DODGERS SWEEP THEMSELVES INTO FIRST DAN UGGLA IS AWFUL REGARDLESS OF UNIFORM I was hoping that I would be writing a series recap about a sweep of the Giants while in SF. I knew it would mean that we can forget about the previous two series where the Dodgers dropped 2/3 each time and did not look very good doing it. Just about everything went right for the Dodgers. If you are looking for specific things to point to, other than fantastic starting pitching, look no further than the trio of Hanley, Kemp and AGon. Injuries, sporadic playing time, and inconsistent play have made for numbers that are not necessarily bas, but are clearly not up to their standards. This weekend in SF, the three combined to go 17 for 37. That is a .459 batting average and that will get it done. In addition to the fantastic play of those three what was also on display this weekend was the speed the Dodgers have. You can’t teach speed. Players either have it or they do not. In baseball, as in other sports, consistent team speed puts a lot of pressure on the opponent. The speed of Crawford, Puig, Kemp and Dee Gordon were on full display and the Giants were not able to handle it. More on that in a minute. What else went right for the Dodgers this series? The Giants went out and made some moves. They acquired Jake Peavy likely because he used to beat the Dodgers pretty consistently years ago. He didn’t pitch bad but it was obvious he let the home plate umpire and Dee Gordon get in his head. For that, we thank him. Then there is Uggla. I am not sure a guy has ever looked worse in his opening series with a team. 0-8, striking out more times than I could count and committing 3 errors. Ouch. Keep making those moves. Please. Finally, the relief pitching when called upon in the 7th, 8th and 9th inning Sunday night was excellent. The pressure Wilson probably felt when he walked out to face his old team in the 8th with a one run lead in a game the Dodgers needed was probably more than most of us will face in our jobs this morning. Then again, the 10 million he is making are probably a dollar or two more than we earn. Regardless, he handled his business. Kenley looked amazing. I am a little baffled as to what happened to the “we should replace Jansen” group. If there was a key to the Dodgers sweep it was Dee Gordon’s 5th inning. He struck out on a bad swing and a bad pitch by Peavy. The all-star lead off hitter was able to scamper down to first when the ball got by Posey. Mind you, the Dodgers were down by a run and now had the best base stealer in the game on first. Peavy was so distracted by that fact that and a narrow strike zone by the home plate umpire that he walked Puig. Now Dee is at second. Peavy uncorked another wild pitch and instantly it is second and third. AGon struck out but because the ball bounced Posey was forced to throw to first. As he did, he forgot the one person who had consumed the thoughts of the pitcher for the entire inning-Dee Gordon. Gordon broke on the throw and scored. Why is that a key to the series? A sweep of the Giants is a very different thing than taking two out of three and going home still a half game out. A sweep in this situation has huge psychological importance and also meant a lot in the standings. The entire momentum of that game changed when Gordon scored. For good measure, Hanley got a timely hit to score Puig and before you know it, the Dodgers had three runs home in the 5th and a lead they would not give up. That was fun to watch. Thank you ESPN. If there were any low moments for the Dodgers, it was the awful offensive series for AJ Ellis. 0 for 8 leaving 9 runners on base is pretty awful. It is always tough though when a catcher is struggling offensively but the pitching is great. How much credit does AJ get for the outstanding pitching? We are about ready to find out. If the Dodgers do not make a move for some catching depth, we will know that they value AJ’s abilities behind the plate far more than they worry about his production at the plate. Up next a day off and then the Braves. Trading deadline in Thursday so we are on trade watch between now and then. Stay tuned Dodger fans…(RJ the New Guy).
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 15:33:53 +0000
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