Podcast: ‘Dugout Blues’ episode 130 – Terrible week, Utley, prospects

On this episode of “Dugout Blues,” Jared Massey (Dodgers Nation) and I talk about the train wreck of a for the Dodgers. Ugh, do we have to talk about this?

There was some good, like Clayton Kershaw. Still waiting for the beginning of the end. Also good is the acquisition of Chase Utley, who gives the Dodgers even more depth, but also an infield logjam that was temporarily alleviated when Hector Olivera got traded.

Outside of that, this was probably the worst week of the season. The Dodgers lost two games to the AL’s worst team (A’s), got no-hit by a guy who tops out at 90 MPH (Mike Fiers) and lost two other winnable games in Houston. At least the Giants are playing just as poorly.

The bullpen is still an issue. Just when Chris Hatcher looked like he might be turning it around, he gave up the game-winning home run on Sunday. To be fair, it would have been a fly ball out in almost every other stadium in baseball, but the Dodgers happened to be playing in Houston.

The hiring of Ron Roenicke was odd, but this front office has shown it isn’t afraid to shake things up no matter what time of year it is.

The Dodgers let go of a lot of the international scouting department, which I wrote about here last week. We expand on the situation a bit.

Julio Urias looks good and is increasing his chances of a September call-up (coupled with continued bullpen meltdowns). Cody Bellinger hadn’t played in a week after getting hit on the wrist by a pitch. He actually started on Sunday after we recorded. He went 2-for-3 with a walk and a home run off Archie Bradley. He good. Chris Anderson and Jharel Cotton were promoted to Triple-A, probably more to give the Oklahoma City Dodgers a boost in the playoffs rather than the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As usual, we end with Q&A. Thank you for all the questions. Please keep them coming.

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Look for new episodes of “Dugout Blues” every Monday. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we’re always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.

If you have questions you’d like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us ([email protected]) or send us messages on Twitter (@JaredJMassey or @DustinNosler). You can also “Like” the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

About Dustin Nosler

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Dustin Nosler began writing about the Dodgers in July 2009 at his blog, Feelin' Kinda Blue. He co-hosted a weekly podcast with Jared Massey called Dugout Blues. He was a contributor/editor at The Hardball Times and True Blue LA. He graduated from California State University, Sacramento, with his bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in digital media. While at CSUS, he worked for the student-run newspaper The State Hornet for three years, culminating with a 1-year term as editor-in-chief. He resides in Stockton, Calif.