Things went right. Again.
Yasiel Puig hit an effortless homer in the first inning. Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed 11 baserunners to his first 24 batters, and gave up but a run. Buster Posey fall down. Puig hit an effortless go-ahead single in the eighth. The bullpen faced eight batters without a hit or walk.
The Dodgers won their third straight game for the first time in more than two months, ending a five-game losing streak to San Francisco with a 3-1 victory tonight. Funny when things are happy.
Despite his unreal start, Puig was the cause of some concern heading into this game, having gone 1 for 7 with three strikeouts in the final two games in San Diego. But quietly, he drew two walks, showing signs of willingness or ability to lay off bad pitches. What would that mean tonight?
In the first, Puig took a called strike, then a ball, then smoothly drove a Madison Bumgarner pitch on the corner down the right-field line and just inside the pole for a 1-0 Dodger lead.
In the third, Puig fouled off a strike, swung and missed, then lined to center.
In the sixth, it was ball, foul, miss and then a single to center.
And in the eighth, facing the same George Kontos who gave up Clayton Kershaw’s eighth-inning, tiebreaking Opening Day home run, Puig took ball one, then lined a hard single to left field to drive home Nick Punto, who had led off the inning with a double.
That meant for the game, Puig saw 12 pitches and had more hits (three) than missed swings (two). He now has a .476 on-base percentage and .753 slugging percentage.
Puig also had an odd play in the top of the seventh, when Posey launched the 108th and last pitch from Ryu to the wall in right field. Puig camped under it, only to have the ball strike the wall above his head and miss his glove completely. It was the 12th baserunner to reach against Ryu, and the first since he got a 1-2-3 double play to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth (after Posey tripped hitting third base and had to stay there instead of trying to score.)
Ronald Belisario relieved and struck out Hunter Pence on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning, setting the stage for the Dodger bullpen to do what they needed to do – keep the Giants from scoring.
Things went right. Again.
underdog
ESPN just showed (several of the main hitting) stats that had Puig’s first twenty games the best debut for a Dodger hitter since 1900. Oh is that all? Any one who not only helps beat the Giants but makes Vin Scully chuckle in astonishment is a damned good gift.
Anonymous
If you want to make Vin Scully chuckle, tell him *your* plans.
Anonymous
Sure, the Dodgers had lost 5 in a row coming into this game against the Giants.
But, that was before they brought up that guy by the name of Yasiel Puig !
No matter how bad the Dodgers are going – it’s always a joy to see them beat that No-Cal team with their Halloween colors.
Anonymous
Another good win where we hung in there until the end
Linkmeister
Good story by Joe Posnanski about the Dodgers and their travails this season:
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/52277516/ns/sports-baseball/
Anonymous
As Vin says, the Amazing Mr. Puig! (Bochy may reconsider his initial thoughts about not having him in the ASG).
Anonymous
Puig seems to be in a luig of his own. Love making everybody groan.
KT
SportsCenter @SportsCenter 9m
Through 20 career games, Yasiel Puig has more homers and RBI than Bryce Harper and Mike Trout had COMBINED at that point.
Anonymous
Wow!
KT
remember Trout had a bad start
KT
Dodgers PR @DodgersPR 11m
Since 1900, Puig’s 7 HR are tied for the most by a #Dodgers player thru 20 career games with Matt Kemp (2006) via @EliasSports
KT
One more:
Dodgers PR @DodgersPR 1m
Since 1900, Puig’s 34 hits and 58 total bases are the most for a Dodger thru 20 career games (via @EliasSports)
Anonymous
By any chance did you notice how good the careers were of those that were # 2, 3, 4
KT
For those of you who missed this last night:
looks like bouchy did his post game from the bathroom….you can see toilet paper rolls mounted on the walls in the background
http://imgur.com/2tlvT5S
Anonymous
Help for the bullpen? Carlos Marmol has been DFA’d by the Cubs.
Note: SARCASM
Anonymous
Boy, nothing paints a player quite like a bad fantasy.
Anonymous
What’s the matter Bob, too many somebodies miss the sarcasm over the years here?
Anonymous
Mármol makes Valverde look like Mariano Rivera.
Anonymous
You can’t make basreunning mistakes if you’re not on base. Puig was two for two in that category last night, and yet he was still the hero of the game. Go figure.
Meanwhile, I got the third degree from security on my way into the game because of a little Swiss-army keychain nail file and penknife. Since when did fans need to be frisked to watch a ballgame? Taking away all the pen knives in the world wouldn’t have stopped what happened to Bryan Stow, who was beaten with fists, not weapons, and in the parking lot, not the stadium. That kind of heavy-handedness makes me not want to return to the Ravine again soon.
KT
how do you figure two for two…because he made the FOURTH out?
Anonymous
When he got thrown out at third in the 6th, he was the third out (a cardinal sin), because Gonzalez was safe at first–the throw pulled Belt off the bag. When he was safe at third two innings later, it was because Panda dropped the ball. He was lucky, but still wrong to try to take the extra base.
Anonymous
Wrong – Gonzalez was punched out at 1st for the 3rd out – there was no play on Puig at 3rd – inning was already over.
KT
Yea I review every close play on my 70″ 1080P Sharp w/ HD satellite receiver from less than 6 feet away and I saw what you saw…crystal clear as the saying goes
KT
And along with AaSsWw correct reply…Panda never touched the hurried throw by belt the ball skipped right under his glove and hit Puig in the side
Anonymous
My mistake. I was at the game and didn’t have replay available. In any case, it was the wrong decision both times. And both are still forgivable because the guy is on base so often (except when he’s hitting home runs–no baserunning skill required).
Anonymous
From Stark at http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9412832/mlb-trade-deadline-preview
Andre Ethier:
It’s a myth that the Dodgers are out there actively dangling Ethier.
Clubs in the outfield market that we’ve spoken with say they’ve had to
ask about him, not the other way around. Yes, Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford
are coming back one of these days, theoretically. But both of those
guys have spent nearly as much time on the disabled list over the last
year as they’ve spent in, say, their kitchens. So the Dodgers are
approaching this situation carefully despite the emergence of Yasiel Puig.
The other thing to keep in mind is that they’ve been telling other
clubs they still view themselves as buyers, especially if they can reel
in a third baseman they can control for multiple seasons. So given the
$71.5 million Ethier has guaranteed beyond this season, he’s probably
only getting moved if they can find a way to sell and buy at the same
time.
from me: seems like short-stops should be considered as well as third basemen
KT
Use him as a relief player and a power bat off the bench rotating between CC MK and YP
Anonymous
Yeah – it’s just like before the season when the Dodgers had an over-abundance of starting pitchers and they said – “Well, you can never have too much pitching depth…” – Well, with this team – and the over-abundance of injuries, you could just as easily say, “You can never have too much outfield depth.”
Anonymous
I can see Ethier as the fourth outfielder for sure, especially now that he’s shown his ability to play center field at a decent level. I have no problem keeping him and Van slyke on the bench, even if it means losing Cruz, Schumaker, Punto, or Hairston. You only need somany futility infielders.
I also see the Dodgers using Ethier to acquire bullpen help, although that seems to be what every team is looking for right now. Says something about the state of baseball.
Anonymous
I’m glad to hear this. It would be maddeningly rash to jettison one of our outfielders.
foul tip
Way late seeing this. Guess you’re thinking move HanRam to 3B if a SS is acquired?
Anonymous
Hey Jon – “Easy Puigy” – easily my favourite title of the year thus far.
Keep Puiging away…
Yasiel what I did there?
David Farinella
So, #27 is back in the club house…. Is he back in the line-up?
Anonymous
If Kemp continues to revert back to swinging at sliders away in the dirt, it would be nice to have Ethier play in CF against the Marquis’ and Van Slyke for Ethier and Crawford against lefties. Hopefully, Van Slyke’s collapse was due to his injury and not to pitchers figuring him out.
Anonymous
Hope you are right about SVS and the injury, though it wasn’t really a collapse (11 PA, 3 K and 1 BB in his last three games, one against a tough righty) and it took Donnie’s sharp eye to see the struggle.
KT
Todays lineup:
Ellis 2B
Puig LF
Gonzalez 1B
Ramirez SS
Kemp CF
Ethier RF
Federowicz C
Punto 3B
Fife P
KT
I think we should start working Ethier in LF…Puig’s got the stronger arm…I realize it more natural for a lefty in RF and a righty in LF but arm strength
Anonymous
Gotta agree. Puig’s arm is outstanding; Ethier’s isn’t bad, but not Puig-esque.
Anonymous
Edmundo “Sandy” Amorós Isasi begs to differ.
David Farinella
Well, okay. Let’s get this done.
Anonymous
So curious to see how Matty does tonight. I have to DVR the game, as I have a commitment that will keep me in the dark until around 8:00 p.m. I’m counting on you guys to provide thoughtful commentary, astute observations, and healthy dollops of humor, whatever happens, and until I get back, okay?
KT
2000 is fine…you get to ffwd through the commercials and catch up before the end of the game
Anonymous
The strongest lineup to date.
Jon Weisman
NPUT