Monday, May 01, 2023

Series Thread (Games 30-32): May 1-3 vs. Phillies

Mon 5.1 7p: Tony Gonsolin vs. Taijuan Walker
Tue 5.2 7p: TBD vs. Matt Strahm
Wed 5.3 1p: TBD vs. Aaron Nola

The 2022 National League Champion Phillies are only 15-13, basically the same record as the Dodgers (16-13). Except they sit in fourth place in their division (only ahead of the lowly Washington Nationals), while the Dodgers share first place with Arizona. There's upside for the Phillies on the near-term horizon, though, with Bryce Harper potentially being reinstated for this series in Los Angeles, as early as Tuesday. That's always dangerous for Phillies opponents...not to mention opponents' stadium walls.

UPDATE 3.07p: Harper has been cleared to play starting Tuesday, which would be 160 days since his Tommy John surgery. Amazing! And welcome back, Bryce Harper!

For the Dodgers, that weekend sweep over the Cardinals to start off this homestand was pretty sweet indeed--as was seeing Will Smith and Max Muncy return to the lineup, not to mention only the second multi-hit game for Chris Taylor all year. Our bullpen (and timely defense) held the Cardinals bats at bay during high-leverage situations in all three games. Three more games to go on this homestand, before a well-deserved day off!

Oh, and I'll be at the Stadium on Monday night, so hit me up if you want to say hi.

91 comments:

Steve Sax said...

GAME 1

1 Betts SS .235
2 Freeman 1B .292
3 Smith C .300
4 Muncy 3B .238
5 Heyward RF .240
6 Outman CF .292
7 Vargas DH .213
8 Peralta LF .167
9 Busch 2B .100

P Gonsolin 0-0, 0.00

That's right, we've got a DH batting seventh at .213. And then two guys batting below Mendoza. Hooooooooo boy.

Steve Sax said...

I'll be at the Stadium tonight, looking for my first 2023 win

QuadSevens said...

CT3 goes 2 for 4 with an RBI and his reward is the bench? Why not try and let his bat get hot on back to back days?

QuadSevens said...

6-9 in our lineup have zero at bats against Walker. 3 are rookies, so it's expected, be we'll see how this goes. CT3 is 3 for 13 against Walker.

Steve Sax said...

I’m here. Good vibe and good crowd for Dustin May bobblehead night

QuadSevens said...

SMITH BOMB!!

Steve Sax said...

SLAPPY!!!

Steve Sax said...

Peralta!!!

Steve Sax said...

Holy cow that three-run Peralta HR was unexpected; he’s batting under .170!!!

QuadSevens said...

And that is why I’m not a manager. PERALTA 3 RUN BOMB!

QuadSevens said...

Heyward with a bomb tonight too! 8-1 in the fifth.

Steve Sax said...

13-4 victory. We even overcome Phil Bickford’s relief appearance.

Nice win for the Dodgers. And I totally forgot about Trea Turner on the Game Thread! Whoops.

Steve Sax said...

Check out this comparison of the 2022 and 2023 Dodgers CFs, so far in 2023:

Cody Bellinger: 95 AB, 28 H, 23 R, 7 HR, 18 RBI, 5 SB, .295 BA, .962 OPS

James Outman: 99 AB, 28 H, 18 R, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 4 SB, .283 BA, .973 OPS

Almost identical lines. Who would have thought that CodyLove would have such a great rebound year in Chicago, and that Outman would be off to such a hot start in Los Angeles?!

Steve Sax said...

GAME 2

Betts RF
Freeman 1B
Smith DH
Muncy 3B
Taylor LF
Outman CF
Vargas 2B
Rojas SS
Barnes C

Urias P

QuadSevens said...

Nice plays from Muncy and Outman in the second. Urias looking good through two.

Steve Sax said...

Urias has struck out four through three frames.

3-0 LA, mid-3

Steve Sax said...

Hi Quad!

Steve Sax said...

Betts knocks in another one! 4-0 LA, and Betts is 2-for-3 with 3 RBI!

Steve Sax said...

Sorry, my bad. It’s 4-1 LA through five; Trea Turner solo shot.

Trea works a two-out walk in the sixth.

Steve Sax said...

Julio gets Castellanos to K to end the sixth! Urias with 9 Ks on the night!

Steve Sax said...

Mookie leadoff single in the seventh. Freeman makes the first out, then Slappy singles and Betts takes third on Brandon Marsh’s weak throw back to the infield!

Steve Sax said...

Muncy works a walk. Rancho ardiendo!

Steve Sax said...

So here’s CT3.

Steve Sax said...

Taylor with a two-run double!

6-1 LA

Steve Sax said...

Outman Ks for the second time tonight. He’s 0-for-3

Steve Sax said...

Vargas!

Steve Sax said...

Vargas doubles to right, scoring two. That’s his third double of the game!

Steve Sax said...

8-1 LA

QuadSevens said...

Vargas is going off tonight! Love it!

QuadSevens said...

Hi Sax!

Steve Sax said...

Gregory Soto, Phillies reliever, exits. Still two out in B7, with Vargas on second.

Steve Sax said...

Vesia is shaky as all get out in the eighth, but we get out of the inning.

8-1 LA, mid-8

Steve Sax said...

Barnes is now 0-for-4 and batting .085.

Btw charley is drunk tonight on the radio. He has made three miscalls (wrong score, wrong player name 2x) in the last 20 minutes

Steve Sax said...

Michael Busch, subbing for Mookie, works a one-out walk.

Steve Sax said...

Freeman! Two-run homer, it’s 10-1 LA

Steve Sax said...

Lakers win Game 1, 117-112

Steve Sax said...

Muncy with a two-out single

Steve Sax said...

CT3, down 0-2 in the count, works an 8-pitch walk.

Steve Sax said...

Kody Clemens, Roger’s son (and an infielder), is in to pitch mop-up for the second straight night.

Steve Sax said...

Outman singles, scoring Muncy.

11-1 LA

Steve Sax said...

Vargas singles for his fourth hit of the ninth.

12-1 LA

Steve Sax said...

Geez, even Miguel Rojas gets a hit! Wow that is pretty amazing

Steve Sax said...

Austin Barnes with an RBI!

Of course, it’s a bases-loaded walk on four pitches. You didn’t think Barnes would get a hit, right? Neither did I.

Steve Sax said...

13-1 LA

Steve Sax said...

Michael Busch grounds out for the final out.

We go to the ninth, 13-1 LA

Steve Sax said...

Reds beat the Padres in 10

Steve Sax said...

Oh god, it’s Bickford.

We could lose this game. Even with a 12-run lead.

Steve Sax said...

Bryce Harper Ks for the third time tonight, he went 0-for-4 in his first game of 2023.

Steve Sax said...

Now Dalton Guthrie is up as a PH, and Bickford gets behind 3-0

Steve Sax said...

Holy cow, Bickford with a K on Guthrie!

Steve Sax said...

WIN

Steve Sax said...

Day game tomorrow! See you then

Steve Sax said...

GAME 3

Betts RF
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Muncy 3B
Heyward DH
Outman CF
Vargas 2B
Peralta LF
Taylor SS

P GAVIN STONE (MLB debut)

Steve Sax said...

Not a good start for Gavin

Steve Sax said...

Gavin Stone lost the plot in the third inning. We are down 5-0.

Mookie gets one back, though. 5-1, two on and two out for the Dodgers. Muncy at the plate.

Steve Sax said...

Muncy Ks for the second time today.

5-1 Phillies through 3 full

Steve Sax said...

Vargas HR!

5-3 PHI

QuadSevens said...

5-4 in the bottom of the 8th. Forgot it was a day game.

QuadSevens said...

Rojas off the bench with a one out single. It's a start.

QuadSevens said...

Outman slaps a 100 MPH pitch down the 3rd base line! Runners on the corners!

QuadSevens said...

Correction, runners on second and third for Vargas now.

QuadSevens said...

Vargas grounds to short, and they cut down Rojas at the plate. Doc is challenging that the plate was blocked. We might have something here.

QuadSevens said...

Lost the challenge. Two down, Barnes up.

QuadSevens said...

Barnes drives in the tying run! I don't believe it!

QuadSevens said...

...and go ahead run! 6-5 Dodgers!

Steve Sax said...

I don’t believe it either!!!

Steve Sax said...

5-for-48 this season, and potentially the game winning RBI against a solid Philly reliever

QuadSevens said...

Barnes caught stealing, but we have the lead going to the ninth!

QuadSevens said...

Bazooka coming in to face Turner and Harper with one out.

Steve Sax said...

Very interesting call to pull Caleb Ferguson, who is dealing through 1.1, with one out in the ninth and a 6-5 lead.

Graterol in to face Trea and Bryce 😬

QuadSevens said...

Rojas with a web gem to get Turner! Wow!

Steve Sax said...

Wow, Rojas gets the speedy Turner on a high chopper!

Steve Sax said...

Phils with a RISP and two out…

Steve Sax said...

Graterol chokes away the lead.

Why did we pull Ferguson?!?!

Steve Sax said...

6-6 tie

Thanks a lot Brusdar

Steve Sax said...

Playing it back: Brusdar was bailed out with a solid play by Rojas, but then Harper singled and Graterol walked the next batter, then Bohm tied it up.

Going to B9.

Steve Sax said...

Oh, Kimbrel is on for the Phillies. This game isn’t over yet.

Steve Sax said...

We crushed Kimbrel in game 1 of this series.

Here’s CT3 to leadoff the ninth.

Steve Sax said...

Taylor with a line drive base hit to center!

Steve Sax said...

Taylor steals second! Third stolen base this season for CT3.

Mookie at the plate.

QuadSevens said...

Let's go Mookie!

Steve Sax said...

Betts caught looking.

Freeman IBB. Slappy up.

Steve Sax said...

Smith is 0-for-4 today but he’s batting .412 with RISP.

QuadSevens said...

Will walks to load them for Muncy.

Steve Sax said...

Kimbrel walks Slappy on five pitches.

Muncy up with rancho ardiendo

Steve Sax said...

All we need is launch angle here, Max! (Or a walk.)

QuadSevens said...

MUNCY WALK OFF GRAND SLAM!!

Steve Sax said...

Walk off grand slam for Muncy!!!

QuadSevens said...

SWEEP!

spank said...

woop!

QuadSevens said...

Muncy is going to be an All Star this year.