Game 152, 2014

Dodgers at Rockies, 12:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

Carlos Frias makes his second start for the Dodgers after being called up from Albuquerque for a second time this season on September 2. His first start was on September 3, when he pitched six innings of 3-hit ball in a game the Dodgers eventually lost to the Nationals in 14 innings. He’s 0-0 with a 3.91 ERA. His opponent will be Jorge De La Rosa, who’s 13-11 with a 4.28 ERA. Pitching at Coors Field, though, De La Rosa is 44-14 in his career.

Lineup when available.

Update: Well, in light of that eight-run disaster of a first inning, we’d better hope the Diamondbacks beat the Giants this afternoon.

46 thoughts on “Game 152, 2014

  1. From the recap http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2014_09_17_lanmlb_colmlb_1&mode=recap_away&c_id=la” But on Wednesday, he (Frias) couldn’t get his sinker working in the Denver altitude, hanging almost every offering up in the zone.”

    Is that a concern dictated by physics — trying to throw a sinker at altitude? . . . If so and it wasn’t known by the LA staff before, it better be filed away for the future — one wouldn’t want to handicap your starter/team with an iffy proposition from the git-go.

  2. Final, 4-2, SF . . .sure were a lot of SF (or anti-LA) fans in AZ.

    Dodgers now 2 GA.

    Actually, the Giants control their own destiny as well.

  3. SF just scored 2 in top of 9th to lead, 4-2.
    Sure hoped AZ could’ve helped LA.
    But shouldn’t need someone else to help out.
    You control your own destiny, Blue!

  4. If my math is right, the LA bats are equally effective as last night:
    Tuesday: 16 hits, 4 runs
    Today : 4 hits, 1 run (so far)

  5. “Disaster” is exactly the word I had in mind when I tuned in and heard this go from 9-0 to whatever it is now.

    These last two games highlight my concern for whatever postseason action the Dodgers are able to see:

    1) The season-long inconsistent offense — whether it’s getting runners on and not bringing them in (last night: 16 hits, just 4 runs — in Coors Field!) . . . or it’s making the opposing pitcher look like Kerhsaw (today).

    2) The lack of a consistent starter after Kersh & Zack. I know it’s Coors Field, but the starters’ inadequacies brought in the bullpen, who then showed their own inadequacies.

    • In the three games prior to yesterday, the Dodgers scored 32 runs. The depleted starting pitching is a far greater concern than the offense, which even yesterday would have scored more but for inept third base coaching.

      • The 32 runs were great.
        But which is more indicative of this year — those three games with 32 or these past two games?
        As someone posted earlier, just when we think things will turn around, they revert.

        • Neither seem indicative to me. Before now, we really haven’t been in many lopsided games, either way.

          • Not the lopsided losses of these last two games, but the inconsistent offense: either runners on but not getting them in or totally ineffective against the pitcher.

          • Not really. The team may not be producing they way we would have liked and expected coming in, but really hard to characterize the team offense during the year that way. We are, after all, second in OPS+, first in hitting with RISP, and virtually tied for 3rd in runs/game.

  6. Headline at dodgers.com: “Elbow keeps Hanley out; no MRI planned”

    “no MRI planned.” Course not. It’s Hanley. He’s allergic to them.

  7. Frías threw nothing but fastballs. One would hope FedEx would have figured out that wasn’t working.

    • FWIW, Gameday has him with a FB/cutter mix.

      Irrelevant, since obviously the cutter didn’t cut and the FB wasn’t fast enough.

  8. This seems to be the MLB.tv free game of the day. Should I be in a hurry to log on?

    Guess there’s a guaranteed refund. ;-])

    • He’s coming back from surgery and may not be 100% yet. But I don’t think Gameday has had him as much as 90 today, and not over that if that in other outings since his callup.

      IIRC he used to sit 92-3. But also IIRC his slider was his best pitch. That right?

      • Your memory is better than mine. You may be younger, which would explain it. 😉

        As it turned out, Don thought runs more important than innings, so he sent up noted hitter Alex Guerrero to make the same out Elbert could have.

  9. “there are some particular quirks to Frias’ pitches that made them especially difficult on batters”

    Apparently not today.

  10. just tuned in, my goodness.
    This is the frustrating thing about this season, just when we think they have turned the corner and are on a roll, they do this to us 🙂

  11. In light of the analysis in the link provided below, it’s safe to say Frias hasn’t found it today. Man, five six runs down before the fans are settled in their seats, as Vinnie would say.

  12. Timely and informative piece on Frias and Lee.

    “there are some particular quirks to Frias’ pitches that made them especially difficult on batters. Lee’s repertoire is more diverse, but his pitches are “more traditional.'”

    Doesn’t say what it is that makes them tough on hitters, just “more on that later.”

    I’ve seen something about a tailing power sinker, I think, and he has said he’s a ground ball pitcher, not a strikeout pitcher.

    Good description of Lee’s ABQ situation also:

    “Figuring out how to adjust to a hitter-friendly league that’s adjusted to you, Dishman said, is hard.

    “That’s one of those things as a young kid, once you get amped up, that takes maturity,” he said.

    ‘Lee didn’t figure it out until arguably his last start of the season.

    “Frias did.”

    http://www.insidesocal.com/dodgers/2014/09/13/a-few-words-on-carlos-frias-and-zach-lee-and-why-one-of-them-is-here/