IT'S ALMOST TIME TO GO TO THE WHIP!
I went to London for nine days, and look what you guys did! THE DODGERS ARE STINKING UP THE JOINT. They can't hit, pitch, or field, but otherwise they are fine!
The Dodgers have lost five games in a row, including Tarik Skubal's debut as a Dodger. Some of you are on the highest building... ready to jump. To me, it's not a big deal. It's a very long season, and these are the Dog Daze. Yes, the Dodgers are in a Daze! The Offense is non-existent, the defense is poor, and the pitching is in a shambles. Oh, well... Don't panic!
Lots of Dodger fans are worried about the offense. Mookie Betts is OPS'ing below .700 (albeit while playing elite defense), Kyle Tucker, who has recently shown signs of life, is barely over .700, and Teoscar Hernandez is below .750. While the offense has its problems, the fact is: it is the best in baseball. Despite the rough weekend against Boston and against the Cubs, the Dodgers are actually one of the few teams that have gone against the league-wide offensive trend.
As of Monday Morning: Only the Pirates have a higher team batting average (.263). The Dodgers (.261) have continued to get on base and produce offense at an elite level despite missing key players at various times.
The recent series against Boston and now the Cubs feels worse because it came after an offense that had been humming. The Red Sox held the Dodgers down, and several hitters looked out of sync, creating the impression that the lineup had gone flat. But looking at the season as a whole, the numbers still paint the Dodgers as one of baseball's best offensive clubs.
One thing that does stand out is this:
MLB batting average is around .240 this season.
The Dodgers are hitting about 21 points better than the league average (.261 vs. .240), which is a huge gap over a full season.
What's happening right about now is that injuries (Ohtani, Smith, Snell, Glasnow, Rushing) have caught up with the team; some older players are not the same as they once were (Betts, Teoscar, Tucker) - and they probably will NEVER be, and some young pitchers like Justin Wrobleski have run out of gas... physically and mentally! JW has pitched more innings this year than he did the last two combined at the MLB level. He just needs a rest and maybe working out of the pen the rest of the season. Additionally, the league has figured that he almost always throws strikes, and they are now ready for it. He needs to adapt and change his pitching pattern.
I never really thought about it before, but Andrew Vincent Forte posted that the Dodgers were 1-7 with Alfonzo catching. Alfonzo is not a great catcher at this juncture of his career. Familiarity and confidence in your catcher is essential. Will Smith had that. Before him, Austin Barnes had it. Dalton Rushing was developing it. Ben Rortvedt had it and is now back. I think that Hunter Feduccia also has it. Familiarity and Confidence. Rushing is out until at least mid-August, and Will Smith may be back around then as well. The Dodgers just need Feduccia and Rortvedt to stop the bleeding right now. Hopefully, they will be rewarded with a World Series Ring.
In a couple of weeks, the rotation will be (1) Shubal (2) Yamamoto (3) Snell (4) Sasaki (5) Glasnow (6) Lauer - the Dodgers are glad they kept Matt Lauer (damn right). Maybe Ohtani will pitch in the playoffs (or not), and there is still a lot of "flux", but these guys will figure it out. They might struggle another few days. Get off the ledge!
Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone are pitching at OKC this week. Who knows what they will do? It could be good. Seth Halvorsen could be a weapon. Then there is Kris Bubic (don't think the Dodger pitching magic can't help him), Paul Gervase, Ben Casparius, Will Klein, Landon Knack, Blake Treinen, and Brock Stewart. They only need a couple of them. Emmet Sheehan is also capable of redeeming himself in the bullpen. There are plenty of arms to choose from.
The Whip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_QLzthSkfM&list=RDj_QLzthSkfM&start_radio=1This team has been on cruise control all season. The boys just come to the Country Club every day and go through the motions. They know they are the best team in baseball, and it's hard to bring that urgency for 162 games. They are sleepwalking through the season. They have won back-to-back World Series and have three in the last six years. YAWN! To them, the season starts in September. I have heard that you can't just turn it on and off.... YES YOU CAN! Soon, Doc will go to the whip. By August 20th or so, we will be in the stretch run! The whip will be out, and this will no longer be a country club!
However, there are a few players whom I do not think will be what they once were, led by Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker. Mookie is still a very good SS, but as I predicted when they traded for him, his contract was going to age badly. It is there... right about now. What you see is what he is. He's a number nine hitter. Get used to it. I have more hope for Kyle Tucker. I think he can get his OPS to the high .700s and that will make him solid. Rushing and Smith will be back in the next two weeks (allegedly), and that should make a huge difference.
Fearless Forcast
I was hoping that the Dodgers would trade Alex Call, but I suspect he has very little value... although some team would likely pick him up. OK, I am just going to go ahead and say it: Call up Josue DePaula or Mike Sirota. Either one would be better than Call, and maybe (just maybe), Kyle Tucker and/or Teoscar. DePaula is more tantalizing, while Sirota is more fundamentally sound. I am OK with either one. My choice would be Sirota because he can play all three outfield positions wth a great degree of skill... offensively and defensively. He has a great eye, great arm, great speed, and good power. He is outperforming DePaula in every aspect except stolen bases. What harm could come from it?
Humor me:
Ohtani DH
Edman 2B
Freeman 1B
Pages CF
Muncy 3B
Smith (soon) C
Tucker/Hernandez LF
Sirota RF
Betts SS (He is what he is: a defensive wizard who can't hit)
Sir Watford Dodger
I met up with Watford Dodger, and we had a few pints. We refuse to disclose how many. Then my wife and son showed up at Sherlock Holmes #10 in London, and they also both had a great time as well. This Brit named Watford Dodger is the real deal. I'm pleased to have met him! I hereby "knight you," Sir Watford Dodger. London was fabulous. It was a business trip. US Water Systems is looking for a distribution partner in the UK. In March, we go to the Netherlands, France, Germany, Brussels, and Italy to do the same.
OKC Comets 9 – Salt Lake City Bees (LAA) 6
This was reportedly LHSP Blake Snell’s final rehab start. He did not have good results, but I am not going to get too excited about it. I know he expected to be back with LAD after his last rehab start, but they chose to have him go 1 more. Yes, he is a professional, but how much did he want to be out there. His final line, 3.2 IP, 73 pitches (41 strikes), 3 runs, 5 hits, 4 BB, 3 K, and 2 HR.
In the 1st inning with 1 out, LF Zach Ehrhard singled and CF Alek Thomas walked. RF James Tibbs III singled to score Ehrhard, and DH Ryan Ward doubled (13) home Thomas and JT III for a 3-0 lead.
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Snell gave up a HR to the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the 1st inning.
In the 2nd inning, 3B Alex Freeland, Ehrhard, Thomas, and JT III each walked with Freeland scoring. Ward followed with a 2-run single and a 6-1 lead.
In the bottom of the 3rd inning, Snell gave up a 2nd HR. After 2 outs, he gave up a single and a run-scoring double.
In the 4th, Snell struck out 2 and walked one before giving way to RHRP Paul Gervase, who got the final out.
RHRP Ben Casparius came in for relief. He allowed a single to the 1st batter he faced. He got a ground out, but walked the next batter and then gave up a 3-run HR. Ben struck out the next batter, but was lifted for RHRP, José Rodríguez who got the final out.
In the 7th, OKC got two runs back. JT III was HBP and Ward singled. Both runners moved up on a 1-out balk. JT III scored on a groundout, and Ward scored on C Griffin Lockwood-Powell’s double (4).
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OKC scored an insurance run in the 9th when 2B Hyeseong Kim walked and GLP singled. SS Noah Miller singled to score Kim and a 10-6 lead.
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Rodríguez retired all 7 batters he faced, 4 by K. RHRP Nick Robertson pitched a scoreless 8th with a single, BB, and 1 K. RHRP Seth Halvorsen retired all 3 batters he faced on 13 pitches for the OKC win.
· James Tibbs III – 3-3, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 2 runs, 2 RBI
· Ryan Ward, 3-5, 1 run. 4 RBI, double (13)
· Griffin Lockwood-Powell – 1-4, 1 BB, 1 RBI, double (4)
· Noah Miller – 2-5, 2 RBI
Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston) 8 – Tulsa Drillers 7
RHSP Payton Martin continued his yo-yo season. He was able to complete only 3.1 innings with 79 pitches. He allowed 7 runs on 11 hits, 0 BB, and 3 K.
The Drillers got on board 1st with a leadoff HR (21) by LF Josue De Paula, who continues to slug. 5 HRs in his last 4 games.
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Tulsa scored 2 in the 4th. C Frank Rodriguez singled and scored when RF Kole Myers doubled (4). Myers moved to 3rd on a fly out and scored on a groundout.
Martin left with 1 out in the 4th trailing 7-3. RHP Patrick Copen relieved Martin and got the final 2 outs in the 4th. He followed that up with an additional 3.0 scoreless IP.
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Tulsa picked up 3 more in the 6th. 3B Taylor Young led off the inning with a double (8) and moved to 3rd on a single from DH Joe Vetrano. 2B Jose Izarra walked to load the bases. JDP hit a one run single. After the first out of the inning, Vetrano scored on a groundout. Izarra scored on a PB.
In the 9th, Tulsa came all the way back to tie the score. Myers walked, stole 2B, and scored on Vetrano’s single.
With RHRP Kelvin Ramirez pitching his 2nd inning in the 10th, he gave up a one out walkoff single.
· Josue De Paula – 2-3, 3 BB, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (21)
· Frank Rodriguez – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run
· Taylor Young – 2-5, 1 run, double (8)
· Joe Vetrano – 2-5, 1 run, 2 RBI
· Kole Myers – 1-3, 2 BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI, double (4)
Great Lakes Loons 8 – Dayton Dragons (Reds) 7
The Loons scored a pair in 1st. DH Charles Davalan was HBP and CF Eduardo Quintero walked. With one out, 3B Chase Harlan singled home Davalan, and Quintero to 3rd. Quintero scored on a ground ball making it 2-0.
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It remained 2-0 into the 5th when Quintero hit his 10th HR for a 3-0 lead.
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Going into the 6th, RHSP Tyler Gough pitched 5 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit, 1 BB, and recorded 9 K. He faced 3 batters in the 9th, 2 K and 1BB before RHRP Dilan Figueredo relieved him. A double and single scored two runs, with one charged to Gough, to cut the lead to 3-2.
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In the 7th inning after two outs, Davalan and Quintero walked and scored on SS Emil Morales’s 13th HR.
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In the 8th, 2B Nico Perez walked, stole 2B, and was balked to 3rd before scoring on a fielder’s choice.
In the 9th, Quintero walked and Morales singled. Both runners moved up on a ground out. Perez walked to load the bases. Quintero scored on an infield single by RF Jaron Elkins giving GL a 8-2, and as it turned out, they needed every one of those runs.
After LHRP Cody Morse pitched a perfect 8th inning with 2 K, Manager Jair Fernandez thought the lead was large enough to bring in RHRP Reynaldo Yean. He was wrong. Yean hit the 1st batter he faced and then walked the next 3 batters bringing in a run and leaving the bases loaded with nobody out.
LHRP Justin Chambers relieved Yean, and he hit the 1st batter he faced. The Dragons scored another on a force out, and a 4th on an error leaving runners on 2nd and 3rd. That brought in the 3rd reliever of the inning, RHRP Davis Chastain. He got a force out bringing home a 5th run cutting the lead to 8-7. Chastain got the final out and got a save.
In the 9th, the Dragons scored 5 runs without a hit and none of the batted balls left the infield. Yean was charged with 4 runs without recording an out.
· Emil Morales – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (13)
· Eduardo Quintero – 1-2, 3 BB, 4 runs, 1 RBI, HR (10)
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Ontario Tower Buzzers 9 – Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego) 6
If I were still in Southern California, I would have found my way to Lake Elsinore for this one. Three very good MLB pitchers on a rehab assignment: RHSP Tyler Glasnow for Ontario, and Joe Musgrove and Nick Piivetta for Lake Elsinore.
Glasnow was going to pitch 2.0 innings and up to 30 pitches. He got the 2.0 IP, but it only took 16 pitches (12 strikes). His focus was to get back out on the mound in a competitive environment, and pitch. Mission accomplished. He only allowed a single and struck out 1. His command will come, but he was throwing strikes. Minimize your pitch count and let your defense do the work. Again, mission accomplished. Now we will see how he feels tomorrow, and what the next step might be.
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In the 2nd inning against Musgrove, LF Ching-Hsien Ko led off with a single. 3B Joendry Vargas doubled (25) Ko to 3rd. Ko scored on a WP giving Ontario the early lead.
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RHP Marlon Nieves was supposed to be the bulk pitcher. He pitched 2.0 scoreless innings, but with 2 outs in the fifth, he gave up a single, SB, and RBI single to tie the score.
In the 6th, 1B Easton Shelton reached on an error, and moved to 3rd on a one-out double by Vargas (26), his 2nd of the game. CF Brendan Tunink walked to load the bases. DH Oswaldo Osorio singled to score 2 and moved Tunink to 3rd. Tunink scored on a ground out.
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LE pushed across three against Nieves in the 6th after a BB, SB, two doubles, a WP and force out. The score was once again tied.
In the 7th, 2B Kellon Lindsey reached on an error and scored when Shelton slugged an opposite field HR (33) and recorded his 100th RBI.
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After getting the final out in the 6th inning, RHRP Accimias Morales returned to the mound in the 7th. He allowed a leadoff double who scored on two ground outs.
RHRP Angel Cruz and his 8.28 ERA entered in the 8th. He struck out 2, but he also walked two and gave up a run scoring single. He has now allowed 37 BB in 25 IP.
Neither team scored in the 9th, and this game went into extra innings. RHRP Dailoui Abad pitched a scoreless 9th to reach extra innings.
In the 10th inning, Vargas was the placed runner at 2nd and scored on Tunink’s RBI single. Tunink scored when Osorio hit a 2-run HR (8), and a 9-6 lead.
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RHRP Jecsua Liborius entered in the 10th and pitched a scoreless 10th to get his 10th save. He walked one and struck out 2.
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Discussion (62)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Yikes. Dodgers are paying Tucker $60 million per season--and Mark wants to platoon him with Teoscar. And that might be a good idea.
2:20 PM ET EARLY GAME Dodgers (69-45) Cubs (65-49) SP Eric Lauer L 6-5 4.50 ERA SP Shota Imanaga L 7-9 3.67 ERA Confirmed Lineup DH S. Ohtani L CF Andy Pages R 1B F. Freeman L LF Tommy Edman S RF Kyle Tucker L SS Mookie Betts R 3B Max Muncy L 2B Miguel Rojas R C H. Feduccia L 77° Wind 8 mph Out LINE CHC -118 Mookie moves down in the order again,now bats 6th. He's easy to keep score of in a game scorebook,6 to 4 to 3,5 to 4 to 3,FO7.FO8 or FO9. Age has really caught up with him. He's going to be a problem going forward offensively.
Nice photo, btw
Mark, it sounds like you had a great time in London. Sir Watford looks like a nice guy. He adds some good content to LADT! I too was hoping Call would get moved which would allow the Dodgers to bring up one of their OF prospects. I agree that Mike Sirota would be an excellent choice. Not only for his offense, but his position flexibility in the outfield. DePaula would be interesting, but watching him in the spring, he looked shaky on defense. Regardless, that doesn't look like it going to happen now. Mark has written that August 20th could be the day when the team will quit screwing around and get focused for the stretch run and a successful postseason. I have "Marked" it on my calendar. I'm surely looking forward to watching better baseball from the best team in the MLB. Because what we've subject to recently is barely watchable. Will Smith. I believe that Will needs to available soon in order for the team to win a WS. He quietly does his job as a catcher and providing clutch hits for the team. What concerns me with his neck injury is how will the neck respond the first time he takes a direct hit in the mask with a foul ball? It could be one reason Will has been on the IL so long. He needed time to really strengthen the neck and upper back muscles. The neck is an easy area to injure, difficult to rehab, and to fully recover from. Skubal is a nice job on the mound last night. I would imagine his adrenaline was sky high. That can last only so long and may have been the reason for his control issues in the 5th/6th innings. Kudos to Rortvedt for doing a nice job of catching Skubal being they had basically no prior time together. I feel so much more confident with him behind the plate. I know his offense expectations aren't much. And, that's OK. Getting the pitching staff back on track is paramount right now. Was it a Rushing problem that has caused the pitching to really regress? Hopefully, we "Will" find out soon enough. Carry on.
Damn, Mark's pic with Watford looks way better than my pic with Watford. Perhaps I'm not as pretty as I thought. I watched Blake Snell's start yesterday: he didn't have his best stuff and was not happy with the mound either. Whatever it was, so long as he felt fine afterwards, I'll expect his next start to be with the Dodgers, and not AAA. I turned yesterday's game off, as it was just boring to watch. Teo and Muncy flailiing away at pitches a foot outside wasn't worth my time. But, having said that, we go thru this nonsense every single year, and then we snap out of it. With the starting pitching (and bullpen once Diaz is fully healthy), I'll expect the pitching to carry us the next 3 months. Let's start today.
You undoubtedly got the news after you completed your post, but Rushing is out with a partially torn UCL and is doubtful to catch again this year (post-game comments). They are hoping he will be able to hit. A little like Shohei with his UCL tear. https://x.com/DodgersNation/status/2084843502329106845?s=20 I am not on the ledge, but there are some frustrating trends offensively. Yes, they lead MLB in OBP, SLG, and OPS for the year, but since June 15, here is where they rank. These were before Tuesday’s game. Runs – 191 – 13th Hits – 366 – 6th Doubles – 67 – 13th Triples – 4 – 24th HR – 46 – 21st BA - .262 – 3rd OBP - .329 – 6th SLG - .415 - 14th OPS - .744 – 12th Since July 1: Runs – 116 – 17th Hits – 227 – 6th Doubles – 67 – 15th Triples – 2 – 25th HR – 27 – 23rd BA - .251 – 11th OBP - .316 – 16th SLG - .395 – 20th OPS - .711 – 19th This is a team that is built for SLG. The trend is going backwards. I do think it will turn, but this team is older, and change is not a certain. BTW, IMO (and in Agon’s) that ball should have been caught by Tucker. I am glad he is starting to hit, but he is an adventure out there defensively in RF.
This team is unwatchable right now. 9 hits and just 1 run? Please. Lauer was due for a stinker.
Can’t hit Can’t pitch Can’t catch Can’t run Other than that, things going pretty well Dodgers ruining baseball-in Los Angeles!
Am I watching a replay of the last five games, or is this from today? Because it’s the same crap we’re used to year after year—horrible, pathetic, boring baseball. They look like a team of zombies, lacking any sense of urgency. And I get it—there isn't any urgency today; the Dodgers aren't the ones under pressure to win—it's the other teams chasing them. What really strikes me is that some people think everything will change when Smith comes back, or Snell, or "Mr. Glass," or even that useless Bazooka guy. The window is starting to close due to age.
So this is what a good hitting team looks like.
So far? Same sh*t different day.
I thought we traded Lauer at the deadline
Wow is this a tough crowd. I'm with you Mark on the eternal optimist thing. So there's no pitching in AAA? The only reason we would need any pitcher from the Comets would be to eat innings during throw away games. We don't need them to win or be good. We need them to eat innings! Landon Knack ring a bell. Dodgers will make the postseason! Bet it! Even if you don't bet. And their cumulative playoff and world series experience will prevail. Book em
When I heard Joe say the wind was blowing out, I thought "oh no, Lauer may give up 3-4 hr today". 1 batter, 1 home run so far
Wednesday’s Dodger Affiliates' Schedule 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Hyun-Seok Jang) at Dayton (Deivi Villafana) 4:35 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) at Corpus Christi (Cole Hertzler) 5:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Bobby Miller) at Salt Lake (Sam Aldegheri) 6:05 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Lake Elsinore (Adler C
This too shall pass. More important that who you are playing is WHEN you are playing them. Cubs and Sox are hot. They are peaking too soon. Ill take being hot in October.
Nationals place OF Joey Weimer on release waivers. Luje Raley will miss the rest of the 26 season.
Let's win a championship then trade Tucker's joke ass to Tampa or something. He's from there.
Pirates are releasing Marcel Ozuna.
Wrobleski said he might be tipping his pitches. The Los Angeles Dodgers are 4-7 (4 wins and 7 losses) since visiting the White House on July 23, 2026.
$80 mil platoon in LF.Only the Dodgers! Can we platoon Mookie at short? Mookie fields and DePaula hits. Who is Andy Pages and his bat? First month Andy(MVP) or last three months Andy (average) or 25 playoff Andy(horrible). This lineup needs him to step it up and become a star. Now!
I wrote this paragraph in the second inning last night: "The Dodgers have lost five games in a row, including Tarik Skubal's debut as a Dodger. Some of you are on the highest building... ready to jump. To me, it's not a big deal. It's a very long season, and these are the Dog Daze. Yes, the Dodgers are in a Daze! The Offense is non-existent, the defense is poor, and the pitching is in a shambles. Oh, well... Don't panic!" Of course, I would have changed it if the Dodgers won, but I just had that feeling... Today is a new day. Now we know why the Dodgers got two catchers. I am sure they suspected this. Could Dalton come back in 2028 and be a 1B?
I am reading Rushing out 6-8 weeks with the injury. That could mean for the rest of 2026
Mark, thank you for the knighthood. Long overdue. Was a pleasure meeting you and your wonderful family. We covered a lot of ground and it went far too quickly. I’m looking forward to reading your book as you have crammed a lot into 73 years. You look very well on it though I must say! Not sure how many beers we had, but my head was telling me it must’ve been a number when my alarm went off at 3.45am on Monday morning. As I mentioned before it’s the Bats that worry me, especially against better teams. Arraez would have been a good addition IMHO, for minimal cost. Seeing Snell getting shelled for OKC is not encouraging.
With an important series this weekend against the Diamondbacks,it looks like Sasaki on Friday,Yamamota on Saturday,and the truly hated bullpen game on Sunday unless they push Wrobo on short rest,which I doubt.What is amazing to me, is there is NO REAL starting pitcher that they can bring up and count on from AAA Oklahoma City to help out on Sunday.