Potpourri and Minor League Report

I wrote about the possibility of a slow start for the Dodgers but did not predict one. I know Mark liked to chide me with that after the first two series. But 5-2 against arguably two of the worst 3 teams in the NL was nothing to brag about. The Padres played the same two teams and went 4-3. And now LAD gets to face the Rockies without having to face Kyle Freeland or German Marquez, and with Daniel Murphy on the IL. The Dodgers should not lose tomorrow and should sweep the Rockies giving them an 8-2 record for their 1st ten games. This is also different from last year when the Dodgers were horrible against teams <.500. 8-2 is what I would expect against these three teams. But actually achieving it is special.

My point was that while some of us get exasperated with a slow start of the season, the Dodgers FO does not get excited about it as they believe they have the team to battle back, and they have backed it up. My observation was that while they may be saving the starters for October, they are wearing out the relievers, or at least that is how it is panned out the last two WS. Why worry about saving innings for October if you are not going to let them throw longer in the WS. So it doesn’t seem to me that the less use in April is so that they can go longer in October. The pitch/inning limit is here to stay for the Dodgers, and I cannot argue too much since they have been to the WS in consecutive years. As a fan, I may not agree with it because as I write this, it has been 30+ years since the Dodgers have won the WS. But I accept it as reality, until the next metamorphosis in baseball strategy.

But everything is pointing that this is a different team. They are scoring in bunches and not all because of HRs. They are getting runners home from 3rd with less than 2 outs consistently. They are going the opposite way consistently. They are aggressive when they need to be and patient when it suits them. It is great to see the improvement in their approach.

Walker Buehler followed a bad first outing with a strong 5 innings, and the bullpen held it together, with a few shaky moments. Thus far the bullpen just has not been automatic. In eight of the nine starts, the starting pitching has been stellar. The bullpen????

Well it looks like Dodger management has done what opposing pitchers could not do…cool off Joc Pederson. I will admit that Joc looked overmatched against Mike Dunn in the last two games. But he blistered Andrew Chafin in another AB against a lefty. I do not know what we should expect when a batter is seeing the ball well and then sits for most of 4 games and 5 days. Sunday’s game is against a RHSP, and then there will be 4 consecutive series against a team with no LHSP (Cardinals, Brewers, Reds, and Brewers). Joc should have plenty of time to find his stroke again, just in time to sit against the Cubs with Lester, Hamels, and Quintana. It has to be frustrating to hit so well only to sit. Joc does not come off the bench well.

It is no secret that I have been less than impressed with the FO and how they value relief pitching. I hope that I can be a little critical and not be considered a moron. I know Mark gets chippy when I say that AF does not value relief pitching, but I see no evidence that AF and Company believe that RP is critical to win. I firmly believe that they would rather focus their efforts elsewhere and hope that they can plug a hole with a Zac Rosscup, John Axford, Wilmer Font, JT Chargois, Erik Goeddel, Edward Paredes, Daniel Hudson, or Ryan Madson, while Ryan Pressly, Keone Kela, Brad Brach, and Zack Britton are all traded to other teams. While I would love for them to trade for Jose Leclerc, I cannot fault them if Texas is not willing to trade him.

It has not worked out yet, but I at least give AF & Co. credit for signing Joe Kelly. I was hopeful that Joe learned what was so successful, but either the Dodgers do not like the pitch that was so successful last WS, or Joe has lost total command. I think it is the latter because one of the trademark pitches for the Dodgers is a rising fastball, and Kelly has not been able to get that pitch…yet.

Brock Stewart should never have been led to believe he could be a starting pitcher. I know one of the things Bums likes about Stewart is that he is a converted position player, threw hard, and still has time to harness that command. But those type of pitchers he often cites (Pedro Baez and Kenley Jansen) have done that as relievers not as starters. If they had the ability to get three pitches to be successful, they would not have been position players. Stewart has a two pitch repertoire and that is as good as it is going to get. When he does go back to OKC, I hope he ends up in the pen, because that is the only way he can help the Dodgers this year. Next year he will not be a Dodger, so it will not matter.

Yimi Garcia right now looks snake bit and has lost confidence. He looks every bit as Baez looked last year before he was sent down. Hopefully his 7th inning last night will help his confidence. The difference is that Garcia does not have any options left. If he is DFA, and some team picks him up, there are others at OKC who can do what he has done. It will not be the end of the world for the Dodgers or Garcia.

Forgetting about his four pitch walk last night, it certainly looks like Caleb Ferguson is a staple in the bullpen. He looks comfortable, and he can stay at ML if he recognizes that his future is as a reliever. I think Dennis Santana is in the same situation, but they all know where the money is, and it is not in relieving.

I do not expect AF to spend any of his player capital for solid relief in July. I do expect he will look at OKC and Tulsa for the answer. Santana, Gonsolin, Sborz, Schultz, Stetson, and Kasowski are all potential callups. Gonsolin, Stetson, and Kasowski will all need to be placed on the 40 man before getting called up. Every one of them is a potential high caliber prospect, but that is what they are…prospects. If Kimbrel is not signed by the June draft, I would like to see him considered for the stretch. Can you imagine Kimbrel with a chip on his shoulder to prove everyone wrong?

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

OKC 4 – San Antonio Missions 6 (Brewers)
Ben Holmes started for OKC and was not sharp. He went 3 innings allowing 3 runs on 4 hits with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts. Zach McAllister relieved Holmes and pitched very well in his two innings allowing a single but striking out 5. Jaime Schultz went 1.1 IP and gave up a run when Justin Grimm gave up a runs from an inherited runner for Schultz. Josh Smoker gave up a 2 run HR to Tyrone Taylor in the 9th for the difference in the game.
Down 4-1 in the 7th, Paolo Orlando and Jake Peter led off with HRs. Rocky Gale then reached 1st on an error and went to 2nd on a walk to Daniel Castro. Gale scored on a ground ball force out and throwing error to tie the score. There were no multi hit games for any Dodger. Besides the two HRs, the only other XBH was a double by Rocky Gale.

Tulsa 5 – Arkansas Travelers 8 (Mariners)
Tulsa lost for the third consecutive game. JD Martin, another offseason minor league free agent, started and pitched 6 innings allowing 6 runs on 8 hits. Down 6-3 in the 6th, the Drillers made a run. Jared Walker led off the 6th with a HBP, followed by a single from Josh Thole. Both runners moved up on a WP and scored on a Zach McKinstry single. Gavin Lux and DJ Peters followed with singles and the bases were loaded with nobody out. Chris Parmelee struck out and Keibert Ruiz popped into a foul out DP with McKinstry thrown out at the plate. Offensively, the Drillers had 14 hits led by Omar Estevez and three hits. DJ Peters, Zach Reks, Jared Walker, Josh Thole, and Zach McKinstry all had 2 hits apiece. Unfortunately, with all of those hits, the team was 4-16 wRISP.

Just like with the ML team, the relievers continued to throw gasoline on a fire. Shea Spitzbarth put together a quality 1.2 innings after a horrendous 1st outing on opening day. Marshall Kasowski made his 2019 debut and allowed a walk and bunt single. With two outs, Adam McCreery relieved Kasowski and promptly issued a WP followed by a 2 run single. Why Kasowski was not allowed to finish the game, well????

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 4 – Stockton Ports 2 (A’s)
Down 2-0 and with two outs in the 4th, Carlos Rincon hit a double. Donovan Casey singled to score Rincon and continued to second on an error. Marcus Chiu followed with a run scoring single to tie the game. The scored stayed knotted at 2 apiece until Connor Wong hit is first HR of the season in the 8th. The Quakes added an insurance run with a Marcus Chiu HR in the 9th.

Bryan Warzek started and pitched 3.1 innings allowing the two runs on 4 hits, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. However, tonight the Quake bullpen was outstanding led by 2.1 innings from Max Gamboa, 2 innings from Jordan Sheffield. Wes Helsabeck gave up a 9th inning run, but got the save. It was great to see Jordan Sheffield in his new role.

Great Lakes 3 – Lake County Captains 5 (Indians)Great Lakes loses their 3rd consecutive game to start the season 5-3 to the Lake County Captains (Indians).. The bright note in this game is that Josiah Gray pitched 4.2 innings allowing 1 run on 2 hits, issuing 2 walks and getting 6 strikeouts, and came out tied 1-1. Unfortunately, Saturday’s GL bullpen did not come through as Austin Drury allowed 1 run on 1 hit (HR) and Jasiel Alvino allowed 3 runs on 3 hits. Each had 1 walk and 1 strikeout. Justin Hagenman pitched the 9th allowing no baserunners.
Offensively, the team hit 5 doubles led by Miguel Vargas’ 2. Niko Hulsizer, Jacob Amaya, and Hunter Feduccia had the other 3. But the story of the game was they were 2-11 wRISP.