With just six games to go, the Giants have won 102 games while the Dodgers are sitting on 100. Both teams are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Both teams have their next three games against division rivals at home. The Giants finish against the Padres at home while the Dodgers have a tougher foe in the Milwaukee Brewers at the Ravine. It seems unlikely that the Dodgers can catch the Giants in the final six games based upon the way both teams are playing, but you never know. Both teams have issues. Let’s look at the problems both teams face.
The Dodgers Problems
- Cody Bellinger will likely come off the IL today, giving the Dodgers a full healthy roster. It remains to be seen if he can actually hit. If he could even come close to “league average” with the bat (and that about .240) he would be a huge asset due to his defense.
- Chris Taylor who was one of the Dodgers top players all season is striking out at an alarming rate and is hitting .104 in September after hitting .228 in August.
- Max Muncy, who still has a proclivity to get a big hit is hitting .200 in September after hitting .189 in August.
- Striker Buehler has a 7.32 ERA in September and clearly is experiencing fatigue after three consecutive months of sub 2.00 ERA’s. It is my opinion he should not pitch the last six games… let alone today. He has thrown more innings this year than he ever has. If we expect him to deliver in the playoffs, he should rest.
- Julio Urias has a 2.28 ERA in Sptember, but he clearly could benefit from some rest as he has also amased nearly half of his career innings in just this one year.
- Just two games back off the IL, Clayton Kershaw looks impaired and does not exactly inspire confidence.
The Giants Problems
- Brandon Belt will likely go on the IL with a broken thumb. That typically takes four weeks or more to recover, Belt has been a HUGE PART of the Giants success with a .975 OPS. Wilmer Flores or LaMonte Wade are his replacements. Belt has been on fire in August and September, OPS’ing over 1.100 for both months combined.
- Darin Ruf, who is OPS’ing .899 is on the IL with an oblique strain.
- Jake McGee, the Giants closer and Johnny Cueto are on the IL and the Giants starting pitchers are showing signs of wearing down.
Conclusion
Both teams are running on fumes, but the Dodgers veteran players who are much younger than the Giants older vets, should have the Edge… if not in the regular season, then in the playoffs. The Dodgers bullpen is full of live arms with low ERA’s:
- Blake Treinen – 1.92
- Phil Bickford – 2.63
- Corey Knebel – 2.59
- Alex Vesia – 2.35 (remember Dylan Floro?)
- Joe Kelly – 2.81
- Kenley Jansen – 2.30
- Tony Gonsolin – 3.00 (he will be in the pen in the playoffs, unless Clayton can’t go)
The bullpen appears healthy and we have no clue what David Price is up to. Victor Gonzalez, Mitch White, and Brusdar Graterol are also in the mix. Of course, no other team has a Max Scherzer, which is a huge advantage for the Boys in Blue. The position players are healthy and it’s time to break out the Whipping Sticks on the Padres. Urias and Buehler need to rest and the bats need to speak up and carry this team to the playoffs… most likely the Wild Card…. but this is a crazy game – you NEVER know.
Albert, Max & Trea
I got my Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, and Albert Pujols Dodger Baseball Cards last week:
Discussion (25)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Nothing to do with the good time that Lux lives with the bat with which OF is playing, in the middle of the season he had a very hot moment before entering a cold stage and then he injured his hamstring, that hot stage was playing SS, He will be a great player, a 20-20, he will be our Chase Utley in 2B, he is like a clone, let it be recorded.
So I joined Tim in suggest that maybe Buhler needs rest after those rough outings…….
Can I take it back?
It’s nervous time. Bellinger will be fine. His head is in a great place
Poor Bellinger. Even if he’s 100% healthy Imagine the pressure he will be under the first of next year with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake in his career.
My bad Badger. I was too over the top with you. It’s just that Pujols has had a 12.8 WAR with the Angels over the life of his Angel contract. I just don’t see Trout’s last 10 years anywhere near that bad.
Giants just refuse to lose. Big hit after big hit! We may score more runs but they score bigger runs!
Maybe he was just tired of people telling him he was tired!
I told you Buehler was tired and needed to rest!
😉
JT just cost the Dodgers a run there not taking 2nd on that wild pitch. It’s those type of little things that have cost us some games this year. And the Cards just put up 6 runs in a game against Woodruff so it’s just not defense.
Agree that Buhler should be on a short leash now. It’s all-hands-on-deck time, but it would be good for Buhler to get some rest. The fact that Kershaw wasn’t sharp in his last outing is also concerning, but it’s not a matter of fatigue. Scherzer and Urias seem like the most reliable SPs at the moment.
The prospects of catching the Giants are very dim. Belt’s injury doesn’t change that much. I think it will be a bigger factor in the playoffs.
I subscribe to the old notion that “it’s not how you start, but how you finish.” If I was a betting man, I’d put a wager on the superhot Cards defeating the Dodgers and rolling all the way to the World Series. Improbable, yes–but that’s why my bet would get a big return.
Why are the Cards so hot? A key reason is terrific defense, something that the Dodger fans who convene here bizarrely tend to dismiss, as if the game is all about hitting and pitching. Arrenado and Molina have about 15 Gold Gloves between them, and the CF Bader could win one and that guy who succeeded Wong at 2B is terrific too.
Now of course I’m rooting for our Dodgers, who might be remembered as the most dysfunctional squad ever to win 104 games. Unlike previous Dodger teams, this one just often seems out of sync.
It’s interesting that the Padres, after all the high hopes, are relegated to the role of spoiler. I trust that the Pads on the field will play all their games with pride, but the their management may throw in the towel and rest the stars more to get a better look at prospects.
I also suspect that, deep down, the Padres organization would much rather stick it to the Dodgers than to the Giants–another reason for my pessimism.
This is old information, I first read it about 45 years ago in Michener’s book, “Sports in America” when I was a PE Graduate Student at Chico State. It would appear it may be time to review the information.
https://library.fangraphs.com/principles/aging-curve/
Players peak years of production is typically before 30. Some of course can continue to produce into their mid 30’s, but physical peaks are well established by bio science. I think the best roster balance is to find the gems in your own organization, keep them through their peak years, find the right free agent support players, mix, match p, rinse and repeat. Friedman appears to pretty good at doing just this.
DODGERS ACTIVATE CODY BELLINGER
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers activated infielder/outfielder Cody Bellinger from the injured list and placed infielder Albert Pujols on the injured list.
Bellinger, 26, was placed on the injured list with a left rib fracture, missing eight games. He has played in 89 games this year and is batting .159 with nine doubles, nine homers and 34 RBI. The 2019 National League MVP has been with the Dodgers five seasons, batting a combined .257 with 107 doubles, 132 homers and 352 RBI. The 2017 National League Rookie of the Year was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the fourth round of the 2013 First Year Player Draft out of Hamilton High School.
Pujols, 41, has been with the Dodgers since May 17 and he is batting .255 (47-for-184) with 12 homers and 38 RBI in 82 games with the Boys in Blue. The three-time National League Most Valuable Player is in his 21st season in the Major Leagues and has amassed 679 homers and 2,150 RBI in 2,968 career games. His 679 homers are the most by any active player and rank fifth all-time, trailing Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714) and Alex Rodriguez (696).
I didn’t see his error on Saturday night but I do think Seager’s defense has been noticeably better since returning from the IL. Ideally if there’s a DH, I would like to see Seager move to 3rd and TT return to SS but it isn’t worth losing Seager over. Pay the necessary price and eventually he will move off of Shortstop.
Line up for tonight is the same as Sunday except Smith is back and so are Pollock and JT. Lux hitting 8th in CF. Betts, Seager, Turner, Muncy, Smith, JT, Pollock, Lux and Buehler.
Belli activated, Pujols to IL (no reason given which normally means Covid related).
2021 MLB Prospect Team of the Year is out. Check out the 2nd team!!
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-pipeline-2021-prospect-team-of-the-year
Made no sense for Trout to sign that extension with the Halos.
Would have got paid anywhere he wanted, but opted to resign there.
I said so at the time. They are not competing any time soon with their pitching or Farm. Surely he wanted to compete at some time in his career?
Ohtani had his chance to sign with us once as we made a big play for him if you remember. We sent CK and an entourage to sweet talk him, but he opted to sign with a team that had Zero chance of winning a Title.
Personally I just don’t understand either of those decisions if you are a Free Agent and can sign for a contender.
If we can gain a game on SF tonight then we have a chance, if not time to plan for the WC.
I would forget Cody for the remainder of this season. There are better options that can help us.
Wow Badger! Where do you come up with the Mike Trout and Albert Pujols comparison? Two totally different body types and two totally different athletes! Trout was having a pretty good 30 season before he got hurt. I’ll take the over on your Pujols comparison and would put some serious dollars down on that bet! I’d love to hear some other readers opinion on that one!
Jaime Jarrin has announced that 2022 will be his last season. It will be 64 years with the Dodgers. His son, Jorge, retired prior to this season. I am wondering if they will make Fernando the play by play man once Jarrin leaves.
Bowa was a better shortstop than Russell and the Dodgers did just fine with the defensively inferior shortstop.
AROD was a better shortstop than Jeter and the Yankees did just fine with the defensively inferior shortstop, although Jeter excelled at playing smart and alert baseball.
The Dodgers will not miss out on championships with either Seager or Trea Turner at shortstop. I could care less which one winds as the shortstop but I would prefer Turner at short and Seager at third for the next 5 years.
I would hope Seager, Trea, and Mookie lead the Dodger offense for the next 5 years.
Spare me the drama of Bauer being on the team and fretting over the next shoe to drop.
I talked to an old baseball insider yesterday who has heard “chatter” that the Dodgers may feel that throwing may get into Gavin Lux’s head and his resurgence is a result of moving to the outfield.
It’s never too early to think about next year. I guarantee AF is thinking 2022 to 2026… at a minimum.
2026?:
1. Lux CF
2. Vargas 3B
3. Yurchak 1B
4. Pages LF
5. Smith 2B
6. Cartaya C
7. Busch DH
8. Betts RF
9. Leonard SS
Isn’t that cool that Topps comes out with cards to reflect mid-season acquisitions? I’m glad you’re enjoying your cards Big Bear!
I have some serious apprehension about Clayton Kershaw after his lengthy IL stint, lack of velocity and his most recent stinker. Together with his past postseason track record, I’m getting really nervous about him.
Let’s hope that Bueller can get back on track tonight, like Urias did in his most recent start.
The Dodgers face a difficult decision in regards to Lux, Belli and CT3. The rest of the lineup is set, basically leaving 3 players for one position. Do you go with experience down the stretch and try to get CT3 or Belli right over the next 6 games, or do you go with the hot hand in Lux?
A lot has been said about the offense lately. I agree that as a whole, we are mired in a bit of a slump. With just 6 games remaining, do you give Mookie, JT and Muncy an extra day off or do you keep rolling out the best lineup to try to win these games?
I agree with PhilJones that this is not the time to start talking offseason trades and free agents. Especially when it comes to Bauer and Seager/TT at shortstop. There’s plenty of time for that during a long offseason that might be even longer with the upcoming CBA negotiation.
If you think DRS is a useful stat, I’ve got some beachfront property in Mojave I’d like to sell you on the cheap. Here’s a list of shortstops with a lower DRS value than Corey Seager…
Fernando Tatis
Didi Gregorious
Gleyber Torres
Javier Baez
Dansby Swanson
Xander Bogaerts
Trea Turner
Not only has the bullpen been great, but you can argue that we wouldn’t be in the position we are today without such a dominating performance from our relievers. They were viewed as the weak link early in the season. Now, they’re possibly the most reliable aspect of the team with starters faltering and the lineup under performing.
I don’t feel sorry for the Giants losing Brandon Belt at all. Cody has a broken rib, Rios, May and Bauer are all lost for the season. It’s about time things started to even out.
Carpenter’s curveball worries me. That and a 16 game win streak and a leaky Dodger defense could send a 104 win team home after one playoff game!
I got a Pujols yesterday, but it is different from the one you have and my Scherzer is on the way. It looks like the 1953 card. Losing Belt is a blow. Their starters all running on fumes except Webb who seems to be getting his second wind. Bullpen for Gnats is way over worked. Just have to weave some Dodger playoff magic again.