The Beat Goes on

The Dodgers are going to lose someday. I promise – they are! I know it does not seem that way, but it is inevitable. Isn’t it? I mean, they are going to lose again… aren’t they? OK… maybe they won’t. Just kidding. Be ready for that one-game losing streak, and try not to lose your minds. Ryan Yarbrough sure is a weapon! Singlehandedly, he can take the pressure off the entire bullpen! This is a game-changer! The Dodgers have been lacking that long man! Now they have one.

  • For the rest of this month and into September, they will be auditioning for the playoff roster… especially the bullpen.
  • The Giants are nine games back, while Arizona is 13 games back, and the Clowns From Down the Freeway have sunk faster than the Titanic! What a joke! I will keep telling you to never underestimate the power of AJ Preller to screw something up. The same thing happened to the Mets – now we are hearing of their fractured clubhouses.
  • Every team in the NL West is 3-7 in their last ten games, while the Dodgers are 9-1.
  • Never question Andrew Friedman again! I have been on that wagon since he came to LA.
  • For all those fans who wanted Willie Adames: How about that .202 BA? If he was a defensive wizard, it would be one thing…
  • Remember when Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger were running neck-and-neck for the MVP and maybe 50 HRs? Their careers since then have paralleled each other, and now they are doing good… but not MVP great. Who knew? Baseball is a funny game.
  • Matt came up with the new Moniker: “Bobby Ice” instead of Miller Time. I like it!
  • Miguel Vargas hit a double and had four hits to break his 0-19 skid.
  • Michael Busch is now hitting .321 with a 1.0452 OPS.
  • Diego Cartaya was 2-4 with his 16th big fly. Still hitting .183.
  • The Dodgers enter tonight’s game (Kershaw and Miley) with a fresh bullpen!

This article has 97 Comments

      1. I said get Addames and Yelich at the beginning of season when we lost Lux would have been everyday Leftfielder and everyday shortstop over the light hitting Vargas and Rojas. That would have been Greta deal. Vargas 0 for 19 in AAA yeah I don’t think he will be back next year maybe Busch. But after getting productivity from there second baseman and shortstop how has the season changed. Oh yeah they win now how remarkable is that those positions hit now and don’t strikeout and good God I hate watching Taylor or Barnes hit it’s like why you swing like that ball was in the dirt I’ve seen better little leaguers not swing at that ball and your professionals. It shows when players hit hey the ball club wins what was the team like when Taylor Vargas and Outman and Rojas were playing all the time wasn’t it third place that’s the difference they got better hitters for those guys.

        1. I am going to respectfully say that you are not qualified to make that judgment. Thank you!

          1. Really do you watch Taylor hit or Vargas or Barnes because I do and I coached junior high baseball and Little League did you Mark. And I know batters are taught don’t swing at balls in the dirt. Taylor goes up there swinging for the fences every time. Rather then just be a base hitter and move runners over. Anyone can see that.

        2. Bradley, other than his 18 homers, Adames has been horrible at the plate. He is hitting .202. He has struck out 121 times. Miguel Rojas is a Dodger for his glove. His bat has started to wake up also as he has 3 homers and 12 runs driven in since the start of August. Adames is nowhere near the defensive player Rojas is. Adames has 11 errors, Rojas has 5. Chris Taylor is a better defensive player than Adames. Plus, he plays multiple positions. He also has fewer strikeouts than Adames. Rojas was never meant to be the everyday SS, but the Dodgers value his defense. Vargas is a rookie with less than 100 MLB games under his belt. He is a highly valued prospect. I think you are totally wrong thinking he won’t be on the roster next year. He will get a chance in spring training to show just what he can do. Right after his 0-19 stretch, Vargas had a four-hit game. You are way premature in declaring his demise. As for Yelich, why would the Dodgers trade for a guy who is making 26 million dollars a year for the next five years when over the last three seasons, 20-22, was nowhere near the player he was in 2019? He is having a resurgence of sorts this season. But he still is not close to the player he was. He does not hit lefties all that well, .233. Neither of those guys were ever targets for the Dodgers. Their platoon system is working well. Heyward and Peralta have played above expectations. And between the two of them they have more homers than Yelich. As for Barnes, you can complain about him until you are blue in the face, we all do. But the Dodger pitchers love the guy. He has only had 122 at bats, so he is not hurting the team. They value his leadership on the field and the way he handles pitchers. Little leaguers and Junior high players do not face pitchers with wicked sliders and balls that move as much as MLB players do. Comparing coaching kids to MLB players is a ridiculous comparison. I coached Pony league and little league, but they are not getting paid for playing. Kids are playing for fun. The new hitting coaches teach launch angle, walks, homers and strikeouts. Taylor is one of those guys. Barnes has always been a contact hitter. He never was a power guy. Unfortunately for him, this year his infrequent at bats have resulted in his worst season ever. Coaches now like to see their players lift the ball. That kind of hitting philosophy saved Justin Turner’s career. It also helped Chris Taylor get to a place where he earned a 60 million dollar four-year contract. Love it or hate it, that is how the game is played now. No-one cares about strikeouts that much.

  1. Did anyone see that called strike 3 on Justin Turner last night??

    Beyond a horrible call.

    1. Yep. Horrible.
      JT is proving he still has a lot in the tank. I thought Boston was foolish to give him a two-year contract, but it should work out.
      I used to think JT would move into coaching with the Dodgers, but the Red Sox may need him more.

      1. You are typically going to find that guys like Justin Turner, who made a decent amount of money, are not going into coaching. They don’t need it.

        I am frankly surprised at how well he is doing. I guess DHing has extended his career. I still think at 39 he could break down, although I expected it before now.

        1. Good point on the money.
          In days of yore, former stars became managers. Ted Williams, Frank Robinson and Pete Rose come to mind.
          Now it’s more the marginal role players like Roberts, Nevin and Kotsay.
          Donnie Baseball is kind of an exception. But only kind of.

  2. Dodgers are going to lose 20 more games, they’ll finish the season 96-66, but I don’t think they’ll catch Atlanta, which doesn’t matter at all, since the only way they’ll meet is until the National Championship, right?

    I think if the season ends today, LA would face the winner of Marlins vs. Phillies (I guess)

    1. That would be the matchup. If the Dodgers simply play .500 baseball, they will win 94 games. The Giants, who are 10 games back and have played 2 more games, would have to win 31 of their next 41 to catch them. Arizona and the Padres have no shot.

  3. It may be a good time to give Will Smith some much deserved time off with a 9 game lead.

    @PhilJones: How did the HPU grade out last night? Watching it live it looked like he missed quite a few calls.

    Lets win the series today with Kershaw going.

    1. Hey Zeke, sorry for my tardy reply but I had a doctors appt this morning.
      Will Little last night missed 11 pitches. He called 5 strike on low pitchers that were actually balls. He missed 6 pitches calling true strikes, balls. Most missing the high fastball strike. There are particularly frustration as the are nice high, well placed fastballs. His accuracy was 90%. Not great but not Laz Diaz or CD Bucknor terrible.

      1. Thanks Phil. I only got to see 5 innings and he gave a lot of strikes that Contreras was pulling up from outside and under the zone. I don’t know why the umps call those strikes when you can clearly see the catcher pulling the ball back into the zone.

        1. That is a great point Zeke. I know some good high school and college HPU’s who get offended when a catcher tries to pull a pitch a foot off the plate to the center of the plate. They will tell the catcher that he’s not an idiot and to quit it and otherwise they’ll never get a pitch. For one, it riles up all the spectators and moms in the stands who don’t know a strike from a hockey puck and they get on the HPU for “missing” a pitch a foot outside.
          I actually saw a HPU during a state finals 2 years ago call time out and go the the fans sitting by the dugout on the first base side. He loudly schooled up the bitching fans that the pitches they were complaining about were off the plate and were not strikes. They would never be strikes so quit complaining. It was great and shut em up. Never seen that before and I loved it.
          Secondly, the HPU should be watching the baseball and its location as it crosses the plate….or not. He should NOT be looking at the catchers mitt. I’ve never understood how that should influence the ball-strike call. I do think how the catcher presents a borderline pitch will have an effect as opposed to traveling the pitch away from the zone.
          The ABS should make this unnecessary unless they decide on some challenge system which I’m opposed to.

  4. After those first two guys who reached Bobby Miller was lights out. 18 up, 18 down.
    If that was a playoff game do you think Doc would have left him in ? I would hope so.

    Cartaya went 0-4 last night, not 2-4, average now .182
    What a funk this kid is in. way too talented to hit that low of an average.

    Right about now that kid Liranzo at RC looks to be our best catching prospect with both Rushing and Cartaya struggling mightily. Liranzo 3-4 with his league leading 20th big fly last night.

    Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      1. He was already struggling before his IL stint
        Both him and Cartaya having huge struggles in 2023.

        Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!

        1. True. But supposedly the concussion has really bothered him for a while. No matter, he won’t be playing for a while. But I would not bet against him when he does start playing again.

      1. “Never question Andrew Friedman again!”
        Yes, how dare anyone ever question the Dear Leader!

  5. The Dodgers are currently on pace, based on their current winning percentage, to win nearly 99 games. They can easily reach the 100 win milestone again this year. The Dodgers have been on a run since 2019 where they’ve been winning at a 66% clip. That translates to an average of nearly 107 wins per season. They didn’t reach the 100 win milestone in 2020, but the won 43 out of 60 games during that Covid shortened season. That’s a 71.7% winning percentage, which, extrapolated to a 162 game season, is 116 wins.

    The Ruth/Gehrig Yankees didn’t even do that (although, for a fair comparison, I should really break down the Yankees winning % during their peak years and apply that to a hypothetical 162 game season). I can’t think of another comparable era of sustained greatness by any other team, and I’m not even mentioning the run of division titles. The last time the Dodgers even had a losing season was 2010.

    Could you imagine if Bellinger hadn’t hit that go-ahead run against the Braves in 2020? The best run in MLB history and not a single WS victory. Thank goodness the Dodgers have 2020.

    It’s a good time to be a Dodger fan.

    1. 1991-2005 Atlanta Braves. The only year they did not win the division was the strike shortened 1994 season when there were no playoffs. They had 6 100-win seasons in that stretch. They, like the Dodgers in this run, won only one World Series. 1995 with probably one of their weakest teams in that stretch. 95 was also a shortened season beginning late as it took a while to get the new agreement approved. The lost 3 World Series, 5 times in the NLDS and 4 times in the NLCS. The Dodgers by comparison have lost 2 World Series, 3 times in the NLCS and 4 in the NLDS. The Dodgers and the Braves have had the longest stretches of success in the regular season of most any teams. But from 1947-1962, the Yankees won 13 pennants and 10 World Series including 5 in a row from 1949-53. They had one second place finish and two third place finishes in that span. That is dominance on a level no other team has ever matched.

      1. The Yankees in that period were certainly dominant on a whole other level. But I don’t believe they would have won anywhere close to 10 WS had they had to deal with anything like our modern playoff structure. They only has to worry about ONE team getting hot. Not 3-4 teams. Even a team heads and shoulders better than any other would have to deal with a lot more luck in todays MLB.

        It’s hard to compare eras like that.

          1. That was not his comment. He said comparable era of sustained greatness. No, the Yankees probably would not have been as successful. But for their era, they were simply dominant. You could add two more pennants to the total, 63-64 before the dominant Yankees were finally on a downward spiral. So, from 47-64 they won 15 pennants.

  6. Never question? You mean that I have to applaud the Trevor Bauer signing? I love AF but…..
    And Bellinger is putting up “in the MVP conversation” type numbers.

    1. I would agree about Bauer, but what transpired was after the fact. Bauer was pitching very well for the Dodgers. Now, if they knew about the allegations and still signed him, then they were dumb. Belli is having a hugely resurgent season. He has an option for next season with the Cubs and I am pretty sure he will not use it. He is going to get a nice contract this winter. My guess, he goes to New York to play for the team his dad played for.

      1. Hello Old Bear, I also hope that Belli does well in free agency, however I have the impression that he has a somewhat weak temperament, I say this because I have seen many talented players fail in NY, the pressure on them is very strong there and if the man did not have enough character to get out of his problems here (LA), but in the end that change will come in handy.

        1. He knows the culture there. I am sure his dad would give him a lot of advice. But look at it another way, it is 314 down the right-field line. Belli pulls most of his homers. He has hit balls in some parks that were outs because of the design of the park. It is 330 down the line at Dodger Stadium. It is 353 down the line at Wrigley, of Belli’s 18 bombs this season, he has hit 9 at home and 9 on the road. One of those was at Yankee Stadium. He is hitting .330 at home and .321 on the road.

      2. Bauer was a well-known asshole before AF decided he was worth $102 million for three years. There were plenty of red flags both on and off the field. He had earned the “clubhouse cancer” label.
        That was, without question, the stupidest move AF made. Unforced error.
        It was criticized at the time by many people, but Bauer turned out to be even worse than his reputation.

    2. I thought that the Bauer Acquisition was a stroke of genius for a short-term contract. I think it would have worked even though Bauer is an A-Hole sometimes, but who could have predicted what ensued? It’s all on Bauer… not Friedman.

      1. While I agree that nobody could have predicted how all that went down; Bauer had a pretty bad reputation in general. He was prone to getting into heated arguments with people on Twitter. And seemed to value his social media following more than any other player in baseball. Those, to me, were red flags about his character in general. Not understanding his responsibilities as a highly paid member of an organization. And how his behavior can negatively affect his team and MLB.

        AF could have never known the fire storm and BS that was coming. But I had my doubts about the signing from the beginning. Simply because I thought the guy was an As*hole. I had no clue it would blow up like it did. So while I don’t put it all on AF, he should avoid signing players with dubious judgment and questionable ethics in the future.

        Let’s not forget Hector Olivera. The Dodgers ate something close to $30m to get rid of him to the Braves. I heard rumors that he was a very difficult player to coach and didn’t get along with his teammates. So the Dodgers dumped him. Just in time. He hasn’t played pro ball since. Anywhere.

        Intangibles matter. I think AF has learned that the hard (an expensive) way.

        1. Totally agree Jayne. There were some red flags associated with Bauer. AF bears the brunt of the blame for signing him to that ridiculous contract.

        2. I agree that he has learned about the intangibles, but at they time of the trade, most baseball writers proclaimed the Dodgers the Winner. BR said this:
          Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman continues to flex his muscle as perhaps the best executive in baseball. On the surface, all he did was pay big money for the top free agent available. But it goes deeper than that.

          Los Angeles came into the offseason seemingly needing bullpen help. Friedman added a pair of reclamation projects in Corey Knebel and Tommy Kahnle (who will likely be unavailable in 2021 because of Tommy John surgery) and signed Blake Treinen.

          Still, it appeared as if the Dodgers needed another arm, likely a left-hander. But rather than paying funds for a traditional reliever, Friedman made a move that has big ramifications for the bullpen.

          The signing of Bauer, plus the expected return of David Price, gives the Dodgers a wealth of options. Los Angeles will now run out Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Bauer and Price as its first four starters. The team can choose from any of Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May in the fifth spot, and all three could become key bullpen arms capable of long relief.

          L.A. will have even more flexibility if Bauer insists on pitching every fourth day.

          For those thinking this is somewhat inconsequential, remember how important May and Urias were in L.A.’s bullpen during the postseason. Urias was particularly crucial in the late innings, throwing three scoreless frames to close out Game 7 of the NLCS and tossing 2.1 scoreless innings in Game 6 of the World Series.

          This was as much about Friedman understanding his personnel as well as the synergy between Bauer and the organization. Additionally, guys like May, Urias and Gonsolin could be trade assets in the event Friedman sees the need for positional upgrades.

          Whichever way you stack it, Los Angeles’ pitching staff is all the more loaded from top to bottom.

          And, they kept him from San Diego who were also trying to sign him. If he hadn’t signed with the Dodgers, the San Diego Groupie would not have had to do what she did… whatever she did.

          Hindsight is 20/20

          1. Well you are right – his record says he is a Wonder – we agree on that. It was a mistake – even Ray Charles can see that – in hindsight! That is a big part of the reason he only signed high character players this past off season.

            Man crush? Please! I don’t know the guy, but only a Certified Moron would question his record! The record speaks for itself and yes, I know he is not perfect.

            What is your point? Get to it!

          2. I didn’t question his record. He is doing a good job overall. I just don’t think he is as great as you do. When he wins a WS or two, I might change my mind.

          3. Winning a World Series is the Ultimate goal, but under the new playoff format, only a MORON would think that is the only metric. BTW, he should have 2… and he once got to the World Series with a $76 Million payroll.

          4. Well Mark, you are an imbecile. Just one notch above a moron. I guess that gives you some leeway. Winning a WS is the ultimate goal. And, the one that great teams and GM/PBO’s are judged by. It is not the only metric, however, it is the one that greatness hinges on. Would the 27 Yankees be considered the best team of all time if they had not won the WS? The 75 Reds?

          5. “And they kept him from San Diego….”
            Well, I think that further underscores what a blunder signing Bauer was. He could have saddled the Padres with another low-character narcissist and he blew it.
            Too bad he didn’t prevent the Padres from dealing for Brandon Drury in midseason last year! He won a Silver Slugger as a UT guy, while the Dodgers opted for an unproven rookie who batted .170 down the stretch….

        3. Wasn’t Olivera in the Coletti era? Could be wrong, but I don’t think AF gets blamed for that.
          It’s pretty funny that Mark thought AF’s three-year contract for Bauer with an AAV of $34 million was a “stroke of genius”…. but he now argues that there’s just no way, no how AF would pay $50 million for Ohtani.
          Because AF is too smart and Ohtani would be too risky.
          But investing in Bauer was genius.

          1. 3-years, genius! That why I liked it. It’s not $50 Million in a vacuum – how many years. Cut the bullshit little snipe arguments!

            Olivera was not signed by Colletti – he was signed by Bob Engle who was a Friedman hire and he was soon fired!

            Friedman made some big blunders with Cuban players. That is a fact!

    3. What Bellinger is doing now has nothing t do with AF. He was kept in the lineup for 2 years when he was just about the worst hitter in baseball. For whatever reason it was not going to change in LA.

  7. Miller did a great job after the first two hitters. Very Drysdale like performance. The Dodgers figured out the Brewers pitcher in the 6th and they got the win. Nice work all around. Don’t look now but Freeman has not had a hit in three consecutive games. He is 0-11 over that stretch. He has walked a couple of times, and he got on last night on an error. Since Thursday he is 2-18. You could actually see by the expression on his face after he struck out his last at bat that he was pretty frustrated. Nice to have JD back in the lineup. Even nicer to see Muncy actually get as many hits as strikeouts. Facing a lefty in Wade Miley tonight against Kersh. Taylor will be back in the starting lineup, and I am guessing Barnes is going to catch.

  8. The Dodgers’ Farm Systems is now rated #6 by MLB:

    https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-pipeline-2023-midseason-system-rankings?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage&partnerId=zh-20230816-1003656-mlb-1-A&qid=1026&utm_id=zh-20230816-1003656-mlb-1-A&bt_ee=ZHpMeqCSdB9C3AgolJxFqRXS2zNEuLykgp6qQaEda7p%2BJjMKc9b7Zv1SG2AZnWZJ&bt_ts=1692194897794

    6. Los Angeles Dodgers
    2023 preseason rank: 2
    2022 midseason rank: 2
    2022 preseason rank: 5
    2021 midseason rank: 16

    Top 100 prospects: Dalton Rushing, C/1B (No. 46); Michael Busch, 3B/2B (No. 47); Diego Cartaya, C (No. 60); Nick Frasso, RHP (No. 69); Gavin Stone, RHP (No. 84)

    The Dodgers are nearing their 10th National League West title in the past 11 years, and they won 106 games the one season they came up short. A nonstop supply of prospects has fueled that success, and this year alone they’ve graduated Top 100 prospects Bobby Miller, Miguel Vargas and Emmet Sheehan, plus James Outman, to Los Angeles. There’s another wave percolating in Triple-A (Busch, Stone, outfielder Andy Pages, right-handers Landon Knack, Ryan Pepiot and Kyle Hurt) and more talent coming behind them.

    1. What I find interesting is that the Dodgers, Balt, Brewers, Rays and (possibly) the Cubs are all ranked in the top 10 and destined for the playoffs THIS year. What they all have in common is a distinct lack of dope fiend moves. No blockbuster trades (unless they are on the receiving end, think Josh Hader) and no insane FA contracts.

      Yet, moron sports writers seem to miss that whole part.

  9. Tuesday scores
    Salt Lake 8, Oklahoma City 6
    Tulsa 7, Frisco 2
    Lansing 6, Great Lakes 5
    Rancho Cucamonga 5, Visalia 3

    Wednesday schedule
    4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Hyun-il Choi) at Lansing (Jose Dicochea)
    5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Ben Casparius) at Frisco (Noah Bremer)
    5:35 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Gavin Stone) at Salt Lake (Kenny Rosenberg)
    6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Christian Romero) at Visalia (Ricardo Yan)

  10. I have noticed that when the Dodgers are doing great, comments are down.

    I guess that when people don’t have anything to bitch about they lose their purpose in life.

    I have not had to call anyone a moron in several weeks! 😉

    1. Be careful what you wish for, Mark lol

      We all know the Dodgers can’t keep up this pace. We will go into a slump. I’m guessing we’re due for a bad week or so anytime now. You roll enough dice you’re bound to hit snake eyes a couple times in a row.

      Then people hating Doc and second guessing our trade deadline will follow. But we will still win the division. And the Padres will still suck.

      1. Truth sometimes is a hard pill to swallow. There will always be haters no matter how successful the team might be, and those who will never be happy unless they win multiple World Series.

    2. I was going to say something stupid just so you could call me a moron. But I couldn’t think of anything :-).

  11. * Yes it’s funny the amount of comments based of the trade deadline recommendations and complaints when we lose. Doc’s gotten a lot smarter lately.
    * I think everybody is happy and proud of these Dodgers. The new additions and the camaraderie with this group has been remarkable. This is now my favorite Dodger team in a very long time. They really do play for each other and appear to genuinely like and play for one another. That’s more rare them you think in today’s game. The bottom line is that this team is really fun to watch right now.
    * Watching Mookie play now is a window into his personality. He plays better when he is loose and has a smile on his face. He does not play well when grinding and beating himself up. Hell, it’s hard not to when you’re struggling. I think Freddie’s totally nonvolatile, stable, day-to-day approach, eliminating the highs and lows has had a major impact on Mookie and the rest of the squad.
    * The first lessons you get your first week of pro ball comes from the veterans including speaking in “pro baseball terms”. The Manager isn’t “coach” anymore. He’s the Skipper or Skip. The bus driver is the “bussie”. You can get fined for bad play and stupid shit. And where you dress and hang out isn’t the Locker Room anymore. It’s the Clubhouse. Did Orel forget that? I hear the locker room term a lot lately but ex-pros should know better.
    * By the 8th inning last night I turned off the sound of Joe and Orel. I finally got sick of all the stats and reminders of just how awesome we are. Again, we’re all tickled but do we need to get a constant diet of useless stats and shameless bragging about how this is the greatest thing since the invention of fire?
    Joe has stat after stat reenforcing how great we are…….. “this team is hitting .700 since July 18th against left handed relief pitchers on 2&2 counts, after the 7th inning, which is one of the 29 categories where we lead the league since September”.
    Or some such useless bullshit. Orel actually said the it was good for the Brewers to get a glimpse of how a great, playoff team looks, preparing for the playoffs. We’re now visually aids for the Brewers? How arrogant is that comment?
    I’m paraphrasing but these type comments are unnecessary. We all know how well this team is playing right now. We don’t need one useless stat after another to prove it or Orel’s cocky disrespect for everything not Dodger.
    A little more class and a little less bravado would suit me. Don’t get too full of yourself when you’re going well and don’t get suicidal when you stink.

    1. Ya. The pounding the chest stuff is getting a little too much. Credit where credit is due, for sure. And I’m loving every minute of this streak. But the baseball gods have a way of taking a s**t on your head when a fanbase gets too cocky.

      Let us not forget the “curse of the crying Kershaw”. It has been the cherry on top of AJ Preller’s 2023 Spectacular National Tour of Suck. Better known as “the Padres season”.

  12. Well my wife doesn’t complain when I do something good ,but bad? It’s just nice to be on a good streak! After a rocky start to the season, things are much better. All the credit to Roberts and Friedman. Although Doc still makes my nerves flare once and awhile, he should be manager of the year. Hope Clayton is sharp tonight.

    1. I feel the same as you.

      The 6 months’ of entertainment the Dodgers continuously provide makes it great to watch, and I 100% appreciate them giving us 10 years of continued entertainment for those 6 months.

      However, I will only celebrate a championship, nothing less. Doesn’t mean the season was a failure, because I thoroughly enjoyed it, but the celebration and bubbly is meant for end of October (actually this year, up to November 4 if there’s a Game 7)

  13. The difference is they sent Vargas Busch down if they could they would send Taylor and Barnes down but for who. They replaced the other players with Hernandez and Rosario and Rojas has now started to hit and Peralta and Heyward that’s the difference in team players hitting in the 7,8,9, alot of the lineup where guys weren’t before. If there was a catcher to bring up and a utility guy to bring up they would and send down Barnes and Taylor but theres nobody how do they not have a person that can hit better then those two guys in the minors. Well one reason they keep Barnes is because he is Kershaw catcher when he pitches their keep Taylor because he can play everywhere but dam they can’t hit.

      1. Yes Belinger can be thankful he played on this team the last couple of years. Don’t know if he would have had all those ABs elsewhere. And in playoffs runs may be harder to get. So how many games will Barnes be starting?

      2. Sure would like a catcher that could hit in playoffs and a bench player who can make contact and nit swing for the fences that’s what bench players do when called on to come threw and right now I would rather have Peralta or Hayward pinch hit them Taylor or Barnes now if anyone should be called up when rosters expand for end of season and playoffs it should be Busch and Cartaya Dahl and Jones because they have power and Cartaya can catch giving smith some days off before the playoffs.

        1. Bradley, there are a couple of things wrong with your argument. A. Barnes and Taylor cannot be sent down. They are way past that point in their careers. At this point in the season, a DFA means they would have to be released. That is not going to happen. The only way Barnes is getting replaced is if he suffers a major injury. B. On September 1st, the roster can expand to 28. They can call up two players, but one of them has to be a pitcher. Cartaya is not getting called up. He is at AA Tulsa; he is hitting .185 and he has struck out 107 times. Rarely do teams bring in a new catcher this late in the season, and he would not be the first choice anyway. C. Dahl is not going to get the call, he would need to be placed on the 40-man roster, and at this point they do not need another left-handed hitting outfielder. Dahl is hitting .273 and has 7 homers. Jones is no longer in the organization. He is a member of the Brewers AAA team in Nashville. And he is playing CF for them and DHing. Busch will likely be the position player who gets recalled, he deserves the chance. I have a strong feeling that the pitcher called up will be Gavin Stone. But they could always pivot to Pepiot when he is healthy or Grove. In any case, none of the players you mentioned are going to be called up anytime soon.

          1. Bear –

            I admire the patience in your responses to Bradley; I find them very thoughtful and well said!

            You have the “patiece of Job!”

      3. No one will care ..UNLESS Barnes and Taylor are used more than very sparingly in the playoffs. ..then their bad hitting WILL matter.

  14. Heavy righthanded lineup today, with Outman sitting and Kike in CF.
    Freddie and Max are the only bats from the left side.

  15. David Vassegh
    @THEREAL_DV
    #Dodgers Lineup vs #Brewers LHP, Wade Miley:

    Betts RF
    Freeman 1B
    Smith C
    Martinez DH
    Rosario 2B
    Muncy 3B
    Hernandez CF
    Taylor LF
    Rojas SS

    Clayton Kershaw P

  16. Ok Mark. How about this. Dodgers are 13-1 in August and if it wasn’t for their idiot manager they’d be 14-0!

    1. The video of that is kind of amazing.
      Raley’s smash ball ricocheted high off the centerfield wall and narrowly missed a ground rule double by bouncing occ the lower leftfield wall past the leftfielder rushing to help out.

  17. Freddie breaks out with a… What else a double
    Wade Miley looks like Lance Lynns somewhat slimmer left-handed, brother

  18. Even when he doesn’t have his good stuff, Kersh delivers. Hopefully he gets a little more velocity back

  19. Faint glimmer for an October Freeway Series as Angels hang on to defeat the Rangers.
    Detmer took a no-hitter into the 8th inning before Semiens doubled. High-wire finish for closer Estevez, giving up two hits before striking out the potential winning run.
    Ohtani nailed his 42nd HR among three hits. He’s the game’s best DH by a wide margin. His 1.071 OPS tops the majors, and is 70 points ahead of second-best Freddie.
    There is a strong possibility that the Rangers will be playing in October. This team was good before they added Scherzer and Montgomery to the rotation and Chapman to the pen.

  20. Hard to believe Brasier ever struggled this year. Pitch tunneling, great breaks, and complete command of all his pitches since being acquired.

    1. Yep, Brasier deserves the kudos that’s for sure
      Brusdar‘s been looking solid for a while now also .
      In fact, Brasier, and Brusdar have looked better than Phillips over the last month. Having said that, we all know pitching in the ninth-inning is a different animal

  21. This young man is who I wanted to see pitch, for some strange reason, I trust him, I think he will be very helpful… Gus Varland

    1. A four-pitch walk to start… jitters, perhaps?
      But then Varland shut them down. Nice to have him back in blue.
      Dodgers have an embarrassment of riches and pitches. So many good arms, both for the rotation and the bullpen. We still haven’t seen Knack, Hurt, Frasso, Ryan and others on ML level–not to mention the return of Buhler and Treinen.
      This team seems so businesslike now, racking up impressive wins.
      Loved the inning in which Mookie, Freddie and Smith all got hits of Urquidy’s 100+ heat. Nice that Taylor connected for another homer. Too bad that Max’s blast hooked foul. No cigar.

  22. The Bookmakers here currently have the Dodgers as joint favourites to win the WS @3/1eith the Braves

    Houston & Texas @5/1 next best.

    Do we agree with this thinking?

    I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the Rangers keep going as I backed them at 25/1 to win the American League, and had a little bit at 33/1 to win it all.

  23. Your bet on the Rangers could pay off big!
    Dodgers are joint favorites with Braves, I assume.
    Seems about right to me. Superstar players in their prime, rebounding stars like Julio, strong role players, impressive rookies, deep bullpen. And Roberts is making some good moves.
    Unlike last season, every midseason move this year by AF has clicked–and perhaps we were lucky that the deal for Rodriguez fell through.
    With such a big lead in the West, Roberts should start giving Barnes more action and Smith more rest, either on the bench or at DH. Right now, Barnes is the weak link on this team, and playing him more could both help Barnes fix what’s wrong and prepare Smith for a heavy postseason load.

    1. Agree. Even though we hate to see him, I would like to see Barnes start 2 games per week instead of one.

  24. One of fun sideshows this season is how the Dodgers and Braves each have two guys who are legitimate MVP candidates. Still a lot of baseball left, but I think if the vote was taken today it might be in this order.
    Acuna
    Freeman
    Olson
    Betts
    Meanwhile, in the AL, there is one MVP candidate: Ohtani.
    Even if we just focus on Ohtani’s offense, we see that he’s far and away the most devastating force. He leads in OPS, OBP, HRs and is third in BA. His OPS is at 1.071, while second-ranked Yandy Diaz is at .906. His slugging percentage of .664 is nearly 100 points over second-ranked Luis Robert.
    Seriously, his production outpaces other hitters by so much he’d probably be MVP even if didn’t throw a single pitch.
    But since he does pitch, let’s try to imagine what his 10-5 record and 3.17 ERA might be if he wasn’t pitching for a .500 team. He’d have a better defense behind him and would more often be pitching with a lead. He still leads the majors with a .185 batting average against, and he’s struck out 165 batters in 130 innings.
    But even if he only was swinging the bat, he’d still be the AL MVP.
    And it wouldn’t be close.

  25. Let’s say Ohtani gets 50 mil per year. That’s 25 mil for the best hitter in baseball and 25 mil for one of the best pitchers in baseball. And the Dodgers make a fortune off him in ancillary income. Works for me.

  26. In other news, and showing that there is at least a scintilla of sanity left in the world, Angel Hernandez lost his appeal against the MLB for racial discrimination. The judge decided and I’ll paraphrase, that Joe Torri had reason to believe that Hernandez sucked as an umpire and didn’t deserve a promotion.
    Cheers

  27. Aug 23: 14-1
    Aug 22: 22-6
    Aug 21: 21-6
    Aug 20: 21-7
    I guess we should dispense of all the Dodger doom and gloom each year until at least the end of August.

  28. Every time we bury Chris Taylor he kicks the dirt back off! And what’s with Rojas? Not complaining, just amazed! Regarding Barnes catching twice a week, NO! Once is more than enough! But maybe could use him in games that are out of reach in late game situations to give Will a break. No need for him to play 9 innings in a 10-2 game. Just get a funny feeling watching Barnes behind the plate. Right now he’s by far the weakest link in the roster! And by the way he is no longer Clayton’s Personal catcher! See that Pepiot may or may not get a call up, guess it all depends on Gonsolin s continued success or no. And then there’s Walker! If he comes back in a few weeks, he’ll be in rotation. Then who gets bumped? If Lance Lynn continues his resurgence he has to stay, it’s almost guaranteed Tony’s out if he falters. I wouldn’t be surprised if he were to be left off playoff roster, at least first round. Bobby Miller making a strong statement on being game 3 starter in playoffs. Garland sharp last night! That continues, Almonte may be sh*t out of luck!

Comments are closed.