The Dodgers Have a Decision to Make

Posted By on June 28, 2017

It’s on Kenta Maeda.  Kenta signed an incentive-laden contract with the Dodgers before the 2016 season. It’s a very “team-friendly” contract that pays for performance.  I’ll spare you all the details, but the more games Kenta starts and the more innings he pitches earns him some very significant bonuses.  That’s how Kenta makes his money and his agent gets a percentage of that money.  Do you follow where I am going with this?

Kenta won 16 games in his first year and pitched over 175 innings with a 3.48 ERA.  This year has been a little rough but he has pitched every well at times. Nine times, he has pitched 4 or 5 innings this season and on three occasions he has pitched 7 or 8 innings, including last night.  Even with Brandon McCarthy on the DL, the Dodgers still have plenty of pitchers and if Kenta does not stay in the rotation it is going to cost him some big time dollars.

I’m sure he is all about winning, but it’s also about the money (isn’t it always?) and his agent gets a slice of that as well.  I have not heard that he has complained (except that he was not happy to have to go to the bullpen), but it only stands to reason that he is either going to have to be in the rotation or traded.  I think his trade value is pretty high… especially after last night.  Whatever his problems were, he seems to have conquered them.  So, that begs the question:  What should the Dodgers do?

Personally, I do not think they need another arm, especially after Rich Hill’s last outing.  I realize there are some health issues on the starting staff, but the Dodgers could easily trade a starter and not miss a beat.  Other teams are looking for starters and trading a starter who is doing well before the trade deadline could net a very nice return. That starter would likely be Maeda… or Ryu.  My preference is Ryu, although Ryu will not be as appealing as Maeda to most teams.  Maeda is also one of the few right-handed starters for the Dodgers so, my preference would be to trade Ryu.

There are a few weeks before this needs to be decided.  I’m sure FAZ would like to keep all the starters they can, but I believe it is a potentially explosive situation to leave Maeda in the bullpen.  That could cost him millions of dollars and his agent will argue that he bargained in good faith when he signed the incentive-laden deal.  Last night, it became clear that Kenta Maeda has to stay in the rotation.  How this plays out remains to be seen.

The Dodgers have Scott Barlow, Trevor Oaks and Brock Stewart – any one of them could step into the 5th starter’s role, if needed.  Would someone overpay for Ryu?  If he can pitch well for the next few weeks, they just might.  However, it is true that you can never have too many starting pitchers.  Would you trade Ryu or Maeda?  If a couple of prospects were included (Calhoun?) could the Dodgers get a Big Power Bat?  Stay tuned….

Ryu goes tonight.

By the way, do you really think McCarthy or Maeda would accept an assignment to the DL if they weren’t really hurt?  I think not.  I also heard that McCarthy was limping noticeably earlier this week.  Just my two cents…

Dodger Notes

  • Ken Gurnick of Dodgers.com reports Dave Roberts said this about Julio Urias’ surgery:  “...all I know is in seeing the [email] thread from Dr. [Neal] ElAttrache, he’s a lot more optimistic than he was when he was first going to do the surgery.”  Now we wait-Probably almost two years!  The Dodger absolutely will not rush him.  There is no need.
  • It was good to see Joc Pederson hit a HR without swinging out of his shoes.  Now, if Joc can learn to go the other way to drive in a run, like Cody did when he drove in the Dodgers first run last night, he will be very dangerous.
  • The play Kike made last night on his knees was my Play of The Year!  Wow!  He has an arm – that is very hard to do.
  • Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA has a nice draft tracker.  Check it out HERE.  The Dodgers top 3 picks still have not signed.  I have no clue of the status…
  • Might as well read THIS MINOR LEAGUE REPORT.  No need to duplicate it here.  Craig does a nice job.

This article has 91 Comments

  1. That was a some strong throw Kike made from his knees…and a nice pick by Bellinger (he really has a great glove).
    –
    I would trade Ryu over Maeda. Good contract, right-handed = extra brownie points for Kenta.
    –
    Joc just needs to stay within himself…participating in that home-run derby a few years back was a huge mistake.
    –
    Need to see a couple more good outings from Hill before I jump completely on board.

    1. HR derby had absolutely nothing to do with his problems. They had already started.

        1. Check hit stats leading up to the derby. I’m sure it did nothing to help but he had been in a nose dive already. Batters do their real work in the cages. At BP, there’s a bit of directional and then it is HR derby for the fans. We all like to cast blame but one evening of extended BP is not what hurt Joc or any other player who has participated.

          1. It made him think he was a home run hitter. I don’t have the time nor the desire to “check hit stats”. I saw how it affected him with my own eyes.

  2. I don’t know Mark, Brandon McCarty had the yips during his last outing. Management is trying to save face with him. He may have had some knee sortness, however if he is throwing the ball over the plate, he’s not on the DL today. You and the Dodgers can try to sugarcoat this but we all saw what happened and it’s not fake news. I was encouraged by Hills last outing after he finally dialed in his pitches. Maeda looked better last night as well. I would hate for the Dodgers not to look for another starter that can help them in the playoffs when we are this close to winning a Championship. (Maybe there isn’t one). I am hoping for someone more seasoned in the playoffs. Just my take…………………………

    1. I do not think it was the yips. I would never call it that unless it happened in multiple games. He has has tendonitis in his knee and I do know he was limping noticeably. So, we will find out when he comes back. You will never get a straight answer as to how much his knee is injured.

    2. Rudy

      Joc didn’t hit much above the Mendoza line, after the first month of the season, in his first year.

      That is why his average was about 220, before he even participated in that HR derby.

      He was told in his September call up, that his swing wouldn’t work in the Majors, and he didn’t change his swing.

      I personally don’t like our players playing in the Allstar game, unless it is their first time.

  3. Sure makes a lot of sense that being deadline sellers would be the next step in the FAZ plan.
    .
    Ryu, Maeda even McCarthy might go in my opinion. Kazmir would be FAZ’s wet dream, but unfortunately aint going to happen, unless he is attached to something good. Kind of like the Lakers did with Mozgov going with D’Angelo Russell. Don’t see many of those kind of moves in baseball, but why not?
    .
    How about Dodgers being 2nd base sellers also. With Utley, Taylor and Hernandez could Forsythe be flipped to someone like the Red Sox?

  4. Most teams would love to have the pitching problems the Blue…
    There are really good young players and then there is Cody B.!!!
    Watching him hit to the opposite field last night brought my old arse out of the easy chair… What we have in Cody is something very special…

  5. I see Verdugo extended his hit streak to 17 games at that “Minor League Report” link you posted. Talk about pounding on the MLB door! Should FAZ let him in? Taylor at 2nd and Verdugo in left could be very nice.
    .
    Very nice play by Kiki last night. I guess FAZ knew what they were doing playing him at SS instead of Taylor. Also nice catch by Thompson in right, maybe he is ready to replace Gutierrez permanently . I guess it is too much to hope for, that Thompson will be that right handed masher we all want. But I can dream!
    .
    2017 year of the youngsters!

  6. I think a starter is at the top of the list.
    Archer or Quintana, who’s valu may b down

    1. I believe the Rays are tied for the second wild card spot. Seems like the few fans they have would revolt if they traded Archer. Quintana hasn’t been very good this year, but has a nice contract, he would still be expensive and would we really be any better off short-term?

  7. As much as I would like to see Cody in the derby I cringe at the thought of it effecting his performance afterwards. Joc has finally made adjustments and they are working. If he starts taking pitches the other way ala A-Gon or what Cody did last night he becomes that much more valuable. I don’t think we should/will trade Forsythe. Unless we do make a trade for a bat in left both Taylor and Forsythe will be the primary starters by the end of the season with Kike being the super sub and Thompson being the 4th outfielder.

  9. If the Dodgers want to pick up an impact player through a trade, Maeda is the only one with enough value to bargain with. Still, most of the sellers out there probably would want more in the way of prospects for a rebuild and might not be too keen on a Japanese expat in his late 20s with some question marks concerning his medicals.

    I don’t think there are really any impact bats available who aren’t going to cost a fortune (forget about Ozuna), and Pederson and Puig both are looking better. Maybe the likely scenario is the Dodgers pick up another bullpen arm. I’d love for the FO to pick up Felipe Rivero from the Pirates, but he’s quickly turned into one of the best relievers in the game and he’s under team control for a while, so even sellers like the PIrates probably won’t part with him. Maybe Tommy Kahnle from the White Sox. Both of these teams want parts for a rebuild, not aging veterans.

    1. Why do we have to deal with the “sellers”? Everyone in the American League is in the hunt for a wild card, they could all be “buyers”. That said, we all want an impact bat, #2 starter and lights out relievers. What impact bat or #2 starter do we want to overpay for? I don’t see us being big buyers at the deadline.

      1. I agree. Our larder is stocked. Best team in baseball. Why buy? If we do buy, it will be to clean up around the edges…not a big superstar.

    2. Dodgerpatch,
      –
      You must have paid off your bet with Scott because he evidently went out and bought some crack. He is blown out of his mind and writing about how the Dodgers should acquire Edinson Volquez. You should not have enabled him. 😉

      1. LOL…oh geez, that made me laugh. I’ll have to borrow that material and respond over there.

      2. It was a joke. I had fun writing it. Can’t I have a little fun??? You guys take the internet way too seriously.

        BTW Patch lost the bet and hard. But he has yet to pay it off.

        1. If he hasn’t paid you, where did you get the crack?
          😉
          Me serious? You jest!

    3. Does the Orioles have any relief pitchers that we could use, that might be avialable?

      They are a team that are not starter rich.

      And I know they do have some good arms, in their bullpen.

  10. How about Ryu/Maeda, Calhoun and Logan F (perhaps Dickson also) for Schoop. Would Balt. even consider that?
    –
    Something that I have noticed is the number of foul balls on two strike counts. It seems to me to be unusually high this year. Does anyone see this or am I having hallucinations ? I hate it when opponents keep fouling off pitches and run the pitch count up.

    1. I like Schoop, BUT:
      –
      1. He won’t hit that many HR in LA; and
      2. That’s a lot to give up.
      –
      On fouling of pitches: I think most teams are now emphasizing working the count. I think it’s by design.

      1. Forsythe hasn’t worked out real well for us so far, so not a big loss, Calhoun needs to go to an AL team (unless there is a big change in his fielding) and Ryu/Maeda would be the biggest loss. No one hits as many HR in LA, even though they seem to be jumping out this year. Just have this feeling that we need a solid player at 2b and Schoop seems to be that at only 25 years old.

  11. “Maybe it knocked some sense into me, I don’t know,” Pederson joked of the collision. But he also noted that while on a brief rehab assignment, hitting instructor Shawn Wooten spotted a flaw and the result is a better swing.
    .
    “He definitely found something in my swing that I was doing last year and wasn’t doing this year, and it’s definitely paying off,” said Pederson. “It sort of clicked right away and things have been going well with it. Just getting back to something I wasn’t doing before, I was hitting a lot of balls really hard on the ground and he showed me something I wasn’t doing that was causing it.”
    .
    Joc was in 11th place in entire MLB in average exit velocity when he went on the DL. His OPS is already back over .800. He finished last year with a full year OPS over .800 and after the all star game it was over .900.

    1. Bums, I saw that today on the Dodgers site and thought of you. I really like the improvement he has shown since returning from that rehab stint at OKC. He still falls back into some bad habits but Ward sits him down and they go over it, same with Puig. If those two are both performing (both hit HR’s off lefties this week) the lineup becomes longer and more dangerous and the OF defense is better. I have also seen Joc use more hand signals to wave off the other OF’s.
      –
      I would rather trade Ryu than Maeda and would think he would have similar value. Ryu’s agent is Boras and next year will be playing for a contract at $7M it could be a good season for him. I just like Maeda’s aggressiveness and he is a RH guy with a great contract. My only fear is you trade one then someone’s arm falls off.

      1. A player’s OPS doesn’t mean that much to me, if the production is so dependent. on walks

        I still believe a player should at least be able to hit 250 for an average.

        1. MJ. Just because you have a bucket full of cold water handy doesn’t mean you have to throw it into the conversation.

    2. I have long noticed that when Pederson keeps his top hand on the bat through his swing, he hits better.
      .
      When the top hand comes flying off, not so much.

      2. Boxout

        When you brought up Puig in center, I took a look at Joc’s and Puig’s defensive metrics, and I was surprised, you should take a look!

  12. Best weblog name
    Top 2 dashboard and IQ (maybe 1….I can’t tell)
    Most player credit….accurately given
    Most on topic commenting
    Best adult fans…tightest ship.
    Most bases covered
    Best remodel/most improved
    ….thx

    1. Thanks Blue Duck,
      –
      It’s fun being surrounded by people smarter than me!
      –
      This is a tribute to the commenters here!

  14. I don’t think that anyone better than the Dodgers’ current starters will be available at the Deadline. There may be someone but someone that will be too expensive (cost too much in prospects).
    –
    I don’t trust Ryu’s arm any more. While Maeda is only a so-so pitcher (he had an ERA over 4.00 after April in 2016 – look it up), he is more trustworthy than Ryu is at this point – especially arm health. I would be reluctant to trade Maeda over Ryu but the Dodgers will have much more difficulty trading Ryu.
    –
    I like the idea of trading Forysthe and moving Taylor to 2B. Kike remains the Swiss Army Knife who plays everywhere, and the Dodgers grab a right-handed banger to play OF and a set-up option to go with Baez in the 7th or 8th, preferably a lefty.
    –
    Agree with Rudy about Hill – I’m not sold after 1 good start in 10.

  15. It seems to be somebody different each night. Last night is was Maeda, Pederson and defense.
    –
    Morrow looked really good last night. He throws harder than Baez. That surprised me.

    1. It appears to me that Morrow has done nothing but produce good results so far. I would let him keep pitching and see how high he can be leveraged. Seems better than bringing back Hatcher at this point. If Morrow continues to perform we already have our set-up guy.

  16. I do not think we need to trade for a bullpen pitcher. We have Morrow, Baez’and Jansen for the 7-8-9 innings. Two of these three lefties, Dayton, Avilan and Liberatore. Stewart and Ravin to fill out the bullpen. I would rather have Ravin than Stripling.
    –
    Thompson still looks like a player to me. I know he is a good athlete. If he can hit he will be fine.

  17. I agree with putting CT3 at 2b, trading Forsythe, and bringing up Verdugo for LF. Trayce can also platoon with Joc and or Verdugo for the time being.

    I also think plenty of starters who I’d be more comfortable with starting a game 2 will be available. Question is, do we trade the Verdugo/Calhoun/Alvarez types or not

  18. Some good stuff on FanGraphs from a recent Dave Cameron chat.
    The first TWO are my favorites:
    Matt: Most likely reason the Dodgers do NOT get to the WS: 1) Another frontline SP, 2) A dominant setup guy, or 3) Young bats regressing (Taylor, Bellinger, etc…)
    ~
    Dave Cameron: The playoffs are mostly random
    ~
    ~
    Alex: Can you see the Dodgers working a 3 team trade where they add a SP while flipping one of their many SP to another buyer?
    ~
    Dave Cameron: I doubt it would be that complicated. I could see them doing a Ryu for someone better than Ryu deal with less control, like the Cespedes/Lester trade a few years back.
    ~
    ~
    John: Would it not make more sense for the Dodgers to enter a buyer friendly 1B market (Yonder, Adams, Duda) and keep Bellinger in the OF? Only really competing with the Yankees there (for a 1B)
    `
    Dave Cameron: You just named three LH hitters. I think they’d prefer a RH.
    ~
    ~
    primantis: I hate how the Dodgers are clearly manipulating the DL. Why aren’t the other teams complaining and getting MLB to disallow it?
    12:45
    Dave Cameron: Because this is the primary reason the DL was reduced to 10 days to begin with. The Dodgers previously were just doing this by optioning guys to Triple-A after starts; this is less weird than that.
    ~
    ~
    BB guy: Verdugo has a 17 game hitting streak, Calhoun hit another HR yesterday. What are the Dodgers going to do about promoting them?
    ~
    Dave Cameron: They’re going to trade them. They already have too many position players.
    ~
    ~
    Sean: Why would Maeda, a well-paid, seasoned starter, stand for the quasi-swingman way he’s being used in LA?
    ~
    Dave Cameron: “Hey, we’re going to move guys around so that we effectively have a 7 man rotation, and everyone is going to take turns making up injuries or pitching out of the bullpen. This will keep you healthy, hopefully, and you’ll get to pitch in October.”
    ~
    ~
    Quinn: Re: Maeda: you make a good point, but the way Maeda’s contract is structured means he stands to lose $10 million or more each year he’s not starting; I could see him (or perhaps his agent) requesting a trade if the Dodgers don’t move him back to the rotation eventually.
    ~
    Dave Cameron: I would imagine the Dodgers and his representatives have already talked about re-working the incentives.

  19. It makes a lot of sense – deducing that the Dodgers will wind up trading away a starting pitcher. I am still hoping that Kazmir rehabs to the point where they showcase him and get some interested buyers. Even without Kazmir, they should make room in the rotation for a combination of Brock Stewart, Scott Barlow, and Trevor Oaks. Even if we could get more in return for Maeda, I would still prefer to trade Ryu. With Maeda, there appears to be more upside if they can get him to be more aggressive and trust his stuff AND they are able to keep his workload light enough so his arm doesn’t fatigue. His seven scoreless inning last night indicate that he is making progress on both fronts. Not sure what kind of return we can get for Ryu – maybe a fistful of unknown prospects.
    .
    I really like how they’ve brought Morrow along. For a guy drafted above Kershaw, it’s tough for him to live up to expectations but he’s showing us in spurts that the potential is still there.
    .
    I read an article about Bellinger where he said his dad really doesn’t like how his swing has so much movement and that he uppercuts. Bellinger’s attitude is that if they are going to shift on him, he might as well hit it as hard as he can in the air since the shift will take away hard hits on the ground. Clay Bellinger’s take on his son’s swing makes me smile because his approach is the standard advice given to all young hitters. The coach on my son’s travel ball team says exactly that – take away all excess movement; level the swing plane; let it get deep. This is the right approach for high school ballers. But Cody is from another planet and I think his aggressive approach is infectious. He’s triggered a dinger binge across the whole lineup.
    .
    I am waiting for the next Dodger rookie sensation to jolt the ranks. I think it will be Buehler but it just might be someone less touted who gets promoted rapidly through the system. Like how Bellinger ignited the Dodgers hitters, a hot rookie pitcher can have the same effect on the pitching staff.
    .
    I’ve read several articles on the recent winning streak and they mention something that has been discussed and examined on this blog – that is, in spite of injuries and subpar performances from a handful of key players, the Dodgers are winning consistently. Said another way, FAZ and Roberts are still working to get better in areas that can realistically be improved. This team can still get better. And that’s a scary thought for the rest of the league.

  20. When I posited yesterday that Maeda’s contract had to be an issue going forward, I certainly did not mean to imply that FAZ masterminded a phony injury for McCarthy just to get Maeda into the rotation. I believed then, and I still believe that McCarthy does have a tender knee, but I believe that management feels that missing one start or two at the most right now going into the All Star break might help the knee, and give MLB (and Dodgers) a look at Maeda. It was a win-win scenario…rest through the All Star break for McCarthy and a showcase of Maeda. If this were September, I believe that McCarthy would remain in the rotation.
    .
    I am also not advocating that Maeda be moved. He would be a solid #4 in the Dodger rotation. But if FAZ believes that there is a player or players that can make the Dodgers even more formidable, Maeda and his contract could be a very good component of a solid package. The AL has 9 teams within 3.5 games of the Wild Card. It would be very difficult for Oakland, Detroit, or ChiSox to jump over the nine teams, so they are probably the only AL sellers at this time. In two weeks who knows.

    1. AC, I’ve noticed that draft picks who don’t sign soon and get into the minors quickly don’t seem to have good careers. I’m concerned the Dodgers top picks haven’t signed yet. Have you noticed this?

      1. Are you serious?
        ~
        Which ones, in particular, are you basing that observation on and how do you define “draft picks who don’t sign soon”?

      2. I am not concerned. Dodgers do not push their signees that fast. The top three just got off of a college season, and need to get acclimated to professional baseball, but they are not going to be pushed. Understanding the day to day grind and learning how to adapt is what is important for the top guys. Their skills will still be there. That is why they generally go to Rookie League and not a full season league, even though some can handle Great Lakes. 14 out of the 35 1st Round and Competitive Balance Picks have not yet signed, including overall #2 and #3.
        .
        Like Mark, I have no idea about the status. But sheer conjecture on my part is that Jeren Kendall may be balking at what the Dodgers can offer based on their bonus pool slots. He has a $2.7MM slot, and believing he is a top ten talent wants to be paid as one. The Dodgers are at a disadvantage when their total bonus pool is less than 4 teams 1st round slot alone. A fifth team’s first round is just about equal. When everything is settled, the first five first round picks will sign for more than the Dodgers top ten combined. Kendall may feel slighted, but I do not think he walks away from $2.7MM to $3.0MM. Morgan Cooper is probably stalled because of what Kendall may get. Connor Wong will probably be the odd man out if the Dodgers have to go well over the 1st and 2nd round slots. If Kendall wants to go back to Vanderbilt and see what happens next year then Cooper, Wong, and Jacob Amaya (11th round) will benefit. It may be on July 15, but I am confident that both Kendall and Cooper will sign.

        1. Whatever happened to that Funkouser guy from Vanderbuilt. He rebuffed the Dodgers the first time he was drafted. Did staying in college another year backfire on him?

          1. He’s doing quite well in another system.
            .
            Was redrafted in the fourth or fifth round. So seems to have made the wrong choice in going back to Vandy, short term.

          2. Kyle Funkhouser, RHP out of Louisville was drafted by Detroit last year in the 4th Round (#115 overall), and signed for $750K. It was an above slot contract ($526,200), but $1MM less than what the Dodgers offered him one year earlier, as the #35 overall pick. Kyle is pitching well for the Tigers Florida State League team (comparable to Rancho). The FSL is more of a pitcher’s league than the Cal League. Since his promotion, he has started 5 games (31.1 innings), 23 hits, 6 earned runs, 1 HR, 6BB, 34K, .205 BAA, 0.93 WHIP, 1.42 GO/AO, ERA 1.72.
            .
            Scott Boras doesn’t always give great advice. He is consistently good, but not on this one.
            .
            As a point of information, both Walker Buehler (1st round) and Edwin Rios (6th round) were last day signees from the 2015 draft. Logan Crouse (30th round) was as well.
            .
            I do expect Kendall and Cooper to sign, but not much before the July 14 deadline.

  21. Thinking out longer range, Maeda could be a link to a better chance at Otani. If the FO thinks that possibility at all, Maeda won’t be going anywhere.
    .
    Maeda’s contract, even with reached incentives, is favorable at the MLB level for the results produced. He occassionally pitches a great game, giving you much more than expected, but lines up well from all measures as 4 or 5. What’s not to like?

    1. Good point about Otani, and Japanese players usually like the Dodgers. Otani stands to make even more money if he waits longer to post. Maeda reminds me of Hiroki Kuroda, good but not great and eats innings, but a much better contract. Ryu and Hill need to continue to pitch well to stay in the rotation. Ryu is signed for $7M next year, a walk year and will be motivated to get a payday, he could look good to contending teams needing a pitcher. Why does it have to be sellers? There could be buyers willing to overpay and the Dodgers get value in prospects or a team need. There will be more sellers in the NL but doubt the West clubs want to help the leaders.
      –
      The 2 position players that could be rookies next year and make an impact are Verdugo and Calhoun. It may depend on what the teams plans are for Toles, Taylor and Forsythe long term as they currently block those two. Pitchers could be Buehler, Oaks, White or Barlow for next years ROY consideration. We will know a lot more with Sept call ups but no sense calling those guys up to play part time when they get regular work in the minors.

      1. I think Kuroda was closer to a #2 starter for us than Maeda is. Kuroda was really good

        1. Hiroki Kuroda-Lifetime ML 79 W and 79 L 3.45 ERA
          Dodgers:
          2008-9 W-10 L
          2009-8 W-7 L
          2010-11 W-13 L
          2011 -13 W-16 L
          He pitched pretty well for some so so teams.

  22. I’m surprised by the strength of Kike’s arm. Never talked about before. The only “need” is a solid starter who can go 6-7 each start. Can you spell Verlander? Good idea if we could tie him up 2-3 years. I don’t miss all the drama surrounding Urias’ career. He’s been a huge distraction. Deals have been missed. Expectations not materialized. No offense to anyone, but I hope we don’t see him again in a Dodger uniform. The suits finally wised up and drafted college guys.

  23. I wonder what the Dodgers could get for Maeda and Ryu along with Verdugo, Calhoun and Alvarez in a three or four way deal?

  24. Here’s the downside: The team is doing well… why mess with success?
    –
    Let the farm alone.
    –
    Maybe the team has everything they need.

    1. This is how the Rocks historically play, good at home, struggle on the road, long winning and losing streaks. They now go to Az for 3, so it gets no easier. The Giants just got swept in Colorado in a 4 game series including 2 walk offs so revenge is sweet. They are not dead yet though, it’s a long season and all they have to do is get the last wild card.

    1. I’m not a big fan, but he is a very good athlete. There’s some reason they brought him up.

      1. They were hoping his dad could score some Laker tickets for them or his brother some Warrior tickets. It pays to have connections.

  32. The throw wasn’t good, but it looked like an experienced 1b would have come off the bag and caught that one. I think Roberts outsmarted himself on that one, could have had Bellenger at first in the nineth inning.

    1. AS far as that goes, Doc could have had Barnes at catcher and then there would not have been a bottom of the ninth that had the passed ball and wild throw.

    1. Gut wrenching defeat is right! I had the TV turned off so fast in disgust after the final play, I surprised myself how fast I can still move! Guess we have to look at both the good and bad.
      .
      Before putting all the blame on Grandal, we have to remember Taylor’s error to put the runner on base. I was thinking Kiki would have made that play. But how about putting the natural, Cory F_ing Seager, back out there. We are lucky we have the golden boy in the wings.

      1. You can’t forget Utley in this. He had plenty of time to come of the bag and get back on.

        1. Never saw a replay, still amazed how fast that TV was off. But knew Grandal had to throw around the runner, was it catchable?

          1. Boxout

            Chase could have got off the base, and caught that ball.

            That runner or out, at first, wasn’t important, the lead runner was.

            And you know I love Roberts, but Roberts needs to stop playing so many players, out of their normal positions.

            And we should have scored a lot of runs in that game, with all the free bases, we were given.

            This is on the whole team!

            And the Angels don’t have great, pitching.

          2. Yeah, went back and looked this morning. Looks like Utley could/should have caught the ball.
            .
            I disagree that the runner going to first wasn’t important. If he was out, it would have been man on third with two outs, a lot better than first and third one out.

  34. No fingers should be pointed at anyone… 11-2 and winning as a team… Last night’s bottom of the 9th???
    S___ happens…
    Kersh on the hill and lets take the series…

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