It all comes down to that, insofar as the Dodger players are concerned. Nothing less than 10 more wins will satisfy them. They want that World championship. It’s just that simple. That’s the goal and that’s is all they are focused on.
So, it was no surprise to see the Dodgers show up with their lunch pails and systematically dismantle the Nationals pitching. It was also no surprise to see Striker Buehler allow just 1 hit over 6 innings. The Nats aren’t chumps. They have the second-best offense in the NL to the Dodgers… and they make Striker work! Then the bullpen did their job. Adam Kolarek was evidently put on the roster to pitch to Juan Sota and he did his job. He may only face 4 or 5 hitters in this round, but if he does that, I guess it’s worth it. It certainly was last night.
Next, Maeda was filthy and then Machine Gun Kelly mowed them down in the 9th inning. I would have to say that last night’s game was a “pitchers’ duel” as the Dodgers only got 7 hits and the Nats got 3. But the Dodgers got 7 walks to go with those 7 hits so they manufactured most of their runs. Rookie Gavin Lux and Joc Pederson hit the only bombs for the Boys in Blue. The cool part was that neither player started the game.
Last night’s heroes were on the bench. I give a ton of credit to Robert Van Socyoc and his team and to Rick Honeycutt and Mark Prior. These guys knew that they would have to make the most with the least and they did. The Nat’s bullpen deficiency was really magnified. The Dodgers were patient and worked the counts. Of course, Patrick Corbin is a very good pitcher and so they had to work for what little they got.
Winning game one was huge but the Dodgers were subdued in their celebration – they want to celebrate after 11 playoff wins. That’s their plan. They are only focused on the “Next game!” They have been here before, only to stumble and fall. There will be no big celebration until their goal is realized.
It was a satisfying win, but the Nationals are not just going to lay down and die. Their starting rotation is good, even if the bullpen isn’t. Stephen Strasburg goes tonight and the silver lining for the Dodgers could be that Strasburg has logged 209 innings while Clayton Kershaw sits at 178 innings. Max Scherzer also is not 100%, but these guys don’t give up. The Dodgers are going to have to “take it.” They did last night – now they have to keep it up.
When the players execute, Dave Roberts is a genius – when they don’t, he’s an idiot! Are you starting to figure out that it’s the players, not Doc?
Well one thing we ALL agreed on all year is that the relievers were one of our strengths.
And Pollock, Freese, Beli 0-9, and we still score 6 runs
It was a good victory last night. It was a very workmanlike effort by the Dodgers. Corbin was as tough to hit as we expected he would be. The hitters patience paid off.
Please give us 10 more of the same!! I’m all in for that.
And Mark, that’s why they added Kolarek!!
Doc didn’t do anything too stupid last night, except for bat a rusty Turner and Freese back to back and wedge CT3 between Belli and Muncy. It worked out for him. Actually, after 3 years of managing, he might actually be learning not to over manage. I’ve mentioned several times towards the end of the season that Doc wasn’t driving me crazy, so I recognized that he’s getting better. This is just win no 1, so I’ll wait until the post-season is over to completely change my mind about him. Maybe he’ll even learn to drive better!
Doc loves the loogy and maybe Kolarek is the missing piece, Doc’s superpower.
Last night was a great game. The Dodgers certainly look like a team that’s been there before. They played clean baseball and had a plan at the plate. I’m a bit disappointed that the rusty righties didn’t do more against that lefty starter, but c’est la vie. The results were perfect.
Bueller was awesome, Kolarek got his guy, Maeda kept them completely off-balance and Kelly was overwhelming. So, much for our horrible pitching.
Those righties, the ones that didn’t play much down the stretch looked that way. They were all stacked at the top of the order and looked like they haven’t played since the all-star break. Hopefully they get into a rhythm soon, but they probably won’t see much more time until the next series.
It was Muncy, Joc and Lux on offense and that was enough. Will Smith crushed a couple of balls, but didn’t get the results.
The defense played great, crisp baseball and was probably the difference in the game. Ask Howie Kendrick if you don’t agree. CT3’s play in right is a reminder of how good he is on defense were ever you put him. It was great to see CT3 and Kike NOT starting the same game. Doc is learning, or the roster is better. Either way, I’ll take it.
I went to bed happy, woke up happy. Today is a special treat with 4 playoff games. Baseball heaven. Now, let’s go get game 2 and put this to bed quickly.
Glad that you and Al both mentioned Will Smith. He absolutely killed two balls last night, one foul and one a great catch by Eaton. But most importantly, he obviously called a great game and he saved Kelly in the 9th with two great digs. I doubt that the 2018 version of Grandal makes those stops and the runner scores. Plus with the bounce pitches by Buehler earlier in the game.
As an aside, why was JT playing so far off the line in the 9th against RHH Trea Turner with a 6 run lead. The idea is to make sure no doubles down the line. Willing to give up the single in the hole. With all the cards on player defensive positioning in their back pocket, that is one of the oldest defensive strategies around. Not complaining, just curious.
I feel a Joc October coming.
And Smith also had some incredible 100 mph pick ups on Kelly to preserve the shutout! Grandal would still be chasing those pitches!
I totally agree with you and Cassidy. Will Smith is a definite improvement with the glove over Grandal. He handles the staff very well, sans Ryu, and he can hit just fine for a GG caliber catcher. But, what I like best about him is that he never looks intimidated by anyone. Not at the plate, not with the umps, not with his pitchers.
Joc already hit a ball 115 MPH off the bat. He looked so happy rounding the bases, like a Little League kid. I’m gonna miss him. 😉
The Dodgers took advantage of the Nationals mistakes. Not sure of the inning and we had Bellinger on third and Taylor on first, nobody out, and did not score. I thought here we go again. Missed a great opportunity. From that point on they took advantage of the Nationals mistakes. Smith was a little unlucky last night. Hit the ball well with nothing to show for his work. It will come. The Dodger hitters did not swing at bad pitches.
I saw something on Bleacher Report this morning that Juan Soto doesn’t think that Buehler is anything special. If there’s a way to do it, I have yet to figure out a way to copy and paste a link with my phone.
I’m sure that Juan heard from a couple of his older teammates after he made that comment. Nothing like giving your opponent something to tack on the clubhouse wall.
He’s entitled to feel that way about Buehler but with more experience he’ll learn to keep his thoughts away from anyone who can repeat them to the whole baseball world, especially at the beginning of a series.
Thank you Juan!
Good post, 59. I agree. It was a good game all around. Pitching, hitting, defense. I have always believed that CT3 is one of the best outfielders next to Bellinger. His catch in right field was awesome. He did not have much of home plate to touch when he tried to score from 1st base. At least that is what it looked like to me. Go Dodgers.
Last night was bittersweet.
LOVED the Dodgers game but then watched GZ’s kick sail JUST right.
Oh well Ill take a playoff win over a reg season win any day of the week. Rams still win that division.
Lets get it done Kersh!!!
Buehler did his job last night, now let´s see if Kershaw can make it 2-0.
Welcome to the high pressure playoffs Mr Lux.
If Walker isn’t anything special, Why didn’t they score last night? I was at the game and will be going back again tonight. I could only see a few red shirts in the crowd so the Stadium was a rocking Blue wave. Go Dodgers……..
Brooklyn, here is the article you mentioned….
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2856590-nationals-juan-soto-says-walker-buehler-is-nothing-special-after-game-1
Soto got the only hit off Walker, a single, nothing special. 😉 Walker allowed 1 hit in back to back playoff games, special.
I thought that was one of our best games of the year! All phases played well. The homers only generated 2 runs and we grinded the other 4 which you have to be capable of in the playoffs. The offensive stars didn’t hit all that great and we still scored 6 times. Taylor, Smith, really everybody put together good at bats. Beautiful baseball imo.
Three shutouts in a row! Four of the last five games! Pitching is on spot right now! Buehler decision looks great in aftermath and it probably was a wise decision to start him at home. I don’t really see the logic of starting Kershaw over Ryu, but maybe it’s a respect thing starting Kershaw. Whatever, they both should perform well in their starts regardless.
I think having Kersh pitch game 2 lines him up to pitch in relief in game 5. Anyways, I think that’s the logic to it.
Someone may have talked about this last night but does anyone know why the umpire walked the ball out to Buehler last night in the first inning? Did he quick pitch a batter or was it for another reason?
Acuna is a very good baseball player, but a lot to learn about being a major league baseball player. He obviously did not learn from his mistake this summer. Neither the players or manager was protecting him. When they find out what he said in his interview , they are all going to be upset. He took no ownwesip of his two baseball running mistakes.
I thought for the most part, that home plate umpire was right on with his balls and strikes. If we are to judge ball/strike by that box, then way more often than not (and way more often than most umps we saw this year), he was correct in his calls.
I agree on the home plate ump. He did a good job and he was consistent.
I think he pinched Bueller on the edges more than he do so for Corbin, who also got more of the bottom of the zone called in his favor. That’s just how I saw it.
And Buehler got more calls on pitches up. I had no issues with balls and strikes.
Very solid win. Today is the crucial game. Win this, and we are guaranteed at worst a 5th game at home, though we certainly wouldn’t want it to stretch out that far. If we lose, it’s 1-1 and we face Scherzer in Game 3, and it’s not impossible that we see Corbin in Game 4 against Hill, and Strasburg in Game 5, or to close Game 4 if that wins it all for them. We certainly don’t want to be down 2-1, having to win the fourth game there.
Last night, we left a lot of runners on base, even in scoring position with less than two outs. It took an error for our second run, and then finally we got a key hit, from Muncy with the bases loaded. It is not likely that we will get as many men on base tonight against Strasburg, so we need to capitalize.
It’s not important now, but the one semi-objection I had to the managing last night was Roberts having Buehler try to bunt three times with men on first and third and one out and a 1-0 lead. I would have liked to have let him swing, and it is not impossible that he could have hit a slow ground ball like he did earlier, or even a fly ball, such things happen. As it was, he struck out, no one advanced, and then Pollock made a quick out. Trying to have your pitcher bunt with one out and a man on third, just to maybe move one runner to second, seems ultraconservative.
Or they were trying to stay out of a DP, and let Pollock have a shot for two.
This is not a criticism or negativity just a curiosity question. It has been said you only need 3 starters in a 5 game series but with Hill we now have 4. So wondered why?
If you only go with 3, the game 1 starter pitches on 3 days rest, in game 4.
Ok thanks 59.
And Hill is a big game pitcher. I’m totally comfortable with him in game 4! Hopefully the rust got knocked off Turner, Freese and Pollock last night. We need those bats. And we need Belly to hit like an MVP. Striking out with a runner on third with one out last night won’t get it done. Big matchup with him and Strasbourg tonight. We need to get his pitch count up and get back into that bullpen. It will,be interesting if we get him out in 5th or 6th inning if Nats bring in Sanchez. The battle will be Stasburg wanting and needing to get ahead in the count and us trying to run up his pitch count. Look for a lot of first pitch fastballs for strikes. Load up on that first one Joc!!!!!!!!
* Baseball heaven today for sure.
* I loved last night’s line up and the way Doc managed the entire game. Gotta love a 2 hit shutout.
* Umpire Will Little’s strike zone lived up to his name last night (until it got bigger in the 7th) I hate umpires who don’t want to call strikes. There are 2 philosophies back there. Little exemplifed “the pitch is a ball until it’s a strike” mentality so all the close fringe pitches were called balls. I like the the approach that the “pitch is a strike until it’s a ball”. Big difference. Tight zones, to me, wreck the game. 10 walks speaks to the strike zone.
* TBS just pisses me off and I’m forced to watch it. When will networks figure out that baseball games don’t take 3 hours? For back-to-back games you’re forced to switch to another network at the 3 hour mark. If you don’t you misses a lot of the 2nd game. If it goes extras you’re super screwed. I was forced to watch until almost the end of the Cards – Braves game yesterday. I kept looking for little ticker tape about the start of the Dodger game being on another channel and finally saw it was on TNT. When I switched over I’d missed the top of the 1st. If you record both games you’re toast. (Today isn’t a problem thankfully)
Schedule more time than 3 hours for a game!
* Ernie Johnson last night was lobbing softballs to his partner in the booth trying to understand how hitters could ever hit a pitch that starts in the strike zone and ends up out. Like it’s blind luck or magic. Obviously, hitting is tremendously difficult. What went unsaid was how skilled hitters are in 2 areas; knowing the strike zone and pitch recognition. The Dodgers plate discipline depends on these skills. I bet the new visual reality systems are a terrific aid in this area. A hitter needs to recognize the release of the different pitches out of the hand and the spin of the ball almost instantly. Fingers behind the ball – fastball (4 seamers, 2 seamers, cutters have to be adjusted to), sliders and curves spin with a different distinct rotation with some curves coming out of hand with a little “hump”. Good sliders have a “dime” spin. To me the change up is the hardest to recognize because good ones look just like a fastball but lack speed and may sink or screw. Splitters don’t rotate much, like a tumbling knuckleball. Now add all that information to be processed instantly and add 100 mph with run. That’s what its like to hit a Kelly or a May runner on your knuckles. And despite seeing and recognizing the pitch you have to hit it! Get you pitch and not miss it. The TBS announcers failed to mention any of this, like guys just swing and hope it hits the bat. Hitting is a tremendous skill.
* Great match up tonight. Can’t wait.
“When the players execute, Dave Roberts is a genius – when they don’t, he’s an idiot! Are you starting to figure out that it’s the players, not Doc?”
Not true for me. There are times he makes what I think are the right calls but it doesn’t work out.
As far as last night goes, Roberts played the OPS splits with the bullpen in the 7th and 8th innings. Which is what I would do. By the time Roberts brought in Kelly (who I’m not sold on) the Dodgers were up 6-0. Also Roberts started the right 8 position players vs lefty Corbin. Also I haven’t said this all year because I believed I would get blow back for saying it, but Buehler is the Dodgers ace not Ryu not Kershaw and again Roberts made the right call starting Buehler game 1.
Since we need Buehler to win four more games for a Championship, I’d rather not see him bunting needlessly and end up with a broken body part. I know pitchers need to bunt and some are ok doing it.
IMO it wasn’t necessary and I don’t like the risk of injury to an ace that we likely can’t win without. At least not in game #1.
But what a great game.
The comments gave a good summary of the game and the only thing not mentioned was Joc’s foul ball that came close to leaving the stadium somewhere between first and the foul pole. There are only a few players that have hit one out of the stadium. Would a foul ball count as hitting one out?
Things went about as well as anyone could want in game 1. Hitters had some trouble recognizing the sliders from fastballs with Corbin. The strikes and balls were a little inconsistent with the umpire. Dodger pitching was tough, real tough. All in all a great game for the Dodgers and the fans. Starting out hot. Now the ticket is to stay hot. GO DODGERS.
Why go with Ryu in game 3? Here’s why:
It allows the Dodgers to bring Kershaw back in relief in Game 5 if necessary, plus, Ryu is very effective when he gets more than five days of rest (a Game 3 start would be on seven days’ rest). On six-plus days of rest, Ryu is 4-1 with a 1.18 ERA in eight starts.
That’s why!
All true but tonight’s game starts at 6:37 instead of 7:10.
Also check out Kershaw’s playoff splits between home and away! Enough said!
Haven’t checked the stats but by my not so great memory Ryu is something of a homer. And I do remember Kersh giving Washington fits in Washington in the past. Oh well, can’t get everything you want all the time.
Ryu has a 0.79 Career ERA in DC.
Today’s lineup:
Joc (RF)
JT (3b)
Pollock (LF)
Belly (CF)
Muncy (1b)
Smith (C)
Seager (SS)
Lux (2b)
Kersh
Looking good!
That is one very strange lineup against a very tough right hander. Why are Seager (who is very hot) and Lux (who homered last night) hitting 7th and 8th while Pollock who hasn’t hit right handers well this year is batting 3rd and Smith who usually bats 7th or 8th is batting 6th.
I’d like to see Pollock between Belli and Muncy to tell you the truth. I miss Seager batting second. Lux bats lower because he has the least experience. I’m fine with him down there with less pressure. This would be my lineup. But, I don’t think Doc’s is strange.
Joc (RF)
Seager (SS)
JT (3b)
Belly (CF)
Pollock (LF)
Muncy (1b)
Smith (C)
Lux (2b)
Kersh
agree with that lineup vs. today’s lineup.
But whatever, go get a big 2 out hit today AJ, and shut me and 59 up!!
I’ve been behind AJ 100% this year. He’s been great since coming back from injury. He’s gonna get Stras tonight.
I think Roberts for the most part is playing the match ups besides Muncy.
A.J. Pollock is 7-for-14 with 4 extra base hits vs. Strasburg. Max Muncy is 0-for-10 with 5 Ks vs.Strasburg. Corey Seager is 1-for-12 with 5 Ks vs. Strasburg.
there you go. I base my lineup on no facts. Doc bases it on all facts. Let’s trust him!
AJ vs Stras sounds like Kike vs. Mad Bum
I was going to post that, but it is amazing that guys who spend 5 minutes looking at a lineup think they can do it better than an entire organization. This wasn’t just Robert’s idea – I guarantee it was an “organizational” decision based upon a lot of data we have no idea about.
Rest assured that they know about 1,000 times more thana ny of us… on our best day!
I resent that Mark. I’ve done the calculations and they only know 997.4 times more than I do.
Sorry for the slight.
And that’s why AJ’s hitting 3rd.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/player/batvspitch/_/id/30373/stephen-strasburg
http://www.espn.com/mlb/player/batvspitch/_/id/28963/clayton-kershaw
Thanks for posting those stats. Looks like Toles and Beaty should be starting for us tonight. Oh well.
If batting average against was the only determining factor in the outcome of a game, we probably shouldn’t even bother to take the field tonight. They hit CK much better than we hit SS. However…………………………………that’s why they play the games on the field. You never know what might happen. Go Blue!
A big WTF were you smoking to those who expected this year’s Kershaw to actually show up this October.
As if all of the sudden he’d become Bumgarner when it mattered most
Asking for a friend….why did we start CK and not Ryu? CK coming up small again on the big stage.
Several important Dodger hitters haven’t shown up yet – Bellinger looks bad in the post-season again. Turner looks like he hasn’t played in about 3 weeks – oh wait, he hasn’t. Pollock didn’t do anything yesterday.
Smith hit them on the nose yesterday; Muncy came up big.
Will Dodger hitters who disappeared the past 2 World Series show up this year?
Will Bellinger be the offensive version of Kershaw?
Pollock has looked freakin terrible in all of his AB’s both nights so far. Let’s hope he proves me wrong before the nights over but I don’t bat him third. I don’t care what his numbers are against Strasburg.
I agree. I prefer regular season righty lefty OPS stats its a bigger sample than head to head stats. Freese and Beaty should have started. But then again nobody is hitting Strasburg.
I’m not starting Beaty by any means but I would have started Freese at 1st and Muncy at 2nd against a guy like Strausberg
Be patient and hope that we can hold the fort until the offense kicks in. Gotta feeling that Doc might have a short rope on Kersh if he cant stop the bleeding.
Just sad to see Kersh fail once again in the post season. He just has no command of his fastball and it just gets punished. I just don’t see a solution with him going forward.
The two HBP is what really bit him in the ass. The obvious plan is don’t let Rendon beat them. However the stupid pitch to Eaton set that very thing up.
Cassidy,
What? Are you serious?
I know. Right?
I’m very surprised at how impatient our hitters are. They’re lunging at every curveball that’s low.
It’s as if we’re already down 1-0 in the series, and 3-0 in this game, and the guys are pressing.
Strausburg is filthy tonight. Good pitching always stops good hitting and he is EXTREMELY good tonight.
Clayton struggled in the beginning but righted the ship. He hasn’t had control of his curve or fastball.
The Fresh Prince breaks up the Perfect Game. Now, make them pay!
Kershaw certainly hasn’t looked all that good, but there’s only one of him.
We have 8 hitters who have looked just as bad.
He hit two batters in 1-2 counts. Really caused all 3 runs. Turner 2B to start the game was a bit of bad luck with JT playing up. I think he snags that ball 2 years ago or at least knocks it down.
Well we didn’t do anything against Corbin last night either. The big issue with this team is we can’t hit elite pitching in the playoffs This is 3 post seasons in a row! The NL MVP is hitting like .150 and striking our three quarters of the time in the post season. Somebody has step up and produce!
Uh, what makes pitching “elite” is that it is unhittable.
Matt Beaty = Professional Hitter!
Best pinch hitter on the team. Can’t believe some said they would leave him off the roster.
Then we shouldn’t even show up if we play Houston! An elite offense has to be able to put up runs against elite pitching!
What a crock! I got stupider reading that (andI’m already pretty stupid).
We can do this!
Very good managed 7th inning by Dave Roberts with the pitching. Regular season OPS splits.
But we don’t have a lefty killer left to use unless Rich Hill is available.
M.T. – They’re trolling and pushing your buttons..
Let it go…
I may also have been rendered stupider. Isn’t elite pitching also supposed to get out elite hitting?
If you’re rooting for the hitter, he’s a bum if he gets out and a clutch hitter if he gets a hit. And vice versa if you’re rooting for the pitcher.
Strasburgbis a guy with a 3+ era. You mean we can’t score three runs off him with the best offense in the NL! If we can’t do that against himnand Scherzer then pack up and go home!
Does Kelly only come in when we have a six-run lead in the ninth? If so, why is he on the roster? Can Urias only pitch to lefthanders? This looks like retrospect, but I would not have put May in for another inning, and certainly not left him in after the first two batters got on base. Does Roberts have any instinct for this kind of thing? This game is absolutely crucial, and assuming we now lose it, we are likely not playing any more home games this season. It is not best of 15, it is best of 5 . May did a nice job getting the one out in the 7th, that should have been it. You play 162 games to use a non-reliever rookie in the most important game of the year with a one-run deficit, and let him finish the inning when he is struggling?
“Then we shouldn’t even show up if we play Houston! An elite offense has to be able to put up runs against elite pitching!”
“Well we didn’t do anything against Corbin last night either. The big issue with this team is we can’t hit elite pitching in the playoffs This is 3 post seasons in a row! The NL MVP is hitting like .150 and striking our three quarters of the time in the post season. Somebody has step up and produce!
“Well we didn’t do anything against Corbin last night either. The big issue with this team is we can’t hit elite pitching in the playoffs This is 3 post seasons in a row! The NL MVP is hitting like .150 and striking our three quarters of the time in the post season. Somebody has step up and produce!”
Just thought I’d hang these Cassidy-isms out there to ferment…
Strasburg followed by Scherzer…Damn Sam… That aint right…
The team that has swung at more balls out of the zone has lost both games!
Lux K’d on a non-competitive pitch.
Oops… I didn’t hang this out there… I just like looking back at these as the series progresses…
It isn’t over, Is It???
“Strasburg is a guy with a 3+ era. You mean we can’t score three runs off him with the best offense in the NL! If we can’t do that against him and Scherzer then pack up and go home!”
Our host has opined in the past that our offense has been ineffective in the past 2 World Series. And it’s largely true. The Dodgers haven’t hit either Corbin or Strasburg. they have had several non-competitive AB. Bellinger looks like he did in the Series against Houston and all of 2018.
Muncy is clutch. Joc seems to be. Too many are not.
I said a few weeks ago what concerns me most is whether Bellinger and Seager shows up was my biggest concern. So far they haven’t. They’ve yet to do so. We know Turner and Muncy will show up. Corey and Cody have yet to be able to crontrol their game enough to succeed.
Should have started Freese 1B Muncy 2B Beaty LF. OPS splits in the regular season points in that direction.
RVS not working his “so called” magic so far. 17 K’s between AJ, Belli, Corey, Lux and others. If AJ is in the line-up over Matt Beaty on Sunday I’ll eat my shoes. He is absolutely horrible with a slow bat, poor approach and makes zero adjustment from one AB to the next.
AJ has looked pathetic. To me this postseason largely defines if he brought anything to this team other than being a good replacement for Verdugo.
This is the time when you miss Mr October Puig . He was never great in regular season consistently apart from his first 2 seasons but did brought his game up in October at least the last 2 postseasons. AJ looks terrible so far ! Great Signing Friedman. Dodgers should get Mookie Betts this off season and ship AJ’s bad contract somewhere.
In hindsight, it’s easy to make a lot of statements that can’t be supported. Let me try a few finger-pointers.
Most agree that Kershaw is a fine pitcher, but not when it comes to the post season. The stats back this up. While the 3 runs he gave up lost the game, he did control the rest of his start. Often, CK will give up runs early and then settle down. However, there was little to no help from the bats. Do we point the finger at CK? or, do we point the finger at the lack of run support, mainly from RBI guys called Belli, Seager, and Pollock. Two games in a row, Belli & Seager have not got a hit. Muncy is playing like our MVP.
Ryu would have been my choice to start at home, especially after Buehler’s great win. Now, Ryu will start in D.C. He is 4-4 in away games. This doesn’t bode well for the blue. I’m not predicting he will lose, but this was the issue that made me want to start him in either game 1 or 2, 10-1 at home!
I agree with William’s comment about Doc leaving May in for too long. I also said it to myself that May should not have pitched more than that initial inning. We had plenty of arms waiting.
Strasburg is a MONSTER pitcher! A couple of days ago, I wrote that he is the one thing I fear from the Nats. He blows us away. My hat is off to him.
We have lost the momentum in this series. I’m not predicting anything as I know things can change in one at bat, but I’m not liking what I’m seeing, especially from the bats, as they must support any pitcher that takes the mound. While Ryu is 4-4 in away games, hopefully he will pitch well. But we’ve got a not very physically fit Rich Hill with probably not too much stamina, at this point, coming in game 4. I’m not crazy about our chances in their park. Dodgers better address some issues lickety split.
Kershaw again stinks in postseason losing the game. Did kept the game within reach but historically he is just an average postseason pitcher that does not come through on clutch and pressure. Once again he has proved that. Offense did not help him or defense. Turner should have had the first hit of the game but was not ready and playing offline once again and looks to not have legs anymore out there and seems to have lost range . Pollock also seems to not have anything on his throws from left field. But Kershaw look terrible the first 2 innings.