Maybe Kershaw is the curse?
Forget about the Sports Illustrated curse, maybe the curse is the Dodgers starting pitcher tonight.
On July 23rd the game started by Kershaw the Dodger record was 68 – 31. On August 31st the last game before Kershaw would make his first start back from the disabled list, the Dodger record was 91 – 41.
They went 23 – 10 while Kershaw was on the DL.
The only game they have won since Clayton came off the DL was his first start on Sept 1st, 1 – 0.
They are now 1 – 11 since Clayton Kershaw came off the disabled list.
If only it was so simple to use such a simplistic cause and effect.
But it isn’t.
The Dodgers are currently the worse team in baseball not because of Clayton Kershaw but because:
For Sure:
- The left fielders suck
- The 2nd baseman suck
- The starting catchers sucks
- The first innings sucks
- The bullpen has sucked at key moments
Why/Maybe?
- Too many cooks in the kitchen?
- Front office failed chemistry class?
- Team got complacent and it is taking a while to get back the game face they had when they steamrolled lousy teams?
- Adrian Gonzalez is cursed?
- Taylor/Turner/Bellinger/Seager went from MVP candidates to mere mortals?
Reddick and Granderson
Last year the Dodger front office bet on Josh Reddick as their right fielder and banished their regular right fielder Yasiel Puig to AAA. It was not a good bet. For the first thirty days of his Dodger career, he put up one of the worst months of any LAD outfielder in history.
Player Split Year OPS PA SO BA OBP SLG Josh Reddick August 2016 .396 94 15 .161 .223 .172 Ron Fairly July 1966 .395 80 12 .129 .238 .157 John Shelby June 1989 .385 93 25 .146 .183 .202 Don Demeter July 1959 .384 61 16 .153 .164 .220 Tommy Davis August 1961 .373 79 7 .155 .218 .155 Tony Gwynn July 2012 .364 54 11 .140 .204 .160 Eric Young August 1992 .359 75 4 .162 .197 .162 Bill Buckner June 1975 .333 58 6 .120 .193 .140 Howie Kendrick April/March 2016 .333 55 14 .151 .182 .151
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 9/12/2017.
This year the Dodger front office bet on Curtis Granderson and banished their regular center fielder Joc Pederson to AAA. So far that has not been a good bet, as Curtis Granderson is having as bad a time as Josh Reddick had.
Player Split Year OPS PA BA OBP SLG Josh Reddick August 2016 .396 94 .161 .223 .172 Curtis Granderson Aug19th-Sept11th 2017 .534 86 .111 .256 .278
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/12/2017.
Josh Reddick recovered and had a fine empty Sept. The Dodgers have eighteen games left to find out if Curtis Granderson is the right man for left field. For a team on their way to winning (maybe) 100 games so many questions abound but today let us just focus on left field.
If we go with the idea that Chris Taylor is the center fielder, the left fielder could be one of many.
It could be Cody Bellinger against RHP, with Adrian Gonzalez at 1st. Is Adrian a better bet than Andre Ethier, Joc Pederson, or Curtis Granderson against RHP? They are all left-hand hitters. Only Andre of the four has shown any spunk in his bat.
Against LHP I’d expect Bellinger to be playing 1st base which leaves Andre, Joc, Granderson or Hernandez for LF. Those are all horrible options against a left-hand pitcher. Forget about Joc here. We should also forget about Andre here as his historical history against LHP is terrible. That would leave Granderson and Kiké Hernandez as the likely starter against an LHP, and Mr. Hernandez has been less than stellar himself for quite a while now. Franklyn Guiterrez was supposed to be this guy back in April but he is done for the year. The Dodgers have 38 players on their Sept roster and I can’t find one good option against LHP in left field for the postseason.
I don’t know, it kind of seems the one thing this team didn’t need is another left handed hitting outfielder. I guess 20 analysts weren’t able to figure that out.
Remember when the Giants had the best record at the break in 2016?
For two years in a row now, the team with the best record in baseball at the break came from the NL West, and for two years in a row, both teams have had major issues in the second half.
The Giants had 57 wins at the break in 2016, the Dodgers in the midst of only losing three games in all of July had 61 wins. You’d think that the Dodgers would have had more than just four wins more than the Giants but they didn’t. We have already forgotten just how good the first half 2016 Giants were. Because they didn’t win the division, and because they are now the worst team in the NL.
2016 NL Standings at the break:
Tm W L W-L% GB RS RA pythW-L% SFG 57 33 .633 -- 424 351 .586 WSN 54 36 .600 3.0 422 317 .628 CHC 53 35 .602 3.0 460 321 .659 LAD 51 40 .560 6.5 382 329 .568 NYM 47 41 .534 9.0 335 315 .528 MIA 47 41 .534 9.0 371 370 .501
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/11/2017.
2017 NL Standings at the break:
Tm W L W-L% RS RA pythW-L% LAD 61 29 .678 463 300 .689 ARI 53 36 .596 446 344 .617 WSN 52 36 .591 486 396 .593 COL 52 39 .571 461 419 .544 MIL 50 41 .549 451 406 .548 CHC 43 45 .489 399 399 .500 STL 43 45 .489 402 389 .515
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/11/2017.
The Dodgers always had some issues with the starting lineup at 2nd and CF, but those issues were easily overshadowed when the top four hitters in the lineup were all hitting well enough to be in the MVP conversation. No one is in that conversation now. No one is driving the bus as it careens downhill toward disaster but there is still time for someone or multiple drivers to take control.
The Dodger will right the ship, but will it simply be floating toward the shoals of October disaster, or have all oars rowing together?
Font, Rios, Peters, and Ferguson make Baseball America Prospect All-Star teams
Wilmer Font made the AAA All-Star team
Edwin Rios made the AA All-Star team as the DH
Notable exceptions were Alex Verdugo and Walker Buehler. Walker had a tough task because he split time between AA and AAA but Verdugo was in AAA all year.
Dennis Santana pitches minor league game of the year for Dodgers
Dennis Santana hasn’t had the greatest success at Tulsa since being promoted a few months ago but he saved his best for the biggest moment of the season.
Tulsa went with four starters before calling on Dennis Santana in game five of a series tied at two games a piece. Santana responded with seven shutout innings, giving up only three hits, two walks, while striking out a career high eleven.
With the victory the Tulsa Drillers move onto the next round:
as the Drillers beat Northwest Arkansas, 6-1, in the decisive fifth game of the North Division finals. He gave up three hits and two walks while plunking a batter in his first scoreless outing since joining Tulsa at the end of July.
“The fastball just had so much run to it and the curveball he throws was unhittable and the change was plus for him tonight,” Drillers manager Scott Hennessey said. “He threw three pitches for strikes, stayed ahead of hitters and the stuff took care of itself.”
Three of the Dodger top five pitching prospects have pitched so far in the Texas League playoffs and Dennis Santana was the best of them. Mitch White pitched a great game himself in the first game, while Yadier Alveraz was as disappointing in game four as he has been all year.
Another game, another beatdown
The Dodgers lost their 10th game in a row but more disturbing is how they are losing. They continue to be a punching bag for the NL West going 1 – 13 against the Diamondbacks, Rockies, and Padres over their past fourteen games. They aren’t losing close games either. Of those 13 losses, they lost five of those game by more than two runs.
This team doesn’t have one problem to solve they have numerous problems to solve. It might be as simple as letting the key players play and let the rest watch. They need the starting pitchers to pitch better, they need the bullpen to pitch better, they need to relearn the patience they had, and rediscover the long ball, along with a clutch hit once in a while.
Eric Stephen has the numbers:
Dodgers are only MLB team this season to lose 10 straight. Also only team to lose 15 of 16.
They also somehow still have best record in MLB
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) September 10, 2017
Dodgers set/tied some club records:
1) 10 straight losses (LA)
2) 9 consec. losses at Dodger Stadium
3) First winless homestand 6+ G at DS— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) September 10, 2017
Yeah, I know this is lazy writing but I know I have some folk who don’t use twitter and Eric has been on fire in reporting the bizarre anomalies of this season.
Dodgers are the 4th team in MLB history to win 14 of 15 and lose 14 of 15 within the same season. From @EliasSports: https://t.co/oSpRt6rulO pic.twitter.com/B9xfj7tl1b
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 10, 2017
and my favorite
If Dodgers lose Sunday, then win at least 3 of final 6 home games, their 2017 will own Dodger Stadium records for consec. losses & most wins
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) September 10, 2017
Are the Dodgers starting the best catcher?
Yesterday I wondered if Austin Barnes might be the best second base option for the Dodgers between Logan Forsythe, Chase Utley, and Enrique Hernandez.
Today, Austin Barnes is starting as the catcher for the fourth time in Sept and against an RHP. With Yazmani Grandal continuing to struggle offensively is Dave Roberts starting to think of Austin Barnes as more of a starting catcher than a backup catcher?
Here is the breakdown for the two catchers:
Full Season:
Name Age G PA BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ Yasmani Grandal# 28 113 431 .249 .302 .456 .758 97 Austin Barnes 27 85 217 .297 .410 .478 .888 135
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/10/2017.
2nd Half:
Player Split Year OPS GS PA BA OBP SLG Austin Barnes 2nd Half 2017 .823 17 91 .316 .429 .395 Yasmani Grandal 2nd Half 2017 .703 36 151 .216 .272 .432
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 9/10/2017.
September:
Player Split Year PA GS BA OBP SLG OPS Yasmani Grandal Sept/Oct 2017 27 7 .042 .111 .167 .278 Austin Barnes Sept/Oct 2017 17 3 .286 .412 .286 .697
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 9/10/2017.
Barnes is starting about 1/2 the games that Grandal starts but with the start today against a RHP, that might change going forward. Grandal is known for large cold streaks and that is what he is in right now. He has one hit in Sept, a home run. Barnes is not doing a lot in Sept but he is making contact something that Grandal is not doing. Grandal has 12 strikeouts in 27 plate appearances in Sept.
Barnes has outhit Grandal all year and seems to have the defensive chops to handle the starting gig. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. With a big day today, Barnes could go a long way toward laying the claim for more starts.
I will say, for a team that at one time was being the called best team in LAD history they sure have a lot of question marks as they try to end an eight game losing streak.
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.
Dodger prospects get shutout on Baseball America MiLB All-Star teams
Been a tough month for the Dodgers. Not only are the Dodgers whiffing in Sept, but their prospects are as well. Baseball America announced their season ending minor league all-star teams and…
No Dodger prospect made the All-Star first team
No Dodger prospect made the All-Star second team
One ex-Dodger prospect made the All-Star 2nd team as a DH
I guess Alex Verdugo isn’t as exciting a prospect for Baseball America as he is for those Dodger prospect hounds who were afraid of losing him this past summer.
The other teams in the NL West had four players make the teams. The Padres had Tatis make the first team as a shortstop and Joey Lucchesi made the second team as a starting pitcher. The Diamondbacks had Jon Duplantier make the first team as a starting pitcher. The Rockies had Ryan McMahon make the second team as a 1st baseman.
Dodgers, Yesterday and Today 