… and I am not talking about the Old Bear! Last night was just one of those games, where the bear got us! Some of you want to try and pin it on Roberts, Hernandez, Almonte, or Ferguson, and of course, it is just not that simple. Some of you wonder why on earth Roberts brought Phillips in on Friday night when the game was well in hand. Well, Phillips was rusty and needed to pitch – he showed the rust by giving up a run! He had not pitched since July 29th. So lay off Doc. He was doing what he had to do.
You can try and pin this on Doc, but Dave Roberts has to play the hand he is dealt by Andrew Friedman, and two of his middle relievers are very unreliable, and I think that is part of the reason he pitched them last night. You have to expose your weak links, and both Almonte and Ferguson were exposed. In his last seven games, Caleb Ferguson has a 6.00 ERA and a 3.00 WHIP. Digest that one for a moment. In his last 30 games, he has a 4.05 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP! Yency Almonte has a 8.10 ERA in his last 7 games and a 4.97 ERA in his last 30 games.
Both Almonte and Ferguson are boat anchors to a bullpen that has been excellent since June 20 – #1 in the MLB EXCELLENT! Almonte and Ferguson have to go bye-bye – I have seen enough! They may be excellent with another team, but they need to get out of LA! We have seen what they can do and they can’t! ENOUGH! I hate to call players names, but Caleb freezes under pressure, and Yency just cannot throw strikes at times.
Shelby Miller is pitching in the Minors and will be back later this month. Gavin Stone would be a good option out of the bullpen. Maybe Ryan Pepiot, and Clayton Kershaw will be back next week, which also changes others’ roles in the pen. Pepiot pitches today, and if he looks good, he may be back by next weekend. Gus Varland may be worthy of a “look-see” – he has a 2.30 EDRA at OKC. Jimmy Nelson is looking better, and Daniel Hudson is a possibility in September. Shoot, Emmet Sheehan and his fastball would play up in one-inning stints.
All I know is that Caleb Ferguson and Yency Almonte have been given the opportunities, and they have been found NOT CAPABLE! Good Bye! Andrew Friedman: We have seen enough! Thank you for Ryan Braiser (what a great move). Thank you for Ryan Yarbrough! It’s time to move on from Ferguson and Almonte. If they have options (I did not check), send them back to OKC. Otherwise, this is goodbye!
I hate condemning players because they are generally good guys who have worked hard to get where they are, but even Ray Charles can see this! It’s time for a change! Bullpens remain… fickle!
On Another Note…
It was wonderful to see that punk Tim Anderson get cold-cocked by Jose Ramirez! Enjoy!
Well, Ferguson is streaky. Before those 7 games you mentioned he was lights out for an extended time .
his overall ERA is no t that bad. But I do not want to see him or Almonte in high leverage, late inning situations.
I said this before the trade deadline and it was the reason I wanted a guy like Bednar in the worst way. Yesterday was a prime example for it. If we had that additional lock down reliever/closer we could have brought in Phillipps in the 8th and the other arm in the 9th.
Now we have to trust Almonte (who has been wobbly all season long) and Ferguson in those situations. Not a good feeling for the stretch run and playoffs.
Lets hope Shelby Miller, Hudson or Treinen or at least two of them can return. Gonna need another lockdown guy.
Need at least a split in the next two games or it will give the Padres momentum.
In the minors Wilman Diaz just keeps raking. 4-5 with a 3b and HR at RC. Now hitting .386. He is showing why he was regarded so high by the Dodgers. Still only 19 years old.
Cartaya while mired in a season long slump with the average at least has a power stroke hitting Nr. 14 yesterday.
Jake Vogel is showing some life at the plate. Two more hits for GL.
And Joendry Vargas 2-3 with 2 BBs including a HR and 4 runs scored.
Dodgers have some great looking kids in the lower minors with Joendry , Diaz, de Paula and the catcher Angel Diaz among others.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dodger ram was definitely on record many times in wanting Bednar. That would have been a great addition, but the price to acquire was likely very high. Less expensive reliever additions would have been Sewald, Chapman, Hicks Graveman or Finnegan. Available or traded relievers with closing or playoff experience.
Hopefully, the Dodgers can use Grove, Sheehan, Pepiot And Yarbrough in the bullpen once Kershaw returns to fill in the weak links. Tough to give away that game after great performances by Grove, Yarbrough and Graterol.
Given the Cubs are paying most of Hayward’s salary this year, will the Dodgers be willing to pay him next year what he is making this year? Seems like a stretch to me.
uh, no! He is strictly a platoon player so I would think $6-7 Million is about right.
I would bring Heyward back on a 1 year deal in the 5-7 million dollar range. Good guy and a mentor to many of the young players,especially Outman.
Sounds right to me.
Heyward seems happy playing a part-time role with his pals. Good platoon bat, good glove. And that whole “veteran presence” stuff matters.
He can mentor Outman, DeLuca, maybe Pages in the OF. Also possible that Vargas and/or Busch move to LF, especially if Mookie heads to the middle infield
Almonte has no remaining options and would have to be DFA. Ferguson has 2 remaining options and could be optioned to the minors.
Is Almonte under contract for 2024?
If not I would DFA him. Or a strained hamstring IL stand….
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Almonte is has two remaining arbitration years remaining ’24 and ’25.He will be a free agent in’26.
Thanks for the info.
Then put him on the IL.. The way this season is going for him it would be a miracle if he can help the team down the stretch.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just another bullpen implosion.
It’s an inconsistent lot at best. If you don’t throw strikes and walk hitters, bad things happen.
The more you ride the bullpen, the more chance a link breaks and you end up losing because of it.
Exactly.
My fault was in pulling Grove.
Gimmicky overmanaging for no good reason.
That was the plan (and the plan was likely approved by the brass).
They were going to let Grove be the opener and pitch one or two innings, but if a series of LH hitters were coming up (which he has difficulty with), they were going to bring in Yarbrough.
They executed the plan.
Reading the first sentence I thought Mark was going to defend Ferguson and Almonte. I proclaimed when Ferguson had his meltdown in Cincinnati that he was not a lockdown RP, but you proclaimed it was all part of a bigger plan and that Ferguson had convinced Roberts to use him in high leverage situations and that we would indeed see him in similar situations moving forward. I even believe you proclaimed we would see huge success from Caleb. Glad to see you can now see what others have seen for quite some time that Caleb is not “the guy” you want out of the BP to get a big out. Maybe he can handle a “mop up” role or a pitch in a laugher, but he is not the guy I want to see with the game on the line.
His center cut, no movement FB and his poor body language tells me all I need to know. He looks absolutely scared shitless on the mound and I often think he hasn’t a clue where his pitches will land. As far as why we were in the position of having to use him and Almonte it is because our starters cannot go more than 4 or 5 innings in every start. On Friday Miller gave us 3.2 innings pitched and Roberts had to use the BP to get 5.1 innings to close the game. Without SP’s being able to go 6+ innings it taxes the BP creating mismatches the following day when RP’s cannot go 2 or 3 days in a row.
Roberts didn’t have many options but ultimately Almonte and Ferguson have to perform and if the don’t get the job done we need to find someone who can.
The way Grove was going Roberts should have given him a longer leash. If you know that your pen has been overused (looking at the entire season) already everything called for Grove going longer. He was dealing. But one hit and Roberts comes charging out of the dugout with the hook.
It might not have changed the outcome of this particular game but it would have put less stress on the bullpen. Now we have to hope Lynn can give us length again today. Which will not be easy for him looking at the Padres lineup.
Lynn got a joker with the A´s but today we will see what he has or has not against a playoff contender.
At this moment I would rather see Sheehan in Almontes role .
Regarding Heyward: A one year contract in the range 5-6 million would be perfectly fine with me. I think it will come down to him or Peralta.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Exactly, they won’t re-sign both!
Yarbrough had only 63 pitches. Had people in second and third before in the game. He is used to pitch in difficult situations for KC, so why changing him for Almonte, unless you want to lose the game on purpose.????
That’s on Roberts. !
That loss wasn’t Roberts’ fault, he has to use what he has, and it’s the pitchers who failed, but it doesn’t matter, it’s just how we say here “choke kicks” (patadas de ahogado)
I hate to lose against that team of fagots, but this time It doesn’t matter, it’s just a game, let them bitches keep on dreaming and hoping….
Easy tiger . . .
You are right – do not put this on Roberts. It’s on Almonte and Ferguson. They are supposed to be big-league pitchers, and they are not.
Actually, they are. Have been for a few years, with much success along with the occasional failure.
What move would you make?
DFA both?
I am glad that Hurt has now joined Knack in OKC. With Sheehan getting some RP action to help the bullpen, perhaps we’ll see another young gun before long.
I was also shocked when Doc pulled Grove so quickly! Guess he knows better than us but if you get 3-4 out of Grove, Yarbrough maybe finishes the game. I said earlier, I’d rather have Bickford than Almonte! Ferguson is a train wreck right about now! Really don’t like pinch hitting so early every time opposing team goes from left to right handed pitchers or vice versa. Limits strategy later innings but again that’s me. Had Snell beat last night and bullpen imploded! Those are the ones that can come back to bite! It’s so funny watching Doc come out that dugout to make pitching changes! It’s like he’s on the pitch clock!
To pull Grove was the PLAN. I am sure that Doc and the Front Office discussed it. This is a perfect role for Grove, and then he can be used in relief a couple of days later. They are moving him out of the starter role.
I do not understand why everyone’s “go-to” is to blame Doc – It’s silly at best!
Who ever made that plan up: It was a bad plan. If only because our bullpen has been overworked the ENTIRE season already. When you got a guy on the beam you let him go. and ride the hot hand. Espically when your pen needs all the rest it can get for a stretch run.
That is the problem with many of Roberts (or the front office) decisions: He has not much feel for the game and goes strictly by the plan assembled.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think we’re starting to see how our young pitchers can play a role in a playoff run. We’ll likely need Miller to be a starter, but Sheehan, grove, pepiot, stone, etc can be effective, trustworthy relievers.
Gonsolin is the biggest issue for me. Not sure if he can elevate his game or not. Kershaw could be a serviceable #3 stater in playoffs, Julio will need to be the ace. And anything we get from Buehler is upside.
A plan isn’t bad just because it doesn’t work. A plan is bad iof not executed! Ferguson had pitched the day before, but only threw 21 pitches and it was three days before that in which he had pitched before. Overworked? Hardly!
Almonte pitched July 28, and on August 2. Asking him to pitch on the 5th is not overwork.
These two guys just can’t pitch!
Yesterdays debacle was not because of current overusage , no doubt about it. But in the overall scheme the bullpen is absolutely overworked since the start of the season.
So when you have a chance your starter gives you a solid 5-6 innings you take it.
Remember Roberts let Grove in last week for 6 innings when he got hit like a rented mule by the Reds? The intention was to save the pen and give them a break. You can say Roberts deliberately let that game away.
But yesterday he took him out when Grove was on a roll ? That is just bad baseball managing. Plain and simple.
And having said that I agree that both Ferguson and Almonte are the two weak links in our pen now that Bickford has been traded. We need an upgrade for the stretch run urgently.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When you see that your starter has IT , you leave him in and change your plan .
Following your pre assembled plan only to follow it is always a bad thing. In the military and in sports.
The true great strategist are able to adjust their plans on the fly in regard to new information during time of battle.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To me, is seems like Almonte and Ferguson are either “Lights Out” or “Lit Up.”
There is no middle ground.
Almonte more or less has been bad all season.
Ferguson is streaky. When he is on his game he is lights out, when not he gets lid up.
I would put Almonte on the IL and trot out Ferguson only in lower leverage situations than yesterday.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What are you going to put as the reason for going on the IL? Traumatic Brain Injury?
How about chronic ineffective syndrom ? 🙂
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is not good news. From the LA Times:
https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2023-08-04/dodgers-daniel-hudson-knee-injury-update
Hudson began physical therapy last week but admits there is only an “outside chance” he will be able to return in September, or maybe during the playoffs if the Dodgers can make a deep October run.
Hudson has not resumed throwing and won’t until he is able to “do some dynamic stuff in the weight room,” he said. The Dodgers remain hopeful that Hudson will return in September, but they are not counting on it.
Yeah, cross him off the list!
Let’s not forget what The LA Times headline was on Saturday:
Dodgers showcase bullpen depth and beat Padres for fourth consecutive win
Key words: LA Times.:-)
Does not look good with Hudson.
If not Hudson maybe Treinen.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not likely for Treinen either.
The weather here in Southern Bavaria is bad for almost 3 weeks now. Temperatures way down, rain almost every day and heavy. Bad summer so far.
Having some spare time because of it I took a look ahead to 2024. Here is my dream scenario for our roster :
Rotation: Ohtani. I think 10 years , 450 million might do it. Heavy price but worth it. You get an ace starter for at least 4-5 more years barring injury and a top DH for the entire contract length.
Clayton. Another 1 year deal for 15-18 million. The IL stints have to be priced in somehow.
Buehler. Will be fully back in 2024 , maybe even for the stretch run this season.
Bobby Miller. Ace in the making.
One out of Gonsolin/Pepiot/Stone/Knack/Sheehan.
Pen: Phillpps. Treinen. Hudson. Kelly. Graterol plus 3 more out of a huge group of possibilities. Bullpens always in flux so who knows who will be good next season ?Dustin May might be available later in the year and I would think about making him the closer. Got the stuff and his body probably can not withstand being a full time starter.
Lineup:
Betts, rf
Freddie, 1b
Smith, c
Ohtani, DH
Vargas, 2b (kid will hit, only question is when)
Muncy, 3b
Rosario, lf
Lux, ss
Outman, cf
Bench: Barnes (the captain will hit better next year, worse is not possible), Heyward, CT3, Kike (if resigned)
If we can find a better player in lf than Rosario that much better. Then I would keep him for the bench instead of Kike.
I do not see Julio and JDM returning.
From a salary cap standpoint there are a lot of young players on the roster that should crete more than enough money to bring that roster together.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The NBA now has set the bar with 60 million a year contracts. No way that otani goes for 45 a year.
NBA and MLB are two different kind of animals.
NBA has grown to a true world wide thing while MLB is not yet at that point.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yep, NBA is paying huge bucks. As baseball seeks international markets, salaries will rise.
Cristiano Ronaldo, like certain pro golfers, has zero qualms taking the Saudi blood money: $214 mill per year.
Back home in Europe, France’s Mbappe, only 23 years old, is getting $63 million. Here in the US, the relative oldtimer Messi is in Miami for $41 million.
The Chargers’ Justin Herbert signed a deal to pay him $52.5 million per year. Other top QBs will follow.
Aaron Judge is getting $40 million without pitching, Ohtani will get offers for north of $60 million, but he may not just chase money.
I’m not sure why everyone assumes Ohtani will seek a 10-year contract. He might want a bigger AAV over 5 years, or perhaps an opt-out. A lot of options…. It’s good to be Ohtani!
Some chatter suggests that the deal could include equity in the team. This could be Art Moreno’s best hope of keeping him, since the woebegone Halos have slipped back down to .500…
Why would he want to opt-out after 5? At 35 years old.
So he could get a lessor contract?
I don’t blame Roberts for this one. I think they had a definite plan for Grove to get through the top 5 and then turn to Yarbrough. They got to the 8th up 3-1 only needing to cover two innings. He had Almonte ready for Sanchez, Grisham, Kim and Tatis. Almonte hangs an 0-2 slider/ cement mixer to Sanchez for a hard single and then seemed unwilling to pitch to contact. My feeling on Almonte is similar to Mark – too much variability in his outings (lights out on some nights and wretched on others). Would love to see Stone or Pepiot in a role like Almonte’s for a stretch. Certainly could not hurt.
I would rather see Ferguson in the fifth or sixth and Vesia in the 8th or 9th. Not that Vesia has been particularly good this year but he pitches with more conviction than Ferguson in those situations. Ferguson seems timid at times and afraid to challenge hitters in the zone.
Makings of a good bullpen are there I think with the addition of Kelly, resurgence of Brasier, and Miller due to return. Plus some combination of Grove/Pepiot/Stone in roles as openers or long men. Might see some auditions in the pen to find those 8th and 9th relievers needed for a post season pen.
Good analysis NH Dodger. Almonte and Ferguson have to be better while Kike and possibly Taylor need to help on defense. My biggest issue with Roberts was using Phillips in the 9th inning on Friday night with a 10-4 lead which limited his ability to pitch Saturday. Phillips rarely goes more than 1 inning and no reason to bring him back with a 6 run lead Friday night. Phillips could have been used on Saturday for the top of the lineup once Almonte got into trouble in the 8th. But decisions are easier with hindsight, and Dodgers need to find a way to win tonight.
Since Almonte’s elbow injury last August, his command quality and slider break comes and goes from game to game. He’s done as a playoff pitcher. We all know Caleb’s problem lies between the ears and shoulder blades. ‘Nuff said.
100% accurate!
Happy Sunday: Decided to shake the tree a little bit, and put the 24 roster together as I see it. Before I start note that I believe in building an organization within and make necessary tweaks as time goes by. Also believe it is better to change players a year to early than a year to late. I hope this spurs a fun conversation.
C- Smith and Feduccia- The backup must be a defensive catcher first. But we need to develop a catcher quickly. I’d like this to be Smith’s last year behind the plate. His bat is to good to wear him down with the grinding the position requires.
1st-Freeman
2nd-Vargas
SS-Lux-Rojas
3rd-Busch- it’s time
left field-DuLuca-Peralta
Center-Outman
Right-Betts -Heyman
DH-Martinez
That is the 13 non pitchers. Of course many of the players can play multiple positions.
Starters
Kershaw- (Please)
Buehler
Gonsolin
Lynn
Miller
Other starters as needed
Yarbrough
Sheehan
Stone
Grove
Knack
Bullpen:
May
Versailles
Phillips
Graterol
Ferguson
Braiser
Sheehan
Grove
Varland
The front office can address the needs as they occur. Backup catcher and left handed relievers are a concern.
Be gentle attacking my 24 roster. I’m not a GM and don’t have the talent to be a GM.
I assume you mean Vesia, and not the palace built by Louis XV.
Your roster is a no-Ohtani option that is loaded with guys already in-house. Certainly a possibility.
But if the Dodgers opt out or lose out on the Ohtani sweepstakes, AF & Associates will have a nice budget for some other strategic shopping.
The best way to shore up the pitching staff might be to get a gold glove at 3B. Chris Taylor just failed to snag a grounder that I think Max would have gloved and most good third baseman turn into an out–and it lead to a big inning. Dodgers apparently failed to swing a deal for Arenado, but they can bring in FA Matt Chapman, a gold glover with a good bat. He won’t be cheap, but he’s a SoCal boy and might have extra reason to play for the Dodgers.
We don’t know what the Dodgers offered for Arenado, but I think an “overpay” might have helped secure Ohtani and made Kershaw and others happey. Every pitcher loves having a great D behind them.
A lot of folks here seem to assume that Busch>Muncy. Or at least he will be next year.
That is a faith-based assumption.
The facts suggest otherwise: Muncy has been playing a decent 3B since Freddie’s arrival forced him off 1B. He’s no Arenado or Chapman, but he is quick and has fairly strong, accurate arm. When the Dodgers drafted Busch, they wanted to move him from1B to 2B because they were aware of his subpar arm. If he profiled at 3B from the start, they would have trained him for 3B from start. It’s only now that he is getting experience at 3B and the results have been pretty meh.
It’s great for his UT profile, but the Dodgers should have a first-rate 3B like Chapman. I think Max is second tier, and Busch would be third tier. (The Dodgers best true 3B prospect now may be Gelof, their 2nd round choice.)
As for offense, Busch, like Vargas, has proven he can crush AAA pitching. Vargas, however, has struggled so much in the majors that he is back in OKC. Busch got a taste of ML pitching and did not impress. A small sample, and he deserves a bigger opportunity. Perhaps he also deserves an opportunity to show what he can do at 2B or LF. But there have been players who are stars in AAA but underwhelm at the top level.
It’s amusing to me that so many people in LADT are down on Max Muncy, a two-time all star. Yes, he’s hitting below .200, but he is also on pace for his fourth 35-HR season while holding down 3B. (He ain’t just a DH.) Most teams would love to have Max in their lineup, but many Dodger fans want him out–even though OBP is better than JDM’s.
Muncy recently told an interviewer that, amid all the Arenado rumors, Andrew Friedman went out of his way to assure him that the Dodgers had no plans to trade him. If the Dodgers had landed Arenado, Max could have moved back to 2B.
It’s said that the Dodgers have a $10 million option for Max for the 2024. That would be a bargain. Chris Taylor is earning $16 million. If the Dodgers decide to get Chapman, Max could move to DH and back up 1B, 3B and 2B.
FWIW, I hope the Dodgers get Ohtani and perhaps Chapman too. He might want to come home to SoCal and also play alongside talents like Ohtani, Mookie and Freddie.
Good game for seven innings. They had 7K’s by the 4th inning and couldn’t get the fans their Jumbo Jack by getting 10. Worst throw of the season cost them this game. Ferguson’s air ball to Freddie on an easy play, just so bush league. He had Machado hung out to dry, all he had to do was get the ball to Freeman. But the real reason they lost, 1-8. That is what they were with runners in scoring position. Padres were 4-5, of course, all of their chances came in the 8th inning.
I love seeing you guys try to guess who will be on next year’s team. Fun thing to do. But until we see how this season ends, we all know it is simply guess work. Muncy to me is 50-50. Team option and they may decide it is time to move on from Max and his sub .200 BA. They have a lot of players becoming free agents. Number one in the fans minds is Kershaw. How the pitching staff is constructed next season will hinge on whether Kersh leaves or returns. Urias, I think he goes to the highest bidder. And it won’t be LA. Buehler should be back as will Gonsolin. Not sure about Lynn, but if he has a good impression and feels comfortable, he could be back. Miller and Sheehan will get long looks. Pepiot is healthy now and he will be an option. It will be for sure a team in flux.
Muncy’s option is so inexpensive that I think they’ll exercise it even if it’s just to trade him.
I read the Cards wanted Outman and Miller. That’s a non- starter
I was actually one of the many who thought Almonte had potential as a closer last year. He had an ERA over 7 with the Rockies in 21. He seemed like he just put it all together last year. Only 30 innings or so, but a 1.00 ERA and a .70 WHIP. This year he’s back to the 2021 Almonte.
This is why I’m not a believer in spending big on bullpen arms. There is no more unpredictable aspect of baseball than relief pitchers. I’ve been a big fan of Ferguson since I watched him play in Rancho years ago. He has the stuff. And I don’t blame Roberts for sticking with him, up to this point. The only way to help a player work though the jitters is to let them do so on the field. It can’t be fixed on the bench. But he’s moved from jitters to full on yips, at this point. That throw to first should be the final straw for this season. He need a physiatrist much more than additional innings to work this out. He’s no rookie. This is his 5th season the show. He needs to head back to OKC. This kind of problem may not be fixable. At least in the near term. As other have said, if you keep him in the pen it should only be to eat innings in a mop up role.
I agree with Mark, Almonte just needs to go elsewhere. I’d rather see some of our young arms in the system get some work.
I hate to see us lose a game like that against the Padres. We will see what Lynn can do tonight. Rich Hill has not been good this season. But he will be motivated to perform against his old team. He will be under a lot of pressure and we need to do some damage to him early. Before he settles in. It will be curious how Roberts sets up the lineup tonight. This is why I’m happy to have two new solid RH bats who smash lefties.
7:10 PM ET
Dodgers (63-46)
Padres (55-56)
SP Lance Lynn R
7-9 6.32 ERA
SP Rich Hill L
7-10 4.76 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
DH J. Martinez R
2B Amed Rosario R
3B Chris Taylor R
LF E. Hernandez R
CF James Outman L
SS Miguel Rojas R
C A. Barnes R
75° Wind 10 mph Out
Oh no, not Barnes!!!! Well Hill throws nothing but junk. Maybe he will get lucky and actually hit the ball hard.
Muncy’s prolonged absence also a concern. Taylor at 3rd ain’t the answer.
If Taylor can’t hit Hill in this game, then he’s done.
Once again, Freddie and Outman are the only lefty bats in the starting lineup.
Max is nursing an injury. Not sure if he’ll be available to pinch hit.
Was the eat the bear/ bar comment really from ST:TNG?
I know it best from this scene:
https://youtu.be/aPVLyB0Yc6I
That movie was long before Star Trek: Next Generation so I think you are correct.
Yes, it was from Plain Old Star Trek!
Actually, I think the quote is attributed to a baseball player – Preacher Roe.
If I remember, The Big Lebowski came out in 1998. ST/TNG had already been on the air for over 10 years at that time.
Never really got into TNG. I’m a traditionalist. You can’t beat Shatner’s overacting.
https://youtu.be/CywJD13fujw
https://youtu.be/wRnSnfiUI54
I always love a Shatner impersonation.
https://youtu.be/_nziS8brN00
https://youtu.be/KY-ru62rBC4
I love The Next Generation series. Patrick Stewart was the best Captain ever by a mile.
He would have never come up with a Plan to pull Grove after 1.1 innings.
😉
* So how is it that Snell and Machado get to argue calls that supposedly, you can’t argue. The HPU was intimidated and needed to grow a pair.
* Grove 1.1 innings? Mark said Doc was just following “the Plan”. I’m with Dodger ram, what kind of plan was that? “The Plan wasn’t bad because it didn’t work”. It was a stupid plan. I think sometimes Doc/the wizard we get too creative for our own good, especially against the Padres.
* I like Yarbrough. he looks crafty and like a relief pitcher to me. Maybe when CK returns, he can replace Fergie in the pen. I’m with Mark, it’s time to part ways with him and Almonte. We have enough arms in the system, and we’ll never miss them.
* Blake Snell is such an enigma. I’ve told this story here before, but I’ll tell it again.
He’s always been schizoid on the mound. Goes from Cy Young to Sayanora in an instant for no apparent physical reason. When he was a senior in high school at Shorewood, near Seattle, he was a dude, obviously. He pitched in the state tourney against my alma mater, Richland High. He sailed through 5 innings (of the 7-inning game) unhittable. In the 6th in a 0-0 game, Snell came out and threw ball 4, ball 8 and ball 12, to load the bases. No Strikes.
He got pulled and the relief pitcher promptly hit the next batter, scoring a run. And that held up and Richland won, 1 to 0, in one of the most bizarre games I’ve ever seen.
Snell has had these psychogenic fugues throughout his career.
Actually, the Plan did work UNTIL the 8th inning, when Almonte and Ferguson imploded!
If you pitch 6 guys and 2 shit the bed, it was on them but a poor Plan made that more possible.
I think the plan (or Plan, as some put it) should have some flexibility.
If a pitcher is throwing the ball well with excellent control, why not give him a longer leash? There’s a lot to be said more momentum.
Whenever the plan is to use a lot of relievers there is the risk that one reliever won’t be on his game. Almonte and Ferguson were both off theirs. This is also why I hate to see a reliever yanked after a single strong inning with a low pitch count. The Dodgers have done this often in recent years.
If Grove and Yarbrough had consumed another inning, the game may have turned out differently.
Ferguson got a bit unlucky when he induced that weak grounder from Soto. It should have been a cheap infield single but then Kike screwed it up.
Grove has problems with LH hitters. LH Batter are hitting .357 against him with a 1.037 OPS.
They brought Yarbrough in when 3 of the next 4 batters were LH.
If Doc had let him in and the Lefties did what they always do to him, we would be having another conversation.
Then put Grove in the bullpen and start Yarbrough. I hate Openers.
Grove better learn to pitch to LHB or he’s going to have a short career in the bullpen, with the 3 batter rule.
I hate it when they have Fugues
I don’t especially when it’s Snell who fazes out.
Almonte, since he has no options left will have to be DFAd if they decide to remove him from the team. Prior to his last two outings, he was pitching like he did last season. Any relief help is going to have to come from the minors. Only way they can pick up players is if they have not spent any time on a 40 man roster this year. As for Ferguson, he let his anger get in the way. He was () that close to being tossed. Fergie has actually pitched well most of the season. Vesia and Almonte have been the ones from last season who really have flamed out.
Glad you are on top of these transantionaldetails, Bear, because I certainly am not.
Agree with Duke Not Snider. Muncy is a bargain next year at 10 million dollars.
No question!
… and he is an average 3B. Not great… but not bad. He has worked hard at that!
comment in jail
Free at Last!
The “plan” as we keep discussing, might have also included seeing how Grove does in a 1 inning, all out effort environment, vs some top hitters.
We already knew Yarborough could go 5 innings or so, but maybe part of the “plan” was to say “hey, if we throw Grove in 1 inning, vs good hitters, how doe he fare? Can he handle it? Is his stuff better when he goes all out?”
Maybe the “plan’ was to see if Michael Grove can be a guy who goes MAX 2 innings, to see if he can be an arm in October we can rely on to get 3-6 outs in the middle of the game when the starter couldn’t go deep. Maybe we just wanted to see if he can be a guy we can trust.
In my mind, if that was the plan, it worked. I like what I saw of Grove. I liked what I saw from Yarborough. The rest of the game wasn’t a plan. It was our natural course of events with guys we trust to get us to the 9th; the guys we should trust to get thru the 8th inning a close game. Those guys failed, not Roberts or Friedman, or “the plan”
It’s comical to read comments from those who have never watched the Dodgers the past 10 years.
EX CELL ENT!
On Machado arguing, I believe it was about quick pitch, not the called 3rd strike.
Yep, ask for time didn’t get it, thought he was quick pitched, but he was wrong
He’s a piece of shit.
DODGERS PRESS RELEASE
DODGERS RECALL BRYAN HUDSON
LOS ANGELES– Los Angeles Dodgers recalled left-handed pitcher Bryan Hudson from Triple-A Oklahoma City and placed right-handed pitcher Michael Grove on the injured list with right lat tightness.
Hudson, 26, returns for his third stint with the Dodgers and he is 0-0 with a 9.82 ERA with three strikeouts in two games. He is 5-0 with a 2.61 ERA (12 ER/41.1 IP) and 66 strikeouts in 36 games for Oklahoma City this season. He is a combined 36-27 with a 4.23 ERA (234 ER/498.1 IP) and 434 strikeouts in 186 career minor league games (74 starts). He was drafted by the Cubs in the third round of the 2015 First Year Player Draft out of Alton High School (IL).
Grove, 26, pitched last night striking out four straight and tossing 1.1 scoreless innings. On the season, he is 2-3 with a 6.61 ERA (47 ER/64.0 IP) and 67 strikeouts in 15 games (12 starts) for the Dodgers. He has been with the Dodgers two seasons, and he is a combined 3-3 with a 5.98 ERA (62 ER/93.1 IP) and 91 strikeouts. He was drafted by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2018 First Year Player Draft out of West Virginia University.
Was that the best ever at bat lefty-lefty by Freeman that you ever saw? How he laid off the pitch before the homer was incredible!! I’m thinking that 99 out of 100 that’s swinging strike 3.
He’s incredible. Possibly the best Dodger hitter since Piazza.
I honestly never knew he was this good, until we got him.
He is EVERYTHING the Dodgers hoped James Loney could become when they drafted him.
Watching on ESPN2, is there a way to get rid of this awful sideshow going on with ARod and Michael?
Put it on regular ESPN /Bobo
First 50 pitches from Lynn.
47% Four-Seam
15% Cutter
13% Curveball
13% Sinker
6% Changeup
6% Slider
Still reduced cutter/sinker usage, but not as drastic as last time
Lynn is a beast.
Defending my take on Muncy. First I agree his defense is much better. His option is ten million, In baseball today that isn’t bad. I stated, it’s better to let one go to early than to late. Muncy this year is hitting .118 against left handed pitching with an on base average of ,272. One could say that he’s just having a tough year. Last years numbers were better, .178 OPB.272. It’s trending that he has problems against left handed pitching. If I were a king for a day, I’d move Will Smith to third but our immediate catching isn’t ready for MLB although we have great catching in the system. If we are going to keep Muncy we need to obtain a good right hitting 3rd baseman to platoon with Muncy. Third base is historically a position for a power hitter. Muncy qualifies as a power hitter but he’s a liability when we face left handed pitching. I think 10 million for a player that can only hit right handed pitching is an overpay.
bumfan, thanks what a relief.
Great job by Lynn, just what the Dodgers and the BP needed. Six complete innings so far with 96 pitches. Dude is a horse getting through Soto, Machado and Boegarts in the 6th inning.
Thank god for no Jessica Mendoza.
Looking like AF did a pretty good job at the deadline after all!
Almonte againi
Almonte para cerrador!!!
The way I see it we’re playing with house money tomorrow. Coming into San Diego facing a hot Padre team at home and the least we can do is split.
Kudos to everybody what a great all-around team win
Now let’s go out and smoke those lousy Pendejos tomorrow hey, Jorge
So far, the Dodgers have won the Trade Deadline!
Hernandez
Rosario
Lynn
Kelly
…have all played a part in helping the team.
Ya. Strange how that works.
Got to Hill early. That was the key.
Dodgers won the trade deadline. LA Times can suck it.
Shocked Almonte pitched. But I’m not as smart as the Dodgers brain trust.
Angels went all in. They are imploding. Sad for my friends.
I’ve said for a decade; it’s good to be a Dodger fan.
Who still wants Rich Hill?