Blog Kiosk: 6/17/2016 - Dodgers Links - Urias, White and a Dugout Confrontation

Scott Kazmir was not sharp last night.  He consistently fell behind on the counts and ended up getting pulled after throwing 93 pitches in four innings.  Overall, Kazmir gave up five hits, three earned runs and struck out eight. Watch him talk about his evening here.  Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

"That's on me," (Kazmir) said. "I put my team in a bad hole. Having the bullpen cover five innings, it's never good in a ballgame. Not getting ahead of hitters, I think 20-something foul balls, that'll do it. Could have minimized the damage making some quality pitches with runners in scoring position, but a couple hits and they get those three runs. Short outing, that's disappointing."

Unfortunately, a Dodgers bullpen, that had been one of the best of late, reverted to their old ways.  They gave up five runs to lose the game to the Brewers 8-6.  On a side note, there was a bit of a tussle in the Dodgers dugout during the game.  Justin Tuner confronted Yasmina Grandal for a boneheaded running mistake that almost cost the team the tying run in the sixth inning.  Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

"It was one of those baserunning mistakes, I guess I had a brain [cramp]. I think this is first baserunning mistake I've made in two years here. Obviously, if the score was affected by it, we would have been down. I kind of just [messed] up. It's just the way it happens. Teammates want to make sure you play smart and the right way. I feel if they're getting on you, they care about the fact you should know better. We all make mistakes. It's not the first time I'll make a mistake and not first time weird things happen."

Grandal also said he was not disappointed that emotions got heated in the dugout between teammates.

"I think we need to play with some fire," he said. "If we fight, we fight. It doesn't matter if it's between each other or with the other team. I feel like if we get some fire within the team to get us going, its fine. At times I feel like we're better than the other team and we lay back and relax instead of making it happen."

Via Kyle Glaser/AP at the Miami Herald:

"It was just one of those things where (Turner) thought Yaz should've went back to first and not continued and made that play as close as it was," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Yaz would tell you, as the ball goes into second base he's gotta stop.

"Obviously with emotions it can get heated, but we cleaned it up."

The Dodgers need a catalyst.  Will this be it?  Can they find that burning fire deep within?  Will they now take on the season with the kind of determination required to win?  They need something to wake them up, and this incident is just the kind of thing to do it.  But they'll need a leader to rally the troops.  Who will do it?

Photo above of Scott Kazmir via SportsNet LA on twitter.  Below are more links to check:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 1885 Dodgers shortstop Germany Smith committed a Major League record 7 errors on the field. In 1983 Dodgers starting pitcher Bob Welch hit his first Major League home run.  It would be the deciding run in the game.  The Dodgers defeated the Reds 1-0.
• Via Jack Baer at MLB.com; "Decision awaits on Urias after two more starts."

Julio Urias will take two more turns as a starter for the Dodgers before the team decides whether to lift the teenager from the rotation in order to limit his innings.

The southpaw is scheduled to start Friday against the Brewers, then is in line for a Wednesday start against the Nationals. After that, manager Dave Roberts said the team "will go from there."

• Check out this fantastic Dodger/Kershaw themed graphic by Philbert at In the Belly of the Beast blog.



(Gavin Lux, pic via JetSportsMngt)

• Via Jeff Todd at MLB Trade Rumors; "Dodgers Sign First-Rounder Gavin Lux." 

He’ll receive a $2.317MM bonus that lands just $700 over the slot value at the 20th overall pick.

• Via Dustin Nosler at Dodgers Digest; "Two prep arms highlight Dodgers’ draft picks in rounds 11-20."
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA; "Dodgers sign 7th-round draft pick Luke Raley."  They also signed 8th round pick Andre Scrubb, via Eric Stephen.
• We drafted this kid in the second round.  Via Jon Manuel at Baseball America; "Mitchell White Sows A Whirlwind With Whiffs."

“He just started throwing a changeup (in March),” Ribas said, “and he’d getting swings and misses with changeups. He learned a cutter last year; I mean, he’s 93-95 with natural cut, but now he throws a true cutter at 87-90. When it’s bad, it morphs into a low-80s slider, speeding up guys’ bats with it, but when he’s 86-90, it’s untouchable to both sides of the plate. And he has an overhand hammer (curve), 77-80, and it’s a bastard.”

Against Portland, White struck out 15 in a one-hit shutout, with 74 of his 100 pitches going for strikes. While BYU put up six runs against him in his season finale, White hit 97 mph and hit 96 10 times according to BYU’s radar gun. He finished the season 3-6, 3.72 with 118 strikeouts and just 27 walks in 92 innings, averaging 11.54 strikeouts per nine innings, 11th in Division I.

• This is fascinating.  Have you ever wondered why so many of the Cubans the Dodgers (and everyone else) are signing have a "Y" in their first name?  Well, wonder no more.  Check out this article via the AP in the Japan Times entitled; "Forget Yevgeny and Yilka: Cuba’s ‘Generation Y’ returns to roots for names."  We learn that during Cold War Cuba thousands of Cuban parents created names for their children in honor of the islands connection to Soviet Russia.  It was all in homage to names like Yevgeny, Yuri or Yulia. (Hat Tip: r/cinemario on Reddit)
• In some LA Kings news, they just named centerman Anze Kopitar as their new captain; via LA Kings.com.  He will be the 14th captain in Kings history.

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *