The Dodgers returned home after holding us hostage for the longest game of our lives. Seven hours and seventeen innings later the boys in blue finally emerged victorious by scoring four runs in the top of the seventeenth inning to defeat San Diego. It was Yasiel Puig’s two-run single that was the difference maker in the marathon. Ross Stripling was the pitching MVP tossing three scoreless frames once the entire Dodger pitching staff was used up. That was one of the longest Dodger games in years. It had everything in it. One thing is clear though, Kenley Jansen can never face Melvin Upton Jr. again.
Good thing Clayton Kershaw is starting for the Dodgers tonight. They had to use their entire bullpen during Sunday’s epic battle. They have no idea who is going to start on Tuesday because it was supposed to be Stripling. At least they won. Can you imagine how demoralizing that ride home would have been had they lost that game and been swept by the lowly Padres? My guess is that Mike Bolsinger starts on Tuesday, but I would be fine if they called up Julio Urias. Hint hint Dodgers. Regardless they are going to need Kershaw to go 9 innings.
Dodgers Lineup vs. Cincinnati
Hernandez LF
Turner 3B
Gonzalez 1B
Kendrick 2B
Thompson CF
Seager SS
Puig RF
Ellis C
Kershaw P
Brandon Finnegan-1-2 vs. Clayton Kershaw-6-1
Game time – 7:10 PM – TV-SNLA
The Dodgers won’t be home for long. They stop in quickly for a three game series against the Reds and then head back out on the road for series against the Mets and Cubs. Tonight’s pitching match-up will see Kershaw facing left hander Brandon Finnegan.
The Reds acquired the 23-year old Finnegan from the Royals in the Johnny Cueto trade last season. Finnegan was drafted by the Royals in the first round of the 2014 amateur draft. He is from Fort Worth, Texas, and went straight to the majors making his MLB debut in 2014. He has pitched in the College World Series and the MLB World Series so he has been in some big games.
He appeared in seven games that year and posted a 1.29 ERA. Last season he had a 3-0 record and a 2.96 ERA in 14 games for Kansas City. Those were all as a reliever. When the Reds acquired him they turned him into a starter, and he didn’t perform as well. He posted a .487 FIP and a 4.18 ERA in six games for the Reds in 2015. He started four of them. This season he has a 1-2 record and a 4.44 ERA in 9 starts. He’s had some control problems, walking 23 over 48.2 innings pitched. That gives him a 4.3 walk per nine rate. He’s allowed 9 home runs this year so he also has a problem keeping the ball in the park.
According to the scouting report Finnegan has a three-pitch arsenal. He throws a fastball which can reach in the mid 90’s, a slider, and a change. According to the reports he has trouble getting through the batting order a third time. The numbers seem to support this as a he has a 3.53 ERA in the first three innings, and a 6.28 ERA from innings 7-9. The Dodgers have never faced him before.
Clayton Kershaw is going for history. He’s looking to strike out ten or more batters for the seventh consecutive start. The Dodgers even had to call upon him in Sunday’s game to pinch-hit after they ran out of position players. Kershaw is 6-1 this season with a 1.67 ERA in 9 starts. He’s struck out 88 and walked only 4 in 70 frames. His FIP is 1.33 and he has a 0.7 WHIP. In other words he is incredible. He has a 2-2 record with a 2.90 ERA in 9 career starts against the Reds. The Reds are batting .233 (24 for 103) with five home runs against Kershaw. They have to watch out for Brandon Phillips. For some reason the veteran second baseman has a .360 (9 for 25) average against Kershaw with a home run and three runs driven in.
The Reds are terrible though. They are in last place in the NL Central with a 15-29 record. They’re 15 games behind the Cubs and have the second worst record in the National League. The Dodgers are 22-23 and are 4.5 games behind the Giants in the NL West. The Dodgers are 10-12 at Dodger Stadium.
Kershaw vs. Reds
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| Brandon Phillips | 26 | 25 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | .360 | .385 | .520 | .905 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Votto | 26 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 12 | .217 | .308 | .522 | .829 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Pacheco | 20 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .150 | .150 | .200 | .350 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jay Bruce | 18 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | .294 | .333 | .647 | .980 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zack Cozart | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .111 | .111 | .111 | .222 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Hamilton | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | .250 | .500 | .750 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ross Ohlendorf | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .000 | .500 | .000 | .500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adam Duvall | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 110 | 103 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 7 | 33 | .233 | .282 | .417 | .699 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
#
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
PCT
|
GB
|
HOME
|
AWAY
|
L10
|
||
|
1
|
|
27
|
19
|
.587
|
–
|
13-11
|
14-8
|
9-1
|
||
|
2
|
|
22
|
23
|
.489
|
4.5
|
10-12
|
12-11
|
4-6
|
||
|
3
|
|
21
|
22
|
.488
|
4.5
|
8-10
|
13-12
|
6-4
|
||
|
4
|
|
21
|
25
|
.457
|
6.0
|
7-17
|
14-8
|
4-6
|
||
|
5
|
|
19
|
26
|
.422
|
7.5
|
10-15
|
9-11
|
4-6
|
||
As expected the Dodgers recalled Bolsinger from OKC, and also Luis Avilan. They’ve placed Chin-Hui Tsao on the 15-day DL with a right biceps strain. Must have been from all of those walks. Poor Ross Stripling gets optioned after picking up the win on Sunday to make room.
Today, the #Dodgers recalled RHP Mike Bolsinger and LHP Luis Avilan from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioned RHP Ross Stripling to OKC.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 23, 2016
The Dodgers need Kershaw more than ever before right now. Will he answer the bell tonight? Tune in at 7:10 pm to find out. Then hop back over here of course to check out our nightly recap so you can get more of your Ladodgerreport fix.
Go Blue!
Home.
Got caught up here, saw most of yesterday’s game. I have nothing to add except to regurgitate my opinion it ain’t going according to plan and I’m not all that surprised. Multiple roster moves, Kenley joining the funk, .250’s and less hitters all over the 25 man, and now I hear Kershaw “has to go 9”. Yeah. Ok. Sure.
I doubt we see Urias anytime soon. I believe the shuffling of our deck, including the platooning, will continue to the deadline. If we continue to flounder, and honestly I don’t think we will, it’s a good possibility we could be sellers. Who you ask? Good question. Anyone currently on the roster but Seager as far as I’m concerned.
Badger did you read the article at LA Times.com last week about Urias?
I got the feeling from that article that Urias won’t be coming up, until the September call ups.
It didn’t say that, but that is what it made think.
I hope that isn’t true.
And I’m glad your back home.
I am with you Badger, Seager is the only one on this team I do not consider trading. Everyone else, game on……..
Even Kershaw?
Yes. Wait…. No. Maybe. Iontkno. I’m falling asleep here in my chair.
He may want out of this. But we have him for three years. Maybe the better plan is to keep him out there 120 pitches every night for the next 3 years and then let him leave. But, straight up for Trout I’d do it.
Scott
that was a good description of what that game felt like, especially after it looked like the Giants were going to win again.
To be honest, I have changed my opinion about the rest of the 2016 season.
This team is not built to win. And to this point in the season — it is exhausting just to watch a game on TV. Really, this season could been seen as an extension to Spring Training. Some players just playing out a contract like Crawford and others get the experience they need for future years like Pederson and the kid. For others, just getting experience and most likely moving on later this season or the next.
The Transactions section of Dodgers.com — show 19 moves in May alone, and 49 in April. Now, some of those moves were on the DL list, some off. But any movement – moves other players around. On that team, or lower teams (up or down).
So relax and do not take each game as if it were no tomorrow — because the tomorrow is either 2018 or 2019 at best.
The boys are 45 games deep into the season and playing below .500 baseball. So I just want to relax and watch the youth play, and learn, and develop.
I didn’t do too much reading MJ, so no, I didn’t see it. The June 1st point was a good one and I just believe bringing him up this early was not in the plan. They will avoid it as long as they can as it is just too early reach that far into the bag. It’s May, we still have a lot of options available to us. None of them are great, but, they will be used before Urias. And that’s nothing more than my opinion. I make no claims of having inside connections. I have only the voices in my head and they have been pretty reliable for quite a while.
Badger you should read an article in Forbes.com they had a tweet, where a guy in ramaging through one of those big trash bins, and it said that Friedman was looking for some bullpen pitchers, in all that depth. I thought maybe they could use Urias as a starter in a few games, and then put him in the bullpen, to control his innings. Just like the Dodgers use to do, and the Cardinals still do it. But I got the same impression about Urias as you did. I feel for the kid, because he is pitching his heart out.
Badger as long as your not answering them at this time, your ok.
I believe Urias will come up in June, when we have pushed his arbitration back another year.
We really need the ace to go 8-9 tonight. Let’s see if he can do it! It’s not October, so I think he comes thru
that’s a cheap shot
I am glad that Tsao is gone but Avilan. Really?
THERE REALLY IS NO DEPTH IN THIS $250 mil SALARY DEBACLE.
they didn’t really have a choice. they needed a starter since Stripling pitched 3 innings last night and was scheduled to go Tuesday, so they had to send him down and Bolsinger was the only guy on the 40 man roster in the minors who hadn’t just pitched. Avilan too – the only guy on the 40 man who was available.
the so-called depth is in the rotation mostly and they are all on the DL (McCarthy, Anderson, Ryu) as is Yimi Garcia.
That is for sure Dodger rick, and that is what everyone said, before those injury infested pitchers went down. And you spoke the longest and loudest about the BS depth!
BOB
Get those diapers or those meds ready.
Scott — the other day I created a post, zipped it in — never saw it again.
In the past 20 minutes I sent in a post — not there. Is there a problem or someone cutting certain posts out??
No Roger, there’s no problem. No idea what you’re talking about. Probably a problem with your internet connection, or your computer. Can you be more specific about the problem?
There’s no cutting posts over here Roger. We don’t do that. So probably a problem with your connection.
Roger,
I just found your comment. Looks like the spam filter caught it by mistake. Sorry about that. Sometimes that happens. I pushed it though.
Powered by Diebold Roger.
We got Lee, Bolsinger and Stripling to burn up before Urias rick. Stripling looked good. Let him go 3 now and then. This series would be a good one to start Lee.
Lee pitched Saturday and wouldn’t be available for a Tuesday start
Looks like theyre going to start Bolsinger
Dodgers off to another great start…
Reds have lost 9 of 10 – their pitcher is a bum
they still can’t hit
This pitcher for the Reds isn’t a bum Dodgerrick.
3 position players starting tonight with a BA above .250. Really think that will do it Neddy Jr?
Shoot for those stars
Well, we all know that after 50 games, anyone hitting below .250 will continue to hit below .250.
So, why even play the games?
Everyone is so predictable.
Especially me!
Wow the highly productive run scored on a double play! Kinda like a shart.
I just realized how smart Kersh is. He knows we need to rest the pen today after yesterday’s unintended double header.
So instead of going for another 10k game, he’s saving his pitches by letting these guys hit it to our fielders. Very economical, and very unselfish!
Bobby the would be better for Kershaw to pitch all the time, except when a runner is on third with less then two outs.
Cotton-picker:
5 IP = 10 K’s
Maybe he’s on to something!
Did he strike out 10?
That is good news Mark!
Sure is less stress when Kershaw is pitching.
5 IP – 10K’s!
Impressive.
Bellinger and Verdugo and Farmer ain’t far behind.
Clayton Kershaw is now right there with Koufax.
Koufax could do things Clayton can’t but Clayton can do things Koufax couldn’t!
Longevity .
Amen Bobby. 13-2 GO/AO and going for innings not KOs.
Old school. 1-0 CG with only 102 pitches.
Where would the Dodgers be without Kershaw?
Kershaw – 7 -1 , 1.48 ERA, .66 WHIP, 95 K in 79 ip, 10.8 K/9,
rest of Dodgers – 15 – 22, 3.65 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 8.3 K/9
You all won’t even believe how the Giants won the game in the bottom of the 9th until u see the highlight.
Belt scored from first on a bloop hit to right. Bizarre
I saw that at the SFO airport. Two full bars simultaneously erupted. Then I shouted at the top of my voice, “hate to rain on your parade folks but Kershaw just pitched a complete game 1-0!” I was lucky to board the plane alive and in time. Ha ha!!!
Bobby I turned out quick pitch right when that happened. The Padres second base man should have got that. He was right there. It was like he thought someone else was going to catch it. Darn Giants!
Bobby
everyone is saying how terrible the Dodgers are offensively, but the Giants have been winning by one run, in like two one games, and there last two games, they won one nothing. It is not just the Dodgers.