I think that in an hour or two, the rosters will be out. I think it will be Pages over Keirmaier, and if you think otherwise, you aren’t paying attention. I also think Henriquez will make the cut. The Dodgers will carry 13 pitchers. No question. They need as many bullpen arms as possible! This will be the staff the Dodgers carry: Anthony Banda, Ryan Brasier, Walker Buehler, Jack Flaherty, Edgardo Henriquez, Daniel Hudson, Joe Kelly, Landon Knack, Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Everyone is comparing the rosters and voting on who will win… and of course, that is how the game is played: A computer ingests all the data, and the baseball writers vote on the winner, and they are anointed! Right? Of course, that is absurd, and it is just as absurd to worry about things out of your control. I am simply going to enjoy this series, and win or lose, I will go on with my life. I might be a little sadder for a couple of days, but that’s life.
I do know this: No one picked the Rangers last year, and Alana Rizzo picked the Phillies, so the fact she picked the Padres this year means Zero, Zip, Zilch, Nada! It’s a crapshoot. With 12 teams in the playoffs, anything can happen… and it does. The Padres could sweep the Dodgers, and Freddie and Mookie could gag on their bats. Shohei and Max could screw themselves into the ground on every swing, and the Dodger starters could have a 9.00 ERA… but that is not likely. I think what is more likely is that the Dodgers are going to come out breathing fire and go scorched earth on the Friars. But it’s baseball, and that is why they play the game. PLAY BALL!
I have gone to other sites, and Dodger fans are already so miserable worrying about this or that. What lunacy! Enjoy the process. What the hell is wrong with you?
Think about that one… if you are inclined!
I agree the bullpen will be the key. I’ve just become accustomed to our starters going 5 innings max, so that means the pen needs to cover roughly 8 innings the next 2 days before a day off. These guys can absolutely do that!
It is 6:30am, and I’m already packing up my blood pressure meds to take with me to Game 1. I may still need more!
Having had sprained ankles during my years as a distance runner, I was very skeptical about Freddie returning this soon. When I saw that video of him running at Dodger Stadium, he looked pretty good. Of course, he wasn’t running all out.
On another team Freddie could just switch to DH. So he will just have to go as hard as he can , for as long as he can. Hopefully we’ll be ahead 10-2 late in the game and he can get a little rest
My Daughter believes that what a person puts out to the universe through their words and thoughts (expectations) is what becomes their reality.
I have worried about getting eliminated from the playoffs in the past. Not this year!
Maybe having the best team in Baseball and Shohei Ohtani showing the world what he is capable of, have me thinking that we are going to win the World Series.
Well , “it” has finally arrived. Time to put aside all the worries and the “what if’s”.
We all know the Dodgers have the ability in spades to beat ANY team as they demonstrated. No one knows better than they the disappoint of 2022 & 2023. Doc knows whatever he said during those series didn’t work. I see them putting it all together and putting the Padres in their place – back in San Diego. GO DODGERS!!!!
Go blue
Roster is out.
Yes, Ohtani made it!
So did Henriquez. Guess they got rubber stamped by the Commissioner’s office.
No Joe Kelly. No KK
https://x.com/FabianArdaya/status/1842618670297874741
Here’s the Dodgers’ full 26-man roster.
Starters: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler, Landon Knack
Relievers: Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech, Daniel Hudson, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Anthony Banda, Edgardo Henriquez, Michael Grove, Ryan Brasier
Catchers: Will Smith, Austin Barnes
Infielders: Freddie Freeman, Gavin Lux, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas, Kiké Hernández
Outfielders: Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández, Tommy Edman, Andy Pages, Chris Taylor
Designated hitter: Shohei Ohtani
No quarrel with any of it!
NO Joe Kelly!
I’d like a healthy Joe Kelly, but he has been damaged all year.
I wouldn’t rule him out of the NLCS.
I think the most likely candidates for Joe to replace is either Hudson or Henriquez depending on how they do when they’re called up to the mound.
Happy with it
Re-signng JK was a mistake from Day 1
Looking forward to watching the Dodgers – Padres series. I think you could make the case that these are the two best teams in baseball. The post season has already provided some surprising results with the Orioles and Astros eliminated in sweeps courtesy of the Tigers and Royals. I feel better about the Dodgers’ chances this year than either of the last two years. One big reason is obviously Ohtani and to a lesser degree Teoscar. This line up is better than any post season line up the Dodgers have had in recent memory, in my opinion. While starting pitching is a notch below the Padres they are not running out Kershaw, Miller, and Lynn like last year. Whatever the result they have had a great year considering the injuries they have endured, especially to their pitching staff. This team has also risen to the occasion in three big series recently – winning three of four against the Diamondbacks in Arizona, winning the last two games of a four game series against Atlanta on the road after dropping the first two and taking two out of three against the Padres last week. When they have been pushed against good teams they have responded. Time will tell. Enjoy.
That’s the point!
Some fans are just so miserable. I pity them…
There is plenty to be excited about! The Dodgers have made the playoffs for 12 consecutive seasons. The 2024 LAD are assured home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Given the fact the playoffs have become a complete crapshoot, our chance of winning is as good as any other team.
Our starting pitching is the weakest link at the moment, but make no mistake, most starters are a bit run down this time of the year. While teams may sport healthier pitching staffs than the Dodgers, hardly any pitcher is 100% this time of the year.
How can anyone not look forward to the LAD-SDP series? As a baseball fan, how can you not be excited about two quality teams facing off?
Some exciting baseball lies ahead of us. I pity the faint of heart.
I still haven’t gotten over Joe Kelly breaking Hanley Ramirez’s ribs some years ago when he was on the Cardinals. Cost us any chance we had that year.
Kershaw’s injured toe has not improved, and he won’t be available to pitch again in 2024 regardless of how far the Dodgers advance in the playoffs, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
“Kershaw is dealing with a bone spur in his left big toe and hasn’t pitched since Aug. 30. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated Saturday that the issue may have gotten worse as the veteran southpaw has tried to prepare for a return, and that will prevent Kershaw from pitching again this season. The future Hall of Famer was limited to a career-low seven appearances in 2024 and posted a 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 24:9 K:BB over 30 innings”.
This although no one wants to hear it is very good news.
He will have surgery and be back next year.
He can still pitch effectively if he is injury-free.
His arm sure didn’t get worn out this year
The Boys in Blue have a hot date with Destiny. They are together and they are confident! Time to tailgate. Cause we are going all the way.
Book em
Freeman not starting?
NOT TRUE!!!
8:38 PM ET
Padres (93-69)
Dodgers (98-64)
SP Dylan Cease R
14-11 3.47 ERA
SP Y. Yamamoto R
7-2 3.00 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
LF T. Hernandez R
3B Max Muncy L
C Will Smith R
2B Gavin Lux L
CF Tommy Edman S
SS Miguel Rojas R
81° Wind 6 mph Out
Padres might have slightly better starting pitching. But in today’s baseball, starters rarely have anything to do with the outcome. Relievers do. Case in point. Zach Wheeler. What a shame.
Book em
Mark. Are you rooting against the Mets or Phillies in that series. Or do you not care ?
I don’t really care, but the Mets feel like last year’s D-Bags.
We just saw that great starting pitching means Zilch!
Thanks, Mark.
Well, this sucks I had literally read and posted that if you had MLB you could listen to the FS1 and fox broadcast and now I see that I need to be part of a participating pay TV provider. Total bullshit! That likely means I will only be able to get games that are actually on the fox broadcast not the FS1. I love the Dodgers but I hate the MLB
Best takeaway from this game, Treinan coming up huge with the game on the line. But hey, we put up 7 runs on the Madres pitching staff in the opening game. HUGE confidence builder going forward without Muncy even firing up, Ohtani is just built for this stage, dude is a monster,
Mmkay
The outcome in G1 is the exact reason why the game is played. The so called insiders/experts declared the SDP the favorites to win. How did that prediction workout? Personally, I believe the Pads made a mistake by starting Cease and not King in G1. Nevertheless, the Dodgers offense and bullpen came up big tonight. On to G2.
Go Blue!
Holy crap – the walks made the last 2-innings nerve wracking. Treinan wasn’t his best but thankfully “good enough”. I have to think Kopech will not be as amped up the next time he pitches.
I still do not have much faith in Evans – he is not missing any bats like earlier in the season.
Bottom of the lineup was the reason we won – allowing Ohtani and Teo to come through in the moment.
Hopefully Betts comes through when the opportunities come up today as you wonder if Ohtani starts getting the Barry Bonds treatment.
You get the feeling that whoever wins this series will win the whole thing!