It Could Be Over Tonight

It has been 32 years! In some ways that is a lifetime, but here we finally are: Ready to see if the Dodgers can clinch the 2020 World Series tonight. I would be remiss if I did not consider our Dodger brothers and sisters who are in the path of the wildfires and have had to evacuate or are facing evacuation. May the Big Dodger in the Sky be with you all! Facing losing everything is incomprehensible! All I can think of is the Old Irish Proverb:

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face

May the rain fall softly on your fields
And until we meet again
May you keep safe
In the gentle loving arms of God

Stay Safe my Brothers and Sisters!

At first blush, it seems like a mismatch. Blake Snell and his 3.33 ERA in the Postseason versus Tony Gonsolin and his 9.39 Postseason ERA. Some may think the Dodgers have no chance. I am going to suggest that you throw all of that hype and the stats out the window and see how it plays out. Several fans said that Dustin May should not pitch again in the Postseason and yet we saw how that worked out.

Tony Gonsolin has only pitched 1.1 innings this World Series and has logged 7.2 IP in the Postseason. Tony knows he can pitch to the big boys and I believe that Doc, Mark Prior, Clayton, and now even May are whispering in his ear “You can do this, Catman!” Katmando – I like that name! I usually refrain from gameday predictions, but just like I said that Dustin May would bounce back, I think the same thing about Tony Gonsolin. It would be HUGE if he went four or five innings… but we shall see.

Pitching is important, but the Dodgers’ bats can put a lot of pressure on the Rays tonight and they need to do exactly that. Cody Bellinger (.222), Mookie Betts (.284) and Will Smith (.197) are way past due. So is AJ Pollock (.231) for that matter!

The Dodgers have three players hitting over .300:

• Pederson – .382
• Seager – .344
• Barnes – .318

… and you also have to give Max Muncy a huge amount of credit. He is hitting .268 but leads the Dodgers with a .461 OB%. He is second to Corey Seager in RBI, and lots of fans wanted him outta’ the four-hole. Thank the Big Dodger in the Sky for Max Muncy.

Barnes and Smith have both caught Tony Gonsolin, but two of Tony’s best games were when Austin Barnes was his catcher. Now is not the time to find out if Smith catches the Catman as good as Austin. The disparity in runs allowed between when Smith is behind the plate and Barnes is behind the plate is too great. Smith can DH. Barnes needs to catch!

Look, I like Will Smith – he has exceeded my expectations by a lot. He is a great teammate with excellent skills, but Buehler, Kershaw, Treinen, and now May appear to pitch better with Austin as the Catcher. Will Smith is coachable and if he stays at Catcher, I am sure he will become the equal of Austin Barnes… but he is not RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW! Barnes is a better framer, signal-caller and blocks pitches better. Smith has a better arm, but it’s not a cannon.

If I were Dave Roberts, I would tell Will Smith to just focus on tearing up the baseball. “Get us some offense!” I might even shake up the bottom of the lineup a little… or not.

Some of you wonder if I am serious about moving Will Smith to 2B or 3B and all I can say is that is something that I believe could be on the table. I think it has to be considered. We all have high hopes for Gavin Lux, but so far, he has not fulfilled that promise. Certainly, he may, but Smith could be Plan B, especially since the Dodgers are so deep at Catcher with Barnes, Ruiz, and Cartaya (at about the time Barnes will walk).

BTW, the Red Sox feel that they got quite a haul for Mookie Betts. At 24, Alex Verdugo hit .308 with a .367 OB% and .844 OPS. He was 21st in the AL in WAR. The Red Sox are expecting Jeter Downs to be their 2B and Conner Wong to be their starting catcher as soon as 2021. The Dodger paid a huge price to get Mookie…. and they never looked back!

After the season is over, we will delve into each position, all the prospects, and what possibilities exist next year. But, right about now, the Dodgers have a World Series to win and that is their singular focus. Some have questioned why Buehler is not starting on 3 years rest? If you asked that question you also answered it: Three Days Rest! Anything is possible, depending upon the situation, Striker could pitch an inning or two tonight, but right about now, he is the safety net.

It’s all hands on deck and that includes Baez and Jansen. Yes, Jansen was the loser of game four, but he turned one bat into toothpicks and gave up a “bloop” hit. No hard contact! For that matter, if Cody had been healthy, the Series would be over. Even Joe Kelly is available. Dave Roberts has made it clear that the Dodgers do not have a closer, but they have lots of arms. The Young Turks have left their imprint on this Dodger team and we will enjoy watching them pitch for a long time into the future!

Forget Bullpen ERA – it’s all about ERA Period! Right about now the Rays are giving up 5.57 runs a game while the Dodgers are at 4.03 runs allowed! At this stage of the season, there are no starters or relievers – just pitchers! If I were forced to guess what will happen tonight, I would predict that the second time the Dodgers see Blake Snell will result in a blowout! I guarantee they will make him work and I think it is time for an offensive uprising!