Dodgers at Giants, 7:15PM PT, TV: SPNLA, NBC Bay Area
Brett Anderson goes to the mound for the Dodgers. He’s 2-1 with a 3.50 ERA, and his last two starts have been his best for his new team. He’ll face Tim Lincecum, who’s 3-2 with a 2.43 ERA, in somewhat of a rebound from his poor showings of the last three seasons. He’s 10-8 with a 3.45 ERA in his career against the Dodgers, which is pretty good compared to Anderson’s 0-3 with a 6.10 ERA against the Giants.
Fun fact: The Dodgers and Giants entered Tuesday night’s series opener 69-69 in games played at AT&T Park.
Non-funny fact: LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu will undergo left shoulder surgery tomorrow. The arthroscopic surgery will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in LA.
Further info on Ryu: this is exploratory surgery to try to determine the cause of the inflammation he’s had all spring.
Lineup:
Tonight’s #Dodgers lineup vs the Giants:
Pederson CF
Rollins SS
Kendrick 2B
Gonzalez 1B
Guerrero LF
Grandal C
Ethier RF
Uribe 3B
Anderson P
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 20, 2015
Pingback: Game 40, 2015 | Elysian Fields
NPUT
I don’t see games, so hadn’t seen AG2’s foray into acting after trapping that ball.
Academy Award fail.
http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2015/05/21/125696064
It is usually pretty close to a catch when fielders try to fool the ump, but that one was so obvious most players would never try to fake it. I wouldn’t even call it a trap, it was a clean one hop catch. Forget Hollywood, AG.
Day game today, I like that. i seldom last past the second inning on night games.
For all my handwringing over the last few games, I must stated that I still have great faith in this Dodger team to win vast numbers of games this season. And for the foreseeable future seasons as well.
every team goes through slumps, and as I think it was Bob who said it, we are 5-5 in our last (I think) thats not too bad at all.
I think we were being spoiled earlier in the season with all the great hitting
For all my trying to keep this current slide in perspective, I dislike intensely losing to the giants!
Neanderthal chant begins again in cultured San Fran.
Just hating on the Gnats tonight.
I really am usually a person with a gentle and kind demeanour. However, tonight I feel less charitable.
Outside of Anderson’s good start, the only good thing about this game is its fast pace.
(Of course, i said that last night, then it started dragging — but this is much further along.)
You can all tell me tomorrow how we scored five in the top of the ninth and then Jansen shut down the Giants in the bottom. I’m done for tonight.
Rats!
Good job, Howie!
C’mon, A-Gon!
At least it now feels different than last night.
The mounting disappointment and frustration can be eased a bit if Kershaw can out-duel Bumgarner tomorrow afternoon.
I believe he trails in head-to-head matchups with Bumgarner.
But I’m hoping his last win gets him back to being the Kersh we expect . . . AND the bat come alive.
If we can’t score against Hudson and Lincecum, I don’t like our chances against Bumgarner.
But that’s the beauty of baseball: get shut down by De La Rosa but possibly score at will versus Bumgarner.
Kershaw has been the far superior pitcher head to head, but SF has won 3 of 4 of their meetings.
http://twicsy.com/i/mw3odi
All that counts is who scores more.
Kersh beat himself up when he gave up 2 but he was only given 1 in support.
That’s an awful lot of pressure to put on yourself, knowing any mistake could be the game.
This goes back to the ’60’s and the story that when Drysdale heard about Sandy’s perfect game (Don went ahead of the team to the next city), he said something like ‘Yeah, but did we win?’
Yeah, that quote is one of the all-time Dodger classics.
Not saying you do, but too many fans seem to fault CK when he pitches well enough to win, but the team doesn’t. No blame should assign to Kershsaw unless he negatively impacts game outcome. Pitching to a no-decision and then the team losing afterward, for example.
Latest on the head to head:
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/125611600/madbum-kershaw-iii-set-to-thrill-bay-area?game_pk=414262
Just what Kersh doesn’t need, pressure to throw a shutout and hope for a tie — somehow — just to not lose another 3 in SF. (Yes, I’m throwing in the towel for tonight.)
Shaking head . . .
Now they need two just to tie.
This really does feel like yesterday’s game – complete with wild pitches.
It’s “Groundhog Day” – Dodger Version.
Don’t know what lesson they need to learn, other than moving Rollins.
This is the place to do it, but aren’t people over reacting?
Perhaps we are, but this is such a reversal to how we played prior to last Saturday night I think we are in a bit of shock coupled with dismay and disgust. Also, the fact that it is against the Giants compounds the situation.
It IS a marathon, not a sprint . . . but don’t you feel the same frustrations?
I love to win, but when the valleys amount to 6-4 over the last ten games..or even 5-5, I don’t think that people are being realistic.
As mentioned before, it’s magnified when it’s against the Giants . . . moreso when they are the closest competitor and each game counts for two in the standings.
Not to mention the fans… Grrrr.
Looking for a silver lining: The pitching of Bolsinger, Frias and Anderson in the last three games has been tremendous.
and so far we have won one and lost one. We didn’t hit in the last game in Coors, but the other team scored 7 runs.
Despite how the Dodgers are playing lately, I continue to follow them without pause, making me a glutton for punishment. If we lose this one in the fashion we are playing, I will take a baseball glutton-free day tomorrow.
We’re Dodger-holics . . . by definition, we’re gluttons for punishment!
I’m flying to Phoenix manana for my nephew’s graduation, so I know I’ll be limited in following the game . . . which is just as good.
Is your nephew a good hitter?
🙂
He was great at flag football.
Couldn’t get him interested in baseball.
Where is he graduating from?
Chaparral High, in Scottsdale.
I graduated from Chaparral High, Las Vegas.
I know you will have a great day tomorrow. Wonderful moments creating lasting memories.
Nice . . . and poetic (tho not haiku-ish)!
We didn’t take class trips when I was in high school. But my daughter went to Disneyland.
I expect you will have a good weekend with family.
I wonder how many Chaparral highs there are in the country.
Good question.
Actually, it’s just an up-and-back trip. He’s going to one of those lock-ins immediately after the ceremony, sleeping all day Saturday and leaving for Europe on a class trip on Sunday.
Europe for a class trip?!? Wow! We did NYC from DC.
I know — one of the schools where I work goes from LV to SoCal.
The other goes to DC.
21 innings since last scored.
With apologies to WinnipegDave:
Our pitching is great
The hitting nonexistent
So tough losses mount
No apologies required. That sums it up brilliantly.
Grandal deserved much better. Similar to Gonzalez’s long fly ball last night.
And the opposite of Kike’s play . . . tho that 2nd run was just a spare.
So much for our playing for the scoreless tie….I just got back from taking my dog for a walk. thinking that eventually the other team will score. And so it did.
Frustrating that the top of the 6th and the bottom of the 6th were so similar and yet so different.
Microcosm of where the teams are. And indicative of why they’ve won 3 WS titles in 5 years.
Sad but true.
As if it wasn’t tough enough for them to score, now they’re fighting the elements.
C’mon, Brett — bear down!
A haiku:
The Dodger bats will
Soon arise and scorch the earth
To sooth weary souls
Make it so!
Boy, was that feeble.
really!
Dave, your haiku is coming true with each (lackluster) effort by the offense.
Perhaps I should write a new, hopeful haiku to try and help turn it around.
It worked for RBI when she gave up her other monicker.
Results not there, but “lackluster effort”?
Fair enough . . . lackluster result.
Up to Joc!
Glad they aren’t pinch hitting for Anderson.
A runner at third. Feeling almost giddy.
You may have spoken too soon.
Sorry. You may be right.
You both are wrong, so far. (Update: dang)
Dave is right — I DID feel giddy.
Now it’s worse.
Need another WP!
Grand-al beginning . . . c’mon, Dre!
Before, everyone was hitting.
Now, no one is.
I would think it’s easier to fall into group funk than group feast since the former leads to pressing and possibly everyone trying to do it themselves.
Anyone with personal experience from playing days have a thought?
Good hitting can build on itself, as managers throw in the towel and start bringing in the back end of the pen.
Adrian probably thinks for ten pitches he should have gotten more than a popup.
A-Gon is as ineffective as everyone else. I’m wondering if he’s consciously hung up on getting RBI 1,000 . . . like Kersh was perhaps on win 100.
Sadder than the lack of offense: Vin’s time on the radio is up.
Gee whiz. Two runs in our last 23 innings.
Much longer than that.
You’re right. It’s two in the last 32 innings.
Plus last night’s shutout.
I had blocked that out of my mind.
Don’t blame you!
We are keeping the giants offense in check however. They averaged ten runs a game in their previous series against the Reds.
The problem is Dodger bats were equally missing vs. the Rockies as well.
Jeez, just looking for a silver lining… it only three games (and counting)
Sorry for bringing in the cloud. Yes, the pitching has been great for LA — except for that stretch for the bullpen, which seemingly sent the offense packing.
Just need to weather this downturn and you do that with good pitching
Why was the balk rule invented?
To annoy Don Mattingly.
Why is this beginning to feel like last nights game?
Good pitching?
I was thinking lack of hits for the Dodgers and lucky hits for the Giants.
Oh, so you weren’t really asking.
Guilty as charged. My question was rhetorical in nature.
My answer was provocative in tone.
Whether they are or not, the Dodger bats have made the pitchers in the last four games (including all 5 of them last night) look great.
Note to Dodger batters: If you don’t swing at pitches over your head, Lincescum will walk you.
Strange to see Timmy not be able to reach 90 mph on his fastball.
After this season, he’ll hang around for a few years trying to find a spot, but he’ll never do much more.
Hope that is a positive sign for the Dodgers tonight, winning that challenge.
I’m surprised to see that overturned. Great play by Uribe, though.
I read somewhere the Dodgers only have won 2 out of 10 replay challenges so far this year.
Possible Rule 8 violation: a slumping Pederson in the leadoff spot and a .200 Rollins in the No. 2 hole do not make my heart fill with glee.
Joc hitting the ball well lately but suffering from .167 babip over last 100 PAs. (he has cut down on Ks at the same time).
Not blacked out tonight.
Good! I hope the game lives up to it.
Lotta pressure! WBBsAs will only be satisfied if Timmy ends up like Charlie Brown on the mound after one of those line drives.
I hope they find and fix what ails Ryu. Here’s also hoping tonight’s game is better than last night’s. Pederson’s Pop will be watching again, and hopefully he’ll see more pop from his son!
DD maintains a weekly chart of reliever usage by pitch count. Drawing any conclusions from it probably isn’t a good idea for several reasons. But based just on last week, DM may be using all 3 lefties only as LOOGYs. Which if so might need some adapting:
JP, 7 total pitches for the week. Lipitor, 17. Paco, 22. At least they’re not being overused. I’ve wondered if DM isn’t going too far the other direction on using Paco and Howell, considering their heavy usage and respective late season fades the last couple years.
Totals for righty relievers: Kenley, 26. YIMI, 36, Hatcher, 47, Nicasio, 62. Santos, 71. Leaving out Kenley, who was just activated, Yimi was least used at 36 pitches. Yet the most used lefty had 22.
Explainable to a degree because there are fewer LH batters. More to it than that? Who knows?
http://dodgersdigest.com/2015/05/19/dodgers-giants-may-19-2015-the-curious-case-of-carlos-frias/
I imagine WBBsAs is at the game in some kind of disguise.
I’ve been to the Phone Booth a few times, but I’ve had enough. I preferred Candlestick.
I will go see the Dodgers when they come to Oakland, which is a better place for a game.
From Cary Osborne at Jon’s place on the under-appreciated Ryu, who’d get a lot more notice except for being on the same team as Kershaw and Greinke:
“It’s a big hit considering how between 2013 and 2014 Ryu was among baseball’s 20 best starting pitchers in that time frame.
“Here are Ryu’s numbers among all MLB pitchers in that span:
ERA: 3.17 (22nd)
FIP: 2.97 (10th)
WAR: 7.4 (tied for 18th)
“Among NL pitchers, he ranked fourth in fielding independent pitching, eighth in ERA and tied for eighth in WAR.”
http://dodgers.mlblogs.com/
Think it was DM who said how good Ryu is would become obvious if he hit the open market.
There’s another link and a little more info on Ryu’s surgery in the original post.
The fun fact was more fun until this year, Link!
Hey, it’s 69-70 going into tonight’s game, and I like our chances against Lincecum.