Cody Snavely
LA heads to Queens with NLCS tied 1-1
Well, no one said it was going to be easy. After a dominating game-one victory where the Los Angeles Dodgers offense exploded for nine runs, their MVP trio went a combined 5-for-11 with five RBI. Right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty gave the Dodgers some much-needed length with seven shutout innings, so the Dodgers were set up well for game two.
However, for everything that went right for the Dodgers in game one went wrong in game two. It all started with a leadoff home run by New York Mets leadoff hitter Francisco Lindor off righty Ryan Braiser, who was starting yesterday’s planned bullpen game.
The first-inning run for the Mets also ended a thirty-three-inning scoreless streak, which was tied for the longest scoreless streak in Major League Baseball postseason history with the 1966 Baltimore Orioles.
Brasier allowed just one run in his lone inning, but it foreshadowed how this bullpen game would not go as planned, as it did in the National League Division Series. Prior to the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated that the team would go to rookie right-hander Landon Knack for the bulk of yesterday’s game, and it was a decision that would backfire immensely.
Knack, in his second career postseason appearance, would allow five runs in two innings, four of which were on a grand slam by New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos, who took it personally that the Dodgers intentionally walked Lindor to load the bases with two outs to face him.
The Dodgers had their opportunities to make things interesting, but when the top five hitters in your all-star lineup go a combined 0-for-19, the team goes a combined 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and leaves ten runners on base, you’re not going to win many ballgames.
The National League Championship Series between the sixth-seeded New York Mets and the one-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers is now a best-of-five series with home-field advantage on the Mets’ side. The series will now swing back to Queens, New York, for the next three games, beginning tomorrow through Friday.
With the Dodgers using their “low-leverage” arms in yesterday’s bullpen game, the entire bullpen will be rested as the Dodgers send right-handed pitchers Walker Buehler and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for games three and four.
Friday’s game, which is set for 5:08 PM ET, is listed as to-be-determined and could very well be another bullpen game if the Dodgers are not on the brink of elimination.
Still, despite the game two loss, the Dodgers, who were down six runs early, never gave up and forced the Mets to use multiple key relief pitchers, which could bode well for the rest of the series. The two teams will pick up the series tomorrow at 5:08 PM PT.
Bullpen game blunder
After the Dodgers’ game one win over the New York Mets by a score of 9-0, the Dodgers opted to play a bullpen game to push back Walker Buehler and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
In Game Four of the National League Division Series, the Dodgers, trailing 2-1, deployed a bullpen strategy that paid off. The bullpen combined for nine innings, allowing only seven hits and no runs, in a remarkable display of clutch performance.
However, it would not go as smoothly this time out, largely because of Landon Knack, who was depended on to get at least three innings. Knack would struggle with his command and the pitches he did throw for strikes, as the Mets hitters were attacking and hitting hard.
After just two innings, the Dodgers found themselves in a 6-0 hole. This raised a pertinent question: What prompted the decision to deviate from the successful NLDS strategy?
Well, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gave his explanation after the game. Right-handed pitcher Daniel Hudson was unavailable for yesterday’s game because he was used in the eighth inning in game one, and with lefty Alex Vesia off the NLCS roster, they could not go with the same plan they had against the Padres in game four last week.
Roberts explained that he needed to get length from someone, or the team would not have enough pitchers for the game. It just happened that Brent Honeywell Jr., not Knack, was the one to give them that length.
However, despite Dave’s explanation, it doesn’t support pushing Buehler for game three. If you were not going to utilize the entire bullpen today with an off day tomorrow, and if the thought process was to get bulk innings from someone, why not start Buehler in the first place or save Knack for a huge lead/deficit?
While the loss is a setback, it is crucial that it does not cast a shadow on the team’s future performance. The Dodgers are still in a strong position to utilize their high-leverage arms in games three and four.
Ohtani’s weird postseason
It has been a season of firsts for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who joined the Dodgers this past offseason on a mega 10-year $700 million contract.
In his first season in Dodger Blue, he became the first player to join the 50/50 club; he’ll likely become the first full-time designated hitter to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award and, after spending his first six seasons missing the postseason, will play in October for a chance at a World Series championship for the first time in his career.
However, while Ohtani has had some good moments this October, his overall numbers are less than stellar. So far, Ohtani is hitting .222/.344/.333 with a .677 OPS and a 100 wRC+. Weirdly enough, his stats with no on-base are abysmal.
Ohtani, who has been the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter since mid-June, is 0-for-19 with no one on base but has been excellent with runners on, going 6-for-8 in those situations with a home run and five RBI.
However, the Dodgers will need Ohtani to be more productive with the bases empty, especially over the next three games. He’ll be leading off the start of the game, and it would be great if he could get a rally started himself.
Ohtani’s inability to get on base with no runners on has greatly reduced his presence. What made Ohtani the National League MVP frontrunner was his ability to steal bases, which he has been unsuccessful in one attempt this postseason.
As a leadoff hitter, Ohtani is there to not only set the tone but also get on base, which has been a large reason for the Dodgers’ inconsistent offense this October.
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