dodgerblog2205-blog

[dodgerblog2205-blog]

“Beat” LA 5/10/17

Adrian Gonzalez goes on the DL

Dodger’s first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has been placed on the 10 day DL due to an elbow issue. 

Gonzalez has been dealing with the elbow issue since it tightened up in December.

In 94 at bats this season, Gonzalez is hitting .255 with 11 RBI’s and 0 home runs.

With the emergence of Cody Bellinger, it makes sense to get Gonzalez healthy as soon as possible.

There is no timetable for Gonzalez’s return.

The Los Angeles Dodgers stay hot, beat Pirates in first two games of series

The Los Angeles Dodgers have taken the first two games of a three-game series against the Pittsburg Pirates.

The Dodgers came out swinging in the first game, scoring 6 runs in the first inning including a grand slam from Chris Taylor.

The Dodgers kept piling on to that 6 run inning, eventually winning 12-1. 

Tuesday’s game had a little bit more drama than the previous night. 

Julio Urias took a no-hitter into the 6th inning when he gave up a double to Andrew McCutchen.

The bullpen gave up the lead in the 8th inning when John Jaso hit a pinch-hit home run to take a 3-2 lead.

In the 9th, Cody Bellinger tied up the game with an RBI single, and Austin Barnes hit a walk-off double in the 10th to give the Dodgers a 4-3 victory. 

Tonight is the final game in the 3 game series, in which we will see Kenta Maeda take the mound against Chad Kuhl as the Dodgers attempt to sweep the Pirates out of Los Angeles.

Andrew Toles is out for the year. 

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andrew Toles will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL. 

Toles injured himself during Tuesday night’s game against the Pittsburg Pirates when he dove for a ball in an attempt to preserve Julio Urias’s no-hitter. 

Toles is expected to have surgery to repair his torn ACL in two weeks. 

In the meantime, Cody Bellinger will shift to left field and different platoon guys are expected to fill in at first base while Adrian Gonzalez is on the DL with an elbow injury. 

[dodgerblog2205-blog]

“Beat” LA 5/3/17

Dodgers make an incredible comeback last Saturday

The Los Angeles Dodgers made an incredible comeback on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Down 5-2 in the 9th inning, Yasiel Puig lead-off the inning with a home run.

Cody Bellinger followed up with another home run, his second of the game.

Justin Turner pinch hit for the game-tying home run which extended his hitting streak. 

After the back to back to back home run spree, Adrian Gonzalez came up to the plate with runners on first and second and hit a grounder to the shortstop.

However, the ball bounced off the shortstop, then bounced off the third baseman, and went into left field, Austin Barnes scored the winning run, and the Dodgers won 6-5. 

Scott Van Slyke optioned to Triple-A

With the emergence of Cody Bellinger and Franklin Gutierez coming off the DL, the Los Angeles Dodgers have optioned Scott Van Slyke to Triple-A.

In 31 at bats, Van Slyke is only hitting .129 with 1 HR and 2 RBI’s. 

Bellinger, the Dodgers top prospect plays the same positions as Van Slyke does, and has gotten off to a great start so far, so the move makes sense.

Franklin Gutierez was signed in the offseason to help combat the Dodgers difficulty to hit left-handed pitching. 

Vin Scully to be inducted into the ring of honor.

Long time Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully will be inducted into the Dodgers ring of honor before Wednesday's game against the San Fransisco Giants.

The ring of honor has also inducted Dodger legends like Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, and Tommy Lasorda. 

There will be a pre-game ceremony before the game, and fans attending will also get a microphone statue in honor of Scully

Scully has been behind the booth for 67 years, being a household voice for generations of Dodger fans. 

[dodgerblog2205-blog]

“Beat LA” 4/26/17

Cody Bellinger makes MLB debut.

With Joc Pederson going on the 10-day DL with a groin strain, the Dodgers have elected to call up top Dodger prospect Cody Bellinger.

In just 18 games with the OKC Dodgers, Bellinger was hitting .343 with 5 HR’s and an OPS of 1.055

Bellinger will mostly play outfield with the Dodgers, though his primary position is first base. 

Bellinger got his first hit last night against the San Francisco Giants and went 1-3 with a walk. 

It is unknown how long Bellinger will be with the team, but for Dodger fans, it is a bright look into the future of this team.  Julio Urias is back with the Dodgers

Dodger pitching phenom Julio Urias is slated to start on Thursday in place of Kenta Maeda. 

Dave Roberts, the Dodgers manager, wanted to skip Maeda’s start to give him a break after a poor start to the season. 

Urias will be in the rotation after this start on Thursday, with Maeda slated to back into the spot that is currently being occupied by Alex Wood. 

Wood will go back to the bullpen after tonight’s start against the San Francisco Giants. 

With Urias in the rotation going forward and Bellinger with the team, the Dodger’s youth movement is underway, and one of the best farm systems in baseball is showing off its might. 

Dodgers recap 

The Dodgers struggles continued over the weekend in Arizona. 

The Dodgers lost a series to the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks. 

This series was a bunch of ineffective pitching by the bullpen, giving up a lot of runs through the first two series of the game. 

The Dodgers lost the first two games 13-5 and 11-5 respectively. 

The Dodgers were able to win the final game 6-2 behind another fantastic start from Brandon McCarthy. 

The Dodgers are currently in San Francisco to take on the rival Giants, the series is currently tied 1-1.

The Dodgers lost on Monday after Justin Turner made a baserunning gaff in the 9th inning 2-1. 

The Dodgers won last night with the help of a gusty Clayton Kershaw performance, that score was also 2-1.

Alex Wood takes the mound tonight for the Dodgers against Johnny Cueto. 

Julio Urias will make his season debut tomorrow against Matt Moore. 

[dodgerblog2205-blog]

“Beat” LA 4/19/17

Recap 

The Los Angeles Dodgers split a 4 game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks over the weekend. 

On Friday they matched up against former Dodger pitcher Zack Greinke while sending Clayton Kershaw to the mound

The Dodgers handled Greinke with ease, winning 7-1.

Saturday was Jackie Robinson Day and the day that the Dodgers officially unveiled the statue of Mr. Robinson himself.

Everyone wore the number 42 and the Dodgers handled the Diamondbacks 8-4.

The back end of the series was a different tale, losing 3-1 and 4-2 on Sunday and Monday. 

The Dodgers lost again to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night by a score of 4-3

The Dodgers look to get back on track tonight sending Kershaw to the hill once again to try and right the ship. 

Rich Hill goes on the DL

Dodger pitcher Rich Hill has been placed on the 10-Day DL with a blister on his finger. 

The pitcher has been plagued by blister problems since being traded to the Dodgers during last year’s trade deadline, even keeping him from attempting to pitch a perfect game against the Miami Marlins last year.

Rob Segedin has been recalled from triple-A to take his place.

Logan Forsythe goes on the DL

Dodgers second baseman Logan Forsythe was placed on the 10 day DL with a hairline fracture in his toe. 

Forsythe suffered the injury in the Tuesday game against the Colorado Rockies when he was hit by a pitch on his right toe. 

Chris Taylor has been called up to take his place. 

[dodgerblog2205-blog]

“Beat” LA 4/12/17

Recap

The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped their first series against the Colorado Rockies as well as losing to the Chicago Cubs on Monday. 

On Friday, they lost 2-1 in the Rockies first home game of the year.

Hyun-Jin Ryu took the loss while Kyle Freeman won his first of the year.

Kershaw threw on Saturday but did not pitch particularly well for his standards, giving up 4 runs and taking the loss in the 4-1 game.

On Sunday, the offense exploded for 10 runs in a weird game where the wind blew the ball around the stadium. 

The Dodgers traveled to Chicago on Monday to face the World Champion Cubs.

While the Dodgers were able to mount a comeback to tie the game in the 9th, they ultimately lost 3-2.

The Dodger resume play against the Cubs on Wednesday.

Gutierez to the DL, Thompson recalled.

Franklin Gutierez suffered a hamstring injury on Monday against the Chicago Cubs.

He suffered the injury attempting to steal second base before getting called out.

Outfielder, Trayce Thompson has been called up to the team to take the place of Gutierez. 

Gutierez will be placed on the 15 day DL, and there is no timetable set for his return.

Dodgers trade for Gunkel.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have traded for Joe Gunkel from the Baltimore Orioles.

Gunkel was designated for assignment last week by the Baltimore Orioles before the Dodgers claimed him off waivers.

The Dodgers will either send cash or a player to be named later. 

[dodgerblog2205-blog]

“Beat LA” 4/5/17

The Dodgers Opening Day Roster

The 25 man roster is set, here is the roster that the Los Angeles Dodgers will be fielding to start the season. 

Pitchers: Clayton Kershaw, Kenta Maeda, Rich Hill, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Kenley Jansen, Sergio Romo, Grant Dayton, Chris Hatcher, Luis Avilan, Alex Wood, Ross Stripling,

Infielders: Yasmani Grandal, Adrian Gonzales, Logan Forsythe, Corey Seager, Justin Turner

Outfielders: Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Andrew Toles, Franklin Gutierez 

Bench Players: Austin Barnes, Chase Utley, Kike Hernandez, Scott Van Slyke. 

Dodgers split first two games with Padres.

The Los Angeles Dodgers came out strong in their opening day game against the San Diego Padres.

They crushed the Padres 14-3 behind home runs from Yasmani Grandal, Corey Seager, and a grand slam from Joc Pederson.

Clayton Kershaw also dazzled in his first start, striking out 8 batters in 7 innings of work.

However, the Dodgers struggled the next night, losing 4-0. 

The story of the Dodgers last year was how they couldn’t hit against left-handed pitchers, something they could not do against Clayton Richard.

It did not help that the Dodgers grounded into four double plays.

Tonight is the last game in this 3 game series against the Padres, where they hope to win behind the left-handed pitcher, Rich Hill, while the Padres will counter with Trevor Cahill.

Dodgers vs Rockies preview

The Los Angeles Dodgers will travel to Colorado this weekend to face the Rockies in a 3 game series.

For the Rockies, this will be their home opener weekend after a successful first series against the Milwaukee Brewers. 

The Dodgers will send out Hyun-Jin Ryu to the mound on Friday while the Rockies will counter with Kyle Freeman. 

The Rockies will send Jon Gray on Saturday and Tyler Anderson on Sunday, while the Dodgers have yet to announce who they will send to pitch in those respective games.

Brandon McCarthy has yet to pitch in a major league game this season, so it is expected that he will pitch during one of these games, with Clayton Kershaw pitching in the other. 

The series will feature a lot of offense due to the high altitude in Denver, and it should be an exciting series to watch between two of the NL West’s better teams. 

[dodgerblog2205-blog]

“Beat” L.A 3/29/17

Hyun-Jin Ryu earns a rotation spot

It’s been an injury-filled two years for Dodger pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu, but he will be in the starting rotation to start the year. 

 Ryu has pitched 4 times this spring with a 2.57 ERA and 12 strikeouts.

Ryu is coming off of shoulder and elbow injuries over the past two years, but when he has been healthy, he has been a solid starting pitcher that has helped the Dodgers reach the postseason during his time in LA.  

Scott Kazmir hits the DL.

Dodger pitcher Scott Kazmir is going on the Disabled List with a left hip injury. 

The spring has not been kind to Kazmir, in his 3 starts, he has only pitched 5.2 innings with a 6.37 ERA. 

His velocity in his pitches is also down, hitting about 82-84 MPH on his fastball. 

Kazmir finished his 2016 season on the DL for back and neck injuries. 

Julio Urias not on opening day roster, Corey Seager staying in AZ. 

Julio Urias will not make the Dodger’s opening day roster. 

The 20-year-old will stay back in Arizona to keep himself fresh for the long season ahead.

Because of the inexperience, management does not want the prized pitcher to tire out halfway through the season.

In other news, Corey Seager will be staying through the weekend to ramp up his at-bats for opening day. 

Seager has been dealing with minor injuries throughout spring training. 

He is expected to join the roster on Sunday for the final spring training game against the Angels.

[dodgerblog2205-blog]

“Beat” L.A. 3/8/17

Justin Turner out with knee injury 

Justin Turner missed his second game with a knee injury after getting a lubricating injection in his right knee on Wednesday. 

Turner had surgery on his right knee after the conclusion of the 2015 season. 

Turner is expected to return to the lineup on Friday.

KTLA scheduled to broadcast 10 Dodger games.

KTLA and Sportsnet LA have come to an agreement to broadcast 10 Dodger baseball games throughout the months of April and May.

The following games are scheduled to be broadcast on KTLA.

Wednesday, April 5, 6:30 p.m., vs. San Diego Padres Sunday, April 9, 12:00 p.m., at Colorado Rockies Wednesday, April 12, 5:00 p.m., at Chicago Cubs Sunday, April 16, 1:00 p.m., vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday, April 18, 6:30 p.m., vs. Colorado Rockies Wednesday, April 19, 7:00 p.m., vs. Colorado Rockies Sunday, April 23, 1:00 p.m., at Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday April 30, 1:00 p.m., vs. Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday May 3, 6:00 p.m., vs. San Francisco Giants Sunday, May 7, 1:00 p.m., at San Diego Padres

Sportsnet LA has still unable to be seen in all the homes of Dodgers fans, but this will ease the pain a bit until they can come to an agreement with other TV 

World Baseball Classic Update. 

Kenley Jansen and the Netherlands have punched their ticket to the round of 8. 

They beat Korea and Chinese Taipei in order to secure a spot in the next round.

The Netherlands face off against Isreal in order to determine who will come out of the group in 1st place or in second place.

Mexico is scheduled to get group play underway on Thursday, March 9th against Italy. 

Mexico features a trio of Dodgers including 1st Baseman Adrian Gonzalez, Starter Julio Urias, and reliever Sergio Romo. 

[dodgerblog2205-blog]

Beat “L.A.” 3/1/17

Adrian Gonzalez dealing with an injury.

Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is dealing with some tendinitis in his right elbow.

Gonzalez had been shut down since Feb. 17th and is expected to start hitting soon.

This injury might jeopardize his involvement in the upcoming World Baseball Classic with Team Mexico.

Gonzalez is expected to be ready by opening day.

Corey Seager sitting out tonight’s game.

Dodgers shortstop, Corey Seager, is not expected to play in tonight’s spring training game against the San Francisco Giants due to a bruised shin.

Seager injured his shin when he fouled a ball just above his shinguard in a game on Monday.

He is expected to return to the lineup on Friday to face the Texas Rangers.

Chase De Jong traded for two prospects.

Dodgers right hand pitching prospect Chase De Jong was traded to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for shortstop Drew Jackson and right-hand pitcher  Aneurys Zabala.

De Jong went 14-5 with a 2.86 ERA last year in AA.

The trade clears a spot on the Dodgers 40 man roster.

[dodgerblog2205-blog]

“Beat” LA 2/22/17

Is Eric Gagne coming back? 

Former Los Angeles Dodgers closer Eric Gagne is thinking about returning to baseball. 

The former Cy-Young award winner has been working with the Dodgers in spring training as a special pitching instructor. 

He has also reportedly thrown for the San Diego Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The 41-year-old will be on the Canadian baseball team in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.  Dodgers traded Vidal Nuno to the Orioles for Ryan Moseley 

The Los Angeles Dodgers traded left-handed pitcher Vidal Nuno to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league right-handed Ryan Moseley. 

Nuno spent the 2016 season with the Seattle Mariners with an ERA of 3.53 while striking out 51 batters over 58.2 innings. 

Nuno was traded to the Dodgers in the offseason in exchange for catcher Carlos Ruiz. 

Ryan Moseley pitched in short-season ball last year, with a 3.20 ERA, but only throwing 9 and a half innings.  New Intentional Walk rule. 

Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday that they are going to change the intentional walk works.

Instead of throwing 4 balls out of the strike zone, managers can now give a signal to indicate that they will intentionally walk the batter. 

The rule has divided the baseball community. 

On one hand, the pitcher won’t be thrown off their rhythm by soft tossing balls out of the strike zone, on the other hand, the batter won’t have the opportunity to jump on something should the pitcher mess up. 

 Major League Baseball is doing this in an effort to speed up the pace of play, something they have been tackling over the past couple of seasons. 

[dodgerblog2205-blog]

“Beat” L.A. 2/15/17

Chase Utley re-signs with the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers have re-signed second baseman Chase Utley to a 1 year, $2 million deal with incentives.  Chase Utley hit .252 last year while providing veteran leadership in the clubhouse.

Corey Seager, the reigning rookie of the year, especially leaned on the veteran for help throughout the 2016 season. 

“Chase helped me a lot,” said Seager in an interview with the LA Times. “He really did. I can’t thank him enough for what he did.”

Utley is expected to be a bench player, helping out new Dodger’s second basemen, Logan Forsythe, and giving the third baseman, Justin Turner, some rest. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers sign Franklin Gutierrez

The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed outfielder Franklin Gutierrez to a 1 year, $2.6 million dollar deal with the ability to earn up to $400,000 in incentives.

The soon to be 34 year old spent the last two years with the Seattle Mariners, with mixed results. 

Last year he hit .246 with an On Base Percentage of .329.

Gutierrez is expected to compete for a backup outfield position. 

Pitchers and Catchers reported to spring training today.

Rejoice Dodger fans, today marks the beginning of spring training as the pitchers and catchers reported to spring training today. 

Dodgers position players are expected to report by February 20th, with the first full workout beginning on the 21st. 

The Dodgers will kick off their first spring training game on February 25th against the Chicago White Sox at 1:05 p.m. 

[dodgerblog2205-blog]

“Beat” L.A. 2/8/17

Baseball Prospectus releases PECOTA projections. 

Baseball prospectus has released their 2017 Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm (PECOTA) predictions and the Los Angeles Dodgers are projected to win the NL West again. PECOTA projections analyze how each player on every team is going to do, and project how many games that team will win based on these projections. 

Baseball prospectus projects the Dodgers to win 98 games, the most by any MLB teams are projected to win this year.

Other division winners include the Cubs in the NL Central, the Mets in the NL East, the Astros in the AL West, the Indians in the AL Central, and the Red Sox in the AL East.

The San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers are expected to be wild card teams.

           While these projections aren’t 100% and don’t take into account the injuries that occur on the field this year, they have been pretty accurate.

           If these predictions come true, the Dodgers will be on their way to a 5th straight NL West crown. Sergio Romo signs with the Dodgers.  The Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly signed former Giants closer, Sergio Romo, to a 1 year, $3 million deal.            

The 33-year-old has spent the last 9 years with the San Francisco Giants, helping them win 3 World Series championships with them in 2010, 2012, and 2014.           

 Romo pitched in 40 games last year, compiling a 2.64 ERA while allowing 9 runs and striking out 33 batters.            

Romo is expected to be the set-up man to Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen and should improve an already deep Dodgers bullpen.           

Sergio Romo is an LA native who grew up rooting for the Dodgers, so him signing with the Dodgers should make for an excellent homecoming for himself and his family. Dodgers playing in the World Baseball Classic.         

 The 2017 World Baseball Classic is approaching fast, and a few Dodgers will be representing their countries in this year’s tournament.

The World Baseball Classic is a tournament involving teams from around the world competing for their country. 

           Adrian Gonzalez, Julio Urias, Vidal Nuno, and newest Dodger Sergio Romo will represent Team Mexico alongside non-roster invite Alex Verdugo.

           Dodger closer, Kenley Jansen, will return to represent The Netherlands while utilitymen Enrique Hernandez and Rob Segedin will represent Puerto Rico and Italy respectively.

           The World Baseball Classic starts on March 6th, and the final game will conclude at Dodger Stadium on March 22nd.

[dodgerblog2205-blog]

Beat description.

“Beat” L.A. will cover the Los Angeles Dodgers throughout the semester. It will cover everything from this past off season trades/signings as well as spring training stories that erupt. The spring training portion of this coverage will cover the various position battles that go on in spring training. The prospects that are making waves in their time with the big club. The season kicks off during the semester, so I will also be covering the various games/series that the Dodgers will be playing in. I will be previewing the upcoming series. In addition, I will also be reviewing the past series that the Dodgers played in, and analyze what went wrong and what went right. I will be keeping up with all the latest rumors and news around the team. I will also analyze potential moves that the Dodgers might make or should make as well. 

Sources I will be using:

1. mlb.com

2. mlbtraderumors.com

3. espn.com

4. dodgersinsider.com

5. fangraphs.com 

6. twitter.com/dodgers

7. twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal

8. reddit.com/r/dodgers

9. twitter.com/DodgersBeat

10. sbnation.com

[dodgerblog2205-blog]

First entry

My name is Sam Butler. I am 24 years old and I currently live in Northridge, CA. I grew up in a small town north of Glendale called La Crescenta. My current passions are talking about sports, video games, Television, and movies. I currently go to California State University, Northridge after transferring from the University of Oregon. 

I want to graduate from this school with a degree in Public Relations. With that degree, I want to be able to work somewhere that my passions and my degree can intersect. Whether that be with a sports team, movie studio, video game company, etc. I really just want to work somewhere where I can be happy, and I think this is the path that will lead me to being happy.