Happy days Dodger fans! So why are we in such a great mood today? Once again the birds are singing, the sun is shining. The clouds are fluffier. The air is crisper. The Dodgers continue to surge as the Giants continue to sink. The boys in blue defeated the Giants 1-0 on Wednesday night to take the series and move three games up on San Francisco in the NL West. New Dodger Rich Hill (blisters and all) out-dueled Johnny Cueto by tossing six shutout innings. Justin Turner’s fourth inning home run (his 24th of the season) was the difference in the game.
Dodgers Lineup vs. Giants-TBA
Matt Moore-0-4 vs. Ross Stripling-3-4
Game Time – 7:10 PM – TV-SNLA
(Update)- We are still shocked and numb over the trade of A.J. Ellis to the Phillies for veteran backstop Carlos Ruiz minor leaguer Tommy Bergjans and a player to be named later. Check out James’ take on the deal.
Thank you, @AJEllis17! #ThankYouAJ pic.twitter.com/7JQMgWF8P6
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 25, 2016
The Dodger bullpen took things the rest of the way. The only scary moment came in the top of the eighth when the Giants put runners at the corners with one out. However Joe Blanton got Buster Posey to strike out and then lucked out when Brandon Crawford’s long drive to right field was caught at the wall. The Dodgers escaped with the win and now look for the series sweep tonight as left hander Matt Moore will take on rookie Ross Stripling in the series finale.
It’s important that the Giants continue to lose once they leave town. The Dodgers have to play the Cubs and winning the NL West is not good enough. We have to make sure that the Giants are completely denied from making the postseason. So we’ll need help from the Cardinals and the Marlins for that to happen.
The Giants traded Matt Duffy to Tampa Bay for Matt Moore. It seemed like a strategic move. The Dodgers have a tough time against left handers and Moore shutout the Dodgers back on July 27th when he was still with Tampa Bay. Moore has not pitched well with the Giants. He’s made 4 starts with San Francisco and is 0-3 with a 4.70 ERA. He’s struck out 22 and walked 17 over 23 innings pitched. Overall he is 7-10 with a 4.18 ERA and a 1.3 WHIP. In 2 career starts against the Dodgers he is 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA.
Moore vs. Dodgers
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 15 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .231 | .333 | .231 | .564 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Howie Kendrick | 15 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | .429 | .467 | .500 | .967 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Reddick | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .200 | .333 | .200 | .533 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Turner | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .250 | .500 | .500 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Ellis | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 | .200 | .200 | .400 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joc Pederson | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | .500 | .800 | 2.000 | 2.800 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Enrique Hernandez | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Corey Seager | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charlie Culberson | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Utley | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 62 | 51 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 11 | .255 | .377 | .353 | .730 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Ross Stripling nearly no-hit the Giants back on April 8 when he tossed 7.1 innings of no-hit ball and struck out 4 and walked 4 in a Dodger loss. He hasn’t faced the Giants since then and has been up and down between the big club and triple-A Oklahoma City.
Stripling has been serviceable. He is 3-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 11 starts. He’s struck out 53 and walked 22 while allowing 8.3 hits per nine over 71.1 innings pitched. This is his sixteenth appearance and he has struck out 6.7 per nine innings. He seems to have problems the second time through the order. He has allowed a 7.11 ERA through innings 4-6. Oddly the only Giant to have gotten a hit off of him is Matt Moore.
Stripling vs. Giants
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Brandon Belt | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Brandon Crawford | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Angel Pagan | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Panik | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hunter Pence | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | .667 | .000 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denard Span | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevor Brown | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Moore | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 2.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 21 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | .059 | .238 | .059 | .297 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Adrian Gonzalez has a 17-game hitting streak which is two shy of the NL high this season of 19 games. Corey Seager had a 19-game hitting streak earlier in the season. The Dodgers are now 71-55 a season high 16 games over .500. They have an excellent 40-24 record at home and have now won 4 consecutive games. You see what happens when I complain? Don’t knock the process.
Always remember that the broom depot opens at midnight tonight. Type in the promo code “GiantsSuck2016” to receive 15% off on all your sweep Giants merchandise. Sweep those jerks boys!
DefeatSF
Go Blue!
Great photo!
LOL…the title and that pic were awesome!
Wow, Dodgers traded AJ Ellis to Philly for Carlos Ruiz!!!
Kersh won’t like this
Bobby
I just saw that too, and I wonder about Kershaw too.
I don’t want this to affect the team.
I kind of feel bad for AJ too.
Did everyone hear that they traded AJ to the Phillies, for Carlos Ruiz?
What is Kershaw going to think about that?
I hope this won’t affect Kershaw to much.
I hope this doesn’t ruin chemistry of team. That sucks I’m sure AJ wanted to make a run at postseason with this team and retire. This was a move that didn’t need to be made. I hope AJ gets released and the Dodgers bring him back as a coach.
That is likely!
Kershaw is a professional. Ruiz is better than Ellis. Bottom line.
Even as a part time catcher his OB% is .368.
AJ’s OB% is .285 and Ruiz is a batter catcher.
Clayton is fine….
Ruiz is 37. We traded for a 37 year old catcher. Trading for a 37 year old catcher makes us a better team? We shall see.
Cheers for AJ!
I feel bad for AJ, but he is a true professional. Kersh probably will not be too happy about losing his best friend at this point of the season, maybe he comes back to the organization as a coach or minor league manager where I think he will excel. We traded a 37 year old for a 37 year old. Cheech is a better hitter, and a decent catcher. But learning a whole new pitching staff at this point in the season? Makes little sense unless they wanted his post season experience.
AJ was done after this year. He was hitting .194 and is not the equal of Ruiz defensively.
FAZ is still trying to win… NOW as well as in the future.
I’d say it does make us a better team NOW.
Mark
No he isn’t look below.
He’s going to miss his best friend, but he knows the dude can’t hit and is just about done.
I have to admit. I did not see that one coming.
Nobody did, about as big a surprise as I have seen in a while. There was not a peep anywhere.
Grandal cannot hit lefties well. AJ can’t hit anyone well, anymore. Ruiz hits lefties very well, and is also a good defensive catcher.
I’m guessing this move was made so we have somebody who can hit vs Lester, Bum, Moore, etc in the playoffs.
If Philly releases AJ and he comes back as a coach, I”m all for it!
I don’t think it’s true that Grandal can’t hit lefties. I think he would put up similar numbers if he got as many AB’s from that side.
However, the Dodgers have 4 lefties n 6 days so it makes sense to giv Grandal his rest against lefties. Chooch is an upgrade over AJ that I wanted 2 yrs ago but this is a little shocking when it supposed to be a tight clubhouse.
Jeff Francour traded to Miami……so it starts……next few days expect some waiver trades…….
AJ said that this trade rips open his heart.
And the new writer that covers the Dodgers, said that AJ looks devastated!
The new Dodger writer, said that Kershaw was shocked by the trade.
And the writer said that Kershaw and AJ, were weeping together.
Like James, I hope this doesn’t mess up the chemistry of this team!
Kershaw had just said again, that this is the closes team he has been on.
I rather take Reddick off this roster, then AJ.
This just looks like a trade made by guys, that only look at numbers.
My initial reaction to this was a resounding yippee. Ruiz can hit and is a +dWAR catcher. Yeah, everybody likes AJ, but I would think everyone would like Ruiz too.
Dan Haren said “this trade makes no sense”. I wonder what he meant? This looks lopsided in our favor to me. A 23 year old A pitcher goes, and money to off set contact differences comes back. What am I missing?
I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that the reason the Cards hit Kershaw in the playoff is the pattern of pitches or tipping pitches by AJ….
And they did that in the 6th inning?
OMG
Mark, you wrote a nice piece about two years about how Kershaw needs to be without AJ. I’ll give you props for that. One that I remembered.
I had been meaning to write that AJ’s demeanor in the dugout looked more managerial and less player like. I kept forgetting to make that comment and then this happened.
Ellis and Howell were the two that met Sedegin in the hospital and took the picture with him and Sedegin’s baby.
Ellis is a Dodger. He needs to be part of the team this year. If this story continues to go south, Ellis might be the next Manager of the Angels in 2017. Another Dodger long time home grown catcher going to the Angels as Manager. BS.
If the plan is for Ellis to be released by the Phillies, collect his full salary, and replace someone on the Dodgers coaching staff, great. Maybe Geren will wind up as Manager of the Angels or Padres.
This trade helps the Dodgers against lefty pitchers which is needed because the Dodgers added REDDICK instead of a right side bat. One mistake leads to another.
I will wait to see how this plays out before expressing my worst thoughts.
Bum
Exactly what I thought.
A move to make up for bringing a leftie hitter, to the team.
Bum-
Very well thoughtout and stated. Loyalty…..no such thing in the Dodgers organization any longer. The way this was handled is what will stick in Kershaw’s crawl for a good while.
Thursday 8/25 10:10pm
Ross Stripling (R)
vs. Giants – Matt Moore (L)
1. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF
2. Howie Kendrick (R) LF
3. Corey Seager (L) SS
4. Justin Turner (R) 3B
5. Adrian Gonzalez (L) 1B
6. Yasmani Grandal (S) C
7. Rob Segedin (R) RF
8. Ross Stripling (R) P
9. Charlie Culberson (R) 2B
Bum
I am suprised that Joc isn’t playing.
Didn’t Joc hit a HR off this pitcher?
And I am suprised that Culberson is playing again.
Maybe Roberts thinks Culberson wants to do damage, on his former team.
I like AJ Ellis a lot, but I don’t think he is a great intellect. I think many assume that he is going to be a great manager… and I’m not sure he is all that… at least not yet!
They say that Einstein’s softball team did horribly.
Tommy LaSorda had a great intellect?
While I’m sure that Kershaw knows that baseball is a business and not just a game, this move drives it home in a visceral way.
I’m sure that he will keep it in mind after the 2018 season when he can opt out – loyalty works both ways, you know.
I like the deal. I like it because I think we just got stronger on Grandal’s days off. I’m confident the pitchers will like this guy. I say that having no idea what this might do to chemistry. If the team keeps winning, chemistry will be fine.
That said, we have 4 very tough games coming up. Interesting time to mess with the prestidigitation.
Messing with it has never turned out well for me.
Everyone Ethier is playing in Rancho tonight, on a rehab assignment, and Tyson Ross will be pitching there tonight.