OK, this is going to be the last I ever speak of this.. well, that’s a lie – I probably will speak of it again. However, Las Vegas now has the Dodgers and Astros at +600 odds to make the World Series. The Yankees and Red Sox are next in line with +650 and +700 odds while the Phillies and Cubs are +1000. So, I have a problem when people whine and bitch about the Dodgers. Do you want some cheese with that whine? You saw it last night with the return of the guy many of say is done. Clayton pitched 7 strong innings and yes he made a mistake to the Wild Horse, but overall for his first start he was amazing.
Will the Dodgers get back to the World Series again? That’s the big question. Many of you disagree with Vegas because why? Ask yourself that question. The Dodgers have the team, the depth, the pitching and the power to do so, but you have to play the game. Maybe they won’t make it, but when people come out and list 500 things wrong with the Dodgers, Roberts and Friedman, I get a total disconnect. They have no credibility. Zero, Zip, Zilch. ZZZ! If you want to say they they have ‘bullpen problems” then I would understand, but to run a laundry list of what is wrong with them is simply your illusion.
I was listening to the National Broadcast last night and the announcers were absolutely bashing Yasiel Puig about his failure to accept coaching, tardiness and his self-centered attitude. Of course, he was late to the game last night (again), in typical Wild Horse fashion. “Tearing up positioning cards in front of coaches” shows you how absurd he really was. That cancer now belongs to the Reds! He does possess a knack for the dramatic, however.
Clayton Kershaw was vintage last night… minus 1 or 2 MPH. He might regain a couple of those digits, but when he uses his curve and slider like last night, he’s still the Dodgers’ Ace and he showed us why last night. The Athletic’s Pedro Moura wrote this:
“He stuck to his same three-pitch mix: fastball, curveball, slider. There were no changeups to be found. His fastball topped out at 91.3 mph, a tad slower than at this time last year, but not significantly so, and right around where he was in the playoffs. He did not lose velocity during the game. He threw 68 percent strikes and worked efficiently. He located most of his fastballs. He even elicited 14 missed swings from the Reds, as many as he amassed between his two World Series starts. “
Here’s where figures lie: Joc’s jack in the bottom of the 9th was not with RISP, so that stat may not look as good as it really was. I loved Joc’s reaction after the blast! Good on him! Dave Roberts showed Joc that he had confidence in him by not having him bunt the tying run into scoring position. Joc’s biggest cheerleader, Bumsrap, is very happy – of that I am sure!
Remember when we wanted Raisel Iglesias? He now has a 6.75 ERA and has lost 3 games this season. The fans in Cincy hate him like Dodger fans hate Joe Kelly. Bullpen pieces are so unpredictable. Iglesias has imploded after signing a new deal, making it all the more bothersome.
For those of you who wonder why Verdugo doesn’t play CF more, the real answer is that he can’t! Oh, he can fill in if there is a pinch, but Taylor and Bellinger are better…. maybe Joc too. Alex simply lacks the foot speed to be a CF, but he does posses the power to be a corner outfielder.
X-Rays were negative on Bellinger’s knee, but he could miss a game or two with soreness and swelling, I suppose. There was no intent to hit Bellinger which is why no one retaliated. Castillo was wild all night and while he has filthy stuff, he can’t control it well. That, my friends, is a hazard of the game. I am the first one to want retaliation when it is on purpose, like when Kelly drilled Hanley Ramirez (who is back in baseball and struggling at .182 – I don’t understand why the Indians let Brad Miller go instead of Hanley).
The Dodgers are now 10-8 and Hill and Ryu will be back in the next two weeks, meaning that Urias and someone else may go to the pen. If Chicken Strip keeps it up, that someone could be Maeda. I think the Dodgers will keep Urias in the pen for a couple of months… at least. Maeda is battling for his spot as a starter tonight as he goes against Right Hander Tyler Mahle who has been very good this year.
AC’S MINOR LEAGUE REPORT
Great Lakes Loons – South Bend Cubs 6
There was not much to write about except for OF Niko Hulsizer. DC called it last week that at some point Hulsizer’s doubles will turn into HRs. Well, he did in a big way. Niko hit 3 HRs (his first three in 2019) and got 4 RBIs in a losing cause. Jacob Amaya got his 4th double of the season, for the 5th RBI, as the only other offensive highlight.
Stephen Kolek started for the Loons and went 3.2 innings allowing 3 runs on 6 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. He hit his pitch limit with 2 out in the 4th at 77. Alfredo Tavarez replaced Kolek and itched 3 innings allowing 3 hits, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts. Tavarez left 2 runners on base when Joel Inoa came on in relief and promptly gave up a 2 out double for two runs which turned out to be the runs needed for the win. Inoa’s final line was 1.1 IP, 2 hits, 2 walks, and 1 strikeout.
RC Quakes 4 – Lake Elsinore Storm 1 (Padres)
Jeren Kendall led off the game with a single and stole 2nd with his 5th SB on the season. Jeter Downs moved him to 3rd on a ground out. Connor Wong then hit his 4th HR of the season. After Carlos Rincon flew out for out #2, Donovan Casey singled. Casey came around to score on Devin Mann’s 4th HR of the season. That was all the runs the Quakes would get on the night, and all that they needed. Carlos Rincon and Marcus Chiu each had 2 hit nights with Rincon getting his 4th double.
21-year-old RHP Edwin Uceta went 4.1 innings reaching 83 pitches. He allowed one unearned run on 6 hits, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. 20-year-old RHRP Elio Serrano made his 2019 debut, with 1.2 IP allowing 2 runs and 2 walks. Ryan Moseley had a very nice outing going 2.0 innings giving up 1 hit, 2 walks, and 3 Ks. Moseley gave way to new RC closer, Jordan Sheffield, who found himself in a little trouble by walking his first two batters. He got a flyout and a double play to end the game and earn his third save in 3 save opportunities.
Tulsa Driller 5 – Springfield Cardinals 6
Justin De Fratus started and went 5.0 innings giving up 5 runs on 4 hits, 1 walk 3 strikeouts and 3 HRs. The 3 HRs accounted for all 5 runs De Fratus allowed. Nolan Long relieved De Fratus and threw 1.2 innings allowing only a pair of walks and 2 K’s. Shea Spitzbarth followed and walked the first two batters, and one scored on a single which turned out to be the winning run. Luis Vazquez finished the 8th with a strikeout.
Down 6-4, Gavin Lux led off the 9th with his 2nd HR of the season, which was followed by an Omar Estevez single, his 3rd hit on the night. But that was it as Keibert Ruiz lined out to left and DJ Peters and Chris Parmalee each struck out. Overall offensively, Omar Estevez had a 3-5 night with his 5th double, and Zach Reks went 3-4. Keibert Ruiz is showing signs of life with a 2-4 night including his first XBH, a double. Lux went 2-4 with his 2nd HR and a walk. Cody Thomas and Chris Parmalee both hit their 2nd HR.
OKC 10 – Iowa Cubs 5
OKC finished off their 1st road trip with a victory highlighted by season high in hits (14), runs (10), and XBH (6). Drew Jackson was leadoff hitter, playing CF, went 3-4 with a double. Batting 2nd, Matt Beaty had a 2-5 night. Batting 3rd Will Smith also had a 2-hit night going 2-4 with his 3rd double and 3rd HR. Cameron Perkins went 3-4 hitting his 3rd double. The fifth batter with a multi-hit night was starting pitcher Rob Zastryzny including his first double. Kyle Garlick also hit a double on the night.
Zastryzny started and went 4.0 innings allowing 3 runs on 6 hits. He did not issue a walk, got 4 Ks. Layne Somsen was not as sharp tonight going 1.1 innings He surrendered 2 runs on 3 hits, 1 walk and 1 K. Bot Zastryzny and Somsen served up HRs. Josh Smoker, Joe Broussard, Kevin Quackenbush, and Stetson Allie threw the final 3.2 innings with no runs scored. Broussard struck out the side in the 7th.
I was relieved to see Joc win it in a walkoff as much for the win as for not losing to the Reds yet again, and this time due to all 3 RBIs by Puig and Kemp. At least Schebler, Peraza, and Farmer cooperated with no hits, but Puig and Kemp both went 2-4 coming home.
Many of us have been critical of Doc and his constant R/L matchups, but last night he left Joc in against Wandy Peralta, and he was rewarded in the 9th. Joc is now tied for 3rd in NL HRs with 7, behind Cody and Christian Yelich, and tied with Paul Goldschmidt.
Clayton will never be the Clayton of old, but he can be just as effective if no longer dominant. Clayton’s last truly dominating season was 2014, and if memory serves me right, Kersh was out for about 1.5 months after his first start in Australia against the DBacks. He then went on to have one of the great seasons, going 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA and 0.857 WHIP, 239 K in 198.1 IP, and a 7.71 K/BB ratio. He won his 3rd CY that year. Maybe his 2019 late start will give us another year like 2014 with a similar late start.
I am not convinced that Jansen is anywhere near where he was after signing his big contract. His cutter does not move nearly as much, and is 3-4-5 clicks slower than when he dominated. Jansen is not like Kershaw in that he relies on his one pitch to dominate. If that pitch is not working, he does not have a repertoire of pitches he can count on. But if not Jansen, then who? So we need to hold on.
By the way, anyone notice that the 2B who many said could not hit away from Coors is now hitting .396/.455/.500/.955 in NY? 5 BB and 6 K. A lot of positives can happen when you have good bat to ball skills, wherever you play. Go DJLM. Have a great year.
The Dodgers have not hit well in a series that followed their visit to Colorado. It would seem logical that Colorado players would not hit well in a series that followed a home stand. Players are going to hit better in Colorado but have to adjust after leaving Colorado so once they stop playing home games in CO, maybe their stats will improve in parks outside CO.
Maybe someone will compare and contrast this theory with the one about the grassy knoll?
UPDATE ABOVE
..and KJ missed location on Kemp’s single by three feet. Barnes had the glove positioned for a high 0-2 pitch that was designed so Kemp could not get around on his cutter and instead KJ hits too much of the strike zone allowing Kemp to go oppo and get the hit. Have we’ve seen the last of the automatic save by KJ? I hope not.
If you look at Kenley’s splits in the past, you will find that he has some bad months and it’s likely because he looses the “feel” of his cutter. Historically he usually comes out of it. That said, there are in-house options… maybe not this year, but it’s possible. Gonsolin could be converted for a year or two.
Mark, he has “lost the feel” of his cutter since the 2017 WS. He is not the same pitcher, and he does not have the pitching skills to reinvent himself. We have to ride him out, but I do not see the dominant closer in Kenley any longer. I think Santana is a potential closer. He needs to work on the command of his fastball and one of his off-speed pitches. He needs to work on that at OKC and not worry about Ws & Ls. Gonsolin is too valuable right now to be converted to a closer. But I do agree he could become a good one.
AC, this is why I brought up the possible/impossible signing of Craig Kimbrel the other day. In fact, 2 or 3 years ago on the ladodgerreport blog, Mark called for the head of Kenley to the dismay of many posters. He saw the writing on the wall early on and said no way should they extend him. The problem of signing Kimbrel is the problem of luxury tax and no way will the Dodgers keep both pitchers. But Kimbrel would give us the solution to the closer problem that some of us see now. Maybe some bright geek could figure out a way to pull Kimbrel in and ship Kenley out. It is amazing to me that Kimbrel is not signed.
As for CK, he can certainly still pitch but is not the same pitcher he was a few years back as far as command and velocity go. I’m sure he was kicking himself for giving up that HR to the baby boy. Luckily, we tied the game before Jansen lost and won it on Joc’s shot. Jansen got lucky. Mark also believed CK would not re-sign with the Dodgers. He was so sure about it as we all know how he can be. There is a lot of sentimentality about CK that fans have, me included. But I think the Dodgers saddled themselves with a bloated contract that will prevent them from signing any major FA’s for a few years and possibly not be able to avoid luxury tax when some of the present contracts come up for negotiation. I’m not a big financial whiz but they seem maxed out at present.
You are right, I would not have signed Kenley and for that same reason, I would not sign Kimbrel. I think he will be a bad signing. I also would not have signed Kelly, but he is relatively low cost compared to Kimbrel. Kelly could also be an option to close.
History has shown the more work Kenley gets the better his cutter is and if that means using him in mop-up moments to find it then they should do it. The cutter Kemp hit had excellent movement but missed his location by a mile. I share AC’s concerns but they are going to have to ride it out. Kenley found himself last year just prior to the heart problems in Denver and then he was set back again. I’m hopeful that he can find himself again, but concerned because he used to not only have good movement but also pinpoint control. Right now we’re just hoping he can consistently get the movement back.
I am certainly glad Puig is gone. The LA Times article was not nice to Puig. He has so much ability, but it is all about Puig. The team concept does not enter his mind. Teams will put up with Puig because he has so much potential. However in the long run it does not work out. The announcers did not hold back in explaining what Puig was doing while playing for the Dodgers.
Pollock and Muncy do not look good at the plate right now. Maybe a day or two rest may help.
The Dodgers are going to be ok. The month of April is time for Doc to find out who can play and where. He does this every year. Doc gives the players a long lease and in most cases he makes the right decisions. It is frustrating at times. I have been critical of Doc at times, but he does a good job.
Luis Castillo would look good in a Dodger uniform.
I might have mentioned more than once 🙂 that the battle for playing time was going to be more than Pederson v Verdugo and instead include Muncy, Taylor, and Hernandez as well. 2019 to date says that Verdugo has won the battle over Taylor and Muncy; Muncy still has 2018 in his back pocket though.
It is beginning to look like the Dodgers will be a better team with Verdugo in RF, Belli at 1B, and Muncy as bench. Muncy can play 1B, 2B, and 3B so he would be a solid bench player.
Barnes looks like he needs to share catching duties. Whether he needs more physical rest or he needs a mental break from calling pitches ,the Dodgers need to bring up Will Smith. Martin appears to need more than 10 days on the IL.
Seager needs a break as well. Not because he is tired but his brain needs to process his at bats while on the bench. The brain uses down time well.
I have always felt the Dodgers had three lefty bats that could hit 35+ homers each. Those bats belong to Joc, Cody, and Cory. I haven’t figured who the complimentary young righty bats are.
Yeah, Luis Castillo would look great in a Dodger uni. I do not see the Reds even remotely consider moving him. I think Castillo is in line for one of those pre-arb extensions.
“I have always felt the Dodgers had three lefty bats that could hit 35+ homers each. Those bats belong to Joc, Cody, and Corey. I haven’t figured who the complimentary young righty bats are.” That’s because there aren’t any.
Bum
I have to give credit when credit is due.
But like I have told you in the past, it is hard for me to believe in Joc, because Joc is so streaky.
And now he is going to have a number on his back being in that HR company, so we will see.
But you can’t blame Mark or anyone else, and that includes me for not believing, when the Dodgers haven’t either.
Because Joc’s numbers against lefties historically have not been good.
But one at bat doesn’t mean that much in a baseball season, but it is a start, so maybe Joc opened that door.
We will soon see, in this next series against the Brewers.
We both appreciated Tommy Davis as a model hitter during his two career years.
So, has Joc made a breakthrough?
The biggest change in Joc’s early season stats is his K%, which is down to 14.7%. In his first three full time years in the league his K% hovered close to 30%. He had a breakthrough beginning in 2017, when his K% dropped to around 20%, and it actually dipped below 20 in 18, so it’s not like his lower strikeout rate is completely flukey. He’s been trending in the right direction for a couple of years now. Players can turn corners in their careers, and it’s happened to other players as they enter their late 20s. Mark is fond of making the Kike to JD analogy. Maybe it’s Joc who’s in line for a JD-like breakout.
For comparison’s sake, the guy a lot of Dodger fans wanted the team to sign to replace Joc in LF, that Harper dude, is hitting .268, with a 31% K rate and a 142 wRC+, and he’s also the beneficiary of a .367 BABIP. Joc, by comparison, and as a few have noted, has been making contact, but getting unlucky. His BABIP is .179, so rather than regress, he might actually still improve if some of that additional contact he’s making finds holes.
Maybe Bum was right all along. …..still not getting Haniger, though.
…and I agree with the lineup going forward. I always though RF was the natural position for Verdugo with his arm and better than average speed. He deserves more starts.
What’s up with JT? He appeared to have a leg injury he was favoring on two swings last night. Love his grit and determination and don’t want him out of the line-up but I hope it was just a minor tweak and he’ll be good to go. Cannot afford him to be out of the line-up for a long IL stint.
I was wondering that same thing
AC, you got it. DJLM is off to a hot start. But, are you suggesting that the Dodgers should have acquired him? Kike is doing as well or even better, lower average and OBP, but higher Slug and OPS. Since you pointed out how right you are about DJLM, I thought I would bring you down to earth with Corey Kluber.
Everyone was really harsh on AJ Pollock last night, keep calm he’ll be fine. Why isn’t anyone complaining about Seager? He has pretty much the same stats as Pollock.
The Dodgers pitchers need to grow a pair. I don’t care if it was an accident, you drill our guy, we drill yours. I kinda understand why we didn’t. If CK drilled someone, it wouldn’t have hurt, much less put someone out of the game. If Baez drilled someone, it would have been the beginning of a 4 run inning and 5 pitching changes. Maybe we’re using Kelly wrong, just bring him in once a game to break a rib or two. I think he can handle that.
Speaking of Joe Kelly, is he still on the team? I can seem to remember the last time I’ve seen him.
Nice Joc-Off homer last night. Thank God Doc didn’t pull him out the first time a lefty reliever came in to face him.
59
Maybe because essentially this is spring training for Corey.
And AJ has not did much at all in April.
It is obvious pitchers are trying to pitch around Corey, Turner and Cody, so everyone else has to step up, like Joc did last night.
NorCalDodgerfan
Even before last night, I was thinking maybe Turner has one of those nagging injuries, because he has been out of the line up more often then I would think, this early in the season.
Jeff
I remember that well when Mark said he wouldn’t extend Kenley, but Mark has also said, that Kimbrel scares him too.
Because he doesn’t think Kimbrel is what he once was.
Just did some statistical analysis of the hitting stats of the 2018 season versus the stats thus far in 2019. I know that 18 games doesn’t present an in-depth picture of performance. The improvement thus far is noticeable and gives hope of continued, sustainable growth.
In 2019, the Dodgers are averaging one hit more per game split equally between singles and extra base hits. They are also averaging 2/3 of a walk more per game and 1.15 fewer K’s. There is no real difference in the no. of DP’s per game. Currently, the Dodgers are ranked either first or second in BA, OBP, SLG AND OPS.
The Dodgers are putting nearly two more runners per game on base and putting the ball in play more often due to the reduced K’s. This is a good starting place for continued run scoring and if the team continues the improvement in situational hitting that the new hitting triad advocates, then there is hope for a continuation of this success.
FYI, 59, this is an example of presenting a positive viewpoint on the future of the team as opposed to attacking the FO or coaches who obviously lack your level of prowess, in your delusional mind, toward building a franchise for success.
I think Kenley looked pretty good last night. Matt Kemp KNEW that cutter was coming, and poked a ball 2 feet outside thru the shifted 2b area and got the hit. Otherwise, to me Kenley was throwing much better.
Very happy for Joc, but then again, we’ve seen Joc steps up in big moments before. Very happy for Kersh; if he can add a couple mph to his fastball as the season goes then look out.
Belly’s xrays came back negative, thank god, but let him rest and ice it for a day or 2! We have Verdugo, who’s a pretty nice replacement in RF!
Good point Bobby, about having a very good replacement.
Let’s see if Verdugo can run with this, because he has done a pretty good job up to now.
The national broadcasts are the worst. I do my best not to listen to them. They regurgitate the same ole stories whether they happened yesterday or 5 years ago. If you listened to the Dodgers broadcast they talked about Don Newcombe’s wife showing up at Puig’s LA home yesterday with a gift . A mink coat of Newk’s that they wanted Puig to have because of the great relationship he had with #36. He was late to a press conference. Who cares. Like the Zaidi also said in that article, everything negative thing Puig did was also blow out of proportion compared to other players too. There’s no excuse for tearing up position cards and showing that type of disrespect and the Dodgers should have handled it. 18 games in I don’t see and improved lineup and defense with AJ Pollack. Bellinger played just as good a defense as Pollack. The comments that Puig made about he didn’t play his hardest and he will know were childish. It sounded like a kid after he lost a game. The fact of the manner is Puig loved LA, the fans and his teammates and when he got traded he was hurt by it and that’s how he showed it. In a child like manner. And BTW, everything he said about Doc’s management of the WS was dead on. You can tell the stoic country boys don’t miss him, but he was close with Joc, Belli, Jansen and I think JT was the pragmatic friend that tried to keep him on track.
~
For the Dodgers to be a World Series team AJ needs to play closer to the guy who looks like one of the best players in baseball every year for about 30-45 of the season. Every time he fouls a ball of himself or slides i hold my breath that he isn’t hurt.
~
AC’s analysis has been correct. We can talk about new hitting coaches all we want and new philosophies, but this team will win and lose by the long ball. Hopefully, hit better this year with runner’s in scoring position than last year. Hard not too, but this is still a team built to hit HR’s. Whatever they’ve done with Belli is working though. And the bullpen is not on par to win a World Series and probably not a NL pennant unless Kelly gets his shit together. Also, Kike will have officially taken over as the team knucklehead from Puig.
~
Seager swinging 3-0 last night was selfish and could have cost them the game. Very clutch by Joc last night to bail him out in my opinion. Everyone should like what we’re seeing of Dizzy so far.
NorCalDodgerfan
I was thinking even before last night, maybe Turner has one of those nagging injuries, not enough to keep him out of the line up, but not enough to put him on the IL.
And with Cody, I know the X-Rays were negative, but it is probably going to take a little longer then we think, with a bad knee, because knees are just one of those places that can be so tender.
Agree, I will be very shocked of Cody is in the line-up tonight. He’s a grinder and I admire him for staying in the game last night until the inning was over but you could see the knee was tight and tender and he couldn’t put his full weight on it. Running at full speed would have been painful
The length of time it took to hear anything on Cody started making me think the worst.
When the doc hits my knee with that little rubber hammer I feel like i need to go on the 15 day DL; how Cody survived a 95mph fastball to the knee is beyond me!
You just never know where it hit on his knee precisely, because it was hit on the side of the knee there.
But he was an enormous pain that is for sure.
And he will be in even more pain this morning.
I can only imagine how painful it is feeling this morning.
Interesting thing about last nights game; The ESPN announcers chastised Puig for not running out a fly ball out in the 9th. Joc hits a home run the just clears the fence and rather then running soon as he hit the ball. No comment made on how standing there with his back to the field assuming it was a home run.
Yes the ball was crushed but the marine layer knocked that ball down so that it just cleared the fence. Joc was basically as guilty as Puig yet Puig always seems to be the target (and sometimes well justified). But all players do knucklehead things from time to time.
The Dodgers broadcast pointed that out about Joc’s HR. I agree with what you said. He deserves a lot of criticism, but the national guys don’t do their homework and once they have a bulls eye on someone they are going to keep going after their target.
Fully agree. That’s what I hate about the ESPN broadcasts. They really don’t do their homework before their broadcasts.
My two cents or dime a dozen opinions.
I’m guessing Kersh will get to 93 mph on his fastball by mid June, maybe sooner. I also think he will be instrumental in getting the Dodgers to the playoffs. I don’t want to peer into my crystal ball to see what might happen in the post season.
I’m not worried about Jansen yet.
AZ is a hitters ballpark. Pollock is a very good player that now gets to deal with a new home field. He adds to unification as much as Puig subtracted from it.
Agree totally with your point on Puig.
We should have cut him loose in the early years when he had some value.
Some will say that we needed to
Keep him because of his potential ceiling, but it was a mistake to think that his poor attitude and antics that were on display from day one, would change.
Musher,
Like all of us I was pretty happy to see and hear Joc connect in the 9th. But at my age I have a hard time smiling at his antics of pointing, and chest beating before the ball barley left the yard. Come on Joc, wait till you round first base to start Puiging.
Would of looked pretty bad if the ball had been caught or bounced off the wall in play.
I get the excitement and there is a time for it, but let that ball fly out first.
Like I said, it’s probably an age issue on my part.
Nice win last night and way to go Joc.
Joc either was going to get on MLB Network Baseball Highlights for a walk off or for blunders if the ball was caught. He was covering both bases.
Well then, I’m happy for him, glad he got on. To be honest, I can’t imagine how exciting it must of been for Joc. If it was me I would of likely wet my pants, so a bit of premature celebrating is understandable. Good for you Jocman.
1. Joey Votto (L) 1B
2. Eugenio Suarez (R) 3B
3. Jesse Winker (L) CF
4. Yasiel Puig (R) RF
5. Matt Kemp (R) LF
6. Derek Dietrich (L) 2B
7. Jose Peraza (R) SS
8. Tucker Barnhart (S) C
9. Tyler Mahle (R) P
1. Joc Pederson (L) LF
2. Corey Seager (L) SS
3. Max Muncy (L) 3B
4. Enrique Hernandez (R) 2B
5. Alex Verdugo (L) RF
6. David Freese (R) 1B
7. Chris Taylor (R) CF
8. Rocky Gale (R) C
9. Kenta Maeda (R) P
Sometimes you gotta say “What the fuck.”
I have no problem with that. Bellinger and Turner are hurting, and they are resting Pollock and Barnes. This is where players gotta’ play…
As Donald Rumsfeld is quoted as saying ‘You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.’
This is who we have today for reasons you mention
We should be able to win with this but as always, players will need to step up
Well said!
Would love to see Verdugo stay hot and keep his name in the lineup. SSS, but he’s going everything asked of him. Big chance tonight batting 5th with some key bats out.
BlackMirror99
Maybe the pitcher has reverse splits.
Got no problem with this lineup as long as Muncy and Taylor can make some damn contact instead of striking out in about 4 pitches.
Alanna Rizzo said Roberts expects both Cody and Turner in the line up tomorrow.
That is sooner then I thought for Cody, so maybe he just has an ugly bruise.
OK, three posts just disappeared. 59 lost two and DodgerDenny lost 1, but his is not relevant if 59’s is gone. I won’t let it get that ugly. Keep it more civil. Disagree but don’t be so disagreeable.
Peace out!
Some behavior here has been 100%. Do what you need to do. It’s a Dodgers blog, not a place for attacks.
Mine was defense, not attack. But, I may not know because I’m delusional.
Did I miss something?? Dang it. I hate when I miss something. I all in for attacks and delusion.
Has Joc ever had a month like this? Unbelievable!
and he just missed one in the 1st. Impressive
He hit 10 in June last year.
Thanks MJ!
59
Your welcome, anytime.
All I want is an apology from 59 and I’ll be satisfied.
I think you should both move on. Don’t respond to each other. He took offense to what you said and came back much stronger. Just agree to disagree…
You two still going at it 59? lol. Come on now, the Mueller Report is in and it all was a Hoax. We didn’t have a baby together.
Agreed.
OK, we all agree!
😉
The Dodgers look good tonight and Maeda pitched his heart out. Joc is looking good and Corey and Kike, nice to see them pick it up with Cody and AJ and JT and Barnes out. The team is looking much better the last few days. Let’s finish off this one for a win streak of 3.
That hit by Verdugo was Freakin’ Tony Gwynnesque!
The Dodgers are simply a better team with him in the lineup.
my lord he’s such a good hitter
They laughed at me when I said the word “Gwynn.”
you said Tony Gwynn with power. In that case I”m here thinking Colorado version of Larry Walker!!
Not as much power… but then again, he’s not in Colorado…
No, but I did snicker at ‘Gwynnesque’
It’s a funny thing that I notice about myself that I never compare players as being like this one or that one. It just never occurs to me. What I do notice about Verdugo is that he is making (perhaps made) his case for a starting job or at least, an everyday role in the games. He is a natural in RF, chases balls and is alert, and is developing his hitting to a fine degree. This will allow Cody to play 1B more. I don’t think Verdugo is a natural CF and that Pollock still holds the edge there, but Pollock’s bat is lagging and I can see Cody also playing CF with Verdugo in RF, and either Freese or Muncy at 1B. For me, Freese has the edge at 1B because of his length. Muncy cannot stretch out like Freese or Cody does. His body is too thick and squat. But, he’s not bad. We have a lot of options.
Joc has proved to me that he can be an every day player, but it is his power that the Dodgers want and as long as he delivers it, he is untouchable. Joc actually has more BB than SO’s this season. It shows me that he is seeing the ball much better and will achieve an even more impressive season total of HR’s. OTOH, he is not an ideal LFer. He is a bit slow in chasing balls, getting a late jump, and his arm is not as strong as it could be, but overall he is fine. Taylor is his natural replacement if he ever gets it together. I’m not holding my breath on that one.
Pollock is the most troublesome player on my mind, so far. He is not playing anywhere near what we need from him. There is no history of him being the kind of player that people think he is. One year of playing well out of all the years he’s played, is not the way analysts would go about selecting a player. That’s wishful thinking. Maybe this will change sometime this season, but he doesn’t strike me as an aggressive player or a particularly skilled one. Maybe I’m missing something here. There is little to get excited about in his play. I don’t feel the magic there, the burn of wanting to be great. We need another firebrand in CF. Who that would be I don’t know. I get the feeling Pollock will be another Dozier or Reddick, adequate in the field, inadequate at the plate. I want to see a base stealer in CF. Unless Pollock starts to exhibit some power, he will not get my support. Turner, who is not exhibiting power, has my full support because of his overall play and clutchness.
I’ve been wondering when was the right time to ask this question.
This is not hindsight because a number of very regular posters here, primarily MJ, Brooklyn and others asked repeatedly why Verdugo was not given more opportunity to play towards the back end of last season, because it was obvious that the team needed his hitting skill set.
It was particularly obvious in the Post Season that we needed someone to make consistent contact and get on base with line drives and good Baseball intelligence.
Our reliance on the long ball was ridiculous.
People said he was immature, a poor teammate and that he wasn’t as good as players we already had in the outfield, Puig, Taylor, kike, Kemp, Joc, Bellinger, and that he wasn’t ready as he hadn’t shown much in the few chances he had been afforded.
I’m not sure how he can have improved so much between September and April without playing any meaningful Baseball?
I would suggest that he was exactly the type of player the Dodgers were crying out for, and that the powers that be dropped the ball big time. He was there, in the Dugout and I think thathe would really of helped us given the opportunity?
In the 70’s Amdahl was making a mainframe computer that was trying to compete with IBM. I was involved in the justification and replacement of our mainframe and my boss made the decision to go with IBM. His decision was entirely based on this thought: He said if anything goes wrong he didn’t want to explain why he chose Amdahl–no one would question his decision to go with IBM.
When a team gets to the playoffs it is not the time to play a call-up over the players that got you to the dance. He wasn’t doing well as a call-up in limited play. Verdugo isn’t even being given a starter role in April.
Verdugo is getting his chances to shine and earn playing time. If Gonzales were not injured and at the end of his career, Bellinger would not have been able to get all the playing time he had in his rookie year. Verdugo will probably get 350+ PA’s this year. It’s not like Bellinger excelled in the World Series so why assume Verdugo would have. Besides, Doc was sitting lefty bats against all the lefty pitchers Boston was using.