The Dodgers actually resembled a real live competitive major league baseball team on Wednesday night as they clobbered the Phillies with a comfortable 8-2 trouncing to take a 2-1 series lead. Ross Stripling was the catalyst in tonight’s victory as he tossed seven innings of one-run ball, turning in another fantastic performance. Matt Kemp (now the National League’s leading hitter) drove in four of the eight Dodger runs. Kemp blasted a two-run home run, smoked an RBI double and added a sacrifice fly for good measure. The rest of the guys contributed when and where they could. Max Muncy homered, Joc Pederson went 2 for 4, and even punch and Judy utility man Breyvic Valera (called up because Chase Utley has a thumb injury) got a hit. It was of the bloop variety, but still. It was a good night for the Dodgers all around.
Stripling struck out nine over seven frames and allowed just one earned run on four hits while walking only two. His lone blemish on the night was a solo home run to Nick Williams in the seventh. Chicken Strip is now 3-1 and has a 1.68 ERA. Is it safe to say that Stripling has been pitching like an ace? All Stripling has done in the month of May is post a 1.17 ERA and striking out 32 against just two walks. Yeah That’s an ace guys.
The bats came to life against “former Dodger” Zach Efflin, and I use that in quotations since he was a Dodger for about five minutes. Efflin lasted just four innings and gave up five earned runs on seven hits. The Dodgers had 13 hits against Philadelphia pitching tonight, leaving ten men on base. The boys in blue were 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position.
Phillies 2 281
Dodgers 8 13 0
WP-Stripling-3-1
LP-Efflin-1-2
HR-Muncy-7-Kemp-7-Williams-6
The Dodgers scored one in the first, and added three in the third while also scoring in the fourth, fifth, and eighth innings. Everyone in the Dodger lineup had at least one hit. Cody Bellinger had two hits, hopefully breaking out of his prolonged slump.
The scoring started in the bottom of the first when Joc Pederson singled and Kemp laced an RBI double over the third base bag to score Joc. In the bottom of the third Muncy bombed one over the center field fence. One Yasmani Grandal walk later, Kemp took his turn going yard by blasting his seventh home run into the left field pavilions. The Dodgers were up 4-0 and never relinquished. Even Stripling himself got into the fun slashing an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.
Yimi Garcia pitched a scoreless top of the eighth notching two strikeouts. Switch-pitcher Pat Vendiite allowed one earned run on two hits and hit a batter in the top of the ninth, but didn’t blow a seven run lead. So we should all be thankful for that.
The Dodgers are now 26-29 and have taken over sole possession of third place in the National League West. The Dodgers and Phillies wrap up their four game series on Thursday afternoon, which is getaway day for both clubs. The boys in blue have a legitimate shot of taking this series tomorrow and look who’s on the mound making his return from the disabled list? You guessed it, Clayton Kershaw. He’ll draw Aaron Nola with first pitch at 4:35 PM PST.
I still think the extra muscle Cody put on in the off season, is causing him not to be able to hit high fastballs, above his belt.
The fact that he added muscle in his oblique and on his upper body, has taken away the flexibility he needed, to hit those high fastballs.
His timing is obviously not off, because he had no trouble hitting pitches below his belt.
He had the hardest hit ball last night, behind Muncy’s and Kemp’s HRs.
I would tell him to stop working on the areas he didn’t work on, before last year, and see if he can be quick enough to hit those high fastballs above the belt.
He hit a high fastball at his ear, last year, against the Padres.
Stripling sure took advantage of the time he had in the bullpen to elevate his game, with those two new pitches he added, to his repertoire.
He is pitching like a number two right now!
I think both Maeda and Stripling have improved under Honeycutt. Nothing flashy but they’re better pitchers today than two years ago. I hope Wood turns it around too. Hill is what he is. Kershaw is Kershaw, just stay healthy.
YF
I know it is still early, but where would you place Stripling on the list of a rotation, and how do you rate his stuff?
Adding muscle does not slow one down and if done properly (full ROM through lift) does not effect flexibility. Bonds put on about 50 pounds of muscle and he could still hit. Bellinger’s problem lies elsewhere. What it is I don’t know, but trainers and coaches should know. I still believe he will snap out of it. 30 home runs and 90 RBIs. He will get there.
Maeda was pretty good when he got here, but no doubt Honeycutt has helped him. He has had elbow tenderness for as long as he’s been a Dodger. He also said he has had hip issues before. This may be a sign his durability is slipping. Very often one thing leads to another in the aging athlete. Maeda has a lot of miles on him.
Badger
You do lose some flexibility with extra muscle, but I am no expert, that is for sure.
But maybe if you looked at his swing from last year, and looked at his swing this year, you could see the difference.
I am just using my common sense, and some info I heard, and he is definitely having issues with high fastballs, that he had no trouble with, last year.
“You do lose some flexibility with extra muscle”
Not necessarily MJ. I think this imported because what you are saying here is a common misconceptions.
This is what I learned in my Physiology of Exercise class in college:
https://4afsfit.com/resistance-training-reduces-flexibility-myth-fact/
I would think if I learned this in 1976, the trainers working with professional athletes today most certainly know it. Done properly, weight training actually improves flexibility.
Thanks Badger!
Now we only need you to see if you can see something different in his swing?
Well, another day and another day to sit for Matt Kemp. He is the NL leading hitter and 2nd in the ML. You can say whatever you want but Kemp having sat on Monday is again sitting tonight. Two times in 4 days for no reason except DUMMY wants to sit him. That guy is absolutely stupid. If he would get fired it would be the best thing that could happen to the Dodgers.
Well, it has just been announced that Dummy is sitting Kemp and Taylor because he wants to have them both fresh for all three games in Colorado. They said the body is effected more at mile high. Horses%i&!!!!! I lived at mile high for 5 years and it did not effect me. Dummy musta layed awake at night to think up that one.
The Athletic has another piece on Bellinger trying to figure his shit out.
For the first time on Wednesday, the trademark bat wag was missing. As Bellinger awaited the pitch, he kept his hands high, but in front of his left shoulder. As the bat wagged, the head pointed towards the sky instead of horizontally.
“Cody’s obviously in the midst of a struggle he’s probably never had to deal with,” Roberts said. “When you’re mired in a slump, you’re trying to do too much and hit a ball 500 feet and get four hits in one at-bat as opposed to just trying to square the baseball up and find a barrel.”
Thanks Bluto
Looks like Dummy can’t see either. They score a run and was a foot from touching Home Plate. Nice job Dummy!
Pack, I am not being disrespectful but I really have to question your comment about the body not being affected at “Mile High”.
Sorry Bud but it must have effected you for 5 years to make a comment like that.
You became acclimated after 5 years and conveniently forgot.
Common science tells you that if you work and live at sea level ” Chavez Ravine is plus 400 or 500 feet” you will be affected at 5200!!!!!
Hell I am in decent shape and I live 300 above sea level, and just spent a week in St. George Utah and most mountain bike trails start at 4000. Yes it affects you!!!! BIG TIME
I think you were just hyperventilating from seeing Kemp sitting that your common sense was compromised.
Cheers Pack!!!!
Tim
I could concede that your overall endurance could be effected but swinging a bat or running 90ft or even all the way around, no I don’t think so. Even the endurance part might not be effected after the body becomes used to it. I did cross country and do not remember being overly taxed from sea level to mile high. You spending just a week in Utah would cause you a little problem. Comparing a mountain bike to a baseball player doesn’t cut it. Maybe you should give it a little more thought. By the way TIm, if you think it does effect the baseball player, please tell me how?
Cheers Tim!!!
“your overall endurance could be effected going from sea level to over 5,000’. “
I agree with that. I live at 4700’. When I was hiking the 14ers I sure as hell felt it going over 10,000’.
Baseball players who don’t train at that altitudes are going to feel it. They may run as fast as usual, but they might be sucking air running the bases.
Package
I knew you wouldn’t be happy, but maybe Kemp will come in this game, and win another game for us, and still be well rested for Colorado.
I was never on the cross country team, but I was running a lot, before I had my accident.
I was running 6 miles a day, 6 days a week, until that accident.
I had to switch to a bike after I recovered, and I just like working out especially in that way, because it makes me feel better.
But since you were a cross country guy, you know running or any of these endurance exercises, are all in your mind.
Sorry bro I have no response.
Well, Mr. Dummy
How did this one work out for you? Maybe you should have played Kemp the whole game. But hey, he will be rested for the mile high conditions.
Package
I didn’t know that Nola was suppose to be the Phillies best starter before this game.
And I agree with you, that Kemp should have played in this game.
Because like I told Badger earlier in this series, our average hitters wouldn’t be able to hit Arrieta.
And since this was the Phillies best starter, we should have had our best hitters, in this game, especially with Turner not really hitting yet.
These 250 hitters, and below, are not going to hit good pitching.
That is to much to ask!
This was another entirely winnable game!!
Sigh ….
Roberts looks like he has a hose up his ass every time he doesn’t interview. Like if he says the wrong thing some electrical charge will go off on his nuts. No fire no balls.
Kershaw is going to have a MRI on his back, because he tightened up on him.
After the game LHP Clayton Kershaw compared his back injury to one he had in 2017, which wasn’t as severe as herniated disk in 2016 but still sent him to DL.
First 5 hitters 0 for 18. You don’t win many with that kind of futility. That kind of importence is painful to watch. Kind of like an electrical charge going off in your nuts.
Hose up the ass battery cables to the managers testicles. That’s as vivid a description as I’ve seen in here Tim. Black site enhanced interrogation stuff. I must be sick cuz I laughed.