Picture this scenario: Eighth inning, Dodgers beating the Cardinals 2-1, Adam Liberatore staying in the game after getting the last out of the seventh.
Do you have confidence that the Dodgers will hold on to win?
I certainly didn't, and guess what? They sure as hell couldn't do it.
Alas, it's another frustrating end of the game, as the Cardinals scored three times, and the Dodgers had zero answers in dropping the finale of the four-game set 4-2. Good thing Clayton Kershaw was masterful on Saturday, because the Dodgers lost all three of the other games.
We all know how lousy the offense has been, as they scored a grand total of six runs in the four games, and that was without facing the great Adam Wainwright, who's done for the season. Hell, the Cardinals scored seven runs on Thursday, which has been practically unheard of for this damn team.
Rather, let's focus on the middle relief. That is, the horrendous arms that are trying to bridge the gap to Kenley Jansen, and failing miserably.
Sunday night it was up to Liberatore and Juan Nicasio. That's how desperate the Dodgers are - relying on a guy who wasn't with the club to begin the year, and another who was supposed to be there for long relief. Liberatore did get Kolten Wong swinging to end the seventh, and should've been pulled right after.
Instead, Don Mattingly stuck with him to pitch to Matt Carpenter to start the eighth. It didn't work, as a walk later, Nicasio came in. To his credit, he did have a 1.48 ERA coming into this appearance. But don't be fooled - those weren't against the Cardinals in the eighth inning of a one-run game. This was a whole different animal in which he failed miserably.
To sum it up quickly, Matt Holliday ripped an RBI triple to tie it, Jhonny Peralta an RBI single to take the lead, and Mark Reynolds a deep RBI double to get some cushion. Yimi Garcia got a double play to end the inning, but was lucky since it was a liner to short that Jimmy Rollins caught and doubled Reynolds off of second.
By the way, Nicasio's ERA shot up to 2.19 based off that one appearance alone.
I, along with many others, am kind of at a loss on what exactly the Dodgers can do. They've tried everything under the sun the last couple of years. The former closers (Brian Wilson, Brandon League, Chris Perez) and young arms (Garcia, Liberatore, Chris Hatcher) and it's just not working. I'll give them this, at least they've tried a bunch of different options.
Right now, the Dodgers will probably just have to accept the fact that this is truly a trial-and-error process until somebody, ANYBODY, steps up and can pair himself with Jansen. With Joel Peralta and Pedro Baez still out, then I wouldn't be opposed to giving flame throwing Josh Ravin a chance for holds. He's only pitched 2 1/3 innings, but with two strikeouts and no walks. Better than watching Hatcher screw things up, right?
From what I can tell, Baez could be back soon. That would great news, and I'd immediately give him the ball in the eighth as well and see what happens.
As for J.P. Howell, who has an 0.63 ERA in 21 appearances, I wouldn't consider him as a major option in the eighth. Perhaps sometimes he could, but he throws so soft, and with a 1.40 WHIP, I wouldn't totally trust him to be the guy. He's better off earlier in the game for hitters here and there.
Maybe Andrew Friedman has a move or two up his sleeve, and we're about to find out. Then again, maybe not, and the Dodgers are stuck with who they've got. Which, um... isn't much. But until this thing gets figured out, the awful middle relief will continue to hold them back from becoming a serious threat to come out of the National League.
Again.
Showing posts with label Cardinals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cardinals. Show all posts
Monday, June 8, 2015
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Kershaw, Puig, Jansen, all getting back on track
The stars aligned Saturday night in Dodger Stadium, and not a moment too soon.
With the Dodgers struggling to beat the NL's elite this season, it was time for the best players on the team to step up and lead the way. Clayton Kershaw, Yasiel Puig, and Kenley Jansen did just that. Kershaw pitched eight brilliant innings, Puig broke open a scoreless tie with an RBI double, and Jansen slammed the door shut in the Dodgers' 2-0 win over the Cardinals.
Let's take a look at all three of their performances:
* Kershaw (8 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K). If you were looking for a "vintage Kershaw" start, then you got just that. With a sharp breaking ball and perfectly located fastball, the Cardinals were left off-balance all night. He's now won his last three starts, lowering his ERA nearly a full run to 3.36.
The key has been that he hasn't beaten himself. Earlier in the year, he could barely throw a fastball without it sailing over the fat part of the plate. Last night he was spotting it perfectly, mostly on the outside corner vs. right-handed hitters. He was just what the team needed on a night where the offense was mostly MIA... again.
* Puig (1-for-3, RBI double, run, 2 K's). The first couple of at-bats were ugly, as he struck out on barely any pitches. That all changed in the eighth. After Chris Heisey shockingly (and I do mean SHOCKINGLY) led off with a double, Puig hit a laser into right center for an RBI double, and the 1-0 lead. He soon scored on a single from Justin Turner for the game's only runs.
When Don Mattingly released his lineup for the night, it basically consisted of Joc Pederson, Puig, and a bunch of other names that did not include Adrian Gonzalez, Alex Guerrero, Andre Ethier, or Yasmani Grandal. It was definitely a head scratcher. Well, the offense only managed two runs on seven hits, but at least it was Puig showing his value already with the big blow. Who knows where he'll end up hitting with the way Donnie switches the batting order, but #3 looks good for now.
* Jansen (1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K). After going through a bit of controversy when he was unavailable during the collapse in Colorado on Wednesday, Jansen was at his best in the ninth for his sixth save in as many chances. He got two straight pop-ups to start the inning, then struck out Matt Holliday looking to end it. He hasn't given up a run yet this year. I'm pretty sure that means his ERA is 0.00. Yup, it does.
While Jansen is not a worry, the biggest issue for the Dodgers will be bridging the gap to him. Last night, it was Kershaw doing it himself, as he got through eight innings with a pitch count over 100. Do we start to see Jansen extending himself for more four-out, possibly even five-out saves? I wouldn't be against it as long as he's on the proper rest. Beats the heck out of watching some of these other clowns blow the lead.
With the Dodgers struggling to beat the NL's elite this season, it was time for the best players on the team to step up and lead the way. Clayton Kershaw, Yasiel Puig, and Kenley Jansen did just that. Kershaw pitched eight brilliant innings, Puig broke open a scoreless tie with an RBI double, and Jansen slammed the door shut in the Dodgers' 2-0 win over the Cardinals.
Let's take a look at all three of their performances:
* Kershaw (8 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K). If you were looking for a "vintage Kershaw" start, then you got just that. With a sharp breaking ball and perfectly located fastball, the Cardinals were left off-balance all night. He's now won his last three starts, lowering his ERA nearly a full run to 3.36.
The key has been that he hasn't beaten himself. Earlier in the year, he could barely throw a fastball without it sailing over the fat part of the plate. Last night he was spotting it perfectly, mostly on the outside corner vs. right-handed hitters. He was just what the team needed on a night where the offense was mostly MIA... again.
* Puig (1-for-3, RBI double, run, 2 K's). The first couple of at-bats were ugly, as he struck out on barely any pitches. That all changed in the eighth. After Chris Heisey shockingly (and I do mean SHOCKINGLY) led off with a double, Puig hit a laser into right center for an RBI double, and the 1-0 lead. He soon scored on a single from Justin Turner for the game's only runs.
When Don Mattingly released his lineup for the night, it basically consisted of Joc Pederson, Puig, and a bunch of other names that did not include Adrian Gonzalez, Alex Guerrero, Andre Ethier, or Yasmani Grandal. It was definitely a head scratcher. Well, the offense only managed two runs on seven hits, but at least it was Puig showing his value already with the big blow. Who knows where he'll end up hitting with the way Donnie switches the batting order, but #3 looks good for now.
* Jansen (1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K). After going through a bit of controversy when he was unavailable during the collapse in Colorado on Wednesday, Jansen was at his best in the ninth for his sixth save in as many chances. He got two straight pop-ups to start the inning, then struck out Matt Holliday looking to end it. He hasn't given up a run yet this year. I'm pretty sure that means his ERA is 0.00. Yup, it does.
While Jansen is not a worry, the biggest issue for the Dodgers will be bridging the gap to him. Last night, it was Kershaw doing it himself, as he got through eight innings with a pitch count over 100. Do we start to see Jansen extending himself for more four-out, possibly even five-out saves? I wouldn't be against it as long as he's on the proper rest. Beats the heck out of watching some of these other clowns blow the lead.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Punchless Dodgers fail another road test against the NL's elite
By my count, the Dodgers have played in three major series on the road: April 21-23 in San Francisco, May 19-21 in San Francisco again, and these last three days in St. Louis.
The result? A pitiful 1-8 record, and getting outscored 29-12 in the process.
Sure, the Dodgers can talk about wanting to be the elite of the National League, but until they learn to play better, MUCH better, on the road, they are not in the same class as the Giants and Cardinals. And that's just the truth.
At home, the Dodgers are a terrific team, as they swept the Mariners in three and took two of three from the Giants back in April. They get a rematch against these same Cardinals for four games coming up later this week.
But after going through another painful 3-1 loss in which Jhonny Peralta's two-run homer in the first inning held up, it's obvious there's a whole lot of work to be done before anyone should pencil in the Dodgers as a serious contender to come out of the NL. They're not there yet.
Coming into the Cardinals' series, the focus was on Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke sitting these games out, as they're about to take their turns in the rotation starting Monday in Colorado. The trio of Mike Bolsinger, Carlos Frias, and Brett Anderson responded by allowing a mere five runs, four of which were earned. Basically, they pitched well enough as if they were the stars in the first place.
The biggest culprit, again, was the offense, which continues to just sputter along. Saturday night saw Yasmani Grandal lead the way with a big three-run shot. Other than Joc Pederson's solo homer in the eighth, it was more of the same today - a whole lot of nothing. It's pretty amazing just how ice cold this team has become at the plate.
Before the season started, I pointed out how I firmly believed the Dodgers have a deeper lineup, yet there would still be times when they missed the home run power of Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp. Over the past couple of weeks, those two have been missed many times. After hitting eight homers in April, Adrian Gonzalez has two in May. Howie Kendrick had three homers and 17 RBIs in April, and then sank to one and five this month.
Maybe the best example of a player going cold has been Alex Guerrero. It would have been impossible to keep up his torrid rate from the start of the season, so we shouldn't expect that. However, with increased playing time lately, he's hitting only .250 with a .294 OBP in May. He has homered in three of the last six games, but it's getting to the point where he's home run or nothing.
Simply put, the offense is continually letting the rest of the team down. When that happens, as good as the pitching might be, the Dodgers are still very beatable. They're also pretty damn boring to watch. How boring, you ask? Over the last 12 games (a 5-7 clip), they've scored three or more runs only four times. That's just terrible.
Maybe a little Coors Field action will help shake them awake, as they will be there for four games the next three days, with a double-header on Tuesday. Just imagine if they STILL can't hit even there.
That would be a new low.
The result? A pitiful 1-8 record, and getting outscored 29-12 in the process.
Sure, the Dodgers can talk about wanting to be the elite of the National League, but until they learn to play better, MUCH better, on the road, they are not in the same class as the Giants and Cardinals. And that's just the truth.
At home, the Dodgers are a terrific team, as they swept the Mariners in three and took two of three from the Giants back in April. They get a rematch against these same Cardinals for four games coming up later this week.
But after going through another painful 3-1 loss in which Jhonny Peralta's two-run homer in the first inning held up, it's obvious there's a whole lot of work to be done before anyone should pencil in the Dodgers as a serious contender to come out of the NL. They're not there yet.
Coming into the Cardinals' series, the focus was on Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke sitting these games out, as they're about to take their turns in the rotation starting Monday in Colorado. The trio of Mike Bolsinger, Carlos Frias, and Brett Anderson responded by allowing a mere five runs, four of which were earned. Basically, they pitched well enough as if they were the stars in the first place.
The biggest culprit, again, was the offense, which continues to just sputter along. Saturday night saw Yasmani Grandal lead the way with a big three-run shot. Other than Joc Pederson's solo homer in the eighth, it was more of the same today - a whole lot of nothing. It's pretty amazing just how ice cold this team has become at the plate.
Before the season started, I pointed out how I firmly believed the Dodgers have a deeper lineup, yet there would still be times when they missed the home run power of Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp. Over the past couple of weeks, those two have been missed many times. After hitting eight homers in April, Adrian Gonzalez has two in May. Howie Kendrick had three homers and 17 RBIs in April, and then sank to one and five this month.
Maybe the best example of a player going cold has been Alex Guerrero. It would have been impossible to keep up his torrid rate from the start of the season, so we shouldn't expect that. However, with increased playing time lately, he's hitting only .250 with a .294 OBP in May. He has homered in three of the last six games, but it's getting to the point where he's home run or nothing.
Simply put, the offense is continually letting the rest of the team down. When that happens, as good as the pitching might be, the Dodgers are still very beatable. They're also pretty damn boring to watch. How boring, you ask? Over the last 12 games (a 5-7 clip), they've scored three or more runs only four times. That's just terrible.
Maybe a little Coors Field action will help shake them awake, as they will be there for four games the next three days, with a double-header on Tuesday. Just imagine if they STILL can't hit even there.
That would be a new low.
Grandal's big bop comes not a moment too soon
It might only be temporary, but for one glorious day, the Dodgers can finally say they got the better of the Cardinals on the road.
And Yasmani Grandal is the major reason why.
Not only was Grandal instrumental in getting Carlos Frias back on the right track, but his three-run homer in the sixth broke a 1-1 tie and lifted the Dodgers to a 5-1 victory. After 42 innings of scoreless baseball on the road, and many more frustrations against the Cardinals in recent history, one of the offseason additions helped put an end to that.
Like I said, it might only be for a day, but it sure felt good.
Grandal was the surprise arrival in the deal with the Padres for Matt Kemp, and he didn't get as much press as the Jimmy Rollins trade. But a week after watching A.J. Ellis do a whole lot of nothing at the plate, it should make us appreciate what Grandal can do even more. In 34 games, he's hitting .292 with five homers and 20 RBIs.
Plus, as Mark Saxon on ESPNLosAngeles.com points out, Grandal put in lots of time coming up with a gameplan for Frias, and it obviously worked. One game after he was rocked for 10 runs on 12 hits in four innings, Frias settled down big time in giving up only one unearned run in seven innings. The reason? Grandal got Frias to focus on throwing a couple of pitches early on, then mixing in other stuff later.
At the plate, Grandal helped propel the Dodgers back into first place of the NL West, with an assist from the Braves taking down the Giants 8-0. I tweeted during the game that the Dodgers don't do anything halfway at the plate - they either all hit, or none of them do.
For five innings against Michael Wacha, they did nothing. Literally nothing, as they were being no-hit. That changed in the sixth, as new #2 hitter Justin Turner doubled to right. Adrian Gonzalez fouled off one outside pitch after another before Wacha beaned him trying to sneak one inside. An RBI single later by Howie Kendrick (breaking the scoreless streak), it was 1-1.
This is where Grandal went to work, as after Andre Ethier flied out to make it two down, he crushed a 422-foot no-doubter to center for the 4-1 lead. Take that swing away, and you get the feeling these two teams would've been playing deep into the night considering they already had a rain delay of over two hours.
From there, the offense picked up, even though they only tacked on one more run. They got six more hits the rest of the way, including an RBI single by newcomer Alberto Callaspo. It was just obvious that the team was more relaxed and started swinging like they knew they were good again. Thanks, Yasmani.
After looking so pitiful in Friday night's 3-0 loss, this can suddenly be a great weekend if Brett Anderson leads the Dodgers to a Sunday victory. Let's just hope that Grandal got some good rest after the game and is ready to go. The Dodgers need him.
And Yasmani Grandal is the major reason why.
Not only was Grandal instrumental in getting Carlos Frias back on the right track, but his three-run homer in the sixth broke a 1-1 tie and lifted the Dodgers to a 5-1 victory. After 42 innings of scoreless baseball on the road, and many more frustrations against the Cardinals in recent history, one of the offseason additions helped put an end to that.
Like I said, it might only be for a day, but it sure felt good.
Grandal was the surprise arrival in the deal with the Padres for Matt Kemp, and he didn't get as much press as the Jimmy Rollins trade. But a week after watching A.J. Ellis do a whole lot of nothing at the plate, it should make us appreciate what Grandal can do even more. In 34 games, he's hitting .292 with five homers and 20 RBIs.
Plus, as Mark Saxon on ESPNLosAngeles.com points out, Grandal put in lots of time coming up with a gameplan for Frias, and it obviously worked. One game after he was rocked for 10 runs on 12 hits in four innings, Frias settled down big time in giving up only one unearned run in seven innings. The reason? Grandal got Frias to focus on throwing a couple of pitches early on, then mixing in other stuff later.
At the plate, Grandal helped propel the Dodgers back into first place of the NL West, with an assist from the Braves taking down the Giants 8-0. I tweeted during the game that the Dodgers don't do anything halfway at the plate - they either all hit, or none of them do.
For five innings against Michael Wacha, they did nothing. Literally nothing, as they were being no-hit. That changed in the sixth, as new #2 hitter Justin Turner doubled to right. Adrian Gonzalez fouled off one outside pitch after another before Wacha beaned him trying to sneak one inside. An RBI single later by Howie Kendrick (breaking the scoreless streak), it was 1-1.
This is where Grandal went to work, as after Andre Ethier flied out to make it two down, he crushed a 422-foot no-doubter to center for the 4-1 lead. Take that swing away, and you get the feeling these two teams would've been playing deep into the night considering they already had a rain delay of over two hours.
From there, the offense picked up, even though they only tacked on one more run. They got six more hits the rest of the way, including an RBI single by newcomer Alberto Callaspo. It was just obvious that the team was more relaxed and started swinging like they knew they were good again. Thanks, Yasmani.
After looking so pitiful in Friday night's 3-0 loss, this can suddenly be a great weekend if Brett Anderson leads the Dodgers to a Sunday victory. Let's just hope that Grandal got some good rest after the game and is ready to go. The Dodgers need him.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Dodgers flat and frustrated in St. Louis
It's never a good sign when your team has more ejections than runs scored.
And so it goes for the Dodgers in St. Louis, a place that once again has proven to be nearly impossible for them to conquer.
On Friday night it was more of the same, as John Lackey was dominant, the Dodgers' offense extended their scoreless road streak to a pathetic 37 innings, Don Mattingly and A.J. Ellis were tossed, and the Dodgers dropped the first of a three game-set 3-0.
Something else that dropped was the Dodgers' position of first place in the NL West. That now belongs to the Giants, who took care of the Braves at home.
Oh ya, home plate umpire Mike Winters was just terrible. He's certainly not the only reason the Dodgers lost (more on that below), but his strike zone and quick trigger were all over the place. And shockingly, the calls went the Cards' way at home.
Let's start with the Dodgers' offense. There's really not a whole lot to say other than "They sucked." They mustered six hits (two apiece by Jimmy Rollins and Justin Turner), only one extra-base hit on a double by Rollins, went 0-for-5 with RISP, and had Howie Kendrick ground into a double play.
But hey, at least they struck out 11 times! Yuck.
Look, playing in St. Louis is tough. Really, really tough. As in, visiting teams have won 5 of 24 games there. But the Dodgers just look like they have no life and have to scratch and claw for every little run. And that's something they couldn't even do once Friday night.
To their defense, Winters didn't help this any. All umpires have slightly different (sometimes very different) strike zones, so I swear I'm not one to point them out for a loss. And when I do, I feel it's warranted. In this game, it was definitely warranted.
The biggest gripe of Mattingly and Ellis was that nobody knew exactly what to expect as far as what is and isn't a strike. There was no "adjusting to the umpire" because the umpire looked like he was adjusting his own calls on the fly. And without saying this too loudly, the other complaint was that Yadier Molina got more calls based on his reputation. I believe it.
If you think this is a loyal Dodger fan showing sour grapes, then I counter with this scenario: in the seventh, the Dodgers finally got something going when Adrian Gonzalez and Justin Turner singled with no outs. Andre Ethier then took a very, VERY questionable strike three call on a pitch below the knees (which goes back to the "Molina gets the call" narrative). Ethier was shocked, pissed off, and said his piece.
So of course Winters had to then stare into the dugout and toss Mattingly from there. Instead of just looking the other way on an obvious missed call, Winters had to make it worse by running Mattingly. And then Ellis got his two cents in during the bottom of the inning and was also ejected. It was just a mess all over, and completely ridiculous.
OK, umpire rant over.
All of that aside, like I wrote about before the game yesterday, the Dodgers need to step up this weekend. It's not "must-win" because it's still early in the season, but the last thing they need is another poor showing on the road. Friday night was indeed just that.
It won't be easy with Carlos Frias on the mound, a guy who looks solid one start, then absolutely horrendous the next. It's time for guys like A-Gon, Kendrick, or Ethier to deliver a huge home run, or at least drive in a few runs. Even with Yasiel Puig out, this offense has too much talent to look this pitiful on the road.
And so it goes for the Dodgers in St. Louis, a place that once again has proven to be nearly impossible for them to conquer.
On Friday night it was more of the same, as John Lackey was dominant, the Dodgers' offense extended their scoreless road streak to a pathetic 37 innings, Don Mattingly and A.J. Ellis were tossed, and the Dodgers dropped the first of a three game-set 3-0.
Something else that dropped was the Dodgers' position of first place in the NL West. That now belongs to the Giants, who took care of the Braves at home.
Oh ya, home plate umpire Mike Winters was just terrible. He's certainly not the only reason the Dodgers lost (more on that below), but his strike zone and quick trigger were all over the place. And shockingly, the calls went the Cards' way at home.
Let's start with the Dodgers' offense. There's really not a whole lot to say other than "They sucked." They mustered six hits (two apiece by Jimmy Rollins and Justin Turner), only one extra-base hit on a double by Rollins, went 0-for-5 with RISP, and had Howie Kendrick ground into a double play.
But hey, at least they struck out 11 times! Yuck.
Look, playing in St. Louis is tough. Really, really tough. As in, visiting teams have won 5 of 24 games there. But the Dodgers just look like they have no life and have to scratch and claw for every little run. And that's something they couldn't even do once Friday night.
To their defense, Winters didn't help this any. All umpires have slightly different (sometimes very different) strike zones, so I swear I'm not one to point them out for a loss. And when I do, I feel it's warranted. In this game, it was definitely warranted.
The biggest gripe of Mattingly and Ellis was that nobody knew exactly what to expect as far as what is and isn't a strike. There was no "adjusting to the umpire" because the umpire looked like he was adjusting his own calls on the fly. And without saying this too loudly, the other complaint was that Yadier Molina got more calls based on his reputation. I believe it.
If you think this is a loyal Dodger fan showing sour grapes, then I counter with this scenario: in the seventh, the Dodgers finally got something going when Adrian Gonzalez and Justin Turner singled with no outs. Andre Ethier then took a very, VERY questionable strike three call on a pitch below the knees (which goes back to the "Molina gets the call" narrative). Ethier was shocked, pissed off, and said his piece.
So of course Winters had to then stare into the dugout and toss Mattingly from there. Instead of just looking the other way on an obvious missed call, Winters had to make it worse by running Mattingly. And then Ellis got his two cents in during the bottom of the inning and was also ejected. It was just a mess all over, and completely ridiculous.
OK, umpire rant over.
All of that aside, like I wrote about before the game yesterday, the Dodgers need to step up this weekend. It's not "must-win" because it's still early in the season, but the last thing they need is another poor showing on the road. Friday night was indeed just that.
It won't be easy with Carlos Frias on the mound, a guy who looks solid one start, then absolutely horrendous the next. It's time for guys like A-Gon, Kendrick, or Ethier to deliver a huge home run, or at least drive in a few runs. Even with Yasiel Puig out, this offense has too much talent to look this pitiful on the road.
Friday, May 29, 2015
It's not quite the same, but the Cardinals' series is a big one for the Dodgers
This weekend in St. Louis, the top two teams in the National League will do battle when the Dodgers take on the Cardinals.
You know, the same Cardinals team that has unceremoniously knocked the Dodgers out of the playoffs the last two seasons.
Some of the faces have changed, but the bottom line remains: this is a nice test early in the season for the boys from LA.
Gone are Adam Wainwright, Matt Adams, Shelby Miller, Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, and Hanley Ramirez. They're either all hurt or on different teams. So while the names this year don't quite match up to the last couple of years, anytime the Dodgers get a chance to take on the Cards, it's a good test to see just how they measure up against one of the best the NL has to offer year after year.
The Dodgers are coming into this series on a bit of a roller coaster ride. They got swept three straight in San Francisco without scoring a single run. They followed that up with by taking two of three from the Padres and the Braves at home. Their offense finally woke up after a long hibernation, and Clayton Kershaw had his best start of the season in shutting down the Braves.
The Cardinals dropped three straight to the Mets (for one) and the Royals before winning the next four over the Royals (for one) and sweeping the Diamondbacks. They just got dealt a huge blow by losing Adams for a few months, if not the whole season. But these are the Cardinals, and they always find a way.
Want another reason why the Cardinals are the measuring stick? They're 18-5 at home. The Dodgers are quite dominant themselves at home at 21-7, but that obviously doesn't matter now. Their 7-11 road record does, which is something Don Mattingly has openly talked about needing to improve upon.
For these three games, the Dodgers will roll out Mike Bolsinger, Carlos Frias, and Brett Anderson to the mound. That's right - Kershaw and Zack Greinke will merely be bystanders as they wait their turn in Coors Field. I can imagine those two are just thrilled about that. The Cardinals counter with John Lackey, Michael Wacha (undefeated at 7-0), and Carlos Martinez. Wainwright is gone, but that hasn't stopped them from leading all of baseball with a 3.08 starter's ERA.
In other words, the faces change, but the Cardinals' success stays the same.
It's way too early in the year to label this as "must-win," especially when the Dodgers have their former Cy Young winners watching from the dugout. They can get swept and still be seven games over .500 heading into June. So it's not like it'll be all doom and gloom.
But make no mistake about it, the Dodgers want to prove that they are the class of the NL after failing so miserably a week ago against the Giants. Another pounding on the road against a contender would make them look more like pretenders.
Let's see if the Dodgers can squeeze out a couple of wins with the back end of their rotation going, minus names like Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy. Instead it'll be a couple of rookies and a veteran with a long injury history. And oh ya... no Kershaw or Greinke. Have I mentioned that before?
If the Dodgers can string together some hits, drive in runs in scoring position, and not suffer any bullpen meltdowns from their young arms, then this can be a great weekend for them.
If not, then it'll look like more of the same from the playoffs.
You know, the same Cardinals team that has unceremoniously knocked the Dodgers out of the playoffs the last two seasons.
Some of the faces have changed, but the bottom line remains: this is a nice test early in the season for the boys from LA.
Gone are Adam Wainwright, Matt Adams, Shelby Miller, Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, and Hanley Ramirez. They're either all hurt or on different teams. So while the names this year don't quite match up to the last couple of years, anytime the Dodgers get a chance to take on the Cards, it's a good test to see just how they measure up against one of the best the NL has to offer year after year.
The Dodgers are coming into this series on a bit of a roller coaster ride. They got swept three straight in San Francisco without scoring a single run. They followed that up with by taking two of three from the Padres and the Braves at home. Their offense finally woke up after a long hibernation, and Clayton Kershaw had his best start of the season in shutting down the Braves.
The Cardinals dropped three straight to the Mets (for one) and the Royals before winning the next four over the Royals (for one) and sweeping the Diamondbacks. They just got dealt a huge blow by losing Adams for a few months, if not the whole season. But these are the Cardinals, and they always find a way.
Want another reason why the Cardinals are the measuring stick? They're 18-5 at home. The Dodgers are quite dominant themselves at home at 21-7, but that obviously doesn't matter now. Their 7-11 road record does, which is something Don Mattingly has openly talked about needing to improve upon.
For these three games, the Dodgers will roll out Mike Bolsinger, Carlos Frias, and Brett Anderson to the mound. That's right - Kershaw and Zack Greinke will merely be bystanders as they wait their turn in Coors Field. I can imagine those two are just thrilled about that. The Cardinals counter with John Lackey, Michael Wacha (undefeated at 7-0), and Carlos Martinez. Wainwright is gone, but that hasn't stopped them from leading all of baseball with a 3.08 starter's ERA.
In other words, the faces change, but the Cardinals' success stays the same.
It's way too early in the year to label this as "must-win," especially when the Dodgers have their former Cy Young winners watching from the dugout. They can get swept and still be seven games over .500 heading into June. So it's not like it'll be all doom and gloom.
But make no mistake about it, the Dodgers want to prove that they are the class of the NL after failing so miserably a week ago against the Giants. Another pounding on the road against a contender would make them look more like pretenders.
Let's see if the Dodgers can squeeze out a couple of wins with the back end of their rotation going, minus names like Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy. Instead it'll be a couple of rookies and a veteran with a long injury history. And oh ya... no Kershaw or Greinke. Have I mentioned that before?
If the Dodgers can string together some hits, drive in runs in scoring position, and not suffer any bullpen meltdowns from their young arms, then this can be a great weekend for them.
If not, then it'll look like more of the same from the playoffs.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Key games in the Dodgers' 2015 season
Spring Training is humming along without much news to report of. About the only exciting things to have happened were Will Farrell pitching a perfect 1/3 of an inning, and Aroldis Chapman throwing behind Justin Turner for God knows what reason. Other than that, not much going on.
So, let's get ourselves excited for when the games count for good. Here's a look at some key/big/fun games in the Dodgers' 2015 schedule.
Monday, April 6 vs. Padres - Home opener, and the return of Matt Kemp
Monday, April 13 vs. Mariners - First Interleague set
Tuesday, April 21 at Giants - First tilt against the defending World Series champs
Monday, May 11 at Marlins - First matchup with old friends Dee Gordon and Dan Haren
Friday, May 29 at Cardinals - First matchup with the team that knocked the Dodgers out of the playoffs... again
Monday, June 22 at Cubs - Four-game set again Jon Lester, Joe Maddon, and a suddenly relevant Cubs team
Friday, July 17 at Nationals - First game after the All-Star break against a preseason World Series contender
Friday, July 31 vs. Angels - Freeway Series begins
Thursday, August 13 vs. Reds - First time seeing Chapman since Spring Training...
Monday, September 14 vs. Rockies - Last big homestand of the season, a 10-game set with the Rockies, Pirates, and Diamondbacks
Sunday, October 4 vs. Padres - Final game of the regular season, coming full circle
There you have it. In examining the schedule, there are a heck of a lot of division games to start the season, and of course the last couple of weeks as well. Then they have this quirk: they start July by playing the DBacks, end August with the Giants, and have no other division games in between. That's right - there's virtually no games within the NL West for two straight months. That seems very unusual.
The Interleague games are with the AL West. The Freeway Series is always fun, and a bit more so this year with Howie Kendrick in Dodger blue. Who knows what the A's will look like, but they always find a way. The Mariners have two stars in Robinson Cano and King Felix. The Rangers were just dealt a huge blow by losing Yu Darvish for the season. And the Astros? Well, they do have young talent, so we'll see.
So, let's get ourselves excited for when the games count for good. Here's a look at some key/big/fun games in the Dodgers' 2015 schedule.
Monday, April 6 vs. Padres - Home opener, and the return of Matt Kemp
Monday, April 13 vs. Mariners - First Interleague set
Tuesday, April 21 at Giants - First tilt against the defending World Series champs
Monday, May 11 at Marlins - First matchup with old friends Dee Gordon and Dan Haren
Friday, May 29 at Cardinals - First matchup with the team that knocked the Dodgers out of the playoffs... again
Monday, June 22 at Cubs - Four-game set again Jon Lester, Joe Maddon, and a suddenly relevant Cubs team
Friday, July 17 at Nationals - First game after the All-Star break against a preseason World Series contender
Friday, July 31 vs. Angels - Freeway Series begins
Thursday, August 13 vs. Reds - First time seeing Chapman since Spring Training...
Monday, September 14 vs. Rockies - Last big homestand of the season, a 10-game set with the Rockies, Pirates, and Diamondbacks
Sunday, October 4 vs. Padres - Final game of the regular season, coming full circle
There you have it. In examining the schedule, there are a heck of a lot of division games to start the season, and of course the last couple of weeks as well. Then they have this quirk: they start July by playing the DBacks, end August with the Giants, and have no other division games in between. That's right - there's virtually no games within the NL West for two straight months. That seems very unusual.
The Interleague games are with the AL West. The Freeway Series is always fun, and a bit more so this year with Howie Kendrick in Dodger blue. Who knows what the A's will look like, but they always find a way. The Mariners have two stars in Robinson Cano and King Felix. The Rangers were just dealt a huge blow by losing Yu Darvish for the season. And the Astros? Well, they do have young talent, so we'll see.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Cardinals own the late innings again, Dodgers fall in the NLDS
In the end, it all came down to this: the Cardinals stepped up and delivered the most in the late innings, and the Dodgers were scrambling from the very beginning.
Once again the seventh inning was the difference, as the Cardinals used a three-run homer from Matt Adams to go up 3-2, and they held on to end the Dodgers' season in Game 4 of the NLDS. The best road team in baseball (record wise) was unable to muster a win in St. Louis.
Say what you want about Clayton Kershaw failing to hold another lead in the seventh, but this game was much different than Game 1. Kershaw was the only one at fault for blowing it last Friday, but I don't feel the same about this one. After watching the bullpen bumble away one lead after another, Don Mattingly rode Kershaw's tiring left arm to the 100-pitch mark.
And just like the rest of this series, it was a decision towards the end of the game that didn't work.
Kershaw had used his breaking stuff very effectively all game, but a big, fat, hanging curveball was all Adams needed to see, who then whacked a 383-foot shot just over the wall in right. Game. Set. Match.
Kershaw will get plenty of flak for giving up 11 earned runs in 12 2/3 innings this series, and it's understandable to a point considering he's the top dog. But a couple of other things also did the Dodgers in as the series progressed. The major one was middle relief, and the other one was the fading offense.
Like I've said pretty much all season long, the arms before Kenley Jansen were just brutal. Everyone from J.P. Howell to Scott Elbert to Brian Wilson were terrible in this series. There simply were not any good options to turn to, and that's why Mattingly rolled the dice with Kershaw. It obviously didn't work, but I'm not sure it would've been much different if the 'pen was summoned earlier. Pedro Baez and Brandon League did combine for two shutout innings, but that was in much less pressure with the Cardinals now in the lead.
The offense was the other culprit. They put up a nine-spot in Game 1, then had a huge game-winning two-run shot by Matt Kemp to win Game 2. But in Games 2-4, they only scored six runs, which is a couple a game. It's hard to beat any playoff team with outputs like that.
And so it ends for the 2014 Dodgers, as the regular season closed with so much promise by beating the Giants to take the NL West, only to take a big step back in the NLDS. That's what a good team like the Cardinals can do to you - pounce on a weakness (bullpen) of the other team to win.
This offseason will undoubtedly bring changes to that beleaguered bullpen, if only for fresh arms and a fresh look after it ended so poorly. Then there's the question of re-signing Hanley Ramirez. It will be interesting to see how that goes.
***
On a personal note, this wraps up my seventh year blogging about the Dodgers. My readership went way up this year, and I thank everyone out there for making that happen. As I said before, this offseason will be a fun one to watch, and I'll be on here covering all the moves every step of the way.
Thanks again, and let's go Dodgers... in 2015!
Once again the seventh inning was the difference, as the Cardinals used a three-run homer from Matt Adams to go up 3-2, and they held on to end the Dodgers' season in Game 4 of the NLDS. The best road team in baseball (record wise) was unable to muster a win in St. Louis.
Say what you want about Clayton Kershaw failing to hold another lead in the seventh, but this game was much different than Game 1. Kershaw was the only one at fault for blowing it last Friday, but I don't feel the same about this one. After watching the bullpen bumble away one lead after another, Don Mattingly rode Kershaw's tiring left arm to the 100-pitch mark.
And just like the rest of this series, it was a decision towards the end of the game that didn't work.
Kershaw had used his breaking stuff very effectively all game, but a big, fat, hanging curveball was all Adams needed to see, who then whacked a 383-foot shot just over the wall in right. Game. Set. Match.
Kershaw will get plenty of flak for giving up 11 earned runs in 12 2/3 innings this series, and it's understandable to a point considering he's the top dog. But a couple of other things also did the Dodgers in as the series progressed. The major one was middle relief, and the other one was the fading offense.
Like I've said pretty much all season long, the arms before Kenley Jansen were just brutal. Everyone from J.P. Howell to Scott Elbert to Brian Wilson were terrible in this series. There simply were not any good options to turn to, and that's why Mattingly rolled the dice with Kershaw. It obviously didn't work, but I'm not sure it would've been much different if the 'pen was summoned earlier. Pedro Baez and Brandon League did combine for two shutout innings, but that was in much less pressure with the Cardinals now in the lead.
The offense was the other culprit. They put up a nine-spot in Game 1, then had a huge game-winning two-run shot by Matt Kemp to win Game 2. But in Games 2-4, they only scored six runs, which is a couple a game. It's hard to beat any playoff team with outputs like that.
And so it ends for the 2014 Dodgers, as the regular season closed with so much promise by beating the Giants to take the NL West, only to take a big step back in the NLDS. That's what a good team like the Cardinals can do to you - pounce on a weakness (bullpen) of the other team to win.
This offseason will undoubtedly bring changes to that beleaguered bullpen, if only for fresh arms and a fresh look after it ended so poorly. Then there's the question of re-signing Hanley Ramirez. It will be interesting to see how that goes.
***
On a personal note, this wraps up my seventh year blogging about the Dodgers. My readership went way up this year, and I thank everyone out there for making that happen. As I said before, this offseason will be a fun one to watch, and I'll be on here covering all the moves every step of the way.
Thanks again, and let's go Dodgers... in 2015!
Same old story: Dodgers' bullpen crumbles once again
Game 3 was more of the same for the Dodgers. A close game in the late innings. A starting pitcher yanked. And a bullpen than simply cannot get the big outs when needed.
Add it all up, and it's the Cardinals who are feeling good after a 3-1 victory in Game 3 of the NLDS. Game 4 is Tuesday afternoon, as the Dodgers turn to Clayton Kershaw on three days' rest to salvage the series.
The story for the start of Game 3 was the return of Hyun-Jin Ryu, and with a strikeout of Matt Carpenter to start the game, he showed that his shoulder was ready to go. He ended up lasting six innings, giving up one run on five hits, striking out four. He really gave the Dodgers everything they could've hoped for.
Who didn't give the Dodgers what they hoped for? That's right - the damn bullpen. More specifically, the middle relief, because they're so bad at this point, Kenley Jansen stands virtually no chance of being handed the ball in the ninth with a lead. It's gotten downright embarrassing watching the middle relief in action.
In the previous two games, we've seen Pedro Baez and J.P. Howell fall apart. In Game 3, it was Scott Elbert's turn. With the rain coming down hard from a passing shower, Yadier Molina took a first-pitch fastball to left for a double to start the seventh.
After a Jon Jay sacrifice bunt, Kolten Wong deposited a 405-foot home run to right, KO'ing any chance the Dodgers had in this one. Elbert gave up a double to Carpenter for good measure before mercifully getting the hook.
I know a lot of people blame Don Mattingly for putting Elbert in, as it clearly was the wrong move. But think about it - who the hell else is there to turn to? Brian Wilson? Give me a break. He faced three batters, giving up a double and intentional walk. After getting an out, he had the nerve to act surprised that he was getting pulled. That's right, the guy who's stunk it up all season long is mad he's getting pulled. Whatever.
Brandon League is another option, but not much of one. Howell was very fortunate to turn a double play on a ball hit back to him to end the eighth. Of course, he gave up another single right before that to load the bases. He's about as easy a reliever to hit as there is in baseball right now.
At this point, the Dodgers are going to have to win in spite of the crap that sits in the bullpen all game, then comes in and gives up hard hit after hard hit. I guess they can only hope Kershaw and Zack Greinke keep their pitch counts low, keep the score lower, and bridge the gap themselves to Jansen.
Two guys we haven't seen appear yet are Jamey Wright and Carlos Frias, so don't be surprised if they're next in line to give this thing a shot. You can also include Dan Haren on that list since he's been bumped from his Game 4 start. Hell, he's better than watching some of these other clowns.
Despite all of this, the Dodgers only need to win two straight games to advance. One in St. Louis with Kershaw looking for redemption, and back in LA with Greinke. That's certainly doable. Maybe someone like Adrian Gonzalez or Hanley Ramirez hits a couple homers and leads the way.
It will also help to not have the incredibly inconsistent Dale Scott calling balls and strikes. He should be an NBA referee with all the home town calls he gave. I don't blame Kemp at all for going off about the strike zone. It was a joke all night long.
Add it all up, and it's the Cardinals who are feeling good after a 3-1 victory in Game 3 of the NLDS. Game 4 is Tuesday afternoon, as the Dodgers turn to Clayton Kershaw on three days' rest to salvage the series.
The story for the start of Game 3 was the return of Hyun-Jin Ryu, and with a strikeout of Matt Carpenter to start the game, he showed that his shoulder was ready to go. He ended up lasting six innings, giving up one run on five hits, striking out four. He really gave the Dodgers everything they could've hoped for.
Who didn't give the Dodgers what they hoped for? That's right - the damn bullpen. More specifically, the middle relief, because they're so bad at this point, Kenley Jansen stands virtually no chance of being handed the ball in the ninth with a lead. It's gotten downright embarrassing watching the middle relief in action.
In the previous two games, we've seen Pedro Baez and J.P. Howell fall apart. In Game 3, it was Scott Elbert's turn. With the rain coming down hard from a passing shower, Yadier Molina took a first-pitch fastball to left for a double to start the seventh.
After a Jon Jay sacrifice bunt, Kolten Wong deposited a 405-foot home run to right, KO'ing any chance the Dodgers had in this one. Elbert gave up a double to Carpenter for good measure before mercifully getting the hook.
I know a lot of people blame Don Mattingly for putting Elbert in, as it clearly was the wrong move. But think about it - who the hell else is there to turn to? Brian Wilson? Give me a break. He faced three batters, giving up a double and intentional walk. After getting an out, he had the nerve to act surprised that he was getting pulled. That's right, the guy who's stunk it up all season long is mad he's getting pulled. Whatever.
Brandon League is another option, but not much of one. Howell was very fortunate to turn a double play on a ball hit back to him to end the eighth. Of course, he gave up another single right before that to load the bases. He's about as easy a reliever to hit as there is in baseball right now.
At this point, the Dodgers are going to have to win in spite of the crap that sits in the bullpen all game, then comes in and gives up hard hit after hard hit. I guess they can only hope Kershaw and Zack Greinke keep their pitch counts low, keep the score lower, and bridge the gap themselves to Jansen.
Two guys we haven't seen appear yet are Jamey Wright and Carlos Frias, so don't be surprised if they're next in line to give this thing a shot. You can also include Dan Haren on that list since he's been bumped from his Game 4 start. Hell, he's better than watching some of these other clowns.
Despite all of this, the Dodgers only need to win two straight games to advance. One in St. Louis with Kershaw looking for redemption, and back in LA with Greinke. That's certainly doable. Maybe someone like Adrian Gonzalez or Hanley Ramirez hits a couple homers and leads the way.
It will also help to not have the incredibly inconsistent Dale Scott calling balls and strikes. He should be an NBA referee with all the home town calls he gave. I don't blame Kemp at all for going off about the strike zone. It was a joke all night long.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Kershaw gets a second wind, will start Game 4
Clayton Kershaw is one happy guy right now.
Not only did the Dodgers tie the series up one game apiece thanks to a late home run by Matt Kemp, but on Monday afternoon, Don Mattingly announced the Kershaw will get the ball in Game 4 on Tuesday, no matter Monday's outcome.
All of those bad memories he could have potentially carried over into the offseason? They could be erased, as he gets another chance to right a wrong.
Last season the same situation came up, as Kershaw made a start in Game 4 on three days' rest against the Braves, tossing six innings, and giving up two unearned runs while striking out six. That game was best remembered for Juan Uribe's dramatic go-ahead homer in the eighth, clinching the series.
The obvious difference between then and now is then, Kershaw was coming off a great Game 1 start in which he gave up one run in seven innings, striking out 12. The decision to have him pitch was made nearly last minute, as a fading Ricky Nolasco got the boot (and rightfully so).
Now, Kershaw has a lot to prove after getting crushed in Game 1, blowing a 6-1 lead in the seventh inning. I'd say he's looking to bounce back from giving up eight earned runs.
You know he'll be ready to pitch. He's always ready to pitch. Now he just needs to take it an inning at a time, focus on his spots, and there's no reason why he can't get a big win.
This move makes sense for a couple other reasons as well. Dan Haren, the original Game 4 starter, is now available to relieve Hyun-Jin Ryu tonight if necessary. Considering Ryu hasn't pitched since September 12, he might be needed.
Also, pushing Kershaw up a game leaves a potential do-or-die Game 5 back in LA to Zack Greinke, who was fantastic in Game 2. That's a good thing.
Not only did the Dodgers tie the series up one game apiece thanks to a late home run by Matt Kemp, but on Monday afternoon, Don Mattingly announced the Kershaw will get the ball in Game 4 on Tuesday, no matter Monday's outcome.
All of those bad memories he could have potentially carried over into the offseason? They could be erased, as he gets another chance to right a wrong.
Last season the same situation came up, as Kershaw made a start in Game 4 on three days' rest against the Braves, tossing six innings, and giving up two unearned runs while striking out six. That game was best remembered for Juan Uribe's dramatic go-ahead homer in the eighth, clinching the series.
The obvious difference between then and now is then, Kershaw was coming off a great Game 1 start in which he gave up one run in seven innings, striking out 12. The decision to have him pitch was made nearly last minute, as a fading Ricky Nolasco got the boot (and rightfully so).
Now, Kershaw has a lot to prove after getting crushed in Game 1, blowing a 6-1 lead in the seventh inning. I'd say he's looking to bounce back from giving up eight earned runs.
You know he'll be ready to pitch. He's always ready to pitch. Now he just needs to take it an inning at a time, focus on his spots, and there's no reason why he can't get a big win.
This move makes sense for a couple other reasons as well. Dan Haren, the original Game 4 starter, is now available to relieve Hyun-Jin Ryu tonight if necessary. Considering Ryu hasn't pitched since September 12, he might be needed.
Also, pushing Kershaw up a game leaves a potential do-or-die Game 5 back in LA to Zack Greinke, who was fantastic in Game 2. That's a good thing.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Kemp's redemption hits new heights in Game 2
After blowing another lead in the NLDS, the Dodgers needed a hero to emerge to avoid the dreaded 0-2 hole heading to St. Louis.
Enter Matt Kemp.
Kemp delivered the big blow when a demoralized Dodgers team needed it the most, as his eighth inning solo shot proved to be the game-winner, lifting the Dodgers to a 1-1 series tie with a 3-2 victory in Game 2.
For all of the injuries, trade talk, and generally poor performance on the field since that magnificent 2011 season, Game 2 of the NLDS showed just how much of an impact Kemp can still make when he's feeling right. And guess what? It looks like he's FINALLY feeling right.
People tend to forgot just how good he was to start the 2012 season, fresh off of being robbed of the MVP award by Ryan Fraud... I mean Braun. In that April, he hit a ridiculous .417 with 12 homers and 25 RBIs, and far and away looked like the best player on the planet.
Then the injuries hit. And with that came more injuries, frustration, and little results on the field.
It's certainly been a long journey for the guy nicknamed "Beast Mode," as through May of this season he was only hitting .248 with five homers and 15 RBIs. He got booted from center field in favor of Andre Ethier, who was just as bad a hitter at the time, if not worse.
After a stint in left field, Don Mattingly settled on Yasiel Puig in center, a returning Carl Crawford in left, and Kemp over to right. Simply put, it worked. All three men looked comfortable, and Kemp seemed to finally find a spot where he looked natural at this point in his career.
His play in the field carried over to the plate, where he hit .309 with 17 homers and 54 RBIs after the All-Star break. He quietly went about his business in the second half, regaining his power stroke as the Dodgers held off the Giants in the NL West.
I think it was perfectly fitting that Kemp was the guy to make be the difference in Game 2. Just when J.P. Howell gave up a two-run shot to Matt Carpenter (who completely owns the Dodgers for whatever reason), Kemp led off the bottom of the eighth by depositing a 2-1 pitch deep into left off of All-Star reliever Pat Neshek. A deflated Dodger Stadium came back to life. A 1-2-3 ninth from Kenley Jansen kept them happy.
Good for Kemp, as he took flak from just every baseball writer in America for already looking washed up. His bat has forced his way back into the lineup everyday, as Mattingly doesn't have to worry about playing the numbers game and possibly putting in Ethier or Scott Van Slyke over him. He's the cleanup hitter, and hopefully it stays that way.
Now the Dodgers need him to carry that hot bat into St. Louis and at least earn a split. With the way he's raking, that's looking like a pretty good bet.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Like it or not, Kershaw still has plenty to prove in the postseason
Michael Jordon had the Pistons.
And now, after yet another dominant season, which led to another poor outing in October, it appears as if Clayton Kershaw has the Cardinals.
Like the magnificent Jordon had to prove, sometimes you have to go through that one team before you achieve greatness when it counts the most. Jordon got his six rings, but only after finally conquering the Bad Boys.
Kershaw can only hope he gets another chance to overcome the Cards.
He'll need the rest of his rotation to pick things up, his bullpen to pitch better, and his offense to continue to stay hot if he wants another crack at the Cardinals. For now, he'll have to settle for yet another shellacking at the hands of St. Louis, as the Dodgers dropped a heartbreaker in Game 1 of the NLDS at home 10-9. Yasiel Puig struck out with a runner on third to end the game.
It was one of the strangest games you'll see, as Kershaw toggled between getting pounded all over the park from straight fastballs down the middle, to absolutely baffling the Cardinals to the tune of 16 straight retired and 10 strikeouts. Very little about the game made any sense, and Kershaw is right at the top of that list.
We've seen plenty of times in the past where Kershaw was robbed of wins because his offense only scored a run or two. Heck, he only won 16 starts last year and 14 the year before, yet made 33 starts in each of those seasons compared to 27 this year. So when he was spotted a 6-1 lead in the sixth, it looked like the focus of the baseball world should turn to Anaheim where the Angles were hosting the Royals.
Not so. Kershaw simply ran into a wall. And boy did he hit that wall hard.
As I tweeted out during the game, it's hard to ever question Kershaw over anything. You don't get to be 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA by accident, it takes a lot of hard work.
With that said, it sure looked like we saw another side of Kershaw - stubbornness. Most of the time, that's called "competitiveness," but not on Friday.
The seventh inning showed that negative side of him, as he simply refused to rely on his secondary pitches. It was one fastball after another after another after another. It was a pattern even the most casual of baseball fan could pick up on.
Want further proof? According to the MLB.com pitch tracker, Kershaw threw 29 pitches in that fateful seventh: 20 fastballs, 8 sliders, and 1 curveball. He pretty much abandoned his curveball after Randal Grichuk homered off of it in the first. His slider has been his most effective pitch all season, but he also seemed to lose faith in that, despite striking out Oscar Taveras with it for the second out.
Nope. Instead, with his arch nemesis Matt Carpenter up, Kershaw tried to blow it by him for the third strike one too many times. Carpenter responded by missing a grand slam by a few feet. That was ultimate KO punch. Carpenter sat on the fastball, and whether pitches were being tipped or not, he had no reason not to think the hard stuff was coming. He ended up with two hits - a solo shot and a bases clearing double.
Now it's back to the drawing board for Kershaw, and as I stated before, he can only hope and pray that his teammates pick him up and give him the ball back in the series at some point. For the next few days, he'll have to stew on the fact that his postseason numbers aren't anything close to his regular season numbers: 10 games (7 starts), 1-4, 5.20 ERA, 1.27 WHIP. It's not like he's been awful every start, but his two clunkers against the Cardinals and a poor outing in 2009 against the Phillies have ballooned his ERA.
The next few days will be huge for the Dodgers, as they obviously have a smaller window in a five-game series to come out on top. It's also huge for Kershaw, as the last thing he wants to do is face an offseason with more questions about his playoff shortcomings.
He also doesn't want to face those questions as he's picking up his Cy Young and MVP awards. That will be an awkward press conference to say the least.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
How the Dodgers can beat the Cardinals
As the Dodgers and Cardinals get ready to tangle in the NLDS starting Friday, let's take a look at five keys for the boys in blue.
1) Kershaw and Greinke need to be the aces. If you tuned into the AL Wild Card game, then you probably were expecting a nice low-scoring game with Jon Lester and James Shield on the mound. Instead you got a wild, 12-inning, 9-8 slugfest that saw the Royals continually fight back to stay on top.
That just goes to show that anything can happen in one game. As good as Clayton Kershaw is, let's not forget that even he and his 1.77 ERA are prone to hiccups. The Diamondbacks unmercifully pounded on him back in May, and even the lowly Cubs put up three in the first inning off of him recently. Greinke has not given up more than four runs in any start this year, but has struggled a bit with high pitch counts of late.
The bottom line is that the Dodgers doled out a ton of cash to these two for games like this. Especially in the short five-game series, they need them to be on top of their games. If they are, then the Dodgers should be fine.
2) Keep on poundin' it at the plate. The Dodgers ended the season hitting the ball about as well as any point of the season. They're currently on a five-game winning streak where they've averaged 7.2 runs/game. They beat the Cubs 14-5, the Rockies 11-3, and pounded on the Giants 17-0 within the last three weeks.
Carl Crawford was red hot in September, hitting an insane .448. Juan Uribe hit .377 and drove in 17. Hanley Ramirez hit .352. Matt Kemp was awesome at .322 with nine homers and 25 RBIs, earning him NL Player of the Month. Super subs Justin Turner and Scott Van Slyke .422 and .432, respectively.
Obviously the level of completion goes way up in October, but after a season where the offense was a roller coaster, it's good to see them on such a high at the most important part of the season.
3) Middle relief has to deliver. If there's one thing that really scared me watching the A's and Royals on Tuesday, it was the shaky relief work. Both teams had their moments of not getting the big outs from the bullpen when needed, with the A's ultimately paying the biggest price.
As I watched both teams tee off against the 'pen, I immediately thought about the Dodgers. Their biggest weakness is by far middle relief, where guys like Brian Wilson has failed to deliver time and time again, and the once reliable J.P. Howell has an 11.68 ERA in September.
Simply put, the Dodgers will need guys to outperform themselves if they want to win close games. As good as Kershaw, Greinke, and Hyun-Jin Ryu are, they can't always be counted on to pitch at least eight innings before giving the ball to Kenley Jansen. Don Mattingly will need to call upon his middle relief at some point. How they perform when they do get the ball could be the difference between an early exit and a ring.
4) Continue the road dominance. The Dodgers had the best road record in baseball at 49-32. That's actually better than their home record of 46-35. Go figure. But in the postseason, that's actually a good thing, as they should have the confidence to steal a game or two on the road.
Back in July, the Cardinals took two of three at home over the Dodgers, all very close games. The Dodgers salvaged the series on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball on an Adrian Gonzalez ninth inning RBI. That came after Kershaw gave up a couple runs in the sixth to tie the game. He still went seven innings for three runs, partially erasing his horrible memories from his start in Game 6 of last year's NLCS in that same park.
Considering the Cardinals won all three game in St. Louis in the NLCS, the Dodgers need to get over that hump if they want to advance.
5) Realize that home or away, the Dodgers are the better team. So play like it. It's really that simple. The Cardinals are still a very good team, as evidenced by their NL Central title. But they are without two of their studs from last season in Carlos Beltran and Allen Craig. Beltran was especially troublesome, as he drove him a team-high six runs in the NLCS.
This time around, the Dodgers have the same cast of characters back, plus a peaking Kemp, who sat out last postseason with an ankle injury. The Dodgers hit better in the regular season (.265 vs. .253), pitched better (3.40 vs. 3.50), and have more wins (94 vs. 90). Those numbers don't lie.
At the end of the day, the Dodgers have the home field advantage for a reason. They have their aces rested and ready to go. Their offense has been putting plenty of runs on the board. They have all of the reasons in the world to feel good about themselves. Now it's time to get it done.
1) Kershaw and Greinke need to be the aces. If you tuned into the AL Wild Card game, then you probably were expecting a nice low-scoring game with Jon Lester and James Shield on the mound. Instead you got a wild, 12-inning, 9-8 slugfest that saw the Royals continually fight back to stay on top.
That just goes to show that anything can happen in one game. As good as Clayton Kershaw is, let's not forget that even he and his 1.77 ERA are prone to hiccups. The Diamondbacks unmercifully pounded on him back in May, and even the lowly Cubs put up three in the first inning off of him recently. Greinke has not given up more than four runs in any start this year, but has struggled a bit with high pitch counts of late.
The bottom line is that the Dodgers doled out a ton of cash to these two for games like this. Especially in the short five-game series, they need them to be on top of their games. If they are, then the Dodgers should be fine.
2) Keep on poundin' it at the plate. The Dodgers ended the season hitting the ball about as well as any point of the season. They're currently on a five-game winning streak where they've averaged 7.2 runs/game. They beat the Cubs 14-5, the Rockies 11-3, and pounded on the Giants 17-0 within the last three weeks.
Carl Crawford was red hot in September, hitting an insane .448. Juan Uribe hit .377 and drove in 17. Hanley Ramirez hit .352. Matt Kemp was awesome at .322 with nine homers and 25 RBIs, earning him NL Player of the Month. Super subs Justin Turner and Scott Van Slyke .422 and .432, respectively.
Obviously the level of completion goes way up in October, but after a season where the offense was a roller coaster, it's good to see them on such a high at the most important part of the season.
3) Middle relief has to deliver. If there's one thing that really scared me watching the A's and Royals on Tuesday, it was the shaky relief work. Both teams had their moments of not getting the big outs from the bullpen when needed, with the A's ultimately paying the biggest price.
As I watched both teams tee off against the 'pen, I immediately thought about the Dodgers. Their biggest weakness is by far middle relief, where guys like Brian Wilson has failed to deliver time and time again, and the once reliable J.P. Howell has an 11.68 ERA in September.
Simply put, the Dodgers will need guys to outperform themselves if they want to win close games. As good as Kershaw, Greinke, and Hyun-Jin Ryu are, they can't always be counted on to pitch at least eight innings before giving the ball to Kenley Jansen. Don Mattingly will need to call upon his middle relief at some point. How they perform when they do get the ball could be the difference between an early exit and a ring.
4) Continue the road dominance. The Dodgers had the best road record in baseball at 49-32. That's actually better than their home record of 46-35. Go figure. But in the postseason, that's actually a good thing, as they should have the confidence to steal a game or two on the road.
Back in July, the Cardinals took two of three at home over the Dodgers, all very close games. The Dodgers salvaged the series on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball on an Adrian Gonzalez ninth inning RBI. That came after Kershaw gave up a couple runs in the sixth to tie the game. He still went seven innings for three runs, partially erasing his horrible memories from his start in Game 6 of last year's NLCS in that same park.
Considering the Cardinals won all three game in St. Louis in the NLCS, the Dodgers need to get over that hump if they want to advance.
5) Realize that home or away, the Dodgers are the better team. So play like it. It's really that simple. The Cardinals are still a very good team, as evidenced by their NL Central title. But they are without two of their studs from last season in Carlos Beltran and Allen Craig. Beltran was especially troublesome, as he drove him a team-high six runs in the NLCS.
This time around, the Dodgers have the same cast of characters back, plus a peaking Kemp, who sat out last postseason with an ankle injury. The Dodgers hit better in the regular season (.265 vs. .253), pitched better (3.40 vs. 3.50), and have more wins (94 vs. 90). Those numbers don't lie.
At the end of the day, the Dodgers have the home field advantage for a reason. They have their aces rested and ready to go. Their offense has been putting plenty of runs on the board. They have all of the reasons in the world to feel good about themselves. Now it's time to get it done.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Will the Cardinals' beanings ignite the Dodgers like the DBacks' brawl of '13?
If you're the Dodgers, you have to hope so.
One year ago, the Dodgers were 27-36 after Brandon League blew a save against the Diamondbacks at home. Generally, they looked like crap, played like crap, and were pretty much just that: crap.
The next night is when the "crap" hit the fan. Then-Diamondback Ian Kennedy beaned Yasiel Puig in the face, then soon followed that up by hitting Zack Greinke, and the brawl was on in the seventh inning. In all, two players, two coaches, and manager Kirk Gibson were ejected. The Dodgers went on to win 5-4.
By the end of the season, the Dodgers ran away with the NL West, clinching in Arizona, then celebrating in their pool. The Diamondbacks were not happy. Remember that?
Now it's 2014, and while the Dodgers have a better record at 55-45 and are tied with the Giants for first place, they're still looking for something to get them going.
Sunday night may have just been that something.
One day after Puig was plunked in the hand, holding him out of this game, Hanley Ramirez got hit twice. The last one came in the ninth inning against flamethrowing closer Trevor Rosenthal, which soon led to Adrian Gonzalez's game-winning RBI single for the 3-2 victory. Clayton Kershaw hit Matt Holliday in the side in the fourth, prompting a warning for both benches. Rosenthal, however, was still not ejected.
After A-Gon's hit, and Kenley Jansen's perfect ninth for his 28th save, the only thing I kept thinking about was how this is just like last year's DBacks brawl. You could tell at the time that was a wakeup call for the Dodgers, and maybe this is, too.
One thing that cannot be compared is the intent. Kennedy was clearly throwing at Puig and Greinke, but it didn't appear that Carlos Martinez and Rosenthal were doing the same. However, I think A-Gon said it perfectly with the following quote:
Then Rosenthal beaned Hanley, and A-Gon responded with a clutch two-out RBI. In fact, all four runs were driven in with two outs. When's the last time we've seen that happen?
Only time will tell if this game will truly motivate the Dodgers to, as I put it yesterday, put up or shut up. On ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, they put up on a night where Kershaw finally gave up more than one run (7 IP, 3 ER, 8 K). They got some big hits, got some big outs from the bullpen, and got a big win to avoid the sweep.
Let's see the Dodgers use this game as a springboard to bigger things.
One year ago, the Dodgers were 27-36 after Brandon League blew a save against the Diamondbacks at home. Generally, they looked like crap, played like crap, and were pretty much just that: crap.
The next night is when the "crap" hit the fan. Then-Diamondback Ian Kennedy beaned Yasiel Puig in the face, then soon followed that up by hitting Zack Greinke, and the brawl was on in the seventh inning. In all, two players, two coaches, and manager Kirk Gibson were ejected. The Dodgers went on to win 5-4.
By the end of the season, the Dodgers ran away with the NL West, clinching in Arizona, then celebrating in their pool. The Diamondbacks were not happy. Remember that?
Now it's 2014, and while the Dodgers have a better record at 55-45 and are tied with the Giants for first place, they're still looking for something to get them going.
Sunday night may have just been that something.
One day after Puig was plunked in the hand, holding him out of this game, Hanley Ramirez got hit twice. The last one came in the ninth inning against flamethrowing closer Trevor Rosenthal, which soon led to Adrian Gonzalez's game-winning RBI single for the 3-2 victory. Clayton Kershaw hit Matt Holliday in the side in the fourth, prompting a warning for both benches. Rosenthal, however, was still not ejected.
After A-Gon's hit, and Kenley Jansen's perfect ninth for his 28th save, the only thing I kept thinking about was how this is just like last year's DBacks brawl. You could tell at the time that was a wakeup call for the Dodgers, and maybe this is, too.
One thing that cannot be compared is the intent. Kennedy was clearly throwing at Puig and Greinke, but it didn't appear that Carlos Martinez and Rosenthal were doing the same. However, I think A-Gon said it perfectly with the following quote:
"One thing is pitching inside and another thing is pitching inside carelessly. They're obviously showing that they don't care if they hit him. They're not on purpose, but they don't care if they hit him. They hit Hanley last year, they hit [Yasiel] Puig yesterday, they hit Hanley twice today. It's almost like, 'Hey, we're going to throw it inside. If we hit you, we hit you. If we don't, we don't.'"At this point, the Dodgers are looking for any sorts of signs to shake them out of their mediocrity. Before the ninth inning came, they got two hits and an RBI from Matt Kemp, a triple and RBI from Andre Ethier, and three hits from Juan Uribe. Kemp even threw in a diving catch charging towards the infield for good measure.
Then Rosenthal beaned Hanley, and A-Gon responded with a clutch two-out RBI. In fact, all four runs were driven in with two outs. When's the last time we've seen that happen?
Only time will tell if this game will truly motivate the Dodgers to, as I put it yesterday, put up or shut up. On ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, they put up on a night where Kershaw finally gave up more than one run (7 IP, 3 ER, 8 K). They got some big hits, got some big outs from the bullpen, and got a big win to avoid the sweep.
Let's see the Dodgers use this game as a springboard to bigger things.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
All-Star break does nothing to wake up putrid offense
So much for being fresh and rejuvenated after taking four days off.
The Dodgers brought more of the same on offense to the table Friday night... which is basically saying, they did a big pile of NOTHING. A two-run homer by Matt Holliday in the fifth proved to be the difference, as the Dodgers fell to the Cardinals 3-2.
The formula remained the same from a handful of games before the break against the Tigers and Padres: good-excellent starting pitching, horrible hitting.
How bad has the offense been? Here's a look at the last six games:
7/9 at Tigers: 4-for-30 (.133), 1 R, 0-for-5 w/ RISP, 4 LOB
7/10 vs. Padres: 9-for-31 (.290), 2 R, 2-for-13 w/ RISP, 7 LOB
7/11 vs. Padres: 6-for-31 (.194), 3 R, 2-for-9 w/ RISP, 9 LOB
7/12 vs. Padres: 4-for-26 (.154), 1 R, 0-for-5 w/ RISP, 7 LOB
7/13 vs. Padres: 7-for-29 (.241), 1 R, 2-for-12 w/ RISP, 7 LOB
7/18 at Cardinals: 5-for-32 (.156), 2 R, 1-for-8 w/ RISP, 8 LOB
Totals: 35-for-179 (.196), 10 R, 7-for-52 w/ RISP (.135), 42 LOB
Wow, that's bad. Really bad. What's even worse is that Dodger pitching has given up only 13 runs during that six-game span, which is a mere 2.2 runs/game. Doesn't matter, though. When you can't hit, you can only survive for so long, and that's why they're 3-3 in these games.
The "controversy" coming into last night's game was all about the recent comments from Matt Kemp and his willingness to be traded if he's not going to play everyday in center. Well, Matt, I can tell you that after watching how did you last night, you have absolutely NOTHING to complain about.
Kemp went 0-for-3 at the plate with a strikeout and walk, including a big fat K to end the third with the bases loaded. It was typical - talk a big game, but when they chance came to prove how good you think you are, you go down miserably.
Then there's his defense, which continues to be a bigger and bigger joke each game. I watched the game on MLB Network with Bob Costas and Tom Verducci (who did a very good job, by the way). During one of the breaks between innings, they cut back to the studio where I believe Darryl Hamilton gave a demonstration of just how bad Kemp has been taking angles to fly balls. Twice he was burned by the awkward routes he takes to the ball.
Ya, and he wants to play center again. Give me a freakin' break.
Kemp wasn't the only problem. Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, and Andre Ethier all had big strikeouts in key situations. It's almost as if you expect the worst in big spots, and then it happens.
A.J. Ellis was about the only one who showed up, as his RBI double and then hustle from third to score on a wild pitch in the seventh cut the deficit to 3-2. That's as close as it would get. I'm glad he did something, because I can't recall the last time he made any noise at the plate considering he's hitting .215.
Other thoughts from the game:
* Dan Haren didn't look so hot in the first, rebounded a bit, but couldn't overcome Holliday's homer. He only lasted 4 2/3 innings for eight hits, three runs, two walks, and four strikeouts. He's clearly the odd man out at this point if Ned Colletti brings in another starter. I don't see any hitters being fearful of him.
* Good to see Paco Rodriguez make his return, as he pitched a scoreless seventh. He certainly couldn't do any worse than he did to start the season, so maybe some time down on the farm got him refocused. J.P Howell is the only other lefty in the 'pen (I don't even count Paul Maholm, who's terrible), so Paco will definitely be used if they keep him with the big club.
* A-Gon actually went opposite field for a hit, something that a graphic on the MLB Network broadcast showed he's been doing a lot less of. I just don't understand why? Maybe it's something physical with his swing? I don't know, but it was great to see him go the other way. Considering how often he strikes out now, it's something he should try to keep doing, especially against those damn shifts.
* On a final note, if you ever want a good laugh during a frustrating Dodger performance, just go to Twitter. I had some good conversations with a couple of fellow fans, and let me tell you, I was laughing so hard at some of their comments! We could definitely feel each other's pain.
Two of the All-Star Game standouts in Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw take the hill this weekend. You know they'll do their thing. Will the offense contine to do theirs? If so, look for more 2-1, 1-0 games. Gee, I can just imagine the excitement...
The Dodgers brought more of the same on offense to the table Friday night... which is basically saying, they did a big pile of NOTHING. A two-run homer by Matt Holliday in the fifth proved to be the difference, as the Dodgers fell to the Cardinals 3-2.
The formula remained the same from a handful of games before the break against the Tigers and Padres: good-excellent starting pitching, horrible hitting.
How bad has the offense been? Here's a look at the last six games:
7/9 at Tigers: 4-for-30 (.133), 1 R, 0-for-5 w/ RISP, 4 LOB
7/10 vs. Padres: 9-for-31 (.290), 2 R, 2-for-13 w/ RISP, 7 LOB
7/11 vs. Padres: 6-for-31 (.194), 3 R, 2-for-9 w/ RISP, 9 LOB
7/12 vs. Padres: 4-for-26 (.154), 1 R, 0-for-5 w/ RISP, 7 LOB
7/13 vs. Padres: 7-for-29 (.241), 1 R, 2-for-12 w/ RISP, 7 LOB
7/18 at Cardinals: 5-for-32 (.156), 2 R, 1-for-8 w/ RISP, 8 LOB
Totals: 35-for-179 (.196), 10 R, 7-for-52 w/ RISP (.135), 42 LOB
Wow, that's bad. Really bad. What's even worse is that Dodger pitching has given up only 13 runs during that six-game span, which is a mere 2.2 runs/game. Doesn't matter, though. When you can't hit, you can only survive for so long, and that's why they're 3-3 in these games.
The "controversy" coming into last night's game was all about the recent comments from Matt Kemp and his willingness to be traded if he's not going to play everyday in center. Well, Matt, I can tell you that after watching how did you last night, you have absolutely NOTHING to complain about.
Kemp went 0-for-3 at the plate with a strikeout and walk, including a big fat K to end the third with the bases loaded. It was typical - talk a big game, but when they chance came to prove how good you think you are, you go down miserably.
Then there's his defense, which continues to be a bigger and bigger joke each game. I watched the game on MLB Network with Bob Costas and Tom Verducci (who did a very good job, by the way). During one of the breaks between innings, they cut back to the studio where I believe Darryl Hamilton gave a demonstration of just how bad Kemp has been taking angles to fly balls. Twice he was burned by the awkward routes he takes to the ball.
Ya, and he wants to play center again. Give me a freakin' break.
Kemp wasn't the only problem. Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, and Andre Ethier all had big strikeouts in key situations. It's almost as if you expect the worst in big spots, and then it happens.
A.J. Ellis was about the only one who showed up, as his RBI double and then hustle from third to score on a wild pitch in the seventh cut the deficit to 3-2. That's as close as it would get. I'm glad he did something, because I can't recall the last time he made any noise at the plate considering he's hitting .215.
Other thoughts from the game:
* Dan Haren didn't look so hot in the first, rebounded a bit, but couldn't overcome Holliday's homer. He only lasted 4 2/3 innings for eight hits, three runs, two walks, and four strikeouts. He's clearly the odd man out at this point if Ned Colletti brings in another starter. I don't see any hitters being fearful of him.
* Good to see Paco Rodriguez make his return, as he pitched a scoreless seventh. He certainly couldn't do any worse than he did to start the season, so maybe some time down on the farm got him refocused. J.P Howell is the only other lefty in the 'pen (I don't even count Paul Maholm, who's terrible), so Paco will definitely be used if they keep him with the big club.
* A-Gon actually went opposite field for a hit, something that a graphic on the MLB Network broadcast showed he's been doing a lot less of. I just don't understand why? Maybe it's something physical with his swing? I don't know, but it was great to see him go the other way. Considering how often he strikes out now, it's something he should try to keep doing, especially against those damn shifts.
* On a final note, if you ever want a good laugh during a frustrating Dodger performance, just go to Twitter. I had some good conversations with a couple of fellow fans, and let me tell you, I was laughing so hard at some of their comments! We could definitely feel each other's pain.
Two of the All-Star Game standouts in Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw take the hill this weekend. You know they'll do their thing. Will the offense contine to do theirs? If so, look for more 2-1, 1-0 games. Gee, I can just imagine the excitement...
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Mistakes galore crush the Dodgers
One night after making every play possible to eek out a 1-0 win, the Dodgers went completely the other way on Friday night in a 3-1 loss to the Cardinals. They ran into outs on the bases, messed up a deep fly ball to center, and got very frustrated with the home plate umpire.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, used some great defense to capitalize on the Dodgers' mistakes. John Jay made a magnificent diving catch in dead center, taking away a sure RBI from Juan Uribe in the sixth.
I tweeted this during the game, but I really believe the Dodgers were lucky to be down just two after the gaffes they made. Here's a look at what went wrong:
1) After the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the second, Miguel Rojas got thrown out at home trying to score on a passed ball. There were runners on second and third with one out, and Carlos Martinez's pitch skipped away from Yadier Molina. Rojas waited a second, and that's all the terrific Molina needed to flip the ball to Martinez covering the plate for the out. That play was big, because instead of Yasiel Puig getting an RBI groundout right after, it was the final out of the inning.
2) A.J. Ellis lined a single to right in the fourth in which Allen Craig slid near the wall to cut off. Ellis, not exactly the fasted guy in the stadium, tried to stretch it to second anyway. He was nailed.
3) The biggest blow came in the fifth, as two runners were on for the Cardinals with one out. To back up a second, Andre Ethier was given a night off after he kept fouling pitches off his right leg the night before. That meant Scott Van Slyke started in center. Sure enough, Jhonny Peralta hit a fly ball to right center that should've been caught. For whatever reason, Van Slyke pulled up short, looked at Puig, then looked at the ball landing for a two-run double. No doubt, it should've been caught, and that was the hit that the Cardinals needed to win.
4) Matt Kemp was nailed trying to swipe second to end the sixth. Apparently he's never heard of Molina's record for throwing out pretty much everyone and their mothers.
I'm not even mentioning the two double plays they grounded into, as Adrian Gonzalez killed a rally to end the fifth, and Ellis finished the game with another. Plus, Uribe flew out with the bases loaded to end the first.
I think you get the point that the Dodgers had any number of chances to get this win, but didn't. You simply cannot make that many mistakes against a good ball club like the Cardinals and expect to win. They made all the big plays on Thursday, but not Friday. I guess it's no surprise they've split the first couple.
Other thoughts from the game:
* One guy who played very well was Dee Gordon, going 3-for-4 with an RBI single. He would've had a stolen base off the great Molina in the fifth, but it was also ball four to Puig. I was thinking during the game just how little Gordon was used in last year's postseason, but he's a legit main guy now. Good for him.
* A-Gon had a good night with the glove, as he made a slick play getting a forceout at second off of a bunt. But, his bat continues to let him down. He's down to .251, as he's only hitting .198 in June. Maybe we'll start to see Van Slyke and even Clint Robinson get some starts? I wouldn't be opposed to it.
* Ryu deserved better fate, but that miscommunication by Van Slyke and Puig made his numbers look a little worse. He finished with seven innings, nine hits, three runs, one walk, and seven strikeouts. The good news was that I didn't think he had his best stuff at times, but still went deep. This was the first time he's lasted at least seven innings in six starts, so that's a good sign.
* I think we all still don't appreciate just how good Uribe is at third. He's got a quick glove and gun from the hot corner, and does it with ease. I felt like he got robbed from a Gold Glove last year, and now he's trying to show everyone why.
* Van Slyke would like to forget this night. He messed up the fly ball from Peralta, then got tossed later in the game arguing a called strike three between innings. Not his finest night.
Even with the loss, the Dodgers have to feel good about their chances to grab both weekend games, as they have Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw all lined up. The Cardinals send Lance Lynn and Shelby Miller to the bump, and they're no slouches themselves. Add it all up, and it'll be two close games again.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, used some great defense to capitalize on the Dodgers' mistakes. John Jay made a magnificent diving catch in dead center, taking away a sure RBI from Juan Uribe in the sixth.
I tweeted this during the game, but I really believe the Dodgers were lucky to be down just two after the gaffes they made. Here's a look at what went wrong:
1) After the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the second, Miguel Rojas got thrown out at home trying to score on a passed ball. There were runners on second and third with one out, and Carlos Martinez's pitch skipped away from Yadier Molina. Rojas waited a second, and that's all the terrific Molina needed to flip the ball to Martinez covering the plate for the out. That play was big, because instead of Yasiel Puig getting an RBI groundout right after, it was the final out of the inning.
2) A.J. Ellis lined a single to right in the fourth in which Allen Craig slid near the wall to cut off. Ellis, not exactly the fasted guy in the stadium, tried to stretch it to second anyway. He was nailed.
3) The biggest blow came in the fifth, as two runners were on for the Cardinals with one out. To back up a second, Andre Ethier was given a night off after he kept fouling pitches off his right leg the night before. That meant Scott Van Slyke started in center. Sure enough, Jhonny Peralta hit a fly ball to right center that should've been caught. For whatever reason, Van Slyke pulled up short, looked at Puig, then looked at the ball landing for a two-run double. No doubt, it should've been caught, and that was the hit that the Cardinals needed to win.
4) Matt Kemp was nailed trying to swipe second to end the sixth. Apparently he's never heard of Molina's record for throwing out pretty much everyone and their mothers.
I'm not even mentioning the two double plays they grounded into, as Adrian Gonzalez killed a rally to end the fifth, and Ellis finished the game with another. Plus, Uribe flew out with the bases loaded to end the first.
I think you get the point that the Dodgers had any number of chances to get this win, but didn't. You simply cannot make that many mistakes against a good ball club like the Cardinals and expect to win. They made all the big plays on Thursday, but not Friday. I guess it's no surprise they've split the first couple.
Other thoughts from the game:
* One guy who played very well was Dee Gordon, going 3-for-4 with an RBI single. He would've had a stolen base off the great Molina in the fifth, but it was also ball four to Puig. I was thinking during the game just how little Gordon was used in last year's postseason, but he's a legit main guy now. Good for him.
* A-Gon had a good night with the glove, as he made a slick play getting a forceout at second off of a bunt. But, his bat continues to let him down. He's down to .251, as he's only hitting .198 in June. Maybe we'll start to see Van Slyke and even Clint Robinson get some starts? I wouldn't be opposed to it.
* Ryu deserved better fate, but that miscommunication by Van Slyke and Puig made his numbers look a little worse. He finished with seven innings, nine hits, three runs, one walk, and seven strikeouts. The good news was that I didn't think he had his best stuff at times, but still went deep. This was the first time he's lasted at least seven innings in six starts, so that's a good sign.
* I think we all still don't appreciate just how good Uribe is at third. He's got a quick glove and gun from the hot corner, and does it with ease. I felt like he got robbed from a Gold Glove last year, and now he's trying to show everyone why.
* Van Slyke would like to forget this night. He messed up the fly ball from Peralta, then got tossed later in the game arguing a called strike three between innings. Not his finest night.
Even with the loss, the Dodgers have to feel good about their chances to grab both weekend games, as they have Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw all lined up. The Cardinals send Lance Lynn and Shelby Miller to the bump, and they're no slouches themselves. Add it all up, and it'll be two close games again.
Friday, June 27, 2014
NLCS preview? Sure looked that way Thursday night
The Dodgers and Cardinals put on quite the show Thursday night in Dodger Stadium, and only needed one run to do so. A pinch-hit RBI single by Justin Turner in the eighth was the difference in the Dodgers' 1-0 victory.
As I watched Josh Beckett and Adam Wainwright battle, there's one thought that kept going through my mind: both teams are primed for an NLCS rematch.
Neither team is leading their division right now, as the Dodgers are two back of the Giants, and the Cardinals 5 1/2 of the Brewers. But that doesn't stop me from picking both of them to eventually take over the NL West and Central, respectively. The old saying of "The cream always rises to the top" definitely applies here.
There's a lot to like about both teams. I'll start with the Dodgers since they're obviously my favorite, as I've written about them on this blog for the past seven seasons. They have four legit aces in their rotation. Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke are #1's anywhere, and Beckett and Hyun-Jin Ryu could be on many other teams.
They have a superstar in Yasiel Puig, who's the definition of a five-tool player. They have a closer in Kenley Jansen who is as nasty as there is in the game, at least when his mechanics are on. They also have tons of cash to go get who they want, when they want.
The Cardinals apply "The Cardinal Way" to win every year. They have an ace in Wainwright to go along with young stud arms in Michael Wacha, Lance Lynn, and Shelby Miller. They have a flamethrowing closer with 23 saves in Trevor Rosenthal. They have the best catcher in baseball, Yadier Molina. They also have three good Matts in Holliday, Carpenter, and Adams. Allen Craig is also pretty darn good.
So ya, both teams can play. That's why I was extra thrilled to see the Dodgers make the big plays to beat them on Thursday.
The night before, the Dodgers were in Kansas City, winning a 5-4 nailbiter in which Scott Van Slyke's snared a liner and flipped to second for the game ending DP. It would have been easy to come home and lay an egg against an excellent pitcher like Wainwright the next night.
Well, they were getting no-hit entering the sixth, so it's not like the offense did all sorts of damage. It took until the eighth for them to score, as Juan Uribe's leadoff single eventually scored the winning run.
What the offense can do is thank Beckett for being so good yet again. They can also thank their own defense for keeping the Cardinals off the board.
First, let's look at Beckett. He was simply sensational in tossing seven shutout innings, giving up four hits, walking two, and striking out four. His ERA is down to 2.11, tied with Masahiro Tanaka for third in baseball. He's a shoe-in for the All-Star Game now, and is officially all the way back from last year's arm problems. What a job he has done.
The defense did the job as well. Miguel Rojas turned a double play in the first, erasing Carpenter's leadoff single. Then Matt Kemp flashed back to a few years ago by gunning down Allen Craig at the plate for the third out in the seventh. Not even a challenge by Mike Matheny could change the call, as Kemp and Drew Butera did a great job in keeping the game scoreless.
If the Dodgers keep making big plays like that, then they should feel very good about the next three games. Let's not forget that even with Ryu, Greinke, and Kershaw all lined up to go, the Cardinals won't give anything away and will be tough to beat no matter what.
Whether you're a Dodger or Cardinal fan, or just a baseball fan in general, these next three games will be great to watch. Sit back and enjoy, because they'll probably do it all over again in October. Hopefully with LA getting the home field advantage this time, of course.
As I watched Josh Beckett and Adam Wainwright battle, there's one thought that kept going through my mind: both teams are primed for an NLCS rematch.
Neither team is leading their division right now, as the Dodgers are two back of the Giants, and the Cardinals 5 1/2 of the Brewers. But that doesn't stop me from picking both of them to eventually take over the NL West and Central, respectively. The old saying of "The cream always rises to the top" definitely applies here.
There's a lot to like about both teams. I'll start with the Dodgers since they're obviously my favorite, as I've written about them on this blog for the past seven seasons. They have four legit aces in their rotation. Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke are #1's anywhere, and Beckett and Hyun-Jin Ryu could be on many other teams.
They have a superstar in Yasiel Puig, who's the definition of a five-tool player. They have a closer in Kenley Jansen who is as nasty as there is in the game, at least when his mechanics are on. They also have tons of cash to go get who they want, when they want.
The Cardinals apply "The Cardinal Way" to win every year. They have an ace in Wainwright to go along with young stud arms in Michael Wacha, Lance Lynn, and Shelby Miller. They have a flamethrowing closer with 23 saves in Trevor Rosenthal. They have the best catcher in baseball, Yadier Molina. They also have three good Matts in Holliday, Carpenter, and Adams. Allen Craig is also pretty darn good.
So ya, both teams can play. That's why I was extra thrilled to see the Dodgers make the big plays to beat them on Thursday.
The night before, the Dodgers were in Kansas City, winning a 5-4 nailbiter in which Scott Van Slyke's snared a liner and flipped to second for the game ending DP. It would have been easy to come home and lay an egg against an excellent pitcher like Wainwright the next night.
Well, they were getting no-hit entering the sixth, so it's not like the offense did all sorts of damage. It took until the eighth for them to score, as Juan Uribe's leadoff single eventually scored the winning run.
What the offense can do is thank Beckett for being so good yet again. They can also thank their own defense for keeping the Cardinals off the board.
First, let's look at Beckett. He was simply sensational in tossing seven shutout innings, giving up four hits, walking two, and striking out four. His ERA is down to 2.11, tied with Masahiro Tanaka for third in baseball. He's a shoe-in for the All-Star Game now, and is officially all the way back from last year's arm problems. What a job he has done.
The defense did the job as well. Miguel Rojas turned a double play in the first, erasing Carpenter's leadoff single. Then Matt Kemp flashed back to a few years ago by gunning down Allen Craig at the plate for the third out in the seventh. Not even a challenge by Mike Matheny could change the call, as Kemp and Drew Butera did a great job in keeping the game scoreless.
If the Dodgers keep making big plays like that, then they should feel very good about the next three games. Let's not forget that even with Ryu, Greinke, and Kershaw all lined up to go, the Cardinals won't give anything away and will be tough to beat no matter what.
Whether you're a Dodger or Cardinal fan, or just a baseball fan in general, these next three games will be great to watch. Sit back and enjoy, because they'll probably do it all over again in October. Hopefully with LA getting the home field advantage this time, of course.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
With Ellis gone, Dodgers' bench looks depleted
Yesterday the Dodgers decided to bring back Juan Uribe on a two-year, $15 million deal to remain the starting third baseman. Today, their bench took a hit when Mark Ellis decided to sign with the Cardinals.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Ellis will ink a one-year deal with St. Louis, pending a physical. It's not too surprising that Ellis is gone considering the Dodgers declined his option after signing Alexander Guerrero to a four-year deal, but there was still some talk of keep him aboard as insurance. Now, he becomes insurance for talented youngster Kolten Wong.
Now that Ellis has moved on, the Dodgers' bench suddenly looks pretty bare. The following have packed their bags for elsewhere this offsesason: Nick Punto (A's), Skip Schumaker (Reds), Jerry Hairston (retired), and now Ellis. Not exactly the most productive players at the plate, but versatile guys who filled in at multiple positions. And with an injury-prone team like the Dodgers, little things like bench depth becomes that much more important.
The question now is what the Dodgers will do with their bench for 2014. Some in-house candidates include Tim Federowicz, Dee Gordon, Scott Van Slyke, and Elian Herrera. All four have big league experience, albeit with not very good results. Other candidates could be Nick Buss, Drew Butera, and Justin Sellers.
All of these guys are decent, but certainly not the greatest options to fill in when called upon. Ned Colletti made it a point after the Dodgers were eliminated by the Cardinals in the NLCS that he wants to get younger on the bench. With that in mind, it's not surprising that he let some of the old boys go.
Who's out there that the Dodgers can sign for their bench? Just to throw some names out there, there's Mark Reynolds, Casey McGehee, Jayson Nix, Roger Bernadina, and Chris Coghlan, to name a few. There's always the trade option, and if Colletti really is serious about moving one of his outfielders, you can guess he'll want some depth in return for salary relief.
I'll miss Ellis, as I always appreciated how hard he played no matter how banged up he was. It's obvious he's not scaring anyone at the plate anymore, but his defense earned him a final nod for Gold Glove this year, something I'm not sure many people realized. He probably felt like the Dodgers didn't find him very useful anymore, so I can't blame him for leaving.
I can see Colletti either relying on some of the youngsters to step up and fill roles, or blow the thing up completely and sign a few new guys. Depth on the bench and in the bullpen are his biggest priorities as January starts to roll around. Let's see what kinds of moves he makes.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Ellis will ink a one-year deal with St. Louis, pending a physical. It's not too surprising that Ellis is gone considering the Dodgers declined his option after signing Alexander Guerrero to a four-year deal, but there was still some talk of keep him aboard as insurance. Now, he becomes insurance for talented youngster Kolten Wong.
Now that Ellis has moved on, the Dodgers' bench suddenly looks pretty bare. The following have packed their bags for elsewhere this offsesason: Nick Punto (A's), Skip Schumaker (Reds), Jerry Hairston (retired), and now Ellis. Not exactly the most productive players at the plate, but versatile guys who filled in at multiple positions. And with an injury-prone team like the Dodgers, little things like bench depth becomes that much more important.
The question now is what the Dodgers will do with their bench for 2014. Some in-house candidates include Tim Federowicz, Dee Gordon, Scott Van Slyke, and Elian Herrera. All four have big league experience, albeit with not very good results. Other candidates could be Nick Buss, Drew Butera, and Justin Sellers.
All of these guys are decent, but certainly not the greatest options to fill in when called upon. Ned Colletti made it a point after the Dodgers were eliminated by the Cardinals in the NLCS that he wants to get younger on the bench. With that in mind, it's not surprising that he let some of the old boys go.
Who's out there that the Dodgers can sign for their bench? Just to throw some names out there, there's Mark Reynolds, Casey McGehee, Jayson Nix, Roger Bernadina, and Chris Coghlan, to name a few. There's always the trade option, and if Colletti really is serious about moving one of his outfielders, you can guess he'll want some depth in return for salary relief.
I'll miss Ellis, as I always appreciated how hard he played no matter how banged up he was. It's obvious he's not scaring anyone at the plate anymore, but his defense earned him a final nod for Gold Glove this year, something I'm not sure many people realized. He probably felt like the Dodgers didn't find him very useful anymore, so I can't blame him for leaving.
I can see Colletti either relying on some of the youngsters to step up and fill roles, or blow the thing up completely and sign a few new guys. Depth on the bench and in the bullpen are his biggest priorities as January starts to roll around. Let's see what kinds of moves he makes.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Dodgers rocked, season ends in blowout Game 6 loss
Clayton Kershaw on the mound. Hanley Ramirez a late addition to the lineup. Some momentum after winning Game 5 with four home runs a couple of days before.
None of it mattered.
The Cardinals scored four in the third and five in the fifth, and the Dodgers had two hits the entire game in getting absolutely creamed, 9-0. That's it for this season, as the Dodgers deepest run since 1988 ended with a 4-2 series loss.
A sign of bad things to come happened in the first. Carl Crawford legged out an infield single to short, but was quickly erased on a double play ball from Mark Ellis, who was pretty bad all around in this one. Kershaw gave up a one-out double to Carlos Beltran, but nothing came of it.
Kershaw again wiggled out of trouble in the second when Shane Robinson hit a two-out single, then went ahead to third on two straight wild pitches. Again, Kershaw got out of trouble by striking out Peter Kozma.
The third inning? No such luck. The season was essentially lost here, as the Cardinals sent 10 batters to the plate, a completely shocking sight against someone of Kershaw's caliber. A double by Matt Carpenter with two outs led to an RBI single from Beltran for the 1-0 lead.
What's probably forgotten is that Matt Holliday struck out to make two down. Six batters came to the plate afterwards, as Yadier Molina started it on an RBI single up the middle. Kershaw didn't get the outside corner on a full count to Matt Adams, as home plate umpire Greg Gibson was squeezing him for whatever reason. Oh, I know the reason... the game was in St. Louis. Robinson's two-run single with the bases loaded made it 4-0.
Chances were slim, but at least Crawford led off the fourth with a walk against the red hot Michael Wacha. Three straight popups came next, as the bats were just pitiful all night long.
In the fifth, Kershaw was KO'd. An RBI double from Adams is what finally did him in. Ronald Belisario came in, and with the bases loaded, Wacha's grounder to Ellis at second was inexplicably thrown home late, making it 6-0.
A sacrifice fly from Carpenter, a wild pitch by J.P. Howell, and a single by Beltran scored the other runs, as the Cardinals completely ran away with this one at 9-0.
The last hit of the game for the Dodgers came in the sixth, as A.J. Ellis doubled leading off. Shocker of shocks, he was stranded right there.
It's a shame this game turned out to be such a trainwreck, as it was obviously not a reflection for the type of season the Dodgers put together. They came such a long way from being in last place in June, had the 42-8 run, won the NL West, beat the Braves in the NLDS, then couldn't come through when most needed in the NLCS.
As you can see, there were many positives, but Game 6 was anything but that. Kershaw lasted only four innings for 10 hits, seven runs, two walks, and five strikeouts. He couldn't locate his fastball well, and they took advantage of it. What also didn't help was a small strike zone by Gibson, and even though that ultimately didn't matter because of the offense, it still affected him enough to throw him off his game. And that's the truth.
Two things that I knew had to happen if the Dodgers wanted to win coming into this game: the offense had to give some support, and Beltran couldn't do the damage. Um... no check and no check. Adrian Gonzalez, Ramirez, Andre Ethier, Yasiel Puig, and Juan Uribe combined to go 0-for-15 hitting in the 3-7 spots. Wow, I knew they were bad during the game, but it didn't hit me just how bad until I just looked at the box score.
A lot of Cardinals did damage, but it started with Beltran. He went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. That's something I'll never understand about this series, the way the Dodgers stubbornly gave him pitches to hit, and he certainly did. He's so good in the postseason, yet in the first and last game, he was so big in leading his team to wins. I'm still shaking my head.
Now the offseason is upon us, and with that, some question marks that come with it. Will Don Mattingly be brought back? Will Kershaw sign a massive extension? Will the front office bring in another star like Robinson Cano? Will recovering arms like Chad Billingsley and Josh Beckett be ready to go for next year? We will soon find out.
***
On a personal note, this has been my sixth year covering the action day in and day out on this blog. This season has been the most fun, and craziest for that matter, and I've enjoyed every second of it. Stay tuned for a season review, plus for all the news that comes in the Hot Stove season. Thanks again!
None of it mattered.
The Cardinals scored four in the third and five in the fifth, and the Dodgers had two hits the entire game in getting absolutely creamed, 9-0. That's it for this season, as the Dodgers deepest run since 1988 ended with a 4-2 series loss.
A sign of bad things to come happened in the first. Carl Crawford legged out an infield single to short, but was quickly erased on a double play ball from Mark Ellis, who was pretty bad all around in this one. Kershaw gave up a one-out double to Carlos Beltran, but nothing came of it.
Kershaw again wiggled out of trouble in the second when Shane Robinson hit a two-out single, then went ahead to third on two straight wild pitches. Again, Kershaw got out of trouble by striking out Peter Kozma.
The third inning? No such luck. The season was essentially lost here, as the Cardinals sent 10 batters to the plate, a completely shocking sight against someone of Kershaw's caliber. A double by Matt Carpenter with two outs led to an RBI single from Beltran for the 1-0 lead.
What's probably forgotten is that Matt Holliday struck out to make two down. Six batters came to the plate afterwards, as Yadier Molina started it on an RBI single up the middle. Kershaw didn't get the outside corner on a full count to Matt Adams, as home plate umpire Greg Gibson was squeezing him for whatever reason. Oh, I know the reason... the game was in St. Louis. Robinson's two-run single with the bases loaded made it 4-0.
Chances were slim, but at least Crawford led off the fourth with a walk against the red hot Michael Wacha. Three straight popups came next, as the bats were just pitiful all night long.
In the fifth, Kershaw was KO'd. An RBI double from Adams is what finally did him in. Ronald Belisario came in, and with the bases loaded, Wacha's grounder to Ellis at second was inexplicably thrown home late, making it 6-0.
A sacrifice fly from Carpenter, a wild pitch by J.P. Howell, and a single by Beltran scored the other runs, as the Cardinals completely ran away with this one at 9-0.
The last hit of the game for the Dodgers came in the sixth, as A.J. Ellis doubled leading off. Shocker of shocks, he was stranded right there.
It's a shame this game turned out to be such a trainwreck, as it was obviously not a reflection for the type of season the Dodgers put together. They came such a long way from being in last place in June, had the 42-8 run, won the NL West, beat the Braves in the NLDS, then couldn't come through when most needed in the NLCS.
As you can see, there were many positives, but Game 6 was anything but that. Kershaw lasted only four innings for 10 hits, seven runs, two walks, and five strikeouts. He couldn't locate his fastball well, and they took advantage of it. What also didn't help was a small strike zone by Gibson, and even though that ultimately didn't matter because of the offense, it still affected him enough to throw him off his game. And that's the truth.
Two things that I knew had to happen if the Dodgers wanted to win coming into this game: the offense had to give some support, and Beltran couldn't do the damage. Um... no check and no check. Adrian Gonzalez, Ramirez, Andre Ethier, Yasiel Puig, and Juan Uribe combined to go 0-for-15 hitting in the 3-7 spots. Wow, I knew they were bad during the game, but it didn't hit me just how bad until I just looked at the box score.
A lot of Cardinals did damage, but it started with Beltran. He went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. That's something I'll never understand about this series, the way the Dodgers stubbornly gave him pitches to hit, and he certainly did. He's so good in the postseason, yet in the first and last game, he was so big in leading his team to wins. I'm still shaking my head.
Now the offseason is upon us, and with that, some question marks that come with it. Will Don Mattingly be brought back? Will Kershaw sign a massive extension? Will the front office bring in another star like Robinson Cano? Will recovering arms like Chad Billingsley and Josh Beckett be ready to go for next year? We will soon find out.
***
On a personal note, this has been my sixth year covering the action day in and day out on this blog. This season has been the most fun, and craziest for that matter, and I've enjoyed every second of it. Stay tuned for a season review, plus for all the news that comes in the Hot Stove season. Thanks again!
Friday, October 18, 2013
To win in St. Louis, Dodgers can't mess with Beltran
As we near the finish line in the NLCS, the Dodgers face a tall task in winning two straight in St. Louis. The first two games saw Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw pitch... and two straight loses. So, it's obviously not an easy thing to do.
What the Dodgers did do right, however, was win two of three at home, so here we are back in Missouri for Game 6. Kershaw takes the mound on Friday, and if all goes right, Hyun-Jin Ryu in Game 7.
How can the Dodgers pull this thing off? One thing if very clear: don't let Carlos Beltran do the damage.
Here's what people probably don't realize: Beltran is hitting only .200 this postseason, and a measly .176 against the Dodgers. So, he's basically been held in check.
But, it's hard to forget the Dodgers stubbornly pitching to him with bases open in Game 1. With two on and two out in third, he hit a two-run double off of Greinke. In the 13th with two on and one down, Kenley Jansen pitched to him and watched the game end on a single. Three RBIs for Beltran, 3-2 win for the Cardinals. Not exactly the smartest night in Dodger organizational history.
Since then he's only had one hit, an RBI triple in Game 5. What the Dodgers have smartly done is walk him instead of challenge him, with five in total. I don't care how good of a pitching staff they have, this guy is one of the best hitters in postseason history, and shouldn't be messed with.
With that in mind, Kershaw would be wise tonight to pick and choose his battles. If the bases are empty, go after him (at least somewhat). If runners are on and a base is open, don't give him anything to hit. There's no reason to risk leaving something over the plate to hammer, because he will. He's that good.
When the NLCS is all over with, win or lose, the Dodgers need to make sure they had the best gameplan they could to win. Pitching to a guy who's capable of carrying a team himself is not the way to get it done. Making the other guys around him get the big hits is.
What the Dodgers did do right, however, was win two of three at home, so here we are back in Missouri for Game 6. Kershaw takes the mound on Friday, and if all goes right, Hyun-Jin Ryu in Game 7.
How can the Dodgers pull this thing off? One thing if very clear: don't let Carlos Beltran do the damage.
Here's what people probably don't realize: Beltran is hitting only .200 this postseason, and a measly .176 against the Dodgers. So, he's basically been held in check.
But, it's hard to forget the Dodgers stubbornly pitching to him with bases open in Game 1. With two on and two out in third, he hit a two-run double off of Greinke. In the 13th with two on and one down, Kenley Jansen pitched to him and watched the game end on a single. Three RBIs for Beltran, 3-2 win for the Cardinals. Not exactly the smartest night in Dodger organizational history.
Since then he's only had one hit, an RBI triple in Game 5. What the Dodgers have smartly done is walk him instead of challenge him, with five in total. I don't care how good of a pitching staff they have, this guy is one of the best hitters in postseason history, and shouldn't be messed with.
With that in mind, Kershaw would be wise tonight to pick and choose his battles. If the bases are empty, go after him (at least somewhat). If runners are on and a base is open, don't give him anything to hit. There's no reason to risk leaving something over the plate to hammer, because he will. He's that good.
When the NLCS is all over with, win or lose, the Dodgers need to make sure they had the best gameplan they could to win. Pitching to a guy who's capable of carrying a team himself is not the way to get it done. Making the other guys around him get the big hits is.
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