MiLB- Odds and Ends

James Outman hit another home run last night to add to his all time Loons record. 19 as a Low-A Loon and 9 as a High-A Loon.

Thanx to Kenley for nothing. Second save in a row he blows. Yes, his numbers so far had been pretty good but who has really confidence in him when he comes for a save ? I don`t but sadly for the Dodgers DR obviously has.

I was hoping that Treinen would come back for the 9th after he set down the Giants 1-2-3 in the 8th on minimum pitches. He was looking great and shold have had enough in the tank.

After that great comeback win the Dodgers had the day before a W yesterday really would have given us not only a share of first but great momentum. Kenley more often than none fails in the really big moments .

With so many players out or hurt and the offense sputtering the Dodgers needed that save and he could not deliver.

Julio pitched fantsastic but all for none. So disappointing.

And watching Cody Bellinger bat has turned into a train wreck Painful for the eyes and stomach.

I am sure a couple of us guys here on the board could hit .150 (and falling , if that is possible). Sooner or later they will have to introduce a Cody-line. Sorry for ranting but I really had it with those kind of games.

On the minor league side: Pages went 2-4 with his 17th long ball. What is wrong with Cartaya ? Has not been in the lineup for some time now. Hurt ? Would be fitting with all the injuries that have hit the Dodgers.

Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anybody on the Loons that can get 3 outs?

Cartaya is on the Temporary Inactive List. Not sure what that means. Perhaps some developmental time at Camelback.

Cameron Gibbons just got back from some developmental time at Camelback and pitched a clean ninth last night. Jeff Belge is currently on that list

Loons pitchers did well last night: Alec Gamboa five scoreless, Melvin Jimenez one scoreless, Franklin De La Paz two scorelss and Cameron Gibbons one scorless.

Just wondering if De La Paz is the next Victor Gonzalez moving along as the invisible man.

All I can think about is Kenley blowing it last night. It seems like I can’t remember the last time Kenley got the first guy he faced out. Looking through his game logs, he’s allowed at least a hit or a walk in his last 9 outings in a row. The thing that hurts the most is that we would be a game up in the win column and in first place if he didn’t blow his last two opportunities.

After his meltdown last year, and his current downward trend, I have lost all confidence in him being able to slam the door shut. It’s time to move on from Kenley as closer.

It seems that the Mantra for this team is to rest. I feel like there’s little urgency to win now as a each night features a questionable lineup decision. I realize that “some” players are banged up. Belli clearly isn’t right, Seager, Mookie, Turner were all out of the lineup last night. But, it seems to me that maybe they’re being a little too cautious or that this is some kind of self fulfilling prophecy by having a cautious Spring Training in anticipation of not knowing how players will react to playing a full season after a short one.

Maybe I’m just getting sick and tired of watching what looks like split squad games and I’m venting my frustration of never seeing this team play with a full lineup, much less roster. I feel like the IL and bench team on a given night could beat the one that’s on the field. Is this just bad luck? Are the baseball Gods intent on not allowing a repeat? Or, is this the result of a bad training staff?

Let’s stop screwing around now. Activate Seager and Knebel and get Nelson throwing. Get Brusdar back on the roster and get Mookie back in the lineup. Put Kenley on the IL and work his ass into game shape. Stop treating these guys with kid gloves and make a run.

Time to start looking for a new training staff.

Went to bed after the 7th, woke up & saw the 3 in the 9th and without having to look further, said !@$@!!! JANSEN! We just cannot have a reliever who allows so many runners. as noted, even in his saves his is usually allowing runners. And with him a runner on 1st might as well be a runner on 2nd & sometimes 3rd since I don’t think he could even hold Pujols on base ( exaggeration ). Time to give a try to Treinen or Kelly I think. And Belli? I drop him down to 8th & leave him there for the time being and stop effing around with him in other different places in the lineup.

cheers

pb+

Brutal loss. Pressure on Walker tonight to split the series and not lose any further ground, All you Cody Bellinger fans, and I know there are a few on this site, he will not improve if he continues to step in the bucket with his his first movement and wrapping the bat behind his head is also problematic.. He is walking away from the baseball and not able to hit center cut fastballs. Some here say he’s not fully recovered from shoulder surgry,then he should be rehabbing and on the IL.He is killing the lineup with a .156 batting average and hurting our chances to win. We can’t carry him any longer because of his glove.

What can you say, tough game to watch. I do not know why, but I just had a bad feeling as soon as Posey stepped to the plate. He is just one of those guys who is going to take what you give him and go with it. Then the sequence to Flores was awful. When he is on, and he was for quite a while, Jansen can be dominant, but to me, the minute he does not get that first batter out, we are in trouble. To compound it, he then walks the next hitter. He is nerve wracking to watch. But the offense did not exactly light the world up either. As for Bellinger, they do not score that second run if he is not on base, and yes, they can carry him. He is not going anywhere. He made two outstanding defensive plays. Understand, if they were at full strength we would not even be discussing his hitting woes. Look at the lineup they ran out there last night, No Turner, no Betts, no Seager, a rookie playing third, and a mediocre fielder playing right. Albert did ok at first, he has not been a minus in the field. Shake last night off, get the win today, and then beat the crap out of Denver this weekend. Go into SF on a high note, and last night will be forgotten. Oh, and you probably won’t be seeing Zach Reks for a while, guarantee he gets sent down when McKinney is activated today. Next 7 day are going to be very interesting.

Move Taylor to center if and when Seager ever returns.

I knew when Kenley came in last night that his mechanics were out of sync. When he is not in sync, he can’t find the zone and loses 3 or 4 MPH. Not good.

However, in case you don’t know, his ERA is was 1.45 BEFORE the game and is now 2.15 after it.

He was tied with Josh Hader BEFORE the game for 5th Place among NL Relievers with the 1.45 ERA. Now he’s #22.

He is tied for #5 with Hader in saves with 21.

He has blown 4 saves in 25 opportunities.

Aroldis Chapman has also blown 4 saves in 21 opportunities, but has a 4.28 ERA.

The Giants don’t have one closer, but Jake McGee has blown 2 saves and Tyler Rogers has blown 5 saves.

As a team, the Giants have blown 18 saves and so have the Dodgers.

Unless Kenley has suddenly just lost it, he ain’t the problem.

He’s just the most popular whipping boy after last night!

Great Report as always, DC!

Went to bed after the 6th inning, checked the score in the morning and knew what movie happened without checking the box score. Until we can develop or trade for a close it’s high time to at least try moving Jansen to setup role and moving Treinen to closer role, they experiment with everything else. You could argue against that saying well Jansen will just blow it in the set up role and never get to Treinen and that is a fair argument but it’s worth a shot!

Apparently, the Royals are willing to entertain offers for Whit Merryfield. If Mookie Betts is out for an extended period time, Merryfield could fill in at a corner outfield position. Plus, he could serve as insurance at second base. The price is likely to be steep, given his value to the Royals, but I see a potential fit.

McKinney will probably get the start in LF tonight. Pollock has awful numbers against Desclafani. Sure Jansen is the whipping boy when he does not get the job done, just like everyone wants to trade Bellinger for not being the 2019 Bellinger. None of us have gone through trying to play pro ball when coming back from injury. We can sit here and analyze and postulate what we think might be wrong. But we have no clue. To be a good hitter it takes a lot to fall in place. Timing is essential. Recognizing when a pitch is in the strike zone or not is also essential. Elite players like Trout and Pujols in his prime make it look so easy. But you have a very short time to make a decision. And the ball is not coming at you straight all of the time, it moves. So when you see someone really square one up, they either guessed right or the ball just hung there like laundry out to dry. And one thing none of us knows for sure is the mental state of the player. There is not a person on here who has a clue what is going through Jansen’s mind when he blows a game like that. What I saw immediately after the ball was hit was a guy who knew he had just made a really bad pitch. No one is more down on themselves than the player who makes the bad pitch or the critical error. Yes, we fans get frustrated and angry when things go wrong. But we can pontificate and yell and scream all we want, and it is not going to change anything, neither will panicking and going and make a knee jerk reaction trade. I would bet, and probably win, that Friedman has already been in meetings with the coaching staff and scouts and everyone else about what is needed and which direction they might go. Trading for Kimbrel, ok, what is he going to cost?? Just him alone, or a package deal with Bryant, who is versatile enough to play infield and outfield. What would they cost? Are the Dodgers willing to take on more salary and go way over the tax? What is the GREATER need right now? Health would be my guess, then a innings eating starting pitcher. We have no clue what AF is planning, or already has talked with other GM’s about at all. They are two games out. They have 7 games left against the Giants. More than enough games to make up the deficit. When they are playing the Angels, the Giants will be dealing with the Astros. They have plenty of games against weak competition while the Giants are facing tougher opponents. But anyone who for one second thinks that the Giants are just going to fade and fold, is sadly misinformed. These guys believe like LA believed last year. And their scrubs have out performed our scrubs by a large margin. Just look at how many journeyman players they have. And all of them are making contributions to the cause.

I have a lot to do today, will be checking in later after they post the starting lineup. Good news? Most of the Giants have really bad numbers against Buehler, who is the ACE of this team. Most GM’s feel the cost for pitchers this trading deadline is going to be very high. And most GM’s seem to be shying away from trading their future for a rental, so do not expect them to trade for someone like Scherzer unless they can sign him to an extension.

With May gone and big question marks next to Kershaw, Bauer, and Gonsolin, If this year is still a priority for the organization, a starter will be needed at the deadline. Like to see a trade that allows Ruiz in the big leagues for extended time but that might mean the Dodgers can’t manipulate his service time as effectively. With all of the injuries and the Bauer circus, it looks increasingly like this may just not be the Dodgers year. Maybe the prudent thing to do is ride this year out for better or worse and reload for next year. Won’t be popular.

People can point to all the numbers they want…Jansen is the opposite of what you want in your closer. He is fragile mentally and loses his mechanics way too easily. Too many walks. Runners steal at will. Jansen’s career has been overall a good one numbers-wise, but I will be happy to see a fresh face in that role and so will my blood pressure.

JANSEN STINKS ! Not Mr Game Over but MR Blown Save

The worst part about last night’s debacle was this…

“Fans certainly have a right to voice their frustrations,” Roberts said. “I get that. But I do believe that this guy, born and raised as a Dodger, what he does — he cares about the Dodgers, the fan base, and he’s shown that on the field, off the field. No one hurts more than he does, to be quite honest. He’s worked really hard to kind of get back, should’ve been an All-Star this year, and he’s had a fantastic season. … He was looking forward to pitching at home. And so for it to not go well — yeah, I’m disappointed to hear [the boos]. Certainly. He’s not gonna say it, but I am.”

Excuse me Doc, but go Bauer yourself! Could you imagine what happens to Doc if he managed the Phillies after deflecting to the fans? They would eat him alive!

He was born and raised a Dodger

He cares about the Dodgers and the fans

No one hurts more than he does

He’s worked really hard to get back

He should have been an All-Star

He was looking forward to pitching at home

None of this has anything to do with winning a ball game or performing up to expectations. I’m sorry, but you’re playing in division after resting during the All-Star break and you come out flat in your first two save ops in a pennant race? That is completely unaccepted, especially considering his recent track record.

We all saw him melt down at the most inopportune time last year. Then they had to bring him along slowly this year. No back to back games. Scared to use him in one run games early. I’m just so sick of both of them.

No wonder this team looks so soft at times. Talking like that is pathetic. His antics getting tossed last night after the game was essentially over was pathetic. Doc is no leader. He’s a nice guy and a yes man. A politician.

This team and especially Kenley needs a good kick in the ass! Not a pat on the back to massage a fragile ego. That goes for Belli and Lux as well. Let’s start giving out some tough love, Bauer style instead of stroking egos.

In a game played by millionaires it’s all about results. If you hit you get your name penciled in the line-up…if you don’t you should sit your butt on the bench and watch. Time for Belli to watch a game or two.

Lets not forget KJ was not the closer in last year’s WS run. All you need to know is the Dodger closer, making $19 million per year was NOT the closer of choice in the game WS game #6 with a chance to win LAD’s first WS in 32 years.

Yes, Urias was light’s out in game #6, but with a chance to win the WS KJ is left in the BP to watch. The right move by the way but now Doc wants to lecture fans on the booing. This will be KJ’s last year as a Dodger and I’ll say thanks for all that he has done, but I won’t miss his inconsistency.

I’m just a fan, so I’m asking, not saying this is what should be done.

Bellinger is really struggling offensively, but keeping him in the lineup is justified by his great defense. DJ Peters has been identified at times as a pretty good defensive center fielder, but struggles mightily at the plate.

Is Peters good enough defensively, and close enough to Bellinger offensively right now that the Dodgers would not lose much if DJ switched places with Bellinger for a short time so Cody can focus on his hitting without the pressure of trying to help the team win?

Or would that just be another blow to Bellinger’s confidence?

Craig Kimbrel, anyone?

Not sure I agree with Mark. Kenley Jansen, not the problem. He’s part of the problem, two blown saves in a row. There are signs, control issues here and there, drop in velocity at times. Really believe the closer issue is front and center for Andrew Friedman. Can he find someone on the trade market remains to be seen. But go back to the playoffs and World Series last year. No one had faith in Kenley. Julio Urias, Blake Treinen and others had to step up.

Doesn’t matter how many saves the Giants have blown versus the number the Dodgers have blown. Two in a row is concerning. I can guarantee that Dave Roberts is concerned and so is Friedman. Jansen didn’t bounce back and shut the door.

Friedman says the Dodgers will be very active at he trade deadline. In the past it was more about just improving the team. This year feels different. May be the difference between winning the NL West and ending up second.

Will the Giants falter? Possibly. But Farhan will be active in the trade market and so will the Padres. Will Keibert Ruiz be in play? What other top prospects are likely to be packaged in what may turn out to be multiple deals? Friedman is very good at making big trades without giving away the farm. But the competition within the West will be intense, not to mention others seeking starting and bullpen help.

As to Cody Bellinger, he still has incredible value, defensive skills and all. But his ability to score from first on AJ Pollock’s double can’t be ignored.

Not to sound like a broken record, but Bellinger needs to drop down bunts when the shifts are on. It opens up more scoring opportunities for the Dodgers. Stealing second, going first to third on a single and scoring from first on a double. The fact that he is a good bunter plays in his favor. Now that’s helping the team win. The power and swing will return at some point. But take advantage of what’s given. The third baseman playing short is opportunity knocking. Open the door.

Good write-up, DC.

I read all the comments every day and enjoy the opinions. The comments from Bulldogs and Penguins really make a lot of sense and addresses the overall trend in our country- every one gets a trophy and it’s not my fault!! I keep reminding myself that these players make ridiculous money for just playing baseball. I guess they train and put in the work, although I sure don’t know, but for most of their lives they have been told they were special and “taken care of”. This does not create a work ethic or the ability to take responsibility. I agree that Doc is a very nice man and has a tough job trying to be critical with a bunch of “show flakes”. People keep saying that Lasorda would kick they ass and get them going but I believe this generation of players would just shut down and feel they were no getting enough respect. The Dodgers are not the only team, it goes across all baseball and our workforce in general. It might be worse for the Dodgers because of the press they get and their visibility. Sadly I don’t think Doc has much of a choice other that to plead with the players to take some responsibility but Doc telling the minimum wage fans how much they care is really hard to take. They care about being a star and being paid- end of story. I have always thought that baseball skills are important but the key element in choosing/signing a player should be did he hold any jobs while in high school or college and will he take responsibility or criticism. Finally, an earlier comment on the site said maybe this just isn’t our year and I truly agree. Someone up there has said it is time for another team to have a turn. I will always be a Dodger fan I unfortunately just have to lower my expectations.

The time to build a team is in the off-season. The time to make a trade or 2 is before the deadline. How many holes do we have that need to be plugged? Too many by my count.

1 – Jansen has been solid all year long. 2 blown saves is not a trend – yet. I have been concerned about the lack of control all year – his WHIP has been unusually high all year (now at 1.168) and BB/9 is at an all time high of 5.7/9 ip. He’s going to have a bad game – not a problem if not a trend.

2 – Victor Gonzalez doesn’t look the same and he hasn’t all year. WHIP has doubled from .7 to 1.4. BB/9 at 4.9. I really couldn’t understand why Roberts left him in to take his lumps on Tuesday in a close game. Roberts needs to have a shorter leash.

3 – Bellinger just can’t hit right now. I agree with others – why not let him figure it out? He’s not figuring it out against Major League pitching. To say it’s because of his defense is crazy – you wouldn’t let anyone else play every day who is hitting .150 because he’s a good glove.

4 – What can you do with all of the injuries? In the past few seasons, injured Dodgers have been replaced by guys who could play. This year, not so much. I don’t think that there’s anyone to blame or an easy answer. It turns out that the Dodgers have a lot of AAAA guys. They need to reload a bit. Hard to do drafting as late as they do. It might help if they drafted some position players once in a while.

Yoiks.

Stop with the political references. This isn’t about Biden nor is it about “everyone gets a trophy” or “what’s wrong with this country”. That’s tripe.

What is you EXPECT Roberts to say? I’ve said it many times in here but it just falls on the floor. Don’t listen to what people SAY, watch what they DO. His job is to protect and encourage his players. His closer is Jansen. His centerfielder is Bellinger. His starting staff included May, Bauer and Kershaw. If they can’t perform it’s up to Friedman to fix the leaks.

A few years ago, in having this debate about Mattingly, I pointed out that the BEST managers in baseball are worth about 1.7 WAR. According to the “math”, 21 batters and 7 pitchers were worth more to their teams than nearly every manager. We can’t start multiple bench players and rookie pitchers against the Division leader in late July and expect to win. We cannot keep running a closer out there that, for 30 days at least, is showing us something ain’t right.

We’ve got 4 games remaining against the giants before the deadline. We need to play them even then make moves to improve this club. Our replacement players are just that, bodies in uniform. If Mookie, Bellinger, Kershaw and Seager don’t return to form we might be toast.

Last night’s 9th inning was like a Biden Brain- Freeze. Oh sorry, I guess that was a political reference. My bad.