Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-A
RHP Jose De Leon is the latest rookie pitcher to make a splash with the Dodgers (following Maeda, Stripling, Urias and Stewart), starting off his big league career with a 2-0 record and an ERA of 4.09 with 12 strikeouts. He’ll face LHP Robbie Ray (8-13, 4.55 ERA). Ray is a strikeout pitcher: he’s recorded 202 this season.
This is the last game of the road trip for the Dodgers. They head home after the game to start a seven-game homestand with a three-game set against the Giants beginning Monday.
Lineup:
Kendrick LF
Turner 3B
Seager SS
Puig RF
Segedin 1B
Hernandez CF
Culberson 2B
Barnes C
De Leon P— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) September 18, 2016
NPUT
Big leaguer rides bike to work. In uniform.
Has his wife dress him.
Not sure how this is going to play out in the long run — hopefully it’s just a blip.
A 7-1 loss would’ve saved the bullpen.
But going ahead shows them they can do it, which has to be worth something going forward.
Once again we see that it takes a village . . . any aspect of the game can lose it.
Four top relievers – Jansen, Blanton, Dayton, Báez – did not pitch tonight.
I wonder if, if Roberts had it to do over, he’d not have scheduled Kershaw against Bumgarner with a five-game lead.
Huh?
Well, Bumgarner isn’t pitching real well right now, so we might not need Kershaw to match him one-for-one. Maybe Clayton could have been scheduled to pitch against one of the other guys and made it easier on our offense.
Thinking out loud, that’s all.
Oh, found a hotel — Best Western Pentagon. It’s midway between the two places I have to be that weekend.
Ok. Now I understand.
If so, only because the Dodgers have managed to beat BadGums without him. BadGums is a decent pitcher, but he’s far below Kershaw’s level.
I hope we get the second half Giants tomorrow and not the first half ones.
More anxious moments to come tomorrow. See everyone then.
Still, a five-game lead looks really good at this point.
We started on this 10-game road trip with a five-game lead and we come home with a five-game lead.
Damn. (Violation of Rule No. 1 acknowledged).
Very weak violation.
Barely worth mentioning.
The first leak in the polder!
This is not on Stripling.
What happened?
Gave up a few hits and AZ scored. But he pitched well in relief for 60 plus pitches.
Got it.
Bah.
Stripling up to 61 pitches in relief now.
How many is Barnes up to?
It would have been too much to expect Goldschmidt to go 0-for-6.
Uh Puig? Please don’t catch it so casually like that. Thank you. But thanks for catching it.
That was not great.
Kendrick wanted to say he played short in this game as well as the other positions he was slotted in.
Question: If you can expand the roster to 40 players in September, why not at least have a few more batters so Stripling didn’t have to bat.
Especially since OKC’s season ended last night.
If Stripling can get through the 12, there is the answer.
Stripling getting squeezed.
Grant didn’t know where to start today:
Let’s go Dre!
Seager’s had an awful day.
Hi all. What a crazy game! I have grandson and family here but watching as we play.
Good to hear from you. Have fun with the family!
Doc looking for an 11th.
I’ll take a 10th at this point.
Yes!
GiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLostGiantsLost
Dealing with Utley striking out
I love the way Utley holds his bat
Let us please get a run out of this.
Or not.
Hit ’em where they ain’t Utley.
We will take it all back Reddick if….
If you bloop it into the outfield?
Accepted but, not sure what the but is.
Let’s go Dre.
You break my leg. I wait 8 months to break your heart.
The Gnatloss has mitigated any potential aggravation, but I’ll still be disappointed if the Dodgers don’t win this one.
Even though that was once a forgone conclusion?
Yeah it still feels a bit like house money.
I hope Kendricks hits in the ninth
Not Seager’s best day today.
I’m locked in now! (Except I have to make supper.)
Great play by Howie!
He even waited for the runner to go by. Almost could have just tagged him!
Guy might have scored before he could catch him.
Howie!
Can someone please throw strikes?
Come ON, guys, throw strikes!
You beat me to it!
The third out soon would be ever so helpful.
Yikes, Roberts isn’t assuming a 12+ inning game
Pen not empty quite yet.
Turner out in a double switch. Good idea about putting Kendrick at third 🙂
Did someone mention a 12th inning? We are now an hour into the future and living in the 12th.
Me, about a yard below.
And back to even, what a crazy game
Rams win!
The win probability graph in this game will be crazy.
Arrgh!
OMG
Brand new ballgame.
Oops.
Rams are seconds away from winning in front of 90,000
Who?
Go Rams!
Dave, walk Segura?
No. Trust the shadows between the mound and home plate to mess with Segura.
Should have walked Owings though apparently.
With all the strike calls Dodger pitchers are getting, makes Joc’s complaint all the more unfortunate (since it was a strike to him).
I thought the ump had a short fuse, though.
Others had complained. Joc pointed.
Joc steps out a lot and that aggravates umpires some as well. He deserved to be thrown out and yes it was a strike.
We were down 3-0 last I checked in and I thought it would be a tough hill to climb, but the Dodgers went total Sound Of Music on the Diamond Backs!
We solved a problem like Robbie Ray.
So I guess Jansen might still pitch today.
Chip Hale is miserable. So are the Giants.
Howie kaplowie!
The Stache!
Need another 2 out hit.
Ask and ye shall receive!!!!!
2 out 2 run hit!
Let’s go again AGon!
Gnats lose again! More material for Grant!
One out from those giants being shutout.
Done!
Magic number 9
5+
6?
Nice cheer heard on the radio — gotta be helpful to have a cheering section in the visitor’s park.
Cards looking for more.
But not getting any.
Except for Norris, we’re getting great performances today from the bullpen.
Painted the corner!
Barnes looking great behind the plate.
Yes!
Now let’s get the lead!!!
Get the K!
After 8, Cardinals 3, Giants 0.
Bochy desperate enough to bring in Gnatt Cain.
To hit?
To “pitch,” though he might swing the bat better than some of their position players.
the horse is out of the barn
3-0 Cards.
Back to hitting time!
Hi this is Bereket the Dodgers are doing good !!!
My son is exited!
Why did he leave?
Excited. My bad.
What sort of name is “Bereket?”
Not exactly sure what you are asking but it’s a common boy’s name in Ethiopia.
I meant its origin, which I think you answered.
How old is your son?
Welcome, Bereket! You have great taste in baseball teams! 🙂
Thanks Bob.
New game
I am pleasantly stunned!
From lack of pulse to going strong, this offense is up off the mat!
Liking this.
Hello!
A-gon again!!!!!
Things developing here.
We’re getting a look at this game.
Was Segedin intentionally walked?
Nope.
Thanks.
On the bright side, the Gnats left the bases loaded in the sixth, and still trail 2-0.
Despite the best efforts of the defense of the Cardinals, who rank 24th in MLB in fielding.
Surprising, because they’re usually fundamentally sound.
10 years since the 4+1 Game. Was it Jon Weisman that coined that moniker for that game? Or someone on the old Dodger Thoughts site?
I’ll be going back to the Rams game pretty soon. They are ahead at the half 6 – 3
The Rams are my second team.
Now that De Leon is gone and the righty lineup isn’t, I will continuing recording and fast forward a lot when I do watch.
Eight quarters without a TD. I have to think that the wunderkind Goff starts the next game.
If Bud is the answer, the Dodgers are asking the wrong question.
Apparently, that Bud is not for you
Not today anyway.
The name Bud Norris makes me think of a farmer in a Stetson or a feed store cap with a buzz cut underneath it, probably wearing a big-checked shirt and jeans.
Yep, that’s the guy
Actually, he’s from very upscale suburban Marin County.
So, a hipster.
I believe Marin’s the wealthiest county in the state.
My uncle the Blue Cross lobbyist and his family lived there when I first met my cousin who’s a year younger than I. (If Mill Valley is in Marin Cty.)
Yes, it is.
The inimitable Bud Norris.
At this point the question may be, “Who can take one for the team?”
Or give one up to the other team.
At this point, I would be content — but not happier, mind you — if the standings remained the same at the end of the day.
Bud coming in.
Still 2-0 Cards through 5.
Giants got the leadoff man to second with none out in the 5th, on a single and an error, but, obviously, he didn’t score.
Certainly glad that that monkey is off our back.
Before it grew into a 900 pound gorilla.
Yay! Hernandez!
Winning yesterday and SF losing yesterday reduces the angst of today’s game for me. There will be more than enough tension over the next 3 games that I don’t need to start early.
Let’s go Cardinals!
That too.
In and out of Kendrick’s glove.
Toles catches that easily.
Absolutely. But I must say I have’nt felt that Kendrick has been a defensive libality in left this year.
He’s been adequate for somebody with so little experience there.
Dave’s wish fulfilled.
Ha – and now I’m complaining about it.
Way to listen to me now about waking Segura. Too late my friend.
JDL’s not fooling a lot of batters.
Silver lining: off day for Jansen very likely today.
Feel bad for JDL. Getting hit around a bit now.
Cards take a 2-0 lead over Gnats in third.
I can tell we are facing a lefty. No runs.
Saving it up for MadBum he says hopefully.
Dodgers have already beaten BadGums thrice this year.
Thinking of Dodger pitchers who won their first two starts besides De Leon, I came up with Carl Erskine (1948), Karl Spooner (1955), John Purdin (1964) and Fernando Valenzuela (1981). I am sure there are others, but they are not Vance, Koufax, Drysdale, Singer or Sutton.
Erskine and Fernando were pretty good. But for arm trouble, Spooner showed signs of being another Koufax.
Totally agree re Spooner. He apparently hurt his arm in spring training in 1955, went 8-6 that year and never pitched in the majors again. He started the only game I saw in Ebbets Field. It was in 1955.
He struck out 15 in his first major league start.
Valdez?
Oops. Nope not Valdez.
Except – yes Valdez. I was looking at team record in games he pitched. But not at his starts – where he went 2-0.
Also Kaz Ishii started 6-0.
Very good. Ishii won his first six starts. The only Dodger to start his career by winning more of his first starts was likely Valenzuela with eight. Others, however, who failed to win their first two starts, in no particular order, include Newcombe, Belcher, Valdez, Ryu, Nomo, (Sid) Fernandez, Hershiser and Kershaw. Passing time as today’s game unravels. By the way, doesn’t anyone know much about Ryu’s status?
Witness protection plan (re:Ryu)? I think he is gone and never coming back.
Seriously now – walk the heck out of Segura in that spot.
A game of inches.
Rough inning here for the Dodgers.
Terrible play by Culberson.
Should have been two outs. Instead, zip.
Amazing hustle by Puig but just missed.
Hey Link – it looks like the Game 149 post is missing from the home page. Were we bad and you had to delete it?
Huh? Lemme look.
Oh, subtle. Okay, I mistitled this one. I’ll fix.
Any luck?
Refresh the page.
JDL pitches out of it.
JDL flashing the leather!
Goldschmidt keeps striking out against these kids. Stewart got him twice yesterday and De Leon once today.
Almost but not quite serious – should have IBB Segura.
I looked at the lineup and wondered if they had already clinched.
We can hope that when the Snakes finish last that they will burn all of their uniforms.
That’s 40×4=160 uniforms to burn!
They could hire Chris Sale as a consultant…
Oh yeah!
Dayton is a rookie as well.
I was thinking of starters. No disrespect to Dayton or Liberatore intended.
Keep additional lefties in the lineup besides Seager. Segedin-Hernandez-Culberson-Barnes don’t do it for me.
But they beat Ray the southpaw last time out with essentially this lineup (Granted Seager had two of the four hits).