Just Win, Baby!
Yesterday’s win is a game that can really galvanize a team. It also builds character. Bobby Miller has to take yesterday as a learning moment and look back to learn from it. Can he do that? We shall see. James Outman is starting to make the necessary adjustments. OTOH Miguel…
- Yesterday’s win is a game that can really galvanize a team. It also builds character.
- Bobby Miller has to take yesterday as a learning moment and look back to learn from it. Can he do that? We shall see.
- James Outman is starting to make the necessary adjustments.
- OTOH Miguel Vargas has not adjusted as yet to the top of the zone pitches – It’s not the speed – it’s the location – he is not hitting the pitch at the top of the zone. In his first at-bat, they threw him two pitches at the top of the zone, and he popped the second one up. In his next at-bat, they threw him four pitches, none of which were strikes, and he grounded out. Usually, he will not swing at a pitch out of the zone – right about now; he is totally out of whack. He needs to sit for a couple of games. Nothing good comes out of “pressing.”
- I have a few people who work in baseball that I talk to periodically. Yesterday, I talked to someone who works for another organization about my pitch sequencing theory, who smiled and told me, “I am not going to say anything more, but you are getting warm.” Honestly, I have no clue what he means… except that he knows something he doesn’t want me to know. These guys are always seeking an “edge.”
- The Dodger Bullpen ERA just moved up to #26 in MLB (4.78) and is climbing. A healthy Phil Bickford is an important part.
- OKC won their 50th game last night (50-22).
- Landon Knack fared much better in his second start: 5 IP/7H/2 ER/1 BB/6 K.
- Hunter Feduccia is on another hot streak.
- Nick Nastrini was Nasty last night” 6 IP/3 H/0 ER/3 BB/8 K – He just needs to cut down on the walks, and he will be dominant.
- Two players who may be available at the Traded Deadline: Justin Turner & Cody Bellinger… just sayin’
- I really hope the Dodgers do not trade Busch… and I don’t think they will!
- The Dodgers have options at the trade deadline, and lots of players could be “trade chips.” Call it what it is. The only problem I have is demeaning a player by saying. “He’s just a trade chip – nothing more!” No, they are people and deserve respect for what they have accomplished.
- Bear nailed it – Jonny DeLuca’s stance looks like the Penguin.
- David Peralta!
- The Dodgers need 6 or 7 strong innings by the Catman today!
- Here’s what MLB says about the Dodgers second half prospects:
The Dodgers are already good right now. But come on. These are the Dodgers. The Dodgers who have won nine out of the last 10 NL West titles. The Dodgers who have won 100-plus games in each of the last three full seasons, and four of the last five. And they’re sitting in third place in the West right now?
Expect that to change. The D-backs are a nice surprise in first place, and the Giants are chugging along just ahead of the Dodgers in second, but the Dodgers are the best team in this division. Freddie Freeman (.316 batting average) and Mookie Betts (18 home runs) are their typical MVP contender selves, Will Smith might be the best offensive catcher in baseball (.915 OPS), J.D. Martinez is having a resurgent season in L.A. (.560 slugging percentage) and Clayton Kershaw is ageless (2.72 ERA).
When Julio Urías and Max Muncy get back into the rotation and lineup from their respective injuries, the Dodgers can really get rolling. Expect them to go on a run in the NL West. They already have a better run differential than Arizona (+48 to the D-backs’ +34), and they have the easiest remaining strength of schedule of any team in baseball. The D-backs’ lead in this division is not safe. In fact, the Dodgers’ odds of winning the NL West are almost twice as high as Arizona’s, per FanGraphs — 47.6% to 19.6%.
— MLB.COM
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Discussion (94)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Awesome come back win. I love whuppin on the Asstros.
Miller is getting the MLB Welcome Wagon. He’ll figure it out. I do have 2 suggestions:
* Karros noticed it in the dugout. If I’m up their hitting it might be nice if my pitcher is paying attention to my at bat and not pacing the dugout with his glove on ready to go back out there before we’ve finished batting. Kershaw needs to tell him to sit down.
* Scrap the “Buehler Bun-Hugger pants”
Another great College World Series game with LSU beating Florida with a homer in the 11th. LSU got another awesome pitching performance from the Floyd kid who fanned 17 in 8 innings. Man can these teams pitch. If Florida wins today to make it 1 to 1, I’m hoping will will get a chance to watch Paul Skenes pitch again.
* I mentioned before that DeLuca looks like Ron Cey in the box. LSU has a sophomore who would make a good Dodger. Third baseman, Tommy “Tanks” White looks just like Justin Turner 2.0
* Please tell me there will never be a review to see if the back of the glove, maybe the strap on the wrist, tagged the sliding runner, or was it his bare forearm, and not the glove? Please kill me if they go there on replays. It’s morphed into a place where it was never intended to go.
As for the pitch sequencing idea, I wonder if shifting–and the banning thereof–plays a role in that too.
My guess: Vargas goes to OKC when Muncy comes back and Busch stays. Not wild about exchanging a right handed bat for a left handed bat but Vargas will come back better.
Watching the Cubs v Cards on TV from the London Stadium.
Looks like lots of fans have made the trip over. My brother is there and says the atmosphere is great. He’s a Cubs fan.
Marcus Stroman out after 4 innings with a blister problem.
I do hope that the Dodgers get a turn to play here. You guys would love a weekend in London.
Just watching Michael Fulmer pitch for the Cubs. Has anyone noticed the uncanny resemblance he has to our own Alex Vesia??
Another fine win yesterday. Always good to beat the Asstros
I’ve actually been impressed with Busch’ defense at 3b. Not because he looks like Nolan Arrenado, but because all we ever heard was he’s an average fielder, no matter where he plays, and his bat is what got him here.
So far, it’s the opposite. He looks calm and steady at 3b, and his offense is a tad slower; BUT, he is hitting really well with guys on base.
I’d love to have him play more and learn on the job, but how many rookies can we do that with??? And with Muncy back this week, Busch likely is trade bait, and hopefully a big chip for someone.
He may blossom somewhere else, regardless of what position they stick him at, but hopefully he helps land an impact player for us this year.
A little more on the sequencing discussion –
This was a comment I read yesterday.
“I highly doubt the sequencing theory had much if anything to do with the bullpen improving the last three games.
Sequencing didn’t cause Graterol to make two horrible defensive plays to cost games and hang a two strike slider for a HR against Giants. Sequencing didn’t cause Caleb to walk 3 and hit another batter to blow a game.”
No reasonable person should make a conclusion whether opposing teams have discovered some chink in the Dodgers sequencing armor – for or against – based on exactly two samples. He’s right. Graterol and Ferguson didn’t execute in those particular games. It happens.
The question that perplexes me, and why I think Mark’s theory is at least interesting, is that the Dodgers relief corps, collectively, for all of 2022, was the best in baseball. Currently, up till a few days ago, they were nearly the worst in baseball with more or less the SAME personnel, throwing with the SAME stuff.
Graterol and Ferguson having two bad games are a small sample size. It means nothing. An entire season’s worth of data compared to nearly a half season’s worth of data is not a small sample size. It means something. The question is what.
Point #2:
It’s no secret that Mark Prior has done a very good job getting the most out of pitching staffs and pitchers. He revitalized Anderson’s and Heaney’s careers last year, and the total pitching staff was tops in the majors. You don’t think opposing teams noticed?
And if opposing teams notice that Mark Prior seems to have some sort of secret sauce when it comes to pitchers, do you not think opposing teams are asking themselves HOW he’s doing it? If they observe and begin to understand Prior’s approach, doesn’t it therefore reason that opposing teams can possibly predict what his pitchers are going to do and gameplan for it?
Now, is this proof that Mark’s sequencing theory is correct? Obviously not, but it is a reasonable enough hypothesis to at least consider rather than dismiss with tautologies along the lines of, “The Dodgers relief pitching is bad because they’re simply not pitching good.”
I loved reading Trashtros fans on Twitter wail and gnash teeth because they didn’t think that was a balk. It was a balk.
Saturday scores
Oklahoma City 7, Las Vegas 3
Northwest Arkansas 2, Tulsa 1 (11 innings)
West Michigan 10, Great Lakes 0
Rancho Cucamonga 4, Lake Elsinore 1
Sunday schedule
11 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Justin Wrobleski) at West Michigan (TBD)
11:05 a.m.: Tulsa (Ben Casprius) vs. Northwest Arkansas (Andrew Hoffmann)
12:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Matt Andriese) vs. Las Vegas (Kyle Muller)
2 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Julio Urías) vs. Lake Elsinore (Miguel Mendez)
Julio on a rehab start
Wild game, good win!
Bobby Miller has the stuff and he already showed that in his first 4 games.
Now he will prove he has the brain and the calmness too. As soon as something goes wrong he gets completely out of whack. Has to learn damage control. Maybe he should sit down with Clayton more, the master of damage control.
In the low minors our 2023 prized international signing. 17 year old ss, Joendry Vargas, is off to a very good start in the DSL.
And the highly touted Wilman Diaz, last years top signing, is rebounding very well this season after a bad first year.
Hitting well in the AZ rookie league.
Two highly talented ss, a position where the Dodgers are thin throughout the system. Keep an eye on those two kids.
OTOH Dieog Cartaya now hitting below the Mendoza line. His development seems to have stalled a bit. But as Mark says: progress is not linear.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!
Bickford got a haircut and performed very well for 2 innings yesterday. Maybe Thor should do the same. Anyone hear if Andre Jackson was picked up by another team on his DFA earlier in the week?