… and I still read the Legends (in their own mind) criticizing Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts: “Why did he leave him in for so long?” “Why did he take him out so early?” Why can’t Friedman admit his mistake with CT3 and cut him?” Blah, Blah, Blah. Bye!
The Dodgers need to go 12-7 to get above a .600 win percentage for the season. If they do so, they’ll be the first team to have a .600 winning percentage for six consecutive years since the Yankees from 1947-57. Yet, that is not good enough for some. The Yankees won seven World Series in that span, but let’s not forget that was back when only two teams went to the playoffs. Twelve teams will make the MLB playoffs – six from both the American League and National League. This is an increase over the previous format, which had ten teams. This is broken out with three division winners in the AL and NL as well as three Wild Card teams.
For the mathematically challenged, this makes it about six times harder to go to the World Series for each league. Eno Sarris wrote a piece for Fangraphs several years ago (when ten teams made the playoffs), and this was his conclusion:
“So you might have guessed their conclusion — baseball is, indeed, the sport with the most amount of luck involved. The teams are packed in the closest, they have the smallest advantages from their parks, and the so the games are closest to coin flips among the sports.“
— Eno Sarris
We all expect the Dodgers to win the World Series. That is the goal: Winning the World Series! Now, if the Dodgers don’t do that, Mark Walter and Stan Kasten will say that it is an organizational failure… but it’s also the wonderful and maddening randomness of baseball. The Dodgers have compiled the best collection of players in baseball and have the best team, even with 12 or 13 pitchers on the IL.
It’s crazy, but a bad bounce or a 116 MPH line drive right at the centerfielder could determine their fate. That’s baseball. You can control your luck to some extent, and luck is where preparation meets opportunity… but you can’t control everything. The Dodger had the wherewithal to stockpile plenty of arms this year… and they needed them. I am sure that this offseason, they will spend lots of time evaluating why so many pitchers went down, but right about now, they have a world Championship to win. Let’s get to it!
Big week for Buehler & Yamamoto.
Tough time to be manager because we’re fighting for #1 seed but also prioritizing health.
Bullpen auditions await with Graterol hopefully getting a lot of looks and guys like Grove/Honeywell trying to pull down as many IP as possible.
Pages vs. KK for final bench spot intrigues.
I remember the first time I saw Pages on TV
He was 19 but had been invited to spring training. Commentators were raving about his potential.
And then a single was hit to left. Should have been a routine plan, but Pages took his eye off the ball and it scooted past him, enabling the hitter to get an extra base.
I remembered this when something similar happened in today’s game. Watch the highlight. He reaches down to barehand the single but looks up to watch the baserunner–and the ball dribbles off his hand. E7 as the runner takes an extra base.
Not a good look for a young player whose defense has been problematic. How about some basic fundamentals? Stuff like this drives me nuts as a fan. It’s like dropping a pop up.
So Pages or Keirmaier?
The next few weeks could make the decision clear.
For me its KK all day long….
I’m wondering before Spring training starts are pitchers monitored in their throwing sessions by Dodger staff or are they throwing on their own which could be one reason for so many injuries. Are they throwing too early and too many pitches after the season is over? I can’t see how MLB will try to have starters go 6 innings when they have a hard time going 5.
I think we should start DePaula in AA next season.
When will we hear about the AFL roster?
Not until sometime in October.
some may call for Doc’s head if they don’t win it all this season! Let’s be clear, i’m not the biggest Roberts fan alive, but l’m not a hater either. I still say this is his best job ever! one word will probably decide the dodgers. fate this season. HEALTH! if glasnow, yamamoto, and Teo are 100% healthy, why not the dodgers? I’m all in on Flaherty! A little skeptical of the long ball , but after yesterday, Let’s roll. If those 3 are healthy in october, are there any better rotations? Maybe some as good, but none better! Stone, Clayton Knack, Buehler? Can probably count on one of those guys for a number 4. If the bullpen isn’t gassed, with Bazooka coming, strong! Not counting Bobby Miller out, just not counting on him. …. Don’t see Kevin K. on the playoff roster. His bat is not good enough to supplant Chris Taylor. Pages? no clue……. nice to see Will with 3 knocks yesterday. Need his bat in October. … Max with a bomb off a lefty! …. Kershaw is my all time favorite Dodger! But man!! love me some Mookie Betts! And NO! Tatis is mot better than Mookie! Maybe he’s more knowledgeable about medical stuff! lol!!
Hey, I’m just glad Friedman acquired Jack Flaherty.
I’m not sure how anyone can whine about how the Dodgers are doing. Considering all the injuries most teams would have folded the tent. The Dodgers are leading the division and MLB. Not like Arizona and San Diego aren’t playing pretty well. LA is just playing better.
LA performed well this weekend against a very good Cleveland team. What’s not to like?
Winning the World Series may take some good pitching performances from Yamamoto and Buehler. We’ll see how things go this week.
No idea if Stone or Kershaw makes it back.
Come Oct. usually 3 or 4 teams are firing on all cylinders. If the Dodgers are one of them, I like their chances. Like you said ddad health will play a big part. Not sure if Stoney will be a factor. If they’re up 2-0 get Glasnow some extra rest. Otherwise pitch he in game 3. I’m really confident and ready to put the Dbags or Madres out to pasture.
Book em
Lets start the discussion would you rather be the #1 or the #2 seed.
The #2 seed potentially plays MIL. I think Id rather have that match-up?
What say you?
Rams played their hearts out last night with a 3rd sting O line. If you buy stock buy stock in the LA Rams right now!
For me the 1&2 seeds are basically the same. Now the 3 seed….that’s a whole different Ballgame. One extra series and 1 day off. I really want a fight to the finish with our little sisters down south and in the desert. And hopefully get hot during the playoffs.
Book em
One seed, if the Dodgers, has to play the winner of the Padres-D-Backs. Sorry, I would rather see them play a team that is not in their division in the first round. No way the Dodgers slip to the third seed. If the season ended today, it would be the Braves or the Mets against Milwaukee. Then the winner of that faces the #2 seed. I would rather face any one of those three teams in a five-game series than the Padres or D-Backs. Mookie nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award. You can vote on MLB.com.
It doesn’t matter who we play. I don’t want the mindset I hope we don’t have to play the Pads & Dbacks . I’m sure the Boys want to kick their asses on the way to a championship. Revenge is sweet. Oh and the Brewers are only 3.5 back of the Dodgers. So sure they could finish in the 3 spot. But I doubt it. They want home field and are going for #1.
Bring it home.
Book em
One only knows what he knows. What is not yet known and is important needs to be examined until it’s known. The Dodgers have for at least this millennium have been as careful with pitchers arms. When Kershaw was coming up, remember being frustrated because the Dodgers would limit his innings? Of course he’s not the only example. This year the Dodgers more or less have gone with a six man rotation, how many teams are doing a 6 man rotation on a consistent basis? The Dodgers are probably doing things with pitchers that few or if any other clubs are doing. If that is what causing the pitchers arm the problem, it will soon be discovered and the method changed. If I was in a contest guessing what is causing these problems, I’d would look in the pitcher’s innings out all the way through college. These kids are throwing in games year round many without a pitch count. These young pitchers are trying to master the curve ball before they are in their teens. As what has been stated numerous times pitching isn’t a natural movement for the arm. The more stress put on the arm the more likely hood of an injury. I just saw that a top prospect threw a 156 pitches in a D-1 college game. Crazy
In my humble opinion, I believe that Dave Roberts has done one of the best, if not the best, managing jobs since he became the Dodger manager. All the injuries to the regulars and the multitude of pitchers injured has been unreal, and, the Dodgers are still winning the division by 6 games….this speaks to the fact that Roberts is one of the best managers in baseball today. And, he does it with class and dignity! Go Dodgers!
There has never been a better time to be a Dodgers fan.
PERIOD!
Agree
Perhaps you didn’t get to enjoy the boys of summer. That was the best!
Roberts may have done his best job managing the Dodgers this year. And Friedman has probably made the most impactful deadline deals (Flaherty and Kopech especially) that any team has made this year. You really can’t complain about the lack of effort on behalf of management.
If the Dodgers don’t win this year the pitching injuries will be to blame. They have had more than anyone else. And this has been a theme for the past few years. But I don’t think that the Dodgers do anything differently than most teams. One thing that we know for sure – all of the pitch counts, extra games between starts, and “babying” of pitchers has done nothing to reduce the number of pitcher injuries. When starters routinely threw 250-300+ innings, there were fewer injuries, not more.
One thing that I have wondered about for a while is whether how pitchers are taught has something to do with it. They used to be taught “drop and drive” which required that the lower half did most of the work. They are now taught “tall and fall”, where the center of gravity is higher but they throw “downhill” and the arm does more of the work. They are starting to do studies about this and maybe the early evidence is that “tall and fall” does have a higher risk of Tommy John Surgeries.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23259671221128041?icid=int.sj-full-text.citing-articles.17
You might be onto something
10:10 PM ET
Cubs (73-70)
Dodgers (86-57)
SP Kyle Hendricks R
3-11 6.60 ERA
SP Walker Buehler R
1-4 5.67 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
3B Max Muncy L
C Will Smith R
CF Tommy Edman S
2B Gavin Lux L
SS Miguel Rojas R
LF Chris Taylor R
91° Wind 11 mph Out
Hernandez (ankle) remains out of the lineup for Monday’s game against the Cubs, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
“Hernandez will miss a third straight start as he continues to recover from a left ankle contusion. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had said previously he expected Hernandez back in action either Monday or Tuesday, so the outfielder will now be shooting for the latter date due to some lingering soreness. Chris Taylor is in left field and batting ninth for Monday’s series opener”.
Kershaw (toe) was spotted throwing off a makeshift mound at Dodger Stadium on Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
“Ardaya added that Kershaw was testing his ability to push off his big left toe by not wearing a shoe. It’s another step in the right direction for Kershaw, who landed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 31 due to a bone spur in his left big toe. A timeline for the veteran southpaw’s return remains unclear”.
Ex-Dodgers Belli and Busch bringing the hurt to Chavez Ravine….
Not a good day for Buehler. Right now, I’d put Knack ahead of him on likely post-season depth chart.
So might the Dodgers.
For some reason we always have problems hitting Hendricks, doesn’t matter what his record is,
Buehler will get more starts if he wants but I have doubts about his recovery.
Just landing in St George, UT
Ex-Dodgers killled us!
Was I the only one here rooting for Busch to get the cycle?
Oh well. The odds of Buehler making the post-season roster just got longer.
Minor kvetch: Why was Grove limited to one inning? It was a good one, with two Ks in only 13 pitches. If he started the 8th, would his arm have fallen off? And I seem to recall us being told that Grove would be a “long reliever.”
But of course Roberts went with the one-and-done approach, replacing Grove with Nick Ramirez, who wasn’t nearly as sharp. He threw two innings, throwing 37 pitches while giving up 4 hits, three runs (one earned) and striking out only one.