In the seasons of 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, Julio Urias pitched a combined 161 innings. Just so we are clear, that is 161 innings in four years! He currently has 151 innings pitched THIS YEAR. I know that most of you Roberts Bashers would rag on Dave Roberts forever if Urias looked gassed at the end of the season or in the playoffs.
QUESTION: So why were you so upset over Roberts pushing back Urias’s next start a day?
ANSWER: Oh, it’s just an irrational hatred of Dave Roberts. Nothing more, nothing less.
WHATEVER!
Justin Turner was called upon to pitch an inning in Sundays’ loss and many people lost their minds. By the 5th inning, it was clear to me that these guys were not going to hit. Of course, Roberts’s Bashers will say it was because he rested three starters, and find something deplorable about that. They call themselves Realists, but Roberts evidently is a pessimist and an idiot!
WHATEVER!
Speaking of Julio Urias, it appears to me that he has added 20 to 30 pounds during this season and that might cause him to be less effective at the end of a game. It’s a bear (not Michael) carrying around two extra bowling balls.
WHATEVER!
Kirsten Watson is actually very good! I really like her now. Actually, I really like to see people grow and she has. I mean she has come a long way. Good on her. She and her former NFL football player husband are very interesting people. I won’t get political here, but if you don’t share my same sentiment…
WHATEVER!
Why does everyone call our Ace, Walker? His name should be “Striker.”
WHATEVER!
I have no idea how Joc Pederson “tomahawked” that home run last night. However, I do have an idea of how he got so fat (yes, you saw it too). He stuffed twenty (maybe 820) too many cheeseburgers into his piehole. Actually, he may have dyed his hair to distract from his cheeseburger belly.
WHATEVER!
Maybe Dave Roberts had a plan with Milwauke playing the Giants and the Dodgers playing the Braves. Maybe some of you paniced because Roberts rested players. Maybe you have more inside knowledge about each player than I do.
WHATEVER!
“The Dodgers don’t came back later in the games to win like the Giants.” Nuff said!
WHATEVER!
“We can’t win with Kenley Jansen as closer.” He will blow another game at some point and many of you will lose your minds, but right about now, he’s as good as they come.
WHATEVER!
The Dodgers stand 1/2 game behind the Giants who have started to see the wheels fall off. It make a huge different when Mookie is healthy. What many of you fail to consider is that “stuff happens.” A player gets a migraine or another gets a touch of food poisoning, or maybe their groin or lat is a little sore. Maybe you can play through it, but sometimes a days rest stops a IL stint. No one has any clue what is happening physically to any player. If you thought Dave Roberts should not have rested three starters, you are not stupid, just ignorant. But, you can become stupid when you spout off because you are ignorant. Catch my drift?
WHATEVER!
The only shortstop I want playing for the Dodgers next year is Corey Seager! There’s not a SS in baseball, I would trade him for. He may not be the Defensive Wizard Lindor is, but he suits the Dodgers and he needs to stay a Dodger. Derek Jeter was not a defensive wizard but he was Mr. Yankee. Corey needs to be Mr. Dodger.
WHATEVER!
Cody Bellinger is inching ahead, but progress is not linear. I cannot predict when he will break out, but I can promise that you will be glad he is on this team before the season is over!
WHATEVER!
How many things have you been wrong about this year with the Dodgers? The bullpen, Kenley, Muncy, Betts, etc., etc., but you insist on blaming Dave Roberts for everything?
WHATEVER!
This is my 11-month-old granddaughter, Rey Skywalker (well, I call her that) and she calls me Obi-Wan. Yes, those are my Oakleys.
WHATEVER!
Striker Buehler Post-Game Interview:
I have an idea that AC and DC are going to have quite a writeup about the Dodgers Farm System after the season is over. I am told it will be the “Mother of all Farm System Reports!” A lot of really great things are happening down on the farm.
WHATEVER!
Discussion (75)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Again all the questioning and judging without first knowing the facts. What I saw was a smiling, jovial Scherzer on the bench. I too wondered why he left an inning early but I figured there was a reason. Doc had faith in his club. I’d suggest we follow his lead.
A great August ending with a sweep of a first place club. We start September in first place. We still have issues of course but who doesn’t at this time of year? It’s great to be a Dodger fan. We are damm lucky.
Finally!
It’s about time the Dodgers acquired Ryan Meisinger. A new era. The Meisinger Era! There is no stopping the Dodgers now.
And, oh yeah, the Dodgers are back in first place.
Eric, the three most accurate words you have written this year began your last response. “I don’t know”
What would the response be here if Smith pinch hit and Barnes got injured later in the game? If Bellinger and Puljos can’t pinch hit late in games when relievers can be replaced why are they even on the team?
Was Smith not available to hit instead of Belli?
Also Jason wrong button playing Barnes tonight over Smith? Kelly closing out the 9th? Help me out here Mark! This is exhausting!
Ok Scherzer had a tight hamstring. Care to retract Eric? Spouting off not knowing the facts. You just prove Timmons point in his write up! Also Bear if not Bellinger pinch hitting against a lefty then it was Pujols against a righty. No good option!
First place indeed. Would love a Brewers sweep of the Giants so we can go to SF a full 1 game in first place. Oracle will be rocking and we will hear the “Beat LA” chant as soon as the Giants mount a threat, otherwise the fans will sit on their hands and sip their chardonnay.
Lets go, don’t look back, get CK healthy, hope Scherzer’s hammy is OK, Bellinger gets untracked, CT3 regains his stroke and our fourth starter can give the team some length. Will that be Price?
Despite Kirsten butchering another question we find out he had a tight hammy. Not Doc’s doing it sounds like.
Brewers now have 2 on and no outs in the top of the 9th, up 4-2. Hey, to those who think we were piling on Roberts, in this case he deserved it. I think if Scherzer was not tired or injured, taking him out was dumb. And it cost the guy a win. It also gave close to 50,000 people in the stands a cardiac arrest. Not to mention the TV audience.
That is what winning IN SPITE of Roberts looks like for anyone who didn’t know.
Pushed every wrong button in this one.
Huge win! First place baby! Mark r u still leaving Kelly off your playoff roster? OK Eric why was Scherzer removed tonight?
Well the offense saved Doc’s ass.
Mookie had a bad night. 0-4 with 4 K’s the Golden Sombrero
And what an idiot Roberts is for taking Matzek out and bringing in Martin!
You know that Doc is praying to Mohammad ,Buddha, Jesus and whoever else he can think of right now, that we pull this thing out.
I hope he doesn’t burn down the clubhouse with all the candles he’s lit
Turner saves their bacon….for the moment. And Pollock drives in the lead run
Just in case anyone doesn’t know a ROOGY is a right handed one out guy.
If only we all were as bright as you Eric! You have no idea why they took Scherzer out.
An absolute odd move by Doc if Scherzer was not experiencing an injury/soreness. Got to win each game played and can’t save Scherzer for the next game if you don’t win the one you’re playing. If he felt the need to go to the BP why not Bickford. Hindsight is 20/20 but if there is no injury to Scherzer that move cannot be defended.
In before the inevitable “Roberts doesn’t pitch” “players have to produce”.
Stupid move no matter what unless Max was hurt. I don’t care who in the bullpen came in. They aren’t better than Scherzer who was totally on his game tonight. Dominant. Sorry, but Max has no real relationship with Roberts and that is the kind of shit that makes you listen to other offers in the offseason.
Hey, and then lets go with out 170 rally killer in a spot to take the game back.
When I saw where they were setting up I said oh no, and he hit that spot perfectly and so did Swanson. We gotta dig deep now
If this one gets recorded in the lost column and Max was pulled because Doc liked him in that situation, well I’ll bet Max don’t much like Doc in that situation.
I can only imagine how Scherzer is feeling. Don’t touch me !
And just like that poof……
But Turner is available in the 9th
Scherzer’s 7th inning ERA this year is 1.12. His 8th inning ERA is 0.00. Unless there was a health issue or Max told him he was gassed that move was indefensible. At the same time no one wants a health issue.
I stepped away about the time that Graterol came in. Scherzer was sailing and had only thrown 76 pitches. I have no confidence in Graterol at this point and told my wife that I had real misgivings about this move. When I returned the game was tied.
Why pull Max after 76 pitches? Was he fatigued? Was his stuff failing? Or is it another case of overmanaging?
With a chance to gain another gain a game on the Giants, this was a foolish move.
Can you imagine Koufax, Orel, Sutton or Valenzuela coming out under similar circumstances?
The Dodgers are short handed in the pen tonight – both Treinen and Jansen unavailable and they lift Max after 6?
Offense was being shut down again despite the fact they had 2 HR’s. And you take out a pitcher who is dominating the other team, bad things are going to happen and it did. Totally frustrating game.
Yup that Graterol celebration was a bit
off putting to say the least. Come on man !
I’m sorry but Graterol’s 100 cannot be legit. Guys are all over his fastball all the time. But as bad as that was, once again our “all star” offense sputtering.
Did that Dipshit Graterol really just celebrate his strikeout like he went 1-2-3 after blowing the lead in no time flat?
Please tell me it’s not injury related
I would really like to hear his excuse for pulling Scherzer after 6. Especially if they lose this game. I doubt Scherzer asked out. And the Giants are still tied with the Brewers. Sorry, that was a bad move.
Please tell me taking out Sherzer was injury realated. Dude only had 76 pitches with 9 k’s, allowing 3 hits. Scratching my head.
Anyone have a good reason why they pulled Max? Think only had 75 or so pitches.
Just the “Hall of Fame” manager managing.
Pull the dominant starter on 75 pitches when you have a short bullpen.
All that was missing was a camera shot of Dave’s blank stare to nowhere.
Fuck!!! Gaterol
Should’ve left Scherzer in there for another inning. Graterol is a ROOGY and he gives up a homer to a lefty. Bad bullpen management by Doc.
I saw that coming before it even happened.
Scherzer = legend
News from Internet:
FanGraphs calls Will Smith the best catcher in baseball. They say why (and more) here:
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/will-smiths-unconventional-success/
Future Dodgers sez:
RHP Carlos Duran has been promoted from Low-A Rancho to High-A Great Lakes. The big 6’7” righty had 109/24 K/BB and a 5.25 ERA in 73.2 innings for Rancho this year. Duran just turned 20––he was Rancho’s youngest pitcher, and he’ll be the youngest pitcher on Great Lakes’ roster.
The ERA seems bad, yes, but Duran’s been the victim of a higher than average BABIP and HR/FB rate, which is reflected in his lower FIP (4.23) and xFIP (3.67).
Kevin Goldstein Chat:
Question: What are teams doing to try to advance the state of the art in hitting development?
Kevin Goldstein: Dodgers, Yankees, Astros come to mind….
Question: What do you think the top 3 requisite skills for a successful manager are? And who do you think will be the next best manager? Either first time manager or overlooked
Kevin Goldstein: Ability to maintain the clubhouse in the sense on generating consistent effort and getting the best performance out of their players. Will Venable comes to mind as a future mgr.
Question: Your reaction to the Dodgers deciding to not send out Julio Urias, Walker Buehler and Max Scherzer on four days of rest after their previous starts were on four days of rest?
Kevin Goldstein: I’m fine with it. Marathon not a sprint.
Baseball America on 2B Busch:
Michael Busch, 2B, Double-A Tulsa (Dodgers)—Busch drove in a season-high five runs, doubled three times and homered once in a win over Springfield. The 23-year-old second baseman finished August with 21 RBIs, the most of any month this season, five homers and a .252/.328/.458 slash line.
Jay Jaffe Chat
Question: What’s your best guess as to what the Dodgers do with the Turner-Seager-Lux (mostly the former two) logjam at short? Is Seager going to be available, and if so, what does his injury record do to his value?
Jay Jaffe: I think it’s really tough to know how this is going to unfold especially because the Dodgers have to deal with their pitching free agents (Kershaw, Scherzer, and whatever is going on with Bauer) as well. Seager’s injuries do put a dent in his market value but the hand fracture was a fluke (broken bones happen but they’re not predictive of future broken bones). I’d wager the damage to his value is less than what Trevor Story’s mediocre season is doing to his value.
Question: Fun facts: Yordan Alvarez has a higher career wRC+ than Juan Soto, and is averaging exactly the same WAR/600 as Soto at 5.0. (Alvarez is a bit more than one year older, for whatever that’s worth.) Is Yordan Alvarez the one significant mistake the Dodgers have made since A.F. arrived?
Jay Jaffe: He’s a mistake (Josh Fields??), though I’m not sure how much playing time he would have gotten as a Dodger without the DH in 2019 and this year.
Friedman’s mistake in trading him pales in comparison to his signing of Trevor Bauer, which stands to cost the Dodgers a lot more than money. An all-time clinker that seriously damages my view of him as an executive.
Quesiton: Joey Votto said the other day that the current MIL starting rotation is the best group of starters he has ever faced in his career (comparing favorably to, for example, the Phillies’ staff of Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, and Hamels). But are the Brewers’ pitchers even the best staff currently in the majors? I’d take Scherzer, Kershaw, Buehler, and Urias, personally.
Jay Jaffe: Well, I’m not sure you can include Kershaw in that group right now given that he hasn’t started since July 3 and is at least a few weeks away from doing so again. If everybody’s healthy, they might have the upper hand. As for Votto’s response, it’s worth considering that he’s seen the Milwaukee rotation a lot more as an NL Central rival, so I can see why he’d feel that way.
Question: Genuine question regarding your view of AF being damaged by the Bauer signing: What was the extent of the dodgers FO’s knowledge of all the despicable stuff he was up to?
Jay Jaffe: I’m skeptical, but maybe he just needs a change of scenery. Not really sure what happened given the collection of tools he had.
Question: how sustainable long term are the giants’ gains/high performance this year? getting career years from guys aged ~32-36 just doesn’t scream long-term success, though their farm is on the rise… dodgers hegemony more at risk via giants or padres?
Jay Jaffe: I agree that the success of the Giants’ geezers doesn’t seem sustainable in the long term, and it may lead to a mistake here or there if they overinvest in those guys (two years at a time, like they did for Crawford, seems fine). Their system is suddenly very good (6th on THE BOARD, 5th via Baseball America’s midseason rankings) and they seem to have money to spend. Can they find or produce foundational players to build around like Tatis and Machado? I don’t know what the answer is here but I think it’s going to be fascinating to see how it plays out.
Baseball America sez it’s time to pay for minor leaguers housing:
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/cooper-its-time-for-mlb-to-handle-minor-league-player-housing/
Prospects1500 has an, er, um interesting Top 50 prospect list:
https://www.prospects1500.com/nl-west/dodgers/los-angeles-dodgers-2021-midseason-top-50-prospects/
BaseballAmerica on Eddys Leonard:
Eddys Leonard, 3B, High-A Great Lakes (Dodgers): Gonzales wasn’t the only player to have a three-home run day. Leonard went 4-for-5 with three home runs. Much like Yorke, Leonard has actually hit even better since he was promoted to High-A. Playing for Great Lakes, the 21-year-old is now hitting .348/.442/.674 with seven home runs in just 23 games since he was promoted.
Of course in the era of analytics there are a number of factors that go into evaluating a players defensive value
Here’s a defensive ranking of shortstops from last year.
https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=fld&lg=all&qual=y&type=1&season=2020&month=0&season1=2020&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2020-01-01&enddate=2020-12-31
I don’t have a glossary of what all those terms mean but one is of course available for anyone interested in reading up on it. Of course it’s fangraphs, and those guys aren’t Dodgers fans so no way they can appreciate Seager’s defensive abilities the way those who love the Dodgers can.
Roberts is a Genius!!!!!!! Jajaja …Barnes!!!
La Bomba Muncy
Brew crew up 2-0 in the first
I prefer Smith. But whatever!!!!
Is it ok if Barnes starts over Smith tonight or is Roberts screwing up again?
Tonight is the night. We are catching up the Giants. First place Dodgers from today on.
Go Dodgers.
Today’s keep beating the Braves and root for the Brewers lineup:
T Turner
Muncy
Betts
J Turner
Seager
Pollock
Taylor
Barnes
Scherzer
Luke Raley and Sheldon Neuse are done for the year. They were added to the 60 day IL with undisclosed injuries. Raley last played 08/24 and Neuse last played 08/23.
Final batting lines:
Luke Raley – MLB – .169/.246/.237/.483 – 1 HR; MiLB – .305/.409/.573/.982 – 13 HRs
Sheldon Neuse MLB – .169/.182/.323/.505 – 3 HRs ; MiLB – .282/.345/.450/.792 – 10 HRs
The Pads are getting spanked today by the DBacks and Luke Weaver. 6-0 after five. Darvish started and went 2.2 innings allowing 6 runs (5 earned) on 8 hits. His ERA is now at 4.05. The Pads did get some good pitching news. Dinelson Lamet is back pitching. He came on in relief. This was his first game since 6/26. It will be great to see the Padres humbled and humiliated by not getting to a WC. The Reds have a FAR easier schedule in September than do the Padres.
Rosters extend to 28 today. Who will the 2 players the Dodgers add?
SF seems to be finally experiencing its long awaited regression towards the mean. To take an example, Buster Posey was predicted to have a WAR this year of between 0.5 and 0.7, well below league average. Instead, his actual WAR is 3.9. That is 46% above league average. He hasn’t had a WAR this high in the past 5 years. The question is whether he will regress to his mean performance over the past few years. Odds are, yes, though of course, we don’t know for sure. But if you had to bet, you would probably bet by “selling short” on Buster – that is, betting that his performance will diminish by the end of the season. And that same logic applies to the Giants as a whole. They will probably return to the solid, but not stupendous, team that they actually are.
Mark,
I agree that Kirsten Watson has improved but I think you may be confusing her with a different Kirsten Watson:
https://watermission.org/news/benjamin-watson-blog/
Afternoon guys. Great win last night. And not only did Mookie flash that speed, he showed his power is back again too. If you take the games just prior to his latest IL stint and the last few together, he is nails. He hit .256 in the first half. In the 14 games he has played in the second half, he is hitting .375 with 6 HR’s and 4 doubles. He has also scored 14 runs. Those of you who complain about Seager’s defense, check out my next post when it comes out. There is a surprise or two on there for you.
Trevor Bauer’s earning $38m this year and has provided 2.6 WAR
David Price is earning $32m this year and has provided 0.6 WAR.
Why is Price never criticised on here for his totally underwhelming performance?
The Dodgers have managed to pull within 0.5 game of the Giants despite all of the injuries and obstacles. I certainly have been a skeptic, but the Dodgers are finding ways to win some close games now. The Braves are a very good opponent and the series has been very tight. Hopefully the Dodgers can pull out another one before a day of rest.
The Giants series will be huge, but every game counts.
Thankful that Mark, Phil, Bear, Bulldog and others have maintained an optimistic and positive approach throughout the season. September and October should be great to watch!
Mike,
I agree with most of what you posted. Except about Beli. I think he will need another off season to fully recover from his injuries and surgery. Ok maybe we can win with him in the lineup, but I hope it doesn’t bite us in the playoffs against quality pitching.
What if we re-signed Seager but let Taylor walk? Trea could stay at 2b and Lux could be our super-utility man.
I want Taylor back but if I have to choose between him and Seager it’s an easy call.
Here’s another prediction. Belli is just about back. He’s been hitting the ball hard at an alarming rate lately with most of his outs a result of bad luck. My prediction is that he will be a key player in the Post-Season and will have his starting job back by then.
And Phil with a healthy Mookie and with TT and Belli if he can get on base we will be capable of stealing some bases down the stretch and playoffs and manufacturing some runs. Tougher playoff pitching will require that. It was very encouraging to see Mookie’s attempted steal before Seager double.
What a great baseball game. 2 very good teams toe-to-toe with a playoff feel to it. Great pitcher’s duel. Our bullpen was better than their bullpen.
* This is the line up we’ve all been waiting for. I previously said leave Belli alone and just play him but I’m okay with platooning him in center. You can’t beat his defense.
* Morton was great keeping us off-balance. Orel talked about what pitches Smith and Pollock were expecting from Morton (breaking balls) and when they didn’t get what they expected, they were both caught looking. Smith looked at 3 straight fastball strikes after being ahead 3 and 0.
* “Guess Hitting” seems to be the excepted approach now days. How many times do you hear “he was looking for something else?” Maybe guys are forced to guess these days due to difficulty recognizing more pitch shapes and higher velocity. Maybe hitters choose to look for a specific pitch or specific location now even with 2 strikes. I don’t know. I remember a time when this approach wasn’t as acceptable. When you got to 2 strikes, all bets were off and it was “see ball – hit ball”. You’d set for a fastball and adjust to everything else. Now, strike outs are no longer a sin and “Guess Hitting” seems to be an accepted way to hit.
* When right, Treinen’s stuff is just nasty. The turbo sinker at 97 with Mr. Snappy mays for a quick, uncomfortable at bat.
* I agree with Mark about Urias’ weight. He needs to be careful in the future, along with V-Gone, not to eat their way off the mound.
* Not to be an old sap but seeing Mookie capable of scoring from 1st on Seager’s double practically brought tears of joy to my eyes. Just thinking all that he’s been through physically compromising his skills and now seeing again capable of playing to his level is just wonderful. It is such a mental grind when your body can’t cooperate. It’s so good to see him really be Mookie. I was on pins and needles with every stride around the bases.
Same with Bellinger. How difficult must it be to come to the yard every day in a good mood, be a teammate, grind it out with optimism when you’re hitting .170? That can’t be a lot of fun.
* I have no plans to take back my prediction when we were 5 back that we’re going to win the Division.
* Great match up tonight. I hope we continue to come to play every night.
I was reading a Braves site and they’re all complaining about MLB allowing the Dodgers to basically field an all star team. For having a former MVP platooning and batting 8th. The most hated team in baseball! Them’s our Dodgers!
Last week I was told I was crazy by suggesting that Clayton may be in the bullpen, but as MP said, Clayton is not stretched out. He has not pitched in over 2 months and he is still a week or two away. I doubt that he is capable of more than 3 or 4 innings at a time in September.
Optimism with a Touch of Reality.
The Giants seem to be stumbling and the Dodgers with the exception of the Colorado series seem to be moving forward, a half game behind.
Mookie is definitely back, but will the hip hold? Looks like it may. Good to see the Dodgers score runs without the ball flying over the fence.
Clayton Kershaw’s rehab is picking up steam. He will probably be able to toss five or six innings in late September and into the playoffs, unless he hits a setback.
I don’t get the deal with Kirsten Watson. She’s been good. I get missing Alana Rizzo, but all is good. Time to move on.
I’ve said this before, actually several times, but the Dodgers are better with Corey Seager. Definitely going to need to re-sign him. $300 million seems a bit extreme. Not sure any free agent will get that this winter, but baseball economics passed logic and common sense years ago. The Dodgers should make the best offer. Case closed. But I do remember some here wanted a guy named Lindor. How do you like him now? Glad he’s a Met.
Yah, Trevor Bauer won’t be back. Time to move on. The Dodgers, no doubt, anxious to dump the remainder of the deal. If he gets a one year suspension, seems likely, according to many experts and insiders, case closed. Baseball and the Dodgers hate these kinds of optics. I don’t blame them.
Then there is Cody Bellinger. There will be moments, but don’t expect him to return to his old form, his shoulder was an issue last season, but 2022 — he’s back. The at bats and swings are looking better. He can certainly help the Dodgers in September and the playoffs if he continues to improve.
Glad to see Kenley using multiple pitches and finding the strike zone more. The Dodgers bullpen is very good. But, no I won’t forget the three blown saves in one week, but I am hopeful moving forward.
I still want to see more consistent hitting, especially with runners in scoring position, but I’m pretty much saying what everybody in the Dodger booth is saying.
If the Dodgers can win the division, I like their chances for a repeat championship, front line starters and bullpen being the key. A rotation with Buehler, Scherzer, Urias and Kershaw sounds pretty good.
One final thing. The Dodgers should re-sign Scherzer. LA is better off with him, that’s obvious.
Well I’m sure July was our worst month because Roberts screwed up. And because AF doesn’t know how to build a bullpen.
I wrote this on 8/6 concerning the records of the Dodgers and SF up to that point.
Dodger record for 2021:
April 16-11 .593
May 16-11 .593
June 17-9 .654
July 14-12 .538
August 2-1
The Giants record for 2021
April 16-10 .616
May 18-10 .643
June 16-9 .640
July 15-10 .600
August 4-1
So, if the Giants match their worst month of July at .600 (32-21) in the remainder of the season they end up with a 101-61 record. For the Dodgers to exceed that then they need to go 37-16 which is about a .680 clip. Can the Dodgers accomplish that? Absolutely!! They need everyone to stay healthy and play almost everyday to maximize their talent to winning. A day off here and there. No need for giving the bench playing time.
So, lets’ see what happened as of the end of August.
SF had a 19-9 (.679) record. Wow! Their best month of the season. We must be at least 6 games behind!!
But wait. Holy crap! The Dodgers had a 21-6 record (.777). By far their best month of the season. And, are only 1/2 game out of first place.
When one takes a few steps back and looks at the whole month of August it’s damn impressive. And yet if we went back and looked at the entries and complaints on this blog on a daily basis you would think we were playing .500 baseball. Hey, I’m as guilty as anyone. We lost only six games with a depleted starting staff, several of our starting position players in and out of the lineup, and Taylor, Bellinger, Seager, Muncy, and JT slumping toward the end of the month. Kudos to the bullpen for compensating for the above issues the team had to deal with. Talk about stepping up to meet the challenge!
With continued good health of our position players and hopefully having Kershaw and Gonsolin returning it should be enough to put the final exclamation point on the division race. We are basically tied with SF. So, it’s game on for September.
Dodgers Acquire LHP Andrew Vasquez from Twins in Minor League Trade
The trade deadline might have already passed, but that doesn’t mean the Dodgers can’t still do some wheeling and dealing. They did just that on Tuesday afternoon as they snuck in a deal just before September, which has postseason roster implications. The Dodgers reportedly made a deal with the Twins and traded catcher Stevie Berman .For the moment, Vasquez is not on the Dodgers 40-man roster. He has not pitched in the big leagues since 2019, and that lone outing did not go well for him at all. But in 42 innings with Triple-A St Paul this year, he struck out 68 batters and kept his ERA down to a manageable number.
What a difference a pitch makes. It seems like Kenley has finally resolved himself to his own fate of not being Mariano Rivera. He spoke about using other pitches in his interview yesterday and it’s been all the difference in the world. Is he fixed? Or, is he setting us up for disappointment? I’m starting to trust him again. I probably shouldn’t.
Bellinger, my favorite player right now mostly because everyone is piling on so much, hit the ball hard three times again last night, but had just one crucial hit to show fo it. He almost took off the glove of Freddie Freeman last night. Of course, it always comes with an obligatory strikeout.
Treinen is an absolute stud. Mowing down the top of the order in the 8th. The bullpen just keeps getting better and better.
The Dodgers have really been cleaning up their defense recently and it shows. The close games are starting to turn into wins and the bats are really stepping up late in the game. They’re finally waking up from their slumber during a year of injuries and misfortune.
Sorry Mark, but “Striker” isn’t sticking. And you should see a doctor about that aneurysm…Whatever! 😉
Corey Seager bobblehead night tonight. Hopefully we see some more bobblehead magic like Mookie had two days ago.
September rosters expand to 28 today. Another Manfred screwing the Dodgers rule. Could you imagine how suddenly healthy we would be if they didn’t change that rule?
Scherzer v Fried tonight. It’s going to be another nailbiter. Fried has been good, but less than dominant this year. Mad Max looks like he’s on a mission since coming over from the Nats. I think I’m gonna get out of the house and watch the first part of the game out tonight. Me and wifey are getting a little stir crazy.
The pitching matchups for the Giants series are currently TBD vs TDB, TBD vs TDB and TBD vs TDB. Remember when Roberts was saying it’s just another series? Like a teenager, if his lips are moving, he’s lying.
I was thinking the same thing about Julio when he was walking in to the dugout during his last start. Lucky the uniforms aren’t made from corduroy. That would generate some serious heat from the friction.
It looks like the pitching is lining up like Price, Urias, Bueller for the Giants and Scherzer starting the Cardinals series on Monday against the Cardinals. Could this lineup for a Kershaw/Gonsolin piggyback on Tuesday the 7th?
I have a feeling that Kershaw and Gonsolin won’t be slow to build up their innings this time. I sure hope we’ll see some vintage Kershaw when he comes back with all that extra rest.
Thanks to Mitch White and Andre Jackson for filling in. I don’t think we’re going to see much of them for the rest of the year.
I have the impression that Urias loses concentration a bit when someone makes a error, and I think remember that he commented in an interview that he was coming for the Cy Young this season, and with DeGrom practically out, Julio has a good chance of winning it, with this I mean that if the office sends him to the bullpen to take care of his arm, he could get upset and not be as effective this year, be so close and not achieve it … Of course, the team comes first before the player, maybe It would not be the best decision, at least not this season, but I totally agree that he should be taken care of at this point in the season.
And I think Bauer does not return this year, I already lost hope of seeing him in blue again, but at least he did something good, thanks to his ” action ” is that Scherzer came to Dodgers, if not, I doubt that he was in Los Angeles, and if not, he would be in SD or SF …. So we have something to give thanks to Trevor!
Who knew??? With an incompetent DR at the helm we are a 1/2 game out… Despite a lack of intensity we are gaining ground…
Oh well I’m just mimicking MT and oh by the way, great post MT..
So I’m wondering what the boyz will come up with today??
Dodger fans, enjoy this run and I wont say it’s over but I faintly hear the Fat Lady gargling!!!
Farm system 2021: some top guys traded, recent draft arms continue to develop, many interesting guys pop up after a lost 2020. Hoese main disappointment but far more surprises than flops.
Kristen Watson is definitely getting better. She speaks with more enthusiasm. I still prefer Heidi Watney.
WHATEVER!
Oh, I do have a thought about JULIO URIAS.
I too am concerned about all these innings and how his arm can hold up to such. With Kershaw and Duffy coming back before the playoffs, wouldn’t it be wise to move Urias to the bullpen? That way you save his arm from having to pitch long stretches (5-7 innings) to probably just one inning at a time.
Buehler
Scherzer
Kershaw
Duffy
Price/ Bullpen
Needless to say, if somehow Bauer returns too, then for sure we can move Urias to the bullpen. We would have 4 studs, which is all you need for the playoffs.
What do you think?
In Tulsa last night the top three hitters had 10 hits, 8 runs, 8 RBI.
James Outman 3/3, 2R
Michael Busch 4/6, 3R, 3 D, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Miguel Vargas 3/5, 3R, 3 RBI
Gus Varland might be another Justin Hagenman. Varland is on a bit of a hot streak over the last four games. . Would like to see him strike out a few more hitters.
Pay Corey Seager.
GREAT GREAT COMEBACK WIN LAST NIGHT!
I went to bed when we were down 2-0. To wake up to see we came back to win and the Giants lost their third in a row….joy, joy, joy! Is that their first losing streak more than two games?
Anyhow, Buehler kept it close; the bullpen was amazing; and we finally got timely hitting to unseat Morton and their bullpen.
Mookie is definitely a difference maker. With him in the lineup, we are so much better. Duh!
Great to see Cody get a very important base hit that helped us tie the game on a sac fly.
Corey Seager is so clutch…please pay the man, I don’t want to lose him.
We won even without Marvelous Max and Wonderful William getting a hit. That shows me how wonderfully deep our team is and that there are many possible players to step up when these two don’t. I love it.
I sure hope we win tonight with Scherzer because after him, it gets dicey. Go LA.
TM