Some games, you have to win with pitching. The Dodgers didn’t do that last night. Chris Capuano continued to pitch extremely well… well enough to win. Maybe Donnie should have kept him in, but it’s easy to second guess. At any rate, he brought in Belisario who allowed both runners to score, preventing Capuano from winning the game. Brandon League then came in and got saddled with the loss. Right now, League and Belisario are the same pitcher – they can be really good or really bad, from pitch-to-pitch, and Jamie Wright makes me nauseated every time he takes the mound. Brandon League has filthy stuff – he just has no idea where it is going.
Before the season started, I predicted that Chris Capuano would win 20 games – that was obviously wrong. However, as he sits at 11 wins, you need to realize that the bullpen has blown 4 or 5 games for him. He could have 15 to 16 wins right now, if not for the pen that betrayed him again.
Luis Cruz is making a case to keep him on the roster, while Loney, Rivera, Treanor and Uribe simply are killing the Dodgers. If money were not a factor, would those players be on the team? NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! What would be the harm to DFA all of them and call up Elbert, FedEx, Sands and Castellanos? The team might very well be much better. No way it would be worse. No way!
I talked to old friend Jared Massey last night (he’s doing well after being sick for a while). He’s a fun guy to talk about Dodger baseball. We discussed Puig and Pederson and feel like the Dodgers may call both up to AA by season’s end, so that they can play in the AFL.
Here’s a prediction most of you won’t agree with:
Dee Gordon will be the catalyst that propels the Dodgers into the playoffs and maybe the World Series.
Minor League News:
- Jerry Sands with 2 more RBI (94) is OPSing .913.
- Zach Lee pitched 5 .1 innings and allowed 6 hits and 1 run while striking out 5.
- Yasiel Puig was 3-5 with 2 runs and a SB. He is now hitting .438 after 4 games. He will most certainly go to Chattanooga next week.
- Joc Pederson hit his 17th HR
- Corey Seager was 2-5 with a double and his 5th HR.
- James Baldwin stole 3 bases on 1 hit. He now has 47 SB’s but it’s too bad he can’t steal 1B as he is only hitting .208.
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From Justin Gunsaulus:
Live from Atlanta, Georgia
I don’t blame tonight’s loss on any one player. I blame it on our manager, Don who left Chris out on the mound two batters too long. We have a bullpen so use it. Ronald in the eighth and Kenley in the ninth – use them!!!! Don mismanaged the top of the eleventh by letting Juan ground ball into a double play. Rivera swing away instead of bunting Hanley to second, but that’s my opinion. For the first time I saw Matt Kemp jawing with a Braves fan. Maybe he hasn’t got his frustration out from yesterday but I have never seen Matt make an attempt to lock heads with a fan.
As the night progressed a Braves fan kept calling certain Dodger players “fat” or “chunky.” Repeatedly. Every at bat, every play. First Luis Cruz then Ronald but as we went into the later innings his vision was skewed by my friend natty and was calling every Dodger player “fat or chunky.” As I drive back my ears are ringing “fat and chunky.” Thank you Atlanta.
- Ethier had a big night.
- My beard is coming in nice for Chad’s start Sunday.
- Dee Gordon please hurry back!!!! We need a shortstop not an outfielder playing shortstop.
- Can we give Jerry Sands a look at first? Or is Ned set on him like he was with James McDonald who by the way pitched a gem tonight.
This is Nedsucks signing off
Godspeed!
We let one get away last night. Up 3-1 heading into the late innings, I thought the Dodger Bullpen would hold on for the win. Wipe it off the books and start fresh today. Go Blue
I was fine with Capuano starting the 8th but after Janish’s base hit to open the inn, Mattingly has to play the %’s vs Reed Johnson & bring in Belisario there… Gonzalez then has to either stay w/ Johnson or go to Hinske.. Either way, Capuano was stellar but after that hit his nite should have been over… Once again, keeping Sands & Castellanos in AAA defies logic– why wait til Sept 1????
Capuano is going to have to finish it himself, which he hasn’t done yet, to get near 20 wins. Or he will at least have to finish 8, which he has done twice, to hand it over to the closer. Starting pitchers are just what the title says they are – starting pitchers. Most of them only go 6 or 7 anymore, and as we all know, many games are won and lost in the last three innings. That is why wins are a stat most geeks don’t put much stock in, and why most fans knew damn well Capuano had a snowball’s chance of winning 20. He just doesn’t finish what he starts often enough to get that many wins. He’s a good starting pitcher who often pitches well enough to win, but, when you are giving it up to 7th inning pitchers…. hold your breath.
Treanor is done. This will be his last year. Don’t you have to able to hit at least .230 to be a back-up? Maybe not in today’s game. He is a career .220 hitter. What the hell is he doing in the Major Leagues?
Everything we say about Uribe comes from the department of redundancy department. It’s all been said. Unless he pulls one out of his castor gland, he is an out waiting to happen. It really is time to inject some youth into this team.
Tough loss against a playoff team on the road. Say what you want, but bullpen pitchers are there because they’re not good enough to start. It makes managing a guesswork game, but you have to have at least one 90% reliable guy before the closer.
I’m not sure who that is with Blue. Any ideas? It’s not Bellasario, for sure. It’s too late in the season to figure this out now. It should have been done in Glendale. I’m still not sold on the Manager or his staff. We could do better in game management and team management. Maybe Baker next year?
Good read:
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120818/SPORTS01/208180332/Stan-Kasten-leading-L-Dodgers-resurgence-off-diamond?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage
love the “disastrous McCourt years”. That one might stick in Mark’s throat. We all know how much he liked that guy……
The Braves are a good team and they are at home. When you have a team like that down, you have to finish them. The Dodgers didn’t do it yesterday. Tee it up again and hope the bullpen stands up. You won’t see very many complete games from this staff. We need to get it to Jansen so the 7th and 8th are our dicey innings.
RISP 2-11
Treanor LOB = 6, JUST AWFUL
Belisario is no longer competent to be the 8th inning pitcher and he has NOT been capable for WEEKS.
Donnie PULLED Cappy too soon. Those 8th innings hits were lucky hits and Cappy was at only 91 pitches.
TOO many Dodgers are still trying to pull outside pitches and hitting into double plays apparently WITHOUT any CONSEQUENCE from Donnie T-BAll or NEDDY.
Most baseball players are fat and chuncky out of shape people!
Round is a shape. Therefore, Juan Uribe is in shape.
LOL
Best 25 players – My opinion
Starters
Kershaw
Capuano
Fife
Billngsley
Harang
Middle Relief
Blanton
Lilly
Middle Relievers
Belisario
Tolleson
Guerra
Elbert
Closer
Jansen
Catcher
Ellis
Fed-Ex
Infield
Sands/Loney
Ellis
Rameriz
Cruz
Hairston
Outfield
Victorino
Kemp
Ethier
Rivera
PH Abreu
Call up Sands
Let him bat 7th
Tell Donnie T-Ball to not screw with him
Let Sands swing at the first pitch
Count Ahead Behind
AVE .317 .220
OBP .511 .271
SLG .667 .358
OPS 1.178 .579
Ken id hate to be ur wife. I bet she hates u and ur negative attitude. All I read from u is negative. R u a fan or a hater. I’m tired of reading ur stupid columns. U must be a giants fan. Ur one of those people that if things are good u right about that and when there bad u do the same. Ur not a fan just a big ass hater. Go back to San Fran. We don’t need u
I’m pretty sure Ken would hate it more than you. That’s a pretty stupid thing to say. It’s too bad there isn’t a minimum IQ required to post on this blog. If there were, you would be gone.