Everything is crystal clear! The Dodgers either have to win today, or the 2022 season is over for them. If the Dodgers win, they go back to Chavez Ravine for Game Five, where the winner takes all. If they lose, their best season… the season for the ages is over. It will be a shame if the season ends today, but that’s baseball. The baseball gods can be cruel. I loved the run… even if I hate the loss. That said, they are very capable of coming back and scoring 15 runs today. I do believe that they can.. will they?
There is not a lot of blame to place, except for the very top: Andrew Friedman. I will address that if the season comes to an end. But not today.
It wasn’t Gonsolin or Heaney who lost the game for the Dodgers yesterday. The Dodger pitchers were awesome… it’s just that the Padres were “awesomer.” The Dodgers’ bats cost them the game. The pitching was great. The hitting was absolutely putrid!
There is no use discussing and cussing about this. It all boils down to what happens tonight. I for one, believe in Tyler Anderson. Do I believe in the Dodger’s bats? I am from Missouri!
I would bet that this series will go Five Games!
Arizona Fall League
- Jose Ramos is hitting .545 with a .583 OB% and 1.219 OPS
- Jorbit Vivas is at .450 BA/.577 OB% and 1.127 OPS
- Andy Pages is at .333 BA/.400 OB% and 1.067 OPS
- Hyun-il Choi has a 10.38 ERA
- Emmet Sheehan has a 0.00 ERA/.067 WHIP, and the league is hitting .111 against him.
Will the real Los Angeles Dodgers show up tomorrow? Hope so, the clowns masquerading in those Dodger blue unis are not the same guys I saw all year.
These are the real postseason LA Dodgers we have seen every year under Roberts with 2020 being the huge exception to the rule.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Totally different cast, and the last time I checked, Roberts has not had a single at bat or play in the field. Ofer with men in scoring position since the third inning of game one is not the manager’s fault. Get a grip, it is all on the players to perform.
That makes no sense.
Makes total sense to me. Roberts puts them on the field, then it is up to them to perform. Give the other teams some credit, except the 2017 Astros, all of them beat the Dodgers on the field. Red Sox were the better team in 18. Cubs were the better team in 16. Right now at this particular point in time, the Padres are playing better baseball. But you can bet MLB is pulling for a Dodger win. Worst case scenario for them is a Padres-Guardians World Series. They want the Dodgers in there.
You make perfect sense, Bear.
The OP doesn’t.
Gotcha
It was evident the Dodgers were going to gag this series once they went 0-19 with runners in scoring position . The regular season is meaningless and it will be another long off season for the choking Dodgers
The Padre bullpen has completely shut down this offense. Come to think of it, the only pitcher that have hit off of was Clevenger. That’ll have to change and fast. Backs against the wall for the first time in 2022.
Aside from the impotent offense, I can’t figure out why Roberts is so quick to give up the DH. (And Barnes had two hits before being lifted). It didn’t cost him the game, because the spot didn’t make it to the plate, but it could have.
Not sure about that Evan. At that point in the game, you are basically going with a pitcher for an inning. There would always be a PH opportunity, unless the game is a real outlier and goes 14+
It wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t indefensible nor without reason.
Barnes is overmatched in most cases.
I’d like somebody to tell me what the problem is. Are the guys just tired, exhausted from an 111 win season ? Are they injured, run down or lacking motivation? What’s going on ? Do they think the Padres, who we all seem to hate and disregard, are going to roll
over ? What’s happening ? Is their manager smarter than
ours? Or are the Padres just getting lucky (and for the record I don’t believe in luck ) or are they just better than us?
Not intending to be negative, but yeah, I’m worried. Maybe we got this, but today I will be wearing a life jacket.
Only the Astros of the four teams that had a bye have not been flat. Yankees, Braves and Dodgers all having trouble getting their offenses started. You can bet one thing though, tomorrow will be a game that they will play with all the urgency the situation deserves. They had Snell on the ropes and let him off.
I’m not in the habit of posting here or anywhere else anymore but I still watch every game with interest. Before the playoffs started, I was chatting with another Dodger fan and asked him if he thought the Dodgers would choke. It was a palpable feeling that I got and continue to get about this team even though they’ve just had a landmark season. What I’ve seen this season is a team that is over reliant on the long ball and have had many games, even wins, with very few hits. Combine that with one of the poorest showings of defense that I’ve seen from a Dodger team in years. Can T. Turner be any worse at SS? Add on injury to the pitching staff and a lineup of very little offensive production after J. Turner batting 5th. Their insistence on Muncy and Bellinger who do occasionally get a good hit along with Taylor, Vargas who has been virtually a no-show most of the time with Gallo, are tolerated only for the defense. This is not enough to justify the playing time that these players have gotten this season. On paper, the Dodgers look awesome. They probably have graphs and projections for payroll for the next 5-8 years and all of the minor league talent will have to wait until there is a slot that opens for someone as they thin the roster out. Thinning the roster out is going to be necessary especially if they fold to the Padres.
Having said all of this, I can also fully see the Dodgers taking the next two games and advancing. They’ve got the talent and the DNA. Barring any brain farts by Roberts and T. Turner, this should decisively tell us who the Dodgers really are. Muncy and Bellinger have tested negative as belonging on this roster. Their time is up, imo. We need to bring in some fresh talent to balance out our top heavy lineup. Players like Will Smith seem rare on the Dodgers. I was hoping Lux could be much more than he is but is he another utility player posing as a positional player? I’m not sure. Friedman needs to reassess a lot of things. No Buehler, no Kershaw?(that statement seems very alien to my brain), Gonsolin to have another season like this one?, doubtful to me, Heaney and the minor league callups are not giving me much confidence although I do like Heaney but his track record is not exactly stellar. We’ve got a pitching problem, we’ve got a batting problem. Doesn’t inspire much confidence in us going further and I really do want to see them going further. Hello to the other posters…………….
Jeff, you have written a confusing and weak assessment about this Dodger team IMO. The team has relied less on the long ball this year than in the recent past. It was the case the first 1/4 of the season. But, Freddie and Mookie pointed out to the team that making contact on a more consistent basis was important than relying on the HR. You continue with your criticism with the poor showing for everyone batting 6-9 in the lineup. Trayce came on as contributing player even with his high K rate. Muncy hit well the final third of the season. Bellinger continued his struggles with consistency with the bat, but was GG CF and added speed to the lineup. Taylor and Gallo were disappointments offensively. And, yes Trea Turner can be much worse at SS. To say Gavin Lux is a utility player is absurd. He was hitting .290-.300 until the end of the season when he was dealing with a neck injury. He’s a solid, everyday 2B. Yet, with all the poor performances by the team you declare the Dodgers look awesome on paper. How can that be? Are there photos of the players on the paper or statistics? If it’s statistics then they don’t look awesome in my opinion. The top four in the lineup were awesome, but the rest were inconsistent or awful.
Will Smith is my favorite Dodger and has been since he first arrived at Dodger Stadium. He had a nice first game against the Padres, but has been an complete failure in the past two games. He has left 10 runners on base in the three games with six of those being in scoring position with two outs. For being the #4 hitter in the lineup it has been the main reason the Dodgers have failed to win. Not Dave Roberts ,the pitching, or Trea Turner. Getting runners on base during the playoffs is typically difficult. When you do it paramount that you drive in those runners. Will Smith has failed to do so. I’ve seen this lack of clutch hitting all too often with the Dodgers in the playoffs. The #1 offense in MLB being shutdown by the San Diego Padres pitching staff? It’s so disheartening to watch after such a successful regular season. Hopefully, they can turn the page and get going tonight.
Carry on.
It’s simple padres pitching for hot at right time
If Roberts has any skill at motivating his players (and he should—he’s the manager) he needs to use it now. They are as flat as a pancake. Look at them in the dugout. No fire at all.
What good is a manager if he/she can’t take action to get the best from his players? Yeah, I know the old jazz about the players are professional and are paid accordingly, etc. , but if that is the case why have a manager? They could just make all their decisions from their suites. I, like most of you, own a business and manage people. I make business decisions on behalf of the company but I also work with, talk to and try to motivate my staff, especially when we are having a rough go of things. Seems to me that’s what a good manager needs to do, regardless of the type of business.
Even though he is on the bench, they should have never left Alberto off of the playoff roster. The guy was their sparkplug all season long. All of them look like they are trying to hit homers, except Barnes who just took what he was given and got two hits. Mookie needs to really kick his game in gear. Pads will throw Musgrove and Darvish the next two games. Lets hope Anderson’s less than blazing stuff throws their timing off tomorrow night. Combined this year, not counting Darvish’s win against LA in game 2, they are a combined 1-4 against LA with 8 homers allowed. Darvish also allowed 3 more in game 2. Go get em blue. LA was 6-3 at Petco during the season. Only need to be 1-1 now to get back home.
If they do not win the WS this season Roberts should be fired. How often will we go threw a postseason like this ?
Havent we seen enough of exactly the same garbage ? Yeah, he won it in 2020 but all his lucky stars aligned that season, especially after being down 1-3 to the Braves. In every other year it was total failure and grief.
I have seen enought of this guy. He just is not a good playoff manager.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A 60 game season is not something that should be considered to be a real season and therefore not a real Championship by baseball standards. Big, big difference playing 162 instead of 60.
Get the hell out of here Jeff.
Troll. You win two games and know you talkin’ trash?
Madres still got a ways to go on the Big Picture front.
Weak sauce.
Dave Roberts is becoming the Bobby Cox of baseball playoff futility. Cox managed the Braves for 20 years and went to the postseason 14 times and only went to one World Series. Which he won. So, Dave has a way to go to match Cox’s poor playoff record. Although Cox did win his WS in a full 162 game season as opposed to Roberts’ trying, but shorter 60 game season.
Really Bear? Hanser Alberto? I believe you had nothing much good to say about him all season and now he’s a sparkplug? The missing piece to the team’s offense? He’s right where he belongs. On the bench keeping his teammates loose while not taking up a roster spot.
The problem was the dodgers we a red hot team winning almost every game
ROBERTS Took his foot off the pedal. It really did not matter if they won or lost. So what happened is they lost the fire and can not get it back. A manager should never ever relax or let his team relax because you have a large lead because you get lazy and start to lose and you may not ever get to the winning ways
With RISP the Dodgers are now what in this series ? 1-eternity ? But Roberts still has them swinging for the fences instead of some situational hitting, putting the ball in play, taking the extra bat, stealing a base now or then.
Runner on third, one out, TT up. Again Roberts refuses to have him bunt (and TT CAN bunt, for a hit or on a safety squeeze) and again we do not score.
No fire , not on the bench and not on the field. Going threw the motions. We are looking at yet another huge disastrous postseason under Roberts.
And if we had not gotten back from the dead in 2020 after being down 1-3 to the Braves we would be standing around with totally empty hands. But hey, best record in baseball, best team in the regular season rahrahrah. That is what Roberts is living off.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fully agreed. The Warriors fired Mark Jackson after he got them to the playoffs for two consecutive seasons. Ownership stated the reason for hiring Steve Kerr was ‘we needed someone to take us to the next level’. This is what the Dodgers must and should do as quickly as possible. Roberts doesn’t seem to be that guy.
Unfortunately, the ownership and front office believes he is that guy. He’s not going anywhere.
Who would you like as his replacement? It doesn’t matter in that whoever “manages” the team answers to the the front office as is the case with most of the teams in MLB. There are very few real managers left in baseball.
The type of managers hired now are told what to do, keep the players’ egos in place, run inference with the media, and cost nothing in salary. The newest example is the deer in the headlights manager that St Louis hired. He didn’t to seem to have any idea what he was doing. It was embarrassing.
Good analysis Tedraymond about managers now days. I talked to a fired manager in spring training a few years ago who was now a bench coach. He couldn’t express more discontent over his past organization. He was impotent yet publicly held accountable for decisions that weren’t his. The braintrust dictated the line up, personnel, pitching, and practically everything. There was so much reliance to analytics that the humanity was taken out of the game. Program the robots and get out of the way.
I think an organization can adhere to a philosophy that the Skipper must adhere to that becomes who he is. I’m not at all sure that Doc was as conservative as when he played when it comes comes to stealing, bunting and situational small- ball. There’s conversation about being more aggressive but it isn’t sustained. It isn’t who the Dodgers are. There are so many examples if you look. Last night Mookie came up with guys on first and second and there was no thought of a sac bunt to set up Trea and Freddie. Mookie isn’t hitting but no adjustments are made to change the recipe. Mookie isn’t paid to bunt. So we all wait for the bats to heat up and don’t make things happen. Maybe there is too much information being employed in how we approach the game and less reliance on players given the freedom to play.
If we assume the Dodgers prevail, the recent performances have revealed some striking weaknesses in this 111-win team.
One example: Taylor steps to the plate in 6th inning with a runner on and the Dodgers trailing by one. Snell is out, and Taylor is facing a righty reliever.
Seemed to me like a logical spot to have a lefty pinch hit, either Gallo or Belli. Neither, sad to say, would be great choices…. but isn’t this what a platooning team does?
Taylor wound up hitting a weak comebacker to the pitcher.
Neither Gallo or Belli ever entered this game. And we still haven’t seen Vargas. Remind me… why did he make the roster?
I made a point previously but perhaps I tried to post it after the dreaded words “Comments are closed.” Pardon me if I’m repeating myself.
At the trading deadline, AF added Gallo. If his bat started to come around, he was perceived as an upgrade to Lamb. (A big “if,” it now seems.) Inhouse options like Outman , Rios and Busch seemed to get zero consideration.
There was another bat on the market, a guy who was having a career year: Brandon Drury. Did AF make an offer? I have no idea. But the Padres’ offer was accepted–and this was after the blockbuster for Soto and Bell.
So the Pads added 3 formidable bats and the Dodgers added a formerly formidable one.
The Gallo deal was, as they say, a headscratcher. It made sense as an experiment, perhaps, but what if the experiment fails? The Pads were not experimenting in landing Drury. Surely AF could have made a better offer. But perhaps AF figured the untested Vargas could be the solution.
So consider: Instead of a bench with Gallo and Vargas, it could be Drury and Outman/Rios/Busch.
After an 111-win season, it’s come to this: Roberts has some tools he doesn’t want to use.
Duke –
Great points! I think your analysis is right on as it often is. Keep up the good work….
After we won 111 games, honestly, I thought the post season games would be anticlimactic and I’ve noticed my enthusiasm descending during the bye week up until the present. I haven’t watched one inning of this series. Of course, I live in the East, so a game starting at 9:37 or 8:37 EST wouldn’t end till after midnight, which is still way past my bedtime (around 10:00-10:30 pm). If I can’t see the conclusion I’d rather just wait to watch the highlights in the morning.
The point I’m trying to make is this- even a fan like me is “flat” so why can’t the team also be flat….the hitters basically are, not the pitchers. I was not surprised seeing Gonsolin have problems knowing that he hadn’t properly pitched his way back from his injury. But maybe the hitters while on the bye week just lost that momentum, while teams like Philly and Padres were building such. We all know how important momentum is when entering the playoffs.
So, rather than be upset and find fault with somebody ….for now I am choosing to rejoice in this amazing season of 111 wins and say, “to hell with the playoffs” and concentrate fully on rooting my New York Giants on in the NFL. But that’s me….I’m sure many reading this won’t agree and are probably picking up rocks thinking me to be a blasphemer. Oh well, I can’t please everyone.
Go Dodgers….just become I’m flat, don’t watch on TV, and expect little, doesn’t mean I still don’t root for them when they play.
TM
Roberts bashing again? Are you kidding me. So far the blame rests squarely on 1-4! First and second and no outs and they deliver nothing. Second and third with no outs and they get one in. Yea, Roberts sure screwed up there. Either tour stars are stars or you go home! Still gonfident tho because Roberts guarenteed a WS!
But it was Roberts telling them to swing for the fences and make outs. [sarcasm]
Some people just have to blame someone. There has to be a fall guy, and it is Dave Roberts because, of course, it is.
That said… managers have a “shelf life.”
Roberts bashers also have a shelf life. It’s the smell…
Well, after seeing his team having struggled for runs mightily all series long, going 0 for eternity with RISP, making easy outs inning after inning a good manager maybe, just maybe would order a hit and run, a bunt, a safety squeeze at some point to bring in a runner to tie the game. Change the pace of the games when your Plan A is obviously not working. Roberts never does this and it has cost him big time in previous postseasons. In 2020 he got very lucky against the Braves being down 1-3 because Seager, Mookie and Smith were unconscious at the dish. But that was the exception to the rule. Roberts is stubborn in his approach, has not Plan B.
I really wonder how many more postseason disasters it has to take before he is finally fired. I dont care about his regular season record .
As Chevy Chase said in Fletch: I hate coach Lasorda, I say I hate coach Roberts.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looked it up.
The Padres traded a SS prospect named Victor Acosta for Drury.
Hey, maybe Acosta will be a superstar.
And maybe Vargas and Gallo will lead the Dodgers to victory!
Trying to stay positive, folks.
Victor Acosta is very young, but here is his scouting report:
Ranked as the No. 19 prospect in the 2020-21 international class, Acosta signed with the Padres for $1.8 million on Jan. 15, 2021. The early returns were promising as the Dominican Republic native flashes five-tool potential and hit .285/.431/.484 over 56 games in his Dominican Summer League debut, though he was having less impact offensively during his United States debut in the Arizona Complex League when he was sent to the Reds in return for Brandon Drury at the Trade Deadline.
A switch-hitter, Acosta boasts an impressive set of tools. The teenager has quick hands and is an aggressive hitter with a swing-first mentality. As a result of the aggression, he handles fastballs better than off-speed pitches, though that’s not all that uncommon in young hitters. He doesn’t hit for a ton of power yet, but still has time to grow into his 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame and there’s hope he’ll tack on a bit more power as he develops.
A projectable athlete, Acosta has the athleticism to stick at short, but could also wind up at second base. Above-average speed, which helped him steal 26 bases in 56 games last season, gives Acosta the range to make all the necessary plays up the middle, though the accuracy on his throws isn’t always consistent. He does, however, have plenty of arm strength and could develop into a middle-of-the-diamond star if everything goes well.
I heard that AF inquired about Drury and the name given was Vargas. No way!
Padres and their GM took some criticism for their deadline splash but it appears they did the right thing.
Drury, Soto, Bell and Hader made them a different team. And if they eliminate us they will have done it without even their best player.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is our 2020 Braves series. That team looked lifeless those first 3 of 4 games. Same thing here.
This is what ignites. This is what gets us going. THIS is what it will take.
We win tonight and send this series back to LA for game 5.
Looking lifeless is right on the mark. In the 9th inning a camera looked into the Dodger dugout. The looks on the faces of Betts and Freeman were reminiscent of teams down a few runs , last inning of a series deciding game. They looked beaten and yet they were down by only one run.
These last couple of games have been like a bad dream. Better yet, a bad joke. If you were watching the game with me, you could have sworn you were watching with Andrew Dice Clay!
I feel disgusted. After watching this team steamroll the Padres all year, we’re now a game from elimination with all the players looking flat. More like scared little sissies. Now Trea is basically injured, so his bat probably isn’t going to be too hot going forward.
Jayne Cobb has it right. Hit the fucking ball!
The things that pissed me off the most last night?
Muncy watching two fastballs right down the middle, then swinging at one high and away.
Gavin Lux getting screwed by the ump on a called strike that should have been ball 4.
Barnes getting pulled after having two hits. Who does that?
Trea not stealing a base, instead breaks his finger diving back to the bag.
Trea shitting himself on defense, again.
Gonsolin stinking up the place.
Everyone swinging for the fences.
The Stars Need to Come Out, – Didn’t happen
The Starting Pitching Needs to be a lot better; – Didn’t happen
The Defense needs to tighten up; and – Didn’t happen
The Team needs a leader to step up. – Didn’t happen
First team to three wins, not two. These guys have been there before. We’re still going to the WS!
We are not done. Go Dodgers.
Have read quite a few websites today. Besides the obvious hitting woes everywhere there was also agreement -rightfully- about our lack of starting pitching, having to overuse the pen.
Some of us brought this up weeks ago when it was almost clear that neither TG nor DM would be ready in time to fill out the rotation. Those voices clamored for Bobby Miller and/STone to be brought up and see if they might be able to assume that role. Both kids had done well , very well late in the season Both have the stuff to be effective.
But no, Dodgers did not want to start the clock on the kids. Yeah, better to not start the clock then maybe have a better shot in the playoffs because one or both kids might be lightsout pitchers. Not saying they would have been, but they have the stuff .
Now we have to endure Catman labouring around for 1plus inning and DM not even being in a game yet.
Yes, I know, pitching was good enough to win all three games so far but still not a good decision by the Dodgers.
Same as Vargas on the postseason roster and then not trusting him to at least pinch hit.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pitching had little to nothing to do with it. Our staff gave up two damn runs. TWO!
Pitching hasn’t been overused.
This is simply a team not hitting.
I’m game one the Dodgers went 3-8 hitting with RISP in games two and three they went 0-17 and that sums it up completely.
Dodgers hVe the better batting average in the three games, both teams have 23 hits, Dodgers have drawn ten BBs and the Padres have received eight. Dodgers have scored nine runs the Padres ten.
It’s all about hitting with RISP
Padres have played way better defense too.Too many extra at bats by TT alone.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“The fat lady is warming up and getting ready to sing.” Roster construction was not formidable for the playoffs but OK for the 162 game season schedule. Lots of major decisions to be made in the off season. Not confident at all in tonight’s outcome.
Maybe we should wait till after today’s game is over before we start the post mortem. I’m too lazy to check, but are the Padres up 2-1 because of the contributions of Soto, Bell and Drury? It’s hard to say that the Dodger should have constructed the team differently – through deadline acquisitions or more organically. Castillo would’ve been a nice pickup, but would it have made a difference?
Many of us have said it weeks ago:
Two many weak bats in the lineup at the same time
All,or nothing hitters who strike out to much
This weakness is magnified in the playoffs when the pitching quality is at the highest level
When 1-2’ofmyour usually good hitters go into a funk your lineup implodes
Bellinger, TT, Gallo, Vargas, Muncy, all are at or slightly above the Mendoza line or even below all season. How can someone expect them to do better in the playoffs?
Now Betts , JT and Freddie are slumping too and then you get what you see
Can they turn it around under immense pressure today?Possible. But not very likely.
Go Dodgers
Uh huh. … I did hypothesize about a week ago on some potential weaknesses that the Dodgers may have had going into the playoffs. One of them was a reliance on the Big Three at the top of the order. They have been fantastic all season, and Freddy has been everything we could have hoped and more, but the team has been reliant on them and they have carried the Bellingers and Muncys and Gallos … and JTs for a good chunk of the season. If one or more of them don’t perform, you have to rely on a bottom of the lineup that has not consistently performed all year.
This was called “nonsense” and “ridiculously stupid” and a “false narrative” and I was told not to comment if I had takes like that.
I would much prefer I had been wrong, and, to be fair, the reasons the Dodgers have lost two games so far are multi-factorial and not just because Freeman and Mookie aren’t hitting, but I will say, when I try to offer a take here that I think has some merit, I don’t like it when people try to bully me or belittle me or aggressively put me in my place for some need to be right.
But, like I said, I suggest we wait until the outcome of the series before we all start diagnosing all the flaws and weaknesses and playing armchair GM. In the end, playoff baseball is a lot of luck.
Tony Gonsolin has a record of 1-2 with an ERA of 9.45 and 17 strikeouts in 7 appearances in the postseason in his career.
Dodger bats going silent late in the year has practically become a meme by now. Every freakin’ year they seem to forget how to hit in October. I can’t wait to hear Mark’s take about the front office if they lose tonight but I’m thinking this might be a coaching staff thing. Don’t get me wrong, I love Doc but don’t forget his record is great mostly because he was given a great team yet, he can’t seem to motivate the boys in October. Perhaps a change is needed in the near future if we lose this year and next.
I don’t see jumping on Gonsolin and pitching in general This game was the LEAST runs they scored against us so far!! If we scored 3 runs we would be posting that the pitching is carrying the team. If we pitched this BAD in game 2 we would have won that game. Hell they only scored TWO runs against us.!!! Clearly 1-50 with RISP isn’t going to cut it. I agree on Muncy- just up there looking for walks and taking fastballs down the middle.
And it seems just like when Darvish failed in the big games (cheating or not) Trea is playing himself off this team and I don’t see any serious attempt to sign him going forward
I’m with Matt. I think, I mean I fully believe, that we win today and then tomorrow will be a fantastic Game 5 with Urias.
Just win today, that’s it.
Lets do it!!!!
Baseball changes quickly and it changes tonight!! Not like we been losing games 9-1…..
It would be nice to have Roberts go all Lasorda on them in the dugout and get in some guys faces and tell them to earn their f****** paychecks! But yeah, that’s not going to happen. Sigh.
As I’ve mentioned, if you go 1 for 13 in July nobody notices. 1 for 13 in the playoffs and you’re a goat. We are currently raising a flock of goats:
Betts .182, Freddie .200, JT .100, Thompson .111 w/ 5 K’s. Lux is hitting .333 but didn’t start. The strike out rate is 31%. With Runners in Scoring position we’re hitting .120 scoring 9 runs in 27 innings with 3 home runs total.
You can credit the Padres pitching or our poor hitting. Or both. Either way we’d better turn this bus around in a hurry.
I don’t have much interest in Philly playing the Padres and Houston winning it all.
I fear you are pretty close about what will be coming
Go dodgers!
I’m telling you now and not after game 5 that I told you so. Dodgers win!
The Dodgers problem is they are not paid enough. If they were paid more, they would play better and win.
Austin Barnes 667
Max Muncy 364
Gavin Lux 333
Trea Turner 308
Will Smith 231
Freddie Freeman 200
Mookie Betts 182
Cody Bellinger 167
Trayce Thompson 111
Justin Turner 100
Chris Taylor 000
Those are the batting averages of the position players. You say why not OPS instead? Because the Dodgers are in need of base hits.
As you can see it’s not Muncy, Lux, and T Turner along with Barnes too that are at fault. Besides Freeman’s 1 home run, it’s the rest of the position players who are at fault. And if you didn’t notice, besides Freeman’s 1 home run, 2 of the 3 superstars at the top of the lineup have done didily squat, along with the number 4 hitter Smith. Let alone most of the 6-9 hitters.
On a side note, I don’t think Gonsolin is fully healthy from his injury. But I don’t have his medical records so it is a guess.
On the starting pitching side of things, obviously Gonsolin is the worst so far, followed by Kershaw with a not so stellar outing.
On the bullpen side of things, not that it matters because of the shitty offense, Treinen has the worst stats, followed by the 2 suspects that I talked about, not wanting them on the roster but who are the alternatives? Nobody. Heaney 1.67 WHIP, 3.00 ERA, 250 batting average against along with a home run given up, what’s new with that. Then Graterol 1.50 WHIP, 286 batting average against, who was lucky to get out of his inning without allowing a run. But the rest of the bullpen has been FANTASTIC.
I’m scared of what is coming (The end). Hopefully I am wrong about that.
Oh yeah, Heaney’s home run he allowed was the difference in the game yesterday. There you have it, if the bullpen is not fully Doc proof, Doc will do Doc things, find the not Doc proof bullpen pitchers and use them. Full disclosure I will give Doc credit for handling the position players with what he has been given.
Can we all come to a conclusion about who makes the calls. Is it Doc or the Dodgers brain trust? As Mark is the only one I believe who has said it’s the brain trust. Who is it?
Yeah, Heaney gave up a homer. The pitchers allowed two runs. How is that Roberts fault? The offense has stunk up the joint.
Bear, I already answered your question in the post you responded to. Also I said the offense has been shitty. It’s on the offense not the pitching and I said that. But Doc has a knack of using the worst relievers of the bunch when there are all the others.
Heaney was piggybacking Gonsolin. He is not normally a reliever. Doc uses what AF gives him. Heaney made one bad pitch, but lack of offense and shoddy defense cost them this series.
Sigh, So that the better you got. So it was Heaney fault? LOL.
Look how the Braves are doing. Morton 2 innings, 3 runs allowed and out. McHugh in and give now an inside the park homerun to Realmuto.
So who do you will have bring? Urias in 2 days rest? Vesia in the second inning?
Let’s get this win, Dodgers and go back to Dodgers Stadium.
Fallito, my point was that Doc has a knack of picking the worst relievers of the bunch when he has all the rest he can use. And I said the offense has been shitty and I said it is on the shitty offense that the Dodgers are now in a do or die situation.
Again, my point was that Doc has a knack of picking the worst relievers of the bunch when he has all the rest he can use. I’ve seen it over and over again.
Eric,
Let me explain something. Modern-Day baseball is different that what you are saying. Here is how Doc decides what relievers to use.
Andrew Friedman, Brandon Gomes, Jeff Kingston, David Finley, and a few others in the Front Office discuss with the training staff how each pitcher is feeling and what their availability is, and then Denny Lehman (Game Planning Communications Coach) is given tons of match up statistics and data on each pitcher, hitter, and situations.
Before Doc makes a pitching change, he has the benefit of all that input, and he discusses it with Mark Prior, Bob Geren, and Conner McGuiness. So, when Doc makes a move, he has input from about a dozen other people as well as mountains of data.
However, if you are truly smarter than all of those people and have access to all that data, you should seek employment with the Dodgers, because if you are that good they will pay you the Big Bucks.
After that, maybe you can advise brain surgeons on better techniques…
My point is: Doc is not the sole picker of relievers. It’s a collaboration, so all of the aforementioned people should be fired along with Doc!
Mark
And you know this how?
How do those guys adjust to something going wrong with their plan? Since everything is set in stone.
For example I’m sure their plan wasn’t set for Gonsolin to be removed as early as he was. So how did they adjust to that since you obviously know?
Ok, before I expend energy trying to dissect this, please tell us. What pitcher should Doc have used in that situation other than Heaney? What should he have done differently?
Martin and Treinen. Or even May. But first Martin and Treinen.
But it doesn’t matter because of the shitty offense like I’ve said now 4 times.
And this is the 3rd time I have said this. My point was that Doc has a knack of picking the worst relievers of the bunch when he has all the rest he can use.
But Mark seems to think that on the fly in game decisions are done by a thousand people in the front office.
Why? Treinen is a high leverage/setup reliever. Why would you burn him in the second inning?
dodgerpatch
I didn’t necessarily mean early in the game. I just meant to fill the rest of the innings. Could have used other guys earlier than they were used.
But so what, the Dodgers bullpen has a plethora of high leverage relievers.
Ok, so your starting pitcher didn’t have it and gave you one inning. Why would you not use a reliever who could give you multiple innings?
Treinen has not pitched all year. He was shut down during his first rehab assignment in August because of lat soreness because he wasn’t recovering between outings. Why would you use him when you used him in the previous game?
Why would you use 8 relievers in a game?
dodgerpatch
First answer, because Heaney is the worst reliever on the playoff roster if you go by regular season stats. And almost an automatic home run or more.
Second answer, there was a day off between games.
Third answer, to win an important game.
If you don’t like my answers, I also said May is a better option than Heaney.
Your abiding affection for Miguel Vargas is touching, and someday–perhaps today!–he will be a great Dodger hero.
But AF didn’t have to offer Vargas. I don’t think negotiations end with a single name. One of the deepest systems in the business, and the Reds need bodies.
Initially I was among those advocating for a Castillo-Drury package. Seattle gave up THREE of their top five prospects to get Castillo, and I’m glad the Dodgers didn’t try to top that.
But topping the Pads offer for Drury wouldn’t have been that tough or painful.
Of course it’s hard to know who might end up being Yordan Alvarez.
I guess we’re hoping Vargas is that guy.
And in today’s news, how about them Phillies?
East Coast karma: The Braves stun the Mets to take the division, and then the Phils wind up shocking the Mets AND the Braves.
Did not see that coming.
Oh, the Phils GM did make some trade season moves to set this up, getting Syndergaard and Marsh from the Angels. AF made one positive move, swapping McKinstry for Chris Martin.
Eric, for the last time, Heaney is not a reliever. He is has and always will be a starter. He was kept on the roster specifically to piggyback Gonsolin or May if they made a start. Treinen pitched exactly one inning after he came off of the IL and was not that effective.
Bear, May is a better option than Heaney. Piggy back Gonsolin and May.
I’ve said for several seasons that the front office calls the shots. That would be Andrew Friedman.
philjones wrote above that he talked to an fired manager who verified that the front office makes all the pre-game and in game calls.
Never Fear!
The Big Dodger in the Sky will smile down on the Boys in Blue tonight. Vin Scully, Tommy Lasorda, Gil Hodges, Tommy Davis, Bobby Castillo, Jackie Robinson, Roy Campenella, Junior Gilliam, Duke Snider, Mike Sharperson, Walter Alston, John Roseboro, Big D, & Maury Wills are all sitting together, providing the power for this one.
Tyler Anderson is going to show us why he will get the Qualifying Offer and then Tomorrow, Ace Urias will show that Game 1 was an anomaly!
The Dodgers will score 16 runs in the next two games.
Unleash the Kracken!
COURAGE TRUMPS FEAR… EVERY TIME!
sounds like a good plan
You may be very correct about the Dodgers breaking out of their hitting slump tonight, Mark. They certainly are due for one of those heavy scoring games.
The only question is, will our bullpen also be due for a couple of bad games after their excellent performance so far.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if we scored 7 runs tonight and T.A. and the bullpen gave up 8.
I’m rooting for the Phils and Guardians to eliminate the Braves and Yanks. At least that would make the pundits spread their talk of shame around a little if we lose this series.
“…Hell…when a man’s lights are about to go out…THE FAT LADY CAN’T SING IF IT’S NOT OVER!”
https://kikliko.com/the-fat-lady-cant-sing-if-its-not-over
I have seen this movie and heard these same complaints many times before. Maybe the script changes and maybe the Padres pull off the huge upset. And it would be huge. They are fired up and motivated to slay the dragon from the north. So far, they have outpitched, out strategized and definitely brought their defensive game into play. But as always in sports, the best team does not always win. You look back at all of the Dodgers World Series year and the only season they were the best and won was 2020. Some say it isn’t a real championship. But that is bull. All the other teams played under the same rules and in front of zero people. The Dodgers pulled off the win. And they had to come from being down 3-1 against the Braves to do it. But in 55, 59, 63, 65, 81, and 88, all the other teams were better on paper than the Dodgers. I think the 5-day layoff affected this team a lot. I also think that the holes that have been there all year, aka Bellinger, Taylor, and after the deadline, Gallo, have done nothing to change the narrative. Only Muncy has shown much improvement. Roberts started Thompson against Snell because he favored the matchup, but Thompson has not shown all year since he came over that he can hit lefty’s, which is strange because one of the reasons the Dodgers made that deal was that he was killing lefties at AAA. Joey Gallo was 2-5 against Snell with both of those hits being homers. Personally, I would have gone with Gallo over Thompson. So now it is a game at a time. Tonight is the most important game of the year. They need to play flawless baseball. Something they have not done these first three games. Pitching failed them last year. This is on the offense.
The 2020 title is legit. Maybe even more legit than in other years. Dodgers were the best team in the regular season but did not get the much deserved home field advantage. They had to do it on a neutral side without fans.
Case closed.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Per your Thompson and Gallo comment it’s funny the front office uses analytics until they don’t. Not always consistent.
The 6th inning of the Phillies/Braves game.
Maybe a hit batter (not overturned on replay)
A flare hit. A soft-grounder. A broken bat.
Not a single hit, I believe, over 80mph exit velocity.
Who said the MLB playoffs aren’t total crapshoots.
And to add to that the #’s 5 and 6 seeds in NL could be in NLCS! 111, 101, 101, 93 possibly could mean nothing now! But I still have faith in our Dodgers!
It means a great deal more than nothing.
Dodgers lineup no Bellinger ?
Betts (R) RF
T Turner (R) SS
F Freeman (L) 1B
W Smith (R) C
M Muncy (L) 3B
J Turner (R) DH
T Thompson (R) CF
C Taylor (R) LF
G Lux (L) 2B
We will win tonight.
And I’m tired of all the blame Roberts BS.
Player X gets 3 hits and drives in 5…. He’s the hero
Players X goes 0 for 5 with 4 strikeouts and it’s ……..”Freaking Dave Roberts!! He needs to go!!”
Our pitchers did their job. They were great. Out bullpen has been stellar. Why doesn’t Roberts get credit for that? Our hitters sucked. They aren’t sock puppets controlled by the manager. They have to hit the ball themselves. They didn’t.
It’s frustrating. I get it. But this over analysis and Roberts blaming is just lame.
Hit the damn ball. Simple as that. And Roberts can’t do that for them.
Roberts has no feel for the game and no Plan B.
When your hitters are not getting the hits, have them bunt in certain situations to move over runners or squeeze them in, put the ball in play that way and put pressure on the defense. Take the runs any way you can instead of relying on the 3 run homer all the time.
And I am tired of all the Roberts apologist. Besides his lack of a PLan B he is a horrible motivator. A kings ransom for a Tommy Lasorda to replace this puppet on a string.
His post season failures have reached historical proportions already.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!
You make the playoffs every year. Get to three World Series. Win one.
What a colossal post season failure. He’s the least successful active manager in Major League Baseball. Except for absolutely all the others.
No manager currently employed by a professional baseball organization (in any league, in any country) wouldn’t give their left nut to be such a failure.
By that logic; Tom Brady is getting a divorce. What a loser. Can’t even keep a damn women. Sure glad I’m not him.
Well, I am glad for you that you are so happy with Roberts and making the playoffs every year only to lose out because he often gets outmanaged in critical situations.
BTW, Dodgers in all of his years had a Top 3 payroll and one of the best farm system in the league. Talent abound. One WS title and that one only because he finally was forced to turn away from Jansen and insert Julio to close out games.
The eye test says this man is an average manager who benefits mightly from the money and talent on the Dodgers. I really hope sometime he manages another MLB team so every one can see what he is with lesser talent.
I got a case fo the flu and will go to bed now, game time is not before 3.30 am here in Germany. Much too late for me , will watch it on MLB TV archive tomorrow morning. Keep my fingers crossed we will see a game 5.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is reported that several inmates have escaped from the asylum and are posting here on LADT about Doc.
Phillies play us next week.
Yes. Yes, they do!
Those are for the Dodgers tonight!
Oh my God, The Braves got knocked out. The Dodgers have a chance at avoiding both the Mets and the Braves. If they are not knocked out themselves.
9:37 PM ET
Dodgers (111-51)
Padres (89-73)
SP Tyler Anderson L
15-5 2.57 ERA
SP Joe Musgrove R
10-7 2.93 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Trea Turner R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
DH J. Turner R
CF T. Thompson R
LF Chris Taylor R
2B Gavin Lux L
Partly-cloudy-night
0% Rain
68° Wind 5 mph L-R
NO Bellinger in the lineup against a right hand pitcher
Joe Torre was a ‘terrible’ manger for about 12 years. Then came to Yankees and somehow was the best ever. And what about Mattingly. Why couldn’t he win with Marlins??
So what was Roberts ‘biggest’ problem? Bat Trea first or second. Boy what a dilemma
What changed?
Let’s all calm down with who blame for the Dodgers performance so far in this series. With the two favorites in the NL knocked out of the playoffs the Dodgers have a smoother road to the World Series if they can win the next two games. Let’s watch, root, and hope for a Dodger victory.
Carry on.
Good advice. This isn’t over yet. Our water facet act has been seen before. The facet is off right now but I’ve seen it turned wide open from day to day. Hope it’s tonight.
It’s funny. You don’t hear dick from many of the 100 posters who have suddenly made an appearance when we’re on the mat.
If the Dodgers lose to that shitty team, I’m done.
Now the new shitty team would be the Dodgers.
10 years going to the playoffs, and all for what? To always lose.
If they lose against those clowns, the shame will be too much, and we are tired of the same result every year.
Every day you read the same thing, that they are the best, that the best players broke their winning record, the best minor league players, that is the best time to be a Dodgers fan, leaders in many categories, but when will the ring?
I will not blame Roberts, it is true that he does not make the decisions alone, he does not throw, he does not hit, he does not run, he does not field, that is the responsibility of the players, of the ”super stars”
But for some reason, he can’t win, maybe he’s a good manager, but it’s not for this team, maybe it’s time to make changes in the office, in the management, in the coaching staff, something must be done now!
Just as changes were made in the lineup, due to the poor results, there should also be changes at a responsible level, not only the players should bear the blame, and it is very evident that something is not being done well, something is not working, It is time for changes, not only of position and order at bat.
If they lose against those assholes, no more for me, it’s over!
Until Dodgers are champions again, I just hope I’m still alive by then
So Jorge, if the Padres win this series are you going to become a Padre fan?
Who’s your favorite player going to be, Machado or Tatis?
Then you are not really a Dodger fan. I waited from 88 to 2020. Go on, get outta’ here – you are not worthy!
I’m gonna bet San Diego has a fat lady sing the NA before the game tonight but it ain’t gonna work. I hope they do that as it will only motivate the Dodgers to go to work. Wake up Dodgers! Break whatever the postseason curse is that is witching baseball. I’m talking mostly to Mookie who had better be the sparkplug to ignite the Dodgers back on the field. Don’t let me down!
GAWDDAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!
Dodgers forever.
No matter what !
Hey, I’m from Brooklyn and I STILL am a Dodger fan
For the Record:
Win or Lose, I am a Dodger fan. I bleed Dodger Blue.
If you do not love the Dodgers through thick and thin, you are an apostate!
You will be dealt with harshly by the Big Dodger in the Sky!
Ya but what if the Dodgers lose to those sons of bitches ass clown mother fuckers?
I will gulp, put on my big boy pants and seize the day.
Seattle v Houston. Jesus.
Can Bregman pitch? Altuve?
Yes. It’s at that point.
17 innings?
Ended at 18. 1 run in 18 innings. And the Astros won. Dodgers couldn’t do that in 9 yesterday.
Tyler Anderson looks sharp!!
Good start!
Let’s Go Dodgers!
My goodness, the Guardians walked off the Yankees!
Why would Taylor and Thompson think they were going to get a fastball with 2 strikes???
Because they are not good hitters.
Oh. I never considered that
The hitting is still not there yet but at least they scored two runs.
Oh no Graterol is warming up hopefully Anderson continues to do good.
Do you really take Anderson out of the game right now.
Yes. He is at the edge.
But, where will Martin be ?
At this stage it becomes a game of attrition. Pitching will typically neutralize good hitting. Gotta grind ABs and look to take advantage of mistakes. Pitching, defense and exploiting opportunities on offense is the best recipe for success in a series likes this. Gotta compete, which is what both of these teams are doing. If you’re expecting offensive domination from either team, this is not the series for that.
Damn the Dodgers had a chance to put the game away right there.
Yes and we cannot get 1 clutch hit
God willing the pen can get us to game 5
Now a run scores and nobody’s out. Dammit.
Taylor should not get another ab this October!
With a 3 run lead in the 7th. Belli should be in CF. Just sayin.
This is the end if the Padres get the lead with how bad the offense has been
That’s it we’re done.
Oh shit!
That was a mistake pitch. Why would they speed up his bat? He was late on the fastball.
Big assist from the home plate ump. Two different zones all night long. He kept Musgrove in the game with his huge zone. The Dodgers pitchers didn’t get that same zone.
Should have kept Anderson in less chances for the bullpen to cough it up.
Damn it don’t give up it ain’t over. 2 runs ain’t sh!t.
Let’s see what the former Junkyard Dogs can do now !
LETS GO DODGERS
This is on Doc. Anderson should have gotten the sixth and then we use Martin in the seventh or later. But having said that it would have been nice to score
More than just one run with the bases loaded sand nobody out. I’ve seen enough of JT- he’s done.
This is NOT on Roberts! Its on every player not named Freeman and Anderson and Phillips!
Sir, he would have to face Kim, Soto & Machado, the same 3 that fuck us in the 7th.
Roberts sucks
Good luck against Josh Hader in the ninth.
Time to start talking about free agents and roster building for next year.
And the best reliever on the roster Phillips is now finally in the game when the game is already over.
Well the 300 mil crapshoot hasn’t worked. Next year lets try the 200 mil crapshoot and sneak into the playoffs as a wild card. It worked this year. No Bellinger, Kershaw, JT, TT, Kimbrel, and Heaney. This team needs a reset! Let the kids play
Betts turner freeman . It CAN be done.
Just get us to extras. I’m doing that praying hands thing!
Fuk me DEAD!
Utter embarrassment
Choke or joke? This has to be the worst Dodger loss I can remember. The corporate Dodgers have been defeated. Whose blood will run in the streets?
At least we didnt have to face deGrom and Scherzer!
I hear the Marlins need a third base coach. ROBERTS???
Didn’t even take it 5. Get the F out of here you BUMS.
I called it all Anderson should’ve handed the ball over to Phillips to get it done.
But the offense sucked too.
You nailed it.
I am way too old and have seen this way too many times to get upset. The Dodgers were the best until they weren’t. So now you can start thinking about next year. I think Kershaw comes back to get to 200 wins. As a Dodger? Maybe. I also think there will be some changes in the lineup. JT’s bat was alarmingly missing. He was not catching up to fastballs, I think his run as a everyday player in LA is over. They need a top-notch defender at third. Max Muncy is not that guy. They will have to make a decision on Bellinger. I think that at this point there is a very good chance he will be non-tendered. He certainly is not worth 18 million a year. They are going to have to re-tool the bench. There will be changes in the pen for sure. They need a more balanced rotation. Hopefully May will be back and healthy. There will be no Buehler. Gonsolin can be a solid # 3. After that it is a crap shoot. I think Trea Turner is going to sign somewhere else and the Dodgers will look elsewhere for a long term solution at SS,
111-51 regular season, 1-3 post season. That and $3.50 will get you a cup of coffee. Like we seem to always say “Wait’ll next year!”
All in all it was a fun season to watch. But the warts we talked about all year, aka leaving a ton of runners on base, not really having good seasons from the bottom of the order except at times Lux, and the fact that injury can turn the entire thing into a bad can of worms popped up at the end and bit them. They had a lot of walking wounded on the playoff roster and putting Vargas on the roster and then not using him at all when Alberto could have been a valuable piece was a total waste of a roster spot. Blake Treinen was ineffective in his only appearance and was not used again. May was on the roster and never was used. Urias and Anderson gave them 5 innings and so did Kersh. But only Anderson had a clean outing. I believe Roberts pulled him an inning too soon. I also think they relied too much on the pen. 5 runs, 3 runs, 1 run and 3 runs from a team that averaged over 5 a game all season. The layoff definitely affected them. But one thing I know for certain, the get rid of Roberts chants are going to be louder than ever because this season has ended up in the most disappointing loss of all, to the Padres. A team they dominated all year.
Go Phillies!
No doubt a lot of factors in this series, but what I saw was one team desperate for victory. The other team sort of going through the motions expecting to win.
Hats off to those guys hungry enough to fight for it.
Not a Padres fan but a fan of what they brought to this series.
Winning the World Series is hard.
The Padres doing us dirty sucks. A fucking lot.
This wasn’t Roberts. This wasn’t management. We just didn’t do it. We didn’t do it.
That said, there is criticism of management that is valid. I’m sure we will be exploring that subject.
After I have vomited out my guts.
Dry heaved out my heart. And my liver.
I’ll be ok in a few days.
Leif
.
Hang in there buddy, there will obviously be changes coming. One thing I can say, I won’t be watching any of the rest of the games. I can concentrate on articles for this site and my music. And USC football. A one-point loss to Utah tonight on the road, won’t hurt them much in the standings. But Alabama losing to Tennessee, that was great.
Congratulations Dodger’s for a great season. Once again a disappointing finish. Oh, well. However it was a fun game to watch until it wasn’t. As much as I dislike the Padres I was really impressed with the energy of their fans the last two games. Best of luck against the Philly’s.
Go Phillies!
Because this kind of sucks… That deal for Hader is now looking good too.
“BEAT LA” was their goal. Mission accomplished.
But there sure were some WTF?s in this series.
For starters, why did Gallo and Vargas make the postseason roster? What was the purpose? Was it because they look good sitting on the bench?
And why was Taylor batting against Musgrove, a righty? There must be more to the story of why Belli was sitting so much, even against righthanders.
Is this a sudden total loss of faith? He came into pinch hit for Taylor after Taylor surprised no one by striking out THREE TIMES. (Well, maybe 3 is a surprise. Twice wouldn’t have been.)
So yeah…. WTF???
Is there more to the story?
To understand what’s wrong with this once-mighty 111-win team, take a look at the Guardians and all their youth and enthusiasm. Promoting from within can add a lot of energy, and hunger, as opposed to trading for a guy like Gallo.
You know who else got outplayed this season?
AF did. He got outplayed by the Padres’ AJ Preller, who made some bold (and not-so-bold) moves to get Soto, Bell, Drury and Hader. Those moves paid off–and Soto really hasn’t done much yet.
Ever get the sense that the Dodgers believed their own hype? I do.
I’m left the tie impression that Bellinger will go untendered, and Trea will take a better offer elsewhere.
The bench sucked this year including Alberto. What was Doc suppose to do with the position players? Play Barnes over Smith? How about Gallo over whoever? How about Vargas over whoever? NO. I don’t blame Doc for the offense, there were no better options.
But you don’t take out a starting pitcher after only 5 innings when he has a shutout going and you are in a do or die situation. And you go with your best, the best reliever Phillips. Anderson for 7 innings and then Phillips for 2 innings if possible. If not possible and you need to fill one more inning with another reliever then so be it. This part is on Doc.
The main problem this series was the offense/hitting. The next problem was Doc.
Barnes hit .667 for the series going 2-3. Smith hit .166.
When I was shocked to here Josh Hader got traded, I said that was a missed opportunity to get a great reliever/closer. Yes I talked about Robertson and Chaffin a lot (due to looking at only teams that were out of it), but I wasn’t expecting Josh Hader to be traded, it shocked me. And look at the number he did on the Dodgers.
I knew there would be at least 2 holes in the bullpen.
Goodbye TT!!! Goodbye Belli! Goodbye Joey Gallo!
Goodbye hitting coach, and Taylor
Taylor just signed a 4 year deal, he isn’t going anywhere, and he has been hurt. He should not have even been on the roster. Neither should have Vargas.
To say it mildly: The roster construction for this series was strange.
Gonsolin and May.
Gallo and Taylor.
All 4 guys should probably not have been on the team to begin with. Thats a pretty stupid way to handcuff yourself from the get go.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!
The difference between a bad haircut and a good haircut is two weeks. Seems the same follows for baseball teams.
Ya, well
Padres suck.
I hope they all get ball cancer.
Yes. I know. Saying that ain’t cool.
Not sorry.
Ball cancer. All of them Mo Fos. Every last one.
I’m not afraid of Karma.
Screw the Padres.
No, don’t wish that on nobody. I’d rather wish for a dodger team with tenacious fighting spirit, and inspiring leadership, and that is mean and nasty when they have to be.
Wow, what a suckerpunch that was. Just finished watching it and feel sick to my stomach (and not because of the flu symptoms I suffer).
Two good articles by Plaschke and Hernandez in the LA Times, pretty much sums everything up.
I hope sweeping changes will come to Chavez Ravine over this winter. Baseball Gods know they HAVE to come.
And it has to start up at the top with Friedmann and Roberts (who finally decided to play some small ball and Wow, it really worked, should have done it earlier and we might be still alive).
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pretty well said … frankly, I’m as frustrated as I have ever been in my life. The Dodgers aren’t the Dodgers anymore. There’s no real leadership on the team, Roberts doesn’t understand the importance of fundamentals, and the franchise, in general, has simply too much of everything. Too much money, too much talent, wonderful living conditions, and on and on. They are soft, have had everything handed to them … there just isn’t any grit anywhere. I miss Sandy. I miss Don. I miss Orel. I miss Steve. I miss Gibby. And I really miss Vinnie! Thankful and blessed to have those guys in my memory bank.
Very well said bro. You said it better than anybody
GOOD articles written by Plaschke and Hernandez? LOL. That’s a good one!
where do you think they are wrong ?
Just curious if you read them.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subscribed to the LA Times for many years mostly to read the sports section. Discontinued that subscription many years ago mostly due to the moronic opinions of Bill Plaschke and Dylan Hernandez.
Management will want some changes and I’m not sure Roberts survives this epic meltdown, but I am certain RVS will not.
The Dodgers need a complete new offensive approach and execution. Too reliant on HRs and not good situational/fundamental baseball.
This loss will take awhile to get over and like most of us here I’ll
do a post mortem analysis later, but for now I hope to never see Bellinger in a Dodger uniform again. I got over seeing Piazza wear a Mets uni, I got over Pedro Martinez wearing an Expos uni, hell Orel once wore a Giants uniform. Bellinger will not get tendered in my opinion. Doesn’t start in games three and four of a playoff game and you can get out form under a $17-20 million commitment is too easy of a decision for AF. Let him rebuild his worth in Miami or Cincinnati but for goodness gracious get him out of Chavez Ravine.
As for JT please call it a career and move into coaching but your playing days are over. Bat is too slow and it looks painful to see him walk.
More to follow but I look forward to seeing MTs, Evan’s and B&P off season projections
We are the Atlanta Braves that were under Stan Kasten: From 1991 to 2005 the Braves were one of most consistently winning teams in baseball. The Braves won a record 14 straight division titles, five National League pennants, and ONE World Series title in 1995.
As I’ve stated before the 2022 playoff roster was not constructed for a winning outcome? Why was Gonsolin ,May, Gallo, Bellinger Taylor ( injured) and Vargas on the roster? Our starting pitching lacked depth and our hitting approach with runners in scoring position was disgusting. AF needs a major overhaul of the 2023 roster.
TeddyRaymond made the same point about Roberts/ Bobby Cox . For all that success and winning seasons, one WS.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Different cast, same ole story. Starting pitcher pulled during a 5 inning shutout, overused bullpen, platoon disadvantage, and questionable roster decisions. But, how the hell do the bats go so cold?
Rest or rust? What was the need to rest so many position players at the end of the season when you knew there was going to be 5 days off?
The worst move last night was going to Vesia once Almonte settled in. Got to exploit that lefty, lefty matchup. We’ve seen it a thousand times before. And just to add insult to injury, reported miscommunication about Vesia being ready. How does “The Great Communicator” always seem to miscommunicate in the postseason?
Of course, a Dodgers postseason wouldn’t be complete without pulling a starting pitcher too early.
You have to wonder if Belli would have caught one or two of those balls in CF in that fateful inning. With a three-run lead and a cold offense, wouldn’t it be best to have your best defensive alignment in the field? Was Muncy a better choice at 3B than JT? To me, I think JT is a better fielder.
I’m not ready to speak to the offseason right now as far as the players are concerned, but you can get rid of the entire coaching staff except for Prior.
Harper was one of the guys that most didn’t want to sign. Same with Machado.
I can’t think of a more repugnant World Series than the Podres and the Astros.
This hurts.
It will be interesting to see how Andrew improves the team. We need a new 3rd baseman and maybe a new shortstop.
Cody Bellinger is and always has been a clutch post season player. Last year he was one of our better offensive players even coming off a poor season. He has gotten numerous big hits in the post seasons past and he should have been in the line up the whole time.
A former ROY and MVP who is just reaching his prime age wise and is STILL recovering from injury has the potential to be that player again. Wanting to get rid of him is just short sighted.
I hate to lose Belli’s glove, but it’s best for The Dodgers AND for Belli that he get a new start somewhere else.