Pitching – Page 6 – Dodger Thoughts

Dodgers taking measure of their pitching

On September 30, 2015

Andrew Friedman gets a champagne bath after the clinch Tuesday.

Andrew Friedman gets a champagne bath after the NL West clinch Tuesday.

Dodgers at Giants, 7:15 p.m.
Carl Crawford, LF
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Corey Seager, 3B
Andre Ethier, RF
Chase Utley, 2B
Yasmani Grandal, 1B
Austin Barnes, C
Joc Pederson, CF
Mike Bolsinger, P

By Jon Weisman

This afternoon to reporters, Don Mattingly disclosed some of the Dodgers’ pitching plans for the final five games of the regular season.

Thursday starter Brett Anderson might have a scheduled shortened start, and the same goes for Clayton Kershaw on Monday. By all appearances the Dodgers’ National League Division Series Game 1 starter on October 9, Kershaw will be on four days’ rest when the playoffs begin, so the Dodgers don’t need to skip him entirely. But it’s not like he’s going to be going the distance or anything, even if it means the difference between getting 300 strikeouts for the year or not.

After five full months, Clayton Kershaw primed for September

By Jon Weisman

On September 2, 2015

In Health/injuries, Pitching

By Jon Weisman

A year ago, this was when Clayton Kershaw was going to reap the benefit of missing more than a month of the baseball season.

Kershaw was sidelined in 2014 from March 23 to May 6 with a Teres Major muscle strain. That stunk for April, but the upside was that with fewer innings under his belt, he’d be that much stronger for the stretch run.

This year, no such luck (good and bad). Entering his first start of September tonight, Kershaw has thrown 185 innings, nearly 15 percent more than the 161 1/3 he had at this time last season. So does he feel any different, any worse for wear?

“I think I feel the same,” Kershaw said Tuesday afternoon. “I don’t think I put much merit into (the rest angle), if I remember right, last time.”

So do the April innings matter in September and October?

“I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe over the course of like 10 years, but in a small sample, probably not. I wouldn’t say so. I feel fine. I think I feel the same as I did last year. As good as you can feel.”

According to Baseball-Reference.com, Kershaw has the second-lowest ERA after September 1 in Major League history since 1920. In his career, Kershaw has a 1.97 ERA after September 1, over 219 1/3 innings — roughly the equivalent of a season (click to enlarge).

If you’re wondering about his performance in the postseason, I’ve addressed that topic most recently here.

Top: The opening spread from the 13-page photo essay on Clayton Kershaw in the September issue of Dodger Insider magazine (click to enlarge).

Dodgers turn to Greinke to vanquish Bumgarner

By Jon Weisman

On September 1, 2015

In Pitching

[mlbvideo id=”36551405″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Jason O. Watson/Getty Images

By Jon Weisman

I’m going to say that Madison Bumgarner has had the Dodgers’ number this year.

In fact, I’m going to say that Bumgarner got that number not here at Dodger Stadium in 2015, but in Kansas City on October 29, 2014, when he completed the postseason of the ages, the postseason so many of us thought Clayton Kershaw would have.

For so long, it was Kershaw who had the Giants’ number. Through 2014, Kershaw had a 1.43 ERA against the Giants in 180 career innings, with 191 strikeouts.

Not this year. The Giants have won all three Bumgarner starts against the Dodgers this season. All three of them against Kershaw. All three of them in the so-called “What’s wrong with Kershaw?” period, the last of them in a game so twisted that it may have hit the reset button for Kershaw’s season.

On April 22, Bumgarner and Kershaw neutralized each other, each allowing two runs in six (Kershaw) or 6 1/3 (Bumgarner) innings. Before opposing pitchers had figured out Alex Guerrero the way they now seem to have, the National League’s April Rookie of the Month hit a two-run, game-tying homer off the Giants lefty. The game came down to the bullpens, with San Francisco walking off against Chris Hatcher and J.P. Howell in the bottom of the ninth.

Six days later came more of a true pitchers’ duel. Buster Posey drove in runs in the first and fourth innings off Kershaw with a single and a homer, but the Dodgers scratched across a run in the bottom of the fourth to close the gap. But there was no scoring after that, with Bumgarner putting out threats in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

Then came May 21, the throw-up (your hands) game, in which Bumgarner was in trouble (seven hits and two walks in six innings) but causing trouble (homering off Kershaw in the third inning). Once again, Bumgarner’s brand of trouble won.

Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers

Since that date, in 126 2/3 innings, Kershaw has a 1.28 ERA against all comers.

Tonight, Bumgarner faces Zack Greinke. And if there’s anyone that has anyone’s number, it’s Zack Greinke vs. the Giants. As a Dodger, Greinke has a 1.96 ERA in seven games (46 innings) against San Francisco, and has never lost.

Last September, Greinke faced off against Bumgarner on September 23, in arguably the biggest game of the season, and the Dodgers won. It was a game that all but ensured the Giants would be in the National League wild-card game, on the fringe of the postseason, nearly ending Bumgarner’s October before it began.

Look at Bumgarner now. Look at Greinke now. Somehow, someone’s number is up.

Match game with Ryu and Anderson

By Jon Weisman

On August 31, 2015

In Pitching

By Jon Weisman

Last year, Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched 152 innings in 26 games at age 27 with a 3.38 ERA.

If Brett Anderson allows two earned runs in his first 4 2/3 innings against the Giants tonight, he will have pitched 152 innings in 26 games at age 27 with a 3.38 ERA.

It’s enough to make you marvel at what Anderson has accomplished, after totaling 123 innings over the previous three years, and it’s enough to make you rue Ryu’s absence after what he had accomplished the previous two years.

Despite the aforementioned similarities, Anderson and Ryu have not been the same pitcher.

Anderson has allowed more walks, contact and baserunners, but that surplus hasn’t led to more runs than Ryu allowed, perhaps because of Anderson’s extreme groundball ratio.

Ryu made four starts against the Giants in 2014, two of them good. By the time Anderson finishes his fourth start against the Giants tonight, hopefully two of them will have been good.

Brandon McCarthy provides inside insight on Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw

By Jon Weisman

On August 21, 2015

In Pitching

Brett Anderson, Clayton Kershaw, Brandon McCarthy and A.J. Ellis at Camelback Ranch in February.

Brandon McCarthy made a guest-writing appearance on Buster Olney’s ESPN Insider column today and provided great stuff on Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw. Here’s a small sample:

Kershaw is an extreme perfectionist. He’s fanatical about his routine. It’s set in stone and everything that needs to be done to prepare for his next start will be done on time with maximal effort. Once he’s at the field there is no one easier to find than Clayton. You don’t have to see him to know exactly where he is at any given time, you just have to know his routine.

Finding Greinke however, is like trying to find the wind. He’s found only when he makes himself discoverable. He describes his routine as being based on feel. Some days that means he needs to do eight sets of squats. Other days it means using a foam roller for an hour in a far corner of the weight room while reading a magazine. He disappears for hours at a time. He wanders around carrying a plate of food like he’s at an outdoor cocktail party. He’ll watch video when a certain player happens to be on his mind. A “routine” like this is usually a major red flag about a player. The best players in the game typically are known to live and die by their routine, but nobody knows what Zack needs better than Zack, so his anti-routine is never called into question.

— Jon Weisman

Mat Latos ready for Dodger debut, as Yimi Garcia is optioned

By Jon Weisman

On August 2, 2015

In Pitching, Pregame, Transactions

Angels at Dodgers, 1:10 p.m.
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, RF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Carl Crawford, LF
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Joc Pederson, CF
Mat Latos, P

By Jon Weisman

For the first two days of August, none of the players acquired by the Dodgers at the non-waiver trade deadline have been used. That changes today, when Mat Latos makes his first start for Los Angeles.

Latos is pitching on six days’ rest. In his final start for Miami, on July 26, he allowed three runs in six innings of a 3-2 loss at San Diego.

One thing I spotted with Latos — and honestly, I hadn’t noticed anything like this before — is that he has thrown four consecutive quality starts without exceeding 90 pitches. If he does it again, he will tie an MLB record, held by Bob Tewksbury, Marvin Freeman and Greg Maddux.

In his past five starts, Latos has averaged 6.5 innings per start and 13.2 pitches per inning. He has struck out 26 and walked five in that time.

To make room for Latos on the active roster, the Dodgers optioned Yimi Garcia to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Garcia, who has a 3.99 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 38 1/3 innings for the Dodgers this year, returned July 26 from a mid-July trip to Oklahoma City and pitched a shutout inning against Oakland on Tuesday. With 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings this season, Garcia still has great promise.

The revamped Dodger bullpen now features Kenley Jansen, Jim Johnson, Pedro Baez, Juan Nicasio and Joel Peralta from the right side, and J.P. Howell and Luis Avilan from the left. Jansen, who has allowed runs in his past three outings, has been battling a virus for the past week, as Steve Bourbon of MLB.com notes.

If a save situation were to arise today, Jansen would likely get the day off after throwing 50 pitches over the past two games. Conceivably, the Dodgers could use all newcomers on the mound, with Latos, Avilan and Johnson. (Neither Johnson nor Avilan have pitched since Monday.)

By the time Alex Wood starts for the Dodgers on Tuesday, he could be the Dodgers’ 50th player of the season. The team record is 53, set in 1944 and 1998.

Inside Clayton Kershaw’s scoreless-inning streak

By Jon Weisman

On August 1, 2015

In Pitching

Angels at Dodgers, 1:05 p.m.
Kershaw CCXXX: Kershawdler on the Roof
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Alex Guerrero, 3B
Kiké Hernandez, CF
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

If he gets through the first inning of today’s start without allowing a run, Clayton Kershaw will be more than halfway to Orel Hershiser’s record streak of 59 consecutive scoreless innings.

Twice in the past two seasons, we’ve seen the second half of the climb prove unassailable, with Kershaw’s 41-inning streak last summer and Zack Greinke’s 45 2/3-inning runless run that ended Sunday. But Kershaw’s current run of 29 consecutive scoreless innings is worth a look.

During the streak, opponents have a .157 on-base percentage and .168 slugging percentage against Kershaw.

In retrospect, it’s a bit surprising Kershaw’s streak is as long as it is. Against the Phillies on July 8, he was in regular trouble, allowing eight hits, with six of them reaching scoring position.

However, Kershaw enters today having thrown 17 straight innings without a runner getting past second base. Only two opponents have been in scoring position in that time.

From the seventh inning against the Nationals through the sixth inning July 23 against the Mets, Kershaw retired 25 batters in a row.

Perhaps most impressively, Kershaw has struck out 42 batters during the streak without walking any (though he did hit Carlos Ruiz in the second inning July 8). Overall, Kershaw has struck out 45 batters in a row since his last walk, and 56 batters since he last gave up a home run — to Matt Szczur of the Cubs in the seventh inning June 22.

No one has an extra-base hit against Kershaw since Ruiz’s ninth-inning double more than three weeks ago.

The combined July numbers of Kershaw and Greinke were astounding: a 0.63 ERA with 79 strikeouts and eight walks.

Healing (and dealing?) Dodgers use rotation cushion as flotation device

By Jon Weisman

On July 25, 2015

In Pitching, Pregame

Zack Greinke reunites with Clayton Kershaw and Jimmy Rollins in New York today (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

New dad Zack Greinke reunites with Clayton Kershaw and Jimmy Rollins in New York today.

Dodgers at Mets, 4:10 p.m.
Joc Pederson, CF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Justin Turner, 1B
Andre Ethier, RF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Carl Crawford, LF
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Zach Lee, P
Notes: Ian Thomas was optioned to Oklahoma City to make room for Lee. Also, Adrian Gonzalez has had a stiff neck but might be able to play tonight.

By Jon Weisman

When only moments ago, it seemed, the Dodgers couldn’t find a starting pitcher to save their lives, they might get to enjoy a bit of an overflow over the coming 10 days.

And that’s before entertaining the possibility of whom they might acquire in trade before the July 31 non-waiver deadline.

Zack Greinke has arrived in New York and is set to put his 43 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings on the line in Sunday’s game, with Brett Anderson — who had a successful bullpen session today — lined up after Monday’s off day for Tuesday’s homestand opener against Oakland.

Clayton Kershaw (29 consecutive scoreless innings) will pitch Wednesday against the A’s on five days’ rest. Then, after another off day, the Dodgers could come back with Greinke on Friday — hours after the trade deadline — against the Angels on four days’ rest.

But the Dodgers also have Mike Bolsinger, who last pitched July 22 in Atlanta, to mix in.

With yet another off day August 3, the Dodgers don’t really need a fifth starter again until August 8. By that time, if they were to still need someone, Carlos Frias could be ready to come off the disabled list, or the Dodgers could turn back to Zach Lee, Ian Thomas, Brandon Beachy or another minor-leaguer.

In any case, by August 8, the current setup might already be a distant memory.

In short, the dark times in the rotation might soon be a thing of the past. Bolsinger, Kershaw and Thomas built a bridge over the storm waters, and Lee today could finish the job.

Revised starting rotation moves Bolsinger to Friday, Kershaw to Saturday

By Jon Weisman

On July 16, 2015

In Pitching

Mike Bolsinger has 69 strikeouts in 73 innings this year. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

By Jon Weisman

The Dodgers have decided to give Clayton Kershaw an extra day of rest after the All-Star Game after all, meaning that Mike Bolsinger will take the hill on Friday at Washington, with Kershaw on Saturday and Zack Greinke still going Sunday.

Bolsinger went six innings on July 10, allowing two runs on five baserunners while striking out six, in his longest start since June 8. He will pitch Friday on six days’ rest.

Kershaw’s start on Saturday will be on three days’ rest after throwing 22 pitches at the All-Star Game, and nine days’ rest since his last regular season start. Greinke will be on four days’ rest after his 39 pitches at the All-Star Game.

Washington is scheduled to go with Jordan Zimmermann on Friday, Doug Fister on Saturday and Max Scherzer on Sunday.

Kershaw to open second half for Dodgers, Greinke-Scherzer likely for Sunday

By Jon Weisman

On July 15, 2015

In Pitching

[mlbvideo id=”34449215″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Following through on their plan to separate Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke in the starting rotation, the Dodgers will kick off the Second Half of the 2015 Major League Baseball Championship Season with Kershaw on the mound Friday at Washington, followed by Mike Bolsinger on Saturday and Greinke on Sunday.

Separating the two top starters is designed to even out the workload on the bullpen. Though it hasn’t been announced, expect Brett Anderson to take the mound for the start of the Dodgers’ series Monday at Atlanta, followed by the No. 5 starter, which could be Brandon Beachy.

Kershaw’s Friday start will come on eight days’ rest, following his season-high 123-pitch shutout of the Phillies July 8. His 22 pitches at Tuesday’s All-Star Game can be considered the equivalent of a bullpen session.

It’s looking like Greinke will face Max Scherzer on Sunday in a showdown of this year’s two top pitchers to date. A year and a week ago, Scherzer bested Greinke in a 4-1 Detroit Tigers victory over the Dodgers, in which the only Dodger run came on Miguel Rojas’ only career MLB home run.

Here’s MLB.com’s second-half outlook for the Nationals, and likewise for the Dodgers.

Once the Dodgers complete this 10-game roadtrip with four games against the New York Mets, they will have played 100 games on the season: 50 at home, 50 on the road.

In case you missed it: Two openings in NL All-Star starting outfield

By Jon Weisman

On July 11, 2015

In All-Star Game, In case you missed it, Pitching

By Jon Weisman

Greetings. A few quick morning notes …

St. Louis has confirmed that Matt Holliday will join fellow National League All-Star electee Giancarlo Stanton on the sidelines for the All-Star Game, leaving two outfield spots open in the starting lineup alongside Bryce Harper that will go to two of these four: Andrew McCutchen, A.J. Pollock, Justin Upton, Joc Pederson.

Here’s how the candidates rank in wins above replacement among NL outfielders: Pollock third, McCutchen fourth, Pederson fifth, Upton 11th.

On Friday, Pederson singled, then later doubled in the game-winning run in the Dodgers’ 3-2 comeback victory over Milwaukee.
Though a starter for almost his entire career, Andre Ethier is moving up the Dodgers all-time pinch-hitting charts. His two-run, pinch-hit, game-tying single in the seventh inning Friday gave him 27 career pinch-hit RBI, good for 11th place and one away from a three-way tie with Rick Monday, Mitch Webster and Ken McMullen for eighth place.

Ethier also has the 10th-highest on-base percentage (.394) among pinch-hitters in Dodger history (minimum 50 plate appearances). Arky Vaughan is first at .461.
In his first appearance since having elective cosmetic eye surgery, Julio Urias retired six of seven batters Friday for Rookie League Arizona, allowing an infield single while striking out three. “He hovered around 93-94 mph, topped out at 97 and saw his off-speed stuff drop into the low-80s,” wrote William Boor for MLB.com. (Hector Olivera also played in the game and went 0 for 3.)
Dodger Double-A catcher and MLB Futures Game participant Kyle Farmer is the subject of a nice profile by Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A.
Workloads for MLB starting pitchers are no longer declining, according to a subscription-only piece from Bill James that was excerpted by Rob Neyer at Fox Sports’ Just a Bit Outside:

… What is happening at this time is not relievers taking innings away from starting pitchers so much as it is relievers taking innings away from other relievers. The batters faced per game by relievers are declining, at this point, only because we switch more rapidly from one relief pitcher to another.

Actually, the historical trend toward fewer innings for starting pitchers appears to be over. Major league starting pitchers pitched more innings (and more innings per start) in 2014 than they did in 1999—fifteen years earlier. There is no decline in innings pitched by starting pitchers occurring at this time; if anything, the numbers are increasing.

In the year 2003, major league relievers pitched more innings than they did in 2014. However, in 2003 they pitched those 14,720 innings in 12,958 relief appearances. In 2014 the innings were down to 14,622—but the games were up to 14,461.
Finally, this … speaks for itself.

Um, @Cindyluellis, are you watching this? @IntentionalTalk pic.twitter.com/ZFjLEET6mz

— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) July 10, 2015

[mlbvideo id=”247737983″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Good feedback on @IntentionalTalk cameo except from LAD Strength Coach @bdmac23 who met me back at my locker with a new nutritional plan.

— AJ Ellis (@AJEllis17) July 10, 2015

Zack Greinke’s adjusted ERA is better than Bob Gibson’s in 1968

By Jon Weisman

On July 10, 2015

In History, Pitching

By Jon Weisman

In 1968, Bob Gibson famously had a 1.12 ERA that was baseball’s lowest in more than 50 years.

Right now, adjusted for park and era factors, Zack Greinke is better.

At right, you can see where Greinke stands among the greatest adjusted ERAs (ERA+) of all time, according to Baseball-Reference.com. (Click to enlarge the chart.)

The next-closest Dodger doesn’t come until Roger Craig (205 ERA+, 1959), in 46th place. Clayton Kershaw’s best single-season ERA+ was 194 last year, and Sandy Koufax’s was 190 in 1966 (77th).

Of course, Greinke has only thrown 123 1/3 innings so far this year. Gibson threw 304 2/3 in 1968, and adjusted ERA doesn’t factor in that level of durability.

Greinke has been boosted by a career-low .235 opponents’ batting average on balls in play, and in his 17 starts, he has allowed nine hits total with runners in scoring position (.203 on-base percentage, .224 slugging percentage).

Read more about Greinke’s unbelievable exploits in 2015 in Thursday night’s post.

Inside Zack Greinke’s scoreless streak

By Jon Weisman

On July 9, 2015

In Pitching

Back on July 4, Zack Greinke’s ERA was way above 1.50. (Juan Ocampo)

By Jon Weisman

In 27 2/3 innings across four starts since June 18, facing exactly 100 batters, Zack Greinke has allowed …

zero runs
two runners to reach third base
three walks
three extra-base hits
10 runners to reach scoring position
a .156 batting average
a .190 on-base percentage
a .188 slugging percentage
a 7.7 strikeout-walk ratio

Pending his start tonight against the Phillies, Greinke (1.48 ERA) could become the first MLB pitcher to have an ERA below 1.50 before the All-Star Break since Roger Clemens in 2000, the first NL pitcher since Bob Knepper in 1981 and the first Dodger since Don Drysdale in 1968.

Fast up, you move too slow

By Jon Weisman

On July 7, 2015

In Pitching

Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

I first noticed on Saturday that Pedro Baez had just about become his own commercial break, taking around 30 to 40 seconds between pitches — something that was a bit excruciating to watch but that I chalked up to the sudden pressure of protecting what had once been a 4-0 lead in the eighth inning.

It stood out less Monday, when nearly every pitcher in that marathon 10-7 affair seemed to be carrying a boulder on the mound, but it didn’t escape the notice of Don Mattingly, who said today he spoke to the former infielder about his pace.

Dodgers will take it inning by inning with Garcia, Surkamp

By Jon Weisman

On July 6, 2015

In Pitching, Pregame

Phillies at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Joc Pederson, CF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Yasiel Puig, RF
Andre Ethier, RF
Yimi Garcia, P
Jimmy Rollins, SS

By Jon Weisman

Flexibility is the name of the game tonight for the Dodgers and their move to start reliever Yimi Garcia tonight, with the plan to bring minor-league starter Eric Surkamp in partway through the game.

“We just thought this was going to give us the best chance (and) the most options to win,” Don Mattingly said, adding that the decision came through conversations with the front office.

Mattingly didn’t say exactly when Surkamp would enter the game, but he joked that Garcia isn’t batting in the No. 8 spot of the order “for his bat.” This is the first time that the Dodgers have a starting pitcher batting eighth since 2009, when it happened eight times, according to Baseball-Reference.com. (On each of those occasions, Juan Pierre batted ninth.)

The Dodgers went 4-4 with their starting pitcher batting eighth. Randy Wolf and Chad Billingsley each had one single.

For his part, Surkamp said today he was told to “be ready for whatever.” He said he would preserve as much of his starting routine as he could.

Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Category: Pitching (Page 6 of 16)

Dodgers taking measure of their pitching

After five full months, Clayton Kershaw primed for September

Dodgers turn to Greinke to vanquish Bumgarner

Match game with Ryu and Anderson

Brandon McCarthy provides inside insight on Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw

Mat Latos ready for Dodger debut, as Yimi Garcia is optioned

Inside Clayton Kershaw’s scoreless-inning streak

Healing (and dealing?) Dodgers use rotation cushion as flotation device

Revised starting rotation moves Bolsinger to Friday, Kershaw to Saturday

Kershaw to open second half for Dodgers, Greinke-Scherzer likely for Sunday

In case you missed it: Two openings in NL All-Star starting outfield

Zack Greinke’s adjusted ERA is better than Bob Gibson’s in 1968

Inside Zack Greinke’s scoreless streak

Fast up, you move too slow

Dodgers will take it inning by inning with Garcia, Surkamp

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