Chris Taylor is what Dodger fans prayed for

Phil Gurnee ♦ October 18, 2017 ♦ 2 Comments

You can’t really quantify the impact that Chris Taylor has had on the Dodger season. You could try it with fWAR but you would be missing the complete picture.

• Chris Taylor was a 2nd baseman when Logan Forsythe got hurt early
• Chris Taylor was a left fielder when Andrew Toles went down for the season
• Chris Taylor was a center fielder when Joc Pederson stopped hitting
• Chris Taylor was a shortstop in the NLCS
• Chris Taylor was the leadoff hitter the Dodgers needed
• Chris Taylor was the power hitting outfielder the Dodgers needed

Last night Chris Taylor made his first start at Shortstop since Sept 21st and he delivered the longest home run of the postseason and a triple. He was the first players since Yoenis Cespedes in 2013 to hit a home run and triple in the postseason. He is the only player to do it in the NLCS this century.

Player                  Date Series  Tm Opp   Rslt PA H 2B 3B HR RBI
Chris Taylor      2017-10-17   NLCS LAD CHC  W 6-1  5 2  0  1  1   2
Yoenis Cespedes   2013-10-04   ALDS OAK DET  L 2-3  4 2  0  1  1   2
Bryce Harper      2012-10-12   NLDS WSN STL  L 7-9  5 2  0  1  1   2
David Freese      2011-10-27     WS STL TEX W 10-9  6 2  0  1  1   3
Howie Kendrick    2009-10-19   ALCS LAA NYY  W 5-4  5 3  0  1  1   1
Andre Ethier      2009-10-10   NLDS LAD STL  W 5-1  5 3  1  1  1   2
Kevin Youkilis    2007-10-18   ALCS BOS CLE  W 7-1  5 2  0  1  1   3
Jimmy Rollins     2007-10-04   NLDS PHI COL L 5-10  5 2  0  1  1   4
Kazuo Matsui      2007-10-04   NLDS COL PHI W 10-5  5 3  1  1  1   5
Garret Anderson   2005-10-07   ALDS LAA NYY W 11-7  5 4  0  1  1   5
Johnny Damon      2004-10-27     WS BOS STL  W 3-0  5 2  0  1  1   1
Derek Jeter       2000-10-25     WS NYY NYM  W 3-2  5 2  0  1  1   1

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/18/2017.

As far as Dodgers go, Andre Ethier was the last Dodger to do it in the postseason. Davey Lopes was the last to do it in an NLCS.  The Dodgers have won every game that a player has hit a HR/Triple in the same postseason game.

Player                 Date Series Opp  Rslt PA R H 2B 3B HR RBI
Chris Taylor     2017-10-17   NLCS CHC W 6-1  5 1 2  0  1  1   2
Andre Ethier     2009-10-10   NLDS STL W 5-1  5 2 3  1  1  1   2
Mike Marshall    1988-10-16     WS OAK W 6-0  4 1 2  0  1  1   3
Pedro Guerrero   1981-10-28     WS NYY W 9-2  5 1 3  0  1  1   5
Davey Lopes      1978-10-05   NLCS PHI W 4-0  4 1 3  0  1  1   3
Steve Garvey     1978-10-04   NLCS PHI W 9-5  5 3 3  0  1  2   4

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/18/2017.