Random rantings and ravings about the Los Angeles Dodgers, written by a small consortium of rabid Dodger fans. With occasional comments on baseball, entertainment, pop culture, and life in general.
Bobby Miller (0-0, -.--) vs. Germán Márquez (0-2, 4.60).
Before we get to the game, I gotta say: I really enjoy hearing Jessica Mendoza calling the game on color commentary. She is interesting, engaging, insightful, analytic, and even a little bit goofy. And she pairs really well with Stephen Nelson, who is much more controlled and not just bellowing hyperbole into the mike when he's sharing the booth with Mendoza.
But back to the series. Last night's win was a good one, and now the Dodgers are on the verge of a series sweep and have moved to second place, tied with the Giants, and 1.5 games behind the Padres despite our mediocre record, only 5-5 in their last 10. So let's get that sweep, Bobby!
Top 6: 1. Blake Snell (Rating: 121), 2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (115), 3. Tyler Glasnow (124), 4. Shohei Ohtani (119), 5. Tony Gonsolin (96), 6. Dustin May (103)
We went with Gonsolin and May at the bottom of the Dodgers' six-man rotation, though others -- Landon Knack, Ben Casparius, Bobby Miller -- could figure into the mix.
This is probably also a good place to highlight the possible impact of Sasaki, who could propel the Dodgers near the top of these rankings, or boost the fortunes of one of the teams below. The possibility is why the term "an embarrassment of riches" was invented.
If you look closely, there's a marlin in this photo.
Tue 9.17 3.40p: Miller vs. McCaughan
Wed 9.18 3.40p: Knack vs. TBD
Thu 9.19 1.40p: Flaherty vs. Cabrera
There have been four MLB expansion teams since 1993, and only the Marlins have won two World Series titles (the Diamondbacks have one, and the Rays and Rockies have none). And yet, the Miami Marlins are a shell of a team, following the unceremonious departure of GM Kim Ng (who was offered a demoted role, and chose to leave instead).
Miami's average attendance is 12K per home game--almost a quarter of what the Dodgers draw on average--29th in the majors, only ahead of the carpetbagging Athletics. But wait--Tuesday's game is Japanese Heritage Night (for the Dodgers, get it?), and Wednesday's game admits 4 people for $44. So maybe we can get to 15K fans for these games?
If you look closely, there's a Miami Marlins fan in this photo.
I mean, I know we have a 3.5-game lead in the division with 12 games to play. But if a tree falls in the forest...
I don't recall this bobblehead driving fans to get in line 10 hours before first pitch. Life was simpler back then.
Tues 9.3: Buehler vs. Detmers
Wed 9.4: Miller vs. Canning
Both games 6.38p first pitch
On August 1, the Dodgers were still playing lackadaisically and had a 4.5-game lead on the Padres and 5.0-game lead on the Diamondbacks--and it was well established that our opponents in the NL West were carrying all the momentum (the Dodgers had a 9.0-game lead on June 20, so it made sense).
But after taking three of four against the Diamondbacks this Labor Day Weekend, the Dodgers are now 5.0 games up on the Padres and 6.0 games up on the Diamondbacks. And our rotation may still be swiss cheese, but at least a healthy offensive lineup is showing more signs of life.
And we have a little respite here against the last-place Angels (who are amazingly 2.5 games behind fourth-place Oakland), before hosting the Guardians and Cubs in a six-game homestand. Let's see if Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller can improve their bids for a postseason roster slot.
UPDATE 9.3 2p: I just heard on the Roggin and Rodney show that the Angels are not planning to do anything for Shohei Ohtani's return to Angel Stadium, for the first time since he left the team after last season. If that's true, that would be incredibly spiteful of Arte Moreno and the organization.
UPDATE 9.4 3p: Apparently, there was a 42-second tribute on the video screen (which seems really paltry, but whatever, Anaheim). And then they did this:
Last night, SoSG Orel and I were at the game, to watch the Dodgers beat the Baltimore Orioles in the rubber match, winning the series with a 6-3 victory.
It was an amazing game, even though Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-5 with a K. Mookie Betts had two hits, a run and an RBI single; new Dodger Tommy Edman (batting cleanup!) went 2-for-4 with a sacrifice fly RBI; and Miguel Rojas went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Bobby Miller had a servicable start, even though he gave up a three-run HR to Colton Cowser in the fifth inning, which trimmed the lead at the time to a two-run margin.
But unbelievably, last night we also saw Chris Taylor get his first multi-hit game since June (Taylor also had an RBI and even had a nice defensive play at third). And Austin Barnes also had a multi-hit game, his first in a month, with two RBI on the night.
I don't want to say that seeing both Barnes and Taylor get multi-hit games was as momentous as Shohei Ohtani's 40-40 night. However, it was pretty historic nonetheless. The last time both Austin Barnes and Chris Taylor had a multi-hit game in the same game, it was Friday, May 13, 2022--over two full years ago (a 12-10 loss to the Phillies at home).
It was so long ago, Phil Bickford was pitching for our team then. That's insane.
I am still lamenting the departure of Jason Heyward to make a spot for Taylor, who sports a 56 OPS+ and a -0.9 bWAR this season. But at least Taylor was able to contribute last night. I'm crossing my fingers for more from CT3 down the stretch.
Here's Chris Taylor, following his RBI single, wondering what comes after reaching first base. (Taylor was later forced out at second by Gavin Lux.)
Anyway, the game was a blast and I'm glad the Dodgers notched the game and series victory, punctuated by Evan Phillips' 17th save to secure the win. Here's Phillips' entrance in the top of the ninth:
And, always good to catch up with Orel.
The weird thing about the evening was seeing all the inappropriate jerseys around. I'll reminisce in order.
First, there was the Orioles fan, whom I appreciate for suiting up for this game. Gotta love this O's team with all of their incredible young position players, as well as the fact that the Orioles are still in the thick of the AL West race along with the YankMes.
But given the orange color is going to stand out...can we at least consider a better jersey than this former Oriole?
But wait, it gets worse. Sitting in front of this guy, is another guy who has to remind Dodger fans that Manny Machado also brought his pouty persona to Los Angeles once:
Man, I'm just revolted by this point. I'm going to the bathroom to get rid of the slight bit of vomit that has just come up my esophagus and into my mouth. But on the way to the concourse, I see this guy:
8.23 7p: Bobby Miller vs. Tyler Alexander
8.24 6p: Clayton Kershaw vs. Taj Bradley
8.25 1p: Gavin Stone vs. Shane Baz
It's a rare off-year for the Rays, the small-market team that always overperforms in the AL East. But they're 10.5 games off the divisional lead, and seven games out of the third wild card slot (needing to vault over Boston as well). Such is the craziness of the expanded playoff structure: there's a lot of teams right in the middle, not yet out of it but probably not in the race.
That said, the Rays did just sweep the Diamondbacks last week. So let's not expect this to be a cakewalk.
The Dodgers' recent 10-3 streak, punctuated by a sweep over the Mariners at home, now has us not only clear of the Diamondbacks and Padres by 4.0 and 4.5 games, but also wielding the best record in all of baseball. No surprise that our recent improved performance is tied to the return of some key players (Mookie Betts, Max Muncy) and the sudden upswings from players named Gavin (Lux and Stone).
But we'll still need to see Will Smith and Shohei Ohtani start to bat with some better consistency.
And then there's that Chris Taylor issue: recently activated at the high cost of DFAing Jason Heyward. I am still shaking my head over that one.
Fri 8.16 5.15p: TBD Wrobleski vs. Mikolas
Sat 8.17 4.15p: Glasnow Miller vs. Pallante
Sun 8.18 11.15a: Kershaw vs. S Gray
The dog days had better be over, because dropping two games against the Brewers, giving up an early lead due to just craptacular defensive play and/or lack of offense when it counts and/or bullpen meltdowns...just have to stop.
We've got 40 games left this season, and the Dodgers look like they're on fumes.
I know, we're tied for the most wins in the National League, and we sport the second-best record in the NL as well (the Phillies have one fewer loss). But the problem is that with our series split with the Brewers earlier this week, the Snakes and Padres are now tied for the wild card lead, and only two games behind us (not to mention, mere percentage points behind the Brewers. the NL Central leaders). All that to say: there's a very good likelihood we lose the division race, and fall to a wild-card spot.
St. Louis is reeling, 3-7 in their last 10 and falling into a tie with the Reds for second place in the NL Central, nine games behind Milwaukee. Seems like a perfect time for one of these two teams, the Dodgers or the Cardinals, to snap out of its funk and notch a series victory.
Somehow, I don't think it's going to be us.
UPDATE 8.17 11.26a: With yesterday's news that Tyler Glasnow has been moved to the 15-day IL with elbow tendinitis, Bobby Miller was called up from the minors (like yesterday's starter, Justin Wrobleski) to start today (Saturday). Miller is 1-2 with a 8.07 ERA this year, with a -0.8 WAR across seven appearances and 29.0 IP. (Miller has a 1.2 WAR for his career, with a 12-6 record and 4.58 ERA, but this year has been a challenge.)
Where there is brotherly love, there is no kerning.
Tue 7.9 3.40p: Bobby Miller vs. Zack Wheeler
Wed 7.10 4p: Gavin Stone vs. Cristopher Sanchez
Thu 7.11 3p: Landon Knack vs. Aaron Nola
We go from one NL division leader to another! After taking two of three from the Brewers at home, the Dodgers head out to Philadelphia to face not only the best team in the NL East (Phillies are up by eight games over Atlanta; this is a half-game better than our division lead over the Padres, as of Monday morning), but the best team in all of MLB.
The Phillies also have seven All-Stars for the 2024 All-Star Game, one more than the Dodgers. For the Phililes, this includes three starters (Bryce Harper 1B, Alec Bohm 3B, Trea Turner SS). The other four Phillies All-Stars are Jeff Hoffman (P), Matt Strahm (P), Ranger Suarez (P), and Zack Wheeler (P).
The Dodgers had Shohei Ohtani (DH) elected to the starting lineup, with the other All-Stars being Freddie Freeman (1B), Will Smith (C), Tyler Glasnow (P), Mookie Betts (SS), and Teoscar Hernandez (OF).
And guess what, we see Wheeler in the three-game set! And the Phillies don't see Glasnow--who as of Tuesday has been placed on the IL with back tightness--or Mookie, for that matter (obviously). Yeah, this is gonna be grim.
And, similar to his fellow Boras-represented pitcher Blake Snell, the truncated spring training workout period did not do Montgomery any favors. He is 6-5 this year with a 6.03 ERA, which gives him a -1.2 WAR for the season. (Snell, who signed a one-year deal with the Giants, has a -1.1 WAR, a 9.51 ERA, and is on the injured list.)
Anyway, these Snakes were pesky as hell last year, but at beginning of play on Tuesday, they are 10.5 games behind the Dodgers and two games below .500. We did just drop our series to the sub-.500 Giants last weekend, though, so I'm not feeling especially good about this one.
UPDATE: After all that Montgomery research, the Snakes have scratched his Wednesday start.
The Dodgers dropped the final game of the series in Minneapolis solely because the bottom of the lineup is absolute rubbish. James Outman, who broke out for his first two homers of the year in the first two gmes, did get a hit today, raising his average to .186. But Kiké Hernandez was 1-for-4 with a K in the six hole; Miguel Rojas (also with two HR on the year) was 0-for-2 with a K for a .278 average; and Austin Barnes was 0-for-3 at the bottom of the order, with 2 Ks and what was almost a game-ending GIDP (Dodgers challenged and won, but Mookie Betts popped out to end the game).
The Dodgers went 1-for-7 with RISP, and that included a late-game pinch-hitting appearance from Chris Taylor, batting .037 (1 hit in 27 AB this year), who promptly struck out. Taylor used to take a lot of walks to partially offset his diminished batting skill the last two years, but these days he is striking out over 50% of the time (14 Ks in 27 AB). All those off-season attempts of Taylor trying to level out his swing (rather than uppercut it) do not seem to be paying off.
Bobby Miller was servicable through four innings and 73 pitches, yielding five hits and 2 ER (3 BB and 4 Ks). Alex Vesia gave up another HR to Edouard Julien, his second of the day, which ended up being the game-winning run. Michael Grove had 4 Ks in 2.1 IP and Joe Kelly had a scoreless eighth inning.
But we should have done better this series; we should have swept. We get a day off tomorrow before hosting the Padres at home this weekend.
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.
Of course, we've got our own Japanese superstar pitcher (who starts on Saturday), who has had mixed results in his two outings to date.
And it's another reunion with Cody Bellinger, who is back with the Cubs after signing a three-year, $80M deal with annual opt-outs. I liked Bellinger pre-shoulder injury, and though I was happy to see him return to form last year after two miserable post-WS years with the Dodgers, we've got plenty of ~.200 batters at the bottom of our current lineup with which to deal already (James Outman, Gavin Lux, Kike Hernandez, Chris Taylor--not to mention Jason Heyward, who is on the 10-day IL).
And look at that, we've got three of those awful hitters (Outman .120 BA / .387 OPS; Taylor .091 / .424; Lux .200 / .499) in the 7-8-9 spots for Friday's game! Surely at least one of those guys has to break out, right?
Blake Snell, brimming with enthusiasm over joining the Giants.
Monday 4/1: James Paxton vs. Keaton Winn
Tuesday 4/2: Tyler Glasnow TBD vs. TBD Logan Webb
Wednesday 4/3: Bobby Miller Tyler Glasnow vs. TBD Kyle Harrison
All games, 7p
So far, Farhan Zaidi's moves have paid off. The Giants are 2-2 including Chapman's two-HR performance to earn the Giants' first win, followed by Lee's first MLB home run in Saturday's win over the Padres. (The Giants were spanked by the Padres, 13-4, on Sunday.)
Speaking of which, guess what other Asian star does not have a home run yet this year? (Shohei Ohtani, who is also batting .269 with a .656 OPS, to Lee's .286 BA / .868 OPS.)
So there's a lot of reasons to bring the hateHateHATE to this series, but here's another one: thanks to this stupid balanced schedule, this is one of only two series the Giants will play in Los Angeles this year. So bring your vitriol.
UPDATE 4/2 11.38a: Tyler Glasnow's start shifted to Wednesday, so there's a TBD for today's game. Giants named their starters for Tuesday and Wednesday--and neither start is slated for Snell.
Fri 9.29 7p: Lynn vs. Winn
Sat 9.30 6p: Kershaw vs. Beck
Sun 10.1 12p: Miller vs. Harrison
After posting a quick placeholder on Friday afternoon, I listened to Lance Lynn suffer through a 359-pitch first inning (yielding one run) and thought that the Dodgers' 2-1 lead (through 1) was precarious. Well, it was, though not for the Dodgers; they went on to win 6-2 off the backs of homers from Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, and J.D. Martinez. Lynn actually got the win, as well, which is nuts; he's 7-2 with the Dodgers though it's a nail-biter each outing.
Tue 26 12.10p: Pepiot vs. TBD
Tue 26 5.40p: Miller vs. TBD
Wed 27 5.40p: TBD vs. TBD
Thu 28 5.40p: TBD vs. TBD
The Dodgers are still four games back of the Braves with seven games to play, so that #2 position in the NL Postseason is all but set. But there's still some milestones for which to play, namely an opportunity for Mookie Betts, who already has more RBI (105) than any leadoff hitter in baseball history, to be the first leadoff batter with 40 HR in a season (Betts is at 39). Freddie Freeman, at 57 doubles on the year, has a chance to get to 60 which would be the most in the modern era (former Rockie Todd Helton has 59).
And of course, there's no better place to chase these offensive records than Coors Field, and the Dodgers will get four chances at it. That said, I definitely would want Betts and Freeman to get some rest, too. We need them both for the NLDS, that's for sure.
Mon 18: Lance Lynn vs. Rodriguez
Tue 19: TBD vs TBD
Wed 20: Miller vs. Olson
all games 7p
The Tigers are not going to play in October. And the Dodgers, fresh off a sweep of the hopeful Mariners in Seattle (and having clinched the NL West as part of said sweep), go into this series without a real agenda either.
Fri 15 7p: Miller vs. Kirby
Sat 16 6.40p: Kershaw vs. Miller
Sun 17 1p: TBD vs. Gilbert
The Mariners are fighting for their playoff lives, 1.5 games out of the divisional lead (in third place, behind the Cheaters and Rangers) and 1.5 games ahead of the Blue Jays for the final AL Wild Card spot.
The Dodgers, with a 13.5-game lead in the division and a magic number of 4, don't have a lot to stake on this series. So, just like the last series against the Padres (which the Dodgers dropped, culminating with a meek performance vs. 2020 WS G6 exiter Blake Snell), I guess we'll just have some fun out there in Seattle.
Should we tell Washington he's already eliminated from this race?
Fri 9.8 4p: Sheehan vs. Gore
Sat 9.9 1p: Miller vs. TBD
Sun 9.10 10.30a: TBD vs. TBD
The Dodgers barely exerted any effort in Miami earlier this week, winning only the last game after going down meekly in the first two sessions. This may be a hangover from the unfortunate Atlanta series outcome; or it may be lingering effects from knowing Julio Urias isn't going to pitch again for the Dodgers, probably ever.
That said, the Dodgers still have a 13-game lead in the division (which has expanded over the last ten games, since the Dodgers' 5-5 record still beats the Diamondbacks' 4-6 record and the third-place Giants' 3-7 record), and with a magic number of 9 in the first week of September, we are fine to limp to the finish line rather than exhaust ourselves going into the playoffs.
So let's just have fun out there, Dodgers! Maybe participate in the Racing Presidents event, or go grab a sandwich from Swizzler? Or do some scoreboard watching--Diamondbacks at Cubs this weekend looks pretty interesting.
The Phillies beat the Braves in four games last October, but that doesn't make them more dangerous for Atlanta than the Dodgers, according to several executives.
"The Dodgers' talent, experience and consistency give them the best shot at taking a playoff series," one executive said.
Another dove into the numbers.
"The Dodgers share a lot of the same hitter run value numbers vs. pitching as the Braves, and have more hard-throwing relievers, who are successful [in October]," he said. "The Dodgers are ranked first in pitcher run value when a pitch is 96 mph or above."
Essentially, the Dodgers rank second to the Braves in most offensive categories, averaging 5.6 runs per game compared to Atlanta's 5.8. But their pitching injuries have piled up, leading to just the seventh-best ERA in the NL. Then again, Clayton Kershaw just returned from injury and looks as good as ever.
"I think the Dodgers' overall 26-man roster depth is probably better than Atlanta's, so I would think they have the best chance against them in a long series," one executive said. "And they are a team that knows how to win, can take a punch, and has a tremendous home-field advantage."
Said the executive: "That would be one heck of a series."
So let's see how this series goes. We will see all three of the Braves' key starters. The Braves might not see all of ours.
I will be there at the Stadium Thursday night. I also have no idea why the Dodgers aren't playing on the Labor Day holiday.
Mon 28: Bobby Miller vs. Gallen
Tue 29: Clayton Kershaw vs. Kelly
Wed 30: Ryan Pepiot vs. Pfaadt
All games at 7p
4-2 on the last roadtrip, which brings us to an amazing 21-4 record in August. Concerns that we are peaking too soon notwithstanding, the Dodgers have now opened up a 12-game lead on the second-place Diamondbacks and a 13.5-game lead on the Giants.
3/28 vs. DET (W, 8-5 (10)): Sax
4/2 vs. ATL (W, 6-5): AC
4/27 vs. WAS (W, 9-2): Dusty
5/17 vs. LAA (L, 2-6): Sax
5/31 vs. NYY (W, 18-2): Dusty, Sax
6/3 vs. NYM (W, 6-5): Nomo
6/15 vs. SF (W, 5-4): AC
6/17 vs. SD (W, 8-6): Dusty
6/18 vs. SD (W, 4-3): AC
6/22 vs. WAS (W, 13-7): AC, Dusty
