We're Getting Spoiled By Clayton Kershaw
by Eric Stephen on Aug 29, 2011 9:56 PM PDT
in Dodgers Game Recaps
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PrintIt has gotten to a point where Clayton Kershaw is so good we look at a nine-inning performance and say "only five strikeouts?" But that was all Kershaw needed, allowing one run on six hits for his fifth complete game of the season in a 4-1 Dodgers win over the Padres.
Kershaw (17-5) is the first Dodger to win 17 games since Chan Ho Park, who won 18 games in 2000. With his five strikeouts, Kershaw pushed his National League leading total to 212, which tied his career high, set last year.
Kershaw allowed 30 foul balls and got just nine swinging strikes on the night, but he got a lot of help from his friends early, as the Dodgers turned three double plays. The final one, in the fifth inning, was a great play by James Loney on a sacrifice bunt attempt by pitcher Mat Latos, which turned into the all too rare 3-6-4 double play. But Loney didn't limit his exploits to the field.
At the plate Loney carried a big stick, continuing his improbable nine-day hot streak. Loney crushed a fastball from Latos in the third inning, hitting it into the right field pavilion for a two-run home run and a 3-0 Dodger lead. In the fifth inning, Loney hit one off Latos to nearly the same spot but this one was off the wall for a double.
Since he warmed up in the bullpen in Colorado, Loney has an eight-game hitting streak, during which he has six multi-hit games and is hitting .514/.541/1.000 with five doubles and four home runs. Loney has driven in a run in six straight games, the longest streak by any Dodger this season.
Former Dodger Orlando Hudson, who has one career home run against Kershaw, just missed hitting one out in the top of the fourth inning, doubling high off the wall in left center field to lead off the inning. After a ground out and infield pop out, it looked like Hudson would be stranded, but Nick Hundley erased that thought with a double down the left field line, plating Hudson and snapping Kershaw's scoreless streak at 17 innings.
Matt Kemp stole his 35th base of the season in the first inning, which tied his career high, set in 2008.
Manager Don Mattingly shuffled his starting rotation a bit, moving Chad Billingsley's next start to Friday and Nathan Eovaldi's final start to Saturday, both in Atlanta, per Ken Gurnick and AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. The Dodgers will call up someone from the minors to start Thursday in Pittsburgh, which just happens to be September 1, the first day rosters expand. The leading candidate appears to be Dana Eveland, as he was on track to start tonight for Triple A Albuquerque but Francisco Felix started instead. Eveland is not listed as one of the Isotopes' probable starters in any of their next four games either.
Hiroki Kuroda pitches for the Dodgers Tuesday night, facing Tim Stauffer of the Padres.
WP - Clayton Kershaw (17-5): 9 IP, 6 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
LP - Mat Latos (6-13): 6 IP, 5 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts
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CK
July: 4-1, 2.02 ERA in 5 starts, 8/45 BB/K in 35.2 IP. NL Pitcher of the Month
Aug: 5-1, 1.55 ERA in 6 starts, 10/39 BB/K in 46.1 IP
That said, it will be tought for CK to win this month
Cliff Lee: 4-0, 0.58 ERA (2 ER in 31 IP), 7/32 BB/K in four starts with one start remaining (Wednesday)
Zack Greinke is also 5-1, but with a 3.02 ERA.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 29, 2011 10:48 PM PDT up reply actions
its lee or kershaw
if lee throws a stinker, its kershaws
by matthewmafa on Aug 29, 2011 10:50 PM PDT up reply actions
Roy Halladay still is the best pitcher in the NL.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Aug 29, 2011 10:55 PM PDT up reply actions
Tina Turner says
what’s love got to do with it
by Hollywood Joe on Aug 29, 2011 10:56 PM PDT up reply actions
thats good
but were talking about pitcher of the month….
by matthewmafa on Aug 29, 2011 11:18 PM PDT up reply actions
Halladay won’t win for August, but his 1.37 FIP (in 4 starts) is easily the best in the league.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 29, 2011 11:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Let’s hope Lee gets whacked by the Reds in the Great American Hitters Park.
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by David Young on Aug 29, 2011 10:52 PM PDT up reply actions
I hope Eric has tweeted a form of that. Joe Block would retweet that in an instant.
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by David Young on Aug 29, 2011 10:52 PM PDT up reply actions
As you should.
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by David Young on Aug 29, 2011 10:59 PM PDT up reply actions
watching the highlights of that game
looks like Timmy might have pulled something. of the leg/groin variety
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Aug 29, 2011 10:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Posted my FanPost reflecting on watching the Isotopes. Last night was their final home game of the year.
Kershaw, you da man.
Love what Loney is doing right now, even if it may end up just being his swan song as a Dodger.
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Aug 29, 2011 10:13 PM PDT reply actions
at the stadium tonight – Loney just crushed both those balls, finally getting hip action
I was even pleased with his swinging K, he swung
by Hollywood Joe on Aug 29, 2011 10:16 PM PDT up reply actions
i just can’t figure out whether this is a good thing.
if loney simply isn’t hitting, then it is easy – non-tender
but now he will probably start hitting like a proper 1B: then we need to decide what will happen to him in the near future, either that he will “decide to be a better player” or go back to his 08~09 form next year
he will "decide to be a better player"
Baseball isn’t that easy.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 29, 2011 10:22 PM PDT up reply actions
if it was easy
then everybody would do it
by Dodgerblue8188 on Aug 30, 2011 9:28 AM PDT up reply actions
provided Loney keeps his swing the same as it is now, I’m alright with it. I seem to remember someone in the FO or maybe in the coaching staff saying that Loney liked to change things all the damn time, which made it really difficult for him to be consistent. GScott thinks he finally got his timing down.
I dunno, I just wish he had it figured out earlier.
I pitched to Matt Kemp, and all I got was this stupid earned run.
GScott thinks he finally got his timing down.
Things heard on TBLA night May 14, too
by Eric Stephen on Aug 29, 2011 10:25 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Easy rec.
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by David Young on Aug 29, 2011 10:54 PM PDT up reply actions
It is in quotes, so I think it isn’t intended literally.
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by David Young on Aug 29, 2011 10:53 PM PDT up reply actions
As long as he is a Dodger I want him to do well
I can’t get all caught up in anything else – good baseball is its own reward
by Hollywood Joe on Aug 29, 2011 10:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Its still easy to non-tender him.
Just look at this entire season, and the last 3 seasons.
He’d need to hit like 10 homers in Sept to really make the Dodgers believe he figured something out in the last month and half that would last going forward.
i think you are mostly right
I would be looking for consistency in approach, more than even outcomes, strangely enough, if I was going to make this decision
He is all of a suddent so much more active in his hips, less hands, bigger muscle swing. I like big muscle group swings
by Hollywood Joe on Aug 29, 2011 10:26 PM PDT up reply actions
I watched the videos of his last two homers and he certainly seems more open, as if he’s not constraining his arms with his body anymore. I do wonder if he’s opening up a little and will get killed when they pitch him away again, but when they leave the ball over the plate, that swing will get ’er done.
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by David Young on Aug 29, 2011 10:58 PM PDT up reply actions
I guess I didn’t pay much attention to it before, but Loney is finishing his swing completely two-handed now. Was that the case before? I can’t picture it.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 29, 2011 11:02 PM PDT up reply actions
Here’s a video from April 9. Does let go with the top hand earlier back then.
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by David Young on Aug 29, 2011 11:11 PM PDT up reply actions
Speaking of video
Ever wonder what would happen if Matt Kemp got face Ted Lilly? In case you’ve forgotten, check out this monster shot and pay attention to the sound. This is the ball the lands on the concourse behind the Dodgers’ bullpen.
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by David Young on Aug 29, 2011 11:17 PM PDT up reply actions
i remember that
man, that happened in 09?
"We're the best in the west and the west is ours!"
- Good Time Boys
Sam Fuld also got an up-close view of the LF bullpen gate that day (robbing Brad Ausmus)
by Eric Stephen on Aug 29, 2011 11:30 PM PDT up reply actions
when they pitch him away he will have an opportunity to extend into the ball and drive away rather than slap away
by Hollywood Joe on Aug 29, 2011 11:13 PM PDT up reply actions
If he’s opening too early, won’t he be off-balance on the outside pitch and lunging at it a bit?
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by David Young on Aug 29, 2011 11:18 PM PDT up reply actions
the idea it to recognize, I am hoping with active hips that he is seeing the center in pitch and then clearing hips instead of just clearing hips and hoping for an inside pitch
that is the difference between guessing and hitting
he should be able to recognize outside, still have good hip action, and drive the ball to left center
by Hollywood Joe on Aug 29, 2011 11:22 PM PDT up reply actions
yeah, I seem to recall he had a double the other way yesterday (Sunday)
by dodgerpreacher on Aug 30, 2011 12:51 AM PDT up reply actions
Its going to be one of the most awesome things ever when Kershaw wins Cy Young, and Kemp wins MVP..on a that team wins 75 games and finishes double digits out of 1st.
Just a bizarre season.
kinda sucks
Its not even Sept and there’s really not any playoff races unless the Rangers/Angels count.
yeah, but
each Dodger game is a joy unto itself
until the playoffs I dont need much more than that
this season, disappointing but interesting
by Hollywood Joe on Aug 29, 2011 10:29 PM PDT up reply actions
this
any day is a good day to be a Dodgers, Eagles, Penguins, Clippers, Texas A&M fan! except when they lose
I was born the year Brett Favre started playing.... amazing
If you're a troll, bandwagoner, or NNAMDI iZ SO GREATZ-er fuck off or i will go apeshit on you
by henry-dekoeyer-eagle-fan on Aug 29, 2011 10:38 PM PDT via iPhone app up reply actions
haha
its gonna be awesome when the 2nd place WC team is 8 games back from WC winner.
by NotJoeTorre on Aug 29, 2011 10:48 PM PDT up reply actions
so
loney is still going to be nontendered if he keeps this up for the rest of the season ???
There is another picnic FanPost up
this one with a photo and a link to a set of photos.
Previous FanPost with some photos as well.
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more impressive than the CG in my opinion is that he did it after throwing 435 pitches in the first two innings. CK is a BOSS
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