Thursday, September 13, 2018

Series Thread (Games 147-150): Sept 13-16 @ Cardinals

Thurs 9/13 4.15p: Kershaw vs. Gomber
Fri 9/14 5.15p: Buehler vs. Flaherty
Sat 9/15 10a: Hill vs. Gant
Sun 9/16 5p: TBD vs. Wainwright

Look, I could write something about how this is a critical four-game series for the Dodgers, 1.0 games out of the NL West lead with only 16 to play (pending completion of the AZ@COL game on Wednesday 9/12). There's still time, anything can happen, blah blah blah.

But let's face it, this year is toast, having lost all momentum following an absolutely pathetic series loss (and almost sweep) in Cincinnati, which drops us to 1-6 on the season against one of the worst teams in baseball.

Whose breakout star is named after a muppet.

Instead, it's time to look critically at this team and accept the fact that, despite bringing almost everyone back from last year's NL-champion squad, and witnessing a few bright surprises in Max Muncy and Walker Buehler, we've seen regressions across the board for this team:

  • CT3 is the king of Ks
  • Turner, our rock-solid bat, spent most of the year injured
  • Joc and Kike are worse than last year from the plate
  • Yaz is not only a defensive liability, his cold streaks at the plate are death to the lineup
  • Bellinger has struggled against the shift and, despite a good August (on which my brother can't stop reminding me), has been moribund all year
  • Kemp had a surprising first half but has fallen to earth
  • As has Chicken Strips and Wood
  • Dozier is batting .193 with the Dodgers, which is shockingly even worse than Logiebear was
  • Utley is old
  • Kenley is not Kenley
  • Kershaw, again injured, also doesn't have his best stuff this year
  • Our bullpen is unreliable, and Pedro Baez is still there
  • Charley Steiner is mixing up his calls
  • Rick Monday still can't tell us the score of the game
  • Dieter's organ is sounding more tinny than last year
  • Digital bobbleheads are a stupid idea
  • The new netting makes the outfield scoreboards difficult to read
  • The hat shuffle is too fucking difficult with seven hats
  • There are no dippin' dots in the future
  • There are probably no playoffs in our future, either

On the flipside, though, there is a positive side of the ledger (as SoSG Dusty reminded me):

  • We can get beer in our seats now

So I guess all is not lost, he says. I suppose he's right.

but it sure feels that way

(cries)

105 comments:

Orel said...

(standing O gif)

Orel said...

GAME 1
Taylor LF
Turner 3B
Machado SS
Freese 1B
Kemp RF
Dozier 2B
Hernández CF
Barnes C
Kershaw P

Orel said...

Rox up 4-1 after 3

Orel said...

5-1 after 4

Orel said...

5-3 at the stretch

Orel said...

10-3 Rox still batting in the 7th

Orel said...

Rox win

Orel said...

2-RBI triple by Freese!

Orel said...

Kemp RBI single makes it 3-0 Dodgers in the 1st!

Orel said...

Dozier GIDP to end the inning frowny emoji

Orel said...

Geez what's wrong with Kershaw

Steve Sax said...

6-1 on a CT3 double to right center. No outs, top 4. Dodgers on second and third.

This is surprising, but I still am not hopeful.

Steve Sax said...

sorry, that's 6-1 DODGERS

Steve Sax said...

8-2 LA, B5 and one out, and Kershaw is looking shaky. He gave up a HR to Tyson Ross (second career HR), and now has Cards on first and secon

Steve Sax said...

infield single and Freese fucking botches the play. Bases loaded now. Thanks, former Cardinal.

Steve Sax said...

base hit. 8-3, bases still loaded

Steve Sax said...

sac fly to center. 8-4. Kershaw isn't fooling anyone.

Steve Sax said...

Kershaw has three straight balls on Gyorko.

Steve Sax said...

Wow, that's why he'sKershaw. LOOOOOOOOOONG fly ball to left for the third out.

8-4 LA through 5

Steve Sax said...

Austin Barnes, who probably didn't know what was going on when he reached first and then was sacrificed over to second, just got caught stealing third when he slid OVER the third base bag and was tagged.

And CT3, following Barnes, flies to deep right that would have added a run on a sac fly.

Way to go, Austin.

Orel said...

Barnes ensuring Grandal more 2019 $$$ from the Dodgers?

Orel said...

WIN

QuadSevens said...

Kenley was not solid, but got the job done.

Orel said...

Barely

Steve Sax said...

This team is toast

QuadSevens said...

Game 2

We're leading 1-0 in the middle of the fifth.

QuadSevens said...

Dodgers up 2-0 at the stretch.

QuadSevens said...

Puig hits his second bomb of the night in the eighth. 3-0 with Kenley coming in after 8 strong innings from Buehler.

Orel said...

PLEASE KENLEY

Orel said...

Starts with a HBP of course

Orel said...

Matt Adams tags one but right at Bellinger

Steve Sax said...

One out to Bellinger snaring a line drive. Did he tag Munoz as well?!

QuadSevens said...

That was pretty close, but we lose the review.

Steve Sax said...

Nope, only one out. Runner on first.

Steve Sax said...

In other news, this seven-day Hulk MPQ story does not interest me.

Steve Sax said...

Ozuna, first pitch swinging, pops to third.

Orel said...

Two down

Steve Sax said...

Two out

Steve Sax said...

Two comments

QuadSevens said...

Win!

Steve Sax said...

I’m listening to Rick and Kevin at my outdoor bar. Drinking Cooper’s

STRIKE 3!

WIN

Orel said...

Wild card here we come!

QuadSevens said...

Puig's second bomb was in the ninth actually. Geico!

Orel said...

GAME 3
Pederson LF
Turner 3B
Machado SS
Muncy 1B
Grandal C
Bellinger CF
Puig RF
Utley 2B
Hill P

Orel said...

Goddammit Turner hit on the wrist/forearm on ANOTHER INSIDE CARDS PITCH

Orel said...

Dodgers strand the bases loaded in the 3rd GASP SHOCK

Orel said...

Puig HR makes it 3-0 Dodgers!

Orel said...

Cards convert with the bases loaded. 4-3 Cards

QuadSevens said...

They had to talk about the damn salsa!

QuadSevens said...

Bases loaded for Bellinger now. 1 out and a new pitcher coming in.

QuadSevens said...

2 RBI single for Bellinger! Sweet!!

QuadSevens said...

5-4 Dodgers now.

Orel said...

This time Cody delivers with RA. 5-4 Dodgers

Orel said...

DAMMIT

QuadSevens said...

Puig!!

Orel said...

HOLY SHIT PUIG

Orel said...

DAMMIT

QuadSevens said...

Puig has killed the Cardinals this series!

QuadSevens said...

(Blows the smoke off my gun)

Orel said...

You're a sharpshooter, Quad

QuadSevens said...

Muncy with an RBI single and its 9-4 in the sixth.

QuadSevens said...

Bellinger with another RBI single. 10-4 Dodgers!

Orel said...

Nice to see some two-out madness today

Orel said...

PPPPPPUUUUUUIIIIIIGGGGGG

QuadSevens said...

PUIG x3!!!

QuadSevens said...

Turner Ward giving Puig the kisses today. 13-4 Dodgers in the eighth.

QuadSevens said...

Dozier with a double in the ninth. Feels like it’s his first hit in a month.

QuadSevens said...

Cards boot the ball around in the infield and we score another run. 14-4 Dodgers.

QuadSevens said...

Bellinger!!

QuadSevens said...

17-4 Dodgers!!

QuadSevens said...

Padding that run differential stat today.

Cliff Beefpile said...

Urias sighting! Woohoo!

QuadSevens said...

Urias looked good too! Win!

Steve Sax said...

Rockies up 3-0 in SF, but Giants have first and second with none out in the bottom of the sixth.

Steve Sax said...

Chicken Strips gets the nod to start tonight.

Steve Sax said...

Rockies win. Tie for first in the NL West, going into tonight’s game

QuadSevens said...

GAME 3

I don’t like the ESPN score bug.

QuadSevens said...

Turner with a one out double in the first.

Orel said...

I don't like the Cardinals

Orel said...

Let's not waste this double OK?

QuadSevens said...

I don’t like ARod either.

Orel said...

Welp

QuadSevens said...

I don’t like stranding runners either. Ok. Enough conplaining from me.

Orel said...

Strip 1-2-3 in the 1st

Orel said...

Wainwright gets two strikes on Puig then walks him. Utley up

Orel said...

Bad Strip is back. 1-0 Cards on an Ozuna HR

Orel said...

Stripling is throwing too many pitches. At 52 in the 3rd

QuadSevens said...

Time for the bats to wake up and give Strip some support.

Orel said...

Grandal can't corral a strike-three ball in the dirt and the Cards have a baserunner

Orel said...

Grandal's awful D has to negate some of his framing ability

Orel said...

Stripling is toast, having allowed 3 runs and leaving two on for Venditte

Orel said...

ugh

Orel said...

ugh

Orel said...

ugh

Orel said...

ugh

Orel said...

ugh

Orel said...

ugh

Orel said...

ugh

Orel said...

ugh

Orel said...

ugh

Orel said...

ugh

QuadSevens said...

We’ve only got two hits tonight?! Ugh indeed!

QuadSevens said...

Loss. Shutout. Ugh.

Steve Sax said...

Did someone at least say ugh

Orel said...

ugh