Kenta makes Roberts look good

Phil Gurnee ♦ May 26, 2017 ♦ 1 Comment

Many questions, and many answers last night.

We will start with the NL baseball decision.

 Should you pinch hit for your starting pitchers as early as the 4th inning?

Your pitcher struggled in the first inning putting the team in a hole by three runs, but has gotten his act together and kept the score close at 3 – 1 as you head into the bottom of the 4th. A few hits later and the score is 3 – 2, runners on 2nd/3rd and your pitcher due up.  You have two outs so a hit is needed to bring in a run. You have Logan Forsythe normally a starting player ready to pinch hit. At most your pitcher might have another inning in him.

You decide to let your pitcher hit emitting groans throughout the Twittersphere and everyone is already getting ready to ask the question “why did you let Kenta hit in that spot”.  Instead of that being a combative question, it becomes a question of respect, because Kenta Maeda delivered two out two-run single that put the Dodgers in front 4 -3, a lead they would never let go off.

Kenta delivered his flawless 5th inning, and another question needed to be answered.

Could Ryu pitch effectively in relief? 

It would seem that Ryu has lost his spot in the starting rotation. Earlier in the day, Roberts had signaled what his rotation was going to look like going forward and Ryu was not in it. Ryu had never pitched in relief, so it was a legitimate question. Rarely has a question been answered with such an exclamation point. Ryu not only pitched in relief he threw four scoreless innings for the rare four innings save and allowed the rest of the bullpen to be fully ready for the Cubs this weekend.

Can Chris Taylor handle CF?

Oh boy, can he.  Two games, two highlight catches, no mistakes, and he’s still hitting rockets everywhere. The Taylor Train is bypassing small city stops and headed straight for the big city.

Could this strange Dodger lineup score some runs against the might Cardinal rotation?

The Cardinal rotation entering last night had been as stingy as any in baseball and the Dodger lineup had a cleanup hitter who had yet to hit a home run in over 100 PA.  The answer was yes and the scoring came from up and down the lineup. Chase Utley got it started with his first home run of 2017. The big rally was started by Cody Bellinger blasting a single into RF.  Enrique Hernandez squeezed a single into RF after a brilliant at-bat. Puig takes a nasty strike two that was down and away. Not being able to take a chance on another bad call he swings at a pitch out of the strike zone but is able to deliver a to RF driving in Bellinger with Hernandez taking 3rd. Puig steals second, and Kenta brings them both home with a ball down the line just eluding the Gyorko glove putting the Dodgers ahead 4 – 3.  In the 5th it is the top of the lineup that puts up two runs with Taylor getting it started and Gonzalez putting up the finishing touches with a touch double to LF.  The final and seventh run is driven in by Taylor, plating Hernandez who had doubled.

Ready for more? The Cubs are coming in red hot, can the Dodgers cool their jets?