Feels like the Dodgers have been on the road for a long time.
Here’s a somewhat radical idea for the Dodgers’ National League Division Series roster: With off days after Games 2 and 4, would it make more sense for the Dodgers to go with 10 pitchers and 15 position players.
That way you could keep a bench of Tim Federowicz, Michael Young, Skip Schumaker, Nick Punto, Scott Van Slyke and Dee Gordon, while still having a relief corps of Kenley Jansen, Paco Rodriguez, Brian Wilson, Chris Withrow, J.P. Howell and Ronald Belisario. That’s six pitchers in the bullpen, none of them having to pitch more than two days in a row.
It figures that the Dodgers will have more trouble scoring runs than preventing them, so it might make much more sense to allocate more manpower to the offense than to an 11th pitcher like Carlos Marmol, Brandon League or Edinson Volquez who might only pitch in a lost cause.
KT
Go BLUE!!!! Come on Dodgers let’s sweep the Gnats back into last place
ASW1
Loney doubles off Kuroda to score 2, now 5-0 Rays over the hapless Yankmees.
btimmer
“Carlos Marmol, Brandon League or Edinson Volquez who might only pitch in a lost cause.”
” I guess this is just another lost cause, Mr. Paine. All you people don’t know about lost causes.” Mr Mattingly Goes to the Bullpen.
ASW1
A sweep sure would be sweet, KT – let’s see how the Gnats fare against the A-team this time.
btimmer
Braves tied, Cardinals leading, Pirates leading, Reds trailing.
ASW1
I agree with Jon’s premise that “the Dodgers will have more trouble scoring runs than preventing them” but the question is whether or not Don and Ned will think out of the box enough to do something like that? Seems 11 and even 12-man pitching staffs are so ingrained in playoff rosters that it would be a big surprise for someone to buck the trend.
btimmer
The game in St. Louis is interesting.
dalegribel
Third time this year a game was interesting for only 26 outs
Eric Enders
I can’t make the math work to get all those guys on the playoff roster, unless you leave Hairston off — which I find rather implausible. He’s completely redundant, of course, especially now with Young on the team, but Mattingly and Colletti have too much respect for veteran experience to do the correct thing here. Even though it would clearly make the Dodgers a better team, I can’t imagine any possible situation in which they would leave Hairston off the roster.
I hope I’m wrong.
btimmer
The Yankees made a deadline deal in 2009 specifically to pick up Hairston for the postseason. He appeared in just six games in the playoffs.
Bob_Hendley
I am lost at this point. How do you keep your Hairstons straight?
btimmer
Scott Hairston has never appeared in the postseason. He was on Arizona in 2007, who won the division, but they traded him to San Diego. And the Padres lost a tiebreaker for the wild card to the Rockies.
Hairston was 2 for 7 in that game with a home run that looked to give the Padres the win, but the Rockies rallied for 3 runs in the 13th to win.
Onlyatriple
the guy on the KCAL pregame show (not Eric Karros) just proposed keeping Hairston and dropping Kemp from the post-season roster. Because JHJ has, you see, won a ring with the Yankees and MK is in a slump. Yep.
KT
wow
Jeffrey Thomas III
Wow indeed.
btimmer
Braves win, now one game up on the Cardinals, who are leading their game in the 7th. The Cardinals need to finish ahead of the Braves to get a higher seed.
KT
CC!
KT
good speed CC
btimmer
Game no longer interesting in St. Louis.
KT
infield hit
WinnipegDave
Got love those 50 feet high choppers over the head of the pitcher to break up interesting games…
Or not, if you are a fan of Cardinals or interesting games.
WinnipegDave
Not that the chopper was 50 feet high, you understand. Just that the ball went 50 feet and then bounced about 7 feet in the air.
WinnipegDave
Cards win.
KT
Katie Sharp @ktsharp
That’s 3 no-hitters broken up with 2 outs in 9th this year. Last time that happened was 1990
Not sure if true but I’m sure BT will clarify if wrong
ASW1
Crazy
btimmer
http://milkeespress.com/lostninth.html
KT
Juanito!
Linkmeister
Man, that new TV contract can’t come too soon (assuming my local cable company picks it up). I’m so tired of these games that are restricted to KCAL.
WBBsAs
I’m even more irritated that I’m blacked out in Oakland.
Bob_Hendley
and yet you still post…
WBBsAs
I was listening to Vin in the early innings, but now I’m being Steinered.
WBBsAs
The Gnats and Gnatfans claim that Flablo has lost weight. From what I’ve seen, that’s like saying Haystack Calhoun has lost weight (which he may finally have done, now that he’s dead).
KT
11 HBP for Puig
Cain 5 hit batters
Jeffrey Thomas III
Some cheers heard in the phone booth after that HBP, wonder if any Dodgers took notice…
KT
Way to get on Hanley
KT
Eric Stephen @truebluela
Hyun-jin Ryu’s ERA now 2.98, behind Kershaw (1.88) & Greinke (2.67). Last Dodgers team w/3 starters under 3.00 (qual. for ERA title) was ’88
KT
good job Gonzo way to get on…Come on Matty
KT
Bases loaded …they got us where they want us
Jeffrey Thomas III
Just a bit outside…
KT
couldn’t tell CSN bay area picture glicthed right then
Jeffrey Thomas III
Looks like the ump is giving that outside pitch to both teams.
KT
the only time the picture has glitched all year
ASW1
Score some runs!!!
KT
PUIG!!!!
ASW1
There’s ONE!
Jeffrey Thomas III
And that’s why they boo him Vin, he beats em!
Jeffrey Thomas III
Ha Vin said about the same thing as I typed!
KT
CC!!
ASW1
At first I thought Hanley got ahold of that one, but it kind of died out there.
Jeffrey Thomas III
Tony Abreu homered? Didn’t think he had it in him.
Linkmeister
Kemp, on the other hand…
KT
KEMP!!!!
Jeffrey Thomas III
Bison Bomb!
Bob_Hendley
Desperately fighting to get on the roster?
Jeffrey Thomas III
He must have watched the pregame.
ASW1
Yeah, Hairston over Kemp, uh-hunh, OK.
KT
Gold Glover Juanito
ASW1
I hope so – he deserves it.
KT
Los Angeles Dodgers ✔ @Dodgers
Watch Puig unleash this impressive blast to right-center field during the 5th: http://atmlb.com/1fAINot
KT
RYU!
ASW1
So now it’s got to be Ryu #3 – not too long ago I thought Nolasco had the 3 wrapped up.
Jeffrey Thomas III
They’ve gone in opposite directions the last few starts.
KT
CC again! 3-4
Jeffrey Thomas III
With a stolen base! Good to see going into the playoffs.
ASW1
Carl saying “Don’t forget about me!”
KT
Dodgers PR @DodgersPR
Estimated distance on Dodger dingers:
Yasiel Puig: 436 feet
Matt Kemp: 443 feet
KT
Los Angeles Dodgers ✔ @Dodgers
Watch @TheRealMattKemp break this tie with a no-doubter in the 6th: http://atmlb.com/1b4grA5
KT
Nice play Mark
ASW1
Great job Ryu – nicely done.
Jeffrey Thomas III
Great start, finishes with ERA under 3 with possibly one regular season start left.
KT
Matty 2-4
ASW1
Pretty sure I heard he’s hitting over .300 since he came back – how is that a “slump”?
KT
he had a bad game in SD…I think right now it’s a hit or miss game…I think he’s doing well myself and CC is heating up
Jeffrey Thomas III
He’s hitting .333 with 1 home run, 2 runs, 4 RBI since coming back.
Edit: And 2 walks.
KT
wow belt and posey tandem
KT
BW in the game now…listen to the boos
Jeffrey Thomas III
Hearing how much gnat fans hate him makes the signing worth it.
ASW1
And hearing the silence as he slowly strolled off the mound was even better.
KT
Sit down Gregor
KT
Nice outing BW 10 pitches
ASW1
Hairston looks bad – pulling his head off the ball.
KT
safe
ASW1
Safe by a mile
RBI
So safe…
KT
Let’s go Kenley
ASW1
Sounded like someone stepped on a cat on the audio after that foul ball
TAFKA_Gagne55
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Kenley give up so many two strike foul balls.
ASW1
That’s a passed ball
KT
they ruled WP
ASW1
Still- no way that should be WP – AJ would agree
RBI
I think he told KJ the same thing when he ran to the mound.
Jeffrey Thomas III
AJ should have had it.
TAFKA_Gagne55
has to be a passed ball
KT
Ball Game!!!! 91 Wins…Still with the number 3 seed with 5 games to go
2 behind Atl, 1.5 behind StL
Still looks like we will be starting on the road people with game 3 at DS with Ryu starting
http://i.imgur.com/AMbO5zV.jpg
RBI
Kenley! Ryu! Wilson! Puig! Kemp!
KT
On Juan on Defense
ASW1
Zito-Nolasco tomorrow – Zito’s last start as a Gnat – finally finishing out that albatross contract of his.
Bob_Hendley
A lot of money for a WAR of 3.0 over seven years. With the A’s he had 30 over seven years. Yet, they were Champs twice.
RBI
Hate to say it, but the only guy who seemed seriously over-matched was Hairston.
KT
Los Angeles Dodgers ✔ @Dodgers
RECAP: @YasielPuig, @TheRealMattKemp homer as #Dodgers beat Giants, 2-1. http://atmlb.com/1b4oyNj pic.twitter.com/f6SBxsD9wQ
KT
Right now with 5 games left, st louis 4, atl 4
To pass Atl we would need to go 5-0 and atl 2-2 or us 4-1 / atl 1-3 or us 3-2 / atl 0-4.
To pass STL we would need to go 5-0 / Stl 3-1 or us 4-1 / stl 2-2 or us 3-2 / stl 1-3 or us 2-3 / stl 0-4
ASW1
Was going to say Dodgers going 4-1, Redbirds going 2-2 might happen but then I see Cards have one left against the Nats and then 3 vs the Cubbies…
Braves have one against the Brewers and then 3 vs the woeful Phillies – we ain’t catching them.
ASW1
Come to think of it, Cubs would love nothing more than to knock Cards out of having HFA – it’s possible.
KT
From MSTI:NeDieterich 5 minutes ago
http://i.imgur.com/lT0z1tI.gif
Jason Ungar
it warms my heart to see folks arguing about which dodgers should be on the playoff roster. Seeing that Dre is still gimpy and Kemp/Crawford are a tightrope in terms of health in 2013 i am endorsing Jon’s plan.
KT
Los Angeles Dodgers ✔ @Dodgers
Free Hugs? Vin Scully with the play-by-play of his afternoon walk through San Francisco: http://atmlb.com/1b4rWHZ
Jon Weisman
NPUT