One day after Carlos Frias was unmercifully rocked 11-3 by the Padres (he only lasted four painful innings), it's safe to say Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers have ramped up their efforts to acquire starting pitching.
With that in mind, and based on the suggestions by the great writer Mark Saxon from ESPNLosAngeles.com, let's take a look at the seven starting pitchers he mentioned, with stats from this year and over their careers:
Scott Kazmir - Oakland
2015: 9 starts, 2-3, 3.09 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 53 K, 55 1/3 IP
Career: 249 starts (250 games), 93-82, 4.03 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 1372 K, 1425 2/3 IP
Jesse Chavez - Oakland
2015: 6 starts (10 games), 1-4, 2.89 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 41 K, 43 2/3 IP
Career: 29 starts (233 games), 18-27, 4.52 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 378 K, 424 1/3 IP
Kyle Lohse - Milwaukee
2015: 9 starts, 3-4, 5.53 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 42 K, 53 2/3 IP
Career: 403 starts (427 games), 145-132, 4.31 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 1546 K, 2423 2/3 IP
Matt Garza - Milwaukee
2015: 9 starts, 2-6, 5.71 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 38 K, 52 IP
Career: 227 starts (230 games), 77-81, 3.88 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 1165 K, 1397 2/3 IP
Johnny Cueto - Cincinnati
2015: 9 starts: 3-4, 3.03 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 60 K, 65 1/3 IP
Career: 203 starts, 88-61, 3.26 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 1055 K, 1273 2/3 IP
Mike Leake - Cincinnati
2015: 9 starts, 2-3, 4.14 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 30 K, 58 2/3 IP
Career: 151 starts (156 games), 55-45, 3.93 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 641 K, 950 1/3 IP
Yovani Gallardo - Texas
2015: 10 starts, 4-6, 4.13 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 40 K, 56 2/3 IP
Career: 221 starts (224 games), 93-70, 3.71 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 1266 K, 1346 IP
My Thoughts:
Obviously, Cueto will be the big chip every contender is gunning for. It doesn't matter if the Dodgers' starting staff puts together a long run of quality starts, there's no denying just how big of an impact Cueto can make if he comes into the fold. To be as dominant as he's been in the Reds' ballpark is even more impressive. He's actually pitched much better at home (1.55 ERA) than on the road (4.21 ERA) this year.
Getting Cueto will not be easy or cheap, so perhaps the Dodgers shy away from trading some of their prospects and go in a different direction. Of the names listed above, I'd lean more towards the American League guys than the National League ones.
Kazmir will also not come cheap, though I can't imagine his price will be as high as Cueto's. Perhaps the Dodgers will look to replace their original #3 lefty starter Hyun-Jin Ryu with another lefty. Kazmir's last couple of starts haven't been pretty, and his walks are starting to pile up, so that's something to keep an eye on.
I'd put Chavez and Gallardo on the next level, as either one of them can be pretty good. Gallardo is the more experienced one if that makes a difference. I'm just not sure the Rangers will be sellers because in the AL West, it's unlikely the Astros continue to play so well. The Rangers can quietly make their move, and with Yu Darvish done for the season, Gallardo is arguably their best starter.
Chavez has only been a consistent starter since last season, as he was mostly a reliever since breaking in with the Pirates in 2008. I only know him from being on one of my fantasy teams, but in looking at this numbers, he's only given up a couple of home runs and 13 walks in nearly 44 innings. So, he doesn't let many people on base, or to circle the bases. I can see him coming in and becoming a solid starter towards the back end of the rotation.
Showing posts with label Brewers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brewers. Show all posts
Monday, May 25, 2015
Saturday, August 16, 2014
8th inning could be the Dodgers downfall
Remember last season when Brian Wilson was signed, and the Dodgers had the ultimate 1-2 punch with Kenley Jansen down the stretch and in the postseason?
Well, it sure was fun while it lasted.
The combination of Jamey Wright and Brandon League were the latest to not get the job done in the setup role, as they turned a 2-0 lead into a 5-2 deficit, and the Dodgers dropped one to the Brewers 6-3. At least the Phillies had a comeback of their own in beating the Giants, so the lead in the NL West remains 5 1/2.
To say the eighth inning was ugly would be an understatement. Here's the final tally: nine batters, four hits, five runs, one walk, one strikeout. Most of that damage was done against Wright, who gave up four of those hits and one intentional walk. Even his one out was a hard lineout by Jonathan Lucroy leading off. Every ball hit against him was hard.
League was put in a tough situation of the bases loaded and one out, but he did get Rickie Weeks swinging for two down. But, as has been the case over his three-year deal worth $22.5 million, he couldn't get a second big out, as Lyle Overbay's double cleared the bases and any hope of the Dodgers winning. It was pathetic.
There's no doubt in my mind that the biggest issue the Dodgers face right now is bridging the gap to Jansen. There certainly isn't a Wilson circa 2013 Don Mattingly can turn to. Wilson, by the way, had an 0.66 ERA in 18 appearances last season. Little did we realize just how much we'd miss that version of Wilson.
About the only reliable guy in the 'pen before Jansen is J.P. Howell, but he's not your prototypical setup man. He relies on the soft stuff, and is very effective at it. In 39 1/3 innings, he has a 1.37 ERA. I think Mattingly should just ignore the lefty-righty stuff and pitch him more in the eighth regardless. It certainly can't hurt.
But other than Howell... yikes. It's just a whole lot of nothing to turn to. Here's my breakdown of the other choices, and why they're.... well, not good choices:
Wilson - 5.26 ERA, and can't seem to pitch a clean eighth
League - Much better ERA at 2.32, but the bigger the pressure, the worse he gets
Wright - Had a chance to make a positive impression, and showed why he's much more suited to pitching earlier in the game
Chris Perez - Currently on the DL, and when he's back, has absolutely no business taking the mound in any inning
Pedro Baez and Carlos Frias - Too young and inexperienced to pitch in a big situation. But then again, it's not like they can do any worse, so why not try them?
So like I said, there just aren't any solid options to turn to. I actually liked it on Friday night when Donny gave Wright a chance to do the job. It definitely backfired, but the other options are so bad, it was worth a shot.
This is definitely a big concern heading into the postseason. The only positive is that the Dodgers have really good starting pitching in Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun-Jin Ryu (who hopefully can rest his sore butt!). They can pitch deep into games, which would then limit the amount of relievers needed. We hope.
If I'm Jansen, I'm making sure my arm is plenty rested and ready to go in October. I absolutely think Donny will call upon him in the eighth for more than the traditional three-out save. Donny really has no choice. Might as well skip all the other bums and go with the Big Dog.
Will someone actually step up and finally claim that setup role over the final month-and-a-half? That will be the major question facing the Dodgers the rest of the season.
Well, it sure was fun while it lasted.
The combination of Jamey Wright and Brandon League were the latest to not get the job done in the setup role, as they turned a 2-0 lead into a 5-2 deficit, and the Dodgers dropped one to the Brewers 6-3. At least the Phillies had a comeback of their own in beating the Giants, so the lead in the NL West remains 5 1/2.
To say the eighth inning was ugly would be an understatement. Here's the final tally: nine batters, four hits, five runs, one walk, one strikeout. Most of that damage was done against Wright, who gave up four of those hits and one intentional walk. Even his one out was a hard lineout by Jonathan Lucroy leading off. Every ball hit against him was hard.
League was put in a tough situation of the bases loaded and one out, but he did get Rickie Weeks swinging for two down. But, as has been the case over his three-year deal worth $22.5 million, he couldn't get a second big out, as Lyle Overbay's double cleared the bases and any hope of the Dodgers winning. It was pathetic.
There's no doubt in my mind that the biggest issue the Dodgers face right now is bridging the gap to Jansen. There certainly isn't a Wilson circa 2013 Don Mattingly can turn to. Wilson, by the way, had an 0.66 ERA in 18 appearances last season. Little did we realize just how much we'd miss that version of Wilson.
About the only reliable guy in the 'pen before Jansen is J.P. Howell, but he's not your prototypical setup man. He relies on the soft stuff, and is very effective at it. In 39 1/3 innings, he has a 1.37 ERA. I think Mattingly should just ignore the lefty-righty stuff and pitch him more in the eighth regardless. It certainly can't hurt.
But other than Howell... yikes. It's just a whole lot of nothing to turn to. Here's my breakdown of the other choices, and why they're.... well, not good choices:
Wilson - 5.26 ERA, and can't seem to pitch a clean eighth
League - Much better ERA at 2.32, but the bigger the pressure, the worse he gets
Wright - Had a chance to make a positive impression, and showed why he's much more suited to pitching earlier in the game
Chris Perez - Currently on the DL, and when he's back, has absolutely no business taking the mound in any inning
Pedro Baez and Carlos Frias - Too young and inexperienced to pitch in a big situation. But then again, it's not like they can do any worse, so why not try them?
So like I said, there just aren't any solid options to turn to. I actually liked it on Friday night when Donny gave Wright a chance to do the job. It definitely backfired, but the other options are so bad, it was worth a shot.
This is definitely a big concern heading into the postseason. The only positive is that the Dodgers have really good starting pitching in Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun-Jin Ryu (who hopefully can rest his sore butt!). They can pitch deep into games, which would then limit the amount of relievers needed. We hope.
If I'm Jansen, I'm making sure my arm is plenty rested and ready to go in October. I absolutely think Donny will call upon him in the eighth for more than the traditional three-out save. Donny really has no choice. Might as well skip all the other bums and go with the Big Dog.
Will someone actually step up and finally claim that setup role over the final month-and-a-half? That will be the major question facing the Dodgers the rest of the season.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Defense unravels late as Dodgers fall in Milwaukee
The Dodgers had to be at least somewhat tired coming into Friday night's game in Milwaukee. Just the night before they took care of the Angels, then had to fly halfway across the country. So it was understandable that the team might look a little sluggish.
Well, they may have been sluggish at first as they were down 2-0 after one. But some timely hitting and a very solid start by newcomer Roberto Hernandez handed them a 3-2 lead in the seventh.
And then the Dodgers decided to play defense about as well as the Lakers did last season. Which is to say, not at all.
If you blinked, then you missed the Brewers putting up a four-spot in the seventh thanks to two (should have been three) errors from shortstop Justin Turner. Toss in a three-run bomb by Rickie Weeks in the eighth, and the Dodgers ended up getting creamed 9-3.
As Don Mattingly said after the game, it was the defense that did the biggest damage, as Turner had a night he'd like to completely forget. He was actually the third shortstop used, as Hanley Ramirez had to exit after one inning with tightness in his right side. Miguel Rojas entered after that, but as usual couldn't hit (.207), so he was lifted for pinch-hitter Andre Ethier in the seventh, who responded with an RBI infield single for the 3-2 lead.
The funny thing about the seventh is that Turner actually started off the inning with a fantastic diving catch ranging to his right. Then it all fell apart. He botched a double play ball from Mark Reynolds, which inexplicably was ruled a hit. Then Brandon League tried to flip a ball home from his glove, which didn't work and led to a run. Then Turner committed two errors on a bobble and bad throw to first.
The 3-2 lead morphed into a 6-3 deficit. Uh, not good.
So now Mattingly has to face the dilemma of whom to play at shortstop if Hanley is out for awhile. Rojas has a good glove, but that boy absolutely cannot hit. The funniest sight of this game was him hitting in the cleanup spot. He might be the worst cleanup hitter any team has used this season. Turner certainly has a better glove than what he showed, but he's no doubt more comfortable at third.
So what can be done? My guess is Rojas gets the call, simply because of his glove, and he'll be the automatic #8 hitter. Turner might get some time there, but he now has a lot to prove as far as handling it defensively. We'll see how that goes.
Other thoughts from the game:
* The Dodgers have to be very happy with what they saw from Hernandez, who overcame a shaky first to post a very respectable line of six innings, three hits, two runs, no walks, and five strikeouts. He certainly settled down as the game progressed. He did his part, I just wish the guys behind him did theirs.
* Adrian Gonzalez has hit very well the last couple of nights, as his solo homer in the sixth got the Dodgers on the board. He's been as streaky as can be this year, as he has five hits in the last two games, but went 0-for-4 in each of the previous three games. He's still second in the NL with 76 RBIs, so he's getting it done.
* One of the funniest moments of the night was when Matt Kemp got very irritated calling for a fly ball early in the game. Close ups showed him yelling "I got it," which then turned into "I GOT IT!!!" when Yasiel Puig was lurking. I wouldn't want to be around Kemp when he gets pissed like that.
* A final thought on Hanley. While I can appreciate his desire to play, honesty should've taken over so the Dodgers didn't have to waste a bench spot so early in the game, and subjugated themselves to Rojas hitting cleanup. It was obvious something was up during his only at-bat, so he must have felt something before the game. An early scratch would have helped the team much more.
The Dodgers still have an excellent road record, and they send their two studs to the mound this weekend in Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw. You'd like to think they'd win at least one of those games.
Well, they may have been sluggish at first as they were down 2-0 after one. But some timely hitting and a very solid start by newcomer Roberto Hernandez handed them a 3-2 lead in the seventh.
And then the Dodgers decided to play defense about as well as the Lakers did last season. Which is to say, not at all.
If you blinked, then you missed the Brewers putting up a four-spot in the seventh thanks to two (should have been three) errors from shortstop Justin Turner. Toss in a three-run bomb by Rickie Weeks in the eighth, and the Dodgers ended up getting creamed 9-3.
As Don Mattingly said after the game, it was the defense that did the biggest damage, as Turner had a night he'd like to completely forget. He was actually the third shortstop used, as Hanley Ramirez had to exit after one inning with tightness in his right side. Miguel Rojas entered after that, but as usual couldn't hit (.207), so he was lifted for pinch-hitter Andre Ethier in the seventh, who responded with an RBI infield single for the 3-2 lead.
The funny thing about the seventh is that Turner actually started off the inning with a fantastic diving catch ranging to his right. Then it all fell apart. He botched a double play ball from Mark Reynolds, which inexplicably was ruled a hit. Then Brandon League tried to flip a ball home from his glove, which didn't work and led to a run. Then Turner committed two errors on a bobble and bad throw to first.
The 3-2 lead morphed into a 6-3 deficit. Uh, not good.
So now Mattingly has to face the dilemma of whom to play at shortstop if Hanley is out for awhile. Rojas has a good glove, but that boy absolutely cannot hit. The funniest sight of this game was him hitting in the cleanup spot. He might be the worst cleanup hitter any team has used this season. Turner certainly has a better glove than what he showed, but he's no doubt more comfortable at third.
So what can be done? My guess is Rojas gets the call, simply because of his glove, and he'll be the automatic #8 hitter. Turner might get some time there, but he now has a lot to prove as far as handling it defensively. We'll see how that goes.
Other thoughts from the game:
* The Dodgers have to be very happy with what they saw from Hernandez, who overcame a shaky first to post a very respectable line of six innings, three hits, two runs, no walks, and five strikeouts. He certainly settled down as the game progressed. He did his part, I just wish the guys behind him did theirs.
* Adrian Gonzalez has hit very well the last couple of nights, as his solo homer in the sixth got the Dodgers on the board. He's been as streaky as can be this year, as he has five hits in the last two games, but went 0-for-4 in each of the previous three games. He's still second in the NL with 76 RBIs, so he's getting it done.
* One of the funniest moments of the night was when Matt Kemp got very irritated calling for a fly ball early in the game. Close ups showed him yelling "I got it," which then turned into "I GOT IT!!!" when Yasiel Puig was lurking. I wouldn't want to be around Kemp when he gets pissed like that.
* A final thought on Hanley. While I can appreciate his desire to play, honesty should've taken over so the Dodgers didn't have to waste a bench spot so early in the game, and subjugated themselves to Rojas hitting cleanup. It was obvious something was up during his only at-bat, so he must have felt something before the game. An early scratch would have helped the team much more.
The Dodgers still have an excellent road record, and they send their two studs to the mound this weekend in Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw. You'd like to think they'd win at least one of those games.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Kershaw is just fine, thank you very much
Any worry about Clayton Kershaw losing his pinpoint accuracy was put to rest on Sunday at Dodger Stadium. Eight innings of shutout ball with no walks and 12 strikeouts sort of backs that statement up.
With an assist from two solo homers by Carl Crawford, Kershaw and the Dodgers won the rubber match over the Brewers, 2-0. It's the second consecutive series victory for the Dodgers after taking two of three from the Mets during the week. It's also five wins in the last seven games.
Kershaw was obviously awesome, but the Brew Crew did have their chances to score the first couple of innings. In the first, Jean Segura and Ryan Braun each singled with one out. Jonathan Lucroy's double play ball erased that threat. The next inning, Rickie Weeks doubled leading off, went to third on a flyout, but stayed right there.
That would be it for the Brewers' scoring chances, as they simply could not get anything going the rest of the game. Well, Carlos Gomez did double leading off the eighth and get to third with two outs, but Khris (yes, with a K) Davis struck out.
Wedged in between the two doubles was Kershaw setting down 18 in a row, including nine strikeouts. Wow, that's unreal. Actually it's not, it's just Kershaw doing his thing.
The offense was supplied by Crawford and Crawford only. He took the first pitch of the game by Kyle Lohse out to dead center for the quick 1-0 lead. In the fifth, he pulled one out to right for another solo homer, this time with two outs. Yup, I'd say he's healthy again. A .307 average and .390 OBP is the proof.
We all know how lousy the bullpen has been (read my last post), but Brandon League made sure there was no letdown as he gathered his eighth save in nine chances. He induced two groundouts to Justin Sellers at short, along with a popup that Nick Punto ran down near the right field line. Great catch.
When you've built up the kind of resume that Kershaw sports, it's certainly a daunting task to constantly live up to it, and even exceed it. So it was strange seeing him pitch around five innings his last two starts. Even more concerning was his control issues, as he walked 11 over his last three starts, going 0-2 in that span.
That wasn't the case on Sunday, as nobody got a free pass. Over the course of eight innings, he did manage to work seven counts of at least three balls. Remarkably, not a single one of them ever got to ball four. The Brewers did help him out a couple times by expanding the zone on strikeouts, but that's it. He simply bared down and made the big pitch over and over. That's why he's the best in the business.
Because of all those full counts, Kershaw ran his pitch count up to 117, which denied him the chance of going the distance. Don Mattingly clearly made the right call here. I can only imagine the outcry there would be had League blown it, but I can honestly say that Mattingly was still doing the right thing even if it backfired. Unlike yanking Matt Magill the night before, this was the right call, and it worked out quite nicely.
Ted Lilly takes the mound on Monday, as the Dodgers welcome the first place Rockies to town for three. Kershaw won't go, but he will get the call against the Giants on Friday, so it's all good. I don't care who's in first, it's still better watching Kershaw beat the Giants. That never gets old.
With an assist from two solo homers by Carl Crawford, Kershaw and the Dodgers won the rubber match over the Brewers, 2-0. It's the second consecutive series victory for the Dodgers after taking two of three from the Mets during the week. It's also five wins in the last seven games.
Kershaw was obviously awesome, but the Brew Crew did have their chances to score the first couple of innings. In the first, Jean Segura and Ryan Braun each singled with one out. Jonathan Lucroy's double play ball erased that threat. The next inning, Rickie Weeks doubled leading off, went to third on a flyout, but stayed right there.
That would be it for the Brewers' scoring chances, as they simply could not get anything going the rest of the game. Well, Carlos Gomez did double leading off the eighth and get to third with two outs, but Khris (yes, with a K) Davis struck out.
Wedged in between the two doubles was Kershaw setting down 18 in a row, including nine strikeouts. Wow, that's unreal. Actually it's not, it's just Kershaw doing his thing.
The offense was supplied by Crawford and Crawford only. He took the first pitch of the game by Kyle Lohse out to dead center for the quick 1-0 lead. In the fifth, he pulled one out to right for another solo homer, this time with two outs. Yup, I'd say he's healthy again. A .307 average and .390 OBP is the proof.
We all know how lousy the bullpen has been (read my last post), but Brandon League made sure there was no letdown as he gathered his eighth save in nine chances. He induced two groundouts to Justin Sellers at short, along with a popup that Nick Punto ran down near the right field line. Great catch.
When you've built up the kind of resume that Kershaw sports, it's certainly a daunting task to constantly live up to it, and even exceed it. So it was strange seeing him pitch around five innings his last two starts. Even more concerning was his control issues, as he walked 11 over his last three starts, going 0-2 in that span.
That wasn't the case on Sunday, as nobody got a free pass. Over the course of eight innings, he did manage to work seven counts of at least three balls. Remarkably, not a single one of them ever got to ball four. The Brewers did help him out a couple times by expanding the zone on strikeouts, but that's it. He simply bared down and made the big pitch over and over. That's why he's the best in the business.
Because of all those full counts, Kershaw ran his pitch count up to 117, which denied him the chance of going the distance. Don Mattingly clearly made the right call here. I can only imagine the outcry there would be had League blown it, but I can honestly say that Mattingly was still doing the right thing even if it backfired. Unlike yanking Matt Magill the night before, this was the right call, and it worked out quite nicely.
Ted Lilly takes the mound on Monday, as the Dodgers welcome the first place Rockies to town for three. Kershaw won't go, but he will get the call against the Giants on Friday, so it's all good. I don't care who's in first, it's still better watching Kershaw beat the Giants. That never gets old.
At this rate, it's going to be a long year with this bullpen
Matt Magill had everything going for him on Saturday night. The emergency starter who arrived at Dodger Stadium all of a few hours before the game went 6 1/3 innings for four hits, two runs, two walks, and seven strikeouts. He left in the seventh with a 3-2 lead and in line for a win.
Did he get that win? Nope. Thank you, bullpen.
Paco Rodriguez gave up a single to his only batter, Matt Guerrier was atrocious in giving up a couple of two-run homers, and the Brewers once again exposed that horrible bullpen in getting a 6-4 victory.
If you're a Dodger fan, you're both frustrated and not at all surprised by this. Plus you're probably mad at Don Mattingly for pulling Magill in the first place. I know Magill was over 100 pitches, but the last batter he faced was a strikeout of Jean Segura, then Rodriguez and Guerrier completely blew all that hard work. That damn pitch count excuse... UGH.
Here are some interesting numbers for the bullpen this season:
ERA: 4.41 (24th)
WHIP: 1.39 (26th)
ER: 32 (10th highest)
BB: 31 (8th highest)
Plus, you can factor in they have 65 1/3 innings pitched, which is only 25th in the majors. So it's not like numbers such as earned runs and walks are inflated because they pitch much more than other teams. It's actually just the opposite.
It's hard to like much of anything about this group. Kenley Jansen has a 1.50 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 12 innings, so he's been good. Brandon League is 7-8 in saves, but his ERA is high at 4.50. Ronald Belisario has a 3.09 ERA, but a high WHIP at 1.46.
Everybody else has been flat out horrendous. Here are the ERAs for the rest of this crew: Paco Rodriguez (4.93), Matt Guerrier (5.40), J.P. Howell (5.40), Josh Wall (12.60). Shawn Tolleson doesn't have an ERA, but he walked the only two batters he's faced. So his WHIP is infinity!
Considering that Zack Greinke, Chad Billingsley, Chris Capuano, and Stephen Fife are all on the DL, this problem is magnified even more. And Saturday night was the perfect example that even when a starter is effective and goes pretty deep into the game, the late innings are a huge advantage for the opposing team.
You want another interesting stat? Over the last seven days, the Dodgers are fourth in the majors (first the NL) in runs scored at 37. Yes, seriously. They've actually been pushing runs across the plate, but then guys like Guerrier and Rodriguez completely flush it down the toilet. It's hard to watch.
At this point, the Dodgers have to be thinking about making some moves to improve this unit. How much longer can they accept watching most of these guys stumble late in the game? For a team with an astronomical payroll and expectations, patience has to be very thin. And rightfully so.
Did he get that win? Nope. Thank you, bullpen.
Paco Rodriguez gave up a single to his only batter, Matt Guerrier was atrocious in giving up a couple of two-run homers, and the Brewers once again exposed that horrible bullpen in getting a 6-4 victory.
If you're a Dodger fan, you're both frustrated and not at all surprised by this. Plus you're probably mad at Don Mattingly for pulling Magill in the first place. I know Magill was over 100 pitches, but the last batter he faced was a strikeout of Jean Segura, then Rodriguez and Guerrier completely blew all that hard work. That damn pitch count excuse... UGH.
Here are some interesting numbers for the bullpen this season:
ERA: 4.41 (24th)
WHIP: 1.39 (26th)
ER: 32 (10th highest)
BB: 31 (8th highest)
Plus, you can factor in they have 65 1/3 innings pitched, which is only 25th in the majors. So it's not like numbers such as earned runs and walks are inflated because they pitch much more than other teams. It's actually just the opposite.
It's hard to like much of anything about this group. Kenley Jansen has a 1.50 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 12 innings, so he's been good. Brandon League is 7-8 in saves, but his ERA is high at 4.50. Ronald Belisario has a 3.09 ERA, but a high WHIP at 1.46.
Everybody else has been flat out horrendous. Here are the ERAs for the rest of this crew: Paco Rodriguez (4.93), Matt Guerrier (5.40), J.P. Howell (5.40), Josh Wall (12.60). Shawn Tolleson doesn't have an ERA, but he walked the only two batters he's faced. So his WHIP is infinity!
Considering that Zack Greinke, Chad Billingsley, Chris Capuano, and Stephen Fife are all on the DL, this problem is magnified even more. And Saturday night was the perfect example that even when a starter is effective and goes pretty deep into the game, the late innings are a huge advantage for the opposing team.
You want another interesting stat? Over the last seven days, the Dodgers are fourth in the majors (first the NL) in runs scored at 37. Yes, seriously. They've actually been pushing runs across the plate, but then guys like Guerrier and Rodriguez completely flush it down the toilet. It's hard to watch.
At this point, the Dodgers have to be thinking about making some moves to improve this unit. How much longer can they accept watching most of these guys stumble late in the game? For a team with an astronomical payroll and expectations, patience has to be very thin. And rightfully so.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Despite 4 errors, Dodgers grab a win
The Dodgers had a major problem catching, fielding, and throwing the ball on Friday night. But for once it didn't matter thanks to a rare display of clutch hitting.
Even with a whopping four errors in the field, the offense went 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and the Dodgers defeated the Brewers, 7-5. The Brewers slapped around the Dodgers last year, so beating them was a welcome sight. It also gives the Dodgers wins in four of their last five.
This turned out to be a good back-and-forth game... unlike the game in Staples Center at the same time, which saw the Lakers get absolutely demolished by the Spurs. In fact, the Dodgers could have showed up and played as the Lakers and lost by less than 31. But I digress.
Anyway, the Dodgers got the early 2-0 lead after three. In the first, Mark Ellis singled and Matt Kemp walked. Andre Ethier went the other way for an RBI single. Two innings later, Carl Crawford smacked a leadoff homer.
The Brewers also played longball to tie the game. Ryan Braun and Yuniesky Betancourt each hit solo shots to make it 2-2. After Betancourt's homer tied it in the fifth, an RBI single by Jean Segura gave the Brew Crew a 3-2 edge.
Adrian Gonzalez had a big night for the Dodgers, and he tied it in the fifth on an RBI double to score Crawford, who was beaned with one out. He should have charged the mound after that! Oh wait, only idiots like Carlos Quentin do that in close games. My bad.
Matt Guerrier has been one of the only Dodger relievers to have pitched well lately, and he got a huge double play ball from Betancourt to end the fifth. But in the sixth, he gave up a single to Alex Gonzalez leading off, which soon led to an RBI single from Norichika Aoki off of Paco Rodriguez to make it 3-3.
Kemp can consider himself a very lucky man, as on that same play he completely whiffed on the ball bouncing right at him, allowing Aoki to get to third. With Ronald Belisario in, Segura missed a suicide squeeze attempt, leading to an easy tag on Aoki. Segura then struck out.
In the seventh, Gonzalez again had a big swing with his team down by a run. This time it was a two-run double to center, though it should be noted that Carlos Gomez flat out dropped it going back. Not an easy play, but one that has to be made. And maybe a bit of hometown flavor in the scoring helped!
The Brewers blew a chance to score in the eighth, as Jerry Hairston committed two errors on grounders. The Dodgers jumped on it by adding two in the bottom half. Believe it or not, it all started on a single by Luis Cruz and double by Justin Sellers. Hairston got an RBI groundout and Crawford an RBI single to make it 7-4.
Brandon League got the save in the ninth, though it did get a little scary. He had an atrocious throwing error to allow one run to score. Braun came up with a runner on second and grounded out on a full count to end it. That could've been a disaster.
Josh Beckett didn't figure in the decision, so he remains winless on the year. He looked decent, but was hurt by the couple of homers. He lasted 5 1/3 innings for seven hits, three runs, two walks, and five strikeouts. His ERA stands at 4.75, which obviously needs to get better. I thought his stuff moved pretty well in this one, so it's something to keep building on.
How nice was it to watch a game where the offense picked everyone up for a change? Gonzalez and Crawford were big. Gonzo drove in three on a couple of doubles, and Crawford homered and drove in two. Let's also give some love to the bottom of the order, as Sellers had two hits and two runs, and Cruz a big pinch-hit single to start the rally in the eighth. Great stuff.
Right now the Dodgers are still in fourth in the NL West, but only 3 1/2 games behind the Rockies, who continue to play some great ball. They've been getting wins, but the injury bug has struck again, this time to Mark Ellis on a quad strain. He's been playing fantastic, so let's hope it's nothing serious. Knowing the Dodgers' (lack of) luck, it probably is.
Stephen Fife will take the mound on Saturday night looking to give the Dodgers a series win.
Even with a whopping four errors in the field, the offense went 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and the Dodgers defeated the Brewers, 7-5. The Brewers slapped around the Dodgers last year, so beating them was a welcome sight. It also gives the Dodgers wins in four of their last five.
This turned out to be a good back-and-forth game... unlike the game in Staples Center at the same time, which saw the Lakers get absolutely demolished by the Spurs. In fact, the Dodgers could have showed up and played as the Lakers and lost by less than 31. But I digress.
Anyway, the Dodgers got the early 2-0 lead after three. In the first, Mark Ellis singled and Matt Kemp walked. Andre Ethier went the other way for an RBI single. Two innings later, Carl Crawford smacked a leadoff homer.
The Brewers also played longball to tie the game. Ryan Braun and Yuniesky Betancourt each hit solo shots to make it 2-2. After Betancourt's homer tied it in the fifth, an RBI single by Jean Segura gave the Brew Crew a 3-2 edge.
Adrian Gonzalez had a big night for the Dodgers, and he tied it in the fifth on an RBI double to score Crawford, who was beaned with one out. He should have charged the mound after that! Oh wait, only idiots like Carlos Quentin do that in close games. My bad.
Matt Guerrier has been one of the only Dodger relievers to have pitched well lately, and he got a huge double play ball from Betancourt to end the fifth. But in the sixth, he gave up a single to Alex Gonzalez leading off, which soon led to an RBI single from Norichika Aoki off of Paco Rodriguez to make it 3-3.
Kemp can consider himself a very lucky man, as on that same play he completely whiffed on the ball bouncing right at him, allowing Aoki to get to third. With Ronald Belisario in, Segura missed a suicide squeeze attempt, leading to an easy tag on Aoki. Segura then struck out.
In the seventh, Gonzalez again had a big swing with his team down by a run. This time it was a two-run double to center, though it should be noted that Carlos Gomez flat out dropped it going back. Not an easy play, but one that has to be made. And maybe a bit of hometown flavor in the scoring helped!
The Brewers blew a chance to score in the eighth, as Jerry Hairston committed two errors on grounders. The Dodgers jumped on it by adding two in the bottom half. Believe it or not, it all started on a single by Luis Cruz and double by Justin Sellers. Hairston got an RBI groundout and Crawford an RBI single to make it 7-4.
Brandon League got the save in the ninth, though it did get a little scary. He had an atrocious throwing error to allow one run to score. Braun came up with a runner on second and grounded out on a full count to end it. That could've been a disaster.
Josh Beckett didn't figure in the decision, so he remains winless on the year. He looked decent, but was hurt by the couple of homers. He lasted 5 1/3 innings for seven hits, three runs, two walks, and five strikeouts. His ERA stands at 4.75, which obviously needs to get better. I thought his stuff moved pretty well in this one, so it's something to keep building on.
How nice was it to watch a game where the offense picked everyone up for a change? Gonzalez and Crawford were big. Gonzo drove in three on a couple of doubles, and Crawford homered and drove in two. Let's also give some love to the bottom of the order, as Sellers had two hits and two runs, and Cruz a big pinch-hit single to start the rally in the eighth. Great stuff.
Right now the Dodgers are still in fourth in the NL West, but only 3 1/2 games behind the Rockies, who continue to play some great ball. They've been getting wins, but the injury bug has struck again, this time to Mark Ellis on a quad strain. He's been playing fantastic, so let's hope it's nothing serious. Knowing the Dodgers' (lack of) luck, it probably is.
Stephen Fife will take the mound on Saturday night looking to give the Dodgers a series win.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Uh-oh... Kemp goes down again
The baseball season is full of peaks and valleys.
Wednesday night marked the Dodgers' first valley.
Clayton Kershaw scuffled all night, Matt Kemp reinjured his hamstring, and the Dodgers dropped a third straight against the Brewers, 6-3. Another loss on Thursday would give the Brew Crew a four-game sweep against a team that came into this series 21-5 at home.
The first inning would not be a good one, with the irony being that the Dodgers actually came out of it up 1-0. The first batter of the game, Corey Hart, lifted a long fly ball that was caught by Bobby Abreu in left. Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez each struck out, but on pretty questionable calls, even this Dodger fan has to admit.
Kemp was making his second start since coming off the 15-day DL, and he worked a walk with two outs. Andre Ethier then lined an RBI double into center. As Kemp was coming around third, it was obvious that something was wrong, as he started lumbering as if he were Manny Ramirez.
The pain was obvious, as Kemp was so frustrated in the dugout that he literally broke a bat over his good leg before heaving it in disgust. That was it for him on the night, and probably for the next 15 days once again.
That seemed to suck the life out of the Dodgers, as the Brewers took the lead in the fourth. Ramirez doubled with one out, and Kershaw then issued walks to Rickie Weeks and Cody Ransom to load the bases. Chris Gomez's two-run single made it 2-1.
With the bats going silent, the Brewers added more in the sixth. Weeks doubled leading off, and Ransom took another walk. After a groundout, Martin Maldonado executed a perfect suicide squeeze to go up 3-1. The icing on the cake was an RBI single by Yovanni Gallardo to chase Kershaw.
Javy Guerra came in and gave up a bloop single to Hart for runners on the corners. Norichika Aoki then grounded one to Elian Herrera at second, who decided to take three years to throw to first, resulting in the infield hit and RBI to make it 5-1.
The Dodgers did make a push in the seventh at least. A.J. Ellis and Dee "Strike 3" Gordon each singled leading off (yes, it was a surprise to me that Gordon finally singled). Ivan De Jesus pinch-hit and singled as well to load 'em up. Manny Parra came in for Gallardo and immediately gave up a two-run single to Herrera, and it was now 5-3.
Still with nobody out, James Loney flunked in a big spot yet again by striking out. Tony Gwynn of all people grounded into a double play, and the Dodgers were done after that.
An RBI groundout from Ramirez in the eighth rounded out the scoring.
I'm not sure what was going on with Kershaw, but it was very surprising to see him struggle so much. That's the sign of a great pitcher - any bad outing is newsworthy. He lasted 5 2/3 innings for eight hits, five runs, four walks, and seven strikeouts. The K's were nice, but the walks were a season-high. For some reason the Brewers give him trouble. It's just one of those things. He'll bounce back.
Kemp's injury was obviously the big story. But what was just as big to me was how he admitted afterwards that he was hiding it all along, even after resting for a couple weeks. I can appreciate how he wanted to come back right away, but it turned out to be the wrong call. About the only thing we can hope for is that this next stint on the DL truly does heal him, or that he'll take all the time he needs.
I don't care what the record shows, the Dodgers need Kemp if they want to go anywhere this season. The only way that will happen is if he gets 100% healthy.
Right now the Dodgers are in a bit of a lull, as they became the last team in baseball to suffer a three-game losing streak. The injuries are still there, and they face the possibility of getting swept at home. It's been all good this season so far, so let's see how they react to some adversity. Time will tell.
Chad Billingsley will be put up to the task of grabbing back a win as he takes the mound on Thursday. He'll be up against Zach Greinke, who's been fantastic at home (1.30 ERA) and horrific on the road (7.30). Let's hope the road version stays true to form.
Wednesday night marked the Dodgers' first valley.
Clayton Kershaw scuffled all night, Matt Kemp reinjured his hamstring, and the Dodgers dropped a third straight against the Brewers, 6-3. Another loss on Thursday would give the Brew Crew a four-game sweep against a team that came into this series 21-5 at home.
The first inning would not be a good one, with the irony being that the Dodgers actually came out of it up 1-0. The first batter of the game, Corey Hart, lifted a long fly ball that was caught by Bobby Abreu in left. Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez each struck out, but on pretty questionable calls, even this Dodger fan has to admit.
Kemp was making his second start since coming off the 15-day DL, and he worked a walk with two outs. Andre Ethier then lined an RBI double into center. As Kemp was coming around third, it was obvious that something was wrong, as he started lumbering as if he were Manny Ramirez.
The pain was obvious, as Kemp was so frustrated in the dugout that he literally broke a bat over his good leg before heaving it in disgust. That was it for him on the night, and probably for the next 15 days once again.
That seemed to suck the life out of the Dodgers, as the Brewers took the lead in the fourth. Ramirez doubled with one out, and Kershaw then issued walks to Rickie Weeks and Cody Ransom to load the bases. Chris Gomez's two-run single made it 2-1.
With the bats going silent, the Brewers added more in the sixth. Weeks doubled leading off, and Ransom took another walk. After a groundout, Martin Maldonado executed a perfect suicide squeeze to go up 3-1. The icing on the cake was an RBI single by Yovanni Gallardo to chase Kershaw.
Javy Guerra came in and gave up a bloop single to Hart for runners on the corners. Norichika Aoki then grounded one to Elian Herrera at second, who decided to take three years to throw to first, resulting in the infield hit and RBI to make it 5-1.
The Dodgers did make a push in the seventh at least. A.J. Ellis and Dee "Strike 3" Gordon each singled leading off (yes, it was a surprise to me that Gordon finally singled). Ivan De Jesus pinch-hit and singled as well to load 'em up. Manny Parra came in for Gallardo and immediately gave up a two-run single to Herrera, and it was now 5-3.
Still with nobody out, James Loney flunked in a big spot yet again by striking out. Tony Gwynn of all people grounded into a double play, and the Dodgers were done after that.
An RBI groundout from Ramirez in the eighth rounded out the scoring.
I'm not sure what was going on with Kershaw, but it was very surprising to see him struggle so much. That's the sign of a great pitcher - any bad outing is newsworthy. He lasted 5 2/3 innings for eight hits, five runs, four walks, and seven strikeouts. The K's were nice, but the walks were a season-high. For some reason the Brewers give him trouble. It's just one of those things. He'll bounce back.
Kemp's injury was obviously the big story. But what was just as big to me was how he admitted afterwards that he was hiding it all along, even after resting for a couple weeks. I can appreciate how he wanted to come back right away, but it turned out to be the wrong call. About the only thing we can hope for is that this next stint on the DL truly does heal him, or that he'll take all the time he needs.
I don't care what the record shows, the Dodgers need Kemp if they want to go anywhere this season. The only way that will happen is if he gets 100% healthy.
Right now the Dodgers are in a bit of a lull, as they became the last team in baseball to suffer a three-game losing streak. The injuries are still there, and they face the possibility of getting swept at home. It's been all good this season so far, so let's see how they react to some adversity. Time will tell.
Chad Billingsley will be put up to the task of grabbing back a win as he takes the mound on Thursday. He'll be up against Zach Greinke, who's been fantastic at home (1.30 ERA) and horrific on the road (7.30). Let's hope the road version stays true to form.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Dodgers get one back on the Brew Crew
One night after being jobbed into a loss on a terrible call at home plate, the Dodgers were able to grab one in Milwaukee on Thursday afternoon, 4-3. With the win, the Dodgers have now 10 wins to join the Rangers and Nationals as the first to the double-digit club.
It was another back-and-forth game, as both teams were about as evenly matched as you could get. The Dodgers got a run in the second. Andre Ethier doubled with one down, followed by Jerry Hairston, Jr. getting beaned and James Loney walking. Matt Treanor got a start at catcher and hit a sac-fly RBI for the 1-0 lead.
The Brewers surged ahead immediately after that, as they put up a two-spot in the second off of Aaron Harang. Singles by George Kottaras and Alex Gonzalez started it. Travis Ishikawa hit an RBI double to tie it, and Randy Wolf's sac-fly RBI gave them a 2-1 advantage.
As has been the theme these three games, the losing team responded. The Dodgers used four straight singles to get the lead right back in the third. It started with Mark Ellis and Matt Kemp, and followed with RBI singles by Juan Rivera and Ethier, and it was now 3-2.
With Harang settling in, Mr. Everything Matt Kemp did what he does best in the fifth. His seventh homer of the season came leading off, as the Dodgers increased their lead to 4-2.
You knew the Brewers wouldn't go away quietly, and they started chipping away at their deficit in the sixth. Aramis Ramirez reached base leading off on a single, and two outs later Gonzalez did the same to keep the inning alive. Ishikawa hit an RBI single to make it 4-3. Mat Gamel pinch-hit for Wolf, but struck out to end the threat.
The game was now turned over to the bullpen, something the Dodgers haven't had any success with through the first two games. Whom did Don Mattingly call upon in this spot? If you guessed Jamey Wright, it's probably because you either watched the game, or were lying. He's not exactly the guy you would think of late in the game like that.
But, with Matt Guerrier ineffective the last two days, and with Kenley Jansen more of an eighth-inning guy, Wright got the ball, and boy was he lights-out. He stayed two innings and struck out the first five batters he faced. He did walk Kottaras, but got pinch-runner Carlos Gomez to be stranded at third to end the inning on a fantastic, diving stop by Hairston at third.
Javy Guerra blew his first save on Tuesday, so he was looking for some revenge. Once again, it was the defense of Hairston that helped, as his barehanded throw on a bunt by Ishikawa got the first out. Two strikeouts later, Guerra had his sixth save.
Like I said before, both of these teams played to a virtual standstill throughout. The Brewers took two of three by a score of 11-10. But it's not like the Dodgers were giving much of a chance on Wednesday, as they were screwed on a terrible call at home plate. Just watch the replay, and you'll know.
After starting off the season getting roughed up in San Diego, Harang has turned things around since. He got his first win by going six innings for eight hits, three runs, one walk, and four strikeouts. Even without Prince Fielder, the Brewers can still hit, so the Dodgers will take a start like this out of their #5 guy.
Hairston and Wright were the true stars, as they put on a serious show. Hairston made a loud claim to get more starts at third, especially with Juan Uribe sidelined for now with a wrist injury. Wright has been scoreless in four of his five appearances.
With the Dodgers now at 10-3, they have a great chance to get even better as they travel to Houston to take on the hapless Astros. The first game won't be easy, though, as Ted Lilly makes his second start against the solid J.A. Happ.
It was another back-and-forth game, as both teams were about as evenly matched as you could get. The Dodgers got a run in the second. Andre Ethier doubled with one down, followed by Jerry Hairston, Jr. getting beaned and James Loney walking. Matt Treanor got a start at catcher and hit a sac-fly RBI for the 1-0 lead.
The Brewers surged ahead immediately after that, as they put up a two-spot in the second off of Aaron Harang. Singles by George Kottaras and Alex Gonzalez started it. Travis Ishikawa hit an RBI double to tie it, and Randy Wolf's sac-fly RBI gave them a 2-1 advantage.
As has been the theme these three games, the losing team responded. The Dodgers used four straight singles to get the lead right back in the third. It started with Mark Ellis and Matt Kemp, and followed with RBI singles by Juan Rivera and Ethier, and it was now 3-2.
With Harang settling in, Mr. Everything Matt Kemp did what he does best in the fifth. His seventh homer of the season came leading off, as the Dodgers increased their lead to 4-2.
You knew the Brewers wouldn't go away quietly, and they started chipping away at their deficit in the sixth. Aramis Ramirez reached base leading off on a single, and two outs later Gonzalez did the same to keep the inning alive. Ishikawa hit an RBI single to make it 4-3. Mat Gamel pinch-hit for Wolf, but struck out to end the threat.
The game was now turned over to the bullpen, something the Dodgers haven't had any success with through the first two games. Whom did Don Mattingly call upon in this spot? If you guessed Jamey Wright, it's probably because you either watched the game, or were lying. He's not exactly the guy you would think of late in the game like that.
But, with Matt Guerrier ineffective the last two days, and with Kenley Jansen more of an eighth-inning guy, Wright got the ball, and boy was he lights-out. He stayed two innings and struck out the first five batters he faced. He did walk Kottaras, but got pinch-runner Carlos Gomez to be stranded at third to end the inning on a fantastic, diving stop by Hairston at third.
Javy Guerra blew his first save on Tuesday, so he was looking for some revenge. Once again, it was the defense of Hairston that helped, as his barehanded throw on a bunt by Ishikawa got the first out. Two strikeouts later, Guerra had his sixth save.
Like I said before, both of these teams played to a virtual standstill throughout. The Brewers took two of three by a score of 11-10. But it's not like the Dodgers were giving much of a chance on Wednesday, as they were screwed on a terrible call at home plate. Just watch the replay, and you'll know.
After starting off the season getting roughed up in San Diego, Harang has turned things around since. He got his first win by going six innings for eight hits, three runs, one walk, and four strikeouts. Even without Prince Fielder, the Brewers can still hit, so the Dodgers will take a start like this out of their #5 guy.
Hairston and Wright were the true stars, as they put on a serious show. Hairston made a loud claim to get more starts at third, especially with Juan Uribe sidelined for now with a wrist injury. Wright has been scoreless in four of his five appearances.
With the Dodgers now at 10-3, they have a great chance to get even better as they travel to Houston to take on the hapless Astros. The first game won't be easy, though, as Ted Lilly makes his second start against the solid J.A. Happ.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Blown save halts winning streak at 6
A seven-game winning streak looked like a distinct possibility when Andre Ethier blasted a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth.
And then Javy Guerra gave it all right back.
George Kottaras sent the Brewer fans home happy with a pinch-hit, two-run, walk-off double to give the Brewers a 5-4 victory over the Dodgers. It's the first blown save of the season for Guerra after converting five straight.
Dee Gordon started off the game right where he left off on Sunday by hitting a single. The down side is that he then got picked off of first by about three miles. Wouldn't you know it, Matt Kemp soon cracked a double to dead center but was stranded.
Chad Billingsley had been practically untouchable coming into this game, but was hit around in the second. It started on a long solo shot from young Mat Gamel, who's taking over the spot vacated by Prince Fielder at first. Jonathan Lucroy then tripled and scored on an RBI from old friend Cesar Izturis, who was a Dodger All-Star back in 2005. Rickie Weeks added a ground rule double but was left on, as the Brewers led 2-0.
Not much was happening for the Dodgers until the fifth. Juan Rivera doubled leading off, and runners were on the corners on James Loney's single. Juan Uribe then popped one up to shallow right that was gloved by Weeks, but was then dropped on the transfer as Rivera easily scored, making it 2-1.
The game became tied in the seventh. Ethier had a big night, and he doubled leading off. A groundout by Rivera sent him to third. He then scored on... you guessed it, another double, this time by Loney, as the game was tied 2-2.
With a fresh start, Matt Guerrier was called upon to get through the seventh, but scuffled a bit. Gamel singled leading off and stole second with one out. Izturis singled again (I swear those have been his only two hits since leaving the Dodgers). Norichika Aoki pinch-hit and laid down a beautiful suicide squeeze to give the Brewers a 3-2 lead.
Like the Dodgers have done in almost every game thus far, they showed a lot of fight in battling back. Francisco Rodriguez is a top setup man, but he didn't get the job done in this spot. With one down, Mark Ellis singled. Kemp struck out in a big spot, but Ethier immediately picked him up with a two-run tater to center, giving the Dodgers a 4-3 edge.
Kenley Jansen mowed through the heart of the Brew Crew's order in the eighth, looking every bit like the dominant setup man that he is.
Unfortunately for Guerra, he looked human last night, which is bound to happen for a young closer. It started by letting Corey Hart reach on a single. Carlos Gomez pinch-ran and stole second, as Gamel drew a walk. An out later, Kottaras smacked a game-winning double to hand the Dodgers their second loss.
Billingsley did a great job battling back from an uneven start, as he lasted six innings for five hits, two runs, no walks, and two strikeouts. He's been pounding the strike zone this year, which is why he's had so much more success than the last couple of years. It was a good sign that he was able to settle down after the second, as I'm not so sure that would've happened in the past.
Guerra will have better nights, as even the best of closers have off nights. His stuff just appeared too hittable, and he ultimately paid for it. Guerrier wasn't too bad, but a couple of singles did him in. Jansen's outing was a big positive.
Ethier's homer vaulted him above Kemp for the Major League lead in RBIs at 17 to Kemp's 16. The rest of the Dodgers combined have 20. I really don't need to say a whole lot else, as those numbers just show how dominating the Big 2 have been.
It's no secret the Dodgers haven't exactly been challenged by playoff contenders to start the season, but they are right now in the Brewers. There's two games left, so it would be good to get the next one on Wednesday before a day game on Thursday. Ex-Brewer Chris Capuano will go against Zack Greinke.
And then Javy Guerra gave it all right back.
George Kottaras sent the Brewer fans home happy with a pinch-hit, two-run, walk-off double to give the Brewers a 5-4 victory over the Dodgers. It's the first blown save of the season for Guerra after converting five straight.
Dee Gordon started off the game right where he left off on Sunday by hitting a single. The down side is that he then got picked off of first by about three miles. Wouldn't you know it, Matt Kemp soon cracked a double to dead center but was stranded.
Chad Billingsley had been practically untouchable coming into this game, but was hit around in the second. It started on a long solo shot from young Mat Gamel, who's taking over the spot vacated by Prince Fielder at first. Jonathan Lucroy then tripled and scored on an RBI from old friend Cesar Izturis, who was a Dodger All-Star back in 2005. Rickie Weeks added a ground rule double but was left on, as the Brewers led 2-0.
Not much was happening for the Dodgers until the fifth. Juan Rivera doubled leading off, and runners were on the corners on James Loney's single. Juan Uribe then popped one up to shallow right that was gloved by Weeks, but was then dropped on the transfer as Rivera easily scored, making it 2-1.
The game became tied in the seventh. Ethier had a big night, and he doubled leading off. A groundout by Rivera sent him to third. He then scored on... you guessed it, another double, this time by Loney, as the game was tied 2-2.
With a fresh start, Matt Guerrier was called upon to get through the seventh, but scuffled a bit. Gamel singled leading off and stole second with one out. Izturis singled again (I swear those have been his only two hits since leaving the Dodgers). Norichika Aoki pinch-hit and laid down a beautiful suicide squeeze to give the Brewers a 3-2 lead.
Like the Dodgers have done in almost every game thus far, they showed a lot of fight in battling back. Francisco Rodriguez is a top setup man, but he didn't get the job done in this spot. With one down, Mark Ellis singled. Kemp struck out in a big spot, but Ethier immediately picked him up with a two-run tater to center, giving the Dodgers a 4-3 edge.
Kenley Jansen mowed through the heart of the Brew Crew's order in the eighth, looking every bit like the dominant setup man that he is.
Unfortunately for Guerra, he looked human last night, which is bound to happen for a young closer. It started by letting Corey Hart reach on a single. Carlos Gomez pinch-ran and stole second, as Gamel drew a walk. An out later, Kottaras smacked a game-winning double to hand the Dodgers their second loss.
Billingsley did a great job battling back from an uneven start, as he lasted six innings for five hits, two runs, no walks, and two strikeouts. He's been pounding the strike zone this year, which is why he's had so much more success than the last couple of years. It was a good sign that he was able to settle down after the second, as I'm not so sure that would've happened in the past.
Guerra will have better nights, as even the best of closers have off nights. His stuff just appeared too hittable, and he ultimately paid for it. Guerrier wasn't too bad, but a couple of singles did him in. Jansen's outing was a big positive.
Ethier's homer vaulted him above Kemp for the Major League lead in RBIs at 17 to Kemp's 16. The rest of the Dodgers combined have 20. I really don't need to say a whole lot else, as those numbers just show how dominating the Big 2 have been.
It's no secret the Dodgers haven't exactly been challenged by playoff contenders to start the season, but they are right now in the Brewers. There's two games left, so it would be good to get the next one on Wednesday before a day game on Thursday. Ex-Brewer Chris Capuano will go against Zack Greinke.
Friday, August 19, 2011
The ace stops the slide
When in doubt, call on Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw turned in yet another fantastic performance, hurling eight scoreless innings in leading the Dodgers past the Brewers, 5-1. The win avoids a sweep, as the Brewers are darn near impossible to beat at home.
The Dodgers got things going early. In the second, Rod Barajas got the team's first hit with a solo homer to left, making it 1-0. That was his 11th homer of the season, and broke a streak of being hitless since August 6. He's pretty much all or nothing at the plate, but he's actually second on the team in homers. And that's pretty sad.
In the third and fourth, the Dodgers wasted chances by grounding into inning-ending double plays. First up was Andre Ethier, who grounded to first and saw Prince Fielder nail Tony Gwynn at home. Barajas had one the next inning. Like I said, all or nothing. In two at-bats, he had them both.
There wasn't much going for either team until the seventh, when the Dodgers got a couple. It all started with two outs and a double by Barajas (all or nothing...). Jamey Carroll then hit an RBI single to center, as Barajas hustled home to beat the throw. Kershaw then laid down a perfect bunt in which pitcher Kameron Loe threw to the outfield, allowing Carroll to score and make it 3-0.
The eighth inning broke it open for good. Ethier started it with a single, which isn't at all surprising considering his only hits are singles. Matt Kemp followed with another single. With Ethier on third, Kemp stole second, his 33rd of the year, one below Jose Reyes for second in the NL. Juan Rivera lifted a sac-fly RBI to make it 4-0, and Aaron Miles followed that up with an RBI single, and it was 5-0.
Kershaw got through the eighth in order before handing the ball over to Javy Guerra after 104 pitches. Guerra gave up his first run in the month of August when Ryan Braun tripled and Prince Fielder hit a sac-fly RBI. Casey McGehee singled with two outs, but Mark Kotsay flew out in foul territory in left to end the game.
Like I even need to say this, but Kershaw was awesome. He lasted eight innings for five hits, no runs, no walks, and six strikeouts. He's upped his NL-leading strikeout total to 199, which is just behind Justin Verlander's 204 for tops in the majors. Also, his 15 wins are tied with Ian Kennedy and Roy Halladay for the best in the NL. Wow, those are some great numbers.
It's not like the Dodgers got blown out this series despite dropping three of four. They only gave up nine runs total. Rather, the problem was same old, same old - they can't get a big hit. Kemp was only 4-for-15 with no extra-base hits or RBIs. Ethier was 2-for-13 with no extra-base hits or RBIs. Considering they make up the heart of the order, it's hard to win like that, no matter how good the pitching is.
One person who I will give credit too is Rivera, who quietly has done a nice job in LA since arriving on July 15. In 28 games and 99 at-bats, he's hitting .333 with two homers, seven doubles, and 15 RBIs. Not exactly great power numbers, but at least he's getting hits, which is a lot more than others on this team can say. Plus, he's been versatile in playing both outfield and first. He can thank crappy James Loney for that.
Speaking of Loney, he's now down to .255 after receiving only six AB's this series. Have I mentioned how anxious I am for him to be gone after this season? Well, I am.
In peaking at the NL West standings, the Dodgers are now back in fourth place, a game behind the Rockies for third. That can easily go the other way, too, as they're only in front of the Padres by 1 1/2 games. It would be nice if the Dodgers could finish in third at the very least. But does it really matter? Probably not.
The Dodgers will now take on those very Rockies for a three-game set in Coors starting Friday. Hiroki Kuroda has won two of his last three starts, pitching seven inning shutouts both times. He'll look for his ninth win.
Kershaw turned in yet another fantastic performance, hurling eight scoreless innings in leading the Dodgers past the Brewers, 5-1. The win avoids a sweep, as the Brewers are darn near impossible to beat at home.
The Dodgers got things going early. In the second, Rod Barajas got the team's first hit with a solo homer to left, making it 1-0. That was his 11th homer of the season, and broke a streak of being hitless since August 6. He's pretty much all or nothing at the plate, but he's actually second on the team in homers. And that's pretty sad.
In the third and fourth, the Dodgers wasted chances by grounding into inning-ending double plays. First up was Andre Ethier, who grounded to first and saw Prince Fielder nail Tony Gwynn at home. Barajas had one the next inning. Like I said, all or nothing. In two at-bats, he had them both.
There wasn't much going for either team until the seventh, when the Dodgers got a couple. It all started with two outs and a double by Barajas (all or nothing...). Jamey Carroll then hit an RBI single to center, as Barajas hustled home to beat the throw. Kershaw then laid down a perfect bunt in which pitcher Kameron Loe threw to the outfield, allowing Carroll to score and make it 3-0.
The eighth inning broke it open for good. Ethier started it with a single, which isn't at all surprising considering his only hits are singles. Matt Kemp followed with another single. With Ethier on third, Kemp stole second, his 33rd of the year, one below Jose Reyes for second in the NL. Juan Rivera lifted a sac-fly RBI to make it 4-0, and Aaron Miles followed that up with an RBI single, and it was 5-0.
Kershaw got through the eighth in order before handing the ball over to Javy Guerra after 104 pitches. Guerra gave up his first run in the month of August when Ryan Braun tripled and Prince Fielder hit a sac-fly RBI. Casey McGehee singled with two outs, but Mark Kotsay flew out in foul territory in left to end the game.
Like I even need to say this, but Kershaw was awesome. He lasted eight innings for five hits, no runs, no walks, and six strikeouts. He's upped his NL-leading strikeout total to 199, which is just behind Justin Verlander's 204 for tops in the majors. Also, his 15 wins are tied with Ian Kennedy and Roy Halladay for the best in the NL. Wow, those are some great numbers.
It's not like the Dodgers got blown out this series despite dropping three of four. They only gave up nine runs total. Rather, the problem was same old, same old - they can't get a big hit. Kemp was only 4-for-15 with no extra-base hits or RBIs. Ethier was 2-for-13 with no extra-base hits or RBIs. Considering they make up the heart of the order, it's hard to win like that, no matter how good the pitching is.
One person who I will give credit too is Rivera, who quietly has done a nice job in LA since arriving on July 15. In 28 games and 99 at-bats, he's hitting .333 with two homers, seven doubles, and 15 RBIs. Not exactly great power numbers, but at least he's getting hits, which is a lot more than others on this team can say. Plus, he's been versatile in playing both outfield and first. He can thank crappy James Loney for that.
Speaking of Loney, he's now down to .255 after receiving only six AB's this series. Have I mentioned how anxious I am for him to be gone after this season? Well, I am.
In peaking at the NL West standings, the Dodgers are now back in fourth place, a game behind the Rockies for third. That can easily go the other way, too, as they're only in front of the Padres by 1 1/2 games. It would be nice if the Dodgers could finish in third at the very least. But does it really matter? Probably not.
The Dodgers will now take on those very Rockies for a three-game set in Coors starting Friday. Hiroki Kuroda has won two of his last three starts, pitching seven inning shutouts both times. He'll look for his ninth win.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Dodgers run straight into a loss
If there was a way for the Dodgers to run into outs on the bases Monday, they figured it out.
The Dodgers hit into a triple play, four double plays, and were gunned down twice at home in falling to the Brewers, 3-0. Despite seven hits and five walks, they came away with nothing to show for it, mostly due to some horrendous decisions on the bases and lack of clutch hitting.
Andre Ethier started the double play fun in the first, as his ended the inning. Then came the second, and an unusual triple play was turned. Matt Kemp walked and Juan Rivera singled to get a threat going. James Loney then did what he does best - ground a puny ball to the infield. Josh Wilson made a slick play to flip to second for one, then on to first for the second out.
Kemp likes to take chances on the base paths, and who can blame him with that speed. But, it was bad timing as Prince Fielder fired to home to complete the triple play. It was a close call, but the ball clearly beat Kemp to home, so it was almost automatic that he would be out.
The next inning, the Dodgers ran into yet another out at home. Dioner Navarro hit a ground rule double to dead center leading off. Sunday's hero Justin Sellers stepped up and singled to center. Apparently third base coach Tim Wallach didn't learn from the last inning, as he gave Navarro the green light, only to be thrown out by about 70 feet. Seriously, it wasn't even close and just a horrible decision.
Just in case you thought the Dodgers couldn't possibly be worse on the bases, they struck again in the fourth. Ethier took a walk with one out to give Kemp an RBI opportunity. Kemp hit a sinking fly ball to center that was gloved on a great diving catch by Jerry Hairston Jr. Ethier apparently forgot how to be smart as he was easily doubled up at first for the final out. Pathetic.
All along, Ted Lilly was throwing a great game, and got through the Brewers' first 11 hitters in order. Then he grooved an 0-2 pitch right in the heart of the plate to Ryan Braun, and it was gone to make it 1-0. After all the runners the Dodgers put on, they came up with nothing, and the Brewers scored on one swing. Unreal.
Loney added to the misery by grounding into his own DP in the fifth. Why did he do that? It's simple, because he sucks. Bad. He might have a good glove, but I can't wait until the end of the season so that Dodgers can non-tender him. He's hitting .258 and is a complete non-factor at the plate.
The Dodgers wasted a bases loaded opportunity in the seventh when Navarro flew out for the last out. Still, Lilly got around a couple runners on with one out to keep the score at 1-0 entering the final couple of innings.
After 93 pitches, Don Mattingly chose to pinch-hit Lilly in the top of the eighth, and although Jamey Carroll singled, nothing came of it. In came Scott Elbert to start the bottom of the frame. He had been great lately, but not on this night, as Jonathan Lucroy homered leading off to make it 2-0.
Following an out, Mattingly then went to Mike MacDougal. Once again, the decision flopped, as Corey Hart hit a solo shot to make it 3-0. That's right - three runs scored on three home runs.
Jonathan Axford came on looking for his 35th save. Kemp singled off him with one out. How would this game end? Fittingly, as Rivera lined into a double play at first. It was a hard hit ball, so you can't fault Rivera there. But, it was still an appropriate end to a frustrating night.
Lilly did all he could, but got zero help. He lasted seven innings for two hits, one run, two walks, and six strikeouts. It's funny because he's had a bad year, but over his last two starts in facing good teams in the Phillies and Brewers, he's given up three runs in 15 innings. The result? Two losses. Shocking.
I know the Dodgers aren't even close to a playoff team this year, but their futility in running the bases was very disappointing. There's just no excuse for getting thrown out twice at home, and watching a guy like Ethier make a boneheaded play getting doubled up. But I can't say I'm too surprised by Ethier; he just looks like he's not mentally in the game this year. He's hitting .297, but with only 10 homers and 59 RBIs. Add to the fact that he whined about his contract before the season, it just hasn't been a good season for him.
Ethier should be a guy that steps up and leads the way, but he's doing anything but that. He's not getting big hits, he ran the bases like a moron, and you know he thinks he should be paid more. Maybe the Dodgers would be better off without him. Or at least checking to see what they can get for him. To me, he doesn't have leadership qualities that this team needs to win.
I can at least hope that it turns around, because it did for Kemp after last year. We shall see.
Chad Billingsley will get the start on Tuesday, and we all know how he's struggled lately. He'll go against Yovani Gallardo, who's pitched very well the last couple of months.
The Dodgers hit into a triple play, four double plays, and were gunned down twice at home in falling to the Brewers, 3-0. Despite seven hits and five walks, they came away with nothing to show for it, mostly due to some horrendous decisions on the bases and lack of clutch hitting.
Andre Ethier started the double play fun in the first, as his ended the inning. Then came the second, and an unusual triple play was turned. Matt Kemp walked and Juan Rivera singled to get a threat going. James Loney then did what he does best - ground a puny ball to the infield. Josh Wilson made a slick play to flip to second for one, then on to first for the second out.
Kemp likes to take chances on the base paths, and who can blame him with that speed. But, it was bad timing as Prince Fielder fired to home to complete the triple play. It was a close call, but the ball clearly beat Kemp to home, so it was almost automatic that he would be out.
The next inning, the Dodgers ran into yet another out at home. Dioner Navarro hit a ground rule double to dead center leading off. Sunday's hero Justin Sellers stepped up and singled to center. Apparently third base coach Tim Wallach didn't learn from the last inning, as he gave Navarro the green light, only to be thrown out by about 70 feet. Seriously, it wasn't even close and just a horrible decision.
Just in case you thought the Dodgers couldn't possibly be worse on the bases, they struck again in the fourth. Ethier took a walk with one out to give Kemp an RBI opportunity. Kemp hit a sinking fly ball to center that was gloved on a great diving catch by Jerry Hairston Jr. Ethier apparently forgot how to be smart as he was easily doubled up at first for the final out. Pathetic.
All along, Ted Lilly was throwing a great game, and got through the Brewers' first 11 hitters in order. Then he grooved an 0-2 pitch right in the heart of the plate to Ryan Braun, and it was gone to make it 1-0. After all the runners the Dodgers put on, they came up with nothing, and the Brewers scored on one swing. Unreal.
Loney added to the misery by grounding into his own DP in the fifth. Why did he do that? It's simple, because he sucks. Bad. He might have a good glove, but I can't wait until the end of the season so that Dodgers can non-tender him. He's hitting .258 and is a complete non-factor at the plate.
The Dodgers wasted a bases loaded opportunity in the seventh when Navarro flew out for the last out. Still, Lilly got around a couple runners on with one out to keep the score at 1-0 entering the final couple of innings.
After 93 pitches, Don Mattingly chose to pinch-hit Lilly in the top of the eighth, and although Jamey Carroll singled, nothing came of it. In came Scott Elbert to start the bottom of the frame. He had been great lately, but not on this night, as Jonathan Lucroy homered leading off to make it 2-0.
Following an out, Mattingly then went to Mike MacDougal. Once again, the decision flopped, as Corey Hart hit a solo shot to make it 3-0. That's right - three runs scored on three home runs.
Jonathan Axford came on looking for his 35th save. Kemp singled off him with one out. How would this game end? Fittingly, as Rivera lined into a double play at first. It was a hard hit ball, so you can't fault Rivera there. But, it was still an appropriate end to a frustrating night.
Lilly did all he could, but got zero help. He lasted seven innings for two hits, one run, two walks, and six strikeouts. It's funny because he's had a bad year, but over his last two starts in facing good teams in the Phillies and Brewers, he's given up three runs in 15 innings. The result? Two losses. Shocking.
I know the Dodgers aren't even close to a playoff team this year, but their futility in running the bases was very disappointing. There's just no excuse for getting thrown out twice at home, and watching a guy like Ethier make a boneheaded play getting doubled up. But I can't say I'm too surprised by Ethier; he just looks like he's not mentally in the game this year. He's hitting .297, but with only 10 homers and 59 RBIs. Add to the fact that he whined about his contract before the season, it just hasn't been a good season for him.
Ethier should be a guy that steps up and leads the way, but he's doing anything but that. He's not getting big hits, he ran the bases like a moron, and you know he thinks he should be paid more. Maybe the Dodgers would be better off without him. Or at least checking to see what they can get for him. To me, he doesn't have leadership qualities that this team needs to win.
I can at least hope that it turns around, because it did for Kemp after last year. We shall see.
Chad Billingsley will get the start on Tuesday, and we all know how he's struggled lately. He'll go against Yovani Gallardo, who's pitched very well the last couple of months.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
When in doubt, call on Kuroda
Hiroki Kuroda has once again proven to be one of the best pitchers in the league nobody is talking about.
Kuroda went over seven innings scoreless, and Matt Kemp hit a two-run homer to give the Dodgers a win over the Brewers, 3-0. The win splits the short two-game series.
As fantastic as Kuroda was, he actually ran into a bit of trouble in the first. With one out, Corey Hart hit a sharp single to left. Ryan Braun then took a walk to set it up for the dangerous Prince Fielder. The Prince, however, bounced into a forceout for two down. Casey McGehee got a hold of one to deep center, but Kemp tracked it down to end it.
Kemp made more noise in the bottom of the first. Andre Ethier took a walk with two outs. Kemp then lifted a Randy Wolf pitch out to right for the 2-0 lead. It was Kemp's eighth shot of the season, and first since May 10.
With Kuroda dealing, the Dodgers tacked on another run in the eighth. Juan Uribe singled leading off against Mike McClendon. Two outs later, Jerry Sands hit an RBI double, making it 3-0. It was good to see Sands come through considering he's only hitting .212 in the month of May.
Vicente Padilla got the night off to rest his sore forearm, so Don Mattingly had a choice in whom to give the ball to in the ninth. Kenley Jansen came on to get the final out in the eighth, but he didn't get the chance to stay on. Instead, it was Matt Guerrier who got the call, and he responded with a perfect ninth for his first save.
The story of the night was obviously Kuroda, who wouldn't let any baserunners do a thing. He finished with 7 2/3 innings, six hits, no runs, two walks, and seven strikeouts. The win makes his record 5-3 with a 2.80 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Plus, he now has gone 14 2/3 innings without allowing a run, dating back to his last start in beating the Pirates. He also has 15 strikeouts over that span.
Once again, Kuroda has stepped up and carried the Dodgers on his back at a time when the offense is struggling mightily. Yes, Kemp's homer gave him an early lead, but that was it until later in the game. So it's not like he was pitching with a big cushion. The margin of error was still low, and he was fantastic nonetheless.
With exception of Ted Lilly, who has yet to find his groove, the starting staff can in no way be blamed for this team's misfortunes. Clayton Kershaw's ERA is 2.47, Kuroda 2.80, Chad Billingsley 3.36, and Jon Garland 3.55. When your worst starter is Lilly, that's a pretty good sign that the rest of the staff has stepped up.
The fear, of course, is what if a starter or two goes through a slump. Then what? That's a scary thought considering the offense is 26th in the majors in runs scored. I'm not saying the staff will start to slump, because they have so much talent. If anything, they might get better if Lilly figures things out.
The bottom line is that the guys with the sticks need to perform under the pressure like the starting rotation continually does. This game was pretty good since they scored early for the lead, but three runs a night won't bring you many wins. In order to get a winning streak going, the offense needs at least a couple more guys to get hot.
With the Brewers here and gone, the Giants are now in for two. Wednesday night's game will be great as Clayton Kershaw battles Matt Cain. This is one of those games where the team that scores first has a great shot at winning since it won't happen often.
Kuroda went over seven innings scoreless, and Matt Kemp hit a two-run homer to give the Dodgers a win over the Brewers, 3-0. The win splits the short two-game series.
As fantastic as Kuroda was, he actually ran into a bit of trouble in the first. With one out, Corey Hart hit a sharp single to left. Ryan Braun then took a walk to set it up for the dangerous Prince Fielder. The Prince, however, bounced into a forceout for two down. Casey McGehee got a hold of one to deep center, but Kemp tracked it down to end it.
Kemp made more noise in the bottom of the first. Andre Ethier took a walk with two outs. Kemp then lifted a Randy Wolf pitch out to right for the 2-0 lead. It was Kemp's eighth shot of the season, and first since May 10.
With Kuroda dealing, the Dodgers tacked on another run in the eighth. Juan Uribe singled leading off against Mike McClendon. Two outs later, Jerry Sands hit an RBI double, making it 3-0. It was good to see Sands come through considering he's only hitting .212 in the month of May.
Vicente Padilla got the night off to rest his sore forearm, so Don Mattingly had a choice in whom to give the ball to in the ninth. Kenley Jansen came on to get the final out in the eighth, but he didn't get the chance to stay on. Instead, it was Matt Guerrier who got the call, and he responded with a perfect ninth for his first save.
The story of the night was obviously Kuroda, who wouldn't let any baserunners do a thing. He finished with 7 2/3 innings, six hits, no runs, two walks, and seven strikeouts. The win makes his record 5-3 with a 2.80 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Plus, he now has gone 14 2/3 innings without allowing a run, dating back to his last start in beating the Pirates. He also has 15 strikeouts over that span.
Once again, Kuroda has stepped up and carried the Dodgers on his back at a time when the offense is struggling mightily. Yes, Kemp's homer gave him an early lead, but that was it until later in the game. So it's not like he was pitching with a big cushion. The margin of error was still low, and he was fantastic nonetheless.
With exception of Ted Lilly, who has yet to find his groove, the starting staff can in no way be blamed for this team's misfortunes. Clayton Kershaw's ERA is 2.47, Kuroda 2.80, Chad Billingsley 3.36, and Jon Garland 3.55. When your worst starter is Lilly, that's a pretty good sign that the rest of the staff has stepped up.
The fear, of course, is what if a starter or two goes through a slump. Then what? That's a scary thought considering the offense is 26th in the majors in runs scored. I'm not saying the staff will start to slump, because they have so much talent. If anything, they might get better if Lilly figures things out.
The bottom line is that the guys with the sticks need to perform under the pressure like the starting rotation continually does. This game was pretty good since they scored early for the lead, but three runs a night won't bring you many wins. In order to get a winning streak going, the offense needs at least a couple more guys to get hot.
With the Brewers here and gone, the Giants are now in for two. Wednesday night's game will be great as Clayton Kershaw battles Matt Cain. This is one of those games where the team that scores first has a great shot at winning since it won't happen often.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Dodgers drop Brewers for a sweep
Everything came together for the Dodgers on Thursday afternoon. Carlos Monasterios was solid, the bullpen didn't give up a hit, and Casey Blake hit a two-run homer. Add it all up and it meant a win for the Dodgers over the Brewers, 7-1. The Dodgers swept the three-game series.
Scott Podsednik singled leading off the game to get things going. Ryan Theriot lifted a long fly ball to center that bounced over the wall for a ground rule double, which actually hurt since Podsednik would have easily scored if it didn't. Only Matt Kemp's groundout could score a run as the Dodgers went up 1-0.
The only thing that went right for the Brewers all day came in the fourth. With one out, Prince Fielder hit a solo shot to right to tie the game at 1-1. After that hit, it was all Dodgers. In fact, they didn't give up a hit the rest of the way.
The Dodgers got the lead back and for good in the fifth. Brad Ausmus had a great day with three hits, and this was one of them with a single. Monasterios put a sacrifice bunt down to get Ausmus to third, and Podsednik's RBI single made it 2-1.
Joe Torre had to play matchup again to get out of the fifth unscathed. Monasterios walked Yovanni Gallardo with one out, then beaned both Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart to load the bases.
Just like the previous night, Ronald Belisario came on and got Ryan Braun, this time with a strikeout. George Sherrill faced Fielder and again got a good result with a grounder for a fielder's choice.
The sixth inning was interesting. Andre Ethier struck out looking and jawed about it. After Kemp struck out swinging, home plate umpire Adrian Johnson tossed Ethier for continuing to argue. With that out of the way, James Loney walked. Blake stepped up and hit a two-run shot to make it 4-1. It was his 13th homer of the season.
Kenley Jansen relieved Sherrill in the sixth and got through the Brewers in order. He then got to hit in the seventh and somehow drew a walk. He is a former catcher, so it's not like he's clueless on how to hit. Podsednik singled to chase Gallardo from the game.
Todd Coffey came in, and Theriot greeted him with a soft single to center to score Jansen. The throw home by Chris Dickerson sailed over everybody, so both runners advanced. Reed Johnson, who replaced Ethier, hit an RBI single to make it 6-1. Another run came across on a wild pitch.
Jansen stayed on and stuck out the side in the seventh. Octavio Dotel did the same in the eighth, and Jeff Weaver retired the side in order to finish the game.
It was another impressive performance by the bullpen, who came into this series looking like a mess. The combination of Belisario, Sherrill, Jansen, Dotel, and Weaver pitched the final 4 2/3 innings for no hits, no runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts. The Brewers stink, but they still have some big power, making the bullpen's performance very impressive.
Monasterios did what he needed to do, which was keep the Dodgers in the game. In fact, he left on the winning side. He ended up with 4 1/3 innings, two hits, one run, one walk, and three strikeouts. He also beaned two guys, but thankfully it didn't hurt. Well, it did hurt, but only those who got beaned. Not the Dodgers. You get all of that? I'm not sure I did.
With Manny Ramirez getting the day off (day game after a night game = not gonna happen), it was good to see the offense come through anyway. They went 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Podsednik added a two-out RBI, and Blake had two.
The Brewers are a long way from the team that went to the playoffs in 2008. They're 14 games in back of the Reds in the NL Central, and are five games under .500 at home. So, beating them three straight is nothing to get too excited about. It's nice, but not worth getting carried away about.
What the Dodgers should be happy about is that they look like an actual team again. They've been burned in so many different ways in the second half (bad baserunning, horrible bullpen, no clutch hitting), it was good to see them finally get things right.
Will it last? That's always tough to tell. Manny is still pretty much as good as gone, so you can't factor his bat into the equation. Who knows, maybe he'll stay, but I'm guessing he won't. If they can still get guys to drive in runs with runners on and get more solid bullpen work, they should be fine. I just don't want to see the boring team we've had to suffer through watching from before this series.
Next up is three in Colorado, which are always wild games. The Dodgers took two of three from them at home last week. The Rockies have won four straight, including a big three-game sweep of the Braves. If the Dodgers can take a couple in this series, then maybe they have turned a corner. Clayton Kershaw and Ubaldo Jimenez will go in the first game.
Scott Podsednik singled leading off the game to get things going. Ryan Theriot lifted a long fly ball to center that bounced over the wall for a ground rule double, which actually hurt since Podsednik would have easily scored if it didn't. Only Matt Kemp's groundout could score a run as the Dodgers went up 1-0.
The only thing that went right for the Brewers all day came in the fourth. With one out, Prince Fielder hit a solo shot to right to tie the game at 1-1. After that hit, it was all Dodgers. In fact, they didn't give up a hit the rest of the way.
The Dodgers got the lead back and for good in the fifth. Brad Ausmus had a great day with three hits, and this was one of them with a single. Monasterios put a sacrifice bunt down to get Ausmus to third, and Podsednik's RBI single made it 2-1.
Joe Torre had to play matchup again to get out of the fifth unscathed. Monasterios walked Yovanni Gallardo with one out, then beaned both Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart to load the bases.
Just like the previous night, Ronald Belisario came on and got Ryan Braun, this time with a strikeout. George Sherrill faced Fielder and again got a good result with a grounder for a fielder's choice.
The sixth inning was interesting. Andre Ethier struck out looking and jawed about it. After Kemp struck out swinging, home plate umpire Adrian Johnson tossed Ethier for continuing to argue. With that out of the way, James Loney walked. Blake stepped up and hit a two-run shot to make it 4-1. It was his 13th homer of the season.
Kenley Jansen relieved Sherrill in the sixth and got through the Brewers in order. He then got to hit in the seventh and somehow drew a walk. He is a former catcher, so it's not like he's clueless on how to hit. Podsednik singled to chase Gallardo from the game.
Todd Coffey came in, and Theriot greeted him with a soft single to center to score Jansen. The throw home by Chris Dickerson sailed over everybody, so both runners advanced. Reed Johnson, who replaced Ethier, hit an RBI single to make it 6-1. Another run came across on a wild pitch.
Jansen stayed on and stuck out the side in the seventh. Octavio Dotel did the same in the eighth, and Jeff Weaver retired the side in order to finish the game.
It was another impressive performance by the bullpen, who came into this series looking like a mess. The combination of Belisario, Sherrill, Jansen, Dotel, and Weaver pitched the final 4 2/3 innings for no hits, no runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts. The Brewers stink, but they still have some big power, making the bullpen's performance very impressive.
Monasterios did what he needed to do, which was keep the Dodgers in the game. In fact, he left on the winning side. He ended up with 4 1/3 innings, two hits, one run, one walk, and three strikeouts. He also beaned two guys, but thankfully it didn't hurt. Well, it did hurt, but only those who got beaned. Not the Dodgers. You get all of that? I'm not sure I did.
With Manny Ramirez getting the day off (day game after a night game = not gonna happen), it was good to see the offense come through anyway. They went 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Podsednik added a two-out RBI, and Blake had two.
The Brewers are a long way from the team that went to the playoffs in 2008. They're 14 games in back of the Reds in the NL Central, and are five games under .500 at home. So, beating them three straight is nothing to get too excited about. It's nice, but not worth getting carried away about.
What the Dodgers should be happy about is that they look like an actual team again. They've been burned in so many different ways in the second half (bad baserunning, horrible bullpen, no clutch hitting), it was good to see them finally get things right.
Will it last? That's always tough to tell. Manny is still pretty much as good as gone, so you can't factor his bat into the equation. Who knows, maybe he'll stay, but I'm guessing he won't. If they can still get guys to drive in runs with runners on and get more solid bullpen work, they should be fine. I just don't want to see the boring team we've had to suffer through watching from before this series.
Next up is three in Colorado, which are always wild games. The Dodgers took two of three from them at home last week. The Rockies have won four straight, including a big three-game sweep of the Braves. If the Dodgers can take a couple in this series, then maybe they have turned a corner. Clayton Kershaw and Ubaldo Jimenez will go in the first game.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Torre plays matchmaker to close it out
Give Joe Torre credit: he had a vision on how to close out the game, and it was executed to perfection.
Hong-Chih Kuo was unavailable since he pitched yesterday and Jonathan Broxton is still not trusted closing. So Torre used Ronald Belisario, George Sherrill, and Octavio Dotel to get Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Casey McGehee in the ninth, respectively. The result was three outs for the Dodgers to hold on over the Brewers, 5-4.
Another storyline to this game was that it may be Manny Ramirez's final appearance with the Dodgers. If it was, he sure picked a good way to go out. He went 2-for-2 with two doubles, an RBI, and two walks. He drove the ball with authority on both his hits.
It kind of figures that the second the Dodgers get their big slugger back, he may soon be gone. But that's the way it goes when your playoff hopes are slim.
The Dodgers got the scoring started in the third. With one out, Andre Ethier lifted his 20th homer of the season, a solo shot to right. That was his only hit in five at-bats, but at least he made it count. He's enjoying a solid August with a .325 average.
The Brewers burnt themselves by hitting into a double play in the third, but they made up for it in the fourth. Rickie Weeks singled to lead off and scored on Corey Hart's double. Braun followed with his own RBI double to go up 2-1. With Braun now on third, McGehee hit a sac-fly RBI to make it 3-1.
Faced with a deficit, the Dodgers' offense immediately went to work starting with the top of the order. Ryan Theriot doubled to center. Ethier grounded out but got Theriot to third. Manny then took a walk for runners on the corners. A sac-fly RBI by Matt Kemp made it 3-2. Casey Blake cranked a double to put runners in scoring position, as Manny held up after getting gunned at home earlier in the game.
With two outs and James Loney up, it was a spot the Dodgers have failed with flying colors in the second half of the season. Not this time, as Loney's two-run single gave them a 4-3 lead. Once again, Loney drives in runs not with the longball, but with liners. Good enough.
In the sixth, both teams traded single runs. Theriot hit another double with one out. He tagged to third on Ethier's flyout and came home on Manny's RBI double. The Brewers cut it to 5-4 thanks to an RBI single with two down from Fielder.
Up by a run, Hiroki Kuroda gave them one more good inning by striking out the side in the seventh. He finished the night with seven innings, seven hits, four runs, no walks, and six strikeouts. It was good to see him battle back from being hit around in the third. He improved to 9-11.
Broxton came on in the eighth and had a great inning. It wasn't the pressure situation of a save, but was still a big spot in that he had to protect a single run lead late in the game. He got Chris Dickerson grounding out, Weeks flying out, and Hart striking out.
So now things got interesting, as Torre had to decide how to get through the heart of the Brewers order without Kuo available. Belisario got Braun bouncing out to Blake at third.
Congrats, Belisario. Now in came Sherrill. He was down in the count 3-0, but fought back to get Fielder to bounce one up the middle. Theriot ranged to his right, turned in the air and just got Fielder at first. A great play for the second out.
Congrats, Sherrill. Now in came Dotel. McGehee put some good wood on it, but it hung up enough for Kemp to track it down in center to end the game.
It's not often you'll see a line like three pitchers for three outs to win a game, but it worked. Dotel earned the save since he got the final out, but really Broxton, Belisario, and Sherrill deserve tons of credit as well. It was an all-around great job by the bullpen.
I've criticized Torre recently for his (mis)handling of the 'pen, but he was on the money tonight. My first thought was that he'd leave Broxton out there, but I'm glad that didn't happen. Broxton got three good outs, so he needed to end his night on a high. I wasn't sure how the three pitcher theory was going to work out, especially when Sherrill nearly walked Fielder, but it was flawless.
Of course, things would be a lot easier if Broxton hasn't gotten bombed in these situations lately. But I'm just glad he did something right tonight. Any good appearance will hopefully push him back to being his old self again.
The Dodgers will go for the sweep on Thursday afternoon. Carlos Monasterios goes against the Brewers' ace, Yovanni Gallardo.
Hong-Chih Kuo was unavailable since he pitched yesterday and Jonathan Broxton is still not trusted closing. So Torre used Ronald Belisario, George Sherrill, and Octavio Dotel to get Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Casey McGehee in the ninth, respectively. The result was three outs for the Dodgers to hold on over the Brewers, 5-4.
Another storyline to this game was that it may be Manny Ramirez's final appearance with the Dodgers. If it was, he sure picked a good way to go out. He went 2-for-2 with two doubles, an RBI, and two walks. He drove the ball with authority on both his hits.
It kind of figures that the second the Dodgers get their big slugger back, he may soon be gone. But that's the way it goes when your playoff hopes are slim.
The Dodgers got the scoring started in the third. With one out, Andre Ethier lifted his 20th homer of the season, a solo shot to right. That was his only hit in five at-bats, but at least he made it count. He's enjoying a solid August with a .325 average.
The Brewers burnt themselves by hitting into a double play in the third, but they made up for it in the fourth. Rickie Weeks singled to lead off and scored on Corey Hart's double. Braun followed with his own RBI double to go up 2-1. With Braun now on third, McGehee hit a sac-fly RBI to make it 3-1.
Faced with a deficit, the Dodgers' offense immediately went to work starting with the top of the order. Ryan Theriot doubled to center. Ethier grounded out but got Theriot to third. Manny then took a walk for runners on the corners. A sac-fly RBI by Matt Kemp made it 3-2. Casey Blake cranked a double to put runners in scoring position, as Manny held up after getting gunned at home earlier in the game.
With two outs and James Loney up, it was a spot the Dodgers have failed with flying colors in the second half of the season. Not this time, as Loney's two-run single gave them a 4-3 lead. Once again, Loney drives in runs not with the longball, but with liners. Good enough.
In the sixth, both teams traded single runs. Theriot hit another double with one out. He tagged to third on Ethier's flyout and came home on Manny's RBI double. The Brewers cut it to 5-4 thanks to an RBI single with two down from Fielder.
Up by a run, Hiroki Kuroda gave them one more good inning by striking out the side in the seventh. He finished the night with seven innings, seven hits, four runs, no walks, and six strikeouts. It was good to see him battle back from being hit around in the third. He improved to 9-11.
Broxton came on in the eighth and had a great inning. It wasn't the pressure situation of a save, but was still a big spot in that he had to protect a single run lead late in the game. He got Chris Dickerson grounding out, Weeks flying out, and Hart striking out.
So now things got interesting, as Torre had to decide how to get through the heart of the Brewers order without Kuo available. Belisario got Braun bouncing out to Blake at third.
Congrats, Belisario. Now in came Sherrill. He was down in the count 3-0, but fought back to get Fielder to bounce one up the middle. Theriot ranged to his right, turned in the air and just got Fielder at first. A great play for the second out.
Congrats, Sherrill. Now in came Dotel. McGehee put some good wood on it, but it hung up enough for Kemp to track it down in center to end the game.
It's not often you'll see a line like three pitchers for three outs to win a game, but it worked. Dotel earned the save since he got the final out, but really Broxton, Belisario, and Sherrill deserve tons of credit as well. It was an all-around great job by the bullpen.
I've criticized Torre recently for his (mis)handling of the 'pen, but he was on the money tonight. My first thought was that he'd leave Broxton out there, but I'm glad that didn't happen. Broxton got three good outs, so he needed to end his night on a high. I wasn't sure how the three pitcher theory was going to work out, especially when Sherrill nearly walked Fielder, but it was flawless.
Of course, things would be a lot easier if Broxton hasn't gotten bombed in these situations lately. But I'm just glad he did something right tonight. Any good appearance will hopefully push him back to being his old self again.
The Dodgers will go for the sweep on Thursday afternoon. Carlos Monasterios goes against the Brewers' ace, Yovanni Gallardo.
Was that Mike Piazza at catcher?
Nope, it was the mighty Rod Barajas!
The Dodgers acquired Barajas from the Mets a few days ago, and in one appearance he already had the biggest game for any Dodger catcher this year. His two doubles and three-run homer helped propel the Dodgers to a win over the Brewers, 5-3.
With Ted Lilly on the mound, the Dodgers knew that if they scored a few runs, they'd have a great shot at winning. It started in the second with a single by James Loney leading off. Matt Kemp then cranked a long two-run homer to dead center for the 2-0 lead. That's three straight games with a home run, which the team desperately needs.
The Brewers fought right back in the bottom of the frame. Prince Fielder singled to lead off. Casey McGehee had a big night himself, and his RBI triple cut the lead to 2-1. On the night, McGehee went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple.
Up 2-1 in the fifth, Lilly gave up the lead. With two outs, Rickie Weeks hit a solo shot to right to tie it at 2-2. Alcides Escobar kept the inning alive with a single, and Ryan Braun burned Lilly with an RBI double to go up 3-2.
The Dodgers haven't been the kind of team to fight back from a deficit, but they finally got someone to step up and get a big hit. Now in the sixth, Ronnie Belliard and Jamey Carroll hit what seemed like innocent two-out singles. Barajas stepped up and launched a three-run homer to give the Dodgers the lead at 5-3.
Lilly worked around a McGehee double to lead off the sixth and ended up pitching into the seventh. Ronald Belisario got the final two outs of the seventh. He got out of the eighth thanks to a slick play from Belliard at third, who caught a liner by McGehee and fired to second to double up Fielder.
Once again the Dodgers found themselves with a late lead and a decision to make. Joe Torre went with Hong-Chih Kuo, who was recently named closer but hasn't always been used that way. Kuo got Lorenzo Cain on a grounder before Carlos Gomez reached on a bunt single. It was a close play, but Kuo's throw to first was wide of Loney.
Jonthan Lucroy then bounced an easy one to Kuo for what should have been a game ending double play. But, Kuo threw it over second for the error and two on. It's safe to say he won't be winning any Gold Glove awards anytime soon.
Corey Hart pinch-hit but popped up. Weeks had a chance to be a hero but struck out on an inside fastball to end the game. It was Kuo's fifth save.
Lilly got his fifth straight win for the Dodgers in as many starts. It wasn't his sharpest effort, but good enough to give his team a chance to win. He finished with 6 1/3 innings, seven hits, three runs, one walk, and two strikeouts. At 5-0 in L.A., the Dodgers have gotten everything they could have possibly asked for and more.
Barajas was the story of the night, as his go-ahead homer was the difference. The Dodgers are 25th in the majors in home runs, so whenever they get one, it's a pretty big deal. Kemp's homer was the start, but Barajas's was clutch. People may have wondered what the point was in bringing him aboard, but he made it clear that when he's healthy, he packs good power.
I'm not going to get carried away and say Barajas is some sort of savior. He had one good night and nothing more. He obviously made a great first impression, but he also has a .233 average, so it's not like he's been tearing things up all year. But after watching Russell Martin falter for the second straight year, and Brad Ausmus and A.J. Ellis do next to nothing in his place, Tuesday night was a very welcome sight.
Kuo made things interesting unnecessarily thanks to his own error, but I'll give him credit simply for having a short memory. He made two poor throws in the ninth, yet put it aside to get two huge outs to end the game. That's something Jonathan Broxton has not been able to do - put aside bad moments and make big pitches. And that is why Kuo is the man finishing games.
Hiroki Kuroda has given up only five runs in his last 21 innings, yet is only 0-1 in that span thanks to a lack of offense. He'll look to get his ninth win today. Old friend Randy Wolf will go for the Brewers. He had a horrible start to the year, but has put together four good starts in his last five.
The Dodgers acquired Barajas from the Mets a few days ago, and in one appearance he already had the biggest game for any Dodger catcher this year. His two doubles and three-run homer helped propel the Dodgers to a win over the Brewers, 5-3.
With Ted Lilly on the mound, the Dodgers knew that if they scored a few runs, they'd have a great shot at winning. It started in the second with a single by James Loney leading off. Matt Kemp then cranked a long two-run homer to dead center for the 2-0 lead. That's three straight games with a home run, which the team desperately needs.
The Brewers fought right back in the bottom of the frame. Prince Fielder singled to lead off. Casey McGehee had a big night himself, and his RBI triple cut the lead to 2-1. On the night, McGehee went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple.
Up 2-1 in the fifth, Lilly gave up the lead. With two outs, Rickie Weeks hit a solo shot to right to tie it at 2-2. Alcides Escobar kept the inning alive with a single, and Ryan Braun burned Lilly with an RBI double to go up 3-2.
The Dodgers haven't been the kind of team to fight back from a deficit, but they finally got someone to step up and get a big hit. Now in the sixth, Ronnie Belliard and Jamey Carroll hit what seemed like innocent two-out singles. Barajas stepped up and launched a three-run homer to give the Dodgers the lead at 5-3.
Lilly worked around a McGehee double to lead off the sixth and ended up pitching into the seventh. Ronald Belisario got the final two outs of the seventh. He got out of the eighth thanks to a slick play from Belliard at third, who caught a liner by McGehee and fired to second to double up Fielder.
Once again the Dodgers found themselves with a late lead and a decision to make. Joe Torre went with Hong-Chih Kuo, who was recently named closer but hasn't always been used that way. Kuo got Lorenzo Cain on a grounder before Carlos Gomez reached on a bunt single. It was a close play, but Kuo's throw to first was wide of Loney.
Jonthan Lucroy then bounced an easy one to Kuo for what should have been a game ending double play. But, Kuo threw it over second for the error and two on. It's safe to say he won't be winning any Gold Glove awards anytime soon.
Corey Hart pinch-hit but popped up. Weeks had a chance to be a hero but struck out on an inside fastball to end the game. It was Kuo's fifth save.
Lilly got his fifth straight win for the Dodgers in as many starts. It wasn't his sharpest effort, but good enough to give his team a chance to win. He finished with 6 1/3 innings, seven hits, three runs, one walk, and two strikeouts. At 5-0 in L.A., the Dodgers have gotten everything they could have possibly asked for and more.
Barajas was the story of the night, as his go-ahead homer was the difference. The Dodgers are 25th in the majors in home runs, so whenever they get one, it's a pretty big deal. Kemp's homer was the start, but Barajas's was clutch. People may have wondered what the point was in bringing him aboard, but he made it clear that when he's healthy, he packs good power.
I'm not going to get carried away and say Barajas is some sort of savior. He had one good night and nothing more. He obviously made a great first impression, but he also has a .233 average, so it's not like he's been tearing things up all year. But after watching Russell Martin falter for the second straight year, and Brad Ausmus and A.J. Ellis do next to nothing in his place, Tuesday night was a very welcome sight.
Kuo made things interesting unnecessarily thanks to his own error, but I'll give him credit simply for having a short memory. He made two poor throws in the ninth, yet put it aside to get two huge outs to end the game. That's something Jonathan Broxton has not been able to do - put aside bad moments and make big pitches. And that is why Kuo is the man finishing games.
Hiroki Kuroda has given up only five runs in his last 21 innings, yet is only 0-1 in that span thanks to a lack of offense. He'll look to get his ninth win today. Old friend Randy Wolf will go for the Brewers. He had a horrible start to the year, but has put together four good starts in his last five.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Ethier pulls another Kobe
Look out, Kobe Bryant. Andre Ethier is challenging you for the most clutch player in L.A.
After watching Jonathan Broxton go through a blown save in the ninth, Ethier bailed the Dodgers out yet again with a walk-off grand slam, giving the Dodgers a win over the Brewers, 7-3. And mercifully, the sweep has been avoided.
John Ely did everything he could to get his first major league win, as he was awesome. In 6 2/3 innings, he gave up four hits, one run, and struck out seven. He quieted an offense that absolutely creamed Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley. And that was no easy feat.
The Dodgers jumped out to the lead in the first. Xavier Paul, whose status is still in limbo with Manny Ramirez on his way back, led off and walked. He then stole second, and went to third on Matt Kemp's deep flyout to center. A sac-fly RBI by James Loney made it 1-0.
In the second, it was a fielding blunder by Prince Fielder that gave the Dodgers two unearned runs. Jamey Carroll doubled with two outs. Ely then bounced an easy one to third, but for some reason, Fielder pulled up short on the catch, and it bounced inside the dugout. Carroll scored, and Paul then hit an RBI double to plate Ely, and it was 3-0.
Ely was lifted in the seventh after giving up an RBI single to Greg Zaun with two outs. Ronald Belisario uncorked a wild pitch, but got Corey Hart swinging to end it.
Hong-Chih Kuo set the side down with ease in the eighth, and got the ball to Broxton. That's really all the Dodgers were asking - to let Broxton get the win. The formula was simple, but it didn't work.
Ryan Braun and Fielder singled with one down. Casey McGehee then flied out, and all was looking good. Not so fast, as RBI singles by Zaun (who seemed to kill the Dodgers these last three days) and Craig Counsell tied it at three. Broxton still only has one save, and two blown ones.
With LaTroy Hawkins now in the game, Carroll singled to lead off. Garret Anderson pinch-hit, but lined out. Paul continued his great night with a single, and Carroll eventually moved to third on a wild pitch. Matt Kemp drew a walk to load the bases.
It all came down to Ethier, who someone seems to always find himself in these situations. All he needed was a deep fly ball, and he certainly got that, as his grand slam sailed over the center field wall. Another walk-off for Mr. Clutch.
It's just incredible how often this happens for Ethier, who now has 11 walk-offs since 2008. That's easily the most in the majors in that span. The guy has a knack for getting his best swing at the most crucial time possible. The grand slam was also his second this season already.
Ely definitely deserved the win, so that's a shame that it didn't happen. Broxton gave up his first runs of the season, as he's still looking for regular work as a closer. For Joe Torre, the challenge is finding spots to get him in, even without a save on the line. He only has 10 appearances, so his workload needs to increase somehow. He can't just sit for so long and expect to be dominant.
Ethier's slam has given the Dodgers something to feel good about for the first time since Sunday. After looking good against the Pirates, the Brewers really did slap them around for the majority of the series. But, avoiding the sweep was key, and it happened.
Now the Dodgers have the Rockies in town for three. The Rocks have played .500 ball thus far, so they haven't exactly been thrilled with the way they've played either. But, they do have Ubaldo Jimenez going on Sunday, who's been filthy good so far. The Dodgers send Hiroki Kuroda to the mound on Friday.
After watching Jonathan Broxton go through a blown save in the ninth, Ethier bailed the Dodgers out yet again with a walk-off grand slam, giving the Dodgers a win over the Brewers, 7-3. And mercifully, the sweep has been avoided.
John Ely did everything he could to get his first major league win, as he was awesome. In 6 2/3 innings, he gave up four hits, one run, and struck out seven. He quieted an offense that absolutely creamed Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley. And that was no easy feat.
The Dodgers jumped out to the lead in the first. Xavier Paul, whose status is still in limbo with Manny Ramirez on his way back, led off and walked. He then stole second, and went to third on Matt Kemp's deep flyout to center. A sac-fly RBI by James Loney made it 1-0.
In the second, it was a fielding blunder by Prince Fielder that gave the Dodgers two unearned runs. Jamey Carroll doubled with two outs. Ely then bounced an easy one to third, but for some reason, Fielder pulled up short on the catch, and it bounced inside the dugout. Carroll scored, and Paul then hit an RBI double to plate Ely, and it was 3-0.
Ely was lifted in the seventh after giving up an RBI single to Greg Zaun with two outs. Ronald Belisario uncorked a wild pitch, but got Corey Hart swinging to end it.
Hong-Chih Kuo set the side down with ease in the eighth, and got the ball to Broxton. That's really all the Dodgers were asking - to let Broxton get the win. The formula was simple, but it didn't work.
Ryan Braun and Fielder singled with one down. Casey McGehee then flied out, and all was looking good. Not so fast, as RBI singles by Zaun (who seemed to kill the Dodgers these last three days) and Craig Counsell tied it at three. Broxton still only has one save, and two blown ones.
With LaTroy Hawkins now in the game, Carroll singled to lead off. Garret Anderson pinch-hit, but lined out. Paul continued his great night with a single, and Carroll eventually moved to third on a wild pitch. Matt Kemp drew a walk to load the bases.
It all came down to Ethier, who someone seems to always find himself in these situations. All he needed was a deep fly ball, and he certainly got that, as his grand slam sailed over the center field wall. Another walk-off for Mr. Clutch.
It's just incredible how often this happens for Ethier, who now has 11 walk-offs since 2008. That's easily the most in the majors in that span. The guy has a knack for getting his best swing at the most crucial time possible. The grand slam was also his second this season already.
Ely definitely deserved the win, so that's a shame that it didn't happen. Broxton gave up his first runs of the season, as he's still looking for regular work as a closer. For Joe Torre, the challenge is finding spots to get him in, even without a save on the line. He only has 10 appearances, so his workload needs to increase somehow. He can't just sit for so long and expect to be dominant.
Ethier's slam has given the Dodgers something to feel good about for the first time since Sunday. After looking good against the Pirates, the Brewers really did slap them around for the majority of the series. But, avoiding the sweep was key, and it happened.
Now the Dodgers have the Rockies in town for three. The Rocks have played .500 ball thus far, so they haven't exactly been thrilled with the way they've played either. But, they do have Ubaldo Jimenez going on Sunday, who's been filthy good so far. The Dodgers send Hiroki Kuroda to the mound on Friday.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
A bad start... and a worse end
When the Dodgers lined up Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley to pitch the first couple of games against the Brewers, they had to be feeling pretty good about their chances. They just took three of four from the Pirates, and things were looking up.
Two days and 22 runs allowed later, things are back to being down again.
Billingsley got beat up in the first inning, the bullpen was absolutely atrocious, and the bats couldn't get a clutch hit if their lives depended on it. Add it all up, and it was another laugher for the Brewers, 11-3. That knocks the Dodgers back down to 11-16.
The first inning was a joke, as Billingsley looked like he was clueless on how to pitch to major league batters. He gave up four straight singles to start, and soon an RBI triple to Alcides Escobar, and it was 4-0 just like that.
The offense at least made it close for a little while. Singles by Russell Martin and Matt Kemp put two on. James Loney and Casey Blake followed with consecutive RBI singles, and it was 4-2.
The funny thing after the first was that Billingsley actually settled down to pitch well, as he got through the next five innings unscathed. He somehow went from giving up four runs on five hits in the first to giving up no runs on two hits after. Go figure.
In the sixth, the Dodgers cut the lead to 4-3, temporarily giving some hope to the home fans. Loney led off with a walk, then went to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Garret Anderson pinch-hit for Billingsley, and came through with an RBI single.
The good news was that the Anderson at-bat worked, the bad news is that the bullpen was given the ball and flopped. Ronald Belisario worked around an error by Casey Blake to get out of the seventh.
Then the eighth came, and it was like the first inning all over again. In all, 10 men hit, and the Brewers used four run-scoring singles to do the damage. There was just no escaping this inning it seemed like. Belisario and Ramon Troncoso were just horrible.
Not to be outdone, George Sherrill gave up a couple of runs in the ninth. What's happened to him? He went from the best setup man in the league to a guy with a 9.00 ERA. I can't believe he's dropped this fast.
It was good that Billingsley settled down, but the fact that he started the game so poorly is once again a disturbing sign. The book on him is that he has great stuff, but is susceptible of giving up a big inning. Well, he lived up to that label and then some on Wednesday night.
As for the bullpen, it's hard to imagine them being this bad over the course of the season. But right now, they're really bad. And that's just reality. Only Jonathan Broxton and Carlos Monasterios look like the have a clue. The rest take turns getting pounded night in and night out. It's hard to watch.
If the Dodgers want to save even a little bit of face, they need to win the final game of this series. I think the Brewers are a good team, but it's not like they've been playing well to start the year. You wouldn't know it by watching the first two games, though.
John Ely will get another spot start. His first one didn't go so well, as he got knocked around by the Mets. With the way the rotation is playing, a good start tonight could earn him more starts.
Two days and 22 runs allowed later, things are back to being down again.
Billingsley got beat up in the first inning, the bullpen was absolutely atrocious, and the bats couldn't get a clutch hit if their lives depended on it. Add it all up, and it was another laugher for the Brewers, 11-3. That knocks the Dodgers back down to 11-16.
The first inning was a joke, as Billingsley looked like he was clueless on how to pitch to major league batters. He gave up four straight singles to start, and soon an RBI triple to Alcides Escobar, and it was 4-0 just like that.
The offense at least made it close for a little while. Singles by Russell Martin and Matt Kemp put two on. James Loney and Casey Blake followed with consecutive RBI singles, and it was 4-2.
The funny thing after the first was that Billingsley actually settled down to pitch well, as he got through the next five innings unscathed. He somehow went from giving up four runs on five hits in the first to giving up no runs on two hits after. Go figure.
In the sixth, the Dodgers cut the lead to 4-3, temporarily giving some hope to the home fans. Loney led off with a walk, then went to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Garret Anderson pinch-hit for Billingsley, and came through with an RBI single.
The good news was that the Anderson at-bat worked, the bad news is that the bullpen was given the ball and flopped. Ronald Belisario worked around an error by Casey Blake to get out of the seventh.
Then the eighth came, and it was like the first inning all over again. In all, 10 men hit, and the Brewers used four run-scoring singles to do the damage. There was just no escaping this inning it seemed like. Belisario and Ramon Troncoso were just horrible.
Not to be outdone, George Sherrill gave up a couple of runs in the ninth. What's happened to him? He went from the best setup man in the league to a guy with a 9.00 ERA. I can't believe he's dropped this fast.
It was good that Billingsley settled down, but the fact that he started the game so poorly is once again a disturbing sign. The book on him is that he has great stuff, but is susceptible of giving up a big inning. Well, he lived up to that label and then some on Wednesday night.
As for the bullpen, it's hard to imagine them being this bad over the course of the season. But right now, they're really bad. And that's just reality. Only Jonathan Broxton and Carlos Monasterios look like the have a clue. The rest take turns getting pounded night in and night out. It's hard to watch.
If the Dodgers want to save even a little bit of face, they need to win the final game of this series. I think the Brewers are a good team, but it's not like they've been playing well to start the year. You wouldn't know it by watching the first two games, though.
John Ely will get another spot start. His first one didn't go so well, as he got knocked around by the Mets. With the way the rotation is playing, a good start tonight could earn him more starts.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Kershaw KO'd early in blowout
Clayton Kershaw took one on the chin Tuesday night... and then some.
Facing a good hitting team in the Brewers, Kershaw lasted only 1 1/3 innings, getting pounded for seven runs on five hits, three walks, and two hit batsmen. The result was an early 7-0 hole, and the Brewers took this one with ease, 11-6.
Obviously anytime your starting pitcher can't even get out of the second inning, it's a disappointment. Factor that in with the rest of the staff struggling to start the year, and you can bet how hard it was to watch the "ace" of the staff get rocked.
It all started in the second inning, though the first two men reached for the Brewers to lead off the game, but were stranded. Corey Hart walked and Greg Zaun was plunked, which led to an RBI single from Alcides Escobar. Pitcher Chris Narveson then struck out, and there was one on and one down.
The top of the order came back up, and boy did they ever get the job done. A single by Rickie Weeks loaded the bases. Then runs were scored on Chris Gomez's beaning, Ryan Braun's three-run double, and Prince Fielder's two-run homer. Ramon Ortiz came in next and eventually surrendered a two-run shot to Zaun.
So, before the Dodgers could even get their #4 hitter up, the Brewers were up 9-0.
About the only good news to come out of this game was that once the score went to 10-0, the Dodgers at least tacked some runs on to make it look not quite as embarrassing. James Loney had a three-run homer in the eighth. But make no mistake about it, this was a beatdown from the start.
If it was some end-of-rotation guy getting shelled, you can pretty much understand it. But for Kershaw, more is expected of him. Part of that is because we know what he's capable of. The other part is that the staff doesn't have a true ace, so Kershaw is looked upon to be one. Fair or not, it's the way it is.
Kershaw is still only 22-years-old, and that's something that needs to be put in perspective. He's not ready to be an ace yet, but maybe he shouldn't be at this point. He's going to have games he's brilliant, and he'll have games in which he struggles to throw a strike. Last night was the latter, and to the extreme.
One positive on the pitching side of this game was Charlie Haeger. Granted, he was pitching without any pressure because his team was getting killed, but he still only gave up one run in four innings, striking out three. Maybe he's found a new role. At the very least, he may have bought himself more time to stay with the big club.
After such a strong start to the homestand, the wheels on the bus came to a screeching halt with this loss. The Brewers are third in the NL in runs scored, so getting that offense under control is hard to do. Kershaw flopped, so Chad Billingsley and John Ely will now have their chances.
Billingsley has been on an upswing lately, coming off of two good starts. But, those were against the Nationals and Pirates. Facing the Brewers' lineup is a whole different challenge. If he can put in another quality start and get the win, then maybe he would officially be back on track.
Facing a good hitting team in the Brewers, Kershaw lasted only 1 1/3 innings, getting pounded for seven runs on five hits, three walks, and two hit batsmen. The result was an early 7-0 hole, and the Brewers took this one with ease, 11-6.
Obviously anytime your starting pitcher can't even get out of the second inning, it's a disappointment. Factor that in with the rest of the staff struggling to start the year, and you can bet how hard it was to watch the "ace" of the staff get rocked.
It all started in the second inning, though the first two men reached for the Brewers to lead off the game, but were stranded. Corey Hart walked and Greg Zaun was plunked, which led to an RBI single from Alcides Escobar. Pitcher Chris Narveson then struck out, and there was one on and one down.
The top of the order came back up, and boy did they ever get the job done. A single by Rickie Weeks loaded the bases. Then runs were scored on Chris Gomez's beaning, Ryan Braun's three-run double, and Prince Fielder's two-run homer. Ramon Ortiz came in next and eventually surrendered a two-run shot to Zaun.
So, before the Dodgers could even get their #4 hitter up, the Brewers were up 9-0.
About the only good news to come out of this game was that once the score went to 10-0, the Dodgers at least tacked some runs on to make it look not quite as embarrassing. James Loney had a three-run homer in the eighth. But make no mistake about it, this was a beatdown from the start.
If it was some end-of-rotation guy getting shelled, you can pretty much understand it. But for Kershaw, more is expected of him. Part of that is because we know what he's capable of. The other part is that the staff doesn't have a true ace, so Kershaw is looked upon to be one. Fair or not, it's the way it is.
Kershaw is still only 22-years-old, and that's something that needs to be put in perspective. He's not ready to be an ace yet, but maybe he shouldn't be at this point. He's going to have games he's brilliant, and he'll have games in which he struggles to throw a strike. Last night was the latter, and to the extreme.
One positive on the pitching side of this game was Charlie Haeger. Granted, he was pitching without any pressure because his team was getting killed, but he still only gave up one run in four innings, striking out three. Maybe he's found a new role. At the very least, he may have bought himself more time to stay with the big club.
After such a strong start to the homestand, the wheels on the bus came to a screeching halt with this loss. The Brewers are third in the NL in runs scored, so getting that offense under control is hard to do. Kershaw flopped, so Chad Billingsley and John Ely will now have their chances.
Billingsley has been on an upswing lately, coming off of two good starts. But, those were against the Nationals and Pirates. Facing the Brewers' lineup is a whole different challenge. If he can put in another quality start and get the win, then maybe he would officially be back on track.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Wolf looks headed to Milwaukee
***UPDATE***
According to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, it's official. Wolf will sign with the Brewers for 3 years and just under $30 million.
***
When the Dodgers chose not to offer arbitration to their top pitcher of last year in Randy Wolf, it was obviously not a good sign. Even with Wolf saying he'd still consider resigning, it looked doubtful.
Now, the Brewers are jumping in and making an offer Wolf would might find hard to refuse.
Wanting a multi-year deal, the Brew Crew have obliged by offering a three-year, $27 million deal. The Mets appear to be in second place, so they may jump back in at this soon. Other teams have been rumored as well, but the Brewers are the first one to make an offer like this.
I would hate to see Wolf go, but the writing has been on the wall for a week now. Maybe the Dodgers are still concerned about his injury history. Maybe they think they'd have to overpay to keep him. Or maybe they're trying to slash dollars off their payroll and aren't coming out and saying that.
My guess is Wolf takes this deal for a couple of reasons. One, you'd think he learned his lesson from a year ago when the Astros initially made an offer of 3 years and $28.5 million only to pull it because of the difficult economy. The Dodgers then nabbed him for one year and $9 million.
The second reason is that the Brewers are pretty good, so they'd be a contending team. A 1-2 punch of Wolf and Yovanni Gallardo is not too shabby.
According to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, it's official. Wolf will sign with the Brewers for 3 years and just under $30 million.
***
When the Dodgers chose not to offer arbitration to their top pitcher of last year in Randy Wolf, it was obviously not a good sign. Even with Wolf saying he'd still consider resigning, it looked doubtful.
Now, the Brewers are jumping in and making an offer Wolf would might find hard to refuse.
Wanting a multi-year deal, the Brew Crew have obliged by offering a three-year, $27 million deal. The Mets appear to be in second place, so they may jump back in at this soon. Other teams have been rumored as well, but the Brewers are the first one to make an offer like this.
I would hate to see Wolf go, but the writing has been on the wall for a week now. Maybe the Dodgers are still concerned about his injury history. Maybe they think they'd have to overpay to keep him. Or maybe they're trying to slash dollars off their payroll and aren't coming out and saying that.
My guess is Wolf takes this deal for a couple of reasons. One, you'd think he learned his lesson from a year ago when the Astros initially made an offer of 3 years and $28.5 million only to pull it because of the difficult economy. The Dodgers then nabbed him for one year and $9 million.
The second reason is that the Brewers are pretty good, so they'd be a contending team. A 1-2 punch of Wolf and Yovanni Gallardo is not too shabby.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Dodgers pour it on as the Prince fumes
A couple of big events took place at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night. The first was that the Dodgers crushed the Brewers by a score of 17-4. The 17 runs were the highest home total for them in 30 years.
The second was that Prince Fielder got beaned with two outs in the ninth, and he's not too happy.
A blowout win for the Dodgers quickly turned into a circus as Guillermo Mota was ejected for drilling Fielder in retaliation for Manny Ramirez getting plunked in the eighth. Fielder looked on in complete confusion as to why he got hit when he was down by 13 runs.
The story didn't stop there.
After the game, Fielder had to be restrained by his teammates and security from charging after Mota in the Dodgers' clubhouse. Who knows if he would have actually thrown down if he got inside, but the fact that he was there shows how angry he was.
As for the game itself, the Dodgers got four runs in the first off of Yovani Gallardo, who entered the game with a really good ERA of 3.13. Five innings and nine runs later, that would become a 3.59.
Rafael Furcal and Andre Ethier lead off with singles. After Manny flied out to right, Casey Blake doubled home both runs for the 2-0 lead. An RBI single by Matt Kemp and RBI double by Russell Martin made it 4-0.
This game was actually close at one point, as the Brewers battled back for three runs in the fifth off of Hiroki Kuroda. J.J. Hardy grounded out with two men on to end the inning, or it could have been much worse.
Manny hit a no-doubter into left for a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-3. From there, the Dodgers absolutely poured it on and never looked back.
An eye-opening seven runs were scored in the sixth, as Gallardo's neck must have gotten sore from watching the ball smacked all over the place. The big blows were a two-run double by Manny and two-run single by Kemp. At 12-3 after six, it was all but over.
The eighth is when Kemp blasted a two-run homer to center, Ethier hit a two-run single, and even Mota added an RBI single. Yes, it was one of those nights where everything went right.
Maybe the Brewers were fortunate to have the whole bean-ball war go down, as the focus quickly went from the beat down they took to Fielder getting drilled. Probably better for them that people aren't talking about how badly they were walloped. One thing's for certain - I probably wouldn't beat Fielder tonight!
Jason Schmidt will look to build on his great performance in Atlanta by getting the ball tonight. It seems like each start he is battling for his starting spot, so it's another important game for him.
The second was that Prince Fielder got beaned with two outs in the ninth, and he's not too happy.
A blowout win for the Dodgers quickly turned into a circus as Guillermo Mota was ejected for drilling Fielder in retaliation for Manny Ramirez getting plunked in the eighth. Fielder looked on in complete confusion as to why he got hit when he was down by 13 runs.
The story didn't stop there.
After the game, Fielder had to be restrained by his teammates and security from charging after Mota in the Dodgers' clubhouse. Who knows if he would have actually thrown down if he got inside, but the fact that he was there shows how angry he was.
As for the game itself, the Dodgers got four runs in the first off of Yovani Gallardo, who entered the game with a really good ERA of 3.13. Five innings and nine runs later, that would become a 3.59.
Rafael Furcal and Andre Ethier lead off with singles. After Manny flied out to right, Casey Blake doubled home both runs for the 2-0 lead. An RBI single by Matt Kemp and RBI double by Russell Martin made it 4-0.
This game was actually close at one point, as the Brewers battled back for three runs in the fifth off of Hiroki Kuroda. J.J. Hardy grounded out with two men on to end the inning, or it could have been much worse.
Manny hit a no-doubter into left for a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-3. From there, the Dodgers absolutely poured it on and never looked back.
An eye-opening seven runs were scored in the sixth, as Gallardo's neck must have gotten sore from watching the ball smacked all over the place. The big blows were a two-run double by Manny and two-run single by Kemp. At 12-3 after six, it was all but over.
The eighth is when Kemp blasted a two-run homer to center, Ethier hit a two-run single, and even Mota added an RBI single. Yes, it was one of those nights where everything went right.
Maybe the Brewers were fortunate to have the whole bean-ball war go down, as the focus quickly went from the beat down they took to Fielder getting drilled. Probably better for them that people aren't talking about how badly they were walloped. One thing's for certain - I probably wouldn't beat Fielder tonight!
Jason Schmidt will look to build on his great performance in Atlanta by getting the ball tonight. It seems like each start he is battling for his starting spot, so it's another important game for him.
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