Tony Gonsolin‘s major league debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers maybe is one he’d like to forget, and the game as a whole was one the team should soon forget, as the Dodgers lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-2 while only getting one win in the three game series.
The game got off to a bad start with Adam Jones flipping a bunt down the left side of infield. Tim Locastro followed with another infield hit, a ball that Joc Pederson was unable to handle, and a three run homer made it 4-0 before there was a single out recorded in the first inning.
Gonsolin did manage to settle down and retire the next three batters. He threw 77 pitches over four innings, allowing six runs, four earned. He struck out three and allowed one homer. Tony did collect his first major league hit in his first at bat, a scorching ground ball right back up the middle. In order for Gonsolin to make his debut, the Dodgers optioned catcher Will Smith back to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The offense didn’t quite ever get going. They scored one run in the first, and one in the fourth, courtesy of Cody Bellinger‘s 26th home run. He has now surpassed his home run count for all of last year halfway through this season. Max Muncy saw his on base streak ended at 34 games, the second-longest in the NL this season.
Caleb Ferguson worked the fifth and allowed two more runs to score.
Still, there were some bright spots. Yimi Garcia and JT Chargois both pitched 1-2-3 innings. But the best relief appearance of the afternoon belonged to catcher Russell Martin, who induced two pop ups and struck Christian Walker, needing only eight pitches and touching 90 MPH.
The Dodgers now fly to Denver to start a four game series with the Colorado Rockies. They will once again look to Walker Buehler to have a long outing, as the bullpen was taxed in the last two games against the Diamondbacks. Buehler will go up against Peter Lambert, whom the Dodgers just saw Saturday in Los Angeles. They scored three run against him in five innings.
Friday will see Hyun-Jin Ryu and Antonio Senzatela who pitched Sunday against them at home. They only managed two runs off of him in 6.1 innings of work.
Clayton Kershaw will get the call on Saturday, the only pitcher going on normal rest. He will face off against Jon Gray. The righty is 8-5 on the season with a 3.92 ERA and 103 strikeouts. He went six scoreless innings against the San Francisco on Monday.
For the Sunday finale, Kenta Maeda will take the mound, with Chi Chi Gonzalez taking the mound for the Rockies. The righty has only one start so far this season, last Tuesday against the Giants. He went five innings, allowing three runs and six hits.
Hopefully the Dodgers offense will rekindle itself in homer friendly Coors Field, as the Dodgers look to stretch their divisional lead further.
Now that’s a game where I’m glad I don’t have Spectrum!!
Yeah, I think we would all like to forget this series.
What series? I was napping.
Barnes and Martin are both OPS’n in the .600’s. That blows. Are they so good defensively we accept their replacement level offense? I guess so.
In fact, they are both OPS’n .679. What are the odds of that?
But for Martin that’s really good-for a relief pitcher!
They threw the game away. Stuff like that can come back and bite you on the tushy. Gonsolin after a shaky 1st did ok. But kid is not ready for prime time yet. Belli a shoe in to start the All Star game, Joc not even close. ESPN picked their version of both squads and Jansen did not make it, But Muncy, Kersh, Buehler and Ryu did. Gonsolin back to OKC today and a report has Rios being recalled….note…Smith has to spend 10 days down there unless he is replacing an injured player.
I was very pleased with what I saw from Gonsolin yesterday. Do I want him starting a playoff game for me this year? No. Do I want him coming out of the bullpen in a game 7? No. But I saw a young guy with good stuff who didn’t totally fold after giving up that homer and after getting horrible defensive support from the guys playing behind him. He also looks like a very good hitter. I don’t know if we’ll see him again this year, but I think he has a very bright future.
Did not get to see the game, but by all reports I read, the Dodgers were pretty pleased with the kids outing. But the onus for this loss is on an offense that could not solve a kid with an ERA north of 6 and a porous defense. I reiterate, Pederson is no 1st baseman. Period.
Well folks, it was only a matter of time. Not only will we see Rios, but also……………….Rosscup. Back at last! Ferguson to OKC.
Ferguson has not been the same guy he was last year. Rosscup at least has shown he has some nasty stuff and with a guy like Blackmon, he can be very effective. Rosscup also is a strikeout guy.
What has made Baez a much better pitcher the last 2 years? Trusting his slider and the development of a reliable change up. Now he’s throwing his fastball more at 50% and not 90%. Lesson for Ferguson!
Rios hitting .249 at OKC with 14 dingers, ties him with Smith for the team lead, and 48 ribbies, the high mark on the team. Has been hitting better lately. Rosscup has a 9 ERA, but has a 3-1 K ratio. We will see what transpires. Rios is a lefty bat. And has been playing most of his time at 3rd, but he can also play 1st, which sends Pederson back to the outfield where he belongs.
I really don’t understand the arrival of Rios. We have enough left handed bats but four games in Colorado means we’ll probably go through a ton of pitchers.
I had heard something about Bellinger having knee tendinitis. I wonder if he’s not going to be available for every game. If our regular left handed hitters are available, I’d rather have an extra pitcher.
Tendinitis was in his ankle. He has said it is not bothering him at all. Roberts took him out of the game so he could be ready for the 4 games in Rockieville. The big guns are pitching in this series so I think Ol DR just thinks his aces can give him some innings. They moved Pollock to the 60 day to activate Rosscup. But it makes no difference as far as his ability to be activated after the break since they backdated it to the day he went on the IL.
Rosscup? I don’t know about that. His numbers make me think Joe Kelly II. Lots of Ks, but high ERA, LD% at 25%. In the minors. xFIP over 4. They must see something they like.
Rios huh. Why?
They have an off day after this series then face AZ again in the Ravine.
Dodgers today signed 1st baseman Jon Kemmer to a minor league deal and he was assigned to OKC. He was hitting .355 in the Mexican League. Former top pick of the Astros has struggled the last couple of years and is 28 years old. In 2017 he hit .299 in the PCL. He hit 21 homers to go along with that .355 average in 262 plate appearances….more depth for the team at the minor league level.
Kemmer is another Max Muncy in the making. I can feel it in my bones.
That said, I’m willing to include him in the Vazquez trade. Scoop, are you listening?
I’m in Jefe. Kemmer, Joc, Barnes, Kiké, May, Gonsolin Harley Hiffcapippy and I forgot who else. I forget stuff. I need more Apigenin and Luteolin in my diet. Wait… Luke Luteolin, we can include him too.
Why Ríos? Somebody need a day off?
According to some reports I have read, the Pirates would almost insist on including Ruiz in any trade for Vazquez…..
Yonder Alonso DFA’d by the White Sox. That’s what you get for not convincing your brother in law, Machado, to sign with the Pale Hose.