Dodgers at Reds, 10:10 AM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-O
The Dodgers hope to sweep the series with this game, and they’ll send RHP Kenta Maeda (4-3, 4.95 ERA) out to try to win it. He’ll face old acquaintance Bronson Arroyo (3-5, 7.01 ERA).
Maeda has struggled this season, with only two quality starts in the ten games he’s started, but his last outing was a four-inning save against the Reds on June 9. If he pitches to that level again he may rejoin the Dodgers’ starting rotation.
Arroyo never threw a pitch for the Dodgers, but he came over from the Braves in the July 2015 trade in which they acquired Alex Wood, Mat Latos, Luis Avilan, Jose Peraza and Jim Johnson. He was injured at the time and the Braves were dumping his salary. He was granted free agency in November of that year and landed with the Reds. He may not last very long if his performance doesn’t improve, because Homer Bailey and Brandon Finnegan can come off the DL by the end of June.
Notes:
Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger has been clobbering the ball in June. On Tuesday, he became the fastest player to record at least four multihomer games. According to Statcast, as of Saturday, Bellinger is fifth in MLB in barrel rate (23.5 percent) and currently leads left-handed batters in hard contact rate against left-handed pitchers this season. His teammate Corey Seager ranks second in hard contact rate. Bellinger hit his 19th homer on Saturday.
This day in Dodgers’ history:
- 1938 After accepting GM Larry MacPhail’s offer to coach first base, Babe Ruth wears a Dodger uniform for the first time as a coach and takes batting practice with the team. The ‘Bambino’ will quit at the end of the season, ending his ties with major league baseball.
- 1940 Dodger Ducky Medwick, acquired in a trade less than a week ago, is beaned by former Cardinal teammate Bob Bowman and needs to be carried off the field on a stretcher. Brooklyn president Lee MacPhail accuses the St. Louis pitcher of deliberately hitting Medwick in the head because the two had quarreled in a hotel elevator prior to the game.
- 1996 Brant Brown hits the first three home runs of his career on the same day. The 25 year-old rookie goes deep as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning off Chan Ho Park in a 9-6 loss to the Dodgers in the opener of a Wrigley Field twin bill, but his two additional round-trippers contribute to Chicago’s 7-4 victory in the nightcap.
- 2014 With the only batter reaching base as a result of a throwing error by shortstop Hanley Ramirez in the seventh inning, Clayton Kershaw no-hits the Rockies at Dodger Stadium, striking out a career-high 15 batters. The left-hander’s teammate Josh Beckett also threw a no-hitter 24 days ago, making it the shortest span between no-hitters by a team since the Reds’ Johnny Vander Meer accomplished it in consecutive starts, four days apart, in 1938.
Vinnie calls Kershaw’s no-hitter:
Lineup when available.
NPUT
http://razzball.com/fool-me-once-shame-on-you-fool-me-twice-joc-pederson/
Kenley’s in Mariano territory, or better… https://twitter.com/DanielBrim/status/876538385501999104
In the end, the Fillies and the Gnats blow leads to the Snakes and Rox, respectively. On the bright side, the Snakes and Rox play each other three times starting on Tuesday, so one of them has to lose.
Giants had scored three in the top of the ninth — two on a Pence homer — to take a 5-3 lead. Giants closer Melancon got the first man out in the bottom of the ninth, and then proceeded to allow four straight hits, the last of which was Arenado’s three-run homer and the Rockies won, 7-5. That completed the cycle for Arenado.
Our division is cray-cray good.
Schadenfreude-plus: The Gnats are now 19-1/2 games out of first.
Go Phillies – 4-4, bottom of the ninth.
Fillies blew it, but the Gnats have taken a lead over the Rox in the ninth.
3-way tie for first?
If Rox lose, Dodgers and Snakes tied, with Rox percentage points behind both. Only Dodgers play tomorrow so, in any event, they can occupy first alone if Kershaw wins.
Then again, it is Coors. Not counting my chickens yet.
Gnats doing their utmost to blow it.
I am not sure I could watch the Gnats this year, were I their fan.
Kenley at 50/0.
For Father’s Day? https://twitter.com/FluffSociety/status/875171064585826304
We almost swept the state of Ohio!
Same thought.
As scooplew says below, Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads in the audience.
Phillies lead the D-Backs 4-3 in the 7th, Giants-Rockies in a scoreless tie in the 5th.
Gnats now lead Rox 2-0 on a dinger by Greasylocks Crawford.
Happy Father’s Day.
Yes!
Jansen threw 10 pitches in the 9th, all but one of them for strikes. He caps a splendid road trip. I know that he won’t win it, but Jansen, if he continues to pitch like this, deserves consideration for the Cy Young Award.
We win! (Phew).
We are also losing phew games these days.
Woo-HOO!!!!!
Masterful by Kenley.
Phew!
Báez earns a “hold.”
What a bizarre and often meaningless statistic that is.
Only slightly less useful than “win” and “save.”
Well, maybe. But how would you suggest you reflect a pitcher’s success or failure other than with those stats?
Leverage should used to weight various measures for pitchers. These exist, see BR, but are not easy to calculate and not in popular use. But you can be sure that managers and FOs use them in valuing their pitchers.
It was never in doubt…
Wonderful catch!
What a catch, Kiké!!!!
Quique saves!
Where’s Kenley?
Don’t want to see this fellow up there.
Uh oh.
Oh come ON!
They sure have the offense to stage a comeback.
Báez ain’t fooled no one yet.
Fooled the ump on that one.
The Reds are Dodgering the Dodgers with this comeback.
They’ve lost eight in a row. Hungry hungry team.
I fear Josh Fields is past his expiration date… https://twitter.com/kengurnick/status/876527079390683137
Josh Fields, not Josh Pitches, unfortunately.
Groan!
Seager hits a ball that even Adam Duvall can catch.
Looks like he is struggling with his control.
Fields has lost his mojo.
3 HRs in a week, Steiner sez. He needs a little rest.
And possibly his job!
We may need Kenley today.
Agh!
It’s a pleasant coincidence that even the Gnats have to wear blue caps today.
Meh, not Dodger blue.
Just like back in Vin’s days of a young boy.
Bite your tongue! Really?
I remember Vin showing off an old Dodger blue NY Giants cap in that last series in SF last year.
JT!!!
JT!
A little more enthusiasm please!
Next time!!!
Maeda made it through 5.
This game is half of yesterday’s so far.
78 pitches to go five innings. In 85-degree heat and 58% humidity. Ugh.
Humidity’s not that bad.
Ugh, says the Hawaiano.
Today, in Oakland, it’s 89° with 35 percent humidity.
I lived five summers in DC’s suburbs. I know what that feels like.
Hamilton is getting well on our pitching, for some reason.
Otherwise, this high-powered offense has been pretty much shut down in their own park.
Sometimes I forget how good a defender Puig is.
Quite possibly the best defensive RF in baseball.
Always the raw talent, but now doesn’t make as many silly mistakes trying to do too much. Tough even trying to remember him doing such this year.
Puig!
Just wish Votto had tried it.
Throw was offline, but in plenty of time.
Could use a DP right about now.
Certainly not an HBP.
I feel sorry for Bronson Arroyo, but not that sorry.
It may be nearing the end for him. He’s 40 years old.
He’s had a good career.
Kenta!
With the bat and now the wheels.
Ya hay alineación… https://twitter.com/LosDodgers/status/876468935885037568
Our beloved, and soon to be suspended?, Puig has put up OPS 1.001, in 69 pa since May 28.
The suspension is BS – unlike Strychnine’s for the Gnats – but it could just mean a regularly scheduled day off.
What are the Spanish words for left, center and right fields? I just noticed the abbreviations aren’t the usual LF, CF, RF.
Jardín izquierda, jardín centro, jardín derecha.
Gracias.