Here's where we are in the Divisional Series (best of five):
NATIONAL LEAGUE:
Milwaukee 1 - 0 Chicago
Philadelphia 0 - 1 Los Angeles
AMERICAN LEAGUE:
Seattle 1 - 1 Detroit
Toronto 2 - 0 New York
On Monday we get the two National League series:
5:08 P.M. Central: Los Angeles at Philadelphia (TBS)
8:08 P.M. Central: Chicago at Milwaukee (TBS)
One problem I have here is that I never think of the Brewers as an NL team. To me, it feels like the AL East has four teams (Milwaukee, Toronto, New York, and Detroit) in the playoffs.
After five innings in Philly, neither the Dodgers nor the Phillies have scored.
ReplyDeleteIn the bottom of the 6th, the Phillies have runners on 1st and 2d with one out. Bryce Harper strikes out, and then Alec Bohm hits a slow roller to third. Trea Turner, on second base is flying to third, but Miguel Rojas -- the Dodger third baseman -- decides his best hope is to beat Turner to the bag. Both the third baseman and the base runner dive toward the bag at almost the same time. Rojas touches the bag about half a second before Turner, and the Dodgers survive. Still no score after six.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very cool play that I've never seen before.
DeleteMore high drama in the top of the 7th. The Dodgers use a walk and a double to get runners on second and third with no outs. Philly changes pitchers. The next batter strikes out. Then Kike Hernandez hits a slow chopper to short. Teoscar Hernandez, at third, breaks for the plate. Trey Turner, charging all the way, grabs the ball and throws home. Realmuto makes a big sweeping tag just as T. Hernandez crosses the plate. SAFE, says the umpire. And the replay confirms the call. The Dodgers lead 1-0. This is advanced baseball.
ReplyDeleteMax Muncy then walks to load the bases, but Andy Pages pops out. Then, with two outs, Will Smith -- hitting in the ninth spot as a substitute -- coolly lines a single to left. The Dodgers go up 3-0 with absolutely clinical baseball. That's like baseball from a textbook.
ReplyDeleteThe Phillies change pitchers -- but now Ohtani is up, and he rips a single past second base to score another run. Betts pops out to end the inning, but the Dodgers lead 4-0 after 6 1/2 innings.
ReplyDeleteIn the bottom of the 8th, the Dodgers have Ed Sheehan on the mound. Sheehan is a starter, but the Dodgers don't really have a true bullpen. Sheehan retires the first batter, but Max Kepler triples down the right field line, and Turner singles him home. Dodgers lead 4-1 with one out and a runner on first.
ReplyDeleteNow the Philly fans are back into it. The whole point of this iteration of the Phillies is to get to October, and then give Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and the rest of the Phils the chance to hit as many homers as possible. In 2022, they blasted their way to the pennant. Now Schwarber and Harper are scheduled to bat next, with Turner on first and one out.
ReplyDeleteSchwarber strikes out.
ReplyDeleteHarper flies out to center. Dodgers lead 4-1 after 8.
ReplyDeleteFor the ninth inning, the Dodgers bring out former Nat Blake Treinen, one of the few Dodger relievers who they trust at all. He immediately gives up a single and a double to start the bottom of the ninth, and the Phillies bring the tying run to the plate in the form of Nick Castellanos.
ReplyDeleteCastellanos doubles down the left field line, and the score is now 4-3.
ReplyDeleteNow the Phillies should win. There are no outs. They have the tying run on second, and the Dodgers don't have any relief pitchers.
ReplyDeleteThe Dodgers, who never should have let Treinen pitch to Castellanos, now bring in Alex Vesia (4-2, 3.02 ERA in 68 games).
ReplyDeleteI saw Vesia the other day against the Reds. This won't take long.
ReplyDeleteThe Phillies try to bunt Castellanos to third. Muncy scoops up the ball and throws to Betts, who is knocked end over end by Castellanos. The umpire calls Castellanos out, and we wait for another replay. Castellanos is out, and the tying run is on first.
ReplyDeleteI know this must be frustrating, but I love reading the pregnancy of your posts when Blogger suddenly cuts off your commenting privileges.
ReplyDelete