With the Cardinals in town for a four game series, the Dodgers look to improve on their lifetime record of 1,047-1,078 against the Redbirds. The Blue are throwing their best four starters, Josh Beckett, Hyun-jin Ryu, Zack Greinke, and Clayton Kershaw.
The last time the Dodgers played St. Louis, Clayton Kershaw performed like a mere shell of his current self (Game 6 of the NLCS). This time, Kershaw has the momentum working in his favor, as he works to improve on his current streak of 21 scoreless innings.
Puig thought he hit a home run in Game 3 of the NLCS, but when the ball hit the wall, he had to turn on the hyper-drive to turn his hit into a triple. We’ll be looking for more of this hyper-drive gear, not only from Puig, but also from Gordon.
Dee may or may not steal many bases off the stingy Yadier Molina, but look for the possibility of extra bases with every hit to the outfield. Gordon has been on an extra base tear of late, as he has hit three of his league leading nine triples in the past nine games.
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Go Dodgers!
Lineup – Welcome Back Juan Uribe!
Gordon 2B
Puig RF
Gonzalez 1B
Kemp LF
Ethier CF
Uribe 3B
Butera C
Rojas SS
Beckett P
Welcome back Juan. And, although Hanley has a pretty good bat, I don’t mind Rojas in there at all. He is a stud defender! Besides, we have plenty of power in our lineup ….. all they have to do is remember to use it 🙂
There’s a couple of outfielders who seem to have forgotten how to hit taters – Ethier (last hit one May 27th) and Puig (May 28th).
So true…I’m trying to get them going 🙂
They better continue winning games at home…
.
Go Dodgers!!
Nice to see the Clydesdale batting third to kill any rallies Dee & Puig start. Donnie still can’t make out a friggin line-up.
So glad you are back….I missed you and your insight a bunch. As for Clydesdale…I love it!
I was so friggin pissed at that blown save a few days ago, I couldn’t stand to be around these a-holes for a few days.
I know the feeling.
It’s margarita night again…
Wainwright and Beckett.
Ready! Set! Go Dodgers!!
All I know is we’re playing the Cardinals.
Nice post Crash. I didn’t realize that the gap between the lifetime record between the blue and red had gotten so large. I still remember a few year ago when Vin made a point that the two teams were even.
Tonight could be tough with Wainwright going. Opposing hitters are .200 off him. Both teams have been pretty good lately.
Beckett has been going good too, so it c old also be tough for the Cardinals.
Love Mr. Rojas!
Great hitters.
I love big bats…I cannot lie ….. where the hell are ours?!
Do we have another no-hitter in the making?
No.
This my friends is why this team will never do anything in the playoffs if they make it – they can’t touch good pitching, let alone elite.
What an asset Gordon has been!
Well that ends Wainwright’s bid for a No-hitter.
And, Rojas, the smooth operator, gets the first hit!
I’ll give Beckett credit – he’s giving his team a chance.
I think Puig is hurting more than just a little tweak….hasn’t been swinging the bat well at all.
Great throw by Kemp.
…and, Drew put a great tag on him!
Great throw by Kemp!
Looks like it will take another round of margarita’s to score tonight…
Beckett pitched a great game in matching zeros with Wainwright tonight.
Beckett has been stellar much of the year…
And Turner comes through with a Clutch hit.
I’ll give Ned some credit – Turner was a good sign.
Let’s go Kenley.
Yes he’s out at second, came off the bag.
Woo Hoo!!
Tough game for either team to lose.
But I’m glad it was St. L.
This had to be one of the best games I ever saw the Dodgers win.
Nice win!
Giants losing 3-1 in bottom of 8th.
Game over. 3-1.
Wow…the pitching comes through once again.. good defense too. I’m happy…will be happier if the Reds hold on and close the game with a win.
Giants lose …. only 2 back now!
I hope management is taking note about good defense winning games.
Reds win! Dodgers 2 back!
Great great great win tonight.
Beating a team like the Cardinals (and Wainwright) in such a pressure game is just simply fantastic. Closing in on the Giants is icing on the cake.
I really believe that Beckett is making progress as Comeback Player of the Year in the NL. What do you all think?
Definitely.
I agree.
I don’t know if he’ll make “Comeback Player of the Year”, I wish him luck but I do feel that his good pitching, if he keeps it up, should help the team win a lot more games.
Another terrific baseball game at Dodger Stadium Thursday night with outstanding pitching and great defense. Glad to see the Dodgers come out on top of this one.
I still don’t think this team is playing anywhere near its potential.
Well it’s playing good enough to win the division title and after last night’s game I think they have the capability to go a lot further.
I was treated to TV Dodgers last night, and it was awesome! Probably the best game the dodgers have played all season. I dont see us winning that game with Hanram at SS, rojas has some great D and got crtical hits. We have to find a place for Justin turner to play. Uribe looked bad the first couple times up (wainwright does that to batters) but to come up with that lead off hit, after the throw our at home, wow!, just good stuff. I think Hanram needs a 15 day DL and let the wrist heal, we need his bat hot as it heats up. Beckett was great, and although a NO decision, he has to feel like a winner going up vs Wainwright. Yes it is imperative that people in LA get to see the Dodgers play on TV, it is honor that is handed over to each generation to enjoy, teach and respect the Dodgers. and please get it right TW before Vinny calls his last game.
I’d say Beckett is right in there. He’s making that trade with Boston look better.
Yep, too bad he is a free agent after this year…. And we will be stuck with Crawford……. That whole trade was stupid……
Woo-Hoo!!!!! Win streak!!!!!
Questions/Comments about the starting rotation:
A. Due to injuries to Greinke and Kershaw early in the season, the rotation stacked up to (nominally): 1.Ryu 2.Greinke 3. Kershaw 4. Haren 5. Beckett
B. Haren is definitely the true #5 amongst them.
C. I would argue, confidently, that Kershaw is the true #1, especially given his recent efforts and his dominant K/BB ratio of 10.44 (94/9).
D. Will Donnie reshuffle the rotation after the All Star break? Should he?
E. If all goes well at the end of the regular season, Donnie may get a chance to reshuffle prior to the playoffs. Dan Haren is likely to be on the outside looking in from the bullpen.
F. How would you stack the top four? My preferred rotation order would be:
Pitcher WHIP HR/9 K/BB
Kershaw 0.912 0.5 10.44
Greinke 1.210 1.0 5.05
Ryu 1.190 0.5 3.67
Beckett 1.004 1.1 3.14
(Haren 1.277 1.5 3.56) ***not in top 4
Certainly this is easily debatable. By the numbers, one could argue for Beckett as #2 or Ryu as #2. The way I see it is that Kershaw is definitely #1 followed by three very strong starters who can serve us well in the playoffs. Now, if only the offense would show up.
My son “treated’ me (I’m out $160) to the game last night as a belated Father’s Day gift; I was out of the country for three weeks. Hadn’t been to a game in over a year. Noticed that where I usually park outside the stadium (near the Police Academy) is now “No Parking Any Time.” Hence, $15 to park. Then I bought him a Dodger Dog, garlic fries and a coke. Out another $20. I won’t be going back to Guggenheim land any time soon. And with no TV, they really are losing a long-time fan very quickly. I know we all rant and rave, but this new regime disgusts me. Sorry. They can buy all the players they want…but they’ve let something die that I, as a Dodger fan for 45 years, can feel in my bones. And that’s a pity and a tragedy.
kahli, we have been going to Dodger games for a long, long time and I agree things are a lot different today. And admittedly I can afford the ever increasing ticket prices and after many years of being in a ticket partnership we have great seats. However, We seldom if ever buy any food at the stadium. We bring in sandwiches, peanuts, cookies, water and whatever we are allowed. We do pay for preferred parking but the Dodgers offer a discounted parking fee if you buy parking online. Up until recently when we found out we could get a discount at the shops because of our season ticket affiliation, we hardly ever bought anything such as hats, shirts, etc. at the stadium. Pretty much all my Dodger gear was either a gift or purchased at lower prices elsewhere. So I think one can attend a Dodger game without breaking the bank if one chooses. Yes, I understand eating ballpark food is part of the experience, but for me the real reason for attending a game in person is to experience the game with the crowd (even if at some times that can be annoying). Do I like the parking hassles, the traffic, and the late games? No, I don’t hesitate saying I love being at the games but I hate going. And no, I do not like all the crap that goes on between innings, all the noise, all the advertising bombardments but this is the game today and I just accept it. I will not let this regime or any previous regime ruin my love for watching a few games a year in person. And trust me, if it wasn’t Guggenheim, it would be something similar. I rue the day O’Malley sold the team. I agree things have not been the same and probably never will be but I just cannot turn my back on this team.
If nothing else, at least there is good Wi-Fi at Dodger Stadium so you can’t say the Guggenheims have not fulfilled at least one promise.
Appreciate your thoughts, lbirk, as usual. Yes, if not the Guggenheims, then someone else. But right now, it IS the Guggenheims, and the mess is theirs. Corporate sports is killing the little guy. Too bad. And I mean that sincerely.
I know what bothers me a lot is when the O’Malley family owned and ran the team, everything was about the fans and the team. At least it seemed so. We never really saw or heard much from ownership. Clearly Fox did not care about the fans and while the McCourt’s appeared to when they first took over, we all know how that sorry mess ended. I respectfully reserve judgment on Guggenheim but I admit I do have some issues with how it is managing the organization. I think they do care about the fans as long as there is a buck to be made.
Dodgers getting hot in 2014!
Last year, beginning on June 22nd, the Dodgers went on a 42-8 tear.
This year, in June, the Dodgers have gotten hot again:
Since June 21st: 5-1
Since June 16th: 8-2
Since June 13th: 10-3
Since June 8th: 13-5
I’ve been scratching my head about what changed this year to spur the winning streak. A commenter on TBLA said maybe it’s AJ Ellis. He came off of the DL on June 13th. Hmmmm.
Gordon 2B
Puig RF
Gonzalez 1B
Kemp LF
Van Slyke CF
Uribe 3B
Ellis C
Rojas SS
Ryu P
Where’s Ethier?
Shit in Donnie’s Wheaties again no doubt. However SVS is a a hell of a lot easier to take than Romak was.
Looks like I have a stuttering problem again.
I heard it’s just a day of rest …. nursing bumps and bruises. I guess I should buy it.
Atta way Dee.
Yes, but, we should have had more than one run! Two wasted innings!!
So Yadi ties it.
Woo Peralta makes it 3-1 Cards.
Dre would have caught that ball! No bueno, SVS!
Last shot.
From a fabulous game last night to this ….. unbelievable!
Piss Poor Pathetic…
The offense and defense really sucked….
Dang it!
The good news is the Giants also lost.
So we hold steady and try it again tomorrow with Greinke.
Typical pathetic hitting. I’d be embarrassed for this team to make the playoffs. They’d be lucky to score 3-4 runs in the series. No excuses for this night after night with the so called superstars we have in the line-up. Despite their record and recent surge, this team’s a long way from being a solid ballclub.
I don’t know, I think they’re pretty good.
After the game last night I started to wonder, “Where’s the beef?” Enchanted has a good point in that the Dodgers should score more with this payroll, but in the end I have to agree with oldbrooklyn. Everything considered, they are pretty good.
Yep Grizz, they are pretty good.. But, pretty good doesn’t win World Series titles….. Beav is correct, this teams offense is an embarrassment…..
We have to get to the World Series first, before we worry about that. Anyway the offense, not a strong suit, has been rather up and down, this year..
The Cubs really scare me. They’ve already proven you can go 100 years without winning a World Series, now it looks like it’s almost 70 years since they’ve won a pennant.
It’s only been 25 years since the Dodgers won a World Series but the Cubs show it could be a lot longer.
I hope I see the Dodgers win another one.
GO DODGERS!!
OBF, the most troubling stat for me is how competitive the Dodgers were from the 1940’s to the 90’s with numerous appearances in playoffs and World Series. The fact they did not have more World Series appearances or win more championships is another story but at least the team had a lot of success on the field. After the 1988 World Series the Dodgers made the playoffs but did not win a playoff game until well into the 2000’s, and did not win a series until the past few seasons. The Cubs have no record of success while the Dodgers certainly did but if you recall, those playoff teams in the 90’s were awful in the playoffs. I still maintain the firing of Al Campanis, while happening before 1988, was instrumental in the team’s downfall. The organization prematurely lost a brilliant baseball mind and I think it could be argued no replacement has ever been found by the Dodgers. I know Campanis would have eventually retired but assuming he still wanted to or was able, could have been a resource the way Tommy, Newk and others have been.
So I think Dodger fans have earned the right to the high expectations and unlike Cub fans, do not get much comfort on just competing or finishing .500 in a given season. To say it has been “only” 25 years since the Dodgers last won a World Series (or has been in one) is just not acceptable for this Dodger fan.
Ups! Thank you.
I’ll take it!
21 RBI by Turner.
AJ makes it 3-0.
Get’um while they’re hot.
Funny how a 7-1 game is just as nerve wracking as a 2-1 game to me. I’m glad that Greinke is still pitching well.
What got into Maholm tonight?
He gave it to Perez! 🙂
DFA this POS!
Perez is (a) messed up and (b) done. Get rid of him. He’s not helping the team and is not capable of helping the team. Bring up Dominguez or whoever else is ready.
Perez was another Ned head scratcher signing. I do think he’d be more effective if he got regular work, but that was always going to be an issue from day 1 in an already overcrowded bullpen. I’d be willing to bet though that rather than DFA him, Ned will stash him on the DL if he has to.
Another BIG win. It may be even bigger since Kershaw has trouble with the Cardinals.
I hope you’re right.
Giants tied Reds in bottom of 9th and it looked bad. But Reds held them off. In the tip of the 11th, Reds broke it wide open by scoring 5 runs. It looks like Dodgers will be only 1 back by tomorrow.
Woo-Hoo!!!! One game back…. Way to go Greinke and team….
Go Clayton, Go Dodgers, and Go Reds on Sunday….
One game back – we got ourselves a pennant race and it’s still just June.
Go Kershaw – shut down those Cards tomorrow.
I’m sure most of us know that Kershaw hasn’t pitched that well against the Cardinals. I’m sure he won’t be thinking of his last outing in the postseason, at least I hope not.
I hope he just continues the way he’s been pitching over the last few games. He’s been his fantastic self and I’m hoping that today’s game is just another game.
GO DODGERS!!!!!!
I think Kershaw will be ok today as long as the Dodgers give him some run support. Of more concern to me is losing Justin Turner with a bad hammy and Hanley’s condition. These injuries lead to more tinkering with the lineups. Hopefully Uribe can stay healthy and add something to the offense as well.
Yes losing Turner is a blow. He really has been fantastic since he was picked up. I hope he recovers quickly.
We need a healthy Ramirez in the lineup,
Can anyone Jinx Shelby Miller’s no-hitter?
I see we’re back to not hitting. Jeez this gets tiresome.
I’m perplexed by Ethier’s inability to do anything but I’m glad for Kemp and Uribe picking up RBIs.
50th RBI for A-Gon.
IT’S ABOUT TIME for Ethier.
HA…DRE IS NOT DEAD!
I can usually bitch these guys into a few hits.
Thank-you 🙂
Anything for the team.
In fact, the last time these guys won the WS was the year my first wife and I divorced.
Hmmmmm….
And a few months after my 50th birthday.
Hmmm, indeed!
I guess I should be willing to take one for the team. 🙂
We all do what we must 🙂
Great to see Kershaw strikeout Carpenter. YES!!!
Giants lost! 🙂
NEW SEASON!!!
Good job guys!
Woo-Hoo, win streak…… And, wow, what a win streak…. Straight into first place… A big way to go to Kersh… And a huge way to go to Andre…. Welcome back to the show…… I sure hope our management/braintrust has enough sense to see that Crawford needs to go and put your money on Ethier… He is more versatile if nothing else… Please, DFA Crawford….. Just look at what the team has done without him…
Unfortunately, Crawford has no value and Andre does…. I don’t like the implications… I don’t think Ethier is going to all of a sudden become a great player again, I just think, he has way more upside than Crawford….
It sure was rewarding watching the Dodgers take care of business against the Cardinals. After sleepwalking for the first two and a half months of the season again, dare we say this is the team we expected? Still a long way to go but things are a lot more interesting now. And yes, please continue to critique the lineups, players and just about everything else about the Dodgers. Remember, it isn’t weird if it works. And I love the bubble machine.
I love the bubbles too. I enjoyed watching them give Scott a hot foot today. Vin is loving all the antics also. I figure, as long as he has been around, and probably witnessed everything, for him to be having fun, it means things are going right for us.
Hi Everybody.
I lost my internet for about an hour. TWC brought me back up.
It’s great to be in a Tie for first place.
Pretty amazing making up 9 1/2 games in three weeks, never having played the team you were trying to catch.
Pretty amazing being able to come back from 9 1/2 games back 2 years in a row.