Dodgers Make First Visit To Citi Field
by Eric Stephen on Jul 7, 2009 1:00 PM PDT
in Game Previews
44 comments
The Dodgers get their first look at Citi Field tonight, as Clayton Kershaw faces off against Mike Pelfrey of the Mets. Both pitchers have been successful this season, albeit with contrasting styles:
| Kershaw | Pelfrey | |
| FIP | 3.58, 14th in NL | 4.10, 29th in NL |
| H/9 | 6.5, 4th in NL | 9.8, 43rd in NL |
| BB/9 | 5.3, 56th (last) in NL | 3.1, 31st in NL |
| K/9 | 9.0, 6th in NL | 4.4, 51st in NL |
Kershaw's 2.30 ERA since May 1 is the second-best in the NL during that time. Only Tim Lincecum and his 1.91 ERA has been better.
David Wright, the starting NL third baseman in next week's All-Star game, is mired in a 5 for 40 slump over his last ten games, and his hitting .125/.186/.225 during that span. Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News reported that this slump, as well as the Mets' struggles of late, have weighed on Wright:
"It's really been a grind, both mentally and physically, lately," Wright said. "It will be nice to kind of just not think about baseball and not really have to do anything physically. Hopefully, it gives me a little time to stay off my feet, and I hit the ground running come (Tuesday). ... We're not hitting as a team. I'm not hitting individually. I think for us to be successful, I need to swing the bat better than I am now."
Here is a look at the numbers on the road for the Dodger regulars:
| Player | PA | BA/OBP/SLG | OPS | sOPS+ | BABIP |
| Manny | 75 | .333/.467/.567 | 1.033 | 184 | .362 |
| Kemp | 172 | .315/.401/.483 | .884 | 143 | .389 |
| Pierre | 137 | .358/.402/.480 | .881 | 142 | .386 |
| Loney | 177 | .316/.390/.481 | .871 | 139 | .324 |
| Blake | 162 | .273/.352/.511 | .863 | 135 | .313 |
| Hudson | 188 | .283/.339/.380 | .718 | 98 | .348 |
| Furcal | 163 | .252/.340/.336 | .675 | 88 | .282 |
| Martin | 166 | .250/.349/.406 | .655 | 83 | .313 |
| Ethier | 172 | .207/.326/.317 | .643 | 79 | .239 |
| Dodgers Team | 1685 | .274/.357/.401 | .759 | 109 | .321 |
Rafael Furcal has started off July on the right foot, with nine hits in 17 at-bats, hitting .529/.556/.706 so far this month.
Matt Kemp, part of the Final Vote for the MLB All-Star game, should have a good game today if the other candidates have set any sort of precedent:
- Shane Victorino: 4 for 5, two doubles, a homer, five runs, four RBI in a 22-1 nailbiter
- Pablo Sandoval: a grand slam in a 5-4 win over Florida.
- Mark Reynolds: game-winning single against the Padres
- Christian Guzman: 0 for 4; OK, maybe there wasn't a pattern
After you vote for Kemp many, many times, you can also vote for Andre Ethier to win the Pepsi Clutch Performer of the Month. Voting ends tonight at midnight.
The Dodgers were 121-131 all-time at Shea Stadium, the Mets' former home.
I was a guest on SportsNet New York's SNY.TV, to discuss the upcoming series. The clip is here:
Get your guesses in for "Clogging The Bases" here.
Get your guesses in for the Manny Ramirez T-Shirt Contest
Game Time: 4:10pm
TV: KCAL
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Dewitt
I wasn’t around this weekend, did Dewitt get called up and replace McDonald?
Won’t be able to catch any of today’s game against the Mets. Have friends in town and since they wanted to see a ball game while they were here, we are goign down to watch that American League team play in Orange County.
by mwhite06 on Jul 7, 2009 1:05 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
DeWitt replaced Milton who went on the DL with the same bad back
by meercatjohn on Jul 7, 2009 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
DeWitt came up to replace Eric Milton, who went back on the DL with a strained back.
by Eric Stephen on Jul 7, 2009 1:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Love the facade
Time to go to NY and catch the new stadiums.
by meercatjohn on Jul 7, 2009 1:07 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I just added the clip of an interview I did with SNY today…see above.
by Eric Stephen on Jul 7, 2009 1:15 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Heh
I don’t know if that’s a rip or compliment. :)
by Eric Stephen on Jul 7, 2009 1:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mets Lineup
from Newsday:
Castillo – 2b
Cora – ss
Wright – 3b
Sheffield – rf
Tatis – 1b
Church – rf
Evans – lf
Santos – c
Pelfrey – sp
by Eric Stephen on Jul 7, 2009 1:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
That’s a beatable lineup, that’s for sure.
by Eric Stephen on Jul 7, 2009 1:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
By our Isotope team with Kershaw pitching
by meercatjohn on Jul 7, 2009 1:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That lineup sucks!
Wright is the only guy that is scary.
Heck, when the Dodgers put up the scrub squad lineup, its still better than what the Mets put up.
And what happened to Daniel Murphy?
by Tripon on Jul 7, 2009 1:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
We are so screwed now that we have made fun of the lineup
the last time i did that the lineup kicked our ass.
by meercatjohn on Jul 7, 2009 2:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nice Job on the call in.
You do sound like Rob Neyer ( voice wise), smarter though.
by meercatjohn on Jul 7, 2009 1:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Belisario to DL; Wade up
I find it odd that they’re bringing Wade up again. He can’t be trusted in Belisario’s role, so it looks like we’ll be seeing lots of Mota coming up.
by silverwidow on Jul 7, 2009 2:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Or Troncoso is going to be ridden even harder.
by Tripon on Jul 7, 2009 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
It is strange
Wade only pitched twice and wasn’t very good. I would have expected the German.
by meercatjohn on Jul 7, 2009 2:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Should create for some interesting choices coming up…Maybe Leach can start pitching to RHB too now
by Eric Stephen on Jul 7, 2009 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'll be happy if that happens. :)
Doubt that happens though until Ohman comes back. The big reason why Leach is a LOOGY is so Torre can use him in potentially all 3 games.
by Tripon on Jul 7, 2009 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm not sure we really want to see Leach pitch against RHP very much
careful what you wish for.
by meercatjohn on Jul 7, 2009 3:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Leach actually have better numbers vs. RHP over LHP
RHP: .107/.194/.250 in 31 PAs, .444 OPS
LHP: .182/.308/.364 in 39 PAs, .671 OPS
He can pitch to right handers.
by Tripon on Jul 7, 2009 3:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
What are his minor league splits? I don’t know them, but I do know I don’t want to make judgments based on 31-39 PA
by Eric Stephen on Jul 7, 2009 3:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I can't find the info. :(
I can’t find a site that gives minor league split info.
by Tripon on Jul 7, 2009 3:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I found one
it’s in the game thread, which is now up.
by Eric Stephen on Jul 7, 2009 3:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I expect McDonald to see some Belisario action
by meercatjohn on Jul 7, 2009 2:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Nice
I didn’t even think about that.
by Eric Stephen on Jul 7, 2009 2:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Torre using more than his 3 trusted relievers? Pershaw! :)
by Tripon on Jul 7, 2009 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mota is inching his way into “trusted” status, which may or may not be a bad thing.
by Eric Stephen on Jul 7, 2009 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Final Vote update -- sounds like Kemp is 4th
“At the 48-hour mark, Sandoval and Kinsler have each re-gained those leads with balloting ahead of last year’s record pace as 22.2 million votes have been cast exclusively on MLB.com and the individual Club sites. While Sandoval and Victorino swapped the top spot on the ballot last night, Mark Reynolds of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers each have garnered nearly two million votes and are looming in this very close race for the final roster spot on the 2009 National League All-Star Team. They are followed by Cristian Guzman of the Washington Nationals.”
by Eric Stephen on Jul 7, 2009 3:00 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Dodgers lineup
From LA Daily News (are they there?):
Furcal SS
Hudson 2B
Ramirez LF
Blake 3B
Loney 1B
Martin C
Ethier RF
Kemp CF
Kershaw P
by Eric Stephen on Jul 7, 2009 3:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
L.A. Daily News is part of a huge newspaper conglomergate.
I’m sure they have a N.Y. Afflinate that they could have sent to cover the games.
by Tripon on Jul 7, 2009 3:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Really irks the hell of out me to see Martin sixth and Kemp eighth.
And don’t get me started on Loney 5th. Good thing lineups don’t matter much. I’ll remember that when we have 1st/2nd with no outs when Loney hits into a double play and Martin grounds out to SS. My Rolex moment of the day.
by meercatjohn on Jul 7, 2009 3:30 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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