Don't Be Blue
I know we were all bummed out over the results of this weekend series with the Giants. First, a pitcher they had owned all year shuts them down. Then they rally to tie and then go ahead. Then they lose in extras on an error on a easy play. They come back on Saturday behind some…
I know we were all bummed out over the results of this weekend series with the Giants. First, a pitcher they had owned all year shuts them down. Then they rally to tie and then go ahead. Then they lose in extras on an error on a easy play. They come back on Saturday behind some great pitching and win 6-1. Then on Sunday, their Ace implodes and gives up 6 runs to a tram he has owned his entire career.
The offense continues it’s month long struggle to score, and does not rally until the 9th inning, blowing several chances along the way against the Giants parade of bullpen pitchers. So it was a downer all the way around.
That is the bad news. The good news is that they are only a game back. They have 25 to play. 4 with the slumping Cardinals, then 3 at home against the Padres followed by 3 with the D-Backs.
Then they leave on their final road trip of the year, 3 in Cincy, 3 in Colorado, and then on to Arizona for 3 more with the D-Backs. Then they come home for the final 6, 3 each with the Padres and then the Brewers.
While all that is happening, the Giants are in Colorado for 3, then head to Chicago for 3 before coming home to face the Padres for 4 and Atlanta for 3. They then head out on the road again for 3 with the Padres and 3 more with the Rockies. They finish the season at home with 3 against Arizona and finish with 3 against the Padres. The Giants have 10 games left with the Padres, 6 with the Rockies, 3 with the Cubs, D-Backs, and Braves.
The Dodgers have 6 left with the Padres and D-Backs, 4 with St. Louis, 3 with the Brewers and Rockies and Reds. The Reds, Padres, Brewers and Cardinals are over .500. D-Backs and Rockies are not. So 12 games against sub 500 teams and 13 with teams above .500. The Brewers staff will probably be the toughest they face in this stretch. Cardinals staff has been hit hard by injuries, Mikolas, who is starting game one has a 0-1 record. The other pitchers they will face are Happ, Wainwright and Kim. Flaherty is out. Rockies have been a very good home team, so they will need to put up some runs there. D-Backs are a mess, the Reds have been slumping and the Padres staff is also hit hard by injuries.
The Dodgers need to find their offense and find it fast. But they have been in this position before. 2018 going down to the wire with Colorado. Even though they have some veterans, the Giants have not been in this position before. And their starting pitching has been really hit hard.
The Dodgers can do this. They have a deep team. They have weathered all that has been thrown their way. The have plugged the holes and gotten to where they are on the strength of their pitching. And I am not going to let a bad game by one of them make believe any less that they are not going to be right there at the end.
I believe they will call Beaty back up. He has been very hot at OKC hitting over .400. No one else looks ready to contribute to the offense. Lux, who was hitting close to .300 last week, is now at .240. Of course the pitchers are going to be on a shuttle service. But hopefully Kersh comes out of his start at OKC feeling good. And Gonsolin is getting close also. You have to keep believing in the Blue.
The pitching has kept this team as close as they are. It will have to keep doing so for them to keep close to the Giants and hope some of the opponents of SF can string a couple of wins in a row against them. Yesterday’s win over the Cardinals was as frustrating as it was satisfying. The offense once again went into slumber mode after scoring early. And it was only Scherzer’s gem that kept fans on the edge of their seats because the offense was over matched the rest of the game.
I have to keep believing that someone in this lineup is going to get hot and lift the team up. Who that might be, I have no clue. But my obvious choice would be Betts. He is an ignitor when he is hitting. Turner, Trea, and Muncy need to crank it up a little too.
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Discussion (153)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Put Albert Pujols en Center Field!!! Jajaja
I have enjoyed writing for this site. There are some though who feel I am not qualified to write about baseball. Fine with me. I get tired of reading some of the constant bitching and moaning from the same guys every day. I can understand totally why Mark considered closing the site down. Sometimes when the same thing is beat into the ground day after day after day, the frustration of reading all that stuff gets very old very fast. You can have an opinion, I respect that. And there are times I might agree and other’s I will not. Like most people, there comes a point when you just cannot listen any more. There is enough negativity in the world and this country right now. And personally, I do not need any of it in my everyday life. You don’t like Roberts? Fine, your choice. You think you know more about how the team should be constructed? Fine. I no longer care about what you might think about those things. And I will no longer post a rebuttal. Just go your merry way, stay miserable, and I shall write about history and good things.
Phillips has a good comand
Is there any hitter more accomplished than Albert to ever wear a Dodger uniform?
Who would even be 2nd on that list, behind Albert? Manny? Thome?
Bear I love your stories and the research you do. I love the strolls down memory lane. I really hope you continue posting. But I have an observation to make that I mean in a very constructive way. I’m going to be the coach for a minute and offer some well meant advice.
You’re taking this site too seriously and it isn’t healthy. Your frustration is real and has been apparent for a few weeks now. Your sense of humor is gone. The Dodgers and this site is obviously very important to you but some things, like folks perseverating on negative things, just have to be water off a ducks back. You’ve lost your ability to ignore it. While well meaning, you seem to think it’s necessary for you to respond to damn near everybody’s comments and opinions. Today, you’ve been doing that for 12 hours and 20% of all posts.
I don’t know you other than what you’ve shared. What I do know is, I like you. I love your passion. And I hope you don’t quit. Perhaps just give folks with a variety to opinions, who are driving you crazy, a little more space. Maybe, you’ve gotten a little too close to the Sun.
yeah, I too get tired of defending players who have earned heroship (that’s not a word but you get it) in my book and thusly have little to say other than cheerleading. But maybe the real reason is I don’t possess high enough baseball I.Q. for input. With that, that was some home rum by Smith, eh?
Hi Mark,
Need some advice again on the water front.
We live in West Los Angeles. Lots of sediment in the water.
We have a tankless water heater. They want us to put in some sort of house filtration system, which seems like a bit much to just keep the tankless heater running smoothly.
Do you have recommendations that maybe we can localize near the intake of the tankless heater?
Thanks in advance.
Spicy home rum.
Will does it again. Love watching that kid hit. Bellinger has not struck out tonight. That is a good thing. And he drove in a run. Also a good thing. Turner also homered. BP is doing a nice job.
Even though Betts lined out, it was a good sign because he hit it hard to right. St. Louis is hard to hit a ball out of. They have hit some balls really hard that have stayed in the park. Two this inning.
Kershaw went 3 innings at OKC. Gave up 4 hits and 2 runs. Both runs came on a 2 run homer. Gonzalez has given up 2 runs in 1/3rd of an inning and is still pitching with OKC up 7-4. Davidson hit his 23rd HR tonight. Neuse and Lux have 2 hits apiece.
As someone who mainly watched home team games, I did not see much of Albert. What I liked about Manny in his few years as a Dodger was he would be facing these National league pitchers for first time and often look silly the first time up. But that was all it took for him to figure them out. And watch out next time. Plus that fantastic OBP. I think in that playoff againmst Cubs when others struggled.
Shefield(watched in Fl and LA) I appreciated his tight swing. Never struck out over 100 times (83 was his high). And walked WAY more than strikeouts. A great feat for a power hitter. OPS over .800 his last year at age 40. But teams did not want to sign him.
Bear, hold your head up high. You do a great job here. I would tell you to respond less, but I’m one to talk. 😉
Bear,
like you an old timer and analytic stuff is new to us. Some interesting, some seems like coming up with a stat to state the obvious. Like someone is batting worse than his norm because his BABIP is much worse than past years. Well DUH. Or someone batting .425 at end of May will probably not hit that because his lifetime is .285 and will Regress to Norm. When I read that I wonder if someone is getting paid by the word.
Positive night for Bellinger. 0-4 but no K’s, Turner tied for NL batting lead after his 9th inning single. JT gets number 2 tonight….as Jackie would say, ” How sweet it is! “
Remember him: Yadier Álvarez P Cuba He pitched 1 inning tonight 3Ks no runs allowed in the ACL .July 2, 2015 Los Angeles Dodgers signed free agent RHP Yadier Alvarez to a minor league contract.
Snell is pitching perfect vs Angels !!
Not anymore. Joe Adell gets a 2 out 2 strike 2 run single
Giants claimed Jake Jewell off of waivers from the Dodgers and sent him to AAA. Lux got 3 hits in tonights OKC win. Neuse had 2. Davidson drove in 5 runs
Former USC running back Sam Cunningham passed away today at the age of 71. I watched him play many times. RIP Sam the Bam.