Saturday, October 16, 2021

2021 NLCS Game 1 Thread: Oct 16 @ Braves

Cody Bellinger delivers the big ninth-inning deathblow in NLDS Game 5 to vanquish San Francisco.

Knebel vs. Fried, 5p

No rast for the weary. The Dodgers hopped on a plane Thursday for Atlanta, assembling a lineup without Clayton Kershaw (expected), Max Muncy (hoped for, but understandable), Billy McKinney (interesting), and David Price (a little surprising). In their places, pitchers Justin Bruihl and Evan Phillips join 11 other arms and 13 position players.

And as called a couple of hours ago, NLDS Game 5 starter Corey Knebel will again start a postseason game for the Dodgers, taking the mound in NLCS Game 1 vs. Harvard-Westlake alum Max Fried. I agree with the decision to not let Max Scherzer, who earned a one-inning save in NLDS Game 5, start Game 1 on another short respite, right after a six-hour flight.

But sending out Knebel again to start (even if it's only an inning, before Tony Gonsolin likely takes the mound) seems to be playing some risky games with the baseball gods. In Doc we trust.

The Braves may have only won 88 games this season, but they're playing hot, writes Mike Digiovanna of the LAT. And of course, by virtue of the Dodgers not winning the NL West, the Braves (who won the NL East) wield home field advantage. The Braves beat the crap out of Milwaukee in their NLDS. So this isn't going to be easy, by any means.

Oh crap, I'm nervous again! Guess I'd better watch something to calm the nerves...wait a minute, how about some other Bellinger heroics (albeit also, a Bellinger celebration injury that lingered into 2021...)

LET'S GO, DODGERS!!!

photo: Harry How, Getty Images

40 comments:

Steve Sax said...

GAME ONE

1 Mookie Betts RF
2 Trea Turner 2B
3 Corey Seager SS
4 Justin Turner 3B
5 Will Smith C
6 Albert Pujols 1B
7 AJ Pollock LF
8 Chris Taylor CF
9 Corey Knebel P

Gavin Lux and Cody Bellinger are both out of the starting lineup.

karen said...

Looks like Doc is getting a little jiggy with the pitching. But, I agree with Sax. Trust in
Doc. And I do.

QuadSevens said...

New playoff series. Going to need the Turners to get back to their normal offensive selves.

Steve Sax said...

We need a Turner-around

karen said...

I'm feeling a little (alot) uneasy with Gonsolin getting the bulk of the innings. I like him okay, I mean he likes cats, I like cats but I just don't think he's good enough to be carrying the load of the first game of the NLCS. I hope doc has him on a very short leash.

Steve Sax said...

Do cats have leashes?

Steve Sax said...

@karen: I’m right with you on Tony Gonsolin. If the best thing you can say about him is that he likes cats, that’s not the mark of a NLCS Game 1 starter.

Let’s hope he proves us wrong today.

karen said...

Sax...I was reading about his 2020 season and how there were many games where he just excelled , but I can't help it, I haven't seen that this year. When he's on the mound everything just feels like a struggle.

karen said...

I hate the tomahawk chop. Why hasn't it gone the way of things like 'The Washington Redskins'? As a woman whose paternal grandmother was a Cherokee I just hate it. Not because it is offensive to Native Americans, (which it is), but because it just pisses me the hell off.

Steve Sax said...

Not taking any pitches here. But Seager doubles with two out.

Steve Sax said...

We gotta be more patient.

Steve Sax said...

But watch JT ground out quickly…

Steve Sax said...

JT Ks on a check swing.

Steve Sax said...

Hey that appletv invasion ad looks pretty good

karen said...

@ Sax...Agreed. The Boys play their best ball when they wait for their pitches.

Steve Sax said...

Knebel does not look good here.

Steve Sax said...

Freeman is hacking here. I’m worried

Steve Sax said...

Full count to Freeman. Ugh

Steve Sax said...

Hey Corey K, maybe stop throwing that breaking ball please

QuadSevens said...

Knebel is wild and it costs us.

karen said...

Not happy

karen said...

CT3 ties it up at 1-1

QuadSevens said...

Pollock and CT3 get us on the board! 1-1!

karen said...

In what life did someone in Dodger Nation piss off the baseball Gods?? Why else would our Karma keep sticking us with Brian Anderson?

karen said...

Good job Dream Weaver 2.0.

QuadSevens said...

Bickford looked good. Pitching wise I mean.

QuadSevens said...

Trea Turner with a single to right. I hope that sparks him.

QuadSevens said...

WTF is going on with turning out the lights when a reliever comes in?

QuadSevens said...

SMITTY!!

karen said...

A lot of cheering going on at Truist for Fresh Prince's home run.

karen said...

2-1 Blue going to B4

karen said...

Doc out to bring in Gonsolin.

Let's all say a silent prayer.

QuadSevens said...

*Meow*

karen said...

Catman has cat fur on his left shoe. Ummmmm.....okay?

karen said...

I am reduced to just shaking my head.

QuadSevens said...

2-2 in the seventh and we are into their pen.

QuadSevens said...

Kenley pitched a good 8th. Still 2-2 in the 9th now.

QuadSevens said...

CT3 walks and Bellinger coming up with 2 down.

QuadSevens said...

Cody gets a hit but CT3 gets hung up between second and third to end the inning.

QuadSevens said...

Walk off loss. Crappy.