LA Dodgers are 3-0 in the NLCS after a total 3-1 TEAM victory. The Dodgers got excellent starting pitching, timely hitting, outstanding defense, and stellar relief pitching.
It was also a tough night for the Doc Roberts haters. I cannot think of one move he made or did not make that I could even question. I am sure that some questioned Doc bringing in Vesia to relieve Tyler Glasnow with 2 outs in the 6th after walking Andrew Vaughn. Vesia was brought in to face LH hitting Sal Frelick, and proceeded to strike him out.
Tyler Glasnow started and was not as sharp as he was against Philadelphia, but he still pitched well. I do wonder what might have happened had Kiké not dove at Caleb Durbin’s sinking line drive into LF. With his speed, Durbin probably gets a double, but that would not have brought the infield in, and Jake Bauers single would probably have been 4-3 ground out.
Oh well, baseball is not a what if game. You will go crazy. Glas went 5.2 innings and threw 99 pitches, 3 hits, 3 BB, and 8 K. He had 14 whiffs. He threw his 4 pitches each between 20 and 30 times. Glas is a pitcher that needs the umpire to call a good game. He paints, and needs the border line calls. James Hoye squeezed him multiple times, but that did not cost Glas the game.
Tyler turned it over to Alex Vesia who got the final out in the 6th with a K. He allowed a leadoff double to that Caleb Durbin again. Vesia got Bauers on a F8 and he reached his 3 batters. Doc brought in Blake Treinen. Blake got Isaac Collins to pop up on the first pitch, and that brought up Jackson Chourio as the potential tying run. Blake got Chourio to chase the 1st two pitches, but Chourio was injured on his 2nd swing and had to come out. Blake Perkins batted for Chourio and proceeded to finish Chourio’s K.
Anthony Banda came out for the 8th and after 10 pitches, he retired the side in order.
After struggling in Game 1, Doc called on Roki Sasaki to close out Game 3. After 13 pitches, he did just that, and got his 3rd post season save.
The Dodgers faced Aaron Ashby for the 3rd time in 3 games, and this did not go well for Ashby. Shohei Ohtani temporarily silenced his critics with a leadoff triple. Shohei scored on a Mookie Betts double for a quick 1-0 lead. After he got Will Smith looking, he walked Freddie. Ashby was done, and Pat Murphy called on Jacob Misiorowski and his 101-104 4-seamer with shadows. I don’t think Tommy Edman or Teoscar ever saw the pitches.
Misiorowski dominated into the 6th. For 5.0 innings, Misiorowski allowed 1 base runner, an infield single to Andy Pages. He retired 11 consecutive batters before Will Smith singled with one out in the 6th. He walked Freddie, and gave up a run scoring single to Mr. NLCS, Tommy Edman, and Freddie to 3rd.
Murphy called on another hard thrower, Abner Uribe, to relieve for Misiorowski. Uribe struck out Teoscar, but then made a silly pickoff throw to 1st and threw it away. Freddie walked home for a 3-1 lead. That set everything up for the much maligned LAD bullpen heroics.
There were a couple of magnificent defensive web gems. The first came in the 2nd. With the go-ahead run on 3rd with 1 out, and Joey Ortiz hit a weak ground ball to Muncy, who wheeled and threw a strike to Smith at HP and got Bauers for out #2. Chourio then lined out to Teoscar to end the threat.
In the 9th with Sasaki on the mound in another high leverage situation, Andrew Vaughn hit a ball in the hole at SS, and Mookie showed why he is in the finals for SS GG.
Shohei Ohtani takes the ball on Thursday to try for the sweep of the Brewers. I do not think Milwaukee has any other choice but to start Jose Quintana. At the very least he will be the bulk pitcher. Quinn Priester could also pitch in Game 4.
Come on Dodgers. Send Milwaukee home.
Ohtani pitches but doesn’t dh in game 4. He needs a reset!
The Dodgers may want this, but it’s up to Ohtani to agree to it. He has the final say.
I would bet it isn’t going to happen, but if I were Doc, I would not hit him leadoff when he is pitching. I would go Betts, Freeman, Smith, Ohtani, Teo, Max, Kike, Edman, Pages.
I second that. Let Teo DH, put Call in left, Pages in right and Kike in center.
I’d keep Pages in center, and Kiki in left.
I prefer Pages arm in right. Kike is just as good in center, reads the ball well, and covers as much if not more ground than Pages.
Bear, I wouldn’t change a thing. If it ain’t broke……………….
The line up stays the same based on the Brewer’s starter. Ohtani hits #1 and pitches. Sheehan piggybacks and we go from there.
No time to tinker. Just win.
I agree. Why all the changes. The Dodgers are 8-1, and it was the two IBB to Ohtani that allowed Mookie to walk two critical runs in. The Dodgers won the last time Shohei started and led off. So why should they change? Many of the people who complain that Doc overthinks are the same ones who want to change a winning formula. So let’s piss off Ohtani by making him just pitch.
Also not a good idea to remove his power from the lineup. Even when slumping he has the ability to crush a pitch 400+ft.
The Dodgers don’t need to make any changes we are winning!!! Ohtani hasn’t hit but they keep walking him(I don’t know why) so he is helping. He did have a huge hit making the score 4-1. Until we start losing it would be asinine to make changes unless an injury. Go for the jugular n sweep.
Seriously. This isn’t musical chairs. Ride this thing for 5 more wins.
Jays are pounding the Mariners again. So far, LA is the only home team to win a game in the LCS this year. Let’s make it two in a row, a sweep, and send the Brewers back to Beer Town. Sorry Ueck. Just not their year.
Roki Dookie.
Funny, I’m not hearing any naysayers lobbying anymore for Mookie to move back to right field because he’s a defensive liability at Short.
As an ex-shortstop you won’t hear me criticize his arm angle on throws either. Just make plays. He’s gotten so much better thanks in a large part to Miggy’s tutoring.
I know Freddie has bailed Mooklie out when he was refining his mechanics but Freddie will tell you, that’s his job. He does it very well but it’s still his job. The good ones are like a net over there. You couldn’t throw one by John Olerud if you gave him any kind of a hop on a bounced throw.
Now, Ohtani piggybacked with Sheehan, next game?
I like it.
After the Brewers lost game 1, they’ve played like a team intimidated by the Dodgers. And LA’s pitching has worn them down mentally. The Dodgers analytics guys are the best in baseball.
“The Dodgers analytics guys are the best in baseball.”
Wayne, that may be the case, but do you really think they have had that much influence on the Dodger victories? If so, how?
I really dislike/hate this reality in which Ohtani has the final say in lineup decisions. That’s a manager/FO decision to make, even more in the middle of a pathetic offensive display he is having. Today we strongly need that we don’t let them off the hook and finish it tonight. I will personally just sit him. Shoei, just pitch and get them!
The Dodgers have won 6 since the WC series and Ohtani has not hit. The only game they lost was due to Yamamoto and Kershaw not pitching well, the NLDS Game 3.
How do you think Willie Mays, Willie Stargell, Mickey Mantle, Barry Bonds, George Brett, Cal Ripken Jr. Steve Garvey,,, would have reacted had their managers told them they needed a day off because they were in a slump. Ohtani’s slump has not caused the Dodgers to lose a single game in the playoffs.
https://fansided.com/mlb/no-money-isn-t-to-blame-for-the-brewers-faceplant-against-the-dodgers?utm_campaign=FanSided+Daily&utm_source=FanSided+Daily&utm_medium=email&sc=2886516fdf4c1bbd0df3e577e8537ffae31f9cb863e3598a2891ce7bddb0fbce
Let’s finish them.
Agree. End this today
I like the suggestion to drop Ohtani in the batting order when he pitches. But during his slump I would drop him down anyway. I would have dropped Mookie down during his horrendous slump as well. Take.the pressure off, change the mindset,protect the teams ability to score. It doesn’t have to be permanent. And I disagree that any decision to change will be up to Ohtani. If that !means they strongly consider his opinion fine. But no player should have the power to override coaching decisions.
Here’s the all time matchup that I’d like to see. Tommy Lasorda coming out to the mound to take out Mad Max!
We all have our own ideas on how the lineup should be constructed. My point is this, right now this offense is doing just enough to win. The starters are carrying the load so far. The top of the lineup, 1-4 are barely contributing. The bottom of the order is doing most of the damage. Changes up top would spur things.
I am betting we don’t see much change in lineup for game 4.
If we were to lose next two games…..But not even thinking that would happen
We probably won’t, if nothing else, Doc is pretty predictable.
Former Dodger and NYM infielder Larry Burright has passed. I know he is not well known, but I do remember him. Do not know why I do, but I do. After a lackluster rookie season in 1962, he was traded to NYM for RHRP Bob Miller. Miller was a stellar reliever for LAD in 1963-1966. He was also an LAD pitcher in 1967, but did not experience the success he had in the previous 4 years.
Burright spent his three years with NYM primarily in MiLB. Burright finished his MLB playing career with 3 games in 1964 and was out of baseball after 1965. He was known as Possum. Tim Harkness and Duke Snider bestowed the moniker “because I was always smiling but had little to say.”
Burright grew up in Alhambra and played basketball and baseball at Fullerton College. He was signed by the Dodgers in 1957. His first MLB game was as a PH against Cincinnati in 1962 and was just the 3rd game of the Dodgers in their new home.
RIP Possum.
You remember him because his error in the 9th inning of game 3 of the 1962 playoffs allowed the 6th Giant run to score. Note: It was one of four errors by the Dodgers that game. The Giants made 3. The other three were made by Roseboro, Podres and Gilliam.
Lineup is out and it’s the same as yesterday.
Let’s finish this
I guess there a lot of commenters that are sure wrong about Ohtani. 117 MPH, 446 feet.