Hold onto your hats Dodger fam! The Dodgers destroyed the Giants on Sunday afternoon by a score of 15-0. There was absolutely no fight from the Giants at all in any way whatsoever. All of their bravado about being spoiler and knocking the Dodgers out of the playoffs thankfully died On Saturday after the Dodgers won and clinched their sixth consecutive postseason appearance. San Francisco’s only focus was on saying goodbye to Hunter Pence who’s contract expires this winter. The Dodgers decided to hold Walker Buehler back for a tiebreaker or Wild Card Game and started Rich Hill instead. The Giants threw left hander Andrew Suarez to counter in the series finale. Like I said, the game was long over before the national anthem was sung.
The Washington Nationals decided not to start Max Scherzer on Sunday at Coors Field for some unknown reason and instead started Erick Fedde in game 162. Unsurprisingly the Rockies lit him up like a Christmas tree and handily defeated the Nats 12-0. That means the two teams will indeed play a tiebreaker game on Monday at Dodger Stadium. First pitch scheduled for 1:09 PM PST.
Dodgers 15 16 0
Giants 0 2 0
WP-Hill-11-5
LP-Suarez-7-13
HR-Dozier-21-Muncy-34-Barnes-4
The Dodgers battered Suarez and the Giants for 15 runs on 16 hits. The boys in blue scored two runs in the top of the first and seven runs in the third. The Dodgers opened the scoring in the top of the first with a Chris Taylor walk, a Justin Turner double to score Taylor (Hunter Pence misplayed the ball in right field) and a David Freese RBI single followed. The top of the third went like this….
Taylor ground out
Turner HBP
Freese double off the wall
Manny Machado RBI single to center
Enrique Hernandez RBI single to left
Giants pitching change to Hunter Strickland
Matt Kemp two RBI double
Yasmani Grandal single
Strickland wild pitch, scoring Kemp
Brian Dozier solo home run
That’s how the third inning went for the Dodgers. When the dust settled the Dodgers were up 9-0, and the Giants were slithering off to the golf courses to ponder their dismal season. Every position player in the Dodger lineup had at least one hit, and the club was 8 for 13 with runners in scoring position. For good fun the Dodgers added a Max Muncy solo home run (his 34 of the season) into McCovey cove, and an Austin Barnes solo home run in the top of the ninth.
On the other side, Rich Hill was masterful. He allowed just two hits and no walks over seven shutout innings and barely broke a sweat. With a new grip on his excellent curveball, he struck out seven and made 75 pitches to record his eleventh win. J.T. Chargois tossed a scoreless eighth frame and Julio Urias finished the day with a 123 ninth inning.
This won’t be the only tiebreaker game going on Tomorrow either. In an unprecedented turn of events, it looks like the Cubs and Brewers will be fighting for the NL Central title at Wrigley Field on Monday as well. Two tiebreakers on the same day! This is bananas! No announcement yet on who the Dodgers or Rockies will be starting. Will it be Walker Buehler? Will it be a bullpen/matchups game? I don’t know, but I know that you all should probably just cancel anything you have going on tomorrow. Work, school, appointments, nope just call in sick. Because Dodger Stadium is going to be insane on Monday afternoon. It all comes down to one game, a game 163 to determine the NL West winner. Did anybody think this season would end like this back in April? What an incredibly whacky year.
Go. blue. Must win tomorrow
Why is it must win?
Makes no sense.
Because genius, you would much rather host the first round than have to travel to Chicago or Milwaukee for a one game playoff. You win tomorrow and that happens. You lose and your season is on the line. Any moron knows it is a better scenario to win. Then if you do happen to win the wild card game, you are still out on the road beginning the playoffs with the #1 seed. Who would you rather play, Atlanta, or the Brewers or Cubs at home??? DUH! Sometimes you say crap that is totally idiotic.
Scott I totally anticipated, and said so at the time (ST) that this was going to be a very bumpy ride this season. I’m actually shocked the Dodgers made it to the playoffs. So now we start all over, it’s a whole new season, hopefully the Dodgers can find some consistency and overcome Roberts’ “proven ways” to make a lineup card and manage a bullpen (yeah and monkeys might fly out of my butt).
True Blue, at least they will be blue monkeys!
Indeed a bumpy ride. DR is gonna’ be lost, without his standing room only bullpen, and 11 guys on the pine (or 10 on the pine, and one on the john).
Single deck blackjack now. It will be interesting who makes the playoff roster.
I heard the call-ups are eligible for game 163. Then they will have to wittle it down.
Give Dozier credit there Scott. It was a 2 run dinger. He drove in Grandal along with himself. Barnes hit his 4th and Muncy # 34. Matt Kemp with his 3 hits has his average up to .290. The highest qualifying average among Dodger players. Turner’s .313 does not quality since he has not had enough at bats. They have the full compliment for tomorrows game, and it looks like the Rockies are going to pitch Marquez. He has been very good against the Dodgers 2 out of his 3 appearances. Orel and Joe were saying something about a bullpen game, if that is the case, I start Ferguson. Guy has electric stuff. Urias struck out 2 more and had a clean inning. Including striking out Pence in a 9 pitch at bat. Hunter’s last appearance in a big league game for the Giants . You most likely saw Utley for the last time at least for now. After tomorrow, no matter what, they have to cut the roster to 25 for either the first round against Atlanta, or a wild card game against either the Brewers or Cubs on the road. The first round game would be at Dodger Stadium, so lets hope they put the Rockies away tomorrow. The reason I am thinking this is because I remember in 62 when Alston held Drysdale back because he wanted him to pitch the first game of the World Series and forgot, you have to get there first. They lost and the Giants went to the series. I want them to win the division. It is the easier path. The Rockies are not good at Dodger Stadium most of the time, so throw the kitchen sink at them if you have to, but win the game. Marquez is a strikeout pitcher and over each of his last 3 appearances has struck out 10 or more. First Rockie’s pitcher do ever do that. Holding Buehler back for either a wild card game, or game two of the playoffs is not really what I would do. I want my best out there to win now, so you do not have to go on the road for a wild card game. They are at least here at this point. A week ago, it did not look good. Looks like the Brewers and Cubs will be playing #163 also.
Roster for wild card or game 1 of the playoffs…..my picks…..starters, Kershaw, Ryu, Buehler, Hill….relievers, Jansen, Alexander, Maeda, Wood, Fields, Floro, Baez, and Stripling. You could drop Fields and Stripling and substitute, Ferguson and Madson, or even Axford. But me, I want that 5th player off the bench so 12 pitchers is all I use. If it is a wild card game, it will be all hands on deck anyway. Position players……outfield, Kemp, Puig, Pederson, with Kike and Bellinger available out there too. Catchers, Barnes and Grandal, infielders, Muncy, Taylor, Turner, Machado, Freese and Dozier. That’s my story and I am stickin too it.
It is official. Mike Scioscia will not be back as Angel’s manager next year. He made the announcement after today’s walk off win by the Angels. Dodgers are 6-3 against the Rockies at Dodger Stadium this year. 4-6 at Coors
Interesting to see what happens with Scoscia, I think he’s definitely old school when it comes to bullpen usage and lineup construction.
But I think he came around on other modern tactics.
Bluto…. Duh? Anybody home?
Win tomorrow, they would not have to play wild card. And start NLDS vs. ATL.
ATL would be the preferred opponent. With Home Field Advantage.
If they lose the one game Monday, then they would have to face Cubs or Brewers in wild card game Tuesday, that would be dicey. Would also have to expend another pitcher for the game. With Buehler used Monday, who would you trust to pitch the wild card game? Would hate to waste Ryu… need him if they make the NLDS. LAD pitching staff is not as strong as we think. To have to waste two starting pitchers in the divisional playoff Monday, and wild card game on Tuesday would be devistating, not to mention taxing the bullpen. The more arms they can save, the better.
I see and saw the advantages, but “must win” feels a bit melo-dramatic, no?
It’ll be nice to win, but the team’s starting pitching is quite deep.
No it does not, maybe to you, but not to anyone who has a modicum of horse sense. Deep pitching means nothing in a one game playoff. And traditionally the Dodgers have not fared well in that department. They did just announce that Buehler is pitching tomorrow, so the matchup will be Marquez-Buehler. 2 young studs with all hands on deck. You can bet they do not want the game to get out of hand. All hands on deck tomorrow means a very long bench and bullpen, if a wild card game, you are back to the 25.
Bluto, We will definitely find out about their pitching depth, as well as if their offense will stop wasing scoring opportunities.
Remember, they will not have 14 pitchers in the pen, or 11 subs on the bench.
Go Blue!
They will tomorrow. It is considered part of the regular season. Not so when they or the Rockies go to the wild card game.
?????
Michael, Bluto IS …. on another planet.
Michael, You are absolutely correct regarding roster size for divisional playoff vs, wild card. Either way, this pitching staff cannot affford to expend starting pitchers on extra games. The least they have to play, the better.
Maeta!!! That is the wild card answer for the odd man in to start. He has the game and I feel he absolutely will be on fire to prove himself.
15-0!! Dodgers are on the March! But, so is Colorado! This could be one of the most exciting moments in recent Dodger history. Two teams bent on destroying each other and climbing to the top. Rockies are even hotter than the Dodgers, lately. Even last season, they made a strong bid late in the season but their pitching is not on the same level that their hitting is on. Lately, they seem to have made some corrections there. Of course, I will be rooting for the Dodgers and Buehler, who has been pitching very well as of late. Can’t wait!