Dodgers SLAM Door on Pads

While the window may be closing, the Dodgers just slammed the door in the face of the San Diego Padres. 

I made the mistake of going back and reading the comments from last night’s game.  My bad.  I try to focus on the positives and listen to what Doc’s explanation might be for his moves.  Not just simply assume he is a moron.  But this was the Dodgers night.  Especially for a 25 year old 2^nd year catcher, a near 36 year old 3B, and a 28 year old DH that nobody other than Doc wanted in the lineup.  We will get to them a bit later.

This was always going to be a bullpen game…a bullpen game as Doc and the Dodger baseball people see it.  Get a couple of innings in from relievers and then let one of the starters go 5-6 innings.  Is that really that different than starting and going the first five and then bringing in the relief?  This was going to be a Urias start, and instead of going 1-5 he went he went from inning 1.2 to 6.2.  We have seen Urias in a start having problems getting out of the 1^st inning, and we have seen how he does when coming in relief.  It works, so why force Urias to start?  Next year work on the 1^st inning issues.  In a 7 game series, he may need to start instead of coming in inning #3.  Maybe not.  Maybe the Dodgers can get through the first two games without using VGon or Bazooka allowing them to start in Game 3, pre-Urias.  We will have to wait to see what transpires.

But starting Dustin May and letting him go one inning?  Doc said that he wanted May to start because May knows how to warm up as a starter, and he liked the matchup of May against the top of that order.  Plus with May starting, the Dodgers get Grisham to lead off instead of Tatis, and he knew Urias was going do the bulk of the pitching. May wasn’t going to go more than an inning, and the thought was that with LH hitting Hosmer and Moreland coming up, it was best to bring in Adam Kolarek for the 2^nd inning.  Unfortunately, Hosmer and then Pham beat the shift.  Probably bad location of pitches with the shift, but the Padres have been doing that all year.  They are the second best team in the NL with very good offensive numbers.  He got Moreland.  But after the intentional walk to Myers, his big mistake was to walk Cronenworth with the bases loaded.  He gets LH hitting Castro but gives up the infield single to Grisham.  I cannot remember the last time Kolarek had that much trouble with LH hitters.  Of course it was his first game since September 26, so there may have been some rust.  The results were not what was drawn up, but the thought process was sound.  A lefty killer and 5 of the next seven batters were lefty.

The inning was drawn out enough to get Urias sufficiently warmed up, and his K of Tatis was outstanding. He goes the next three innings without a baserunner.  In the sixth, Machado gets a leadoff single to break the 0-10 streak.  Hosmer scorches a ball to Pollock who absolutely misjudged and misplayed the ball into a two base error.  Urias then balks in a run.  But Doc does something a little different…he let Urias stay in.  He gets Pham to K, Profar to pop up, and Myers to hit a weak fly to Cody.  Julio comes back out in the 7^th trying for that last inning.  He gets Cronenworth and Nola, but walks Grisham on 5 pitches.  That’s the signal.  Blake Treinen relieves for the third straight game and immediately surrenders a double to Tatis.  MVP candidates are allowed to hit.  Machado times a 3-2 sinker but lines it right to Seager.

Pedro Baez (yes a Doc favorite) enters the 8^th, but comes in throwing strikes.  He gets Hosmer on a ground out, and K’s Pham and Luis Campusano (on 3 pitches) to end his night.  Dylan Floro enters and finishes up the night.  He did allow a single into RF to RH hitting Austin Nola.  Boy, did the Padres go the other way a lot in this series.  You know, they might be pretty good.

While I liked the pitching, this night belonged to the offense.  Specifically to 2^nd year catcher, Will (Fresh Prince) Smith.  He comes into the game 0-10 for the post season, but with a lot of hard hits right at the defenders.  Keep swinging and good things find a way.  He proceeds to go 5-6 with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs.  Five hits in a post season game is the most in Dodgers history, and he is the youngest in MLB to have five hits in a post season game. Oh yeah, he caught all 9 innings and threw out Tatis attempting to steal in the 1^st.  Have a night, Will Smith. 

Justin Turner needed one more hit to move to the top of the Dodgers most hits in the post season list.  He did not wait long as he singled in Corey Seager in the third inning giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead they never relinquished.

Before the game, Doc was specifically asked about starting Joc.  Doc did not hesitate.  He sheepishly grinned and said that Joc’s last couple of hits were against LHP.  And while he liked the matchup with Morejon, he really believed that Morejon would only face him once, and believed that Joc would be facing RHP later in the game.  Give him a feel for the game instead of coming off the bench.  It worked.  Joc got a key 2 run single in the 3^rd, and later snuck one by Hosmer who could only deflect it for a single.  So Joc goes 2-3 with 2 RBIs on a night when he was lambasted by his fans. 

For the series, there was a little redemption for some of the players who have not always played well in the post season. 

Austin Barnes starts game 2, goes 2-2 with a walk, calls a great game for CK (CK said that, not me), and keeps all of Joe Kelly’s bounced curves in front of him.

Fresh Prince for the series was 5-11, .455/.571/.636/1.208, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, 3 walks, 2 Ks

I would say the Dodgers catching is just fine.

Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, and AJ Pollock have been roasted for their inept post season play. 

• Corey – 4-11, .364/.467/.545/1.012, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, 3 walks, ZERO Ks
• Belli – 4-12, .333/.429/.750/1.179, 1 triple, 1 HR, 5 RBIs (led team), 2 walks, 3 Ks
• AJ – 3-10, .300/.364/.300/.664, 1 RBI, 0 walks, 1 K

After a lackluster season, Max turned the page with a good NLDS.

3-11, .273/.467/.364/.830, 1 double, 2 RBIs, 4 walks, 2 Ks

And then there is a difference maker…Mookie Betts.  Mookie did not have the best of post-seasons while with the BoSox, but thus far he is having a very good post season with his new team, the Dodgers.  For the post season, Mookie is 7-19, 6 runs, 5 doubles, 4 RBIs, 3 walks, 5 Ks, .368/.435/.632/1.066.

For the post season, Cody has an OPS of .960, and Corey has an OPS of .947.  Going into the NLCS against a very good Atlanta Braves team, the three superstars for the Dodgers seem to be hitting well.

Did everything work out?  Nothing ever does work perfectly.  Like many of you, I am a little concerned that Tony Gonsolin has not pitched in the post season.  Does he go to the bullpen or do you ride him as long as he can and hope for four innings out of him if he starts in the NLCS?  Bringing in Mitch White or Josiah Gray is not going to change the need for length in the rotation in a 7 game no day off series.  Where has Jake McGee been?  Per Doc, he is fine.  The Dodgers have the better depth to finish off a 7 game series without a day off.  Do they bring in another pitcher and leave Gore off.  Will Rios be healthy for the next series?  We can wait a few days for those answers.

Make no mistake, this was a very good Padres team that was without their top two pitchers…Dinelson Lamet and Mike Clevinger.  This was a team that had their own set of superstars in Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Manny Machado.   Bounce back years from two very hot/cold players that were playing hot in 2020 (Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers).  A new outlook on their offensive approach thanks to Tommy Pham and Trent Grisham (two trades that the supposed inept AJ Preller engineered).  A new manager that seems to bring out the hot-doggedness of this team, but also seems to know what he is doing.  The team is more patient at the plate, they run more, they go to the opposite field more.  Next year, the pitching gets better with a full year of Clevinger.  MacKenzie Gore will make his debut, and Luis Patino will be turned loose.  They still like Michael Baez and Adrian Morejon very much.  They potentially lose, Garrett Richards, Kirby Yates, Jason Castro, Jurickson Profar, and Trevor Rosenthal.  Tommy Pham and Zach Davies are the only potential FA after 2021.  They will have plenty of money to sign a lock down back end closer, or maybe Trevor Bauer.  Their farm system is rated at the top, so they can still trade player capital for another starting pitcher or closer (Hader).  Regardless as to what Peter Gammons may say, this Padres team is not going away, and they are only going to get better.

But I think Dodger fans have found a new nemesis to hate to take over for MadBum.  Manny Machado.  And Trent Grisham is not too far behind.

This is a different team than in the past.  Maybe it is because of Mookie.  Maybe it is because of the young pitchers.  Maybe Doc isn’t as inept as many of you think.  Maybe Belli, Corey, and AJ are feeling comfortable at the plate instead of feeling pressure.  Whatever the reason, the Dodgers are 5-0 in the playoffs and that is not due to luck. 

But so are the Braves, who shut out their competition 4 of the 5 games, albeit neither the Reds nor the Fish have anywhere near the offense the Pads have.  With Max Fried, Ian Anderson, and Kyle Wright, the Braves have a formidable top three in the rotation.  With Freeman, Acuna, Albies, and Swanson they have a fantastic nucleus of core players.  Travis d’Arnaud is having a career year and post season.  Marcell Ozuna is having an MVP consideration season.  Their bullpen is solid.  It is going to be a fun series.