Game 100, 2016

One hundredth game of the year? Really?

Dodgers at Cardinals, 5:08PM PT, TV: ESPN

Wily veteran Scott Kazmir (8-3, 4.30 ERA) pitches for the Dodgers in the rubber match of this three game series against a longtime (like, 1890 longtime) enemy. The Dodgers have gone 8-3 in Kazmir’s last 11 starts, and he’s had a 3.84 ERA during that stretch. The Cardinals are asking a rookie named Mike Mayers to make his ML debut tonight. He’s 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA between AA and AAA ball this season, so he’s not chum thrown to the sharks.

A tale of two pitching staffs: Mayers will be the sixth starter for the Cardinals all season long. The Dodgers have used a dozen.

Lineup when available.

It’s Van Slyke’s birthday, so of course he gets the day off.

78 thoughts on “Game 100, 2016

      • Quote of the night from Grant (edited for spelling): “This is probably the real Jeff Smarmy. This is probably the real Jake Peevy. Tomorrow night, we’ll get to watch the real Gnatt Cain. Those three pitchers will make as much as the entire Rays 25-man roster this year, and they will never ever stop allowing home runs.”

    • It’s a judgement call. I can’t imagine the pressure of working in the front office at this time of the year.

      • I likely over value top prospects but I do wonder if many players – especially hitters – peak at 25 or younger. So, I would be sad to see Bellinger, Verdugo and a few others go.

        And if Kershaw is not coming back this year, I certainly would be less likely to go all in on a prospects for star talent trade this season.

        • If we are talking Sale here, he has three more years, presumably his prime, at about $13 million per, so it would be more than a one-season rental. And, compared to the Hamels deal it would be a steal (younger, lower salary and not requiring Seager and Urias).

  1. According to Dodgers Digest, “FanGraphs has the Dodgers at 49.9 percent to win the NL West, while the Gnats are at 50.1 percent.” (Quotation edited for spelling).

  2. With Peavy going against the Reds’ best starter, might we hope to be 2 1/2 back by Tuesday? The giants don’t appear to be the 103 win team that they were at the break. I doubt that they are the 96 win team projected today. After the Cincy series, of the next 26 games for them 23 are against >.500 clubs, including us.

  3. Cooking and switched back to see it had gotten to 9-6. I thought my eggs might curdle. Fortunately I turned back on before I served up to see Kenley had one down in the ninth, and I figured he couldn’t blow another save so soon. Guess I was right.

  4. Just watched video on Joc’s catch. It was amazing how he went up and then juggled it on shoulder/back, then in and out and back into his hands. Oh wait, that might be the catch of his cap and not the catch of the ball I was watching.

  5. Minor quibble – if the Dodgers had won the two games on this trip that Jansen had blown saves – they would have gone 7-2. And the team would be 1 game back of SF. And they would have a real shot at getting to 60 wins ahead of SF like I predicted several weeks ago. Sigh.

    OK – done with that. Onwards and upwards.

  6. I wonder if at 9-1 up, Kenley started changing back into his street clothes?

  7. Sad to say but – it would be really good if the Dodgers could score some more runs.

  8. Well, if he is ever to let in a run, now seems to be the time unless Blanton saves his bacon.

  9. ESPN Radio guys suggesting Matt Kemp moves to the Indians at the trade deadline. No evidence to back it up, just a 9-1 game in the 2nd inning.

  10. Nice to see them put up runs in both innings. Let us hope that continues through out the game.

    • Well, we did get 6 runs off of Strasburg as well in the first three innings.

  11. Tonight’s lineup, followed by batting average in July
    2B — Utley, .276
    SS — Seager, .333
    3B — Turner, .324
    1B — Gonzalez, 304
    LF — Kendrick, .375
    C — Grandal, .327
    RF — Toles, .391
    CF — Pederson, .158
    P — Kazmir, .000 (0-for-5)…2-0, 2.25 ERA

  12. Yankees beat the Giants, 5-2, today. Old friend Nathan Eovaldi got the win. Giants went 1-7 on the road trip. Samardzija (9-6) took the loss, allowing 5 ER in 5.2 IP. His ERA in his last 6 starts is 7.29 — 27 ER in 33.1 IP. The Giants signed him in off-season for five years for $90 million.

      • Don’t like insulting nicknames in sports or politics . . . or most anyplace else

        • Whatever you call him, a mediocre pitcher with a horrendous contract whom I’m happy to see on the Gnatstaff.

          • That, I totally agree with. I was surprised by the contract that he received. Outrageous. Many years ago, a friend and Notre Dame grad took me to a game in South Bend. Samardzija was a great receiver and helped the Fighting Irish rally to beat UCLA. Perhaps he should have stayed with football. Or, given how he has done with the Giants this season, I am not disappointed that he stayed with baseball.

          • You are telling a guy with a $90 million contract in baseball that he should have played football?

          • Ha! Here, have a life sentence of CTE and dementia and a career that lasts an average of four years. It’ll be so much more fun than that boring baseball game.

          • Football is a suicide mission. If I had had a son, I would never have permitted him to play it.

          • He’s had a respectable career, in a sport with less physical risk than football – even if he should suffer elbow or shoulder problems. Bo Jackson might have had a great baseball career had he given up football.