2024 NLDS Game 4 Post-Game Thread: I Will Not Go Quietly

Apparently, Don Henley never made a music video for this track, so this is all I could come up with for a visual image.

DODGERS 8, PADRES 0

Dylan Cease lasted 3.1 IP in NLDS Game 1 against the Dodgers. But the Padres, brimming with confidence after winning Game 3 and taking a 2-1 series lead in a best-of-five, sent Cease out there again, on four days rest, for the first time in his career.

Wednesday night, in Game 4, Cease lasted only 1.2 IP. His three ER tonight raised his ERA to 14.40. And the Dodgers jumped on the Padres pitchers all night at Petco Park, with home runs from Mookie Betts (his second in two days, in the first inning off of Cease); Will Smith (his first hit of the 2024 postseason, off of vowel-heavy Bryan Hoeing; and Gavin Lux (off of a fish called Wandy Peralta in the seventh inning).

Max Muncy even had a double, raising his postseason average to .188. Teoscar Hernandez went 2-for-5, and Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-3 with two walks (including an epic nine-pitch AB in the sixth that chased Jeremiah Estrada). Kike Hernandez went 2-for-4.

And sure, Chris Taylor looked like the 2024 CT3: 0-for-4 with 4 Ks (the famous golden sombrero). But in a 8-0 win, we can stomach that malaise.

The Dodgers were 5-for-9 with RISP on a 12-hit evening. The Padres were 0-for-9 with RISP.

And that's because Dave Roberts' use of the bullpen tonight--eight pitchers, in total--was masterful. Ryan Brasier, Anthony Banda, Michael Kopech, Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, Daniel Hudson, Blake Treinen, and Landon Knack: you guys all stepped up and were superb. And as Ben Clemens of Fangraphs pointed out, a bullpen game usually doesn't go well--especially for the Dodgers--but tonight was a master class:

In a few days, no one is going to remember this game. It was a laugher where no one got eliminated. There were no unforgettable plays. Neither Ohtani nor Tatis made me spit out my drink in sheer wonder. These two rivals are about to play again, with higher stakes and a better pitching matchup. Why would you dwell on this one?

But without the Dodger bullpen, there wouldn’t be a fifth game. Every reliever did his part, with no hiccups. These games go wrong all the time. So give them their due. This was the platonic ideal a of bullpen game, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Friday is going to be spectacular. Buckle up.

I didn't watch this game, but I heard Stephen Nelson and Rick Monday indicating that Padres fans left Petco Park in a hurry tonight. I can't wait to watch the condensed game highlights.

On we go to a winner-take-all Game 5! Let's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

2024 NLDS Game 4 Thread

TBD vs. Dylan Cease, 6p.

Four games into this 2024 postseason, and the Dodgers are already facing their first elimination game. That Game 2 debacle through which I suffered with SoSG Orel would turn out to be the final home game of the 2024 season.

What a mess.

Mookie broke out of his slump in Game 3 with a first-inning home run, and Teoscar Hernandez had a grand slam to keep the game close. But the Dodgers still lost, 6-5--thanks in large part to complete disappearances from five-hole Max Muncy (0-for-4 with 3 Ks) and six-hole Will Smith (hitless in all three games). Because we have Austin Barnes as our backup, Smith has to be in the lineup. For Muncy, I'm not so sure.

We don't have a starter named for tomorrow. But I can tell you, it won't be Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, River Ryan, Gavin Stone, Michael Grove, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, or Emmet Sheehan.

Yay.

Look, it's still a winnable series. Fangraphs has us at a ~25% chance of advancing, which is directly in line with what one would expect from two coin flips and one desirable outcome. These are coin-flip games that can go either way.

If there's any consolation, it's that we'll face Dylan Cease again on only four days rest. Oh, and in the otner NLDS, the Phillies--favored by many to win it all this year--are also on the brink of elimination in Queens.

What an absolute mess.

It's a cruel summer.

2024 NLDS Game 3 Thread

Walker Buehler (1-6, 5.38) vs. Michael King (13-9, 2.95), 6p.

Time, as it is said, heals all wounds.

I write this post 24 hours after I was at Dodger Stadium to witness probably the worst playoff loss, if not the worst-ever loss, suffered by the Dodgers...and I have to say, the pain has subsided a bit.

Some of this is a situational comparison, made possible by watching the two ALDS games play out on Monday. As of Tuesday morning, all four 2024 Division Series are tied. Which means all four series go to best-of-three series, held in the lesser seeds' parks: in San Diego, New York, Detroit, and Kansas City.

So for all the Dodgers' many foibles in Game 2: their unlucky GIDPs, their just-short home run balls, a spate of mediocre at bats from key players, their inappropriate fans chucking shit on the field like idiots--we are in exactly the same boat as the Yankees, the Phillies, and the Guardians.

In fact, of the 16 Division Series starters so far, only five of them have gone more than five innings, and that includes Dodgers Game 2 starter Jack Flaherty (5.1 IP), who unfortunately faced off against Yu Darvish, who tied the Dodgers up in knots for seven innings, escaping the few jams into which he got. So every team is highly reliant upon its bullpen.

That's baseball in 2024.

And to be fair to Dave Roberts: his use of the bullpen in Game 1 was a master class (SoSG Orel and I talked about this in Game 2, since there was nothing on the field worth discussing), with brilliant moves like bringing Michael Kopech in for the eighth inning--and then pulling Kopech early, causing Blake Treinen to have to get five outs to win the game (which he did). Treinen capped six innings of scoreless relief for the Dodgers in Game 1.

Conversely, the bullpen let the game get out of hand late in Sunday's game (six runs in the last two frames), but we were cooked by then anyway, with Freddie Freeman already on the bench. This Game 2 loss wasn't on Doc.

One could make the argument that the Dodgers are in a relatively worse state than their top-seeded peers, and it's a fair opinion. We're throwing Walker Buehler, who has had more trouble finding a strike zone than most men finding a g-spot. Mookie Betts was close to a first-inning HR on Monday, but he is still on a 0-for-26 playoff streak and has only 3 XBH since our World Series Championship in 2020 (78 AB, 92 PA). Freddie Freeman's ankle is hanging on with duct tape and popsicle sticks.

Not to mention, we're going to face a hostile Petco Park environment, against the Padres' best arm. It doesn't look good for the Dodgers in Game 3.

Let's see if we can punch back.

2024 NLDS Game 2 Thread

Taking Cease downtown, to tie NLDS Game 1.

Jack Flaherty (13-7, 3.17) vs. Yu Darvish (7-3, 3.31), 5p

Yesterday's game showed some grit for the Dodgers, and it was a pleasant surprised after the last two years of quick playoff exits. Shohei Ohtani's second-inning, game-tying three-run HR brought the Dodger Stadium crowd back into the game, and it was a rollicking time from then onward. Now if we could just get Mookie Betts (0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored) to banish his recent postseason monkey, as well as Max Muncy (0-for-4 with 2 Ks) to be more than an automatic out, we'll be really rolling.

The production from the bottom of the order--5-for-14 with four runs scored, across Will Smith, Gavin Lux, Tommy Edman, and Miguel Rojas--was exactly what the Dodgers needed to take Game 1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto wasn't sharp, but Padres starter Dylan Cease had a similarly bad pitching line--and the Dodgers came out on top in the slugfest.

Today's Game 2 is another critical game. I'll be going to the Stadium again, this time with SoSG Orel. Let's go!

The Dodgers promoted Shohei Ohtani for Game 1. Game 2 highlights Mookie Betts. This will be Mookie's breakout game!

2024 NLDS Game 1 Thread

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (7-2, 3.00) vs. Dylan Cease (14-11, 3.47), 5.30p

The Padres were the inevitable opponent for the Dodgers in the 2024 NLDS, but I'm still not mentally prepared for this. We've lost eight of 13 games against the team down south that is built for the playoffs, not to mention also fueled by trying to honor team owner Peter Seidler, who recently passed. The Padres steamrolled the Braves in the Wild Card round and have all the momentum.

The Dodgers, on the other hand, come into the 2024 postseason cobbling together what they can of a starting rotation, having lost ace Tyler Glasnow and workhorse Gavin Stone, not to mention a whole host of arms through the course of the year. Our best option for Game 1 is a guy who just returned to the active roster after missing most of the second half of the season with an arm injury.

I'll be at Game 1 tonight, expecting the worst (but hoping for the best).

Scoreboard Watching: NL Wild Card Game 3

NYM Quintana vs. MIL Myers

Whoops, there's one more game today! (And it's an elimination game, to face the Phillies Saturday.)

Scoreboard Watching: NL Wild Card Game 2 (Braves @ Padres)

It would be great if the Braves could score a run, or even win a game.

ATL Fried vs. SD Musgrove, 5.30p

Other games:

• DET Hlton vs. HOU Brown, 11.30a
• KC Lugo vs. BAL Eflin, 1.30p
• NYM Manaea vs. MIL Montas, 4.30p

If this series could go to three games, I'd feel a little better.

Scoreboard Watching: NL Wild Card Game 1 (Braves @ Padres, 5.30p)

Braves' TBD vs. Padres' King, 5.30p

other games:

• Tigers' Skubal vs. Astros' Valdez, 11.30a
  
• Royals' Ragans vs. Orioles' Burnes, 1p
  
• Mets' Severino vs. Brewers' Peralta, 2.30p

If the Braves can even take this series to three games, with all three games in San Diego and Chris Sale probably out of action for any Wild Card game, it will be an upset victory. But the Padres have been relaxing at home since Sunday, whereas the Braves had to gut out a must-win second game Monday to advance to a postseason berth.

UPDATE 10/1 11a: Chris Sale has been left off the Braves' Wild Card roster. Really wish he was available for the WC series, but unavailable for any NLDS work. But hope he gets well.

The 2024 MLB Playoffs Are Set

Game 1 in Atlanta today was a crazy back-and-forth brawl at the end there, with lead changes every half-inning until the Mets prevailed, 8-7. That put the Braves on the backfoot in a must-win Game 2...in which the Braves prevailed, 3-0, to punch their own ticket to the 2024 postseason.

The Diamondbacks miss out on the playoffs, a year after making the World Series. They have a reasonable squawk about potential collusion between the two NL East rivals playing today, but Arizona still lost four of its last six, which was preceded by coughing up a 8-0 lead to lose 10-9 to the Brewers.

So now, the Braves--who didn't hurl Chris Sale in Game 2, due to back spasms--fly back across the country for a game against the Padres tomorrow (5.30p first pitch). All three games play at San Diego, on successive days. Really hoping for this series to go to a third game, with the winner playing the Dodgers starting on Saturday @ the Stadium. But we'll get to that Wild Card series tomorrow.

Oyster Pubes Returns to San Francisco

Buster Posey, upon learning he has been named the new President of Baseball Operations for the San Francisco Giants

Ex-Giants C Buster Posey replaces Zaidi as prez of baseball ops (ESPN.com)

Scoreboard Watching: Sept 30, Mets @ Braves

Game 161 10a: Mets' TBD @ Braves' Schwellenbach
Game 162 after game 161: TBD vs. TBD

Hurricane Helene ravaged the southeast last week, and it also did a number on the 2024 baseball schedule, postponing two more games between the Mets and the Braves until today, the day after the last game of the season.

Both the Mets and the Braves are in contention for the postseason, with the Diamondbacks poised to slip on into the playoffs (as the #6 seed), if either team is swept. But no matter what the outcome, it means that both teams will come into the their Wild Card series with little rest, which is even more impactful for the Dodgers since the #5 seed will face the Padres in a best-of-three.

The Padres will likely emerge victorious from that series, particularly if the team has had to expend all of its effort and best arms in these two games. This would set the Dodgers up for a tricky NLDS against a division rival who has had our number this year.

So as Dodger fans, we need to root for Atlanta to win the first game (where they start Schwellenbach), which guarantees the Braves earn the #5 seed and play the #4 seed Padres. In that scenario, they won't have to throw Chris Sale, and can instead hold him to start the following day against San Diego. If Atlanta loses the first game, then they have to win for a berth.

Of course, conspiracy theorists are already assuming that the Mets and Braves will cut a backroom deal to split the two-game bill, so that they both go to the playoffs and the Diamondbacks miss out. That would assume the Mets and Braves, division rivals, would agree to a deal--seems crazy to me (though I admit that it's the most likely outcome, in my estimation).

I'll be watching at 10a tomorrow! This is nuts!

Games 160-162 Thread: Sept 27-29 @ Rockies

The Rockies' Charlie Blackmon played his last game on Sunday.

Fri 9.27 Brasier vs. Quantrill
Sat 9.28 Yamamoto vs. Senzatela
Sun 9.29 TBD vs. Feltner

Sorry this has posted late. I was recovering after celebrating our NL West championship!

Let's just get some rest.

2024 NL WEST CHAMPIONS!

DODGERS 7, PADRES 2

first photo from Sax's mom (who is at the game!)

Games 157-159 Thread: Sept 24-26 vs. Padres

Tue 9.24: Knack vs. King
Wed 9.25: Flaherty vs. Cease
Thu 9.26: Buehler vs. Musgrove

The Dodgers have a three-game lead on the Padres for the NL West division lead, and we play three games at home vs. the Padres in this, the second-to-last series of the season. We throw our three of our four most probable starting pitchers for the postseason (given the options available at this point) against the Padres' three best starters.

What could possibly go wrong?

Games 154-156 Thread: Sept 20-22 vs. Rockies

Fri 9.20 7p: TBD vs. Freeland
Sat 9.21 6p: Buehler vs. Quantrill
Sun 9.22 1p: Yamamoto vs. Senzatela

Following a majestic end to the roadtrip that saw Shohei Ohtani reach 50/50 for the first time in major league history...this series against the Rockies is bound to be a let-down.

The Dodgers have clinched a playoff berth and have a four-game lead on San Diego in the division. The Dodgers are also three games up on the Brewers for one of the first two spots in the NL Playoffs (guaranteeing a bye in the first round).

Let's just have fun out there at the Stadium this weekend!

Shohei Ohtani: First 50/50 MLB Player

We saw an unbelievable offensive performance today for Shohei Ohtani, in which he went 6-for-6 with 10 RBI, three HR, and two doubles in a 20-4 slaughter of Miami, which is already being called the greatest game ever.

Congratulations, Shohei Ohtani! We are all in awe.

photos from USA Today

Games 151-153 Thread: Sept 17-19 @ Marlins

If you look closely, there's a marlin in this photo.

Tue 9.17 3.40p: Miller vs. McCaughan
Wed 9.18 3.40p: Knack vs. TBD
Thu 9.19 1.40p: Flaherty vs. Cabrera

There have been four MLB expansion teams since 1993, and only the Marlins have won two World Series titles (the Diamondbacks have one, and the Rays and Rockies have none). And yet, the Miami Marlins are a shell of a team, following the unceremonious departure of GM Kim Ng (who was offered a demoted role, and chose to leave instead).

Miami's average attendance is 12K per home game--almost a quarter of what the Dodgers draw on average--29th in the majors, only ahead of the carpetbagging Athletics. But wait--Tuesday's game is Japanese Heritage Night (for the Dodgers, get it?), and Wednesday's game admits 4 people for $44. So maybe we can get to 15K fans for these games?

If you look closely, there's a Miami Marlins fan in this photo.

I mean, I know we have a 3.5-game lead in the division with 12 games to play. But if a tree falls in the forest...

Post-Game 150 Thread: Jekyll and Hyde

DODGERS 9, BRAVES 0

I honestly don't know what to think about the Dodgers after this series. The first two games had the Dodgers getting smoked like a pork shoulder, losing 6-2 and 10-1 in Atlanta, the latter of which came with our only surviving ace, Jack Flaherty, getting outdueled by likely NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale. Things looked bleak.

And then, late in the nationally televised game on Sunday night, the Dodgers opened up a crazy seven-run ninth inning to put the Braves away in a 9-2 victory. And then, one day later, the Dodgers opened up another can of whup-ass on the Braves, watching Yoshinobu Yamamoto tightrope his way out of jams to spin four scoreless innings, setting us up for the shutout victory.

This weekend, we also noted that regular season ace Tyler Glasnow is likely done for the season with an elbow strain, not to mention Austin Barnes is likely headed to the IL with a fractured toe, meaning his attempt to try to lead the league in catcher's interference calls (five this season) is probably done. (Barnes has five errors in 43 games, fifth most of any catcher with 43 games or fewer in the majors.)

So are we a good team? Are we a bad team? It's hard to tell. We certainly have more than our share of injuries, and I credit manager Dave Roberts for stringing together the lineup as best as he can given the circumstances (the Dodgers still are up 3.5 games on the Padres with 12 to play, and fangraphs has us at a 95% chance to win the division and a 100% chance of making the playoffs). We also are one game back of the Phillies for the best record in the majors.

This should be good, right? Why do I feel so conflicted?!

Games 147-150 Thread: Sept 13-16 @ Braves

Fri 9.13 4.20p: Knack vs. Schwellenbach
Sat 9.14 4.20p: Flaherty vs. Sale
Sun 9.15 4.10p: Buehler vs. Morton
Mon 9.16 4.20p: Yamamoto vs. Fried

This is it, the last playoff tune-up series for the remainder of the 2024 season: four games, on the road, against perennial National League powerhouse (and historic Dodgers rival), the Atlanta Braves. This year, Atlanta is getting a lot of talk about the loss of starter Spencer Strider as well as position player (and reigning NL MVP) Ronald Acuna Jr, and how the Braves are now one game back of the Mets for the last Wild Card spot.

I don't understand why Atlanta gets the sympathy while the Dodgers have been MUCH more beset by injuries. The 2024 Dodgers have spent 1,992 days on the IL (as of today), which dwarfs every other MLB team by at least 150 days, and that includes the Braves (1,575 IL days). So spare me the sob stories, Atlanta. As well as that inappropriate tomahawk chop.

Games 144-146 Thread: Sept 9-11 vs. Cubs

9.9: Walker Buehler vs. Kyle Hendricks
9.10: TBD vs. Shota Imanaga
9.11: TBD vs. Jordan Wicks
all games 7p first pitch

Former Dodger Cody Bellinger returns to Dodger Stadium again, as a revived hitter; he's batting .263 with a .744 OPS (108 OPS+), and would be better than his +1.5 bWAR if not for his injuries this year. Still, some believe Matt Chapman, who recently extended his deal with the Giants, would have been a better fit at Wrigley Field. Chapman has a far superior WAR this season (+6.5), but the Giants aren't vying for a 2024 postseason spot, either.

It's going to be hot as Hades Monday at the Stadium, but I'll be there to cheer on the Dodgers. This is a big start for Walker Buehler tonight, given how our starting rotation is in shambles (save Jack Flaherty, who dominated the Guardians Sunday in a 4-0 victory). Crossing fingers for Buehler!

photo: Michael Layton / Getty Images