By Jon Weisman
All at once, I feel the need to say something and say nothing.
With the contradiction of a first-place team that’s lost five straight games, my sense is that anyone who would listen to me already knows what I’m going to say, and anyone who doesn’t already know what I’m going to say won’t be convinced. People have had plenty of opportunity to hear my way of thinking, and to take it or leave it.
So maybe I’m just talking to myself here, or maybe I should be.
[mlbvideo id=”352652883″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
By Jon Weisman
“Darkest before the dawn” can be a tough sell, especially when “darkest before it gets even darker” is also true. It’s hard to know whether it’s midnight or 5 a.m.
Individual games and series disappear quickly behind you, succumbing to the omnipotence of “What just happened?” Just as the sweep over the Angels or the two victories against the Phillies are already distant memories, so too will be the three excruciating Dodger losses this weekend to the Pirates. A walkoff defeat in the 10th, a one-run loss with the tying run in scoring position in the ninth, and then Sunday’s come-from-ahead, 13-6 electroshock featuring a numbing nine-run seventh.
By this time Tuesday, we’ll be talking about how the Dodgers found a ray of daylight against the Nationals, or how they slipped deeper into the void by losing their fourth game in a row for the first time this year. Los Angeles is 5-0 after it has lost three games this season.
Complicating our vision is what appears to be a rather serious injury to Howie Kendrick, a strained left hamstring that will receive an MRI today but that already has the Dodgers preparing for an extended absence. Until third baseman Justin Turner returns, the Dodgers are without half their starting infield. Kiké Hernandez, hitting .400/.450/.714 (but mostly against southpaws) is a candidate to take some at-bats, with newly acquired Jose Peraza (.385/.415/.590 for Triple-A Oklahoma City) perhaps getting a call.
The Dodgers are also looking for salvation for their bullpen. Saturday’s four shutout innings ended a streak of eight straight games that the Dodger relievers had allowed a run, but faced with an equal task Sunday, Jim Johnson entered a nightmare, with eight batters reaching base, interrupted only by a sacrifice fly and topped off by a three-run homer off Joel Peralta by Jung Ho Kang.
So yes, darkness.
At the outset of Sunday’s game, I ranted out several tweets that might have seemed ill-timed by the ugly seventh inning, but that actually were all the more appropriate. Here is the text:
Imperfection is not the same as incompetence. Not having reached the ideal — especially in August — does not mean the season is lost.
Look, I understand that until a new World Series title is won, many Dodger fans live in a binary world, where nothing is good unless everything is good. I understand that. I do. I could feel the rising anger with every run the Pirates scored.
I also know that the Dodgers could have the best record in baseball, and while the national coverage in that case might be good, for sure there would still be concern here at home over what was lacking. Going 26 years and 10 months without a championship makes insecurity a permanent condition.
There are good signs for this team, and there are bad. But the best sign of all is there are still games to play. Whether it’s midnight or 5 a.m., the night is far from over.
By Jon Weisman
We’re through the first 81 games of the 2015 season, and the Dodgers’ first half was nothing if not action-packed. To be completely honest with you, I tried to trim this collection of top Dodger plays down to 50 — removing some really fine moments — but if you count, you’ll find a few extra.
So I say, revel in it. Sit back, click and enjoy …
By Jon Weisman
Two years ago this morning, the last-place Dodgers were 30-42 and 9 1/2 games out of first place in the National League West. That night, the Dodgers did something they would do 42 times in their next 50 games: win.
It was a summer that taught us all how quickly fortunes can change in this game, a lesson many forgot last year, when the Dodgers found themselves back in a 9 1/2-game hole. On June 22, 2014, the Dodgers were already in the process of coming back, but they were still 4 1/2 games out of the division lead.
So like ’em or not, this year’s Dodgers are ahead of the game. On the first Monday of summer, Los Angeles begins play 39-31, with a 1 1/2-game lead in the NL West. So the question isn’t whether they can come back, but whether they can stay ahead.
By Jon Weisman
I’ll admit to being a bit at a loss for words as I start this.
In part, that’s because I’ve said just about everything I want to say about the irrelevance of regular-season performance against a specific opponent when it comes to October (“Winning opponents: It just doesn’t matter”) as well as the slippery meaning of “winning opponents” as a concept (“How the Dodgers lose for winning”) I’m not a big fan of repeating myself.
I’ve only tangentially addressed the emotional aspect of Dodger fans watching their team lose nine of its first 11 against the Giants in 2015, but there might not be a lot to add there either, other than to remind people that it’s only bad until it gets good again — and it could get good again at any moment.
One year ago today, the 2014 World Champions lost their sixth straight game. By June 30, their National League West lead — 9 1/2 games earlier in the month — was gone. June was miserable for San Francisco, and look how things ended there.
Anyway, I’ve begun writing this piece in the seventh inning, with the Dodgers down, 6-2, and I’m going down this face-the-negative path even though I truly believe the Dodgers could come back and win the game by the time I finish, because we’re talking about baseball, not systemic poverty.
I saw “Inside Out” today, and really, you have to see this movie, because besides being fantastic on its own terms, it describes, without even intending to, the emotional musical chairs of being a baseball fan. It’s such a reactionary activity, and so natural to embrace those extremes, even though sometimes, it does us little good.
The quandary Dodger fans are in is this — they’re not just battling the uncertainty of this season, they’re bearing the psychological weight of Potential Year 27 Without a Title. No Dodger fan below the age of 87 (i.e., someone who was at least 27 years old in June 1955) has had it worse than the current generation.
Each additional tick of the clock without a title doesn’t anesthetize you to the pain, it expands it. Each run allowed, each loss suffered, each opportunity wasted, makes relief and celebration seem that much farther away.
What I would suggest is that if a World Series title is truly the main goal (and why wouldn’t it be), then you have to be prepared to ride out the bad times that hammer every eventual champion sometime during the season. No team goes through 162 games unscathed. It just doesn’t happen.
Nine losses in 11 games against the Giants before June really are irrelevant as far as October. Miserable, yes, but irrelevant. I’ll always get a ton of pushback on that point, but the evidence is absolutely clear on my side. The Giants lost eight of their last 11 to the Dodgers in 2014, and who in San Francisco cares now?
On the other hand, if you’re someone who simply lives in the moment, and doesn’t attach larger significance to the lousy ones the Dodgers have been having this week, then I can’t help you, but you don’t need my help. You know that change is always on the horizon, and sunshine is always around the corner from the shadows.
I guess I’m guilty of repeating myself after all.
By Jon Weisman
So, this “winning against winning teams” thing just gets more and more challenging for these Dodgers.
If only the Dodgers had lost Sunday to San Diego, which was 32-32 entering the game, that would have made Los Angeles 7-5 against that particular winning team. Instead, the Dodgers won, so they’re 8-4 against the Padres, but the Padres are a losing team, so who cares, right?
Before that, the Dodgers swept the Diamondbacks, which was a big mistake. Los Angeles is 7-2 against Arizona, but the Diamondbacks are 30-32, so it doesn’t matter. Had the Dodgers lost two out of three, they’d be 5-4 against a 32-30 Arizona team, and then we’d be cooking with gas.
Colorado is 24-25 when it doesn’t play the Dodgers, who have nine worthless wins in 13 games against the Rockies, so those victories were a complete wasted effort. Same with the Dodgers’ series victory last month over 30-33 Atlanta.
In contrast … we have the San Francisco Giants, the team that has dominated the Dodgers in 2015 by going 7-2 against their top rival. The Giants are so good, they don’t even need to have a winning record against the rest of the big-league teams they play, going 28-29 in their non-Dodger games. San Francisco is 3-4 against San Diego, 3-6 against Colorado and 3-7 against Arizona, showcasing their baseball grit and savvy.
San Francisco has also fared far better than Los Angeles against National League-leading St. Louis, posting a perfect 0-0 record compared with the Dodgers’ 2-5 mark.
That leaves the Giants with a 13-7 record against winning teams. They are 21-23 against losing teams, as opposed to the Dodgers’ 33-14 mark, but those are just footnote games am I right?
Starting tonight, the Giants play four games with 28-35 Seattle (which was swept in an April series in Los Angeles), while the Dodgers have a quartet of contests against 33-30 Texas. Heaven help the Dodgers: If they sweep the Rangers, all they’ll have done is take out another losing team. If they split or lose the series, they’ll have been punched out by yet another above-.500 team. Only if the Dodgers win exactly three out of four against the Rangers — no more, no less — will they begun to uncapsize their sinking, 37-26, second-best-record-in-MLB ship.
If that happens, it’ll be just in time. This weekend, San Francisco will return to Los Angeles for a three-game series, for which the Dodgers should be in first place in the NL West, but everyone will be talking about how much better the Giants are.
#sarcasm
For more images from Tuesday, visit LA Photog Blog.
By Jon Weisman
Howie Kendrick’s home run and two-run single in the Dodgers’ 3-1 victory Tuesday over Arizona practically speak for themselves, so here are some thoughts on some other Dodgers …
[mlbvideo id=”136590283″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
By Jon Weisman
On a seven-game road trip earlier this month to Milwaukee and Colorado, the Dodgers scored 39 runs, despite having 13 of the scheduled 63 innings rained out. On the days unaffected by rain, the Dodgers averaged 7.4 runs per game.
But the Dodgers past four road games — May 19-21 in San Francisco and Friday in St. Louis — have led to a team-record four consecutive road shutouts.
A bit extreme, you could say. In 2015, the Dodgers have averaged just under four runs per road game, but they haven’t actually scored exactly four runs in a road game this season.
In addition to obviously being homerless over their past four road games, the Dodgers have been an uncharacteristic 0-for-22 with runners in scoring position — uncharacteristic because overall this season, the Dodgers have an .839 OPS with RISP in 2015, No. 2 in the National League.
Here’s how each of the Dodger position players have done during the shutout streak, with batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS:
Today, weather permitting, the Dodgers face Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha, who has a 1.87 ERA despite only 5.5 strikeouts per nine innings. His xFIP is 4.09. To quote from “Joe vs. the Volcano”: “Joe, nobody knows anything. We’ll take this leap, and we’ll see.”
Yasiel Puig is one of several key 2014 Dodgers who won’t play in St. Louis this weekend.
By Jon Weisman
Seven months ago, the Dodgers suffered their most frustrating playoff defeat of the decade, losing three games to the Cardinals in the National League Division Series that Los Angeles either led or was tied in going into the seventh inning.
As I write this, the Dodgers are in the air on their way to St. Louis, returning to the scene of the crime, you might say. Beginning Friday, Los Angeles will play seven of its next 10 games against the team that vanquished them.
The memory of October is not a closed wound. At the same time, win or lose, this weekend’s series against the Cardinals feels like something of another limb.
Don’t get me wrong: These games are not exhibitions. For one thing, the NL West-leading Dodgers are trying to the team by the bay at bay. San Francisco, which in April was as much as six games out (which really isn’t that much), is now within a game of the Dodgers, pending what happens tonight against Atlanta and former Cardinal pitcher Shelby Miller.
For another, it would be hard to say there isn’t any emotion when St. Louis is involved. Not only have the Cardinals eliminated the Dodgers in the past two postseasons, but at 31-16, they are the only team in the league with a better record than the 28-18 Dodgers. Since 2011, the Cardinals are 306-227 and the Dodgers are 300-232.
The Cardinals are the barometer, and they bring the barometric pressure.
Having said all that …
By Jon Weisman
In 2014, the San Francisco Giants went 9-10 against the National League West champion Dodgers, 2-5 against the NL East champion Washington Nationals and 0-3 against the American League champion Kansas City Royals.
Against teams with winning records, the Giants were 27-31 last year.
Then they won the World Series.
That alone should stall any discussion that you need to beat winning teams in the regular season in order to be successful in the playoffs.
Mike Marshall went 5 for 26 with no walks against the Mets in the 1988 regular season, then popped the champagne in October.
Whispers that this is a problem for the Dodgers have begun — at a ridiculously early point in the season, given that the team has only played seven games against teams with winning records in 2015. Of course, all of those games have been against the Giants with only two victories to show for it, which doesn’t calm anyone’s nerves. But the insignificance of seven games out of 162-plus-October should be clear to anyone who didn’t start watching baseball this year.
Never mind that with one more victory, the San Diego Padres would have a winning record, and suddenly the Dodgers would have 200 percent more victories against winning teams, not to mention the same winning percentage (within .004) against winning teams as the Giants last year. That’s how goofy it is to be worried about this.
If only the Dodgers’ 4-3 record against St. Louis in 2014 had meant something — or for that matter, their two victories out three in Kansas City 11 months ago. Conversely, who that experienced it can forget the Dodgers’ 1-10 record against the New York Mets entering the 1988 playoffs? Or their 11-1 domination of the Phillies before the ill-fated 1983 postseason?
Last year, the Dodgers lost six of their first eight games to the Giants, then won eight of their last 11. This proved less useful than a Magic 8 Ball for predicting the future.
There’s nothing like getting shut out in San Francisco to make you want to, I don’t know, give up baseball entirely. But right now, the Dodgers’ only goals are to have the most wins they can possibly have over the next 124 games — against anybody — and have the best possible squad to ride the unstable roller coaster of October. So far, they’re well on their way.
Footnote: 88 years ago today, the 1927 Yankees scored one run against the Indians and lost. Cleveland would finish 66-87 that year. Sometimes, it’s just not your day.
For more images from Monday, visit LA Photog Blog.
By Jon Weisman
So, how would you like to face the above pitcher on your average day?
We’ll award points for averaging 8 2/3 innings per game, but otherwise, this guy is really getting pounded.
Or perhaps you’ve already figured out this ruse — the above stats represent the cumulative performance this year of Dodger opposing pitchers, who have been getting pounded at a rate at which even Charlie Brown might cast a saucy eyebrow.
Through games of 5/11, a 5.11 ERA by opponents. Not to mention a home run every 5.5 innings. It’s pretty remarkable. With the season 20 percent complete, Dodger position players have a .364 on-base percentage and .504 slugging percentage.
The Dodgers’ overall .479 slugging percentage this season puts them on pace to top a 62-year-old franchise record of .474.
[mlbvideo id=”101242583″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
By Jon Weisman
While the Dodgers were taking an early lead Monday against the Brewers, I was researching a couple of facts about the Dodgers’ odd 2015 start: 13-2 at home, 3-6 on the road.
After surrendering that lead, the Dodgers are now 3-7 on the road, making them something like 3 percent more odd.
Anyway, the trivia still makes for good conversation starters:
Considering that no Dodger team has ever played more than .600 ball at home while remaining below .400 on the road, expect at least some moderation in the Dodgers’ home-road divergence.
In other notes …
[milbvideo id=”101834683″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
By Jon Weisman
If you think the Dodgers’ 25-man roster only has 25 men, I’ve got some bad news to break to you about the Big Ten Conference.
Because the Dodgers have multiple useful players with options — enough so that they can afford to be without any one of them for the minimum 10 days they need to remain in the minor leagues after being sent down — their 25-man cap is about as meaningful as a speed limit.
Sure, for a given game it’s 25 men, but from day to day, it’s something else.
To call up an outfielder like Chris Heisey for perhaps no more than one day — nothing’s been finalized, but indications are that the Dodgers will need his roster spot for Thursday’s starting pitcher — tells you all you need to know about how seriously the Dodgers are taking roster flexibility and how much they intend to exploit match-ups whenever possible.
This also would appear to include Sunday’s game, for which the Dodgers’ starting pitcher against the Padres is listed in today’s press notes as TBD. Don’t ask me the rationale — maybe it’s as simple as Brett Anderson getting an extra day of rest, or a plan not to waste a groundball pitcher in a San Diego ballpark where a flyball pitcher can thrive. Suffice it to say, this big blue ship is being steered very carefully.
If you’re a minor-leaguer who came up to the Dodgers only to leave days later, you may be gone, but very much not forgotten.
For more photos from Saturday, visit LA Photog Blog.
By Jon Weisman
Here it is: the Dodgers’ Opening Day 25-man roster …
Starting pitchers (4): Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson
Relief pitchers (7): Pedro Baez, Yimi Garcia, Chris Hatcher, J.P. Howell, Juan Nicasio, Joel Peralta, Paco Rodriguez
Catchers (2): A.J. Ellis, Yasmani Grandal
Infielders (7): Adrian Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick, Jimmy Rollins, Juan Uribe, Darwin Barney, Alex Guerrero, Justin Turner
Outfielders (5): Carl Crawford, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Andre Ethier, Scott Van Slyke
Disabled list (4): Brandon Beachy, Kenley Jansen, Brandon League, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Chris Withrow
As evidenced by the ninth-inning homer that Kiké Hernandez hit tonight, giving the Dodgers an unreal eighth tie of Spring Training, the Dodgers are sending a lot of talent back to the minors. Hernandez alone hit six home runs during Spring Training.
Chris Heisey, David Aardsma, David Huff, Adam Liberatore and Sergio Santos were also among the last cuts.
“We feel very strongly we sent down some Major League players,” Dodger president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters after the game. “To have that depth is key.”
In the bullpen, the Dodgers kept three relievers who had options remaining — Baez, Garcia and Rodriguez — at the expense of others with more big-league experience, giving them five relievers age 30 or under. Though they released Dustin McGowan earlier this week, the Dodgers lost no other talent at the roster deadline, so their stockpile of relievers remains — and that’s with Jansen, League and Withrow potentially returning at various times later this year.
Liberatore, who struck out nine in 10 1/3 scoreless innings this spring while allowing seven baserunners, was a particularly close call, but as with so many of these players, he’ll likely have his chance. That the 27-year-old hasn’t made his MLB debut yet worked against him for Opening Day, said Friedman, who valued the younger Rodriguez’s experience for the start of the season.
Rodriguez not only matched Liberatore’s scoreless spring, he struck out 13 in 10 2/3 innings. But as the Dodgers have maintained all along, it’s about more than just numbers.
“Paco probably generated some of the worst swings out of hitters this camp,” said Friedman. “Lib will get his chance.”
Mike Adams, who appears to be contemplating retirement, is technically reassigned to minor-league camp, according to Friedman.
Left unsaid for now is who will be the Dodgers’ fifth starter come April 14. Because that date comes less than 10 days after the start of the season — and the start of his option this year to the minors — Joe Wieland could fill that role only if he replaces a player who goes on the disabled list. A player not currently on the 40-man roster, such as Huff, could have his contract purchased for a spot start if the Dodgers make room for him.
Also delayed: Paring the Dodger bench. The Dodgers will begin the season with 11 pitchers and 14 position players, but by mid-April, the Dodgers figure to go with a 12-man pitching staff. Barney, who has done nothing but impress since becoming a Dodger last year, nevertheless stands as a player who could spend time in the minors, however briefly, if no other moves are made.
In my 14 seasons blogging about the Dodgers (I’m staring at that “14” in disbelief), this is the deepest team they have brought to Opening Day. Not every question has been answered, but no team has ever been bulletproof. The bench and farm system are as rich as they’ve been since, well, the 1900s. Even starting the season with their No. 3 starter and No. 1 reliever on the disabled list, it’s striking how much talent the 2015 Dodgers have to draw from up and down the line.
By Jon Weisman
We’re now less than 100 hours from Opening Day, and speculation over the 25 players that will greet Dodger fans on Monday is only growing.
Keeping in mind that it won’t take long for things to change after Opening Day, here’s how things stand:
Disabled list: Brandon Beachy and Chris Withrow are on the 60-day disabled list. While no official move has been announced, Kenley Jansen, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon League are expected to begin the year on the 15-day DL.
Starting pitchers: Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson are set. Joe Wieland could be on the Opening Day roster if the Dodgers plan to use him as their fifth starter April 14.
Relief pitchers: The following 11 candidates remain for what will probably be seven or eight spots in the bullpen:
Huff has also been mentioned as someone who could take that April 14 start.
Position players: The following 16 candidates remain for either 13 or 14 slots.
What happens when three old friends in crisis fall into an unexpected love triangle? In The Catch, Maya, Henry and Daniel embark upon an emotional journey that forces them to confront unresolved pain, present-day traumas and powerful desires, leading them to question the very meaning of love and fulfillment. The Catch tells a tale of ordinary people seeking the extraordinary – or, if that’s asking too much, some damn peace of mind.
Thank You For Not ...
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén
