Dodgers Bring Lumber – Make History

After the Dodgers scored 4 runs in the 9^th to almost get that come from behind victory in Game 2.  The Dodgers unloaded on Kyle Wright and the Braves for 11 runs in the 1^st inning.  After last night’s game, Dave Roberts said that “I definitely think that’s some momentum we can take into tomorrow.”  Boy did they.  The Dodgers unloaded on Kyle Wright and the Braves for 11 runs in the 1st inning.  Those 11 runs set a MLB record for runs scored in any inning of a postseason game. 

I have been against the philosophy of getting deep into counts just to drive the pitch count up.  I prefer the Corey Seager philosophy… be aggressive and go at the first pitch.  Mookie does just that and hits a ground ball down the 3^rd base line that Johan Comargo made a dazzling play and throw to first that the umpire, Dan Iassogna, called Betts out.  The Dodgers asked for a replay, and the play was overturned , with Mookie credited with an infield single.  Next pitch was a Corey Seager run scoring double when Austin Riley slipped in left field allowing Mookie to score from first.  JT followed with a pop out, unable to move Seager to third.  Then Max hit a hard ground ball but right to Ozzie Albies for out #2.  It started to look like a game many of us have seen all to often in post season play, an inability to get a runner home in scoring position. 

Will Smith changed the script, and lined a double into CF scoring Seager and the Dodgers were up 2-0.  After hustling last night in the 9^th to beat Albies’ throw to 1B after misplaying it twice, Smith continued his hustle to get to 2B just ahead of Pache’s throw.  Belli followed that with a walk, and then Joc steps up and unloads for a 3-run HR and many of us are starting to breathe a little easier. 

But the Boys in Blue were not done.  On the very next pitch 3B Edwin Rios crushes a ball over the CF wall for a 6-0 lead.  CT3 follows with a walk on a 3-2 pitch and Kyle Wright is gone, and former Dodger, LHRP Grant Dayton, comes into the game.  The first batter he faces was leadoff hitter Mookie Betts, and he walks him on five pitches.  Next batter is Corey Seager, and as he so often does he does not waste time looking for that perfect pitch, and lines the first pitch into CF to score CT3 for a 7-0 game. 

JT follows the single with a little trickery of his own by sticking his foot out to get hit.  It was not noticed by the plate umpire, crew chief Jim Reynolds, who originally believed it was a wild pitch.  Braves manager Brian Snitker questioned the call, and it was ruled a HBP.  Snitker still was not happy that JT got to go to 1B when he not only did not attempt to get out of the way, but purposely stuck his foot out to get hit.  That proved to be a big bonus for LAD as the next batter, Max Muncy, absolutely tattoos a 3-2 pitch for a Grand Slam.  Dodgers 11-0 after half an inning.

The bottom of the 1st started like so many of Julio Urias’ starts with a pair of walks to Acuna and Freeman.  Urias got Ozuna on strikes and got d’Arnaud and Albies to end the inning.  Unfortunately, Urias expended 28 pitches in the inning with an 11-0 lead. 

The Dodgers scored in the 2^nd on a Cody Bellinger.  And scored another 3 in the 3^rd on a Corey Seager solo HR (2^nd in NLCS and 3^rd in Postseason).  Seager’s blast was 442.  The Dodgers parlayed a JT single, Max Muncy double, Will Smith RBI ground out, and a Cody Bellinger single to score the other two, taking a 15-0 lead.

Christian Pache got a long HR to lead off the 3^rd, and that would end the scoring until the Braves got two in the 9^th.

Huascar Ynoa came in to relieve Dayton with two outs in the 3^rd, and shut down the Dodger bats for 4.0 innings. He pitched well.  It might have been interesting if the game was not so out of reach when Ynoa was pitching.  After throwing 92 pitches in Game 3, I doubt that Ynoa will pitch again in the series.  But if he does, I would bet the Dodgers may have learned something about him.

With 101 pitches, Urias became the first Dodger hurler to exceed 100 pitches in 2020.  CK threw 99 twice, but did not exceed 100.  Urias was done after 5.0 IP, got the win, and is now 3-0 in the playoffs.  Kenley Jansen came in to relieve Julio.  KJ was certainly not dominant, but he did throw strikes and got out of the inning on10 pitches and no base runners.  That is what he is supposed to do.  He is no longer the KJ of 2017.  Unless it is another 15-0 game, KJ will not pitch in Game 4, and probably will not pitch in a meaningful spot for the remainder of the playoffs.

Baez followed with a perfect inning and 2 K’s. Wood followed with a shutout inning of his own, allowing a single and getting 2K’s.  Contrary to what some may believe, Wood has not been hit hard in the NLCS.  He gave up an infield single and then a fly ball double down the right field line by RHH Dansby Swanson, with the OF playing Swanson to pull.  To his credit, Mookie took the blame for that ball dropping in.  He was quoted as saying…”I need to…do my job”.  Mookie said he would catch that fly almost any other night, but he was just to unfamiliar with the wall, and he did not look to see where he was at, but admitted he had room and should have caught it.  I do not think anyone is going to hold Mookie to blame, but his point was that Wood made a good pitch and should have got the batter out to end the inning. 

I personally was glad to see Adam Kolarek pitch the 9^th against 6 RHH.  He was hit hard but he got through it against some good RH bats.  Kolarek was brilliant during the season, with a 0.95 ERA and 0.789 WHIP in 19.0 IP.  He also allowed only one HR all season long until Albies hit it out against him in the 9^th of Game 2.  Should he have pitched to 6 RHH?  Why not in a 15-1 game?  What did it hurt?  The Dodgers count on him, and he is going to need to face RHH in the series.  I just would not let it be Ozzie Albies. 

For all of those who doubted why Joc Pederson was on an October roster, hopefully he has proven why he belongs.  When it comes to October, Joc comes alive.  He got the key 3-run HR in the 1^st inning and ended up with 4 hits.  I wonder if Eric would allow him to be in the lineup against RHP Bryse Wilson.  Or the other player Eric did not want to see in the playoffs, Kike’ Hernandez, who walked and singled against a RHP.  He was responsible for the sole run in Game 1.  Kike’ is another who seems to wake up in October. 

Along with Joc, Corey Seager was again a hitting star with 3 hits.  For the NLCS, Seager is 6-12 with 2 doubles, 2 HRs, 5 runs scored, and 7 RBI’s.  It looks like Corey has come out to play this October.  He has also made several very good defensive plays.  I know I do not get a vote, but there is only one SS I want for LAD, and that is Corey Seager. 

Max looks like he is coming to life.  Even Belli is having a productive post season…comparatively speaking. 

The Dodgers were 5-13 WRISP, and 11 2-out RBI’s.  The Dodger hitters slugged 5 HRs and allowed only 1.

• Offensive stars – Joc, Corey, and Max.
• Pitching star – Julio Urias

Game 4 – Clayton Kershaw vs Bryse Wilson; 5:08 PM PT, Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas.

Houston beat Tampa Bay to extend the ALCS to at least 5 games.  Pitchers TBD.