This weekend has been hyped (overhyped?) as the return of the two 2024 WS behemoths and perhaps a preview of the 2025 WS. All three games are being nationally televised.
I think any time the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees18-2 it is special. But in all earnest, in the middle of a 162 game marathon season, it is just one game. I will feel great about this game for just about 24 hours, just as I felt upset when they got spanked.
Many had written off the Dodgers for this weekend. Not only have the Dodgers been struggling a bit, but NYY was coming in especially hot with winning 16 out of 20.
I know there have been comments that the LAD pitching is garbage. While I agree that the pitching at the start of the season has been questionable, the Dodgers are still in 1st place in the NL West by three games now, and could be on the verge of sweeping the powerful offense of NYY.
Sure, Tony Gonsolin gave up 4 HRs to the Yankees, the team that has hit more HRs than any other MLB team. But after the 3rd, he retired all 9 batters he faced. While not elite, the bullpen still shut out powerful Yankees. If you want to disparage the LAD pitching (and it is warranted at times), you need to give them credit for when they do well.
After Gonsolin was able to go six on Friday, Landon Knack shut down all NYY players not named Judge for 6.0 innings on Saturday. That is back to back quality starts for Knack against an elite offensive team (NYY) and a top tier offense (NYM). Will Knack ever be an ACE? Absolutely not. But teams do not need 5 or 6 Aces. Knack is showing LAD that he is more than capable of being a MLB pitcher, and is doing so with a contending team.
The Dodgers offense broke open in a BIG way. In the two games, the Dodgers batted against two top SP including the leading AL CY candidate, Max Fried and Will Warren. They have also seen their entire bullpen except for Ryan Yarbrough, who they will face as the Sunday opener.
The Dodgers have so far outscored NYY 26-7 and out hit NYY 33-16. The Dodgers have hit 7 HR and 8 doubles in the two games. The Dodgers are now tied with NYY for the most HR in MLB with 94. LAA is next with 83, followed by Cubs and Dbacks with 79.
For the first two games in the series, NYY is 0-11 wRISP while the Dodgers are 12-24.
Max Muncy had a pair of 3-run HRs and a RBI single. He had 7 RBIs on the day. His first HR was his LAD’s 200th HR:
Then he hit #201:
Hyeseong Kim was 4-4 with a 2-run HR, a double, and two singles. He also made a pair of outstanding web gems; one a SS and one in CF.
Tommy Edman had a 4 hit game including a pair of doubles.
It was fun to watch Shohei and Aaron Judge battle in game 1, with both homering in the 1st inning. Shohei would hit another before the game was through. Judge got an additional pair of HRs in game 2, while Ohtani had 2 singles. Every LAD starting position player scored a run.
Congratulations to Dalton Rushing for his first MLB HR, a 3 run shot.
The Dodgers go for the sweep with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound for LAD. Normally I might feel great about their chances, but the Dodgers have not scored much for Yamamoto, and can they really put up those runs in back to back games against NYY?
I have family visiting for my grandson’s middle school graduation so I did not get a chance to write up the MiLB game summaries. But James Outman crushed a HR.
“If you want to disparage the LAD pitching (and it is warranted at times), you need to give them credit for when they do well.”
Sorry Jeff, some just like to post to complain and have nothing to say when things are good. We saw that last October when some just complained over and over during every playoff loss (as if they were expecting a sweep of every opponent) and yet totally disappeared when we won the World Series.
Those type aren’t worth responding to.
I’m currently sitting across from the Notre Dame church in Paris, rereading about last night’s game. I’m not Catholic but this building is a great work of architecture and amazing to look at. Definitely a lot more peaceful than the craziness on the streets I saw last night after PSG won the the FA Cup!
Great architecture is such a good thing.
LA is underrated in this regard, IMO.
Great comment about those theatrical posts after losses
The gargoyles rule
Bobby,
head over to L’Isle Saint Louis and get some ice cream at Berthlion for me.
Im so stuffed. This city has some awesome food!
When I was in Munich for the Olympics in 72, I was downtown when the terrorists took the Israeli athletes hostage. I was there to see the Glockenspiel. A very old church that when the bells go off it has many moving parts, including knights on horseback. It was amazing to watch. I was in the Army then, and we were going to see some track and field events, but they ended up being canceled when the athletes were killed at the airport. We did go to the memorial service in the Olympic Stadium on Sunday though. Munich has some amazing places. Many were destroyed during WWII.
Incroyable! Have fun!
Conforto had a good game, with a deep sac fly and two walks. While he is the weak link in the lineup now, even modest contributions should help him stay on the roster.
While I keep fantasizing about trades to upgrade the roster, none are really necessary. If there are injuries on the ML roster, OKC can provide solid reinforcements. Outman is hot again and his ability to play a quality CF makes him an option if any outfielder or UT guy goes on the IL. If Max gets hurt, perhaps Nick Senzel will be summoned. The brass likes experience.
While the Dodgers were stomping the Yankees, the Padres, Giants and D’backs all wound up losing. Dodgers now lead the Padres by 3 games, the Giants by 4 and the D’backs by 9.
Just noticed this odd fact:
The four best teams in the National League–the Dodgers, Cubs, Mets and Phillies–have identical 36-22 records.
The surprising Tigers have the best record at 38-21.
I remember after the Dodgers swept Detroit, I said that LAD swept a very good Detroit team. Some did not agree with that assessment. Thus far (and only as far as Tarik Skubal and the Detroit SP take them), the Tigers have been better than even I thought they would be. Best record in MLB and have the biggest Divisional lead of any division leader. While Detroit has a very good rotation, they are not deep, and now have 2 on the IL: Reese Olson and Jackson Jobe.
Kim’s big HR came against a lefty.
And it might be the first lefty he has faced in the majors. His BA against southpaws is now 1.000, and his OPS is 5.000.
Mookie’s injury should ensure that Kim gets some more starts at SS. Maybe we’ll see some more web gems.
Great game by Knack and of course Max. But we’ve seen them do this before. Kim is more of a revelation.
Great Game. Kim looks like real deal seems to be an excellent defender. Should be playing more. Last night line up was awesome would love them to get the broom out tonight.
I still prefer Kim at 2b and Edmon in CF rather the other way around
Me too. And as long as Betts is out, I’d prefer Kim at short. It’s my belief if left at one position he would be a Gold Glove candidate. I realize that won’t be his role on this club, but I think he’s that good.
I’ve been critical of Muncy of late and I will give credit when credit is due. He looked good and I’m hoping the Max we’ve enjoyed over the last several years is indeed back. Like the title of the article says “it’s just one game,” but if Max and Conforto can find their hitting stroke the bottom of the order can carry the team taking some of the offensive load off of the big four.
If Kim continues to hit as he did last night Doc is going to have find him more starts than one game a week. He is too dynamic to sit on the bench. Excellent play at SS to double up Wells and the throw from CF to get Judge at 2B was perfect.
Padres and Giants lose and the Dodgers are now 3 games up on the Padres and 4 on the Giants.
Go Dodgers!
Muncy’s OPS is now at .723 on his way to another .800+. I believe he gets there. He has a 106 OPS+. Arenado? OPS of .686 and OPS+ of 91. I guess that AF knew what he was doing by keeping Max and not trading for the way overpriced Arenado. Muncy is still a poor defensive 3B compared to Arenado (and most other 3B). But LAD has a plthora of gifted defensive 3B who can be a late inning replacement. I also expect Max to get more days off against good LHSP, which should keep him more fresh as the season moves on.
Well Scott,
The boys have really responded to your rant. Robert’s should put you on staff!
Ha ha ha I told you it would work.
Finally we are getting to see what it is Kim will bring to this club.As you know, I’ve been waiting. If he was anywhere else he would be in the lineup every day. Same might could be said about Outman.
I don’t see posters thoughts on pitching necessarily as disparaging. Telling it like it is isn’t defamatory. The ESPN team stat page has the staff ranked 22nd. Fangraphs has them ranked 19th. I think most of us expected better. A lot better in fact. Of course injuries have sunk the numbers. If we get the first team back. Look out league.
Yes, Gonsolin had 3 good innings. He also had 3 awful innings. He left the game with an ERA of 5.23 for the season. Knack surprised the heck out of me. He left the game with an ERA of 4.58. And we won both games. Against the powerhouse Yankees. What that tells me is when this team hits they can roll anybody.
And now we have our ace going. Will the Dodger thunder continue? Don’t we all hope so.
There is nothing wrong with recognizing and acknowledging the pitching has been horrid compared to expectations thus far. But when you talk about tearing the entire pitching staff down and starting over, that to me is disparaging. And no, Scott is not the only one who has said that.
What happens when Snell, Sheehan, Ohtani, and Glasnow return in July, and Snell goes on one of those CY runs, as he has done multiple times. You thought Glasnow is a 100 inning pitcher. So he comes back and gives the 100 innings in the summer. Unlike some, I believe they will return healthy.
Sheehan gets the start today in the Las Vegas desert where the ball flies. I will be watching that game. I have been an unapologetic Emmet Sheehan fan since he was drafted.
All I want is for those who are so critical of the Dodgers pitching (and again undestandable), to just acknowledge that Landon Knack pitched a helluva game and now has 2 quality starts back to back and against both NY teams. Or when a SP struggles in the beginning of his start, but then settles down to keep the team in the game, and goes 6.0 innings with retiring the final ten batters he faced. It is not like Gonsolin is the only pitcher to give up 4 homeruns to NYY. Gonsolin basically outpitched Max Fried, the leading AL CY winner and got the win.
If even one of those guys was healthy, fans would not be muttering so much.
Credit to Landon Knack, the 5th starter we don’t deserve but need.
I cannot remember you ever being critical of any Dodger or the Dodger team. But your statement is perfect for what Landon Knack means to this team. Yes, he is a 5th SP, and too many out there expect CY performances for SP 1-6. Gavin Stone may be the best pitcher out of that 2020 class, but Knack has been the steadiest. He takes the mound when asked. Fans complain about his physique, but he has always been injury free. His last four games he has thrown 94 pitches, 106, 91, and 102, and is averaging 5.1 innings in May. He is getting more comfortable in his role.
The one issue that Knack has to make sure he harnasses, is that he pitches to contact, but is a flyball pitcher. So he is necessarily prone to HR.
Knack is starting to get command with his 4-seamer. He had 20 swings and only 1 miss, but he had 19 called strikes. So he was able to locate his 4-seamer to make his change unhittable. He had 19 swings and 7 whiffs. 6 balls were in play off his change, averaging 76.5 MPH evit velo…very soft contact, and no hits. His changeup is not at the Gavin Stone or Ryan Pepiot quality change, but it is good.
Yep, just one game. But, a memorable one.
Summer’s coming and the Dodgers are heating up as always. Hopefully we won’t be saying we wished they’d have saved some of those runs for today’s game! Not going to say I told you so about Glasnow; bad trade; bad contract. Wanted Fried over Snell as well. AF wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) listen to me, but he sure seems to be attracted to pitchers with injury histories.
Glasnow’s injury situation is a bit puzzling. First he couldn’t grip a wet ball in Philadelphia but the Phillies pitcher didn’t seem to have a problem. The mound was wet and probably slippery but yet Glasnow never asked the umpire for a grounds crew clean-up. He was removed early.
His next start he had a foot cramp issue that shortened his start and then the next start he came out with a balky shoulder. The next day the Dodgers said he had “general body soreness.” In an interview Glasnow said his mechanics were out of whack and he needed to get that straightened out.
Maybe the Dodgers are being uber cautious and slow playing his build up hoping to have him strong and healthy down the stretch or maybe he’s bound for surgery. I wouldn’t be surprised given the many early injury projections have resulted in comments like “we expect it to be a short term problem and injured player should be back when the IL stint close” only to read TJ is necessary.
Either way I tend to agree that Fried would have been a better FA acquisition than Snell and Glasnow is trending to be a bust. Time will tell.
This was quite the paragraph Norcal:
“Maybe the Dodgers are being uber cautious and slow playing his build up hoping to have him strong and healthy down the stretch or maybe he’s bound for surgery. I wouldn’t be surprised given the many early injury projections have resulted in comments like “we expect it to be a short term problem and injured player should be back when the IL stint close” only to read TJ is necessary.”
Since neither of those guys appear to be full season pitchers I’m still hoping they intend to get their 100 innings after the All Star break.
You are so right about Kim he should be playing. To me the best Dodger lineup would be Kim at shortstop Betts back in outfield and Conforto on the bench or gone.
We agree. And I won’t be surprised if Roberts, having read what we’ve expressed here, follows our advice, then posts a thank you.
Well you have retained your sense of humor in your old age!
Priceless
OKC beat Las Vegas, 17-11. They had 20 hits. Outman and Feduccia homered, Outman had 5 RBI’s and Feduccia 3. Ward, Feduccia, Chavis, Senzel and Dean all had 3 hits apiece. Frasso who gave up 5 hits and 3 runs in 1.2 innings of relief, got the win. Wrobo got rocked for 5 runs in his 4 innings of work. Tulsa beat Wichita 6-5 in 10 innings. Great Lakes lost to Fort Wayne, 6-2 and Rancho beat Modesto 7-1.
It is not easy pitching in Las Vegas. Pitching in the PCL is tough enough, but Vegas is impossible. Expect the ERA’s to jump after pitching in Vegas.
I am still hoping that Wrobo gets the Casparius move to the bullpen. He was scoreless the first two innings.
Feduccia, Outman, Ward, Chavis, Senzel, Dean, Frasso, Wrobo, and the Rancho roster for Skenes.
Pirates are not trading their franchise pitcher this year.
But sadly, especially to loyal Pittsburgh fans, he will be traded. Not this year or next, but after that, he will be shopped. They missed out on trading David Bednar when he was at his zenith. They are not going to get a favorable contract extension for Skenes that they got with Bryan Reynolds.
I think the package I offered would be tempting for them.
And while I am certain that this is said with tongue firmly entrenched in cheek, that would be 4 added to their 40 man with Ward being a 5th. And combined I don’t think they would have a comp WAR than Skenes. This is in line with one of the patented Bums quantity over quality trades. I have not seen one happen yet.
Really nice to see Knack put together a couple of quality starts in a row. Posting 6 innings in each start is a relief for the Pen.
Congrats to Dalton on his first Big League dinger. I really like what this kid is doing and the rest he can provide Will, will hopefully pay dividends in the 2nd half.
Max is back to being Max. His 7 RBI made it an impressive day.
Looking forward to Yamamoto vs Yarborough today.
Jeff,
Have you written about Copen?
As is regular, he walks probaby too many. But he’s young and his WHIP is low.
His arm is undeniable, and I’ve heard people say he needs to be promoted. Through his splits, I see he has 2 games where he produced 0 and 1 BB.
Consistency is needed, but do you think it should be reached at a higher level?
Doesn’t give up the long ball and strikes out everyone.
And you have to root for the young man with the tragic loss of his eye.
I have written a little, but I think a full on post is worthy. I like Copen a lot. This year he has become a strikeout machine, but he does walk too many. His BB/9 is 6.0 in 2025. I agree with those who believe that Copen should get promoted to AA and see if his “stuff” plays there. But apparantly my belief that LAD pitchers and players should be pushed is not how LAD player development personnel believe.
Eovaldi to the IL for the Rangers who also DFAd Tucker Barnhardt. Pirates GM says Skenes will absolutely not be traded, nor will Oneal Cruz.
Maybe the Dodgers need a 5th catcher on their 40 man? That would give OKC 4 backup catchers on their roster.
I understand Chris Stratton much more than Chuckie Robinson.
Kevin Pillar was released from Texas. He is one I have always rooted for. He is from Chaminade HS in the San Fernando Valley. He has 10+ years of MLB service, and a good career. Not too shabby for a 32nd round draft pick from the Baseball powerhouse, Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Kim is fun to watch and is having the time of his life right now. But for those of you who want Mookie moving back to the outfield, I seriously doubt that will happen. Mookie has worked so hard at being a very good shortstop and moving him in season would undermine that. If they decide to move him, I have to believe it would be to second base, and not back to the outfield. And then only when they are positive that they have an MLB caliber SS on the roster. Yankees calling up Carlos Carrasco in time for tonight’s game on ESPN.
Betts isn’t moving.
He wants to be a SS and he’s a superstar.
The Dodgers LOVE superstars and entertain their wants.
But, he’s not really a Super Star this year is he. He might yet be one, but his numbers so far are rather pedestrian.
I think his illness, losing all that weight and concentrating on being the best SS he can has affected his offense.
Emmet Sheehan is having a great day in Las Vegas. He was on a 45 pitch limit, and got through 3 full innings. He retired the first 8 batters before a bloop single into no-mans land in LF, and then a broken bat infield single by JJ Bleday. He had 5 Ks with his 4-seamer sitting in the 97-98 range. All strikeouts were with his 4-seamer that had good life. After three, 39 pitches and 27 strikes.
Outman led off the game with his 12th HR. In his 2nd AB, he hit an opposite field line drive to the LF at a 106.4 MPH. He is now in top 4 of PCL for HRs and RBI.
Jeff, are Outman’s mlb struggles more mental in your opinion? Sheehan would be a huge addition. He’s been kind of the forgotten young starter
Yes, IMO it is primarily mental. But he also needs to play everyday with his swing. He is always going to K, but he is squaring it up right now. Would love for him to go to CWS with no pressure.
It was an impressive showing for Sheehan today. He needs to rely on his 4-seamer with movement, and he had good late life to his 4-seamer, especially up in the zone, that tailed into RH batters. He will continue to ramp up in OKC, but he looks ready for 1 inning relief right now. 5 Ks in 3.0 IP may not be as impressive as his 5 Ks in 2.0 IP in his last start, but AAA batters are a tad better than rookie league batters.
I had totally forgotten that the Dodgers had signed Kyle Fankhouser to a minor league deal. He got the win in that OKC game. Didn’t pitch all that well, but he relieved Sheehan.
I have high hopes for Sheehan in the future. I like his stuff and he will be a nice addition in the 2nd half.
It will be a bit longer but I love River Ryan as well and hope he can build some arm strength and stretched out at OKC before he’s thrown in the grease again with the Big Club.
Bright futures, both.
I wonder what the plan will be with Yamamoto going forward. Surely an Il stint will be needed at some stage because he is essential for our Post Season hopes.
Let him cook
Buulpen help is on its way. Michael Kopech will join the team this week. Kirby Yates will be throwing a sim game this week and could be an option to return without a rehab assignment.
Luis Garcia on IL for right adductor strain, LAD recalled Noah Davis. This could be a lengthy IL stint. Adductor strains are tricky.
Dodger defense raising its ugly head again. Yamamoto working harder than he should.
Yamamoto having a rough outing. He does not have his good stuff. His offspeed pitches are either in the dirt or hangers. Gonna need an 8-spot (or more) to win this evening.
I think our favorite LAD pitching antagonist will now include Yamamoto in his total teardown of the pitching staff. I mean if he cannot get through 4.0 full innings against NYY…?
Is this for me Jeff?
Yamamoto actually barely got through 4 on Sunday.
But the pen pitched well overall. Knack too.
Of course it is. And yes sarcasm. After this game, is Yamamoto on your list to tear down and start over from the LAD staff?
Of course not Jeff. Yamamoto is their best pitcher. Let’s be real though, the Dodgers right now have one of the worst pitching staffs in MLB. They rank at the bottom of the sport in ERA, walks issued, and home runs. Their starters are the most inefficient in the league. And their relievers have thrown more innings then any other club.
It’s not good, and should be improved if they want to stay in the race this season.
Box score says 4 earned but were they? Pages air mails a throw home and had it been just a decent throw Grisham is out by 6’ and inning over. That saves several pitches and after that who knows?
Huh — I love Yamamoto — just recognizing he’s having an off day with offspeed stuff.. We still can come back — we’re just gonna need some runs. Even if we lose, 2 out of 3 against a hot Yankees team is damn good. I think you are reading into my comment. I am amazed and happy with how well the team is doing with so much pitching adversity.
You were not the antagonist I was referring. I do not even consider you an antagonist.
No worries — thanks!
Jeff’s sarcasm wasn’t directed anywhere near you nor your post.
Ok — it’s no biggie either way. I just want to be clear that I recognize fully how spoiled I am as a Dodgers fan. My observations are just a recounting of what I am seeing in the moment (which might be a little frustrating if we’re having a bad game), but “big picture,” come on, these are ridiculously good times to be a fan.
Yarbrough really. This is ridiculous
The guy knows how to pitch, he doesn’t have a blazing fastball, just a great knowledge of pitching. His fastball couldn’t break glass. He had them so off balance it wasn’t funny. LA should have kept him.
For all the Muncy bashing, he now has a higher OPS than Betts. That didn’t take long!
Top of the lineup 0 for 16 with 5 Ks. That sucks.
Mets come to town 8-2. But they just beat the Rockies 3 straight so there’s that.
Anybody want to talk about Pages’ blunders? Didn’t cost the game so forget it and move on.
his good outweighs his bad, especially on a team that doesn’t seem to preference defense.
Minus 1 tonight, but I suppose you’re right.
No offense and Yoshi not being sharp led to the loss. Max hits another homer. Pages is going to set a new career high at some point this year. Edman is only 4 away from his career high of 13. Pages is just 2 shy of his 13 last year. Bad news for the D-Backs. Burnes was removed from the game with elbow discomfort. I smell a TJ surgery coming. Luis Garcia placed on the 15-day IL. Davis recalled from OKC.