We Feel For You, Clayton!
I feel somewhat incredulous about the responses regarding Clayton Kershaw yesterday. I am not going to quote what many said word-for-word, but I am going to say that I don’t buy it. Many of you are talking like Clayton is just finished, and we should just accept that. To make…
I feel somewhat incredulous about the responses regarding Clayton Kershaw yesterday. I am not going to quote what many said word-for-word, but I am going to say that I don’t buy it. Many of you are talking like Clayton is just finished, and we should just accept that. To make that assumption, you simply have to ignore the facts, so I am going to serve them up for your consideration. Clayton Kershaw started 24 games this season and went 13-5 with a 2.46 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. He allowed 100 hits in 132 IP. The league hit .209 against him. He also struck out 137 batters. He was 2nd in ERA in the NL to Blake Snell.. He was an All-Star. Does that sound like a pitcher who is done?
“But he hurt his shoulder and was not the same when he came back!” I knew you would say that! Just like I knew a certain someone would stick up for his boy, James Outman, at the expense of the facts. I will discuss that later. Yes, Clayton missed a couple of months with an undisclosed shoulder injury, but in his last seven games, he was 3-1 with a 2.30 ERA (1.18 WHIP). He allowed 21 hits in 31 IP while striking out 28. He did walk 16 batters, which was a concern, but in his last start against San Francisco on September 30th, he pitched five innings, allowing two runs, and struck out five.
A month earlier, he also faced the Diamondbacks and also went five innings, allowing three hits and one earned run. Yes, he was not the same pitcher he was earlier in the season. The Dodgers were not counting on him to be any more than a “glorified opener,” going two, three, or four innings. He has shown that he is capable of that, and that was all they were asking, but he couldn’t deliver.
It wasn’t his velocity. In the eight games since he came back from the IL, his fastball was in the 86-89 MPH range. On Saturday, his fastball was in the 89-91 MPH range – he was actually throwing harder. It was his slider at 86-87 MPH (not enough separation from the fastball) and curve that was killing him. I think the problem was that Clayton was trying to be the Clayton of old instead of staying within himself and pitching as he did since his IL stint! He was trying to do too much.
Now, back to the Outman thing. Let me make it clear that I am in no way blaming James Outman for the loss. However, he had two balls that could have been caught with a high degree of difficulty. The one ball he did touch, and he even said that he should have caught it. He did not touch the other one, but he also said he was nervous and did not get a good jump on it. To think that it is a “reach” is beyond silly. If he had caught the ball that hit his glove, Clayton would have had double the outs that he did. He would have likely felt a little less “pressure” in knowing that his teammates had his back. Of course, it made a difference. Again, I know that James Outman is not a great centerfielder… probably not even the best one on the team, but this is not about “blame” – it is just about reality, and the reality is, “Even Ray Charles can see that!”
The Game 1 loss was a team loss because no one picked Clayton up. The Dodgers did not hit, pitch, or field, and Clayton bears the brunt of it, but tonight, they can right the ship. Last year, they won the first game and then got swept! Clayton will likely start Game 4, and even two innings will be great. Yes, he is not the pitcher he once was, and I believe that he needs shoulder and TJ surgery, but this is the hand he is given. Hopefully, the next start, he will not try and do too much.
Is Bobby Miller Ready to be the Ace?
He better be… We shall see!
Hopefully, Will Smith can stay hot!
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Discussion (107)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Just a thought. Wonder how much Clayton getting rudely jerked out of very near perfect game in Minnesota got into his head? As a fan and attendee at Dodger games since 1969, I found it fundamentally un-American, insulting to the fans. The fans and Clayton deserved that moment. Oh yes………Clayton will tell ya it was “ok” by him. At only 80 pitches? Yeah right. Another demoralization wrought by the “Metric Nerds” and their minion “yes man,” Dave Roberts. I fully believe we would have seen history made that day. Clayton deserved the opportunity, and in my schooling on leadership, should have rebelliously walked back out there to mound in eighth. “You ain’t takin my moment from me.” The fans and Clayton deserved it.
Just a thought. Wonder how much Clayton getting rudely jerked out of very near perfect game in Minnesota got into his head? As a fan and attendee at Dodger games since 1969, I found it fundamentally un-American, insulting to the fans. The fans and Clayton deserved that moment. Oh yes………Clayton will tell ya it was “ok” by him. At only 80 pitches and six more outs?! Yeah right. Another demoralization wrought by the “Metric Nerds” and their minion “yes man,” Dave Roberts. I fully believe we would have seen history made that day. Clayton deserved the opportunity, and in my schooling on leadership, should have rebelliously walked back out there to mound in eighth. “You ain’t takin my moment from me.” The fans and Clayton deserved it.
This is going to be a fantastic story to tell when we come back from an 0-2 hole and beat AZ.
We will feel right at home at Dodger stadium East. We win game 3 and momentum shifts to us for game 4. Win game 4 than back to Dodger stadium in an anything can happen game 5.
Keep the faith we are winning this series.
Was it over when Germans Bombed Pearl Harbor??? Was it over at Globe Life Field when we were down 3-1 to mighty ATL???
Fly in Gibson to Arizona! I’d rather have him hit thuan Mookie! Plaschke spot on again!
Don’t blame Roberts. This is a veteran team, with playoff experience. They KNOW what to do
So far it’s on Kershaw and Bobby Miller, and the offense as a whole except Martinez.
As for the bullpen, the first game the bullpen didn’t matter. It was over from the get-go. Today my only gripe is using Kelly instead of Shelby Miller. Kelly’s result doesn’t matter because in a pretty much must win game only three of the four best (DOMINANT in the regular season)relievers were used. Shelby Miller was missing.
I knew jumping into that pool was a bad idea…
It won’t be easy, but I agree with Vengeur. Anything could happen as most of us have seen through the years. Dodgers may lose again, but it ain’t over till it’s over. Three in a row is entirely possible. I haven’t given up hope.
Next topic Rants and Raves ?
Interesting that after two comprehensive defeats, where we’ve been totally outplayed on both sides of the ball, not a single comment acknowledging that we’ve been beaten by the better team.
This is what happens in sport. It’s about execution when the lights are brightest.
So far as a team we haven’t performed where as the D’Backs have.
They are unbeaten in 4 Post Season games (as are Texas). Maybe time to give them some credit no?
Oh come on . Two wins and it’s up for grabs. Like the Dodgers couldn’t win two in a row ? I can’t believe the defeatism.
Same look as last year against the Padres. Absolutely no fight, no scrap, no growling. Plain and simple, poodles not junkyard dogs. It’s beginning to be a waste of time watching these guys in the post season.
What channel does the weather channel come on ?
Yes, the warts on this year’s team are well-documented. We know they’re flawed, ..but come on!….
For the second straight year, the whole vibe of this team in the playoffs… is soft.
Unquestionably, there is something fundamentally wrong with the Dodgers approach to “playoff baseball.”
Y’all can speculate on what it is.
This team is just too laid back from the manager to the players
4 runs in two games. Outman is a strikeout machine. Mookie and Freddie couldn’t hit a wiffle ball the last two games.
I don’t want to hear about Kersh. Even if he had gone 9 and given up 3, we’d have lost. Same tonight.
Our offense is gone. It’s on them. 5+ runs a game. Be we scored 4 in 2.
It’s not Roberts. It’s not the kids. We didn’t hit. And we have about a 10% (I’m being generous) chance of pulling this off.
Just facts.
Even with Miller’s early game struggles, the Dodgers pen kept them in the game, and the bats just didn’t come thru.
…especially the “big” bats.
We’ve seen this script before, …beyond tiresome.
Only 2 words come to mind…
CHOKE JOB!
Let’s hope Lynn can go 3 full innings in game three.
Looking like déjà vu of last year.
The playoffs have been described as a crapshoot. Well as Dodger fans all we’ve gotten is crap!
If the Dodgers lose, and it’s looking likely, there should be no bitching about Doc’s management in this game. All of his moves to include the use of the BP and pinch hitting of CT3 and Hernandez (scored 1 run) have been perfectly managed.
If we lose it’s a result of Miller not being able to land his off speed stuff and the absolute futile offense of Mookie, Freddie and Will Smith. While no other Dodger with the exception of JDM set the world on fire this game, Mookie, FF and Will had multiple opportunities to be a hero with a timely hit w/ RISP hit but came up zero on the big stage. Wash, rinse and repeat just like last year.
I so want to be wrong and have Mookie or FF get a walk off to win the game but to this point the Dodgers have played uninspired baseball.
Offense? Where’s the offense? The Dodgers offense have a long history of not scoring runs at Dodger Stadium in post-season games, especially in recent years. 1966 ws Dodgers only scored 2 run in the entire ws ; 1978 ws final game, Dodgers scored only 2 runs; in 2017 ws final game, Dodgers scored only 1 run in (5-1) lost to the Astros; in 2018 ws final game, Dodgers scored only 1 run (again, in another (5-1) loss; in 2019 nlds final game Dodgers scored only 2 runs in final loss. 2021 and 2022 very little offense in those post-seasons series and game 1 of the 2023 NLDS series 2 runs in game 1 and game 2 as of the bottom of the 7th inning. So, will someone please if you can expain why the Dodgers offense doesnt show up at Dodger Stadium in post-season games?
Doc goes to the mound to pull Kelly… Kelly while smirking says something to Doc as he starts walking off…
Doc disapproves and immediately turns around to get in Kelly’s face with a scowl…. and says something…
Interesting.
Dave Roberts need to get his thumb out of his ass and light a fire under these dam dodgers.
Kind of sense we need an Austin Barnes start behind the dish just like Doc did in 2020 when Grandal couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. Smith has looked horrible.
Agree
The last three years our hitters have shriveled under the lights of the playoffs. Not sure why that is?