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KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

Frayed Knot May 09 2016 05:21 PM

We need to do a group KTE here since no one seemed to have signed up for last year's 1st round playoff opponent. Dodgers: 16-15, in a virtual 1st place tie w/San Fran 10th in the NL in RS/G; 4th best in RA/G Monday, 10:10 — Matz vs Scott Kazmir [2-2, 5.68, 1.36 WHiP] Tuesday, 10:10 — deGrom vs Alex Wood [1-3; 5.18; 1.49] Wednesday, 10:10 — Syndergaard vs Kente Maeda [3-1; 1.66; 0.95] Thursday, 10:10 — Colon vs Clayton Kershaw [5-1; 2.04; 0.77] Looks like getting off to a good start is the game plan for this series because the pitching sure doesn't get any easier as things go along. The odd thing you notice when looking at the Dodger roster, knowing that they’ve been setting records for payroll these past two years, is how many rookies and 2nd year guys and reclamation projects they’re starting, something that makes you wonder who all that payroll is going to. Well the first place to look is at who’s NOT playing, or at least not starting regularly. (OF) Carl Crawford ($21.6 mil) has started just 9 games in LF plus another at DH. Hitting .211 with fewer HRs than Bartolo (OF) Andre Ethier ($18 mil) — broken leg, on 60-day DL (RHP) Brandon McCarthy — ($12.5 mil) TJ surgery, gone for the season (LHP Hyun-jin Ryu — ($7.83 mil) shoulder surgery last May, still not pitching (OF/3B) Alex Guerrero ($7.5 mil) — last year's Cuban import has a knee contusion and is on extended spring training (RHP) Brett Anderson ($12.5 mil) — back surgery, 60-day DL plus an assortment of other injuries to more minor guys. Oh yeah, and they're also paying at least part of the freight to former players such as Matt Kemp ($14 mil over 4 yrs to SD), Bronson Arroyo (retired - $4.5 mil buyout), Michael Morse ($8.5 mil to Pitt); Hector Olivera ($23.35 mil over next 5 yrs to Atl where's he's currently under suspension. He never played an inning in LA). And then there's the $40+ mil in current or future obligations they're on the hook for with two other Cuban imports currently toiling away in A & AA ball. All this from a team that isn't even broadcasting their games to half the city because they can't seem to get their local cable deal straightened out.

Fman99 May 09 2016 05:40 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

Playing 2B for these guys is a high sliding assfuck named Face Buttley. He's 37 but leading his team in both AVG and OBP. Plus, he plays "the old fashioned way," and in a "gritty, gutsy" style, which is to say, he's a schmuck.

Edgy MD May 09 2016 05:42 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

Does a team "retaliate" the next season on behalf of a player they've since released?

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 09 2016 05:52 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

Prolly won't see Buttley starting tonight. Kendrick seemed to give us trouble as well though. I say we hit him in the ribs.

Gwreck May 09 2016 06:27 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

Wait for Utley. He doesn't show his face, then you can go after Adrian Gonzalez in the final game.

Frayed Knot May 09 2016 06:33 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

Adrian Gonzalez (who turned 34 yesterday) is still their stalwart at 1B. He's started every game but one this season and has never really cared whether the pitcher is throwing with his left arm, or with his right, or from between his legs. Of all their high-priced position players, he's the only one starting full time these days. Still hitting well [.278/.359/.391] although with a freaky H/R split going on where he's got a sub-.100 BA at Dodger Stadium (4 for 43) while hitting nearly .400 on the road, but it's probably just flukey small sample stuff that I wouldn't count on continuing.

Frayed Knot May 09 2016 08:05 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

That shaggy redheaded, bearded guy who used to fill-in in NYM colors is starting most of the games at 3B for LA these days (24 starts + 1 at DH in 31 games). But his OPS, as we head towards the quarter-pole of the 2016 season, is starting to creep back down following his ridiculous break-out year (albeit in part-time duty) in 2014 (897) and the full-ish one that followed (861). His 706 OPS this year is more in line to where it was (696) across parts of four seasons in Queens although he's still hitting 3rd or even clean-up most nights.

Edgy MD May 09 2016 08:11 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

In order for a breakout year to be a breakout year, you have to stay broken out, rather than be quickly recaptured by your previous legacy. Else, it's just a freak year. No pressure, Hagar.

Zvon May 09 2016 08:14 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

As far as I'm concerned the whole Utley thing is over and done with. If we retaliate, do they retaliate?

Edgy MD May 09 2016 08:37 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

I was just asking, not advocating. Among the many bizarre things about the Estes game was that retaliation against Clemens was deemed so necessary, even though it was so long after the fact that the guy whose job it became didn't join the team until over a season after the alleged provocation.

Frayed Knot May 09 2016 09:04 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

Edgy MD wrote: In order for a breakout year to be a breakout year, you have to stay broken out, rather than be quickly recaptured by your previous legacy. Else, it's just a freak year. No pressure, Hagar. Well it was more like a break-out two-year stretch (2014 + 2015) even if he still has yet to log a full 500+ AB kind of season. Turner's LAD stint now sits just 20 plate appearances short of equalling his NYM time [875 vs 895] and his OPS out west is 158 points higher [864 vs 696; or OPS+ of 135 vs 95] while his HR rate tripled during these near-equal stretches even with this season's (slow or normal?) start mixed in. Doesn't mean the now 31 y/o is a sure bet to maintain that pace but it's also too big a gap to write off just as a SSS fluke.

Frayed Knot May 26 2016 02:39 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

LAD KTE Update: May 27-29 Series Friday 7:10 -- Alex Wood [1-3, 4.03, 1.25] vs Jacob deGrom The lefty Wood fought the Mets and deGrom to a standstill in game 2 of the 4 game series in La-La-Land before a Trayce Thompson HR off Robles won it for the Dodgers in the 9th. For those not normally in TV range, this game will be MLBN's 'Feature Game' of the week with Costas & Kaat at the mikes. Saturday 7:10 -- Kenta Maeda [3-3; 3.29; 1.08] vs Noah Syndergaard Another rematch from the earlier series, Mets got to Maeda for 4 earned over 5 innings while Syndergaard allowed just 2 over 8 in a game the Mets won 4-3 1986 Anniversary night. Must be the week for this sort of thing as the BoSox honored their 86'ers this week also. Sunday 8:10 -- Clayton Kershaw [7-1; 1.48; 0.66; 95 K vs 5 BB] vs Bartolo Colon ESPN's Sunday game of the week completes the all night-game weekend series (Booo!) and, yes, it'll be a 3rd pitching rematch. We got exactly 3 hits off Kershaw in the earlier one, a 5-0 loss. Dodgers overall are 25-23, 7-6 since we saw them last even though they've won their last 4 straight including a 3-game sweep of the lowly Reds. So basically they're just kind of floating along these days. - Yasiel Puig was benched a few days ago for not running out what he thought was a HR - Trayce Thompson (7 HRs in 100 ABs) has pretty much forced his way into the everyday lineup, starting mostly in LF where he bumps aside high-priced talent like Crawford & Kendrick, but also sometimes in CF or RF for Pederson & Puig

Centerfield May 26 2016 03:17 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

Gotta win Friday's game.

Frayed Knot May 26 2016 03:46 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

Centerfield wrote: Gotta win Friday's game. And that task may have just become more difficult (or maybe not, what do I know?) as the Dodgers announced today that they will promote their top prospect, LHP Julio Urias, in order to start Friday's game vs the Mets. The 19 year-old Urias, has blown through the minor leagues since being signed out of his native Mexico in 2013 at the age of 16. Most recently he was 4-1 with a 1.10 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in 7 starts at AAA Oklahoma City and has been a top-10 prospect across the board in all the prospect services for two years now.

Edgy MD May 26 2016 03:58 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

A 19-year-old left-handed starting pitcher signed out of Mexico by the Dodgers? I'm thinking, please don't tell me he throws the screwball. I looked for pictures to see if he was portly. Evidence suggest he's not, but he does have this cool left eye thing happening. [fimg=250]http://dodgersway.com/files/2015/03/julio-urias-mlb-los-angeles-dodgers-photo-day.jpg[/fimg] Turns out he had a benign mass removed last year. It looks like those photos are pre-surgery. [fimg=300]https://mlb.traderumors.com/files/2016/05/Urias.Julio_.jpg[/fimg]

Chad Ochoseis May 26 2016 04:06 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

In right field, Yasiel Puig is still an asshole. And he joins Giancarlo Stanton, Joey Votto, and our own Matt Harvey on Team What Happened to that Guy?, as he's currently OPSing .667.

Edgy MD May 26 2016 04:08 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

Newsday used to give out Marvin Miller Awards about two months into every season, honoring the players most in need of a strike.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 26 2016 04:25 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

Frayed Knot wrote: The 19 year-old Urias, has blown through the minor leagues since being signed out of his native Mexico in 2013 at the age of 16. Most recently he was 4-1 with a 1.10 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in 7 starts at AAA Oklahoma City and has been a top-10 prospect across the board in all the prospect services for two years now. Home run suppression? Si. (Just 16 in 63 starts/69 games in the minors.) Ks? Oh, si. (9.7 K/9 in the PCL this season.) No BB? Oh, SI. (1.9 BB/9 this year.) Good thing we're hitting strike-out-y lefties so well this year.

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 26 2016 04:27 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

Not for nothing but the Dodgers think Justin Turner is a 3 hitter and Kike Hernandez is a corner outfielder. I mean, FUCK these guys. Our pitching is pretty good too. Let's keep winning 2-0 if we must.

TransMonk May 26 2016 05:19 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I mean, FUCK these guys. I vote for this being the team's mantra this season.

Frayed Knot May 26 2016 05:25 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

Hernandez is the guy who has lost the most playing time due to the emergence of Trayce Thompson but, yeah, Turner still hitting 3rd (sometimes 2nd) most days despite his stats returning to earth this season.

Fman99 May 26 2016 06:30 PM Re: KTE - Dodgers May 9-12

Edgy MD wrote: [fimg=300]http://www.milb.com/images/628711/t238/180x270/628711.jpg[/fimg] How zooted is this guy? Right out of Spicoli's van, methinks.