Dodgers Suffer Loss on Jackie Robinson Night
Tough night for the Dodgers on Jackie Robinson night. The team got in late from San Francisco and did not look ready to play. These games happen. Forget about it, get some sleep, and come back tomorrow. It would be easy to pick apart the game, but no team can play on all cylinders each and every game. The Dodgers started out well enough with a pair of singles by
Tough night for the Dodgers on Jackie Robinson night. The team got in late from San Francisco and did not look ready to play. These games happen. Forget about it, get some sleep, and come back tomorrow.
It would be easy to pick apart the game, but no team can play on all cylinders each and every game. The Dodgers started out well enough with a pair of singles by Mookie and Corey. However as became evident throughout the game, the team just could not help itself with RISP, and neither runner scored. The team put two runners on base again in the 3rd and 4th inning and did not score again.
Mike Minor looked like a CY winner instead of the pitcher with the 2nd highest ERA in the AL. He shut out the Dodgers for 6.0 innings with four singles and three walks. They also struck out six times against the soft throwing LHP. I cannot determine if it is their usual inability to hit LHP or just a very lethargic game.
Texas native, Dustin May, took the mound in the stadium he grew up 30 miles from. He grew up a Texas Rangers fan, so he was excited. It is too bad that he could not have family and friends there to cheer him on. Dustin continues to show that someday he is going to be a dominant pitcher. But as a pitcher with his speed and movement, his lack of strikeouts is going to cost him until he convinces himself that he needs to get his offspeed (curve or change) to be thrown for strikes. When Orel indicated that Dustin only lands his curve for a strike 3 times a game, that fact does not go unnoticed to opposing teams. Orel also made the point that in this last three games combined, May had a total of 5 K’s. May could be a top of the rotation pitcher, and I believe he will be one day. Will he be there as a true #3 playoff pitcher in 2020????
May was down 2-0 going into the top of 7th, and Will Smith starts the inning with a double, and the Dodgers again had a runner in scoring position. After a Kike’ ground out and a Mookie strike out, the team was now 0-10 WRISP. However, that brought up Corey Seager who is unworldly this year so far with runners in scoring position with 2 outs. Before tonight, Seager was 9-18 with an HBP with runners in scoring position and 2 outs. What does Corey do…he lines a double to score Smith making it a one run game. JT follows that with a single that scored Corey and tied it up.
Dodgers looked like they were ready to take control, and then everything broke down. I made an argument why Lance Lynn would be a good addition because he has an ability to pitch 100+ pitches per outing. However, it is clear to me that an ability to throw 100+ pitches is just not important to Dave Roberts. In his postgame presser, Dustin said that after the 3rd inning he decided to mix up his pitches more and he gained a lot more confidence. It is something that he will use in future outings. He only threw 80 pitches, and was still strong as he hit 100mph in the 6th. He only threw 12 pitches in the 5th and 6th innings. Why not let Dustin build on that confidence? How else is he going to be able to get through the 7th or maybe the 8th. He had a good opportunity to show that he has the length to go deeper into the game.
But the bullpen has been so good this year, why not turn it over to them and let the offense wake up. McGee gave up the long fly to Derek Dietrich, then 3 singles to the next 4 hitters, and Jake’s first bad outing as a Dodger was over. The usually reliable Dylan Floro gave up a double and a sac fly to allow the final two runs to score. Just a bad night from two very reliable relievers. It happens. The only problem that it has now happened in two of the last six games. The bullpen is just throwing too many innings this year, and this was a good opportunity to let Dustin stretch it out. Is he a game three playoff pitcher? Let him prove it on the field. I would have rather seen him try and fail.
One positive outcome was Mitch White making his MLB debut and pitching a scoreless 8th inning, finishing it in style with a K of Shin-Soo Choo. Congratulations Mitch on an impressive debut.
One potentially negative concern was JT leaving after stealing 2nd base in the 7th inning. After the game, Doc said that it was something in his hammy. The current thinking is that it is cramping but nothing more than a very mild strain. JT will not play tomorrow. They do not seem overly concerned. Just being precautionary with as large of a lead in the standing as they have.
Saturday – Another Texas RHP, Ross Stripling vs. Lance Lynn.
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that during the game, we learned the tremendous actor, Chadwick Boseman, who expertly played Jackie Robinson in one of my absolute favorite movies (genre notwithstanding) 42, lost his battle with prostate cancer and passed away at 43. Ironically, Chadwick passed away on the 75th anniversary of the meeting between Jackie and Branch Rickey. Jackie will be idolized throughout history, and Chadwick will be remembered for his outstanding portrayal of the legend. Chadwick, rest in peace.
https://www.si.com/mlb/video/2020/08/28/si-insider-jackie-robinson-75th-anniversary
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Discussion (133)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I had my coat tugged on and missed viewing 3 innings but yesterday’s umpire did a better job calling balls and strikes than any umps I’d seen for quite some time. They said he was a rookie ump.
Jeff, nice analysis of May in your opening. I think he did’t pitch badly and deserved better fate. By definition it was a “quality start”. But there are some weaknesses as you pointed out that need to be improved upon. More secondary pitches for strikes is a start. I like the fact that he threw the change. It comes out of his hand okay but I would like to see him scrape more speed. His 7-8 mph difference, to me, is not enough. He’s got such life on his pitches, when he can better command his secondary stuff and change speeds better, he will go to the next level.
* Good game to put behind us.
* Some complaining about our catcher’s throwing ability lately. While neither is great, our pitches don’t seem committed to holding runners. May did pick a guy at first but he guessed right on a first movement break. The throw on Tavaris was terrific but he stole it on the pitcher.
* Speaking of Tavaris, he robs JT or a homer, beats out a grounder to 2nd (I replayed it twice and timed him down the line at 3.67) and stole 2nd. He scored on Choo’s double which was a good pitch by May but better hitting. That’s an earned run manufactured by speed.
* I have watched Joey Gallo take live BP, on the field, at spring training and it’s awesome. He hits moon shots. So I watched his swing in slo-mo last night and saw alot of similarities with Bellinger. Belli starts taller initially but once each get their hands in the launch position things are very similar. Uppercut, bucket foot, high launch swing with a huge long extended follow through by both. Lots of swing and miss but lots of power. I couldn’t teach that stroke.
* Around Jackie Robinson Day, I also like to think about Larry Dobie, who broke the color barrier in the American League just 3 months after Jackie. Doby was the first player to go directly to the majors from the Negro leagues. A seven-time All-Star center fielder, Doby and teammate Satchel Paige were the first African-American players to win a World Series championship when the Indians took the crown in 1948. Doby later served as the second black manager in the majors with the Chicago White Sox HOF guy like Jackie.
* An overhead view of the new Ranger Ballpark last night showed what looked like a full parking lot. You don’t suppose they have cardboard cars out there, do you?
I wouldn’t mind seeing the Dodgers trade for Lance Lynn. He has pitched well this year and could slot well into the #3 spot in the rotation. I just wish they could do it before he starts against us today. Hader would be another good target but I think the asking price would be too high and not sure the Brewers would even consider moving him. I am not thinking they will do much if anything but it’s always fun to think about a few more pieces.
I agree with Badger I don’t see any major trades. Possibly a rental starter for insurance purposes that is not going to cost to much, if one of the kids aren’t stepping up. Muncy is going to be fine. Belli is going to be fine. Lux will get a few more looks at second. If Kike or Taylor get hot we won’t be talking about second. We do have the best
record in baseball.
Boy, what a killjoy! Ruining all our fun AC, even though all of your points are well taken, as usual.
Wilmer Flores is an interesting idea that I haven’t heard anywhere before. Yes, of course Farhan would trade with us if he liked what we gave him in return.
The Angels will never get to the playoffs if they don’t get pitching. They could replace Fletcher if they got really good pitching in a trade for him. Of course, we’re never going to give them that pitching which would probably have to include at least one of Gray, Gonsolin or May.
It is not enough to just want a player. There has to be reciprocal interest and players that will match with the needs of the trading team. I do not care what the career stats say for a trade deadline deal. I am only interested in what they are doing this year. That is the purpose of a deadline trade…to take the team to the championship.
The Angels walked away from a Ross Stripling/Joc Pederson/Andy Pages for Luis Rengifo and MiLB??? Exactly who does anyone think LAA would demand for 26 year old David Fletcher, who has the most hits in the AL, and is controlled thru 2024. There is as much chance of getting Mike Trout as there is for David Fletcher. NONE. Not happening.
Admittedly, there is more of a chance that KC would consider trading their best player and face of the organization, but why would they. The talks would have to start with May or Gonsolin and include Lux and others. Merrifield is primarily an OF now. A transition that started last year (76 GS at 2B and 73 GS in OF). 2020 – 25 GS in OF and 8 at 2B. Why more OF? Please do not tell me it is so they can find a place for Nicky Lopez. Put yourself in Dayton Moore’s seat. Don’t make a trade proposal that you like as a Dodgers fan. What would it take to get Dayton Moore to trade Whit Merrifield? It is not Omar Estevez, Gerardo Carrillo, Michael Grove, DJ Peters, Cody Thomas, Zach Reks, Victor Gonzalez… Start with May/Gonsolin/Lux/Gray. At least two plus another.
I have read the name Jose Ramirez. Cleveland is right in the thick of the race and is not going to trade Ramirez. Cleveland is not a good trade partner for LAD anyway as they desperately need a good hitting MLB outfielder. The Dodgers are not going to move Pollock, Bellinger, or Betts, and Cleveland has zero desire for Joc. Forget Mike Clevinger, Zach Plesac, and Brad Hand as well.
Cincinnati is now 1.0 games behind St. Louis for the automatic #2 team in the NL Central. Also 1.0 GB NYM and Philadelphia for #7 & #8 WC. They have said they are not sellers. How much of a buyer they are we do not know. If the Dodgers want Trevor Bauer, they are going to need to wait until next year.
The competition for Lance Lynn will be stiff. CWS says they are in the hunt for Lance Lynn and/or Robbie Tay. Rick Hahn is never afraid to pull the trigger. I still do not think that Texas will trade Lynn unless they get a massive overpay. They figure to contend next year, and Lynn is their Ace. Robbie Ray is a much more likely trade candidate. Arizona figures to go nowhere and Ray is a rental. CWS has the prospects to make it happen. But Houston is also interested.
If I were in the AL, I would be worried about CWS. With Nick Madrigal back, their offense is very solid. Nick Madrigal is the type of offensive player I think many on this site would like. He is a base hitting machine that does not strike out. But he has ZERO power, so his OPS will never be that high. I very much like Nick Madrigal, but he is not going anywhere.
Would the Dodgers consider a trade for Gausman? Would Zaidi trade with LAD? What would it take to get Wilmer Flores? He is controlled thru 2021 with a team option for 2022. He is hitting .297/.341/.730/1.071 against LHP this year. WRISP he is hitting .343/.368/.629/.997. He also plays all over the infield. He is more likely to be moved more than Whit Merrifield or Jose Ramirez.
I am more than fine with making a trade. I would trade Lux if I thought it meant bringing a WS championship to LA. Of course there are no guarantees, but there are no guarantees that Lux will be a productive ML hitter either. However looking at the number of teams that want an upgrade, and knowing that AF is not going to overpay, the likelihood of a meaningful trade are not great. I am guessing that the Dodgers are going to need to find a #3 from May/Gonsolin/Urias and hope that Belli, Muncy, and Kike’ can re-learn how to hit LHP. I will be very surprised if AF makes a game changing trade.
Lux back on the roster today replacing Webster.
Strange days and weird times.
Not sure you can conclude much at this point, especially with a player like Gavin Lux, who many call a can’t miss prospect. Guessing you need a normal spring training and a regular season to get a better feel.
Certainly don’t feel Dave Roberts is the issue. Championship teams overcome mistakes made by managers, usually highlighted by players rising to the moment and maybe a bit of luck. Hey, managers make decisions, some work, some don’t.
This is the best team I’ve seen in LA in a long time, but the truth is they should be hitting better at times, but again, it’s a strange time so who knows how this would play with a normal spring and a 162 game season, which would allow their depth to be a major factor. Depth always seems to play a big role, but it’s usually based on the long haul, not the short sprint.
All that said the team is far from perfect and could improve with the right moves.
As to Cory Seager, can’t see the Dodgers allowing him to walk away, might become an Adrián Beltre situation. I like Seager’s chances of becoming a long time Dodger.
Looking at trades, Lance Lynn makes some sense, so does Trevor Bauer, who may want to be a Dodger. Whitfield would be an upgrade at second. It will be interesting to see how all this plays out. I’m guessing Andrew Friedman is active.
The Dodgers had a record of 24-9 going into last night’s game. They tied it up in the seventh inning, so they had a decent chance to win, and even if they lost, they would be 24-10. Roberts, who virtually never has anyone try to steal a base, who almost never even employs hit-and-run, has Turner try to steal second. Turner is the last person I would want to see try to steal a base. His musculature is such that he is always at risk for leg injuries, and has had several, which sometimes take a long time to heal. But Roberts decides that this is a time to call for a steal. And sure enough, Turner has to run at full speed for ninety feet, and then dives into second base–and injures his hamstring.
We hope that he is indeed day-to-day, as Roberts often says, but he also could be out for two weeks or more. Missing Turner for the playoffs would probably mean another season of ultimate Dodgers futility, even with all the talent on hand. The reward of having Turner stealing second base is far outweighed by the risk that he would injure himself. Yes, you have to play the game, and take some risks, but the incongruity of having Turner trying to steal, when you virtually never put on any running sign, was a glaring mistake, in my opinion, and the result was hardly surprising. That was the most important aspect of last night’s game, in my view.
SORRY i MEANT SCB NOT SBC
I have no idea who it would take to get those two players but like SBC I have no problem with lux being part of the package.
The way I see it is we need 2 pieces- Lance Lynn and Whit Merrifield. Just a little bit of backround on Merrifield: The following are all lifetime averages:
.296 BA
.313 BA vs LHP
.867 OPS vsLHP
.315 RISP vs all
By contrast: Barnes(6-15) and Pollock(12-35) combined are hitting .360 vs LHP. Next would be Seager at .225
Oh and BTW Merrifield can also steal a base or two. Lifetime averagefor a full season
32 SB. He also led the AL in hits the last two years(total 398)
A few observations: The Dodgers seldom play well after playing a night game then traveling to another city (even home), and not getting to sleep until the early morning hours. 14 inning doubleheader sweep of Giants, including a bullpen game, then flying to Dallas was tough duty. Kiké is playing like a player who is resigned to soon wearing another uniform. I cannot recall seeing a player with the talent of Cody Bellinger take so many awful looking swings. Formula for disaster – 16 of 17 Jake McGee pitches are fastballs to a fastball hitting team – of the 16 fastballs the Rangers hitters swung 10 times and only whiffed twice (4 fouls, and 4 BIP). Dodgers trade targets? Royals Will Merrifield or Angels David Fletcher for second base?
And you show a lack of knowledge of baseball period. You have no clue. I know what Muncy’s OPS is, and Bellingers. Expected batting average means bupkis. Your eyeballs obviously are not that good. And you do not have a clue how important defense is. I cited those two instances off of the top of my head, but tell me oh brilliant one, didn’t the first game of that double header feature some outstanding defense that basically saved Kershaw from giving up the lead. Sure, I remember all of Dave’s past moves, who doesn’t ?? And how about the two catches over the last 2 days that cost JT a couple of homers? Hernandez is an offensive hole in the lineup. Everyone can see it. If it were just him, no one would be talking about it at all. But it is up and down the lineup. And how, after how brilliant the bullpen has been for most of the year, can one question Roberts use of same? It is not his fault the starters are barely getting out of the 5th inning. If he made a mistake tonight, it was not letting May go back out for the 7th. He had only thrown 80 pitches. But before you start telling me I live in the stone age when the only person on this blog who thinks defense is over rated is you, well, you had better learn a lot more about the game before you take me on bucko. I have a lot more knowledge of the game and it’s history than you. I can tell you right now that off the top of my head, I can name a couple of Hall of Famers who got there more for their defense than their bat. Bill Mazeroski, and Ozzie Smith. Argument over
Someone in yesterday’s conversation asked what’s keeping the Dodgers from winning a championship. My short answer is Doc. My long answer is Doc’s mismanagement of the bullpen and his love for defense over offense, more specifically the hole Doc himself has created at 2b by insisting on starting Hernandez there.