I wouldn't want to be around Don Mattingly right now.
Not even two weeks after Andrew Friedman left the Rays to join the Dodgers as president of baseball operations, Joe Maddon pulled a stunner by opting out of his deal today, ending his nine-year tenure in Tampa Bay.
And just like that, it looks as if another East Coast shakeup is directly impacting a West Coast club.
I'll give Friedman credit for immediately coming out and saying that Mattingly will still be the manager of the Dodgers in 2015. Part of his statement alluded to the fact that he hopes Mattingly will be the manager next season and "for a long time to come."
But then again, Maddon said all of a week ago how much he loves being in Tampa. So go figure.
I'm not saying that I think Maddon will be LA bound, because early speculation has him possibly going to the Cubs. I am saying that if I'm Mattingly, I have to deal with yet another distraction in a short managerial career that has been one distraction after another. And I'm not too happy about it.
And yet again, no matter what Friedman might claim, you can't help but think there's been some discussion in Friedman's inner circle about what it would take to get Maddon to the Dodgers. It could all by hypothetical, it possibly wasn't even a serious discussion, but there's no denying that there has to have been at least SOME sort of talk.
Obviously, the three-year extension Mattingly inked after last season has turned out to be his saving grace. Even in a money rich place like LA, I'm not sure they'd be willing to eat yet another contract. You would think they have to draw the line somewhere.
Besides, Mattingly did lead the Dodgers to the playoffs the last couple of seasons, something that is much harder to do than people realize. Winning back-to-back division titles in any sport is tough, but especially in baseball.
Yes, I realize his handling of the bullpen in the NLDS left something to be desired, and sitting Yasiel Puig in the finale against the Cardinals didn't turn out to be a smart move. But nobody could've won with the bums in this 'pen, and Puig looked completely lost. In other words, I'm fairly certainly plenty of other managers would've met the same fate.
We'll see how this plays out in the upcoming weeks. Perhaps the lure of flashy Los Angeles will be too much to pass up for Maddon, and he'll quietly lobby for the job, leading to Mattingly's demise. Perhaps nothing comes of it at all, and Mattingly is back.
Either way, I'm guessing we haven't heard the last of this. These are the Dodgers, so that's a pretty safe bet.
Showing posts with label Rays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rays. Show all posts
Friday, October 24, 2014
Monday, August 12, 2013
Sizzlin' Dodgers sweep away the Rays
The possible World Series preview was a completely one-sided affair, as Clayton Kershaw led the Dodgers to an 8-2 win and a three-game sweep of the Rays. The win, coupled with another loss by the Diamondbacks to the Mets, increased the lead in the NL West to 7 1/2 games.
We all know how fantastic Kershaw is, but coming into this game with a 10-7 record, it was obvious that his offense doesn't always back him up. The Dodgers made sure to change that tune on Sunday Night Baseball.
In the second, Andre Ethier and A.J. Ellis each led off with singles. Juan Uribe tried to bunt his way on and narrowly missed, but both runners did advance. After a strikeout by Dee Gordon (who was abysmal this game - more on that in a bit), Kershaw stroked a two-run single to right to make it 2-0.
Carl Crawford kept the inning going with a single, and Mark Ellis started his big night with an RBI double for the 3-0 advantage.
Another run was added in the fourth, and it all started on a leadoff double from Yasiel Puig. Two sacrifice flies by Ethier and Ellis later, it was 4-0.
After Kershaw struck out a couple in the fourth, the Dodgers again scored in the bottom half. Jeremy Hellickson was already in the showers as Alex Torres took the mound, and Gordon had his only good play of the night with a bunt single leading off. An out later, Crawford took a walk, and then with two outs, Adrian Gonzalez smashed a two-run double to center to make it 6-0.
When the fifth started, Kershaw had yet to allow a hit, but Yunel Escobar changed that with a leadoff single, and then advanced to second when Crawford misplayed the ball in left. Kershaw got the next two hitters grounding out, but Sam Fuld's RBI triple into right just eluded a diving Puig, and it was 6-1.
The last big blow of the game came from Mark Ellis, who crushed a two-run homer to left in the sixth to make it 8-1. This game continued his impressive hitting since the All-Star break, as his average has risen from .255 to .280. That, in addition to his always stellar defensive, shows just how valuable he is to this team.
The only real trouble Kershaw had on the night came when the Rays loaded the bases with nobody out in the eighth. Jose Lobaton walked, James Loney pinch-hit and singled, and Jason Bourgeois reached on ANOTHER error from Gordan. Kershaw then struck out Sean Rodriguez looking, got Wil Myers to hit a sac-fly RBI to deep left, and induced a grounder by Evan Longoria to force Loney at third.
Carlos Marmol got the Rays in order to finish off the sweep.
One day after Zack Greinke shut down the Rays' offense, Kershaw picked up right where he left off. Despite some absolutely atrocious defense from Gordon, he went eight innings for three hits, two runs (one earned), two walks, and eight strikeouts. He was so dominant he actually lowered his ERA to 1.88, by far the best in baseball.
Then there was the offense, which got production all up and down the lineup as every starter got a hit. In addition to the big day by Ellis, Crawford had two more hits, raising his average over the last 10 games from .278 to .296, safely hitting in eight of those. Puig took another walk and hit a double. A.J. Ellis had two hits and a sac-fly. All in all, it was another hugely successful day from the big bats and role players.
Then there's the story of Gordon, who had two hits. That was about all he did, as he looked awful in the field with three errors on two bad throws and a bobble. Heck, he was downright embarrassing at times. He has the speed, and looks like he has a pretty strong arm, but unfortunately looks to be nothing more than a good Triple-A player. Hanley Ramirez says he'll be back as early as Monday night, so Gordon's time at short may already be up. Good riddance.
The dominating win on Sunday ended the recent seven-game stretch over the Cardinals and Rays at 6-1. Those are two legit playoff teams, so it's a fantastic record. Even better? The next several series during August are against the Mets, Phillies, Marlins, Red Sox, Cubs, and Padres. With the exception of the Red Sox (who do have to come to Dodger Stadium for three), this schedule looks more than favorable.
So, while this run is extremely hard to keep up (20-3 since the break, 37-8 in the last 45), it's not against thinking that they'll at least continue to win a lot and keep up the lead in the NL West, if not increase it. The month of September is all division play, save for a three-game series against the Reds, so getting a comfortable lead in the division is important.
Next up is three games against the Mets, who are missing David Wright, yet played very well against the DBacks and have Matt Harvey going on Tuesday. On Monday, it will be Ricky Nolasco looking to give the Dodgers six straight wins.
We all know how fantastic Kershaw is, but coming into this game with a 10-7 record, it was obvious that his offense doesn't always back him up. The Dodgers made sure to change that tune on Sunday Night Baseball.
In the second, Andre Ethier and A.J. Ellis each led off with singles. Juan Uribe tried to bunt his way on and narrowly missed, but both runners did advance. After a strikeout by Dee Gordon (who was abysmal this game - more on that in a bit), Kershaw stroked a two-run single to right to make it 2-0.
Carl Crawford kept the inning going with a single, and Mark Ellis started his big night with an RBI double for the 3-0 advantage.
Another run was added in the fourth, and it all started on a leadoff double from Yasiel Puig. Two sacrifice flies by Ethier and Ellis later, it was 4-0.
After Kershaw struck out a couple in the fourth, the Dodgers again scored in the bottom half. Jeremy Hellickson was already in the showers as Alex Torres took the mound, and Gordon had his only good play of the night with a bunt single leading off. An out later, Crawford took a walk, and then with two outs, Adrian Gonzalez smashed a two-run double to center to make it 6-0.
When the fifth started, Kershaw had yet to allow a hit, but Yunel Escobar changed that with a leadoff single, and then advanced to second when Crawford misplayed the ball in left. Kershaw got the next two hitters grounding out, but Sam Fuld's RBI triple into right just eluded a diving Puig, and it was 6-1.
The last big blow of the game came from Mark Ellis, who crushed a two-run homer to left in the sixth to make it 8-1. This game continued his impressive hitting since the All-Star break, as his average has risen from .255 to .280. That, in addition to his always stellar defensive, shows just how valuable he is to this team.
The only real trouble Kershaw had on the night came when the Rays loaded the bases with nobody out in the eighth. Jose Lobaton walked, James Loney pinch-hit and singled, and Jason Bourgeois reached on ANOTHER error from Gordan. Kershaw then struck out Sean Rodriguez looking, got Wil Myers to hit a sac-fly RBI to deep left, and induced a grounder by Evan Longoria to force Loney at third.
Carlos Marmol got the Rays in order to finish off the sweep.
One day after Zack Greinke shut down the Rays' offense, Kershaw picked up right where he left off. Despite some absolutely atrocious defense from Gordon, he went eight innings for three hits, two runs (one earned), two walks, and eight strikeouts. He was so dominant he actually lowered his ERA to 1.88, by far the best in baseball.
Then there was the offense, which got production all up and down the lineup as every starter got a hit. In addition to the big day by Ellis, Crawford had two more hits, raising his average over the last 10 games from .278 to .296, safely hitting in eight of those. Puig took another walk and hit a double. A.J. Ellis had two hits and a sac-fly. All in all, it was another hugely successful day from the big bats and role players.
Then there's the story of Gordon, who had two hits. That was about all he did, as he looked awful in the field with three errors on two bad throws and a bobble. Heck, he was downright embarrassing at times. He has the speed, and looks like he has a pretty strong arm, but unfortunately looks to be nothing more than a good Triple-A player. Hanley Ramirez says he'll be back as early as Monday night, so Gordon's time at short may already be up. Good riddance.
The dominating win on Sunday ended the recent seven-game stretch over the Cardinals and Rays at 6-1. Those are two legit playoff teams, so it's a fantastic record. Even better? The next several series during August are against the Mets, Phillies, Marlins, Red Sox, Cubs, and Padres. With the exception of the Red Sox (who do have to come to Dodger Stadium for three), this schedule looks more than favorable.
So, while this run is extremely hard to keep up (20-3 since the break, 37-8 in the last 45), it's not against thinking that they'll at least continue to win a lot and keep up the lead in the NL West, if not increase it. The month of September is all division play, save for a three-game series against the Reds, so getting a comfortable lead in the division is important.
Next up is three games against the Mets, who are missing David Wright, yet played very well against the DBacks and have Matt Harvey going on Tuesday. On Monday, it will be Ricky Nolasco looking to give the Dodgers six straight wins.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Not even the hidden ball trick can slow the Dodgers
Zack Greinke pitched strongly into the seventh inning, Adrian Gonzalez smacked a two-run homer in the first, and the Dodgers cruised over the Rays, 5-0. The Mets beat the Diamondbacks, so the lead in the NL West continues to climb at 6 1/2 games.
Despite all of that, perhaps the most memorable moment from this game will be Juan Uribe falling for the hidden ball trick. Hey, when you're winning like the Dodgers, you can afford to have a gaffe like that and come out laughing.
Greinke worked around a double by Matt Joyce in the first to strikeout Wil Myers and Evan Longoria. In the bottom half, Nick Punto beat out an infield single to second. Gonzalez has been great for the Dodgers this year, but the days of 30-40 homers are long gone. He turned back the clock on this swing, as his two-run shot just got over the wall in right, making it 2-0.
Punto was responsible for another run in the third. Greinke already has the reputation of a good hitting pitcher, and he drew a walk leading off as Roberto Hernandez careful dealt to him. A double by Carl Crawford put runners in scoring position, and Punto's two-run single made it 4-0.
The following inning is when the Dodgers scored again, but the Rays had the last laugh. The bases became loaded on singles by Andre Ethier, Uribe, and Skip Schumaker. A.J. Ellis hit a sac-fly RBI to center to make it 5-0.
This is where the Rays pulled a fast one on Uribe. With Uribe tagging and going to third, James Loney took the cutoff on the mound and threw to Yunel Escobar at short, who tossed to Longoria at third. Uribe actually was on the bag but took one brief step off, allowing Longoria to make the tag from behind. Thankfully that play didn't matter in the end, but it's not something you see everyday, that's for sure.
Greinke got through the sixth with a couple strikeouts of Loney and Escobar, though he got a little help on those calls. He was chased in the seventh when Jose Molina singled with an out, and his pitch count over 100. J.P. Howell got his old mates out for the second straight night.
Gonzalez continued his big day by actually stealing second in the eighth. That's his first stolen base since September 19 of last season in Washington. Chris Withrow threw the final two innings perfectly to lower his ERA to 2.45.
One night after the comeback of the year, the Dodgers wasted little time in putting away the Rays. Coming into this series, the clear pitching advantage was to the Dodgers in both weekend games. Greinke didn't disappoint, lasting 6 1/3 innings for six hits, no runs, one walk, and seven strikeouts. He's now 10-3 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. Most importantly, he looks like he's getting better and better each start.
The big blow for the Dodgers came early with Gonzo's 16th homer, but let's not ignore some of the other role players. Schumaker was perfect on the day by going 4-for-4. His average is now up to .276 after being at .241 through June. Punto had two hits and two RBIs.
Uribe added two hits as well... and still fell for the hidden ball trick. Ouch.
Coming into this week, I said the Dodgers should be satisfied if they went 4-3 against the Cardinals and Rays. Here we are entering the final game, and they're at 5-1. I was trying to be somewhat realistic that the Dodgers might not be as fortunate against better competition, but it hasn't slowed them at all.
Now Clayton Kershaw is taking the mound on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, and he'll give the Dodgers a chance for a sweep of the Rays. Not only is Kershaw the clear front runner for the Cy Young, but there's been some whispers of being in the MVP race as well. It's really hard for a pitcher to win that award, but a dominating performance on the big stage will only help.
Despite all of that, perhaps the most memorable moment from this game will be Juan Uribe falling for the hidden ball trick. Hey, when you're winning like the Dodgers, you can afford to have a gaffe like that and come out laughing.
Greinke worked around a double by Matt Joyce in the first to strikeout Wil Myers and Evan Longoria. In the bottom half, Nick Punto beat out an infield single to second. Gonzalez has been great for the Dodgers this year, but the days of 30-40 homers are long gone. He turned back the clock on this swing, as his two-run shot just got over the wall in right, making it 2-0.
Punto was responsible for another run in the third. Greinke already has the reputation of a good hitting pitcher, and he drew a walk leading off as Roberto Hernandez careful dealt to him. A double by Carl Crawford put runners in scoring position, and Punto's two-run single made it 4-0.
The following inning is when the Dodgers scored again, but the Rays had the last laugh. The bases became loaded on singles by Andre Ethier, Uribe, and Skip Schumaker. A.J. Ellis hit a sac-fly RBI to center to make it 5-0.
This is where the Rays pulled a fast one on Uribe. With Uribe tagging and going to third, James Loney took the cutoff on the mound and threw to Yunel Escobar at short, who tossed to Longoria at third. Uribe actually was on the bag but took one brief step off, allowing Longoria to make the tag from behind. Thankfully that play didn't matter in the end, but it's not something you see everyday, that's for sure.
Greinke got through the sixth with a couple strikeouts of Loney and Escobar, though he got a little help on those calls. He was chased in the seventh when Jose Molina singled with an out, and his pitch count over 100. J.P. Howell got his old mates out for the second straight night.
Gonzalez continued his big day by actually stealing second in the eighth. That's his first stolen base since September 19 of last season in Washington. Chris Withrow threw the final two innings perfectly to lower his ERA to 2.45.
One night after the comeback of the year, the Dodgers wasted little time in putting away the Rays. Coming into this series, the clear pitching advantage was to the Dodgers in both weekend games. Greinke didn't disappoint, lasting 6 1/3 innings for six hits, no runs, one walk, and seven strikeouts. He's now 10-3 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. Most importantly, he looks like he's getting better and better each start.
The big blow for the Dodgers came early with Gonzo's 16th homer, but let's not ignore some of the other role players. Schumaker was perfect on the day by going 4-for-4. His average is now up to .276 after being at .241 through June. Punto had two hits and two RBIs.
Uribe added two hits as well... and still fell for the hidden ball trick. Ouch.
Coming into this week, I said the Dodgers should be satisfied if they went 4-3 against the Cardinals and Rays. Here we are entering the final game, and they're at 5-1. I was trying to be somewhat realistic that the Dodgers might not be as fortunate against better competition, but it hasn't slowed them at all.
Now Clayton Kershaw is taking the mound on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, and he'll give the Dodgers a chance for a sweep of the Rays. Not only is Kershaw the clear front runner for the Cy Young, but there's been some whispers of being in the MVP race as well. It's really hard for a pitcher to win that award, but a dominating performance on the big stage will only help.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
More Dodger magic in stunning the Rays
If you're a Los Angeles Dodger right now, you have to feel practically invincible. A dramatic comeback win when the deck was more than stacked against you on Friday night only adds to that feeling.
Despite being down by six runs much of the game, and needing to make up three runs in the ninth off of Fernando Rodney, the Dodgers got one big hit after another, and an error by Rodney brought home the winning run in an absolutely incredible win over the Rays, 7-6. The Diamondbacks had their own walk-off against the Mets, so the lead in the NL West remains 5 1/2 games.
Wow. I can't say that enough. The Dodgers really had no business winning this, and if you just saw the score and knew that David Price was pitching, you probably thought he wasn't any good. Boy would you be wrong.
Price handcuffed the Dodgers for seven innings, not allowing any earned runs on seven hits and walk, striking out four. I think it was an accomplishment that they only struck out four times, because Price's stuff is just electric. It's obvious how he won a Cy Young Award.
Pretty much forgotten in all of this was the horrendous defensive display in the second inning by the Dodgers, who looked like they mentally were still in St. Louis. Wil Myers singled to left center to start, though it should've been an easy flyout. Instead, Jerry Hairston and Yasiel Puig looked at each other and neither made a break for the ball. Nick Punto bobbled a grounder by Ben Zobrist for another error.
Next came two straight run-scoring singles by Yunel Escobar and old friend James Loney, and both times Puig needlessly threw to home despite not having a chance to get anyone, allowing the runner to get to second. There's a lot of good with Puig, but here's an example of the bad that you have to live with. All in all, it was 3-0 Rays.
The first real scoring chance for the Dodgers came in the fourth, but they ran into the final out. With Hairston on first from a fielder's choice, Juan Uribe doubled down the right field line. Tim Wallach gave Hairston the green light, and he was thrown out by about 13 miles.
Naturally, that led to three more runs from the Rays in the fifth. The bases were loaded with one out, and Zobrist hit an RBI single to make it 4-0. Chris Capuano was then chased on a two-run single from Escobar to go up 6-0, and the Rays were in full control.
The best thing the Dodgers could do was get Price out of there after the seventh. They finally scored a run that inning, with a little help from Evan Longoria's throwing error at third. That allowed Hairston to stay on second and Uribe at first. Tim Federowicz grounded into a double play, but an RBI double from Skip Schumaker made it 6-1.
The eighth is when the fun really began, as the Dodgers cut it to 6-3. Mark Ellis walked leading off, but Jake McGee got the next two outs. Josh Lueke came in to face Puig, who hit a ground rule double to right to score Ellis. After a walk to Hairston, Joel Peralta came in to face Uribe, who scored another on a single to right.
There have been many big wins since June, but the ninth inning is one that might stand out the most when the season is all said and done. Rodney came in looking for his 28th save, and instead left after getting smacked around and committing an embarrassing error. But hey, the Dodgers will take it.
Schumaker started it all with a single leading off, but Dee Gordon, the final position player left on the bench, struck out. Ellis lifted a fly ball to left just out of the reach of a diving Zobrist for an RBI triple, making it 6-4. Punto lined an RBI double to left, and things were looking serious at 6-5.
Adrian Gonzalez hadn't had a hit all night, but he changed that with a game-tying RBI double to right. Joe Madden wasn't going to mess around with Puig, so he was walked to put men on first and second with one. The strategy appeared to work as Hairston bounced one back to the mound for a would-be double play.
But then Rodney made what might be one of the worst throws to second in the history of professional baseball. The ball sailed into center, and even the snail slow Gonzalez easily scored for the win. It's safe to say Rodney will want to burn the tape of this game.
Again, wow. The Dodgers made all of the big plays when they needed to, which is something we've all gotten used to seeing, but is so hard to do. Yes, they got plenty of help on Rodney's errant throw to score that winning run, but at the very least, the game would've gone in extra-innings, so who knows what would have happened.
Capuano ended up being charged with five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings, but he was hardly at fault for that. He got practically no help from the gloves behind him. The bullpen was fantastic, and I'm not sure anyone noticed. J.P. Howell (2/3 inning), Brandon League (two innings), Carlos Marmol (one inning - though he sucked), and Ronald Belisario (one inning) combined to pitch the final 4 2/3 innings without allowing a run. They gave the Dodgers hope, and it paid off in the end.
With the first win under their belts, the Dodgers can't help but feel good about getting a sweep with Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw on the mound this weekend. The Rays are still really good, so old cliche of "one game at a time" will definitely need to be applied here. But man, with the way the Dodgers are going, it's hard not to think they can win every game.
Despite being down by six runs much of the game, and needing to make up three runs in the ninth off of Fernando Rodney, the Dodgers got one big hit after another, and an error by Rodney brought home the winning run in an absolutely incredible win over the Rays, 7-6. The Diamondbacks had their own walk-off against the Mets, so the lead in the NL West remains 5 1/2 games.
Wow. I can't say that enough. The Dodgers really had no business winning this, and if you just saw the score and knew that David Price was pitching, you probably thought he wasn't any good. Boy would you be wrong.
Price handcuffed the Dodgers for seven innings, not allowing any earned runs on seven hits and walk, striking out four. I think it was an accomplishment that they only struck out four times, because Price's stuff is just electric. It's obvious how he won a Cy Young Award.
Pretty much forgotten in all of this was the horrendous defensive display in the second inning by the Dodgers, who looked like they mentally were still in St. Louis. Wil Myers singled to left center to start, though it should've been an easy flyout. Instead, Jerry Hairston and Yasiel Puig looked at each other and neither made a break for the ball. Nick Punto bobbled a grounder by Ben Zobrist for another error.
Next came two straight run-scoring singles by Yunel Escobar and old friend James Loney, and both times Puig needlessly threw to home despite not having a chance to get anyone, allowing the runner to get to second. There's a lot of good with Puig, but here's an example of the bad that you have to live with. All in all, it was 3-0 Rays.
The first real scoring chance for the Dodgers came in the fourth, but they ran into the final out. With Hairston on first from a fielder's choice, Juan Uribe doubled down the right field line. Tim Wallach gave Hairston the green light, and he was thrown out by about 13 miles.
Naturally, that led to three more runs from the Rays in the fifth. The bases were loaded with one out, and Zobrist hit an RBI single to make it 4-0. Chris Capuano was then chased on a two-run single from Escobar to go up 6-0, and the Rays were in full control.
The best thing the Dodgers could do was get Price out of there after the seventh. They finally scored a run that inning, with a little help from Evan Longoria's throwing error at third. That allowed Hairston to stay on second and Uribe at first. Tim Federowicz grounded into a double play, but an RBI double from Skip Schumaker made it 6-1.
The eighth is when the fun really began, as the Dodgers cut it to 6-3. Mark Ellis walked leading off, but Jake McGee got the next two outs. Josh Lueke came in to face Puig, who hit a ground rule double to right to score Ellis. After a walk to Hairston, Joel Peralta came in to face Uribe, who scored another on a single to right.
There have been many big wins since June, but the ninth inning is one that might stand out the most when the season is all said and done. Rodney came in looking for his 28th save, and instead left after getting smacked around and committing an embarrassing error. But hey, the Dodgers will take it.
Schumaker started it all with a single leading off, but Dee Gordon, the final position player left on the bench, struck out. Ellis lifted a fly ball to left just out of the reach of a diving Zobrist for an RBI triple, making it 6-4. Punto lined an RBI double to left, and things were looking serious at 6-5.
Adrian Gonzalez hadn't had a hit all night, but he changed that with a game-tying RBI double to right. Joe Madden wasn't going to mess around with Puig, so he was walked to put men on first and second with one. The strategy appeared to work as Hairston bounced one back to the mound for a would-be double play.
But then Rodney made what might be one of the worst throws to second in the history of professional baseball. The ball sailed into center, and even the snail slow Gonzalez easily scored for the win. It's safe to say Rodney will want to burn the tape of this game.
Again, wow. The Dodgers made all of the big plays when they needed to, which is something we've all gotten used to seeing, but is so hard to do. Yes, they got plenty of help on Rodney's errant throw to score that winning run, but at the very least, the game would've gone in extra-innings, so who knows what would have happened.
Capuano ended up being charged with five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings, but he was hardly at fault for that. He got practically no help from the gloves behind him. The bullpen was fantastic, and I'm not sure anyone noticed. J.P. Howell (2/3 inning), Brandon League (two innings), Carlos Marmol (one inning - though he sucked), and Ronald Belisario (one inning) combined to pitch the final 4 2/3 innings without allowing a run. They gave the Dodgers hope, and it paid off in the end.
With the first win under their belts, the Dodgers can't help but feel good about getting a sweep with Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw on the mound this weekend. The Rays are still really good, so old cliche of "one game at a time" will definitely need to be applied here. But man, with the way the Dodgers are going, it's hard not to think they can win every game.
Friday, August 9, 2013
World Series preview? Dodgers vs. Rays could be just that
The next three days in Dodger Stadium could very well be a sign of things to come this October.
It's not out of the question to think that the Dodgers and Rays will be locking horns in the World Series. Their recent runs have been incredible: Dodgers 34-8, Rays 25-8.
They each have dominant starting pitchers (Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu; Rays: David Price, Chris Archer, Matt Moore - though he's currently injured). They each have veteran stars at the plate (Hanley Ramirez - hopefully returns this series; Evan Longoria). They also each have bright young stars (Yasiel Puig; Wil Myers).
Most importantly, they keep winning and winning. And in the end, that's all that matters.
Let's take a look at each game in this three-game set:
Friday - Chris Capuano (4-6, 4.16) vs. David Price (6-5, 3.36)
With the Dodgers traveling back from a night game in St. Louis on Thursday, and with the Rays already in town after an off-day, the advantage gets shifted towards the visitors. Then you couple the fact that the Rays are using their #1 against the Dodgers' #5, the advantage is swung even further.
Both Capuano and Price have looked good lately. Capuano hasn't given up a run his last two starts, covering 13 innings. He's taken full advantage of another chance to be in the rotation. Price was shockingly bad the first couple of months with a 5.24 ERA, but a six-week stint on the DL has definitely turned him around. In his last seven starts, four of them have gone the distance, and they all have lasted at least seven innings. Advantage: Rays
Saturday - Zack Greinke (9-3, 3.40) vs. Roberto Hernandez (6-11, 4.75)
Greinke continues to get better every month, looking like he's finally over the elbow problems from Spring Training, and the broken collarbone when that idiot Carlos Quentin charged the mound in April. One big key has been limiting his walks. On July 7 he walked seven against the Rockies, and in six starts since then he's only walked eight. Lo and behold, his ERA has gone down from 4.30 to 3.40.
Carmona... er, I mean Hernandez had a solid July after looking pretty bad before that. Still, he didn't even make it out of the fifth against the Giants last start, so it's hard to know what to expect from him. Advantage: Dodgers
Sunday - Clayton Kershaw (10-7, 1.91) vs. Jeremy Hellickson (10-5, 4.77)
Anyone matched up against Kershaw is already at a disadvantage, so Hellickson is in a tough spot. Kershaw is obviously the leading candidate for the NL Cy Young Award, so he'll be looking to build on that. However, the Dodgers have a hard time scoring for him, as he's given up two runs in 14 innings his last couple of starts, and is 0-1.
Hellickson wasn't looking too good though May with a 5.61 ERA, but he's figured things out since then. The Rays are 9-3 in his last 12 starts. He's on a personal two-game slide, though, as the Diamondbacks have knocked him out in the fifth both times. Advantage: Dodgers
The pitching matchups indicate a weekend edge for the Dodgers. So you know what that means - the Dodgers will win on Friday and drop both weekend games. That would be very much like the Dodgers taking three of four from the Cardinals with Kershaw getting the lone loss.
There's plenty of national TV exposure for this as well. Saturday afternoon's game will be one of the three games on FOX, and Sunday night is on ESPN. Sit back, relax, and enjoy some great baseball this weekend.
It's not out of the question to think that the Dodgers and Rays will be locking horns in the World Series. Their recent runs have been incredible: Dodgers 34-8, Rays 25-8.
They each have dominant starting pitchers (Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu; Rays: David Price, Chris Archer, Matt Moore - though he's currently injured). They each have veteran stars at the plate (Hanley Ramirez - hopefully returns this series; Evan Longoria). They also each have bright young stars (Yasiel Puig; Wil Myers).
Most importantly, they keep winning and winning. And in the end, that's all that matters.
Let's take a look at each game in this three-game set:
Friday - Chris Capuano (4-6, 4.16) vs. David Price (6-5, 3.36)
With the Dodgers traveling back from a night game in St. Louis on Thursday, and with the Rays already in town after an off-day, the advantage gets shifted towards the visitors. Then you couple the fact that the Rays are using their #1 against the Dodgers' #5, the advantage is swung even further.
Both Capuano and Price have looked good lately. Capuano hasn't given up a run his last two starts, covering 13 innings. He's taken full advantage of another chance to be in the rotation. Price was shockingly bad the first couple of months with a 5.24 ERA, but a six-week stint on the DL has definitely turned him around. In his last seven starts, four of them have gone the distance, and they all have lasted at least seven innings. Advantage: Rays
Saturday - Zack Greinke (9-3, 3.40) vs. Roberto Hernandez (6-11, 4.75)
Greinke continues to get better every month, looking like he's finally over the elbow problems from Spring Training, and the broken collarbone when that idiot Carlos Quentin charged the mound in April. One big key has been limiting his walks. On July 7 he walked seven against the Rockies, and in six starts since then he's only walked eight. Lo and behold, his ERA has gone down from 4.30 to 3.40.
Carmona... er, I mean Hernandez had a solid July after looking pretty bad before that. Still, he didn't even make it out of the fifth against the Giants last start, so it's hard to know what to expect from him. Advantage: Dodgers
Sunday - Clayton Kershaw (10-7, 1.91) vs. Jeremy Hellickson (10-5, 4.77)
Anyone matched up against Kershaw is already at a disadvantage, so Hellickson is in a tough spot. Kershaw is obviously the leading candidate for the NL Cy Young Award, so he'll be looking to build on that. However, the Dodgers have a hard time scoring for him, as he's given up two runs in 14 innings his last couple of starts, and is 0-1.
Hellickson wasn't looking too good though May with a 5.61 ERA, but he's figured things out since then. The Rays are 9-3 in his last 12 starts. He's on a personal two-game slide, though, as the Diamondbacks have knocked him out in the fifth both times. Advantage: Dodgers
The pitching matchups indicate a weekend edge for the Dodgers. So you know what that means - the Dodgers will win on Friday and drop both weekend games. That would be very much like the Dodgers taking three of four from the Cardinals with Kershaw getting the lone loss.
There's plenty of national TV exposure for this as well. Saturday afternoon's game will be one of the three games on FOX, and Sunday night is on ESPN. Sit back, relax, and enjoy some great baseball this weekend.
Monday, August 5, 2013
That was fun, but the competition is about to heat up
The Dodgers have had a whole lot of fun since the All-Star break, beating up on the Nationals, Blue Jays, Reds, Yankees, and Cubs to go 14-2. The result is a 5 1/2 game lead over the Diamondbacks in the NL West.
That's all well and good, but business is about to pick up. Enter the Cardinals and Rays.
The next seven days will be spent playing two teams with a combined record of 131-90 for a winning percentage of .593. The combined record and winning percentage of those other four teams? 272-283, .490. Those numbers speak for themselves.
First up is the Cardinals for four in St. Louis. Don Mattingly made a slick move on Sunday by starting Stephen Fife (who responded with 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball), and pushing back everyone else a day. The result is the two studs at the top, Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw, starting the first couple of games in St. Louis, and should be lined up for starts against the Rays as well. So, the big guns are rested and ready to go.
These games were already going to be hard enough to win, but now with the shoulder injury to Hanley Ramirez, it could be that much tougher. And I only say COULD because as of this writing, we have no idea how long he's going to be out. That's as big a question mark as can be right now.
Despite all of that, the Cardinals are hard to beat no matter who's in and who's out. Right now they're 20 games over .500 at 65-45 and are 1 1/2 games in back of the Pirates in the NL Central. They'll run out Adam Wainwright, Joe Kelly, Shelby Miller, and Jake Westbrook in the four-game set. After Greinke and Kershaw come Ricky Nolasco and Chris Capuano. All four range from good to terrific.
Plus, the Cardinals are a dominant 32-17 at home, and only the Braves have less losses at home (15). The Cards have also played many road games, so the second half schedule has lots more home cooking for them, putting them in a great spot for the postseason run.
After finishing up with the Cardinals on Thursday comes three game back in LA against the red hot Rays, who continue to defy all logic with a tiny payroll and huge results. They're at 66-45 right now, and are neck-and-neck with the Red Sox for first in the AL East, currently only a game back. And you know what? They still don't get the respect they deserve.
Right now the Rays have David Price, Roberto "Don't Call Me Fuasto Carmona" Hernandez, and Jeremy Hellickson lined up for this series. Price and Hellickson are very good, so Hernandez is the only one that could be considered an "easier" game.
Mattingly could once again decide to start Fife after Capuano goes on Thursday, so that would bump Kershaw back to the next series against the Mets. I certainly hope not, as a big week like this, especially if Ramirez will be out, requires the best pitchers on the mound. So, no disrespect to Fife, but he shouldn't be starting this week.
Of course we all want the Dodgers to win every game. Heck, they practically have been! But to be honest, if they go 4-3 this week, I'll be very happy. That's more of a nod to how great the Cardinals and Rays are, as even a team at 100% health would have a handful against them.
But uh... having Ramirez available to play would be nice. I'm just sayin'!
That's all well and good, but business is about to pick up. Enter the Cardinals and Rays.
The next seven days will be spent playing two teams with a combined record of 131-90 for a winning percentage of .593. The combined record and winning percentage of those other four teams? 272-283, .490. Those numbers speak for themselves.
First up is the Cardinals for four in St. Louis. Don Mattingly made a slick move on Sunday by starting Stephen Fife (who responded with 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball), and pushing back everyone else a day. The result is the two studs at the top, Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw, starting the first couple of games in St. Louis, and should be lined up for starts against the Rays as well. So, the big guns are rested and ready to go.
These games were already going to be hard enough to win, but now with the shoulder injury to Hanley Ramirez, it could be that much tougher. And I only say COULD because as of this writing, we have no idea how long he's going to be out. That's as big a question mark as can be right now.
Despite all of that, the Cardinals are hard to beat no matter who's in and who's out. Right now they're 20 games over .500 at 65-45 and are 1 1/2 games in back of the Pirates in the NL Central. They'll run out Adam Wainwright, Joe Kelly, Shelby Miller, and Jake Westbrook in the four-game set. After Greinke and Kershaw come Ricky Nolasco and Chris Capuano. All four range from good to terrific.
Plus, the Cardinals are a dominant 32-17 at home, and only the Braves have less losses at home (15). The Cards have also played many road games, so the second half schedule has lots more home cooking for them, putting them in a great spot for the postseason run.
After finishing up with the Cardinals on Thursday comes three game back in LA against the red hot Rays, who continue to defy all logic with a tiny payroll and huge results. They're at 66-45 right now, and are neck-and-neck with the Red Sox for first in the AL East, currently only a game back. And you know what? They still don't get the respect they deserve.
Right now the Rays have David Price, Roberto "Don't Call Me Fuasto Carmona" Hernandez, and Jeremy Hellickson lined up for this series. Price and Hellickson are very good, so Hernandez is the only one that could be considered an "easier" game.
Mattingly could once again decide to start Fife after Capuano goes on Thursday, so that would bump Kershaw back to the next series against the Mets. I certainly hope not, as a big week like this, especially if Ramirez will be out, requires the best pitchers on the mound. So, no disrespect to Fife, but he shouldn't be starting this week.
Of course we all want the Dodgers to win every game. Heck, they practically have been! But to be honest, if they go 4-3 this week, I'll be very happy. That's more of a nod to how great the Cardinals and Rays are, as even a team at 100% health would have a handful against them.
But uh... having Ramirez available to play would be nice. I'm just sayin'!
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