Dodgers, Rockies To Be Heard, Not Seen

As the Dodgers and Rockies play their second game of the series, to be seen live by only about 35,000 people or so as the game is on tape delay, my thoughts turn to John Ely.

In Ely's first 14 starts, it was easy to simply break it down until the good half (his first seven starts) and the bad half (his next seven starts). I know it was easy, because I did it myself. However, it was a little more complicated than that. With his return last Saturday, Ely has made 15 starts this season for the Dodgers. He has pitched six innings or longer 10 times, and has nine quality starts. Delivering a quality start 60% of the time is fourth-best on the staff, and a better percentage than Chad Billingsley, for instance.

Ely has had some stinkers, to be sure. But he has also delivered more often than not, far more often than one could reasonably expect from a pitcher who started the season maybe eighth, at best, on the starting rotation depth chart.

Ely has not faced the Rockies yet this season.

Jhoulys Chacin has faced the Dodgers four times this year, and is 2-2 with a 3.65 ERA against them, with 13 walks, 24 strikeouts, and no home runs allowed in 24 2/3 innings. His record is even against Los Angeles at both Dodger Stadium and Coors Field.

Andre Ethier, who has reached base in each of his last seven plate appearances, has five hits, including two doubles, and two walks in nine plate appearances against Chacin, hitting .714/.778/1.000. James Loney and Casey Blake each have a single and two doubles in 12 PA against Chacin.

Today is the first tape-delayed Dodgers game since May 16, 2009, when they were in Florida to face the Marlins. The game started one hour earlier, at 6 p.m. EDT, because of a concert by Stevie B and TKA, and as a result the first hour was not seen live, like today because of the Fox exclusivity window on Saturdays.

Game Time:  1:10 p.m.

TV:  Prime Ticket (delayed), 4 p.m.

Baseball Reference Preview | Box Score | Gameday