It seems such a waste of time to worry about ridiculous things, but it’s amazing how many people get trapped in this vicious cycle. It falls into the category of irrational fears. Tyler Glasnow has been added to the list of injured pitchers. That list is long and includes Nick Frasso, Tony Gonsolin, Kyle Hurt, Clayton Kershaw, River Ryan, Joe Kelly, Dustin May, Emmet Sheehan, and Gavin Stone. All are out for the season, except MAYBE… Gonsolin, Kelly, Stone, and Kershaw. The playoffs are about three weeks away, and the Padres and D-Bags are breathing down the Dodger’s necks. Landon Knack and Jack Flaherty just had bad back-to-back games. So the world is ending, I guess? All news is not bad. The Braves are fighting for their lives, and they are not chumps. Flaherty and Knack are tired and could use a few days off.
Walker Buehler is improving incrementally. His control is getting there, but he is not there yet! He has two more starts in the regular season, and I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel, and it is not a train! Walker went six innings (97 pitches) and allowed three hits and one Earned Run; He did walk five as he struggled with his control early in the game, but as the game went on, he was pitching like a bulldog. Clayton Kershaw is progressing nicely, and Tony Gonsolin pitched 2.2 innings at OKC. By the way, Joe Kelly got the win at OKC and and will likely return by Tuesday. Bobby Miller will get another start – I hope he can normalize, but I don’t have a lot of hope there. Still, with a couple of starts left, anything can happen.
If you are judging Clayton Kershaw by how he pitched in the playoffs last season, you are dealing with “old news.” Last Post-Season, Clayton’s shoulder was in bad shape, and they only let him pitch because they said he could not do any additional damage. He was in great pain but tried to pitch. In case you don’t know, he had successful surgery, has his fastball in the vicinity of 91 to 93 MPH this year, and is pain-free (except for his big toe, which is getting better). The odds are pretty good that he will be on the playoff roster.
Gavin Stone is also progressing, so we have a lot to learn in the fourteen days left in the season. As it stands right about now, the starters still in play for the playoffs are Yamamoto, Flaherty, Buehler, Stone, Knack, and Kershaw. Somebody asked if the Dodgers would really want Knack to start a playoff game? Yeah, why not? Also, give me a bullpen of the following pitchers:
- Vesia
- Kelly
- Graterol
- Gonsolin
- Grove
- Hudson
- Kopech
- Treinen
- Phillips
Take your pick of those relievers and add in (pick ’em) Yamamoto, Flaherty, Buehler, Stone, Knack, and/or Kershaw. Quit worrying about stuff you can’t control, like a bunch of neurotic (or maybe psychotic) old women. It seems such a waste of time to worry about ridiculous things, but it’s amazing how many people get trapped in this vicious cycle. It falls into the category of irrational fears.
The question is: Do the Dodgers fight for one of the top two seeds (which they have now, but which will also give them a five-day break that has killed them and many other teams in the past), and maybe they should just rest some of the starters (skip a start) and sacrifice the BYE WEEK? I don’t know, but historically, teams do not fare well with a week off at the start of the playoffs. Here are the facts:
- The Dodgers all hit, or nobody hits. Believe it -it is true. if they are all hitting, no one can beat them. If they aren’t, everyone can beat them.
- You only need three good starters in the playoffs, and if you have just two really, really good ones, you can also be healed.
In auto racing, they limit the inches of supercharger boost and put restrictor plates in injection systems. If they didn’t, cars would literally fly off into the crowds and kill dozens of people. As of right now, arms are flinging off of pitchers’ bodies at alarming rates. Mark Prior may be at the center of this, as may Rob Hill of Driveline Technology fame. Mark Prior may very well be a pitching genius, but frequently, your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness. He may be so good at teaching spin rate, and along with Rob Hill, they are increasing velocity beyond what the human body can withstand. The only way to stop it is to have a speed limit. By the way, Mark Prior’s arm fell off pretty early in his career… I’m just saying…. End of story.
I am weary of hearing that Ohtani strikes out too much. He is #2 in HR and #27 in strikeouts. He is #3 in OPS and #10 in OB%. Yes, he can’t walk on water or cast out demons… but damn! Oh, and in case you didn’t know, Ohtani is 2nd in MLB in stolen bases, going 48 for 52. Elly De La Cruz leads MLB with 64 SBs in 79 Attempts. Shohei had two doubles last night to drive in runs when he had every reason to be swinging for the fences to get his 50th HR.
The Dodgers came up big in the 9th inning against Raisel Iglesias, who has arguably been the best closer in baseball this year. Up until he pitched the 9th inning, he had a 1.15 ERA and a 0.67 WHIP! The Dodgers destroyed his world in the 9th inning. Tomorrow, the Dodgers go for a split! “This is not a Championship Roster?” I call bullshit!
Discussion (32)
Disagree, not disagreeable
MAGIC NUMBER is 9 to win the division with 12 remaining games,3 against Miami,6 against Colorado and 3 against the Padres.
Great win. Boy it looked bleak after Saturday huh.
Playing the long game here!
The morons are losing their shit over Glasnow.
Morons be morons!
09/16/24 Los Angeles Dodgers placed C Austin Barnes on the 10-day injured list. Left big toe fracture.
09/16/24 Los Angeles Dodgers recalled C Hunter Feduccia from Oklahoma City Baseball Club.
Per SI, Tyler Glasnow cleaned out his locked and has left the team. Dave Roberts said he flew out, but he does not know where he went. Strange.
7:20 PM ET
Dodgers (88-61)
Braves (81-68)
SP Y. Yamamoto R
6-2 2.77 ERA
SP Max Fried L
9-9 3.46 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
RF Mookie Betts R
LF T. Hernandez R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
CF Tommy Edman S
SS Miguel Rojas R
3B Max Muncy L
2B E. Hernandez R
78° Wind 10 mph In
Ok. Hitting is suffering due to new innovation and analytics in the pitching department. So pitchers arms are falling off and hitter ops is down. Manfred and the powers to be are on this problem big time. They might want to incorporate in some way the mph solution that Mark came up with. I can’t think of any other way to get pitchers to tone it down.
Book em
Here’s a very interesting statement from The Athletic:
“Pitching injuries are an industry-wide problem, but the Dodgers this season have placed 12 different starting pitchers on the injured list. In June 2023, Baseball America reported that the hardest-throwing staff in baseball belonged not to a major-league club, but the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate in Tulsa. Four of that team’s six starters — Nick Frasso, Emmett Sheehan, Kyle Hurt and River Ryan — since have undergone major arm surgeries.”
Not much being said about Freddie. But still playing with that fracture
It turns out that Dave Roberts called a Team Meeting before yesterday’s game.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5770352/2024/09/16/dodgers-dave-roberts-braves/
In part: Dave Roberts saw an opportunity to provide reassurance Sunday. The Los Angeles Dodgers manager had already assembled his club for an afternoon meeting as part of Roberto Clemente Day.
Roberts’ team has slipped. The Dodgers’ grip on another division crown is loosening. For a week, they’ve played sloppy baseball. They’ve stood on land mines and lost reinforcements. A decimated Braves club battered them over the first two nights in Atlanta.
But this gathering was not intended as a dressing down.
“I just wanted to let them know that we’ve been through a lot of stuff together,” Roberts said, “and I just wanted to let them know that I believe in this group and just keep playing good baseball.”
When the tide turned, it came quickly. Dodgers 9, Braves 2 pushed air into the room hours after Roberts’ message. The Dodgers also hope it’s a blueprint: pitching well enough to allow an explosive offense the chance to come alive.
Walker was much better last night! 5 walks? yeah, But! Barnes didn’t help him out with that catcher interference call! (how many this year?). His last 3 innings were very good and efficient! …. I believe Kopechvwas asleep first 2 batters, but boy did he wake up! … worried about Lux a little. Too much bench time with lefties on the mound. … overall a great game last night!
Great Article by Ken Rosenthal in The Athletic on the Dodgers’ Arm Injuries:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5769579/2024/09/16/dodgers-rotation-glasnow-injury-pitching-playoffs/
Now, I do not know if Kershaw’s toe is going to get better or if he is going to have to call a toe truck, but if he is able to pitch, he will… If he is not “built-up” enough, it will be in relief.
Obviously I am not a pessimist If my glass is anything but full. I have a one word remedy. Bartender!
If we are going to pitch our game 1 starter on short rest for game 5, I say
Flaherty
Yoshi
Buehler
Knack
If healthy I like Stone, Kershaw & Gonsolin a lot.
Book em
GREAT win last night.
Salavged my day after the Rams game!!
Lets get another one today,
You guys gotta be talking about the LA Spectrum site, I just gave up after a few weeks , I think Mark dumped all his Morons there, no baseball sense whatsoever, every loss is Fire Roberts, DFA Phillips,,Kelly, or half the bullpen on any given night,. Just a bunch of toxic dumbasses. So glad you cleaned up this site Mark,, I totally dig win or lose there is always a measured response from everyone , agree or disagree. By the way, while the other sites are losing their collective shit thinking the sky is falling,I don’t,. Thats a dangerous lineup , and I love Muncy way down there where he is, a Big Time Hammer when you need it . Just have to navigate the starting pitching .
The ‘other site’ has pretty much given up on this year
Very big win. Quite the ninth inning explosion.
Buehler held it together. Still has some good stuff. Now, if can cut down on walks, but there is definitely some upside.
Updated:
1. Yamamoto
2. Flaherty
3. Buehler
4.Miller/Knack/Kershaw/Gonsolin/Stone
HM: Wrobleski, Casparius
Huge win tonight. Striker to the rescue!
Thank you! I go to that “other site” and read all of the depressing posts from all those “savants” there. It seems to have gotten worse without anybody to tell them they’re a bunch of morons. Blessing everybody with all their negative wisdom on what’s going on in the game, and then all the sudden crickets after the Dodgers end up kicking the Braves asses. Kind of hilarious.