Friday, September 09, 2022

Games 137-139 Thread: Sep 9-11 @ Padres

Fri Sep 9 6.40p: May vs. Clevinger
Sat Sep 10 5.40p: Urias vs. Snell
Sun Sep 11 1.10p: Heaney vs. Musgrove

With the Dodgers' magic number at a tantalizingly low six, there's a small chance we can blow into Petco Park and exit the weekend 2022 NL West Champs. Standing in the way are the second-place Padres, 19 games behind, including this cast of characters:

  • Manny Machado, whose MLB top-10 OPS this year (.894) is impressive (albeit behind Mookie Betts' .911 and Freddie Freeman's .908), but sometimes lackadaisical attitude caused a divorce from the Dodgers after his 2018 end-of-season rental;
  • Blake Snell, whose 2020 World Series Game 6 start was proceeding swimmingly against the Dodgers, until Rays coach Kevin Cash beheaded Snell's outing, leading to the Dodgers' game and series victory that evening;
  • Mike Clevinger, who died last Sunday against the Dodgers (3.1 IP, 5 ER), which the Dodgers went on to win 9-4;
  • Juan Soto, whose divorce from the Nationals almost brought him to Los Angeles--but instead he joined the Padres and also went 0-fer in two of the three series games last week;
  • Sean Manaea, who won't be pitching in this three-game series, but was beheaded by the Dodgers in his 12-1 loss last weekend (he lasted only 4.1 IP, giving up 8 ER)
  • Yu Darvish, who also won't be pitching in this three-game series, and survived his game last week in LA, helping the Padres to a 7-1 victory and their only win of that series.

So let's recap: Divorce, beheaded, died. Divorce, beheaded, survived. Hmm. That sounds pretty catchy, like one could sing along? Let's see if the Dodgers can bust through the two doors of Petco Park and grab some wins here.

45 comments:

Steve Sax said...

GAME ONE

Betts RF
T Turner SS
Freeman 1B
Smith C
J Turner 3B
Gallo DH
Thompson LF
Taylor 2B
Bellinger CF

May P

Steve Sax said...

3-3 tie through three frames

Steve Sax said...

Gallo Ks to start the 4th.

Rick and Charley are pissed off at the shift-stopping rule that MLB just ratified today.

So am I.

Steve Sax said...

Thompson HR!

4-3 LA

Steve Sax said...

Oh, Mookie. Misplay by Betts in RF and Machado's hit turns into a RBI. Dammit.

Steve Sax said...

4-4, Machado on third with one out.

Steve Sax said...

Bickford on, he allows Wil Myers (who singled) to steal second for his first stolen base of the year. Dammit. Grisham up with two out and Myers on second.

Steve Sax said...

Bickford Ks Grisham to end the threat.

4-4, going to the ninth.

Steve Sax said...

Now would be a good time for Cody to break out of his 0-for-9,372 streak

Steve Sax said...

And, Bellinger Ks.

No surprise.

On to the bottom of the ninth, tied at 4.

Steve Sax said...

Kimbrel with a clean ninth.

On to the tenth

Steve Sax said...

Well, you can’t win if you can’t score.

Dodgers’ big three can’t get a hit in the top of the tenth, and then we lose in the bottom of the 10th. There you have it.

karen said...

GAME 2

Betts RF
T Turner SS
Freeman FB
Smith DH
JT TB
Taylor LF
Alberto 2B
Thompson CF
Barns C

Urias LHP

karen said...

A perfect night to drop the magic number to 4. In fact it's a perfect team to drop the MAGIC number to 4.

Oh, and btw Snell, remember game 6 in 2020?????

Steve Sax said...

@karen: hello!

Snell's like: team spirit?

Steve Sax said...

scoreless through 1

Steve Sax said...

Bellinger sits, so we have a chance! But Muncy and Lux are still out :(

Steve Sax said...

Urias picks off Azocar to end the second.

0-0

Steve Sax said...

Freeman with an RBI single in the third!

1-0 LA

Steve Sax said...

Machado HR evens the score at 1

Steve Sax said...

Bases-clearing double by Trea opens up a big lead.

It’s now 5-2 LA in the seventh

Steve Sax said...

8-2 LA.

Nice to see CT3 with two hits tonight. Man, if he could turn this season around and actually make contact with the ball again, we'd be styling

Steve Sax said...

Urias: 83 pitches through 7 innings, leading 8-2 LA

Steve Sax said...

Final, 8-4 LA

Magic number is FOUR

Steve Sax said...

GAME THREE

Betts RF
T Turner SS
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Muncy DH
J Turner 3B
Gallo LF
Taylor 2B
Bellinger CF

Heaney P

Steve Sax said...

0-0 in the second, and Heney gives up a bomb to Jake Cronenworth with two out. 1-0 SD

Steve Sax said...

Musgrove is killing us so far. Top 4, Musgrove has 3 Ks.

Freeman with a one-out base hit.

Steve Sax said...

Slappy GIDPs.

2-0 SD, mid-4

Steve Sax said...

JT HR! 2-1 SD

Steve Sax said...

Chris Taylor with a HR!

Tied at 2 in the fifth

Steve Sax said...

Cody Bellinger, 0-for-2 with two Ks

Steve Sax said...

Betts leadoff double in the sixth, and he takes third on a wild pitch. Trea grounds out and can't advance Betts. They IBB Freddie and then Slappy HBPs.

Bases loaded, one out.

Steve Sax said...

Muncy at the plate. 0-1 count.

Steve Sax said...

Muncy delivers! Single to right, two runs score, Slappy to third.

Musgrove chased. 4-2 LA, Dodgers at corners with one out in the sixth!

Steve Sax said...

Nice inning for Vesia: K, K, ground out.

4-2 LA through 6

Steve Sax said...

CODY BELLINGER GETS A SINGLE!!!

STOP THE PRESSES

Steve Sax said...

Betts ropes one to the corner, and Ebel holds up Bellinger at third.

Second and third, one out

Steve Sax said...

IBB Slappy to get to Muncy with two out...and Muncy walks on four pitches. Tim Hill removed, Dodgers up 6-2

Steve Sax said...

First pitch from Craig Stammen to Justin Turner is a GRAND SLAM.

10-2 LA

Steve Sax said...

Uh oh, Roberts and the trainer coming out for Chris Martin, early.

Steve Sax said...

Martin says he's ok, but Nola HBP, and then Azocar singles. Two on, one out.

Steve Sax said...

We go to the eighth, Dodgers up 10-2

spank said...

dayum! JT with a strong game

Steve Sax said...

Wil Myers went 0-for-4 with 4 Ks. He’s in to pitch the ninth for SD.

Trea takes him yard on the first pitch. It’s 11-2 LA

Steve Sax said...

WIN