Game 45, 2020

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Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 6:40 PM PDT, TV: FS-A, MLBN (out-of-market only), SPNLA

RHP Dustin May (1-1, 2.88 ERA) goes for the Dodgers while LHP Madison Bumgarner (0-4, 8.44 ERA) takes the mound for just the second time since coming off the IL, where he’d been since August 9 with a mid-back strain. May seems to have developed a slurve to use when his sinker isn’t doing what he likes, MLB says. Bumgarner gave up two runs on three hits in four innings in his first post-injury start against the Giants.

If there are no fans allowed into the stadium anyway, I guess it doesn’t matter where the World Series and Championship Series games are held, although rewarding Texas Rangers ownership for extorting a new taxpayer-funded ball park sticks in my craw, although the team seems to have absorbed more than half the cost.

How is Charlie Steiner broadcasting the Dodgers’ games from home? Like this.

RHP Joe Kelly off IL and up, RHP Walker Buehler back on IL. Kelly’s five-game suspension begins tonight.

On this day in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1992 Cardinals vice chairman Fred Kuhlman tells reporters that a “security check” had revealed serious issues involving the two out-of-state investors, Vince Piazza and Vincent N. Tirendi, part of the six-man group trying to buy the Giants and move the franchise to Florida. The candid reply to the press will cost baseball more than $6 million to settle a suit that includes a letter of apology from acting Commissioner Bud Selig to Vince Piazza, whose son Mike started his major league career with the Dodgers nine days before his father’s rejection by the MLB owners.
  • 1974 Lou Brock ties and then breaks Maury Wills’s 12 year-old single season stolen base record with his 104th and 105th swipes. The Cardinal left fielder’s thievery against the Phillies doesn’t help when the Redbirds drop the Busch Stadium contest, 8-2.

Lineup when available.

No Twitter explanation of Mookie’s appearance at 2B, but maybe Joe and Orel or Rick and Charlie will know.

Update: He’s starting at second just to gain some game-level experience.

Betts, traditionally the starting right fielder, came up as a middle infielder but has played the outfield throughout his major league career. Thursday’s game, the finale of a three-game road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, will mark Betts’ first start at second base since he played 14 games there with the Boston Red Sox in 2014. Betts also moved to second base from right field early in a game on Aug. 3, 2018.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Betts takes ground balls in the infield on a daily basis. A couple of weeks ago, the two talked about the unforeseen circumstances in a short playoff series that might prompt Roberts to pinch hit one of his outfielders in the early innings and might force Betts to play second base. Betts embraced the idea.

200 thoughts on “Game 45, 2020”

  8. Tony Gonsolin has had only 2 bad innings in his very brief career. 4 runs vs AZ in his first inning of his first ever appearance. And 3 runs bunched together in the 6th inning tonight. 7 of the 18 earned runs he has allowed in his career have come in those 2 innings vs AZ.

  9. Dodgers are 3 for 16 against off-speed pitches. I’m sure the other contending teams are taking notice.

  14. The 100 foot view of the Dodgers: they are 2-3 in their last 5. They have 2 key starting pitchers possible injured (Buehler and May). Bellinger is slumping again, as is Muncy. They have played very sloppy baseball the last several games.

    The 35,000 foot view is they are 32-13 and still have the best record in baseball.

    The view from the Space Station: They have won 7 consecutive division titles and made it to 2 WS.

    The view from Mars? The Dodgers have won over 11,000 games as a franchise.

    • Capitan Optimist view is that they could lose rest of their games and still have a 78% chance of making the playoffs.

  15. San Diego now 3.5 back. I was looking at their remaining schedule – which includes 7 against San Fran, 3 vs Seattle and 2 vs LAA. Much easier schedule than the Dodgers…

      • 3 (at home, for what it’s worth) vs the Dodgers.
        Meanwhile Dodgers also have to play 2 against Houston at home and 3 vs Oakland on the road. Plus 4 games at Colorado and 3 vs LAA at home.

    • If they are going to score some runs, please make it 4 and lets end this thing without extra innings.

  21. It’s been a crazy night and crazy series. I have had to remind myself more than once that the Dodgers are playing AZ – and not San Fran. It kinda feels like San Fran however. Especially tonight.

  22. Apropos of what WPD said, I took my dog out for a walk with the score 2-2 and I return . . . well, you know the rest of the story.

  23. The Dodgers suckered me into thinking they were going to score that inning. Apparently I learned nothing from watching the 6th inning.

  26. I would a million times rather have a stretch of sloppy, mistake filled play now rather than oh, I don’t know, early or mid or late October.

  28. Oh dear. I turn away for 20 minutes to close the day with my son (who still loves being read to at night, so we happily read to him at night) – and the game falls completely apart.

  31. Vin would be telling us stories of old Dodger ball gone bad stories like two men on third or was it three men on third?

  34. I feel like we could have scored two or three that inning, but for the bazillion episodes of weirdness and sloppy play.

  44. Will lets balls go by (even when they’re called strikes) and hits strikes. Good hit but picked off at first – too bad. That was a nice hit.

  45. Only the 6th inning so probably not time for the Dodgers to score again. (Prove me wrong Dodgers.)

  49. May has made 8 starts, pitched 40.2 innings, allowed 13 earned runs, has an ERA of 2.88 and is 1-1. Gonsolin has made 5 starts, pitched 23.2 innings, allowed 2 earned runs, has an ERA of 0.76, and is 0-0. Much good pitching, but only one win (and on loss) between them. This is partially because starters aren’t going that long.

  79. Surprising Belli has an OPS .728 against this fellow. Not all that bad. Of course Quique clocks in at 1.379.

  90. Through three innings in Oakland, Sean Manaea of the A’s has retired all nine Asterisks batters on a total of 21 pitches.

  95. Boston and Arizona have the lowest winning percentage in MLB this season: .34091. Pittsburg is a tad higher at .34146. All three round out to .341.