We had a house full of company last night, and then we had several people spend the night:
- One of US Water Systems’ salesmen from Florida, who will be attending his first race.
- Our 5-year-old granddaugheter
- Our 10-year-old granddaughter
- Our 10-year-old Goddaughter
- Our 14-year-old Godson
It’s a chilly morning (53 Degrees) with an expected high of 70 for race day. I’m not going, but we will be smoking ribs for the after-party. Here’s our smoker… come on down.
There was no Dodger game last night. There were some walking Zombies, but the Dodgers didn’t play. Maybe they will play today… but the Pacers are playing 8 PM in Downtown Indy while the Dodgers start at 7:10 EDT. A friend of mine has $120 tickets that he sold for $1200! YIKES!
Newes & Notes
- Ohtani, Betts, and Freeman are all slumping at the same time. Stop it!
- Alex Freeland is in a slump – he’s down to .263. We won’t be seeing him anytime soon.
- Chris Campos pitched six strong innings at Tulsa, allowing four hits and one run.
- Luke Fox also went six innings at Great Lakes, allowing just three hits and no earned runs. Sirota was 1-4, DePaula was 1-3, while Hope was 2-4.
- Jaron Elkins (20 Years old) went 4-4 at Rancho, scored four runs, and had five RBI on 2 HR.
- SS Emil Morales (18 Years-old) was 1-4 at the Complex with his 4th HR. 18-year-old Chase Harlan was also 1-4 (.306 BA)
if you want to beat the dodgers, just put a tough lefty on the mound. ohtani looked like a shell of himself last night. Mookie and freddie ? yikes! Still don’t understand Dalton starting against the left handed pitcher instead of Will. But, it’s just one game. No need for panic! Now Tony is beginning to worry me! Too much too soon? Control comes and goes. Is it just me or does no pitcher in baseball ever manage to their pitch count anymore? Every time i watch a game, 80- 90 pitches thru 5 innings! i realize the “complete “ game is gone. But very few pitchers make it thru 6 innings anymore. And everybody wonders why pitchers in the bullpen are having their arms fall off!!!! … Bobby Miller? Thee guy needs a change of scenery! Either that or he’s just been over hyped by the dodgers and mlb rankings. Not impressed at all. … well Knack today. He needs to step up ! i still see him as a spot starter at best. but that’s just me. Too prone for the long ball. …. Glasnow, please get here soon!!! … Still believe AF needs to acquire a starter. Seen Miles Nickolas(spell check) name tossed around . Bobby Miller going back to the cardinals. Do it! i’m sure the Arenado rumors will come back in the discussion if that trade talk continues. … Mark i hope the Pacers win it all for you!!! Personally i gave up the NBA when Kobe retired. but hopefully the pacers bring it home for you. … Congrats to Joe Davis on his award. He’s very good at his job. Better than most, but not in the same neighborhood as VIN!! As i said earlier, nelson is slowly getting better at his job. Just keep Mendoza away from from him. nothing personal, but can’t watch those 2 together! …
How about those Angels? Hope Ron Washington has success there! A real baseball guy! A teacher of fundamentals. A true lifer. …. How about those A’S? Damn i thought they were better! Guess not. …. Phillies? try not to be too impressed with their winning streak. Colorado,the A’S! They’ll be back down to earth soon! …. Padres? Just keep losing baby!!!…. The Dbacks? not sure they make the playoffs at this rate. Giants? Do they have the pitching depth to hang ? possibly. Finally, i , nosetradamus predict the Colorado Rockies will win only 42 games! As Dano says , Book it!
Great to see the Angels playing well.
They are both a hard-luck franchise and often a stupid franchise. (I wonder what the Dodger would have offered for Shohei in his walk year.) At least the Angel now have some solid young cornerstones in Neto and O’Hoppe. And Schanuel is improving too.
My hope is to see a Freeway Series in October before I depart for the great beyond.
Remember that Dodgers-Angels trade that Moreno nixed? As I recall it, the Dodgers were offering Striping, Joc and young prospect Andy Pages for Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo and maybe someone else. Glad we still have Pages, but Ward and Rengifo would have been good fits…
In other news, Patrick Copen is dominating at Great Lakes, throwing at 98 and racking up huge K numbers. Promotion to Tulsa seems likely. Trending toward the bullpen at Dodger Stadium?
Zazueta was also good.
Smoked ribs sound delicious.
I thought that 19 run outburst was harbinger of offense.
I’m not worried.
Go Pacers. New York fan bases are insufferable. We have gang members and occasionally stomp Giants’ fans, but at least we’re not New Yorkers.
Hmmm….on a few things:
The mantra nowadays seems to be go out a d throw as hard as you can for as long as you can which seems to be why there are high pitch counts too fast. Hopefully that idea will fade away.
I feel bad for Bobby Miller. He was so close he could taste it in 2023 and with the Dodgers being a championship caliber team. Yeah, I kinda agree a different market where he’s under less pressure would benefit him. But the Dodgers will get nothing for him as he is now.
NO ONE is in the “same neighborhood” as Vin. As many have said he was the best to ever do it.
The Padres are reportedly in-fighting. Most assume it’s Manny vs. Tatis but I think there’s a greater likelihood it’s more than two players and their management doesn’t know how to resolve it. Sad for them because they ARE a talented team at times but it deserts them under pressure.
They suck as people
I think Bobby Miller still has trade value if he is packaged to the right team.
In a way, Miller is the Outman of pitchers. They both had strong debuts in ’23 and have struggled sense. Both are “change-of-scenery” candidates: guys who have proven their ability but need a fresh start. (Look what Griffing Canning is doing for the Mets.)
Several teams need pitchers, but perhaps none more so than the extremely disappointing Orioles.
A “win-now” deal for the Dodgers could package Miller, Outman and former Maryland prep star Peter Huebeck for Cedric Mullens, the Mookie-sized CF who is playing well in his walk year. Perhaps the Dodgers could get a “lottery ticket” back as well.
This is a lost season for the Orioles, so Mullens greatest value for them now is a trade chip to reload for the future. For the Dodgers, Mullens in CF (he has been a GG finalist) would enable Edman to play 2B–and put Conforto at the end of the bench. If the Dodgers like what he brings, they might re-sign him.
A “win-later” deal might target one of the Orioles’ top hitting prospects.
Saturday scores
Sacramento 11, Oklahoma City 4
Tulsa 3, Springfield 2
Great Lakes 4, West Michigan 0, game 1
West Michigan 4, Great Lakes 3, makeup game
Rancho Cucamonga 9, Stockton 2
ACL Reds 7, ACL Dodgers 6
Elkins, who leads the California League in stolen bases with 25, has only been caught once. His hitting line stands at 270/339/440 with a 109 wRC+. Elkins was an eighth-round draft pick in 2023. MLB Pipeline gives him above-average scouting grades for power (55), run (70), arm (60), and field (60). Here is an excerpt from their report:
“Elkins may have the best combination of power and speed in the system. He’s a plus-plus runner who’s aggressive on the bases and in the outfield. Both his center-field defense and arm strength grade as at least plus, and the Dodgers have some internal 70 grades on both tools.”
Sunday schedule
Sacramento (Trevor McDonald) at Oklahoma City (Justin Jarvis), 10:05 AM, PST
Rancho Cucamonga (Sterling Patrick) at Stockton (Donny Troconis), 2:09 PM, PST
Great Lakes (Payton Martin) at West Michigan (Carlos Marcano), 3:35 PM PST
Springfield (Pete Hansen) at Tulsa (Jared Karros), 4:00 PM, PST
For more detailed recaps,stats,schedules, standings and box scores for Dodger minor league teams go to the top of this page and cIick on MINOR LEAGUE AFFLIATES.
If someone would be so kind to post the Dodger lineup just today, as I will be away at a function in Scardale NY.Would appreciate it.
Why can’t the dodgers when against left handed pitching?
LAD Lineup
Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
Mookie Betts (R) SS
Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
Will Smith (R) C
Teoscar Hernández (R) RF
Max Muncy (L) 3B
Andy Pages (R) CF
Michael Conforto (L) LF
Tommy Edman (S) 2B
First off. I love you dodgerdad and your insights are spot on. Will Smith sat because he went through a grueling 6 plus hour marathon the night before. Bobby Miler did his job and will pitch again. You know I’m a big Landon Knack guy. It would really up his value if he gave us 6 innings. My Sharona!
Book em
Chris Stratton is a Dodger
He was good once upon a time.
The good news is that they designated right-hander J.P. Feyereisen for assignment.
I have no idea if Stratton has anything left.
Maybe his ERA of over 7 this year might be a clue?
oh i forgot about the rain delay and extra innings! brain farts will kill your body!!! i like knack, and hope he pitches well tonight. He just has a hard time keeping the ball from going over the center field wall!!! …. i predict the dodgers win 7-4. knack- 5 innings 3 earned runs. Dbacks lose again. if they continue this, who knows , maybe a new manager in their future? probably not. padres lose again? i have not checked. hope so!!
muncy!!!!!!
Muncy’s bad defense cost the Dodgers 2 runs. And Knack is being beaten like a rented mule.
The only way to win tonight is to out slug the Mets bc Knack pitches batting practice.
It bugs me that we have a poor fielding 3rd baseman that bats so poorly against left handed pitching (less than .100) that he is essentially a platoon player. We need power and defense and we’re getting neither, and the outlook is not positive. Sure wish we had a 3rd baseman on the farm!
For the Dodgers to win right now, it has to be with offense because they don’t have the healthy pitching. They had Senga on the ropes in the 1st when Mookie got thrown out. Since then, not much has happened. But that’s why guys like Muncy and Conforto hurt so much. Bad fielders who aren’t hitting either. And the pitching is all hurt. I have a bad feeling about this next couple of weeks.
The Dodgers are hitting .195 against left handed pitching. We have quality right handed hitters.
2 sad efforts
Studs and Duds:
Studs- Knack, Freddie, Ohtani
Duds (really everyone else) Smith, Conforto, Pages