Padres at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ESPN, FSSD
ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball late game features Roberto Hernandez making his third start for the Dodgers and looking for his second win for the team. He’ll face Eric Stults, who is 2-0 with a 1.37 ERA in three starts this month.
The Padres have averaged the most runs per game (4.57) in the National League since the All-Star break.
Gordon gets a night off tonight. Darwin Barney will start at 2nd base for him. Crawford had a huge night last night, so he gets tonight off as well (?). Van Slyke will take his place in LF.
Update: The Giants won their protest that last night’s game shouldn’t have been declared a complete game loss for them because the Cubs’ ground crew didn’t get the tarp on properly and thus rendered the field unplayable when the umps tried to restart the game. They claimed that not enough was done to dry the infield. It will be resumed in the fifth inning at 2:05PM PT Thursday before the regularly-scheduled game begins at 5:05PM PT.
Tonight's #Dodgers lineup:
Barney 2B
Puig CF
Gonzalez 1B
Kemp RF
Van Slyke LF
Turner 3B
Arruebarrena SS
Ellis C
Hernandez P
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 20, 2014
NPUT
Doubtful any thoughtful fan expects more out of Fausto/Hndz or Correia than to win one of every 2 times out, .500, which is about all you can expect for rotation back ends. Anything more is welcome but gravy.
With luck, maybe their times out can be limited, tho right now it’s hard to see how.
Funny, baseball. No one doubted the merit to moving Harang, Capuano, and Volquez along.
Now, with the marathon season, injuries, roster decisions, and just general bad performances that crop up, most anyone who follows the team would prefer any of those 3 to still be pulling on the blue every 5 days over the most recent 2 additions.
Not that the team made the wrong decisions on those 3 at the time. Just funny how things work out sometimes when the fates of baseball rise up and take a plug out of your rear.
The complication in stockingpiling vetern starters is that you don’t have room on the 25 and they normally want to be in the Bigs and not sitting in Albuquerque.
And with the shortage of even halfway decent pitching, they don’t have to. Someone will give them a MLB spot/shot.
No surprise this starter gave up runs.
Unfortunately, no surprise this offense didn’t score runs (and I don’t just mean this particular lineup).
Surprise the defense is playing like the beginning of the year, altho two of the errors were by non-starters.
BIG — and pleasant — surprise a competent bullpen showed up.
Let’s hope the Giants don’t get their act together.
I will say one thing…. this is fun!
Whatever happens…… happens. We all have our opinions and perspectives…
This game is great…. following it is great…. hearing Vinny is great… sharing this season with you guys is great. That’s all that matters. IMHO.
Have a nice night.
I definitely agree with your 3rd paragraph, Jonny!
Finally, a bullpen pitcher who throws strikes!
Really flat game. Dodgers seem tired compared to the Pads.
Arrabuena….. In a word …. “unqualified”….
….
Unqualified to occupy the SS position for the LA Dodgers @ Chavez Ravine.
….
Albuquerque? maybe……
Camelback?… maybe…..
…..
But, not Chavez Ravine in the MLB…. Sorry, no dice. Try again, Ned. :-/
I’ve now seen two plays in two innings that superior SS’s would have made…..
We can do better…..
….
Trade Hanley to the AL so he can be a DH, and get an elite SS….. (sign and trade)
(After the season, and having had Hanley fulfill his contract, of course…. )
Your word is wrong. He’s a fine defensive SS, but his offense is a question mark.
“Good defensively, not-so-hot-with-the-stick” …. Yes. WBB- right on.
That has been the book him.
….
But, tonight…. based on those 2 plays, I’m adding… “not-so-hot-with-glove”…
….
No ball should hop over your glove like that….
And, being so tentative on that backhand play… resulting in safe at first?
….
IMHO: Those plays HAVE to be made. You may differ from me on this…
It’s all good. I know you know your stuff! Just a difference of opinion.
You are greatly exaggerating over a small sample size.
Doesn’t sound good for the Blue: great SD bullpen and LA is not known for bouncing back.
But, they still have to play the game, so Let’s go, Dodgers!
Baez throwing 97s.
He’s near!y 1-1 strikes to balls.
Only recently a pitcher, though. Throws very hard but straight.
well we got 1 back, but it could have been more
Story of this year’s offense
Missing Crawford. (I’m at the game.)
Yet another bases loaded failure.
time for Hernandez to help himself
Great . . . shortly after Vinny reminds us this is not a comeback team, they’re digging a deeper hole from which to climb.
Bear down, Roberto — or you’re gonna havta count on another big-bat day.
DP time!
1 batter too late
ANOTHER infield line-drive double play . . . when is Donnie going to have that meeting with them on baserunning, like he did re defense? The latter obviously worked.
nice start
Let’s hope the bats show up again!
On SPNLA Vinnie just told us that Barney is 6 for 12 lifetime against Stults, another possible reason for giving Dee a rest.
Makes sense — but still odd to hear that 3/4 of the infield are not starters.
Well, two of those guys are on the DL, so…
That’s most of what makes it unsettling.
Interesting rotation shuffle
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story/_/id/11384767/zack-greinke-los-angeles-dodgers-given-extra-rest-clayton-kershaw-start-thursday
Sure hope Zack regains his mojo/health.
Even Kersh has shown that he’s close to being mortal lately.
The starters — especially the Dodge-namic Duo — have been the most consistent part of the winning ways this year.
I just hope the minor problem doesn’t turn into a major one
Bummer the Dodgers aren’t able to gain a game — yet — but that was still a great win last night!
Meanwhile, go, Nevada (Las Vegas) in the Little League World Series!
I agree, but I think that the decision is fair enough
Agree re fair — the test for me is how would I feel if it happened the other way around?
Baseball granted the Gnats an exception to the rule.