Game 100, 2014

Dodgers at Cardinals, 5:00PM PT, TV: ESPN

The Dodgers hope Kershaw (11-2, 1.78 ERA) can stop the bleeding while they get some runs from their anemic offense. The team has scored 11 runs in its last seven games, contributing mightily to a 3-4 record over that stretch. The Cardinals pitch Carlos Martinez, who is making his seventh start of the season after moving from an eighth-inning setup role. He’s 2-4 on the year with a 4.43 ERA in 63 innings.

Hmm. Kemp has been flailing badly at the plate. Putting him in the cleanup spot is an interesting move.

The Marlins beat the Giants earlier today, so the Dodgers can move back into a tie for first place with a win this evening.

75 thoughts on “Game 100, 2014

  1. Gordon just was named to the ASG for the first of what may be several times. Utley is a lot of years older than Dee is. Don’t we have enough early-30s guys already?

  2. 1. Nice win.
    2. AJ Ellis needs to not kiss Holliday’s rear end as they walk down 1B line….
    3. More Cards hitters need to be “ear-holed” as it is so easy to see that that is such the
    strategy of the Cards… to get in Hanley’s Kitchen ( and the rest of our boys, for that matter)

    Dee Gordon taking balls out in CF pre-game tonight?
    Great… I hope that means we’re angling toward Chase Utley…
    PS – If the Dodgers let the Giants get Utley, it will be Utley / SF Giants WS Champs 2014 as he will be the difference (due to his attitude – chip on his shoulder) – ALA Hunter Pence a few years ago, and Marco Scuttaro a couple of years ago…
    IMHO. Of course!
    I hope you guys are having a great Summer!

    • PS – Chase Utley would have been a much better guy to be able to go to in the late innings rather than Turner – who “K’ed” quite pathetically tonight.

    • Utley seems like a stretch, given what we have already and in the minors (Guerrero). Dee could be part of a rotation occupying CF against lefties (since he appears to be our everyday leadoff guy), with Guerrero at 2nd and SVS at 1st. Justin (so far) is actually hitting better than Utley and provides utility options at 3rd. He would cost a lot in a trade and salary, I think, beyond his probable contribution ($15m until 2018).

    • Unfortunately, it was the Hanley vs. Cards from the NLCS.
      Do the Card pitchers lead the league in HBP . . . or do they just aim at Dodgers?

      • They are 3rd in the NL at .38/G. Dodgers are 13th at .26. Pitt way ahead of everybody at .56.

    • That number must be for individual batters. LOB is a team stat so they just count runners on after the third out.

        • Statistically, there is generally not a large variation in base runners scoring across the league. In the NL it is 14%, which is what the Dodgers average. There is one team, the Brewers at 16% and another the Rox at 15%. (Pads are at 12%). As such, the teams with the most LOB are generally the better hitting teams.

  3. I walked to dinner. By the time I got there, I looked and saw Kersh had blown the lead.
    It’s tough to put the blame on the Kid, but a walk and HR are literally indefensible.
    I just saw what happened in the 7th inning . . . so much for hoping Matt would be turning a corner — so much of this entire year in that one half-inning.
    But . . . it’s not over . . . go, Blue!

  4. I know Uribe just batted, but he was 3 for 4, possible Crawford in for Van Slyke instead

  5. Kershaw has now allowed six homers this year: Brandon Hicks, Brandon Phillips, Jose Abreu, Troy Tulowitzki, Chase Headley and now Peter Bourjos. That was the first homer Kershaw has given up while he had a lead since June 2013.

  6. Another Dodger hitter who is failing to deliver is Ellis. He now has one hit in his last 23 ABs. His batting average is approaching the Mendoza Line. I realize that Ellis has missed parts of this season with injuries, which helps to explain his low batting average, but he ended 2013 in a tailspin. He was in low double figures in HRs in each of the last two seasons. Ellis is homerless this year. Behind him are Butera and Federowicz.

  7. I appreciate Mo’s explanation about hitting a batter . . . but it’s tough to put a runner on for free.

    Luckily before I could finish this, they got the DP!

  8. With 49 pitches through three innings, it is unlikely that Kershaw will go more than seven innings tonight.

    • Only 65 coming into the sixth, so should get at least into the eigth. (Ha! and then Carpenter gets a 10 pitch AB)

  9. No matter the outcome — and I hope Kersh can shut them down here after being on the basepath — two clutch two-out hits from two formerly (but not 2014-ly) clutch hitters.

  10. Matt!
    Gotta admit, Steiner said ‘2 outs, it’s up to Kemp’ and I said ‘Oh, no.’
    Soo glad to be wrong!

  11. Uribear!
    Not a line drive, but the Dodgers are in no position to throw anything back.

  12. To paraphrase Vin’s conclusion of Koufax’s perfecto: for Matt, the K stands out more than the -emp.

  13. Kershaw’s ERA this season by inning:
    1st: 1.93..2nd: 4.61..3rd: 0.69..4th: 2.08..5th: 0.00..6th: 2.25:..7th: 1.69..8th: 0.0..9th: 0.00. He has faced 21 batters in the 8th and 9th innings. He has allowed no hits and no walks.

      • Yeah — wow. He’s a man on a mission. Plus, if he’s in there that late, it’s because no mistakes can be made . . . and there’s no one else on the pitching staff I would trust to get an out than Kersh.

  14. 1. I can’t believe it’s game 100
    2. I agree with the thoughts below, it’s time to push Kemp back in to the deep end of the pool
    3. I hope Puig is not out long term (maybe Kemp will step up in his absence)

  15. I agree it’s odd to put Kemp at #4 . . . but I’ve come to trust Donnie in the “been there, done that” department. . . . Matt can’t do any worse than he’s done and a good game may be what he needs.

    Plus, it’s not as if he’s displacing a hot cleanup hitter — the Dodgers haven’t seen one of those wearing the Blue this year.

    • DM is putting Kemp in the spotlight today, batting his fourth. Martinez’ ERA is high. I hope that Matt can provide the performance that Dodger fans are hoping for. It would be a great boost for him and the team.