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Post by Blunashun on Apr 3, 2019 14:52:45 GMT
If any reliever should be DFA'd it should be Yimi Garcia. I don't even know why he's on the roster. Every time he takes the mound I get nervous. He's been that way for the past two seasons. As for us getting Kimbrel, I think we have to worry about going over the line and having to pay luxury tax. Yumpin Yimini? Yeah - I won’t disagree with you on that one. But this entire bullpen is a bit of a mess and that was apparent in Glendale. I know Spring Training games don’t mean a lot, but it seems to me they lost more than a few games in the later innings after having leads and that reflects directly on the pen. Jansen looked VERY shaky last night as he has for over a year now. He used to be untouchable - the second coming of Gagne. Now I get nervous when HE gets the call. Our offense is looking great and our starters (other than Buehler’s melt down) have been solid this first week. But the bullpen needs help and hopefully getting Kersh & Hill back will allow Strip & Urias to fill some glaring holes there. I agree Kimbrel would likely put us over the cap, but considering the $50 mil they threw away on Bailey & Kelly, maybe they should think about loosening the purse strings and taking the hit. After all - wasn’t Harper supposed to sign with us? From what I heard and read, they were up to $45 mil a year over four years. Not saying Kimbrel is Harper by ANY means, but if they could pay that to Harper and obviously blow the cap, why not at least take a stab at one of the best available pitchers still unsigned?
GO DODGERS!!! Glad I kept reading before responding because I was going to make that same point twice. Kimbrel wanted 100 million dollars. Is he willing to sit this year out & earn nothing at all to make some obscure point? I'd offer him a prorated 20 million dollars for this year alone. That's more than the per annum deal he was looking for. If he says no, so be it. But at least make the effort. We didn't need Harper. He just would have been nice to have around. Our bullpen NEEDS help. |
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Post by truedodger on Apr 3, 2019 15:48:02 GMT
Dodgers' Julio Urias: Will go back to bullpen Dodgers' Rich Hill: Slated for bullpen session Urias is ready to assume a starting role in my opinion. The rotation is very deep. Kershaw being able to adapt to the loss in velocity is key to it's success too and I hope Urias going to the pen and back and forth doesn't mess him up. I expect a good year from Hill being that it's his last year with the team contractually. |
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Post by truedodger on Apr 3, 2019 15:53:08 GMT
Dodgers' Joc Pederson: Platoon continues Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Back on bench Verdugo being productive seems to have lit a fire under Joc's ass. At least that is what me, Colletti and some of the guys on the radio think. Too bad he isn't a first baseman or he could take Muncy's place in a platoon there. I think that Joc can get us a really good reliever, which is much needed. I like how Dave is handling Barnes. Barnes is hot at the plate but for a starting catcher the season is much longer than for anyone else. |
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Post by truedodger on Apr 3, 2019 15:55:00 GMT
Don't look at me! Grand Salami by Cody Bellinger against the lefty Bumgarner! Madison arguing with the umpire now. Maybe I was wrong and BelliBombs will turn out to be a star like Seager. Seeing how guys are getting locked up before free agency might be a way to go with our young guys too. |
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Post by truedodger on Apr 3, 2019 15:57:14 GMT
Kimbrel looking better and better by the minute. Jansen in his usual early season funk. I still don’t think he’s been the same since he blew that WS game against Houston. And all those two inning games Doc kept insisting he throw - dude is very hittable. GO DODGERS!!! I was watching the game last night and a lot of those pitches were being called balls by the ump when the TV strike zone box had them for strikes. I think the ump was stealing strikes away from our guys. |
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Post by truedodger on Apr 3, 2019 16:00:10 GMT
And the D pulls off the double play to end it. No way it should have been that close. Bulldog hit the nail on the head the other day when he posted our pen is the Achilles heel of this team. Lots of room for improvement there and if Kimbrel can be had, management would be wise to pursue him. Move Kenley to the set-up guy - maybe take some of that pressure off him. For a guy some were comparing to Mariano a couple of years ago, his star has definitely fallen. The cutter isn’t cutting and a low 90’s fastball isn’t exactly screaming “elite” closer. GO DODGERS!!! I wouldn't cry if he opts- out and goes elsewhere but for his recent struggles he is still one of the top guys in the league. It's hard to find these guys but if there is a guy that can do it then maybe the team is better served going away from the Predator. |
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Post by truedodger on Apr 3, 2019 16:03:01 GMT
If any reliever should be DFA'd it should be Yimi Garcia. I don't even know why he's on the roster. Every time he takes the mound I get nervous. He's been that way for the past two seasons. As for us getting Kimbrel, I think we have to worry about going over the line and having to pay luxury tax. This! |
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Post by Blunashun on Apr 3, 2019 18:35:14 GMT
Kimbrel looking better and better by the minute. Jansen in his usual early season funk. I still don’t think he’s been the same since he blew that WS game against Houston. And all those two inning games Doc kept insisting he throw - dude is very hittable. GO DODGERS!!! I was watching the game last night and a lot of those pitches were being called balls by the ump when the TV strike zone box had them for strikes. I think the ump was stealing strikes away from our guys. I just saw a dead chicken in the middle of El Segundo Blvd. Farmers... That's what Bumgarner was complaining about. He threw a strike to Ryu & Marquez called it a ball. Madison walked Ryu because of that. You gotta work with what they give you. |
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Post by Blunashun on Apr 3, 2019 18:37:39 GMT
Don't look at me! Grand Salami by Cody Bellinger against the lefty Bumgarner! Madison arguing with the umpire now. Maybe I was wrong and BelliBombs will turn out to be a star like Seager. Seeing how guys are getting locked up before free agency might be a way to go with our young guys too. When I first saw Cody's athleticism my gut reaction was Keith Hernandez with power. He won't hit for that kind of average, obviously. But if he can hover around .260-.290 with 30+ homeruns, we have a keeper. |
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Post by Blunashun on Apr 3, 2019 18:39:19 GMT
Cody Bellinger 1b
1 year/$605,000 (2019)
Vying for best bargain in baseball.
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Post by Blunashun on Apr 4, 2019 15:15:55 GMT
Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw: Could make two rehab starts
Rotowire 12H ago
Kershaw (shoulder) could make an additional rehab start following his outing with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.
With Kershaw slated to make his first rehab appearance Thursday, manager Dave Roberts told reporters Wednesday he's leaning toward having his ace make another minor-league appearance after that as he works his way back to action. Kershaw is supposed to throw four innings or 60 pitches Thursday, so an official announcement on whether the Dodgers want him to take another turn for Oklahoma City should be made after that.
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Post by Blunashun on Apr 4, 2019 15:16:40 GMT
Dodgers' Kenley Jansen: Bags third save
Rotowire 5H ago
Jansen picked up the save against the Giants on Wednesday, firing a scoreless ninth inning without allowing a baserunner and logging one strikeout to nail down a 5-3 victory for the Dodgers.
It's been business as usual for the dominant righty at the outset of 2019, as Jansen has now converted all three of his save opportunities, while allowing just one hit and one walk across his four innings of work. He remains one of the most reliable closers in baseball and is a good bet to top the 35-save mark this year, as he has in each of the last five seasons.
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Post by Blunashun on Apr 4, 2019 15:17:25 GMT
Dodgers' Ross Stripling: No-decision despite quality start
Rotowire 1H ago
Stripling gave up three runs on six hits with one walk while striking out three through 6.1 innings in a no-decision against the Giants on Wednesday.
One inning spoiled an otherwise nice performance for Stripling as he gave up four hits and two home runs in the fourth inning. Through two starts, the right-hander is limiting the walks with a 1.54 BB/9 and now has an impressive 2.31 ERA. Stripling gets his next start Tuesday against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
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Post by Blunashun on Apr 4, 2019 22:07:11 GMT
Dodgers' Scott Alexander: Picks up win Wednesday
Rotowire Apr 4, 2019
Alexander (1-0) picked up the win against the Giants on Wednesday, retiring both batters he faced in relief, striking out one of them as the Dodgers prevailed 5-3.
Coming on in relief of Ross Stripling, Alexander ended up getting credited with the Wednesday win after his teammates got to Reyes Moronta for a pair of runs. The left-hander hasn't given up a run in any of his four appearances so far this year and should see plenty of opportunities in setup duty for Kenley Jansen this season coming off a 2018 campaign that saw him post 21 holds in 73 appearances.
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Post by Blunashun on Apr 4, 2019 22:17:56 GMT
Dodgers set HR record, rally for comeback win
Hernandez hits leadoff homer; Freese delivers big hit
By Ken Gurnick @kengurnick
12:37 AM PDT
LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers can double, too.
After Enrique Hernández hit a leadoff home run to give the Dodgers a homer in each of their first seven games -- a franchise record -- David Freese hit a two-run double in the seventh inning to key a 5-3 comeback win over the Giants on Wednesday night in the rubber match of their three-game series at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers are5-2 through their first seven games and were two bullpen meltdowns shy of a perfect homestand. They won with home runs, for sure, but there’s more to the team this year.
“For a few years now, we’ve known that we can hit home runs and we can outslug people, but there’s going to be certain games -- especially in the playoffs -- that we need to do little things, hit with runners in scoring position, move guys over, take what the pitchers give us,” Hernandez said. “That’s what we preached all spring long, and we’re taking it to heart, taking it seriously on a daily basis and trying to improve on a daily basis, and having some success so far.”
Hernandez had one of Los Angeles' four doubles, but Freese’s game-winner had added significance because it came off a right-handed pitcher, hard-throwing Reyes Moronta, in a situation where manager Dave Roberts could have sent up left-handed pinch-hitter Max Muncy, with lefty Tony Watson warming up in the Giants' bullpen.
“I saw the right-handed at-bats prior, and the slider didn’t affect our right-handers tonight,” Roberts said. “Typically for me, spin away, lefty-lefty or righty-righty is kind of a red flag. I just felt with David, Moronta was stressed and I wanted to force their hand to keep the righty in there and go deeper into the game.”
Freese, who the Dodgers acquired last August, hasn’t been with the team long, but long enough that he admitted he peeked into the dugout to see if he would be called back for a pinch-hitter. He said he wasn’t completely surprised he was allowed to face Moronta.
Freese got a 2-2 fastball down and over the plate and sent it off the fence in right-center field to score Austin Barnes, who hustled to a leadoff double, and Hernandez, who had walked. Freese had struck out his two previous career at-bats against Moronta.
“I don’t think this is going to be like the postseason last year,” Freese said. “We’re going to have matchups that might not be the best matchups, but they’re thinking through where the game’s at and where it’s headed and we’re going to get ABs and whoever hits has got to get in there and go to work.”
So, it turns out matchups dictate Roberts’ decisions, until they don’t. That, in part, is why Cody Bellinger and Hernandez are virtually everyday starters no matter which hand the opposing pitcher uses.
“For me, that’s the biggest difference, knowing that I don’t need to get three or four hits to play the next day,” said Hernandez, who has three home runs this season. “It’s easier to make adjustments. Sometimes you’re just trying to play to earn more playing time. Play every day and you can trust the process. Doc said in Spring Training there wouldn’t be as much platooning and so far, it’s been good and it gives us the confidence to go out there and play the game without looking back to see if they’re bringing somebody in for you. It’s been a fun week so far.”
Freese not only doubled in two runs, but he walked one batter after Hernandez’s first-inning homer and scored from second base on Bellinger’s bouncer up the middle against the shift. Second baseman Joe Panik backhanded the ball in shallow center and made an off-balance throw home on the run.
Freese barely avoided catcher Erik Kratz’s swipe tag attempt.
“I think my fat [rear] just got around him,” Freese said.
Dodgers starter Ross Stripling allowed three runs over 6 1/3 innings, while Scott Alexander earned the win in relief and Kenley Jansen notched his second save in as many games.
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