Changing of the Guard

The Dodger’s former Ace, Walker Buehler, had arthroscopic surgery yesterday to remove a bone spur. They say that does not accept his return timetable. A bone spur could not have caused any of his arm issues either… right? Of course not. It’s just his arm! There is really no other way to spin this… but Tony Gonsolin is now the Dodger’s Ace. I mean, if he isn’t, who is? He has now logged 12 games started and has pitched 63 innings (a career-high) with an 8-0 record. The league is hitting .147 against him and he has a 1.42 ERA with a 0.81 WHIP.

When you have four very good pitches you can use your fastball to set up all your other pitches. What Tony Gonsolin is doing is “pitching” – he is not just trying to blow away hitters. He is keeping them off-balance and mixing up his pitches very well. Occasionally, a hitter will run into a pitch, but they are simply off-balance with the guessing.

Personally, I do not expect Tony to go 20-0 with a 1.20 ERA, but I also feel what he is doing is pretty sustainable. He does not have a high-effort delivery. He is not what you would call a “power pitcher.” He is just a “pitcher” and doing a fine job of it. We do not know if or when Walker Buehler will be back, but Tony has earned our respect. At 28 years old he has arrived and is currently the Dodgers Ace. Can he keep it up? That is the question. Is this a temporary situation or a reality?.

The Dodgers are #2 in ERA in MLB with a 3.01 ERA. The Yankees are Number 1 with a 2.81 ERA but are #1 in Starting pitcher ERA at 2.68, and Tony Gonsolin is very responsible for that. The bullpen is a work in progress. As I say every year, the bullpen you see at the end of the year is not the bullpen we see now. There are about seven pitchers working their way back… all will not make it! We shall see who…

The greatest concern and obstacle to this team continues to be timely hitting. They run hot and cold collectively. It should not be lost on anyone that when this team wins, they score double-digit runs and they lose because they don’t score more than one or two. It is feast or famine and it has been that way since Robert Van Socyoc took over as hitting coach. How can it be that Mookie, JT, Freddie, Cody, Max, and CT3 all hit collectively or do not hit together? We have seen this movie before. If they are hot, they can beat anyone. If they are not, they can’t beat anyone. What happens when they hit the playoffs and are collectively “cold?” They just go home. To me, this pattern is very troubling. What is it about their hitting philosophy that causes the “feast or famine” results?

How can hitters like Mookie, Freddie, Max, and others go from being red hot to ice-cold? I have never seen anything like it. It has to do with their “approach.” It simply is not sustainable or even rational. Someone had better figure this out… and soon!

Next, what to do with Cody? If Mookie is in a funk and if you can’t fix him (or Freddie) how in the world can you fix Cody? This is beyond silly! I want Cody Bellinger back! He needs to go to Camelback and work one-on-one with someone… anyone. Sending him to AAA is not the answer! He needs complete overhaul of his swing mechanics and it might take 30-45 days. Then, he should go to AAA. This is not working! Hire George Brett or Barry Bonds. Whoever! Call up Zach McKinstry. Run out this lineup for a while:

1. T-Turner SS
2. Lux 2B
3. Betts RF
4. Freeman 1B
5. Smith C
6. Muncy 3B
7. Taylor CF
8. McKinstry LF
9. Alberto DH

Shake it up. Do something – even if it is wrong! You can’t just pretend this is not happening!

Future Dodgers

• Player movement – Sauryn Lao was moved to Great Lakes – he has been in AZ for the year and Jacob Amaya was called up to OKC.
• Andre Jackson continues to regress as he got lit up last night at OKC as did Justin Bruihl. It’s not even worth talking about.
• Yadier Alvarez pitched 2 innings and allowed a walk and struck out 1 (2.19 ERA). No hits – no runs!
• Zach McKinstry (2-3 with a BB) is hitting .341 with a .911 OB%. He needs to be in LA.
• Mike Busch hit 3rd AAA HR – a 2-run shot.
• Someone is going to pick up Jake Lamb (.288/.916)
• Andrew Heaney – 5 IP, 2 H. 1 BB, 9 K’s. He will likely be activated this weekend!
• Diego Cartaya went 3-4 for Great Lakes (.333/1.056). I plan to see him next week in Ft. Wayne, but the way he is playing, he might be in Tulsa by then. At the rate he is going, he might be the Dodgers’ starting catcher next year and Will Smith the 3B! Stranger things have happened. I am not predicting it, but it is in the realm of probability… if improbable!