Bullpen can’t make up for dump by Yu
There is no way to spin this well for Yu Darvish. He took a dump in Houston and it was such a big dump that he may take the Dodger World Series hopes down the toilet with it. It is one thing to lose a game, but when you can’t get six outs in the first of three games on the road, it makes your manager burn through his bullpen, and you put the team in a very tough spot to come back from.
Kudos to the bullpen for keeping the game close enough that from every inning on, the Dodgers had a look at the game but the key hit they needed never happened. With the bases loaded and zero outs, Corey Seager hit into a killer double play plating a run but killing a rally. The Dodgers scored on ground balls and wild pitches which works when the other team only scores two runs but not so much when you are chasing a five spot.
Cody Bellinger is having a hellacious World Series, and has looked so overmatched you have to consider benching him but the only option is Chase Utley who hasn’t had a hit in the postseason in over two years. You could go with Grandal and Barnes but not like either of them are doing anything in this world series. At least Bellinger looked better in his last at-bat before striking out. It is a lot to ask of a rookie to be the cleanup hitter in the World Series and so far he has not been up to the task. I don’t expect Cody to be batting clean-up tomorrow.
Yu will have his chance for redemption in Los Angeles in a game seven if the Dodgers can win two of the next three games which is a tall task but one that a team with championship aspirations will have to accomplish.
At least Houston can’t use McCuller or Peacock in relief tomorrow of Morton. It would behoove the Dodgers to play a cleaner game on the defensive side. A lot of pressure on Alex Wood to deliver some quality innings because Kenta is not going to be available and next time Ross Stripling won’t be so lucky.
Dodgers pin hopes on Yu
Unlike Kershaw and Rich Hill, Yu Darvish has faced the current Houston roster quite a bit since they played in the same division while Yu was playing for the Rangers.
Name PA H 2B HR BA OBP SLG OPS Jose Altuve 38 7 2 0 .219 .342 .281 .623 George Springer 18 6 0 2 .333 .333 .667 1.000 Josh Reddick 27 4 0 0 .160 .185 .240 .425 Carlos Correa 15 3 1 1 .200 .200 .467 .667 Jake Marisnick 7 3 1 0 .429 .429 .571 1.000 Marwin Gonzalez 15 2 0 0 .143 .200 .143 .343 Brian McCann 12 2 1 0 .182 .250 .273 .523 Carlos Beltran 11 2 0 0 .200 .273 .200 .473 Alex Bregman 10 2 0 0 .222 .300 .222 .522 Cameron Maybin 11 1 1 0 .111 .273 .222 .495 Evan Gattis 7 1 0 0 .143 .143 .143 .286 Yuli Gurriel 7 1 0 0 .143 .143 .143 .286 A.J. Reed 3 1 0 0 .333 .333 .333 .667 Total 186 35 6 3 .205 .263 .304 .568
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/27/2017.
Games Started:
Pitching in the same division in the AL, Yu has made five starts against this roster over the past two years. He beat them in his last start on June 12th but was pounded by them on June 2nd. Dodgers fan would prefer the June 12th version over the June 2nd version.
Date Opp Rslt IP H ER BB SO GSc 2016-08-07 HOU W 5-3 7.0 5 0 0 8 75 2017-06-12 HOU W 6-1 7.0 1 1 3 4 72 2016-06-08 HOU L 1-3 5.0 3 1 4 7 60 2017-06-02 HOU L 1-7 5.0 7 3 1 8 48 2016-09-04 HOU L 6-7 4.0 7 5 3 4 29
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/27/2017.
A few of my favorite things from Game 2
The Brim bounce
The Umpire peg
The Puig mini tantrum
The Culberson celebration
The Seager emotional outburst – he’s not a bot
The Puig bat lay down
The Joc Velocity Drive
This game
Since this had the possibility of being the last game played at Dodger Stadium in 2017 I had to seriously contemplate plunking down $1200 and going to this game.
Cooler heads prevailed once I did the math. Not only would it cost me $1200 but given the traffic situation from game one I estimated it would take nine hours, and six of those would be in a car and my old ass hurts after being in one for twenty minutes.
This left me with several options. Walk to my Numero Uno sports bar and watch the game while ogling the pretty bartenders or stay at home and listen to my wife complain about a team that is in the World Series, hear my cat constantly complain because I’m watching the World Series instead of taking him outside, and get pawed at repeatedly by my dog to give her the attention she felt she deserved. I decided for the comfort of home.
I settled into my couch at 04:30 to listen to the inane chatter of pre-game Fox hosts. My wife got home right at first pitch and would wander in and out throughout the game wondering why anyone was on the roster who couldn’t hit or pitch at exactly the moment she wandered in.
I really should have gone to my local bar.
With Justin Verlander throwing a no-hitter for five innings and the defense being saved by a brim I congratulated myself on saving $1200 and the misery of the trip. My cat was purring in my lap, agreeing with my inner thoughts. You belong here he said. Verlander was on tonight, I was starting to wonder if the Yankees won the World Series when Don Larsen threw a no-hitter (they did). Like others I marveled at how this pitcher looked on the wrong side of his career from April – MidAugust only to turn back into vintage Cy Young Verlander simply by becoming an Astro and having something to pitch for. This guy was good, no way were we scoring runs tonight against him. Our only hope was that he would run out of gas.
Right after I completed that thought, Joc Pederson got the first hit of the night, a booming home run to tie the game at one. Dave Roberts had been right again. It was hard to fathom Joc starting this game but Dave said in the pregame that “Joc hits velocity” and damn if he didn’t send a Verlander mistake into the pavilion. My wife happened by right at the moment and smacked me on the head for not going to the game.
One inning later Chris Taylor drew an incredible walk with two borderline pitches being called balls. Corey Seager launched an opposite-field home run off of Verlander and screamed as he hit it. Seager showed more emotion in that home run than he had shown in two seasons as a Dodger. The Dodger winning strategy was at work once again. Chris Taylor would force a tough walk, the next hitter would hit a home run. My dog was barking crazily at me and I knew what she was saying “why are you here, why aren’t you there”. She is a smart dog. My cat had stopped purring.
Since the Dodger bullpen had blown through the weak Astro hitters for two games and we had Morrow with six outs to go, this game seemed to be in the bag. It hadn’t been very exciting, just a couple of Dodger home runs. Same ole same ole.
Springer led off the eighth with a shot down the right-field line that I felt for sure Puig would make a circus catch as he has done all year but this time. ….this time the ball just knicked off the outside of his glove and bounced into the stands. Watching Puig I couldn’t decide which was more impressive how close he came to catching that or how quickly he took his glove off and threw it on the ground in as close to an in-game tantrum you will ever see in the World Series. Dave Roberts wasted no time and lifted Morrow for Kenley Jansen who was now tasked with getting the last six outs.
Jansen did his job in the 8th, the Astros did score Springer but nothing else happened and the middle of the order was done. If Jansen did his job in the 9th, the Dodgers would never see Springer/Bregman/Altuve/Correa again at Dodger Stadium.
With Jansen ready to toe the mound in the 9th I looked at the sold-out Dodger crowd and knew they were about to explode as the Dodgers took a 2 – 0 game lead. It was killing me that I wasn’t there. My dog was barking at me again “you fool, you fool, you fool”
One pitch later the game was tied at 3 and the cat was purring those comforting sounds which said: “aren’t you glad you skipped out on this madness”. Jansen had been Broxtoned. Who’d thunk it? By the guy, I said last winter would be a good guy to get. I can be so annoying.
Still, it was tied 3 – 3 headed to the 9th, and I’ve always said I’d rather watch a walk-off than win 10 – 0. The white knuckler has a bigger payoff. Who would be the Dodger hero in the 9th? Seager, Turner, or Bellinger? None of them, fork it.
Who the hell was going to pitch the 10th now that Roberts had blown through the bullpen? I could only remember Brandon McCarthy until I saw Josh Fields on the mound and my mind sank. I had not been fond of including Josh Fields on the original NLDS roster.
Josh Fields – I could easily see him being the Pedro Baez of 2017 if they let him
Two batters later the Astros had hit two home runs. Jose Altuve had finally put his mark on the game. Watching the Venezuelan Leprechaun jump up and down after his home run I still can’t fathom how he generates such power. Baseball has no great equalizer, you can dominate this game at 6’8 or 5’6. The cat was in full purr mode letting me know once again I’d made the right decision by providing a lap for him. My wife was yelling at the TV about the how the Dodgers suck and why can’t anyone play the game. Why was Fields pitching she yelled at me? I couldn’t answer her without thinking of Ryu.
Tony Cingrani replaced Fields and restored order and we headed to the bottom of the 10th down two runs.
Puig led off and so far had a meh game. He had continued to display his new found patience seeing pitch after pitch in each at-bat, but doing nothing substantial when he finally did make contact. He did the same in this at-bat working the count to 2 – 1. This time….this time he crushed a home run to LF, and also gently laid the bat down which was as cool as any bat flip he had ever done. Down only one, with no outs. My cat had stopped purring again, my wife said it was no big deal, they were still going to lose. My dog, however, was losing it, barking barking barking and I knew what she was saying. I should have been there to witness that Puig home run.
Still, we were down another run and when our two catchers struck out back to back it was up to Logan Forsythe. In a typical Logan Forsythe at-bat, he saw pitch after pitch until he had walked. A wild pitch later Ken Giles looked like that guy who had struggled against the Yankees. Hernandez had barely hit right hand pitching all year but John Smoltz said to throw those stats out. Kiké agreed and aimed a single into right field right at the charging Josh Reddick who was ready to close the game and shut the Dodger fans up. Josh fired to McCann but the throw was on the 1st base side and Forsythe slid in just before the tag and the Dodgers had tied the game.
It was just too much. This wasn’t just a Dodger game, this had turned into one of the greatest World Series I had sat on my ass at home to watch. What a forking maroon I had been not to go to this game.
Now it was upto Brandon McCarthy but Brandon pitched like a guy who hadn’t pitched in a month because he hadn’t. Down two runs the Dodgers had one more surprise in them.
Charlie Forking Culberson hit a home run. In one of the strangest sights of a night filled with strange sights, not only did Charlie Culberson hit a home run, he celebrated as though he had tied or won the game. No one does that. Not even Puig would do that. It was surreal and a perfect ending to a game the Dodgers would lose 7 – 6.
Hippity Hop versus Mrs Upton
Game one was so important because in game two the Dodgers will be facing the hottest pitcher in the postseason in Justin Verlander. Much like how Clayton Kershaw has dominated the National League, Justin Verlander has done almost the same in the American League. Verlander may not have multiple CYA, but he won one, and been in the top five four other times including two finishes in second place.
His time at the top seemed like it was over this past summer as he struggled with the struggling Tigers, but once the Houston Astros added him he has been back to his Cy Young award-winning ways.
You could say that Verlander pitched Houston into the World Series and you wouldn’t be wrong. He made two starts, one was a complete game shutout, and other was a seven-inning gem to force a game seven after Houston had lost three straight in New York.
Verlander had the luxury of starting both his NLCS games at home instead of on the road. Verlander has not had to start a postseason game on the road yet, but he did pitch in relief in Boston in the clinching game four. He didn’t pitch well.
Rich Hill has been everything the Dodgers had hoped for when they signed him to a free-agent deal last winter. A deal that has worked out much better than I expected.
Amazingly this is already Rich Hill’s sixth career postseason start as a Dodger. He has kept the Dodgers in each of his games and they have won his last four postseason starts. Rich Hill has been on a short leash in the postseason and that probably won’t change tonight unless it is not a close game which seems doubtful. With an off day tomorrow, expect all hands tonight and don’t be surprised to see Jansen get five outs if needed.
The game two lineup has one surprise and one small one. Joc Pederson is playing left field not Andre Ethier, and Austin Barnes is still the starting catcher.
Houston has the exact same lineup that struggled against Kershaw and has struggled mightily on the road this postseason.
How great was Kershaw last night
Let me count the ways using Baseball Reference as my roadmap.
Clayton is only one of three pitchers to strikeout at least ten hitters and walk zero hitters in any World Series. It was last done by Cliff Lee in 2009. Before that you have to go all the way back to Don Newcombe in 1949, Big Kudos to Newk because he did that in an era where the strikeout % was very low compared to 2017.
Rk Player Date Series Gm# Tm Opp Rslt IP H ER BB SO GSc 10 Clayton Kershaw 2017-10-24 WS 1 LAD HOU W 3-1 7.0 3 1 0 11 78 11 Don Newcombe 1949-10-05 WS 1 BRO NYY L 0-1 8.0 5 1 0 11 79 12 Cliff Lee 2009-10-28 WS 1 PHI NYY W 6-1 9.0 6 0 0 10 83
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Generated 10/25/2017.
How about double-digit strikeouts while pitching only seven innings? Only seven pitchers ever accomplished this in the World Series. The first was a relief pitcher named Moe Drabowsky who did it against the Dodgers in the 1966 World Series. The man pitched 6 2/3 of ridiculous relief. Still the greatest relief work in the history of the World Series. John Smoltz who called the game last night for Fox is on this list.
Player Date Series Gm# Tm Opp Rslt IP H ER BB SO GSc Moe Drabowsky 1966-10-05 WS 1 BAL LAD W 5-2 6.2 1 0 2 11 Blue Moon Odom 1972-10-18 WS 3 OAK CIN L 0-1 7.0 3 1 2 11 76 Orlando Hernandez 1999-10-23 WS 1 NYY ATL W 4-1 7.0 1 1 2 10 79 John Smoltz 1999-10-27 WS 4 ATL NYY L 1-4 7.0 6 3 3 11 61 Roger Clemens 2001-11-04 WS 7 NYY ARI L 2-3 6.1 7 1 1 10 64 Adam Wainwright 2013-10-28 WS 5 STL BOS L 1-3 7.0 8 3 1 10 58 Clayton Kershaw 2017-10-24 WS 1 LAD HOU W 3-1 7.0 3 1 0 11 78
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/25/2017.
How about Los Angeles Dodger lore:
This game puts Clayton Kershaw among the big boys. It is hard to get a game score above 75 while pitching only seven innings but he managed to do it. Everyone else on this list pitched nine innings.
This list has the greatest postseason game ever pitched given context by Sandy Koufax. It has two Orel Hershiser 1988 gems against the Bash Brother A’s. It has the Don Drysdale game that humiliated the NYY and was the first postseason game ever pitched at Dodger Stadium in 1963 along with the game one by Sandy Koufax that set the modern day World Series strikeout record. It also has Burt Hooten and Jerry Ruess two of the most underrated Dodgers starters to ever grace Dodger Stadium.
It now has Clayton Kershaw. Welcome to the pantheon of Dodger World Series greatness.
Player Date Series Gm# Tm Opp Rslt IP H ER BB SO GSc Don Drysdale 1963-10-05 WS 3 LAD NYY W 1-0 9.0 3 0 1 9 89 Sandy Koufax 1965-10-14 WS 7 LAD MIN W 2-0 9.0 3 0 3 10 88 Sandy Koufax 1965-10-11 WS 5 LAD MIN W 7-0 9.0 4 0 1 10 88 Orel Hershiser 1988-10-16 WS 2 LAD OAK W 6-0 9.0 3 0 2 8 87 Burt Hooton 1977-10-12 WS 2 LAD NYY W 6-1 9.0 5 1 1 8 80 Sandy Koufax 1963-10-02 WS 1 LAD NYY W 5-2 9.0 6 2 3 15 79 Sandy Koufax 1963-10-06 WS 4 LAD NYY W 2-1 9.0 6 1 0 8 79 Clayton Kershaw 2017-10-24 WS 1 LAD HOU W 3-1 7.0 3 1 0 11 78 Don Drysdale 1965-10-10 WS 4 LAD MIN W 7-2 9.0 5 2 2 11 78 Claude Osteen 1965-10-09 WS 3 LAD MIN W 4-0 9.0 5 0 2 2 77 Orel Hershiser 1988-10-20 WS 5 LAD OAK W 5-2 9.0 4 2 4 9 76 Jerry Reuss 1981-10-25 WS 5 LAD NYY W 2-1 9.0 5 1 3 6 76
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/25/2017.
The Kershaw dilemma
Even as Clayton Kershaw was pitching his gem last night it seemed that more folk were interested in mocking the haters and unbelievers than in enjoying one of the greatest World Series performances of the 21st century.
My thoughts on Kershaw entering every postseason is that the Dodgers will go as far as Clayton Kershaw can take them because every year he is the best player on this team. If Clayton falters the Dodgers falter, and the results bear this out.
Clayton Kershaw has to outpitch his opponent every time because his matchup is usually the best matchup the Dodgers will get in every postseason game.
In 2017 Kershaw has taken care of business and been the best pitcher on the mound in each of his four postseason starts. Sometimes just by a little.
You can’t measure Clayton Kershaw with a stat meant for mediocre pitchers like quality starts. Kershaw is a HOF pitcher who needs to be measured in a HOF way.
I won’t throw his postseason ERA at you because we know it is mostly based on 7th inning failures, so don’t throw the fact he’s thrown a whole bunch of quality starts at me. Did he outpitch his opponent in those quality starts? That is all I care about from the best pitcher in baseball.
I don’t know about the other Kershaw detractors, I don’t read them, I only know what I felt coming into 2017. Kershaw has pitched very well at times but the two times he really needed to pitch well he did not and those weren’t’ 7th inning implosion games, those were games the Dodgers needed to win to play another game and in both those games he never gave the Dodgers a chance. That is it. If you want to call that being a “hater” so be it. I call it an expectation based on a career of being the better pitcher over 90% of the time he takes the mound.
At no time I have ever said that Kershaw is not a good postseason pitcher, I have said repeatedly that the Dodgers will go as far as Kershaw can take them. You can validly say that is too much to put on one person. That is true, but I only expect Clayton to take care of his business every time he toed the mound, and I don’t think he has done that enough times given his pedigree. If the team has a weak bullpen he will need to overcome it. If he can’t (and he couldn’t) the team isn’t going to the World Series. I’m not sure why that is a controversial statement. If your best player has the chance to compensate for the weakness of a team and is unable to do so, it is likely not going to be a World Championship team.
This year he is taking them to a World Championship because this team has no weakness.
He just needs to keep doing his job.
Game one thoughts
Tomorrow will be filled with Clayton Kershaw and Justin Turner record-setting postseason stats courtesy of Baseball reference but for now, these are my World Series game one ramblings.
Before the game I was very calm, I have a lot of faith in this team and expect them to perform well in this World Series.
Keith Williams Junior sings the best National Anthem I’ve ever heard, and he does it consistently. I kind of feel if I was taking a knee as a protest and heard him sing, his performance would make me stand.
Josh Reddick is a good guy who had to know he was going to be booed after his comments the other day. He is a good player who had a horrible month and then did nothing in the postseason to help the Dodgers. I hope he hits a miserable single or two and that is all.
I don’t mind Joe Buck when the Dodgers are winning and he likes our players. At one point he did call Corey Seager the best player on the team, but I would beg to differ. He might eventually be the best player on the team, but in 2017 I would say that Chris Taylor/ Justin Turner/Cody Bellinger were all better players, though fWAR may not agree.
When Chris Taylor hit his leadoff home run I was happy and apprehensive. It was only last week that the Cubs kept scoring first on home runs only to lose.
Chris Taylor not only hit the leadoff home run on the first pitch but he barrelled up the ball three times, and got the key walk before the Justin Turner home run.
Justin Turner is someone I’d put on the stand right after Big Papi when trying to prove that clutch hitting is really a thing.
Cody struggled against a great left-hand pitcher. I expect him to show his colors against Morton/McCullers.
Kiké makes me comfortable while watching him play left field. With an outfield of Puig/Taylor/Kiké I can’t think of a better defensive Dodger outfield.
Corey Seager looks okay at the plate but I was surprised that Culberson did not replace him in the field after pinch hitting. I mean if you have Charlie Culberson on your World Series roster shouldn’t he be playing shortstop in a close game in the 9th inning?
Barnes has cooled off but caught a great game.
Clayton Kershaw was outstanding, and tomorrow we will show just how outstanding. I was thrilled they let him pitch the 7th, and that he handled the Corey Seager misplay with no problem.
Brandon Morrow kept up his outstanding work. What did Smoltz say, he has given up one extra-base hit to the last 150 hitters he has faced?
Kenley looks ready for two innings tomorrow
It was great to see Adrian Gonzalez doing the post-game show on the Dodger station.
Dodger fans got to see their first Dodger World Series victory in 29 years. For those who had to buy tickets in the secondary market was it worth it to spend at least 1,000 per ticket, deal with traffic and lines for several hours to get into the stadium, and several hours to leave the stadium?
I’m expecting the answer to be hell yeah it was.
Game one, Won
With a game one victory in the bank, let’s take a look at how other game one World Series played out.
1959 – Lost game one, won series 4 -2
1963 – Won game one, won series 4 – 0
1965 – Lost game one, won series 4 – 3
1966 – Lost game one, lost series 0 – 4
1974 – Lost game one, lost series 1 – 4
1977 – Lost game one, lost series 2 – 4
1978 – Won game one, lost series 2 – 4
1981 – Lost game one, won series 4 – 2
1988 – Won game one, won series 4 – 1
2017 – Won game one, series TBD
Dodger Organization will host packaging event for Nor Cal fires tomorrow
MEDIA ADVISORY—October 24, 2017
PRIOR TO GAME TWO, MLB AND DODGERS TO HOST VOLUNTEER PACKAGING EVENT FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE VICTIMS
Commissioner Manfred & Dodger Legends
To Be On-Hand for Special World Series Community Event
WHO: Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr.
Orel Hershiser – 1988 World Series MVP; Three-time MLB All-Star; 18-Year MLB Pitcher
Steve Garvey – 10-Time MLB All-Star; 1981 World Series Champion; 19-Year MLB Infielder
Ron Cey – 1981 World Series MVP; Six-time MLB All-Star; 17-Year MLB Infielder
Nomar Garciaparra – Six-Time MLB All-Star; 14-Year MLB Infielder
Tom Brasuell – Vice President, Community Affairs, Major League Baseball
Frank Sanchez – National Vice President of Sports, Entertainment & Alumni Development, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Calvin Lyons – Chief Executive Officer, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles
Carlos Polanco – 2017-2018 Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Youth of the Year
WHAT: Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Dodgers have put together a volunteer packaging event prior to Game Two of the 2017 World Series Presented by YouTube TV. Youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles Challengers Clubhouse as well as Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars & Alumni will join the effort to pack supply and comfort kits for victims of the Northern California wildfires. Supply kits will be distributed by Rebuilding Together (Petaluma) to those in need, while comfort kits will be donated to Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Santa Rosa & Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Sonoma County.
MLB executives, including Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr., and Dodger Legends will be on-site and available for interviews.
WHEN: Wednesday, October 25th, 10:00 a.m. PST
WHERE: 5029 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90037
Dodgers, Yesterday and Today 