Baseball is a funny game. It is also a very frustrating one and can leave you totally discombobulated. There are more ups and downs than an elevator in a high rise in the Big Apple. Take the previous series the Dodgers played against the Phillies last week.
They had so many chances to win the first two games and fell short both times. That clutch hit eluded them for the first three games. Their starting pitching, which had through the first 5 weeks been stellar, suddenly was more rotten than the politicos in DC! Julio Urias was touched for four homers in his game, and Buehler, forced into action by the injury to Kershaw, gave up five. The bullpen, also stellar all at once gave up winning rallies. After a Turner homer tied the game at 9, Graterol was touched for 3 in the 10th, leading to a 12-10 loss. Hudson gave up the winning runs after LA tied the game in the 8th inning on Friday.
And to win game four and stop the losing streak, they had to come off of the mat with two outs in the bottom of the 9th. A Bellinger triple and a walk to Taylor set up Lux’s first career walk-off. That atoned for his error that opened the door for 4 unearned runs scored off of rookie Michael Grove.
Now they are playing the D-Backs. A team that has lost 17 of their last 18 games at Dodger Stadium. They overcame a 2-0 deficit in game 1, 3-0 in the second game, and a 2-0 hole in the third. They are starting to find their power strokes with 6 homers in the three games. Betts is heating up as is Trea Turner.
I went to yesterday’s tiff, and I hoped they would jump out to a lead and keep it. This was the first time I got to see Striker Buehler in person. I love baseball. I love going to the games, I just wish they were more affordable to the lower-income scrubs like me. Well, it was a good game and ended with a sweep of the D-Backs. I can go see them when they come to Coors after I get home. And this year, I just might do that.
I think the team has not yet shown how good they can be. Freddie Freeman is working with both Lux and Bellinger. I hope some of Freeman rubs off on both. Meanwhile, let’s play ball, do not get ulcers, and cheer the blue to victory!
Discussion (23)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Just had a chance to read through the comments that I skipped over earlier and, yeah, today was a bad day on LADT.
Sorry I even brought up passive aggressiveness yesterday. The phrase has been mis-used and abused today.
I didn’t think Cassidy’s post yesterday was particularly political, and I wasn’t offended by it in the slightest, and I don’t think it was aimed at anyone here in particular.
Y’all need to relax.
Amazing the Dodgers are where they are now with the best record in the NL.
Three of our supposed top hitters are at or below the Mendoza line.
2 starters out.
Our best reliever out.
That speaks volumes about the talent and depth of the franchise.
However: If we want to win the ultimate prize we need Treinen and Clayton in postseason play and Belli, Muncy and JT at or near their career numbers.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!
PhilJ, glad you are on the mend and somewhat back in the saddle. Appreciate you.
PhilJ, glad you are on the mend and somewhat back in the saddle. Appreciate you.
Hey Zeke thanks for mentioning my yesterday and saying you have missed my analysis while I was “staying away for a bit”. It was actually a little more than that
On May 5, I mentioned I was going in for a knee replacement the next day and wish me luck. “Singing the Blue” did just that and I thanked him for his thoughts.
The knee procedure did not go well. The bone was really roached and required removal of bone including spurs, So it was pretty invasive which created lots of pain, I was unable to bear weight on that knee. When I had the other knee replace a few years ago, I was on my feet with a walker the next day, I couldn’t do that this time. I was forced to go to a Rehab Center for a 10 day stay. I busted my ass for 2 rehab sessions a day and got to the point where I’m self sufficient with the walker and I have come home.
And I’ve missed some Dodger broadcasts while in exile. I’m catching up. So whether you have missed any of my posts or not, that’s the reason.
For the most part, I’ve enjoyed my interactions with folks on this site for a few years now. I try to offer what I can from a player/coach perspective in a civil way. I will tell you that maybe I’m oversensitive this time but I was disappointed that my absence was so seamless. My thoughts or presence were never missed by anyone but Singing the Blue and Zeke. In earlier days, folks on this site took and interest in other bloggers and legitimately cared for one another. I miss the interactions from DBMom who added soul to this site. Kept us in check. That tells me something about the value of my relationships now on this site.
So, I haven’t gotten back into the saddle. The other part is I’m interested in talking baseball and topics baseball related. I have ZERO interest in the political arguments like yesterday. I though we had decided to not go there but some bloggers have an insatiable desire to go there. I’m not interested.
And today. Right out of the shoot we have the arrows flying between the usual cast of characters with comments about freakin dumbass, drooling on your shoes, checkin you meds, aggressive little turd and all the other sometimes witty, personal attacks at each other.
This just isn’t my style. I come here to civilly discuss baseball and share information. I don’t have much to add in this current environment.
Max Scherzer Likely Out Six To Eight Weeks Due To Oblique Strain
By Steve Adams | May 19, 2022 at 1:40pm CDT
The results of Max Scherzer’s MRI are in, and the news isn’t great for the Mets. The team announced Thursday that Scherzer has suffered a “moderate to high grade internal oblique strain” and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. He’ll be placed on the injured list alongside co-ace Jacob deGrom (stress reaction in his scapula) and right-hander Tylor Megill (biceps inflammation).
It’s a brutal blow for the Mets, who sit at 25-14 and currently hold a six-game lead over the second-place Phillies in the National League East. Scherzer sustained the injury last night when throwing a slider to Albert Pujols, telling reporters after the game that he’d been experienced some tightness before feeling a “zing” down his side on the final pitch to Pujols. The three-time Cy Young winner immediately called for the training staff and could be seen plainly stating, “I’m done” when the staff reached the mound.
It is getting a little “Chippy” in here.
Without naming names, can we tone it down a notch or two or I am going to have to Release the Kracken?
I’m looking forward to adding May and Duffy to the 3-4 list mid season. Wow I wouldn’t want to face the Dodgers pitching staff this year!
BBB&P you have such a kind and gentle way about you.What’s your secret?
By the way, I forgot to list my name on the photo credit. It was me that took the picture of Bear on his couch.
The day of 5 starting pitchers is history. AF has embraced the bullpen game with how he has constructed the roster. The complete game is a a rarity now You can brake down a pitcher by how many innings you should expect.
5-6 Bueler/Urias/Heaney/Gonsolin/Anderson/Kershaw
3-4 White/Grove/Ferguson/Pepiot
1-2 Everybody else including IL
This is a staff that can get us through the regular season and winning the last game of the season!
I think it’s about time we bring up KPillar. We have holdup almost 2 months now with our 2nd basemen doubling up as our 4th outfileder!
It was fun and my sis had a great time. I really appreciate it.
I thank you so very much, My sis needed the break as much as I did. It was a good game and we had some nice people around us. No drunks.
As Dodger fans we expect to win. This is a great position to be in and undergirding this expectation is understated gratitude for the current team’s structure, farm system, mgt, and player acquisition strategy. That said, the lens thru which we view the Dodgers is colored by the World Series. More specifically, can the current team win it all. Pitching and health are the key ingredients to winning the WS. There’s a lot of talk in this log about our pitching depth, but i see a lack of playoff quality at present. Walker and Julio will hopefully round into shape and form a solid 1-2 punch. After that, we have issues. I don’t see Gonsolin as a playoff caliber pitcher, we cannot count on Clayton, and Heany becoming a stopper is a long shot. The BP is equally questionable. Yes, there’s time for stoppers to emerge, but Treinen’s injury, Graterol’s effectiveness don’t inspire confidence. My hope is a TB resolution will trigger a trade/acq for a starter, and the bullpen hierarchy will sort itself out. At the end of the end of the day, sweeping the D-backs feels good, but they’re not our measuring stick. Come Fall, can our pitching match-up with the Mets, Braves, Padres, Giants, Phillies in a winner take all series?
The Dodgers have 5 pitchers on the 60 day IL right now, 28 pitchers total on the 40 man.
The Starting Pitchers on the 40 include. Anderson, Buehler, Duffy, Gonsolin, Grove, Heaney, Jackson, Kershaw, May, Pepiot. Miller is depth and is not on 40 man. So. there’s a minimum of 10 Starting Pitchers already on the roster and with Miller, 11 total without considering Price and White.
Right now we have the best record in the NL and the best pitching staff in the NL. But, we need to trade for pitching?
Crack is bad.
Hey Bear, you’re welcome! Glad you had fun. Yea, the view from those seats is pretty, as you see the entire stadium.
On Buehler:
I have no inside information, but it appears to me that Buehler is trying to change his repertoire. He can still throw 96 when he wants, but he is choosing to use more sliders and curves, and cut fastballs in the low 90s. What he was doing yesterday was game-planned. I am sure no one is going to talk about it, but I do not believe it is injury-related. I’d like to know more, but I doubt anyone tells us.
WE ALL PREDICTED IT WOULD HAPPEN EVENTUALLY:
Max Scherzer Headed For MRI After Last Night’s Early Exit
By Steve Adams | May 19, 2022 at 8:15am CDT
Mets ace Max Scherzer pulled himself from last night’s game midway through a sixth-inning at-bat against Albert Pujols (video link). After throwing a 2-2 slider to Pujols, Scherzer immediately motioned to the dugout that he was done, calling for a trainer and promptly exiting the game. The Mets announced that Scherzer was dealing with discomfort in his left side, and Scherzer told reporters after the contest that he’d felt tightness in his side throughout the day and felt a “zing” during the Pujols at-bat (video link). “I just knew I was done,” said Scherzer. The three-time Cy Young winner added that he doesn’t believe the injury to be a “major strain.”
That’ll be determined this morning, it seems, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo writes that Scherzer is headed for an MRI to determine the extent of the injury. While Scherzer himself downplayed the potential severity, it’s obviously a point of concern that he both pulled himself from the game and is now undergoing a round of imaging to determine whether a trip to the injured list will be necessary.
The 37-year-old right-hander inked a record-setting three-year, $130MM contract with the Mets over the winter, making him the highest paid player (on an annual basis) in Major League history. Thus far, Scherzer has been the co-ace the Mets hoped to be acquiring when doling out that deal, pitching 49 2/3 innings of 2.54 ERA ball with a 30.6% strikeout rate against a 5.7% walk rate. He’s been a major reason that the Mets’ rotation, even without Jacob deGrom, ranks fifth in the Majors in ERA and second in
If Buehler and Urias get hit hard in the playoffs then it won’t matter who we pick up. I think they’ll be fine. There’s just too much talent and moxie. We’re gonna make the playoffs if I was the #5 so I’d rather give the young guns a chance during the regular season. Why pick up a pitcher that won’t be a playoff caliber pitcher? I thought Pepiot did a good job yesterday and I blame Smith for calling for a 2-2 fastball to Walker. Use the change up!
Some info flying around regarding how hard our 1 and 2 are being hit. Concern? Hell yes it’s a concern. Especially when 3 & 5 are on the shelf. But, if we keep scoring all should be well, right?
Anybody heard of a guy named Paul Blackburn? Maybe we can pick him up early for a couple of Loons and cash. Oakland can always use cash.
Bear, I like this post! I’m glad you got to go to the game.
BIG BAD B&P ( BBB&P I like it) Please don’t pick on me. You’re hurting my feelings. And I only allow my wife to speak to me like that!