The Dodgers tend to play down to the level of their opponents. The White Sox are so bad that even the Dodgers, who sometimes excel at playing down, could not play that badly. The only problem with Jerry Reinsdorf selling the team is that he should have been forced to sell it and level the playing field immediately. This team is so bad that Miguel Vargas is the star.
Dustin May pitched the game of his young life, with 86 pitches in seven frames, 62 of which were strikes. He needed an outing like this against the Little Sisters of the Poor. Let’s see if it translates against better teams. Hopefully it will!
Rants & Raves
- Losing Max Muncy is a big blow. LH Power bats are at a premium. I think the Dodgers will fill in from within, unless they can pry an Austin Riley away from a team like the Braves with a vast “gut the farm” overpay. Since it is only a bone bruise, I think they should stand pat. There are advanced treatment methods for bone bruises, such as Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF), Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound (LIPUS), and Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections. I would expect that the Dodgers may be using at least a couple of these to accelerate the process.
- Michael Conforto becomes even more critical with Muncy out – LH Power Bat.
- Esteury Ruiz is not a good outfielder, but maybe he was an upgrade in RF when he came in for Teoscar Hernandez whose defense has turned to crap recently.
- It’s good to see Freddie back… now if we can get Mookie back on track. His fielding is excellent, but his bat sucks.
- Ohtani vs. Valdez – should be awesome!
- Tyler Glasnow went 4.1 innings at OKC last night, allowing three ER and striking out 8. He threw 78 pitches, 51 for strikes. He might make his next start for LA.
- Ronan Kopp has worked his ERA down to 2.64 at Tulsa. He has struck out 49 batters in 30 innings, but his problem remains walking batters. He has also walked 22 in those 30 innings. If he can cut those walks in half (which still would be high) he might be MLB-ready!
- Josue DePaula has struck out in 4 of his last 5 ABs and is hitting .264.
- Mike Sirota continues to shine (.315/1.024) ,but we must remember that he is two years older than DePaula and Hope.
Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, is a Federal Holiday in the United States that commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. This declaration signified the separation of the 13 American colonies from British rule and their declaration as a new nation. The day is celebrated with various festivities, including fireworks, parades, barbecues, and family gatherings, honoring the nation’s birth and its ideals of freedom and liberty. The whole family will be out as we smoke ribs, swim, and shoot off fireworks.
Remember my little puppy, Shardack?
Here he is now at 13 months old (140 pounds):
He thinks he’s the lifeguard!
happy 4th to everyone! God bless our country! …. i love your Austin Riley idea! An overpay? probably, but if you can acquire an all star 3rd baseman who will be there for next 5 years, you do it! no reason max can’t come back next season even with a Riley acquisition. Rojas probably becomes a coach. max becomes a super utility player. 3rd, first, second, and dh when ohtani pitches. perfect! … Dustin May was the best i’ve seen him. funny how he didn’t miss badly until the 7th inning. was it fatigue? Was it just a lapse if concentration? But for 7 innings his control was excellent. even though it was the white sox, it was very encouraging! Still don’t like the frustration he shows on the mound when he gets a little wild! Stay composed and work through it! …. Conforto? probably is playing his way into staying a dodger. Defense is good. bat speed looks better. facial expression looks better. if max is down for an extended period, he becomes critical in their quest for another title. ….. Now Riley would be fantastic for the dodgers! But i wouldn’t be surprised if Ryan Mcmahon (spell check) becomes a dodger. wouldn’t hate it….. Well the Houston Astros come to town. i admit my hate for that 2017 team! Altuve is the only one left( i believe). once he’s gone, no more hate for Houston. ……. Wouldn’t it be sweet if clayton ends up 10-1 , wins another title, and rides off into retirement to coach his kids? .greatest dodger of all time!! …. Watching the yankees last night, i’m not all that impressed with their team. Other teams are pitching around Judge ( can’t blame them!) . Aaron Boone? will he survive again?? Toronto is coming fast! …. Back to the white sox for a minute. they do run some quality arms out to the mound. Will they listen to teams desperate for bullpen help? or build on what they already have and try to get better on the offensive side of things. long road ahead!……. Any news on Emmit? excited for his next start!…. What’s the prognosis for Catman?? ….. have a safe and happy 4th everyone! peace and harmony to all!! Beat the Aaaaaaaaastros!
That is a big dog! How much does he weigh? What is the typical temperament like for that type of breed?
Living in CA, the land of the million pools it has been ages since I have seen a diving board, versus when growing up everybody had one.
I agree for now on standing pat with Muncy, although I doubt it will happen it would an opportunity to see Smith play 3rd and have Rushing catch so you at least get a LH power bat back in the lineup.
The concern is how effective Muncy will be after 6+ weeks off, if anything like Teo who basically has sucked since his DL trip he will be a weak point once the real season start in Sept. Teo was off to a great start but since the injury he is not much better than Conforto.
To everyone – I hope you have a great 4th weekend!!
With all our warts and all – I truly believe we live in the greatest country.
I have travelled a lot, in my younger days courtesy of the military (usually bad places) and now for pleasure (always nice places) and cannot imagine living anywhere else.
Love all that the states have afforded me, will always maintain my citizenship, but do not see leaving my adopted country either. Totally fits what I want in my retirement. Happy 4th!
Cheers
Wishing everyone a happy and SAFE holiday and a quick recovery for Max
Hope everyone has a great 4th. This is my favorite holiday, and Shawn said it best. Warts and all, this is a special country. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Things I noticed about May last night:
1. More four seamers. Maybe I’m wrong, but, in the past, May has seemed to rely on his sinker with that wicked arm side run more. Before surgery he could throw it 98. I’d always wondered why he didn’t throw more four seamers high in the zone to change eye level and work a little more vertically than horizontally.
He did last night.
And that four seamer was sitting at 96-98. His sinker was 94-96, and he had more control over it to my eyes. Seemed like his pace was higher, which helped his rhythm and mechanics.
I don’t know what mechanical changes he made. Dodgerrick has postulated that his arm slot is different this year. Not sure if it changed last night, but he looked better.
His location fell apart in the 7th, but still an encouraging effort.
He’s still likely gone next year bc he’ll be a FA, but maybe he gives the Dodgers a discount and signs a one year deal to establish his market value.
Huge dog, Mark. Happy 4th
Baller
[Nice pool]
Thursday scores
Oklahoma City 9, Las Vegas 5
Wichita 10, Tulsa 6
West Michigan 2, Great Lakes 1
Rancho Cucamonga 4, Visalia 3
ACL Dodgers 7, ACL White Sox 2
Friday schedule
Great Lakes (Maddux Bruns) at West Michigan (Hayden Minton), 4:05 PM PST
Wichita (C.J. Culpepper) at Tulsa (Chris Campos), 4:35 PM PST
Visalia (Junior Sanchez) at Rancho Cucamonga (Jhalbran Herder), 5:45 PM PST
Oklahoma City (Landon Knack) at Las Vegas (Osvaldo Bido), 5:05 PM PST
HAPPY 4th everyone! Enjoy!!!
9:10 PM ET
Astros (52-35)
Dodgers (56-32)
SP Lance McCullers R
1-3 6.61 ERA
SP Ben Casparius R
6-2 3.97 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
SS Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
RF T. Hernandez R
CF Andy Pages R
LF M. Conforto L
2B Tommy Edman S
3B E. Hernandez R
76° Wind 9 mph Out
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he is hopeful Glasnow’s next start will be with Los Angeles.
“…. Still don’t like the frustration he (May) shows on the mound when he gets a little wild! Stay composed and work through it! …. ”
He needs mentorship. I’m convinced it works for SOME young players. Teo and Andy Pages for example. Andy had the raw talent and apparently the maturity to listen and. The best pitchers force themselves to overcome their impulse to throw harder or “aim” the next pitch and instead channel increased focus on their process with resulting improvement. May clearly has the raw talent. Let’s hope he’s turned a corner since he will be a free agent this off season.
The Fourth is a lovely holiday.
I prefer Cinco de Mayo, which I think is the greatest holiday ever. And Turkey Day because we, as Canadians, fly almost hassle free.
But the Fourth is a wonderful celebration of the greatest country ever. And we’re lucky enough to live at its apex.
I hope everyone has a great time.
Houston unloading on LA on the 4th. Lots of fireworks.
Some fans say: “Why use an opener when Casparius and Wrobleski are so goood?
Now you may know!
Not everyone is cut out to start… but they might be able to come in and give you a bunch of innings after an opener.
Except Casparius has come in after Ohtani in relief and has not been good.
When he came in the last time for Ohtani, he knew Ohtani was only pitching two innings, so he knew when he was coming in. I don’t know if knowing that was a problem… as no one knows if he is not cut out to be a starter. My point is that the Dodgers know a pitcher’s makeup better than we do. Some are more suited to not overthink it too much ahead of time. Whether Casparius is that guy, I have no clue.
Well, the “opener” concept is a fairly recent development, isn’t it?
Casparius has been pretty damn good until tonight.
Let’s recall how many fans were singing his praises while criticizing May. But May just had a terrific start. Perhaps he’s back on the right track.
I agree that May would benefit from controlling his emotions more. He threw 7 shutout innings and then became furious with himself when he gave up a home run.
I have a wild prediction: Noah Davis will be DFA’ed!
Took one for the team for sure. Sheehan most likely called up to pitch on Sunday and Glasnow probably in Milwaukee. Shohei gets the start on his 31st birthday, Happy Birthday Big Sho! First time in memory that every team in the LA system gave up runs in double figures. Miggy Ro probably the best of the lot because he was not scored upon. Orel stirred the cheating plot last night when he suggested that Houston hitters were sitting on the breaking pitches. Smith NL’s leading hitter is now at .330. Freeman got his BA up a point. Best thing about game last night is that the regulars got some time off. I shut it off after Altuve’s 2-run bomb. Watched Longmire reruns and some fireworks displays instead. Idiots here kept shooting them off until about midnight. I don’t really like Altuve all that much, but for a guy with his stature, he is one hell of a ballplayer. He has more career homers and RBIs than Muncy. He is a career .300 hitter in an age where you do not see that much, and his career OPS is .828. Dislike the guy all you want, but he definitely can play the game.
And yet he thought cheating was okay.
Yesterday at Tulsa, Chris Campos pitched 2.2 Innings, giving up 10 hits and 9 Runs!
At GL, Maddux Bruns was about as bad.
Landon Knack only gave up 7 hits and 5 runs in 5 innings.
Not to be outdone, Jholbran Herder pitched .2 innings at RC and gave up 8 runs.
It was like Custers’ Last Stand for Dodger starting pitchers yesterday!
Roberts told reporters Friday that the plan is for Ohtani to throw another two innings on Saturday. That will take his season total up to six innings in four starts.
Luis Garcia released by the Dodgers.
Not unexpected.
I wasn’t paying too much attention yesterday, but Shawn Murphy asked about the dog. He weighs 138 pounds at 13 months. He will likely be 150 by 18 months. Cane Corsos can be good family dogs, but they require experienced owners and proper training and socialization. While they are naturally protective and loyal to their families, they are also a large, powerful breed with strong guarding instincts, making early training and socialization crucial for a well-adjusted companion. You have to be firm with this dog. He loves the kids, and he would tear you to pieces if you touched one. This is my second one. This is my last one with one of my grandadughters.
NOT A GOOD 4th OF JULY FOR DODGER MINOR LEAGUE TEAMS
Friday scores
Las Vegas 10, Oklahoma City 6
Wichita 14, Tulsa 2
West Michigan 15, Great Lakes 1
Visalia 15, Rancho Cucamonga 3
ACL Angels 6, ACL Dodgers 2
Saturday games
West Michigan (Max Alba) at Great Lakes (Eriq Swan), 4:05 PM PST
Tulsa (Patrick Copen) at Wichita (Christian MacLeod) , 4:05 PM PST
Las Vegas (Aaron Brooks) at Oklahoma City (Matt Sauer), 5:05 PM PST
Rancho Cucamonga (Logan Tabeling) at Visalia (Wilkin Paredes), 6:30 PM PST
For more detailed recaps,stats,schedules, daily standings and box scores for Dodger minor league teams go to the top of this page and cIick on MINOR LEAGUE AFFLIATES.
Altuve is indeed a quality ball player, but a quality human being would have provided a real apology, one with candor, sincerity, and remorse. I have made many mistakes in my life and I definitely do not want to be judged by my worst 5 minutes, but what one does AFTER a mistake is far more revealing than the mistake itself.
Well said, John, well said.
I’ve pretty much moved on from 2017. Aside from the cheating (and I realize that’s a huge aside), I was always a fan of Altuve, Bregman, Springer and Hinch. Never liked Correa, though.
Teams consistently try to steal signs from the opposition. The Astros took it way too far and went over that proverbial red line.
Most of them never apologized sufficiently and I definitely think the title should have been stripped from them. I’m more angry with Manfred than with most of the players, but that’s just me. Life is too short, etc. etc. etc., and I absolutely understand those who will never forgive them.
7:15 PM ET
Astros (53-35)
Dodgers (56-33)
SP Framber Valdez L
9-4 2.72 ERA
SP Shohei Ohtoni R
0-0 2.25 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
SS Mookie Betts R
C Will Smith R
1B F. Freeman L
RF T. Hernandez R
CF Andy Pages R
2B Tommy Edman S
LF E. Hernandez R
3B Miguel Rojas R
83° Wind 7 mph Out
Justin Wrobleski L 4-2 4.08 ERA follows Ohtoni in relief
The Dodgers recalled RHP Jack Little and optioned RHP Noah Davis.
Here are two exceptionally great posts:
Bobby Jenks – R.I.P.
Emmet Sheehan will start for the Dodgers tomorrow vs the Astros, per Dave Roberts.
Does anybody have a guess as to what day kershaw would pitch coming out of the break? I’m bring my son in from Oklahoma for his first game and he loves Kersh. Thanks for any comments
I would not hazard a guess because the Dodgers may try to reset the rotation after the All-Star Break.