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
First blown strike 3 of the night. Didn’t take long. Had to strike Crawford out twice.
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.
Bill Plunket: Kapler says #Dodgers Dave Roberts texted him last night to say Knebel was starting
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.
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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.
Living in Northern California, as my LADT user name implies, I put up with a lot of shit from the fair weathered fans who proudly wear Giant apparel when the Giants win but don’t say shit with a mouthful when they’re battling the Rockies or Diamondbacks for last place as they have done the last couple of years. Many of these “so-called” baseball fans couldn’t explain the difference between a suicide squeeze and a suicide by someone jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge, but hey they’re baseball fans “all the time.”
Tonight is our night, our night to prove we are indeed the best team in baseball, the better depth, the better farm system, the better analytics, the better fans, the better veteran and young talent, the better FO, the better manager and a team destined for greatness.
We got this #WGT! Bring it home Julio with a big night from he Turner boys and a Bellinger bomb as well.
Tonight’s winning lineup:
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Corey Seager L
2B Trea Turner R
C Will Smith R
3B J. Turner R
CF Gavin Lux L
1B C. Bellinger L
LF Chris Taylor R
P Corey Knebel R
Same lineup as Game 6
Lux gets to patrol that big centerfield
Didn’t see this coming,
Mike Shildt is out as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, sources tell ESPN.
I don’t know if it is a good or bad move. I get the strategy but it’s certainly a big gamble. We’ll find out in about 7 hours. It’s certainly bold and will give us and the pundits plenty to talk about today and in the future.
Could be Urias is injured. Hope not!
Knebel gets the job as opener. And frankly, I think it is a good move. Twitter is going bat shit nuts over this. Look at it this way, if Kapler starts his lefty lineup, then when Julio comes in, he has a problem.
What’s up with the opener? I hope Doc isn’t overthinking this. Maybe he just wants to make sure his most reliable lefty bat (Julio) is available late in the game.
Knebel starting?
In baseball, my expectations rarely work out. Knowing that, I ditch my expectations which leaves me with new expectations — which rarely work out.
Last year my rally meal was taquitos & beer. Tonight it’s wings & wine. Hope this doesn’t mess anything up.
Loading the lineup with left handed batters should go a long way towards eliminating that outside pitch that the umpire was calling for a strike on right hand hitters during game one. I like the idea of replacing Pollock with Lux for this game for many reasons. Inherently, left hand hitters tend to be better low ball hitters. I expect a low scoring game but I see some of our left hand hitters playing pivotal roles tonight.
Julio Urias has proven to be a big game pitcher. I expect to see nothing less.
I am interested in seeing how the Gnats perform during an elimination game. The Dodgers have done it twice so far and are the more talented team. Will SF succumb to the pressure? Or will they rise to the occasion?
As a baseball fan, I have my money on the Dodgers. As a Dodgers fan, well, go Dodgers!
For those of us who still read the Athletic, there’s an interesting piece by Stephen Nesbitt on “Grading MLB Umpires”. A Boston U student named Ethan Singer uses twitter to grade out umpires and analyze performance. Kind of interesting (as I hope we are head toward the ABS.
Open on theathletic.combyhttps://theathletic.com/author/stephen-j-nesbitt/I think we have one advantage in that we have already played in an elimination game against STL. That experience has to count for something. 4-2 LA.
If the Dodgers can score 4/5 runs today they should be able to win.
The Giants have scored in this series 4, 2, 1, 2 runs.
There has not been 1 lead change in the first 4 games. So odd!
I truly believe that if our boys in blue can get to Logan Webb we will win the game. If he shuts us down for 7 or even 8 innings it will be tough but if we can get into the (worn out?) bullpen early then we are going to the NLCS. Will this be a feast or a famine night? ☺
I’m in alignment with Pengy’s line up thinking (wait the righties for Wood) and Red going yard.
Okay, the Red thing is a hope. I’d be okay with two doubles, a walk and single from Red! Time for the big Dodger in the sky to appear.
Baseball needs to make the check swing a reviewable call. Any mistake that the viewing audience can see, and there are literally hundreds of them over the course of the year, should be reviewable. Especially those that decide games.
These teams are evenly matched. They are better defensively, we have better pitching, not by much, and score more runs, not by much. Zaidi put that team together remarkably quickly but the fact their sleeping veterans woke up went a long way to bring them back. Crawford and Posey are only 34 so a good year from both should not be that surprising, but not that good either. Posey only played 114 games but his .889 OPS is his best since his MVP year at age 25. Crawford’s .895 OPS is his best year ever, obviously an outlier year, but he too played in fewer games. Surely those two play like 35 year olds next year. Right?
Would be nice to see our geezer contribute soon. Turner at .059 hurts, especially with Muncy gone.
Hopefully All shows up tonight.
Farhan is building a great organization? No, Farhan built a team that exceeded all expectations this year…
With a postseason rotation of Wood, Gausman, Desclafani, Webb and Cueto, only Webb is expected back next year.
How about their position players? Unrestricted Free Agents include Kris Bryant, Brandon Belt and Donovan Solano. They hold club options on Wilmer Flores (32) and Buster Posey (35).
Brandon Crawford (35), Evan Longoria (37), Steven Duggar (28), Tommy La Stella (33), Darin Ruf (36), Austin Slater (29), LaMonte Wade (28), and Mike Yastrzemski (32) are under contract.
So, next year their team looks like this…
Rotation
Webb and 4 guys they’ll need to acquire via free agency
C Posey (35)
1B Ruf (36)
2B LaStella (33)
3B Longoria (37)
SS Crawford (35)
LF Wade (28)
CF Slater (29)
RF Yas (32)
With half of their offense coming from guys on the wrong side of 35 and 2 more in their 30’s, only two players are clearly in their primes. I don’t call that building an organization. I call that augmenting what you have and waiting it out. Next year will be a rude awakening when they have to try to count on all those old guys to produce again. I don’t see that as a likely outcome unless Farhan can grab guys like Wood, Gausman and Desclafani to build a miracle rotation like he did this year. They’ll be the Padres 2.0 next year when all those position players come back down to earth like Hosmer and Myers did for the Padres.
So, let’s see what happens tonight. Urias vs Webb is going to be a fun game to watch. Both teams have been stifled by these pitchers earlier in the series and both have the advantage of seeing each other recently.
I would roll out the same lineup as last game.
Keep Albert and Pollock on the bench waiting for Wood to enter the game as a reliever.
Have faith in CT3, Lux and Belli and ride those hot hands.
Do not change the lineup based on Small Sample Sizes against Webb.
We’ve done this before against the Braves last year. Let’s do it again and send the Giants on vacation. All those old guys can use some time off!