Kenta Maeda (16-11, 3.48) vs. Gio Gonzalez (11-11, 4.57).
So with yesterday's unfortunate rainout makeup, the Dodgers come home with a 1-1 split against the Washington Nationals in the NLDS. A 1-1 split isn't all that depressing--that's what one hopes for on the road--but what was depressing was all the missed opportunities, including going 0-for-5 with the bases loaded, three separate times. Backup catcher Jose Lobaton wouldn't normally have had a game-changing three-run HR as early as the fourth inning, but with the way the Dodgers failed to convert in game 2 (1-for-8 wth RISP, 12 LOB), there's much room for concern.
Oh, and there's that left-handed opposing pitcher thing. According to Mike Bauman of MLB.com, the Dodgers bat .214 with a .623 OPS against lefties, versus .264 with a .772 OPS against righties.
I'm a little less concerned about the opposing starter today, than I am seeing the chess game of moves between Dave Roberts and Dusty Baker, the latter of whom seemed to make more of the right decisions in yesterday's game. Roberts, the likely NL Manager of the Year, has made great calls on the use of his staff, particularly in the second half of the season with regards to the bullpen (and utility players). Let's hope that the toothpick-eater doesn't chew up our guy again today, in this critical third game.
Put on your rally thongs, and start clenching.
135 comments:
Hey! Quit picking on me.
Headed for some grub and then to the Yard.
Kendrick LF
Turner 3B
Seager SS
Puig RF
Gonzalez 1B
Grandal C
Culberson 2B
Pederson CF
Maeda P
SoSG AC should be in the house today.
Roberts going with the wacky "best shot at hitting lefties" lineup. Very weird.
Puig cleanup?
No Utley?
what is going on here
Roberts is counting on Puig to have a big game today, acc. to TBLA. Puig's stats against LHP seem to be heating up, though he hasn't looked good so far this series.
Puig hasn't had much to swing at so far. 3 walks and nothing else. Hopefully today he can barrel up some pitches.
That's a fair call quad. I saw that AB yesterday in the fifth when he walked to load the bases, and then Yaz choked again. But Puig doesn't have a hit in the two games. Grandal, for all his foibles in the 0-for-3 day yesterday, is .286. Small sample sizes!
Orel throws out the first pitch to Sax!
That's got to be a good omen, given this blog
Steiner: winner of Game 3 wins 36/48 (75% of the time)
Three-pitch K for Trea Turner to start the game.
Anyone know if the game is streaming online somewhere?
Werth with a single, but Murphy pops to second. Two out.
@Quad: I'm listening to radio. however mlb at bat is streaming if you have a pay tv provider
I've never used MLB at bat, so I'm guessing I don't have access. But I'll give it a go. Thanks.
http://www.goatd.net/167497/watch-washington-nationals-vs-los-angeles-dodgers
Walks mounting, hype fading.
Maeda pitching like mierda
Spanky! You're the best!
Somebody get Neeebs up in the 'pen. Looks like we might need him today.
I may need to visit the neighborhood crack dealer before this is over.
Maeda gives up two walks and loads the bases, but strikes out ZImmerman to get out of the jam.
Wow, we had better score early and often.
Walk to JT. He is great.
One out
NIGHT MOVES BABY!
Seager...off the wall! Turner SCORES!!! 1-0 LA
Seager is DEADLY on his first ABs
someone tell me, how much did that miss being a HR?
I've got Charley going and his HR / non-HR calls are killing me
Looked like it hit the bottom half of the wall. I thought he did it again!
dammit Puig. Called K.
The K-Zone showed that pitch was inside. Lame.
@Karen, the rally thong provides all the crack you'll need!
It's the middle of the day, AGon, even you can hit a homerun now.
dammit A-Gon. grounds to first.
Once again, Seager opens up the fireworks, but we can't do more than one run. Not good.
1-0 LA
LOL Cliffy!!!
That's more like it! An economical 1-2-3 inning for Maeda.
Nice 2-K inning for Kenta Maeda. 37 pitches through .
LA 1-0, mid 2
@Cliff: DAMMIT
i'm too slow
Radio lag Sax.
Whatever the hell just happened on the Culberson AB, Charley called it like 10 seconds AFTER the play finished. It's almost like you have to listen to the crowd for the guidepost, as Steiner is so slow on the call
Radio lag + Steiner Lag = I'm listening to Game 2, third inning right now
Joc got screwed on that call. Pitch hit his hand, they say it hit his bat, and he's out.
Yep, it's the 3rd inning. Time for Maeda to come unraveled.
DAMMIT
We need AGon, Puig and all those guys who shouldn't be in the game to start hitting.
Harper scores Werth, it's 2-1 WAS
Jeez we are FUCKING FALLING APART here.
Grandal, what the fuck
Grandal had better shape up here
Why again is Utley not at second?
4-1 and we are on the ropes.
Kenta Mierda
Aaaand just like that, we're done with game 3. There's a mediocre lefty going against us, so that means we'll manage two more hits in the game.
We're resting Utley for the NLCS
I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you.
Seager Ks with Kendrick on third. 4-1 Wash through 3.
Come on guys, this game isn't over. Step the fuck up
If we're gonna win the whole thing, we're gonna have to win a few games the hard way. May as well start now, Dodgers.
Puig. Nothing, again.
Really glad we flew Maeda out to LA early for that showing.
Warning track power!
now we're just trying to swing for the fences. and failing.
3 and out. Fuck
Seager, Turner, and the bullpen showed up for this series. Everyone else went missing.
Gio Gonzalez is at 70 pitches, so I'm sure Dusty feels he's got another 80 in him before he needs to think about taking him out.
Baez gives up two walks in the fifth. So here's Espinoza, two out
4-1, mid 5.
Nats with a 85% chance of winning as per Fangraphs
@Sax, it's an interesting strategy, giving our opponents a false sense of security by lulling them to sleep with inept bats. We'll see if it pays off.
Dammit, Culberson can't even reach when the ball goes off Murphy's glove.
Pederson with a one-out single!
And this time, Roberts can't yank him for Puig!
Now would be a helluva time for your first Dodger highlight, Chooch.
no fucking way. RUIZ?!?! Incredible.
CHOOCH!!!!
And THAT is why we traded Ellis.
4-3 Washington, and the stadium is alive again.
@cliff: we traded Mark Ellis?
Fangraphs: 16% --> 36%
Cheech!!!
You called it Cliffy!!!! GO RALLY THONG!!!
murphy is tormenting us, even on defense
Goddammit. Even Dan Murphy's shitty defense is going their way.
@Sax, this time you beat me.
two-out walk for Red.
Here's our favorite ROY
Let's go, Corey.
@cliff, I'm still listening to Charley call yesterday's game. Don't tell me something bad happens in Game 3.
They keep trying to go inside on Seager. Make them pay for it, kid! The 1-0 count brings Frank Zappa out of the Nats' dugout.
GAH! Corey just got under it.
4-3 through 5. Let's go, blue!
Dammit, leadoff single for the red high-heeled guy
great googly moogly
Josh Fields needs to button that top button on his jersey. He's going for the 70s Kris Kristofferson look.
The good thing about Baez pitching is that it gave Charley Steiner a chance to catch up to today's action.
Wow, Avilan that is a HUGE K on Murphy with two RISP
4-3 mid 6. Puig is going to hit a leadoff HR here and tie it up.
i hope Mary Hart is wearing her rally thong
Man, Costas really sucks at play-by-play.
Puig flies to left, but at least he went deeper in the count.
AGon with a base hit to right.
I can hear Animal on Diamondvision.
@spank: it's always rally time with Mary Hart
I think Daniel Murphy is wearing Mary Hart's rally thong.
(and not in a presidential-candidate-talking-on-a-bus way
@ Spanky I'm thinking it wouldn't be in our favor if Larry King had his on...
Grandal called K. He is really starting to piss me off.
dammit. 4-3 through 6.
I don't think we've scored a run off the Nationals' bullpen, right?
@Karen
is that Larry King behind home plate? i thought it was Stephen Hawking.
I think I could do without that fielders' position graphic in the upper right.
Rendon = Pagan Lt.
Blanton in. was that Muttley coming in on a double switch?
Blanton and Utley come in on a double switch. Let's go, Phils...er, Dodgers!
aha, we're doing that neat rest-Utley-for-the-first-six-innings trick.
Dusty Baker never saw this coming!
Clint Robinson looks like drunk Randy Quaid in Independence Day.
OK. To the stretch, 4-3 Washington.
9 more outs. Let's get something going this inning dammit!
tighten up the thongs y'all.
Did Charley just say Oliver Perez in relief? I thought that guy was DFA'd off the face of the earth!
Utley with a one-out basehit
Utley's aboard.
Hey, Howie, don't swing at those balls that're two feet out of the strike zone and low.
Shadows, everyone. Shadows. Have we mentioned shadows yet?
dammit, called strike 3 on JT.
Not looking good, 4-3 Washington through 7
Ugh. This isn't good for my ulcers.
More scintillating color commentating from Rick Monday:
"One of these two teams knows that they have to win tomorrow."
O__O
Blanton with a 3-K eighth! Well done, Joe.
wow Blanton
Blanton strikes out the side. COMEONDAMMIT!
Seager montage with Born To Run playing in the background. WTF MLB network!
@SAX I think Rick Monday wanted to say, "One of these two teams will be wearing rally thongs tomorrow."
Seager Ks to lead off the inning. Too much pressure on the poor kid.
Toles now up
@DBT one of our two announcers will be wearing a rally thong.
Tonight.
dammit
Toles flies to center.
Come on, AGon.
Fucking A. Kelley strikes out three of the five batters he's faced.
And, kenley gives up a HR to Werth.
Dammit. This is horrible.
Gotta save Clayton for Game 5
Wow, how bad can this team choke?
fucking horrid
I am not in a good mood right now
Fucking Ned Flanders
PGT up
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