True Blue LA - May 21: Cardinals 10, Dodgers 5Where The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2023-05-25T05:08:00-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/234943272023-05-25T05:08:00-07:002023-05-25T05:08:00-07:00Max Muncy, catchers, and Dodgers batters taking pitches
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<figcaption>Photo by Kiyoshi Mio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="CXe9AO">The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> series in St. Louis last weekend ended on a low note, with losses on Saturday and Sunday. The team’s only series loss in the last four weeks included <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/5/20/23731453/rally-falls-short-after-umpire-strands-mookie-betts-in-ninth">anger at home plate umpire Paul Emmel in the ninth inning on Saturday</a>, with that <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/5/21/23731612/clayton-kershaw-short-start-dodgers-bullpen-overuse-cardinals-blowout">ire carrying over into Sunday when Max Muncy was ejected</a> — by Emmel, now at third base — while muttering on his way back to the dugout.</p>
<p id="WAOLNR">After Sunday’s game, Muncy explained he thought Cardinals catchers Willson Contreras and Andrew Knizner were “bullying” umpires into getting strikes. From <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2023-05-21/dodgers-vs-cardinals-mlb-recap">Jack Harris at the Los Angeles Times</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p id="HczJ6Y"><em>“The pitch before was almost the exact same location,” Muncy said. “For the catcher to sit there and tell him that’s a terrible call and he missed it and needs to be better, and then the next one he gives it to him. That, to me, is where the frustration was coming from. I felt like that was happening all weekend long.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p id="ktK0QV">On Monday, the anger melted into reasonable explanation. Muncy expanded on his postgame statements <a href="https://youtu.be/Dhmdcqb23LI?t=223">as a guest on Foul Territory</a>.</p>
<p id="Rx4p23">“I don’t think the catchers did anything wrong. They’re doing their job,” Muncy said Monday. “It was like the more you complained the bigger zone you got, as the catcher. It was just something we’d all had enough of. I said what needed to be said, then I took it too far by pointing at the third base umpire with my bat.</p>
<p id="OppSvb">“I was kind of saying, ‘All you guys are getting tricked into this right now.’”</p>
<p id="E3z5lm">Derrick Goold <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinals-catchers-respond-to-dodger-max-muncy-claim-they-bullied-umps-cardinals-extra/article_b755f88c-f9a2-11ed-b402-f7b4fdcfe93b.html">at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch talked to both Cardinals catchers about it</a>, in what seemed to be a good-natured, if not tongue-in-cheek discussion.</p>
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<p id="kWAWjP"><em>“I don’t think I bully umpires,” catcher Andrew Knizner said, smiling.</em></p>
<p id="lUhkIz"><em>...</em></p>
<p id="KIW0r7"><em>They give a lot of calls on both sides,” Contreras said. “That’s the thing. When you have a really good catcher like (LA’s) Will Smith, who is getting calls, right? And you’re happy about it, you’re getting calls. And then you have me on the other side getting calls, and you’re not happy about it? That’s one thing that I was kind of shocked about watching (Muncy’s) video.”</em></p>
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<p id="8wxNxv">For what it’s worth, Dodgers batters got 187 strikes called on pitches out of the strike zone through Tuesday, tied for third-most in the majors, and 139 pitches in the strike zone called balls. The missed call deficit of 48 pitches is sixth-highest in the majors.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">How about on the batters side? The Cubs hitters have the most pitches in zone called balls but it has mostly evened out for them.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NextStartsHere?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NextStartsHere</a> <a href="https://t.co/1AejIJTaZa">pic.twitter.com/1AejIJTaZa</a></p>— Inside Edge (@IE_MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/IE_MLB/status/1661095591277998080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2023</a>
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<p id="hO0qE6">Zach Buchanan at The Athletic went to Michigan to watch some minor league baseball, <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F4546806%2F2023%2F05%2F24%2Fmlb-prospect-notes-dalton-rushing-dodgers-tigers%2F%3Fsource%3Demp-shared-article&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.truebluela.com%2F2023%2F5%2F25%2F23735525%2Fmax-muncy-catchers-umpires-dodgers-strike-zone" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">and profiled a pair of Dodgers at High-A Great Lakes</a>. </p>
<p id="muulVo">On catcher Dalton Rushing, <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2022/7/17/23266010/dodgers-mlb-draft-daulton-rushing-first-pick">the Dodgers’ top draft pick in 2022</a>, org catching instructor and old friend Rocky Gale told Buchanan, “I’m starting to see more quiet games behind the plate, which is a good thing. It’s one of the ultimate compliments, not to be noticed back there. Then as soon as he throws a baseball, you’re like, ‘Oh, there he is.’”</p>
<p id="5luhQU">Gauthier, who enters Thursday <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?request=1&type=bat&year=2023&group=Minors&sort_by=onbase_perc">ranked fifth in the minors in on-base percentage</a>, hitting ..., told Buchanan, “Last year, I took a more passive approach and sticking to my pitch and my spot and not swinging. This year, I’m not expanding too much, but enough to where I can do damage and stay consistent with it.”</p>
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<p id="P89Ynl">Rob Mains at Baseball Prospectus <a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/82908/veteran-presence-injured-list/">wrote about the late Eli Wolff</a>, the man behind Major League Baseball changing its nomenclature from disabled list to injured list:</p>
<blockquote><p id="8U96E1"><em>“At the time, you might have shrugged, and said, “OK, fine.” I certainly did. But then you think about that substitution, realize what it meant, and what it means. It’s a seemingly small change. But it’s one that makes our sport better. And for that, we can thank Eli Wolff.”</em></p></blockquote>
https://www.truebluela.com/2023/5/25/23735525/max-muncy-catchers-umpires-dodgers-strike-zoneEric Stephen2023-05-21T14:17:49-07:002023-05-21T14:17:49-07:00Kershaw has Dodgers’ latest short start in loss to Cardinals
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<p>LA drops 3 of 4 in St. Louis</p> <p id="AqAHyg">Clayton Kershaw labored for a second straight start, couldn’t complete the fourth inning, and the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> crumbled under the weight of a week’s worth of asking their bullpen to do too much in a 10-5 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.</p>
<p id="VlT689">The Dodgers have lost back-to-back games for the first time since April 26-27.</p>
<p id="b8fJyw">Sunday was Kershaw’s shortest start of the season, leaving with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth inning. He allowed four runs on five hits and three walks, striking out six. Things could have been worse, as Paul Goldschmidt greeted reliever Shelby Miller with a 97.2-mph liner, but it was hit right at Chris Taylor at third base.</p>
<p id="0ISSem">Kershaw needed 95 pitches to record 11 outs on Sunday, after needing 90 pitches to get through four innings on Tuesday against Minnesota. It’s only the second time in Kershaw’s career he’s failed to pitch beyond four innings in consecutive starts. The other time was <a href="https://stathead.com/baseball/player-pitching-game-finder.cgi?request=1&is_pitcher=1&team_game_min=1&max_wind_speed=90&comp_type=reg&max_temperature=120&match=player_game&order_by=date&date_game_max=2008-08-28&date_game_min=2008-08-23&team_game_max=165&order_by_asc=0&days_rest_comp==&player_id=kersha001cla&streak_length=2&sstat[1]=p_ip&scomp[1]=lt&sval[1]=4">August 23-28, 2008, during his rookie season</a>.</p>
<p id="0prIDo">While uncharacteristic for Kershaw, the short outing is par for the course in a trying week for the Dodgers, who got 25⅔ innings from starting pitchers in seven games.</p>
<h3 id="iRKOvu">What’s in a number?</h3>
<p id="NaAbHG">Triskaphobia came in the second inning, when Kershaw allowed three doubles for three runs, needing 33 pitches to complete the frame, a season-high for one inning this year for the left-hander.</p>
<p id="3Iki2Y">The first double was hit by Nolan Arenado, which was the 2,000th career hit surrendered by Kershaw. Arenado was a fitting batter for the milestone, as <a href="https://stathead.com/sharing/dSoyx">his 22 career hits against Kershaw are the second-most all-time</a>, tied with Charlie Blackmon and three behind Buster Posey.</p>
<p id="nQTv0j">Kershaw wasn’t alone in the short-start crew, as Jack Flaherty had a 4-1 lead but couldn’t complete the fifth. Freddie Freeman singled home one run. When Flaherty’s third walk of the inning loaded the bases, he was pulled with two outs. Reliever Drew VerHagen committed the first balk of his career to pull the Dodgers within one.</p>
<p id="XVAWzt">Needing relievers needing to cover nearly 60 percent of the innings for a week is too treacherous of a path to tread, as it’s rife with landmines. The first on Sunday came in the fifth for the Dodgers, when Miller was pulled with one out after a single by Arenado. In came Justin Bruihl, pitching for the fifth time in eight days. He allowed a single and two singles that brought home three runs, two charged to his own account.</p>
<p id="Vmv0k1">Wander Suero pitched a scoreless sixth, but allowed two singles in the seventh before a Paul DeJong three-run home run gave St. Louis double-digit runs for the second time in the four-game series.</p>
<p id="YT7MtK">Oscar Mercado was the other culprit doing most of the damage for the Cardinals, with a double, two singles, and five RBI.</p>
<h3 id="S7HOT3">Carryover effect</h3>
<p id="lA1oXc">Max Muncy struck out looking in the fourth inning, taking a slider at the bottom of the strike zone called a ball, followed by a fastball near the same spot called a strike. Muncy had some words for home plate Nic Lentz, but it wasn’t until the muttering continued on the way back to the dugout that Muncy was ejected. By third base umpire and crew chief Paul Emmel, <a href="https://twitter.com/UmpScorecards/status/1660293420579995649">whose strike zone in the ninth inning</a> on Saturday <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/5/21/23731579/dodgers-mookie-betts-clayton-kershaw-pride-night">left the Dodgers sore</a>.</p>
<p id="Hso82N">Taylor took over for Muncy at third base in the bottom of the fourth.</p>
<h3 id="pcoVep">Sunday particulars</h3>
<p id="vD7sPi"><strong>Home run</strong>: Paul DeJong (7)</p>
<p id="wSiq50"><strong>WP — Clayton Kershaw (6-4)</strong>: 3⅔ IP, 5 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts</p>
<p id="2ecG1F"><strong>LP — Drew VerHagen (3-0)</strong>: 2⅓ IP, 3 strikeouts</p>
<h3 id="1K4Wwo">Up next</h3>
<p id="dRB0as">The Dodgers move onto Atlanta, where they face the first-place Braves of the National League East. Gavin Stone will take Dustin May’s rotation spot in Monday’s series opener (4:20 p.m. PT SportsNet LA), facing Charlie Morton for the Braves.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2023/5/21/23731612/clayton-kershaw-short-start-dodgers-bullpen-overuse-cardinals-blowoutEric Stephen2023-05-21T10:58:00-07:002023-05-21T10:58:00-07:00Dodgers vs. Cardinals Game VII chat
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<p id="WsPqk8">The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> try for the split on Sunday, with Clayton Kershaw on the mound.</p>
<p id="aqL4Jx">Mookie Betts gets a day off from the starting lineup.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dodgers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dodgers</a> lineup at Cardinals: <a href="https://t.co/FYuWXQBSkz">pic.twitter.com/FYuWXQBSkz</a></p>— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/1660309374303125504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2023</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Going for the series win on a Sunday afternoon! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STLCards?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#STLCards</a> <a href="https://t.co/pYfJr9NP0H">pic.twitter.com/pYfJr9NP0H</a></p>— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1660308897754763264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2023</a>
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<h3 id="fdr9Tx">Game info</h3>
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<li id="ZL3WE1">Teams: Dodgers at Cardinals</li>
<li id="tQFNfP">Ballpark: Busch Stadium</li>
<li id="ipxAAz">Time: 11:15 a.m. PT</li>
<li id="yx3Lxu">TV: SportsNet LA</li>
<li id="dwj5Kq">Radio: AM 570 (English); KTNQ 1020 (Spanish)</li>
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https://www.truebluela.com/23728087/dodgers-cardinals-game-chatEric Stephen2023-05-18T05:03:00-07:002023-05-18T05:03:00-07:00Dodgers vs. Cardinals series info, St. Louis edition
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<figcaption>Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="CaSQQH">The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> and Cardinals meet for the second and final time during this regular season, with four games at Busch Stadium in St. Louis beginning on Thursday night.</p>
<p id="YnRmF6">Back at Dodger Stadium from April 28-30, the Dodgers swept the Cardinals in three games, outscoring St. Louis 14-6.</p>
<p id="dSlI39">That was the start of an eight-game losing streak for the Cardinals, who plummeted to 10-24, shocking for a team that made the postseason the last four years. But since then, St. Louis has won eight of 10 games, tying the Dodgers for best record in MLB over the last 11 days.</p>
<p id="dK0X0D">Saturday’s game is an exclusive telecast on Fox, with the other three games on SportsNet LA.</p>
<h3 id="z1oria">Dodgers vs. Cardinals schedule</h3>
<p id="IPwtaH"><strong>Thursday, 4:45 p.m. PT</strong><br>Julio Urías vs. Adam Wainwright<br><em>SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)</em></p>
<p id="9rQORK"><strong>Friday, 5:15 p.m.</strong><br>Tony Gonsolin vs. Steven Matz (L)<br><em>SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)</em></p>
<p id="sKQTIy"><strong>Saturday, 4:15 p.m.</strong><br>Noah Syndergaard vs. Miles Mikolas<br><em>Fox</em></p>
<p id="GmCMSk"><strong>Sunday, 11:15 a.m.</strong><br>Clayton Kershaw vs. Jack Flaherty<br><em>SportsNet LA</em></p>
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https://www.truebluela.com/23727300/dodgers-schedule-cardinals-game-times-tv-pitching-st-louisEric Stephen2023-05-16T22:58:47-07:002023-05-16T22:58:47-07:00Clayton Kershaw says he’ll start Sunday in St. Louis
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<p>Dodgers pitcher discussed bereavement plans after the death of his mother</p> <p id="CMcqjF">LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw said he made a decision regarding bereavement leave, but that he plans to make his next start for the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> in St. Louis, which would be Sunday against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.</p>
<p id="ycXB6C"><a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/5/14/23722702/noah-syndergaard-clayton-kershaw-dodgers-rotation-schedule">Kershaw’s mother Marianne passed away on Saturday</a>. He said he already discussed his plans with president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, though that has not yet been announced by the team. Presumably, that decision would come on Wednesday, as Kershaw threw 90 pitches in four innings on Tuesday night.</p>
<p id="f0iYJR">Bereavement leave in MLB lasts a minimum of three days and a maximum of seven.</p>
<p id="CttefQ">Dylan Covey was in the Dodgers clubhouse on Tuesday, though he wasn’t activated. Under the collective bargaining agreement, teams can’t require a player to report to the majors from the minors without adding him to the roster, so that means Covey either gets activated on Wednesday or would be sent back to Triple-A.</p>
<p id="PgUt3N">Dodgers relievers have <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/5/16/23726499/dodgers-gassed-clayton-kershaw-bullpen-twins">covered 13 innings over the last two nights</a>. Phil Bickford <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/5/16/23724236/phil-bickford-game-dodgers-trayce-thompson-walk-off-walk-twins">threw 48 pitches in three innings Monday</a>, Shelby Miller threw 30 pitches on both Monday and Tuesday, totaling 11 outs. Justin Bruihl has pitched three straight days.</p>
<p id="f4sDXX">“We’re going to do something [Wednesday], but it will probably just be one player,” manager Dave Roberts said after Tuesday’s game.</p>
<p id="G53UEB">Covey <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/1/28/23574779/dodgers-dylan-covey-minor-league-contract-non-roster-invitee">signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in January</a> after spending the last two seasons in Taiwan pitching for Rakuten of the Chinese Professional Baseball League. The 31-year-old, who went to Maranatha High School in Pasadena, had a 4.22 ERA in seven games, including six starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City, with 28 strikeouts and 18 walks in 32 innings.</p>
<p id="CfZt5S">He last pitched on May 10, allowing four runs over five innings in Round Rock.</p>
<p id="RwQPIS">The Dodgers would need to make a corresponding move to create room for Covey on the 40-man roster. One likely candidate is Jimmy Nelson, who is <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/3/30/23630044/los-angeles-dodgers-injured-list-tracker-2023">currently on the 15-day injured list</a> recovering from his August 2021 Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair. Nelson <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2023/4/26/23695513/bobby-miller-oklahoma-city-jimmy-nelson-rehab-assignment-dodgers-nick-frasso">pitched one game in Triple-A on April 25</a> but his rehab assignment was stopped a week later and the right-hander was shut down from throwing. </p>
<p id="VB11g5">Transferring Nelson to the 60-day injured list would move his earliest possible activation to May 29, though it doesn’t sound like Nelson will be ready any time soon.</p>
<p id="Xzxkwk">Covey, who hasn’t yet been activated, has a nameplate above his locker in the Dodgers clubhouse that has him wearing number 29. He wore number 33 during spring training, but that now belongs to outfielder James Outman.</p>
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<p id="oaNcyT">After his postgame scrum on Tuesday, Kershaw thanked everyone who offered condolences since Saturday.</p>
<p id="VYjsqH">“It’s been humbling to see how many people have reached out. I’m thankful for that,” he said. “She was a great lady, and thank you to everybody that reached out.”</p>
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https://www.truebluela.com/2023/5/16/23726459/clayton-kershaw-bereavement-leave-dodgers-dylan-coveyEric Stephen