June 17th, 2016 at 8:35 am 
by Ron Cervenka It’s a statistic that is absolutely shocking; one that leaves you saying “How is this even possible?”
When the Dodgers score exactly six runs … six of them, they are an unbelievable 1-5 this season. (h/t to @RyanWaltonSBN for that statistic).
The Dodgers scored six runs on Thursday night … and they lost.
Oh sure, it’s easy to immediately blame right-hander Pedro Baez (who some Dodger fans have dubbed “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Baez”) for issuing a leadoff walk in the top of the ninth inning of the 6-6 ballgame, followed by an unsuccessful sacrifice bunt attempt, followed by a first-pitch monster 424-foot home run to dead center off the bat of Brewers shortstop Jonathan Villar on an 87-MPH change-up that looked like it was sitting on a batting tee.
But the truth is that Baez had not allowed a run – earned or otherwise – since May 27. However, as Dodgers beat writer Bill Plunkett so accurately (and humorously) pointed out: “The Dodgers bullpen is like WiFi – nobody notices it until it goes terribly bad.”
No, the culprit once again for the Dodgers was their inability to hit with runners in scoring position – although this time they were a (cough … cough) much improved 3 for 6. Unfortunately, two of the three runs that they didn’t drive in were with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth. To make matters worse – fatal, in fact – is that it was the team’s best hitter, rookie phenom shortstop Corey Seager who leads the team in every meaningful offensive category (including RBIs), who made the final out of the game by striking out on three pitches.
Although Thursday night’s loss is one that will be painfully remembered (at least until the next painful loss, that is), the game-changing moment occurred in the bottom of the sixth inning when, with one out and runners at the corners, pinch-hitter Justin Turner lifted a fly ball to Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun. Knowing that he had absolutely no chance to get the speedy Joc Pederson at the plate for the (then) tying run, Braun wisely threw to second base with hopes of at least preventing the slow-running Yasmani Grandal from moving into scoring position with (now) two outs. But what Braun nor any of the other 44,183 in Dodger Stadium expected was for Grandal – for reasons known only to him – tagging up and trying to actually advance to second base.
Needless to say, Grandal was easily thrown out on a 7-4 double play to bring an abrupt end to the Dodgers rally. Fortunately for Grandal and the Dodgers, and with the assistance of what appeared to be a rare blown video review, Pederson was deemed to have stepped on home plate before Grandal had been tagged out – although by every camera angle shown on the Dodger Stadium video boards it appeared that Grandal had been tagged out prior to Pederson stepping on home plate.
That indiscretion by Grandal led to a heated dugout confrontation between the Dodgers catcher and Justin Turner.
“I kind of just f—ed up,” Grandal told reporters after the game. “It’s just the way it happens. Your teammates want to make sure you play smart, play the right way. I felt like if they are getting on you, they care about the fact that you should know better.”
As expected and as needed to happen to prevent further erosion of an already extremely frustrated Dodgers team, Turner quickly (and wisely) put his riff with Grandal behind him.
“It’s part of the game; it’s a long season,” Turner said. “We’re all competitors and sometimes you have a difference of opinion. The goal is to win a game every night. It’s actually something that hasn’t happened too much on this team in the three years I have been here. I’m not saying anyone is going to look for it, but things haven’t been going great for us this year and the bottom line is that we want to win games.
“When stuff happens, it happens and you move on from it,” Turner added. “We’re all men in here and we’re all capable of that.”
Obviously, the dugout issue did not go unnoticed by Turner’s and Grandal’s teammates. Dodgers outfielder Trayce Thompson, who was 2 for 4 on the night with a huge (then) game-tying three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning, echoed what Turner said and even put a bit of a feel-good slant to it.
“Everyone cares, that’s all it is,” said Thompson. “I got into it with a teammate a couple of years ago. I really thought about it, and the only people I fight with are the people I love. I only fight with my brothers and my parents and that’s it. We’re around each other every single day and we’re all pulling for each other, and at the end of the day we have one common goal and that’s to win.”
With his three-run home run on Thursday night, Thompson now has 11 on the season – only four behind Corey Seager for the team lead. Thompson now also trails Seager’s team-leading .274 batting average by only 10 points as well.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
What did Dodgers manager Dave Roberts have to say about the dugout confrontation caused by Grandal’s TOOTBLAN?
“It was a big situation, we’re trying to get going and JT is just as competitive as anybody,” Roberts said. “I don’t really see a problem.”
In fact, the Dodgers skipper actually enjoyed the show of emotion and the passion for winning between Turner and Grandal.
“I love it,” he added.
The Dodgers continuing struggles now have them 6.5 games behind the division-leading San Francisco Giants, who were idle on Thursday. This represents the widest margin of the season between the first place Giants and the (barely) second-place Dodgers, with the Colorado Rockies breathing down their necks only a game and a half behind them.
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Grandal showing an obvious lapse in the “sixth tool.”
Baseball smarts, and their related mistakes in judgement, is a concept that NO major league player should be “working on” at this level.
What a dumb play…
…and with that answer from Trayce Thompson, it only makes me appreciate the player more and more! What a professional answer. He’s a keeper.
It always seems, to me, whenever the hitting starts to perk up, the pitching which has been carrying this team, lately, goes south. It also happens the other way around, too often. When the offense is hot for a while, suddenly goes cold when the pitching heats up.
When this phenomena changes things will be a lot better around here.
Yes, Dodgers offensive nightmare continues.
Seager, 2.2 OWAR
Utley, 1.5 OWAR
Thompson, 1.4 OWAR
Turner, 1.2 OWAR
Pederson, 1.1 OWAR
Gonzalez, .6 OWAR
Grandal, .3 OWAR
Kendrick, .0 OWAR
Ellis, -.1 OWAR
Hernandez, -.2 OWAR
Puig, -.3 OWAR
Crawford, -.6 OWAR
Seager, keep it up.
Utley, keep it up.
Thompson, keep it up.
Turner, welcome back.
Pederson, keep both hands on the damn bat.
Gonzalez, $20M, we need a lot more. Father time caught up to you?
Grandal, Wish we had given Barnes a fair chance.
Kendrick, you can do it, we’re counting on you.
Puig, its now or never.
Ethier, we need you.
I am still optimistic that the Midgets can be caught. I believe the organization has adequate pitching, reinforcements look like they are on the way, internally. But what about the offense? Can it get better with what we have? Who is going to step it up? Do we trade? Where?
Probably going to catch a lot of flack, but, Gonzalez looks like he is fading fast to me. The loss of home run power is biggest concern. The station to station base running has always been a problem. If loss of power isn’t primarily because of temporary back problem, I am looking to trade him (to a contender), hopefully while he still has some value (Contract could become an anchor).
Maybe it is because they are in town, but, Milwaukee looks like a good potential trade partner to me.
Lucroy is the obvious target, huge offensive upgrade, good contract. Huge boost this year.
Villar looks like a stud in the making to me (although must admit not that familiar with him). 25 yrs old, switch hitter, good fielder (I think). Moves Seager to third, Turner/Utley/Kendrick to first.
Not interested in Braun, although he would help this year, unless he HUGELY lessens the prospect cost (owed $80M after this year).
No flack at all – AGon is clearly on the downward side of his career. That being said, I certainly believe that the Dodgers have gotten their money’s worth out of him.
I believe that the $43 million still owed to Gonzalez through the 2018 season makes him absolutely untradeable … to anyone. He also has a partial no-trade clause in his contract which further limits his trade probability.
The trade-off for AGon’s poor hitting this season is that he is still every bit a Gold Glove-caliber first baseman in a time when the position is, by and large, a fill-in position by guys who play multiple positions. I have long felt that a team with a true, pure first baseman is far better off that one that sticks a catcher or spare outfielder (etc.) there.
Although he’s struggling a bit at Double-A Tulsa this year (.252 / .343 / .421 / .764 – with only six home runs), I still see 20-year-old Cody Bellinger as AGon’s heir apparent as the Dodgers future everyday first baseman.
I think AGon may not be that untradeable. He is just going to need to go to the right AL team. I see three potential trade partners that might want to pick up AGon if they see this as they want to win it this year.
I think Baltimore would be a good potential. They need some offense to stay on top of the AL East. I am not forgetting about Chris Davis, which has to rank with Jason Heyward and Justin Upton as one of the worst FA position player signings. But Pedro Alveraz is the DH and I think that Davis and AGon are more formidable than Davis and Alveraz(who cannot play first at all). The O’s still get the R/L combo, but also a GG for 1B when Davis DH’s. Trumbo can’t keep it going all year, can he? With AGon’s contract, there is not going to be much coming back, but maybe you sweeten the deal with Barnes and/or Grandal and a pitcher (someone young who can help this year) and get Wieters. The O’s are not going to be able to sign Wieters next year after the Chris Davis and Gallardo signings, so getting someone who can help this year is better than a potential draft pick for losing Wieters to FA next year. The O’s farm is absolutely one of the worst, and not getting a first round this year, they are going to go for it. I think AGon makes good sense.
I also think that Cleveland (with Mike Napoli at 1B and Carlos Santana at DH) and Chisox (with Avisail Garcia at DH) may want in, as they are both going for it this year. The Royals cannot afford AGon, and Detroit does not need him.
Cody Bellinger is probably still a 2018 ETA. I think he goes to OKC next year and then comes to LA. I think Rob Segedin can fill in for the interim.
Ron, Agreed Gonzalez has been good and has earned his contract, just wish we hadn’t had to swallow Crawford’s contract to get him. We will miss his Gold Glove, however, I believe Bellinger is also a very good fielder and you are right he is the future. I also agree with the 2018 ETA.
I don’t know any of the details on the partial no-trade provisions of his contract and you might be right that he is already untradeable because of his contract. But I lean more towards what AlwaysCompete says, that a contender might be very interested. I believe someone taking on 100% of his salary and giving something to Dodgers would be a good move, if, Dodgers have ALREADY acquired some offense somewhere else, like my Villar acquisition above.
The next two years could get ugly, not only is his power down, but the shift is here to stay and it’s killing him. I believe to be successful hitters now need to remember Wee Willie Keeler’s key to success (more than ever) and I don’t see Gonzalez doing that.