Dodger Talk

They're looking like a different team right now, got to love it.

Hopefully all they needed was that one win to help get the back in the groove.

 

Doc was proving a point. Some would argue it's a bad time and place to do that, but I suppose there isn't a good time and place.

Basically he left Baez out there to either sink or swim as a last ditch attempt to get him to knuckle up and win a game. If Baez gets out of that situation, there's a door open to him for the playoff roster. As it is, Baez (predictably) failed completely and I'd bet my house he doesn't make the playoff roster at this point.

 

We're saying the same thing: if Baez succeeds, he might still make the post season roster. As it is, he effectively slammed the door shut on himself. There's no way that Baez should make the roster right now.

I am completely in agreement that it's long past time to get things set the way we want them in the post season. We need a rhythm. We need the lineup set, we need the bullpen set, and we need to get comfortable again. We go out and beat the Nationals 2/3 games, but then drop 3 in a row to the f***ing Phillies? With our BEST pitchers on the mound? What is this? These guys need to wake the f*** up and get going again. There's no more time to mess around.

The biggest concern to me is Seager. If he's not right in the playoffs, he creates a huge hole in our lineup. We go Taylor/Seager/Turner/Bellinger and we need at least one of Taylor or Seager on base every single time they come through the lineup. Taylor has regressed a little since the massive run and Seager right now is hitting like Joc Pederson. That gives us two outs with Turner/Bellinger and Bellinger is a great slugger, but prone to strikeouts too. The offense just doesn't work that way.

What happened to the innings where we'd rattle off 3-5 runs with hit after hit? These guys need to find that again.

After watching all this my day-in-day-out starters are:
LF- Granderson (offers the most power, good vet, I want to give him the opportunity)
CF- Taylor (got to find him somewhere on the field)
RF- Puig (second best hitter)
3B- Turner (best hitter)
2B- Utley (old, but honestly this is the time to use him. I'm not convinced Forsythe is our best bet at all)
1B- Bellinger (best slugger)
SS- Seager (might be our best player, but if he's banged up he's no good for us)
C- Barnes (best at-bats on the team hands down)

Bench-
Ethier- has had surprisingly solid production at the plate. would be a solid pinch hitter
Grandal- bat is waking up ever so slightly and he's got great power at the plate
Forsythe- we need the depth in the infield
Kike- can put him anywhere, but almost a dead fish at the plate right now
Gonzalez- I don't actually want him, but we need depth. it's better than Segedin or Culberson or Farmer

Pitchers:
Kershaw, Darvish, Hill, Wood, Ryu, Maeda, Jansen, Morrow, Avilan, Watson, Buehler, Fields

 

I'm okay with it. Interesting they pushed Darvish to 3rd though.

 

That makes sense to me. I'll take it. I'd probably trust Darvish in a closeout game more than Hill anyway if we're up 2-0 going into game 3.

 

I want to sweep and jump in their pool again.

 

Baez made it... For one reason: he pitches well against Goldshmidt.

Which doesn't inspire me with any confidence instead.