Total Lack of Focus

So due to fan apathy, the Dodgers sent us all an email, stating they are selling tickets for tomorrow’s crucial game 5 for $22. Yes, “$22 to see #22 pitch” (perhaps one last time?)

I’m thinking if we’re down 7-0 in the 4th, we’ll get another email that says “$3 to see #3 hit”?

Pro tip: wine makes the ALCS more enjoyable.

This is a better lineup……Please Doc, let’s hit Freese at least once against some right, do not take him out of the game after just one damn turn at bat!

1. Chris Taylor, LF

2. Justin Turner, 3B

3. David Freese, 1B

4. Manny Machado, SS

5. Brian Dozier, 2B

6. Enrique Hernandez, CF

7. Yasiel Puig, RF

8. Austin Barnes, C

9. Rich Hill, P

Let’s see what happens tonight.

We’re gonna see what this team is really made of tonight. If they win tonight, I think we’ll win the series. If we lose tonight… I just don’t see it happening.

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I hate that this team doesn’t show much grit until their backs against the wall… but that’s what we got.

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The veterans on this team are going to have to lead by example. I’m hoping for (expecting) big games from Hill, JT, Freese, and Machado. And maybe… just maybe a 3 run blast by Dozier.

I would’ve given comeback poy award to markakis

Lineup:

CT3

JT

Freeze

Manny

Dozier

Kike

Puig

Barnes

Hill

Wishlist for tonight:

1. Rich Hill doesn’t get a blister

2. Manny Machado hustles

3. Grandal gets the entire night off

4. Bellinger doesn’t strike out

5. Dozier preens on the top step after a pinch-hit HR

6. Jansen strikes out the side in the 9th

7. Kemps legs out a double and claps loudly at 2b

8. Roberts waves at a fan after the last out

9. Turner doesn’t get any balls called strikes

10. Nobody has to pitch 1/3 of an inning.

Somebody just reminded me that Roberts brought in Morrow to pitch the 8th inning of Game 3 of the NLCS last year with a 5-run lead. Oof. He REALLY wanted to make it to the World Series.

I think Rich Hill is one of the few players that I trust on this team right now. From a purely technical pitching standpoint… he has the least impressive stuff out of the 4 remaining starting pitchers. But Rich is a fighter and he’s always going to give you 100%… I’m glad he’s on the mound tonight.

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As for the hitters… besides JT, Manny, and Freese who can you trust right now to come through with a key hit w/ RISP?

Besides those 3… I think you have to stick with the hotter bats and keep CT3 and Joc in the starting lineup and keep them in no matter who’s pitching.

And Kike, like Yaz needs to sit tonight. I think he’s too much in his own head… as evidenced by his statements last night.

I would start Barnes for the remaining games and Dozier at least for tonight at 2nd… I’d like to see how he responds and maybe he can provide a spark.

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The relievers for the most part, have been great. And I can’t believe that I’m actually about to write this… but I now almost have a sense of calm when Baez enters the game. I would love for Doc to hold back Wood… just in case the game goes into extras and you need length. Otherwise, I would not really recommend using him in relief unless the team is up by 6+ runs.

Not sure about all of you, but I think John Smoltz was on point so many times yesterday. He kept harping that Grandal needed to just hit a weak ground ball and get that runner home. It changes the dynamic and momentum of the game where Buehler was pitching great. We failed.

Then in the 6th, when Grandal led off with that bloop double, Smoltz said the same thing. Kike worst case had to get the runner over. He didn’t. When Buehler was up, he said to at least bunt Grandal over to 3rd. When a guy is on 3rd, so many fluky things can happen to get him in (wild pitch, pass ball, error by an infielder, slow dribbler for a infield single, etc). For some idiotic reason, Doc didn’t have him bunt. A dead cow could have stood up there and taken strike 3. At least swing the bat!! And if you’re not going to swing, bunt the damn ball!!! Do something! And what happens? We don’t score, and the very next inning they go out and get a wild pitch with a guy on 3rd to get their 2nd run. The game dynamics change when the home team ties it up; it puts so much more pressure on the visiting team and our guy was pitching great.

I get waiting for the 3 run hr, because we have a powerful team so that 3 run hr can come anytime. But when guys are on 2nd , common sense says also get a run here or there until that 3 run hr comes. It’s like an NFL team saying screw the field goal each time, and go for touchdowns only. Field goals add up as well.

Maybe starting a vet like Dozier would help play some smart ball today; I don’t know.

I would hate to see Grandal have a drug test right now. It is not physical with him, it is mental. The Brewers were willing to give us a run with runners on second and third. The only thing he could do to hurt the Dodgers was to strike out, and he did. Please do not play Grandal anymore this year.

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Machado-please do not sign him. He will not hustle. Last night there was no need to put his hand on the second baseman. That is dumb. Maybe that mistake killed a rally. Who knows. Instead of one out and one on, we now have two outs and nobody on.

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Why major league players and Dodgers will not bunt against the shift, is baffling. Again, take what they will give you. A hit is a hit.

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Doc-I liked Doc in the beginning, but not anymore. He will not defend his players. I do not remember him being kicked out of one game this year. I still beleave the eight best players need to play. Pretty hard to get in a groove when you play half the time.

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I hope the Dodgers win it all this year. I just do not think it will happen. You have to play smart baseball this time of the year, and we do not.

The Dodgers are playing this series the way that they have played all season. I don’t know why it surprises anyone. Not hitting with RISP; striking out too much; not scoring if they don’t hit HR; defensive mistakes.

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Lest we forget, Pythagoras had the Dodgers winning 10 more games than they did solely based on run differential. They have won the blowouts and lost a lot of close games. The Dodgers were 31 – 10 in blowouts and 22 – 22 in one run games; 8 – 7 in extra innings.

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Why would you expect the Dodgers to play differently in the post-season than they played all year?

Need to find a spot for Freese in the lineup for his professional ABs, and Taylor because he’s finally hot. We played him enough when he wasn’t, surely we can fit him in now he’s hitting?

Bobby, you are of course right about Grandal. I think we may have seen him for the last time Starting in Dodger Blue.

In his playoff career, Grandal has 30k in 68ab. I”m sure it’s mostly mental, as he looks to be pressing. But whatever the reason, he’s not helping the team and he’s not helped the team in any October he’s been in. Barnes at least proved last October he wasn’t afraid of the moment. Let him play.

Hawk, agree about the bunt. Cody is hitting the ball hard at times, but right to guys. Much like the smart Yelich yesterday, and Zobrist in Game 4 2016, some of our guys need to bunt to get on base and get everyone excited. Bunts and suicide squeeze plays rally team and crowd almost as much as home runs sometimes.

Finally, I find that Puig is rather useless when coming up with guys on base. He presses and flails at crap pitches. Maybe lead him off? Maybe just tryin to get on base is easier for him than driving guys in?

I’m not one to come on here and cry about the need for small ball. The Dodgers need to play fundamental, smart baseball. Grandal was facing a guy who pitches to contact and all he had to do was let him. I had hope for him this series due to success against Milwaukee but he’s mentally broken. Each spring we hear about a diet, an injury, or his spouse’s very real pregnancy but until he proves differently he can’t handle October. The Mendoza line would look great for him.

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Unlike Yasmani, Bellinger is a kid and I feel like he’s getting close but at some point you have to produce. I still wish he would drop a bunt down here and there. He was good at it in the past and they’re giving it to him. I don’t recall him doing it since the dumb bunt on a 3-0 count. Sometimes a little success from something like that it is contagious

Agree with Bobby, good AB’s early and a loud crowd plus Hill spinning his magic equals a Dodger win tonight.

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Vegas odds makers agree, they are big favorites to win and go over 7.5 runs. Even though the Brewers have won 14 of 15 games with an average total (both teams) of 5.8 runs in their last 6.

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Tough choice to start Freese or Muncy against Gio at 1B but both give you good AB’s. IMO Cody has to sit, put Taylor in CF and Kike at 2B. I keep Puig in RF and put Kemp in LF, Matt has the only HR’s against Gio this season. Barnes is already announced as tonight’s C.

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1) CT3…..CF

2) JT………3B

3) Max….1B

4) MM…..SS

5) Kemp..LF

6) Puig….RF

7) Kike…2B

8) AB…….C

9) Hill……P

Most experts predicted a 7 game series. So that means we have to lose 3. Great, we get to lose one more!! But we also can tie this up tonight and make it an awesome 3 game series.

Nobody here will be surprised if , at 9:30pm tonight, we’d have lost 5-1 with 15 runners left no base, or won 9-2 with 4 home runs. Who the hell knows, but as Roger said in the last thread, asking this team to come in and change who they are and sweep Milwaukee was asinine! Expect the same, which is expect anything.

I think we take today, with some better AB’s early and a LOUD crowd.

I don’t think some are giving the Brewers enough credit. They won the most games of any team in the NL and they overtook the Cubs who led all the way.

A lack of focus in the playoffs,if that’s the reason then the Dodgers will lose to the Brewers a team that looks focused and is playing to win. Maybe Roberts and the Dodgers better get focused and fast.

You can’t give Bellinger a pass because of him making contact with his hitting into what would likely be a double play aside from him beating the throw to 1st. He’d of done a lot more good advancing the runner with a sacrifice bunt. Either way it’s not what rallies are made of. Last night’s game said this team isn’t so interested to bring the championship to LA. If they don’t show us a change of heart they can take it to their graves of being a pretty good team. Just not quite good enough. Brewers didn’t look all that tough, but tough enough wasn’t too high of a hurdle.Well if they can and do turn it around and win a crown THIS year it’d really of been worth it for us fans to been put through this suffering. I could go on and on like last night’s game up to the 9th inning but that’s where I quit viewing. It just wasn’t good enough to watch any more. Kinda like game 7 last year. Is this team built to lose life long fans? You tell us Dodgers!

This is the NLCS, Kike’!!! You should not need the fans to get you jacked up for the game. Dodger Stadium is not Yankee Stadium. Never has been, never will be. That is not a knock on Dodger fans, but if a player is expecting a Yankee crowd, then they are on the wrong coast. I have been at Yankee Stadium and Fenway. Those fans do not sit. They are into the game from pitch 1. But if you do not think that the fans Boo their own players….WRONG!! Dodger fans love their Dodgers, they are just not as FANATIC. Maybe that can be a problem in the dog days of summer, but not at the NLCS. If a player cannot get up for a NLCS game, then they need to tell the manager to play someone else.

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Chacin is a wily veteran PITCHER, while Buehler is a hard THROWER. I agree that Kershaw can learn a lot by watching Chacin and Miley pitching to the batters’ weaknesses. Chacin got the benefit of a wide strike zone, but that happens, and he had pin point command to take full advantage. But this is a different game if Grandal gets the bat on the ball with runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out and the infield back. He did not need a hit or a fly ball. He needed to put bat to ball to get the run in. Instead he does the one thing he cannot do…he struck out. Really that is where the game was lost.

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0 for 10 RISP. 14 strikeouts. Cannot win too many games with those lines.

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Hill v Gio. Hopefully Kike’ and the team can find their energy tonight.

This series is definitely not over. As I watched early on (1-0 in a 1-1 series) I had the feeling these teams were very closely matched and destined to play 6-7 games. Which means we had to lose at some point. Maybe again.

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I still have faith, otherwise why be a fan? But if we lose I’ll acknowledge they were better. All we need is to win a baseball game tonight and all is well (although mil will still have home field advantage).

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Also, I think I’m ready to admit defeat on the DH issue. I dont like all these pitching changes and the NL plays into that. I think I’m resigned to it. Won’t ever be a fan of it but it makes game sense. No way its next year though.

Right on time, The Athletic profiles Rich Hill and the importance of Being Where You Are! I call it “Bloom Where You Are Planted!”

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If you don’t subscribe to The Athletic, you are missing some really great stuff.

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Sometimes the irony of life (baseball) is the guy you were most anxious about pitching, is the guy who you must rely on to right the ship! So, I’ll contribute my focus, positive karma wise on Rich Hill to be the best he can be! Do or die here boys. Time to let Grandal watch some and Austin can step up. Go D. Mountain!!!