It s Time For Some Unfinished Business
A couple of days ago, Ken Gurnick wrote this: Corey Seager’s elbow blew out, and the Dodgers found a way. The entire starting rotation went on the disabled list, and they found a way. Kenley Jansen’s heart raced, and they found a way. They even found a way to overcome a nine-game deficit in the National League West. And on Saturday, the Dodgers found their way back to the World
A couple of days ago, Ken Gurnick wrote this:
Corey Seager’s elbow blew out, and the Dodgers found a way. The entire starting rotation went on the disabled list, and they found a way. Kenley Jansen’s heart raced, and they found a way. They even found a way to overcome a nine-game deficit in the National League West. And on Saturday, the Dodgers found their way back to the World Series.
However, they did not come this far to JUST come this far.
They are here to take home the World Series Trophy. This was the year of massive struggle for the Dodgers. On August 22, they were in 3rd place in the NL West after struggling all seaon. Since that date, they are 32-14! At the start of the season, Walker Buehler was just a rookie who had put up a terrible ERA in a “cup of coffee” September. Matt Kemp was not a lock to make the team, in fact, many thought he would be traded or cut. Max Muncy was a minor leaguer who was “organizational depth.” El Gasolino was… well, el Gasolino. Dylan Floro was nowhere, Caleb Ferguson was a prospect and Julio Urias was recovering from surgery.
Alex Wood and Kenta Maeda were starters and Ryan Madson was an “over-the-hill” reliever. David Freese, Brian Dozier and Manny Machado were starters on various other teams. The “World Series Hangover” lingered all season and was finally exorcised when the Dodgers beat the Brewers to officially win the NLCS again.
These guys did not come this far to only come this far.
They have unfinished businesss and a unyielding resolve to take what was almost theirs last year. They won’t stop fighting, they will not fail. They believe, they know… to a man… that this is their moment. But, the Red Sox have two of the Top 5 hitters in baseball. It doesn’t matter! The Red Sox won 104 games. It doesn’t matter! The Red Sox are hot. It doesn’t matter! The Boys in Blue are writing this script.
On a cold Sunday afternoon, Clayton Kershaw was in the Fenway Bullpen. He has never pitched there, but he knows he might have to pitch there two or three times in the next seven games. He won’t be surprised by the cold. He wants to make sure he is ready. He’s not the pitcher he was 5 or 6 years ago. It’s doesn’t matter! This is his time. He knows it could be the last time. He is going to deliver. He knows it. When you “know” something, it must come into being.
The Red Sox are favored. It doesn’t matter! Matt Kemp was exposed in the second half of the season. It doesn’t matter! This is his first World Series, and what an improbale route he took to get here. Manny Machado was the SS for one of the worst teams in baseball and now he’s in the World Series! Who would have thought the Dodgers would get back to the World Series without Corey Seager. The Astros couldn’t make it with a gimpy Carlos Corerra.
Yasmani Grandal was the goat of the Brewers series and I do not mean GOAT. It doesn’t matter! He could be the MVP of the Series. Stranger things have happened. This is a team that overcame the hangover and stayed together through thick and thin to get to the pinnacle. But the Red Sox have Chris Sale. It doesn’t matter! When the game is on the line… when their backs are to the wall, these guys deliver. But, the Red Sox hit twice as good as the Dodgers with RISP. It doesn’t matter!
This is going to be an incredible series between two storied franchises. Never mind what the oddsmakers say. It doesn’t matter! These guys are here for one thing only – to win. There as starts, journeymen, role players and opportunists, but to a man, they are all Junkyard Dogs! Yasiel Puig guaranteed a Dodger victory and so do I. The only thing in doubt is “How many games will it take?” I say 5!
DODGERS ANNOUNCE WORLD SERIES ROSTER
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced their 25-man roster for the 2018 World Series, which begins tonight vs. the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. First pitch is scheduled for 8:09 p.m. ET.
The Dodgers will carry 12 pitchers and 13 position players. The roster is as follows:
Pitchers (12) Position Players (13)
LHP Scott Alexander C/IF Austin Barnes
RHP Pedro Baéz 1B/OF Cody Bellinger (L)
RHP Walker Buehler 2B Brian Dozier
RHP Dylan Floro IF David Freese
LHP Rich Hill C Yasmani Grandal (S)
RHP Kenley Jansen IF/OF Kiké Hernández
LHP Clayton Kershaw OF Matt Kemp
RHP Ryan Madson IF Manny Machado
RHP Kenta Maeda IF Max Muncy (L)
LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu OF Joc Pederson (L)
LHP Julio Urías OF Yasiel Puig
LHP Alex Wood OF/IF Chris Taylor
3B Justin Turner
The World Series continues tomorrow night with Game 2 at 8:09 p.m. ET at Fenway Park.
The series shifts to Los Angeles later this week, with Games 3 (5:09 PT), 4 (5:09 PT) and 5 (5:09 PT, if necessary) at Dodger Stadium. Games 6 and 7 (if necessary) would be played in Boston on Tuesday, October 30 and Wednesday, October 31 at Fenway Park.
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Discussion (156)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Predictions are meaningless but I’ll say LA in seven. Should be a fantastic series and Game 1 will set the tone. Thanks for this blog, Mark. It’s been a fun ride. Let’s finish the job. Four wins to glory.
I get a different vibe this year as compared to last year’s team. I will never be convinced that the Astros were better than the Dodgers, just as most are still convinced that the 1988 Dodgers were not better than the Mets or A’s. But who has the WS Trophy? In a short series, any team can get hot and win 4 games. Why not the 2018 Dodgers? I say yes!!
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I agree that JDM and Mookie Betts will be tough to control through the entirety series, but I am not as “fearful(?)” of Benintendi, Devers, JBJ, Bogaerts, Kinsler/Holt, Pearce/Moreland, Vasquez/Leon/Swihhart. I do not think they will all be shut down, but I do believe the Dodgers have the pitching to minimize the damage.
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Chris Sale’s velo is down. But then again so is Kershaw’s. Sale pitched the least number of innings (158) since 2011. And yet he still had 237 K’s. That is nearly 11 K’s/9 innings against a team that just loves to swing at anything in the same hemisphere. I still like the Dodgers vs Sale and Price in Boston. I am not saying they will win both, but I do like their chances.
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CT3 will be struck out a lot, but I also expect he will continue to get timely hitting. Yasiel Puig seems to be playing at another level right now, and his confidence could not be higher. While I do not believe he will be a Dodger next Spring, I do think that Manny Machado is going to take the team on his back and absorb all of the vitriol he is sure to get. But that just allows the other players to just play, and Manny seems to thrive on that venom. I think he is going to give the rest of MLB a lasting memory of his value going into FA both offensively and defensively. Cody is maturing right before our eyes, and if he is not successful in the WS, it will not be because the stage is too big as it was last year for him. Kemp, Freese, and Dozier will be steady veterans who should be calming influences on the team. Muncy and Kike’ seem to be playing way too tight right now.
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Clayton seems to be in a totally different mindset. I think he realizes that his time as being an Ace on a WS team is dwindling, but he still has that role, and I think he wants to make sure this year is special. I am not as sure that Buehler, the future Ace, will not still have his jitters. He has shown that when the pressure of the situation gets tighter, so does his grip on the baseball. He has a tendency to rely on his fastball, with a tendency to overthrow it. I think it is a great decision to have him pitch in LA and not Boston. Boston is one very very very TOUGH place to pitch. The fans can be brutal. I might have scheduled Rich Hill in Game 2, but Ryu should not be rattled.
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The Dodgers bullpen will again be the difference in this series.
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I honestly do not know what to expect from Grandal, but just as Joc went off last year in the WS, it is conceivable that Grandal can go off this year. But I still think Barnes will be behind the plate tonight to start.
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All in all, I cannot wait for this series to start. I still cannot get an answer from my son who he will be rooting for. He said he will know how he is leaning when the games start. But while my wife will not root against the Dodgers, she is pulling for the Red Sox, because as she told our son, “it is because they brought you to the ML and they PAID YOU!” As for me, I am a die-hard Dodger fan, and while I will always have a special place in my heart for Boston, it will not be a factor for me when they play the Dodgers.
Wow! I cannot wait for tonight’s game. I too, will be among Red Sox fans in my family. But they’re “in-laws” so they don’t really count (haha). This has been a year of uncertainty for sure. But, Mark, I agree with you’re assessment of the entire team being “junkyard dogs.” When a player goes cold… its “next man up,” and someone gets the big hit, or makes a game saving play, or pitches “lights out.” I hope it is an exciting series, it has the possibility to be a blow-out by either team, or it could well go seven games.
Interesting article from The Athletic regarding each home plate umpire that may be used during the series:
Open on theathletic.comhttps://theathletic.com/607094/2018/10/23/the-man-behind-the-mask-will-play-a-key-role-in-each-game-of-the-fall-classic/LA IN FOUR!
Roster Update Above
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Maybe some surprises!
No predictions, just play smart baseball and take advantage of the opportunities when they come.
I’m with 1439 above. I have no prediction. All year I felt we’d get to the World Series, but after that the Series itself would be a tough one. Just play smart baseball (which we all know WON’T happen at times).
Team of Destiny? I hope so, it will be good series for sure and go at least 6 games. I would have gone with Hill in game 2, I see a little Darvish in Ryu this post season. His breaking balls did not bite in Milw and they jumped his 1st pitch. I would have Hill ready to go in case Ryu is shaky.
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Muncy like to work a fastball count but the Brewers threw him a steady diet of breaking balls and he never adjusted. He will get his chances and as a PH is more likely to get the fastballs he loves. He might feast on Porcello and Eovaldi.
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I like Dozier and Manny with their AL experience and take the shackles off Freese! The Red Sox can score off anyone and the Dodgers need at least 4 runs in every game. The long balls will come but sprinkle some small ball in please! I predict a big series for Puig if he can stay calm at the plate.
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The DH actually favors the Dodgers as Muncy and Kemp and others can handle it in Boston. In LA moving guys around for JD will hurt their defense at 2B and LF, have to take advantage of opportunities. Go Blue!
While the Red Sox are favored by many because of their 104 wins, most on here can’t remember the 1954 World Series when the Cleveland Indians represented the American League with 111 wins (in 154 games). Cleveland had two 23 game winners! The hated Giants with Willie Mays took them out in four games. Willie made a famous catch of a Vic Wertz to center field.
Boston won 108 games in 2018, not 104. We won 104 last year
Bobby’s right about the 108 wins. I was going to say the same thing and add “if it matters.” It doesn’t.
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No predictions. If there is one truth in baseball, it’s that the best team doesn’t always win. And it wasn’t only Cleveland and there 111 wins that didn’t win the WS. Didn’t Seattle win 116 games one year, and I know they haven’t won a WS.
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I’m in the same camp with our resident sage MT 🙂 . All that matters is how the Dodgers finish. Nothing else. When it’s all over, whatever the result, it will seem as if it was inevitable.
Bobby’s right about the 108 wins. I was going to say the same thing and add “if it matters.” It doesn’t.
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No predictions. If there is one truth in baseball, it’s that the best team doesn’t always win. And it wasn’t only Cleveland and there 111 wins that didn’t win the WS. Didn’t Seattle win 116 games one year, and I know they haven’t won a WS.
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I’m in the same camp with our resident sage MT 🙂 . All that matters is how the Dodgers finish. Nothing else. When it’s all over, whatever the result, it will seem as if it was inevitable.
Maybe this is the World Series we should have won against the Red Sox in 2013 if the Cardinals hadn’t hit Hanley.
I see all sorts of comparisons of Dodger stats vs. Red Sox stats. Not sure those comparisons are totally apt. The Dodgers offensive numbers do not include a DH and the fact that they play in the more pitcher friendly NL West. And the Red Sox pitching numbers are affected by the fact that they do play in a DH league, and have to pitch in the more hitter friendly AL East.
Dozier, who has solid stats vs sale, will start at 2b today. Outfield is ct3 kike puig. Freeze at 1b and kemp DH
Lineup:
Dozier
JT
Freeze
Manny
CT3
Kemp (DH)
Kike
Puig
Barnes
It all began with the Kemp trade–quick clever strike across the ledger. This year’s financial obligations would be offloaded onto next year’s. The roster wouldn’t be that greatly affected. The team would largely stand pat. Then Seager was lost, the first true curveball in a season of them. Nobody could replace him. Taylor & Keekay tried. Eventually Manny would, but that came later. Bellinger, Taylor, & Puig struggled to find their footing. The fans couldn’t decide if they were washouts or cornerstones. All found redemption in the postseason but the team had to qualify for that first. Then came Muncy. And the return of Turner. The same Turner who would turn the NLCS around with his Game 2 blast. The same Turner who turned the 2017 NLCS with a blast. The guy can hit. At times Joc and Grandal were the toughest outs in the lineup. Freese could make a similar case today. Want a true stuntman? I nominate Austin Barnes.
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On the rubber, Kershaw IS the pitching staff. Heart and soul. Our Hershiser. The man. If anyone can will us to a championship it’s him. Jansen struggled but now looks like himself. Stripling and Ferguson helped get us here. Baez and Floro surprised. Madson was forgotten until he wasn’t. Maeda is a question mark. Urias has a heavy burden. He made a bad pitch to Yelich and got bailed out. Wood and Hill are swing men. One name I have said it could be the difference. We didn’t have him last year. Walker Buehler. A new bulldog could be born.
so, bench tonight is:
muncy
bellinger
joc
grandal
we’re effective one man short due to the DH. roberts better be careful burning guys.
who is the red sox lh reliever/s and how is good is/are he/they?
Kersh vs. Sale tonight I see as a toss up… not sure how the cold and wet conditions will affect both starters. But I think (hope) the long layoff can potentially have some negative affects on the Red Sox hitters. Similarly… Sale has had some shoulder issue towards the end of the year, his velo is down, and he hasn’t pitched in 10 days.
Tonight’s game is extremely important… I see both teams being able to score in bunches… but I feel like the Dodgers will end up winning something like 6-3 or 7-4.
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What really scares the hell out of me is Ryu’s start tomorrow. I’m getting that funny feeling like I had before game 7 last year with Darvish… especially since it sure looked like the Brewers had figured out when he was going to throw his breaking pitches. Now was it because he kept with a similar pitching pattern / script from his first start, was he tipping his pitches, or were they able to steal signs? I have no idea… but if the Dodgers aren’t certain either… then I would not want him pitch in game 2.
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My feeling is that if the Dodgers lose tonight… they might move Rich Hill up to game 2. And if they don’t… I’m assuming that they have told Rich to be ready to come in early to take over for Ryu, if the Red Sox get to him early.
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I would much rather have Hill start game 2 and Ryu start game 4… but since it’s much harder to throw your breaking stuff in cold and wet conditions and Rich throws his curve 40% of the time… I’m assuming that’s what the final decision came down to when deciding the pitching order.
I’m not a fan of leaving no right handed pinch-hitters on the bench.
I like the line up tonight. I hope the Dodgers stay patient at the plate and make Sale throw a lot of pitches early.
Good luck everyone. Let’s win this thing.
I have never saw Turner fooled that much!