Thursday, May 19, 2016

Welcome Back to the Blue, Chin-Hui Tsao!


I get the feeling that the retooling of the Dodgers relief staff is just beginning.  The Dodgers announced this afternoon that they are bringing back right-handed reliever Chin-Hui Tsao.  Mike Bolsinger, who started last nights game, has been optioned back to Oklahoma City. 

As you'll recall, the Dodgers initially signed Tsao as a free agent last winter.  He pitched well enough that Spring to be invited to stay with the club in the minors.  Quickly, he worked himself back into Major League shape (after having been out of the Majors for eight years), and eventually pitched in five games for Los Angeles that July with mixed results.  This season he started the year with the Oklahoma City Dodgers and did quite a bit of closing for them. 

Per a Dodgers press release:

2016 Topps Finest - All the Dodgers Insert Cards

Now that you've seen the base cards, here is everything else.  Unfortunately, the Kenta Maeda autographed card is available only through a redemption card.

Finest Autographs

  • #FA-KMA Kenta Maeda (via a redemption card)


Finest Firsts

#FF-CS Corey Seager

Blog Kiosk: 5/19/2016 - Dodgers Links - Yadier Alvarez, Mike Bolsinger and Louis Coleman


Mike Bolsinger returned to the Dodgers rotation and did the best he could.  He scattered six hits and gave up only a lone home run to Mike Trout before the dreaded fifth inning came around.  That's when the wheels fell off.  Bolinger got into another jam, and what could only be called 'bad luck' then sunk the team.  Per Jack Baer at MLB.com:
"I thought Mike had did what we had hoped," Roberts said. "There were 60 pitches that he threw in that last rehab start ... and where he was at with the third time through, I thought he gave us a chance to win."
(Coleman via Jon SooHoo/Dodgers)
In that fifth inning, Bolsinger left the game with two men on and one out when Louis Coleman was called in.  As you may know, Coleman has been one of the more effective relievers on the Dodgers staff.  Since April 25th he had not given up an earned run and allowed just one inherited runner to score in 10.1 innings pitched.  Over that span he has recorded 12 strike outs, walked only two and the opposition was slashing .088/.139/.118/.257.  Of course, this is a small sample size, but you had to like the results so far, and you had to figure he was the right man for the job.  Unfortunately, sometimes a version of Keystone Cops erupts on the field.

First he walked Pujols to load them up.  Then the next batter, CJ Cron, hit a infield single between Seager and Turner to score a run.  Following that was a little dribbler that was mishandled by Kendrick, the evenings 1st baseman, to score another.  Then, Rafael Ortega hit a 'Texas Leaguer' to left that Thompson dove for and missed.  Another fly ball to right scored the last run of the inning.  Overall, four balls where hit with Coleman on the mound, and only one was hit hard - the sacrifice fly.  Nevertheless, five runs crossed the plate to seal the game for the Angels.

Photo at the very top via SportsNet LA on twitterGo here to check out more pic from yesterdays game by Dodger photographer Jon SooHoo.  Below are more links to check out:
  • This Day in Dodger History: In 1988 Tim Leary threw his second shutout of the season against the Montreal Expos.  He had been winless in his past five starts.