Well, the Giants still have a mathematical chance in 2015.
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Because they were able to survive August the upcoming three game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers is important.
Kershaw struck out 15 to set a season career high with 251 and Chase Utley hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth to complete a three-game sweep of the Giants. Also, no team has ever had a payroll anywhere close to the Dodgers’ – approaching $300 million – so there’s no telling how far they might have to go to save Mattingly’s job. Not impossible, but very unlikely.
Clayton Kershaw (12-6, 2.18 ERA) put together another otherworldly performance Wednesday night vs. Giants, tossing his third complete game of the year and striking out 15 batters. Afterward, Don Mattingly explained why he sometimes pulls Kershaw in the seventh or eighth inning in games he is winning easily: “It’s for games like this”. “Trying to save the bullets”. Kershaw improved to 1-2 with a 2.76 ERA in four starts against San Francisco. After sitting through 14 innings of stupid #weirdbaseball on Monday, nothing would surprise me.
“If we can gain a game a week going into that last series against them, we’ll be in pretty good shape”, first baseman Brandon Belt said. The Giants got a pinch-hit single in the eighth, but Kershaw struck out two more in that inning to reach 107 pitches. Wow”, Mattingly said. “He laid the gauntlet down in the sense that it’s that time of year. After this season, Mattingly will have one year left on his deal. He was inherited by the new regime led by Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi and it’s unknown if they’re willing to move forward with him long-term. Arrieta does get dinged just a bit for walking more than two per nine. How about Giancarlo Stanton for Mattingly? “That’s all I’ll say”. All three defeats to the Dodgers were by a run and they have just 11 runs during their skid.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Yordano Ventura struck out 11 over seven sharp innings, and Kansas City hit four home runs to rout Detroit.
“Nobody is saying that, but everyone is thinking it. The Dodgers’ management has been publicly supportive of Mattingly, but after two consecutive early postseason exits, the manager is being judged on his ability to leap that October hurdle, and no vote of confidence now will save him if he doesn’t”.
Dodgers (8): “Clayton Kershaw’s last loss came on June 27; in 10 starts since, he has a 0.92 ERA and a 6-0 record”.
Bolsinger has been taking batting practice with the Dodgers’ starting pitchers. The Giants are the greatest team in the Major League Baseball.
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The Dodgers brought up top prospect Corey Seager from the minors on Thursday, and he will be in San Diego tonight for the start of the series. CBSSports.com has a nice piece: Five things you need to know about Corey Seager. Email me a question for Ross, and I will pass it on to him. “It’s definitely different than a normal game because you’re playing the team behind you”. The truth is the Dodgers don’t have much speed. “He’s going to keep it a zero- or one-run game”.
