The Dodgers won again on the road Friday, knocking All-Star Travis Wood out in the fourth en route to a 6-2 win. It came on a day where Hanley Ramirez and Carl Crawford got the day off, Mark Ellis and Don Mattingly got ejected for arguing a called third strike, and Hyun-Jin Ryu gave up 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings.
It didn't matter. The Dodgers once again made the big plays to win... and the Cubs are just really, really bad. Doesn't hurt.
The Dodgers haven't won this many consecutive road games since they were the 1924 Brooklyn Robins. As Mark Saxon of the Dodgers Report points out, the farthest they ever had to travel was from New York to St. Louis. (Although, in a funny side note, Saxon also points out that they did have to travel by train!)
Let's breakdown just how impressive this streak has been, taking a look at how well they've played on both sides of the field. First, a look at the scores during this streak.
July 7: 4-1 over Giants
July 8-10: 6-1, 6-1, 7-5 (14 inn.) over Diamondbacks
July 19-21: 3-2, 3-1 (10 inn.), 9-2 over Nationals
July 22-24: 14-5, 10-9, 8-3 (10 inn.) over Blue Jays
August 1-2: 6-4, 6-2 over Cubs
Offense:
148-438 (.306 AVG), 29 2B, 1 3B, 12 HR
Per Game: 12.3 H, 2.4 2B, 1 HR
Pitching:
115 IP, 36 ER (2.82 ERA), 93 K, 31 BB
Per Game: 9.6 IP, 3 ER, 7.8 K, 2.6 BB
As you can see, the Dodgers have had to win in different ways, from blowouts to close game to extra-inning games. But the bottom line is that they've gotten consistency on both sides of the field, with a .306 average and 2.82 ERA. They've taken care of it all.
The thing that sticks out to me the most is on offense, where the average is certainly high, but it's not like they're pounding out the big hits. We're not looking at the Red Sox or Tigers here, who seemingly hit for power in every inning. The Dodgers average about 3.5 extra-base hits a game, which isn't bad, but nothing that blows you away.
What does that mean? It means that in order to win and keep winning, they've done the little things right: string singles together, move runners over, hit sacrifice flies, take walks, and steal some bases. And then they toss in some big hits for good measure. While guys like Ramirez and Yasiel Puig get the publicity, and rightfully so, let's not ignore guys like Juan Uribe, Mark Ellis, and A.J. Ellis. They're a huge part of this run as well.
Saturday afternoon in Wrigley Field could be a historic day for the Dodgers as they look to set the franchise record for consecutive road wins at 13. Chris Capuano will take on Jeff Samardzija.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Friday, August 2, 2013
Weary Dodgers grind one out in Wrigley
The Dodgers had all the reasons to let one go in Wrigley Field on Thursday. They fell apart in the ninth and lost the Yankees at home on Wednesday, they didn't arrive in Chicago until 7:30 a.m., they gave up four home runs to the Cubs and faced an early 2-0 deficit.
And yet, despite all that was going against them, they still found a way to win. And that's why they're up by 3 1/2 games in the NL West.
A three-run sixth inning, led by a big pinch-hit two-run single by Jerry Hairston, paved the way for the Dodgers to down the Cubs, 6-4. That's now 11 straight wins on the road, the most the Dodgers have done since 1955, which is simply incredible.
The game didn't start off so hot, as Ricky Nolasco ran into trouble via the long ball. With one out, Junior Lake and Anthony Rizzo went back-to-back on solo shots for the 2-0 lead. That wouldn't be the last you'd hear from these boys.
The Dodgers tied it up in the third, and it all started on a walk to Yasiel Puig with one out. Adrian Gonzalez followed with a single. Hanley Ramirez then smashed a two-run double to knot the game at 2-2.
That lead would quickly evaporate, as Lake once again hit a solo tater, his fourth in only 15 games, to put the Cubs back up at 3-2.
In the sixth, the Dodgers took the lead and never looked back. Leading off, Scott Van Slyke singled and Mark Ellis walked, and both advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Tim Federowicz.
Hairston got the call from Don Mattingly to hit for Nolasco, and on the first pitch he saw from Michael Bowden, singled up the middle to score two, and the Dodgers were back in the lead at 4-3. Puig soon doubled, and Gonzalez's single to center scored Hairston, but Puig was thrown at home, keeping the score at 5-3.
J.P. Howell and Chris Withrow were able to get through the sixth and seventh unscathed, which led to Paco Rodriguez pitching the eighth. Once again, Rizzo left his mark with his 17th homer to make it 5-4. About the only good news was that all four homers were solo shots, giving the Dodgers a chance they capitalized on.
Puig put the Dodgers back up by two by golfing a solo shot into left center to make it 6-4. Kenley Jansen didn't even need that, striking out the side in the ninth for his 15th save.
As I pointed out before, I don't think anyone would've blamed the Dodgers if they lost this one. It's not like they were playing the Tigers or Rays here, as the Cubs are still lowly and pathetic. But still, a win a day after playing on the opposite coast is tough, so kudos to the Dodgers for getting it done.
Nolasco started off rough with the two homers in the first, but ended up throwing five innings for four hits, three runs, one walk, and six strikeouts. The bullpen was great once again, as Howell, Withrow, Rodriguez, and Jansen combined for four inning of one-run ball, which was the homer by Rizzo, along with six strikeouts. All four of those guys have ERA's in the 2's, which is awesome.
The four-game set continues on Friday afternoon as Hyun-Jin Ryu takes on Travis Wood, who was the lone All-Star for the Cubs.
And yet, despite all that was going against them, they still found a way to win. And that's why they're up by 3 1/2 games in the NL West.
A three-run sixth inning, led by a big pinch-hit two-run single by Jerry Hairston, paved the way for the Dodgers to down the Cubs, 6-4. That's now 11 straight wins on the road, the most the Dodgers have done since 1955, which is simply incredible.
The game didn't start off so hot, as Ricky Nolasco ran into trouble via the long ball. With one out, Junior Lake and Anthony Rizzo went back-to-back on solo shots for the 2-0 lead. That wouldn't be the last you'd hear from these boys.
The Dodgers tied it up in the third, and it all started on a walk to Yasiel Puig with one out. Adrian Gonzalez followed with a single. Hanley Ramirez then smashed a two-run double to knot the game at 2-2.
That lead would quickly evaporate, as Lake once again hit a solo tater, his fourth in only 15 games, to put the Cubs back up at 3-2.
In the sixth, the Dodgers took the lead and never looked back. Leading off, Scott Van Slyke singled and Mark Ellis walked, and both advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Tim Federowicz.
Hairston got the call from Don Mattingly to hit for Nolasco, and on the first pitch he saw from Michael Bowden, singled up the middle to score two, and the Dodgers were back in the lead at 4-3. Puig soon doubled, and Gonzalez's single to center scored Hairston, but Puig was thrown at home, keeping the score at 5-3.
J.P. Howell and Chris Withrow were able to get through the sixth and seventh unscathed, which led to Paco Rodriguez pitching the eighth. Once again, Rizzo left his mark with his 17th homer to make it 5-4. About the only good news was that all four homers were solo shots, giving the Dodgers a chance they capitalized on.
Puig put the Dodgers back up by two by golfing a solo shot into left center to make it 6-4. Kenley Jansen didn't even need that, striking out the side in the ninth for his 15th save.
As I pointed out before, I don't think anyone would've blamed the Dodgers if they lost this one. It's not like they were playing the Tigers or Rays here, as the Cubs are still lowly and pathetic. But still, a win a day after playing on the opposite coast is tough, so kudos to the Dodgers for getting it done.
Nolasco started off rough with the two homers in the first, but ended up throwing five innings for four hits, three runs, one walk, and six strikeouts. The bullpen was great once again, as Howell, Withrow, Rodriguez, and Jansen combined for four inning of one-run ball, which was the homer by Rizzo, along with six strikeouts. All four of those guys have ERA's in the 2's, which is awesome.
The four-game set continues on Friday afternoon as Hyun-Jin Ryu takes on Travis Wood, who was the lone All-Star for the Cubs.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Dodgers fall apart late as Yankees get one back
The pitching duel between old teammates Clayton Kershaw and Hiroki Kuroda lived up to all the hype, as the Dodgers and Yankees found themselves scoreless heading into the ninth. Like the night before, the game would come down to a battle of the bullpens.
Well, when you take a look at the box score and see the name "Mariano Rivera" as one of the Yankees' pitchers, I think we both know who was in a position to win.
The Dodgers fell victim to a missed call on a check swing by Lyle Overbay, which led to a game-winning RBI single off of Paco Rodriguez. Then Mark Ellis, the hero from the night before, committed a horrible two-run error on a dropped pop-up, and the Yankees cruised to a win, 3-0. Each team split all four games this season.
Simply put, Kershaw and Kuroda were just awesome, as neither was willing to give an inch. Each team had chances here and there in the early part of the game, but once they got settled in, forget about it. They were practically untouchable, combining for 15 shutout innings with 13 strikeouts.
The Yankees put two on in the second on singles by Vernon Wells and Brent Lillibridge, but they were both stranded. Andre Ethier singled in the bottom half, but was erased on a double play ball from A.J. Ellis.
There wasn't a whole lot going on in the middle part of the game, but the Dodgers wasted a golden opportunity to score in the seventh. Adrian Gonzalez singled leading off on a ball past first baseman Lillibridge. I guess Gonzo thought it was a surefire double, because he rounded first and was thrown out by Wells in right by about five steps. It was a very uncharacteristic mistake by Gonzalez, who runs like a piano is on his back.
With two outs, Ethier and Ellis both singled, but Skip Schumaker struck out to end the inning. That's right - three hits, no runs. Ugh.
Kershaw stayed on to pitch the eighth and gave up a couple of innocent singles to Chris Stewart and Melky Mesa, then got Brett Gardner to fly to left to end the threat. Boone Logan allowed a couple baserunners in the bottom of the frame, but again the Yankees got the big out when Gonzalez flew out to end the threat.
That brought the scoreless game to the ninth, where the Dodgers completely came undone. Ronald Belisario started it all by walking Derek Jeter, but did get the next two hitters to ground into forceouts at second. Ichiro pinch-hit and was intentionally walked.
Belisario gave way to Rodriguez to pitch to the lefty Overbay. With two strikes, Overbay apparently checked his swing, although replays clearly showed he didn't. And wouldn't you know, Overbay hit an RBI single up the middle to make it 1-0. That was only the beginning, as Ellis ranged into right field on a pop-up from Jayson Nix, yet dropped it with Yasiel Puig breathing down his neck, allowing two runs to score.
It's no surprise that Rivera completely dominated the Dodgers for his 34th save. With three runs to play with, there's no way in the world he was going to blow it. Then again, the score could've been .001-0 and Rivera still would've gotten the save. Newsflash - he's automatic.
I think at this point we're so used to seeing the Dodgers play the right way, it was almost shocking to see them make the mistakes they did, from Gonzalez's horrendous baserunning gaffe to Ellis dropping a fly ball. Then again, if third base umpire Bill Miller rang up Overbay on the check swing, this all wouldn't have happened. But he didn't, Don Mattingly got ejected in between innings, and the Yankees made all the plays to win.
Even in the loss, this was a fun two-game series. The crowd was packed like a playoff game, and there was definitely an energy to them. The Yankees only come to Dodger Stadium once every few years, so it was good to see guys like Jeter and Rivera for probably the last time. At least the Dodgers got a split.
There's no rest for the leaders in the NL West as they travel to play the Cubs in historic Wrigley Field for four starting Thursday. Ricky Nolasco gets the call.
Well, when you take a look at the box score and see the name "Mariano Rivera" as one of the Yankees' pitchers, I think we both know who was in a position to win.
The Dodgers fell victim to a missed call on a check swing by Lyle Overbay, which led to a game-winning RBI single off of Paco Rodriguez. Then Mark Ellis, the hero from the night before, committed a horrible two-run error on a dropped pop-up, and the Yankees cruised to a win, 3-0. Each team split all four games this season.
Simply put, Kershaw and Kuroda were just awesome, as neither was willing to give an inch. Each team had chances here and there in the early part of the game, but once they got settled in, forget about it. They were practically untouchable, combining for 15 shutout innings with 13 strikeouts.
The Yankees put two on in the second on singles by Vernon Wells and Brent Lillibridge, but they were both stranded. Andre Ethier singled in the bottom half, but was erased on a double play ball from A.J. Ellis.
There wasn't a whole lot going on in the middle part of the game, but the Dodgers wasted a golden opportunity to score in the seventh. Adrian Gonzalez singled leading off on a ball past first baseman Lillibridge. I guess Gonzo thought it was a surefire double, because he rounded first and was thrown out by Wells in right by about five steps. It was a very uncharacteristic mistake by Gonzalez, who runs like a piano is on his back.
With two outs, Ethier and Ellis both singled, but Skip Schumaker struck out to end the inning. That's right - three hits, no runs. Ugh.
Kershaw stayed on to pitch the eighth and gave up a couple of innocent singles to Chris Stewart and Melky Mesa, then got Brett Gardner to fly to left to end the threat. Boone Logan allowed a couple baserunners in the bottom of the frame, but again the Yankees got the big out when Gonzalez flew out to end the threat.
That brought the scoreless game to the ninth, where the Dodgers completely came undone. Ronald Belisario started it all by walking Derek Jeter, but did get the next two hitters to ground into forceouts at second. Ichiro pinch-hit and was intentionally walked.
Belisario gave way to Rodriguez to pitch to the lefty Overbay. With two strikes, Overbay apparently checked his swing, although replays clearly showed he didn't. And wouldn't you know, Overbay hit an RBI single up the middle to make it 1-0. That was only the beginning, as Ellis ranged into right field on a pop-up from Jayson Nix, yet dropped it with Yasiel Puig breathing down his neck, allowing two runs to score.
It's no surprise that Rivera completely dominated the Dodgers for his 34th save. With three runs to play with, there's no way in the world he was going to blow it. Then again, the score could've been .001-0 and Rivera still would've gotten the save. Newsflash - he's automatic.
I think at this point we're so used to seeing the Dodgers play the right way, it was almost shocking to see them make the mistakes they did, from Gonzalez's horrendous baserunning gaffe to Ellis dropping a fly ball. Then again, if third base umpire Bill Miller rang up Overbay on the check swing, this all wouldn't have happened. But he didn't, Don Mattingly got ejected in between innings, and the Yankees made all the plays to win.
Even in the loss, this was a fun two-game series. The crowd was packed like a playoff game, and there was definitely an energy to them. The Yankees only come to Dodger Stadium once every few years, so it was good to see guys like Jeter and Rivera for probably the last time. At least the Dodgers got a split.
There's no rest for the leaders in the NL West as they travel to play the Cubs in historic Wrigley Field for four starting Thursday. Ricky Nolasco gets the call.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Drew Butera acquired from Twins
Moments before the end of this year's non-waiver Trade Deadline, the Dodgers made a minor move in trading for backup catcher Drew Butera from the Twins. He'll be exchanged for a player to be named later.
Butera has appeared at various times in the majors since 2010, making a career-high 93 appearances in 2011. He's only played in two games this year and 27 games in Triple-A. For his career, he's hitting .182 with 5 home runs and 41 RBIs in 186 games. Not exactly stats that will knock your socks off.
He did start for Team Italy in this year's World Baseball Classic, where he was 3-for-16 with a homer and three RBIs in four games.
This move was made for catching depth in September, as I can't see any way Butera would unseat Tim Federowicz as the backup catcher. Then again, Federowicz is only hitting .204, so I guess it's a wash. Ned Colletti went on MLB Network in the past hour and made a point of having three MLB ready catchers in the system, so there you go.
Butera has appeared at various times in the majors since 2010, making a career-high 93 appearances in 2011. He's only played in two games this year and 27 games in Triple-A. For his career, he's hitting .182 with 5 home runs and 41 RBIs in 186 games. Not exactly stats that will knock your socks off.
He did start for Team Italy in this year's World Baseball Classic, where he was 3-for-16 with a homer and three RBIs in four games.
This move was made for catching depth in September, as I can't see any way Butera would unseat Tim Federowicz as the backup catcher. Then again, Federowicz is only hitting .204, so I guess it's a wash. Ned Colletti went on MLB Network in the past hour and made a point of having three MLB ready catchers in the system, so there you go.
Stars align in another Dodgers' walk-off
The stars were everywhere in Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night. In the crowd there were the likes of Mel Brooks, Jack Nicholson, George Lopez, Magic Johnson, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Chris Paul. On the field, Zack Greinke and Andy Pettitte dueled, and Yasiel Puig, Hanley Ramirez, Derek Jeter, and Alfonso Soriano took their hacks.
Leave it to the bland, no-thrills Mark Ellis to steal the show.
Ellis's walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth scored Andre Ethier, as the Dodgers beat the Yankees, 3-2. Each game these incredible numbers get bumped up by one, so it's now 10-1 since the break, 19 wins in July (one short of a team record), and 27-6 in the last 33.
Most importantly, thanks for the Rays taking apart the Diamondbacks 5-2, it's a 3 1/2 game lead in the NL West.
Early on, it looked like both offenses would put up big nights, but that changed after the second inning when Greinke and Pettitte got locked in. In the first, Puig came just short of homering to dead center, settling for a double off the wall. He moved to third on a flyout and scored on Ramirez's RBI single up the middle.
The Yankees came right back in the second. The theme of this Yankees' season has been finding old guys or unknowns to replace stars like Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez, and Jeter. Lyle Overbay is one of those replacements, and he hit a solo homer to right to start the inning, making it 1-1.
No worries, said Juan Uribe, who left his mark in the bottom of the frame. With one out, he absolutely unloaded on a solo shot to left, traveling 426 feet for a rare upper deck shot, and the Dodgers were back up 2-1.
Overbay was again responsible for tying the game, as the Yanks made it 2-2 in the fourth. It started on a leadoff double by Soriano, who then went to third on a wild pitch. Overbay scored him on a groundout to deep short on a long throw by Ramirez.
That was the way the score would remain for much of the way, as neither offense could get anything going after the fourth. Pettitte ended up tossing seven innings of two-run ball, striking out three and not walking anyone. He hasn't been the same Pettitte as we're used to seeing in the past, but his change of speeds and location kept the Dodgers off-balance for the most part.
The game came down to a battle of the bullpens, as both Ronald Belisario and David Robertson were flawless in the eighth. Kenley Jansen was summoned on the ninth, and once again, he was practically untouchable with two K's. He continues to just blow through the competition.
At this point, the Dodgers hadn't put anything together since the third, and that's when Ichiro nailed Ramirez at home trying to score on A.J. Ellis's single to end the inning. In fact, in innings 4-8, the Dodgers only had two hits as Pettitte and Robertson had their way.
So here we were in the ninth, as the Dodgers had yet another chance to send the fans home happy. With Shawn Kelley in, Ethier singled to left with one out. Uribe swung about as hard as he possibly could, but struck out for the second out.
Don Mattingly knew that with the bottom of the order up, he'd have to get a little creative to get that winning run. So, he decided to let Ethier steal second, which is exactly what happened. Well... I think it should be pointed out that if Yankees' catcher Chris Stewart made even a decent throw, Ethier would've been out by four miles. But he didn't, so Ethier was in scoring position.
Next thing you know, Ellis gets the winning hit, and that was all she wrote.
This was just your latest example of how right things have been for the Dodgers since the end of June. Simply put, they can barely do anything wrong. Need a big start on the mound? Check. Need some innings from middle relief? Check. Need the bottom part of the order to get big hits? Check. Pretty much anything else that's been needed has been check, check, check.
Greinke was a bit off at first, but ended up putting together a solid night. He lasted seven innings for five hits, two runs, no walks, and seven strikeouts. Six starts ago he had a 4.30 ERA. Now it's down to 3.43, and he definitely looks like the ace the Dodgers wanted to pair with Clayton Kershaw.
Speaking of Kershaw, the Cy Young front runner will get the ball on Wednesday. It will be a great game as he faces his old mate, Hiroki Kuroda. Usually when you see two studs starting on the mound you expect a low-scoring game, and then the opposite happens. I'd be shocked if that occurred, as both guys are at the top of their games.
Leave it to the bland, no-thrills Mark Ellis to steal the show.
Ellis's walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth scored Andre Ethier, as the Dodgers beat the Yankees, 3-2. Each game these incredible numbers get bumped up by one, so it's now 10-1 since the break, 19 wins in July (one short of a team record), and 27-6 in the last 33.
Most importantly, thanks for the Rays taking apart the Diamondbacks 5-2, it's a 3 1/2 game lead in the NL West.
Early on, it looked like both offenses would put up big nights, but that changed after the second inning when Greinke and Pettitte got locked in. In the first, Puig came just short of homering to dead center, settling for a double off the wall. He moved to third on a flyout and scored on Ramirez's RBI single up the middle.
The Yankees came right back in the second. The theme of this Yankees' season has been finding old guys or unknowns to replace stars like Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez, and Jeter. Lyle Overbay is one of those replacements, and he hit a solo homer to right to start the inning, making it 1-1.
No worries, said Juan Uribe, who left his mark in the bottom of the frame. With one out, he absolutely unloaded on a solo shot to left, traveling 426 feet for a rare upper deck shot, and the Dodgers were back up 2-1.
Overbay was again responsible for tying the game, as the Yanks made it 2-2 in the fourth. It started on a leadoff double by Soriano, who then went to third on a wild pitch. Overbay scored him on a groundout to deep short on a long throw by Ramirez.
That was the way the score would remain for much of the way, as neither offense could get anything going after the fourth. Pettitte ended up tossing seven innings of two-run ball, striking out three and not walking anyone. He hasn't been the same Pettitte as we're used to seeing in the past, but his change of speeds and location kept the Dodgers off-balance for the most part.
The game came down to a battle of the bullpens, as both Ronald Belisario and David Robertson were flawless in the eighth. Kenley Jansen was summoned on the ninth, and once again, he was practically untouchable with two K's. He continues to just blow through the competition.
At this point, the Dodgers hadn't put anything together since the third, and that's when Ichiro nailed Ramirez at home trying to score on A.J. Ellis's single to end the inning. In fact, in innings 4-8, the Dodgers only had two hits as Pettitte and Robertson had their way.
So here we were in the ninth, as the Dodgers had yet another chance to send the fans home happy. With Shawn Kelley in, Ethier singled to left with one out. Uribe swung about as hard as he possibly could, but struck out for the second out.
Don Mattingly knew that with the bottom of the order up, he'd have to get a little creative to get that winning run. So, he decided to let Ethier steal second, which is exactly what happened. Well... I think it should be pointed out that if Yankees' catcher Chris Stewart made even a decent throw, Ethier would've been out by four miles. But he didn't, so Ethier was in scoring position.
Next thing you know, Ellis gets the winning hit, and that was all she wrote.
This was just your latest example of how right things have been for the Dodgers since the end of June. Simply put, they can barely do anything wrong. Need a big start on the mound? Check. Need some innings from middle relief? Check. Need the bottom part of the order to get big hits? Check. Pretty much anything else that's been needed has been check, check, check.
Greinke was a bit off at first, but ended up putting together a solid night. He lasted seven innings for five hits, two runs, no walks, and seven strikeouts. Six starts ago he had a 4.30 ERA. Now it's down to 3.43, and he definitely looks like the ace the Dodgers wanted to pair with Clayton Kershaw.
Speaking of Kershaw, the Cy Young front runner will get the ball on Wednesday. It will be a great game as he faces his old mate, Hiroki Kuroda. Usually when you see two studs starting on the mound you expect a low-scoring game, and then the opposite happens. I'd be shocked if that occurred, as both guys are at the top of their games.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Brian Wilson strengthens the Dodgers' 'pen
With the trade deadline a day away, the Dodgers made a move that could be huge if all works out.
No, it wasn't like the big splash moves made last year by acquiring Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, and Josh Beckett. It wasn't even a trade they made.
It's signing free agent Brian Wilson, the former closer with the Giants. That is, the guy with World Series success and 171 career saves.
Wilson inked a minor league deal, with an obvious eye towards joining the big club in the stretch run. He recently was clocked throwing around 93-94, according to the guys on MLB Network Radio. Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports tweets that he had offers from three teams total.
I remember before the season how the Dodgers were interested in Wilson's services, but he wasn't healthy enough then, as he recently made it known that if he's not fully healthy, he's inches away from being there.
I also remember discussing during the All-Star break how one of the two areas of need for the Dodgers was their middle relief, specifically right-handed relief (the other area is health, of course). Well, when you have a chance to sign a guy who's been a three-time All-Star, led the league with 48 saves in 2010, won a ring, and finished seventh in Cy Young voting, it's a good thing.
Where exactly does Wilson fit in? Perhaps he can close, but Kenley Jansen has been fantastic in that role, going a perfect 7-7 in July with a 1.46 ERA and .140 BAA. I can see Wilson pitching in the eighth, as Ronald Belisario can still be too erratic at times to be completely trusted. At the very least, if Wilson can prove he's truly healthy, you'll see him getting the ball late in games to get big outs.
Again, this is all assuming Wilson is recovered and still has the ability to get hitters out. He hasn't pitched since April 12 of last season, going down for Tommy John surgery after only two appearances. Maybe the best thing he did is take his time after surgery and not rush to sign at the start of this season. He has the track record, so the best plan of attack was to make sure everything was right, then workout for teams.
Let's give credit to Ned Colletti for making this happen. It can only be a good thing, because if it doesn't work out, it was only a minor league contract to begin with. But if it does, it will be great to have someone with his numbers and experience on the postseason roster.
And yes, it is OK to root for an ex-Giant! He's ours now!
No, it wasn't like the big splash moves made last year by acquiring Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, and Josh Beckett. It wasn't even a trade they made.
It's signing free agent Brian Wilson, the former closer with the Giants. That is, the guy with World Series success and 171 career saves.
Wilson inked a minor league deal, with an obvious eye towards joining the big club in the stretch run. He recently was clocked throwing around 93-94, according to the guys on MLB Network Radio. Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports tweets that he had offers from three teams total.
I remember before the season how the Dodgers were interested in Wilson's services, but he wasn't healthy enough then, as he recently made it known that if he's not fully healthy, he's inches away from being there.
I also remember discussing during the All-Star break how one of the two areas of need for the Dodgers was their middle relief, specifically right-handed relief (the other area is health, of course). Well, when you have a chance to sign a guy who's been a three-time All-Star, led the league with 48 saves in 2010, won a ring, and finished seventh in Cy Young voting, it's a good thing.
Where exactly does Wilson fit in? Perhaps he can close, but Kenley Jansen has been fantastic in that role, going a perfect 7-7 in July with a 1.46 ERA and .140 BAA. I can see Wilson pitching in the eighth, as Ronald Belisario can still be too erratic at times to be completely trusted. At the very least, if Wilson can prove he's truly healthy, you'll see him getting the ball late in games to get big outs.
Again, this is all assuming Wilson is recovered and still has the ability to get hitters out. He hasn't pitched since April 12 of last season, going down for Tommy John surgery after only two appearances. Maybe the best thing he did is take his time after surgery and not rush to sign at the start of this season. He has the track record, so the best plan of attack was to make sure everything was right, then workout for teams.
Let's give credit to Ned Colletti for making this happen. It can only be a good thing, because if it doesn't work out, it was only a minor league contract to begin with. But if it does, it will be great to have someone with his numbers and experience on the postseason roster.
And yes, it is OK to root for an ex-Giant! He's ours now!
Dodgers. Yankees. This should be fun
After the Dodgers disposed of the Reds in three straight to run their post-All-Star break record to 9-1, all of the attention shifts to their upcoming two-game tilt against the Yankees in Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers will send their big dogs of Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw to the mound. The Yankees counter with Andy Pettitte and Hiroki Kuroda.
Simply put, if you're a fan of baseball, this is going to be a lot of fun.
The day-night doubleheader back in June at Yankee Stadium was also fun, mostly because the Dodgers were the last National League team to play there since the advent of Interleague play. Which, by the way, begs the question of who in the world allowed that to happen? Anyway, Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez put on a show, allowing the Dodgers to get the split.
This time around, all of the big guns (save for C.C. Sabathia) will be on the mound. The previous series saw the Dodgers start Hyun-Jin Ryu and Chris Capuano, while the Yankees had Kuroda and Phil Hughes. I think it's safe to say we're all glad Greinke and Kershaw will be featured this time. No disrespect to Ryu and Capuano, who have pitched very well recently, but the star power will be on display this time around.
We all know how awesome the Dodgers have been, and it really all started with that win in the night game in Yankee Stadium. If you recall, Puig homered, stole a base, and scored three times; Ramirez had two hits and two RBIs. The Dodgers dropped the next two in San Diego, but then ran off six straight wins and never looked back. Overall, since that win over the Yankees, they've gone 27-8. Wow.
The Yankees, on the other hand, are right in the thick of all sorts of drama involving the drama queen himself, Alex Rodriguez. Can you imagine if ARod gets suspended during this series? Actually, it could very well happen. Then the media scrutiny will be cranked up that many more notches.
On the field, the Yankees are 55-50, good for fourth in the ultra-tough AL East. Derek Jeter just returned, so it'll be good to see him on the field this time, as he missed the last series. Plus they recently welcomed back Alfonso Soriano, and he responded with a walk-off single on Sunday. So, despite the ARod nonsense, they appear to be on the upswing a bit, even if their record is still just so-so.
It's hard not to look at Wednesday's game as the main event. Tuesday will be Greinke vs. Pettitte, and while that's a good matchup, Pettitte has been regressing as the season has progressed. Wednesday will be Kershaw vs. old friend Kuroda, who certainly deserves a warm welcome in his return. He still remains one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball, probably because he quietly goes about his business of posting one quality start after another.
The only downside to this series is what could have been on the injury front. Matt Kemp, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, and yes, even ARod will be missed. That's some serious power, so expect these games to be low-scoring with the great arms on the mound.
Even though the Yankees are no longer the mighty Yankees of years past, if the Dodgers sweep the two games, it will still be a great moment in a season that could see much greater moments in October.
The Dodgers will send their big dogs of Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw to the mound. The Yankees counter with Andy Pettitte and Hiroki Kuroda.
Simply put, if you're a fan of baseball, this is going to be a lot of fun.
The day-night doubleheader back in June at Yankee Stadium was also fun, mostly because the Dodgers were the last National League team to play there since the advent of Interleague play. Which, by the way, begs the question of who in the world allowed that to happen? Anyway, Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez put on a show, allowing the Dodgers to get the split.
This time around, all of the big guns (save for C.C. Sabathia) will be on the mound. The previous series saw the Dodgers start Hyun-Jin Ryu and Chris Capuano, while the Yankees had Kuroda and Phil Hughes. I think it's safe to say we're all glad Greinke and Kershaw will be featured this time. No disrespect to Ryu and Capuano, who have pitched very well recently, but the star power will be on display this time around.
We all know how awesome the Dodgers have been, and it really all started with that win in the night game in Yankee Stadium. If you recall, Puig homered, stole a base, and scored three times; Ramirez had two hits and two RBIs. The Dodgers dropped the next two in San Diego, but then ran off six straight wins and never looked back. Overall, since that win over the Yankees, they've gone 27-8. Wow.
The Yankees, on the other hand, are right in the thick of all sorts of drama involving the drama queen himself, Alex Rodriguez. Can you imagine if ARod gets suspended during this series? Actually, it could very well happen. Then the media scrutiny will be cranked up that many more notches.
On the field, the Yankees are 55-50, good for fourth in the ultra-tough AL East. Derek Jeter just returned, so it'll be good to see him on the field this time, as he missed the last series. Plus they recently welcomed back Alfonso Soriano, and he responded with a walk-off single on Sunday. So, despite the ARod nonsense, they appear to be on the upswing a bit, even if their record is still just so-so.
It's hard not to look at Wednesday's game as the main event. Tuesday will be Greinke vs. Pettitte, and while that's a good matchup, Pettitte has been regressing as the season has progressed. Wednesday will be Kershaw vs. old friend Kuroda, who certainly deserves a warm welcome in his return. He still remains one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball, probably because he quietly goes about his business of posting one quality start after another.
The only downside to this series is what could have been on the injury front. Matt Kemp, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, and yes, even ARod will be missed. That's some serious power, so expect these games to be low-scoring with the great arms on the mound.
Even though the Yankees are no longer the mighty Yankees of years past, if the Dodgers sweep the two games, it will still be a great moment in a season that could see much greater moments in October.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Latos silences red hot Dodgers
Please excuse the Dodgers if they appeared a bit lifeless at the plate on Thursday night. They played 10 innings in Toronto the night before, barely got the sleep they deserved, and cancelled BP before the game.
Oh ya, and that Mat Latos guy is pretty damn good.
Latos had his way, pitching strong into the eighth inning, and Carl Crawford lined out to left while representing the tying run to end the game, giving the Reds a 5-2 win. It's the first loss since the Sunday before the All-Star break, as the Dodgers ran off six straight on the road to start the second half.
The Reds took the lead in the early going thanks to a couple of Dodger castoffs from years past. The second batter of the game, Xavier Paul, took a fastball right over the middle out to right to make it 1-0.
The next inning, Todd Frazier lined a sharp double past a diving Jerry Hairston at third with one out. A groundout got him to third, and Cesar Izturis hit a bloop single to left to make it 2-0. Of all the ex-Dodgers that I thought would someday come back to haunt them, I'm doubting Paul and Izturis would be first on my mind.
The Dodgers got on the board in the fourth, all thanks to the speed of Yasiel Puig. He singled to center leading off and took a big turn at second. Apparently Shin-Soo Choo thought it would be a good idea to throw behind him... which resulted in the ball going into the stands, sending Puig all the way to third. Adrian Gonzalez's RBI groundout cut it to 2-1.
Heading into the sixth, the game was still a tossup when a couple mistakes by Greinke proved costly. Paul walked leading off, but was quickly erased on Joey Votto's double play ball. On an 0-2 count to Brandon Phillips, Greinke beaned him on the leg, which was obviously a bad mistake.
The other mistake was hanging a changeup to Jay Bruce, who crushed it to center for a two-run shot, putting the Reds up 4-1. And with Latos still dealing, it was a hard deficit to overcome.
In the sixth and seventh, the Dodgers put men on but couldn't capitalize. Puig singled to start the sixth, but Gonzo grounded into a double play. Two men reached in the seventh on a single by Skip Schumaker and walk to Jerry Hairston, but Nick Punto pinch-hit and struck out on three pitches.
The Dodgers did get one run back when Crawford doubled starting the eight, went to third on Puig's groundout, and scored on another RBI groundout from Gonzo. The Reds got it right back, however, on an RBI single from Choo against the horrible Carlos Marmol, who already looks like a complete waste. Boy is he bad.
Aroldis Chapman and his 100+ MPH fastball came in for the save, but made it a bit interesting. Mark Ellis pinch-hit with one out and singled to right. Hairston struck out, but Juan Uribe walked as Ellis took third on a wild pitch.
With the way the Dodgers have been providing the dramatics, you fully expected even a weary Crawford to come through. He had a great swing as he lined one into left, but the positioning by Chris Heisey was perfect as he gloved it for the final out.
Greinke has been practically untouchable his last three starts, but couldn't really get things going in this one. He lasted seven innings for six hits, four runs, one walk, and four strikeouts. He seemed to get to two strikes quite often, but couldn't punctuate it. Just one of those nights where he didn't feel at his best.
Of course, going 0-for-9 with RISP won't win you many games. Combine that with the night before (2-for-17!), and that's 2-for-26. Yikes! I guess winning one of those game is an accomplishment. Putting runners on is a good thing, if you're looking for a silver lining, but cashing them in is what plagued them for nearly three months to start the season. That was a flashback to those days.
Clayton Kershaw gets the ball on Friday night, as the Dodgers look to rebound after a rare loss. He'll oppose Homer Bailey, who threw a no-hitter against the Giants in early July and has a pretty good 3.84 ERA.
Oh ya, and that Mat Latos guy is pretty damn good.
Latos had his way, pitching strong into the eighth inning, and Carl Crawford lined out to left while representing the tying run to end the game, giving the Reds a 5-2 win. It's the first loss since the Sunday before the All-Star break, as the Dodgers ran off six straight on the road to start the second half.
The Reds took the lead in the early going thanks to a couple of Dodger castoffs from years past. The second batter of the game, Xavier Paul, took a fastball right over the middle out to right to make it 1-0.
The next inning, Todd Frazier lined a sharp double past a diving Jerry Hairston at third with one out. A groundout got him to third, and Cesar Izturis hit a bloop single to left to make it 2-0. Of all the ex-Dodgers that I thought would someday come back to haunt them, I'm doubting Paul and Izturis would be first on my mind.
The Dodgers got on the board in the fourth, all thanks to the speed of Yasiel Puig. He singled to center leading off and took a big turn at second. Apparently Shin-Soo Choo thought it would be a good idea to throw behind him... which resulted in the ball going into the stands, sending Puig all the way to third. Adrian Gonzalez's RBI groundout cut it to 2-1.
Heading into the sixth, the game was still a tossup when a couple mistakes by Greinke proved costly. Paul walked leading off, but was quickly erased on Joey Votto's double play ball. On an 0-2 count to Brandon Phillips, Greinke beaned him on the leg, which was obviously a bad mistake.
The other mistake was hanging a changeup to Jay Bruce, who crushed it to center for a two-run shot, putting the Reds up 4-1. And with Latos still dealing, it was a hard deficit to overcome.
In the sixth and seventh, the Dodgers put men on but couldn't capitalize. Puig singled to start the sixth, but Gonzo grounded into a double play. Two men reached in the seventh on a single by Skip Schumaker and walk to Jerry Hairston, but Nick Punto pinch-hit and struck out on three pitches.
The Dodgers did get one run back when Crawford doubled starting the eight, went to third on Puig's groundout, and scored on another RBI groundout from Gonzo. The Reds got it right back, however, on an RBI single from Choo against the horrible Carlos Marmol, who already looks like a complete waste. Boy is he bad.
Aroldis Chapman and his 100+ MPH fastball came in for the save, but made it a bit interesting. Mark Ellis pinch-hit with one out and singled to right. Hairston struck out, but Juan Uribe walked as Ellis took third on a wild pitch.
With the way the Dodgers have been providing the dramatics, you fully expected even a weary Crawford to come through. He had a great swing as he lined one into left, but the positioning by Chris Heisey was perfect as he gloved it for the final out.
Greinke has been practically untouchable his last three starts, but couldn't really get things going in this one. He lasted seven innings for six hits, four runs, one walk, and four strikeouts. He seemed to get to two strikes quite often, but couldn't punctuate it. Just one of those nights where he didn't feel at his best.
Of course, going 0-for-9 with RISP won't win you many games. Combine that with the night before (2-for-17!), and that's 2-for-26. Yikes! I guess winning one of those game is an accomplishment. Putting runners on is a good thing, if you're looking for a silver lining, but cashing them in is what plagued them for nearly three months to start the season. That was a flashback to those days.
Clayton Kershaw gets the ball on Friday night, as the Dodgers look to rebound after a rare loss. He'll oppose Homer Bailey, who threw a no-hitter against the Giants in early July and has a pretty good 3.84 ERA.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Winning baseball, by any means necessary
Is this fun or what?
After another thrilling, come-from-behind victory on Wednesday night, the Dodgers are now 1 1/2 games in front of the Diamondbacks for first in the NL West. A month ago today? Try dead last and seven games back.
Yes, life has been that good.
The streak is now at six straight after the All-Star break, which have all come on the road in Washington and Toronto. How have they done it? Let's take a look, game-by-game:
July 19, 3-2 over Nationals: Andre Ethier hit a game-winning solo homer in the ninth.
July 20, 3-1 (10 innings) over Nationals: Hanley Ramirez hit an RBI double and Ethier a sac-fly RBI in extra innings.
July 21, 9-2 over Nationals: Matt Kemp returned from the DL to collect three hits with a homer (then exited with a twisted ankle that eventually put him back on the DL), Ramirez hit a three-run shot, and Clayton Kershaw cruised.
July 22, 14-5 over Blue Jays: A.J. Ellis had five RBIs, Skip Schumaker three, and the Dodgers set a season-high with 14 runs.
July 23, 10-9 over Blue Jays: Down 8-3 going into the eighth, Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run bomb, and Ethier added an insurance run with a solo shot.
July 24, 8-3 (10 innings) over Blue Jays: Down to their last strike, Ethier blooped a single into center, which was misplayed by Colby Rasmus to allow Yasiel Puig to score from first. Five runs were scored in the 10th on a two-run shot by Mark Ellis, a solo shot by Puig, and a two-run double by Ethier.
As you can see, it's been a collection of one clutch play after another. They've had games where the offense scores early and often, games where they needed to comeback to force extras, and games where they got a little bit of luck to win as well. Like the title says, it's been by any means necessary.
Perhaps even more exciting is that they're still not fully healthy, as Kemp is back on the DL after playing in one whopping game. Who knows how long he'll be gone, but the luxury is that they can afford to take their time with so many other guys contributing.
The other bright spot is that Puig really struggled through the Nationals' series, but is starting to get things going again against the Blue Jays. For awhile it seemed like all the Dodgers had going for them on offense was Puig, but that has certainly changed. They've won without him doing much at the plate, and now that he has five hits in the last two games, they're even more dangerous.
At some point they'll regress a bit, as it's only natural for the ball to bounce the other way. But even with that in mind, what they'll still have going for them is four solid starters on the mound and an offense that can score in bunches.
And that, along with a good bit of HEALTH (something that's never a guarantee), will carry the Dodgers forward in the stretch run.
After another thrilling, come-from-behind victory on Wednesday night, the Dodgers are now 1 1/2 games in front of the Diamondbacks for first in the NL West. A month ago today? Try dead last and seven games back.
Yes, life has been that good.
The streak is now at six straight after the All-Star break, which have all come on the road in Washington and Toronto. How have they done it? Let's take a look, game-by-game:
July 19, 3-2 over Nationals: Andre Ethier hit a game-winning solo homer in the ninth.
July 20, 3-1 (10 innings) over Nationals: Hanley Ramirez hit an RBI double and Ethier a sac-fly RBI in extra innings.
July 21, 9-2 over Nationals: Matt Kemp returned from the DL to collect three hits with a homer (then exited with a twisted ankle that eventually put him back on the DL), Ramirez hit a three-run shot, and Clayton Kershaw cruised.
July 22, 14-5 over Blue Jays: A.J. Ellis had five RBIs, Skip Schumaker three, and the Dodgers set a season-high with 14 runs.
July 23, 10-9 over Blue Jays: Down 8-3 going into the eighth, Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run bomb, and Ethier added an insurance run with a solo shot.
July 24, 8-3 (10 innings) over Blue Jays: Down to their last strike, Ethier blooped a single into center, which was misplayed by Colby Rasmus to allow Yasiel Puig to score from first. Five runs were scored in the 10th on a two-run shot by Mark Ellis, a solo shot by Puig, and a two-run double by Ethier.
As you can see, it's been a collection of one clutch play after another. They've had games where the offense scores early and often, games where they needed to comeback to force extras, and games where they got a little bit of luck to win as well. Like the title says, it's been by any means necessary.
Perhaps even more exciting is that they're still not fully healthy, as Kemp is back on the DL after playing in one whopping game. Who knows how long he'll be gone, but the luxury is that they can afford to take their time with so many other guys contributing.
The other bright spot is that Puig really struggled through the Nationals' series, but is starting to get things going again against the Blue Jays. For awhile it seemed like all the Dodgers had going for them on offense was Puig, but that has certainly changed. They've won without him doing much at the plate, and now that he has five hits in the last two games, they're even more dangerous.
At some point they'll regress a bit, as it's only natural for the ball to bounce the other way. But even with that in mind, what they'll still have going for them is four solid starters on the mound and an offense that can score in bunches.
And that, along with a good bit of HEALTH (something that's never a guarantee), will carry the Dodgers forward in the stretch run.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Dodgers keep rolling along by sweeping Nationals
For the first time all season, Don Mattingly etched out a lineup that included the names of Carl Crawford, Hanley Ramirez, and Matt Kemp. They combined to go 8-for-13 with four runs, two doubles, two home runs, seven RBIs, and a stolen base.
Then Kemp limped off the field in the ninth with a sprained ankle, and despite the win, it put a damper on the afternoon.
Perhaps Kemp really will be OK, as Mattingly said he didn't anticipate him going back on the DL. Of course, that's what was said last time... right before Kemp went back on the DL.
All of that aside, the Dodgers put it all together on Sunday, as a seven-run second inning was more than enough for Clayton Kershaw, as the Dodgers cruised, 9-2. The Diamondbacks beat the Giants, so it wasn't all perfect, as the Dodgers are still a 1/2 game back.
Jordan Zimmerman made the start for the Nationals, and he was recently scratched from the All-Star Game with a sore neck. Well, maybe he wasn't quite over it, because he was unmercifully hammered as a result of way too many hangers over the plate. Basically, he lobbed it up there, and the Dodgers smashed it around.
After wasting a couple of men on in the first, the offense sent 11 men to the plate the next inning. It all started on a solo shot by Kemp to make it 1-0. The Ellis Bros. A.J. and Mark hit a single and double, respectively, and Kershaw's RBI groundout made it 2-0. Crawford got in on the act with an RBI single, and it was starting to be a runaway.
Crawford stole second and Nick Punto took a walk, which led to a three-run shot from Ramirez, who continues to play like the best player in the league not named Miguel Cabrera. Andre Ethier walked and scored from first on Kemp's double, his third RBI of the inning, and the Dodgers blew it open at 7-0.
Kershaw ended up tossing seven innings of two-hit ball, striking out nine and not walking a soul. Those two hits were long bombs by Jayson Werth, who was about the only person to show up for the Nats. The other two hits came off of Brandon League, who somehow pitched two scoreless innings in relief. The guy seriously never pitches anymore, as that was only his fourth appearance this month. Yikes.
The other two runs for the Dodgers came in the fourth. Adrian Gonzalez and Ramirez each singled to put runners on the corners with one down. Ethier scored one on a groundout, and Kemp the other with a single.
When you win 20 of 25 games, there obviously is no hotter team in the league than the Dodgers. I can't imagine many teams, or heck, ANY team, wanting to play them right now. A healthy lineup featuring Kemp, Ramirez, Crawford, Gonzalez, and Yasiel Puig is pretty scary. I know I know... Kemp just hurt his ankle again and you would think might miss some time. But when he is good to go, what a deep lineup that is.
Save for a defensive appearance in the ninth, Puig sat the game out, which was a good thing considering he's looking lost at the plate of late. His numbers are still awesome, and a slump was expected at some point, so this really isn't surprising. You can expect him to be right back in there with Kemp's ankle being tweaked.
Next up is a trip to Toronto for three. Neither Kershaw or R.A. Dickey are scheduled to start in this series, which is a shame because it would have been fun to see those two face each other after finishing 1-2 in the NL Cy Young Award voting last year. Hyun-Jin Ryu will start on Monday against Josh Johnson, who's been horrible this year.
Then Kemp limped off the field in the ninth with a sprained ankle, and despite the win, it put a damper on the afternoon.
Perhaps Kemp really will be OK, as Mattingly said he didn't anticipate him going back on the DL. Of course, that's what was said last time... right before Kemp went back on the DL.
All of that aside, the Dodgers put it all together on Sunday, as a seven-run second inning was more than enough for Clayton Kershaw, as the Dodgers cruised, 9-2. The Diamondbacks beat the Giants, so it wasn't all perfect, as the Dodgers are still a 1/2 game back.
Jordan Zimmerman made the start for the Nationals, and he was recently scratched from the All-Star Game with a sore neck. Well, maybe he wasn't quite over it, because he was unmercifully hammered as a result of way too many hangers over the plate. Basically, he lobbed it up there, and the Dodgers smashed it around.
After wasting a couple of men on in the first, the offense sent 11 men to the plate the next inning. It all started on a solo shot by Kemp to make it 1-0. The Ellis Bros. A.J. and Mark hit a single and double, respectively, and Kershaw's RBI groundout made it 2-0. Crawford got in on the act with an RBI single, and it was starting to be a runaway.
Crawford stole second and Nick Punto took a walk, which led to a three-run shot from Ramirez, who continues to play like the best player in the league not named Miguel Cabrera. Andre Ethier walked and scored from first on Kemp's double, his third RBI of the inning, and the Dodgers blew it open at 7-0.
Kershaw ended up tossing seven innings of two-hit ball, striking out nine and not walking a soul. Those two hits were long bombs by Jayson Werth, who was about the only person to show up for the Nats. The other two hits came off of Brandon League, who somehow pitched two scoreless innings in relief. The guy seriously never pitches anymore, as that was only his fourth appearance this month. Yikes.
The other two runs for the Dodgers came in the fourth. Adrian Gonzalez and Ramirez each singled to put runners on the corners with one down. Ethier scored one on a groundout, and Kemp the other with a single.
When you win 20 of 25 games, there obviously is no hotter team in the league than the Dodgers. I can't imagine many teams, or heck, ANY team, wanting to play them right now. A healthy lineup featuring Kemp, Ramirez, Crawford, Gonzalez, and Yasiel Puig is pretty scary. I know I know... Kemp just hurt his ankle again and you would think might miss some time. But when he is good to go, what a deep lineup that is.
Save for a defensive appearance in the ninth, Puig sat the game out, which was a good thing considering he's looking lost at the plate of late. His numbers are still awesome, and a slump was expected at some point, so this really isn't surprising. You can expect him to be right back in there with Kemp's ankle being tweaked.
Next up is a trip to Toronto for three. Neither Kershaw or R.A. Dickey are scheduled to start in this series, which is a shame because it would have been fun to see those two face each other after finishing 1-2 in the NL Cy Young Award voting last year. Hyun-Jin Ryu will start on Monday against Josh Johnson, who's been horrible this year.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Hanley's clutch hitting has Dodgers on brink of first
Where would the Dodgers be without Hanley Ramirez? For starters, they wouldn't be a 1/2 game out of first in the NL West.
One night after hitting a two-run homer as part of a 3-2 win, Ramirez's RBI double in the 10th proved to be the game winner, as the Dodgers went on to win, 3-1. The Diamondbacks fell to the Giants, so the Dodgers have a golden opportunity to put the heat on even more with Clayton Kershaw taking the mound on Sunday.
Friday night saw the Dodgers win a in a bit of rare way for them - with two homers. They found themselves down 1-0 going into the third when Mark Ellis and Yasiel Puig each struck out to start. Adrian Gonzalez hit what seemed like an innocent single to center, though that brought up the red hot Ramirez. Sure enough, Ramirez hit a liner out to right that cleared the wall in what seemed like two seconds for the 2-1 lead.
The Nationals tied it up in the sixth on an Ian Desmond RBI single, and the 2-2 score stayed that way until the ninth. Andre Ethier, Mr. Play Every Outfield Position Any Given Night, golfed a pitch at his feet over the wall in right off of Rafael Soriano for the 3-2 lead. A perfect ninth by Kenley Jansen later, and it was a perfect post-All-Star break start for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers had to be feeling great about taking the road series after Friday's big win, considering they had Zack Greinke and Kershaw going on the weekend. Greinke ran into trouble in the first, as the bases were loaded with one out. Jayson Werth and Desmond each popped up, and nothing came of it.
Greinke wasn't exactly at his sharpest, as he gave up seven hits and three walks in six innings. But, thanks to an anemic 1-for-12 with RISP, the Nationals only scored one run. Basically, they looked like the Dodgers circa-early 2013. Only Roger Bernadina's RBI single in the sixth could get the Nats on the board.
The Dodgers couldn't do anything against Gio Gonzalez, who struck out 11 in only six innings. Thankfully he was pulled when Bernadina pinch-hit for him in the sixth, and the Dodgers got on the board to start the seventh. Skip Schumaker hit for Greinke with two outs and doubled, leading to a soft RBI single to left by Mark Ellis to tie the game.
Continuing the theme of the night, the Nationals had two runners apiece reach in the eighth and ninth and do nothing with it. Chris Withrow struck out Bryce Harper looking on a nasty breaking ball to put the game into extra innings.
With Craig Stammen in to pitch the 10th, Gonzalez greeted him with a double. That's when Ramirez came through again, smashing an RBI double off the wall in center for the 2-1 lead. An out later, Ethier's sac-fly to left scored Ramirez, and it was 3-1. Jansen had his second straight perfect save, his 11th overall.
Want another reason for why the Dodgers have turned the corner? Puig is 0-for-9 with five strikeouts these last two games. He's cleary overswinging at... well, pretty much any pitch thrown near the plate. Yet, the Dodgers keep winning. Remember when Puig was on fire when he was first called up, but the Dodgers still couldn't win? It's so refreshing to see them getting contributions from other guys now. Talk about night and day!
Ramirez is hitting .390 with 8 homers and 25 RBIs in only 41 games. He still doesn't qualify for the batting title (don't ask me what that magic number of at-bats is, I have no idea), but the leader in the NL is Yadier Molina at .336. Obviously, the more Ramirez plays, the closer he'll get to "officially" be a league leader, and he certainly has the ability to do so.
I mentioned before how Kershaw goes on Sunday, which always gives the Dodgers an edge against whatever team they are facing. The Nationals, on the other hand, counter with their own All-Star, Jordan Zimmerman, who's 12-4 with a 2.58 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. Nationals' fans were already booing their team off the field on Saturday, so I can imagine it will be worse if Kershaw outduels Zimmerman for the sweep.
Over in San Francisco, Madison Bumgarner and his 3.02 ERA goes up against Randall Delgado. The stars are aligning for the Dodgers to be in first by the end of Sunday.
One night after hitting a two-run homer as part of a 3-2 win, Ramirez's RBI double in the 10th proved to be the game winner, as the Dodgers went on to win, 3-1. The Diamondbacks fell to the Giants, so the Dodgers have a golden opportunity to put the heat on even more with Clayton Kershaw taking the mound on Sunday.
Friday night saw the Dodgers win a in a bit of rare way for them - with two homers. They found themselves down 1-0 going into the third when Mark Ellis and Yasiel Puig each struck out to start. Adrian Gonzalez hit what seemed like an innocent single to center, though that brought up the red hot Ramirez. Sure enough, Ramirez hit a liner out to right that cleared the wall in what seemed like two seconds for the 2-1 lead.
The Nationals tied it up in the sixth on an Ian Desmond RBI single, and the 2-2 score stayed that way until the ninth. Andre Ethier, Mr. Play Every Outfield Position Any Given Night, golfed a pitch at his feet over the wall in right off of Rafael Soriano for the 3-2 lead. A perfect ninth by Kenley Jansen later, and it was a perfect post-All-Star break start for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers had to be feeling great about taking the road series after Friday's big win, considering they had Zack Greinke and Kershaw going on the weekend. Greinke ran into trouble in the first, as the bases were loaded with one out. Jayson Werth and Desmond each popped up, and nothing came of it.
Greinke wasn't exactly at his sharpest, as he gave up seven hits and three walks in six innings. But, thanks to an anemic 1-for-12 with RISP, the Nationals only scored one run. Basically, they looked like the Dodgers circa-early 2013. Only Roger Bernadina's RBI single in the sixth could get the Nats on the board.
The Dodgers couldn't do anything against Gio Gonzalez, who struck out 11 in only six innings. Thankfully he was pulled when Bernadina pinch-hit for him in the sixth, and the Dodgers got on the board to start the seventh. Skip Schumaker hit for Greinke with two outs and doubled, leading to a soft RBI single to left by Mark Ellis to tie the game.
Continuing the theme of the night, the Nationals had two runners apiece reach in the eighth and ninth and do nothing with it. Chris Withrow struck out Bryce Harper looking on a nasty breaking ball to put the game into extra innings.
With Craig Stammen in to pitch the 10th, Gonzalez greeted him with a double. That's when Ramirez came through again, smashing an RBI double off the wall in center for the 2-1 lead. An out later, Ethier's sac-fly to left scored Ramirez, and it was 3-1. Jansen had his second straight perfect save, his 11th overall.
Want another reason for why the Dodgers have turned the corner? Puig is 0-for-9 with five strikeouts these last two games. He's cleary overswinging at... well, pretty much any pitch thrown near the plate. Yet, the Dodgers keep winning. Remember when Puig was on fire when he was first called up, but the Dodgers still couldn't win? It's so refreshing to see them getting contributions from other guys now. Talk about night and day!
Ramirez is hitting .390 with 8 homers and 25 RBIs in only 41 games. He still doesn't qualify for the batting title (don't ask me what that magic number of at-bats is, I have no idea), but the leader in the NL is Yadier Molina at .336. Obviously, the more Ramirez plays, the closer he'll get to "officially" be a league leader, and he certainly has the ability to do so.
I mentioned before how Kershaw goes on Sunday, which always gives the Dodgers an edge against whatever team they are facing. The Nationals, on the other hand, counter with their own All-Star, Jordan Zimmerman, who's 12-4 with a 2.58 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. Nationals' fans were already booing their team off the field on Saturday, so I can imagine it will be worse if Kershaw outduels Zimmerman for the sweep.
Over in San Francisco, Madison Bumgarner and his 3.02 ERA goes up against Randall Delgado. The stars are aligning for the Dodgers to be in first by the end of Sunday.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Health and middle relief will make or break the Dodgers in the 2nd half
As the Dodgers roll into Nationals Park to open the second half, they find themselves a mere 2 1/2 games in back of the Diamondbacks in the NL West. They've certainly come a long way from the last place team they put on the field for much of the first half. I suppose winning 17 of 22 games will help just about any team get to first place.
What are the keys to taking over first and staying there? It's simple - health and middle relief. Any letdown in either category could find the boys in blue on the outside looking in this postseason.
Pretty much any team can claim these two keys will make or break them, but for the Dodgers, it seems especially true. Their offense can strike from so many different ways when everyone is on the field. Their starting pitching can be fantastic, as is their closer, so those couple of innings or so where neither is used could turn the tide.
The Dodgers are an even 47-47 right now and don't have any players who have appeared in every game. Andre Ethier and Adrian Gonzalez have each played in 91. That might surprise people considering Ethier was ice cold to start the season and is at times looked at as the fourth outfielder. Gonzalez has clearly sucked it up and played some games where he deserved a day off.
Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford, and Hanley Ramirez have all gone through ups and downs of spending time on the DL. Of the three, only Ramirez has really made a big impact. Through 39 games, he's hitting .386 with 8 homers and 25 RBIs. Crawford started off the season very well, but has cooled off to hit .273 in 59 games.
As for Kemp, it's been a struggle to say the least. He simply cannot find a way to stay on the field for extended periods of time. He's played in 61 games (which is more than I thought), but has very low numbers at .254, 4 homers, and 24 RBIs. I can't imagine his shoulder will be healthy enough this season to the point where he'll make a major difference. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm skeptical.
Even Yasiel Puig has been playing with a sore left hip. Not being picked to go to New York for the All-Star Game was probably a blessing in disguise when it's all said and done. He's been able to rest and present an award at the ESPY's with Gabby Douglas. I'm guessing he still has no idea who she is.
The starting pitching has also been hit, as Zack Greinke, Stephen Fife, Chris Capuano, and Ted Lilly have all missed various amounts of time. Greinke looks to be back at full strength judging by his dominating last two starts. Can you imagine what the Dodgers would do if Clayton Kershaw got hurt? I don't even want to think about that.
As for the other key, you can bet Ned Colletti will continue to pursue middle relief help. More specifically, help from the right side in the 'pen. On the left side, J.P. Howell and Paco Rodriguez have done a great job. Howell owns a 2.27 ERA and 1.11 WHIP, while Rodriguez has a 2.45 ERA and 0.77 WHIP. Their roles will be big in the stretch run.
The right-handed pitchers not named Kenley Jansen have been a disappointment. Gone are names like Matt Guerrier, Peter Moylan, and Javy Guerra. Brandon League was a colossal bust as the closer with a 6.25 ERA in 34 games, Ronald Belsario is so hot and cold it's hard to know what to expect, and Carlos Marmol is tough to trust as a legit answer. Young guns Jose Dominguez and Chris Withrow could be good, but also could wilt under the pressure. We'll see.
If the Dodgers can improve their bullpen and get some luck with their health, they can definitely win the NL West. The Padres won't contend, so forget about them. The Rockies have a great lineup... when healthy (sound familiar?). I wouldn't count on them to be in the race, either.
That leaves the Giants and Diamondbacks to worry about. I don't care how awful the Giants have looked before the break, they always find a way to win when it matters the most. They're not going away at all. The Diamondbacks can hit and pitch, but have a huge issue at closer. It's 2013 and you're still using Heath Bell to finish off games? That's not a good sign.
In the end, I expect to see another Dodgers-Giants battle for first. Let's hope it's the Dodgers come out on top for a change.
What are the keys to taking over first and staying there? It's simple - health and middle relief. Any letdown in either category could find the boys in blue on the outside looking in this postseason.
Pretty much any team can claim these two keys will make or break them, but for the Dodgers, it seems especially true. Their offense can strike from so many different ways when everyone is on the field. Their starting pitching can be fantastic, as is their closer, so those couple of innings or so where neither is used could turn the tide.
The Dodgers are an even 47-47 right now and don't have any players who have appeared in every game. Andre Ethier and Adrian Gonzalez have each played in 91. That might surprise people considering Ethier was ice cold to start the season and is at times looked at as the fourth outfielder. Gonzalez has clearly sucked it up and played some games where he deserved a day off.
Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford, and Hanley Ramirez have all gone through ups and downs of spending time on the DL. Of the three, only Ramirez has really made a big impact. Through 39 games, he's hitting .386 with 8 homers and 25 RBIs. Crawford started off the season very well, but has cooled off to hit .273 in 59 games.
As for Kemp, it's been a struggle to say the least. He simply cannot find a way to stay on the field for extended periods of time. He's played in 61 games (which is more than I thought), but has very low numbers at .254, 4 homers, and 24 RBIs. I can't imagine his shoulder will be healthy enough this season to the point where he'll make a major difference. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm skeptical.
Even Yasiel Puig has been playing with a sore left hip. Not being picked to go to New York for the All-Star Game was probably a blessing in disguise when it's all said and done. He's been able to rest and present an award at the ESPY's with Gabby Douglas. I'm guessing he still has no idea who she is.
The starting pitching has also been hit, as Zack Greinke, Stephen Fife, Chris Capuano, and Ted Lilly have all missed various amounts of time. Greinke looks to be back at full strength judging by his dominating last two starts. Can you imagine what the Dodgers would do if Clayton Kershaw got hurt? I don't even want to think about that.
As for the other key, you can bet Ned Colletti will continue to pursue middle relief help. More specifically, help from the right side in the 'pen. On the left side, J.P. Howell and Paco Rodriguez have done a great job. Howell owns a 2.27 ERA and 1.11 WHIP, while Rodriguez has a 2.45 ERA and 0.77 WHIP. Their roles will be big in the stretch run.
The right-handed pitchers not named Kenley Jansen have been a disappointment. Gone are names like Matt Guerrier, Peter Moylan, and Javy Guerra. Brandon League was a colossal bust as the closer with a 6.25 ERA in 34 games, Ronald Belsario is so hot and cold it's hard to know what to expect, and Carlos Marmol is tough to trust as a legit answer. Young guns Jose Dominguez and Chris Withrow could be good, but also could wilt under the pressure. We'll see.
If the Dodgers can improve their bullpen and get some luck with their health, they can definitely win the NL West. The Padres won't contend, so forget about them. The Rockies have a great lineup... when healthy (sound familiar?). I wouldn't count on them to be in the race, either.
That leaves the Giants and Diamondbacks to worry about. I don't care how awful the Giants have looked before the break, they always find a way to win when it matters the most. They're not going away at all. The Diamondbacks can hit and pitch, but have a huge issue at closer. It's 2013 and you're still using Heath Bell to finish off games? That's not a good sign.
In the end, I expect to see another Dodgers-Giants battle for first. Let's hope it's the Dodgers come out on top for a change.
Monday, July 15, 2013
2013 Mid-Season Report Card
The Major League Baseball season has reached the All-Star break, and with it comes four days of rest for each club. The Dodgers were either awful or fantastic, with not much in between. Here I will take a look at how each player has performed, report card style. Let's go!
A
Clayton Kershaw - He's at the top of the National League (1.98 ERA, 0.91 WHIP), or in second (139 K's, 145 1/3 IP). There's not much more you can say about just how awesome he is. He's about to earn some serious dough in the near future.
Yasiel Puig - About the only thing that has even somewhat held him down is a sore left hip. Electrified LA at the perfect time by hitting .391 with 8 2B, 8 HR, 19 RBI, and 5 SB. Plus great defense, too. Puigmania!
Hanley Ramirez - Has only played in 39 games, so probably deserves a "B" at the most, but has been so good of late, he gets bumped up. He's hitting .386 with 11 2B, 8 HR, 25 RBI, and 4 SB. The ball has been jumping of his bat. His defense at short, something that has been an issue in the past, appears to be much-improved.
Adrian Gonzalez - Isn't the same power threat he once was, but is tied with Andre Ethier for most games played at 91, and by far leads the team with 14 homers and 59 RBIs.
Juan Uribe - Seriously! He gets graded on a curve based on how absolutely horrific he was the last two seasons. Right now he's hitting .270 with 10 2B, 5 HR, and 28 RBI. What also cannot be ignored has been his fantastic play at the hot corner. I never would have guessed he'd play even close to this, but he is.
Kenley Jansen - Is still a flamethrower with 12.63 K/9, and has taken over the closer's spot for nine saves, in addition to the 16 holds he collected before that.
J.P Howell - Has gotten the job done from the left side, holding left-handed batters to a mere .167 AVG.
Paco Rodriguez - Continues his rise only a year removed from college. Neither right (.143) or left (.140) handed hitters are doing anything against him.
Hyun-Jin Ryu - Signed a huge deal, but was still a bit of a question mark adjusting to MLB batters. Responded by going 7-3 with a 3.09 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 93 K's in 116 2/3 IP. Looks to only be getting better.
B
Zack Greinke - Has been as dominant as one can possibly be the last two starts, including a two-hit shutout of the Rockies. But, has gone through some rough patches, with an ERA at 3.49. Thankfully he's trending up, not down.
A.J. Ellis - Gives the Dodgers big hits when they need it, and has been very solid in controlling the running game. Also, continues to get on base with a .349 OBP.
Carl Crawford - Started the year on time, which was a bit of a surprise, and responded as one of the best hitters in the early going. Injuries have really slowed him, as his average has gone down to .273 with only nine steals. His defense is nothing to brag about, either.
Mark Ellis - Age is definitely catching up to him, as he's only hitting .255. But something needs to be said for the example he sets of playing hard, which he does each day.
Stephen Fife - Was nowhere near the Dodgers' rotation plans coming into the season, and has already made eight starts, good for a 2.76 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Has been on the DL twice, though, which has held him back a bit.
Andre Ethier - Couldn't have possibly started the season any worse, as he looked like he was trying to get traded. But with all of the outfield injuries, has played all three positions with ease. His batting average has gone up each month, topping out with a .362 thus far in July.
Nick Punto - At this point, is just a so-so player with a .251 AVG. But, made a lot of starts at third, short, and second earlier in the with injuries to pretty much everyone else, and his versatility makes him a key utility man.
C
Skip Schumaker - Has actually pitched two scoreless innings in blowouts, and is very versatile by playing every outfield position and 2nd. His hitting has just been OK at .260 with only nine extra-base hits. Is a notch below Punto because he was brought in from the Cardinals to be a key pinch-hitter, but that hasn't really happened.
Scott Van Slyke - Was playing very well at first, but a horrible .188 in June brought a demotion. Can be a good power hitter, but it's been awhile since he's made a difference with his bat.
Jerry Hairston - Much like Schumaker and Punto, is versatile, and does little at the plate at .258 with 12 RBIs. His numbers across the board have taken a step back from last year.
Ronald Belisario - Had a good April and May, an atrocious July (8.31 ERA), and hasn't given up a run in July. It's the typical roller coaster ride with him, but has at least turned it around to appear in the late innings again.
Chris Capuano - Quite often pitches like a "D," but every now and then throws a gem. He's hard to figure out, but is capable of pitching in either role, making him a little more valuable.
D
Matt Kemp - The last two seasons have not been kind to him. Injuries have limited him to 61 games, and is only hitting .254 with four homers. Just when you think he's back, he gets hurt again.
Josh Beckett - It's almost unfair to put him here considering he's already out for the season, but was pretty bad when he did pitch (0-5, 5.19 ERA, 1.50 WHIP).
Ramon Hernandez - Traded to the Dodgers for Aaron Harang, and proceeded to do next to nothing by hitting .208 with three homers and six RBIs. And with that, he's already gone.
Matt Guerrier - Never was able to be the key setup man the Dodgers signed him for. Traded to the Cubs after posting a 4.80 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. Good bye, good riddance!
Ted Lilly - Wasn't happy to start the season in the bullpen, then made five winless starts with a 5.09 ERA and 1.61 WHIP. Injuries have happened way too much as well.
Tim Federowicz - Doesn't get much playing time with only 84 at-bats, but hasn't done much with it regardless with a .190 AVG, 3 HR, and 12 RBI. To his defense, Hernandez should have never been brought in, so that took away lots of playing time from him.
F
Luis Cruz - Took Uribe's role as the worst starting position player in the majors for much of the first part of the season. Was mercifully designated after hitting .1 freakin' 27 with three extra-base hits in 118 at-bats. Horrible!
Brandon League - Given a three-year contract to be the closer... and didn't even last the first half in that role. Has the worst 14 saves you'll ever see with four blown ones, along with a 6.25 ERA and 1.58 WHIP. Awful, just awful.
Justin Sellers and Dee Gordon - Both were supposed to fill in at short for the injured Ramirez, and both were terrible. Sellers hit .188 and Gordon .175. Good Lord, that's abysmal.
Matt Magill - Simply cannot put the ball over the plate, walking 28 in 27 2/3 innings. A 6.51 ERA and 1.99 WHIP? Yup, he sucks.
Peter Moylan - Was given 10 appearances to show what he had. Well, he did alright with a 6.34 ERA and 1.94 WHIP. Like so many others, he's gone.
Javy Guerra - It's hard to believe he was once the closer. Only appeared in nine games, and the numbers aren't much different than the ones above (6.75 and 1.97). His career has fallen apart, and fast.
Josh Wall - Six games, 18.00 ERA, 3.29 WHIP. That's hard to do! Traded to the Marlins in the Ricky Nolasco deal. What a shame!
(Note: I will hold off on ranking Nolasco, Jose Dominguez, and Chris Withrow since they don't have a big enough sample size at this time.)
A
Clayton Kershaw - He's at the top of the National League (1.98 ERA, 0.91 WHIP), or in second (139 K's, 145 1/3 IP). There's not much more you can say about just how awesome he is. He's about to earn some serious dough in the near future.
Yasiel Puig - About the only thing that has even somewhat held him down is a sore left hip. Electrified LA at the perfect time by hitting .391 with 8 2B, 8 HR, 19 RBI, and 5 SB. Plus great defense, too. Puigmania!
Hanley Ramirez - Has only played in 39 games, so probably deserves a "B" at the most, but has been so good of late, he gets bumped up. He's hitting .386 with 11 2B, 8 HR, 25 RBI, and 4 SB. The ball has been jumping of his bat. His defense at short, something that has been an issue in the past, appears to be much-improved.
Adrian Gonzalez - Isn't the same power threat he once was, but is tied with Andre Ethier for most games played at 91, and by far leads the team with 14 homers and 59 RBIs.
Juan Uribe - Seriously! He gets graded on a curve based on how absolutely horrific he was the last two seasons. Right now he's hitting .270 with 10 2B, 5 HR, and 28 RBI. What also cannot be ignored has been his fantastic play at the hot corner. I never would have guessed he'd play even close to this, but he is.
Kenley Jansen - Is still a flamethrower with 12.63 K/9, and has taken over the closer's spot for nine saves, in addition to the 16 holds he collected before that.
J.P Howell - Has gotten the job done from the left side, holding left-handed batters to a mere .167 AVG.
Paco Rodriguez - Continues his rise only a year removed from college. Neither right (.143) or left (.140) handed hitters are doing anything against him.
Hyun-Jin Ryu - Signed a huge deal, but was still a bit of a question mark adjusting to MLB batters. Responded by going 7-3 with a 3.09 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 93 K's in 116 2/3 IP. Looks to only be getting better.
B
Zack Greinke - Has been as dominant as one can possibly be the last two starts, including a two-hit shutout of the Rockies. But, has gone through some rough patches, with an ERA at 3.49. Thankfully he's trending up, not down.
A.J. Ellis - Gives the Dodgers big hits when they need it, and has been very solid in controlling the running game. Also, continues to get on base with a .349 OBP.
Carl Crawford - Started the year on time, which was a bit of a surprise, and responded as one of the best hitters in the early going. Injuries have really slowed him, as his average has gone down to .273 with only nine steals. His defense is nothing to brag about, either.
Mark Ellis - Age is definitely catching up to him, as he's only hitting .255. But something needs to be said for the example he sets of playing hard, which he does each day.
Stephen Fife - Was nowhere near the Dodgers' rotation plans coming into the season, and has already made eight starts, good for a 2.76 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Has been on the DL twice, though, which has held him back a bit.
Andre Ethier - Couldn't have possibly started the season any worse, as he looked like he was trying to get traded. But with all of the outfield injuries, has played all three positions with ease. His batting average has gone up each month, topping out with a .362 thus far in July.
Nick Punto - At this point, is just a so-so player with a .251 AVG. But, made a lot of starts at third, short, and second earlier in the with injuries to pretty much everyone else, and his versatility makes him a key utility man.
C
Skip Schumaker - Has actually pitched two scoreless innings in blowouts, and is very versatile by playing every outfield position and 2nd. His hitting has just been OK at .260 with only nine extra-base hits. Is a notch below Punto because he was brought in from the Cardinals to be a key pinch-hitter, but that hasn't really happened.
Scott Van Slyke - Was playing very well at first, but a horrible .188 in June brought a demotion. Can be a good power hitter, but it's been awhile since he's made a difference with his bat.
Jerry Hairston - Much like Schumaker and Punto, is versatile, and does little at the plate at .258 with 12 RBIs. His numbers across the board have taken a step back from last year.
Ronald Belisario - Had a good April and May, an atrocious July (8.31 ERA), and hasn't given up a run in July. It's the typical roller coaster ride with him, but has at least turned it around to appear in the late innings again.
Chris Capuano - Quite often pitches like a "D," but every now and then throws a gem. He's hard to figure out, but is capable of pitching in either role, making him a little more valuable.
D
Matt Kemp - The last two seasons have not been kind to him. Injuries have limited him to 61 games, and is only hitting .254 with four homers. Just when you think he's back, he gets hurt again.
Josh Beckett - It's almost unfair to put him here considering he's already out for the season, but was pretty bad when he did pitch (0-5, 5.19 ERA, 1.50 WHIP).
Ramon Hernandez - Traded to the Dodgers for Aaron Harang, and proceeded to do next to nothing by hitting .208 with three homers and six RBIs. And with that, he's already gone.
Matt Guerrier - Never was able to be the key setup man the Dodgers signed him for. Traded to the Cubs after posting a 4.80 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. Good bye, good riddance!
Ted Lilly - Wasn't happy to start the season in the bullpen, then made five winless starts with a 5.09 ERA and 1.61 WHIP. Injuries have happened way too much as well.
Tim Federowicz - Doesn't get much playing time with only 84 at-bats, but hasn't done much with it regardless with a .190 AVG, 3 HR, and 12 RBI. To his defense, Hernandez should have never been brought in, so that took away lots of playing time from him.
F
Luis Cruz - Took Uribe's role as the worst starting position player in the majors for much of the first part of the season. Was mercifully designated after hitting .1 freakin' 27 with three extra-base hits in 118 at-bats. Horrible!
Brandon League - Given a three-year contract to be the closer... and didn't even last the first half in that role. Has the worst 14 saves you'll ever see with four blown ones, along with a 6.25 ERA and 1.58 WHIP. Awful, just awful.
Justin Sellers and Dee Gordon - Both were supposed to fill in at short for the injured Ramirez, and both were terrible. Sellers hit .188 and Gordon .175. Good Lord, that's abysmal.
Matt Magill - Simply cannot put the ball over the plate, walking 28 in 27 2/3 innings. A 6.51 ERA and 1.99 WHIP? Yup, he sucks.
Peter Moylan - Was given 10 appearances to show what he had. Well, he did alright with a 6.34 ERA and 1.94 WHIP. Like so many others, he's gone.
Javy Guerra - It's hard to believe he was once the closer. Only appeared in nine games, and the numbers aren't much different than the ones above (6.75 and 1.97). His career has fallen apart, and fast.
Josh Wall - Six games, 18.00 ERA, 3.29 WHIP. That's hard to do! Traded to the Marlins in the Ricky Nolasco deal. What a shame!
(Note: I will hold off on ranking Nolasco, Jose Dominguez, and Chris Withrow since they don't have a big enough sample size at this time.)
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Greinke is all $$$ in 2-hit shutout
Zack Greinke, welcome to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It may have taken a little longer than expected, but after throwing a complete game, 2-hit shutout over the Rockies on Saturday, Greinke showed everybody why the Dodgers threw $147 million at him this past offseason. That 1-2 punch with Clayton Kershaw at the top? Now it looks even better.
The Dodgers scored in the first and never looked back. Skip Schumaker got the start in right for an injured Yasiel Puig, and he doubled leading off. Mark Ellis took a walk, and immediately the Dodgers were in business. Adrian Gonzalez's slow grounder advanced both men up a base, and Hanley Ramirez scored one on a groundout, making it 1-0.
From there, the Greinke Show took over. The first 13 hitters for the Rockies were all retired on 10 groundouts, 2 popups, and a strikeout. On a 2-2 count to Todd Helton in the fifth, he lined a clean single to left, ending any thought of a no-hitter.
Even with Greinke dealing, this was still anybody's game because of Tyler Chatwood, who was fantastic as well. Chatwood gets credited with a complete game, tossing eight innings and giving up one run on four hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. He quitely has a very good 2.56 ERA.
With his pitch count manageable, Greinke was given the chance for the shutout by taking the hill in the ninth. Chase Blackmon pinch-hit in the pitcher's spot and grounded out. Greinke got the next two on strikeouts, with Dexter Fowler swinging, and DJ LeMahieu looking on... um, a generous outside corner.
Two starts ago Greinke gave up five runs in five innings against the Rockies, with a whopping seven walks, and his ERA stood at 4.30. Yet, because of a suddenly hot offense, he got the win. That start came right after giving up 12 hits and four runs in seven innings against the Phillies, but again, he got the win.
Even though the wins were coming, he still wasn't pitching anything close to what he was capable of. To his defense, he had a quirky start to the season with a slight elbow issue, then the brawl in San Diego which broke his collarbone. Did that affect him longer than people realize? Probably.
As the Dodgers have heated up, so has Greinke. In his last two starts against the Diamondbacks and Rockies, he's combined to toss 16 scoreless innings, giving up only four hits, three walks, and 16 strikeouts. It's hard to top that, even for someone like Kershaw. He's locating and mixing speeds extremely well, just as the old Greinke used to do.
Even more good news is that Greinke is traditionally a better pitcher after the All-Star break, so he'll look to improve upon his 3.49 ERA and 1.26 WHIP, which certainly seems possible. The start against the DBacks came on the road, and we all know how rough life has been away from home in his career. If he can build on that start, then who knows what kinds of numbers he can post. Should be fun to watch.
As for the Dodgers, that's now 14 of 17, and it came with a starting outfield of Jerry Hairston, Andre Ethier, and Schumaker (Carl Crawford sat out with a bad back). Their offense has cooled off the last couple of nights, so I suppose it's a good sign that you can still win a game after scoring one run in two games. Dominant pitching and defense will give you some wins you probably don't deserve.
The first half ends on Sunday, as Ricky Nolasco gets his second start with the Dodgers, and first one in LA. The Dodgers have guaranteed at least a .500 record, as they are 47-46 right now. One month ago at this time they were 28-38. Wow, what a difference a month can make in the Major League season.
It may have taken a little longer than expected, but after throwing a complete game, 2-hit shutout over the Rockies on Saturday, Greinke showed everybody why the Dodgers threw $147 million at him this past offseason. That 1-2 punch with Clayton Kershaw at the top? Now it looks even better.
The Dodgers scored in the first and never looked back. Skip Schumaker got the start in right for an injured Yasiel Puig, and he doubled leading off. Mark Ellis took a walk, and immediately the Dodgers were in business. Adrian Gonzalez's slow grounder advanced both men up a base, and Hanley Ramirez scored one on a groundout, making it 1-0.
From there, the Greinke Show took over. The first 13 hitters for the Rockies were all retired on 10 groundouts, 2 popups, and a strikeout. On a 2-2 count to Todd Helton in the fifth, he lined a clean single to left, ending any thought of a no-hitter.
Even with Greinke dealing, this was still anybody's game because of Tyler Chatwood, who was fantastic as well. Chatwood gets credited with a complete game, tossing eight innings and giving up one run on four hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. He quitely has a very good 2.56 ERA.
With his pitch count manageable, Greinke was given the chance for the shutout by taking the hill in the ninth. Chase Blackmon pinch-hit in the pitcher's spot and grounded out. Greinke got the next two on strikeouts, with Dexter Fowler swinging, and DJ LeMahieu looking on... um, a generous outside corner.
Two starts ago Greinke gave up five runs in five innings against the Rockies, with a whopping seven walks, and his ERA stood at 4.30. Yet, because of a suddenly hot offense, he got the win. That start came right after giving up 12 hits and four runs in seven innings against the Phillies, but again, he got the win.
Even though the wins were coming, he still wasn't pitching anything close to what he was capable of. To his defense, he had a quirky start to the season with a slight elbow issue, then the brawl in San Diego which broke his collarbone. Did that affect him longer than people realize? Probably.
As the Dodgers have heated up, so has Greinke. In his last two starts against the Diamondbacks and Rockies, he's combined to toss 16 scoreless innings, giving up only four hits, three walks, and 16 strikeouts. It's hard to top that, even for someone like Kershaw. He's locating and mixing speeds extremely well, just as the old Greinke used to do.
Even more good news is that Greinke is traditionally a better pitcher after the All-Star break, so he'll look to improve upon his 3.49 ERA and 1.26 WHIP, which certainly seems possible. The start against the DBacks came on the road, and we all know how rough life has been away from home in his career. If he can build on that start, then who knows what kinds of numbers he can post. Should be fun to watch.
As for the Dodgers, that's now 14 of 17, and it came with a starting outfield of Jerry Hairston, Andre Ethier, and Schumaker (Carl Crawford sat out with a bad back). Their offense has cooled off the last couple of nights, so I suppose it's a good sign that you can still win a game after scoring one run in two games. Dominant pitching and defense will give you some wins you probably don't deserve.
The first half ends on Sunday, as Ricky Nolasco gets his second start with the Dodgers, and first one in LA. The Dodgers have guaranteed at least a .500 record, as they are 47-46 right now. One month ago at this time they were 28-38. Wow, what a difference a month can make in the Major League season.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Puig won't be an All-Star, hurts his hip... and still has 2 hits in a win
Thursday was quite the interesting day for young Yasiel Puig. It started with an interview on SportsCenter, where he pretty much mentioned "playing for the fans" in some sort of form over and over. Good interview, though.
Then he got word that, despite the huge push from the Dodgers' PR machine, he still wasn't able to grab the Final Vote in the National League, losing out to Freddie Freeman. The whole thing seemed suspicious to me from the beginning, as I'll still hold firm that I have a hard time believing Freeman could get more votes than Puig. But hey, congrats go Freeman, I guess.
Then came the actual game, in which the Dodgers beat the Rockies 6-1 behind a fantastic start from Chris Capuano. Yes, you did read that right. Capuano is about as inconsistent as it gets, but the good news is that being inconsistent means you occasionally are good, too. And he certainly was in this one, tossing 6 1/3 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. Good for him.
Puig has settled into a routine of hitting singles in between striking out. Thursday night? Pretty much as scripted. Here's how each at-bat looked:
1st AB (1st inning, runner on first): Grounded into a double play
2nd AB (3rd inning, runner on first): Infield single
3rd AB (4th inning, runner on first): Infield single
4th AB (7th inning, leading off): Struck out swinging
After the last AB, he was replaced by Andre Ethier because of a sore left hip. It was mentioned that he was possibly replaced for throwing a fit in the locker room after striking out, so who knows. My guess is that it's a combination of the Dodgers winning, Puig was sore, he threw a fit, and he needed a rest. Plus putting Ethier in as a sub isn't a bad option at all.
It looks like Friday could be a day off of Puig, and I think that's a good thing. He's been going full throttle since being called up on June 3, and while his average is still excellent at .394, his slugging % is only .444 in July after hitting a whopping .713 in June. Yes, I'm nitpicking, but it's a sign that he's fatigued at least a little bit, and that pitchers are adjusting to him with the breaking stuff on the outside.
If Puig does not appear at all on Friday, then I look for him to put on a show this weekend. You know he'll want to show the world why he should've been an All-Star, so I look for him to swing for power on pretty much any pitch even remotely close to the plate. And knowing him, he may just have four homers this weekend. Wouldn't surprise me.
Then he got word that, despite the huge push from the Dodgers' PR machine, he still wasn't able to grab the Final Vote in the National League, losing out to Freddie Freeman. The whole thing seemed suspicious to me from the beginning, as I'll still hold firm that I have a hard time believing Freeman could get more votes than Puig. But hey, congrats go Freeman, I guess.
Then came the actual game, in which the Dodgers beat the Rockies 6-1 behind a fantastic start from Chris Capuano. Yes, you did read that right. Capuano is about as inconsistent as it gets, but the good news is that being inconsistent means you occasionally are good, too. And he certainly was in this one, tossing 6 1/3 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. Good for him.
Puig has settled into a routine of hitting singles in between striking out. Thursday night? Pretty much as scripted. Here's how each at-bat looked:
1st AB (1st inning, runner on first): Grounded into a double play
2nd AB (3rd inning, runner on first): Infield single
3rd AB (4th inning, runner on first): Infield single
4th AB (7th inning, leading off): Struck out swinging
After the last AB, he was replaced by Andre Ethier because of a sore left hip. It was mentioned that he was possibly replaced for throwing a fit in the locker room after striking out, so who knows. My guess is that it's a combination of the Dodgers winning, Puig was sore, he threw a fit, and he needed a rest. Plus putting Ethier in as a sub isn't a bad option at all.
It looks like Friday could be a day off of Puig, and I think that's a good thing. He's been going full throttle since being called up on June 3, and while his average is still excellent at .394, his slugging % is only .444 in July after hitting a whopping .713 in June. Yes, I'm nitpicking, but it's a sign that he's fatigued at least a little bit, and that pitchers are adjusting to him with the breaking stuff on the outside.
If Puig does not appear at all on Friday, then I look for him to put on a show this weekend. You know he'll want to show the world why he should've been an All-Star, so I look for him to swing for power on pretty much any pitch even remotely close to the plate. And knowing him, he may just have four homers this weekend. Wouldn't surprise me.
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