Accentuate the positive.
Yeah, it's tough to lose to the Giants and it's worse when it culminates into sweep, but there was plenty to like. And gosh darn it, I'd rather start off my morning thinking about what positives we can take away from the series rather than fret about three games in an 162 game season.
For instance, Guerrero continues to mash the ball like a toddler who's discovered the joy of Play-Doh. And Adrian Gonzalez came out of his recent funk to hit a deep homer to centerfield. Best yet, we had the opportunity to witness one of the front office's earliest acquisitions impress on the field.
Mike Bolsinger was fantastic in his Dodger debut as a starter. He went 5 2/3 innings against the Giants - knocking out five strike outs against two walks. Bolsinger masterfully used a combination of his fastball and slider to keep batters on their toes before bringing his "Uncle Charlie" to leave them stammered. No doubt, he'll be seen as a future candidate for spot starts throughout the season, and a possible competitor for a rotation position later on. Via Alex Espinoza at MLB.com:
"It's tough to say. In a way, yeah, I think I have [proved myself]," Bolsinger said. "Whatever happens, happens. I just want to put myself in the best possible situation so that if something comes up, they think of me."Yes, you have shown us the daylight, and before the night is over I suspect you'll force us to keep you around. The above photo of Mike Bolsinger was taken by Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015. Go here to check out more pics of his from yesterday's game. Jon also shares some fantastic B&W photos from the day here. Below are some more links to check out:
- Via Bill Shaikin at the LA Times, "Collapse of Comcast-TWC merger could extend Dodgers' TV blackout."
“Time Warner simply did a stupid deal,” Ganis said. “At some point, they’re going to have to bite the bullet, and it might as well be sooner rather than later so Dodger fans can watch the games.”
- Awesome! Via Spencer Fordin at MLB.com, "Dodgers Foundation raises $1.3M at Blue Diamond Gala."
- Via Jeff Sullivan at FanGraphs, "Raising the Dodger Fastball." Fascinating stuff.
And the Dodgers, as a unit, are working higher than they did. Compared to last year, the Dodgers have increased their high-fastball rate by almost 11 percentage points.
- Via Craig Minami at True Blue LA, "Player development the main objective at Rancho Cucamonga."
"I see developing more important. The ultimate goal is to have the Dodgers win," (Bill Haselman) said. "And if we can win by doing that, great. Everyone in this clubhouse including myself wants to win. But I want to make sure that these guys are ready to go up when they go up because when the Dodgers win, we all win."
- Via Mike Lange at Piscataquis Observer/Maine News Supply, "Small Maine company making baseball bats for major leagues." (Hat Tip: Orel at SOSG) This is where Puig gets his bats.
- Howard Cole at Forbes tells us about a new online service that provides a searchable sports memorabilia price guide called PriceRealized.com.
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