Dodgers Offense, Day Lilly Go Down To Defeat Again
by Eric Stephen on May 15, 2011 4:21 PM PDT
in Dodgers Game Recaps
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PrintThe good news was that Ted Lilly threw six innings for the fourth straight outing on Sunday, and didn't allow a run in five of those innings. The bad news was that in the fateful second inning, Lilly allowed four runs, including back-to-back home runs by Xavier Nady and Ryan Roberts, giving the Diamondbacks a 4-1 win over the Dodgers in the series finale at Dodger Stadium.
The four runs in the second inning was the first four-run inning by the Diamondbacks since April 12. It was the fourth inning of three runs or more allowed by Lilly this season. In four daytime starts this season, Lilly has allowed five home runs, and 18 runs in 21 innings (a 7.71 ERA). The Dodgers have lost all four games.
Ian Kennedy was stellar for Arizona, allowing just one run in his six innings of work, picking up his fourth victory. Kennedy allowed hits to both Jamey Carroll and Aaron Miles in each of their first two times up, but made up for it by retiring 18 of the other 19 batters he faced, with a walk and eight strikeouts. He retired the final 12 batters he faced. Kennedy in his last five starts is 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA, with eight walks and 37 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings.
After Kennedy pitched his six innings, the Dodgers trailed 4-1, which was a deficit that proved to be too tough to overcome. The Dodgers fell to 1-18 when trailing after six innings this season, a winning percentage of .053. The entire National League was 36-226, a .137 winning percentage when trailing after six innings, entering today.
The Dodgers managed to score just five runs in the three-game weekend series.
One bright spot for the Dodgers was Scott Elbert, who made his first major league appearance of 2011 today. Elbert, who never met a batter he couldn't walk, faced three Diamondbacks in the top of the eighth inning, and struck them all out. Elbert threw 19 pitches, 12 for strikes.
In addition, Javy Guerra arrived in Los Angeles this morning, and made his major league debut pitching the top of the ninth inning. Guerra retired the first batter he faced, Melvin Mora, on a grounder back to the box, then allowed a bloop single to Chris Young, who was promptly caught stealing by Guerra. Guerra fanned Kelly Johnson for his first big league strikeout to end the inning.
The Dodgers staged a rally off closer J.J. Putz in the ninth, putting two runners on base for pinch hitter Rod Barajas. Barajas hit a ball well, but to the deepest part of the park, to the wall in center field, with enough room for Young to easily catch it. Jerry Sands followed with a long, nine-pitch at-bat off Putz, but it ended unsuccessfully, with a pop out caught by Johnson.
The Dodgers open a two-game series Monday night with the Brewers, with Jon Garland starting four days after his RBI single was washed away in Pittsburgh, opposed by Shaun Marcum of Milwaukee.
WP - Ian Kennedy (4-1): 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
LP - Ted Lilly (3-4): 6 IP, 5 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Sv - J.J. Putz (9): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
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I know I'm beating a dead horse here and preaching to the choir
but regarding Navarro, how long do the Dodgers tolerate how awful he looks? His at bats are terrible, and he’s not good enough behind the plate to make up for that.
I would like reporters to start asking Dodgers about it. There is literally nothing DN is better at than AJE — as far as I can tell he’s worse in all categories. Sink the costs and move on, please.
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
Dioner Navarro has hit a home run in his lifetime, including this season.
by Eric Stephen on May 15, 2011 4:26 PM PDT up reply actions
That does nothing for me.
But I guess it does for them, that plus he’s a switch hitter, even if a crummy one. But I guess they don’t value OBP at all. Barajas can provide the pop and Ellis can get on base and be solid in other ways. :-)
Sooo… when’s JT Wise gonna be ready? Post apocalypse?
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
he has what, 19 PAs?
I think people are jumping the gun here. I don’t expect him to be good either, but its a bit quick to turn on the guy. He also had an ops of .850 until yesterday, so I don’t get how people are saying he has done nothing this year
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.
I guess I'm also looking at how terrible he was last year
and that he hasn’t been godo for awhile. I agree, it’s probably unfair to completely punt him based on his relatively few at bats so far. But he has also generally had some pretty terrible at bats. His defense has gotten better since a couple of early bad games at least. But either he’s just pressing (swinging at everything) and if he stops pressing he’ll be better, or he just isn’t very good at this point.
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
godo = good
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
Back up catcher?
We’re talkin’ about the back up catcher?
I thought we were talking about a scapegoat.
jus sayin’
by 68elcamino427 on May 15, 2011 4:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Entering the game today
Navarro had a wOBA of .355 which is much better than Barajas and Ellis.
It probably went way down today, but that’s the point, the sample size is way too small right now.
by Michael White on May 15, 2011 4:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Fair enough, I'll try to give him more time since dodgers obviously will...
but (see my response above) and…
AJ Ellis .346 OBP lifetime (admittedly his .421 this year is even more a SSS)
Navarro: .310 OBP lifetime
Obviously Dodgers like him behind the plate but we’ll see…
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
He PLAYED HIS WAY OUT OF BASEBALL one year ago.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on May 15, 2011 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions
So was Junior Spivey and Lance Carter, for example. :-)
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
This is confusing
other then this weekend Navarro has been solid. He may end up sucking you all sound like he’s sucking now and that is simply not backed up by the facts. You give every Dodger the benefit of the doubt, so this is truly bizarre coming from you.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
Said it last night at dinner and at the game, will say it again
James Loney is about to catch fire. His swing looks really good right now, his timing looks A LOT better. He’s not going to magically become Albert Pujols, but 2010 1st Half James Loney is about to show us he still exists.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
by G.Scott on May 15, 2011 5:15 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Be snarky if you must, be jaded if youlike, but try not to disregard an opinion just because it isn’t yours.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
Was showing last week how he looked like he wasn’t picking the ball up well and was reflective in his front foot not getting down in time. He’s taken probably 5 or 6 swings in the last two games that were dead perfect timing and he hit the ball hard to the right side as a result. I’m really excited for the next couple weeks and I don’t think it should be attributed to “road loney”
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
You have to admit that when Loney’s on it’s a laser show.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on May 15, 2011 5:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Don’t see any reason why it won’t. Loney isn’t the worst hitter in baseball and just like Kemp was due for a cold streak, Loney has a hot one coming.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on May 15, 2011 5:36 PM PDT up reply actions
I disagree with you. I think that is far too simplistic and mathematically driven. Yes, stats will find their way back to the mean, and that’s often a result of a cold streak after a hot streak, or a long period of mediocrity after a hot streak, but there is always a REASON for both hot and cold streaks. Sure, sometimes the reasons are the fluctuation of luck stats like BABIP and whatnot, but the typical reason for a hot streak is a hitter making an adjustment, whether that be in his swing or in his approach, and the typically result of a cold streak is the adjustment back by the opposition, a hurt/nagging/sore something, or simple fatigue because when you’re hot you play every out until you’re not.
My point being: no one is ever “due” for anything. There are reasons for hot and cold streaks, and none of them are because statistics suggest they should or should not be hot or cold.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
Right and these adjustments happen time and time again over the course of a season. No one would be able to last in the bigs if they couldn’t make the adjustment so you just can’t expect that Loney was going to go up there and look like shit all year.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on May 15, 2011 5:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Sure you can. It happens all the time when you see players have down years and then it takes the whole offseason for them to see what the opposition was doing to them for the adjustment to be made. Just as you sometimes get the Jose Bautista season where he makes the adjustment and then has historic, out of the blue years.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
Fair enough. I just think it’s fair to expect that the adjustment will be made and things will get fixed, but it’s no guarantee that it will.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on May 15, 2011 5:56 PM PDT up reply actions
you don't mean Marlins v. Cubs, do you?!
Sorry, just don’t think much about basketball :)
by TopDeckTrueBlue on May 15, 2011 7:48 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Hit it harder than the Dogs did this weekend.
by KellyStephen on May 15, 2011 5:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Allen Webster
6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Tremendous. Now with a 10.27 K/9, 3.61 BB/9. Move him to AA!
Small sample but Webster has a serious reverse platoon split going. .425 OOPS against lefties but .720 against righties. Mean anything or just noise?
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on May 15, 2011 6:00 PM PDT up reply actions
Since .720 still isn’t anything terrible, I think it’s promising. My assumption is that he has some good arm side action that is getting out the lefties but is giving the righties a pitch to hit. Again, assumption, but it seems reasonable.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
Yeah not saying it’s bad just that it’s weird. He’s only had 12 innings against lefties so it’s far too soon to draw any conclusions.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on May 15, 2011 6:04 PM PDT up reply actions
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