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.
But don't, don't, don't let's start. This is the worst part. Now we face the league-leading Giants for two; the Giants sit 3.5 games ahead of us and have shown no signs of letting up, almost halfway through the season. The Giants' surprising strength has been their starting rotation: DeSclafani is 8-2 with a 2.77 ERA (slightly worse than Trevor Bauer's 2.57), and Gausman is 8-1 with a 1.49 ERA (much better than Beuhler's 2.51). The Dodgers have basically split the season series with the Giants to date (LA four games to SF 3). so these two duels are going to be critical if we are going to make up ground.
Welcome the new great depression. (also used May 6, 2019)
Thu 24 7p: Buehler vs. Davies
Fri 25 7p: Gonsolin vs. Arrieta
Sat 26 4p: Urias vs. Mills
Sun 27 4p: Kershaw vs. Alzolay
Honestly, I just can't on this team right now. We absolutely sucked vs. the Padres, and now we face a Cubs team that swept us in Chicago. We're doomed.
Yeah, Cody Bellinger is back, as is Max Muncy. But our offense is still a steaming pile of crap. We have no one with a batting average over .300 (only Justin Turner is above .280), and only Muncy is in the top 10 OPS. We strand tons of players. And from a pitching perspective, we are giving up a ton of first-inning HRs.
I'm going to go to the Stadium today and Saturday to try and fire up our team. You'll hear me yelling.
The Dodgers may have swept the lowly Diamondbacks this weekend, but the Padres pulled off a four-game sweep of their own against the .500 Reds (rather than a team that has lost 17 in a row). With the Dodgers only 3-4 against the Padres this season, I am guessing we'll drop this series. Prove me wrong, Dodgers!
Fri 18 6.40p: Bauer (6-5, 2.64) vs. TBD C Smith (2-2, 3.61)
Sat 19 7p: Buehler (6-0, 2.38) vs. TBD Peacock (2-4, 5.26)
Sun 20 1p: Gonsolin (0-0, 3.38) vs. TBD
Wow, that's a lot of TBDs there (Update: edited)! But before we get cocky about visiting the last-place Diamondbacks, losers of 14 straight and 24.5 games out of first place, let's remember that the Dodgers tend to play down to their opponents. And the Diamondbacks are due to hit a hot streak--maybe even win their next series.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers should have done better than a 4-2 homestand (especially with full stadium capacity over the last two Phillies games, which were split including a depressing shutout loss (2-0) on Wednesday). 11 Ks from Clayton Kershaw and the pen didn't make that Jumbo Jack go down easier, not when we're 0-for-6 with RISP and 10 LOB. At least on Sunday, when we see if Tony Gonsolin can get into the fifth inning for the first time this year, we'll have Father's Day to distract us.
Dodgers start the weekend 2.5GB the Giants (hosting the Phillies this weekend). The Dodgers have the second-best record in the NL.
Mon 6.14: Gonsolin vs. Howard
Tues 6.15: Urias vs. Eflin
Wed 6.16: Kershaw vs. Wheeler
All games 7p
The Dodgers sit one game back of the Giants for first place in the NL West, but still have the second-best record in the league as well as the biggest run differential in the NL. But the Phillies are a > .500 team and it doesn't take an arthouse film afficionado to understand that the series will only go our way if Gonsolin can ensure Howard's End in Game 1. From then on, the series should be a breeze: an Eflin' layup for Julio Urias, followed by Clayton Kershaw dueling a loose Wheeler. Let's go, Catman.
Fri 6.11 7p: Kershaw vs. Foltynewicz
Sat 6.12 7p: Bauer vs. Allard
Sun 6.13 1p: Buehler vs. Dunning
Dodgers leave a rainy Pittsburgh (the first two games' starts were delayed by rain; Thursday's game was ended early due to rain) with a sweep, so that gave us a 4-2 road trip. Which looked a hell of a lot worse after dropping turds in Atlanta, but hey--I'll take it.
So now we come home to start a series with Texas, last place in the AL East and 13 games behind the A's. More importantly, though, it finally gives me the chance to hype Sunday's game as WALKER / TEXAS RANGERS.
Tue 6.8 4p: Buehler vs. Brubaker
Wed 6.9 4p: TBD vs. T Anderson
Thu 6.10 9.30a: Urias vs. M Keller
Dropping two of three in Atlanta bodes poorly for this series @ PNC Park. I thought we could take the series, but instead we couldn't establish any sort of momentum save one 8-run inning in the first game of the Braves series. Now, on to the Pirates, worst in the NL Centra (9.5 games out of first). But we're now three games out of first place in the NL West and fading fast, despite a league-leading run differential. Not feeling good here.
UPDATE 6/9: Dodgers win Game 1, 5-3. But it would have been closer, had Ke'Bryan Hayes' HR not been overturned after he forgot to step on first base:
Fri 6/4 4.20p: Julio Urias vs. Anderson
Sat 6/5 4.15p: Clayton Kershaw vs. Morton
Sun 6/6 10.20a: Trevor Bauer vs. Fried
Ah, the Braves, who took us to seven games in the 2020 NLCS but dropped the last three games of that series to send us to the World Series. Marcell Ozuna isn't in the lineup. But the Braves are still in second place in the east (to the Mets) despite their 26-28 record, and we know they've got a bone to pick with the Dodgers.
I predict we'll win the series. Watching those highlights again gets me as pumped as our 11-run first inning on Wednesday (but keep your shoulder in its socket, Cody!).
Wow, I still get chills watching those highlights. Amazing.
screenshot stolen from Spectrum SportsNet last night
Last night, en route to a 14-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Dodgers mashed out 11 runs in the first inning. It was the most runs scored in an inning since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles. Cody Bellinger finally broke out of his return-to-the-majors somnabulation and crushed a one-inning franchise record 6 RBI.
In fact, it reminded me a lot of the last 11-runs-in-one inning outburst by the Dodgers, which came in the 2020 NLCS vs. the Braves:
More important than winning the series with the Cards and moving 1.5 GB the divisional lead, this game showed that the Dodgers' offense might actually be back. We can't depend on Max Muncy, Justin Turner, Chris Taylor, and a recent coming of age from Gavin Lux. If we can get Bellinger healthy, Mookie Betts back to a prolific leadoff hitter...who knows how we might look when Corey Seager comes back from the broken hand, around the All-Star break.
But for now, let's celebrate the bottom of the first inning, batter by batter:
Mookie Betts hits a ground-rule double (17) on a fly ball down the right-field line.
Max Muncy walks.
Justin Turner singles on a sharp ground ball to left. Betts scores, Muncy to third, Turner to second. Throwing error by left fielder Tyler O'Neill. LA 1, STL 1
Cody Bellinger singles on a sharp line drive to right. Muncy, Turner score. LA 3, STL 1
Chris Taylor walks, Bellinger to second.
Gavin Lux singles on a sharp fly ball to center. Bellinger scores. Taylor to third, Lux to second. Throwing error by shortstop Edmundo Sosa. LA 4, STL 1
Zach McKinstry singles on sharp ground ball to right. Taylor, Lux score. LA 6, STL 1
McKinstry steals (1) second.
Austin Barnes walks. This is eight straight batters without an out recorded.
Walker Buehler strikes out on a foul bunt. One out.
Betts singles on a line drive to left. McKinstry scores, Barnes to second. LA 7, STL 1
Muncy flies out to right. Two out.
Turner walks. Barnes to third, Betts to second.
Jake Woodford replaces pitcher Carlos Martinez.
Bellinger hits a grand slam (1) to right-center. Barnes, Betts, Turner also score. LA 11, STL 1
Taylor lines out sharply to short. Three out.
Wow, what an inning. Between this, and Chris Taylor's 14-pitch AB in Monday's game (below--people, this AB takes over nine minutes!!!), this series might have the turning point for the Dodgers' season. We're in third place in the division, but with the third-best record in the NL (and fifth-best in MLB). Let's GOOOOOOO!
And the Dodgers are back to an offensive malaise, just scoring enough to make the final margin close(r) but not enough to win the game (see Friday's Austin Barnes B9 tying three-run HR, only to be followed by Kenley Jansen giving three runs right back in the top of the tenth).
St. Louis leads the Central with a record very close to the Dodgers' record (StL 30-23; LAD 31-22). This could easily be another series where the cards aren't in our favor.
Thu 5.27 7p: TBD vs. Alex Wood
Fri 5.28 7p: Walker Buehler vs. DeScalfani
Sat 5.29 4p: Julio Urias vs. Webb
Sun 5.30 1p: Clayton Kershaw vs. Gausman
It stands to reason that, if the Dodgers could saunter up to Birdshit Park last weekend and sweep the first-place Giants, that San Francisco could pay the same favor back to us in Los Angeles this weekend. Starting out the series with a bullpen game vs. the Wood, 5-1 with a 1.93 ERA, would be a good start for the Giants to regain momentum.
The Dodgers are coming off a thumping against the Trashtros Tuesday, but a loss to Houston on Wednesday, only our second loss in our last 14 games. I'm sanguine as always, though--but as a bonus, I'll be at the ballpark on Saturday for the first time in over a year and a half. And I can't wait.
MLB.com just posted a "one great thing about each MLB ballpark" article. And the funny thing was, the Dodgers are mentioned not only for Dodger Stadium, but within two other NL West team's best thing:
D-backs (Chase Field): The pool
I’ve never been in this before, during or after a game. But the Dodgers have.
Dodgers (Dodger Stadium): The "old Los Angeles" feel
Every time I’m in Dodger Stadium, I feel like I’m in early '60s Los Angeles, like Bob Hope is going to show up and do a USO show. (With Vin Scully as the emcee, of course.)
Wow, the Dodgers' impact is everywhere--even establishing mere relevance to other teams' ballparks. I guess this saved Will Leitch from mentioning Oracle Park's sixth-inning seagulls and birdshit bombs.
Tues 5.25 5p: Clayton Kershaw (6-3, 3.18) vs. Zack Greinke (4-1, 3.77)
Wed 5.26 4.30p: Trevor Bauer (5-2, 1.98) vs. Luis Garcia (2-3, 3.38)
Houston has lost its last three games, but they've still cheated their way to 26 wins this season and a +59 run differential (second-best in the AL). They're throwing some guy with a very tiny head in the first game against the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw.
As for the second game in this "series", the Dodgers' Bauer is probably still fired up from his excellent outing in San Francisco, leading the Dodgers to their first of three victories this weekend, and enjoying hearing the crowd's boos as he powered his way through 126 pitches and 7.1 effective IP. Not sure if Bauer will be able to hear any boos over the banging of trash cans in the ballpark formerly known as Enron Field (also noted because of cheating!), but the arena is supposed to be at capacity attendance levels. Who says cheaters never prosper?
With the sweep over the Giants, the Dodgers have won 11 of their last 12 games despite fielding a lineup that inexplicably continues to feature Sheldon Neuse. If we can take care of business in Houston, that would be great momentum before a four-game series at home vs. San Francisco.
We are almost about two months into the Kirsten Watson SportsNetLA tenure, and us Sons of Steve Garvey are at the end of our ropes with regards to Dodgers reporter / host Kirsten Watson.
The shoes of Alanna Rizzo, who left the Dodgers role last year, are pretty difficult ones to fill; Rizzo was knowledgable, insightful, and a good interviewer that built questions during the conversation, instead of just parroting things written down on a notepad prior to the cameras rolling.
But Watson's post-game interviews with the Dodgers players inevitably meander toward understanding their feelings. Rather than focusing on strategy, or picking up on some insight from watching the player's actions or expression during the game, Watson is obsessed with understanding how the player is feeling. I sometimes feel like I'm listening to a psychiatric therapy session.
Let's pull some examples.
May 23, to Gavin Lux, "How big did this one feel?"
"Being comfortable and seeing pitches well." @TheRealGavinLux on what has allowed him to be so locked in at the plate after hitting his second grand slam in a week. pic.twitter.com/uad2aSXjdY
May 14, to Austin Barnes: "How have you been feeling, offensively, in the batter's box." (I suppose, versus how it might feel offensively in the on-deck circle)
"We have to look at the positives, we won the game but I don't think we're necessarily too happy with the way it unfolded." Austin Barnes talks post-game with @kirsten_watson following tonight's victory. pic.twitter.com/qgo9VrL5h4
All these FEELINGS! I can't take it. I'm emotionally wrought hearing about feelings all the time with Kirsten, rather than getting any particular insights about the game or adding any statistical knowledge to the conversation. Feelings feelings feelings! Feelings, woah woah woah, feelings:
I'll try to keep adding Kirsten Watson feelings clips. For now, though, I just need to hug my teddy bear for a while.
Other Kirsten Watson lowlights:
May 21, to Chris Taylor: "What was it like watching Trevor Bauer, from your standpoint (all the way back in center field)." I really wish that CT3 would have responded, "he seemed very tiny in the distance, and I didn't have binoculars on me."
Chris Taylor drove in the only #Dodgers runs with his two-run HR in the 3rd. He talks post-game with @kirsten_watson about his approach at the plate and Trevor Bauer on the mound. pic.twitter.com/cHlzlwbRIk
May 21, to Max Muncy: just watch Muncy's body language as he cringes his way through this interview. It's comedy gold, especially when Watson characterizes our rivalry with the Giants as "going back awhile now" (thanks, SoSG Dusty, for catching that one!).
Fri 5.21 6.30p: Bauer vs. Wood
Sat 5.22 4p: Buehler vs. TBD
Sun 5.23 1p: Urias vs. DeSclafani
The Dodgers are coming off a 8-1 homestand where they seemed to have restored some offensive spark, not to mention some foundation in the bullpen. We've won our last four games.
The Giants are still in first place, by two games over the third-place Dodgers, and have won their last five games.
Game 1 starts out with new Dodger Trevor Bauer against former Dodger Alex Wood (5-0, 1.75 ERA this year).
Mon 5.17: Buehler vs. Bumgarner
Tue 5.18: Urias vs. TBD
Wed 5.19: Kershaw vs. TBD
Thu 5.20: Bauer vs. TBD
(all games 7p first pitch)
We finally won a second-straight series, against the hapless Miami Marlins, who took Sunday's bullpen game by preying on a cast of nobodies on the mound for the Dodgers, plus an ineffective offense (and defense!) anchored by Sheldon Neuse (we were 6-11 with Neuse in the lineup, but I haven't looked again lately as I'd start crying).
Worst of all, Corey Seager was hit in the hand with a pitch on Saturday, and his broken metatarsal will keep him out for at least a month if not more. So you look at all those TBDs on the 18-23 Diamondbacks' plan, and it's hard to feel very positive. We're still two games out of first place and sitting squarely in third place, but this series against Arizona isn't going to change anything.
Stop believing in hope. It's only going to depress you.
Fri 5.14 7p Kershaw vs. Alcantara
Sat 5.15 6p Bauer vs. TBD
Sun 5.16 Buehler vs. P Lopez
It's a two-game series, so it hardly counts as a "series win." Or a winning streak. Except for the fact that the Dodgers haven't won two games in a row in almost a month, so suddenly, those wins over the Mariners seem to carry more weight. Call it...a new hope.
Gavin Lux saved us in Game 1. Max Muncy used his bat and his glove to propel us in Game 2. And now the Dodgers face a sub-.500 Marlins squad whose 1980s era neon colors may be the brightest part of their fourth-place standings in the NL East.
So--to quote a wise man--let's fucking go, Dodgers!
Tue 5/11: Buehler vs. Kikuchi
Wed 5/12: Urias vs. Dunn
The Dodgers' slump keeps getting longer (and Leon's getting larger!, just like I told you it would. And with the Dodgers wasting opportunities all over Sunday's wet fart of a game (going 1-for-11 with RISP, not to mention striking out 10 times against a sub-.500 team), the question is, is this three-week stretch really a slump? Or are we actually that bad of a team?
I'm starting to think we may actually be that bad, certainly from an offensive perspective. Neither one of our catchers can hit. Max Muncy takes walks but is batting .219, not fit for a cleanup or #5 hitter. And Doc Roberts is trotting out the same lineup every day that hasn't produced in almost three weeks.
We've got two games against the Mariners, also a pathetic 18-17 (and also in third place in their division, though Seattle is only 2.5 games behind rather than a full three games like the Dodgers). The best we can realistically hope for, with this crappy offense, would be a split. And splits lead to more wet farts.
Fri May 7 6.30p: Urias vs. Canning
Sat May 8 6p: TBD vs. Bundy
Sun May 9 1p: TBD vs. Quintana
13 losses in the last 17 games. A sweep at Wrigley Field, inlcuding two losses in which the Dodgers blew extra-inning leads. Preceded by losing three of four in Milwaukee, with the three losses by margins totalling four runs.
This team is unwatchable. Edwin Rios can't hit. Corey Seager can't field. Our starting rotation is down to four arms. The bullpen can't get the last out. And RISP is like kryptonite to this lineup, which Doc Roberts refuses to alter at the top despite Mookie Betts, Seager, and Max Muncy all hitting below .250 (only Justin Turner has an OPS above 1.0). We are an airplane disaster, just on a baseball field. (Hey, that might make for a good movie!)
At least we've sent Rios...somewhere (why they haven't sent him to the minors, given his current 0-for-32 streak extending all the way back to April 13, is beyond me; they settled for the 10-day IL instead). But Seager, who has made four errors already this year, is so awful fielding to his right (or throwing) that I've gotta think he's hurt as well. And maybe Mookie too (just guessing here).
Our last stop of this road trip from hell is in Anaheim, who has just cut future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols with a year left on his contract.. Anaheim must be a little depressed to have to make this decision, with Pujols never really achieving the level of play he had in St. Louis, and with no spot left for a 41-year old. So the Dodgers' visit to the big A should be just the tonic they need to get back on track.
Oh man. If you were watching Saturday's game in Milwaukee, the third straight loss to the Brewers, it wasn't the extra-inning 5-3 blown lead in the 11th inning that crushed your heart. No, it was the loss of Dustin May, who exited in the second inning in the middle of an at bat, which is never a good sign.
Today's MRI in Chicago (because who would trust an MRI in Milwaukee, anyway?) indicated that the news was indeed depressing:
The worst-case scenario was confirmed Monday when an MRI exam revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament. May will undergo Tommy John surgery to reconstruct the ligament on May 11 in Los Angeles. The club didn’t disclose if May has a complete or partial tear. Rehabilitation timetables are generally 12 to 16 months. Anything longer and there’s a chance he doesn’t pitch for the Dodgers again until 2023.
“When you’re developing and now you get the year cut short, that impacts development,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “What Dustin has done is he’s just matured more as a major league ballplayer. His work in between starts has been way more focused, way more consistent, there’s a routine in there, and he’s been pitching really well. To not be able to build on that is really unfortunate.”
May posted a 2.74 earned-run average and 0.957 WHIP in 23 innings across five starts this season. He compiled 35 strikeouts to six walks, striking out 13.7 batters per nine innings.
“That’s a significant loss for us,” third baseman Justin Turner said before the Dodgers announced May’s impending surgery. “That’s a significant arm that we’ve relied on and we were planning on relying on. Just feel terrible for Dustin.”
Of course, first and foremost, all the best to Dustin it what will be a long and arduous recovery. He's gonna be missed.
Secondly, what's left of the Dodgers' pitching squad will have to pick it up if we have any shot of getting this World Championship team back on the rails. It's almost absurd to think that, one month into this season, we've already slipped from first place and we are quickly running out of arms (thanks to injuries to Caleb Ferguson, Tony Gonsolin, Corey Knebel, Brusdar Graterol, and David Price). I always thought that Price, who started the year in the bullpen, would slot back into the starting rotation at some point; I just didn't expect it to be now. Not that Price is ready now; he's still nursing a hamstring injury sustained in the Dodgers' first of three series losses, against the Padres.
Can you imagine if we had not signed Trevor Bauer this offseason?!
As it is, I am pretty depressed. This season already looks like a disaster; come what, May?
3/27 vs. AZ (W, 6-4): AC
4/11 vs. TEX (W, 8-7): Sax
5/11 vs. SF (L, 3-9): Sax
5/25 vs. COL (W, 5-3): Sax
6/11 @ PIT (W, 8-6): Sax
6/15 vs. TB (W, 4-3): Nomo
7/4 vs. SD (W, 3-0): Orel, Sax
