Dodgers at Phillies, 4:05 p.m.
Kershaw CXXVIII: Kershmokey and the Bandit
Dee Gordon, SS
Elian Herrera, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Rivera, 1B
Bobby Abreu, LF
A.J. Ellis, C
Jerry Hairston Jr., 2B
Adam Kennedy, 3B
Clayton Kershaw, P
We expected a busy day because of the MLB Draft, set to begin at 4 p.m. Mark Appel is expected by many to be the third overall No. 1 pick from Stanford this year, following Andrew Luck in the NFL and Nneka Ogwumike in the WNBA.
However, the Dodgers made it even newsier by not only activating Juan Rivera but issuing a promotion — long-awaited by many of us — to strikeout-mad reliever Shawn Tolleson. Javy Guerra has gone on the disabled list with right knee inflammation, Scott Van Slyke has been optioned to Albuquerque and Matt Guerrier has moved to the 60-day disabled list.
Tolleson’s childhood buddy, Clayton Kershaw, is looking to avoid losing three consecutive starts for the first time in his career against a team he is 0-4 lifetime against with a 5.18 ERA (and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings).
One potential new concern: Tony Gwynn Jr. was in the original Dodger starting lineup against Phillies righty Vance Worley announced today but was later scratched without an immediate explanation.
Update: Dylan Hernandez of the Times reports that Gwynn has a tight hamstring. How cliche …
underdog
I’m excited! Been clamoring for Tolleson for awhile, but was good they gave him a run in AAA first. Even when Guerra comes back, since Guerrier’s out til July and Coffey’s been bad, Tolleson could stick if he does well. Fingers crossed.
No word on Gwynn’s late scratch yet? Odd.
Anonymous
If Guerra can return to form when he returns, the Dodgers could have a dominant bullpen with Tolleson added to the mix.
Jon Weisman
RT @dylanohernandez: Tony Gwynn Jr. was scratched from the #Dodgers’ lineup because of a tight hamstring. Available off the bench.
Terry Pruett
The hamstring Gods appear to be angry.
Jeffrey Thomas III
The gnats about to go 2.5 back… really need a strong series out in Philly.
Anonymous
Watched and listened to parts of the Giants’ four-game sweep against the Cubs. Chicago is a very bad team. Among other problems, Soriano is a DH playing left field. No wonder the Cubs have lost 16 of 19.
Anonymous
It was the Cubbies’ misfortune that they didn’t get to face Lincecum.
Anonymous
Also concerned why Loney is sitting the bench against a RHP and why Kennedy is in the lineup at all.
Anonymous
Weird Mattingly..
Anonymous
Well, lots of us have been asking about why Kennedy is ever in the lineup. :) But keep in mind, Herrera’s in CF because of Gwynn’s injury and late scratch.
Anonymous
Castellanos at 2B with Hairston starting at 3B? Win-Win.
underdog
Except possibly on defense (just from what I’ve heard about Castle’s D at 2nd being a work in progress.) But I like the look of his bat!
Anonymous
Agree
Anonymous
Hairston does not want to play 3B. Told Donnie he is not comfortable there. It’s Kennedy or Hererra until Uribe gets back.
Anonymous
Puzzling.
Even though Loney has his detractors, his OPS vs. RHP is .739 vs. Rivera’s .465.
underdog
Small sample size alert here but Rivera is 2 for 2 vs Worley with a HR and 3 RBIs.
Anonymous
I’m a little tired of Donnie’s Loney doghouse. I mean, as if are those lopsided numbers aren’t enough – isn’t his glove alone worth it? If that prevents one opposing batter from reaching base, isn’t that as good as a Loney hit?
Anonymous
3 for 3 now.
Round One to DM.
Anonymous
I agree with your assessment. Loney has saved many runs this year, and he still is hitting above .250 the last time I checked. He’s not having a good year at the plate, but he hasn’t been awful.
Anonymous
No, Loney has been awful. You cannot measure his defense in a vacuum. You have to see how much extra value Loney provides compared to a certain baseline (e.g. replacement level). So the question isn’t whether Loney has saved many runs for us, but whether Loney has saved runs that, say, Rivera or Sands playing 1B couldn’t. According to Fangraphs, Loney has saved 3.5 runs above the replacement level this season. While that is a fantastic number for a 1B, it will never make up for his lack of offense.
Anonymous
Finally some Loney love
underdog
“All the injuries that have plagued this team…” says Boone and I think he’s talking about Dodgers instead of Phillies
Silly me.But at least we get Sutcliffe to tell us what’s what about Kershaw.Looks rainy in Philly, which is a little worrisome but hopefully will blow through. Hoping for a better game out of Kid K this time out.
KT
Good Eye Elian
KT
nice slide
Anonymous
And another thing. Mattingly keeps trotting Dee Gordon out, giving him chance after chance to succeed, but he can’t give a far more potentially potent bat – Loney’s – the same chance? I mean, really.
KT
Are you watching ESPN…they just gave the reason
Anonymous
No. Can you ellaborate?
KT
they think worley will be on a pitch count since he just came off the DL with no rehab and he being Mattingly didn’t want too many LH in the lineup in a row
Anonymous
I don’t see how that would be too many lefties in a row. Excluding Kershaw, there’s what, 3 lefties in that lineup?
KT
gordon -L, herrera – S, Ethier- L, Loney – L, Abreu – S, Ellis – R, Hairiston – R, Kennedy – L, Kershaw – L…That’s 5 lefties, two switch, 2 right
Anonymous
Understandable,
KT
just reiterating what the ESPN announcers said….don’t shoot the messanger
Anonymous
What was the explanation for Kennedy being in the lineup? Did I miss Sands being sent down? Ethier could play CF and Herrera third.
KT
replaced Gywnn who had a tight hamstring
Anonymous
Loney’s been a MLB regular for like 6 seasons. This is his final arbitration season. He’s had his chances.
KT
Nice Juan!!
Anonymous
Not about to shoot you KT. :) Just the ESPN logic might be a bit fuzzy.
KT
OK dale, Thanks …I was duck and covering
KT
Bobby!!
Anonymous
Welcome back Juan!
KT
nice ^_^
Anonymous
i’d be happy with walks and singles all day (I’m not greedy)
KT
Come on Jerry…drive them in
KT
Nice catch Bobby
KT
Like that “informative” Philly fan reaching for the ball on Kennedy’s double…slowed downed the LF’er just enough to ensure the double
KT
Nice Dee…way to get an infield single and rbi
KT
Dee’s pointing the finger a lot this game…doesn’t he know when you point 1 finger 4 more are pointing back at you
Anonymous
At the end of the last thread, Casey asked about the Dodgers spending $ in todays draft. From this mornings’ Times :
The Dodgers will again be working with a limited budget in the amateur draft, which starts Monday.Only this time, the restrictions are being put on them by the commissioner’s office instead of ex-owner Frank McCourt.As part of baseball’s latest collective bargaining agreement, limits have been put on how much teams can spend in the draft. Based on the values assigned to their picks, the Dodgers will be allowed to spend $5.2 million to sign the 11 players they are expected to draft in the first 10 rounds.If the Dodgers exceed their signing bonus cap, they could be fined and lose as many as two future first-round draft picks.But $5.2 million is still far more than the Dodgers spent last year. The Dodgers, then in bankruptcy, spent $3 million in the first 10 rounds and $3.5 million in the entire draft, according to Baseball America. Their draft spending in 2011 ranked 26th in baseball.The Dodgers’ new owners have said they are committed to building the farm system, something that was seen last month when they signed 20 Latin American amateurs for close to $500,000. The figure doubled what the Dodgers spent in Latin America the previous year.The Dodgers plan to spend even more in Latin America this year, as scouting director Logan White said they will be active when the next wave of amateurs becomes eligible to sign July 2.As for the draft, White said his general philosophy remains unchanged.”We will go after the player with the highest ceiling,” he said. “I’d rather have one Matt Kemp make it to the big leagues than six players who are so-so.”The strategy has often resulted in the Dodgers’ taking a hard-throwing high school pitcher in the first round. Among them were Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley.White thinks the new owners’ financial muscle will make more of a difference in the later rounds.Two years ago, the Dodgers drafted Kevin Gausman in the sixth round but failed to sign him. Gausman went to Louisiana State, became one of the nation’s top pitching prospects and could be a top-five selection Monday.They had a similar experience with David Price in 2004. A 19th-round selection, Price elected to attend Vanderbilt. He became the top pick in the 2007 draft and turned into a two-time All-Star.
Anonymous
Thanks for the post. Do the Dodgers still have a training facility in the Dominican Republic?
Anonymous
White’s statement worries me. There is tremendous value in having 6 homegrown players who are “so-so,” instead of being Blake DeWitt or Preston Mattingly. For one, it means we don’t need to fill our bench with AK and Juan Rivera.
Anonymous
Couldn”t help but find humor in the rock’s announcer’s description of Kennedy. He’s played in the major 13 years—-not great defensively but he moves around the infield—mostly a second base man—he’s batting something like .213. Says it all!
KT
and the statement of “a lot of timely hits” had me laughing
KT
Bobby had a long run there…thought he was going to run out of gas…Nice catch Bobby
Anonymous
Abreu took the real circle route on that one.
KT
Another good inning for CLAW
Anonymous
I have to go, hold the fort for me KT, will check back later for hopefully more good news!
Anonymous
John: Thanks for the post the other day telling us a little bit more about yourself.
Anonymous
no worries, I still laugh at myself for confusing Magnum PI’s hat!!
Chat later
KT
holding
KT
Here’s a LA Times story about Loney in a interview of Mattingly:
http://tinyurl.com/768vbuh
Anonymous
Very telling in the article, “Juan’s also not a seven-day-a-week guy.’ Also.
Christopher Staaf
Come on Kershaw.
Jeffrey Thomas III
Switching over to the Kings game now, hopefully the score will please me still when I check back during intermission.
KT
I don’t get the Kings game here channel 603 Directv
Anonymous
Kershaw looks like he’s just going through the motions.
KT
Man I hate that Clayton has so much trouble this year holding a lead
Anonymous
Me too. Starting to get worrisome.
Anonymous
Kershaw was so good last year, we began to expect brilliance in every start. I felt that once he was spotted a 3-0 lead tonight, we would be in good shape. Let’s come back now and pile on some more runs.
KT
Nice hit Jerry
KT
Come on Clayton help yourself
Jon Weisman
NPUT
Christopher Staaf
Wow, Kennedy’s not helping himself at all.
Anonymous
Collins said that was not an easy play. It was an easy play.