Dodgers Week 19 In Review: Call In The Wolf
by Eric Stephen on Aug 17, 2009 7:00 AM PDT
in Dodgers Weekly Reviews
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This was an up and down week for the Dodgers, starting with the high of winning the first two games handily in San Francisco, followed by the emotional low of losing three straight games, including one in gut punch fashion Saturday night in Arizona.
Baseball took a back seat briefly on Saturday, as Hiroki Kuroda was hit in the head by a line drive, and had to be taken to the hospital. The good news was that there was no bleeding or fractures, and his CT scan was negative, so he will be okay soon. When he pitches again is up in the air, but the most important fact is that he is healthy.
In the end, the Dodgers finished 3-3 on the week, and although they lost a half game in their division lead, they gained a game in their cushion for a playoff spot, leading the Giants by 6½ games. As the sands of the seasonal hourglass drift away, time is on the Dodgers side.
Dodger Batter of the Week: Andre Ethier was the man this week, hitting .440/.500/.680 with seven RBI. Honorable mention goes to Manny Ramirez and Matt Kemp, as all three outfielders were the top producers (in OPS). If the Dodger offense is U2, the outfield is Bono and The Edge, while everyone else is Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr.
Dodger Pitcher of the Week: Randy Wolf came through with two very good, and very long starts, pitching into the eighth inning on both occasions, to win this award. Honorable mention goes to Hiroki Kuroda, who pitched two excellent games as well, and was on his way to pitching deep into his second win of the week before getting hit in the head by a line drive on Saturday night.
Week 19 Record: 3-3
28 runs scored (4.67 per game)
18 runs allowed (3.00 per game)
.708 pythagorean winning percentage
Overall Seasonal Record: 70-48 (.593)
580 runs scored (4.92 per game)
463 runs allowed (3.92 per game)
.611 pythagorean winning percentage (72-46)
Pitching & HItting: Not only did Randy Wolf retire 20 straight batters at one point, taking a one-hit shutout into the eighth inning Sunday against the Diamondbacks, but he also became just the sixth LA Dodger pitcher to collect three hits and a home run in the same game.
None Shall Pass: Hiroki Kuroda didn't walk a batter on Saturday night, which was the 28th start of Kuroda's 46-start Dodger career in which he walked zero or one batter. No LA Dodger pitcher in history has more such games in their first 50 games as a Dodger than Kuroda:
| First 50 Games as LA Dodger Most Starts With < 2 Walks |
|
| Pitcher | 0-1 BB Gms |
| Hiroki Kuroda | 28 |
| Don Sutton | 27 |
| Tim Belcher | 21 |
| Pedro Astacio | 19 |
| Alan Foster | 18 |
Vroom Vroom Party Starter: Rafael Furcal has reached base via hit or walk in 25 straight games, hitting .297/.352/.414 with 18 runs scored during that stretch.
Emptying The Bases: Matt Kemp had a pair of three-RBI hits to start the week, a three-run double on Monday and a three-run home run on Tuesday in San Francisco. Kemp leads the Dodgers with seven 3+ RBI hits this season. The Dodgers as a team have had 22 different 3+ RBI hits this season.
Transactions: Only one move this week:
- Tuesday: Eric Stults was optioned to AAA Albuquerque after his one start, to make room for ...
- Tuesday: Charlie Haeger and his fluttering knuckleball had his contract purchased from AAA Albuquerque, adding him to both the 40-man and 25-man rosters. Haeger was called up earlier in the week just in case a long man was needed Wednesday in San Francisco. He didn't pitch on that day, but is scheduled to start Monday against the Cardinals
Upcoming Week: The Dodgers come back home this week for a full slate of games. The Cardinals come to town for their comeuppance for three games, followed by four games against the Cubs.
Week 19 Stats
| Player | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SB/CS | BA/OBP/SLG | OPS |
| Ethier | 25 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0/0 | .440/.500/.680 | 1.180 |
| Manny | 23 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0/0 | .348/.423/.565 | .988 |
| Kemp | 24 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2/1 | .250/.333/.625 | .958 |
| Hudson | 16 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0/0 | .250/.333/.500 | .833 |
| Furcal | 20 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0/1 | .250/.348/.300 | .648 |
| Loney | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0/0 | .188/.278/.188 | .465 |
| Blake | 21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0/0 | .095/.269/.190 | .460 |
| Martin | 22 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | .091/.091/.091 | .182 |
| Pierre | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | .600/.600/1.000 | 1.600 |
| Ausmus | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | .400/.400/.400 | .800 |
| Loretta | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0/0 | .200/.250/.200 | .450 |
| Castro | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | .200/.200/.200 | .400 |
| Pitchers | 14 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0/0 | .286/.286/.571 | .857 |
| Totals | 211 | 28 | 54 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 27 | 20 | 2/2 | .256/.325/.412 | .737 |
| Pitcher | G | W-L | Sv | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | ERA | WHIP |
| Weaver | 1 | 0-0 | -- | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0.00 | 1.333 |
| Kuroda | 2 | 1-0 | -- | 11.1 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1.59 | 0.882 |
| Wolf | 2 | 2-0 | -- | 15.2 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 2.30 | 0.574 |
| Kershaw | 1 | 0-1 | -- | 4.1 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 8.31 | 2.308 |
| Sherrill | 3 | 0-0 | -- | 4.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 | 1.000 |
| Belisario | 3 | 0-0 | -- | 2.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.857 |
| Kuo | 3 | 0-0 | -- | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0.00 | 1.500 |
| Troncoso | 3 | 0-1 | -- | 3.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3.00 | 1.667 |
| McDonald | 3 | 0-0 | -- | 3.1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5.40 | 1.800 |
| Mota | 3 | 0-1 | -- | 2.2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6.75 | 0.750 |
| Broxton | 2 | 0-0 | 1 | 2.0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 13.50 | 2.000 |
| Totals | 6 |
3-3 | 1 | 53.2 | 42 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 43 | 3.02 | 1.099 |
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3 Stooges award
goes to Loney/Blake/Martin.
I knew they were useless last week but I didn’t know to what extent.
I will say something positive about Martin
he had some good swings yesterday
Agreed. And I still liked his hard out to RF Friday too.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 17, 2009 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions
obviously we need a little more visibility on kuroda
but wolf’s performance obviously nudges him back into view as a potential #4 in the postseason.
Wolf, at the very worst, is the #4 starter for the Dodgers. If anything, he has nudged to a potential #2 or maybe even #1, depending on Billingsley’s health
by Eric Stephen on Aug 17, 2009 9:29 AM PDT up reply actions
In other words, there has never been a scenario all season in which Wolf would have had to work his way back to becoming a “potential #4.”
by Eric Stephen on Aug 17, 2009 9:30 AM PDT up reply actions
my point was more the 3 vs 4 option in the postseason
If torre would give wolf the game ball in a nlds game 4. Of course, that could vary based on if it was a clincher game, whether or not chad won (or gave up 2 or less) in game 1, etc. I honestly have no idea if most managers typically choose to change from a 3 to 4 going from a DS to CS, or what Torre did in the 90s with the Stankees.
by stillnotah8er on Aug 17, 2009 11:44 AM PDT up reply actions
Pierre's slugging 1.600?
How is this guy not in the lineup? : )
"Andre Dawson has a bruised knee and is listed as day-to-day.... Aren't we all?"
by Mr. LA Sports Fan on Aug 17, 2009 9:27 AM PDT reply actions
OPSing
my bad
"Andre Dawson has a bruised knee and is listed as day-to-day.... Aren't we all?"
by Mr. LA Sports Fan on Aug 17, 2009 9:27 AM PDT up reply actions
Hmmm...
Why would they rush him?
2009-10 LA Kings Hockey: Where Smyt Happens!!
by DodgerBlueBalls on Aug 17, 2009 9:40 AM PDT up reply actions
Not true. Carpenter started Wednesday. Cards were off Thursday. 3 games rest. 4 days rest.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 17, 2009 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions
This comment by Peter Gammons is pretty funny.
It’s worth remembering that Bryce Harper, the expected No. 1 pick in 2010, is also a Boras client. And a veteran free-agent pitcher such as Jarrod Washburn, at three years and $36 million this offseason, may outperform Strasburg, at, say, three years and $22 million, but not in terms of selling the franchise product and value next summer. (Put Strasburg on the market next July and see what the Yankees, Red Sox and other big markets would pay in terms of young talent.)
Oh man, I would not want to be the one paying Washburn $36 million.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 17, 2009 10:06 AM PDT up reply actions
Thanks, and thanks for the Castro note…it is now corrected.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 17, 2009 10:56 AM PDT up reply actions
Russ Ortiz is now a free agent after opting out
and rosenthal says “Instead, Ortiz, wants to pitch in the majors for a contender. As Rosenthal points out, the Dodgers are looking for pitching, especially after seeing Hiroki Kuroda take a line drive to the head.”
is russ ortiz the answer?
If Russ Ortiz
is the answer then I’ll quit writing about the Dodgers.
by meercatjohn on Aug 17, 2009 12:03 PM PDT up reply actions
the thought of Russ in Dodger blue is kind of revolting
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
If Russ Ortiz is the answer, you’re asking the wrong question.
I feel like this could be a running joke all day, where everyone can come up with a snarky response to Russ Ortiz :)
by Eric Stephen on Aug 17, 2009 12:20 PM PDT up reply actions
“So I figured, when was the next time I’m going to be in Haiti?”
by Eric Stephen on Aug 17, 2009 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions
“Who is between Roberto Ortiz and Daniel Ortmeier in the Baseball Almanac list of players?”
by KellyStephen on Aug 17, 2009 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions
If Russ Ortiz is the answer
I’d rather trade him to Joe Dumars for Chauncey Babababillups!
by Eric Stephen on Aug 17, 2009 12:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Russ Ortiz is definitely the answer
…to the question “Who should the Dodgers avoid at all costs”
"Andre Dawson has a bruised knee and is listed as day-to-day.... Aren't we all?"
by Mr. LA Sports Fan on Aug 17, 2009 2:07 PM PDT up reply actions
tigers acquire Aubrey Huff
from the orioles
Adrian Gonzalez has 19 hits over his last 6 games: .633/.645/1.000.
Per the Padres, the last MLB player with at least 19 hits over a 6-game span was Johnny Damon in 2004.
When Rafael Furcal had his three straight 4-hit games in 2007, he had a 6-game stretch with 17 hits.
DodgertownUSA#Dodgers Lineup: Furcal SS Hudson 2B Ethier RF Ramirez LF Blake 3B Kemp CF Loney 1B Ausmus C Haeger P Follow @ http://tinyurl.com/nw8htc13 minutes ago from web
Yeah, I am actually enjoying that the Raiders have embraced completely falling off the deep end :)
by Eric Stephen on Aug 17, 2009 3:58 PM PDT up reply actions
I mean, if they are going to suck, just be comical at least.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 17, 2009 3:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Bold prediction
Nathan Eovaldi has a better MLB career than Strasburg. And he only cost 250k to sign.
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