The Franchise opened the 2020 World Series and had a game fairly reminiscent of his 2017 Game 1 against the Assterisks. Back in his home town, Clayton Kershaw threw a non-stressful 6.0 innings, and left with an 8-1 lead. He allowed 1 run on 2 hits. He issued a one out walk to Randy Arozarena in the first, and then proceeded to sit down 13 consecutive batters before Kevin Kiermaier hit a line drive solo HR in the top of the 5th to cut the Dodgers lead in half. Kershaw threw another 3 up and 3 down 6th and his night was over.
This was also a big night for the future HOF LHSP as he delivered 8 strikeouts. What made the strikeouts more meaningful was that when he struck out Willy Adames in the 5th, he notched his 200th postseason K, surpassing John Smoltz, moving into 2nd place on the all-time postseason strikeout list. Next up on the list is Justin Verlander at 205. I actually hope he has to wait until 2021, which would mean the Dodgers will have swept the Rays in 4.
CK had a tough first three hitters, giving up a single to Yandy Diaz and with one out, walking Arozarena putting runners on 1st and 2nd. CK was having issues with his slider in the first. Even Clayton mentioned that he was spiking the slider in the first. The slider started to become sharp in the 2nd, and Kershaw elevated his game. He was dominant. Maybe CK was listening to a lot of his “advisors” as he was pitching to all four quadrants, rather than concentrating on his glove side.
With all of his distractors about his October meltdowns, for the 2020 postseason, Clayton has quietly gone 3-1 with his four starts, a 2.88 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, in 25 innings. He has 31 strikeouts against only 3 walks. Clayton has quieted a lot of his October demons and doubters. This was Clayton’s third WS Game 1 start, and two have been masterful (2017 and 2020). Granted his 2018 Game 1 start was a real stinker, and Game 5 was not much better. With how the Dodgers are stacked for the future, I am confident that CK is going to get a lot more opportunities to build on his postseason numbers.
I could write about the masterpiece Kershaw spun in Game 1 a lot longer, but there were a multitude of other achievements that need to be recognized.
After three uneventful innings, the Dodgers put up crooked numbers in the middle three. It startewith a leadoff walk to Muncy and after one out, Cody Bellinger absolutely crushes the first pitch in this AB for a two-run HR and a 2-0 LAD lead they would never relinquish. I do not know if it was his shoulder, but this was a different swing for Belli. He got a great pitch that Glasnow could not get inside enough, and Belli seemed in total control from the start of the swing throughout. In the FS1 post game show, ARod made a great comment about how balanced Cody looked in Game 1. He seemed to be in control of his swing, and I hope that this is a prelude to the next three 2020 WS LAD wins.
It was important for the Dodgers to get out in front and stay there. The Rays have won their last 63 games when leading after the 7th. Their bullpen is special, especially late in the game.
Remarkably, the Dodgers scored 4 runs in the 5th without a HR. They turned a pair of walks to Mookie and Seager, three stolen bases (2 by Mookie and 1 by Seager), and a fielders choice groundball that Mookie beat the throw to the plate and a 3-1 lead. Three singles by Fresh Prince, CT3, and Kike’ gives the Dodgers 3 more runs. The big boppers turn 2 walks, 3 stolen bases, and 3 singles into 4 runs.
Tyler Glasnow’s night was done after Will Smith’s single. LHRP, Ryan Yarbrough, a key Rays reliever, relieved Glasnow and offered up the CT3 and Kike’ single to finish up the pitching line for Glasnow. Glasnow went 4.1 IP, allowed 6 runs on 3 hits and 6 walks. He also K’d 8 Dodgers. He did all of this and threw 112 pitches, several reaching 100 MPH, in those 4.1 IP. I will not speculate as to whether Glasnow will be available in future games, or if he is, how effective he will be.
Yarbrough was done after the 5th, throwing 19 pitches. Another LHRP, Josh Fleming, replaced Yarbrough. The first pitch Fleming threw Mookie put it into the RF stands for his 1st LAD postseason HR. Back to back doubles by JT and Max Muncy scored another run. It was this second run that apparently ended the night for Kershaw. Even though Kershaw pitched an effortless 78 pitches, Doc felt comfortable with an 8-1 lead that he decided to end his outing. Unfortunately, as Doc is inclined to do, he did not have his reliever warming up, and Floro was probably not ready when he was asked to enter. He got Austin Meadows on a strikeout. He then surrendered a single to Margot, and a booming double to Joey Wendle. Even though it was well hit, and Belli ran a mile, he was not able to make the catch as he was closing in on the fence rather quickly and seemed to back off a bit (shoulder, maybe?) After the game, it seemed like Belli offered up that he should have caught the ball, but he was concerned where the fence was. Doc did not get his next reliever up in time again…Victor Gonzalez. Victor did not appear to be sufficiently warm and his slider was flat. He gave up two sharp singles that scored both runs he inherited. The next batter he faced, Mike Zunino, hit a 105 MPH blur on a line right back at him, that VGon was able to double up Mike Brosseau at 2B to get out of the inning.
Pedro Baez entered the 8th and got a quick 3 up and 3 down. He threw only one fastball and several sliders and changeups. He is also working a lot faster than he used to do. Joe Kelly was tasked to finish up. Austin Meadows, who is having a poor 2020 and even poorer postseason, slugged a drive to CF that Belli was able to catch up to and make another one of his patented Belli catches. Kelly retired the next two batters he faced, and Game 1 was in the books. Kelly went back to his 96-97 MPH fastball, and threw only two knuckle curves.
Tyler Glasnow was wild, and Clayton Kershaw was efficient and effortless. The first two relievers for both sides had early issues, with the Rays’ Josh Fleming figuring it out after four batters. He seemed to run out of gas in the 8th, and the Rays’ 3rd reliever, John Curtiss came in to strike out Will Smith to finish up an 8th inning threat. The keys to the game were the Dodgers starting pitching, Dodger bats, Dodgers speed on the bases, and Dodgers defense. Belli made another good defensive catch in CF, but in the 6th, JT made a diving stab at a hard ground ball off the bat of Yandy Diaz and was able to throw him out while still on the ground. The relievers for the Dodgers were able to get the job done even if it was with a little anxiety. Mookie, Max Muncy, and CT3 each had 2 hits. Mookie and Belli both went deep. Muncy has come under a little scrutiny during his ho-hum postseason but went 2-4, plus a walk, 2 RBIs, and NO STRIKEOUTS.
Pitcher of the Game – Clayton Kershaw
Player of the Game – Mookie Betts – 2 for 4, 2 runs, 1 HR, 2 stolen bases, and a head first slide to beat a throw to the plate to score run #3.
- Rays – 3 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors
- Dodgers – 8 runs, 10 hits, 0 errors
FINAL SCORE – Dodgers 8 – Rays 3 – Dodgers lead series 1-0
Well that was a great start, and really pleased for Kershaw.
I wondered what the Rays manager was doing by letting Glasnow throw so many pitches? Surely it would have been prudent to get him outta there ASAP to save him for another (better) day? It’s wasn’t as if he was pitching well. His confidence won’t have been helped either – a very strange strategy.
Lots of positives – especially Max & Cody When those two hit our lineup looks daunting. Kike with another PH as well.
Early days of course, but not knowing much about the Tampa lineup, i didn’t see too much to worry about.
I was thinking that I would take CK out with that big lead, and Doc obviously thought the same. He’ll be ready to go again – and possibly on short rest if necessary.
This game went very well for the Blue. Indeed, Glasnow was wild, giving up 6BBs plus a very high pitch count. He’s definitely an up and coming young star. What happened to him is what I don’t want to see happen to our younger arms like May and Gonsolin. My philosophy on them is ‘use sparingly and with great attention’. They are our future but no reason to throw them to the wolves (Rays). This team can hit a lot of HRs and will kill us if we let them.
My only bone of contention is, of course, Doc. I agreed with his decision to pull CK, but anyone with eyes could see how he mismanaged his next two relievers, neither having had the warm up they could have used. Was there really such urgency that he couldn’t prolong their warmup and getting them off the bench in time to do it? This one’s on Doc, but with a blowout going on, he was spared an embarassment. I would hate to see this happen in a close game.
Just because they did not execute did not mean they were not warm. I saw Floro warming up way before he came in. Both threw pitches in the bullpen and both threw off the mound. If you are a reliever, it’s up to you to execute. It’s up to you to get warm. None of that is on Doc. It makes no difference anyway, but some people just feel compelled to make him look bad no matter what. “OMG, they scored two runs – Yep, it’s Doc’s fault! The bum, can’t manage!
Just wondering if it was Doc’s fault that Clayton was flat in the first inning and if he wasn’t given sufficient time to warm up.
Floro definitely had sufficient time from what I saw. Perhaps Victor could have used more time but was he supposed to be warming up when Floro came in just because Floro might not do well?
I don’t get it why we can’t celebrate a win without Doc being blamed for something. As the series progresses he no doubt will make a mistake(s) but not to do so would make him the first manager in history demonstrating absolute perfection. That perfection could be afforded him by his players being perfect.
I would suggest Kevin Cash misused Glasnow so it seems other managers are not perfect either.
Amen!
This was coming from the announcers, Mark who commented on both relievers.
… and we revere those announcers?
A HOF pitcher HAS to know more than us…. right?
Why is it Doc’s responsibility to have pitchers ready when he has a pitching coach to do that? Isn’t that what Prior is supposed to do? Manage the pitchers and advise Doc on who to use?
Some posters make it sound like Doc is the only coach in the organization and has to make all the decisions, from the front office all the way down to who starts playing catch!
I don’t believe pitching coaches ever start warming up a pitcher without the manager’s go-ahead. Until the Dodgers scored two runs in the sixth inning Kershaw was going back to pitch the 7th — his arm was towel wrapped which is his MO. Only after Roberts sought him out after scoring two runs was there a change to the pitching plans, and Kershaw removed the towel from his arm. Whether Floro and Gonzalez had sufficient time to warm up is unknown. Not only does the pitcher need to physically loosen-up, but normal practice is for the bullpen coach (Josh Bard) to go over the pitching plan for the first several hitters the pitcher is likely to face. I am not being critical of Roberts, but if Gonzalez does not catch that line drive and turn it into a double play we might be having a completely different discussion.
I don’t think so. Kiki was stationed right behind second base. He probably turns it into a DP as well. Regardless, it turned out in our favor which is the way it should be.
Actually it is Doc’s call. He makes the decision, has Geren call down to the pen and tell Bard who to get up. I do not know how long it takes for Floro to get warm. Bard is supposed to know the routine for each reliever (and he does, and does an outstanding job as bullpen coach). Floro did not begin to warm up until the Dodgers scored their 8th run. Kershaw was going back out in the 7th. He did not unwrap his arm until the 8th run scored. Floro was still stretching out playing catch at the 2nd out of the inning. I am not going to blame Doc for Floro not being ready. CK would have gone back out in the 7th, and there is no call just to get someone up just to sit him back down, and then probably lose him for the night.
OTOH, VGon did not get up at the beginning of the inning to back up Floro. I think Smoltz said that VGon got maybe 5 warmup pitches in before being summoned. This is a tendency of Doc’s to not anticipate trouble, but again while I see this as a tendency, I am not going to blame Doc knowing that Game 2 was going to probably be a bullpen game and their was no urgency to spend the relief bullets. I have no idea if it was that VGon was not warm, or it was rookie nerves, or just a bad night. I doubt that VGon would say that he did not have enough time to warm up, although as Jeff said , that is what Smoltz intimated. Smoltz was doing his job as a commentator, but he has no idea how each of the relievers warm up. Maybe VGon only needs 5 warm up pitches in the pen. Smoltz does not know.
I am sure that both Floro and VGon would have preferred more time to warm up, but it is their job to be ready and go when called on. Neither Floro or VGon will blame Doc, and I neither was Smoltz. The game dictated the circumstances. Doc made the correct call on pulling CK. The Dodgers bullpen should be able to hold a 7 run lead for 3 innings. 6 non-stress innings was a perfect scenario for CK and he will be ready to go Game 5 (if needed). Doc made the correct call on the use of Floro in that situation. Both Floro and VGon will be ready the next time they are called.
Every MLB manager will say that the hardest part of their job on the field is managing the bullpen. Who do you get up? When do you get them up? How fast do they need to warm up? Does the manager have the luxury of getting a second guy warm when not needed? If so, how quickly do they warm up? The best managers of the bullpen are the bloggers who have never managed a bullpen and have the luxury of 2nd guessing.
In a 6-1 game, Kershaw goes back out. In an 8-1 game, he does not. Should Floro have been warming up before the additional runs? Floro will take the blame on this one, as will VGon.
Hopefully, they will all be this close, but it was very smart to remove Clayton with a 7 run lead – only 76 pitches, don’t stress his back and he becomes a weapon for another day… if needed.
Doc finished the game with Floro, Gonzalez, Baez, and Kelly, of which only Baez was a “key part” of the pen.
That means that Treinen, May, Wood, Kolarek, McGee, and Bazooka… along with Gonsolin are at the ready today. I guess that under the right circumstances, Julio Urias could be too, but I expect him to start Game #4, which could be the closeout Striker can keep it up.
I think Gonsolin is the right call to start today’s game. In his 2020 starts, he averaged 6.1 IP’ed.
He has a 9.95 ERA in the postseason, but that is skewed by his 6 walks, in 6.1 IP. During the season, he walked 15 in 40 IP. Now that he has a little postseason experience, I look for more of a game like he pitched in September. Solid!
Win or lose, to me this is the right call!
I do not think Roberts is a good game day manager but going after him about enough warm up pitches for the relivers is a little much, and has far as Gonsolin getting the start tonight, I’m sure Roberts didn’t make the call by himself. As Mark said win or lose, Gonsolin is the right call. Very nice win for Kershaw and the team.
We don’t know what Doc may have known: Maybe Clayton’s back was getting a little tweaked…. maybe his arm was cooling off and with a big lead, Doc probably made a snap decision. Big Deal! He was saving his ace and likely he will say to Floro and Gonzo “Sorry, for the short notice – Thank’s for being good soldiers.”
What really, really bothers me is the fact that certain people always have to discredit DOC no matter what! They see a shadow and blame it on Doc.
I was somewhat concerned when Roberts pulled Kershaw when he did. Especially, when the Rays seemed to be coming alive on offense in the 7th inning. But, it was the right thing to do. The 7th inning has sometimes been a black hole for Kershaw in the playoffs and I’m sure Roberts wanted to allow CK to leave the game on a positive note if he is needed later on in the series. Florio and Gonzalez survived the inning. Baez had a quiet 8th. He has been effective in his appearances. And then Mr dependable, Joe Kelly finished them off.
I agree that Gonsolin should start today. I expect him to be more effective than the last time he pitched. All this playoff experience for him and May will be very beneficial for them in future playoff outings. If Gonsolin can reduce his BB’s then he should be more effective and be able to save the bullpen an arm or two. Four to five innings would be awesome.
Mookie Betts has got to be the most fun Dodger to watch in like….forever. He seems to always find a way to help the team. Even when he is not hitting in the Atlanta series he basically helps win two games with his defense and base running skills. Who does that on a consistent basis? I don’t think anyone in baseball right now. With his smile and encouragement adding to his superior talents he is a remarkable player and human being. Absolutely, the best acquisition in LA Dodger history. And, Boston’s dumbest. I love it when billionaires trade the best all around player in the game to save money.
I’m very optimistic this WS. This is our best team out of the past four years and our easiest opponent. The Rays are, obviously, a very good team but don’t have the playoff experience of the Dodgers. We beat down their best pitcher and the way the Dodgers are excelling in all aspects of the game right now I just don’t see how they can be defeated by the Rays. I like the Dodgers in five with Kershaw throwing a gem to close out the series. He deserves the opportunity to make that happen. Go blue!
I have no problem removing Kershaw with an 8-1 lead. Why leave him in at that point? That criticism is dumb…and I think Doc has been worthy of criticism in the past with regards to Kershaw and the post season. Doc made the right call here.
I feel pretty confident in the Dodger’s chances this series. The Rays don’t have a Tatis/Machado or Freeman/Ozuna. Freeman just gave me anxiety every time he was at the plate, and he was actually impressive to watch. He never got cheated. It seemed like he always barreled up and got a good rip at the best the Dodger pitchers could offer. He was the best hitter I saw in the playoffs.
The Rays lineup is not nearly as formidable as the Padres or Braves, and they almost look easy compared to the Braves. There is more margin for error, and the Dodgers, with the combination of the efficient outing by Kershaw (it looks like he had command of three pitches after the first inning), the smart baserunning and the disciplined at bats, looked like the Dodgers we saw during the regular season when they were clearly the best team in baseball. Glasnow wasn’t sharp, but the Dodgers also just took advantage of that and wore him down and ran up his pitch count until he cracked.
The Rays are scrappy and get the absolute most out of the players they have with a very smart managerial system – even better than the Dodgers here, IMO.
The Rays will be throwing all their best relievers tonight along with Snell. It will be important for Gonsolin to keep his fastball up in the zone and use his breaking stuff less than usual. Again 4 runs gets it done and we take control of the series. I don’t give the Rays much hope against Buehler and his 99!
I think Kershaw came out for a variety of reasons that we know.
7run lead
Sat in the dugout for 2 long innings
Save some bullets for game 5
Starters not used to going deep anyway
What we don’t know
Kershaw might have been stiff
Get some bullpen guys in
Don’t risk an unforeseen injury
I agreed with him taking him out but I was getting edgy and nervous with floro and González. Baez and Kelly performed.
No issue with any of the moves. Save Kershaw for Game 5 (if necessary), let lower leverage Floro eat some innings with the game in hand, and go to better reliever once trouble begins. Excellent process and desired outcome.
The series isn’t over but a win today makes us feel real good about our chances. Let’s step on their necks.
Personally I have no problem using May against these guys. He’s looked out of sync but his stuff is still there. 5 hits, 10 K’s in 7.2 IP and only 2 earned. 6 walks is the out of sync evidence but even with that I’d throw him out there for a couple of innings.
Bullpen guys should all be able to get ready quickly. Whatever they throw in the pen, then a jog out to the mound and they get 7 more out there. Last I pitched I could get warmed up with with 10 easily and I was 50. I think too much is being made of what happened yesterday. It worked out just fine.
Congrats to the Dodger’s first win in this year’s World Series. Nice breakdown, AC. Thank you. Kershaw was terrific and was glad to see the support he got from the rest of the team, Betts, Cody. CT3, Muncy, Baez and many others. Good luck to the Dodgers tonight. Let us make it a 2-nothing lead.
Great game last night, it was exactly the right way to start the series. The only thing that would have been more optimal is to have put up a crooked number in the first. Glasnow threw a ton of pitches as did Fleming. Stressing their staff early is a good thing. Glasnow is not their Ace, Snell is. He’s also left handed and is pitching tonight. The Dodgers will counter with Gonsolin, at least that’s what’s posted on their website. I guess they learned their lesson about not deciding until a few hours before game time.
I don’t like Doc. IMO, the only negative byproduct of finally winning this thing is seeing Doc keep his job. But, I must say that management has done the right thing working with him rather than tossing him out and hoping for better results with someone else. I also firmly believe that Doc, or his handlers in the FO are benefitting by playing with the dumbed down rules – 3 batters and DH. Thanks Manfred! Who said two wrongs don’t make a right!!! Now if he can only put an anti shifting rule in place before next season to keep the Sabers from further ruining the game. I digress…
I thought is was the right decision to pull Kershaw. He had a huge lead and a fairly low pitch count. But, if they put him back out there, they would have risked a bad inning and a bruised ego. Ego in tact, save him for game 5 (if necessary) with low exposure and a little more rest.
Side bar – I hope we play a game 5 and Kershaw dominates the World Series winner. A little redemption would be great for the greatest pitcher of his generation (Not counting the post-season).
I wanted Doc to go to Wood, Kelly and McGee. Doc went with Floro, trying to turn around some platoon players no doubt. When Floro got into trouble, he went with Gonso, that was the right move. He is the designated runners on, get me out of the inning guy. ROGMOOTIG! How’s that for an acronym? Feeling a little pressure and wanting to put it away, Baez steps in and Kelly finishes it. I really can’t complain here. All those guys can be used today, only Foro pitched as many as 15 pitches. As far as I’m concerned, they’re warmed for a more stressful situation later in the series.
No complaints here. They’re all pulling on the same rope. Doc is managing not to over manage and the players are doing what they’re supposed to. Mookie’s arrival may have taken a little pressure off everyone, they rely less on platoons and the lineup is not being juggled allowing everyone to be comfortable. What a difference Mookie as made on this team. I absolutely love that guy, but not quite as much as Seager and Smith.
Seems like the Rays are focusing on not letting Seager beat them. 3 walks last night. Nice plan, poor results. Smith was 1 for 5, seems like he does that quite a lot. But, his one hit on the night always seems to be in the right spot to get the team going. I love that guy!
Wood is the back-up parachute.
Turner’s all out effort has and does inspire all the team to want the championship all the more. His play is outstandingly sharp and focused. I credit him in the driver’s seat of this mission of play. Maybe his knees don’t have a lot of shelf life left but this season , not a problem!
An impressive win. i did think that winning the Braves series the way they did, took some pressure off the team, but i didn’t write it, so won’t try to take any credit for it! But it looked like a different Dodgers team than the one we saw in the last series.
Tonight is obviously a key game, as we would then face Morton, who is their best money pitcher. One game does not a series make, of course, just witness the last one with the Braves, or with the Nationals, or the World Series with Houston, or 1981, or 1965, or 1959, 1956, 1955, all with the Dodgers. It is good to see some of our hitters doing better, making our lineup more like the way it was earlier in the year, with no weaknesses. Kershaw pitched quite well. I would hope not to see Kelly with anything less than a five-run lead. The difference between this team and the recent ones which never won the title, is Mookie Betts, who seemed almost to will the team to the comeback against the Braves, starting with the shoestring catch and throwing out Ozuna.
Keith Law recently:
Frank: Has any team in recent history been more of a favorite to win the World Series than the Dodgers are this year? I know you always talk about anything can happen in a short series but is there anything you have seen so far, regular season or post season to make you believe the Dodgers don’t win the WS?
Keith Law: Both of those things can be true at the same time. They could be the strongest favorites ever, and still only have a slightly better than random chance to win it all.
I do agree they’re the favorites, though. I picked a Rays/Dodgers WS and just as a fan of great teams would be very happy to see that. Also that’s the one AL playoff team left that has never won a WS vs the NL team with the second-longest drought (SD has never won).
Greg: Why don’t pitchers like Dustin May and Brusdar Graterol get more strikeouts with such filthy stuff?
Keith Law: May gets a shit-ton of ground balls. Graterol’s stuff is hard but I don’t think it’s “filthy” the way you might mean.
Bob (LA): Does this series between the Dodgers and Padres make you think Logan White could be a good hire for the Angels or Phillies? Both Teams mention wanting to draft and develop better. Hes partly responsible for building the core of both of these teams.
Keith Law: Great name, although I think the Angels want an experienced GM who’ll try to win right now rather than develop. I’ve heard Bobby Heck with the Phillies and Mets, at least. Ray Montgomery’s and Tony Lacava’s names have come up. Those are all names from the scouting world; I’m assuming that there will also be at least as many candidates from the front office/analytics side, but I haven’t heard them yet.
Joe: What are your thoughts on Will Smith’s bat going forward?
Keith Law: I’m in. He’s going to make several All-Star teams.
John: When do you see Jeter Downs making his MLB debut?
Keith Law: Next year (2021) for sure. Would be shocked if we don’t see him.
Longenhagen:
Brandon J.: Now that the sample is getting a little larger in the bigs, what are your impressions on Tony Gonsolin?
12:18
Eric A Longenhagen: It looks to me like his arm slot is not as extremely north/south as before and that it’s maybe hurt the quality of his splitter but helped his slider, and I’m not sure how, on balance, that impacts his profile. Would still 50 him at this point.
Brooks Baseball:
“Pitch Repertoire At-A-Glance
Tony Gonsolin has thrown 1,527 pitches that have been tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2019 and 2020, including pitches thrown in the MLB Regular Season and the MLB Postseason. In 2020, he has relied primarily on his Fourseam Fastball (95mph) and Splitter (85mph), also mixing in a Slider (88mph) and Curve (82mph).
BETA Feature:
Basic description of 2020 pitches compared to other RHP:
His fourseam fastball has slightly above average velo. His splitter generates more whiffs/swing compared to other pitchers’ splitters, results in more flyballs compared to other pitchers’ splitters and has slight armside fade. His slider generates a high number of swings & misses compared to other pitchers’ sliders, results in many more groundballs compared to other pitchers’ sliders and is much harder than usual. His curve has an exceptional bite, generates a high number of swings & misses compared to other pitchers’ curves, is much harder than usual, has primarily 12-6 movement and results in somewhat more flyballs compared to other pitchers’ curves. “
I noticed his last time out a couple splitters just hung there, kinda flat. One got clobbered. If that pitch isn’t moving he still has two other quality not fastball pitches he can throw. If he hits his spots he’s as good as anybody we got for 5 innings. But if his splitter is only part time effective he can’t use it. Watch for that.
Every relief pitcher, I do not care who he is has a routine they like to have and a number of pitches they like to throw before they are ready. Floro got his first hitter no problem. He then left two pitches in the zone that went for hits. If any of you watched the replay on the double you saw that the ball actually hit the heel of Bellinger’s glove. And Belli himself said that he was wary of the wall out there while he was chasing the ball. Floro did not even throw a warmup until there were 2 outs. And Gonzalez did not throw a pitch until the double was hit. One out single, Roberts is not stressing at all. But when they got the runners at second and third, then he went out to make sure Choi had been announced. That is when he made the switch. Had they left Adames in the game, Floro would have pitched to him. So Cash went to the RH pinch hitter and he got a single. The next hitters single drove in the second run. Then of course the liner right back at Gonzalez and the DP and the inning was over. Gonzalez has been in the majors all of two months. I have no problem at all with the moves Roberts made. If Dave has a fault it is that sometimes he has total faith in the guy he brings in and does not have someone warming up behind him. With the 3 hitter rule, when the second hitter gets on, I would think someone getting up would be automatic. At least that is what I would do. Not firing away, but at least getting their arm warm. Other than that little glitch, the game never was in doubt after they scored 8. Had the Rays cut the lead in half, then it might have been a different story. A win is a win. The Rays need 4. And they only have 6 games to get that done. I think pitching the Cat Man is exactly the right thing to do tonight. As good as the Dodgers are at hitting fastballs, the Rays are better with breaking balls. Gonsolin and May have excellent fastballs. I think another thing that was overlooked was the way they handled the so called hottest hitter on the planet. Arozarena. His offensive output was 1 walk and that was it. Lets enjoy the ride and the games and not nitpick so much.
I have no problem being in the minority here. I’m sending CK out for the 7th rather than giving the Rays an extra inning to look at the pen in a potential 7 game series. However, if there’s a chance I’m not sending him out then I better be prepared to pull him and have my pen ready.
Prediction for tonight’s game:
Gonsolin for 3 ip
McGee for 1 ip
May for 3 ip
Treinen for 1 ip
Jansen for 1 ip
That actually works for me, provided the matchups later on look advantageous.
They are relief pitchers Bear, it is all they do. I mean it’s not like they drive a truck for the week then suit up for weekend games. All they do is eat sleep and talk about baseball. I’d bet any one of them ( ‘cept maybe Urias) would tell you they could be ready on 10 pitches.
In retrospect, Graterol is almost certain to pitch tonight. With an off day Thu, we can throw our best arms.
Last night was one of the best games I have seen the Dodgers lately, they played a complete baseball, great starting pitching, great defense and an offense with a combination of long ball with small ball, great patience in at-bats, with stolen bases , etc, etc
It was a lot of fun to watch, if the Dodgers played like this it would be a lot more fun than it already is, I think Dodgers Stadium would be full every game, it was a tremendous game, pitching, defense and offense is the name of the game and last night they played a very high standard.
Thoughts on last night:
* Great team win. We got contributions from practically everyone at the plate. Only Barnes, Joc and Cory failed to get a hit but Seager had 3 walks.
* Mookie Betts is a treat every day. He is such an opportunist. He’s always ready for the Big Stage. How many homers do you see robbed in a series? He had 2 against the Braves and then the running catch and throw. He creates those opportunities and then makes the spectacular play. He’s just a Big Time Player.
* Super nice to see Muncy have the game he had. Couple ribbie’s, couple knocks.
* CK looked great after the 1st. I agree with Jeff that Floro wasn’t warm. But things change quickly and the prudent decision to lift CK after the 8th run score happened quickly. Not great anticipation by the coaches but somewhat understandable.
* I don’t know what happened to V-Gon. Was he not warm either?
* Nice to see Kelly look good and get in in a low leverage situation. Perfect spot for him.
* Baez is quietly having a terrific post season. With the exception of one clunker against the Braves, he has had 5 impressive outings. In those 5 games he has given up 1 hit, no runs, NO walks and has 7 K’s in his 5 innings. He is way back in Doc’s Circle of Trust.
* We discussed the “contact play” thoroughly yesterday and in my opinion, the play was not on when Mookie scored from 3rd in the 5th inning. Smoltz and Buck saw the same thing, each commenting on Mookie’s “great read” on the batted ball. As I mentioned, there is no read on the “contact play”. I hate the play as it takes the skill of reading the situation out of the hands of a gifted baserunner, like Mookie. His split second decision was perfect and with his speed he beat the throw easily.
* I first say Blake Snell in 2010 as a high school senior in the Washington State Tournament. He pitch in the weirdest high school game I ever saw. Blake was pitching for Shorewood, a Seattle suburb, against my high school alma-mater, coached by a best friend, in T-Mobile Park. Snell was unhittable. Unexpectedly, Snell started the 6th (in a 7inning game) with ball 4, ball 8, ball 12. He just lost it. He loaded the bases in a 0-0 game. The coach lifted him and brought in a hard throwing right hander named Moriarty (like Sherlock’s arch villain). On his first pitch he hit the batter, scoring a run. He pitched out of that inning. My old high school held Shorewood in the top of the 7th and won 1 to 0, on 3 walks and a hit batsman. No contact, no ball in play and they win the game. Crazy.
* Good luck to Gonsolin and the bullpen tonight. I like where we are right now.
Maybe Mookie immediately “read” that the ball was not hit directly at the first baseman, but I kinda doubt it. Unless it’s a line drive you are off on contact. The first baseman had to throw off balance moving toward second. Had that ball been hit right at him Mookie is out.
But, his instincts were good and he beat it by inches. He makes a lot of plays by inches, from reaching down and jumping up to make great catches, to throwing perfect strikes to bases, to stealing a bag and of course the precision needed to barrel up 98 mph fastballs and high spin rate curves. He’s a remarkable talent. Let’s find more like him.
I disagree about the contact play. I think Mookie went as soon as he saw it was a ground ball. He also took a large secondary lead because the 3B was playing off the bag. I absolutely think the Dodgers, as a philosophy, run on a groundball if a runner is at third. It’s automatic for them, unless Rios or JT are on third.
Last night is over. I am only concerned with the outcome of tonight’s game. I am of the mind, they win tonight, and Buehler gets them up 3-0 on Friday. That is my focus. Not what the bullpen or Dave did or did not do last night.
You’re focusing on a 3-0 lead? How in the world are you going to make that happen? You got crystal balls from Mogollon Rim there in Cañon City Bear? I’m focused on showing up in my recliner on time. You’re thinking 3-0 and I’m thinking pizza at 5:00. We each have our own powers.
Mogollon Rim is in Arizona. No, no crystal ball. I just think if they manage to win tonight’s game, Buehler will shut them down. He is Kershaw from the right side with more heat.
Wonder what causes a pitcher to be doing great one inning or 2or3, and then totally lose it the next inning unable to throw a strike. Is it fatigue, focus, nerves or injury? Or any of the those. Anyone?
Could be any of those three DBM. I think you’ve hit on the possibilities.
Any of those three could cause a pitcher to change his mechanics ever so slightly and that’s all it takes to change from a strike throwing machine to a pitcher who has totally lost control of the game.
Negative waves. Ever had it happen to you? That “oh sh*t” moment where you just know it’s about to go all wrong? It happens to everyone. I had a ground ball go right through my legs one night and it was as if I never really saw it. I immediately began thinking (don’t ever do that playing ball) something is wrong with me and I was right. I made a total of 4 errors that night and I talked myself into every one of them. Doubt. Negative thoughts. Sometimes control just slips away. That’s what it looked like last night.
Bellinger should have caught that ball. I know it, he knows it and the American audience knows it. Reconstruct that inning (again, something that should never enter your mind) and how does Floro’s line then read?
No mistakes. Next pitch.
When the Baseball Demons get in your head, (negative waves) any thing can happen. Fear and doubt creep in. I call it “stinkin thinkin” A player can make a 100 perfect routine plays or pitches but one bad one can get to some players heads. Confidence can be a very fragile thing under pressure..
If you get stinkin’ thinkin’ get a checkup from the neck up!
Anybody who has played sports know that feeling. I’ll never forget the first night I played football in front of 5,000 people. Gulp. Nerves can effect your play. Experience helps with that but there are times you just can’t find it. The extreme of that is Rick Ankiel. Now I am not saying that extreme is what happened, but, 112 pitches to go 4.1 isn’t very Glasnowian. This year in postseason he’s gone 6, 7.1, 6, and now this. In those other starts he’s not thrown over 96 pitches. I think a lot of it was he’s never faced a lineup like this and he was nervous.
Mam, I’m gonna take it you never played horse shoes. When you lose the feel it’s pretty much gone.
Thank everyone for responding. Hate to see it happen to a pitcher. And, yes, Quas. I did play horseshoes and was pretty good at it due to my softball pitching experience. I was lucky I did not suffer too much from the “negatives waves.”
Can’t believe I’m saying this but I’d actually like to see AF re-sign Baez this winter. Not as a closer, but then we’ve never considered him closer material.
As a 6th or 7th inning guy I think he’s developed into a far better than average option, and I hope he’s back for the next year or two.
I’ve never understood the Baez dissing. The first time I saw him I said “damn, that guy has nasty stuff”. Look at his stats- not one bad year. Career ERA of 3, career WHIP of 1.096, 9.3. K/9, ERA+ of 131, positive WAR every year. He’s 32 now, done it 7 years for us, I keep him on for a while. It’s not like he’s overused.
He’s always had confidence issues. But whenever he’s been confident he been XLNT.
I think there is a better likelihood that AF re-signs Baez than not. Petey loves LA and Doc, and Doc loves Petey. There is something to staying where you are happy. I think Doc is learning how to use him. Baez has not fared well when coming in relief with runners on base. In the 6 games he has pitched in the playoffs, 5 of the 6 he started an inning, and the other he came in with runners on base. He pitched well in 5 of the 6. Guess the one he did not pitch well in. The Dodgers are loyal and Baez is reasonable about his demands, I think AF will sign him. He is not going to get closer $$$. If he went elsewhere, the Dodgers would have to replace him, and I think they would rather have a pitcher they know than one they do not.
I’m not high on our bullpen as you know, but I like Baez and it would be a good move to keep him around.
Career OPS .631 that’s good.
Career vs RHB .661 not bad.
Career vs LHB .584 Dominant.
I look at other stats too, but I like OPS stats the most.
While very happy with the way the series has started, I would like to see one thing in particular happen. With left-handed hitter up and the only infielder on the left side of 2b closer to second than third, bunt to 3b. Why not take what the defense is giving you? There is no reason why a major leaguer can’t learn to bunt! That should have been learned before reaching the majors.
Since Baez developed his off speed pitches and uses them in all counts he’s a much better pitcher. He’s lost some velocity on his fastball but it plays up with his other pitches. He can still lose command when stressed but overall a much better reliever. I’d like to see him back as well
Totally agree Cassidy. Since he developed his off speed stuff he’s become a pitcher instead of a thrower and it’s made him much more effective. He’s also working faster than he used to which makes the guys in the field behind him happy.
1. Betts RF
2. Seager SS
3. Turner 3B
4. Muncy 1B
5. Smith C
6. Bellinger CF
7. Pollock DH
8. Kike 2B
9. CT3 – LF
Sad news about the Cubs:
https://theathletic.com/2150818/2020/10/21/the-cubs-are-a-decimated-organization-after-laying-off-100-plus-employees/
You are going to see this happen to lots of clubs.
Free Agency and the CBA are going to be brutal!
Their owners may be billionaires, but they are leveraged. It ends sometime.
I’m gonna guess there is no bottom line to that story yet. Are Cubs up for sale now? Just a few years ago they were rated the third most valuable franchise, I think I had read that they were. And that was before they won their championship.
Awesome article by Molly Knight in The Athletic on Clayton:
https://theathletic.com/2152393/2020/10/21/dodgers-kershaw-world-series/
Molly ends with this:
“But please understand this team is different. In addition to being really, really good, these Dodgers have a sense of resilience and togetherness that’s been lacking in years past. Their competing interests don’t conflict. They don’t rattle in the biggest moments.
This is the year.
Three more wins.”
From Twitter: “This was Clayton Kershaw’s ninth career postseason start of 6+ IP and no more than 1 earned run and 1 walk. Most in MLB history.”
that, combined with these stats, show part of the reason why his ERA is so high and his losses are so high:
1) NL Wild Card WHIP: .50
2) NLDS WHIP: 1.05
3) NLCS WHIP: 1.197
4) World Series WHIP (before last night): 1.16
From Twitter: “This was Clayton Kershaw’s ninth career postseason start of 6+ IP and no more than 1 earned run and 1 walk. Most in MLB history.”
Amazing.
Now let’s go get game 2!
McGee, Treinen, Baez and Wood are all free agents from this year’s bullpen. Joc, Kike and JT are also free agents next year. They won’t sign everyone.
Roberts seems to love Treinen but he’s expensive ($10MM this year) and will be looking for more next year. Baez and Wood make $4MM – Wood won’t be back. The Dodgers are paying McGee the MLB minimum but he signed a 3 year $27MM deal with the Rockies.
The with losses this year estimated at $200MM, do they sign any of their free agents?
I think the market will be deeply depressed this year. The Realmutos and Springers will get paid and the journeymen will get the leftovers.
I think the Dodger have an interest in signing JT, Kike, Pedro, and Blake… maybe Jake, but they will not be deals like they could have gotten.
I believe some of what happens in the World Series will also tell the story.
Joc, Wood and McGee are most likely gone. It will hard to keep all of the other four. Baez and Trienen could get paid. It might be time for the next young wave of arms.
The article about the Cubs you mentioned – here’s the conclusion:
“This is how it works in baseball. Teams talk about creating an identity, doing things a certain way, using proprietary information, finding the hidden advantages. And then, when it’s convenient, say everyone else is doing it. That is the story of Corporate America in the middle of a pandemic and a global recession. The players viewed as assets through the game’s analytics movement already know this: In the end, everyone is a number on a spreadsheet.”
SABR baseball in a nutshell.
Yep. I was thinking the same thing though not as clear and concise.
I don’t think the corporate robber barons exploiting the working poor Steinbeck narrative really works in this instance.
I don’t know if anyone else heard the hot mic comments by Mookie to Adames after Mookie stole that base. Mookie was talking to Adames about contracts, and how someday he can get 400 million, too, and talked a little about his current contract and service time. They were joking about it, but Mookie was also acutely aware of the financial reality and nuance of the business of baseball. Players, with their agents, shrewdly exploit the open market to maximize their financial gain.
There is nothing wrong with that. It is a contractual arrangement. But if it’s perfectly fine for a player to leverage scarcity of talent in securing a contract for his services, it’s equally as appropriate for owners to leverage their advantage in an unprecedented downturn in revenue and demand for services.
Those numbers on the spreadsheet are actually critically important when a team is hemorrhaging money because no one can watch games. It is what the game is, after all – a business model based on entertainment. If they don’t make money, they don’t spend it. It’s mathematical reality, not an indictment of capitalism.
Kershaw great, Belli going yard huge, JT awesome defense, etc. but the play of the game was Roberts calling for the double steal. What a move, brilliant, like baseball should be played and how it used to be played. Manufactured a run without hitting a ball out of the infield, beautiful. Knock the shyte out of the Rays enthusiasm and belief in themselves as well, probably will be a huge factor in their confidence level the rest of the series as well. I have not been a Doc fan but you have to give him huge ups for that move. Let’s see more of good old fashion baseball
But….but….The Dodgers are built for the regular season, not the playoffs.
The Guggenhiem biz model is to just make the playoffs just to get fans to keep buying tickets, right? LOL. I have a long memory.
Okay, Patch, so you really don’t have anything to say, you are just trying to prove you are a douchebag, mission accomplished.
The last thread, you asked a question which I gave a very logical response to and you ran away with your tail between your legs. Truth Hurts doesn’t it Douchebag?
LOL! Was that really necessary?
I dunno, I suppose I should’ve just let it go, but I think I bring up that original argument you made to hold you to it, even years later, because I recall your attitude at the time was the same – insults and tough guy bravado.
So, honest question: Have you changed your original opinion then versus now?
And by capitalizing douchebag, are you giving me a title, or it still just a simple pejorative?
Respectfully yours
Great start to the series! Let’s hope that Gonsolin recovers his mojo and keeps the score low, while we score some runs early. One down, three to go, boys and girls!
The 17 days without pitching would have an effect on anyone and it has with Goose. I would have been nice to see him get a little work against Milwaukee but I get why he didn’t. If that series went three games for some reason someone needed to be ready. Hopefully the recent work will allow him to get back on track. I certainly don’t think the moment is too big for him.
Are the Dodgers favorites for tonight’s game? They have their ace with a very good rested bullpen going against our weakest pitching matchup on short rest. Don’t count the Rays out just yet! Tonight we see if this is indeed a great baseball team.
I think we’ve already seen it’s a great team.
Tonight we’ll see if it’s a great team more likely to win the World Series.
Any joiners?
https://www.facebook.com/ihatejoebuckfc/
Given a choice, I’d rather not listen to Joe Buck, but hate? Nope, too damn much of that goin’ around these days.
In the words of a famous statesman, “Can’t we all just get along?”
Rodney King?
“Can’t we all just get along?”
Not yet. But soon.
I have no problem with Buck. He and Smoltz are paid to talk a lot. I think maybe they just need to be paid less.
True, when you pay guys by the word, they’re going to talk a lot.
Well, maybe “statesman” was a bit of a stretch but the thought was a good one.
At least he was trying.
Even with a second year guy, and only 20 games pitched, going against a Cy Young winner the money likes us.
And only 4 outs in, we go to the pen.
Docs first good move of the night. Gonsolin just has nothing and no confidence. It may not work moving forward in this game but I think he had to get him out. I thought snell was supposed to be wild. Snell came out throwing darts.
Boy, the Rays starting pitchers sure have a hard time with their caps! They sad just them every pitch. Must have something to do with their budget.
Tampa’s team batting OPS during the regular season was 13th out of 30 teams just slightly above league average.
The Dodgers should be able to limit their runs scored.
Mistakes can kill you in the playoffs. Hernandez bobble costs us a double play and what is May doing throwing flat sliders to a team that can’t hit fastballs!
Tailor-made double play. Oops.
Well it looks like I may have overestimated May and Gonsolin. They both looked a lot better a month ago.
Agree, neither look ready for the big stage. Neither have put away pitches to get a strike out, and as I’m typing this May gives up a two run HR. He’s just not ready and has not been impressive at all. Do not understand Doc’s infatuation with him.
It’s their stuff. Spin rate etc. Gonsolin’s splitter was moving 2’ 5 weeks ago. It does not look the same at all now. Not sure what’s going on with May but it looks like hitters know what’s coming. Maybe he just needs a change up.
That’s what I’ve been saying. They are weak post season pitchers. So why does Doc use them? Does Doc have a real game plan for the pitching in this WS? NO, NO, NO. He is winging it. How could he have confidence in Gonsolin if he doesn’t plan to get some innings out him from the getgo? If Gonsolin is a solid starter in the series, why does Doc come up with a convoluted game plan like this? I guess he expects a lot of our bats. I don’t see any real logic to his pitching lineups.
Nice HR by Smith! 6-3
We’ll be okay. Just need to keep grinding and get the Dodger fairies to sprinkle a little magic dust in the dugout. Go Blue!
Ump really squeezing May on the strike zone and it cost him big time. Don’t give up!
Saw that. Remember, the average ump misses 1 out of 6.
Well I guess there won’t be a sweep! May and Graterol need to come back next year with better sliders. Buehler better bring his A game cause Morton is a playoff beast.
May has lopsided splits. He got hit hard from the left side of the plate including that homerun, the left side of the plate is his weakness. I don’t like him as a reliever because of those lopsided splits, but I like him as a starter. Doc strikes again.
And then Kelly. Seems like Doc doesn’t care about this game.
Playoff Pollock! Once again!
So uh anyone else think Joe buck can go F@&% himself hahaha sorry jk. He always goes against the dodgers and he’s been called out so many times for it!!
More I hear him, less I like him.
Their relief pitcher comes in and closes the door on a strikeout to our #3 hitter. May comes in and spins a very weak slider that gets deposited over the wall. Oh well we got 12 more outs to get back in this thing
I don’t know a heck of a lot about the Rays ‘ bullpen. But 99 and a 100 doesn’t look like a “myth”” to me. There are reasons why the Rays won 60 games and got to the WS.
Two years ago Turner crushes that 2-0 middle middle 96 fastball. Not anymore
I love him but JT can’t catch up to the fastball. We’re back in it though. Plenty of time. They keep touting the Rays bullpen. Time to put that myth to rest. Go Blue!
This game is being managed like Dave doesn’t realize we have a day off tomorrow.
I have no idea what Doc is doing. This must be a throw away game.
Neither does he!
Come on man. The Dodgers are 3 for 24 with 12 Ks. In only 7 innings. That’s on them, not Doc.
So Badger. Doc should just give up?
That doesn’t make any sense.
What Why not?
Give up? Doc should just quit? Makes no sense.
That has nothing to do with the pitching. They gave up 6 runs with the patchwork game plan. Dumb.
Offense is another story. But do you want the Dodgers to play catch up baseball? Not a sound strategy, but possible. I don’t think Doc was planning on this. You don’t put pitchers into a game that don’t give you a good chance to win, especially a WS. We have 3 good starters, CK, Buehler, and Urias. The rest are apprentices. You use your strength and put in your best relievers to support them. Does this game show any of this logic? NO.
So, obviously you believe you know more than the Dodgers manager. What do you differently?
I guess he thinks that since the Rays are not known for their hitting he can just throw any reliever at them and win. Which might be true because our offense has been hitting in the playoffs.
Cal Buck and Smoltz be any more pro Rays?
Bringing May back in the 5th was a little weird… especially after seeing that he didn’t really have it. Bringing Kelly in the next inning… at that point in the game was also a little strange. It’s like we were getting into concession / losing formation when we were only down 3 runs… which is definitely in striking distance when you have a lineup like we do.
Didn’t getting hitting for Pollack earlier.
Can someone explain to how Buck and Smoltz are being pro Rays. I must be missing something, or not.
Maybe they like them.
Come on guys come back from the hole Doc put you in and win this one.
We just got out pitched. That and 0 for 6 WRISP.
These guys are good. We just need to be better.
Badger, I answered your question above, already. I was going to repeat it but they took away the reply button. I am obviously being censored on this site.
Do you think the way this game was set up by Doc, talking about the pitching, was the best we could do? A patchwork of relievers for a WS game when we had the momentum winning game 1, and threw it away with this drek of a mismanaged pitching scheme. You get the 3 best starters pitching the first 3 games and let them go as long as possible. That’s confidence. And, if your starter get bombed, do you put in relievers with high ERA or WHIP? Do you think they used their best relief in this game? I obviously don’t. We’ve got the goods but we have to use them wisely.
Nailed it bro.
A bobbled double play ball and horrible pitch selection by May cost us this one. Oh and of course Roberts because every time we lose or a pitcher gives up a run it’s his fault!
Just get ready for Friday. Morton has been unhittable this post season. And the last time he faced LA he shut them down. Not a great fastball and he mixes his pitches well.
We see the problem, and we knew it going in; the Rays have a better bullpen, and we are short one starting pitcher. Maybe it could have been Price. But we keep throwing out the two rookies and they are not up to the task at this point. Are we going to have this matchup in Game 6? If so, we’ll lose again. So it’s going to come down to Buehler vs. Morton twice. Any game we are tied or worse going into the later innings against TB, we are the underdog. So we need some very good starting pitching. We always seem short one starter in the World Series. We can’t even be sure about Urias as a starter, he is better in relief.
We do have some worries at this point, i would think we are legitimately a very small favorite to win it, and if we lose Friday, we are significant underdogs because of Game 6. Maybe I’m being too negative on this, but it’s not a reaction to one game, ,it’s looking at the series going forward.
It’s a series. It was never going to be easy. It’s not down 1-3 and behind. Believe in the talent.
I think May has been pitching to many times. He needs several days off.