I went to a blog that I am sad to say I was once part of yesterday and it sounded like the Dodgers were dead and buried. Even on this blog, fans are singing the song of gloom and doom. I really don’t get it! This is baseball… where anything can happen… and frequently does. Everyone was holding up Houston as a team that the Dodgers cannot bet, but here they are in the same place as the Dodgers – tied 2-2 facing a deciding game with Tampa Bay in a “winner take all” situation.
The fact is: from day one, many have hated Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts for reasons (well, no “reason” is actually involved) only they know. Here are a couple of examples:
I. So the big questions are, WHY did DR put two injured pitchers, Kelly and Hill on the post-season roster? WHY did he choose to let Hill start game 4? Why did he put Lux at 2nd, and play him there the whole game, when he could have played Kiké Hernandez there instead? WHY did he have to take Maeda out for a PH? and especially, Why did he use a 0-12, 10 KO, Pollock? Maeda could have pitched another inning, and he is definitely a better hitter than Pollock is, right now. Freeze was 3-3 last night, and didn’t even start game 3, so why did he not get the start in game 4? Where are the big bats? They are Missing in Action! We’ll have to wait and see what other bonehead Management decisions arise for game 5.
II. You can’t place all the blame on Roberts when the front office didnt do their job. When adam kolarek was the lone pitching acquisition at the trade deadline that should tell you all you need to know about this. Look pitching wins championships and the Dodgers dont have great pitching. The staff is serviceable maybe even pretty good but not great. The onus was on the front office to fill in those gaps and they refused to part with a couple of Prospects or spend any money. We have known all season long that the bullpen had holes but they could have used another starter as well with the injury to rich hill. They used hill because they literally had nobody else to start in that game. Again that should tell you something. If hill doesnt start then the choices were mediocre Maeda who seems to be better in short outings then as a starter or rookie may who cant go more than 5 innings anyways. Again that’s on the front office.
I could go on and on. Those are just two comments. Here are the facts:
- Dodgers Starters ERA – #1 in NL
- Dodgers Bullpen ERA – #1 in NL
- Dodgers Team ERA – #1 in NL
What drivel! Look, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg are two of the best pitchers in baseball and the Nationals are capable of beating the Dodgers, just as the lowly Rays are capable of beating the Astros, but I don’t buy into the fear-mongering. The Dodgers have scored more runs in the playoffs than the Nationals, Braves, Astros, Cardinals, Twins, and of course, the Brewers and the Athletics. Only the Rays and the Yankees have scored more. The Dodgers have 7 HR while the Rays lead with 10. The Yankees have 5 and no one else has more than 4.
The Twins, Nationals, Astros, and Cardinals have all given up more runs than the Dodgers. The Dodgers are capable of playing with anyone, but in baseball, stuff happens. When good or great pitchers have their stuff, balls look like strikes as they leave the pitcher’s hands. You can say that the Dodgers “chased too many pitches out of the zone” but that’s what happens with great pitching. A hitter has a split second to make a decision and the pitch starts out looking like a strike and then moves or dives out of the zone. It’s so simple to say “don’t swing at that stuff.” But, it’s hard to do in real life.
The Dodgers have the same plan they have all year – But GOOD PITCHING STOPS GOOD HITTING. Today is a new day. It’s Strasburg versus Buehler. Strasburg is on 5 days rest and Striker is on 6 days rest. Will the extra rest help or hinder him? We are about to find out. At first sign of faltering, Clayton Kershaw will follow Buehler and Clayton has been very good in relief. I think the Dodger’s depth and talent will prevail, but it doesn’t always work that way. This is baseball… it’s beautiful and maddening!
Second-guessers are never wrong and that’s why they second guess. “Doc should have started __________________ (fill in the blank). ” They always know better. Actually, they are just miserable critics, who come to the battlefield after the battle and shoot the wounded. Teddy R. said it best:
Critics are a joke to me. This is where we are. On the brink of going home or advancing to the Championship Round. The Astros are also there. It’s not on Dave Roberts or Andrew Friedman – it’s up to the players to execute. That’s it! It’s that time… It is so VERY, VERY hard to get to back-to-back-to-back World Series! VERY HARD!
Discussion (178)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Watching last nights game was like watching a horror movie. The people being chased continue to make bad decisions. It is what they do.
I have always been a Doc supporter, but I have seen enough. He is a good manager during the season, but not post season. Here is why I say this.
1. Kershaw was an elite pitcher, but not anymore. He is aging and lost some off his fast ball and he has trouble controlling the curve. Pitching out of the bull pen has not worked well. I like Kershaw and always will. I want him to be a Dodger for life.
2. You have Kolarek on the team for one reason only. Pitch to a tough left hander. Soto is a good left hand hitter. Why was he not used?
3. I am not upset with Kelly. He did not pitch much in September. One inning is all you could ask him to pitch.
4. If Doc has no faith in Jansen or Baez, why have them on the play off roster?
There is plenty of blame to go around. Some players did not play well. Baseball is a tough game. I am not mad at any player. None. I am mad at Doc and the bench coach. After three years of play offs, I cannot trust Doc to make the right decisions. Usually people learn from their mistakes. Doc has not. Three years is enough of this nonsense. First year, I expect a manager to make mistakes. I do expect a manager to get better each year. Doc has not.
Well. I am back. All of my predictions came true. I was castigated for posting them, but alas, Dave Roberts proved my right. The best record in baseball loses to the Wild Card Team. Only in LA. Roberts should never had said bad things about Trump. He cursed the Dodgers after those dumb comments he made mid-season when Roberts was on top of world. Running his mouth. Hate me if you want, but I told you so.
@#$%^&*( ugh I hate the game of baseball!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Just back from the game. very disappointed in Roberts and his call to put Kershaw in when he did.and then Joe Kelly . a total bad call on his part. and it cost us the game. I truly believe the outcome of the game would of went in our favor if not for these mistakes. unfortunately it cost us.everything
I think the owners wanted an early start to the ballpark renovations….lol
The Dodgers struck out 65 times in the 5 games!!! That is SIXTY-FIVE times. They could have played all night and the Dodgers wouldn’t have scored again. Look at all those goose eggs after the second inning.
This is a black day for all Dodger fans. Having watched them strike first and carry the lead, good old Doc pulls out his bag of tricks and we lose. Rather than re-iterate the details that many have posted already, there are some key points that need to be addressed.
1. Doc. The worst in-game manager I can remember. Mattingly was bad, but Doc is by far, the worst. After all the spin that Mark and some others fed us about Doc and how he is clearly the best, I’m a bit surprised at how many posters here have aired their disapproval of him, yet said very little during the season. 3 years of his mis-management is enough, isn’t it?
2. Doc may be prone to ineptness, but the players just don’t come through as a team. 3 years in a row, this year being the worst. Bellinger an MVP? No way. We just got beat by the NL MVP, Rendon.
3. Kershaw cannot pitch in the post season, has been giving up more HR’s than ever, has fallen behind at the start of games, but leveled out to hold on. This doesn’t cut it in important games. He’s a good pitcher, but chokes in the playoffs. What can I say? What is the difference between not executing and choking?
4. In spite of the best victory total in franchise history, the FO should make some important changes if they want to win it all. Their blue print, which is outstanding for home grown production, needs more attention to the FA market and picking up the talent that is there every year for the signing. The Pollock signing was a major blunder as well as Kelly. Freidman’s achilles heel is the FA market. He stinks.
5. Joe Kelly, who was a disappointment from the get-go, whom our head blogger insisted would become lights out by season’s end, should be publicly hanged in Century City. Mark should issue a public apology to those of us who knew better and serve as the hangman.
There is so much more, but I need a drink first. lol
Poor Kersh!
Dave Roberts said the decision for Clayton Kershaw to start the 8th was not an “analytic question.” Kershaw, he said, “is a guy I believe in.” Roberts indicated plan was for Kershaw to face Rendon and Soto, before bringing in Maeda for Nats right-handers.
Well, on the bright side it worked out just like Roberts planned.
That said…..
He may actually be stoned.
typical soft west coast team.Folded when lights are brightest, just like the last 7 years.
Kershaw and Jansen should have been out this year. They feast on Padres, Pirates, Marlins, then crap the bed when it matters. FO didnt learn and rolled with this crap. You could see it coming a mile away. Belli and Seager were garbage…more ineptness when needed most.
I feel so bad for all the loyal Dodgers fans, and those here,; and of course I have followed and rooted for the Dodgers since they came to Los Angeles when I was a young boy. We do not deserve this, not considering the massive attendance, and all the money the franchise makes. The owners deserve it, but they don’t care nearly as much, so it won’t bother them. The manager deserves it, even if he cares. The Front Office has its share of blame, too.
Teams lose games, yes, the playoffs are hard, of course, blah, blah. This is the first team to win over 103 games and lose in the first round of the playoffs. All the problems that some of us saw even with all that winning, rose up in the big games. Very little hitting. Certain players looking awful at the plate. The bullpen not being nearly deep or reliable enough to go all the way, because the ownership and FO refused to do enough to fix it in the offseason or the regular season. We needed another starter once Hill was hurt, but they didn’t get one.
Roberts made a terrible decision to decide to use Kershaw as early as a couple of days ago. He does not pitch well in early innings, witness Game 2. I know why they used him, because they didn’t have faith in the bullpen, surprise. The biggest mistake was leaving him in after the first home run. That was an abysmal choice. That was the game. Why do they think that Kershaw who had pitched in relief once in his MLB career, three years ago, was the guy to use? Why??? And after one HR, you get him out!
But the bitter consolation is that once the game was tied, we were not going to win, we were not going to score again. We’ve seen this before in the playoffs, as in St. Louis a few years ago. We scored no runs after the third inning.
Roberts, like Mattingly ,seems to have no feel for when to take someone out sooner than later. But getting rid of him would not fix the major problem, which is an ownership which refuses to build a championship roster. Cashman in NY has mostly done that. Luhnow in Houston has. St. Louis is on its way, maybe Atlanta. We are not. We do very well with the players we have, but the major weaknesses are not shored up, and I keep emphasizing why. Washington is not that good, though they are certainly not easy to beat. We got very few key hits. We have no reliable bullpen, this is obvious, when you compare with Tampa Bay or New York or St. Louis. Ownership says “That’s enough to spend,” and that’s all we get. The fans do not deserve this, though ownership does. I am just listening to Kershaw, and I admire him, he is gutty enough to stand up and take the blame. He is not to blame, really, he should not have been in there then, not after the first HR. If we had a deep bullpen like some of those other teams, we never would have done that.
If CK get past this last performance, and I’m not sure he does, he will seriously need to study other pitchers who remade themselves from a power pitcher to a true pitcher and not a thrower. CK’s FB and CB were always enough to allow him to beat the Rockies, Pirates, Mets, Marlins (and others) in the regular season but his 89-90 MPH straight FB is not good enough to get good MLB hitters out consistently.
Chase Utley for our next manager. Doc is let go and agrees to mange the Padres. I’m delirious right now.
Well, that sucked. I’m reading a lot of folks are stunned, and honestly that’s the last emotion I’m feeling. It’s human to visualize your nightmare scenarios and I’ve ruminated over this such scenario many, many a time. This could be a good thing. We’ve given it three really good goes, but fell short each year for basically the same reasons. Might be time not to break up the band…but shuffle some key members. It was a great ride! Dodgers played some really entertaining baseball. I just wished that was enough.
You guys are going to bed. I’ve got a day to get through.
Can’t believe what I just saw.
Props to Bluto, he was calling it before it happened throughout.
7 years of playoffs – 7 years with this feeling.
I never accepted Joe Kelly as a Dodger. Just look at his career stats.
The lack of using Freese is mind boggling.
You can always strike out Seager low and inside. Unfortunately who are you going to play at SS.
A.J. Pollock cannot hit righties as I’ve said all season long.
Fire Dave Roberts.
Wow.
I mean….
Wow.
It’s not as bad as 2017, but it sure looked like Roberts was either:
1. Stoned
2. Trying to lose
3. On acid?
I’ll actually start the autopsy right now, because I’ve been thinking about this for a while (and I’m sure I will have to re- post something similar when this thread stops taking comments tomorrow.
I’m not an expert on Dodgers finances, and I like building a team from within. However, there are times when It is necessary to use free agency when it can make a major difference. And I think that time is now. If they can, I would like to see the Dodgers make a very strong effort to sign Anthony Rendon and Gerritt Cole.
In the case of Rendon the Dodgers would be adding a player that could be a major replacement for Turner after his final contract year in 2020, and for next year either Turner or Rendon could take over at first base. And if Turner doesn’t come back in 2021, there will be room for a prospect at that time.
There’s more that I can say, but I’ll wait for reactions before I comment any further.
Wait till next year! Even though I’m stunned at the moment, I’ll be back.
That is the most gut wrenching defeat of all time.
I cannot fathom some of the decisions and execution that I have just seen
That really was inept.
Kolarek has owned Soto.
I got nothing. Still stunned. Just got nothin’. Wow, just, wow…..
Doc has certainly given his second guessers all the ammo they need.
I honestly don’t understand how anyone can want Roberts back for another season. Seems like a great man, but he is just not up to the job.
It’s been shown over and over and over and over.
Why wouldn’t they consider Ryu to start the 10th inning? There’s no tomorrow and kelly for two innings is a disaster waiting to happen.
I know I might be questioned heavily for this but the off season brought us AJ Pollock and Joe Kelly. AJ couldn’t hit water of he fell out of a boat and lost his playing time to a rookie while Kelly blew it big time. Say what you want but after 2 WS losses and then not advancing past the NLDS it might be time for AF to trade some assets for new talent.
We can start the autopsy as AC says tomorrow.
It’s hard being a Dodger fan. Sigh.
They need to leave Joe Kelly in all night. . . and into the next day . . . week . . . month. This could be the longest 10th inning ever.
The worst bullpen usage ever.
Holy shit.
I’m heading for the bus.. I hope I’m cursing myself on the ride home.
Other wise see you in ST..
Barring a miracle comeback this is all on the Dodgers inability to tack on runs over and over again,
And, so much for home field.
No words
Bye. Until next year. Please fire Roberts.
So – Wild Man Kelly gives up a slam!
Roberts trusts Jansen so little that they don’t pull Kelly after he puts Eaton on?
It’s Over!
Seriously is Roberts trying to fuck this up?
Why is Kelly going two innings?
Why isn’t he going to Kolarek to face Soto.
What is going on here??!????
OMG.
This may be the worst managing I have ever, ever, every seen.
His annual off-season trip to Africa is probably more important than anything he does for himself and the Dodgers. Besides, I’m sure it was planned well in advance, and failure to follow through would probably cause a great deal of disappointment.
And I’m certain that there will be more than enough off-season time for working out and re-development.
I thought I had stress at work. Nothing compares to this game I love so much. I said it to my wife why Kershaw. We need to get throught the top of this inning and maybe we face a worn our Hudson or another Washington BP arm. Let’s go Dodger’s.
The only good thing is that the Dodgers pen is better than the Nats pen…
Allegedly!
Come on, time for some magic. Who’s gonna step up?
He needs to forego his annual off-season trip to Africa and devote himself to working out and redevelop himself.
Where does Clayton go from here if the Dodgers lose?
god that constant ..organ playing between every pitch is irritating.
clap clap clapclapclap. dan dan dandan, everybody clap your hands,
dodger fans have some OCD ADD or something..
broken record with CK. ship him off to the angels or something.
time and time again, he hurts us in the post season.
dodgers won the division by how much?
we dont need him in the regular season anymore.
Can you even play Seager the rest of the playoffs? He is not the same player. Kershaw Kolapse in the playoffs part 7, sad story. Maeda for President, that fire and 3 outs, much needed.
Players have to execute….sadly CK has under performed once again in the post season. Hall of Famer?….you bet. A great Dodger?…..Without question. A post season choker? The verdict is guilty as charged!
Oh and Seager has also shrunk on the big stage.
As sad as it is to say, Kershaw’s legacy may always be affected by performance’s like this. Really unfortunate
How much is Rendon going to make next year??
I really thought Kersh in for only one out..
Back to back dammit.
I keep asking who will step up. It won’t be Kershaw. Seager looks horrible – Ks, double play, error. Muncy hits a bomb, so does Kike. Buehler has ice water in his veins.
So who will step up now?
This is why not tacking on runs all night has kept me on edge.
I really have no clue at all what Roberts has been doing. It’s a cluster-fuck of nonsense.
Yeah, he cannot pitch in October
I suspect the reasoning might have went something like this. Did not want Maeda to come in and face a left handed hitter, and did not use Kolarek because he can’t get right handers out, and there’s a good chance that Washington may have sent up a right handed bat (not sure who was available).
Dodger Mom – Are you out there ?? R U enjoying this?
Forgive Bluto. Bi polar Rhodes Scholar
I don’t get going to Kershaw here.
15 Nationals have faced Maeda and Kolarek this series. They have given up one single.
Granted Maeda may not be used to coming in mid-inning, but Kershaw is?
Strasburg done a good job of keeping Nats in it.
How many is Walker gone throw….
I feel like Roberts is on the razor’s edge. Buehler has got to be done for the top of the 7th.
Not sure I’d go to Kershaw either.
GREAT game.
Ufff. We nerd more runs
This is a huge huge inning. The middle of the order coming up. Buehler pitch count at 82.
12 outs needed.
Would love to see the Dodgers tack on some runs. Even one. They’ve missed several opportunities in that respect. Unless he suddenly finds a groove, Buehler’s command is looking a little shaky.
And yes, Cory Seager may well be pressing. Seems like he’s over-swinging.
I’ve always hated that version of the shift when they play 3 guys on that side of 3B. I’m sure the numbers say I shouldn’t but I do.
Now if we could trade Belli
For some 2nd. tier bullpen piece.
Just fooling!!!
… and that’s why you don’t sit Bellinger!
Come on Seager, you are better than that
Howie Kendrick = MVP!
Who else beside Roberts had Kike in left tonight!!!! Not me!
Kikeeee
Still would like to see Cody just trying to make contact and go the other way. If he gets a pitch he can pull out of the park it will just happen.
Moncyyyyyyy
8 more runs to match the cards!!
Kike is 2-9 vs Strausburg. Both hits are home runs
Here is Dave Roberts pathetic excuse about David Freese.
Dave Roberts said he chose to keep David Freese on the bench to face LHP Corbin or Doolittle.
This is a do or die game and Freese is a proven Mr. October.
Alright, I hope Doc / AF’s computer know what they’re doing. The lineup ins’t what I expected. I thought for sure that Freese would be in there and didn’t expect to see Kike.
Just arrived at Phillipes and it’s already jumping with Blue fans.
May the force be with us!
See MT, I read what you said!!
Why all the personal attacks and just overall level of nastiness. I thought this was a place where we could disagree without being disagreeable. Are we not all Dodger fans who want a great group of young men to win a championship. There are no genius’s here or idiots/ just gans with differing opinions. Let’s start acting with some class like the players we’re rooting for!
Where the hell is Freese? We need 4 at bats from this guy, who is a proven clutch player in the play-offs. Beatty is ok, but he aint Freese in a game 5.
OK, moving forward… religion and politics are not something we should discuss.
Dodgers only.
Dig?
I’m betting Blue wins despite our inept mgr. And useless 25.
And what will they say then?
Please don’t say it was the Lord’s workand his disciple St. Carlos.
P.S. Someone the Lord ha s bigger problems than the MLB.
Freese must just not be physically ready to go nine! Just cannot believe that first inning! Wow! There must be some analytics as to why Kike is starting. Can’t be just a hunch
Tonight could be a great pitching match-up (even the great Justin Verlander has a bad game once in a while after all) and should be must watch baseball.
The Dodgers are the better team but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will win.
They have to play their best players with the caveat that the Braintrust has the numbers that will allow them to tweak the lineup to give them the best chance for success.
There’s no way that Bellinger sits. Period. He has been their best player all year and they have to believe that he gives them a better chance to win if he plays then if he sits. Same with Seager.
I agree with Mark – it’s up to the players to execute.
But I keep harping on the same historical fact – some players wilt under pressure and some thrive. I think that all of us here know that Turner and Freese have been great in the post-season and that Seager and Bellinger haven’t. That doesn’t mean that Cody and Cory can’t turn things around and Bellinger in particular has taken better swings since Game 3. But statistically, it isn’t likely based on numbers generated to date.
I would love to wrong on this – I would love to see Cody and Cory have huge games, but for that to happen, something has to change.
Today’s take the series day:
Joc (RF)
Muncy (2b)
JT (3b)
Belly (CF)
Beaty (1b)
Seager (SS)
Kike (LF)
Smith (C)
Buehler
We just need to get off to a better start than the Braves have today.
10-0 Cards after 1/2 inning.
Braves gave up a touchdown and a field goal already. Game over! We play the Cards next.
I better get this done, the squad is coming..AC thanks for getting back. I think I got your number Saturday, but both of us know we can throw out all the stats and buckle in for great one.
4 game 5’s … Who knew?
Stopped reading LA sports page after Jim Murray left us.
Plasche is a clown.
Carlos, I work with recovering addicts .. Reach for that phone
I posted this is the last blog but comments closed and I am still puzzled since i didn’t get an answer.
Anyone shed light on this and give me lesson on the game?
I thought that I knew that game pretty well but apparently not. Can someone help me understand a move/non-move from the other night?
I think it was the 5th with Trea Turner on 2nd and Urias on the mound. 1 out I think but I could be mistaken……less that 2 anyways.
Rendon is up. Probably their best hitter. 1st base open.
They pitch to Rendon and even get 1-0 to him.
Why not IBB him?
That give you a matchup against a lesser hitter in Soto. Much less patient hitter in Soto.
Gives the Dodgers a L on L matchup against Soto, and put the double play in order with Rendon on 1st.
Of course Rendon ripped a long double to score Turner.
I just don’t understand why they didnt walk Rendon. Announcers didn’t even mention it as a possibility.
Again, I just don’t understand. Maybe I would have been a fool, but I walk Rendon every time in that spot.
Yesterday doesn’t matter. It’s all about tonight! What will Strasburg’s strategy be tonight? Sticking with more off speed or does he go to more fastballs. With that bullpen you know he wants to get ahead in the count and keep his pitch count down. Are we aggressive with first pitches and looking for fastballs? Love to see JOC crank a first ball fastball and set the tone! Cat and mouse.
Tommy Lasorda is quoted as saying “”In baseball and in business, there are three types of people. Those who make it happen. Those who watch it happen. And those who wonder what the hell happened.””
So who will make it happen tonight?
Great pst by Jon Weisman today on Dodger Thoughts:
“The Ten Commandments of . . . Baseball Managers:
1) Good decisions can yield bad outcomes. Fans won’t care.
2) Bad decisions can yield good outcomes. Fans won’t care.
3) Many choices offer at best the lesser of two evils. Fans won’t care.
4) You might choose surprisingly off of private information. Fans won’t care.
5) Fans think their hindsight is true reality, dubious as that is. Fans won’t care.
6) You don’t have the benefit of hindsight. Fans won’t care.
7) Your successes may have more value than your flubs cost. Fans won’t care.
8) Sometimes, a team will beat you no matter what you do. Fans won’t care.
9) If your team falls short, you might deserve another chance. Fans won’t care.
10) You might, in fact, be a bad manager. Plenty of managers are. Some managers grow over time, some managers stagnate. Some never had enough to begin with. But ultimately, fans will judge you on the emotions you make them feel. Because fans care.”
JW articulates what I think, so much better than I could ever dream of doing.
Not a lot to say here. The pressure is on. One game take all to advance to the next round. Is the pressure on the Nats, or on the Dodgers? I think the Dodgers have an advantage here being through it before and playing in front of the home crowd with 56,000 raucous, blue towel waving fans. The sound system will be pumped to 11 and Deiter will get under the Nats’ skin by playing subtly insulting riffs of the organ.
I don’t like the Goliath reference, since Goliath ultimately succumbed to David. It would also imply that the Nats are much more of a lessor team, with a much lower payroll. Which it is not. If you take out sunk costs of players not on the roster the payrolls of these teams are very close to each other.
Up until this point, both managers have done well to put their respective teams in a position to win. Both teams have benefited from some luck being on their side. Now, it comes down to two of the best pitchers in league locking horns and battling to the death on the side of a mountain.
Weather will not come into play as it did last game when the Nats got the big home run before the winds came to knock ours out of the sky. It’s going to be tepid weather at Chavez Ravine tonight. Mid 60’s for most of the game with some humidity and single digit winds. Perfect baseball weather.
Bobby, you are our good luck charm. Lead the cheers and bring some mojo with you to the park tonight to will us to victory. Make sure the fans in your section are loud, we’re counting on you!
It would be great going forward if Kenley pitched as well as he did the other night and closed out a close win. And Seager and Belly hit back to back bombs!
I am not in the camp that says the Dodgers have to take control of the game early. No doubt that would be preferable, but there is no set formula for winning. No matter how the game plays out, all I hope for is that we’re celebrating a Dodger victory at he end. No doubt I want to see the Dodgers score early and often, and see our pitching smother the Nationals all night. Much better for my blood pressure.
My scientific analysis of today’s game. Odds are good that if the Dodgers play good defense, pitch good and score a lot of runs they’ll win. If they don’t they’ll lose. So play good Dodgers.
Just hearing Doc on an MLB phone interview, he nailed it pretty good about playing at home in front of a sellout blue towel waving crowd. It is gonna be friggin electric, and these aint the passive Dodger fans of the 80’s and 90’s. These days, they can make Dodger Stadium literally SHAKE when they get going. All it takes is one good rally early in the game to get the hitters going at home, then, look out!! The floodgates will open. My take is that Strasburg is sitting on a powder keg and he has the match. He has to pitch carefully or he’s gonna get blown up pretty quick. Not even worried about brass balls Buehller. The kid was made for this moment. Let’s get this!!
We can talk about this until the cows come home, but the Dodgers just need to relax, have fun and play. If they execute and maybe get a little lucky they can win. But you can almost guarantee that everyone on the field tonight will be tight at the start of the game. Probably a lot more pressure on the Dodgers than the Nationals, expectations and all. Bill Plaschke of the LA Times said the ramifications of losing are devastating. He said the good news for Dodgers fans is that the team is still Goliath. The bad news is a loss tonight would represent a fall of biblical proportions. So there’s that. Not sure about the whole biblical proportions thing, but it is a colorful way to state the obvious. But either way, the sun will rise tomorrow. I realize a lot of people tend to question why a manager does this or that, starts this player or another. But the manager has to go with what he senses. It either works or not. If the team loses, you get a lot of … what was he thinking? If the Dodgers win tonight we can move on. If not, we can discuss what biblical proportions means and how it will impact Dodger thinking at the management and owner level. But at this moment, we’re still Goliath.
The lowly Rays took the season series from Houston this season. This is not a shock whatsoever that they’re 2-2 after 4.
Great post Mark.
Love the Teddy R. quote. Win or lose tonight I hope all our guys get their uniforms dirty (figuratively speaking). All I ask is a huge effort. Then let the chips fall where they may.
By the way, the “lowly” Rays won 96 games this year so although it would be a surprise to see them beat the Astros it wouldn’t be a total shock. They are probably the most underrated team in all of baseball.
I hope the Dodgers win tonight. However, I know anything can happen. The best are playing baseball now, and 3 of the 4 are in game 5. That should tell you something.
Just got message on my phone that Will Smith is catching tonight. Given that he caught Buehker’s gem last week, that makes perfect sense to me.
Game 5 in 3 out of the 4 playoff series,good competition,hoping the Dodgers take care of the Nationals with the home field win tonight.
I didn’t read anything about the Astros-Rays game, but I did look at the box score. And from that it looks like the Rays beat the “great” Verlander with a bullpen game. You just never know. And I don’t say that lightly, because in all the years I have been watching baseball, I have seen the IMPOSSIBLE on more than a few occasions.
No matter the circumstances, I never go into watching a game thinking that the Dodgers are going to win, even if I think that they have an undeniable talent advantage, and all of the stars appear to be aligned in their favor. So I don’t think that the Dodgers are going to win tonight or lose tonight. I simply HOPE that they win. And whatever happens, don’t think that there won’t be an element of luck involved, one way or another.
Great take.
Lets do this!!!
The beer will be that much colder when we win tonight; whens the last time we celebrated a post season clincher at home??