Marlins at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-F
Don Mattingly returns to Dodger Stadium with a team that’s lost 11 of its first 17 games. The Marlins are not very good right now, and they face the added burden of being in the same division as the Washington Nationals, so they’re already 7 1/2 games behind in the NL East. They do have Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Fernandez, and they have some guy named Bonds as their new hitting coach with Frank Menechino as his assistant. Fun fact: back in 2001 Bonds and Menechino swung at the lowest percentage of pitches of all major leaguers and still reached base at a combined .447 rate. One was more successful than the other: Bonds hit 73 home runs that season; Menechino’s slash line was .242/.369/.374.
They’ll send lefty Wei-Yin Chen to the hill. He’s 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in three starts. When he was with the Orioles he faced the Dodgers in 2013 and got a win. The Dodgers will counter with the second of their two surprising starters, Ross Stripling, who has a 2.65 ERA in 17 innings but hasn’t gotten a decision yet. Stripling stumbled his last time out in Atlanta when he gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Lineup when available.
Hernandez LF
Kendrick 2B
Puig RF
Turner 3B
Grandal 1B
Thompson CF
Ellis C
Culberson SS
Stripling P— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 25, 2016
Huh. Utley gets a day off. Fine. Gonzalez gets a day off. Okay, but I didn’t know Grandal even owned a first-baseman’s mitt. Pederson and Seager also get days off, presumably because the Marlins are starting a lefty.
NPUT
0-2 so far when I am attending games at the stadium. Package must be disappointed in the RBI mojo this year. I know I am! Too early to paint the toes blue?
Package just couldn’t handle a team about to win its fourth straight division championship, presently on a pace for 97 victories.
He had a difference of opinion with about five of us, but he’s recused himself from this season so far. No need to keep lambasting him.
Zach had another poor outing (7 runs in 6.2 innings), but the Snakes managed to pull off the win.
Not exactly a quality start (unless you define a quality start as one that you win).
Such a difference from last year. Ant theories as to why?
Haven’t seen anything from the national blogs, but will check out the Snake blog as well (were I am guessing they are fit to be tied).
This from the Snake Pit: “He rattled off a couple of examples of ones he’d like back — a pitch to Yadier Molina, his last one of the game to Hazelbaker — then said, “Besides that, pretty decent.” But Greinke seemed at least willing to consider the thought that good pitches in other parks might not be good pitches at Chase Field. Greinke managed one of the better pitching seasons in recent baseball history last year by relentlessly pounding the outer third of the plate. But, this season, Greinke has been burned a few times at Chase despite hitting his spot on the outside corner. It happened at least a couple of more times on Monday night”.
For me, the evidence that it is Chase is mixed. In 10 games prior to this season pitching in Chase Field he had an ERA of 3.34. In 3 games this season he is at 10.10. Although in his 2 non-Chase start this year (Pet Shop and Phone Booth) he has ERA 1.93.
Were it really shows up is in dingers. Prior to this year, Zach had given up 8 HR in 62 innings at Chase. This year 5 in 16 innings (and zero in his non-Chase outings).
Old friend Jimmy Rollins off to a good start and has taken over as starting SS with Chisox.
I watched the bottom on the ninth from bed, and it seemed to me as if Ramos was really getting the benefit of the low strike.
Our batters weren’t too happy about that.
From my admittedly high-up vantage point at the stadium, several of the ump’s calls were off.
Oh well, tomorrow is another day.
Home and toasty.
How long did it take from stadium to home?
20 minutes. Not bad.
Wow – that does seem quick. Always nice to get home in good time.
Wow! I live about 5.5 miles from National Stadium here in DC and it takes me at least 20 minutes to get home with little traffic.
Not the comeback Scooplew wanted. And I have to confess I slipped out before the ninth.
We’ll get them tomorrow with Kershaw!
Time to sleep my friends. Tomorrow should be better!
Ah well. We tried.
A walk. Now we need Gonzalez to drive him in with a double.
I want a dinger, if you don’t mind.
That’s what Seager is for!
2 pinch hitters: Joc and then I guess AGon.
Rojas had a dWAR for us in 2014 of 1.8 in only 85 games. An exceptional fielding SS.
Well, there you go.
Down one run with 4 outs left? Should be no problem after yesterday’s game!
Let’s go Puig.
Hello? Anybody out there?
Hey RBI. I have been listening but working on some emails. Sorry to leave you out there in the cold.
Hang in there, if possible, so you can let us know in detail how the Dodgers pulled it out.
I am freezing. May not make it to nine. I never leave early, but my nose is ice cold.
That’s a strike, yet the other one wasn’t, to Stanton? The at bat that led to a run?
Rockies down 6-1 in the 8th. Gnats up 3-1 in the 4th.
I’ll tell you who I do miss – Nancy Bee.
Great recovery by Thompson!
Chen may not let us see it for awhile, the the Fish pen is not very good based on IRS and BS.
I guess Ross gets another inning since it will be the bottom of the order and the team could use the inning.
A bridge too far.
He was really out of steam this inning.
93 pitches for Stripling.
That was a catcher trying to catch a first base foul ball. Can’t give Stanton an extra strike.
The ump already gave him one.
So true! Looked right down the middle from here.
Just tuned in in time to miss both dingers, but I’ll see replays as I watch the rest of the game from bed. It’s almost 12:30 here.
And look who’s up.
I miss Dee less this year.
I enjoyed Dee, but I don’t really miss him.
Two dingers!
Getting a haircut for the win! (Thompson just got one this morning apparently)
Yah Puig!
Pretty!!!!
That one was hard hit. And of course by Stanton.
No shame in surrendering a dinger to Giancarlo. It seems as if Stripling has a fairly high pitch count so far, though.
He seems lucky that he has not surrendered more. A stronger opposing team might have really teed off on him tonight.
This is Grandal’s 46th MLB game at first base, 36th as a starter. I just looked it up.
Stripling has a good idea on how to bunt.
Dodgers getting some good licks this inning at least.
Ok – this is wildly off topic but does anyone have anything to say about having a rabbit as pet? My wife is thinking of getting our currently pet-less family a lion head rabbit.
Although – is it any more off topic than haircuts? 😉
I am currently against anything that requires cleaning up after… I have two such quadrupeds, and I am over it.
Thanks everyone for chiming in. We might be too far along to stop the process because my wife has taken to the little guy. But it is nice to have the feedback regardless!
I have a friend who has a pet rabbit. She says it makes a great pet and is cuddly and smart. Has a special diet that you cannot find in many supermarkets.
For anyone interested – here is the little guy we are thinking of getting. http://www.winnipeghumanesociety.ca/adoptable-animals/?sb_animal_types=86,73,84,82,1,81,18,83,76,93,4,89,21,85,90,14,80,77,78,88,91,87,74,92,79,94,73,19,75&sb_page=1&sb_animal_id=66310
Okay. Crazy cute.
My wife thinks so too. And I am not disagreeing too much either!
For those who’ve never heard of nor seen one: Wikipedia has a picture.
“In most cases the Lionhead is a friendly and well mannered pet. It is possible to train a Lionhead as they are very smart creatures. They can comprehend certain orders like come, play, and eat.”
Lots of pictures at the North American Lionhead Rabbit Club. You knew there had to be one, right?
Don’t they just sit around and wrinkle their noses and look cute, but then run off if you let them out in the yard?
Also, we have many coyotes in my neighborhood. But that’s a cute bunny, I must say!
I am at the game. The weather is cool and blustery. I have on my Dodger fleece!
Enjoy (the game – and the fleece!)
Just don’t let the Dodgers fleece you. I traveled from the Monterey Peninsula to attend Opening Day with two boyhood friends. It’s a tradition. I bought a beer — for $11.50.
I got my hair cut yesterday, but neither my mother nor my sister have noticed it yet. I always play this game and it usually takes three or four days.
I shaved off my beard and my wife asked me if I had new glasses.
Ha!
Funny to think about what it is that finally tips them off!
Going to bed, will have to wait until morning to see the results.
Old friend now-Yankee Nathan Eovaldi is in the midst of a six-inning interesting game in Texas.
U-less!
Alas, no longer interesting.
Lineup posted.
They’ve got Dee for heaven’s sake!
The Dodgers got a lot back. Dee was fungible.
Not really the point.
I sorta liked Dee, but I don’t miss him.
I don’t miss Donnie.
Tampoco.
Here’s hoping B*nds gets a richly deserved round of boos from the Dodger Stadium crowd. I should be here right around game time, but not sure how long I’ll be able to stick around before falling asleep.
Are you still in South America?
Yes, for another month or so.