Dear Dave Roberts,
We think your lineups are stupid and that you rest the wrong players while playing the wrong players. We think there are only two things wrong with you: (1) Everything you say, and (2) everything you do. We know a lot more than you do about this. We have managed for years while sipping our beverages of choice and cursing your every move.
That is why the Dodgers pay us millions of dollars a year. We are never wrong when we second guess you. Now, just do what we say and play the right guys every game, so that come playoff time, they will be exhausted and the subs will not be ready. Yeah, that’s the ticket…
Thank You,
Mo Ron
Of course, that was written very much tongue-in-cheek but it wasn’t far from true. Some fans don’t understand why Doc doesn’t play the guys they think, when they think, where they think. All I can say is “Look at their record.“
Over the winter, fans were losing their minds over Andrew Friedman trading Matt Kemp (hit .200 and was released), Yasiel Puig (.230 with a .274 OB%), Kyle Farmer (.247 BA) and Alex Wood (never has played) for (gasp) two minor leaguers they had never heard of, who are now two of the Dodgers top prospects. In the meantime, the Dodgers have gotten better by subtraction. All I can say is “Look at their record. The first team to 50 wins.”
For the first 11+ weeks of this season, the fans have ragged on the Andrew Friedman not improving the bullpen, but that nonsense is kind of dying as the bullpen is improving. The Dodgers are now tied with ATLANTA for 9th in bullpen ERA… and trending up, especially now that Wild Man Kelly is starting to look like Machine Gun Kelly. I’m starting to see the 8th inning guy the Dodgers wanted.
I think Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts have learned something: Start slowly and use the first few weeks of the season to get into shape (many fans lost their minds about that too), ramp up, play everyone, even the players fans think are horrible like CT3 and Kike, and give the team plenty of rest. Guys like Freese, Pollock, and Turner need it. Make sure they are fresh in October. That’s the only thing that counts. They know that.
If everyone is hitting as they should, even Barnes is a huge asset. Let me remind those who don’t know that catchers do a lot more than hit. Austin Barnes and Russ Martin catch the best pitching staff in baseball. “Look at their record. The first team to 50 wins.”
The Dodgers just took over the team ERA lead for all of MLB. They now have a 3.17 ERA to Tampa Bay’s 3.19. I told you earlier that TB’s ERA was unsustainable. It was sad to see Rich Hill have to ask out of a game and whenever you hear “forearm” you think Tommy John. I hope that’s not it, but if it is the Dodgers do have the depth to handle it. The guy who will take his place might very well be the Dodgers’ Ace in a year or two.
Hopefully, it is just a forearm strain, but if it is more than that, this could be the end of Rich Hill’s career, unless he has one more comeback in him and wants to retire a Dodger. I think he would be a great replacement for Rick Honeycutt in the future, but maybe he doesn’t want that? At any rate, he is 30-16 with a 3.20 ERA and 1.080 WHIP as a Dodger. I will never forget Rich Hill. They will do an MRI today.
Kike Hernandez continues to struggle, even after his Grand Slam, but let’s not forget he hit .294 the second half of 2018. CT3 had a great night to build on, but the fact of the matter is that when everyone is healthy, both are role players… stuntmen! Kike will hit leadoff again tonight against MadBum. Mad Max will also be happy to see the Bum. Hopefully, he wears this t-shirt in BP.
Minor League Report
Mercifully, OKC did not play.
Tulsa Drillers 6 Frisco Rough Riders 2 – Cody Thomas and DJ Peters each launched two-run homers on Wednesday afternoon at ONEOK Field as the Tulsa Drillers stayed hot and completed a three-game sweep of the Frisco RoughRiders. The home runs backed a strong outing from starting pitcher Justin De Fratus as Tulsa defeated Frisco 6-2. The Drillers are a perfect 6-0 against the RoughRiders this season and have now won 12 straight games against the ‘Riders dating back to last year.
The Drillers got the scoring started quickly in the bottom of the first inning. After Gavin Lux singled to lead off the inning, Thomas hit a line drive into the bullpen beyond the right field wall to give Tulsa a 2-0 lead.
The Drillers added to their lead with a big fifth inning. With runners on first and second, Zach McKinstry lined a double into the right-center gap, scoring both runners. Peters capped the inning with a towering home run that landed in the Busch Terrace in left field, extending the Drillers lead to 6-0.
De Fratus was once again very good in his start on the mound. Frisco was able to put two runs on the board in the sixth, but that was all the former major leaguer would allow. De Fratus struck out five in his second consecutive seven-inning start.
Yordy Cabrera was called upon to record the final six outs of the game. He did just that, allowing only one hit and preserving the Drillers third straight victory.
Drew Avans got his first AA start, but was hitless.
Rancho Cucamonga was off for their All-Star Break.
The GL Loons also were off for the same reason.
Orem Owiz 9 Ogden Raptors 4 – Sauryn Lao went 2-3 with a double and Jon Littell as also 2-4. Justin Yurchak also had a hit as did catcher Ramon Rodriguez. Kevin Malisheski gave up 3 runs in the third inning after giving up 1 in the first inning and that was the game.
AZL Mariners 6 AZL Dodgers Mota 3 – Kody Hoese went 2-4 with his 4th double and is hitting a crisp .778. I can’t imagine he will be here long. Andres Noriega and Jeremiah Vison also had 2 hits in the loss.
I’ll get to the DSL Later.
MT, you outdid yourself today. Best article so far this season. The bullpen is definitely ticking up and I can’t remember the last time Doc brought in Alexander to face a lefty or use 4 pitchers in one inning. That’s not to say we don’t still need to improve, but it’s nice to see Floro and Kelly not being completely useless lately. Both are dirty, but I don’t trust either to pitch in the 8th in the post season.
Good news? “All things, right now, are much more positive than that. We did a preliminary ultrasound on it and the ligament looked good, intact, everything fine there. Maybe a forearm strain.”
I was pretty sad to see Rich Hill walk off the field last night. He’s got a great story and is a guy you can’t help but root for. Hopefully, he can come back sooner than later.
CT3 sure stepped up last night. Hopefully, he’s turning the corner. Kike, is another story, but he will come up clutch off the bench more often than not.
Looking for another beat down tonight. Go get it out of the parking lot!
I admit there are many times I want to Doctor My Eyes when I see Doc’s lineup card.
The only question you need to ask is “who on this current team do you trust in the 7th or 8th inning of a playoff game?” If your answer is “uhhh, nobody”, then we need to go get somebody we do trust. This is about October, not about June vs a garbage sf lineup.
It’d be AMAZING if Kelly took 4 months to round into form, and become last year’s postseason Joe Kelly. But we can’t sit and wait around until August/September to know that. Trade deadline is July 31. Go get an impact reliever, and God willing Kelly also figures it out. As we all know, Doc will use 5 pitchers a night in October so we need strong, reliable options. Get Brad Hand, and let the rest of the pen settle into a less pressure filled role and get their mojo in time for October.
CT3’s swings have been better, and the balls he’s hit seem to be harder the las few days. Hopefully this is a good sign, as we’ll need him to carry the SS position for the next month (and then maybe 2b after that).
Hopefully the injury to Hill isn’t serious. I think we all agree he’s become a very likeable Dodger to root for.
I know that it is fashionable for many to think that the Dodgers do not have to make any changes to win the WS. All the players they need are already on the roster or a phone call away at AAA or AA. There is no question that depth is needed for a 162-game schedule, and the Dodgers have the best depth in MLB. But it is generally the All Stars that take over come the playoffs (No, not always, but generally). The Dodgers have more than their share of All Star quality players, but not so much in the bullpen. It is not nonsense or make one an anti-AF or anti-Doc fan to believe the team can improve.
Several days ago I asked the question, do you want to spend the prospect capital on the bullpen or a RH bat? I kept reading that some wanted that RH bat, and some were stuck on Nick Castellanos or Jose Abreu, so I came up with another possible RH bat for consideration…Orioles LF Trey Mancini. I was not advocating for Mancini, but IMO he is more of a game changer and is controllable for a longer period of time than either Castellanos or Abreu. So if you are going to get another bat, make it more of a longer term game changer than a 3 month rental. I will be clear. I am more than okay if the Dodgers do not make any moves to replace any of the current 12 position players currently on the 25-man roster. However, I would not object if the Dodgers picked up another veteran bat for the playoffs bench when the position players expand to 13. I like Beaty and Smith, but in the WS I would prefer a veteran like Steve Pearce coming off the bench. Or even a gimpy legged Kirk Gibson.
I have been steadfast in my quest for additional pitching in general and relief pitching specifically. I have also been steadfast in that I would not at all be in favor of just adding a relief pitcher, or two, or three, and claim that the bullpen “problem” has been solved. I agree with Bobby…this is ALL ABOUT OCTOBER. Changes MUST be game changers THIS YEAR and not just more depth. I know that limits the talent pool to just a handful, but that is all that is needed. If you are more comfortable with Yimi Garcia/Scott Alexander/Dylan Floro/Joe Kelly than Brad Hand/Will Smith/Ken Giles/Felipe Vazquez/Shane Greene, then you are simply a homer. I will leave the moron tag for MT to hand out. If the Dodgers can pick up Brad Hand (which I doubt because Cleveland is very much in the playoff picture) that would make their bullpen exponentially better. The same is true with Will Smith. I am fine with giving Ken Giles a chance, while I certainly understand those that are not comfortable with him. If I were to take a slight drop from proven high leverage reliever, I would be comfortable with Cleveland RHRP Nick Wittgren. 13 inherited runners in 25.1 IP, and all 13 stranded. He is an 8th inning reliever. But how much of an improvement would he be over Baez or a revamped Kelly? However, I am in the frame of mind…Brad Hand or Will Smith or bust.
Based on prior deadline experiences with relievers, the Dodgers are more apt to pick up the likes of Jake Diekman, or Tony Sipp, or Kelvin Herrera, or Jace Fry, or Adam Cimber, and hope to catch lightening in a bottle one more time.
AC, it’s time to start naming names of the players you would give up to land an elite reliever.
If I were actually making a decision on a trade the first thing I would do is project the lineup and rotation for each of the next 5 years. That would show the holes if some of those players were traded for a reliever now.
Mike Trout is leading the AL in:
Runs
Home runs
RBI
OBP
SLG
OPS
OPS+
Total bases
IBB
Hbp !
And
WAR
AC, thank you for the detailed explanation of how a win or loss is given in a bullpen game. Sounds complicated to me and seems to be a judgement call by the official scorekeeper.
AC, totally agree. Time for AF to step up like Epstein did in 16 with Chapman. Smith or Hand and whatever it takes. This is our best shot for a WS title! “If not now then when”!
Mark,
I agree with your article, but not about Kelly (so far). Ok I have not seen every game. But if he has three good innings in mop up roles doesn’t mean he is making progress when he had that terrible blown game when it counted.
As for getting a right handed bat. If Muncy, Bellinger, Verdugo hit lefties the way they have been, then maybe we don’t need another guy.
I am all for improving the bullpen, but not at any price, Many people thought the Dodgers could have offered a better package for Christain Yelich than the Brewers, but what did the Marlins want? We know they wanted Bellinger for Realmuto and would not back down. Some fans were ready to do that. AF was not! The Marlins received Lewis Brinson, who was ranked higher than Alex Verdugo, Isan Diaz and Monte Harrison (who are both playing very well at AAA right now), and Jordon Yamamoto who has started two games for the Marlins and looks outstanding.
As AC said, you never know how other teams value your prospects and it’s not likely Hand will be on the market as Cleveland is heating up. Would you give up Will Smith or Kaybear Ruiz for Will Smith? Tony Gonsolin? You will be seeing them 18-19 times a year. Unless Farhan asked for a prospect like Alvarez, I would not trade with the Giants. The question is: “Who do you get that is better than what we have?”
Relief pitchers are very fickle. Lou Trevino had a 2.92 ERA last year for the A’s. This year his ERA is 4.93 and his WHIP is 1.529. Blake Treinen, whom everyone wanted last year because he had a 0.78 ERA and a 0.83 4 WHIP now has a 3.31 ERA and a 1.415 WHIP.
The reliever you trade for may not be the reliever you get.
“The reliever you trade for may not be the reliever you get.” True, he may be better. That same comment can also be made for any player that you trade for or call up. You give it your best shot with your best talent evaluators and hope for the best. Having the bullpen put up good numbers against the lowly Giants does not build confidence.
I would have a tough time trading with the Giants, but I think you are overestimating the cost for a rental like Will Smith. Would I trade Ruiz for Brad Hand? I think I would. I do not have the scouting reports on Ruiz that the Dodgers have, so I do not know how close he really is. It is irrelevant to me how high he is rated, since Francisco Mejia was the #1 catcher prospect for multiple years, and he cannot crack the Padres roster. Before people get too excited with MiLB numbers, Mejia was batting .365/.411/.746/1.157 at AAA, but in a similar number PA, Mejia is batting .177/.212/.306/.519 for the Padres.
You stated that PCL numbers are inflated. While I generally agree with you, Dennis Santana and Mitch White have not been good pitchers and should not be considered for advancement. Their ERA’s would put Santana in the bottom 25% of the pitchers’ ERA’s and White in the bottom 5%. So while the numbers may be inflated, their pitching puts them well in the bottom of the league. They may turn it around, but not before the trade deadline. We do not know if Gonsolin is fully healthy yet, so he should not be considered to advance. So your organizational choices to improve would be Rosscup, Shaggy, Sborz, Schultz, Quackenbush, Corcino, Stewart, McCreery, Grimm, Allie, and Broussard. I would not consider any of those an improvement over the Dodgers current bullpen.
So your choices are trade for the upgrade or go with what you have. You are far more confident than me that the current bullpen is WS caliber. I would trade for the upgrade, but not for John Axford or Ryan Madson. I left out Zac Rosscup because he is already in the organization and we already know how AF feels about him. I am surprised he is not already on the 25 man. I am not saying I am right or you are right. I am willing to pay a reasonable price for a better chance to win this year while you are reticent to trade away any decent prospect because it may hamper next year and the years after. For me, I have waited 31 years, and I realize that next year may never come.
Is anyone really against improving the team they root for?
I think it turns out, more times than not, to be a question of opportunity, need and cost (in salary and trade assets) and of short/medium/long term impact.
OFF TOPIC:
My memory fails, but didn’t someone on this board question the success of the 76ers’ process?
yes
I’ll post an opinion on the question asked by AC – right handed bat vs bullpen arm(s)
I think AF should acquire more bullpen arms and pay a premium if necessary. In 2017 we had a good bullpen. But Doc would take starters out early (e.g., Rich Hill) and the bullpen started to get fatigued and eventually started yielding high leverage runs. I think we just need more arms to deal with all the matchups and pitching changes that Dave Roberts will make. In the 2017 post season, Maeda was great coming out of the pen… until he got overused and started getting hit vs the Astros. It used to be the line on Kenley was that he needed work to stay sharp. Now, I hear that he needs more rest to stay sharp. Kenley got a lot of work in the 2017 post season. Eventually, his cutter got flat and he blew some saves vs the Astros. More quality bullpen arms will help, even if Kenley, Floro, Baez, Kelly, Yimi Garcia, Caleb Ferguson pitch well the rest of this season.
As for a right handed bat, I think AF should get one only if a good trade presents itself. I would not overpay for a right handed bat. I think there’s a good chance that two of AJ Polluck, Kike, Chris Taylor, Will Smith, or Kyle Garlick will get hot at the right time. I think Freeze will continue to rake in the clutch – so that’s another quality right handed bat. I think Muncy, Bellinger and Seager will all be productive vs LHP. In 2017, Seager and Bellinger couldn’t hit LHP but this year I think they will be much better vs LHP in the post season. I am not counting on Joc or Beatty to hit LHP or Barnes to hit as well as he did in 2017. But I think the other guys will make up for it.
A RH bat without a doubt if it’s Mike Trout.
I would offer:
Our top 20 TWENTY prospects.
Rich Hill
Joc Pederson
Ross Stripling
The controversial 23 for 1 trade.
Bleacher Report lists each teams biggest offseason mistakes:
Cincinnati Reds
Between Sonny Gray, Tanner Roark and Derek Dietrich, the Cincinnati Reds made some of the better additions of any team during the offseason. Their deal for Yasiel Puig, however, is a different story.
To be fair, the Reds also got Alex Wood, Matt Kemp and Kyle Farmer from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a December blockbuster. Yet Puig was the main draw and therefore primarily responsible for ensuring the Reds wouldn’t miss the two prospects they sent away.
Alas, Puig has gone “thud” with a .682 OPS and zero wins above replacement. Farmer has also been a dud. Wood has yet to pitch this season because of a bad back. Kemp was released in early May.
Adding insult to injury is the fact that the two prospects who left Cincinnati—right-hander Josiah Gray and infielder Jeter Downs—are having strong seasons in the Dodgers system.
Los Angeles Dodgers:
The Dodgers are having an impressive season. What makes it look even more impressive is the fact that their biggest offseason move has also been their least fruitful one.
In the wake of the trade that sent Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to the Reds, the Dodgers’ solution to their sudden outfielder shortage was to sign A.J. Pollock to a four-year, $55 million deal.
Pollock’s injury history and post-prime production meant the Dodgers were taking on some risk with his deal. Sure enough, Pollock was a dud out of the gate before going under the knife to correct an issue relating to an elbow injury that initially sidelined him in 2016.
Pollock hasn’t played since April 28. Meanwhile, the Dodgers outfield’s MLB-best WAR is raising questions about how big a role he should play upon his return.
Does anyone here know why Dennis Gilbert is not in his usual seat behind home plate? Have not seen him for ages and hope he is ok. Miss seeing Mr. Suit (I call him that) there most every game.
I mentioned that same thing to my wife last night.
I noticed the same thing. Mr. Gilbert would probably be pleased and amazed that so many fans noticed his absence. He’s probably very capable financially of taking a nice long vacation somewhere so let’s assume that’s where he is until we find out otherwise. After all, he doesn’t want to be overworked when playoff time comes.
Mark, use your sources to find out where Mr. Suit is.
I absolutely loved that trade over the winter with the Reds. I absolutely agree the Dodgers got better by subtraction.
The reason why I want the Dodgers to still play for the kill instead of what you said about resting for October is because I’d like to see the Dodgers with the best record in all of baseball by say 3 games. As good as this Dodger team is, a 3 game lead for best record in all of baseball I believe would be enough to sustain the rest of the season barring any bigtime injuries. We’re getting close with a 1 game lead in all of baseball.
I’ve said a couple times that I would not trade ANY peice of our offense for anything and this in cludes Taylor, Hernandez, Barnes. All I said was that when all 3 were in a slump don’t bat them back to back to back and then the pitcher, because while in the slump that is just about 4 outs in a row.
Any talk of the bullpen getting better is jumping the gun considering the Dodgers have played the Giants who have the 2nd worst team OPS in the league. And we have played them 6 games in our last 12 games and still have 1 more to go.
Hope for the best for Rich Hill.
We don’t need to trade for more offense.
Good pitching beats good hitting.
I love this offense.
The trade looked like Freidman gave it away, but as it plays out, Puig is once again inconsistent, Wood is hurt again, and those two guys in the minors we got could either challenge for a spot on the ML roster or be great trade pieces come July 31st. By the way, my wife and I are also wondering where Dennis Gilbert is, did he get aced out of those seats this year? Not the same crowd behind home plate, that’s for sure.
He was seated there up until a few weeks ago. Maybe he and his wife are exploring the world.
I just checked MLB.tv and the last game he was at was May 14 vs SD
I would like to point out that I was the guy who announced that CT3 would start hitting once he played every day at shortstop and wasn’t concerned about having to produce or be benched.
I am officially taking my victory lap and refuse to acknowledge any bad results he had before the last two games (or any in games yet to be played) 🙂
Even a blind squirrel, eh? I’m glad for Taylor, I wanted him to play second and bat leadoff all offseason. Then, he sucked and lost that job to Kike, who now sucks more.
I agree with Singin The Blue. Mark, I know you got juice somewhere to find out where Mr. Suit is.Make it happen, man! My wife and I were just laughing about how many people notice him being gone behind home plate. Dudes been a fixture for years, I always check out who he brings every game, sometimes his wife, sometimes the fellas from work. Mary Hart is usually 5 or seats to the right of him too. Just seems like a bunch of faces back there right now. C’mon Mark, I know you got connections!
I’m okay if Mr. Suit sits out a few games as long as we still have Mary back there.
Thanks Mark, in advance. Would really appreciate it and hope he is only on vacation for a while. I know it probably sounds silly, but one of the first things I check when a game starts is to see if Mr. Suit is there. Over the years, I have come to recognize several of the people alongside him when the Dodgers are at home.
Rich Hill will be ‘out a while’ with flexor tendon strain in left arm
At Pacers Draft Party
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Public Relations
June 20, 2019 (323) 224-1301
DODGERS RECALL CHARGOIS & SBORZ
LHP HILL PLACED ON IL, INF BEATY OPTIONED TO TRIPLE-A
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today recalled right-handed pitchers JT Chargois and Josh Sborz from Triple-A Oklahoma City. To make room on the 25-man roster, the Dodgers placed left-handed pitcher Rich Hill on the 10-day injured list with left forearm strain and optioned infielder Matt Beaty to Oklahoma City.
Chargois, 28, returns for his third stint with the club. In his first stop, he tossed 1.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits in two games. The former Rice Owl has posted a 1-2 mark with a 2.17 ERA (7 ER/29.1 IP) and 34 strikeouts in 24 games with Oklahoma City. The righty is in his third Major League season and a has a combined 3-5 record with a 4.11 ERA (26 ER/57.0 IP) in 66 Major League contests.
Sborz, 25, rejoins the club after being optioned on April 20. The righty did not appear in a game and his next appearance will be his Major League debut. This season, Sborz has made 25 appearances for Oklahoma City, going 2-3 with a 4.91 ERA (16 ER/29.1 IP) and 37 strikeouts.
Hill, 39, was removed from last night’s game in the second inning and will be placed on the IL for the second time this season. He missed the first month of the season with a left knee sprain. Since returning on April 28, he is 4-1 with a 2.55 ERA (15 ER/58.0 IP) and 61 strikeouts. The southpaw is in his 15th Major League season and is a combined 65-42 with a 3.84 ERA (397 ER/931.2 IP) and 993 strikeouts.
Beaty, 26, appeared in 23 games for the Dodgers, batting .286 (16-for-56) with one homer and nine RBI. The infielder clubbed his first career homer on Friday night in a 5-3 victory against the Cubs. In his five minor league seasons, he is a career .308 (438-for-1421) hitter with 34 homers and 215 RBI.
The Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, with six World Series championships and 23 National League pennants since its beginnings in Brooklyn in 1890, is committed to a tradition of pride and excellence. The Dodgers are dedicated to supporting a culture of winning baseball, providing a first-class, fan-friendly experience at Dodger Stadium, and building a strong partnership with the community. With the highest cumulative fan attendance in Major League Baseball history, and a record of breaking barriers, the Dodgers are one of the most cherished sports franchises in the world.
What a strange last paragraph.
Interesting the Dodgers are going with a short bench and extra reliever.
Noticed last night Kelly didn’t wear glasses while batting yet uses them when pitching. Any idea why?
Mike Minor
Does Bumgarner drill Muncy tonight?
Let him try
Did you see that Phil “The Vulture” Regan was named the Mets Pitching Coach at age 82?
Do you think he demanded a 5 year contract plus option years beyond that?
It’s just and interim deal.
I heard bad news about Rich Hill on radio… They say Rich won’t touch a ball fr a month and will be lucky to show up until late in the season…Fake News???
Great chance for Julio tonite… Go Get em kid…
The Vulture was one of my favs…82 and still teaching… Outstanding!!!
Damn that makes me old…
I think the odds favor the FO acquiring a player(s) before the trade deadline. They usually do it and I see no reason why they won’t do it this year. But, I doubt it will be Hand or Smith. Why would either team give up a major asset? The Giants are not doing well, but Smith is not one of their problems and he should be part of that team that gets rebuilt. I do like the Whitfield suggestion, though. It makes sense from a rental or long term point of view.
Although I do hold the view that the Dodgers are okay as is, injury, its possibility of happening, and other factors that could happen between now and October, will probably demand that AF go out and bring someone(s) in. But with Kelly making a turn for the better, that bridge will be his and no reason to get someone else for that role. This team is not like last years or 2017. It is much stronger, explosive, and better equipped to go all the way to the WS and win it. Something like Hill being lost to injury could change the chemistry as he is a major part of this rotation. Hill has the dirtiest stuff on the team! And uses it all of the time. His command is awesome, but his body breaks too easily these days. One more injury to the rotation could bring unwanted results. This is what worries me more than anything. I said it earlier in the season. So far, CK looks great, but you know how things go. He and Hill are essential parts of our wheel. If that wheel hold up, we are good to go. Look what happened to the Warriors.
Smith is only controlled by the Giants until the end of this year. He will definitely be traded because they don’t have need for an elite reliever when they probably won’t be any good for another three or four years. Trading Smith will bring them a piece or pieces to build with. Hand is another story because the Indians are still very much in the wild card race.
Garlick does not stink.
Good on Garlick!
The Garlick marching and chowder society is in session!!
Maybe they just found their RHH!
Barnes trying to make me look bad!
Joc is awesome.
Joc is awesome at 1B.
My wife & I also always look for Dennis & Mary. In previous years Larry King was in the front row to the right of the batter as you look in toward the plate.
I haven’t seen King there at all, this season. Mary was their tonight. But Dennis Gilbert has been conspicuously missing all month.
Are we really gonna blow this thing in the 9th.??
I gotta go to bed… That will be the difference!?
Good Night Now…
Still don’t think we need Smith or Hand? Whatever they want!!!!!!
Thank you blind replay umps in NYC for giving us that game
I think because his foot hit JT’s foot at first it made it inconclusive even though he was probably safe.
Blowpen tried to give it away plus shaky defense plus this time their manager gives us an out. I didn’t see replay but they shouldn’t have been bunting anyway. The giants have a terrible offense one 200 hitter after another so that might tell you how bad our bullpen is. I know hill went down blah blah blah. A win is a win so put another in the books and against the pumpkins. 3 out of four is good in any league. The Dodgers are a fantastic team with a bullpen to improve!
We are now 17-9 vs LHP. That makes us #3 out of 30 teams. Why would we need a RH power hitter. Let’s improve the BP instead. The real test is when we play the Yankees and Red Sox.