Pregame – Page 29 – Dodger Thoughts

A.J. Ellis’ curveball to Josh Beckett is a strike

On May 20, 2014

[mlbvideo id=”32859111″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Dodgers at Mets, 4:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Josh Beckett, P

By Jon Weisman

Josh Beckett’s resurgence is rightfully getting attention, and the best piece about it came from the Register’s Pedro Moura, who chronicled how Dodger catcher A.J. Ellis urged Beckett to use his curveball more.

… And on April 11 in the Chase Field visitors’ locker room, four hours before the Dodgers played the Diamondbacks and two days after Beckett had been lit up in his 2014 debut, the catcher approached the pitcher with an urgent message.

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Yasiel Puig enters the race for the Triple Crown (and yes, other notes from Saturday)

By Jon Weisman

On May 18, 2014

In History, Pregame

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 1:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Dan Haren, P

By Jon Weisman

As the Dodgers try to get off the canvas from their 18-7 loss Saturday to Arizona, some notes:

Thanks to his 1.260 May OPS and record-setting eighth game in a row with an extra-base-hit and an RBI, Yasiel Puig has vaulted himself into contention for the National League Triple Crown. The 23-year-old is fifth in batting average, tied for fourth in home runs and second in RBI. Troy Tulowitzki, Charlie Blackmon, Paul Goldschmidt and Giancarlo Stanton are also similarly positioned.
Before this week, the Dodgers had allowed 13 runs in a game 16 times this century, but now they’ve done it twice in four days, for the first time since Philadelphia scored 15 against them on July 17, 2007 and the Mets followed with 13 two days later. The starting pitchers for those two games were Mark Hendrickson and Derek Lowe.

May 16 pregame: Gordon against the lefties

By Jon Weisman

On May 16, 2014

In Pregame

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Zack Greinke, P

By Jon Weisman

Dee Gordon is making his fifth start of the season against a left-handed pitcher tonight, the 11th lefty to start against the Dodgers this season. Overall against southpaws in 2014, Gordon is 6 for 35 with no walks, for a .171 on-base percentage, .229 slugging and .400 OPS, shy even of his career .484 OPS against lefties.

Gordon is in the MLB bottom 10 for offense against lefties this season. The second baseman is, for what it’s worth, 3 for 9 lifetime against Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley.

One of the oddest platoon differentials in 2014 for the Dodgers comes from Matt Kemp, who is OPSing .996 against righties but is only 8 for 41 with a walk and no homers (.483 OPS) so far against lefties. For his career, Kemp is OPSing .956 against portsiders.

* * *

Juan Uribe is making his first start since May 8. Essentially, this is the first game the 22-20 Dodgers have had their full complement of position players available to start since A.J. Ellis’ last game before he went on the disabled list, April 5.

Uribe had two singles and a walk in his last 18 plate appearances before his injury, lowering his OPS from .876 to .801. He doubled as a pinch-hitter on Wednesday.

May 13 pregame: Progress from the injured

By Jon Weisman

On May 13, 2014

In Pregame

[mlbvideo id=”32824543″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Marlins at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Justin Turner, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Josh Beckett, P

By Jon Weisman

A.J. Ellis is back in town after completing his rehab assignment but, no surprise, won’t be activated today.

Juan Uribe is available off the bench, but ideally might not play before Thursday’s off day just to be on the safe side.

Also, Hyun-Jin Ryu threw a 40-pitch bullpen session, his biggest step since going on the disabled list following his April 27 start.

Busy on the field at Dodger Stadium. A.J. Ellis & Juan Uribe taking BP, Chad Billingsley throwing bullpen session, Hyun-jin Ryu about to

— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) May 13, 2014

Let’s go with some links …

First, here’s Jon SooHoo’s photo collection from Monday’s game, at LA Photog Blog.
In the video up top, Vin Scully tells a great story about Miami manager Mike Redmond going the full Marlin during batting practice.
Just how has Yasiel Puig become so much more disciplined at the plate? Jeff Sullivan provides the analysis at Fangraphs.

Yasiel Puig has 17 walks and 31 strikeouts in 2014. Last year, Puig struck out 57 times before his 17th walk.

— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) May 13, 2014

“The Wild Blue Yonder: Films inspired by Yasiel Puig” at SB Nation. Speaks for itself.
The entire Dodger outfield has a .952 OPS in May. Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. delves into the stats.
Dee Gordon’s success partly comes from using the opposite field more. Alec Dopp illustrates at Gammons Daily.
Since April 23, Drew Butera has gone 9 for 33 with two doubles, two homers and four walks for an .865 OPS, raising his 2014 adjusted OPS to an even 100. The Dodgers are 10-4 when Butera starts.
Happy birthday to my special gal. The stats says she’s getting old, but the scouts aren’t seeing it.

May 11 pregame: Comeback of the comebacks

By Jon Weisman

On May 11, 2014

In Pregame

Giants at Dodgers, 1:10 p.m.
Kershaw CLXXXV: Kershawnger Games: Catching Fire
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, LF
Justin Turner, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Saturday’s 6-2 victory over San Francisco marked the Dodgers second comeback victory of the season after being down by at least two runs, and first when trailing by at least two runs after the fifth inning.

The 2014 Dodgers’ other major comeback was when they gave up four runs to Arizona in the third inning on April 19 but scored three in the fourth and five in the fifth.

The last time the Dodgers rallied from trailing by at least two runs after the fifth inning was August 14 against the Mets, in which the Dodgers fell behind 4-0 early, but scored two in the sixth and then got a game-tying, two-run homer from Andre Ethier in the ninth. Yasiel Puig and Adrian Gonzalez hit back-to-back doubles in the 12th to win it.

In general, the Dodgers have been a team that wins by getting leads early and holding them, which, for all the excitement a great rally brings, isn’t a bad formula. But in last year’s 42-8 run, the Dodgers had 11 comeback victories, five of them after being down by at least two runs in the sixth inning or later. Show me the magic:

June 27 (down by a run to the Phillies in the seventh)
July 3 (down by three runs to the Rockies in the fourth)
July 10 (down by two runs to the Diamondbacks in the seventh)
July 19 (down by a run to the Nationals in the third)
July 23 (down by five runs to the Blue Jays in the seventh)
August 1 (down by two runs to the Cubs in the third)
August 5 (down by one run to the Cardinals in the fourth)
August 9 (down by six runs to the Rays in the seventh)
August 12 (down by two runs to the Mets in the sixth)
August 13 (down by one run to the Mets in the fifth)
August 14 (down by two runs to the Mets in the sixth)

May 10 pregame: The world of Withrow

By Jon Weisman

On May 10, 2014

In Pregame

[mlbvideo id=”32421285″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Giants at Dodgers, 1:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Chone Figgins, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Zack Greinke, P

By Jon Weisman

Chris Withrow has now faced exactly 200 batters in his career, and the numbers are pretty fascinating. He has allowed 23 hits (for a .134 opponents’ batting average) but walked 27. The extremes are even more extreme this season: opponents are 3 for 51 against him with 14 walks.

Though the .250 career on-base percentage against him is still fairly modest, the walks do get Withrow in trouble. Nevertheless, his career ERA is only 1.92, and he has stranded all 14 runners he has inherited.

Strikeouts — 11.7 per nine innings — are one way Withrow is such an escape artist. But another thing is that opponents practically can’t buy an extra-base hit against him. In his career, Withrow has given up five home runs (all last year) and one double. That’s it.

* * *

In his recap of Friday’s 3-1 loss to the Giants, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com discusses the Yasiel Puig-Madison Bumbarner confrontation, but also quietly hits on what may be the story of the series.

“Meanwhile, the Giants are deploying exaggerated defensive shifts on most of the Dodgers’ potent hitters, even the right-handers, and it’s working, as hitters who don’t use the whole field have become easier to defend,” Gurnick writes.

There’s an article on defensive shifts in the current issue of Dodger Insider magazine.

* * *

Catcher A.J. Ellis will start a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Albuquerque, Gurnick reported on Twitter.

May 8 pregame: Sun, we missed you

By Jon Weisman

On May 8, 2014

In Pregame

Giants at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Josh Beckett, P

By Jon Weisman

Having the sun out at the ballpark is so nice, it looks like Dodger Stadium has done it twice.

An early set of pregame notes today …

Yasiel Puig got a tour of the White House on Tuesday, and was “nervous” inside, writes Bill Plunkett of the Register.
Dirk Hayhurst gives us the scoop at Sports on Earth on what really happens during a visit to the mound. The timing of this is funny because I was thinking Wednesday about whether anyone has tried to measure the effectiveness of mound visits.
Former Dodger third baseman Adrian Beltre became the fifth player to hit 100 home runs for three teams, notes Lee Sinins at Gammons Daily. Beltre, whom I’ve long touted as a stealth Hall of Fame candidate, is tied with Graig Nettles for fourth all-time in home runs by a third baseman.

May 7 pregame: More rain

By Jon Weisman

On May 7, 2014

In Pregame

Dodgers at Nationals, 10:05 a.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Andre Ethier, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Miguel Olivo, C
Dan Haren, P

By Jon Weisman

What a road trip. For the third time in nine contests, weather will delay the Dodgers, with today’s getaway game at Washington getting a late start.

Don Mattingly had this to say this morning, via Bill Plunkett of the Register:

“With all the challenges, if we finish 6-3 I’d call that a pretty good road trip. If we don’t win today, it’s an okay trip,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “I don’t want to accept that just because you had some tough travel and you had some tough games that that changes anything because those games in Minnesota are over. You get your rest, you reload and you go. That’s just what our game calls for. You travel a lot. You play a lot. Guys get used to this. Sometimes we make too much of it.

“It’s kind of like the season so far. We’re okay with it. But if we don’t start playing consistently better baseball that we’re going to win a thing.”

A couple of notes:

Clayton Kershaw averaged 93 miles per hour on his fastball Tuesday, compared with 88 mph on his fastball in his first regular season start in Australia, according to ESPN Stats and Information.
On his way to the ballpark this morning, Nationals manager Matt Williams was rear-ended by a car during a police chase.

May 6 pregame: About today’s starting pitcher …

By Jon Weisman

On May 6, 2014

In Pregame, Transactions

[mlbvideo id=”31624339″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Dodgers at Nationals, 4:05 p.m.
Kershaw CLXXXIV: Kershawphan Black
Dee Gordon, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Scott Van Slyke, 1B
Drew Butera, C
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Clayton Kershaw. Clayton Kershaw, Clayton Kershaw, Clayton Kershaw.

Clayton Kershaw? Clayton Kershaw.

Clayton Kershaw!

So, that pretty much covers the pregame story. Just a few dangling threads before first pitch …

Kershaw is not on a specific pitch limit, Don Mattingly told reporters, and could cross the 100 mark.
Pedro Baez, who emulated Zack Greinke in giving up a hit and a home run to his first two batters Monday before settling down to pitch shutout ball (including his first MLB strikeout), went back to Chattanooga as predicted, to make room on the active roster for Kershaw.
Yasiel Puig is available to pinch-hit, as his Adrian Gonzalez, who is getting a rest day. Mattingly said he could see Gonzalez getting tired, and he did not put up a fight when resting him was discussed.
Limited to three innings and 54 pitches by Monday’s rain, Zack Greinke could come back on short rest for his next start, but there’s no current plan to do so, Mattingly said.

May 5 pregame: Pedro Baez and position switches

By Jon Weisman

On May 5, 2014

In Bullpen, Pregame

[mlbvideo id=”31519061″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Dodgers at Nationals, 4:05 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Miguel Olivo, C
Zack Greinke, P

By Jon Weisman

Continuing their efforts to fill their bullpen with healthy and rested arms, the Dodgers have called up righty reliever Pedro Baez from Double-A Chattanooga, optioning Sunday starter Stephen Fife to Albuquerque.

The news comes one day before the Dodgers’ expected activation of Clayton Kershaw from the disabled list.

Baez, looking to make his MLB debut, has a 2.84 ERA in 12 2/3 innings for the Lookouts, though he hasn’t been striking out batters at his customary rate in the early going. Having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings last season in the minors, Baez has eight whiffs so far this season. He last pitched Friday, throwing two shutout innings with two strikeouts.

As many of you know, Baez began his pro career as a third baseman before making a Kenley Jansen-like conversion to pitching. Below: Cary Osborne’s story for the March 2014 Dodger Insider magazine on position switches in the farm system (click to enlarge).

May 4 pregame: The Gordian Knot at second base finds a Gordonian solution

By Jon Weisman

On May 4, 2014

In Pregame

[mlbvideo id=”32589679″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Dodgers at Marlins, 10:10 a.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Stephen Fife, P

By Jon Weisman

There’s a lot to be impressed with from Dee Gordon’s tour de force in Saturday’s game – the hit after hit, the steal after steal. The greatest play might be his dive to the left of second base and snap throw to third base to nab Casey McGehee.

But looking at the clip of highlights above, I think the most astonishing play might be when Gordon beat out a grounder to first base. Literally to the base. And yes, Garrett Jones’ momentum carried him into foul territory in order to field the ball, but still – it was a ground ball to first base.

Look where Jones is when the ball goes into his glove. Would you ever, in a million years, think Gordon is going to make it from the batter’s box to first base in time to be safe?

According to Fangraphs this morning, Gordon has been the ninth most valuable player in the Major Leagues so far this season and the third most valuable second baseman. He is the No. 1 baserunner in baseball. He has 19 stolen bases – no other Major Leaguer has more than 12. He has more stolen bases than 13 teams. He has even been above average with the glove.

Second base was supposed to be the Dodgers’ problem position. Wow.

* * *

From the Dodger press notes:

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Gordon is the first Dodger in the modern era (since 1900) with five or more hits and three or more steals in a game. Since 2000, only seven Major Leaguers have had such games, last occurring on Aug. 26, 2008, when Jimmy Rollins went 5-for-7 with three steals, a double, a homer and three RBI for the Phillies vs. the Mets. Carl Crawford, who hit the game-winning two-run homer last night, accomplished the feat on May 24, 2006 for Tampa Bay at Toronto, going 5-for-5 with four steals, five runs scored, a homer and two RBI.

May 3 pregame: Is it getting easier for Ethier?

By Jon Weisman

On May 3, 2014

In Pregame

[mlbvideo id=”32512049″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Dodgers at Marlins, 4:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Miguel Olivo, C
Paul Maholm, P

By Jon Weisman

Andre Ethier has delivered a bit more offense of late, going 7 for 15 with two doubles and three walks in his past five games.

The next step for Ethier would be to show some power. He has one homer (and no other extra-base hits) in his past 60 at-bats, April 19 against Arizona.

Ethier gets the start in left field today, with Matt Kemp in center. There’s no mystery of who is in right field: Yasiel Puig is starting his 13th consecutive game there.

Carl Crawford begins the game on the bench for the 13th time in 31 games this year. Crawford, who had a .905 OPS in April a year ago, had a .501 OPS when the calendar changed to May this year and is now down to .471 with a 1-for-9 start to the month.

Perhaps most strange: Crawford is 3 for 29 (with two walks and a sacrifice fly) since his last strikeout. His batting average on balls in play in that time is .100.

May 2 pregame: Shutout relief is Wright on

By Jon Weisman

On May 2, 2014

In Bullpen, History, Pregame

Dodgers at Marlins, 4:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Miguel Olivo, C
Carl Crawford, LF
Chone Figgins, 3B
Josh Beckett, P

By Jon Weisman

Unsung hero of the Dodgers’ Thursday nightcap victory — Jamey Wright.

The 39-year-old shut out Minnesota from the ninth inning through the 11th, scattering a single and a walk and lowering his 2014 ERA to 2.70. It was the longest stint of his Grover Cleveland-esque Dodger career.

The list of recent Dodger relievers who have thrown at least three shutout innings is an interesting one. Before Wright, Chris Withrow was the only Dodger to do it since 2010, when Jeff Weaver and Ronald Belisario did it in the same game. Weaver accomplished the feat four times in all in 2009.

The last time a Dodger pitched four innings of shutout relief was June 2, 2010, when Travis Schlichting did so in the game won by a Garret Anderson walkoff single in the 14th.

But the longest shutout relief stint in Dodger history was turned in by Orel Hershiser, who put zeroes on the scoreboard from the 14th inning through the 20th in the June 3, 1989 game at Houston, which ended in the 22nd with a two-strike, two-out single by Rafael Ramirez off third baseman-turned-relief pitcher Jeff Hamilton.

May 1 pregame: Readying for Red

By Jon Weisman

On May 1, 2014

In Pregame, Transactions

Dodgers at Twins, 10:10 a.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, DH
Andre Ethier, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Miguel Olivo, C
Carl Crawford, LF
(Dan Haren, P)

By Jon Weisman

Though Dan Haren takes the mound at the top of the hour for Game 1 of today’s impromptu doubleheader, it’s hard not to look ahead to the nightcap, when Red Patterson will make his Major League debut.

It’s likely a cameo for Patterson, who comes via the 26th man rule. A 6-foot-3 righthander who turns 27 in May, Patterson followed up two strong back-to-back starts in mid-April by getting hit pretty hard in his most recent outing for Albuquerque, allowing five runs on 11 baserunners in 5 1/3 innings. For the year to date, he has 14 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings, though last year, he averaged more than a fan a frame.

Don Mattingly told reporters today that Patterson impressed the organization during Spring Training and that he’s a strike thrower, which is valuable against a patient team like the Twins.

Eric Stephen noted at True Blue L.A. that Patterson “will be the oldest non-Japanese Dodgers starting pitcher to make his major league debut since Larry Miller, who was 27 years, two days old on June 21, 1964, also in the second game of a doubleheader.”

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated outfielder Nick Buss for assignment. Buss, 27, had a .330 on-base percentage and .391 slugging for the Isotopes, after going .363/.525 last year. He went 2 for 19 for the Dodgers in 2013.

April 30 pregame: Splash mountin’

By Jon Weisman

On April 30, 2014

In Pregame, Transactions

Whatever the weather, someone’s getting wet. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Dodgers at Twins, 5:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, DH
Juan Uribe, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Carl Crawford, LF
(Zack Greinke, P)

By Jon Weisman

Two changes come to the active roster in time for today’s game against Minnesota. Lefty reliever Paco Rodriguez and catcher Miguel Olivo have come up from Albuquerque, while infielder Carlos Triunfel and catcher Tim Federowicz make the journey to Triple A.

Among players who have primarily been catchers in their careers, Olivo ranks 32nd all-time with 145 home runs. Ahead of him are eight former Dodgers: Mike Piazza (1), Gary Carter (6), Roy Campanella (10), Todd Hundley (13), Ernie Lombardi (17), Ramon Hernandez (23), Charles Johnson (24) and Mike Lieberthal (31).

Chad Billingsley, meanwhile, has been moved to the 60-day disabled list, which would still allow him to be activated in May. Billingsley, who made a rehab start April 6, received a platelet-rich plasma injection on Tuesday for elbow tendinitis last week.

The Dodgers can also add a 26th man to the roster for Thursday’s doubleheader, based on a Collective Bargaining Agreement rule that allows clubs a 26-man roster for day-night doubleheaders if scheduled at least 48 hours in advance.

More roster changes could be coming in the next few days, based on a) what happens with Clayton Kershaw’s rehab start with Double-A Chattanooga tonight and b) the potential need for a starting pitcher Sunday, so that Zack Greinke doesn’t have to come back on three days’ rest.

In other news and notes:

The Dodgers can expect to face a lefty in Minnesota after all. For their 26th man on Thursday, the Twins have called up Kris Johnson (not the former UCLA hoopster) to make his first Major League start. Johnson pitched 10 1/3 innings in relief for the Pirates last year with a 6.10 ERA but 2.76 FIP. He has a 2.86 in 22 minor-league innings this year, with 20 strikeouts against 26 baserunners.
Carl Crawford makes his first start in the No. 9 slot of the batting order since September 20, 2003.
Adrian Gonzalez has been the top first baseman in the Majors in April, according to Jay Jaffe of SI.com. Dee Gordon was honorably mentioned at second base.
Greinke’s performance to date is analyzed by Dustin Nosler at Dodgers Digest.
Maury Wills is featured in the final posting from the great series of Union Oil 1961 Family Booklets, presented by Ernest Reyes at Blue Heaven.
From the Dodger press notes: “The Dodgers will fly more than 6,200 miles during this trip as they touch points to the extreme north, south, east and west of the continental United States.”

Dodger Thoughts

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

Category: Pregame (Page 29 of 32)

A.J. Ellis’ curveball to Josh Beckett is a strike

Yasiel Puig enters the race for the Triple Crown (and yes, other notes from Saturday)

May 16 pregame: Gordon against the lefties

May 13 pregame: Progress from the injured

May 11 pregame: Comeback of the comebacks

May 10 pregame: The world of Withrow

May 8 pregame: Sun, we missed you

May 7 pregame: More rain

May 6 pregame: About today’s starting pitcher …

May 5 pregame: Pedro Baez and position switches

May 4 pregame: The Gordian Knot at second base finds a Gordonian solution

May 3 pregame: Is it getting easier for Ethier?

May 2 pregame: Shutout relief is Wright on

May 1 pregame: Readying for Red

April 30 pregame: Splash mountin’

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