Dodgers at Yankees, 4:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, YES, MLBN (free game, out-of-market only)
Youth versus experience is the feature here in a battle of lefties. The Dodgers send out just-turned-twenty Julio Urias (5-2, 3.69 ERA) to face the Yankees’ forty-something C.C. Sabathia (8-12, 4.27 ERA). “Sabathia was already pitching in the Major Leagues when Urias was 4 years old.” The Yankee pitcher has made 479 starts in his career but only two of them against the Dodgers, one in 2008 and the other in 2010. Urias made his first big league start in Queens against the Mets in May, so he’s pitched in the big town before.
Lineup when available.
Tonight’s Dodger lineup:
Kendrick 3B
Turner DH
Seager SS
Puig LF
González 1B
Ruiz C
Hernández CF
Segedin RF
Utley 2B
(Urías P)— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 13, 2016
NPUT
My favorite quotation from Grant’s recap: “This blown save came on a three-run homer from Ryan Schimpf, a 28-year-old rookie who was a minor-league free agent in November. Anybody could have had him. Instead, he has more home runs in the second half than anyone on the Gnats has all year.” The Busted Poseur, by contrast, has not homered since mid-July.
Jon looks at our southpaw sorrows. http://dodgers.mlblogs.com/2016/09/14/struggles-against-lefties-a-sample-size-issue/
Though they certainly deserve it, those giants can’t be that unlucky forever. I wouldn’t want to face them if they make the playoffs (what is the opposite of “knock on wood”?).
Agree, especially in an even-numbered year.
Feel the same about the Cards — they thrive on postseason.
In truth, the Gnats have been extraordinarily lucky to be where they are now. Their reality is far closer to their second-half performance than it is to their first.
I turned off baseball after the Dodger game ended last night but, this morning, I was agreeably surprised to read about the Gnats’ unanticipated thoughtfulness.
Checking in this morning to post this tweet from Bob Timmermann:
“Giants get food poisoning after consuming bad Schimpf cocktail.”
Sep 14, 2016 12:46 am
Also a link to this, revealing his outlook these days. Good perspective.
http://bobtimmermann.tumblr.com/post/148963648609/losses-changes-passings
Magic number down to 15.
Final: Padres 6, Giants 4
San Diego wins it when Schimpf hits a two-out, two-strike, three-run homer to erase a 4-3 deficit. When inning began Giants led 4-1.
Those fans must be losing their minds.
Almost Grant Brisbee time! 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.
Can’t wait to read this one…
Yesterday’s was about SF’s most boring game, losing 4-0 to the Padres. I’m guessing this one might be one of the more excruciating games.
Let’s hope San Diego can continue their dominance of the Giants.
Gnats imploded in top of the 9th. Given up 5 runs so far. Was 4-1, is now 6-4. Good call.
I love you Ryan Schimpf – whoever you may be!
I’d never heard of him either
Just wishful thinking — which disappeared when i saw it was 4-1 in the 9th. (Still, the Pads are doing SOMEthing right!)
Then I thought it was an error in the paper that LA is still 4 GA.
It’s soo much nicer when LA wins and the only question is if they’ll increase the lead.
Bah.
Perfect comment for tonight’s game.
And Sunday’s.
And Friday’s.
Which — as depressing as “average” is, means LA is up for a good game manana.
Two good things, at least we don’t have to face Miller and Chapman.
All good things must come to an end.
And all bad things must happen again.
And again.
One difference between last night’s game and tonight’s – NY is much sharper on defence.
…and they know how to spell the word.
Our batters seem to be move between meek and mighty, but we are four games up.
Meekest v. LHPs.
worse batting average and OPS in the majors against lefties according to writer Doug Padilla
And not a state secret.
On average not too bad. Third in the NL in OPS+ behind Cubbies and Cards.
No, but the inability to hit LHPs is a serious concern.
Perhaps a Dodger rookie can still pick up the win tonight.
Well if Urias is done for the season, congrats to him on a fine opening act.
Ross Stripling coming in.
How are the Dodgers ever going to win a potential playoff series if they are stacked up against left handed pitching?
Lefties are a challenge, but few teams among the contenders have more than one southpaw starter, so “stacked up” seems a stretch.
Helpful. Very helpful.
I hope Hendley has it nailed.
Ha! Concerned as well, just thought that “stacked up” didn’t really describe the challenge.
However, LH relievers could be a serious issue, even if there’s only one Chapman (whose handedness appears pretty irrelevant).
Yeah, no one hits Chapman. The Cubbies probably have the most formidable stack of lefties to throw at us among the NL contenders. Along with Chapman they have Lester, Montgomery and Wood.
I can remember when the Dodgers lacked LH bats, and went out and got Shawn Green.
Hope for a shutout and play for the tie.
No pressure on Dodger starters!
“Good news — you’re starting tomorrow! Bad news — they’re throwing a lefty at us.”
At least we kept NY scoreless.
Phew!
Well, that settles that.
I wonder if the 11 days between starts has left him rusty.
He seems fine (what are you seeing?)
He is not sharp on his pitches. Lots of deep counts on batters like his first few starts of the year. Of late he had gone much deeper into games than 3 and 2/3 on 80 pitches.
Coleman in in relief.
You thought he was as good tonight as his last 5 or so starts?
He seemed fine to me. Very few balls hit hard.
That’s true about the soft contact. And he was the victim of some well placed bloop shots. However, I thought he wasn’t finishing batters and was all over the strike zone. But scoreless outing none the less!
He was definitely not sharp, unable to put away mediocre hitters like Headley.
I’m guessing Urias won’t get a chance to win this – both because of the score and likely not going a full 5 innings.
If that happens I can hear Roberts muttering “another ‘lift the pitcher early’ decision. I didn’t sign up for all of these things.”
Should have another inning in him (when he gets out of this mess)
There is no way Roberts let’s him go a full 5.
Not even out of the 4th.
Good show Julio!
Nice K by Urias.
Urias not quite as sharp and not quite as lucky as sometimes. Not a good combo.
C.C. Is not as advertised. I thought he was supposed to be a home run producing pitcher.
At the plate.
I think it’s been a long time since his last one.
2008, when he had 2 in 53 PA (only 3 total in his career, however).
He is not the worst on the Yanks, with three of the other five starters having higher dinger rates.
Back in our strikeout mode.
Julio threw a strike to first (but not to home).
Julito appears to have better (or at least quicker) move than Kershaw.
Last year Jose Quintana threw about two games to first with 189 pickoff attempts. he got one. Klayton threw over 127 times and nabbed 4.
Old friend U-less was very efficient at 5% (80 throws 4 pickoffs) Klayton was at 3.2%
We were 180 feet away from being up 2-0.
https://twitter.com/visitoakland/status/775831763461349377
Like how Julio came back on Sanchez after falling behind 3-0.
Some good low strikes called by the Ump on on pitches 4 and 5.
Puig hurting during that at bat.
IIRC Jim Gentile used to wear a pad on his back because of his backswing.
I forget who might have asked yesterday, but https://twitter.com/BillShaikin/status/775805535845097473
I was asking if that final regular-season game would be a 9-inning simulcast . . . that answer is even more important with this sad news.
So sad. I really enjoyed the idea of not knowing how many more games Vin had left. That it was dependent on how deep the Dodgers went into the playoffs.
Ditto.
But not “jinx!”
I guess he likes the idea that it’s Dodgers/Giants for the finale.
It kinda sorta ruins the whole “Win for Vin” idea. Certainly the “Win with Vin” is out the window.
Excellent point.
From Jon Wiseman:
the significance of his final day, October 2.
… He then connected the day he was walking home from school and heard about a World Series game that cemented him as a baseball fan (a Giants fan at the time, to be honest) and changed his life.
“That little boy saw that World Series linescore — October 2, 1936,” Scully said. “My last game, my wonderful last game after 67 years with the ballclub, will be against the San Francisco Giants. It will be October the 2nd, 2016. Exactly 80 years from when that little kid saw that Giants score.” …
ITFDB!
Love to see Urias get the win. Could be his last start of the year.
BP analysis of Urias moving forward. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=30359