Time is Running Out
Well, it is now early September. Dodgers 2 games back with 22 to play, and none of them with the Giants. So, what do they need to do? First off, they need to take care of their own business and not get too involved in scoreboard watching. Some players now have a short time to…
Well, it is now early September. Dodgers 2 games back with 22 to play, and none of them with the Giants. So, what do they need to do? First off, they need to take care of their own business and not get too involved in scoreboard watching.
Some players now have a short time to get back on track and play like they were earlier in the season. Smith and Seager have been the hottest lately. Taylor, Muncy, JT, and Betts need to crank it up. Trea Turner has been getting a hit a game. A 3 or 4 hit performance would be a nice pick me up for the offense. These guys need to do it since the bottom of the lineup has become the black hole.
If Bellinger is indeed going to be kept in the lineup, and since Pollock is injured, this is the most likely scenario, then do not hit him anywhere but 8th. The pitching is going to be getting some reinforcements over the next week or so. Gonsolin is in there today against St. Louis, who look like they are having a bullpen day. I would definitely call up Beaty. Right now they are playing with a short bench and 16 pitchers.
Emotions for the fans will be up and down according to the fortunes of the team. The Giants are for real. And they are playing like a team on a mission. But they have some tough games on tap. And 10 with the Padres is not an easy task. The Dodgers, on the other hand, have 9 games against some soft competition. They need to win those games. And they need to win the series they have with the contenders.
I think they have a pretty good chance of taking today’s game against the Birds. Then the aces are lined up for the Padres. Then the D-Backs, Reds, Rockies, and D-Backs. Then they close out the year with the Padres and Brewers. That 12 game stretch starting next week with Arizona and Cincinnati is going to be a crucial stretch and could decide just where they finish. They also have to hope that the teams playing the Giants play some pretty good baseball against a good team. Even though the Giants won that game yesterday, their starting pitching beyond Webb and Gausman can be beaten. Desclafani only went 4 innings.
The reason that stretch is important is that 10 of the Giants games in that stretch are against the Padres, Braves, and then Padres again before they finish with 6 against Colorado and Arizona, and then 3 with San Diego while LA plays SD and Milwaukee. I feel pretty good about their chances, but I wish they had at least one more head-to-head with them. Now no matter who the # 2 wild card is, that game if it involves the Dodgers, will be at Dodger Stadium.
I feel a lot better with that game being in LA rather than on the road. All of the Dodger starting pitchers are pretty good in LA. A head-to-head NLDS with the Giants looms if it comes down to that and they win the wild card game. Also, since they would have to travel to SF for the game, the travel is not as bad as say having to fly to Milwaukee. I will say this, MLB needs to revamp the playoff system. They need to do an NBA-style playoff by rank. Dodgers right now should be the # 2 seed in that kind of playoff. 1& 2 should not meet in the first round.
This winter is going to be one of the more interesting winters in recent memory. There was a lot of activity when Freidman took over after the 2014 season. With the new CBA being negotiated, and the number of prime free agents the Dodgers have, AF is going to have some tough decisions on his plate. You also have to give Farhan kudos for the job he has done with the Giants. I find it amazing that so many former Dodger employees are running teams in the majors.
Congratulations to the Hall of Fame inductees, Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons, and Marvin Miller. Many think the award for Miller was long overdue. I watched part of the ceremony yesterday. Players have long memories. Jeter called out the only writer who did not vote for him.
Well, the Dodgers lost another one-run game today. The offense is so bad right now that the last 4 hitters in the lineup had an awful day. Roberts rested Seager, Smith, and Taylor all at the same time. Souza, McKinney, and Barnes started in their stead. And after the loss, the fan reaction was predictable. The frustration with this team is pretty high right about now. And some think Roberts has thrown in the towel and is preparing for the Wild Card game. An assumption that is absolutely ridiculous.
On the Dodgers site, Trea Turner was quoted as saying, we are not playing good enough. And he feels he can do better. They made weak contact on a lot of first-pitch curveballs or off-speed pitches. Their best opportunity, Bellinger hit a soft fly on the first pitch with the bases loaded and two outs. Muncy said the offense just sucked. And they are wasting great performances by the pitching staff, which is most likely frustrated themselves with the lack of help from the offense. JT thinks the entire team is pressing. And I have a feeling that is very true. He also said they need to be having fun playing, and right now they are not.
I have no clue what the solution is. They have 12 games left at home, and 9 on the road. They need to take care of their own schedule and hope the Padres and Braves can throw a wrench into the Giant’s machinery starting next week. I also think they need some help off of the bench which right now has 2 hitters under the Mendoza line, Pujols, and the backup catcher. McKinney has been a bust and Souza Jr. has one hit in his two games. The starters are getting a boost with the return of CK on Monday and they are throwing the best they have at the Padres this weekend.
But unless the offense cranks it up and quickly, they will continue to have to win close games with few runs in the bank.
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Discussion (103)
Disagree, not disagreeable
In response to William above…
I will agree with you that Craig Counsell is a better manager than Doc. IMO, Counsell is the 2nd best manager in MLB right behind Tony LaRussa. If LaRussa’s CWS win the WS, he will have won a WS with three different teams. No other manager has won a WS with more than 2 teams, and only 4 have done that.
Bucky Harris – 1924 Washington Senators and 1947 NYY
Bill McKechnie – 1925 Pirates and 1940 Reds
Sparky Anderson – 1975/1976 Reds and 1984 Tigers
Tony LaRussa – 1989 A’s and 2006/2011 Cardinals
I would have preferred Kapler over Doc but for personal reasons. I do not think he is a better manager. He is doing a fantastic job with SF this year, but he needs to be do it consistently as has Roberts since 2016. In his first three years, Gabe was three games under .500. Roberts worst record was 91-71 in 2016 and 92-71 in 2018.
Kevin Cash is perfect for Tampa Bay, but if you think Doc manages off of a script, you would not be pleased with Cash. It is Tampa Bay’s position that no pitcher should face the lineup a third time. That is why he came out to get Snell after Barnes single with one out in the 6th and the top of the lineup coming up. Snell owned Betts, Seager, and JT. 6 ABs and 6 Ks. You really think that was a good in game decision? Snell did not. In 16 outs, 9 were by strikeout. Snell was not just winning, he was dominating. Cash even said after the game that they have been using that same strategy all season and he (they) saw no reason for changing it. You may not like Doc’s in game decisions, but you accept that one? Compare that to Doc’s in game decisions in Game 6. Doc came out and got Gonsolin in the 2nd inning behind 1-0 and with two runners on and Playoff Super Hero Randy Arozarena coming up. Doc went to change up artist Dylan Floro who got Arozarena on three changeups. The book on Arozarena was that he was very susceptible to changeups, and Floro threw him his three best of the season. Doc then maneuvered the bullpen perfectly. With the Dodgers ahead 2-1, with two outs in the 7th Zunino got the single off Bazooka and Doc brought in Julio. Doc was going to ride Julio to the finish and he dominated the rest of the way. That is not how he might have managed during the year, and it certainly is not how he is managing this year, but for that one game, I am glad that Doc was the manager and not Kevin Cash.
While I do agree with you that to send Darvish out for Game 7 in 2017 was a bad decision, I would not have started Kershaw. I would have started Alex Wood who owned the Houston Cheaters in their yard in Game 4. Kersh would (and did) come in. I would have had zero complaints with Kersh starting Game 7, but my preference would have been to start Wood and finishing with Kersh. Kersh started Game 5 and Wood was fresher.
And I have said on too numerous occasions that I did not agree with the decision to let Kershaw pitch to Soto in Game 5. So yes I do agree that Doc has made decisions that I disagree with in some playoff situations. However, I agree with other decisions. Would my decisions (or anyone else’s) have turned out different? We will never know. Overall I think Doc has made more correct decisions than incorrect ones. If it were not for the Houston Cheaters, he would have 2 WS championships in his first 5 years (and who knows about this year yet). He has three NL Championships in 5 years. I doubt that he will ever silence his detractors, even with a WS championship in 2021. Would Counsell have the same record with LAD as Doc has? We will never know.
Infield in – no. Infield half way – yes, with excellent base runner.
Los Angeles Dodgers
@Dodgers
The Dodgers recalled IF Gavin Lux and optioned RHP Andre Jackson.
Cody Bellinger is literally the worst player in MLB (using OPS+ as the measuring stick – I know that there are other ways to look at it). I agree that if you put the likes of McKinney out there every day he would be as bad or worse and Belli is a superior defender, but running Belli out there daily doesn’t solve anything.
If Trea Turner would play CF (which he did for a while when he came up) then against southpaws at least they could move Pujols to 1B, Muncy to 2B and Turner to OF. I know, worse defense at 3 positions but Pujols has a triple slash against LHP of .302/..341/.635/.976, which is certainly better than anything that Bellinger is doing. I know – Turner doesn’t want to play OF, but really?
I also know that doesn’t answer the other problem which is that Muncy, JT, Taylor, Betts aren’t hitting much either but Belli is 0 for September.
Here are the Dodgers’ hitters in September:
Corey Seager: .391 (9 for 23)
Will Smith: .353 (6 for 17)
Trea Turner: .313 (10 for 32)
AJ Pollock: .286 (2 for 7)
Austin Barnes: .250 (3 for 12)
Max Muncy: .241 (7 for 29)
Albert Pujols: .222 (2 for 9)
Mookie Betts: .214 (6 for 28)
Justin Turner: .214 (6 for 28)
Chris Taylor: .067 (2 for 30)
Steven Souza Jr.: .167 (1 for 6)
Billy McKinney: .000 (0 for 7)
Cody Bellinger: .000 (0 for 23)
The other thing about resting players down the stretch – unless they’re hurt now is not the time. Here’s Houston Mitchell from the Times:
“I think we are at the point of the season when it’s OK to stop resting players. I mean, there are only 21 games left, and it’s not like all the rest prevented Pollock from getting injured. I don’t think an outfield of Souza, Bellinger and McKinney, like the Dodgers started on Thursday, is the ideal lineup when you are two back with 22 to play.”
Finally, what about Matt Beatty? The Dodgers now have a 15 man pitching staff (they just sent Jackson back down and recalled Lux). Beatty has an OPS over .800 since being recalled from the minors in July. Tell me that you wouldn’t prefer to see him come up over the likes of McKinney right about now.
DODGERS RECALL GAVIN LUX
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers recalled infielder Gavin Lux and optioned right-handed pitcher Andre Jackson.
Lux, 23, joins the team for his second stint with the club after playing in 85 games and hitting .221 with six homers and 37 RBI with the Dodgers. He played in 17 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City, batting .279 (19-for-68) with four doubles, one homer and 10 RBI. He has spent parts of three Major League seasons with the Dodgers, batting a combined .217 with 11 homers and 54 RBI. The 2019 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year had a banner campaign in his last full minor league season, hitting .347 with 26 homers and 76 RBI in 113 games split between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City. He was originally drafted in the 2016 First Year Player Draft out Indian Trail High School with the 20th overall pick in the draft.
Jackson, 25, was recalled yesterday but did not appear in the game. He is 0-1 with a 1.04 ERA (1 ER/8.2 IP) and seven strikeouts in two big league games this season for the Dodgers. The former 12th round pick of the 2017 First Year Player Draft out of the University of Utah has split the season between Low-A Rancho Cucamonga, Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City and is a combined 5-3 with a 3.42 ERA (31 ER/81.2 IP) and 88 strikeouts.
I hate to hear how Bauer was a bad signing by the front office. As a matter of fact, up until Fourth of July weekend, it was a great signing. He was amongst the leaders in most pitching categories and you could always count on him to rest the pen and have a quality start. Two things that don’t get enough attention these days.
No one could have predicted that a former employee from a rival team would have a grudge big enough to make Gil Renard look like just another fan, let alone that he was stupid enough to invite an Internet psycho over after receiving offers for rough sex. If this was a movie plot, it would bomb as being unbelievable.
No amount of due diligence would have prevented such a combination of stupidity and the borderline personality traits of a serial killer.
Open on www.insider.comhttps://www.insider.com/common-traits-of-serial-killers-2018-5#need-for-excitement-9I know he had some brushups online while arguing with people, akin to what everyone on this site has been guilty of. But, to paint him now as a sexual predator, instead of a victim of someone that clearly displayed ulterior motives is the result of political climate as opposed to a reasonable conclusion based on fact.
The real travisty is that Trevor and the Dodgers are being targeted by MLB because Manfred doesn’t want to address the noise that would surround Bauer pitching on National TV in the playoffs. It is a cowardly way to handle the situation and it is unfair to Bauer and the Dodgers. Trevor’s reputation is irreparable damaged and this will hurt his future earnings and this has also hurt the reputations of two other players along the way. But, the person that caused all the damage is getting little backlash. What a strange world we live in where a man is at fault and punished based on a women’s allegations, her nefarious actions, and his response to her requests.
Sure, you may not agree with the contract, but it’s hard to argue with the results before the fateful incident occurred. I hardly fault AF for bringing a stud pitcher onto the team and I certainly don’t mind paying a premium to reduce the risk of a long term contract.
Politics suck, but it’s a necessary evil in life. Without it, the most violent and unremorseful would rule mankind. In Manfred’s case, it’s hard to argue a single team other than the Dodgers would want Bauer back before the end of the season. So, he will trample the rights of a single player to make the league look less bad in the public eye. As commissioner, it is entirely within his power to do so. But, in the case of our nation’s government, you should vote out anyone that is supporting trampling over the rights of its citizens for any reason. Once you lose your rights, it will be very tough to get them back. Remember that when you vote.
I will be voting tomorrow morning, in person and I’ll have my ID in my pocket even though I don’t need it to vote. Like most people, I carry it wherever I go. I don’t trust the postal service to ensure my vote counts any more than I would trust them with mailing a $100 bill. If you can’t get your ass in to vote properly over the weekend, Monday or Tuesday, it’s just not that important to you so maybe your vote shouldn’t count. I will eat something before I leave the house, and I’ll bring water with me. No need to supply those things in the line. This isn’t a trivial trip to Walmart.
Tonight’s Lineup:
RF Mookie Betts R
1B Max Muncy L
2B Trea Turner R
SS Corey Seager L
3B J. Turner R
C Will Smith R
LF Gavin Lux L
CF Chris Taylor R
P Julio Urias L
No Cody Gavin starting in LF
Dios te oiga Mark, ° Tal vez la ofensiva se despierte ahora mismo y todo esto se olvide … ¡Eso espero, pero soy de Missouri!
Beaty vs. Lux?
Beaty is a better hitter, so they must have come to the conclusion after watching the two games that Lux played in the outfield that Lux can play the position with superiority over Beaty. Two games isn’t much, so Lux must have taken to the position like a fish to water. I looked up the stats and he was pretty busy in LF last night recording 5 outs with one via assist on a double play. Maybe his arm plays up in the outfield.
I don’t want to get too excited over defensive stats with 9 total chances, but they must have really liked something for him to be starting in LF today.
With the bat, he went o-fer last night, while scoring two runs. But, the two nights before he had a couple of 3 hit games with a bomb and a couple of doubles. Hitting wise, right now in the minors, Lux and Beaty are showing similar results.
Here’s the weird part. In Beaty’s current run in the minors, he’s played 4 games and 35 innings in left field, but he’s only made 4 plays. In one game, Lux had as many plays and recorded one more out. Maybe they aren’t hitting balls to left field when Beaty’s out there, or maybe he isn’t getting to too many. Baseball’s an odd game.
Either way, Beaty is a more experienced hitter, but no doubt Lux has more tools to work with.
The real question is WTF is McKinney still doing on this roster?
It’s so bad for CT3 that Lux is batting ahead of him. I’m really looking forward to seeing Lux play LF tonight.
I always think something special is going to happen this time! We’ve seen Man-Ram make that remarkable run. Puig’s start of his career, Fernando, Welch. Anything can happen in baseball, just ask now mortal Randy Arozarena.
Maybe Lux will finally play like we all expected and spark the team while playing stellar defense in the outfield. Some guys just take to it like CT3 did.
Maybe I just smoke too much weed.
McKinney IL, Beaty up. Belli’s gonna sit for a couple of days. With Snell starting Sunday, looks like he’ll miss the entire Padres series.
I guess Puta Madre means Julio isn’t happy with the umpire lol
This lineup is much, much better
We Say puta madre Shen we are rally, rally upset
Me gustaría que los Dodgers continuarán la ofensiva para hacer más carreras, tal cómo lo hacen la mayoría de los rivales y no se aletarguen ( cómo lo hacen a menudo) para terminar sufriendo en las últimas entradas. Julio no irá más de 6 entradas.
Vieron el doblete de Myers a jardín central?, esa es una de las razones por las que juega Belli, su defensa de élite.
Joc used to own Musgrove
Not a bad night for a reliever! And a virtual explosion by the offense tonight!
Doyers win! Max is the man
4 for 26. 0 for 4 WRISP.
ZZZZZZZZZ
A few barrels that were caught. Might be a sign. Might not.
Urias. 28 starts. 163 innings.
Shabbat Shalom my Dodger brothers!
Dodgers win, Dodgers win!
Julio to the rescue!
Marvelous Max breaks out!
TM