Game Thread #40: Dodgers (19-19) at Brewers (20-19)

Get yer lineups here!

Looks like we have a few changes, too:

CF Mike Cameron
SS JJ Hardy
LF Ryan Braun
1B Prince Fielder
RF Corey Hart
3B Bill Hall
2B Craig Counsell
P Manny Parra
C Jason Kendall

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on May 14, 2008 5:08 PM CDT 0 recs

Good job, Jeff

Calling the Counsell start.

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on May 14, 2008 5:26 PM CDT up 0 recs

I actually wrote up the post early this afternoon

since I didn’t know if I’d be home or not … as is, it looks a little less impressive, since the timestamp of this post is after the time stamp of the JS post :).

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on May 14, 2008 5:27 PM CDT up 0 recs

You big faker.

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on May 14, 2008 5:59 PM CDT up 0 recs

Patience, please

I endorse playing anyone tonight who will lay off the sinkers below the knees that Lowe counts on for all those ground balls he must have in order to win.

by Bay View Brewer on May 14, 2008 5:15 PM CDT 0 recs

And on that note her eis some more good news

It looks like home plate umpire James Hoye doesn’t like the low balls especially to right handed batters

He is a little more forgiving against lefties however

Here are the unshrunk links RHB LHB.So hopefully the crew will be very patient and the umpire will make Lower bring the ball up. On the other hand, Manny seems to work up in the zone a lot especially with his fastball. It appears Hoye likes the high strike so it seems we have the best ump working this game.

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 5:50 PM CDT up 0 recs

That should be here is some more good news. I can't type.

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 5:50 PM CDT up 0 recs

Too much knowledge?

It’s at times like this that I feel possibly too smart about what’s going on in the game and then start yelling at the TV when guys don’t lay off the low pitches. As if I could do the same.

Thanks for the graphs, dixie. Now I’m prepared to criticize the Brewers hitters.

by Bay View Brewer on May 14, 2008 6:37 PM CDT up 0 recs

You should download the song "I Can't Get Behind That" by William Shatner

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 14, 2008 6:41 PM CDT up 0 recs

Schizo much?

Wow, just looked up the lyrics to that. Can’t imagine what it sounds like. Is it even possible to finish listening to the whole thing?

by Bay View Brewer on May 14, 2008 6:58 PM CDT up 0 recs

Sure

It’s not really a “song” per se, more of a twin rant put to music. They aren’t singing.

“Leaf blowers: is there anything more futile?!” I love it.

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 14, 2008 7:00 PM CDT up 0 recs

It just sounds so crazy

The leaf blowers line was the best. Also, Shatner talking about student drivers.

by Bay View Brewer on May 14, 2008 7:04 PM CDT up 0 recs

If you give me your email, I'll send it to you

His cover of Pulp’s “Common People” is also fantastically deranged.

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 14, 2008 7:07 PM CDT up 0 recs

Thanks

Maybe I’ll put things like that in a spoiler page next time :)

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 6:53 PM CDT up 0 recs

In other games

Jorge De La Rosa takes his 10.24 ERA to Arizona to face Micah Owings. Chance for another homer by Owings maybe.

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 5:57 PM CDT 0 recs

Leadoff double

To welcome Vargas back to The Show

by nekpinder on May 14, 2008 6:16 PM CDT 0 recs

and he mows them down after that

by nekpinder on May 14, 2008 6:21 PM CDT up 0 recs

Some pregame entertainment

I love this guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD7uFYoVzDY

by Marty McSuperFly on May 14, 2008 6:40 PM CDT 0 recs

that high five is the best thing of all time

by warwick5s on May 14, 2008 6:42 PM CDT up 0 recs

lineup

This is the first time during the Ned Yost era that the lineup is EXACTLY the same one I would be putting out there. Let’s see it turns out…if it’s good, I’ll get some nice satisfaction out of it. :-)

by Tick on May 14, 2008 6:52 PM CDT 0 recs

Projection

2 Ks in the leadoff spot, 1 groundout, 1 fly out. Fans still blame Weeks.

by Marty McSuperFly on May 14, 2008 6:54 PM CDT up 0 recs

I'll throw out this prediction

Weeks pinch hits and draws a walk.

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 6:56 PM CDT up 0 recs

... and is promptly blamed for not bunting.

Whenever prince is at first, he should charge the mound and yell "MEAT!"

by jihad on May 14, 2008 6:56 PM CDT up 0 recs

niceply played

by Marty McSuperFly on May 14, 2008 6:57 PM CDT up 0 recs

Tonight's Win Probabilities

Brewers win probabilities:

Simulator: 50.30%
LV Hilton: 49.50%
AccuScore: 45.20%

vr, Xeifrank

by Xeifrank on May 14, 2008 6:52 PM CDT 0 recs

I am pretty surprised we come out so well there

Lowe isn’t off to a great start but he is a very good pitcher and we have had trouble with sinkerballers in the past. They must feel the dodger offense isn’t going to do much. No idea how they generally fair against lefties but maybe they have some problems.

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 6:55 PM CDT up 0 recs

wow rays locking up everyone

Kazmir now.

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 6:57 PM CDT 0 recs

No Eithier for the Dodgers

Pierre and Jones one two in the dodger lineup. As the guy Jeff interviewed points out, torre not making some key decisions.

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 7:01 PM CDT 0 recs

Oh he's making them

He’s just making the wrong ones.

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 14, 2008 7:03 PM CDT up 0 recs

Yeah I guess I left that part out

I have a particularly good feeling about today. Peavy going for the padres against Lilly who hasn’t been great this year. We could get back to two games out here.

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 7:05 PM CDT up 0 recs

Another double play

I wonder how stats like RZR handle double plays. Anyone know? We certainly have turned more than our share this year.

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 7:12 PM CDT 0 recs

I think they don't

RZR is entirely about fielding balls and making successful plays on them.

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on May 14, 2008 7:13 PM CDT up 0 recs

that seems like a huge flaw

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 7:15 PM CDT up 0 recs

I don't know...

a huge number of double plays are either gimmes, or context-dependent—say, pierre beating out the throw.

and to the extent it’s a “zone” stat - that is, it’s about range - dp’s are out of scope.

but that isn’t to say that a perfect defense stat would ignore them entirely.

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on May 14, 2008 7:17 PM CDT up 0 recs

I see your point

I guess I really need to think about it as a “zone” and not think of it so much as a total defensive metric.

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 7:21 PM CDT up 0 recs

Hey, we got a double play

That was cool. Let’s talk about it.

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 14, 2008 7:13 PM CDT 0 recs

at the rate we're going

Parra will face the minimum, and the Brewers will make zero outs! Ever!

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on May 14, 2008 7:14 PM CDT up 0 recs

Stop it.

Now.

Lordz Of Vengeance....Just Win, Baby.

by Dikembe Meiztombo on May 14, 2008 7:14 PM CDT up 0 recs

Gin & tonic

Now.

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 14, 2008 7:15 PM CDT up 0 recs

Should have been a hit

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 14, 2008 7:16 PM CDT 0 recs

Another lead off homer by Soriano

1-0 cubs.

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 7:19 PM CDT 0 recs

Soriano

I’m glad he waited to heat up until now. I predict Peavy will mow them down the rest of the way, however.

by oconnobe on May 14, 2008 7:22 PM CDT up 0 recs

With the limited catching depth right now in the majors Martin is going to get paid

He sure is a nice player. Very under the radar for a LA guy even.

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 7:22 PM CDT 0 recs

Oops

Didn’t realize LA locked him up. Good move by them.

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 7:23 PM CDT up 0 recs

didn't lock him up much beyond arby

if he stays healthy, he’ll have a mega contract in his future.

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on May 14, 2008 7:24 PM CDT up 0 recs

Not as good as the Andruw Jones signing

Oh, wait…

by Brew Angel on May 14, 2008 7:25 PM CDT up 0 recs

Just wait until Salome and Lucroy hit the bigs

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 14, 2008 7:25 PM CDT up 0 recs

I have seen Salome and I will admit I am not sold

He just doesn’t look like he is going to stick behind the plate. If he can’t stick there where can he play?

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 7:27 PM CDT up 0 recs

Ha

Nowhere. Nobody likes his defense. He has a cannon arm but is just supposed to be wretched mechanically back there. Who else have you seen besides Jeffress and Salome? I take it you went to WV last year?

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 14, 2008 7:31 PM CDT up 0 recs

Yeah I saw them a couple times

I blogged about jeffress’s start a long time ago. Salome may have a cannon but he couldn’t throw anyone out when I saw him.

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by dixieflatline on May 14, 2008 7:33 PM CDT up 0 recs

Yeah, his CS numbers this year suck too

Maybe he can be…a 5’7” RF? A really immobile 2B? I dunno. He’s hitting .390/.424/.545/.969 at age 21 (he won’t be 21 for a month, actually) at AA, so he’s gonna get plenty of time in the minors to hone his craft behind the plate.

Lucroy, on the other hand, was supposedly suspect defensively, but his CS numbers are solid and so are the scouting reports. He’s also hitting like the second-best offensive catcher in the draft, behind Matt Wieters. Only problem is, he’s a week younger than Salome and two levels behind him.

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 14, 2008 7:36 PM CDT up 0 recs