Mariners at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA
The Mariners trot out James Paxton to face the Dodgers’ Brandon McCarthy.
The left-handed Paxton (0-1) started 2014 with the Mariners in April and then went down to Tacoma in AAA. He came back up to Seattle in August and stuck. He had a 6-4 record with a 3.04 ERA and a WHIP of 1.20 over the final two months of last year. He’s made one start this year, pitching six innings of four-hit ball, giving up two runs and losing.
McCarthy (1-0) hopes to go longer than the five innings he got in his first start. He gave up nine hits, four earned runs, struck out nine and won the game. In his career he’s 2-6 with a 3.88 ERA against Seattle, not that that means much.
Never any doubt. Congratulations, @AdrianTitan23! pic.twitter.com/jNP8maP6sa
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 13, 2015
Lineup when available.
Tonight's #Dodgers lineup vs. Mariners:
Barney SS
Puig RF
Gonzalez 1B
Kendrick 2B
Van Slyke LF
Guerrero 3B
Pederson CF
Ellis C
McCarthy P
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 13, 2015
In other news, the Dodgers released RHP Ryan Webb today.
NPUT
So: Barney sent down, Huff comes up, Uribe comes in and Puig goes out. Apparently Puig has a hamstring injury. Hope it doesn’t sideline him too long.
From Jon W.–
McCarthy, who struck out nine while allowing two homers in his five-inning Dodger debut last week, now has the oddity of having allowed six homers and one walk in 12 innings while striking out an MLB-leading 19. McCarthy leads the Majors in homers allowed, strikeouts and strikeout-walk ratio.
Another stat for DM’s puzzling use of Paco–pitch count in his 4 times out….2, 4, 10, 5.
Total 21. Not exactly maximizing the talent of what appears to be a back-on-track Paco.
I wouldn’t hold my breathe. Unless they bring another southpaw reliever up, he is the go-to LOOGY for Donnie, who wants him available for 5-10 pitches everynight.
If that’s the case, why did Don even bother bringing him in with a 7-0 lead in the ninth the other night?
Just like him to blow my whole theory. What can I say, he is a creature of habit? Anyway, let me know when your turn blue.
Gotta start taking siestas in order to stay up here on the East Coast. Last year, with the performance of the pen, it was easier to call it a night in order to avoid seeing it fall apart.
To repeat, no washed-up “closer” signings this past off-season.
They told us Guerrero could hit. He’s 4 for 11, .364. Puig seems to be coming out of his season-opening slump too: he doubled his season’s hit total tonight and is up to .222.
Will be interesting to see how this all develops. Given the nature of his contract and the signing of Olivera, Alex seems destined to replace Howie at 2nd base next year. Kendrick may make that a difficult choice by his performance but he would likely be testing the FA market and looking for a long term deal. With all the Cubans on the team, could see the Dodgers playing some exhibitions in Havana next year.
The results of Guerrero’s 2B work last year apparently left much to be desired. He’s looked at at 3B so far, but hasn’t had anything really challenging. If his bat’s as good as early returns suggest, though, they may be willing to sacrifice a little D.
Besides the obvious W, this was great because the bullpen WON a game . . . and, as RBI pointed out earlier, this team is showing they can come back — that has to be a boost to the pitchers.
No Pérez or Wilson signings this last off-season.
Guerrero’s certainly making his case for more playing time.
Yahoo!
Great comeback win!
Nice to fight through and win that one.
Woo hoo!!!!!!!
RBI brought in the RBI — I saw your post before I heard it!
Woo hoo is right!
We gotta get you to attend the rest of the games!
Yea!
Not a way to impress in the Outfield Derby . . .
73. Then a sizzling 89.
Every pitch was 75 or 76.
I’d take the walk off walk, walk off passed ball or wild pitch, walk off hit by pitch. Be creative if need be Dodgers. Oops didn’t see Bob’s comment.
Nice to see someone else’s bullpen make their fans sweat.
Get the ball in the air CC.
To at least medium-deep OF.
or WP, PB, BB, E . . .
or just a humble single
that too!
Wouldn’t a good way to celebrate being named player of the week be getting the winning hit?
Apparently not says Seattle.
Yimi’s very good.
We got this. Good start by Ethier.
Dre!
GarKia!
Now get him the W!
14 Ks so far. Wow.
More impressive in that it’s not a Kershaw start either.
Almost Rollins. Would have been the best capper on this night.
Let’s complete the comeback right here.
Puig has wheels!
That’s probably as much Paco as Don feels comfortable with.
McCarthy with the first ever 10k/0bb/4hr night in baseball history.
Remarkable stat.
If only all 4 had been solo shots the Dodgers would be ahead.
Big out here. Go Paco!
Ground ball double play has a nice ring to it right about here.
As they like to say in regards to tennis matches – we are now getting to the business end of the game.
Business end of their lineup, too.
And now in basketball terms, we can play the 2-1 possession game. We have 2 turns at bat to their 1, at least before extra innings happen.
Scared of AGon.
Is it warm at the ballpark tonight? Is that why balls are carrying?
Not that warm! And no wind at all. Odd.
It’s smoky.
It’s a little early for fire season.
Hmmmm…..didn’t the Dodger #4 starter last year also have a problem giving up HRs?
I think McCarthy has greater upside, but I would have been fine with retaining Haren.
Does seem to have quite a bit better stuff and is 3 years or so younger.
Haren seems to be in decline.
I agree, he’s getting older but, as a No. 4 or 5 starter, he probably would have been fine.
Old friend Haren pitched well in his first start in Miami and is scheduled to go against another old friend Stults and the Braves on Wednesday.
Hollis Thurston’s record of most homers allowed by a Dodger in a game is safe!
Wonder what the LA Dodger record is… (or was – before tonight – lol)?
As a Birthday gift to myself, I was thinking of buying a ticket and just going “solo” out to Chavez Ravine tonight…. Decided against it after talking on the phone with my 2-yr. old daughter this afternoon…. Irrrrrrrreeeeeeeeesistable !!! Ok… Daddy’s on his way home…. 🙂
…
However, thanks to the “slow-pitch softball-like” (and I mean that in a good way) showing of the Dodgers offense tonight, Brandon McCarthy must have had his birthday come early this year… #off the hook! – 🙂
Happy Birthday! And irresistible kids are a wonderful thing. 🙂
Thanks.. and, Agreed! – and, they grow up too fast… 🙂
Ohhhhh yah, that’s for sure. My wife and I have one son. Adopted at age 3 and I can’t believe that was 6 years ago.
Is he playing baseball?
He is very energetic – loves swimming, soccer, and dreams of being a basketball player – but he is only marginally interested in baseball. He humours me in my love for it though and we go to some local independent league games here in Wpg each summer.
Whether he plays it or is simply a fan…
I have a feeling you two will enjoy your fair share of games together through the years. And, that’s a special bond. IMHO.
…
One sure-fire way to have him fall in love with the game….(and the Dodgers) …
Take a Summer trip down here to LA and take him to a Dodger game…
(if you haven’t already done so)
That is definitely my dream trip. I have never seen the Dodgers live and while I could see them somewhat easily in Toronto or Minneapolis, etc – I really want to see them first in LA. Perhaps in the next few years it will happen, but we would still need to save up a bit to do everything we would want to do upon arriving in LA/California!
Well, then… when (yes, WHEN) it happens… it will be something he’ll never forget.
PS – You’re right… See our boys in LA! for sure. Definitely worth the trip. Make it an evening game.
I can’t wait to hear about itl
…
Have a nice night, Dave.
Thanks Jonny. Have a wonderful rest of the evening.
I like how this year’s team doesn’t seem to fold if they’re behind. Good thing, too.
But they do seem to take a while to get going in a game. Or at least thus far this season.
Helps, since they always come out of the gate behind.
Well, so far so much for the lack of offense in baseball.
Joc got framed!
That strike three pitch to Joc was a ridiculous call.
Welcome to the bigs Rook. Now go sit down.
The record for most home runs allowed by a Dodger in one game is six, and
the pitcher was Hollis “Sloppy” Thurston on August 13, 1932, vs. the
Giants at the Polo Grounds. Three of those homers were hit by Bill
Terry and two by Mel Ott. The Dodgers won the game, 18-9, with Thurston
going the distance. The Dodgers scored all 18 of their runs in the
middle three innings. It was the first game of a twinbill. The Dodgers won the second game as well, 5-4, despite another homer by Ott. In all, there were 13 home runs hit in the doubleheader, including two by Lefty O’Doul and one by Hack Wilson for the Dodgers. According to baseball-reference.com, the attendance was 48,000. Must have been a heckuva day.
Didn’t realize that Hack Wilson played for the Bums.
Neither had I. Wilson played for Brooklyn, 1932-1934, hitting 38 homers in 319 games and batting .280.
Sluggers didn’t K much in those days. He led the league 5 of his 12 years playing, but only averaged 86 a season (prorated to 162 games).
Cruz Ks. Moral victory!
Seems McCarthy had some of these same dingers issues last year in NY.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/brandon-mccarthy-gets-outs-gives-up-homers-1404865636
Howie. wowie!
Back to back?
AGon double.
I typed it slowly but it was meant to be predictive not clarification…
Puig! AGon!
Ball is carrying well tonight.
It’s the smoky sky.
Puig HR?
McCarthy seems to be a strikeout machine.
Unfortunately he also seems to be a gives-up-dingers machine. Hasn’t he given up as many as AGon has hit?
McCarthy has given up 6 homers in 10 innings this year. He gave up 25 in 200 innings last season,
All in DS. Not a homerun haven
Good point. And he would be the starter next Saturday at home vs. the Rockies as things stands now.
What a crazy game for McCarthy. Lots of strike outs, no walks, lots of home runs.
Batting practice.
I know I am stating the obvious, but a nice thing about “in play run(s)” when there are two outs is that it can’t be a sacrifice fly.
Or a runner on third scoring as a double play happens!
now we are right back in this game
Yes Joc!
Nice Joc!
Need some very timely hitting right here.
I see where all three runners tagged, so how much did Guerrero miss a grand slam by?
Shy of the warning track, actually.
Call me greedy, but when I saw ‘in play run/s’, I was hoping for more
Precisely.
time for a rally
just tuned in, not a great start I see
Just arriving as well. Perhaps a bit of a rally here. We need to cut the lead in half this inning.
That would be five dingers given up already by McCarthy this season in nine innings of work.
Or, just stop pitching.
Or stop pitching McCarthy.
Stop. Pitching. To. Cruz.
Next inning. Maybe.
That shows you how technically proficient I am…
Worth a thousand words?
Is this what baseball down under looks like. John, would you care to comment?
Brilliant.
It’s making me giddy!
Sky just darkening to smoky blue. Air cool. Crowd amiable. The seats are gradually filling. We’ve hit a few balls hard, but right at them. They’ve hit a few more, and harder. Observation so far: good defense is fine, but there’s no D against home runs…
Dang! Gonzalez’ batting average has dipped below .600.
Crawford, of course, would have made that play without breaking a sweat.
Tonight is the sixth time in seven games that the opposition has scored first and the fifth time that the opposition has scored in the first inning.
The first stat is bad enough, but I think the second is worse.
Both are highly unlikely to continue for any significant length of time.
SVS!
That play was a thing of beauty.
Hey, where are you guys? I have this row almost to myself!
Darn — my transporter is down!
Dodgers seem to always start in the hole.
Let’s hope they climb out — and then some!
Should have pitched around Cruz. (Easy for me to say…)
Gorgeous evening. Got my Don Newcombe pin. Life is good. It’s time for Dodger baseball!
Not the best start, though.
I’m off to the game later today. I hope I bring us luck! I will catch all of you on the other end.
Enjoy!
Rox swat Gnats, 2-0, at The Phone Booth.
Tonight should be a good test for McCarthy (for whom I remain very cautiously optimistic).