MONDAY FIRST 5 INNINGS PLAY (YTD 17-20)

[jimmythegreek]

San Diego/LA Dodgers over 4.5 even:
While it may seem like San Diego (70-86) has nothing left to play for but pride, the Dodgers (99-57) enter the final week of the regular season with a 4.5 game lead over Washington for best overall record in the NL. The Padres, 29 games behind the NL West Champions just split a 4 game weekend series with Colorado and lost 12 of 19 to the Rockies overall this season. Yesterday at Petco Charlie Blackmon went 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored including his 36th HR, while Mark Reynolds and Pat Valaika each recorded 2 hits and 2 RBI as the Rockies punished the Padres 8-4 in firm control of the second NL wildcard berth. At 41-40 away from Coors, the Rockies finished with a winning road record for just the second time in franchise history, tying their total from 2009. Luis Perdomo gave up 4 runs on 6 hits in 5 innings walking 2 and striking out 4 and falling to 8-11 on the season. German Marquez scattered 2 runs and 5 hits over 5 innings, with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts improving to 11-7 overall. Wil Myers, Yangervis Solarte, and Christian Villanueva all homered in a losing effort. The Rockies head into the final week of the regular season with a 2 game lead over Milwaukee in the chase for the second wildcard spot. Meanwhile in LA, Clayton Kershaw surrendered just a run on 8 hits in 8 innings of work striking out 6 without walking a batter as the Dodgers beat the Giants 3-1. LA went 11-8 over the last place Giants this season. Yasmani Grandal provided all the offense the Dodgers needed with a sacrifice fly and a 2 run HR off of loser Chris Stratton who fell to 3-4 overall. Brandon Morrow pitched a perfect 9th to earn his second save. Mac Williamson went 3 for 3 including a solo HR, his 3rd for the Giants in the losing effort.

The Dodgers send Yu Darvish (9-12 3.96) to the hill this evening. The 31 year old 5 year veteran righty has pitched dominantly over his last 2 starts, blanking San Francisco and Philadelphia over 12 innings of work with a walk and 12 K’s ending a personal 3 game losing streak. Since being traded from Texas, Darvish is 3-3 but seems to be peaking at the right time as LA heads into the postseason. He faces a Padres lineup hitting just .234 overall averaging just 3.8 runs per contest despite power throughout the lineup as evident by their 185 HR. Myers (.245 29 73) has clearly been the lone bat leading the club in power and production setting a new career high in HR yesterday. Myers is also quite the speedster as evident by his 20 steals in 26 attempts (77%) hitting .304 over the last week. Hunter Renfroe (.230 24 55) had a 3 HR game against Arizona last week but has never put together an established consistent rhythm in 2017. Solarte (.255 18 63) has hit safely in his last 6 (.333) and looks to be putting together a worthy streak over the final week of the season showing durability as a switch hitter. Corey Spangenberg (.262 13 46) recently snapped a 1 for 17 slump and now has 4 hits over his last 6 at bats. Manuel Margot (.270 13 39) is second on the team with 17 steals in 24 attempts (71%) but saw his 6 game hitting streak end yesterday.

San Diego counters with Travis Wood (4-6 6.55) who earned a quality start after getting shelled his previous 2 in losses to St Louis and Minnesota. The 30 year old 8 year southpaw fired 6 solid against Arizona last week yielding just 2 runs on 3 hits. He faces a Dodgers lineup hitting just .248 this season but averaging 4.7 runs per contest with their 212 HR tied for 4th best in the NL overall. Cody Bellinger (.273 39 94) just set the NL rookie record for most HR and his batting about .285 overall during the month of September. Justin Turner (.321 21 70) returns this evening from a right thumb contusion hoping to snap out of a 5 for 24 slump (.208) second to Blackmon in the NL in batting. Yasiel Puig (.259 26 70) is also mired in a slump going just 4 for his last 25 (.160) and is day to day following tweaking his ankle Saturday night. Corey Seager (.293 20 71) is just 2 for his last 24 (.083) who is toughing it out active despite nursing an injured ankle. Chris Taylor (.287 21 69) had a 5 game hitting streak earlier this week but his hitless in his last 12 plate appearances. Grandal (.243 21 55) seems to be platooning more with Austin Barnes (.284 7 33) over the final week behind the plate and Dave Roberts could be faced with a postseason decision as the two continue headed in opposite directions.

We get a bargain of a price this evening in one of the league’s hitting cathedrals based upon the ball not exactly being one of the friendlier to carry especially straight away and rather to left not so much right field. At 400 to dead center, the dimensions seem fairly respectable especially at 330 to each line, but the Dodgers have an opportunity to shake off the rust that saw them at one point lose 11 straight and 16 of their next 18 after peaking with a 91-36 overall record earlier this season. They’ve managed just 5 runs or more twice in their last twice in their last 9. Wood has not been consistent all year, with Darvish at best marginal since being sent over from the Lone Star state. Hopefully we could see some offense early and often from these two ballclubs who despite fates sealed more than a month ago, can end off 2017 on a positive note. Best of luck however you play!

[jimmythegreek]

A solo HR by Logan Forsythe cashes this one easily in the bottom of the 3rd! Thanks and congrats to all that followed.