LA Dodgers watch

[Slateman]

Then it's Perez, Scrabble, Burnett and Amazin Grace. Solis too if available. Sad that we don't have prime lefty prospects in the system.

Rivero and Hearn were those prime lefty prospects

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Don't need to throw Gio in Game 2. He can stay Game 3. Tanner has done really well against lefties this year.

Bullpen: Melancon, Shawn Kelly, Solis(if healthy), Scrabble, Perez, Burnett, and  Belisle (Grace if Solis can't go). That's 11 pitchers if you go with a four man rotation. You can add Strasburg to the pen to make it 12.

Treinen.  3 lefties are OK.  Scrabble, Burnett, Solis (or Perez), Melancon, Kelly, Treinen, then either Belisle, Ross, Glover, or Stras (but he's 4th starter if healthy).

[whytev]

Don't need to throw Gio in Game 2. He can stay Game 3. Tanner has done really well against lefties this year.

Rotation: Max, Tanner, Gio, ???? (not Joe Ross)

Bullpen: Melancon, Shawn Kelly, Solis(if healthy), Scrabble, Perez, Burnett, and  Belisle (Grace if Solis can't go). That's 11 pitchers if you go with a four man rotation. You can add Strasburg to the pen to make it 12.

You have your standard 8 starters, leaving five bench spots open. Lobaton, Robinson, Heisey, Drew, and Revere

Solis not looking good.

[whytev]

Treinen.  3 lefties are OK.  Scrabble, Burnett, Solis (or Perez), Melancon, Kelly, Treinen, then either Belisle, Ross, Glover, or Stras (but he's 4th starter if healthy).

Treinen has to be included.

If Strasburg is a maybe you leave him out for the first round and then activate him if you win. You're allowed to change between rounds.

[rileyn]

Kershaw pitching today in NY.  It will interesting to see how he does after his less-than-stellar return from the DL.

[aspenbubba]

You really need to figure 13 pitchers 

Melancon, Kelley, Treinen, Scrabble, Burnett, Belisle, Perez ( loogy only), Lopez and Ross / Stras

Scherzer , Roark , Gio and one of Latos , Ross or Stras

[rileyn]

Uh oh, Kershaw only needed 62 pitches to get through 5 innings against NYY.  1 hit, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 runs.

[Slateman]

Uh oh, Kershaw only needed 62 pitches to get through 5 innings against NYY.  1 hit, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 runs.

And? Kershaw is like this every year. Dominates the regular season, then crumbles in the playoffs.

Should throw a rotation of Scherzer, Gio, Roark, whoever, then leave Max for Game 5

I want Gio going at home and, frankly, we have to pitch him. Roark has the mentality to handle the road. We should be able to get at least one win out of those games.

[whytev]

And? Kershaw is like this every year. Dominates the regular season, then crumbles in the playoffs.

Should throw a rotation of Scherzer, Gio, Roark, whoever, then leave Max for Game 5

I want Gio going at home and, frankly, we have to pitch him. Roark has the mentality to handle the road. We should be able to get at least one win out of those games.

Gio's splits are even Stephen, whereas Roark is much better at home.

Scherzer, Roark, Gonzalez, Ross or Cole, Scherzer.

And pray for Strasburg to come back.

[BrandonK]

And pray for Strasburg to come back.

I wish, but I think he's gonna be shutdown. Surprised we haven't heard anything yet.

[GburgNatsFan]

Praying for lost causes?

I doubt he gets back. Maybe for a bullpen role. He might be more valuable trying to get 22 regular season wins next year.

I wonder, has any pitcher successfully modified their motion so that they are less likely to re-injure that elbow? Probably not.

Gio's splits are even Stephen, whereas Roark is much better at home.

Scherzer, Roark, Gonzalez, Ross or Cole, Scherzer.

And pray for Strasburg to come back.

[Slateman]

Gio's splits are even Stephen, whereas Roark is much better at home.

Scherzer, Roark, Gonzalez, Ross or Cole, Scherzer.

And pray for Strasburg to come back.

.211/.276/.303 against lefties
.255/.325/.426 against righties


Dodgers suck at hitting lefties. Gio's biggest problem is his emotions. Give him a home field advantage and a bullpen that will have the next day off to rest.

Game 3 is the most important. I want the bulldog on the mound.

[whytev]

I wish, but I think he's gonna be shutdown. Surprised we haven't heard anything yet.

I meant in subsequent rounds.

[whytev]

.211/.276/.303 against lefties
.255/.325/.426 against righties


Dodgers suck at hitting lefties. Gio's biggest problem is his emotions. Give him a home field advantage and a bullpen that will have the next day off to rest.

Game 3 is the most important. I want the bulldog on the mound.

I was addressing your home/road assertion. Home/road splits. Gio's are as close to even as you're ever gonna see.

Given they would each pitch just once anyway, I wouldn't mind Roark going first so he can come out in relief game five if needed.

[Slateman]

I was addressing your home/road assertion. Home/road splits. Gio's are as close to even as you're ever gonna see.

Given they would each pitch just once anyway, I wouldn't mind Roark going first so he can come out in relief game five if needed.

Home vs road is pretty even, but I want to give Gio any advantage, including a friendly crowd.

Roark should be able to pitch in relief in Game 5. He'd have two days off. But honestly, don't think we should be depending on that.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

What are those?

I meant in subsequent rounds.

[whytev]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2016/09/15/the-man-who-can-carry-the-nationals-over-the-dodgers-is-gio-gonzalez/

Do we...pitch Gio games 1 and 5?

[varoadking]

Back to a 5 game lead for the #2 seed...thank you D'Backs... 

[NJ Ave]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2016/09/15/the-man-who-can-carry-the-nationals-over-the-dodgers-is-gio-gonzalez/

Do we...pitch Gio games 1 and 5?

Dodgers vs. power pitchers: .215/.300/.363
Dodgers vs. teams with winning percentage of .500+: .231/.288/.371

Stop worrying so much and throw your best pitchers at them. The team just needs to PERFORM.

[NJ Ave]

Oh, and for all the pundits saying the Dodgers have such a great matchup against the Nationals because of all the LHP:

Nationals vs. LHP: .258/.327/.457 and OPS 40 points higher against LHP than against RHP.
Nationals vs. teams with winning percentage of .500+: .247/.321/.413

Again, P.E.R.F.O.R.M.

Stop worrying about the matchup.

[monk]

I'm not sure the Dodgers are a lock to win the NL west, they struggle against bad teams, like the D-Backs (who are basically AAA right now).  I actually thought the Giants would make up some ground on the Dodger road trip, but they totally blew it against San Diego.  Root for the Dodgers, Bochy vs Dusty is a managerial mismatch in the playoffs.

[Slateman]

I'm not sure the Dodgers are a lock to win the NL west, they struggle against bad teams, like the D-Backs (who are basically AAA right now).  I actually thought the Giants would make up some ground on the Dodger road trip, but they totally blew it against San Diego.  Root for the Dodgers, Bochy vs Dusty is a managerial mismatch in the playoffs.

Giants aren't great against LHP either. We'd still have to fly across the country to play them. Gio pitched well against the Giants both times he faced them. And, for whatever reason, I don't fear the "ace" type pitcher. Nats seem to rise to those challenges. It's the mundane 4/5 starter I'm concerned with.

But NJ Ave said it best: PERFORM.

[rileyn]

Dodgers vs. power pitchers: .215/.300/.363
Dodgers vs. teams with winning percentage of .500+: .231/.288/.371

Stop worrying so much and throw your best pitchers at them. The team just needs to PERFORM.

Dodgers record against Nats, 5-1.  I get your point though, you can't pick your opponents, you just have to win games. 

More Gio, and less Max and Tanner is never the answer.

[dcpatti]

Dodgers record against Nats, 5-1.  I get your point though, you can't pick your opponents, you just have to win games. 

More Gio, and less Max and Tanner is never the answer.

Gio pitched our one win, though.
FWIW two of those losses were Petit's spot start and Lopez' first game, neither of which are likely to be a factor in the post-season. Oh and one more was the MAT error that shall not be further described because it makes me ragey.

[GburgNatsFan]

Ragey. I like it.

Gio pitched our one win, though.
FWIW two of those losses were Petit's spot start and Lopez' first game, neither of which are likely to be a factor in the post-season. Oh and one more was the MAT error that shall not be further described because it makes me ragey.