True Blue LA - May 11: Giants 7, Dodgers 4 (10)Where The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2014-05-11T19:05:41-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/54724552014-05-11T19:05:41-07:002014-05-11T19:05:41-07:00Playing waiting game with Uribe
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<figcaption>Matt King</figcaption>
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<p>Uribe on Sunday missed his third straight game with a strained right hamstring.</p> <p>LOS ANGELES -- <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> third baseman <span>Juan Uribe</span> was unavailable even to pinch hit on Sunday against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>, his third straight game missed after straining his right hamstring on Thursday against San Francisco. The Dodgers roster remains in limbo as the team continues to wait to make a decision on whether to place Uribe on the disabled list.</p>
<p>"Again, he had a good day. I know I keep saying it, but tomorrow we'll find out more," manager Don Mattingly said after the game. "It's just going to get a point where how many days are you willing to go. We've survived to this point."</p>
<p>Uribe ran before the game to test his right hamstring but was not cleared to play. There was some hope of the Dodgers possibly having him available to pinch hit on Sunday.</p>
<p>"Everyone is feeling better that hopefully he'll stay away from the disabled list, but until we get out here and do some running and try to get to full speed we won't know," Mattingly said. "If you can't run, you can't play."</p>
<p>Uribe is hitting .306/.338/.463 with nine doubles and four home runs in 35 games, and is by all accounts the best defender on the team. In his place, <span>Justin Turner</span> has started two games at third base and <span>Chone Figgins</span> once.</p>
<p>The main reason the Dodgers are willing to wait for Uribe to heal before making a roster decision is because there isn't anyone in the minors they'd feel comfortable enough to start at the hot corner in the interim.</p>
<p><span>Alex Guerrero</span> is hitting .341/.398/.588 in 27 games with Triple-A Albuquerque, but the team wants him to get comfortable at second base, a new position for him. Yes, he was a former shortstop in Cuba, but as we near two year since he last played there it becomes more and more unlikely the Dodgers would have Guerrero's first time at third base come in the majors.</p>
<p>The other two defensive options on the 40-man are having trouble hitting in their respective leagues. <span>Carlos Triunfel</span> is hitting .226/.270/.269 in 26 games with the Isotopes and <span>Erisbel Arruebarrena</span> is hitting just .143/.214/.197 in 19 games with Double-A Chattanooga.</p>
<p>But that doesn't make playing with essentially a 24-man roster any more attractive. If Uribe is going to miss the better part of the next week anyway, the club is better suited to have someone up as an extra player, preferably a bat, on the bench.</p>
<p>That makes Guerrero the most likely option to be recalled should the Dodgers to decide to place Uribe on the disabled list, which they can do retroactively to Friday so Uribe could be activated as early as May 24. Guerrero didn't play for Albuquerque on Sunday, which could mean something or might not mean anything at all.</p>
<p>But, as Mattingly said, we'll know more on Monday.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2014/5/11/5708454/juan-uribe-hamstring-dodgers-rosterEric Stephen2014-05-11T18:33:15-07:002014-05-11T18:33:15-07:00Mattingly confident in Kemp's defense
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<figcaption>Harry How</figcaption>
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<p><span>Matt Kemp's</span> defense in center field was a topic of discussion before the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>' 7-4 loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>, and a few plays in Sunday's game provided examples on both ends of the spectrum.</p>
<p>With two outs and a runner on third base in the first inning, <span>Pablo Sandoval</span> lofted a fly ball to left center <a href="http://m.mlb.com/video/v32793161/sflad-sandoval-opens-the-scoring-with-an-rbi-double/?game_pk=381102" target="_blank">just out of reach of a diving Kemp for a double and a 1-0 Giants lead</a>. A few short hours earlier, manager Don Mattingly was asked if Kemp was limited physically after two injury-plagued seasons.</p>
<p>"I don't think there are any areas [that he's limited]. His speed is coming, his burst is back with stolen bases. For us it's just continuing to stay out there. We're seeing him get better and better at the plate," Mattingly said. "Obviously we want him to continue to work on his jumps and breaks in center field."</p>
<p>Kemp did have to run a long way in the first inning on the ball hit by Sandoval, but like several other balls hit in the vicinity of center field this season, it landed just out of Kemp's reach.</p>
<p>Among all center fielders in baseball with at least 100 innings in 2014 heading into Sunday, Kemp ranks 35th and last in Ultimate Zone Rating, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=cf&stats=fld&lg=all&qual=100&type=1&season=2014&month=0&season1=2014&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0" target="_blank">at 6.7 runs below average</a>. He ranks 91st out of 97 center fielders in Total Zone Rating <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2014-specialpos_cf-fielding.shtml#players_standard_fielding::15" target="_blank">at four runs below average</a>, and is 92nd of 97 in Baseball Info Solutions Defensive Runs Saved, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2014-specialpos_cf-fielding.shtml#players_standard_fielding::19" target="_blank">at five runs below average</a>.</p>
<p>"I've seen them," Mattingly said of the ratings. "But it's kind of what our eyes see, too. I'm not really sure what they're measuring. What we are sure of is that physically he's okay. He's won a Gold Glove, so he's capable of that type of defense."</p>
<p>Kemp won Gold Glove Awards in 2009, when he rated at +3.9 runs per 150 games in Ultimate Zone Rating, and in 2011, when his UZR/150 was 4.9 runs below average. In all his other years with regular center field duty, Kemp's UZR/150 ranged from -2.4 (2008) to -35.0 (2013). Through Saturday, Kemp's UZR/150 was at -41.3.</p>
<p>"We just have to continue to work to get back to that," Mattingly explained. "That's where he has to put the time in to continue to work on his jumps and his reads, all the things that you need to do to be a quality center fielder. It's still there."</p>
<p>It was still there for Kemp in the sixth inning, when Kemp <a href="http://m.mlb.com/video/v32799773/sflad-kemp-robs-a-fly-ball-hit-by-hudson/?query=matt+kemp" target="_blank">tracked down this would-be double by Tim Hudson with a diving catch</a>.</p>
<p>Kemp did it again in the eighth with a nice over-the-shoulder catch to rob <span>Brandon Crawford</span> in deep center.</p>
<h4>Up next</h4>
<p>The Dodgers welcome the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Marlins</a> to town for a three-game series beginning Monday night at Dodger Stadium. <span>Dan Haren</span> starts the opener for the Dodgers, against <span>Tom Koehler</span> for Miami.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2014/5/11/5707882/matt-kemp-defenseEric Stephen2014-05-11T17:05:08-07:002014-05-11T17:05:08-07:00Dodgers fall in extras again
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<figcaption>Harry How</figcaption>
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<p>The Dodgers have been outscored 17-7 in extra innings this season.</p> <p>LOS ANGELES -- The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> rallied against <span>Kenley Jansen</span> in the 10th inning for a 7-4 win over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers fell to 3-7 against the Giants in 2014 and are now 7-12 at home to start the season.</p>
<p>After Angel Pagan walked and <span>Hunter Pence</span> singled to open the 10th, Jansen threw a wild pitch, his second of the season, to move the runners to second and third. Buster Posey was then intentionally walked to load the bases, and <span>Pablo Sandoval</span> singled through a drawn-in infield to give San Francisco the lead. One out later, <span>Hector Sanchez</span> hit a bloop single to left for another tally.</p>
<p>After Jansen was removed, a wild pitch by <span>J.P. Howell</span> brought home a third run in the inning.</p>
<p>The Dodgers fell to 3-7 in extra-inning games this season. But they wouldn't have gotten to extra innings if it weren't for a ninth-inning rally.</p>
<p>After Dee Gordon doubled with one out in the ninth inning, Hanley Ramirez tied the game with a two-out, two-run home run against <span>Sergio Romo</span>, the third home run for Ramirez as a Dodger in eight at-bats against the Giants closer.</p>
<p>The Dodgers brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in the 10th inning too, but <span>Jean Machi</span> struck out <span>Miguel Olivo</span> for his first major league save.</p>
<p><span>Clayton Kershaw</span> allowed a run in the first inning on a pair of singles and a pop fly double by Sandoval. But he got into a groove and retired 15 of his next 17 batters faced to keep the Giants at bay.</p>
<p><span>Yasiel Puig</span> led off the sixth inning with his second home run of the series, to tie the game. <span>Hanley Ramirez</span> followed with a ground ball through the infield shift and somehow made it safely to second base on a hustle double. He scored one batter later on an Adrian Gonzalez RBI single, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.</p>
<p>The Dodgers might have had more but Gonzalez was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on a single by <span>Justin Turner</span>, on a great throw from center fielder <span>Angel Pagan</span>, for the second out of the inning.</p>
<p>It was the second straight inning the Dodgers had a runner thrown out at the plate, as <span>Andre Ethier</span> ran home on the contact play in the fifth inning, out at home thanks to a great catch and tag by <span>Buster Posey</span> on an errant through by <span>Brandon Hicks</span>.</p>
<p>But immediately after getting the 3-2 lead, Kershaw allowed a single to Sandoval in the seventh inning, followed by a home run to left by Hicks, an an 0-2 count. What made the home run so stunning wasn't just that Kershaw gave away the lead, but that it was hit off a curveball.</p>
<p>It was the first regular season home run ever allowed by Kershaw on a curveball, according to pitch tracking by both <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/pitchfx.aspx?playerid=2036&position=P&pitch=CU" target="_blank">FanGraphs</a> and <a href="http://www.brooksbaseball.net/tabs.php?player=477132&p_hand=-1&ppos=-1&cn=200&compType=none&risp=0&1b=0&2b=0&3b=0&rType=perc&balls=-1&strikes=-1&b_hand=-1&time=month&minmax=ci&var=ra&s_type=16&gFilt=&startDate=&endDate=" target="_blank">Brooks Baseball</a>. Kershaw did allow one postseason home run on a curveball, to <span>Matt Holliday</span> in game 2 of the 2009 NLCS.</p>
<p>An <a href="http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=sweetspot&id=42244&src=desktop" target="_blank">ESPN feature by Joseph Werner in November 2013</a> pointed out three <em>other</em> home runs off Kershaw curveballs, but the point still stands. Whether Hicks' blast was the second or the fifth home run hit off a Kershaw curve, it just doesn't happen all that often.</p>
<p>"For me to give up that home run after we just get the lead right back was disappointing. The team played so well, and I kind of gave it up there in the end," Kershaw said. "I need to shut the door right there."</p>
<p>San Francisco tacked on an insurance run in the eighth inning against <span>Chris Withrow</span>, his third run allowed this season.</p>
<p>The Dodgers put the tying runs on base with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but <span>Santiago Casilla</span> wiggled out of the jam by striking out Justin Turner to end an eight-pitch duel then getting pinch-hitter <span>Carl Crawford</span> to pop out to left field to end the frame.</p>
<h4>Notes</h4>
<p>Puig was 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Sunday was his 10th multi-hit game in the last 17 contests.</p>
<p>Kershaw struck out nine and walked none for the second consecutive start and on the season has 25 strikeouts against just one walk.</p>
<p>Ethier, in his first start since Wednesday reached base four times on Sunday, setting a season high with three hits, including two doubles.</p>
<p>Jansen's batting average on balls in play this season is .452 (19-for-42), including 1.000 (3-for-3) on Sunday. Not that it was any solace for Jansen. "I don't really watch my stats," he said. "I know what kind of stuff I have. I just have to keep competing, and I know it will work."</p>
<h4>Sunday particulars</h4>
<p><strong>Home runs</strong>: Yasiel Puig (6), Hanley Ramirez (5); Brandon Hicks (7)</p>
<p><strong>WP - Sergio Romo (3-0)</strong>: 1 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 strikeouts</p>
<p><strong>LP - Kenley Jansen (0-2)</strong>: ⅓ IP, 3 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 1 strikeout</p>
<p><strong>Sv - Jean Machi (1)</strong>: 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2014/5/11/5707932/dodgers-giants-recapEric Stephen2014-05-11T12:15:08-07:002014-05-11T12:15:08-07:00Kershaw, Dodgers go for split
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<p>Andre Ethier starts for the first time in four days, in left field.</p> <p>LOS ANGELES -- The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> go for a series split against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> on Sunday afternoon, with a pitching matchup that figures to be stingy with the free passes.</p>
<div class="sidebar">
<h4>Starting Lineups</h4>
<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#000000" width="125"><span style="color: #fb5b1f;" color="#fb5b1f"><b>Giants</b></span></td>
<td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#157dec" width="125"><span style="color: #ffffff;" color="#157dec"><b>Dodgers</b></span></td>
</tr>
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<td>CF</td>
<td>Pagan (S)</td>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Gordon (L)</td>
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<td>RF</td>
<td>Pence</td>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Puig</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>C</td>
<td>Posey</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Ramirez</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Sandoval (S)</td>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Gonzalez (L)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Hicks</td>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Kemp</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Arias</td>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Ethier (L)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Perez</td>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Turner</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Adrianza (S)</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>Butera</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>P</td>
<td>Hudson</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>Kershaw (L)</td>
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</tbody></table>
<span><b>Location</b>: Dodger Stadium<br><b>Time</b>: 1:10 p.m. PT <br><b>TV</b>: SportsNet LA<br></span>
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<p><span>Clayton Kershaw</span> has 16 strikeouts and one walk in his two starts, tops in baseball with his strikeout-to-walk ratio. <span>Tim Hudson</span> is third, and first among pitchers with enough innings to qualify, with 36 strikeouts and three walks for the Giants.</p>
<p>Hudson has been fantastic so far, with a 1.99 ERA in seven starts. He has allowed just three home runs and his 58.9% ground ball rate is <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=y&type=2&season=2014&month=0&season1=2014&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=6,d" target="_blank">the fourth-highest in baseball among qualified starters</a>. Hudson, baseball's active win leader with 209 career victories, is 6-4 with a 3.49 ERA in 14 career starts against the Dodgers.</p>
<p>But he has faced Los Angeles just once since the start of 2012. Hudson allowed one run in seven innings <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN201306060.shtml" target="_blank">last June 6 at Dodger Stadium</a>, but lost.</p>
<p><span>Andre Ethier</span> gets the start in left field on Sunday, despite hitting just 4-for-23 (.174/.208/.391) with three doubles and a triple against Hudson. Carl Crawford is 4-for-13 (.308/.400/.462) with a triple against Hudson, but Ethier hasn't started since Wednesday in Washington D.C. so he gets the start.</p>
<p>"It's a delicate balance, to keep Dre in the mix. We talked yesterday about going a number of days without playing. Carl's been good, but Dre's been working," said manager Don Mattingly. "As much as anything, it's keeping him in the mix and not really feeling it's one way or another with the matchup."</p>
<h4>Notes</h4>
<p><span>Juan Uribe</span> was feeling better on Sunday morning, and planned to test out his strained right hamstring by running before Sunday's game. There is a chance Uribe would be able to pinch hit in Sunday's game, but there is also a possibility he will need to be placed on the disabled list.</p>
<p>"Everyone is feeling better that hopefully he'll stay away from the disabled list, but until we get out here and do some running and try to get to full speed we won't know," Mattingly said.</p>
<p><span>A.J. Ellis</span> is catching and batting fifth for Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday. He will catch again with the Isotopes on Monday, then the Dodgers will make a decision on when to activate him from the disabled list. Mattingly said it was unlikely that the club would carry three catchers.</p>
<p><span>Hyun-jin Ryu</span> pitched off flat ground on Sunday morning, and will throw off a mound on Tuesday, the first time since being placed on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2014/5/11/5707084/clayton-kershaw-dodgers-giants-previewEric Stephen