Well that was an interesting and very long game.
Dodgers won 5-1, and despite appearances (it could be called an ugly win) they, nevertheless, won in dominating fashion.
There were lots of walks. Padres pitchers, threw 165 pitches in 8 innings, as they walked 10 Dodgers batters, and added a hit by pitch for good measure.
Walker Buehler started for the Dodgers and almost immediately started to make Dodgers fans nervous. Fernando Tatis, Jr. got the first hit of the game in the first inning, beating the shift on a grounder through second base (I hate the shift!). He also showed that speed and the stolen base still have a place in baseball. But, after a Machado strikeout, Hosmer hit a hard grounder into the shift (I love the shift!). That may have been the hardest Padres hit of the night.
Offensively, the Dodgers started off quietly in the first against starter Mike Clevinger. After a couple of walks, Will Smith ripped a line drive in the hole at short, but Tatis, Jr. made a nice diving catch to end the inning. This was the first time I’ve seen Clevinger pitch. He looks like he has to go to the bathroom in the worst way, doing his little hip hops and bounces before he pitches. One of the oddest pre-pitch routines I’ve ever seen.
The second inning made the Dodger faithful even more nervous. Buehler had little to know command and proceeded to walk the bases loaded, only to rear back to strike out Profar and Grisham. He may have received some help from the umpire, but that doesn’t really matter, as it went both ways.
In the bottom of the second, the Dodgers again went quietly. However, Clevinger appeared to have reinjured himself, and was removed from the game after two pitches to Bellinger.
The Padres would score their only run in the 4th inning, after Buehler walked Will Myers, he stole second, and came home on a soft line drive by Aaron Nola, which Pollock appeared to play oddly.
Buehler was taken out after 4 innings and 95 pitches, having given up 2 hits, 4 walks and striking out 8.
A cool moment for the Padres occurred in the 3rd inning, when Ryan Weathers, the son of long-time pitcher David Weathers made his major league debut. This young man had never pitched higher than single A before last night. He acquitted himself quite well and it looks like the Padres have another nice arm in their prospect pipeline. The camera shots of a nervous Dave Weathers in the stands were priceless. There’s not a Dad that ever watched his son or daughter compete in sports that could not identify with the emotions he was feeling.
The Dodgers continued their lack of offense, but kept receiving walks. The Padres, it seemed, were loose and having fun, while the Dodgers seemed tight and pressured. The Dodgers scored their first run in the 4th inning without the benefit of a hit. JT walked. Muncy, characteristically, struck out. JT advanced to second on a wild pitch. Smith was walked. Bellinger followed with a grounder to second, which the Padres charitably miscued on a missed catch by Hosmer, allowing JT to score. Pollock then hit a deep drive to the left field corner, which had us momentarily holding our breath, but Globe Park held it in with Profar catching the fly in front of the wall.
Enter Dustin May. May started the 5th in relief, and was simply dominant. He pitched two clean and, in my opinion, game changing innings. The Padres had absolutely no answer for him. You could begin to feel the momentum switch.
The Dodgers remained hitless until the bottom of the 6th inning. After a Kike strikeout, CT3 walked. That was followed by a Mookie double, putting runners on second and third. Manager Jayce Tingler chose this time to argue balls and strikes and promptly got tossed from the game. He may have had reason to be upset with some of the home plate umpires calls, but not the one he got tossed for. It was definitely a ball. After a pitching change, Corey Seager greeted Matt Strahm with a sacrifice fly to short left. Justin Turner followed with a weak grounder that beat the shift and brought home Mookie Betts (I love the shift!). Max Muncy followed with a hard hit double to left center. Smith was walked intentionally so they could pitch to Bellinger with the bases loaded. Bellinger would make them pay with a ground ball single up the middle, scoring JT. Craig Stammen came in for the Padres, only to uncork a wild pitch, allowing Muncy to score.
Victor Gonzales shut down the Padres with a nice inning in the 7th. The Dodgers also went quietly in the bottom of the inning.
After a lead off double in the 8th off Gonzales, Blake Treinen came in and showed why the Dodgers signed him. He would strand Grisham at second, striking out Tatis, Jr., getting Machado to ground out to Seager, and then striking out Hosmer on a couple of nasty sliders. The Dodgers hit a couple of balls hard in the bottom of the inning, with nothing to show for it. Muncy hit what looked like a sure home run, only to have Globe Field keep it in.
Treinen got the first out of the 9th on a flyout to Betts. Kenley Jansen, yes that Jansen, would come in and get the finals two outs of the inning by striking out Myers and inducing Cronenworth to hit a weak grounder to first. Jansen did not have much velocity, but his cutter was cutting and he definitely looked more determined and confidant.
My player of the game was Dustin May. He was absolutely dominant!! He just made it look so easy, and the powerful Padres hitters had no chance against his pitches last night. Even through the TV screen you could feel the Dodgers becoming more energized.
This game had been described as the Establishment(Dodgers) vs the youthful, energetic swagger of the Padres. At the end of the night, even though it wasn’t a pretty game by any stretch, the Padres could only manage 3 hits off the Dodgers pitchers. Padres hitters struck out 14 times. Other than Buehler’s 4 walks, the Dodger relievers did not walk a batter. Maybe the Dodgers were lucky, I don’t know. I’ll leave that for you to ponder. Winning ugly, is still winning. They took advantage of what was given them, and now they have just 10 more wins to go!
Some additional random thoughts:
● I thought Doc pushed all the right buttons last night. Pinch hitting early for Joc was a good move. I hate to say it, but Pederson just looks overmatched. Doc’s use of the pen was particularly good. I know some were screaming for May to stay in there longer, but removing him was the right call. May is now available for further use later in this series, as needed.
● I thought both Joe Davis and John Smoltz called a good game last night. I’ve not always been fond of his commentary in the past, but Smoltz was particularly insightful and he and Davis played well off each other.
● Ken Rosenthal mentioned that in the first round of the playoffs, 38.8% of plate appearances ended in one of three true outcomes: Walk, Strikeout or Homerun. Other than the homerun, last night was a poster child for that stat. The game has changed.
● The runner-on-second extra-inning rule and the seven-inning rule have been dumped for the playoffs. While I didn’t mind it much during the season, I’m surprised the three-batter minimum ruled wasn’t also scratched.
● The thought of the Houston Astros playing their playoff series in Dodger Stadium, just doesn’t seem right. Frankly, I wish the ground under the visitor’s dugout would open up and swallow all of their players. That’s just hyperbole folks.
● Lou Johnson and Bob Gibson dying on the same day, was particularly sad. Gibson had to be the most feared pitcher of all-time. He had that menacing stare, never smiled when on the mound, and he would not hesitate to brush a hitter back when needed. On top of being fearsome, he was just a flat out great pitcher. A 1.12 ERA for an entire season, coupled with a 11.9 WAR, 28 complete games with 13 shutouts. I don’t care how high or low the mound was, that was an utterly amazing season.
● Lou Johnson, on the other hand, would hardly ever be seen without a smile on his face. While not a super star, he will always have a place in the hearts of Dodger fans, if for nothing else, scoring the lone run in Koufax’s perfect game and for his performance in the 1965 World Series. Moreover, Johnson was such an incredibly positive person. Sweet Lou was the kind of person and player you just wanted to cheer for. He was also the kind of man you would enjoy hanging around with. More than being a good baseball player though, I admired Sweet Lou for how he battled alcoholism and drug addiction from age 13 through his late 50s, only to win that battle and devote himself to helping others and being an inspiration to so many in the LA Dodgers Community. “Sweet Lou!” He was a man that truly earned his nickname.
● Several Dodgers may have played their final game at Dodger Stadium. I’m relatively certain that we will not see Kike, Joc or Alex Wood in a Dodgers uniform next season. Perhaps Pedro Baez will also move on. I would like them to keep Blake Treinen and Jake McGee, but could understand if they don’t. The tougher question will be Justin Turner. My guess is that they resign him. While his skills are beginning to diminish some, he is still a team leader and a great influence in the dugout, and he still performs in the clutch. To those players that move on, I wish you well with whatever team you land with.
● Like many of you, I was saddened to learn that Jeff D. (AC) would be stepping down from management of this blog. I’m so very grateful for the effort that he put in to provide you with substantive Dodgers content. You have no idea the amount of time and work he put in to make sure that a fresh article is posted every day. He’s run this blog with dignity and care. As they say, “the proof is in the pudding!” Jeff is a very good man, and he has successfully managed this blog so you could be provided with some of the best Dodger content(my articles excepted), on the internet. He will be missed. But, having exchanged e-mails with him in private about his decision, I’m convinced he is making the absolute right choice for he and his family. I’m also very grateful that Jeff (and Mark) have humored me by allowing me to write an article or two for this blog. The research and writing have been very cathartic for me. As I have mentioned frequently, I have had a love affair with the Dodgers since I was 7-8 years old, and I enjoy reliving some of those past experiences. In my humble opinion, this blog ranks among the top 2 of Dodger blogs (although he doesn’t write as often anymore, Jon Weisman is still the gold standard). A few weeks back, I let Jeff know that I would be stepping down from writing for the blog. It has become increasingly important for me that I spend more time with Mrs. 2D2. She suffers from a chronic illness(which includes severe depression), and is deserving of much more of my time and care. I also need to spend a little more time with my law practice. The COVID world has caused most everything to go sideways, and that is also true in the legal world. Courts were shutdown for several months and now that they have partially reopened, I have to learn to navigate the world of virtual court appearances, trials, depositions and mediations. Additionally, I want to travel a bit more to see my grand kids. If I haven’t mentioned on this blog before, they are the most adorable grandchildren on the planet. Bar none. Also, like Jeff stated, it has become much less fun reading some of the comments on the blog. I have always viewed this site as an extended back yard bar-b-que get together, where friends come to talk a little Dodger baseball. While we haven’t met, I view many of you as friends and I have enjoyed reading your thoughts and comments. I’m interested in your opinions (whether we agree or not) and I respect how much baseball knowledge so many of you have. I’m truly grateful for most of your comments. But, like with any real backyard bar-b-que, sometimes the company can become a bit boorish and take the fun out of the experience. Please understand, this has nothing to do with whether someone agrees with me or not. I could careless about that. Moreover, I don’t have any underlying need to be right or to look smart. Mrs. 2D2 and I don’t agree on everything and I still love her more than any person on the earth(although, those amazing and adorable grand kids are coming in a very, very close second). Moreover, she wouldn’t hesitate to tell you that I’m not all that smart and, when it comes to opinions that differ from hers, well, I’ve learned that I’m hardly ever right. 🙂 🙂 Not to worry though, you will be in good hands going forward with Mark back at the helm.
Jeff did ask if I would be willing to end the season with him, which I have agreed to do. He also asked that he be able to make his announcement first. In addition to this article, I am working on an article on Billy Buckner and then, depending on this series, and how long the Dodgers keep playing, it’s time for me to take a long break. Thank you for making this a blog a special place in my life!!!
● See you all at the parade!
Yeah we were able to walk a lot. Couldn’t hit worth spit so, with that umpire, if you stood there long enough he would call a few strikes balls and …. off you go now. Heads up strike zone presence right there.
Does it feel to anyone else like in October the Dodgers only have warning track power? They kept looking at those fly balls like they expected them to leave the yard.
We won 4 earned to 1 earned. That one was won with pitching.
Law huh? You familiar with testilying? Academic papers have been written on it, one a PhD dissertation. I read the whole thing. Have it bookmarked. Can’t talk about it here of course, unless a Dodger gets convicted by it.
Feels like maybe we are going to need a lot of solid pitching the rest of the way to win this thing. I believe we have it. We have more of it than the Padres do, that’s for sure.
I was going back and forth with the Laker game. It’s fortuitous that both the Lakers and the Dodgers are playing teams beset with injuries. I’ll take ‘em any way I can get ‘em.
Asstros wining in Dodger Stadium. Deja vu.
As “anemic” as the Dodgers offense may have appeared, they did hit several balls that would have gone out of most every park, except Globe Field, the Padres, who did not have any injured offensive players, were even more anemic. They only hit 2 balls hard all night.
I posted this on the last thread before it was closed:
There were lot’s of opportunities to criticize Roberts last night, but the outcome eliminated the criticism.
• Muncy is starting to look like he is comfortable and with a double you see why Doc left him at #4.
• If you thought it was dumb for Doc to take out May after 27 pitches, it was just the opposite. May is slated to start game 3 or 4 and those 27 pitches were just his “side session.” He’s fresh and rested to make his start, and go deeper into the game.
• Jansen closed out the game just fine but his velocity is nowhere close to what it was in early September. He will not close exclusively, but he is a lefty-killer. That’s why Doc took out Trienen and had Jansen face the two lefties. Lefties OPS .518 against Jansen, while Righties have a .706 OPS. I think Doc will try and spot him for lefties.
• In The Athletic today, Ken Rosenthal wrote this:
“Think about it: The Dodgers parted with Hyun-Jin Ryu, Kenta Maeda and Rich Hill last offseason, lost David Price when he opted out of the season and traded Ross Stripling at the Aug. 31 deadline. Yet, they are one of the few teams in the game that actually can run out five quality starters, a critical advantage in these pandemic playoffs, when both the Division Series and NLCS will be played straight through, with no days off.”
• Now, with one great start tonight, Clayton can repair his reputation immensely. He either will or he won’t but Doc has nothing to do with it. I would imagine if Clayton goes 7, Doc will not let him come out for the 8th.
I am quarantining at home awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test. We have not had a positive test this whole strange year, except for January when I went to Hawaii and got it.
This week, we had at least 4 positives at work and I am waiting for my test to get back. I have a slight fever (on and off) and a little stuffiness. I am working in my home office. I am quarantined in my office where I have a couch and bathroom, and I put a UV/Ozone Generator on my return air. I also put a big UV in the basement to kill and virus and am having 2UV’s put on the HVAC system. The baby is coming home today and while they are in the basement, with it’s own entrance, you can’t be too safe.
It feels like my body is fighting and winning. Breathing and oxygen levels are fine. We are about to find out if one can get it twice. I have heard you can. No one is very sick. I am taking Vitamin D, Zinc and a bunch of other stuff and if I am positive, my doctor will give me Remdesivir to speed up the recovery. I may have to pay for it – not sure if Medicare covers it. But I am fine!
Mark
What you said about Jansen, that’s the right way to use the bullpen. I’m glad to see Doc going with the correct stats when it comes to the bullpen.
Mark I just read about your condition. Best wishes to you.
Hoping you come through this with a negative test, Mark. Stay well so you can enjoy that new granddaughter.
Second that.
Tonight we can honestly finish this series. SD used just about every pitcher they had yesterday. If we can get to Davies (or whoever starts for them today) early, it will put a lot of pressure on their bullpen. And that bullpen will have to throw 5 ip tonight, and pitch again on Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday. There is NO way their pen can keep doing this for a potential 5 games.
Yes, we need a good game from Kersh today. But if the bats show up early, this will be done early.
First Mark, then AC, now you, 2D2. My heart is sinking but I really understand and admire your decision. Spouses, children, grandkids and family should always come first. I hope as AC says he will do, that periodically you will comment here. I thank you for what you have contributed to this blog, you all have made it better and in my case, been a part of my day.
It’s a tough job, but I will be back (maybe in a smaller role), and I suspect we will hear from them too.
Thank you 2d2 for all your contributions to the blog. I always enjoyed your insight. I can’t even imagine all the work it entails to write for us. Thank you both for all the time and effort to keep LADT alive and going and allowing us to put our two cents in even when like me we only have one cent to offer! I hope you both continue to participate in the dialogue. Keep it going Mark!
Thank you Cassidy! Your analysis still reigns supreme – “as long as the Dodgers score more runs than the Padres, they’ll win.”
I second what Cassidy said. I still believe this is the best Dodger conversation driven site. Part of that is the fact we have older people in here. More experience to be referenced.
Also wanted to add what an excellent recap of last night’s game, 2D2. Thank you.
Thank you DBM, it has always been a pleasure interacting with you here.
It is very different hitting in Globe than Dodger Stadium and we saw that last night. There were at least 3 fly balls caught on the warning track that would have been out of DS. Since that is such a large part of our offense it certainly takes away a significant part of our scoring potential. We will adjust, I think, and it showed last night, scoring on an error, opposite field bleeder, wild pitch and sacrifice fly. The good thing is that it has the same effect on the Padres. “small ball is good ball”
I think the Padres are better at small ball than we are. At least it has appeared that way in watching their highlights this year. I believe they bunt and steal bases more often than we do. It’s difficult to do any kind of balling against superior pitching, which we have. It’s more exciting watch and measure launch and exit velocities as we drive the ball like a long iron but it looks to be like we will win, or lose, this tournament with pitching.
I want so much for Kersh, Jansen, Belly and Seager to have that “One Shining Moment” in October “Madness”! And cross the finish line!
2D2. I understand totally, and I wish you nothing but the best. Family comes first no matter what. I really enjoy your stories and your insight. I also understand now why it is taking so long for my former room mates estate to clear Probate. I guess the virus has really screwed up the court system. And I love your loyalty to a player who has not appeared in a Dodger game since 1961! Demeter was hitting .172 when he was traded to the Phillies. He hit ,259 for them with 20 homers, and hit 20 or more the next 3 years after that. #2 was one of my favorites back in the day. As for last nights game, well I thought it was a bad idea for the Padres to start Clevinger. A bullpen is not facing live hitters. It was reported after the game that his elbow tightened up during that long inning by the Pads. Pederson looks disengaged. He does not look at all like a player who is happy to be there. Me, I would be jumping up and down. They do have their family’s in the bubble with them. But I am not sure that Pederson’s is there. Seems to me that a baby that young should not be in a quarantine situation. Rios indeed has a groin strain. Hopefully he is back in the next round. The Padres cannot take 3 of 4 from the Dodgers. They are just not that deep. Kersh tonight, then Gonsolin and May. Pads are toast in 4. Dick Williams stepped down from his position as GM of the Reds.
Thank you Bear! Ouch on the reminder that Demeter wasn’t all that as a player. 🙂 🙂 He was merely the first player that I ever became to whom I became “attached.”
I remember reading somewhere that Pederson did have his family with him, but I can’t say that with 100% certainty and I can’t find that article.
Keep up the good work on your writing!
I remember the same thing about Joc, which I take as good news.
I’d like to add my thanks to all the others 2d2. Your contributions have certainly made LADT a better site.
And don’t apologize for being a Don Demeter fan. I used to be a Nick Willhite fan and I’ll bet that 98% of Dodger fans have never even heard of him.
Thank you Singing the Blue! I do actually remember Willhite, although I can’t say he has crossed my mind for awhile. Hard throwing lefty if I remember correctly. I think the Dodgers traded him to the Angels. He suffered arm problems, but what I most remember about him is that he struggled with alcohol addiction, and spent some time living on the streets. Along the way, he lost 3 wives, his children were alienated from him and he was penniless. He was able, with help, to turn his life around, overcome the alcoholism, reconcile with his children and grandchildren. For the last decade or so of his life, he worked as an addictions counselor.
Wilhite went to high school in Denver, but he was from Oklahoma. He died in Utah in 2005. Wilhite was traded by the Dodgers to the Angels in 66 for Bob Lee. In 67 the Angels sent him to the Mets for Jack Hamilton. Hamilton was with the Angels when he hit Conigliaro.
He hit 18 in 59 when they really did not have a lot of power on the team. Snider and Hodges were a little long in the tooth. He was a career .260 hitter. Not bad and he had 168 homers in 11 years. So he was better than some. He was a bigger star in Phillie. They got Turk Farrell and Joe Koppe for him in the trade. Charlie Smith was traded with him. Koppe later played for the Angels for 5 seasons. He was traded to St Louis for Duke Carmel 12 days later. And on the 19th of June 1961, he was sold to the Angels. Carmel was sent back to the Cardinals from the Dodgers. I think it was one of those, we do not want either of these guys, so take this one, get what you can for him and we will send your guy back to you deals. The Phils traded him and Jack Hamilton to the Tigers for Jim Bunning and Gus Triandos., Hamilton was the guy who basically ruined Tony Conigliaro’s career. He was the pitcher who hit him in the face and messed up his vision. He was traded to Boston on my birthday, June 14th 1966, for Earl Wilson, a pretty decent pitcher, and Joe Christopher, and outfielder who had been with the Mets for a few seasons. Then in 67 he was sent to the Indians with Tony Horton for Gary Bell. Bell had a couple of decent years with the Sox. Horton played 4 years in Cleveland hitting double figure homers every year. Demeter retired after the 67 season. He was a good player and very valuable when he was with the Dodgers. Just they had Howard and the Davis boys. He was not going to get much playing time. One reason they moved Fairly to first since he was in outfielder too.
I hear the Rangers are talking about moving the fences in already.
That ball park, even with the roof open like it was last night, is not very condusive to the long ball. They hit a couple I thought were going out. Pollock’s drive to left, and the Muncy shot. Both would have been out at Dodger Stadium. As hard as it is to hit HR’s in SD, the Yankees have had no problem doing it. They talked a lot last night about no off days between games in this series and the next. Well, if the Dodgers sweep this, a definite possibility, it sets up the rotation nicely for the NLCS. Even if they need 4. They will get some time off.
Thanks for all the effort Rob – you have a nice way of calling things as they are without too much hyperbole.
Anyone fancy making a run at Springer in the Off Season?
He seems to like Dodger Stadium.
Joking aside – he is a hell of of player.
He just turned 31 and has battled injuries and been on the DL a number of times, but if you can steal him, why not?
I think as long as Pollock is on the roster, they would not do that. Especially since they have to think about re-signing Turner, and somewhere an extension for Seager or a replacement needs to be sought. He is a good player that is for certain, but I also think Houston will come after him hard since their entire outfield become free agents after the season. As I have started writing for this blog, I have come to realize how much work what they do entails. I really enjoy doing the research that is for sure. Putting the words together when not discussing stats and such is a lot harder than I thought. I really have to think about how I am going to format the story. But to me it is all new, and a lot of enjoyment comes from it since I am talking about one of my favorite subjects.
Thank you Watford!!
If we were able to offload Pollock, I would be interested in Springer.
Zach Davies is getting the call for the start in Game 2. Hopefully the Dodger hitters will forget about jerking the ball out of Globe Life and stay on Davies’ soft stuff and go with the pitch.
First time he pitched against them this year, he had them confused a lot. Second time, they waited him out and had much more success. I am wondering who the HP ump is going to be tonight, and I hope it is not Hernandez. Davies was 0-2 against the Dodgers this season. He gave up 5 runs and one homer. He struck out 10 and walked 3. He is a better pitcher on the road than at home. He did not pitch in Texas when they were there.
It is Hernandez unfortunately.
Yeah it is Angel, sadly. His equally incompetent “twin”, CD Bucknor was an absolute joke behind the dish last night in the Yankee – Rays game. How do these guys keep their jobs.
Strong union. Proving incompetence is not easy. Although I think that things have changed a lot since they started a more comprehensive evaluation process. If they checked all the boxes both Bucknor and Hernandez would be gone. But firing Hernandez while he has a suit going against MLB would be really negative press. MLB officially designated the minors as affiliated with MLB and are moving their offices into MLB headquarters in New York. But they lost a ruling when the Supreme Court ruled that minor leaguers can file a class action suit against MLB>
Oh Gawd…..that guy is the WORST ump in the majors and an antagonist.
Thank you 2D2 for all you have done for this blog and for us as readers. You gave us all a boast when you hit the keyboard for LADT.
Thank you for your kind words Harold! I look forward to reading your prospect player capsules in the future. Keep up the good work. If ever I find myself in Nova Scotia, I’ll look you up.
2d2, terrific analysis of last nights game. You are spot on. That aside, I’m very sorry to see you go. You make great contributions. You are well spoken and always insightful. I wish you the best and will miss your posts. I hope you can still occasionally contribute.
My thoughts on last night. There aren’t many as 2d2 covered everything:
* I thought Doc’s management, especially the bullpen was masterful. He put the right guys in the right spots and let them perform. That’s all you can ask.
* The May decision turned out right as Mark said. But at the time it wasn’t quite so cut and dried. A case could be made to keep May in a close important game like this was. You win them one at a time. Why not stay with the hot, and I mean smoking hot, hand and save the bullpen. The opposite saves May for a start and trusts the bullpen. To me the choice could have gone either way, at the time. And Dave put his trust in our trustworthy pen and they got the job done in spades. It was a great decision and one stuck with a predetermined play, I assume.
* Good move with KJ. Using him to match up when needed with left handed bats is a good role, perhaps before the 9th.
* This truly was an odd game, 14 walks and 7 hits total. The first 6 innings were walks, strike outs and relief pitchers. Hardly what I expected for game 1 of a series.
* I don’ like the Padres but I never like to see an injury like Clevinger’ and Lamet for that matter. I want to beat their best guys.
* With all of the talent and depth in the Dodger organization (and with Rios down), I find it odd that the best DH we can come up with is Pederson and Kike. And nobody from the right side unless Barnes catches and Smith DH’s.
* 3 or 4 years ago or so I started to see the trend away from 3 – 5 starters being used in a traditional fashion. The stat that changed everything was the evidence that those pitchers were ineffective the 3rd time through the order when compared to a fresh reliever. The traditional 1 and 2 starters would pitch with the usual expectations but the role of every other pitcher would change. Well that’s obviously been the case and increasing beyond what I ever expected. The Dodgers still have 5 starters but 3 of the appear to be asked to get 5 innings and 85 pitches. And with 14 man bullpens we have seen the stunning transformation of how pitchers are used.
Just for yuks (I am retired) I looked at comparing the reliance of starters this year’s Dodgers with the 71 Orioles who had 4, 20 game winning starters. I know it’s close to 50 years ago. The Orioles used 13 pitcher, including the 4 starters, ALL season. The Dodgers in this short season used 21 pitchers. The Orioles 4 starters threw 1081 innings which was 76% of the innings pitched. A staggering 270 inning average per guy. Starting pitching accounted for 80% of the season’s wins. This year, the Dodgers used basically 6 starters including Stripling. The starters pitched 53% of the innings and accounted for 42% of the wins.
Yesterday in 4 playoff games there were 42 pitchers used. The longest outing was Valdes of the Asstros who went 7 innings. 32 total innings were thrown by starting pitchers.
3 pitchers have made their MLB debut this year IN THE PLAYOFFS. It’s amazing what’s happening.
Starting pitching is going the way of the dinosaur.
I hope and expect we get a nice efficient start from CK tonight. There’s no way the Padres pitching can last if the series goes 5 games.
Yeah philjones, I think the times of the $25-35M a year pitcher are going to be as rare as a hit and run play. The new complete game is now 7 innings. The front offices in the league are always looking for ways to reduce payroll costs. Reduce MiLB teams is another example. It’s much easier to draft and develop hard throwing relievers than starters. That’s what AF has done the last two drafts and will continue to do so. They can reach the majors quicker and cost MLB minimum wage. Pay a good starter $15-20M a year to pitch 180-200 innings a season and continue to draft and develop relievers. The starters should be effective longer because of reduced innings and, therefore, they wouldn’t need to replace them as much as they do now. It should be an interesting aspect to follow over the next few years. The front offices just continue to find ways to squeeze every drop of dollar savings to the bottom line. Sometimes to the determent of the game and the players.
Excellent points tedraymond. Times they are a changin especially when it comes to pitching.
Thank you for your kind comments philjones. I’ve always enjoyed reading your comments.
One thing most all of us can agree on, the game of baseball has changed dramatically. For the most part the rules are the same, but how they approach the game is very different. For example, even though it was the Padres, I was pleased to see 3 stolen bases in one game. Often does that happen anymore?
One question:
How many of you have even contemplated the idea of a Dodgers-Astros World Series this year?
At the beginning of the playoffs it seemed impossible that Houston would play through and become the AL team but they are playing very good ball right now, have won their first series, and it looks like they’ll probably beat the A’s. That would just leave getting past the Yanks or Rays, a difficult task for sure, but those two teams are beating each other’s brains in and the winner might go into the ALCS pretty tired.
Boy would that bring in the ratings, L.A. vs. Houston, The Grudge Match of the Century!
If the Rays beat the Yankees, I do not think the Stros can beat them. Ray’s pitching is much better than Houston’s. I think May was pulled at the right time, which was right after they scored 4 to take a 5-1 lead. I think that it serves like a side session, and he will be ready for game 4 IF it gets that far. I think if the Dodgers beat them tonight, they win game 3 too.
Don’t sleep on the Braves.
I am not sleeping on Atlanta. But the Dodgers have beaten them before, and except for some additions to the staff, they are pretty much the same team. Only real new threat comes from Ozuna.
Happy Birthday to Mookie Betts. Lets give Mook a win on his B day. A’s need to win 3 straight to advance. No easy task..but doable. Luazardo pitching for the A’s tonight.
Pads flipped their lineup a bit:
Tatis
Machado
Hosmer
Pham
Myers
Cronenworth
Profar
Nola
Grisham
Thanks for your contributions to this blog, 2D2! You’ll be missed. I can respect the reasons for your decision, and Jeff’s, too. Following this blog has been something I’ve looked forward to every day. Thanks for that!
1. Betts RF
2. Seager SS
3. Turner 3B
4. Muncy 1B
5. Smith DH
6. Bellinger CF
7. CT3 2B
8. Pollock LF
9. Barney C
Hernandez is no Angel!
This is for him:
Per Doc –
Zach Davies is a command and control pitcher that will nibble to get the hitter to chase and throw a strike when he needs to. Hitters need to be patient and wait for a pitch they can handle.
He does not see the hitters changing their approach. They will continue to look to barrel up and hit the ball hard regardless of the stadium. The hitters will not change because of the stadium.
Do not look for May to pitch tonight. Almost no chance.
Matt Beaty is the backup catcher tonight.
Per Dustin May –
His parents and girlfriend were at the game, but he was not allowed to see them. That is the protocol throughout the playoffs. Cannot see family or friends until after the playoffs.
He knew he was going to pitch in last night’s game. He just did not know when or for how long.
Dustin likes starting and relieving. He will do whatever is asked of him. He just needs to be ready for whenever they call. The role does not matter.
For the draft, he did not get much if any buzz from the Rangers. His agent said the two teams that were most interested were the Dodgers and Angels. Dustin said he was VERY happy to how it worked out. Looks like the Dodgers beat the Angels again.
Fantastic dodger win last night! I think Doc managed the game in excellent fashion last night. May looked great and overmatched a couple of pretty good hitters in tatis and machado. So in the playoffs the young guns have been pretty darn good. Buehler is off but is gutty and confident. Both games he has struck out 8 in 4 innings. It has worked out well giving Urias and May a chance to pitch. Now we need to c Gonsolin pitch and do well. I was concerned about our starting pitching after losing 5 starters in Ryu, maeda, price, hill,stripling. I believe all are on the sidelines watching this young staff produce. If we go on to win the series the young guns will be the story along with our bullpen.
I think doc really used the bullpen well last night and it was a team effort. Of course we won so it is easier to say. González pitched well but he looked quite nervous. May was just superb. Some of his outside offerings could have been strikes if smith didn’t have to reach across his body to catch them. Treinen through some great sliders. He put Jansen in the game against a matchup that he could succeed. Doc taking out May was just right. I hope buehler can improve but for sure I hope he can pitch.
Nervous about tonight. Every time I get excited about kershaw pitching he seems to regress and I feel like I have been suckered. He looked so good the last outing that I am feeling that excitement again. Come on kershaw keep it going!
Thank you AC and 2D2 for making this blog required reading every day. This is one of the few spots on the internet that has been good for a long time. I rarely post and like most of the silent majority benefit from your work and the comments of others.
I also appreciate your efforts to keep comments civilized and free from name calling and put downs – which I know was hard. It seems like no matter what the topic is in today’s internet world some people can’t disagree without being disagreeable.
We all share a common bond – the love of Dodger Baseball. Whether or not this is finally the year to take home the “piece of metal” we will all be back in the spring with hope for future success. Enjoy your time off but please visit often!! Go Blue!!
I was curious about Kershaw’s stats when Angel Hernandez was calling balls and strikes:
4 games; 1.74 ERA; opposing hitters slashed .193/.219/.284/.503 with a 73 tOPS+ (27% below league average.)
Angel must respect Kersh a lot. If that holds true tonight, Friars in serious trouble. One thing I found a little surprising on today”s comments, all of the praise for Doc’s managing of the game last night.
we were told to have no negative comments after a win, remember
I never obey the rules. If something ugly had happened, I would have commented on it. And it is more of a guideline than a rule. But Doc did a good job last night. The team was patient and it paid off. But I still got a few more grey hairs out of the deal. Balls flying out of Dodger Stadium again today. Only 2 by the Stros. I guess Olson hit one that looked like it might leave the stadium.
I too want to thank AC and 2D2 for their contributions for many years. I can only imagine the time you both have contributed to LADT and to passive readers such as myself. I have spent many enjoyable hours reading your write-ups and the resultant comments. It’s become a daily (pleasant) ritual for me. Thanks so much and best of luck with your newfound extra time.
Astros lose, 9-7. Springer 0-4 with 3 K’s. Pinder HR gets them back in the game. Hendricks pitches 3 innings for the win. If Kersh gets the win tonight his post season record will be 11-11.
I wish there were an easy button, but I get the privilege of beating COVID-19 twice. I just found out I tested positive. So far it seems much milder. At this point, I am just going to ride it out. My wife tested negative. So, that is good!
you got this man!
Thinking positive for you, Mark.
2D2, i hope that you and your wife and grandchildren will be able to do many fulfilling things together, particularly with the extra time. And I hope you will be inclined to add some comments from time to time, as you always write well and seriously.
And I certainly hope that Mark feels okay very soon.
Thank you William! I’m sure that I will pop around now and again. You take care as well.
Clevinger has been removed from the Padres roster. He’s out for the remainder of this series, and can’t return unless the Padres make it to the World Series.
This is the guy who took his place: https://www.mlb.com/player/dan-altavilla-656186
Should be good for the boys in blue.
Sorry to hear about your positive test Mark. Your son who works there, hopefully his test was negative. I trust your company will get some federal relief and hopefully this will be over soon.
Peter Gammons in The Athletic with what can happen in the post-season:
https://theathletic.com/2116461/2020/10/06/gammons-when-postseason-randomness-strikes-anything-can-happen/
You should not both leave, if you cannot do it as before, a contribution per month makes sense, you should NOT leave at all, it is not “healthy” for you or for anyone.
If some of you writers here are getting burnt out or don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to this website. Speaking for myself only I don’t think a new post every day is needed. Maybe 2 posts a week or a post every other day.
As well as the Dodgers have been doing this post season has just been dreadful for some of the stats that are getting circulation.
My personal least favorite is the one correlating home runs with victories in the post-season. This post-season, the record of teams that out-homer the other team is 16-0.
No fucking shit.
Could there be a sillier and less self-evident stat?
It’s almost as bad as the emphasis on the team that scores first!
When exactly do the Dodgers start hitting?
Right about now. LOL
Damn Will Smith is the most unluckiest hitter.
He’s been on 2 of em. I like the at bats
It’s always easy to figure out what other people need to do. 😉
This is the Austin Barnes swing of 2017. Maybe he should be DH !!
Boneheaded running though. Good to see him hitting.
Mark, rest up and get better. Praying for you for a speedy recovery! Kinda puts all our angst over everything Dodgers in perspective
Kershaw gives up 2 HRs in the 6th. What I would call his only weakness. Hopefully, it doesn’t collapse him. Nice to see Belli deliver his 1st HR.
Yanks fall again, 8-4. The Rays need one more win to send the Yankees home. Wow! Yankee pitching, their Achilles heel. Stanton has 4 HRs w/10RBIs.
I thought Machado did a great job taking a low pitch for a HR. He knew that slider was coming and went and got it.
But grooving one to Hosmer on an 0-2 count was horrible. That can’t happen. Neither can not scoring Seager after a lead off double.
They were talking last night about Hosmer’s troubles with curves. I know he missed his spot but I was expecting a curve ball there.
No wiggle room for the bullpen. I hate these situations.
That’s why he plays CF and not 1B
Yep
Great catch by Bellinger to save the lead against Tatis. Bellinger should follow Machado’s lead in visiting the barber, methinks. Machado looks 100 times better than he used to and is playing like a GG Allstar again.
I like the shaggy hair.
Kershaw pitched good but looked tired. He didn’t look crisp or rested. Turner looks terrible. His defense is awful and he looks like he has never seen a baseball before. Unlike turner who is almost playoff automatic. His failure to move seager after a leadoff double looms large right now. Betts, seager, and muncy are getting some good swings. Bellinger finally hit one and he has proven to be a much tougher out this playoff. Just made a possible game saving catch.
Will smith can’t buy a hit even though he is hitting it hard each ab. Barnes is raking lol Taylor, Pederson, meh pollock better than last year. We just need to pad the lead because I don’t c graterol or Jansen mowing them down.
I’m sorry but a bunch of immature kids.
I don’t know what Graterol was doing he almost gave up a homerun. Bellinger saved his ass.
Bellinger was the only one that deserved to be excited with that catch.
Why? He can’t be excited about his teammates when SD acts the way they do.
Both teams acted like morons. Just play the game. Bellinger deserved to be excited with that catch.
Uhh, no, the entire Dodger team and fan base deserve to be excited with that catch.
Graterol was excited for what his teammate did. Machado and his group celebrate their home runs quite demonstratively, but get mad at this guy celebrating his teammate’s game saving play?
Tell them to shut up
Did you know when you say ‘excitee’ (excited) in French, it means horny?
Turner atones a bit. Muncy!!
Does Jansen pitch the 9th)
I would think so
Get Kenley out of there!
Oh God Kelly is backing up Jansen.
I’d prefer Floro here against Tatis.
Is McGee alive? Why not go lefty lefty vs. Grisham.
This really is where Roberts is the most confounding.
Weird trust in the wrong people.
3 batter minimum!
Right. (pun)
But you only needed one out after Jansen fizzled.
Confounding? You mean stupid. Have you seen the Jansen high wire act all this year. He is not a closer anymore. When he falls and he will how many games will he take with him?
That is the end of Jansen’s closing career! Sorry Mark!
I knew Doc should’ve went with Urias to start the 7th inning. The bullpen is not what you guys think it is.
Who is “you guys”.
And that’s a really dumb idea.
The bullpen has been exceptional and was handled fine except for the 9th.
Jansen has lost his command and efficiency as well as velocity. Now, Joe Kelly comes in? Talk about a crap shoot. Kelly vs Tatis. SCARY!!! We all knew we could rely on Doc for some thrills.
How much more agony and evidence do we need to once and for all declare KJ done? Why wasn’t Floro pitching the ninth when they took KJ out?
Doc got away with that one.
Good guys win, but I have zero faith that Roberts has any idea how to deal with high leverage playoff situations.
Agreed.
I am WAY to old to watch Jansen and Kelly “close” out a game !
So am I
Even if I wasn’t old when the ninth inning started, I am now.
Seriously.
You gotta wonder about the thought process that leads you to using two of your shakiest RP in the highest of leverage situations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U_FBHKYqRk
KJ is done, plain and simple! If Doc uses him in a save situation in anymore playoff games he is completely out of his mind. Treinen, Graterol, Floro or Baez has to get the ninth inning moving forward. Do you think Doc would ever consider May for the ninth?
I think using May in the 9th would depend on how much May has pitched in a previous game. Doc likes to shuffle his relievers around. I think he will still use Kenley but I hope not in high leverage situations unless he is ready to pull the plug quickly if he veers off his game. Isn’t McGee on the roster?
I liked when Doc used Urias and May in those previous playoff games that was the key. The bullpen has flaws I said that all season long. The three batter minimum rule exposes those flaws.
Kelly absolutely sucks. I’ve always said that and I’d NEVER use him in the playoffs unless it’s a blowout just to mop it up.
And yet he got the last out (and drove me crazy while doing it).
Holy crap, I was on the verge of a heart attack. Kenley kept going to 3 balls and then had to groove one. Unfortunately he got in the way of Cronenworth’s line drive because it would have been a routine out.
~
Cody and Muncy are coming on. Up 2-0. I would think Goose tomorrow. Floro, McGee, Baez, Gonzalez, and Kolarek all ready to back him tomorrow.
If Gray develops next year could we use May like Cleveland used Miller for 2 inning stints in playoffs with Graterol closing. Graterol needs to develop his slider or cutter to close next year. We’re not going to lose many late inning games with those two next year!
Who was surprised to see the double steal , managing the bullpen seem to be a problem.
If Roberts and Jansen stay on the Dodgers. They will never win a WS
Hey Steve,
Save that moronic silliness for Twitter.
You know what’s more moronic? Your name!
Steve – that’s coz you don’t understand it!
2 points. Jansen should never again be used in back to back games. 2. My heart cannot take many more finishes like this. 3 HR’s in this series. There have been 18 hit in 3 games at Dodger Stadium.
Watching that unfold at 5am in a house full of sleeping people, is not an easy job. I wanted to yell at the TV so many times.
I guess to the millions of neutrals watching it must have been thrilling, but to us seasonsed Dodger watchers the predictability of that 9th innings was almost expected – and ultimately, that cannot be right can it?
Personally I would’ve had someone warming from Kenley’s first pitch. I’m not bothered if that affects his ego.
You could see after striking out the first hitter in 3 pitches that he was rapidly losing it.
It’s not second guessing – it’s the obvious thing to do. Forget sentimentality – just be ruthless.
We went for an Ad break and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Wild Man Kelly on the mound.
However, to be very fair to him, he got the job done, albeit in the most tense of ways. As under cooked as he was, he did it. Finally.
Where does Doc go with KJ now?
Havnt got time to go through the whole of the game, but lots of positives. We have a very long lineup to pitch through.
If we can get all the aspects of the team synced up, we will be very difficult to beat.
Need to give Gonsolin the ball tomorrow – we will need him if we progress and he hasn’t thrown much lately.
For all that, now my heart rate is back to nearly normal, what a great game that was. That’s why I love Baseball.
Mark, you got this pal.
Kelly had not pitched since the last game of the season. He had to be rusty. What I want to know is why with 2 lefty’s following Myers wasn’t Jake McGee, who could throw a pork chop past a hungry wolf, not brought in to start the ninth. And Kenley’s pitches lacked movement. I would have pulled him immediately after his 3rd hitter. But nooooooooooooooo Doc leaves him out there to get embarrassed some more. I am sad Hosmer made the last out. I was hoping that punk Machado would strike out to end the game after all his antic’s when Belli made the catch.
Come on please. I have been a Dodger fan since’59. Jansen may go to the Hall but his career is over starting tomorrow. No championship if Doc uses him anymore. Even if he can get some outs what is the point? Be a good friend and tell him he is finished.
I will just say nothing is more scary than Jansen unless it is wild joe Kelly backing up. Graterol wasn’t exactly lights out. In the end it is about moving on and we won so we are heading in the right direction. I will say Kelly kept that ball low not allowing any way for the pads to hit one out. With his back to the wall Kelly got it done. I just think Roberts cornered himself where I wish Treinen had have been available at the end. I think bellinger is off to his best playoff as is seager so there are many pluses. What a great game and the Dodgers win!!!!! Ha