Friday, September 06, 2024

Games 141-143 Thread: Sept 6-8 vs. Guardians

Fri 9.6 7p: TBD Landon Knack vs. Matthew Boyd
Sat 9.7 6p: TBD Ryan Brasier vs. Alex Cobb
Sun 9.8 1p: TBD Jack Flaherty vs. Gavin Williams

We know most Dodger fans don't keep up with the American League, let alone the sleepy AL Central--so let's recap this year. The Guardians weren't expected to be very good following the 2023 retirement of manager Terry Francona, yet here they are, leading the AL Central by four games (over Minnesota, who has climbed over the Royals by a half-game), not to mention only a half-game behind the Orioles for the best record in the league. New manager Stephen Vogt has a lot to do with the team's great performance this year, not to mention the on-field production from Stephen Kwan (batting .292) and Jose Ramirez (34 HR).

But the Dodgers haven't lost a series since August 5-7 against the Phillies. And since then, we've faced off against the leaders in the NL Central (Brewers) and the AL East (Orioles), not to mention the Cardinals, Mariners, Rays, and Diamondbacks, and we've done pretty well in that span--increasing our lead in the NL West (5.0 games ahead of the Padres, and 5.5 games ahead of the Diamondbacks).

Sure, we don't have a starting pitcher named by Thursday evening (when I am writing this GT). But I'm hoping the day off following that drubbing by the Angels has given us time to recover for this weekend's series.

UPDATE 9.6 5p: Gavin Stone to the IL. Geez.

112 comments:

Steve Sax said...

GAME 1

Ohtani DH
Betts RF
Freeman 1B
T Hernandez LF
Smith C
Edman CF
Rojas SS
Lux 2B
K Hernandez 3B

Knack P

karen said...

Gavin Stone to IL (shoulder inflammation).

karen said...

Teo HBP on right side of the foot and comes out of the game.

spank said...

this team cant.stay healthy

karen said...

This game is a yawner so far.

spank said...

fuck. Taylor's up with the bases juiced. why him?

spank said...

BOOOOOOOOO

karen said...

Game over. And not in the good way like with Eric Gagne.

karen said...

I was starting to feel like the Angel series was like an ice cream social (even when they lost game 2) after the last several series and home stand but geesh now Stone is on the IL, Teo is hurt, the Friars are winning and now we've lost 2 in a row. Is anyone else feeling a bit "concerned"? (again).

spank said...

ive been concerned since June. i think the Dodgers are overachieving and the other teams were underachieving. its gonna start biting them in the ass that they didn't get another free agent starter and depended on dead arms coming.back from injuries

spank said...

i still hate this layout. it gets worse when we comment tons

karen said...

GAME 2

Shohei Ohtani DH
Mookie Betts RF
Freddie Freeman 1B
Max Muncy 3B
Tommy Edmund CF
Gavin Lux 2B
Miggy Rojas SS
Andy Pages LF
Austin Barnes C

No pitcher named as yet on Dodgers.com. Leadoff LA reporting Ryan Braiser will be starting.

karen said...

No Teo in the lineup.

karen said...

Snakes lose.

karen said...

Access Sportsnet Live reporting Teo should be back Monday or Tuesday.

Steve Sax said...

Hey karen! That's good news on Teo.

I'm stuck with the Cleveland Indians feed...

Steve Sax said...

@spank from yesterday: yep, this layout blows. And, it doesn't tell you how many comments there are.

Steve Sax said...

Kwan makes a quick first out.

Steve Sax said...

Oh shit, we have Barnes playing.

Steve Sax said...

One-out base hit for Jimenez. T1

Steve Sax said...

Jimenez steals second, because of course we have Austin Barnes catching

spank said...

@saxy...i hadn't noticed that about the comment count. Blogger went all Great Value on us with layout rollbacks.

spank said...

@saxy...i hadn't noticed that about the comment count. Blogger went all Great Value on us with layout rollbacks.

Steve Sax said...

Infield pop-up for Ramirez. Two out, Guardian on second.

Steve Sax said...

Here's Mookie!

Steve Sax said...

Mookie earns a walk. One out.

Steve Sax said...

Muncy in cleanup and Pages in the lineup?! This is nuts

Steve Sax said...

Freeman gets a four-pitch walk.

Steve Sax said...

Here's Muncy, 1-1 count. WIlliams is pitching gas, though (99 mph)--not sure if Muncy can catch up

Steve Sax said...

Now it's 2-2 to Muncy, I've got a bad feeling about this AB

Steve Sax said...

Muncy gets a full-count walk. Here's Edman, with rancho ardiendo!

Steve Sax said...

EDMAN!

Steve Sax said...

Ground-rule double to left scores Mookie and Freddie!

2-0 LA

spank said...

nice.double by Edman

Steve Sax said...

Lux putting up a long AB here

Steve Sax said...

Lux comes through! Sac fly scores Muncy, 3-0 LA

karen said...

Luxxy brings Muncy in with sac fly.

Steve Sax said...

Miguel Rojas keeps the train moving! RBI single scores Edman from second!

karen said...

MIGGY RO!!! 4-0!!

Steve Sax said...

4-0 LA

Steve Sax said...

Wow, Vogt yanks Gavin Williams with two out in the first inning. Ouch.

4-0 LA, Pedro Avila coming in for the Guardians.

karen said...

ANDY PAGES!!!

spank said...

Pages!!

karen said...

Barnesy turns over the line up. Shohei up

karen said...

I wonder how tight the Cleveland bullpen will be coming in this early.

Steve Sax said...

oh wow it's 6-0! what happened?! I walked away to get some water!

Steve Sax said...

Pages homer made it 6-0. Nice.

Cleveland needed 51 pitches, and two pitchers, to get through the first inning.

LFG! We'll need all of those runs given it's a bullpen game

Steve Sax said...

Michael Grove in for the second inning.

karen said...

Just to make it unanimous, I'm not crazy about this format either.

Steve Sax said...

Ok, with karen's vote, we have a unanimous decision. Come on, google, fix this.

Steve Sax said...

Austin Barnes with catcher's interference, AGAIN

Barnes sucks so bad.

karen said...

Yep, Sax is right. We're going to need all six runs and probably more.

Steve Sax said...

Lane Thomas HR, which is a two-run HR because of Austin Barnes' fucking catchers interference.

karen said...

Now it's 6-2. I better not say the score anymore. I'm such a jinx.

Steve Sax said...

Rocchio grounds out for the second out.

Steve Sax said...

Ok i gotta run to dinner. Hold down this fort, guys!

karen said...

Miggy loses pop up in the lights but Infield Fly Rule had been called. Thank you baseball gods.

Wrobo gets out of the third with 2 on. Score still the same.

karen said...

Matthew Boyd sent apology message to Teo today about last nights HBP.

karen said...

Wrobo loads the bases on HBP. Tying run at the plate.

karen said...

@Spanky...Have we lost you??

karen said...

Wrobo gets out of the fourth. Same score.

karen said...

Mookie goes solo in B4.

spank said...

Mook!!

spank said...

@karen..im here.

spank said...

Canseco. haha. i forgot about that play

karen said...

Friars and Phillies both lose.

spank said...

that's a wrap

karen said...

Dodgers win and pickup a game on the shit eaters chasing us including retying Philly for the best record in baseball.

Steve Sax said...

Both the Padres (5 games back) and the Diamondbacks (6.5 games back) lost. So now, if the Dodgers go 10-10 the rest of the season, the Padres would need to go 15-5 just to tie.

Steve Sax said...

GAME 3

Ohtani DH
Betts RF
Freeman 1B
Muncy 3B
Smith C
Edman SS
Lux 2B
Pages LF
Kiermaier CF

Flaherty P

Steve Sax said...

How are these guys going to play in this heat?!

Steve Sax said...

Game time temperature (as per the box score): 103 degrees

Steve Sax said...

We finally get a base runner! Leadoff walk for Muncy in the second.

Steve Sax said...

Slappy up there, hacking his way to a strikeout.

Steve Sax said...

Edman lines out to center. Muncy hasn't moved from first. Two out.

Steve Sax said...

Lux can't get it done, either.

0-0 through 2.

Steve Sax said...

ohtani breaks up the no-hitter! But then gets picked off. Dammit

Steve Sax said...

Flaherty induces a GIDP, speared by a leaping Max Muncy. Two out, T3

Steve Sax said...

Flaherty gets jobbed on a pitch but still gets Lane Thomas to strike out swinging.

Steve Sax said...

Leadoff triple for Mookie in the fourth!

Steve Sax said...

Muncy with a one-out walk. Men at the corners. Let's go!

spank said...

slappy with the rbi single

Steve Sax said...

Slappy with an RBI single!

1-0 LA, Muncy to third

Steve Sax said...

there's spank!

Steve Sax said...

Let's go, Tommy Edman!

Steve Sax said...

2-2 count to Edman.

Steve Sax said...

Edman works an eight-pitch walk.

Rancho ardiendo for Gavin Lux!

Steve Sax said...

Lux Ks, and then Pages flies out. Wasted opportunities.

1-0 LA through 4

spank said...

Shohei!!

Steve Sax said...

Nice to see Shohei with another HR, but it would be better if he ran out of the box rather than watching the ball! I'm just saying.

Steve Sax said...

Slappy with a one-out single in the sixth.

Steve Sax said...

Chris Taylor, facing Nick Sandlin.

Steve Sax said...

Taylor Ks badly, again.

Steve Sax said...

Why did we take out Lux for Taylor? Awful call.

Steve Sax said...

And, Pages Ks swinging. Just like Taylor.

We need more from the bottom of the lineup, guys.

2-0 LA through 6

Steve Sax said...

Flaherty has been great through six. But he doesn't have a lot to work with here, with only a 2-0 lead.

Steve Sax said...

Jose Ramirez Ks for the first out.

Steve Sax said...

Flaherty put up an incredible performance! 7.1 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB and 6 Ks. WOW!

Dieter playing the Sundays' "Here's Where The Story Ends."

Steve Sax said...

Manzardo Ks for the third out in the eighth. Kopech gets two outs, still 2-0 LA, mid-8

Steve Sax said...

Muncy with an insurance run! One out homer, oppo

Steve Sax said...

Smith with a double to left! Will Brennan had a chance to catch it, and it bounced out of the glove.

Steve Sax said...

Edman Ks. Two out

Steve Sax said...

Chris Taylor with an RBI single?! Pleasant surprise!

4-0 LA

Steve Sax said...

Pages Ks, again

4-0 going to the ninth

Steve Sax said...

Come on, Evan Phillips!

Steve Sax said...

Two on, none out. This would be bad, Evan. Close this out

Steve Sax said...

Edman with a sweet play to get the GIDP. Man on third, two out.

Steve Sax said...

Four-pitch walk to Naylor. Guardians at the corners, here's Lane Thomas

Steve Sax said...

Lane Thomas Ks! WIN

SERIES WIN

Steve Sax said...

Padres losing to the Giants in the bottom of the eighth, 7-6. It's the MLB.tv free game of the day, so I'm switching over

spank said...

thats a wrap

Steve Sax said...

Giants win, 7-6. So the Padres lose a full game in the standings.