[Rams Dominate]

Their pitching is hurting right now, just like ours, altho we picked up a lot of help recently, they get Weaver back they're a much different team, Trout & Pujols aren't slouches, there's peaks, valleys, injuries etc. & when healthy they are a good team...
The Giants had lost a bunch in a row to then caught fire & they're right back in the hunt, imo the Angels can catch fire too...

[snackdaddy]

The Giants have been hard to figure out. They've had a season full of streaks. Winning and losing streaks. They lost last night blowing a 6 run lead. Is this the early stages of another losing stretch?

I wanted Hamels or Price, but Latos and Wood are upgrades to the bottom half of the rotation, so I would say the Dodgers are better now than before the trade. Still a lot of games to be played. And just making the playoffs ain't enough. They gotta go deep.

My concern is they rely too much on the long ball. If they're not hitting HR's they tend to go into a losing stretch. If they wanna win in the playoffs they gotta manufacture runs too.

[moklerman]

Manufacturing runs means getting something out of Rollins and Kendrick. Not sure that's going to happen. Kendrick might get things going but I think Rollins is what he is at this point.

Not too pleased about the Dodgers taking on another Phillie way past his prime.

[Rams Dominate]

snackdaddy & moklerman, you make points about the Dodgers that I totally agree with, they have no speed & can't manufacture runs, gawd I loved it when we had Wills at the top of our lineup, he'd get on somehow, walk, drag bunt, error, whatever & you knew he was gonna wind up on 3rd & score...I love that kind of baseball & this team just can't compete with teams that have decent pitching & can't get a hit with risp, tonights game, perfect example, at one point bases loaded, pop fly, next guy dbl. play, couple innings later, runners at 2nd & 3rd, nobody out, we don't score, 5th inning Ethier finally got a hit & drove in 1, that was with runners at the corners, that was it...Woods finally tires after 115 pitches & loads the bases in the 7th, FINALLY we go to the pen & in comes Peralta who serves up a grand slam to the 1st batter he faced. Final Phils 6-2...I didn't see the end of the game, but it was typical of a ton of our games, we don't score unless we hit 3-4 homeruns & mediocre pitching subdues us lately. Tonights Phils pitcher (name escapes me) hadn't won in his last 3 games, era over 5.00 & he looked like Cy Young against our hitters & last I heard the Dgrs were 1 for 8 with risp in tonights game & it just keeps going on & on...
IF we make the playoffs, that's when we run into good pitching & I can see a 1st round exit once again...
On a side note that #1 prospect we got from the Braves is a 2nd baseman & steals bases (again name escapes me), he's now at AAA Okie City, playing with our next shortstop, Corey Seager & there's all kinds of chatter about them being the next ss & 2nd baseman in 2016...
Joc Pederson has just quit hitting at all, Steiner makes jokes about his at bats everytime he comes up, "he'll either walk, strikeout or hit a homerun" he says, 2 walks tonight, zero hits & a graph they showed during the game points this up in spades, first 36 games= 16 homeruns, next 50 something games = 5...Pederson leads ALL rookies in homeruns AND leads MLB in strikeouts...They say Mark McGuire works with Pederson all the time about going the other way, so far nothings changed...So whats he do in the All-Star game? He participates in the homerun contest & made it to the Finals! IMO, worst thing he coulda done...He goes for the fences every swing & lately he hardly even foul tips one, but man can this kid play defense...

[TomSlick]

The Giants have been hard to figure out. They've had a season full of streaks. Winning and losing streaks. They lost last night blowing a 6 run lead. Is this the early stages of another losing stretch?

Still a lot of games to be played.

Your last sentence is baseball in a nutshell. So many highs and lows, lows deep enough to think all is lost, then the team turns on a dime. Baseball is a crazy game. I try to keep myself even keel until September. At this point, stay close to the top and hope for a hot streak at the end.

[Rams Dominate]

The Giants have been hard to figure out. They've had a season full of streaks. Winning and losing streaks. They lost last night blowing a 6 run lead. Is this the early stages of another losing stretch?

Still a lot of games to be played.

Your last sentence is baseball in a nutshell. So many highs and lows, lows deep enough to think all is lost, then the team turns on a dime. Baseball is a crazy game. I try to keep myself even keel until September. At this point, stay close to the top and hope for a hot streak at the end.

Was talking about the Dodgers & their penchant for leaving risp in my previous post, today the Dgrs loaded the bases in the 5th, 6th & 7th innings without scoring a run & Joc Pedersons final tally yesterday? 3 walks & a strikeout, today, 2 walks, a strikeout & a pop to short...
Your right though Tom, I tend to watch every game I can so I drink a lot of Kool-Aid, I wish I could stay on an even keel like you, got anything I can take? lol
Oh yeah, last 2 games? The Dodgers have had 24 risp, scored 1 run yesterday & 1 today...

[snackdaddy]

Yeah, thats going to be a concern come playoff time. That's if they make it. Teams that don't manufacture runs and rely on the long ball tend to go into prolonged periods of time where they can't score runs. And the playoffs are where pitching is tougher. If opponents keep the ball in the park I can't see them getting past the first round.

[Rams Dominate]

Totally agree sn, the Cards & Giants have been our Achilles heal in the past (this year the Giants flat out own us), the difference? Both have good pitching & manufacture runs (small ball), while the Dodgers drive you crazy with the amount of risp they leave game, after game, after game...I saw more of a mix today, only 2 homeruns & a total of 15 base hits, but nary a stolen base or sacrifice...
Like you, I predict an early exit from the playoffs for the Dodgers because I don't see this changing this year, no one on this current roster can steal a base except Crawford, when he's not on the disabled list...

[OldSchool]

The Dodgers just seem to lack that little extra something that winners all have. They don't seem to have hitters get a base hit in a clutch situation. They don't have relievers who have struggled suddenly step up with a 1 run lead and a couple guys on base. They don't do those little things that generally define a winner. And ever since they traded Papi away they are not having any fun in the clubhouse.

[Rams Dominate]

The Dodgers just seem to lack that little extra something that winners all have. They don't seem to have hitters get a base hit in a clutch situation. They don't have relievers who have struggled suddenly step up with a 1 run lead and a couple guys on base. They don't do those little things that generally define a winner. And ever since they traded Papi away they are not having any fun in the clubhouse.

Agree OldSchool, although recently Ethier, Crawford & Puig are doing that very thing, BUT its been few & far between for sure & now AGon has cooled as well, maybe getting Justin Turner healthy will help but the fact that generally this team relies on the long ball & doesn't have any rabbits that can steal bases doesn't bode well if we make the playoffs...
Greinke & Kershaw had back to back shutouts against the Nationals but wow is there ever a dropoff after those 2... I also agree that Papi is missed in the club house but disagree they aren't having fun together, Kike Hernandez is a character & is always pranking someone & if you watched tonites game he's also a great utility guy, they show the dugout a lot during games & for me at least I don't see a team not having fun, everyone seems to like each other...