Game 64, 2015

Posted on by

Dodgers at Rangers, 5:05PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSW

Carlos Frias goes for the Dodgers while Yovani Gallardo goes for the Rangers. Frias is 4-3 with a 3.86 ERA and has had three quality starts in a row. Gallardo is 5-6 with a 3.45 ERA but 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in his last five starts.

In case you’re wondering (I was), Rangers Ballpark in Arlington got a new name as of last season, when an insurance company paid $5 million a year for the rights to call the place Globe Life Park.

Lineup:

Hmm. A-Gon gets a day off from fielding and Callaspo is at 3rd base. Guerrero seems to be Mattingly’s go-to pinch-hitter these days, which suits me but probably not Alex.

67 thoughts on “Game 64, 2015”

  2. On the Padres’ new interim manager, per MLBTR: “The 56-year-old Murphy was in his third season as El Paso’s manager and spent the two years prior to that managing for San Diego’s A-Ball affiliate. He also has an extensive college coaching career, most notably with Arizona State. Murphy was long hailed as one of the best coaches in the college game, but his time at ASU wasn’t without controversy. Murphy was reportedly forced to resign in 2009 after allegations of academic fraud and recruiting violations marred his tenure as the team’s head coach.”

      • And none of that has to do with leadership. Sometimes people need someone to get into their face and ‘encourage’ them to perform better. A happy club is not a performing club.

    • Several authoritative accounts have called what he provided clubhouse discord, at least last year.

      • He who signs the paychecks (Or has the ear of this person) can say anything. Disagree at your own risk. I can see where other people would envy his charisma.

    • Wonder what Package thinks of this? A Power-Boost Milkshake seems mild by comparison… How can anyone expect honesty and integrity from the players when owners and club officials are so completely without honor?

    • From Sports Illustrated:

      Authorities suspect that Cardinals employees hacked the Astros partly
      to sabotage Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow, who was previously a
      Cardinals executive.

      Law enforcement believes Cardinals employees hacked into the Astros’
      network after Luhnow departed the team for Houston in 2011. The New York Times reports that team employees were concerned that Luhnow had brought structural
      information from the Cardinals’ computer network to Houston.

      That’s what non-compete agreements are for, Cardinals.

  5. From the Oops dept via TBLA:

    “Tolleson, who the Dodgers tried and failed to sneak through outright waivers after recovery from back surgery in November 2014, has a 2.74 ERA in 93 appearances with 102 strikeouts in 102 innings since.”

    • Tolleson spent the entire 2014 season with the Rangers, pitching in 64 games. He pitched only one game with the Dodgers in 2013, walking the only two batters he faced.

      • So if that’s the case, we also have an item for the TBLA Oops dept.

        Eric very rarely makes factual errors. But anyone can.

        Main point is the FO struck out on that particular waiver move. IIRC they lost reliever Javy Guerra to the White Sox in the same way about the same time.

        • Possibly just a typo; I have a lot of confidence in Eric’s reporting, but I’ve noticed errors and omissions that suggest the absence of close editorial attention.

          Guerra I don’t think they worried about losing, but Tolleson proven more durable.

          • IIRC Guerra did fairly well for a while. But now in Charlotte, on the DL.

            “Guerra will use his time at Charlotte to round into the form he showed
            in 2014 in the White Sox’s bullpen (2.91 ERA, 7.4 K/9, and 3.9 BB/9 in
            46 1/3 innings over 42 games).”

            Sounds like a word-for-word team PR release.

            Respectable career numbers but nothing overwhelming. Some control issues, too, if memory serves.

    • Thanks. No mention on what the trade off was at the time, i.e, who was protected by taking Tolleson off the 40? I don’t recall being impressed when this happened.

      • May have left him exposed in Rule 5 draft, IIRC. This sounds like they didn’t view him as anyone worth worrying about, especially in light of his surgery.

        Interesting paragraph in story, straight from the where are they now dept.:

        “The Dodgers had to replace his innings somehow, and right-handers Chris Withrow, Jose Dominguez and, later, Carlos Marmol and Brian Wilson, all held down the fort.”

        Hmmm……believe the fort has been stormed.

        http://www.insidesocal.com/dodgers/tag/shawn-tolleson/

    • Life is hard for Dodger pitchers. I can’t understand why they’re not all mental cases.

    • He’s been good, though. After the previous day’s travel nightmare and five strong innings in Texas heat, I’m willing to cut him a little slack.

      • Texas heat, yes, but imagine that he at traveled there at least the day before..

  13. Per the conversation below, I am puzzled by DM’s decision to keep Guerrero on the bench. He must have made someone mad.

  17. Been doing some more thinking about Guerrero. Actually, the club can trade him without his permission. But. He then becomes a Free Agent at the end of the season. Ergo, other clubs don’t want to pay a reasonable amount for him. I don’t really see where this should be a problem to anyone, it’s just people being stubborn.
    Dodgers: They obviously don’t like him. Not playing him doesn’t help anyone. Play him while you can, build up his value, trade him and move on.
    Other clubs: What’s the problem? Trade for him; If he works out, he’s a free agent, sign him. If he doesn’t perform well, kiss him goodbye, little lost.
    Guerrero: If the Dodgers play him and he does well, his value goes up. If he doesn’t and you can’t trade him, kiss him goodbye. It was only money, and little by these days’ standards…

    • Whether he’s good or not, the Dodgers would get little in return because clause brings great uncertainty.

  19. I guess most of the “fans” here haven’t figured out the game is in the second inning…

  20. Mattingly makes it pretty plain to the FO and everyone else that he doesn’t like Guerrero. Hmmm.. Bud Black’s available and he’s a smart manager… Let’s DFA Mattingly!

    • Would be easier for me to believe that it is the FO that doesn’t want him to play, making him better trade bait in his willingness to waive the clause in his contract.