NLDS Games Four, 2022

Braves at Phillies, 11:07 AM PDT, TV: FS1

RHP Charlie Morton (9-6, 4.34 ERA) takes the ball for the Braves in this do-or-die game against the Phillies. The Phillies counter with RHP Noa Syndergaard (5-2, 4.12 ERA).

Dodgers at Padres, 6:37 PM PDT, TV: FS1

The Dodgers’ backs are against the wall, and they hand the ball to LHP Tyler Anderson (15-5, 2.57 ERA). The Padres give their ball to RHP Joe Musgrove (10-7, 2.93 ERA).

323 thoughts on “NLDS Games Four, 2022

  1. I’ll watch the Spiders and the Yanquis – both legitimate champions – but after that the season is over for me. No mildcard team ever belongs in the LCS, and the Trashtros belong in the Texas League.

  2. Went to a wedding last night. Came home to discover we had flopped in our quest for a championship. Very disappointing. Especially after such a marvelous season. Must be what it felt like back in 1953.

    Gonna be interesting to see what AF does this off season. Dodgers need a make over.

    It has been a pleasure blogging with you all this season. Thanks Link for this venue and all your efforts.

    Go Phillies. Go Guardians.

  3. The 5-inning script for pitchers no matter how well they’re pitching has got to be adjusted, says Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times.

    Any review of the Dodgers’ failure starts with the organization’s overarching philosophy implemented by Friedman that devalues starting pitching and calls for the use of an assembly line of relievers.

    This is an industry-wide trend, and it works — to a degree.

    The Dodgers have taken this concept to an extreme, as their management apparatus has demonstrated an inclination to stick with their pregame script rather than allow a starter who is performing well to pitch an extra inning or two.

    That’s what happened Saturday when Roberts removed Tyler Anderson after five scoreless innings with his pitch count at 86.

    That’s also what happened three days earlier during a Game 2 loss when Clayton Kershaw was taken out after five innings even though he’d retired the last nine hitters he’d faced.

    Asked if he gave any thought to allowing Anderson to return for the sixth inning, Roberts replied, “There was some thought, but where he was at with his pitch count, who was coming up, I just felt we had enough arms to get through that.”

    In reality, decisions on how long to stick with starters are made before games, with Roberts consulting with the front office on the number of batters they should face.

    Anderson was cruising, but the brain trust had probably decided it didn’t want Anderson pitching to Juan Soto and Manny Machado for a third time.

    By limiting the responsibilities of his starting pitchers, Friedman has effectively called on his relievers to cover more innings. But if every pitching change Roberts makes is an opportunity to create favorable matchups, it’s also a chance for something to go wrong. Every call to the bullpen could be a landmine.

  4. The worst ending to a Dodger season since 1962. I am getting too old for this. At this point I don’t plan to become so emotionally involved with the Dodgers next season. It is a bad relationship. I was numb after last night. Have a nice fall and winter, friends.

    • The pen was supposed to be a strength. Hard that on the night the Dodgers had the best starters performance of the series this happened.

  5. Reminded myself that the previous six teams to bounce the Dodgers from the playoffs were crowned MLB Champs.

  6. Martin is definitely doing his job. But the Dodgers are not turning ground balls into (extra) outs.

  7. I’ve been paying only casual attention this morning but, either way, a mildcard team will win this match the Barves and the Fillies. In any event, a Manfred mess.

    • I will have little interest in the WS. But if Cleveland reaches it, I will root for the Guardians. One of my close friends is a lifelong fan of Cleveland, which hasn’t won the World Series since 1948 and has lost four since, including in 1954, when it had a better record (111-43) than the Dodgers had this season.

  8. Link: I can’t say goodbye without saying thank you so much for what you did all year long on this site, particularly with everything you have had to deal with. You’re a blessing.

  9. Well, they put together a great team and a season that was full of joy. Not sure where you go from here in terms of lessons learned and all that as the FO goes into the off season.

  10. Good morning, good afternoon – and good night 2022 Dodgers. And Elysian Fields friends…

    See you all again next March.

  11. They gave me a great season. I watched almost every game and loved every minute of this year and every member of this team. I’m sorry we fell so flat, but playoffs are their own thing.

  12. Hard to have much higher expectations than having a 111 win team in the playoffs. So that’s always fun…

  13. I suppose we can all wonder why Phillips wasnt in for the heart of the order in the 7th now.

  14. An LCS with two mildcard teams would demonstrate how the Manfred regime has devalued the sport.

    • He’s done exactly what all the owners wanted him to do. No more and certainly no less.

  15. Outside of the Houston team, all the other division winners could end up being eliminated by teams that got hot in the first round.

      • Let me phrase that then. Outside of Houston, all the other teams that got byes could end up being eliminated by teams who got hot in the first round. Do you have issue with that?

      • I watch Dodgers for a good story. The fact that they were dominant all year, especially against the padres, and then in the moment of truth were found wanting, is interesting as it makes them all tooo human.

        • I saw/felt this ending coming the last week of the season and going forward, honestly. We were so flat against the Rockies, and the Padres/Mets games showed me that the Padres were finally firing on all cylinders. I think we could have beaten the Mets, as they, too, were slowing down. But I told my husband once the Padres beat the Mets that I thought we would lose this round.

  16. Watching with the sound off means I’m sad rather than bitter/angry with the cheering.

  17. Worst time ever for the pen to implode. 3 runs is not insurmountable but really it could have been enough.

  18. Really needed Will’s at bat to be a hit rather than a sac fly. It was the only ball hit hard the whole inning.

  19. Happy to see the top 3 Dodgers having success (well – mostly Freddie) but could use the rest of the lineup to produce as well.

  20. Looks like Doc wouldn’t let Tyler go through a third time with Brusdar warming in the pen.

  21. I’m off to wash some dinner dishes. Here’s hoping for more runs while I’m playing in the warm water.

        • Ugh – I hate the written word sometimes. When I said “really?” – it was not a challenge – it was genuine surprise.

          I honestly don’t know what it means to me! I still love his glove so much that I’m still rooting for him to stick around and become at least a 100 OPS+ guy.

  22. Maybe the game in Seattle will just keep going and going. The NLCS will be played and the winner will be waiting for a WS opponent – but the ALDS still won’t be over.

  23. This series at a glance:

    Total Runs: Padres 10, Dodgers 9
    Dodgers: LOB 23, RISP 3 for 25
    Padres: LOB 22, RISP 3 for 25

  24. I’ve been watching Seattle v Houston. 0 -0 bottom of the 16th. Julio Rodriguez is absolutely awesome.