Dodger Thoughts

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

Starter Seeks Six in Sixth Start

Facing St. Louis pitcher Shelby Miller and his 2.89 ERA, the Dodgers could stand to get something extra tonight from Ricky Nolasco, who hasn’t made it through the sixth inning in the last four of his five Dodger starts.

Nolasco hasn’t been pounded — no more than three runs have scored against him in any of his Dodger appearances — and he has taken only one loss. It’s just that he could do mo’ better for the Blues.

Miller, for his part, has a 4.89 ERA in seven starts since June 22.

Dodgers at Cardinals, 5:15 p.m.

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141 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    Expect a long game tonight because neither pitcher will go much past the 5th and there will be a lot of pitching changes. It could even be a Carlos Marmol type of game.

    • Anonymous

      You mean the kind where the Dodgers have a lead big enough to trust to a failed closer! woohoo.

      Who goes away when Brian Wilson joins the team? Please oh please let it be Marmol.

      • KT

        Go BLUE!!!!

      • Anonymous

        WBB might go away, but he’ll probably stick around to lambast BW.

        • Anonymous

          At any moment, I expect Ned to announce the acquisition of José Valverde.

  2. KT

    Dodgers Lineup:
    Crawford LF
    Hairston 3B
    Gonzalez 1B
    Puig RF
    Ethier CF
    Schumaker 2B
    Federowicz C
    Gordon SS
    Nolasco P

    • Anonymous

      Guess Donnie didn’t read our posts about putting the rabbit behind the piano-mover. . . .

      The way the two roam without boundaries, Vegas should post odds on how soon Dee and Puig have a near-miss. (If it’s a full collision, pity Dee!)

      • Anonymous

        At least they are on opposite sides of the field so the risk is (slightly) reduced

      • Anonymous

        Luckily they play on opposite sides of the diamond. But if they were to collide, Dee is so skinny that he might actually run right through Puig without touching him.

  3. Anonymous

    “Variety in Headlines Proves Weisman Wise Man” . . . if I didn’t know you were connected with “Variety,” Jon, today’s headline would sure indicate it!

  4. KT

    Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal3m
    To repeat: Utley deal, per sources, is two years in the high $20M range – between $25M and $30M. Story: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/chase-utley-philadelphia-phillies-nearing-contract-extension-080713

  5. “It’s just that he could do mo’ better for the Blues.”

    Brilliant Jon.

  6. Anonymous

    Is there any significance to the Dodgers removing John Baker from the 40 man?

    • Who’s John Baker? The only guy I know with that name is better known as Dusty, and he’s managing the Reds. ;)

      • Anonymous

        Link, that was the first name that came to my mind too. This one is a catcher. I just wondered why it was done today.

    • KT

      just making room for an upcoming move…just in case…It’s not like he was doing anything on the roster anyway

      • Anonymous

        Making room for Butera as the third catcher?

  7. Wow that thing bounced far off of Miller!

  8. KT

    That a way to take out a pitcher…not that I hope anyone is hurt….just for today anyway

  9. I hope the young man is alright.

  10. Shelby Miller replaced by Michael Blazek, career ERA of 9.00 in six innings. He’s a short reliever with an ERA of 1.41 in the minors in 2013.

  11. Anonymous

    Ok KT, I can’t see the game. What happened to Miller?

  12. peter drysdale

    Any news today about Hanley?

  13. Anonymous

    The last Cardinal starting pitcher who failed to retire a batter was Miguel Batista on April 22, 2011. He was chosen to start because of the threat of rain. He walked the first batter he faced. Then it rained. Kyle McClellan pitched the next 6 innings. Tornado sirens sounded during the game three times.
    http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6411696&src=mobile

  14. Anonymous

    Tonight will be “Better know a Cardinals reliever.”

  15. KT

    Good eye Dre!

  16. Anonymous

    Deja vu all over again . . . from last night and the first 2 1/2 months.
    Silver lining: they’re getting the chances.

  17. KT

    Chad Moriyama ‏@ChadMoriyama48s
    [GIF] This happened to Shelby Miller’s elbow: https://i.minus.com/ibpM7XTgFwKlYi.gif

    For you Dale

    • Anonymous

      Ouch. Glad I missed it. Also glad for the six spot.

  18. According to ESPNLA.com, Hanley is a potential pinch-hitter tonight.

  19. KT

    Dodgers Nation ‏@DodgersNation13s
    RT @RyanPBoyer: Tomorrow’s scheduled starter, Jake Westbrook is warming up for #stlcards. Carlos Martinez scheduled tomorrow at AAA.

  20. Anonymous

    The last Cardinal starting pitcher to not retire a batter and get pulled just because he was no good was Kurt Kepshire in 1985, who walked the first three batters he faced and then got pulled.

    http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN198509140.shtml

    In 1983, the Dodgers sent John Stuper of the Cardinals out of the game without retiring a batter when he walked the first three hitters.

    http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN198305060.shtml

    The Dodgers went on to win that game by a neat 16-10 score. Tom Niedenfuer picked up a 3-inning save.

  21. KT

    DP Time

  22. Anonymous

    Ricky, Nolastco?

  23. KT

    Westbrook in the game now

  24. Jake Westbrook making his first relief appearance since 2004

    http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/westbja01.shtml

  25. Time to let SpeeDEE loose!

  26. KT

    IBB to load the bases…we’re in trouble now

  27. KT

    JH jr!!

  28. Yes and yes again, Jerry Jr.

  29. Anonymous

    Can we knock out another one?

  30. The Cardinals wish they had Schumaker to pitch.

  31. Anonymous

    Jake Westbrook has a Scott Erickson-like strikeout rate. 39 Ks in 98 IP

  32. KT

    Good eye Puig!

  33. Anonymous

    Scott Erickson struck out 15 batters in his 55 1/3 innings with the Dodgers in 2005. His season high in a game was 4. It was this game. http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SDN/SDN200504210.shtml

    It was a double Jason game for the Dodgers: Phillips AND Grabowski.

    • Anonymous

      Grinding axes?

      • Anonymous

        I still am quite fond of the 2005 team for its mixture of mediocrity mixed with moments of overachievment.

        • Anonymous

          Quite a cast of characters with Tracy to boot.

  34. KT

    Dre! hit it hard

  35. That walk by Puig is his 10th walk in past 12 2/9ths games. That’s a 133-walk pace over a full season.

    • Anonymous

      He is leading the team in OBP at 427 YTD, 438 post ASG
      2nd to Punto last 7 days at 538 Puig with twice as many PA at 26

  36. peter drysdale

    They’re picking on those poor pitchers today.

  37. Kershaw is sitting in the dugout saying “where the heck were all these runs yesterday?”

  38. This is just a rough way to start a game.

  39. Dodgers lead 6-0. They have scored three total runs in Clayton Kershaw’s past three starts.

  40. Anonymous

    just tuned in, oh my goodness (in a good way) :)

    • Anonymous

      Same thing . . . I should walk my dog during the game more often!

      • KT

        Like I told someone else during our 6 run second…go back out and we’ll call you at the end of the inning ^_^

  41. KT

    cc with the theft

  42. Anonymous

    Oh, Dee.

  43. KT

    inning over

  44. KT

    St. Louis Cardinals ‏@Cardinals1m
    INJURY REPORT: X-Rays on Shelby Miller’s right elbow were negative.

  45. KT

    Nice turn but that was a neighborhood play

  46. KT

    Eric Stephen ‏@truebluela1m
    Re: Brian Wilson, 8-pitch scoreless first inning, one K RT @KyleAGlaser: Fastball sat 91-93, slider 86-87

  47. His error is making the prospect of getting through the sixth more and more unlikely.

  48. At the risk of a rule 8 violation, this inning is very frustrating.

  49. Anonymous

    pitch until Miller walks off field is up on gameday
    Who are the ESPN announcers, please?

  50. KT

    Inning over!!

  51. Anonymous

    nice insurance!

  52. Anonymous

    I always love 2 out RBI’s (for us)

  53. Glad this team can take a rough inning and move on.

  54. Westbrook did okay after the second, poor guy.

  55. Anonymous

    Good day so far, SD and Col both lost, Ariz are losing and the Gnats ………….. are irrelevant

  56. KT

    Braves 15.5 games up on their next closest opponent…the Nats

  57. KT

    good eye Puig!

  58. Anonymous

    Gotta shut them down!

  59. Anonymous

    Nick! 6 more outs! Let’s get some more padding!

  60. KT

    Nice Paco

  61. KT

    That’s 3

  62. Anonymous

    Pac Man — 0! 3 more outs!

  63. Anonymous

    Is it Marmol (shudder) time at the bottom of the 9th with a 5 run lead

  64. KT

    Chad Moriyama ‏@ChadMoriyama2m
    If you can’t trust League/Marmol to get three outs with a five run lead, just cut them.

  65. Anonymous

    Hopefully more than 5 run lead!

  66. KT

    another walk for Puig!

  67. Anonymous

    Dre!

  68. Anonymous

    More than 5 indeed!

  69. Hopefully safe from a jinx, NPUT.

  70. Anonymous

    If the rest of baseball hadn’t noticed us coming up fast, they will have now

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