Boy, I need to say that Corey Seager has gone into a slump more often. HR (13), double (13), single, 2 RBIs, a couple of good plays at SS. But he sure did choke with that weak ground ball to first when he needed a triple.☺ This is a different Corey Seager from last year. He is now tied for the team lead in RBIs with 36 with Mookie. It is the leadoff hitter and #2 hitter that lead the team in RBIs by a fairly substantial margin. Not 3-4-5-6. Corey is two behind Mookie in HRs and leads the team in doubles. Mookie has an OPS of .963 while Corey has an OPS of .959. Corey is getting back to the 2016 and 2017 version of Corey Seager. I know there are those who prefer Francisco Lindor, but I am hoping that Corey wants to stay a Dodger forever and can coax an extension out of AF. I love it when Corey gives me a reason to include his picture in the article.
My first favorite non-Dodger was Baltimore’s Brooks Robinson. Mid 60’s favorite Dodger was Jim Lefebvre, followed by Ken McMullen. I was a big fan of Nomar because of how he treated my son when they were Boston teammates. And Corey Seager has been a favorite since he was drafted. What do they all have in common? Uni #5. I cannot say it is because of the uniform number, because I was never a big fan of Mike Marshall who wore number 5 for 9 years.
Now back to the game. This was a game that Doc haters can find fault with, and Doc fans can find positives. After a tough first inning, Julio Urias settled down and pitched brilliantly for the next 4.2 innings. After the Pillar single in the first, Julio retires the next 12 in a row before the Edwin Rios error to open the 6th. He gets the next two and then Doc comes to get him after 77 pitches and a bullpen game the next day? That was a head scratcher for me. What is going to happen when the team needs for Urias to go 90+ pitches? I know the game was tied at 2, with RH Nolan Arenado coming up, but at some point, you have to let the kid pitch out of a jam. Dylan Floro got the weak foul pop out from Arenado, so it worked. But if you are going to let KJ and Baez struggle in similar (or worse) situations to build their confidence, why not Urias? It was unfortunate that Julio did not get the win, but the team won, so I am sure Urias can be satisfied with a Dodgers win…right? Arbitration hearings do not care if you held the Rockies to two runs in 5.2 IP. At some point the W-L discussion is going to come up.
Josh Bard, Mark Prior, and Connor McGuiness need to figure out how to get Urias properly warmed to pitch the first inning. For the season, Urias has allowed 10 runs in the first inning this season, but only 9 runs in the 39 innings following the first.
Corey had a couple of important hits, and Edwin Rios crushed his 5th HR of the season, but for me, the key hit in the game was two out double by Will Smith. That broke the game open. A four run lead at Coors is not enough when the tying run can come to the plate. The one out double off the wall by Kike’ in the 7th got the inning rolling. Don’t look now all you Kike’ doubters, but for the month of September (11 games, 30 AB), Kike’ is slashing .300/.353/.567/.920 with 2 doubles, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs and only 4 Ks. He is heating at the right time. Combined, Max and Cody have 2 extra base hits and 4 RBIs. Max has 21 Ks in September, while Cody has 10. As I said in the beginning of the year, Kike’ has never been the problem. While his bat is rarely a game changer, his glove often is. Cody and Max are supposed to be the game changing bats, and they haven’t been.
Floro should have pitched the 7th unscathed, but Max still has a problem throwing to 2B. With a 6 run lead, why not just get the out at 1st? But the error did allow for Joe Kelly to come in in a non-high leverage situation. After seven consecutive knuckle curves, he seduces a Ryan McMahon 6-3 ground out on a fastball to end the inning. I just am not sure that Kelly trusts his command of his fastball. By the way, Dylan Floro is quietly having a very good season. His ball has always moved, but now he has command of that movement.
Kolarek gave up his first HR of the season. Trevor Story is going to hit a lot of HRs off a lot of pitchers. But it was a bomb.
It was nice to see Josh Sborz come in and finish off the game to save the bullpen for Friday’s game. I would still prefer to see Mitch White start, but I understand why he isn’t. He is not going to be an option for the post season, but the bullpen game could be. Josiah Gray is not going to pitch at the MLB level this year. He is not on the 40 man, and there is no reason to start his clock.
The Dodgers are now up 4.0 games on the Padres, and their magic number for their 8th consecutive NL West title (and best record in NL) is at 5. Philadelphia is now the #8 seed in the NL, with SFG #7. St. Louis (-.5), Milwaukee (-1.0), NYM (-1.5), and Colorado (-2.0) are all still trying to get in.
Don’t look now, but NYY is getting hot at the right time.
If Belli and/or Muncy finally heat up, watch out! Nice that others can carry the club in the meantime. What is going on with having Muncy bat fourth, Jeff? Do you have any insight into that? If it’s intended to build up his confidence, I’m not sure it’s working. And regarding Doc, I’m not sure if he can get a break here with respect to Urias. If he leaves in Urias, and the Rockies have a big inning, it could jeopardize our lead over SD. If he takes him out, he puts an extra load on the bullpen. It strikes me as a “lesser of two evils” situation. Choose your poison. It’s not that I feel the need to defend Doc, but there are downsides to both decisions.
David, I have no idea why Muncy continues to bat 4th. He is not slow, so he would not clog the bases for Mookie if he batted lower in the order and got on base. With respect to Urias, as I said above, there is plenty of ammo for the Doc doubters and the Doc fans. This year is a 60 game sprint, so every game is critical. In SD, Doc made the decision to lift CK and it did not work. Last night he made the decision to lift Julio and it did. My curiosity was piqued because he lets KJ and Baez struggle as he knows he needs them in the playoffs. I recognize that Arenado is a real threat, especially in Coors when facing the pitcher for the third time. But Julio just shut down Story and Blackmon. Did Doc and Prior see something that indicated that Urias could not get Arenado out? Doc opened himself up for criticism, but so does every manager. He’s a big boy and has no problem making the decisions. For me, I wanted to see if he could get Arenado out, but I was not upset that he was removed. Others I am sure were.
Maybe if one of you has Alana Rizzo’s mobile number, you can ask her to ask Doc why Muncy is batting fourth! I also don’t have a clue. And I agree, Jeff, I would also like to see Doc take the kid gloves off and let Urias show what he can do. I think he has great potential. Who knows, maybe his time will come during the playoffs to step up when the game is on the line.
Jeff, that decision was probably based on Arenado’s history against Urias. Since I am forced to watch these games on the Rockies network, I get their buildup of thier players when they come up. Coming into last nights game, Arenado was like 5-9 against Urias. And all of them extra base hits. They even showed video clips of those hits, and only one came in Dodger Stadium. So maybe ol Doc just was playing the odds.
He played the odds and won. I knew Arenado was dangerous, but not dangerous.
Okay, so it was data driven. Makes sense. Maybe all of these questionable decisions of Doc’s are actually made by a computer that’s been hacked by the Astericks!
Hey Bear, for $9 a month SportzTV gives all MLB games other than exclusive games shown on ESPN and such. You also get SNLA along with all the paid movie channels and more than 5000 other channels. I rarely experience buffering of any kind, but i also hadn’t tried viewing more than about 30 or so channels. Just have to have high speed internet.
I have MLB.tv for now. And I cannot get the Dodgers when they play the Rockies on that because the LA telecast is blacked out, so I just watch the Denver station. I use my Roku for almost everything.
SportzTV has MLB.tv as well asNBA.tv and NFL.tv along with Hockey and PPV and they have a good server. I use android box’s. I got a Diggz build on one in my bedroom which is free but sportzTV $9 covers two appliances and the diggz build’s server on kodi. is not quite as good as the the paid for one
I finally got to watch the Dodgers last night, first time since A-Rod’s unapologetic breakdown of Bellinger’s swing. You all are right, and Bellinger has backed off the plate since then. Apparently, when you’re publicly flogged for 10 minutes on a nationalized game, word trickles down. I guess thanks are in order to A-Rod, if Bellinger wasn’t listening to anyone else. I only saw his last at-bat for a walk, I’ll always be encouraged earning a walk while fighting thru a slump. Patience and swing selection was the last thing he exhibited in that Astros game, so maybe there’s a light yet. His body language looked a lot better as well (from what little I saw).
Interesting suggesting I saw on twitter regarding Urias and his first inning issues. Maybe duplicate how we handled May the other night. Start a reliever for the opening inning, then insert Urias for his 5-6 innings. It could very well be a mental block and maybe that clears it. If not, I guess we remove opening a game jitters as a reason.
I’ve noticed the Yankees rolling lately as well. They’ve been the team I fear the most the last three years, simply because I think they’re the only team that can match and beat our best baseball.
The Dodgers now lead MLB in HR and Runs as well as Team ERA and WHIP.
I fear only fear itself!
Compliments of FDR. “The only thing to fear is fear itself”.
First off, unless you have inside info, you do not know if Cody not listening to anyone. He probably has daily talks with all of the hitting coaches. He moved off of the plate 3 games ago against SD. He has hit the ball a little better, but still not for any power, and he still looks absolutely silly chasing the low outside pitch he couldn’t hit with a railroad tie. Muncy is just totally lost and frustrated up there. He takes pitches right down Broadway, and swings at balls a snake could not hit. I have zero faith in him anywhere in the lineup. But if Dave moved Cody down, he damn sure should do the same thing with Muncy. Smith is the better hitter right now. The only reason last night I could see that Muncy was hitting 4th, was Doc sticking with the R-L thing in the order.
AMEN about Seager. Sign him to the extension he deserves and put to rest the Lindor speculation. Use the trade capital it would take to acquire Lindor to upgrade at second, or third base (Turner 36-year old FA after this season). Muncy was a decent defensive first baseman last season, but his confidence is shot — both offensively and defensively.
A lot of people lost faith in Cory Seager after he got injured and struggled when he returned. But the talent was always there. This is the healthy Seager, which means he’s a dangerous hitter and the fielding is looking better, sometimes special. Impressive season.
As to Cody Bellinger, he’s gradually showing signs of life and it appears he has backed off the plate, which should help. Swings look better. Hitting into the shifts have hurt both Bellinger and Max Muncy. Seager tends to spray the ball to all fields which makes him a bigger threat. But bottom line, the Dodgers need Muncy and Bellinger to make the post season run. I really hate the playoff format, The Dodgers pretty much get nothing for winning the division and having baseball’s best record.
After getting out of the first inning, Julio Urias looked pretty good. Kenley Jansen is still the big question mark in the bullpen. I’m sure that wakes Dave Roberts up in the middle of the night.
So, if the Dodgers win it all, will it actually feel real without fans? Will it have the same meaning? While I’m glad they’re playing baseball and happy it’s on TV, it somehow just isn’t the same. If the Dodgers do win, will thousands and thousands of fans packed downtown LA streets? Or will it just be cardboard cutouts of cheering fans?
They are hoping, and it is a possibility that there will be limited seating in the World Series. Since it is in Texas it would be nearly impossible to fill it with LA fans, but if they are allowed, some will no doubt make their way there.
There are plenty of us in Texas. We’ll be there.
I don’t believe you move the 9.4 dWAR SS to second or third, you move the 2 dWAR SS. I would hope if this move is being contemplated Corey would be willing to do what’s best for the team.
I’m not ready to say Bellinger is even close to being back. In his last 25 plate appearances he has 6 singles, 3 walks and 6 Ks. 633 OPS, and exit velocities of a mail carrier. The fact it’s worse over the last two weeks .217/.308/.217./.525 I guess can be considered a step, but there isn’t time for baby steps. He needs to launch some and it should start in Colorado.
Muncy.
What is the exit velocity of a mail carrier?
It’s not exact, but it’s between that of 50 year old jogger and a Timmons slurve.
Somewhere slightly north of a sloth.
Good stuff, AC. Corey Seager was indeed the star of the game last night. Was hoping he would hit for the cycle but it was not to be, at least not in that game. I am sure he will get another chance to do that with the way he is hitting. Lindor, although a very good player, never entered my mind to replace Seager. I hope Corey is given an extension and becomes a long time Dodger.
I agree with you about Floro. I was not sure he should be on the 28-man roster at first but he has steadily impressed me with his consistency. Kike, Smith and the bullpen who held on to the lead, had good games also but, what a sweet smooth swing Rios has. Kind of reminds me of Ethier’s swing
Regarding Urias who was excellent after the first inning. Maybe he does need more time getting ready. Usually how many pitches and time does it take? And who determines if a pitcher is ready or not.
“And who determines if a pitcher is ready or not.“
He does.
Orel had a good idea. In the bullpen for the last 15-20 warm ups, visually pitch live to the lineup you will be facing in the first inning.
I cannot recall the Dodgers pitcher many years ago who struggled in the first inning, no matter how long he warmed up. If I recall correctly, the Dodgers had hitters (not in the starting lineup) stand in against him toward the end of his warmups and he pitched as though it was game situation.
Thank you Badger and SoCalBum.
I can’t remember that guys name either, but I remember Vin talking about it. Kershaw early in his career was afflicted with that too. He used to frustrate me no end.
Yep! Vinny kept us up to date. My wife and I were talking the other night about how much we miss hearing him call the games.
it is now Sept 18, and the 2019 NL MVP has zero extra base hits in the entire month of September.
I say this because law of averages says he’ll get a few the rest of this month. And I think after he gets 1, especially in Colorado this weekend, it could get him to wake up, just in time for October.
We need 1 of Belly or Muncy to wake up. If both do, then watch out.
Muncy’s confidence is shot, both offensively and defensively. I feel badly for the guy as it appears he is trying too hard, and that never works out. Bellinger remains a work in progress, but his mechanics look much better — if he would just focus on hitting the ball between LCF and RCF — he has more than enough power to hit home runs to any part of any park.
I hate to say so but I agree with you SoCalBum. We keep winning so we can allow some leeway here, but at what point do we prepare his replacement for post season? The last 6 days at home has to be the playoff lineup, and if he isn’t going to be in it, who is? Frankly at this point he’s a liability.
I agree with SoCalBum as well. At this point Muncy has to be left off the playoff roster. He has let his offensive woes affect his defense and that’s a no go for me in the playoffs. I too feel bad for Muncy’s troubles. It’s a damn shame. He’s the kind of player you respect and root for as a fan. The way he turned his career around is just remarkable. But, this just isn’t his year. Belli, just for his defensive ability and flexibility should be playing in the postseason. He has a better chance of becoming an asset offensively than Muncy at this time. At least he’s making contact and not striking out at an alarming rate like Muncy. Beatty should be at 1B and /or DH these last few games. Having the DH sure has reduced Beatty’s role as a hitter.
I was afraid to say it, but as of now, I also think they should consider leaving Muncy off the playoff roster. It’s funny, I hear many announcers saying how Muncy knows the strike zone so well and doesn’t swing at bad pitches. Well, I’ve seen him swing at many bad pitches and watch some fast balls down the middle of the plate. I’m sure pulling for him to improve.
As for Bellinger, he is just so good defensively that he should always be in the game. But I feel he should be played exclusively at 1B. There is no one on the team that even comes close to his ability at 1B.
Well, here’s hoping that they both start hitting well in the short time left until the playoffs start.
I agree Hodges! Put Bellinger at first and leave him there, although I do understand putting him in CF when in Colorado. The Rockies outfield has 3 zip codes.
I hear you SoCal, but I would keep him at 1B even in Colorado. Just my humble opinion.
And two different altitudes. Rough place to play the outfield. Even rougher to climb to you seats when you are in the upper deck.
We have been saying if Belli and Muncy get better..look out. Well, they are not getting better. If anything they are the two biggest holes in the lineup. And there seems to be no end to their ineptitude. There also are no other options for the Dodgers. With all 3 of their HR leaders from last year playing like Mickey Mouse on LSD, they still are the team with the best record. But their lead in HR’s is in serious jeopardy since the Yankees have hit 19 in 3 games and have suddenly woken up. I have no clue what their problem is, or what the solution is. But you would think that they would have accidentally hit at least one this month. Pollock has hit more than they have now when he got number 11 the other day,,,,Matches his uniform. Voit in NY, hit number 20 last night. Muncy has struck out 56 times in 175 at bats. Surprisingly Taylor is second on the team with 48, but he is hitting 80 points higher, and has more extra base hits.
Will Smith has as many extra base hits as Muncy, 14, in 86 less at bats. He has more walks, 18, than K’s, 16 and he is only 2 behind Max in RBI’s. Now you tell me how in the wide wide world of sports Roberts can bat a guy hitting . 194 in the 4 hole and have the better hitter hitting behind him. Maybe so he gets better pitches? Can’t be. Smith does not command that kind of respect around the league yet. He is still wet behind the ears. If he wanted to have Muncy see better pitches, he would have Turner behind him who is much feared around the league as one of the best clutch hitters in baseball. Yeah, it is pile on Max time. But it is deserved. We see the same at bats every night out of him. And the first is usually a strikeout swinging at a ball he could not hit if he was in the RH batters box. We have been waiting for the bats of Pederson, Muncy and Belli to show some resemblance of the guys we saw last year. Belli is the most valuable of the three simply because he is a superior defender. If they are going to use Beaty, or any other player from the alternate site to replace Muncy or Pederson, they need to be playing these last 9 games. Give McKinstry a start since he is here instead of one AB off of the bench. Johnny Allstaff pitching today against Castellani. Kersh tomorrow, and Gonsolin on Sunday. Then a day off, and the A’s come to town. Oh yeah, Lamb has been hitting really well since he signed with Oakland.
I think the reverse strategy of Muncy and Bellinger is brilliant. Suck during the regular season and star during the post season. The Dodger brain trust is so cutting edge!
Cassidy, I think you have seriously lost your mind, or you have been reading too much Timmons.
Mickey Mouse on LSD; I’d love to see that. Remember Doc Ellis pitched a no hitter while on LSD.
I played on a team in Redding that had some old hippies on it, all great ball players, and we won the Regionals and went to State with a guy who pitched stoned on lsd. He could he could hit 10, 11 and 12 feet whenever he wanted and drop it on a dime in each corner of the strike zone. It was amazing to watch that guy work.
I see Belli and Maxie Muncy in the lineup now and through the playoffs. AF and Doc are not benching these guys. Play Muncy on first and second with Belli exclusive in center. This will take the pressure of a little and not be so distracting , no more bouncing around defensively. I was hoping Urías would go 6 yesterday. One more out and he would have got the win and a whole bunch of confidence. Looking for him to to improve each game going forward. Next season I think will be his break out year and force his way into the rotation and Docs hand
Good post today Jeff D. I particularly liked the part about allowing Urias to pitch out of a mini-threat but he’d reached his 77 pitch limit I guess. Yeah, I know Arenado owns him but was 0 for 2. Whatever.
Smith is getting fun to watch hit. I love his approach and his ability to shorten up and make consistent contact.
JT stays health and at DH I hope for now but our defense at 3rd is suspect at times.
SoCalBum says “Bellinger remains a work in progress, but his mechanics look much better — if he would just focus on hitting the ball between LCF and RCF”. I agree about going the other way and when he’s right he can do that. But now he can’t. I watched him again in slo-mo last night. He has moved a little off the plate. I’d like to see more. I’ve mentioned his head movement downward but I now think the real culprit is his bucket foot. His swing looks normal. Complicated, but normal. Maybe he’s always had that extreme bucket foot. But his hips and lower half are so opened up at the contact point, it’s hard to stay on the pitch and harder to hit it to left field. His feet and hips at contact are in line with the right fielder. Nothing in his lower body is aligned to the pitch.
I’d like to see what moving more off the plate, a little flex on those knees and a stride toward the pitcher. I’d like to see that while others would like to see me eat dog poop and die for giving batting instructions to the MVP.
I mostly like Orel’s comments about pitching but as we know he can get a lot verbose. Last night in the first inning while Urias was struggling, he had a long opinion of which I extracted this quote. If you have your Orel Decoder Ring handy, get it out. Ready – “in some ways there’s a new rhythm in his body that to really be an elite big league pitcher, he’s got to recruit more muscle fiber. He’s gotta go to another intensity level and in doing that he hasn’t found that syncricity (synchronicity?) yet to pull it all together yet with that body intensity level that he can still be precise. You think about how Clayton moves his body and the intensity down the hill but it’s all timed up together the way Buehler does it.”
I think he meant that Urias’ time was off and not in sync.
By the way, I’ve been trying to “recruit more muscle fiber” for some time now. It’s not working.
Keep winning Boys. And keep managing Skipper.
Good analysis Phil. I noticed much the same thing. His stance is slightly open, which I would expect from him standing that close to the plate. I hit with an open stance, my theory was to get my dominant eye more toward the release point, but from that position you must step toward the pitcher. As you mentioned, he doesn’t. He’s bailing and his front side is gone. I know the stance looks quite similar to last year but the mechanics are different. I’d still back him up another 4” and have him step forward, keeping the hands back until landing then explode. There’s a reason he’s not hitting fly balls. It looks like an easy fix to me but I’m sure it’s not. In the mean time, lighter bat.
Muncy. He’s bending forward like he’s trying to avoid an inside pitch on balls over the middle of the plate. Just one bit of advice, stop hoping they throw balls and hunt strikes. Confidence!!
Yeah, philjones, sometimes Orel can really go deep in the weeds. I heard that and I started to shut down about half way through. What the hell are you trying to say? And, hurry up, it’s only the fifth inning you may not finish before the game ends.
You know I agree with your assessment of Bellinger’s swing approach. Badger has been excellent in his diagnosis as well. My question is who dictates what Bellinger’s approach should be? Is it the front office, the coaches, or the player. I just can’t believe the coaching staff thinks his approach can be long term successful. Bellinger has to be one of the most talented baseball players in the game today. It’s like he’s thinking “I’m so good that I’m going to take the worst approach to hitting the ball and see if I can become an All Star”. No one has a stance or swings as hard as Cody. You would think that would be a red flag for him for improving his consistency and saving his body from a Tiger Woods syndrome.
Reviewing his career 2017 was above average during the regular season and crapped the bed in the playoffs. In 2018 I would say he was average considering his talent. And, again, not successful in the playoffs. In 2019 he was a superstar in the first half and maybe above average the second half of the year. And, again, not very good in the postseason. So, in my mind he has had one superstar half season and the other 2+ years he’s been average to slightly above average. His postseason record is abysmal. But, he has cut down on his strikeouts. HIs lack of the ability to hit to the opposite field directly linked to his stance and swing. The issues were mentioned above and have been mentioned before by others. It’s just frustrating to watch. He could be an all time great with a better approach. Carry on.
Good stuff tedraymond and Badger. I suppose Belli decides what’s best for his swing and approach. But I will say that it has worked in the past due to his athleticism and flexibility. It isn’t working now for reasons we’ve mentioned. Tedraymond your statement is interesting – “So, in my mind he has had one superstar half season and the other 2+ years he’s been average to slightly above average.” Maybe we’re seeing who he really is? I said before that he is a player who I would be reluctant to break the bank with a long term contract. I don’t see that swing holding up as he ages, becomes less athletic and less flexible. The torque he generates on his lower back would have most guys in traction. The bat slaps his back on the follow through. Dogs that chase cars and 10 footers for pars are things that don’t last. I think I’d include Belli’s swing as well.
And Max and Belli aren’t going anywhere. It’s up to them to get going for us to be successful. It’s a production business.
Bellinger has 2051 plate appearances over 4 years so there is plenty to look at. His worst months OPS wise are July and Sept/Oct but they aren’t alarmingly low. He hits RH pitchers better but that’s not unexpected. He hits better away. His career OPS is over .900. I choose to with this is a 2020 aberration. There are numerous examples.
It was a good night indeed.
Sorry to disappoint some of you, but Max Muncy will be on the playoff roster.
Yeah, I think they have been passing out too many mushrooms. 😉
Muncy has 10 HR, but more importantly, his OB% is .332 which is higher than Pollock or Bellinger.
Max has proven he can do it and you can’t take that away. I think Doc is trying to restore Max’s confidence. They need Max and Cody will continue to play and be on the roster. You’ve got to ride the horses you have.
Joc is the one who has been totally lost. Joc’s OB% is .268. He is a real possibility to be left off the playoff roster. I wonder if it’s possible that someone other than Joc, McKinstry, or Lux takes the 15th spot? I have no idea what is happening at USC…
I thought about this too, Mark. I see no help from Lux and McKinstry. Joc should be available to pinch hit only and not start in the outfield against right handers, if he’s on the roster at all. So who does that leave a a possible pinch hitter that’s at USC. Thomas, Raley, Peters, Reks, Hoese, K-Bear? they completely lack experience so do McKinstry and Lux and Joc stinks. It’s a fight among mediocre players at this time for the 15th spot.
IO had mushrooms on my pizza. Is that bad?
Never
Depends on how many position players they decide to keep for the playoffs. 13 or 14. If they keep the number at what they are carrying right now, I can see Pederson not making it. But Muncy is going to be there. Not on merit that is for sure. Purely on reputation. And he had better start living up to his reputation pretty soon. Hey Mark, mushrooms are not used in LSD. And they are way old school. You are dating yourself my man. 15 pitchers seems to be the number they like. And I do not see that changing come playoff time. As long as they were the little ones Phil, you are safe
Little early to dis McKinstry. Kid has 2 at bats. Give him a few starts and see what he can do. Not a couple of pinch hit and late inning defensive replacement ops. Lux on the other hand has shown zip. Other than one game, both his offense and defense are way below what was expected. Alex Wood named the starting pitcher in tonight’s Johnny Allstaff game. Padres will be the visitors tonight in their own ballpark. Games moved to SD because of bad air quality in Seattle.
I do not think anyone is dissing Zach. But in the playoffs, all McKinstry would do would be to come off the bench. Beaty has shown that he can do that. He deserves the spot on the playoff roster just because he has come off the bench to produce and Zach has not. McKinstry will get his chance. I just do not think it is this year. Missing out on a MiLB season did not help McKinstry or Lux.
Muncy is going to be on the roster, no doubt. Who is going to replace 10 HRs. Yes he is swinging at a lot of bad pitches and striking out, but he is more likely to get out of his slump than someone coming out of USC. And it very well could be as the DH, but I doubt that as well. I think Beaty will be on the playoff roster, as he is a proven off the bench bat.
As far as Joc, Lux, McKinstry, or USC…Lux and McKinstry are not needed. Both are overmatched and need to continue with their development. Any experience they get now will help in 2021 and beyond, but not on the playoff roster. That leaves Joc or USC. Joc has playoff experience and has succeeded at it. He would be my LH bat off the bench to try and catch lightening. He is more likely to get the HR than are Lux or McKinstry.
At USC, it will need to be someone on the 40 man. There is not one player not already on the 40 man who can come in and contribute in the playoffs. If they could, they would be there now. The three players on the 40 man who could be available are Keibert Ruiz, DJ Peters, and Luke Raley. If you think Max is striking out a lot, DJ Peters would make Max look like Ichiro. I would not be opposed to giving Raley a shot, but I think you would see another Zach McKinstry right now. I think if I were making the roster, I would add Ruiz. The days that Barnes catches, Smith could DH, and Ruiz could be the backup catcher to replace Barnes if he is PH for. Ruiz opens up the lineup more because the team can have Barnes’ catching and receiving skills behind the plate and Smith’s bat still in the lineup.
My bench would be Barnes, Kike’, Rios, Beaty, and Ruiz. But my guess is that it will be Joc for Ruiz.
If my math is correct Jeff, your bench means we’d be carrying 14 bats and 14 arms on the roster. That might be what they do in the first series, but after that, with our pitchers rarely going past 5 or 6 innings, they might very well decide to go with 13 bats and 15 arms.
If Beaty is going to be on the roster (and I believe he should be), they need to get him back here to have some at bats against major league pitching.
I am only thinking one series at a time. Get through the first series and then revisit the roster.
Well, with Max on the playoff roster let’s hope he can shut many of us up with a strong performance in the playoffs. It would be an outstanding way for him to erase the bad memories of the 2020 regular season. Because of the short season fans may not even remember the regular season if he can breakout in the playoffs. Come on Max, shut us up!
Jeff, I like the bench players you listed above with Ruiz in and Joc out. It would be nice if could get some information on the players at USC that are doing well in their development.
Agree 100% on Beaty, AC
I like that idea Jeff. And I agree it gives them a lot more flexibility too. Why is it players who come over to LA, spend some time, do very little, get picked up for a song, and then go on to have a pretty good season elsewhere? Jeff Gyorko, who did relatively little in his time in LA is hitting .268 with 8 homers and 16 ribbies as a Brewer. Taint fair i tell ya!
DODGERS RECALL RHP MITCH WHITE
DODGERS OPTION RHP JOSH SBORZ
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers have recalled right-handed pitcher Mitch White and have optioned right-handed pitcher Josh Sborz.
White, 25, returns for his third stint with the team after making his Major League debut on August 28 at Texas. He fired a scoreless inning against the Rangers, allowing one hit and striking out one. The former Bronco has been with the Dodgers four seasons, across five different levels, posting a 14-15 record with a 3.97 ERA (130 ER/294.2 IP) and 311 strikeouts. Last season, he split the season between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City, going a combined 4-6 with a 5.09 ERA (53 ER/93.2 IP) and 105 strikeouts. He was originally selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2016 First Year Player Draft out of Santa Clara University.
Sborz, 26, pitched a season-high 1.1 innings of scoreless baseball last night. In four outings this season, he has allowed one earned run over 4.1 innings with two strikeouts. In parts of two seasons over 11 games, the right-hander is 0-1 with a 6.08 ERA (9 ER/13.1 IP) and nine strikeouts. The former Virginia Cavalier went 24-20 with a 3.53 ERA (144 ER/367.1 IP) and 370 strikeouts in 157 minor league games (46 starts) for the Dodgers. He was originally drafted in the second round of the 2015 First Year Player Draft by the Dodgers.
Lineup:
1. Betts RF
2. Seager SS
3. Taylor LF
4. Mad Max 1B
5. Bellinger CF
6. Pollock DH
7. Rios 3B
8. Lux 2B
9. Barnes C
White? Opener? Starter?
Roberts just can’t settle on a lineup even this close to the playoffs.
Name a team that has a set lineup…
Wood is starting.
I’m with Jeff – I’d rather have Ruiz than Joc. Smith can play 3B as well.
But…. he IS a Rookie!
Who has pitched the most innings for the 2020 Dodgers?
Julio Urias
Of the following starters: Stripling, May, Buehler, Kershaw, and Urias, who has given up the fewest HR?
Julio Urias
This kid is going to figure it out – He’s THAT close! Stripling gave up one HR every 3 innings which is why he is not here.
What starting pitcher in all of baseball (45 + IP) has the lowest WHIP?
Clayton Kershaw – 0.78
Ruiz is an interesting idea. It would also allow the Dodgers to play Barnes at second base. Unfortunately there is no sign that’s the direction they’re going to go.
I do not care who Ol Doc puts in the lineup, but Max Muncy hitting 4th is sustained insanity. Muncy is hitting .156 hitting 4th with 1 Extra base hit, and 1 rbi. His best spot has been 3rd where he is hitting .250 with 3 homers and 7 rbi’s. He has struck out 16 times while hitting 4th, and only 6 hitting 3rd. He is barely above .200 hitting 5th.
So you’re saying he’s due?
Max is going to do something incredible tonight!
Will you give us all water if you’re wrong?
I will provide air.
Hot Air…..:)
Pregame Presser – Corey
SD was a good test. They are a quality postseason team and the fact the team was able to go into SD and take 2 out of 3 was meaningful.
He attributes his success in 2020 to being fully healthy. Last year he was just not physically as strong and got more tired.
When asked why he is able to hit offspeed and breaking balls better this year, he again attributed it to health. He is able to hold the position longer.
Corey did acknowledge that they have a huge advantage with how they play innings 7-9. They are a +43 in run differential. He acknowledged any time you can be +43 against the back end of a bullpen, you have a key advantage.
Corey also stated that the team cannot simply rely on the Big Fly. They need to do the little things to score runs…Run the bases well, go the other way, move the runner over, with a runner on 3rd with less than 2 outs they have to find a way to get the runner in. The players know what they need to do. Now they have to execute.
Everyone knows that Corey Seager is a film guy. He loves to go back in the clubhouse and review his swing between innings. He cannot do that this year, so he needs to rely on his feel. He is comfortable with that, but he still reviews the film after every game. He has often believed he felt a certain way at the plate, but later found out that he was not hitting the way he thought he was. If the team can go back to reviewing film during the game, Seager said 100% he will watch film after every AB.
Pregame Presser – Dave Roberts
As Bear noted, Alex Wood will be starting. The reason is that he does have starting experience. They will try to get 2.0 innings out of Alex, but he has been told to go as hard as he can for as long as he can.
Will Smith will get the next two days off. He has started 4 consecutive games, so he was going to get a break today anyway. CK goes tomorrow and Austin will catch CK. Doc said Barnes will catch CK throughout the playoffs, but intimated that Smith will be the catcher for all other games.
Doc did say that there was a certain synergy between CK and Barnes and believes there is something to it. He did not blame Smith for CK’s poor outing against the DBacks (and neither did CK). It is just that something clicks between the two. My takeaway is that if your HOF pitcher wants a specific catcher, you give it to him.
JT is out today, but probably back in tomorrow as DH.
AJ is DH today, but will play LF tomorrow.
Doc was told that tomorrow is Duke Snider’s birthday and was asked what his relationship was with Duke. Doc said they were very good friends. He gave hitting lessons to Duke’s grandkids. Duke would have been 94 tomorrow.
I don’t get those pregame pressers so thank you Jeff for posting the information especially the ones about what Doc says.
Do you know if I can get those on the Internet before the game? I don’t live in Southern California anymore so I don’t get Sportsnet LA.
There’s not a lot of options for Doc when it comes to position players. There are 6 guys that I think all of us would agree deserve to be starters in the playoffs no matter left or right handed pitching and they are:
Betts
Seager
Smith
Turner
Pollock
Taylor
Then there is Bellinger of course.
The other 2 spots are questionable. The leading candidates to me are Rios, Muncy, Joc. But I would like to see Beaty back and given a lot of starts before the playoffs to see if he is an option. Lux has been given a lot of at bats and hasn’t produced. It’s too late for McKinstry. And I don’t want Hernandez starting.
The way Doc is sticking with Muncy tells me Muncy is going to start in the playoffs and I don’t have a problem with that considering the options. But I think that last spot is wide open and I would like Beaty to get a lot of starts in the last what 7 games.
It feels like Doc believes he can put just about anyone out there and win.
And it’s been true.
We wait for Joc, Muncy and Bellinger to hit. We’ve got the arms to get to the finish. It’s going to be a compelling finish.
Hernández has had a good September. I expect he will be a platoon at 2b.
ESPN shows Joc on bereavement list. I really hope that’s an error.? I thought it was family emergency and hadn’t heard more.
I hope to god it’s not something to do wth the new born
IIRC MLB refers to the list as the Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List.
Not sure we need to read anything new into this but even a family medical emergency is always a concern.
Saw one article which had headline ‘Bereavement List’ and body of report said ‘Family Medical Emergency List’
I want that to be true, emergency is bad enough. Thanks SCG.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I understand there’s not gonna be any days off in the postseason.
If that’s the case our bullpen is going to make or break this team in the playoffs and I don’t like our chances unless the offense scores consistently and a lot.
Remember, our BP is one of the Top Ones. What about the teams who are not as deep?
That’s true the level playing field theory. The other teams are not gonna have days off either.
Alexander is now a bit closer to the post season roster thanks to Mr. Wood.
I’d like to see White get some innings. We could use another long man and he’s ideally set up to be that guy if he can show he’s up to it.
Lux is complicating things.
Wood shows why he should only pitch one inning.
Alex Wood is a #5 starter on a bad pitching staff. And he’s even worse out of the pen. There’s just no place for him on this Dodger team. Sorry Alex, sad to see you go!
Muncy and Bellinger are looking better tonight, although it’s at Coors against a bad Rox pitching staff, so maybe we shouldn’t be jumping up and down just yet.
the swings are definitely better. Yes it’s Colorado, but maybe this can be the confidence booster they need
Well well well this is what it’s like when Muncy and Bellinger produce. It is the thin air in Colorado though. But still.
Everyone has gotten at least a walk in this game except Seager but I expect he’ll get on base before the night is over. This is the offense that I was expecting before the season started. Everyone just contribute at least once in each game.
Well there you go Seager on base just as I expected.
Rich Hill – 7 innings, 1 run against the Cubs tonight
Maeda and Ryu are each in the top 10 of AL pitcher’s WAR
For that matter two of the others are Greinke and Heaney, both ex-Dodgers, although Heaney doesn’t really count.
WOW. What a game. It was a total team effort everyone contributed. Everyone had a hit. 8 different players scored a run and 8 different players had at least one RBI. Best of all is Bellinger had 3 hits
The offense really clicked tonight. They made it interesting to watch.
Perhaps someone can explain how Mitch White comes away with the win? He pitched the last two innings, but the Dodgers were winning long before he made his appearance.
Maybe because White pitched more innings than anyone except Wood but Wood gave up 3 runs. Also a starter has to complete 52/3 innings to get a victory I think.