Do You Believe???
Many years ago, 1973 in fact, when the Mets were fighting the Cubs for the division title, a fan showed up with a sign that said “You gotta believe” The phrase itself was coined by Mets reliever, Tug McGraw. Fans picked up on it, and it was seen throughout their run to the World…
Many years ago, 1973 in fact, when the Mets were fighting the Cubs for the division title, a fan showed up with a sign that said “You gotta believe” The phrase itself was coined by Mets reliever, Tug McGraw. Fans picked up on it, and it was seen throughout their run to the World Championship.
Dodger fans rarely have used catch phrases when the team is gunning for a championship. But deep down, do they really believe this team can win its third in a row? So far, they are a game behind 2025’s pace, and also a game back of 2024’s pace.
They are missing Mookie Betts, Edman, and Kike. Pages has been the most consistent hitter at .329. His OPS is the highest on the team as a regular at .926. .005 more than Muncy. Rushing has a 1.124 OPS, but he has played in just 19 games. Even with that, he is just 2 homers behind the team leader, Muncy, who has 9, and 1 behind Pages.
Ohtani has lingered down around .250 and hasn’t homered since April 27th against the Cubs. Freeman’s homer last night was his first in 25 games. Pages had gone 2 weeks before he had a 3-homer game the other night. Teoscar Hernandez is off to a horrible start with the bat. He was their best hitter in spring training, but that has not translated into the regular season. He is hitting just .236 and leads the team in strikeouts with 41.
Free agent signing, Kyle Tucker, has not exactly tore the cover off of the ball. He has hit better the last week or so, but his OPS is just .739. A nice surprise has been the excellent play of Hyeseong Kim, who is hitting .314 and has been excellent in the field, but everyone knows, he is just in there until Betts returns. Then he and Freeland might be sharing second until Edman returns. Espinal will most likely be cut when Kike comes off of the IL around the 24th of May. Betts is likely to be activated on Monday against the Giants.
I know they are only 38 games in. The pitching has carried the team. The offense has been sporadic and slightly anemic at times. With guys like Smith, Teo, Tucker, Freddie, Ohtani, all struggling at the same time. Muncy has also slumped the last few games, but he does keep getting on base.
Last night’s loss to the Braves was typical of the Dodger offense lately. A pitcher with a 6 plus ERA, in only his second game after coming back from TJ surgery, shuts them down completely. Top 5 were 2-12 with 3 Ks, 2 of them by Ohtani. Everyone on the broadcast keeps saying when his bat gets hot, things will change. Well, when is his bat going to start looking like it is worth 70 million dollars?
Not sure what his issue is, but he doesn’t look anything like the hitter he has been the last two years. Teo looks totally lost. They stuck Call into the lineup last night to give Tucker a blow, and he responded with another hit. He deserves some playing time. Not worried at all about Snell. Even though he gave up five runs, only one ball was really hit hard. The walks hurt him, but so did a couple of bleeders that did not leave the infield.
I believe the team will get untracked at some point. They are in first place simply because only the Padres in the West are playing anywhere near their level. The Giants in for four games, and they won’t see Webb who just went on the IL, they need to take 3 of these 4 games. With Mookie coming back, the roster crunch begins.
After today’s stinker, I believe it is time for Roberts to do some shaking up of the batting order. How can you continue to bat Ohtani first when he is sinking like a leaky canoe? I put Betts back where he has his best numbers, leading off. Then bat Ohtani, Pages, Freeman, Smith, and whoever after that.
MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORTS
OKC Comets vs. Salt Lake City Bees – Postponed due to inclement weather
Arkansas Travelers (Seattle) 8 – Tulsa Drillers 6
LHRP Myles Caba was the opener in yet another bullpen game. He pitched a brilliant 2.0 innings allowing one baserunner on an error, and Caba picked him off 1st.
Tulsa got one in the 2nd. SS Elijah Hainline doubled (4). He moved to 3rd on a F-8 and scored on 2B Jake Gelof’s sac fly.
The Drillers picked up 2 more in the 3rd. DH Kendall George drew a BB and moved to 2nd on a ground out. George scored on RH Zyhir Hope’s 2-out single. Hope stole 2nd and scored on Hainline’s single.
Caba ran into trouble in the 3rd. He walked a batter between 2 outs. A WP moved the runner to 2nd, and to 3rd on an infield single. Both runners scored on a double.
The Drillers got the two runs back in the 6th. Hainline and 1B Joe Vetrano led off with singles. Hainline stole 3rd. With one out, Vetrano stole 2nd. CF Kole Myers singled to score both runners.
In his 3rd inning, RHRP Roque Gutierrez gave up a HR to cut the lead to 2.
With Gutierrez back on the bump in the 7th, the first two batters singled and Gutierrez was relieved by LHRP Christian Suarez. The first batter he faced doubled to score one. Next batter singled to score another. A sac fly and HR later, and the Travelers put up 5.
Tulsa down 8-5 going into the 9th. Two 2-out walks, a WP, and 3B Kyle Nevin singled to score one. But that was it.
- Elijah Hainline – 3-4, 2 runs, double (4)
- Kyle Nevin – 3-4, 1 BB, 1 RBI
- Kole Myers – 2-4, 2 RBI
Great Lakes Loons 7 – Lake County Captains (Cleveland) 4
Another bullpen game. RHP Brooks Auger led 6 different Loons pitchers to the mound to limit the Captains to 4 runs.
It was another poor defensive performance for Lake County that produced 4 unearned runs. Two of those four unearned came in the 3rd. C Jesus Galiz led off with a single. After an out was recorded, SS Jose Izarra laid down a sac bunt that was thrown away for an error with Galiz at 3rd and Izarra at 2nd. DH Mike Sirota hit a ground ball to SS who threw to the plate to get Galiz for the 2nd out.
With 2B Nico Perez at the plate, Izarra scored on a balk. Perez would then go on to draw a BB. CF Charles Davalan was HBP to load the bases, and RF Jose Meza walked to force in Sirota for a 2-0 lead.
Auger got 2.2 scoreless innings on two hits and 5 K before RHRP Nicolas Cruz got the third out. LHP Jakob Wright entered in the 4th and gave up a run on a BB, groundout, single.
In the 5th, Sirota led off with a BB and moved to 2nd on a ground out. Davalan drew a BB, and both runners scored on Meza’s double (2). Meza moved to 3rd on a passed ball. 3B Eduardo Guerrero drew a BB and stole 2nd. Both runners scored on E5.
In the 7th, Davalan led off with a single, and scored on Meza’s 2nd double (3).
RHP Aidan Foeller came in to relieve in the 6th. This was his 2nd relief appearance this month. In his third inning, the 8th, a HBP and 2 walks loaded the bases with 2 outs, with one runner scoring on a passed ball.
LHRP Matt Lanzendorfer entered in the 9th. He got the first two batters out before a double, WP, single, E5, and single scored 2, before getting the final out to end the game.
The Loons had 6 hits, and Jose Meza had 3 of them, including two doubles (3). Charles Davalan reached 1B three times, once on a single and twice walked.
That makes 4 out of the top 10 MiLB OF prospects in the LAD organization.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (LAA) 10 – Ontario Tower Buzzers 2
RHSP Jesus Tillero was battered around for 3.2 innings, surrendering 8 runs (all earned) on 6 hits and 3 BB. One of the hits was a 3-run HR.
RHRP Will Gagnon, struck out 3 in 1.1 IP, but gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks.
While the Quakes were jumping on Ontario pitching, Ontario was getting single runs in the 4th and 5th inning. In the 4th, DH Jaron Elkins drew a BB, stole 2B, and scored on 1B Easton Shelton’s single.
In the 5th, 3B Chase Harlan hit a 1-out single. He moved to 2nd on a 2-out single by Elkins, and scored on 2B Mairo Martinus’ single.
Ontario went meekly in the final four innings with one base runner via a BB.
Chase Harlan, Jaron Elkins, and Mairo Martinus got two hits apiece for Ontario. That is 6 out of the 7 singles for the Tower Buzzers.
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Discussion (48)
Disagree, not disagreeable
They also take way too many strikes right down the middle. Ohtani is notorious for doing that. And he is not catching up to fastballs in the zone. Maybe if he dropped his hands a little and did not try to crush everything out of the park.
Remember they went through a two-month funk last year. In July and August, they were 25-27.
Surprised they did that and kept Espinal. I thought for sure he was the first one cut.
Yes, that’s not the point for this trade. The Guardians are, and have been for the last decade or so, predicated on Run Prevention, more than slugging. Bailey is much better than Barnes across the board, not sure how he came up as a comp. Bailey’s one of the game’s top defensive catchers (as per the Statcast defensive metics) and has won two Gold Gloves. He’s produced ~10.0 WAR (10.2) since 2023 despite a wRC+ below 100, you think that’s Austin Barnes? I think this is a panic move by Posey because the team isn’t hitting. But more interesting is what goes back to Spring Training, where Bailey was outspokenly against the idea of that new coach up there calling pitches from the bench. I wonder if the Giants go there now.
Me as well.
Not surprised at all Kim or Freeland we’re obviously going to be sent down. They want both of them playing every day. One does it in the majors one in the minors. AF/BG like having the 26th man being a utility man that can fill in anywhere. When Hernandez comes back Espinal’s days will definitely be numbered. Kim will be the strong side of a platoon with most likely Rojas. Hernandez and Espinal are basically the same player.
I think Barnes was underrated by many people, especially as a leader on the field. I don’t see Bailey as a leader at all. Yes, he is a good defensive catcher, but I prefer guys who can do some damage with the bat as well. Barnes BA, OPS and OPS+ all higher than Bailey.
Lauer DFAd. Paddock released.
I figured they would dump Espinal for Kike since neither ate every day players.
Not only that, but they’re currently offering up a product to people who are paying top dollar for the product and the people are getting a subpar product. Tell a family of 4 who just laid out $500 to see a game at the ravine that games this time of year don’t really matter.
Move is not official yet. Lineups have not been posted yet either.
10:10 PM ET Giants (16-24) Dodgers (24-16) SP Trevor McDonald R 1-0 1.29 ERA SP Roki Sasaki R 1-3 5.97 ERA Confirmed Lineup DH S. Ohtani L SS Mookie Betts R 1B F. Freeman L RF Kyle Tucker L C Will Smith R 3B Max Muncy L CF Andy Pages R LF T. Hernandez R 2B Hyeseong Kim L 71° Wind 8 mph Out
He’s getting paid???? LOL
and in October/November too
Our offense is what it is. It hasn’t been anything special the last 2 post seasons. 230’s both years. Our bullpen was the rock in 24, the starters last year. Hopefully everyone is healthy in post season this year and we’ll go as far as our pitching takes us. Offense has to do just enough. 3-4 runs. We won’t be seeing anyone in post season where we put up big numbers. It’s a little concerning how many mid mid fatties Ohtani is missing!
0 x 2= 0
Will Smith’s walk up song has fits the offense so far this season. Both need to change.
Poor Roki. He just can’t pull it off!
How low will Sho go?
Duh, in modern MLB postseason play, the league-wide batting average usually lands around .230 to .240. Yes, that’s what happens in the playoffs! Look it up.
Some bad two strike pitching tonight by all the pitchers so far. If no one has a hit off of Vesia’s slider not sure why he chose to keep getting beat on his fastball. Brutally bad pitch by Klein.
I could live with some small ball,over a little less power.
Mills and Doom.