2015 season dodgers game thread

[Ranma]

I'm encouraged to see Kershaw throwing his change-up for strike-outs throughout the game. I hope he continues to develop that pitch since, as we discussed earlier, that would make him all the more dangerous.

Effin' Jon Heyman tweets out that CK was perfect through 5 innings just before Clayton gives up his 1st hit in the 6th. That is the 2nd time he's done it this year. Not like it amounts to much, but I unfollowed the jinxing troll bum.


Edit: Now I'm not sure if he used the change-up, after all. While watching the game, I heard Vin say that he was using the change-up throughout the telecast and not just the term "off-speed", but looking back on some of the highlights, particularly in the 2nd innning, the pitches I initially thought were change-ups were actually curveballs. Maybe I expected more break to them while it was happening but upon watching replays, the pitches didn't break like a change-up. Just goes to further show how lacking my observational skills are for baseball.

[Ranma]

Vin Scully just expressed his astonishment at a Dodgers team being last in stolen bases when the franchise has been known for its speed (and pitching). I agree with Vin. Speed may be seen as an unnecessary gamble by our manager but it serves as a catalyst to rallies, especially for an offense having trouble scoring runs. Plus, it disrupts the rhythm of the opposition's pitching.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BillShaikin/status/632034637905137664[/tweet]

Latos didn't look like a keeper after the season, anyway, but he's not even cutting it as a worthwhile rental. I still support the deadline deals the Dodgers have made but we should be seeing improvements. I've been willing to give Mattingly some leeway but he's got to make some adjustments with the resources at his disposal.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/molly_knight/status/632036009983676416[/tweet]

[Quake Griffin]

At this point….
everybody is pressing.
Every pitcher acquired at the deadline is posting what seems to be their worst numbers ever.

I'm not going to look into it any further. I'm not gonna analyze the metrics blah blah blah.

this **** cannot last forever.

[Quake Griffin]

looks like Hatcher is back and Nicasio is going to the DL.


Not sure I understand the move.

Good showing by Wood and JJ last night.

[Neddy]

the 7th inning of last night's game was the first time I have ever seen Don Mattingly manage his pitchers like a big league manager. the FIRST TIME EVER. I wonder even if it was just a fluke, why on earth it took this long and this many seasons to make ONE good move. but pulling Alex with 6.1 and 4 straight right handed bats coming up was a good move. bringing in Jim Johnson with just two outs to go with no one on base, was a even better move.

[Quake Griffin]

Can't say I completely understand the Hatcher move while Nicasio goes down unless Nicasio is genuinely injured.

But hey…I like that the bats and Brett Anderson did enough to put Hatcher in a position to get some work in a situation that wasn't high leverage. Ball was flying out of his hand tonight.

Pulling for our bullpen to prove everybody (even our fans) wrong. No way they can be as bad as last week.

[Neddy]

Can't say I completely understand the Hatcher move while Nicasio goes down unless Nicasio is genuinely injured.

But hey…I like that the bats and Brett Anderson did enough to put Hatcher in a position to get some work in a situation that wasn't high leverage. Ball was flying out of his hand tonight.

Pulling for our bullpen to prove everybody (even our fans) wrong. No way they can be as bad as last week.

Well, there is no doubt Nicasio will make the playoff roster, then him being the most innings guy from the bullpen so far, this is a nice time to give him a little break, and still come back in Sept to get his rhyme back.

besides, there is always a chance that he might actually be hurting somewhere.

as for Hatcher, this is probably his last audition, with us anyway. but his FIP Is 3.11 this season, he has been very unlucky and maybe with a larger sample, he might be able to normalize his overall stats, a la Kershaw.

BTW, despite giving him a praise for one good pitching change, Mattingly's handle on the pen is still maddening yet again for another season. JP Howell, statistically is one of the top ten setup man in the game and yet Donny Potato has used him for 34 innings this year, and is well on his way for the fewest innings pitched in his career minus one and a half season when he was hurt.

[Ranma]

I've actually been critical of Lorenzo Bundy as our 3rd base coach, particularly in not waving in Adrian Gonzalez(?) when Andre Ethier made that base-running error trailing him. There's been a few other moments I've disagreed or otherwise found his base-running signals lacking, but maybe it's based on Mattingly's philosophy.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ScottMillerBbl/status/633346859902222336[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/ScottMillerBbl/status/633347697752174592[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/dylanohernandez/status/633350069098409984[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/latimessports/status/633363431647670273[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/michaeleaves/status/633364817366155268[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/michaeleaves/status/633364931522506752[/tweet]

[Neddy]

I like the move. now we have three internal candidates to replace Mattingly if needed in Wallach(who deserves it the most), McGuire( who draws the biggest name) , and now Ronny( who has the most qualifications to be one). I love Honeycutt where he is at, and Lopes will always be the greatest baserunning coach ever to don the dodger blue.

but for its face value, Bundy did make some mistakes handling the 3rd base coach's box.

[Quake Griffin]

Joc Pederson has a .417 OBP for the month of August and a BA of .129.


Wow.

[Quake Griffin]

http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/143777784/dodgers-part-with-several-international-execs

you guys have any problem with the team moving on from this scouting department?

seems odd after all the signings we made at the July 2nd deadline

[Ranma]

I'm not sure what to think. Our international scouting wasn't what it once was after McCourt shuttered programs and stagnated our development. Under Stan Kasten, the organization has taken steps to move us back to prominence in that regard but I got the sense that, much like with Ned Colletti, the transition has been slow and gradual possibly to give the holdovers a chance to prove themselves.

I mostly can't tell who was from the old guard under McCourt and Colletti from those who have been here from even before then. I'd like to think that Kasten is weeding out the slackers and McCourt-Colletti yes-men to install more reputable eyes for talent much like he did when we got Roy Clark to be our national crosschecker from the Braves even though he ended up going back to Atlanta. However, both Bog Engle and Patrick Guerrero were hired by Colletti soon after Kasten was installed as president and CEO.

To be honest and as I mentioned in the other thread, I think the Arruebarrena signing was a bust and A. Guerrero has proven to be a questionable fit. While I also liked the Olivera signing, we cut bait on him fairly early after his stalled progress due to injury. The thing that did bother me about the Olivera signing was how much we seemed to be bidding against ourselves based on the absurd rumored prices his agent at the time, Rudy Santini--a known embellisher--was pushing for Olivera much like he did for Guerrero, another one of his clients previously. Even after Santini was called out on his absurd price demands and reports of his client's questionable health, the Dodgers still signed Olivera to $62.5 million, which surprised me, actually, but I gave our new organization the benefit of the doubt at the time.

Plus, losing out on Lucius Fox for what seemed like a million dollars ($2 million total after taxes) after we spent so much for Olivera was a head-scratcher, but I backed the Dodgers' play on this assuming they had to hold firm assuming a handshake deal was reached beforehand. I don't blame them for losing Yoan Moncada and I certainly don't regret missing out on Yoan Lopez.

The only other thing that sticks out in my mind was how aggressive we were under McCourt and Logan White in pursuing Shohei Otani, to the point of basically being banned by Japanese high school baseball, but that seemed to be a worthwhile pursuit given his talent and these recent dismissals don't seem to be a factor in the Pacific Rim scouting department.

It'll be interesting to see what further details leak out about this.

[Quake Griffin]

Latos will be skipped and he will pitch out of the bullpen during this road trip.

[Ranma]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/dylanohernandez/status/633797604820692996[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/truebluela/status/633791239519903746[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/billplunkettocr/status/633794403924996096[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/truebluela/status/633793368103997440[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/truebluela/status/633792200153911297[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/truebluela/status/633794773191520256[/tweet]

[Ranma]

Latos will be skipped and he will pitch out of the bullpen during this road trip.

Ah, you beat me to it.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/truebluela/status/633796468621508608[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/truebluela/status/633796787095117824[/tweet]

[Ranma]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/633835232551022592[/tweet]

[Quake Griffin]

reading on another forum that the Latos move is to get Kershaw and Greinke in line for SF.

Not sure what's wrong with Grandal. Kershaw isn't getting calls. Looks like AJ is doing his best to become a better framer but it just doesnt work.

[Quake Griffin]

Great.

looks like Puig tweaked his hammy as well.

[Neddy]

I just dont get why Baez gets the 8th inning over JP or at this point of setting down, Jim Johnson. seems to me that Jim has gotten some normalcy under his belt as a dodger and should be able to full fill his destiny when he was traded to us to be the 8th inning set up man. Baez to me has always been a 7th inning middle relief.

[Ranma]

What the hell is up with our bullpen?! No sooner than the Dodger offense finally puts up a 3-run lead in the 8th inning, does Pedro Baez quickly give up 2 runs with a runner in scoring position with nobody out before he leaves in the same inning with 1 out.