World Series Game Six, 2020

Rays vs Dodgers, 5:08 PM PDT, TV: Fox

The visiting Rays send LHP Blake Snell to the mound to fend off elimination, while the Dodgers send RHP Tony Gonsolin out to end the Series today. Snell started Game Two of the Series and went 4 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on two hits and four walks while striking out nine. Gonsolin started Game Two against Snell, but he was being used as an “opener” and went just 1 1/3 innings, giving up a home run and taking the loss in a 6-4 game the Rays won.

The Dodgers don’t need Vin Scully, of all people, giving the Rays any bulletin board material!

“I don’t mean to put anybody down,” Scully, the beloved Hall of Fame broadcaster, told USA TODAY Sports on Monday, “but when the series started, I thought the Dodgers would win in five (games). Not that I know anything, but my thought is, ‘What’s taking them so long?’

“That’s probably a dumb thing to say, but I guess it’s not so much the failings of the Dodgers, but it’s a tribute to the Rays. They don’t look very formidable on television, I tell you that. They don’t look like a team that scores a lot of runs. You look at them, and they’ll leave the bases loaded, or nobody out and runners on first and third and trying to steal home. They just don’t have enough firepower.

“Watching the Dodgers all year, the Dodgers are a far better team, a far more formidable team. I don’t think the people in Tampa will argue. Sometimes the weak beats the strong, but these fellows don’t impose a formidable threat.

“I would be totally and completely shocked if they lost.”

October 27 has had more baseball history than I expected, most of it coming in the past 20 years as extra rounds of playoffs have extended the number of days required to finish the World Series.

Lineups:

Rays:

Dodgers:

486 thoughts on “World Series Game Six, 2020

    • That was a real rogues’ gallery of bidders, some potentially worse than McCourt himself.

    • That the Dodgers reached three World Series in this period, and that their two losses were to teams later discovered to have benefitted from illegal sign stealing… I don’t think it’s unjustified to feel that they might have been robbed of some glory.

  1. Seven Dodgers became free agents yesterday, one day after winning the World Series. So did 140 other players. Here are the Dodgers who are now free to negotiate with any other team :

    Justin Turner, Joc Pederson, Kiké Hernández, Alex Wood, Blake Treinen, Pedro Báez and Jake McGee.

    • If I were the Dodgers I would offer Turner no more than a two-year deal. I expect that Hernandez wants a multi-year contract for very big money and the opportunity to play regularly, and I don’t see that happening with the Dodgers. I would not resign Pederson, despite his post-season success. Regarding the pitchers, the only one I would definitely try to resign is Treinen.

      • I expect Turner to ease into the David Freese role. I doubt Quique will get really big money, but he could land a multi-year contract with more playing time elsewhere. Joc’s likely gone and Treinen also, since he’ll probably be seeking a multi-year contract.

  2. For the postseason, the Dodgers offensive numbers:

    Overall – .254/.349/.465/.814 – 101 runs
    2 outs – .308/.431/.565/.996 – 59 runs
    RISP – .268/.372/.450/.822
    RISP w/2 outs – .345/.471/.560/1.031

    Nearly 60% of the LAD runs were scored with 2 outs!!! Throughout the postseason, as the situation required more clutch, the Dodger hitters provided that clutch. How many years has the complaint about the Dodgers been that they cannot hit in the clutch RISP…forget RISP w/2 outs?

    It wasn’t just one player who clutched up:

    RISP (by AB):
    Smith (23 AB) – .304/.385/.522/.906
    Muncy (18 AB) – .389/.593/.778/1.370
    JT (18 AB) – .111/.190/.111/.302
    Belli (16 AB) – .375/.500/.688/1.188
    Corey (15 AB) – .400/.500/.667/1.167
    Mookie (13 AB) – .308/.286/.462/.747

    The above does not include Joc who came to bat only 5 times with RISP, and boy did he deliver: .600/.667/1.200/1.867

    RISP w/2 outs) (Top 6 by OPS):

    Joc – 3-3 – 1.000/1.000/2.000/3.000 (7 RBI)
    Max – 6-11 – .545/.722/1.091/1.813 (11 RBI)
    Belli – 4-8 – .500/.636/.750/1.386 (5 RBI)
    Fresh Prince – 5-15 – .333/.412/.667/1.078 (9 RBI)
    Corey – 2-5 – .400/.500/.400/.900 (5 RBI)
    Mookie – 3-8 – .375/.375/.500/.875 (8 RBI)

  3. SI’s recap of the game and the Series.

    As per usual, the magazine has put out a World Series Commemorative Issue that

    celebrates the Dodgers’ seventh World Series title in a commemorative edition that shines a spotlight on the team’s top players, from the early days in Brooklyn to today’s roster. This special issue honors one of MLB’s most revered franchises in one of the most unusual years on the diamond.

    • We don’t know what he does in private, of course, but he seems like one of those even-keeled types. I know I’d have been hyperventilating in those two multi-inning save games he pitched. He didn’t seem to be.

  4. I took this crazy season off, as most of the games were late for me. Glad they finally won!

  5. I was just about to say – Snell is the best pitcher the Dodgers will have to face for the rest of this baseball season.

  6. Someone pointed out had the Dodgers not won tonight, the teams would have had to quarantine a week before game seven.

  7. Fun fact. The Dodgers have never just won one WS in a decade. If they win one, they win a second.

  8. If anyone wants to pick up an extra LA Times tomorrow I would cover the price of the paper and shipping!

    • Couldn’t celebrate. Very sad. Not good that he has tested positive either but maybe a retest will be negative

  9. My class is quietly doing some handwriting, they have absolutely no idea what I am up to 🙂

  10. That last swing and miss on that strike out reminded me of Hershiser’s k of Parker to end the 8th in Game 5 1988. Both pitchers made the hitters look bad!

  11. Sympathy for Smoltz’s view, if Snell were going into the third time with no one on.

  12. How crazy would it be if the Dodgers brought in Buehler later this evening? I’m well aware – completely aware – it won’t happen. But it would be the craziest call to the pen ever.

  13. This worked in Game 7 of the NLCS so I’ll try it again.

    I sure hope I haven’t seen the last Dodgers Home Run of the season.

  14. Snell is dealing. But the Dodgers are still absolutely in this game still. Personally – I’d be down for a walk-off World Series win. Via the long ball or by a speedster sliding in safe at the plate.

  15. It’s been said before: The more relief pitchers you bring in, the more the odds increase one of them is not going to have his best stuff. Doc’s playing with fire.

    • Turner got 5 balls and zero strikes thrown to him. I don’t think he should have been swing 2 – 0.

  16. Dodgers have won three games because they were better. Devil Rays have two wins because they were luckier.

  17. This is the Dodgers’ 16th game in this stadium this year. They played 30 in Dodger Stadium.

  18. It is no disgrace to give up a dinger to this Arozarena kid. My goodness, he’s been even hotter than Seager, and that’s saying something.

  19. The one advantage the Rays have is they don’t have to hold anything back for tomorrow.

  20. I will be in a zoom mtg with my students until 8:30 Central time. Hope I don’t miss too much!
    Check in with you cats in and around the 3 or 4th inning.

    Go Dodgers!

  21. I think I have heard that Snell has been inconsistent this year. We will soon know if we are getting the good Snell or the bad Snell.

  22. I have confidence in Gonsolin, and expect the season to end today. That said, he needs to adopt a Rottweiler.