Tuesday, June 07, 2022

Games 55-57 Thread: June 7-9 @ White Sox

Tue 6.7 5p: Mitch White vs. Kopech
Wed 6.8 5p: Tony Gonsolin vs. Cueto
Thu 6.9 11a: Tyler Anderson vs. Cease

We may as well continue through the Pixar Inside Out characters, now that we limped to a putrid 2-5 homestand by dropping all three games to the Pirates, before stumbling to a split against the Mets. Oh sure, we took the first two games against a weakened NYM lineup. But in both Saturday and Sunday's game, the Dodgers gave up leads (4-1 and 2-1) in order to choke away a sweep and settle for a split.

I was there Saturday night to see Walker Buehler implode to his shortest start of his career (2.1 IP, 5 ER, 2 HR). The LAT's Dylan Hernandez blames Julio Urias' short start for Sunday's loss, but in actuality the overworked bullpen is also the by-product of a shortened spring training plus the way Andrew Friedman has constructed the lineup, as well as how Dave Roberts chooses to execute the moves. And so, Brusdar Graterol gave up a three-run HR on Saturday, and then was responsible for a blown save and three more earned runs in Sunday's loss.

And let's not forget the offending offense. Will "Slappy" Smith may have had a home run late yesterday, but his game-ended K with a runner in scoring position was almost fated; he shoudln't be batting cleanup with his woeful .227 average. Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger are both batting below .240 as well, and they combined to go 1-for-8 yesterday with two Ks. And Gavin Lux was 0-for-4 in the nine-hole.

The Mets were our first big test this year. We got a C grade, maybe a C+; and this is when they don't even have Max Scherzer or Jacob deGrom in their lineup. It was a pretty disgusting homestand. Will a day off, and some road games, snap this team out of it?

105 comments:

karen said...

GAME 1

Betts RF
Freeman 1B
T Turner SS
Smith C
J Turner 3B
Bellinger CF
Alvarez DH
Taylor LF
Lux 2B

White RHP

karen said...

@Sax.....So sorry I was MIA last week. I'm pretty much at the tail end of having pneumonia and man was I sick. I'll try to do better but can't promise anything at this point. XOXO!!!

karen said...

ANGELS FIRED JOE MADDON.

Steve Sax said...

@karen: yeah I was sick last week too. Hope you’re better now.

Steve Sax said...

Sad for Joe Maddon.

karen said...

@Sax....yeah, I'm a big old baby when I'm sick. ALSO....I'm also sad about Joe Maddon
....I loved what he was able to do with the Cubs, maybe this is another example of why the Angels will always be losers.

karen said...

Sunday looking like a possible start for Kersh in frisco. Let's all live right and keep our fingers crossed.....

spank said...

this thread turned into a medical ward quick

spank said...

absolutely nothing happening so far in this game

spank said...

0-0 after 3.

karen said...

@Spank...You know I love you......You know how much I do....But I count help it, I totally am wasted (I think) on codeine.

spank said...

@karen- its cool. i know what's up. you and saxy need to rest up for the dog days.

spank said...

bases loaded one out for the sox

spank said...

mitch white pitches out of the bases loaded jam without giving up a run. nice

spank said...

another hit another run for Sox

4-0

karen said...

WTFF?????

karen said...

Will we ever win again????

karen said...

Well shit. 3rd loss in a row.

spank said...

BOOOOOOOOO

Steve Sax said...

Well, Joe Maddon is available.

karen said...














karen said...

GAME 2

Betts RF
Freeman 1B
T Turner SS
Smith C
J Turner 3B
Bellinger CF
Taylor LF
Alvarez DH
Lux 2B

Gonsolin RHP

karen said...

SHALL WE TRY AGAIN??

karen said...

I love you Spank!!! Since I'm a little ripped on the pneumonia meds I'm right there with you. XOXO!!!!

karen said...

Much like with The Kersh, I miss JT's long hair. What can I say??? I'm a child of the 70's.

karen said...

So here we are in Chicago. My former hubby and the Outlaws, oops, I mean In Laws, call the Windy City home. Please Baseball gods bless us with some kicked Chicago ass tonight.

spank said...

yes! kick Chicago's ass for karen!!

karen said...

Now that Johnny Cueto has unburdened himself from his (gag, gag, gag giant id) I have allowed myself to view him as a human being and not the monster I have always considered him to be, and damn but I'm thinking the guy might be semi good looking.

Or maybe it's the meds.

spank said...

Boom! Slappy!

karen said...

Slap homers and our Boys score first. Looks like we're in for the long haul Spanky!!

spank said...

@karen- I think its your meds but cueto is rocking them funky stirrup socks.

karen said...

@Spank....You're probably right but have you checked out his hair?

karen said...

@Spank....Our Mothersite has booted off my last two comments, so here we go again....First one was that our Boys scored first so we have to hang tough for the long haul and #2....re Cuerto....I said you're probably right about the meds but have you checked out his hair?

spank said...

Belli!!!

3-0 LA

spank said...

@karen- cuetos hair....whatever floats your boat kid

spank said...

the crowd in Chicago wearing coats and I'm here dying in 105 degree weather. shits cray

karen said...

I love the Stray Cat Strut our Catman employs when he's feeling a little hoity toity about the way things are going in the game.

spank said...

3-1 LA. someone for the chisox hit a homerun I think. saw a player cross home. volume is off. don't want to hear no more of that Jurassic burger dodgers are pimping out

spank said...

good 6th inning by Batman after a Rocky 5

karen said...

OMG!!! We might win!! Normal ninth inning rules apply....Buckle up, Hands remain in the ride at all times and as always NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY!

spank said...

that's a wrap. 4-1 Dodgers on a one game win streak

Steve Sax said...

Holy shit, we won a game.

SD killing the Mets 11-0 right now

Steve Sax said...

NYT Thursday: 38:44. Wow that was a tough one.

Steve Sax said...

Game Three

Mookie RF
Freddie 1B
Trea SS
Max 2B
Will DH
Justin 3B
Cody CF
Gavin LF
Austin C

Tyler P

Steve Sax said...

Holy shit, Max Muncy is back in the lineup!!! CT3 sits.

Steve Sax said...

Angels' losing streak hits 14. They even tried using all-Nickelback walk-up songs.

Yikes. That is desperate.

karen said...

Max back, Kersh pitching Sunday in frisco and Sax goes with the 'first name lineup'. Things are getting jiggy!! There has to be another win out there for us somewhere!

spank said...

don't know why nickelback would bring anyone good luck. more like misery and despair.

karen said...

@Spank.....Jennifer said pretty much the same thing about Nickelback. And I say 'Silly Angels, you can't blame this loss on Joe Maddon'.

spank said...

same ol muncy

spank said...

@karen- haha. yeah. nickelback sucks. maddon is going to manage another team to the playoffs before the angels play in one.

karen said...

Cease is rocking the Freddie Mercury 'stache.

Steve Sax said...

Lux singles to start the third.

Lux then quickly thrown out stealing, so one out.

Nice job, Gavin

spank said...

mookie daydreaming in right field

spank said...

I take back my mookie comment. that ball was like pinball on the fence

Steve Sax said...

Why is Muncy in this lineup?!

Two Ks in two ABs

Steve Sax said...

@karen: re: the first-name lineup: I’m running out of options here for juju. Next up might be animal sacrifices

spank said...

uh oh. Anderson in trouble here in the 4th

spank said...

damn. pollock bites the Dodgers on the ass

spank said...

fuck. bases loaded and no outs for chisox

karen said...

@Saxy...re..juju....Never, Ever sacrifice the critters. People? Yeah, I'm there.

karen said...

WELCOME HOME MAX!!!!! 5-4 DODGERS!!

spank said...

damn. muncy came up. two run double. 5-4 LA

Steve Sax said...

Down 4-0 through 4, Freeman comes out and doubles two runs home (Cody one-out single; Lux walk; Barnes advances to third). Trea knocks in Barnes to make it 4-3 CWS.

And then, MAX MUNCY DOUBLES and Freeman and Turner score!!! 5-4 LA

karen said...

@Spanky.....Another Rocky 5!! And btw dude, tell me you don't see some of our boy Freddie Mercury in young Dylan Cease??

Steve Sax said...

@karen 12:54p: of course. that was just hyperbole.

(but it scared max, too! way to go, muncy. We NEED you.)

Steve Sax said...

Cease: Desisted.

Steve Sax said...

CWS starter Cease leaves the game after 4.2 IP. 6 H, 5 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 Ks.

Steve Sax said...

JT up for the second time this inning

Steve Sax said...

JT walks. Bases juiced for Belli.

Steve Sax said...

2-1 count to Belli

Steve Sax said...

Wild pitch! Muncy scores, all runners advance.

6-4 LA, 2-2 count on Belli

Steve Sax said...

And, Bellinger Ks. Of course.

6 runs this inning, though--I'll take it.

6-4 LA, mid-5

spank said...

I know I'm harsh on muncy but I made a positive comment about his double but it disappeared. just wanted to go on record

QuadSevens said...

Burger jacks a whopper of a HR. 6-5 Dodgers in the 5th.

QuadSevens said...

MUNCY!!

QuadSevens said...

Sox intentionally walked Trea to get to Muncy and he responded with a 3 run bomb! And plenty of smack talking as he crossed home plate. Love it!

Steve Sax said...

MUNCY WITH A THREE-RUN HR!

10-5 LA

Steve Sax said...

White Sox had two strikes on Trea Turner with two out and Freeman on second, down 7-5 to LA.

Sousa throws a ball, and the Sox opt to IBB Trea.

Muncy comes up and, on a 2-2 count, launches a HR to left center!

Wow.

karen said...

@Saxy...Okay. You put the fear of God into Max and lit a fire under Freeman and we lead 10-5. We'll probably need some more of your magic in frisco. Start practicing!! Make it work!

Steve Sax said...

Love the video highlight of Muncy's HR. The ball just got over the yellow line in left (AJ Pollock made a feeble attempt at the ball), and it bounced on the top of the wall and I think hit this guy in a blue shirt off the bounce. Pretty funny

QuadSevens said...

Vesia walks the first two batters of the 8th on 8 pitches. Great.

Steve Sax said...

Hey Alex Vesia, how about we get an out here.

Bases loaded, no out, B8. LA 10-5 for now

Steve Sax said...

Vesia alows Yasmani Grandal, batting .163, to get a two-run single. And, Vesia makes an error as well.

Steve Sax said...

Pull Vesia, Doc!

Tying run at the plate.

Steve Sax said...

I was wrong! Doc leaves Vesia in and he wriggles his way out of it. He started the inning with eight straight balls, then a single, then a RBI single.

Vesia ends the inning with two Ks and a line out to Betts.

10-7 LA through 8

Steve Sax said...

Gimme some insurance, Dodgers!

Steve Sax said...

Mookie is 0-for-5 today with 2 Ks and 7 LOB. Ugh

Steve Sax said...

Slappy gets a leadoff double to left to start the ninth! That's his first hit of the game.

Steve Sax said...

JT works an eight-pitch walk

QuadSevens said...

Lux swings out of his helmet and gets us an insurance run.

QuadSevens said...

Lux with 4 hits today. Sweet!

Steve Sax said...

Mookie went 0-for-6 today. Yikes.

Steve Sax said...

11-7 LA, mid-9

Steve Sax said...

Hudson not starting the ninth out well: two straight singles

Steve Sax said...

Long AB, but Abreu Ks for the first out

QuadSevens said...

Pollock coming up with the bases loaded. Not good.

Steve Sax said...

FUck, Hudson is choking this game away

Steve Sax said...

Grandal pops to third for a foul out, second out.

Steve Sax said...

PH Gavin Sheets up

Steve Sax said...

Sheets strikes out!

11-9 LA, FINAL

Steve Sax said...

WIN

karen said...

After 11 runs and 12 hits we still barely hung on to that win.

Steve Sax said...

yeah, that's terrifying.

i'll take the series win.

barely

Steve Sax said...

NYT Friday crossword: 26:04. New streak