Sep 06

Game 142, 2014

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Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 6:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

Hyun Jin-Ryu is 14-6 with a 3.18 ERA. The next game he wins will be an MLB career high for him. He’ll face Chase Anderson, a rookie righthander who’s 8-6 with a 3.75 ERA. Ryu is 2-0 against the D-Backs this season, while Anderson is 1-1 against the Dodgers. He gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings the first time out, but that was the game in which the Diamondbacks bombed Clayton Kershaw for seven runs and eventually won 18-7. His second time out he only gave up two runs in five innings but lost to Kershaw. He’s probably thanking his lucky stars that at least he’s facing Ryu rather than Clayton again.

Lineup:

Puig is sick and getting an IV, Mattingly says. In other player news, Paco Rodriguez, who’s still on the DL, suffered an unspecified “setback” during his bullpen session Tuesday.

Sep 05

How many innings can one arm throw?

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According to Dodgers.com Beckett is thinking about retirement.

Beckett needs surgery to repair a torn labrum and a lesion in his left hip, whether he pitches again or not.

[snip]

He’s a high-mileage 34-year-old, having thrown 2,051 innings in 13 big league seasons.

I don’t doubt Beckett might decline a four-month rehab, as the article suggests is needed. He hurts, he’s made more than $116M in his career and has a couple of small kids, so why not retire? Other than the no-hitter this year I suspect he hasn’t had much fun this season. He even says “It takes four hours of [therapy] work to do two hours on the field.”

I think baseball may have seen the last of Josh Beckett as a player. But that bit about his innings pitched raised a question for me — is 2,051 IP high-mileage? Over 13 years he’s averaged 209 IP over a 162-game period. He was a full-time starter when he was 22 years old. Among Dodger starters:

  • Dan Haren is 33 and has thrown 2,202 innings in 12 MLB seasons for a 162-game average of 215 IP.
  • Kevin Correia is 34 but has thrown only 1,397 MLB innings for a 162-game average of 168 IP in 12 seasons.
  • Roberto Hernandez is 34 with 1,248 MLB innings for a 162-game average of 190 IP over 9 seasons.
  • Hyun-Jin Ryu is 27, has 7 years of Korean League experience and 1,269 innings there in addition to the 336 he’s got in the big leagues, averaging roughly 178 IP (the Korean Leagues throw off the 162-game calculation).
  • Chad Billingsley is 30 and has 1,175 MLB innings for a 162-game average of 195 IP over 7 seasons (and 12 innings).
  • Kershaw, believe it or not, is 27 but has 1,349 MLB innings himself and has averaged 223 IP over a 162-game period in 7 seasons.

Of the three guys who are the same age as Beckett, Haren’s the closest in hard use. He’s always been a starter. Correia pitched his first five years in relief and as a spot starter. Hernandez was a full-time starter in his second year in the bigs.

If Beckett is high-mileage, then Haren, averaging 215 IP, and Kershaw, averaging 223 IP, are the two guys who could also be classified as such. We can only hope Kershaw doesn’t injure himself throwing that many innings every year.

Sep 05

Game 141, 2014

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Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MLBN

18 of the Dodgers’ final 22 games are against division opponents. 19 of the Giants’ final 22 games are against division opponents. The NL West championship is going to be decided this month, although perhaps not in games the two teams play against one another. Their last meeting is a three-game series ending on the 24th of September in Los Angeles. After that the Dodgers close out the season with three games at home against the Rockies, while the Giants go home to play the Padres for four games.

It starts tonight as Dan Haren (11-10, 4.27 ERA) tries to keep up his current two-game streak of quality starts. He’s given up just one earned run in his last 13 innings. The D-Backs will counter with a left-hander named Vidal Nuno, who’s pitched in horrid luck all year. He’s 2-9 with a 4.46 ERA, but some of that was in 78 innings with the Yankees. He’s 0-4 with a 3.23 ERA in 61.1 innings since coming over to the Diamondbacks. They’re 1-9 in his starts for them.

Lineup:

Van Slyke could be forgiven if he’s distracted or sleepy. His wife Audrey gave birth to their second son, Eli, early Thursday morning.

Sep 03

Fewer road games for Vinnie next year

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Arrgh! Say it ain’t so!

But it is so.

Scully said he has decided to skip road games, at least early in the season. In addition to the Dodgers’ home games, the 86-year-old Scully currently travels with the team to Anaheim, Arizona, San Diego and San Francisco.

“I’m going to go to Anaheim for sure,” Scully said Tuesday night. “But I’m going to try to cut back on nights on the road. I really want to spend more time at home.”

Enjoy him while we’ve got him, folks.

Sep 03

Game 140, 2014

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Nationals at Dodgers, 12:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MLBN

A 12:10 p.m. PT start on Wednesday meant that right-hander Dan Haren wouldn’t get a full rest between outings, so Dodgers manager Don Mattingly tabbed 24-year-old rookie Carlos Frias for the series finale against the Nationals.

It seemed like the obvious choice.

“We felt like he was a good guy for this 12 o’clock start,” Mattingly said. “He’s young. He doesn’t need sleep.”

Don hasn’t read or heard the story that youngsters need more sleep than us old people.

You might say “what’s this kid doing starting, when he’s done nothing but pitch out of the bullpen for the Dodgers?” Well, he started all but one of his games at AA Chattanooga and AAA Albuquerque this year. He’ll pitch against Jordan Zimmermann, who’s 10-5 with a 2.93 ERA on the season, 2-1 with a 5.61 ERA against the Dodgers in five career starts.

Mattingly apparently thinks Puig needs time to relax and not think so hard about his performance on the field. He hasn’t said whether he’ll play Pederson or Puig tomorrow.

Sep 02

Game 139, 2014

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Nationals at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

Clayton Kershaw goes for win number 17 tonight against Doug Fister. Fister is 0-2 over his last three starts, but he won his first two in August. He’s 12-5 with a 2.55 ERA.

Lineup when available.

More callup news: Dodgers officially recall Carlos Frias, Miguel Rojas and Erisbel Arruebarrena. Active roster now has 33 players.

Sep 01

Game 138, 2014

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Nationals at Dodgers, 5:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MLBN

Two division leaders open a three-game series tonight. The Nats beat the Dodgers 2 of 3 at Nationals Park in May.

Roberto Hernandez, who’s made four mostly-good starts for the Dodgers after coming over from the Phillies, will pitch for the West Coast team. He’s 2-1 with a 3.52 ERA in those games. While pitching for the Phillies Hernandez allowed Washington one unearned run in 15 innings. Overall he’s 8-9 with a 3.81 ERA. He’ll be opposed by Gio Gonzalez, who’s 6-8 with a 3.56 ERA. Gonzalez didn’t pitch against the Dodgers in the May series.

Dan Haren was originally scheduled to start for the Dodgers on Wednesday but will now start on Friday. Rookie right-hander Carlos Frias will likely start on Wednesday.

Lineup when available.

Aug 31

Game 137, 2014

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Dodgers at Padres, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD

Hyun-Jin Ryu brings his 13-6 record and his 3.28 ERA to the mound after two weeks on the DL with strained backside muscles. Before he got hurt Ryu had 39 strikeouts in his last 38 2/3 innings overall while walking just six. I don’t think anyone expects that level of excellence in his first appearance back.

Facing Ryu will be Eric Stults, who’s 6-14 with a 4.63 ERA but has a 3-1 record and a 2.43 ERA in five starts in August.

Juan Uribe will come off the DL today or tomorrow. Chris Perez will also come off on Monday. As to callups from the minors Mattingly is being coy, other than agreeing that Joc Pederson deserves to come up when rosters expand September 1.

Lineup when available.

Yep. The first pass had Matt and Yasiel both playing CF with a big hole in RF.

Aug 30

Game 136, 2014

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Dodgers at Padres, 5:40PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD, MLB.tv free game

Zack Greinke brings his presumably-recovering elbow to the mound to face the Padres at Petco Park for the first time this season. He beat the San Diegans on April 1 at Dodger Stadium in his only time facing them this year. Greinke is 13-8 with a 2.79 ERA. Ian Kennedy of the Padres, on the other hand, will face the Dodgers for the fifth time this season. He was the losing pitcher in the Greinke game on April Fool’s Day, in fact. Kennedy is 10-11 with a 3.75 ERA.

In player news, Hyun-Jin Ryu will come off the DL tomorrow and pitch against San Diego. Roberto Hernandez will now pitch on Monday against the Nationals. Mattingly says the matchups make sense, since Ryu has given up only one run to the Padres in 19 innings this year. Hernandez has allowed Washington one unearned run in 15 innings this year. Scott Van Slyke’s ankle isn’t nearly as bad as it looked when he first turned it the other night, as should have been obvious since he was sent up to pinch-hit last night.

Lineup when available.

I don’t know whether it was oversight or Hanley talking his way into the lineup, but the original one had Rojas at short hitting 7th.

Aug 29

Game 135, 2014

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Dodgers at Padres, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD

Dan Haren (11-10, 4.44 ERA) vs. Andrew Cashner (2-6, 2.43 ERA). Haren’s won three of his last four starts. Cashner is making his second start after a two-month hiatus due to shoulder soreness.

Via Twitter: The Dodgers sent RHP Victor Arano to @Phillies as second of two players to be named (Jesmuel Valentin) in trade for RHP Roberto Hernandez.

Lineup when available.