2016 Regular Season Thread

[Quake Griffin]

Wood coughs up the streak.

So unless we blow this inning wide open, there's going to be some high leverage innings for our bullpen.
buckle up.

Dave with his first "difficult decision" in his tenure.
Bats Alex Wood after the shaky 5th.
I wont judge him on it. It's early. Show him you have confidence in him.

[Ranma]

I actually applaud Dave Roberts' call to leave Alex Wood in there. He gave him the opportunity to show that he could recover after only throwing 75 pitches. When he couldn't, he pulled him for Yimi Garcia. Wood was given the opportunity to prove himself as a solid starter and came up short this time. It just adds to the data for future consideration. This is exactly why I was advocating for moving Wood into the bullpen when our starting rotation was crowded and healthy. However, this was also an opportunity for development on Wood's part, which his manager gave him, not only for the team but himself.

[Quake Griffin]

Yimi comes in and gets nobody out.

[TKainZero]

Joc!!!!

1 run game

[TKainZero]

So...
I guess the bullpen is gonna be an issue again

[Quake Griffin]

We'll see.
We are facing one of the best lineups in the game.

One thing is for sure, I hate having both Pedro Baez and JP Howell on this roster.
Looks like Friedman gave Baez the vote of confidence in the media this offseason (smfh).
But Howell seems like he had a player option, GIVEN TO HIM BY NED (smfh), and he just exercised it to be here.

I doubt Baez would be on the roster if Montas had a shot at competing during the spring.
and Howell is just there because we have no lefties.

I think we have quality pieces and we're just a couple moves (call ups????) from having a solid pen.
edit: and we need to deal for a lefty. Avilan and Howell aren't good enough…even if healthy.

[Ranma]

The team faced adversity for the 1st time this season and wilted with the exception of Joc Pederson's 2-run homer. It seemed like a difference of mindset before and after the Wood meltdown in the 5th inning. It's unfortunate that the Dodgers lost, but hopefully, we'll build from here and take today as a lesson. I'm less enthusiastic about Stripling's start tomorrow than I was with Wood's turn in the rotation heading into the game.

People may be second-guessing Roberts for leaving Wood out there, but I don't blame him for the loss. This one was on the players. We even pulled within a run before immediately letting the game get out of hand.

[Quake Griffin]

The team faced adversity for the 1st time this season and wilted with the exception of Joc Pederson's 2-run homer. It seemed like a difference of mindset before and after the Wood meltdown in the 5th inning. It's unfortunate that the Dodgers lost, but hopefully, we'll build from here and take today as a lesson. I'm less enthusiastic about Stripling's start tomorrow than I was with Wood's turn in the rotation heading into the game.

People may be second-guessing Roberts for leaving Wood out there, but I don't blame him for the loss. This one was on the players. We even pulled within a run before immediately letting the game get out of hand.

I'm with you.
He should have kept Wood in the game. If you wont let him earn your confidence in Game #4 of the regular season, you won't ever let him.
Outside of that, Coleman impressed out of the pen and ONLY Coleman.

When they went up 7-4 though, I had the thought to myself:
Do you focus on Hatcher and Kenley for tomorrow or bring them in if it gets close?
Would you want those 2 in saving a game or in today while we're down 1 or 2 keeping it close?
I went back and forth on it in my head….but never came to a conclusion.
Whatever the case, they weren't in today and we may see them if Stripling can get through the order a few times.

[Neddy]

watched the game during the convention and just got home from Portland.

what I got out of watching this game...

#1) Alex Wood again showed his inability to get past the lineup the third time. he was nearly flawless the first time, got into a jam and got himself out the second, but just could not manage to survive the third go around. like Ranma said, he is better suited as a bullpen arm at this point for us, he would make an ideal lefty reliever who can go an inning or 2 or even 3 if needed, and push JP as a specialist spot relieving lefty for 1 at bat or two.

#2) I am not second guessing Dave, but was disappointed in his choice of pinch hitting Crawford in place of SVS since Carl's last year's stats against a RHP is just about where SVS is at with his young career's split numbers against the same RHP. if one was to look at the career numbers versus career numbers, of course Carl being one of the best overall players in his prime, comes out looking better, but his prime was a several years ago and SVS's 2015 sample was such a small size, when looked at his 5 years of part-time 4th OF work, he is probably the better option for me simply because of his AB/HR numbers. but Dave must had his reasons.

#3. we had 31 innings and 1 out. it's okay... we didn't get the record and it would have been sweet to have it, but the main goal is to win it all this year and for the foreseeable future. Alex didn't sell of fools gold by getting lucky out of those 5th and 6th innings and the bullpen had to give some at some point, might as well be now. averages balance out and the rule of average is filled with odd streaks, we got it out of our system now and we have Kershaw and Kazmir going for us for the last two games against the Gnats, it is all up to the young Ross Stripling tomorrow to prove his once a "top stuff" prospect before his arm troubles. it wasn't a long ago when it was Zach Lee and Ross Stripling as our top one-two punch combo in the farm system, Zach has proved to be savvy without any stuff, but Ross was the one with stuff who had control issues. let's see what the other top prospect from a few years ago can do for us. but most importantly, they are buying us time until the injured ones return. it will be Bolsinger and Beachy this month, then hopefully Ryu around June, and MacCarthy after the allstars.... even Brett before September. we have enforcements coming, including Frias and already mentioned Lee. we just need one of Wood/Stripling combo to pitch close to the league average. that's it. we will get by with that this month, and possibly next.

#4. I like Dave. I like the fact that he left Wood in there to close the 5th. but come on Dave, we should have used a bat in his spot on top of the 6th and should have had someone else start the inning, not with two on and nobody out to take over. Wood is young, as I already said, he pitched through 2 turns of the opposing lineup, he got out of a serious jam, we are still up by 1 run. at that point, my money would have been to pull Wood, let him sit on the good feeling of at least having left the inning with the lead, give him a chance to pick up a win and let the bullpen start fresh with no pressure. I did not like the managing choices today. I actually got so fired up just watching the game on my phone with earphones on in the back of the seminar, I left the lecture hall and let my staff cover the CE code for me and went straight to a bar and had to have a few beers to manage the anger and disappointment of watching the rest of the debacle. but he is already better than Mattingly. at least he made a decision early, stuck with it, it just did not work out, rather than having to see the cluelessness on Donny's idiotic face... at least Dave was not that.

#5. we are 3-1. we have 158 more games to go. we will hit a few losing streaks along the way. I can't wait for tomorrow's game.

[Quake Griffin]

Again. I'll defend Dave showing confidence in Alex this early in the season. Was the perfect situation to do it. He's mentioned in interviews (as our skipper btw), that hes's aware of his pitchers and how they do the 3rd time through the lineup. I don't think he makes that move if yesterday was a playoff game.

The pen blew up anyway.


I've seen a ton of fans panicking on Alex Wood, saying he's not a starter. I dunno if people can't realize it because it's game 4 of the season or not...but you guys do realize that this is the best line up we're going to see all year (especially if Schwarber's injury in Chicago is serious)???? We need a few more starts from him to say what he is or isnt. His velo is 3-4 ticks higher than last year, so I'd also evaluate him completely separate from the pitcher he was last year after the deadline.

His next start is against the D-Backs at Chavez. If he **** the bed there....then, alright...let's talk. Giants in SF? Meh.

[Quake Griffin]

Saw this post on another Dodger forum
Alex Wood

After 50 pitches, hitters hit .263/.323/.370/.693 against him, compared to .286/.333/.401/.735 over the first 25 pitches and .229/.291/.337/.628 from 25-50.

[Quake Griffin]

Oh and it looks like Schwarber is done for the year now.


So, I stand by that. This is the best lineup we'll face all season.

[Neddy]

I am on the side of Ross Stripling being better suited than Alex Wood at this point to be a rotational starter when injured pitchers return.

we will see how it all turns out tonight and i sure hope he gets another start to prove himself, but this kid has better "stuff" than Lee and more reperatoire than Wood. all he is lacking is experience. I am looking forward to see him get his tilting and dipping breaking balls working while spotting his fastballs. I am not counting on his change up, but would love to see him throw a few and get these gnats swing at nothing but air.

and I don't know if I agree the Giants have the best lineup in baseball. the bluejays are still around, we have plenty to offer, Yankees and Mariners are doing well, and I would never could out the Cards and the Pirates when they are 100% healthy with such hot streak Freese is having with Kang potentially replacing Mercer in the lineup rather than Freese. if everyone is healthy, can't never count out the Angels with Pujols, Trout, and that kid I think has a decent potential whom I forget the name at this monent.

[Neddy]

one thing Alex Wood has going for him is the exit velocity of the batted balls. it looks like there were a ton of lucky bounce and a few really hard hit balls agsinst him, but the same luck did get him off the hook for GIDP.

I still think this being his very first start of the season, Dave should not have forced the issue to have him start the 6th. there would be another 30 starts for him this season to try him in such situations. not only he had just stopped a major bleeing while keeping the lead, but he had the pressure of being the guy who blew the shut out streak with just 2 more outs to go. let the kid work up his emotions to be fired up for the next ten starts. not the very first.

[Neddy]

and I also think the man to call up for the six at that time was not Yimi but Joe. I know he has pitched already just before, but he is the long reliever, with one run up, at the six inning, he is the one who is paid the $$$s to come in, and show his veteran savvy to get out of the 6th. this would have been his only second game of the seaosn with Kershaw and Kazmir coming up after tonight, making it a moot point to have him ready for the game 3 and 4 against the Giants this weekend.

[Neddy]

game is about to start... if Ross can survive the butterflies and make it through the first 2 innings, I think he will surprise many of you guys. if he goes down, it will be in the first two innings. Ross needs to stick to what he is and what he knows. locate his fastball, get his slider and curve when it is the right count.

which reminds me, whos the catcher tonight?

just checked, it the veteran Ellis. please frame at least to average... a rookie won't have a chance if AJ loses more than a pair of strikes to a bad framing job.

[TKainZero]

Lets see what Stripling can do!

[Quake Griffin]

Here goes nothing

[Quake Griffin]

2 balls hit pretty well in the 1st inning that found gloves.

thought he did a good job getting ahead in counts after Span though.

edit:
any doubt Carl would have been in the vicinity because of his speed and still misplayed that ball SVS use caught?

[Neddy]

young Ross survived the first two innings.. I expect him to settle down from here on and get his slider mixed in to go along with his fastball and curve.