Post-Game 146 Thread: Curb Your Enhusiasm

DODGERS 9, ROCKIES 0

The Dodgers have now won four games in a row, following Wednesday's victory over Colorado, extending their NL West divisional lead back to three games over the Padres, and pundits are already coronating the Dodgers after one full rotation of solid starts:

[Wednesday Dodgers starter Blake] Snell put the finishing touches on a stellar turn through the Dodgers' rotation. Here's how the others fared leading up to Wednesday:

• Friday, Shohei Ohtani: 3 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 5 K, 1 BB
• Saturday, Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 8 2/3 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 10 K, 2 BB
• Sunday, Clayton Kershaw: 5 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 8 K, 1 BB
• Monday, Tyler Glasnow: 7 IP, 1 ER, 0 H, 11 K, 2 BB
• Tuesday, Emmet Sheehan: 7 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 9 K, 1 BB

And then Snell on Wednesday went 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 11 K, 2 BB.

But before we ge too excited here, let's just remember that our opponent the last three games was the Colorado Rockies, 40-106 on the year, who are getting outscored by opponents at a historic clip unseen in the modern era:

Through Tuesday, the Rockies have been collectively outscored by their opponents, 922-545. Their overall run differential of minus-377 would be the worst ever in the modern era, which began in 1901.

Barring a miraculous turnaround, they will shatter the current mark that has stood for more than nine decades: minus-349, a badge of ignominy set by the Boston Red Sox in 1932.

Oh, and Saturday's Yamamoto start, with 8.2 IP of no-hit ball? Yeah, that was the game where the last-place Orioles took Blake Treinen and Tanner Scott behind the woodshed, in a game we ended up losing when Baltimore scored four in the ninth inning with two out, walking it off.

And Friday? That was another walkoff victory for the Orioles, when Samuel Basallo took Tanner Scott yard to win the game. Scott also came in for Monday's game and gave up a leadoff double to Ryan Ritter of the Rockies, nursing a 3-1 lead, and barely escaped that one, as well.

And even last night, Michael Kopech walked the bases loaded in the seventh, causing the recently-activated Alex Vesia to come in to escape the jam, before Mookie Betts and company opened up the five-run eighth inning.

Our starters, many of whom were injured for some if not all of the year, remain untested. Our bullpen has a trust tree that is more like a full-but-floppy-branched balsam fir rather than a sturdy Douglas fir.

Our lineup, buoyed by the resurgent Mookie Betts (and to a lesser extent, Miguel Rojas), seems to be getting hot, especially with Teoscar Hernandez finally showing signs of life? But Andy Pages and Kiké Hernandez are still swinging after stupid pitches; Max Muncy and Tommy Edman are just back from extended IL stints; and even Freddie Freeman seems like he has cooled off (not to mention, Will Smith is struggling with a hand bruise).

The next ten games include seven against the Giants, fighting for their playoff lives and only two games behind the Mets for the last wild-card spot; and the Phillies, who have a four-game advantage on us for the #2 playoff spot and a first-round bye.

This Dodgers team has some bright spots. But they are still nothing like the dominant juggernaut predicted in the beginning of the season. So let's not let a sweep fo the majors' worst team get us too excited. Really.

Post-Game 138 Thread: Teoscar Hernandez Is Killing Us (and Michael Conforto Is Worse)

PIRATES 9, DODGERS 7

Two runs was the difference in this game, so it's fitting that we call out Teoscar Hernandez for letting this two-run double by Tommy Pham ruin the Dodgers' hopes at victory Tuesday (not to mention, probably rattle Clayton Kershaw, who settled back into a groove after that four-run first inning). Watching Hernandez in right field has been awful all season, but on this one he looked like an old man, getting to the ball late with a weak slide and then letting the ball roll past him into the corner, allowing two Pirates to score.

Teoscar Hernandez' Fielding Run Value, according to Baseball Savant, is -9 RPG (3rd percentile). That isn't far off from where he was in 2024, but it's a far cry from his above-average performance in 2023. At this stage of the season, though, we just can't afford to have this defensive liability bumbling around in right.

The misadventures in right field remind me a lot of watching the right-field escapades of Juan Soto, to whom the Mets are tethered for the next 15 years. Soto is also an awful fielder (as we saw plainly in the 2024 World Series). However, Soto has a 161 OPS+, driving his WAR to 5.5. Hernandez has a 102 OPS+, which is right at league average, and his WAR is 0.9. In 2025, Hernandez is only batting .247 (he batted .272 last year, and had a 135 OPS+).

Update: Jack Harris in the LAT says Hernandez' WAR is even worse since the end of June (-0.5, worse than all other Dodger players), which is terrifying.

All the sunflower seed showers in the world, as well as Hernandez' radiant smile and value-additive cheerleading, aren't going to make his play in right field any prettier.

The logical solution would be to move Teoscar back to left field, where he might have a chance at throwing runners out at third. We could either move Andy Pages over to right once Tommy Edman returns; or finally succumb to bringing back Mookie Betts to right field and slot Hyeseong Kim and the resurgent Miguel Rojas in the infield.

That of course leaves no place for Michael Conforto, whose own year-long experiment has been another unmitigated disaster. Conforto has a -0.6 WAR this season and a 75 OPS+, and yet we keep trotting him out there in the hopes that something might change? It's ridiculous.

Conforto was 0-for-3 in yesterday's loss. You can't spell C0nf0rt0 without three 0s.

We've got to stop both these players and move them from their current roles, before they doom our postseason chances.

Post-Game 137 Thread: Will Smith Slaps One Out Of Here

DODGERS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 4

Look, you can revel in the majesty of Will Smith's walk-off pinch hit home run to lead off the ninth (his fourth PH HR of his career). It was pretty awesome, and just what the Dodgers needed after blowing the three-run lead late.

But don't let that take your eye off of how bad we looked all weekend long against a fourth-place, sub-.500 team after we narrowly avoided the sweep today. The offense was horrible for the first two games of this series, compounding yet another non-quality start from Blake Snell (5.1 IP, 3 ER) and as well as a mediocre start from Tyler Glasnow (7.0 IP, but also 3 ER).

The Dodgers' relief additions to the squad this year, which looked good on paper, continued to underperform. Kirby Yates came in yesterday to give up a three-run jack to Arizona's nine-hole, Ildemaro Vargas; and then Tanner Scott came in today to give up the lead on a three-run jack to Corbin Carroll. Scott, who has been awful for us all year, has already ceded three times the number of home runs this year than he did last year--and this year isn't over yet.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a solid seven innings of one-run ball today (1 ER, 10 Ks with 0 BBs), and we couldn't even hold on to give him a win. Unacceptable.

Let's also talk about the drop off in offense beyond our top four hitters, and that's even with Teoscar Hernandez benched today. Michael Conforto was 0-for-1 and batting .190 on the year before being removed for Kiké Hernandez in the fifth; Kiké promptly GIDPd on the first pitch to end a threat. Alex Call went 0-for-4 and has cooled off, as has Alex Freeland (he went 2-for-4 today but is bating .208). Both Alexs had two Ks each. Dalton Rushing is lost, 0-for-3 with 2 Ks. And Miguel Rojas had a nice day, 2-for-3 with a RBI, providing some hope from the depths of our lineup.

The losses of Max Muncy, Tommy Edman, and even Hyeseong Kim, coupled with the year-long impotence of Conforto, are just glaring holes in this lineup. We've got a day off Monday to think about this further, but honestly, do we really think this team, with this lineup, has legs in the postseason?

Smith can't save us every time.

Clayton Kershaw and the 3,000 Strikeouts

How can you watch this and not get chills up your spine?

Congratulations, Clayton Kershaw!

Post-Game 61 Thread: Surprise!

DODGERS 6, METS 5 (10)

Max Muncy with a two-run HR in the first, and then a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth? Then Tanner Scott in for the tenth, and he strikes out Juan Soto and Pete Alonso, en route to a scoreless inning?

Maybe I wasn't surprised to see Freddie Freeman walk it off with a double to left field, scoring Tommy Edman as the winning run, for the Dodgers' fifth walkoff win of the season.

But what a victory! I'll take it.

Post-Game 58 Thread: Dodgers Rout Yankees And It Was Really Fun

DODGERS 18, YANKEES 2

I didn't get a chance to see SoSG Dusty at this game, which was pretty much the only disappointing part of what was otherwise an outstanding afternoon at the Stadium. My anxiety level was high, knowing Landon Knack was on the mound for the Dodgers, and my nerves were already fried having had awful traffic luck getting to Chavez Ravine (the crossing guards really need to let cars flow too, and not just pedestrians; or install some damn bridges for god's sake, Frank McCourt!).

Knack worked out of a leadoff walk to Trent Grisham in the first by getting Aaron Judge to ground into a double play, and then Cody Bellinger flied out to end the top of the first.

And then, it was on.

Four singles in the first five batters, including a solid RBI single from Max Muncy, put the Dodgers up 2-0. A sacrifice fly from Michael Conforto stretched the lead to three, and a hot shot off the bat of Tommy Edman tied up Yankees third baseman Jorbit Vivas and scored Muncy, for a 4-0 lead.

One inning later, the Dodgers had Will Warren on the ropes, knocking him out of the game on a three-run HR by Muncy. But it dind't stop there: a two-out walk to Conforto, a RBI double by Edman, and then a surprising two-run HR from Hyeseong Kim stretched the lead to 10-0 thorugh two frames. The Dodgers batted around in both of the first two innings, posting two very crooked numbers. And it kept getting silly.

Aaron Judge did have two solo HR this game, which was great for the reigning AL MVP. Max Muncy, on the other hand, had two three-run HRs this game, as well as an RBI single, to total 7 RBI on the day. Muncy went 3-for-6 and raised his batting average to .220. His .723 OPS at the completion of this game may have gotten him all the way back to replacement level (he had an OPS+ of 94 entering tonight's game), and if Muncy can break out of his year-long slump at last, that would be incredible for the bottom of our lineup.

Pages, another bat who has gotten really hot in the last 2-3 weeks, notched a HR of his own in the seventh to extend the lead to 15-1, and, following Judge's second HR, rookie Dalton Rushing came out in the eighth inning and hit his first major-league HR to make it 18-2 (a three-run shot off of Yankees position player Pablo Reyes).

Knack ended up earning the win with a 6.0 IP, 5 H performance (3 BB, 6 Ks). Anthony Banda had an impressive 2 K seventh inning; Chris Stratton gave up only one run in the eighth; and position player Kike Hernandez pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Dodgers. Knack's great starting effort, one night after Tony Gonsolin went six innings on his own, helped rest that Dodgers bullpen that has worked more than any other pen in baseball this year.

The Dodgers also had some sweet defensive play from Hyeseong Kim, in the third inning with an unassisted double play that douvbled Austin Wells off second with Kim diving to tag the second-base bag before Wells got back, and then an amazing strike from centerfield (where Kim had shifted to start the sixth inning), nailing Judge at second when Judge tried to stretch a leadoff single to a double (and instead, was nailed with a perfect throw and tag by Edman). No issues with Judge trying to make something happen there for the Yankees, but credit to the Dodgers for shutting that effort down quickly.

So that's the second straight game the Dodgers have taken from the Yankees on national television, with tomorrow's game also nationally televised (this time, on ESPN). It was a wonderful time for me, sipping that huge can of Michelob Ultra, and enjoying the fireworks on the field.

Let's go, Dodgers!

Post-Game 39 Thread: Ohtani Bat Flips with Three-Run HR in Ninth

DODGERS 14, DIAMONDBACKS 11

I mean, look at that bat flip. That's all I have to say about that amazing comeback victory.

Oh, and maybe the fact that Michael Conforto wasn't in yesterday's starting lineup (he did score a run in the ninth, reaching through a HBP. But he lined out PH for Chris Taylor in the eighth as well, dropping his BA to .134). Hmmmmmmmmm....

Here's another great view, from the field perspective:

Post-Game 8 Thread: Ohtani Walks It Off On First 2025 Bobblehead Night

SoSG AC got there early for the bobblehead, and stayed late for the walk-off HR.

DODGERS 6, BRAVES 5

Jack Harris of the LAT had a great recap of last night's game at the Stadium, where a Shohei Ohtani walk-off HR in the ninth allowed the Dodgers to win the game 6-5, open up the year with an unprecedented 8-0 record, and sweep the Braves (who are now 0-7 on the year, notable because no team has ever started 0-7 and made the playoffs).

But what was funny was, as bad as the Dodgers were playing early, those of us who had been watching this year knew what was coming. Sure, Max Muncy made two throwing errors and three feeble at bats to start the game (Muncy did hit a two-run double in the eighth to tie the game at 5, but before we all get excited, let's remember that Muncy's hit lifted his pathetic 2025 average to .120 and his his OPS to .414 (which translates to an OPS+ of 21, 79% worse than the major league average)).

Andy Pages' dropped ball in center was also coupled with a feeble batting line (0-for-3 wwith 2 Ks, sitting on a .120 BA). And big contract Blake Snell, who only lasted five innings last start, was even worse this outing, with a 4.0 IP, 2 K night that does not portend well for the remaining 4.9 years of this contract.

But when the Dodgers are down 5-0, great things seem to happen. Tommy Edman and Michael Conforto homered for the first three runs of the comeback; Muncy got two runs across the plate in his last AB; and then Shohei hits the first pitch for a game-winning HR in the bottom of the ninth. Aaron Judge didn't even need to drop a ball in this contest; the Dodgers were capable of winning this game anyway.

Said Dave Roberts in the aforementioned LAT piece, "We had no business winning that game. But to our guys’ credit, we just kept fighting.” In eight games, we've had six comeback victories. Imagine how this team might be if we actually put all the pieces together and / or had a complete lineup (our outfield bats are still questionable outside Teoscar Hernandez, and Freddie Freeman was out of the lineup for the third straight game).

Off to our road trip!

Post-Game 6 Thread: No Freeman, No Cry

$15 at Home Depot could have prevented this.

DODGERS 6, BRAVES 1

With the pre-game news that Freddie Freman was out for this game due to a weekend mishap slipping in the shower (keep your imaginations out of the gutter, Dodger fans!), the Dodgers entered with a little bit of concern, maybe? But to be fair, the Braves found out over the weekend that the Braves would be without new signing Jurickson Profar for 80 games, maybe we caught the Braves at the right time. And even with Freeman out, the Dodgers rolled to a 6-1 victory that was never in doubt.

Teoscar Hernandez opened up with a first-inning two-run HR. Michael Conforto had a RBI double and Tommy Edman added a sacrifice fly in the second, to make it 4-0. Will Smith added a RBI single in the fourth, and then Kiké Hernandez hit a solo shot in the fifth to make it 6-0 LA.

Sure, Tanner Scott gave up a solo HR to Michael Harris III in the eighth to lose the shutout. But that was all the damage Atlanta could do tonight.

So, rest up, Freddie! You recover. We're okay.

Post-Game 4 Thread / At-Game Recap: Mookie Walks It Off

DODGERS 8, TIGERS 5 (10)

Ever since the 2024 postseason, the Dodgers seem to have picked up a flair for the dramatic. The comeback series victory over the Padres in the 2024 NLDS. Defeating the Mets in the 2024 NLCS behind Tommy "Tanks" Edman's offensive outburst. Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam to win 2024 World Series Game 1. Vanquishing the rival Yankees in Game 5 following an epic collapse by New York, and an unrelenting, never-say-die Dodger tidal wave.

The second game of the home opener homestand was also fit for the dramatic, with a pre-game World Series Ring Ceremony that was special, followed by one hell of a great game on the field.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto notched a career-high 10 Ks, but was also a little inefficient, racking up 91 pitches to get through five innings of work and yielding solo HR to Dillon Dingler and former Yankee Gleyber Torres. On the other side, 2024 Dodger Jack Flaherty (who will receive his World Series ring at today's game) was carving up the Dodgers through five, on what seemed to be half the pitch count (I remember it being in the 30s during the fourth inning), one-hitting the Dodgers through five frames.

And then, a peek at the drama to come. Mookie Betts reaches with one out in the bottom of the sixth, and Freddie Freeman takes the next pitch yard, tying the game at 2. The Dodgers take the lead in the eighth on a Mookie Betts home run that was so close, it needed to be reviewed to be confirmed. And then new Dodger reliever Tanner Scott looked largely ineffective in letting Detroit tie the game in the ninth, which could have been worse if not for Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman relaying a throw to Austin Barnes, who barely got the third out at home (also reviewed, with the call on the field overturned).

In the 10th, the Tigers look to be done with two on and two out, but Dillon Dingler triples home both baserunners and the Tigers take a daunting two-run lead (5-3) into the bottom of the inning. Not good for Dodgers fans, but no fans seem to be leaving their seats.

And then, it's like the Dodgers just flipped a switch and decided to go back to Dominate Mode, opening up the video game cheat codes on a poor Tigers reliever, Beau Brieske, who was up to some Brieske business. Michael Conforto, whose ill-advised dive in the top of the inning led to Dingler's two-RBI triple, atones for his defensive error with a run-scoring double (Edman was the ghostrunner starting on second). Andy Pages, still looking overwhelmed at the major league level, grounds out for the first out (Pages was 0-for-3 and is batting .182 on the season). And that brings up Austin Automatic-Out Barnes (0-for-3 with 2 Ks in this game).

But in a stroke of brilliance, Dave Roberts pinch hits Will Smith for Barnes, which gives us a chance to win. Smith singles to left, scoring Conforto and tying the game at 5. Shohei Ohtani singes to right for his only hit of the game (1-for-4 with a walk and a K).

And that brings up Mookie Betts, still 15 pounds underweight due to this stomach illness. Mookie takes the count full and then unloads on a home run to left that wins the game with a dramatic walkoff HR. Betts, 3-for-5 with 4 RBI during this game, was exuberant and emotional rounding the bases in a way that one would have thought this was a World Series game. It certainly was dramatic.

But the Dodgers have a flair for the dramatic of late, right? Amazing to see in person (and even better that I could see the whole ring ceremony before, and then get out of the parking lot quickly thanks to a post-game drone show that I skipped).

Clayton Kershaw gets his World Series ring.

The last two games I have seen at Dodger Stadium have been Freddie Freeman's walkoff grand slam in 2024 WS G1, and now Mookie Betts' walkoff home run in the first homestand of 2025. I dont know how it gets better than this!

We're 4-0 for the first time since 1981. Let's keep it rolling, Dodgers!

Kirsten Watson, likely asking Mookie Betts post-game how he is feeling

Post-Game 3 Thread: Dodgers Win Home Opener, 5-4

DODGERS 5, TIGERS 4

For all the talk about the Dodgers' formidable, stacked, dominating lineup: today's Opening Day win was a squeaker that showed a lot of vulnerabilities in the armor.

Blake Snell only lasted five innings and earned the win despite leaving the mound with a 2-1 lead through five frames (Teoscar Hernandez' three-run HR in the bottom of the fifth rescued Snell from the loss column, putting the Dodgers ahead 4-2). Snell struggled his third time through the order--which we've obviously seen before--and needed 92 pitches to get through his five innings (Tigers starter Tarik Skubal needed only 80, and both starters ended up with 2 Ks each).

The Dodgers' bullpen was also kind of shaky, with Ben Casparius working out of a jam in the sixth; Alex Vesia and Tanner Scott each yielding a run in their innings of work; and closer Blake Treinen needing 23 pitches to sneak his way out of the ninth inning by getting Colt Keith to foul out to Freddie Freeman for the final out.

Hernandez' shot was the big bopper, bookended by Tommy Edman's second-inning solo shot and Shohei Ohtani's homer in the seventh. But Freddie Freeman was 0-for-4 and Max Muncy was 0-for-3 with 2 Ks (he is batting .100 on the year). And even with the three homers, we just eked out the one-run victory over the Tigers, who aren't a bad team, but aren't stacked like the Dodgers.

But a win is a win, I guess. Credit to my uncle for taking this photo and for staying the whole game, obviously. He'll probably be in Dodger Stadium traffic through midnight.

Post-Game 2 Thread: Dodgers Sweep Cubs in Tokyo Dome

DODGERS 六, CUBS 三

Though they scheduled these contests way too early for me to watch either of the Tokyo Series games, the Dodgers still prevailed with a series sweep over the Cubs, following a 6-3 victory in the second game that featured a Shohei Ohtani home run, which followed taters from Tommy Edman (first MLB HR in 2025!) and Kiké Hernandez. All three of those Dodgers now lead the majors in HR.

Other crazy stats from the disparate number of games played (which reminds me of when Adrian Gonzalez led the majors in stolen bases, following the 2014 Opening Series in Sydney, Australia): Kiké Hernandez leads RBIs (3); Landon Knack co-leads Wins (1), along with Yoshinobu Yamamoto; and Will Smith is tied for the batting title at .500 (along with Chicago's John Berti).

More importantly, the Dodgers--sans both Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in this series--still opened up a dominant two-game lead in the NL West with only 160 games to play. Let's get the team back together here in Los Angeles, and hopefully get Betts and Freeman back to health.