Dodger Chatter: Meet Loons Alfredo Tavarez
Meet Loons Alfredo Tavarez Last Friday evening 20-year-old right-hander Alfredo Tavarez pitched his second scoreless seven-inning start for the Loons in his last three starts. The native of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic was signed as an international free agent by the Dodgers on December 21, 2015. He did not go unnoticed in the Dominican Summer League in 2016 posting a 1.53 ERA and a 0.74 WHIP in 53
Meet Loons Alfredo Tavarez
Last Friday evening 20-year-old right-hander Alfredo Tavarez pitched his second scoreless seven-inning start for the Loons in his last three starts.
The native of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic was signed as an international free agent by the Dodgers on December 21, 2015. He did not go unnoticed in the Dominican Summer League in 2016 posting a 1.53 ERA and a 0.74 WHIP in 53 innings pitched while splitting his time almost equally between the DSL Dodgers 1 and DSL Dodgers 2.
During the 2017 season Tavarez came stateside beginning the season with the AZL Dodgers where he posted a 3.52 ERA and a WHIP of 0.91 in 30.2 innings pitched over nine appearances. In mid-August he was promoted to the Great Lakes Loons and returned to a starting role experiencing some growing pains at the Class-A level. In five starts over 20.1 innings he posted a 5.40 ERA while striking out 19 and walking 13.
The 6’5”/190-pound Tavarez began the 2018 with the Loons and experienced some additional growing pains. In two relief appearances he pitched 6.1 innings and gave up six earned runs while striking out seven and walking four. His last appearance was on April 19 and then he was sent back to extended spring training.
I expect we often wonder what happens within the Dodgers development program and especially extended spring training. With Alfredo Tavares something definitely happened.
He returned to the Loons on May 28 and in his first start he threw five hitless innings while walking three and striking out four.
What had be accomplished in his extended spring training ? According to Loons pitching coach Bobby Cuellar the work the 20-year-old put in at extended spring training in Arizona was evident. He saw what Tavarez had accomplished.
“Everything you need to become a pitcher,” Cuellar said. “And today, he showed it off.”
“Our pitcher came back in better shape with a better idea and a very aggressive attack,” Cuellar said.
Cuellar indicated Tavarez commanded his fastball while working in his changeup and mixing in a couple of curveballs. The other aspect of his game he was charged with improving was to better control the running game. He did just that.
“When a young guy learns to handle himself on the mound, he can handle anything,” Cuellar said. “If you learn it now, you never have to worry about it.”
Cuellar paid tribute to both Tavarez and the Dodgers organization.
“The movement of the body, the throw, the circle of the arm was so fluid,” he said. “When you see somebody throw it [like that], you can see the ball jump out of his hand really well. Kudos to the young man and the organization.”
Since that first game at the end of May, Tavarez has made 12 starts and now owns a 2.65 ERA while striking out 52 in 71.1 innings and walking 32. He has not allowed a home run this season. In his last 35.1 innings pitched he has allowed two earned runs.
On Friday evening Tavarez gave up three hits in his seven innings, walked one and struck out four. He threw 90 pitches, 57 of them strikes. Unfortunately reliever Mark Washington gave up two runs in the the top of the ninth inning sending the Loons to a 2-0 loss.
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Discussion (75)
Disagree, not disagreeable
This is comical
Hate the way Robert handel the pitchers
Rockies want to win?
Have no fear, El Gasolino is here!!!!
Dodgers 0 for 3 with RISP. 2 more solo HRs. Wash, rinse and repeat. Oh, and 7 K in 7 IP against mediocre pitching.
Strip was great, especially in that park. Maybe more guys need a 2 week vacation to get straight!!
Now Baez. God help us all
Great job by stripling. He needed that break and pitched a very gutsy game. It would be huge if he repeat his early season form. Two pinch hit homers we will take it. Huge game tonight with gray and maeda matchup tomorrow.
Chicken Strip needed the rest and looks like he stays in the rotation. WOW!
One of the few times the Dodgers are not on the big screen.
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Reason: The Indianapolis Colts are playing tonight and have Luck on their side.
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The Dodgers and Loons are on the computer monitors.
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The Dodgers need a guy like arenado who delivers in the clutch. He seems to get the clutch hit against the Dodgers. He hit a 2 strike 2 out homer to beat the brewers a few days ago. We keep pitching to him I guess we think he can’t hit. Turner used to be that guy but not this year so far. I know Roberts doesn’t want to burn a pitcher after 4 innings at coors but I would have a quick hook tonight.
I have a feeling he pitches like his spot in the rotation depends on it because it might! He probably can’t go much beyond 5 IP or 85 pitches though. Hopefully the bats wake up tonight!
Seattle hit the ball hard to verlander
Tonight, they throw Chicken Strip to the wolves.
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Pitching in Coor Field after coming off the DL is like running a gauntlet of pitbulls wearing nothing but pork chop underwear!
By the way, at this juncture of the season, some fans forget the minors leagues, but not DC. Today was a graet write up about Alfredo Tavarez, who is in the next wave of prospects. This is a kid whom I doubt will move quickly through the system, because his fast ball rarely gets over 90 MPH. He’s a back-of-the -rotation starter. I can see him in 2021.
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If he could just find an extra 2 MPH on his fastball…
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Thanks, DC for the info. I appreciate it very much.
Jayson Werth made about $137 Million dollars because he was a good player and he also employeed the agent who was deeply into analytics.
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I am not a huge fan of just sabermetrics, but the pendelum has swung that way. The Dodgers, Cards, Astros, Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox and many other teams are deep into analytics. I suspect, the pendelum will swing back into the center. I think it’s fascinating to watch.
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Too much money can dampen a players hunger… not every player, but some.
I don’t think Jayson Werth thinks too highly of FAZ http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24329670/jayson-werth-rails-super-nerds-killing-game
The Dodgers are schizophrenic this year and have trouble sustaining a win streak. Partly I believe it is the automatic lineup shuffling due to leftie rightie match ups, but it is also switching positions and the batting order constantly as well. Some days the bats show up and some days they don’t but the pitching has consistently been pretty good. I go to a game and it’s a 1-0 loss, 2 days later it’s a 25-1 blowout with Kershaw probably thinking ‘save a few for next time’ and then a 14-0 thumping in between a 2-1 loss and a 3-2 win. Which team will show up today? Or any day the rest of the season? I’m starting to feel like Bobbie 17: this is a hard team to watch and a harder team to figure out. I still have hope they will figure it all out and get a run going. I would not make any plans on who to keep long term until this wacky season plays itself out.
The thing I’d like to see is just the consistent quality of the at-bats. At this level, you simply cannot give at-bats away. This is why joc has become such a positive force for us. His ABs have been extended and smart. I wish Robert’s would sit muncy but I guess hes waiting for the breakout. Scoring 2 runs against that pitcher was unacceptable. Next man up. I think it’s getting to urgent time: back to school and no playoff spot secured.
How about 3 of 4 in the House of Horrors. It is time to gain some traction, especially on offense. We are going to need to hit until middle relief is solidified by a couple starters going to the pen. I imagine that will occur in September.
Can Roberts ever divert from the numbers and manage on what he sees. Chargois should have been out of there after the Chapman liner in the 8th. Of course easy to say know, but I am right way too often when it comes to in game decisions Roberts fails to make. He should be outmanaging me all day, every day. For all that he does well, his management of pitcher’s in game is perplexing.
And hopefully the Dodgers pitching staff will come out of Coors in one piece after 4 days in that pitching he’ll-hole.
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Wish that I didn’t have to keep typing my name and email every time I post to this site. It’s getting to be bothersome.
Here’s hoping the Dodgers hit the ball at Coors like they did in Oakland last night. If they do, there will be some balls flying out of the ballpark.
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There are some signs that Manny might be ready to break out a bit. Hope the same is true for JT too, and hopefully the Dodgers’ bats in general.
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Maybe just wishful thinking, maybe not.
I see some are blaming Grandal for droping the ball from Machado. Go back and look at it. It was a bad throw and even if Grandal had caught the ball, the runner had scored. It was not a force play either. Geeeezzz!
Last night the Great Lakes Loons went into the top of the ninth inning against the South Bend Cubs down 5-0. They came out of the ninth with the score tied 5-5. In their top of the inning they had two walks and a single and a bases clearing double by catcher Hunter Feduccia. Outfielder Josh McLain knocked in the tying runs with his first home run of the year.
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In the top of the eleventh inning the Loons scored six runs. With Luke Heyer on second base to start the inning, they followed with five singles and a bases clearing triple by outfielder Drew Evans.
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The Loons came away with an 11-5 win. Right-hander Stephen Kolek pitched the final three innings while collecting the win. He allowed no hits, one walk and recorded four strikeouts. With minor league extra innings rules in place, Kolek started both the tenth and eleventh innings with a runner on second base. Left-hander Austin Drury had pitched 2.2 scoreless innings before Kolek while allowing one hit and striking out two.
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The Loons are now 2.5 games out of the second half wildcard spot.
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In the Pioneer League/Northwest League All-Star Game, won 13-10 by by the Pioneer League, four Raptors got into the game.
Jeremy Arocho (2B) – 2 AB, 1 hit, 1 run, 1 RBI
Daniel Robinson (CF) – 2 AB, 2 hits 1 RBI
Ronny Brito (SS) – 3 AB, 1 hit, 1 run
Jose Chacin (P) – 1 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER
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Arocho knocked in the tying run in the eighth inning.
I have a non-baseball question if anyone knows – when players travel back and forth from OKC and LA do they fly commercial or on private jets?
We went on the road to a good team’s park and split 2. In the playoffs, if you start games 1 and 2 on the road, you’d love a split, so I’ll take the series in Oakland as a positive.
Now, on to Colorado. 4 game set. At minimum, we need to split this series. 3 out of 4 would be fantastic.
I think I’d have Baez starting in one of these next few games at Coors Field. It might just teach himself, and possibly us too, a thing of two. While kidding it makes sense to some degree thinking of that.
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Coors Field did some damage to Kemp’s career. Remind him to not run into fences if he plays. Coors Field = NL boobytrap.