If I were “obsessed” with anything, I would still be talking about it. Nice try, but it’s a strikeout! I find some of your comments hilarious! As one of the first… if not THE FIRST champions of Andrew Friedman, I AM totally obsessed with the Dodgers. In fact, I remember a time when I was ridiculed much more than I was yesterday. In fact, I do not think I had a single supporter in my championing of the hiring of Andrew Friedman in the beginning. NOT ONE! I was stabbed, skewered, and fileted by everyone. Friedman was a fool and I was engaged in “Fools Folly.” Oh, and then he acquired Bret Anderson, Scott Kazmir, and Brandon McCarthy, which really proved he was an idiot.
The funny thing is, we all know what happened (unless you have been hiding under a rock): Andrew Friedman’s Dodgers have won the division every year he has been in LA and finally won a World Championship last season. He would have won two, but for the Cheating ASSSSSStericks. He has been instrumental in making Dodger Baseball relevant again. In fact, it is probably more relevant than it has ever been. It’s funny that most of the fans who were opposed to Friedman now love him or are gone.
But, here the Dodgers are: losers of two games in a row. On Saturday, they only had two losses and now they have doubled it. Is the sky is falling? No, everything is fine. The Dodgers are the best team in baseball… by far and could very well have the best record ever. A few days ago, I said that the Dodgers should try and win every series this year, because I believe that the 2001 Mariners did exactly that. That’s very hard to do. In fact, all the Dodgers can do now is split the series with the M’s.
But that is a worthy… and I might add an achievable goal. The Dodgers are in a “mini-slump” and have an early afternoon game today to try and shake it. Julio Urias looks to bounce back from a bad outing in his last start. The Mariners are a pretty surprising team. especially in light of their lack of starting pitching. Their 4.05 team ERA is evidence that their pitching is thin. Today is a great opportunity to bounce back and take some “in-game batting practice.”
Of course, the team is without Cody Bellinger and may very well be without Mookie Betts after he got drilled in the forearm last night. Then, there is the rumor that Max Muncy may have something bothering him. This is a long season. There will be injuries, heartbreaking losses, and incredible comebacks. This is why players like Sheldon Neuse, Edwin Rios, Luke Raley, Keibert Ruiz, and probably five other pitchers (not currently on the 26-man roster) are so vital.
Last night, Noisy was quiet, Raley was hitless in two AB’s and Rios continues to look lost. With just four hits in twenty-nine (29) at-bats, Rios is in danger of being optioned. There’s no room for underperformers. That is just one of the cold, hard facts. The Dodgers will still give him some time, but Edwin is going to have to earn it, just like Zach McKinstry has earned it. Zach just continues to do the little things well. He is 4th on the team in AB’s, so one would have to conclude that his is now a “regular starter.” He is actually hitting .381 against LH pitching so there’s no platoon here.
Zach McKinstry has “earned” the right to be a starter for the Dodgers and, if he keeps it up, Gavin Lux becomes the utilityman. You have to bloom where you are planted! I see a lot of Justin Turner in Gavin Lux. He’s not flashy but he just gets the job done and have you seen that cannon mounted on his shoulder? WOW! Dave Roberts paid Zach a great compliment when he compared him to Chase Utley:
“I think the biggest compliment I can give Zach — and for all you Chase Utley fans don’t hate me, because I’m a big Chase Utley fan too — he is kind of Chase Utley lite. The younger version as far as mindset, the way he goes about the game, sees the game. He’s a grinder. Tough player. Throws right, bats left. He’s got a little bit of a runway and he’s performing.“
That’s the key. You have to seize the day whenever it is handed to you. You can make excuses or you can just get it done and Zach McKinstry has done exactly that. He has seized the day. Gavin Lux hasn’t and maybe he never will. I had expressed that I was worried about Gavin after what happened last year, but in Spring Training he looked great. Now he has backslid again. At some point, there are no more excuses. This is true with any Dodger player. If you can’t get it done “Next man up!”
I would guess that right about now, Cody Bellinger is undergoing the “bone stimulation therapy thingy”… you know where they use ultrasonic or pulsed electromagnetic waves to stimulate healing. Yeah, and Cody, make sure you increase your intake of Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and calcium so you can get back sooner than later.
Too early to panic… Can we win all our series??? I think not… We’ll be OK…
Boy has Lux gone from the penthouse to the outhouse quick!??! Too early for me to dispatch him to fade away..
Utley, a player’s player… Wonder if we can snag him for a coach’s gig somewhere.. I sort of have the same feelings about A.J Pollock…
I’m concerned on the results of Mookie… I’m sure/hope he’ll get a day off…
When Utley retired it was rumored that he would assume a role in the front office.
That has not happened and I hear that Chase is having the time of his life being a father. Maybe in 10 or 12 years. His boys are 9 and 6. Here’s a glimpse at their home life:
What I’d like some learned opinions on involve hitting May’s stuff!?
I see his velocity and ball movement and wonder how can anyone hit this? Then the Mariners do exactly that! Some over the fence. I saw more swing and miss at the 87/88 mph slider. The heat, even with all his movement was being hit! Any explanations? I really like May and want much more swing and miss or sissy hits.
He needs to just stay away from the middle of the plate. Most hitters can hit a ball “right down Broadway” because it is not moving far enough away or closer than if it is on the edges. He will get it! His ERA is still just 2.93. That’s pretty dang good. He made two pitches that he shouldn’t have. He is young… and learning. I’m happy with him.
The pen did its job.
You just don’t win many games when you only score 3 runs.
I’ve wondered about this, too. I think the thing with his sinker is the kind of movement. It hard and moves a lot, but the movement follows a predictable path and allows the hitter to recognize the pitch a little faster and square up on it. And I’m sure batters have seen video on him and where it tends to go.
Pitching is deception. A four seamer with a high spin rate is deceptive because it maintains it’s path to the plate more without dropping due to gravity. When interpreting the path of a pitch, a batter assumes a certain amount of natural drop. With a four seamer, a batter will often swing under. It almost looks like it’s rising, which is an optical illusion.
May allowed a double and a home run to Trammell and a home run to Marmolejos. What do those 2 guys have in common? They are both LHB. May has a career .809 OPS against LHB, which is bad. I talked about this during spring training as I didn’t want him as a reliever with that career stat against LHB late in the game. I wanted him to figure out how to get LHB out as a starter.
Maybe someone smarter than me can explain why he has trouble against LHB and not RHB.
He has a career .499 OPS against RHB. That is DOMINANT.
His sinker is on the same plane as a lefty swing and he doesn’t have a change up that breaks away from a lefty. Plus, he doesn’t have great command of his pitches. Breaking balls that break towards you are much easier to hit than ones that break away from you.
Thank you for the explanation BulldogsandPenguins it makes sense.
Hopefully the pitching coach can figure this out and correct it.
Who am I?
-0.1 WAR, 47 AB w/ 10 hits, O HR, .213 BA, .260 OBP, .255 SLG, .515 OPS w/ 16 K’s?
AJ Pollock looks horrible and is quickly making all Dodger fans hoping for a quick recovery by Bellinger, Lux and a non-injury for Mookie so CT3 can be our everyday LF. Dude looks slow both in the field and with this bat and looks to be fading fast.
Here’s Chris Taylor’s last 7 days .192 .276 .462 10Ks
Players keep squaring up on May’s sinker. As I’ve mentioned before, he throws it really hard and the movement looks filthy, but it’s not very deceptive. That tailing action allows the batter to track it. I wish he’d throw a four seamer high in the zone more.
On the other hand, his curveball has become a real weapon. The spin rate on his curve is in the 98th percentile of pitchers, and that sharp break and location resulted in all eight of his strikeouts. BTW, his strikeout rate is nearly 14 per nine innings, which is a huge jump for him and puts him in the elite category.
No need to panic after our first losing streak (all of two games) of the season. Rios is just missing everything. How many 370 ft fly balls to center field has he hit? Hitters are streaky, some more than others. We’re not even 20 games in, so it’s way too soon to think McKinstry is the next Chase Utley, or Gavin Lux is a bust. No one looks hot right now and we’re still in every game. We have a rotation full of stoppers and they’re here for moments like this, when the offense is less than optimal.
Was it just me, or did that home plate umpire have money riding on Seattle? I don’t mind having a bad zone so much as different zones for each team. May got pinched on balls just under the zone while Sheffield was consistently getting a full ball under.
I fully expect Mookie to get another day off after getting drilled last night. Maybe now would be a good time to dump that 14th pitcher.
At least the bullpen was great again.
Some guys are really struggling with the bat. The problem is who would you call up? Peters and Davidson certainly didn’t look good this spring. If Pollock doesn’t turn it around then we have to look for a LF bat at the deadline. Both of May’s home runs he started his cutter on the inside corner and it broke right down Broadway. Against lefties if he goes inside then he needs to start it off the plate.
Dodgerpatch, the next time you go to Seal Beach, stop in at Gelato Italyano on Main and PCH. It’s right next to the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Best Gelato I’ve ever had.
I would invite you for a bike ride, but I’m more of a beach cruiser type. I would look like the michelin man if I tried to squeeze into one of those bike outfits. I’m thinking about getting an electric bike, but since I have 6 bicycles plus a spin bike in my garage, I have a hard time justifying the space.
I will for sure stop in at that place. We usually go to the end of Main and stop at Bogart’s Coffee next to the pier. La Crema is really good, too (love the pretzel dough croissant), but a bit crowded for a bunch of cyclists standing around with bikes.
From Houston Mitchell:
“The Dodgers have consistently taken the long-view when it comes to individual games during a season. They won’t sacrifice the rest and potential health of a player just to win one game when winning one game could cost them games down the line. Now, you can argue with that plan if you want, but that’s the plan.
You could also just as easily blame Sunday’s loss on bad defense and the fact they got only three hits. Or focus on the fact that they won two of three.
The series did have the feel of the playoffs and was the “biggest series of the season” at least until this weekend when the Padres come to town for the next “biggest series of the season.”
I wanted to take an extra day to write about the series to let the emotions of the weekend die down and make sure I was calm and collected when stating the following: The Padres have a bunch of whiny crybabies on their team.
The whole series was them or their fans complaining. “Clayton Kershaw said a bad word to me!” “That pitcher hit me on purpose with that pitch” (in a situation where a pitcher wouldn’t be throwing at a batter). “There are too many Dodger fans in the stands!” “He didn’t catch that ball!”
The Padres remind me of the little boy who walks behind his daddy, trying to match his footsteps and walk just like him. The whole identity of the team and its fans seems to be wrapped up in beating the Dodgers to prove how good they are. Social media was filled with it Sunday with Padres fans acting like Sunday’s win was the equivalent of winning the title.
Of course, it makes some sense when you consider they are 16-38 against the Dodgers since 2018. And that the first time they reached the World Series was in large part because of a former Dodger (Steve Garvey). And that they’ve won only five division titles since coming into existence in 1969. And that they are 12-25 in the playoffs. That must be tough.
Of course, noted philosopher Ric Flair famously said, “To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.” And to the Padres, the Dodgers are the man. And every action the Padres take shows it.
The thing is, the Padres are good. Very good. They could win it all. But if they expend all their energy this season during games against the Dodgers, they won’t get too far. But let’s not tell them that.
Of course, the Dodgers came out flat Monday night against the Mariners, with the team looking tired and abandoning their patient offense approach. Almost as if they expended all their energy over the weekend.”
They looked flat Sunday as well
3 big keys to how good the bullpen will be this year is:
1) Keeping Joe Kelly on the IL.
2) Since Doc trusts Jimmy Nelson enough to use him in close games, his performance is CRITICAL. I’m a skeptic because his career OPS is well above .700. BUT I can be proven wrong and I hope I am.
3) Same as Nelson is Dennis Santana. A career OPS well above .800. The difference between Santana and Nelson is that Doc for the most part doesn’t use Santana in close games, at least so far this year.
There are some splits among some of the other guys that are concerning but it just depends on how Doc handles those guys. In the end I think the bullpen will be good. Just depending on how Doc handles it and injuries(Gonsolin currently).
I would counter with:
1. Maybe Joe Kelly gets healthy (maybe I will throw a football 80 yards again) and has one good year out of three.
2. Jimmy Nelson has never been a reliever – maybe this is his niche.
3. Santana is a rookie. No history applies. I am ambivalent about Santana, but he is starting to show some stuff!
My caveat yesterday proved be true regarding it being an ambush game. Monday after an exciting weekend series against a team you typically dominate can be hard to get up for. Sometimes your mind wants to kick in and get some enthusiasm but the body doesn’t respond. We looked lethargic and tired and played like it, kicking the ball around and getting no timely hits. (this kind of game is why players resorted to “greenies” back in the day for that little pick me up.) This is the Mariner’s World Series and they made every play.
Don’t sleep-on Seattle
* I watched May closely last night and Mark summed it up; he can’t pitching in the middle of the plate. Not many can.
Being 6’6”, tall guys usually take longer to get all those levers working together in a consistent manner. That causes May that irritating inconsistency. He can go from Cy Young to Sayonara just like that.
When right he has remarkable movement. That arm-side runner is like 18”. But here are some problems:
His release is inconsistent so one 2 seamer might have awesome run and the next one is flat. His breaking ball looks un-hittable and then the next one is a flat spinner.
He love that 2 seamer with big arm side run but it stays vertical and doesn’t miss bats. Same with the cutter or mini slider, whatever it is. It lacks depth and creates lots of foul balls. Those long counts frequently lead to a hittable pitch. Both in and away to hitters his even some good pitches lack depth and can miss barrels but not bats.
He is way more comfortable down in the zone where he likely learned to pitch. He isn’t comfortable or good at 4 seamers upstairs. And he needs to be It would be super effective if he could command the high 4 seam cheese. I need to see a lot more 4 seamers at the top of the zone.
His stuff can be filthy but it’s a work-in-progress.
He still pitched well enough to win last night with the team.
At the plate, watch McKinstry watch the baseball. not much head movement.
Cassidy made an interesting point the other day. He wondered where the Dodgers would be without JT. Many of us felt okay about Rios being the everyday guy at 3rd. It’s early but so far there has been very little about Rios to write home about. He’s made a couple nice defensive plays but seems to have a hole in his bat. I’d like to see him break loose and help this team right now.
We face a crummy lefty today. Should be able to light this guy up and come home with a victory.
Even crummy pitchers are getting us out right now. Our BA is going south quickly.
@Norcaldodgerfan
AJP has regained the weight he lost last offseason, and his performance is dipping.
Any news on Mookie?
https://instagram.com/stories/kingjocpederson/2556218596222334726?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igshid=1t2ta6s3sfaur
Somebody open the freezer door and let these guys out!
Dodger offense is offensive right about now!
Oh shit, Kenley in a one run game. My stomach hurts.
Wow, dirty today. 97? Where the hell did that come from?
i mean, is it some kind of rebirth? lately consistently 94-96 with those 97’s.
too soon for me to get over all the trauma he has caused me the last couple years, but willing to keep an open mind and keep hoping & cheering to see more of the “old kenley”
Cheers
Did I just see 2 97mph fast balls from Kenley!!
Julio was dealing
3 hits is the joint fewest in an inter league game ever.
Well done AJP – reports of your demise were greatly exaggerated…
AJP might be done. He doesn’t impress at all. Not a fan but I want to be wrong. In this case I’m from Missouri and he’ll have to show me
Now that was the Cy Young Julio we’ve been waiting to see! Wow! And Kenley proving us all wrong! If only we could hit and score some runs we might be a pretty good team!
Not a bad showing for our so-called 4th starter. We have control for 2 more years after this year. Maybe it’s time to start talking extension with him. If he pitches like this for a couple more years the price is going to go a lot higher.
Extending Julio absolutely should be a priority.
Just a hunch, but my guess is that Julio, after all these years, would rather be in LA than anywhere else and would be more interested in security than in testing the FA market.
I suspect Walker Buhler looks at the contracts of Bauer and Gerrit Cole, etc, and thinks, “OK, how much could I get on the open market?”
Missed the game, but made it to California safely.
Good deal!
Enjoy!
Viva La Julio…
We get 2 damn hits and win the game anyhow!!! Who knew..
The pen was electric… Happy for KJ…
Rest well tomorrow Boys in Blue…
Hoping more misery for the Madres…
Welcome to Cali Bear!!!
May needs to learn to pitch up. Especially against left handlers.
May has wicked talent but is still quite green. Very few great pitchers started out great–and some who did flamed out after a few seasons. (Fernando comes to mind.) To me Koufax is the greatest ever–and it took him several years to become the Koufax we know. Sheesh, remember when the Dodgers brass valued Ramon Martinez more than his little bro? It took Pedro some time to become great…while Delino DeShields became the easy answer to a Dodger trivia question.
Anyway, I don’t think the learning curve is all that steep for May. I’m hoping he turns to veterans like Kershaw, Price, Bauer and Kenley for wisdom. Quite a finishing school for the young guns. (Julio seems to be coming along nicely.)
I have similar feelings about Graterol. So much raw ability, so much heat–but somehow he doesn’t get many Ks. Can Kenley teach him the cutter? He seems like only a pitch away from the lights-out level.
Such an embarrassment of riches. Kenley suddenly looks like Kenley again and Price seems reborn in the pen. Justin Turner, the old man in the lineup, is playing at an MVP level while McKinstry gets a little ROY buzz. Dodgers are winning at a record pace–even though Bellinger has missed most of the games. (My only kvetch concerns the defense.)
Remember in the spring when it looked like Gonsolin would be the 5th starter and May would log time in the pen? Gonsolin, a few years older, doesn’t have May’s potential but he seemed more ready. Here’s hoping he gets healthy soon and we see him back in action.