For the third time in four years, the Los Angeles Dodgers are NL Pennant Winners and headed back to the World Series. Will 2020 be different? Like the Cubs in 2016 and the Nationals last year, I think the Dodgers are the team of destiny. I am sure Tampa Bay Rays fans feel the same way, but I am a Dodgers fan so who cares what Rays fans think. Corey…
Elimination game, facing the Braves top pitcher, Max Fried, and the Dodgers, besides the obvious need to win, had several objectives: 1. get off to a good start; 2. run up Fried’s pitch count; 3. Keep Buehler’s pitch count down; 4. Keep the Braves off the bases; and 5. Score more runs than the Braves. The Dodgers were successful on four of the…
Okay, the 25 year old Fresh Prince also comes through in the clutch as he has done so many times. Biggest hit in his 2 year career…a well timed 3-run HR. After the first three innings my headline was: Dodgers Look For Walks, Braves Look For Hits A.J. Minter has never started an ML game. Minter’s previous high in IP was 1.2 (once). He goes 3.0 IP, faces 10 batters…
With the passing in the last week or so of Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford, and now Joe Morgan, I got to thinking about players who always seem to be at their best against the Dodgers. It has always seemed to me like some players just have another team’s number. Take for example, Willie McCovey. His BA against the Dodgers in 297 games was .241. He hit 45 HR’s and had…
Today, the Dodgers face off against the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the 2020 NLCS. The Dodgers have never faced the Braves for the pennant before. They have faced each other three times in Divisional Series play. 1996 NLDS – Dodgers lost to Atlanta 3 games to 0 2013 NLDS – Dodgers beat Atlanta 3 games to 1 2018 NLDS – Dodgers beat Atlanta 3 games to 1 Before…
Most believed that the Reds were going to be a very dangerous Wild Card team to face because of their starting pitching. Trevor Bauer, Luis Castillo, and Sonny Gray. The Braves never had to face Gray as they dispatched the Reds in two. But it wasn’t easy. The Braves needed to go 13 innings before Freddie Freeman had a walk off single to beat the Reds 1-0. The Reds outhit…
What’s happening to this year’s crop of free agents? This is December 27, and out of the top 50 MLB TradeRumors free agent predictions, only 19 have signed new contracts, and one decided not to opt out (Masahiro Tanaka). Of the 30 unsigned players, none of the top 11 have signed new contracts (excluding Tanaka not opting out), and 15 of the top 20 are still unsigned. Of the…
I find myself in somewhat of a dilemma. I never believed the Dodgers would spring for Stanton. That is not what they do. It is not who they are. But yet I was getting excited about the chance of the ONE true game changer available this year becoming a Dodger. I was convinced that the Dodgers only entered into the discussion to get Stanton to say no to the Giants. I…