Baseball runs the opposite way. In June, say, baseball is everywhere -- high school baseball, little league baseball, college baseball. Thirty different major league teams, dozens of minor league teams, all going day and night. During the summer, lots of casual fans go to baseball games, eat hot dogs, talk to their friends, and generally enjoy the Great American Pastime. Other folks play catch, hit Wiffle Balls, or simply teach their grandchildren how to break in a new glove. But as the baseball year goes on, the world of baseball grows more concentrated. The schools and colleges are generally finished with baseball by the end of June. The minors are mostly done by the end of August. And by early September, most casual fans have moved on to football season.
By the beginning of October, the world of baseball consists of the 12 fanbases who have reached the playoffs, along with the small number of die-hards who like to watch baseball on television, even when they don't have a rooting interest. Soon the 12 fan bases are down to 8. Then the 8 are down to 4, and then the 4 to two.
Today, October 29, is Game Five of the World Series. It will be the last game of the year in Dodger Stadium -- the last game of the year in the United States, for this season is ending in Toronto, Canada. The only folks left are Dodgers fans, Blue Jay fans, and those folks who watch baseball on TV. It's a small community -- but an intense one. There's something uniquely cozy about watching the last few games of the season on television, and knowing that the only other people watching are people who really love baseball. This isn't the Super Bowl, or the Final Four, or any event where folks sit around eating snacks and talking over the commentators. We are here because we love the game, and we really want to see who will win. It's concentrated fandom -- like how you can concentrate light to make a laser.
This year, the MLB playoffs have been extremely hard fought. The Dodgers had a brutal four-game series with the Phillies. The Mariners and Tigers resolved their series with a 15-inning Game Five. The Blue Jays and Mariners went the full seven games to decide the American League. And the Dodgers and Blue Jays are tied two-all after four games -- and one of those games went 18 innings. After losing an 18-inning heartbreaker in Game Three, the Blue Jays bounced back to smash the Dodgers 6-2 yesterday. So now the Dodgers and Blue Jays will play best two of three for all the marbles.
Here is the Toronto lineup (note that George Springer is still injured):
1. Davis Schneider, LF (.234, 11 HR's, and 31 RBI's in 188 AB's)
2. Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., 1B (.292, 23, 84)
3. Bo Bichette, DH (.311, 18, 94)
4. Alejandro Kirk, C (.282, 15, 76)
5. Daulton Varsho, CF (.238, 20, 55)
6. Ernie Clement, 3B (.277, 9, 50)
7. Addison Barger, RF (.243, 21, 74)
8. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 2B (.262, 2, 40)
9. Andres Gimenez, SS (.210, 7, 35)
Starting Pitcher: Trey Yesavage (1-0, 3.21 ERA in three regular season starts)
Yesavage is 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA in four post-season starts.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers have scored only three runs in the last 20 innings, and they are reorganizing their lineup. Andy Pages has been benched, and the lineup now looks like this:
1. Shohei Ohtani, DH (.282, 55 HR's, 102 RBI's)
2. Will Smith, C (.296, 17, 61)
3. Mookie Betts, SS (.258, 20, 82)
4. Freddie Freeman, 1B (.295, 24, 90)
5. Teoscar Hernandez, RF (.247, 25, 89)
6. Tommy Edman, 2B (.225, 13, 49)
7. Max Muncy, 3B (.243, 19, 67)
8. Kike Hernandez, CF (.203, 10, 35 in 232 AB's)
9. Alex Call, LF (.267, 5, 31 in 270 AB's)
Starting Pitcher: Blake Snell (5-4, 2.35 ERA in 11 regular season starts)
Snell is 3-1 with a 2.42 ERA in four post-season starts.
This is the last game where we are assured of at least one more game, so this will probably be the last live-blog of the season by me. I will only say that I have rooted for the Dodgers for 52 years, and during most of that time I cared more about how I felt than I did about how they felt. But this is my favorite Dodger team since I was 12 years old, and honestly I want them to win this Series more for themselves -- and their place in history -- than for me. But if they do not win it, I will know that they were beaten by a great, great Blue Jay team. This whole month of MLB has been a joy, and both these teams deserve their place in history.
Davis Schneider hits the first pitch of the game over the left field wall, and the Blue Jays take an immediate 1-0 lead.
ReplyDeleteAnd now Guerrero follows with another home run to left. Snell has faced two batters, and the Blue Jays lead 2-0.
ReplyDeleteVlad Guerrero in the post-season so far:
ReplyDelete63 AB's
27 Hits
17 Runs
15 RBI's
He is batting .429 with 8 home runs. It's one of the greatest performances I have ever seen. And he's only 26 years old.
With one out, Kirk singles. Varsho should have hit into a double play, but Edman bobbles the exchange and Varsho beats it out. So the inning continues.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time in history that a World Series game has begun with back-to-back home runs.
ReplyDeleteVarsho tries to steal second, but he is thrown out. Kind of a strange decision there, given how poorly Snell was pitching. Anyway: Toronto 2, the Dodgers coming up to bat.
ReplyDeleteOhtani's batting in the post-season so far:
ReplyDelete56 AB's
15 Hits
12 Runs
14 RBI's
He's batting .268 with 8 home runs.
The Dodgers have an old-school organist -- straight out of the 1970's -- who plays all the time.
ReplyDeleteThe Dodgers go down 1-2-3, and the mood on Dodgers' Radio is grim.
ReplyDeleteIn the bottom of the 2d, Yesavage strikes out the side. The Blue Jays lead 2-0, and on Dodger Radio it sounds like L.A. is ten runs behind.
ReplyDeleteMost of the time, when you get eliminated in the MLB playoffs, it means that you stopped hitting. Every year, teams that won 90 or more games in the regular season see their season peter out in a series of pop-ups, strikeouts, and warning track flies. That's what the Dodgers are battling now -- their offense hasn't looked good in this Series at all, and at appears to be getting worse as the Series goes on.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time since 2022 that the Series is tied at 2-all after four games.
ReplyDeleteAfter mowing down the first seven Dodgers, Yesavage makes a mistake to Kike Hernandez, and Kike deposits the mistake in the left field bleachers. There's a lot more energy on Dodger Radio, and the Blue Jay lead is now 2-1.
ReplyDeleteBut the joy in L.A. doesn't last long. Daulton Varsho leads off the top of the 4th with a triple, and trots home after a sacrifice fly. Toronto leads 3-1. On Dodger Radio, they think Snell isn't very sharp. And that's true. But it may also be true that the Blue Jays are the best baseball team in the world.
ReplyDeleteSnell avoids further damage. Toronto leads 3-1 after 3 1/2. But Snell has already thrown 66 pitches, so he'll be lucky to make it through the 6th inning.
ReplyDeleteBut if you're the Dodgers, and you lose two games in which your two-time Cy Young winner (Snell) is outpitched by the Blue Jays' rookie (Yesavage), maybe you should consider the possibility that Toronto just has a better team.
ReplyDeleteOn Dodger Radio, Rick Monday points out that in the World Series, the Dodgers who are not Ohtani are batting a combined .194.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I loved Vin Scully -- as all Dodger fans do. But Scully didn't capture the deep negativity of many Dodger fans, and this radio team (Stephen Nelson and Rick Monday) does capture that attitude. Now Nelson is complaining about how Fox is interviewing Dave Roberts during the game.
ReplyDeleteRick Monday: "Whatever the plan is for the Dodgers from a hitting standpoint, they should put that plan at the bottom of the pile." I feel you, Rick.
ReplyDeleteNow Monday and Nelson are complaining about the Dodger at-bats: "When's the last time you saw someone try to go the opposite way? When did you see someone try a bunt to challenge the defense?"
While they're complaining, Freeman is hit by a pitch, and T. Hernandez beats out an infield single. But Edman is up next, and he has no chance against Yesavage.
ReplyDeleteYesavage v. Edman:
ReplyDelete1. Ball outside (1-0)
(Mound visit from Kirk)
2. Swinging strike (1-1)
3. Pop up to short. Inning over. That's the Dodgers.
Rick Monday: "Dodgers have to do something. They're just standing around waiting for the bus."
In reality, the Dodgers are very lucky that the Blue Jays aren't wrapping up the title tonight. Toronto dominated the Dodgers in Games One and Four, and Toronto absolutely should have won Game Three -- they just threw that game away, mainly because they wasted all the extra inning swinging for the fences.
ReplyDeleteDodgers have struck out eight times in four innings. I really like Dodger Radio -- it's a relentless stream of negativity that matches my own mood.
ReplyDeleteSchneider leads off the 5th with a walk, and Guerrero has a chance to bury the Dodgers:
ReplyDeleteSnell v. Guerrero Jr:
1. Called strike (0-1)
2. Foul (0-2)
3. Guerrero hits into a 1-4-3 double play. There's some bitterness here from Dodger Radio, because the Dodgers have already botched two double plays in this game. Talking about Snell, Stephen Nelson says: "If you're having trouble getting a double play, why not just start it yourself?"
The Dodgers have been complaining about the calls the Blue Jays are getting at the plate, and finally the umpires call a low strike. Nelson believes that the complaining helped: "Closed mouths don't get fed." Next season, I'm going to listen to more Dodgers Radio. Hearing them be so negative really helps my mood. Scully (and Charlie Steiner) were always upbeat, and that tended to depress me.
ReplyDeleteI was trained by Cawood Ledford, and that's the type of mood I want from my announcers. You can go on YouTube and hear Cawood's call of the 1978 final against Duke. The Blue Devils shot 34 free throws in that game, while UK shot only 25 -- and Cawood is having none of it.
ReplyDeleteDuke outscored UK by 14 points at the free throw line in that game, but the Cats outscored Duke by 20 points from the floor.
ReplyDeleteIn the last game he ever played for Kentucky, Mike Phillips fouled out in only 11 minutes of playing time.
ReplyDeleteAfter 5: Toronto 3, Los Angeles 1. 10 strikeouts for the Dodgers. L.A. has a 21.7 percent chance of victory.
ReplyDeleteThe Blue Jays are suffocating the Dodger bats, just like the Dodgers did to the Phillies and the Brewers.
ReplyDeleteOhtani leads off the sixth by smoking a liner to right -- but the ball is hit too hard. It stays up, and Barger has room to make a diving catch. The Blue Jays are really putting on a show.
ReplyDeleteSmith makes the 11th Dodger strikeout of the game. That ties the record for a rookie pitcher in the World Series.
ReplyDeleteBetts, who is 3-22 in the Series, grounds out to third and the inning is over. After 6: Toronto 3, Los Angeles 1.
ReplyDeleteThe Dodgers are lucky that they get a day off tomorrow. They can fly to Toronto, send out Yamamoto, and hope that he pitches another complete game. If he does, they could still force a Game Seven.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the Dodgers just look completely exhausted. I think the struggle of battling against the Blue Jays has worn them down.
ReplyDeleteBarger leads off the top of the 7th with a single to left, and it really feels like the Blue Jays are going to score about 3 or 4 runs here.
ReplyDeleteRick Monday: "The Blue Jays have been relentless. The Dodgers have been mysterious."
I don't think it's that mysterious. I think the Blue Jays have a better team than the Dodgers, and the strain of playing a better team is wearing down the Dodgers. It's the same thing that happened to the Phillies, the Brewers, and lots of other teams in the playoffs.
Barger advances to second on a wild pitch. Kiner-Falefa grounds out to short, and Barger stays at second.
ReplyDeleteStephen Nelson tells us that the crowd at Dodger Stadium is "listless."
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, I don't think the 1977 Dodgers would beat these guys either.
ReplyDeleteGimenez walks. Barger advances to third on another wild pitch. Schneider strikes out. With two out and runners at the corners, that's all for Snell. He threw 116 pitches in 6 2/3 innings. He has allowed 3 earned runs and 6 hits, but of course he's responsible for the two runners still on base. He had 7 strikeouts and 4 walks. I thought it was a very solid effort -- and if the Dodgers had been able to do anything on offense, he could have been the winning pitcher.
ReplyDeleteStephen Nelson: "It's 3-1 for the Blue Jays, but it feels like 12-1 given how the Dodger offense has been performing."
ReplyDeleteThere's a passed ball and Barger scores. So Barger scored on a single, two wild pitches, and a passed ball. The Blue Jays lead 4-1, and this game is over.
ReplyDeleteNext year, the World Baseball Classic will be played again. Here are the scores of the last five WBC finals:
ReplyDelete2006: Japan 10, Cuba 6 (San Diego)
2009: Japan 5, S. Korea 3 (10 innings) (Los Angeles)
2013: Dominican Republic 3, Puerto Rico 0 (San Francisco)
2017: United States 8, Puerto Rico 0 (Los Angeles)
2023: Japan 3, United States 2 (Miami)
2026 will likely be the last full MLB season before a major shutdown in 2027. The last time we missed the World Series was in 1994. In the two years before 1994, the Blue Jays won the World Series. Will the Blue Jays go back-to-back again in 2025 and 2026?
ReplyDeleteThe Dodgers have never gone back-to-back as World Series Champions. In fact, this is the first time since 1966 that the Dodgers won the pennant the year after they won the World Series.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm going to make a commitment to enjoy the 2026 season as much as possible -- there is no telling what disasters await MLB fans after that season. I went through shutdowns in 1981 and 1994, and nothing good came out of them.
ReplyDeleteThey keep showing Sandy Koufax at the game. He was on that 1966 team -- that was his last year in MLB. When I was seven years old, I read a book about Sandy Koufax and decided to root for the Dodgers. That was 52 years ago, and it makes me extremely happy that Sandy Koufax, and the Dodgers, and Dodger Stadium, and the World Series -- and me -- are all still going.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair to the Dodgers, I think they've known since the bottom of the first that they weren't going to get two runs off Yersavage and the Toronto bullpen. Since they were already behind 2-0, they've known this game was lost for most of the last three hours. I think that ever since they realized this game was lost, they've just wanted it to be over. They've spent the whole evening looking like they are waiting for a cab.
ReplyDeleteNow after tonight, the Blue Jays are going to think they have this Series in the bag. They have just dominated the Dodgers in game after game. In fact, the Series would be over if not for L.A.'s flukey win in Game Three. So Toronto will go home in a great mood. But the Dodgers will send out Yamamoto in Game Six, and the canny (and rested) Dodgers may try harder at the plate than they did tonight.
ReplyDeleteOne thing is for sure: the Dodgers should go back to their original batting order. Going into the bottom of the ninth, the top four batters in the L.A. order -- Ohtani, Smith, Betts, and Freeman -- are 0-12.
ReplyDeleteBlue Jays get their third easy win of the Series:
ReplyDelete6 runs, 9 hits, 0 errors for the Blue Jays
1 run, 4 hits, 0 errors for the Dodgers
This game was never competitive. Unless Yamamoto pitches another masterpiece, the Blue Jays will wrap up the World Series on Friday Night.