I have one final post for today. I’m looking to highlight specific match-ups as the season progresses. Today, I was interested in the two teams that started in Tokyo and will continue tonight in Los Angeles: the Cubs and Dodgers.
If there is one thing that you should keep in mind about these clubs, which have gotten off to excellent starts but are dealing with various issues, it is that the Tokyo trip does not make their lives any easier.
In Terry Francona and Dan Shaughnessy’s terrific book, Francona: The Red Sox Years, Tito talked about what it was like to open the 2008 season in Tokyo after winning the World Series in 2007. “All the baseball people were uneasy about that trip. We were set up to have heavy legs, set up for us to get our ass kicked. It just seemed that everything we were trying to do was secondary to this trip. It was stop, start, stop, start. It was a total circus. We had cement in our shoes. It was the worst road trip in the history of the game.”
“The whole spring was fucked up,” Francona said later. “We had guys going to Japan who pitched games that count. A couple starters had to be ready quicker than others. Beckett hurt his back and didn’t come with us. It was harder than you can imagine. There were rules coming out the yin-yang. Then you play two games that don’t count, then two that count, then you’re going back to the States to play more games that don’t count. I was all fucked up. It was good for baseball, but I was grumpy as shit.”
DODGERS STARTERS THROUGH THE FIRST EIGHT GAMES OF THE SEASON
· Through the first eight games of the season, the Dodgers starters were 3-0 (the Giants were 4-0) and had a 2.14 ERA, second best in the majors. This is almost hard to fathom, but the Rockies starters, who were 0-3, led the majors with a 2.08 ERA.
· The Dodgers starters threw a major league low 33.2 IP.
DODGERS STARTERS GAMES 9 THROUGH 14
· The Dodgers starters were 0-3, 28th in the majors in ERA with a 6.14 ERA, through the next six games of the season. This is more believable: Last in the majors were the Padres starters with a 9.00 ERA, and 29th were the Rockies starters with an 8.71 ERA.
DODGERS VS. CUBS STARTERS
· In 14 games, Dodgers starters have a 3-3 record and a 4.27 ERA, ninth in the NL.
· In 15 games, Cubs starters have an 8-3 record and a 4.15 ERA, eighth in the NL.
· In 59.0 IP, the Dodgers starters have allowed just four homers.
· In 82.1 IP, the Dodgers starters have allowed 14 homers.
· The Dodgers starters are throwing just 4.1 IP per game, the fewest in the NL.
· The Cubs starters are throwing 5.1 IP per game, the third most in the NL.
DODGERS STARTERS ARE NOT IN CONTROL
· The Dodgers starters’ control is an issue. They have walked 46 in 59.0 IP.
· Their rate of 7.02 walks per nine innings is the highest in the majors, two walks per nine higher than the second-worst Padres.
· As a result, the Dodgers starters’ WHIP of 1.59 is the worst in the NL.
· The Cubs rate of 2.84 walks per nine innings is sixth in the NL.
· In 23.0 fewer innings, the Dodgers starters have walked 20 more batters than the Cubs starters.
FINALLY, SOME RELIEF
· The idea in this series against the Cubs will be for the Dodgers to get to their bullpen.
· The Dodgers bullpen has a 7-1 record, the most wins in the majors. The Cubs pen is 1-3.
· The Dodgers bullpen has thrown 64.0 IP, the most in the majors. The Cubs pen has tossed 50.2.
· The Dodgers bullpen has a 2.25 ERA, fourth in the NL, fourth in the majors. The Cubs pen has a 4.97 ERA, 25th in the majors and 12th in the NL.
· The Dodgers bullpen has a 1.00 WHIP, fourth in the NL, sixth in the majors. The Cubs pen has a 1.74 WHIP, 28th in the majors.
· The Dodgers bullpen leads the majors with 74 strikeouts. The Cubs has 42 Ks.
· The Dodgers bullpen has walked 27, the Cubs, 21.
· The Dodgers bullpen has six saves (two blown), the second-most in the NL (the Padres have seven). The Cubs have saved four and blown three saves.
· The Dodgers bullpen has a rate of 10.41 Ks per nine innings, tops in the NL. The Cubs rate of 7.46 is 13th in the NL.
· The Dodgers bullpen has a .191 BAA, fourth in the NL. The Cubs .305 BAA is the worst in baseball.
Tonight’s game: The Dodgers have an eight-game home winning streak dating back to last season. Their longest winning streak at home last season was seven games. In August 2023, the Dodgers won 10 straight at home.
Cubs: Matthew Boyd (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 10 strikeouts in 11.0 IP); Boyd has thrown 11 straight scoreless innings. Righties are 5-29 against Boyd (.172). In his two starts combined, Boyd has not allowed a total of more than two hits in any inning. Batters are 2-5 on the first pitch of an at bat.
Dodgers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-1, 1.69 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 19 strikeouts in 16 IP). Lefties are 3-29 against Yoshi. First time facing Yamamoto in a game, batters are hitting .269 (7-26). Second time: .167 (4-24). Third time: 0-7. Yoshi has thrown 260 pitches, 40.8% four-seamers, and 15.8% curves.