Dragonslayer?

Posted By on October 10, 2022

We Have Nothing to Fear… But Fear Itself!

In 1988, the Mets beat the Dodgers like rented mules during the regular season. If my memory serves me correctly, the record against the Mets was one win and eleven losses! However, that all changed come playoff time. We all know how it turned out. The Mets were smoked by the obviously outmatched (and undermanned) Dodgers. Maybe the Mets were overconfident. Maybe the Dodgers were just confident. Maybe it was both. That year the Dodgers were 5-5 in their last ten games… and they lost the last game of the season. They were not particularly hot. The series with the Mets went seven games, with the Dodgers winning the 7th game.

The Dodger’s regular season record of 1-11 against the Mets meant nothing, zero, zilch! I am going to suggest that the Dodgers’ 14-5 record against the Padres this year means NOTHING to the Dodgers, but it does mean SOMETHING to the Padres! It means that the Padres have something to prove. Add in the fact that they just beat the Mets, who for most of the season were the media darlings to win, and add in momentum and renewed confidence, and the Dodgers had better bring their A-Game. In fact, they should play like they are the underdogs.

The Dodgers should not be fearful unless they are fearful of fear. If the Dodgers play their game, they will win, but they should go into this series like Junkyard Dogs. I think Darvish will start game one for the Padres (but I hope it is Cleavinger), and Clayton Kershaw will start for the Dodgers… not because Clayton is the Ace, but because if Clayton starts game one and Julio starts game two, both pitchers could be available for game five. Make no mistake; the Dodgers are going to need them all.

I think this will be the Game One lineup for the Dodgers:

  1. Betts RF
  2. Turner SS
  3. Freeman 1B
  4. Smith C
  5. Muncy 3B
  6. Turner DH
  7. Lux 2B
  8. Bellinger CF
  9. Gallon LF

The Dodgers will need to jump on Yu Darvish (or Cleavinger), and if they do, that mental midget will cave in. Don’t let him get confidence.

I do not think Kimbrel will be on the roster, and if Taylor is hurt, Vargas will take his place; Hanser Alberto is a lock!

Padres owner Peter Seidler said the Dodgers are “the dragon up the freeway that we’re trying to slay.” Bring it, Peter. Doc: that should be posted all over the clubhouse! The Rosters will be out soon, but we all know how the Dodgers stack up. If they play their game, no one can beat them. The Padres have renewed confidence – the Dodgers need to bring it fast and furious.

This article has 34 Comments

  1. 1-10 Mark, one game was rained out and not replayed. No biggie. Sure, the Pads are amped up after beating NY and they should be. They beat Scherzer and they beat Bassitt. But deGrom shut them down. Dodgers totally dissed by the post-game crew because most likely it will be the same three pitchers for the Padres, Darvish, Snell and Musgrove. They forget the Padres have to beat the Dodgers best too. And the Dodgers best have out pitched the Padres all year. Machado also did something to his leg last night. Fear them? No, respect them yes. Dodgers outscored SD 109-47 in those 19 games. Urias and Anderson beat them twice and Kershaw once.

  2. I thought I was strong willed. I thought if I put my mind to something I could do it. But I was wrong. I want to apologize to everyone here. I tried to root for the Padres but I couldn’t go thru with it. I lasted an agonizing 11 innings before I couldn’t take it anymore. The Pads are the most irritating team and try to use it as a weapon.
    It didn’t take Soto long to to fit right in to the Padres bullshit Gamesmanship and hot-dogging. He might have been talking to himself at the plate but it sure looked like Soto was talking to the pitcher to throw him a strike. Tauting the pitcher. It makes me long for Gibson or Drysdale on the bump and see how that shit would have played.
    * This game begged for a pitch clock – and batter’s clock. Now I understanding trying to break a pitcher’s rhythm but come on! It’s designed to just piss off the other team and get into their heads. The stepping in and out of the box, like 4 time outs per plate appearance is irritating. Than the pitcher starts stepping off, throwing out the baseballs…….can we please play here?
    * Then Showalter has to retaliate, requesting Musgrove be strip searched on the mound. So Musgrove does the little nose wipe thing toward Buck as he exited. Even Eddie Perez said why do that? Don’t rile the Mets up. Why did Musgrove do it? Because they’re pricks, Eddie.
    * Next year the pitch clock will hopefully be enforced and put an end to this nonsense. The pitcher and batter get ONE time out per at bat. Stall tactics and Gamesmanship over. I really do understand an attempted to disrupt the pitcher but this got ridiculous. There’s no evidence that I know of to suggest it works. It would be the opposite for me. If I was an infielder during this crap I’d be digging a hole to China.
    * But why can’t the HPU and the Umpiring Crew put an end to it? Just deny the times out? They can do that with requests by the batter for a late time before a pitch and we all know the batter doesn’t have to be awarded the time out. Just say NO.
    Why can’t the Crew Chief and umpires communicate with both Skippers, that the time outs are over and they won’t be granted. Get up there and hit. Get up there and pitch. Let’s move along.
    * After the strip search on the mound, David Cone said something interesting. Now days they check for sticky stuff. In older times they checked for slippery stuff to load up the ball. KY Jelly, Vaseline, Spit.
    * You know the Padres are going to try to get under our skin as well. There is some desperation on their part and they know, despite the arrogant exterior, that we are better than they are. We need to play our game and not get caught up in the rat poison.

  3. If it’s Darvish, I would start Thompson and not Gallo vs the RHP as he rakes righties.
    If Gallo gets the start, I would not have Gallo and Belli back to back in the 8 and 9 holes.
    Put Belli in the 7 hole. He hits his best at .234 there.

    Lux, at 2nd, in the 8 hole, where he hits .333. He breaks up Gallo and Belli.
    If it’s Gallo, he would be the 9 hole.
    Again, I would not start Gallo against RHP where he hits .177 compared to Thompson’s .295.
    And notice I didn’t correct the Gallon spelling, Mark. I know what the player’s name is. Now if Zack Gallen was hitting 9th, we’d have a story.

  4. Darvish is NOT going to start game 1 on 3 days rest. My guess is Clevinger and Urias. Advantage Dodgers….

      1. They do not have many other options, you know they are not going to start Manaea since LA has pounded him as a starter. Their pen is pretty good.

    2. You are probably right. Anyway, Pads have to worry about a Dodger staff that had their number all year, including after the trade for Soto. They never sniffed LA after July.

      1. Play our game we will be fine.

        Pads are going to have all sorts of antics but it comes down to Pitching, Hitting and Fielding and we are better in just about every aspect.

        I like our chances here….

      1. Darvish pitched Friday night, game 1 is Tuesday, that is 3 days rest.

        Darvish aint going game 1.

        1. You are right… for some reason, I thought the game was Thursday. Time is weird here in Hawaii… 6 hours off from home.

          2. Too many near death experiences. Maybe you can get some covid too, for the third time. 😉

  8. Assuming that Gallo actually makes the roster, he shouldn’t be starting no matter who the Padres throw.
    Trayce’s stats against both righties and lefties are vastly better than Gallo’s.
    If they insist on putting Gallo on the roster, save him for late in the game when you desperately need a homer and are willing to risk the more likely outcome of a strike out.

    1. … or if you want to increase the odds, put hi out there more. The more chances he has the better the chance he runs into one.

      1. Great idea Mark. I’ve petitioned the league office to allow us to start Gallo in left, center and right field. That gives him three times as many chances. lol

    2. STB, I absolutely agree with you on Gallo. I had hoped that young Vargas would do well enough to earn a playoff roster spot as a pinch hitter, But he hasn’t. His time will start next year. So Gallo makes the roster by default and as a pinch hitter only. I have no starts at all for Gallo. Left field is covered by Thompson against RHP. Against LHP it could be the Batboy. Actually, CT3 wins again by default if you look at batting averages; CT3 .200, Thompson .169, Gallo .114. I could live with Thompson there vs both with Gallo and CT3 bench pieces.

      1. Considering how CT3 seems to rise to the occasion in October, I’d be fine with giving him the start against southpaws, assuming he’s healthy.

        1. Exactly. Roll CT3 out there. No Vargas and Gallo only gets to hit in the perfect, ideal situation late in the game.

  9. Some of Kershaw’s brightest moments came playing against San Diego. I forget the actual score but one season opening game Kershaw homered and Dodgers had around 21,22 runs against maybe 2 for Padres. His most perfect no hitter was against San Diego if I am remembering correctly. I don’t hate San Diego as much as some of us here, I mean after all their Stadium they share with Dodgers as they welcome sometimes Dodger fans to more than half the seats there. I think Mets helped making Musgrove look so great. We’ll see how Dodgers make him look. No disrespect but I can’t remember him looking that good playing us.

  10. Cheer for your Dodgers:

    Rah, Rah Ree
    Kick ’em in the knee,
    Rah, Rah Rass
    Kick ’em in the other knee!

    1. OK, but Walker Buehler is going to start the game.

      Really!

      He throws out the first pitch!

      1. That’s game 2. Sax and Karros for game 1.

        So how is Buehler going to throw, left handed or will he roll the ball to the plate?
        If he throws right handed and can reach the plate, they may have to activate him.

  14. In Julio I trust.

    Best LH pitcher is baseball.

    And he’s a Dodger. A real Dodger. This means something to him.

    I like our chances in the first two games. Padres dope fiend GM brought up slaying the dragon.

    As Blunderfull said. Dracarys.

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