June 2014 – Page 2 – Dodger Thoughts

On June 26, 2014

In Postgame

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By Jon Weisman

There was great defense and timely hitting and shutdown pitching (oh, was there shutdown pitching). There were contributions from superstars and reserves and guys fresh off the disabled list and guys who have struggled to find consistency. There was a jacked-up crowd urging their team on against the National League All-Star team’s most likely starting pitcher, doing nothing less than threatening to throw the sport’s latest no-hitter.

And in a taut two hours and 32 minutes, the Dodgers came through with a 1-0 victory over St. Louis, their first 1-0 victory of 2014, their second-shortest nine-inning game and easily one of the best edge-of-your seat games of the season.

So little scoring, so many moments …

Dee Gordon walks, and then St. Louis ace Adam Wainwright sets down the next 15 batters.
Josh Beckett gives up a first-inning and third-inning hit, but otherwise matches Wainwright zero for zero.
Miguel Rojas, after making slick plays at shortstop all night, breaks up Wainwright’s no-hitter with a line single to left to start the bottom of the sixth.
In the seventh, Gordon ranges far to his right, adjusts to a last minute bounce off the bag to field a seventh-inning grounder, and throws Yadier Molina out at first.

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One batter later, after Allen Craig has doubled, John Jay singles to left and Matt Kemp shows what his arm can do in left field, nailing Craig at home. An exultant Beckett completes his seventh shutout inning of the night, lowering his 2014 ERA to a remarkable 2.11.
Brian Wilson pitches his most authoritative inning of the season, retiring the Cardinals in the eighth on 14 pitches, 12 for strikes.
Juan Uribe, in his first game in more than five weeks and looking rusty through two strikeouts, singles to start the bottom of the eighth.
Rojas, again. After a Drew Butera sacrifice, an infield single by the shortstop puts runners at the corner.
Justin Turner, sent to the bench by Uribe’s return, steps up as a pinch-hitter and lines an RBI single to left. Turner is now 6 for 15 (.400) as a pinch-hitter.
Matt Adams hits a bloop single in the ninth off Kenley Jansen, but pinch-runner Peter Bourjos is tagged out at second by an alert Rojas on a steal attempt.
Needing only seven pitches to finish his work, Jansen ends things on a Jhonny Peralta fly to center.

As much as you see Rojas’ name in these highlights, that’s how much of a presence off the bench he has become in only 20 days as a Dodger. What a treat to see someone seize the opportunity and challenge in front of him. No, he’s no big bat, but he’s doing everything you could ask.

So the Dodgers, who were 1-33 when tied or trailing after seven innings before Wednesday, have won two games in two nights that were tied in the eighth. And from the “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you” department: San Francisco lost to Cincinnati, 3-1. At the halfway point of the 2014 season, the Dodgers are within two games of first place in the NL West.

Juan Uribe is back in time, but Carlos Triunfel is outatime

On June 26, 2014

In Health/injuries, Pregame

If our calculations are correct, when this guy hits 88 miles per hour… pic.twitter.com/rj4ipMooAW

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 27, 2014

Cardinals at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, LF
Andre Ethier, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Miguel Rojas, SS
Josh Beckett, P

By Jon Weisman

Five weeks and two days after pulling up lame while running to second base in the ninth inning in Flushing, Juan Uribe is back in the Dodger starting lineup.

Carlos Triunfel, 2 for 7 with a home run as a Dodger, was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. The move was an endorsement of the near-term prognosis of Hanley Ramirez, who is missing his third start in a row tonight with irritation in the acromioclavicular joint of his right shoulder and saw Dr. Neal ElAttrache today.

Uribe has a .331 on-base percentage and .454 slugging percentage this year — along with the third-best UZR/150 among National League third basemen — but has played only 34 innings in the past 49 days because of hamstring issues.

The bulk of the Dodgers’ innings at the hot corner during that time went to Justin Turner, who had a .405 OBP and slugged .524.

Ramirez, meanwhile, is sidelined with a 10-game hitting streak intact, during which he has had a .415 OBP and .556 slugging.

According to Baseball-Reference.com, the Dodgers are fourth in the NL in Wins Above Average at shortstop and second at third base. According to Fangraphs, the Dodgers are third in the league at third base and second at shortstop.

Puppies, Dodgers, puppies, All-Stars, puppies

On June 25, 2014

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Dog puns, dog puns, all I can think of are dog puns. But just remember, after you watch this video, to vote for the All-Stars. These things are related. Puppies. And All-Stars.

— Jon Weisman

Dodgers replacing Jamie Romak with Clint Robinson

On June 25, 2014

In Transactions

Photo by Jon SooHoo/© Los Angeles Dodgers, LLC 2014

Dodgers at Royals, 5:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, DH
Matt Kemp, LF
Andre Ethier, CF
Justin Turner, 3B
Scott Van Slyke, 1B
A.J. Ellis, C
Miguel Rojas, SS
(Dan Haren, P)

By Jon Weisman

With Juan Uribe close to coming off the disabled list, Jamie Romak’s immediate Dodger future has been in jeopardy. Today, the infielder/outfielder, who had a double and two walks in 23 plate appearances, was designated for assignment.

But the one replacing Romak on the active roster might come as a surprise. It’s first baseman Clint Robinson, who will be suiting up today for the Dodgers against the Kansas City Royals, the team that selected him 25 rounds into the 2007 draft.

If he plays, Robinson would be the 40th Dodger to enter a game this year. With the Royals in 2012, Robinson had four pinch-hitting appearances — flying out, grounding out and striking out twice.

Why Clayton Kershaw is beyond comprehension

On June 25, 2014

Jon SooHoo/© Los Angeles Dodgers, LLC 2014

By Jon Weisman

This post really began with modest scope in mind, but as with all things Clayton Kershaw, it evolved into something greater.

Alex Guerrero to resume baseball activities at Camelback

In Health/injuries

By Jon Weisman

Second baseman Alex Guerrero, who needed surgical repairs on his ear following the May 20 incident with Miguel Olivo, “has reported to Camelback Ranch in Phoenix to resume baseball activities,” Dodger general manager Ned Colletti told Bill Shaikin of the Times.

Shaikin added that “Colletti said Guerrero’s return to the field will depend on how long it takes him to regain his conditioning.”

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com had more. Heyman spoke to Guerrero’s agent, Scott Boras, who said that the infielder would not need more surgery on his ear.

Guerrero has a .417 on-base percentage and .735 slugging percentage for Triple-A Albuquerque and was at .431/.839 in May. He had six homers in his last six games leading up to May 20.

No no-no, but yes on the greatness for Kershaw

In Postgame

By Jon Weisman

Not intending at all to knock down the no-hit magic, but was Clayton Kershaw that much less impressive in his follow-up tonight at Kansas City?

Seven Royals reached base against the Dodger lefty, two of them in the fourth, two again in the seventh, all with nothing more than a 1-0 lead. And seven were stranded.

It won’t go down in history, but it will go down as the latest moment of greatness for Kershaw.

Kershaw has a way of putting to rest the kind of doubts that can crop up among even his biggest supporters, myself among them when he came out for the eighth after a heavy-duty seventh that required him to escape a two-on, one-out jam while passing the 100-pitch mark. In that eighth inning, Kershaw found yet another gear, retiring the Royals in order on six pitches, including his eighth strikeout.

In doing so, he made it possible for the Dodgers’ lone run to that point in the game stand up, a run that came thanks mainly to the first batter of the game.

Justin Turner, making his first leadoff start of the year, took Royals starter Danny Duffy to 11 pitches before tripling to right-center, then scored three batters later on an Adrian Gonzalez force out. (Yasiel Puig helped keep the inning alive by narrowly beating out an infield grounder for a single.)

In the ninth inning, the Dodgers bookended their offensive efforts with a walk by Gonzalez and singles by A.J. Ellis and pinch-hitter Andre Ethier, giving themselves a 2-0 lead and sending Kershaw to rest with the following line: eight innings, six hits, one walk, eight strikeouts. Since May 17, Kershaw has thrown 50 innings with a 1.26 ERA and 66 strikeouts against 30 hits and six walks. His past 21 innings have been scoreless.

Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth to save the Dodgers’ victory, improving their record to 43-36 and Kershaw’s to 8-2. Despite missing more than a month of the season, this is the earliest in his career that Kershaw has been credited with eight wins, showing once again that wins march to the beat of their own drummer.

Then again, so does Kershaw.

Kershaw first P since Tommy Greene in 1991 to throw at least 8 shutout innings in first start after a no-hitter (via @MLBNetwork)

— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) June 25, 2014

Kershaw lowers ERA to 2.24, now first on Dodgers and third in NL with 72 1/3 innings (needs 79 to qualify).

— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) June 25, 2014

Kershaw’s pursuit of Johnny V ended on something of a high pitch. (Via @brooksbaseball) pic.twitter.com/76xLulnkDF

— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) June 25, 2014

Dodgers support of Kershaw to be tested tonight

In Health/injuries, Pregame

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Dodgers at Royals, 5:10 p.m.
Kershaw CXCIII: Kershawmnibus
Justin Turner, 3B
Matt Kemp, LF
Yasiel Puig, DH
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Jamie Romak, RF
Carlos Triunfel, SS
Miguel Rojas, 2B
(Clayton Kershaw, P)
* * *
Don’t forget: $22 discounted tickets for Clayton Kershaw’s next scheduled home start on sale

By Jon Weisman

On a night that the Dodgers send out a lineup with one 2014 MLB homer in the final four batting slots, you might be wondering about the run support for Clayton Kershaw.

We’ll see about this evening’s affair with the Royals, but so far this year, Kershaw has little reason to feel deprived. He enters tonight’s game enjoying the best run support of his career, 4.9 runs per start, including eight in last week’s no-hitter.

Oddly, despite missing more than a month of the 2014 season, Kershaw in 10 starts has been already credited with seven wins, a total he didn’t reach last year until his 18th start July 2, and in 2012 on his 19th start July 13.

(More trivia: The Dodgers are averaging 5.0 runs per game in Romak’s three starts and 4.3 runs per game in Rojas’ eight starts. So watch out for lots of scoring, fans of correlation.)

Yasiel Puig, who went 0 for 4 Monday despite ripping two balls to the outfield, takes the designated hitter spot today in one of the more unusual Dodger lineups this year.

The keystone combo of Hanley Ramirez and Dee Gordon starts the game on the bench, next to Andre Ethier. Gordon’s and Ethier’s absence is more likely than not because of the lefty (Danny Duffy) on the mound for Kansas City, but Ramirez’s would be health-related.

Hanley Ramirez is icing his shoulder

— Mark Saxon (@markasaxon) June 24, 2014

Ramirez is out with A/C joint irritation.

— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) June 24, 2014

Ramirez felt it swinging Monday for first time. Same problem in Cincy.

— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) June 24, 2014

Mattingly says Hanley is day-to-day. No plans for tests or anti-inflammatory injections at this point.

— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) June 24, 2014

Ramirez hit a two-run double in his final swing of Monday’s 5-3 loss.

Romak, making his second start of 2014 in right field, is one of seven players this year to start in the outfield for the Dodgers. (You haven’t forgotten Mike Baxter, have you?) One who hasn’t been in a Dodger lineup is Joc Pederson, the highly regarded minor leaguer. We’re currently awaiting news on Pederson’s health, following reports that he injured his right shoulder diving for a ball in the first inning of Albuquerque’s game today.

Juan Uribe is reportedly close to coming off the disabled list, especially so if the Dodgers choose to have him fly to Kansas City for one game before returning to Los Angeles for the start of the next homestand Thursday.

Dee Gordon, through the air

Sometimes I wonder how Dee Gordon will survive a full season with his body intact.

— Jon Weisman

Photos taken June 20, 2014. As always, check out Jon SooHoo’s work at the LA Photog Blog.

Yasiel Puig’s margin in All-Star OF balloting: 6,600 votes

On June 23, 2014

It’s looking like it will go down to the wire in the National League All-Star voting for the starting outfield. Yasiel Puig’s lead has been reduced to 6,654 votes out of nearly 2.5 million, and his margin for a starting spot is only about 338,000, leaving Giancarlo Stanton, among others, to push him aside. Balloting for the All-Star Game ends July 3.

All-Star Game could be interesting wrinkle in Clayton Kershaw’s schedule

On June 23, 2014

In Pregame

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Dodgers at Royals, 5:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Hanley Ramirez, DH
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, LF
Andre Ethier, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Miguel Rojas, 3B
Carlos Triunfel, SS
(Zack Greinke, P)

By Jon Weisman

One month ago today, Clayton Kershaw was heading into a rain-soaked May 23 start at Philadelphia with a 4.43 ERA in only 22 1/3 innings and the thought of his fourth straight All-Star Game far from anyone’s mind.

Then Kershaw dampened the Phillies with six shutout frames, starting a personal run of 42 innings with a 1.50 ERA and 58 strikeouts against 29 baserunners (13 singles, eight doubles, three homers, five walks). That’s right: a 2:1 ratio of strikeouts to baserunners.

To put that in perspective, no starting pitcher in MLB history has ever had such a ratio over an entire season. (It helps to throw a near-perfect game into the mix.)

Aside from reclaiming his position as the backbone of the Dodger rotation, Kershaw’s return to top form has made the week before the All-Star Break considerably more interesting for the Dodger starting rotation.

Plucky young Kershaw named NL Player of the Week

On June 23, 2014

In Awards

By Jon Weisman

Did you know? Last week, Clayton Kershaw faced 28 batters and was not charged with a hit or a walk. He was credited with what was called a “no-hitter.”

By virtue of this noteworthy accomplishment, Kershaw has been named the National League Player of the Week. It’s a nice little honor for the up-and-coming 26-year-old … although research finds that he has previously won this award in 2013, 2012 and 2011. Along with, let’s see, a couple of Cy Young awards.

And that’s not all. Despite not making an appearance between his March 22 and May 6 starts, and then getting clobbered by Arizona on May 17, Kershaw is back to climbing up the statistical charts. At 64 1/3 innings so far this year, Kershaw does need some additional catch-up work to qualify for the league leaders in rate stats. But for NL pitchers with at least 60 innings in 2014, here’s where Kershaw stands:

Sunday afternoon victory postgame notebook