And Then There Were 10

It took 50 games, but the Dodgers are the first team to qualify for the playoffs.  They marched into San Diego with a precarious 2.5 game lead and not playing very well at all.  Game 1 in SD was a match up of probably the team’s two Aces, Clayton Kershaw vs. Dinelson Lamet.  The Dodgers broke on top first with a walk, double and ground out to score a run.  The 1-0 lead held up for 5+ innings before Trent Grisham sent a Kershaw fastball into the Right Field stands for his 9^th HR on the year.

And then the 7^th.  Kershaw allowed a couple of ground ball singles (one infield) and was lifted by Dave Roberts.  I think everyone has voiced their opinion as to how they felt about the move.  I am also sure that Clayton let Doc know how he felt about it.  It sure would have been nice to see Clayton work out of the inning, but Pedro Baez???  Just off the IL???  Against perhaps the hottest team in MLB that leads MLB in late inning wins???  Some questionable pitching and even more questionable defense and the game got out of hand.  The Pads scored 5 in the 7^th and win Game 1, 7-2, and move to within 1.5 games of the Dodgers.

Grisham certainly got a lot of flak for his apparent “showboating” after his HR.  Muncy has had his share of slow trots and memorable quotes after his HRs.  Puig had his share of bat flips, and sometimes they didn’t even reach the seats. So I did not have a problem with it.  Let the Kids Play!! There was some discussion that he was showing disrespect to Kershaw.  When Grisham was asked about it, he indicated that it was his biggest hit in his biggest game, and it came against CLAYTON KERSHAW.  He did not feel he was disrespecting CK.  He was genuinely ecstatic for his team.  I do not know Grisham, so until he shows his word cannot be trusted, I will take him at his word.

The Padres were feeling great.  They just beat the best team in baseball for their 8^th consecutive win, and 9 out of their last 10.  They beat the Dodgers Ace.  They had Zach Davies as the Game 2 SP, who pitches very well against the Dodgers. The Dodgers were reeling having lost 5 of their last 8 and playing some very bad ball.  They lost two out of three to the Rockies for their first series loss all year, and very easily could have been swept.  They did win two of three against the DBacks, but it took extra innings against the 2^nd worst team in the NL for the two wins.  They split with the Astros after blowing a 5-2 lead in the 9^th against the Cheaters.  And now have lost Game 1.

Game 2 featured Zach Davies against the Dodgers Tony Gonsolin.  The last time Tony pitches was as a long reliever when Dustin May was shelved after being hit in the foot by a batted ball from the DBacks DH, Josh Rojas.  May was able to finish the 1^st, but could not start the 2^nd.  The game became a bullpen game with Gonsolin finishing the final 5.0 innings allowing 3 runs on 6 hits (including a 2 run Carson Kelly HR).  Would Gonsolin be able to come back after that outing?  Would the Dodgers be ab.le to figure out Zach Davies?

While the Dodgers didn’t exactly own Davies this game, Gonsolin went on to pitch perhaps the best game in his life, in maybe the biggest game of his life.  Gonsolin pitched a brilliant 7.0 innings allowing 1 run on 4 hits, with ZERO walks.  He did not have many swing and miss pitches, but he was efficient.  He threw 90 pitches and looked like he could have gone another inning.  But as Roberts so often wants to do, he summoned the bullpen.  Early on in the season, this was an automatic.  But lately…???  Caleb Ferguson entered the 8^th and after striking out Jurickson Profar, he left the game with an apparent arm injury (more later).  Blake Treinen comes in and retires Greg Garcia and Trent Grisham on 4 pitches.

There was no reason for Treinen not to come back out for the 8^th except Doc wanted KJ to be able to come in and shut down the Pads for his 11^th save.  It wasn’t pretty.  After KJ retired Tatis, Jr. on a ground out, Machado and Mitch Moreland both singled putting the tying runners on base.  He then walks Austin Nola to load the bases with one out and a hot hitting Wil Myers coming to the plate with the winning run on 1^st.  KJ strikes Myers out on 3 pitches, and finally punches out Jake Cronenworth on 6 pitches to notch his 11^th save, and put the Dodgers back to 2.5 games ahead of the Padres.  It also took a little swagger away from the Pads. 

Game 3 was supposed to feature Dustin May against a SD bullpen game.  But Doc apparently changed his mind and decided to start The Bazooka, Brusdar Graterol, and bring in Dustin May later in the game.  A four pitch lead off walk to Grisham was not how the game was drawn up.  But a slumping Fernando Tatis, Jr. grounded into a double play, and Graterol struck out Machado on three pitches.

AJ Pollock got the Dodgers a 1-0 lead with a 2-out HR to CF in the 2^nd inning.  Graterol allowed a one out double to Wil Myers and was replaced by LHRP Adam Kolarek.  Kolarek got Moreland to ground out with Myers moving to 3^rd.  Unfortunately, Kolarek walked Jorge Ona and that brought up LH hitting catcher Jason Castro.  Bellinger was holding the runner on and Castro stroked a double to tie the game.  After a Profar walk, Kolarek got Grisham to ground out.

The Dodgers got a gift with a Jake Cronenworth error on a Gavin Lux ground ball.  After a fielders choice, a walk, and another fielders choice, the Dodgers had runners on 1^st and 2^nd with 2 outs and a badly slumping Max Muncy coming up.  On a 3-2 pitch, Max lined a double to left field scoring one run and putting the Dodgers in front 2-1.  This was a great AB for Muncy.  He stayed back on a pitch to the outside, with head down and went with the pitch for the line drive double.  With a runner on 3^rd, Will Smith got an infield single when the pitcher fell down.  That gift hit help make up for some of his hard hit balls that went for outs earlier on the season.

In the 5^th, the Dodgers scored 3 more on a Will Smith double to left center that was deep enough to score Mookie and JT from 1B, and Cody Bellinger line drive single to left field.  With a 6^th inning HR by CT3, the Dodgers seemed to be breezing with a 7-1 after 6 innings and Dustin May cruising. 

In the 7^th, the never quit Padres got a break of their own with a Gavin Lux error to lead off hitter Mitch Moreland.  May struck out Ona and Castro and looking to get out of the inning unscathed.  However, Jurickson Profar hit a bomb of his own to get the Pads closer at 7-3.  May allowed a one out solo HR by Machado and that was all for May.  Victor Gonzalez came in and finished off the Pads in the 8^th.  After one out in the 9^th, Gonzalez made his one mistake with a 2-2 HBP to Jorge Ona.  That brought in Pedro Baez.  I would think that as important as this game was that Blake Treinen would have been a safer choice after only throwing 4 pitches the game before.  After getting PH Francisco Mejia to line out to CT3, Ona moved to 2^nd on defensive interference.  That brought up Profar who got an RBI single.  The Padres were inching closer, and Trent Grisham was now representing the tying run to the plate.  On the first pitch, Grisham popped out in foul territory to 3B Max Muncy.  DODGERS WIN!!!

Dave Roberts is very well known as a players manager.  In what many considered to be critical games, Roberts allowed two pitchers that have not had the best track record for the past week to close out games against the Pads.  It took Jansen 28 pitches, but he left the winning run on base on Tuesday’s game. Baez, who is still not throwing with the velo that he had prior to his IL stint with a groin pull, was able to finish off the Pads in another unclean outing.

• Very ironic that on a day that Bear wrote about a lost art of stealing bases, Mookie stole 3 bases for the second time in his career. 
• AJ Pollock’s HR was the 100^th of his career (11^th in 2020).
• Shortstops Fernando Tatis, Jr. is mired in a 2-27 slump, while Corey Seager is 0-11.
• Will Smith is proving to be a very prolific offensive catcher. For the month of September, in 41 PA, Smith is batting .444/.512/.722/1.234.  He has 4 doubles, 2 HRs, and 7 RBIs with 5 walks and 5 Ks for the month.
• Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger both hit line drive hits into LF today.  Belli has RBIs in back to back games after drawing the collar for the month of September before Tuesday’s game.
• Victor Gonzalez is showing that his ascent up the organizational chart last season is no fluke. He has been outstanding this year.  In 11 games, Victor has accumulated a 3-0 record in 11 games and 17.0 IP.  He has a 1.59 ERA and a sparkling 0.59 WHIP.  He has 18 Ks against 2 walks. 
• Victor is going to be needed, as one of my personal favorites, Caleb Ferguson, is probably done for the season.  He has a reported “significant tear” in the UCL of his left elbow.  No decision as to whether he plans for TJ surgery has been made.  If he does decide, it will be his second TJ surgery.  Since there is no decision, I do not want to speculate on what that decision will be.  We can let this all play out.
• Josh Sborz has been recalled to replace Caleb.
• LADT favorite Zach McKinstry made his ML debut today and was struck out by Emilio Pagan.  Playing in a pennant race against the 2^nd best team in the NL, is not the same as ST.  Lux has been looking overmatched all year, and Zach did as well on his lone AB.  Hitting ML pitching is not easy.  I am not sure that either will be making the post season roster.  I think I would recall Matt Beaty to be a LH bat off the bench.  CT3 can play 2B, making Lux and McKinstry unnecessary luxuries. Beaty is much more proven LH bat.
• On August 8, Jurickson Profar was batting an abysmal .098/.245/.171/.416.  Since then, Profar has hit .333/.388/.541/.929 in 124 PA.  He has hit the Dodgers very well.
• The NL West still runs through LA.  The Dodgers are now 3.5 games up on the Padres with 10 games to play.  By winning the season series against the Padres, the Dodgers get the first tie break scenario.  If the Dodgers go 6-4 in their final 10 games, the Padres need to sweep their final 9 to tie the Dodgers with 41 victories and will be the #1 NL seed.
• The Dodgers traveled to SD and appeared to be very vulnerable after the first game loss. But as all great teams do, they pull it together and win the next two and win another series. If they do meet in the NLDS, it should be a very fun series. I do not like fun series. I want blowout wins.

The Dodgers jump on their charter and are heading to Denver.  Weather projections for the four game series are:

• Thursday – Sunny – 88/56 – 0% precipitation – winds NNE 7 MPH
• Friday – Sunny – 87/62 – 0% precipitation – winds E 7 MPH
• Saturday – Partly Cloudy – 10% precipitation – winds – SW 8 MPH
• Sunday – Partly Cloudy – 20% precipitation – Winds W 8 MPH

Let’s hope the Dodger bats get hot in Colorado.  And let’s hope that the team plays better against the Rockies than they did in LA.  Julio Urias is scheduled to start Game 1, Clayton Kershaw Game 3, and Tony Gonsolin Game 4.  Game 2 is TBD.  Will Mitch White get a start, or will the Dodgers have yet another bullpen game?  If a bullpen game neither Gonsolin nor May will be available to pitch.  Will they let Victor Gonzalez or Brusdar Graterol pitch a little deeper?  I would prefer to see White get the start, but that is because IMO the team is doing too many bullpen games lately.  Walker Buehler is not projected to start until the Dodgers get back into LA. 

Here is to LAD winning each of the final three series.