Game Seven, 2015

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.

Lineup when available.

In other news, the Dodgers released RHP Ryan Webb today.

153 thoughts on “Game Seven, 2015

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

    • 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!

  7. 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.

  8. Wouldn’t a good way to celebrate being named player of the week be getting the winning hit?

  9. As they like to say in regards to tennis matches – we are now getting to the business end of the game.

      • 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 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)?

  12. 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! – 🙂

        • 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.

          • 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.

  13. I like how this year’s team doesn’t seem to fold if they’re behind. Good thing, too.

  14. 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.

      • 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).

  15. 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?

  16. What a crazy game for McCarthy. Lots of strike outs, no walks, lots of home runs.

  17. 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.

  18. I see where all three runners tagged, so how much did Guerrero miss a grand slam by?

    • Just arriving as well. Perhaps a bit of a rally here. We need to cut the lead in half this inning.

  19. That would be five dingers given up already by McCarthy this season in nine innings of work.

  20. 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…

  21. 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.

  22. Dodgers seem to always start in the hole.
    Let’s hope they climb out — and then some!

  23. Gorgeous evening. Got my Don Newcombe pin. Life is good. It’s time for Dodger baseball!

  24. I’m off to the game later today. I hope I bring us luck! I will catch all of you on the other end.

  25. Tonight should be a good test for McCarthy (for whom I remain very cautiously optimistic).