Chemistry

In today's statistic-crazed baseball world, the statistics whizzes have yet to come up with a method in which to measure team chemistry. The Dodgers traded an important ingredient in that team chemistry yesterday when they traded backup catcher A.J. Ellis to the Philadelphia Phillies for backup catcher Carlos Ruiz. Ellis statistics have dropped off the past several seasons, hitting below the Mendoza line in two of the past three seasons, but his value to the team cannot be measured. He was drafted by the Dodgers out of Austin Peay State University in the 18th round in 2003 and this was his sixth season at the major league level.

Ellis was one of ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw's best friends on the team and I was stunned when I first saw the report that the Dodgers had traded Ellis. Baseball is a business but there are role players on every team that are revered for being great teammates and great for team chemistry.

The trade made good baseball sense. Ruiz brings a lot more to the plate offensively and the Dodgers have struggled from the right side of the plate this season. The San Francisco Giants are stacked with left handed starters and Andrew Friedman made a move that would help the team out as they go for the National League West title.

A Curtain Call On The Road

Los Angeles Dodgers fans and baseball fans got to see a rarity last night and that is a visiting player getting a curtain call. Former Philadelphia Phillies second baseman and current Los Angeles Dodger Chase Utley received a standing ovation that lasted for over a minute when he made his first plate appearance. He later homered and he received his first curtain call. Utley finished his return to Philly with a grand slam and received his final curtain call. The grand slam was the big blow in a 15-5 Dodgers victory and also helped the Dodgers take sole possession of first place in the National League West over the San Francisco Giants.

Philadelphia fans often get a bad rap as being extremely harsh and quite often a brutal environment for opposing teams but Philadelphia fans are very knowledgeable about their sports and they love their sports heroes. Utley spent his first 12 seasons in Philadelphia before being traded to the Dodgers last season. This curtain call was in recognition for his 12 seasons spent in a Phillies uniform.

The Trade That Didn't Happen

The Los Angeles Dodgers didn't make a splash at the major league baseball trade deadline; they barely caused a ripple. The got starting pitcher Rich Hill (who was even on the Disabled List because of a blister problem) and outfielder Josh Reddick from the Oakland A's and relief pitcher got relief pitcher Josh Fields from the Houston Astros and Jesse Chavez from the Toronto Blue Jays. All of these players were acquired for minor league players and the Dodgers did not have to empty out their farm system of the best prospects.

The biggest news on this day was that the Dodgers finally took a hardline stance with Yasiel Puig. When the Dodgers could not package Puig in a trade deal, the Dodgers decided to option Puig to AAA Oklahoma City. Puig is not having the worst statistical season of the Dodgers outfielders but Puig has always been cursed with a world of potential but appears disinterested most of the time and has spent his fair share of games on the bench with nagging injuries. The trade for Reddick, Enrique Hernandez and Scott Van Slyke making it back from injuries, and with Trayce Thompson due back soon made Puig dispensable. Puig may have finally wore out his welcome with the Dodgers and may have taken his last at bat with the Dodgers.

A.J. "Speedy" Ellis

Baseball keeps statistics for everything. They have lists for the greatest and the worst and everything in between. Catcher A.J. Ellis of the Los Angeles Dodgers stole his first career base against the Tampa Bay Rays in yesterday's 3-1 loss. Ellis had gone 1,904 plate appearances and 1,605 at bats without a stolen base. That was the fifth most in major league baseball history without stealing a base. It was a clean steal too. Ellis had a great jump and the throw went through into centerfield but I think he nay have had that base stolen. Manager Dave Roberts has obviously been working with Ellis on his stolen base technique. Bob Uecker always trumpeted the fact that he never stole a base but he only had 731 at bats in his career. You have to love statistics like those.

At What Cost?

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be buyers at this years trade deadline. The two most prominent names being mentioned as targets for the Dodgers are Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox and Chris Archer of the Tampa Bay Rays. I have read that the asking price for Chris Sale is five to seven prospects depending on who the prospects are. The status of Clayton Kershaw for the rest of the season is still undecided for the Dodgers and the best case scenario for the Dodgers if a trade for Sale did occur would be a devastating left handed one-two punch for the Dodgers. The worst case scenario would be Sale slides into Kershaw's number one slot in the rotation and the one-two punch would have to wait until the 2017 season. The most prominent prospect the Dodgers would have to give up would be Julio Urias, the Dodgers #1 pitching prospect and one of the top prospects in baseball for the pat couple of seasons. He has already made several starts for the Dodgers. I believe five prospects is too steep a price to pay for Chris Sale although the Dodgers would have Sale under contract for two more seasons.

Chris Archer is not as a proven commodity as Chris Sale and has not had a good 2016 season but I doubt that is going to drop the asking price for his pitching services that much. Archer is 5-14 this season with an ERA approaching 4.5 on a bad Tampa Bay team. The Dodgers and their fans got a preview of Archer the other night in what could be seen as a tryout. He gave up three runs, only one earned, in seven innings in a 3-2 Dodgers win.

Archer and Sale are the same age. archer is under contract through 2020 and Sale is locked up through 2018. The intangibles I would have to give to Archer. Sale is a much more proven pitcher but he has also made headlines twice this season for butting heads with team management over management decisions. How well would Sale fit into the Dodgers clubhouse?

The Dodgers could fill out a separate roster just for their injuries. They need offense, starting pitchers, and more solid relief pitching. How do you piece together a trade for any/all of that? The Dodgers cobbled together a pitching staff for the last three or four seasons under Don Mattingly and are having to do the same under first year Manager Dave Roberts. My inclination is to leave Chris Sale alone because the price is too steep and go after Chris Archer. He may not win the Cy Young but he will definitely be a much cheaper upgrade from their starting pitchers now.

Mike Piazza enters the Hall

Former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza entered the baseball Hall of Fame yesterday. Piazza was the lowest round draft pick (62nd round) in the 50 plus years of the amateur draft to ever enter the Hall of Fame. He spent his first six plus seasons with the Dodgers, was traded to the Florida Marlins for five games when a long term contract could not be reached during the Dodgers "cheap" years, and then spent seven plus seasons with the New York Mets. He was a career .308 hitter with 427 homeruns and 1335 runs batted in.

I was disappointed to see that Mike Piazza chose a New York Mets hat to be on his Hall of Fame plaque. Piazza identified himself more with the Mets than he did the Dodgers. His biggest Mets moment came when he hit the homerun against the Atlanta Braves to win the first game at Shea Stadium after 9/11. That moment was seen as a great homerun for baseball and for the city of New York. His battles against New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens were legendary. There was the beaning, the throwing of the bat, and the grand slam. Piazza faired well against Clemens, going 8 for 22 with four homeruns. Piazza only made it to one World Series, that being in 2000 when the Mets lost to the New York Yankees, but Piazza did hit two homeruns in the five games.

Two Out Of Three

To borrow from the old Meatloaf classic "two out of three ain't bad." The Los Angeles Dodgers took two out of three from the National League East leading Washington Nationals in Washington, beating undefeated Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg 6-3 in the final game of the series. Justin Turner hit two homeruns off Strasburg and drove in five runs. The Dodgers started the recently recalled Julio Urias and he only lasted four innings giving up one run. Urias had only thrown one inning this month and was on a strict pitch limit. The Dodgers did use up every reliever in their bullpen and Adam Liberatore ended up getting the win and Kenley Jansen closed the door for his 28th save.

Ace By Default

With the Los Angeles Dodgers shutting down Clayton Kershaw for an undetermined amount of time, Scott Kazmir becomes the Dodgers ace by default. Kazmir came through against a very good hitting and National League East leading Washington Nationals team in his first game as the ace. Kazmir only gave up one run in seven innings and struck out eight. Kazmir improved his record to 8-3 with a 4.30 earned run average. Veteran Chae Utley lead off the game with a homerun, had three hits, and totaled three runs batted in. I had my doubts about the Dodgers re-signing Utley this past offseason but luckily for me, he has proved me wrong.

Under The Radar

The Zach Lee-Christ Taylor trade with the Seattle Mariners on June 19 was one of those innocuous deals that really did not mean much at the time. The Los Angeles Dodgers needed organizational depth in the middle infield and Chris Taylor had made brief appearances with the Seattle Mariners in 2014 and 2015 with three at bats in 2016. He has made appearances at second base, shortstop, and third base. He was a fifth round draft pick by the Seattle Mariners out of the University of Virginia in 2012.

I would not have even noticed the trade if Zach Lee would not have been involved. He was a first round draft pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of McKinney High School in Plano, Texas in 2010. The Dodgers gave him a large signing bonus at the last minute to keep him from attending LSU and competing for the quarterback job for their football team. This trade was the Dodgers throwing in the towel on Zach Lee. This was his third season in AAA and his sixth season in the Dodgers organization. He has had an up-and-down minor league career and only made one career start for the Dodgers in 2015 and Lee could never seem to put his talent together enough to make that jump to the majors.

Chris Taylor was originally sent to the Dodgers AAA affiliate Oklahoma City but only spent three games there as he was called up to replace the injured Enrique Hernandez on the Dodgers roster. Another injury, this time to outfielder Trayce Thompson, put Taylor into the starting lineup at second base against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first game back from the All Star break. Taylor fell a single shy of hitting for the cycle. His two run triple in the fourth inning gave the Dodgers the lead and his sixth inning grand slam put the game away for the Dodgers and it gave Taylor a career high six runs batted in, The grand slam was also his first career homerun and cemented a place for him in Dodgers history as he became only the third player in Dodgers history whose first homerun was a grand slam.

The Dodgers At The Break

The Los Angeles Dodgers arrive at the All Star break 11 games over .500 and 6 1/2 games behind the San Francisco Giants in the National League West, still within striking distance. Considering all of the injury problems the Dodgers have had and the problems they have had fielding a starting rotation, the Dodgers are not in bad shape to make a run at the Giants.

The Dodgers have used 12 different starter pitchers this season. They have used a combination of rookies, cast offs, and fringe pitchers to find that fifth starter they have been missing all season. Injuries increased the need for starting pitching to force the Dodgers to trade for Bud Norris. Brandon McCarthy and Hyun Jin-Ryu have finally returned from injuries and when Clayton Kershaw comes back in a couple of weeks, the Dodgers will finally have a full compliment of major league starting pitchers for the first time all season.

The Dodgers offense has been inconsistent all season as they are 12th in the National League in batting average at .241 and ninth in runs scored. Injuries have also taken their toll on the Dodgers. Andre Ethier was injured in Spring Training has not played at all, Yasmani Grandal has been battling injuries for most of the season, Scott Van Slyke was injured early and has never got going, and Yasiel Puig has had his usual stint on the Disabled List. Carl Crawford was a shadow of his former self and was released still being owed $35 million. Alex Guerrero never lived up to the hype when he was signed out of Cuba and was released as well as the Dodgers decided to clean house and gain some productivity.

Rookie Corey Seager has been as good as advertised as he leads the team in almost every offensive category. He leads the team in batting average at .297, homeruns with 17, and is third on the team in runs batted in with 42. Fellow rookie Trayce Thompson, acquired via trade in the off season, has flashed some power with 13 homeruns and is second on the team in stolen bases with five. Veterans Chase Utley and Howie Kendrick have manned second base admirably, Adrian Gonzalez has lost his power stroke but is still tied with fellow veteran Justin Turner for the team lead in RBI's with 44.

The Dodgers are still in contention for the National League West title and if they can't chase the San Francisco Giants down are in line for a Wild Card berth. Injured Dodgers are slowly making their way back into the lineup and the starting rotation setting the Dodgers up for a strong second half run.

Sometimes They Come Back

"Sometimes They Come Back" was the title of a short story by Stephen King which seemed appropriate considering the nature of the Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation over the past month or so. Brandon McCarthy and Hyun Jin-Ryu made their long awaited return from very long stints on the Disabled List. McCarthy was out for over a year because of Tommy John surgery and only pitched 23 innings in 2015 posting a 3-0 record. Ryu missed all of 2015 and half of 2016 due to arm problems of various kinds.

They both returned over the course of the past week with very different results. McCarthy has won both of his post-Tommy John starts but only pitching five innings in each start (outside of Kershaw that is about all the Dodgers starters average anyway), only giving up three runs, but getting the win in each game. Ryu got shelled in his return giving up six runs in four and two-thirds innings but after a season and a half, I am sure there was quite a bit of "mound rust" going on even though he had made several rehab starts in the Dodgers minor league system.

Bob Uecker Vs. Drew Butera

Every once in a while I will do a comparison piece but usually I compare great players and attempt to do a statistical analysis of the two players. The comparison usually involves a Los Angeles Dodger. This statistical analysis is at the other end of the spectrum of greatness, that of the backup catcher. Every team has one and it is a job that you just can't plug a player in to. The backup catcher is usually a defensive specialist, can call a game and handle a pitching staff, and is a good fit in the clubhouse. This blog is a comparison of Bob Uecker, a catcher whose hitting futility is stuff of baseball legend, and Drew Butera, who has carved himself out a career as a light hitting backup catcher but statistically, ranks right down there with Uecker's.

Bob Uecker played in the 1960's with four teams over six seasons and sported a career .200 batting average with 14 homeruns and 74 RBI's. This is Drew Butera's seventh season, also with four teams and has a career batting average of .192 to this point in his career with 11 homeruns and 68 RBI's. I believe Drew Butera may have the advantage over Uecker in the speed department. Uecker had 0 career triples and 0 stolen bases in four attempts whereas Butera has three career triples and 0 stolen bases in two attempts.

In what I would call a statistical anomaly, Butera has never batted above .200 in any of his first six seasons until this season. He is currently batting .286 although it is only in 56 at bats with the Kansas City Royals. Butera did hit a career high three homeruns with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014 and Bob Uecker's career high was seven in 1966 with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Defensively, it is also just about dead even. Uecker's career fielding percentage was .981 and Butera sports a .991 career fielding. They both threw out 33 percent of the runners trying to steal against them.

Butera has played multiple positions in his career having logged 13 games at first base and four as a pitcher in his 331 games in the major leagues. He was even used once as a designated hitter (there is no rule that says they should actually be able to hit). Uecker spent his entire career behind the plate.

In comparing these stats, I believe that Bob Uecker has been supplanted as "Mr. Baseball" by Drew Butera. Their careers are almost statistically identical with the light hitting edge going to Butera. They were both able to carve out a niche in baseball with their rare abilities to be backup catchers.

Welcome To The Los Angeles Dodgers Bud Norris

With Clayton Kershaw going on the Disabled List, the Los Angeles Dodgers needed to make a move to add a starting pitcher so they came up with Bud Norris who was pitching for the Atlanta Braves. Norris has bounced back and forth between starting and long relief and has a 3-7 record with a 4.22 ERA in 22 games and 10 starts. This is Norris's eighth season in the majors and he was a 15 game winner with the Baltimore Orioles in 2014.

Bud Norris put in a Kershaw-like effort in his first start for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Colorado Rockies. He pitched six shutout innings and struck out eight. His pitch count was only in the mid-80's but manager Dave Roberts decided to turn it over to the bullpen.

Bud Norris is never going to replace Clayton Kershaw but as far as trades go, this was not a bad trade for the Dodgers. They gave up two minor leaguers and received Norris, two minor leaguers and some cash in return. The Dodgers have been looking for a fifth starter all season long so when all of this shakes out, Norris would be a good candidate to fill that role.

Kershaw Lands On The Disabled List

The worst possible news for Los Angeles Dodgers fans happened a few days ago when it was announced that pitcher Clayton Kershaw was going to be placed on the 15 day Disabled List due to a "mildly" herniated disc. He will miss three to four starts at the minimum but that is three to four starts the Dodgers can ill afford to have him miss.

The Los Angeles Dodgers go into the games of 2 July six games behind the San Francisco Giants in the National League West. At this point in the season the Dodgers would be the leader for the Wild Card spot. Kershaw, Kenta Maeda, and Scott Kazmir were the only Dodgers in the five man rotation that had not missed any starts this season.

However, Maeda and Kazmir are not even averaging six innings a start whereas Kershaw is averaging over seven innings a start. Take Kershaw out of the mix and the Dodgers overworked bullpen is due to get into games much earlier. Seven Dodgers relievers have pitched in 30 or more games. Pedro Baez and Joe Blanton lead the way with 37 appearances a piece.

Puig Returns In Style

Whenever Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers does anything, he does it with style. In the bottom of the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals the Dodgers trailed 3-2 and Howie Kendrick was on first base. Puig hit a single up the middle and it rolled under Nationals centerfielders Michael Taylor's glove and rolled to the warning track. Puig had rounded first base and whenever he saw the ball get by Taylor, he circled the bases in 15.2 seconds and dove head first into home plate to score the winning run. In Little League it would have been a homerun. In the Major Leagues, it was a walk off three base error. Puig is fresh off his latest stint on the Disabled List and he also ran through a stop sign by the third base coach. Puig announced his return to the roster in a style that only Puig can.

The Showdown That Wasn't

Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals ducked out of the much anticipated matchup with Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers due to "back tightness." Washington Nationals Manager Dusty Baker attributed it to "too much of a strenuous workout" a couple of days before the game. It is the first start this season that Strasburg has missed.

ESPN announcer Rick Sutcliffe took the high road and said he did not believe that Strasburg ducked the matchup versus Clayton Kershaw based on the fact that this is a long season, the Nationals want Strasburg in it for the long haul, and this is a game in the middle of June. I agree with that line of thinking but I would add that if I was Strasburg, I would look forward to facing the Dodgers much maligned offense.

Clayton Kershaw came through as advertised. He gave up one run in seven innings, struck out eight including Bryce Harper three times, and did not walk a batter. The Dodgers won 4-1 as Justin Turner stayed hot as he homered in the first inning and extended his hitting streak to eight games. Kenley Jansen came on in the ninth inning to nail down his franchise record 162nd save.

A Little Dust Up

Justin Turner and Yasmani Grandal had a little dust up the night against the Milwaukee Brewers but I believe the media is making a much bigger deal out of it than what it was. The Oakland A's of the early 1970's and the New York Yankees of the late 1970's used to stage "Friday Night at the Fights" and the Oakland A's won three consecutive World Series titles from 1972-74 and the New York Yankees won titles in 1977 and 1978.

In Justin Turner's estimation, Yasmani Grandal made a base running error that almost cost the Los Angeles Dodgers the tying run in a close game. It was also a lot of frustration on Grandal's part. Grandal's batting average is down into the low .180's, he has been fighting injuries for much of the season, and his play has suffered. A base running mistake is something you would not expect from a veteran player like Grandal.

Justin Turner goes out in the next game against the Milwaukee Brewers and drives in all three of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs with two solo homeruns and the walk off single in a 3-2, 10 inning victory. The Dodgers need something to get the offense started and maybe this was a team building event.

The Whiff N' Poof Express

Several years ago in the comic strip BC, the manager of the caveman baseball team was asked what the nickname was of his batting lineup a la "The Murderer's Row" of the 1927 New York Yankees. The manager's reply was "The Whiff and Poof Express." I thought of that comic strip when I was glancing at the Los Angeles Dodgers offensive statistics for the 2016 season.

In their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Los Angeles Dodgers had three players out of their starting eight regulars that by the end of the game were hitting below the infamous "Mendoza Line", a term used to describe a level of futility in major league hitters. Outfielder Enrique Hernandez finished the game at .198, fellow outfielder Scott Van Slyke at .185 (although he did hit the game winning three-run homerun), and Catcher A.J. Ellis at .187. Granted all three of those players have spent the majority of the season coming off the bench, spot starting, or on the Disabled List.

The overall statistics don't lie. A team batting average of .231 good for 12th in the National League, On Base Percentage of .307 good for 11th, 13th is Slugging Percentage at .376, ninth in Runs Scored with 277 good for a little over 4.1 a game, and they are eighth in strikeouts and in homeruns. Those middle of the pack statistics lead to a record of a little over .500 and lagging behind in the National League West.

A Tribute To Earl Weaver

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in an Earl Weaver kind of game. It featured Clayton Kershaw's great pitching and a three-run homer by Scott Van Slyke. The Dodgers need to get their offense one swing at a time because they have not been getting it any other way. Clayton Kershaw pitched seven and one-third innings, giving up the two runs, struck out 11 and the biggest news was that he walked a batter. If Kershaw keeps up his current pace, he will obliterate the record for strikeout-to-walks ratio record. Scott Van Slyke celebrated his return to the active roster by hitting his first homerun of the season.

Sweeping The Atlanta Braves

Sweeping the Atlanta Braves does not have as much meaning this season because the Atlanta Braves stink. After a 9-26 start, the Atlanta Braves fired their first manager of the season and have only been marginally better since then. Corey Seager hates to see the Braves leave town as he torched the Atlanta Braves for five homeruns in the three game series.

The highlight of the game for me actually came before the game as Chip Caray, the announcer for the Atlanta Braves, interviewed Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully as it was going to be the last game that Vin Scully was going to announce against the Atlanta Braves. Chip Caray comes from an announcing background with his grandfather Harry Caray and father Skip Caray were both announcers and had the opportunity to announce games in the opposing team's booth. In today's era of political correctness, it is ironic that Vin Scully's most memorable moment with the Atlanta Braves was the first time the Atlanta Braves fans did the Seminole war chant, also know as the tomahawk chop, against the Dodgers. Vin Scully is always about the fans.

Clayton Kershaw At His Worst

Clayton Kershaw did not have one of his customary starts against the Atlanta Braves. Kershaw only went six innings, threw 96 pitches, only struck out four and even walked a batter and hit the opposing pitcher Bud Norris with a pitch. He was definitely not on target or at the top of his game. That would be the bad news for Kershaw. The good new is that he still pitched six shutout innings and scored the first run of the game for the Dodgers and he left with a 1-0 lead. The bullpen came on and pitched three shutout innings and the offense added three more runs and the Dodgers secured Kershaw's eighth win on the season.

Corey Seager's Big Game

"Corey Seager's Big Game" sounds like the title to a children's book but Corey Seager's three homeruns against the Atlanta Braves was not child's play. Three solo shots- one to right field, one to right center, and one to left- to give him 12 homeruns on the season. The most impressive homerun he hit against the Atlanta Braves was the one that he hot to left field and it also proved to be the game winner. Seager leads the Dodgers in homeruns with 12 and RBI's with 31 and also in games played and at bats. Seager has been carrying much of the offensive load for the Dodgers and if he does not win the National League Rookie of the Year Award he is at least the team's offensive Most Valuable Player.

The Unwritten Rules

A lot has been made of the "unwritten rules" of baseball this season and those unwritten rules were highlighted in the brawl between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers. A hit by pitch led to a hard slide that ended up with a punch to the chops. The unwritten rules dictated that the Mets pitcher Noah Syndegaard throw behind the Dodgers Chase Utley in order to make a statement for Utley's takeout slide during last year's playoffs.

Chase Utley was the leadoff hitter for the Dodgers. I believe if this pitch would have been thrown behind Utley with the first pitch of the game rather than the top of the third inning, Syndegaard probably would not have been tossed from the game. Was something said in the Mets dugout to Syndegaard? I do not buy Syndegaard's claim that a 99 MPH fastball "got away" from him. That pitch had a purpose behind it and Mets manager Terry Collins is an old school manager. Utley knew it was possible that some sort of retaliation was headed his way. It was the top of the third inning in a scoreless game and Syndegaard had only given up two hits to that point so I would have to question the timing of the pitch but the message was sent.

Chase Utley is a veteran player. His hard nosed slide in last season's playoffs was seen as a dirty play by some but no one would have raised an eyebrow 30 or 40 seasons ago. Utley's slide caused baseball to re-examine the way players go into second base to break up a double play and adjustments were made to the rules. Utley is not going to be intimidated easily and he responded to Syndegaard's and the Mets statement with a statement of his own. He hit two homeruns and drove in five runs off of Mets relievers and led the Dodgers to a 9-1 win. Hopefully the Dodgers and Mets can get back to playing baseball.

Stripling Gets His First

It was not the best game Dodgers starter Ross Stripling has pitched in his short major league career but the Dodgers offense made sure he got his first major league win. Stripling went five innings and gave up four runs and left the game in the top of the sixth inning with a 7-4 lead. The Dodgers erratic bullpen shut the Cardinals out the rest of the way pitching four innings and only giving up a hit and a walk and closer Kenley Jansen got the final two outs for his 12th save.

The Dodgers offense was led by Yasiel Puig's three hits, including his fourth homerun, and two runs batted in and Trayce Thompson's two RBI's. The Dodgers were also helped out by the St. Louis Cardinals four errors, three of those by shortstop Aledmys Diaz. Five of the Dodgers eight runs were unearned.

Back In The New York Groove

I borrowed the title of this blog from the old Ace Frehley song after watching Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers dominate the New York Mets in a 5-0 victory. Kershaw allowed three hits, struck out 13 and walked only one in pitching the complete game shutout. The Dodgers gave him all of the run support he needed in the first two innings, scoring all five of their runs, led by a Chase Utley solo homerun and a Yasmani Grandal three run shot.

I couldn't help but feel the game was over after the Dodgers put up a four spot in the bottom of the first inning. Kershaw may give up a run or two but he is usually not going to be involved in a slugfest. Kershaw's control is what has amazed me this season. He has only issued four walks (while striking out 77) in 62 innings pitched and that kind of control is not common in a power pitcher. He is always around the plate and the opposing hitters are still only batting .186. He has a WHIP of 0.73, and ERA 0f 1.74 and a record of 5-1. Should MLB go ahead and give him the Cy Young Award now or wait until the end of the season?

The First Two Weeks

The first two weeks of the Los Angeles Dodgers season has had its ups and downs and its disappointments and surprises. They are 8-5 with an early one game lead over the San Francisco Giants who they have already played seven times. The starting pitching behind Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda has been inconsistent, the bullpen has been shaky at times, and the first two outings of Ross Stripling's career have been a surprise although he does not have a win to show for it. Kershaw has gotten off to a good start with a 2-0 record with a 1.64 ERA but I am almost disappointed when he gives up a run. I would also have to list Maeda has a bit of a surprise as he has inly allowed one earned run in his first 19 innings. Kenley Jansen has gotten off to a great start with five saves in his first five games and he has not allowed a run.

The Los Angeles Dodgers offense has also been up and down. Regulars Yasmani Grandal and Howie Kendrick are just now working their way back into the lineup and that should help the Dodgers as they are fifth in the league in runs scored, averaging five runs a game, but their has been a power shortage as the Dodgers only have eight homeruns in 13 games. Yasiel Puig (.356) and Enrique Hernandez (.400 with two homeruns off Madison Bumgarner) off both gotten off to hot starts at the plate. Corey Seager has gotten off to an OK start but I was hoping he would just blow the National League away with his skills. Injuries to Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke has opened the door for Trayce Thompson to get some playing time.

The Right Call

Rookie Manager Dave Roberts made his toughest decision of the young season against the San Francisco Giants. Rookie pitcher Ross Stripling had a no hitter through 7 1/3 innings even though he had walked four and gave up a run. Stripling is two years removed from Tommy John surgery and was making his major league debut. He made 100 pitches and Dave Roberts called the decision to remove Stripling a "no brainer." He cited Stripling's health and the fact that it is a long season. After the game, Stripling admitted that he was getting tired.

There is a lot of fans and baseball purists that believe that Stripling should have been allowed to try to finish the no hitter. Whether or not to remove a pitcher or not while he is pitching a no hitter has been long debated and is often included in the discussion of baseball's unwritten rules or "the code." Ross Stripling had the opportunity to make baseball history as well by pitching a no hitter in his major league debut.

I believe that Roberts made the right call and it would be less of an issue if the Dodgers would have held on to win the game. Stripling left in the bottom of the eighth inning with a 2-1 lead and the Dodgers lost 3-2 in ten innings. That is just the first decision by Roberts in a season full of decisions that will be second guessed by fans and the media.

The Fifth Starter

Rookie Ross Stripling won the job as the fifth starter in Spring Training and he gets the first start of his career tonight against the San Francisco Giants. Stripling beat out Carlos Frias and Zach Lee for the fifth starter's job and he is only two years removed from Tommy John surgery. He only has 48 minor league starts under his belt and has never pitched above AA.

According to mlb.com's pipeline, Stripling is the #16 ranked prospect in the Dodgers system. The scouting report on him lists a fastball with cutting action reaching up to 93 mph, a curveball and slider with break on both, and a changeup that he needs to develop confidence in.

Landing With A Thud

The Los Angeles Dodgers out of this world pitching came crashing to earth with a thud in a 12-6 loss to the San Francisco Giants last night. Alex Wood gave up five runs in five innings and then the relievers came on to give up seven runs in three innings. The only reliever who did not get lit up like a Christmas tree was Louis Coleman who pitched one and one-third innings and only gave up a walk.

Adrian Gonzalez, Yasiel Puig, and Joc Pederson all remain on a tear for the Dodgers. Pederson was given a vote of confidence by Manager Dave Roberts in spring training and he hit his first homerun and now has five runs batted in in the first four games. Gonzalez his batting .500 with four RBI's and Puig is batting .533 with two triples. The Dodgers are averaging almost eight runs a game in the early going.

Maeda Goes One Up

Kenta Maeda of the Los Angeles Dodgers one upped Clayton Kershaw and Scott Kazmir in his first start for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Maeda matched Kershaw and Kazmir shutout inning for shutout inning but he also hit a solo homerun in his second career at bat. He pitched six shutout innings, scattered five hits, struck out four, and did not issue a walk. He only threw 84 pitches, 57 of those were strikes.

Maeda may be the key to the Dodgers championship hopes this season. Maeda is slight of build weighing in at slightly over 150 pounds and he carries a large part of the burden for the Dodgers in replacing Zack Greinke. The scouting report given by former major league pitcher and Fox analyst C.J. Nitkowski on Foxsports.com on 1 January 2016 says that Maeda has a five pitch arsenal with his two best pitches being a fastball with his out pitch being a slider. He also throws a two seam fastball and an occasional curve and changeup. He will also have to adjust to pitching every five days rather than once a week like he did in Japan. It will be interesting to see how he will hold up to the grind of a 162 game major league season.

Kazmir Comes Through

I have to admit, I had my doubts about Scott Kazmir all the way through spring training. He got lit up in his first couple of spring training starts and the way Dodgers pitchers were going down with one injury or another, I thought the Dodgers may have to trade for more starting pitching. He started pitching better towards the end of spring training and being a veteran pitcher, he seems to have been able to flip the switch. I know that one great regular season outing is just the beginning of a long season but Kazmir took a step towards easing my doubts. Kazmir came as close as he could come to matching Clayton Kershaw's opening day performance allowing only one hit in six innings with five strikeouts and no walks. He only threw 75 pitches and 49 of those were strikes.

The Dodgers offense was not the offensive juggernaut that it was in the first game but they are never going to be confused with the 1927 New York Yankees. Yasiel Puig needed to get a strong start to the season and he has done just that. He hit his second triple in two games, driving in the first two runs of the game and scored the final run when Carl Crawford drove him in.

New Manager Dave Roberts moves have been minimal in his first two games. With the pitching the Dodgers have had in the first two games, he hasn't had to make many decisions. Outside of inserting a few pinch hitters, making a few pitching changes to keep the bullpen sharp, and inserting Trayce Thompson as a defensive replacement, the Dodgers are almost managing themselves. The offense has scored 18 runs in two games, the pitching has two shutouts and has only allowed six hits.

Run Support

The Los Angeles Dodgers gave Opening Day starter Clayton Kershaw a month's worth of run support to the tune of 15 runs in the 15-0 rout of the San Diego Padres. Kershaw has often been the victim of lack of run support in his career but he was staked to an early 2-0 lead after the first inning and the Dodgers were just getting warmed up setting a few Opening Day records along the way. The 15-0 shutout win were the most runs scored in a shutout in Opening Day history.

The Dodgers used 37 year old second baseman Chase Utley in the leadoff spot and he had three hits and drove in two, rookie shortstop Corey Seager had a double that drove in the first Dodgers run, and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez had three hits and drove in three as he continued to torment his original team. Catcher A.J. Ellis also drove in three, two of those coming on a bouncer over a Padres drawn in infield in a five run sixth inning.

Kershaw was outstanding as he only gave up one hit and a walk in seven innings pitched and struck out nine. He improved his Opening Day record to 4-0 with a 0.93 ERA, one point behind Rick Mahler's Opening Day record of 0.92.

Dave Roberts did not have to do much managing in his managerial debut. The best move he made was pulling Kershaw after seven innings and 96 pitches. I believe the only way Kershaw is left out there is if he had a no-hitter going. Roberts did get some of the younger players in the game as Austin Barnes got in an inning at second base but had no fielding chances and outfielder Trayce Thompson doubled in a run in his only at official at bat and scored two runs.

An Injury Depleted Roster

The Los Angeles Dodgers are starting the season with ten players on the Disabled List including three starting pitchers- Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson, and Hyun-Jin Ryu- and three starting position players- left fielder Andre Ethier, second baseman Howie Kendrick, and catcher Yasmani Grandal.

All of the injuries allowed some rookies to open the season with the Dodgers. The Dodgers opening day roster includes three rookies- shortstop Corey Seager, outfielder Trayce Thompson, and Ross Stripling who earned the role of the Dodgers fifth starter. Non-roster invitee utilityman Charlie Culberson also made the roster with a solid spring at the plate and he showed the ability to play multiple positions. A late addition to the Dodgers pitching staff, reliever Louis Coleman also made the roster as it was decided to option left hander Luis Avilan to AAA Oklahoma City. Coleman was signed right as camp opened.

The Pre-Disabled List

It looks like one of the few injured Dodgers that will be ready for opening day is shortstop Corey Seager. I do not know when the Dodgers can officially start a Disabled List but it looks like they will be able to already fill that list. How many players can you put on the Disabled List? Yasmani Grandal's shoulder is still bothering him, Howie Kendrick was scratched from his latest start with a calf problem, and then there are the pitchers. Brett Anderson has already been lost for several months, Alex Wood has had various issues, Scott Kazmir has had a mystifying loss in velocity, and Mike Bolsinger was scratched from his last start due to an abdominal muscle issue.

Injuries Continue To Mount

Injuries continue to change the look of the Los Angeles Dodgers opening day roster. It was announced that outfielder Andre Ethier was going to miss 10 to 14 weeks with a broken tibia after fouling a pitch off his lower leg during a spring training game. Ethier had already been announced as the starting leftfielder and his absence can stretch into July. Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke will probably platoon in Ethier's absence and the Dodgers also have a couple of ex-infielder's- Enrique Hernandez and Alex Guerrero- that are trying to make the conversion to the outfield. There are enough at bats to go around for everyone- for now.

Trayce Thompson, the outfielder acquired in a trade this off season, is the odd man out. He has only batted .184 this spring with two homeruns but as brittle as the outfielders are- namely Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke- it is only a matter of time before Thompson is called up to the Dodgers.

A Camp Of Attrition

Spring Training 2016 has turned into a camp of attrition for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are still looking to fill out their starting rotation but the candidates- Brandon Beachy and Mike Bolsinger are the frontrunners- but they went down with nagging injuries with only a little more than a week to go in camp. Alex Wood has also been slowed by injury and has only made two stats this spring and Scott Kazmir had an encouraging last outing after getting shelled in his first two starts.

Rookie shortstop Corey Seager has been sidelined by a knee strain and has been limited to 13 at bats this spring, Andre Ethier just went down after taking a foul ball off of his lower leg, Yasmani Grandal has a shoulder issue, Howie Kendrick has missed some time, Adrian Gonzalez is just now getting in some time on the playing field, and Justin Turner is working his way back from microfracture surgery in the off season. That would be three potential members of the starting rotation and six regulars. As a Dodgers fan, that is not the start to the season I was hoping for.

The Evaluations Begin

I would have to believe that Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda are the only two starting pitchers that are guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation. Kazmir was not sharp in his initial outing of the spring and neither was Alex Wood. Zach Lee and Brandon Beachy also looked good in their first outings of the spring but Lee's body of work will be more closely examined than a veteran pitcher's would be and Beachy has had an injury plagued career and has missed the majority of the past two seasons. The Dodgers started the spring with a surplus of starting pitching and they are down to a pool of six unless Jose Deleon or Julio Urias both have such an outstanding spring, the do not give the Dodgers brass any choice but to take them to Los Angeles when the team breaks camp.

A Rough Beginning

Left handed starter Scott Kazmir made his first appearance in a Dodger uniform against the Texas Rangers and it was a rough start. He went two innings and gave up six hits and two runs. He struck out two and did not issue a walk. Mike Bolsinger followed Kazmir and pitched two scoreless innings allowing a hit, struck out two, and gave up a walk. A couple of Dodgers pitching prospects, Jacob Rhame and Jharel Cotton, pitched the last couple of innings. Rhame pitched a scoreless inning and Cotton pitched two scoreless frames. The Dodgers have a lot of arms in camp.

With Adrian Gonzalez sitting out with neck discomfort, Scott Van Slyke got the start at first base and hit a homerun to power the Dodgers. Corey Brown scored the tying run on a wild pitch and that was the extent of the Dodgers offense.

Showcasing Talent

Due to Brett Anderson's back surgery and Hyun-Jin Ryu's sore shoulder, the Dodgers may be in need of starting pitching before the season ever begins. The Dodgers may showcase some of their expendable talent early in spring training games and open up the possibility of a trade. Alex Guerrero and Trayce Thompson meet that criteria. Guerrero would be a perfect fit for an American League because he has not really found a defensive position with the Dodgers. He is a natural infielder but the Dodgers have been trying to make an outfielder out of him. He has some power as demonstrated by his 11 homeruns in only 219 at bats last season and his contract guarantees him a roster spot. His plate appearances may be limited with the Dodgers.

Trayce Thompson was acquired in a trade with the White Sox at the winter meetings. Unless some injuries occur, his at bats may be limited with the Dodgers. He did bat .295 with 5 homeruns and 16 RBI's over the last couple of months of last season with the White Sox and can play all three outfield positions. Thompson also only has one minor league option left and with the Dodgers glut of outfielders, he is a prime candidate to be traded.

Guerrero went two for three in the spring training opener with a long homerun off White Sox starter Jordan Danks and a double. Guerrero played third base in this game. Thompson was hitless in three at bats and played centerfield.

Injuries Starting To Mount

Los Angeles Dodgers left handed starting pitcher Brett Anderson made it all the way through last season without being injured. He did not even make it to the first official pitch this spring before ending up on the disabled list. He is out for three to five months due to back surgery. Hyun-Jin Ryu has already been shut down due to soreness in his pitching shoulder.

The Dodgers started out spring training with seven potential starting pitchers. They are already down to five and that includes Alex Wood and Mike Bolsinger who were on the outside looking in at the bottom end of the rotation and now it looks like they may get rotation spots by default. Alex Wood was acquired from the Atlanta Braves at last season's traded deadline. He made 12 starts with the Dodgers down the stretch and went 5-6 with a 4.35 ERA. Bolsinger made 21 starts with the Dodgers last season and went 6-6 with a 3.62 ERA. The knock on him was that he could not pitch deep into games. He only overaged a little over five innings per start. I look for the Dodgers to try to add another starting pitcher via trade before the season begins.

Sandy Koufax

Sandy Koufax has "retired" from his position with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an advisor but he still dropped into the Dodgers Spring Training Camp and met with Clayton Kershaw and a few others. Koufax has been associated with he Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers for the better part of the past 60 seasons. Koufax's last two seasons may have been the most dominant back-to-back seasons for a pitcher in baseball history. 84 games, 82 starts, 53-17 record (with two saves for good measure), ERA under two, and 54 complete games. When Koufax pitched, you finished what you started. Koufax is well renowned for his ability to explain pitching mechanics to pitchers and has taken Kershaw under his wing. A Hall of Famer as your mentor? Not a bad teacher to have.

Was There Ever Any Doubt?

Clayton Kershaw was named as the Opening Day Starter for the sixth season in a row. Was there ever any doubt that Kershaw was going to get the opening day nod? I am hard pressed to see who is going to follow Kershaw after opening day. Ryu will not be back until May, McCarthy will not be back until after the all star break, nobody knows what Kenta Maeda can do, and Alex Wood might be the Dodgers "X" factor. Newly signed Scott Kazmir will be penciled in as the #2 starter, and Brett Anderson will be the #3. Maeda might be the only right handed pitcher in the mix.

The Arms Race

The Los Angeles Dodgers were recently named as having one of the top farm systems in baseball led by #1 overall prospect, shortstop Corey Seager. The Dodgers also have a wealth of power arms led by #1 left handed pitching prospect, 19 year old Julio Urias. Right hander Jose De Leon is also high up on everyone's prospect list.

Urias and De Leon were two of the prospects and power arms that the Dodgers invited to spring training as non-roster players. Joining those two as non-roster invitees will be Chris Anderson, Chase De Jong (acquired in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays last season), Caleb Dirks (acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Braves last season), and Jacob Rhame. Other young arms that are already on the 40 man roster- Jharel Cotton, Zach Lee, and Ross Stripling- will be in camp as well.

The Dodgers proved last year that you can never have enough starting pitching and with Zach Greinke gone, Hyun Jin-Ryu coming back from an injury, and Brandon McCarthy already on the disabled list, the Dodgers are still looking for starting pitching but they will not rush any of these young arms along before they are ready.

Kendrick Back In The Fold

Second baseman Howie Kendrick has reportedly been re-signed by the Dodgers to a two year deal worth $20 million. The deal is pending a physical. Kendrick had a solid season for the Dodgers last year after being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim via trade. Kendrick did have a couple of stints on the Disabled List. He turned down a qualifying offer of $15.8 million from the Dodgers after the season. Kendrick will help solidify the Dodgers at second base and Kendrick and Chase Utley will give the Dodgers a veteran presence in the middle of the infield.

The Non-Roster Invitees 2016

I always like to see who the Dodgers invite to spring training that are not on the 40 man roster. These players are collectively known as the non-roster invitees. Every team does it. These players are a collection of highly ranked organizational prospects, players that have some major league time in, and players that are too old to be considered prospects but still may be able to help the team whether it be through spot call up duty or to provide organizational depth.

The Dodgers invited several prospects to the 2016 Spring Training camp and a total of 16 players. #1 ranked left handed pitching prospect Julio Urias, #5 ranked pitching prospect Jose De Leon, and #6 ranked first base prospect Cody Bellinger all got invitations and it is an opportunity for them to work with the major league team for a month and to improve their game. None of these players are in the Dodgers plans for 2016.

The Dodgers are still looking for infield depth going into Spring Training 2016 so they invited ex-Dodger and utility infielder Elian Herrera as well as ex-Colorado Rockies third baseman Charlie Culberson to camp. Herrera spent parts of the 2012 and '13 seasons with the Dodgers and the past two season with the Milwaukee Brewers setting career highs in homeruns with seven and RBI's with 33 last year. Culberson started his career with the San Francisco Giants in 2012 and spent parts of 2013 and '14 with the Colorado Rockies before missing all of 2015 with a back injury.

A Quiet Off Season

After being one of the shakers and movers of the 2014-15 off season, the Dodgers have spent this off season very quietly. The Dodgers signed a few free agent pitchers to try to shore up their starting pitching and their long relief out of the bullpen and they signed all of their arbitration eligible players, but a few minor trades of players that really didn't fit in the Dodgers plans.

The biggest free agent signee was a veteran of the Japanese professional baseball league, starting pitcher Kenta Maeda to an incentive laden eight year contract. The Dodgers also signed veteran right handed pitcher Joe Blanton, who remade his career coming out of the bullpen for the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates last season after spending most of his career as a starter. The Dodgers also re-signed veteran second baseman Chase Utley who joined the Dodgers via trade at the end of last season for the stretch run.

This off season became more about who the Dodgers lost through free agency. The Dodgers lost right handed starting pitcher Zack Greinke to division rival Arizona Diamondbacks and shortstop Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick were not re-signed. Kendrick turned down a qualifying offer of $15.8 million from the Dodgers and Rollins' contract expired. Kendrick only played in 117 games due to injury and Rollins had the worst season of his major league career, only batting .224 after hovering near .200 for most of the season. They are both still free agents.