So with Clayton Kershaw making a rehab start. The Dodgers went with Ross Chicken Stripling to oppose Zach Davies of the Brew Crew. This game turned out to be a bullpen game for the Dodgers. Reinforcements are coming for the Dodgers as Yu Darvish, Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw, and Alex Wood will all be coming off the DL soon. But lets get back to tonight’s game.
The offense just hasn’t been the same without Cody Bellinger. Ross Stripling pitched the first three innings for the Dodgers. He held the Brewers scoreless. Edward Paredes then came on in the Fourth inning and pitched a scoreless inning. Davies held the Dodgers scoreless to this point as he attacked the strike zone against the Blue crew’s offense.
Josh Ravin came in for the Fifth inning and then broke a scoreless game. Manny Pina hit a single and then Orlando Arcia hit a two run home run to center field for the Brewers to take a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the fifth with two outs the Dodgers got back to back singles from Silver Fox Chase Utley and Austin Barnes. Adrian Gonzalez came up to pinch-hit and struck out to squander that opportunity. The Wild Horse Yasiel Puig did provide two highlights in this game.
Davies pitched seven innings of shut out ball and then gave it tho the Brewer bullpen. Neil Walker hit a double in the 8th inning to score a run and make the score 3-0 Brewers. That would end up being the final score as the Dodgers only managed to get five hits. The Dodgers bullpen did a great job of keeping the team in the game. The offense just couldn’t seem to muster much of an attack tonight.
These are the dog days. But reinforcements are coming for the Dodgers and also September call ups. Yu Darvish will pitch tomorrow for the Dodgers.
James Moya
Hi I’m James Moya. I am an avid Dodgers fan. I graduated Cal State Fullerton with a Bachelors in Communications. I used to freelance at the San Bernardino Sun. I’m excited about this opportunity to write for LA Dodger Report to gain experience. I’m a straight shooter on my opinions and I hope to get some good conversations going. My dream has always been to report on the Dodgers because Baseball is the National Past-time. I hope you enjoy the ride with me.
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Frankly I had expected more days like this given such a big lead for home field. I think Wood would be out longer – his problem is more serious. But Ryu and Maeda have pitched well this week so even if he cannot come back I think we still have enough for October and early November (but Of course if Wood can get back to where he was in a June we would be in the drivers seat).
I also wanted to get back to that article in Dodgers Way that suggested FAZ should sell high on Taylor in the winter. Watching him all year and he has adjusted. Now it’s still early and he may go into a funk, but right now I don’t really see it. I’ve said it many times that I think he’s Turner 2.0 for us and I think he will be a good long term player for us unless we lose him to FA (but like Turner I think he’ll want to stay if the money is about the same).
Anyone who suggest we trade Taylor is not thinking correctly. Taylor and JT are two peas in a pod. I call them “junkyard dogs”. Players who had to work very hard to make it. They had a lot of failures along the way. I would add Barnes, Forsythe, Wood, Hill and Jansen to the junkyard dog list. They all had to remake themselves. You need these kind of players in your clubhouse. They are not quitters.
Idahoal
I too like these guys that had to play their way, to be in the Dodger’s lineup.
These type of players, won’t take anything for granted.
Every off season they will work to not only stay in the line up, they will work to get even better, just like Turner has done.
The thing with Taylor is that he has a lot of athleticism, and he has good speed to go with his athleticism, so he should be able to keep his average pretty steady.
And Taylor has even splits against both righties and lefties, and as like most right hand hitters, he has even better numbers, against lefties.
Barnes to me, is what you call a ball player, he will do anything to help the team win.
Barnes is not as big as most major league catchers are, but the size thing isn’t as important now, since they changed the rule about blocking the plate.
The fact that Barnes is small, makes him a even better framer, because he can keep his glove lower then bigger guys, and he is able to give the umpires a better look, at pitches, because of this, and he blocks pitches better, too.
I hope when Cody returns to the line up, he can take up from where he was, and anchor our line up, because when Cody is in our line up, he makes everyone else in the line up, even better.
And when you look what the team has did since Cody joined the line up, he is hands down, the most valuable player on this team.
Agone has three more games to show if he can hit to stay in this line up, and he is really going to have to hit well, to stay in this line up.
I will go with any line up Roberts thinks is best, for the team.
Artieboy I don’t think Agone probably had enough time to catch up and get his timing, but I have no problem if he isn’t in the line up, like you want to see happen.
I know Agone didn’t look good in his pinch hit performance last night, but it is probably not fair to judge him on that one at bat, but I want what is only best for the team.
Artieboy if you want to put where Agone should be right now in perspective, take a look at what Granderson has done, since he has joined the team.
He has hit three HRs, but his average is not as good as Agone’s batting average, and Granderson wasn’t on the DL most of the year, like Agone was.
But Granderson is much more athletic then Agone is, and he is a lot faster, and of course he has hit 20 Plus HRs for the year, and he has hit 2 more HRs then Agone has, since they both have joined this team.
But I still think Roberts, will make the right move, or decision, when it comes to the team!
If I am not mistaken this is the 1st time since June the Dodgers have lost 3 games in the last 7 games. I think it is because Cody sat out. He never should have been put on a 10DL. You can give Dave Roberts all the credit you like but this was a mistake. If the FO did it, it is on them. The injury was never considered serious and a 22 yearold could have recovered and played long before he will get to play. He is considered ready right now and he still has at least 2 more days off. Stupid decision, I hope they are happy and I hope the team goes back to winning like before.
The point is package, with a lead that large, why risk further injury? I can tell you from personal experience that even a mild sprain in the ankle is not something to be taken lightly. Cody is 22, and young, granted. But I sprained my ankle when I was 24 going into second base. I played on it the rest of the game. But that night it swelled up like a watermelon and I ended up not being able to play for about 3 weeks. You can consider it stupid if you like, but you are not earning a major league salary playing on that ankle. Yeah, maybe he could have played. But, the ankle he sprained was his left. That’s his push off foot when he bats. And that’s the foot that takes all the pressure when you swing. And his swing, even as pretty as it is, is very violent and that’s a lot of pressure to put on that ankle. I think the medical staff, and the FO and manager know a lot more about how to handle that than you or I. His ankle still had swelling 3 days after the incident.
The reason I am unhappy with situation is because there were never any xrays taken and swelling was never mention until the 3rd day. If Cody had swelling they would have taken xrays, Right? Cody never said anything about swelling and said numerous times he was OK. Oh well, guess he doesn’t know his own body. I don’t buy the story at all. They wanted to rest Cody and play AGon. PERIOD.
Actually, and if you ever had a sprained ankle, you would know this. You do not take X-Rays while there is swelling. You will not get a clear picture of what is really going on down there. They always wait until the swelling goes down to take X-rays. Secondly, they are protecting Cody the same way they are protecting Kershaw. There is no conspiracy to get A-Gone playing time. Quite the contrary. The plan was for A-Gone, and this has been written about on many forums, to be a DH in Detroit, and for Cody to play the OF when they got to Pittsburgh. The injury put the Kibosh on that. Cody is young and Cody wants to be out there. The team wants Cody out there too, but at 100% with no lingering affects.
WHO CARES.
Who cares if there were XRays?
Who cares if Bellinger had a headache?
Who cares if they wanted to give Gonzalez reps in a slate of meaningless games?
Who cares if the ankle is really tender?
WHo cares if Gonzalez demanded a few games?
Who cares!?!??!? The team’s goal is to try to win in the playoffs now, getting there is basically fait accompli.
This is true consipracy theory stuff here package.
Relax.
Go for a walk.
Sing a song.
Watch game of thrones…
Who cares? I care!! I have been waiting for almost 30 years for a return to the W.S. I do not like to see things happen that make no sense or jibberish coming from people who I think do not always tell the truth. This was a mistake. Cody should have been back before now. It started with just one or two days out and turned into a DL stint. Does that sound like the truth to you? This is not a conspiracy theory in my opinion.
No, it 100% does not sound like the truth.
It sounds like a theory.
As in conspiracy theory.
Package
We are twenty games ahead in the division race, and winning three more games, is not more important then Cody’s health, especially with how much Cody means, to this team.
And the other factor that this is giving Cody decent rest, might make a difference, on how Cody will hold up, and play, in the post season.
Relax Wednesday will be here, sooner then you think, and just think what is best for Cody right now, because this is best for Cody.
After the swelling goes down when you sprain your ankle, it does take some time, to get the flexibility back in your ankle, and until you get some of the flexibility back, it is hard to move laterally.
Believe me, I have sprained my ankle plenty of times, and each time it was different.
I did what Michael did one time, I slid into second base, and I came up short, into the bag, and sprained my ankle, but I was able to stay in the game, and play.
And I also sprained my ankle on both sides on my ankle, when I jumped up to grab a rebound, and I when came down, I landed on someone’s big feet.
And that was a really bad sprain, even after the trainer taped my ankle up, I couldn’t move laterally, so I had to come out of the game, and I missed our next game, that next week.
Guess we will have to agree to disagree.
Package
I don’t see it that way, I am just trying to get you relax, because we are almost there.
We don’t have any other choice right now, but we are getting closer.
MJ, when I did that, I came in standing up and jammed it into the bag. They were anchored so there was no give. Turned out I also stretched my achillie’s tendon. That’s why I was out so long. They actually put my leg in a cast. I took it off 3 days later and bought a bunch of ACE bandages and wrapped it. Walking with crutches was just not happening.
That is the second time Davis has totally shut the Dodgers down with what looks like pretty pedestrian stuff. But he has won 15 games for a reason. The umps strike zone did not help much. Especially in the 8th and 9th against the Brewers relievers. The last 6 outs were all by strikeout and most of the pitches were outside. Pitch track showed the last 2 to Barnes as way outside. Well its a new day. Last home game and then 7 on the road.
We are a fastball team, most any time a pitcher can change the speed of their pitches really well, we have always had more trouble hitting pitchers, like this.
You are definitely right there. This team kills fastballs. At least Puig got the excitement going a little with that weird double that turned into 3 bases play. Guy plays with his hair on fire, and what a catch down the RF line to take away that HR. Looks like they need more padding down there though. He hit that wall pretty hard.
Well, lost another one and the series. Still don’t believe? You don’t mess with success..
We have lost a bit of our clutch hitting this month but let’s see how they refocus.
I read a blurb that Gavin Lux is maintaining his good hitting. Hope he keeps it up. But Alvarez got shelled again last night. He’s got a 4+ ERA and a 1.55 WHIP this year. Hope he puts in the work in the offseason and turn it around.
Puig not in todays lineup. Kike in RF, Fields to the DL with a lower back strain. Kershaw to be activated next weekend. And so the run begins.
On last nights post game they played Varlander’s explanation for his success against the Dodgers last weekend. He said “pound the strike zone”. Looks like Davies did the same thing yesterday. And also today so far.
“Pound the strike zone” sounds like Kershaw’s strategy every game
Yes. We have a SABR lineup that tends to take pitches. Disappointing series but maybe going on the road will help refocus and rebound. There are lots of distractions this weekend.