Game 82, 2015

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Mets at Dodgers, 4:15PM PT, TV: Fox

Zack Greinke looks to continue his amazing season (6-2, 1.58 ERA, and he’s probably earned about four more wins) against the Mets’ Matt Harvey, who’s having a good year himself (7-5, 2.99 ERA). Harvey has allowed only two runs in his last 19 2/3 innings, and Greinke has a 20 2/3 scoreless inning streak going.

Reminds me of a song:

I updated Rule #5 to include religion, following cocktail party etiquette:

Keep conversation clean, avoiding any sexual innuendoes. Excessive flirting is not appropriate, especially at a business-related affair. Also, steer clear of taboo topics like dieting, health (yours or theirs), the cost of anything, malicious gossip (yes, you do know when it’s malicious), religion and politics. Most important, don’t leave someone hanging. Close a conversation before moving on to another person or group.

Lineup when available.
Today’s #Dodgers lineup vs. Mets:
Pederson CF
Kendrick 2B
Gonzalez 1B
Grandal C
Puig RF
Ethier LF
Callaspo 3B
Rollins SS
Greinke P

105 thoughts on “Game 82, 2015”

  2. So Coulombe called up to replace Frias (DLed) on the roster. Another pen game on Monday? Not sure what other options there are and may depend on pen use today, but don’t look forward to it. Luckily it’s the fillies

  4. At mid-point, the NL CYA race seems to be between Scherzer and Greinke. Of the 3 big numbers, ERA, W and K, Zach leads in ERA (1.48 to 1.82) but lags in Ks (98 to 139). Wins are close enough not to be a factor (7 to 9). Scherzer also has a no-no and 3 CG to zero for Zach. Advanced stats have them both at WAR 4.8, but Zach leads in ERA+ (250 to 208)

    • All deserving but if I had to pick only one, I’d say Turner. The little guy really deserves it.

  6. I have to give a little credit to Callaspo because I underestimated his abilities when he came here. He is a better hitter and fielder than I expected. At the same time I have to downgrade him for not being all he could be. He has made several base-running errors, one yesterday the announcer called attention to, and also out of position defensively on a couple of occasions I noticed. I expected a player who was maybe a little short in ability who made up for that in effort and intelligent play. I now feel he has the talent to be a better player than he is, that his attitude and intelligence are what is holding him back. But those too, like athleticism, are gifts not everyone receives. I really don’t see anything there that Guerrero couldn’t do better. Too bad Mattingly has such a prejudice against Guerrero.

  7. Woo-HOO!!! (Sorry about the tardy yell – I was downtown and couldn’t get disqus to log me on.) Not the easiest final two innings, but we’ll take it however we can get it, right?

    • Certainly a happier result than the Gnats had yesterday. Gnice to see BadGums lit up on the Fourth.

    • Thanks, John — I’m hearing the sounds of “illegal” fireworks still going off in nearby streets.

      • Me too. Hypocrits!. We sell fireworks here in Nye County but require buyers to sign a pledge they won’t use them here because it is illegal. I imagine the bulk of our sales go to California. The American way.

        • It’s time to eliminate fireworks except for licensed public events. The risks are simply too great.

          • Amazingly, I heard only one firework/cracker all day and all evening yesterday. The 4th has always been the lesser of the two big fireworks days here: New Year’s Eve is traditionally the noisier (and that’s the one I hate the most, because despite the “don’t start till 9:00PM or you’re breaking the law” edict too many people pay no attention to it and it goes on for hours and hours up until about 12:30am that night, year after year).

          • The worst is Buenos Aires on New Year’s Eve. I stay home because there are jerks tossing firecrackers from 12th-floor balconies into the streets.

    • I hate the Fourth, but this year the explosions weren’t quite so bad and shut down relatively early – most people here seem to realize the danger. Some morons did start a fire in the Oakland Hills, but the Fire Dept got to it quickly. This has to be their worst day of the year.

  9. 10 games above .500. I hope I wouldn’t be too disappointed if they doubled that and finished 20 games above .500 (91-71) – but I wonder if I might be! I think it all depends on if and when they were able to clinch the division title. Not winning the division but still making the playoff – meh. Not making the playoffs – wah!

  10. Back here at 1:00pm PT tomorrow. Bolsinger looks to be the starter. Frias has back problems and may not be able to go on Monday.

    • Yeah – I could have said we win (but it almost doesn’t feel like it).
      I think those kinds of games where teams score in the ninth but come up a run short – need some kinda name (like walk off wins have been so labeled). Perhaps walk away wins (because you walk away shaking your head breathing a sigh of relief) or something like that. Suggestions?

    • They can’t all click at the same time: when the bullpen shuts ’em down, the offense is shut down.
      Zack was probably regretting coming out.

    • Gaudy. Well, not really awful, but not for the purists. The ballcaps with the muted flag stars and stripes on the front panel aren’t bad, but the stars in the red logoed Dodgers and Mets on the players chests and in the numbers on their backs are a bit busy.

  18. The offense gets going, Zack has another great game . . . but the bullpen makes it interesting.
    Did they pass a law in LA where all areas of the game are not allowed to click at the same time?

    • Unlikely to reach minimum PA this year, but could receive MVP votes the way he is going. Right behind Joc in WAR despite only two-thirds as many PA.

  21. At least there was an excuse with today’s game, going against Harvey. Nice to see AGon’s blast, but even nicer to have the 2-out, RISP hit.

    And Zack . . . it’s all been said here already. Hopefully his stop-the loss magic works again.

  22. Wow! Greinke could start the 8th! Big turnaround from the early innings.

  24. Ok Zack – get through this inning smoothly and efficiently so you have something for the 7th inning.

  25. Scoop, do you have any Monterey restaurant recommendations? We’re spending our anniversary there next weekend.

  27. Nice to see the Dodgers winning the battle of the pitchers – part 2 (last night being part 1).

  31. I am leaving the rest of this game up to you all. I plan on enjoying the rest of the Fourth of July. Good luck.

  35. Link: That’s for sharing Johnny Mercer’s singing. Besides being a great songwriter, he clearly had a great voice. At the end of that, did you watch the duet with him and Steve Allen? It is great.

  37. Hi, All. With a looming deadline and house-guests, I am struggling to keep up with games, posts, and Rule 5 brawls. Locked inside my office for the afternoon. But I’ll put today’s game on my iPad while I work, and hope Greinke can earn us another W. If we get it, I’ll figure out how to Woo-HOO from downtown L.A., where we’re heading later on for fireworks.

  38. With exactly half of the season over, Pederson is on course to hit 40 home runs and drive in 76 runs. As far as my research goes, that would be a record for fewest RBIs with 40 or more homers. Here’s a modest suggestion: perhaps he shouldn’t be batting leadoff.

  39. I guess the brawl last night can be laid on my doorstep and I do apologize for it. I go to bed early so I slept through it. My comment was a joke but apparently the nature of it offended someone. Any future posts I make will be so bland I will probably decide they’re not worth posting. Small loss.

  40. One part of the etiquette cite above won’t fly here: conversation is NEVER closed . . . which is one of the nice things about this opportunity. 🙂

    As always, thanks, Link!

    • I dunno. Sometimes the comments close without my knowledge or understanding. 😉

      Thanks, people.

      None of us can know what remark we consider a mild or throwaway one might push somebody else’s buttons. That’s why it just seems simpler to banish certain topics than to try to moderate discussions of them.

      • They have been trying to do that forever. Human nature does not change. Probably the best “solution” is to simply “go away” for awhile if someone says something you don’t like. Remember, he has as much right to feel as he does as you have to feel as you do, and you’re just as unlikely to change his mind as he yours. So come back tomorrow and start over.