2020 Los Angeles Dodgers

[EastCoastCat]

Series with the Fathers is getting nasty and intense.

Kershaw with and OK outing but gave up back-to-back dingers.
Dodgers with their typical patient and timely offensive attack.
Padres showing a lot of fight coming back twice down 3 runs.

Belli with the catch of the playoffs and then a nasty exchange after Graterol through his mitt and cap in celebration which Machado (of course) took exception to even though he had thrown his bat after hitting a home run earlier in the game. Both benches deploying their best social distancing tussle.

Then a shaky Jansen couldn't close the deal with a 3-run lead and Joe "give me a heart attack every time I come in" Kelly finally ending it after walking the bases loaded and the Padres down a run.

Good theater - too bad MLB scheduled each game as the late game meaning I'm not getting much sleep.

[azcat49]

The rivalries in the NL west sure seem to be about the most intense in baseball. Of course maybe it’s because every other team hates the Dodgers?

[MrBug708]

Let's go!

[EastCoastCat]

Nice little thumping of the Padres last night.

Braves pitching will be tougher but I like our chances.

[Chicat]

Nice little thumping of the Padres last night.

Braves pitching will be tougher but I like our chances.

I do too.

[TheCatInTheHat]

Trying not to make the mistake of looking past anybody, but Dodgers/Yankees would be pretty cool, wouldn't it? Even played in Dallas. I'll be rooting for New York in their Game 5 with Tampa, and if it's in the cards, against Houston. (So this is where the Yankees come through, but the Dodgers lose to Atlanta.) A few years ago, I took the subway to the new Yankee Stadium and the tour. Very impressive, from the monuments to the museum.

[TucsonClip]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[EastCoastCat]

Dodgers better shore up their late inning pitching.

Need a big time performance from Kershaw today and the bats better wake up.

[TheCatInTheHat]

I think Roberts choked with handling the pitching. Buehler got them off to a good start, then it turned into "the committee." He seems to stick with pitchers to show them he has confidence in them, and he also goes to inexperienced and obscure no-names, although that's partly on Andrew Friedman. Roberts needs to be more like Sparky "Captain Hook" Anderson. It is also the Dodgers history to be The Big Blue Wrecking Crew during the regular season with all the homers, then run into the good pitching as they go deeper into the playoffs, and the scoring drops off the edge of the table. You need to be able to manufacture runs at that point, but you have to practice it during the season to be good at it. That's how I see it, anyhow. The good news is the Houston Asterisks are now 0-2, so I guess karma's a bitch.

[EastCoastCat]

Kershaw scratched from pitching today due to back spasms.

[Chicat]

Kershaw scratched from pitching today due to back spasms.

Yikes

[EastCoastCat]

Kershaw scratched from pitching today due to back spasms.

Yikes

Well, everyone has been touting the Dodgers depth this year. Let's see if that's actually true.

[azcat49]

The Braves looked really good yesterday. I thought they were good but I didn’t think they would beat the Dodgers. Now I think they
Might actually be better

[EastCoastCat]

Well, it sure makes it easy when you score 11 runs in the first inning but it was good to see the Dodgers wake up.

Now let's see if Kershaw can come up big tonight, especially since it looks like the Braves will be deploying a bullpen game.

[Chicat]

That game had to do some seriously heavy lifting for the Dodgers confidence.

[EastCoastCat]

Just pathetic. Another disappointing playoff exit in the cards.

Couldn't get to a rookie starter.
Bat's went cold again.
Kershaw with another shaky playoff performance.
Bullpen was awful.

They are good, fun team to watch with great talent but maybe that is all they will be.

[EastCoastCat]

Are they just teasing me?

Why the Braves continue to pitch to Seager I will never know.
I wasn't convinced the Mookie trade was a good one. I now stand corrected.
Dodgers still leave too many men on base but so have the Braves.

Got barely past Fried. Can they now get to Anderson?
I am not a fan of pitching Kershaw on short rest but the media is playing it up. I would go with Gonsolin to start and if he gets in trouble bring in Urias.

[EastCoastCat]

Have to admit the Gods were wearing Dodger blue last night. They could have been blown out early.

Another bonehead baserunning mistake by the Braves.
Mookie with another amazing defensive play.
2 timely bombs by Kiki and Cody.
And Urias was lights out over the last 3 innings.

On to the WS where maybe they can figure out how to get 4 wins this time.

[TheCatInTheHat]

Well after that 0-2 FUBAR start against Atlanta, they get to completely re-set against the Rays. They'll have the advantage of Series experience, familiarity with the stadium and the environment there, and "home field advantage", such as it is, with last ups in 4 of the 7 games if it goes that far. I also get the impression there'll be more people there in-person rooting for the Dodgers than the Rays. Hopefully Kersh is ready to go and make some strong starts. Although it's old news, history likely would have been different if the Dodgers had re-signed Grienke. But, while Kershaw continues to age and make his Hankook commercials, the Dodgers will have to figure out if Urias can eventually be a reliable post-season #2 with Buehler, or if they need to make a big-money move for another pitcher. Ditto on whether Graterol can be the heir to the aging Jansen. Ah, but that's down-the-road and over-the-horizon stuff. For now, it's just about figuring out a way to win the 4 games you mentioned, or that gorilla on their backs will feel like a lot more than 800 lbs.

[MrBug708]

Woot Woot!

[Chicat]

Have to admit the Gods were wearing Dodger blue last night. They could have been blown out early.

Another bonehead baserunning mistake by the Braves.
Mookie with another amazing defensive play.
2 timely bombs by Kiki and Cody.
And Urias was lights out over the last 3 innings.

On to the WS where maybe they can figure out how to get 4 wins this time.

I feel like this is their year.

Although, it also could be the Rays' year.

I'm really bad at this prediction stuff.

[Alieberman]

If Kershaw bombs again...

[Chicat]

If Kershaw bombs again...

Kershaw is quite literally the greatest regular season pitcher ever, and one of the worst postseason pitchers in history. It’s utterly mind-boggling.

[EastCoastCat]

If Kershaw bombs again...

Kershaw is quite literally the greatest regular season pitcher ever, and one of the worst postseason pitchers in history. It’s utterly mind-boggling.

While I don't disagree I think he's also unfortunately judged by his own greatness. His regular season stats over the course of his career are mind blowing. In the past 11 years his ERA has been below 3 every year except last year where it "leaped" to 3.03.

And I'm not giving him a pass because you got to deliver that same lofted performance during the playoffs.

He's also thrown a ton of innings/pitches during the regular season then in the postseason the Dodgers think he can throw 7-8 Kershaw-esque innings. He's had a lot of freakish innings giving up like 4-5 runs which makes it look even worse. The Dodger manager's imo have been leaving him in too long because they haven't trusted their bullpen which has been spotty for the last 10 years at best. I heard a stat yesterday if the relievers had gotten out of the inning in which they replaced Kershaw without letting inherited runners score his post-season ERA would be 3.5 instead of 4.3. Not great still but it says something more about the Dodgers bullpen over the years.

I'm hoping Roberts will take a page out of game 7 against the Braves. He didn't bring in Jansen in the ninth because Urias was pitching great. He didn't play the "that's what we always do" card.

Hopefully, Kershaw can give them 4-5 strong innings. But then leave it up to their much deeper pen to finish.

[EastCoastCat]

Solid performance from Big Blue last night.

Kershaw was vintage Kershaw. Glad to see him move the monkey a little more off his back (but he's still clinging!). Rays hitters are not the '27 Yankees but hey when half of your opponents swings are misses then you are doing pretty damn good.
I'm starting to get a man crush on Mookie Betts. He's just so fun to watch...when he's on your team that is.
Bellinger going yard again to set the ball in motion. The "Toe Five" was hilarious.
The 4 runs in the 5th was all due to small ball which I was happy to see. Your offense can't just rely on home runs.
Defense was excellent.
Back of the pen was shaky but at least they didn't have to bring in Graterol, Treinen, or Jansen so those guys are ready to go tonight.

Tougher game tonight.
Dodgers don't do as well against tough lefties like Snell plus it looks like they will be going with a bullpen game with Gonsolin starting after throwing 2 innings against the Braves in game 7. Probably see a Gonsolin-May-Urias rotation to get them through 6 innings at least.

[TheCatInTheHat]

It was a great way to open the Series, but It's just one game.

Bill Plaschke in the LA Times went off the deep end and declared the Series over, which is ridiculous. I've seen too much history to take the Rays for granted, with the Dodgers winning only 2 of the 7 previous World Series they've been in since I've been a fan. I'm not a fan of Roberts' "bullpen" games, but we'll see how it goes. Maybe the theory is that Gonsolin and May will do better earlier when the pressure is the least and when they're only expected to throw an inning or two; I dunno. I think I'd rather start Urias and try to get 5 innings and a lead out of him. One thing I liked last night was showing that they could manufacture a run with Betts. Sometimes you have to be able to do that in a low-scoring game against better pitching.

In any event...Let's Go Dodgers...(clap, clap...clap-clap-clap!)

[EastCoastCat]

It was a great way to open the Series, but It's just one game.

Bill Plaschke in the LA Times went off the deep end and declared the Series over, which is ridiculous. I've seen too much history to take the Rays for granted, with the Dodgers winning only 2 of the 7 previous World Series they've been in since I've been a fan. I'm not a fan of Roberts' "bullpen" games, but we'll see how it goes. Maybe the theory is that Gonsolin and May will do better earlier when the pressure is the least and when they're only expected to throw an inning or two; I dunno. I think I'd rather start Urias and try to get 5 innings and a lead out of him. One thing I liked last night was showing that they could manufacture a run with Betts. Sometimes you have to be able to do that in a low-scoring game against better pitching.

In any event...Let's Go Dodgers...(clap, clap...clap-clap-clap!)

Bump. Very prophetic after last night's game. The Rays are not going to just roll over.

Dustin May was and has been atrocious.
Dodgers have a starting pitching problem. Their only dependent starters are Buehler and Kershaw while the Rays have 3 (Glasnow, Snell and Morton). As shown last night they can't really do a bullpen game very well.
They did not manufacture any runs last night. All 4 runs were from homers. Thant needs to change.
Not panicked - if Buehler can outduel Morton tomorrow I will feel better with Urias and Kershaw starting games 4 and 5.

Day off today. Time to re-calibrate.

[azcat49]

Does any team really manufacture runs anymore? Stealing a base and hitting behind runners seems to be a lost arr. I read an article where the money ball theory said you are a fool to bunt or play small, that the numbers supported taking a regular at bat and getting the extra base knock

[EastCoastCat]

Does any team really manufacture runs anymore? Stealing a base and hitting behind runners seems to be a lost arr. I read an article where the money ball theory said you are a fool to bunt or play small, that the numbers supported taking a regular at bat and getting the extra base knock

Well the Dodgers shouldn't have to subscribe to money ball with their payroll. And they can steal bases led by Mookie. They are getting praises for working the count, taking walks and passing the baton. Just not sure why that doesn't include hitting the other way when the opportunity/shift presents itself. Are they just working the count to get a pitch to hit 500 feet?

Will Smith got praises to holy high heaven in Game 6 against the Braves when he went the other way and grounded a ball through the vacant 2nd base hole with 2 outs which ended up plating 2 runs to tie the score. In this series he has had a couple of opportunities to do the same thing but did not even try and go the other way. Now he homered on an inside pitch later in the game which is fine but I'm just surprised why hitters don't try it more often especially in the post-season where each W is so difficult.

[TheCatInTheHat]

Does any team really manufacture runs anymore? Stealing a base and hitting behind runners seems to be a lost arr. I read an article where the money ball theory said you are a fool to bunt or play small, that the numbers supported taking a regular at bat and getting the extra base knock

Data is only as good as the appropriate application of it. If you take an average baserunner playing regular season games against many average to mediocre pitchers, the numbers may well show you're better off going station-to-station looking to drive people in with base hits, including homers. (All beautifully illustated by Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill in the movie about a team that's not known for going very deep in the playoffs.) But, when you get well into the playoffs and you're playing elite teams with almost exclusively exceptional pitchers, and if you happen to have an exceptional baserunner like Betts, and you have people hitting behind him with pretty good bat control, you may well get a different statistical answer, at least for certain circumstances. Nobody is expecting a steady diet of Rickey Henderson. But occasionally playing for one run can be effective and tie a team up defensively, particularly with all of the shifts that get put on these days.

[azcat49]

ECC you are talking to a purist here who loves the fundamentals of the game. I hate that teams fail so often in getting a runner to third with no outs or can’t execute a bunt. Heck, the suicide squeeze is the most exciting out in sports.

The art of stealing bases is gone as well. I remember the days of Lou Brock stealing 60-100 bases every year and certain guys wreaking havoc on the base paths. The ITB this year showed how poor fundamentally many of these players really are at moving runners.

[Chicat]

Sports evolve. Just gotta come to terms with that. You may have loved watching the old Winged-T formation, but that doesn't mean that football teams will see it as a winning strategy in today's game.

The players today grew up in the long ball era and have tailored their swings and their bodies to mashing home runs. They also stopped stealing bases in little league for fear that they would mess up an ankle, shoulder, wrist, or hand sliding into a bag. There just aren't enough players out there in this day and age who put the ball in play consistently and are smart and agile on the base paths. So what's a manager to do? Play small ball with a bunch of dudes who average 6' 4" 240 and strike out 50% of the time?

Anyway, I think this series goes 7 games and I have no idea who will win it all. Great matchup of teams.

[azcat49]

That might be the best explanation I have heard as to why these players can’t execute the small ball game. Well done as always Chi.

Still I would love to see that lower half of any lineup move a guy along to help his club. I think today there is much more emphasis on taking pitchers deep in the count early and getting on base in any way possible but it sure would be neat to see a walk turned into a double

[EastCoastCat]

Really key win last night as it now sets up well for Urias and Kershaw in games 4 and 5.

Buehler was dominant and all 4 of his pitches were filthy.
Dodgers doing an amazing job getting RBI's with 2 outs.
Turner and Barnes were co-MVP's last night. Gotta love the safety squeeze - guess I will take back my comments on smallball.

Would love a win tonight so Kershaw gets the ball to clinch the series but I'm not sure the Baseball Gods will give me that pleasure.

[TheCatInTheHat]

Personally, I'll take it as it comes and won't wish for anything other than two more wins, whenever and however. If Urias can have a quality start and go 5, that'd be great and anything more would be gravy, but I'll be sweating anybody they bring in afterwards. I'll stick with my earlier comments about certain aspects of the game, some of which should just be considered fundamentals, particularly when facing better than your typical regular season opposition. Have Kershaw come in for one at-bat as a pinch-hitter to lay down a bunt if nobody else can manage. You also need to maximize your personnel advantages/mismatches in any sport based on situations. If you have Kareem, you shouldn't just shoot threes. If you have 6-8 Harold Carmichael in the end zone, you probably don't just want to always blast between the tackles. And you should fully use a Betts. Things that are currently considered outdated sometimes go in cycles. If somebody ever learns how to throw a knuckleball again, it wouldn't surprise me if it's named something else and considered a "brand new" pitch.

[UofAlum05]

Fire Roberts

[TheCatInTheHat]

If he blows it (again), he may well follow Doc Rivers out of town. Despite the double fielding fiasco at the end, the one cogent comment I saw was why not stick with Graterol? So now, it's like we start over and go back to the first post-season series: best two out of three.

[MrBug708]

Kershaw in the 2020 postseason:

W-L: 4-1
ERA: 2.93
Opp Avg: .211
K-BB: 37-5

[EastCoastCat]

Big win tonight. Now just need 1 out of 2 with Buehler lurking in Game 7.

Kershaw wasn't great but was good enough to get the W. Getting the Rays out with first and third with no outs was huge and how he didn't balk is beyond me when they tried to steal home.
Muncy and Pederson with 2 big blasts.
May, Gonzalez and Treinen were outstanding considering how embarrassing the bullpen was the night before.
During the day off tomorrow Taylor needs to work on catching the ball.

I like having the day off tomorrow. More so to give my heart a rest...

[MrBug708]

I think they have to start Kike. Barnes did a better job calling the game tonight, but they are going to try to steal on his arm all game long.

[Chicat]

Congrats all you Dodgers fans!!!

I was one of you until I was around 11, so I might just have to live vicariously through you for a week or two.

[MrBug708]

Single greatest sporting event feels. I was 6 in 1988, so I remember and loved it, but it's not the same. On cloud 9. Glad to see Vin see one more

[ByJoveByJingle]

Been a Dodger fan since the days of Steve Garvey, Bill Russell, Pedro Guerrero etc. I was at a football game at Arizona Stadium when the crowd erupted at some random moment, louder than it was for the football game. People were listening on radio to the sound of Kirk Gibson hitting his improbable home run and they went nuts. It’s a weird feeling this year for so many reasons . . . but still a satisfyingly cathartic moment. Such a great accomplishment.

[EastCoastCat]

Been a LA Dodger fan for a long time - I'm talking Bill Singer, Claude Osteen, Ted Sizemore, Willie Davis long time.

This one was sweet because it's the first time they have won a WS when everyone expected them to win in my lifetime.
'81 was a strike-shortened year and the Dodgers were not expected to beat the Yankees who usually beat them like a drum the way the old Celtics used to beat the Lakers.
'In '88 both the Mets and A's had much stronger teams and magical HR's by Sciosia off Gooden and Gibson off of Eckersley got them an unexpected Championship.

This year all of the pressure was on the Dodgers yet again to win it after 8 straight division titles and 2 straight WS losses in '17 and '18. With the addition of Mookie Betts and having won 43 out of 60 games there were no more excuses. The vultures were certainly circling after the Braves took a commanding 3-1 lead and even after the game 4 9th inning folly.

And Roberts got some vindication. He didn't go back to his old ways in the late innings and let the hot reliever Urias finish out game 7 against the Braves and the clincher last night, while Cash is taking the heat for removing an overpowering Snell after a meek one out hit to Barnes in the 5th.

While 2020 has been a shit show it hasn't been too bad sports-wise for me. First the Lakers, now the Dodgers. If the Rams win it I'm going to Vegas and put all my money on 20 at the Roulette table.

[Alieberman]

I am not a Dodger fan at all, but this group of players are a very likable group. And Kershaw deserved to have that asterisk taken off his record.

Congrats to all you Dodger fans here

[UofAlum05]

I have never been more happy to have a hangover in my life.

[TheCatInTheHat]

My son tells me more illegal fireworks went off last night for the Dodgers than when the Lakers won the title.

[TheCatInTheHat]

In the Dodgers 60+ years in LA, only the Yankees have a better record of World Series appearances and wins.

Yankees - 16/9
Dodgers - 12/6
Cardinals - 10/5
Red Sox - 7/4
Athletics - 6/4
Orioles - 6/3
Reds - 6/3
Giants - 6/3
Pirates - 3/3
Phillies - 5/2
Mets - 5/2
Tigers - 4/2
Royals - 4/2
Twins - 3/2
Blue Jays - 2/2
Marlins - 2/2
Astros - 3/1*
White Sox - 2/1
Nationals - 1/1
Cubs - 1/1
Angels - 1/1
Diamondbacks - 1/1
Rays - 2/0
Rangers - 2/0
Padres - 2/0
Indians - 2/0
Rockies - 1/0
Brewers - 1/0

[Chicat]

Astros - 3/1*

Necessary

[MrBug708]

My son tells me more illegal fireworks went off last night for the Dodgers than when the Lakers won the title.

There were more after game 5 than the Lakers game 6 championship.