2016 Regular Season Thread

[Neddy]

Great.
More batting practice.

It's incredibly frustrating to watch us hit the baseball hard and see it go right into gloves.
I almost can't take it tbh.
The whole 2nd half, our baseballs should be finding holes and gaps to balance this out because this is pure nonsense.

I know I said this before, but please calm down. this is not college football and it is still only June. we are above .500 and we have not gotten anywhere close to "hitting all cylinders" or even have a reasonably healthy roster full of at least 90% of the key members. every night we have at least one if not two guys hitting still below .200 and despite it all, here we are. just like how the Cubbies came out like gangbusters then now lost 6 out of 7, the Giant may not be able to lose games in a row right now, but they will too. we just gotta keep our heads above the water until we get our pitchers back, and hitters start hitting just up to their career numbers, then suddenly we will be winning 16 out of 20( or something like that) and we will be back on top. even if we don't win the division, we may still win out the wild card and make it into the playoffs. that's really all we need to do.

[Quake Griffin]

Great.
More batting practice.

It's incredibly frustrating to watch us hit the baseball hard and see it go right into gloves.
I almost can't take it tbh.
The whole 2nd half, our baseballs should be finding holes and gaps to balance this out because this is pure nonsense.

I know I said this before, but please calm down. this is not college football and it is still only June. we are above .500 and we have not gotten anywhere close to "hitting all cylinders" or even have a reasonably healthy roster full of at least 90% of the key members. every night we have at least one if not two guys hitting still below .200 and despite it all, here we are. just like how the Cubbies came out like gangbusters then now lost 6 out of 7, the Giant may not be able to lose games in a row right now, but they will too. we just gotta keep our heads above the water until we get our pitchers back, and hitters start hitting just up to their career numbers, then suddenly we will be winning 16 out of 20( or something like that) and we will be back on top. even if we don't win the division, we may still win out the wild card and make it into the playoffs. that's really all we need to do.

Again, I think I've been pretty consistent with my grievances with the product on the field. I've wanted another bat since last season. Just one. Not 2. Just one bat because I've said over and over that I trust guys like Kendrick and Turner (and they're turning it around)...And I think this front office can deliver us a bat at a good cost without sabotaging our future at all....while I think a deal for a Jose Fernandez might require us to part with a few significant pieces from our "pipeline".

I haven't complained about pitching much because:
1) I know we're injured; and
2) the bullpen has silenced so many haters since the month of May started.

[Quake Griffin]

Roberts sits Corey as we face a sweep.

We get our first look at Chris Taylor at SS.

edit:
Taylor triples in his first AB as a Dodger.

[Ranma]

I don't want to interrupt Clayton Kershaw's routine too much while also getting the most starts out of him as possible. He seems to be fine and not worse for wear so I'm not worried about his health at this point (knock on wood).

[tweet]https://twitter.com/CBSSportsMLB/status/747503659416698881[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/THEREAL_DV/status/747525343473434624[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/mike_petriello/status/747525701746626560[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/DougPadilla/status/747471991825793024[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/Athletics/status/747554356333993984[/tweet]

[Ranma]

Doug Padilla, ESPN (6/27/16)

"I was going to give him one day and he came in the other night and said, 'Maybe two days might be better for me mentally,'" Roberts said. "It's rare for him so for him to come in, and it's never easy to ask for an extra day, he's a guy that wants to be out there every single day, but to help the club moving forward it might be good for him to take two days."
...

"It's always hard to sit, I'd rather be out there, but it's better for the team because me pressing is not better for the team," Gonzalez said.

Slumping Adrian Gonzalez Asks Dodgers for Extra Time Off

[Ranma]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/B_Rock_one5/status/747530176997691392[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/hudsonbelinsky/status/747876105911164929[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/747867323986436096[/tweet]

[Ranma]

Dustin Nosler, DodgersDigest.com (6/28/16)

As far as Bruce’s performance goes, he’s having one of his best offensive seasons to date. By wRC+, he would best his previous career-high by seven points (131), and he has a career-best isolated power at .296 thanks in large part to the fact he’s third in the National League in extra base hits with 40. With the increase in power has come a decrease in walk rate from 2015 (8.9 to 6.2 percent), but also a decrease in strikeout percentage (22.3 to 20.9 percent). He has also held his own against left-handed pitching (.282/.313/.500, 112 wRC+), meaning he wouldn’t have to be platooned often.

He’s a fly ball hitter, with his average launch angle at 14.3 degrees for the season (89.5 MPH exit velocity), so it’s a positive that his HR/FB% is at 19.8 percent. That rate is helped out by Great American Ballpark (11 home runs there vs. six on the road), but he has been a much better hitter on the road this season (160 vs. 104 wRC+), so that doesn’t appear to be a major factor.

Despite the offensive output, Bruce’s fWAR sits at a paltry 0.2, and as you might assume, that’s due to a severe regression in his defensive metrics. He’s currently second-worst in baseball with -9 defensive runs saved and the worst in MLB with a -28.4 UZR/150. However, last season he was at 5 DRS and -3.8 UZR/150, so while he’s not Roberto Clemente out there, it’s hard to believe he’s gone from middle-of-the-road defensive right fielder to baseball’s worst in the span of one season.
...

All that said, the cost for Bruce might be prohibitive, as that $13.5 million option increases Bruce’s value substantially, and perhaps puts him out of the Dodgers’ price range (trade-wise).

The Logistics Behind a Jay Bruce Acquisition by the Dodgers

[Quake Griffin]

Unbelievable that we have to deal with Kershaw having a back issue now.

How unlucky can our 2016 get?
Hoping for the best....smh.


Turner and Puig sit tonight.
We get another look at Chris Taylor tonight. This time he is playing 3B. Kudos to Seager holding down the SS spot btw (and whoever had the foresight to know he could).

[Neddy]

I'm liking this kid Chris Taylor so far. I knew he was a speedy baserunner and had a glove for the middle infield, but I am impressed with his aggressive approach at the plate while knowing his strengh, he has a nice compact swing and not something like Joc has. very instinctive defender. I think we won this trade already as long as Chris can be a utility infielder for us. Mariners recently called some AA farm arms and Zach is still not in the big club uni.

[Quake Griffin]

I'm liking this kid Chris Taylor so far. I knew he was a speedy baserunner and had a glove for the middle infield, but I am impressed with his aggressive approach at the plate while knowing his strengh, he has a nice compact swing and not something like Joc has. very instinctive defender. I think we won this trade already as long as Chris can be a utility infielder for us. Mariners recently called some AA farm arms and Zach is still not in the big club uni.

2nd base hit as soon as I read this post.

[Neddy]

how 'bout that Uria's run scoring first MLB hit? this kid is just wonderful.

[Quake Griffin]

Come on Urias.

Get through the top of the order.
Give us 6.

[Neddy]

Come on Urias.

Get through the top of the order.
Give us 6.

I was hoping they would pinch hit for him to start the 6th. I know Stewart is making his first start, but he is older, is drafted out of college and breezed through the minors. he has in him to go 110 pinches and go deep as long as he doesn't blow it, but Urias is a teenager. if we are gonna let him go past 100 pitch count tonight, I sure hope this is his last start with us for this year.

[Neddy]

... and there goes the lead off double... come on Dave. pull Urias. don't let the kid lose his confidence and a chance to win his first game.

[Neddy]

Unbelievable that we have to deal with Kershaw having a back issue now.

How unlucky can our 2016 get?
Hoping for the best....smh.


Turner and Puig sit tonight.
We get another look at Chris Taylor tonight. This time he is playing 3B. Kudos to Seager holding down the SS spot btw (and whoever had the foresight to know he could).

I don't think we are really in that bad of a shape. we are still in the thick of things in regard to WC race, still with in a striking distance to NL leading Gnats, two of our injured pitchers are near return, and unexpected rise of Brock Stewart may surprise us and solidity the 5th spot until all of Kershaw/Ryu/McCarthy are 100%. if needed, we can still call back up Magic Mike too. we also have LeCure to waste a spot starting if we get that desperate.

[Neddy]

glad Urias came out unharmed. now please, Dave, let the kid rest.

[Quake Griffin]

Come on Urias.

Get through the top of the order.
Give us 6.

I was hoping they would pinch hit for him to start the 6th. I know Stewart is making his first start, but he is older, is drafted out of college and breezed through the minors. he has in him to go 110 pinches and go deep as long as he doesn't blow it, but Urias is a teenager. if we are gonna let him go past 100 pitch count tonight, I sure hope this is his last start with us for this year.

Wanted us to hit for him too.
But 100 on the button.
He finally goes 6.

Proud of the kid.
Meh on Dave's call but let's win this game.

[Quake Griffin]

Unbelievable that we have to deal with Kershaw having a back issue now.

How unlucky can our 2016 get?
Hoping for the best....smh.


Turner and Puig sit tonight.
We get another look at Chris Taylor tonight. This time he is playing 3B. Kudos to Seager holding down the SS spot btw (and whoever had the foresight to know he could).

I don't think we are really in that bad of a shape. we are still in the thick of things in regard to WC race, still with in a striking distance to NL leading Gnats, two of our injured pitchers are near return, and unexpected rise of Brock Stewart may surprise us and solidity the 5th spot until all of Kershaw/Ryu/McCarthy are 100%. if needed, we can still call back up Magic Mike too. we also have LeCure to waste a spot starting if we get that desperate.

Yeah we're in a good spot....especially with Justin and Howie starting to hit. Even Seager is emerging from pretty good hitter early in the year to that franchise bat ala Posey, Goldy, Machado...

Knocking on wood for no more set backs with Ryu and McCarthy....

And I've seen worse schedules going into the ASB. Hopefully we take advantage.

[Neddy]

Saeger is the only 3rd rookie since WW2 to lead the team in BA, HR, Rs, RBIs, and doubles for his team. he is something very special.

[Neddy]

oh ****.. hope it's not his clavicle. if he broke his collar bone, he will be out for a long time. damn it. hopefully he was knocked out of wind and bruised his rib. but he was clutching his clavicle........