I didn´t watch that shit either and thank heavens. Why do I feel like if a certain somebody were to get hurt, that the team would shape up instantly? Time for a phantom CK injury? They always seem to come out swinging anytime he gets injured. Although, the end of his DL stint was a rough go for the team..they must have saw him coming back. Hah But nah, I´m not expecting any of these games to be a wake up call for them. Shit, they had Fernando Rodney talking shit the last time they met and still allowed this BS to happen. They may be beyond chalk board material and all that. Maybe LAD feels they´re above wake up calls and statement games, etc. Maybe Chase Utley could add some give a fuck to this team if he´s given the starting job @ 2B for a couple weeks. Utley may have to bust out his cape for a stretch, we´ve seen the old fella do it before. 2, sometimes 3 week stretches where he looks like the heart and soul of Dodger baseball, OPS´ing nearly .900. Perhaps they´ll get their ass in gear if Utley´s old ass is out there making them look bad? Throwing shit at the wall-mode..that´s what this is
My main concern is Darvish and that we don't have an all-world lineup after the number four spot. There's a huge drop-off there after Bellinger. I wanted so badly for us to get a number 5 hitter who can play a corner outfield spot everyday without having to be platooned and just go out and rake. The Dodgers elected to try wedging Gonzalez, Granderson, and others into the lineup and it's just not going to get it done. If we rightfully put Taylor at second base, all of a sudden we have a pretty horrible offensive Outfield as a whole. I'm about done with Joc. The dude just doesn't improve
At the trade deadline it felt like we didn't really have a spot for a corner outfielder, so I get why we didn't make a move. The only way we would have a spot for a corner outfielder is if Joc, Forsythe, Adrian, Verdugo, and (soon to be Dodger) Grandson all shit the bed at the same time. And what are the odds that happens?
Sometimes somebody has to lose their job for others to pick it up. Make an example of somebody. The 1st guy on everybody´s list would be Logie Bear and I´d go there first if I were Doc and get Utley in there for a stretch. In fact, anytime the team is acting pussy, insert Silver Fox. Push me a bit more and I´d start pondering a quarterback change AKA Barnes in for Yasmani..that could maybe have the biggest impact, catcher being so important. Starting Sam Barnes @ catcher could be a way to get the team´s attention. But predictably, Doc is propping them up, saying all his ¨ we´re fine ¨ type of stuff, so we may not see any drastic changes. And maybe they will be fine? Or maybe the whole team needs a Vito Corleone ¨ you can be a man! ¨ talk. The next time they hit the road, maybe they should all hit a whore-house and make babies together for solidarity. Maybe Seager should buy a tiger and put it in JT´s hotel room. Something has to work. Get as weird as they need to. Do somethin strange for some change.
Look, this losing streak and stretch of incompetence frustrates me too. It's like that SI curse. Go on the cover and watch things fall apart. But there are a couple of factors that I think are in play. One, after a historic stretch of winning, I'm actually not surprised that the Dodgers might be gassed. That will come around in my opinion. I've always been wary of that 116 game mark because there just might be nothing left after that kind of stretch. Better to wake the Dodgers up now about the actual goal than chase a stupid record. Didn't work for the Mariners. Didn't work for the Dubs. The second is the lineup shakeup after Gonzo came back and Belli suffered that outfield ankle injury. Never though Belli should have gone to the outfield. Never wanted Gonzo back at first starting when the original lineup had so much success. Without Belli in that lineup, pitchers had a much more known set of hitters that they have the book on after a couple of years together. This can even affect the SP if runs don't score early as they used to. Again, I think this will come around. Roberts just has to stop mixing and matching and settle on what was working. Sorry Gonzo, that might mean being an expensive PH. Hate to lose a job to injury, but it's happened to a lot of people in sports....and it's no coincidence the team took off once Belli took your position. I know Roberts is trying to settle on a playoff roster, and Sept call ups are complicating the issue, but I think Roberts also has to look at the big picture. Stop the losing streak, get your core lineup comfortable again, then when things are a settled, and we clinch, which should have been earlier than expected now, THEN experiment. THEN do your tryout thing. The advantage of being so far ahead of every team in terms of wins it to get the Division settled early. Then any amount of experimentation doesn't matter. Doesn't affect the outcome. I'm kinda shocked Roberts went on this crazy route at this stage before getting the job done. Not blaming it all on Roberts, the players have to step up and let it all go for the final stretch, but all these mix-ups in the lineup....no wonder no one seems to feel comfortable anymore.
The way Dave handles the veterans is great for team chemistry. He gives them their shot to show they can still hold their own. Once they prove they cant they are moved aside but allowed to some measure of grace. Which goes a long way towards the team knowing you will always have their back, even when they get old and are not as productive.
Taylor 6 Granderson 9 Turner 5 Bellinger 8 Grandal 2 Gonzalez 3 Ethier 7 Forsythe 4 Ryu 1 Bellinger in CF is a step in the right direction. The rest of the lineup... whatever Let's just pray Ryu holds his solid streak together for at least one more, and the bats wake the fuck up Edit -- actually didn't realize he had a game score of 8 his last time out (against AZ)... man
taylor (1-4; 3k) granderson (0-4; 3k) turner (1-3; 2b, bb, 2k) bellinger (1-4; hr, 3k) grandal (0-3; 3k, bb) gonzalez (0-4; 3k, gidp) ethier (1-4; 2b, 2k) forsythe (0-4; 4k looking) ryu (2⅓ ip; 8er, 11h, 4bb, 1k) we lose 14-2
Even if you insert Seager [no homo] into the 2 hole [still, no homo], the lineup is still shit after Bellinger. With all due respect to Puig's nice 2017.
Yeah, and I'm losing hope on Seager for the postseason. His right elbow is fucked up? They're talking about offseason surgery. Sounds dire.
He's supposedly coming back on Friday of Saturday. Don't make me think about him having a serious issue with his elbow. Ugh.
