I Still Believe!

The Dodgers will win the NL West and go on the the World Series.  Some of you have already judged this team as lacking and are ready to throw in the towel and the baby and the bathwater!  NOT SO FAST! In case you haven’t heard, the season is 162 games long – that means there are 144 games left.  You can think what you want… and you will… but this team has great depth which means they can cover injuries easier than most others or use the depth to trade for help.

This team will be fine.  When Kershaw went down last year, many said there was “NO WAY” they could win without him!  I told you that something special would happen… and it did.  This is a temporary setback.  For those who dislike FAZ, this is a special occasion to pile on and blame them.  When the season ends they will be eating heaping helpings of crow.  It’s a long season and while I hoped for a better start, sometimes hot ending are better!

The team will change.  How much – I do not know.

Things to Ponder

  • Ross Stripling has a higher ERA than Hatchett – do you want to cut him too?  Just trying to give a little perspective.
  • Chris Taylor and Austin Barnes are emerging and Kike Hernandez is re-emerging!  A team with those three players on the bench is very versatile.
  • Adrian Gonzalez can still get a hit, he is just hitting the ball very softly.  It’s almost like comparing little league to big league.  He has been in decline for 4 years and injuries are part of it.  The Dodgers can’t trade him and he’s blocking a possible young star – Cody Bellinger who is at least his equal with the glove… probably better.
  • The Dodger pitching has sucked during this series, but I give some credit to the D-Bags.  They are a very potent lineup and they are very confident and red hot right about now.  The Dodgers have ran into a buzzsaw.  This hot streak shall also pass.
  • I would not be surprised to see a couple of pitchers called up today.
  • I think Maeda has one more start to fix his poor fastball location problems.
  • Sergio Romo has never had a balk in his career.  It’s that kind of week!
  • The Dodgers need 7 from McCarthy today!

In the Minors

  • Last Night, Trevor Oaks went 5 shutout innings and allowed 4 hits with 1 BB and 6 K’s.  His ERA is at 1.89.  He is certainly a string possibility for the rotation, especially if something is wrong with Maeda.
  • Dickson hit another HR – I think he should get a  look-see!
  • Yasiel Sierra went 3 and allowed just 1 hit last night.  He is also a possibility for the pen.
  • Trayce Thompson is 0-24 with 13 K’s and 3 BB.  Ouch!
  • Yadier Alvarez was better in his second start, but still not good.  It was a huge improvement, however.
  • Gavin Lux and Brendan Davis are alternating at SS and 2B for GL.
  • Jordan Sheffield went 4 shutout innings with 5 K’s and 3 hits allowed.
  • Brandon Morrow was totally awful last night – 6 Runs, 0 Outs

This article has 58 Comments

  1. Thanks for calming me down. I am still not a big fan of platooning. I believe you should put your best 8 out there almost every game, with the occasional sub giving the regulars a day off. As you said, it’s a long season and we have the brain power to figure it out.

  2. It’s April. It happens. We have plenty of time to get this fixed, but some moves should be considered soon now.

  3. Twenty runs allowed in the last nine innings. Yowser. Send for reinforcements. The opponents are lickin’ their chops.

  4. The roster is set, except for injury replacements, and they will come from OKC. A real measure of how bad this team is right now will be in the next 10 days when they play the giants a bunch. Both teams suck, so if we lose to them, we REALLY suck. It might be that Colorado and Arizona are 2 of the better teams right now, and the records bear that out, but the damage has mostly been done against the Dodgers and giants. If anyone thinks that Urias will be the savior, don’t forget last year when he was brought up. He was no savior, but rather another 5-6 inning guy or bullpen piece. No great wow. I expect the same from him this year. Just something else to talk about. Interesting that Roberts is talking about how important starting pitching is, while his suits say it is “overvalued”. Maybe “importance” and “value” don’t have the same meaning in Dodger vocabulary, but in the real world, they are the same. I agree with Roberts’ assessment. It IS important, and that is why it is valued so highly. Our suits just can’t distinguish between the good and the mediocre. That is why they say it is overvalued. Right now these starters are mediocre at best.

    1. Where did Friedman say that starting pitching was not important? I know he said it was overvalued… which it absolutely is.

      Why do people have to make up misquotes so that they can ridicule people?

      Overvalued is not the same as Not Important.

      Geeeezzzzz!

  5. A good treatment of the “overvalued” subject in LA Dodger Report. The front office is torched.

    1. Of course, that’s why they exist! I’ll bet they are having an orgasmic time over there.

      1. Yeah, group masturbation site!! At least some of them are starting to share their blister remedies!

  6. So many people still have no clue what FAZ is doing.

    There are none so blind as those who will not see!

    Last year, the Indians were 10-12 on May 1st and they went on to win 94 games and then go to the World Series.

    The Giants were 22 games above .500 at the end of June last year and proceeded to just blow it.

    Sometimes I wonder if some of you have ever watched baseball or what you are smoking when you do?

    1. “Sometimes I wonder if some of you have ever watched baseball or what you are smoking when you do?”
      A bit harsh, don’t you think? I’m sure many of us have seen as many or more games than yourself throughout our lives. No need to alienate those on this board. We are a minute group as it is.

      1. You have to know Mark for awhile to really appreaciate him. And yes, he does get over the top sometimes but he does take criticisim and you can call him on it when it needs done.

        So if you accept him as is and don’t take his comments personally you will get a lot of insight and entertainment out of this blog. But be aware, he does dislike the faithful blowing up after a few losses and it can cause some occasional caustic comments. Don’t take it personally though and substitute hope for expectations and along with Mark, everyone will be a lot calmer as the season progresses. There is plenty of time later for dispair if things don’t go the right way.

  7. Mitch White goes tonight. Andre Sopko finally was finally released from the Glendale prison and started for Tulsa yesterday. Did not do well. At least his arm is fresh. Last year, he and Sborz were an effective 1-2. These extended spring training guys are 1-2 months behind the bell curve. I wonder how it feels for them to begin their season in May, when everyone else has been playing for at least a month. No pressure.

  8. It is a long season, and a slow start is not fatal but there are some alarming trends. Jansen is barely being used because there are few save situations. Hatcher is being called upon to go multiple innings in high leverage spots. Maeda is physically fine and got an extra day between starts and got rocked and has an ugly ERA. Hill is still searching for a blister cure. The entire team struggles against LHP, and Forsyth on the DL does not help. Last night with bases loaded Puig hit into a DP on a 3-0 pitch and Turner struck out on a nasty 3-2 slider. Hitting with RISP and with bases loaded has been awful all year.

    There is some good however as Puig looks like a different player and is the only one to start every game. McCarthy coming back healthy and pitching well has been huge for the rotation. Ryu is also healthy and has had excellent breaking pitches yet they have him throwing over 50% fastballs. Like Maeda he has struggled with fastball command and perhaps both should pitch backwards, showing the pitch just to keep hitters off balance. Turner and Seager have been excellent but teams will pitch around them if not protected in the lineup. Wood and Stripling have stood out in the BP. The bench is very versatile as Mark mentioned, and Taylor looks good so far. Kike went deep again and Barnes is good hitter for a backup catcher and has speed. SVS can be replaced anytime and Eibner is a placeholder.

    I like Bellinger and Dickson and Oaks and think all 3 will have a chance to contribute in the near future. Our reinforcements should come from within before a big trade. AC would know who could help in the BP from OKC but 40 man adjustments to the roster need to be made for all but Oaks. Putting Ethier and Kazmir on the 60 day DL opens some spots. Avilan and Hatcher are out of options to be sent down but Fields will be up and down all year. SVS still has an option, Gutierrez coming back may help and the RH hitting part of LF has not produced so expect more tinkering.

    I am a glass half full type of fan and have faith but it is being tested. 5 runs back to back on the road should be enough but instead 2 tough games became blowouts late. Az is a good hitting team especially at home, take nothing away from them their at bats were patient and grinding and wore pitchers down. The Rockies are the same type of team, if either get enough pitching and win on the road they are dangerous.

    The team needs a spark and a win from someone other than Kershaw. Let’s start today with McCarthy and go to SF with Ryu and then Kersh. Let the bats come alive and start grinding out better at bats with RISP. Keep the games close and use Jansen to lock them down.

  9. I think that all of us understand that the season has been 162 games since 1961 and that at 8 – 10, the Dodgers have played 11% of their schedule. Sure, it’s early and the team’s performance will wax and wane during the course of the season. I for one am glad to see the team from Baghdad by the Bay suffer and they may have a really tough time of it. On the other hand, many thought that the D-backs would be better this year when some of their best players (like Pollock) recovered from injury and some of their pitchers like Greinke would be better this year. The Rox are always going to hit but if they get any pitching they could be tough as well. All teams have their struggles – the question is why and whether they are structural.

    This is what concerns me as a Dodger fan. For instance, when Friedman says that starting pitching is overvalued, does he mean overprices or less important than others think? Both meanings are possible. Maybe both? In trying to ferret out his meaning, look at his actions – see who he has signed. McCarthy, Anderson, Kazmir, Maeda, Hill. He has traded for Hill and Wood. Does this assemblage tell you that he thinks that starting pitching is important? Overpriced? Both?

    And what about getting innings from starters? Here is the recent history of the number of times that Dodger starters have gone 6 IP or more:
    2011 – 109 games
    2014 – 107 games
    2012 – 105 games
    2015 – 102 games
    2010 – 101 games
    2013 – 100 games
    2016 – 66 games
    Notice a pattern?

    How about 2017? 7 out of 18 (Kershaw 4/4, Maeda 0/4, McCarthy 2/3, Ryu 1/3, Hill 0/2, Wood 0/2). Non-Kershaw starters have gone 6 or more3/16 games (19%).

    So I would say that this is a trend that has been going on since the Braintrust has been in charge – so, does Friedman believe that starting pitching is not all that important or overpriced (except for aces) or maybe both?

  10. Mark
    I have been a FAZ supporter, but I am starting to waiver. Here is why.
    1. He signs pitchers that he should never sign. A 37 yea old with blister problems. When does FAZ starts to realize that when players reach age 35, their skills start to deminish. You have said he will trade players when their value is still high. He does just the opposite. He signs Utley and Romo. Two guys who have lost it and their teams would not sign them. Agon should of been traded last winter.
    2. He keeps players who have a contracts and no options. Hatcher and Avilan. I can live with Avilan, but not Hatcher.
    3 He keeps playes who did not have good years last year. SVS and Kike. Coming out of ST Taylor and Segedin were both better. What is ST for if not to have some competition for these positions.
    4. I just hate platooning. Put your 8 best players out there and let them compete. If Joc cannot hit lefties, then trade him. Did Robinson and Campy hit lefties and righties. They sure did.
    5. Roberts will not put the game in motion. He will not run nor hit and run.
    I am not a stat guy. I have used my eyeballs. I do not like what I am seeing. There still is time, but Arizona and Colorado look good to me.

  11. One only has to look at Friedman’s background to know who “overvalued” means. Consider his background in the financial markets. When a stock with a current price that is not justified by its earnings outlook or price/earnings (P/E) ratio, it is called “overvalued” and therefore, is expected to drop in price. That is what he means. He’s smart guy and it would be stupid to think that starting pitching is not important.

    He could have signed Price or Greinke or even Cueto. Cueto’s deal looked good last year, but right now he has a 5.25 ERA. He got six years and $130 million. I am certain he will crash and burn. Samardzija? 5 years/$90 million for a guy anyone can hit. Price and Greinke? Both in decline and maybe soon to the surgeon.

    FAZ has signed McCarthy, Hill, Anderson and Kazmir for $48 million or less. Short term deals to players with spotty history…. signed to overvalued but not long-term hamstringing contracts.

    Who should they have signed?

    That’s what I want to know. Hindsight is 20/20. Remember that.

    It kills me when people try and say Urias isn’t all that! Yes he is… and he’s coming. Give him a couple of starts and you will see.

    If you sign those $100-$200 million contracts you block the youngsters who are coming:

    2017 – Urias, Stewart and Oaks
    2018 – Buehler and White
    2019 – Alvarez, May and a bunch more

    It’s easy to criticize. Maybe they should have taken on a pitcher in decline like Gonzo so it hamstrings the payroll.

    Thy have rebuilt and are waiting for the farm while remaining competitive – no one rational can say they haven’t!

    So, if you want to criticize, then tell me what they should have done. That’s the part you always leave out!

    1. The cost of McCarthy, Hill, and Kazmir, is just under, 150 million dollars.

      And with the way, they can’t stay on the field, it is really like, having only one pitcher, but one pitcher, that isn’t a very good, or very reliable, starting pitcher.

      And I am only talking about there injury problems above, not the fact, that they can’t pitch much farther, then five innings.

      And even those five innings, are not five quality innings, most of the time.

      And I didn’t even mention Anderson, who made out well, for only doing one years work, and getting paid quite well, for two years, of work.

      Starting pitching, and pitching in general, is probably 80 percent of the game, and because of that, quality pitchers, and quality pitching, is very important, for a game.

      And a quality starting pitching rotation, , is even more important, for the long 162, season.

      And quality pitching, is what has been the difference, between the Dodgers, and teams, like the Rockies, and the Dbacks.

      And so far this weekend, that difference, hasn’t been there, and it wasn’t really there, when we played the Rockies, earlier, this last week either.

  12. BTW, I guarantee FAZ is working the phones. They won’t make dope-fiend moves, but they aren’t afraid either.

  13. Dodgerrick: “This is what concerns me as a Dodger fan. For instance, when Friedman says that starting pitching is overvalued, does he mean overprices or less important than others think? Both meanings are possible. Maybe both? In trying to ferret out his meaning, look at his actions – see who he has signed. McCarthy, Anderson, Kazmir, Maeda, Hill. He has traded for Hill and Wood. Does this assemblage tell you that he thinks that starting pitching is important? Overpriced? Both?”
    .
    How about we start by looking at what he said:
    .
    Andrew Friedman: “Starting pitching has become the most overvalued in the industry because, outside of the aces, they are pitching less innings, with less starts as more depth is needed,” Friedman said. “We have a tremendous amount of depth on the prospect side and at the major league end by design. Quantity is just as important as quality in today’s baseball.”
    .
    Oh, sounds like he has the same complaint as YOU, “Less innings, with less starts”. Only difference is he doesn’t want to pay top dollar on LONG contracts for mediocrity.
    .
    It seems like your argument is, do it the “Baghdad by the Bay” way. Pay top dollar in cash or prospects for starters who can go 6 innings plus. Lets see how that theory is working out?
    .
    Cueto, 4 starts, 24 innings, 5.25 ERA, $130M/6yr contract with another five years to go.
    .
    Samardzija, 3 starts, 19 innings, 6.16 ERA, $90M/5yr contract with another 4 years to go.
    .
    Matt Moore, 4 starts, 23 innings, 5.87 ERA, Signed through 2017 with options for 2018 and 2019 at around $10M/season. Player cost, Duffy, and top prospects Fox and Santos.
    .
    Looks like those pitchers are averaging an extra out or two, is it a difference maker? What is the current betting line on Cueto opting out after 2017? Did the midgets blow all their money on overvalued starters, so they couldn’t afford a decent bullpen? Do the midgets wish they had lots of cheap depth that could give them similar production? What say you?

    1. Forgot to say, Matt Moore has a LONG injury history, including TJ surgery. How could ANYONE trade ANYTHING for a sickly guy like that?

      1. Boxout

        I think people would say, that the front office traded three young pitching prospects, for Hill,.

        And Hill was not able to pitch, in the rotation, even after, he was traded to the Dodgers, because of a blister.

        And once his blister went away, he wasn’t able to pitch, until late in the season, because of fear, of developing another blister.

        Because another blister, would not allow him to pitch, in the post season.

        And after all of that, the front office, went out and signed this same pitcher Hill, and give him, a three year multi year contract, for 48 million dollars.

        And they did this, even though Hill is no spring chicken at 38, and he has, a long injury history.

        Even though, there will always be a fear, that Hill may develop a blister, that will not only not let him finish a game, and may put him on the DL, for weeks.

        And this blister problem that Hill has, will be an on going problem, because he uses a curves, as his main pitch.

        And any time Hill pitches, he will be throwing a lot of curves, and this causes the same friction, that causes him to develop a blisters.

        And there is no answer to this problem in sight, even a year later, and after giving Hill, a three year multi year contact, that is worth, 48 million dollars.

  14. Haven’t posted in ages, and probably will only do so periodically. Basically agree with Mark’s premise that it’s early. Mark, believe you’ve said in the past that it’s not so much how you begin, it’s how you finish. And as I have said in the past, you’re never as good as you look when you’re at your best, nor as bad as you look when you’re at your worst.

    I doubt if the Dodgers will get buried in the standings, and I’m confident that they have the internal depth to strengthen the team via call-ups and/or trades.

  15. That “Bernard Posner” guy is me. And that’s proof positive I haven’t posted in a long time. Also, I usually do this on a computer, not my iPhone.

    1. I always knew your name but no one else did. Now you have come out of the closet!

      😉

      Don’t be a stranger – your comments are appreciated, even when we disagree!

  16. Idahoal: “ If Joc cannot hit lefties, then trade him. Did Robinson and Campy hit lefties and righties. They sure did.”
    .
    Idahoal, Deep breaths!!! I wonder what kind of contract Robinson and Campy would get today? Joc is what he is, young cheap ($555,000) outfielder who has been known to mash righties and run down lots of fly balls. So he can’t hit lefties, platoon him. Can’t he still have some value? If not, who could they trade him to? Better to play Joc against righties, platoon him against lefties, giving us a potential stud pinch hitter on those days than trading him!!
    .
    At least until someone better comes along.

  17. Mark:

    So, if you look at the projected SP coming in years 2017, 2018, 2019, the stability of Dodger pitching, and the team overall consistency is yet future. I have been saying that this team is a year away, those projected starters are a big part of that, along with parting ways with players past their prime, or those performing poorly, and in some cases multiple seasons of poor.

    The frustration is most fans want success now (myself included), but FAZ’s actions highlight the fact that they will not mortgage the farm and jepordize the future that is so close. To FAZ the future SP arms have a higher return on investment (multiple years), than an older FA signing or trade for a #2 SP (the price tag on those is exorbitant). FAZ will stay the course, despite the screams to do otherwise.

    Will they turn it around this season? Probably. Will they correct the hitting woes against LH pitchers? Probably not; what really have they done to address the problem? Bringing in an pinch hitting, aged “lefty killer” is not the answer. This problem is systemic, and begs for a proper solution.
    Will they make the WS this year; possible, but not very probable – too many holes that other teams easily exploit.
    The future is 2018 and beyond……

    1. Well, they got to within one game of the World Series last year and every baseball person I have talked to says they are better this year, and they say they want to take another step this year, so I don’t think they are a year away.

  18. DODGERS RECALL LIBERATORE

    LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today recalled left-handed pitcher Adam Liberatore from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioned outfielder Brett Eibner to OKC.

    Liberatore, 29, tossed scoreless relief in five of six games at Triple-A, going 0-1 with a 1.59 ERA and limiting opposing hitters to a .238 batting average with a 0.88 WHIP. In two big league seasons with the Dodgers in 2015-16, Liberatore has gone 4-4 with a 3.73 ERA in 97 games, including a 2-2 mark with a 3.38 ERA in 58 appearances last year.

    Eibner, who was recalled on Wednesday, went 1-for-5 during his three-game stint with the Dodgers.

  19. Lineup:

    1. Pederson CF
    2. Seager SS
    3. Turner 3B
    4. Gonzo 1B
    5. Grandal C
    6. Toles LF
    7. Puig RF
    8. Utley 2B
    9. McCarthy P

  20. I don’t know about Urias. I hope he is a stud. He is another pitcher who doesn’t go deep into games. His pitch count gets up there pretty quick. I believe the biggest mistake faz has made over the last couple of years is not having a decent starter at the 3 or 4 spot. Maybe if kazmir McCarthy or Ryu were off the do if could have happened or if Urias was further along. None of these plus Anderson were the answer. On the other hand if faz hadn’t acquired hill we would never have beaten Washington. I forgot about maeda who was also terrible. Probably thought one of these could produce but they didn’t. Our 3 and 4 starters have killed us in the playoffs the last 4 years(not all faz)

    1. Urias went deeper and pitched better than Kershaw did as a rookie. I think he will be even better THIS year. They won;t let him pitch too deep, but he will go deeper.

  21. I hope Urias can consistently go 6 innings. That would be a big improvement from what we are seeing here early on.

  22. Son of a gun, the damn beer isn’t even cold yet and we are already down 2-0 in the first. This is getting comical. I know this will all pass, but let’s face it guys, we need to get the hell out of Arizona, these guys are on fire right now! We’ll get them next month when it’s their turn in the fish barrel. Let everyone kick that Dodger Dog while they can, because we WILL be back! Just going through a thang right now! On to Bagdad by the Bay(Dodgerrick you are bringing tears of laughter to my eyes, that is a frigging hilarious new Giant name! Damn, that’s just funny, I don’t care who ya are!) Makes the weekend not so bad. Good one, buddy.

  23. One only has to look at Friedman’s background to know who “overvalued” means. Consider his background in the financial markets. When a stock with a current price that is not justified by its earnings outlook or price/earnings (P/E) ratio, it is called “overvalued” and therefore, is expected to drop in price. That is what he means. ”

    So, he’s really a stock analyst so he has a purely economic view of what “overvalued” means? Sort of makes the point that some of us have made, doesn’t it? He’s not a baseball guy – right?

    “Oh, sounds like he has the same complaint as YOU, “Less innings, with less starts”. Only difference is he doesn’t want to pay top dollar on LONG contracts for mediocrity.”

    Sure – so is the best way to get innings out of starters to hire the old and infirm? Seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Why are Dodger starters throwing fewer innings since the Brainstrust has taken over? Maybe they don’t think that getting innings out of starters is too important?

    1. He was trained as a stock analyst and worked for 3 years in that capacity and then two years with a private equity firm before joining the Rays. He played baseball in high school and college and college and now has 18 years in baseball, compared to 5 in the finance community.

      So, if you don’t play MLB baseball, you aren’t a baseball guy?

      I think that’s a weak argument. How many GM’s did not play MLB baseball and had other jobs? They aren’t baseball guys either?

      If he’s not a baseball buy, he has sure turned the Dodgers farms system around in record time.

      1. Look – I get it. No more than a couple of teams have guys with major league experience running front offices. Most have guys with some college experience in baseball and degrees in business, economics or something like it. That’s the way that it is now. Historically, most teams had guys with serious baseball experience, if not on the field then running minor league franchises or in scouting or player development or as coaches and managers. No longer. Baseball knowledge and experience aren’t what most teams value – it’s about statistical analysis and running organizations.

        The real question is whether the MBAs and PhDs running teams listen to their baseball people. That’s always a good question.

        1. Well, the Dodgers have more baseball people that most teams:

          Lasorda
          Newcombe
          Byrnes
          Finley
          Kapler
          Hunsicker
          Coralles
          Sele
          Vizcaino
          Avila
          … among others.
          Not counting scouts and all that.

  24. MJ
    I agree with you totally on Hill. It was a bad trade and another bad decision to sign him. He was 37 when they sign him to 3 years.
    There are 5 decisions I did not like and still do not. They are SVS, Hill, Utley, Romo and Hatcher. I just think we had better choices. I think Bellinger, Taylor, Segedin, Urias, and Libatore should of been on team out of ST.
    Taylor should get all of the playing time at second for 10 days. He is hot. It will not happen. Sabermetrics or what in the hell you call them. Did you see any platooning with Arizona and Colorado?
    There are some bad decisions being made.

    1. Al,

      Actually Arizona platoons at C, LF and SS.

      Colorado platoons at 1B, LF and C.

      I am not a fan of Platooning, but every team that has player with huge discrepancies in their splits does it.

  25. I agree with Mark that Urias is special and advanced for his age. He needed to learn the ML strike zone is not the same as AAA and that ML hitters feast on mistakes. He needs to challenge hitters with his stuff and not nibble leading to high pitch counts. He could be the #2 starter by seasons end.

    Not sure what pushing Maeda back a day really does but Honeycutt will be working on things with him this week. They want him to keep his fastball down and use a cutter more, does Jansen have some tips?

    Good move calling up Liberatore with Dayton on the DL and Wood in the rotation they were short a LHP in the BP. He pitched well last year before his injury and was pitching well at OKC. Eibner was an afterthought off the bench anyway, rather have the extra arm right now.

    I guarantee the management sees the same things we see and will be proactive to address what they can and sooner, not later. That does not mean they will panic and do something foolish. Balancing the present and the future of the team is something they have done very well so far.

  26. I like today’s lineup except put Puig in the 2 hole. McCarthy got taken deep by Goldschmidt like a lot of other pitchers. Good to see he walked him 2nd time up unlike what Ryu did with Arenado a few games back. 5 runs like the last 2 games might get it done today but the bats are quiet so far.

  27. Great 5th inning for the Dodgers: after McCarthy and Joc draw walks 4 straight hits with RISP-2B by Seager, 1B by Turner, 2B by AGon and HR by Grandal. Now let’s make those 6 runs stand up! McCarthy has settled down after a shaky 1st inning.

  28. Well, there is 7 by McCarthy! I would have Urias take Maeda’s spot next time and move Maeda back to #5.

  29. McCarthy was awesome today. Let’s hope to God he’s found his swag from his time as a Yankee. We need it.

    It’s still very early. I”m not worried at all; just frustrated by bad play. The bullpen has been great minus the last 2 outings, which has totally screwed up their ERA. Who cares. We all know they’ve been great for us.

    Oh, and that pathetic waste of a 2nd round pick Mitchell White, who we could’ve taken 20 rounds later, went 4.2ip, 3 hits, 1run, 2bb, 4k. Season ERA is 2.35

    1. That is the way I see it also Bobby. Failure to execute, bad play.
      .
      Sometimes when everyone says you are the class of the division, you can get a little entitled and forget you are going to have to earn it. Nothing like a couple whuppings to remind you.

  30. Very nice comeback win today. McCarthy runs his record to 3 and 0 with a 2.25 ERA. Finally some hits with RISP and the pitching the team needs. Even better the Rockies beat up the Giants 8-0 and Samardzija gives up 7 ER in 5.1 IP. Let’s take some momentum into SF and take a series.

  31. It looks like we have two starters. Ryu looks pretty good to me. He needs some more starts to see if his fast ball can get to 90. Urias needs to come up. Oaks and Jurrjens will be next if needed. Wood really is best suited for the pen. Maeda does not look good.
    We need to take 3 of 4 from the Giants.

  32. Boxout7: “Oh, sounds like he has the same complaint as YOU, “Less innings, with less starts”. Only difference is he doesn’t want to pay top dollar on LONG contracts for mediocrity.”
    .
    Dodgerrick: “Sure – so is the best way to get innings out of starters to hire the old and infirm? Seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Why are Dodger starters throwing fewer innings since the Brainstrust has taken over? Maybe they don’t think that getting innings out of starters is too important?”
    .
    I guess it could seem “counterintuitive”, but how about this:

    1. You see the ridiculous prices teams are paying for that mythical 2017 seven inning starter that everyone is “overvaluing/overpaying for”. Example, Shelby Miller. Sure that 7 inning STUD would be wonderful and VERY valuable, but so often, that expensive acquisition gets hurt or proves to be a MIRAGE.
    .
    2. You remember “The Plan”, compete now, compete later.
    .
    3. You believe you got four potential big time starting pitching studs on the way, Urias, Buehler, White, Alvarez and you don’t want to block them with a long Samardzija/Cueto type contract.
    .
    4. Contrary to what many think, you have a budget and your already stuck with Crawford, Ethier, Guerrero and Gonzalez (Total $70M) and others.
    .
    5. You assess what you got in the organization, Kershaw, McCarthy, Anderson, Bollsinger, Kazmir, Oaks, Stripling, Wood, Stewart, Ryu and others.
    .
    6. You wonder, if you have one ace and potentially eight to ten approximately equal starters, where all of them probably have trouble going through the opposition’s lineup a third time, if you might be better off getting five innings from a starter and two to three more from your long guys (picked from starters 6 – 10) in the bullpen. Oh by the way, your bullpen is very good and deep. How about 5 starters, 4 long guys, 3-4 eighth and ninth inning guys?
    .
    7. You know pitcher injuries are as big of a crapshoot as the playoffs. You also know, someone is always coming out of nowhere to star. Could one or two of all these starters do even better than we hoped for, after all there is strength in numbers? Maybe, considering the cards we were dealt, this depth thing might be good. Is it even possible to have 16 different starters in the regular season and win the division?
    .
    8. You think again about getting a true number #2 and remember #1 and #2 above and Urias!
    .

        1. I don’t know if he has already had one. Just read about this POSSIBLE TJ surgery at MLB Trade rumors. Link above. Always hate to see young guys who work so hard get hurt, except maybe Bumgartner. But does show why there is strength in numbers.

  33. Just back from a long weekend in LA. It was great to be back “home”, but only for a visit. But what I really liked (and missed) was being with other Dodgers fans. Even after the Friday and Saturday night massacres, almost every Dodger fan I came in contact with was still optimistic. I was in the Dodger Store in Universal City Walk and was watching the game. I watched Joc’s single and Corey’s HR and then headed out to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville restaurant. Wearing my Corey Seager #5 jersey, I got a few high fives. At the restaurant, I turned my phone and saw that the DBacks tied the game, then was happy the Dodgers took the lead back, then demoralized when the DBacks took the lead. I went back to the Dodger store and watched Grandal’s double and Peralta’s error. Peralta looked like the RF version of Andrew Toles in the corners (Sorry MJ; that is what it looked like to me. I am not too big on defensive metrics yet). But Andrew then came through with a single. Great piece of hitting going right back up the middle, not trying to do too much. We left after the Dodgers took the lead following Chris Taylor’s HR, and headed back to the hotel to meet some friends, full of confidence that the Dodgers were going to start the 3 game series with a win. I turn on my phone, saw the game tied up and the bases loaded with nobody out for the DBacks, and I felt sick. When we got back to our room, my wife asked “How did the Dodgers end up.” I turned on my phone, and I just shook my head, and her reply was, “That good, huh?”
    .
    We had a formal dinner Saturday so I had no idea what happened in the Dodger game until after midnight. But when we got down to the lobby this AM, and I was wearing my Dodgers T-shirt and hat, there were at least 15-20 fans saying, “that’s two games, we will get them today, and go on to win the WS this year.” I had one guy come up to me at breakfast and tell me, “don’t worry, the Dodgers will be up after five today, allowing McCarthy to go 7.” But he wasn’t totally correct…he thought Liberatore was going to pitch the 8th and Jansen the 9th for a save.
    .
    But then reality hit and we were back in Sacramento, and I was back to getting stares from those pesky Giant fans.
    .
    I wanted to clarify comments I made about players being called up early June to clear arbitration dates. There are two service dates. One is 172 days which qualifies as one year service. This is important for FA. This is what happened to Kris Bryant. He was called up on April 17, which made 2015 impossible to make 172 days service time. Yes the Cubs timed his debut so that they could get one more year control and lose only two – three weeks of games. The second date is the Super Two arbitration clock. This is the day I was referring to. There is a good explanation of service dates at:
    .
    http://www.fangraphs.com/library/the-beginners-guide-to-service-time/
    .
    There were two paragraphs that should explain most if not all of the article:
    .

    “First, they make sure that they don’t call a player up too early in their first season so that they do not accumulate 172 service days in year one. That’s why teams call up top prospects after two or three weeks at the beginning of the season. If you wait until mid-April, you have bought yourself an entire seventh year of service at the cost of two or three weeks of play in year one.
    .
    Second, teams do their best to call up players after the “Super Two” date, which is usually about 60 days into a season. This means if you wait to call up a player until June of their first year, you’ve earned an extra year of team control and have minimized what a player can make in arbitration. It may not be the most labor friendly practice, but it’s the incentive structure the CBA supports.”
    .
    The mid-April to May call up gets the one year of additional control, but it does start the arbitration clock. If the Cubs had waited until June, they would have kept Bryant to three years of arbitration instead of four. His FA would still come after the 2021 season regardless. What do you think Bryant is going to get his first year of arbitration (next year)? It will be considerably more than the $1.05M he is making this year, and will be 5 times more than the Cubs would have paid him pre-arbitration for 2018 had they waited until June to bring him up. Admittedly this is a business decision and not a baseball decision, but MLB is a business.

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