Nice Comeback Win to Knot the Series

First observation, this is a much different game for the Dodgers without Mookie Betts.  They are still talented enough to win, but he sure does make it much easier.  Seager and Betts seem to have been carrying the team on this trip, and the spark just seems to have gone out without Mookie. 

The pitching matchup for Tuesday night was the one expected for Monday. Two of the brightest MLB pitchers, Walker Buehler, and Chris Paddack, squared off on Monday, and neither pitched to their ability.  Buehler only gave up three hits on the night.  Unfortunately, they were all solo HRs. Both starting pitchers left the game knotted at three.  This was supposed to favor the Dodgers whose bullpen has been generally outstanding, while SD’s has been dismal.  Well not on that night.  Bazooka Graterol was still serving up 100 MPH pitches, but they did not seem to fool the Padres batters.  Caleb Ferguson who has been untouchable this year was anything but.  The Dodgers could not hit the Padres relievers until Kirby Yates offered one up to Cody Bellinger.  Dodgers go down 5-4.  The Dodgers have lost 4 games this year, and all four games have been by 1 run.

On Tuesday it was a different story.  Dinelson Lamet is showing the Padres management that they were smart for being patient with him.  He looks to be a solid mid to back end starter.  Paddack and MacKenzie Gore figure to be a formidable one-two with Luis Patino also in the mix.  Dustin May arguably pitched the best game of his young career.  His longest outing of his career and most strikeouts.  He got up to 82 pitches.  If he continues as he has, 7 IP is a real possibility.  If he learns to truly command his pitches, he will be unstoppable.  The movement on his slider is unbelievable.  Just ask our favorite former Dodger, Manny Machado.  It will certainly be very difficult to keep May out of the rotation.

Tuesday night was also the return to the expected results of the respective bullpens.  Baez, Treinen, and Jansen were fantastic, while Stammen, Hill, and Johnson not so much.  When Treinen’s sinker is working it is also unhittable.   His movement is fairly extreme as well.  He did hit a batter, and did not keep him at 1B, but he did strike out the side.  Pedro Baez is a different pitcher with his changeup.  He could not get his fastball consistently over.  In prior years, he would have kept forcing it until he was lit up.  But on Tuesday, he knew he could get the changeup over, and that is what he went with.  Much too early in the season, but Kenley looks to be back to his 2017 self.  He seems to have much more confidence in his cutter.

I cannot remember seeing five HBP in the same game.  Three Dodgers were plunked, while two Padres were.  26 year old Jake Cronenworth looks to be a real keeper for the Pads.  Eric Hosmer goes down with an injury, and Cronenworth, who is a SS, moves to 1B and becomes an offensive and defensive star in the series.  Jake does not have a 1B glove, so he had to borrow one.  The story line was that when Matt Stairs was with the Padres in 2010, he gave the club house guy a new glove to work in, but never got the glove from the club house guy when he left, and the glove stayed with him.  Jake is now using Matt Stairs’ 2010 1B glove.  The play he made on the Corey Seager line drive in the 5^th inning was outstanding.  Jake also got his first MLB home run off Dustin May in the 4^th.

The player many on here did not want, and maybe still do not, continues to prove why AF signed him.  With a tie-breaking double (4) in the 7^th and his 3^rd HR in the 9^th, A.J. is now hitting .364 with a team leading OPS of 1.174.  Fantastic piece of hitting by going with the outside pitch to RF on his double in the 7^th.  We have not seen too much of going the other way outside of Corey Seager with this team in the first 12 games. 

Cody Bellinger looks like he might be starting to come around.  He continues to make contact, and now they are starting to fall for hits.  He still has that loopy swing, but maybe his timing is getting closer.  He sees the ball, he is just not barreling it up just yet.  Seager continues to crush the ball, but once again with a runner on 2B with nobody out, he struck out and could not get the runner to 3B.  He has been in that same situation at least three times (twice in the extra inning game), and he has not yet moved the runner over.  But he did get the key single that scored the tying run, thanks to a Trent Grisham error.

Muncy and JT continue to struggle, although with three walks, Muncy has pushed his OBP up to .356 even though he is hitting below the Mendoza line. 

It was pretty cool to listen to Joe and Orel talk about Zach Wheat again, a few days after we got the great writeup on Zach from Michael Norris (AKA Bear) last week.  Tonight, the previous Dodger career leader on HBP was knocked down to #2 by Justin Turner (74 HBP as a Dodger).  JT did get the ball for his trophy case.

They still left 9 runners on base, but were better with RISP going 3-8.

I absolutely agree with Dodgerrick when he says that defensive runs saved can be just as valuable as RBI albeit they are harder to document.  I love to watch good defense.  Cronenworth has been a delight to watch even though he is Pads.  I still love to watch Kike’ and CT3 play SS and 2B.  They are both utility guys, but until Lux can come and take the 2B job over, one of them is going to need to play there.   I know the fan base seemingly has latched onto Zach McKinstry, and deservedly so.  But Zach has never faced a ML pitcher in a ML regular season game.  He hit well against MiLB pitchers in ST 1.0 and ST 2.0, and he figures to be a super sub as early as next year.  But this year, I would be sticking with Kike’ and CT3 because they are veteran ML hitters, and they play a far superior defense.  Zach will get his chance, but in 2021, unless one of the two goes onto the IL. 

The Pads have arrived a year earlier than I anticipated, but I still think they would be overmatched over a 162 game season.  But in a 60 game season, they look to be very competitive. Their bullpen will get better, just like the Dodgers offense will.  The rubber match will pit Ross Stripling against Garrett Richards.  Richards looks to be getting back to that very effective pre-surgery pitcher he was with LAA.  Dodgers need to take the game and series back to LA.  Hopefully, Strip will not have a 14 pitch AB in the 1^st inning.  With an open day on Thursday, I would guess that all relievers are in play for the Wednesday game.