Editorials

Trending Up, Trending Down: Frias And Kershaw Get Back On Track

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

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Coming off a tough week in which the Los Angeles Dodgers lost four divisional games, their attention turned to two teams they had yet to face in 2015 — the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals.



After taking two of three from the Braves, the Dodgers returned to St. Louis for the first time since last October. Following a 3-0 loss in the series opener, Los Angeles took care of business the next night, handing Michael Wacha his first loss of the season in a 5-1 victory. The Dodgers went on to drop the rubber game by a score of 3-1, completing the final week of May with a 3-3 record.

Let’s look at which players held their own and those that struggled during the six-game span.

Trending Down:

Jimmy Rollins: Starting in all six games, Rollins reached base just five times in 24 plate appearances (.208 on-base percentage). He homered and doubled, but also struck out four times without drawing a walk.

The inevitable finally happened, as manager Don Mattingly dropped him to the eight-spot in the batting order on Saturday. As the week concludes, his batting line sits at .202/.269/.339. Rollins said he’s comfortable with and understands Mattingly’s decision to drop him in the order.

Chris Hatcher: Appearing in three games this week out of the bullpen, Hatcher allowed four hits, three walks, and four earned runs in 1.1 innings pitched. Despite his ERA being 6.89, his FIP of 2.66 indicates that he’s been much better than some of his traditional statistics show. It’s expected that these two numbers will start to even out as the season continues on.

A.J. Ellis: Receiving some valuable playing time this week as Yasmani Grandal recovered from a mild concussion, Ellis recorded just two hits in 11 at-bats (one double and one single). He did draw three walks, but also struck out four times. As a result, his slash line further dropped to .137/.241/.176.

CONTINUE READING: Starting Pitching Dominates ‘Trending Up’ Section

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