Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 12:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-A
This is another battle of lefthanders. Clayton Kershaw has won nine of his last ten starts with a 1.17 ERA during that stretch. He’s 14-7 with a 2.18 ERA overall. He’s only pitched against the D-Backs once this season, back on April 11, and they got five runs off him in 6 1/3 innings. His opponent will be Patrick Corbin, who’s 6-4 with a 2.99 ERA. He lost to the Dodgers on September 13, giving up eight hits and two runs in six innings. That was the Greinke game in which Kenley Jansen gave up a 3-run HR to Saltalamacchia in the ninth with two outs, making it a lot closer game than it had been.
Lineup when available.
Today's #Dodgers lineup:
Ruggiano LF
Rollins SS
Turner 3B
Kendrick 2B
Van Slyke 1B
Ellis C
Heisey CF
Schebler RF
Kershaw P #whiff
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 24, 2015
NPUT
It would be hilarious if Barry Zito beat the Gnats to clinch the division for the Dodgers.
In an even more startling development, Matt Kemp caught a routine fly ball last night.
Thank you, Padres!
Nice way to learn!
Magic number is 3! Another walk off win for SD.
Half-an-hour till Giants at Padres on CSN-BA and FSSD.
Blacked out in the Bay Area, but I don’t much care, really.
Kiké will almost certainly be back before the end of the season. Puig and Peraza are far more questionable. Puig might be at 70 percent right now.
Gotta believe that they are being cautious to an extreme with Yasiel, given the previous experience.
Speaking of Aces, is it correct that Zack is missing this entire rotation?
Also, any word/rumors re Dodgers making him an offer before Free Agency?
Probably not something you want to be doing at this stage of the season. Engaging in negotiations can lead to misunderstandings and attention being diverted away from the playing field.
Good point.
I’d hate to see him leave. Other than that misguided tackle in San Diego which sidelined him, I’ve been impressed with all he’s done as a Dodger.
Gotta believe that he is FO’s number 1 priority.
Yes. He’ll start again on Monday against the Jints.
What worries me a little is that this is the same thing which kept him from traveling to Oz last year.
Every win is good, especially at this time of year, but this was a GREAT win.
I heard the bottom of the 5th, then followed the rest on Gameday while at a buffet.
The bats woke up for one inning and they made it count!
The bullpen didn’t give up any runs.
A comeback win and in a game when the Ace was not Ace-ish. This wasn’t a postseason-quality team, but all nice indicators.
A very special win indeed.
(What is the best buffet in Vegas these days? I expect to be there soon.)
“They” say the M (first one you hit if driving in from SoCal) or one of the fancier Strip hotels.
I like the Station casinos buffets — they market to locals — because they’re more easily accessibly . . . and they give discounts. (Full disclosure: gourmet food is wasted on me . . . and of the two, I prefer quantity over quality. 🙂 )
Eric Stephen points out we won’t have to see Paul Goldschmidt again in a real game until April 2 of next year.
Nice thought. At least it won’t be April Fool’s Day!
Tomorrow’s game is at 5:10pm Pacific time, for you Mainlanders.
You’re going to have to keep your toenails painted till after the World Series…
I have to say I hope they don’t clinch in the next 3 games, so I can see the games. I usually get the Giant games.
But but but – I could have a coronary before then!
You always want to clinch at the earliest possible date. I’m looking at a tie tomorrow and the real deal on Saturday.
Nine consecutive scoreless innings in relief by the Dodgers yesterday and today.
This HAS to be good for their confidence and swagger factor. Good timing.
After all the games that Kershaw hasn’t won after leaving with a lead, how great it is for him to win a game in which he departed on the potential losing end.
I was about to post something like this, but you said it better.
Magic number is now Duke Snider’s uniform number. Let’s hope it is Willie Davis’ at the end of play today.
Or Sax’s.
I prefer Willie D.
Yabba dabba doo!
Woo-HOO!!!!!
We win! Magic number fantastic 4!
They’re ALL pesky!
Two down. One to go, KJ.
So many pitches.
Yeah, 21+.
Ump not expecting that high curve ball from Kenley and called it a ball despite being in the zone.
I know. It was a beauty.
Drury is pesky. Finally got the long out.
No baserunners, Kenley. I remember that Sept. 13 game.
Closers never remember.
Sorry AJ, Heisey is Clayton’s new BFF.
(Just showed a shot of them chatting in the dugout.)
My favorite was Ruggiano throwing his arms around Clay when Heisy hit the GS.
And Clayton finally turning his scowl into a grin.
I am thinking that Clayton may have been a bit chagrined with that. after all, it’s not about him.
Don’t mind seeing some more runs for the Dodgers here. #stillrememberlosing8-0.
Like to see Joc in the hit parade, as well.
And I jinxed it. Still 6-3.
In the second half of the season, coming into today Hatcher has an ERA (17 innings) of 1.56. Kenley in 27 innings is at 3.00.
Man I’m sick. Just fell asleep on the couch with jacket on and a blanket and still shivering.
Which has nothing to do with baseball but it had gotten quiet there for a bit.
Isn’t it about time to turn on the heat?
Just today we got an electric fireplace and we have it running!
With that out, Goldschmidt is now hitting .397 against the Dodgers this year, .450 at Dodger Stadium. Won’t miss not seeing him the rest of this season.
Nice managing of the relief pitchers by Donnie in the top of the 7th. Goldschmidt leads off the 8th with the Dodgers up by at least three.
Feels like it should be the ninth inning already.
Lotsa baserunners and pitching changes.
Pederson grounds out to the infield and Rollins goes from 1st to 3rd? So says Gameday. Can that be right?
Yes, it’s right. Shift left third uncovered.
Oh, of course. I forgot about infield shifts.
I had to take care of some business when we were down 3-0, and then I come up for air and see we scored half-a-dozen runs . Reading all the comments, this one from RBI while we were losing stands out: “I think our guys will rally.”
That looked like one of my pitches in LL.
Come on Juan, get this guy.
30 pitches in one inning. Safe to say he’s done for the day.
Pitch number 29 was really something.
Did you see Kimbrel’s WP last night?
Yeah. Ryne Duren-esque.
Bullpen needs to hold these guys now. They will not give up easily.
Bring back Latos!
I predict Latos will be a Gnat in 2016. They like his attitude.
Vin: “A very interesting game. They’re all interesting, but every once in a while you get one that is kind of like a short story, and this is one.”
Stop the presses! Guerrero got a hit!
Vin: It’s 2 o’ clock, and the Dodgers are finally waking up.
PH Barnes gets two ABs in one inning.
Oh ye of little faith!!!!!! Heisy!!!!!!!!!
Heisy has friends in high places! (Audit is right).
I think it’s Kershaw’s turn to get a break.
Blind squirrels…
I was thinking more along the lines of “by the grace of God”.
How about that!
My son just called that!
Need to punch another run across.
Just pulling up my chair. Looks like I missed all the fireworks!
Hopefully not! We need a couple more firecrackers.
Hardly!
I’m glad to be wrong!
Woot! Only down one!
Over to you, Howie!
Okay, Turner. Time for some JT magic.
We have had some good hits in this game. Better than the last few games.
That homer was likely the game clincher.
Ruggiano came sooo close to getting us back in this. Game of inches.
If someone that didn’t know the standings watched this game, you’d never convince them the Dodgers have virtually sewed up the Division and the ‘Snakes are also-rans.
Emphasis on “virtually.”
We had our way with them most of the season, but the Snakes are all that bad. Their pythagorean W-L is 78-74.
The Snakes have a lot of young talent, but also some significant flaws.
Speaking of which, Goldie should be booed every time he comes to the plate for rejecting the Dodgers who drafted him.
When is he a free agent?
2019. He’s vastly underpaid, too.
Was that back in the days when they wouldn’t pay big money to draftees?
He was the 1,453 player picked in 2006. So it was probably a question of bus fare. In 2009 he was draft at 246.
I know you will disagree but… I think we have more talent than our performance indicates. I think a different manager could get better performance from a lot of the players, I think players like Agon, Ethier and some others “coast” a lot. My opinion.
Older vets certainly try to pace themselves in a 162 plus (hopefully) season. Agon seems to be having one of his typical seasons and Dre one of his better one’s. What were your expectations?
Kersh was laboring as it was . . . hope his fruitless stint on the basepath doesn’t make it worse.
55 pitches in three innings. That’s gonna be hard to overcome.
Goldschmidt is amazing. Their whole lineup is hitting through the roof.
The Snakes have good young talent. I expect them to finish ahead of the Gnats gnext year.
Here comes the bomb..Edit: Well, holding Goldie to a single is an accomplishment…
Moral victory.
But could be a hill too high to climb with the bats these days.
I’m not sure about that. I think our guys will rally. (Guess who got a good night’s sleep?)
Sure hope you’re right, especially since Kersh may have to turn it over to the bullpen if he has many more innings like the last two.
The team, and the fans, put way too much pressure on Kershaw in their/our expectations.
No higher than he does on himself, though.
True, but it doesn’t forecast a long career. Physical wear and tear, and burnout, not to mention injury. Remember Koufax retired at 32.
Koufax had arm issues that would be fixable today.
You don’t think burnout was a factor?
Think he was tired of all the treatments and the great possibility of permanent damage.
I seem to remember he said once he wanted to play golf when he was sixty, and if he kept pitching his arm wouldn’t let him.
Agree in general — and technically this still has the chance to be a “quality” outing.
But the way the bats can go from 60 to 0 faster than lightning . . . and the bullpen’s habit of pouring gasoline on a fire . . . are cause for concern.
Last night the bullpen gave up one run in nine innings. Better than the average Kershaw or Greinke start.
Yup. I had a feeling…
Way too many pitches.
Come on, Clayton.
Having to work much harder than in the first, though no balls hit well.
If you thought last night’s lineup was weak….
It may not be an opening-day lineup. In reality, it’s a late-season, day-game-after-a-night game lineup.
Bottom line: If Kershaw throws a shutout, he can get no-decision….
So, he’s no better than the bullpen was last night.
Our opening day line up was only used once! Interesting article of line ups. Of the five top contenders the Pirates were number one in using the same line up. Their most favored line up was used 12 times (or 8% of the games). http://dodgers.mlblogs.com/2015/09/24/doin-the-lineup-shuffle/
Dodgers don’t seem to be an extreme in terms of shuffling.
That should be interesting reading for our most constant lineup critic. Package, read that! 😉