Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: FS-A, SPNLA
RHP Merrill Kelly (7-8, 4.00 ERA) makes his 18th big league start after spending four years in the Korean Baseball League, where he compiled a 48-32 record with a 3.86 ERA. Pretty good for a league known more for hitting than pitching. As his W-L record shows, he’s had an up-and-down season thus far. He didn’t face the Dodgers in the D-Backs’ previous three series against them. He’ll face the Dodgers’ RHP Walker Buehler (8-1, 3.43 ERA), who’s headed for the All Star Game. His last start was awful; he gave up seven runs on 13 hits to the Rockies in 5 2/3 innings. He avoided the loss in that game as the Dodgers came back with four runs in the ninth inning to win.
10 seasons in baseball and this was our first time experiencing a trade, and to the @Dodgers none the less! We are excited for this new opportunity and adventure. #LABleedsBlue #letsdothis 🙌 https://t.co/M0Y32kigNR
— Casey Sadler (@sadler_squared) July 3, 2019
Here are the Dodgers’ five consecutive walks in the ninth last night to win the game.
This date in Dodgers’ history:
- 1925 Milt Stock sets a National League mark by having his fourth consecutive four-hit game, going 16-for-23 during the span to compile a .696 batting average. The 31 year-old second baseman’s offensive output, which includes three singles and a triple, helps the Robins beat the Giants at Ebbets Field, 6-3.
- 1949 En route to a 16-0 shutout of the Dodgers at the Polo Grounds, starting pitcher Monte Kennedy hits a grand slam. Another 51 seasons will pass by before another Giants hurler hits a four-run homer when Shawn Estes accomplishes the feat in 2000.
- 1958 In their 35th home date in L.A., the transplanted Dodgers reach the one million mark in attendance. Last season, the team drew only 1,028,258 fans, playing in Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field.
- 2013 Yasiel Puig becomes the first player to be named Player of the Month for the first month he plays in the major leagues in the 55-year history of the award. The Dodger outfielder played in 26 games in June, compiling a .436 batting average, with his 44 base hits being the second-most ever by a first-month player, only behind Joe DiMaggio’s total of 48 in 1936.
Lineup when available.
Tonight's Dodger lineup vs. D-backs:
Pederson 1B
Verdugo CF
Taylor SS
Bellinger RF
Muncy 3B
Hernández 2B
Beaty LF
Barnes C
Buehler P#Dodgers | @Biofreeze pic.twitter.com/b15y1eeGdr— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2019
NPUT
Every one there in South Cal alright? Did you feel the tremors of that quake?
Stay safe today friends.
And Happy Birthday. Our as my friend likes to say – Happy Treason Day. We joke. We joke.
https://twitter.com/BillShaikin/status/1146817191859249152
442 feet!
Woah! That’s long and deep and GONE!
Absolutely hammered it.
Can’t wait to see the video!!
It wasn’t a bad pitch at all – middle height but painted the line.
As no-doubt as no-doubters get.
Bellinger walk off homer!!!
I’ll settle for a win without a walkoff tonight, Joc.
I really would as well. I would not be sad if there was no bottom of the 9th.
Cody!!!!
So today, after last night’s crazy ending, we are starting a pitcher named Walker.
Good that he had a day off yesterday
Last night’s walk-off theme song:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KLVq0IAzh1A
I never made promises lightly and there have been some that I’ve broken
But I swear in the days still left we’ll walk in fields of gold
We’ll walk in fields of gold
Good timing on my part. Finished up The News Hour and came out to the kitchen to start washing dishes just in time to see Taylor K and Cody homer.
Well they took care of that series. Up by 14 on the Rockies.
Bellinger still on pace for 50+ home runs and 125+ rbi’s.
started with Belli, ended with Belli
That’s just what I was thinking too.
Belliends and bookends
That’s got to feel good for Bellinger after hitting so many hard hit balls into gloves.
most of the gloves he hits to are in the crowd
Woo-HOO!!! Belli bomb!!!!
Dodgers win!!!!!
This Lopez seems better than Holland.
Do your extra base hit thing CT.
Or not.
Very fine inning by Kelly.
Locked in and lock down.
CT3, Belli, and Max up in the bottom of the inning.
in Kelly we trust (hopefully)
That is crazy. Did just enough to score one run but not enough for two.
Wow, he got out of it. Worst possible kind of hit.
I voted you down.
Let’s go Dugo!
All we need is a sac fly!!!
Or a walk…
I have a feeling he’s not going to throw all balls.
That was one to hit, Joc.
Need one more hit to win it.
Holland be like,”Get me outta here!”
Well…
The Dodgers wanting to help with that.
That’s a deep subject…
And usually not a dry one.
That helps!
This team! (I know that is very 2017 language.)
Tie ballgame! No walks!
Still no JT tonight I guess?
So far that’s okay…
Seriously. Why?
Why what?
Why put Holland back out there? Not complaining, just shocked.
I can’t believe they put Holland back out there. Pitcher abuse.
Get back on the horse after getting bucked off thing. He probably begged to pitch and have a new and different last outing memory.
That helps! Go Kiké.
I feel less confident tonight than last night. (But fortunately it doesn’t depend on my confidence levels.)
I want to believe. Help my unbelief.
This upsets me.
It’s not great. It doesn’t feel good to have a shaky, HR prone KJ.
Surely doesn’t.
Now we need 5 walks again
I felt that coming in my bones.
Well it will either be the 5th WO win in a row or they won’t win at all.
Chafin is good. Really good, tonight.
Needed something different than that from you there Belli.
Chafin had everything going this inning.
Oh Verdugo! Misread that pitch big time.
One more of those please.
Still not calling on JT.
9 hits 3 runs 9 k’s. Not sure what to make of a start like that. I guess that’s why they came up with the “quality start” idea.
Believe the notion has to do with giving your team a chance to win. So, while the 3 runs in 6 innings is an ERA of 4.50, quality!?, teams average around 4 runs per game, so if your offense is up to it…
Silver lining: Hard to get a walk off if you are already leading the game.
Drat.
I jinxed him.
I’m surprised the DBacks are not doing better. They are having good at-bats.
Buehler has been throwing 79% strikes.
Lots of hits given up by Buehler.
I’d love for him to get win 9…
Cron looks like a bouncer. Didn’t help.
Sounds like Kiké just missed hitting it out.
Close, but it wasn’t gonna go out.
Thanks for the eyes.
Depending on which side of the field your clubhouse is – this is either a great or a horrible day at the office:
https://www.milb.com/gameday/dsl-yankees-vs-dsl-twins/2019/07/03/598268#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=598268
Great inning, Buehler.
That was a cookie right down the middle.
Usually I like cookies.
I don’t like them, and clear them whenever possible.
Wash down with milk I guess. 😉
Ha. Good one.
Rox have lost to the Minute Maids, so Dodgers can increase their division lead to 14 games by winning this one.
Joc starts another consecutive game hit streak. Getting pinch hit for yesterday contributed to ending his 6 game hitting streak.
We are making mincemeat of these pitchers. So many tough outs.
Last night, not so much.
True, until the ninth.
Walker having his own metoo moment.
Buehler had good swings and then hits one
Making another try with The Rooftop Singers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQD1Jsj1d3w
I do recall this, but it’s been eons. As Tom Lehrer said, part of the great folk music scare of the 1960s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tDZ5lriIIc
Buehler painting the edges and getting help from the ump to boot.
I wonder how many times a first baseman serves as a lead off hitter.
Or a catcher? Grandal’s been leading off for the Cerveceros.
Could take three hits to score him from first
I heard he once scored from third on a double.
Didn’t Brian Downing hit leadoff occasionally for the Angels?
Wes Parker was lead off in about 10% of his starts, Joc 40% in total, including as outfielder, so 100% of his 10 starts at first.
I tried to post a link below to the Rooftop Singers’ recording of Walk Right In, but it didn’t work. I will try again with another version.
I am unaware that any Spaniard has ever signed with a major league organization before. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b3614604a07992585f772c388973652a366a9ea81ab5c41429b04974f2c64cb2.png
He’s number four. Huh.
Domínguez might be the first to sign directly from Spain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Cabrera was from the Canary Islands, but grew up in Cuba.
Oelkers has a Dutch surname, but there’s not much other info about him nor about Pardo. Ríos came to the US at age two.
We do have a lineup for what I hope will be a laugher. https://twitter.com/alannarizzo/status/1146559097409380352?s=20