It was official, and then it wasn't. And now it looks to "officially" be official. Got that?
Juan Uribe sure does, and after a day of going back and forth, the trade that sends Alberto Callaspo and others to the Dodgers for Uribe is done. Apparently Callaspo had a change of heart about playing for the first place Dodgers. Or maybe he was told he would be DFA'd if he didn't accept the trade anyway. Who knows.
What we do know is that after a day of going back and forth with the Braves, the two-time champion Uribe is going across the coast to Atlanta. Actually, he's going across the field to the visiting clubhouse, as the Braves are still in LA. Go figure.
Before looking back at what Uribe brought to the Dodgers, it's important to note why exactly this deal was executed, especially after all of the praise of Uribe being such a great "clubhouse guy" on a team that was dysfunctional in the past. It's true - he is very well-liked, and I'm sure was invaluable in helping Yasiel Puig get adjusted to the Majors.
But, this year has brought a whole lot of change to the Dodgers, and keeping an older, declining guy in the fold over younger, better options just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Justin Turner can play many positions and hit well, and Alex Guerrero has already brought enough power to warrant more playing time.
So Uribe is the odd man out.
In reflecting back on Uribe's tenure with the Dodgers, let's remember that he was a Gold Glove finalist at third base the last two seasons. I thought he got robbed in not winning one of them, but it is what it is. Even when the hitting wasn't there, he really could flash some serious leather at a very hard position. His Defensive WAR the last two seasons are 1.8 and 2.0, respectively.
That's the good side, but the not-so-good-side has been his inconsistency in both staying on the field and at the plate. He's battled leg injuries the last couple of years, limiting him to 103 games last season. For a guy who's 36 and in his 15th season, that's some understandable wear and tear.
When Uribe was first signed before the 2011 season, he was coming off a World Series championship with the Giants. Ned Colletti, formally of the Giants' front office, liked his championship experience (he won another one with the White Sox in 2005), and wanted his leadership to rub off on the Dodgers.
Well, things didn't quite work out initially to say the least. His 2011 and 2012 campaigns featured some of the worst baseball any "big" free agent signing has ever played. He hit .204 with four homers and 28 RBIs in 77 games in '11, and followed that up with a .191/2/17 line in 66 games. To sum it all up, he was really, REALLY pathetic.
Somehow, some way he was able to survive being cut, and wouldn't you know it, in 2013 he actually looked like a real player again, going .278/12/50 in 132 games. Not huge, overpowering numbers, but much-improved and complimented his slick play at third very well.
Last year was when injuries limited him to 103 games, though he was effective at the plate by going .311/9/54 in 103 games. And he again failed to win a Gold Glove, even if he deserved to win.
The offseason signing of Hector Olivera to a six-year, $62.5 million contract (which only recently became official) along with the emergence of Guerrero had only further clouded Uribe's future in LA. Now, he's an ex-Dodger after 4+ years of service.
It was an interesting ride for Uribe, at times bumpy, and at times smooth. He was described as being very emotional about the trade, which one can only imagine what that must feel like. His teammates will definitely miss him, no doubt. The fans have grown to appreciate his hard work, too.
But in the end, the Dodgers made the correct call in freeing up some of the logjam (think Matt Kemp's trade helping the outfield), and will give more swings to Guerrero and soon Olivera.
Showing posts with label Braves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Braves. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Uribe's heroics lift the Dodgers to the NLCS
When is hitting a home run easier than laying down a sacrifice bunt?
When you're Juan Uribe, and you want to give the Dodgers a late lead.
After being unable to lay down a bunt twice in the eighth inning with Yasiel Puig on second, Uribe absolutely unloaded on a two-run bomb to left. The result was a 4-3 lead, and after Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the ninth, the Dodgers are back in the NLCS for the first time since 2009.
There were plenty of storylines coming into Monday night's Game 4 in LA, with the Braves looking to get the series even and back home for the deciding game. The biggest one came hours before the first pitch, as Clayton Kershaw was named the starter on three days' rest over Ricky Nolasco.
It was a bit of a gamble considering Kershaw's never done this before, but by the end of the night, it was a non-issue. In fact, Kershaw was fantastic in pitching six strong innings without giving up an earned run. Notice I said EARNED run, because his defense definitely let him down.
The start of the game was all about the suddenly hot Carl Crawford, who homered leading off for the quick 1-0 lead. Not satisfied with just one, he connected on another in the third to go up 2-0, as he was about the only thing going right with the bats.
All of the momentum was clearly with the Dodgers after Crawford's second shot, but it was all handed right back to the Braves with a very sloppy fourth. Freddy Freeman singled leading off. Even Gattis then grounded a sharp one to Adrian Gonzalez at first, who inexplicably rushed his throw to second with no one covering yet for the error. Gonzalez also had an error on the first hitter of the game when he bobbled Jayson Heyward's easy grounder.
A wild pitch by Kershaw sent runners to scoring position, but Brian McCann struck out on a very questionable called strike three. Chris Johnson came through with an RBI single to make it 2-1. Andrelton Simmons then grounded one to Uribe at third, who threw to Mark Ellis at second for an out, who then threw wide to first to allow the run to score. Ugh. It wasn't an error officially, but it should've been as the game was tied 2-2.
For the next few innings, the Dodgers reverted back to their non-clutch ways, as they left runners all over the place. A.J. Ellis had a chance against a tiring Freddy Garcia in the sixth with two on and two out, but he grounded out.
With Kershaw done after six, Ronald Belisario entered. That would be a bad sign of things to come, as even though Simmons grounded back to him right away, Elliot Johnson tripled next. Jose Constanza pinch-hit and gave the Braves a 3-2 lead with an RBI single, and the Dodgers were looking like they'd have to pack their bags with Craig Kimbrel lurking.
Luis Avilan got through the seventh despite a two-out double to Mark Ellis. The question then became if Kimbrel would work two innings or not.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, he didn't, and never appeared at all. Fredi Gonzalez went with David Carpenter instead, the same guy who gave up Hanley Ramirez's two-run homer in Game 2 that nearly cost them the game. Right away, Puig doubled to right on some great hustle to get to second.
So would Gonzalez go with his big dog now? Nope. In stayed Carpenter, and Uribe unsuccessfully tried to lay down two bunts. After that idea was thrown out the window, Uribe connected on a horrible 0-2 slider that stayed up in the zone, and a 383 foot homer to left put the Dodgers back up 4-3.
There would be no ninth inning comeback for the Braves, as Jansen struck out the side, getting Justin Upton swinging to the game and start the celebration.
What a game of ups-and-downs this turned out to be. First the two solo shots by Crawford, who carried this team to an early lead as they tried to close it out. Then the defensive mistakes, which took away a win from an awesome start by Kershaw. Then the Braves getting the lead, then giving it right back on Uribe's homer. I'm glad Jansen wasn't interested in giving it away again.
The offense only scored via the longball, and we can all be thankful for that. But, they also left eight men and were 1-for-9 with RISP. The one hit? Uribe's homer in the eighth. Talk about good timing.
Kershaw did all he could, and even he seemed to agree that taking him out after six innings and 91 pitches was the right move. He can now get his proper rest before starting Game 2 on Saturday either home against the Pirates or on the road against the Cardinals. Stay tuned to see how that one plays out.
The middle relief, again, left something to be desired. Right now Mattingly's biggest question is whom to use to get the ball to Jansen in the ninth. Brian Wilson has the eight locked down, so more specifically, who will bridge the gap to him. Belisario was terrible, and Chris Withrow wasn't any better in Game 2. Paco Rodriguez looks like he has no arm left. Maybe we'll see more J.P. Howell, who has three scoreless appearances with three strikeouts. He's looking good.
For now, the Dodgers will kick back and enjoy Game 5 between the Pirates and Cardinals. Zack Greinke will get the call in Game 1, followed by Kershaw, with either Ricky Nolasco or Hyun-Jin Ryu to follow.
Dodger fans can celebrate their victory, and the fact that they don't have to play the Phillies in the NLCS again!
When you're Juan Uribe, and you want to give the Dodgers a late lead.
After being unable to lay down a bunt twice in the eighth inning with Yasiel Puig on second, Uribe absolutely unloaded on a two-run bomb to left. The result was a 4-3 lead, and after Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the ninth, the Dodgers are back in the NLCS for the first time since 2009.
There were plenty of storylines coming into Monday night's Game 4 in LA, with the Braves looking to get the series even and back home for the deciding game. The biggest one came hours before the first pitch, as Clayton Kershaw was named the starter on three days' rest over Ricky Nolasco.
It was a bit of a gamble considering Kershaw's never done this before, but by the end of the night, it was a non-issue. In fact, Kershaw was fantastic in pitching six strong innings without giving up an earned run. Notice I said EARNED run, because his defense definitely let him down.
The start of the game was all about the suddenly hot Carl Crawford, who homered leading off for the quick 1-0 lead. Not satisfied with just one, he connected on another in the third to go up 2-0, as he was about the only thing going right with the bats.
All of the momentum was clearly with the Dodgers after Crawford's second shot, but it was all handed right back to the Braves with a very sloppy fourth. Freddy Freeman singled leading off. Even Gattis then grounded a sharp one to Adrian Gonzalez at first, who inexplicably rushed his throw to second with no one covering yet for the error. Gonzalez also had an error on the first hitter of the game when he bobbled Jayson Heyward's easy grounder.
A wild pitch by Kershaw sent runners to scoring position, but Brian McCann struck out on a very questionable called strike three. Chris Johnson came through with an RBI single to make it 2-1. Andrelton Simmons then grounded one to Uribe at third, who threw to Mark Ellis at second for an out, who then threw wide to first to allow the run to score. Ugh. It wasn't an error officially, but it should've been as the game was tied 2-2.
For the next few innings, the Dodgers reverted back to their non-clutch ways, as they left runners all over the place. A.J. Ellis had a chance against a tiring Freddy Garcia in the sixth with two on and two out, but he grounded out.
With Kershaw done after six, Ronald Belisario entered. That would be a bad sign of things to come, as even though Simmons grounded back to him right away, Elliot Johnson tripled next. Jose Constanza pinch-hit and gave the Braves a 3-2 lead with an RBI single, and the Dodgers were looking like they'd have to pack their bags with Craig Kimbrel lurking.
Luis Avilan got through the seventh despite a two-out double to Mark Ellis. The question then became if Kimbrel would work two innings or not.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, he didn't, and never appeared at all. Fredi Gonzalez went with David Carpenter instead, the same guy who gave up Hanley Ramirez's two-run homer in Game 2 that nearly cost them the game. Right away, Puig doubled to right on some great hustle to get to second.
So would Gonzalez go with his big dog now? Nope. In stayed Carpenter, and Uribe unsuccessfully tried to lay down two bunts. After that idea was thrown out the window, Uribe connected on a horrible 0-2 slider that stayed up in the zone, and a 383 foot homer to left put the Dodgers back up 4-3.
There would be no ninth inning comeback for the Braves, as Jansen struck out the side, getting Justin Upton swinging to the game and start the celebration.
What a game of ups-and-downs this turned out to be. First the two solo shots by Crawford, who carried this team to an early lead as they tried to close it out. Then the defensive mistakes, which took away a win from an awesome start by Kershaw. Then the Braves getting the lead, then giving it right back on Uribe's homer. I'm glad Jansen wasn't interested in giving it away again.
The offense only scored via the longball, and we can all be thankful for that. But, they also left eight men and were 1-for-9 with RISP. The one hit? Uribe's homer in the eighth. Talk about good timing.
Kershaw did all he could, and even he seemed to agree that taking him out after six innings and 91 pitches was the right move. He can now get his proper rest before starting Game 2 on Saturday either home against the Pirates or on the road against the Cardinals. Stay tuned to see how that one plays out.
The middle relief, again, left something to be desired. Right now Mattingly's biggest question is whom to use to get the ball to Jansen in the ninth. Brian Wilson has the eight locked down, so more specifically, who will bridge the gap to him. Belisario was terrible, and Chris Withrow wasn't any better in Game 2. Paco Rodriguez looks like he has no arm left. Maybe we'll see more J.P. Howell, who has three scoreless appearances with three strikeouts. He's looking good.
For now, the Dodgers will kick back and enjoy Game 5 between the Pirates and Cardinals. Zack Greinke will get the call in Game 1, followed by Kershaw, with either Ricky Nolasco or Hyun-Jin Ryu to follow.
Dodger fans can celebrate their victory, and the fact that they don't have to play the Phillies in the NLCS again!
Monday, October 7, 2013
Too much offense in Dodgers' Game 3 rout
The happiest man in Los Angeles right now? Hyun-Jin Ryu. Thanks to an offensive outburst of 13 runs, Ryu's poor start was completely lost in the shuffle.
And when your team has Hanley Ramirez, it's easy to forget about the negatives.
The Dodgers had an incredible 10 two-out RBIs en route to an emphatic 13-6 win over the Braves. The win put the Dodgers on the verge of the NLCS with a 2-1 advantage heading into Game 4 Monday night.
As I stated before, the game didn't start off so hot, as Ryu gave up a couple in the first. Justin Upton smoked a double to center with an out, just past the outstretched dive of Skip Schumaker. He scored an out later on an Evan Gattis RBI single, then following a walk to Brian McCann, Chris Johnson scored another on a single to make it 2-0.
The Dodgers started their scoring in the second with a four-spot. Yasiel Puig and Juan Uribe singled leading off, and A.J. Ellis walked an out later. Ryu then got into one that nearly landed past Upton in right, but was good enough for the sac-fly RBI to make it 2-1.
One big key to this game was the play of Carl Crawford, who struck out twice and had that horrible double play the last game. Well, he more than showed up to play in this one on both sides of the field. His three-run homer to deep right gave the Dodgers a 4-2 advantage. He also had an amazing catch in foul territory in the eighth in which he tumbled into the stands, but thankfully came out OK. Wow, that was equally as terrific as it was scary when he landed head first on concrete.
Unfortunately for Ryu, the third would be his last, as the Braves tied it up. Three straight singles by Upton, Freddie Freeman, and Gattis started the inning. Then Ryu really messed up by not finding the base on a double play ball from McCann. Then he screwed up again by throwing home instead of to first on Johnson's little dribbler. Ugh.
From there, it was all Dodgers, as the 4-4 tie seemed like a distant memory when it was all said and done. They took the lead for good in the third. Ramirez doubled to start, then scored on Adrian Gonzalez's RBI single. The other run came on Schumaker's RBI single to center.
Chris Capuano pitched three scoreless innings in relief of Ryu to get the win, though it was a struggle at times. He actually walked all three leadoff hitters, but nothing came of it. It's like both teams traded secrets on how to fail with runners on. Overall, the Braves were 3-for-11 with RISP, and the Dodgers were 7-for-15.
The fourth was a huge inning, as the Dodgers put up four runs again. Crawford's bunt was bobbled by Alex Wood leading off for a costly error. One out later, Ramirez came within inches of a home run, but settled for the RBI triple in going up 7-4. After Puig's RBI single to center, Uribe got just enough of one out to right for the two-run shot, and the Dodgers were in full control at 10-4.
The final runs were scored in the eighth on RBI singles from Ramirez, Gonzalez, and Puig. Those three combined for eight hits, six runs, and six RBIs. Great numbers from the heart of the order.
A game like this shows just how deadly the Dodgers can be when they're not all swinging for the fences every at-bat. They got a couple of homers, but of their 14 hits, 10 were singles. Their situational hitting was obviously terrific, as they took it one base at a time in scoring multiple runs in four of the innings. That's got to be a huge relief after grounding into three double plays and striking out way too much in Game 2.
With the good came some bad, as Ryu just never got going. What makes it worse were the question marks surrounding him coming into this start about his health. He appeared to be fine in this one, but his stuff certainly wasn't fooling the Braves. Maybe it was just one of those starts, but if he is hurt, it's some bad news going forward.
The other downer was Paco Rodriguez, who could only get two outs in the ninth before Kenley Jansen had to strikeout McCann to end the game. Paco is probably suffering from a dead arm, as he gave up three hits, including a two-run shot to dead center by Jayson Heyward, and a walk. It's too bad considering how special he was for the majority of the season. If the Dodgers do advance, don't be surprised if he's left off the NLCS roster. He's lost his effectiveness it seems.
The Game 3 win lets Don Mattingly exhale some, and not have to make the tough decision of whether or not to bring back Clayton Kershaw on three days' rest. I bet he would've, too, with the season on the line. But now Ricky Nolasco gets his scheduled start, with Kershaw ready to go on Wednesday in Atlanta in the do-or-die situation.
Nolasco has a lot to prove, as anyone who's followed the Dodgers knows we've seen him at the top of his game, and the absolute bottom. Maybe he'll be relaxed knowing the season is not over if he loses, and that his offense is on fire. What also helps is that he's facing the ancient Freddy Garcia, whom I'll admit I didn't even know was on the Braves until last night.
The Braves still have plenty of power, but they also have plenty of more pressure on them to get this thing to a Game 5 back east. The Dodgers will look to be off until Game 1 of the NLCS on Friday with a win.
And when your team has Hanley Ramirez, it's easy to forget about the negatives.
The Dodgers had an incredible 10 two-out RBIs en route to an emphatic 13-6 win over the Braves. The win put the Dodgers on the verge of the NLCS with a 2-1 advantage heading into Game 4 Monday night.
As I stated before, the game didn't start off so hot, as Ryu gave up a couple in the first. Justin Upton smoked a double to center with an out, just past the outstretched dive of Skip Schumaker. He scored an out later on an Evan Gattis RBI single, then following a walk to Brian McCann, Chris Johnson scored another on a single to make it 2-0.
The Dodgers started their scoring in the second with a four-spot. Yasiel Puig and Juan Uribe singled leading off, and A.J. Ellis walked an out later. Ryu then got into one that nearly landed past Upton in right, but was good enough for the sac-fly RBI to make it 2-1.
One big key to this game was the play of Carl Crawford, who struck out twice and had that horrible double play the last game. Well, he more than showed up to play in this one on both sides of the field. His three-run homer to deep right gave the Dodgers a 4-2 advantage. He also had an amazing catch in foul territory in the eighth in which he tumbled into the stands, but thankfully came out OK. Wow, that was equally as terrific as it was scary when he landed head first on concrete.
Unfortunately for Ryu, the third would be his last, as the Braves tied it up. Three straight singles by Upton, Freddie Freeman, and Gattis started the inning. Then Ryu really messed up by not finding the base on a double play ball from McCann. Then he screwed up again by throwing home instead of to first on Johnson's little dribbler. Ugh.
From there, it was all Dodgers, as the 4-4 tie seemed like a distant memory when it was all said and done. They took the lead for good in the third. Ramirez doubled to start, then scored on Adrian Gonzalez's RBI single. The other run came on Schumaker's RBI single to center.
Chris Capuano pitched three scoreless innings in relief of Ryu to get the win, though it was a struggle at times. He actually walked all three leadoff hitters, but nothing came of it. It's like both teams traded secrets on how to fail with runners on. Overall, the Braves were 3-for-11 with RISP, and the Dodgers were 7-for-15.
The fourth was a huge inning, as the Dodgers put up four runs again. Crawford's bunt was bobbled by Alex Wood leading off for a costly error. One out later, Ramirez came within inches of a home run, but settled for the RBI triple in going up 7-4. After Puig's RBI single to center, Uribe got just enough of one out to right for the two-run shot, and the Dodgers were in full control at 10-4.
The final runs were scored in the eighth on RBI singles from Ramirez, Gonzalez, and Puig. Those three combined for eight hits, six runs, and six RBIs. Great numbers from the heart of the order.
A game like this shows just how deadly the Dodgers can be when they're not all swinging for the fences every at-bat. They got a couple of homers, but of their 14 hits, 10 were singles. Their situational hitting was obviously terrific, as they took it one base at a time in scoring multiple runs in four of the innings. That's got to be a huge relief after grounding into three double plays and striking out way too much in Game 2.
With the good came some bad, as Ryu just never got going. What makes it worse were the question marks surrounding him coming into this start about his health. He appeared to be fine in this one, but his stuff certainly wasn't fooling the Braves. Maybe it was just one of those starts, but if he is hurt, it's some bad news going forward.
The other downer was Paco Rodriguez, who could only get two outs in the ninth before Kenley Jansen had to strikeout McCann to end the game. Paco is probably suffering from a dead arm, as he gave up three hits, including a two-run shot to dead center by Jayson Heyward, and a walk. It's too bad considering how special he was for the majority of the season. If the Dodgers do advance, don't be surprised if he's left off the NLCS roster. He's lost his effectiveness it seems.
The Game 3 win lets Don Mattingly exhale some, and not have to make the tough decision of whether or not to bring back Clayton Kershaw on three days' rest. I bet he would've, too, with the season on the line. But now Ricky Nolasco gets his scheduled start, with Kershaw ready to go on Wednesday in Atlanta in the do-or-die situation.
Nolasco has a lot to prove, as anyone who's followed the Dodgers knows we've seen him at the top of his game, and the absolute bottom. Maybe he'll be relaxed knowing the season is not over if he loses, and that his offense is on fire. What also helps is that he's facing the ancient Freddy Garcia, whom I'll admit I didn't even know was on the Braves until last night.
The Braves still have plenty of power, but they also have plenty of more pressure on them to get this thing to a Game 5 back east. The Dodgers will look to be off until Game 1 of the NLCS on Friday with a win.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Through 2 games, we've seen the best and worst of the Dodgers
The Dodgers find themselves deadlocked with the Braves 1-1 through the first couple of games in the NLDS. Game 1 went exactly as they scripted it, with the bats backing up Clayton Kershaw, who piled up 12 strikeouts in a 6-1 victory. Game 2 saw the bats fail to deliver in big spots, and the middle relief fall apart in a 4-3 loss.
You could say that we've already seen a lot of good and a lot of bad in the first couple of games. Let's take a look at both sides of the coin.
The Good
Clayton Kershaw. As I stated before, Kershaw was awesome in Game 1, giving up one run in seven innings. I wouldn't say he was sensational, because he had definite control issues for a little bit, something that has plagued him just a bit since the start of September. But, as usual, he more than got the job done when it mattered most. He's lined up to start Game 5, and with the series tied right now, that could be a real possibility of taking place.
Hanley Ramirez. An RBI double in Game 1. Another one in Game 2. Then a two-run shot to pull the Dodgers within one in Game 2. The Dodgers rested him just enough entering the playoffs, and it's sure paying off so far, as he's clearly been the best hitter on either side. Plus he only has one of the team's 18 strikeouts through two games, so he's not beating himself. They need his bat to continue to stay hot if they want to win, and there's no reason to think it won't.
Brian Wilson and Kenley Jansen. Wilson has pitched the eighth inning in both games, allowing no runs on only one hit while striking out two. He looks ready to be a closer again next season, unless the Dodgers throw a ridiculous amount of money at him to be the setup guy. Jansen finished Game 1 in the non-save situation, and while a couple guys reached, he still struck out the side.
Adrian Gonzalez in Game 1. Game 2 saw nothing much happen, but his huge two-run homer in Game 1 put the Dodgers up 4-0, and was more than enough for Kershaw to cruise from there. I can't imagine the Braves felt good being down two to Kershaw, and four must have sent them into a tailspin.
Yasiel Puig's Game 1. The worry coming into the playoffs was that Puig would try to do way too much, but in the first game, he was great. He singled twice, went beautifully from first to third on another single, tagged up and scored, and doubled up Evan Gattis at first. That's the type of all-around game we love to see. Now if he'd just stop striking out...
The Bad
Yasiel Puig's strikeouts. Yup. As good as he is at times, he looks just as bad when he tries to hit it to the moon on every swing. He already has four K's, including a really bad looking one in the eighth of Game 2 after Ramirez got them within one. The funniest part was seeing a shot of a clearly annoyed Mark McGwire after that happened. Puig has got to resist the home run swing and stick to singles and running. The Dodgers will be so much better off.
Carl Crawford leading off. Speaking of strikeouts, there's Crawford with four as well. Mattingly put him in the top spot instead of Puig, and while he did reach base twice in Game 1, he was awful the next night. He had the horrible 1-6-3 DP with the Dodgers threatening in the seventh, then K'd to end the game with a runner on first. The Dodgers need him to play better because it's not like he'll sit.
Middle relief not named Brian Wilson. With the Dodgers down 2-1 going into the seventh in Game 2, things went south. First Crawford's DP, then Chris Withrow walked the first batter he faced. Paco Rodriguez gave up the big two-run single to Jayson Heyward to put the Braves up 4-1, and Ronald Belisario walked the only batter he faced. I wasn't a fan of using Withrow to start the inning, but taking Wilson and Jansen out of the equation, maybe there weren't any better options. And that's a problem.
Swings, misses, and double plays. The Dodgers did a lot of that in Game 2. Their leadoff, cleanup, and #5 hitter each struck out twice. Skip Schumaker, Mark Ellis, and Crawford grounded into double plays. Despite outhitting the Braves 10-6, it didn't matter thanks to a lack of execution. And to think they only lost by one is even more frustrating, because if they cut those mistakes by a few, they could've won.
Dee Gordon. Safe or not, the Dodgers need Gordon to get the job done. He's on the postseason roster for one reason and one reason only: steal bases. I sure thought his hand beat the "tag" in Game 2, but the call didn't go their way. If he can't steal that base, he really has no value. Fair or not, his team needs him to make that play.
Mattingly by the book in Game 2. It's easy to blame Mattingly for the moves he made in Game 2 being wrong. If his players executed better, he'd look good. But they didn't, so he doesn't. I didn't like at all how he wouldn't pitch to light-hitting Jose Constanza or Reed Johnson, and instead pitched to Heyward. The whole left vs. left and right vs. right thing drives me nuts. WAY too much value is placed on that old school logic. I know Withrow was pretty bad, but he was just coming off a strikeout of Elliot Johnson, so I'm sure he could've gotten some guy named Constanza. Alas, we'll never know.
You could say that we've already seen a lot of good and a lot of bad in the first couple of games. Let's take a look at both sides of the coin.
The Good
Clayton Kershaw. As I stated before, Kershaw was awesome in Game 1, giving up one run in seven innings. I wouldn't say he was sensational, because he had definite control issues for a little bit, something that has plagued him just a bit since the start of September. But, as usual, he more than got the job done when it mattered most. He's lined up to start Game 5, and with the series tied right now, that could be a real possibility of taking place.
Hanley Ramirez. An RBI double in Game 1. Another one in Game 2. Then a two-run shot to pull the Dodgers within one in Game 2. The Dodgers rested him just enough entering the playoffs, and it's sure paying off so far, as he's clearly been the best hitter on either side. Plus he only has one of the team's 18 strikeouts through two games, so he's not beating himself. They need his bat to continue to stay hot if they want to win, and there's no reason to think it won't.
Brian Wilson and Kenley Jansen. Wilson has pitched the eighth inning in both games, allowing no runs on only one hit while striking out two. He looks ready to be a closer again next season, unless the Dodgers throw a ridiculous amount of money at him to be the setup guy. Jansen finished Game 1 in the non-save situation, and while a couple guys reached, he still struck out the side.
Adrian Gonzalez in Game 1. Game 2 saw nothing much happen, but his huge two-run homer in Game 1 put the Dodgers up 4-0, and was more than enough for Kershaw to cruise from there. I can't imagine the Braves felt good being down two to Kershaw, and four must have sent them into a tailspin.
Yasiel Puig's Game 1. The worry coming into the playoffs was that Puig would try to do way too much, but in the first game, he was great. He singled twice, went beautifully from first to third on another single, tagged up and scored, and doubled up Evan Gattis at first. That's the type of all-around game we love to see. Now if he'd just stop striking out...
The Bad
Yasiel Puig's strikeouts. Yup. As good as he is at times, he looks just as bad when he tries to hit it to the moon on every swing. He already has four K's, including a really bad looking one in the eighth of Game 2 after Ramirez got them within one. The funniest part was seeing a shot of a clearly annoyed Mark McGwire after that happened. Puig has got to resist the home run swing and stick to singles and running. The Dodgers will be so much better off.
Carl Crawford leading off. Speaking of strikeouts, there's Crawford with four as well. Mattingly put him in the top spot instead of Puig, and while he did reach base twice in Game 1, he was awful the next night. He had the horrible 1-6-3 DP with the Dodgers threatening in the seventh, then K'd to end the game with a runner on first. The Dodgers need him to play better because it's not like he'll sit.
Middle relief not named Brian Wilson. With the Dodgers down 2-1 going into the seventh in Game 2, things went south. First Crawford's DP, then Chris Withrow walked the first batter he faced. Paco Rodriguez gave up the big two-run single to Jayson Heyward to put the Braves up 4-1, and Ronald Belisario walked the only batter he faced. I wasn't a fan of using Withrow to start the inning, but taking Wilson and Jansen out of the equation, maybe there weren't any better options. And that's a problem.
Swings, misses, and double plays. The Dodgers did a lot of that in Game 2. Their leadoff, cleanup, and #5 hitter each struck out twice. Skip Schumaker, Mark Ellis, and Crawford grounded into double plays. Despite outhitting the Braves 10-6, it didn't matter thanks to a lack of execution. And to think they only lost by one is even more frustrating, because if they cut those mistakes by a few, they could've won.
Dee Gordon. Safe or not, the Dodgers need Gordon to get the job done. He's on the postseason roster for one reason and one reason only: steal bases. I sure thought his hand beat the "tag" in Game 2, but the call didn't go their way. If he can't steal that base, he really has no value. Fair or not, his team needs him to make that play.
Mattingly by the book in Game 2. It's easy to blame Mattingly for the moves he made in Game 2 being wrong. If his players executed better, he'd look good. But they didn't, so he doesn't. I didn't like at all how he wouldn't pitch to light-hitting Jose Constanza or Reed Johnson, and instead pitched to Heyward. The whole left vs. left and right vs. right thing drives me nuts. WAY too much value is placed on that old school logic. I know Withrow was pretty bad, but he was just coming off a strikeout of Elliot Johnson, so I'm sure he could've gotten some guy named Constanza. Alas, we'll never know.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Schedule and probables for the NLDS
Game 1, October 3 - Dodgers at Braves, 8:37 ET
Clayton Kershaw (16-9, 1.83) vs. Kris Medlen (15-12, 3.11)
Game 2, October 4 - Dodgers at Braves, 6:07 ET
Zack Greinke (15-4, 2.63) vs. Mike Minor (13-9, 3.21)
Game 3, October 6 - Braves at Dodgers, Time TBA
Julio Teheran (14-8, 3.20) vs. Hyun-Jin Ryu (14-8, 3.00)
Game 4 (if nec.), October 7 - Braves at Dodgers, Time TBA
Starters TBA
Game 5 (if nec.), October 9 - Dodgers at Braves, Time TBA
Clayton Kershaw vs. Kris Medlen
For Game 4, the Dodgers would most likely go with Ricky Nolasco, while the Braves would turn to either a pair of lefties, Paul Maholm or Alex Wood.
All games will be played on TBS, with MLB Network a possibility for a game or two.
Clayton Kershaw (16-9, 1.83) vs. Kris Medlen (15-12, 3.11)
Game 2, October 4 - Dodgers at Braves, 6:07 ET
Zack Greinke (15-4, 2.63) vs. Mike Minor (13-9, 3.21)
Game 3, October 6 - Braves at Dodgers, Time TBA
Julio Teheran (14-8, 3.20) vs. Hyun-Jin Ryu (14-8, 3.00)
Game 4 (if nec.), October 7 - Braves at Dodgers, Time TBA
Starters TBA
Game 5 (if nec.), October 9 - Dodgers at Braves, Time TBA
Clayton Kershaw vs. Kris Medlen
For Game 4, the Dodgers would most likely go with Ricky Nolasco, while the Braves would turn to either a pair of lefties, Paul Maholm or Alex Wood.
All games will be played on TBS, with MLB Network a possibility for a game or two.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Dodgers and Braves, and the race for tops in the NL
Zack Greinke took care of business on Sunday afternoon in a 2-1 win over the Padres, tossing seven innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts, improving to 14-3 with a 2.78 ERA. Yasiel Puig's solo shot in the sixth proved to be the difference, as he's responded very well since his embarrassing benching last Wednesday.
With the win, the race in the NL West has to be declared all but dead, as the Dodgers have a whopping 11 1/2 game lead over the Diamondbacks, who dropped a home game to the Giants.
Speaking of division races that are all but over, the Braves have a 14-game lead over the Nationals in the NL East. They also hold a two-game advantage over the Dodgers for the top spot in the National League.
With that in mind, it's time to take a look at what lies ahead for each team in September in the race for home field advantage.
Dodgers (81-55)
Home Games: 10 (Diamondbacks 3, Giants 4, Rockies 3)
Away Games: 16 (Rockies 3, Reds 3, Diamondbacks 4, Padres 3, Giants 3)
Opposing Teams Winning %: .485
Braves (83-53)
Home Games: 13 (Mets 3, Padres 3, Brewers 3, Phillies 4)
Away Games: 13 (Phillies 3, Marlins 4, Nationals 3, Cubs 3)
Opposing Teams Winning %: .444
Analysis:
Right off the bat, the Braves have an advantage in both home games and ease of schedule. Both teams play the majority of their games in the division the rest of the way. But, the Dodgers have to go to Cincinnati as their only non-NL West opponent, and the Braves get the Brewers at home and Cubs on the road in their only games outside the NL East. Plus, the Braves play their final seven games at home, where they're a Major Leauge best 49-19. Another big advantage.
What the Dodgers do have going for them is their health, which is something that has plagued them for most of the season. While they can expect the return of Matt Kemp to the lineup at some point this month, the Braves will be without Jayson Heyward most likely until the playoffs. Plus, you can forget about Brandon Beachy and Tim Hudson for this season.
With all of this in mind, the Braves still have to feel good about wrapping up the top spot. Both teams have soft schedules, but the Braves have a super fluffy pillow soft one. Of their 13 remaining games at home, it's not out of the question to think they can win every one of them, or 10 at the least. The Dodgers are a very good road team, but will still face a tough matchup with a hungry Reds team looking to either win the NL Central or get a home Wild Card game.
Keep in mind that crazy things can happen in September (Red Sox in 2011, anyone?), as the Pirates and Cardinals are only four games behind the Braves. While the playoff teams are pretty set, the positioning should be tight all the way through the end of the month.
With the win, the race in the NL West has to be declared all but dead, as the Dodgers have a whopping 11 1/2 game lead over the Diamondbacks, who dropped a home game to the Giants.
Speaking of division races that are all but over, the Braves have a 14-game lead over the Nationals in the NL East. They also hold a two-game advantage over the Dodgers for the top spot in the National League.
With that in mind, it's time to take a look at what lies ahead for each team in September in the race for home field advantage.
Dodgers (81-55)
Home Games: 10 (Diamondbacks 3, Giants 4, Rockies 3)
Away Games: 16 (Rockies 3, Reds 3, Diamondbacks 4, Padres 3, Giants 3)
Opposing Teams Winning %: .485
Braves (83-53)
Home Games: 13 (Mets 3, Padres 3, Brewers 3, Phillies 4)
Away Games: 13 (Phillies 3, Marlins 4, Nationals 3, Cubs 3)
Opposing Teams Winning %: .444
Analysis:
Right off the bat, the Braves have an advantage in both home games and ease of schedule. Both teams play the majority of their games in the division the rest of the way. But, the Dodgers have to go to Cincinnati as their only non-NL West opponent, and the Braves get the Brewers at home and Cubs on the road in their only games outside the NL East. Plus, the Braves play their final seven games at home, where they're a Major Leauge best 49-19. Another big advantage.
What the Dodgers do have going for them is their health, which is something that has plagued them for most of the season. While they can expect the return of Matt Kemp to the lineup at some point this month, the Braves will be without Jayson Heyward most likely until the playoffs. Plus, you can forget about Brandon Beachy and Tim Hudson for this season.
With all of this in mind, the Braves still have to feel good about wrapping up the top spot. Both teams have soft schedules, but the Braves have a super fluffy pillow soft one. Of their 13 remaining games at home, it's not out of the question to think they can win every one of them, or 10 at the least. The Dodgers are a very good road team, but will still face a tough matchup with a hungry Reds team looking to either win the NL Central or get a home Wild Card game.
Keep in mind that crazy things can happen in September (Red Sox in 2011, anyone?), as the Pirates and Cardinals are only four games behind the Braves. While the playoff teams are pretty set, the positioning should be tight all the way through the end of the month.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Sunday is not Funday for the Dodgers
If it could go wrong, it did. That sums up Sunday afternoon in Dodger Stadium.
After winning the opening two games of the four-game set, the Dodgers dropped Saturday's game by a run, then proceeded to get absolutely squashed on Sunday. The offense was a joke, Matt Magill was embarrassing, Adrian Gonzalez is definitely not a Gold Glover anymore, and the Braves got the easy victory, 8-1.
Oh ya, and Hanley Ramirez might by placed on the DL (again), Ted Lilly already was (again), and Matt Kemp suffered a setback (AGAIN). What a glorious day indeed!
Magill walked a couple in the first, but somehow got out of it. The Dodgers then proceeded to do what they do best: get runners on and leave 'em right there. Yasiel Puig singled leading off, Nick Punto reached on a bunt single, and Gonzalez took a walk.
The downside to all of this is that Kemp and Ramirez are hurt, so rather than true RBI guys like them coming up, it was Scott Van Slyke, Luis Cruz, and Skip Schumaker instead. Van Slyke grounded into a forceout at home. Cruz, who unbelievably got the start in the #5 hole, struck out right on cue. At least Schumaker dribbled a little one along the third base line for the RBI infield single to make it 1-0. Tim Federowicz fouled out to first, and the offense yet again wasted a great opportunity.
The Braves took total control in the fourth. Jayson Heyward and his .200 average walked with one out. Gonzalez then was unable to cleanly glove an easy grounder to him, allowing Justin Upton to reach. A single by Freddy Freeman loaded the bases.
The mighty Evan Gattis hit a sac-fly RBI to make it 1-1. Magill needed to make a big pitch to keep it at that, but couldn't. A three-run homer by Dan Uggla out to left made it 4-1, and the game was pretty much over at that point.
But just for fun, the Braves kept piling on. A bases clearing double by Freeman in the fourth made it 7-1. Of course, that came after two more walks by Magill to run his total to six on the day. Uggla finished things off with a solo shot, his second tater of the day, the next inning.
Like the title up above says, between injuries off the field and ineffectiveness on it, it was no Sunday Funday in LA. More like Sunday Everything Can And Did Go Wrong Day. I discussed the other day about how great it would be if the Dodgers could take three of four at home from a really good team. Well, that all got flushed down the toilet by the fourth inning.
Magill didn't get helped by Gonzalez's error in the third, but even with that, he was flat out awful. He didn't even make it out of the fourth and had six walks. That runs his total to 28 in 27 2/3 innings. I know he's been yanked up and down like a yo-yo between the minors and majors, but there's still no excuse for giving away so many free passes. The Dodgers need to seriously look elsewhere for spot starts. He simply cannot get the job done.
The silver lining for the Dodgers was once again Puig, who went 3-for-5 with a double, raising his average to .464. And here's the funny (in a sad way) part: he didn't even score a run. The leadoff hitter reaches base three times, and not once does he score. That's pathetic. If I'm a hitter in that lineup, I'm completely embarrassed by that.
I guess we shouldn't expect much to change, because healthy bodies are at a premium. And GOOD healthy bodies... well, those are few and far between. So maybe seeing Cruz's name penciled in so high will be the norm. UGH.
It's a good thing that Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to take the mound on Monday, as the Dodgers need their ace to get back on the winning track. He'll go up against the Diamondbacks' Wade Miley.
After winning the opening two games of the four-game set, the Dodgers dropped Saturday's game by a run, then proceeded to get absolutely squashed on Sunday. The offense was a joke, Matt Magill was embarrassing, Adrian Gonzalez is definitely not a Gold Glover anymore, and the Braves got the easy victory, 8-1.
Oh ya, and Hanley Ramirez might by placed on the DL (again), Ted Lilly already was (again), and Matt Kemp suffered a setback (AGAIN). What a glorious day indeed!
Magill walked a couple in the first, but somehow got out of it. The Dodgers then proceeded to do what they do best: get runners on and leave 'em right there. Yasiel Puig singled leading off, Nick Punto reached on a bunt single, and Gonzalez took a walk.
The downside to all of this is that Kemp and Ramirez are hurt, so rather than true RBI guys like them coming up, it was Scott Van Slyke, Luis Cruz, and Skip Schumaker instead. Van Slyke grounded into a forceout at home. Cruz, who unbelievably got the start in the #5 hole, struck out right on cue. At least Schumaker dribbled a little one along the third base line for the RBI infield single to make it 1-0. Tim Federowicz fouled out to first, and the offense yet again wasted a great opportunity.
The Braves took total control in the fourth. Jayson Heyward and his .200 average walked with one out. Gonzalez then was unable to cleanly glove an easy grounder to him, allowing Justin Upton to reach. A single by Freddy Freeman loaded the bases.
The mighty Evan Gattis hit a sac-fly RBI to make it 1-1. Magill needed to make a big pitch to keep it at that, but couldn't. A three-run homer by Dan Uggla out to left made it 4-1, and the game was pretty much over at that point.
But just for fun, the Braves kept piling on. A bases clearing double by Freeman in the fourth made it 7-1. Of course, that came after two more walks by Magill to run his total to six on the day. Uggla finished things off with a solo shot, his second tater of the day, the next inning.
Like the title up above says, between injuries off the field and ineffectiveness on it, it was no Sunday Funday in LA. More like Sunday Everything Can And Did Go Wrong Day. I discussed the other day about how great it would be if the Dodgers could take three of four at home from a really good team. Well, that all got flushed down the toilet by the fourth inning.
Magill didn't get helped by Gonzalez's error in the third, but even with that, he was flat out awful. He didn't even make it out of the fourth and had six walks. That runs his total to 28 in 27 2/3 innings. I know he's been yanked up and down like a yo-yo between the minors and majors, but there's still no excuse for giving away so many free passes. The Dodgers need to seriously look elsewhere for spot starts. He simply cannot get the job done.
The silver lining for the Dodgers was once again Puig, who went 3-for-5 with a double, raising his average to .464. And here's the funny (in a sad way) part: he didn't even score a run. The leadoff hitter reaches base three times, and not once does he score. That's pathetic. If I'm a hitter in that lineup, I'm completely embarrassed by that.
I guess we shouldn't expect much to change, because healthy bodies are at a premium. And GOOD healthy bodies... well, those are few and far between. So maybe seeing Cruz's name penciled in so high will be the norm. UGH.
It's a good thing that Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to take the mound on Monday, as the Dodgers need their ace to get back on the winning track. He'll go up against the Diamondbacks' Wade Miley.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Medlen the complete difference in downing the Dodgers
When Kris Medlen wasn't beating the Dodgers with his arm, he was doing it with his bat.
Medlen pitched shutout ball into the seventh and added a solo home run in the fifth. That turned out to be the game-winner as the Braves held on to beat the Dodgers, 2-1. The loss erased a chance for the Dodgers to win three straight games since early April. Nope, not May... April. It's been that long.
For young Stephen Fife, he was able to match Medlen through four innings as the game was scoreless. The fifth is when the Braves got going. Dan Uggla led off and smashed a solo shot to center to make it 1-0. After a strikeout, Medlen stepped in and lifted one out to right for his first career tater, and it was 2-0. Not bad for a guy who grew up making trips to Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers' offense featured more of the same - failing to capitalize with runners on. Nick Punto hit a leadoff double in the sixth and advanced to third with an out. Andre Ethier and Scott Van Slyke couldn't cash him in. Tim Federowicz singled with an out the next inning, but went nowhere.
In the eighth, the Dodgers at least cut the deficit in half. The newest LA hero Yasiel Puig hit a single to start, which featured a scary head first slide into first. I'm pretty sure Don Mattingly and Davy Lopes will have a nice talk with him about NEVER doing that again! At least we can hope.
A grounder by Punto forced Puig at second, but a wild throw by Andrelton Simmons put Punto at second. Adrian Gonzalez grounded out and Punto went to third. Hanley Ramirez pinch-hit, which Fredi Gonzalez countered with flamethrower Jordan Walden. Ramirez came through anyway with an RBI single right up the middle and through Walden's legs to make it 2-1. Jerry Hairston popped up to end the inning.
The Dodgers had the tough task of trying to score against Craig Kimbrel in the ninth, but Skip Schumaker led off with a single. Nothing came of it, however, as Federowicz struck out, Ramon Hernandez pinch-hit and grounded out, and Mark Ellis struck out on a full count to end the game, stranding Puig in the on-deck circle. It was Kimbrel's 18th save.
Medlen was the true star of the game, but the rookies of Fife and Puig did all they could to grab a win for their team. Fife had his second straight solid start, even in a losing cause. He lasted 6 2/3 innings for nine hits, two runs, one walk, and seven strikeouts. The longball was his downfall, but obviously his offense gave him no support. He's lowered his ERA from 7.71 after his first start to 3.78 a couple starts later. It's something to build on, especially since he's shown the ability to strike batter out.
Then there's Puig, who's turning into "Must See TV." He's riding a wave of excitement where every at-bat is a big deal. He collected a couple more hits in this one, and has hit safely in five of six games. The only problem I had with him is that he didn't homer. How dare he! OK, so he's forgiven.
The hits are nice, but the play he made with his arm in the fifth was even nicer. With Fife already reeling a bit from giving up a couple of homers, Simmons hit an infield single, and Jayson Heyward followed with a single to right. Simmons decided to test Puig's arm on the play, and Puig nailed him on a perfect throw to third for the second out. It was very Raul Mondesi-like, as the throw was an absolute bullet and right on the money. Don't run on him!
The Braves are 14 games over .500, and the Dodgers are... well, not even close to that. Seven games under to be exact. But, if the Dodgers can win on Sunday, they will have taken three of four from them, which would be awesome. Ted Lilly was the scheduled starter. So naturally, that means he's going to be scratched and placed on the 15-day DL... again. I like the guy, but enough is enough. His best days are clearly in the rearview mirror. Matt Magill will be recalled to take the hill instead.
Medlen pitched shutout ball into the seventh and added a solo home run in the fifth. That turned out to be the game-winner as the Braves held on to beat the Dodgers, 2-1. The loss erased a chance for the Dodgers to win three straight games since early April. Nope, not May... April. It's been that long.
For young Stephen Fife, he was able to match Medlen through four innings as the game was scoreless. The fifth is when the Braves got going. Dan Uggla led off and smashed a solo shot to center to make it 1-0. After a strikeout, Medlen stepped in and lifted one out to right for his first career tater, and it was 2-0. Not bad for a guy who grew up making trips to Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers' offense featured more of the same - failing to capitalize with runners on. Nick Punto hit a leadoff double in the sixth and advanced to third with an out. Andre Ethier and Scott Van Slyke couldn't cash him in. Tim Federowicz singled with an out the next inning, but went nowhere.
In the eighth, the Dodgers at least cut the deficit in half. The newest LA hero Yasiel Puig hit a single to start, which featured a scary head first slide into first. I'm pretty sure Don Mattingly and Davy Lopes will have a nice talk with him about NEVER doing that again! At least we can hope.
A grounder by Punto forced Puig at second, but a wild throw by Andrelton Simmons put Punto at second. Adrian Gonzalez grounded out and Punto went to third. Hanley Ramirez pinch-hit, which Fredi Gonzalez countered with flamethrower Jordan Walden. Ramirez came through anyway with an RBI single right up the middle and through Walden's legs to make it 2-1. Jerry Hairston popped up to end the inning.
The Dodgers had the tough task of trying to score against Craig Kimbrel in the ninth, but Skip Schumaker led off with a single. Nothing came of it, however, as Federowicz struck out, Ramon Hernandez pinch-hit and grounded out, and Mark Ellis struck out on a full count to end the game, stranding Puig in the on-deck circle. It was Kimbrel's 18th save.
Medlen was the true star of the game, but the rookies of Fife and Puig did all they could to grab a win for their team. Fife had his second straight solid start, even in a losing cause. He lasted 6 2/3 innings for nine hits, two runs, one walk, and seven strikeouts. The longball was his downfall, but obviously his offense gave him no support. He's lowered his ERA from 7.71 after his first start to 3.78 a couple starts later. It's something to build on, especially since he's shown the ability to strike batter out.
Then there's Puig, who's turning into "Must See TV." He's riding a wave of excitement where every at-bat is a big deal. He collected a couple more hits in this one, and has hit safely in five of six games. The only problem I had with him is that he didn't homer. How dare he! OK, so he's forgiven.
The hits are nice, but the play he made with his arm in the fifth was even nicer. With Fife already reeling a bit from giving up a couple of homers, Simmons hit an infield single, and Jayson Heyward followed with a single to right. Simmons decided to test Puig's arm on the play, and Puig nailed him on a perfect throw to third for the second out. It was very Raul Mondesi-like, as the throw was an absolute bullet and right on the money. Don't run on him!
The Braves are 14 games over .500, and the Dodgers are... well, not even close to that. Seven games under to be exact. But, if the Dodgers can win on Sunday, they will have taken three of four from them, which would be awesome. Ted Lilly was the scheduled starter. So naturally, that means he's going to be scratched and placed on the 15-day DL... again. I like the guy, but enough is enough. His best days are clearly in the rearview mirror. Matt Magill will be recalled to take the hill instead.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Just your latest embarrassing Dodger loss
I would laugh if this wasn't all so pathetic.
For the third straight game, the Braves made all the clutch plays late, the Dodgers made none of them, and you can just guess which team ended up winning. A 2-1 lead in the eighth turned into a 5-2 loss, all aided by more awful bullpen work and errors galore. That's a sweep for the Braves as the Dodgers fall to eight games under .500.
Young Matt Magill got the call, and like the other starting pitchers this series, was actually spotted an early lead. After a rain delay of nearly two hours, Carl Crawford doubled leading off against Mike Minor. Mark Ellis made his return from the 15-day DL and grounded him over to second. Matt Kemp struck out, of course, but Adrian Gonzalez hit an RBI single to go up 1-0.
The defense was actually good in the bottom half, as Magill escaped thanks to a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play. That would pretty much mark the end of the good defense, so savor the moment, Dodger fans.
Gonzalez was again responsible for driving in a run in the third. Crawford walked, and an out later, Kemp actually doubled for two on. A sac-fly RBI by Gonzalez to deep center made it 2-0.
The Braves got one back in the fifth. It started on an error by Nick Punto at short, as Andrelton Simmons beat it out. To Punto's defense, that probably should've been a hit all along, so we'll let that slide. With two outs, Minor kept the inning alive with a single, and Jordan Schafer's RBI single made it 2-1.
Magill was chased in the sixth when Justin Upton singled leading off. J.P. Howell got to an 0-2 count on Freddie Freeman, then had to wait out another rain delay. When back, he got Freeman to ground to second, which was then booted by Ellis for two on. Ronald Belisario had to get pinch-hitter Evan Gattis to ground into a forceout to end it. Yes, Belisuckio actually did something right.
Like the other two games in this series, the offense went into hibernation after the early going. Poor Scott Van Slyke had to leave the game after fouling two straight pitches off his left ankle. That pretty much sums up the Dodgers' entire season so far - painful.
Belisario, Paco Rodriguez, and Kenley Jansen all pitched in the seventh and held the Braves scoreless. No thanks to Rodriguez, however, as he beaned Jayson Heyward in his only batter faced. Jansen K'd Upton for the last out.
There would be no such luck in the eighth, as defense and bullpen just completely melted down. Nine hitters came to the plate as the Braves took apart the atrocious bullpen. Jansen gave up a hit and a walk. Brandon League was awful, just awful. Four runs scored off of him, though it needs to be pointed out that there was a big error in this inning.
Who committed the error? That's right, Mr. Championship Experience himself, Juan Uribe. He couldn't handle a simple bunt to load the bases. An RBI single by Gerald Laird tied it, and a sac-fly RBI by Ramiro Pena gave them the lead. Chris Johnson added an RBI single, and Schafer a perfect suicide squeeze bunt just for fun.
Craig Kimbrel got the save, striking out Kemp, Gonzalez, and Andre Ethier. Again, it's symbolic.
The Dodgers have suffered many embarrassing loses this year, but this one might top them all. Three errors on simple ground balls. Three hits, and none after the third. Four runs given up by the bullpen. All three batters striking out to end it. Those are just brutal stats.
But, that's life as a Dodger right now - just brutal. Almost everything about them is terrible. The offense, defense, bullpen, and managing. Yes, it's easy to point the blame all at Mattingly, but it's not like he's the one who makes all the pitches. But he also is the one making the calls to the bullpen, and it seems to rarely work. That's where he gets the blame.
About the only positive to take away from this is another good start from the rotation. Magill went five innings for four hits, one unearned run, three walks, and eight strikeouts. His reward? Another no-decision. He still doesn't have a record after four starts. He did lower his ERA by nearly two runs, which shows how good he was today. Alas, it didn't matter.
Let's see if management wakes up and does something with this horrendous bullpen. They simply cannot keep running the same clowns out there, only to watch them get squashed day in and day out. Either way, they're off to Milwaukee for three starting Monday. Clayton Kershaw gets the call. Expect him to be dominant for eight innings... only to watch the 'pen blow it in the ninth. Write it down.
For the third straight game, the Braves made all the clutch plays late, the Dodgers made none of them, and you can just guess which team ended up winning. A 2-1 lead in the eighth turned into a 5-2 loss, all aided by more awful bullpen work and errors galore. That's a sweep for the Braves as the Dodgers fall to eight games under .500.
Young Matt Magill got the call, and like the other starting pitchers this series, was actually spotted an early lead. After a rain delay of nearly two hours, Carl Crawford doubled leading off against Mike Minor. Mark Ellis made his return from the 15-day DL and grounded him over to second. Matt Kemp struck out, of course, but Adrian Gonzalez hit an RBI single to go up 1-0.
The defense was actually good in the bottom half, as Magill escaped thanks to a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play. That would pretty much mark the end of the good defense, so savor the moment, Dodger fans.
Gonzalez was again responsible for driving in a run in the third. Crawford walked, and an out later, Kemp actually doubled for two on. A sac-fly RBI by Gonzalez to deep center made it 2-0.
The Braves got one back in the fifth. It started on an error by Nick Punto at short, as Andrelton Simmons beat it out. To Punto's defense, that probably should've been a hit all along, so we'll let that slide. With two outs, Minor kept the inning alive with a single, and Jordan Schafer's RBI single made it 2-1.
Magill was chased in the sixth when Justin Upton singled leading off. J.P. Howell got to an 0-2 count on Freddie Freeman, then had to wait out another rain delay. When back, he got Freeman to ground to second, which was then booted by Ellis for two on. Ronald Belisario had to get pinch-hitter Evan Gattis to ground into a forceout to end it. Yes, Belisuckio actually did something right.
Like the other two games in this series, the offense went into hibernation after the early going. Poor Scott Van Slyke had to leave the game after fouling two straight pitches off his left ankle. That pretty much sums up the Dodgers' entire season so far - painful.
Belisario, Paco Rodriguez, and Kenley Jansen all pitched in the seventh and held the Braves scoreless. No thanks to Rodriguez, however, as he beaned Jayson Heyward in his only batter faced. Jansen K'd Upton for the last out.
There would be no such luck in the eighth, as defense and bullpen just completely melted down. Nine hitters came to the plate as the Braves took apart the atrocious bullpen. Jansen gave up a hit and a walk. Brandon League was awful, just awful. Four runs scored off of him, though it needs to be pointed out that there was a big error in this inning.
Who committed the error? That's right, Mr. Championship Experience himself, Juan Uribe. He couldn't handle a simple bunt to load the bases. An RBI single by Gerald Laird tied it, and a sac-fly RBI by Ramiro Pena gave them the lead. Chris Johnson added an RBI single, and Schafer a perfect suicide squeeze bunt just for fun.
Craig Kimbrel got the save, striking out Kemp, Gonzalez, and Andre Ethier. Again, it's symbolic.
The Dodgers have suffered many embarrassing loses this year, but this one might top them all. Three errors on simple ground balls. Three hits, and none after the third. Four runs given up by the bullpen. All three batters striking out to end it. Those are just brutal stats.
But, that's life as a Dodger right now - just brutal. Almost everything about them is terrible. The offense, defense, bullpen, and managing. Yes, it's easy to point the blame all at Mattingly, but it's not like he's the one who makes all the pitches. But he also is the one making the calls to the bullpen, and it seems to rarely work. That's where he gets the blame.
About the only positive to take away from this is another good start from the rotation. Magill went five innings for four hits, one unearned run, three walks, and eight strikeouts. His reward? Another no-decision. He still doesn't have a record after four starts. He did lower his ERA by nearly two runs, which shows how good he was today. Alas, it didn't matter.
Let's see if management wakes up and does something with this horrendous bullpen. They simply cannot keep running the same clowns out there, only to watch them get squashed day in and day out. Either way, they're off to Milwaukee for three starting Monday. Clayton Kershaw gets the call. Expect him to be dominant for eight innings... only to watch the 'pen blow it in the ninth. Write it down.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Crappy offense, bullpen, and team
If it can go wrong for the Dodgers, it will.
Despite Matt Kemp robbing Jayson Heyward of a homer, and Chris Capuano pitching shutout ball into the eighth, the Braves used consecutive homers from Evan Gattis and Andrelton Simmons against Kenley Jansen to get the win, 3-1. That's now two straight nights of the bullpen blowing slim leads late in the game.
On paper, you wouldn't think the pitching matchup of Capuano and Kris Medlen would be a duel, but it sure was. Neither man surrendered an earned run going into the eighth. In fact, the lone run for the Dodgers was unearned.
That occurred in the fourth. Adrian Gonzalez drew a walk with one out. Andre Ethier flied out as part of his pitiful 0-for-4 night. Gee, I'm so glad he was back in the lineup and not Scott Van Slyke, who hit two taters the night before. Great decision by Don Mattingly... not.
Now back to the game. The second of the Dodgers' two hits on the night came here, as Skip Schumaker lined one down the left field line. Justin Upton bobbled it a bit, which allowed the snail slow Gonzalez to score. I never thought I'd see him run from first to home, but the misplay deep in the corner was the reason why.
Capuano was awesome in keeping it a 1-0 game going into the eighth. With one out, B.J. Upton actually got a hit with a single. To say that guy has been in a slump would be an understatement, as he was Luis Cruz-like bad. OK, so nobody's that bad. That would be darn near impossible!
Evan Gattis came into pinch-hit, so Mattingly called upon Jansen. Gattis battled him with three straight fouls on a 2-2 count. Then he squared one up and absolutely unloaded on a laser out to left, giving the Braves a 2-1 lead as Capuano looked like he wanted to spit nails in the dugout. Just for good measure, Simmons hit one out next to go up 3-1.
That's all Craig Kimbrel would need, as he made only 10 pitches in earning his 13th save.
Looking at the lineup coming into this game, I knew the top third of the order would have to make the most noise if they wanted to win. Well, Carl Crawford, Kemp, and Gonzalez combined to go 0-for-11 with a walk and run scored. The only hits were a single by Tim Federowicz and the double by Schumaker, which wasn't an RBI because of Upton's error.
To sum everything up for this lineup, out of 131 pitches faced, only two went for hits. That is absolutely, truly, utterly pathetic. But not the least bit surprising for the most boring offense in baseball.
It's a shame that Capuano didn't get the win, but like the lack of runs scored, it's not surprising. He lasted 7 1/3 innings for five hits, one run, no walks, and five strikeouts. He's lowered his ERA in his last two starts from 10.38 to 4.84. About the only justice is that he didn't get pegged with the loss, Jansen did.
And speaking of Jansen, how bad was he? He can be dominating, but it's fair to say the rest of the league has caught up to him a bit. He no longer throws high-90s, it's more like around 92. He's always been a one-trick pony with the cutter, but now hitters don't look as intimidated by it. All in all, he had a chance to step up and get some big outs, and failed miserably.
Then again, if Mattingly let Capuano keep pitching, perhaps none of this would have happened. He was only at 91 pitches and didn't walk a hitter all night. Yet, the second the right-handed Gattis came to the plate, Mattingly brought the hook. It was all downhill after that.
It's not Mattingly's fault that the bullpen stinks. But there's no denying that it's yet another wrong call late in the game by him. Much like going with Paco Rodriguez the night before, only to watch him walk Heyward and surrender a grand slam to Upton. It was the wrong call then, and the wrong call again on Saturday.
I don't want to be one who piles on every move by Mattingly when things go wrong. However, the heat is definitely on him right now. The team looks lifeless, and his moves late in the game have once again backfired. If things don't turn around in a hurry, and unless Clayton Kershaw or Zack Greinke are on the mound I don't see why they would, then I wouldn't be surprised to see him relieved of his duties. That's the point we're at right now.
A win on Sunday would at least be something positive to take away from a frustrating weekend. It won't be Kershaw, as he's been pushed back to Monday in Milwaukee because of his large workload last start. The mediocre Matt Magill will go instead. Advantage, Braves. This has sweep written all over it.
Despite Matt Kemp robbing Jayson Heyward of a homer, and Chris Capuano pitching shutout ball into the eighth, the Braves used consecutive homers from Evan Gattis and Andrelton Simmons against Kenley Jansen to get the win, 3-1. That's now two straight nights of the bullpen blowing slim leads late in the game.
On paper, you wouldn't think the pitching matchup of Capuano and Kris Medlen would be a duel, but it sure was. Neither man surrendered an earned run going into the eighth. In fact, the lone run for the Dodgers was unearned.
That occurred in the fourth. Adrian Gonzalez drew a walk with one out. Andre Ethier flied out as part of his pitiful 0-for-4 night. Gee, I'm so glad he was back in the lineup and not Scott Van Slyke, who hit two taters the night before. Great decision by Don Mattingly... not.
Now back to the game. The second of the Dodgers' two hits on the night came here, as Skip Schumaker lined one down the left field line. Justin Upton bobbled it a bit, which allowed the snail slow Gonzalez to score. I never thought I'd see him run from first to home, but the misplay deep in the corner was the reason why.
Capuano was awesome in keeping it a 1-0 game going into the eighth. With one out, B.J. Upton actually got a hit with a single. To say that guy has been in a slump would be an understatement, as he was Luis Cruz-like bad. OK, so nobody's that bad. That would be darn near impossible!
Evan Gattis came into pinch-hit, so Mattingly called upon Jansen. Gattis battled him with three straight fouls on a 2-2 count. Then he squared one up and absolutely unloaded on a laser out to left, giving the Braves a 2-1 lead as Capuano looked like he wanted to spit nails in the dugout. Just for good measure, Simmons hit one out next to go up 3-1.
That's all Craig Kimbrel would need, as he made only 10 pitches in earning his 13th save.
Looking at the lineup coming into this game, I knew the top third of the order would have to make the most noise if they wanted to win. Well, Carl Crawford, Kemp, and Gonzalez combined to go 0-for-11 with a walk and run scored. The only hits were a single by Tim Federowicz and the double by Schumaker, which wasn't an RBI because of Upton's error.
To sum everything up for this lineup, out of 131 pitches faced, only two went for hits. That is absolutely, truly, utterly pathetic. But not the least bit surprising for the most boring offense in baseball.
It's a shame that Capuano didn't get the win, but like the lack of runs scored, it's not surprising. He lasted 7 1/3 innings for five hits, one run, no walks, and five strikeouts. He's lowered his ERA in his last two starts from 10.38 to 4.84. About the only justice is that he didn't get pegged with the loss, Jansen did.
And speaking of Jansen, how bad was he? He can be dominating, but it's fair to say the rest of the league has caught up to him a bit. He no longer throws high-90s, it's more like around 92. He's always been a one-trick pony with the cutter, but now hitters don't look as intimidated by it. All in all, he had a chance to step up and get some big outs, and failed miserably.
Then again, if Mattingly let Capuano keep pitching, perhaps none of this would have happened. He was only at 91 pitches and didn't walk a hitter all night. Yet, the second the right-handed Gattis came to the plate, Mattingly brought the hook. It was all downhill after that.
It's not Mattingly's fault that the bullpen stinks. But there's no denying that it's yet another wrong call late in the game by him. Much like going with Paco Rodriguez the night before, only to watch him walk Heyward and surrender a grand slam to Upton. It was the wrong call then, and the wrong call again on Saturday.
I don't want to be one who piles on every move by Mattingly when things go wrong. However, the heat is definitely on him right now. The team looks lifeless, and his moves late in the game have once again backfired. If things don't turn around in a hurry, and unless Clayton Kershaw or Zack Greinke are on the mound I don't see why they would, then I wouldn't be surprised to see him relieved of his duties. That's the point we're at right now.
A win on Sunday would at least be something positive to take away from a frustrating weekend. It won't be Kershaw, as he's been pushed back to Monday in Milwaukee because of his large workload last start. The mediocre Matt Magill will go instead. Advantage, Braves. This has sweep written all over it.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Van Slyke's big night goes to waste
The Dodgers got everything they could have asked for in Scott Van Slyke on Friday, as he hit two solo homers and made a great sliding catch in the fifth.
Then the defense and bullpen decided to flush all of that down the toilet in the matter of one inning.
Two misplayed balls in the sixth soon led to a grand slam from Justin Upton, and the Braves went on to down the Dodgers, 8-5. Despite three separate leads of 1-0, 3-2, and 4-2, it didn't mean a thing in the end. It was another blown opportunity.
After Hyun-Jin Ryu worked around two walks in the first, the Dodgers got him a run in the second. A.J. Ellis doubled leading off, and believe it or not, Luis Cruz singled an out later to put runners on the corners. OK, so it was only a cheeseball infield hit, but it raised his average at the time to .100. Seriously, that hit RAISED his average to that in his 28th game. I'm beyond the point of laughing about it since it's so utterly sad.
Anyway, Dee Gordon chopped a ball into a fielder's choice that was good enough to score Ellis from third, and it was 1-0.
The Braves grabbed their first lead of the night in the third. A single by Andrelton Simmons and double by Jayson Heyward put two runners on. An RBI groundout by Upton and RBI single by Freddy Freeman later, it was 2-1 Braves.
The back and forth night continued in the fourth as the Dodgers went back ahead by one. Ellis walked and Cruz reached on an error (because one hit was way more than enough for him on this night). With two outs, Ryu and Carl Crawford went back up the middle for run-scoring singles, and it was 3-2.
The fifth and sixth innings were amazing because of the difference in defense. In the fifth, Van Slyke made a great sliding catch to rob Chris Johnson, and Matt Kemp topped him right after that with a diving catch right after. Van Slyke slugged his first of two homers to start the sixth, and the Dodgers looked good up 4-2.
And then the bottom of the sixth came, and it all unraveled. Matt Guerrier struck out B.J. Upton to start, pretty much because everybody strikes that guy out. Then Jordan Schafer popped up into shallow left center, and all three guys converging couldn't catch it. Simmons lined one right to Cruz after that, and like a damn Little Leaguer scared of the damn ball, he dropped it.
So instead of three outs and inning over, Paco Rodriguez came in with one. He immediately walked Heyward to load the bases. Upton waited on a fastball right down Broadway, and nearly hit it that far as well for a grand slam, going up 6-4.
The game was all but over after that, as the Braves added two more runs in the seventh. Crawford again made a bad defensive play by dropping a liner in left to score another run. Heyward added an RBI single right after that, and it was 8-4.
Van Slyke crushed his second homer to dead center to make it somewhat close at 8-5, but that was it for highlights. Craig Kimbrel got Kemp to groundout to short as the rain was falling to end the game and his hitting streak at 14.
My, what a difference an inning can make. The two catches by Van Slyke and Kemp were Web Gem worthy. Then Cruz and Crawford showed not soon after that just how far the Dodgers have to go in order to even be a decent team again. The second something looks good, they remind you that they're not.
Ryu had trouble with his control, and for the first time in his brief career failed to go at least six innings. Still, five innings and two runs with five strikeouts ain't too bad. He left with a chance to get the win, and that vanished in no time. He remains at 4-2.
Two of the worst things about the Dodgers this year have been Cruz and the middle relief. Well, that was on full display in this one. Cruz is hitting .096 and had the big error. The bullpen certainly didn't get help from the gloves, but still couldn't get the big outs when they needed them. Guerrier gets a pass because he should've had a 1-2-3 inning. Rodriguez and Ronald Belisario were the usual mixed bag. That's no surprise.
Let's hope a two-homer night will earn Van Slyke more starts. I've got no problem watching Andre Ethier sit again. He actually did appear in the ninth, and predictably struck out against Kimbrel. It wasn't even fair for him, Kimbrel was so much better. Can Van Slyke play third? I doubt it, but hell, give it a shot! Anyone but Cruz!
Chris Capuano is coming off his best start against the Marlins, picking up his first win. He'll take the mound on Saturday against Kris Medlen.
Then the defense and bullpen decided to flush all of that down the toilet in the matter of one inning.
Two misplayed balls in the sixth soon led to a grand slam from Justin Upton, and the Braves went on to down the Dodgers, 8-5. Despite three separate leads of 1-0, 3-2, and 4-2, it didn't mean a thing in the end. It was another blown opportunity.
After Hyun-Jin Ryu worked around two walks in the first, the Dodgers got him a run in the second. A.J. Ellis doubled leading off, and believe it or not, Luis Cruz singled an out later to put runners on the corners. OK, so it was only a cheeseball infield hit, but it raised his average at the time to .100. Seriously, that hit RAISED his average to that in his 28th game. I'm beyond the point of laughing about it since it's so utterly sad.
Anyway, Dee Gordon chopped a ball into a fielder's choice that was good enough to score Ellis from third, and it was 1-0.
The Braves grabbed their first lead of the night in the third. A single by Andrelton Simmons and double by Jayson Heyward put two runners on. An RBI groundout by Upton and RBI single by Freddy Freeman later, it was 2-1 Braves.
The back and forth night continued in the fourth as the Dodgers went back ahead by one. Ellis walked and Cruz reached on an error (because one hit was way more than enough for him on this night). With two outs, Ryu and Carl Crawford went back up the middle for run-scoring singles, and it was 3-2.
The fifth and sixth innings were amazing because of the difference in defense. In the fifth, Van Slyke made a great sliding catch to rob Chris Johnson, and Matt Kemp topped him right after that with a diving catch right after. Van Slyke slugged his first of two homers to start the sixth, and the Dodgers looked good up 4-2.
And then the bottom of the sixth came, and it all unraveled. Matt Guerrier struck out B.J. Upton to start, pretty much because everybody strikes that guy out. Then Jordan Schafer popped up into shallow left center, and all three guys converging couldn't catch it. Simmons lined one right to Cruz after that, and like a damn Little Leaguer scared of the damn ball, he dropped it.
So instead of three outs and inning over, Paco Rodriguez came in with one. He immediately walked Heyward to load the bases. Upton waited on a fastball right down Broadway, and nearly hit it that far as well for a grand slam, going up 6-4.
The game was all but over after that, as the Braves added two more runs in the seventh. Crawford again made a bad defensive play by dropping a liner in left to score another run. Heyward added an RBI single right after that, and it was 8-4.
Van Slyke crushed his second homer to dead center to make it somewhat close at 8-5, but that was it for highlights. Craig Kimbrel got Kemp to groundout to short as the rain was falling to end the game and his hitting streak at 14.
My, what a difference an inning can make. The two catches by Van Slyke and Kemp were Web Gem worthy. Then Cruz and Crawford showed not soon after that just how far the Dodgers have to go in order to even be a decent team again. The second something looks good, they remind you that they're not.
Ryu had trouble with his control, and for the first time in his brief career failed to go at least six innings. Still, five innings and two runs with five strikeouts ain't too bad. He left with a chance to get the win, and that vanished in no time. He remains at 4-2.
Two of the worst things about the Dodgers this year have been Cruz and the middle relief. Well, that was on full display in this one. Cruz is hitting .096 and had the big error. The bullpen certainly didn't get help from the gloves, but still couldn't get the big outs when they needed them. Guerrier gets a pass because he should've had a 1-2-3 inning. Rodriguez and Ronald Belisario were the usual mixed bag. That's no surprise.
Let's hope a two-homer night will earn Van Slyke more starts. I've got no problem watching Andre Ethier sit again. He actually did appear in the ninth, and predictably struck out against Kimbrel. It wasn't even fair for him, Kimbrel was so much better. Can Van Slyke play third? I doubt it, but hell, give it a shot! Anyone but Cruz!
Chris Capuano is coming off his best start against the Marlins, picking up his first win. He'll take the mound on Saturday against Kris Medlen.
Monday, August 20, 2012
It's all sun and games in Atlanta
The Dodgers ended their road trip in style on Sunday, and they can give a big assist to Mother Nature for that.
Jayson Heyward lost two fly balls in the sun, Mark Ellis hit a huge three-run double in the ninth, and Chad Billingsley was awesome again as the Dodgers beat the Braves, 5-0. And with that, the 10-game roadie has concluded at 7-3 with series wins against the Marlins, Pirates, and Braves.
The bonus on the day was that the Giants lost to the Padres, so the flip-flopping in the NL West continues as the Dodgers are now back in front.
The Dodgers blew a bases loaded, nobody out situation in the third when Shane Victorino flew out and Ellis grounded into a double play. Matt Kemp, Hanley Ramirez, and Andre Ethier went down in order in the fourth, all part of their 0-for-13 day at the plate.
No need to worry, as the bottom of the order led the way. It started on a solo shot by Luis Cruz in the fifth, his fourth of the season. A.J. Ellis and Billingsley both singled after that, but Victorino and Ellis again couldn't score them.
The eighth is when the nightmare began for Heyward in right, as not even a good fielder like him could overcome the vicious gleam of the sun. Juan Uribe pinch-hit for Billingsley and walked, which was probably not the smartest thing to do considering he's hitting .094 on the road. Victorino then singled on a hit-and-run.
Ellis was having a tough time at the plate up to this point, and it looked like that would continue when he lifted a lazy fly to right. But, Heyward simply could not see it, allowing it to drop for an RBI single and 2-0 edge. Once again the Dodgers blew a chance with the bases full, although the pinch-hitting James Loney did hit a hard liner that was gloved by Freddie Freeman at first.
Ronald Belisario looked like his old self (for one game anyway) by blowing through the Braves in the eighth. It was his 21st hold of the season, which is really good, and hopefully he can continue to improve upon his 2.08 ERA this month. Seeing that his ERA was 6.60 in July, I suppose he can only get better.
After failing way too many times with runners on up until this point, the Dodgers finally broke it open in the ninth. And once again, they can thank their good friend the sun for the help.
A.J. Ellis started things with a one-out double to right... which happened only because Heyward lost the ball in the sky again. Adam Kennedy hit for Belisario and blooped a single into left. Victorino walked to load the bases. Ellis hit a hard grounder by the diving Juan Francisco at third, and as the ball was slowly rolling to the corner, all three runs scored to make it 5-0.
Scott Elbert was just activated off the DL, and he got the Braves in order to put a stamp on this one.
As frustrating as the sun was for Heyward, the Dodgers have to be thrilled at the recent developments of Billingsley. He's now won six straight starts, the first time a Dodger pitcher has done so since Kevin Brown won seven in 2003. Wow, that seems like forever ago. He pitched seven innings for three hits, no runs, two walks, and three strikeouts.
The best part about Billingsley right now is the command of his fastball. As John Smoltz was accurately pointing out on the TBS broadcast, he no longer looks afraid to use it to attack hitters. Finally! The ball is definitely popping out of his hand right now, and he is really making hitters look uncomfortable. Let's hope it lasts, because if it does, the Dodgers look a lot more lethal.
The other encouraging thing about this game was the play of "the others," as in guys not named Kemp, Ethier, and Ramirez. Cruz had two hits and a homer, A.J. Ellis had three hits, and the other Ellis had four RBIs thanks to his big hit in the ninth. As I stated in a previous post, it's great to know the Dodgers aren't a one-man show right now. They're getting contributions all over, which is why they're suddenly in first place again.
With a successful road trip in the books, the Dodgers come right back home on Monday for their biggest series of the year, a three-game set against the Giants. It's always a big deal when these two teams played, and with the season winding down, it's even more so now. It's a great matchup of stud lefties in the first game, as Clayton Kershaw takes on Madison Bumgarner.
Jayson Heyward lost two fly balls in the sun, Mark Ellis hit a huge three-run double in the ninth, and Chad Billingsley was awesome again as the Dodgers beat the Braves, 5-0. And with that, the 10-game roadie has concluded at 7-3 with series wins against the Marlins, Pirates, and Braves.
The bonus on the day was that the Giants lost to the Padres, so the flip-flopping in the NL West continues as the Dodgers are now back in front.
The Dodgers blew a bases loaded, nobody out situation in the third when Shane Victorino flew out and Ellis grounded into a double play. Matt Kemp, Hanley Ramirez, and Andre Ethier went down in order in the fourth, all part of their 0-for-13 day at the plate.
No need to worry, as the bottom of the order led the way. It started on a solo shot by Luis Cruz in the fifth, his fourth of the season. A.J. Ellis and Billingsley both singled after that, but Victorino and Ellis again couldn't score them.
The eighth is when the nightmare began for Heyward in right, as not even a good fielder like him could overcome the vicious gleam of the sun. Juan Uribe pinch-hit for Billingsley and walked, which was probably not the smartest thing to do considering he's hitting .094 on the road. Victorino then singled on a hit-and-run.
Ellis was having a tough time at the plate up to this point, and it looked like that would continue when he lifted a lazy fly to right. But, Heyward simply could not see it, allowing it to drop for an RBI single and 2-0 edge. Once again the Dodgers blew a chance with the bases full, although the pinch-hitting James Loney did hit a hard liner that was gloved by Freddie Freeman at first.
Ronald Belisario looked like his old self (for one game anyway) by blowing through the Braves in the eighth. It was his 21st hold of the season, which is really good, and hopefully he can continue to improve upon his 2.08 ERA this month. Seeing that his ERA was 6.60 in July, I suppose he can only get better.
After failing way too many times with runners on up until this point, the Dodgers finally broke it open in the ninth. And once again, they can thank their good friend the sun for the help.
A.J. Ellis started things with a one-out double to right... which happened only because Heyward lost the ball in the sky again. Adam Kennedy hit for Belisario and blooped a single into left. Victorino walked to load the bases. Ellis hit a hard grounder by the diving Juan Francisco at third, and as the ball was slowly rolling to the corner, all three runs scored to make it 5-0.
Scott Elbert was just activated off the DL, and he got the Braves in order to put a stamp on this one.
As frustrating as the sun was for Heyward, the Dodgers have to be thrilled at the recent developments of Billingsley. He's now won six straight starts, the first time a Dodger pitcher has done so since Kevin Brown won seven in 2003. Wow, that seems like forever ago. He pitched seven innings for three hits, no runs, two walks, and three strikeouts.
The best part about Billingsley right now is the command of his fastball. As John Smoltz was accurately pointing out on the TBS broadcast, he no longer looks afraid to use it to attack hitters. Finally! The ball is definitely popping out of his hand right now, and he is really making hitters look uncomfortable. Let's hope it lasts, because if it does, the Dodgers look a lot more lethal.
The other encouraging thing about this game was the play of "the others," as in guys not named Kemp, Ethier, and Ramirez. Cruz had two hits and a homer, A.J. Ellis had three hits, and the other Ellis had four RBIs thanks to his big hit in the ninth. As I stated in a previous post, it's great to know the Dodgers aren't a one-man show right now. They're getting contributions all over, which is why they're suddenly in first place again.
With a successful road trip in the books, the Dodgers come right back home on Monday for their biggest series of the year, a three-game set against the Giants. It's always a big deal when these two teams played, and with the season winding down, it's even more so now. It's a great matchup of stud lefties in the first game, as Clayton Kershaw takes on Madison Bumgarner.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
As Donny sits, Dodgers go yard
There's not many times you will see the following statement, so here goes: The Dodgers had four home runs on four hits.
Maybe even the suspended Don Mattingly broke out a smile or two watching that.
Hanley Ramirez hit two of them, and James Loney and Luis Cruz added the other two as the Dodgers rolled over the Braves, 6-2. The Giants narrowly held on to beat the Padres, so the Dodgers still find themselves behind by a 1/2 game in the NL West.
The Braves started this game on top. Michael Bourne led off with a walk against Aaron Harang. An RBI double came next from Martin Prado, and the Dodgers were already in a quick hole. It could have been worse, but Harang struck out David Ross to strand the bases loaded.
The second saw the rarest of all rarities - three straight homers from the Dodgers. With one out, Ramirez took Ben Sheets deep for his 17th of the season, tying the game at one. Loney followed that up with his fourth tater, and Cruz made it back-to-back-to-back to put the Dodgers up 3-1.
Fast forward to the sixth, and the Dodgers played long ball again. It all started with a two-out walk to Matt Kemp. As you know, that's usually a recipe for disaster, and the Dodgers took advantage of it. Kemp stole second and Andre Ethier walked. Ramirez hit his 18th of the season with a three-run shot to left, and the Dodgers were in full control at 6-1.
Harang got into the seventh by only allowing one run, but did walk too many with five. Randy Choate got out of a little bit of trouble by striking out Jayson Heyward with one on to end the inning.
Javy Guerra had a chance to impress by starting the eighth... and then proceeded to do anything but that. He immediately walked Chipper Jones, got Freddy Freeman to fly out, but walked Dan Uggla as well. Not exactly the smartest thing to do late in a game with a big lead.
Out went Guerra and in came Shawn Tolleson, who got Ross to flyout for two down. And then Paul Janish also walked to load the bases. Kenley Jansen had to come in to strikeout Juan Francisco to end the inning. I'll bet Jansen didn't think there's any way he'd enter a five-run game in the eighth, but I guess it's a good thing he was ready.
Jansen stayed on in the ninth and gave up a solo homer to Prado, but otherwise finished out the non-save situation with ease.
The box score was definitely an odd one, as the Dodgers might be the last team you would guess to have all of their hits be homers. All three guys, though, have been swinging hot bats as of late. Ramirez is now hitting .330 in 23 games with the Dodgers, showing why he was one of the top players in the game not too long ago. Loney has hit in five straight, and homered in two of his last three. Cruz continues to get big hits by hitting .325 this month.
Add it all up, and it's great to see the Dodgers get production up and down their lineup. Even though they had four home runs in this game, you know that's not exactly the norm, so they need to rely on everybody. A healthy Kemp certainly helps judging by another stolen base, but with a comfortable Ramirez and Shane Victorino, along with guys like Cruz hitting towards the bottom, they looked locked in right now.
The pitching played with fire all night long with eight walks, but got the Braves to leave 11 on base. Harang improved to 9-7 with a 3.65 ERA, but the walks are something that needs to improve. Guerra did nothing to help his cause by failing to put the ball over the plate. How far has he fallen this season? From closer to not even getting out of an inning with a big lead. Not good.
What is good is this roadtrip, as the Dodgers have won six of nine. There would be no better way to finish this off than with a win on Sunday. Donny Baseball will sit out his last game, so Trey Hillman gets a chance to go 2-for-2. Chad Billingsley will look for his 10th win.
Maybe even the suspended Don Mattingly broke out a smile or two watching that.
Hanley Ramirez hit two of them, and James Loney and Luis Cruz added the other two as the Dodgers rolled over the Braves, 6-2. The Giants narrowly held on to beat the Padres, so the Dodgers still find themselves behind by a 1/2 game in the NL West.
The Braves started this game on top. Michael Bourne led off with a walk against Aaron Harang. An RBI double came next from Martin Prado, and the Dodgers were already in a quick hole. It could have been worse, but Harang struck out David Ross to strand the bases loaded.
The second saw the rarest of all rarities - three straight homers from the Dodgers. With one out, Ramirez took Ben Sheets deep for his 17th of the season, tying the game at one. Loney followed that up with his fourth tater, and Cruz made it back-to-back-to-back to put the Dodgers up 3-1.
Fast forward to the sixth, and the Dodgers played long ball again. It all started with a two-out walk to Matt Kemp. As you know, that's usually a recipe for disaster, and the Dodgers took advantage of it. Kemp stole second and Andre Ethier walked. Ramirez hit his 18th of the season with a three-run shot to left, and the Dodgers were in full control at 6-1.
Harang got into the seventh by only allowing one run, but did walk too many with five. Randy Choate got out of a little bit of trouble by striking out Jayson Heyward with one on to end the inning.
Javy Guerra had a chance to impress by starting the eighth... and then proceeded to do anything but that. He immediately walked Chipper Jones, got Freddy Freeman to fly out, but walked Dan Uggla as well. Not exactly the smartest thing to do late in a game with a big lead.
Out went Guerra and in came Shawn Tolleson, who got Ross to flyout for two down. And then Paul Janish also walked to load the bases. Kenley Jansen had to come in to strikeout Juan Francisco to end the inning. I'll bet Jansen didn't think there's any way he'd enter a five-run game in the eighth, but I guess it's a good thing he was ready.
Jansen stayed on in the ninth and gave up a solo homer to Prado, but otherwise finished out the non-save situation with ease.
The box score was definitely an odd one, as the Dodgers might be the last team you would guess to have all of their hits be homers. All three guys, though, have been swinging hot bats as of late. Ramirez is now hitting .330 in 23 games with the Dodgers, showing why he was one of the top players in the game not too long ago. Loney has hit in five straight, and homered in two of his last three. Cruz continues to get big hits by hitting .325 this month.
Add it all up, and it's great to see the Dodgers get production up and down their lineup. Even though they had four home runs in this game, you know that's not exactly the norm, so they need to rely on everybody. A healthy Kemp certainly helps judging by another stolen base, but with a comfortable Ramirez and Shane Victorino, along with guys like Cruz hitting towards the bottom, they looked locked in right now.
The pitching played with fire all night long with eight walks, but got the Braves to leave 11 on base. Harang improved to 9-7 with a 3.65 ERA, but the walks are something that needs to improve. Guerra did nothing to help his cause by failing to put the ball over the plate. How far has he fallen this season? From closer to not even getting out of an inning with a big lead. Not good.
What is good is this roadtrip, as the Dodgers have won six of nine. There would be no better way to finish this off than with a win on Sunday. Donny Baseball will sit out his last game, so Trey Hillman gets a chance to go 2-for-2. Chad Billingsley will look for his 10th win.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Dodgers let one slip away in Hotlanta
Up 3-1 in the eighth inning and with Chris Capuano cruising, the Dodgers thought they had a great start to their three-game tilt in Atlanta.
That is, of course, before the first two hitters reached, Ronald Belisario couldn't put out the fire, and the Braves went on to win in extras.
So much for a great start.
Juan Francisco's walk-off single in the 11th inning capped a late comeback for the Braves as they downed the Dodgers, 4-3. The daily back-and-forth atop the NL West continues, as the Giants creamed the Padres, so they now own a 1/2 game lead.
Capuano's only blemish for most of the game was a leadoff home run in the second to old man Chipper Jones. Jones might be "old," but he's still putting up good numbers at .313 with 13 homers and 54 RBIs. Pretty amazing when you consider that the guy probably hasn't been fully healthy since his rookie year. I'll miss watching him after this year.
The Dodgers came alive in the sixth. Mark Ellis started things with a double. After Matt Kemp lined out, Andre Ethier crushed a two-run bomb to right to make it 2-1. It was his 12th of the year and first since way back on July 14. The hit was also big considering he was thrown out at home trying to score on Hanley Ramirez's double in the fourth.
The lead was increased by one in the seventh. Luis Cruz has been swinging a hot bat lately, and he doubled leading off. A groundout by Matt "Don't Call Me Misty" Treanor got him to third, and an out later, Shane Victorino's RBI single made it 3-1. As for Cruz, he reached base all five times (three hits and two walks), and is hitting .333 this month.
All was looking good for the Dodgers... this is, until Capuano let the final two hitters in the Braves' order reach to start the eighth. Paul Janish and pinch-hitting Reed Johnson each singled. Leadoff hitter Michael Bourne then laid down a good sacrifice to advance them to scoring position.
That brought in Ronald Belisario, who... well, you pretty much know he couldn't wiggle out of the jam. Martin Prado got the Braves within one with an RBI groundout, and Jason Heyward's RBI single made it 3-3. Belisario didn't let those hitters reach, but he still showed just how far he's fallen this season by not leaving with the lead intact.
After both teams didn't do anything in the ninth, they each let opportunities slip away in the 10th. Elian Herrera reached via error to start the inning, but couldn't get past second. Michael Bourne singled off of Randy Choate with one out, went to third on a steal and bad throw by Treanor, but was also stranded.
Ramirez tried to get things going again in the 11th with a single, but a double play ball from Juan Rivera erased all of that. Brandon League got out of the 10th, so he stayed on to start the next inning. After getting the first couple outs, light-hitting David Ross and Janish both singled. Jamey Wright came in and gave up Francisco's walk-off single to end it.
A day after a frustrating final game in Pittsburgh in which Don Mattingly, Joe Blanton, and Kemp were all ejected, this was another defeat that ranks up there in the "tough loss" category. The Braves will be right in the thick of things when it's all said and done, so it's a good measuring stick for the Dodgers. I know the Dodgers can play with these guys, so now they have to show they can finish them off as well.
Capuano put forth a good effort, just with a bad ending. Overall, he lasted 7 1/3 innings for five hits, three runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts. His trouble started when he gave up a leadoff hit in the eighth to a .227 hitter in Janish. Who would have thought? The positive thing to take away is that he's had three great starts after a couple of lousy ones, so maybe his arm isn't as tired as I thought it might be.
Like I said before, it's not Belisario's fault that two hitters reached to start the eighth, but he again proved how ineffective he is by letting them both score. Then again, it's not like guys such as League, Wright, or Choate showed much either. It's a tough call for Mattingly, but he's got to try someone else in this spot. Belisario is flat out not getting it done.
There's two games left on this roadtrip, which has been successful so far at 5-3. It'll look like Old Timers Day on Saturday, as Aaron Harang will take on Ben Sheets, who has come from nowhere to look awesome this year.
That is, of course, before the first two hitters reached, Ronald Belisario couldn't put out the fire, and the Braves went on to win in extras.
So much for a great start.
Juan Francisco's walk-off single in the 11th inning capped a late comeback for the Braves as they downed the Dodgers, 4-3. The daily back-and-forth atop the NL West continues, as the Giants creamed the Padres, so they now own a 1/2 game lead.
Capuano's only blemish for most of the game was a leadoff home run in the second to old man Chipper Jones. Jones might be "old," but he's still putting up good numbers at .313 with 13 homers and 54 RBIs. Pretty amazing when you consider that the guy probably hasn't been fully healthy since his rookie year. I'll miss watching him after this year.
The Dodgers came alive in the sixth. Mark Ellis started things with a double. After Matt Kemp lined out, Andre Ethier crushed a two-run bomb to right to make it 2-1. It was his 12th of the year and first since way back on July 14. The hit was also big considering he was thrown out at home trying to score on Hanley Ramirez's double in the fourth.
The lead was increased by one in the seventh. Luis Cruz has been swinging a hot bat lately, and he doubled leading off. A groundout by Matt "Don't Call Me Misty" Treanor got him to third, and an out later, Shane Victorino's RBI single made it 3-1. As for Cruz, he reached base all five times (three hits and two walks), and is hitting .333 this month.
All was looking good for the Dodgers... this is, until Capuano let the final two hitters in the Braves' order reach to start the eighth. Paul Janish and pinch-hitting Reed Johnson each singled. Leadoff hitter Michael Bourne then laid down a good sacrifice to advance them to scoring position.
That brought in Ronald Belisario, who... well, you pretty much know he couldn't wiggle out of the jam. Martin Prado got the Braves within one with an RBI groundout, and Jason Heyward's RBI single made it 3-3. Belisario didn't let those hitters reach, but he still showed just how far he's fallen this season by not leaving with the lead intact.
After both teams didn't do anything in the ninth, they each let opportunities slip away in the 10th. Elian Herrera reached via error to start the inning, but couldn't get past second. Michael Bourne singled off of Randy Choate with one out, went to third on a steal and bad throw by Treanor, but was also stranded.
Ramirez tried to get things going again in the 11th with a single, but a double play ball from Juan Rivera erased all of that. Brandon League got out of the 10th, so he stayed on to start the next inning. After getting the first couple outs, light-hitting David Ross and Janish both singled. Jamey Wright came in and gave up Francisco's walk-off single to end it.
A day after a frustrating final game in Pittsburgh in which Don Mattingly, Joe Blanton, and Kemp were all ejected, this was another defeat that ranks up there in the "tough loss" category. The Braves will be right in the thick of things when it's all said and done, so it's a good measuring stick for the Dodgers. I know the Dodgers can play with these guys, so now they have to show they can finish them off as well.
Capuano put forth a good effort, just with a bad ending. Overall, he lasted 7 1/3 innings for five hits, three runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts. His trouble started when he gave up a leadoff hit in the eighth to a .227 hitter in Janish. Who would have thought? The positive thing to take away is that he's had three great starts after a couple of lousy ones, so maybe his arm isn't as tired as I thought it might be.
Like I said before, it's not Belisario's fault that two hitters reached to start the eighth, but he again proved how ineffective he is by letting them both score. Then again, it's not like guys such as League, Wright, or Choate showed much either. It's a tough call for Mattingly, but he's got to try someone else in this spot. Belisario is flat out not getting it done.
There's two games left on this roadtrip, which has been successful so far at 5-3. It'll look like Old Timers Day on Saturday, as Aaron Harang will take on Ben Sheets, who has come from nowhere to look awesome this year.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
A forgettable night for Guerra
It's safe to say that Wednesday night, April 25, 2012 is not a night Javy Guerra would like to remember.
Guerra suffered a blown save... and a blow to the face on a line drive as the Braves used a three-run ninth to beat the Dodgers, 4-2. In an anticipated matchup for the Dodgers this early in the season, they dropped two of three to their old National League rival.
The pitching matchup was a good one, as wily veteran Ted Lilly took on young gun Brandon Beachy. Both did not disappoint, as blanks were thrown the first three innings.
In the fourth, the Braves scored first. After a fantastic diving grab at short by Dee Gordon, Freddy Freeman doubled to center. A groundout got him to third, and he came around to score on Dan Uggla's RBI single, making it 1-0.
The Dodgers weren't doing a lick through four, but Tony Gwynn finally got something going in the fifth. He singled leading off and stole second. A single by A.J. Ellis put runners on the corners, and Lilly's sacrifice put two in scoring position. Gordon grounded out, but it was good enough for the game-tying RBI at 1-1.
There had been a threat of rain all day, and in the sixth, it started to show itself. That didn't phase Mr. Matt Kemp, as he led off and blasted his ML-leading 10th jack of the season to make it 2-1. He's still easily ahead in average at .449, and is just edging teammate Andre Ethier in RBIs at 23 to 22. Add it all up, and there's another Triple Crown run in him. So far, so good.
What wasn't so good was Guerra. The formula was working for awhile, as Lilly was dominant through seven, and Kenley Jansen got it done in the eighth. For Guerra, however, he made it two straight nights of taking the L.
Martin Prado led off the ninth with a liner that was gloved by Either in right. Freeman is the reigning NL Player of the Week, finally unseating Kemp, and his single started it all. Then came Brian McCann, who ripped a fastball right off of Guerra's face for a hit. I'm not sure how, but he popped right back up and stayed in the game, to the amazement of us all.
Unfortunately, the results didn't get any better. Three straight RBI singles came next from Uggla, Chipper Jones, and Jason Heyward, and just like the that Braves were up 4-2. Josh Lindblom came in to put out the fire, but the Dodgers went down in order against Craig Kimbrel to end the game.
First things first, and that's the health of Guerra. For someone who was beaned in the face, he avoided a lot of potentially bad news by passing the post-game concussion test. I don't care how he pitched - his health is most important, and it appears he'll be fine.
On the pitching side of things, it's certainly not encouraging to watch your closer crumble two straight nights against a good team. There were whispers about Jansen taking over that role coming into this season, and that will only now get louder. Don Mattingly did say after the game that Guerra will still be the closer, which is expected considering he doesn't want any drama right now.
Lilly did all he could, as he went seven innings for three hits, one run, one walk, and two strikeouts. He's been outstanding in his three starts this season with a 0.90 ERA and 0.85 WHIP. Those numbers won't always stay that way, but I think he's proven that his strong end to last year has only carried over.
The Dodgers can somewhat be encouraged that they had a chance to win all three of these games. Their two losses have happened late, and their one win was a no-doubter. Because they pounded on lesser teams this year (Padres, Pirates, Astros), it's a little disappointing that they didn't win either series against the Brewers and Braves. But, it's still very early, so it's hard to make a big deal about it either way.
Thursday will be an off day, which is a good thing as guys like Guerra, Mike MacDougal, and Juan Rivera can all rest up after dealing with various ailments. Then the Nationals come to town for three, and they're playing very well this year at 14-4, tops in the NL East. Friday night's game won't disappoint, as Clayton Kershaw takes on Ross Detwiler.
Guerra suffered a blown save... and a blow to the face on a line drive as the Braves used a three-run ninth to beat the Dodgers, 4-2. In an anticipated matchup for the Dodgers this early in the season, they dropped two of three to their old National League rival.
The pitching matchup was a good one, as wily veteran Ted Lilly took on young gun Brandon Beachy. Both did not disappoint, as blanks were thrown the first three innings.
In the fourth, the Braves scored first. After a fantastic diving grab at short by Dee Gordon, Freddy Freeman doubled to center. A groundout got him to third, and he came around to score on Dan Uggla's RBI single, making it 1-0.
The Dodgers weren't doing a lick through four, but Tony Gwynn finally got something going in the fifth. He singled leading off and stole second. A single by A.J. Ellis put runners on the corners, and Lilly's sacrifice put two in scoring position. Gordon grounded out, but it was good enough for the game-tying RBI at 1-1.
There had been a threat of rain all day, and in the sixth, it started to show itself. That didn't phase Mr. Matt Kemp, as he led off and blasted his ML-leading 10th jack of the season to make it 2-1. He's still easily ahead in average at .449, and is just edging teammate Andre Ethier in RBIs at 23 to 22. Add it all up, and there's another Triple Crown run in him. So far, so good.
What wasn't so good was Guerra. The formula was working for awhile, as Lilly was dominant through seven, and Kenley Jansen got it done in the eighth. For Guerra, however, he made it two straight nights of taking the L.
Martin Prado led off the ninth with a liner that was gloved by Either in right. Freeman is the reigning NL Player of the Week, finally unseating Kemp, and his single started it all. Then came Brian McCann, who ripped a fastball right off of Guerra's face for a hit. I'm not sure how, but he popped right back up and stayed in the game, to the amazement of us all.
Unfortunately, the results didn't get any better. Three straight RBI singles came next from Uggla, Chipper Jones, and Jason Heyward, and just like the that Braves were up 4-2. Josh Lindblom came in to put out the fire, but the Dodgers went down in order against Craig Kimbrel to end the game.
First things first, and that's the health of Guerra. For someone who was beaned in the face, he avoided a lot of potentially bad news by passing the post-game concussion test. I don't care how he pitched - his health is most important, and it appears he'll be fine.
On the pitching side of things, it's certainly not encouraging to watch your closer crumble two straight nights against a good team. There were whispers about Jansen taking over that role coming into this season, and that will only now get louder. Don Mattingly did say after the game that Guerra will still be the closer, which is expected considering he doesn't want any drama right now.
Lilly did all he could, as he went seven innings for three hits, one run, one walk, and two strikeouts. He's been outstanding in his three starts this season with a 0.90 ERA and 0.85 WHIP. Those numbers won't always stay that way, but I think he's proven that his strong end to last year has only carried over.
The Dodgers can somewhat be encouraged that they had a chance to win all three of these games. Their two losses have happened late, and their one win was a no-doubter. Because they pounded on lesser teams this year (Padres, Pirates, Astros), it's a little disappointing that they didn't win either series against the Brewers and Braves. But, it's still very early, so it's hard to make a big deal about it either way.
Thursday will be an off day, which is a good thing as guys like Guerra, Mike MacDougal, and Juan Rivera can all rest up after dealing with various ailments. Then the Nationals come to town for three, and they're playing very well this year at 14-4, tops in the NL East. Friday night's game won't disappoint, as Clayton Kershaw takes on Ross Detwiler.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Injuries mount as Dodgers fall to Braves
The losses were felt all over the place on Tuesday night. Before the game, Matt Guerrier was placed on the 15-day DL with a sore elbow. During the game, Juan Rivera (hamstring) and Aaron Harang (foot) both had to leave early. And after the game, the Dodgers were handed their first home loss of the season to the Braves, 4-3.
Everything started off well enough in the first. As has been the case all season, the Dodgers pounced in inning #1. Mark Ellis singled with an out. Matt Kemp flew out, but Rivera picked him up by clobbering a ball into the left field pavilion for a 2-0. It was Rivera's first longball of the season.
Harang was rolling until the fifth. Celebrating his 40th birthday, Chipper Jones led off with a homer to right to make it 2-1. Jayson Heyward and Tyler Pastornicky followed with singles. An out later, Martin Prado tied the game up with a fielder's choice, and we were back to square one
Both teams tacked on a run in the sixth. Harang stayed in the game, even though he would later admit his foot was only getting worse thanks to a foul ball that struck it early on. Brian McCann singled and Dan Uggla walked, but a double play soon put McCann at third. Heyward was walked intentionally to pitch to Pastornicky, yet a wild pitch brought home a run to make it 3-2.
Dee Gordon and Ellis immediately started the comeback, as they singled to start the bottom of the inning. In an odd play, Gordon eventually scored on Kemp's grounder and Uggla's error. But, Kemp was called out for rounding first too much for two out. Andre Ethier flew out to end the inning.
The score remained deadlocked until the ninth. Javy Guerra was called upon to keep it that way, but it wasn't meant to be. Pastornicky again singled leading off. Now with two outs, Prado hit a long fly ball to Kemp in center that was just out of his reach for the RBI triple, and the Braves led 4-3.
The Dodgers put a couple of men on in the ninth from a single by Jerry Hairston, Jr. and a walk by A.J. Ellis. Tony Gwynn struck out swinging to end it and give Craig Kimbrel his sixth save.
The injuries to Rivera and Harang don't appear serious, but it's still a case of bad timing considering Guerrier was just placed on the DL. Rivera is about the only other threat besides Kemp and Ethier to drive in runs, and he's versatile because he can play outfield and first base, so he'll be missed if he's gone for an extended period. Hopefully not.
Harang was putting together a solid start until fading late. The foot issue definitely didn't help things. He went six innings for six hits, three runs, four walks, and two strikeouts. He's now 1-1 this season, but with a 5.16 ERA and 1.63 WHIP. Those numbers will eventually come down as he builds up his arm strength. We're not talking All-Star numbers here, but something in line for a respectable 4-5 starter at least.
Guerra has been asked to do a lot already this season, and for the most part he's been great. Tuesday night was a bump in the road, as he just barely wasn't able to keep the game tied. Still, though, he's 7-for-8 in save situations with a 2.89 ERA, so one bad night isn't going to ruin him.
Thursday night is the rubber match, and it's a battle of good pitchers. Ted Lilly and his 0.69 ERA will take on Brandon Beachy and his 0.47 ERA. Basically, it's old school vs. new school. A win by the Dodgers would be another positive sign early this season in winning a series against a perennial contender.
Everything started off well enough in the first. As has been the case all season, the Dodgers pounced in inning #1. Mark Ellis singled with an out. Matt Kemp flew out, but Rivera picked him up by clobbering a ball into the left field pavilion for a 2-0. It was Rivera's first longball of the season.
Harang was rolling until the fifth. Celebrating his 40th birthday, Chipper Jones led off with a homer to right to make it 2-1. Jayson Heyward and Tyler Pastornicky followed with singles. An out later, Martin Prado tied the game up with a fielder's choice, and we were back to square one
Both teams tacked on a run in the sixth. Harang stayed in the game, even though he would later admit his foot was only getting worse thanks to a foul ball that struck it early on. Brian McCann singled and Dan Uggla walked, but a double play soon put McCann at third. Heyward was walked intentionally to pitch to Pastornicky, yet a wild pitch brought home a run to make it 3-2.
Dee Gordon and Ellis immediately started the comeback, as they singled to start the bottom of the inning. In an odd play, Gordon eventually scored on Kemp's grounder and Uggla's error. But, Kemp was called out for rounding first too much for two out. Andre Ethier flew out to end the inning.
The score remained deadlocked until the ninth. Javy Guerra was called upon to keep it that way, but it wasn't meant to be. Pastornicky again singled leading off. Now with two outs, Prado hit a long fly ball to Kemp in center that was just out of his reach for the RBI triple, and the Braves led 4-3.
The Dodgers put a couple of men on in the ninth from a single by Jerry Hairston, Jr. and a walk by A.J. Ellis. Tony Gwynn struck out swinging to end it and give Craig Kimbrel his sixth save.
The injuries to Rivera and Harang don't appear serious, but it's still a case of bad timing considering Guerrier was just placed on the DL. Rivera is about the only other threat besides Kemp and Ethier to drive in runs, and he's versatile because he can play outfield and first base, so he'll be missed if he's gone for an extended period. Hopefully not.
Harang was putting together a solid start until fading late. The foot issue definitely didn't help things. He went six innings for six hits, three runs, four walks, and two strikeouts. He's now 1-1 this season, but with a 5.16 ERA and 1.63 WHIP. Those numbers will eventually come down as he builds up his arm strength. We're not talking All-Star numbers here, but something in line for a respectable 4-5 starter at least.
Guerra has been asked to do a lot already this season, and for the most part he's been great. Tuesday night was a bump in the road, as he just barely wasn't able to keep the game tied. Still, though, he's 7-for-8 in save situations with a 2.89 ERA, so one bad night isn't going to ruin him.
Thursday night is the rubber match, and it's a battle of good pitchers. Ted Lilly and his 0.69 ERA will take on Brandon Beachy and his 0.47 ERA. Basically, it's old school vs. new school. A win by the Dodgers would be another positive sign early this season in winning a series against a perennial contender.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
There was a Juan Uribe sighting
If you were to quiz people on which current Dodger has the most World Series championships, you might either get some clueless looks, or claim it's a trick question. When you find out the answer is Juan Uribe (two), you might have forgotten he was even on the team thanks to numerous injuries, and a .204 average last year and .211 this year.
Well, Uribe is still starting at third base, and Monday night he finally showed up.
Uribe went 4-for-4 with three RBIs, and the Dodgers won the opener of a three-game set with the Braves, 7-2. The Dodgers are now a flawless 7-0 at home this year as they begin their six-game homestand.
Chris Capuano took the hill for the Dodgers, and he was immediately in some trouble. Michael Bourn walked leading off, Freddy Freeman singled, and Matt Diaz walked to load the bases with two outs. On a big 3-2 pitch, Capuano went off-speed to get Jayson Heyward swinging to end the threat.
Like a good team does, the Dodgers took advantage of the momentum. Dee Gordon singled and stole his ninth base. A flyout to right got Gordon to third, and Matt Kemp took a walk. Andre Ethier found just enough room to bloop an RBI single into center, and it was 1-0.
Old Dodger David Ross smacked a solo shot leading off the second, and the score was tied. The Dodgers grabbed the lead right back, as James Loney started it with a double. Uribe got his first hit wth an RBI single, making it 2-1. An RBI single by A.J. Ellis increased it to 3-1.
After Capuano again stranded a couple of baserunners in the fourth, the Dodgers started to add to their lead. And again, it started on hits by Loney and Uribe, this time a couple of singles. Ellis collected another RBI on a single to make it 4-1. With Livan Hernandez now on the mound (yes, he is still pitching 73 years later), a sac-fly RBI by Gordon pushed it to 5-1.
Josh Lindblom came in to pitch the eighth, but he immediately watched Dan Uggla launch a solo shot to make it 5-2. And just as they've done all game, the Dodgers responded. Kemp and Ethier both singled leading off, and went to third on Adam Kennedy's sacrifice. Loney was walked to load 'em up, and Uribe found enough room in right for a two-run single, closing the scoring at 7-2.
Scott Elbert went through the Braves in order in the non-save situation.
The story of the night was obviously Uribe, who had to feel a whole lot of weight coming off his shoulders with this performance. It's not like he was crushing the ball, but he played small ball like the rest of the team, who's only extra-base hit out of 15 as Loney's double. That's a lot of singles, but it's not too surprising considering Kemp and Ethier are the only true power threats.
Uribe did go 3-for-3 against the Pirates earlier this season, but he had a bigger impact in this game. Only twice last year did he have three hits in a game, which helps explain his pathetic average. You've got to start somewhere, so hopefully he can build on this and be a bigger threat in the bottom part of the order. To his credit, he's played very solid defense all along, so this will only make him more complete.
As for Capuano, he's doing his part in the back end of the rotation with his third straight good start. This was his best one, as he lasted seven innings for six hits, one run, four walks, and five strikeouts. He lives a little dangerously with all those baserunners, but he's also among the league leaders in strikeouts with his buddies Aaron Harang and Clayton Kershaw at 20. He's a veteran hurler, and he's showing how to get big outs when needed.
The Dodgers will look to grab another one on Tuesday night when Harang takes the hill. He'll be opposed by Mike Minor, whose numbers continue to get better in his third season.
Well, Uribe is still starting at third base, and Monday night he finally showed up.
Uribe went 4-for-4 with three RBIs, and the Dodgers won the opener of a three-game set with the Braves, 7-2. The Dodgers are now a flawless 7-0 at home this year as they begin their six-game homestand.
Chris Capuano took the hill for the Dodgers, and he was immediately in some trouble. Michael Bourn walked leading off, Freddy Freeman singled, and Matt Diaz walked to load the bases with two outs. On a big 3-2 pitch, Capuano went off-speed to get Jayson Heyward swinging to end the threat.
Like a good team does, the Dodgers took advantage of the momentum. Dee Gordon singled and stole his ninth base. A flyout to right got Gordon to third, and Matt Kemp took a walk. Andre Ethier found just enough room to bloop an RBI single into center, and it was 1-0.
Old Dodger David Ross smacked a solo shot leading off the second, and the score was tied. The Dodgers grabbed the lead right back, as James Loney started it with a double. Uribe got his first hit wth an RBI single, making it 2-1. An RBI single by A.J. Ellis increased it to 3-1.
After Capuano again stranded a couple of baserunners in the fourth, the Dodgers started to add to their lead. And again, it started on hits by Loney and Uribe, this time a couple of singles. Ellis collected another RBI on a single to make it 4-1. With Livan Hernandez now on the mound (yes, he is still pitching 73 years later), a sac-fly RBI by Gordon pushed it to 5-1.
Josh Lindblom came in to pitch the eighth, but he immediately watched Dan Uggla launch a solo shot to make it 5-2. And just as they've done all game, the Dodgers responded. Kemp and Ethier both singled leading off, and went to third on Adam Kennedy's sacrifice. Loney was walked to load 'em up, and Uribe found enough room in right for a two-run single, closing the scoring at 7-2.
Scott Elbert went through the Braves in order in the non-save situation.
The story of the night was obviously Uribe, who had to feel a whole lot of weight coming off his shoulders with this performance. It's not like he was crushing the ball, but he played small ball like the rest of the team, who's only extra-base hit out of 15 as Loney's double. That's a lot of singles, but it's not too surprising considering Kemp and Ethier are the only true power threats.
Uribe did go 3-for-3 against the Pirates earlier this season, but he had a bigger impact in this game. Only twice last year did he have three hits in a game, which helps explain his pathetic average. You've got to start somewhere, so hopefully he can build on this and be a bigger threat in the bottom part of the order. To his credit, he's played very solid defense all along, so this will only make him more complete.
As for Capuano, he's doing his part in the back end of the rotation with his third straight good start. This was his best one, as he lasted seven innings for six hits, one run, four walks, and five strikeouts. He lives a little dangerously with all those baserunners, but he's also among the league leaders in strikeouts with his buddies Aaron Harang and Clayton Kershaw at 20. He's a veteran hurler, and he's showing how to get big outs when needed.
The Dodgers will look to grab another one on Tuesday night when Harang takes the hill. He'll be opposed by Mike Minor, whose numbers continue to get better in his third season.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Go ahead, pitch to Kemp!
He'll burn you.
Matt Kemp once again found himself in a heroic situation late in a tight ballgame. After Andre Ethier's one-out double in the 11th, Kemp deposited a Cristhian Martinez pitch over the wall for a two-run, walk-off homer, giving the Dodgers a 5-3 win over the Braves. The Dodgers took three of four in this series.
Before all of the late dramatics, this game was all about Clayton Kershaw's bid to follow up Jon Garland's complete game gem with one of his own. And boy did he come oh so close. He got as far as two outs in the ninth, but was unable to finish the deal. He was still superb in this one, as he went 8 2/3 innings for five hits, three runs, four walks, and seven strikeouts.
The day started off with some promise for the Dodgers, as Kershaw needed a mere nine pitches to get through the first. In the bottom of the frame, the Dodgers loaded the bases on a single by Tony Gwynn and walks to Ethier and Juan Uribe. James Loney then struck out. So much for promise.
The scoreless game would last until the fifth. With one out, young Freddy Freeman, already a Sports Illustrated cover boy, hit a solo homer for the 1-0 lead. That would be the last run Kershaw would give up until the ninth.
The Dodgers battled back, starting in the sixth. Uribe was coming off his best game as a Dodger after gathering four RBIs the night before. He picked up where he left off with a solo homer to knot the game at 1.
Now in the seventh, the Dodgers took the lead. Scott Linebrink relieved with one out and got pinch-hitting Jerry Sands right away with a strikeout. Casey Blake then turned back the clock and hit a solo shot, his first of the year, to give the Dodgers a 2-1 advantage.
Everything looked like it was lining up quite nicely for a complete game for Kershaw, as he got Martin Prado and Alex Gonzalez with relative ease to open the inning. Then, little by little, the Braves took the lead. It started with a single by Chipper Jones. Jason Heyward came in to pinch-run for him, and that would be key, as he advanced to third on Dan Uggla's single.
Both plays on Heyward and Uggla were very close, as it sure looked like Uggla could've been called out at second. Nonetheless, Freeman then walked to load the bases. Don Mattingly had a tough decision to make: keep a tiring Kershaw in, or turn to Jonathan Broxton? He chose to stay with Kershaw, a decision we all liked...
...right up until David Ross hit a two-run single on an 0-2 count to give the Braves a 3-2 lead. Broxton struck out Nate McClouth to end the threat.
Needing a jolt after being dealt a serious blow, the offense delivered in the bottom of the ninth. With Craig Kimbrel on to close, Jamey Carroll walked and soon went to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Blake was clutch again, as his single scored the tying run to send it into extras.
It would take until the 12th for this game to be decided, as Ethier and Kemp just continue to sparkle. Much like last Sunday against the Cardinals, first base was open when Kemp came up, yet Fredi Gonzalez chose not to put Kemp on. Big mistake.
The bullpen of Broxton and Matt Guerrier deserve a lot of credit for keeping this game even. Broxton has certainly taken his licks, and isn't well-liked by this guy, but got four big outs. Guerrier has been just awesome so far, as his scoreless streak is now up to 10 2/3 innings. He's been everything the Dodgers have hoped for and more in middle relief.
After getting slapped around silly by the Cardinals to open the homestand, the Dodgers have now taken four of five, starting with Kemp's first walk-off on Sunday. They're now at 10-10, which is probably about where they should be at considering their offense is so inconsistent. But with their starting rotation posting great starts their last turns, there's plenty of reasons to think they can start winning more games.
The Dodgers will now hit the road for six against the Cubs and Marlins. Friday afternoon's game will see Chad Billingsley looking for his second win. He's coming off a tremendous start against the Cardinals last Sunday.
Matt Kemp once again found himself in a heroic situation late in a tight ballgame. After Andre Ethier's one-out double in the 11th, Kemp deposited a Cristhian Martinez pitch over the wall for a two-run, walk-off homer, giving the Dodgers a 5-3 win over the Braves. The Dodgers took three of four in this series.
Before all of the late dramatics, this game was all about Clayton Kershaw's bid to follow up Jon Garland's complete game gem with one of his own. And boy did he come oh so close. He got as far as two outs in the ninth, but was unable to finish the deal. He was still superb in this one, as he went 8 2/3 innings for five hits, three runs, four walks, and seven strikeouts.
The day started off with some promise for the Dodgers, as Kershaw needed a mere nine pitches to get through the first. In the bottom of the frame, the Dodgers loaded the bases on a single by Tony Gwynn and walks to Ethier and Juan Uribe. James Loney then struck out. So much for promise.
The scoreless game would last until the fifth. With one out, young Freddy Freeman, already a Sports Illustrated cover boy, hit a solo homer for the 1-0 lead. That would be the last run Kershaw would give up until the ninth.
The Dodgers battled back, starting in the sixth. Uribe was coming off his best game as a Dodger after gathering four RBIs the night before. He picked up where he left off with a solo homer to knot the game at 1.
Now in the seventh, the Dodgers took the lead. Scott Linebrink relieved with one out and got pinch-hitting Jerry Sands right away with a strikeout. Casey Blake then turned back the clock and hit a solo shot, his first of the year, to give the Dodgers a 2-1 advantage.
Everything looked like it was lining up quite nicely for a complete game for Kershaw, as he got Martin Prado and Alex Gonzalez with relative ease to open the inning. Then, little by little, the Braves took the lead. It started with a single by Chipper Jones. Jason Heyward came in to pinch-run for him, and that would be key, as he advanced to third on Dan Uggla's single.
Both plays on Heyward and Uggla were very close, as it sure looked like Uggla could've been called out at second. Nonetheless, Freeman then walked to load the bases. Don Mattingly had a tough decision to make: keep a tiring Kershaw in, or turn to Jonathan Broxton? He chose to stay with Kershaw, a decision we all liked...
...right up until David Ross hit a two-run single on an 0-2 count to give the Braves a 3-2 lead. Broxton struck out Nate McClouth to end the threat.
Needing a jolt after being dealt a serious blow, the offense delivered in the bottom of the ninth. With Craig Kimbrel on to close, Jamey Carroll walked and soon went to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Blake was clutch again, as his single scored the tying run to send it into extras.
It would take until the 12th for this game to be decided, as Ethier and Kemp just continue to sparkle. Much like last Sunday against the Cardinals, first base was open when Kemp came up, yet Fredi Gonzalez chose not to put Kemp on. Big mistake.
The bullpen of Broxton and Matt Guerrier deserve a lot of credit for keeping this game even. Broxton has certainly taken his licks, and isn't well-liked by this guy, but got four big outs. Guerrier has been just awesome so far, as his scoreless streak is now up to 10 2/3 innings. He's been everything the Dodgers have hoped for and more in middle relief.
After getting slapped around silly by the Cardinals to open the homestand, the Dodgers have now taken four of five, starting with Kemp's first walk-off on Sunday. They're now at 10-10, which is probably about where they should be at considering their offense is so inconsistent. But with their starting rotation posting great starts their last turns, there's plenty of reasons to think they can start winning more games.
The Dodgers will now hit the road for six against the Cubs and Marlins. Friday afternoon's game will see Chad Billingsley looking for his second win. He's coming off a tremendous start against the Cardinals last Sunday.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Jansen bombed in the 9th as Braves roll
April 19, 2011 is not a date that young Kenley Jansen would like to remember.
Entering a 2-1 ballgame in the top of the ninth, Jansen would only get one out before surrendering five runs, and Ramon Troncoso gave up three more as the Braves ended up creaming the Dodgers, 10-1. Both teams have split the first couple of games.
If you just looked at the final score and nothing else, you wouldn't know that this game was once a pitchers duel. Hiroki Kuroda and Brandon Beachy were able to toss blanks through the opening five frames.
The Braves struck first in the sixth. Martin Prado hit leadoff and slugged a solo homer, his second of the season. Freddy Freeman followed that up with a leadoff homer of his own, and it was 2-0. Blake Hawksworth did a great job of stranding the bases loaded with one out to keep the Dodgers in the game.
Scott Linebrink came on for Beachy in the seventh, and the Dodgers finally got on the board. Juan Uribe absolutely unloaded on... and infield single leading off. Hey, I'll take it. James Loney's single put runners on the corners. Jerry Sands grounded out to third, but Uribe scampered home to cut the score to 2-1.
The Dodgers' inability to drive in runners reared its ugly head once again during this inning. A.J. Ellis singled to again put runners on the corners. Marcus Thames pinch-hit, and in came Johnny Venters, who got the strikeout. Jamey Carroll walked to load the bases with two down. Casey Blake couldn't be the hero as he grounded out to end the inning.
Jansen was given the ball to start the ninth and at least give the Dodgers a fighter's chance to win. Wow did that not work. I'd love to recap how all of the runs scored, but I'd be here all damn night. Let's just say that the damage all started with a walk to Nate McClouth, and Erik Hinske's pinch-hit, two-run shot. From there the Braves just went off.
In all, Jansen faced six hitters and retired only one of them. Troncoso wasn't any better, as he faced seven hitters in all, and didn't get an out until a double play from Prado to end the inning. These two combined to allow eight runs on eight hits, two walks, and one wild pitch. Ouch.
What should be a strength for the Dodgers is quickly turning into their biggest weakness in the bullpen, and that's a big problem. Of the eight relievers used thus far, two have been great (Matt Guerrier and Mike MacDougal), two have been average (Hong-Chih Kuo and Blake Hawksworth), and the other four have been horrible (Jonathan Broxton, Kenley Jansen, Ramon Troncoso, and Lance Cormier). They've been very much responsible for the team's 4.87 ERA, 25th in the majors.
Obviously, that needs to change. There's just no way a team that doesn't put up a lot of runs like the Dodgers can even think about contending if they have so many holes in the 'pen. Jansen is definitely going through a sophomore slump. Troncoso has only appeared in two games, but has gotten rocked in both of them. Broxton looks like anything but a good closer. Cormier looks lost. It's not pretty no matter how you slice it.
With Kuo's injury, it looks like Guerrier is about the only sure thing to give the ball to late in the game. And he was signed mostly to pitch in the seventh or eighth innings. Well, his role has suddenly become much more important almost by default. We can only hope he doesn't start to get hit around as well.
The Dodgers will try to pick themselves us, dust themselves off, and get back into action on Wednesday against the Braves. Jon Garland will make the start against old friend Derek Lowe. Garland was awful in his first start against the Cardinals. It may take a little while to get him going, so tonight should be interesting.
Entering a 2-1 ballgame in the top of the ninth, Jansen would only get one out before surrendering five runs, and Ramon Troncoso gave up three more as the Braves ended up creaming the Dodgers, 10-1. Both teams have split the first couple of games.
If you just looked at the final score and nothing else, you wouldn't know that this game was once a pitchers duel. Hiroki Kuroda and Brandon Beachy were able to toss blanks through the opening five frames.
The Braves struck first in the sixth. Martin Prado hit leadoff and slugged a solo homer, his second of the season. Freddy Freeman followed that up with a leadoff homer of his own, and it was 2-0. Blake Hawksworth did a great job of stranding the bases loaded with one out to keep the Dodgers in the game.
Scott Linebrink came on for Beachy in the seventh, and the Dodgers finally got on the board. Juan Uribe absolutely unloaded on... and infield single leading off. Hey, I'll take it. James Loney's single put runners on the corners. Jerry Sands grounded out to third, but Uribe scampered home to cut the score to 2-1.
The Dodgers' inability to drive in runners reared its ugly head once again during this inning. A.J. Ellis singled to again put runners on the corners. Marcus Thames pinch-hit, and in came Johnny Venters, who got the strikeout. Jamey Carroll walked to load the bases with two down. Casey Blake couldn't be the hero as he grounded out to end the inning.
Jansen was given the ball to start the ninth and at least give the Dodgers a fighter's chance to win. Wow did that not work. I'd love to recap how all of the runs scored, but I'd be here all damn night. Let's just say that the damage all started with a walk to Nate McClouth, and Erik Hinske's pinch-hit, two-run shot. From there the Braves just went off.
In all, Jansen faced six hitters and retired only one of them. Troncoso wasn't any better, as he faced seven hitters in all, and didn't get an out until a double play from Prado to end the inning. These two combined to allow eight runs on eight hits, two walks, and one wild pitch. Ouch.
What should be a strength for the Dodgers is quickly turning into their biggest weakness in the bullpen, and that's a big problem. Of the eight relievers used thus far, two have been great (Matt Guerrier and Mike MacDougal), two have been average (Hong-Chih Kuo and Blake Hawksworth), and the other four have been horrible (Jonathan Broxton, Kenley Jansen, Ramon Troncoso, and Lance Cormier). They've been very much responsible for the team's 4.87 ERA, 25th in the majors.
Obviously, that needs to change. There's just no way a team that doesn't put up a lot of runs like the Dodgers can even think about contending if they have so many holes in the 'pen. Jansen is definitely going through a sophomore slump. Troncoso has only appeared in two games, but has gotten rocked in both of them. Broxton looks like anything but a good closer. Cormier looks lost. It's not pretty no matter how you slice it.
With Kuo's injury, it looks like Guerrier is about the only sure thing to give the ball to late in the game. And he was signed mostly to pitch in the seventh or eighth innings. Well, his role has suddenly become much more important almost by default. We can only hope he doesn't start to get hit around as well.
The Dodgers will try to pick themselves us, dust themselves off, and get back into action on Wednesday against the Braves. Jon Garland will make the start against old friend Derek Lowe. Garland was awful in his first start against the Cardinals. It may take a little while to get him going, so tonight should be interesting.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The new kid leaves his mark
The debut for young Jerry Sands could not have gone any better. Two straight productive at-bats to start his major league career combined with a great effort from Ted Lilly gave the Dodgers a win over the Braves, 4-2.
After receiving the callup earlier in the day and promptly being placed in the starting lineup, the Dodgers' offense looked like it had a hop to its step to start the game. Leadoff hitter Aaron Miles singled followed by a walk to Casey Blake. An out later, Matt Kemp continued to ride his scorching start with an RBI single for the 1-0 lead.
Juan Uribe's groundout advanced both runners to scoring position to give an RBI chance to the ice cold James Loney. For a change, Loney actually delivered, as his sharp single up the middle scored two for the 3-0 advantage. Sands then stepped in and hit a double to right for big league hit #1. Lilly struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
In the third, two straight singled by Uribe and Loney came with one out. Yes, I really did just say that. Sands hit a long sac-fly RBI to right to score Uribe, putting the Dodgers up 4-0.
That's all Lilly would need on this night, as he put together his first great effort in four starts. He did face some trouble here and there, but made all of the big pitches. Overall, he finished at seven innings pitched for four hits, no runs, two walks, and six strikeouts. He lowered his ERA from 6.00 to 4.09.
Once Lilly exited after seven, Matt Guerrier was given the ball to get through the eighth. He did just that, getting all three men in order, including K'ing Chipper Jones to end the inning.
Then came the ninth inning, where Don Mattingly went with good old Jonathan Broxton, despite it not being a save situation. Brian McCann singled to start, Dan Uggla doubled, and Freddy Freeman scored one on a groundout. Alex Gonzalez struck out, but Nate McClouth's RBI double made it 4-2. Thankfully Eric Hinske struck out to end the game.
I can already hear the Broxton supporters making every excuse in the world why it wasn't hit fault. "It wasn't a save situation." "He still held the lead." "Nobody else can close, so he has to." It's all a bunch of garbage. He has five saves, but with a 6.14 ERA and 1.77 WHIP. There's just no way Mattingly should keep him as the sole closer. Guys like Guerrier, Kenley Jansen, and Hong-Chih Kuo (when he comes back) need to get their chances as well.
Back to the positives, and Sands was definitely one. His presence seemed to be a breath of fresh air, as it sent a message to the other guys that they need to step it up. And what do you know, Uribe and Loney each had two hits. Coincidence? Quite possibly, but I'm sure they couldn't help but feel some pressure to perform.
Only time will tell how good Sands will be, but for now, he obviously deserves more starts. Anyone who even shows the threat of being a power hitter should get their chance. If that means sitting guys like Uribe and Loney, then so be it.
The Dodgers and Braves have three more games to go, and Tuesday it will be Hiroki Kuroda taking the mound. He won his first two starts, then got rocked against the Cardinals last start. He'll look to improve to 3-1.
After receiving the callup earlier in the day and promptly being placed in the starting lineup, the Dodgers' offense looked like it had a hop to its step to start the game. Leadoff hitter Aaron Miles singled followed by a walk to Casey Blake. An out later, Matt Kemp continued to ride his scorching start with an RBI single for the 1-0 lead.
Juan Uribe's groundout advanced both runners to scoring position to give an RBI chance to the ice cold James Loney. For a change, Loney actually delivered, as his sharp single up the middle scored two for the 3-0 advantage. Sands then stepped in and hit a double to right for big league hit #1. Lilly struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
In the third, two straight singled by Uribe and Loney came with one out. Yes, I really did just say that. Sands hit a long sac-fly RBI to right to score Uribe, putting the Dodgers up 4-0.
That's all Lilly would need on this night, as he put together his first great effort in four starts. He did face some trouble here and there, but made all of the big pitches. Overall, he finished at seven innings pitched for four hits, no runs, two walks, and six strikeouts. He lowered his ERA from 6.00 to 4.09.
Once Lilly exited after seven, Matt Guerrier was given the ball to get through the eighth. He did just that, getting all three men in order, including K'ing Chipper Jones to end the inning.
Then came the ninth inning, where Don Mattingly went with good old Jonathan Broxton, despite it not being a save situation. Brian McCann singled to start, Dan Uggla doubled, and Freddy Freeman scored one on a groundout. Alex Gonzalez struck out, but Nate McClouth's RBI double made it 4-2. Thankfully Eric Hinske struck out to end the game.
I can already hear the Broxton supporters making every excuse in the world why it wasn't hit fault. "It wasn't a save situation." "He still held the lead." "Nobody else can close, so he has to." It's all a bunch of garbage. He has five saves, but with a 6.14 ERA and 1.77 WHIP. There's just no way Mattingly should keep him as the sole closer. Guys like Guerrier, Kenley Jansen, and Hong-Chih Kuo (when he comes back) need to get their chances as well.
Back to the positives, and Sands was definitely one. His presence seemed to be a breath of fresh air, as it sent a message to the other guys that they need to step it up. And what do you know, Uribe and Loney each had two hits. Coincidence? Quite possibly, but I'm sure they couldn't help but feel some pressure to perform.
Only time will tell how good Sands will be, but for now, he obviously deserves more starts. Anyone who even shows the threat of being a power hitter should get their chance. If that means sitting guys like Uribe and Loney, then so be it.
The Dodgers and Braves have three more games to go, and Tuesday it will be Hiroki Kuroda taking the mound. He won his first two starts, then got rocked against the Cardinals last start. He'll look to improve to 3-1.
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