NLDS Game 3 Snell, Padres Cook Dodger’s Goose

I’m so disgusted with this team, it’s hard to find the words here. The Dodgers demonstrated some of the most pathetic and pitiful offense in recent memory, losing game 3 of their NLDS to the Padres at Petco Park 2-1 on Friday night. Except they have demonstrated this before in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021. It goes on and on and on and on. The decision to start Tony Gonsolin was questionable at best. He had not pitched since August 23 due to a forearm strain and had a 9.45 career postseason ERA coming into this game. Unsurprisingly he was useless, lasting only 1.1 innings before the Dodgers had to pull him from the game.

But the real culprit for this loss was the anemic offense. The Dodgers had to face opposing starter Blake Snell amidst a sea of yellow and poop brown. Snell is the guy the Dodgers couldn’t hit in the 2020 World Series when he was pitching for the Tampa Rays. The Dodgers still can’t hit him. Snell carved up the vaunted Dodger’s lineup limiting them to just one earned run on five hits across 5.1 frames while striking out six.

The Padres jumped out ahead of Gonsolin in the first. Juan Soto doubled to right with one out and Manny Machado walked. After Josh Bell popped out, Jake Cronenworth singled to center to score Soto and give the Padres a 1-0 lead. After a mound visit and a wild pitch, Gonsolin did strike out Wil Myers to end the inning.

In the bottom of the second Trent Grisham and Austin Nola notched consecutive singles to put two on with one out. The Dodgers had seen enough and Dave Roberts made the trip to the mound to take him out of the game. It was Andrew Heaney of all people who restored order by retiring Profar and Soto to get the Dodgers out of the inning.

Heaney actually wasn’t terrible, tossing three innings and only allowing three hits, two walks and four strikeouts. But one of those hits was a Trent Grisham home run in the fourth that put San Diego up 2-0. That’s Grisham’s third home run of the series. He’s throwing shades of Matt Carpenter, Matt Stairs, and Daniel Murphy.

Meanwhile the Dodger bats flailed the night away. They had a great chance in the top of third when Thompson walked, Austin Barnes singled to center. Barnes had two hits on the night and that was the only good decision the Dodgers made having him start behind the plate against Snell. For whatever reason Barnes hits Snell well. We all remember his single in the World Series that caused Kevin Cash to remove Snell in that fateful frame. But Trea Turner was called out on strikes, Mookie Betts lined out to third. The Padres intentionally walked Freddie Freeman to load the bases. Unfortunately Will Smith popped out.

The Dodgers continued to strand runners in the fifth. Thompson blooped a single to right and Barnes doubled him to third. The Dodgers had a golden opportunity with two on and none out. Surely they wouldn’t screw this up right? Mookie flied to deep right to plate Thompson for the Dodger’s lone run of the game. Then Trea popped out and Freeman grounded out.

Max Muncy’s one out double in the top of the sixth knocked Snell out of the game. Nick Martinez came in and struck out Justin Turner and then induced Chris Taylor to weakly ground out. Kudos to the Dodger bullpen for being great again and keeping the club in the game. Fast forward to the top of the eighth. Trea reached on a ground ball single to short, and after Freeman made out, Robert Suarez tried to pick him off of first base. Smith was at the plate, and the play was close with Trea sliding back into the bag with his non-gloved hand. Replay upheld the safe call on the field but Trea injured his finger and had to play the rest of the game with his hand tapped up. Lesson learned, always lead with your mitt hand. It didn’t matter. Smith Popped out and Muncy struck out. Josh Hader entered for the top of the ninth and easily retired the side in order getting JT to pop out to third and striking out Taylor and Thompson to end the game.

The Dodgers were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left seven more men on base. One more pathetic loss and the Dodgers can go to the golf course for the rest of the season and despite what Bluto says their 111 wins won’t mean anything. God they suck in the postseason. Tyler Anderson will take the mound for the Dodgers tomorrow as they try to get the series back to Dodger Stadium. San Diego will start Joe Musgrove. As frustrated as we are right now remember that the Dodgers were down 2-1 to the Giants last year and won the final two games to advance to the NLCS. They’ll have to do the same if they don’t want this season to end in total disappointment.

Scott Andes

Scott Andes: Longtime writer and Dodger fanatic

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