Dodgers 7, Astros 0
W: Kuroda (8-14)
L: Lyles (1-7)
Sure, I could talk about the futility. One run scored in the last 38 innings, one run in a three game series for the first time since 1988. I could go on and on about the same old stuff – the pitching isn’t good enough, the hitting is less than mediocre at best, anything situational is purely by accident, the catching is a joke half the time, the outfielders can’t throw – but all that is just repetition. We already know these things and the season still has a quarter of its length to go. I know you can already feel what it’s doing to you, there’s no reason to slide it all the way in because I don’t think you can take it right now. Not yet, anyway. Maybe later.
People started caring about what they eat
And people started smiling at everyone they meet
And people started looking for good instead of bad
Realize what they could lose and what they always had
Lyles may be feeling the effects of a long season on his abilities for the first time in a while. His command continues to be spotty and his command is his best weapon. Despite that, he was better than today’s results, at least until the sixth inning. The Dodgers took advantage of mistakes, but a tired 20-year-old is going to make them.
People started growing, instead of being crushed
And people started slowing down instead of being rushed
And people started looking with very different eyes
And this information now comes as a surprise
Altuve continues to get hits and he’s making the plays at second. If he can adjust to the inevitable changes major league pitchers make to him, he’s going to be the Astros second baseman for a while. He’s got great bat speed and that short swing and stature enables him to cover the plate well.
Good morning here’s the news and all of it is good
Good evening here’s the news and all of it is good
And the weather’s good!
Paredes made two outstanding plays in the field. The first was in the stands on a foul pop that kept a tough inning from becoming a disaster. The second was his spear of a hot smash over the bag on its way to the left field corner, but Paredes’ dive to his right gloved the dart. His throw to first was a one-hopper that didn’t get the runner, but it showed range and hands that we’d heard might not be there, especially range to his right. He’s got an absolute gun for an arm too.
And people started feeling that better’s on the way
And people started feeling some peace and calm today
And people started liking the way that good life feels
And every precious moment becoming what is real
Bogusevic has discovered a power stroke and maybe things are coming together for him. He’s hitting .288. Paredes is hitting .283, Martinez .250 with real power, Altuve .333. They’re all kids, fresh with the excitement that was missing from the team earlier and they’re getting a crash course in major league competition. It’s going to be baby steps from here, little victories within a framework of losses while they skip that development we don’t get to see and instead play it out in front of all of us. Night after night.
It’s easy for me to curse the darkness. Sometimes you have to make sure there is still some light out there as well.
Good morning here’s the news and all of it is good
Good evening here’s the news and all of it is good
And the weather’s good!