Andrew Friedman Doesn't Always Get it Right
But… he gets it right more than most of us! I am not going to name names (OK, I’ll name one: Mark Timmons), but many Dodger fans have been extremely hard on Roki Sasaki, AND Andrew Friedman, and Brandon Gomes (by extension), saying that Roki needed to go to OKC to learn to…
But… he gets it right more than most of us! I am not going to name names (OK, I’ll name one: Mark Timmons), but many Dodger fans have been extremely hard on Roki Sasaki, AND Andrew Friedman, and Brandon Gomes (by extension), saying that Roki needed to go to OKC to learn to pitch. That kind of means that Friedman and Gomes are morons… and they obviously aren’t! My excuse is that I forgot to take my Dumbass Vaccine. What’s yours?
For months, Roki Sasaki looked like a pitcher searching for a missing piece. The electric fastball that made him a superstar in Japan was there only in flashes, and the transition to Major League Baseball proved far from seamless. But on Friday night against the Angels, the Dodgers finally saw the version they’d been waiting for. Sasaki fired seven scoreless innings, punched out a career-high 10 hitters, and touched 100.6 mph in a dominant performance that screamed ace potential.
The radar gun wasn’t the only thing lighting up. Sasaki’s command has improved as his velocity has returned, and his revamped splitter and reshaped slider have become genuine weapons. Six of his 10 strikeouts came on the splitter, while his slider continues to generate ugly swings. More importantly, the uncertainty that followed him through much of last season appears to be gone. As Dave Roberts noted, hitters can sense when a pitcher lacks confidence. Right now, Sasaki is pitching like a man who knows exactly who he is.
The Dodgers trusted him enough to send him back out for a seventh inning despite an elevated pitch count, and Sasaki rewarded that faith with two more strikeouts. Since the start of May, he owns a sparkling 2.55 ERA, and the outings that once felt fragile now feel increasingly dominant. The velocity is back. The stuff is back. Most importantly, the belief is back. The Dodgers aren’t waiting for Roki Sasaki to arrive anymore. He just did. Other teams are trembling! Roki is throwing BB’s!
Rants & Raves
- The Dodgers are smoking hot and still haven’t broken a sweat. They are just going to the Country Club every day – “OK, let’s score 9 in the first and call it a day.” At some point, maybe in September, they will flip the switch and go into beast mode. That will be scary!
- It’s sad to see James Outman released by the Twins. Another team could pick him up, but I think it’s more likely he ends up in Japan. Some of you think I hate him, but the opposite is true. I just call balls and strikes. He is a great human being and made it to the Show; I’d like to see him go to Japan and make a few more millions! His case mirrors that of Joey Gallo – If you have a hole in your swing, MLB will exploit it and unless you can adjust, you are done!
- RVS could not work his magic on Michael Conforto. Hopefully, Kyle Tucker is different. We have seen flashes but not consistency. I am hopeful… but I am on the record that Tucker was a bad signing!
- Mookie Betts will hit .259 with 18 HR and a .744 OPS and win his first Gold Glove at SS. OK, maybe he will be in the Top 3. This is the decline I was worried about, but I still want him on my team!
- Tyler Glasnow wasn’t acquired for the regular season – Just the playoffs. Ditto: Blake Snell.
- The Dodgers must think Nick Frasso is closer than we think. The Dodgers originally acquired Frasso along with lefty Moises Brito in an August 2022 trade that sent righty Mitch White and second baseman Alex De Jesus to the Blue Jays. He has potential, but strikes are somewhat of a mystery to him.
- I see very little good that can come from trading for Tarik Skubal. He will be 30 this year and had Tommy John surgery in 2017, Flexor Tendon Surgery in 2022, and “Loose Bodies Surgery” this year. To believe that he will be healthy as he ages is silly, and you may end up trading a better player away! Oh, and he is a free agent in 2027. Open wide and say “Kyle Tucker.”
- I believe there is a chance that Snell or Glasnow does not make it back this season. Sasaki’s emergence mitigates that greatly. Yamamoto, Sasaki, Ohtani, and Sheehan make up a nice playoff rotation already, but if one comes back, where are Gavin Stone and River Ryan? Lest we forget, Justin Wrobleski has been nails too. Wrobleski has a 2.62 ERA. Shubal? 2.70!
- Tyler Glasnow is who he is; GLASS NOW AND FOREVER! But the guy they traded for him is out all year too… so there is that!
- Easton Shelton of the Tower Buzzers has prodigious power… but he strikes out at a 41% clip (in Low A) and walks very little. Unless he can fix that, he is doomed!
- Led by the Moron Arte Moreno, the Angels are the most pathetic team in baseball – in every way! No one is patheticer!
- Next comes the best part of this post: Jeff Dominiques’ Minor League Report. In my opinion, this is the deepest and best I have ever seen the Dodger Farm System, so they are fun to follow, and this is the best Damn Minor League Reporter on the Planet!
MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORTS
Round Rock Express (Texas) 9 – OKC Comets 2
LHSP Charlie Barnes allowed a run in the 1st inning on 2 singles, HBP and GIDP.
OKC tied it up in the 3rd. C Eliézer Alfonzo led off with a double (7) and moved to 3rd on RF Zach Ehrhard’s single. Alfonzo scored on DH Tommy Edman’s double (1).
Barnes pitched the next 4.0 innings scoreless, with 2 singles and 5 K. RHRP Carlos Duran entered in the 6th, and retired the side in order.
In the 6th, CF Alek Thomas walked and scored on LF Ryan Fitzgerald’s double (15).
Good to have speed.
In the 7th, Duran gave up a one-out double to Jarred Kelenic. He struck out the next batter, an IBB, and a strike out. However, due to a passed ball, the bases were loaded. LHRP Jake Eder relieved Duran and walked the next batters to score two unearned runs.
With RHRP Paul Gervase pitching in the 8th, a walk and 2-out HR pushed across 2 more.
With LHRP Ronan Kopp in relief in the 9th, he got 2 quick ground ball outs. Then BB, E6, BB, BB, Balk, and single, gives the Express 4 unearned runs. RHRP Chayce McDermott came in to get the final out.
- Zach Ehrhard – 2-5
- Ryan Fitzgerald – 2-4, 1 RBI, double (15)
- Eliézer Alfonzo – 3-4, 1 rum, 2 doubles (8)
- Tommy Edman – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI, double (1)
Tulsa Drillers 2 – Amarillo Sod Poodles 0 – Suspended after 1.5 innings
Of note both Josue De Paula (23) and Mike Sirota (46) continued their streaks of reaching base with walks. Jake Gelof hit a 2-run HR (10), his 4th of the week.
Great Lakes Loons 16 – Lansing Lugnuts (A’s) 6
Great Lakes failed to score in the first, but then scored in 6 of the final 7 innings, failing to score only in the 7th. They also banged out 19 hits.
RHSP Isaac Ayon started and completed 4.0 innings. He retired the side in order in the first, but gave up a HR to the first batter he faced in the 2nd.
In the bottom of the 2nd, LF Kole Myers singled, stole 2B, went to 3rd on WP, and scored on an IB Eduardo Guerrero single.
In the 3rd, C Anson Aroz doubled (1) and scored on 3B Jose Izarra single. Izarra moved to 3rd on CF Chuck Davalan single. Izarra scored on a force out for a 3-1 lead.
Ayon allowed a pair of runs (1 earned) in the 4th on a double, single, his errant pick off throw and a single.
The Loons took back the lead in the 4th, Myers tripled (2), 2B Nico Perez hit an RBI single. He stole 2nd and moved to third on the catcher’s errant throw. Perez scored on Guerrero’s SF.
RHRP Robby Porco relieved Ayon and allowed a run on walk, double, and single.
The Loons continued the offensive show in the 5th. Davalan singled and scored on DB Eduardo Quintero’s double (10). Quintero scored on RF Jose Meza’s single. Meza stole 2B. Myers walked and Meza and Myers pulled a double steal. Guerrero hit his 2nd SF, giving the Loons an 8-4 lead.
The Loons put it away in the 6th. Aroz led off with a single followed by a double by Izarra. Aroz scored on Davalan’s single. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, Quintero doubled (11) to score 2. Meza reaches on an error and Myers walked to load the bases. Perez hit a 2-run double, and Guerrero singled for 2 more runs.
In the 8th, Guerrero doubled (9) and moved to 3rd on WP. He scored on Jose D. Hernandez’s pinch hit single
With 2 outs in the 8th, RHRP Alex Makarewich came in for relief. He walked the first batter and struck out the 2nd. After a really shaky start to his season, Makarewich has been stellar for 11 games. But he reverted to his wildness in the 9th. He struck out the first batter, gave up a single, and registered another K. Double, BB, and 2 WP scores a 2nd run. For me, I am giving Alex a pass on this one because he earned it on his previous 11 games.
Every Loon had at least 1 hit.
- Chuck Davalan – 3-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI
- Eduardo Quintero – 2-6, 2 runs, 4 RBI, 2 doubles (11)
- Kole Myers – 2-3, 2 BB, 3 runs, triple (2)
- Nico Perez – 2-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, double (13)
- Eduardo Guerrero – 3-3, 1 run 5 RBI, 2 SF, double (9)
- Anson Aroz – 2-5, 2 runs, double (1)
- Jose Izarra – 2-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, 2 RBI, double (7)
Eduardo Quintero Last 30 games stats: AVG.353/OBP.472/OPS.929 SB(22/25)- K 26.8% – BB 16.9%
Ontario Tower Buzzers 6 – Stockton Ports (A’s) 5
Ontario put up 4 in the 1st. CF Brendan Tunink walked, and 3B Chase Harlan reached on an error. RF Ching-Hsien Ko had an RBI single, and 1B Easton Shelton crushed a 3-run HR (15).
RHSP Brady Smith allowed an unearned run in the 1st inning, but completed 3.2 innings and 60 pitches. He gave up 3 singles, walked 1, and struck out 8. That’s 8 out of 11 outs via K.
RHRP Accimias Morales relieved Smith and got the final out in the 4th. He allowed a pair of unearned runs in the 5th. He walked 3 in the inning, 1 single, but the runs were aided by a passed ball and catcher’s interference. RHRP Luis Carias entered to get the final out in the 5th.
Carias allowed 3 hits, 1 BB, and committed an error giving Stockton 2 runs and taking a 5-4 lead.
SS Mairo Martinus hit a game tying HR (5) in the 6th. Shelton hit his 2nd HR (16) of the night, a solo shot giving Ontario a 6-5 lead.
Carias pitched the final 3.0 innings (4.1 in total) without allowing a run, although he did pitch out of a jam in the 8th. He allowed a 2-out triple and walked the next batter before getting the final out via K. He retired the side in order in the 9th with 2 K. Carias navigated the final 4.1 innings to get thew in.
- Easton Shelton – 2-4, 2 runs, 4 RBI, 2 HR (16)
- Ching-Hsien Ko – 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (8)
- AJ Soldra – 2-4
- Mairo Martinus – 1-5, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (5)
ACL Mariners 2 – ACL Dodgers 1 – (7 innings)
18 year old, RHSP Adriano Marrero, started and completed two scoreless innings. He allowed a single, a BB, and registered 2 K.
RHP Chris Campos returned to the mound on a rehab assignment, completing 1.0 clean inning with a K. RHRP José Rodríguez made his 2nd rehab assignment and pitched 1.0 inning. He did allow 1 BB, but also struck out the side.
RHRP Spencer Green entered in the 5th. He walked the leadoff hitter, struck out the 2nd batter he faced, and then walked 3 straight, giving the Mariners the tying run.
RHRP Alvaro Benua came in relief in the 6th. After he walked the first batter there was an injury delay. After two WP Benua was deemed injured and was lifted for RHRP Dailoui Abad who finished the walk charged to Benua. Abad served up a sac fly for the go-ahead run.
DH Matt Gorski, also on a rehab assignment, was 2-3 with an RBI. Gorski’s 2 hits were doubles.
DSL Brewers Blue 11 – DSL LAD Mega 2 – (7 innings)
The LAD Mega team managed 4 singles in this game. 3 singles, a walk, and WP allowed for 2 runs to score in the 6th inning. No LAD Mega hitter had a multi-hit game.
DSL LAD Bautista 8 – DSL Pirates Black 7 – (8 innings)
Down 2-0 in the 1st, after a BB and WP, RF Rubel Arias doubled a run home, and he scored the tying run after a pair of WP.
LF Fran-Jean Haseth led off the 4th with a triple and scored on Ariel Reynoso’s single.
Pirates scored 3 in the 5th to tale a 5-3 lead.
Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Mega in the 5th. A balk scored a run closing the deficit to 5-4.
The Dodgers scored an unearned run in the 6th to tie it up.
Neither team scored in the 7th, so the game went into extra innings. The Pirates scored 2 in the 8th. In the bottom of the 8th, with a placed runner on 2nd, a Mega batter drew a BB, and CF Helvin Mendoza hit an RBI single. Arias followed with another RBI single. After two Mega batters were retired, 1B Haram Hernandez singled home the winning run.
- Rubel Arias – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 2 RBI, double (2)
- Haram Hernandez – 2-4, 1 BB,1 RBI
- Fean-Jean Hasath – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 run, triple (1)
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Discussion (117)
Disagree, not disagreeable
What I don’t understand is we had a chance to win the game when it was 6-5 Angels after 6. The bullpen was well rested,so why didn’t Doc bring in one of the high leverage guys in the 7th with either Hurt,Klein or Scott. Today there is NO game,so that is another reason to bring in one of those guys. We gave away a winnable game yesterday.
Nothing to see here, today is a new day, move on from yesterdays debacle.
Thanks Jeff. My excitement over the draft and international signings rivals my Dodger game love along with the farm news you so to unselfishly bring us fans.
Thanks, Ted Call has been everything the Dodgers wanted. They didn’t give a lot of playing time because they invested so much in Tucker. I ‘d like to see him get more. That said, Tucker is way better than Conforto was for us. He still might be a stud rather than average. Mookie is my biggest fear and sadness if he doesn’t get it back.
Good point. Worth remembering that Roki is also a bargain compared to Snell and Glasnow.
When the Dodgers signed Mookie, Freddie and Shohei to big contracts, they immediately made a big, positive impact on the field. We’re waiting on Tucker. So far, waaay below expectations, though he does show signs of progress. With Conforto, we expected good-but-not-great performance. By midseason, we were hoping for maybe league-average. He wound up being one of the worst hitters in the game.
Arizona signed OF Max Kepler to a major league contract despite the fact that he is serving an 80-game suspension for PED use. Kepler has already served 65 games. He was released by the Phillies following his suspension.
The Dodgers seem to be in no hurry to promote Ryan, who was a bit shaky in his last start. Sheehan wasn’t sharp, but I expect him to stay in the rotation for a while unless he gets hurt. I can’t imagine that any other team slow-plays this game the way the Dodgers do. Most teams would be eager to get Edman back in the lineup, for example, but the Dodgers know they can take their sweet time, especially with a huge lead in the West. This game was one to forget, but long-suffering Ryan Ward won’t forget going back-to-back with Rushing. A little silver lining.
I often forget the luxury tax…, but it’s another argument in favor of smart trades for proven players instead of writing fat checks for free agents. “Hey, iI’s not my money,” we fans often say…. But then we go to Dodger Stadium and experience sticker shock.
Skubal pitched 5 scoreless innings in his rehab start. Struck out 5 and allowed just 2 singles. Kids were probably star struck.
No, he isn’t. He has been slumping. His BA over the last 4 weeks is .210 and his K rate is almost 40%. A day not thinking about it will be good for him. It is two days off since they do not play until Tuesday.
Then losing him in free agency. We have enough overpaid over 30 pitchers, Snell, Glasnow. We don’t need Skubal for 3 months.
Just saw that highlight of the foul-tip K that wasn’t called. Sheehan got screwed on that one. Why don’t the rules allow that call to be challenged? It makes no sense.
“As of June 8, 2026, Max Muncy has struggled significantly with runners in scoring position (RISP), posting a .143 batting average in those situations. A notable reason for his low RBI count (22) despite hitting 14 home runs is that 12 of those home runs have been solo shots”.
Depends on how good the 3 good prospects are… Rather than keeping Skubal away from other teams, I think the Dodgers would make a serious offer if injuries or poor performance call the starting rotation into question. Will anybody’s arm fall off?
Pages is too young to be sitting!
Tucker is earning $43m per year MORE than what Conforto was overpaid at $17 mill. Both are wildly overpaid based on performance. Shouldn’t we expect all-star numbers from the $60million AAV Man? At this time last season, I was lobbying for the Dodgers to replace Conforto. Tucker obviously isn’t sucking like Conforto did, but didn’t we all expect better? If I had my druthers, AF would have managed to wangle Buxton in a trade and let Tucker sign elsewhere. Oh well. We have Tucker for this season and three more to come. I’m hoping this contract isn’t a Rendon-like albatross. I’m not expecting him to win an MVP–that’s Shohei’s job–but I am expecting at least all-star caliber performance while he and his contract keep prospects like DePaula, Hope, Tibbs and Sirota in OKC.
Cool. Just a hunch, but I suspect the Dodgers see Morales, now a SS, as Max’s likely successor, and thus Harlan might be pushed toward 1B because Freddie won’t play forever. With the current roster, Harlan and Tibbs might be each other’s competition. Corner OF? Maybe. But the Dodgers have an abundance of OF prospects…
Why Pena? Because he would be a significant upgrade in the middle infield. He’s a proven high-calibre SS in his prime at age 28. To borrow the prospect jargon, Pena’s consistent 4+ WAR “floor” might be higher than the perceived ceilings of Kim, Freeland, Edman, Noah Miller or any other middle infield prospect the Dodgers now have. (Emil Morales plays SS but seems destined for 3B.) Let’s assume Mookie shifts to 2B and doesn’t suck. In a few years, the post-Max, post-Freddie infield might read like this: Morales-Pena-Mookie-Tibbs. Something like that, maybe. The post-Teo OF might read De Paula, Pages, Tucker, with Sirota and Quintero in the mix. (I nearly left Tucker out!) Smith and Rushing still share C duties. Acquiring Pena would help the Dodgers get younger–but he’s the kind of seasoned veteran they like. Think Miguel Rojas with more youth and pop.
I vote for Will Brick. Great name for a catcher.
Why not, AVF? The Astros, of all people, are the only people who could trade Pena. The Astros are in the AL West, wallowing in 4th place ahead of only the woeful Angels, so they might want to shake things up. If the Astros decide to deal Pena (perhaps to reduce salary and make room for an in-house successor), they should pursue the deal that fits their needs. The Dodgers have ample depth to make it happen. The bad blood caused by the trash-can incident is old news. At this point any grudge from either side seems silly.
Interesting. Just past the 1/3 post in the season, the NL seems to be shaping up as a showdown between the Dodgers and Braves, who are now living up the expectations of recent years. The Brewers could be formidable… especially is they deal for Skubal.
Pretty sure the Blue Jays would agree. As for Roki, he is certainly showing his ace potential and justifying the brain trust’s decision to have him work through his issues in the majors and not send him to down to the farm. He is stepping up at the right time, when we’re unsure what we might get from Glasnow and Snell this season. But while Roki steps forward, it looks like Sheehan has taken a step back. The mighty Angels knocked him out in the second inning. When I first saw that news, I worried that maybe Sheehan had gotten hurt. But his pitch count was up to 49–including 14 (!) that came in a duel with Nick Madrigal. And to think: when the season started, I worried that Sheehan, Wrobleski, Stone or River Ryan might get screwed by the favoritism afforded to Roki. That said, it’s a long season, and the decision re Roki appears to be paying off. (Still looking forward to Ryan, and hoping Stone gets well soon.) If the playoffs started today, how about… Shohei in game one, Yoshi in game two, Sasaki in game three, Wrobo in four… Or maybe keep Wrobo for long relief? Yes, there’s no need for Skubal…. assuming the front-line starters stay healthy. Why wonder about Skubal’s fate? Because as things stand now, he is the only obvious impact player–or needle-mover– who seems likely to go on the trade market. Every contender should give him strong consideration. I think Mark’s take on Mookie seems about right. But I could also see the brass deal for after a top-tier SS and shifting Mookie to 2B. The Dodgers have good-enough in-house options (Freeland, Kim, Noah Miller, etc) but if the Astros are willing to move Jeremy Pena in his prime. My guess is that this would be more likely to happen over the winter.
Ryan will definitely get some run, but probably needs an injury? Or if Lauer regresses to a spot starter level? I can’t imagine it’ll be due to an outlier bad start from one of the Dodgers established pitchers. Some of the people I follow are quite bullish on him, it’s kinda amazing.
Just a conversation piece so thanks. Serwinowski, Ko, Zazueta, Copen, Ehrhard all have cases.