Toronto hitting coaches apparently advised the Blue Jays hitters to attack the first 4-seamer over the plate. Toronto hitters must have paid attention as both Davis Schneider and Vlad Guerrero Jr. jumped on Blake Snell’s fastball over the plate and drove it out of the yard. Schneider hit Snell’s 1st pitch, a 96.4 MPH 4-seamer, above the belt, inside zone. and Vlad Jr. hit Snell’s 3rd pitch, a 96.0 MPH 4-seamer, thigh high, inside zone. First time for back to back HRs to open the first inning in WS history.
Contrast that to LAD first inning. On a 2-2 pitch, Ohtani swung at a 4-seamer middle outside the zone, and hit it back to the pitcher. Something tells me that Toronto would have taken that pitch into LF.
Will Smith in his new spot in the batting order swung at a 4-seamer and hit a weak fly ball into LF for an out. John Smoltz advises us every game that Mookie will not swing at the first pitch in his first AB. So Mookie looks at a 95.3 MPH 4-seamer right down the middle for strike 1. He then swings at 2 sliders dropping out of the zone for a K.
In the 2nd, Freddie saw one 4-seamer that he fouled off and K’d on a splitter. Teoscar both saw one 4-seamer that they fouled it off, and K’d on a slider, while Edman K’d on a splitter.
Kiké Hernández hit a 4-seamer on a pitch location very reminiscent of Snell’s pitch to Schneider, and he did the same thing with a HR. That was the last time the Dodgers would cross home plate for a run,
With that HR, the Dodgers got to within 1 and then give it back in the next inning. Daulton Varsho hit a flair into RF that Teo tried to dive for a catch he really had no chance at, and he turned a single into a triple. Ernie Clement hit a sac fly, and Toronto had their 2-run lead again.
Going into the 7th Snell was pitching well, but Trey Yesavage was even better. In the 7th, Snell allowed a one-out single and walk. He struck out Schneider for the 2nd out, but also had 2 WP. Edgardo Henriquez came in and both inherited runners scored. One on a WP and one on a Bo Bichette single.
Anthony Banda threw another WP for another Blue Jays run in the 8th.
I thought Game 4 was bad, but Game 5 was pathetic. The Dodgers got 3 singles (2 infield) and 1 HR for 4 hits, 1 BB, and 15 K. They only got 1 runner in SP. 4 WP/PB whatever you want to call them. Could have gone either way (except 1). Dodgers led MLB in that category this year. The bullpen was horrible again, and again they could not keep the inherited runners from scoring.
The Dodgers very meekly went down to defeat 6-1. I did not see anything positive from the Dodgers in this one. No fight at all in the last two nights.
This is the team we saw in July and August. Perhaps Game 3 took it all out of this older aged team. At least we get to see the one LAD highlight that has shown his mettle in a complete game victory, as the SP in Game 6, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
You expect Vlad Guerrero Jr., George Springer, Bo Bichette, and Alejandro Kirk to hit, but it was Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, Davis Schneider, Daulton Varsho who have put their stamp on this WS. Toronto has 5 hitters batting north of .300, including Addison Barger at .471. They have 8 hitters batting .250 and above. This team lost their leadoff hitter and clutch bat in George Springer for two games, and won both. Their role players stepped up. The Dodgers’ HOFers have not shown up except for Shohei in one game, much less any role players.
The Dodgers have 2 batters with BA north of .300 (neither over .318), and 1 at .250. They only have 5 hitting north of .150. How can you win a WS with that kind of offense?
The Dodgers have scored 2 runs in 4 innings. None more than 2. 1 came on a meaningless 2-run HR by Ohtani in an 11-2 game. They hit two solo HRs in another inning.
Toronto has scored 9 in an inning, 4 in an inning twice, and 2 in an inning 4 times.
The Dodgers have 38 hits, 8 HRs (7 solo), 24 BB and 55 K. Toronto has 53 hits, 7 HRs (3 solo), 22 BB and 44 K.
It will be loud and raucous in Toronto on Friday. Can Yamamoto spin another gem? Will any LAD bat go off? Will Kevin Gausman have a Trey Yesavage type game?
I am hoping but not overly optimistic about a back to back WS championship.
Right about now the Reds, Phillies and Brewers are thinking “We lost to these guys?”
This team has not been good most of the year. We did have a flurry toward the end. It was the starting pitching that ignited the flurry. Our offense sucks and has for a very long time. I said that earlier and one of the posters said that basically I was full of it but I stand by it. Snell pitched good tonight not great but u have to score to win. Our offense just can’t do it. Pages, Betts, Edman, Teoscar, have been awful most of the playoffs. Freddie has had some moments but also has trouble staying in the strike zone. He had a solid year but has been chasing n striking out a lot. Ohtani has had a monster game or 2 but not consistent. Kike has had moments but has been mostly cold. Will smith has been solid but also had a game where he struck out 4 times. Last year Teo was huge n clutch, kike was hot, Edman was red hot, Freddie had his usual clutch hits, and the rest did enough to support the hot hitters. Our bullpen is awful n that is where injuries have hurt the most but bad performance as well. Injuries to kopech, Phillips, treinen, Graterol, with Scott and Yates awful. Vesia missing has hurt while Banda cat get anybody out. Toronto has outpitched, out hit, out defensed us, and frankly show a much greater desire to win. I hope things change but I don’t expect it.