Dodgers Win Regular Season, But Hunger For More

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1. Thank for that breakdown AC. Boy, are you ever right about the Giants winning a wild card slot. That would have made me very disappointed and apprehensive. I live in enemy territory in NorCal and am surrounded by few Dodger friends. That is why I really appreciate people on this site. A toast to the Blue. The best is yet to come.

2. I cannot see Kelly not on the roster.

   1. I am not a Kelly hater. I originally had him on my projected playoff roster, but if the Dodgers only go with 13 pitchers, who is he going to replace? Right now Kelly is the 14th pitcher. He just did not pitch enough. He would be on any subsequent rosters. He stays quarantined and would be on the taxi squad if needed.

      1. Totally agree with your roster Jeff. Those are the same guys I would have identified.

         On the other hand, they love Kelly, so Floro and Graterol better be ready for disappointment. Whatever they do all three of those guys will be on the NLDS roster (assuming we move on). Barring injury to someone, I think Wood has probably thrown his last pitch in a Dodger uni.

   2. Not in the first round maybe, but after that, I would bet he is. Angels fired GM Billy Eppler after game.

      1. Arte Moreno was very kind to wait until the last out before letting the news out. What a prince!
         I’m sure Eppler knew he was out for awhile now, even if he wasn’t told officially.
         Dave Dombrowski seems to be the favorite but I think they should at least interview Logan White. After what he’s done both in L.A. and S.D. he deserves a shot. They could hire Dombrowski as Pres of Baseball Operations and make White the GM. He really knows how to identify talent.
         And for goodness sake, go out and get some pitching.

         1. Why they didn’t try and sign Ryu I have no idea

         2. I’m not sure the problem with the Anaheim Angels is the GM’s , other than that they don’t agree with Moreno.

            1. I’m pretty sure the GM was a big part of the problem.

            2. You are right Daniel, even though the GM can suggest, he is not the one handing out the cash. You can blame them for maybe suggesting someone, but not for the performance of that player after he signs. Pujols, despite his HOF credentials is one of the worst free agent signings ever money wise. So was Josh Hamilton, and Eppler had nothing to do with either one of those fiasco’s. They had to re-sign Trout. Had they let him walk, they would have lost half of thier fan base.

   3. IMO, Kelly only makes the roster if team is convinced that he can consistently command his fastball. He has thrown almost twice as many breaking pitches as fastballs in 2020, and his K/BB ratio is a horrible 1.29.

3. The Angels have made just horrible free agent signings over the years and Arte has HIS fingerprints all over those decisions. No one to blame but himself!

4. I like your roster. I think it’s complete BS the Cardinals don’t have to make those games up.

5. Cardinals only played 58 games. Had they played and lost both games the Reds would have been in 2nd place and match-ups would have been different. Was it decided that the season ends Sept. 27th, no matter what?

   1. yes it was

   2. No, it was originally decided that if the games mattered the Cardinals would go to KC and play Detroit in a DH there tomorrow, but since they don’t care about the seedings and the Cardinals would have made the playoffs anyways they just let them in with only playing 58 games.

      1. When they made their agreement, the end of the season was set at the 27th of September no matter what. That was the 60 game limit. They did not count on Covid making the necessity of makeup games.

         1. I forget who I listened to online a couple of weeks ago on MLB radio. Since Detroit was already in KC they had a contingency plan for St Louis to head over there tomorrow. Had getting in the playoffs still been in doubt I believe they still would have gone to KC to finish up.

            1. The canceled games were actually August 4 and 5 against Detroit (in Detroit). If the Cardinals were not already in, they would have played on Monday. Many in MLB organizations believed that because the seeding was in doubt resulting from St. Louis not playing 60, that they should have had to make up the games anyway. Even Joe and Orel referred to the possible Monday games to finalize the brackets. Had the Cardinals been required to play the final two games and lost, Cincinnati would have been the #2 team in the division and St. Louis the Wild Card, and the seedings would have changed. By beating the Brewers, MLB said that they were in, and without coming out and actually saying it, the seedings do not matter.

               They should have played it out. Since Detroit was not in the playoffs, the extra games would not have mattered to their pitching, but it would have hurt the Cardinals pitching going into the playoffs. If the Cardinals had lost two, Cincinnati would have been the #5 seed and played San Diego in the first round. I do not think San Diego is upset as to how this played out.

               One other consideration, MLBPA agreed to be paid for the games played. Do the Tigers and Cardinals players only get paid for 58 games?

            2. Yep and an argument can be made that between the 7 inning doubleheaders and two less games their staff got a break.

6. Game 1 is Wednesday at 7pm on ESPN

7. Nice summary Jeff!! I have no qualms with your roster. Wood and Kelly should not be on it for the first series.

   Brewers will be a tough series.

   1. Their starters do not really scare you, but their bullpen does with Hader out there. They need to have a lead going into the late innings. Brewers as a team only hit .223. The Dodgers have scored close to 100 runs more than the Brewers and out homered them 118 to 75. Their team ERA is a full point higher. But they have a lot of strikeout pitchers as their staff has almost 100 more strikeouts than the Dodgers. One thing to watch is that their staff has only given up one homer more than the Dodger staff. Their best starter is Corbin Burnes, but he had some issues the other day. Woodruff the Dodgers know all about. He beat them in his start in Milwaukee in the 18 NLCS. He also hit a homer in that game. They have not yet announced their starter for game one, but most think it will be Woodruff.

      1. And Williams. He’s been lights out. Burnes has to be doubtful at best.

         1. He has an oblique issue. It does not look like hr is going to be able to pitch. Not in this round anyway.

8. Wild Prediction:

   The Angels will trade Mike Trout to begin their re-build. This could be a blockbuster 3 or 4 team deal and the Dodgers will not be involved! He will go back to the East Coast and the Angels will tank and get tons of prospects.

   1. Trout for Judge and prospects.

      1. Trout for Bellinger and Muncy.

         1. I think we should offer 1 of Mark’s trades for Trout

            1. Trout is not going anywhere unless they get a huge haul. And he for sure is not coming to the Dodgers. The fans down there would go berserk.

   2. That would make sense to many GM’s but not to Moreno. He wants big names that sell tickets and offense to make game interesting. He has either no idea or no desire to win it all, just make money. As an investment he has done well, if he sold the Angels. Please sell them!

9. Hope Tony Rendon enjoyed his first season in Orange County.

   Still have no idea why Trout signed that huge extension to stay an Angel when he could’ve got paid anywhere?
   Maybe he doesn’t like working in October.

   Congratulations everyone – now the real season begins.

10. Wednesday 6pm: Lakers Heat. 7pm: Dodgers Brewers.

    My blood pressure will be in overdrive!

    1. Lakers and Dodgers both heavy favorites to win championships.

       What could possibly go wrong?

       1. Sarcasm right? I love it. Anything and everything.

       2. Lebron James winning a championship is my only problem with it. Love the Lakers, just can’t root for any team with Lebron James whining on it.

11. No excuses this year. We’re clearly the best team in the NL and I think in all of baseball. No other super team and we’re coming in on a roll. The question is who will step up offensively against playoff pitching. Besides Turner a lot of guys have a lot to prove!

    1. This new guy in RF seems to have potential to be a playoff difference maker.

    2. We may be the best team, but chances are the Dodgers won’t win the World Series.

       Let’s not categorize probability incorrectly.

       1. Hi Bluto – hope you’re well.

          I know what you mean, that the best team doesn’t necessarily win it all.

          However, recently, with the exception of the Nationals last year, the Cubs in 16, the Astros in 17, and your team Boston, in 18 were arguably the best teams going into the Playoffs, and favourites to win the WS.

          If the Dodgers perform like they can, they should win.
          There is no outstanding competition – or anyone to fear.
          It may well be that overcoming San Diego in the NLDS could be the biggest hurdle.

          I would much rather be going into battle with what we have than any other squad.

          Looking forward to your commentaries on Doc’s in game management. It doesn’t seem possible that a year has passed since the Nationals disaster.

          I know many here were pessimistic about the 2020 season, but I’ve really enjoyed it so far, and it has served as a welcome distraction from all the bad news out there.
          We have just gone back into semi lockdown, with Pubs & Restaurants now closing at 10pm, and mandatory face coverings.

          Hoping the Dodgers can cheer me up.

          1. Hi Watford.

             I am well, thank you for asking. I hope you and yours are the same.

             Oh, I totally agree they should be the favorite. I think they’re the best team in baseball.

             They ARE the favorite.

             But even as the favorite they projected to win about 33% of the time, if I read the odds correctly (is that what 538 estimates?) That’s Trea Turner getting a hit in an AB.

             The 3 game series is a nightmare though.

12. Well Betts has had his playoff struggles as well!

13. According to 538, the Dodgers have a 33% chance of winning the World Series. The next greatest probability is Tampa at 10%.

    The thing is that the odds are cumulative. 538 puts the chance that the Dodgers win the Wild Card round at 78%, the NLDS at 58%, the NLCS at 45%.

    ESPN.com looks at it another way – it weighs the Dodgers’ odds against each team that it might face. It has the Blue beating the Brewers at 75.4% in the WC round. In the NLDS, they could play the Cards or the Pads – their odds of winning are 75.6% against StL and 63.3% against SD.

    In the NLCS, they could play the Marlins, Reds, Cubs or Braves. Their odds of winning in that 7 game series are 88.5%, 82.7%, 77.8% and 73.3% respectively.

    In the World Series, their odd run from a high of 83.7% against Toronto and 69.3% against Minnesota.

    They have to win 13 games in 4 rounds. Their depth gives them a higher probability in the later rounds due to the fact that they play a 7 game series.

    1. As Han Solo used to tell 3PO, don’t tell me the odds! It will be what it will be. Win or lose, this has been an odd year. One I hope we never see the likes of again. I just want them to compete at the highest level. Play good baseball, and let the chips fall where they may. I do not want to see them lose because the play sloppy. MLB did a position by position match up this morning. Milwaukee rates better at 3. DH, relief pitching and left field. Slim at DH, and only slightly better in left. That is based on Yelich’s past performance. As for the pen, they cited their ability to strike out hitters, and LA’s pen not so much.

    2. So Rick – they think like me that our hardest potential series would be with the Padres.

       Still, one at a time.

       It’s a firm no from me for a under cooked Wild Joe Kelly thanks.

       1. Padres are a little banged up. Paddock, one of their primary starters is not pitching well at all. Clevinger is iffy. Lamet left a game last week because of forearm tightness. I think the Padres are going to have all they can handle with the Cardinals.

14. My concerns about the Brewers are that Counsell is a good manager, and that he will use his bullpen in a way even more drastic than what he did in the playoff series we played against them a few years ago, which went a grueling seven games. I really haven’t followed the other teams this year, and i assume that the Brewers are not nearly as good as then, but they still have Yelich and Hader. Milwaukee has a very small chance to win the title, but they would love to win this one series, even if they have to burn out their bullpen by using everyone in each game. We don’t want this to be a battle of bullpens, we want to get out in front early. We have the better starters, but in this kind of series, with Counsell likely to give his pitchers no more than an inning or two unless they are very effective, this edge is minimized. Of course we should win the series, but this is not the ideal 8th seed to play.

    1. I am surprised that you do not believe that Milwaukee is not the ideal 8th seed to play. They are exactly the team that a #1 seed should play. They are without Corbin Burnes, so their only proven starter is Brandon Woodruff who will undoubtedly go Wednesday on 4 days rest (after 8.0 IP on Saturday). They have two exceptional late inning high leverage relievers in Devin Williams and Josh Hader. Neither pitcher has pitched in three consecutive days and Hader went back to back 3 times and Williams twice. Freddy Peralta and Eric Yardley are good relievers but they are not elite or exceptional, and after those two the talent drops off the cliff. They do have a pair pf LHRP in Alex Claudio and Brent Suter but neither one have had a good year, and the Dodgers do not seem to be totally inept with LHRP this year. Don’t forget in a 3 game series, 2 of Gonsolin/May/Urias will be in the pen. After Williams and Hader, I will take the Dodgers bullpen any day over Milwaukee.

       Also, in 2018, on paper, the Brewers were a better team than the Dodgers. They were the #1 team in the NL that year.

15. Jeff:
    I totally agree with you. I have no qualms facing the Brewers. The one team I’m concerned about is Atlanta if they get that far.

    1. Atlanta’s starters are banged up some. Acuna had to leave the game the other day. But their offense matches up to the Dodgers pretty well. Their pitching does not.

16. Mr Kershaw I no longer want to see you in the dugout with your face of defeat from all October, no longer please, that is in the past, change your story, I still believe in you.

17. This is not the playoffs.

    This is a tournament, where anything can happen. This makes 2020 the most difficult championship to win.

    However, I think Milwaukee is the #8 seed for a reason: They ain’t good… especially without Burnes. Woodruff is a nice pitcher, but even if he shuts out the Dodgers with Williams and Hader in game 1, it’s highly unlikely they will win.

    I predict that the Dodgers will play and beat the A’s in the World Series, just like the last time they won!

18. CK won’t have “the long season carrying the team wore him out for the playoffs” excuse this year, if he goes teets up again. My big concern is the bats, Dodgers have shown time and again that when they face decent pitching that they don’t score runs, hell they don’t even get many hits. Dodgers have gotten fat on very low quality pitchers, I really don’t remember them taking it to some quality number 1s or 2s, I’m sure Badger will dig up some statistics or will interpret some stats to show that I am missing the mark but I think many in here know where I am coming from. BTW, I have noticed that Badger really has a deep animosity (okay hatred is a better word) towards Mark Timmons. Badger, you act as if Mark Timmons molested one of your daughters or something .

19. The cards should have had to play the full schedule. I believe they will beat the padres and will be the Dodgers second round opponent. The cards will be very difficult to beat.

    Joe Kelly has turned out to be a terrible signing although I can understand why he was signed. He has turned out to be a dodger killer. He broke the ribs of Ramirez, he blew us away in the World Series, he folded on our team in the World Series. Just leave him off the roster. I doubt they will because the Dodgers are thinking he can be the guy that killed us in the World Series. If he can get hot he has the tools but he is probably more likely to implode.

    Well at least if the Dodgers lose it won’t be to the Giants but for me living in the Midwest getting beat by the cards is just as bad. So, go Dodgers who are certainly good enough. How about the Dodgers winning it all with kershaw and Jansen co mvps barely beating out turner.

20. There’s no weight in any negativity towards Kershaw for this coming post season. The opposition won’t be able to avoid all of his off speed pitches. There’s too big of a microscope for the cheating punks to get away with anything. He knows who he is and so do I. I don’t get those who state things with anything negative. The workhorse of the staff has his complete arsenal in tacked. No worries, CHEERS!!!

21. Doc Rivers was just fired by the Clippers….question, if the Dodgers get knocked off before making it to the series, does the same thing happen to Roberts? Lot of expectations for the Clippers, and they lost after leading 3-1. Just wondering how y’all feel about that and I believe it is a legitimate question.

22. As Dodgerrick accurately points out, the Dodgers have about a 75% chance of beating the Brewers in the WC. Without a doubt, we are a much better team than they are. If we played them 100 times in a 3 game playoff, we would beat them approximately 75 times. However, they would beat us approximately 25 times. We don’t like to think about things this way, but baseball, like life, serves up a lot of randomness. Think what if CK doesn’t give up those 2 HRs in game 5 in the series against the Nationals? What then? The Dodgers were leading by 3 runs at that point. What caused those 2 HRs? A misplaced pitch. A batter who got a good barrel. They say baseball is a game of inches. A couple of little mistakes and we don’t advance. A bit of luck – batter fouls the pitch, or pops it up, or hits a double play ball – and we do. The shorter the series, the greater the role of randomness, because over the long run, luck evens out, and talent becomes a greater factor in winning and losing. We very likely have the most talent of any team this year. We’re in the luxurios position to be able to debate which of our many talented players should be left off the squad for the playoffs. Heck, we’re the team that had so much young talent that it could let Ryu walk and trade Maeda, who are now the #1 pitchers on their new teams. And we still won 43 games without them. We’re darn good, but no one can cheat luck. I would certainly take our odds over the Brewers, but you never know which little things might make a difference this time. I wish we had more control over it, but beyond a certain point, we don’t.

23. Well, I don’t have much to say at this point in time. We are where we wanted to be all along. We have survived the short season virus free and, with the sad exception of Fergie, injury free. We are in a very good spot and things are set up nicely. Now it’s about Dave pulling the right strings and more importantly, THE PLAYERS GETTING THIS DONE. It’s their time to shine.
    After this scarey 3 game round, I love our rotation and bullpen depth in a 5 game series with no days off. I think this favors our depth. But I have a warning. Don’t panic if we lose a game. We’re going to. And don’t panic if it’s CK. Or Buehler. They can afford a loss. But I’ll take Urias, May, Gonsolin over almost anybody’s 3 – 4- 5 guys AND our bullpen. We don’t have to be perfect. We just need to play to our potential. I love our chances!

    1. It’s all been said.

       I still think we will cruise through the early rounds.

24. MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand After 2020 Regular Season

    https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2910842-mlb-power-rankings-where-all-30-teams-stand-after-2020-regular-season

    Awards in the American League put two former dodgers in the vote for the Cy Young

25. Sad to read that the all-time great prankster, Jay Johnstone died this afternoon.

    1. Nooooooo 2D2. Do you know what from? So so sorry to hear that news. I was just beginning to reread his book. One of my favorite Dodgers. RIPJay, you will be missed by your family, friends and fans.

       1. DBM, it’s being reported as complications from COVID-19. No underlying conditions have been reported. Although, I do recall reading a while back that he had been struggling with health issues, pre-covid.

          It’s too bad he is mostly known as a prankster, because he was a pretty decent ball player during his 20 year career.

          1. He was, and thank you for the update, 2D2.

          2. I just read about it on Yahoo news. It is also being reported on twitter. RIP Jay. Especially heart breaking for me since I met him the day I sang the anthem. Good ballplayer and a very funny guy. According to his daughter he died Saturday. He was also suffering from dementia. He was at a nursing home in Granada Hills. Jay was 74. Johnstone was with the Yankees when they beat the Dodgers in 78. His daughter said he passed away right about the time the power went out at Dodger Stadium.

26. These are my predictions for the World Series and you can all bust a gut laughing if you want.

    I have the Dodgers in it against 4 possibles……Oakland, Houston, Tampa and Cleveland.

    Decisions, decisions. Let us see, The Dodgers against………..

    1. Oakland, a repeat of the 1988 series?
    2. Houston, to avenge the 1917 series we were cheated from?
    3. Cleveland or Tampa where family (daughters and husband’s family) is from?

    I picked Tampa, And the Dodgers to win it all.

27. “The circumstances make a mockery of the last two months. The Dodgers tallied the best winning percentage (.717) by a Major League Baseball team in 66 years. By winning percentage, the Brewers (.483) are the worst team to make the playoffs in the sport’s history. A second 28-man roster formed out of the Dodgers organization might be as equitable a matchup for the Brewers as the Brewers will be against the actual Dodgers.“

    Pedro Moura, The Athletic

    It’s a mismatch. We win both games by the mercy rule.

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