Dodgers at Phillies, 4:05 PM PT, TV: SPNLA, CSN-P
If the Dodgers win and the D-Backs lose the Dodgers clinch the NL West.
LHP Alex Wood (15-3, 2.69 ERA) goes for the Dodgers and RHP Jake Thompson (2-2, 4.46 ERA) goes for the Phillies.
Wood seems to be mostly recovered from the sternum problem which sent him to the DL. In his last start he pitched six scoreless innings and gave up just three hits to the Nats. Thompson is making only his seventh start of the year and has given up one or no runs in two of his last three starts. In that other one, however, he gave up seven runs, five earned, in five innings.
Today in Dodgers’ history:
- 1907 At Exposition Park in Pittsburgh, Nick Maddox no-hits the Dodgers, 2-1. At the age of 20 years and ten months, the Pirates hurler becomes the youngest pitcher and the second rookie to throw a no-hitter.
- 1911 Bill Bergen ends his major league career with the lowest lifetime batting average for a position player in major league history by hitting an anemic .170 during his 11-year tenure with the Reds and Superbas. The 33 year-old backstop, who had only one year of batting above .200, also holds the records for lowest season batting average for a regular season (.139 in 1909) and the longest streak of at-bats without a hit (46 in 1909).
- 1954 The Giants clinch the pennant when they beat the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, 7-1. The National League champs, finishing the season five games ahead of second-place Brooklyn, will go on to sweep Cleveland in the Fall Classic.
- 1959 The San Francisco Giants, bowing to the Dodgers, 8-2, play their last game at Seals Stadium. The transplanted New York team, who compiled a 163-145 record in their two-year stay in the former PCL park, will move to the newly constructed Candlestick Park next season.
- 1961 In a 13-inning contest, Sandy Koufax goes the distance, beating the Cubs, 3-2, in the last regular season game to be played at the LA Memorial Coliseum, which was originally built for the 1932 Olympics. The Dodgers are leaving the only home they have known since moving from Brooklyn four seasons ago to play in a brand new stadium in Chavez Ravine, located a few miles from downtown Los Angeles.
- 2011 Clayton Kershaw becomes the Dodgers’ first 20-game winner since Ramon Martinez accomplished the feat in 1990. Allowing just one run in 7 1/3 innings, the southpaw gets the victory when LA beats the visiting Giants, 2-1.
- 2012 Washington secures a playoff spot when they beat the Dodgers at Nationals Park, 4-1. The last time there was postseason baseball in the nation’s capital occurred 79 years ago, when player-skipper Joe Cronin and the Senators lost to the Giants in five games in the 1933 World Series.
Lineup:
Today's Dodger lineup at Phillies:
Taylor CF
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Bellinger 1B
Puig RF
Barnes C
Granderson LF
Forsythe 2B
Wood P pic.twitter.com/ebB26yQSoR— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 20, 2017
Alineación de hoy, sin Seager… https://twitter.com/LosDodgers/status/910885765277773825
Surprising lineup for me.
Dodgers 5-15 (.250) in Sept. The worst Sept/Oct record by a playoff team is the Pads in 1998 at 9-15 (.375). That team did make it all the way to the WS, before being swept by the Yanks. The 2000 Yanks, meanwhile were 5-15 over there last twenty, including 7 losses to end the season before going on to win the WS.
Get-away game, so I would expect to see the AAA team out there.
RBI: I would have gotten back to you much sooner but the Jewish New Year began at sundown tonight and I went to services. No, I didn’t pray for the Dodgers to win.
You should have!
RBI: Yes, yes. I would like to buy the two tickets from you for the Saturday, October 7, game, if they are still available. Much appreciated. How do I best get in touch with you and pay you?
Marvelous.
Email me at Tinker@tinkerlindsay.com. We’ll take it from there.
NPUT @ 0600HST, 0900 PDT
Roberts: Leadoff walks got us.
We are Pollyannas here, compared to commenters to the story of today’s game on the Dodger site . . . they are talking about firing Doc if LA doesn’t win more than one postseason game — and even fire him right now!
He’s made a few errors, but nothing compared to Mattingly and others back in the day.
If this is postseason and the Dodgers have a lead, should Doc keep Wood in longer?
Based on what I heard, he was doing fine. I guess it depends on how he’s feeling about the bullpen. Lately, in Kenley we trust and that’s about it.
The score at the time and the need to PH for Wood seemed to dictate pulling him at only 82 pitches.
The PH was needed tonight because they were trailing.
But IF they have the lead in the playoffs and there is no auditioning and the only goal is to win, will Doc let the starters go further in the game? Guess it depends on how he truly feels about the bullpen.
I admire Doc for always putting on a positive front and taking the long view by trying to bolster the confidence of his players and not throwing them under the bus. But when you’re faced with a season as short as 3 and a maximum of 19 games, you can’t be looking too much further ahead than the last out of the current game (unless you’re Joe Maddon and bring in your closer with a 5-run lead so that he’s wasted for Game 7 — except that was probably indicative of the level of confidence — none — that he had in his other relievers).
When I first became a baseball and Dodger fan, I read everything I could on the team.
When I read about a terrible year — or terrible ending to a year — all I needed to do was turn the page to start another year.
It’s a lot different actually living through it!
10 games to go, now I’m just hoping they can make 100 wins.
It’s hard to take at the moment, but if at the start of the season we could have said our record will be 100-62 (or around about that) and we have made the playoffs, we would all have been thrilled.
Remember last month, when we were hearing that they would have to be 10-15 games under .500 to miss 100 wins? Suddenly that’s extremely likely.
sad, but true
I suppose we could miss 100, but only need to go 4-6 to make it, which seems feasible.
Definitely feasible.
So is missing it.
In the scheme of things, the 19* games after 162 matter more.
*if needed
People… I have four tix available for the Saturday NLDS home game October 6th. Infield Reserve, Section 32 Row T seats 5-8. $62.00 each (including fees). Scoop, Bob et al, any takers?
Not me, thanks. I’ll see them when (if) they advance . . . and I’m sure hoping that Home Game 1 IS game 1 of the LCS.
Thanks, but unless it’s played at a neutral site out here… 😉
Mo saying what we are — Dodgers have to show themselves they are a winning team.
Nothing is going well for this team right now. Hasn’t been for a month. Slumps are one thing, but this is getting very worrisome.
This is going to be an historical season for them, but it very well can be for the wrong reason.
1951 & 1962 redux?
Perhaps worse because of the historically great stretch (“Best. Team. Ever?”), following by the historically poor collapse.
Of course, they didn’t make the postseason then, which was immediately the World Series at that time
Three-game playoff in 1962. I heard that Game Three ninth inning on the sidelines of a kid’s football game.
“Nobody knows they trouble I’ve seen”??
We need to stay positive just like the Dodger players.
Top of the long list of worries for me right now is the bullpen performance. Walks and dingers and bad throws and a general sense of collapse.
Mo started by saying they looked flat.
He said they looked panic at the end, with the throw home.
Hitting is my worry. Bullpen not so much cuz most of those guys won’t pitch in the playoffs.
Second that — a shutout pitched is just a tie without scoring.
Ironic that a great play is made vs. Puig, who couldn’t catch the winning hit.
The presumed postseason SP started these three games.
Bats were absent for two of them, collapse by the ace in one of them, collapse by bullpen in all three of them.
Epic fail?
It’s not encouraging, but there is no correlation between September performance and post-season success.
We’ll keep saying that.
And click our heels.
And maybe they’ll start to win again.
Kershaw is the least of my worries.
Helluva catch.
Maybe they want to clinch at home…
I sure hope they do it with a win of their own.
I believe you said it before, they are limping to the finish line. Actually, they aren’t moving at all, they’re hoping the line comes to them.
They will certainly win it on their own, whether or not it takes two Snake loses to clinch.
Not what I mean. And I’m sure not what they want.
Postseason doesn’t care what you did for three great months. It’s what’ve you done lately.
And they’ve done diddly.
What were you saying? Postseason doesn’t even care what you have done lately BTW.
Maybe they’re pressing badly for no real reason other than a 16-game slide.
Is Baez warming up?
He was in the dugout to start the game, said Monday.
The quarantine didn’t work. It’s contagious.
Funny.
When did the Phillies get so good? What’s their record this month? Is it just us?
When they played the Dodgers.
7-3 in their last ten.
Makes sense.
Looks like 3-0 their last 3, v. LA
10-8 for September.
I missed this earlier in the series: Altherr was born in 1/14/1991 in Landstuhl, Germany.
And oh fine, he hit that to Berlin.
Der ist Berliner! (JFK’s famous quote – “Ich bin ein Berliner” – actually meant, “I’m a jelly donut.”
I wouldn’t want to be Morrow right now.
Doc wants to see him in high leverage situation.
Another fail.
New motto of the Dodgers?
On the bright side, Robbie Ray really struggling at The Litter Box, gave up first MLB dinger to scrub catcher and has high pitch count. Pads lead 4-2 in third.
Don’t know what it is, but the Padres have a MUCH better record than LA this month, just in the series vs. LA and AZ.
It’s weird how parallel our failures are right now.
This guy. Don’t hang a pitch to him. We’ve surely learned that by now.
That’s one out!
As frustrated as we are, can you imagine how Honeycutt and Roberts feel?
Yes, but why did they put in Avilan vs. Morrow?
Want to see how he does in a high leverage situation other than as a LOOGY?
IF this is all auditioning vs. trying to win, I can accept that, to an extent (and that expiration date is probably today).
But I really can’t accept this continual losing. I do not believe they can wake up and say “We are going to do everything we can to win today” and that will guarantee the W.
This isn’t the NBA where they talk about “flipping the switch” come playoff time.
Dodgers’ philosophy seems to be that.
There is almost no correlation on how a team does before going into the playoffs and how they do once they get there.
That is a different issue. You were questioning Doc’s tactical decision, which I imagine he wouldn’t make in the playoffs.
Granted — but that’s testing, not trying to win.
2nd & 3rd without a hit, nor an out. Dodgers are trying to be even more generous than the Phils were the top of this inning.
If they perform like this vs. the Phillies — with the second-worst record in the league — how will they manage in the postseason?
Not very well.
It depends, we thrashed Washington 7-0 not that long ago
Sure, though not against a pitcher they are likely to put out there in the playoffs.
And they trashed LA in the third game.
But not against any relievers they would see in the playoffs.
So it’s a wash.
The encouraging thing is that Dodger pitchers shut down their starters (minus Harper) for two games. In fact, I believe WaPo had a story bemoaning THEIR lack of offense?
Speaking of Bryce, what’s his prognosis — is he back yet?
Taking batting practice.
true
Keystone Blue.
Finding ways to lose.
ANOTHER lead-off walk! Come ON!
We don’t mind when the Blue receive it.
But when they give it, totally agree . . . COME ON!
Guess Doc doesn’t think Morrow is the setup man.
Bats stayed asleep but Barnes wasn’t!
Two minute wait at the DMV. I got into the car just in time to hear the Dodgers lead, then drove into the Safeway parking lot just as that lead disappeared on the HR by what’s-his-name. Swore mightily. Then got home in time to see Barnes score.
What about your spam-flavored shaved ice?
Picked up a six-pack at the Safeway.
No time for snacks! Just wrote my $274.35 check to the C&C and walked away with my 2018 sticker.
Vehicles taxed in Hawaii?
Everything is taxed in Hawai’i.
You can’t do it by mail or online?
There’s a satellite city hall at the mall at the bottom of my hill. I was going out anyway.
Online they charge a $5 svc fee for using the credit card. That annoys me.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Austin Barnes base-running clinic!
All without a hit.
Talk about manufacturing a run.
Sounds like a good clip to look for.
Barnes is handy!
From what I’m hearing about the play — Ha!
Wow.
What a strange game
Chase for the tie — again!
Barnes! Great move!
Yasmai not Grand-at-all.
Good hustle, Austin!
Ditto!
Quid pro quo — Barnes gets a walk.
Hope there’s a similar result.
I simply don’t believe this. Why Stripling and not Morrow? This is the fourth straight appearance in which Stripling has been scored upon. Morrow has been scored upon once in his last 14 appearances. Does Roberts understand his personnel? Does he pay attention to what they have been doing?
I figure Morrow is the setup for Kenley. Isn’t he the 2nd best in the pen?
May not get to the setup man tonight.
Auditioning. This was the stated organization goal almost a month ago. i.e., not likely to see Stripling on playoff roster given his recent outings.
A one-month period of auditioning is too much for me.
Obviously. But it helps to explain things that seem to make you question Doc’s managing skills.
The auditions need to end and the players must take the stage. Let’s stop the auditioing already. We open in 16 days.
Scoop see below re: tix.
Bats came alive . . . can they do it again?
Baseball proves you are only as good as your weakest link.
In defense of Stripling, there have been an awful lot of weak links this past month.
Well, it looks as if Stripling does not make the post-season roster.
Oh for God’s sake.
Where was the wind when we needed it.
Ross strips himself of any extended play.
Who is left?
I’m warming up.
And I’m a southpaw.
Man oh man. That stinks.
They do.
Shaking my head . . .
If they don’t lose one way, they find another way . . .
(Tho they haven’t lost yet.)
Get the K or double play . . .
Got nothing.
Will Ross strip us of hope?
Not a good start, walking your first batter.
Prescient, unfortunately.
Hope I’m not, overall . . . but that’s why I only bought one playoff ticket . . . and it’s in the second series.
Kersh’s disastrous inning started the same way — not sure if it was four pitches or not.
2 pinch hits
2 hits with RISP
Wood would win
Nice inning!
Now some pressure on the ‘pen.
Big blow by Bellinger!
They walk JT to get to Belli who gets the hit and JT scores — like it!
Belli belt! Drives home two!
Cody!
Whew!
Taylor would almost always walk on that pitch.
Pressing.
Used to be’s don’t count anymore.
Justice is served — Alex won’t lose . . . now get him the W!
2-2 pinch hitters
Quique delivers!
Kike!
Kike ties it!
Pulling Andre back sounds like Doc is through auditioning and wants to win.
Now WE are cheering Chase!
Alex pitched a better game than Kersh thru 6.
Don’t make no difference when you don’t get no offensive support.
Granderson’s ninth inning homer the other night has apparently earned him many more starts.
Grandy has hit OPS .983 in the four starts since he was benched for two games.
There are a lot of nearlys and almosts and taggeds when it comes to Granderson. He now has 11 hits in 90 at bats as a Dodger and has fanned 28 times. Pretty darn awful batting average of .122
His continuing to start, which you are complaining about, is based on recent performance and seeing him get good wood on the ball even when he doesn’t get results.
Things even out in baseball. He is hitting .122.
I think they are counting on that. He has a BAbip of .111
He was terrible in April for the Mutts, then had four really good months. He has an encouraging track record.
He nearly went deep in his first AB tonight.
and tagged the ball well three times last night.
ah, remember the days when a runner in scoring position was RBI’ed home more often than not?
Barely.
Those were the days, my friend — we truly thought they’d never end.
Boy, were we wrong!
I don’t remember them. But my great-grandfather has told me about those days.
More often than not? Don’t think that time ever existed.
it seemed that way earlier in the season
just saw vision of Puig’s great catch, I assume PR and Mex as his black eye shadow is in support of the natural disasters occurring in those countries at the moment. If that is the case, that is fantastic
Wood has really settled down, and looks very good.
RBI: Do you have tix for the second NLDS game involving the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, October 6, that you would be willing to sell? I’d be happy for one and would drive down from the Monterey Peninsula. Thanks for your consideration.
Let me get back to you. I well might!
Yes. I can sell you one or two. Infield reserve, section 32. 56$ each plus 6$ fee per ticket. Does that work?
opportunity lost
I don’t think we are in Paradise Toto.
Off to register the car. I hope they serve snacks in line.
Poi?
Spam-flavored shaved ice?
Cookies!
As a Dodgers fan, your car shouldn’t have a clutch.
Big spot for Seager: time to reverse his and the club’s recent frustration.
https://twitter.com/kengurnick/status/910661850823630849
RBI said she was buying for 4 groups, just didn’t say how big those groups were.
I have four tix to each game.
First playoff series I attended, I believe I got my ticket the same week as the game.
great at bat Taylor
Pitched around Wood.
A big part of the problem: 0-for-4 with RISP tonight, 0-for-9 in this series, 3-for-32 in the last four-and-a-half games, including tonight’s.
Puig!
Banged his upper arm but unless it’s his hamstring, no damage.
I like how Puig is upping his batting average seemingly game after game. He has been a hero of this season both at bat and in the field.
Awesome considering there was a better chance he would not be on the team than on it.
Yes. I was among the many who wanted to see him traded at the end of last season.
I as well but I always wanted a very good player in return.
Me three — and soo grateful that the OKC trip helped him grow up.
Puig right around the BA he was the past two seasons, what has improved are OBP (20 points) and SLG (40-60 points).
And — apparently — his attitude.
Meanwhile in Winnipeg… Winnipeg Goldeyes 9, Wichita Wingnuts 0. Top of the 3rd.
Grins. “USA! USA!”
Hey, Winnipeg Dave, can we ship some of those runs across the border?
NAFTA!
JIT.
You guys are the best! Ps – can totally spare some runs. It is currently 14-0. My son thinks this game is hacked.
Wingnuts–love it. There was a community college in AZ called the Artichokes. The end of the leaf is pointed so there is that.
Then there are the Savannah Sand Gnats (should be SF’s farm team).
Thanks wind!
It owed us one.
Man. Behind again.
Didn’t wait for the later innings.
Maybe we can overcome a 2-0 deficit this time and win.
Last two games we were ahead, no?
Yes, 2-0 each time before falling behind.
Poor situational hitting by Barnes.
And Granderson and Forsyth. All three long flies to LF.
For just about a month, that statement could just be (fill in the name).
Balls hit into the wind that were well tagged.
Since runs are at a premium for the Dodgers, Roberts should have asked Barnes to bunt.
Would you have had Puig bunt?
No, not with a man on first and none out. But with first and second and no outs, and Barnes the batter, I would have called for the bunt. If successful, we would have had two runners in scoring position with none out. If everything else had followed as it did, we would have scored a run on a fly ball. Outside of our pitchers, we have had only four successful sacrifice bunts this season.
Dodgers don’t use the bunt or the stolen base much.
No, they don’t, which is odd considering the aggressive base runner Roberts was. In his career he had 243 steals and was thrown out 58 times. Roberts’ SB as a Red Sox vs. the Yankees in the post-season in 2004 may have been the biggest SB in Boston’s history.
Dodgers seem aggressive running, just not SB. Cody was on his way to third before he slipped.
That was bad luck (fortunately, though, not a bad break).
Back when things were going well, they played small ball successfully.
These are the same players (+ some), but not the same team. They need to get runs any way they can.
Link: The information above (1961) about the Coliseum history is a common mistake, but I know that the error was not yours. From Wikipedia:
“The Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a memorial to L.A. veterans of World War I
(rededicated to all United States veterans of World War I in 1968). The official ground breaking ceremony took place on December 21, 1921 with work being completed in just over 16 months, on May 1, 1923. Designed by John and Donald Parkinson, The original bowl’s initial construction costs were $954,873. When the Coliseum opened in 1923, it was the largest stadium in Los Angeles with a capacity of 75,144. In 1930, however, with the Olympics due in two years, the stadium was extended upward to seventy-nine rows with two tiers of tunnels, expanding the seating to 101,574. The now-signature torch was added.”
Much to my chagrin, Wikipedia fails to note that my parents allowed my sister and me to play hooky and took us to the first Dodgers game there on April 18, 1958. Carl Erskine beat the Giants, 6-5.
Huh. Well, it’s not the first error I’ve seen at the nationalpastime.com site I get the history from. This is a little more egregious than most, though. Nice catch.
Yes, that site does make periodic errors. However, I truly appreciate the historical context you provide on this site day after day. It enlivens things. However, for the record, I was not at the game on this date in 1907 when Nick Maddox no-hit the Dodgers.
You say that now.
Yes, my parents wouldn’t allow me to play hooky for that game. I have never forgotten that.
True story: My parents went to The March on Washington in 1965 when Dr. King gave his “Dream” speech. They didn’t take 14-year-old me because they were concerned about the potential for violence. I have loudly held that against them for years.
From ESPN:
Just as Bob H predicted.