Games 116-118 Thread: August 9-11 vs. Pirates

Fri 8.9 7p: Flaherty vs. Keller
Sat 8.10 6p: Ryan vs. Skenes
Sun 8.11 1p: Glasnow vs. Falter

Well, that last series with the Phillies didn't go very well for the Dodgers, whose meltdown on Wednesday (including a Dave Roberts ejection) capped a series loss and brought the Dodgers to a 1-5 record against the likely 2024 National League Champion. Sure, Roberts was correct in disputing the bullshit interference call at third base. But to be fair, it's also Roberts to blame for pencilling in a lineup batting Kiké Hernandez (.209 BA) in cleanup, Austin Barnes handling catching, and Kevin Kiermaier (.188 BA) in centerfield.

And August doesn't get any easier as the month continues, with the Pirates having wild-card dreams of their own. Saturday starts the 2024 National League All-Star starter Paul Skenes, which should be a doozy. And right after the Sunday game, the Dodgers head out for a seven-day, seven-game road trip to Milwaukee and St. Louis.

I haven't even mentioned the Padres, coming on strong since the break, now only 2.5 games behind the Dodgers in the division. Yep, it's pretty miserable here in Chavez Ravine...except I will say this: I'm really looking forward to the return of Harvard-Westlake phenom Jack Flaherty to the mound tonight. Let's go, Dodgers!

Games 111-113 Thread: Aug 2-4 @ A’s

Sorry I didn't post this GT early enough for the first two games (a heartbreaking collapse; and then a 10-0 walloping).

Today's game starts River Ryan. Let's get the series victory, please.

Games 101-104 Thread: July 22-25 vs. Giants

All the changes you put me through...

Mon 7.22 7p: Ryan vs. Snell
Tue 7.23 7p: Knack vs. Hicks
Wed 7.24 7p: Glasnow vs. TBD Ray
Thu 7.25 1p: Kershaw vs. TBD Webb

This is shaping up to to be quite the rivalry series. First, we open up with the major league debut of Dodgers prospect River Ryan, who has 24.1 whole innings of minor league work this year (2.22 ERA, 32 Ks vs 8 BBs), who has started all of five games this year for Oklahoma City. The Dodgers made room for Ryan by felling "Big Maple" James Paxton, who was servicable in yesterday's 9-6 victory over Boston (notching the series sweep), but still carried a 4.43 ERA and 0.4 WAR despite a decent 8-2 record.

Put frankly, the Dodgers may have appreciated the 89 IP this season from Paxton, but think they can do better than an average with Ryan.

And who knows, maybe Friedman has more tricks up his sleeve to fill out the rest of the starting rotation. Looking at the rest of the starters this series, there might be something to justify the Paxton DFA (like getting some value for him from another team): Landon Knack has a 0.8 WAR; Tyler Glasnow is 1.8 WAR (despite nearing his high-water mark for innings (120) already (109 IP this year).

And then there's the season debut of Clayton Kershaw--who knows what to expect from our workhorse at this stage of injury recovery, but he's got a 3.60 ERA over three rehab starts and ten innings in the minors this year.

So maybe Gavin Stone (1.8 WAR) continues fighting on; Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1.5 WAR) comes back; Bobby Miller (-0.9 WAR) shakes his 2024 blues; and Walker Buehler (-0.7 WAR) returns to some sort of form? And we pick up another starter? Or two?

I don't know, but this series against the Giants will definitely be telling...starting with Monday, with the Giants starting this familiar foe (Blake Snell is 0-3 on the year, but the Giants have won his last two starts (both no decisions) since returning from the IL):

"Hmm, maybe I should have signed before Spring Training?
Even so, it's still $62M."

I'll be at the game on Wednesday night, alongside my friend, a Giants fan. Let's go!