Taking the Fifth
Now what? Scott Erickson, the Dodgers woeful fifth starter, pitched well enough to merit another audition for the role with his two-run, six-inning outing against the Braves yesterday. Uncharacteristically, it was the bullpen that blew the game. Then again, if the Dodgers had scored a run in the bottom half of the sixth, when they loaded the bases, Erickson might have gotten a win.
By the way, Cesar Izturis, who never walks, needs to swing the bat in that spot. Two on and two out with Oscar Robles hitting behind you, if there’s a pitch near the strike zone, you have to try and put it in play. I know Izturis is a leadoff hitter, and not called upon to drive in runs, and I know patience is the mantra of all big league hitters. But this ies exactly why on base percentage is not the be-all statistic that DePodesta and Beane claim it is.
Under their system, Izturis did a positive thing by taking a walk and loading the bases. But by not getting a hit, he didn’t drive in any runs. Granted, we already have a statistic for driving in runs, but until on-base percentage gives higher credit to those who not only reach base but also move runners along or drive them in, it’s a deceptive statistic.
But I digress. The Dodgers won’t need a fifth starter until May 28 because of off days. Erickson is still the likely candidate, but the Dodgers are talking about Duaner Sanchez as a possible fifth starter. That leaves Erickson in limbo, and the Dodgers with a roster problem. Unless Odalis Perez’s shoulder injury is more serious than we know, Erickson will merely be taking up space in the bullpen for the next two weeks. Meanwhile, because the Dodgers are carrying 12 pitchers, the bench is weak.
Jason Grabowski was one of my favorite players last year; he got clutch hits in big games early in the season before Jayson Werth arrived and stole all his playing time. Since then, he has looked lost at the plate, striking out twice as often as he gets a hit. Jason Repko has been an enthusiastic presence in the lineup, but he has struggled against better pitching. Though he’s a rookie, Oscar Robles is no kid who just needs time to mature. He’s 29 years old and has never shown an ability to hit big league pitching outside of spring training.
Olmedo Saenz is terrific, but he’s in the starting lineup so often it’s hard to think of him as a pinch hitter. The same is true of Ricky Ledee. And Paul Bako, hitting .273 in limited situations, is there for his defensive abilities. In fact, the Dodgers five starting pitchers are hitting better overall than Robles, Grabowski, Repko, and Bako. It’s hardly worth pinch-hitting.
Hopefully, the return of Jayson Werth and Antonio Perez, both scheduled for later this month, will improve the situation. Tonight, the Dodgers go against their old teammates Paul LoDuca, Guillermo Mota, and Juan Encarnacion.
Brad Penny gets the start against his old teammates for the first time since the trade; he goes up against Brian Moehler, a 33-year-old righty playing for his fourth team in four years. He hasn’t given up more than two runs in any of his four starts, but has only one victory to show for it. The Marlins just don’t score when he pitches. That’s a good sign for the Dodgers.
By the way, Cesar Izturis, who never walks, needs to swing the bat in that spot. Two on and two out with Oscar Robles hitting behind you, if there’s a pitch near the strike zone, you have to try and put it in play. I know Izturis is a leadoff hitter, and not called upon to drive in runs, and I know patience is the mantra of all big league hitters. But this ies exactly why on base percentage is not the be-all statistic that DePodesta and Beane claim it is.
Under their system, Izturis did a positive thing by taking a walk and loading the bases. But by not getting a hit, he didn’t drive in any runs. Granted, we already have a statistic for driving in runs, but until on-base percentage gives higher credit to those who not only reach base but also move runners along or drive them in, it’s a deceptive statistic.
But I digress. The Dodgers won’t need a fifth starter until May 28 because of off days. Erickson is still the likely candidate, but the Dodgers are talking about Duaner Sanchez as a possible fifth starter. That leaves Erickson in limbo, and the Dodgers with a roster problem. Unless Odalis Perez’s shoulder injury is more serious than we know, Erickson will merely be taking up space in the bullpen for the next two weeks. Meanwhile, because the Dodgers are carrying 12 pitchers, the bench is weak.
Jason Grabowski was one of my favorite players last year; he got clutch hits in big games early in the season before Jayson Werth arrived and stole all his playing time. Since then, he has looked lost at the plate, striking out twice as often as he gets a hit. Jason Repko has been an enthusiastic presence in the lineup, but he has struggled against better pitching. Though he’s a rookie, Oscar Robles is no kid who just needs time to mature. He’s 29 years old and has never shown an ability to hit big league pitching outside of spring training.
Olmedo Saenz is terrific, but he’s in the starting lineup so often it’s hard to think of him as a pinch hitter. The same is true of Ricky Ledee. And Paul Bako, hitting .273 in limited situations, is there for his defensive abilities. In fact, the Dodgers five starting pitchers are hitting better overall than Robles, Grabowski, Repko, and Bako. It’s hardly worth pinch-hitting.
Hopefully, the return of Jayson Werth and Antonio Perez, both scheduled for later this month, will improve the situation. Tonight, the Dodgers go against their old teammates Paul LoDuca, Guillermo Mota, and Juan Encarnacion.
Brad Penny gets the start against his old teammates for the first time since the trade; he goes up against Brian Moehler, a 33-year-old righty playing for his fourth team in four years. He hasn’t given up more than two runs in any of his four starts, but has only one victory to show for it. The Marlins just don’t score when he pitches. That’s a good sign for the Dodgers.
posted by John Rosenthal @ 5:02 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home