Dodgers at Giants, 7:15PM PT, TV: SPNLA
With the Dodgers’ magic number stuck on two, it would relieve a lot of their fans if they won this game and dispensed with the suspense. To that end they send out odds-on Cy Young favorite Zack Greinke, who’s 18-3 with a microscopic 1.65 ERA to face Jake Peavy, who’s 7-6 with a 3.83 ERA. Greinke skipped his last start with a sore calf but pitched his usual bullpen session on Friday and is thought to be fine. Peavy has been a Dodger-killer in the past if you look at his record (14-3 with a 2.42 ERA in 28 career starts against them), but those numbers were amassed with a different team and facing different players on the Dodgers; I’m not persuaded those kinds of statistics mean much.
I’m sure the Dodgers will be just fine, because they have:
Me in the clubhouse today: "hey guys…. 👋🏼?" pic.twitter.com/50PfBmBFPj
— Enrique Hernandez (@kikehndez) September 28, 2015
Lineup when available.
Tonight's #Dodgers lineup
Crawford LF
Seager SS
Gonzalez 1B
Turner 3B
Ethier RF
Utley 2B
Grandal C
Pederson CF
Greinke P
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 28, 2015
NPUT
Back on line, and that will require more explanation… My internet has been slowing down the last couple of weeks so I called in Friday. Saturday a repairman spent about an hour on it and it was back up to speed. Four hours later it went out completely. Called but couldn’t get repairman till Tuesday afternoon. Saturday afternoon to Monday afternoon, no internet at all. Monday afternoon I started to get limited internet, it would pull up some small sites, on others it would say “No Internet Service”. This morning it came back up to full speed. The repair guy will think I’m nuts…
So I didn’t know what happened on Saturday and Sunday. (I don’t have the patience to sit through hours of idiot talk and meaningless film clips, not counting hundreds of commercials and promos just to get a game score. TV, except for games and old Westerns, is useless) Anyway, I got to watch last nights game and the quest continues another day…
Even before we see today’s lineup, it’s worth noting this (from Dustin Nosler).
It was a maddening game. That said, I’m pretty certain that, with six games remaining, the Gnats would much rather be in the position the Dodgers are.
From ESPN:
I don’t think my anxiety has been misplaced, despite what some have said here. We really need to score some runs tomorrow.
Against Bumgarner. No problem, mate, it’ll be easy.
I wish we had a number three pitcher I trusted.
I would be anxious if we had to do much more than win one game here or take two out of three from the Pads.
“Win” being the operative word…
I really hope you are right, though.
I am right about what we have to do, the latter against the Pads only if the giants win out.
https://twitter.com/mccoveychron/status/648743387672154112
Grant Brisbee is the best thing about the Gnats, by far!
He’s at his best when they lose, though.
I know. Hilarious.
The line up better have Howie and Kiké in it next game.
Sure to see them against the southpaw.
Was Adrian pulled because of injury?
Pinch runner for speed (would have been winning run)
Okay. I was worried about his injury recurring.
Probably better for his back, anyway.
We will get them tomorrow. Or today actually.
Ordinarily we’d say Liberatore did his job, getting a lazy popup to left field, but not with the winning run at third.
Okay. Good night. We played hard.
Well, makes for another exciting game tomorrow at least with the two big lefties going.
That’s it. Again. I do not understand why Mattingly wouldn’t bring in Kenley.
He was saving him for if and when we got the lead.
You can’t get the lead if you don’t get it to the 13th.
Never had a lead. It’s agin’ all the unwritten rules to bring your closer in lessen’ you got a lead.
Makes absolutely no sense to me to not use him in this game.
If Donnie was going to play it that way, he would have been used back in the 10th in any event.
Drat, blast and foo.
So many ways for SF to score. Very few options for the Dodgers.
Refusal to use your best reliever is managerial malpractice.
Poor Liberatore. I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes.
Steiner says it’s “Lipitor.”
I need it for my blood pressure tonight.
Walk Brown!
Great to see Kenley get another night off, Don.
Well, if we go down in flames, he’ll be gone.
Has he EVER brought Kenley in early?
He might have done once, but he’d rather let him have several days off and then come in rusty.
So true.
Really bad pitch.
Oh well. This is it.
Arrrrgh!
Don’t see this working. Maybe the Gnats will have left it all on the field tonight. And we’ll get to close this out on Bumgarner. Grasping at straws here.
Have they had the leadoff guy on in every extra inning? Seems like it.
Almost. But so did we.
I hate extra-inning away games on the road.
Me, too. Every bottom inning is so tense.
3 outs to go before Bob’s call for the 13th comes into life.
Oh that we make it.
Tough night to be the official scorer. Will need a second pencil.
And 2nd scorecard.
Okay. Rule violations have commenced on that play at first.
I give JR credit to try it. So close to working.
I know. Took an amazing play by the pitcher.
Foo.
JRoll do something good.
Hit it out, Jimmie!
Hit it out, Hernandez.
Killed by AT&T. He crushed that. A great great at bat by AJ.
Who’s the Dodgers’ emergency catcher? Oh, wait, Barnes is up with them.
Kenley.
Alright – hang on to your luck penny everybody and hope the Dodgers break through in the 12th.
If I’d stayed watching after they tied it in the ninth maybe they’d have won earlier.
Good coverage at 1B by Howell too.
Yes! Good for you, Howell!
Push and shove tonight.
DP time.
Oh man. Posey. It had to be Posey.
Why put a fast ball pitcher in for these guys?
Baez sweating. So am I.
Not feeling so hopeful.
Arggh! DP!
So predictably disappointing.
Utley has not impressed tonight.
Okay, rally hat on as well. Alone. In my kitchen. I look like a crazy person.
Says you. Sounds normal to me.
Also grasping a lucky penny I just found in my sweaty left palm.
Still ok!
Come on Utley – prove me so wrong right here.
Worst possible outcome. But he hit it hard, at least.
Less hard and it’s not a DP.
I know. I know. Really frustrated by Utley tonight.
Utley’s turn to really prove his mettle now.
Strickland’s best pitch is his gopher ball.
What’s that?
A home run ball: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gopher+Ball
Andre could do some damage.
We get the first guy on again.
Schebler!
Schebler up.
And Schebler on!
On to the 11th!
I will say, we are playing a lot harder than at Coors field. If we win tonight, we will have earned it.
Parker is dangerous.
Are your spidey senses tingling?
Tee hee!
I love Kik’e’s energy. Glad he’s back. One more out, guys.
Orel talking about what a great game this is, and how both sets of fans are enjoying it. What is he on? I wanted a Dodgers blow-out.
Yeah but Orel played for SF for a while so…
Ahhh. I forgot that.
Lead off walks are never good, and a terrible idea this late.
Except when the Giant pitcher did it in the top of the 10th it didn’t cost them.
Hard to trust Nicacio for more than an inning.
Did you post that before or after the walk? Prescient?
Advantage, Gnats again.
Next time Corey!
Yeah, see you in the 13th!
You tired at all yet Bob?
In DF tonight, so gained an hour.
Nice – so we are in the same zone.
2 hard swings.
Rats.
Corey time. Against Romo. It could happen.
No, it’s Loogy López.
Oh. Phooey.
Still, Seager’s hitting over .300 against lefties.
No no no! Not a pop-up!
Rollins (now) and Utley are bugging me tonight.
I know. All this talk about how they know aboutvstepping it up.
More like popping it up.
Maybe a WP first?
JRoll is due an RBI!
Kiké!!!
Banana Boy!
Ah Rugs!
Hernandez!
Bad at bat, Ruggiano.
Heisey time!
I’d like to go to bed and watch a relaxing Swedish murder mystery.
My favorite thing to do.
A Martin Beck or Johan Falk would work.
Love Beck.
What’s good in that genre?
Henning Mankell’s Wallander (the Swedish version is better, but Kenneth also did some in English).
I just turned my ’88 championship t-shirt inside out.
I just watched the Ethier replay on Gameday, and can’t believe how bad Steiner is. First he says it’s a base hit, then that Tomlinson knocked down a ball that he fielded cleanly.
Breathe, RBI, breathe!
Long deep breathes!
I can barely watch.
Good thing it’s not our season on the line.
I know. My poor husband.
DP please
Or not.
Should have been, but ball was bobbled.
Mattingly out-maneuvered yet again by Bochy.
How is that?
Oh, I wa’s thinking the way Bochy played the outfield on Utley, and thinking we were about to blow it. Don’t mind me. Really, I’m nerve-posting. I’ll stop.
Bochy usually out manages just about everybody. Donnie not special. This is do or die tonight for Bochy. Donnie has more chances.
I understand Kenley’s not even warming up.
Avalon and Garcia.
I heard he was.
How do you feel about the intentional walk. I hate them, myself.
In this case sorta OK, though I don’t trust Nicasio very far.
This is when Mattingly’s at his worst. You want your best reliever in this situation.
He only has to win one of four. May be better opportunities to use Kenley.
Kenley hasn’t pitched in four days now.
Then he should probably use him.
So frustrating! Top of the line-up! We need KJ!
Utley’s sure looked like a hit. They had him positioned perfectly.
Right, Don, you don’t want to waste Kenley here.
He is managing as if there is a tomorrow. Bochy, not so much. (winner’s dividend)
Nicasio, you need to shine here.
Why not Jansen???
Because it’s not a “save situation.”
Mattingly makes me nuts with his rigid decisions. Bochy is much more flexible.
Bochy will to have bull pen game with infield playing back rather than risk giving up lead. (he is a fox)
Glad to tie but woulda, coulda, shoulda been more.
Yes. See WBB below.
Might be a momentum changer. We’ll see!
Tie game!!!!
No loss for Zack.
I don’t like the idea of giving up an out with a bunt.
But we really needed to score here.
Bunting reduces the odds of scoring.
Ah, okay.
Possibly kept Dodgers from scoring more.
Mattingly doing what he does. A mystery most of the time.
Anyway, either way, Turner bunted it perfectly.
Nice bunt!
Wild pitch, please…
Wow we are locked in tonight!
Nervous stomachs and all.
Wild pitch would be awesome.
Need two more hits this inning! Let’s do this Dodgers. #almostheiseytime
I actually think we may have a chance with Casilla.
Seager has half our hits.
Come on bottom of ninth, I want to see your beautiful face tonight.
Orel just made it sound like Hatcher was on the bubble to make the postseason roster. Don’t think so man. He’s in.
Orel loves to bloviate.
Oooh – that sounds painful!
I may have made it up, actually.
ˈblōvēˌāt/
verbUSinformal
talk at length, especially in an inflated or empty way.
His second half ERA is 1.47 in 18 innings. Better than Kenley.
Has Vin jinxed us?
https://twitter.com/dylanohernandez/status/648681927914852352
Wow. That’s surprising.
I don’t know, guys. We just don’t seem to be able to manufacture runs anymore. Can’t win if you can’t score. This will also probably cost Zach the Cy Young.
Yes, it probably will go to Arrietta.
Based on one bloop 2 RBI hit in tonight’s game? I don’t think it will come down to that.
It’s versus one no-hitter and the recent one-hitter, plus all the wins.
But Zack has 3 fewer losses
Awful close at this point. Wonder if Clayton takes votes that might otherwise have gone to Zach?
Need ninth inning magic.
Yes, we do.
Even weaker in the 8th.
Ok Rugs pretend you are leading off the game.
Bats please come alive now. Please!
All three Crawford balls called on Greinke could have been called strikes. Two WERE strikes.
Does champagne go flat after a few weeks?
Pitching changes and pinch hitters parades will start up soon I guess.
Nothing Grand about Grandal, again. If either he or Pederson could get going, we’d be in grand shape.
Wish it was Kiké in there for Kendrick instead of Utley.
Utley at OPS+ 118 against righties as a Dodger, so not a bad choice over a right handed batter(OPS+ 70 against righties) just coming off the DL.
Right. Forgot which way Hernandez hit for a moment.
We should see his magic soon.
Another weak show by the offense.
Dodgers have the better running game tonight, but still need a few more good at bats.
No breaks yet tonight for LA.
Posey breaks his bat?
I’m unable to watch this, but I get the impression Greinke is not at his sharpest.
Seems maybe a little off. The catcher has hit a couple of good pitches after Zach has fallen behind in the count. No one else has given him much trouble.
Just a notch below his best. Brown hit a mistake pitch for sure and a few others have found some holes.
Argh!!! Crawford took strike two right down the middle.
Joc walks! I’ll take it!
Too many deep fly balls to the warning track for the Dodgers.
I wouldn’t mind a 5 spot this next inning for the Dodgers. I wouldn’t complain one bit.
DP number 2.
Turner killed that ball, but it stays in at this stadium.
And they bloop one in between right and centre for their 2 runs.
Baseball…
Beautiful throw by Grandal.
Yes! Not exactly double play, but two outs with one at bat!
DP it is!
Strike out and caught stealing – good work Grandal!
DP, please.
Tonight I think DP has an additional meaning: Don’t Panic!
Seager……….. Giant-Killer !!!!!!
( We need as many of these as we can get …….. )
🙂
Can we designate Andre as well. Andre the Giant killer.
Oh for a healthy Gonzo and Grandal.
AGon fooled pretty badly on that at bat. I suspect he’ll come back strong next one.
A run. An actually run in SF.
Last one since April, apparently. Whoa.
Bad throw by the catcher on that steal by CC.
The grass in the outfield exploded on Byrd. Super-divots.
Joc, Zack, Crawford coming up.
Link! I need help with my nerves!
And just what do you propose I do about them? 😉
Breathe deep.
I do need to remember my Buddhist training. Letting go, breathing, not clinging to results, etc. etc.
I’m a big believer in deep breathing to reduce stress.
Other than the pleasure of beating the giants, this particular game is not very meaningful. (I am guessing that doesn’t help)
Oh dear lord. Please don’t let this be happening again.
Might need Heisey to rescue Zack this time.
Ok…Ok…Ok…. Kind of a big game……. Just Kinda!
🙂
Jonny! Here to bring us luck!
RISP. LOB. I see these events in my sleep.
Ethier! Well hit and almost gone. Anywhere else…
I am so nervous. My stomach is full of butterflies.
I hear ya.
Good. I’m not alone.
Oh – I’m at playoff level nervousness.
Me, too. Even more after they just scored two.
By the way, my youngest grandson, Gus, 18 months, said “Dodger” for the first time today. Has to mean something, right?
His first word?
No. He has about twenty words. Including a-vo-ca-do. Southern California kid.
Are you watching? Or listening?
Woot!
Probably means you have been babysitting too much.
I’d love to take credit, but his. Dad is the son who comes to games with me, and the reason I switched, years ago, from Mets to Dodgers.
Being Steinered on the TV side.
I’m completely blacked out in Oakland.
With Hershiser, but Nomar is back in LA.
I hope Vin is well.
No hard hit balls in the top of the first.
Also – no Vin?!?!
On the bright side, no Steiner either so far.
No Vin at all.
Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, Broxton is pitching and pinch-running.
Uh-huh. But one of ’em is Keon Broxton, not Jonathan. This one’s a 25-year-old skinny black guy, not a bulky 30-something 300-pounder. The latter has pitched one inning so far for the Cardinals.
Distant cousins.
Stranger things have happened.
Silver lining department: FO didn’t go the Papelbon route. Also, Kik’ Hernandez is back! Go Blue!!!
My toes are powder blue. Couldn’t make it to the nail place, so I’m going with what I have. Making it work. Over to you, Dodgers!
Let’s do this!
Latos to the Angels. Good luck with that, Anaheim. (Having said that, he’ll probably be lights out for them, to spite us.)
Only for the last week of the season. Pitching-short, they are.
I expect Latos and Papelbon to be Gnats gnext year. They like their attitude.
Being blacked out for the next four games, I’m not looking forward to six innings of Steiner per night.
Living where Bay Area media dominates, I can tell you that their news and sports people are starting to get excited about this four-game series. One guy said if the Giants can win tonight and tomorrow — beating Greinke and Kershaw — then things would be looking a lot better for the Giants. Unfortunately, I agree with that analysis. For goodness sake, let’s just win tonight.
“If wishes were horses then beggars would ride.”
Alternatively: “If ifs and buts were candy and nuts we’d all have a helluva Christmas.”
A favorite on my late father, a native of Brooklyn and a lifelong Dodgers fan. “If my grandmother had wires over her head, she’d be a trolley.” Not sure I ever completely understood that.
I also live in the Bay Area, but I ignore their sports media.
For those concerned about momentum (or lack thereof), enjoy this little tidbit from Eric Stephen: “That 2006 Dodgers team won their final seven games of the season, finishing with momentum coming out the wazoo, which propelled Los Angeles to … getting swept in the first round by the Mets.”
Jon cites a study of teams between 1969-2013, which suggests that momentum does not correlate with post-season success. http://dodgers.mlblogs.com/2015/09/28/myth-and-reality-the-playoffs/ That said, would love to sweep these giants (sic)!
That was an amazingly painful three-game series, beginning in the second inning of the first game when both Kent and Drew were tagged out at home plate on the same play by ex-Dodger Paul LoDuca when both tried to score on a single by Russell Martin. He singled into a double play. Who can forget? Other ex-Dodgers on that Mets squad were Shawn Green, who killed us in the third and final game, Jose Valentin and Guillermo Mota.