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Bellinger & Dodgers Keep Rolling

May 10, 2017

Cody Bellinger continued his offensive onslaught, and the Dodgers completed a sweep of the Pirates with a 5-2 victory on Wednesday night at the Ravine.

Bellinger connected on a 2-run homer in the 1st inning, which was his 6th long ball on the season. That was part of a 3-run first inning after Chase Utley delivered an RBI single later on in the 1st, which scored Yasmani Grandal.

Kenta Maeda (3-2) got the win after pitching a career-high 8 1/3 innings, giving up just 2 runs on 5 hits. He struck out 5 and did not walk anybody. He made 104 pitches.

Utley added to the lead in the 4th inning, knocking in Chris Taylor with an RBI double. Utley started at 1st base after Bellinger was moved back to left field due to the season-ending knee injury to Andrew Toles.

Chad Kuhl (1-3) took the loss for the Bucs. He went 5 innings, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the 6th inning, and ultimately was buried by the two-out rally the Dodgers put together in the 1st inning.

Yasmani Grandal made it 5-0 in the 8th inning with an RBI double, scoring Corey Seager. Grandal was 3-3 on the night, with a walk and a run scored.

Grant Dayton came in to record the final two outs of the game for the Dodgers. He came into the game after Francisco Cervelli broke the shutout with a 2-run homer in the 9th of of Maeda.

With the sweep, the Dodgers have now won 5 straight games and improved their record 20-14. They lead the NL in run differential. LA is now 1.5 games back of 1st place Colorado in the NL West.

Speaking of the Rockies, the Dodgers will open a four-game series against Colorado beginning Thursday evening at Coors Field. Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-4; 4.05 ERA) will get the ball for LA in game 1, while the Rockies go with Tyler Anderson (2-3; 6.69 ERA).

Ducks Overcome Demons & Win Game 7

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May 10, 2017

The Ducks finally snapped their streak of game 7 futility on Wednesday night. Anaheim defeated the Oilers 2-1 in game 7 at the Honda Center, propelling them into the Western Conference Finals.

Nick Ritchie scored the game-winning goal 3:21 into the 3rd period. He fired a wrist shot from the right circle, which snuck right under the arm of Oilers’ goaltender Cam Talbot.

Ritchie’s goal gave the Ducks their first lead in a game 7 over the last five years. Anaheim had lost four consecutive game 7’s at home after leading a playoff series 3-2 dating back to 2013.

It was a tough start for Anaheim after Drake Caggiula forced Shea Theodore to turn the puck over right in front of the Ducks’ net, fluttering the puck past John Gibson, which gave the Oilers a 1-0 lead.

Gibson settled down after that. He made 23 saves on the evening, and avenged his previous game 7 failures.

The Ducks tied the game at 1-1 at 8:55 of the 2nd period on a goal by Andrew Cogliano. The puck was kept alive by Ryan Kessler on the play, after Talbot was out of position. Cogliano slipped the puck past the sprawled goaltender, and Anaheim suddenly had the momentum.

The 2nd period was dominated by the Ducks, who regained their confidence. Anaheim outshot the Oilers 16-3 in the middle frame, and had 11 scoring chances to the Oilers 6. Despite the flurry of pressure, the score was still tied 1-1 after two periods.

After Ritchie gave the Ducks the lead in the 3rd, they still continued to control most of the play. Gibson made a couple of saves late, including one on a deflection from Anton Slepyshev, and another on Leon Draisaitl.

Talbot made 28 saves on the night, and left the net in favor of an extra attacker with 2:06 left in the game. However, the Ducks were content to repeatedly ice the puck, and the Oilers were unable to generate any scoring chances of significance.

The Ducks move on the the Western Conference Finals against the Nashville Predators, which will begin on Friday night at the Honda Center.

Triggs and A’s Top the Angels

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May 10, 2017

Andrew Triggs pitched 6 strong innings and Chad Pinder hit a 2-run shot, as the A’s knocked off the Angels 3-1 on Wednesday afternoon in the rubber game of their three-game set.

Triggs (5-2) threw 105 pitches, giving up just 1 run on 3 hits. He struck out 4, walked 3, and managed to escape trouble on numerous occasions.

Triggs began the game by walking three straight batters to load the bases. However, all the Angels could generate was an RBI fielders’ choice by Jefry Marte. The Angels were 0-8 with runners in scoring position on the day. Triggs found a way to pitch out of trouble repeatedly.

Liam Hendriks, Ryan Madsen, and Santiago Casilla gave up only 1 hit over the final 3 innings of play.

Jesse Chaves (2-5) took the loss for the Halos. He went 5 2/3 innings, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits, striking out 5 and walking 2.

“Jesse really pitched a strong game,” Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said. “A broken-bat base hit, and then Pinder launched one that got up in the jet stream. I think at night time no way would that ball going to carry. He pitched really well for us.”

Pinder’s home run came on an 0-1 pitch after Mark Canha lead off the 5th inning with a single to right.

The A’s would an an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th inning when Khris Davis singled in Ryon Healy. That came against Angels reliever Yusmeiro Petit.

The Angels played the game without sluggers Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. Trout missed his 5th consecutive game with a hamstring injury, and Pujols was given the day off.

The Halos will now open a 7-game homestand starting Thursday night against Detroit. JC Ramirez (3-2, 3.74 ERA) will get the start in the first of a four game series. The Tigers will counter with Michael Fulmer (3-1; 2.77 ERA).

Dodgers Lose Toles To Torn ACL

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May 10, 2017

The Dodgers learned on Wednesday that outfielder Andrew Toles will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.

Toles was injured in the 7th inning on Tuesday night after lunging for a ball hit by Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen, which ended up breaking up Julio Urias’ no hit bid.

Toles slid on the warning track but jammed his right knee in the process. He was removed from the game, yet managed to walk off the field.

“It’s disappointing,” Toles, on crutches, said outside the clubhouse. “I was swinging it pretty good, feeling good, playing pretty good defense, and it all kind of came to a halt.”

Toles was just getting hot too. In the past 11 games he hit .375 with a 1.005 OPS, 2 homers, 3 doubles and 7 RBIs. He was tied for second on the team with five home runs.

The Dodgers will now move Cody Bellinger to left field. They recalled 1st baseman/outfielder Scott Van Slyke, along with outfielder Brett Eibner. LA also placed reliever Adam Liberatore on the 10-day DL with a groin injury.

Kings Re-Sign Pearson

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May 10, 2017

The Kings have signed Tanner Pearson to a 4-year contract extension worth $15 million. Pearson would have been a restricted free agent on July 1st.

The 24-year-old left wing scored 24 goals and 44 points in 80 games for the Kings last season. In the past two years, he’s scored 39 goals for the Kings, and been one of the most reliable offensive players.

“We were able to come to a good deal, and we were both pretty happy about it,” Pearson said. “There’s obviously a bit of negotiating that had to be done. Other than that, it went pretty smoothly and I’m happy with staying in L.A.”

With a salary cap hit of $3.75 million, Pearson’s new contract should help the Kings manage their difficult salary cap situation a little better.

LA also traded the rights to goaltender Ben Bishop to the Dallas Start for a 4th round pick in 2017. The pick originally belonged to the Montreal Canadians.

Dallas has until July 1 to reach an agreement with Bishop, before he’ll be able to negotiate with all 30 other teams as a free agent.

The Kings will now look to re-sign forward Tyler Toffoli, who is also scheduled to be a restricted free agent on July 1st. Toffoli scored 16 goals last year in an injury-shortened season. He’s scored a total of 47 goals in the past two seasons.

Barnes Heroics Help Dodgers Beat Bucs

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May 9, 2017

Austin Barnes drilled a walk-off RBI double in the 10th inning, and the Dodgers defeated the Pirates 4-3 in 10 innings on Tuesday night at Chavez Ravine.

Barnes was used as a pinch-hitter with 1 out in the 10th, and Ross Stripling was used as a pinch-runner as well, scoring on the play.

Kenley Jansen (2-0) got the win after pitching a scoreless 10th inning. Julio Urias started for LA, taking a no-hitter into the 7th inning until Andrew McCutchen doubled to lead off the 7th inning. The 6 1/3 innings were a career-high for Urias, who allowed a run on two hits, two walks, with five strikeouts. He threw 95 pitches.

The Pirates took a 3-2 lead in the 8th inning when John Jaso connected on a pinch-hit home run off of reliever Pedro Baez. However, the Dodgers would tie he game in the 9th inning when Cody Bellinger delivered a run-scoring single, which brought home Corey Seager. LA nearly won the game at that point, but Jody Mercer turned a spectacular double play. Mercer scooped up the ball while keeping his foot on the bag after pitcher Tony Watson bounced a ball wide of second base.

After breaking up the no-hitter, the Pirates scored two in the 7th inning to tie the game at 2-2. Francisco Cervelli doubled in McCutchen, which put the Pirates on the board. Max Moroff followed with an RBI single, which scored Cervelli. That was Moroff’s first major league hit and first career RBI.

Yasmani Grandal gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the 4th inning with a 2-run blast to center field off of ivan Nova. The ball landed int the center field bleachers, and was Grandal’s 4th homer of the season.

Nova pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up only those 2 runs on 7 hits, striking out 2 and walking 2. Daniel Hudson (0-2) took the loss for the Bucs, after giving up the game-winning hit to Barnes.

The Dodgers will go for the sweep on Wednesday night at the Ravine. Kenta Maeda (2-2; 5.81 ERA) is on the mound for LA, while the Pirates give the ball to Chad Kuhl (1-2; 5.54 ERA).

Escobar Leads Angels Over A’s

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May 9, 2017

Yunel Escobar hit a 3-run homer and drove in 4 runs, and the Angels took down the A’s 7-3 on Tuesday night in Oakland.

Albert Pujols and Ben Revere also hit solo home runs for the Halos, who found some offense after Mike Trout sat out his 4th straight game with a hamstring injury.

Alex Meyer (1-1) picked up the win, pitching 5 1/3 innings, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits while striking out 7 and walking 5. Bud Norris pitched the 9th to pick up his 6th save of the season.

Pujols solo blast put the Angels up 1-0. The A’s responded with a 2-run blast form Yonder Alonso, which was his first of two homers on the evening. He added a solo shot in the 6th inning as well.

The Angels would put up four runs in the 2nd inning on the home runs by Revere and Escobar, suddenly giving them a 5-2 lead.

In the 4th, the Halos would add two more, off a Cliff Pennington run-scoring single, and an RBI groundout from Escobar.

Jharel Cotton (3-4) took the loss. He went 5 innings, giving up all 7 runs on 8 hits. Not even having Kevin Durant in the house could help the A’s on this night.

The Angels are now 6-0 this year on Tuesday night. Both teams will go at it in the rubber game on Wednesday afternoon. Jesse Chavez (2-4; 4.46 ERA) gets the ball for the Halos, and the A’s will go with Andrew Triggs (4-2, 2.34 ERA).

Dodgers Roll 12-1 Against Pirates

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May 8, 2017

Chris Taylor hit a a grand slam during a 6-run first inning, and the Dodgers crushed the Pirates 12-1 on Monday night at Chavez Ravine.

Yasiel Puig also homered in the 1st inning, and Alex Wood (3-0) pitched a 2-hit shutout in 5 innings of work. Wood struck out 11 Pirates and walked only 1.

“I’ve got to continue to be consistent,” Wood said. “I’m just going to build off that, and get ready for the next one.”

The Dodgers jumped all over Pittsburgh starter Trevor Williams (1-2). Williams lasted just 3 innings, giving up 8 runs (6 earned), on 7 hits. He was filling in for Jameson Taillon, who had surgery on Monday for suspected testicular cancer.

It was Taylor’s first inning blast that put LA in the drivers seat. “That really set the tone,” outfielder Joc Pederson said. “We built off that the rest of the game.”

Taylor and Pederson had three hits apiece. Pederson, Yasmani Grandal, and Enrique Hernandez each drove in a pair of runs.

Ross Stripling pitched 3 innings of relief, giving up 1 run on 3 hits for LA. Adam Liberatore pitched a scoreless 9th.

LA put Brandon McCarthy on the disabled list after he dislocated his nonthrowing shoulder in the weight room last week. That resulted in Liberatore getting called up, and Wood getting the start, which the team announced early Monday afternoon.

The Dodgers will try to keep it rolling tomorrow night in game 2. Julio Urias (0-0; 0.84 ERA) will get the start for the boys in blue, while the Bucs will give the ball to Ivan Nova (3-3, 2.14 ERA).

A’s Edge the Angels in 11 Innings

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May 8, 2017

Jed Lowrie belted a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the 11th inning, as the A’s defeated the Angels 3-2 on Monday night in Oakland. It was the A’s 3rd straight walk-off win.

Lowrie connected on a 1-0 pitch, his 2nd homer of the game, drilling it 405 feet over the right center field wall. The home run came off of Halos reliever Deolis Guerra. Guerra (2-2) pitched 2 2/3 innings, and was shutting down the A’s until he faced Lowrie, who’s homer was the only hit Oakland generated off the Angels right-hander.

The Angels took a quick 2-0 lead in the 1st inning on a Luis Valbuena 2-run homer. Those were the only two runs given up by Oakland starter Kendall Graveman, who pitched 7 innings. Graveman got the no decision, but scattered 7 hits and just the 2 runs, while striking out 6 and walking 1.

Oakland got four innings of scoreless relief from Ryan Madsen, Santiago Casilla, and Liam Hendriks. The trio gave up only 2 hits in their 4 innings of work. Hendriks (1-0) got credit for the win.

Lowrie’s first home run of the game came in the 4th inning off of Angel starter Ricky Nolasco, which cut the Angels’ lead to 2-1.

Just one inning later, Oakland tied it on another solo home run, this time from Trevor Plouffe. Nolasco gave up the 2 runs on 5 hits, in 7 innings of work. He struck out 10 batters in 103 pitches.

Mike Trout sat out for the 4th time in 5 games, and the Angels offense struggled. The Halos were 0-6 with runners in scoring position, leaving 9 men on base on the night.

The news got even worse for the Angels when shortstop Andrelton Simmons got hit by a pitch in the first and left an inning later with a bruised left hand and right thumb. X-rays were negative and he is day to day.

The Angels and A’s will be back at it tomorrow night in Oakland. Alex Meyer (0-1; 9.39 ERA) will take the mound for the Halos, while the A’s will counter with Jharel Cotton (3-3; 4.64 ERA).

Monday Morning Coffee

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May 8, 2017

Hey Andrew Friedman….do you still want to send Cody Bellinger back to the minors? I didn’t think so. Bellinger is hotter than the sun right now, and he’s the only reason the Dodgers snapped out of their early season slump. Two Dodger stories from last week made me want to throw my laptop out the window. The first was the idea that the Dodgers need to send Bellinger back to the minors to control his future cost. If the Dodgers think that way, they are failing to understand that guys like Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, and Justin Turner, won’t be great forever, and that there is a window to win with them. The other story that annoyed me was the suggestion that the Dodgers have the best pitching staff in the big leagues because they haven’t invested too much money in any single starter, except Clayton Kershaw. This is a cute strategy until October, when you don’t have any real starting pitchers to get you through the playoffs.

I don’t know about you, but I’m shocked the Angels haven’t collapsed like the United States Congress. How are they still hovering around .500, yet they are in the bottom third of nearly every critical offensive and defensive statistical category in the American League? They are counting on dudes like Ricky Nolasco, Jesse Chavez, and JC Ramirez to go to the mound to get them victories. They’ve had four guys in their lineup getting regular playing time of late hitting .200 or less. I don’t even think the greatness of Mike Trout and Mike Scioscia can overcome this. I think staying in the race has more to do with how terrible Texas and Seattle have been than anything else.

Let’s talk NBA playoffs. Due to human rights concerns the NBA should suspend the remaining portion of the Eastern and Western Conference playoffs, and just give us Warriors vs Cavs. The NBA’s motto is “NBA Cares.” If they did, they would just give us the finals already. The Warriors and Cavs are so much better than everybody else, there’s a very reasonable case to be made that 26 other teams in the league should tear it down and rebuild. This is how Drake feels after his Raptors got bounced by the Cavs for the third straight year.

Lonzo Ball’s new “Big Baller Brand” sneakers will be sold for $495. For that price I can go hire an Asian child to make unlimited pairs of his shoes. I did hear however that 3 pairs of shoes have already been pre-ordered. That means that “Big Baller Brand” has tripled their sales forecast. As much fun as it is to make fun of the price and Lavar Ball, he really may turn out to be a genius. If Lonzo ends up going to LA or New York, he gets a marketing boost right there. Ultimately though, Lonzo has to be a star player and if he is, then what looks like a ridiculous bet on his son now may prove to pay off.

Just when you thought it was the Oilers who choked against the Ducks, now it looks like Anaheim is the real head case after losing game 6 last night. Don’t worry Ducks fans, if you lose game 7 at home for the 5th year in a row on Wendesday, your playoff tickets can be redeemed at Zales for “choker” necklaces, in honor of your annual collapse. I have to say though, up until last night Ryan Getzlaf has played like he’s Jesus Christ rising from the dead, and looked like one of the greatest players to ever lace up a pair of hockey skates. The bad news for Anaheim though is that they now have 3 whole days to think about their past playoff failures before taking the ice again, which can’t be good for their chances. I guess we’ll find out if the issue was coach Bruce Boudreau from the last four years, or if they just aren’t able to ever meet the moment.

The Kentucky Derby was won by “Always Dreaming”, which is a horse that must have been named after the Rams playoff chances. I can definitely relate to that horse that jumped out of the gate and just said “nope” and stopped running. He probably belongs in a rodeo instead. The derby is easily the biggest group of white rich guys assembled since the Trump cabinet. How could you not root for “Patch”, the one-eyed horse?

Did anybody watch the Canelo Alvarez – Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight? This is exactly why boxing is dying. That was the best fight the sport could give us, in what will probably be the only big fight of the year. Canelo is so savage, he didn’t even sit down between rounds for the entire fight. Since most of you probably missed the fight, here is a quick recap….