Posted By Mark Timmons on August 9, 2025 August 9, 2025Mark Timmons
I am convinced that there are “alleged” Dodger fans who are secretly (and some not so secretly) rooting for Michael Conforto to fail so they can say “GOTCHA” to Andrew Friedman. They feel the same way about others, including Dave Roberts and Robert Van Socyoc. Actually, they are not real fans. Hand me the troll spray!
Kyle Hurt, Bobby Miller, Bazooka Graterol, and Julian Fernandez each have a shot at making the playoff roster (maybe one or two).
Brock Stewart will be a massive factor in the playoff bullpen.
Could Roki Sasaki be in the playoff bullpen?
What role will Clayton play in the playoffs? We have to look at this without prejudice. Yamamoto, Ohtani, Glasnow, and Snell seem to be an all-RH rotation, but what role do Kershaw and Sheehan play?
Boy, there are going to be some hurt feelings by some pitchers who are worthy of making the playoff roster… but won’t!
I doubt that Kike Hernandez plays another game for the Dodgers. Alex Freeland changed everything! The bat will come… but the fielding is there… from anywhere.
Did you see Justin Dean dive for that ball in CF Friday night? It won’t be the last time! That’s who he is. It’s a shame he will go back to AAA when Edman returns.
Nice hit by Dalton Rushing last night to drive in two runs.
I don’t know that Dave Roberts needs to “go to the whip.” I think the Dodger players just “whipped” themselves into shape.
Dodger fans are going to be begging for Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette in the off-season. I vote no!
James Outman is 4-30 with the St. Paul Saints (the Twins’ AAA Team) and has struck out 43% of the time. James is a great man… but a terrible hitter.
Finally, my sixteen-month-old grandson (my only grandson – I have six granddaughters) is the sweetest, happiest kid I have ever seen. He is ALWAYS smiling. His name is Van. He is a Dodger fan but is mesmerized by football.
X-CITES
Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will switch places in #Dodgers rotation. Glasnow will start Sunday vs. Blue Jays, Yamamoto Monday in Anaheim. Gives Yamamoto a full week off between starts. Yamamoto leads LAD with 122 IP
When folks ask me what Alex Freeland's best tools are, I always answer with "YES".
One of his many very good tools is his speed and athletic ability that we just saw, and keep in mind, he has stolen over 30 bases in his last 2 seasons.
Dodgers prospect Jared Karros and son of Eric Karros posted to congratulate his brother Kyle for making his MLB debut. We also learned that he recently had Tommy John surgery. We wish him a speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/fmzk1oUXLW
Happiest guy in Dodger Stadium last night was Rushing, and rightly so.
What do you do with a guy who is hitting. 300 in AAA and had 100 RBIs? Why, you keep him there and then trade him to a post season rival, where he can flourish, AKA Michael Busch. Nothing wrong with the guy they brought up but leaving Ward down in OKC is cruel and unusual punishment. You can’t tell me we can’t find a place for him as bench piece and OF/DH relief.
Enjoy your Sunday with the grandkids
1. Dalton Rushing will be an All-Star Catcher at some point in his career. he is already better in some phases of the game than Will Smith. I think both can co-exist with Will playing a few games at another position as soon as NEXT season (3B?). To me, he is better than Busch… and Busch is good.
2. I know several people from the Dodgers organization, as well as others, and no one (me included) thinks Ward is any more than an AAAA player. Justin Dean is also an AAAA player, but his defense at every outfield position is elite. Ward is not good defensively. Ward is Drew Avans, Matt Beaty, and Luke Raley without defensive skills. He’s a good guy, but there is a reason he is not in anyones Top 30.
It mystifies me that the Dodgers never peddled Ryan Ward + ??–or Ward alone–to a small-market team that could use him as a DH/1B/LF option. Surely some team could use the 4A slugger more than a lottery-ticket type of prospect that the Dodgers might develop.
Nobody will know whether Ward can hit ML pitching unless he is given a chance. Certainly he’s clobbered the pitching just one level down.
Hanging on to Ward with zero intention of promoting him just seems like bad business–not to mention unfair.
I’m glad that Feduccia and Outman are getting fresh starts elsewhere. Would it have been tough to add Ward to those deals for something modest in return?
As for the Michael Busch deal…
So far, it’s looking like a win-win, with both Hope and Ferris among the Dodgers’ top prospects.
Good points. Cubbies ain’t complaining about getting Busch and Dodgers aren’t complaining about the prospects haul.Happy for Busch and praying for Outman.
And Avans speed makes up for his lower BA and power vs Ward.
Some of you more seasoned guys called it. I thought it conceivable, but did not really expect it based on historical norms. I am now convinced the Dodger brain trust truly started the season with a strategy to use the regular season as a mere spring training extension. Mark calls this “going to the whip in August”. I like the spring training analogy because in spring training you see young players get significant playing time to gauge their actual major league fiber while starting pitchers are given only enough time to tune up but not enough to wear them out. I see some Stan Kasten in this. He of the 14 division titles with the Braves but only one World Series championship. Could this strategy change the “crapshoot” of MLB playoffs into something more predictable where the best team actually wins the WS say 50% of the time instead of 20% of the time? This is going to be interesting over the next 10 years.
With all the talk of Smith and Ohtani being MVP candidates, Muncy is turning out to be the real deal.
Why don’t the Dodgers teach bunting in the minors. Twice Freeland’s been asked to do something at the MLB level that he’s never done in game situations before. It was even mentioned last night, that as a team, they are practicing bunting as part of getting ready for the playoffs.
As mentioned last night, Diaz has some good stuff but will probably go down when someone else becomes available.
Here’s why the Dodgers and most other teams do not teach bunting:
1. Sabermetrics showed that, in most situations, giving up an out to advance a runner lowers a team’s expected run total.
2. The “three true outcomes” era (home runs, strikeouts, walks) rewards power and patience far more than small-ball.
3. Bunting success rates are not automatic — a failed bunt can lead to strikeouts, double plays, or easy outs.
4. With pitchers throwing harder and cutters/sliders breaking late, laying down a quality bunt is harder now than it was in the ’70s–’90s.
5. Larger bases and pickoff limits make stolen bases easier, so teams can advance runners without sacrificing an out.
6. The universal DH means pitchers (once the main bunters) rarely hit, eliminating thousands of bunt situations a year.
We’ve been hashing this out for years now and its time to move on. Bunting, hit and run, hit behind the runner, complete games, small ball ISN’T coming back. Sure now and then some team from a small market with a limited skilled players come to town and win a game here and there and the announcers and fans all pine for the ‘good old days’. So with all the money LA has to spend they are going for ‘slug’. and come in first place every year.
BANG
I’m aware of the sabermetrics concerning bunting etc.. So why have Freeland bunt? Why are the Dodgers practicing bunting as part of getting ready for the post season (per Hersheiser). If it’s bad, why do it? If you’re going to do it, then teach it.
seems to me with the ridiculous “ghost runner “ rule for extra innings, the bunt should be a bit more of a priority! hit and run for the dodgers? nah, they ain’t built for that. although stealing bases wouldn’t hurt! …. do believe If Ward was mlb material, someone would have already taken a shot with him. hopefully he gets a shot with someone. ……. Maybe Outman should consider overseas. A clean restart of sorts. i’m pulling for him. ……..Alex Freeland should be on the postseason roster! ….. if Blake Snell ever gets his pitch count down, he’s unbeatable!….. And yes, the dodgers will be in on kyle tucker. why wouldn’t they?…. Totally agree on Stewart. nice to see him get back on track last night!……..Diaz shouldn’t sniff the post season! …. How many errors has Freddie saved Mookie? …. kinda was hoping Doc would give Dalton two in a row today. Wouldn’t hurt to give Will consecutive games off, and get Dalton a chance for 2 good games in a row!! Glasnow continues the starting pitching resurgence today!!! go blue!!
Mark
I didn’t have time to post yesterday.
Best of luck on meeting your completion date of next May.
For the ones who have been participating on this blog over the years – we all know you have walked a path least taken (not by choice) due to the unfortunate family issue.
Of course you can go 24/7 once the Dodgers with the last game – so no problem:)
Do we send you an email if we are wanting a copy? Or let us know how we can buy it.
I agree with D.Jack above, even if Ward is no more then a AAAA player it would be a a really nice reward by the Dodgers to bring him up for a few games – they do with pitchers all the time so why not with position players.
Wow – about Snell!
Our starting pitching is going to be proven the best in the league after a few more weeks.
Now just need to get the bullpen figured out.
First; Beautiful baby! There’s nothing more important than grandchildren; they’re the ONLY things we leave behind unless we’re Lincoln, Napolean or FDR.
I totally agree the strategy is & was conserve the best starting pitchers for the post season run. That’s why the Dodgers sign outstanding but health-challenged ones. Kersh will be “platooned” in playoffs with maybe Ohtani? Same with Sheehan. Agreed Kiké is likely gone. But so is Rojas- God speed to both.
Still surprised Muncy came back nearly as hot as he was!
Why do “fans” think they know more about prospects they’ve rarely EVER seen? Truly ridiculous.
SP Eric Lauer L
7-2 2.59 ERA
SP Tyler Glasnow R
1-1 3.06 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
3B Max Muncy L
2B Miguel Rojas R
LF Alex Call R
“My season’s kind of over, so I’m going to have to chalk that up for not a great season, but I can help the boys win every night,” Betts said. “Do something, get an RBI, make a play — do something. I kind of have to shift my focus there. Obviously, everyone wants to have great seasons, but it’s a lot easier when you just don’t worry about the season. You just worry about the game to game. And so I think I’ll take this perspective for the rest of my career.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised Betts for taking this approach and said it is the best way to navigate the final stretch of the season.
I have watched Fernandez pitch a couple of times. I don’t think he has a shot at being in the Dodger pen. Hurt maybe, and maybe Bobby Miller. One of the posters has said Mookie is selfish and should be moved back to RF. He also stated that Betts, ” wants to be the man”. What horse puckey. No, it wasn’t someone here. Betts is the #2 rated defensive SS in the National League with a +8 defensive runs saved. Freeland might get the job next spring, and they move Mookie to second. Betts is the kind of player who wants to win and will do whatever the team wants him to do. But I doubt he moves back to right field.
Anyone who says Mookie is selfish doesn’t know much about “selfish” players. See “Rafael Devers” for more information – yes, I know he had a semi-legitimate beef, but in the end you work FOR the team.
I also read someone posted that Mookie owes his defensive ratings to the catches Freddie makes. Sorry poster but that is bullshit. Shortstops job is GET THE DAMN BALL before it goes through to the outfield whether it’s a bullet, has wicked English on it or takes a giraffe to reach it. Then get it to the first baseman (most plays). The first baseman’s job it to CATCH THE DAMN BALL even though the best shortstops will be terribly rushed on difficult plays so the throws will be short hopped, high, may pull you off the bag so you have to make a tag – as Freddie did well in yesterday’s game. BOTH Mookie and Freddie do their jobs admirably
PS: I JUST turned on today’s game and on the very first play Mookie saved a ball Rojas dived for but couldn’t quite get. Made a rushed throw and all 6′-5″ of Freddie had splay out to get it, but of course he did. Big league play all the way.
Interesting stat about Mookie’s defense!
While we’ve been expecting him to move to 2B, he might still be the best option at SS for a couple more years.
With all due respect, I have heard enough about Ryan Ward. He is a LF’er who occasionally can play RF, but is not good defensively. He is also a below-average 1B. His best position is DH, but the last time I checked, the Dodgers had a decent DH. More than anything, the Dodgers need utility players who can play excellent defense: Kike, Kim, Freeland, Edman, Rojas, and Dean. I will sum it all up with this: If AF thought he would be an asset, he would be on the team. Next year, he will likely get a chance with another team. Fans used to say the same thing about Drew Avans. “The Dodgers should give him a chance.” Well, the A’s and Brewers did this year and his BA is .118. AF knows better than any of us.
“AF knows better than any of us.” EXACTLY, my point. If they didn’t they wouldn’t be making MILLIONS YEARLY to make these decisions. And when a PBO or GM doesn’t make these decisions successfully they are gone pretty quick. The fact that AF has been integral in making them for well over 10 years very very successfully means HE KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING!
Did AF know what he was doing when he decided that Lux and Miguel Vargas would be a dynamite keystone combo? As it turned out, neither were a good choice.
Plenty of us mere fans could see that Lux lacked the arm to be a top-tier SS, and found it strange that Vargas was annointed at 2B even though he played 3B in the minors had yet to prove he could really succeed against ML pitching.
Did AF know what he was doing when he gave Conforto that $17 million contract instead of other free agent options… who proved to deliver better production at lower cost?
Yes, AF has done a good job overall running the Dodgers. He was smart not to listen to some fans here on LADT who were declaring “NOhtani.” (Has the term “moron” ever seemed so valid?)
But let’s not forget AF’s mistakes (like dealing Yordan Alvarez) and think he is as infallible.
10 straight years in the post season, 4 World Series appearances, 2 victories and another they were cheated out of? THAT translates to “infallible” in a world where 3 out of 10 hits means you’re a star.
What you’re talking about is truly NEVER making a mistake. Can ANYone say they haven’t? Certainly no other major league baseball executive in our lifetime.
I was probably the most vocal against Lux and for Vargas. Lux is who I thought he was, and I disagreed with AF very vocally at the time. I think Vargas can play 2B, but he has settled at 3B (currently on the IL). His progress has certainly not been linear. Lux has low value as a LF’er, which is where he is best suited.
I was against Ohtani. I thought he could get two superstars for Ohtani, but I never thought of the deferral plan. That was genius. You are just cherry picking because for every bad move there are three good ones. Otherwise, he would not have the record he does.
This loss is on Ohtani. Complete lack of pitch recognition against lefties. Swing at a pitch that was no where near the plate and cost us the game. He’s not a clutch player. I hope he proves me way wrong. I don’t blame Mookie for this one. Treinen has filthy stuff. Needs to ditch the ineffective perpetually hanging curveball.
Don’t forget Vesia if we’re throwing around blame.
They won the series looking strong against the team that apparently has been christened, “…the best team in the American League”. Jays didn’t much look like it this weekend.
I’d hang this loss more on Treinen than Shohei and Mookie.
The Jays’ color commentator was spot-on in describing Shohei’s desire for a walk-off hit. That was a long at-bat, with a few fouls, and Fluharty got him to chase a sweeper that wound up low and away. Good pitching against an eager batter.
Mookie followed with solid contact that found a glove. It’s not like he embarrassed himself with a K or pop-up.
The Dodgers wouldn’t have been in walk-off position without Shoehei and Mookie.
Combined, they got on base 7 times in 12 plate appearances, with three walks and four hits, including Shohei’s HR.
Too bad he chased that sweeper.
13 walks, 10 Ks, left the sacks juiced twice. Once when it mattered most with just 1 out. I am not surprised Ohtani swung and missed at a ball way out of the strike zone. Very selfish AB. He wanted a winning hit when a walk would have tied the game and Betts would have come up with the bases loaded, one out and the infield in. Yep, Ohtani has 41 bombs. Tied for the NL lead. He has also struck out 144 times. He is going to shatter what he did last year, 162. Unless he totally goes nuts, he isn’t coming close to driving in 130 runs this year. Will Smith was ofer the home stand, quite a drop lately for the most consistent hitter on the team. He now leads Freeman by just 5 points in the batting race. Ill advised steal attempt by Ohtani with Freeman at bat also a huge blunder. For once, Roberts called him out publicly. Instead of pinch hitting Conforto, I would have let Dean bat. With his speed, any ball on the ground was a potential hit.
Smith, Hernandez, Conforto, Ohtani and Betts all make outs with the bases loaded. No sac flies, no hits just useless outs. Bad bullpen (once again) It’s a team loss for a game that should’ve been won.
Did not like the Smith Green Light with the bases loaded 3-0 count when he is scuffling. Also did not like Ohtani steal attempt of third with 2 outs and our best hitter up who is a lefty. Lastly – Ohtani just won’t take a walk even if it will help the team. He gets in swing mode and nothing will stop him. Jays tried to walk in the tying run, but Ohtani would just not allow it.
The Dodgers went into the 8th inning with a 3-2 lead. Any team that constantly coughs up leads late in the game is not getting very far in the playoffs.
There is a reason why baseball celebrates players who fail to hit their way on base 7 out of 10 times. That is a 70% failure rate!
Bottom line, elite offenses are going to fail to get on base 60% to 70% of the time. The Jays are a first place team. If the Dodgers plan on winning during the “dog days” of summer and in the playoffs, they gotta protect leads late in the game. Period!
Could the offense have come through during some key ABs? Sure, but to say they should is very short sided.
Pitching is paramount. If the boys in blue can’t protect leads in close games against competitive teams, I don’t care how good the offense is, we’re not getting very far.
Whatever happened before, It came down to based loaded ONE out in ninth to at least tie it up. Now you may say it should have never come to that with all the blown chances before. But it did
The fact the Dodgers tied the game 4-4 speaks volumes about the offensive output capabilities.
Did the Dodgers miss opportunities to put more runs on the board? I do not disagree; however, there is a reason the odds of success in those instances tend to favor pitching and defense. Hitting at the major league level is difficult. The odds of success are overwhelmingly against the hitter. The Dodgers attempted a second comeback but came up short. I am not a betting man, but the probability of mustering two separate comebacks this late in the game against another first place team has to be low.
This is why I refuse to give our bullpen a free pass. The Dodgers have the bats to compete, they are not getting far without addressing their shortcomings in the bullpen. Good news is that Scott, Kopech, Bates and Sasaki are on the mend.
In terms of the offense, not much needs to be done. The bats will be fine.
The very first pitch in MLB history with a female umpire behind the plate was saved and authenticated. Few seemed to notice the pitch was way inside, about three inches off the plate, yet she called it a strike. Nerves, I guess. I think she will be fine.
Reminded me of the loss of Yamamoto’s immaculate inning by a very bad HPU call a few weeks back.
first of all, dodger bullpen was actually better than toronto’s. trienan was the biggest issue. he doesn’t have a put away pitch right now. 11 walks by Jays pitching yesterday? that loss was the result of 2 things. (1) the offense . swinging at 3-0 pitches with the bases loaded. bad base running. and i agree. ohtani refusing to take pitches completely out of reach!!! (2) Dave Roberts. i’m not bashing or criticizing him mind you, but Casparius should have been in there in the eighth inning! He threw what, 5 pitches in the seventh? Trienan is not the same trienan right now. Dave is loyal to a fault sometimes. just believe Trienan isn’t ready for high leverage situations right now……. Glasnow is still regaining his command. when he does look out all other opponents! Same for Snell! if they get 6-7 innings from the starters, the bullpen is gonna get better. especially with hlp on the way!…. finally i’m the dumb*ss who wants more steals! ohtani couldn’t have picked a worse time to listen to me!!!!
I think Nick Senzel is worthy of a shot at the majors. He had a high rating coming in with the Reds but didn’t produce. He got off to an awful start with oKC but has been good for a while. He can play all over the field.
He has improved as the season has progressed. He is hitting .279 with an .810 OPS, and while he can play several positions, he is a below-average to terrible defender at every position. He would already be up if he were a good defender. I’m not just making this up: In the 2024 season, while playing mostly third base, Senzel posted the worst DRS among all MLB third basemen (–7), and his Outs Above Average (OAA) ranked 29th out of 33 at the position!
How ’bout them Halos!
So who should we blame today’s ugly loss to the Angels on?
Yamamoto, obviously.
He’s frustratingly inconsistent. He’s supposedly been the Dodgers’ ace for much of the season…but then games like this one happen.
Remarkably, Kershaw has outpitched Yamamoto lately. Who will be the front four pitchers in October?
Nice to see Max and Shohei (but especially Max) come through with those homers, which at least made the final score less embarrassing.
I find myself wondering whether AF & Associates ever seriously considered bringing back Kenley instead of Brock Stewart….
But swooping in to get Mason Miller away from the Pads would have been sweeter. He had another save today, finishing with a 103 mph heater.
Big series coming up, with the dramatically improved Pads facing the modestly tweaked Dodgers.
SP Y. Yamamoto R
10-7 2.51 ERA
SP Jose Soriano R
7-9 4.01 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
SS Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
CF Andy Pages R
LF M. Conforto L
2B A. Freeland S
RF Alex Call R
Happiest guy in Dodger Stadium last night was Rushing, and rightly so.
What do you do with a guy who is hitting. 300 in AAA and had 100 RBIs? Why, you keep him there and then trade him to a post season rival, where he can flourish, AKA Michael Busch. Nothing wrong with the guy they brought up but leaving Ward down in OKC is cruel and unusual punishment. You can’t tell me we can’t find a place for him as bench piece and OF/DH relief.
Enjoy your Sunday with the grandkids
There are a couple of things here:
1. Dalton Rushing will be an All-Star Catcher at some point in his career. he is already better in some phases of the game than Will Smith. I think both can co-exist with Will playing a few games at another position as soon as NEXT season (3B?). To me, he is better than Busch… and Busch is good.
2. I know several people from the Dodgers organization, as well as others, and no one (me included) thinks Ward is any more than an AAAA player. Justin Dean is also an AAAA player, but his defense at every outfield position is elite. Ward is not good defensively. Ward is Drew Avans, Matt Beaty, and Luke Raley without defensive skills. He’s a good guy, but there is a reason he is not in anyones Top 30.
It mystifies me that the Dodgers never peddled Ryan Ward + ??–or Ward alone–to a small-market team that could use him as a DH/1B/LF option. Surely some team could use the 4A slugger more than a lottery-ticket type of prospect that the Dodgers might develop.
Nobody will know whether Ward can hit ML pitching unless he is given a chance. Certainly he’s clobbered the pitching just one level down.
Hanging on to Ward with zero intention of promoting him just seems like bad business–not to mention unfair.
I’m glad that Feduccia and Outman are getting fresh starts elsewhere. Would it have been tough to add Ward to those deals for something modest in return?
As for the Michael Busch deal…
So far, it’s looking like a win-win, with both Hope and Ferris among the Dodgers’ top prospects.
Good points. Cubbies ain’t complaining about getting Busch and Dodgers aren’t complaining about the prospects haul.Happy for Busch and praying for Outman.
And Avans speed makes up for his lower BA and power vs Ward.
If Ward was a major leaguer, why haven’t any of the other 31 teams traded for him, or selected him in the Rule 5 draft?
Busch is a great story. A win-win trade.
Some of you more seasoned guys called it. I thought it conceivable, but did not really expect it based on historical norms. I am now convinced the Dodger brain trust truly started the season with a strategy to use the regular season as a mere spring training extension. Mark calls this “going to the whip in August”. I like the spring training analogy because in spring training you see young players get significant playing time to gauge their actual major league fiber while starting pitchers are given only enough time to tune up but not enough to wear them out. I see some Stan Kasten in this. He of the 14 division titles with the Braves but only one World Series championship. Could this strategy change the “crapshoot” of MLB playoffs into something more predictable where the best team actually wins the WS say 50% of the time instead of 20% of the time? This is going to be interesting over the next 10 years.
With all the talk of Smith and Ohtani being MVP candidates, Muncy is turning out to be the real deal.
Why don’t the Dodgers teach bunting in the minors. Twice Freeland’s been asked to do something at the MLB level that he’s never done in game situations before. It was even mentioned last night, that as a team, they are practicing bunting as part of getting ready for the playoffs.
As mentioned last night, Diaz has some good stuff but will probably go down when someone else becomes available.
Here’s why the Dodgers and most other teams do not teach bunting:
1. Sabermetrics showed that, in most situations, giving up an out to advance a runner lowers a team’s expected run total.
2. The “three true outcomes” era (home runs, strikeouts, walks) rewards power and patience far more than small-ball.
3. Bunting success rates are not automatic — a failed bunt can lead to strikeouts, double plays, or easy outs.
4. With pitchers throwing harder and cutters/sliders breaking late, laying down a quality bunt is harder now than it was in the ’70s–’90s.
5. Larger bases and pickoff limits make stolen bases easier, so teams can advance runners without sacrificing an out.
6. The universal DH means pitchers (once the main bunters) rarely hit, eliminating thousands of bunt situations a year.
We’ve been hashing this out for years now and its time to move on. Bunting, hit and run, hit behind the runner, complete games, small ball ISN’T coming back. Sure now and then some team from a small market with a limited skilled players come to town and win a game here and there and the announcers and fans all pine for the ‘good old days’. So with all the money LA has to spend they are going for ‘slug’. and come in first place every year.
BANG
Mark,
Myself, I liked number 6 as the most responsible reason for lack of bunting
Good overall list
I’m aware of the sabermetrics concerning bunting etc.. So why have Freeland bunt? Why are the Dodgers practicing bunting as part of getting ready for the post season (per Hersheiser). If it’s bad, why do it? If you’re going to do it, then teach it.
Maybe they are using misdirection.
Just to be clear, AFAIK analytics is very pro-bunting, when it comes to bunting for a base hit.
It’s the sacrfice bunting and the giving away of an out that is majorly frowned upon.
Good analysis….
The Dodgers used a sac bunt today, and it was a success. But I’m not sure it was the right strategy.
It wasn’t, in my opinion.
seems to me with the ridiculous “ghost runner “ rule for extra innings, the bunt should be a bit more of a priority! hit and run for the dodgers? nah, they ain’t built for that. although stealing bases wouldn’t hurt! …. do believe If Ward was mlb material, someone would have already taken a shot with him. hopefully he gets a shot with someone. ……. Maybe Outman should consider overseas. A clean restart of sorts. i’m pulling for him. ……..Alex Freeland should be on the postseason roster! ….. if Blake Snell ever gets his pitch count down, he’s unbeatable!….. And yes, the dodgers will be in on kyle tucker. why wouldn’t they?…. Totally agree on Stewart. nice to see him get back on track last night!……..Diaz shouldn’t sniff the post season! …. How many errors has Freddie saved Mookie? …. kinda was hoping Doc would give Dalton two in a row today. Wouldn’t hurt to give Will consecutive games off, and get Dalton a chance for 2 good games in a row!! Glasnow continues the starting pitching resurgence today!!! go blue!!
Mark
I didn’t have time to post yesterday.
Best of luck on meeting your completion date of next May.
For the ones who have been participating on this blog over the years – we all know you have walked a path least taken (not by choice) due to the unfortunate family issue.
Of course you can go 24/7 once the Dodgers with the last game – so no problem:)
Do we send you an email if we are wanting a copy? Or let us know how we can buy it.
I agree with D.Jack above, even if Ward is no more then a AAAA player it would be a a really nice reward by the Dodgers to bring him up for a few games – they do with pitchers all the time so why not with position players.
Wow – about Snell!
Our starting pitching is going to be proven the best in the league after a few more weeks.
Now just need to get the bullpen figured out.
First; Beautiful baby! There’s nothing more important than grandchildren; they’re the ONLY things we leave behind unless we’re Lincoln, Napolean or FDR.
I totally agree the strategy is & was conserve the best starting pitchers for the post season run. That’s why the Dodgers sign outstanding but health-challenged ones. Kersh will be “platooned” in playoffs with maybe Ohtani? Same with Sheehan. Agreed Kiké is likely gone. But so is Rojas- God speed to both.
Still surprised Muncy came back nearly as hot as he was!
Why do “fans” think they know more about prospects they’ve rarely EVER seen? Truly ridiculous.
PS: Giant shout out to Jen Parwol!
Don’t forget the artists of the world.
4:10 PM ET
Blue Jays (68-50)
Dodgers (68-49)
SP Eric Lauer L
7-2 2.59 ERA
SP Tyler Glasnow R
1-1 3.06 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
3B Max Muncy L
2B Miguel Rojas R
LF Alex Call R
84° Wind 8 mph Out
“My season’s kind of over, so I’m going to have to chalk that up for not a great season, but I can help the boys win every night,” Betts said. “Do something, get an RBI, make a play — do something. I kind of have to shift my focus there. Obviously, everyone wants to have great seasons, but it’s a lot easier when you just don’t worry about the season. You just worry about the game to game. And so I think I’ll take this perspective for the rest of my career.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised Betts for taking this approach and said it is the best way to navigate the final stretch of the season.
I have watched Fernandez pitch a couple of times. I don’t think he has a shot at being in the Dodger pen. Hurt maybe, and maybe Bobby Miller. One of the posters has said Mookie is selfish and should be moved back to RF. He also stated that Betts, ” wants to be the man”. What horse puckey. No, it wasn’t someone here. Betts is the #2 rated defensive SS in the National League with a +8 defensive runs saved. Freeland might get the job next spring, and they move Mookie to second. Betts is the kind of player who wants to win and will do whatever the team wants him to do. But I doubt he moves back to right field.
Anyone who says Mookie is selfish doesn’t know much about “selfish” players. See “Rafael Devers” for more information – yes, I know he had a semi-legitimate beef, but in the end you work FOR the team.
I also read someone posted that Mookie owes his defensive ratings to the catches Freddie makes. Sorry poster but that is bullshit. Shortstops job is GET THE DAMN BALL before it goes through to the outfield whether it’s a bullet, has wicked English on it or takes a giraffe to reach it. Then get it to the first baseman (most plays). The first baseman’s job it to CATCH THE DAMN BALL even though the best shortstops will be terribly rushed on difficult plays so the throws will be short hopped, high, may pull you off the bag so you have to make a tag – as Freddie did well in yesterday’s game. BOTH Mookie and Freddie do their jobs admirably
PS: I JUST turned on today’s game and on the very first play Mookie saved a ball Rojas dived for but couldn’t quite get. Made a rushed throw and all 6′-5″ of Freddie had splay out to get it, but of course he did. Big league play all the way.
Interesting stat about Mookie’s defense!
While we’ve been expecting him to move to 2B, he might still be the best option at SS for a couple more years.
With all due respect, I have heard enough about Ryan Ward. He is a LF’er who occasionally can play RF, but is not good defensively. He is also a below-average 1B. His best position is DH, but the last time I checked, the Dodgers had a decent DH. More than anything, the Dodgers need utility players who can play excellent defense: Kike, Kim, Freeland, Edman, Rojas, and Dean. I will sum it all up with this: If AF thought he would be an asset, he would be on the team. Next year, he will likely get a chance with another team. Fans used to say the same thing about Drew Avans. “The Dodgers should give him a chance.” Well, the A’s and Brewers did this year and his BA is .118. AF knows better than any of us.
“AF knows better than any of us.” EXACTLY, my point. If they didn’t they wouldn’t be making MILLIONS YEARLY to make these decisions. And when a PBO or GM doesn’t make these decisions successfully they are gone pretty quick. The fact that AF has been integral in making them for well over 10 years very very successfully means HE KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING!
Best record in baseball in that time and damn near the best farm system. Nobody has ever done that!
Before some chime in about his mistakes, I will just say, HE IS NOT PERFECT. but he is a damn sight better than anyone on this planet!
Did AF know what he was doing when he decided that Lux and Miguel Vargas would be a dynamite keystone combo? As it turned out, neither were a good choice.
Plenty of us mere fans could see that Lux lacked the arm to be a top-tier SS, and found it strange that Vargas was annointed at 2B even though he played 3B in the minors had yet to prove he could really succeed against ML pitching.
Did AF know what he was doing when he gave Conforto that $17 million contract instead of other free agent options… who proved to deliver better production at lower cost?
Yes, AF has done a good job overall running the Dodgers. He was smart not to listen to some fans here on LADT who were declaring “NOhtani.” (Has the term “moron” ever seemed so valid?)
But let’s not forget AF’s mistakes (like dealing Yordan Alvarez) and think he is as infallible.
10 straight years in the post season, 4 World Series appearances, 2 victories and another they were cheated out of? THAT translates to “infallible” in a world where 3 out of 10 hits means you’re a star.
What you’re talking about is truly NEVER making a mistake. Can ANYone say they haven’t? Certainly no other major league baseball executive in our lifetime.
I was probably the most vocal against Lux and for Vargas. Lux is who I thought he was, and I disagreed with AF very vocally at the time. I think Vargas can play 2B, but he has settled at 3B (currently on the IL). His progress has certainly not been linear. Lux has low value as a LF’er, which is where he is best suited.
I was against Ohtani. I thought he could get two superstars for Ohtani, but I never thought of the deferral plan. That was genius. You are just cherry picking because for every bad move there are three good ones. Otherwise, he would not have the record he does.
The Conforto saga has yet to be written…
10 Hits
10 Walks
… and lose 5-4.
They did not deserve to win, and Mookie and Shohei bear a lot of the blame.
Three times bases loaded. No hits. They score 2 runs only because they were walked in.
This loss is on Ohtani. Complete lack of pitch recognition against lefties. Swing at a pitch that was no where near the plate and cost us the game. He’s not a clutch player. I hope he proves me way wrong. I don’t blame Mookie for this one. Treinen has filthy stuff. Needs to ditch the ineffective perpetually hanging curveball.
Don’t forget Vesia if we’re throwing around blame.
They won the series looking strong against the team that apparently has been christened, “…the best team in the American League”. Jays didn’t much look like it this weekend.
I’d hang this loss more on Treinen than Shohei and Mookie.
The Jays’ color commentator was spot-on in describing Shohei’s desire for a walk-off hit. That was a long at-bat, with a few fouls, and Fluharty got him to chase a sweeper that wound up low and away. Good pitching against an eager batter.
Mookie followed with solid contact that found a glove. It’s not like he embarrassed himself with a K or pop-up.
The Dodgers wouldn’t have been in walk-off position without Shoehei and Mookie.
Combined, they got on base 7 times in 12 plate appearances, with three walks and four hits, including Shohei’s HR.
Too bad he chased that sweeper.
13 walks, 10 Ks, left the sacks juiced twice. Once when it mattered most with just 1 out. I am not surprised Ohtani swung and missed at a ball way out of the strike zone. Very selfish AB. He wanted a winning hit when a walk would have tied the game and Betts would have come up with the bases loaded, one out and the infield in. Yep, Ohtani has 41 bombs. Tied for the NL lead. He has also struck out 144 times. He is going to shatter what he did last year, 162. Unless he totally goes nuts, he isn’t coming close to driving in 130 runs this year. Will Smith was ofer the home stand, quite a drop lately for the most consistent hitter on the team. He now leads Freeman by just 5 points in the batting race. Ill advised steal attempt by Ohtani with Freeman at bat also a huge blunder. For once, Roberts called him out publicly. Instead of pinch hitting Conforto, I would have let Dean bat. With his speed, any ball on the ground was a potential hit.
And not everyone can be hot at the same time. Smith now 2-20, 0-13
better not go to the bathroom when Trienan pitches!!
Blake is a long way from right!
Yup, he’s pitching himself right OFF the post season roster.
Starting pitching and offense weren’t the problem today. The bullpen couldn’t hold the lead. Reinforcements are coming.
BS
Offense blew it
I’d say both
What’s BS is the bullpen blowing the lead the 8th, then the offense tying the game, only for the bullpen to give up the eventual game winning run.
Smith, Hernandez, Conforto, Ohtani and Betts all make outs with the bases loaded. No sac flies, no hits just useless outs. Bad bullpen (once again) It’s a team loss for a game that should’ve been won.
Did not like the Smith Green Light with the bases loaded 3-0 count when he is scuffling. Also did not like Ohtani steal attempt of third with 2 outs and our best hitter up who is a lefty. Lastly – Ohtani just won’t take a walk even if it will help the team. He gets in swing mode and nothing will stop him. Jays tried to walk in the tying run, but Ohtani would just not allow it.
The Dodgers went into the 8th inning with a 3-2 lead. Any team that constantly coughs up leads late in the game is not getting very far in the playoffs.
There is a reason why baseball celebrates players who fail to hit their way on base 7 out of 10 times. That is a 70% failure rate!
Bottom line, elite offenses are going to fail to get on base 60% to 70% of the time. The Jays are a first place team. If the Dodgers plan on winning during the “dog days” of summer and in the playoffs, they gotta protect leads late in the game. Period!
Could the offense have come through during some key ABs? Sure, but to say they should is very short sided.
Pitching is paramount. If the boys in blue can’t protect leads in close games against competitive teams, I don’t care how good the offense is, we’re not getting very far.
1-10 with RISP
Yes
Doc too
Maybe the Dodgers need a 7-game losing streak and to fall behind the Padres by three games in the middle of August?
Whatever happened before, It came down to based loaded ONE out in ninth to at least tie it up. Now you may say it should have never come to that with all the blown chances before. But it did
Dependable bullpens hold on to their leads. The Jays did exactly that.
What, no they didnt.
The fact the Dodgers tied the game 4-4 speaks volumes about the offensive output capabilities.
Did the Dodgers miss opportunities to put more runs on the board? I do not disagree; however, there is a reason the odds of success in those instances tend to favor pitching and defense. Hitting at the major league level is difficult. The odds of success are overwhelmingly against the hitter. The Dodgers attempted a second comeback but came up short. I am not a betting man, but the probability of mustering two separate comebacks this late in the game against another first place team has to be low.
This is why I refuse to give our bullpen a free pass. The Dodgers have the bats to compete, they are not getting far without addressing their shortcomings in the bullpen. Good news is that Scott, Kopech, Bates and Sasaki are on the mend.
In terms of the offense, not much needs to be done. The bats will be fine.
The very first pitch in MLB history with a female umpire behind the plate was saved and authenticated. Few seemed to notice the pitch was way inside, about three inches off the plate, yet she called it a strike. Nerves, I guess. I think she will be fine.
Reminded me of the loss of Yamamoto’s immaculate inning by a very bad HPU call a few weeks back.
first of all, dodger bullpen was actually better than toronto’s. trienan was the biggest issue. he doesn’t have a put away pitch right now. 11 walks by Jays pitching yesterday? that loss was the result of 2 things. (1) the offense . swinging at 3-0 pitches with the bases loaded. bad base running. and i agree. ohtani refusing to take pitches completely out of reach!!! (2) Dave Roberts. i’m not bashing or criticizing him mind you, but Casparius should have been in there in the eighth inning! He threw what, 5 pitches in the seventh? Trienan is not the same trienan right now. Dave is loyal to a fault sometimes. just believe Trienan isn’t ready for high leverage situations right now……. Glasnow is still regaining his command. when he does look out all other opponents! Same for Snell! if they get 6-7 innings from the starters, the bullpen is gonna get better. especially with hlp on the way!…. finally i’m the dumb*ss who wants more steals! ohtani couldn’t have picked a worse time to listen to me!!!!
If you would have told me we’d win 2 of 3 vs the best team in the AL and a great chance to sweep (with Mookie getting hot…), I would have signed up.
Yesterday sucked, but we move.
Lets take the series in Anaheim and play our best ball this coming weekend!!
I think Nick Senzel is worthy of a shot at the majors. He had a high rating coming in with the Reds but didn’t produce. He got off to an awful start with oKC but has been good for a while. He can play all over the field.
He has improved as the season has progressed. He is hitting .279 with an .810 OPS, and while he can play several positions, he is a below-average to terrible defender at every position. He would already be up if he were a good defender. I’m not just making this up: In the 2024 season, while playing mostly third base, Senzel posted the worst DRS among all MLB third basemen (–7), and his Outs Above Average (OAA) ranked 29th out of 33 at the position!
How ’bout them Halos!
So who should we blame today’s ugly loss to the Angels on?
Yamamoto, obviously.
He’s frustratingly inconsistent. He’s supposedly been the Dodgers’ ace for much of the season…but then games like this one happen.
Remarkably, Kershaw has outpitched Yamamoto lately. Who will be the front four pitchers in October?
Nice to see Max and Shohei (but especially Max) come through with those homers, which at least made the final score less embarrassing.
I find myself wondering whether AF & Associates ever seriously considered bringing back Kenley instead of Brock Stewart….
But swooping in to get Mason Miller away from the Pads would have been sweeter. He had another save today, finishing with a 103 mph heater.
Big series coming up, with the dramatically improved Pads facing the modestly tweaked Dodgers.
9:38 PM ET
Dodgers (68-50)
Angels (56-62)
SP Y. Yamamoto R
10-7 2.51 ERA
SP Jose Soriano R
7-9 4.01 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
SS Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
CF Andy Pages R
LF M. Conforto L
2B A. Freeland S
RF Alex Call R
79° Wind 7 mph Out
Edmund, Kim, and Freeland should make it so we never see Conforto when they’re all healthy.