This was a heartbreaker. You get Blake Snell vs a bullpen game, and you know the odds are not in your favor. However, behind Michael Grove who was going to pitch to the 1st 5 batters and Ryan Yarbrough, the Dodgers took a 3-1 lead into the 8th. Unfortunately, between Yency Almonte and Caleb Ferguson, the Padres scored 7 runs in the 8th.
Michael Grove struck out the 1st 4 batters he faced before giving up a single to Xavier Bogaerts, and his night was over. Yes he was outstanding, and his breaking balls were brilliant. But the game plan was to get through 5 batters and then give way to Yarbrough.
Yarbrough made a one bad pitch to Manny Machado who crushed a solo HR. Yarbrough threw 63 pitches in 4.2 IP. Brusdar Graterol pitched well for his 1.1 IP. Then the whole thing went to hell…fast in the 8th.
The Dodgers were able to get Blake Snell’s pitch count up north of 100 after 5.0 innings. It was the first game Snell allowed 3 runs in any of his games since May 19, 13 straight games. Snell’s ERA was 5.40 on May 19. Going into Saturday’s game, his ERA was 2.50, best in MLB.
The Dodgers were in a position to put their cleat on the Padres throat and Almonte and Ferguson pitching, Kiké’s and Ferguson’s errors changed the outcome of the game, and perhaps for the weekend. The Padres are now 3.0 games behind in the Wild Card. I like their chances.
The Dodgers did get a 1st inning HR from Will Smith. Chris Taylor walked, stole 2nd, stole third, and scored on a Kiké Hernández sac fly. The Dodgers scored their third run on a Mookie Betts double and E7, and Freddie plated Mookie with an opposite field single. Things were looking very good for the Dodgers at that point. But reminiscent of the 2022 NLDS, the bullpen fell apart in San Diego. Will they get it back together for Games 3 and 4 in the series?
Lance Lynn vs. Rich Hill on Sunday and Tony Gonsolin vs. Seth Lugo on Monday.
08-05-2023 – MiLB Game Summary Report
Round Rock Express 4 – OKC Dodgers 3
The next wave of young pitching piggybacked on Saturday, and they came oh so close to pitching a masterpiece. Landon Knack started and pitched 4.0 scoreless innings, with 3 hits, 0 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Kyle Hurt made his AAA debut, and had one mistake in his 5.0 innings. The one mistake was with 2 outs, on an 0-1 changeup, up in the zone (middle) that was slugged for a grand slam. He had allowed 2 other hits and 2 BB against 6 K’s the rest of his 5.0 innings.
OKC scored two in the bottom of the 9th with the tying runner on 3rd with Michael Busch at the plate, Busch hit a line drive but right at the LF to end the game.
Key Performances:
- Yonny Hernández – 2-3, 1 BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI, HR (3)
- Michael Busch – double (22)
Box Score
Wichita Wind Surge (Minnesota) 9 – Tulsa Drillers 5
Kendall Williams had a very good AA debut. He allowed 1 run on 3 hits in 4.0 innings. He got 7 Ks but walked 3. The relievers not so good. Wichita put up 6 in the 5th to take a 7-3 lead, and stayed out front the rest of the game.
Diego Cartaya has not hit for batting average this year, but he does continue to hit for power. He hit his 14th HR of the season.
Key Performers:
- Austin Gauthier – 2-3, 2 BB, 2 runs, double (13)
- Yusniel Diaz – 2-4, 1 run, 3 RBI, double (14), HR (10)
Box Score
Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego) 10 – Great Lakes Loons 1 – 4.5 innings
Peter Heubeck gave up 7 (all earned) runs in the 1st inning without recording an out.
Jake Vogel went 1-2 with a double (17).
Box Score
Fresno Grizzlies (Colorado) 10 – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5
Jared Karros gave up 8 runs (7 earned) on 10 hits in 3.0 IP. Two of the hits were HRs. The score was 10-1 after the 5th inning. RC could get no closer than 10-5.
Key Performers:
- Wilman Diaz – 4-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI, triple (3), HR (3)
- Rayne Doncon – 2-3
- Jose Izarra – 1-4, 2 RBIs, double (17)
Box Score
5 batters? 4 innings by both Grove and Yarbrough makes a lot more sense to me.
I agree. If the plan was for him to only go 5 outs maybe they are prepping him for another start in 3 days or for the bullpen.
Almonte was so good and so consistent last year. Hard to see him this way. Re Ferguson, he is either good or bad, no consistency. I watched him struggle in Cincinnati, couldn’t even throw strikes but Roberts likes him and left him in waaay to long. And last night he was bad again.
Maybe Grove is the next Gagne?
This is the way of the bullpen.
This is the way of the Dodger’s bullpen. Other teams have lockdown pens.
The Dodgers flushed a winnable game down the toilet. They were fortunate to get 3 runs off Snell, the way he’s been pitching. Brainless strategies and continuing to go with struggling relievers that can’t get results.
In a playoff push…..why?
Traditional pitching strategies work for a reason. 100 years of baseball agrees with me.
first of all, that’s bull.
second of all, that wasn’t my point nor Dave’s.
the point is that there’s a lot of year in, year out variance with relief pitchers
Its not bull.
Don’t defend lousy relievers and lousy pitching strategies.
Can you ever admit the Dodgers make mistakes sometimes?
and stop talking like you’re teaching algebra. Baseball is not a mathematic equation.
It’s not algebra.
You have totally missed the point Scott.
Go back and read this mini-thread.
It’s about how relievers, irrespective of the team they pitch for, change in quality from one year to the next.
I have no idea what you think it’s about, but I hope it’s a better point than 5 bullpen games is a major or minor or any type of issue.
Go back and read my thread. You keep missing the point entirely.
Some pitchers do change from year to year sure, some don’t. That’s not the point. (Almonte still sucks regardless)
I hope your point is better than ….there’s variance from year to year with lousy relievers…
Get it through your thick skull. Baseball is not a science. Bullpen games suck. Stop talking like an algebra aficionado.
Get a clue Bluto
I have honestly no clue anymore what you are talking about with regard to this thread, “your thread”, science or algebra.
My ONLY point in this thread is about the variance in players from season to season.
I’m lost.
Have a lovely day!
Correct you are lost.
I’ve tried to help you and explain things that others can see as clear as day.
You are either lost as you say, or just stubborn.
Have fun watching the losing!
Every now and then we are reminded that with this pitching staff we gotta score 8.
Padres now 3 out of Wild Card. I do not want to see that team in the tournament.
I wouldn’t mind seeing them. If the Dodgers are truly the better team, they should earn that title. This loss was hopefully some bad luck. We’ll see Lynn tomorrow, I believe, so we’ll know if his 3 HR win in his first outing can get past a team with a serious offense. I hope he doesn’t collapse and will continue to bring some optimism along with Yarborough, to my view of our pitching staff.
O/U today is 9.5. I’ll take the over.
In a previous start, Grove’s fastball was dinged. When he started using his curveball more things settled down. Granted the sun and shadows made it hard for hitters to pick up spin yesterday but Grove is better than his stats show. If he establishes the curve before trying to establish his fastball he could have stats that better reflect his talent.
I give the Dodger brass an F on yesterday’s game plan.
Totally agree. Total F for failure, and for …..$%#!
As soon as I saw Almonte enter the game in the 8th, I knew they were going to lose. (Although as I’ve said before, their chances with a bullpen game vs. Snell is about the same chance as me winning the lottery)
When that bum was called into the game, I walked away from my TV, knowing he was going to give up the lead. I come back a few minutes later, its 5-3 SD. Go outside for a few minutes, come back inside, its 8-3.
baseball, not a science.
As long as the bullpen rotation remains the same, this might happen.
And I think it’s important to acknowledge it was a bullpen game and the pen only gave up 4 earned. If the Dodgers only score 3, they’re going to lose more than they will win. This is NOT a typical Dodger team. We remain in the middle of the pack in pitching and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
Pulling Grove set in motion a chain of events that led directly to the loss.
And if Grove was blasted from the onset, that would have been the plan’s fault as well. Grove had his assignment, and performed well. As did Yarbrough and Graterol. Sometimes it is simply the players that fail. Relievers need to be able to go back to back. They used to be able to go back to back to back and all in high leverage situations. Chalk this up to an Almonte and Ferguson colossal failure.
I will agree Almonte and Ferguson failed. Had Grove pitched 3.1 innings and Yarbrough pitched 4.2 innings the short relievers would have only had the 9th to cover. I think Grove was wasted. Might he be asked to pitch another inning today as part of the plan to work him into a reliever? Don’t the Dodgers have enough one-inning relievers?
This is Doc’s work. He has disabililties managing the pitching rotations. It happens too often for it to remain silent. This has been my pet peeve on Doc. Timing and choice of relief. He doesn’t have any. Taking Grove out was just plain dumb. If you’re going to remove someone from the field, it should be because of some failure, not fear.
It was Ferguson/Almonte’s turn. The 8th would likely have looked the same.
It’s worth noting that 4 of the 8 runs the Padres scored were unearned. Simply put, this Dodgers team needs to plate more than 3.
This was never a piggyback game. This was going to be a bullpen game. The Dodgers do not go deep into the lineup with the opener ever in a bullpen game. The thing is, it was working to perfection until Almonte and Ferguson got on the mound.
Yes, Almonte was outstanding last year. And after a horrific start, he went 15 games from June 15 thru July 25 without giving up an earned run. In his last three games totaling 2.2 IP, he has given up 7 walks and 4 hits that have led to 6 runs. That is not encouraging.
Caleb Ferguson is another concern. Nobody has been a bigger supporter of Ferguson than me. In his last 15 games (from June 30), Ferguson has thrown exactly two clean innings. He seems to always be pitching with traffic much of that he has created. In those 15 games, in 13.1 IP, Ferguson has inherited 8 runners and 4 have scored, and he has given up 8 runs on his own (4 earned). Then again, those 4 “unearned” runs were due to his toss over the head of Freddie last night for what should have been the 3rd out. In those 13.1 IP, he has given up 19 hits, 9 walks, and 2 HBP. That is 30 baserunners in 13.1 IP. In no way, shape, or form, is that acceptable. He has 2 options, maybe it is time to use one. Or put him on the IL for one of those mid-season respites.
While I recently wrote why I believed AF/BG should be absolved for their inability to obtain top of the rotation pitching, I am not absolving them for their inability to find a back of the bullpen high leverage reliever. Yes David Robertson was expensive with prospect capital, but nothing that the Dodgers could not have absorbed. Jordan Hicks? Aroldis Chapman? Génesis Cabrera? Pierce Johnson? Paul Sewald? Keynan Middleton? All of these guys have a 1 game meltdown, but bounce back. All relievers do. They cannot possibly believe Hudson, Treinen, or Feyereisen are going to be able to come back and be effective. Can they?
The best reliever for the Dodgers seems to be Ryan Brasier. Maybe it is time to give him the high leverage role, and move Almonte and Ferguson out of it. Give Grove the shot. He seems to have the swing and miss that the bullpen is missing.
I am looking for Brusdar Graterol to hit the proverbial wall. He has already surpassed his high in games pitched, and is within 2 innings of his career highest.
Piggyback games? Bullpen games? Why not just have a normal traditional starting pitcher go 6-7 innings and then use the bullpen like it’s supposed to be used?
I know the Dodgers just absolutely hate to “give up on guys” but this isn’t the little leagues, this is the major leagues. Sometimes guys just suck on the highest stage and you can’t justify using them over and over again or wasting valuable roster spots when they are not getting results. I know it’s unpleasant, but this is the major leagues. I don’t know about Ferguson because he’s been pretty bad lately, but Almonte should be cleaning out his locker and go home.
35 innings=small sample size.
Why are the Dodgers so stubborn about this stuff?
Five bullpen games is being stubborn?
is this really a hill you are pitching a flag on?
seriously?
Stop defending stupid pitching strategies Bluto.
There should be 0 bullpen games. They’re lame, and poor strategy.
Admittedly, I have no idea what the Pirates were asking for Bednar or the Guardians for Clase, but with the vast amount of solid pitching we have throughout the minors, I would have sacrificed a few to get Bednar. We’re going to have a Rule 5 logjam anyway this winter.
The Guardians may need position players more than pitching and we’re not exactly deep in that regard, so unless we were willing to give up Busch or Vargas, I’m not sure a deal was possible there.
I used to be a Fergy Fan, but no longer. Every time he’s on the mound I see a combination of fear and anger. I’d try to move him this winter. I’m not ready to give up on Almonte yet, but his lack of options may make that difficult.
I’m with you in that I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop on both Bazooka and Brasier, but we may as well use them in high leverage until that happens (which could be as soon as today).
What was the reason for having another idiotic bullpen game? Yency Almonte in the 8th inning with a 2-run lead and not anyone else?
This is why the Dodgers lose. Just stupid brainless pitching strategies. Management thinks they can script a baseball game from start to finish with moronic lefty/righty match-ups. You can’t script an entire baseball game.
THIS IS WHY THE DODGERS LOSE
“It almost worked ”
Almost only counts in horseshoes.
Grove pitched better than I had ever seen him pitch
Yarbrough pitched well too. Boy maybe if the Dodgers hadn’t tried to throw up moneyball scripts all over themselves and allowed one of those guys to at least try to act like a real starting pitcher. They keep doing the same things that never work over and over and over and over and over. They’ll keep doing stupid bullpen games over and over and over and over.
BTW, 35 innings last year does not make yency Almonte a good pitcher. As I’ve said before many times, he sucks. And after that meltdown again I would have immediately DFAd that bum. Mt God he stinks. When the Rockies dont want you and you’re a pitcher its probably because you suck, and you’re minor leaguer.
Dodgers management and their brainless bullpen games and openers. Gotta love it….actually I don’t.
Cue Bluto telling me everything is great and all teams use stupid bullpen games and script entire games in 3….2….1……
Ha ha ha JK Bluto
(Almonte stinks)
How many bullpen games would you say there have been?
those that come over and over and over
For the Dodgers? Since 2021? A lot more than any major league baseball team should ever have. I don’t know the exact number but they had a lot in 2021. A few last year and have had at least 4 or 5 this year. I would have to look it up if you wanted the exact number.
Dont defend these brainless strategies Bluto. They are horrible.
And not surprisingly, they lost….by 5 runs. Baseball is not a science or mathematic equation.
So. Five bullpen games is too much? Me thinks you protest too much.
what you seem to consider brainless and horrible seems quite practical and strategic to people smarter than you or I.
Yet they lose most of those games, in frustrating style.
Yes 5 bullpen games is 5 too many.
They’re not smarter than you or I. GTFOH with that nonsense.
Is this a joke?
They are way smarter than us.
Look if you really are worked up over 5 bullpen games, all the best for you.
I’m worked up over brainless strategies that cost the Dodgers games.
They’re not smarter than us. Stop it.
You should go work for the Dodgers front office Bluto. You would fit right in with the mathematicians and wall street execs.
Since July 1, Brasier has appeared in 14 games. He has allowed 2 runs (1 earned), 4 hits, 6 BB, and 12 K. He only threw 8 pitches the night before in a clean inning. OTOH Ferguson threw 21 pitches the night before (11 strikes), allowed a run, 1 hit, 1 HBP, 1 BB. And yet he was the one to make back to back appearances. Presumably because the situation called for a LHRP to face Soto, and they preferred Ferguson to Vesia.
Fear not. The Dodgers are filling their bank accounts for a Shohei Ohtani run. They traded Justin Bruihl, Phil Bickford, Adam Kolarek, Eddys Leonard and Kole Calhoun all for cash. 😂
….”This was never a piggyback game. This was going to be a bullpen game. “
Then a 5 inning pitcher should not have opened the game.
With Kershaw and Lynn, I do not think Grove is considered a 5 inning pitcher anymore. Not this year anyway.
It looks that way but I would have preferred yesterday be a piggyback game and phase Grove into a short reliever.
Great 7 inning game. After that, not so much, but those things happen.
Would have been great in a double header in 2020.
Truth
Series starts tonight
They are going with Openers because of injuries and the plan for a front rotation starter fell through. They don’t WANT to do this, they feel forced to do it.
Yarbrough, Grove, and Sheehan all look like once through the lineup pitchers. Stone might be one too. Maybe Knack could do it as well. Can they all go 3 innings every 4th day? Sounds ridiculous when I say it but it might give the bullpen the rest they will need going forward.
This is a problem that won’t go away. Urias and Gonsolin won’t go 7. Lynn might but he’ll leave having given up 4 or more runs. Kershaw is coming back but his presence offers no guarantees. Roberts has little room for movement here. These are the players he has to work with. If we are playing against a good offense, we better put a lot of runs on the board.
Last night was a stinky bowel movement. It happens. Need to flush it and move on.
Realistically, all we need is a split of this road series. 3 out of 4 would be fantastic and that is still on the table.
It is amusing listening/reading people losing their minds over 1 bad game.
Seriously.
My apologies Bluto, I forgot how much you love losing. Enjoy the losing!
Bluto’s a fan of the L.A. Dodgers, Scott. First place in their division by 3 games and second best record in the National League. That means they win a lot more times than they lose.
Who do you root for?
He roots for a 162-0 team that has players that never make a bad pitch, or an error, always throw to the right base on a line, steals 8 bases a game and throws out every would be base stealer. Every batter has an OPS over 1.000 because if they didn’t he would make sure they were jettisoned out of the organization. Every starting pitcher throws a complete game shutout and there is no need for a bullpen. No player is allowed to get hurt or they are DFA’d, and only a perfect player is allowed to come in.
Scott needs to send his resume in to all 30 MLB teams because he is smarter than every other PBO/GM and field manager. He would never make a mistake, and none of his players would be allowed to.
San Francisco has utilized 13 openers this year. How stupid can they be? Tampa Bay got to a WS using an opener quite often.
STB and Jeff,
I root for the Dodgers too obviously and I get im rage commenting, but also root for common sense. I don’t like losing, especially when it’s avoidable. I said the same thing in 2021, and some people told me to stop getting worked up because there’s 162 games. Then the Dodgers lost the division by 1 game. Gotta wonder what that postseason would have looked like if they hadn’t had to play the Cardinals in the wild card game, and not start out on the road in every series. Every game is important.
To Jeff, Tampa Bay did not get to the world series because of openers. They got to the world series because they were a good team, despite the stupid moneyball strategies.
I’m amazed that some of the older guys have now been brainwashed by this nerd culture that has taken over baseball. Didn’t some of you guys grow up watching Koufax ,Drysdale, Osteen? The Dodgers are an organization rooted in great pitching. The nerd culture puts no value on pitching.
I, for one, would love to hear more about this perspective:
Tampa Bay did not get to the world series because of openers. They got to the world series because they were a good team, despite the stupid moneyball strategies.
If you’re a fan of openers and bullpen games, hey more power to you. I’m a fan of winning strategies. Those clearly are not.
Stop getting it twisted.
It’s cool which strategies you are a fan of.
And I’m not trying to twist anything.
You can ignore me, obviously I’m only rooting for the Dodgers to lose.
BUT, if you have a moment, I’m confused by what you wrote.
Your point is if you build good teams then strategies don’t matter?
Your point is also that “nerd culture” works for building teams, but not for picking the strategies the team’s should use?
No, not what I said.
I’ll just tell you to go back and read what I said, as you say to me.
Plant your flag on the hill and have some reading comprehension.
Tampa Bay did not get to the world series because of openers. They got to the world series because they were a good team, despite the stupid moneyball strategies.
So, the nerds build a “good team” and they won “despite the stupid strategies”
Right?
Does that mean:
if you build good teams then strategies don’t matter?
That “nerd culture” works for building teams, but not for picking the strategies the team’s should use?
“Fear not. The Dodgers are filling their bank accounts for a Shohei Ohtani run. They traded Justin Bruihl, Phil Bickford, Adam Kolarek, Eddys Leonard and Kole Calhoun all for cash. 😂 “
I’m keeping track and the cash they got for those 5 guys is enough to sign Ohtani’s left shoelace. It’s a pretty tall mountain to climb.
That cash would go for theater tickets that would be included as a contract signing inducement. Hamilton tickets are expensive.
Michael Grove to the IL with a right lat injury. Some are speculating that this is why Grove exited after 5 batters. It is not coming from the Dodgers. I am not buying it. Yarbrough was warming up to take the ball against Cronenworth. He was not replacing an injured player. He may have injured it during the game, but that is not why he came out (IMO).
Bryan Hudson recalled to take his place.
You mean you don’t trust those genius nerds? You mean they are not roster manipulating to support more of their moneyball tactics?
I feel better now. Got all the rage out. Just hate losing so much. I stand behind everything I said though, to recap.
Openers suck
Bullpen games suck
Almonte sucks
Nerd culture sucks
Moneyball sucks
Loser lineup tonight behind Lynn, Barnes and Rojas back to back yet again. Gotta put the worst hitters in the lineup. Should be another L. Hope not
Let’s see how it plays out on ESPN tonight.
Bad take, cuz.
Be better.
Don’t interrupt my rage posts. It’s Therapeutic after frustrating losses.
Roberts was as critical of Almonte as he has ever been for any of his players:
As for Almonte’s role in said bullpen, Roberts also said this after Saturday’s game,
It doesn’t look like Almonte is going to get any high leverage opportunities in the short term.
You weren’t good, Dave.
Bryan Hudson. The guy that I called for, got him, and he pitched to a 9.82 ERA.
Gulp.
I still have the Over on 9.5. We need to score early.
Should have cut the cord a long time ago.
Rich Hill is a nice guy but he ain’t it.
Used to love watching Rich Hill.
LOVE
Not anymore, kinda sad.
Small Sample Size theater:
Mets traded five players and are 0-6 since the Trade Deadline
Reds acquired one reliever and are 0-6 since the Trade Deadline
D-backs acquired a closer and an OF and are 0-6 since the Trade Deadline
Angels acquired five players and are 0-6 since the Trade Deadline
The moral of this story?
OBVIOUSLY, don’t play the first six games after the deadline if you make a lot of moves.
Won’t argue that take Bluto.
Just an aside. When people were talking about Rosario’s defense they said it was subpar at SS. Check this out.
Rosario at SS: 303 CH, 11 E, .964 F%.
Trea Turner at SS: 398 CH, 13 E, .967 F%.
https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=fld&lg=all&qual=y&type=1&season=2023&month=0&season1=2021&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=&enddate=
Lots of fancy stat names. If Rosario is a bottom feeder, it is not matching the eye test. This guy has done nothing but help the team, so far.
Angels are headed for a dark place.
The major question for me in this moment is what will Yarbrough’s role be? Starter or reliever? As of this moment, Urias, Gonsolin, Lynn, & Miller are locks at starting. Then, there is the choice of Grove and Sheehan, but Yarbrough has a fair amount of starting credentials and would also be an interesting choice because of his pitching style. What do posters think?