Today’s afternoon rubber match between the Dodgers and the Orioles lasted 5 hours, 26 minutes, it broke the record for strike outs in a game at Dodger Stadium, saw career highs for two Dodgers, went so long that I had to miss the final three innings, sent manager Dave Roberts to the showers, and sent loyal Dodger fans who sat through all fourteen innings home with long and sunburned faces. What a day.
1st inning
Dodgers
Chase Utley started things off with a base hit.
Home run pitcher, meet home run hitter. Justin Turner blasted a two-run home run to crack the seal on the scoreboard. 2-0
2nd inning Dodgers 2-0
Baltimore got a sun single that Corey Seager failed to chatch, followed by a double to score one. 2-1
Dodgers
Back to back, two out singles by Bud Norris and A.J. Ellis. They were left there on Chase Utley’s strike out.
3rd inning Dodgers 2-1
Orioles tied it up. With men on first and third, Manny Machado hit into a double play, but the run scored. 2-2
4th inning Tie score 2-2
Orioles
Solo home run, Mark Trumbo. 3-2
Dodgers
Nothin’
5th inning Orioles 3-2
Orioles
Bud Norris stepped to the mound at 78 pitches.
He got out cheaply enough at 91.
Dodgers
Chase Utley single.
Corey Seager walk.
Adrian Gonzalez hit a sky-high fly that dropped between the three outfielders for a two-out, two-run single. 4-3
6th inning Dodgers 4-3
Orioles
Norris out. Casey Fien in.
The Dodgers’ lead lasted one pitch. Another home run for Trumbo. 4-4
7th inning 4-4
Adam Liberatore in. Job done. Bonus: Chris Taylor Golden Sombrero.
Dodgers
Chase Utley opened the inning (again), with a base hit. Cory Seager lined a double into center field to bring his hitting streak up to 19, and put men on second and third with no out.
With one out, the birds walked Adrian Gonzalez to load the bases.
Howie Kendrick was flat-out robbed on a bad call of a pitch several inches off the plate to end the inning.
8th inning 4-4
Joe Blanton in. Job done.
Dodgers
With one out, Kenta Maeda went in to pinch run at first for Ellis.
Chase Utley- Double! Maeda held up at third.
Justin Turner popped up to end the inning.
9th inning 4-4
Kenley Jansen in. Job done, three Ks.
10th inning 4-4
Luis Avilan in. Job done.
11th inning 4-4
J.P. Howell in. Job done.
13th inning 4-4
Orioles
The birds tried to score a man from first on a single hit to Yasiel Puig. He executed a perfect cut-off throw to Chase Utley, who fired a perfect strike to Yasmani Grandal, who laid a perfect tag to punch the runner out at the plate.
14th inning 4-4
By this point I was away from TV, radio and Twitter, so I had no idea what was happening in the game. By the time I was able to get any news, I heard the Dodgers lost the game 6-4, and Chris “Forfeit” Hatcher was the losing pitcher. There was really no need for me to hear any other details.
Hatcher + Tie game + Late innings = Loss. It’s a simple equation that will always add up to the same answer.
Dodgers lose 6-4
Bud Norris did not dominate as he did in his first outing, but he pitched well enough to keep the team in the game. His downfall was an 11 pitch at bat by the Orioles pitcher in the fourth inning. That ran up his pitch count, and tipped Roberts’ hand in favor off pulling him after just five innings.
Although Hatcher blew the game in the 14th, the real story of the Dodgers’ frustration today came from the offense. Despite scoring four runs, the Dodgers had a ton of strikeouts today (Trayce Thompson and Corey Seager both earned golden sombreros), and they left the bases-loaded in the 7th and 8th innings, with five strike outs to boot. Justin Turner hit an early home run, but in the later innings left seven men standing.
The Orioles had a strike out mountain of their own, combining with the Dodgers for 36 strikeouts. That broke the all-time single-game strikeout record for Dodger Stadium.
Bright spots: Chase Utley went 6 for 7, a career high, with two doubles and two runs scored. Corey Seager hit in his 19th straight game to keep the streak alive. The bullpen kept the Orioles scoreless for seven long innings today.
Despite losing two of three to the birds, the Dodgers did a good job overall, and held their own against a top-notch, first place, American League team.
Bud Norris went 5 innings with 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 5 Ks, 1 HR. ERA 5.98
Doubles: Utley, Kendrick, Seager, Gonzalez
Home run: Turner
Team with RISP: 1 for 14 <— There’s your ballgame. Right there.
Oscar Martinez
I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.
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I have been on a whirlwind meeting tour here in LA – not much time for fun, but the game… and that was not much fun either. Still, we were there to the bitter end. Here’s a few comments as I sit in the El Torito in Rancho tonight:
1. Some things are so predictable – like OD showing up again with about hit 8th different moniker. His sophomoric posts give him away. Only a few of the ORIGINAL posters on this board will understand who this DODGER MAN is. I’ll leave it at that! Just know that I know.
2. Maeda had nothing last night but kept us in the game. He needs rest… or a six-man rotation!
3. Why is Hatcher still drawing air? I used to like his potential – now I would like him gone!
4. Norris wasn’t bad today – just not great.
5. De Leon took a shutout into the 7th last night before giving up two runs. He will be up after the break!
6. Urias will likely be given some time off and then switched to the pen. He can’t learn much at AAA but most of what he needs to learn in between the ears.
7. 16 Hits and 7 BB and 33 LOB? If I were the manager of the Dodgers, I would wreck the locker room with a baseball bat after a such an epic hitting failure. I would put the fear of God into them.
8. Watch Andrew Toles – He could make an impact THIS season. MLB says this about this The Rays named Toles their 2013 Minor League Player of the Year after his breakout season with Class A Bowling Green, but he was unable to build on that success in 2014. An undisclosed personal issue kept him away from baseball for much of the year, though he did return to action by the end of the season.
When he is on the field, Toles is a dynamic top-of-the-order center fielder who has the chance to impact the game, particularly with his exceptional speed, on both sides of the ball. He needs to improve his plate discipline, but he has shown an ability to hit for average and has enough bat speed to hit for some power down the road.
Toles will have to show he can mature and put the questions about his makeup behind him to continue to advance toward the Major Leagues.
He has played at 3 levels this year and is ready for the bigs. Lady and Gentlemen, meet your next leadoff CF.
9. Let me set one thing straight: I like Andrew Friedman a lot because I buy into his philosophy and you should too. In fact, you should hope he stays because his bosses are a bunch of pricks! Kasten and Guggenheim are horrible. Friedman is the only thing they have done that has any merit! I’ll elaborate later!
Mark…. Long time reader of your blog and now this one…. I do not post but dang I live a mile from El Torito in Rancho. I assume that is Rancho Cucamonga!
The best salsa in the world! Yes, I was in RC for a minute.
Mark
I wondered why we haven’t heard from you.
I just read that name Toles in some comments somewhere tonight, but just in people’s comments on True Blue LA.
I sure hope your right.
We need some help in the outfield, and in the line up.
We can’t continue to have players in the line up, not batting much above the Mendosa line.
I am concerned with Fien.
He has almost given up as many HRs, as both Baez and Hatcher combined this year.
And he gave up that game tying HR today, on the first pitch he threw.
After the Dodgers had just got the lead, the half ininng, before.
Anyways, I hope you had a chance to have some fun while you were out here.
It is probably hotter in Indiana right now, then California.
Get your facts straight MJ…Fien has given up 11 HR’s this year, only 6 in a Dodger uni…..Baez and Hatcher have given up 7 apiece, so he is no worse than they are, He has been far more effective than Hatcher. Especially since he joined LA.
Michael
When I looked it up, Fien had given up only two less HRs, then those two relievers combined.
Fien has not been a Dodger that long, and he has only given up one less HR, then both Baez and Hatcher, since he had been a Dodger.
I think my concern is more then justified.
We don’t need another relief pitcher, that has trouble, keeping the ball, in the ball park
Fien was let go by his former team, because he had given up, way to many HRs.
And that HR wasn’t the first HR, that Fien has given up, that hurt the Dodgers.
He gave up two HRs, in one inning this year.
His ERA as a Dodger is decent, he has blown 1 save and that was yesterday. HR’s happen, you can give up 2 if you are way ahead and not have them hurt you. The game he gave up 2 HR’s, were they leading or way behind? Situations change how you pitch, and most likely Trumbo was sitting on a first pitch fastball which is what he got. How many HR’s has Kershaw given up………7….same as Baez. Kazmir has given up 15. I am more concerned with his over all performance in blue which is so much better than Hatcher’s. He also has the managers trust, I think you are being to critical of a guy who has done a better job as a early season pick up than a couple of guys who have been here all year. Howell and Hatcher, and even Avilan have all sucked.
Fien’s ERA as a Dodger is 2.60…his ERA in Minnesota was over 7…Hatcher has given up 8 HR’s and his ERA north of 5. Fien got a blown save, his first, but he has 3 holds. The HR’s he has given up except todays have not hurt the team or tied the game. He has pitched really well in blue unlike Hatcher who is a total mess….the guy has been fine. I do not hold what he did in Minnesota against him
Michael
As you know, a reliever’s era doesn’t tell the whole story.
I am not saying Baez and Hatcher are better.
I think it is a concern, when a relief pitcher, that has not been with the team to long, has only given up one less HR, then Baez and Hatcher, who started the season with the Dodgers.
Michael you said that Hatcher and Baez, gave up 7 HRs, in your first response, and said Hatcher has given up 8 HRs, in your second response, so no one is perfect.
No they are not…..but Fien has PITCHED better….that is the fact.
These pitchers cannot HOLD A LEAD!! The starters have done that a lot,,,,
That settles it, you like Freidman, I hate him…….and I do not buy into his bargain bin antics….the farm is fine, but I care about big league wins…….and championships and Fried Brains has never won one……Kasten has….
Michael
If your talking to me, I am not a Faz lover, at all.
No, that is for the Mark man………his post up top,,,,, about loving Fried Brains and that Kasten and Guggenheim are horrible…..I know you are not a FAZFAN…
Tony Gwynn wondered why Norris was taken out after five considering how overworked the bullpen is. Let’s hope there’s one pitcher in the minors who can get through the order three times and is not on a pitch count/innings limit.
Gwynn Jr. also pointed out that when a hitter comes up with men on third and nobody out, the pressure should be on the pitcher. All the hitter has to do is put the ball in play. Maybe it’s easier said than done, but our guys still seem to be trying too hard. Bases loaded=Blue Kryptonite.
Pitch count…period, and until Gwynn manages his opinion stinks
They are peeing their pants again.
Why not Zach Walters instead of Venable. He has played 6 positions this year at OKC and is a switch hitter. Just don’t let him play 3B. And he has pitched in relief but his ERA is 40.50!
Maybe they do not like the guy…Venable played at SD when Roberts was there..
Hope Ryu has a good game Thursday night. I am so tired of the Friedman dog and pony show. Is a pitcher who can go 7 too much to ask??? Obviously…..Friedman gets the best broken down guys he can find and is looking for lightning in a bottle, which he obviously has not gotten. 2 of his key acquisitions totally stink. Grandal and Hatcher. Neither is worth spit. The bull pen is becoming worn out, and Dave Roberts managerial weak points are starting to stand out. What in the blue blazes is a guy who is hitting .230 doing in an RBI spot??? DUMB. After the 1st HR, why did they not just walk Trumbo??? And finally, every hitter who leaves runners in scoring position on base with less than 2 outs, should be fined……….Turner really blew his chances today…7 men left on…….terrible……..
Michael
You are just frustrated like everyone else is, after that long game.
I thought that Turner was standing to close to the plate, yesterday, when he was up to bat.
Also Turner and Trayce, swung at pitches at there shoulders, that were a 98 fastballs.
Not many players, can hit a fastball, at that speed, at there shoulders.
It also looked to me, that Trayce was standing to far from the plate, and that was why he couldn’t reach, pitches, on the outside corner.
Non of those guys, have any excuses, after 37 year old Utley, had six hits yesterday.
First off, I am not frustrated, I am sick and tired, which is a whole different animal completely, of watching the FAZ MASTERS grand plan blow up in the fans faces. They should have scored in the 7th and 8th when they had the bases loaded twice with less then 2 outs. Roberts should have had Taylor bunt instead of swing away and hit into a DP in the 13th. Kendrick was robbed on a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded and 2 out that pitch track showed was out of the strike zone. But 3 straight strikeouts after they walked A-Gone to load the bases? Pitiful. A shakeup is needed. All they needed was a fly ball, and no one could touch the pitch. Thompson has not hit a ball on the outside corner all year. They started pitching him out there, and that’s when his skid started. We could sure use Joc in the lineup. Mark suggested calling up Toles. At this point I agree…….there’s a first………anything is better than what is happening now,,,,,but here is the real problem. You cannot win consistently with your starting catcher below the Mendoza line, only 3 of your regulars batting over .260, and none of your starters even able to go six innings. Forget about how over worked the effen bullpen is. And a rookie manager making rookie manager bad moves. Plus a front office committed more to the future than winning now………it is a total mess. We will see if they really want to win at the deadline……..
I thought Roberts should have bunted a couple of times, and had that new utility guy running, instead of Maeda, in that one inning, when Chase hit a double, and they held Maeda at third.
I know they can’t risk hurting Maeda, but the utility guy, probably would have scored on Chase’s double.
These popflys, falling in between two players, has happened way to much, this year.
And one cost us a run yesterday.
Again… When there is a high sky at Dodger Stadium like yesterday, pop ups become very difficult plays. Corey lost the ball in the sun, could have happened to anyone…….
Michael
I hope for you, and the rest of us, that tonight’s game, will be better, but we already know, that Ryu won’t go farther then five or six innings.
He is coming back, from the worse injury, of all of the pitchers, on the team, so I don’t see him pitching beyond five innings, myself.
They are going to have to just make due, until the Allstar break, begins.
That is the plan for now.
I am glad that Kershaw isn’t pitching in the Allstar game, because he needed rest, even with out his injury.
And I am not crazy about Cory being in the HR derby either.
Andrew Toles? Yeah. Sure. Why not. Thompson yesterday 0 for 6 with 4 K’s and is now down to .227. I thought of all the guys we’ve shuffled about since FAZ took over this one might actually know how to play this game. Looks like maybe I had that wrong. Michah Johnson can’t hit, Montas still can’t throw, Barnes? don’t know how he’s supposed to help. Taylor? Dont think so. Turner drove in half our total with one swing but left 7 on base. He’s hitting .259.
Everybody on the team was used yesterday except Baez. 9 pitchers. 33 left on base, 1 for 14 WRISP. 18 strike outs.
This team could sure use a complete game. Today Ryu. Will he get 7? I doubt it.
18 games left before the deadline. The next 4 against SD will hopefully help. We have what might be a brutal 9 game road trip after the ASG, trip ending with 3 in Washington and 3 in St Louis. Looking at the gints schedule they should take care of business for a while, playing the Dbacks and the Pads. I don’t know, but unless something unusual happens I don’t see making up a lot of ground in the next 18 games.
Cueto pitched a complete game last night for his 13th win. He’s wearing down.
Seager will be in the stupid Home Run Derby. If he ends up like Puig 2014 and Pederson 2015 there goes the ROY.
Yeah, Cueto won’t last. He’s not like Kershaw, who will pitch 248 innings a year until he is………
The Giants are very good.
Did I tell you my vision? I’ll tell you again. The Dodgers, Rams and Lakers are all targeting 2018 and beyond, which is perfect because that’s about the time Planet Niburu will arrive and our world will be destroyed. It is written.
I’m going to ADOT, where, unlike California, the lines are not long. Fortunately it’s not supposed to reach 100 today. Only 99.
Badger
The high in California today, is 88.
Talk about global warming, California is never this cool in July.
The main difference in the Giants, and the Dodgers, is that the Giants have one more number one, then the Dodgers.
Just like when the Dodgers, had Greinke and Kershaw.
The Giants saw how the Dodgers, having two number one pitchers, could help a team, win the long season easier.
And the Giants made that happen, on there team this year.
They first went for Greinke, but once Greinke was gone, they got the best starting pitcher, that they thought was left, that was close to a number one.
And that is why they got Cueto.
The Dodgers front office, also saw what two number ones could do, even with the rest of the rotation, filled with second rate pitchers, that filled in, when Ryu and McCarthy went down.
The front office witnessed what two number ones, could do, but apparently they under estimated what two number ones, could do for a team, in the long season.
And the bottom line, a team wants to win the long season, instead of becoming a wild card, because the wild card, is only one game.
And anything can happen in one game, so winining the long season, gives a team a better chance to get farther, then one game!
The high in California is 88?
Redding is going to be 93, Chico 91, and Palm Springs is 104.
The Dodgers front office has a different set of priorities than does the gnats FO.
In Rancho that is what it the weather report, says temp will be today.
Badger, You keep harping on Cueto not being good, although his record puts your judgement in doubt. But at the very least, signing him would have been a huge improvement over signing Kazmir and/or Anderson. You have to give him that.
I’m being facetiously sarcastical Wonder.
Badger
I don’t know what ADOT is, but I knew you were just messing around about Cueto.
I’m guessing it’s their version of the DMV?
Yep. Department of Transportation. And I stepped in it by shooting my mouth off. 35 in front of me. I sat down because the wife had a PT appt, but in 12 minutes only 2 people were called. I left. Serves me right I reckon.
SVS, Venable, etc are not viable bench players. SVS hasn’t been the same since he was hurt, and Venable has never been much good. The game like yesterday shows what the playoffs may be like, and the results will be the same. I thought Manager Happy might pull another one out, but you can’t keep playing these 8th-9th inning games without getting burnt. It’s best not to have them. Now, watch out for San Diego because everyone likes to beat LA. I would be ok with -6 at the break. Go Ryu. I hope the stitches hold up.
I hate to repeat myself, but having a starting rotation full of 5 – 6 inning pitchers and hitters who can’t hit with RISP is a recipe for failure.
The Dodgers’ bullpen has pitched 283 innings in 84 games (3.37 innings/game), twelvth most bullpen innings in the majors and fifth in the NL.
Non-Kershaw starters have averaged 5.23 ip/g.
McCarthy – 1 start, 5 ip/s
Norris – 2 starts, 5.5 ip/s
Maeda – 17 starts, 5.7 ip/s
Wood – 10 starts, 5.6 ip/s
Kazmir – 17 starts, 5.5 ip/s
Stripling – 8 starts, 5.3 ip/s
Bolsinger – 8 starts, 4.5 ip/s
Urias – 6 starts, 4.5 ip/s
Stewart – 1 start, 5 ip/s
Tepesch – 1 start, 4 ip/s
TOTAL – 71 starts, 5.2 ip/s
This obviously won’t work in the long run.
None of this should have come as a surprise, really. Kazmir, in the seasons since his hiatus after the 2010 season, averaged 5.4, 5.9 and 5.9 ip/s. He has pitched over 200 innings once in his career and over 190 innings twice, so he has never been a guy who will give you innings. Maeda is coming from Japan where he is used to pitching once/week, so there was always going to be a concern about his ability to pitch multiple games/week and throw over 6 innings/start.
Not only has the Braintrust assembled an injury-prone staff, it has assembled a staff designed to place a maximum burden on the bullpen.
Dodger rick
I’m suprised we are not the team, with the most bullpen innings used this year.
Ryu is one pitcher, I would understand if he can’t pitch beyond five innings.
But I do think that Roberts has been taking some of the starting pitchers out to soon.
I thought he took Norris out to soon yesterday.
And I think Norris will be fine.
Because I bet he was trying way to hard, to pitch to well, against his former team yesterday.
Horse manure……he was what he really is…..MEDIOCRE…..live with it…..
Michael
Your not in a very good mood today.
But I am glad you made it to your sister’s safely.
Mood? Not really, I just call it like I see it. He is what he is. He is a less than .500 career pitcher. He is a 6 inning guy most of the time, he has never been anything special, and has 2 winning season’s in 9 years in the majors. He was cheap so they went and got him. He pitched 5 decent innings his first start. Whoopee…….I am not impressed. More concerned with Ryu coming back, and Kersh’s re-hab when it starts. I am waiting to see if they are serious about winning. We will know come the trade deadline. Until then they are treading water, and in some cases taking water on………We can agree to disagree….I think the guy is garbage……
Does anyone think that Seager in the HR contest to be a bad idea? I do. It is where hitters go to die, at least for the rest of the season. Bad move.
I don’t like it. I’d rather everyone was home getting some rest. Ef that stupid game and the results of it having any influence on anything. Record only for home field in playoffs.
I don’t want him to do it either!
Cory is more a line drive hitter, anyways.
Joc was good because he is always hitting like that in batting practice too, but that is a problem too!
Badger
I think Utley is not going to make your list.
He has done pretty well, especially in clutch situations.
I would have loved to see him play everyday when he was in his prime.
I think the HR derby is a joke. But it has been proven that you get in the thing, your production suffers afterwards…
They should have the home run derby in the offseason instead of showing powerlifting or darts. Maybe they could turn it into a weekly series 🙂 And get back to playing baseball!
That I am not a fan of this FO is well known. They are focused on the future which is all well and good, but you need to have an eye on now as well. The parts they have put together are not running smoothly. They could not have foreseen the injuries. But their FA signings, waiver wire claims and trades are not working. Thompson is one of those guys who I think will be good in the end. According to everything I have read, he is a hard worker, and is very coachable. But sometimes what is needed is a little AAA time, and I think Kike, when he returns, and Trayce would both benefit from a couple of weeks down there. This is not at this point a championship caliber club. You cannot win with your starting catcher south of the Mendoza line and only 3 regulars over .260. You cannot win when your bullpen will be burned out by August. I think Taylor should be sent down and Charlie Culberson brought up because Charlie has more MLB time and plays more positions. The FO goes for cheap fixes, and guys with injury issues. It shows at the MLB level. Right now this team is banking on the return of Ryu and McCarthy until CK is ready to pitch again. Guys going less than 6 innings are rampant on this team. They need more…and for the foreseeable future they are not getting it…….and for us fans, that sucks……so we see crap like yesterday’s debacle where the best hitter is their oldest player…..
Michael
The fact that Chase had those six hits, is a lesson, to the rest of the players, who didn’t make much contact.
Vinny had that good line yesterday about that game.
He said if your feeling a breeze today, it is not coming off the ocean, it is players striking out at Dodger stadium.
It was a great line……..