Game 28, 2015

Dodgers at Brewers, 10:40AM PT, TV: SPNLA

Carlos Frias brings his 2-0, 0.00 ERA (over 7 2/3 innings) to the hill for the Dodgers to face the Brewers’ Mike Fiers, who’s 1-3 with a 4.74 ERA this season but is coming off a 2 walk, 12-strikeout performance over 6 innings against the Cubs in which he got the win.

The Dodgers plan to sit Jimmy Rollins and Justin Turner in this game and to have Yasmani Grandal do the catching. Juan Uribe will be back at third with his 13-game hitting streak.

Lineup when available.

154 thoughts on “Game 28, 2015

  1. If we ask package his “opinion of Grandal’s performance,” will we get the Lasorda response?

  2. D-backs crushing Pads, 11-0. Marlins beating Gnats, 6-2, bottom of the 8th.

          • I would have had no problem keeping Haren until the expiration of his contract.

          • Except that had we not traded him (along with Dee) we wouldn’t have gotten Heaney to flip to the Angels for Howie Kendricks, and we wouldn’t have gotten Enrique Hernandez and Chris Hatcher and Austin Barnes (a catcher on the farm).

            However, given what’s happened to our starters, I’d like to have him around too.

          • True, and all of them have been valuable (or potentially valuable) acquisitions.

      • I’ve never been to Hawai’i, and will probably never go. I’ve done my time in the tropics.

          • The last place I went to the tropics was Colombia, which I always enjoy, but the heat, humidity and direct sunlight are too much for me these days.

          • Was in Baranquilla myself for carnival a couple of months ago and now in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico. Lived there as a child and passed through Hawai’i again as a young adult. Don’t recall humidity being an issue and never really got too hot on Oahu, but Link knows better.

          • Barranquilla was the first place I ever visited in South America, and I got scammed by a street changer. Not a huge amount, but it made me wary after that.

          • I had one really nasty driver who threatened us because we only wanted to go to Palermo from Aeroparque, and he was expecting a longer fare. We got out half-way. On balance, though, Porteño taxi drivers have been good to me.

          • 90 degrees is about as hot as it gets on Oahu. We do get pretty sticky sometimes, and with the eruptions on the Big Island we get vog, which is a contraction for volcanic smog. That stuff can be hard on people with respiratory problems.

  3. Nice job, Blue — Carlos getting his act together, the bullpen doing their typically great job (NEVER in recent years would I think “typical” and “great” would refer to them!), and the bats coming alive with a vengeance! — almost like they’re anticipating Coors Field!

  4. Seeing Broxton today made me think of Billingsley. Did he make it onto the Phillies roster this year?

  5. Grandal tripled his season RBI total today. Let’s extrapolate for the rest of the season.

  6. As former Gnatcaster Hank Greenwald (one of the best) might have said, “You get Carlos Frías 14 runs and he can be tough.”

  7. Any position players that are frustrated pitchers? (Hatcher doesn’t count)

  8. This game is looking like a football score. Okay – like a Canadian football score, with the 4 by the Brewers.

  9. I think Grandal might end up being player of the game. Just a guess.

  10. Can’t get over how different Grandal looks at the plate. His swing is smooth and very confident.

  11. Here’s an old friend indeed. Brox going on his tenth year in the Bigs

  12. Does Santos pass the eye test? He supposedly has been very good in the past. Didn’t he struggle with injury? Seems he walks a tightrope every time in.

  13. Fun to come back and see the Dodgers with the commanding lead. Well just slightly less commanding now.

      • I expect Grandal’s defensive numbers will improve. Not so sure about Kemp, though I think his overall offense will continue to make him a useful player.

  14. YG has certainly figured things out. His shoulder must be feeling a lot better!

    • BA coming into the game since Monday is .615. Possible player of the week.

      • Oops, slipped last Sunday into those totals, when he went 3-4, so only .556.

  15. Only able to get a couple quick Gameday lookins. And Gameday seems to have issues. Am I right that Frias may have turned the game by figuring out how to be effective in the 4th after allowing 2 runs with no outs, then escaping further damage?

    I know the bats woke up, too. Still…encouraging signs Frias may be able to help the rotation, at least short term.

    • He had a very bad stretch of four batters, but then rightened the ship (helped by the fact that the succeeding hitters were weaker).

  16. Off for 4th Graders and their skit . . . let’s go Bullpen . . . and Bats!

      • They did great. And if you’ve ever worked with children of any age, they can never be counted on to be sheep — if sheep follow directions and do the same thing each time! 🙂

        BTW, I’ve never done a “traditional” Christmas play. 🙂
        Last year’s was one of my all-time favorites, the true story which affected me ever since I heard it: “The Song That Stopped the War,” based on the true event in World War I (last Christmas was the 100-year anniversary of the event and the fourth time I was able to do that production . . . the first year I wanted to do it was 2001 but after Sept. 11 and anthrax, the talk of senseless carnage and chemical warfare was too raw).

        • I didn’t know there was a play written about The Christmas Truce. I knew it had been put into various songs and films as a cameo. Huh.

          • I wrote it, so no one knows except those who’ve seen it.
            AND those reading your fine blog, Link!

          • Hey Bob – I’m curious at how long it is and for how many actors. Not that I’m looking for a Christmas play in the middle of May, but I’m always looking for good resources…

          • Since most of these are designed to replace the sermon, they are no longer than 15 minutes. I think this one is about 13 . . . that includes partially singing “Silent Night”,” as well as a song we wrote for it.
            We had a small cast this last production — 15.
            (BTW, Dave, I usually write the Christmas skits during the summer — but I LOVE Christmas and have to force myself from humming carols throughout the year!)

          • It is the season with the best music, so I say hum away!
            Anyway, thanks for the details. Is there a place where you list your plays and give info about acquiring the rights to perform them and associated fees, etc?

          • There will be . . . if/when I ever get a website built to do that! (Same reason I haven’t sold any of my screenplays — I don’t take the time to market them . . . at least I HOPE that’s why I haven’t sold them! Lol)
            But if you’re interested, Dave, you can use it without charge — one Dodger fan to another.

          • Have you ever read Mark Evanier’s story of Mel Tormé and how he sang The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) at the Farmers’ Market in LA to the shock and surprise of all the diners there? I mention it because Tormé said he and his co-composer wrote it “on the hottest day of the year in July. “

          • I heard about composing it in the summer, but I haven’t read the other story . . . but I will, thanks!

      • They definitely did, then scored 3 more that I missed.
        The scoring raised a question i figured you would be able to answer, Bob — what is the inning-by-inning breakdown of how the Dodgers score: total by innings and number of games they have scored in that inning so far.
        If it’s also available, the breakdown on number of different scoring innings per game.

        As we’ve mentioned several times here, this team has the ability to come back, but they also seem to score going away.

        • A quick look at Baseball Reference suggests that the scoring is pretty even across innings. Not sure how this compares to other teams. Of the 27 games (not including today), starting from the first inning they have scored in 7, 8, 9 , 10, 10, 8, 8, 7. Didn’t include the 9th, because in 10 of the games they didn’t need to come to bat. As regards number or runs per inning, they average .54. First, second and fifth innings this reached .63. Lows of .44 and .43 in the 8th and 9th.

        • This doesn’t answer all your questions but just a brief search revealed the breakdown of runs scored and home runs hit per inning so far this season – as well as runs allowed and home runs allowed per inning.

          Inning Runs Scored HRs Hit Runs Allowed HRs Allowed

          1 17 8 24(!) 9
          2 18 5 3 0
          3 15 3 8 2
          4 15 3 16 8
          5 17 7 10 2
          6 19 8 9 2
          7 14 6 6 3
          8 15 5 7 2
          9 4 1 12 0
          Extra 2 1 2 0

          • Clearly I don’t know how to do a chart here! Reading from left to right:

            Inning / Runs / HRs / Runs Allowed / HRs Allowed.

            What stands out is just how even the run production is across the innings for the offense, and how bad the first inning has been for the pitching.

          • It’s true. We have been behind after the first in 9 of the first 27 games. A full third of them! (but have come back to win five of those games).

          • Awesome, Dave — thanks!
            I am actually surprised how the scoring is evenly spread throughout the game.

  17. Our lineup is like a fancy car, but our starting pitching includes three recaps.

  18. Dodgers have wasted opportunities with the bat . . . sure hope they don’t end up wanting . . .

  19. I’m stepping away for a bit but should be back to catch the last inning or so.

  20. Offensively, this is feeling like Kersh’s game: brief moment(s), then nothing. Hope it turns into Zack’s game . . . and Carlos stays strong.

  21. I’m happy with two, but that still seems like a wasted opportunity.

  22. Guerrero’s homer gives the Dodgers one or more in eight straight games. The club record is 24 set by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1953, so we have a ways to go.

    • Wow – that team was loaded but that seems like a very long streak.

      • Starting lineup was (not in order) Campanella, Hodges, Gilliam, Cox, Reese, Robinson, Snider and Furillo. Snider had 42 HRs, Campy 41 and Hodges 31. Team hit 208. Eight players had 10 or more. Club record is 211 set by the 2000 Dodgers.

  23. YES!
    Didn’t sound like the kind of hit expected from A-Gon, but it WAS a hit!

  24. Fiers has momentarily lost it. 8 straight balls thrown. Hope Kendrick and Gonzo can make him pay.

  25. Tuned in right after Guerrero tied things up. He’s amazing. It seems as if you can’t make a mistake with him, Agon or Joc.

    • And I would add Kendrick – just maybe not always for a home run but likely a double. Hoping that we can consider Grandal as part of this list on a regular basis.

    • Nice to have more than one “don’t let them hurt you” player.
      And — as powerful as it is — nice to know that the RBI Mojo is not the ONLY indicator of Dodger success. 🙂 . . . which means they should do even better now that you’re following!

      • (Ummm, I did in fact have the game on the radio – I had just muted it for a minute.)

        • So the legend continues?
          You know, this means you HAVE to listen to EVERY game . . . possibly every INNING? . . . As Uncle Ben said, with great power comes great responsibility.

  26. I wonder if this genius FO we are blessed with has negotiated a deal with an airline that the more tickets they buy the cheaper they get? So they save money by shuttling players between LA and OKC…

  27. Eric Stephen comments that Heisey “also gives the Dodgers an extra strong defensive outfielder with a weekend series at Coors Field, home of the largest outfield in baseball.”

    • True enough but I’d still rather have a relief pitcher. You may quote me.

      • Of course, there’s nothing stopping this situation from changing by the time they’re in CO.

      • There’s a strong possibility that weather will stop at least one of three games, and perhaps all three.

        • Sunday for sure because that’s the one I am supposed to be able to see. I was supposed to be able to see today’s game but somehow they changed that. Probably just as well. I completely spaced out the time zone differential and only became aware the game was going a few minutes ago. Now it too is blacked out. Baseball doesn’t deserve the fans it has.