NLCS Game One, 2021

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Dodgers at Braves, 5:07 PM PDT, TV: TBS

The Dodgers have decided to make this a bullpen game. RHP Corey Knebel (4-0, 2.45 ERA) will start, just two days after he started Game Five of the NLDS. He’ll face the Braves’ LHP Max Fried (14-7, 3.04 ERA).

Why an opener for the Dodgers?

Los Angeles was hoping to stay away from Max Scherzer in Game 5 of the NL Division Series against the Giants, but the right-hander ended up closing out the game with a scoreless ninth. Because of Scherzer’s appearance on Thursday, the Dodgers will have reliever Corey Knebel open Game 1, which comes two nights after he threw a scoreless inning as the opener in the Dodgers’ NLDS Game 5 win over the Giants. Tony Gonsolin is a likely option to take down the bulk of the innings after Knebel exits.

Lineups when available.

Dodgers:

Braves:

195 thoughts on “NLCS Game One, 2021”

  3. Last year Dodgers won two bullpen games against the Braves. Both elimination games, 5 and 7.

    • Have a lot of pitchers not good at holding runners and/or who take a bit more time to get the ball to the plate.

        • He stopped because he thought a throw to third would beat him, when the throw was actually to second.

          • Joc’s throw was short hopped by second baseman because the shortstop probably yelled out for him to do. Otherwise with the low line drive type throw bouncing on the infield dirt would have gone through to third for a play there.

          • That throw would have died before it got to third. It hit the ground before even reaching second.

          • It was a very low throw and would have exploded off the dirt. Whether it would have been in time to get an out at third is unknown. Will have to see what statcast says about it.

          • If the throw didn’t get him at third then the hard charge and quick hard throw that could be cut off was enough to get Taylor. We can either criticize Taylor or give Joc some love.

          • Not really being critical of anyone. Joc threw to second and CT3 had no idea it was going there.

        • Looking at the replays this morning and reading Doc’s comments it looks like that is exactly what happened. Apparently, Dodger runners are free to make the decision to keep running on such a play and Taylor looked like he made two conflicting decisions. The first to keep running and then realizing Joc closed in on the hit faster than he originally anticipated and stopped.

          Taylor stopped before Joc committed to throw to third and Joc was able to change what he originally was going to do, throw to third, and threw to second instead. That explains why he threw the ball the way he did because he had all his momentum set to throw to third.

  29. When a team has its best bullpen in decades and a rotation needing some rest, what should be done? Just what the Dodgers are doing.

  33. Involved with grand kids and got a lat start on the game. Been fast forwarding during commercials and plowed through the comments.

    Another entertaining game.

  62. Steiner pointing out that Willie hit “only” 7 dingers against lefties this year. But that is probably close to the percentage of times he has faced a lefty.

  71. My Mexican feed is about 20 seconds ahead of Steiner and Monday. Don’t want to be a futures person. Too much pressure!

  77. The Sawx hung on to beat the Asterisks 9-5. Now on to Bahston.where it’s raining tonight but the Monday forecast is for cloudy with cool temps (high of 59°).

  78. Houston Mitchell in the LA Times:

    All the NLCS games will be on TBS again. The announcing crew will be, gulp, Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, Jeff Francoeur, with Lauren Shehadi as the in-game reporter. So you’ve got a guy who can’t judge a fly ball to save his life, a guy the Dodgers beat in 1988 and still seems bitter, a guy who played for the Braves for six seasons, and Shehadi, who is good at her job. This reminds me of when Tom Heinsohn would be the analyst for Lakers-Celtics playoff games.

    • Darling’s a good analyst and makes Mutts games worth watching. I can do without Francoeur. I’d try the Dodgers’ radio except that, among other shortcomings, Steiner’s even worse on fly balls.