Braves vs Dodgers, 3:05 PM PDT, TV: FS1
The Braves give the ball to rookie RHP Ian Anderson, who made his first appearance in the big leagues on August 26. He went 3-2 in the regular season and has improved on that once the postseason began, going 2-0 and allowing no runs at all in 11 2/3 innings. The Dodgers had planned to ask LHP Clayton Kershaw to get them even, but back spasms have intervened. They will send RHP Tony Gonsolin to the mound instead. This will be the first postseason appearance of his career.
Here’s the rest of the story of Kershaw’s back and the Dodgers’ plans for the rotation.
Today in Dodgers’ history:
- 1974 Herb Washington, representing the tying run in the top of the ninth, is picked off first base by Dodger closer Mike Marshall for the second out of Game 2, the only contest the A’s will lose in the Fall Classic. The world-class sprinter, who will never have a plate appearance in his brief 105-game career, was selected by Oakland owner Charlie Finley to become the team’s “designated runner,” a position that doesn’t exist with any other major league club.
Lineups when available.
Braves’ lineup:
Game 2.#MixItUp | #ForTheA pic.twitter.com/2iciaoBsA0
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 13, 2020
Dodgers’ lineup:
Today's lineup vs. Braves:#NLCS | #LATogether pic.twitter.com/KRN7leIx43
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 13, 2020
NPUT
https://twitter.com/ChadMoriyama/status/1316410225751064578?s=20
https://twitter.com/TRyanLA/status/1316410683102298112?s=20
They said that the Dodgers have the advantage in a longer series, so we shall see. We have pretty good guys to throw out there for the next three games with Urias, May and hopefully Klayton. They have another youngster tomorrow that did well against the Marlins, but had ERA above 5 for the season. After that they will need some pen games.
Thinking ahead: Graterol or Gonzalez for the save? *Whoops. We’re the home team. There can’t be a save.)
No need for save if we score 3…
Walk off instead
Looks like Kolarek can’t get righties out. Guess that’s why Doc brought in Baez to face Freeman with Ozuna and their catcher to follow. Didn’t work out.
Let’s get eight runs this inning and make Wood the winner.
Is anyone else seeing an inconsistent strike zone?
The Atlanta pitchers are so good they can even walk Seager
They seem to be lacking some cameras. Aren’t following foul balls. Or maybe it’s editorial not wanting to focus on the small crowd.
Maybe decided to not show empty stadium
Charley Steiner’s doing the camera work.
Their top of the lineup second time through superior to ours so far in this series.
CT3 with the D!
I remember the Yankees came back against the Dodgers with Reggie Jackson hitting a home run in a losing cause and then kept hitting them in the following games for a Yankee series win. Charlie Hough was his biggest victim. The Dodgers did not waste this comeback.
I’m sure I’m in the minority but to me that hurts more than losing 8-4 or whatever.
Not me. I feel like this is much better. Also, we have first at bats tomorrow which I am also glad about.
Feel better that they scored those additional runs.
You probably are
If Wood hadn’t . . . oh, never mind. “See”you tomorrow
We can chew on that one.
We can chew on Wood. He’s been unreliable all year.
Like stale gum
Ha!
I blame the ump. He gave Anderson and Co. so many close ones and didn’t give them to our pitchers.
We really may get them tomorrow.
So close!
One hole shy of a tie game
Dang.
Alright. But there’s life in the old team yet.
How ‘ bout a WP?
Have mercy.
Up to AJ. But this is awesome regardless.
Wild pitch a coming
My thought exactly.
Didn’t elevate it enough!
8-7.
Ok AJ, redemption.
Oh my goodness!!!!
So close
I hate this ump so much.
So low.
Safe!!!
Melancon is dislikeable.
Break!
Atlanta fans, do we have your attention?
Atlanta has mine…
A walk to Smith? A blast by Belli?
I’m going with four in a row
Or a hit and a bobble!
We will take it!
Hope springs a little.
Ho Ho Ho
MAX!!!!
Two more!
Max launches!
One more run. One more run.
There they go.
I would love one more run. Or two.
I was thinking save it for tomorrow.
Just want them to feel better about themselves for tomorrow.
Or five. Even six.
Keep talking
I stepped outside to watch the grass grow to perk me up. I’m back.
You living in Portlandia these days, right?
North. Ridgefield WA
This is so painful.
Rule 1 violation.
What was the violation?
A word that came like an unwelcome visitor into my mind.
Ok. Let’s get more on base here and then start the scoring machine up and running.
Like the dust when a ball hits the artificial turf.
3 runs here. 2 more next inning. All of a sudden things would look a whole lot better. Let’s get it done Dodgers.
Almost.
Joc just missed it.
Yeah, if he were on, would have had two dingers this game.
Then it would have been like 8-6 right now. So maybe it doesn’t matter.
I go to the doc’s office when there’s no score after one inning. I come back out and it’s 6-0 Braves and the Dodgers have one hit.
What did you guys DO?
Some are blaming Doc, so there is that link.
Tell your MD it was malpractice and refuse to pay him. No doctor is supposed to do harm.
If you hadn’t distracted Doc maybe he would have taken Gonsolin out an inning earlier.
Corey!!!
Hey RBI, rejoin us!
I was listening and cooking and whooping.
So were the Dodgers
As long as it wasn’t the tomahawk chop.
Well, that’s a start.
Smoltz doesn’t know that Seager’s still a first-ball hiter.
There is so much he doesn’t know, but doesn’t keep him from having an opinion.
Seager with the shot!
This inning reminds me of the joke about the guy who was asked what he wanted people to say at his open casket funeral in church. He responded, “Look, he’s moving!”
8 and 9 hitters shall lead the way
Smith could represent the tying run in this inning.
He still could.
A hit and a bruise.
A gross analogy: Resigning Wood this season was akin to taking gum from underneath the restaurant table where you put it on a prior visit and chewing it again, His ERA this year, in only nine games, was 6.39.
Thanks for the visual
We have them right where we want them?
And vice versa
Urias pitches tomorrow, possibly with May pitching the first inning, Kershaw, recovered from back spasms wins Thursday and voila! the series is tied. And we still have three more innings to win today’s game!
I like your optimism. I share it, mostly…
Remember the Twins beat Koufax and Drysdale in Games One and Two in the 1965 WS. The Dodgers came back to win in seven.
Wood squeezed but he got the out anyway.
I feel better, for no discernible reason.
Me too. We could be in the denial stage!
Let’s enjoy it, shall we?
Kind of like the jury has delivered the verdict and there is nothing further to do.
At least for tonight! I am glad we have first ups tomorrow. Change it up a little.
I think it’s like my old team, the Mets. There’s no place to go but up!
Nice job by McGee.
Well, they have more or less kept Acunha from going wild, so far.
McGee throws an off speed pitch!
Dodgers overcame a 6-0 deficit in the ‘56 WS and won 13-8.
They also won the 1955 and 1981 Series after starting with consecutive losses.
Bellinger has entertained us with his glove at least.
He’s no Willie Davis.
Despite the notorious misplays, Willie D was a fine outfielder.
Noted.
We do not look like a winning team. They do.
Cuz they are winning and we are losing? They are both winning teams, that is how they got here.
Pretty much!
Ugh!!!!!!!!!
Hitting them in the air ain’t gonna do it guys.
Just looked at Gameday. Yikes. But also, ump has tightened the zone. He’d better be consistent.
Long inning…
May the bottom half be as long
Are we up yet?
Right after the long commercial.
Thanks. I burned a lot of calories that half inning.
Maybe next inning.
The silence is deafening.
Bad game getting worse.
Off to work now. Hoping for the best. Fearing 2-0.
Freeman hit .250 this season vs righties, .373 vs. lefties, so why did Roberts bring in a righty to face Freeman? He had five lefties in the pen — four, not counting Wood, and three, not counting Urias, who will be needed for many innings in a closer game.
Doc gets brain freeze in the post season.
Baez better against lefties, no?
He is better against lefties, but Freeman is not just any lefty.
Anyway, it’s all water over the dam now for today’s game.
You gave us more to talk about than the Dodgers have given us.
Ha!
Your numbers are backward, he is better against righties.
Did you not answer your own question ….”Freeman hit .250 this season vs righties, .373 vs. lefties, “
If he hit better v. lefties, wouldn’t you want a righty?
Your numbers are backwards, but yeah, I was surprised as well.
Yes, my numbers were backwards, make hit .250 vs. lefties and .373 vs. righties. Thanks for pointing that out.
Ferguson would have been the man for the job, given the three batter rule.
I’ve stopped watching. Tell me when we are up again.
Have a nice nap.
Hahaha.
Outgunned outmanned outnumbered outplanned
And outmanaged…..again and again in the postseason.
Doc cannot hit for them.
No, but neither does he ever learn from his postseason pitching manipulations year after year. It’s the same old song.
He can’t pitch for them, either. This year’s pen has been really good.
It’s on the hitters.
Hopefully someone tells the Dodgers story.
Yeah. That battle turned out okay in the end.
Goose is cooked, Doc.
We knew that before Doc did apparently.
Doc often late to the parade when it comes to postseason pitching manuevers.
Felt like a Kershaw playoff start to be honest. A little too on point actually.
Klayton’s Achilles is the 7th.
Is it just me or has there not been a lot to cheer about for the Dodgers?
Demands creativity from their fans.
Their bats are slumbering.
Got to think a walk is as good as a hit
Dodgers lost the first two games in 55 WS.
There’s a straw to grasp at!
And the 1981 Series.
Doc has a lot of faith in Goose.
He got the out. Not his fault.
That was a strike three call by every call this ump has been making for Anderson. So unfair.
That just infuriates me.
Ump! Be fair!
Gonsolin loosing some command
DP please.
I am really tired of Smoltz.
He can be way worse.
Anderson done.
I’m violating some rules in the privacy of my elliptical room.
My (prescription) oxy is wearing off, so I may need another dosage. For the moment, though, I’m settling for gelato.
Sounds good. I do have some leftover birthday ice cream in the freezer…
Both can ease the pain.
Speaking of trash mouith, I had Taco Bell for dinner and am now eating a Hostess Snoball.
Whatever works.
Joc not biting. Good job.
JoctoBBer
Generous strike three.
Well that was a bad 15 minutes to go prep some dinner.
From cruising to losing is a tough transition.
Hope your dinner is better
I’m surprised more players don’t choke up on the bat.
Pitches mounting up.
28 pitches through 3. 33 in the 4th.
He is a heckuva player.
I expected the same from Mookie. Maybe that’s coming.
Just a couple of walks in this series thus far.
Freeman is a one-man band, leading the way.
It was a good pitch.
Now he finds the zone again.
I sometimes hate baseball.
Oh man again.
Mier-coles…
One hitter.
One thing with having live fans is booing pickoff throws.
There goes the perfecto.
Pitch counts: their guy 66; Goose 28.
Now 60
Really?
Grrr.
Let’s go Willie boy!
Now, this is a story all about how
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And I’d like to take a minute
Just sit right there
I’ll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel AirIn west Philadelphia born and raised
On the playground was where I spent most of my days
Chillin’ out maxin’ relaxin’ all cool
And all shootin some b-ball outside of the school
When a couple of guys who were up to no good
Started making trouble in my neighborhood
I got in one little fight and my mom got scared
She said ‘You’re movin’ with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air’
BBuncy up again.
Needs to drive in BBBetts.
That’s for Smith to do.
JT flips one through.
After striking Seager out with a change up tried to sneak a low fastball by him. Had to make one more pitch to do it again. Also had to add that second sentence because I couldn’t post the first one fast enough.
Big strike zone.
CT3. So close.
Homer in LA.
Let’s get Gonsolin some runs now.
Decent start so far for Gonsolin.
Now on pace an 84-pitch no-no.
Are you sure that this is not a Rule 9 violation?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNdcFPjGsm8
So yes?
Poised to share music as soon as someone asked that question?
Holy cow. 28 pitches, 21 strikes. Three innings.
Joc so upset with himself. Hang in there big guy.
Good to see it in him again.
Agreed.
Maybe they are kvelling so much about Anderson because he’s up there pitching for SO MUCH LONGER than Tony.
Blue gives pitcher benefit of inside corner
Still on pace for the 90-pitch no-no.
Our Ace is pitching today after all.
Gonsolin is to few pitches as Buehler was to many pitches.
29 pitches, 17 strikes.
Bullet, but just grabbed.
I had a lot of confidence in Smith this at bat and he delivered, sort of.
Classic Will Smith out.
It’s an out.
Looks like Freeman just caught the base pad with his toe.
Oh, man.
Sadly out I think.
Max loves those high fastballs. Way to lay off.
Juuust did.
If you know a guys out pitch is a change – that admittedly looks exactly like his fastball – wouldn’t you slow your bat down?
(Much) easier said than done.
But that’s why they get paid the big bucks.
Maybe look for the 88 mph pitch
The announcers are certainly loving on the Braves.
Smoltz loves them for sure!!
Go Max go.
Need a Muncy Walk but a mash will be accepted.
We are going to be seeing a great change up today.
15 pitches. No outs.
I jinxed it.
16 pitches, one out.
Jinx?
BB Betts.
I rarely say the word hate but I do hate high and inside pitches but if there could have been a better first pitch to open the game, I don’t know what it would have been, I mean, it even hit the bat.
Drysdale disagrees.
I think Drysdale gave Mays hand signals when he was going to throw one high and tight so Mays could do the gymnast thing getting under the pitch.
Gibson wouldn’t have.
Low strike.
10 pitches. 9 strikes.
90-pitch no-no!
Wow. CT3! Not a 360 but a 180 for sure!
Beauty of a play by CT3!
I strangely think the Dodgers chances of winning tonight don’t change all that much with the switch from Kershaw to Gonsolin.
Looking okay so far…
They don’t know what’s coming and neither do I.
Got him.
Deep breath, Tony. Deep breath.
Actually, Acuña needs the deep breath.
True.
That was pure Drysdale.
An example of rust by Gonsolin. Retaliation? Stay loose Mookie.
Rust or pushing him off the base?
Whoa. Crazy first pitch there.
Strike 1.
Dodgers starting lineup has produced zero runs in the NLCS so far. (Small sample size.)
Julito wiil be on the mound tomorrow. https://twitter.com/jorgecastillo/status/1316104208500879362?s=20
Don’t know how much of today’s game I will be able to watch because of work. So curious how the Dodgers will respond after last night’s tough loss.
https://twitter.com/jonweisman/status/1316056142888333312
But I thought that happened on Oct 15th… jk.