A Star(ter) Is Born
And Chris Taylor to the IL with a broken foot.
I wasn’t born yesterday and neither was the Dodgers’ 24-year-old right-hander, Ryan Pepiot. But the rookie’s job in a spot start Tuesday night at Chavez Ravine was to go five innings and give his team a chance to win. At least as I saw it. That he did, and then some. Pepiot, who had pitched three innings, four innings and 4 1/3 in his first three big-league outings in that order previously, went a solid five last night, allowing four hits and one earned run, with a walk and six strikeouts. He threw 85 pitches, 57 of them for strikes, and notched his first career win as Los Angeles topped Colorado, 5-2. The contest could not possibly have gone better.
There was little doubt within the L.A. organization about Pepiot’s ability. The only question was the timeline. After being drafted in the third round out of Butler University, the 6’ 3”, 215-pounder made 10 starts in rookie and A-ball in 2019, with no record, a 1.93 ERA, 1.200 WHIP and 31 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings. With the 2020 minor league schedule cancelled because of COVID, Pepiot began the 2021 campaign at Double-A Tulsa by recording a 2.87 ERA, a 0.940 WHIP, 81 strikeouts in 59 2/3 before struggling at AAA-Oklahoma City (7.13, 1.800, 46 and 41 2/3).
There have been no such struggles at Triple-A this time around. Pepiot is 6-0, with a 1.94 ERA, 1.078 WHIP and 76 strikeouts in 55 2/3. Am I necessarily predicting a blip-free rest of the season with the big club? No, but no one’s asking for that kind of return. A fine start to help the team as needed? Yes. The chance to go four, five and six innings depending on the circumstances, absolutely. Brilliance on occasion, certainly.
While I wrote that the Dodgers might not need to trade for a starting pitcher before the Walker Buehler injury, with guys like Pepiot (and tonight’s scheduled starter, Mitch White) proving capable, the might part of that statement still applies. As constituted the rotation of Tony Gonsolin, Julio Urias, Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Anderson and White is backed up by Andrew Heaney, who threw a bullpen Tuesday, Dustin May, who I expect back from Tommy John surgery by early-August, Pepiot and Buehler, with Danny Duffy within the realm and Michael Grove, Bobby Miller and even Gavin Stone as fallbacks.
That said, if Andrew Friedman decides to move the needle with a blockbuster deal for a starter, I’m sure he’ll make every effort to sweep the trading club off its feet. Pepiot’s performance last night, and in the entirety of his 2022 season, has to be a factor moving forward for the president of baseball operations.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers sport the best record in the National League at 51-29 and stands 5 1/2 games ahead of San Diego (seven in the loss column) with a chance to finish the first half season on a 104-win pace tonight, White versus the Rockies’ opener Jose Urena at 7:10 p.m. Both the Padres (47-36) and Giants (40-39, 10 1/2 back) have lost eight out of their last 10, while the Boys in Blue have won seven of 10.
It occurred to me during Tuesday’s game that while the Dodgers haven’t been winning in walk-off fashion this season (yet), they have experienced the kind of magical seemingly-out-of-nowhere success from some quarters that championship-winning teams need to to be successful. And inspiring. Pepiot’s outing last night qualifies as one example. Everything Trayce Thompson-related does too. He’s hitting .306/.359/.556 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 36 at bats after a 1-14 (.071/.188/.071) start as a Padre in April and hit .305/.365/.721 with 17 homers and 36 RBIs in 154 minor league at bats in between. Lights-out righty reliever Evan Phillips qualifies as another very pleasant surprise too, the same is true of Gonsolin (#understatment) and to a lesser degree, you might add Anderson to the list.
On the downside, Chris Taylor is out weeks with a broken foot and it’s a big blow. There is no understatement there. But Los Angeles can weather the storm with Thompson, who is an excellent defender; Jake Lamb, although not an experienced outfielder; and for the love of God please not too much of Gavin Lux, who continues to be a weirdo in more ways than I can stomach. Lux is in left tonight, unfortunately, so lock your doors, check the mirrors and fasten your seatbelts, please. Or if you’re not driving, employ a blindfold.
I’d love to see 26-year-old Jason Martin — a real outfielder who’s hitting .290/.380/.592 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs in 245 Oklahoma City at bats this season — get a chance, but I don’t expect it to come just yet. Third baseman Miguel Vargas, who we’ve talked about plenty in this space, is an intriguing option as well. He’s played three games in left for OKC and in the lineup there again tonight.
Independent of Taylor’s injury, the player I’d already been thinking about as a trade target is the Cubs’ Ian Happ. The 27-year-old six-year veteran, who is controllable through 2023, is hitting .279/.377/.454 with 21 doubles, two triples, eight homers and 38 RBIs currently. Although not a power hitter per se, Happ did hit 24 long balls in 2017 and 25 last year. He holds a .344 career on base percentage to go along with a lifetime .810 OPS. A switch-hitter with only a slight difference in sides (.246/.349/.487 left-handed; .253/.329/.405 right), Happ’s Wrigley Field advantage isn’t much to speak of either (.253/.352/.479 at home; .243/.337/.453 on the road). And it’s not unusual for a player to hit better at home. The first half, second half numbers are almost identical (.246/.349/.443 in the first and .247/.334/.485 second), September is his best month (.266/.347/.513), he hits .259/.353/.459 in his primary left field position, .295/.377/.540 as a right fielder, .391/.517/.739 as a DH, and can play first base, second, third and center field. The postseason line is as follows: .333/.412/.533.
I’ll have more on the trade market before or during the All-Star break, but Happ is an absolutely perfect fit for Los Angeles. It might take a Dodgers top ten prospect to get him, but more likely a pair of top 30s. If it’s package deal with closer and free-agent-to-be David Robertson for a stronger package of minor leaguers, that’s something we can discuss. I’d put Lux in that deal instead of a valued prospect and sleep very well at night, thank you very much.
(All above splits through Tuesday’s games).
This just in:
The Dodgers placed Taylor on the 10-day IL, recalling Zach McKinstry, and activated lefty reliever Caleb Ferguson, with Pepiot being optioned to Oklahoma City.
Media Savvy:
“Rob Manfred wants you to know: He doesn't hate baseball, he wants to save it.” Hmm-k. That’s the title of a story by Don Van Natta Jr. that ran last week at ESPN.com. A few things. While I am not of fan of the baseball commissioner, I don’t think he hates baseball. And though Manfred is not responsible for the headline, I can tell you with confidence that it’s the saving-baseball idea that irks fans. Baseball doesn’t need to be saved, nor has it ever. The commish whines to a degree in the piece, and not for the first time, which isn’t helpful. His general misunderstanding of corporate public relations doesn’t serve him, or the game well either. See for yourself, and let me know what you think.
Former number-one pick, Mark Appel, has at long last made his major league debut, at 31 years old. Victor Mather reports for the New York Times.
Here is “'I'm an old man': Greinke flashes wisdom in milestone start,” his 500th, by Anne Rogers at MLB.com.
And three from historian Bill Arnold:
1. Last week saw the rededication of one of the five surviving Negro League ballparks, Hamtramck Stadium in Detroit. The stadium, which opened in 1930, was built by John Roesink for his Negro League team, the Detroit Stars. Detroit-born vocalist, drummer, and rock and roll legend Jack White helped lead the park's $2.6 million renovations, including a new roof above the grandstand and restoration of the seating and the stadium's brick exterior. The other four surviving Negro League parks are Bush Stadium (Indianapolis), J.P. Small Memorial Stadium, formerly known as Durkee Field (Jacksonville, Fla.), Rickwood Field (Birmingham, Ala.), and Hinchliffe Stadium (Paterson, N.J.), which is also being restored.
2. [Last] Tuesday marked the 104th anniversary of Hall of Fame catcher Ray Schalk tagging the Browns' Ray Demmitt at second base, becoming the first catcher to record putouts at every bag. Johnny Roseboro of the Dodgers accomplished the feat in 1964 when he tagged out Giants superstar Willie Mays in a rundown at second.
3. Cardinal Ivan Herrera [last] Monday night became the 17th — and, at 22, the youngest — player to catch Redbird ace Adam Wainwright, who is 40. The last time the Cards had a battery 18 or more years apart in age was in 1937 when in different games, 44-year-old starter Jesse Haines paired with Mickey Owen (21 years old) and Bruce "Brusie" Ogrodowski (25).
Baseball Photos of the Week:
Kidd Brewer Stadium, home of the Appalachian State Mountaineers.
Jack Lemmon and Tommy Davis at Shea Stadium during the filming of “The Odd Couple” in 1968.
The 1968 Cadaco All-Star baseball game.
Self-explanatory.
Ted Williams forever stamp, issued in 2012.
Self-explanatory.
And remember, glove conquers all.
Howard Cole has been writing about baseball on the Internet since Y2K. Follow him on Twitter. Follow OBHC on Twitter here. Be friends with Howard on Facebook.
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