Monday, April 17, 2023

Series Thread (Games 17-19): April 17-19 vs. Mets

Mon 4.17 7p: Dustin May vs. Peterson
Tue 4.18 7p: Clayton Kershaw vs. Megill
Wed 4.19 12n: Noah Syndergaard vs. some guy with heterochromia

The 8-8 Dodgers are most decidedly a .500 team in 2023. They don't have consistent offense, made worse by mini-slumps from Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, further complicated by an IL stint from Will Smith (the Dodgers' leading hitter). They don't have very good pitching, with a weak bottom of the rotation, complemented with a unreliable bullpen. And they have a ton of lineup spots with weak bats, like Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor, and possibly Max Muncy (who we hope might have snapped out of it vs. the Giants last week).

And the Dodgers rate 25th for batting average with RISP, at .231. There's some slight solace that the Padres are 26th on that list (and the Mets are 28th!), but both of those teams have big bats coming back. We have Austin Barnes, batting .053 and unable to throw anyone out stealing second, now playing every day.

Enter into this shitshow the Mets, who had a payroll over 50% more than the Dodgers ($346M vs. $225M), and a much better record (10-6) to show for it. I'm going to the Stadium on Monday, but I'm not feeling it. This seems like another losing series to me.

graphic courtesy Cat Sims of Sports Illustrated

50 comments:

spank said...

damn. that was a gloomy post. bleak as fuck. Go Doyers!

Steve Sax said...

Whyyyyyyyy is Chris Taylor batting cleanup with a .135 average?

This is insanity. He Ks to end the inning.

Steve Sax said...

1-0 LA through one, on the Freeman HR

Steve Sax said...

Austin Wynns with a two-run double!

3-2 LA through 2

Steve Sax said...

Wow that was Lindor’s second great play this game.

I wish we had a shortstop.

Steve Sax said...

Taylor Ks for a second straight time.

Steve Sax said...

3-2 LA through 3

Steve Sax said...

Feeble fourth for the Dodgers. We’re down 5-3.

Steve Sax said...

Wow Chris Taylor actually made contact this time.

He flies out to start the sixth.

Steve Sax said...

There is no one in the Mets lineup (right now) whose last name is more than six letters.

Steve Sax said...

But, we are losing 8-6

Steve Sax said...

On the flip side, we get free McNuggets tomorrow

Steve Sax said...

I blame Hello Kitty

spank said...

BOOOOO!

Steve Sax said...

That game was awful last night (I was there). We suck

Steve Sax said...

GAME 2

Outman CF
Freeman 1B
Martinez DH
Muncy 3B
Heyward RF
Vargas 2B
Peralta LF
Rojas SS
Barnes C

Kershaw P

Steve Sax said...

Heyward gifts the Mets a runner on third with a fielding error to start the game, but Kershaw works his way out of it with three straight Ks after that.

0-0 through 0.5

Steve Sax said...

Freeman with a one-single.

Steve Sax said...

JD Martinez putting up a fight up there, eight pitches in.

Steve Sax said...

MARTINEZ HR!!!

Holy cow, on the tenth pitch, he drills it to center for a 2-0 lead!!!

WHOO HOO!!!

Steve Sax said...

2-0 LA through one.

Steve Sax said...

JD hits a solo shot to have the Dodgers up 3-0.

Steve Sax said...

We're up 3-0, but just look at that bottom of the lineup:

5 Heyward (1-for-3, 3 LOB) .192
6 Vargas (0-for3, 2Ks, 5 LOB) .186
7 Peralta (0-for-4, 2 Ks, 5 LOB) .171
8 Rojas (0-for-1) .125
9 Barnes (0-for-3) .045

You need a magnifying glass to see those microscopic batting averages.

Steve Sax said...

Vargas with a great play, doubles up pinch runner Alvarez off first.

Steve Sax said...

Barnes steals a base.

That's the Dodgers' third SB this whole frickin' year.

Steve Sax said...

Outman with a single, advances Barnes to third.

Steve Sax said...

Freeman sac fly to left, Barnes scores! Outman takes second.

Steve Sax said...

Martinez knocks in Outman! But JD Martinez is thrown out at second to end the inning.

5-0 LA, end 8.

Steve Sax said...

Graterol gets Marte and Lindor to K for the first two outs in the ninth.

Steve Sax said...

Pete Alonso flies out.

WIN

Steve Sax said...

CLAYTON KERSHAW WINS #200!!!

Steve Sax said...

Of all pitchers with 200+ wins, no one has a better winning percentage than Kershaw (200-88)

Steve Sax said...

Almost forgot it’s a day game.

Syndergaard opens up by yielding a base hit to Nimmo

Steve Sax said...

Noah escapes with a 1-4-3 GIDP and a fly out.

0-0 through 0.5

Steve Sax said...

Max Scherzer takes the mound for the Mutts!

Steve Sax said...

Outman with a leadoff single!

Steve Sax said...

Freeman pops to short. One out

spank said...

bases loaded with one out and the Dodgers couldn't get er done

spank said...

Scherzer apparently had a foreign substance in his glove and got ejected from game.

Steve Sax said...

Just watched the video. Max is arguing like nuts before he gets tossed.

I could have sworn he was staring at the umps with one of those heterchromatic eyes.

Dodgers then take a 1-0 lead (which won’t hold, but is still funny)

Steve Sax said...

Yep, we are already down 2-1 in the next frame.

Steve Sax said...

Bottom 7, and our lineup goes 1-2-3. Quick inning for the Mets, but what do you expect when it’s Peralta, Luke Williams, and Wynns. My god who are these guys in the lineup?

Steve Sax said...

Still down 2-1 through 7

Steve Sax said...

Down 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth. Martinez on second (RBI double, scoring Freeman), and the Mets IBB Muncy to get to Heyward.

Heyward immediately pops to the infield for the second out (on the first damn pitch).

Steve Sax said...

And now we have to depend upon Miguel Vargas. Sheesh.

Steve Sax said...

Miguel softly pops to first for the third out. Great.

3-2 NYM through 8.

Steve Sax said...

Shelby Miller chokes a one-run lead away, it's now 5-2 NY with only one out.

This bullpen SUCKS

Steve Sax said...

Peralta leads off B9 with a HR.

5-3 NY, though.

Steve Sax said...

This would have been a tie game, if not for Shelby Miller.

Idiot on the field being tackled and disposed of.

Steve Sax said...

It's over. Dodgers lose the game and lose the series. Yay.