Pitching changes, lineups, and strategy decisions are subjective… VERY subjective. Additionally, second guessers are seldom wrong. I rarely question tactical decisions because I know that there are frequently underlying reasons. I think I was dead on in what I said about Caleb Ferguson, and I think you will find out about it soon enough. The beat writers report what the team gives them; sometimes, they are told not to publish something. Unless they want to be stonewalled, they have to comply. Wait for it, and I think you will learn more about the Caleb Ferguson Ninth Inning Debacle in the future.
Has Dave Roberts lost the Lockerroom? JDM, Freddie, Mookie, Heyward, Peralta, Smith, Rojas, and others are the clubhouse leaders. This is not a rhetorical question. I am asking in all sincerity. This is the 9th year that Dave Roberts has been the Dodgers’ manager. Is his shelf life expired? Does he motivate them or do they just tolerate him?
To me, the lineup doesn’t matter as much as the team’s resolve. Gone are the days when Walter Alston or Tommy Lasorda would manage for 20+ years. Managers now have a “shelf-life,” and at some point, they all “lose the locker room.” In the NBA, they change Head Coaches as often as some people change their underwear. Do the Dodgers need a change in leadership? We saw what happened in Philly last year when Rob Thompson took over for Joe Girardi.
I was not a fan of Don Mattingly, not because he wasn’t a good manager, but because he had lost control of the locker room. Dave Roberts has not lost physical control – this team, as assembled, is composed of a bunch of good dudes, but maybe they need an edge. Maybe Doc is not the guy to give it to them. Maybe you are reading this and think I have lost my mind, or it is being written with AI. I have defended Doc’s moves (usually) because these things are subjective, and to second-guess is petty and makes me wonder if the one who criticizes is self-loathing as well.
Last night, the Dodgers lost a game they should have won. The players seem to be in a malaise. Is it “Syndergaard Syndrome”? Look, I do not fault Andrew Friedman for trying, but it ain’t working. Noah wants to be Thor again and would “give up his firstborn” to do it. He is not trying to become a real pitcher – he wants to be Thor. It ain’t happening. He is the weak link, and everyone knows it. No IL Stint is needed. DFA him immediately and munch on the Benjamins! It’s called addition by subtraction.
Many of you want to trade the Farm for Ohtani, Trout, and six other All-Stars. But I believe there’s more than enough talent on this team and within the Farm System to win the World Series THIS YEAR! Let’s bring back “Pride Night.” I mean Dodger Pride Night. The Players need to play for the name on the front of their jerseys! They don’t need sound bites, and even Ray Charles can see that the locker room is, at least, a little fractured over the Sisters and Clayton’s remarks. These a self-inflicted wounds and should have never happened – hopefully they are smarter now. By the way, in Cincinnati, 16 oz. Beers were $12.00, but Bud Light was $3.50. Go figure. Those Budweiser Marketing Geniuses are so damn smart!
So, what say you? Is Dave Roberts’ shelf live over? Do the Dodgers need a new “Voice?” Of course, the Doc Haters will weigh in, but I am not a Doc Basher – I just want to know!
Dodger News & Notes
- Hunter Feduccia is now hitting .246. Nuff said!
- Daniel Hudson is closing in a July 1st return.
- Julio Urias will allegedly return over the weekend.
- Get your coffee and toast and let’s hope that Clayton can stop the losing streak.
EARLY GAME!!!
12:35 PM ET
Dodgers (35-27) 2nd place NL West 2.0GB
Reds (29-33) 3rd place NL Central 5.0GB
SP Clayton Kershaw L
7-4 3.25 ERA 69.1IP 84K
SP Graham Ashcraft R
3-4 6.64 ERA 62.1IP 49K
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
DH J. Martinez R
3B Max Muncy L
LF D. Peralta L
2B M. Vargas R
SS Chris Taylor R
CF James Outman L
C A. Barnes R
Clear-day
0% rain
71° Wind 8 mph L-R
Maybe it’s less Roberts and more the philosophy he implements. To me, it seems there has always been a lack of urgency during the regular season. Winning each game is a little less important than managing workloads with the goal of peaking for the playoffs. The danger is this type of mentality can become habit forming.
The Dodgers did not go into the playoffs sharp last year. They coasted for about the last month of the season, and when the playoffs started, forgot how to hit.
I can understand the decision to leave Ferguson in the game. He’s going to have to learn to cope with adversity and get himself out of less than optimal situations. The Dodgers will need that mental toughness come playoff time. The downside is that it risks teaching complacency, too. If a team culture gets comfortable losing when they should be winning, there’s no guarantee that it can suddenly flip a switch when the playoffs start.
Yeah, the Dodgers could win the World Series this year, just like the Brewers could win the series this year. As currently constructed, I would say it’s not likely they can because they have obvious flaws that would only be exploited in the playoffs.
The Dodgers were a very fortunate team last year. Everything that could have gone in their favor did.
We keep talking about the trade deadline like somehow AF is just going to pull something out of his hat and all the problems will be solved. There will be very little available on the trade market. Both Cease and Bieber are having inexplicable bad years and are under team control and there’s a ton of potentially competitive teams that are going to be in the market for pitching. Burnes? The Brewers are in the playoff hunt and it will take Miller just to start a conversation.
Next 5 game win streak will end this discussion. But sending Thor out there certainly has to be depressing for rest of team
I think we’ve been here before during this incredible 10 year run. No time to panic! The season is notlinear. I think someone has mentioned this theory before here. It’s not Roberts fault he has to run Kindergaard out there every 5 days!
Were they really 3.50?
Yes!
Mark, I think it’s funny that you don’t consider Bud Light, beer. “By the way, in Cincinnati, 16 oz. Beers were $12.00, but Bud Light was $3.50. Go figure.” I don’t either.
Key injuries and a front office philosophy to stay under CBA and reset the payroll for 2024 with few if any major signings is not Robert’s fault for being in second place. If by the time his next contract comes up for renewable and the Dodgers have not won a World Series, I would part ways and move on. If our minor system is as good as advertised, it’s time to bring up more prospects and access what we have that will stay or be used as trade capital. If you go back and read my previous thoughts this is a transition year and this team as presently constructed is NOT a World Series caliber championship team even if tinkered with at the trading deadline. My previous prediction of 92 to 93 wins still stands and a second place finish in the division. Also we will not give 40 to 50 million per year to Ohtoni next off season.
Terrific post Andrew. Some folks just can’t understand we’re are in a transitional year and what that means. You explained it well. I actually predicted 85 to 90 wins coming into the season. It doesn’t mean I’ve stopped rooting for better but I have adjusted my expectations. Better days are ahead.
Great post.
Thank you.
“…this is a transition year and this team as presently constructed is NOT a World Series caliber championship team even if tinkered with at the trading deadline.”
Unfortunately, it appears you summed up the reality of this season.
I can’t agree with you on this post because if all our pitchers were healthy I do believe we can win another WS. Consider this…..
Buehler
May
Urias
Kershaw
Miller
Of course we definitely need some tweaking to get our bullpen back up there, but maybe a guy like Grove and or possibly Urias can move to the bullpen and add quality. I’m sure we all remember what Urias did when we won the WS a few years ago.
As for hitters….I love our top 5:
Mookie
Freeman
Smith
JDM
Marvelous Max
Of course, we would have to tinker with the bottom 4 and play the best matchups, but it is doable. Besides, not every team has 9 hitters with no flaws thrown at you, so I’m not concerned, especially if our arms pitch as well as we know they can.
Of course, since you don’t agree with me, you also don’t agree with Andrew’s original post.
But since you chose me —
Yeah, theoretically if all your hypothetical “if’s” come true (except Urias in the pen), then the Dodgers stand a realistic chance at the prize. But right now this team’s bullpen needs much more than “tweaks” to fix it, and your listed “if’s” are unrealistically BIG and too many to overcome in what’s admittedly a transition year.
But sure, ..I’d be happy to be wrong, and I appreciate your cheery attitude.
Said it before the season and stand by it: This season we will find out a lot about Roberts and his managing abilities.
This is not the same star studded roster of the last years. Lots of rookies and veterans looking for new life to their dwindling careers.
So far Roberts has done a good job this season , better than I expected. Last few games he made some bonehead decisions IMHO, now we are on a four game losing streak and 2 games behind the D-Backs.
I will give him the entire season and if we miss the postseason I would look for a new manager.
Thor has to go. He is living his personal Ragnarök. 🙁
I would keep Grove in the rotation and subsstitute Julio for Syndergaard as soon as ready to go. If Julio needs extra time to be ready go with Sheehan or Frasso or Knack for a start or two.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From The Athletic:
Since ‘20, Bieber’s average fastball velocity has dropped from 94.1 to 91.2 mph, and his strikeout rate has fallen from 41.1 percent to 16.3. Per Statcast, the hard-hit rate against him this season ranks among the highest in the league.
“I can’t say with 100 percent certainty he’s a playoff difference-maker,” said an executive who was granted anonymity so he could speak candidly. “He may help you get there, but I don’t know that he’s the answer in the playoffs.”
Bieber, who turned 28 on May 31, has a 3.57 ERA in 80 2/3 innings. He is earning $10.01 million this season, and has one more year of arbitration remaining before becoming eligible for free agency after next season.
SCARY STUFF!
I would not touch that with a 10 foot pole.
One more:
We’ve seen glimpses of the Dodgers’ first wave of young pitching, from Bobby Miller to Gavin Stone, Ryan Pepiot to Michael Grove. Well, another wave is coming behind them, and club officials are gushing over the potential of that group.
How’s this for dominance? Through Sunday, the Dodgers’ rotation at Double-A Tulsa had a 2.30 ERA, according to STATS Perform. The next closest team in the Texas League was San Antonio at 3.81. Every other club was at 4.92 or above.
Yes, the Dodgers possess greater financial resources than most clubs, but their major-league success routinely forces them into low draft positions. The Tulsa rotation is a testament to their scouting, player development and shrewd trading, not their financial might.
The highest pick of the six Tulsa starters was Landon Knack, a second-rounder who went 60th overall in 2020. Nick Nastrini was a fourth-rounder in 2021, Emmet Sheehan a sixth-rounder that same year. The other three members of the rotation came in minor trades — River Ryan from the Padres for Matt Beaty, Kyle Hurt from the Marlins in the Dylan Floro deal, Nick Frasso from the Blue Jays in the Mitch White exchange.
Not all of these pitchers will end up stars. Some might not even make it to the majors. But the group’s current strength gives the Dodgers potential depth not only for their major-league club, but also potential capital for trades. Under Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers frequently have moved young pitching at the deadline, and rarely been burned.
Frankie Montas, Dean Kremer and Josiah Gray are the only former Dodgers pitching prospects to achieve major-league success, and each was part of a package that brought back high-level players — Montas went to the A’s for Rich Hill and Josh Reddick, Kremer to the Orioles for Manny Machado, Gray to the Nationals for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner.
The Dodgers might not want to part with better prospects at the deadline if the available talent is as meager as many executives fear. But however the Dodgers play it, they are once again well-positioned for the future.
Please wave Roberts goodbye, and send Thor with him!
How about a little swap of minor league pitching for some minor league bats.
?
This, much like the silly hub-bub with the aforementioned Pride Night, will quickly pass.
Roberts’ bullpen usage will never fully work for me. But I guess id rather have a manager who errs on too much confidence on his RPs, than too little.
I just wish his instincts were different.
DODGERS RECALL TAYLER SCOTT
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers recalled right-handed pitcher Tayler Scott and placed right-handed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list with a blister on his right index finger.
Scott, 30, returns for his third stint with the team and he is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA (0 ER/1.2 IP) and two strikeouts with the Dodgers this season. He has spent parts of three seasons in the Major Leagues with Seattle (2019), Baltimore (2019), San Diego (2022) and Los Angeles (2023) and he is a combined 0-1 with an 10.50 ERA (35 ER/30.0 IP) and 29 strikeouts in 22 games (two starts). He was signed by the Dodgers as a minor league free agent on January 3, 2023.
Syndergaard, 30, pitched last night, allowing six runs on seven hits in 3.0 innings. On the season, he is 1-4 with a 7.16 ERA (44 ER/55.1 IP) and 38 strikeouts in 12 starts. He is in his eighth Major League season, and he is a combined 58-45 with a 3.65 ERA (368 ER/908.0 IP) and 910 strikeouts in 158 games. He was signed by the Dodgers on December 16, 2022.
Here’s hoping the 15-day IL ends up being 60 to 90 to 120.
I don’t know how long it has been since we’ve been a couple games back at this point of a season but perhaps it will turn out that the players feel the threat that they’re letting it slip away. They know inside they are better than this. Yes, they should dump Thor today to let others know they have to produce and be proud to be on this team and contributing some reason for pride. 21 was a win record season then followed beating that record by 5 runs in 22. Ships don’t sail on yesterday’s wind and it all depends on how you want to go out. Errors and bad play and unproductive at bats should be addressed immediately to let players know it takes more to play for Dodgers. Bound for glory or bound for gloom.
Wednesday scores
Oklahoma City 8, El Paso 6 (10 innings)
Arkansas 15, Tulsa 9 (11 innings)
Great Lakes 10, Lake County 1
Modesto 2, Rancho Cucamonga 1
Thursday schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Ronan Kopp) vs. Lake County (Tommy Mace)
5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (River Ryan) vs. Arkansas (Kyle Tyler)
5:35 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Andre Jackson, after an opener) at El Paso (Anderson Espinoza)
7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Payton Martin) at Modesto (Michael Morales)
10.8. Really?
1.7. Again. Really?
Guess what these numbers are.
* De La Cruz, on his triple, went home to 1st officially in 10.83 seconds. I actually had him faster. He was flying around second with those long strides just eating uo ground. Supposedly Byron Buxton ran a 10.52 in 2017. But I’d need to see that. I’ve watched this kid for 2 games and I’m hooked. He is something special.
* 1.7 of course is a Noah Syndergaard time to home with Will Smith trying to throw the guy out.
I’m now past any irritation with Noah. I’ve been pissed when he can’t hold runners, doesn’t cover first, and doesn’t back up any bases. And the fact that he has dick.
Now I just feel sorry for the guy.
I know it’s a production business and I don’t want to watch him anymore. But it hasn’t worked and appears unlikely it ever will, and certainly not with the Dodgers.
But there is a human side of me that feels bad for a guy who has tried to save his career and just hasn’t been able to. It’s sad to see a career end this way. It’s a hard reality when all you have wanted to do is play ball and you’re done. It happens to everybody at some time, but it’s not easy.
* I’m waiting for the criticism again of Vargas at 2nd on about 105 mph tweener bullet that ate him up. A text book THTH. I would encourage any critic to get his own ass out there and try to make that play. Or STFU.
* Joe mentioned the report on Carlos Torres, the HPU from Tuesday. You remember the guy who tossed David Bell for arguing balls and strikes. He was in the 4th percentile. I don’t know how that’s calculated but he called a ton of balls in a zone I call the “5 river”. That’s the area inside to RHH, off the plate, in the area between the plate and the batters box line. The Umpire Scorecard showed he called 15 go 66 called strikes on pitches out of the Strike zone. That’s a 77% accuracy rate.
But that’s based on the box that’s supposed to be the strike zone. It’s not Carlos Torres’ zone. He was actually very consistent with “his” zone. he called 2 high strikes out of the box and 13 in the 1 river. He called it there all day. He gave nothing low and was consistent low.
Don’t laugh but I could make a case that that is his strike zone and he was consistent and that’s his personal strike zone. I’ve had plenty of umpires tell me that it’s acceptable as long as he’s consistent and it’s up to the players to adjust to that strike zone.
Again, you have 2 strike zones in play. The little box on the TV and Carlos Torres’ strike zone.
* Nick Robertson is a big kid with a nice live fastball and nice change on the edges. He’s only about 3 mph different from Noah but the life on his stuff is totally different. Miller, Grove and Robertson have all impressed me so far.
* One of the delightful things about watching the rookie’s debut is the reaction from the families who made it to the game to see a lifelong dream come true. Robertson had a whole section going wild. DeLuca’s kept a smile, as he hit it the ball hard with bad aim. Big fun to see a lifelong dream come true.
* To me, DeLuca looks a little bit like Ron Cey in the box.
* Phillips blew one. It happens to the best of them. He’s still my pick for the closer or the guy used in the highest leverage situations.
* Graterol is a mystery to me. Maybe he needs to throw with less velocity with more command and spin. He just can’t miss bats.
* Our bullpen will continue to struggle as long as we keep getting short starts from the rotation. If you pitch enough guys everyday, somebody’s bound to be shitty after awhile.
I’m at the ballpark and had to check on the Bud light for $3.50. That was a Tuesday night promotion for all 12 ounce Budweiser product for $3.50.
No such promotion today. Let’s go Dodgers win a freaking game
What are things coming to when movie concessions are wildly overpriced compared to overpriced stadium concessions?
If too afield of baseball talk please delete.
Well, you could be at the theater watching Field of dreams.
Saw SpiderVerse yesterday, it’s amazing.
Not nearly as good as original imo
My immediate reaction after last night’s game is that this team is either too soft, or not properly focused to play good baseball. Don’t know if it’s Roberts, or something else. Maybe it’s as simple as faulty construction of the personnel, or the injuries to May and Urias finally catching up to them. In truth, I knew back in May the loss of those guys to the IL would result in a downturn for the Dodgers, ..but still, .. something’s amiss and the vibe ain’t right. That’s all.
We really are spoiled!!!
We call it a ‘transition year’ when we expect to win 85-93 games.
That is when you are the Dodgers. Or Yanks. Or Cards. Or Braves. Or Red Sox. Or Astros.
All those teams with either a long successful history and/or deep pockets.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was going to post something in this line. We are playing our 63th game, 100 to go and some here want to do I don’t know what anymore. Talking shit about Vargas defense??!! So Mookie plays SS, 2B, and RF, PROBLEM SOLVED!
Not really, aside he can’t play 3 positions at the same time, every time you take Mookie out of RF, his hitting suffer.
Tell me in 6 weeks if there is a LF who can upgrade us offensively and defensively over Peralta.
Anyone else notice how good Will smith threw the ball to second last night. Syndergard gave him no chance and he still almost threw out runners! I think you’re 90 percent right mark, I think this team can win a championship with a little help from the front office. Go Clayton!
How well he threw, not how good.
I have a kid in fifth grade and this is on my mind a lot.
To kpizzle regarding your snarky remark after my comment about the 5 day layoff during the All-Star break. I know it is the All-Star break moron. But never in all the years I have been watching the game have the Dodgers had one five days long. Usually it is four. And they always have played on the Sunday just before the break so shut up.
Weren´t they off last year on the Sunday before the ASG ?
3-0 lead for CK . Peralta really heating up.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes they were BC the AS game was at Dodger stadium.
That is an anomaly. Normally they play.
I didnt say it wasnt just pointing out they didnt play….
I am not dense, I understand that. My point was simply that it is something that does not normally happen.
I don’t believe that you can possibly fault Roberts. The problem is personnel, not management. The problem is execution.
Like yesterday – Phillips is his best relief pitcher and he blew a save. It happens. Graterol and Ferguson have been the other most reliable late inning options – they haven’t pitched well lately. But who else is he supposed to bring in?
Both Vargas and Outman are rookies trying to figure it out. So they probably make rookie mistakes and have adjustments to make.
Urias, May, Buehler, and Pepiot are hurt. So someone has to start. What else is he supposed to do?
The issue is that this is a transitional year. The Dodgers are trying to figure out whether anyone from their touted farm system is going to be a big part of the teams’ future. They have gap fillers like Rojas, Heyward, Perralta, Syndergaard who are on 1 year deals. They will take a step back next year to see where the gaps still are and make decisions about some of the prospects who have played this year and where they need to add.
And I don’t think that they will be spending $500MM on Otani.
I think think there’s a 40% chance Otani signs here.
Too much smoke.
Metaphorical, not a comment on current weather.
Id say 50-50.
How often does a guy like this come on the market. Crazy to think Dodgers wont be in the mix and sign him.
Clayton cruising so far.
Just what the pen needs today.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!1
Yankees sign Billy McKinney (Dodger’s castoff) to take Judge’s roster spot!
Interesting piece on how bad Umpire Carlos Torres was:
https://thecomeback.com/mlb/carlos-torres-umpire-reds-dodgers-strike-call-eject-david-bell.html
I’ve never been a huge Roberts fan. I’ve always believed he was hired with the understanding that many if not most decisions come from above.
However, I’ve also said many times; is there a better replacement? The Dodgers will not hire a manager who wants to make all the traditional “manager decisions”. That won’t happen. I think Roberts is still the best option. Sometimes a big change can motivate a team. New blood. But that tends to wear off quite fast. As Mark has pointed out, there are likely things going on which we are not aware. Maybe the “nuns” thing caused problems between players in the clubhouse. Maybe the fact that half the team had a child born in the last month has caused distractions. Who knows?
The grass ain’t always greener. Roberts isn’t perfect, but I don’t see replacing him as something that will improve the team. If I did, I’d call for his head in a second. I just don’t see it.
Excellent points on Roberts. I agree that the front office makes many of the game decisions or at least provide strict directions. My biggest problem with Roberts is his bullpen management. I think his decisions with pitching have hurt the Dodgers in the playoffs, but the players still determine the outcome of the games.
I disagree with Mark about Mattingly, and I think he would be just as good as Roberts as a manager.
But overall Roberts has brought stability and a positive culture and no need to change at this point. Of course we will all revisit after the season!
I have always felt that Roberts is great in the clubhouse and iffy on the field. He is not a great strategic manager. He with the rosters he has had has not been in the position where his offense doesn’t usually get the pitcher off of the hook. In the post-season is when his on-field deficiency’s are most exposed. But he is who he is. He is not going to change, and he is exactly the kind of manager ownership and the FO want.
Nailed it
It still bothers me that our 300-million-dollar man is only hitting in the .250’s. Betts is better than that. He usually heats up as the year goes on. I would like to see him in the .290’s at least Then I would feel they were getting their money’s worth. I think the Dodgers will kick the tires on Ohtani, but I believe he will sign elsewhere for the largest contract with the highest AAV ever.
Betts is phenomenal. He and Freeman should be deep in the MVP discussion this year (with Acuna and maybe Sean Murphy??!?!?!)
This was on a Fangraphs chat and I fully endorse it:
How would we talk about Mookie Betts if he didn’t play in the era or Trout and then Ohtani?
Mookie is so great. He’s probably underrated in that people talk about the dodgers as a team with a bunch of stars, instead of a team with Mookie Betts and then some stars…
How many .250 hitters do you know that are making 300 million?? One, Betts. Yes, he is a very good player who plays A plus defense, but he has sacrificed BA for power. I would rather see him hitting closer to .300 with more extra base hits and less homers. He is striking out a lot and he no longer steals bases. You can endorse it all you want; I think he could and should be better than he has been. Let’s put it this way, in 6 years in Boston, he hit .301, In four years in LA he is hitting .269. 32 points lower. He has 35 steals in LA, he had 126 in Boston. His best BA in LA, .292 in the strike shortened 2020 season. It is my PERSONAL opinion that he could be a lot better than he is.
I understand your criteria.
I’m not saying you are wrong to expect more. But there are a lot of $200m and $300m players hitting under .250 at the moment. Machado. Trea Turner. Lindor. It’s actually a shockingly long list.
At least Mookie is performing in all other ways on an elite level. Many on the others on the list are not. Machado and Turner are sitting on an OPS in the mid .600s. Lindor is a hair over .700. Mookie is just below .900.
I understand that, but the cream usually rises to the top. Machado for instance, has been nowhere near the hitter he was since he left Baltimore. His glove at third is elite. His career avg is .280. He is hitting .276 as a Padre. So he is close in average. His OBP is pretty consistent. He has had injuries this season which have probably contributed to his .235 mark at this point. He still drives in runs, but his OPS+ this season so far is under 100. Lindor has not really played the way he did in Cleveland. The lights of New York and all the scrutiny might have something to do with that. Some players just do not perform well in NY. He hit better last year in NY than he did the year before, but for now, it looks like a bad contract for the Mets. Turner is in his first year in Philly. He has not been this bad since his first year in the majors. With his track record, you can expect him to get better at some point in time. But right now, his numbers are way down.
And that’s how the pitching staff ace rights the ship. Kershaw needs to retire as a Dodger when he wants to buy never west another teams hat.
Peralta needs to stay in the line-up to see if his hot streak continues.
If Robertson continues to pitch
Like he did last night we won’t be seeing Bickford anymore.
What would the Dodgers do without Clayton Kershaw?
They may find out next year!
The Nationals and Arizona game is canceled due to contamination. It could be the same in Philadelphia with Dongers and Philis. Well needed win. Great Game of Kershaw and Peralta. Tay Scott great too
Yawn! Just another boring win instead of another stirring walk off win for the home team and all their fans the past two days. Sorry Red fans….don’t feel gracious today.
I suppose you can make a case for Roberts blowing it with Ferguson.
But I don’t think his shelf life is up.
It was a mistake to sign Thor, that’s obvious. So Friedman nails it with JD Martinez and blows it with Noah Syndergaard.
But starting the season, the rotation looked like the strength of the Dodgers. Then May gets hurt, Pepiot is hurt, Julio hurt and Noah is a disaster.
Now the bullpen implodes. None of that is on Roberts.
The Dodgers need to get seven innings out of their starters, but that is an organizational flaw, which has hurt the bullpen. I just don’t get the five inning starter mentality.
Honestly, Thor is done. Time to move on. I get it, 13 mil is a lot to eat.
Friedman hit it with Anderson the year before. He got lucky. Tends to be hit and miss.
But Bobby Miller has stepped up. With Julio back, maybe the Dodgers get on a roll.
Maybe they find help at the deadline.
Thank you Kersh. Hopefully when he comes back, Julio puts May in the rear view mirror as Kersh has done. Let’s get our starting pitching back to being dominating again. Can’t wait for Grove’s next outing to see if he maintains that 98 mph heater. Hopefully Kindergaard’s blister takes a couple of months to hesl
I have to disagree with you Bear. Mookie’s OPS .890 is 16th in baseball. For me it’s a better indicator then BA. He’s not been great this year but it’s still early. And his defensive ability at multiple positions is a huge plus.
That is your prerogative. I have no problem with that. OPS is great, but for 300 million, I want the player that he was in Boston.
I watch every game from spring training to the final Dodger game, except for about forty games a few years ago.
Roberts is a horrible manager. I credit him with 5 to 10 losses every season and 2 to 3 in the playoffs.
2020 was Roberts masterpiece. The short season and DH took away at least half of the bad decisions he would usually make. Then in the Series the opposing manager made a Roberts like decision to pull the starting pitcher when the Dodgers were hardly getting a sniff. Within 5 minutes the Dodgers were scoring runs.
Roberts is a players manager. He is like the nice guy boss at work where nobody gets any work done. The Dodgers don’t run out grounders. Roberts : Oh, Cody doesn’t mean anything by not running to first. Cody isn’t the only one. How about standing at home plate admiring the hit that bounces off the wall for a long single instead of a double or triple. Mental errors in the field and on the basepaths. The Dodgers come out flat very often. They have admitted the Padres wanted to win more. Roberts admitted it. Not a ringing endorsement.
Roberts the strategist. Early in his career he made many unorthodox pinch hitting moves that were successful. I nicknamed him the Genius. Haven’t seen much of that lately. His pitching moves have always been horrible. Pulling starters too early to save them for later. I don’t think the Dodgers have less injuries than other teams. Bringing in the bullpen to save the starter. Problem is use too many relievers you may find the one having a bad day. Leaving the starter in to get bombed because the bullpen may get tired. I believe a win early in the season counts as much as a win late in the season. The Dodgers are rarely out of a game and I hate to concede.
His past bromance with retread outfielders hitting under 200. Giving them a long runway when he had other options. I’m talking about the McKinney, Souza, Jr. era.
I do like matching Phillips to the hardest part of the order instead of being the closer. I’m not a big believer in closers unless you have a total lockdown guy like Jansen once was.
I still think the Dodgers can win it all. The dead zone at the bottom of the order is shrinking. The Dodgers don’t need 300 hitters 1 through 9. They just can’t have under 200 hitters 6 through 9. Some of the underperformers are raising their averages. Especially Peralta
The Dodgers only need 4 starters for the playoffs. Expect them to trade for several relievers that you won’t appreciate but maybe 1 can come in handy. Also, a mediocre fielder batting about 250 that will help shrink the dead zone.
I totally agree with that assessment of Roberts. I watch almost all the games myself. I can pinpoint when I think Dave should be making a move instead of standing on the steps thinking about it. He had access to the stats, Ferguson has trouble retiring RH hitters. They were hitting .313 against him. With a 2 run lead in the 9th, and three righty’s coming up, I am sorry, I am going to my RH arms.
Then maybe we can trade Roberts for Bob Melvin, a 3 time manager of the year, who’s doing a bang up job in Dan Diego. And everyone had the Padres with more talent than us this year. For all the whining about Roberts, the Dodgers alwayds seem to win a bunch of games.
Melvin is dealing with some really whacked out personality’s. The way they are playing in no way reflects on his managerial skills. He showed he was better last year in the playoffs. He does not make a whole lot of in game goofs when managing. They win because the roster is deep and there is a lot of talent in the organization. He is great with people skills. His strategic moves however come in question quite often. He is not a bad manager, but he is no genius either.
Barnes removed after being hit on hand
Damn. He can’t hit .100 with a healthy hand. Might as well just keep him on the roster, instead of an IL stint. Just give him a wiffle bat. We won’t miss anything.
Don’t say ain’t Jane Cobb! You’ll get corrected! Lol
LA times on Diego Cartaya.
Apparently he AIN’T bad. 😉
https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2023-06-08/diego-cartaya-dodgers-top-prospect-future-plans
Roberts said after the game that if Barnes has to go on the IL, Cartaya will not be the one called up. It will be one of the AAA guys.
It will be Feduccia.
Has anybody given any thought to Chris Taylor playing shortstop regularly? He hit his 11th home run today. His batting average is about the same as Rojas, and almost as good defensively, just thinking out loud? Clayton very good today! Hate Barnes got hit , but might get a look at hunter now
I said that CT3 was a better SS than Gavin Lux in January. I stand by that. Rojas is better, but CT3 ain’t bad.
His 10th tying what he did last season. He is hitting around .210 though, better against LHP than right.
I just want to affirm one thing Dodger Dave said : I still think the Dodgers can win it all. Go Dodgers!
I 100% agree!
I completely agree: The Dodgers can definitely win it all, and both the front office and Roberts should conduct themselves accordingly, even if this is “a transition year.”
Transition to what, though?
Seems that it’s been years since the Dodgers needed a “stopper, ” but it’s fitting that Kershaw stepped up in this role. A true leader. And Tayler Swift, I mean Scott, really stepped up too with TWO FULL INNINGS of quality relief. Is the standard one-and-done policy with RPs over? Happy to see that he wasn’t treated like a delicate hothouse flower. Good Lord, maybe we’ll even see a sharp, strong RP with a low pitch count come out for a THIRD INNING someday! Wouldn’t that be something?
Peralta’s four hits were nice, of course, but he’s always been a good hitter. It’s nicer to see Outman have a productive game for a change. Two runs on two walks, a single and zero Ks. (Wait a sec–Outman was hit by a pitch, but the box score seems to score that as a walk.) Anyway, I wonder if Outman’s feeling some competition from DeLuca, a true peer.
Also nice to see Chris Taylor come through. He’s lifted his OPS to a decent .750 (despite a low on-base percentage) and is now on a pace for about 25 HRs. He’s been at his best against lefties, with a .991 OPS.
Before the season started, I had proposed an LF platoon of Taylor and Trayce Thompson that might combine for 40 HRs and 250 Ks. I still don’t understand management didn’t just accept Trayce’s reverse splits and play to his strengths. Trayce’s injury may be a blessing in disguise since it gives him a chance to “reset,” as they say, and it should provide DeLuca a real opportunity, unlike the 4-game stint Outman got in ’22.
Scott is 31 and has pitched on and off in the bigs since 2018,
Don’t think Dave Roberts is a problem this year. In fact, given the injuries to May, Gonsolin, Pepiot, and Urias and the struggles (putting it nicely) of Syndergaard, they have performed pretty well. Their bullpen has been among the bottom 25 % in baseball and it is not due to Roberts decision making or mishandling. I think Roberts has been pretty steady this year and I trust that his staff and the front office will keep things afloat. Once their pitching gets straightened out, and I think it will, they are as good a bet as any to win the West. The balanced schedule makes it harder to win 105 games every year. Dodgers played almost 60 games last year against the Giants, Rockies, and Dbacks. Plus this season they just finished their most difficult stretch of the year with 13 of 16 games vs. Cardinals, Rays, Braves, Yankees. 10 of those in the road while their pitching staff was falling apart and the bullpen was taxed. I actually think they have hung in there pretty well during these challenges. This was going to be a year to reset their roster and still try to compete. May be a bumpy ride as a fan but entertaining. They are still only two games behind the Braves for the best record in NL. And I think you could say that the Braves, Mets, Padres are more talented than this roster top to bottom.
No, he is not the problem, but he still makes head scratching decisions now and then.
Great performance by Kershaw!
Seven shutout innings to give the bullpen a break.
He is a great Dodger and the best pitcher of this century.
Every game he pitches is a treat for baseball fans.
Thanks Clayton!
I would like to see a vote to see how many on this site would like to replace Roberts
I for one, do not think he is the problem, and wouldn’t see any advantage in replacing him.
But I see no problem in being critical of him when I think he’s made a mistake.
There was talk earlier in the comments about Mookie and others with 300 Million plus contracts that don’t seem to be panning out. And the evidence shows that most of these large contracts never pay off
Yes, there are those who want to give Ohtani $500 million plus…..?????
The problem would be, who would replace him? There is really no one in the system ready for that job. I do not think Geren would want it and he is the member on the coaching staff with the most managerial experience. Bochy is in Texas, and none of the other’s out there really tilt my Lilly. The one guy I would not mind, probably does not want to manage anymore, Mike Scioscia. Garver plans on running for office, so he is out. Davis was calling DeLuca Little Penguin because he resembles Ron Cey in the box. OKC lost tonight, 4-3 in 10 innings, but Michael Busch was just a double shy of a cycle. Kole Calhoun had 2 hits, one of which was a double. The homer was Busch’s 4th of the season. In case Barnes goes down and they need a replacement, Mazeika is hitting .221 with 1 homer and 9 driven in, Feduccia is hitting .246 with 5 and 30 driven in. Dave Frietas, who is also a catcher is hitting .375 with a homer and six driven in in 8 at bats.
Tulsa lost 9-5 as Arkansas scored 9 in the 4th. Seven of those were charged to River Ryan. Gauthier was 3-5 with a double and a triple, Ramos was 4-5 all singles, and Cody Hoese was 3-4 with 2 runs scored. Great Lakes lost 7-2 and only had 3 hits. As of right now, Rancho down 3-2 in the 9th inning with one out, the bases loaded and Kyle Nevin at the plate. Nevin singled scoring all three runners and then he scored on an error by the pitcher and another by the catcher. 7-3 Rancho in the bottom of the 9th. Rancho scored 6 times in the top of the 9th. Lucas Wepf pitches a perfect 9th and Rancho wins, the only affiliate to do that tonight.