Dodgers at Nationals, 4:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MASN-2
Bud Norris (5-7, 4.17 ERA) will make his fourth start for the Dodgers; he’s given up seven runs in 16 innings in the first three. He’ll face Gio Gonzalez (5-8, 4.70 ERA), whose July has been an improvement over his June; in his last start he went 5 2/3 innings against the Mets and gave up two runs, the fewest he’d allowed in any start since May.
Rumors have it the Dodgers are hunting a front-line pitcher like the Rays’ Chris Archer, now that Kershaw’s return is delayed, Ryu is back on the DL and Alex Wood’s elbow needed surgery which puts him out for eight weeks.
The team is obviously very highly-strung as we head down the stretch of the season:
The @redturn2-doppelgänger list is getting pretty long. From @Bease11 to @HeathSlaterOMRB to… @TheMuppets' Animal? pic.twitter.com/SIgpX3y00V
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 20, 2016
Lineup:
Tonight’s Dodger lineup at Nationals:
Kendrick LF
Taylor 2B
Turner 3B
González 1B
Van Slyke RF
Puig CF
Grandal C
Culberson SS
Norris P— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 20, 2016
Turner owns Strasburg!
Good start, thanks to AGon and Turner!
Hatcher moved to the 60-day DL, essentially ending his season.
I wonder when Link will wake up and realize the starting time of today’s game?
Ahem. I wrote and scheduled the post for this morning’s game last night.
The Harper 451 ft dinger was the biggest one I have ever witnessed since Adam Dunn hit one off of Clayton 460 ft to the same area (actually hit two three-run homers off of Kershaw that day in 2010).
Day game after a night game! I am beat (thank goodness I don’t have to play – though available to pinch hit as needed).
Thoughtful of old friend Hanley to keep pouring it on.
giants lost, so there is that.
Guy just made a pretty good catch of that dinger a couple rows behind me.
Howie now at 12, no?
Indeed.
And now it’s a one-run game up north in Fenway.
a steal of hope really tops it off
This is going down the tubes rather quickly.
The first seven batters for the Giants reached base in the 4th, five of them scoring, before Ross relieved Pomeranz and retired Pagan, Belt and Posey. Still 8-5 Red Sox. It is enjoyable to watch a game on TV from Fenway
it may be enjoyable, but I’m going to get really cranky if they rally all the way from 8 down to win 🙂
It was great to see a game live there many years ago
Watching the Gnats is gnever enjoyable, unless they’re getting walloped.
I appreciate the layout and idiosyncracies of Fenway regardless of who is playing. There is great atmosphere, both inside and outside the stadium. I have attended two games there, about 45 years apart. The first was in 1969 or 1970, the second two years ago. Even bought a Green Monster T-shirt there in 2014.
I went to a game there in the mid-1980s, got a free parking spot just outside the park, and a walk-up ticket.
Post-Broken Curse is a little different, from what I’ve read.
Don’t like the way the tides are turning, here or in Boston.
Isn’t that the truth.
Giants have just put up a 5-spot in the 4th and are still hitting with none out. It is now 8-5 Red Sox.
Whelp.
And the Nats are now homer happy in this game.
Five homers at Fenway in 3+ innings.
Norris has pitched good to strong tonight. Just the one blip in the first.
Quite a blip.
Oops now a couple more.
Hanley does it again, and the Sawx now lead the Gnats 8-0.
So enjoyable!
Daniel Murphy is no longer hitting 1.000!
Started in the playoffs against us an never stopped.
As far as I’m concerned the Kershaw situation casts a pall over everything and makes each game seem somewhat irrelevant. I will acknowledge that I am often a doom-and-gloom guy.
I’m not exactly Mr. Positive about the news either. So frustrating.
It’s cause for concern, but not yet desperation.
I will take your message to heart and try to keep the faith.
Faith is useless. Follow the evidence, which does not yet indicate a wheelchair in his (near) future.
I disagree.
When you want to appear to be doing something, faith is the option.
When I remarked about keeping the faith, I forget to whom I was responding.
also how many years have we had him generally injury free? we have been very fortunate. It would be worse if our record was something like 60-35 and we were have the best season ever and then he got injured
Faith, hope and love – and the world’s your oyster. 🙂
Seems like a bit of an overreaction. How can games be irrelevant?
Overeaction? Perhaps. But if Kershaw does not return at all this season, or if he is out for a long period, I do not think we have any chance of reaching the post-season. So, the individual games would seem rather meaningless.
If one had reacted that way when he first went down they would have missed a lot of great baseball.
Old friend Hanley homers off Gnatt Cain, and Sawx lead 3-0 in the third.
Good job HanRam!
Good inning. Lots of pitches by Gio and got one run.
Almost like that hit he beat the Gnats with…
Definitely take it!
Need to get one run here.
Gio might just walk everyone to get to Norris.
Nope.
🙂
Ack! Kershaw may need surgery for his back!
Ugh!
not a great scenario
Guy behind me says that they are saying it’s within the realm of possibilities at this point.
Does that change anyone’s thoughts here about trying to make (a) major trade(s)? Anyone wonder if they shouldn’t sell the farm (so to speak) to get a major player or two if Kershaw is out for the year? Wouldn’t it make more sense to hold on and wait til next year? Just a thought.
Not saying to be sellers, but just maybe not all in buyers either.
When the count went to 3-1 on Harper, that’s exactly what I thought would happen.
Yep, very predictable.
He’s hardly the only pitcher to do so.
For that reason.
Kendrick in July: .418/.491/.600/1.092
Even though we need another starter, I would be reluctant to let go of Puig to do it (but I’m not sure who else though)
That is a tough decision. He still has so much promise, but he has basically just been OK at the plate this season. Puig’s fielding and understanding of hitting the cutoff man have improved. He is not showboating. It we could get a solid starting pitcher and something else valuable, I’d probably make the trade.
The other thing is that he’s awfully inexpensive for his talent level.
With upside to boot.
We should use the well stock farm to do that at this point. Otherwise we would need another outfielder in any event.
Off to the park!
Do you need to change trains to get to the park?
Nope.
How long does it take (I haven’t been to DC in more than 20 years)?
Station to station 15-20 minutes.
Dodgers hitting .289 in July, tops in the NL.
Both Taylor and Culberson better than one of them plus Utley, even though it’s vs. a lefty?
I was thinking the same thing, but I looked at the numbers:
Utley in career: vs. lefties — .258, .361, 444. 805; vs. righties — .289, .365, .487, .852.
This season: vs. lefties — .188, .220, .271, .491; vs. righties — .281, .369, .411, .780.
Career vs. Gonzalez, a lefty — .150, .190, .150, .340 — 3 singles in 20 ABs, 1 BB, 2 K’s.
And obviously Seager’s stomach virus hasn’t subsided.
That really lays it out doesn’t it? Thanks
I expect we will see Utley at some point in this game.