IT'S ALMOST TIME TO GO TO THE WHIP!

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=1

This 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:

1. Ohtani DH

2. Edman 2B

3. Freeman 1B

4. Pages CF

5. Muncy 3B

6. Smith (soon) C

7. Tucker/Hernandez LF

8. Sirota RF

9. 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. 

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). 

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. 

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 

Box Score 

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. 

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. 

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) 

Box Score  

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.   

It remained 2-0 into the 5th when Quintero hit his 10th HR for a 3-0 lead. 

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. 

In the 7th inning after two outs, Davalan and Quintero walked and scored on SS Emil Morales’s 13th HR. 

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) 

Box Score 

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.  

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

RHRP Jecsua Liborius entered in the 10th and pitched a scoreless 10th to get his 10th save.  He walked one and struck out 2.      

Box Score