Last night, the Dodger hitters could not jump out of a boat and hit water, as Walker Buehler proved that he was not unhittable. It’s getting late… EARLY. The Giants homered three times and the Dodgers put up a goose egg. All the Giants have to do now is win two more games. This has been the maddening issue with the Dodgers all season: No one hits or Everyone hits. There seems to be no middle ground. No one can seem to pick up the other guy some nights. Today, the Dodgers could do what Boston did last night and score 14 runs… or they could get shut-out again.
We could use old friends Kike Hernandez and Alex Verdugo right about now. Kike was 5-6 with 3 doubles and a HR, while Verdugo was 3-5, as the Red Sox impressively banged out 20 hits against the vaunted Ray’s pitching staff! Shoot, while we are at it, add Joc Pederson who homered for the only run in the Braves loss to the Brewers. It is very troubling to me that the Dodgers cannot put up competitive at-bats on certain nights… especially against top pitchers… especially against the Giants.
I do not blame the players – I blame the system. I am not sure where I heard it yesterday – it might have been on MLB or TBS or MLB.Radio, but that doesn’t make any difference… I heard it, and what I heard was this: The Giants have a number of pitching machines that throw curves and sliders, and the hitters can work for quite a long time in tracking pitches like that. They were talking about how no one else has anything like this, and about how the Giants “script” and “game plan” pitches and situations. Robert Van Socyoc and his team brought some revolutionary “techniques” to the Dodgers which created launch angles that would result in more home runs… and that put them at the top of the curve for a while, however, the league has caught up with them and the Giants (for one) have surpassed them.
This is a game of actions, reactions, changes, and more changes. Simply put, Farhan Zaidi has pulled a “fast one” on the Dodger Hitting Gurus. If Logan Webb were on the Dodgers, he would be a #4 starter, but last night he looked like Cy Young because he executed the Giants game plan (of which I believe Farhan is the implementer). He has the Dodger’s “number” and at the rate this is going, the Dodgers may not score a run in the series… unless they can adjust… but they don;t have much time. It’s getting late… early!
This is simply a case of being “outsmarted” by your competition. The Giants are not nearly as talented as the Dodgers. They are not as deep as the Dodgers, but they are better prepared than the Dodgers. This is on the architect of the Dodgers: Andrew Friedman. Farhan Zaidi took a team of castoffs, ragtags, never were’s, and aging journeymen and he got them to buy into the proposition that Game Planning and Sticking to the Script will trump talent every day.
Dave Roberts has maintained a very good clubhouse… in fact, it may resemble a country club whereas Gabe Kapler is a “hair on fire” guy who may create some chaos for the team. They practice at 100% wide open, game speed, which carries over into the game while the Dodgers hitters strut up there with their resumes and are whiffed out like a pest control company kills cockroaches.
Logan Webb is not a great pitcher, but he is a good pitcher who can execute a game plan and when he does that, he looks great. Walker Buehler (I can’t call him Striker after last night) struts out there with his Cy Young Stuff, but I have always felt that he trusts his ability and not the Game Plan. In a fight with Blue Bloods and Junkyard Dogs, I’ll take the junkyard dogs. It may be too late in the season to even attempt to counteract what the Giants have done, but the Dodger Brass had better come up with a better plan because on about one out of three games, they do not come to play.
I am not saying that they don’t try – they just do not have the type of game plan that they need. On average, maybe you can win 106 games like that, but in a short series, luck is not on your side. We (I) have said that the Giants are lucky. Luck is where preparation meets opportunity. It appears to me that the Giants are prepared for just about any opportunity… and that is not luck. You do not win 107 games by being lucky – you win them with lessor talent by being uber prepared! You don’t lead the majors with 18 pinch hit home runs. You do it by being prepared!
The Dodger Brass and Coaches should have been up all night and scripting what they can do to counteract Farhan’s superior preparation. Right about now, they look like rank amateurs compared to the Giants Staff – you know, the staff that will be the Organization of the Year. You can buy and trade for all the talent in the world… and the Dodgers did. Make no mistake, the 2021 are the most talented and deep team in MLB. But, how can you allow very good players to go into extended slumps (Bellinger, Taylor, Muncy) fr such long periods of time? It’s the approach. It’s the preparation. It’s not one BIG THING – it’s 50 LITTLE THINGS!
The Giants simply have the Dodgers’ number. What are you going to do about it, Friedman and Company?
Rants & Raves
- Julio Urias better have what he had last post season.
- So Clayton Kershaw does not need Tommy John Surgery, but he got a platet rich plasma (PRP) injection into his elbow, Clayton “NEEDS” Tommy John, he just does not want to endure the rehab this late in his career. He has probably already talked with the Dodgers and will sign an “incentative-laden deal” in the offseason. If this doesn’t “fix it,” he will retire as a Dodger. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
- The wife and I went to see the new james Bond Movie last night – save your money – it was embarrassing!
Discussion (47)
Disagree, not disagreeable
It’s Vizcaino, Bear. I saw him too.
I am probably wrong, but I thought I saw Jose Vizcaino in the dugout with Pujols tonight. I know he works for the Dodgers.
Alabama got beat by an unranked Texas A&M team….USC got rolled by Utah, and UCLA held on to beat Arizona. Georgia is going to be the new # 1. LSU lost also, so Ed Bergeron is on the HOT SEAT. Quackenbush and Meisinger both declared for free agency. Ron Washington being considered for the managerial post in San Diego. Dodgers made some web gem plays, including Mookie gunning Flores down at 3rd, a couple of great stops by Turner, and Bellinger chasing a foul ball down the right field line. Sorry, Muncy would not have made that catch.
Woke up this morning here in the Netherlands to discover that it’s a whole new world! Belli, AJ came alive, and Julio is the new Mr. October. Who needed Joc? Now we go to LA to take 2 and close this out!
Could the Dodgers hold Scherzer back to go against Desclafani in game 4?
Alex Wood will start game 3 for sf
Tonight shows us that Giants are not going to just mow down the Dodgers. It was feeling that way last night.
Does crow taste like chicken?
TT is much better on the shortstop side of second base. TT’s defense and Bellinger’s and playoff Pollocks offense. Who’s of thunk it!
Smith!!!!!
Dodgers bringing the D tonight.
If we hold on, give a BIG save to our defense in the 6th (and Flores’ stupidity)
Shame on me for what I was thinking about Bellinger and Pollock before this inning
I asked my wife why are you laughing at me, and she said you’ve got tears in your eyes.
I told her you don’t know what this kids been going through, and she said yes, I very much do know what he’s been going through!!!
And we both laughed together
Cory for MVP!!!! Ha, ha ha…very Nice!!
Pollock!!!!
The Turners are now 0 for 12.
The Giants pitch sequencing just has us totally bamboozelled
The ump gave that run to the Giants. He’s horrible. My goodness!
You wanted our Ohtani? You got it!!
Robert should put Urias on first base the next game!!!.
Umpire helped Giants’s pitcher again with the Saeager’s second call strike. It was clearly out.
Bat him 4th!
Nonicnsmebumfan – thanks for the YouTube video / absolutely brilliant – I get it now.
Massive game about to start….
I have a hard time watching Smith behind the plate. I think he stinks there. If you wanna keep his bat in the lineup, put him at 1st , Barnes catching , CT3 in cf. Bellinger bench and mop up ph , he ain’t done squat. Give us a chance.
Tonight’s Lineups:
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Corey Seager L
2B Trea Turner R
3B J. Turner R
C Will Smith R
CF Chris Taylor R
1B C. Bellinger L
LF AJ Pollock R
P Julio Urias L
1. Darin Ruf, LF
2. Kris Bryant, CF
3. Austin Slater, RF
4. Buster Posey, C
5. Wilmer Flores, 1B
6. Brandon Crawford, SS
7. Evan Longoria, 3B
8. Donovan Solano, 2B
9. Kevin Gausman, RHP
Only changes in tonights batting order is Taylor, hitting 6th playing CF. Bellinger moves to first. But the batting order remains the same.
Giants were better last night. Webb pitched very well and the home umpires helped him a lot. but it’s just a game, the others Giants’s start pitchers are supposed to be not that good and the idea is to force Webb to pitch in LA for the fourth game. If we dont’t win today then we would be in trouble but if we win things would change a lot, so keep the faith, at least until tonight’s game.
Two things to ponder:
1) Dodgers, as a team, had 7 total bases last night. Kike, by himself, had 11.
2) Kershaw says he’ll be ready for opening day of the 2022 season. What he knows, and we haven’t realized yet, is that opening day of the 2022 season will be April 1, 2023.
Interesting.
Okay, I’m never quite sure what to believe these days with the mixed messages flying around the country.
But if both Clayton Kershaw and Dave Roberts are saying the scans didn’t find any actual ACL structural damage, I’m going with it. The only thing we could argue would be that perhaps the scans missed something.
Onto the actual playoffs, Evan Longoria, brought this up, but the Giants and Dodgers shouldn’t be playing this early in the playoffs, noting San Fran won 107 games and LA 106, no other team even close. That would suggest seeding playoff teams, probably a good idea.
I wouldn’t go so far to say the Giants will be battling the Dodgers the next two or three years for domination in the NL West, as some have suggested. I would go back to the way people look at college football. There are great programs that win every year and then there are great teams that have a big season. There is a difference. The Giants are a very good team having a great season. But at this point, that’s all they are. The Dodgers are a great organization having another very good year, which includes winning eight straight division titles and making the playoffs every season.
I would go back to an interview on MLB radio just before the season which pointed out after an interview with Farhan Zaidi having a plan A and a Plan B. Plan A was to be competitive, possibly challenge for the division. Plan B was sign some players who would possibly produce good seasons and might be used at the trade deadline to help enhance the farm system and the organization’s future. Win-win either way for Zaidi and the Giants.
Will the Giants replicate their success in 2022? You would need to have older players produce at similar levels, hope you sign the right players and they produce, hit or miss on both of those.
We know the Dodgers will again win in 2022. Good nucleus of young productive players returning.
The foundation of the Dodgers is built around the farm system — Corey Seager, Will Smith, Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, Cody Bellinger etc.
Add in key trades again supported by a very good farm system (Alex Verdugo, Keibert Ruiz and Josiah Gray for example) and then long term signings, Mookie Betts.
I did find it interesting that Andrew Friedman said the organization will depend on signing players from outside more than they’ve done recently in order to focus on rebuilding the farm system, depleted by a series of trades. Although the farm still looks pretty good.
The fact the Dodgers had a hitting problem last night, nothing new, striking out too much, not putting the ball in play has been an issue throughout the season. Yes, no doubt some of that has to do with approach. But you have to give Logan Webb some credit too.
But I do agree if the Dodgers are going to beat the Giants they need to play better and the big hitters need to produce.
1. The Giants are NOT lucky. They are good. A team does not win 107 games on luck. They know how to win, and they execute. Logan Webb is 24 years old, and is just coming into his own. As I said yesterday, he is someone many on this site would have quit on after his first two years. He needs to follow this year up with a couple more and the Giants will have their next Ace in a line of Cain, Lincecum, and MadBum. He outpitched Buehler. No luck involved.
2. Yes, the Giants beat LAD because of blown saves, bad umpire calls, stolen HR by a player not with the team anymore. But they did beat them. No excuses. The Dodgers won games this year because of blown saves, bad umpiring, and stolen homeruns. The best teams overcome these issues in critical games. The Giants did and the Dodgers have not…yet. You cannot talk he Dodgers into being a better team just by saying the Giants are lucky. They need to go out and beat them.
3. I do not know why the lack of hitting is such a surprise. It is widely understood that the Dodger offensive philosophy is to work the count and then come out of your shoes with a launch angle swing. You don’t think Zaidi knows this? Good pitchers exploit this. That is what the Dodgers are going to see in the playoffs…good pitching. Fastballs for strikes they will not swing at, and then get them to chase off-speed and breaking balls. Corey Seager and Trea Turner are both aggressive hitters and they are the only .300+ hitters on the roster. Thay attack the first strike. They are also .900+ OPS hitters. Seags has a 16% Krate and TT has a 17% K rate. I know Seager’s aggressive approach is not appreciated because on a number of occasions I have heard Doc say that they are trying to get Seags to be more patient. Why? He is not the offensive problem.
4. Badger wrote: “What they are NOT doing Dodgfan is taking that pitch the other way.” IMO, he is absolutely correct. This is something Seager does quite well as well.
5. Most LAD fans were looking for a split in SF. Get the win tonight, and the team heads back home with the ability to put it away in LA. There is no reason they cannot beat Gausman. Gausman is going to show the 4-Seamer for strikes, and then get them to chase the splitter. Change the philosophy and maybe the results will be positive. If not, they can still win, but it will be because of the pitching (think Cardinals and Wainwright). They cannot expect the Giants to lose, so they are going to have to go out and beat them.
Kershaw dropped a hint about his plans. He said he expected to be ready for spring training. Does not sound to me like a player planning on hanging up his spikes. Mets fired their entire coaching staff. Ross and the Cubs discussing an extension. Andrew Heaney elected free agency after being DFA’d by the Yankees. This is no time for any kind of excuses. All the teams played under the same conditions. It is crunch time, and the team that responds the best to that is the team that is going on to the next round.
Every team played 162 games. Stop with the fatigued excuse. It wasn’t fatigue that caused Buehler to throw a fat cutter to Posey with first base open and a much weaker hitter up next. Webb didn’t look to tired last night. The 107 win team just looked a lot better last night than the 106 win team. It’s one ugly game and we’ve had a few of those and recovered! We’re good at losing ugly!
I am not going to get upset about a loss that comes from being over matched in all facets of the game. The Giants made 2 errors and the Dodgers did not take advantage of either. The big hitters, Seager, both Turner’s did nothing outside of Seager’s 2 out double. They killed rally’s with a couple of double play balls. And they were swinging at pitches a snake could not hit. I will admit, I was distracted last night by real life issues. I have a friend in a Texas hospital fighting for his life with a bunch of heart and brain issues. He had a cardiologist and a neurosurgeon working on him yesterday. It is going to be a rough weekend for him. I look for a better played game tonight. Gausman can be had.
Mark you mentioned above that the Giants have pitching machines that can throw curveballs and no one else has anything like that. I know they’re readily available to any one who wants to purchase them.
I’m also pretty sure I heard them mention using one on one of the Sportsnet LA TV shows that they do on the Dodgers. If it is true, I would find it amazing that the rest of major-league baseball could be that shortsighted
It does certainly look as if the Giants have the better organization right now, and that is a legitimate concern going forward. Bu we still of course have a chance to win this series, although it would be surprising. Last night’s game felt like it was over after Posey homered. Muncy being out makes our lineup very limited, once you get past the five spot, we have to wait until the top of the order comes around to have a chance to score. And I don’t see any leadership. I know that Betts has been hurt all season, but he is not inspiring anything, and most of the rest of the players are stoic. We don’t manufacture rallies, we rely on home runs.
If we lose this series and our season is over, we must wait until next year, along with all the other teams which did not make the playoffs or lost in the first series. 106 wins would not have gotten us much. And the Zaidi-Kapler combo i is going to be a threat to control the division. As Mark points out today, there is no way that what they are doing there is luck or mirrors,.
I don’t want to be unfair, because we did win a lot of games this year, though I had felt that we had a bit of the aspect of a “frontrunner,” we score many runs in some games, and it is a party, or we struggle and look incapable of scoring. I don’t think that our team is put together to manufacture rallies, it seems like one player after another comes up, independently, and there is no synergy. in the lineup. And yes, I felt this way even with all the wins, most of them against mediocre teams. The Giants have beaten us 11 out of 20 games, which is not a large margin, but enough to win a title. We must win today, we are not beating them in three straight games. And if we lose the series, I hope we do not just blame the injuries, although they were certainly a problem, but that we look at our approach, which has gotten us so many wins, but perhaps only one world title,and that in a shortened season. And this would be two out of the last three seasons where we lost in the first series. But all that is still premature, a win today would give us a real chance to win the series.
Logan Webb pitched the game of his life. So give credit where it is due. The Dodgers could not get a good read on his breaking/off speed pitches. I’m sure adjustments are going to be made, I just hope it’s not too late next time we face him. The ump expanded the strike zone on the outside corner to right hand hitters and I was surprised by the Dodgers unwillingness to move up on the plate to take away that pitch. Webb reminded me of Tom Glavine exploitations of early 90s. With exception of Mookie Betts, it seemed our hitters were swinging as if they were expecting fastballs early in the count. At some point you have to adjust to the pitcher. Having said that, Logan Webb was excellent at keeping our hitters off balance, commanding the strike zone and executing a masterful game plan.
Go Dodgers!
The real concern I have is I think our 3 SPs are wearing down. This was not 60 games, but rather 160. It seems like they all were showing fatigue toward the end.
For some reason, the Team of Destiny’s starting pitching doesn’t seem to be showing those signs of fatigue. Maybe they truly are just that…….SMH…..
Without Muncy, I think it’s more important than ever for Roberts to find players that can handle the moment and contribute at the plate. We cannot afford to have Pollock disappear in the playoffs like last year (batted .200 vs Braves, .167 vs Tampa Bay). Having Pollock, Bellinger, Beaty, and the pitcher is 4 of 9 hitters as easy outs. Taylor needs to play, maybe even Lux. I realize we don’t want to sacrifice defence, but that’s why MLB managers get paid the big bucks. Extraordinary times calls for extraordinary measures. Time for the Dodgers to change the narrative.
You are completely correct Mark, If the Dodgers have a war room they used it for napping and didn’t have a clue how to deal with Webb. Hell, they’d of gotten further if they had to listen and follow what I told them with Webb. Are the Dodgers feeling so elite that they don’t communicate with the world? For the most part WB did a fair job pitching but how he pitched to Posey looked like he was on Giants payroll. And that again was because of no plan. Just a bunch of individuals passing the baton. Geez I could of worked a walk off Webb and I ain’t shit. Lackadaisical offense learning how to chase.
I say these two teams are evenly matched. It took one play, not made by a player but by an umpire to switch one of these teams to a WildCard spot. Too bad for us. Better luck for them.
Yeah, we were definitely better with Hernandez and Joc. Our current bench players, forced to play lately, are less than.
Mookie hasn’t been himself all year, neither has Bellinger. Kershaw is walking memory of what usta was, Muncy is gone, Taylor looks fatigued, as does Pollock. May is gone, Bauer most certainly could help, but it ain’t pitching that turns off, it’s our bats. SF doesn’t look tired. They look like they belong.
We just need to do what got us here. Stop chasing is the first order. It’s obvious to me MLB umps have wide outside corners. That’s one pitch, especially with 2 strikes, you need get the barrel to and just hit a line drive to the opposite field. Sounds simple. Well, LaStella can do it. Why can’t we?
We need to win tonight. I don’t like October night games in San Francisco but we need to find a way to score more than they do.
Have I ever attempted to field a 103 short hop? I doubt it. But I’ve fielded numerous line drive backhand short hops and it’s my opinion a Major League shortstop should make that play. It’s a short hop. That’s where you WANT to field that ball. In between hops is a far more difficult play.
Well, we got taken to Ding-Dong School. Logan Webb was just better than us and if I remember correctly, I’ve never scene a game won scoring zero runs.
* I didn’t like Brian Anderson and Ron Darling’s call much tonight. Anderson is infatuated with strikeouts and couldn’t shut up about Beuhler’s lack of sharpness and swing and miss stuff. At the time Striker had given up a 2 spot on Posey’s 3&0 HR and was battling his ass off. Posey may be a HOF’er and showed some impressive oppo power on a high fastball. They were amazed that Striker wasn’t striking out 10 guys. But I’ll take contact outs. It’s not a strikeout contest.
* All the while, we were swinging at the rosin bag if it was spinning off the plate away. Not much plate discipline tonight. Webb had us eating out of his hand.
* I can’t wait for the Seager haters to complain about him not making that backhand play in the hole early and how he’s a defensive liability. I’ll ask – have you ever attempted to backhand a 103 mph bullet with severe overspin in the 6 hole? You try to guess and get the glove in a spot and you hope the ball goes in it. That’s why these are scored base hits. It’s a do-don’t play and he didn’t.
* We miss Muncy.
* Another inconsistent horse-hockey wide strike zone. Guy called way too many strikes on balls wide by 4+ inches, called no low strikes in the zone. Where’s Joe West? This is the worse kind of umpire. Can’t trust em. Why did Carlos Torres, a rookie to playoff baseball, get assigned the dish in this game? And tonight it looks like Angel Hernandez behind the dish. WTF
A little run support for Urias tonight might be a groove.
1 – The Dodgers and Kershaw have both announced that he does not have a torn UCL and that he has no structural damage to his elbow. Assuming that is true, why would he “need” Tommy John surgery?
2 – Logan Webb is a better pitcher than you give him credit for. He was the Giants’ ace in the 2nd half and is considered to be the best pitcher on the staff right now. He was 7 – 0, 2.71 in the 2nd half. Also, he was a much better pitcher at home. He was 6 – 0, 1.96 at home this year.
3 – The Dodgers’ offense did last night what it has done all season – completely disappeared. Hard to explain given the personnel. But if they win today, they have home field advantage for the remainder of the series.
I don’t look at at-bats like I look at overall performance. Macro… not micro.
If we don´t start hitting this will be over quick. Can not work the count against a pitcher who is so aggressive as Webb was yesterday. You either hit it or you are out. I expect more of the same from Gausmann tonight.
Horrible decision by WB to throw Posey a cookie on 3-0. If you want to nibble, nibble. But do not start to come into the zone 3-0. Try your luck with the next hitter.
Time to play with urgency. Dodgers can do it, showed it last year being down 3-1 to the Braves with their back to the wall.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sometimes you just need to tip your cap to a pitcher that was on his game. Thank God we didn’t face that in the Wild Card game. Bueller was off and held it together for the most part. The luckiest team in baseball showed up again last night vs a Championship team who acted they haven’t been there before. Bueller started out by walking Tommy Freaking LaStella. Are you kidding me? The he gave up an absolute bomb to Posey, high heat in on the hands and he goes oppo on that pitch? What a lucky SOB.
Bueller didn’t need to go out for the 6th inning, already in the 90’s and 8 guys in the pen with built in off days, and gives up another bomb to Kris Bryant. It didn’t matter because Logan Webb was pitching the game of his life behind some good defense at the most critical times. It was just one of those games. That’s why we have 5 and 7 game series in the postseason.
Not much else to say here. We need more offense now that we’re down by one, so CT3 is supposed to play CF tonight with Belli at 1B. That will help if we can get Pollock, CT3 and Belli to stay in the zone. Last night they chased out and it showed. If they keep that up, it’s gonna be a short run.
Hopefully Julio will right the ship tonight and put the team on his back.
I stay off the comments for the most part during the game because you’re all a bunch of bullies! Constantly bashing players that got us a ring for the first time in 32 years is not a good look.
The good thing is, whenever we have a game where we don’t show up, like last night, it doesn’t become a pattern.
Win today, and all will be well.
The Dodgers can only win the WS when the season is shortened; they’re the only MLB team to win WS twice in two shortened seasons: 1981 & 2020. Last night looks like 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, & 2019 all over again!
I blame the players. So many all stars and you can’t hit breaking stuff. At least try to just swing at the stuff in the zone! I can’t believe any pitcher would 1. throw a fastball and 2. throw breaking balls in the zone. But hey we were down 3-1 to Atlanta last year so we’re still better off than that. Keep the faith!