Editor’s note: This is the Tuesday Aug. 23 edition of the “Game Day with Kevin Modesti” newsletter. To receive the newsletter in your inbox, sign up here.
Good morning. That sound you hear is the National League Cy Young Award race roaring through L.A.
There’s other news:
- The Dodgers showed confidence in Max Muncy, $13.5 million worth.
- Columnist Jim Alexander asks how much confidence the Dodgers really have in Craig Kimbrel.
- The Dodgers’ Julio Urias pitched well enough to win but didn’t.
- The Angels’ Tucker Davidson, ditto.
- Do the Rams have too many receivers?
- And St. John Bosco High’s NIL announcement – what does it mean and not mean?
- L.A. fans have been getting a good look at the contest for the Cy Young Award for the National League’s best pitcher.
Sunday, the Miami Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara, the NL Cy Young frontrunner most of the year, pitched at Dodger Stadium and was battered for six runs in 3 2/3 innings.
Last night, with Alcantara’s stumble creating Cy Young hope for others, Urias stepped up with a sharp five-inning (one run) outing against the Milwaukee Brewers only to have the Dodgers’ offense and bullpen let him down in a 4-0 loss.
Tonight, a choice matchup of Cy Young candidates pits the Dodgers’ Tony Gonsolin against the Brewers’ Corbin Burnes, a test for 2022’s most surprising contender against 2021’s winner.
Gonsolin already led the NL with a 15-1 record and 0.859 walks and hits per inning pitched, and took over the league lead in ERA at 2.12 when the Dodgers sent Alcantara’s ERA up to 2.19.
Here are a couple of snapshots of the Cy Young race.
In the betting, VegasInsider.com this morning shows Alcantara still a heavy favorite (-275), followed by Burnes (+650), Gonsolin (+1600), the New York Mets’ Max Scherzer (+2200), the Atlanta Braves’ Max Fried (+3000), Mets closer Edwin Diaz (+4000), the San Francisco Giants’ Carlos Rodon (+4000), the Philadelphia Phillies’ Zack Wheeler (+8000)and Urias (+8000), with the Dodgers’ Tyler Anderson lower on the list (+15000).
But ESPN’s Cy Young Predictor, a statistical model introduced by Bill James and Rob Neyer, has the three Dodgers 1-2-3 in Gonsolin, Anderson and Urias, and Alcantara and the Braves’ Kyle Wright next. Wherever they’re ranked, for the Dodgers to have three contenders is kind of astounding after they lost three-time winner Clayton Kershaw and expected 2022 staff ace Walker Buehler to injuries.
Numbers aside, there’s the vibe you get about the Cy Young race from watching and reading.
Alcantara’s rough outing against the Dodgers on Sunday was the worst of several for him lately. If he doesn’t finish strong, the three Dodgers and others have shots. In the end, the baseball writers voting on awards will consider the whole season, but big performances on big stages don’t hurt, and there’s no bigger stage right now than the home of baseball’s best team.
Anderson pitches next on Friday at Miami.
Unfortunately, the way the schedule falls, the Dodgers should miss facing Scherzer in New York next Tuesday-Thursday.
Still, the Dodgers are having a big say in the Cy Young race – with their pitchers and hitters.
TODAY
- Angels play the second of four against the Rays in Tampa (4:10 p.m., BSW) with Jose Suarez (3-1, 1.19 ERA the past month) facing Corey Kluber.
- Dodgers and Gonsolin host the Brewers and Burnes (7:10 p.m., SNLA). Dodgers are -154 in Las Vegas this morning, first team this year to be favored over Burnes.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Who is your National League Cy Young Award front-runner? Speak up by email to KModesti@scng.com.
280 CHARACTERS
I’ll volunteer to light the match. https://t.co/q261lPZhYB
— Jim_Alexander (@Jim_Alexander) August 23, 2022
1,000 WORDS
TALK TO ME
Thanks for reading. I welcome questions, comments and suggestions about this newsletter and any sports topic. Reach me by email at KModesti@scng.com.
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