Mon 4.18 7p: Clayton Kershaw vs. Ynoa Tues 4.19 7p: Walker Buehler vs. Fried Wed 4.20 12n: Tony Gonsolin vs. Morton
The Dodgers see if their 7-2 record stands up against their first playoff-contending opponent in 2022. On the positive side, we know these Braves pretty well:
And then something else with the Braves might have happened in 2021, but it was all a blur after the Chris Taylor walk-off HR victory in the Wild Card Game, and then that epic NLDS Game 5 victory to vanquish the Giants.
So for 2022, what has changed between the Dodgers and Braves?
Well for one thing, there's this guy:
Former Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen is now with the Braves. He's 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in four games, driven by a difficult first outing against the Braves where he gave up three ER. Since then, he's been lights out: three appearances with 4 Ks across the three games; two saves. Jansen's K/BB ratio is 5.00, right on par with his career average; and his 11.3 K/9 ratio is exactly in line with 2021.
And then, there's this guy:
Former Braves slugger Freddie Freeman is now with the Dodgers. He's 12-for-37 this year across all nine games with 4 RBI (three of which came yesterday!). Freeman's OPS+ of 125 this year is below his career average of 138, but so far he's got no HR (three doubles are his only XBH), though to be fair he only had 13 HR in his 2020 MVP season (Freeman has hit 30+ HRs three times in his career, including in 2021).
I'm very interested to see how Jansen and Freeman fare in this series, facing familiar friends now from the other side. We start the series with Kershaw, coming off his seven innings of perfect pitching. LET'S GO, DODGERS!
184 comments:
GAME 1 MON 4.18
Betts RF
Freeman 1B
T Turner SS
Muncy 2B
J Turner 3B
Smith C
Bellinger CF
Rios DH
Lux LF
Kershaw P
Chris Taylor sits. Hmm.
Freddie hugging his former Bravo teammates. I'm wanting him to do a Will Smith bitch slap to greet Acuna Jr but Freddie has way to much class. I guess a girl can dream.
Freddie really emotional at pregame press conference about spending time with his former teammates.
HAPPY KERSHAW DAY!!!
And there goes the perfect game
(with two out in the top of the first)
Ozuna forces Riley at second.
0-0 through 0.5
Huescar Ynao. Must be French.
Freddie's first HR as a Dodger!!!
Huescar Ynao. Must be French.
Freeman! Haha
Freeman! First HR of the year!
Trea Turner Ks on three straight. Grr
Muncy's got a 3-0 count
Four-pitch walk to Max. Two out.
Ynoa broke his hand last year punching a bench in the dugout. He missed some time.
JT Ks.
1-0 LA through 1.
Good inning for Kershaw
Kershaw gets two Ks in the second.
1-0 LA through 1.5
Slappy Ks.
Kershaw and Ynoa, each with three Ks.
Cody is batting .250.
This is still better than JT (.229), Mookie (.200), and Muncy (.167). Oh, and Rios (.200), who is on deck.
I love it that Mookie has 40 bowling balls
Walks to Mookie and Freddie. No outs. TT at bat.
Oops....1 out.
Trea Turner steals second, so the Dodgers are 11-for-12 on SBs this year.
Muncy up, with Betts on third and Trea on second.
Bellinger is the only CS this year, on Friday vs. Cincy
Max at a full count...
Called strike 3 on Max. Dammit. Looked inside.
1-0 LA through 3.
Kershaw and Ynoa each have four Ks through 3.
Dang. Good slider by Ynoa to strikeout muncy
Boys at the corners. No outs. 1-0 LA.
JT scores on Belli ground out. 2-0.
Edwin Rios brings in Slappy, 3-0, 1 out, B4.
Bases juiced for TT
TT doubles in 3
TT clears the bases with a double. 6-0, 2 out, B4.
Nice
Ok back from dinner, just in time to see Heredia go yard off of Clayton. 6-1 LA, B5
Slappy had a 3-0 count and flied to right.
Belli with a double
Rios Ks for out #3, with JT on third and. Belli on second
Lux with a comebacker but it deflects to Albies, who throws Lux out to end the inning.
6-1 LA through five.
Another homerun for Barves
Albies homer. 6-2 T6.
Kersh not being Kersh like.
Kershaw can t finish the inning. Must be the 39 degree weather
Yikes Kershaw fell apart quickly there. Albies HR makes it 6-2. Then two more hits have runners on second and third with none out in the sixth.
Here’s Bazooka.
Bazooka's rocking the bling.
Brusdar with a big K for the first out.
This is starting to get a little uncomfortable. 6-4 LA
Brusdar gives up two runs, it’s now 6-4 LA with two out and d’Arnaud on first.
Not happy
Uh-oh. Tying run in scoring position. Shit.
This innings a big shit sandwich
Brusdar is getting lit up here. Double by Rosario makes the tying run on second.
Btw the reason why we are crumbling here is because Charley made a big deal, upon Graterol’s entrance, that the relievers have not given up an inherited run.
Totally jinxed this one.
Heredia Ks. But the Braves are right back in it, 6-4, going to the bottom of the sixth.
Wow that was not a good frame.
Rick Monday says Betts seems like he is not picking up the baseball well.
That looked low
Nice catch by Freddie.
Freeman snares out #1 in the seventh
So cool that that guy gave the foul ball to the little girl.
Albies Ks for out #2, but Olson singles on the first pitch.
Phew!! Hudson and the Dodgers wiggled out of the 7th.
Hudson Ks Riley! We go to the stretch!
A hit here would be nice, Max
Dodgers go 1-2-3 in the seventh.
I’m really nervous.
Some really bad strike calls tonight.
This is one of those games where the Dodgers are up and down quickly in their half of the inning and the opponent is constantly threatening.
Bickford allows a two-out single but gets Rosario to pop to Betts.
6-4 LA, going to B8
@karen: exactly. The scary thing about this team is how infrequently they can string hits together. When just happens, it’s an onslaught. But then we go 1-2-3 too quickly in other innings.
YEAH CODY LOVE!!!!
Wow Belli with a homerun
@Sax...You're right. Seems like it's feast or famine for our offense.
Bellinger HR! Wow that is a shocker!!!
Cody with a two-hit game here. Boy that would be great if he could get back on track.
Especially because Mookie and Muncy are really struggling so far
Wow. Mookie has dropped below the Mendoza line.
Spiderman coming in for the save.
Kimbrel gets the K but Will Smith can’t hold the ball, so the runner reaches first.
Thanks, Slappy.
Double play. 2 outs in the ninth.
We need a GIDP!
Double play
And we get it!
WIN!
LA 7, ATL 4
WIN!!! Kershaw's 100th win at Dodger Stadium.
That's a wrap
Kershaw gets his 100th victory at Dodger Stadium!
@karen, you’re ahead of me!
G’night. See you guys tomorrow!
Night Sax and Spanky!!
94 comments from Game 1. Nice!
Giants @ Mets Game 1 (postponed from yesterday): 4-4 tie through six.
Joc Pederson has 3 HR this year. No Dodger has 3 HR this year; Barnes and Bellinger have two each.
GAME 2 4.19
Betts RF
Freeman 1B
T Turner SS
J Turner DH
Muncy 2B
Taylor CF
Alberto 3B
Barnes C
Lux LF
Buehler P
Pretty weird that Barnes catches Buehler today, while Slappy caught Kershaw yesterday.
Wow. Mets win in the bottom of the 10th, after reversing a call in the top of the 10th when the call on the field was that Pete Alonso's foot left the bag on a 6-3 groundout. But the call was reversed after the Mets challenge.
Then the Mets' Lindor singles to center with men at the corners and one out in B10.
Mets win Game 1, 5-4.
I hate to think of Joc in the black and orange colors of the Evil Ones.
Albies pops to second. One out.
Olson grounds to short for the second out.
Riley single to right. Two out
Ozuna flies to right.
0-0 through 0.5
Dodgers go 1-2-3
Crap. Solo shot for D'Arnoud in second inning.
Buehler had some trouble there in the second. Solo HR to d'Arnaud, plus a single. But only one run.
1-0 ATL, mid-2
@Sax....Do you know why Lux was scratched from the lineup?
@karenl I don't!
But Buehler is in trouble here in the third.
@karen: Lux scratched with back tightness.
Butane gets out of the third but still looking a little shaky.
Ozuna Ks.
Buehler with 49 pitches through 3.
1-0 ATL through 2.5
Thanks Sax. I hope his back tightness isn't the beginning of a problem.
Cody slowly starting to put the pieces back together.
***Fried has not allowed a hit through 4 innings***
***Fried has not allowed a hit through 4 innings***
***Fried has not allowed a hit through 4 innings***
JINX**JINX**JINX**
The Rockies have the best bullpen in baseball so far?
Huh??
ATL now leading 3-0 in T5.
Max Fried has a PERFECT GAME going on here
FINALLY Alberto singles for the first baserunner of the game.
Baby Uribe gets a single to break up the perfect game.
But Austin Barnes ends the sixth with a GIDP, so Max Fried has still faced the minimum through six.
Atlanta up 3-0
Swanson's infield hit was very close but not challenged by Dodgers. Braves at the corners with no outs in the seventh.
What a catch by Mookie to end the T7. David Price comes in to restore order.
Sort of.
Max Fried, pride of Harvard-Westlake, is dealing. Two-hit shutout through seven. Braves lead 3-0 and the Dodgers’ offense is not there tonight.
Come on, Max. The first goddamn pitch? Quick ground out to second.
Muncy: 0-for-3 with a .139 average.
CT3 with a one-out walk! Tonight, that merits an exclamation point.
CT3 advances from first to third on a passed ball.
Passed ball--CT3 goes all the way to third!
No shut out tonight. CT3 scores on Alberto ground out. 3-1 ATL
Taylor scores on an FC. It's 3-1 Atlanta with two out. And they're playing the home run horns.
Okay then.
3-1 Atlanta through 8 full.
...which means we'll see...Kenley?!
Here comes Kenley
Let's hope KJ has one of his famous 'bad' outings.
As often as Slappy has caught Kenley shouldn't he be able to hit him?
Bad night at the office for Mookie.
Kenley sits our boys down in order.
We lose.
It's hard to believe that this lineup had only 2 hits. Then again, maybe it's not.
Yep.
And Jansen earns the save.
Dodgers lose 3-1.
GAME 3 (4/20)
Betts RF
Freeman 1B
T Turner SS
Muncy 2B
J Turner 3B
Smith C
Bellinger CF
Taylor LF
Rios DH
Gonsolin P
It's a new day, people. Let's erase yesterday's bummer and go for the series win!
Mookie: 0-for-4 last night with 2Ks. He's batting .171.
Max: 0-for-3 last night. He's batting .139.
Lux was scratched last night with back tightness.
This is not good.
Lux still not in lineup but Doc says he's better and should be back for Friday's game.
12 noon game. iight
Dodger bats are going to warm up today in the afternoon sun! Let's go!
Its starting already. Heaney to IL.
Catman with a stress free first.
Mookie gets a hit!!!
FREEDIE WITH A 2 RUN HOMER!!!
FREDDIE!!
Oh wow. That’s a good start
Boys have already matched last nights hits total
Would love to see another 11-run first inning against the Braves, like 2020 NLCS Game 3
TT runs 30' per second? How could that be?
Why isn’t Trea stealing second here
Fuck. Muncy, JT, Smith: come on, dudes. What a waste.
4-5-6 not very good first time through.
Catman serves up the DP. 2-0 LA.
Catman with his second K and a double play in the second. Looking good.
Looks like another 2 hit day coming up for Belli.
Edwin Rios has said that this will be his 'Revenge Season'. Hope it doesn't end up like 'The Summer of George'.
Looks like Ozuna borrowed Bazooka's bling.
2-0 LA through 3.5
STOP SWINGING AT THE FIRST PITCH, SLAPPY
That was some crazy spin on Slappy's ground out.
Dodgers go down 1-2-3 on nine short pitches in the bottom of the fourth.
Ha, the Braves go down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, but on EIGHT pitches. So maybe they're worse than us!
Catman with just 63 pitches through 5 innings. Looking really good!
We've got Rios, Betts, Freeman to start the bottom of the fifth.
Rios leaves the Ravine. 3-0 Blue T5
RIOS REVENGE!!!
OOPS...B5
Mookie is having trouble seeing the ball, acc to Rick Monday
I'm loving Alberto and all of the dancing. He's got the good juju.
No-no broken up in the sixth. Infield hit against the shift.
The ATL gets a cheap first hit.
Double play to erase the hit! Sweet!
Looked like that was a strike.
Catman was robbed on a strike three call there!
Great outing for Catman today.
Give Catman his catnip! He earned it today! 6 shutout innings!
Belli brings in Slappy...4-0 Blue.
Belli with the RBI triple! 4-0 Dodgers!
WIN!!!
5-1 win. Dodgers lost the shutout on back-to-back doubles in the ninth, but Mitch White gets that third out and it’s still a series WIN
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