Oct 04 2013 11:13 AM
Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 04 2013 01:27 PM
So, yeah, this Kershaw kid has a nice little package, and may have a nice future ahead of him. Besides that guy and a ridiculous amount of recently-printed car-flags for distribution, what are Los Doyers packing?
1. Loco-bueno hurlability (NL-second-best GB% and BB%, and a 3.25 ERA/3.45 FIP, with 2.75/3.12 numbers over the second half... teamwide) with swing-and-miss stuff up-and-down the roster (posting an 8.23 K/9 ratio staffwide, besting the Kimbrelly Braves by a quarter-K per 9).
2. Inconsistent (NL 4th-best OBP, 5th-worst ISO numbers, NL 2nd-best second-half OPS, with odd month-to-month fluctuations) batmanery.
3. Not Matt Kemp, who's busy cursing his talus. Some Andre Ethier. Banged-up others.
4. In lieu of Kemp/Ethier, and with limited HanRam/Crawford work, pretty terrible baserunning (NL-worst -7.9 base runs above average). And so reckless!
5. Cruise control and an utter lack of "momentum," having clinched almost a month ago, and going 12-15 down the stretch.
6. An almost-troll-like acquisitive streak, with contributions from late-season additions Ricky Nolasco, Brian Wilson, Michael Young, Edinson Volquez, Carlos Marmol, Ian Stewart, Keegan Michael Key, Ian Anderson, Laveranues Coles, Lady Marmalade, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Gordon Ramsay, former SF mayor Gavin Newsom, the traveling cast of The Book of Mormon, and Fluttershy the Pony. [Ed. note-- fact check before hitting "post"]
[crossout]PROBABLE[/crossout] ACTUAL LINEUP
LF YOU-AH STILL FACKIN' TERRIBLE
2B Brother #1
SS Noted Jogging Enthusiast
1B YOU-AH STILL FACKIN' OVAHPRICED
RF Smokin' Cuban
3B Dos Resultados Verdaderos
CF Him?
C Brother #2
"I am not in danger, Plaschke... I am the one who knocks extra-base hits/contrarian sensibilities!"
The lineup seems like Popeye from the right side (Uribe's .462 second-half slugging; SuperCuban's superheroics; NJE, who's been running hot since returning to the lineup (.345/.402/.638, 20 HR, and 5.1 WAR in a half-season of action) and Olive Oyl from the left... but it actually has done marginally better against lefties (.268/.327/.398 for the season, versus .263/.326/.393 overall).
PROBABLE STARTERS
[crossout]Game 1 Today in Atlanta: Clayton Kershaw vs. Kris Medlen[/crossout]
Game 2 Friday in Atlanta: Zack Greinke vs. Mike Minor
Game 3 Sunday in Los Angeles: Julio Teheran vs. Hyun-Jin Ryu
Game 4 (if necessary) Monday in Los Angeles: Freddy Garcia vs. Ricky Nolasco (8-3, 3.52/1.18, with 75 K/20 BB over 16 starts with LA)
Game 5 (if necessary) Wednesday in Atlanta: Who knows?
KEY RALLY-CAP MAKERS/HIGH-FIVE COORDINATORS
1B/3B/PH Had his Phil
2B/SS/PR Wheels Without Engine
SS/3B/2B/BIFLer Scrappy
BULLPEN
With a dominant Kenley Jansen, solid J. P. Howell, an inconsistent Ron Bellisario, a dominant-then-inconsistent Paco Rodriguez, and tonsorially-interesting late-season adds... um, evolving.
OUTLOOK
Traversing health bumps and potential bullpen-solubility issues will be key. Assuming those fall into place... the starters run deep (Greinke's leading the line on any other team, and, hell, Capuano's working long-relief), the hitting looks present, and, hell... things look sunny. I mean, this is L. A., brah! EVERYBODY GET IN THE POOL!
