Don’t look now but the Dodgers are red hot. They’ve won 13 of their last 17 games including Saturday night’s 4-0 win over Colorado to take a 2-1 series lead and move within a half game of the Rockies for first place in the National league West. Speaking of red hot, that’s what left hander Alex Wood has been lately. He’s been fantastic and once again dominated the Rockies to improve to 4-0 on the season.
The Dodger bats stayed hot by scoring four runs on seven hits. Five of those seven hits were for extra-bases. Justin Turner was 2 for 4 with an RBI double. My favorite whipping boy Kike Hernandez, Austin Barnes, and Franklin Gutierrez all added doubles and Brett Eibner hit a solo home run into the shrubs in center field. The Dodgers also squeezed home a run on a terrific bunt from Wood. He also got some help from the Dodger gloves as the boys in blue made several great defensive plays behind him. The Dodgers are now 22-15 and even their books on the road at 9-9. This was the Dodger’s first shutout at Coors Field since 2014.
Dodgers 4 7 0
Rockies 0 7 0
WP-Wood-4-0
LP-Anderson2-4
HR-Eibner-1
Getting back to Wood, he’s had issues in the past going through the batting order a third time. So far this year that’s been eliminated because he’s been pitching so strong. His command has been excellent and his strikeout rate has increased. Tonight he tossed 6 shutout innings allowing just 5 hits (all singles) and struck out 10. He walked just one and made 88 pitches. Wood’s mound opponent Tyler Anderson was not as fortunate. The southpaw allowed three earned runs on five hits across 5.2 innings. However he did manage to showcase his power pitching by striking out 8.
The Dodgers scored twice in the second inning to take an early lead. Kike leads-off the inning with a slicing double to left. After Cody Bellinger struck out, Austin Barnes doubles over Gerardo Parra’s head to score Kike and give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Parra misread the ball and started in and was unable to catch up to it. Barnes then steals second and Eibner walks. Wood then places a perfect bunt down that forces Arenado to come in as Barnes scampers home to score and give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth inning Eibner lead off with a solo shot into the center field bushes. That’s his first dinger of the season with the Dodgers and the lead is extended to 3-0. The Dodgers added one more in the seventh inning when Chris Taylor singled, and Turner laced a double down the right field line to put them up by a 4-0 score.
The Dodger bullpen provided more outstanding work as Josh Fields, Pedro Baez and Kenley Jansen tossed the final three innings to seal the Dodger win. Wood improves to 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA. He’s struck out 48 and walked only 11. He’s striking out 11.5 per nine innings.
The Dodgers made these types of plays tonight:
And this….
The Dodgers go for the series win on Sunday afternoon as Julio Urias will battle impressive rookie Antonio Senzatela on Mother’s day at 12:10 PM. Win one for Mom boys!
Oh by the way, I know the pink uniforms worn today by both clubs don’t look exactly eye appealing but remember it’s for a good cause.
Cody Bellinger watch: Bellinger was 0 for 3 with a walk and struck out three times. Batting average at .308.
Turner is awesome.
What a turnaround we’re witnessing. Looks like the reinforcements have exerted an influence over this team. Bellinger, Taylor, Barnes, Eibner, & Hernandez have all contributed. The Agone exchange seems to have done the trick, along with the backup catching of Barnes and the continued hot play by Turner. Throw in some awesome pitching, Wood, baby, Wood, Wood. Do we have a new ace?
I love FAZ!! 🙂
Wood at this point in time is the 2nd best starting pitcher on this team. He has been solid. I love watching Dodger games on TV, but I hate watching the Rockies broadcast on ROOT sports here in Colorado. I have to do that because MLB.TV blacks out the Rockies games both here and when they are in LA. Drew Goodman has to be one of the worst announcers in the game. He is a notorious homer, complains about nearly every borderline pitch call. I do not know how many of you watched tonight’s game, but that umpire called a lot of balls against the Dodgers strikes. Some were 3 to 6 inches off the plate at least. They would show the over head view and you could see how far outside they were. 2 in the same AB against Bellinger were at least that far off the plate. Then the moron was complaining because the Dodgers were not wearing their Mothers Day Chapeau’s. They were wearing their normal blue LA caps. I saw Black yelling something to Dave Roberts about it, but no explanation of why the Dodgers were wearing their blue caps was ever given. Goodman was ranting about game used equipment that is auctioned off and the Mothers Day stuff the money goes to breast cancer research. My computer is working better now, so for tomorrows game I will listen to the Dodgers audio feed on the computer and turn Goodman off. Eibner’s 1st career Dodger dinger went 465 Ft. That’s a shot.
Don’t you use an Unlocator on your computer for streaming the games? $5 a month and you get all the games.
No, I bought the package from MLB. I get all the games, it is just the ones against the Rockies I get 90 minutes later, but since I live in Colorado and I get those games on ROOT sports on my cable here where I live, it does not make sense to spend 5 bucks a month for 18 games.
I don’t know who this Wood is but I like him. Hope he sticks around all year.
We need these wins and great performances from our starters and long men (or both, i.e. Wood). Because any one of them could go down and it’s a long way to 162 games.
I personally don’t think we will see any three of Ryu, Maeda, McCarthy, Hill, Urias or Wood come playoff time. Some of them will be tired and/or ineffective by then. And I think we’ll see one of Stewart, Buehler or Oaks in the playoffs. It’s all part of the plan. Cobble fragile arms together and go with the ones that are still strong when the playoffs roll around. I think it could work, and for me I think saving our top 4-5 bullpen arms is of utmost importance. Mattingly kept wearing out best bullpen arms before the playoffs. Which is why I’d love another middle reliever in addition to Stripling. Seriously our Co-MVPs so far should be Stripling and Wood. I hope Roberts understands what happened to Blanton last year.
Quote: I hope Roberts understands what happened to Blanton last year.
Not unless FAZ told him.
And if you think there is a plan, you’re giving them a lot more credit than I do. They’re throwing up everything they have out there. Sometimes it works out.
Well apparently the wall spatter approach is working out. The Dodgers currently have the best pitching staff in baseball by a pretty wide margin, the best run differential in baseball, are currently on an 8-2 run in the last ten games, and just went to Colorado and have taken two of three (so much for the canard that the Dodgers are only good against teams with losing records.).
The Dodgers have won their division four consecutive years, which is a first in the history of a franchise that goes back to 1883, and look like they are in a position to do it again for the fifth consecutive year.
That just must be the most incredible streak of luck imaginable. Here we have a front office that is in complete disarray, that has no idea what it’s doing, and is even really TRYING to be incompetent (Scott’s actually made that argument, preposterous as it sounds). Yet still, in spite of itself and its best efforts to promote failure, it excels amidst a league with front offices that are uniformly ruthless, competitive and competent.
We as fans should just count our blessings that providence has blessed this team with a winning record in spite of the malign intent and clumsy application of this front office.
Which canard do you mean?
Or
They are now 11 – 15 against real major league teams. So DP….I guess you had to send your Daddy my post. Just had to see how Daddy would respond. Lol.
So Daddy makes a comment about how FAZ has only been around for 2+ of the 29 year drought….duh. But the first year they were here, they could have ended the drought if 1.) They would have made better acquisitions at the trade deadline and 2.) Not wait until September 3rd to bring up the rookie phenom Seager. Additional experience against ML pitchers would have been very beneficial going into the playoffs where you don’t play the cream puffs of the league.
You probably need to go back and ask your Daddy how you can give credit to FAZ for the first 2 NL West titles…..you know of the 4 straight you mentioned.
See, FAZ inherited a 2 time NL West champ team….also inherited Kershaw, Grienke, Jansen, Turner, Gonzalez, Ryu, Puig, Pederson, Seager, Urias, Bellinger, Stripling, Stewart and many other prospects.
I think even the ‘worse’ FO personnel could win the Division with this nucleus. And very possible a bad President/GM could have gotten the team to a WS with a good move or two.
The Dodgers finished exactly the same way as they did with the previous ‘bad’ FO…..no WS appearance.
Wasn’t me, sorry. Timmons highlighted your comment to me for particular ridicule in his most recent article, yes, but I had nothing to do with sending him that. Someone else apparently recognized what a silly post it was, too, and Timmons correctly pointed out that it’s ridiculous to criticize a front office that has been in charge for two years for the previous 28 years of World Series futility – which is what I would have said had I the energy or motivation to respond originally.
I think the Dodgers, as an organization, are in pretty good shape and generally heading in the right direction. Yes, they previously won two division titles with Coletti’s team, but I think FAZ has managed to make a soft pivot away from high priced signings and continue to be successful in spite of Ethier and Gonzalez and Kemp and Hanley and Greinke not being around or being ineffective.
There are some question marks, but right now I think the team’s as good as it’s ever been the last four years. The farm system is replenished and loaded, the major league team has a new infusion of youth and athleticism, the pitching staff is the best in baseball, and can survive if multiple pitchers go on the DL. Expensive contracts will be coming off the books soon, giving the team more financial flexibility. They have a great young coach who player want to play for. The front office didn’t do anything stupid like sign a really expensive free agent pitcher or give up major prospects for some foolhardy desperation trades. The organization is back to being highly respected in baseball, both by its peers, but also players who want to come to Los Angeles and play for the Dodgers, and are wiling to take a pay cut to do so.
I think they’re sticking to their vision and their plan to build a sustainable winning organization that will be in a position to contend in the playoffs year in and year out. Actually winning the WS has a big element of luck involved. Putting the team in a position to contend consistently increases the odds of actually winning a WS. You don’t win if you don’t make the playoffs. I see the Dodgers turning into the baseball equivalent of the San Antonio Spurs. I think that’s a good thing.
So….If Timmons is my daddy, but I’m your daddy…does that make you his grandson?
“If Timmons is my daddy”
Yoiks. That’s f’n creepy patch. Methinks you know not what you suggest.
I’ll let Chili respond to the rest of that. It looks like a cut and paste from the last 2 1/2 years of Timmons. Some of it I agree with, most of it I don’t.
Your persistent condescending snark has it’s on cringe inducing quality.
My opinions and thoughts are my own.
Good take YF. I think it’s clear the Dodgers have indeed, as you put it, cobbled together a collection of talented, but fragile arms with intent to use them all as sparingly as possible (as was noted by the article on DL use that was posted). I suspect Buehler and Jurrjens and Oaks will be part of the starter parade we obviously plan on using over 162 games. Some are calling it depth, I have a different definition for that term. Like I’ve said many times, it could work. It’s a very long season, and other teams in the league are working their own smoke and mirrors plan to be in it come September. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see the Giants join the group in the West contending. It’s going be another long and interesting year.
Looks crazy, but the reasoning is solid
Keep wear and tear down, shuffle different pitching styles and play the long game.
Some of the guys Badger mentioned aren’t on the 40. I imagine Brock Stewart, who is, will be next to join the DL/Rotation parade.
I’m not sure the reasoning is solid. It is a method, but I remain skeptical it is going to work over the long haul. One result I do like out of this strategy is we are in effect incorporating a 5+ man rotation. One thing I think we all agreed on was this is staff that is going to need extra days off. They are getting those extra days off. Hope it works.
I don’t know why you would think these pitchers won’t be available for the playoffs. Hill was traded for and signed to give the team a boost in the postseason. I don’t think a blister rules him out of anything. Urias had his innings initially limited precisely to make him more accessible towards the end of the season.
All part of the plan? That sounds like something a proponent of the Trilateral Commission conspiracy might say.
You won’t see all of them on the playoff roster because there’ll be no room for all of them, but I would imagine the plan is to have them healthy, and I think there’s nothing to presume that they won’t be – aside from the simple law of averages that dictate injury in some form or another, which has happened to every starting staff, even those staffs populated with “workhorses.”
The difference between a “realist” and a pessimist is the realist backs up his position with evidence.
“The difference between a “realist” and a pessimist is the realist backs his position with fact”
Apparently you aren’t a realist because that statement is not factual.
“A pessimist is often viewed as a negative person, but in reality this isn’t the case. Most people confuse pessimism with fatalism which is the root of this misconception. By definition a pessimistic person is usually a skeptic or doubter, someone who needs proof before they jump on board. Whenever they hear something new, they are the first to scrutinize it before they will accept it. Can be frustrating to some (especially optimists), but often they are the ones that facilitate the level of quality and change. Investigators and scientific people often represent this group.”
Whew!!!
Jonah
After seeing your illustration, I had to look at the four, or five, previous posts.
And really there is some middle ground, with what everyone, has said, and said, and said, and said !
There always is. Remember ALL OF IT IS ONLY OPINION. Including my modest efforts.
Are you implying MY post was bullsh*t jonah? I’ll have you know that was a quote from Dr. Fatal of The Pessimist Quarterly. Dr Fatal got his PhD in Pessimology from Trump University and we all know the level of academic intregity that institution has. Had.
No, Dodgerpatch is taking himself much too seriously.
OH, that.
Those 3 kids are not pitching in the playoffs. No way no how. Stewart just started to throw, Oaks has been so so, and Buehler just got to AA. That’s pushing it a bit. And the last Dodger rookie pitcher to make an impact in the post season was Fernando.
One of them may have to Michael. You never know.
Possible, but unlikely. Not with 7 guys already on the roster with MLB starting experience and 2 more pitching at AAA right now. The next edition of musical chair starters comes tomorrow when B. McC comes off the DL to pitch. Then another edition on Tuesday when Blister Hill reappears. Of the 3 kids he named about the only one I think might if he is healthy is Stewart. He has been in the fire before, but no way 3 rooks would pitch in the playoffs.
I think that was the one of the best games I saw pitched, in Colorado.
Wood not only made really good pitches on the corners, he maintained his velocity, throughout the game.
Even Kershaw doesn’t maintain his velocity at 94 throughout the game.
Kershaw is more at 93.
And I loved seeing the team playing small ball too!
Wood made a really good bunt, and Barnes stealing third, set up the whole play!
Only one I have seen that was better in Denver was Nomo’s No No.
Michael
That is what I have been told.
I didn’t watch and follow sports, for a time in my life, so I didn’t see that game.
Kershaw does not need to maintain velocity. He has a bigger arsenal than Wood. And I have seen Kersh touch 95 in the 9th inning more than once. The difference is one of them is trying to find his stuff, the other has mastered his stuff and keeps adding to it. The best I ever saw at maintaining velocity the entire game was Koufax, with Nolan Ryan right there too. Chapman to the DL with shoulder pain. This day in Dodger history….May 14th 1968 Big D starts his string of consecutive shut out innings with a 1-0 shutout of the Cubs.
Michael
I wasn’t insinuating that Kershaw had to do that.
But his velocity will continue, to go down.
But Kershaw average fastball speed, is about 93.
Great pitchers win when their velocity decreases. Some like Ryan never lose the ability to light up the radar gun. Maddux never really was a power pitcher to begin with. Claude Osteen won a lot of games being sneaky fast and having great breaking stuff. As he ages Kersh will lose velocity it is true, but his average velocity is down because he does not throw his fastball as much as he used to. His slider has taken the place of the high and tight inside heater he used to throw so much.
Here’s an interesting stat, in the NL West the Dodger starters are last in IP but first in BAA, which proves little if not absolutely nothing. It does however suggest that it’s helpful to winning if you have a strong bullpen. That’s profound, hey?
Looks like an old-fashioned Coors Field kind of game, ending up 13 to 12 or something like that…
I got 13-10 Rams.
That ball Puig hit was a rocket.
Urias is certainly no matinee idol, is he? No matter. Nor do I think he is going to displace or even join the likes of Koufax, Drysdale, Hershiser, and Kershaw on their pedestals. He may be a good, even better than average, pitcher, and for that we should be grateful.
The kid is 20. It is way too early to judge what he will end up being. At 20, Koufax was a kid with a blazing fastball and the control of a wild buffalo. He could not throw strikes. Urias has a lot of poise for a kid his age in the bigs, and this is the first time this year big leaguers have figured him out. He at this point gets behind in the count too much. So his pitch counts are high. Lets see where he is by the end of July, then make a judgement based on more than 4 games. And this game is in Coor’s Field, a hitters dream come true.
Opinions are always in season. Just a guess, actually. No guarantees on any player.
There’s one guarantee – every player is guaranteed to be paid no matter how bad their season is.
I think Urias is just keeping his innings and pitch count down. He’s preparing for post season.
That’s a fact. But Coors will ruin your ERA in a heart beat.
Bluto, please refresh my memory on how good Romo is.
I can answer that jonah – he’s 2-4 in the playoffs but has a 93 QBR.
Romo was great…….in 2013, since then, not so much.
Jonah,
He’s not good. How long the team goes with him and Hatcher will be an interesting and infuriating period to live through.
Ugh-leee, those two.
They have a kid Joe Broussard at AAA who has been all but unhittable….Maybe it is time to give him a shot and Romo a spot on the DL.
Well it is now 7-6…..Grandal, who has actually been hot lately, at least from the left side, swings at the first pitch and grounds out meekly……take a couple MORON! With the tying run on third he might throw a wild pitch and tie the game……
Gas Can Hatcher does it again………DFA that guy!!
It could be worse. If Utley hadn’t pushed Desmond off the bag that would have been a 3 run homer off Hatcher.
I know.Utley is smart.
He got away with it. Reminded me of Hrbek pushing Gant off the bag in the ’91 Series. He got away with it too.
A split in Colorado. I’ll take it.
Hatcher will never pitch well in high leverage situations, especially for a big market team, like the Dodgers.
Let this guy go who cares if he pitches well for another team, because he will never pitch well for the Dodgers, unless the Dodgers are losing a game!
Barnes looks to be the best player we got in that trade.
I like Barnes, he and Taylor are kind of from the same mold. Not afraid to get dirty and play hard. Kike is a good kid, but not really outstanding in any one facet of the game. Seager leads the team in strikeouts, with Grandal in 2nd and Pederson 3rd. Bellinger has already struck out 21 times. Seager has shown the same weakness the last few games that Puig has had. That pitch low and away that they have no chance in hell of hitting. Puig is tied with Corey for the K lead on the team