110, or Bust!
I hear some Dodger fans write or say that the Giants are just having their way this year, that the Giants are just lucky, that they have the Dodgers number. I hear that some don’t trust Joe Kelly, Kenley Jansen, or several other pitchers. I say that they are a bunch of Negative…
I hear some Dodger fans write or say that the Giants are just having their way this year, that the Giants are just lucky, that they have the Dodgers number. I hear that some don’t trust Joe Kelly, Kenley Jansen, or several other pitchers. I say that they are a bunch of Negative Nellies, to which they say “No, that is not true. I am positive… that I am negative.”
The Giants won the Division by 1 game! One stinking game… but they won… fair and square, I would not call them lucky, but sometimes the Baseball Gods just smile on a team for a time. They may not be the best team, but they act like it… for a time. I think it happened in 1988, when the ragtag Dodgers minus the MVP won it all. On paper, the Mets and Athletics were the better teams, yet the Dodgers won and their best player had just one at-bat. In case you have forgotten, here is that at-bat:
Well, the Giants are this year’s “Ragtag Team” but they are pretty dang good… even if they don’t look the part on paper. The fact of the matter is that one of these two teams will end up with 110 wins and go to the NLCS and the other one will go home with a mere 109.
Here’s what I know: The Dodgers could lose… but I don’t think they will. On any given day, one team can beat another one. If they do lose, so be it! I will just move on and wait until next year. One game may end the Dodgers season, but it does not define it! It won’t change my outlook on this team. I believe that the Los Angeles Dodgers are the best organization in baseball, from top-to-bottom. Look no further than the “Dodger Alumni Tree” which is producing Executives for other teams at an unprecedented rate. The Dodgers could again lose several executives and coaches this year. Possibilities to be hired by other organizations include Josh Byrnes, Jeff Kingston, Brandon Gomes, Brant Brown, Aaron Bates, Clayton McCullough, Conner McGuiness, and/or Billy Gasparino. They won’t lose them all, but they could lose a few, as other items want to hire people from successful organizations.
That said, the Giants are tough, but I also know that the Dodgers are great at adjustments… however, so are the Giants. Logan Webb was dominant against the Dodgers earlier. They will adjust… will the Giants re-adjust? Farhan Zaidi is building another great organization and he is doing a great job, but this is a magical year. The question is “will the magic run out today?” I think it will, but win or lose, this is my team. One game does not define you, but it can end your season.
We had Dodger fans quit after losing to the Asstericks. We had Dodger fans quit after losing to Boston. We had Dodger fans quit after the 2019 loss to the Nats… and we even had Dodger fans quit after the latest World Championship – they had met their goal. Whatever! You are free to do whatever you want and spin it however you want, but I will be watching the Dodgers tonight and rooting for them, and win or lose, life will go on. Don’t forget: It’s a game.
We know that Gavin Lux and Cody Bellinger will be in the lineup. We don’t know where… exactly. Seager, Betts, and both Turners will be there. What about Albert at 1B in this Championship Game? It’s worth consideration. Yeah, I know about the “splits.” Sometimes you have to go with your gut. Sometimes experience can win out.
Craig Counsell is a Bum
At least that is what many Milwaukee fans and the national press are saying. A few weeks ago, he was one of the best managers in baseball. It’s amazing how stupid you become when your players do not execute. Dave Roberts can attest to the same thing.
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Discussion (159)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Wow, just about 3 1/2 hours until game time. Time is dragging on…
I’m completely convinced that Julio will pitch a gem tonight and the Dodgers are going to get to Webb. I have no rational for this line of thinking, nonetheless, I believe this to be true.
Man, I hate openers. I just think there’s a lot of risk in having a reliever start the game in an unfamiliar routine and having a starter equally unfamiliar coming into a game that’s already begun. I just hate this micromanage kind of crap. But…
If you’re gonna do it, now’s a good time. The Giants are a platoon dependent team and this is a good way to exploit those splits. Julio has plenty of experience coming into games as a reliever and they gave Knebel a couple of openers, thinking ahead to prepare them for this exact scenerio.
This either guarantees that Knebel faces a righty heavy lineup at least the first time through, or it will be a very short bench if they start lefties and have to shift back to righties for Urias. Hell, I might even bring in Graterol to take down a couple of innings after Knebel if the Giants don’t adjust. If you go with Urias, to start the Giants can bring in their lefty bats late in the game against our best relievers who are all right handed, sans Vesia.
This would be a moot point if they included V-Gone and Bruihl on the roster instead of a couple guys they didn’t use. Price and Gonsolin look like wasted roster spots right now.
Just learned about Knebel as the opener. Wow, bold move by the Dodgers to say the least.
Principally I understand the reasoning behind it but couple of arguments against it: Julio has not pitched out of the pen all year long. Totally different warm up phase in contrast to starting a game. Yes, I know he has done it last year but back then he came out of the pen during the season some times and was used to it. Pre game warm up and a routine is important for a pitcher.
Plus when you decide to go with a RHP as opener why not start TG ? Knebel very likely will go one inning at max and only if he has good stuff and gets hitters out. When you start TG and he is on his game you can ride him for multiple innings. Maybe he has the stuff to throw the game of his life. Tony has the talents . But obviously the Dodgers do not trust him at all and then as was mentioned above by another poster his roster spot is wasted.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This didn’t help my blood pressure:
Vin Scully
@TheVinScully
To my knowledge, tonight’s game between the @Dodgers and @SFGiants is the most important game in the history of their rivalry. With nearly identical records, and so much at stake, I believe this to be the case.
Bill Plunket: Kapler says #Dodgers Dave Roberts texted him last night to say Knebel was starting
This single game is bigger than most World Series games. It’s a good thing Dodgers faced Webb as recently as they did and hopefully developed a better plan and take it like after the 3rd time through abs. It’ll be interesting to see how our rotation experiment will work out as the computer designed. BIG-BIG game! Must see TV.
First blown strike 3 of the night. Didn’t take long. Had to strike Crawford out twice.
4 strikes you’re out!
Doc is playing with fire by using Graterol. He is a ROOGY.
Doc got away with it.
Welcome back Eric! Now get your offense going!!!!!
Webb has these dodger hitters off balance
First game against Webb we swing at breaking stuff out of the zone and this game we’re taking fastballs right down the middle.
It appears the only Dodger who learned anything from game one is Mookie. Weak balls put in play by the Turner’s.
Go the freaking other way with that offspeed off the plate BS Webb is throwing.
I would have ran Mookie first pitch with Seager up. Fastball, Seager hits it. Off-speed Mookie steals the base.
Too bad Seager and the Turners can’t hit off speed pitches. I bet Austin Barnes could.
It appears as if the Turners have not made an adjustment with the Webb offspeed and off the plate stuff. Couple of weak groundouts.
Yeah even Lux and Cody look overwhelmed…..
I think Urias might be our best hitter after Mookie
Finally a manufactured run!!!! Stolen base and taking an extra base.
Third time through the order.
Doc listened to me and got Mookie running.
Trea Turner looks horrible against Webb—-Captain Obvious
Mookie came to play…
MR MVP DOES IT AGAIN!
Too bad Trea is stinking it up….
Will just missed….
Come on Julio….1-2-3
I thought they had Ruff set up for the curve but if he hit his spot on the fastball it most likely wouldn’t have mattered.
The inability of Trea Turner to do anything offensively, especially with one out and a runner in scoring position (to this point) rears its ugly head. Feels like JT is going to have a big moment in this game.
I guess it is asking for too much to ask Lux or Cody to do something…
I think I would have left Julio in. Other than the center cut FB to Ruff he has looked rather dominant and has only thrown 4 innings with 59 pitches. Thought this was the reason we used an opener so Julio could go deep.