The Dodgers forced game 7 of the World Series after a thrilling Halloween 3-1 victory over the Astros in game 6 to tie the series at three games apiece. Tonight we’ll witness the first World Series game 7 at Dodger Stadium in history. Make sure you are here or at Chavez Ravine, or watching on television because the Dodgers can clinch the World Series championship for the first time in 29 years. What we’ve wanted for our entire lives is about to come to fruition.
Honestly, I don’t’ know what to say or write at this point. I don’t want to jinx anything. I don’t want to move, or do anything until the last out is made and the trophy is hoisted. I wouldn’t know how to write this either way. This has been one of the most exciting yet stressful World Series in baseball history. Poor James, he’s got the duties tonight for the finale. I’m excited for him or I feel sorry for him. We’ll find out which one in a few hours.
Tonight’s starting pitchers will be Lance McCullers Jr. for the Astros and the Dodgers will send Yu Darvish to the mound. Darvish is trying to make up for his horrid start in game 3. Absolutely everyone should be available including Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, Brandon McCarthy, Josh Fields, Sandy Koufax, Fernando Valenzuela, anyone who can pitch an inning.
Here is the Astros lineup below
For all the marbles.
⚾️ 7:20pm
📺 @MLBONFOX
📻 @SportsTalk790 & ESPN Deportes#EarnHistory https://t.co/XyP9q0QXrM— Houston Astros (@astros) November 1, 2017
And here is the Dodgers lineup
#ThisTeam // #WorldSeries Game 7:
Taylor CF
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Bellinger 1B
Puig RF
Pederson LF
Forsythe 2B
Barnes C
Darvish P pic.twitter.com/XYQ2ZbCz62— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 1, 2017
If the Dodgers get the win today it’s going to be bedlam at Dodger Stadium. There could be looting and rioting all over Los Angeles. Make sure you wake your children up if they are sleeping so they are witness to history. No, not for the looting of course but to watch the Dodgers win the World Series. Man is this going to be stressful and glorious. Or heartbreaking. Or exhilarating. Will we see history? Or heartache?
Blue Heaven in November. #Game7 pic.twitter.com/nAbVJ6r3wS
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 1, 2017
I just need someone to hold me during all of this until it’s over………….… @omsports42
Go Blue!
Who in their right mind would start Darvish in the most important game of the decade for the Dodgers considering how he has pitched with an inconsistency that is troubling.
And……..he gives up 5 runs in the first two innings, 4 earned including a HR. Then he burns Morrow, primarily a setup man, as he will not be able to help close out the game in case the Dodger bats come through. What is the logic to this? Is this more ‘on the job training’ for Roberts?
No excuses. Just terrible. Don’t know what else to say here.
You have got that right Scott….losing is one thing, losing this way is inexcusable. Me, I would have pitched Wood. The middle of the lineup, Seager, Turner Bellinger and Puig have been abysmal. Darvish has been awful. But I give the Stros a lot of credit. They have exploited the weakness I said Cody and Corey had months ago, that down and in pitch that they have no chance of hitting and Cody has struck out 16 times in 7 games. He is young and hopefully come spring he works hard on leaving those pitches alone.
Scott
The World Series balls are different, and Darvish said in his last start, he couldn’t get a feel of that ball, so he couldn’t throw his sliders.
He isn’t the only pitcher, who has said that.
And Darvish has been doing his bullpen sessions with the World Series ball, maybe he never got the feel of that ball, and didn’t tell anyone.
Because he felt responsible for this next start.
I’m sure that possible. But I still think he sucks.
Scott
So do I, but have you ever saw a starting pitcher look like a deer in the headlights look, at the beginning of two starts, like Darvish did?
He was really good before this series!
And I remember in his last start, that was the shortest start, he had ever had, in his entire career.
He is a veteran pitcher.
Scott
What else could it be?
He’s just not that good MJ. I mean Charlie Morton performed better. The guy is a bust and just not a good pitcher. I never want to see him in a Dodger uniform again.
Darvish looked scared, deer in headlight look, when he first went out there, and it only got worse.
The crazy thing is, the dodgers should leading this game, they have had plenty of RISP, just choke choke choke.
the top of our order has just been the shitz
True
Darvish said in his last start, he couldn’t get the feel of that World Series ball, maybe he never got the feel this week, and he just didn’t tell anyone, because he felt obligated to make this start.
First off, Verlander has been the biggest complainer that the balls are slicker. But the pitcher can request a different ball. I have not seen Darvish do it all. Verlander did it 3 times in one at bat. The bottom line is that they all have to use the same ball. They are all at the same disadvantage. And to me, Darvish looked to me like a different pitcher both of his starts. He was not attacking the hitters. He was tentative on almost every pitch as though he was expecting something bad to happen and it did. The Stros have taken advantage of that and have been aggressive at the plate. I have sat here and watched Dodger player after player take the pitch right down the middle and swing at pitches they have no shot at hitting. And no matter what anyone here says, The middle of the lineup has played lousy. Other than 3 at bats, Bellinger has been totally overmatched. In every game they have lost except the 3 run homer to temporarily put them ahead in game 5, he has struck out at an alarming rate. The hitters have not taken advantage of a bullpen that is pretty much out of whack. And the pitchers have not had any success in stopping George Springer. 5 homers in the series. Reggie Jackson did that 40 years ago. But one of my biggest gripes is the fact that Roberts has kept one of his best bats on the bench to merely pinch hit most of this series in what probably is his last season with the team. The total misuse of Andre Ethier is mind boggling. They are 4 outs from losing a series they should have won.
Michael
I am not making excuses for the guy, I just don’t know why a veteran pitcher that pitched really well in the post season, would suddenly, come into two starts, defeated, before he even pitches past the first inning.
It looked like he already knew he didn’t have it, at the beginning of his starts.
Because he wasn’t attacking hitters, and he had a deer in the highlites look, from the beginning of both games.
And he had never made a start this short, in his entire career.
That MJ is a question that will be hashed over all off season. Now the Dodgers have to really look at what they assembled and try to figure out where to strengthen the team. Questions are still everywhere. I said from the beginning that I see holes in this team. They have a lot of depth, but the quality of that depth is very much in question. Turner had a terrible world series Cody Bellinger had his biggest flaw totally exposed and never really adjusted his swing to what the Astro pitchers were doing to him. Dave Roberts over exposed his bullpen and did not trust the 40 million dollar man, Hill to go past 5 innings. He overworked some guys and made some very questionable decisions. Left field needs to be addressed. A every day second baseman needs to be found. I personally believe the starting pitching needs at least 1 more good starting pitcher. I doubt they will resign Darvish. His asking price and the fact that they still have 1 year left on McBrittle, and Kazmir will keep them from going after any high priced free agent pitcher. Trades? Who knows. Grandal was totally invisible the entire world series. Barnes raised his stock immensely. Forsythe may have done enough that they exercise his option. Joc Pederson probably earned himself one more shot next spring to be an every day starter in the outfield. Utley will be gone. He was ofer the playoffs. Guys like Fields and Baez will be on the bubble. Avilan too. They probably let Watson walk, but they will keep Cingrani. With Buehler coming and Urias expected to return sometime next year, the starting rotation may look a lot different. All in all, the team we saw lose tonight will not look the same come April.
Random things happen in playoffs.
Pitchers that you traded for at the trading deadline to be a difference in the playff, one that everyone thought to be a stud turn in poor performances. They are outpitched by players on 2 days rest (or whatever Kershaw is on.)
This stuff happens.
The Dodgers lose, 5-1. Houston wins the World Series. They were the best Dodgers team in a generation. This defeat will sting all winter.
Houston is simply the better team. We don’t have to analyze this any further.
Roberts will be soul searching throughout the off season and during next season. His mistakes are glaring and hopefully, he will emerge with a different point of view and not say in hindsight ‘I would do the same thing again.’ That would be moronic.
The FO will have to fine tune this club as usual but there should be some major moves made. Yu should not be re-signed and we will have to look for another top tier pitcher. Many thought we should have picked Verlander, but, he’s old and lost 2 games to us. I don’t have any thoughts about who we should go after, just that we must go after somebody. Wood has proved his #2 role, I think, with a very sturdy season. In many ways he was our ace this year. Kershaw, Wood, Hill, & ? would make a formidable starting rotation.
Turner’s dumb remark yesterday about ‘no way we lose game 7’ is classic ‘jock-mind’. Just plain ol’ dumb. But he and Bellinger were so instrumental in getting us here, it’s too bad that Houston got their number for most of the series.
Hey, how about Forsythe? He played admirably in the WS. Too bad our lower batting order wasn’t enough to make the difference in the end. I’m still in favor of some trades or FA pickups and ridding ourselves of some of the usual suspects. It’s a shame how Ethier was treated by Roberts. I would have thought there would have been more loyalty in this very special time for the Dodgers. Roberts has blinders on.
Congrats to the Astros. The no-strikeout lineup beats the three-true-outcomes lineup. Those early HBPs could have been walks but we just could not make enough contact to bring home runs. So frustrating and definitely reflects a failed approach.
Where was that quick hook and why not put in Woods after him.
YF
I guess are hitters didn’t see what the Astros did, after the Astros lead off hitter, got that double!
They didn’t worry about swinging for the fences, there second hitter, actually gave up his at bat, to move Springer over, by just putting the ball in play, by hitting a grounder to the right side, to move Springer to third!
They did that, to get a run, that could score from a sac fly, or another ground out!
I couldn’t believe our guys, didn’t try to make sure they made contact there, after they just watched the Astros do that!
And I still don’t understand why are hitters hit the first pitch, of a pitcher who is struggling with his control either, that is very frustrating for me too!
That
yes i would of never started darvish …bellinger should have not been in the clean up spot…if darvish had not of started we would of won the game 1 to nothing.. plus we leave to many runner is scoring postion..
I should have been over before the 7th game even came along. They blew games 2 and 5 when they had leads in both.