Chris Taylor trying to catch Davey Lopes
While Cody Bellinger is hitting home runs, Chris Taylor is running wild. In the month of June, Chris Taylor has seven stolen bases while being caught………..never.
Davey Lopes holds the record of ten stolen bases with zero caught stealing. That was expected because Davey rarely got caught stealing. That is why Maury Wills would never make a list like this.
What was shocking. Matt Kemp. What was more shocking. Franklin Stubbs. Are you kidding me?
Hey look, manager Dave Roberts made the cut off of six stolen bases without being caught.
This is a tough list to make because once you get caught, you gone.
Player Split Year SB PA R H HR RBI CS BB OPS Davey Lopes June 1978 10 119 21 33 5 13 0 14 .923 Matt Kemp June 2011 8 108 18 33 9 23 0 17 1.268 Eric Davis June 1992 7 47 2 9 0 5 0 4 .509 Chris Taylor June 2017 7 67 12 17 3 13 0 5 .844 Franklin Stubbs June 1988 6 73 9 12 2 7 0 7 .617 Raul Mondesi June 1995 6 109 20 36 4 13 0 7 .959 Dave Roberts June 2004 6 78 14 24 1 8 0 5 .892
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 6/20/2017.
I only left the run column on because of Eric Davis. He only scored two runs in the month. It was like he was A. J. Ellis.
Mike Kekich rears his strange head
Sandy Koufax has the best game score against the NYM at Dodger Stadium, courtesy of his no-hitter in 1962. It was far from a perfect game since Sandy walked five. It was also against one of the worst teams in baseball history, the newly formed NYM in 1962.
The game that catches my eye though, is the game by Mike Kekich. Mike Kekich was basically known for one thing and it wasn’t pitching. Kekich was involved in one of the stranger non baseball related activities when he and fellow Yankee pitcher Fritz Peterson switched wives.
Mike Kekich Notes:
- Kekich was a 23-year-old rookie for the Dodgers in 1968 and would be traded to the NYY on Dec 4th, 1968 for outfielder Andy Kosco.
- The game that shows up on this leaderboard was the greatest game of his career.
- It was his only major league shutout.
- It was the only time he struck out over ten hitters.
- It was the only time he had a game score greater than 90. He did have two other game scores over 80 in 1971.
- Kekich would pitch 860 major league innings, make 112 major league starts, and still end his career with an ERA+ of only 73. It would seem he was a bad pitcher for a long time.
This might be the most game scores over 80 against any one franchise at Dodger Stadium.
Pete Richart also made the list. I wish I had not stumbled upon Mike Kekich cause I would have loved to have written about Pete Richart. If you are read our comments you will find this tidbit by El Camino Gary:
I remember this game so vividly. On April 12, 1962 I was one month shy of my tenth birthday.
I was sitting in the kitchen listening to the radio by the stove and keeping score, with help from Vin.
My parents and sister had gone across the street to visit neighbors.
I was in the house alone, the only light on in the house was the bulb on the fan hood over the stove, shining on the score sheet of my program from a recent visit to Dodger Stadium.From the outset of the broadcast, Vin was excited that Richert was now with the team and was ready to see him perform.
Williams faltered early and Richert was brought into the game.
Richert struck out the first batter he faced, Vada Pinson, to end the second inning.
In the third, Richert struck out four batters. Frank Robinson, Gordy Coleman, Wally Post, and John Edwards. John Roseboro had the third strike on Coleman get by him and Coleman made it to 1B.
Then Richert struck out Tommy Harper for the first out of the fourth inning.
Richert got the first twelve batters he faced out, a record for a rookie debut at the time.
Richert earned the win in this game.
Vin was excited! So I thought that the next great pitcher had arrived!Of course, Richert is part of one of your favorite trades.
Richert, FRANK HOWARD, Ken McMullen, Dick Nen, and Phil Ortega for
Claude OSteen, John Kennedy, and $100,000Richert played on four World Series teams. One with the Dodgers and three with the Orioles.
Player Date Opp Rslt IP H ER BB SO GSc Sandy Koufax 1962-06-30 NYM W 5-0 9.0 0 0 5 13 95 Mike Kekich 1968-08-04(2) NYM W 2-0 9.0 1 0 2 11 94 Clayton Kershaw 2016-05-12 NYM W 5-0 9.0 3 0 1 13 93 Don Sutton 1970-07-17 NYM W 1-0 10.0 5 0 3 12 91 Sandy Koufax 1965-06-20(1) NYM W 2-1 9.0 1 1 2 12 91 Fernando Valenzuela 1985-09-06 NYM L 0-2 11.0 6 0 3 5 87 Bill Singer 1968-08-03 NYM W 8-0 9.0 3 0 4 10 87 Sandy Koufax 1966-05-28 NYM W 7-1 9.0 3 0 2 10 87 Sandy Koufax 1963-05-19(1) NYM W 1-0 9.0 2 0 1 5 87 Burt Hooton 1977-05-03 NYM W 4-1 9.0 4 0 2 11 86 Don Sutton 1968-06-10 NYM L 0-1 10.0 5 1 3 10 85 Don Drysdale 1968-04-13 NYM W 1-0 9.0 4 0 1 7 85 Claude Osteen 1966-05-27 NYM W 4-0 9.0 3 0 2 6 85 Sandy Koufax 1965-04-22 NYM W 2-1 9.0 4 0 1 9 85 Pete Richert 1964-09-12 NYM W 8-0 9.0 2 0 3 5 85 Don Drysdale 1962-07-01 NYM W 5-1 9.0 5 1 1 13 85 Andy Messersmith 1974-05-01 NYM W 2-1 11.0 6 1 2 5 84 Claude Osteen 1971-08-17 NYM W 4-0 9.0 3 0 2 5 84 Chan Ho Park 2000-08-19 NYM W 4-1 9.0 4 1 2 10 83 Hideo Nomo 1995-08-31 NYM W 6-5 7.1 2 0 2 11 83 Andy Messersmith 1975-08-30 NYM W 7-0 9.0 5 0 3 8 82 Don Drysdale 1966-07-24(1) NYM W 5-0 9.0 6 0 3 10 82 Burt Hooton 1980-09-03 NYM W 2-0 8.1 4 0 2 8 81 Claude Osteen 1973-08-09 NYM W 1-0 9.0 4 0 1 3 81 Claude Osteen 1965-06-21 NYM L 0-1 9.0 2 1 3 5 81 Don Drysdale 1962-05-23 NYM W 3-1 9.0 4 1 1 7 81 Tommy John 1972-07-18 NYM W 2-1 9.0 5 0 0 5 80 Claude Osteen 1967-09-28 NYM W 3-0 9.0 5 0 0 3 80
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 6/20/2017.
Cody Bellinger owns the Dodger / Mets Total Base leaderboard
[Update June 20th, 2017] Corey Seager with three home runs and a double now has 14 total bases obliterating the old total base record against the Mets at Dodger Stadium
Considering the Mets have been coming to Dodger Stadium since 1962, it is amazing that no LAD has been able to have a double-digit total base game against the Mets.
Cody Bellinger, however, had nine total bases last night and that was good enough to tie Gary Sheffield and Jim Lefebvre at top of the total base leaderboard against the Mets at Dodger Stadium. All three hitters did it the same way. Two home runs, and one single. There was a thirty-four-year span between Lefebvre and Sheffield. Must have been all those great Met pitchers.
Lefebvre did it during his remarkable sophomore season in 1966.
Player Date Tm Opp Rslt PA R H HR TB RBI BB Cody Bellinger 2017-06-19 LAD NYM W 10-6 5 2 3 2 9 4 0 Gary Sheffield 2000-08-19 LAD NYM W 4-1 4 2 3 2 9 3 1 Jim Lefebvre 1966-05-29 LAD NYM L 6-7 4 3 3 2 9 3 1
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 6/20/2017.
On the flip side, the Mets have had some huge games against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Claudell Washington hit three home runs and a single for thirteen total bases. Dave Kingman hit three home runs for his twelve total bases. Even Lee Mazzilli was able to put up a double-digit total base game. You will note that it has not been done in 37 years.
Rk Player Date Tm Opp Rslt PA R H HR TB RBI 1 Claudell Washington 1980-06-22 NYM LAD W 9-6 5 3 4 3 13 5 2 Dave Kingman 1976-06-04 NYM LAD W 11-0 5 3 3 3 12 8 3 Lee Mazzilli 1978-09-03 NYM LAD W 8-5 5 2 4 2 10 3
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 6/20/2017.
Font goes up in flames
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Wilmer Font was smacked around last night after all the times I’ve commented on how hot he has been. Font walked six batters in just four innings. He had walked only six in his previous six games combined.
He had a good run.
Brandon Morrow isn’t doing himself any favors in trying to get back to the Dodgers. You could understand if he is down after doing very well for the Dodgers but still got sent back to AAA. Has to be a different mindset when you have tasted major league success like Morrow and can’t get back to the show compared to those young arms who are just trying to get there. In the end, both types want to make it and stay. Since Morrow came back to AAA after throwing six scoreless innings for the Dodgers he has given up five runs in just 2 2/3 AAA innings.
Ross Stripling threw a nice scoreless inning as he waits for his AAA time to end so he can replace Brock Stewart.
Carlos Rincon wins MWL home run hitting contest
Yesterday marked a few minor league all-star game festivities and two Dodger prospects played prominent roles. Some roles are more prominent than others.
Carlos Rincon the 19-year-old power hitting prospect for the Great Lake Loons won the Home run derby contest over Vlad Guerrero Junior. Vlad is considered the best prospect in the MidWest league so a tip of the hat to the young Rincon for scoring an upset.
The two teenagers from the Dominican Republic brought a special combination of power, excitement and fun to the home of the Great Lakes Loons—the Dodgers’ affiliate and Rincon’s regular season field—and gave a crowd that stuck through hours of rain delays everything it had been hoping for through three hard-fought rounds of competition, eventually seeing the Loons outfielder take the crown.
“This is more fun that I can imagine,” Rincon said through his manager and translator Jeremy Rodriguez. “Every time I hit a home run I could feel the energy from the crowd screaming. That just gave me more energy to hit home runs, because I love the energy from the fans, and the fans definitely helped me win tonight.”
Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/carlos-rincon-vladimir-guerrero-jr-put-show-midwest-league-home-run-derby/#HuBBm4ck0GIzuDTo.99
Not to be outdone, Luke Raley of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes was part of a group who won the cow milking contest.
Rancho Cucamonga’s Luke Raley won the cow-milking contest over the North team of Visalia’s Mason McCullough, San Jose’s Mike Connolly and Modesto’s Nick Neidert.
Raley, the Dodgers’ seventh-round pick in 2016, celebrated by drinking some of his freshly squeezed milk and convinced his teammates to take a victory sip as well.
“That was the first time I’ve ever milked a cow,” said Raley, a native of Hinckley, Ohio. “I did all right for my first time I think. The milk tasted pretty good actually. A little warm. I can’t complain.”
Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/marty-herum-wins-home-run-derby-in-front-of-home-crowd-california-league/#FWU3vT7FT72BSx55.99
Chasing Piazza on June 20th
Yesterday we looked at how Cody Bellinger was doing on chasing down the Mike Piazza LAD rookie record of 35 home runs. Cody hit two more last night becoming the fastest to 21 home runs in the history of baseball. At this rate, he might hit 35 home runs before August 1st.
Below is a quick table of how long it took each of the Dodger rookies to hit their first twenty-one home runs of the season. The PA are estimated within 4 PA. The table also shows how many home runs they each had by June 19th.
| Player | Year | PA | HR | HR/PA | Total HR by June 19th | Total |
| Piazza | 1993 | 372 | 21 | 17.71 | 13 | 35 |
| Pederson | 2015 | 407 | 21 | 19.38 | 17 | 26 |
| Seager | 2016 | 474 | 21 | 22.57 | 15 | 26 |
| Bellinger | 2017 | 210 | 21 | 10.00 | 21 | ??? |
If this confusing here is a quick legend.
PA – this is the number of plate appearances it took for each rookie to reach 21 home runs. We used 21 home runs because that is where Bellinger is right now.
HR – This is a marker showing you 21 home runs.
HR/PA – this is the home runs per plate appearance pace when they each hit their 21st home run.
Total HR by June 19th – self-explanatory but it includes games of June 19th
Total – season home run total
Chasing Piazza on June 19th
For twenty years it looked like Mike Piazza’s LAD rookie record of 35 home runs would stand the test of time. Since 2015, however, it has had Dodger rookies taking good cuts at it.
Puig never had a chance in 2013 given he didn’t get started until June but still hit 19 home runs in only 432 plate appearances. He reached his 19th home run in about his 416 plate appearance.
Last year I put out some LAD Rookie HR leaderboards when Corey Seager was giving Piazza a run for his money. I wasn’t writing in 2014 but if I had been, Joc Pederson actually gave Mike a bigger run for his money until the all-star break happened. At the end of May, both Joc and Seager were ahead of the Piazza pace since Piazza had only hit eight of his thirty-five home runs by the end of May.
This year Cody Bellinger has the best chance to eclipse the Piazza record of 35 home runs in 1993 as a Dodger rookie based on home runs per plate appearance.
Below is a quick table of how long it took each of the Dodger rookies to hit their first nineteen home runs of the season. The PA are estimated within 4 PA. The table also shows how many home runs they each had by June 18th. We might have forgotten just how awesome Joc Pederson was in June of 2015. There was a reason he went to the Home Run derby in 2015. As you can see each Dodger was in front of the Piazza pace on this date. The only way to beat Piazza is to keep up the pace.
Joc couldn’t do it
Seager couldn’t do it
Bellinger ??? – I’d probably bet against it, my total is around 33. He has to slump at some point, doesn’t he?
| Player | Year | PA | HR | HR/PA | Total HR by June 18th | Total |
| Piazza | 1993 | 348 | 19 | 18.32 | 12 | 35 |
| Puig | 2013 | 416 | 19 | 21.89 | 4 | 19 |
| Pederson | 2015 | 291 | 19 | 15.32 | 17 | 26 |
| Seager | 2016 | 452 | 19 | 23.79 | 15 | 26 |
| Bellinger | 2017 | 205 | 19 | 10.79 | 19 | ??? |
If this confusing here is a quick legend.
PA – this is the number of plate appearances it took for each rookie to reach 19 home runs. We used 19 home runs because that is where Bellinger is right now.
HR – This is a marker showing you 19 home runs.
HR/PA – this is the home runs per plate appearance pace when they each hit their 19th home run.
Total HR by June 18th – self explantory
Total – season home run total
Two Cubans take the FFA for week of June 12th
Multiple Dodger prospects had huge hitting performances for the week ending on June 18th. It was a tough call who to pick for the weekly FFA award and ultimately I had to split the award between our Cuban positional prospects Yusniel Diaz and Jose Fernandez. Both Cubans have gotten red hot in June and amassed multiple hit games last week. They come from different places. Diaz is the young big bonus baby and coming into this year was expected to establish himself as a Dodger outfielder for the future. Jose Fernandez was signed for the minimum and at best was expected to provide some infield depth.
Through the end of May, neither was doing much but June came and they have woken up.
Just a few weeks ago I was discussing Yusniel Diaz as one of the most disappointing top prospects in the Dodger system, and right on cue, Diaz exploded in June and more so in the past week. Diaz had fourteen hits in just seven games. He had two hits in two games, three hits in two games, and four hits in one game. With his four walks, he got on base eighteen times in twenty-nine at-bats. So far in June Diaz has a triple stat line of .412 / .459 / 1.107 with three home runs. For the season, Diaz has a massive home/road split with a home OPS of .924 compared to a road split of .567. Nice to see the 20-year-old starting to put up some numbers worthy of the Dodger bonus.
Jose Fernandez has also gotten as hot as the West Valley sun. Fernandez also hit in every game last week, picking up fourteen hits. Four times he had two hits, and three hits one time. That is blazing hot, and for June his triple stat line now reads .453 / .532 / 1.136. He’s still 29 years old in AA but at least he’s making noise, and maybe it was just a rust issue after all and that there is some prime iron ready to shine once polished.
Part of the competition for the week came from my number one prospect Keibert Ruiz who hit in every game he played in last week. He might have knocked off Diaz if not for the fact Ruiz only played in four games. The eighteen-year-old isn’t showing much power but at eighteen he has plenty of time for that part of his game to show up. Over his last ten games, he is twelve for thirty with seven walks. Good for a .400 BA, and staggering .514 OBP.
Alex Verdugo also had a great week and now that I look at his numbers maybe I should have given the nod to Alex. Verdugo also hit in every game last week, tallying twelve hits, two home runs, and four walks. Verdugo is now hitting .487 over his last ten games and has a June triple stat line in June of .369 / . 438 / .615. The just turned 21-year-old is doing great things at AAA. Might not be long before he’s playing LF in some capacity for the Dodgers.
On the pitching side:
A. J. Alexy pitched his best game as a pro on June 13th. The Great Lakes Loon nineteen-year-old got eighteen outs for the first time in his career and did it without allowing a run. He struck out six and walked two.
Wilmer Font continues to amaze with another solid performance on June 14th in AAA. Font went six scoreless innings, giving up just three hits, walking one, and striking out seven. In his last three starts, Font has gone six innings each time, given up just one run combined, 10 hits, and a crazy twenty-four strikeouts with just two walks.
Walker Buehler was solid on June 15th in a start for AA Tulsa. Walker went five innings, gave up five hits, two earned runs, walked one, and struck out six.
Of the big three of Alvarez / Buehler / White, only Walker gets a mention with White on the DL and Yadier not pitching any better than Dennis Santana.
Speaking of Dennis Santana, the 21-year-old converted shortstop to relief to starting pitcher went seven innings for the first time in his professional career. Santana was almost brilliant, allowing only three hits, one earned run, two walks, and eight strikeouts. This was great to see as Santana had struggled in his two prior June appearances.
Starters getting it done in June for Dodgers
Overall Record – 44/26
June Record – 11/5
Position – 1 game back of Rockies
Highlights of June so far:
- Only six Dodgers have made starts in June so far.
- Four of the six starters have an ERA under 3.00.
- Four of the six starters have an OPS against below .600
- One starter is looking like a mountain of a problem
- Neither Alex Wood or Kenley Jansen have walked a hitter in June in a combined 23 innings.
- Josh Fields has pitched five games, gotten 17 outs, and given up five home runs.
Player IP ERA H ER BB SO WHIP SO9 SO/W OPS Clayton Kershaw 21.0 1.71 11 4 6 27 0.810 11.6 4.50 .537 Brandon McCarthy 16.1 2.76 13 5 5 10 1.102 5.5 2.00 .587 Hyun-Jin Ryu 16.0 5.63 21 10 2 16 1.438 9.0 8.00 .875 Alex Wood 13.2 2.63 9 4 0 12 0.659 7.9 .512 Rich Hill 13.0 6.92 13 10 9 14 1.692 9.7 1.56 .799 Kenta Maeda 13.0 2.77 8 4 4 18 0.923 12.5 4.50 .562 Kenley Jansen 9.2 0.00 4 0 0 15 0.414 14.0 .329 Pedro Baez 8.0 2.25 11 2 2 7 1.625 7.9 3.50 .951 Grant Dayton 6.0 1.50 3 1 2 6 0.833 9.0 3.00 .517 Josh Fields 5.2 11.12 6 7 4 6 1.765 9.5 1.50 1.339 Ross Stripling 5.2 11.12 12 7 2 5 2.471 7.9 2.50 1.130 Chris Hatcher 5.1 11.81 4 7 4 8 1.500 13.5 2.00 .796 Brandon Morrow 4.0 0.00 2 0 1 6 0.750 13.5 6.00 .388 Luis Avilan 3.0 6.00 4 2 1 2 1.667 6.0 2.00 1.049 Josh Ravin 2.0 0.00 1 0 0 2 0.500 9.0 .571 Sergio Romo 1.2 5.40 2 1 1 3 1.800 16.2 3.00 1.089
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 6/19/2017.
Dodgers hitters roll through Ohio
Overall Record – 44/26
June Record – 11/5
Position – 1 game back of Rockies
Highlights of June so far:
- The Dodgers swept the Reds at Dodger Stadium and on the road in a span of ten days, and they did it without Clayton Kershaw pitching in any of the six games.
- They have won nine of their last ten games
- Won five out of six in Ohio stumbling only when the Indians made a determined charge up the Hill.
Hitting Highlights:
- Justin Turner has hit in every game this month that he’s played, leading the team in OPS at 1.169
- Cody Bellinger is evidently going to put his name on every single LAD monthly home run leaderboard as he already has eight in June.
- Chris Taylor is doing his best Davey Lopes imitation with six steals without being caught.
- The Puig and Pederson show are back. Both have an OPS over.850 in the same month for the first time since…………I’ll look it up if they can do this for the whole month. Last June, for example, they both finished the month with an OPS barely over .800.
- Overall the Dodgers have fourteen stolen bases while being caught three times.
- Puig/Bellinger/Taylor have combined for a perfect 12 for 12 in stolen bases.
- Grandal is struggling mightily and not showing any signs of slump relief.
- Logan Forsythe was struggling mightily but might have cracked the code with his monstrous home run and a sweet single to center yesterday.
- Chase has come back to earth.
Player Split HR GS PA RBI SB CS SO BA OBP SLG OPS Corey Seager June 2 16 73 8 0 1 15 .267 .397 .450 .847 Cody Bellinger June 8 15 68 14 3 0 19 .279 .353 .754 1.107 Chris Taylor June 2 14 62 12 6 0 16 .263 .323 .474 .796 Yasiel Puig June 3 14 61 8 3 0 12 .283 .361 .528 .889 Logan Forsythe June 1 12 53 2 0 0 19 .130 .245 .196 .441 Yasmani Grandal June 1 11 50 3 0 0 19 .163 .180 .245 .425 Chase Utley June 1 11 48 4 0 0 6 .200 .333 .325 .658 Enrique Hernandez June 2 7 37 2 1 0 12 .182 .270 .424 .695 Justin Turner June 2 7 35 5 0 0 4 .414 .514 .655 1.169 Adrian Gonzalez June 0 8 31 3 0 1 5 .214 .258 .286 .544 Joc Pederson June 2 6 27 4 1 1 3 .261 .370 .609 .979 Austin Barnes June 0 6 26 1 0 0 5 .292 .346 .333 .679 Franklin Gutierrez June 0 2 14 3 0 0 4 .154 .214 .154 .368 Brett Eibner June 0 2 11 0 0 0 5 .100 .182 .100 .282
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 6/19/2017.
Dodgers, Yesterday and Today 