Not a good sign
When you score four runs in the first inning and have the pitcher on the mound who is supposed to match up with Strasburg or Ray or whatever the Cubs are using as their second best pitcher you should expect to end a seven game losing streak.
Didn’t happen.
Yu Darvish once again is making me and the Dodgers look bad as he continues to pitch worse than any other starter in the Dodger rotation. In his last four starts, Yu has pitched only eighteen innings while giving up sixteen runs. Included in that are six home runs in just eighteen innings. That kind of performance usually gets you sent to the bullpen to work out the kinks or in the Dodgers case, the 10 Day DL but they already tried that gig with Yu.
Also didn’t help that the Dodgers did not score after the first inning. At least the bullpen had a good game. That was the only good takeaway from Friday’s game.
This Dodger team was on the verge of winning 100 games, possibly 105 games, and even had a shot at 110 plus wins. Now they setting losing records left and right.
Eric Stephen summed it up with this tweet a few minutes ago.
There is a perverse potential pursuit of potentially the same team owning the worst Dodger Stadium losing streak and best home record
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) September 9, 2017
Minor League Notes:
Trevor Oaks finally showed up after missing most of the summer. Trevor pitched for Odgen in an important game, pitching Odgen to the victory and helping them claim a postseason berth. I’m sure the opposing team appreciated seeing a AAA veteran on the cusp of a major league career carving up the teenagers in the Pioneer Leauge. I’m not sure what Trevor Oaks and the Dodgers get out of this. A few innings in Sept?
Brandon McCarthy made his rehab pitching for the Quakes in their playoff game. He did well but could not keep them from losing. Mr. May will try to extend the Quakes season today. He has been brilliant so far in his two starts for the Quakes.
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Dodgers, Yesterday and Today 
I took the time to look at Davish’s game logs for the 2017 when the Dodgers acquired him.
His season has been a mixed bag, up and down nearly alternating start by start.
Coming off of TJ … this is an obvious reason for the inconsistency from the previously dominant pitcher.
The Dodgers took a flyer on Darvish.
The cost was not too high … only a hitterish prospect who does not play reliable defense and this after a couple of years of focused tradining tattempting o improve the weakness.
So the Dodgers didn’t surrender a player who fits in their long term plans to give Darvish a chance.
They would have had to give up more for Verlander in addition to a couple more years of a big contract. The goal of breaking the luxury tax cycle in 2019 probably played a part in this too.
As soon as Darvish arrived with the Dodgers the talk was about changing the arm slot, the mechanics of the delivery.
Darvish has been pitching professionally for 14 seasons, he knows what he is doing.
Wonder if the wear and tear from the old delivery contributed to the TJ?
Wonder if trying to go back to the old way just causes more issues with the forearm?
At this point it really doesn’t matter.
What you see is what you get.
After a season long of consistently being inconsistent it is probably not realistic to expect Darvish to suddenly turn it on and regain his presurgery form.
The hype that accompanied his arrival was fun.
The start against the Mets was great.
However, here we are.
I’m rooting for the guy to succeed, but like the Lone Ranger,
Darvish needs to find that silver bullet.
Not holding my breath.
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