Clayton Kershaw has said that he intends to play at least one more season. Most Dodger fans assume that it will be with the Dodgers. I don’t think that is a given. He could decide to be the Ranger’s Ace in 2023: Play at home, have his kids there every game, and go home to his own bed. Oh, and the Rangers would likely hand him a blank check. On top of that, he will always be a Dodger, and he would likely sign a one-day contract to retire as a Dodger sometime in the future. Clayton will go into the Hall of Fame as a Dodger, but don’t assume that he will play for the Dodgers next year. Enjoy it while it lasts.
The only thing we know for sure is that Clayton Kershaw is a Dodger right now. We know that he will start Game Two today. We know that if the Dodgers take this series, that Clayton will be a key part of the Dodger’s rotation going into the NLCS and maybe the World Series. Enjoy it while it lasts. If I were Clayton, I would think hard about playing in Texas next year. In the interim, Clayton has a Game, an NLDS, an NLCS, and a World Series to win.
Clayton, it’s all on you today. Let’s show them what you have! I’d like to see him go seven and shut down the San Die (what they should do) go Clowns.
Notes & News
- Chris Martin – Closer? It makes sense. He has the stuff, and most important;ly, he has the experience.
- Trea Turner showed he is not going to shrink in the playoffs.
- Will Smith did so as well – Today, some others need to step up.
- Gavin Lux looked good with the bat and on defense.
- Mike Clevinger is worse than Trevor Bauer’s (and his) ex-girlfriend.
- I do not like anything about the Padres.
- I will be in the air during the game tomorrow, but Southwest better have the WiFi thing working.
- Is today a Gallo day?
- I can hardly wait – Hawaii will soon be in the rear-view mirror.
Discussion (41)
Disagree, not disagreeable
How’s the confidence in Vargas?
I get why Roberts might prefer the veteran, but Vargas has been billed as a great pure hitter, and that’s one reason he made the roster (despite his weak stats).
So what is Vargas for?
Will he simply be a pinch runner?
I know it’s just Bellinger, but Barnes hitting for him, really? A home run there would have been nice and Bellinger hits home runs at a higher rate than Barnes.
Like you said Bear:”This is on the offense”. Let’s hope the next two aren’t.
We’ll have to beat either Snell or Musgrove to get it back to LA. Timely hitting would sure help.
Picked a wrong time to have an off night.
I can’t believe none of the pitchers used yesterday in the bullpen can’t go two days in a row especially with an off day tomorrow.
This commentators are the worse. So many shit talk and when Almonte strikeout both Soto& Machado went SILENT!
Do you take out Kershaw that early?
Kershaw 5 IP, and he is a bum because he gave up 3 runs.
Urias is a hero because he went 5 and gave up 2 runs.
What a silly take.
What is not silly is our Superstar has done nothing.
So Trayce STILL thinks he is getting a fastball. Darvish has thrown him the same slider EVERY pitch.
Way too early take:
Manny Machado, Dodgers gave up on him too soon.
Trea Turner not a choker
Mookie Bust
This was and is a joke
Might be time to go the BP. CK didn’t quite have overpowering stuff tonight tonight
Uh oh looks like playoff kershaw showed up.
Julio Urias set a new record as the only pitcher in history to win 3 games in the playoffs as a starter and 3 as a reliever.
8:37 PM ET
Padres (89-73)
Dodgers (111-51)
SP Yu Darvish R
16-8 3.10 ERA
SP Clayton Kershaw L
12-3 2.28 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Trea Turner R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
DH J. Turner R
2B Gavin Lux L
LF T. Thompson R
CF C. Bellinger L
Clear-day
1% Rain
74° Wind 8 mph Out
David Vassegh
@THEREAL_DV
#Dodgers
Walker Buehler will throw out today’s ceremonial first pitch.
I read on a stupid page that Yordan Álvarez’s home run is already being compared to Kirk Gibson’s as one of the greatest moments of the playoffs… Please don’t offend Gibson, the Dodgers and baseball with such stupidity!
Was anyone else yelling at the TV when Doc took Vesia out to let Graterol pitch to Machado?
You’re right Bluto! Double that interpretation!
Agree on Deiter! He played the theme to Hawaii 50 when the score went to 5-0. Classic!
So I think CK plays one more year for us then retires. Its not like his kids are going to college next year and he missed their entire childhood. Of course no one knows the answer, probably not even him. So we can only hope.
We got the past-prime AJ. No hit and def no glove. ‘Clubhouse guy’. Suspect he’s decent enough on-air. Catchers do bring brains. David Ross anyone?
Rained down here this morning. Forecast looks ok for gametime. Last thing I want tonite is a rain delay. Cancellation would be a major headache for schedule.
This falls into the category of “Sour Grapes” and/or “Second Guessing,” but I think 2-Time GG Outfielder Joey Gallo would have had a better chance of catching that ball in LF yesterday. I also believe his cannon arm would have gotten the runner at the plate. The throw by Trayce was online but weak. Just my opinion…
Yes that was pretty funny, even the announcers commented and got a chuckle.
Did anyone notice that when Machado struck out, Deiter played “Do the Hustle” as he walked back to the dugout. Just classic!
Bluto,
no, apparently we can not avoid mentioning…
Geez Bluto, apparently not!
Question.
It may have been on the radio broadcast, it may have been on the TV broadcast. Hell, it may have even been on a preview show, but the announcers made a point about the travails of the Dodgers despite their big record.
How the team dealt with Kimbrel’s poor performance, Bellinger’s struggles, Buehler’s injury.
Notable for its absence in this laundry list is Bauer. Does anyone here think that’s a broadcast decision or it’s MLB putting soft pressure on its media partners to not bring Bauer up?
Please, please, please can we avoid mentioning:
Justice Kavanaugh
Sharia Law
Commies
In any response.
I’m hoping for a Dodgers/Yankees World Series. They have played each other the most amount of times in the history of the World Series (11 times) and the Yankees won 8 and the Dodgers won 3. It’s payback time.
On another note, I can see Ferguson getting traded in the near future because I think it is a sign that management left him off the playoff roster and since he’s only under contract control for 2 more years. Players have more value in trades with more contract control.
* I don’t see Kershaw ever playing for anyone other than the Dodgers. Mark and I however, both said CK needed Tommy John and was likely done last season so I don’t have a great track record being Carnac with CK.
* It was agonizing to watch the Mariners lose that game to the Asstros. Their fans were clueless. Every frigging pitch Verlander threw that was 6 inches off the plate, the fans down the lines when nuts. They booed the crap out of HPU, Pat Hoberg, who is the best balls and strikes guy in the league and missed 2 pitches all day. Just unknowledgeable, bush league fans. Thankfully, Buzzy Altuve was 0 for 4 with 2 K’s. Tough call going to Robbie Ray but Servais tried to put the best guy in for the last out and Ray didn’t get it done. He’ll take heat but that’s baseball.
* According to A. J. Pierzynski the way to get the Dodgers out is “you tease them enough to get them to chase but don’t give them anything good”. There you go.
He also reported that our bullpen was getting depleted after using Phillips, Vesia and Graterol with Martin coming in. Oh, panic time, AJ. We only had Gonzo, Heaney, Treinen, Kahnle and Almonte left.
Geez Dude do your homework and don’t say dumb shit.
* As I predicted, Will needs to come up big. He did.
* Yeah that guy Trea Turner is horseshit. Can’t hit in the playoffs. Marginal defender. Let him walk. Anybody can play SS.
* There I go. Stop it! Don’t get cocky just yet. Lots of work left to do. The 12 hour rule applies. You get to feel good and puff out your chest for 12 hours and it’s back to work.
* But don’t be afraid to score after the 3rd.
What did you all think about the announcers?
I didnt like AJ much at all. The other guy was tolerable. Was supposed to be a 4K broadcast, wasnt always 4K for me….
Why would Kershaw go to the Rangers? People here have been chattering about that for years. Badger was obsessed with this. I would think the desire to not end a storied career buried in a losing franchise would outstrip the pleasure of seeing your kids off to school in the morning. The Rangers tried to go all AJ Preller and and buy wins and it has so far failed spectacularly. I was looking at the details of Seager’s contract, and he has no opt outs. Have fun with that, Cory. At least you got the dough.
Who knows? Maybe if Kershaw gets a WS this year he can feel he’s accomplished everything he needs to in LA and can do something different in Texas, and I guess there is something to watching your kids grow up. It only happens once, and a man’s priorities can change a little as he gets a little older. Still, Texas has a lot of work to do to make that franchise competitive. The pitching is atrocious and wasn’t fixed when they went on the spending binge for infielders. I think Cory was sold on the idea that they were turning things around and would be competitive.
Did anyone else wonder if Gallo could have snagged that Wil Myers HR? Seems like Thompson jumped into the wall rather than straight up. It took several inches off his leap. Gallo looks pretty tall to me, the Golden Glove might have shined in the field last night. I have caught flack about wanting Manny back even with his character flaws. He sure can dominate at 3rd and the plate. Their best player IMO.
B&P: I fully agree on the Bellinger hit called an error. Even if Myers fields the ball cleanly, there is no way he beats Belli to the bag and Clevenger also clearly loses that race. Bad scoring, should have been called a hit.
Clayton Kershaw a Ranger? Naw! He wouldn’t do that to me. He’s what heroes are made of and it ain’t the paycheck he does it for. He’s enjoying his game without stress and doing it for the faithful showing how it’s supposed to be done. The only part of me that wants the Astros to win the Pennant is for Kershaw to dish them some of what he thinks of them. What an unsportsmanship way they got they’re ring that Manfred allows then to proudly fit in their underwear drawer. Chickenshit bastards. I fully expect another great performance tonight by the Dodger on the mound. No sweat!
Good first tune-up game of the postseason.
Julio pitched well enough, but it wasn’t his best game. Well, he was pretty damn good until that last inning.
Doc did a great job managing the game. No pinch hitters, no use of the bench at all. The bullpen is Doc proof. There are no bad options.
Let’s check in on some of those ridiculous narratives.
The Dodgers are too dependent on the big three. – 1 RBI and 2 Runs from “The Big Three” 3 RBI and 3 runs for the rest of them. – Narrative Fail
Bullpen by committee seldom works – 4 scoreless holding onto a 2 run lead. – Narrative Fail
The bottom three is horrible – 2 of the 5 runs were sent in by the bottom three. – Narrative Fail
We fared a lot better than Patch’s new favorite team as they fall to the Red-Hot Phillies!
The Astros showed why they’re a great team erasing a two run deficit in the 9th winning on a walk off.
The team formerly known as the Indians just can’t seem to score runs and fell to the Yankees, as expected.
My biggest hope is that Kershaw puts in a post-season for the ages. Let’s go on a hot streak now.
A suggestion for the Dodgers fans at the game tonight. When Darvish gets his signs, just start randomly banging on trashcans to trigger his PTSD from ’17.
My favorite play of the game is a tie between that sweet double play to end the 6th and Belli’s infield single that was ruled an error after his HBP, that was ruled a foul ball.
Trayce squared up a couple of balls, there’s no need to start Gallo.
I can’t wait for the game tonight. Go Blue!
The game last night was something we have watched all season. That is, score early and then the offense shuts down for the rest of the game. The BP was outstanding after Urias lost his stuff after only four innings. The players did their jobs. Dave Roberts is a genius. The DH is Roberts’ best friend right now.
More of the same for the next 10 games to put a huge exclamation mark on their 2022 season.
Carry on.
Love the game played by TT, Will and Lux. JT, Mookie and FF with some bad looking AB’s in some RBI situations while the Dodger BP was “lights out.”
Darvish has about ten different pitches in his bag of tricks and is pitching very well. I just hope just the Dodgers stay patient, pass the baton, get each AB to a good offensive count and then rip it. Dodgers need CK to pitch a gem and the offense needs to get to the Padres BP. I don’t expect the Padres BP to keep us off the board two nights in a row.
Mark- good luck on your flight home, but I don’t think the Southwest Airlines channel line-up has FS1 as one of their channel offerings.
I seriously doubt Clayton would go to any other team for his last season. Just sayin!
Martin showed he has the stuff and the nerves to close. I would give him the call again today if there is a save opportunity.
Vesia did an amazing job giving the team 1.2 scoreless but the biggest game arguably was the inning ending dp in the 6th that Phillipps induced. Nice stop and feed by Lux to TT was a thing of beauty.
I was hoping Doc would keep Vesia in the game to face Soto and it worked well.
1 down, 10 to go!
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I expect a different closer–if one is needed.
Treinen and May were deemed healthy enough to play–and, obviously, better than Kimbrel. That’s a lot of stuff right there–and, of course, Treinen has plenty of closer experience. May can be just so nasty.
Looking around at the other games, the Phillies delivered a nice surprise, while that Houston broke Seattle’s heart. That was rough. Hoping that Seattle and Cleveland can bounce back.
Here’s hoping Clayton can dominate tomorrow….
Note No 1: Martin has playoff experience, but as a closer not much, he only has 9 or had saves
Notes 2, 3, 4 and 5: I agree
Note 8: I think so, same lineup, with the exception of Gallo over Thmpson in LF
Note 6: I don’t like it, I love the Padres
Just kidding, I don’t think it’s necessary to say what I feel about that son of a bitch team!
Have a good trip back.