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
Cool, thanks
Yeah, I agree. I wonder if someone in the dugout saw some issue, or if the heat was a determinant. Not a huge deal, though.
Final give away game
I’ll go on record – I would have left Sheehan in. Go out, give him a pep talk and at least let him attempt to finish the inning. It’s the Angels. You can score 8 against this staff. You got an 8 game lead, he hadn’t even thrown 50 pitches yet.
Sheehan may have pushed it with Madrigal, but if Tucker makes the catch and the HPU calls a foul tip instead of ball 4, he gets out of the inning.
I agree that is how it would work, but I am of the opinion that there will not be a salary cap. I cannot see MLBPA giving in on that one.
I can work on that. Thanks.
No, I was not assuming a hard cap would be immediate. But you are still creating work (to undue the expenses) for yourself. Even if implemented over 3 years, you still need to unwind contracts for those three years while giving players on your current roster raises, and signing new ones.
You’re assuming a “hard cap” would be in effect immediately. I think they would give teams whose payrolls are above whatever limit is implemented time to gradually decrease that payroll. Hence we’d be ok for a couple years with a Skubal (and a Diaz and Tucker) and wait out the bloated contracts to expire .
I think he’s already a beast
Or Pages!
Godfather moves
Jeff, I woukd enjoy a piece about some prospects who have put their name on the map this year. Or increased their value. Shelton, N. Miller, Hainline, Gelof, B. Smith, Root, Leiter . .
Or Smith
His stats on the road are much better. He is hitting .287 on the road and has 4 of his 5 long balls and 20 of his RBIs on the road.
After the graduations, Harlan made a top 100 (#100) in a much, nuch, much less heralded publication (blogger), I never use that as a source, but I do know Harlan is in consideration from both BA and MLB Pipeline. First, for me, I want to see him at Great Lakes, He needs to move out of the California League and face more advanced pitching.
Most front offices take OPS and WAR more into consideration than BA or other stats.
Very little chance of payroll restrictions, especially if MLB keeps pushing for a cap. MLBPA will never agree to that.
He also hits LHP well.
He IS a BEAST!
Naturally, his franchise is not worth what he thinks it is.
It is so hard to predict who the Dodgers could possibly grab at #40. But my draft source says C Will Brick, Christian Brothers HS (TN) is someone high on the Dodgers list. He just turned 18 and is considered the top prep catching prospect. I am sure that super scout Marty Lamb has him targeted, and this seems about the perfect time for drafting a HS catcher prospect. He is the starting catcher for USA 18U World Champions. He is projected to be drafted in the 30’s or 40’s. BUT, he has a commitment to Mississippi State and I am not sure the Dodgers have the necessary bonus $$$ available to convince him to sign. I am guessing that an SEC baseball school like Mississippi State has the NIL $$$ to convince him to stick with his commitment. So I am looking at college bats that might be around or could slip. One bat could be Sawyer Strosnider, RF from TCU. Power over hit skill. Sounds exactly what the Dodgers look for. I am just starting my review.
If there is a lockout, there will not be a rule 5 draft. It will delay needing to put anyone on the roster until the winter of 2027. If they were to trade for Skubal it would be for this season only. There will be drastic changes to the tax system or a cap. I use to think there was no way the owners get a cap but the last time they pushed for a cap the NLRB ruled in the players favor. That won’t happen again if it goes before the board again.
Sunday Dodger Affiliates’ Schedule 10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Sterling Patick) vs. Lansing (Nathan Dettmer) 12:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Cole Irvin) vs. Round Rock (David Davalillo) 12:05 p.m. (Game 1): Tulsa at Amarillo (resumption of suspended game) 1:05 p.m.: Ontario (TBA) vs. Stockton (Josiah Romeo) no earlier than 2:05 p.m. (Game 2): Tulsa (Wyatt Crowell) at Amarillo (TBA)
A couple of thoughts: * Kyle Tucker hasn’t become a favorite and AF catches some shit for Tucker’s signing from folks here. While he’s not burning up the league, currently hitting 30 pts below his career average, his still way better at this point than Michael Conforto, who the Dodgers stayed with for 162 games. Through 61 games, Tucker is hitting .240 / .726 with 29 RBI. Through 61 games last season, Conforto was hitting .175 / .600 with 12 RBI. Despite his lack of performance so far, Tucker is still an improvement over Conforto. *AF got some props this morning for sticking with Sasaki. I’m certainly glad he did and I’m pleased with Roki’s progress. But I’m not sure it was insight on AF’s part, over necessity. One of the reasons they stuck with Sasaki is because we had few alternatives at the time in our starting rotation.