Dodgers at Nationals, 10:05AM PT, TV: SPNLA, MLBN
Dan Haren’s off to a great beginning with the Dodgers. He’s 4-0 with a 2.39 ERA in six starts. He’ll face Stephen Strasburg, who’s 2-2 with a 3.60 ERA so far this season.
Is Carl Crawford finally coming out of his season-long slump? He’s had two multi-hit games and has a four-game hitting streak going into today’s game.
We better get a winning streak going, or we are going to start falling behind
I know Strasburg is good, but too often the Dodger offense isn’t — that combination doesn’t bode well for the Blue (tho they also were still in there vs. Fernandez . . . with the same result: a loss . . . and, lest we forget, the NLCS vs. the Cards, when the bats went AWOL).
Which is the bigger problem for LA right now: unsteady bullpen or inconsistent, non-clutch offense?
Let’s use the “quality” stat for starters and figure that a “quality” game for the offense means they score at least 4 runs (one more than a quality game for the pitcher). How often has LA done that this year? What’s their record when they do?
I’m interested in knowing the results . . . but not enough for this to supplant the work I need to get done now! 🙂
inconsistent offense is the greater problem
That’s my gut reaction — and their inconsistency exacerbates failings by the bullpen because the runs are so hard to come by.
The Dodgers have scored 4 or more runes in 19 of the 34 games, which is exactly the number of wins. They have won 4 games when they scored less than 3.
So I guess we can say that pitching has blown 4 of the “quality hitting” games.
I’m guessing there haven’t been that many “quality starts” if only because there haven’t been that many games when the starters have completed 6 innings . . . ?
My numbers above don’t include yesterday’s game. There had been 19 QS (so Haren would make it 20). On average our starters go 5.8 innings.
That is similar to an informal statistic I favor: If the pitchers hold the other team to 3 runs, then they did their job. If the offense scores 4 runs then they did theirs.
Rats! Puig hit that ball pretty well.
Mier-coles.
For your amusement: Nats’ manager Matt Williams was rear-ended on his way to the game this morning. He was unhurt but was doing a radio interview at the time and did a play-by-play for the audience.
Using cell phone illegally while driving?
The start of today’s game between the Dodgers and the Nationals has been delayed by rain.
Lincescum throws 53 pitches in first two innings along the Monongahela, trails 4-1.