It’s easy to blame the loss yesterday on Wilmer Font and that would be correct at any level, but does that mean that the Dodgers should dump him? Someone said that the only reason FAZ kept was so they would not lose him. Well, duuuhhhh. Of course, that’s why they kept him! Maybe the Dodgers have seen enough, but I haven’t. His control has not been great, but he has only walked one batter… and gave up the walk off yesterday. So, there’s that.
I think that they need to keep him out of high leverage situtions like Saturday’s game. The mistake, and I m not going to harp on this, is that Doc should have left Alexander in. Alexander was pitching well and can throw multiple innings. I acrually watched from the 7th inning on after spending the day wine tasting in Sonoma. I usually don’t second guess, but Font donsen’t trust his stuff… yet, and should not have been there.
Memo to Dave Roberts: Consider leaving pitchers in multiple innings in overtime games when your team is not hitting.
So far, this team can’t do much right! They are snakebit so far and have not gotten untracked as yet. No use beating that dead horse. They will wake up… maybe today as I am getting ready to head out to the game and get some brunch on the way.
Rich Hill was simply OK, Baez was shakey but the rest of the bullpen was quite good… until Font. When a team is not hitting, it’s easy to say they are bums… but let’s not forget that they are major league hitters. 2-6 is not the end of the world. Unlax Doc! It’s far from panic time.
I’m not panicking but it seems the hitting will remain weak until a reTurner if there’s nobody else to restore confidence. Without Turner there’s quite a large hole the lineup suffers.
They just need to quit trying to compensate for his loss or be like him and play their game.
I forgot to mention that Kenley Jansen was looking like he was going to implode and suddenly you could just see he flipped the switch. His whole demeanor changed. He’s back!
He should have left Alexander in due to experience etc plus he apparently was throwing well. Secondly, pinch hitting Kershaw and not bunting was ridiculous. I was following on an iPad and it did not say bunt on game day so I assume he didn’t try to. He could have hit into a double play instead of striking out. As it turned out Utley made an out but if he had moved the runners a base hit brings 2 home. No way should he pinch hit there. Alexander’s weapon is the ground ball so the double play is always a possibility if someone reaches. I agree with mark that font should be eased in and not risk ruining his confidence and blaming him for a game he should never have been in. Roberts wears me out with some of his pathetic moves and his we can win tomorrow attitude. Even if he would have left Alexander in and we lost I don’t think he would have been second guessed.
Once Logan Forsythe got the hit to score Puig in the 14th, that should have triggered Alexander batting and pitching the bottom of the 14th. That was especially true with Cutch coming up. Font just fed into Cutch’s strength…fastball up. Alexander would have had the ball down. He only threw 13 pitches in the 13th. With Kershaw on Sunday and open days on Monday and Thursday, this was the day to let pitchers pitch.
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I also tire of the mantra, do not give up outs. Another way of saying no sacrifice bunts. If you are not going to sacrifice, in extra innings, with a lead, with a pitcher coming up, why ever practice bunting. I have never been fond of the DH, and yes because of tradition. But if the NL is not going to use the pitcher in a traditional manner with sacrificing, they might as well bag tradition and bring on the DH.
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One more second guess…wouldn’t it have been nice to have Toles or Verdugo on the bench to PH instead of Ryu or even Kersh?
To have Toles or Versugo on bench to pinch hit would need roster spot. Trade spot for ?Font?
Duh! Joc.
2 for 17 with runners in scoring position ain’t gonna get it done on the road. Font never should have been in that position, the offense let the bullpen down again. Need a big offensive game real soon to get everybody out of their funk. We all know that hitting is contagious, both good and bad. Being only 4 games out after a horrible week is ok, but we need to start putting up some W’s real soon or it might start getting a little sticky.
Although I like both Toles and Verdugo, I don’t think we should make a move, right now.
Because it isn’t only one hitter, that is not hitting, it is almost the entire line up.
And I think it will be better to let both Toles and Verdugo play everyday, and have consistent at bats, so they will be sharp, further down the line, if they are needed.
The Dodgers should have another bat on the bench with Maeda in the Pen this week but arm hamstrung by their commitment to Font whether deserved or not.
This was my point above. They made the decision to go with Maeda in the bullpen after the rain postponement, and that makes 9 relievers. They could have moved one of the relievers for the extra bat. They knew early enough about the postponement to get somebody to SF before Saturday’s game. If you do not want to take Toles or Verdugo out of every day playing, bring up Locastro or Segedin. I also do not understand why it was Baez pitching the 5th, and not Maeda/Strirpling/Font…the multiple innings guys. If you have no confidence in Baez to pitch the 7th, then get somebody you do have confidence in, but he is not a 5th inning pitcher.
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Without Font in the pen, Alexander would have had to pitch the bottom of the 14th, and I like the Dodgers odds better with Alexander in that spot more than Font. I like Font, but is he really better than Venditte or Broussard or Liberatore? Font is not going to start for the Dodgers so he has to be a reliever and the Dodgers have a lot of Font like relievers.
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I generally do not second guess, because there is no way to determine if the second guess would have provided better results. But if there was a game that was so over-managed and screamed for second guessing, it was Saturday’s game.
AC
I totally agree with you about all the pitching moves, especially Alexander.
I don’t think they will bring another player up, because they perfer, the extra pitcher.
I would also give Farmer more at bats, then he is getting.
And like you said, this game was definitely over managed, from the beginning, and that move with Alexander, didn’t make sense, at all.
AC
You are way ahead of me,, I didn’t think about bringing another player up.
Why didn’t Barnes work the count instead of trying to hit the wrong pitch.
Bases loaded with one out, after a 4 pitch walk.
Doesn’t make sense.
If swinging he should have been sitting dead red on one pitch and not chasing that.
Watford
Don’t feel bad, I yelled out, Barnes that first pitch, has to be prefect!
Wheres Timmons seated?
CL225
I think we need a brawl. Someone needs to get hit or hit someone, and let’s wake this team up. Shoot, let’s wake me up. This team has bored me so far this year!
Grandal swung at a bad third strike.
1 – Dodgers still can’t hit.
2 – Jansen looked horrible last night (again). Only 1 K all year.
3 – Something needs to light a fire under these guys.
I can’t stand it…
You just cannot win many ball games with one run. I feel sorry for Kershaw.
Dodgers win!!! Good thing Jansen got the last out font was warming! Kershaw had a fantastic outing plus no home runs. Roberts takes everybody else out after 5 he might just think about pulling Kershaw after 7. He must have been laboring with no strikeouts in the last few innings. No complaints today though when dodgers win yay!!
Kersh…1.89 ERA… $33M option year… IMO his agent and him are hanging in there…
This too shall pass…
I used a term early in ST, in retrospect a little harsh, that the NLW would be a gauntlet!!! Maybe not, but a little competition for sure..
Duh! Joc.
It was M.T.’s presence that obviously righted the ship!!!
Another great Masters finishing round… Damn I’d like a shoot at Augusta from the red tees…
OK, dinner at the Cliff House and then off to the airport.
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My work here is done. I have righted the ship
Thank you. I’d like to hear how Melvin Jiminez did and looked today!
Overall, a great day in the Dodgers organization. The only team that did not win was OKC, and that is because they did not play. The MLB team beat the Giants. The Tulsa Drillers beat the Midland Rockhounds (A’s) 12-7. The Drillers scored 12 runs on 13 hits and committed 2 errors. DJ Peters hit two HR’s, while Kyle Garlick had three hits. Angelo Mora continued his mastery over AA pitching with 2 more hits (2nd triple and 1st HR). Connor Joe also had a 2 hit game.
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Devin Smeltzer started and went 4 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned), 7 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 2 HR’s. Smeltzer was followed by Shea Spitzbarth (2.0 IP), Corey Copping (2.0 IP), and Karch Kowalczyk (1.0 IP), with each allowing a run, and Copping getting the win. In Copping’s 2.0 IP, he registered 5 K’s.
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RC Quakes beat the Visalia Rawhide (DBacks) 8-4. The Quakes scored 8 runs on 12 hits and committed 1 error. There were four Quakes with a pair of hits (Omar Estevez, Cristian Santana, Connor Wong, and Ibandel Isabel). Isabel and Logan Landon hit their first home runs of 2018. After the first weekend, Quakes’ batting averages include Estevez and Santana at .412, and Wong at .500. I know it is a very very very small sample size but Wong has an impressive slash line of .500/.571/1.167/1.728. In 14 PA, Wong has 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 4 RBI’s, and even a stolen base.
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Tony Gonsolin started and went 3.2 IP. He allowed 3 runs on 2 hits, 3 walks, and 4 strike outs. Parker Curry followed for 1.1 inning allowing the 4th run on a HR. Former (?) starting pitcher Leo Crawford went 3.0 innings allowing 1 hit and 2 walks, and 1 strike out. Stetson Allie finished the game allowing 2 hits, but also had 3 strikeouts.
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I will leave the Great Lakes summary for DC who has a great article on their twin bill win today which will be posted later this evening.
Bobby posted this to the above:
Thank you. I’d like to hear how Melvin Jiminez did and looked today!