We Have Nothing to Fear… But Fear Itself!
In 1988, the Mets beat the Dodgers like rented mules during the regular season. If my memory serves me correctly, the record against the Mets was one win and eleven losses! However, that all changed come playoff time. We all know how it turned out. The Mets were smoked by the obviously outmatched (and undermanned) Dodgers. Maybe the Mets were overconfident. Maybe the Dodgers were just confident. Maybe it was both. That year the Dodgers were 5-5 in their last ten games… and they lost the last game of the season. They were not particularly hot. The series with the Mets went seven games, with the Dodgers winning the 7th game.
The Dodger’s regular season record of 1-11 against the Mets meant nothing, zero, zilch! I am going to suggest that the Dodgers’ 14-5 record against the Padres this year means NOTHING to the Dodgers, but it does mean SOMETHING to the Padres! It means that the Padres have something to prove. Add in the fact that they just beat the Mets, who for most of the season were the media darlings to win, and add in momentum and renewed confidence, and the Dodgers had better bring their A-Game. In fact, they should play like they are the underdogs.
The Dodgers should not be fearful unless they are fearful of fear. If the Dodgers play their game, they will win, but they should go into this series like Junkyard Dogs. I think Darvish will start game one for the Padres (but I hope it is Cleavinger), and Clayton Kershaw will start for the Dodgers… not because Clayton is the Ace, but because if Clayton starts game one and Julio starts game two, both pitchers could be available for game five. Make no mistake; the Dodgers are going to need them all.
I think this will be the Game One lineup for the Dodgers:
- Betts RF
- Turner SS
- Freeman 1B
- Smith C
- Muncy 3B
- Turner DH
- Lux 2B
- Bellinger CF
- Gallon LF
The Dodgers will need to jump on Yu Darvish (or Cleavinger), and if they do, that mental midget will cave in. Don’t let him get confidence.
I do not think Kimbrel will be on the roster, and if Taylor is hurt, Vargas will take his place; Hanser Alberto is a lock!
Padres owner Peter Seidler said the Dodgers are “the dragon up the freeway that we’re trying to slay.” Bring it, Peter. Doc: that should be posted all over the clubhouse! The Rosters will be out soon, but we all know how the Dodgers stack up. If they play their game, no one can beat them. The Padres have renewed confidence – the Dodgers need to bring it fast and furious.
Discussion (13)
Disagree, not disagreeable
In Julio I trust.
Best LH pitcher is baseball.
And he’s a Dodger. A real Dodger. This means something to him.
I like our chances in the first two games. Padres dope fiend GM brought up slaying the dragon.
As Blunderfull said. Dracarys.
Game 1 Clevinger vs Urias. Game 2 Darvish vs Kershaw
Pantone crew ready:
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRu4vr5C/
It’s official: Urias tomorrow, Kershaw game 2
Cheer for your Dodgers:
Rah, Rah Ree
Kick ’em in the knee,
Rah, Rah Rass
Kick ’em in the other knee!
Some of Kershaw’s brightest moments came playing against San Diego. I forget the actual score but one season opening game Kershaw homered and Dodgers had around 21,22 runs against maybe 2 for Padres. His most perfect no hitter was against San Diego if I am remembering correctly. I don’t hate San Diego as much as some of us here, I mean after all their Stadium they share with Dodgers as they welcome sometimes Dodger fans to more than half the seats there. I think Mets helped making Musgrove look so great. We’ll see how Dodgers make him look. No disrespect but I can’t remember him looking that good playing us.
Assuming that Gallo actually makes the roster, he shouldn’t be starting no matter who the Padres throw.
Trayce’s stats against both righties and lefties are vastly better than Gallo’s.
If they insist on putting Gallo on the roster, save him for late in the game when you desperately need a homer and are willing to risk the more likely outcome of a strike out.
Dracarys.
Release the dragons.
Padres are and always will be punks.
Understandable…
Dont care who is throwing lets bring our A GAME!!
Darvish is NOT going to start game 1 on 3 days rest. My guess is Clevinger and Urias. Advantage Dodgers….
I thought I was strong willed. I thought if I put my mind to something I could do it. But I was wrong. I want to apologize to everyone here. I tried to root for the Padres but I couldn’t go thru with it. I lasted an agonizing 11 innings before I couldn’t take it anymore. The Pads are the most irritating team and try to use it as a weapon.
It didn’t take Soto long to to fit right in to the Padres bullshit Gamesmanship and hot-dogging. He might have been talking to himself at the plate but it sure looked like Soto was talking to the pitcher to throw him a strike. Tauting the pitcher. It makes me long for Gibson or Drysdale on the bump and see how that shit would have played.
* This game begged for a pitch clock – and batter’s clock. Now I understanding trying to break a pitcher’s rhythm but come on! It’s designed to just piss off the other team and get into their heads. The stepping in and out of the box, like 4 time outs per plate appearance is irritating. Than the pitcher starts stepping off, throwing out the baseballs…….can we please play here?
* Then Showalter has to retaliate, requesting Musgrove be strip searched on the mound. So Musgrove does the little nose wipe thing toward Buck as he exited. Even Eddie Perez said why do that? Don’t rile the Mets up. Why did Musgrove do it? Because they’re pricks, Eddie.
* Next year the pitch clock will hopefully be enforced and put an end to this nonsense. The pitcher and batter get ONE time out per at bat. Stall tactics and Gamesmanship over. I really do understand an attempted to disrupt the pitcher but this got ridiculous. There’s no evidence that I know of to suggest it works. It would be the opposite for me. If I was an infielder during this crap I’d be digging a hole to China.
* But why can’t the HPU and the Umpiring Crew put an end to it? Just deny the times out? They can do that with requests by the batter for a late time before a pitch and we all know the batter doesn’t have to be awarded the time out. Just say NO.
Why can’t the Crew Chief and umpires communicate with both Skippers, that the time outs are over and they won’t be granted. Get up there and hit. Get up there and pitch. Let’s move along.
* After the strip search on the mound, David Cone said something interesting. Now days they check for sticky stuff. In older times they checked for slippery stuff to load up the ball. KY Jelly, Vaseline, Spit.
* You know the Padres are going to try to get under our skin as well. There is some desperation on their part and they know, despite the arrogant exterior, that we are better than they are. We need to play our game and not get caught up in the rat poison.
1-10 Mark, one game was rained out and not replayed. No biggie. Sure, the Pads are amped up after beating NY and they should be. They beat Scherzer and they beat Bassitt. But deGrom shut them down. Dodgers totally dissed by the post-game crew because most likely it will be the same three pitchers for the Padres, Darvish, Snell and Musgrove. They forget the Padres have to beat the Dodgers best too. And the Dodgers best have out pitched the Padres all year. Machado also did something to his leg last night. Fear them? No, respect them yes. Dodgers outscored SD 109-47 in those 19 games. Urias and Anderson beat them twice and Kershaw once.