Former ESPNLosAngeles.com colleague Tony Jackson has made the leap into independent blogging with Dodgerscribe. Read about his plans, and join me in welcoming him back.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers are going with a lineup against Tampa Bay lefty ace David Price that only a mother or believer in the Dodgers’ overall hotness could love.
Mark Ellis, 2B
Nick Punto, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasiel Puig, CF
Jerry Hairston Jr., LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Tim Federowicz, C
Skip Schumaker, RF
Chris Capuano, P
KT
Go BLUE!!!!
mike_tink
Sorry to be so stark in my comment but 465 PA against lefties? you have total PA
Jon Weisman
Yeah, I messed up. Deleting it.
Bob_in_Vegas
Pity those families whose only visit to Dodger Stadium is tonight. Still, stranger things than a Dodger victory tonight have happened . . . .
KT
Stranger things have happened…Keep the faith
Bob_in_Vegas
Always! Never, never, never quit. Even when they take my blood, sweat, and tears.
foul tip
But if they get your Chicago too, that means war, right?
Bob_in_Vegas
If Churchill had lived, he might’ve been a fan. :)
Jack Dawkins
I see Bob is soon to be a cricket statistical expert.
mike_tink
KT, I accommodated you by not using reply at the bottom.
I want to go over baseball-reference WAR by rookies. Jose Fernandez is first at 4.1. He is 6th in the NL among all pitchers btw. The second pitcher is Shelby Miller at 2.9. Third is Ryu at 2.5. Puig leads the position players at 3.9 (trailing Fernandez), second is Nolan Arenado at 2.8, third is Juan Lagares the Mets CF, supposed to be quite a fielder, at 2.5, then A.J. Pollock at 1.8.
.
KT’s comment with war from Fangraph: “Puig is at 3.2 WAR, easily leading rookie batters. The next closest is A.J. Pollock with 2.5 WAR. Jose Fernandez does have 3 WAR, though.”
KT
The source I used was using fangraph
KT
Tony’s virtual video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v8e5mlLGGiQ
WBBsAs
The lineup doesn’t appear to be optimum but, given the travel schedule, I won’t second-guess Mattingly on it – tonight, at least.
mike_tink
good point
WBBsAs
If the Dodgers can lose two Kershaw starts in a row, the Devils can lose one Price start in a row.
Bob_in_Vegas
One can hope!
mike_tink
I am still hoping Jon will put up a table because the #’s are so bad without Hanley and the legend of Matt Kemp that you should see them but here’s some bad news all vs LHP, all YTD, all just among position players currently on the roster
Schu is last in all 3 parts of the slash line at 182/250/212. Fedex is 2nd lowest in BA at 200 but he has 5 walks and 2 home runs so not so bad in the other 2. (next lowest in BA is Gordon) then we have:
Hairston 214/297/232
Uribe 215/292/385
I should also mention that the good Capuano has never pitched to AJ catching in 2013 iirc so that explains Fedex and last Adrian is SLG of only 406 vs LHP.
KT
Los Angeles Dodgers @Dodgers 5m
A light catch for @HanleyRamirez: https://vine.co/v/hhrKuemMH2U
KT
Bill Shaikin @BillShaikin 3m
Hanley Ramirez said he felt fine after first throwing workout since jamming his shoulder last Sunday. #Dodgers
KT
Mario Lopez @MarioLopezExtra 1h
Congrats to the Chula Vista Little League All Stars for making it to the finals!! 12-0!!! Let’s win another one.. #SoProud #619 #Champs
Local team doing well
WBBsAs
In the top of the sixth at Toronto, Josh Reddick of the Atléticos has just hit his third dinger of the game.
mike_tink
Given these players, seems like Punto should lead-off followed by MEllis since the latter has more power and is known for advancing runners, then Puig followed by Gonzalez for the obvious reason. Then Uribe followed by Hairston-again more power
ASW1
I’m firmly in the camp of Gonzo following Puig in the 3-4 spots and also agree it would seem to make sense for Punto and MEllis to switch spots. Of course, it also seems Donnie’s been on somewhat of a roll in his decision-making, so what do I know.
KT
soon it won’t matter since Hanley will be back and Puig mill move back to #2
mike_tink
One more thing, in hindsight, it would be good if SVS were in this line-up tonight.
Spence
Preston Mattingly signed with Lamar to play college basketball this fall. He’s going to be a 26 year old freshman. I guess the news came out last week but I just read about it.
Spence
Jack Clark said Shawn Green was on steroids when he broke Duke Snider’s record: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/clark-accuses-pujols-of-steroid-use/article_9afc6d86-6a7f-5e49-b636-2f893df579a1.html
WBBsAs
Jack Clark was on an 80 IQ when he said this.
ASW1
Jack Clark is the new Jose Canseco – just as Canseco waited to spill his beans as he was releasing his book, Clark chooses to spill his to drum up interest for his new position in the sports-talk radio industry – what a tool.
dalegribel
There will always be speculation about all the players of that era. That said, I personally do not give Jack Clark any credibility. Desperate man reaching for one last moment of fame.
WBBsAs
Josh Reddick grounds out in the eighth in Toronto, probably having to be satisfied with his three HRs for the night.
KT
Nice Juanito!
KT
good inning Cappy
foul tip
Cappy out of the 1st on 8 pitches, 7 of them strikes. This bodes well. We hope.
KT
Nicky!
foul tip
David Price graduated same high school as my son, 3 years earlier. In addition to his baseball chops, Price was a pretty serious hoopster. Still holds several basketball school records, I think.
KT
DP Time
Bob_in_Vegas
Still.
Bob_in_Vegas
This lineup is designed for bats . . . so far failing in the field.
Bob_in_Vegas
Cappy & the Keystone Kops.
KT
just wrote that on MSTI minus the cappy part
Bob_Hendley
Kappy.
KT
Wow just realized I could be up at 0200 in the morning watching this game now at my Moroccan house…would I really want to…yes
Bob_Hendley
Well, we hit the ball kinda like they did…
Jack Dawkins
I dont think we should repeat the Puig in center experiment anytime soon.
KT
He definitely couldn’t play it during ST and he hasn’t got really any practice there since…so I knew it’s an experiment every time he’s put there
KT
MEllis!
WinnipegDave
This might be a game where Capuano earns his keep as an inning-eater.
WinnipegDave
Good inning.
Bob_Hendley
Good eatin’!
KT
Puig!
KT
No batting practice or fielding practice today…It shows
Bob_Hendley
Uribear!….well that seemed ill-advised. (I guess even the coaches are tired)
ASW1
Just walked in the door, flipped on the TV and saw Hairston getting nailed at home by 10 feet – what the….
WinnipegDave
So, I imagine we can all understand the reasoning of having to use a tier two line-up everyone once in a while, especially considering travel days etc. But I’m curious, would it be better to play the second team on the road even though it is against a team in the same league, or at home against a team in the opposite league? That is, why make the home crowd see a less than optimum line-up when you could just as easily rest those guys on the road?
ASW1
David Price
WinnipegDave
Perhaps.
ASW1
And don’t forget – if righty regulars Ramirez and Kemp were healthy – they’d both be in there.
KT
On that note…I’ve got to turn this off…Come on Blue come back and make me proud
ASW1
This is one of those *turn the page and move on quickly* games.
Spence
How about Fife for 5th starter?
Spence
Loney – 312/359/452 Adrian – 291/342/449
bluespop
Loney – $2,000,000 Adrian – $21,000,000. The Dodgers waited as long as they could for Loney to produce. Unfortunately, he’s doing well now that he’s with the Rays.
Spence
Puig’s hitting 500 in August. 13-26.
Bob_in_Vegas
Let’s tie it up — good symmetry says it’s time for a 3-spot for the 9th (but I won’t complain if it’s 4!).
mike_tink
well done
Bob_in_Vegas
Mellis!
Bob_in_Vegas
I paraphrased Churchill earlier about my support of the Dodgers, but it reflects their attitude as well: “Never, never, never quit!”
Linkmeister
Jim Valvano.
Bob_in_Vegas
Nick!!!
WinnipegDave
Casablanca – welcome back to the fight…
Bob_in_Vegas
“This time I know our side will win.”
Bob_in_Vegas
Agon– again!
RBI
Never say never!
RBI
Finding new ways to come back.
Bob_in_Vegas
YES!!!!!!!!
Bob_in_Vegas
This was the game they would’ve lost in May!
Spence
This is a game they’ve lost 99.9% of the time in their history. Down 6-0 after 6 innings. You kidding me?
Bob_in_Vegas
I meant in May, they would’ve led 6-0 and literally throw it away in the 9th.
mike_tink
In May of pretty much every year since 1884
Spence
Lol just have to laugh at this point. Unbelievable.
bluespop
Yep, magical.
Bob_in_Vegas
I am soo pleased to eat my words . . . “imagine a family whose only trip to Dodger Stadium was this one” . . . WOW!!!!!!! (I hope they stayed for the end!)
Jon Weisman
NPUT