Monday, April 08, 2024

Games 13-15: April 8-10 @ Twins

Mon 4.8 4.40p: James Paxton (1-0, 0.00) vs. Bailey Ober (0-1, 54.00)
Tue 4.9 4.40p: Tyler Glasnow (2-0, 3.18) vs. Louie Varland (0-1, 6.75)
Wed 4.10 10.10a: Bobby Miller (1-1. 5.87) vs. Chris Paddack (0-0, 4.50)

The last time the Dodgers were at Target Field, it was April 2022 and the Dodgers took both games en route to a 4-0 record against the Twins that season. Last year wasn't quite as good, with the Dodgers hosting Minnesota at home, winning two of three.

But those games weren't off the back of a miserable day at Wrigley Field, where Sunday's persistent rain and persistent Dodgers fielding errors led to a 8-1 thumping in the rubber match vs. the Cubs. Beaten, bruised, and cold, the Dodgers arrive in Minnesota a more fragile team.

Max Muncy was out of the lineup on Sunday in Chicago, and the abyss at the bottom of our lineup got even deeper:

  • Kike Hernandez, 0-for-4 with 3 Ks; now batting .182;
  • Chris Taylor, 0-for-3 with a K, now batting .048;
  • Gavin Lux, 0-for-3 with a K, now batting .156;
  • Miguel Rojas, 0-for-3 with a K, surprisingly batting .313.

To be fair, Sunday's top of the order wasn't much better, with a second-straight 0-for game by Mookie Betts, and an 0-for-4 outing by four-hole Will Smith. (Shohei Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a double and triple, and an RBI; Fredie Freeman went 1-for-3). But with Muncy out of the lineup, the automatic outs start coming early and often for the Dodgers, and honestly it's something we can't afford if we want to succeed this season.

Let's get cracking, Robert van Scoyoc!

54 comments:

Steve Sax said...

GAME ONE

Betts SS
Ohtani DH
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Muncy 3B
Hernandez RF
Lux 2B
Outman CF
Trammell LF

Paxton P

Steve Sax said...

Minnesota has 3 team HR this year.

Mookie Betts has 5 HR.

spank said...

meh. they still swing at the first pitch

Steve Sax said...

Dodgers up 1-0 though 2.5. Dodgers scored in the first on a Betts walk, Ohtani double, and Freeman sac fly. Since then, the Dodgers haven't gotten a man on base.

spank said...

Dodgers should have kept Margreux

spank said...

2-1 Twins after 4

spank said...

Slappy singles in Ohtani who had doubled

2-2

spank said...

Outman homers

3-2 LA

spank said...

ShoTime homers

4-2 LA

spank said...

win

Steve Sax said...

WIN!!! I’ll take it

Steve Sax said...

Home run by Outman could be a great sign. Another home run from Shohei is also a good sign.

If we can get the top four to string along some hits...

Steve Sax said...

GAME TWO

Betts SS
Ohtani DH
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Muncy 3B
T Hernandez RF
Outman CF
Taylor LF
Lux 2B

Glasnow P

Steve Sax said...

Outman now batting .139. Taylor at a microscopic .045. Lux at .167.

Geez, guys.

spank said...

woop!

Outman 3-run homer

3-0 LA

spank said...

dayum. slappy with a 3-run homer

6-0 LA 5th

Steve Sax said...

Outman and Slappy, each with three-run bombs! Wow

Steve Sax said...

6-0 LA through five full

spank said...

Ohtani grounds out with the bases loaded

8th

spank said...

Fuck. Brogdon gives up back to back homers

6-3 bottom of 9th

Steve Sax said...

Brogdon is shitting the bed here

Steve Sax said...

Brogdon finally escapes.

WIN

spank said...

good win despite the 9th

Steve Sax said...

Outman now has two HR in this series, after batting .125 going into the series.

Steve Sax said...

Giants had bases loaded and none out, down 5-3 to the Nationals, B9. Conforto hit a comebacker to the pitcher to record the force out at home, and then Matt Chapman GIDPs 6-4-3 to end the game.

Steve Sax said...

Glasnow tonight: 14 Ks, tying his career high. Most from a Dodgers starter since Walker Buehler, with 15 in 2019.

The only other Dodgers RHP to have 3 H or fewer, 0 R, and 0 BB and at leaset 14Ks: Van Mungo in 1935.

Stats courtesy MLB stories

Steve Sax said...

Padres down 5-1 in the seventh, though they came back from a 8-0 deficit against the Cubs yesterday to win, 9-8.

Steve Sax said...

Current NLW standings:

Dodgers 10-4
Padres 6-7 (3.5 GB)
Snakes 5-7 (4.0 GB)
Giants 4-8 (5.0 GB)
Rockies 3-9 (6.0 GB)

Dodgers have 79 runs scored to lead the majors, though they have played more games than anyone else, too.

Steve Sax said...

Early game tomorrow! Let's do this

Steve Sax said...

GAME THREE

Betts 2B
Ohtani DH
Freeman 1B
T Hernandez RF
Muncy 3B
K Hernandez LF
Outman CF
Rojas SS
Barnes C

Miller P

Steve Sax said...

Oh man, Smith out and Barnes in. Don't let the .500 BA / 1.071 OPS fool you.

Time to start hitting, Kiké!

Steve Sax said...

@spank, it looks like it's just you and me in this here series thread.

spank said...

1-0 Dodgers

i missed the run and game start time. thought it was 11

spank said...

@saxy....must be the Twins for lack of SoSG attendance. personally i like these games

spank said...

Twins tie it up with a leadoff homerun

spank said...

Bobby Miller not impressing me at all.

spank said...

cool. Miller sacked up and got out of a two on no-out jam

Steve Sax said...

Dammit, we're down 3-2 in the fifth.

Steve Sax said...

Outman, Rojas, and Barnes are a combined 0-for-6 with 4 Ks. Jeez.

Steve Sax said...

Grove relieves Vesia with two out in the fifth, and gets Buxton three straight pitches. Nice.

3-2 Twins through five.

Steve Sax said...

Ha, Outman heard me. One-out single in the sixth.

Steve Sax said...

Outman CS, and then Lux comes in to PH for Rojas, and promptly Ks.

Steve Sax said...

Top 7. Barnes with a full count here, he might actually work a walk...

Steve Sax said...

Barnes walks! Hallelujah, he avoids his third K of the game (for now).

Flip the order over for Mookie

Steve Sax said...

Dammit, Ohtani out at home.

Still down, mid-7

Steve Sax said...

T9 down 3-2. PH Chris Taylor. My god.

Steve Sax said...

Taylor predictably Ks. We gotta send him back to triple A.

Steve Sax said...

Slappy PHs for Lux and gets a single.

Hope Slappy can play second base.

Steve Sax said...

And then Austin Barnes GIDPs.

I hate the bottom of our lineup so much.

Steve Sax said...

Oh wait, we are challenging.

Steve Sax said...

Challenge wins. Barnes on first with two out. It’s all up to 🐄🔑🦇🦇🦇🦇

Steve Sax said...

Nope, Mookie pops to short. Ballgame.

spank said...

BOOOO

Steve Sax said...

PGT up.