Series Thread (Games 58-60): May 31-June 2 vs. Phillies

Don't tell me I lost a step
Criss-crossed in the wrong direction
Found myself in a conversation
From a missed connection

Fri 5.31 7p: Kenta Maeda vs. Arrieta
Sat 6.1 7p: Clayton Kershaw vs. Eflin
Sun 6.2 1p: Rich Hill vs. Pivetta

It may not exactly be Harper's Folly, what with the Phillies in first place over Atlanta by three games in the NL East. But the Dodgers' decision to pass on off-season gem Bryce Harper definitely kept us away from long-term (13-year, $330M) constraints, and possibly also kept us from short-term disappointments as well (espn.com just re-graded the off-season transactions, and Bryce Harper's acquisition by Philadelphia earned a C- grade):

There are a lot of positives here as the Phillies are in first place, attendance is up more than 9,000 fans per game and Harper has played every game. His defense has been vastly better than last season and he has hit three of the 30 longest home runs of the season. On the other hand, he is hitting .243/.364/.475 with 10 home runs -- a relatively soft number considering 69 players had already hit 10 before Harper reached double digits Wednesday -- and was tied for the major league lead in strikeouts entering Wednesday. He ranked 84th in the majors in wOBA and the Phillies didn't give Harper $330 million to be the 84th-best hitter in the game.

Holy shit, it's a blockquote! We haven't used one of those for a while now!

So maybe Harper is feeling like Los Angeles is...a missed connection?

Anyway, this weekend we get a chance to see Harper again, and while we won't be trotting out our own offseason acquisition (five years, $60M; D-grade), staph-infected A.J. Pollock, we seem to be rolling pretty well nonetheless: most wins in the majors; best record in the NL; 8.5-game lead on the Padres. Let's keep it rolling.

Last Night's Comeback... in Chart Form

Not pictured in chart - an emotionally spent and beer-laden Delino.

This is Newman’s Town!

We just drink 18 dollar beers in it

Happy 30th Anniversary to Seinfeld. I guess the Soup Nazi was busy. (Apologies if that actor is in fact deceased)

when will the Dodgers do a What’s Happening themed night?

Series Thread (Games 54-57): May 27-30 vs. Mets

Mon 5.27 5p: Clayton Kershaw vs. deGrom
Tue 5.28 7p: Rich Hill vs. Matz
Wed 5.29 7p: Walker Buehler vs. Syndergaard
Thu 5.30 7p: hyun-Jin Ryu vs. Vargas

Happy Memorial Day! And why schedule a four-game series logically over the three-day weekend, when one can make the Dodgers travel all the way back from Pittsburgh (where they swept the Pirates), just to play an early evening Monday game at home? I suppose the only upside is that we're facing the .500 LolMets, starting with a very well-rested Clayton Kershaw. Let's do this.

Sax will be at the Stadium tonight and Tuesday, so drop a line if you'll be there. And dress for the cold front, it's chilly out there!

Series Thread (Games 51-53): May 24-26 @ Pirates

this is a better song than it is a video

Fri 5.24 4p: Walker Buehler vs. TBD
Sat 5.25 4p: Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. Musgrove
Sun 5.26 10.30a: Kenta Maeda vs. Archer

The Pirates are coming off a losing series at home vs. Colorado. Okay, that's bad (salvaged by a 14-6 win Thursday). What's worse? Well, the Dodgers are coming off a disastrous meltdown in the second game against Tampa Bay, in which Dylan Floro and Caleb Ferguson joined forces to collectively shit the bed (not that they were in the same bed, per se). This came one night after Pedro Baez was hit by a wicked comebacker, expelling him from the game and now he's out indefinitely.

We ended up splitting that series against the Rays, but we fly into Pittsburgh with the weaknesses of our bullpen unveiled for everyone to see. So sure, we still hold the best record in the NL (32-18). But it's a worry.

It doesn't matter why we're known. We're just known.

"Series" Thread (Games 49-50): May 21-22 @ Rays

Tue 5/21: Clayton Kershaw vs. TBD
Wed 5/22: Rich Hill vs. TBD
Both games at 4p PT

A two game series? In Tampa? The only thing weirder than this scheduling anomaly would be if Tampa had to travel west to play the Diamondbacks, as that would be Rays In Arizona. Alas, we get a chance to rest for this two-game picnic soiree in Tampa, with off-days before and after this "series."

And we'll probably need it, given the Rays have the best ERA in the majors @ 2.98 (the Dodgers are in second, at 3.38), as well as the second-best batting average against (.214); the Dodgers are third-best with .221. As of this post's press time, the Rays had not named their starters, to duel against Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill, but we know it won't be Charlie Morton or Blake Snell (who pitched this past weekend vs. the Yankees). Let's see if all that rest can do our bats some good.

Series Thread (Games 46-48): May 17-19 @ Reds

Fri 5.17 4p: Rich Hill vs. DeSclafani
Sat 5.18 1p: Walker Buehler vs. Mahle
Sun 5.19 10a: Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. Roark

In a series marked by ever-earlier game start times, the Dodgers see the Reds for the second time this year. And this time, the Dodgers can't say "I see you" to Matt Kemp, who has already been let go by Cincinnati (the Dodgers are still on the hook for $3.5M of the $21.75M Kemp receives in salary this year).

But the Dodgers will see former Dodger Yasiel Puig, who despite beating the Cubs with a walk-off recently, still has struggled to a measley .206 BA this year. Now that we've got an excitable outfielder of our own with a more potent bat, to replace Puig's spot, it appears (early on) that the Dodgers may have timed this deal with the Reds pretty well. Then again, another series sweep would also make the point just fine.

"Series" Thread (Games 44-45): May 14-15 vs. Padres

Tues 5/14: Kershaw vs. Paddack
Wed 5/15: Maeda vs. Strahm
Both games at 7p

It's good to be done with Gerardo Parra, who torched us for a game-winning grand slam on Saturday, and then came back Sunday to break up Hyun-Jin Ryu's no-hitter bid with one out in the eighth. That guy has always killed us.

So now we move on to see the pesky Manny Machado, who got to Clayton Kershaw last time they met, with a two-run HR to start the game going (the Dodgers ended up winning, 4-3). The Padres, who started out the season hot, have regressed to third place (behind the Diamondbacks, 3.5 GB), four games back in the NL West. Will the Padres claw their way back into the race? I'd say it's a longshot.

Oh yeah, and there's this, on Wednesday:

Series Thread (Games 40-43): May 9-12 vs. Nationals

Thu 5/9 7p: Rich Hill vs. Corbin
Fri 5/10 7p: Kenta Maeda vs. An Sanchez
Sat 5/11 6p: Walker Buehler vs. Scherzer
Sun 5/12 1p: Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. Strasburg

The husk of the team once known as the Washington Nationals, now gutted with the loss of Bryce Harper, sit at 14-22 with the second-worst record in the National League. Given our opponent, this might be the series where we extend our three-game lead over Arizona by starting three good arms as well as Kenta Maeda (whose 4.66 ERA is not as bad as Walker Buehler's, but his 3-2 record sits at the bottom of the four).

Some might say this is pessimistic, coming off of a great sweep of Atlanta earlier this week, capped by a 9-4 spanking last night. Joe Kelly even pitched a full inning with 2 Ks and no runs scored. I'm a bad liar, you say? Oh, I've been askin' for / Oh, I've been askin' for problems, problems, problems.

Series Thread (Games 37-39): May 6-8 vs. Braves

This is not only an appropriate (and good!) song, but it's a cool video as well

Mon 5/6: Buehler vs. Gausman
Tues 5/7: Ryu vs. Fried
Wed 5/8: Kershaw vs. Foltynewicz
all games at 7p

We took two of three against the Padres, but all the air was let out of the tires after Kenley Jansen loaded the bases with none out, and then got two out...only to give up a walkoff grand slam to lose the game 5-8. Upon that kick to the nuts, it also became clearer that our two comeback wins Friday (4-3) and Saturday (7-6) were probably more fluky luck rather than division dominance. We easily could have dropped all three in San Diego. As it is, we leave the weekend with a narrow one-game lead over Arizona and 2.5 games over San Diego.

Welcome the new, great depression.

Sure, everyone will tell you, we've got more wins than anyone in the majors. That's partially because we've also played more games than any other team in the majors (our 36 games are tied for first with three other teams); the Cubs have played FIVE fewer games than us (and are only three back in the wins column). So I'm not buying into the optimism just yet, and especially not when Jansen's labored delivery and heavy pitch load with each batter seems to indicate something is amiss.

We host a Braves team who is only 1.5 games behind the Philadelphia Bryce Harpers in the NL East, and are hungry. I'm hungry as well--for Dodger Dogs--so I'll be attending Monday and Wednesday's game. Shout out if you're at the Stadium as well (I'm talking to you, Quad!).

Series Thread (Games 34-36): May 3-5 @ Padres

No jokes for the Padres' third weekend starter.

Fri 7p: Clayton Kershaw vs. Lauer
Sat 5.30p: Rich Hill vs. Lucchesi
Sun 1p: Kenta Maeda vs. Margevicius

After dropping two of three in Birdshit Park, the Dodgers go to warmer climes to face the Padres, surprisingly +4 games over .500 and only 1.5 games behind the Dodgers, in third place. Manny Machado has been busy pulling hijinks, and Fernando Tatis Jr. is on the IL. But San Diego is still 7-3 over their last ten (along with the Snakes, who have moved up to second place in the division).

So let's roll, Dodgers! Are you ready to let go?

I'm kind of disturbed by this video, though.

Fan + Foul > Fries + Freschetta

We dropped the series last night, but at least we ate heartily. Unlike this guy.