Tonight brought the rubber match between the Dodgers and Rockies. In game one the Dodgers were one hit, and they won game two on the strength of two hits.
Manager Dave Roberts rested Chase Utley and Corey Seager, two of the hottest Dodger bats, and just as Scott predicted, he fielded the B-Squad to back up Kenta Maeda on the mound.
Here’s how the new lineup responded:
1st inning
Rockies
Kenta Maeda struck out the side.
2nd inning
Rockies
Six up, six down for Maeda.
Dodgers
Nothing yet.
3rd inning
Rockies
Maeda got the first eight Rockies out in a row before the a bloop single broke his streak.
Dodgers
1,2,3 inning
4th inning
Rockies
Kenta Maeda with 7 Ks over four innings.
Dodgers
Nothing
5th inning
Dodgers
In their best chance of the night, the Dodgers had bases loaded with one out. Enrique Hernandez struck out and left the bases still loaded, with two out, for Justin Turner. He hit a weak infield grounder, and the threat was over.
6th inning
Rockies
Still scoreless. Maeda at nine Ks, a season high.
Dodgers
Still nada.
7th inning
Rockies
They finally broke through to score the first run of the game, and that drove Maeda out.
Adam Liberatore in. Job done.
Dodgers
Zilch (Goose eggs in the eighth as well.)
9th inning Rockies 1-0
Dodgers
Howie Kendrick: 3u
Chase Utley: 3-1
Corey Seager: F8
Dodgers lose 1-0
Kenta Maeda picked up a loss that has no business on his W-L record. Maeda was strong tonight. He retired eight straight before giving up a base hit. He also struck out a season-high nine batters.
Unfortunately, he went out in the seventh, losing 1-0. Had the Dodgers got one measly single with the bases loaded in the fifth, he could have been leading 2 or 3 to 1.
But that didn’t happen, because for the third night in a row, the Dodgers’ offense was sleepwalking. They won last night, but that was because of two home runs that happened in the first and last innings of the game. In between, the Dodgers’ bats were just as they’ve been all the rest of the innings in the series – weak and unresponsive.
There is just no way to put a positive spin on a team that doesn’t put together rallies, and doesn’t hit enough long balls to justify the former point. Something is going to have to give – and soon.
Red Albatross watch: JT batted second, and he went 0 for 4, with 1K. Turner had a major opportunity when he came up in the fifth inning with bases loaded. He struck out swinging at ball four.
On the bright side: Pedro Baez did not give up a home run tonight.
Kenta Maeda (3-4) went 6 2/3 innings with 5 hits, 1 run, 1 W, 9 Ks. ERA 2.70
Team with RISP: 0 for 4
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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Mark wrote yesterday: “Austin Barnes is a Junkyard Dog and I love that!”
Fine. Nice. But how about adding a bulldozer, a lead-off speed guy, how about a Tony G. type of .300+ hitter.
Don’t feel bad about the loses to Colorado. They are a first class team in first place – right! Wait, they are in 3rd place gaining on the Dodgers.
Baseball draft late this afternoon or tonight, depends on where you live. Watch the Dodgers go after more pitchers. And later a SS.
Roger
I just hope they don’t blow it like last year!
We DON’T NEED more pitchers. We NEED offensive players. Of our 30 top prospects, 13 are pitchers including 7 of our top 10 if you don’t include Seager as a prospect anymore. I don’t.
Churchill’s quotation about Anzio (“I had hoped that we were hurling a wildcat onto the shore, but all we got was a stranded whale.”) seems very apropos about Roberts’ managing the Dodgers. Whether they are his decisions or merely execution of Faz’s calls, it is his reputation that is being destroyed. That makes him not much of a man either way. Nor bright either. FAZ will lay the blame on him and fire him at some point.
Teams have slumps, but this is pathetic.
The following players are above their career averages for BA, OPS, HR and RBI:
The following players are below their career averages for BA, OPS, HR and RBI:
Gonzales
Utley
Puig
Pederson
Turner
Kendrick
Hernandez
Ellis
Grandal
Crawfish (since deceased)
Grandal
Van Slyke
You can’t include the rookies, because they have no career, but Seager and Thompson are the players who are doing the best – evidently there hasn’t been enough time for the coaches to screw them up.
NOT ONE PLAYER IS PLAYING UP TO HIS CAREER AVERAGES NOT ONE! …. and it’s not just that they are slightly under-performing – THEY ARE UNDER-PERFORMING BY A LOT!
To me, when EVERYONE is under-performing, you have to look at the system. Dave Roberts is a nice guy. He’s a smart guy, but is he part of the problem? I think we have to start there. The same with Turner Ward. When your entire team sucks, someone has to get the ax. They axed Crawfish, but evidently that isn’t enough. Have all of these guys just forgotten how to hit?
The fact that the problem is so pervasive tells me something is not right. They better figure it out soon. Turner Ward is on a short leash in my book. So is Roberts. It’s not the lineup – it’s the hitters!
Both the RH Grandal and the LH Grandal are underperforming……I like how you captured that.
Valid point but most of these hitters have ‘holes’ in their swings so this happening is not unrealistic. The fact that ALL of them are underperforming is ‘impressive.’ I would also go on about how good the pitching in the NL is this year but not sure Chatwood and Rusin fall in that category.
Mark
Agone would be doing much better, if Turner was doing his job. Turner is one of the Dodgers most important bats, because he is suppose to be hitting like a number three hitter.
And his is barely hitting above the Mendosa line. And Turner affects what the pitcher, is throwing to Agone. Agone got two hits last night, he is not the problem.
Turner hasn’t hit all year. And really, Turner has only hit really well, part of the 2014 season, and last year. But Roberts is treated Turner, like he has hit like a number three hitter, for his entire career.
It is just crazy to keep on putting him, in the heart of the order. The team, and the other hitters, must come first, not Turner’s ego.
Turner might start hitting lower in the line up, quicker, then in the heart of the order.
A-Gone had 1 hit……Kike, AJ and Thompson the other 3…….
And Mark if you are not including AAA stats, why are you listing Joc, as a player, that is hitting below his career average, because Joc is hitting right where he did, last year?
Mark
You are right that Turner is the problem, but you just have the wrong Turner. Justin Turner, is one of the biggest problems with the Dodger’s offense. A lot teams believe that the number three hitter, is the best and most important bat, in a line up.
And the Dodger’s number three hitter, hasn’t hit all year, and is barely hitting above the Mendosa line, at this time. And you were right, that the fastball, that Turner hit for a HR, was a fastball right down the middle of the plate. But wouldn’t most big league hitters, hit that pitch
for a HR?
Everyone here, wants Turner to hit like he did. But he isn’t hitting at all, let alone, like a number three hitter. What is wrong with hitting Turner, farther down in the order?
Won’t Turner, get better pitches to hit, farther down in the order, unlike at the top of the order? It seems like having Turner bat lower in the line up, would be an easier place, to help Turner start hitting.
And that might be better for Turner himself, as well as the team. It isn’t like Turner, has always been really good hitter, most of his career, like Agone has. Turner has only hit really well, for part of 2014 season, and last year.
And to me, when Turner comes up to bat, it doesn’t look like Turner is beating himself up, because he is not hitting. He looks pretty relaxed in his at bats, and he really looks like he is swinging the bat, like he always has, since he came to the Dodgers.
The only thing I see different about Turner, is that he is behind on any decent fastball. And that is why he is hitting a lot of flyballs, to rightfield. And before, Turner was a really good fastball hitter, and could turn on a fastball easy.
“This operation was conceived in doubt, assailed by skepticism, and preceded in confusion.”
A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool. William Shakespeare
This team was designed by genius’s (so called) to be executed by idiots.
“We have met the enemy and they are us”.
Dodger hitter: What do you think of my execution?
Turner Ward: I’m in favor of it!
Who is more a fool, the fool or the fool who follows?
Ben Kenobi
Food for thought……….If Kershaw pitched against this LAD team 10 times, how many No-Hitters would he accumulate?
Against this team, at least 6.
Well this weekend at SF, the giants throw out 3 right handed starters. So Pinocchio can’t start his favorite all rightie crap lineup!
Queto-Kershaw Friday is the toughest game of the 3. Posey is hurt, Pagan and Pence are on the DL, which means the guys who can beat you are Belt, Crawford, and Duffy….But we have Bolsinger the HR machine pitching Sunday, and that does not bode well
He played the percentages and they lost. Have seen teams do the same thing against Kershaw. But pretty sure Dave is getting a lot of feedback from on high……
No need to beat a dead horse. The problems on this team are as obvious as the nose on your face. They do not hit at home. Gonzo has a .169 average at Dodger Stadium, yet he is hitting .375 on the road. In his defense for last night, Rick Monday explained that Gonzo was really suffering from a bad case of what Rick called…..THE CRUD! Maeda deserved a better fate. But this team has been lousy with men in scoring position all year. The kids have been carrying the load. But I think sitting Corey Seager against a mediocre LH was a mistake. Rusin is not that good, but he looked like Warren Spahn last night. What this team really lacks is a spark. That one guy who plays like his hair is on fire everyday. SVS looked like what he is, RUSTY……There is a lot of room for improvement,, and they better do it quick or they will leave SF 7 games back
Giving Seager a day off once in a while makes sense–but the Dodgers have today off anyway. WTF.
Well they released Crawford, and Guererro, maybe it is time to really shake things up and call up Segedin and Verdugo and see what they have to offer. And how long are they going to ride the Grandal train. The guy is beyond mediocre……
Michael
I wish the Dodger’s bullpen, could keep the best offense in baseball in check, like the Giants bullpen did, in last night’s game.
That is the problem, the Dodgers don’t have the starting pitching that the Giants have, and the Dodgers have never had the bullpen, the Giants have had, in the last few years.
And now the Giants not only have good starting pitching, but they also have a decent bullpen, unlike the Dodgers.
Actually the Dodger bullpen has at times been brilliant. They have had a couple of pretty good scoreless inning streaks. But the problem lies in the fact that outside of Kershaw, they have nobody, and I mean nobody who pitches deep into games. So therefore the bullpen is overused. The Dodgers won 3 division titles in a row with at least 2 starters who were studs. And usually the supporting guys got some innings, and pulled their weight. That is not happening this year. I think somewhere in time, Julio Urias will be a force in the rotation, but bringing that kid up to let him go 4 or 5 innings a start is totally DUMB. Talk about straining the bullpen. Plus the fact that Bolsinger gets lit up like a pinball machine the 3rd time through the lineup, and the BP is back out there again, Kazmir has improved since Honeycutt found that he was planting his landing foot in the wrong place. But other than that, this team has serious issues on both the pitching and the offensive side of the game. They are carrying 13 pitchers which means that the bench is short. They were supposed to change that last week, but as bad as the starting pitching has been, they have not done it..so the offense suffers too..
After watching and following some of the other teams, I have concluded that most major league teams have some rookies on their rosters that are as good as most of ours. This stuff about our great farm system is a smokescreen to hide how terrible the major league team is. It’s nice to have farm teams that win, but if the players are called up and flame out, who cares? I still believe that this organization is functionally messed up somewhere. The culprits still are: scouting; drafting; developing. The teams that win it all are just better than we are. I don’t know what the answer is. It might be an LA thing. But for how many years have most of us been saying the same thing? It’s almost bigger than the people–the manager; instructors; etc. etc. So frustrating. When you add to the soup the money spent and wasted, the taste gets rancid. This team is stuck with playing Pederson, I guess because they have so much attention invested in him. He is no better than 10 other second year outfielders. The guys from Tampa Bay that our suits had to have can’t perform under the big lights of LA. But they are great at OKC and Tulsa. What a mess! I’m almost pulling for a giants’ sweep this weekend to end the season and put us all out of our misery. It can happen, even with the giants banged up. They just brought a guy up that won the game for them yesterday with an HR. Very un-Pederson-like. The giants farm system breeds players to play in the major leagues, not AAA. We do not.
What Mark said has a lot of truth to it. If everyone is hitting worse than their history suggests that they should, it is troubling. As I have suggested previously, the Dodgers’ offense suggests that:
1 – Some of the Dodgers’ hitters are washed up. I would suggest that maybe Howie Kendrick falls into this group; maybe Gonzalez is trending this way; maybe Justin Turner due to his knee surgery;
2 – Some of the Dodgers’ hitters aren’t as good as we thought they were. I would put Puig, Grandal, maybe Turner, Joc Pederson, Van Slyke, Kike Hernandez into this group;
3 – The Dodgers’ new hitting coaches are failing. If everyone was hitting better the past 2 or 3 seasons under Mark McGuire than they are now, maybe McGuire knew how to coach hitters. Remember, he was a successful hitting coach with the Cards before he got to the Dodgers.
They can’t change an entire offense, so I expect a change in coaches, maybe before the season ends. Also, I don’t think much of the Roberts/Braintrust way of managing the offense. Too many platoons, too many lineups, too many players playing out of position. Since the front office never takes the blame for all of this, Roberts may be on the hotseat too.
Dodger rick
How is Agone going to hit, with no protection in the line up? Agone isn’t the the problem with the Dodger’s offense. Turner is the biggest problem with the Dodgers offense!
And that is because Turner is not hitting at all, and because Roberts, continues to bat Turner, at the top of the order. And talking about declining, Turner is the one, on a decline. Turner has never been the hitter, that Agone has been, and Agone has done this, for his entire career.
Look at Turner’s stats, before Turner came to the Dodgers. Turner was an utility player, that was an average hitter, with not a lot of pop. What I don’t understand, is why some people, are just letting Turner, and his lack of production, slide.
But these same people, are insisting that Agone is on a decline. Agone has been the most consistent hitter for the Dodgers, since he joined the team. Even though, he has not got much support, since Kemp and Hanley were let go.
And Agone, has been consistently productive, most of his career. And really, Turner has only hit well, for part of the 2014 season, and last year. If anyone’s offensive production, should be questioned, it should be Turner’s.
Because Turner is just not the same hitter, that he has been in the past, for the Dodgers. And because of that, he shouldn’t be hitting at the top of the order, because he is hurting the team.
And he isn’t getting any better, look at his hitting stats, for the last seven games, the last fourteen games, and his last thirty games. And when Turner has been rested, the Dodger’s offense, has almost always, been better, and much more productive.
Some cynics thought the FO was setting Roberts up for a fall because they didn’t get their first choice Kapler. But Roberts managing just like Donnie makes you wonder who’s really pulling the strings. And everyone who thought Big Mac was the problem is having to re-think their position.
Baseball America basically said the same thing as B17 when evaluating the Giants farm system. Other teams may have more talent but somehow the Giants turn a bunch of tweeners into major-league players. Maybe it is an organizational thing, and that’s why there were some shakeups last year. Unfortunately, it will be a few years before we know if it’s working.
I think it’s pretty safe to say that the FO pulls the strings regarding who starts and the lineup. Dave Roberts didn’t play under that type of baseball. Why would he manage like that?
Have never had a doubt that the FO was calling the shots……..you think a manager like Bochy would put up with that crap? Roberts is a rookie manager, so some mistakes can be written off. But I do not blame him at all for this collection of cast-offs he has to employ. The saber metrics geeks give him these stats and projections, but unless the players are playing up to what they have before those stats are useless. Turner is hitting over 60 points BELOW what he did last year, Gonzo’s power stats are way down and he is hitting under the Mendoza line at home. Kendrick, a career .285 hitter is around 210. The kids and Utley have done well, Kike is mediocre. SVS is just plain rusty, and Grandal, who is supposed to be this offensive force sucks big time……It is what it is…and what it is isn’t pretty
Exactly–most of those stats are just history. Sometimes a good manager will go with the guys who are producing NOW. At least they’re playing Thompson regularly now, but it’s time for Turner to sit. Let Howie play third every day and call up Segedin if all else fails.
No idea what could be wrong with Gonzalez at home. It’s got to be mental, unless it’s some kind of hex. Come to think of it, half the team is struggling at home. Call in an exorcist.
Michael
Joc is where he was last year, at this time.
Yes but we were OK with that. It was the post All Star break where everything was a disaster.
Actually Joc is behind. He was hitting close to .270 and was in double figures in HR’s. He was close to being selected for the all star game…….but he is a project in progress. Going through the usual growing pains. Hopefully, Ward reaches him on a level that gets him going in the right direction, I see games where he is making the right adjustments, and then games where he totally forgets the plan..
Bobbie 17 Snider
It does seem like that happens, every time the Giants bring someone up.
I think guys like Turner and Grandal who spent the offseason rehabbing and not doing their usual offseason program are showing it. Coming on here everyday and seeing Turner called the Red Albatross is ridiculous. He’s struggling like the entire offense. Calling a guy who plays hard and produced so well the last year names is just childish. Yes, he’s killing us in the 3hole, but is playing Kendrick a better option? Maybe it’s a better option than playing Kendrick in LF, but I’m not sure playing him at 3rd improves anything.
Hawkeye
I don’t know who is calling Turner names. I just want to move him down in the order, until
he starts hitting.
Courtesy of Forbes Magazine (of all places) – an article entitled “Are the Dodgers Trying to Win?”
“The Dodgers are 32-29, they’re desperate for a starting pitcher (or two) and they boast the 28th best team slugging percentage (.378) in baseball. Out of 30. On the bright side, they’re 26th in team batting at .234.”
“The Dodgers would like to win now. Friedman is hoping to win now. He can envision the wounded returning, his men playing to expected capabilities, and all being right with the world — or better yet, the World Series — but he’s not going to pull out all the stops to accomplish the task.
Not this year. Not now. Not unless enough things go his way first.”
“If the Dodgers hang on short-staffed, if counted-upon regulars such as Justin Turner and Yasmani Grandal start hitting to the club’s expectations, if rookies Corey Seager and Thompson continue to play well, and if the disabled come to the rescue at the earliest, then Friedman will go after the missing pieces.”
An interesting viewpoint.
Not sure where this person/writer has been but Friedman is not going after anything and to be honest, nothing of significance will be available. The team was MUCH closer to winning a championship last year than they ever will be this year or next and he ‘did not go after the missing pieces.’ Badger has ocean front property there in Arizona that he would be willing to sell this writer. We’re the LA Tampa A’s so get use to it.
You are so right……they have not traded for or signed one single top tier player since they took over……they have gone for the bone yard.
Dodger rick
Friedman said that they would start looking for help, after the players draft today.
But who are the disabled who would have the ability to come to the rescue?
Offensively:
Ethier – yes
Puig – yes/maybe
Pitching:
Ryu – yes/maybe
Wood – no
McC – no
Andersen – no
Strippling – no
Montas – ???
Not good folks 🙁
At least we still have Vinny 🙂
I think after reading all of these posts — I will go out and shoot myself.
Take me first
More productive to shoot FAZ.
That’s a little severe……….but throwing him off a cliff would work
If Roberts is letting FAZ call the shots he is dumber than everyone here! It’s his damn job and career. If he’s that stupid, he should be gone.
The thing is, I don’t believe that it the case, because it’s too dumb and generally the conventional wisdom is wrong!
Letting? Pretty sure the guy has no choice in the matter, and it is FAZ and Fried Brains who are doing the manipulating. I doubt Dave is stupid, as a matter of fact he was a pretty smart ball player. And the guys in the FO have a lot more power than he does. And if you think that is not the case, check what happened with DM. He even confirmed that he was given lineups after he left.
This is a quote from Billy Beane: “We’re going to run the organization from the top down. We’re controlling player personnel. That’s our job. I don’t apologize for that. There’s this belief that a baseball team starts with the manager first. It doesn’t.” January 16, 2003.
Does that philosophy sound like the Los Angeles Dodgers 2016?
No.
Oh yes it does..
Mark
I don’t think the front office is running the team.
I do think that Roberts is getting all the info and saber metric stats, from the front office, and he is trying to do, what he thinks the front office, wants him to do.
And Roberts is just over using some of the stats, and platooning to much.
But I have no idea why Turner is still hitting at the top of the order.
We are not to far from the Allstar break, and still Turner isn’t hitting at all. What all, did Turner learn from Byrd?
I still like the idea of getting Braun and especially Lucroy. Lucroy would have to be extended of course.
1. Thompson-CF
2. Seager -SS
3. Braun -LF
4. AGon 1B
5. Lucroy C
6. Utley 2B or Howie vs LHP
7. Turner 3B
8. Joc CF
So what would we give up? How about starting with Puig, Grandal, Lee, Cotton, if that’s not enough throw in Joc. Then move Thompson from RF to CF and move Braun from LF to RF and put Kike/ SVS in LF.
I’m down with that, but let me remind you that Lucroy is 3 years older than Grandal and his career OB% is lower than Grandal’s. Lucroy has also been injury-prone.
I would look at some type of manager/coaching change first. Would Friedman bring in Jack McKeon to manage this bunch for the rest of the season like they did in Florida? He can shake things up. Bring in Rudy Jaramillo as hitting coach too.
Stop the insanity!
You guys wanting to trade Puig amaze me. The guy is still a kid basically, and he has a lot of skill. He was doing so much better, and changing his mind set. You want to trade him when his value is the lowest. And I never want to see Braun in a Dodger uni. Also I doubt this FO wants to add salary like Braun’s when they just dumped close to 50 million with no return and are on the hook for all of it.
I believe that management’s job is to give Roberts all the tools to do his job, including players and analytics. That’s their job – it’s up to Roberts to manage. I have 7 managers who report to me and I meet with them twice a week. I make suggestions, but it’s their department and they run it knowing full well I am going to hold them accountable.
FAZ would be morons to hire a guy who was going to do exactly what they wanted. Friedman is Harvard Educated – you don’t get that kind of education and do dumb shit like that! Harvard is the best business school in the US and they sure don’t teach that crap. If you guys seriously believe that you have no clue…
MJ is right – Friedman has a BS from Tulane.
The fact is that NO ONE knows the extent to which Roberts is told what to do, whom to play etc. Given all of the platoons, all of the lineups, and all of the infield shifting, I would be surprised if a neophyte manager would do all of that himself. The fact is that this type of management is consistent with the Moneyball style of management.
Everything comes out of a computer – just plug in a player’s name because the stats tell them to do it. For example, anyone who thinks that Howie Kendrick is an OF needs to have their eyes examined. He is awkward and incompetent out there – but he’s just a baseball player and a baseball player can play anywhere. And besides, the computer says that on Fridays at night against a particular pitcher, Kendrick has had good results.
The fact that Friedman has a Harvard education is not determinative. Jimmy Carter for example was a famous micro-manager, even though he was a graduate of Annapolis.
http://materialminds.com/leadership-development/leaders/jimmy-carter-the-micro-manager-as-a-leader/
We do not know the extent of the Braintrust’s micromanagement of Roberts and the baseball staff. Billy Beane is infamous for this as another poster noted. All we can do is look at the evidence and try to reach an informed conclusion. It might not be accurate, but I believe that the evidence suggests that Roberts is not making all of his own decisions. If he is, then maybe he should be fired, because what he is doing isn’t working.
Exactly! Why would Roberts even contemplate managing this way if he didn’t play this way?
I believe down the I-5 Mike Scioscia fought against managing this way and the GM was sent packing.
Per the SI article, guys like Roberts and Dusty Baker are brought in to work with and encourage ball players to do their best, and to keep their chins up during slumps. That’s about it! FAZ does the rest 🙁
Faz and Fried Brains
Dodger rick
Friedman did not go to Harvard. He is not an Ivy leaguer.
Your right – where the hell did I get that?
I don’t do drugs and I’m not drunk… (yet).
I guess I’m just a moron.
The biggest group of drug addicts in this country get their dope from their local pharmacy. Their pusher wears a white coat, stethoscope, and sends them to get their fix with a prescription.
No prescription drugs either!
Mark
You were thinking about Theo Epstein, because he went to Harvard.
A Harvard education means you have had a lot of book larnin! But it does not make you a baseball genius. All the stuff I heard about Friedman prior to him coming to the Dodgers was about his being an organizational genius and the architect of Tampa’s success. Well maybe what he was doing in Tampa worked there because the expectations were not immediate. Dodger fans expect results. Dodger fans have had a 27 year drought from hosting a World Series. They do not expect the management to get retreads, and injury prone players, and let quality players slip through their fingers. Yes, they have improved the farm system. But that was underway before Friedman and Zaidi got here. Their trades have been less than impressive, their free agent signings questionable. This collection of players that are on the team now is almost like having an entire team of substitutes. The only true everyday guys are Gonzo, Seager and Utley. The OF seemingly has a new alignment every night. Thompson has been a revelation, but the rest is a mess. You have so many players playing positions that are not their best positions that it boggles the mind. I mean last night, Barnes is at 2nd. Now he did a good job, but it would have made more sense playing Kendrick there. This teams direction is totally confusing to the fans. They play good for a few games then lose 2 of 3 to a team they should dominate. And let me say, unless they fix, and I mean fix the starting pitching, they are no better than where they are now, and probably worse because the bullpen will be exhausted by July
It’s like they’re holding open auditions for the 2017 team.
Seems so there Snider……by the way, one of my prized possession’s is a autographed photo of the Duke He signed it for me at a card show in Anaheim in 1980. Loved that guy, wish he would have been healthy his whole time in LA. That would have been awesome…
Tulane.
Not Harvard.
What it all boils down to is this. What ever they are doing, and who ever is pulling the strings, it is not working. There are more holes in this team than Swiss cheese. The faults are obvious to everybody, but the powers that be seem so far unable to do anything to fix the problems. An entire team performing below their career average. That is not including the rooks who really have not had a career get off the floor yet. You expect better of a player like Turner. And I think somewhere down the line he will figure out where the fault lies. I know to me it looks like he is swinging at pitches he never would have swung at last year. Gonzo hits on the road, but not at home. Utley has been pretty consistent, but you expect better from Kendrick. Kike, well the kid has enthusiasm, I will give him that, and he plays hard. The results are not there yet. Thompson is better than advertised. SVS has not played enough yet, Pederson reverts to the bad time of last year some days and looks like a new player others. I am looking forward to Puig coming back because I think the guy is determined to turn things around. I have no faith in Grandal. I think he was and is over rated by this FO, and what you see is what he is. The first half last year was a fluke, and not what you are going to get from this guy day in and day out. The pitching behind Kershaw is very pedestrian. They are putting too much pressure on the bullpen, and sometimes the pen responds and sometimes they do not. As mush as I am hoping Julio Urias becomes a star, I think they are rushing the kid into an untenable situation. His innings will be monitored, and I think they are stunting his development by having him basically have on the job training in the majors. They need a shot in the arm……a big fight, a trade, anything…..something to light a fire under them
Michael
Bad news, Urias is pitching against the
Giants on Sunday. I consider that is the bullpen pitching most of the game.
And they were not very good, the last time in SF. I had thought that Urias was pitching Tuesday, against the Dbacks.
But I read in Dodger Nation, that Urias was pitching Sunday. And I don’t have the same faith that you do, with the bullpen.
They often pitch well, when the Dodgers are losing.
They really are throwing that kid to the wolves. Another 4 inning 90 pitch effort ahead? Nothing like giving the bullpen a break..
Last year I think I watched every Dodger game. This year, I don’t know that I will. I have been watching every game so far, but boredom is setting in. Worse than the losing, the Dodgers play an awfully lot of totally boring games. I don’t expect many people to feel like I do about this, but to me, Puig puts a lot of excitement into the game when he plays. Even when he’s not hitting, he makes some truly amazing plays in the outfield including eye-popping throws and spectacular crashes into the wall. As a base runner, when he is not just standing there looking around, he takes an extra base. And though he hasn’t hit much, there is the excitement that he may return to his early form. I would love to see a lot more bat flips about now (AFTER it is clear that the ball is leaving the park). So, I cringe when the trade talk comes up again and again . Also, Mark has promoted Micah Johnson, and I originally questioned that, but I would like to see a Dodger speedster on the base paths tormenting the pitchers. That would add a little excitement. I guess if I were a fan of stock car racing, I would be watching the races looking for crashes. But, with some exceptions, the Dodgers are boring me.
Great post! This team is boring and I can discern that from the radio broadcast. Puig’s dash from 2b to home vs SF on the Sunday night broadcast was thrilling! Daring baseball! It’s what the fans want to see (or at least what I want to see). Hopefully we will have some more of that when Puig is healthy.
Hp
Wolf
I know what you mean. I wanted to turn my TV off, after Kike, struck out when the bases were loaded. Because Kike was trying to hit a HR, instead of just hitting a flyball, to the outfield. And then Turner swung at ball four, and hit a little ground ball.
Gee, didn’t they have one of those a couple of years ago?
Harvard. Tulane. Same difference.
Similar to me actually; i pretend my Fresno State degree is really a Stanford degree. We both wear red, so i figure why not!
Well, I am freaking college dropout – IU and Purdue. “Would you like fries with that?”
It must be Rick Honeycutt’s fault:
Mat Latos was just DFA’d by the Chisox:
“Dating back to April 30, Latos has a 7.25 ERA with nearly as many walks (18) as strikeouts (19).”
Maybe his 1st 4 games were just lucky?
All that hype for nothing!
Dodgers took some high school shortstop from Wisconsin with the 20th pick in the draft. We draft next at 32
Bobby I was suprised about that. Cory was the first position player, that had been drafted by the Dodgers, in long time.
But this shortstop doesn’t have the blood lines that Cory has.
How do they know that this shortstop, will be a big leaguer?
What is the competition level, where this kid plays.
Maybe AJ recommended him.
Bobby
I afraid for the team, against the Giants this weekend. I just hope they play well.
What is your take on Turner? He was only an utility player, before he was with the Dodgers.
And he never hit like he has, until the last couple of years.
I know you are not reactive, so I was just wondering what your thought was?
At first I thought his issue was his recovering from knee surgery.
But now it’s been 2 months. Not sure what the problem is at all! I do agree with u to move him down a bit; then again, is he really pressing? If not, would batting 6th be any difference?
Agone is hitting .375 on the road, so hopefully he wakes up in SF. We have no real leadoff guy, so then Seager comes up with nobody on base. After him it’s 2 struggling guys, followed by a nice surprise, Trayce. Then we get our mismash of a LF, and poor hitting Joc and the catcher. This is ugly so far.
But with so many guys who usually do well struggling maybe 1-2 can wake up and ignite us.
Turner looks the same at the plate, but he is just not hitting. I want the Turner of old, because if he starts hitting, that will make Agone’s and Cory’s at bats better. And Trayce has added another demension to the line up. I wish Joc would watch Trayce’s at bats. Trayce takes the walk, if he doesn’t get his pitch.
One could make the suggestion that the Dodgers like to pick players to make the minor leagues have more depth. Yes, depth down on the farm. So maybe these picks will build up A AA and AAA.
Did you see Tommy at the table, asleep !!!
Roger
I did see Tommy! Did you hear Tommy, say to everyone on the mike, to stay awake?
Today for OKC: Frankie Montas 4ip, 2 hits, 1 run, 0bb, 6k.
Sounds like the scouts aren’t too high on the Dodgers’ picks so far…
One has already had a TJ surgery.