DODGERS/METS LDS Game Thread

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by irish, Oct 4, 2015.

?

The winner of this LDS will be...

  1. Dodgers Sweep

    11.5%
  2. Dodgers in 4

    42.3%
  3. Dodgers in 5

    15.4%
  4. Mets Sweep

    23.1%
  5. Mets in 4

    7.7%
  6. Mets in 5

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  1. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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  2. Doughty8

    Doughty8 DSP Legend

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    I see Matt Harvey's head is the game, missing workouts lol. Hopefully a huge distraction!!!!!
     
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  3. IBleedBlue15

    IBleedBlue15 DSP Stud

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    I listened to Dodger Talk for the first time in awhile last night and I remembered why I stopped. Too many morons who call in to that show.

    "Greinke should start game 1, Puig is lazy and sucks, trading Dee was the worst thing ever, etc".
     
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  4. Bluezoo

    Bluezoo Among the Pantheon

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    Well, everybody's got opinions...that's the way they feel...but thinking another CY candidate guy should start, not liking the Dee trade means they're moronic?
    I think it's valid to have these opinions if they want...what's so bad about them?
    I don't get the Puig statement, but I don't know if whoever feels that way is a moron because I don't.
     
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  5. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    perhaps...

    Harvey reportedly called to say he was struck in traffic in a tunnel, to which Mets manager Terry Collins added...

    "I'm going to tell you what: I don't know where he was. [Pitching coach] Dan [Warthen] came to me and said we just got a call from Harvey. Now who's we? We just got a call? I don't know who we was. We just got a call from Harvey. He's stuck in traffic. I'm thinking, Where the hell is this guy? So I don't know where he was."
     
  6. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Harvey shoulda had Puig do the driving. Haha

    But nah, hopefully the Dodgers don't get sucked into all this Harvey stuff and begin to bad mouth him. Collins feels good about his job security tho.
     
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  7. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    Constructing a winner: Dodgers
    How Los Angeles used the draft, trades, free agency and international signings to build its playoff team

    by Jonathan Mayo | MLB.com Columnist — 5 October 2015

    The Los Angeles Dodgers are National League West champions for the third straight season. While there are many holdovers from that first winner in 2013 -- around 10 were on that team and on the Dodgers' 2015 postseason roster -- there have been plenty of changes made to keep the NL West title in Los Angeles.

    Once again, the Dodgers have by far the highest payroll of any team in baseball, but perhaps the most significant acquisition came to the front office during the offseason. In October, not long after the Dodgers had lost to the Cardinals in the National League Division Series, Andrew Friedman joined the organization as the president of baseball operations. The Dodgers were banking on Friedman's ability to duplicate the success he had with the Tampa Bay Rays, especially with much greater financial resources at his disposal.

    Friedman quickly added Farhan Zaidi as general manager and Josh Byrnes as senior vice president of baseball operations. Whether this Friedman-led braintrust did enough to build a team that can make it to the World Series, where the Dodgers last played in 1988, remains to be seen, but they have the team headed to the postseason for the third straight season.

    "We didn't necessarily set out this winter to improve upon a 90+ win team from the year before. We set out to maintain that level while improving our flexibility and runway of talent in 2016 and beyond," said Friedman. "This group is very capable of doing some really special things this October, and we also feel we are better positioned to sustain success in future years as well."

    HOMEGROWN
    Player, how acquired, year
    Pedro Baez, Int'l sign, 2007
    A.J. Ellis, Draft, 2003 (18th)
    Yimi Garcia, Int'l sign, 2009
    Kenley Jansen, Int'l sign, 2004
    Clayton Kershaw, Draft, 2006 (1st)
    Joc Pederson, Draft, 2010 (11th)
    Yasiel Puig, Int'l sign, 2012
    Corey Seager, Draft, 2012 (1st)

    It might be filed as a "it goes without saying" kind of deal, but no conversation about homegrown talent in Los Angeles can be had without at least mentioning Clayton Kershaw. The No. 7 pick in the 2006 Draft saw five pitchers taken ahead of him in that Draft. One last pitched competitively in Japan in 2014 and the other four are relievers.

    The Dodgers have long been active on the international front as well, and that's represented on this roster. That doesn't even include big Cuban signee Hector Olivera, who was sent to the Braves in the big three-team deal at the non-waiver Trade Deadline. The bullpen in particular has a distinct international feel, with closer Kenley Jansen, setup man Pedro Baez and contributors like Yimi Garcia all coming through the Dodgers' international scouting efforts. The Dodgers were aggressive again on the international market this past July, though the international scouting department was overhauled in August.

    The key homegrown talent to talk about, however, has to be Corey Seager. Debates over when, not if, the Dodgers should call him up started back in June. Though he didn't join the Dodgers until Sept., his impact has been immediate. Most agree he belongs in the lineup somewhere daily and the Dodgers' unwillingness to include him in any trade for one of the big fish available is now quickly bearing fruit.

    TRADES
    Player, year, acquired from
    Luis Avilan, 2015, Braves
    Carl Crawford, 2012, Red Sox
    Andre Ethier, 2005, Athletics
    Adrian Gonzalez, 2012, Red Sox
    Yasmani Grandal, 2014, Padres
    Chris Hatcher, 2014, Marlins
    Enrique Hernandez, 2014, Marlins
    Howie Kendrick, 2014, Angels
    Juan Nicasio, 2014, Rockies
    Jimmy Rollins, 2014, Dodgers
    Justin Ruggiano, 2015, Mariners
    Chase Utley, 2015, Phillies
    Alex Wood, 2015, Braves

    They didn't deal Seager or top pitching prospect Julio Urias, but Friedman and company sure were busy at the Deadline. Showing a penchant for three-team deals -- the Dodgers worked with the Marlins and Angels to bring Howie Kendrick to the Dodgers while sending Dee Gordon to the Marlins and sending lefty Andrew Heaney from Miami to the Angels during the offseason -- Los Angeles picked up a boatload of players from the Braves and Marlins (again) in return for Olivera and others.

    That deadline deal hasn't been a perfect one, as starter Mat Latos fizzled and veteran Jim Johnson didn't throw particularly well down the stretch. But lefty Alex Wood stepped into the rotation and could impact the postseason considerably, while the Dodgers are pleased they have him under control for several more years. Reliever Luis Avilan also came from the Braves in that trade, while the Dodgers also picked up veteran Chase Utley to fill in while Kendrick was hurt.

    Not everyone in LA was thrilled with the deadline efforts, feeling that the Dodgers could have more actively pursued some of the bigger targets. Friedman, however, wanted to be sure to help the team win now while not completely mortgaging the future.

    "I have tremendous respect for the passion fans have for the team," Friedman said just prior to the Deadline. "We all share the same goal, to win the World Series. Everything we've done since [my hiring in] mid-October is with that goal in mind. But it's also not about winning just in 2015, it's about creating something that can be sustained for many years and hopefully have a number of championship banners up. We're perfectly aligned in that and everything we're doing is working towards that."

    FREE AGENTS
    Player, year
    Brett Anderson, 2014
    Zack Greinke, 2012
    J.P. Howell, 2013
    Justin Turner, 2014

    Even with the ability to flex financial muscles, the Dodgers were relatively quiet in the free agent market this past offseason. The big addition back in 2012, Zack Greinke, put together a Cy Young Award worthy season. Perhaps it's no surprise that Greinke has been a Dodger for three years and the club has won the division in each of those three seasons. He's pitched well in the postseason to boot.

    The Dodgers' one modest signing for the 2015 season was lefty Brett Anderson. Seen as a risky contract for $10 million because he hadn't thrown over 100 innings in a season since 2010, the Dodgers felt his injuries were more bad luck than indicative of being injury prone.

    "If you look at the last three years, you could say he is -- quote -- high risk," Zaidi said at the time of the signing. "With the information we have on him, we think he'll be a big part of our team. He's proved when he pitches he can be effective and he's going to be motivated on a one-year deal, so I'm sure he'll want the ball every fifth day."

    That's turned out to be prescient and particularly important, especially with the loss of fellow free-agent signing Brandon McCarthy (elbow) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (shoulder).
     
  8. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    Cespedes says he's 100% ready for NLDS
    by Anthony DiComo | MLB.com — 3 hours ago

    [​IMG]


    NEW YORK -- When the National League Division Series opens Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET (TBS) in Los Angeles, don't expect any lingering effects from the fastball that bruised Yoenis Cespedes' fingers last week.

    "I am 100-percent ready to start this battle," Cespedes said through an interpreter, before taking the field Tuesday for the first of two Mets workouts in Flushing.

    The team plans to travel to Los Angeles after working out at Citi Field again on Wednesday afternoon.

    The fulcrum of this Mets team, Cespedes hit .287 with 17 home runs in 57 games after coming to the Mets in a non-waiver Trade Deadline deal. He began slumping a bit after Marlins pitcher Tom Koehler hit him with a pitch Sept. 15 at Citi Field, then he sat out parts of two games after Phillies reliever Justin De Fratus plunked him on the left hand with an 89-mph fastball. X-rays were negative, and Cespedes returned to the lineup three days later.

    This will be Cespedes' third career playoff appearance. He hit .350 with one home run in 10 games for the A's in their 2012 and '13 American League Division Series, both against the Tigers.

    The only players whose health remains uncertain for the Mets are starting pitcher Steven Matz, who plans to pitch in an instructional league game on Thursday in the hopes of making the playoff rotation, and Juan Uribe, whom manager Terry Collins described as "iffy" to heal in time from a chest injury that has sidelined him since Sept. 25.
     
  9. Gebbeth

    Gebbeth DSP Legend

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    Damn....the anticipation is killing me.

    :gah:
     
  10. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    Mets-Dodgers full of dream matchups
    NLDS brings promise of Cespedes facing Kershaw ... and much more
    By Lyle Spencer | MLB.com — 3 minutes ago

    LOS ANGELES -- Individual matchups aren't everything in the postseason crucible, but they do offer a few hints about what might unfold with pulses pounding and so much on the line.

    As the Dodgers and Mets do their prep work for their National League Division Series opening Friday night at Dodger Stadium (9:30 p.m. ET on TBS), reams of numbers will be studied intently. Every conceivable edge looms as a potential game-changer.

    One of the many subplots making this series so fascinating is the contrasting nature of the rotations. The Dodgers will send one right-hander -- the amazing Zack Greinke -- at the Mets. If Steven Matz doesn't work Game 4, the Dodgers will not see a lefty starter.

    JACOB deGROM vs. ADRIAN GONZALEZ

    In three starts against the Dodgers in his two seasons, deGrom is 0-2 with a 3.66 ERA. Those two losses came last year, and his nemesis was the Dodgers' formidable first baseman.

    Gonzalez has gone deep twice against deGrom in eight at-bats, driving in five runs. In his lone outing against Los Angeles this season, a no-decision taken by the Mets on July 26 at Citi Field, deGrom yielded two singles -- to Greinke and Andre Ethier -- across 7 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out eight.

    Ethier is 2-for-6 with a triple against deGrom. Yasiel Puig is 1-for-6 with a home run, and Chase Utley is 3-for-10 with two walks. Corey Seager, who hit .336 with a .904 OPS in his 113 September and October plate appearances, has not seen deGrom. That would be almost as interesting as this ...

    CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. YOENIS CESPEDES

    The intrigue is that the Dodgers' great lefty and the powerful Mets outfielder have such limited contact: three at-bats, all outs. It could be the most meaningful confrontation of the series.

    Kershaw held the Mets to one run in 16 innings this season and is 6-0 with a 1.34 ERA in nine career starts against the Mets. In 57 games in New York after his arrival from Detroit, Cespedes unloaded 17 homers and drove in 44 runs with a .942 OPS. No player was a bigger force in the second half.

    Cespedes seems to love the spotlight. In 10 postseason games for the A's in 2012 and '13, the Cuban native put together a .350/.395/.525 slash line.

    Wilmer Flores (3-for-6), Ruben Tejada (5-for-14), Daniel Murphy (3-for-10) and Michael Cuddyer (4-for-16) have had some success against Kershaw. Lucas Duda and Curtis Granderson both are 1-for-10. Kelly Johnson is 3-for-15 with a homer, and David Wright is 3-for-14 with a double and four walks.

    MATT HARVEY vs. JIMMY ROLLINS

    Noah Syndergaard
    , the Mets' Game 2 starter, has faced the Dodgers only once. Gonzalez homered and ex-Met Justin Turner doubled; other than that, it was smooth sailing for "Thor." Harvey, the Mets' Game 3 starter at home, has faced the Dodgers four times and is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA.

    Harvey has seen a lot more of the Phillies and their old tandem of Rollins and Utley at the top of the order. Rollins has two doubles, two homers and a single in 19 at-bats against Harvey. Utley, cast in a utility role with Howie Kendrick's hamstring healed, is 6-for-18 with a double and homer.

    Joc Pederson is 2-for-5 with a homer against Harvey. Gonzalez is 3-for-11 with a homer, and Puig has a double and two singles in three at-bats against the "Dark Knight."

    (Certainly, the Mets win the nickname battle in this series.)

    ZACK GREINKE vs. LUCAS DUDA

    Duda, the "Big Lebowski" from Southern California, goes 6-4 and about 255 pounds and launches balls when he's in a groove. He's 3-for-12 with a homer and two walks against Greinke, who crafted a historic season at 19-3 and a 1.66 ERA that was the Majors' best in 20 years.

    Greinke, 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA in six career outings against the Mets, has encountered only a few rough patches in their lineup. Murphy is 4-for-13 with two walks. Flores is 3-for-8, Wright 3-for-9 with a double. Granderson is a .192 hitter in 52 at-bats but has two doubles, two triples and a homer.

    Duda has hammered two Dodgers setup men. He's 4-for-11 with two doubles off lefty Luis Avilan and 2-for-3 with a homer off Chris Hatcher.

    On the Mets' end, Jeurys Familia needs to be careful with Utley in a game-turning moment. Utley is 3-for-6 with a double against the closer. Don't expect to see Jon Niese facing Turner, who is 5-for-7 with two doubles and two homers against him.

    The moment is all that matters in October, but comfort zones -- and discomfort zones -- can come into play in the mental game.
     
  11. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    Uribe to miss NLDS, may return for NLCS
    by Anthony DiComo | MLB.com — 3 hours ago

    [​IMG]

    NEW YORK -- Mets infielder Juan Uribe will miss the National League Division Series because of a chest injury, general manager Sandy Alderson said Tuesday, but Uribe could be ready for the start of the NL Championship Series if the Mets advance against the Dodgers.

    Uribe, 36, has not played since aggravating a chest injury on Sept. 25, five days after initially bruising his chest while diving for a ground ball at second base. The Mets have never given a specific diagnosis for Uribe's injury, saying only that it is a cartilage-based injury in the area where the clavicle meets his sternum. He will stay in New York to work with physical therapists while the Mets travel to Los Angeles. If all goes well, Uribe could eventually travel to Florida for rehab in instructional league games.

    In 44 games since coming to the Mets in a July 24 trade, Uribe hit .219 with six home runs. Considering the Dodgers plan to use at least three and as many as four left-handed starters in the best-of-five series, the Mets were holding out hope that he and his .893 OPS against lefties would be available for the NLDS, which begins on Friday in Los Angeles at 9:30 p.m. ET on TBS.

    Uribe's absence should open a spot for outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis to make the roster, alongside bench players Michael Cuddyer (who will start against left-handers in Games 1 and 3), Kevin Plawecki, Kelly Johnson, Wilmer Flores and Juan Lagares.
     
  12. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    Puig, Van Slyke working on return to form
    Mattingly says Puig still rusty, while Van Slyke was limited in BP
    by Steve Bourbon | MLB.com — 1 hour ago
    [​IMG]

    LOS ANGELES -- Scott Van Slyke was "not as good" as manager Don Mattingly was hoping for on Tuesday as he works out his injured right wrist, while outfielder Yasiel Puig is still rusty as he returns from a hamstring injury.

    Puig, who returned to game action on Saturday, still looks rusty according to Mattingly. Puig was in the batting cage and took part in a simulated game on Tuesday against a few different Dodgers pitchers, including Brett Anderson and Juan Nicasio. He appeared in the final two games of the regular season -- making one start -- after missing over a month with a strained right hamstring.

    "He looks like a guy that hasn't played in a while," Mattingly said. "He's a bit rusty, but that doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean the thing doesn't turn and the bright lights come on and something good happens, you never know."

    Puig never got to running full speed in either game. He had a bloop single on Saturday against the Padres and was never forced to sprint either out of the batter's box or in the field.

    "Ultimately, it was just a game and a half of Major League action," GM Farhan Zaidi said. "We also have a lot of information from the live BPs and he got to full speed, even though he didn't get the chance to go jailbreak speed here. So we have that information."

    Puig's 2015 season never got off the ground as he was limited to 79 games and set career-lows in all categories of his .255/.322/.436 slash line. But after more than a month being on the shelf, the Dodgers are confident the outfielder is healthy based on his time in live action, as well as simulated games at the Dodgers' extended spring training facility in Arizona.

    "He's 100 percent from what we saw in Arizona and from not having any complications here," Zaidi said. "The big questions for all of us was his health and if he's had enough reps. We've tried to put ourselves in the best position with that."

    Van Slyke, who hasn't appeared in a game since Sept. 29, tried taking batting practice Tuesday morning, but was still limited. While the Dodgers have yet to announce their 25-man playoff roster, both Van Slyke and Puig fill similar roles on the team as right-handed bats in the outfield to match up with left-handed pitching.

    "It didn't go as good as I would like. He's doing better, but it's still not where it needs to be," Mattingly said. "He got to working today and he felt better, but he still has some restrictions, so that answers some questions."
     
  13. C2ThaB81

    C2ThaB81 DSP Legend

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    Longest. Week. Of. My. Life.
     
  14. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    to no one's surprise
    its kersh/zack/anderson per espn...
     
  15. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    know what's weird about roster decisions?...
    just like the postseason games themselves, they're a bit of a crapshoot
    a heisey or guerrero could end up being a world series mvp
    not forecasting anything, just saying...
    :dbblineup:
     
  16. LASports96

    LASports96 DSP Legend

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    These hardly seem like dream matchups. Lol
     
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  17. Nirvanaskurdt

    Nirvanaskurdt DSP Legend

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    Is it game time yet? :mad:

    [​IMG]
     
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  18. IBleedBlue15

    IBleedBlue15 DSP Stud

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    Let's fucking sweep these bitches. Fuck these guys. Without Cespedes they ain't shit.
     
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  19. N.Z

    N.Z DSP Legend

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    I'm worried about famed dodger killer David Wright.
     
  20. Shack

    Shack DSP Regular

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    He killed penny and Lowe, Clayton and Zack will be a different story...Hopefully...
     
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