20 Runs and a Split!

I am going to say something that is absolutely true, and if you disagree with it, you are an idiot: Anyone who blames either of the 2-1 loses to the D-Bags on Dave Roberts is also an idiot! End of story. Dave Roberts is the manager – he does not hit or pitch. I don’t care what lineup he runs out there. They should at least score two or three runs, and when you only give up two runs, you usually win. Neither of the losses are on Doc. They are on the hitters! PERIOD!

This is back to exactly what happened last season with the Padres in the playoffs. The Dodgers averaged over five runs a game last season, but against the Padres, they averaged 2.2. The problem was the strikeouts. In a low-scoring game, you have to “shorten up “on your swing – like JDM did when he just reached out and “placed” the ball in RF to drive in the runner from second.

The D-Bags got nine hits and did not get a walk. Only one of those nine hits was for extra bases. They struck out six times. When you put the bat on the ball, good things can happen – you can move the runner, and you can score runs. The D-Bags had nine runners on base, and two of them scored. The Dodgers had just four hits to go with four walks, and one run scored. The culprit was the strikeout. The Dodgers struck out eleven times! When you get four hits and strike out eleven times, you are almost always going to lose. You have no business winning.

The Dodgers outscored a .500 team 20-7 in a four-game series and settled for a split. In Spring Training and during the first four games of the season, Chris Taylor has been to bat 64 times and has struck out 28 of those times. That’s a 44% strikeout rate! He is a black hole (and some want him to be the starting SS?). I don’t know what to say or do, except that he can’t play like this. If I were Dave Roberts, I would have called Mark Walter right as the last out was made and said, “You had better schedule some construction workers to be in the clubhouse later tonight because I am going to take a bat to the place and do about $30,000.00 in damage.” Then I would have proceeded to go on a Tommy Lasorda Epic Rant. These guys need a big kick in the ass! This is unacceptable! I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!

OK – Deep Breath! “OK these are just two games out of 162, and stuff happens. BUT, IT BETTER NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY! There, I feel better. Actually, I am not that bothered by it, but I would absolutely do what I said.

The Mighty Thor

As good as Tyler Anderson was last season, Noah Syndergaard could be even better. He is still learning his new arsenal, his control is amazing, and I think they will add a couple more ticks on his fastball (but it is not necessary). I liked what I saw. He will be a huge asset at the bottom of the rotation. His Kryptonite has been the stolen base, but if you don’t let the runner get on, you don’t need to worry. Corbin Carroll is the fastest runner in baseball, so there is not a lot you can do, except keep him off the bases.

OKC Dodgers

Jahmai Jones hit a walk-off HR in the bottom of the 9th in a tie game to give the Dodgers, Jr. a 10-9 win. 6′ 8″ Bryan Hudson got the win, but tried to give it away several times as he allowed a hit, 2 walks, committed a balk, and gave up a stolen base. Oh, and he struck out two. At 6′ 8″ his windup is very long and runners on base are a problem.

MiLB Game Summary: For the second straight game, Jahmai Jones sent the Oklahoma City Dodgers to a walk-off win against the Tacoma Rainiers, hitting a solo home in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday afternoon and securing a 10-9 Dodgers victory at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. With two outs and the score tied, 9-9, in the ninth inning, Jones sent a fly ball out to left field that knocked off the LED board and onto the Budweiser Deck for his first home run of the season. The Dodgers (2-1) overcame a five-run deficit and closed out the game scoring five straight runs. Trailing, 9-5, in the eighth inning, OKC loaded the bases before an out was made. Michael Reed hit a two-run double to center field and Michael Busch later connected on a two-run single to knot the score, 9-9. With the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning for Tacoma, OKC pitcher Bryan Hudson (1-0) struck out Nick Solak to keep the game in a tie. Tacoma had built a 7-2 lead in the fourth inning as the Rainiers’ first seven runs came via four home runs. After Drew Avans and Jake Reed hit solo home runs for OKC in the first and third innings, respectively, the Dodgers scored three runs in the sixth inning on a RBI single by Justin Yurchak and two-run double by Yonny Hernández to cut Tacoma’s lead to two runs. The Rainiers scored runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to take a 9-5 lead before the Dodgers’ final rally.