Tag: Los Angeles Dodgers

Dancing Days Are Here Again…

Published on by Andy Lane ChapmanLeave a comment

“I said it’s alright – You know it’s alright – I guess it’s all in my heart.”  ~Page/Plant

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Safe to say DodgerFam is feeling a little better this week. The Dodgers took two of three in each series against the Diamondbacks and Giants, moving to an 8-5 record and sole ownership of first place in the division. The bullpen, the subject of so much angst in the first week, and later losing the home opener, has not allowed a run in the last 14 innings. Howie Kendrick and Yasmani Grandal returned from the disabled list, and Enrique Hernandez went on a tear against Madison Bumgarner in a 7-3 win Friday night.

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Kiké Hernandez: Jack of All Trades, Master Against Lefties

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(Photo Credit: imgandpics.com)

While he didn’t manage to rescue a swallowed baby jackrabbit from the stomach of a fierce rattlesnake, super utility man Enrique Hernandez was able to spearhead his team’s offensive attack on Friday, leading the Dodgers to a 7-3 victory over the Giants  in front of a sellout crowd on Jackie Robinson Day.

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Dodgers Prospects: Grant Holmes Progressing Nicely

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(Photo Credit: milb.com)

Chosen by the Dodgers in the first round of the 2014 MLB draft, 20-year-old pitching sensation Grant Holmes continues to climb the ranks, and hopes to impress scouts and coaches after being promoted to High-A Rancho Cucamonga to begin the 2016 campaign.

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Weighing the Options of Improving the Dodgers Bullpen

Published on by Dennis SchlossmanLeave a comment

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(Photo Credit: Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports)

After observing an offseason managerial change, a near total makeover to the coaching staff, and a few tweaks in terms of player personnel, fans across Dodgertown began the 2016 regular season with a fresh attitude and a revived sense of enthusiasm.

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Trayce Thompson Amidst Immense Career Chance

Published on by Dennis SchlossmanLeave a comment

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After a seemingly endless seven years in the Chicago White Sox farm system, Dodgers’ rookie Trayce Thompson is finally living his dream as a starting outfielder, and if his early performances are any indication of the future, may conceivably stick to the big league, 25-man roster over the long haul.

With both Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke on the 15-day disabled list suffering back problems, Thompson was the easy choice for the starting nod in left field. Even when lefty-killer Enrique Hernandez is inserted into the outfield lineup to get his share of hacks, Thompson can be shifted to any of the three outfield spots, as his defense is undoubtedly the strongest point of his game.

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Dodgers Eager to See Frankie Montas Compete

Published on by Dennis SchlossmanLeave a comment

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(Photo Credit: Jason Wise/MLB.com)

Although he’s still not yet close to any type of official rehab assignment, the Dodgers remain confident that hard-throwing righty Frankie Montas will recover fully from surgery, and hope that he’ll make an impact at the big league level at some point during the 2016 season.

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Ahhhhhhh…….Freak Out! (le Freak, c’est Chic)

Published on by Andy Lane ChapmanLeave a comment

All that pressure got you down
Has your head spinning all around
Feel the rhythm, check the ride
Come on along and have a real good time

Le Freak – Chic

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Remember last Monday? When the Dodgers scored 15 runs, Kershaw threw seven innings of shutout ball allowing only one hit, and all was right with the world? Here we are a mere week later, and all those good feelings have gone away. Coming off losing three of four to the Giants, one of which included Ross Stripling being pulled from his no-hitter in the 7th to see the lead gone in two pitches, one can only think that the Dodgers season is doomed, done, over. Time to pack it in, forget that there are 155 games left to go.

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Dodgers Bullpen: J.P. Howell’s Sinker Appears Lifeless

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(Photo Credit: sportstalkflorida.com)

Just one day after the bullpen managed to collaborate and shutout San Francisco, the entire relief corps looked to be lethargic on Sunday surrendering three critical runs, as the Dodgers lost to the Giants, 9-6. Los Angeles managed just one win in the four-game series, dropping to 4-3 overall.

Starter Scott Kazmir was pulled from the game early after only four innings of work, having allowed six earned runs and seven hits, three of which included home runs. Kazmir was afforded the luxury of a five-run lead in the first inning, but couldn’t quite maintain any positive momentum or effectiveness in his second outing of the season.

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Dodgers Sign Lefty Reliever, Place Crawford on 15-Day DL

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usa-today-8525447.0(Photo Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)

In two separate transactions Saturday morning, the Dodgers signed veteran lefty reliever Sean Burnett to a minor league deal, while placing outfielder Carl Crawford on the 15-day disabled list with a sore lower back.

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Dodgers Bullpen: Two Games Do Not a Season Make

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(Photo Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

If setup man Chris Hatcher would have successfully shutdown the Giants in the eighth inning of Friday night’s game, and Kenley Jansen enter the ninth to strikeout the side in trademark fashion, the Dodgers’ decision to remove rookie Ross Stripling amidst a no-hit bid through 7-1/3 innings would be considerably less controversial.

Instead, baseball writers and pundits across the country thrived on the outcome, composing articles with hypothetical finishes until the wee hours of the morning, ultimately questioning manager Dave Roberts‘ decision to not let Stripling finish what he started.

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