The minor league season is quickly drawing to a close. It seems impossible but it is so. The good news is that five of the Dodgers affiliates will extend their season a bit by competing for the league championship. Those five affiliates are AZL Dodgers Mota, Ogden Raptors, Great Lakes Loons, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, and Tulsa drillers.
End-of-Season All-Stars to date: Some leagues have not yet announced the All-Stars.
Twenty-year-old right-hander, Adolfo Ramirez of the DSL Dodgers Lasorda was named an AZL all-star. Over 49 innings pitched he allowed but 24 hits while posting a 0.73 ERA and a 0.67 WHIP. He struck out 61, walked 9 and twice had a scoreless five-inning start. He has been assigned to the Raptors to finish out the season.
John Shoemaker was named the Midwest League Manager of the Year and 19-year-old third baseman Miguel Vargas, now with the Quakes and hitting up a storm, was named a Midwest League End-of-Season All-Star.
“Shoe” has guided the Loons to the playoffs each of the past two years. This season, Great Lakes had its best first half in franchise history with a 43-24 record and a .642 win percentage, winning the first-half Eastern Division title to earn a playoff berth.
Vargas, hit .325 with 5 home runs and 45 RBIs in 70 games and 280 at-bats with the Loons. His batting average is still the highest of any Loons’ player this year.
Vargas is also the California League Player of the Week for the week of August 19-25. His stat line for the week is .556/.571/.926, 6 games, 15-for-27, 5 games, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run, 8 RBI, 3 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts.
The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes have 3 End-of-Season All-Stars: Devin Mann (2B), Jeter Downs (ss) and Donvan Casey (LF).
The 23-year-old Casey posed a triple slash of .270/.335/.509 with 20 home runs, 65 RBI and 20 stolen bases. He was a Mid-Season All-Star.
Devin Mann was a Mid-Season All-Star, a Player of the Month for June and a Player of the Week. The 22-year-old missed some time with injury but posted a slash line of .277/.359/.497 with 18 home runs and 60 RBI.
Jeter Downs, 21, is now with the Tulsa Drillers as is Donovan Casey. Downs line with the Quakes reads .269/.359/.507 with 19 home runs, 75 RBI and 23 stolen Bases.
The OKC Dodgers had no End-of-Season All-Stars but former OKC manager Damon Berryhill was the International League Manager of the Year with the Gwinnett Braves.
The Pioneer League All-Stars have not been announced and it is expected they will be well represented. They lead the league in 11 offensive categories. They are fifth in strikeouts. Pitchers Alfredo Tavarez (2.98) and Jeronimo Castro (3.25) are first and third in the Pioneer League in ERA respectively with 60 and 61 innings pitched respectively.
Third baseman Sauryn Lao was named the Pioneer League Player of the Week for the week of August 19-25. Just turned 20 his stat line was: 409/.458/.727, 5 games, 9-for-22, 1 double 2 home runs, 6 RBI, 6 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts.
Another Player of the Week for the Dodgers was 20-year-old left-hander Robinson Ortiz of the Loons. Over 2 games, one in relief and one as a starter he went 2-0 with an ERA of 0.64, 14 innings pitched, with only 7 hits allowed. He walked 2 and struck out 13.
Meanwhile, the Gavin Lux call-up wait continues.
DC’s 10th Inning
Tuesday’s Scores:
DSL Dodgers – season ended
AZL Dodgers Mota 3 – DSL Rangers 5
The AZL season has now ended for the Dodgers. Mota’s Dodgers lost their play-off game 5-3 to the Rangers in the one and out format.
Ogden Raptors 5 – Rocky Mountain Vibes (Milwaukee) 2
In the completion of a suspended game from August 20th the Raptors won 5-2 . On the mound, Elio Serrano picked up where he left off in the start of the suspended game, completing eight innings while allowing just two runs – one earned – on five hits. Mitchell Tyranski pitched a perfect ninth for his first save. Andy pages had a home run in both halves of the game.
Ogden 3 – Rocky Mountain Vibes (Milwaukee) 4
The Raptors scored three runs on sacrifice flies but left eight runners on base and came up short 4-3 in their final game against the Rocky Mountain Vibes in the 2019 regular season.
Great Lakes Loons 12 – Lansing Lugnuts (Toronto) 9
Not a pitcher’s duel at 12-9 although 20-year-old Edward Cuello extended his string of consecutive scoreless winnings to 13 since joining the Loons.
Justin Yurchak and Luke Heyer both had 3 hits. Yurchak in his last 10 games is hitting .465 with 13 runs, 3 home runs, and 7 RBI. After a slow start with the Loons in July, he is now hitting .305.
Ranch Cucamonga Quakes 4 – Lake Elsinore Storm (SD) 1
Wills Mongomerie has had an up and down season. This one was an up with 6 strong innings in a 4-1 win, his 8th win, on one and one run.
Jeren Kendall and Dillon Paulson both had 3 hits. Kendall hit his 19th home run.
Tulsa Drillers 8 – Armarillo Sod Poodles (SD) 4
The Drillers with their 8-4 win have taken 2 straight from South Division-leading Amarillo. Ryan Mosely and Nolan Long combined for 3 innings of one-hit relief.
Connor Wong recorded three hits for the fourth straight game. He also kept his hitting streak alive, running it to 11 straight games. He is hitting .338 since joining the Drillers on July 15. Errol Robinson also had 3 hits and is hitting .367 in August. Jeter Downs had 2 hits, one a 2-run home run.
OKC Dodgers 5 – Iowa Cubs 2
Logan Bawcom pitched 6 innings of one-run ball on 3 hits in the 5-2 win.
Edwin Rios hit his 28th home run, Kyle Garlick hit 2 making it 22 on the season, while Gavin Lux hit his 13th AAA home run to go along with 13 at the AA level.
Very nice DC, and yes the wait is on.
Minor League Report Updated Above.
Thanks DC. Nice to hear about the farm kids. Not only do we have very good individuals, but very good teams. I am just amazed at the number of kids brought up to the majors and all have done well. It looks like our farm system is in very good shape.
Connor Wong is 22-for-43 (.512) during an 11-game hitting streak with six long balls, four doubles, nine RBIs and 10 runs scored. In his last four contests, he’s 12-for-18 to get his Double-A slash line up to .338/.379/.571.
I stand by what I’ve said before. Ruiz will be traded and Wong will eventually be the backup catcher to Will “Bench-Esque” Smith.
Wong has been playing a bit of second base and third base.
CS% on the season 36%. At Tulsa 52% – 15/29.
Wong seems like the modern day Russell Martin! Can he pitch? haha. It sounds like he will do just fine as a backup to Smith.
That clip of Lux really whets my appetite to see him on the team. Perhaps the FO doesn’t want to give the opposition a peek at him until well into September. He could be our secret sauce. What a hitter! Thx for posting that, DC.
Wong is very athletic like Smith. Both can play positions other than catcher. Ruiz is the best trade chip that we have, but Smith and Wong can both play infield positions. So, it isn’t out of the question that all 3 can remain with the big club, or any of them being traded to improve other areas. I wonder if we’ll see Wong shoot up the prospect rankings in the offseason.
So dodgers will trade the best most talented hitter in their farm. Ohhhh Kaaay.
I was talking about Keibert Ruiz, not their “best most talented hitter in their farm” who would be Gavin Lux. Ohhhh Kaaay, Dirk?
BTW – There were 8 guys at Tulsa this year that had a higher OPS than Keibert, min 200 ABs. So, he isn’t anywhere close to being “the best most talented hitter in their farm”.
I’d bet you that Ruiz will be a better hitter than Lux, but I don’t gamble. I think that Cartaya wil be a better hitter than Lux too. And a better defender than Smith. Just by comparing their performances at the same age. I mean, how many kids are playing pro ball at 17. Not sure Lux will play shortstop in MLB. His arm a little suspect. According to scouting reports.
You have sight, but no vision.
MT, we all know how much YOU like Ruiz, but he was already traded by AF – Pirates didn’t pull the trigger, so there’s that.
Ruiz is hyped because he’s young. He’s gonna start falling if he doesn’t start producing.
Dirk, “I’ll bet you, but I don’t gamble” is almost as empty as Ruiz being the best hitter in the system.
We shall see. I’ve hit bulls eye on some and missed badly on others. Just like everyone else.
And Ruiz’s strikeout rate is crazy low.
Agree
Ruiz produced just fine last year. When you shoot up that fast and get up to that high level so young it sometimes takes a bit to catch up to the next level. I’m betting it won’t take long. Hey if your still around this site in a couple of years I’ll be able to say I told you so.
My main concern about the backup catcher spot is that the player be a relatively complete one. Meaning, they can both hit and defend. Defend means stopping potential passed balls and being able to throw out base stealers. Barnes is not a candidate as he is missing pieces of his game. Many people forget how a catcher with a good arm is a preventative for base stealing. Even the really good base stealers think twice about a good arm behind home plate. It makes no difference to me if it is Wong or Ruiz that gets the promotion. Ability should rule the decision, not potential.
I’m thoroughly impressed with all the post-season births up and down the organisation. It’s becoming quite the challenge to keep up with all the prospects nowadays. Even MT is having trouble projecting Hoese into the lineup ahead of forgotten man Vargas. Farm organization rankings say we’re 3rd in the MLB right now by more than one publication, but I wonder how much depth and lower level minor leaguers affect these rankings. I’m sure it’s too tall of a task to evaluate every player so I believe we might just be the top system considering how much talent we stack at the lower levels assuming most of those guys are overlooked.
Speaking of minor leaguers. What’s the over/under on Lux being called up in time to be eligible for post-season play? I’m putting my money on him being called up before Sept 1., just in case.
Well, that slump didn’t last too long. A 9-0 drubbing of the Pads and everything is right in Blue Heaven again. I’m sure the naysayers will say that it’s only the Padres, but Quantrill has been pretty damn good over the last month or so and Petco is a tough place to score runs. Belli got robbed of a HR, so maybe he’s about to turn the corner. It was nice seeing him drive a ball the other way.
More Beaty and less Kike and CT3. The Dodgers have been playing less than great since Kike and CT3 came off the DL. I’m already tired of them, but acknowledge their importance as bench pieces. My greatest fear is not the bullpen, it’s not whether Belli and Seager will hit in the post-season, is not whether Kersh and Ryu can get the best of right handed power, it is that Doc will start CT3 and Kike because they’re right handed.
I miss Dugie! A few more days and we’ll have Verdugo, Freese and Lux. Hopefully, that will help against Left Handed pitching which still seems to be a problem.
Nothing to do with Kike and Taylor, 59. They are just fine.
I’d rather see Verdugo and Freese in the lineup than Kike and CT3.
Verdugo and Freese do not play 2B/SS. Freese does not play OF. There is much more versatility in Kike and Taylor as utility guys plus both are hitting the ball pretty well this 2nd half of the season. Neither are perfect but they’ve proven themselves as support players.
I’m picking Pollock as a guy who will have a huge post season for us this year!
I will second that notion! I liked his cheap ones last night to help him even out some bad luck. Not only is his stick coming around, he’s making plays in CF too. I can’t believe they gave him an error on that ball that Seager should have cut off, Turner should have caught, and May should have backed up. One of the many reasons why DRS and defense stats in general are wildly inconsistent and less than reliable.
Pollock looked very good defensively last night. He made some nice plays.
We need another San Diego walloping to keep the juices flowing. What a takeaway of Belli’s HR bound ball by Margot.
Margot had an impressive game. I was pretty disturbed and felt bad for him when he got drilled in the noggin. Then he promptly stole second base and later robbed Belli. What a stud!
Thank you DC, for the excellent and very informative write-up on the minor league. I was glad to see that Ryan Mosely, (one of my favs), is still doing well for Tulsa and looking forward to him advancing next year. The future looks bright for our young men.
I know it’s still the 2019 season but there is a new pitching rule coming next season and the Dodgers better fix the bullpen in the off season or else if you think the bullpen has been bad this season wait until next season if the bullpen isn’t fixed.
Here is the new rule:
Starting next season, “starting pitchers and relief pitchers must pitch to either a minimum of three batters or the end of a half-inning (with exceptions for incapacitating injury or illness),”
Loogies and Roogies are going to be useless, this means Kolarek, Floro, Alexander are going to be useless.
The Dodgers better sign some free agent relievers and/or trade for relievers that can get outs on both sides of the plate.
The obvious free agent reliever is Will Smith. Another free agent reliever with closing type stats that may fly under the radar is Will Harris of the Astros. I’d like to see the Dodgers go all in on both of those guys.
I’d also like to see the Dodgers trade for Aaron Bummer of the White Sox, he’s got closer type stats too and he is definitely a closer in waiting and is under team control through the 2024 season. The White Sox desperately need starting pitching and could use upgrades in their relief pitching which might make them reluctant to trade Bummer. Kenta Maeda Josiah Gray, Dennis Santana to name a few trade chips.
Along with parting ways with Kolarek, Floro, Alexander. I’ve seen enough of Yimi Garcia who is out of options.
Again with that new rule the Dodgers better fix the bullpen in the off season. I’m a believer that good pitching beats good hitting.
It was good to see the offense come alive yesterday. When we get Verdugo and Freese back we will have the offense back at 100%. Hopefully we say bye bye to Negron, White, Gyorko soon. Talk about bottom of the barrel scrap pieces. White 238 OPS with the Dodgers. Gyorko 333 OPS with the Dodgers. Negron better but still not good 733 OPS with the Dodgers.
I mentioned this a couple of days ago. What do the Dodgers do with Seager’s current 663 OPS against left handed pitching come playoff time if that OPS doesn’t increase drastically by then? Does Dave Roberts trot him out there in every game in the playoffs? Hopefully Seager will start hitting lefties and the question becomes a moot point. But if not?
Are we ever going to see Urias pitch back to back days? As I mentioned recently both Urias and Baez have really good OPS against stats relieving and then Kelly the same since at least the all star break. That’s 3 innings of relief pitching that is pretty damn good that should be used in all close games.
The Dodgers may have a big lead in their division, but home field advantage is up for grabs.
“the Dodgers better fix the bullpen in the off season or else if you think the bullpen has been bad this season wait until next season if the bullpen isn’t fixed.”
I have problems on several levels with this:
1. It starts with the assumption that the bullpen is bad and must be fixed. It has been bad at times, but overall, it’s TOP 5 or 6 in MLB;
2. The bullpen needs to get better… and it will… from within. There are so many arms inside the system that they don’t need to make any trades. Aaron Bummer is already good (pretty good) and the ChiSox are planning to contend next year. The only way they trade him is if you give them more than he is worth and the odds are, at least one of the guys you trade for him (and there will be several) might be better than him. It’s a dope-fiend move.
3. Relievers are very fickle. I’ll bet that at least one of Kolarek, Floro, Alexander is going to be a stud next year.
4. Why would you post the OPS of a player who has just 12 AB’s? It means nothing… and if you don’t understand why they got Negron, I’ll explain it to you.
5. Geezzzz, watch out for those knees. Everything will be fine. AF has a plan and is playing chess to your checkers.
What’s knee jerk about signing 2 good free agent relief pitchers? We are not trading anyone for them. I understand if you think trading for Bummer is knee jerk because we would be trading.
I really don’t see any holes in our offense to plug especially with Lux coming. I don’t see any holes in our starting pitching to plug even if we lose Ryu. Kershaw, Buehler, Urias, Gonsolin and hopefully May. But without Ryu our starting pitching isn’t going to be as good as this season. And that’s not a knock on those 5 guys I mentioned, so why not improve the bullpen.
Yes our bullpen has gotten better as the season has gone on, but what is wrong with signing 2 good free agent relievers? If Smith wants more than 4 years then forget him.
BB, I would love to get Will Smith the pitcher. He checks some boxes for us. But, there’s only a couple of closers on the market next year so he’s gonna get a fat contract unless he wants to come here for less guaranteed years to chase a championship.
This is pretty much Standard Operating Procedure from here on out. Like Mike says, this office isn’t going to make any dope fiend moves mostly because they don’t have to. Maybe guys like Santana and Sheffield will step up next year. Maybe Gonso lands in the pen. Maybe Alexader is healthy. Maybe Kenley starts eating again. There’s a lot of options to fortify the pen, but I agree loogys and roogys are going the way of the do do bird starting next year. I don’t like the rule, but I don’t like mid inning pitching changes either. Especially when Doc does them because they always blow up in his face.
Good post, BB, but your perception of Seager not being able to hit against lefties is not an accurate one. This season, he is not hitting LHP as well as RHP but nowhere near the level of Joc and some others. Seager’s bat has been doing well as of late. The power will come back as the guy fully recuperates from his severe injuries. I am more concerned about his defense but it is not catastrophic.
I do agree with you that the BP needs to remake itself. Whether it is done from within, and also implementing it with starters who don’t quite have the oomph for sustained innings, or through trade and FA signings, I’m sure the FO will do something. Don’t forget, they don’t like to go outside of the family unless their alarms go off about an available player that fits their profile. That means $$, contract time, and trading prospects. It’s all related to their view of how to build a team and sustain it. There is no way to 2nd guess them as we’ve seen time and time again.
The reason why I don’t mention Joc against lefties is because Dave Roberts never starts him against lefties so there is no issue there. 6 guys left on base tonight for Seager, 3 against a lefty and 3 against a righty with reverse splits. I’m not trying to pick on Seager but if there is any hope Dave Roberts sticks with guys. Roberts has made up his mind on Joc and I don’t disagree with that. I’m just saying if there is hope in Dave Roberts mind he will stick with it. Again I hope Seager pulls out of his slump against lefties but in the meantime its costing the Dodgers runs and what’s worse its costing the Dodgers at their weakness (if you can call it a weakness) against lefties.
But anyways, so be it.
Gavin Lux and Dustin May have been selected as Texas League Postseason All-Stars.
Too early to begin discussing what the Dodgers have to do to address the new pitching rules next year, since that’s an issue that EVERY team will have to address. In addition to some of the names mentioned from other teams, the Dodgers also have in-house candidates, both at the minor and major league levels, which include both starters and relievers.
Free agency, trades, and in-house options will all play a role. And for that reason I wouldn’t get too specific yet. I trust that AF and company have already thought through a multitude of scenarios.
For now all I want to see is Gavin Lux on the 25-man BEFORE September 1st. Since I am not privy to any inside information, all I can do is to trust AF and his lieutenants. And for now I do.
I like Keibert’s maturity at 21 and I also like his switch hitting and not striking out.
“I don’t think we were too surprised at what he did,” Oklahoma City manager Travis Barbary told MiLB.com after Ruiz’s debut. “He’s so far ahead of the game at his age and has been since we first brought him into the organization. He put together some great at-bats tonight, but the thing that stands out is he fits into any environment. He handles himself well and he’s not in awe of any situation.”
Ruiz continues to show an innate ability to put the ball in play. He struck out 33 times in 377 at-bats in 2018 and improved upon that this season, fanning 22 times in 314 at-bats.
“His bat-to-ball skills are off the charts,” Barbary said. “He doesn’t swing and miss. It can be tough for a lot of young players, especially catchers. The game can get really quick but for Keibert, his heartbeat is the same all the time. … I can’t say enough about his growth and maturity as a player from when I first saw him.”
In the four years the Great Lakes Loons have been in existence, I have not seen any hitter (Lambo, Josh Bell, Kyle Russell, etc.) hit the ball as consistently hard as Sands. Everything was a line drive. His homers were just longer line drives. He hit to all fields. He drew walks. He hit well at Dow Diamond.
Said about the great Jerry Sands.
With his performance at Triple-A, Sands has sold scouts on his ability to hit. He has a relatively patient approach to go with a swing that is not only sound, but features considerable power and leverage without the need to pull or load up to hit home runs. He’s a good athlete for his size, and can hold his own at both first base and a corner outfield slot. – Baseball Prospectus
For the record, I never thought much of Sands and said so many times.
When his bat to ball skills translate to Ave, Slug, Runs, and RBI, I’ll gladly eat crow. It will be nice if he ever throws a runner out as well. He’s a pretty thick dude for not having any power and he’s only 8 months younger than Lux.
This is really horrible:
https://www.iheart.com/content/2019-08-28-tampa-bay-rays-pitching-prospects-wife-son-and-mother-in-law-murdered/?mid=267716&rid=93998742&sc=email&pname=newsletter&cid=NATIONAL&keyid=National%20iHeart%20Daily%20Sports&campid=headline1_readmore
Very sad indeed.
That is terrible. Some people are just evil. I like to think the best in everyone. Running around naked tells me he may be on something. Three innocent lives lost.
Today’s finale in SD:
Pollock
Muncy (2b)
JT
Belly (1b)
CT3 (LF)
Seager
Kike (RF)
Martin (catcher, not closer)
Maeda
You never know…
Early start 6:10PM
Heartbreaking!
I feel for the young man imagine losing your wife, son and mother all at once. Devastating.
can’t even fathom
Does anyone have information as to when and if the implementation of the electronic strike zone and designated hitter for the NL will be done?
Freese will be back on Sept 1. Verdugo won’t. He still has oblique soreness and won’t be back in the first week of September.
https://www.dodgersnation.com/dodgers-injury-updates-on-david-freese-alex-verdugo/2019/08/28/
J.P. Hoornstra on Lux… Gavin Lux will join the Dodgers “in some capacity” and is a candidate to be on their postseason roster, Dave Roberts said.
Beside platooning players that don’t need to be platooned, the subject I hate the most has got to be the DH in the NL. There is still plenty of resistance among NL players and owners that I don’t think it’s going to happen really ever. But, certainly not before the next CBA.
AL baseball is boring even by baseball standards. It removes most of the strategy of the game and it was a freaking stupid idea to begin with. If you aren’t going to let the pitcher bat, why not just bat 8? The AL on average score less than a run per game more than the NL. Is that .71 run really more exciting than sacrificing strategy?
So, the DH made the game worse just so some over-paid pima donna can hang around for a couple more years? Not worth it, get rid of it. Let the pitchers bunt, flail, surprise at the plate and stay on the bump for one more out (hopefully) so you can pinch hit for him the following inning.
Regardless of how you feel, the DH is coming to the NL, which, by-the-way is the only organized league not to use it and pitcher hitting has never been worse because they don’t hit in other leagues.
Manfred was ready to implement it last off-season, but Tony Clark wanted to play hardball, so it won’t happen until the next CBA. The electronic strike zone will also get some kind of look as well roster expansion.
The DH is here to stay and it increases the offense.
Yep, pitchers hitting has never been worse, yet AL baseball generates only .71 runs per game “more” offense. If all the pitchers had to hit, that .71 runs would be even more negligible. So why bother at all? So we can keep some sloppy defender in the league for a couple more years? Make that guy play a position and you also get more offense because his team’s defense isn’t as tight.
Jeff, I’m mainly referring to the strategy on when / whether to hit for the pitcher. When / whether to pull a pitcher mid inning when his hitting spot is about to come up. Bunt or hit, etc. AL baseball removes all of that from the game. Pull you pitcher whenever you want, no penalty.
Just my opinion.
The DH can be rationalized to any view. But, there is no doubt that it is more interesting for the fan to see someone decent at bat than most of the pitchers who come to the plate. This has been the case for a very long time. Most pitchers are an automatic out. What kind of strategy is that? What strategy do you think is so important that makes the DH not desirable for the NL. The absurdity of not having it for both leagues is what most people look at, and to me, far outweighs any other view.
Seems to me, Maeda is clearly better suited to the BP. He is excruciatingly slow in his delivery, loves to nibble, and is plain old boring to watch.
The potential problem with using Maeda in the bullpen is that his worst innings as a starter are usually the first and second.
He’s had very mixed results being used out of the pen, as he has as a starter.
The main problem is that he’s very inconsistent no matter where they use him.
He’s had no time in the BP this season.
2018-5 Holds, 0.00ERA, 0.0% IRS
Where is his inconsistency as a reliever?
either way, we have 4 weeks left in the season, and NLDS starts 5 weeks from tomorrow.
Maeda, if indeed headed to the pen, needs to go there within the next 2 weeks.
Those were incomplete Fox Sports stats.
Baseball Reference shows mixed results. 3.0ERA 2018 WS. No HR’s. 2.0WHIP. Not good. But, perhaps better than some of our other relievers. It’s a mixed bag and Maeda is not one of my favorite pitchers but his contract is cheap. I’d like to see him traded in the off season.
Bobby, two years ago, Maeda didn’t go to the pen until Sept 25 and he was fine in the post-season. 1 run, 7 games, 10.2 innings.
It’s more interesting to you Jeff. Many of us fans find the AL game less interesting.
How much sense does it make for the NL to continue being the ONLY organized baseball league to NOT have the DH? The answer is simple. NONE.
And all one has to do is watch the umpires miss-call balls and strikes time after time to come to the conclusion that an electronic strike zone has become a necessity.
The funny thing is that the one league that doesn’t use it, is the league that sells the most tickets. MLB as you know is the premier baseball league in the world. The NL consistently beats the AL in attendance. What does that tell you?
It has nothing to do with the DH.
Says you. NL, no DH, highest attendance. You can’t argue that.
BTW – Maeda (Pitcher) 2 RBI and boy was that exciting!
They will still have the highest attendance after the DH is installed.
Maeda seems to be a better batter than pitcher. lol.
Muncy has a wrist contusion for now, wondering if an Mri will be done anyway. Lux pulled from OKC game, doubt that is a coincidence, was done before the severity of Muncy’s injury was known. Likely IL stint coming, so maybe I should head to LAX and camp out to see if the phenom is coming!!
Jansen blows it again!
The “Kenley Show” Again…. But don’t worry, right?
No control.
Jansen probably knows he’s VERY vulnerable to giving up 1 run and is probably frustrated that he has been in a lot of 1 run games lately.
Just my observation.
Baez and Jansen – but the bullpen is fine. Not just fine, it’s great! Not just great, it’s the best!
Or not.
Kenley didn’t blow it. The Dodgers offense blew it. As they often do, the Dodgers get a couple of runs early, and fail to tack on (except for one run).
And besides the opening double wasn’t exactly ripped.
This is why we need catchers that can throw at base stealers.
Blaming Kenley for that is moronic. If CT3 catches the ball which he should, game’s already over.
Thank You. A bloop double that should have been caught and people are blaming Kenley. Absolutely moronic. It’s not like he gave up a dinger or anything was hit hard at all.
He’s getting shakier every year. That’s a fact. Disregard it at your own peril. lol. Tell me he inspires your confidence.
Yates just blew it.
Oh I agree I don’t have confidence in him. However, today was not his fault.
I am, however, gaining confidence in Sadler!
Okay, okay.
Sloppy game but the Dodgers won.
Magic Number 9
It’s got nothing to do with any confidence we have in Kenley. Tonight it was simply bad luck that resulted in a gift double. No one has argued that Kenley is automatic, and most of us don’t have near the confidence in him that we used to. But tonight it was mostly bad luck. But no doubt that the old Kenley may have struck out that hitter,, and deprived him of the opportunity for a bloop hit.
And by the way, it looked to me that Sadler served up a cookie to that last hitter. Lucky that thing wasn’t hit out.
He served a couple of cookies that was missed.
Sadler looked pretty good closing this one out! He deserves a seat at the table!
Because he serves cookies for dessert after a good dinner?
Regarding stuff, Kenley is very average now as closers go, perhaps even below average. Yeah that is worrying.
I don’t know why people keep wanting to make excuses for Jansen. Yes, it was a bloop double, sometimes those happen. We won the game on an infield single, a stolen base, and an error. Some closers would still have shut them down that ninth inning. Some closers would not throw a wild pitch with one out, two strikes on the batter. You can’t blame Jansen for everything, but you can’t look for excuses, either.
His last outing before this was the game where the Yankees loaded the bases against him, albeit on a couple of slow grounders. after a clean single. Before that, he had a couple of blown saves in the two weeks prior. Several other teams have better closers, that is a fact. We are going to keep putting him out there, because apparently we feel we have no other choice, after not trading for one. If we want to keep doing what Roberts now is rather strangely doing, putting his most effective reliever, Kelly, in for the 6th, then one of the lesser relievers for the 7th, then the rather erratic Baez for the 8th, then Jansen for the 9th, we are probably going to blow more leads. We can afford to now, with a 20 game division lead, but we can’t afford to in the playoffs. Spin the wheel and let it ride, is I guess our only option with this bullpen. Tonight we led 4-2 in the 8th, and ended up going extra innings, and this was against a team which is under .500, and whose best hitter, Tattis, is not playing.
In all likelihood, we are ‘stuck’ with Jansen for the next few years. Who would want his contract if we went into the marketplace? He got lucky but the writing has been on the wall for a few years, now. He is in decline. What does that mean? It means the FO should start grooming his heir, NOW. Baez is not his heir and neither is Kelly. Perhaps some think Sadler just might be the guy. He looked very good tonight. I couldn’t make that decision and I don’t know who they have in the pipeline that has closer written on his back. But we need to find that guy soon and start working him in.
OTOH, Jansen is not useless, but I think his days should be numbered, literally, and not played as much as he has been in recent years. He is vulnerable to blowing an important game in the playoffs and none of us want to see this happen. We may have to pay him, but we don’t have to play him.
Jansen could probably be traded and the question might be how much cash would have to go with him to make that trade. Teach Santana the circle change and we are all set.