That's More Like it!

8 runs on 9 Hits. That’s better… not good! But I’ll take it! Freddie Freeman is smoking hot! Will Smith is white-hot, and Bellinger, Taylor, Turner, and Muncy were 2-14! YIKES! Gavin Lux is hitting .290. I am happy for him, and Trayce Thompson hit a 2-run double that was legit! I am very happy for Trayce.

Andreson struggled but kept the Dodgers in the game. His ERA sits at 3.00, but Vesia got the win. Vesia’s ERA is dropping (3.32) and Almonte and Hudson were filthy. Kimbrel was better, but he still scares the bejesus outta me. He took the place of Reyes Moronta last night: Mop up guy!

A lot of you want to fire Dave Roberts for whatever you can blame him for (hitting Muncy 4th, whatever), but you will also have to fire the entire Front Office as well because baseball is now a collaborative effort with the manager just being their arm. No, the manager is not a puppet but he does communicate extensively with the Braintrust, and they are and should be in agreement. That includes Andrew Friedman and his GM as well as all their minions. I guarantee you that the Front Office is in agreement with the vast majority of what Dave Roberts does, so when you say “Fire Dave Roberts” you really are saying “Get Andrew Friedman and his gang out of LA.” Do you really want to get rid of one of the most successful Front Offices of all time?

They have analytics out of their analytics. They uses to show you that analytics area (which was huge) on the Stadium Tours but they have stopped because it is so much bigger and more robust and is TOP SECRET. Statistics and Probability and Analytics and Sabermetrics rule their world. They play the numbers and if a decision is made, more than likely there was supporting evidence and the more those decisions are correct, the more they make them. Some of you may think it takes the human element out of the game, but not really. You can still play a hunch, but the less it works the more the data support the statistics.

The Dodgers and most other teams make “data-driven” decisions and if Mookie Betts hits #1 (which I do not prefer) you can “bet your sweet bippy” there is support for that.

The same with Muncy hitting 4th ad nauseum or trading for Trayce Thompson. Is it always right? Of course not, but it is right more than “Playing a hunch.” Statistics and Probability are here to stay and evolve every day. The main point I want to drive home is that if you want Doc’s head, you have to ask for Andrew’s as well! They are in this together… and except for occasional blips, they have been pretty damn successful.

We all wonder why there are so many formerly good hitters who are struggling right about now. I have no inside information, but I tend to believe that there have been some “breakthroughs” in the use of analytics and statistics and this data is being used to get some hitters out at a much higher rate… until when (and if) they can adjust. Maybe I am wrong, but I guarantee you that these analytics departments are “mad scientists” cooking up concoctions to get hitters out at the speed of light. For every action, there is a reaction… how will they react? That is the question.

Play of the Game

Checking on old friends:

• Ross Stripling – 4-2, 3.08 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 53 IP
• Hyun-jin Ryu – Out with TJ Surgery
• Alex Verdugo – .247, .352 OB%, 4 HR, 35 RBI
• Kike Hernandez – .209, .273 OB%, 4 HR, 24 RBI
• Josiah Gray – 6-4, 3.95 ERA, 73 K, 1.26 WHIP
• Kaybear Ruiz -.254, .314 OB%, 2 HR, 15 RBI
• Joc Pederson – .266, .342 OB%, 15 HR, 37 RBI (I told you the Dodgers should have signed him)
• Kenley Jansen – 4-0, 18 Saves in 21 Opportunities, 3.03 ERA, 0.91 WHIP (Damn!)
• AJ Pollock – .259, .294 OB%, 4 HR, 23 RBI
• Dean Kremer – 1-1, 2.35 ERA 15 IP, 1.17 WHIP
• Rylan Bannon – 28 ABs, .143 BA.250 OB%
• Albert Pujols – 110 AB, .200 BA, .302 OB%
• Corey Seager – .235, .307 OB%, 15 HR, 32 RBI
• Zach Reks – .265 BA, .265 OB%

Future Dodgers Down on the Farm

• Miguel Vargas was 1-3 with a BB in his first game in LF. The OKC Dodgers were shut out 1-0.
• Mike Grove went 5, gave up 2 Hots, 0 Runs, Walked 2, and struck out 5.
• Dellin Betances got the loss as he gave up no Hits, no Walks, and allowed no Earned Runs. Here’s how that happened: Jake “I ain’t no 3B” Lamb made an error allowing Bubba Thompson to reach base. Thompson proceeds to steal second and third base. Nick Solak hits a sac fly and Thompson scores.
• Tulsa was also shutout 4-0, as Bobby Miller gave up 2 runs in the first, then settled down and shut them down through his 5 IP. He walked 1 and struck out 8. If you can’t score, you don’t win.
• Great Lakes did win as Jonny DeLuca was 3-4.
• Nick Nastrini went 5 Innings, allowed 5 Hits, and 2 Runs, striking out 7 and walking 2.
• Rancho Cucamonga scored 3 touchdowns and a field goal (24 runs) as they beat Lake Elsinore like a rented mule,
• Damon Keith was 4-6 with 4 RBI and Luis Rodriguez was 3-5 with 5 RBI.
• There were a lot of other stars last night, but I cover the cream of the crop. I cover the players I think have the best shot of making The Show. Of course, others will make it too, but the Dodgers Farm System is so deep, that I would have to write for an hour just to cover that aspect.

If you are on the West Coast, Watch the Dodgers with your Toast!

Did you know I am also a poet? 😉

How about some Fall Out Boy?