True Blue LA - September 23: Cardinals 11, Dodgers 0Where The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2022-09-23T22:08:59-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/231335492022-09-23T22:08:59-07:002022-09-23T22:08:59-07:00Albert Pujols joins the 700 club in rout of Dodgers
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<figcaption>LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 23: St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Albert Pujols (5) gives former MLB player Adrian Beltre a high five after his career home run number 700 as a three run home run in the 4th inning of the MLB game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 23, 2022 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. | Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Pujols hit No. 699 off Andrew Heaney, then No. 700 off Phil Bickford</p> <p id="n9Pmap">Albert Pujols has long had a spot secured in the pantheon of all-time great baseball players, but on Friday he showed he still has plenty left in the tank. Pujols smashed two home runs to become the fourth member of the 700-homer club, keying the Cardinals’ 11-0 rout of the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> at Dodger Stadium.</p>
<p id="TtzrHe">Before the game, Pujols and fellow Cardinals retiree Yadier Molina were presented golf clubs from the Dodgers in a pregame ceremony. Pujols addressed the crowd over the public address system.</p>
<p id="67OjhR">“You guys brought me the joy,” <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/1573499219922460672">Pujols said of his time with the Dodgers in 2021</a>. “As a boy at five years old when I started playing baseball came back to me last year in that five and a half months I spent with a great organization.”</p>
<p id="VmLXm4">That joy has continued and then some this season in his farewell tour with the Cardinals, for whom he played his first 11 seasons. He’s hitting .265/.338/.530 this year, with a 143 wRC+ and 21 home runs at age 42, in his 22nd and final season.</p>
<p id="YXBQN4">Andrew Heaney, the Dodgers’ most homer-prone starting pitcher, started this game, and struck out Pujols in the first inning. But in the third inning, after a one-out walk to Tommy Edman, Pujols hit a ball well up the pavilion in left field for home run No. 699.</p>
<p id="DwqHn0">Edman singled with two outs in the fourth ended Heaney’s night at 86 pitches to get only 11 outs. Dave Roberts wasn’t about to let Pujols face the left-handed Heaney again. So instead he brought in the right-handed Phil Bickford, the team’s most homer-prone reliever.</p>
<p id="LRBp42">On a 1-1 slider, Pujols made history.</p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr">7️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pujols700?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pujols700</a> <a href="https://t.co/XyddSFPpcQ">pic.twitter.com/XyddSFPpcQ</a></p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1573515430135832579?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2022</a>
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<p id="kiVfAd">Pujols joins select company with his 700 only home runs, joining Barry Bonds (762 home runs), Henry Aaron (755), and Babe Ruth (714). Pujols, from the Dominican Republic, is the first member of the 700 club born outside the United States. Pujols and Aaron are the only players in MLB history with both 700 home runs and 3,000 hits.</p>
<p id="Qf7D4s">It was a magical moment for baseball, one completed by Pujols making a beeline after touching home to give a high-five through netting to Adrían Beltré, who was sitting in the first row.</p>
<p id="G647Ga">But in the game, Pujols’ second homer was a three-run shot that gave St. Louis a 5-0 lead. Three more runs off Bickford in the fifth, including a home run by Lars Nootbaar blew the game open. Bickford has allowed 12 home runs in 61 innings, <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/720A0">tied for eighth-most allowed in relief by a Dodgers pitcher in one season</a>.</p>
<p id="UZ7Ef0">One loss doesn’t affect much in terms of the Dodgers’ playoff standing, nor <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2022/9/4/23328827/dodgers-magic-numbers-national-league-west-mlb-postseason">their chances of home field advantage through the NLCS and World Series</a>. But Friday night did do a good job of highlighting that the Dodgers still have a lot to sort out at the bottom third or so of any potential postseason roster.</p>
<p id="zxR6Nu">Heaney has allowed 13 home runs in 64⅔ innings this season. He also has a 3.06 ERA and a 35-percent strikeout rate, but over his last seven starts the ERA is 4.82 with 11 home runs. Couple that with <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2022/9/22/23366424/dodgers-podcast-dustin-may-concerns-pitching-unknowns">Dustin May’s shakiness</a> and Tony Gonsolin’s forearm strain, and the Dodgers’ options for a fourth starter in October aren’t all that attractive at the moment.</p>
<p id="OUiSVp">Craig Kimbrel, <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2022/9/23/23369441/craig-kimbrel-out-dodgers-closer">demoted from the closer role earlier Friday</a>, saw his first appearance come in the lowest of leverage, down eight runs in the sixth. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning.</p>
<p id="6axMES">Hanser Alberto, who started at second base Friday, made his ninth pitching appearance of the season, and pitched the final two innings. He allowed a home run to rookie Alec Burleson, who pinch-hit for Pujols in the eighth.</p>
<p id="xBOVaV">Five home runs hit by the Cardinals were one shy of <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/WaT4H">the Dodgers’ record for most given up at Dodger Stadium</a>. The Reds hit six home runs on August 2, 2001, and Arizona hit six (four by JD Martinez) on September 4, 2017.</p>
<h3 id="zrEukS">Friday particulars</h3>
<p id="28ZkWX"><strong>Home runs</strong>: Albert Pujols 2 (21), Lars Nootbaar (14), Juan Yepez (12), Alec Burleson (1)</p>
<p id="BK1J5J"><strong>WP — José Quintana (6-6)</strong>: 6⅔ IP, 5 hits, 6 strikeouts</p>
<p id="lHvZ9R"><strong>LP — Andrew Heaney (3-3)</strong>: 3⅔ IP, 4 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts</p>
<h3 id="eDW8qg">Up next</h3>
<p id="WkRDwj">Clayton Kershaw is on the mound on Saturday night (6:10 p.m., SportsNet LA), with the first of either two or three regular season starts remaining. Kershaw is 25th all-time with 2,787 strikeouts, and the next slot ahead of him is Cy Young with 2,803. Fellow southpaw Jordan Montgomery, with a 2.35 ERA in nine starts since getting acquired from the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a> at the trade deadline, starts for St. Louis.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2022/9/23/23369480/albert-pujols-700-home-runs-dodgers-pitching-depth-yikesEric Stephen2022-09-23T18:58:12-07:002022-09-23T18:58:12-07:00Craig Kimbrel is no longer the Dodgers’ closer
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<p id="ZPVgEm">What’s been brewing for a while, and what was obvious on Thursday night became official on Friday. The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> have removed Craig Kimbrel from the closer role.</p>
<p id="57sbCj">Kimbrel’s <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2022/9/22/23367233/dodgers-rally-mookie-betts-walkoff-craig-kimbrels-latest-misstep">latest misstep came Thursday night</a>, pitching in a tie game in the ninth, he hit Jake McCarthy then allowed an easy steal only to be rewarded when McCarthy came off second base in his slide. Kimbrel then allowed a home run to Christian Walker, a flat pitch that so exasperated manager Dave Roberts <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2022/9/23/23367307/dodgers-podcast-craig-kimbrel-closer-role-dave-roberts">that he said after the game, “The stuff is starting to slide a little bit.</a>”</p>
<p id="sQUpGJ">It was the third time in the last four appearances that Kimbrel allowed at least one run.</p>
<p id="B9WRko">Roberts is never going to embarrass one of his players. It’s not his nature, and one of the reasons he’s been so successful as a manager. His postgame comments on Kimbrel Thursday night were matter of fact, and the it was clear that Kimbrel was on the outs as closer.</p>
<p id="Mx1mWQ">On Friday, Roberts first talked to Kimbrel about his change in roles, then shared the news with reporters at Dodger Stadium.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dave Roberts said the plan is for Craig Kimbrel to change roles. Roberts said he had a talk with Kimbrel who is open to do whatever is best for the team.</p>— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) <a href="https://twitter.com/DodgerInsider/status/1573453005520707584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2022</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dave Roberts on if Craig Kimbrel’s removal from the closer role will apply to the postseason as well: “I don't know. I think that's where we're at right now. Nothing is cemented but we think that’s the best way to go about it right now.”</p>— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) <a href="https://twitter.com/FabianArdaya/status/1573454738481631232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2022</a>
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<p id="Y9QkJX">Kimbrel on the season has a 4.14 ERA, ranking 19th among the 22 Dodgers pitchers to have thrown at least 10 innings this season. His xERA is 3.57 and he’s blown five of his 27 save opportunities. A high strikeout rate fueled stronger peripherals in the first half, but since the All-Star break, Kimbrel has whiffed only 18 of his 100 batters faced. </p>
<p id="TMTXi9">Kimbrel’s 27.2-percent strikeout rate is the lowest of his career.</p>
<p id="W9iLhH">This is nothing new for the Dodgers or Roberts, who had annual late-season Kenley Jansen crises from 2018 to 2020, resulting in the Dodgers turning elsewhere for most important moments in the postseason for the last two of those years.</p>
<p id="zipACd">The Dodgers will go with matchups to close, as they have done at points this season when Kimbrel was unavailable due to heavy usage. Evan Phillips has been the team’s best relief pitcher this year, and Chris Martin has been lights out (26 strikeouts, one walk) since getting acquired at the trade deadline. Those two figure to be the most likely to earn save situations, with each saving two games over the last two-plus months. </p>
<p id="ATxnYS">Brusdar Graterol, activated from the injured list Thursday, has also saved three games this season.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dodgers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dodgers</a> manager Dave Roberts, when asked if they feel comfortable going into October without a set closer: “It’s kind of the whole mindset of because you’ve always done something one way doesn’t make it right. It might not be traditional, but I’m not too concerned about that.”</p>— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) <a href="https://twitter.com/juanctoribio/status/1573472278582464512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2022</a>
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<p id="sweFoF">On the flip side, just because Kimbrel was ousted as closer doesn’t necessarily close the door on him making the postseason roster. It still behooves the Dodgers to figure out a way to get Kimbrel to throw more strikes, in whatever role that is. There are only 12 games and 13 days remaining in the regular season, plus five more off days before the National League Division Series begins.</p>
<p id="w07Fp2">Think back to two weeks ago, when Kimbrel was pitching his seventh consecutive appearance (of eight) with a 1-2-3 inning, coinciding with him changing his entrance music to ‘Let It Go.’ Whether Kimbrel can find anything close to that kind of groove remains to be seen, but that makes these final 12 game all the more important for him to re-find his way.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2022/9/23/23369441/craig-kimbrel-out-dodgers-closerEric Stephen2022-09-23T18:50:00-07:002022-09-23T18:50:00-07:00Dodgers vs. Cardinals Game IV chat
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<figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Pujols chases 700 home runs and the Dodgers chase franchise win record </p> <p id="Rjd6la">Mookie Betts picked up the Dodgers and a shaky Craig Kimbrel with a walk-off single for the Dodgers’ 45th comeback win Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. It was a much-needed comeback rally after the Dodgers failed to figure out Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen and Kimbrel struggled again. </p>
<p id="1ogbfO">The Dodgers look for their second series win against the St. Louis Cardinals this season when they open a three-game set over the weekend against the Red Birds Friday evening.</p>
<p id="gI7IGg">L.A. steps closer to their franchise record of 106 wins. Albert Pujols steps closer to 700 home runs. Pujols sits at 698 career home runs, two long balls away from joining the very exclusive 700 home run club. The Dodgers’ pitching staff doesn’t want to be the one to serve up Pujols’ 700 homer, but it would be fitting for the veteran to accomplish the feat at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles is where the veteran revived his career after the Angels dumped him.</p>
<p id="CoBm9y">Andrew Heaney (3-2, 2.66 ERA, 13.6 K/9) allowed two hits and a walk while striking out eight over four scoreless innings against the Giants on Sunday in the no-decision. </p>
<p id="qQqTsW">The lefty made only 65 pitches, his shortest start since August 13. Despite the short start, he was able to tally eight strikes for the fifth time in his last six starts, and he kept runs off the board for the first time since July 27. </p>
<p id="ZBVmRx">Jose Quintana (5-6, 3.16 ERA, 0.5 HR/9) toes the rubber for the Cardinals in the series opener. Quintana has only surrendered one home run since donning a St. Louis uniform for the first time after being traded from Pittsburgh at the deadline. Quintana has faced the Dodgers twice this year when he was still with the Pirates.</p>
<p id="NrSPPC">Quintana allowed two runs on nine hits with eight strikeouts and five walks in 10 <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> innings pitched against the Dodgers in two starts against them with the Bucs. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dodgers at 104-46 need 3 wins in their final 12 games to set a franchise wins record<br><br>They need to go 7-5 to set a (full-season) team winning percentage record<br><br>If they go at least 5-4 against the Padres (3) and Rockies (6), they will have their best divisional record ever</p>— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) <a href="https://twitter.com/ericstephen/status/1573187843127590912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2022</a>
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<p id="lAWoCI">The Cardinals have won five of their last 10 games and lead the NL Central by 7 1⁄2 games. Paul Goldschmidt is OPSing .959 at Dodger Stadium over his career (67 games). </p>
<p id="1xtmhM">Cody Bellinger and Freddie Freeman sit as Dave Roberts stacks right-handers in his lineup. Trayce Thompson gets the start in center field, and Miguel Vargas starts at first base. </p>
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<h3 id="reE5NB">Game info</h3>
<h3 id="v3Askd">Teams: Dodgers (104-46) vs. Cardinals (88-63)</h3>
<h3 id="uE5pIu">Location: Dodger Stadium</h3>
<h3 id="9FOUG9">First pitch: 7:10 p.m. PT</h3>
<h3 id="UH1NRh">TV: Apple TV+</h3>
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https://www.truebluela.com/2022/9/23/23369124/dodgers-vs-cardinals-game-iv-chatStacie Wheeler2022-09-23T10:00:00-07:002022-09-23T10:00:00-07:00Dodgers vs. Cardinals series preview
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<p>Tío Albert and the Cardinals head to Dodger Stadium for a three-game series that could prove historic.</p> <p id="gXOLxf">Albert Pujols has 698 career home runs — but don’t call it a chase for 700. </p>
<p id="KAqXCv">“I’m not chasing anything, buddy,” Pujols said during a dugout press conference in San Diego on Wednesday, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/09/21/1124346020/albert-pujols-st-louis-cardinals-700-home-runs">according to Tom Goldman of NPR</a>. “I just never chased numbers, and I accomplished so much.” </p>
<p id="Vfu6PI">So, whatever this journey is, it passes through Dodger Stadium along with the rest of the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">St. Louis Cardinals</a> this weekend. Everyone’s favorite tío is two homers away from becoming only the fourth major leaguer to hit 700 in his career. </p>
<p id="dfLs78">If he can’t do it in St. Louis, Dodger Stadium feels like an apt second choice, writes <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2022-09-23/albert-pujols-pursuit-of-700-home-runs-cardinals-dodgers">Mike DiGiovanna at the Los Angeles Times</a>. This is where Pujols seemed to revive both his career and his love for the game after the Angels released him, and the difference was noticeable. </p>
<p id="r7viZy">“I know things didn’t turn out the way he wanted with the Angels, but when he got here, he was happy,” said <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> third-base coach Dino Ebel, who also worked with Pujols in Anaheim. “He fit right in, and I think it just made a difference in Albert and the way he’s ending his career now.” </p>
<p id="ywV0Pf">The rest of the Cards are slowly coming out of a slump. The team has won five of its last 10 games and leads the NL Central by 7 <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>2</sub> games, but its recent losses include three consecutive shutout losses. Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan helped l<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/cards-two-homers-power-them-to-win">ift spirits and scores yesterday </a>with two big homers — Donovan’s was a grand slam that led to a Cardinals win. </p>
<p id="amTA2w">As for the Dodgers, they’re coming off a strange series against the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> that included a doubleheader and two comeback wins. They’ll head into the Cardinals series with a 6-and-4 record in their last 10 games and a race between Freddie Freeman and the Cards’s Paul Goldschmidt for this season’s batting title. </p>
<p id="b3sLsP">The Dodgers have also <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2022/9/22/23365111/dodgers-roster-brusdar-graterol-activated-postseason-pitching-roster">activated Brusdar Graterol</a> from the injured list after missing three weeks with right elbow inflammation. He’s the latest to return of pitchers still on the IL, which include Tony Gonsolin, David Price, Victor González, Yency Almonte, and Blake Treinen, who still has a ways to go in recovering from shoulder tightness. </p>
<h3 id="VrMkDr">Dodgers vs. Cardinals Pitching Matchups</h3>
<p id="bvXVhU"><strong>Friday</strong>: Andrew Heaney vs. Jose Quintana </p>
<p id="xKaaOH"><em>7:10 p.m., Apple TV+ </em></p>
<p id="S60rhJ"><strong>Saturday</strong>: Clayton Kershaw vs. Jordan Montgomery</p>
<p id="Vrg3oK"><em>6:10 p.m., SportsNet LA </em></p>
<p id="OETC7K"><strong>Sunday</strong>: Tyler Anderson vs. Adam Wainwright </p>
<p id="PcYyS3"><em>1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA </em></p>
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https://www.truebluela.com/2022/9/23/23368509/dodgers-cardinals-series-tv-schedule-pitching-game-timesSamantha Carleton