Los Angeles Dodgers (5-4) at San Francisco Giants (4-5)
April 11-13
Games: 10-12
Location: AT&T Park
2011 record vs. Giants: 3-1
2010 record vs. Giants: 8-10
2011: The Dodgers opened the season against the Giants. With the help of some shoddy Giant defense and masterful Dodger pitching, the Dodgers were able to win three of the four games. Clayton Kershaw threw seven shutout innings on Opening Day, the Dodgers rallied in the second game after Brandon Belt hit his first career home run off Chad Bilingsley and after a 10-0 loss on Saturday, Matt Kemp got the Dodgers started with his first home run and the pitching held up.
Game 1: Clayton Kershaw (1-1, 2.08 ERA) vs. Madison Bumgarner (0-1, 9.00 ERA)
Kershaw career vs. Giants: 44 IP, 2-1, 1.23 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 9.61 K/9, .164 BAA
Kershaw career at AT&T Park: 17 IP, 1-1, 1.06 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 5.29 K/9, .194 BAA
Bumgarner career vs. Dodgers: 6 2/3 IP, 1-0, 1.35 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 6.75 K/9, .250 BAA
Bumgarner career at AT&T Park: 50 1/3 IP, 1-3, 4.47 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 6.44 K/9, .298 BAA
Best Giants' hitters vs. Kershaw
Miguel Tejada - 5-for-15 (.333), 1 2B, 3 RBI
Freddy Sanchez - 4-for-13 (.308)
Pat Burrell - 4-for-16 (.250), 3 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI
Aubrey Huff is 2-for-14 (.143) and Buster Posey and Andres Torres are 2-for-12 (.167) lifetime against Kershaw.
Best Dodgers' hitters vs. Bumgarner
Matt Kemp - 2-for-2
Jamey Carroll - 1-for-3 (.333)
Rafael Furcal - 1-for-3 (.333), 1 HR
Andre Ethier is 0-for-3 and James Loney and Casey Blake are 0-for-2 lifetime against Bumgarner.
Game 2: Chad Billingsley (1-1, 8.00 ERA) vs. Tim Lincecum (1-1, 0.64 ERA)
Billingsley career vs. Giants: 108 2/3 IP, 7-3, 2.73 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 7.29 K/9, .258 BAA
Billingsley career at AT&T Park: 54 IP, 2-2, 2.50 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 7.33 K/9, .275 BAA
Lincecum career vs. Dodgers: 67 1/3 IP, 5-2, 3.07 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 9.49 K/9, .216 BAA
Lincecum career at AT&T Park: 415 IP, 30-15, 3.06 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 10.13 K/9, .228 BAA
Best Giants' hitters vs. Billingsley
Nate Schierholtz - 6-for-14 (.429), 1 2B, 1 3B
Aaron Rowand - 7-for-20 (.350), 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB
Tejada - 7-for-20 (.350), 1 HR, 4 RBI
Brandon Belt - 1-for-3 (.333), 1 HR, 3 RBI
Pablo Sandoval is 5-for-30 (.167), Sanchez is 5-for-26 (.192), Burrell is 4-for-19 (.211), Mark DeRosa is 2-for-9 (.222), Huff is 4-for-18 (.222) and Torres is 4-for-17 (.231) lifetime against Billingsley.
Best Dodgers' hitters vs. Lincecum
Marcus Thames - 2-for-3 (.667), 2 HR
Xavier Paul - 2-for-3, 1 2B
Ethier - 8-for-29 (.276), 2 HR, 6 RBI
Furcal - 6-for-23 (.261), 1 HR, 7 BB
Kemp is 3-for-21 (.143), is 0-for-3, Blake is 2-for-13 (.154) and Loney is 5-for-30 (.167) lifetime against Lincecum.
Game 3: Ted Lilly (0-1, 6.00 ERA) vs. Jonathan Sanchez (0-1, 2.53 ERA)
Lilly career vs. Giants:46 2/3 IP, 3-3, 5.79 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 5.98 K/9, .282 BAA
Lilly career at AT&T Park: 18 IP, 1-2, 6.50 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 7.00 K/9, .288 BAA
Sanchez career vs. Dodgers: 67 1/3 IP, 2-6, 4.68 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 9.49 K/9, .252 BAA
Sanchez career at AT&T Park: 305 IP, 17-15, 4.13 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 9.29 K/9, .233 BAA
Best Giants' hitters vs. Lilly
Posey - 3-for-7 (.429), 2 HR
Rowand - 10-for-26 (.385), 2 2B, 1 HR
Sanchez - 10-for-29 (.345), 5 2B
Tejada - 15-for-54 (.278), 3 HR, 10 RBI
Burrell is 1-for-13 (.077) and Huff is 6-for-32 (.188) lifetime against Lilly.
Best Dodgers' hitters vs. Sanchez
Kemp - 11-for-29 (.379), 3 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 5 SB
Rod Barajas - 4-for-11 (.364), 1 HR
Blake is 2-for-14 (.143), Ethier is 4-for-27 (.148) and Loney is 4-for-25 (.160) lifetime against Sanchez
Analysis: The Dodgers benefited from some sloppy Giant defense and luck in the first series. In this series, it appears they have the advantage on the mound with Kershaw vs. Bumgarner in Game 1. The second game has a chance to be a dandy, as both pitchers are dominant against the opposing team with Billingsley pitching well in AT&T Park in his career. Sanchez has great peripherals in his career against the Dodgers, but has been susceptible to the big hit. Lilly just does not pitch well against the Giants, even in the friendly confines of AT&T Park.
Prediction: Dodgers take the first game but lose the next two.
Next meeting: May 18-19 at Dodger Stadium
Monday, April 11, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Video of Jerry Sands' first Triple-A home run
Jerry Sands hit his first Triple-A home run on Saturday night. I watched a lot of the Isotopes' game, but I missed the home run, of course.
Here's a video from YouTube user hipredcar. It's the only video I've been able to find thus far.
It sounds great off the crack of the bat and might have been helped by the friendly hitting conditions of the Pacific Coast League. Still, it's a nice opposite-field shot.
If Sands plays the entire season at Triple-A -- and at this rate, he won't -- he could easily flirt with 40 home runs. James Loney's spot as Dodgers' starting first baseman could be threatened in the coming months if Sands continues to hit.
Update (4/10, 2:39 p.m.): Sands hit his second home run in as many days. It was another opposite-field shot. Evan of New Mexico Fan said it was just over the 404-foot mark in right-center field.
Here's a video from YouTube user hipredcar. It's the only video I've been able to find thus far.
It sounds great off the crack of the bat and might have been helped by the friendly hitting conditions of the Pacific Coast League. Still, it's a nice opposite-field shot.
If Sands plays the entire season at Triple-A -- and at this rate, he won't -- he could easily flirt with 40 home runs. James Loney's spot as Dodgers' starting first baseman could be threatened in the coming months if Sands continues to hit.
Update (4/10, 2:39 p.m.): Sands hit his second home run in as many days. It was another opposite-field shot. Evan of New Mexico Fan said it was just over the 404-foot mark in right-center field.
Friday, April 8, 2011
A breakdown of Zach Lee's debut with Great Lakes
Zach Lee made his professional debut today with the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League (Low-A ball). Here's an inning-by-inning breakdown of his day.
First Inning - 13 pitches (7 strikes, 6 balls)
0 Hits, 1 Walk, 0 Strikeouts
-Lee threw his first pitch at 92 MPH, Loons' play-by-play announce Matt Park said on the broadcast. He wasn't afraid to pitch inside, as he threw all fastballs in the first inning. After walking the No. 2 hitter, he got the next two hitters without incident.
Second Inning - 25 pitches (13 strikes, 12 balls)
1 Hit, 1 Walk, 2 Strikeouts
-Lee's fastball topped out at 96 MPH in the second. His first strikeout came on a slider down-and-away from the right-handed hitter. He got his second strikeout on a backup curveball that froze the hitter. Park said it was a slider, but it had much more of a curveball break. He got in a spot of bother with a two-out walk followed by an infield single before getting the last hitter of the inning to ground out weakly to first after an eight-pitch battle.
Third Inning - 11 pitches (8 strikes, 3 balls)
0 Hits, 0 Walks, 1 Strikeout
-Lee started the first two hitters off with off-speed pitches. He got the lead-off man to look at a slider for strike three. The next two hitters hit the ball hard, but both were flagged down by left fielder Nick Akins.
Fourth Inning - 20 pitches (11 strikes, 9 balls)
1 Hits, 1 Walks, 2 Strikeouts
-Lee got the first hitter to foul out to third base before walking the next hitter on four pitches. He then struck out the next hitter on three pitches before a seven-pitch tilt that ended with a single to left field. He got the final out of the inning on a strikeout looking.
And Lee's day would end with that backward "K." Despite struggling with his command, he went after hitters at times. He missed up in the zone a lot, which is something he'll have to work on. But for his first start, it's hard to complain.
Lee's final line
4 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
69 pitches (39 strikes, 30 balls)
Pitch breakdown*: 51 fastballs (max velocity 96 MPH), 10 sliders, 7 curveballs, 1 changeup
*- By my count
First Inning - 13 pitches (7 strikes, 6 balls)
0 Hits, 1 Walk, 0 Strikeouts
-Lee threw his first pitch at 92 MPH, Loons' play-by-play announce Matt Park said on the broadcast. He wasn't afraid to pitch inside, as he threw all fastballs in the first inning. After walking the No. 2 hitter, he got the next two hitters without incident.
Second Inning - 25 pitches (13 strikes, 12 balls)
1 Hit, 1 Walk, 2 Strikeouts
-Lee's fastball topped out at 96 MPH in the second. His first strikeout came on a slider down-and-away from the right-handed hitter. He got his second strikeout on a backup curveball that froze the hitter. Park said it was a slider, but it had much more of a curveball break. He got in a spot of bother with a two-out walk followed by an infield single before getting the last hitter of the inning to ground out weakly to first after an eight-pitch battle.
Third Inning - 11 pitches (8 strikes, 3 balls)
0 Hits, 0 Walks, 1 Strikeout
-Lee started the first two hitters off with off-speed pitches. He got the lead-off man to look at a slider for strike three. The next two hitters hit the ball hard, but both were flagged down by left fielder Nick Akins.
Fourth Inning - 20 pitches (11 strikes, 9 balls)
1 Hits, 1 Walks, 2 Strikeouts
-Lee got the first hitter to foul out to third base before walking the next hitter on four pitches. He then struck out the next hitter on three pitches before a seven-pitch tilt that ended with a single to left field. He got the final out of the inning on a strikeout looking.
And Lee's day would end with that backward "K." Despite struggling with his command, he went after hitters at times. He missed up in the zone a lot, which is something he'll have to work on. But for his first start, it's hard to complain.
Lee's final line
4 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
69 pitches (39 strikes, 30 balls)
Pitch breakdown*: 51 fastballs (max velocity 96 MPH), 10 sliders, 7 curveballs, 1 changeup
*- By my count
Reluctantly, here's something about Manny Ramirez
As you probably already know, Manny Ramirez retired today after 19 Major League Baseball seasons.
He got off to a terrible start with the Tampa Bay Rays, mustering just one hit in his first 17 at-bats. But that isn't why he retired.
He reportedly tested positive for a banned substance -- a performance-enhancing drug -- for the second time in his career. If he chose to appeal it, he would have faced a 100-game suspension. Instead of going through that -- and probably losing the appeal -- he decided to hang up his spikes.
If any player in the history of baseball was going to get caught twice, it would have been Ramirez. Ever since his first positive test, his numbers -- specifically his power numbers -- have decreased. Is there a correlation? Possibly; it's hard to know for sure. But Ramirez just wasn't the same hitter he was before he was traded to the Dodgers in July 2008. That's to be expected with age, but his production sharply declined.
The Dodgers still owe Ramirez money through 2013 in deferred payments and that isn't going away with his retirement.
The Rays, a team off to an 0-6 start, can't get much worse than they were with Ramirez. At least it allows another player to take his spot.
Any chances Ramirez had left to make the Hall of Fame are likely gone after this. If the writers have yet to vote in the likes of Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro, Ramirez stands no chance.
He was great for the Dodgers in 2008 (playoffs included) and was one of the best right-handed hitters of all-time, but the tarnished legacy is something he won't be able to run away from.
He got off to a terrible start with the Tampa Bay Rays, mustering just one hit in his first 17 at-bats. But that isn't why he retired.
He reportedly tested positive for a banned substance -- a performance-enhancing drug -- for the second time in his career. If he chose to appeal it, he would have faced a 100-game suspension. Instead of going through that -- and probably losing the appeal -- he decided to hang up his spikes.
If any player in the history of baseball was going to get caught twice, it would have been Ramirez. Ever since his first positive test, his numbers -- specifically his power numbers -- have decreased. Is there a correlation? Possibly; it's hard to know for sure. But Ramirez just wasn't the same hitter he was before he was traded to the Dodgers in July 2008. That's to be expected with age, but his production sharply declined.
The Dodgers still owe Ramirez money through 2013 in deferred payments and that isn't going away with his retirement.
The Rays, a team off to an 0-6 start, can't get much worse than they were with Ramirez. At least it allows another player to take his spot.
Any chances Ramirez had left to make the Hall of Fame are likely gone after this. If the writers have yet to vote in the likes of Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro, Ramirez stands no chance.
He was great for the Dodgers in 2008 (playoffs included) and was one of the best right-handed hitters of all-time, but the tarnished legacy is something he won't be able to run away from.
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