Game 104, 2014

Dodgers at Giants, 7:15PM PT, TV: SPNLA

The end of July is probably a little early to be declaring a series crucial, but this one feels important because the Giants and Dodgers have been trading first place between them for the past three weeks or so, with the largest margin no greater than the two games it was before the Giants lost to the Phillies yesterday. In light of that, the Dodgers set their rotation early; it will be their top three starters Greinke, Kershaw and Ryu to face the back end of the Giants’ rotation: Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong and Yusmeiro Petit.

Notes: Puig may start tonight. He took extra BP Wednesday. Ramirez is probably not going to start until later in the series, if at all. The Giants have won 7 of the 10 games the two ancient rivals have played so far this season. The Sunday game will be televised on ESPN at 8:07PM ET.

Lineup when available.

Pffft. Ramirez is starting and hitting cleanup, despite what I said above. I based that on his not taking any batting practice, unlike Puig. Thanks, Don!

41 thoughts on “Game 104, 2014

  1. From the I wouldn’t have thought that dept….

    Daniel Brim in a DD piece yesterday reported that the average MLB fastball misses its target by a foot. He was surprised too.

    “The article goes on to examine Lincecum’s command, which includes a unique look at Command F/X, which is not available to the public. The system tracks where a catcher wants a ball against where the pitcher actually throws it. Did you know that an average fastball misses its intended target by over a foot? I didn’t.”

    • A foot seems like a lot to the mind’s eye, but maybe not so much if it is a combined measure of in and out and up and down relative to the center of the catcher’s mitt.

      • Try it at home. Get an accomplice, pace off 60 feet 6 inches and try to hit your partner’s glove, whether shoulder, waist or knee high. Once you’ve done it. repeat it 100 times to equal a single game. Then do it 30 times to replicate one season. Etc.

        Looked at like that, maybe we all should be more charitable when guys like Perez walk four guys in a row. 😉

        • I always try to be charitable, especially since I used to (slow) pitch . . . but Perez et. al are getting paid for it. (Since they’re not doing it for charity, we don’t have to be charitable? 🙂 )

          That said, I DO feel a little bad when I realize it’s someone’s livelihood and life we’re talking about when we talk of getting rid of them.

          • That is one of the unhappy factors. But even if they only made close to MLB minimum, they should be set up pretty well for life after baseball.

            They all know it has to end sometime. But many of them are not good at realizing when that time has come.

  2. After the performances in the last two series, I could easily see the Giants sweeping this weekend . . . so tonight was HUGE, especially the manner in which the offense was hitting . . . reminded me of a year ago, about this time, when we were expecting such results, rather than wishing and hoping . . ..

  3. Dodger single-game record for most extra-base hits is five: Steve Garvey in 1977 vs. the Cardinals and Shawn Green in 2002 at the Brewers (included four home runs).

  4. Puig! Puig! Puig!

    I feel comfortable with 7 runs and will now start to worry they will use up their mojo . . .

  5. Woo-hooooooo!
    Scoring runs and resting Zack!
    In PA, CC’s linedrive would’ve been a DP . . . here it was hurdle that was overcome.

  6. 4 runs, so far!
    Thrice hits with a runner on 3rd . . . something normally not counted on.

    Guess there IS something to say for going through the lineup and seeing the pitcher the 2nd and 3rd time.

  7. A-gon, again!
    It’s been a while since we’ve been able to say that on a consistent basis . . . looks like he’s coming back!

  8. Zack is well aware of the Dodger pitchers’ mantra: “If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me.”

  9. Zee & Dee!

    Take some time and get some more runs and give Zack some rest.

  10. That’s one way to increase your strikeout total: strike out four batters in one inning.

  11. I see Donnie–in a stroke of genius–has figured out how to thin the outfield herd.

    Play Puig in CF until he wipes out one of the others and sends him to the DL.

    Then declare the experiment a failure and move Puig back to right. The remaining outfielders then rotate, including a good bit of SVS.

    If Donnie is determined to bring up Joc, keep Puig in CF long enough to wipe out another oufielder. Viola! That problem solved too. THEN declare that it doesn’t look like it’s going to work and move Yasiel back.

    However, if Puig collides full speed with SVS going full bore, it may trigger several earthquake fault lines and cause great weeping and gnashing of teeth.

    The hidden beauty of this is that it will help Donnie keep outfielders extremely cooperative so they won’t have to risk being out there with Wild Horse in center.

    With such a genius for a manager, how can the Dodgers not win?

  12. Nice — and surprising! — to hear LA fans in SF.
    Even nicer to get the jump . . . let’s get more!