Matt Kemp’s status was the story of the Dodgers’ afternoon, as conflicting — or rather, evolving — reports appeared on whether he would be activated for tonight’s game. At best, it appears, he would be used as a pinch-hitter.
During that time, I tweeted the following:
I am a Matt Kemp optimist. Join me. He could be the latest great story for the 2013 #dodgers.
— Jon Weisman (@jonweisman) September 16, 2013
No, Kemp might not contribute at all to the Dodgers for the remainder of this season, playoffs or otherwise. But I’m bothered by the cynicism that assumes he can’t or won’t be a factor, not only because he so recently was the best player in the National League, but because he was looking better in the games before his freak sliding injury in July.
In his most recent 12 starts, Kemp had a .383 on-base percentage and .595 slugging, with a home run every 14 at-bats. Admittedly, those came at least two months ago, but they at least put the lie to the notion that he was fatally lost at the plate. For some reason, some people refuse to believe that he had shown signs of regaining his form.
Also keep in mind that when the season began, the Coors Field injury to his labrum and subsequent surgery were much more recent than they are now.
It’s anyone’s guess what (if anything) will happen next, but let’s start with an open mind. This is not a guy off the street.
KT
Go BLUE!!!! reduce that magic number
KT
Not interesting any more
KT
Mike Petriello @mike_petriello17s
The Dodgers signed 19-year-old Japanese righty Takumi Numata to a minor league deal, per release. No, I never heard of him either.
Not the japanese player I’m looking for…we want Tanaka ^_^
Jon Weisman
Kemp officially activated.
Bob_in_Vegas
Go, Bison — welcome back!!!!
ASW1
Los Angeles Dodgers Lineup
SS: Nick Punto
2B: Mark Ellis
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
RF: Yasiel Puig
C: A.J. Ellis
CF: Skip Schumaker
3B: Juan Uribe
LF: Nick Buss
SP: Hyun-Jin Ryu
Arizona Diamondbacks Lineup
CF: A.J. Pollock
LF: Willie Bloomquist
1B: Paul Goldschmidt
3B: Martin Prado
2B: Aaron Hill
RF: Gerardo Parra
SS: Chris Owings
C: Tuffy Gosewisch
SP: Trevor Cahill
Kemp in the dugout – hope to see him get some innings in CF tonight.
KT
Nicky with the unnecessary head 1st dive…just for grit
KT
Turn two guys
KT
Joc Pederson @yungjoc6502m
Not sure what to do with all this free time? #bayarea #bored
Spence
Didnt Kemp go 0-18 on his rehab assignment?
KT
then hit 4 hr in ten at bats in Glendale against our pitchers there
scooplew
I’d give more weight to game action than to extended spring training in Glendale, but I hope that I am wrong.
KT
But rancho is class A and the guys throwing against him were Fife and Dominguez I think
scooplew
Interesting point.
KT
Why do they even pitch to that guy…walk him / hit him but don’t pitch to him anymore unless the bases are full
KT
Come on Baby
KT
Good News about Billz:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130916&content_id=60782062¬ebook_id=60792672&vkey=notebook_la&c_id=la
KT
For John_From_Aus:
Anthony Jackson @dodgerscribe4m
Here’s some info, including some great photos, pertaining to next year’s opener in Sydney http://mlb.mlb.com/ari/ticketing/sydney.jsp …
John_from_Aus
So much looking forward to it, would be happy to meet up with anyone who wanted to come over. I have my ticket to game 2 on the Sunday afternoon
KT
From the Notes:
The Dodgers signed Japanese free-agent right-handed pitcher Takumi Numata to a Minor League contract. Numata, 19, graduated from Ohgaki Nihon University High School in 2012 and played for the Edion AIT OB Blits of the Japanese Industrial League from April-September 2013. He is expected to report to Camelback Ranch-Glendale, where he will work out with the Dodgers’ Instructional League team.
KT
Here is Nicky’s 1st at bat:
http://i.imgur.com/IbQZzGS.gif
KT
Since it’s the Dbags home game next year:
http://mlb.mlb.com/ari/ticketing/sydney.jsp
KT
Bob James @NotThatBobJames6m
#Dodgers Matt #Kemp & #Hanley Ramirez turn to ask what the heck the 3 Korean-speaking girls in the… http://instagram.com/p/eWELfDC89I/
KT
Nice play Gonzo!
btimmer
Pirates lost today on a 1-hitter by Andrew Cashner. They had just 27 men come to the plate. The Cardinals trail the Rockies 2-1 in the 8th.
KT
It’s getting bad when you (meaning me) are hoping for the other teams to lose just so you can keep pace
KT
Nicky!!
btimmer
The Cards tied it up in the top of the 8th on a 2-out double by Carpenter. But that was it.
KT
Good eye MEllis!
KT
Come on Yasi
KT
good eye Puig and Charlie we are still trailing
Jeffrey Thomas III
Ha guess I wasn’t the only one that heard that!
scooplew
We need a big hit.
John_from_Aus
like a bases clearing double (or better)
John_from_Aus
Lets make it count
Jeffrey Thomas III
Was listening to radio on the drive home and after that bases loaded walk they said the score was tied. I guess I can file this one under Steinered.
btimmer
Rockies reclaim the lead 3-2 in the 8th and are still batting.
John_from_Aus
I wish it was dodgers claim the lead and are still batting!
KT
yes
Jeffrey Thomas III
Come on Shoe those are balls! A walk will do!
KT
would have walked already
btimmer
4-2 Rockies now.
John_from_Aus
I have nothing positive to say
scooplew
Lately, it seems that hitting a sacrifice fly has become the most difficult thing in the world for this team.
John_from_Aus
or even an RBI groundout in Ellis’ case
KT
or a selective at bat by Shoe to walk in another run
Jeffrey Thomas III
AJ has been struggling at the plate for a while. Maybe FedEx and Butera should get a few more starts to get him refreshed for the playoffs.
scooplew
AJ is currently 2-for-23 but with only three strikeouts during that span.
Linkmeister
Pfui.
KT
Nice going Ryu 17 in a row…Let’s get moar runs this time
Linkmeister
About twelve pitches seen by Dodgers that inning.
KT
So if the Dodgers went 0-13 The Dbags would have to go 11-3 (14 games left) to force a 1 game playoff…I would really love two wins in this series
KT
Nice all around play!!!!
btimmer
Rockies won 6-2. So the NL Central remains tied, but the Reds move up a game.
John_from_Aus
Lets make a move
KT
Man On and Dee Pinch Running
btimmer
I demand butter and eggs from Adrian Gonzalez.
Jon Weisman
I think Adrian swung at ball 4.
btimmer
No butter, no eggs
scooplew
I think they will pitch around Puig.
KT
nope not with that pitch
Linkmeister
Crud.
scooplew
It seems that nearly every batter on this team is scuffling or injured. I knew that we couldn’t maintain that torrid pace, but still. I have to keep reminding myself that we have an enormous lead with a magic number of four.
Sandy K
It’s May again.
scooplew
I guess it’s not such a long way from May to September.
Sandy K
Ryu could pitch a complete game and lose. Who was the Dodger who last did that? I remember that Beckett had a complete game against Arizona that he lost. The way he’s pitched, Ryu deserves a lot better.
KT
MYung!
KT
Shoe!
Jeffrey Thomas III
Is it Bison time yet??
WinnipegDave
Soon, very soon.
KT
OMG
Sandy K
Really? Why not Kemp now? At least it’s not Jim Buss.
WinnipegDave
Do they walk him?
Jeffrey Thomas III
Bummer for Kemp, but there were too many missed chances and bad decisions before him.
Spence
Kemp’s bat speed looks really slow. He couldnt get to the inside pitches and then chased away.
Sandy K
Guess he also didn’t practice during his rehab laying off the pitch that’s 18 in. outside.
scooplew
That was a difficult spot to put him in after being on the DL for nearly two months. It certainly wasn’t a confidence booster for him.
Sandy K
True enough. The manager makes those decisions, and they’re worth questioning.
Bumsrap
Grienke should have mentioned to Kemp how they will try to get him out. Kemp has been yearning to play and contribute. He gets a chance in the bottom of the ninth with the tying and winning runs on third and second. He is going to want to drive them in more than ever and the pitcher knows this.
Throw him one inside just to make him think about it and then stay with the sliders low and away outside the strike zone. All Kemp had to do was keep the bat on his shoulder until he had the count in his favor and then look for something, anything, not in the the lower part of the strike zone.
scooplew
Asking Uribe to sacrifice was a real roll of the dice: He has four sacrifice bunts in the last four seasons, including 2013. But it is likely that he is hardly asked to try.
Bumsrap
Pinch bunt for him then
Linkmeister
Grrrh.
DS1981
Regarding Kemp, i don’t think it’s cynicism towards him. I think it’s just a case of him being out of site and out of mind. When a player has been injured for two seasons what do you expect the fans to do? They’ve moved on to the new hot thing (Puig, Hanley, etc). As i’ve said previously, as far as most fans are concerned, Kemp is yesterday’s news.
Spence
At this point, I dont think many people expect Kemp to be better than Ethier, Crawford, or Puig this year. Next year’s a different story but for now, I think the Dodgers best OF’ers do not include Kemp in the lineup.
Linkmeister
We don’t know how hard L
Kemp lobbied to go in, either.
scooplew
I think I am taking a mental health day off from the Dodgers tomorrow.
Linkmeister
That will ensure victory! ;)
Bob_in_Vegas
The batters have reverted to their magical trick of making the opposing pitcher look like a world-beater.
It seems that the catalyst of the team is Hanley. If he’s out, forget it.
Guess we can identify more with the 2011 fans of Boston and Atlanta . . . sure hope we don’t have a full understanding!
ASW1
Turning point of the game – top of the 7th, Cahill has already walked 2 in the inning, bases loaded, no outs – AGon comes up and hacks at the 1st pitch out of the zone to pop out to shallow right. Not a good choice – at least wait for Cahill to groove one.
Bob_in_Vegas
Silver Lining Dept.: Great job by Ryu, especially after his last game AND on the road.
Also, at least two of the batters didn’t go gently into that good 9th.
RBI
Just home from my writers group, and grateful I didn’t suffer through this one. Talk about limping across the finish line. (Let’s hope we do that!) Yeesh.
Bob_Hendley
This ain’t nothin”. In 2009, having been in 1st place since April 15th, on Sept 24 we were 6 games up on the Rox. We then proceeded to lose 3 of 4 to the (then) lowly Pirates, be swept by the Pads in two games and then lose the first of 3 with the Rox to be only one game up with two left to play.
foul tip
Seeing the result in the wee smalls reminded me of the time when Drysdale, not at the park due to personal business the day after losing a 4-hitter in 11 innings, was told Koufax pitched a no-hitter and replied, “did he win?”
Of course Ryu didn’t come close to a no-no. But you’d like to think giving up 2 hits and 2 runs over 8 would be enough to win, B team behind him or not. However…
Bob_in_Vegas
However, it’s the Dodger batters . . . who unfortunately are capable of this, or explosions of offense — ya never know who is going to show up, tho it’s a better chance of the former when Hanley isn’t playing.
ASW1
Fife taking Kershaw’s turn in the rotation tomorrow night :
“Kershaw had been scheduled to pitch Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, but instead he’ll be pushed back until Saturday against the Padres.”
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/09/17/dodgers-giving-clayton-kershaw-extra-rest/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs
Bob_in_Vegas
I’m not sure I buy that it’s just for rest — these games count as 2 for the magic # and until the West is won, I’m going to be nervous. I knew how bad this team can be offensively — they’re doing their best to return us to those early sad, futile months of this season.
We’ve talked before about how the bar is set so high for Kersh, but I believe 3 of his last 4 starts have been sub-Clay (which is still way above average for mere mortals) — I sure hope it’s nothing physical other than perhaps fatigue.
RBI
My worry, too. Hopefully rest will do the trick.
foul tip
Reports out that Cuban IF Guerrero has changed agents mid-stream–to Boras. Who promptly said he will open up bidding to all 30 teams.
So, if true and it all turns out to be about money–as always with Boras–the Dodgers still have as good a shot as anyone. Just unlikely to happen right away, for any club.
ASW1
Yeah – not good – Guerrero was said to be close to a multi-year deal with the Dodgers last week, and then he goes and changes to Boras so he can squeeze a few more million dollars out of a deal. Wonder how his former agent took the news?
I’m sure Ned was ecstatic hearing the news.
RBI
Isn’t there some law on monopolies that can be applied to Boras?
foul tip
Maybe pest control by Terminix? Or permanent quarantine on suspicion of rabies? Warning: other creative solutions may apply.
btimmer
Actually no. Boras has numerous competitors in his business. Boras is just very well-known.
But if baseball wanted to ask for antirust law to be applied to an agent, I would have to summon the Irony Commission into emergency session.
RBI
Ha! So true.
Bumsrap
Message to Ned–Don’t change the offer.
Adam Luther
Goldschmidt just kills Dodger pitching. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=goldspa01&year=Career&t=b#oppon::16
btimmer
The Braves blew a 5-3 lead in the 9th when Kimbrel lost control (2 walks) and Simmons made an error to allow two runs to score.
RBI
Why does this make me so happy? I am not a good person, apparently.
Linkmeister
Obviously these are the residual effects of the years when the Braves were the mortal enemy within the division. Before them it was the Reds, and before them it was the Giants. The Astros briefly held that position in 1980, I believe.
KT
or because before the latest rash of injuries we were chasing them for best record
btimmer
There is also the race to be the first to clinch. And at this rate, the first team to clinch a division title in the NL is going to be the Reds. [Sarcasm]
Bob_in_Vegas
For me, it’s not so much piling on the Braves as solace in seeing that another good team (better than the Dodgers, if you are what your record says) can blow a lead.
ASW1
Hopefully Greinke can pitch as well as Ryu did yesterday and the Dodgers can reduce the number to 2 – I’m getting real tired of the number 4.
Bob_in_Vegas
The good news is the return of a great bat to the lineup tonight . . . Zack’s!
DS1981
This current lineup without Hanley, Crawford, Ethier, etc. is not gonna hit better than it has. Why would anybody expect Nick Punto to be anything more than Nick Punto or Skip Shumaker to be anything more than a mediocre journeyman at the end of his career that he is. And Chili Buss? I mean it’s fun to say, but c’mon. AJ Ellis is also what he is, which a typical good defensive catcher with no bat, the other Ellis has always been a great glove/no bat 2nd baseman. Everybody is being themselves.
RBI
As long as we don’t pitch to Goldschmidt, we’ve got a fighting chance!
Bumsrap
Nice to see Kemp and Ramirez in the lineup together tonight. I assume Joc Pederson is not on the 40 man roster or he would have been invited up.
TAFKA_Gagne55
Dodger Lineup:
1. Yasiel Puig(RF)
2. Mark Ellis(2B)
3. Hanley Ramirez(SS)
4. Adrian Gonzalez(1B)
5. Matt Kemp(CF)
6. Juan Uribe(3B)
7. Scott Van Slyke(LF)
8. A.J. Ellis(C)
9. Zack Greinke(P)
John_from_Aus
feeling much better about that lineup today
KT
maybe by the time they get here in SD the will be fielding the lineup we were supposed to have
TAFKA_Gagne55
Considering that they’re facing a lefty, this looks like the best lineup they could have. With a right hander on the mound, they’d want Ethier back, of course.
John_from_Aus
I am particularly pleased that Hanley is back on deck, he must be 100% or close to it for him to be playing
Bob_in_Vegas
Amen! He seems to be the true MVP of the 2nd half. When he’s not in, they don’t win.
ASW1
Agreed – with Greinke on the mound coupled with this lineup, one can dare to feel a little confidence returning.
John_from_Aus
as we say in cricket ‘we bat right down the order today’
btimmer
Who will be the Dodgers night watchman?
John_from_Aus
for those who are toatally confused http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightwatchman_(cricket)
KT
Los Angeles Dodgers @Dodgers13m
#Dodgers starters heading into the weekend:
Wednesday: Fife
Thursday: Nolasco
Friday: Volquez
Saturday: Kershaw
Sunday: Greinke
John_from_Aus
3 out of 5?
KT
setting up the rotation for the playoff…Ryu will pitch Tuesday followed by either Fife or Nalasco
Bob_in_Vegas
Depends on if any runs are scored . . . but with the return of Hanley, there’s hope. And even a Bison at half the level he was when he went out this last time will be productive.
Bob_Hendley
I witnessed the heights at the game against the Nats, when Kemp went 3-4 with a BB, dinger, a double and 3 rbis, before the false step at home.
Jon Weisman
NPUT