Ernie Banks was a National Treasure and that was one of his favorite sayings. I can dig that. I would love to see both games, so hopefully I can close my office door at 2:20 PM EDT and watch the games.. and I may have a stash of bourbon to sip on. Well, I won’t make it until 3:30 as I have my second of three knee injections which is supposed to make me leap tall buildings with a single bound and make me more powerful than a locomotive (I doubt most of that). Then I have a haircut at 3:00. I have been getting my hair cut by “Joe the Barber” for 25 years. It used to cost $8.00. Now it’s $24.00 and I have less hair. I asked him why that was and he said it was “a finders fee.” Go figure. I went to the doctor and asked him why I was losing my hair and he said it was in my jeans. Well, I checked there and it wasn’t. So what should I do? However, I digress!
OK, I’ll stop!
Dustin May is out until 2023. We have no info on the Bazooka, but evidently, the Brandon Morrow experiment is over. Corey Knebel is on the DL until August and the Sky is Absolutely Falling! Or so it seems. It’s really not. The Dodgers picked up Phil Bickford yesterday, who was twice drafted in the first round: once #10 (2013) and later at #18 (2015)! The Giants traded him in 2016 in a deal with Milwaukee for Will Smith. This is another Andrew Friedman-esque move. Bickford is still only 25 and he was once tantalizingly good.
Bickford attended Cal State Fullerton before he was drafted by the Giants. After being traded to the Brewers, in 2017, he underwent a 50 game suspension for drugs and also had a broken hand, so he pitched very little. It should not be lost on anyone that he has never pitched above A-ball. He is not the answer this year, but perhaps the Dodgers developmental people can help him realize his potential as a reliever. Here’s his MLB debut (it was ugly):
The Dodgers currently have seven (count them, 7) pitchers on the IL. Tony Gonsolin and David Price look to be the ones who will be back the soonest. I suspect that Price will take spot in the rotation while Gonsolin slides into the bullpen. Joe Kelly is due back soon as well, and I have high expectations for him…. considering what has happened.
Rome was not built in a day… and neither are bullpens. I also think Jo Jo Gray could start a game before Price and Gonsolin come back, but the Dodgers would have to make a roster move to clear a spot for him so that may not happen. It’s a big blow to lose Dustin May, but the Dodgers are built for this. This bullpen is being built and saying that they can’t win with these guys after less than 30 games defies baseball sense. At the 60 game mark, we will have a better idea and I have always said the AF has the resources to trade for another arm or two… if nesessary.
I wonder how the Cubs feel in having to face Kershaw and Bauer the same day? Yikes! I hope we don’t hear the Cubs Song (they only do it when they win). The whole stadium stays after a win and sings together. I have only seen it twice as the Dodgers usually win when I go to Wrigley. This was in 2016 after winning the World Series:
Discussion (76)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Nothing about the Dodgers right now leaves me with a good taste in my mouth. But Bear is right, it’s “Way way tooo early to panic”. If this is still happening come July, then it will be time to worry. If anything, the current debacle will open the Dodgers eyes that they can’t take anything for granted. And none of this is being lost on AF.
Way way tooo early to panic. They are in second place and despite losing all these games they are only 1.5 games back of the Giants. They still are not at full strength. If they are still stumbling come July, then you can worry
One thing is becoming evident, I need to stop wasting three hours a day watching this team.
Currently it ain’t good.
You just can’t put lipstick on this pig. Kershaw did the unthinkable and laid an egg in game 1 – no offensive help.
No offense in game 2 either, but the bullpen blew another one.
Who here thought that the Dodgers would be swept by the sub .500 Cubs in a DH where Kershaw and Bauer were starting?
Slipping into darkness, quoting Timmons just wait until next year, World Series hangover alive and well!!
This team will go to any lengths to lose a ballgame! Please AF. Put Rios out of his misery-and ours!
Send Rios down to alternate site to clear his head.
Bench Muncy bench Muncy bench Muncy. Oh ….maybe not. Props to Roberts! Well good on Muncy. hopefully can break out of that horrendous slump.
Muncy!!!
Treiner save the game. Excelent command.
Are we shifting too much?
And our 8th inning guy treinen has to have the worst whip in the history of baseball, does he ever have a clean inning??
Pathetic!!!!!
I do not see how this offense can get better, Muncy done, Rios done, Betts hurt, Seager either hurt or contract in his head, smith average, Taylor average, turner above average, pollack average, lux below average. Power limited, starting pitching great, pen below average, manager below average,
.500 team
It’s over! Bauer gives up his homer early!! Turn out the lights! Somebody said facing kershaw and Bauer would have them shaking but that is nothing when u throw Hendricks and Thompson ( whoever that is)
If the Pads and D’backs win tonight and we lose the second game, we will be in 4th place.
On the pregame show, they are questioning not playing Beaty as well.
Well they did seem to wake up a little bit late in the game. Let’s see if they can carry it over. Let’s stay positive. Go Dodgers. I hate The Cubs.
Just remember, it doesn’t matter about the quality of pitching that your team happens to score a bunch of runs against. The key is that the team scores a bunch of runs and gets out of their slump then that parlays into an explosive offense from that time forward. Now using that crazy theory, let me check on the first game following that offensive explosion on Sunday. Hmmm, I checking, I’m looking, or here it is, let me see the newly found team of crazy offense scored one run. Hmmm, I guess that is a very questionable theory on which to base your beliefs on, hey Timmons I hope you didn’t put a lot of money down on the Dodgers in that first stinkfest this afternoon at Wrigley. I refrained from commenting on the offensive vs. any pitcher theory but that is just plain crazy talk. Back to the drawing board on what it is going to take to get this offense healthy. I’m glad the MT encourages conversation in here and doesn’t mind when others disagree with him (let’s see if that holds up now).
BTW, I guess Badger packed his bag and headed to the hills (don’t worry this will bring him out of the woods. I know he is reading this blog multiple times a day, seeing if he is missed. If this were a stage play, the script would say “Badger enters stage left” or extreme left in his case, lol) Queue the Badger.
Game 2:
1. Betts RF
2. Seager SS
3. Taylor CF
4. Smith C
5. Muncy 1B
6. Pollock LF
7. Rios 3B
8. Lux 2B
I am not a Barnes fan. He has a poor arm. Smith and Ruiz is a better combination. Muncy has been and is horrible. You cannot continue to put him in clean up position. Move him to the 8th position.
Someone needs to light a fire under these guys. Can Doc do it? They do not run hard to first every time. That can be catching and then other problems come up. Beaty needs to play more.
Here’s some excellent news – MRI showed no structural damage for Graterol. No telling how long he’ll be out but I’m assuming it means no TJ.
Muncy has to sit down. He is 2 for his last 41 and should not be batting 4th when he does play. Beaty should be playing first while he’s hot.
No hustle or energy at all today, very disappointing again. At this rate be lucky to be a .500 team.
Watching Lux makes me pine for Verdugo. I need to get over it.
I hate these seven inning double headers. As much money as these guys make they can’t even play a couple nine-inning games on the same day? Give me a break.
geez, does seager DIVE for balls anymore? and can’t lux go a game without an overthrow?
SHEESH!
Did Clayton get hurt ? pulled for Santana
Can’t seager EVER DIVE for ANYTHING? and lux’s throwing is atrocious.
SHEESH DUDES!
Long way to go
Clayton getting hit hard today. Dodgers are really, really in a tail spin. Thank good it is only May.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!
Surely Ruiz is up for his bat off the bench or am I missing something?
Probably the latter tbf.
I have always been of the opinion that Ruiz had a higher upside than Smith. I hope he still does but Smith has raised that bar. It will be interesting to see if Smith starts playing elsewhere at times. It has never been articulated but many Dodger pitchers do not prefer to pitch to Smith. I smell movement.
The Los Angeles Dodgers recalled Keibert Ruiz ahead of Tuesday’s split doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs, giving the team three catchers on their active roster. The Dodgers additionally are back to carrying 13 pitchers and 13 position players.
Bazooka had TJ in 2016, so if he needs it again the odds are long he makes back
Graterol likely out, too. I would not be surprised if his IL stint doesn’t heal that arm and it turns out he’ll need Tommy John. Throwing 100 MPH is obviously very stressful on a human arm.
I worry about Buehler. He throws hard. At this point in his career he relies on that velo and is more thrower than pitcher. That was his strategy in game 3 of the WS – just blow it by guys.
That, and he doesn’t have the reputation as a pitcher that physically prepares in the off-season for the workload he puts his arm through. If there is one pitcher on the Dodgers staff I would predict would blow out out his arm, it’d be him. If he needs TJ, it would be his second. Most guys don’t come back from that all the way.
I’m glad AF pulled the trigger on the Bauer signing.
Looks an even better move now.
Saw some great pictures of Joc greeting his old comrades yesterday.
Lots of smiles.
So with all the advanced training methods, all the studies, the pitch and innings limits does anyone find it interesting that we still have lots of major arm issues with pitchers?
Seems to be more now than ever. Or is it just my imagination?
We shall overcome.
Man, did it even rain in Chicago last night? I think the Cubbies plotted some funny business after the Dodgers offensive outbreak on Sunday. The Cubbies brought in their cooler (the weatherman) to make sure the Dodgers were a little less hot going into yesterday’s game, now rescheduled for today.
It will be interested as to how Bauer and Kersh respond today with the extra rest and a couple of short 7 inning games. I wonder if we’ll see any bullpen. As you can see, they shuffled the rotation a bit. Bauer was scheduled yesterday and now has been pushed back to Wednesday. So, he’ll have a full 7 days rest between starts.
It’s time for Lux and Rios to breakout. Rios hit one to the warning track during full dress BP on Sunday and Lux beat out that huge dude at first on an infield single. Sure looks like a line drive in the box score.
The first game starts in just 5 hours.
I fear Dr.ElAttrache will have to perform double duty next week on Dodgers pitchers. May already is scheduled and the Bazooka I fear will be next . Gets the MRI today and then we know for sure.
Two vital parts helping us win the title last year are probably out for good until 23. Urghhhh!!
Bad as was said this is baseball and things like that happen. Dodgers if any team can absorb hits like that.
Gonsolin and Price give us options at the Nr. 5 starter to replace DM. I am more worried about the pen. We have no bona fide closer. KJ is not reliable. One day he comes out unhittable hitting 97 on the gun with his cutter dancing like crazy and next time he has nothing to bring to the table.
Maybe Kahnle and Caleb Ferguson can give us some power arms late in the season . That would be quiete a boost.
Both coming off TJ surgery but could be ready to go in September/October if everything goes well with the rehab.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!