Tonight’s Baseball Tale from Chavez Ravine is of the unlikely bum, Alex Wood, vs the monster from NY, Jacob deGrom.
Here’s how it played out.
1st inning
Puig vs. Mets
Dodgers
Back to back doubles by Chase Utley and Corey Seager brought in the first Dodgers run of the night.
A sac fly by Adrian Gonzalez brought in Corey Seager. 2-0
2nd inning Dodgers 2-0
Mets
Base hits and an error by Utley brought in a run.
Another base hit (cue Vin Scully) “and just like that, it’s all tied up”. 2-2
Pitch count at this point: Wood: 79. deGrom: 73
Third inning Tie score 2-2
Puig vs Mets
Dodgers
Two on and two out for Joc Pederson, who fought well, but in the end was fooled by deGrom. Full count, strike three called!
5th inning Tie score 2-2
Adrian Gonzalez bounced a ball just off the top of the CF wall, but unfortunately, he runs like a file cabinet. Out.
6th inning
Alex Wood vs the Mets
At this point Wood was hanging tough at 99 pitches and 2 runs. Not many of us figured he would be battling deGrom pitch for pitch, run for run, up to this point.
Nothing much happened until the bottom of the ninth.
Yasiel Puig – pop up to second base – 1 out.
Carl Crawford – fly out to left field – 2 out.
With the Dodgers down to their last out, up stepped pinch-hitter Trayce Thompson….
The count was 2-2 when he belted a walk-off home run to lift the Dodgers over the Mets, 3-2, and return the Dodgers to sole possession of first place in the NL West.
Tonight’s Baseball Tale from Chavez Ravine indeed had a happy ending.
Dodgers win 3-2!
Alex Wood went 6 1/3 innings with 4 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 2 walks and 9 Ks. ERA 4.58
Home runs: Trayce Thompson – Walk-off style!
Doubles: Utley, Seager, Pederson
Team with RISP: 2 for 10 Still worrisome!
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.
Follow Me:
A quality win!
I think I’ve got the answer.
1. Trade Zach Lee to the Angels for something. Maybe a reliever plus late round picks. We do ok with picks in general.
2. Make Bolsinger the 5th starter.
3. Fuse Wood and Kazmir as the 4th starter. Woods does very well as a starter at Dodgers Stadium. So have both prep every five days. On home games, let Wood start and have Kazmir come in after Woods goes through the lineup twice. The reverse when on the road. Not that Kazmir is any good, but Wood is actually somewhat reliable at Dodgers Stadium, and I don’t want to hurt Kazmirs feelings by taking a starting job away from him with no clearly better options. (Ha ha.)
Who is the #3? Stripling? Ryu and McCarthy are pitching bullpen sessions. McCarthy is behind the others. Bolsinger should be ready soon.
Good win. Wood still scares me, as does the pen, but credit where it is due.
Play the young guys.
Van Slyke has been out a month with back stiffness. That seems like a long time for a stiff back.
A lot of teams 5-5 over their last 10. Not the Cubs.
If playing the young guys Badger means that Thompson starts in LF and Pederson plays against both lefties and righties, then we are in full agreement. I don’t think Kike’ should play at second except to give Utley a rest.
Thompson is supposed to be a good defender but so far he isn’t. He has made some great plays but on several occasions gone back before running in only to let the ball fall in front of him. Then there was the windy day fly ball that he went back on and it fell in front of him. In the mean time Puig and Kike’ have been outstanding on defense.
Kendrick is hitting better and will soon be the .290 hitter he still is. Maybe that will lead to including him in a trade or he stays and gives Agon a rest because SVS is broken.
I noticed Thompson’s defense too. I think he can improve, as he is athletic, but he needs to work on it. Give him a position and hit him 100 balls a day there.
I still believe Hernandez is one of our better hitters. He’s off to a slow start, but I think disappointment may be the cause. If it were me, coming off a 132 OPS+ year at age 23, then the team made two moves that would bench me? I’d be pissed. These guys traded for me? If this is how we intend to treat our young players it may not bode well for the future. We’ve got a handful of mid 20’s talent here, much of which we traded for. Why bring them in if not to play them?
I think with Thompson, it just might be nerves, like you already said, Bum. And maybe Kike isn’t hitting, as good as he did, because he didn’t play in enough games, during the spring training. He had that arm surgery, and didn’t play, in spring training, like he did, last year.
Remember Mattingly practically, played Kike, in every spring training game, last year. And I think you are right Badger, about Kike being a little disapointed, about not getting the playing time, because they signed Howie. I remember when Kike, had to go down to AAA last year, he didn’t have good stats, while he was there.
I agree with you Bum. That will be a really good outfield, if Puig can start to hit. He plays so well in right, that we really need to get him hitting again. He did a little better last night. And I was glad to see that Roberts finally put Puig down in the order.
Any of these guys, including Kike, would have caught that fly ball, that Crawford let drop, in front of him, in the second inning, but that was the best play for Crawford. And I agree that Utley should play most of the time at second.
He is much more valuable to the Dodgers, then even his stats say, and he also has pretty good stats.
The big bat the Dodgers need to get going, is Turner. I thought maybe he turned the corner, in the Bluejay’s series, but he hasn’t done much, in this series, and hasn’t been a run producer, much at all, this year.
Badger did you see the Padre Cubbie game final score?
Yes.
Don’t think they can trade draft picks. Maybe in the next Agreement.
PTBNL often works.
Up till now — Dodger thinking seems to be, if a guy makes, say $21,000,00, he is to start on the field, no matter what.
So Crawford starts. Shaky in the field, not a good throwing arm, and just cannot crank it up for hitting.
Then a young player gets traded for, Trayce Thompson, and he sits to wait his turn. He is only making $512,500 for the season.
But — last night showed that just maybe Crawford ought to take a seat, and let Thompson take over left field. He will field better, he will throw better, and just maybe he can get the bat going at least as much a Crawford. And let Crawford be the bat off the bench and a once a week starter.
Now is that so hard to figure out.
It’s my opinion Crawford still has value as a hitter, but your point is well made Roger. We traded for both Thompson and Hernandez. One has to ask what the plan for them actually is. We’ve had this outfield jam for a few years now. What happens when Ethier and Van Slyke get back?
I think as long as they’re hanging around first place you’ll continue to see Roberts trying to spread playing time around. In June hopefully we’ll see the best players almost every day. Otherwise the Donny Jr. nickname might stick.
Holy Crapola Batman, I just got thru the Chili vs. MJ diatribe… Down to some baseball…
Good W… Happy for Trayce, but still would like to see him play everyday in AAA or here. Just give him the reins and let him go… Anxious to hear his father Mychal on radio today… One proud Dad…
Watford, I think I missed your b-day, hope you had a great one… I’ve been scouting the Eastern Sierras for new trout possibilities…
I’m still a lil surprised at the Blue’s record considering their early schedule…
I sense a Urias around the corner…
When I was a kid my uncle owned some cabins at June Lake. I fished opening day at Crowley every year. Great memories. I also spent a lot of time in the local hot springs around there, skied Mammoth and June Mountains for years, and climbed Whitney a few years ago. I have a real connection to that area. Good luck finding those trout peter.
Peter j I’m sorry about that! I really didn’t understand what that was really about. I was watching the MLB Channel, and I heard that Degrom’s velocity was down this year, and just said, that maybe the Dodgers have a better chance to hit Degrom, this time. Because remember Degrom was throwing 98 a times, against the Dodgers, in post season. They didn’t mention, anything else, about spring or summer. And they probably meant, that Degrom’s velocity was down, from what it was, last year, at this time.
I don’t know why that person went after me. It wasn’t even my words, I just shared what a former pitcher said, on the MLB Channel. I think the former pitcher, was the John, the former pitcher, from the Braves, that went in the hall of fame, last year. I can’t remember his last name, at this time, but I know it starts with a S. And the Giants beat writer, said that the Giants, just were not hitting right now.
And I said that. But anyways, I think it was about this front office stuff. And I am not a front office homer. I just want the Dodgers to do well, in spite of what the front office, has done! And I am aware of how pitchers and hitters, are at different times, in the season.
But not every pitcher, or hitter, follow the generalization, of some of the baseball common knowledge. Just like Mark pointed out. And I wasn’t being that deep, about what I said. I was just repeating what the former pitcher said. I value most, if not all, of everyone’s opinion, and the words they want to share, but no one here, has ever attacked me, for saying something positive, or has ever talked down to me.
And no one, has acted like I don’t know anything about baseball. Sorry again, that was a huge waste of energy, and I think I took it more personal, because I am a woman.
Badger, my response to your question of when Ethier and Van Slyke get back along with what is out there now — There are no superstars in that group. Just some nice players either beginning or ending a career.
That is the problem. I would have gone for a superstar and trashed some of the others. This team needs a key bat in that lineup. Pederson stays, and Puig stays, but neither of them are elite players. But this is the job of a GM.
You mean “a competent GM”, and we don’t have one.
Roger if Turner can really start hitting, and producing, when runners are on base, I think our offense, would be a lot better. Turner’s offense, is really missed, in the heart of the order. And it was good to see, that Roberts moved Puig down in the order, last night. It looked like Puig, made better contact, last night.
I think you’ve got the wrong species of Trout there Badger. I think Pete’s been searching for the 210lb, cast from granite, who hits baseballs 500ft, and catches anything aerial in his vicinity, type of Trout.
Welcome back Pete, where you been off to this time?
Had a great Birthday thanks and loved my trip to Dublin for Paddies Day. The Liffey was green, and people were drinking with their breakfasts. It was a great craic. Managed to lose my phone in the mayhem.
Got another leg of the 50th to Galway in July for the horse racing festival for three days. Just waiting for the liver to start functioning again.
I too enjoyed the Chilli/MJ banter this morning during my catch up on LADR.
Be careful you two, you could replace Mark/Badger as the biggest flirtation on here.
Very pleasing win again a quality team. More of the same please.
It is strange how better Wood seems to pitch at home.
Watford Read my response to Peter above!
MJ – I could see what you were saying – sometimes you just have to count to 10……
Anyway, it’s always good to have an opinion as that’s what this place is all about.
Thanks Watford, for your good advice.
Crawford’s days are numbered. He’s always hit when he’s got consistent playing time. He won’t hit playing sporadically so they might as well cut bait.
When Ethier or SVS return they aren’t going to send Thompson down and under Crawford’s current playing status they couldn’t give him away.
They really needed Kazmir and Crawford to perform so they wouldn’t be here next year.
Second come from behind win in 3 days. Unheard of with this team. Maybe the Big Dodger in the Sky is trying to say something. Good, I hope. Wood went 6.1. For him, quality. I saw a lot of swings and misses on pitches way out of the strike zone. Mostly, sliders at the back foot to righties. A nasty pitch when it is set up with a good fastball. It was last night. The giants lose again. Good batting averages; no runs. Sound familiar? Keep it up, ugly orange.