After 25% of the Season

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1. I am in total agreement with everything you said. Concerned about the starters. Frustrated by the lack of hitting from the meat of the order. Pissed at Roberts for putting guys in the leadoff position, Muncy and Joc, who should not be leading off at all. If Joc was hitting like last year, maybe I use him there occasionally. But Mookie Betts should be there. When Seager comes back, I put him in the 2 hole, with Turner or Pollock hitting third, or fourth, and Bellinger and Muncy in the 5 and 6 holes. After that it is a crap shoot. I know DR is trying to get playing time for Beaty and Rios. I have not problem with that. But I am also ok with keeping the catchers and Kike down in the order. Kike is at .300 vs lefty’s, but at .243 vs RHP. Over the last week though he is hitting .176. Smith is at least making contact. Barnes is not. I am ok with getting Ruiz up to see if he can add something to the mix. The fact that he is a switch hitter appeals to me too.

2. AC, you have touched on my main complaint about the hitters we have. They don’t do well WRISP. Why? Because this team is built for power. In their pursuit of batters with power, the good thing is that they have not let defense fall by the wayside. The other good thing is that the rotation has usually been tough to hit and score on, and we used to be an outstanding strikeout team. This has declined this year and we will not achieve that distinction this year.

   Since the Dodgers are built for power, it is the HR that usually wins games. Take that away and we might be in trouble. But, here comes Von Scoyoc et CIE last season, changes that around, allowing us to knock in runs at will. What happened? What is different about this season from last? We have basically the same team plus MOOKIE. We should be even better than last year when it comes to getting hits. But that has not been the case. We will win, go to the playoffs like in every year, but we will not be a better team. That is a surprising statement.

   The Solution: Can you change the stripes on the cat? Seem nigh on impossible. When I mentioned trading Bellinger, it was said tongue in cheek, but there is some truth in that. Players like Bellinger, Joc, & Muncy are addicted to the Power. Changing them is either impossible, possible, or too much work to do. AF likes the Power. In basketball, the expression ‘to live and die by the 3’ has been the credo of my Warriors. You can do that only if the other aspects of the team are sufficient to support the Power. With the Dodgers, we’ve seen somewhat of a meltdown in the rotation equalling no support. The BP definitely has changed but no one saw the rotation weakening so quickly. Some posters did point it out last off season and rightly questioned whether 3 rookies would be a smart thing to do. AF thought not and got Price to shore up the leaving of Ryu and Hill. They were sure that things would go well, but things often don’t go the way you planned it and the rotation is looking weak without Price and will go another season where the rotation will be questionable. This is the main area AF needs to work on. Cannot depend on CK any longer. The rest are a crap shoot except Buehler whom I thought would have his head screwed on properly but is not the case.

   We have problems, but they are not fatal and we will continue to win games. But if you want to see a real team effort with consistency, Bellinger, Joc, & Muncy need divine intervention and in lieu of that, the possibility of trading them looks like a possible solution, for value, of course. They also need another top tier starter if you want the team to change its stripes. Hoping that 3 rookies are going to all mature in one shortened season is not reasonable. We can always hope……………..

3. Agree with everything you have posted AC, I am very worried about the rotation and think the Padres are coming to this 4 game series with the intention to rip the heart out of the Dodgers. I hope Roberts sees this as a very important series and gets the team to play some inspired baseball, can’t remember the last time I saw the Dodgers play inspired baseball.

4. My only concern with the Dodgers pitching is the transition from Rick Honeycutt to Mark Prior. After 14 seasons of Honeycutt coaching and prepping the pitching staff is Prior up to the challenge? The Dodgers hitting approach for years has been to work counts, run up pitch counts of starting pitchers, and get into the opposing teams bullpen. It is a well known throughout MLB and pitchers are taking advantage by aggressively attacking the strike zone early in hitters at bats. And hitters like Muncy and Bellinger do not fare well when behind in the count.

   1. I thought about adding Prior into my analysis about the rotation but I know nothing about him and where his head is at regarding directing the starters. I know what the batters were being taught, but not the pitchers.

      RE: batters; the Dodgers can be very boring waiting and working the count like last season. This kind of tactic is not for all batters. It goes against the natural aggression that some of the batters have like Corey. If Bellinger has indeed gone back to what he was doing prior to this season, that’s not working either. Clearly, he has a problem. Every year, the 3 players mentioned have slumped at times. We can say it’s natural, but do we really buy that excuse?

5. Jeff, this is an excellent analysis. Yet, MLB has the Dodgers back on top of their power rankings, and FiveThirtyEight has them with the highest odds of any team to win the WS. How do you figure that? Past performance. Their models are still heavily weighted towards these players’ previous levels of performance, given the small sample of games that they have played so far this year. We know that freaky things can happen in small samples, like teams that are almost surely overperforming (looking at you, Rockies!) and ones that are underperforming, but still winning (looking at you, Dodgers!). The question is, which version of this team will show up for the playoffs? I still believe that great pitching usually beats great hitting in the playoffs. I’m not so worried there, especially with the much improved bullpen. Buehler needs to step up, but I’m confident he will. Kersch, not so sure after the 3 HRs allowed last game. And I agree with you, Jeff, the heart of the line up – Belli, Muncy, JT – will be crucial. But let’s not forget two things: we have Mookie, who is as advertised, a gamer, and Corey, who is performing like his old self (or was until this back injury). Thus, overall, I’m still optimistic, but am open to revising my opinion as we see how they do in competition against better teams, starting with this series against SD.

6. Right now the team is built to win the regular season, but is not built to win the WS. We will always be favored, but not doing the little things, and Doc’s managing, we will be bridesmaid.

7. I agree re too much home run focus. Hopefully Mookie will lead the way into an era of more balanced hitting. I am not worried about the starting pitching. Some pitchers stayed ready, others did not. Guys like Buehler will find their way. Kershaw, Buehler, May, Urias and Stripling is a pretty darn good starting 5, with plenty of good depth after them.

   1. Totally agree about starting pitching with Gonsolin, Gray, and Wood also available — Mitchell White could even be used as a spot starter if needed.

8. We are on top in the Power Rankings because even when a few of our most powerful hitters aren’t hitting we still hit home runs and win games.

   San Diego looks to be a good team. Houston, SF and Arizona are not. Neither are the Angels. Not yet anyway. Looking at our schedule it would appear Oakland is the only Top 5 team we play. That could change of course but what won’t change is we will be favorites to win every game we play.

   I was just perusing Bellinger’s fangraphs page in an effort to figure out what might be wrong. I got nothing. There might be something there but it’s beyond me. Most the numbers look similar to last year’s. He’s just not squaring the ball up. I know what I see, and I’ve already pointed it out. He doesn’t appear to be making adjustments so I don’t expect anything to change until he does. I would advise to keep throwing him hard up and in, soft low and away until it doesn’t work anymore. That was Grandpa Lou’s pitching theory. It worked for him and it worked for me when I pitched. Don’t make mistakes over the plate, but even with those Cody is late. On his single did you notice where contact was made? He caught it down barrel at the back of the strike zone. He was late about a foot. May not sound like much but a foot can be the difference between a home run and a pop up. We have seen A LOT of pop ups lately. We are late to the strike zone. Again, I know what I would do to fix that. These guys won’t do it.

   I agree with Jeff that Muncy has lost command of the inside strike zone. He’s jumping away from hard strikes on the inside edge. Keep throwing them there until he hits one.

   Pitching? I think Buehler will come around and Kershaw will have his moments. Urias, May, and Gonsolin all have what it takes but are young and will have growing pains. Stripling is a twice through the order pitcher. I don’t see a 7 inning pitcher in the group. It’s hard to see a 6 inning pitcher there. But our bullpen is good.

   Still waiting for this team to play as one. I sure do like Mookie. Would love to see a few others model their game after him.

   1. I don’t pay any attention to any of the Power Rankings in any sport. If you do an analysis right now of both pitching and hitting, the Dodgers are not on top in either category. I agree, our BP is good and have held most teams to paltry runs, but 3 QS in 16 games tells you something is wrong. If the Dodgers were truly looking good, the posters here would not be voicing their concerns. We have weaknesses. The HR cannot be the main weapon once opposing pitchers adjust. Maybe they won’t adjust and we will have to suffer the lack of consistent hitting with RISP. The defensive aspect is keeping us winning along with the Power in spite of the poor starts from the rotation.

      But again, I ask why is Van Scoyoc not addressing the hitting issue? He probably is, but changing the stripes on a cat is almost impossible. It is a mindset. You would almost have to break down deeply ingrained habits that the players have always had about hitting and the importance of Power. Power is sexy.

      1. This really isn’t true. The Dodgers do rank close to the top in both categories.

         https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2020&month=0&season1=2020&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2020-01-01&enddate=2020-12-31&sort=16,d

         https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2020&month=0&season1=2020&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=&enddate=

         Relief pitching is much better than starting pitching, which is middle of the pack right now. I don’t know that the front office places as much value on the definition of a QS. We’ve discussed this before, but the front office has traditionally avoided having the SP go three times through the opposing team’s batting order.

         The Clutch ranking is relatively low, which indicates a lack of hitting WRISP.

         1. Um, I said they were not at the top and they aren’t. What was not true?

9. AC and all you who posted before me, just impressed by the knowledge you have in your analysis of the team right now. As far as hitting and pitching goes, I agree with your assessments. One thing that I have noticed is that Bellinger’s swing is not very level or smooth no doubt because of being late. But, also, it seems to be an upward swing. Is that the way he always did it and does that kind of swing cause more pop ups? Just asking.
   Not to pick on Cody. He is not the only one.

   As far as the pitching goes, I think SoCalBum may have a good point. Also Fergie doing so good. Please do not overuse him Mr. Roberts.

   1. Mom, pitchers stand on a 10” hill, are usually well over 6’ tall and throw overhand. The top of the strike zone on a man 6’ tall is approximately 4’ high, the bottom of the strike zone is approximately 2’ high. If you will, picture the flight of the ball being released 9’ in the air aimed at a target between 2’ and 4’ high. That’s called the flight plane. Now picture a swing that remains in that same flight plane through the strike zone, remembering the strike zone is a 17” square. The resulting swing is an uppercut. This has been true since about 1893 when pitchers had their ground crews create a bump for them so they could throw downhill. MLB made it official with a 15” mound in 1903. That remained the regulation height (though unregulated) until ‘68 when it was lowered to 10”. Many argue it’s at least a foot in many parks. Hitters are now working on launch angles of 25-35 degrees with exit velocities of 95 mph +. It is generally accepted knowledge that if you are late to the strike zone (that 17” box) you will pop it up. If you are early to that box (out in front) you will “roll over on it” and hit a ground ball. Years ago the goal was to to hit a line drive with top spin. I was taught 7 out of 10 line drives were hits. Of course, that’s when average sized young men were playing in big parks. Now, large men, professionally trained large men, hitting in smaller parks has changed everything.

      Hope that helps. It’s explained in more detail in Ted Williams book on hitting.

      1. Wow thank you Badger . That was a very good description of the pitching today from a high mound to a tall player, and even more, I understand it. Thank you. You probably were a pitching coach at some time.

         1. Head coach, hitting instructor Mom. I was fortunate to get good coaching early, went to clinics (Tommy Davis changed my swing). I’ve tried to keep up but honestly this launch thing isn’t something I’d be comfortable teaching young hitters. Guys that are big and strong, sure, but most kids have what we used to call warning track power. Fly balls are easier to catch than hard hit grounders. It’s a different time. Things change.

10. To me, there’s a difference between a regular season team and a playoff team. A team loaded with talent can excel during the regular season, but the playoffs are a different brand of baseball altogether. Scores are lower. Games are tighter, and often hinge on single plays having a huge impact.

    Right now, in my observation, the Dodgers are a very good regular season team. They have enough talent to just plough their way through other teams, but they don’t look locked in. They aren’t executing and doing the small things that win in the playoffs.

    Starting pitching is an issue. The Dodgers lost their best pitcher from last year in Ryu. The lost Rich Hill, who was a solid playoff contributor and a veteran “gamer.” They were hoping to add Price until he opted out. Although Kershaw seems to have added a Driveline induced MPH to his fastball, and his first game was hopeful, he’s still a #2/#3 pitcher at this stage in his career. Beuhler was expected to assume the role of ace on the staff, but he let his preparation lapse after the COVID delay and wasn’t ready to pitch when the season started and hasn’t been effective. This is not ok and this, along with some other antics, show some potential issues with maturity the Dodgers need to address. Urias was supposed to take a step forward this year and finally become the starter we’ve been expecting, but he just doesn’t seem to have command. There were high Driveline hopes for Wood, but he’s effectively done for the season. Stripling has been solid, but looking at his peripherals, he’s still a #4/#5. Playoff hopes hinge a little I would say on Dustin May emerging at a dependable and potentially dominating starter. He’s got the filthy two-seam sinker and cutter to make it happen.

    The team that won the WS last year was mediocre for the first half of the season. They got through the playoffs because they had dominating starting pitchers who rose to the occasion. The Dodgers are going to need 2-3 starters step up and shut down teams.

    …and just lots of mental lapses. RISP has been an issue, but I did see some stats that Dodgerrick posted, and I thought there were a little misleading. The lowest BAs with RISP, with the exception of Seager, have been the players who have just struggled offensively in general. I’m looking at you, Bellinger. Why was he trying to retool his swing now, after the season has started? Why wasn’t he working on this over the Winter? Now he’s abandoned his experiment and is back to the big, loopy swing that relies on timing. More and more, pitchers are going to find the holes and exploit them.

    If I’m the manger, I’d prefer 3-2 scores and a lower overall run differential if I saw that there were quality at bats and good excecution.

11. What ever happened to the 2 strike approach. Shorten up and go the other way. Especially with today’s shifts. The only player I see going the other way is Seager and the results speak for themselves! Why does it have to be an all or nothing approach no matter the count?

    1. Ask Van Skyhack.

       We won 106 and led the league in scoring. Obviously whatever he teaches is working.

       I do agree about a two strike approach. The way I look at it you’ve got strike one and strike two to hit it 400’. After that you shorten up and barrel it where it’s pitched. But I’m not Van Skyhack.

       1. Cody went the other way more last year. Doesn’t seem to be doing it at all so far this season.

          1. And being consistently late, going the other way is exactly what he should do. He’s still trying, and failing, to beat the ball to front of the strike zone, which would allow him to pull it deep into the seats. Put the barrel on it in back of the plate and it will go hard somewhere on the left side. If he insists on doing what he’s been doing I insist he does it with a shorter, lighter bat.

             Anybody remember the name Dick Baney? Bear will as he’s heard this story before. Baney pitched for our rival Anaheim High and he threw heat. When I say heat I mean in high school he threw one speed and he was All CIF with it. I knew of him, but as a Junior I’d never faced him, until I did. I decided if I were to have a chance I would use a smaller bat and just shorten up and make contact. Nobody I knew was talking ounces then, so instead of my usual 33” bat I just grabbed a thin handled 32” bat, it felt light, and went up ready to hack the first strike I saw. Well, it was the first pitch and I got all of it sending their centerfielder (All Sunset League halfback Al Rincon) on his horse to right center where he ran it down. Baney threw a no hitter that day but I made solid contact 3 times. If I were coaching Bellinger I’d bore him with that story, insist he try it to get some solid contact going, then watch as he did whatever he wanted to do because after all, he’s the MVP.

12. I believe our top hitters will snap out of this funk. Muncy has admitted there’s a mechanical flaw since he broke his finger in summer camp. I’m glad they dropped him in the order. Hitting him leadoff is dumb.
    ~
    Count me in the GM group who would like to see less Kike against righties in favor of Beaty, Rios, or Lux when he’s ready. Subtract his opening game and I don’t know what he’s done. We’ve seen Kike for years. We know what we’ve got there. He’s an excellent utility player not an every day player.
    ~
    Same for Barnes. Defense comes first at that position but there isn’t a big enough upgrade if any at all for Barnes to be getting 50% of the games.

13. SD changed their rotation for the series. Perdomo is going tonight, then Richards, Davies, and Paddack. SD was raking the ball yesterday. 6 homers. Tatis has 6 in his last 6 games and 8 total. Everything in this wacky season is skewed. Yesterday I was watching ESPN and the White Sox game. They were discussing the fact that in order to play a full 60 games the Cardinals would have to play 55 games in 47 days. They have lost the most games to Covid-19 restrictions. That’s a lot of double headers. Dodgers are 11-5. Were this a full season, with so many games left, no one would be concerned at all. But with the sprint to the finish, every game takes on some form of urgency. They have won every series since they split the opening series with the Giants. No matter how bad the Giants are, we all know they ALWAYS play the Dodgers tough. I think another thing that has fans feeling the way they do about the teams performance so far is the high expectations that they have for a team with this much depth and talent. But as stated more than a few times, there are some reasons for concern. Muncy and Bellinger look nothing like the hitters they were last year. Seager being out for more than a few games would seriously affect an offense that so far has been inconsistent. The late scoring may be exciting to watch, but it also places a strain on a pitching staff who so far has not had many early leads to work with. And none where the lead was comfortable. Here is another quirk in the schedule. the Dodgers play the Rockies next weekend at Dodger Stadium after a weird 4 game home away series with the Mariners, then after that series they travel to SF for 3 games and are done with the Giants for the year. The first 10 days in September they will play Arizona 6 times. Strange year. For Belli and Muncy I have no idea what the problem is except neither of them are barreling many balls up. A lot of pop flys and weak grounders. Barnes is just completely lost up there. Beaty I attribute to not getting as many chances as he did last year. The guy flat out know’s how to hit. Rios has the same dilemma. Kike and Taylor look like they always have. They will have their moments. Turner might be showing his age a little. He is the team leader in RBI’s.But he also looks late on a lot of pitches he has hammered in the past. Joc is striking out more again, and he looks totally disinterested up there until he pops out or K’s and lets go with another expletive. My opinion is that they need a spark of some kind. Where that comes from, I am not to sure. But 3 of the main parts of this team are free agents after this season, Joc, JT, and Kike. I wonder if maybe they are pressing a little.

14. I REALIZE THAT EVERYONE WANTS PERFECTION. BUT TO WHINE ABOUT AN 11-5 RECORD THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON SEEMS A BIT MUCH. PITCHERS BASICALLY ARE GOING THRU SPRING TRAINING RIGHT NOW IN TRYING TO MASTER CONTROL AND LOCATION. NOT NORMAL TIMES TO SAY THE LEAST. WE HAVE THE BEST TEAM IN BASEBALL MANAGED BY A CLEAR WINNER. ENJOY AND SUFFER THE DEFEATS WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT PERFECTION IS SOMETHING YOU SHOOT FOR NOT ACHIEVE ON A REGULAR BASIS.

    1. In this wacky year it is not early. 1/4 of the season is gone. There is little time for exploration. I doubt fans want perfection. What they do want is consistency. No one is complaining about the record, what they are complaining about is players not playing up to their capabilities.

    2. Quit yelling at me… I am so sensitive!

       😉

15. Normally when Bellinger has his problems he’s striking out a lot. This year he’s striking out less than he ever has, in spite of the horrendous batting average. That tells me he’s having a different problem than he normally does when he goes into a batting funk. What that problem is, I’ll leave it to Badger and others to diagnose.

    I have noticed, as have others here, that Muncy seems to be pulling away from inside strikes, something he doesn’t normally do. I think that when he was hit by the pitch that broke his finger it got into his head and he’s now subconsciously protecting himself from a repeat of that occurrence . Hopefully he’ll get so fed up with his hitting that he’ll throw caution to the winds and be the aggressive batter he normally is with pitches in the zone.

    We tend to have team batting slumps every season, many times at the beginning of the year. This year anything is magnified by the short schedule but we’re still only 1/2 game out of first and playing at a clip that would get us more wins in a 162 game schedule than we had last year. I, for one, am still willing to let AF and Doc keep their jobs for at least another couple of games.

16. 1 – Bellinger is overswinging. He looks like he is trying to hit every pitch out. The Giants broadcasters that I listened to this weekend described it as “swinging with both cheeks”. His bat looks slower than last year. His plate coverage isn’t as good either.

    2 – Muncy looks lost against a high fastball – not just in, but out as well. He has been one of the top hitters in MLB the past 2 seasons against high MPH fastballs (98+) and this year he can’t catch up to 93 if it’s up.

    3 – Joc is overswinging too. He gets like that sometimes. This is just standard Joc.

    4 – Barnes looks overmatched against everything and everyone. He doesn’t look like a MLB hitter right now. If he was just playing backup innings this would be no big deal but as long as Roberts is playing him 40% of the time it is. The Dodgers won’t know if Smith is the real deal until they play him most of the innings and see what happens. Right now I would say that he couldn’t be worse than Barnes no matter what.

    5 – I posted the other day on the RISP issue. 2019 is the 1st year that the Dodgers really hit well RISP. This year’s numbers are roughly the same as every other season since 2016 with one caveat – they have a DH this year and pitchers aren’t hitting. Here are the numbers:

    2020: BA RISP .246, OPS .770 (and that’s with a DH)
    2019: .286/.872
    2018: .253/.760
    2017: .247/.789
    2016: .250/.741.

    They need to get back to what they were doing last year. They have most of the same hitters this year as last, except they added the excellent Mookie Betts and they have a DH. This number should be much better, not worse than last year.

    1. Good stats.

       Memo to all Dodger hitters: Hit dammit.

    2. They’re 15th in MLB with RISP. They are ahead of the Yanks, the Cubs and the Nats.

       Two of their top hitters haven’t found their batting stride.

       Don’t worry. It’s great.

17. Joe Kelly on the IL with shoulder inflammation and Adam Kolarek is recalled.

18. DODGERS PLACE RHP JOE KELLY ON IL
    LHP ADAM KOLAREK RECALLED FROM ALTERNATE SITE

    LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed right-handed pitcher Joe Kelly on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, retroactive to August 9, and have recalled left-handed pitcher Adam Kolarek.

    Kolarek, 31, returns to the Dodgers after being optioned on Thursday. The lefty has made four appearances for the Dodgers this season, going 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA (0 ER/3.1 IP) and three strikeouts. In parts of four Major League seasons, the Maryland native is 10-3 with a 3.65 ERA (41 ER/101.0 IP) and 71 strikeouts. He was acquired by the Dodgers on July 31, 2019 from Tampa Bay in exchange for outfielder Niko Hulsizer and he is 4-0 with a 0.60 ERA (1 ER/15.0 IP) and 12 strikeouts in 30 games since joining Los Angeles.

    Kelly, 32, heads to the injured list for the first time this season and the fifth time in his Major League career. The right-hander has appeared in seven games for the Dodgers this season, tossing 6.1 innings, allowing five hits with five walks and five strikeouts without allowing a run. He is in his second season with Los Angeles and is a combined 5-4 with a 4.06 ERA (26 ER/57.2 IP) and 67 strikeouts in 62 games. In his nine-year career, split between the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and Dodgers, he is a combined 48-29 with a 3.89 ERA (295 ERA/683.0 IP) and 565 strikeouts. The Southern California native was originally drafted in the third round of the 2009 First Year Player Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals out of UC Riverside.

    1. Reading that makes Kolarek sound like he should be the 6th inning guy. Kolarek, Graterol, Treinen, Jansen. 12 up 12 down every nite the rest of the way. No fuss no muss, Badger’s plan is nuts.

       Inflammation huh? Must have read the MRI notice. That’s Must Remove Immediately. Kelly made everybody nervous. I saw the cardboard cutouts shaking when he came in.

       Note to all Dodger starters – throw strikes dammit. If you’re good enough you can get 6 with 90. If you’re not good enough we need to know now.

19. I know it is fashionable to point out that …”except for opening day, Kike’ has not done much.” Why is that a consideration? Doesn’t every MLB batter have a very productive day? Are we supposed to take out everybody’s best day and then calculate his stats? Okay, let’s look at Muncy. Take out his Game 2 when he went 3-4. Without that game, he would be batting .138. That is far worse than what Kike’ would be batting after eliminating Game 1, which would be .200. Muncy has 8 games without a hit, Kike 5. Belli and Joc have 6 hitless games. Joc has gone 0 for his last 11 with 4 Ks. We cannot eliminate a big day for Belli because he has only two games with 2 hits, and none more than that. Joc only one.

    Giant pitchers are not that good, but the Dodgers make them look like CYA candidates. It is a lot easier when you throw the first pitch fastball right down the middle of the plate, knowing the batter is not swinging. It was interesting listening to Krukow and Kuiper talking about Bellinger indicating after he watched a fastball go right down the middle, belt high, and one of them said that Bellinger knew he wasn’t swinging at the first pitch when he was walking up to the dish, and the other one said, and so did the pitcher. Shaun Anderson comes in believing he has pitch one as a freebie, and grooves it for Mookie who launched a 3-run HR on his pitch one. Bellinger takes strike one and then with two strikes hits the ball well on a line, but right at Brandon Crawford.

    MT has often said that Kike’ could be a lot like JDM as a late bloomer, but I have never intimated that Kike’ is anything but a super utility player. He does that exceptionally well. On the other hand, Muncy is playing a position where he is supposed to be a power guy and drive in runs, not look for walks. For the month of August, Max is hitting .103/.212/.207/.419. This is not a whole lot better than Barnes and nobody is saying to send Muncy back to USC. I know, I know, but Max will get it back. But when? He has played in every game. He is tied for #3 in PA (74) in MLB, two behind Acuna’s 76. If it is his finger, then he should not have been playing.

    I would have no objection for Rios playing 3B and Beaty playing 1B, and JT as the DH to try and get a spark. But you then have that hole at 2B with Muncy or Kike’ or CT3. Gavin Lux? Per Doc, he is not ready yet. Do you take a chance and have him continue to struggle at the MLB level as he clearly did in intrasquad games, or do you let him continue to work on his game away from the ML pressure? At some point he is going to have to prove himself, but he is still just 22. Zach McKinstry? He has never played in a MLB game. He is a left handed version of Kike’ and CT3, without the exceptional defensive skills. Zach is 25 and is not expected to be the everyday 2B, but put him out there and let him play. Kike’ is not another JDM (sorry Mark), but maybe Zach could be another Donovan Solano.

    My point has been that Kike’ is doing exactly what was expected of him. Barnes? He should never have been placed in the position to play 50% of the games. If he was only to be CK’s battery mate, that is all that a backup catcher is supposed to be. If you want to bring up Keibert, you better be prepared to let him play and drop Smith into the backup role. If not, then let him continue to develop at USC with the Dodgers developmental team. For me, the Dodgers have the ideal catching duo except Smith needs to play 4 out of 5. Smith does not call as good as a game, and is not as good defensively or as a receiver. But he does have an exceptional arm, and could develop into a very good offensive catcher. He cannot learn the skills unless he plays. So turn him loose, but do not bring up Keibert to play one 1 out of 5 games. Barnes can do that just fine.

    No matter how much certain fans want to harangue about Kike’ and Barnes, they are not the problem.

20. Wow you guys read my mind with your analysis of Dodger players. Spot on stuff Jeff, Badger and others.
    Here are some thoughts:
    * Belli finally hit a ball at the shortstop side (for an out) and up the middle for a single. I was wondering when that might happen. He is in a dead pull mode as displayed earlier when he again rolled over a low and away pitch to first base. That ball can’t be pulled. I’d love to analyze that swing but it is so complicated and against anything I ever learned or taught, that I can’t. Step in the bucket, swing from your ass with an uppercut and pull everything, is foreign to me.
    * Interesting SoCalBum mentioned the transition from Honey to Prior. Orel and Joe mentioned pregame that Prior and Ferris had spent extensive time working on mechanics either before or during warm up. That’s foreign to me too. I thought that sort of work happened during side sessions and/or flat ground. It’s compatible to Tiger making swing changes on the range prior to the US Open final round. That time is used to warm up and see what’s working. Gaining some confidence. Not changing stuff. I don’t know what happened but it seems odd.
    * The Dodgers moved to number 1 in the Power Rankings due to Buehler coming around. I actually don’t see that. Maybe I’m too picky. I know his line yesterday but 4 lead off walks in 6 innings and his inability to find and repeat his release point is concerning to me. He fought himself much of the day.
    * How good was Mookie’s home run. Perfectly balanced swing. Didn’t swing from his ass unlike some of his comrades.
    * I will mention for the 5th day in a row, put Mookie in the leadoff spot and leave him alone.
    * Why is Kike some peoples whipping boy? He certainly hits lefties better. His defense is good. I think he’s a valuable player and playing well.
    * Kevin Gausman is an interesting pitcher. Did we just catch him on a special day? Here’s the 4th overall pick in 2012 after being a stud at LSU who has now been with 4 teams and been released once.
    * Gausman throws a nasty splitter. It’s a great pitch until your arm falls off. It was a popular pitch for awhile and while effective it caused elbow problems and became less fashionable. When it was popular, I wouldn’t let my 15 to 19 yr old pitchers throw it. Orel explained it perfectly when he said it tightens the forearm muscles that effects the elbow ligament. You can test this out. Point to your TV with a straight arm and pointing finger and bird finger together. With your other hand feel the forearm muscle a couple inches down from the elbow (on the outside) . Now spread those 2 fingers as far as you can. You will feel that muscle tighten. That’s the problem with the splitter.
    * KJ had a clean inning.
    * I have been extreme noncritical of Doc this year. Even with his 16 different lineups in 16 days, at least the same core guys are playing and it isn’t tryout camp. But I really don’t get why Fergy was pulled for McGee, another lefty, in the top of the 7th. Fergy faced 3 guys and fanned all 3. Was he on a 16 pitch limit? McGee needed work? His 6 pitches really stretched him out? It was absolutely no big deal but these are little over-management moves that Doc loves. (so now I can expect the normal defense of Doc by telling me that the Dodgers have seems of information that supports this move and I don’t know sh**, which may be true)
    * It will be interesting to see the punishments handed down to the A’s and Asstros after their mini-brawl. Of course after the skirmish, 2 A’s were ejected and no Asstros despite their hitting 6 A’s during the series and having a coach instigate the brawl from the dugout. Kelly got 8 games for not hitting anybody and they hit 6. Can’t wait to see how this one’s handled by MLB. The brawl protocols will lead to suspensions but are the Assorts going to be protected forever?

    1. I would not expect to hear from Doc’s fanclub contingent on relieving Ferguson with McGee. The Giants announcers said the same thing as you, me, and thousands of others. What is the difference between Ferguson and McGee. Two power LHRP pitching up in the zone. I think it was Krukow who said, if they brought in Alexander that would make more sense, even though he is LH, he still gives a different look. Then Heinemen pops up on the first pitch.

       1. Maybe it has something to do with how much rest is required after 2 innings. Personally I have no problem with bullpen guys going just one inning. If they get it done in <15 pitches, great, maybe that means they can go again tomorrow. For example, Ferguson goes 3 outs in the 6th today, maybe it lines up that he can get 2 outs tomorrow when the starter goes 5.1.

          With starters that don’t go 6, some don’t go 5, I don’t know how that ultimately effects the bullpen. To ask one inning guys to get half the outs in a game seems like a huge ask.

          1. I would love to understand the rationale. If he wanted to remove Caleb, I might have found it to be curious, but to bring in the same type pitcher? It worked out, so the results justified the means.

21. Just a few ramblings:

    1. I feel that Walker Buehler will get it together and push Clayton for #1, but I also feel that Clayton will rise to the top and take the #1… at least, for this year anyway.

    2. I believe that Julio will push Buehler as the #2, but Walker will stay the course.

    3. Barring COVID or injury, I think our TOP THREE starters will be as good as anyone. I think #4 will be the bullpen: May, Stripling, et al.

    4. It will take a little more time, but I am not concerned in the least about the starters. In fact, it may be best to get it together in the last 25% of the season.

    5. The Dodgers are #1 in the Power Poll this week. They have a 11-5 record. They are #1 in runs scored. They are #1 in HR. They are #1 in Run Differential. They are #2 in team ERA. Why the fuss?

    6. J.D. Martinez is hitting .196. That will continue… right? Gleybar Torres is at .159. Right! Don’t panic. Bellinger and Muncy and Betts will be just fine.

    That said, I would rest Muncy tonight… just because… even though a RH is pitching. I would move Bellinger to the #2 spot and tell him to just get on or he’s going to sit tomorrow. I would call up Ruiz (unless he is totally not ready) and maybe Barnes just needs a fresh start.

    My lineup tonight:

    1. Betts RF
    2. Bellinger CF
    3. Turner 3B
    4. Seager DH
    5. Rios 3B
    6. Pederson LF
    7. Beaty 1B
    8. Kike 2B
    9. Ruiz C (call him up)

    1. I’d critique all that but I know how sensitive you are.

       1. You’d probably make me cry!

          1. Wouldn’t want that.

             Little Markie Tooters….

    2. Why stop with JDM and Gleybar. Arenado – .185/.262/.352/.614, Yelich – .149/.286/.468/.754, Pete Alonso – .197/.338/.311/.649 (2 HRs in 74 PA)

       I am not sure anyone is panicking. Please do not confuse recognition of trends as panicking. The players are not adjusting. Doo you disagree? If a pitcher drops in a 78 MPH curve as a strike on pitch 1, good for the pitcher. But that is not what is happening. It is fastballs that are going over the middle of the plate without being challenged. Why? Both Belli and Muncy are 0-1 without a challenge. Pitchers now know that Muncy will not swing at a fastball up on the inside part of the plate. He used to own that pitch. They will continue to pound him up and in until he adjusts. It is not like we have not seen this version of Bellinger before. 2018 was a problem year for him. Every post season series is a problem for him. Carlos Correa may be a d***, but is he wrong when he says to Belli “You should not be talking about it. You should have done something about it. ” The trash can banging did not deter Belli from hitting in the WS. In the 2017 WS Belli hit .143/.172/.393/.565, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 17 K, in 29 PA. His overall post season slash line is .178/.234/.326/.560 in 145 PA, with 4 HRs, 13 RBI, and 52 K.

       I am not panicking, and I do believe that Belli will come around. Maybe later than sooner, but he will come around.

       You are ready to put Urias on par with Buehler? The next start that Urias pounds the zone will be his first. Again not panicking, but simply noticing trends that the players are not adjusting to. Urias needs to attack the zone. Maybe some are right and he is trying but just not able to consistently do so. If true, then he is not ready to challenge the top of the rotation guys until he does. I think Buehler’s problems all stem from not being in playing shape when camp re-opened. He is now ramped up enough to go 90-100. Command is the last thing that comes. Yesterday, he had no idea where that fastball was going. I agree that will come.

       So yes, we may look back on these first 16 games and chuckle about the perceived shortcomings in the early part of the season. The Dodgers are still the class of MLB and they have not really started to gel. But the hitters are getting very close to that 100 PA barrier, and the climb back up is not nearly as easy after that.

       I hope Keibert is as good as you seem to think he is. But if he were that good now, he would be up. Uber hitting prospect Jo Adell of the Angels has 2 singles and 9 Ks in his first 15 PA. He will be better than that. This is a hard enough game to play when you have been at the upper levels for years, much less coming up without any MiLB games being played during the season. The organization will be much better if they just let Will Smith play 4 out of 5 games.

    3. The difference between Clayton and buehler:
       When buehler goes out there you get the feeling he could dominate by shutting the other team out. When kershaw pitches you just don’t think he will dominate. A quality start yes but you know at some point he will give up the gopher ball. Kershaw is not an ace but buehler may be. In the playoffs anybody who is really honest knows buehler has a better shot to win than kershaw.

       Urias just doesn’t put fear in the opponent. Not a high strikeout guy and can’t throw strikes consistently. High pitch count every game taxing the bullpen. I certainly hope he develops and he is ahead of where kershaw was as you have stated. He needs this year in the rotation to be fair. But, right now disappointing.

       May has ace like stuff. On a given night I could see him dominating. If he improves his secondary stuff he could be lights out.

       I think AF made a great addition in McGhee. That was definitely an astute move and he has provided results while solidifying our lh relievers. Other than one outing Ferguson has been dominating. Graterol and treinen have been ok especially treinen but I don’t think they have hit their stride.

       The Dodgers are right at the top but their offense has struggled, sp has been less than durable, so when those things click we could get on a huge roll. Maybe we can peak at just the right time.

22. Bear mentioned that the Cards need to play 55 games in 47 days. I do not understand this. Isn’t that what the 60 man pool and secondary site is supposed to be for? Too bad for the Cardinals if their 60 man pool is not quite good enough. It was their players that caused the problem. The same thing should have happened with the Marlins. Grab your 30 from the secondary site and play. Now their opponents in these games that are cancelled have to play catch up as well. Andrew McCutcheon said it perfectly…”We did everything right and we are being punished.”

    I understand the health considerations, but MLB and MLBPA agreed on this plan, they now need to adhere to it. There was a 60 man pool, supposedly for such an event. Teams that break protocol should not get the benefit of the doubt. If there are no consequences, then there is no reason for other teams to follow protocol. At least the Indians did it correctly. Zach Plesac goes out in Chicago and upon returning is immediately isolated from the team and sent home. That is exactly what should have happened in both the Marlins and Cardinals situations. But since it didn’t, both teams needed to play with their MiLB players until their MLB players were cleared.

    1. Yes, that seems dumber than a bag of hammers (thanks Lawdog). Why have the 60-man if you are not going to use it?

       Geeeezzzzzeeee!

       1. Shoutout to the L Dog. Good on ya bro.

23. Alyson Footer from MLB.com reported today regarding the Power Rankings “Los Angeles was No. 1 heading into the season, although the Yankees supplanted them for the top spot last week. But with Walker Buehler hitting his stride, the Dodgers are back on top and looking like they might be there for a while.”

25. Our favorite fantasy league GM has already explained why he prefers anyone over Hernandez (career stats and the unknown that we should find out about Beaty and Rios) and has explained that Barnes is fine as a BACK UP catcher who only starts when Smith needs a day off.

    Our favorite fantasy league GM last year saw that Pollock had lopsided splits and it probably had something to do with Pollock’s nagging injuries. But Doc kept putting Pollock in there last year when there was obviously something wrong with Pollock.

    1. It wasn’t obvious to me. You must have a special sight, I lack.

       Just because someone is not hitting does not mean there is something physically wrong.

26. RE Barnes….This probably will be the goofiest idea to most, but hey, had to ask.

    Would it be possible to bring up another catcher to be the backup, keep Barnes on the roster and not send him to USC and catch only for Kershaw and let Smith do most of the catching and having the time to be comfortable with the pitchers. After all, he has not had the time with them as Barnes had. Well, anybody ready to fire me? lol

27. I like both of our catchers. Catchers take a beating and both Barnes and Smith have been flattened this year by baserunners. I’m ok with Barnes batting 200 and playing good D. Better if he throws out some Padres this week. Smith I expect to hit better and be the # 1 for a long time.

    1. It’d be better if Barnes were hitting .200, but the fact is he is hitting .091.

       Badger can hit .091!

       1. Heck, I can hit .191! Put me in coach!

28. To do that would be a waste of a valuable roster spot. If the team wants to split the job 50/50 it cannot be with Barnes. But there is no reason why Smith cannot go 4 out of 5 games especially with a short season. It just depends as to how Doc wants to play it.

    1. I think that’s right Jeff. Barnes is there to give Smith a day off. If he hits .200 it means he’s doubled his average over the next several weeks. I’d take that. I’d also take giving Ruiz a shot at it.

    2. Ok, bad idea from me. So am I furloughed and not fired? I can work from home.

       1. Not as dumb as you think. On the road they can now have a 5 man taxi squad. So Barnsie could be on that for a road trip where CK is not pitching and bring up Ruiz for a look see. The only other catching option is Gale who couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat! ( Thank you Tommy Lasorda for that one.)

29. Today’s lineup:

    Joc
    Mookie
    Belly
    JT
    Muncy (2b)
    CT3 (ss)
    Beaty (DH)
    Rios (1b)
    Smith

    May

    1. I like those nine guys. I hope they score a lot of runs today.

    2. I like this lineup.

30. 25 years ago tonight, MLB had its last forfeit

    https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29614065/25-years-ago-tonight-mlb-had-last-forfeit-los-angeles-dodgers-st-louis-cardinals-game

    1. haha, I remember that game

       1. Me too!!

31. Another college domino fell today.

32. Glad to see Rios getting start at 3rd. If Muncy is more comfortable at first I think Turner may get some starts at 2nd. Turner seems ok with making that move after last season when the Dodgers making noise about signing Rendon.

    1. Why do that ? Turner is the oldest – put him at DH.

33. Like is elite at 2B

    1. Kike isn’t bad either.

       1. Don’t hate Like.

          1. Like probably sucks in October anyway

34. I don’t quite understand why Pollock is on the bench tonight, considering he’s one of our few hitters who is producing. Does he need a day off? Does he have a particularly hard time against Perdomo? Maybe so. Otherwise, Max should be getting a day off.

    While I’m tinkering with the lineup, why are they playing games with Seager and his ultimate trip to the IL? Doc says he hasn’t done any baseball activities yet. Instead of having him miss 6 or 7 games and then moving him to the IL why not do it now and have another able bodied player on the roster (Mr. McKinstry for example, who could start at second tonight and let Max have a day to contemplate the state of his hitting approach.).

35. Just exploring options to get Rios into the line up more regularly. Turner would be my pick for more dh role.

36. SF vs HOU, who do you want to win? For now and for years to come, SF is no match for the Dodgers, so between those two, I’d rather it be SF so HOU doesn’t qualify for playoffs

    1. Go Giants

37. .063/.167/.250

    That is Major League leadoff suckage. Those are Joc’s splits leading off this year.

    Why is he there? He’s OPS’n .992 in the 7 hole. Put him in that spot, leave him there, and move Mookie to leadoff.

    SF vs Houston. I hope it goes 18 innings and ends in a tie.

38. Wow, May struck Manny out with the exact same pitch as last time.

    Filthy!

39. Muncy the rally killer. He and Joc and Beaty should all hit 8th.

40. What a surprise, Muncy and Bellinger at bat, and the same result as always….. Ball goes straight to first base!!

41. Every time we cringe at the thought of having traded Yordan Alvarez, remember that same summer the White Sox included Tatis Jr in a trade for James Shields.

    Similar situations in both instances, the trading team traded the young prospect within a year of having drafted him, didn’t quite know what they had, and gave him up for immediate help in a pennant race.

    1. I know it’s been a while since we’ve been sellers, but I don’t remember us “stealing” a minor league stud like this in a trade like this recent memory?

       1. Josiah Gray says hello

          1. Please don’t compare Josiah Gray (yet) to Fernando Tatis or Yordan Alvarez.

42. Muncy at bat, let me guess where the ball went ….. First baseman? Thanks Hosmer, Muncy and Bellinger owe you a dinner for being a lousy first baseman.

43. bases loaded no out – Dodgers don’t score. what a shock!

44. Into the bullpen in the first inning and not taking advantage. Don’t know what to say about Muncy that hasn’t been said. Beaty looks like he forgot what got him here. Lux not being ready is a problem. We could sit Muncy if Gavin was available.

    Can’t leave them out there like this. Already 1 for 6 WRISP and 12 LOB.

45. More than well deserved, the worst hitter in all of baseball hits home run, what a classic Dodgers game, maybe they need to learn to lose, to see if they learn to hit and then win without depending on the home run … It will be a too bad if May can’t win this game, thanks to the inefficiency of not being able to score one more run!!
    But tonight I feel that they do not deserve to win, this game I would give it to SD, the same as yesterday’s game against SF, it was a victory with a taste of loss…

46. Ferguson was up to pitch to Hosmer. Why didn’t he come in?

    Bellinger swings at ball 4 twice then looks at strike 3.

    1. I actually think that was a test for May. And he had 2 strikes, but made a mistake and a vet cashed it in.

       I like the test. That test was for October, not Aug 10

       1. So… in mid August it was an October test for May.

          Well, he didn’t pass.

          1. No pitcher will be mistake free. May pitched well and this game was winnable if the bats did their job. No excitement watching the Dodgers. Dead bats, team-wide. Weak lineup and not supporting the rotation. What can we say? It will change, but when? Almost every year this team slumps.

47. Smith nailed Tatis at 2nd. But the pitch was called incorrectly a ball for ball 4.

    1. Looked inside to me.

       This team can put you to sleep for hours at a time. They will keep swinging for the fences, and popping up, until they run into one.

48. 4 hitters in the lineup below the Mendoza line, including all 3 of their HR leaders last year, and you are expecting some offense? They all look lost. Bellinger, Beaty, Rios, who struck out 2 more times, and Joc. They need a spark from somewhere, and they are not getting it. Offense is putting a lot of pressure on the pitchers to be flawless.

49. Fire RVS!!!!!!!!!!!

50. You only score 1 you don’t deserve to win, but this game should still be 1-1.

    All or nothing will be nothing now and then.

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