It’s the Dodgers @ Diamondbacks today (6:30PM PT, TV: SPNLA) in the first of a three-day road trip. What were the schedulers thinking? The Dodgers play three games in Phoenix and then travel right back to LA to play the Mariners starting Monday.
The Dodgers send lefthanded Brett Anderson to the hill for his debut in their uniform. It will be his first regular-season game since last August 5 for the Rockies. That night he threw three innings, came out of the game and underwent back surgery a week later. He’s obviously an unknown quantity and will be for at least his first four or five starts. Anderson’s career WHIP is 1.285.
His opponent will be the right-handed Chase Anderson, who is coming off his first season in the big leagues, one in which he was 9-7 with a 4.01 ERA over 114 innings and a WHIP of 1.37.
Anybody betting A-Gon keeps his HR streak alive?
Lineup:
Tonight's #Dodgers lineup vs. the @Dbacks:
Rollins SS
Puig RF
Gonzalez 1B
Kendrick 2B
Grandal C
Crawford LF
Uribe 3B
Pederson CF
Anderson P
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 10, 2015
NPUT
Last night’s Sawx-Yanquis game ended at 2:13 a.m., followed by a 1 p.m. start today.
Why is Don so reluctant to use Paco?
Since Mid-July, when he came back up to the Bigs he has pitched effectively in all 12 appearances except his last one in 2014 (which cost him a place on the playoff roster). Given that Howell has been ineffective in half of his last 10 appearances, perhaps it’s time for them to switch roles.
Bullpen management is not one of Don’s strategic strengths (of which I’m challenged to identify any).
Well, we all know who his mentor was. This is probably one of the toughest tasks for a manager, which is why most seem to prefer setting up a routine approach and sticking with it perhaps longer than it seems reasonable. The pitchers (well, those in the given rotation), probably prefer it that way as well. Without Kenley to go to, I can’t imagine that Donnie is very comfortable right now.
Got into a deep convo with my wife and come back to hear the very last pitch of the game. 🙁 Hopefully Kershaw can right the ship and save the pen a few innings tomorrow.
Kershaw! I forgot!
Signing off, guys. Back tomorrow.
Well, rats.
Such a shame, after the other pitchers were so good.
If this works, I’ll eat my…oh, never mind.
Grandal needs to wake up.
That was on Howell.
Which one?
In reality, it was all on Howell. He’s become utterly undependable.
Dating back to Sept 19 and including the NLDS he has pitched effectively in only about half of his 10 appearances.
That’s not good.
Free baseball. I have a very patient husband.
Just checked in, it looks like we have a chance here
Cheers almost as loud there tonight for the Dodgers as for the Snakes.
Shoot.
It’s his birthday, for heaven’s sake.
And his province – urr state I mean.
Sorry missed a few minutes there. My dear wife just arrived home. Need to score here Ethier.
Okay, Dre. Be a hero.
Soooo close.
Uribear!
RBI – you and I are the same wavelength in terms of comments tonight! 🙂
Let’s start predicting RBIs.
Strong pitching there.
Yimi was superb.
Rollins looked a bit sluggish there.
Yimi dialed in. Let’s see if he can get Goldie out.
Careful here with Goldie.
This game is flying along. Which pen will blink first?
Not close at all Kendrick.
Almost Gonzo.
Almost Puig.
Big inning here for the Dodgers – need to get some runners on.
Garcia good again tonight.
Uribe with the pick but then wild throw. Should have set himself a bit more.
Not that anyone else would really care, but I find it interesting that for the first 3 games MLB radio didn’t start until first pitch and went silent between each half inning. Tonight – the pre-game show was on and between innings I get all the commercials. Now I’m trying to figure if getting to hear the pre-game show is enough of a trade off in having to hear the ads.
Good call in walking him, AZ. Gonzo is on fire.
Puig will find his groove some day soon.
Whole new ball game now.
Yes! J-Roll!!
Maybe they walk Rollins to get to Puig. (Not really.)
Not the worst situation for a bunt.
Agreed.
Scratch for a run or two here would be great. Runners on the corners, no one out.
Nice Grandal – but that double play really hurts. Could have been tied or behind by only 1.
That was a monster shot by Grandal. No cheapie.
Gonzo starts it off nicely. Need Grandal to get his first hit of the year later this inning.
Dodgers for the first time this year didn’t give up a run in the first inning. However, for the fourth time this year their opponent scores first.
Very, very small sample size but still – don’t want the sample size to get any bigger!
Yeah, I’d like to see them get ahead and stay ahead for a change.
Man, that guy is a good hitter.
Lots of fly balls, too, and one finally costs him.
Ground balls finding holes. Big moment here against Goldie.
Hope Grandal is alright.
As some go for supper – I’m checking in. I was outside kicking the soccer ball around with my son.
Looks like it is starting out as a pitchers duel.
Even if a lot of people have seen Puig’s monster laser beam throw on the fly from deep RF foul line to 3B Tuesday, it’s worth another look, even tho the runner was narrowly safe–
http://www.truebluela.com/2015/4/8/8371123/yasiel-puig-nearly-makes-play-of-the-year-in-the-second-game
Mattingly was awestruck.”His accuracy and the way he unloads the ball is special. You do not see guys do that,” Mattingly said. “He can throw from anywhere.”
I’ll be off line for an hour or so, cooking and eating dinner. Go Blue! Keep the D-backs in check.
See, I have to do that too. An hour from now, away I go to fix dinner and clean up afterwards.
Finally running up the pitch count on an opposing pitcher.
Hi all. Just finished writing for the day What did I miss?
AGon with a single, clearly regressing.
Agon just loves Chase Field. In 272 PA, 20 dingers and 1.066 OPS.
So, if he manages to repeat his successes there, his early-season numbers will fall precipitously.