Dodgers at Cubs, 5:10PM PT, TV: ESPN (No SPNLA today)
It’ll be lefty Alex Wood (0-0, 0.00 ERA) making the start for the Dodgers, replacing Rich Hill (on the 10-day DL with a blister). Wood has made one appearance this year, against the Padres April 5. He threw two scoreless innings in relief of Hill in the Dodgers’ 3-1 win that day.
He’ll face lefty Jon Lester (0-0, 1.80 ERA), who went five-plus innings on Opening Day against the Cardinals in a game the Cubs eventually lost 4-3. Lester’s only 33, but it feels like he’s been around forever. He’s 2-2 with a 3.06 ERA in five career regular-season starts against the Dodgers.
The Cubs get their World Series rings and the Championship banner today, and that’s nice, but Dave Roberts is less than enthusiastic:
“Is it inspiring to see? No,” he said. “I think it’s great for the Cubs and great for their fans, and it’s been a long time coming. But for our guys to be on the line for 45 minutes to watch the rings when it’s 40 degrees, I don’t know how inspiring that will be.”
Lineup when available.
Dodgers lineup vs. LHP Lester:
Forsythe 2B
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Gutierrez LF
Puig RF
Gonzalez 1B
Grandal C
Pederson CF
Wood P— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) April 10, 2017
Joc starting against this left-hander.
NPUT
Grant was brilliant last night, at his best: http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2017/4/11/15268072/sf-giants-gorkys-hernandez
“get me a chicken, some candles and some incense….” Classic Brisbee.
Gnatfans comment on their stellar OF defense v. the Snakes: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/52dc0290e9e859750d1d486ae67553a7f5acf0db29512cf3908c6332af4ec7e8.png
The Gnats appear to have found themselves a catcher: https://twitter.com/PavlovicNBCS/status/851909241224929280
FEDEX!
The worst thing about a game like yesterday’s is that there’s no game today.
Grrr. That’s not a good way to end a game.
Drat.
I never knew this story before
http://www.foxsports.com.au/baseball/the-tragic-story-of-glenn-burke-the-man-who-invented-the-highfive/news-story/beecce7c3ef1e264f71b00d17338e278
Thanks for sharing it
It’s a shame from the team that broke the color barrier.
Although it is only the eighth game of the season, this game has the feel of so many post-season games in the last few years. We keep it tight, but we are unable to get over the hump to win.
There you have it, just as I expected (he says in a grumpy and disappointed tone).
Pop one here Joc.
Fly out to center. Not what I meant.
This game feels like it is about 9 hours old about now…
And there is probably a 50% chance it goes into extra innings.
Speedy Toles with the catch!
Dodgers tie it up!
Chutley!
This is a good, close game. Except for possibly Fields, seeing the best of the Dodgers pen.
Fields looked really good though.
Ump’s mighty squeezy. Could explain all the walks.
What a time to tune in. Bases loaded, no outs, and we can’t score.
Thanks for tuning in.;)
Yes! Double by Seager to score 1.
Stripling did a great job coming in from the pen to get Bryant with the bases loaded last inning.
And now a nice 1,2,3 inning by Stripling.
Weird moment of the night: Brett Anderson being introduced for the Cubs as they celebrated last year’s WS championship tonight.
Some very tough breaks – including a mistake of his own – for Woods. Pitched really well all things considered (long delay, coming out of the pen, facing the Cubs, etc).
This guy never throws the ball over the plate.
I’m pleasantly surprised that this is not an ESPN blackout.
Somebody who saw that WS banner go up tell me what the title of the music is that was playing in the background. Movie theme, I think.
I heard the announcers mention Rocky – but that might have been for player introductions.
Shoulda thought of it. It was the theme played as Roy Hobbs hit that fireworks-enhanced HR in “The Natural.”
Start time supposedly 9:10PM ET
https://twitter.com/DodgerInsider/status/851586438206332928
The one time I can have eyes on the game, they are in a rain delay.
Turned on ESPN and found Cardinals – Nats. Began to swear at the blackout rules until the trailer showed up telling me Cubs – Dodgers is in a rain delay.
any estimates?
Haven’t seen one yet.
This will be my first blackout of the season.
This sounds like an interesting highlight: https://twitter.com/kenarneson/status/851561816333336577
Listening to the Giants’ game and had a thought. Between innings there was an ad for NorCal Toyota dealers, and I wondered how many of their customers come in and say “What with housing prices, I’m looking for a car I can live in.”
Oakland now has higher rents than SF, and demand is booming. If we had to buy our house now, we couldn’t.
Oakland? Higher than SF? Wow.
Yes. SF is essentially full up, so here the market’s gone wild. You must have heard the story of the “Ghost Ship” fire, which is one indicator of shortages and craziness.
We also have incredible amounts of new construction, though there’s still room for more – plenty of open space remains in what used to be industrial West Oakland, though some of it will require substantial cleanup.
I remember the fire, sure.
It’s a reminder of the shortage of affordable housing, especially for young people. When our daughter went to Santa Cruz, her monthly room rental was nearly as much as our mortgage.
Tenemos alineaciĆ³n: https://twitter.com/truebluela/status/851546763890577408
Taijuan Walker beans Busted Poseur with 94-MPH gas. Poseur conscious, but leaves game.
Wonder if Dodgers will run wild on the bases vs Lester, who won’t throw over at all due to his version of the yips. For some reason they didn’t while facing him in the playoffs last year, despite faking breaks a lot and a time or two being halfway to the next base but then returning, IIRC.
Lester’s yips aren’t exactly a secret, so why don’t teams literally run him off the mound? How do the Cubs handle this?
They didn’t run all that much against him in the AL. In 2015, his first year in the NL they ran wild with 44 SB in 55 attempts, so 80%. Last year it was down to 68% (28 of 41). As I recall, anything below 75% is not considered worthwhile for the running team (on average, of course).
I hadn’t that a former Nat (gnot a Gnat) is now pitching in New York: The Yankee Clippard!
LAT’d: Initial reports to the contrary, it appears Brandon Crawford may have met his hairdresser before warmups began: https://twitter.com/extrabaggs/status/851495904209100800