19 July 2009
Jason Who II and a Four Game Streak
07/21/09 22:47 Filed in: Baseball
Well, after a very shaky first inning, Jason Schmidt
gave a decent impression of a major league pitcher
for another four innings last night, and tonight
Randy Wolf got the run support missing from his
starts most of the season, and suddenly the Dodgers
have a four game winning streak and have their best
overall record in 19 seasons.
The one downside of the Dodgers' great overall performance tonight was the hand injury Manny suffered when hit by a Homer Bailey pitch, but as they say, x-rays were negative and he's day-to-day.
In three games today and tonight, Los Angeles averaged 10 runs per game, with the Dodgers scoring 12 against the Reds, and the Angels taking two from KC, 8-5 and 10-2. The Angels are 5-1 since the break, and are weathering the losses of Vlad and Torri Hunter quite well, thanks in large part to the schedule maker, loading them up with KC, Oakland, and Cleveland while 2/3rds of the outfield is healing.
Injuries are affecting the current complexion of the AL East, with TIm Wakefield joining Dice-K Matsuzaka on the Boston DL, and the Red Sox falling into second, with a four game losing streak, despite the return of Jed Lowrie. The current success of the scumstripes not withstanding, I'm sticking with my pre-season picks that two playoff teams will come out of the AL East and neither will be from NY. With a healthier Scott Kazmir and a new ace in Jeff Niemann, Tampa will finish the season in second, behind Boston.
The one downside of the Dodgers' great overall performance tonight was the hand injury Manny suffered when hit by a Homer Bailey pitch, but as they say, x-rays were negative and he's day-to-day.
In three games today and tonight, Los Angeles averaged 10 runs per game, with the Dodgers scoring 12 against the Reds, and the Angels taking two from KC, 8-5 and 10-2. The Angels are 5-1 since the break, and are weathering the losses of Vlad and Torri Hunter quite well, thanks in large part to the schedule maker, loading them up with KC, Oakland, and Cleveland while 2/3rds of the outfield is healing.
Injuries are affecting the current complexion of the AL East, with TIm Wakefield joining Dice-K Matsuzaka on the Boston DL, and the Red Sox falling into second, with a four game losing streak, despite the return of Jed Lowrie. The current success of the scumstripes not withstanding, I'm sticking with my pre-season picks that two playoff teams will come out of the AL East and neither will be from NY. With a healthier Scott Kazmir and a new ace in Jeff Niemann, Tampa will finish the season in second, behind Boston.
theHoundDawg
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Jason Who?
07/20/09 12:08 Filed in: Baseball
On December 6, 2006, Dodger starting pitching woes
were forever resolved, with the signing of Jason
Schmidt to a three-year contract, at the bargain
basement price tag of $47 Million, a mere $15.5 to
$16 mil per season.
What a deal! As of today, Schmidt has cost the Dodgers a mere $47 Million PER VICTORY.
That's right, fans, in case you forget. In two-and-one-half years, he has produced exactly ONE WIN for the Dodgers.
He makes his return to the Dodgers' rotation tonight, having not pitched in the majors in two years plus a month, and with a lifetime Dodger record of six appearances, a 1-4 won-lost record, and a 6.31 ERA.
Not to say that the Dodgers cannot use a new, live arm on the staff, especially in the rotation now that Eric Milton's comeback has been derailed by back surgery. But, realistically, what are the chances that Schmidt can even be competitive, let alone be good enough to improve upon Jeff Weaver or Eric Stults?
And, Weaver and Stults are not getting paid $7.83 Million per start.
What a deal! As of today, Schmidt has cost the Dodgers a mere $47 Million PER VICTORY.
That's right, fans, in case you forget. In two-and-one-half years, he has produced exactly ONE WIN for the Dodgers.
He makes his return to the Dodgers' rotation tonight, having not pitched in the majors in two years plus a month, and with a lifetime Dodger record of six appearances, a 1-4 won-lost record, and a 6.31 ERA.
Not to say that the Dodgers cannot use a new, live arm on the staff, especially in the rotation now that Eric Milton's comeback has been derailed by back surgery. But, realistically, what are the chances that Schmidt can even be competitive, let alone be good enough to improve upon Jeff Weaver or Eric Stults?
And, Weaver and Stults are not getting paid $7.83 Million per start.
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theHoundDawg
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Kershaw Rights the Ship - Is He Already the Guy?
07/19/09 11:32 Filed in: Baseball
The Dodgers started the season's second half by being
embarrassed in back-to-back losses to Houston. Lack
of timely hitting, Chad Billingsley's continued
recent struggles, and an overall aura of complacency,
all colored what appeared to be two lackluster
performances.
Then, up stepped Clayton Kershaw. Last night, he continued, and even improved upon, his streak of impressive outings, this time becoming the guy to end a short, but potentially unsettling, losing streak. Kershaw is now 5-0 with a 0.63 ERA over his last seven starts, has lowered his season ERA to 2.95, and most important of all, stretched last night's outing to seven full innings.
Any more of those "experts" out there still want to see the Dodgers trade him?
Then, up stepped Clayton Kershaw. Last night, he continued, and even improved upon, his streak of impressive outings, this time becoming the guy to end a short, but potentially unsettling, losing streak. Kershaw is now 5-0 with a 0.63 ERA over his last seven starts, has lowered his season ERA to 2.95, and most important of all, stretched last night's outing to seven full innings.
Any more of those "experts" out there still want to see the Dodgers trade him?
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theHoundDawg
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