Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 5:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-A
Today sees Zack Greinke’s (12-4, 4.17 ERA) return to Dodger Stadium to face Kenta Maeda (13-8, 3.38 ERA). Greinke beat the Dodgers in Phoenix on July 13 while Maeda has seen the D-Backs four times this year, going 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA with 20 strikeouts against just three walks. He’s been on a roll recently, going 5-1 in his last seven starts while posting a 3.71 ERA.
Scoreboard watch: the Giants play the Rockies in Denver at 1:10PM PT.
In case you missed it, here’s a great throw (Pederson) and tag (Utley) from yesterday’s game:
Joc with the throw and Chase with the tag! 👏👏👏👏 https://t.co/j82cZKwRXo
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 5, 2016
Lineup when available.
Today's Dodger lineup:
Utley 2B
Seager SS
Turner 3B
González 1B
Grandal C
Reddick RF
Kendrick LF
Pederson CF
Maeda P— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 5, 2016
NPUT
Interesting to note that Grandal, despite a relatively low batting average, is out-OPS’ing the Busted Poseur and is only slightly behind Wilson Ramos. When Grandal connects with one, as he did last night, it really jumps off his bat.
It’s notable that Ramos has a BAbip of .323 and Buster .302, while Yas is at .251
Interesting additional evidence.
Comparative exit velocity: Grandal 93.0 (ranking 29th in MLB), Ramos 91.9; Buster 91.1.
Gnatfans whine that the Poseur is playing banged up. I’d say that’s part of his (early-onset) decline phase.
Belated yahoo!
How sweet it is!
We win!
Woo-HOO!!!!
Alright. Let’s close it out quickly.
You gotta be somewhere? I mean, other than bed.
I have some work to do before I go to bed. 🙂
Seager gets one more shot at the cycle!
https://www.facebook.com/DodgersTrueBlueLA/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE&fref=nf True Blue had a post just today on the Dodger dinginess.
Hey Bob H. Do you know if the Dodgers have ever had a team with 5 hitters with 20 or more hrs?
True Blue post that I just posted myself talks about some of the homer feats by the Dodgers.
See below.
Looks like they have done it twice – 1979 and 2000. I have vague memories of the Eric Karros led 2000 team doing it. http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/share.cgi?id=9pSYN
The 1977 team had the four 30-HR guys, but the next two were Yeager with 16 and Monday with 15.
It looks like both the 1979 and the 2000 teams had the 5th player hit exactly 20. So this year’s team could be the first to have 5 guys all hitting more than 20 hrs!
Quit changing the goalposts!
Ha! Very small incremental changes but yeah.
Yeah, like you guys decided to change football.
The Grey Cup has been around a lot longer than the Super Bowl. Just saying.
1979 and 2000.
Saved by the foul ball.
Don’t load them up, pretty please.
Subject to change because the base runners are still Maeda’s responsibility but the game scores for the starting pitchers: Maeda 75. Grienke 2.
2!
Yikes.
That’s like a college football game score!
Kenta pitched a great game.
Just joining. Sorry to have missed all the fun!
Slugfest.
Laugher?
I never relax until games are over this time of year.
Not for Greinke.
Man he had two strikes on Goldschmidt
Maeda is tiring.
Cycle alert.
Seager might get one more chance if the Dodgers get about 3 or 4 base runners in the next few innings.
I blame the D-backs uniforms for their slumping year. They’re portraits of depression.
Maeda is pitching — and hitting — like LA Zack did.
Can we possibly have a 4+4 game, by doing it again next inning?
I vote on repeating it tomorrow.
The tweet should’ve added it was vs. Zack . . . it means more.
Shutdown inning, Kenta . . .
Always nice to start a series by beating their ace.
Greinke will return to the Dodgers as a BP pitcher.
The Dodgers’ chances of having 5 guys with 20 or more home runs greatly improved tonight.
I was wondering about that — Corey, JT, Agon, Joc, Grandal?
Yes. They all have at least 20 except for AGon – who is at 17.
I remember when Dusty hit an HR in his last AB of the season to make 4 Dodgers with 30.
So do I.
Bob – do you know if the Dodgers have ever had the 5×20 grouping?
I defer to D.C. Bob H.
But it’s sure impressive, showing depth.
From Baseball Almanac:
Single Season Team Based Home Run Records
Orioles, Jays (2x) , Rangers, Yankees seven 20-HR guys in the AL and Braves twice with six 20-HR guys in the NL.
Team With
Most 20 Home Runs Hitters
AL
1996 Baltimore Orioles
7
1996
2000 Toronto Blue Jays
2000
2005 Texas Rangers
2005
2009 New York Yankees
2009
2010 Toronto Blue Jays
2010
NL
1965 Milwaukee Braves
6
1965
2003 Atlanta Braves
2003
Got my Bob’s mixed up for a moment. 🙂
Guess Zack can console himself with the extra money he got from AZ.
I feel badly for him tonight.
Not me, but I do feel a little less for it.
He had/has a special place in my heart, because of the social anxiety. It’s why I like the Andrew Toles story so much.
I must have missed that. What is there about Toles?
He suffered to a high degree social anxiety. Was out of baseball for a year I believe not too long ago.
He got the calll from Freidman while working at a Kroger store, after a year away from baseball getting himself figured out.
Huh. Thanks for telling me.
Me too, but the money lhe gets ets me enjoy the Dodgers doing it to a friend.
If I had known the Dodgers were going to hit so many hrs, I would have been a bit less excited about AGON’S.
Grandal too? Holy cows!
Incredible!
If Zack wasn’t rattled before, he is now.
(No snake-bit pun intended.)
Turner with another one!
Corey!!!!!
Welcome back to Chavez Ravine, Zack!
Maeda grimicing as he reached first?
That’s his expression of glee, I think.
Oh yes. That could be.
Glad Kenta got the hit, but don’t want it to affect his mound mojo.
A great solution would be for someone to hit another dinger so he can trot in.
Joc-ularity!
Joc has answered Greinke twice this year. When playing together, Greinke told Joc he could easily get Joc out.
Didn’t know that.
The best revenge is success.
This game is moving along nicely. Paused the game right before AGon’s hr. What a nice treat to come back to after putting my son to bed.
Agon — again!
But I waited to make sure Steiner didn’t change his mind this time.
Steinered!
Fortunately, I’ve got Vin.
Lucky x 2
Grant nostalgically recalls the Gnats’ traditional June swoon, which didn’t happen this year: “The September Dismember doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.”
Giants got two hits today, giving them a total of 16 in their last five games.
Fearsome lineup!
According to Steiner they’ve been shut out five times in their last twenty-something games.
I sure hope Grant is back to write today’s recap.
He already wrote an addendum to last night’s game.
Those giants lose!
Out of respect, you need to learn to capitalize “Gnats.”
Bettis breezing through eight at Coors.
Those giants still losing at bottom half of the 7th, 6-0.
https://twitter.com/hankschulman/status/772918901482991616
The single yesterday on the bunt with the throwing error has been changed by the official scorer to an error, so JDL ERA is 4.50 instead of 6.00 and he has a QS for his first start in the majors.
I’m sure he’ll find that helpful at contract time…
This was the right call.
Gnats still being blanked through six, though Bettis has lost perfect game and no-no.
And gave up only two hits, no walks, and struck out seven. Have we faced him this season? Yikes!
Las alineaciones de hoy:
Hadn’t realized that Pollock was back.
One of the most dangerous Snakes.
Rox swatt Gnats for six runs in the third, and lead 6-0 in Denver. Gnatt Cain replaces Gnatt Moore.
5-0 Rox in the third. Cargo grand slam. Revenge must feel sweet to them. Thank you, Rockies.
Now 6-zip.