None of us are getting out of this thing alive – that is a given. Quasimodo (“Quas”) has been part of this blog for as long as I can remember. Not everyone knows his “backstory,” but I do. Quas has had his challenges, and now he faces the final challenge before he goes to be with the Big Dodger in the Sky. Quas and I were not close friends… mostly due to where he lives and where I live, but we both had each other’s backs. We both understood and understand. I count him as a friend.
I believe that Quas is at peace but has one final wish, and that is for the Boys of Summer to win one final Championship in his lifetime. That’s not too much to ask! In fact, most (if not all) of us wish for the same thing! OK, it’s settled. Let’s win it for the Quas! This is for Quas:
Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Quas. Godspeed!
Back to Dodger Baseball
Jayne Cobb had the understatement of the year, “These guys are pretty good at baseball.” Ya’ Think? Now, Max Muncy is challenging for a batting title… well maybe that is a stretch, but Max is gaining traction in his BA! Even Miguel Vargas is auditioning to come back, as he went 2-3 last night in OKC and is at .302.
Now, the preparation for the playoffs begins. There will be no comebacks this year. Book ’em, Dano. The West belongs to the Dodgers. Arizona just had their spirit broken!
Ryan Pepiot pitched as good as he ever has… better, in fact, and then Yarbrough comes in and finishes it off. That’s a great combination. Even Austin Barnes may get over .200!
Strider and Lynn tonight. This should be fun!
Discussion (58)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Dodgers win the Dominion Summer League playoffs over the Pirates 9-5.
Fried over Urias is the Braves biggest advantage. That’s 2 games to overcome in October.
So Julio reminds us why AF also wanted to add Eduardo Rodriguez…..
Just when it seems that Dodger rotation is fixed, it breaks down. Rough outings from Lynn and Julio against the team the Dodgers need to beat. Those Braves are damn good.
Silver linings: Kolten Wong, obviously. And Outman got on base three times with a single and two walks. His OB% is now .361, which is fourth among Dodger regulars.
I’m sure that Roberts communicates regularly with Urias. A sit down heart to heart is probably the last thing they need, and if it’s necessary, I’m sure they’ve already had it. As for Urias’ lack of velocity, I suspect that’s something the Dodgers are aware of, and will address soon. It’s certainly not something that can be ignored.
For the sake of the organization, and Julio himself, ..Roberts needs a sit-down heart-to-heart with Urias…
immediately!!
Thomas, yes I did. In fact, I grew up within walking distance from Ebbets Field, and attended more than a few games there in 1957 and 1958. And unlike other Dodger fans in Brooklyn I couldn’t abandon them after they moved following the 1957 season.
Ain’t no point watching these games after seeing Peralta get rung up by a called strike that was 6 inches out of the zone. Disgusting!!
Julio is costing himself millions of these days.
Good luck to the Dodgers in their attempt to win a championship, …or even a single playoff series…
WITHOUT even ONE “ace-level” starter in the rotation.
Thomas, I think that’s a little premature. This game is still just in the 5th inning, and the Dodgers scored 7 runs last night and only came within a fraction of an inch off the ball off the bat of a walk-off HR last night. And if they do have problems scoring it will not be the first time they’ve had problems with Max Fried.
Without J.D. Martinez in the middle of the line-up –the Dodgers are going nowhere against the Atlanta Braves in the playoffs. The good news is he’s coming back.
Seems to me that I recall Julio Urias topping out at 95 – 97 mph, whereas he has most recently been topping out at 92 – 93 mph.
#Dodgers Lineup vs Max Fried:
Betts RF
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Rosario DH
Taylor LF
Muncy 3B
Hernandez 2B
Outman CF
Rojas SS
Urias P
Disney pulled all of their channels off of Spectrum and that includes all of the ESPN channels. Some people here in Colorado are pretty pissed. I have Disney plus, so I can still get all that stuff. ABC got pulled too, so that affects college football games.
Thursday scores
Oklahoma City 4, Round Rock 2
Tulsa 4, Arkansas 1
Dayton 2, Great Lakes 1
Stockton 6, Rancho Cucamonga 5
Friday schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Jerming Rosario) vs. Dayton (Hunter Parks)
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Nick Frasso) vs. Round Rock (TBA)
5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (River Ryan) vs. Arkansas (Kyle Tyler)
7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Gabe Emmett) at Stockton (Alejandro Manzano)
I didn’t get to see the end of the game, unfortunately. But damn it looked like the Dodgers fought to the end. Getting past a team like the Braves in a 7 game series will take that each and every game. This team is capable of doing that. This will be a fun weekend.
El Culichi tonight!!!
Dodgers Braves all weekend and then I get to see my Clemson Tigers in person open the season MOnday night.
Not a bad weekend.
Dodgers put Diego Cartaya on the develompental list for Tulsa. What does that mean ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dodgers DSL Bautista team has just won the DSL. Win game 3 against the Pirates club 9–5.
Both Joendry Vargas and Eduardo Quintero with 3 hits lead the way.
Both kids finished off a great regular season with a superb postseason.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just read a Pitcher on the Reds is on the COVID list. Is that even still a thing??? Geezus…..
RE: Cody/ Boras
So AF calls out Boras as BS. And Boras backs down from saying that LA MADE Cody play hurt.
Two sides to every story. Actually 3 sides. 2 sides plus the truth.
Dodgers showed heart. Braves had their #1 and we had our #5 on the bump.
I like our chances if we meet in NLCS. However I think its going to be Phills-Dodgers.
Ill enjoy the next 3 but it will have NOTHING to do with what happens in October.
With all the talk earlier of can Arreaza bat .400–So that not an issue anymore. Now take a look. Freddie can lead league in BA.
To tell you my opinion, I don’t think is a good idea all this WB thing. Just looking at this year teams and their offenses, a 92-93 fastball will definitely won’t cut it. Just looked what happened to Lynn last night. Braves just sit and wait for the fastball and didn’t chase any breaking stuff. Besides, if he is starting, whose place is he taking? Pepiot?? Bobby Ice?? Maybe after yesterday it is Lynn, but that will be really cold for anyone of them. I can foresee another Catman in the playoffs like last year.
RHP Walker Buehler (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Mid to late September
Buehler is scheduled to pitch 1-2 innings with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sept. 3, according to manager Dave Roberts.
Roberts added that Buehler’s expected Triple-A rehab should last for at least a few appearances, noting that the Dodgers intend on building Buehler back up as a starter.
This is the latest big step in Buehler’s rehab from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander threw a 15-20 pitch session to hitters from the Dodgers’ Arizona Complex League, clocking in at 92-93 mph on Aug. 9 at Chase Field before Los Angeles’ game against the D-backs. Buehler was still throwing in the Arizona Complex League as of Aug. 23, prior to this latest update. (Last updated: Aug. 31)
Just read the bad news Quas. So sorry for you and your family. Be praying for a peace and a calm that only God can provide. And hopefully something for you to celebrate at the end of October!
Great game.
2 great teams.
Oh well.
Helluva game.
In that last inning, I was hoping the Dodgers might have Freddie steal after he got to first. He leads the team in steals, and it would have negated the risk of a double play.
Great comeback by the Dodgers. Some really clutch play.
I think in a morale sense, a loss like this counts as a win. They fall behind 7-1 and made it a one-run game. Just one more clutch hit short of a victory.
A couple/few seasons back Justin Turner said the funniest thing I’ve ever heard circulating around the clubhouse. He said if him and Kenly Jansen had a baby it would be a Toomgis am pm mascot. I still get the chuckles at that one.
And Mookie hammers back….
So clutch. Love how these Dodgers battle back.
Sorry to hear about Quas. He is one of the good guys. I wish him peace.
So it looks like Acuna is slamming all this talk that he shouldn’t be MVP…
Lynn looks in over his head
I think many will not like it, and I hope I’m wrong, but it seems that this game is over
Kolten Wong will allegedly be added to the roster tomorrow.
They will have to cut someone.
Bryan Hudson?
DODGERS PRESS RELEASE
DODGERS ACTIVATE SHELBY MILLER
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers have activated right-handed pitcher Shelby Miller from the injured list and optioned right-handed pitcher Ryan Pepiot.
Miller, 32, has been on the injured list since June 21 and he was 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA (8 ER/30.0 IP) and 31 strikeouts in 25 games for the Dodgers prior to the injury. He has allowed 12 hits in 30 innings, holding hitters to a .121 batting average against. He is in his 11th season in the Major Leagues with St. Louis (2012-14), Atlanta (2015), Arizona (2016-18), Texas (2019), Chicago (2021), Pittsburgh (2021), San Francisco (2022) and Los Angeles (2023) and he is a combined 39-58 with a 4.14 ERA (372 ER/808.0 IP) and 675 strikeouts in 192 games (132 starts). He was signed by the Dodgers on December 1, 2022.
Pepiot, 26, pitched 5.0 scoreless innings last night, striking out three and recording his first win of the season. In three games with the Dodgers this season, he is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA (2 ER/14.0 IP) and 14 strikeouts. He is in his second season with the Dodgers, and he is a combined 4-0 with a 2.86 ERA (16 ER/50.1 IP) and 56 strikeouts against 29 walks. He was drafted by the Dodgers in the third round of the 2019 First Year Player Draft out of Butler University.
10:10 PM ET
Braves (87-45)
Dodgers (83-49)
SP Spencer Strider R
15-4 3.46 ERA
SP Lance Lynn R
10-9 5.56 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
2B Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
LF D. Peralta L
RF J. Heyward L
CF James Outman L
DH M. Busch L
SS Amed Rosario R
75° Wind 9 mph Out
According to Fabian Ardaya:
“Joe Kelly threw a bullpen and will throw another Fri., with a chance to face hitters next Tues., Dave Roberts said.
Shelby Miller has completed his rehab assignment and will be in LA tonight. Activation TBD, but there’s a chance he’s one of the guys when rosters expand.”
Bullpen will have more options next week.
And yes, let win it all for Quasimodo!
For some reason Spam got this comment yesterday from Dan in Pasadena:
Ok, I see your point. But it was the name calling I was mostly asking about. As though you have a personal problem with him.
As for the 4 worst trades. Yes, I agree they were uniformly awful but even I remember the Padres once had/then didn’t have Gary Sheffield, Fred McGriff, I think Ozzie Smith…probably any number more but those come to mind off the top of my head. So the Padres have been REALLY good at NOT recognizing talent over the decades. Well before Preller was there. As for his relationship with Seidler – no idea why he hasn’t been fired.
PS: Arte Moreno is giving him a run for his money on making the worst organization decisions. But at least Moreno owns the Angels and can’t be “fired”. At least not easily.
Carrasco,Clevinger available – passed waivers
The Dodgers DSL Bautista team just forced a deciding game 3 in the championship series by scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th in game 2. They were down 5-4 before the scored 3 runs.
Deciding game tomorrow.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!1
Nice performances yesterday from both Pepiot and Yarborough. This has been a clever pairing. I wonder when they decide to stretch Pepiot past 85 pitches and 5 innings?
I see Ryan down the road as a high leverage LHRP, especially following Miller at 100mph. That 86 mph Yarborough fastball would be a nice adjustment for the hitters. He doesn’t have the reverse splits of Ferguson, and especially Vesia and V-Gon, who have been miserable vs LHB. It would be nice to have a leftie reliever who could get leftie hitters out in the playoffs.
It is my opinion that teams that don’t have at least a 100 million dollar payroll should have some type of penalty. With tv money revenue sharing there isn’t an excuse to not trying to field a competitive team or at least bring in players to give the fans a reason for optimism.
First and foremost, Kiley McDaniel reports:
Getting word from multiple teams in the back half of the waiver order that they put in multiple waiver claims and didn’t land anyone.
As for actual claims:
Sources: Reds add Harrison Bader and Hunter Renfroe
Outfielder Randal Grichuk was not claimed on waivers.
Source confirms: Guardians get Matt Moore in addition to Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López. First: @JeffPassan & @kileymcd
Really fun piece in TheAthletic ($$$) about which numbers really resonate with players.
https://theathletic.com/4820785/2023/08/31/mlb-players-important-stats-milestones/
Two distillations:
8 Years of service: The gold card gives the holder and a guest free admission to any regular-season MLB game for life.
10 Years of Service: Pension fully vests!
There’s more, and it’s fun!
Guardians Claim Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez
Quas – so sorry to hear your terrible news. You were always very welcoming when I first started posting here about 13 years ago, and my son still has the Baseball Cards and other memorabilia you sent over back then.
Life goes by way too quickly, but I’m sure you have lots of great memories of a life well lived.
Let’s hope The Dodgers can give you a long post season run to help you take your mind off things.
Much love my friend
Mantiply went to Va Tech 10 minutes from my house, my oldest son attended Va. Tech as well and hosts an afternoon show in Charlotte. Tech is a very beautiful campus as well the whole new river valley. The Braves are beatable! Didn’t the Oakland A’s take 2 out 3 from them few weeks ago? The Braves are a well ran organization. Still amazed at how little it cost though to sign Acuña and Albies! Their agent is probably looking at a new line of work these days! Can you imagine what Acuña would command as a free agent next year? Probably would be a Trout-like signing! Speaking of Trout, would Angels even consider trading him to Dodgers Bear? Rumors are floating around they could be convinced to trade him and start the rebuild. Oh well, would love 3 of 4 this series, get game 1 is most important. Quas, many prayers and love. Lots of difference of opinions in life, but one thing is the same forever. Good people in all walks of life. We should all put forth an effort every day to say something nice to someone, open a door for someone, help an elderly person get their groceries into their car, do something positive! No matter how bad things are in our politics, the greater majority of people on both sides of the isle are good hardworking kind people. I’m sure Quas you are one of those kind wonderful people as are most on this forum. May God bless you and may the LA DODGERS win it all for you!
Nice to see Joe Mantiply pitch. It gives me an opportunity to use my homemade bad joke. “what’s a Joe Mantiply? It’s a tall, skinny, long legged, pitcher who has an aptitude for arithmetic.” Sorry
I have never met Quas, but he is a loyal poster on this blog. He is also a very avid Dodger fan. I wish him nothing but peace.
Freeman one double away from tying franchise record set in 1929 by Johnny Frederick. Muncy had an extra base hit in his 8th consecutive game. First Dodger to do that since Yasiel Puig in 2014. Freeman should be able to top that mark sometime this weekend. He also has a legitimate shot at 60 doubles. Something not done in the majors since the 1930’s.
Dodgers can add two players tomorrow. I don’t think they will do it right away. Martinez set to join the team on the next road trip. I have to believe Vargas is spending the rest of this season at AAA. Start fresh in spring training with successful AAA campaign behind you and a new outlook. Coming up now changes the pressure level. All the players who were waived the other day should know where they are headed, if anywhere, by this afternoon. Syndergaard was released by Cleveland. Any player added to a roster today is eligible for the postseason.
Low-A: Right-hander Patrick Copen, the Dodgers’ seventh-round draft pick this year out of Marshall, was promoted after one game in the Arizona Complex League. Copen will start for the Quakes on Thursday night.
Wednesday scores
Oklahoma City 6, Round Rock 3
Arkansas 12, Tulsa 2
Great Lakes 11, Dayton 1
Stockton 4, Rancho Cucamonga 0
Thursday schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Justin Wrobleski) vs. Dayton (Jose Acuña)
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Kyle Hurt) vs. Round Rock (Cody Bradford)
5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Orlando Ortiz-Mayr) vs. Arkansas (Alex Valverde)
7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Patrick Copen) at Stockton (Luis Carrasco)
Hugs and prayers for you Quas!
If my math is correct, the Dodgers go 17-13 the rest of the season it’s another 100-win season! I have to admit I didn’t expect that! Dave Roberts should be manager of the year, but he won’t. The one year he truly deserves it I believe David Ross will win it unless the Cubs collapse. Now all the experts on ESPN and MLB are jumping on Phillies band wagon. Will be interesting to see how playoff matchups line up. I believe Braves, Dodgers, Brewers, and Phillies all have a good shot at reaching the World Series. And don’t sleep on the Cubs or even the Marlins if they sneak in with their pitching! I said in 2019 I thought Cody Bellinger was a better player than Bryce Harper. I still believe that if both are healthy. I think Cody will be a Yankee next year, and I think that will be a mistake. He should stay with the Cubs or someplace like Minnesota or Baltimore. Hopefully the long ball doesn’t bite Lance Lynn tonight. If he keeps it in the yard, I think the Dodgers run pitch count up on Strider and Dodgers win!
Excellent post/theme for today. I was hoping and figuring you would do something like this today. Prayers for Quas!!
Should be a fun 4 game series with Atlanta.
Here’s an interesting tidbit:
Lance Lynn and Tucker Barnhart both went to Brownsburg (Indiana) high school.
A Big hug Ford Quas….
Waiver priority:
Oakland Athletics, .291
Kansas City Royals, .304
Colorado Rockies, .368
Chicago White Sox, .396
St. Louis Cardinals, .433
Detroit Tigers, .444
Pittsburgh Pirates, .455
New York Mets, .455
Washington Nationals, .463
San Diego Padres, .463
Los Angeles Angels, .478
Cleveland Guardians, .478
New York Yankees, .489
Miami Marlins, .496
Cincinnati Reds, .511
Minnesota Twins, .515*
Boston Red Sox, .515
Arizona Diamondbacks, .515
San Francisco Giants, .519
Chicago Cubs, .534
Toronto Blue Jays, .545
Milwaukee Brewers, .556
Philadelphia Phillies, .556
Texas Rangers, .564
Houston Astros, .570
Seattle Mariners, .571
Tampa Bay Rays, .612
Baltimore Orioles, .624
Los Angeles Dodgers, .629
Atlanta Braves, .659