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
4:10 PM ET Angels (24-41) Dodgers (42-23) SP Jose Soriano R 6-4 2.72 ERA SP Emmet Sheehan R 3-2 4.50 ERA Confirmed Lineup DH S. Ohtani L 1B F. Freeman L RF Kyle Tucker L 3B Max Muncy L CF Alex Call R C D. Rushing L LF Ryan Ward L SS Miguel Rojas R 2B A. Freeland S 75° Wind 7 mph Out NO Mookie
Ok Badger. But, beside that? You with your stupid OPS and WAR stats. Lol. I’ll concede this time.
I agree nice clean format!
In a sarcastic, humorless kind of way. Yes. Yes, I did. I was venting my frustrations with Kyle Tucker’s play so far this season.
dodgerrick. If Sasaki is fragile what in the world does that make the $400M+ tandem of Snell and Glasnow? At least Roki is available to take the ball when his turn comes around. So, what teams would convince you that Roki is a legitimate MLB pitcher? Asking for a friend.
Couldn’t disagree more! He looked pretty good last October. Saved our bacon. His previous 2 starts were against Phillies and Brewers. Two playoff teams.
Betts and Freeman weren’t bad moves either!
I am not convinced about Sasaki. He needs fastball command to be effective and doesn’t always have it. It’s a straight pitch and if he can’t dot it somewhere it’s hittable. but it’s better down in the zone where it is less hittable and plays off of his slider and split. He still looks like a baby giraffe out there. He’s fragile and isn’t someone that I want to see out there against a real MLB team as opposed to the Angels.
The issue isn’t getting Skubel for our rotation. It’s keeping him off the rotation of the Phillies, Braves and Yankees. Is it worth 3 good prospects who are replaceable for a three peat?
This makes no sense why would you extend a player to further worsen the impact of the cap? Would be like investing in an alcohol distribution company before prohibition
“Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability.” — MLK
https://www.reddit.com/r/webdev/s/6lLTBGxuEQ https://www.reddit.com/r/Netlify/s/Y13XII9mky
Wait. did you just compare Alex call favorably to Kyle Tucker?
this has been reported, he didn’t get the prices he was looking for.
Looks clean. I like recent comments.
Well, Harlan is #8 in BA. The Dodgers chose Harlan with their third-round pick in 2024 and went more than two times over slot to sign him for $1,747,500. A nagging hip injury from his amateur days as a Pennsylvania prep led to surgery after the draft. Harlan made his pro debut in the Arizona Complex League in 2025 and reached full-season ball during the dog days of summer. He can play 2B or 3B, but could also see 1B or RF. SCOUTING REPORT: Scouts in the ACL gushed over Harlan’s raw gifts, with some tabbing his raw power as a true 80. His top-end exit velocity of 114.7 mph provides a key piece of the evidence behind that assertion. Now, the question will be whether he can refine his hit tool enough to regularly access that kind of thump. Harlan’s miss rates were just OK, and scouts noticed particular weaknesses against premium velocity and spin. That was especially true toward the latter part of the season, which the Dodgers attributed to the longer workload, especially in his first full year back from surgery. After tweaks to his setup and mechanics, Harlan’s swing is short and simple, with only a moderate hand load required to put charges into baseballs. Harlan mashed lefthanders in a small sample but was only fair against righties. Already 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Harlan’s chances of sticking at third base will require him to maintain his quickness and athleticism as he matures. His plus arm strength would also fit in right field, where his power would also profile if he has to move in the coming years. Scouts also give him high marks for his work ethic.
Scott & Yates were pretty bad blunders last year. So was Conforto. May trade was genius. Ditto Feduccia, Outman to a lesser degree. We got a decent arm for Banda. Ohtani & Yamamoto transformed the organization.
Or we can say that progress is piece wise linear.
Zeke, I am supposed to meet with the developer this month. He is pushing this: https://www.netlify.com/ I seek input! mockup: https://ladodgerstalk.netlify.app/
Put Gelof on the prospect radar. Major league bloodlines, 2nd round pick from baseball factory Virginia, mostly 2B now . . .
“What does Pena have to offer that isn’t already being met?“ 5 years of 4+ WAR
My 2 cents on Skubel. I am in favor of trading for him., assuming he proves his health in the next couple of weeks. First, we are rapidly approaching a 40 man roster crunch this off season. If we don’t trade some of these guys we lose them to the rule 5 draft. Hernandez and Tucker both have another year left under contract. So unless the trade Hernandez the 1st available outfield slot open is 2028. The 2nd thing we do by trading for Skubel is keeping him away from the other contenders.. I’d hate to face the Brewers or Braves with him on their staff. Both those teams have the money and prospects to get a deal done. 3rd I would rather Skubel slotting fourth in a playoff rotation than Glasnow or Wroblseki. 2nd 2 cents. I think Tucker has a monster 2nd half. Too good a hitter to slump for a full year.
“Next season will likely introduce some payroll restrictions, which means a Tucker signing won’t happen again”. This, and only this, is why I COULD see a trade for Skubal within the next month, because it likely couldn’t happen with the new CBA. Provided of course we could extend him before the current CBA expires, this is the main reason I think we’d go all in (or even more all in, after getting Tucker and Diaz)
The exact phrase “progress is not linear” is widely attributed to the educator and physician Maria Montessori, who famously stated it during a lecture in London in 1946.
Why is Jeremy Pena being mentioned as a possible target by the Dodgers? Don’t they have Mookie, Rojas, Freeland, and Kim available to play SS? What does Pena have to offer that isn’t already being met?