The Dodgers limped into the game with a 0 for last 19 WRISP. In the first inning, Freddie hit a 2 out double for yet another run scoring opportunity. The Padres have been using Will Smith as a their out of trouble batter the last 2 games. Will was not successful for the 5th time WRISP when he flew out to CF.
But It finally happened. Freddie Freeman broke the 0-20 WRISP streak with a 2 run double in the 3rd. The top three got the Dodgers back into the series with a Mookie BB, and a Trea Turner double, setting up the Freddie for the double. Unfortunately Will Smith failed again to get a hit WRISP with a 4-3 ground out.
I am going to cut Will some slack here. He and his wife Cara had a baby girl this AM. This was their first child, so Games 2 and 3 had to be nerve-wracking. He would not be human if his mind was not with his wife a bit. He drove to the hospital last night after the game in time for the delivery. And then he got a helicopter ride back to San Diego for Game 4.
But maybe Barnes should have started, and then let Miguel Vargas have a shot. He certainly could not have done worse that CT3 who was 0-7 with 5Ks. Or Trayce Thompson who was 2-13 with 5 Ks. Smith did not have a good series (3-16), but his mind was elsewhere.
Tyler Anderson pitched an effective 5.0 innings, although not as efficient as he would have liked. He threw 86 pitches, and he was not going to pitch again in this series. He probably had another inning in him, but it would appear that the Dodgers went back to their book of no third time thru the lineup. Starter goes 5.0, and then they turn it over to the bullpen. It did not work.
Chris Martin was 1st up as he had the strength of the Padres lineup. He allowed a couple of singles, but got Wil Myers to chase a 95.2 MPH 4-seam fastball up out of the zone.
With Steven Wilson relieving Joe Musgrove, the Dodgers struck for another in the 7th, but missed a golden opportunity to ice the game. Mookie drew a BB and moved to 2nd on a WP. Trea got a bunt single and Mookie moved to 3B. Freddie was HBP to get on base for the 4th time. Bases loaded, nobody out and Will Smith has another chance. This time he got the run home on a sac fly to LF. The Padres brough in RHRP Tim Hill to face Max Muncy. Trea and Freddie pulled off a double steal and the Dodgers were in business again. However, Max struck out, and JT grounded out 6-3.
Tommy Kahnle has been so good, but on this night he walked the first batter and followed that up with 2 singles for a run, and his night was done. Yency Almonte was next man up on the bump. First batter, Ha-Seong Kim doubles in a run and now the Padres have runners on 2nd and 3rd nobody out. Soto got the game tying single and with runners on 1st and 3rd, a promise of more.
Almonte struck out Machado and got Brandon Drury to foul out to Freddie on a very good defensive play. After throwing a ball to Jake Cronenworth, Roberts brought in Alex Vesia, and he allowed a 2-run double. He then walked Wil Myers before striking out Jurickson Profar.
A great effort by Tyler Anderson goes down the drain.
This is why you want your pitchers to go deeper in the game. It puts too much on the bullpen to keep going out there when these hitters have seen them all. Musgrove is down 2-0 and he goes back out in the 6th, and threw 101.
Kahnle, Almonte, and Vesia all pitched on Friday. Where was Graterol, May, and Treinen. If May is not going to pitch, why is he on the roster. If Treinen is only going to pitch 1 inning, why is he on the roster?
Evan Phillips also pitched Friday, but he came out for the 8th. If they were going to use Phillips, why didn’t he come in the 7th? We will never know. He struck out the side. The same batters that torched Kahnle and Almonte. That is like shutting the barn door after the horses have escaped.
So again the computer nerds and Dave Roberts mismanage the pitching, as they did in 2017, 2019, and 2021. AF did not go out and get that needed SP at the deadline. Although Chris Martin was a great acquisition.
But it wasn’t just the pitching in Game 4. It was the inept offense WRISP. In the last three games they were 2-26 WRISP. The San Diego Padres pitching, especially their relief pitching, just shut down this supposed great offense. As it turned out, it was inept and anemic, again at the wrong time of the year. Without Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman, this offense was non-existent.
Final count of WRISP (2-26) for Games 2-4:
- Mookie – 0-1
- Freddie – 1-3
- Trea – 1-4
- Smith – 0-6
- Max – 0-1
- JT – 0-4
- CT3 – 0-2
- Trayce – 0-1
- Lux – 0-2
- Barnes – 0-1
- Belli – 0-1
And all those that laughed at SD for trading for Josh Hader, I guess he was worth it. At least against the Dodgers he was.
I will get into some post season autopsy analysis as this pain subsides, but I expect that this team will look a whole lot different next year. I cannot believe the owners will be happy with a $300MM payroll and bounced in the NLDS in 4 games.
This concludes one of the worst sports days that I can remember. At least USC can control their own destiny if they win out in the PAC 12. I never expected SC to go undefeated. But they had this game, and just like the Dodgers, they let it slip through their fingers.
Plaschke summed it up. They have flopped before, many times in fact, but they’ve never blown it like this.
That was a humiliating series. So many things went wrong, where does one start?
I look forward to everyone’s opinion in the coming days, starting with yours Jeff. Mine? The Padres looked youthful and ready. The Dodgers looked old and tired. It’s going to be another long off season.
Key players on the team not getting it done. Bottom of the order not hitting. Defense at times not so good. Starting pitchers unable to perform at their best. As I’m writing this I’m thinking of Atlanta not the Dodgers. Funny how 3 NL teams with 100 wins didn’t get past the Divisional series.
Despite winning 111 games, there should be big changes over the winter with the 25 man roster.
Freeman, Trea (certainly not a lock), Mookie, Will Smith, possibly Barnes, Thompson, Vargas, and Lux should be with the team next Spring.
The bullpen is solid but the starting pitching needs help. There’s Urias and possibly Kershaw. Then there’s May and Gonsolin. Not enough to put any fear in the opposing hitters.
J. Turner should begin his coaching career.
Bellinger is a lost cause.
It’s time to move away from Muncy and Taylor.
I would like to see the team get younger.
As far as Roberts, I’m apathetic to his staying or going but I would like to see him become more aggressive and less robotic, if that is even possible.
111 wins are 111 wins. I enjoyed the season even though it ended with a thud.
I’ve been a Dodger fan for sixty-four years. I will continue to be a Dodger fan no matter what, remembering it’s only a game.
Before the playoffs started, I had a conversation with my Dad. I said I fear there are going to be some key moments with Trea Turner up with a man on third base and less than two outs, and I have no confidence he will get the job done. Happened down 1 run in both games 2 and 3. Plenty of blame to go around, but those are the types of BIG moments that decide the series.
It’s weird: this team won a ton of games, but I never really believed they had what it takes to go all the way. That could be my own hang-ups (being a lifelong Dodgers fan and seeing so many excruciating big-game losses); it could be that when you see so many games all year, you see (and magnify) the flaws and fear they will pop up at the worst time — but there was something off going into this post-season: the weight of expectations, the lackluster final couple of weeks of very un-crisp baseball, a line-up with too many players with big whiff potential, a starting rotation that felt anything but dominant.
Weird how you can be that good in the long run without really having the pieces to take care of individual games/innings/at-bats.
All that said, I feel totally spoiled as a Dodgers fan. Every year I know they have an excellent chance of making the playoffs. Feels little and greedy to complain. I’m just putting into words why I am not surprised they lost, as irrational as that may sound given 111 wins and a 14-5 record against the Pads.
The Dodgers are the BUMS, after all, so I guess it’s in their DNA and part of what makes being a Dodgers fan a special (and agonizing) commitment 🙂
Well said Bison.
The Dodgers played excellent ball almost the entire regular season. There was a short period where they lost a bunch of games because they couldn’t do anything WRISP.
Playoffs are more intense and runs are harder to come by. The San Diego fans drove up the Padres adrenalin. The Padre players knew they were known as the little brothers and were ready to say they were no longer going to take it from their big brother. The Dodgers needed to find a way to bring this series back to LA.
I was so happy to see Trea lay down a bunt. Surprised was probably a better word. I guess he read the 123 blogs that begged for a bunt.
Betts seemed mentally tired of the season when he appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show. He played like it. Well, he looked like it from my seat 1500 miles away.
Seattle lost a heart breaker. They couldn’t score. However, I think they have the best position player in MLB in Julio Rodriguez. Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. — they get their share of super stars don’t they. Atlanta, who many said they were the favorites to win it all, out. Cleveland and their pitching might beat the Yankees.
I don’t like watching as much baseball as I have lately. When the Dodgers are done it means I get to use my time less predictably.
Where will the Dodgers spend payroll next year? They can save $19M by not offering Bellinger arbitration. Justin, struggling against fastballs, may retire. Kershaw might retire or move home to Texas. Outside of Austin, who wants to live in Texas? I do enjoy the River Walk in San Antonio though. One or two nights that is.
Is Taylor hurt? If so, maybe he will stay. If not, they don’t need his Ks.
I hope they can bring back Anderson.
I’d feel a lot better if Vargas was an elite defensive third baseman and for a “hitting machine” had hit at least .340 in the minors.
Will this be the year the Dodgers trade Muncy?
It would be sweet if we could unload Muncy and Taylor for something useful.
If you’re convinced that Muncy and Taylor are dragging the team down, what makes you think you could get something useful for them?
And just for the sake of argument, what kind of trade would you propose?
Just need a GM that is as much of a fan of Muncy as you are Jefe’
Muncy OPSd .946 for the series. He wasn’t the problem. As embarrassing as the the last inning of the season was, Freeman and Trea Turner hit well too, both OPSn over 1.000. The rest of the team just didn’t show up. Only 4 games, but you got to hit with them to play with them. The all or nothing Dodgers lineup showed the baseball world what their nothing looks like. Most of them looked like they would rather be somewhere else. Well, they are somewhere else today.
Well put, Badger
Maybe Roberts needs a sign that means “bunt or hit away”, I’m good with which one you choose.
I know of one. He GM’s the Dodgers. 😎
I’m probably not as big a Max fan as you think I am, Fred, but I feel I need to defend him from your potential trades.
You know the feeling, because you had the same thing going when Joc was here.
We, as fans, tend to take a liking to certain players, sometimes not even knowing why. It’s up to the rest of our friends to show us where we’ve gone wrong.
I admit that Muncy has not been my favorite player but I wouldn’t trade him away without getting equal or better back. Friedman would know what that is. I just play with the idea of a trade.
I think Muncy has more value to a team if he is a regular first baseman than a DH, 3rd baseman, 2nd baseman for the Dodgers.
You realize that now that Joc is gone, if they traded Muncy, we’d probably never speak to each other again for lack of anything to talk about.
I think your point about Max’s value being higher as a 1st baseman is well taken and I’m glad to see you aren’t ready to get rid of him without getting equal value in return.
So, give me a couple of options here, and is there a position you would concentrate on?
Without researching, maybe Chapman?
Chapman is 3 years younger and a much better fielder who also hit better this year, so why would the Jays want to make that trade?
I guess you could throw in Pepiot and maybe they’d go for it, but they each only have a year of control left so I’m not sure either side would be interested.
Not upset as I thought I would be. It was ugly to watch that inning. Kahnle gets Profar instead of walking him, the whole tenor of the inning changes, but that’s baseball. There will be changes this offseason for sure. Lots of decisions to be made with Kersh, Trea, Anderson, Heaney all free agents. The team was flat, pure and simple, but fans are calling for the head of Dave Roberts. I think a lot of blame should be aimed upstairs at the brain trust too. Once again, for the second year in a row mind you, Friedman was out maneuvered by an opposing GM. He did get Turner and Scherzer last year but failed to address what was the weakest bench in recent memory. This year, Preller went out and did just what he needed to do. It all did not show up so much during the regular season, but when it counted most, Hader, and Soto showed up huge. Drury helped during their run to the wild card spot. And Bell was decent too. The Dodgers on the other hand got very little from Joey Gallo and zip in the series since he did not even play. Come to think of it, why was Vargas even on the playoff roster or May for that matter. They never got their windbreakers off. Anyway, I see JT, Trea, Bellinger, all not being in blue next year. They will let Heaney walk, give Taylor one more season to get his collective stuff together. Lux will be the starting SS unless Amaya shows a whole lot more offensively than he has, or they sign a free agent SS. There are going to be a few of those. Thompson might get a one-year deal, Gallo is gone. Kimbrel is gone, Price is definitely gone. Once again Andrew is going to have to re-tool his rotation, his bench, and his bullpen. I also believe CK goes home to Texas to pitch. He will get win # 200 as a Ranger.
Great season.
Shitty postseason.
Next year will be great.
Wouldn’t mind a new manager, but managers do so little.
Coulda been worse. We won a game.
Coulda been a lot worse.
How? We don’t win any?
This season will be remembered as the most colossal choke job in LA Dodger history.
Doubtful. I think it’ll be remembered as a great team who didn’t win the World Series.
Nah, it’ll all be forgotten when we win next year.
Somehow I don’t think the most colossal choke job in LA Dodger history can happen in a 4-game series, but that’s just me.
I’m sure this has acted as a wake-up call for Andrew, though, and changes will be coming.
Oh? If not this series, then tell me which one was worse. There’s plenty from which to choose. The loss to the Nationals? That was pretty bad. Last year vs the Braves might qualify. But for me, this was worse. Much worse. #1 seed, 111 win team vs a team that finished 22 games behind them. Add to that this group had a payroll of $300 million.
I think this team will look a lot different next year.