Just a Hiccup Nothing Terminal

Two losses in a row!  The sky is falling!  We are doomed!

Not really.  The Dodgers just have the hiccups.

They don’t have cancer or heart disease! It will all be fine.

It’s a 162 game season and there is no way you can “bring it” every day.  No way, no how!  You can try, but somedays it just ain’t there.  The last I checked, the game was played by humans and that’s just part of the “human condition.”

Sunday was Yu Darvish’s first game back and he was rusty.  That’s to be expected. Clayton Kershaw is on the DL for another 5 days.  I doubt he will be rusty.  Cody Bellinger, the NL Rookie of the Year and Dodger HR leader is on the DL, more for rest as it was for injury. Yes, Cody sprained his ankle but it was not serious – he could have been back in three days, but FAZ is looking at the big picture.

The fact of the matter is that Cody Bellinger is just 21 years old.  Last year, Cody played 137 games after playing 128 games the year before. He currently has 119 games under his belt, and with 33 plus the playoffs he could be gassed at the end, but with this 10-day vacation, he should be locked and loaded in the playoffs.  Cody is probably the most irreplaceable position players on the team… even more so that Corey Seager (not that I would want to lose Corey either).

Oh, I almost forgot Alex Wood, who is in the running for the Cy Young Award in the NL this year.  He is on the DL too and while it is likely he won’t win (It’s Clayton’s to lose),  he should be Top 5.  He may be held out another week or two as they want him in the playoffs and need to make sure his SC joint is fine and his velocity returns.  I think he will be limited to 90 pitches or less the rest of the way.  It may be September 10th before we see him again.

Of course, Andre Ethier (2 hits on Sunday) and Brandon McCarthy are still on the DL and on rehab assignments.  I really have no opinion as to what either might do.  I mean, who knows?  Will Walker Buehler get the call?  I will give you a definite maybe on that one.  I doubt that they will call up Verdugo and drop a player.  Just a hunch.  Alex will have to wait until next year.

Adrian Gonzalez had a stiff back on Sunday and even Ray Charles can see that a bad back can flare up at any time.  Maybe Chase Utley gets a week or so of rest in September.  Franklin Gutierrez?  Who knows, but he could be a weapon in the playoffs… could be!  Doc Roberts and the front office are trying to time this things so that everyone is ready for the playoffs.  Managing that is tough…

Dodger Rants and Raves

• By the way, the Dodgers have had three (count ’em 3) one-hitters this month – a franchise record!  They haven’t been hitting, but they have been pitching. The Dodgers have a 3.13 ERA in August while being 13th in runs scored and OB% and 26th in BA.  They are opportunistic and ready to pick each other up.
• Something tells me Joc Pederson has played his last game as a Dodger. He’s a really good guy, but it’s all about production.
• Mike Liberatore pitched a perfect inning at RC on Sunday.  He’s on track…
• Kay Bear Ruiz continues to rake at RC – .338 BA/.907 OPS.
• Roberts won’t admit it, but it will be a six-man rotation down the stretch.  Maybe they keep Kershaw and Darvish on 5-days and the rest of the rotation on six days.