Farewell, Chicken Strips

The Dodgers just traded Ross Stripling to the third-place Toronto Blue Jays, in exchange for two players to be named later. If this trade was based on weight, one might think this was a sly attempt of Andrew Friedman to re-obtain Hyun-Jin Ryu. However, I think it will actually end up to be two separate players.

Across five seasons with the Dodgers, Stripling went 23-25 with a 3.68 ERA, however 2020 was his Dodgers' nadir: 5.61 ERA across seven games, and a 78 ERA+ (in no other year was he below 100, with a career ERA+ average of 110). His career WAR is 3.9 but that includes a -0.8 this season. Stripling made the All-Star Game in 2018.

All the best, Ross!

"Series" Thread (Games 24-25): Aug 17-18 vs. Mariners

Surely all this has to come crashing down, right?

Mon 8.17 6.30p: Ross Stripling (3-1, 3.97) vs. Justin Dunn (1-1, 4.85)
Tue 8.18 4p: Tony Gonsolin (0-0, 0.00) vs. Marco Gonzalez (2-2, 3.97)

The Dodgers have won five in a row, including this weekend's sweep of the Angels on the road. Sunday's win even overcame some early game baserunning blunders by breaking out the whupping sticks for another four home runs (Dodgers lead the league with 43 HR). The Dodgers' +60 run differential is almost twice as much as the #2 team (Twins and Yankees, both tied at +35). And even resident LAT grump Dylan Hernandez posted a nice valentine column on the impact of Mookie Betts.

I honestly don't know what to think here. Years of disappointment have me steeled to what's to come. But here we are, almost halfway through the shortened season, and the Dodgers actually look...pretty good. I know this can't last, and honestly, I'm a little scared to even have a shred of happiness over what's transpired so far.

I guess you can say, I've been Gonsolin, being down don't bother me.

Series Thread (Games 21-23): Aug 14-16 @ Angels

Congrats on your latest Silver Slugger, Mookie! (Better make a macro for that line.)

Fri, 6:30p: Clayton Kershaw vs Patrick Sandoval
Sat, 6:30p: Walker Buehler vs Andrew Heaney
Sun, 1p: Dustin May vs Julio Teheran

So, Mike Trout. Best player in baseball. Hands down. I'm a certified Mookiehead and in awe of Aaron Judge, but Trout's dominance is indisputable.

The rest of the Angels? Well, put it this way: Arte Moreno didn't think adding Ross Stripling to his team "would make much of a difference." The Angels' pitching staff has a 4.54 ERA, 22nd in MLB.

But! Do the Dodgers play the Angels well? They do not. I'm not going to look up stats to back up my totally irrational hunch; just trust me on this one. But we have our top three pitchers going and Mookie and A.J. Pollack (!) carrying the offense. But, Mike Trout HEAD EXPLODES

Series Thread (Games 17-20): August 10-13 vs. Padres

 

The Dodgers are mashing like it's Home Run Derby (which is canceled this year--probably a good thing until they figure out how to manage those insanely wide fan sections down the first base line (field level is especially absurd))

Mon 8/10: Dustin May (1-0, 2.63) vs. Garrett Richards (0-1. 4.60)
Tues 8/11: Ross Stripling (3-0, 4.00) vs. Luis Perdomo (0-0, 5.40)
Wed 8/12: Julio Urias (1-0, 2.40) vs. Zach Davies (2-1. 2.87)
Thu 8/13: Clayton Kershaw (1-1, 3.60) vs. Chris Paddack (2-1, 3.18)
All games @6.30p

Two late-inning bombs on Sunday afternoon not only won us the game and series against San Francisco, but they extended the Dodgers' streak of games with a HR to 11 straight games, which the radio post-game show said led the majors. Despite their vaunted mashing, the interesting thing is that the Dodgers, with their fifth-best record in the majors, still haven't clicked on offense yet: Joc Pederson, Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy, and Austin Barnes all sit with batting averages below .200, and only A.J. Pollock has an average above .300. Jack Harris of the LAT notes that the Dodgers are tied for the major league lead in HR, but are 14th in team batting average.

Is this a sign of fluky swinging for the fences giving us some positive breaks, while we wait for the engine to start firing on all cylinders? Will we be even more potent once the bats come back, and we're not so reliant upon the longball for victories? With over a quarter of this "season" already complete, there's not a lot of margin for much more error.

In positive news, we've seen Mookie Betts get his swing back, inching up from that .200 average in late July closer to .300 now (Mookie had a three-run HR yesterday, to match Pollock's three-run shot). I can't imagine Muncy and Bellinger bottom feeding for much longer (Barnes, on the other hand, gives me less hope). This four-game series with San Diego is due for one of those guys to break out.

Series Thread (Games 7-10): July 30 - Aug 2 @ D'backs

Thu July 30 6.30p: Ross Striping (1-0, 1.29) vs. Robbie Ray (0-1, 7.36)
Fri July 31 6.30p: TBD vs. Zac Gallen (0-0, 2.25)
Sat Aug 1 5p: Julio Urias (0-0, 1.80) vs. Luke Weaver (0-1, 16.20)
Sun Aug 2 1p: TBD vs. Merrill Kelly (1-0, 1.17)

Fresh off a sweep of the Cheaters in Houston, the Dodgers take their 4-2, third-place record into the Arizona desert to see if we can wake some of these bats up. Besides Justin Turner's team-leading .333 average (Corey Seager is close behind at .320), we've got only Kiké Hernandez at .280...and then there's a big drop to find Chris Taylor (.211), Mookie Betts and Max Muncy (.200), and Cody Bellinger (.192). Neither Betts nor Bellinger have a HR through six games. It's early, so I don't want to sound the alarm bells...but honestly the only person who seems to be stroking is Seager.

Let's get the rest of the team started in this series. There isn't a lot of time to waste in this abbreviated season, guys.

Series Thread (Games 96-99): July 15-18 @ Phillies

Not much of a video here, sorry

7.15 4p: Kershaw vs. Eflin
7.16 4p: Buehler vs. Velasquez
7.17 4p: Maeda vs. Pivetta
7.18 9.30a: Stripling vs. Nola

I didn't think we'd win two of three in Boston, but here we are. Much was made of the Los Angeles fans coming in force to Fenway Park this past weekend. Will we show up in Citizen's Bank Park as well, for four against the third-place Bryce Harpers?

Series Thread (Games 93-95): July 12-14 @ Red Sox

7/12: Maeda vs. Rodriguez
7/13: Stripling vs. Sale
7/14: Ryu vs. Price
all games, 4p PT

Nothing but doom and gloom for the Dodgers here. We dropped three of four against the Padres heading into the All-Star Break. We probably permanently jacked up Joc Pederson's swing thanks to his valiant, albeit unsuccessful, Home Run Derby entry. Clayton Kershaw took his second All-Star Game Loss on Tuesday. Walker Buehler gave up an earned run as well in that game. And Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy both 0-fered in two AB, amassing three strikeouts between them.

Perfect timing to go get stomped by last year's World Series winners, the Boston Red Sox.

The decline is real.

Series Thread (Games 89-92): July 4-7 vs. Padres

7.4 6p: Ryu vs. Lamet
7.5 7p: Kershaw vs. Lauer
7.6 7p: Maeda vs. Paddack
7.7 1p: Stripling vs. Lucchesi

Five consecutive walk-off victories at home! Apparently this is the first time since the 2004 A's. And all I can find is a music video entitled "Walk On". Oh well...

Happy Fourth of July, people!

"Series" Thread (Games 87-88): July 2-3 vs. Snakes

7.2 7p: Stripling vs. Clarke
7.3 7p: Buehler vs. M Kelly

18 straight games brought us a 12-6 record, and now we get five more games at home before the four-day All-Star Break (except if you're Cody Bellinger, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Walker Buehler, or Clayton Kershaw). I'm sorry, I don't have anything for this one. I'm exhausted. This ASB can't come soon enough. I just want to be left alone.

Series Thread (Games 25-27): Apr 23-25 @ Cubs

This is Chicago. It's our 25th game. I predict a 6 to 4 victory.

Tue 4/23 5p: Kenta Maeda vs. Jose Quintana
Wed 4/24 5p: Walker Buehler vs. Cole Hamels
Thu 4/25 11.30a: Ross Stripling vs. TBD

Somehow, the Cubs are 10-10, and we have played four more games than they have this year. Some desk research reveals that, unlike the Cubs' cushy schedule so far (with four days off and one postponed game vs. the Angels), the Dodgers have been forced to keep their nose to the grindstone, and they've responded by mashing all the way. Taking three of four in Milwaukee this past weekend (including an incredible Cody Bellinger performance Sunday!), the Dodgers are now six games above .500--and this includes that six-game losing streak when we couldn't get anything right. Imagine if we had just gone .500 over those six games; we'd be 18-6!

I don't recall Wrigley Field being "friendly confines" for the Dodgers (we went 1-2 last year there, including a walk-off, tenth-inning loss). The Cubs have won seven of nine, keeping pace with our winning seven of our last eight. And we haven't fared well against NL Central teams. This series should be a dogfight. So let's get some inspiration, please (note Russell Martin is in the house for this clip!):

Series Thread (Games 21-24): Apr 18-21 @ Brewers

Thu 4/18 5p: Julio Urias vs. Zach Davies
Fri 4/19 5p: Ross Stripling vs. Jhoulys Chacin
Sat 4/20 4p: Hyun-Jim Ryu vs. TBD
Sun 4/21 11a: Clayton Kershaw vs. Brandon Woodruff

Since we licked our wounds by taking a lickin' to the Reds in a series sweep, we've recovered from the prior series loss against the Milwaukee Brewers. So now we face them again, with their slugger Christian Yelich on a tear, he with his nine HR on the year to lead the National League.

But wait, don't we have a slugger of our own, with nine HR to his name as well? Cody Bellinger returns (actually, he started Wednesday and went 1-for-3 with a single and a walk), after sitting for a game and a half with a bruised knee. Well, we're laughing like it didn't hurt / I'm in the dirt, I'll make it work though. We won Monday (the game where Belli got hit), and then substitute Alex Verdugo had his first three-hit game on Tuesday, and now Bellinger is back.

Yelich. Bellinger. Last year's NLCS opponents. Both teams leading their respective divisions. This looks to be a good one.

I'm going to go stock up on groceries for this weekend.

Series Thread (Games 11-14): April 8-11 @ Cardinals

A sweep of the Rox; but are the Cards stacked?

Monday 4/8 4.45p: Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-0, 2.08) vs. Miles "I'm not Spider-Man" Mikolas (0-1, 7.20)
Tuesday 4/9 4.45p: Ross Stripling (0-0, 2.31) vs. Dakota Hudson (0-1, 5.40)
Wednesday 4/10 4.45p: Kenta Maeda (2-0, 3.09) vs. Jack Flaherty (0-0, 3.86)
Thursday 4/11 10:15a: Walker Buehler (1-0, 6.75) vs. Michael Wacha (0-0, 1.54)

These are honestly the most bizarre game times I have seen in years. What the hell is going on here?!

I mean, besides the Dodgers going 8-2 on the season, and now 2-2 in games in which Joe Kelly appears (Kelly actually picked up the win Sunday in Colorado, with his ERA lowering to 14.40 on the year). The Dodgers have mashed at least one HR in all 10 games, all of which have been against the super-cush NL West. Now we head to St. Louis for four against our first non-NL West opponent of the season, the 4-5 Cardinals. Let's keep on mashing, Dodgers!

Series Thread (Games 5-7): Apr 1-3 vs. Giants

Monday 4/1 7p: Julio Urias vs. Drew Pomeranz
Tuesday 4/2 7p: Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-0, 1.50) vs. Madison Bumgarner (0-1, 2.57)
Wednesday 4/3 7p: Ross Stripling (0-0, 0.00) vs. Derek Holland (0-1, 6.75)

Happy April Fools Day!

And at this early part of the season, it's like the Dodgers and Giants are Superman and Bizarro Superman, just like the Ed McGuinness cover above.

The Dodgers are 3-1, leading the majors in OBP (.439), SLG (.647), and then obviously OPS (1.086). The Dodgers only trail the Seattle Mariners (who have played two more games than the Dodgers) with 14 HR on the season. Cody Bellinger is tied for first with three others in HR (4), and Joc Pederson is tied for fifth in the majors with 3 HR. The Dodgers have scored an amazing 42 runs this season in only four games. This opening series had a disappointing loss, but it also had two beatdowns of the Snakes, capped by a Sunday comeback victory after Walker Buehler went awry in the fourth.

Meanwhile, the 1-3 Giants are indeed the ugly and less articulate reflection in this metaphor. San Francisco ranks 26th in the majors for average (.177) and OPS (.516). And in losing three of four against the San Diego Manny Machados, the Giants also demonstrated how they're the oldest team in the major leagues, creaking their way to a total of five runs over the four games, tied for last in the major leagues.

So while the Dodgers are having an Opening Week, the Giants are Opening Weak.

Dodgers: Good! Giants: Bad! Let's keep this theme going to finish out the homestand, okay? This series kicks off with Julio Urias getting his first start since 2017.

Series Thread (Games 2-4): Mar 29-31 vs. D'backs

From before Thursday's game. Maybe the HR balls were taking the evacuation plans to heart.

Friday 7p: Ross Stripling vs. Robbie Ray
Saturday 6p: Kenta Maeda vs. Zack Godley
Sunday 1p: Walker Buehler vs. Luke Weaver

It's going to be hard to top yesterday's Opening Day extravaganza. But since they've painted "Opening Week" on the field, we may as well keep up the festivities.

Sax is going to be out of town this weekend, so I'll need you guys to keep the comments going while I'm gone.

Post-World Series Game 3 Thread: The Disaster Artists

HOU 5, LAD 3

I'm not sure what happened on the flight from L.A. to Houston — measles outbreak? Snakes on a plane? — but the Dodgers turned in their worst postseason performance on the biggest of stages.

Yu Darvish collapsed into a puddle of goo, allowing four runs in 1 2/3 innings. Lance McCullers kindly loaded the bases in the top of the 3rd, and Corey Seager swung on the third pitch he saw into a double play.

Tony Watson and Justin Turner each brought errors to the potluck horror show and somewhere in there Yasiel Puig ran a sure single into an out at second base.

And we only lost by two runs.

On the plus side, Kenta Maeda and Ross Stripling (!) were great in relief — but even that has a downside since they probably won't be available tomorrow.

The September Dodgers showed up tonight. The team better ship those assholes somewhere far away or there won't be much more October left.

Series Thread (Games 98-100), July 22-24 @ Cards

7/22, 5p: Brandon McCarthy (2-0, 1.69) vs Michael Wacha (5-7, 4.45).
CARDINALS 4, DODGERS 3 (16)

7/23, 4:15p: Kenta Maeda (8-7, 3.25) vs Mike Leake (7-7, 4.00).
DODGERS 7, CARDINALS 2. Toles: 3 for 4, 2R

7/24, 5p: Scott Kazmir (8-3, 4.30) vs Tyler Lyons (2-0, 3.54).
DODGERS 9, CARDINALS 6

As the Giants and Cubs cool off from their red-hot starts, the Dodgers and Cardinals suddenly find themselves in spitting distance of first place in their respective divisions — the Dodgers 4 games back and the Cards 6.5 back. Back in May, the Dodgers took two of three from the Cards at Dodger Stadium. Ah, remember those Ross Stripling days of yore?

Post-Game 45 Thread: Dodgers Sack Up And Win Game; SoSG Ends GT Boycott

Alex Wood shows what 16 innings does to a man.

DODGERS 9, PADRES 5 (17)

After rolling over and laying dead for four straight games (both games at Angel Stadium; then the first two games of this San Diego series, both of which were walkoff losses), the Dodgers went out and actually won a major league baseball game! Never mind it's against the 19-26 Padres: it's a win.

Yasiel Puig was the catalyst after a two-run RBI single in the 17th, followed by a stolen base and then advancement to third on a wild pitch (that scored Joc Pederson, to make it 8-5 LA). Puig scored on a Carl Crawford force out to make it 9-5 LA, which ended up holding up to give Ross Stripling his second win of the year (3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 K).

Howie Kendrick went 4-for-8 with a HR and double; Chase Utley went 3-for-9; Joc Pederson went 2-for-7 and Puig had a 3-for-7 outing. A.J. Ellis went 0-for-5 with three walks.

We got a win! So yeah, we'll come back to writing some Game Threads again. Thanks for your patience.

Post-Game 36 Thread: Buenos, Diaz!

Diaz boots #3

DODGERS 8, CARDINALS 4

A sloppy game on all fronts, but most notably for Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz, who had three fielding errors in tonight's game, all three of which led to Dodgers runs. Sure, Diaz had a HR and double as well, but he still gave away more runs than he notched, and we sure appreciated it. The Cards had four errors on the evening, though Matt "Nutshot" Holliday didn't cause any of them.

Yasiel Puig had a first-pitch HR in the sixth inning, the last scoring shot of the game. That was Puig's fourth of the year and 50th in his career; 19 have come on the first pitch in the AB. Puig went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and 2 RBI.

Howie Kendrick batted leadoff and went 2-for-5 with 2 runs scored and an RBI. He was smoking the ball this evening, which lookos promising against his .200 BA this year.

Ross Stripling got the win, the first in his career, with a mediocre line (5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB and 2 Ks). It was just enough, however, thanks to good performances in the bullpen from Adam Liberatore, Louis Coleman, Pedro Baez, and Kenley Jansen (Joe Blanton, not so much). Nice to see Dave Roberts making some intelligent bullpen decisions this evening. Maybe there's hope!

Post-Game 31 Thread: Stripper, Clubbing, And A Lot Of Pink

Joc being Joc: 6th HR of the year.

DODGERS 4, BLUE JAYS 2

It took a while to get rolling, but after Ross "Stripper" Stripling threw six innings of one-hit ball, Joc Pederson clubbed a solo shot to deep right field to tie the game. The Blue Jays answered in the bottom of the frame to make it 2-1 Toronto, thanks to the completely ineffective Chris "Teri" Hatcher. The SoSG stats department (SoSG Dusty) did the research to find that in Hatcher's last seven games, his line is: 5.1 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 6 BB, 2 K. That is horrible.

Luckily, Howie Kendrick singled home the go-ahead run to make it 3-2, and Corey Seager singled home Trayce Thompson in the ninth for insurance. Kenley Jansen notched the save (his 11th).

Dodgers take the series from the Blue Jays, and, coupled with the Giants' loss at home to the Rockies, move into a tie for first place (which we lead by a thousandth of a percentage point). 16-15, baby! World Series here we come! (The Cubs are quaking in their boots.)

Oh, and the pink was due to the Dodgers' wacky, but cool, Mother's Day uniforms. Happy Mother's Day, moms--from the Sons.

Game 31 Thread: May 8 @ Jays, 10a

Ross Stripling (0-2, 4.33) vs. Marco (Polo!) Estrada (1-2, 2.64).

What happens when our own Stripper goes north of the border? Things are bound to get a little loony!

Stripling hasn't reached the fifth inning in two of his last three starts, and has no wins in four starts on the year. The rubber match today determines whether the Dodgers return to Chavez Ravine above or below .500, in an entirely mediocre division where our record only puts us a game out of first place. Let's get the win, go celebrate at the strip club, and get the heck out of Canada.

cartoon swiped from here