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Which One Doesn t Belong?

I can t complain about the pitching changes last night. It all boils down to Rosscup not doing his job on lefties. Some will complain about taking Maeda out and they will be the same ones who complained when they left him in. Rosscup doesn t belong. Axford looked like he does. His first outing was horrid (the worst of his career), but he overcame another Joc Pederson outfield gaffe to shut

By Mark Timmons2 min readJump to 52 comments

I can’t complain about the pitching changes last night.  It all boils down to Rosscup not doing his job on lefties.  Some will complain about taking Maeda out and they will be the same ones who complained when they left him in.  Rosscup doesn’t belong.  Axford looked like he does.  His first outing was horrid (the worst of his career), but he overcame another Joc Pederson outfield gaffe to shut down the Rockies in the 8th inning and had two strikeouts in the process. He still hits 97-98 and is the type of pitcher Honey can “fix.”  We will see.

It seems to be “closer by committee” with Floro, Alexannder and maybe even Axford there (if he can pitch like last night).  Ryu will likely be back the week of August 20th and Urias was hitting 95 on the gun at RC last night.

More Stuff

  • For those of you who had Max Muncy dead and buried:  The body was exhumed.  Max is alive and well… as is Cody Bellinger.
  • Sometimes Joc is just brain dead in the outfield – I don’t even know what to say sometimes.  That’s why he can’t be in CF.
  • It should be interesting to see how Striker Buehler does today.
  • The most important thing to know is that the Dodgers are starting In-Seat Beer Service.
  • No one really knows how long Kenley Jansen will be out.  It could be two weeks, a month, the rest of the season or his career.  You don’t mess with the “ticker.”
  • Dustin Nosler of TrueBlueLA has a interestinmg piece on the Dodgers’ changing Bullpen Philosphy.
  • When will Manny Machado show up? So far, he’s been Clark Kent, but the Dodgers were looking for Superman.  Is this another Josh Reddick, Curtis Granderson, et al clone?
  • Logan Forsythe as a Twin:  29 AB’s/.414 BA/.469 OB%/.952 OPS – Just sayin’….
  • If you count Machado and Dozier, the Dodgers coulkd have 10 hitters with 20+ HR this year.
  • Mitch White pitched his best game of the season last night for Tulsa – 6 IP/4 H/ 1 ER/ 0 BB/6 K’s and Kasowski struck out the side in the 9th. Call ’em both up!  😉
  • These are the Dog Days – it’s where Pennants can be won and lost!

Discussion (52)

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  1. Always CompeteAugust 11, 2018

    I agree that this one cannot be blamed on Roberts. FAZ gave him Rosscup and he has to use him. Their best reliever, Ferguson cannot go back to back games yet. I do not care how well Axford pitched last night, he is questionable at best. Look at his body of work post 2011. Shaggy pitched Wednesday and Thursday, but pitches best with two days off. Floro was pitching in his third game in 4 days. Alexander is now the closer and pitched every other day since Sunday. Baez? Why wasn’t he optioned?

    .

    I do not understand why you expend the prospect capital to acquire rentals like Machado and Dozier, but do not go out and fix the one true problem the team has had…the bullpen. I have been a FAZ supporter, but you have to be objective when evaluating (from a fan’s perspective) their body of work. They have not done well with the bullpen. Last year they were committed to Hatcher and Romo and then finally called up Morrow, but had to go out and pick up Watson and Cingrani at the deadline. This year they picked up the Cup and the Ax. Maeda is a 5 inning pitcher, so why was the relief set up for him as poorly as it was? You are already committed to 2018 with Machado and Dozier so why not pick up a couple of reliable bullpen arms? They were out there. There is not a reliever that will get through waivers that the Dodgers would want. That time has passed. OKC still has Stewart and Liberatore on the 40 man. Bring them up and release Rosscup and option Baez. They certainly cannot do worse.

  2. norcaldodgerfanAugust 11, 2018

    I’ve been disappointed in Many’s offensive game to this point. When he arrived he had a .318 BA, 24 HR’s and 70+ RBI’s. Those numbers illustrated what I thought would be a huge offensive center piece and as Vin used to say our “butter and egg man.”

    I don’t think we’ve seen him come up big in a crucial RBI situation and his strikeouts have been alarming. He needs to get it going and the team, without KJ, is going to have win some games 7-3, 8-5, 10-7. Remove the BP equation from the problem and out slug our opponents will need to be the formula moving forward.

  3. Mark TimmonsAugust 11, 2018

    Manny and Bull Dozier have been starters their whole career. Masnny wants to play SS. Just put Dozier and Machado at 2B and SS EVERY STINKING DAY! There is something to be said for status quo every day!

  4. BobbyAugust 11, 2018

    So far, everyone on this thread is correct, so I don’t need to echo them.

    AC, how good is Carlos Rincon? I see he’s owned Rancho since his call up!

    Buehler has been great the last couple starts. We could really use another great start from him today!

    If Ferguson can’t go back to back days, then he needs to be a 2 inning pitcher each time he is in there. He’s the only guy I trust that won’t implode. At age 21, I think we have ourselves a gem here!

    Cody just missed a HR late in yesterday’s game. That means his timing is getting back. Good, as we need him to carry us, because right now Manny Machado is basically a bigger Cesar Izturis at the plate. At least it’ll be cheaper to resign him if he’s just a .250 hitter with zero power, lot of strikeouts, and zero clutch hits.

    When is Corcino or Stewart or even Banuelos coming up to replace Baez???

  5. Mark TimmonsAugust 11, 2018

    Brock Stewart is resisting becoming a reliever, even though I believe that is his ONLY patch to the majors. If he starts next Spring in the pen, he should get back to 95-96 MPH and could be an asset in the pen. On a starter’s path he only hits 91-92.

  6. Mark TimmonsAugust 11, 2018

    Rincon: Great Power. Huge Strikeouts. 100 is 326 AB’s this year.

  7. Always CompeteAugust 11, 2018

    Now we need to see if Mitchell White can pitch good games back to back. On July 12, White pitched a gem going 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing 6 hits and 0 walks, with 6 strikeouts. On July 17, he followed that up with a 4.2 innings effort allowing 4 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks, with 5 strikeouts. White shows off his promise, but now he needs to do it consistently. Tulsa has 23 games to the end of the season, and White should get 4 of those starts. They are in a good position to get to the playoffs.

  8. the truth hurtsAugust 11, 2018

    Machado is a 4 time all star, I think he is slumping and will turn it around, I’d like him hitting 3rd where he did mainly with the Orioles, why would the Dodgers move him? You take one of the most proven hitters in the game and move him in the lineup, don’t agree with that.

  9. dodgerrickAugust 11, 2018

    1 – Roberts is not to blame for the Dodgers’ frequently ineffective bullpen – the Braintrust is. I agree with AC 100% – the Dodgers’ biggest need at the deadline was the ‘pen and they got the Axe and the Cup. Not good.

    2 – I am frequently disappointed with Roberts’ skill as a game manager and decision maker. The decision not to hit for Maeda when they needed runs and he was already gassed is a complete mystery.

    3 – Machado isn’t going to hit better at 3rd than at 2nd – why would he? He’s either still adjusting to a new team/league/situation, or he’s in a slump, or he’s just not a guy cut out to play under the bright lights of LA – he wouldn’t be the 1st.

    4 – One of Roberts’ things is the constant lineup juggling. But I think that it’s a function of the Braintrust suggesting that he manage the matchups based on data, and Roberts is going to go along with it. The current role of a manager in MLB is not what we’re used to. The manager’s most important job to to motivate a generation of self-satisfied and self-seeking players to play a team game. They call it “communication”. The next most important thing is to listen to the front office nerds and take the data and make decisions based on the data. There’s a reason for young inexperienced managers becoming the hot thing – they are young enough to identify with the players and malleable enough to do what the front office says. Can you imagine Walt Alston or Tommy Lasorda listening to a bunch of pointy heads about how to construct a lineup, who to play, etc?

  10. Dirk CalderwoodAugust 11, 2018

    This site isn’t functioning correctly. Keps re verifying my identity and posts are not showing. IDK.

  11. Rudy ByrdAugust 11, 2018

    Bellinger 2-3 with 3 rbi vs. Freeland…not in the lineup.

    Joc 3-4…not in the lineup.

    Barnes 0-6…in the lineup.

    Puig .222…in the lineup.

    Doc is just itching to get himself fired (unless the nerds upstairs are controlling his strings).

  12. QuasimodoAugust 11, 2018

    I would be all in for a Chase Utley type manager even if that didn’t prove winning. There’s more than winning involved. Interesting is more important than winning and it’s getting obvious nearly all of us are getting less interested as is the team. The DH in the NL will make it less exciting too. I’m not a purist and when I’m reading a book that isn’t grabbing me it doesn’t get finnished. Take out what I enjoy and I’ll likely find something else for my time.

    .

    Filling out my name and email every time to post is really no big deal. No sweat

  13. HawkeyedodgerAugust 12, 2018

    Get hot and it’s time to sit. A lack of urgency all year long. Sit Bellinger so Kike can hit cleanup.

  14. DanielAugust 12, 2018

    Why a hitter with a .216 rating is in 4th?

  15. DanielAugust 12, 2018

    Great DP Dozier/Machado combo. Iam crazy about de captcha stuff!!!

  16. TherealtenAugust 12, 2018

    Buehler after 103 pitches hit 98+ on gun. Him and stripling have pitched great in this series.

  17. AdamAugust 12, 2018

    More garbage managing by Roberts, this matchup up bull shit, let Alexander finish

  18. norcaldodgerfanAugust 12, 2018

    AC is a savant. How in the hell can the FO ignore the BP sans Axford at the deadline. In a pennant race and you rely on Chargois to close a game in Denver. Horrible job by Doc and the FO.

  19. dodgerrickAugust 12, 2018

    Unbelievable. Game lost due to bad bullpen. Sense a trend here? Only alternative? Get complete game from Buehler.

  20. Always CompeteAugust 12, 2018

    This team is in trouble. No bullpen and no knowledge how to handle it if they did. Would Jansen have been pulled? If you have no confidence in Alexander, this season is in trouble. I agree with those that think the Dodgers are going to need to outslug their opponent, and I do not see that happening with Kike’ batting #4. 17 HRs sure, but only 39 RBIs.

    .

    I am not ready to say that Roberts is done, but I do think the fat lady is tuning up, and she is starting to sound pretty good.

  21. AdamAugust 12, 2018

    Roberts not only blew the game, but showed no confidence in Alexander, the closer for the month and maybe the rest of the year. Fat lady has sung on this dude, talent has saved him, absent it he is way below average and should go.

  22. Vegas DodgerAugust 12, 2018

    A pretty nice effort flushed away by over managing. I would have left Ferguson in there, he is the one guy who can go multiple innings. In this series both Stripling and Buehler have had wins snatched from them by the pen. 2 runs is never enough at Coors and many scoring opportunities were squandered. The team played a very nice defensive game except when Muncy thought they were playing football and just about took out his pitcher. I thought Dozier, Manny and Puig made several nice plays each. Barnes calls a good game but he is lost at the plate. There has to be someone at AAA who can do better in the pen, bring up Liberatore for Cup and Stewart for multiple innings. Hell, bring up Kasowski straight from Tulsa!

  23. DanielAugust 12, 2018

    Why Roberts did not put Baez to pitch????? Jajajaja……this bullpen is crazy….I hope we can get playoffs

  24. BisonjonesAugust 12, 2018

    Ferguson was money in the the 8th and very efficient — I was hoping they would at least let him start the 9th and pitch until someone got on. I must confess to having a hard time following DR’s reasoning, I feel for him with the options he has, but he has a tendency to get himself cornered, and then he makes bad decisions.

  25. rogerdodgerAugust 12, 2018

    Caleb !! Damn, I wish Doc, who I love, would have gone Lasorda and rode Ferguson in the 9th until he got in to trouble. This one hurts big time,

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