Results tagged ‘ Hiroki Kuroda ’
Pirates Destroy The Dodgers, NL West Clinch On Hold Again
It was a thoroughly forgettable get away game for the Dodgers. The Pirates managed 5 unearned runs against Kuroda early on and they never looked back. This was possibly the most lopsided loss of the season for LA. Key base running mistakes early on seemed to set the pace for a day where they failed to do anything at the plate.
Their hardest hit came in the 9th on a triple by Orlando Hudson that was sacrificed in a batter later to break up the shutout and chase the Pirates starter just about 8.2 innings too late. It was a strange call by the Pirates manager but it didn’t matter too much in the scope of things. The game mercifully ended 1 batter later and that was that for the Dodgers versus the Pirates this season.
The Dodgers weren’t exactly fielding their A Team though so the important thing will be to just get out of town as quickly as possible and try to play better ball tomorrow night in San Diego. There will be a lot more fans there anyway.
A champagne celebration seems like a bad idea on a travel day anyway, right? Let’s get this Dodgers team back to California where they can celebrate the end of this season with the fans that love them.
Dodgers Run Away With Game 1, Giants Drop Their Game
The Dodgers played a laugher in DC winning comfortably 14-2 while the Giants and Rockies battled their respective opponents out West. The Rockies won a close one while the Giants lost theirs.
Kuroda had another strong outing allowing only 2 unearned runs and would have pitched in the 7th had the Dodgers not batted around in the 6th. This is his 3rd win in a row and he’s gone 6 or more innings in each of those and allowed 2 or fewer runs each time. The scary bump on the head seems to not hurt him in the long run and it’s great to see him back playing strong.
Clayton Kershaw is back. He pitched 2 innings of relief to see how his shoulder is doing. He looked OK but we’ll know more today probably. Hopefully he’ll get 2 more starts in before the end so we can see if he’s ready for the post season. The same goes for Chad Billingsley who starts Game 2 against the Nationals. He’s having rotten luck and a loss of confidence lately but maybe he can get on track in time.
Otherwise, things have really clicked for the Dodgers and I’m starting to feel really, really good about the playoffs. I know they’ll be the underdog against the aces of the Cardinals or the Phillies but at this point you can’t ask for better performances from the Dodgers pitchers.
Over the last 30 games the Dodgers starting pitchers have allowed just 61 earned runs in 180.2 innings. That’s a 3.05 ERA with an average of 6.0 innings per start. Compare that to the Cardinals starters who have allowed 70 earned runs in 188.1 innings. That’s a 3.35 ERA with an average of 6.3 innings per start.
The bullpens don’t even compare right now. The Dodgers bullpen has allowed just 17 earned runs in 95 innings for an ERA of 1.61. Only the Cardinals come close to the Dodgers in bullpen ERA and they have allowed 24 earned runs in 83 innings for an ERA of 2.60.
I know the Dodgers will go into the playoffs the underdog probably despite most likely having the best record in the NL and home field advantage in the NLDS, but let’s not pretend this Dodgers pitching staff isn’t at least up to the challenge.
So, with 11 games left to play the Dodgers magic number is down to 2 against the Giants and 7 against the Rockies. This means the Dodgers could clinch a playoff spot as early as tomorrow while a division title is still a week away. The Giants are fading fast as they are 9-11 on the month while the Dodgers are 13-6 and the Rockies are 14-6.
According to the news media and based on how Torre has acted it doesn’t look like the Dodgers are going to pop champagne until they win the division. At this point the Dodgers just need to split the remaining games 5-6 and the Rockies would have to go 11-0 to win the division. It’s just a matter now of when the Dodgers clinch the NL West and no longer a question of if.
The magic number to clinch the division is 7 with 8 games to go until the Dodgers and Rockies meet in LA to finish the year. It’s going to be tricky for the Dodgers not to clinch the division on this road trip but if the Rockies play hard enough and the Dodgers falter then it could still come down to that last series. Since the Dodgers will have clinched at least the Wildcard by then I’m more than willing to see it come down to that kind of last minute drama. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
Dodgers Falling To Pieces
Kuroda was carted off on a stretcher in the 6th after being hit by a line drive and Jonathan Broxton blew the save in the 9th. The Dodgers lost in the 10th. It can’t get much worse than that. You never want to see a player leave like Kuroda did and for the Dodgers to fall apart soon after just makes it that much worse.
So the the Dodgers fell to 3-7 in the last 10 for the first time this season, having won only 7 out of the last 20 games. They are 5-9 in the miserable month of August. The Dodgers really should have won this series but instead now they look to once again avoid being swept.
Fortunately things aren’t going that great for the Rockies and the Giants. They have gained ground but it’s not the kind of ground that could have been made had they played a little hotter. The Rockies are 8-5 in August and the Giants are 7-6.
Make no mistake. The Dodgers are falling to pieces. Still, the pressure is on the Giants and Rockies to take advantage of that. The Dodgers lead by just 4.5 games now with 45 games left to play.
Are The Dodgers Doomed In October Without An Ace?
With Cliff Lee going to the Phillies the Dodgers look to be losing out on getting an impact starter to add to the rotation and seem to be focusing on adding arms for the bullpen instead.
Lately several journalists have been saying the Dodgers are basically built to win the division but can’t win in the playoffs without an ace. Sure, the Dodgers lack an ace that goes deep in every game and dominates the other side but do they still have starters that will get the job done in the playoffs?
I wanted to know what the average innings pitched for the starter in a playoff game is when their team wins the game. The pitcher doesn’t have to get the win but their team has to win the game they started. You might be surprised to know what I found out.
In 125 playoff games since 2005 the starting pitcher for the winning team went an average of 6.0 innings per start. In 59 Division Series games since 2005 the average was just 5.6. In the 47 League Championship games it was 6.1. The World Series average after 19 games is 6.3 innings per start.
So what is the average innings per start of the Dodgers 4 main starters this season?
- Billingsley: 6.2 innings AVG, 3.96 ERA after 21 starts
- Wolf: 6.1 innings AVG, 3.43 ERA after 22 starts
- Kuroda: 5.7 innings AVG, 4.57 ERA after 11 starts
- Kershaw: 5.6 innings AVG, 2.96 ERA after 20 starts
The Dodgers may not have that starter that is going to go deep in every game and dominate the opposition like other teams but they do have one of the strongest bullpens in baseball backing up starters that can reach that average 6 inning mark most of the time.
So why all the fuss? Your guess is as good as mine. If the Dodgers can get fresh arms for the bullpen or a solid 5th starter then good for them. If not then don’t think for one moment that this team is guaranteed to crap out in the playoffs without a trade. They have the potential to make the playoffs and go deeper than last year and possibly win it all. It’s just a matter of going out there and getting the job done but don’t let folks tell you they can’t based on what they have right now.
Dodgers Chip Away Astros Lead, Split The Series
Astros 3 – Dodgers 4 | Box Score | MLB | LA Times | ESPN
The Astros lead 3-0 after the top of the 3rd but the Dodgers chipped away slowly a run at a time in the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 8th innings to top the Astros 4-3. The final blow was a solo home run by Matt Kemp, his 12th of the year. Kemp had a great day going 3 for 3 with a walk, an RBI, and 4 runs scored.
Kuroda had a decent outing but the Astros were able to score 3 in the 3rd and Kuroda left after 5 innings losing 2-3. Strong outings by the bullpen and Broxton’s 22nd save helped LA split the 4 game set and finish up the Astros series 3-4 and even their NL Central record at 7-7. The Dodgers have not lost a 4 game series all season having swept 1 series and split 4 more.
Both San Francisco and Colorado won though so the Dodgers kept pace with their victory and stayed 7.5 and 8 games ahead. The Dodgers are 9-5 on the month and today’s victory gave them their 19th 1-run win of the season.
Dodgers Leave A Dozen, Lose 1 Run Game
Dodgers 4 – Mets 5 | Box Score | MLB | LA Times | ESPN
It’s become all too common lately to see the Dodgers strand a bunch and lose a close game. The Dodgers struck first and last but an unearned run on a Dodgers error ended up being the difference in the game.
The bullpen was good again though so there’s that at least. Practically all the hits and runs came against starter Kuroda who has been knocked around by the Mets in the past as well. The Mets starter Perez didn’t have his best stuff and the Dodgers did a good job working the count and getting him out in the 5th but they couldn’t catch up to the 1-5 deficit Kuroda left them in.
Several Dodgers struggled all night including Hudson, Manny, and Ethier. That killed the offense each time one of these guys came up. Manny finally hit a home run in the 9th leading off and it looked like the Dodgers were going to rally. It’s frustrating watching the Dodgers get 9 hits, 9 walks, leave 12 men on base, but go 2-11 with RISP lose by 1 run with the tie run on 2nd in the 9th because of a double play. Oh well, I guess.
The Dodgers send out Wolf to face the Mets’ Hernandez. Wolf should be the favorite to win the rubber match but if the Dodgers can’t cash in run opportunities then it gets hard to win. The Dodgers have lost the last 5 middle games but they’ve been pretty good in rubber match situations, winning 5 of the last 7 series because of that.
Dodgers Extend Mets Scoreless Streak 9 More Innings
Dodgers 8 – Mets 0 | Box Score | MLB | LA Times | ESPN
When the Dodgers came to town the Mets had already been blanked the game before and hadn’t scored a run in the last 13 innings. The Dodgers were happy to help the Mets extend that 9 more with a good 6 innings from Kershaw and then 3 more scoreless innings from the bullpen.
The Dodgers worked the pitch counts well in the first few innings getting lots of men on base and in scoring position. Manny Ramirez drove in 3 before getting tossed for arguing about what appeared to be the 2nd bogus out call of his night. Pelfrey exited early as well, going just 3 innings having given up 5 runs, 2 coming after being pulled in the 4th in a jam. The Mets bullpen gave up 3 more as the game went on.
So as is the trend lately the Dodgers won game 1 of the series and look to somehow break the streak in game 2. It will be Hiroki Kuroda vs. Oliver Perez and the Dodgers will look to keep the Mets scoreless innings coming.
So the Dodgers extended their winning streak against the Mets to 4 straight on the season. This game clinched a season series victory and made their NL East record 11-5. The Dodgers already beat the Phillies 4-3 in their season series. The Dodgers have won 2 in a row and are back to 23 games over .500 at 53-30.
Dodgers @Mets – Advantage Dodgers
The Dodgers have already swept the Mets in Los Angeles this year but this time the Dodgers are in the Big Apple for their first glimpse of Citi Field. Neither of these two teams have been playing outstanding ball lately but the Dodgers are getting the job done while the Mets have gone 2-8 over the last ten. It’s not looking good for New York.
The Dodgers and Mets are scoring about the same number of runs per game lately, around 4 with the Dodgers doing slightly better. Pitching is the major difference in this series though. The difference between LA and NY pitching is almost 2 whole runs. Two runs can really swing a game when you’ve got a team like the Dodgers who love to play in 1 run situations.
Dodgers And Mets By The Numbers – Last 25 Days
AVG Runs Scored: 4.10 Dodgers, 3.70 Mets
AVG Runs Allowed: 3.95 Dodgers, 5.26 Mets
Starters ERA: 3.70 Dodgers, 5.23 Mets
Bullpen ERA: 3.20 Dodgers, 5.53 Mets
Team ERA: 3.43 Dodgers, 5.14 Mets
Game 1 – Clayton Kershaw, LHP (5-5, 3.49) vs. Mike Pelfrey, RHP (6-3, 4.26)
Kershaw hasn’t allowed more than 3 runs in his last 9 starts and 3 of his last 4 have been shutout performances. He hasn’t pitched as well away from Dodger Stadium this year so that could be a problem for him. Kershaw’s problem is the same as lots of young pitchers. He throws too many pitches and exits early.
Pelfrey had a good start his last time out after a couple of borderline outings. He doesn’t go deep into the game either so the bullpen matchups could come to bite the Mets since the Dodgers, despite two shaky games in a row, have a strong bullpen while the Mets bullpen has been anything but.
Game 2 – Hiroki Kuroda, RHP (3-4, 3.91) vs. Oliver Perez, LHP (1-2, 9.97)
Kuroda hasn’t dominated too much this season but he’s getting the job done overall. He’s pitched pretty well his last few times out and the Dodgers will look to Kuroda to stop the pattern of losing the middle game of the series.
Perez has been trouble for the Mets. He doesn’t go deep into the game, he gives up a ton of runs and he’s got a 9.97 ERA. This may be the Dodgers best chance to achieve their elusive middle game victory.
Game 3 – Randy Wolf, LHP (3-3, 3.49) vs. Livan Hernandez, RHP (5-4, 4.56)
Randy Wolf has been pretty consistent for the Dodgers all year. He consistently leaves the game in the hands of the bullpen for a no decision. Keeping the team in the game is plenty fine with Wolf but he still deserves a win or two. His 3-3 record is very deceiving as per his performances this year.
Hernandez goes deep into games but he hasn’t won a game in a while. His last outing was a 3 inning disaster with 10 hits and 7 runs given up. The Dodgers will hope to see that kind of performance again so they can try and feast on the Mets bullpen.
Prediction
The Dodgers will miss both of the Mets best starting pitchers and the Mets will face off against the Dodgers 2,3,4 guys. Given the difference in the bullpens I’d say the Dodgers should have the advantage in most games if they can tighten their defense back up and if their bullpen has better luck in New York than it did in San Diego. I think the Dodgers can easily win the series and given their luck against them already this year and the way the Mets have struggled lately look for the Dodgers to try and get their elusive 7th series sweep of the season. If the Dodgers bullpen falters again though it may not be a walk in the park at all. I predict the Dodgers win at least 2 out of 3.
I haven’t posted graphs in a while so here you go.
Graphs Of the Matchup
Dodgers Score 5 Early, Coast To Win Over Padres
Dodgers 6 – Padres 3 | Box Score | MLB | LA Times | ESPN
Five runs in the 1st and another run later in the game made for a 6-3 victory over the Padres in game 1 of the series. The Dodgers jumped all over Gaudin early making him throw over 40 pitches. He would throw about 60 more over the next 4 innings though so the Dodgers didn’t quite pound him as much as it would seem.
Kuroda got the win going 5.1 innings and allowing only 3. The Dodgers bullpen took over and extended the scoreless inning streak to 16 straight innings. Broxton notched his 20th save of the year.
Manny’s return was successful enough. He drew a walk in the big 1st inning but didn’t do too much the rest of the game. He left early giving Pierre some more time to play. It was hard to tell if there were more cheers or boos. The crowd was dominated by Dodgers fans and I can’t remember hearing Beat LA chanted even once though I’m sure somebody said it.
Around the division it was a good night for the Rockies and the Giants as well. The Rockies won 5-0 against Arizona, pitching another good game. The Giants scored 13 runs early in the game and coasted to a 13-0 victory. The Dodgers maintained their 7.5 game lead in the division and pushed Arizona and San Diego back another game.
The Dodgers will test their luck in game 2 of the series. I mentioned yesterday that the Dodgers were trying to make it 4 straight game 1 victories in a series. The opposite is true of game 2 situations. The Dodgers have lost the last 3 middle games after winning game 1, so they’d really like to win this one today and have a chance at a sweep. Randy Wolf will face Josh Geer in an afternoon game at Petco Park.
Dodgers @Padres – Advantage Dodgers
The Padres haven’t completely collapsed yet this year but June was not a good month for them. So far they are 0-2 in July and they can’t be looking forward to facing the Dodgers this weekend.
The Dodgers have beaten them 7 out of 10 time this season including 5 games in a row in a 4 game sweep and game 1 of a 2 game series. The Dodgers have been struggling to score runs again lately but they still lead the Padres in almost every number you can measure in comparison.
Dodgers And Padres By The Numbers – Last 25 Days
AVG Runs Scored: 3.80 Dodgers, 3.32 Padres
AVG Runs Allowed: 3.70 Dodgers, 5.32 Padres
Starters ERA: 4.01 Dodgers, 6.01 Padres
Bullpen ERA: 2.54 Dodgers, 3.91 Padres
Team ERA: 3.35 Dodgers, 5.11 Padres
Game 1 – Hiroki Kuroda, RHP (2-4, 3.77) vs. Chad Gaudin, RHP (4-6, 4.97)
Kuroda got off on the right foot in his 1 and only start in April against the Padres. Kuroda struggled his last time out though. Still, a little run support easily could have helped him him get a win. Kuroda has proven he has what it takes to pitch deep into games and dominate hitters and he’ll try and take the mound in San Diego and harken back to his great start to open the season.
Gaudin has won his last 2 starts and pitched really well but the last time he faced the Dodgers they lit him up for 6 runs in 5.2 innings. The Dodgers will look to repeat that and get the series off to a good start. The Dodgers have won the last 3 series openers and will try to make it 4 in a row.
Game 2 – Randy Wolf, LHP (3-3, 3.61) vs. Josh Geer, RHP (1-3, 5.68)
Randy Wolf got another no decision his last time out. I don’t think he minds a whole lot but it would be nice to see the Dodgers give him some run support for a change. His last start was 2 runs in 6 innings. Wolf’s dominance of lefty hitting may not mean much in San Diego. The Other than the always dangerous Adrian Gonzalez and Tony Gwynn, the Padres don’t have many left handed hitters to speak of.
Geer seems to be in a race with Randy Wolf for who gets more no decisions. Geer has pitched decent many times over the last few weeks but he has 5 no decisions and 2 losses in the last 7 starts. If this pattern holds and the Dodgers and the Padres go into a battle of the bullpens then this might be advantage Dodgers in game 2. Lefties are hitting over .300 against Geer so this could help the Dodgers as well.
Game 3 – Chad Billingsley, RHP (9-4, 3.12) vs. Josh Banks, RHP (1-0, 3.38)
Billingsley is always good to see in a possible rubber match. Given that Billingsley is 3-0 against the Padres this year the Dodgers will be counting on a great outing from him. Billingsley has held right handed hitters to an .199 AVG so far this year and that may be enough to shut down the heavy right handed lineup of San Diego.
Banks had his longest and most successful outing last time, going 7 innings and allowing 3 runs for his first win of the season. The Dodgers will look to back Billingsley and take advantage of Banks who hasn’t gone deep into too many games so far.
Prediction
The Padres don’t have any one special weakness such as the bullpen but the Dodgers over the last few weeks have scored more runs and allowed fewer to score than the Padres from one end of the game to the other. The Dodgers have been struggling lately and will look get better both against a team they’ve dominated so far this year and with Manny Ramirez who is back from his suspension and looking to prove himself. Given that the Dodgers are 7-3 this year, have their 2 top starters going, and they don’t have to face Jake Peavy, I predict the Dodgers will take 2 out of three. They can and should win this series and a sweep is not out of the question. It all hinges on what kind of offense the Dodgers bring to San Diego.
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