Monday, May 15, 2023

Series Thread (Games 42-44): May 15-17 vs. Twins

Mon 5.15 7p: Noah Syndergaard vs. López
Tue 5.16 7p: Clayton Kershaw vs. Ober
Wed 5.17 12n: Dustin May vs. Gray

Technically, the Loudon Wainwright III song "Gray in LA" refers to Wednesday's afternoon matchup, starring the Twins' Sonny Gray (4-0, 1.39 this year, but 1-3 vs. the Dodgers and 1-2 in Dodger Stadium).

But there's gloom across the rest of this series as well. Clayton Kershaw will be pitching with a heavy heart Tuesday, following the passing of his mother on Saturday. Our condolences to Clayton and Ellen and their family.

Less serious, but still gloomy, is Monday's starter Noah Syndergaard, who will be trying to rebound after his exploded blister derailed his last start. Syndergaard is 1-3 with a 6.12 ERA this season, and this setback to his digits will likely mean...a setback to his (ERA) digits. My expectations are low. And that's just the first game of the series (at least attendees will get a great consolation prize).

Despite this gloom, though, the Dodgers have been rolling of late, inlcuding a sweep of the Padres over the weekend. But now the Dodgers will play a winning team, as the Twins sit atop the largely weak AL Central with the division's only >.500 record. We'll see if the Twins bring rainclouds with them to the Stadium this week.

68 comments:

Steve Sax said...

Game 1

Betts RF
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Muncy 3B
Martinez DH
Heyward CF
Vargas 2B
Peralta LF
Rojas SS

P Syndergaard

Steve Sax said...

Tarzan sits.

Steve Sax said...

3-0 LA on back to back HR from Smith and Muncy!

Bottom 1, one out

Steve Sax said...

3-0 LA, end 1

Steve Sax said...

Oh wait, Heyward reaches due to catcher's interference. Twins catcher Vasquez never removed his catching gear during that review check, so here we are with two out, Heyward on first, and Vargas up.

Steve Sax said...

Ok, now it's 3-0 LA, end 1

Steve Sax said...

Kyle Farmer with an RBI single, it's 3-1. And another single for Gordon, so Syndergaard is again ineffective early.

Steve Sax said...

Correa lustily booed in the third, and he strikes out for the second time tonight, this time ending the inning.

3-1 LA, mid-3

Steve Sax said...

Muncy with another HR!

5-1 LA, that was Muncy's 14th HR (leading the NL)!

Steve Sax said...

5-2 LA, B5

Steve Sax said...

Muncy is now 3-for-3 with a single to center. Slappy advances to third.

Steve Sax said...

Freeman with a triple! 6-3 LA, scoring Betts

Freddie just missed HR #300

Steve Sax said...

They’re scoring Freeman with a double there. Not a triple. Oh well

Steve Sax said...

Freeman is on third anyway

Steve Sax said...

Yency Almonte just coughed up the lead. It’s tied at 6 in the eighth.

Steve Sax said...

Almonte finally gets one out

spank said...

damn. that sucked

Steve Sax said...

Peralta comes through! Two-out Vargas double, followed by a RBI double by Peralta to regain the lead, 7-6!

spank said...

fuck yeah Peralta!

spank said...

fuck

Steve Sax said...

Dammit, Phillips gives a run back in the ninth. Tied at 7.

Steve Sax said...

Phillips gets Polanco and Larnach to K to end the top of the ninth.

Tied at 7, adn we have 1 Betts, 2 Freeman, and 3 Smith coming up.

spank said...

103mph. ridiculous

Steve Sax said...

Betts Ks on a 103-mph fastball. Yikes.

We've got Bickford warming up. Talk about yikes.

Freeman grounds out for the second out.

spank said...

come on Slappy. send me to bed

Steve Sax said...

And, we go to extras, tied at 7.

spank said...

shit. Bickford sucks

Steve Sax said...

And, Bickford quickly moves to give up the game for us. Walks Kyle Farmer, and then Willi Castro singles on a bunt ground ball. Bases loaded, none out.

Steve Sax said...

Fucking Bickford walks Vazquez, the go-ahead run, on FOUR PITCHES.

spank said...

Booooo

spank said...

there were a couple balls called as strikes. Bickford getting bailed out

Steve Sax said...

Slappy starts out on second, Muncy flies out.

Steve Sax said...

@Spank: Bickford is horrible.

Steve Sax said...

Martinez!!!!

Steve Sax said...

Martinez single to center, scoring Slappy!

Trayce Thompson replaces JD Martinez. Trayce, you'd better steal second.

spank said...

tied

spank said...

@ Saxy - I know. what happened. he was good last year I think.

Steve Sax said...

Thompson picked off first.

TRAYCE THOMPSON, YOU ARE AWFUL

Steve Sax said...

Bickford IBBs Trevor Larnach with two out, to get to Farmer. Then he gets Farmer to line to second.

8-8, mid-11.

spank said...

Davis and Orel can keep sugar coating those pitches by Bickford. the dude is wild in my opinion

Steve Sax said...

Heyward starts the bottom of the 11th on second. Vargas Ks for the first out.

Here's Peralta.

Steve Sax said...

Outman to PH, with two out and Heyward on third.

Let's go, Tarzan!!!

Steve Sax said...

And outman Ks.

We go to the 12th.

spank said...

that sucked. on to the 12th

Steve Sax said...

Wow, Bickford got out of it in the 11th, with men at the corners.

8-8, mid-12

Steve Sax said...

Taylor starts on second. Betts pops to short. Freeman IBB.

First and second, here's Slappy.

Steve Sax said...

Slappy Ks. We double steal anyway, which really doesn't matter. Two out, Dodgers on second and third.

Steve Sax said...

Muncy Ibb. Here's Trayce Thompson, with a chance to atone.

spank said...

don't choke like Klay

Steve Sax said...

Full count to Thompson, who worked it back from 1-2

Steve Sax said...

Thompson works the walk-off walk!!!

spank said...

oh.shit

Steve Sax said...

WIN

Steve Sax said...

Good night!!!

spank said...

fuck yeah!

Steve Sax said...

Wow, I didn't realize spank was so excited that I was going to sleep. Okay then.

Steve Sax said...

Game 2

Betts 2B
Freeman 1B
Heyward RF
Muncy 3B
Martinez DH
Outman C
Peralta LF
Rojas SS
Barnes C

Kershaw P

Steve Sax said...

I'll be at a comedy event tonight, guys, so you'll have to carry this one.

Steve Sax said...

Not so great job carrying, friends.

Steve Sax said...

Now Dustin May leaves the game after one inning, with right elbow pain.

Not good.

😬

QuadSevens said...

Tazan with an infield hit and a stolen base to start the 4th.

QuadSevens said...

Mookie with the 2 out RBI! Dodgers lead 2-1!

QuadSevens said...

Sucks to hear about May. Hope it's nothing related to his past Tommy John surgery.

QuadSevens said...

Covey back out for the fifth. Been good so far.

QuadSevens said...

I played baseball in high school and fouled a ball or two off my leg, but never on a pitch over about 70mph. Can't imagine how much that hurt Gordon.

QuadSevens said...

Next Twins batter fouls one off his own leg. Covey is brutal.

QuadSevens said...

Gotta jump into some meetings here. See ya on the flip side!

QuadSevens said...

OUTMAN GRAND SLAM! WIN!