I will give you 8 Million reasons why… but those reasons do not last forever. However, at the present juncture Dave Roberts has to find out if Joe Kelly is a viable option. Last night, he did not pitch well (and that is being kind). In his two previous outings he looked much better, while in his first outing, he was bombed. At some point in the next couple of weeks, we should start to be able to see what he is going to be out of the bullpen. He had a valid reason why he did not pitch well the last two seasons: He had a massive cyst in his shoulder that was not only painful but limited his motion. It is a wonder that he could even pitch.
He is not back to 100% yet, but he is closing in on it. In another week or two, we should know whether Joe Kelly will be a bullpen asset or whether he might be a bullpen causality! But, to get there, he HAS to pitch. He is an experienced pitcher who touches 100 MPH, but has never been consistent for long periods. He was very good during the 2018 World Series, but that has really been the last time. So, we watch, and we hold our collective breaths when Doc rolls him out. Right now, he has had two good outings and two bad outings. The leash is not long, but there is a leash and the only way to solve this riddle is for him to pitch.
Since Kenly Jansen can no longer pitch in back-to-back games, does that mean he has to give back last night’s save? (sarcasm alert) Just when fans think they have it all figured out, they don’t! Kenley Jansen is right back near the top of the list in the race for the best closer in baseball. Go figure! Most of you had him dead and buried, which means that there is hope for Joe Kelly. I have no opinion as to whether Joe will succeed and be a solid part of the bullpen or whether he will be another cast-off. He just has to pitch… and the results will be apparent. This will sort itself out!
Rants & Raves
- Albert Pujols has played a role in two Dodger wins so far. If that is it… so be it – it’s been worth it, but something tells me this story is just getting started.
- Mike Busch is starting to look like he can stick at 2B – he is moving much better than early in the season and his glove is more “confident.” I believe it is just repetition and confidence. He appears to be a hard worker and his glove at 2B could ultimately become a “plus!” I have watched several games already.
- Except for Joe Kelly, how about that bullpen?
- Muncy and Smith are getting hot at the right time.
- Mookie and JT will be fine – it is just the ebb and flow of the season and maybe both have some nagging injuries. It’s not often that you are 100% healthy anyway!
Dodgers Minor League Report
- OKC BOXSCORE OKC dropped to 3-10 as they lost 8-4 to the Albuquerque Isotopes. Andy Burns hit a 2-run HR and Carlos Asuaje was 2-3 and that was about it.
- TULSA BOXSCORE The Drillers won 4-3 beating the Wind Surge and improving to 8-7. The Drillers only had 3 hits but one of them was a 2-run HR by Jacob Amaya. Kody Hoese and Devin Mann also had hits that drove in runs. All three hits scored runs. Now that is efficiency! Ryan Pepiot started and went 4.0 innings, allowing 1 hit and no runs (1.50 ERA). Nate Robertson followed him, pitching two innings and allowing his first two runs of the year. Aaron Ochsenbein also went two innings allowing 0 hits and no runs. Zach Willeman closed it out getting his 2nd save, even though he allowed a solo HR.
- GREAT LAKES BOXSCORE The Loons also won 5-3 over the Captains. Miguel Vargas (.305/.917 OPS) and Andy Pages (.186) each hit HR’s. C Carson Taylor (who has some upside) was 2-4 with 3 RBI. Jose Martinez (22-year-old RH) started and allowed 2 ER in 4 IP (his worst outing of the year) and left with his ERA sitting at 1.35. Cole Percival followed with 3 shutout innings (1 H, 3 K. 2.53 ERA). Melvin Jiminez got his first save, pitching the last two scoreless innings (2.45 ERA).
- RANCHO CUCAMONGA BOXSCORE Rancho came up a run short as Julian Smith gave up 3 runs in the 8th and 9th. Jake Vogel got a hit and a walk and scored 2 runs (.210 BA). Aldrich De Jongh was 4-5 with 2 HR (.467/1.729 OPS). 20-year-old Jorbit Vivas was 2-5 and Brandon Lewis was 2-4. Tough luck!
Discussion (29)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Nate WHO ? Gutsy performance by Bauer. What a warrior.
Peters is so overmatched, Belli can´t get back fast enough.
Good start to the road trip.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great win.
Bauer is great to watch.
Need Belinger and McKinstry back ASAP
Another one run game in our favor! Bauer is a warrior. I loved how he welcomed the boos while he walked off the field. Nate Jones, who knew? Solid bullpen piece turns in some lock down innings in a big game. I tip my cap to Andrew. Treinen shut the door and looks completely dominant. I love how CT3 is carrying the torch when JTs flame got week and Mookie’s still trying to find the matches. Good way to start the series and make the house guests sad.
Ha, I’ll always remember the red-haired stepson welcome Treinen got here when he first showed up..
That crummy Dodger bullpen did it again!
I honestly had no idea we got Nate Jones
Jones looked good. I wonder if Bauer put in a word for picking him up.
Ah Peters, you could tell by the sound he didn’t quite get it on the fat part. but hey, he hit the ball!
Bauer’s a warrior! Love the guy!
A couple of thoughts:
1 – Bauer doesn’t have his best stuff. doesn’t have the heat but still gets guys out
2 – Pujols may be the slowest runner that I’ve ever seen
3 – What’s with the horrible defense on pop ups on the left side?
4 – Wood looks good but the Dodgers are missing a lot of center cut FB
How in the world can peters be on the roster much less in the lineup? This is typical Roberts leave a hot hitter on the bench while playing a guy who shouldn’t be in mlb. Especially in a series against the giants.
They are doing the guy a disservice by playing him. This cannot help his psyche. I’m sorry I don’t blame him I blame this is on AF and doc. I don’t know what they see in him. In a big series u just give the opponent an out. Oh well I guess he can’t hit into a dp.
Question answered
The biggest question tonight will be if Peters can put a ball in play? Or even foul one off!
Joe Kelly has never been consistently good. Period. His career WHIP is almost 1.4. A late-inning reliever can’t give up 13 baserunners / 9 innings pitched. He has had 2 season out of 10 with a WHIP below 1.3. Career BB/9 is 3.7.
Since joining the Dodgers he has a 4.66 ERA, 1.43 WHIP. He has a minus .8 WAR with LA, Career IRS is 34%. He has 6 blown saves in 7 opportunities with the Dodgers.
He is just not consistent but overall has a bad record both as a starter and a reliever. It’s not that he doesn’t have the stuff – he just doesn’t get enough outs with it.
We’re gonna kill the Giants tonight because we have stats on our side.
Taylor in left.
Neuse at second.
Peters in center.
All right handed hitters against the southpaw Wood.
Muncy (one of our few hot hitters) sits. He’s left handed.
Oh, and by the way, Wood’s splits this year?
Left handed hitters are batting .300.
Right handed hitters are batting .165.
Stadium going back to full capacity on 6-15. Hope you locals have fun!
I hope everybody here is doing okay. I mean having ” he never dives” Seager out , it must be tough not having him around to beat up on. Well just wait till the trade honeymoon bump is over for Pujols. He’s going to be a BIG target.
Adames, who was the last out of the World Series, traded by the Rays to the Brewers in a 4 player trade. Realmuto to the IL and Strasburg activated by the Nats.
Phenomenal article in TheAthletic about the increasing and seemingly omni-present use of foreign substances by pitchers.
The subtext is that it’s really reaching a critical mass type point.
Busch, Pepiot, Vargas, Pages, Miller
If Kelly has to pitch then have him pitch in blowout games.
Dodgers National League stats:
#1 in run differential.
#1 in team pitching OPS.
#1 in team batting OPS.
What’s more is the expected win loss record has the dodgers in a 3 way tie for best record in the National League with the Padres and Giants at 28-16.
Since there is no DH in the National League, it is unfair to compare a National League team with an American League team.
Where does Manfred and his minions get the right to change the game as they see fit. As I’ve said before, I don’t think Manfred likes baseball and wants to “fix it”. The baseball is an example. I have an image from the movie, “Flash Gordon” where Ming the Merciless is talking with Klytus about what they want to screw with today. Ming is played by Rob Manfred and what they decide to screw with is the baseball. Seriously, what gives him the right to change the game? I think the ball is different and we’ll see this summer, He and his office, under a cloak of secrecy thinks there are too many home runs so he goes about changing the game. What process was done prior to the decision? Maybe it needed to happen but is that determined by Darth Rob?
* Kelly pitched much better than the outcome last night. His real mistake was the hanger to Escobar. 2 errors didn’t help his cause, especially the miscommunication in right center with Taylor and Mookie. But I think his stuff looks great to me. He seems better controlling that arm side runner, veto and movement. No more 24 sliders in a row. He will be an asset before this is over.
* I was surprised that Doc left Kelly in to pitch to Reddick and Peralta but I won’t second guess that one. Kelly was throwing well, in my opinion.
* Another surprise was throwing Gonzales 1.1 innings and Treinen only one, 15 pitch inning, which was going to leave the 9th uncovered. It was obvious that Doc planned KJ for the 9th despite past evidence That he struggles on back-to-back days. Doc seems committed to the pre-game plan and the plan worked perfectly. I’m not prepared to scrap the idea of not pitching KJ on back-to-back days based on this one outcome.
* The play of the game for me was the Treinen and Smith combo that threw out that rabbit, Locastro in the 8th in a 3-2 game. I watched it a couple of times and had Treinen’s time to home at 1.24 and Smith’s pop time on a nice high pitch that served as a modified “pitch-out”, at 1.80. That’s 3.04 to nip this guy who can fly. That’s is just outstanding. Smith and Barrnes get criticized for the high steal rate against the Dodgers but our pitchers don’t give them much of a chance usually. Treinen did and it paid off big-time. Beautiful play.
* Hopefully JT will get it going against the Giants. He’s had a rough patch going 1 for his last 20. He looks like he could use a day off to me, but not against the Giants.
* Hitting has never been harder. Molly Knight of the Athletic has a nice article on the lack of offense in MLB displayed by the number of no-hitters. She quotes Managers and reasons like the baseball, loading the baseball, style of launch angle hitting, shifts – putting all defenders in the right spots, velo, and great advance scouting.
And my favorite, advanced technology with stuff like Edgartronics and Rapsodo. My theory is tech has helped the pitchers MORE than the hitters at this point. Sure, hitters can polish their swings and look for flaws and holes but they are now being asked to hit pitchers who have developed better stuff through technology. Chris Woodward of the Rangers agrees “I think the technology and understanding and being able to make pitches that much better— [pitchers] can now look at Edgertronic cameras and Rapsodos and all kinds of different things to get these pitches to come out of the same exact [arm] tunnel,” said Woodward. “We didn’t know all that stuff 10 years ago, and the guys that did had an advantage. We’re maximizing everything these guys throw”
Big series coming up and I can’t wait.
The organist trolling Josh Reddick last night was CLASSIC!
Turner and Betts need to step up this weekend. JT’s bat looks like it’s in slow motion right now and Betts is getting beat inside and chasing away. Happy for Wood but not tonight!
Well, today is a good day. We improved our record in one run games and Kenley had a nice back to back as MT pointed out. His line was identical to his previous night. 1 0 0 0 0 2. Two clean innings in a row. Man, I year for the Kenley that used to go out there and pitch 4 days in a row. Are we going to get him back? His H/9 is very low, even by his standards. He’s no longer a 1 pitch guy. Can he end up being better than he was during his peak. Look at Kimbrel. It could happen! Baseball is weird that way.
While Pujols may only get 1 hit per game, it seems like he picks up ribby’s like I pick up ribs on the forth of July. Will Smith homers and we find out after the games that he’s mentoring Will Smith. Maybe he can mentor Yoshi.
I’m not too concerned with Kelly giving up a bomb to the DBags best hitter. This happens sometimes. Give him a few games.
Has anyone noticed that Vesia is really, really dirty? 6 innings 10 Ks one hit so far this season with scoreless innings in his last three games. Get rid of those walks and he’s gonna be really freaking good.
The Giants series starts tonight! Who would have thought they would be in first place for our first meeting against our historic rivals this year? No one! They are playing above their heads. The Giants are 2nd in baseball in HRs and the Dodgers are 17th? This is not going to last. Brandon Crawford, a 34 year old career .250 hitter has 11 big flys already. That’s about 10% of his career total for homers. Baseball is weird. His career best is 21 homers in a season, he’s on pace for 41. That’s some Brady Anderson type production.
It will be interesting to see if they ball fly out this weekend. The wind is blowing on shore, so it’s going to be cool and damp coming from the ocean. But, that direction is also blowing out towards the outfield.
Alex Wood is on the bump tonight, so no doubt he’ll be doing his Cy Young impression as all mediocre lefties seem to do against the Dodgers. I’m confident that Bauer will come up on top. We may need to manufacture a couple of runs.
Call me crazy but I think Kelly could be a factor this year for us. He needs to trust his fastball and throw it more often and get it up in the zone with 2 strikes. I like his change and his slider will be more effective if he throws it less often. Speaking of sliders Kenley is dealing with his off speed stuff this year. He even threw a curve last night. Can’t remember the last time I saw that pitch from him. You can see his confidence growing and therefore he’s throwing more strikes. Right now he along with Treinen, Gonzalez and Nelson give us nice end of game solutions. And if Price and Kelly can regain their mojo and Knebel and Graterol come back I really like our bullpen. I’m predicting Kelly surprises us like Kenley has.
Joc and Kike both batting leadoff, when they play
Well, Kelly has never been terribly consistent, although he has stretches. Mostly about control. Lot of upside, but you do have to produce.
Interesting story in today’s LA Times about Clayton Kershaw not being a fan of all the recent no hitters, thinks it’s bad for the game. Again, he points out the changes made by baseball haven’t worked they way they were intended.
Offense is down across the board. Cumulative batting average of .236 and averaging 7.82 hits a game, an all time low and 8.98 strikeouts per game, an all-time high. Homers are down from a record 1.39 in 2019 to 1.14 this year.
None of this is good for a game many already see as lacking action. Honestly, at times I’m bored with the game and frustrated with the lack of action. Baseball needs to figure this out and fast. Plus the growing numbers of star players on the injured list should lead to a total rethink of where the game is going.
So, Kershaw is correct in expressing concern. The future of the game is at stake.