April 2016 – Dodger Thoughts

On April 29, 2016

In Health/injuries, Hitting, Managing, Pregame

New series starts today. Let's go! pic.twitter.com/mi9MndQb4V

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 29, 2016

Padres at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Carl Crawford, LF
Joc Pederson, CF
Alex Wood, P

By Jon Weisman

In the wake of their four-game losing streak, the Dodgers held a closed-door meeting at 3:30 p.m. in the clubhouse that Dave Roberts said essentially addressed the same issues he brought up after Thursday’s game.

“You just got to get back to the fundamentals and trying to play clean, crisp baseball and play every pitch,” Roberts said. “I think that there are signs of that. … Whether we’re winning games or not winning games, I still think there’s a process that needs to be in place, and you just don’t want things to get away from you. So right now, it’s kind of hit the reset button a little bit.”

Among other issues, Roberts has the sense that Dodger batters are pressing at the plate.

“You know, it’s funny — I think it’s just guys are trying too hard,” he said. “And you hear it all the time when guys aren’t swinging well, that guys want to do it so bad, it’s a little bit, ‘Try a little less hard.’ Because guys just start swinging the bat, and you start coming out of the strike zone.”

One thing not addressed in today’s meeting was the 80-game suspension of former Dodger infielder Dee Gordon that was announced late Thursday. Reaction to that news is amply covered at a number of sites, but Roberts echoed the feeling of many.

Maedameatamegamin

In Postgame

Matthew Mesa/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Two nights ago against Miami, the Dodgers scored two runs in the first inning, saw their starting pitcher take a one-hit shutout into the sixth, and lost. Tonight, the series finale with the Marlins brought an unwelcome repeat.

The magic elixir of Kenta Maeda could only take the Dodgers so far.

Maeda faces Marlins, Ichiro, Fernandez, history

In International, Pregame

Kenta Maeda meets Ichiro on Monday. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Marlins at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Yasiel Puig, RF
Carl Crawford, LF
Howie Kendrick, 3B
Joc Pederson, CF
Kenta Maeda, P

By Jon Weisman

Kenta Maeda brings his 0.36 ERA to his fifth start of his MLB career, and he’ll face Miami ace Jose Fernandez on the mound and childhood hero Ichiro Susuki in the lineup.

Among pitchers with at least 30 innings before April 30, Fernando Valenzuela holds the top two spots for lowest ERA: 0.20 in 1981 and 0.21 in 1982. The lowest that Maeda’s ERA could get tonight would be 0.26 if he throws a shutout, which would put him fifth all-time in March/April behind Walter Johnson (0.24 in 1913) and Ray Sadecki (0.25 in 1968).

Steiner-Monday duo coming back for more

In Broadcasting

Photos: Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Rick Monday and Charley Steiner have signed new multiyear contracts to remain the Dodgers’ radio broadcast team.

“Rick and Charley have been a great team in the broadcast booth,” Dodger executive vice president and chief marketing officer Lon Rosen said. “The combination of the two talents over the past 12 years has provided Dodger fans a thoroughly enjoyable journey through each and every game. We look forward to them continuing for many years to come.”

The pair will continue calling games on the Dodgers’ flagship station AM 570 LA Sports and across the Dodger radio network.

Dodger record: Three pinch-walks in same inning

In History

By Jon Weisman

Lost among Wednesday’s weirdness was this: According to my research at Baseball-Reference.com, when Chase Utley, Yasmani Grandal and Joc Pederson each saw ball four in the eighth, it was the first time three pinch-hitters had walked in the same inning in Los Angeles Dodgers history.

Twenty other times since the franchise began play in Brooklyn, the Dodgers had gotten at least three pinch-walks in a game — one time, they had four — but only twice before did they have three in the same inning.

Yeah, I know, how trivial — but what can I tell you? This is the kind of stuff that interests me.

The only other times this happened in franchise history were in Brooklyn, and both times were real doozies.

Odd eighth doesn’t even score for Dodgers

In Postgame

Matthew Mesa/Los Angeles Dodgers

Despite an eighth inning that featured three pinch-hit walks and two Miami ejections, the Dodgers were unable to rally from their 2-0 deficit tonight and lost their third straight game to the Marlins.

It’s the first shutout and first three-game losing streak for Los Angeles, which remains in first place in the National League West, though the lead has shrunk to half a game over San Francisco, which has won three in a row.

Kenta Maeda will face Jose Fernandez in the series finale Thursday. That game will be hard-pressed to have an inning stranger than this one …

Scott Kazmir bounces back from rough start

In Midgame

By Jon Weisman

The worst fears about Scott Kazmir were both realized and replaced tonight.

After allowing four singles (and two runs) to the first five Marlins he faced, Kazmir went on to shut out Miami for the remainder of his six innings.

Throwing 113 pitches, his most since September 11, 2014, Kazmir finished with six strikeouts, retiring 16 of the final 21 batters he faced, including a 4-6-3 double play to end the top of the sixth.

The effects of Kazmir’s left thumb/wrist ailment were seen most when he came to the plate, where he did no more than show bunt, even with no runners on base.

Unfortunately for Kazmir and the Dodgers, he left trailing, 2-0. Left-hander Justin Nicolino stymied the Dodger offense in his 7 1/3-inning season debut, despite striking out only two, shutting out Los Angeles on 99 pitches by allowing only singles by Corey Seager and Justin Turner and walks to Kiké Hernandez and Adrian Gonzalez.

For Dave Roberts, lefty-righty not quite almighty

In Hitting, Managing

Left-handed hitters Joc Pederson, Corey Seager and Carl Crawford

By Jon Weisman

When is a platoon not a platoon? According to Dave Roberts, when it isn’t quite a platoon.

Though the Dodgers have leaned heavily on lefty-righty matchups in constructing their offense this season, Roberts explained today some of the distinctions that he sees.

“Certain guys, their out pitch is a changeup,” Roberts said. “Certain lefties, it’s a breaking ball. So when typically, it’s a breaking ball is their best secondary, then it’s harder for the left-on-left — the visual. Guys that have a changeup as an out pitch, typically the left-handers can handle them more. There are other components to it as well.”

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Yimi Garcia isn’t progressing

In Health/injuries, Pregame

Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers

Marlins at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Kiké Hernandez, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Justin Turner, 3B
Corey Seager, SS
Howie Kendrick, 2B
A.J. Ellis, C
Trayce Thompson, CF
Scott Kazmir, P

By Jon Weisman

The trouble with Yimi Garcia’s pitching arm remains localized in his bicep, Dave Roberts said this afternoon, but so far there’s been no progress for the 25-year-old righty since he went on the disabled list April 23.

“Not a whole lot of improvement,” Roberts said. “He’s disappointed, because after not picking up a baseball for three or four days, you’d expect that to kind of subside. … I don’t know when he’s going to pick up a baseball.”

Garcia has a career 3.12 ERA (120 ERA+) with 81 strikeouts in 75 innings for Los Angeles.

As for the active members of the Dodger bullpen behind Scott Kazmir tonight, all should be available for action, with the possible exception, I would expect, of Louis Coleman, who threw 10 pitches Monday and 20 Tuesday. J.P. Howell has also worked the past two games, but with only nine pitches combined.

As he indicated Tuesday, Roberts is looking for an improved performance from Kazmir, who pitched six shutout innings in his Dodger debut but has allowed 14 runs in 13 innings since.

“No. 1 is fastball command, and No. 2 is to see how his changeup is, because that’s been his best secondary pitch, and over his last couple of starts, he hasn’t really been able to get the depth and finish hitters with it,” Roberts said. It’s a swing-and-miss pitch, so I think if his change is good, presenting it as a strike and having the depth, then he’ll be in a good place.”

A meaningful tribute to Louis Coleman’s grandfather

In Farewells, Thinking out loud

Louis Coleman stands during introductions at the Dodgers’ home opener April 12. (Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Harold Louis Coleman Sr.

By Jon Weisman

As you know, Louis Coleman’s grandfather, Harold Louis Coleman Sr., passed away last week. That’s about all we knew about the Dodger reliever’s need to go on bereavement leave.

But thanks to a column by Coleman’s uncle, Billy Watkins, in Jackson, Mississippi’s Clairon-Ledger, we now know much more.

Watkins’ piece is not only a reflection on his own uncle, but a reflection on our priorities, our choices and our lives.

… I asked Uncle Harold a few years ago something about my maternal grandfather, who I loved deeply. Uncle Harold was one of the few still alive who knew the answer and the only one I felt comfortable asking about it. Understand, it wasn’t concerning anything illegal or shameful. It was merely something I wanted to know about my grandfather.

“I’ll tell you,” Uncle Harold said to me. “But you have to drive to Schlater to hear it.”

It was his way of inviting me to come see him.

I never made that trip. So whatever he would have said to me was lowered with him into the black Delta earth late Saturday afternoon.

My ignorance, arrogance and apathy haunt me. …

Billy Watkins

Watkins also wrote this passage on Louis Coleman (that is, Harold Louis Coleman III):

… Hal and Kathy’s son, Louis, spoke at the funeral.

Louis is a relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. I read on the team website the night before: “Louis Coleman has been placed on the bereavement list following the death of his grandfather. Also, the Dodgers called up … ”

One line. I wish all Dodger fans could’ve heard Louis’ tribute. He didn’t dance around the fact that his “Pappy” was “always right” and, at times, not the easiest person to get along with. He called him “a man’s man.”

Louis Coleman pitching Monday against the Marlins, in his first game back after bereavement leave. (Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

“But he had a way of making things simple,” Louis said. “I used to throw at a tater sack hung across a barbed wire fence when I was growing up. That was my target.”

As a member of the Kansas City Royals in 2011, Louis earned his first save at Yankee Stadium in New York and his first win at Fenway Park in Boston.

“And to this day, if I can’t find my control, I can hear Pappy saying, ‘Just hit the tater sack.’ ”

A little more than 48 hours after delivering that talk, Louis was back with the Dodgers, back on the mound in a one-run game against the Miami Marlins in the seventh inning. Louis was perfect. Three up, three down. He struck out slugger Giancarlo Stanton for the third out. I came out of my recliner and pumped my fist. …

You can read the entire piece here. Thanks to Watkins’ longtime friend, Dodger senior vice president of planning and development Janet Marie Smith, for forwarding it to me.

Dodgers, fans raise $10,000 for earthquake relief

In Community, International

[mlbvideo id=”631521683″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
The Dodgers raised $10,000 toward the Red Cross’ relief efforts for the devastating earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan with a pregame autograph signing featuring Kenta Maeda, Jaime Jarrin, Dave Roberts and Yasiel Puig.

Proceeds from the signings raised $4,500, and the Dodgers donated the remaining funds to push the total to $10,000.

Kershaw’s dominant April comes to sudden halt

On April 26, 2016

In Postgame

Matthew Mesa/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

When Miguel Rojas pinch-hit for Miami with one out in the top of the sixth inning tonight against Clayton Kershaw, it seemed little more than a happy reunion.

Kershaw was pitching like he did the night of June 18, 2014, when Rojas’ dazzling defensive play at third base was the one Kershaw needed to preserve his first career no-hitter. If not for a fly-ball triple to left field in the second inning, the Marlins would have been hitless this evening as well.

It would have been some kind of irony had Rojas broken up a Kershaw no-hitter tonight. With that off the table, Rojas did something far worse.

Rojas’ broken-bat double — his first extra-base hit in 62 plate appearances, dating back to September 18 — started a five-run Miami rally that Giancarlo Stanton finished with a 433-foot, three-run home run, in what would become a 6-3 Dodger loss.

Kershaw hadn’t allowed a home run with two men on base in 844 1/3 innings, since June 9, 2012, when none other than Miguel Olivo hit one for the Mariners. (In 1,648 career innings, Kershaw has still never allowed a grand slam.)

Stanton had gone 0 for 2 against Kershaw in the game, looking mismatched on a fourth-inning strikeout, and was 4 for 17 with one homer and three RBI in his career against the lefty. This time, there was no foolin’.

Still, it was stunning. Before Rojas’ double, Kershaw had retired 16 of 17 batters — eight strikeouts, eight infield outs. His season ERA was down to 1.27. He had already become the first Dodger to average seven innings per April start since Derek Lowe in 2005, and he would go on to whiff 10 in all, setting a Dodger record for starting pitchers in April with a 13.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio (40 strikeouts/three walks).

In fact, for the first five innings, this had been a night to revive the “Kershaw MVP” chants. In addition to his pitching dominance, Kershaw had gone over his head to knock down a first-inning comebacker for an out, and also had two hits — a butcher-block single to left in the second inning, and a booming RBI double (97 mph in exit velocity) in the fourth.

That had given Los Angeles a 3-0 lead, though no doubt the Dodgers regretted not having more. Marlins starter Tom Koehler walked three of the first four batters he faced to start the game and sent two home on wild pitches. But Kershaw would have the Dodgers’ only RBI of the night.

After Rojas’ double, Dee Gordon (who was 0 for 2 and in an 11-for-57 slump) hit a two-strike comebacker off Kershaw’s leg for an infield single. Martin Prado and Christian Yelich followed with RBI singles, setting up the confrontation-turned-conflagration with Stanton.

With Kershaw having allowed five earned runs all year to that moment, those five batters literally doubled his ERA.

Starting pitching notebook: Kershaw, Kazmir, Stripling, Ryu

On April 26, 2016

In Health/injuries, Pitching

Scott Kazmir and Clayton Kershaw (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

By Jon Weisman

Clayton Kershaw has thrown at least seven innings in each of his four starts this season, and the Dodgers would love for him to make it a fifth.

It would be going too far to say they need him to, but … it sure would be nice.

Of the Dodgers’ 20 games this season, starting pitchers have gone at least six innings 11 times — twice in the past seven games.

“I think those guys would be the first to tell you, we’ve got to get length,” Dave Roberts said. “Obviously, we came from (three games in) Denver, but I think to win a lot of games and to go deep in the postseason, we can’t beat up our pen, and so that starts with the starting pitching.

“Last night, I tried to get a little extra length with Ross (Stripling), and unfortunately in the sixth inning they scored a run, but I’ve kind of got to think about the pen usage as well as trying to win that night. There’s that fine balance, certainly.”

Kershaw is making his final start of April tonight. If he completes five innings, he would become the first Dodger starting pitcher to average at least seven innings per start in April since Derek Lowe in 2005. (He’s also on pace to post the highest April strikeout-walk ratio for a Dodger starting pitcher in history: 10.0.)

Next after Kershaw comes Scott Kazmir, who has been bothered somewhat by a sore left thumb and wrist. Kazmir through off flat ground today and is ready to make his scheduled start Wednesday.

“Kaz is a pro,” Roberts said. “He doesn’t want to use it as an excuse, but when you’ve got the wrist-thumb thing, it’s kind of hard for him to get on top of the baseball, so I think he was getting a little outside and under it. So just now even watching him play catch, he was kind of getting the extention he needed and the ball was coming out really well, so I do think it’ll make a big difference.”

Carl Crawford officially activated, will start tonight