The Arms Race

It’s early, and the Rockies have no chance at even getting to 10 games below .500 this year, so the Dodgers are their shot at fame. That’s a thing… but also the Los Angeles Dodgers have some arm issues. Roki Sazaki can’t throw strikes, and his velocity is about 5 MPH off his top speed last year. I think Edwin Diaz needs Tommy John… No, I really do. I am not psychic (psychotic… maybe), but I write what I see and think. I hope I am wrong, but Diaz pitches like that. The Los Angeles Dodgers say that Edwin Díaz is dealing with right knee discomfort, causing reduced fastball velocity, and are using a cautious approach to his usage. 

I still have a lot of hope for Emmet Sheehan – he is pitching like someone who missed last year with TJ. I think he just needs to get built back up. The Dodgers need him to be the #6 starter. This is what the rotation should look like:

1. Yamamoto (Cy Yama)
2. Snell (Expect to return in late May)
3. Glasnow (Not a bad #3)
4. Ohtani (#1 if he just pitched)
5. Wrobleski (I think he can hold this spot down)
6. Sheehan (Getting better and stronger)
7. Stone (Due back in June)

This is what it might look like next week:

1. Yamamoto
2. Glasnow
3. Ohtani
4. Wrobleski
5. Sheehan
6. Klein (Opener)

You can always do a bullpen game now and then, and of course, there are off days, so right about now, it’s not a big deal to have a full rotation. I have omitted Sasaki – he either needs to go to Tulsa (not OKC – he needs some air for his pitches) or to the bullpen. I am worried that he may need TJ as well due to his drop-off in velocity. Brock Stewart will allegedly be back in May, and Blake Treinen will continue to get some runway, but he looks good and then … well, pretty bad!

Ben Casparius, The Bazooka, Jake Cousins, and Bobby Miller could be back (or available to be back) in May or June, and Evan Phillips is set to return after the All-Star Break. Tanner Scott has returned to form, and Phillips should help… even if Diaz is out. Kyle Hurt has filthy stuff, and Dreyer and Vesia are solid-to-great! Henriquez shows great promise. Keep running him out there. Hopefully, he will learn…

River Ryan might happen… if he can ever stop being injured. But I look for Gavin Stone to return with a vengeance. Don’t count out production from Chase McDermott! The Dodger IL is going to get a lot of business, especially with the age of this roster, which is why Kike and Tommy Tanks are important. The Dodgers are set up to weather the storm with their incredible depth, and injuries do not control their destiny… unlike most other teams. I think that the pitching will be just fine.

• Congratulations to Ryan Ward for two hits in his MLB debut. The Over-Under on how long he stays with the Dodgers is 2. How long he stays with the organization is 19.
• James Outman got two hits for the Twins yesterday and elevated his batting average all the way up to .091.
• James Tibbs III, BA, has dropped to .282. (1.082 OPS)

MiLB SUMMARY REPORT

Albuquerque Isotopes (Rockies) 17 – OKC Comets 4

LHSP Cole Irvin was making his 2^nd start of the series having started Tuesday.  He completed 6.0 innings and threw 91 pitches in that game.  In this one, Irvin completed 4.0 innings, allowing 7 runs (all earned), 9 hits, 3 HR, 1 BB, and 2 K.  He threw 77 pitches.

RHRP Chris Campos and RHRP Jerming Rosario were not much better.  Combined they allowed 10 runs (8 earned), 9 hits, 1 BB, and 3 K in 2.0 IP.  RHRP Wyat Mills and LHRP Ronan Kopp each pitched a scoreless inning.

Not a lot of offense.  Jack Suwinski and Ryan Fitzgerald each had a pair of hits. Zach Ehrhard continued to produce at the top of the order.  He went 1-3 with a BB and sac fly.  Suwinski (3), Austin Gauthier (3), and Noah Miler (3) each had a double.

James Tibbs III added a sac fly.

Box Score

Tulsa Drillers 11 – Arkansas Travelers (Seattle) 3

LHSP Luke Fox also started Tuesday, so this was his second start of the series.  Fox allowed 1 hit in 4.0 scoreless innings, with 4 K.  His pitch count was a very efficient 52.  He left the game leading 4-0.

LHRP Maddux Bruns pitched a scoreless inning with a BB and K.  He threw 17 pitches (9 strikes).  He got the win.

Not all relief work went well.  RHRP Lucas Wepf allowed 1 run in his 1.0 IP, and LHRP Christian Suarez allowed 2 runs in his 2.0 IP.  RHRP Carson Hobbs pitched a scoreless 9^th, allowing 2 hits with a K.

The Drillers punched out 14 hits and were issued 8 BB to go with the 11 runs.  Zyhir Hope had THE big day with a 4 hits, including a 2 run HR (3).  Hope scored 3 runs in this one.

Kendall George continues to shine.  He reached base 6 times.  Okay, once was on an error.  But he also had two hits and 3 BB.  He stole 3 BB, but was caught attempting a SB for the first time this year.  He now has 11 SB in 12 attempts.  His BA is .409 with a .977 OPS.

Josue De Paula also continued his hot start with another 2-hit game. He also reached base with a BB.  He is hitting .333 with a .909 OPS.

The big surprise was Jake Gelof.  Gelof entered the series without a hit, but for the series he registered 8 hits in 16 AB, including 2 HR and a double.   

Kyle Nevin is also staying hot with another 2 hit game, including his 2^nd double.  He is batting .300 with a .841 OPS.

Hope, Nevin, and Sean McLain each had a pair of RBIs.

Box Score

Dayton Dragons (Reds) 6 – Great Lakes Loons 5

RHSP Christian Zazueta had a nice bounceback start.  After giving up 3 runs and 4 hits in 3.2 IP last Sunday, today he completed 5.0 scoreless innings, 3 hits, 2 BB, and 9 K.

After a great start, the bullpen took over, and it did not end as well as it started. RHRP Alex Makarewich surrendered 3 runs on 3 hits, 1 BB, in 1.2 IP.  But hey, the two outs were strikeouts.  That gave Dayton a 3-1 lead.

In the bottom of the 6^th, Great Lakes scored the 3 runs right back with the benefit of 2 singles, 2 BB, a wild pitch, and a groundout.

Dayton tied it up with a run in the 7^th.  But Great Lakes went back up with a 2-out single, walk, and a run scoring single by catcher Victor Rodrigues.

RHRP Reynaldo Yean pitched the 9^th allowing 2 runs on 2 hits, and 3 BB.  Oh yeah, he too got 2 Ks.

So the HARD throwers, Alex Makearewich and Reynaldo Yean, can strike out batters, but also have zero control and command.

OF Charles Davalan, 2B Nico Perez, and Rodrigues each had a pair of hits.  OF Jose Meza hit his 1^st HR, and drew 3 BB.

Box Score

Ontario Tower Buzzers 23 – Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies) 7

Less than 24 hours after Fresno drubbed Ontario 18-8, Ontario returned the favor with a 23-7 shellacking.  

The only inning Ontario did not score in was the first.  Fresno jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the 2^nd frame.  Fresno scored the runs on three walks, 2 singles and a double, all of RHSP Mason Estrada.  Estrada lasted 3.0 innings, surrendering 6 runs on 5 hits, 6 BB (of course), and 2 K. 

After Estrada exited, 5 relievers combined to allow just a run on 2 hits, 3 BB, and 7 K.

Fresno scored the 23 runs on 22 hits, 11 BB, and reached on 5 Fresno errors.  Every Ontario hitter had at least 1 hit, and 7 had at least 2.  Every Ontario batter scored a run.  Every Ontario batter except one had at least 1 RBI.

Here is the onslaught. 

• Joendry Vargas – 4-5, 4 runs, 2RBI, 2 BB, 2 doubles (6)
• Mairo Martinus – 4-6, 3 runs, 1 RBI, 0 BB, HR (2)
• Emil Morales – 3-5, 2 runs, 4 RBI, 2 BB, double (8), triple (1)
• Easton Shelton – 3-5, 2 runs, 5 RBI, 0 BB, double (3)
• Anson Aroz – 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, 2 BB
• Chase Harlan – 2-5, 3 runs, 3 RBI, 1 BB, HR (2)
• Ching-Hsein Ko – 2-6, 3 runs, 4 RBI, 1 BB, HR (2)
• Jaron Elkins – 1-4, 3 runs, 0 RBI, 2 BB
• Jose D. Hernandez – 1-5, 1 runs, 1 RBI, 1 BB

Box Score