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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast-1:30pm
You Tube-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
Hot Topics on the Table..Stay for Fans Forum”
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That was a letdown of a weekend.
That was a message delivered by the Dodgers.
That was statement made by the LA-stars
That was a reality check of San Diego pitching problems
That was a dose of an up and down Friars batting ordee..
The season is not over. The pennant race is not over.
You will see these two back at Petco Park next weekend.
But for all the adversity they have faced this year, the early season starting staff problems, the bullpen’s current crisis, the illness that derailed Mookie Betts, the multiple injuries of Max Muncy, the half season slump of Shohei Ohtani, and the injury prone Tommy Edman, none of that seemed to impact the Dodgers in this weekend’s beatings of the Padres.
For all the excitement the Friars have given the community lately, what we saw from Friday night thru Sunday afternoon, was a rude awakening, this team still has problems that have to be solved in the next 5-weeks.
A bit disconcerting to see all their starts at the top of batting order go (0-14) when it was San Diego stars vs LA’s star pitchers. The Tatis-Machado strikeouts thruout the weekend have to drive you crazy when you consider how potent the top of that lineup is. They capped it going (1-10) on Sunday as the team went (2-14) with runners in scoring position.
Dylan Cease, for all his accomplishments, his grit, his fastball, remains an enigma. His quality starts have been few and far between, the back to back good outings, were washed away by the 6-walks in 2-innings he issued on Saturday.
Yu Darvish gave up home run balls early on Sunday, and has had odd-bad innings every start but one, and does not look vintage Yu Darvish right now.
Trusting Randy Vasquez with lots of innings is a risky business.
And as excited as we were with the “Six Pack” in the bullpen, there’s honesty in concern that the Padres decided to trade two starting pitchers to the Royals to solve their catching crisis. But now they seem paper-thin in the starting rotation beyond 12-game winner Nick Pivetta.
The guys thrown out on the bases by the Dodgers are equivalent to running yourself out of rallies.
Those fans in LA booed and booed alot, whether it was Manny Machado or Fernando Tatis and they wilted completely…
And the historically enhanced Dodgers, all those pennants, 1st place finishes and World Series rings, subscribe to the old time saying, good pitching beats good hitting.
And therefore Clayton Kershaw, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow were really dominant.
Battered as they are, that starting staff flexed its muscle on the mound. Gut wrenching to see a bullpen, who had blown 5-saves opportunities in 7-games, come back and choke off the Padres three games in a row.
The season is not over, but that was a pretty impressive display the Dodgers flashed over the Padres, in the fight for 1st place.
The Friars leave LA now with more questions than answers, because when they have to play good teams this year, those with winning records, they are (27-40) vs them.
Lost weekend in Lost Angeles.
