Games 51 & 52, 2015

Game 1, Dodgers at Rockies, 12:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA. This is a makeup game for one that was postponed due to weather on May 9.

Juan Nicasio is 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA in 16 games and 21 innings. He’s struck out 28 and walked 11 in those appearances, all in relief. His longest stint has been 3 inning on May 2. He’ll face Jorge De La Rosa, who’s 1-2 with a 6.51 ERA and no appearances since May 21 due to a cut finger.

Lineup:

Game 2, Dodgers at Rockies, 5:40PM PT, TV: SPNLA

Zack Greinke is 5-1 with a 1.48 ERA.

Over his previous five starts — a stretch that’s covered 34 1/3 innings — Greinke owns a 1.05 ERA and has yielded just five runs (four earned). He’s struck out 31, walked only seven and hasn’t given up more than one run in a start since April 29.

His opponent will be David Hale, who’s 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his only game in the big leagues this year. He went 6 2/3 innings.

Lineup:

231 thoughts on “Games 51 & 52, 2015

  1. Interesting tweet–

    ‏@EephusBlue

    Eephusblue retweeted Emma Span

    Can you blame Olivo though? Wanted to taste greatness.

    I’ll see myself out.

    Eephusblue added,

    Emma Span

    @emmaspan

    Alex Guerrero’s grand slam made me look up Miguel Olivo. Currently playing for los Toros de Tijuana. Bet his teammates don’t argue with him.

  2. Gnatfan Brisbee summarizes his team’s rotation after BadGums:

    “Tim Hudson is 40 and erratic
    Ryan Vogelsong is basically 40 and erratic
    Tim Lincecum throws 40 and is erratic
    Chris Heston is … wait, where did this guy come from, and why did we trust him so quickly?
    Jake Peavy is hurt and erratic
    Matt Cain is the best and the truth and probably our salvation but … likely to be erratic as all heck”

  3. Jordi Mercer hits first dinger of season, and Gnats go silently in bottom of fifth. Now 6-4 Bucs.

    • I’m also impressed . . . but when the power was turned off, they didn’t win. This could have been a much easier win with non-HR clutch hitting.
      I know it’s a long season and all that, but when everything that was working it turned off at the same time, I wonder which is the anomaly — the success or the failure.

  4. Can’;t give an extra base away, especially to the tying run . . . shoot!

  5. Imposing trio coming up for CO.
    But Kenley is imposing as well . . .

  6. worse thing is that we were supposed to have no internet about an hour ago while they do maintenece here at school. I bet it will stop after Kenley gets 2 outs 🙂

  7. class is back in 3 minutes, I might have to take secret looks at my computer once they are working

  8. I saw “In play, run(s),” and I was hoping, please not a single. And it wasn’t.

  9. turning point of the season (I know, I know, there is still work to do)

    • It could very well be that if Kenley can hold the lead in this hitters’ park.

    • The team was already on track to win 96 games, so not sure what you mean.

      • Probably he feels the same way I do . . . that they’re not playing like a 96-game-winning team.
        Speaking for myself, they haven’t these last three weeks.

          • I am, but they weren’t keeping that pace that they set earlier.
            What would the pace be if they played like they did these last three weeks? I know it shouldn’t last, but that’s the feeling I have and why this could be a turning point . . . plus it would mean a comeback late in the game — which, we established earlier, is not common for them.

        • The first month they were on pace to win 100 games, so I suspect that raised some expectations.

          • Count me in that category!
            You never know . . . are they that good . . . are they THIS bad?
            As you always say, Bob, it’s a long season — and I don’t think you can really assess until at least the last third of the year.

          • More worried about the pitching in the long haul than the hitting. It has improved but not sure of how sustainable it is after Klayton and Zach.

      • I mean give them the confidence that they can win games in any situation, even if they are down and out

        • Sure, but that is Coors. Being a hitters’ park chances of coming back are higher, but on the other hand, no lead is safe.

    • I like that . . . but it ain’t over yet. But the Fat Lady — and Kenley — is warming up.

  10. The three batters coming up probably inspire as much fear in the Rockies as they do hope in me.

    • Zack has an off game — the Stopper is stopped.
      Road woes continue.
      If they lose this one, it’s the 3rd doubleheader CO has swept from LA.

  11. We were excited earlier in the year when the Dodgers came back a couple of times later in the game . . . but I don’t believe that’s held up, has it?

    • I believe that they have only won one game were they were behind going into the 8th.

  12. Nothing like a double header to expose all the weak spots and missing pieces a team has. Heisey and Callaspo in the lineup reminds me the Dodgers are not all the way healthy.

  13. Would have loved to cash in Joc from third there but will certainly take the one run to tie it up.

  14. Following the fist game of today’s double-header against the Rockies, the Dodgers announced that they have designated left-hander David Huff for assignment and selected the contract of right-hander Josh Ravin from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Additionally, catcher Austin Barnes has been optioned to Triple-A, and lefty Daniel Coulombe has been recalled in his place.

      • Lots of grammatical errors on MLBTR. They need an editor who didn’t cut class to play ball. Speaking of which, should there be a “want” between ‘me’ and “to”?

    • The strikeouts don’t bother him nearly as much as the home runs. He can’t admit Kemp was adequately replaced.

      • Kemp is also a big K guy and was a subpar OFer, but Package prefers to overlook that.

  15. AAA closer Aardsma (how’s that for “a”lliteration?) is in the midst of a 72-hour window in which he has exercised a June 1 opt-out and has made it plain he plans to go to the majors elsewhere, if not with the Dodgers.

    Solid at OKC this year, sitting 91-93 with good #s…2.55 ERA, 15 saves (fwiw), 1.08 WHIP fashioned via 12 hits & 7 BB over 17.2 IP. 21Ks, no dingers.

    Solid as Seattle closer 2009-2010 but erratic later years. ERA+ 169 in 09 TJ in 2011 and hip surgery before that would appear to be in rear view mirror.

    All that to say this: Can’t send Hatcher down to work out problems, so maybe time for his exit….replaced by Aardsma. Appears Aardsma deserves a chance in LA somehow.

    Question fat chance, but could Hatcher voluntarily go down to work out kinks?

    http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-dodgers-david-aardsma-says-hes-ready-for-a-return-to-the-majors/article/5424412

  16. Can’t say that I comprehended Mattingly’s strategy with pitchers today. Was he playing for the split of the twinbill? Can any of you out there give me your takes on this?

      • Did seem as if he wasn’t following a set plan, except to just “get through this somehow.”

    • Bullpen game. Didn’t want to commit the better part of hit unless the offense was up to snuff.

      • Essentially, then, Don decided Jorge de la Rosa was too tough, and it was better to forfeit. A real head-scratcher.

        • Why all the second guessing on Donnie on this one? The offense only scored 3 runs. Why waste the pen?

  17. Alex doesn’t seem to have much of an arm, but I guess the Rox knew that already.

  18. That play at first turning out to big this inning. Hope AGon can come through here.

  19. Multiple choice quiz:

    The Dodgers have a new pitcher today. Last name Thomas. First name has only 3 letters. Is it…

    A) Ian
    B) DFA
    C) Both

  20. With the way Stults pitched against the Dodgers – 3 innings and no runs IIRC – maybe the Dodgers should have had him up pitching today and not Thomas.

  21. I think the Dodgers will still score a bunch this afternoon – and I think they will need to in order to win this game.

  22. I’m not expecting much from Ian Thomas (whose flight back to OKC is probably already booked).

  23. I know batting order supposedly doesn’t make a lot of difference, except hitters near the top get some more ABs, and normaly the best hitter is 3rd.

    But DM can come up with some headscratchers. Why would you want Heisey second, moreso than any of the other RHB in the lineup today (since he does the L-R thing as much as he can)?

    Not the best RHB, Under pressure to prove himself and stick on the roster. Fewer ML ABs this year than regulars…..there could be other reasons why not, but I’ll avoid that particular rabbit hole.

  24. MLBTR on HanRam and the Red Sox and their issues–

    “As if trouble on offense and in the rotation were not enough, the Globe’s Alex Speier discusses the team’s sub-par overall efforts on defense. Errors have not generally been a big problem on the whole, but advanced metrics view the Sox as one of the league’s worst defensive units. The biggest problem, says Speier, is that Ramirez has been the league’s single worst fielder by a significant margin. Remarkably, Ramirez has cost the club about one quarter of a run per game thus far, and Speier observes that there are no ready solutions (other than continuing to work toward and hope for improvement) given Boston’s current roster alignment.” More…

    http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/06/red-sox-notes-offseason-farrell-hanram.html

    • Hard to believe, but Hanley’s a better SS than LF. But he’s a much better DH than either.

  25. Didn’t look like one to send the runner on. It made it to the rightfielder so quickly.

    • Missed the first. Jon is scoring the 18 innings like a boxing match. Who won the first?

    • I expect that will be the case only through today’s games. Barnes probably already has a ticket back to OKC.

      • I wonder what happened within the last few days for him to decide to resign. The indictments came several days earlier.

        • If this were a movie, I’d say someone from the US DOJ met privately with Sepp and said “do you really want to continue, punk? Do you?” all the while showing him a few more of the cards DOJ holds.

      • Believe that having them physically there together facilitated the arrests in this instance.

      • I was wondering what they were talking about… Got no use for those foreigner games. Real Americans play Baseball, Football, Basketball.

        • I’ve never cared for handegg, and have lost almost all interest in basketball. I enjoy cycling, but only as a participant.

          • Me too. I only watch baseball now and that damn little thanks to the greedy Dodgers.

  26. Story on putting SVS on the DL says the Dodgers added Heisey and Thomas and now have 26 players. What are the circumstances that allow a team the extra player on the active roster?