Game 111, 2014

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

It’s the Dodgers’ Korean import Hyun-Jin Ryu versus the Cubs’ Japanese import Tsuyoshi Wada this evening, an hour earlier than the usual start time. Ryu will be pitching on five days’ rest; when he does that he’s 11-2 with a 2.80 ERA. He’s 12-5 with a 3.44 ERA overall. Wada is a former Japan League MVP who spent two years in the Orioles’ farm system after nine years in the Japanese major leagues. This will be his third major league start; he got his first win against the Rockies on Monday, throwing seven innings of six-hit one-run ball while striking out six and walking only one.

In medical news, Paul Maholm tore the ACL in his right knee while covering first base last night; if he opts for surgery he’s probably out for the season. Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig are both day-to-day. Mattingly says Gonzalez will probably sit today’s game out and Puig will be available to pinch-hit.

Update: Paco Rodriguez has been called up to take Maholm’s spot on the roster.

Lineup:

60 thoughts on “Game 111, 2014”

  2. Seems like if the team doesn’t make a move for a starter soon it could hurt in another key way.

    If nothing changes, problems at #5 and maybe #4 likely mean much more pen use, and wear & tear on it. That might not matter a lot right away given the go-deep excellence of the Big 3.

    But later on, when it matters much more, a rested pen will be needed–or at least not an overworked one.

  3. Questions this morning:

    Which is rarer, Hanley’s walkoff or steady rain at a Dodger home game?

    Any good reason Dre shouldn’t play LF awhile? CC isn’t doing squat.

    Wilson was nails last night, K-ing the middle of the Cubs order. What was his K pitch?

    Names for possible starting pitching reinforcements from outside?

    • I’ve been thinking (hoping) they were showcasing Crawford for a trade, any trade. The other possibility is that Ethier is so deep in Mattingly’s doghouse that he’s been forgotten. I’d rather have Ethier over Crawford anytime, better defense, a little more power, more versatility. Don’t you find it odd that baseball managers are never as smart as we fans?

      • Both CC and Dre likely would be gone except for those woofer contracts.

        If that ever happened the team almost would have to bring up Joc because of his LH bat, since both the proposed dearly departed hit lefty. OF of Puig, Kemp, SVS all righty, and AGon the primary LH bat remaining otherwise.

        Course, in case of two OF LH hitters who don’t hit….well…

  4. So the Dodgers get a win, Southern California gets at least an hour of nice steady rain, and we get to come back and do it all over again tomorrow afternoon (well, 10:10AM my time). What a nice night!

      • Oh, absolutely. Plenty of frustration just in the extra innings alone, which is where we started watching again after our evening news fix.

        • I was also sporadic in following it, then continuous from the bottom of the 10th.

          Following the games minutely is a lot different from when I first became a Dodger fan and would read all the bios I could get . . . I’d read about a bad stretch or even a bad year, then turn the page and it would be all over and on to better results.
          It’s a lot different when you’re living it in real time!

  5. Nice that LA is getting some HRs.
    Too bad they can’t get the crucial RISP “small ball: hits.

  12. Remember when this 3-game series with the Cubs was looked on as an oasis in the midst of the desert of games vs. above-.500 teams?

    • Well, on the other hand, they did sweep two contenders (that’s only if you count the Gnats, however).

  18. I can imagine what it’s like to be there now — wondering if Jamey will hold them and if the bats can come through . . . all the while knowing you have to drive out of there in this rain.

  20. So Mattingly has Howell pitch to one guy, and Wright is pitching two innings, including the top of the order? Hope the baseball gods take pity.

  22. “Where has all the offense gone, long time passing? Where has all the offense gone, long time ago…?”

    • Other than VERY sparse patches, that’s my vote for this year’s theme song — 4 games in a row now, averaging JUST over 2 runs a game: 2, 3, 2, 2 (so far).
      As ominously bad as Ryu started, he still pitched a “quality” game.; Offense hasn’t had one of those since the first Braves game.

  29. Come on rain — call the game and hope the offense shows up tomorrow . . . playing bullpen roulette is never fun.

  32. Objectively, the numbers say the Dodgers are a good offensive team. Subjectively, it doesn’t feel that way.

    • TOTALLY agree!
      Even last year, look how they collapsed offensively when Hanley was hit in the LCS.

  33. Sure hope the offense remembers which of these two teams is in 1st place — and then acts that way.
    Otherwise they’re going to notch another ‘Let’s make an unknown look like an ace’ performance.

  35. An offense which has scored just 7 runs the last three games now missing two potent elements. Sure hope others step up. It’s going to be embarrassing (and harmful to the standings) to win two series against SF and the Braves, then struggle vs. the Cubs.

    • Sure seems that way, doesn’t it? — especially since Donnie seems to have singled him out before about lack of hustle or attitude in general.

      • I hope a reporter at some stage asks him that question directly, so we get a straight answer

    • CC since he came back (July 11) through the end of July has an OPS of .454. Dre, over the same period is at .727.

      • I meant more that Turner has to make an emergency start at first , rather than Van Slyke at 1st and Andre in centre