The Dodgers wrapped up their regular season schedule with a 6-3 win over Colorado on Sunday afternoon. The victory gives them a new Los Angeles record 104th win. The Dodgers (104-58) ended with a 47-34 road record and eight wins in their final ten contests. This was the best way to end the season. It’s always nice to end on a win even if the game is meaningless.
The Dodgers used a myriad of pitchers in what was described as a bullpen game. Ross Stripling pitched the first two innings and the offense gave the hurlers plenty of early support against opposing starter Kyle Freeland. The Dodgers scored one run in the first, third and fourth innings. Then they plated two more in the top of the fifth. The boys in blue scored six runs on 10 hits and were 4 for 13 with runners in scoring position.
Dodgers 6 10 0
Rockies 3 10 0
WP-Maeda-13-6
LP-Freeland-11-11
SV-Fields-2
Doubles from Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger scored a run in the opening frame. Seager singled in the third inning and Justin Turner’s double put him in scoring position. He scored on Enrique Hernandez’s sacrifice fly. A walk from Yasiel Puig and consecutive singles from Seager and Chris Taylor scored the third run in the top of the fourth. An RBI double from Joc Pederson and a bases loaded walk from Charlie Culberson scored the subsequent runs in the top of the fifth. Pederson would drive in a second run in the seventh with another run scoring double.
The Dodger pitching staff was very effective. Kenta Maeda got the win as he tossed two scoreless innings in relief. Edward Paredes, Brandon McCarthy, Walker Buehler and Josh Fields all got in work as well after Stripling pitched the first two innings.
And with that the season comes to a close. The Dodgers open the NLDS on Friday October 6. Clayton Kershaw will start game 1 and Rich Hill will take the mound for game 2. Games 3 and 4 are still undecided. The Dodgers will play either Colorado or Arizona; whoever wins the NL Wild Card game on Wednesday.
I just want to thank everyone here again for joining us for another exciting season of Dodger baseball. The real fun begins on Friday. Until then let’s take a breather and look back at one of the most exciting seasons in Dodger history.
I missed out on the appreciation blog, so let me start out by thanking the LADR staff: Scott, Oscar, and James for all their hard work, analysis, and videos. This is an enjoyable site.
Now on to the post season: heads or tails, that’s what it seems to me. Should be fun!
Good article on Tony Watson:
Warning: works off a small sample size.
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/platform/amp/2017/10/2/16389198/dodgers-tony-watson-sinker-statcast-ground-balls
Thanks guys, for keeping this blog open. Gives us dorks with no computer skills but a lot to say (without making sense), a place to talk Dodgers.
Now the season begins in 4 days. Anyone else going? See you Friday!!
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/20861508/what-dodgers-depth-means-their-world-series-hopes
Best way to end a season. It actually ended up looking like a March spring training game. But it was good to see Seager string together some hits. It might have been a bigger score, but the Rocks made a couple of defensive gems. Fields did a great Kenley impersonation in the 9th, and that’s a wrap. Worst part for me was having to listen to Drew Goodman and his inane commentary. Sheesh, I hate black outs.
Well 3 managers bit the dust already….Mackanin in Philly, Ausmus in Detroit and late yesterday Collins in New York. So, who is on the hot seat. I think Mattingly is on very thin ice along with his coaching staff in Miami. Green got an extension with the Padres. Will the Angels finally part ways with Scioscia? The Mariners manager might get the axe too. I do know that Geren, the Dodgers bench coach is on the Mets short list. I kind of get tired of listening to MLB and ESPN baseball people trying to guess who will be the Cy Young, MVP and so on. The Rockies announcers were all over the MVP thing and said it should be Blackmon or Arenado. They also think Scherzer should win the Cy Young. I disagree. Kershaw has a lower ERA and more wins and he missed 5 weeks. Cody should be a shoo in as ROY, and Jansen by tying Holland for the league lead in saves is my choice for the Rolaids relief man of the year award. Had Turner or Seager not slumped so bad during the slide, both of them would be in the MVP talk. Personally, you do not make it to the playoffs, you are not in the discussion for MVP. And a lot of talk out there about Votto, who’s team has been out of the race since June. Only guy from a lousy team I remember winning the MVP was Andre Dawson who was unreal for a last place Cubs team. Me, I want to meet the Cubs in the NLCS and dish out a little payback. They are where the Dodgers were last year. Beating them to advance to the series would be awesome.
For some reason the song Bob Hope used to end all his shows with keep’s popping in my head………Thanks for the memories……..great year. Lets get busy and finish the task.
Nice Mark Harmon pic, screw that NCIS pic, give me UCLA QB shot (okay you youngsters go google search Mark Harmon at UCLA).
His dad was a UCLA coach. Sorry, I am a USC fan……and I love NCIS……Leroy Jethro Gibbs……
I’m an SC fan also, but facts are facts Harmon played for UCLA after his “storied” 2 year career at mighty Pierce Junior College
His dad actually was the play by play announcer for UCLA not their coach. He also was a pilot during WWII and flew P-38 lightning’s. He was shot down once too. Harmon’s sister, Kristin was married at one time to Ricky Nelson and for a while people referred to Harmon as Rick’s father in law. Her son’s formed the rock group Nelson. Mark is married to Pam Dawber of Mork and Mindy fame. My favorite Mark Harmon film is Presidio with Sean Connery and Meg Ryan. This I did not know, his sister Kelly was once married to John DeLorean. wow
Has anyone told the Rams that their helmets don’t go with the rest of their uniforms? Just checking
Was noticing the same…. I like the retro looking helmet with the white horns but the gold needs to be removed from the blue jersey….
yes I really like the clean dark blue and white helmet. However the dark blue jersey with gold numbers and gold logos looks like someone never even considered the overall look. Looks pretty dumb, just like the players who chose to be disrespectful to the country. NFL has awakened a sleeping giant, the owners are in for some hurt to the wallets. The Rams owner must be sweating bullets watching with the foreboding signs of fans walking away as he is beginning a multi-billion dollar stadium project with his two main paying customers being two NFL teams. Nice timing Stan!
Chargers cannot even draw fans to a 22,000 seat stadium…that’s pretty bad.
Nice of the Chargers to provide a Home Field Advantage to all the visiting teams. Not to mention that those fans are nearly sitting on the field, it’s a little soccer stadium they are playing on.
Jon Gray v. Cranke Greinke, I got to give the nod to Jon Gray when you look at how these two guys pitched down the stretch. That works for me, I’d much rather see the Rockies in the first round than the Dbacks. I don’t ever want to see the Dodgers face Robbie Ray again, he totally dominates the Dodgers. If he pitches two games, the Dbacks win those two games (yeah I know it’s a short series, but…) The Dbacks in general seem like a much stronger team overall than the Rockies, especially when Rockies are not playing at Coors Banquet Beer Park. BTW, Coors Field is an awful place for a good game to be played, the altitude just has way too much influence on every aspect of a ball game.
I think it will be a tough go against either team.
TrueBlue’s Erc Stephens has his monthly wrap for September up. The numbers are UGLY. Two warning signs – hitting with RISP and pinch hitting.
I’m assuming you didn’t read my numerous posts regarding it being “very very difficult” for the Dodgers or you wouldn’t be telling me this, correct?
Hi True, I know you know. I am backing you up as well as Michael (who has been carping about their inability to hit with RISP for the past month).
With either the Rockies or the DBacks on the menu, at least the starters lineup will be easier. I think Rich Hill has to pitch in Dodgers Stadium – the environment in Colorado and Arizona will make his curveballs very hittable. So I think more likely than not it’s going to be Kershaw and Hill at Dodgers Stadium (Friday Oct 6 and Saturday Oct 7), and then Darvish for Game 3 (Monday Oct 9). Hopefully we will be up 2-1. Problem will be Game 4. Do you go with Wood or Ryu in either Colorado or Arizona? I think it is Wood if we play Colorado, or Ryu if we play Arizona. And we save Kershaw for Game 5. But if we are down 1-2 then It’s going to be Kershaw and Hill (back in Dodgers Stadium). Regardless I think we are looking at Darvish opening NLCS if we advance. Of course this assumes we win in 4 or 5 (I don’t think we will sweep either the Rockies or the DBacks).
Ryu blew his shot at the #4 starter roll, and I never pitch that guy in Coors again. It gets to game 4, they absolutely need to pitch Wood. He at least keeps the ball low in the strike zone. I guess you have not read the reports…Kershaw will absolutely not pitch on short rest in the first round. That means no Kershaw in game 4. The rotation has already been set. Kershaw, Hill in LA for games 1&2, Darvish set for game 3. And we will not know until the roster is set on Friday who the 4th starter will be.
I wouldn’t even get Ryu a Coors in Colorado, he’d hurl it up on himself.
I read the reports, but I also think it goes out the window if we are down 1-2 in a 5 game series and Kershaw will pitch the elimination game on short rest over Wood.
Yeah always assume the best and expect the worst. But I think the Dodgers are up 2-0 after two, and if Darvish pitches well in 3 they sweep. Beating Hill and Kershaw in LA is a tall order, and the Rockies and D-Backs both historically do not play well in LA. And with that mediocre staff the Rocks have, I do not think they can pull off beating the Dodgers in LA like they did last time. If it is AZ and Ray pitches against Kersh, it is going to be a nail biter for sure.
For what it’s worth here is my 25 man postseason roster:
Position Players (14/13)
Grandal, Barnes, Farmer
Bellinger
Forsythe, Utley
Seager, K.Hernandez
Turner
Puig
Taylor, (Locastro)
Granderson, Ethier
Pitchers (11/12)
Kershaw, Darvish, R.Hill
Wood, Maeda, (Ryu)
Jansen, Morrow, Cingrani, Watson, Baez, (Field or Buehler)
I think Farmer is a lock, and the movable pieces are Ryu, Locastro and Field/Buehler (Buehler if we make it past the first round but Field sucks).
I would rather they go with a 11 man pitching staff with a 5 game series, and leave out Ryu since he cannot pitch in the bullpen, and Wood will be the 4th starter if we are up 2-1. In a 7 game series I prefer them dropping Locastro and go with Ryu as the 4th starter over Wood, so that they can use Wood more times in relief in a 7 game series. It makes for a shorter bench in a 7 game series but I think we have lots of multi-position players to cover.
But I think what they will actually do is to have both Ryu and Field, and drop Locastro in a 5 game series. This I do not like, because Ryu may be limited in either Colorado or Arizona.
Fields is a lock my friend. Especially after the way he handled the 9th inning yesterday. Ryu is definitely out of the first round if it is Colorado. I do not take a chance on either Buehler or Locastro. I think wasting a spot on a guy who would do nothing more than pinch run over players who have been with the team all year is just nuts. I would not use Granderson in the first round either. He was traded for because of the success he had against Chicago’s Arietta and DC’s Scherzer. He did not look good against AZ at all. Or Colorado for that fact. Fields sucks? Not really. The guy is 5-0 with 2 saves an ERA of 2.83. His WHIP is 0.96 and he has 60 strikeout and only 15 walks. Yeah, he had the homer bug hit him mid season, but he is way past that now. I trust him much more than a rookie sporting an ERA over 8. Buehler is at least 1 year away.
A few notes and observations. We will all probably be debating who should be on the roster for the NLDS up until they announce the thing. I am pretty sure these guys are locks. Taylor, Seager Turner, Bellinger, Puig, Forsythe, Utley, Grandal, Barnes, Jansen, Fields, Morrow, Cingrani, Watson, Baez, Kershaw, Hill , Darvish and Wood. That’s 19 players. The next 6 are anyone’s guess. Yeah, I left Kike and Granderson off there. Because I am not sure Granderson would be considered against two teams he stunk against, and Kike really is too one dimensional as a hitter. Yeah, he can play a lot of positions but I do not think with guys like Barnes and Farmer available who both are better hitters, that Kike is needed in the first round. Ethier will be the LH bat off the bench and maybe the starting LF. But the rest? No clue. Arizona has one good lefty, Ray, and one not so good, Corbin. Freeland and Anderson of the Rockies are both pretty mediocre at this point, and we have lefty’s that hit lefty’s better than some of the RH bats. There will be one long man out there and I am thinking Maeda over Stripling. So it should be interesting. Most are predicting a Dodgers- Indians series. Some have said a repeat of last years Cubs-Indians tiff. Main concern to me has been the terrible RISP stats over the last 30 plus games. Once it seemed like everyone was hitting with runners on, but even JT has slumped in that category. I am sure that situational hitting will be worked on during this weeks workouts. Reports are coming out that the Mets are really interested in Bob Geren as their next manager. And another report says the Marlins will most definitely put Stanton on the market and LA is considered a top contender to get the guy. Guess they do not know how CHEAP FAZ is. And in a side note, Julio Urias has been recalled and is on the 40 man roster. But he still cannot pitch. I have also concluded that being a pitcher or Outfielder in the Dodger organization is detrimental to your health….List of players on the DL 60 day….Dayton, Yimi Garcia, I forgot he was still on the team, Kazmir, Liberatore, Ravin, Dixon, Gutierrez and Toles. No catchers or infielders on that list. And finally, Corey Seager went back to his old stance……and the results are excellent.
Sheesh.
Where the heck is everyone. There are 3 people providing 70% of the discussion now.
They will come back when the games start…bet on it.