Nationals at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MASN
Brett Anderson (6-6, 3.06 ERA) tries to right the ship for the Dodgers after their three-game sweep at the hands of the Pirates. He’ll face Gio Gonzales (8-4, 3.75 ERA), who’s won his last four decisions but hasn’t made it past the fifth inning in any of his last three starts.
Dodger fans get a chance to see Bryce Harper, who’s having an MVP-caliber year so far with 29 HRs and 69 RBI to go along with a slash line of .335/.463/.656.
Lineup when available.
Updated lineup:
Rollins SS
Peraza 2B
Puig RF
Van Slyke 1B
Hernandez CF
Callaspo 3B
Guerrero LF
Ellis C
Anderson P https://t.co/S11sYGR363
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 10, 2015
NPUT
So, for once, we all agree; There is no more to be said.
Perhaps just a good primal scream.
Two defensive bright spots:
Joc’s catch
Puig’s catch
Mattingly, post-game:
“They’ve got some guys that are a tough matchup for Brett,” Dodgers
manager Don Mattingly said. “Tonight was a game we felt like we never
really had a chance to win.”
Gee, Don, why’d you bother putting a team on the field then?
Seriously, what the heck?
Guessing that it’s the organization’s way of protesting the scheduling of 8pm Sunday game on the opposite coast. Not sure why they punish the fans, should have let people in for free. With Zimmerman and Werth back in the line up they are a southpaw’s nightmare.
I really hate ESPN games, and not just because of the blackouts.
Don’s rhetorical skills are roughly comparable to his bullpen management abilities.
Anyway, night all and we will get them tomorrow. RBI basically guaranteed it. 🙂
Gonzo in the lineup tomorrow, and Turner back a few more days after that. Need Puig and or Joc to lift their heads a bit in terms of batting. Need the offense to win a few more 7-6 type games perhaps. Best bullpen might be the Dodger offense for the next little while – if they can get it going.
They are not the best (close to the worst), but I think that we can only really blame the pen for one of the four losses and, even then, Donnie’s handling of them was a contributing factor.
Yay Carl, boo Don.
I have never felt worse about Mattingly. Not even when he didn’t pull Kershaw during the play-offs.
Don may be fine in the clubhouse, but he’s often inept on the playing field.
That HR was important.
How’s that?
Not ending with a shut out. A reminder that we CAN score. Etc. Etc.
Hmm, I wonder if it was one of those “you had to be there moments”. I see what you mean, but you probably feel it a lot more since you sat through the whole mess of a game live. And were given a small parting gift at the end for your troubles.
Exactly.
Good for CC!
If only the 5 run inning didn’t happen!
All right!!!!
Joc this would be a crazy time to start getting hot!
Maybe tomorrow. Sigh.
For the start of your hot streaking Dodgers!
The 3 run CC jack was the start.
He just looks lost at the plate.
He just didn’t want to waste a hit. Felt like he was making a statement about the inappropriate use of the bullpen. I think they call that performance art.
Alright then. Here we go now.
I’m so glad Don saved Kenley for a high-leverage situation.
I know. Infuriating two nights of bullpen mismanagement.
That’s the worst aspect of Don’s game, and that’s saying a lot.
8 to tie, 9 for the walk off.
Got to swing the bat first.
Callaspo was our top hitter tonight. And then he failed me!
You shoulda seen how we got on first!
Have a great night guys….. Now, I’m off to hang with a little 3 yr. old daughter… and read her some bedtime stories. Always fun. Lots of laughts…..
….
Until tomorrow! – RBI called it… the start of a winning streak… spear-headed by Mr. Grienke.
Late.
9 k’s and 0 walks from 3 relievers over 4 innings of work.
Love KKKJ!!!
Starting tomorrow, we are going on a long run of wins. Mark my word.
Who’s slated to pitch for us tomorrow?
…
(not that it matters to starting a string of wins) 🙂
Greinke.
Ok. Grienke? … It’s on!
I hope so. I really felt like that last night. Before the game I felt so positive the Dodgers were going to take that last game against Pittsburgh and keep on winning. Then I thought that last night’s lose would make them “mad” and they would play with some passion tonight. However, this is baseball not soccer (or hockey or football or basketball) so it doesn’t always work like that.
But yes, I hope you are right.
Jansen for the… Oh. Never mind.
Win‽
Let’s see!
I’m staying til the bitter end. Emphasis on bitter.
Oh – I thought you were being very positive there for a second. You have “better” end. I thought you were either hoping for an alternate universe (a la Berenstein bears) or willing to wait a very long time until things got better.
Sorry. But tomorrow I vow to be Mary Sunshine and Pollyanna rolled into one. Which makes me Scarlet O Hara tonight.
Well then – tomorrow really is another day!
You get to see Kenley finish the game.
He is so good.
According to Gameday Peraza walked. And then Peraza came up next and walked again. Trippy.
Quique doesn’t get near that.
Pederson is amazing out there.
Joc!
I see our boys are being very nice hosts to the visitors from our Nation’s capitol…..
….
They’ll never want to leave. 🙂
Hey, Jonny! Good to hear from you two nights in a row.
Hey, RBI…. It’s nice to be able to hop on here two nights in a row.
I hope all’s been well with you….
…
Now, if we could just find a way to get you out to Chavez Ravine tonight. ….
With a name like, “RBI”… you’re totally needed in that Dodger dugout!
Played that card already (she is there).
Beats committing seppuku. (Sp.?)
Sorry, meant for Jonny. I’m all over the place tonight!
I got it…. Hey, enjoy! ….
….
You got to see an All Star play by Joc out there in CF….
He just needs to keep plugging away in CF, and the hitting will come back around.
I’m here tonight! But up in the stands.
Blogging from the stands…. now, that’s cool.
Jonny seems to show up at certain times to vent (although he actually doesn’t do that anymore). These are not usually not good times, so hard to say that I am happy to see him.
I’m giving you a “No – Vent” Guarantee this evening, Bob! …
We’ve been venting for you.
Thanks so much…. 🙂
Even with this lopsided score, I feel like the Pirates are better than the Nats.
They just got swept by the Rox at home (and lost 2 of 3 to Snakes). People here have been as miserable as us. (bullpen implosions)
i wonder what the Dodger/MLB record for most consecutive games wherein the bullpen gives up a home run? Seems like the Dodgers are on a bit of a run in that category.
I notice my presence hasn’t helped our boys in blue. Could it be my mood?
Speaking of blue: Which is more blue – your feelings or your language? 🙂
Last night, language. Tonight, feelings.
I’m at the stadium, remember…
Ah but a lot of words are spoken internally or at least under our breath!
Et tu, Howell?
Hey guys. So, remember earlier this year, when we couldn’t lose for winning?
Nat pen has not been very good lately, but we may never get to it.
Day after tomorrow, maybe?
Why? Who pitches for them tomorrow?
Greinke.
Doh meant to say Greinke vs Ross.
Call me snarky, but I’m thinking this might be our first four-losses-in-a-row of the year.
Since 2013 IIRC.
Baez. Howell. Why now? Why not yesterday?
How much of this game do we attribute to the team getting in very early this am?
Half.
The zero part of the score (Anderson likely flew in earlier)
Sounds about right.
That swing by Jimmy. If you didn’t see it, it was pretty sad.
Four runs per inning. We can do it!
Baez looking fine tonight!
Actually so surprised to see a reliever do that well coming back out for a second inning. Relief pitchers coming back for another inning have not done well for the Dodgers this year.
Serious question: Is there anyone on Mattingly’s coaching staff besides Honeycutt who was a pitcher?
Bullpen coach. (he asked that I not reveal his name)
I do think Turner coming back will give the Dodgers a bit of a spark. Peraza is no Kendrick but could add some zip as well. The starting pitching will work itself out. The bullpen needs some fresh arms from Trip A – Liberatore, Ravin, perhaps. Dodgers season is not quite down the drain yet.
I love your enthusiasm.
Just realized that all my comments tonight prior to the one above were all snide and snarky. I needed to get out of the funk.
Not me! No snark from me!
Ha! 🙂
Snide and snarky could be a good name for a team of private investigators, or cops or something. Perhaps a British tv drama…
It’s not down the drain, but I’d like at least a little indication that Don can learn from his bullpen management mistakes.
Yes absolutely. I agree.
It’s a firm of willful blindness, or stubbornness, or something.
Or lack of baseball IQ?
Pick yer poison.
Can I pick a combo of Johnson and Peralta as my poison? They made me feel ill last night.
Absolutely!
Avilan doesn’t look too bad as a LOOGY.
Can we actually get two good innings out of one bullpen pitcher, that is the question.
Probably, when the game is not on the line.
That made me laugh! There’s hope!
What would I do without this site on nights like this?
Totally agree.
People leaving in droves.
Do you think the FO agrees?
Dunno. They got the players, after all.
What a travesty. Mattingly is failing every constituency there is.
I think he conceded this game to focus on winning with his aces.
comment above meant for here.
A hit!!!!!
And almost a run even! Maybe next inning they will actually get one!
Bad history on August 10: Twenty years ago tonight, the Dodgers forfeited a game to the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium when the fans refused to stop throwing their gift baseballs on the field in protest of the umpiring.
Well, I just got hit with someone’s crumpled dodger dog wrapper, so there you go…
Okay, well, we have our work cut out for us.
Baez did his job. He was pitching with some fire, which I liked seeing.
I never ever feel this way, but I’m close to sorry I came out to this game.
I almost never turn games off early, but I did so last night and may do so tonight.
Who says it’s early? (almost midnight here)
Thanks for this comment. I was feeling guilty, on top of grumpy.
Peraza not familiar with position.
Yup.
I thought perhaps the Dodgers were just happy to trade a run for an out…
Did Mattingly devise the Maginot Line?
Seven straight batters reach base before we pull the pitcher? I haven’t seen something like this ever happen to the Dodgers ever . . . unless you consider last night.
Do we think the Dodgers might score 9 runs in the 7th inning tonight?
Huge applause for a swing and a miss. It’s come to this…
If Don had wasted Báez last night, he wouldn’t be able to waste him tonight.
Ha! Funny.
Silent protest of FO only giving him 7 relievers?
Downside of not having Joc in CF (though at least one would have scored on the sac fly)
Did someone mention ice cream?
I believe that’s my cue. Just reading/putting my son to bed. Been listening and many this another dog of a game for the boys in blue.
Donnie, asleep at the wheel.
He’s beyond bad with pitchers.
It’s official. I’ve become the Grinch.
Oh, so now Honey goes out? And no one warming up. Because we have no one to help him out.
This stinks. I wonder what will wake this team up?
This site has as much energy tonight as the Dodgers. I don’t think the players or the fans have recovered from last night’s debacle.
Plus they got in at 4am.
I’m here at the game, and it’s pretty quiet, I must say.
Almost 11:30 where I am.
Frustration continues.
Wasting a leadoff double by Ellis stings.
Seems like one of those games where we can’t string the hits together.
Leadoff double is kiss of death for Dodgers.
Fly ball to the track could score A.J.
Four and a half innings in an hour. Kind of like Koufax vs. Gibson. Well, not exactly.
I think the Dodgers will make the playoffs where we are likely to face one or more of the six teams who have winning records besides us. Here are our 2015 marks against each of them:
Washington 2-1, Chicago 2-2, New York 3-4, St. Louis 2-5, San Francisco 3-9 and Pittsburgh 0-3. That’s a cumulative record of 12-24.
That is not something to write home about. However, in 1988 we were 1-10 against the Mets in the regular season (there was one rainout) and we beat them in seven in the playoffs.
We beat the Cards head-to-head during the regular season in both 2013-14.
Is WAR a cumulative statistic? Can a player’s career WAR go down if he has a bad year?
Yep (but would have to be very bad).
Thanks.
I wonder what Ellis’ percentage of first pitch called strikes is. That seems to be his MO.
Ugh.
Well Peraza handled that one.
Oops, and recovers.
and gave that one a ride.
Solid, but fairly routine unless Kemp’s your RF.
Less solid, but better results (Kemp likely doesn’t get close enough to dive and keeps it at a single).
With Kendrick seemingly headed to DL, Dodgers call up prospect José Peraza (acquired in Atlanta trade): https://twitter.com/SportsNetLA/status/630870379288891394
Could be fun to see Peraza.
Dodgers have done pretty well after most of their 3 game losing streaks this season. Choosing an arbitrary end point of 6 games they have gone: 4-2, 4-2, 5-1, 2-4, 5-1 after each of their 3 game losing streaks up til now.
Note – it is a fairly even split whether the end point was followed by win(s) or loss(es).
If you total the wins and losses, including the five 3 game losses, they were 20-25 over that 45 game period. Not too good.
If you total the wins and losses, they’ve only gone 62-49 since early April.
It also means they have gone 42-24 in their other games. Not too shabby.
Took in several of the Nat games against the Snakes and the Rox. Harper is scary good.
As scary good as McCutchen?
Not a polished all around player like Clutch, he is only 22, but he has a heavy bat putting up Ruthian numbers for much of the first half and carrying this injury plagued team. For much of that period he was the only one of their top five hitters in the line up.