Leg the sweep

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Jon Weisman

Dodgers at Brewers, 10:10 a.m.
Dee Gordon, SS
Mark Ellis, 2B
Matt Kemp, CF
Juan Rivera, LF
Andre Ethier, RF
Jerry Hairston Jr., 3B
James Loney, 1B
Matt Treanor, C
Aaron Harang, P

So the quest today for the Dodgers is not only to take the last of the three games with Milwaukee, but win the series on run differential!

Juan Uribe is day to day with a sore wrist, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, which in my view gives the Jerry Hairston Jr. a chance to make a case for even more playing time at third. Hairston has an .812 OPS in 20 plate appearances this season and made a diving catch Wednesday.
Bartolo Colon – now with Oakland, in case you haven’t been keeping up – had a stretch Wednesday in which he threw 38 consecutive pitches for strikes between the fifth and eighth innings against the Angels. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle has details. It’s the longest such streak dating back to at least 1988.
Cliff Lee pitched 10 innings for Philadelphia against San Francisco, needing only 102 pitches to do so, before going out for a pinch-hitter in the 11th. Naturally, the pinch-hitter (Jim Thome) struck out, and the Giants won in the bottom of the 11th.
Matt Cain of the Giants, coming off a one-hitter in his last start, allowed only two hits in his nine innings, throwing 91 pitches. That’s right – the two combined for 19 innings on 193 pitches. The 11-inning game itself only took 2:27 to play.
In the second half of this Baseball Prospectus column, Bradley Ankrom writes about former Dodger James McDonald’s rare feat – being a pitcher who had the only hit of the game against his opponent.
Josh Lindblom leads major-league relievers with 8 2/3 scoreless innings, according to the Dodger press notes. Lindblom has allowed two of four inherited runners to score (those crossed the plate in Clayton Kershaw’s last start).
Frank Jackson of the Hardball Times writes about the final days of Dodger baseball at the Coliseum.

http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

So can I be hopeful the Dodgers won’t be sending Lindblom down when/if Coffey comes back?
T.M. Brown

Nothing better than a 9:30 AM pregame. Also, maybe I was kinda sort hoping that Steven Lyons got injured in a way that wouldn’t let him commentate when he was going down that slide.
http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

I got 74 likes for my comment at Hardball Talk. http://bit.ly/J8HHAK
Jack Dawkins

Dee and fly balls, not a recipe for success.
Anonymous

Although I knew at some point the Dodgers would come back to earth and lose some games, this first losing streak (let’s hope to stop it at 2) has made it more difficult to overlook some disturbing ‘trends’. Most notably Dee’s struggles to get on base. Even prior to the past two games it is clear that he is far from being a patient hitter, and that he has troubles with the curveball. And as I type this, Dee just booted a ball. Not getting on base and not making routine plays at the most important position on the field can’t be swept under the rug for very long.

http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

I think you need to think long-term on Dee.

http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

Yes. Important to remember how young and still raw he is. Very talented athlete, whose fielding has generally been better than I feared it would be at the start of his major league career, given his issues there in the minors. I am hopeful he will keep improving. Though obviously as the leadoff guy they are going to need him getting on base more. It’ll come.
Anonymous

I’m not calling for his head, just pointing out that the issues that many were concerned about have yet to be fixed. So of course I am thinking long-term, but in the near-term – if things continue to go this way – (overmatched at the plate, sub .265 OBP, on pace for 60 errors give or take) – how long until people DO start to call for his head?

http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

Well, people call for heads every day. But none of the problems he’s having weren’t anticipated. Meanwhile, just as we don’t expect Kemp to hit .450 all season, perhaps we shouldn’t expect Dee to hit .180 all season.

http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

Not exciting, but some productive at bats there and Dodgers get a run at the bottom of the order. It’s a start!

Jack Dawkins

Bases loaded with one out, with the 8 and 9 hitters in the past seemed like a recipe for disappointment. Getting a run there seems like a team that has grown.

http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

George Kottaras is the Midwest Carlos Ruiz.
Jack Dawkins

Apparently this is not a strikeout day for Harang.
http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

Dodgers bounce back from Harang’s bad second inning to tie the game in the third. Resiliency!

Jack Dawkins

even thought the results have been on the wrong side, this series has been great fun. Back and forth games, but not out of control.
http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

Yeah one thing we have going for us, despite Harang not being good today, is Wolf not being that good in general.

Am guessing the scoring is not done yet for either side.

Anonymous

Did anybody see quotes from Ellis and/or Mattingly on what the umpire said to them last night?
.
here’a a quote by Mattingly on Uribe’s injury. there’s more at dodgers.com plus a short piece on a LH BP pitcher travelling with the Dodgers:
“They said he can play defense but not bat,” said Mattingly before Thursday’s game. “I had him in there today. I didn’t hear about this until during the game. They told me he can’t swing. I was caught by surprise last night. [The Brewers'] team doctor will look at it today, and when we get to Houston tomorrow, they’ll have a specialist look at it, and we’ll make a decision from there, I guess.”

http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

Bring up Sands or Van Slyke! (Not that they can play 3rd base mind you…)

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=713935344 Jason Ungar

Wow that was pathetic.
Anonymous

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to complain about the Dodgers stranding the leadoff man at third.

Not long.

Jack Dawkins

As predictable as Death and Taxes.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=713935344 Jason Ungar

I was talking about Gordon’s at bat specifically.
http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

Still, a Treanor triple could be as rare as a jaguar sighting in the wild. Frustrating to waste the opportunity, even though the pitcher was one of those coming up. Gordon actually hit the ball solidly but for an out.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=713935344 Jason Ungar

no he didn’t. are you watching the game on tv?

http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

Starting to sound like Juan Uribe might be out for a while. Get ready for Jerryadamstin Hairstonnedyllers at 3B. http://atmlb.com/I9DewQ

http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

Wish Sands or Van Slyke were third basemen. (Think they’d call one of them up anyway though? The bench is so thin and Kennedy can play 3rd also.)
foul tip

Could Josh Fields work into your word montage/whateveryoucallit?

Anonymous

Oh, yeah, Josh Fields…. Please pick up the courtesy phone.

Anonymous

This Uribe injury really bothers me… It’s these types of signings that I think the new owners have got to take a look at when determining if Ned stays or goes. Maddening.
http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

Much better from Harang last two innings btw. Really want him to eat 7 innings today. Also a bigger lead would be nice.
Jack Dawkins

Opposite field again!
Anonymous

Matty! I think he’s on pace to hit a bajillion home runs this season! (plus/minus, of course, but still)
http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

NPUT
Anonymous

Kemp started the day 1 for 10 vs Wolf with 7 K’s. The 1 H a HR

Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers and baseball.

Leg the sweep