In 2017, George Springer was 0-6 with a walk and 4 strikeouts before getting a one out double off KJ in the 9th inning in Game 2. A sleeping giant had awoken. In 2020 postseason, the Rays best hitter, Brandon Lowe was in a miserable slump, but that ended when he took Tony Gonsolin deep in the first inning. And he wasn’t done.
Gonsolin gives up a walk to Margot who steals 2nd and hustles to 3rd on a Joey Wendel fly to CF, that Belli just missed throwing out. But that was it for Gonsolin. Floro was up early. What a night a difference makes for both Dylan Floro and Victor Gonzalez. I am not about to speculate what that difference was, but both were sufficiently warm and pitched far better in Game 2, especially Floro. Floro gets Willy Adames to hit a ground ball to Corey Seager who fires a strike to Smith to get Margot, who was running on contact, at the plate. Smith then throws out Adames trying to steal 2B on a bang bang play who was originally ruled safe and then overturned.
Floro gets the first two in the 3rd and then turns it over to VGon who gets Austin Meadows to pop up on the first pitch.
At this point, Blake Snell is dealing. He is hitting all of his spots and is unhittable.
In the 4th VGon issues a one out walk to Arozarena, and induces a Ji-Man Choi ground ball to get the DP but it was not gloved cleanly by Kike’ and the Dodgers could not turn it. I am assuming that Doc wanted the RHP Dustin May to pitch to RHH Manuel Margot, and he is called in to relieve Gonzalez. Manuel Margot gets a single that was followed by a 2-run double by Joey Wendle, turning a manageable 1-0 game a much more difficult 3-0 game facing a tough Blake Snell.
In the 5th, May gets Kiermaier on a strikeout and Mike Zunino on a ground out. Austin Meadows follows to get his first WS hit, and then on an 0-2 curveball that did not break much at all, Brandon Lowe, hit a 2 run HR and pushing the lead to 5-0. No kind way to say it, once again neither May nor Gonsolin were effective.
Blake Snell is still pitching a no-hitter into the bottom of the 5th, and after striking out Belli and AJ Pollock, his 8th and 9th Ks, he walks Kike’. Then on a 2-1 pitch, Snell lost the no-hitter and shutout on a CT3 two-run HR. Mookie follows with a walk, and Corey Seager follows with his first hit of the 2020 WS. Kevin Cash then pulls Snell after 4.2 IP and not in a position to get a decision in the game, and brings in hard throwing RHRP Nick Anderson. Anderson gets JT on a strikeout to end the threat.
Joe Kelly took the bump in the 6th and surrenders back to back singles to Choi and Margot. Choi easily made 3rd on the Margot single. Joey Wendle followed with a sac fly and a 6-2 lead. In the bottom of the 6th, Fresh Prince crushes a 1-1 curveball into the left field stands cutting the lead to 6-3.
Much to the chagrin of many on this site, Alex Wood was summoned, and he proceeded to pitch 2 shutout innings. Some preferred Doc to Alex. I wonder if those same comments are going to be discussed about Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin after their last two performances. For me, I have never given up on Alex Wood, and I believe that both May and Gonsolin will come back to pitch very well in this series.
RHRP Pete Fairbanks entered to pitch the 6th for the Rays and retires Joc (PH for Kike’), CT3, and Mookie with 6 pitches. After 7 innings, LAD is behind 6-3, and the Rays just do not lose while winning after 7 IP. Fairbanks returns for the 8th. After just missing on an 87.7 MPH slider, Fairbanks tried again, and this time, Corey did not miss it. The score is now 6-4, and the Dodgers have JT, Max, Smith, and Belli coming up. JT gets a bloop double, and the Dodgers are in business. Muncy could not get JT over to third. Will Smith absolutely hits a seed but right at 3B Joey Wendle for out #2. Time to bring in LHRP Aaron Loup to face Belli. Belli goes down looking and that is the last look the Dodgers get as Loup and Diego Castillo shut down LAD in the 9th. LH hitters look to have their hands full against Aaron Loup. Belli and Rios looked lost against Loup.
Kevin Cash is a protégé of Tito Francona, and learned at his side to not be so predictable when it comes to relief pitchers. Francona showed everyone that Andrew Miller could be effective in any high leverage situation, not just the 9th inning. Cash uses Nick Anderson and Diego Castillo in any situation where critical outs are required. The Rays are masters in their usage of the pen. Dodger pitching has been solid against Randy Arozarena, but have now let Brandon Lowe get some confidence. Both Lowe and Wendle had 3 RBI’s. Margot is 3-7.
The 2020 Series is now tied at 1 apiece. The Rays will be the home team for games 3-5. Cash will send Charlie Morton to the mound, and Doc will counter with Walker Buehler. Doc has already named Julio Urias as the Game 4 starter, the Rays have not yet named one, but it certainly figures to be an opener. Clayton Kershaw will start Game 4
Nobody said this was going to be easy. Nobody predicted a sweep. The Rays have zero pressure on them, they are well disciplined, and now they have some confidence. They have now hit 28 post season HRs breaking the previous postseason record of 27 by the 2002 SF Giants, and 2017 Assterisks.
Dodgers Pitcher of the Game – Dylan Floro 1.1 innings while not allowing an inherited runner on third with one out to not score. Alex Wood also pitched well, just not as good as Floro.
Dodgers Offensive Player of the Game – Corey Seager; 2-4 with a HR, his 7th of the postseason. The 7th HR broke the record for postseason HRs by a SS previously held by himself and Carlos Correa (2020). His 7th HR ties him with Randy Arozarena for most in the 2020 postseason. If Corey hits another, he will join Nelson Cruz (2011), Carlos Beltran (2004) and Barry Bonds (2002) with 8. Corey’s 7th HR this year, now gives him 10 as a Dodger, tying him with JT and Steve Garvey in 2nd place, only 1 behind Duke Snider’s 11. Corey is having a fantastic postseason.
Discussion (76)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Gonsolin hasn’t looked good but I am still bullish on him.
I don’t want to see May again this year. Send him to find a decent secondary pitch or pitches. He fools almost nobody.
Betts has been a joy to watch as a fan of baseball. Doesn’t everything well, smooth and with purpose. Saying that, he has to start hitting and getting on base. Causing havoc for pitchers and being the “duck on the pond” for the big guys.
Muncy hasn’t looked good all year and, outside of a few moments, has carried over. Walks are nice and sometimes very good but as the 4 hitter. He needs to be a hitter.
I am not sure that many thought LA had a great chance to beat Snell if he was on his game. To me, that would have been an icing on the cake win and would have almost assured a title. I do think that Doc is right that they are in a great spot.
I am also curious to see the residual effect of Glasnow and the pitch count he had in his next start.
I feel pretty good right now. Another poor showing Friday night will change that though!! 🙂
As Mark alluded to above, last night felt very much like a Sun Tzu strategy. In fact, I would be willing to bet a lot of money that there is something like The Art of War baseball handbook that analytics nerds live and die by.
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If you are down by 2 runs or less after the 4th inning of game 2, you engage the enemy in battle. However, if you are down by 3 runs or more after the 4th inning then you retreat and save your best weapons for the next game… or something like that.
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It’s definitely a strategy I can understand, not one that I necessarily agree with, since I hate the idea of giving up on games in the World Series (especially when we had an off day between games 2 and 3) But I can definitely see what they’re trying to do. You just have to hope they know what they’re doing and that this strategy ends up working.
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I really like their chances in games 3, 4, and 5. However… if I’m being honest, a potential game 6 “bullpen game” does scare the crap out of me… if this series isn’t wrapped up before then.
Betts and Bellinger announced as candidates for a Gold Glove at their position. I think Betts will easily take the honor. Belli has some stiffer competition. All the crying about the starting pitching and the bullpen is basically useless. There is far more pressure to succeed in the post season. All the stats from the season are usually useless. They just give you a starting point. At the beginning of the year, the Dodgers were felt to have the best rotation in baseball, or close to it. Then Price opted out, they traded some depth in Stripling, and the kids stepped in. Fact is 26 of their 43 wins came from the bullpen. Which has been much maligned ever since the playoffs began. I get it, i really do. But, Gonsolin does not pitch for 17 days, comes in, has 3 good innings before he runs out of gas and the game gets away. To me, that is on the manager for not letting him pitch for that long a period. When he got normal rest, he was extremely effective. Pitched a couple of the better games we have seen this season. May was the same way. When he was on a regular schedule, he was much more effective, and his stuff was crisper than the crap he was throwing last night. The wins by the bullpen also show that they usually rallied late to win games. Yesterday was no different. They left a runner stranded on second who was there with no outs. Not only did the first hitter up, Muncy, not move him over, but the next two struck out with the bat sitting on their shoulder. You are not going to score a lot of runs that way. I love Rios power, but the guy really needs some schooling on the strike zone. He consistently swings at pitches low in the zone that he could not hit even if he was a gopher.
pretty compelling case by Ms. Keyser. Hard to argue that the strategy didn’t work very well last night. DR has pretty well shot Gonsolin and May for 3-4 days now. Like I said, why we don’t have 3-4 starters set up and ready to go is frustrating. Pick a guy–Gonsolin, May, Wood, Stripling (Ooops!), etc. and let him go. That’s what starters and relievers are for.
1. I would not have guessed that Wood might start a WS game this year. Nor would I have guessed that he might be a good choice to start and succeed in a WS game this year.
2. If we are happy that Betts is a Dodger not only for his skill but for the fun and entertainment he brings then it stands to reason we would also love Lindor who brings the same enthusiasm and fun that Betts brings. Betts, Seager, and Lindor and hopefully Bellinger would be a total delight to have on the Dodgers.
3. Given that Snell is the Rays Ace and considering he is also a lefty, then the fact that he was on his game and still couldn’t complete 5 innings against the Dodgers seems to shout that the Dodgers are pretty awesome.
Dodgers postseason team stats:
Team OPS .815 2nd best out of 16 teams.
Team starting pitching ERA 3.22 4th best out of 16 teams.
Team relief pitching ERA 3.80 9th best out of 16 teams.
Looks to me that we are hitting fine 2nd best, our starting pitching is towards the top 4th best, but our relief pitching is below the average.
There’s only 1 way to point the finger and that’s at the bullpen.
Hannah Keyser of Yahoo Sports on Roberts’ use of May and Gonsolin in the post-season:
” Rookie Tony Gonsolin, throwing on two days rest, gave up a first-inning home run to Brandon Lowe. Going only 1 1/3 innings brought his postseason ERA up to 9.39. In nine regular season games, eight of them starts and all on four or five days rest, he posted a 2.31 ERA.
His fellow rookie Dustin May, also on two days rest, gave up four runs in 1 1/3 innings. He has yet to throw more than two innings, either starting or in relief, across six appearances this postseason, twice pitching on one day of rest and twice more on three days rest. He has a 5.00 ERA in October after a regular season in which he posted a 2.57 ERA across 12 games, 10 starts, all on four or five days rest.
Asked if he was putting his young pitchers in a position to succeed, manager Dave Roberts credited their accountability, acknowledged that it was uncharted territory, and ultimately said, “That’s a question for them.””
This has not been a successful strategy thus far.
Look out Mike Trout — Mookie Betts is now the best player in baseball
Says The Athletic:
https://theathletic.com/2154645/2020/10/22/posnanski-look-out-mike-trout-mookie-betts-is-now-the-best-player-in-baseball/
Then he better be talking up the 6-7 runs we’ll need!
To William and others who are complaining that we didn’t go out and get another proven starter before the deadline, the primary candidate for that would have been someone like Lance Lynn who would have cost us some pretty good prospects. How did Lynn pitch after the trade deadline? 20 runs in 32.2 innings (approx 5.60 ERA). In the meanwhile both Gonsolin and May were pitching very well. There was no way to know that once the playoffs started they would become ineffective. I agree with those who say that the way they’ve been used in the post season certainly hasn’t helped their confidence levels.
Doc is already talking up Wood. I would expect to see him start rather than either May or Gonsolin when that game comes up.
Morton can also bring mid 90’s heat. If he’s on it’s gonna be a tough one and Buehler will need to be his post season self! Also we did hit 2 hr’s off the back of their bullpen so that’s a good sign moving forward. That was a winnable game if Kike makes the double play and May throws his 99 stuff up instead of spinning mid-mid sliders to an off speed hitting team. That was the biggest dah for me last night
Useless fact; The home team has lost 10 of the last 11 WS games.
Tough loss last night. We are fine with plenty of bullets left. Some thoughts:
* As a coach, I used to stress with young pitchers the importance of dominating the bottom of a batting order. The Rays pitching dominated the Dodger’s 6 – 9 guys including the pinch hitters. We were 1 for 14 with 8 K’s. That was unusual as we’ve had a strong line up throughout when we have won.
* While Betts was 0 for 3, he again showed his attention to detail in doing the little things well to try to win games. On the ball rocketed to right over his head he took the perfect angle to play the bounce off the wall, whirled and threw a perfect one-hopper to 2nd holding the batter to a single. He obviously knew how that ball would ricochet. Yeah, they’ve been in that park for 3 weeks but I’ll bet he spent time reading fungoes off the wall. He seems to leave little to chance.
* With the exception of Floro and maybe Wood, none of the 7 pitchers pitched well.
* I’m not going to comment on the use of a “Bull Pen” game in the 2nd game of a World Series. If it worked, Doc would be a genius. But it didn’t. But, like stevieD, I do find it odd that after 74 games, the Dodgers are still searching for a 4th starter. And maybe a 3rd if the plan to use Urias as a Bulk guy with an opener.
* A-Rod, who we all love, did have an interesting comment post-game. He said “the decision to make this a bull-pen game and not start Buehler was not trying to out-talent the Rays but to “Out-Smart” them.” Something, I will say, Doc loves to do.
* I’m trying to be open minded and get use to the new way run a rotation and a bull-pen. While I could see this style coming 3 years ago, like dodgerrick, I’m not sure I like it. I’m learning on the run here.
Pitchers are creatures of habit even young ones. May and a Gonsolin took the ball every 5 or 6 days during the season. Now they’re being thrown out there every couple of days as openers doing what the team has asked them. Price or no Price if they were allowed to pitch the way they had during the season they would be fine.
With all the complaining about May and Gonsolin remember they both started out okin the playoffs. I think a few days of rest will help them.
A couple of notes. Manfred wants to keep the man on second extra inning rule, but I think that will be a hard sell to the players union. He also likes an expanded playoff format that would not be the 16 team deal we had this time, but a 14 team playoff with the two best records getting a bye. They will have to be negotiated with the players union after the season. The universal DH will also have to be addressed. Dodgers are the road team the next 3 games. Just a mention here, there were much better as the road team than as the home team this year. Charlie Morton, tomorrow’s starter has a 0.67 ERA this post season. Morton is more a breaking ball pitcher than throwing heat. The Dodgers at least this season have not been really great against those kinds of pitchers. And they faced Morton in the 17 World Series and were not too good. But, he is a career plus 4 ERA pitcher, so he can be hit. He just has been exceptional this post season. Dodgers need to be ready for his off speed stuff.
I must have been watching a different game. Last nights ump missed so many low strikes it was comical.
I immensely dislike the opener. And i am pretty sure most pitchers do not like it either. May definitely did not have good stuff last night in his first inning. He looked better when he went out in the second inning of work, but then he hung one and Lowe did not miss it. I honestly think I would have went with Wood as the opener. He has the experience, and the moment would not overwhelm him. He did a very good job last night. But like Badger said, you have to hit to win. This was one of those games where the offense just never really got untracked. I think the most maddening thing for me is that with two strikes, these guys just do not protect the plate. They take pitches right down the pike and the bat never leaves their shoulder. Barnes did that a couple of times in game one. Smith and Bellinger did it last night. I still think that overall, the Dodger offense will get the job done. But they need to be a little crisper on defense, and aggressive on pitches in the strike zone. It wasn’t all on him, but last nights ump had a pretty generous strike zone. Some of those strike calls were way out of the zone. Go get em tomorrow.
Roberts got all these commendations for the use of the bullpen in Game 7 of the Braves series, so he thought he would do it again; or more likely, that is just what he always does, try to create a masterpiece of selected brush strokes. He starts Gonsolin, who gives up a run, and has a runner on third with one out and then, puts in Floro, who does a a good job, stops the rally, pitches one more inning; and then he takes him out and puts in May. He leaves in May to give up four runs, and the game is essentially over, though the Dodgers did rally pretty well, but you are unlikely to make up a five-run deficit against Tampa Bay. He then uses more relievers, including Kelly, who immediately gives up two hits and a run. The more pitchers you use, particularly with our staff, the more likely you are to land on one or two who are not effective. Roberts doesn’t have Tampa Bay’s bullpen, and he shouldn’t play it like he does.
Now, one may ask, what else was he supposed to do? With our short-handed starting staff, we have a problem. These “bullpen games” for us in a world series are almost embarrassing. Of course the management did not do anything to reinforce the starting staff when it was learned that Price would not pitch, so we were always going to have this problem, which was hidden in the regular season because of level of opponents and relative lack of scouting by the opposition. We started Gonsolin in Game 2 of the Braves series, and he left with the score 7-0 in their favor. Last night, Gonsolin and May left us with 5-0. It is extremely difficult to win a series against a very good team, when you are almost conceding two of the games. Do we think that Gonsolin or May is going to beat Snell in Game 6? That means that unless we somehow win the next three games, we are going to face a Game 7 at best, Buehler against Morton and the entire Tampa Bay bullpen which never gives up a lead after six innings..
The management thought that we could win the title with only two proven starters, or maybe they just hoped we would. We have gotten this far. But we are depending on a major start from Urias,, and somehow one good start from Gonsolin or May. We have a better lineup than Tampa Bay, but they have the asset which we never have, which is a virtually impregnable bullpen. They also have more proven starting pitchers than we do, and a manager who is very adept at using his staff. We’ve only played two games, but the problems for us are evident. We will see if we have enough talent to deal with them. A number of people who were confident that our rookie pitchers were going to be just fine in the playoffs, were being very optimistic.
Several thoughts about the Series so far:
1 – Gonsolin and May don’t appear to be ready for post-season baseball but the way that they’ve been used doesn’t help. Guys get into the mindset of being a starter or a reliever and some have trouble switching back and forth. I don’t think that the way that they’ve been used has put them in the best chance to succeed, but neither one of them have executed either. Also, Gonsolin didn’t pitch for 19 days between the end of the regular season and his 1st appearance against the Braves. This didn’t help either.
2 – Looking at the way that the rotations set up, Game 2 looked like the one that the Dodgers were most likely to lose. The Rays had their ace going and the Dodgers had it set up to be a bullpen game basically. They still only lost by 2 and knocked Snell out before the 5th. I like our chances to win in 5 if Buehler, Urias and Kershaw do their jobs in the next 3 games.
3 – The Dodgers’ hitters are just too much better than the Rays’. They have been grinding them down with their patience. And the more that they see these pitchers that they really don’t know well, the better that they should be – like they did to the Braves in games 5 – 7. I predict big things for the offense as the Series goes on, and they’ve been pretty successful already.
4 – New age baseball – I prefer set rotations. That’s just not the way that it’s done any more, but I don’t have to like it.
Even though we lost one last night, there were some high points. Seager continues to make the case that he is a good choice for MVP with his defensive play and home run. Kudos to Smith, Floro and Gonzalez. I thought Wood showed why he made the roster. He came through when we needed him and pitched very well.
The Rays are a very good team and deserve to be in the World Series. That said, my money and heart are still with the Dodgers to win it all.
I just don’t get these bullpen games. Basically your saying that we are probably going to lose so let’s use the relievers to get through this defeat and move on. But, if we happen to pull off an upset, awesome. In the World Series?? I can maybe see doing this during a long season where the starters might have injuries or need rest, but during a World Series. Who thought this was a good idea? Some quant, who’s never played baseball, sitting in a dark room thinking about he or she can come up with bizarre scenarios for the game of baseball.
I mean Gonsolin wasn’t even allowed to settle into the flow of the game. His performance during the playoffs is well off what he was doing during the season. I assume he’s a little anxious mentally anyway because he is pitching in the playoffs. But, to add in the factor of the first mistake you make you’re out of the game. If that’s the case don’t even bother starting him. Same with May situation. I was hoping they would be assets during the playoffs, but that has not happened. The playoff pressure and usage has made them ineffective and basically useless. It’s how they have used Urias during his time with the Dodgers. You’re a starter, but for now you might be a reliever, but we might need you make a spot start, but only for an inning or so, or maybe for several innings, or until you make a mistake then we’ll have to take you out and decide that maybe you aren’t a starter after all and should be a reliever, but what kind of reliever? An innings eater? Eight inning guy? Closer? Opener? Please, don’t let that happen to these two talented pitchers. Decide their role and develop them to succeed in that role.
Meanwhile, let’s watch the Dodger starters dominate the Rays the rest of the WS and let the Rays to continue to use their playpen, excuse me, bullpen to try and stop the Dodger hitters. I think the Dodgers will prevail.
Carry on.
What would have helped May and Gonsolin would not being over used in the NLCS but we had to to win that series. The fact we got only one day off to their two a total disadvantage to the team with the best record. Third game game is crucial. Buehler needs to out duel Morton. Lots of high heat. Don’t try to get cute with off speed in the zone like May. Morton shut us down two years ago so could be a tight low scoring game. We need the early lead!
I said I thought the Dodgers would sweep the Rays in 4. Well that didn’t happen and going against there best pitcher with us our 5th starter seems the obvious outcome would not be victory last night. But by loosing but just two runs there was a possibility if a few things went our way the second win could have happened. I’m thinking the Dodgers got this and on Sunday we will all be celebrating!
Excuse my ignorance, but why did Gonsolin get the loss last night? The dodgers lost by 2 runs. Gonsolin gave up 1 in 1.1 innings. May gave up runs 3,4,&5 in 1.1 innings. I would have thought that he would take the loss.
Well said Badger and David!!! Snell was lights out with total command of his pitches… It hurts to repeat, that good pitching beats etc. etc.
May or Gonsolin… Have I got it wrong, or could a few games at the AAA level, helped them both for the pre season??? But then again it’s 2020 with all it’s problems…
A day off is good…Play with the family and lock and load for Fri…
We got outpitched. 5 hits and 15 strikeouts? Yoiks. The Rays are the best team in the American League. Anyone who thought we would sweep is not being realistic.
It wasn’t ruled an error but everyone who saw it knows 2 runs were unearned. And Kiké knows it. You could see it on his face. Can’t blame Doc for that, though I’m sure some might try.
I don’t know what’s wrong with May but his outing last night was terribly disappointing. His stuff is undeniable, but obviously he has a lot of work to do. Gonsolin got the L, but he wasn’t the loser, May was. And about Gonsolin, I saw it again last night, his splitter isn’t working. If he doesn’t have that pitch he’s hittable.
I agree with everything Hernandez wrote.
The Rays are in the WS for a reason. They’re not going to roll over. Still, I like our chances. We get a day’s rest, and then Buehler, Urias, and Kersh. That’s a formidable combination. And we are stronger offensively than the Rays. If we can do some damage in the first 6 innings, we should be fine.
I am really becoming a Will Smith fan. He is the real deal. I used to believe he was a solid defensive backup Catcher, but after they re-tooled his swing, he has shown that he is going to be an All-Star.
Will he stay at Catcher or maybe move to 3B? I guess that depends upon the other options and Ruiz’s progress. I can see him being an All-Star Catcher however – he is reminding me of a young Buster Posey. Posey is s little bigger, I but I still see similarities.
I am happy to be wrong in cases like this.
Woulda-coulda-shoulda turning point in 4th inning. Gonzalez does his job by getting Choi to hit a perfect double play ground ball to Hernandez for inning ending double play, but Kiké bobbles the ball, only gets one out, and Rays get two runs. No error charged under scoring rules, but Kiké makes that play 99 times out of 100. Will Smith’s line drive to third base was smoked! Very seldom do I see a major league player flinch like Joey Wendle as he was making the catch.
Dylan Hernandez of The LA Times has it figured out too:
https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2020-10-21/dodgers-rays-world-series-starting-rotation
If we lose this series:
Not a second guess. Many of us said way back our starting pitching was vulnerable. We lost price, hill, stripling, ryu, and maeda. We were hoping the young guns could do it. May and Gonsolin are getting worse as the series moves forward. Doc would have to think long and hard before using these guys again. But, he doesn’t have anybody else.
Second, why In the he.. did the national league series end after the American League? That just seems unfair. I’m sure it is about money. Usually the best record goes first ends first. That should be the advantage of having the best record.
Maybe now you see why I did not predict how quickly this series would be won. Roberts, Friedman and Company know what kind of battle it is going to be. Some of you are losing your minds at how Doc used the bullpen last night, but this was a page out of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War.” The bullpen usage was an organizational decision. DOC, AF and the brass likely scripted it. They knew that if Snell were on his game, this would be a tough one to win… and he was! So, essentially, they lost the battle by not throwing everyone in the bullpen, so as to live and fight another day. That day will be Game #3, where they are going to need all hands on deck.
Hopefully, Buehler has some “magic” for 5 or 6, and then you will see Treinen, Baez, Graterol, Kolarek, and Jansen… and maybe a couple from last night. The Ray have worked their pen pretty hard so far. The Dodgers have worked the weaker side of their pen so far. The strong side is now ready to go. You pick your battles and it looks like the Dodgers have picked Buehler and Urias to lead the charge in Games 3 and 4. These are the biggest starts of their respective careers!
Wood looked very useful last night. Floro and Gonzalez looked better and I still think Gonsolin and May will play an important role. When Glasnow got roughed up the first game, the Rays did the same thing the Dodgers did last night – they sucked it up and lived to fight another day! They could have smoked their pen, just like the Dodgers could have last night… and still lost. Last night’s bullpen usage was a strategic, planned action. Watch and learn!
One thing I still see is when a hitter pinch hits and makes an out “Doc is an idiot.” Of if he brings in a pitcher who gives up a run – “He can’t manage the pen.” It evidently has nothing to do with the hitter… or the pitcher. Doc is not responsible for their execution… just their lack of it! Geeeezzzzz!
Here’s something to think about:
Nick Anderson is extremely good! But, Anderson has had to face almost as many hitters in this postseason (51) as he faced all season (58). Is he tiring? That could be an issue!
If all goes as planned, Buehler pitches 7 innings in game 3. Urias 6 innings in the pivotal game 4. Kershaw pitches 7 in the game 5 clincher. Dodgers win WS championship and 32 year drought is over.
Rays earned this one. That can’t be denied. They’ve also shown themselves to be a class organization and spoken with much respect towards Dodgers after game one. They dealt, I just wish they hadn’t dealt so good and won’t deal so great moving forward THE REST of this series.
It seems pretty clear that the Dodgers are not going to pitch their starters on short rest. This hasn’t worked in prior post season years and they feel they have the depth to wear out their opponents and so far it has worked. On the other hand, it’s hard to believe the team with the best record in baseball can’t put a starting pitcher on the mound for the World Series. We scored 4 runs against a great starter and good bullpen. 4 runs usually wins games. Oh well. Go Blue!