Another night, another loss to the Rangers.
And a whole lot of frustration.
Frustration from Clayton Kershaw, who slammed his glove in the dugout after giving up a 439-foot bomb to young Joey Gallo. Frustration from the offense, which was abysmal in leaving 10 men on base. Frustration from the bullpen, which saw Josh Ravin give up another homer in a close game.
Frustration, frustration, frustration. That's about the only consistent thing with the Dodgers right now after a 5-3 loss to the Rangers.
They're 37-29, good for first place in the NL West. That's the good news. The bad news is that they've fallen apart this month, getting practically nothing from their offense, even less from their middle relief, and currently on a three-game slide.
Yesterday, I broke down the offense and middle relief, and nothing has changed after Wednesday's game. Well, Clayton Kershaw got hit around in between striking out 10, but it was obvious he wasn't on top of his game. I can't blame him too much, though - the pitching has to be nearly perfect just to pick up a win with this damn offense.
The Dodgers definitely rely on Kershaw way too much as it is. It's probably no different than when King Felix pitches for the Mariners or Madison Bumgarner for the Giants. The expectations are sky high, so when they mess up, it's like there's no recovering from it.
Kershaw has definitely been more human this year, as he's been much better lately, but you get the feeling he's still searching for his best stuff. Even with a mediocre 5-4 record, he still has a 3.29 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 122 K's in 93 IP. The nine homers allowed, though, already matches last season, and is two away from 2013. There's his biggest problem.
With all of that said, it hardly matters what Kershaw did when the offense continues to be a giant letdown time and time again. Take the first couple of innings on Wednesday. Yasiel Puig doubles leading off the first, then Chris Heisey walks. Nothing came of it. Then the returning Scott Van Slyke doubled leading off the second, and A.J. Ellis walked with an out. Again, nothing came of it.
About the only signs of life came in the sixth when Van Slyke hit a two-run homer, and Alex Guerrero hit for Kershaw and came through with an RBI single. But, more men were left on, which God forbid one inning comes and goes without that happening. Joc Pederson pinch-hit with two on and one out and struck out for the millionth time. Adrian Gonzalez grounded out to end it.
Then Ravin gave up a solo homer to Prince Fielder in the ninth. Granted, it was a "Dodger Stadium" homer that barely got over the small left field fence, but still. Two nights in a row with another middle reliever failing miserably.
Don Mattingly rolled out a lineup that included Chris Heisey, Kike Hernandez, and Ellis. Not included were Andre Ethier, Jimmy Rollins, and Pederson. Once again, the rationale was to matchup righties vs. lefties. Once again, it made no difference whatsoever. I don't have a big problem resting guys, but enough of Kike and Ellis getting starts. They should be late inning options if anything, not guys in a starting lineup with Kershaw on the mound. It's just ridiculous.
Then again, if Rollins could hit anything and Pederson could stop striking out so damn much, changes wouldn't need to be made.
The bottom line is that the Dodgers absolutely cannot drop ANOTHER game to the Rangers tonight before playing the Giants at home this weekend. That would be so embarrassing. If they want to be a first place team for long, they need to step up, show more fire, and play like a contending team.
Anything less would mean more of the same.
Showing posts with label Rangers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rangers. Show all posts
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Dodgers burned again by lousy offense, zero middle relief
I'm glad the NBA Finals was on last night, because with the way the Dodgers have been playing, I would have either fallen asleep or cursed out the TV over and over. Maybe both.
For a second straight night, the Dodgers got good starting pitching, this time from Brett Anderson tossing two-run ball over eight innings. But, their offense largely did nothing again, and Robinson Chirinos walked-off on young Josh Ravin to give the Rangers a 3-2 victory.
It was the same old, same old for the Dodgers: the offense can't put up any runs, and the middle relief has practically zero reliable options. Last night both were on display, and not surprisingly at all, it was another loss.
Let's take a look at both of those topics:
Lack of offense. The Dodgers got one big hit, albeit a very big one. With one out in the ninth, Howie Kendrick took a walk from tiring starter Chi Chi Gonzalez. Rather than yanking him for the closer Shawn Tolleson, Rangers manager Jeff Banister rolled the dice by keeping him in. Big mistake, as Justin Turner took the very next pitch out to left, and it was 2-2.
The Dodgers followed that up with two-out singles by Yasmani Grandal and Alex Guerrero. Would they then tack on the all-important go-ahead run? Of course not! Jimmy Rollins and his atrocious .198 AVG flew out to left.
Take away the ninth inning, and my goodness was this team asleep at the wheel. It's honestly like a chore to watch this team hit lately. Before the last inning they had four hits, all singles (two by Joc Pederson, one apiece by Adrian Gonzalez and Grandal). And it's not like they were facing Nolan Ryan, they were facing some guy named Chi Chi Freakin' Gonzalez. Nothing against him, but give me a break - they made him look like Cy Young and Greg Maddux all rolled into one. The Dodgers really should be pretty embarrassed by that.
Terrible middle relief. Just like last year, the book on the Dodgers is this: get the starter out early, and attack the bullpen so they can't hand Kenley Jansen the ball with the lead. Last night it was Ravin getting lit up, and the night before it was Adam Liberatore not getting a big out in the sixth. Different guys, same result.
I know Don Mattingly will get criticized for even using Ravin in such a big spot, but honestly, who else can he turn to? It's a road game, so you can't burn Jansen in a non-save situation. Juan Nicasio has been letting too many guys reach base lately. J.P. Howell isn't bad, but is more of a situational lefty. Chris Hatcher and Yimi Garcia are an embarrassment. Liberatore just pitched the night before and is only getting worse. Who else is even left?
That's the dilemma Donnie faced, and hindsight being what it is, should've handed the ball to someone else. There's just no solid options to turn to, and that's why Anderson was stretched out for a season-high 114 pitches. The bottom line is that, as I stated before, the bullpen has a major issue getting the ball to Jansen, and it's not getting any better.
For a second straight night, the Dodgers got good starting pitching, this time from Brett Anderson tossing two-run ball over eight innings. But, their offense largely did nothing again, and Robinson Chirinos walked-off on young Josh Ravin to give the Rangers a 3-2 victory.
It was the same old, same old for the Dodgers: the offense can't put up any runs, and the middle relief has practically zero reliable options. Last night both were on display, and not surprisingly at all, it was another loss.
Let's take a look at both of those topics:
Lack of offense. The Dodgers got one big hit, albeit a very big one. With one out in the ninth, Howie Kendrick took a walk from tiring starter Chi Chi Gonzalez. Rather than yanking him for the closer Shawn Tolleson, Rangers manager Jeff Banister rolled the dice by keeping him in. Big mistake, as Justin Turner took the very next pitch out to left, and it was 2-2.
The Dodgers followed that up with two-out singles by Yasmani Grandal and Alex Guerrero. Would they then tack on the all-important go-ahead run? Of course not! Jimmy Rollins and his atrocious .198 AVG flew out to left.
Take away the ninth inning, and my goodness was this team asleep at the wheel. It's honestly like a chore to watch this team hit lately. Before the last inning they had four hits, all singles (two by Joc Pederson, one apiece by Adrian Gonzalez and Grandal). And it's not like they were facing Nolan Ryan, they were facing some guy named Chi Chi Freakin' Gonzalez. Nothing against him, but give me a break - they made him look like Cy Young and Greg Maddux all rolled into one. The Dodgers really should be pretty embarrassed by that.
Terrible middle relief. Just like last year, the book on the Dodgers is this: get the starter out early, and attack the bullpen so they can't hand Kenley Jansen the ball with the lead. Last night it was Ravin getting lit up, and the night before it was Adam Liberatore not getting a big out in the sixth. Different guys, same result.
I know Don Mattingly will get criticized for even using Ravin in such a big spot, but honestly, who else can he turn to? It's a road game, so you can't burn Jansen in a non-save situation. Juan Nicasio has been letting too many guys reach base lately. J.P. Howell isn't bad, but is more of a situational lefty. Chris Hatcher and Yimi Garcia are an embarrassment. Liberatore just pitched the night before and is only getting worse. Who else is even left?
That's the dilemma Donnie faced, and hindsight being what it is, should've handed the ball to someone else. There's just no solid options to turn to, and that's why Anderson was stretched out for a season-high 114 pitches. The bottom line is that, as I stated before, the bullpen has a major issue getting the ball to Jansen, and it's not getting any better.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Double Play Dodgers spells doom in Texas
Carlos Frias competed his butt off for five innings.
Then the sixth inning came, and with zero runs from his offense for support, he finally ran out of wiggle room.
The Rangers put up four runs on three hits and a couple of walks, and with the Dodgers' offense doing a big pile of nothing, there was no drama in dropping one in Texas 4-1.
I can't blame Frias too much, other than the two straight walks to open the sixth were obviously a killer. At that point, he had made all the big pitches when he needed to, working around a few hits here and there. Then the walks came, and the floodgates opened.
But that's beside the point. The biggest culprit in this loss was once again the maddeningly inconsistent offense. Actually, they have been pretty consistent the last couple of weeks - they can't score any damn runs.
Any threat the Dodgers put together was met by a giant thud. Here's some of the "high"lights:
* Justin Turner doubled with one out in the second. He was stranded at third after two groundouts.
* Jimmy Rollins singled (yes, really) to open the third. He was gunned out stealing as Alberto Callaspo struck out.
* Turner singled to start the fifth, but was erased on Andre Ethier's double play ball.
* Callaspo and Joc Pederson walked to open the sixth inning of a scoreless game. Yasiel Puig flew out, and Adrian Gonzalez grounded into the dreaded DP.
* Howie Kendrick hit an infield single to start the seventh, but another Ethier DP ended that threat.
* Yasmani Grandal hit a solo homer to begin the eighth, cutting the deficit to 4-1. Callaspo walked and Pederson singled with one out, but Puig and A-Gon did nothing with it.
* Kendrick singled leading off the ninth, but again, nothing happened.
In case you're scoring at home, the Dodgers started six of the nine innings with a runner on, including Grandal's homer. Take away that homer, and they did a whole lot of nothing with those runners. They were 0-for-7 with RISP, and left six men on.
That's the most frustrating thing about this game - they had practically their A lineup in, and they couldn't do squat. Andrew Friedman made such a big deal before the season about having a deeper lineup. Well, that "deeper" lineup didn't bring it at all.
Here's one solution for Don Mattingly: PLAY ALEX GUERRERO!!! I can understand wanting to get A-Gon some rest by putting him at DH. And I know Donnie likes Callaspo for defense at third. And I know Donnie likes Guerrero pinch-hitting.
But come on now, the guy needs to play! Especially after the Dodgers once again laid an egg on offense, you can't ignore a guy who has 10 homers and 28 RBIs in about half the at-bats as some of the regulars. There's no excuse not to play him now. This team needs a spark, and if one of your sparks never gets off the bench, that's just ridiculous.
We'll see what lineup Donnie runs out there tonight, but if Guerrero isn't a part of it, then I'm about to go over to the "Fire Mattingly" side of things.
Then the sixth inning came, and with zero runs from his offense for support, he finally ran out of wiggle room.
The Rangers put up four runs on three hits and a couple of walks, and with the Dodgers' offense doing a big pile of nothing, there was no drama in dropping one in Texas 4-1.
I can't blame Frias too much, other than the two straight walks to open the sixth were obviously a killer. At that point, he had made all the big pitches when he needed to, working around a few hits here and there. Then the walks came, and the floodgates opened.
But that's beside the point. The biggest culprit in this loss was once again the maddeningly inconsistent offense. Actually, they have been pretty consistent the last couple of weeks - they can't score any damn runs.
Any threat the Dodgers put together was met by a giant thud. Here's some of the "high"lights:
* Justin Turner doubled with one out in the second. He was stranded at third after two groundouts.
* Jimmy Rollins singled (yes, really) to open the third. He was gunned out stealing as Alberto Callaspo struck out.
* Turner singled to start the fifth, but was erased on Andre Ethier's double play ball.
* Callaspo and Joc Pederson walked to open the sixth inning of a scoreless game. Yasiel Puig flew out, and Adrian Gonzalez grounded into the dreaded DP.
* Howie Kendrick hit an infield single to start the seventh, but another Ethier DP ended that threat.
* Yasmani Grandal hit a solo homer to begin the eighth, cutting the deficit to 4-1. Callaspo walked and Pederson singled with one out, but Puig and A-Gon did nothing with it.
* Kendrick singled leading off the ninth, but again, nothing happened.
In case you're scoring at home, the Dodgers started six of the nine innings with a runner on, including Grandal's homer. Take away that homer, and they did a whole lot of nothing with those runners. They were 0-for-7 with RISP, and left six men on.
That's the most frustrating thing about this game - they had practically their A lineup in, and they couldn't do squat. Andrew Friedman made such a big deal before the season about having a deeper lineup. Well, that "deeper" lineup didn't bring it at all.
Here's one solution for Don Mattingly: PLAY ALEX GUERRERO!!! I can understand wanting to get A-Gon some rest by putting him at DH. And I know Donnie likes Callaspo for defense at third. And I know Donnie likes Guerrero pinch-hitting.
But come on now, the guy needs to play! Especially after the Dodgers once again laid an egg on offense, you can't ignore a guy who has 10 homers and 28 RBIs in about half the at-bats as some of the regulars. There's no excuse not to play him now. This team needs a spark, and if one of your sparks never gets off the bench, that's just ridiculous.
We'll see what lineup Donnie runs out there tonight, but if Guerrero isn't a part of it, then I'm about to go over to the "Fire Mattingly" side of things.
Monday, October 25, 2010
World Series preview: Rangers vs. Giants
It's got nothing to do with the Dodgers, but here goes anyway...
Starting Pitching
Giants - Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner
Lincecum may be the ace, but Cain has been pitching like one as well. In 13 2/3 innings this postseason, Cain is 1-0 without giving up a run. Lincecum is 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA, and 30 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings. Sanchez has been trusted as the #2 starter, and responded with a 2.93 ERA in 15 1/3 innings. Bumgarner won the clincher in Atlanta in a pressure situation, and also pitched two scoreless innings in the final game in Philly.
Rangers - Cliff Lee, Colby Lewis, C.J. Wilson, Tommy Hunter
It's hard to claim anyone has done better than Lincecum and Cain, but Lee is definitely that guy. He's gone a perfect 3-0 this postseason for a 0.75 ERA, plus 34 strikeouts in 24 innings. Lewis shut down the Yankees to win the ALCS, as he won two games in that series, and a collective 1.45 ERA in three October starts. Wilson had two great starts before losing to the Yankees in Game 5. Hunter faded as the season wore on, as has been hit around in two postseason starts.
Edge: Giants, but slightly. Lee is awesome, but the Giants can go four deep. Hunter is a question mark.
Bullpen
Giants - Brian Wilson, Jeremy Affeldt, Sergio Romo, Javier Lopez, Santiago Casilla, Ramon Ramirez, Guillermo Mota
Nobody has been better this postseason in finishing out games than Wilson. He's a perfect 5-for-5 with no runs surrendered. Romo had 21 holds during the regular season. Affeldt, Lopez, and Casilla have all stepped up in October. Despite Sanchez only lasting two innings in Game 6 in Philly, the bullpen held the Phillies down the rest of the way for the win.
Rangers - Neftali Feliz, Darren Oliver, Darren O'Day, Derek Holland, Alexi Ogando
The young Feliz notched 40 saves this season, and has only given up one run in 4 1/3 innings this postseason. He's looked stronger in each appearance. Holland didn't find much success against the Rays, but had two strong appearances against the Yankees. O'Day has been called on seven times in 11 games, and has only given up one run. Oliver had a solid season, but not so much in the postseason with a 5.40 ERA.
Edge: Giants. Wilson looks unstoppable, and their top setup men have produced through two series thus far.
Infield
Catcher
Giants - Buster Posey
Cooled a bit after a great start to the postseason, but has still made a huge difference. Went 4-for-5 with two RBIs in the Game 4 win.
Rangers - Bengie Molina
As good as the Giants have been since Posey took over, the Rangers gladly stuck Molina in as their catcher and haven't looked back. Hit two big homers to help lead the Rangers to wins in Game 1 against the Rays and Game 4 against the Yankees.
Edge: Giants. The Rangers still have big sluggers in their lineup, so Posey's success means a little more to the Giants.
First Base
Giants - Aubrey Huff
Collected hits in 7 of 10 games this postseason. Although, no extra-base hits.
Rangers - Mitch Moreland
Only played in 47 games during the regular season, but has stepped up to hit .303 in October, with 8 hits in 10 games.
Edge: Giants. Even without a longball yet, Huff is the bigger threat.
Second Base
Giants - Freddy Sanchez
Has 11 hits this postseason in 10 games. Comes in with a five-game hitting streak.
Rangers - Ian Kinsler
Hitting a great .342 with three homers and nine RBIs in 11 games. Plus, two steals.
Edge: Rangers. Sanchez quietly does well, but Kinsler is a stud.
Shortstop
Giants - Edgar Renteria
After not starting in the Atlanta series, received four starts against the Phillies. But, he's a collective 3-for-18.
Rangers - Elvis Andrus
Has hit safely in all 11 postseason games for a .333 average. Is 7-for-8 in stolen base attempts, and has been a huge sparkplug leading off.
Edge: Rangers. Andrus is showing the world how his speed can change games.
Third Base
Giants - Juan Uribe and Pablo Sandoval
Sandoval is pretty much a forgotten man, though his big two-run double in Game 4 against the Phillies helped lead to a win. Uribe was very quiet until his game-winning solo shot against the Phillies in the clinching Game 6.
Rangers - Michael Young
Hitting .255 this postseason, but with seven RBIs in 11 games. Had two multi-hit games against the Yankees
Edge: Rangers, but slightly. Uribe and Sandoval haven't hit much, but have come through in the clutch when needed. Young has picked it up more as the postseason goes on.
Outfield
Left Field
Giants - Pat Burrell
Is only hitting .207, but has drawn some walks that have lead to run. Usually gets yanked late in the game for a defensive replacement.
Rangers - David Murphy
Has six runs scored in eight games, but only hitting .200.
Edge: Giants. Both men are pretty even, but Burrell has a bigger power threat to make a difference.
Center Field
Giants - Andres Torres
Started very slowly against the Braves, but has picked up five hits in the last two games against the Phillies. Stole 26 bases during the regular season, but is only 1-for-4 this postseason.
Rangers - Josh Hamilton
The ALCS MVP has made all of his hits count. After shaking off the rust from injury against the Rays, he tore apart the Yankees with four homers, eight RBIs, and eight walks.
Edge: Rangers. Hamilton looks like the best hitter in the game again.
Right Field
Giants - Cody Ross
The darling of the postseason, has four homers, four doubles, and eight RBIs in 10 games. If there's a big hit to be had, he will get it. Was named NLCS MVP.
Rangers - Nelson Cruz
Has hit in all 11 postseason games, good for a .375 average. Plus, five homers and eight RBIs, and has teamed up with Hamilton for a deadly heart of the order.
Edge: Rangers. Ross has been fantastic, but Cruz continues to mash.
Bench
Giants - Eli Whiteside, C; Travis Ishikawa, 1B; Mike Fontenot, 2B; Nate Schierholtz, OF
Schierholtz can be used as a defensive replacement, mostly for Burrell. Fontenot could get a start if Sanchez isn't hitting.
Rangers - Matt Treanor, C; Jorge Cantu, 1B; Andres Blanco, 2B; Jeff Francoeur, OF; Julio Borbon, OF
There hasn't been much of a need for bench production this postseason. Francoeur has gotten the most opportunity, but is only 2-for-14. Cantu and Borbon are hitless.
Edge: Push. The Giants will use their bench more, and the Rangers can change the game with one swing from Francoeur and Cantu if needed. So, no real advantage either way.
My prediction: Rangers in 6.
I think the Giants have slightly better pitching, but I really like the Rangers' offense. Plus, the Rangers just have the "it" factor right now, and that will carry them to a championship.
Starting Pitching
Giants - Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner
Lincecum may be the ace, but Cain has been pitching like one as well. In 13 2/3 innings this postseason, Cain is 1-0 without giving up a run. Lincecum is 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA, and 30 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings. Sanchez has been trusted as the #2 starter, and responded with a 2.93 ERA in 15 1/3 innings. Bumgarner won the clincher in Atlanta in a pressure situation, and also pitched two scoreless innings in the final game in Philly.
Rangers - Cliff Lee, Colby Lewis, C.J. Wilson, Tommy Hunter
It's hard to claim anyone has done better than Lincecum and Cain, but Lee is definitely that guy. He's gone a perfect 3-0 this postseason for a 0.75 ERA, plus 34 strikeouts in 24 innings. Lewis shut down the Yankees to win the ALCS, as he won two games in that series, and a collective 1.45 ERA in three October starts. Wilson had two great starts before losing to the Yankees in Game 5. Hunter faded as the season wore on, as has been hit around in two postseason starts.
Edge: Giants, but slightly. Lee is awesome, but the Giants can go four deep. Hunter is a question mark.
Bullpen
Giants - Brian Wilson, Jeremy Affeldt, Sergio Romo, Javier Lopez, Santiago Casilla, Ramon Ramirez, Guillermo Mota
Nobody has been better this postseason in finishing out games than Wilson. He's a perfect 5-for-5 with no runs surrendered. Romo had 21 holds during the regular season. Affeldt, Lopez, and Casilla have all stepped up in October. Despite Sanchez only lasting two innings in Game 6 in Philly, the bullpen held the Phillies down the rest of the way for the win.
Rangers - Neftali Feliz, Darren Oliver, Darren O'Day, Derek Holland, Alexi Ogando
The young Feliz notched 40 saves this season, and has only given up one run in 4 1/3 innings this postseason. He's looked stronger in each appearance. Holland didn't find much success against the Rays, but had two strong appearances against the Yankees. O'Day has been called on seven times in 11 games, and has only given up one run. Oliver had a solid season, but not so much in the postseason with a 5.40 ERA.
Edge: Giants. Wilson looks unstoppable, and their top setup men have produced through two series thus far.
Infield
Catcher
Giants - Buster Posey
Cooled a bit after a great start to the postseason, but has still made a huge difference. Went 4-for-5 with two RBIs in the Game 4 win.
Rangers - Bengie Molina
As good as the Giants have been since Posey took over, the Rangers gladly stuck Molina in as their catcher and haven't looked back. Hit two big homers to help lead the Rangers to wins in Game 1 against the Rays and Game 4 against the Yankees.
Edge: Giants. The Rangers still have big sluggers in their lineup, so Posey's success means a little more to the Giants.
First Base
Giants - Aubrey Huff
Collected hits in 7 of 10 games this postseason. Although, no extra-base hits.
Rangers - Mitch Moreland
Only played in 47 games during the regular season, but has stepped up to hit .303 in October, with 8 hits in 10 games.
Edge: Giants. Even without a longball yet, Huff is the bigger threat.
Second Base
Giants - Freddy Sanchez
Has 11 hits this postseason in 10 games. Comes in with a five-game hitting streak.
Rangers - Ian Kinsler
Hitting a great .342 with three homers and nine RBIs in 11 games. Plus, two steals.
Edge: Rangers. Sanchez quietly does well, but Kinsler is a stud.
Shortstop
Giants - Edgar Renteria
After not starting in the Atlanta series, received four starts against the Phillies. But, he's a collective 3-for-18.
Rangers - Elvis Andrus
Has hit safely in all 11 postseason games for a .333 average. Is 7-for-8 in stolen base attempts, and has been a huge sparkplug leading off.
Edge: Rangers. Andrus is showing the world how his speed can change games.
Third Base
Giants - Juan Uribe and Pablo Sandoval
Sandoval is pretty much a forgotten man, though his big two-run double in Game 4 against the Phillies helped lead to a win. Uribe was very quiet until his game-winning solo shot against the Phillies in the clinching Game 6.
Rangers - Michael Young
Hitting .255 this postseason, but with seven RBIs in 11 games. Had two multi-hit games against the Yankees
Edge: Rangers, but slightly. Uribe and Sandoval haven't hit much, but have come through in the clutch when needed. Young has picked it up more as the postseason goes on.
Outfield
Left Field
Giants - Pat Burrell
Is only hitting .207, but has drawn some walks that have lead to run. Usually gets yanked late in the game for a defensive replacement.
Rangers - David Murphy
Has six runs scored in eight games, but only hitting .200.
Edge: Giants. Both men are pretty even, but Burrell has a bigger power threat to make a difference.
Center Field
Giants - Andres Torres
Started very slowly against the Braves, but has picked up five hits in the last two games against the Phillies. Stole 26 bases during the regular season, but is only 1-for-4 this postseason.
Rangers - Josh Hamilton
The ALCS MVP has made all of his hits count. After shaking off the rust from injury against the Rays, he tore apart the Yankees with four homers, eight RBIs, and eight walks.
Edge: Rangers. Hamilton looks like the best hitter in the game again.
Right Field
Giants - Cody Ross
The darling of the postseason, has four homers, four doubles, and eight RBIs in 10 games. If there's a big hit to be had, he will get it. Was named NLCS MVP.
Rangers - Nelson Cruz
Has hit in all 11 postseason games, good for a .375 average. Plus, five homers and eight RBIs, and has teamed up with Hamilton for a deadly heart of the order.
Edge: Rangers. Ross has been fantastic, but Cruz continues to mash.
Bench
Giants - Eli Whiteside, C; Travis Ishikawa, 1B; Mike Fontenot, 2B; Nate Schierholtz, OF
Schierholtz can be used as a defensive replacement, mostly for Burrell. Fontenot could get a start if Sanchez isn't hitting.
Rangers - Matt Treanor, C; Jorge Cantu, 1B; Andres Blanco, 2B; Jeff Francoeur, OF; Julio Borbon, OF
There hasn't been much of a need for bench production this postseason. Francoeur has gotten the most opportunity, but is only 2-for-14. Cantu and Borbon are hitless.
Edge: Push. The Giants will use their bench more, and the Rangers can change the game with one swing from Francoeur and Cantu if needed. So, no real advantage either way.
My prediction: Rangers in 6.
I think the Giants have slightly better pitching, but I really like the Rangers' offense. Plus, the Rangers just have the "it" factor right now, and that will carry them to a championship.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Blake and Ausmus carry Dodgers in Arlington
Casey Blake had a home run and four RBIs, and Brad Ausmus reached base in all three plate appearances as the Dodgers defeated the Rangers, 6-3. The win gave them two of three in Texas in a battle of the NL and AL's best teams in the West.
Chad Billingsley got the start, and he had to battle back from a throwing error by Rafael Furcal that allowed two runs to score. With one out, Michael Young walked, and Hank Blalock and Andruw Jones singled. Raffy then threw away a double-play ball from Nelson Cruz that scored both runs.
Down 2-1 entering the third, Blake had a great at-bat that put the Dodgers in the lead for good. With a 3-2 count, he launched a Derek Holland pitch over the left field fence for a three-run shot, putting the Dodgers up 4-2.
That was more than enough for Bills, as his only other blemish of the day was a solo shot to Jones, who's still fat and a terrible player. Anyway, he ended up throwing seven innings, giving up three runs (two earned), five hits, one walk, and three strikeouts. The strikeouts are low, but that's because we're so used to seeing him K plenty more.
Bottom line - he got the job done.
Blake carried the offense on this day, going 2-for-4 with a homer, double, and four RBIs. Ausmus got the start at catcher and reached base all three times, picking up and RBI single. He's hitting .317 this year, and with Russell Martin still trying to figure things out at the plate, should be getting more starts in the near future.
This was a good series win for the Dodgers, as they battled back from losing pretty easily on Friday to get both weekend games. Saturday they had to break a late tie with Matt Kemp's big two-run homer, and Sunday they battled back from the early deficit. They just continue to play solid ball and find ways to win.
Monday is an off day, and Tuesday will be the start of a three-game series home against the Oakland A's. Clayton Kershaw is up first, and he looks to bounce back from a horrific start against the Padres last week.
Chad Billingsley got the start, and he had to battle back from a throwing error by Rafael Furcal that allowed two runs to score. With one out, Michael Young walked, and Hank Blalock and Andruw Jones singled. Raffy then threw away a double-play ball from Nelson Cruz that scored both runs.
Down 2-1 entering the third, Blake had a great at-bat that put the Dodgers in the lead for good. With a 3-2 count, he launched a Derek Holland pitch over the left field fence for a three-run shot, putting the Dodgers up 4-2.
That was more than enough for Bills, as his only other blemish of the day was a solo shot to Jones, who's still fat and a terrible player. Anyway, he ended up throwing seven innings, giving up three runs (two earned), five hits, one walk, and three strikeouts. The strikeouts are low, but that's because we're so used to seeing him K plenty more.
Bottom line - he got the job done.
Blake carried the offense on this day, going 2-for-4 with a homer, double, and four RBIs. Ausmus got the start at catcher and reached base all three times, picking up and RBI single. He's hitting .317 this year, and with Russell Martin still trying to figure things out at the plate, should be getting more starts in the near future.
This was a good series win for the Dodgers, as they battled back from losing pretty easily on Friday to get both weekend games. Saturday they had to break a late tie with Matt Kemp's big two-run homer, and Sunday they battled back from the early deficit. They just continue to play solid ball and find ways to win.
Monday is an off day, and Tuesday will be the start of a three-game series home against the Oakland A's. Clayton Kershaw is up first, and he looks to bounce back from a horrific start against the Padres last week.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Dodgers bounce back on Kemp's 8th inning blast
Saturday night's game saw an unusual sight in Arlington - a nearly two hour delay because of a light failure. At the time, the game was scoreless, as Randy Wolf and Scott Feldman were throwing blanks.
When play resumed, it was the Dodgers that were able to win a battle of the bullpens, as Matt Kemp's two-run homer in the eighth inning broke up a one-all tie, giving the Dodgers a 3-1 win. The win avoids the Dodgers from getting their first three-game losing streak of the season.
I'm sure the hitters on each team were glad the lights went out, because both starters were really good. Wolf allowed no runs on two hits in five innings, striking out four. Feldman matched him, giving up no runs on only three hits in five innings. After the delay, the bullpen had to settle this one.
"Everyday" Eddie Guardado came in to start the sixth. Actually, I'm not even sure if he's called that anymore. He was once a dominant closer, but now he's a forgotten middle reliever. Anyway, Juan Pierre singled, stole second, and advanced to third on a bad throw. A groundout by Rafael Furcal scored Pierre for the 1-0 lead.
Cory Wade was called upon for the Dodgers, and gave up a homer with two outs. Who hit it? Why of course, Andruw Jones. The same guy who was recently whining that the Dodgers never really wanted him last year. So THAT explains the big contract he was given. Yup, it definitely had nothing to do with the fact that he was fat and had a horrible swing. What a complete idiot.
Thankfully, Jones' blast wouldn't be a big deal, as in the seventh, Mark Loretta drew a walk with one down. Following a strikeout by Russell Martin (still with no home runs this year... ugh), Kemp hit a towering fly ball over the left field fence to break the game open.
Kemp was hitting in the #9 spot, but after a 2-3 night, he's up to a .309 average with eight homers and 35 RBIs. So maybe he's just getting it all together to move back up in the order.
Ronald Belisario was a little shaky in the seventh, giving up a couple of singles. With two outs, Ramon Troncoso relieved and got Hank Blalock to fly out and end the inning. Troncoso would then go on to pitch a scoreless eighth.
The Rangers had no rally in them, as Jonathan Broxton easily shut the door in the ninth, gathering his 15th save.
As the games without Manny are slowly winding down, this game was all about the Dodgers finding another person to step up and lead the team to a win. Kemp, Wolf, and the bullpen were the leaders in this one. Different people stepping up is exactly why the Dodgers have an MLB-best 41 wins.
Today is the finale of the three-game series, as Chad Billingsley will look to give the Dodgers a series win. He'll look to become the first pitcher in the National League with nine wins.
When play resumed, it was the Dodgers that were able to win a battle of the bullpens, as Matt Kemp's two-run homer in the eighth inning broke up a one-all tie, giving the Dodgers a 3-1 win. The win avoids the Dodgers from getting their first three-game losing streak of the season.
I'm sure the hitters on each team were glad the lights went out, because both starters were really good. Wolf allowed no runs on two hits in five innings, striking out four. Feldman matched him, giving up no runs on only three hits in five innings. After the delay, the bullpen had to settle this one.
"Everyday" Eddie Guardado came in to start the sixth. Actually, I'm not even sure if he's called that anymore. He was once a dominant closer, but now he's a forgotten middle reliever. Anyway, Juan Pierre singled, stole second, and advanced to third on a bad throw. A groundout by Rafael Furcal scored Pierre for the 1-0 lead.
Cory Wade was called upon for the Dodgers, and gave up a homer with two outs. Who hit it? Why of course, Andruw Jones. The same guy who was recently whining that the Dodgers never really wanted him last year. So THAT explains the big contract he was given. Yup, it definitely had nothing to do with the fact that he was fat and had a horrible swing. What a complete idiot.
Thankfully, Jones' blast wouldn't be a big deal, as in the seventh, Mark Loretta drew a walk with one down. Following a strikeout by Russell Martin (still with no home runs this year... ugh), Kemp hit a towering fly ball over the left field fence to break the game open.
Kemp was hitting in the #9 spot, but after a 2-3 night, he's up to a .309 average with eight homers and 35 RBIs. So maybe he's just getting it all together to move back up in the order.
Ronald Belisario was a little shaky in the seventh, giving up a couple of singles. With two outs, Ramon Troncoso relieved and got Hank Blalock to fly out and end the inning. Troncoso would then go on to pitch a scoreless eighth.
The Rangers had no rally in them, as Jonathan Broxton easily shut the door in the ninth, gathering his 15th save.
As the games without Manny are slowly winding down, this game was all about the Dodgers finding another person to step up and lead the team to a win. Kemp, Wolf, and the bullpen were the leaders in this one. Different people stepping up is exactly why the Dodgers have an MLB-best 41 wins.
Today is the finale of the three-game series, as Chad Billingsley will look to give the Dodgers a series win. He'll look to become the first pitcher in the National League with nine wins.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Not the best start to Interleague Play
Interleague Play has started once again, and the Dodgers found themselves visiting the Rangers for the first time in eight years.
I wish that was still an ongoing count, because the Rangers slapped them silly tonight, 6-0. The vaunted trio of Vicente Padilla, Jason Jennings, and Jason Grilli were just way too much to handle. I mean those are some pretty intimidating names right there...
Battling through lightning in the distance and swirling winds, Hiroki Kuroda didn't exactly get the best support from his offense or defense. In the third, some guy name Taylor Teagarden doubled to start things off. Omar Vizquel hit a grounder to James Loney, but he pulled a Buckner, allowing the run to score. It would only get worse from there.
Michael Young's RBI single made it 2-0, and the Rangers would never look back. On the night, Kuroda would last 5 and 1/3 innings, but give up five runs on eight hits. He did have six strikeouts and no walks, so those are good signs. In only his fourth start of the season, he's just working his way back into form. He'll be fine.
As for the offense, I think now is the time we can start talking about missing Manny Ramirez's bat. Well, they've missed it all along, but they were still scoring runs and winning. But after watching the last handful of games, it's obvious that the lack of pop in this lineup is starting to catch up to them. When your leader in home runs is Andre Ethier with 11, that pretty much tells you they just don't have much power. Heck, he's the only one in double figures right now!
The Dodgers did have their chances, however. Padilla would only last five innings while piling up 105 pitches. They'd foul off pitch after pitch, then get out anyway. Their only extra-base hit was a meaningless one from Rafael Furcal in the ninth.
Poor Loney will have better nights than this, but he was really awful. To go with the error, he left five men on base, including four in scoring position and two outs. In the first he had Orlando Hudson on third and Ethier on second, but he flied out. He then flew out with the bases juiced in the third.
The game could've been kept manageable in the sixth, but that Teagarden guy hit a big two-out, two-run double to make it 5-0 off of Guillermo Mota. Way to make a big pitch there, Mota. I guess that's why he's the last guy out of the bullpen.
Hopefully the weekend will be better than this, and they've got their top two pitchers going, Randy Wolf and Chad Billingsley. Wolf has slipped recently, with three bad starts in his last four. The one good one was a one run, seven inning effort against the Cubs. So let's pray that's the Wolf that shows up Saturday.
I wish that was still an ongoing count, because the Rangers slapped them silly tonight, 6-0. The vaunted trio of Vicente Padilla, Jason Jennings, and Jason Grilli were just way too much to handle. I mean those are some pretty intimidating names right there...
Battling through lightning in the distance and swirling winds, Hiroki Kuroda didn't exactly get the best support from his offense or defense. In the third, some guy name Taylor Teagarden doubled to start things off. Omar Vizquel hit a grounder to James Loney, but he pulled a Buckner, allowing the run to score. It would only get worse from there.
Michael Young's RBI single made it 2-0, and the Rangers would never look back. On the night, Kuroda would last 5 and 1/3 innings, but give up five runs on eight hits. He did have six strikeouts and no walks, so those are good signs. In only his fourth start of the season, he's just working his way back into form. He'll be fine.
As for the offense, I think now is the time we can start talking about missing Manny Ramirez's bat. Well, they've missed it all along, but they were still scoring runs and winning. But after watching the last handful of games, it's obvious that the lack of pop in this lineup is starting to catch up to them. When your leader in home runs is Andre Ethier with 11, that pretty much tells you they just don't have much power. Heck, he's the only one in double figures right now!
The Dodgers did have their chances, however. Padilla would only last five innings while piling up 105 pitches. They'd foul off pitch after pitch, then get out anyway. Their only extra-base hit was a meaningless one from Rafael Furcal in the ninth.
Poor Loney will have better nights than this, but he was really awful. To go with the error, he left five men on base, including four in scoring position and two outs. In the first he had Orlando Hudson on third and Ethier on second, but he flied out. He then flew out with the bases juiced in the third.
The game could've been kept manageable in the sixth, but that Teagarden guy hit a big two-out, two-run double to make it 5-0 off of Guillermo Mota. Way to make a big pitch there, Mota. I guess that's why he's the last guy out of the bullpen.
Hopefully the weekend will be better than this, and they've got their top two pitchers going, Randy Wolf and Chad Billingsley. Wolf has slipped recently, with three bad starts in his last four. The one good one was a one run, seven inning effort against the Cubs. So let's pray that's the Wolf that shows up Saturday.
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