started a three game series against Los Padres. Ross Stripling took on Clayton Richard. Ross Stripling has been pitching great this season. Usually he comes out of the bullpen but he is making a great case to become a starter.
#Dodgers Ross Stripling has a lower ERA (1.74) than Max Scherzer (1.78). He was asked the chances of keeping that advantage: "Probably not super great."
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) May 26, 2018
In the first inning, Jose Pirela and Eric Hosmer both singled. Luckily Stripling was able to induce a double play to get out of the jam. Chris Taylor started the game off with a walk back in the lead-off spot. Justin Turner came up next and also walked. Mr. get hits with men on base then came up. Matt Kemp hit a three run shot and the Dodgers lead 3-0. Stripling then came on in the 2nd inning and got that shutdown inning. He struck out three straight hitters.
In the third inning, Manuel Margot doubled and eventually scored on a ground-out. It would be the only blemish on Stripling tonight. In the bottom of the third, Kiki Hernandez hit a solo shot and the Dodgers led 4-1.
Matt Kemp when told #Dodgers had gone over a month between 3run HRs: " “Oh, really? Wow. That’s not good. Maybe we need to hit some more. I’ll remember that. I’m going to tell the guys tomorrow.”
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) May 26, 2018
Jose Pirela of the Padres had three hits. Ross Stripling pitched into the 7th inning and was replaced by Pedro Baez. Baez got out of the 7th inning thank god. Then Tony Cingrani came in for the 8th inning and pitched a scoreless inning. The Bullpen is starting to resemble last years bullpen. I feel the Dodgers need another bat. Kenley Jansen entered the game and pitched a perfect 9th for the victory.
2018 National League West Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 27 | 24 | .529 | 0 | W1 |
| Arizona | 26 | 24 | .520 | 0.5 | W1 |
| San Francisco | 24 | 27 | .471 | 3 | L3 |
| Los Angeles | 23 | 27 | .460 | 3.5 | W3 |
| San Diego | 21 | 31 | .404 | 6.5 |
James Moya
Hi I’m James Moya. I am an avid Dodgers fan. I graduated Cal State Fullerton with a Bachelors in Communications. I used to freelance at the San Bernardino Sun. I’m excited about this opportunity to write for LA Dodger Report to gain experience. I’m a straight shooter on my opinions and I hope to get some good conversations going. My dream has always been to report on the Dodgers because Baseball is the National Past-time. I hope you enjoy the ride with me.
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It does seem that Stripling is bent on being a starter and he now has my attention and support seeing how he has stood in and delivered this month. Anyone who is putting in this kind of effort should be given the chance. Well done.
As a team, we seemed to have turned a corner and are beginning to snap out of a dreadful spell. The team is still not playing anywhere near the level of Penant winner, but with the help of the weak west, we find ourselves back in the hunt. IIRC, Badger always held out hope and this is starting to impress me, but without the help of the weak, it could never turn out this way. It reminded me of the Giants collapse a few years back where they nose-dived out of first place and by default, the Dodgers slipped in and won the division by no help of their own. They didn’t deserve it, but that is the way the cookie crumbles. The cookie may crumble that way again this year, but I don’t see the Rockies going the way of AZ. And, AZ may bounce back if they find their bats again. Still too early to really say what will be, however, the numbers favor the Dodgers both in combined hitting and pitching. We may scratch our heads and say how can this be, but this is the West and its been this way for a while. No clear favorite. Up for grabs.
Stripling came up as a starter. He threw 7 plus no hit innings in his first start in 2016 against the Giants. But he was coming off TJ surgery so they slipped him into the relief role and being the long man and he has done a bang up job at that. I have no problem at all with him filling one of those starter slots, especially if it keeps Hill of the mound.
The first paragraph is so filled with subtext and innuendo that I can’t make heads or tails of it.
The team has always been high on Stripling and he’s always been thought of as a starter.
In case you are new to the Dodgers, they have a plethora of starters, that’s why Stripling (and Stewart too, for that matter) were given time in the pen.
Perhaps try to think of it as player development?
The starting depth is very thin this year. Other than Stripling Stewart and buehler they have nobody else.
Read the 2nd half of the “In case you are new..” sentence and note the tense.
Stripling is doing exactly what I want to see any player do.
Stripling is taking this chance to prove he belongs in the rotation, and he is making this chance count!
Jeff, Badger has also said from the beginning the team will start really hitting once it warms up, and I live in Southern California, and it has not warmed up yet, the high today is suppose to be only 68.
We might be lucky because the Western division is not strong, but the Giants won two World Series, with teams that didn’t win the division, so it doesn’t always matter if a team dominates a division.
What matters, is getting a post season wild card, or just wining a weak division will do it too.
Houston is not winning most of their games with their offense either, because even the Astros offense hasn’t got going, from what people have said on the MLB Channel.
IMHO, the team will keep Kemp. Heck, they need to.
A part of me still wonders what his value is on the market specifically because of the nice start.
I hope the FO has stopped shopping Kemp. We have no real replacement for him.
Heating up here MJ. Supposed to hit 82 today, over 90 on Tuesday.
The team looks better. You know who doesn’t? Golden State.
If we can just keep winning series’ for a few weeks we should be ok. I still say this is a summer team. Squirrels don’t get actual until the weather warms up.
Badger
It says it will hit 84 on Monday, but as you know, May is usually over cast, and hot, but it hasn’t hit 70, all week.
Once Turner catches up, that will be another big bat, in this line up too.
94 here today in sunny Southern Colorado…..more of the same later. I would like to conduct a little poll. For those of you who have been there, what is your best moment at Dodger Stadium? A historic game, first time in a MLB park, a great pitching duel, awesome hitting, what ever floats your boat. I would think there are some pretty interesting stories.
Mr. Norris
I went to a game on August 21, 1963 Sandy Koufax against Curt Simmons I think his name was. Koufax allowed 1 run over 12 innings and the game went 16 with the Dodgers winning. Johnny Roseboro singled in Ken McMullen after a double for the 2-1 win in the 16th. I have never seen a pitcher throw harder. Unbelievable. Just me and my Dad, never forget it.
The final game of the 1980 season. Dodgers win to force one game playoff. Both Valenzuela and Sutton pitched in relief. Ron Cey hit a big home run that fell about five rows in front of us.
9-11-1983 Dodgers score 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th to beat Atlanta and push their lead to three games over Atlanta, instead of one if they had lost. The winning run scored on an RJ Reynolds squeeze, Guerrero scored the winning run.
Hey MJ
One thing is sure, we might not have know the direction of all the players but we knew Kemp was going to sparkle and he certainly has done it. He is the comeback player of the year right now and I hope he does it. I know you and I could feel Kemp coming on from the start. Am I right?
Package
That is funny, because I was thinking about Kemp being comeback player of the year too.
I think most here, knew what Kemp was capable of doing, but we backed him more, then most.
And you were the first one I thought of, after Kemp hit that three run HR, last night!
Michael
18 June 1962: Sandy Koufax beat Bob Gibson in a thriller – Dodgers won in the bottom of the ninth on a one-out home run by Tommy Davis.
We had seats about 6 rows up just to left of home plate. I was 14.
Koufax and Gibson against each other was neat to watch, but I actually saw Sandy face off against Marichal more. Including the game where Marichal went postal on Johnny Roseboro.
Best day at Dodger Stadium was opening day of new stadium in 1962. I was 14 years old. Duke Snider took a foul ball away from during batting practice in right field. I opened the gate to retrieve a foul ball. Duke Snider came over and gave me a lecture that the Dodgers had spent $50,000 the year before on baseballs. I’ve never gotten over it. I was also there the first time that Koufax struck out 18 at the Coliseum against the Giants. Orlando Cepeda gave me a ball that night. Always loved him more than Duke Snider. My son says he will avenge me.:)
Little late for that. Duke passed in 2011. Things like that do stick with kids. The couple of times I met Duke he was very gracious. But those times were after he had retired. I still have the autographed 8×10 he gave me many years ago. I have a lot of great memories of Dodger Stadium. The night I sang the anthem, Watching Fernando his rookie year. Seeing Koufax and Big D pitch and watching Frank Howard launch baseball’s into the stratosphere. But among the best was seeing Willie Stargell hit 2 balls out of the park in games. One vs. Alan Foster and the other off of Messersmith. I was also there the game that Buckner broke his ankle sliding into second base and was never the same runner again. But probably one of the best for me anyway was the last game of the 1977 season when Dusty Baker hit #30 off JR Richard to give the Dodgers four 30 HR hitters. It was cool also because Manny Mota and Glenn Burke hit their only HR’s of the day. Pretty cool, and they were heading for the playoffs. Saw a bunch at the coliseum too. The one I remember best was against the Cardinals. Big D was pitching and he hit Joe Cunningham in the ribs, and I mean he really drilled him. Hemus, the Cardinal skipper went down to first with his player. The visitors were in the 3rd base dugout in those days, and when Hemus cut across the grass to go back to the dugout, he said something to Big D and Drysdale came off the mound and the fight was on. Both bench’s emptied. It went on for about 20 minutes before they got everybody calmed down….Fun stuff for a kid to watch….
Sat in what was then called the club level I believe, the small 5 row deck. I was only a kid but my dad knew who we were sitting next to. Sugar Ray Robinson. Spent the entire game with him. The last names made it even better. I remember it like yesterday. As I got older I really began to appreciate it.
My ultimate goal at the stadium is to have my daughter Rachel meet THE Rachel Robinson. She has read a lot about her and has actually started to reach out to her. That would be epic!!! In fact her 42 jersey has Rachel Robinson on it. Not just in fun but in honor.
I sat up in the club level a few times back in the day when it was only 12 dollars to sit there. Really cool seats. I have met a few celebrities at games, and a few when I was playing music. I sat next to Hubie Brooks dad at one game. He was a neat guy to talk to . He knew a lot about the game. I met John Russell, The Lawman at the coliseum. I met James Gammon, who was the Indians manager in the movie Major League at old Hollywood Park. He was also in Urban Cowboy and had a small role in Silverado. Of course the ultimate was getting to go in the Dodger dugout when I sang the anthem there. When I was through singing they took me back to my seat by using the underground walkway which goes right past the Dodger locker room. That’s where I met and got Rick Sutcliffe to sign my baseball……cool memories.
Starting lineup……Taylor SS, Muncy 1B, Turner 3B, Kemp RF, Grandal C, Bellinger CF, Forsythe 2B, Pederson LF, Wood P.
Kershaw throws a sim game. Could be back in 5 days. Hill threw also. Got my desktop up and running. The Angels Memorial day uni’s kind of strange looking with that Camo green on the bright red. Trout hits HR #17. That’s as many as Kemp, Taylor and Muncy combined. Until Taylor homered in the first tonight. Wood gives up the lead by allowing his 5th HR. D-backs lost, Giants won, Rockies trailing. Dodgers can gain some ground. Need to come back in this one.
Turner goes yard and ties the game………. Bellinger still looks lost up there. I really think he is tying too hard and right now is trying to pull everything. Up to Forsythe and or Pederson to get the go ahead run home.
File this under how to make an entrance. Dodgers’ prospect Caleb Ferguson struck out 10 over five scoreless innings in his Triple-A debut with OKC dodgers.