[Rams Dominate]

Agree snackdaddy, I hate it when a team coasts & most especially this team...I've been campaigning since the start of the season for this team to play small ball, steal bases, take the extra base, move players along & in August they're doing just that & imo playing their best baseball of the year, as you said they have a 7 1/2 game lead with 26 games to go & they're getting close outs from the bullpen & good starts from just about anybody they put out there as a starter...Right now they're spot resting starters & so far the kids they called up are doing the job...Corey Seager the Dodgers #1 prospect looks like a keeper & btw, prior to August the Dodgers were dead last stealing bases & in August they're the #1 base stealing team in either league & playing pretty good ball right now, they are on a momentum roll, hope they keep it going into the playoffs...

[Hacksaw_64]

The Ruggiano pickup from the Mariners is paying big dividends.

Roll Blue

[Rams Dominate]

The Ruggiano pickup from the Mariners is paying big dividends.

Roll Blue

Dead on Hacksaw, Ruggiano batted lead-off tonight & homered again, Dodgers rolled the Angels 6-4 & won their 5th in a row & 13th of their last 15...

Magic number is 16...

[Hacksaw_64]

Latos scratched tonight due to "neck stiffness". Still must be suffering from the whiplash from watching all the hits knocked by him.

[snackdaddy]

Latos scratched tonight due to "neck stiffness". Still must be suffering from the whiplash from watching all the hits knocked by him.

Lol, I hope he's not a starter in the playoffs. Wood would be the better 4th option. Heck, I'd be nervous if Latos was a long reliever.

[Hacksaw_64]

I'm still baffled about DM's decision in the bottom of the 8th with a runner on third and one out. Why in the world did he let Baez pitch to Pujols instead of putting him on first and setting up a double play? It was a tie game, for the love of god. It's baseball 101! #wtf

[Hacksaw_64]

Dodgers v. Dbags Thursday night pitching matchup preview.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.js ... te=Pregame

[moklerman]

I'm still baffled about DM's decision in the bottom of the 8th with a runner on third and one out. Why in the world did he let Baez pitch to Pujols instead of putting him on first and setting up a double play? It was a tie game, for the love of god. It's baseball 101! #wtf

I think it's an overly optimistic theory but maybe he's trying to get these guys experience in tough situations? With the Pujols example, maybe he wanted Baez to pitch to Pujols like the situation dictated that he had to get him out?

Many fans seem displeased with Mattingly overall but maybe he's got ulterior motives in some of these situations? Big picture type things like maybe this will get Baez more mentally tough for when he's in a similar spot in the post season.

[snackdaddy]

I'm still baffled about DM's decision in the bottom of the 8th with a runner on third and one out. Why in the world did he let Baez pitch to Pujols instead of putting him on first and setting up a double play? It was a tie game, for the love of god. It's baseball 101! #wtf

I think it's an overly optimistic theory but maybe he's trying to get these guys experience in tough situations? With the Pujols example, maybe he wanted Baez to pitch to Pujols like the situation dictated that he had to get him out?

Many fans seem displeased with Mattingly overall but maybe he's got ulterior motives in some of these situations? Big picture type things like maybe this will get Baez more mentally tough for when he's in a similar spot in the post season.

I'd like to buy into that but he's been just as baffling in the playoffs.

[moklerman]

Mattingly's a tough call. On the one hand, he's going to lead the Dodgers to their third straight NL West title* but on the other hand, his payroll has been higher than anyone else's so I guess he "should" be winning, right?

I don't know what kind of input he's got in player acquisition but this bullpen will be the team's undoing and I don't know that there's anything any manager could do about it.

I still remember during the '90's when the team would scratch and claw to get to 10 games over .500 though and right now they're at 20 over. Not everything is peachy but there's some good things happening and the future's looking bright. I've heard(fuckin' TWC).

*EDIT-no other Dodgers manager has done that. I had to look it up because I couldn't believe it. Not Lasorda, not Alston, not Durocher...not even Tracy ever won 3 straight NL West crowns.