As the game started last night, my wife walked by my office (that’s where I watch the games) and asked who was pitching for the Dodgers, I told her that I was watching Rich Hill and the Dodgers get shutout by Patrick Corbin. She said, “Well that’s negative, think positive.” To which I replied, “OK, I’m positive Corbin is going to shutout the Dodgers.”
If you look at the stats, it shows he is 4-9 in his career against the Dodgers with a 3.59 ERA, but in 2018 he pitched 23 innings against the Dodgers and had a 0.77 ERA. In 2017, he had a 5.06 ERA against the Boys in Blue, but have a hard time remembering anything but his recent dominance.
Two of the Dodgers weaknesses were exposed last night:
- #1 – They have difficulty with lefties; and
- #2 – Joe Kelly can’t be trusted.
Tony Cingrani started his rehab assignment last night with OKC and pitched a scoreless inning. He will likely get called up within the next week if he is pain-free. The Dodgers evidently intend to utilize Caleb Ferguson in the pen as well with the plan being to send him to RC for his rehab assignment. I’m no mathematical genius, but how do the Dodgers create room for Ferguson and Cingrani without removing Joe Kelly from the roster in some move?
- Scott Alexander is doing OK with a 2.84 ERA
- Yimi Garcia is actually pitching extremely well, his 4.15 ERA is overshadowed by his 0.92 WHIP.
- Pedro Baez is looking like the “Bridge” to Kenley with a 0.72 WHIP.
- Floro still has not given up and earned run and Chicken Strip and Julio aren’t going anywhere, if healthy.
- Either Joe Kelly is the odd-man out or a trade is brewing… or both.
A couple of years ago, Sergio Romo came “home” to the Dodgers and could not earn a roster spot. Joe Kelly has done the same and looks like he is blowing it too. Of course, he has a career ERA of over 4.00, but his ERA with the Dodgers is 8.80 and he has given up 24 Hits and 16 runs in 15 innings. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, I submit that those are capital crimes.
DodgerRick called him “Wild Man Kelly”, but he has walked just 4 in 15 innings. Really, he’s “Batting Practice Kelly”, a hitter’s best friend. I don’t know if he has options, but I doubt that it makes any difference – he will most certainly pass through waivers and if someone claims him, good for Andrew Friedman.
This is the inherent problem with trying to “fix” a player. The Cubs tried it a few years ago when they signed Jason Heyward to that huge deal. After three years of struggles, he is finally doing better, but certainly not fulfilling his contract. The Cubs thought they could re-make his swing… maybe they have now, but he has been a boat anchor in many respects. Kelly’s contract is more palatable but still has been an unmitigated disaster. It looks to me like Joe Kelly is headed out of town.
I suppose they could trade Maeda and/or Stripling, Pederson and prospects for bullpen assets or another RH Power hitter to play LF. You know who I want (Castellanos) but I made another suggestion about one Hunter Pence, who worked all winter to remake his swing. He is currently tearing it up and would be a good option in LF. He would likely be cheap too. Just an idea.
Do the Dodgers really need another bullpen piece, or do they just need Joe Kelly gone and the rest of their guys back healthy? If a contending teams needs a starter, maybe Maeda is just what they need? What do they have to trade? That’s the question.
Minor League Report by DC
Great Lakes Loons – Quad Cities River Bandits (Houston)
The three games scheduled with the Bandits have been canceled due to the flooding in Quad Cities leaving the ball park in Davenport an island surrounded by flood waters.
The Loons are tied with the Lake County Captains at the top of the Eastern Division with a 19-13 record.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 0 – Inland Empire 66ers 1 (LAA)
If you like pitching, the Quakes provided it on Thursday. Starter Leo Crawford and relievers Max Gamboa, Connor Strain and Ryan Moseley held the 66ers to two hits and three walks while striking out seven over ten innings. The one run given up in the top of the tenth inning was unearned coming on a Jeter Downs throwing error.
The offense couldn’t tease out a run to win or tie the game although the Quakes had eight hits, three each by Brayan Morales, Devin Mann and Brandon Montgomery. They struck out 15 times and played LOB ball to the tune of 21. They also had two stolen bases.
The Quakes now hold a two-game lead over the Lancaster JetHawks. In the Southern Division of the league.
Tulsa Drillers 1 – Arkansas Travelers 4 (Seattle)
The Drillers entered play on Thursday 1.5 games back of the Travelers.
Right-hander Justin DeFratus started for the Drillers and over 6.2 innings he gave up eight hits and four runs, three earned, while walking three and striking out three. He was followed by Adam McCreery
Who tossed 1.1 scoreless innings with one walk and three strikeouts.
The Drillers lone run came in the top of the seventh inning on a home run by Christian Santana to left center field. Tulsa was limited to six hits, two by Jared walker.
The Drillers fell to 2.5 behind the Travelers in the Northern Division of the league.
OKC Dodgers 7 – Nashville Sounds 3 (Texas)
The Dodgers took the third game of the four-game series with the Sounds with the final game scheduled for Friday evening, fireworks night.
Left-hander Rob Zastryzny, with the most difficult name in baseball to spell, started for the Dodgers and pitched seven innings giving up three runs on four hits and one walk while striking out nine. Left-hander Tony Cingrani and right-hander Josh Sborz pitched the final two hitless innings while walking one and striking out two.
The Dodgers scored one run in the first inning by Daniel Castro who walked and had two wild pitches sandwiched around a double play. A second tally came home in the fourth inning on a Will Smith double followed by a Drew Jackson single. Paulo Orlando homered in the seventh inning while Kyle Garlick knocked in two runs in the eighth with a double. Will Smith capped off the inning with a home run that scored Garlick. Matt Beaty and Will Smith both had two hits.
They are dead last in the Pacific Coast League American Southern Division of the league, nine full games behind the Round Rock Express.
Discussion (64)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Still think Maeda needs to go to the pen? Is it just me or does Muncy seem to be better defensively this year. If that’s the case then less of a need for both Kiki and CT3. Come on AF give Garlick a shot!
Rocky Gale re-called.
It seems they took a flier on him (d’Arnaund) to see if they could get something of value. Turns out that value was cash.
Evening guys.
I’ve watched Joe Kelly pitch the last 2 nights.
On Wednesday he was lights out – absolutely looking like the guy who pitched so well in the post season for Boston .
Last night he was back to being the Joe Kelly of the Dodgers 2019.
He has some high velocity, filthy stuff when he is on it. That is what he is getting $25m over 3 years for.
It is ridiculous Mark, to even think about giving up on this guy.
He is having problems for sure, but his ceiling is so far higher than anybody else on our 25, it’s ridiculous.
This guy is the real deal and he will prove himself to be the go to guy before long.
He has real heat on his pitches, and he will be absolutely fine when he gets comfortable in Dodger Blue.
On a different note, I cannot understand what has just gone on with Travis D’Arnaud?
Surely we haven’t given up on him already?
Travis D’Arnaud to the Rays.
Something that is maybe lost on a lot of fans is the Dodgers defense. Fangraphs, Jay Jaffe has an excellent piece on that.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-of-team-defense-so-far/
One might think that as much as the Dodgers switch positions with players game-over-game or inning over inning, they might not be great defensively. The opposite is true. They are great.
They are #1 in Defensive Runs Saved and #3 in Defensive Efficiency. That’s in all of baseball. Simply put, the team is elite defensively.
Paulo Orlando to the ChiSox for likely cash considerations.
James Loney retires. Was in Atlantic Coast League with the Sugar Land Skeeters
Michael Grove is starting the game for Rancho, his sixth start of the season. If you want the definition of “kid gloves,” here’s how the Dodgers are handling their former 2nd-round pick who had TJ surgery 13 months before he was drafted:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=grove-000mic&type=pgl&year=2019
Interesting exercise on trade value of Dodger prospects.
https://www.truebluela.com/2019/5/10/18563320/dodgers-prospects-2019-trade-value-rankings
Re top prospects, I remember in 2015 or 2016, Urias was ranked as high as the #4 prospect in the game. Have we had anyone ranked that high, or even higher, anytime in the last 20 years? Just curious .
Trust me Kelly hurt himself last night and he’ll go on IL as soon as Ferguson and or Cingrani gets healthy
Looking at some semi-random pitching names from across the levels. Here are four that stood out:
AAA–JT Chargois: 1.88 ERA 14.1 IP 12 H 5/16 BB/K
AA–Marshall Kasowski: 2.38 11.1 IP 7 H 9/22 BB/K
A+–Logan Salow: 2.57 ERA 21 IP 9 H 11/33 BB/K
A—Josiah Gray: 1.93 23 IP 13 H 7/26 BB/K [Since promoted to A+]
Minor League Update Report by DC is updated above.
I like Hill. He’s got a wicked breaking ball and he’s clever. But do you see him as really being a starter on this team? He’s getting old, his velocity is gone, but he’s got stuff. Hitters have gotten to him way too often. You can see a similar situation developing with CK. Perhaps Hill should be playing in the bullpen and Strip be given a chance to start. For $16M, Hill needs to contribute somewhere and not on the IL.
Mark, you can add Hill’s troubles to the list of the FO’s questionable signings regarding pitchers, IMO.
Why does a player like Kelly or Taylor who are having real problems being productive not work it out in the minors? Is there some kind of rule that says they should stay on the roster no matter what and work through their problems? They can easily work on it in the minors and not contribute to bringing the team down. If they can be fixed, they can be fixed in the minors, too. Why subject the fans to players like this? Kelly can’t seem to do anything right.
If you’re worried about the roster crunch, it’s not really that hard to “phantom DL” a guy for 10 days, during which time something real is bound to come up anyway. Hell, put Hill on the 10-day IR, skip his turn, and give Strip a spot start.