Results tagged ‘ St. Louis ’
Dodgers Sweep STL, Impress Big Time Against Tough Teams
The Dodgers won 5 of 7 against Atlanta and St. Louis who each came into the series tied in wins with the Dodgers. The Dodgers are 14-6 over their last 20 as well as 27-10 since May 1st. They have the most wins in baseball over that stretch. I’ve talked a couple of times now about the Dodgers earning an off day and this is certainly another one of those. The Dodgers get the day off without travel before they start the final series of this long home stand.
The Dodgers are in solid 1st place now in the NL West and top all of the National League in wins. The Padres play a double header today while the Dodgers relax at home but the most damage they can would do is bring themselves even with LA.
I’m constantly amazed at the pitching LA is getting this year. They got hot in May and I thought this can’t last. It has though. I’ve taken to calling the current LA rotation the Department of Youth.
- Clayton Kershaw – 22 years old (6-3, 3.13)
- John Ely – 24 years old (3-2, 3.00)
- Carlos Monasterios – 24 years old (3-0, 2.27)
- Chad Billingsley – 26 years old (6-3, 3.80)
- Hiroki Kuroda – 35 years old (5-4, 3.30)
When Padilla returns he’ll shift the age up again but for the time being Kuroda is the old man of the rotation and youth reigns.
Over this season the Dodgers haven’t maintained the best hitting or pitching in the league but relative strength in those two areas combined have made them a very strong team of late. LA has scored 284 runs in 60 games for an AVG of 4.73 per game. The Dodgers team ERA this year is 3.95. The roughly 1 run difference has allowed LA to go an impressive 15-6 in 1-run games. They have grown to 12 games over .500 and they lead the NL in wins with their 36-24 record.
Dodgers Explode For 12 Runs, Take First Game against STL
It’s good the Dodgers won an easy victory on Monday because Tuesday and Wednesday could get ugly. In many ways Carpenter and Wainwright have continued right where they left off last year. The Dodgers will run out Kuroda on Tuesday to face Carpenter and Kershaw on Wednesday to face Wainwright. Kuroda and Kershaw will try and keep the Dodgers in the game just in case the Cardinals pitching shuts down the Dodgers offense.
The Dodgers continue to play well this month. They are 5-2 in June and have won 3 of the last 5 games against ATL and STL. The games against tough teams this month won’t stop there but the Dodgers will try to scratch out a series victory somehow by winning at least 1 of the next 2 games against the Cardinals.
The Dodgers and the Padres now lead the national league in wins as they fight for the top spot in the division. The Dodgers have been a 1/2 game behind the Padres for a while. That 1/2 will be decided on Thursday while the Dodgers are resting at home.
The schedule over the next few series doesn’t seem all that fair for LA when it compares to San Diego.
Dodgers Next 5 Series:
- 1st place Angels (32-28)
- 1st place Reds (33-25)
- 3rd place Red Sox (34-25)
- 1st place Angels (32-28)
- 2nd place Yankees (35-22)
Padres Next 5 Series:
- 5th place Mariners (23-34)
- 4th place Blue Jays (33-25)
- 5th place Orioles (16-41)
- 1st place D-rays (37-20)
- 4th place Marlins (28-30)
The records of the 5 teams the Dodgers face sits at 166-128 right now. For the Padres their match-ups are 138-150. If the Dodgers are somehow in 1st place at the end of the month it will mean either the Dodgers played really well or the Padres played really poorly or some combination. If the Padres keep pitching well they could stay at the top easily this month. The Dodgers are going to need to continue to find ways to win as they have over the last few games and hopefully by the end of the month if they’re not in 1st place they at least won’t have lost much ground.
Jeff Weaver Inks Minors Deal, Could Make Team Again
My 2009 missing Dodgers poll list is dwindling rapidly as we approach Spring. The Dodgers number of Dodgers from last year that will probably be Dodgers this year just keeps growing. Other than Randy Wolf, I think there’s no other pitcher I wanted to see return more than Jeff Weaver. This guy’s still got stuff in the tank and he’ll have a chance to show he can help the Dodgers again with his minor league contract.
I like that in 2009 Weaver was a potent long reliever and could start when needed to. He beat his brother when the Dodgers played the Angels. That alone was enough for me to want him back this year to try and pull that off again if needed.
I’ve had a lot of respect for Weaver as a pitcher over the years. I was sad to see him go a few years back because he works hard and is pretty passionate about the game. The Cardinals got to see how good he could be down the stretch though in 2006. I hope the Dodgers will have luck with Weaver again this season as they did last time around.
I Just Realized
For the 2nd year in a row I totally blew the MLB Postseason Bracket Challenge. Last year I said Dodgers over Cubs in 4 or 5 and did the same with the Dodgers over the Cardinals this year. I sure didn’t say Dodgers in 3. Glad I’m wrong, but I could have used that money.
NLDS Game 3: No Worries For Game 4, Dodgers Sweep
The Dodgers are division series champions. They have officially swept the St. Louis Cardinals, their 2nd sweep of the NLDS in 2 seasons. There was a lot of talk about Carpenter and Wainwright in Game 4 and 5 but it’s a moot point now.
Padilla kept the Cardinals scoreless for 7 innings while the Dodgers top 4 in the lineup combined to go 9 for 20 and driving in all 5 runs. The bullpen closed the door and swept the Red Birds out of the playoffs while punching LA’s ticket to the NLCS in the most unlikely fashion, silencing critics the whole way.
I don’t know who the Dodgers will play in the NLCS or how that series will turn out but for now the Dodgers celebrate as Division Series champions and can get back to LA to rest up and prepare for what’s to come.
Go Dodgers. I love LA!
Carpenter Almost A Certainty If There Is A Game 4
The Cardinals aren’t fooling around. They’re going to send Carpenter in Game 4 on 3 days rest. It’s almost a certainty at this point. The only way the Dodgers will stop it is if they win today. Problem solved. Easy, right?
The Dodgers know they still have the upper hand even if fate would have them lose the next 3 and look like the choking dogs that TJ Simers likes to call them when they’re in a bad way. If a full rested Carpenter can show up without his best stuff then a partially rested Carpenter has an even better chance of doing so.
Cardinals fans said that Carpenter and Wainwright would take down the Dodgers for sure. Then they said that Wainwright would win for sure because these two hardly ever lost back to back this season. Now they’re saying Carpenter and Wainwright can’t possibly lose 2 in a row. The constant need for revision is starting to stress out the Cardinals fans who on news sites and MLB.com are a mixture of “We can do it!” and “It’s over already!”
Speaking of fans, you’ll see a lot of Cubs fans making fun of Cardinals fans and calling the season over. That makes sense. That’s what these two teams do to each other. What I hate seeing is Dodger fans taunting Cardinals fans despite the fact that Dodgers and Cardinals are two classy teams that aren’t even a rivalry. Let’s not forget also that the Dodgers barely won Game 2 and the series isn’t even over yet. It’s making me ashamed to see some of these folks running amok on these web sites.
I don’t exactly have a bunch of readers on here to convince but let me go on record saying this: Please stop. There’s no need to be rude even if the Dodgers sweep today. Show some respect and remember that it hurts to see your team fall out of the playoffs no matter what the circumstances. If the Dodgers win then we can celebrate but don’t tear down the other team this way.
Dodgers Roll Out Bubbly For Possible Game 3 Win
It probably won’t be an easy game for the Dodgers today in St. Louis. To say they’ve played poorly in the new stadium is a but of an understatement. The Dodgers are 3-11 lifetime there. But the truth is the Dodgers don’t need to win 2 in a row in St. Louis. They don’t need to even win 1. So the Dodgers will go out in Game 3 and try their best to make it a sweep but if they fall short it won’t be the absolute end of the road like it will be for the Cardinals.
The Dodgers send out Vicente Padilla to face Joel Pineiro for Game 3. Padilla has actually out-pitched Pineiro overall in the last 10 games:
- Vicente Padilla: 9 ER in 23 INN for a 3.52 ERA
- Joel Pineiro: 16 ER in 30.1 INN for a 4.78 ERA
Pineiro is hardly unbeatable even if he has played pretty well at home this year. In his last 5 starts in STL he went between 5 and 7 innings per start and allowed between 1 and 4 earned runs. He’s good but he’s no Adam Wainwright.
The core of the Dodgers lineup has had great success in the past against Pineiro. Manny, Blake, Furcal and Loney are all batting above .300 against him. Maybe this will be the game Manny breaks out in. He is 14-33 lifetime against Pineiro with an .424 AVG and a fantastic 1.288 OPS. Casey Blake is just as good. He’s gone 9-20 with a .450 AVG and a 1.226 OPS.
For the Dodgers and Padilla it can be a kind of crap shoot. He’s been very effective sometimes for LA, even on the road. Once in a while though he has had a bad game. It’s okay if Padilla doesn’t have his best stuff just so long as he has at least a little good stuff. He just needs to keep the game close and let the bullpen handle the rest. The Dodgers other pitchers will be pretty rested and will hopefully pick up the slack.
The Dodgers bullpen has been fantastic in the series. They’ve pitched out of several big jams and kept the Cardinals in check in a big way. In 7.9 innings they’ve allowed just 1 run and an ERA of 1.14.
The Cardinals bullpen on the other hand has allowed 3 runs in 3.2 innings for an ERA of 2.81. The Dodgers goal as always will be to get to that bullpen as quickly as possible and hopefully already have a lead against Pineiro.
The Dodgers actually score more runs on the road on average than they do at home. The same can be said of the Cardinals. Over the last 30 games away this year the Dodgers scored 5.03 runs on average per game. This compares to the 4.33 they score at home. Over the last 30 games at home this year the Cardinals scored 4.37 runs on average per game compared to 4.97 on average in away games over that same span. The Dodgers may have the advantage in this game if Padilla has even half way decent stuff and the bullpen can keep the Cardinals mostly in check.
With the Dodgers up 2-0 in the series it’s not a matter of needing the Dodgers to go out and be perfect but they do need to remember that Carpenter and Wainwright lurk in the shadows possibly for Games 4 and 5 so if they don’t get the job done today then it won’t get any easier from here on out. The pressure is all on the Cardinals though because it’s win or go home from here on out.
The Strange Case of Home Field Advantage In the MLB Division Series
It seems strange to say this but home field advantage, while clearly helping the Dodgers this year, appears not to be all that important in the MLB Division Series. In fact it may even hurt teams. It kind of makes sense why it might hurt when you think about it.
First of all the numbers: Between 1998 and 2008 there have been 44 division series played in the AL and the NL. That’s 4 a year for 11 years. We skip 1995-1997 because the format was different than it is today. These days the team with home field advantage plays the first 2 games at home, goes on the road for 2, and then returns home for Game 5 if needed.
Of those 44 series the team with home field advantage won the series 20 times but lost 24. It’s a small margin but the team with home field advantage has won the series fewer times than the team without it.
Why is this true? Perhaps because it’s a short series. The team playing away just has to win 1 of the first 2 games and then do well at home to clinch the series. This is supported by the data. Of those 24 series when the team with advantage lost, only 7 have gone to Game 5. The rest were decided by 7 sweeps and 10 four game series. This means that 17 times a team had home field advantage but they went out on the road and lost lost the series before they could return to take advantage of home.
This is hardly super conclusive given what little data there is but it’s something interesting to think about. Two times though the Dodgers have had home field advantage in the NLDS only to be swept out and once, last year against the Cubs, the Dodgers swept the series without home field advantage.
It makes me feel good that the Dodgers pulled out that game last night against the Cardinals. I was afraid to see them go out on the road with a 1-1 tie in the series considering how bad they’ve played in St. Louis traditionally. This means that if the Dodgers can’t scratch out a victory in the next 2 games they’ll at least get to play Game 5 at home.
It’s Hard To Believe At This Point, But Dodgers Are Up 2-0 In NLDS
I hate watching people use Hollywood cliches just because the Dodgers are from LA but there’s one thing you can’t deny. The Dodgers have re-written the script over and over this season to prove the critics and us fans wrong each time. Maybe it’s best that way?
Many thought the Dodgers didn’t have what it takes to win the division. They expected Arizona or San Francisco to dominate. The Giants came close of course but the D-backs not so much. The Dodgers took over first place and held on the rest of the way.
Many thought the Dodgers wouldn’t cut it when Manny was suspended. He was playing pretty well before he left. But then the Dodgers turned it on in those 50 games. We saw Ethier and Kemp heading to career seasons and Juan Pierre stepping up in a big way.
When the Dodgers finally clinched the people from MLB.com, ESPN, and even the LA Times got in line to say Cardinals in 3, or Cardinals in 4 if they were generous enough. Well, here we are again watching the Dodgers re-write the script.
So now the Dodgers are in St. Louis for practice today and they’re up 2-0 in the series and they are looking for a sweep, something I thought was pretty improbable. Yet, that chance is there. The Dodgers have shown many times this year that they can play to the level of their opponent and in a playoff situation with great teams the Dodgers are doing just that.
I woke up this morning feeling like it must be a dream. The Dodgers are up 2-0? That can’t be right. What about Carpenter and Wainwright? They hardly ever lose back to back this year so how could the Dodgers be 2-0? They have to be 0-2, or 1-1 if they’re lucky, but 2-0? No way. I guess it’s past time to start believing, right?
So now we wait for Saturday to see if the Dodgers can bring out the brooms. It won’t be nearly as hard on paper to see the Dodgers beating Joel Pineiro who has a bout a 4.14 ERA over his last 10 appearances. It will just depend on how good Padilla pitches for LA and how much the Dodgers can overcome the trouble they’ve had playing in St. Louis recently. More on this later, of course.
NLDS Game 2: Dodgers Take Commanding Lead
The Dodgers were kept in check by a strong Adam Wainwright until he finally left the game before the 9th. That’s when the Dodgers caught a break and with 2 outs they still walked off with a win to take a commanding series lead. The Cardinals biggest advantage in the series, Carpenter and Wainwright, have now been put away with Dodgers wins and the Dodgers head to St. Louis looking for a sweep.
Clayton Kershaw didn’t exactly dominate but he got the job done and only allowed 2 runs in 6.2 innings. The bullpen held on to keep the Dodgers just down 2-1 to allow the opportunity for the Dodgers amazing end to Game 2.
The Dodgers in the 9th quickly got 2 outs. But then a Cardinals miscue let Loney on base to start things off. That was followed by a Casey Blake Walk. Ronnie Belliard would then single to tie the game. A walk by Martin then loaded the bases for the biggest hit of the game by Mark Loretta to win it for the Dodgers. Wow.
The Dodgers have a right to feel great as they travel East after the show they put on for fans in LA. They’ve accomplished a mighty feat getting wins in games that Carpenter and Wainwright started in and silencing tons of critics while doing so. If the Dodgers lose now it will have to be be in LA in Game 5 but history shows that to be very unlikely.
This is the 36th time in Division Series history that a team won the first 2 games of the 5 game series. There have been 22 series sweeps but only 4 times in the past has the a team taken a 2 game lead and gone on to lose the series. The Dodgers shouldn’t take the Cardinals for granted of course but you can’t deny that history of the division series is on their side.
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