The postseason is always so unpredictable. I mean Archie Bradley hit a two-run triple. But momentum is such a huge thing. Regardless of that, all the teams in the postseason are good. No matter who plays the Dodgers it’ll be a challenge for the boys in blue. At least the Dodgers get a full series with rest, and start at home. Not playing in the wild card game is such a huge advantage.
The Dbacks defeated the Rockies in the National League Wild Card game 11-8 in Phoenix on Wednesday evening. In doing so they also burned their best pitchers. They used Zack Greinke. They used up Robbie Ray for 32 pitches. They used Archie Bradley. The ends justified the means because they moved on. That still puts them at a disadvantage on Friday evening against the Dodgers.
I wanted to see the Dbacks lose too. Not because I have any love for the Rockies mind you, but I really dislike the snakes. I think the Dodgers match-up better with Colorado then against Arizona. Plus I don’t want to see Paul Goldschmidt until next April. Then again it is nice to know that the Dodgers will not have to go to Coors field again this year.
What this means is that we’ll probably see Zack Godley take the mound against Clayton Kershaw in game 1 of the NLDS on Friday night. Or maybe Patrick Corbin. Godley has been in a late season slump. We’ll only have to see Zack Greinke once in the series and Robbie Ray probably won’t be able to pitch until at least game 3. That’s good…..right?
The Dodgers will still have the advantage. They’ll be at home. They’ll be well rested, and they’ll have Kershaw on the mound on full rest. Everyone will be at 100% health. The Dodgers will have their rotation exactly the way they want it. Not to mention the dbacks will be tired. It would be so nice to see the Dodgers eliminate the Snakes. It definitely won’t be easy I tell you that. We’ll see you on Friday, stupid Snakes.
The playoffs are always so nerve-wracking. We’ve been through this before. But how about that Wild Card game?….My word.
Granted, everything is unpredictable, but the odds still say that the Dodgers are going down. Personally, I can’t see the Dodgers overcoming the bats of the very hot Dbacks or the determination in that team to rise above them. I just don’t sense it from the Dodgers. Of course, I hope I’m wrong!!
There are too many questions the Dodgers have not answered. This means the odds against it all coming together for them is great.
Any betting mavens out there putting big money on the Dodgers?
I think we will pull it out, similar to how the Cubs did it against the Giants last year.
Had the Giants not burned Bumgarner last year in the wildcard game, I am convinced they would have beaten the Cubs.
We need to be patient and wear out their starters in the first two games. Their back end starters will come to Dodgers Stadium with absolutely no pressure. Our task in Games 1 and 2 must be to eat through as much of their bullpen as much as possible.
Art of War: always plan to win a war of attrition and fortune may smile upon you to win the war quickly when the enemy makes mistakes. Plan for a quick war and your soldiers will be surprised and disheartened when the war becomes longer than what was expected and when the enemy does not simply give up under duress.
I hope Cranke does start for the Dbacks Friday, he is very vulnerable lately. Better yet would be if we don’t in fact have to face Ray until at least Game 3, Ray has not been vulnerable to the Dodgers, he in fact has been Cy Young against the Dodgers. The way the game last night played out, really changes the odds for the Dodgers, I think it helped the Blue obtain a edge in this series. Remember good pitching shuts down good hitting, every time. Now if someone would just communicate this idea to our bullpen and have them not take a gas can to the mound this series. Again, I say, this series will be about run production, since the beginning of September, this issue is THE Dodgers issue. They solve that, they win the series easy, if they don’t this is going to be a real grind.
So bring it on Cranke, you’ve got to face the man on Friday.