I have to admit that I have never been a big Ted Lilly fan. I always thought he was just a middle of the road pitcher who aspired to be a .500 pitcher. Last years 12-14 record with a 3.97 ERA was a case in point. He did have a great second half last season which gave me hope for this season. His first couple of starts in Spring Training, starting the season on the Disabled List, and getting knocked around in a couple of rehab starts quickly dashed those hopes.
I have renewed hope again after a solid start last night against the San Diego Padres. 7 IP, 1 run and no earned runs, in a 6-1 Dodgers win. Matt Kemp hit two two-run homeruns in the first two innings to lead the Dodgers offense. You have to love those chants of "MVP! MVP!" as he rounds the bases.
The Dodgers are 8-1 on the season and that rolls right off the tongue. Its too bad that they can't play the Padres about 50 times a season.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Haranged
The San Diego Padres were Haranged last night to the tune of 13 strikeouts, including a Dodger record of 9 in a row at one point. When I heard that, it amazed me. Think about that for a minute. All of the great Dodgers pitchers they have had- Koufax, Drysdale, Valenzuela, Hershiser and the rest- and Aaron Harang broke the record. It was a record set by Johnny Podres almost 50 years ago. It was still not enough to get the win for Harang.
Insert one Todd Coffey, Scott Elbert, and Kenley Jansen and the game is tied goin g in to the n inth inning. The Padres could not stand the prosperity and walked 4 straight batters with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning (Andre Ethier with the walk off walk) to pull out the win and send the Dodgers to 7-1 on the season.
Matt Kemp is off to an MVP start, batting over .400 with 3 HR's including one to the opposite field last night, and the big contract the Dodgers signed him to looks like a sound investment to this point. Andre Ethier's Batting Average may not be much but he has 13 RBI's in 8 games and getting the hits when they count.
Insert one Todd Coffey, Scott Elbert, and Kenley Jansen and the game is tied goin g in to the n inth inning. The Padres could not stand the prosperity and walked 4 straight batters with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning (Andre Ethier with the walk off walk) to pull out the win and send the Dodgers to 7-1 on the season.
Matt Kemp is off to an MVP start, batting over .400 with 3 HR's including one to the opposite field last night, and the big contract the Dodgers signed him to looks like a sound investment to this point. Andre Ethier's Batting Average may not be much but he has 13 RBI's in 8 games and getting the hits when they count.
Josh Lindblom vs. Todd Coffey
With Ted Lilly due to come off the Disabled List today and scheduled to start tonight against the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers have a decision to make. The decision is whether to send Josh Lindblom back down to AAA Albuquerque or to cut fellow reliever Todd Coffey completely loose.
On the surface it seems like an easy decision. Josh Lindblom has pitched in 4 games, 6 IP, and alowed only 1 hit and 0 ER. Todd Coffey has appeared in 3 games, 1 IP, and allowed 4 ER. He also got roughed up during Spring Training.
It was assumed at the beginning of the season that when Ted Lilly went on the Disabled List, that Lindblom would be sent down when he came off the DL because Lindblom has options left. He has made that decision much harder by pitching lights out baseball whereas I believe Don Mattingly has lost confidence in Todd Coffey. He was put in last night's game with an 8-3 lead so he could get some work in. He did not register an out.
Wins and Losses are all that matter and right now I believe Josh Lindblom will help them more than Todd Coffey will. Maybe Coffey will accept an assignment to the minors so he can work out whatever problems he seems to be having.
On the surface it seems like an easy decision. Josh Lindblom has pitched in 4 games, 6 IP, and alowed only 1 hit and 0 ER. Todd Coffey has appeared in 3 games, 1 IP, and allowed 4 ER. He also got roughed up during Spring Training.
It was assumed at the beginning of the season that when Ted Lilly went on the Disabled List, that Lindblom would be sent down when he came off the DL because Lindblom has options left. He has made that decision much harder by pitching lights out baseball whereas I believe Don Mattingly has lost confidence in Todd Coffey. He was put in last night's game with an 8-3 lead so he could get some work in. He did not register an out.
Wins and Losses are all that matter and right now I believe Josh Lindblom will help them more than Todd Coffey will. Maybe Coffey will accept an assignment to the minors so he can work out whatever problems he seems to be having.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Excited About The Potential Of Dee
As a Los Angeles Dodgers fan and a baseball fan, you have to be excited about the potential of shortstop Dee Gordon. In last nights game against the San Diego Padres, he got on base 5 out of 6 times via 3 hits and two walks, doubled, stole 3 bases, and drove in AJ Ellis with the winning run in the 11th inning.
Good things happen when he is on base and the Dodgers haven't had this an exciting of a leadoff hitter in forever and he is still learning the game. He did not really start playing baseball until late in his high school career. He was a relatively high draft pick but it was all based on potential. It looks like the Dodgers scouts and brass made a good call on this one.
Andre Ethier has also gotten off to a hot start. 6 RBI's in 3 games and most of his at bats have produced screaming line drives. A 3-0 start is a good way to start the season and Aaron Harang goes for the sweep this afternoon.
Good things happen when he is on base and the Dodgers haven't had this an exciting of a leadoff hitter in forever and he is still learning the game. He did not really start playing baseball until late in his high school career. He was a relatively high draft pick but it was all based on potential. It looks like the Dodgers scouts and brass made a good call on this one.
Andre Ethier has also gotten off to a hot start. 6 RBI's in 3 games and most of his at bats have produced screaming line drives. A 3-0 start is a good way to start the season and Aaron Harang goes for the sweep this afternoon.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Chad Billingsley
Chad Billingsley got off to an extremely strong start to the 2012 season by pitching 8 1/3 innings of shutout baseball against the San Diego Padres last night. He struck out 11 and walked 1.
The big knock against Billingsley has always been his consistency. He has usually started strong and faltered after the All-Star break. This was the kind of start he needed and hopefully will answer a lot of questions Dodgers fans had about whether he can finally harness his potential. He put in the work this spring without really getting any results but now it counts.
He had a rocky spring training and even spoke of scrapping his cutter altogether. He slightly altered his motion to give him more balance and consistency and it looked like it all came together last night. The cutter and slider were consistent and sharp into the 8th inning and he maintained his velocity of 90-93 MPH into the 9th.
Andre Ethier also had a strong performance against the left-handed starter for the Padres, doubling and tripling and driving in 4 runs. He was really driving the ball. There was questions in the spring about whether Ethier would possibly sit against left-handed pitching this season after he struggled last season against lefties. Manager Don Mattingly sat James Loney last night.
The Dodgers are 2-0 and the two newest additions, Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang are up next, and a sweep would be really sweet.
The big knock against Billingsley has always been his consistency. He has usually started strong and faltered after the All-Star break. This was the kind of start he needed and hopefully will answer a lot of questions Dodgers fans had about whether he can finally harness his potential. He put in the work this spring without really getting any results but now it counts.
He had a rocky spring training and even spoke of scrapping his cutter altogether. He slightly altered his motion to give him more balance and consistency and it looked like it all came together last night. The cutter and slider were consistent and sharp into the 8th inning and he maintained his velocity of 90-93 MPH into the 9th.
Andre Ethier also had a strong performance against the left-handed starter for the Padres, doubling and tripling and driving in 4 runs. He was really driving the ball. There was questions in the spring about whether Ethier would possibly sit against left-handed pitching this season after he struggled last season against lefties. Manager Don Mattingly sat James Loney last night.
The Dodgers are 2-0 and the two newest additions, Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang are up next, and a sweep would be really sweet.
Friday, April 6, 2012
The Los Angeles Dodgers Take The Opener
The Los Angeles Dodgers took the opener from the San Diego Padres last night 5-3. Starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw had the flu and pitched three scoreless innings before being taken out of the game. He also had the first Dodgers hit of the season.
I hope the Dodgers offense was not in midseason form. They scored their first two runs on bases loaded walks in the top of the fourth inning. Leadoff man Dee Gordon struck out three times but hit a deep drive that Padres centerfielder Cameron Maybin misplayed into a three base error and later scored the Dodgers third run. Matt Kemp hit a homerun in the top of the eighth to seal the deal for the Dodgers.
Dee Gordon's defense was impressive. He displayed a strong arm on two different occasions. The first was on Cameron Maybin's slow bouncer to the left of short in the bottom of the first. The second was on a deflection off the hip of pitcher Josh Lindblom that went up the middle. Gordon made a diving stop and then made a strong throw to nail the runner by half a step.
The Dodgers pitching was average. Clayton kershaw gutted it out through three innings, giving way to Josh Lindblom who threw two scoreless innings and picked up the win. Shaky innings by Mike MacDougal and Kenley Jansen let the Padres hang around. Jansen gave up Maybin's bomb in the eighth that drove in two. Javy Guerra came in to close it out and get his first save of the season.
I hope the Dodgers offense was not in midseason form. They scored their first two runs on bases loaded walks in the top of the fourth inning. Leadoff man Dee Gordon struck out three times but hit a deep drive that Padres centerfielder Cameron Maybin misplayed into a three base error and later scored the Dodgers third run. Matt Kemp hit a homerun in the top of the eighth to seal the deal for the Dodgers.
Dee Gordon's defense was impressive. He displayed a strong arm on two different occasions. The first was on Cameron Maybin's slow bouncer to the left of short in the bottom of the first. The second was on a deflection off the hip of pitcher Josh Lindblom that went up the middle. Gordon made a diving stop and then made a strong throw to nail the runner by half a step.
The Dodgers pitching was average. Clayton kershaw gutted it out through three innings, giving way to Josh Lindblom who threw two scoreless innings and picked up the win. Shaky innings by Mike MacDougal and Kenley Jansen let the Padres hang around. Jansen gave up Maybin's bomb in the eighth that drove in two. Javy Guerra came in to close it out and get his first save of the season.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
A New Beginning
It is time for the 2012 season to begin and that is what this season is: A New Beginning. The Dodgers finally have new owners in place as a group headed by Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers for $2 Billion. That is hard to type much less say.
With the ownership question out of the way, I look for the Dodgers to be more active next off season in the free agent market. This years roster has already been set as it was announced the other day that relief pitcher Josh Lindblom and shortstop Justin Sellers nabbed the last two roster spots. Lindblom will probably be sent back to Albuquerque when Ted Lilly comes off the Disabled List on April 14th and the Dodgers need a fifth starter. My man Josh Fields did not make the roster has he really went in the tank the last two or three weeks of Spring Training and his batting average really took a nose dive. Justin Sellers had a solid spring and earned the last infield spot although I do believe Fields offered more versatility and more power off the bench.
With the ownership question out of the way, I look for the Dodgers to be more active next off season in the free agent market. This years roster has already been set as it was announced the other day that relief pitcher Josh Lindblom and shortstop Justin Sellers nabbed the last two roster spots. Lindblom will probably be sent back to Albuquerque when Ted Lilly comes off the Disabled List on April 14th and the Dodgers need a fifth starter. My man Josh Fields did not make the roster has he really went in the tank the last two or three weeks of Spring Training and his batting average really took a nose dive. Justin Sellers had a solid spring and earned the last infield spot although I do believe Fields offered more versatility and more power off the bench.
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