On a night when no other Dodgers drove in any runs, Max Muncy and Joey Gallo, the true “Live by the HR, Die By the Strikeout Guys,” went yard three times and drove in all six Dodger runs. They didn’t have to get the Home Runs out of the ocean as Max did to Baumgarner, but they did have to get them in the grandstand. Don’t you dare say the Dodgers can’t win with Cody, Max, and Gallo all in the lineup! They did it before, and they have done it again.
Don’t forget that Joey Gallo is a Gold Glove outfielder. With Betts in RF, Bellinger in CF, and Gallo in LF, lots of runs are saved. Juan Toribio wrote, “The top four in the Dodgers’ order get all the attention, and deservingly so. Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, and Freddie Freeman are three of the best players in the world. Will Smith is arguably the best hitting catcher in the Majors.” That’s true, and then when you have a healthy Gavin Lux and Re-Juvinated Justin Turner in the lineup, maybe you can play three “Three True Outcomes” Players. You can disagree all you want: SCOREBOARD!
The Stats say you can. The fact that the Dodgers have the best offense in baseball says you can. If Andrew Friedman says you can, I am down with it. Last night the “Strikeout Guys” Won the Game Single-Handedly! Case closed! We have all seen a lot of crazy stuff in this game… who knows?
Craig Kimbrel came in and did his job: No strikeouts, but he threw 13 pitches, and ten were for strikes. I pronounce that I am hopeful, but he scares me more than Kenley Jansen – I have seen this movie for years…back to 2018 with the Red Sox. He can be very good… or very bad. Fortunately, the Dodgers do have the arms to compensate for it. I remain hopeful.
Rants & Raves
- I would go to war with Tyler Anderson. This is a classic case of “past performance does not indicate future results.” At 32 years old, Tyler Anderson was 43-41 with a 4.24 ERA, with a 1.24 WHIP (not bad). He had allowed fewer hits than Inning Pitched, and he did not walk a lot of batters, but he had really never learned how to “pitch.” The Dodgers taught him that, and he just improved a little bit and maximized his strengths while minimizing his weaknesses. I trust him as the #4 in the playoff rotation. I think he will do us proud. 14-3 with a 2.73 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. He is a solid pitcher.
- Danny Duffy and Tommy Kahnle both pitched for OKC last night – Duffy went .2 innings and allowed 2 H, 3 ER, and 1 BB while striking out 2. Kahnle fared much better, as he threw one perfect inning: six pitches with five being strikes. Don’t place too much emphasis on the results – focus on the health after the game.
- Diego Cartaya seems to be running on fumes, as he looks tired. Over the winter, he might need to add 10-12 pounds of muscle. He has plenty of places to put it. Still, at barely 21, he has 22-HR and is OPS’ing .901.
- As crazy as it seems, Dalton Rushing, who is also 21, is pushing him. Rushing went 2-3 last night and is hitting .426/.542 OBP/1.306 OPS with 7 HR and 26 RBI in 94 ABs. He has also walked 19 times!
- 19-year-old Yenier Fernandez is hitting .297/.386 OBP/.822 OPS at RC. The catching seems to be in good hands – no pun intended!
- Gavin Stone may have been shut down for the year. He hasn’t pitched since August 31st… or not! He has thrown twice the innings they allowed to Bobby Miller last year!
- I watched the Joe Maddon Video that someone put up, and while I could present a cogent argument for either side of the case, I feel that Joe is a dinosaur who likes to be the smartest guy in the room… and sometimes he is. Sometimes he is not! He might be bitter about the later, but baseball has/is/and will continue to change.
Taylor. ugh 3 more Ks
If the playoffs started tomorrow, Trayce Thompson is in the lineup every game. So your decision is does he play left and you sit Taylor and Gallo or does he play center and you sit Bellinger. It’s too bad that Taylor is going so bad right now but he’s the type of role player that can get hot in October and win you a series. Heck the way Barnes is hitting right now maybe put him in left!
That is exactly what will happen: The Dodgers will ride the hot hands.
When we played the Rays in the World Series, we would have won in 5 if it weren’t for that circus play that started on a ball that was hit to CT3 in CF. I would rather have Belli in CF and take what he gives you in the 9 spot than risk losing a game on a bad defensive play. There are no other true Center Fielders on this team.
Gallo ran into one last night, great. But, Trayce has been way more consistent and is still an above average left fielder. Gallo is a better fielder with a better arm. None of them cover the ground and go up the wall like Belli does.
Best lineup…
Mookie RF
Trea SS
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Muncy DH
JT 3B
Lux 2B
Trace LF
Belli CF
No platoons! If you’re losing, you can always send Gallo in for Belli. If you’re behind in the series, you can put Trayce in CF and Gallo in LF against a righty and sub Belli in to CF if you get a lead.
Don’t forget as recently as last year CT was HORRIBLE in September and ended up being our hottest bat in October. He can turn it around….but I will say this year feels different his Ks are out of control.
Only if he is playing left. And only if he is hot heading into the playoffs. He is not going to be the regular center fielder.
Any chance Betts moves to 2nd base. So Bench Taylor and Gallo-Trace-Belli in outfield. Probably not
This implies that the team would be better with Gallo, Trace or Belli in the lineup instead of Lux?
Lux needs to be healthy, which at this point, he is not.
So with the East being tied who would we rather face in a 5 game series? ATL or NYM?
Thats a tough call, I just hope whoever it is they have to play 3 games instead of 2. If I had to pick right now give me the Mets in a 5 game series and then I think we see STL in the NLCS. The travel and less days off this year will be huge and this very much favors the Dodgers…..put your seatbelts on going to be a wild and fun ride thru November.
Early afternoon game today 4:10 ET.
You’re absolutely right Mark. I think people overlook the importance of good defense and the Dodgers are very good at defense, especially in the outfield.
The lineup is potent top to bottom and they can beat you in a variety of ways. Last night it was all Max and Joey and some big flies. The pitching was superb except for the one that Brandon Crawford ran into. When was the last time Kimbrel stuck someone out? Chris Martin’s fastball must look like a blur.
The Mets and Braves are now tied for the division lead. Can the Mets win without deGrom and Scherzer pitching every game? It sure doesn’t look like it. It’s going to be really tough to lineup up those two to pitch the majority of every series especially if they have to burn them to get through the Wild Card.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers are holding postseason tryouts. Giving some players rest, others a runway to find themselves. Some will respond and others won’t and hopefully the best will be in the lineup when the games matter most.
The bullpen is going to be a big weapon in the postseason. I just don’t know how they can put all of these guys in there at the same time, fake injuries and all.
I liked the conversation about statistics and projections yesterday. Some will only look at the stats and go from there. Some rely on the eye test. During the last month of the season, a lot of decisions will be made on “Stuff” with consideration towards “Stats”. There will be a lot to debate over the next month or so, as a result. If a guy has a bad night during a rehab outing, it could just be he’s working on a certain pitch rather than a setback.
Kimbrel’s walkup song is hilarious to me. But, I think there’s a more fitting song for him. “Staying Alive”.
A reminder, a team can reset their roster for each post-season series.
I echo this as well!
>>>
You’re absolutely right Mark. I think people overlook the importance of good defense and the Dodgers are very good at defense, especially in the outfield.
The team’s placement is really amazing.
Everything changes, not always for the better.
Mets To Place Max Scherzer On Injured List
By Steve Adams | September 7, 2022 at 8:58am CDT
The Mets are placing ace Max Scherzer on the 15-day injured list, manager Buck Showalter announced to reporters Wednesday morning (Twitter link via Newsday’s Tim Healey). The team is hopeful that he’ll return after a minimum stint on the shelf. Scherzer departed his most recent start due to “fatigue” in the same left oblique muscle he strained earlier in the season — an injury that kept him sidelined for nearly two months.
Scherzer, 38, has been sensational for the Mets when healthy enough to take the mound. The three-time Cy Young winner has logged a 2.26 ERA while striking out 30.6% of his opponents against just a 4.6% walk rate. He’s averaged 6 1/3 innings per outing, even with a pair of early exits due to an increasingly problematic left oblique. Scherzer had been slated to start this Friday in Miami.
So what were you saying DodgerRam?
Are you still convinced that Gonsolin is injured and Scherzer isn’t? Or, is your opinion different because Gonso’s a Dodger and Scherzer’s a Met?
Uh oh….. is the dead arm starting to rear its head….????
Not like the Mets are in a heated division race right now or anything….
No not at all
Things change in life and baseball and it is a different situation now than before
Now MS is on the IL and he and TG are not sure things to be ready for postseason play
For the record: IMHO a potential loss of MS will hurt the mets more than a potential TG loss the Dodgets
Go dodgers!
One of them is throwing, the other isn’t. One’s injury is recurring, the other is soreness.
And yet both are questions mark for postseason play
Who the bigger question mark is ? Who knows?
You?
And now?
Go dodgers!
Ok, I will said it because it wasn’t commented in this past two days. 2 days ago TThompson was given a start against a RHP like everybody wanted, even moreso after the PH 3 run Homer. Guess what?
4 STRIKEOUTS for TT
Does this is a trend? No really but It is for all of the so-called Strikeout Gang. CTaylor, MMuncy, CBellinger, JGallo and TThompson. Yes, Trayce is there also but you know what,
That’s a team policy/strategy.
Hit hard the ball. Putting the ball in play is thing of the past for this SO gang. Let that stuff to Trea Turner.
If SO, next one in line will try again.
Right now the better ones executing it are Muncy and Trayce.
Strikeout Percentage:
Gallo – 45%
CT3 – 42%
Trayce – 42%
Muncy 31%
Bellinger – 30%
What I mean by executing it, was the frequency hitting the ball hard.
Although that can be deducted by batting average.
In his last 6 games CT3 is striking out at 55%. Nice we have some time and hope CT3 gets right, I think this is an issue in the post season, against playoff pitching. One way of thinking is “an out is an out” whether it’s a K or otherwise. But contact forces teams to make plays in pressure situations. Too many strolls back to the dugout with men on base, concerns me, especially against LHP from the group in left and center. Trayce should bat against RHP but I will be honest. I don’t really trust him yet in big situations. I wish I did. What we all hope is one or 2 of this group, steps up to the plate in the playoffs, pun intended. 7 on 9 in a playoff game makes it tough.
Hey Bear, I had my second cataract procedure yesterday and all seemed to go well. Your information prior was helpful. Thanks again.
Next week I go in for another replacement; this time my right hip. I will now be out of hips and knees to replace. I can’t wait.
Hey philjones, have a speedy recovery with your hip procedure. Have you found that the surgery and replacement parts are improving?
As you mentioned above CT3’s ABs are hard to watch. I think he has surpassed Max in the “how much longer can this go on” department. To not be able to make contact on so many swings is difficult to imagine from a major league hitter. It’s like he and Cody are comparing hitting notes.
Take care.
Thanks Ted. My recent knee replacement is great but I’ve been unable to fully enjoy it as the hip is so bad. Hopefully all the pain will finally be gone. Can’t wait. Plan to buy a new e-bike in Az and get riding again. Appreciate your thoughts
On base %:
Trayce .374
Max .323
Gallo .320
CT3 .306
(scrolling, scrolling…)
Belli .262
Belli had 3 walks in a recent game, but I suspect that was a fluke.
OPS+
Trayce 152
Bellinger 75
Gallo 111
Bellinger’s D isn’t that much better than Thompson’s. If Gallo +/or Taylor get hot then Bellinger sits. It’s all about who finishes the best and I have no hope that Bellinger begins to hit.
P.S Outman’s OPS + 282
I don’t buy that for a second. Belli has 2736.2 innings in CF vs Thompson’s 514.1. There’s a reason why Thompson plays in the corners more than in CF. Defensive stats are not refined, you have to use your eyes.
Look at it this way. Is Gallo’s addition production at the plate over Bellinger worth playing Trayce in CF over Bellinger? In the postseason, I would rather have someone that’s completely comfortable out there.
Totally agree with your assessment BP. Cody is incredible in CF. He has tons of postseason experience and like Taylor, cold be off offensively in a short series. If that happened it would be a gift to the team and the fans. No way, sans injury, does TT play CF over Bellinger. I would platoon Gallo and Thompson in LF. Both are excellent with the glove and similar offensively.
Bellinger has no chance to fix his swing this year. That’s an off-season job. If he wants to stick with the Dodgers he will be a “good soldier” and except any role they give him in the playoffs. Maybe he gets hot like he did last year in playoff time and gets more playing time. But if not, he’s a late-inning defensive replacement. I like Belli’s potential, we’ve all seen it but, as Mark said, the Dodgers don’t need to wait and see, there are guys who can step up and fill the role (looking at you Trace T!).
Looks like they’re giving Thompson a start against a righty and sitting Bellinger tonight.
BTW, Max Schelzer goes to the IL, sounds familiar?
4:10 PM ET
Giants (65-69)
Dodgers (93-42)
SP Alex Cobb R
5-6 3.58 ERA 118,0IP 34BB 122K
SP Clayton Kershaw L
7-3 2.59 ERA 90.1IP 18BB 94K
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Trea Turner R
1B F. Freeman L
DH Max Muncy L
3B J. Turner R
CF T. Thompson R
LF Joey Gallo L
2B Chris Taylor R
C A. Barnes R
Clear-day
0% Rain
97° Wind 7 mph Out
Wednesday Dodger Minor League Schedule
10:05 a.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Gavin Stone) vs. Tacoma (Konner Wade)
3:35 p.m.: Great Lakes (Adolfo Ramirez) at West Michigan (Carlos Pena)
4:35 p.m.: Tulsa (John Rooney) at Frisco (Tim Brennan)
6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Justin Wrobleski) vs. Lake Elsinore (Victor Lizarraga)
Fun game to watch. Especially with Max getting three hits, all for extra bases. 9 times out of 10, Bellinger is starting. Simply because he is elite in CF. Thompson is good, not elite. Thompson will get plenty of chances to play the last few weeks. Gallo ran into one and made a sparkling defensive play. Those skills are going to keep him on the roster come playoff time. Today’s temperature at game time is going to be in the high 90’s, which means that it will be close to or over 100 on the field. Players are going to have to make sure they are hydrated. Scherzer on the IL? No surprise. Vargas not in the starting lineup today against Cobb. Barnes catching CK and hitting 9th. Taylor back in the lineup at 2nd. Lux still not game ready. Gus Varland’s little brother called up by the Twins. Colin Moran, and Jake VanMeter both DFA’d by their teams.
Perhaps this has been written about and I missed it, but I have been puzzled by the reluctance of the Dodgers to give Carson Fullmer a shot. For most of the season he was “lights out”, yet he has continually been passed over for others with less success at OKC. The thought keeps coming up that AF may know something that we don’t. There may be something of a personal nature that AF isn’t comfortable with.
There’s no room om the roster with all the injured players coming back.
31 BB in 51 IP is a big problem.
Whatever is keeping Fullmer from getting his shot (and it’s probably just a lack of room on the roster), it isn’t his attitude. I know someone who played with him in the White Sox farm system and says he’s the best guy he’s ever met in baseball.
They have CT3 doing poorly, but on the other side of the hitting spectrum we have JT. Joe mentioned last night that JT has had the highest average in baseball since the first of June. Pretty damn remarkable. He has quietly returned to the JT we are used to seeing. The power is down a bit, but I’ll take clutch singles and doubles all day.
Mark, I believe I remember you stating months ago when Max returned from his rehab assignment that you expected him to have an OPS over .800 by the end of the year. He’s at .702 right now. He’s raised his average by about 40 points as well. Even though he may not make it to .800 Max has made a hell of recovery. Kudos to him for hanging in there for sooo long. Count me in the line that thought Max was toast or at least needed some R&R to get mentally reenergized. But, the important aspect in all this is that Mark will have been wrong in his prediction. Lol. Max (and MT)still have time though.
That’s exactly why I think JT will be back next year. They can afford to give him extra days at the beginning of the season. They should IL him when they break camp, give him his yearly knee injections and let him rehab in OKC for the month of April.
Well, I pull that outta’ my (never mind)!
Gavin Stone pitched and pitched like he as tired and had nothing more to play for.
Both are true!
He wasn’ t that bad
4 innings, 4 runs , 2 earned , 4 k 1bb
Kahnle looked good, clean inn g with 2 K
Gonzalez a scoreless inn g too
Go Dodgers!
Justin Turner is only 13 points away from an 800 OPS. He’s come a long way from earlier this year.
With that home run make it four points away from 800 OPS.
When JT and Max are hitting, the lineup from 1-6 is pretty awesome. Add Lux and Trayce then it’s fine from 1-8.
So strange that a recent MVP is the weakest bat in the lineup.
I still want to see Outman again. If he keeps hitting, how do you keep him off the playoff roster?
As for defense, my eye test tells me that Trayce is better than Gallo. Gallo has the stronger arm, but Trayce seems to cover more ground, and he hasn’t had as much trouble on balls hit to the wall. (Gallo didn’t make a couple of plays that I think Trayce would have made.) Anyway, OF defense is definitely a strength.
Trayce glides like a gazelle while Gallo is more like a Buffalo, but Gallo actually has a Gold Glove… so there is that.
I just realized something. Not including Vargas there are only three position players on the active roster that came through the Dodgers organization. Not counting Bruhl and counting Gonsolin who is on the IL, there are five pitchers on the active roster that came through the Dodgers organization. I believe that has been the trend through the years that the Dodgers produce more pitchers than hitters.
Speaking of Bruihl. Bruihl is no Chafin. That’s a peaceful comment but absolutely true.
You must be talking THIS year because they are the same guy career-wise… actually, Bruihl has a better WHIP. I suspect that Bruihl will be a better pitcher by the end of his career since he is seven years younger.
Career too. Bruihl is what they use to call a LOOGY before the 3 batter minimum rule. If you think Bruihl will have a better career, then he will have to figure out how to pitch to RHB. It’s certainly possible. But my comment was about comparing the 2 by stats right now, both career and this year.
WHIP is only 1 part of the puzzle.
Yeah Eric, Chafin is also what they used to call a LOOGY. Go look at his career game logs.
Eric- you make this place so meet much better.
Thank you Watford Dodger. I don’t think so, but thank you for saying so.
I hope everything is going good for you my friend.
Nice hit by TT over “Fat Boy” Pederson!
Well if they stopped platooning him maybe he’d burn off some more calories!
Do you realize that Pederson is hitting 32 points above his career average this season? He has never hit over .249 for a full season in his career. 21 long balls in 317 at bats. That is a pretty good percentage. He is hitting this way because he does not hit lefty’s and the Giants have probably convinced him he is nothing more than a platoon player. They must like him since the two are talking extension.
sure looks like Maxwell is back!
Get It Out Of The Grandstand!
Line-up is very deep with Turner and Muncy finally regressing to their norms.
Can’t say I’m optimistic about Taylor, but I truly thought JT was done for a bit this season.
Isn’t that called “rising to their norms?”
It can be!
Let’s hope Patch, the Commie, doesn’t find his/her way to this small exchange.
Pinko!
Or progressing.
And Muncy! So there’s still hope for CT3 to turn it around. Can’t say I have much hope for Bellinger tho.
There is hope for all of them to turn it around. Bellinger included. The only thing about Taylor is that he has said, he just does not feel right at the plate. Muncy heating up is always a good thing.
Last 6 starts for the Mets’ Jacob deGrom:
8/7: Retired 17 in a row
8/13: Retired 16 in a row
8/18: Retired 12 in a row
8/25: Retired 13 in a row
8/31: Retired 12 in a row
Today: Retired 12 in a row
Nobody else in last 40 years has retired 12 in a row in more than 4 straight starts
The stuff and the command is as good as there’s ever been in the game. Just a shame he can’t stay healthy. Whoever wevthrow against him better not give up more than 1 run!
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR581TEX/
That was cool. Thanks for sharing.
Well, the magic number is down to 6. They should if all goes well clinch the division by the weekend. Barring some sort of hiccup, they should also clinch home field throughout the playoffs. Trying to figure out who is going to be on the pitching staff and the roster is a lesson in futility. Without the straight skinny on injuries, rehab results, and generally the thinking in the front office makes it so. But I believe they will carry 4 starters at least all the way through the playoffs. Depending on health, those four will be, Urias, May, Anderson and Kershaw. Gonsolin has an outside shot if he heals fast enough. At this point, that is not the case, but he still has 4 weeks to get better. I believe they will load up the pen. Locks would be Phillips, Kimbrel, Treinen, Vesia. Ferguson, and Martin. After that, it is anybody’s guess. I think all the position players on the roster now except Vargas, will be on the playoff roster. The only way Vargas makes it is if there is an injury. Thats my story and I am sticking to it.