Milwaukee (1-3): 1982 (AL), 2011, 2018, 2025
Los Angeles (10-7): 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1988, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025
The Brewers and the Dodgers met in the 2018 and 2025 NLCS, with the Dodgers winning both times. Interestingly, the Brewers had the home field advantage both times -- as they do this year.
The 2018 NLCS was a cracker (home teams listed first):
10/12/18: Milwaukee 6 - 5 Los Angeles
10/13/18: Milwaukee 3 - 4 Los Angeles
10/15/18: Los Angeles 0 - 4 Milwaukee
10/16/18: Los Angeles 2 - 1 Milwaukee (13 innings)
10/17/18: Los Angeles 5 - 2 Milwaukee
10/19/18: Milwaukee 7 - 2 Los Angeles
10/20/18: Milwaukee 1 - 5 Los Angeles
That last game is one of my favorite Dodger games of all time. The Dodgers have rarely been known for fiery or charismatic players, but between 2013 ad 2018 they featured Yasiel Puig, who had those qualities in spades. The folks in Dodgertown were never all that comfortable with Puig, to be honest, but I always believed in him -- and in the sixth inning of Game Seven, he smashed a three-run homer that vindicated me and effectively won the pennant for the Dodgers. As it turned out, that was almost the end of Puig's career -- the Dodgers traded him after the 2018 season, over my objections (he was only 27 years old). He spent the 2019 season playing for the Reds and Indians, tested positive for COVID in July 2020, and never played in the Big Leagues ever again. Once again, the Dodgers knew more about baseball than I do. But I still miss him.
Tonight we have two aces: Tariq Skubal for the Dodgers and Jacob Misiorowski. So far, the pitchers have been significantly better than the hitters in these playoffs, and in fact neither team scores in the first.
ReplyDeleteIt's Tarik Skubal.
DeleteThe Dodgers get a walk from Ohtani and singles from Teoscar Hernandez and Andy Pages to go up 1-0 after two.
ReplyDeleteFox has released a new scorebug that is dramatically better than the one it's been using in recent years.
ReplyDeleteIn the bottom of the 4th, Brice Turang homers to left center, and the game is tied at 1.
ReplyDeleteIt's 1-1 after 4, and ESPN Radio goes to the break with a clip from the song "Happy Days." Nice shout out to Milwaukee.
ReplyDeleteGiven how much difficulty everyone is having on offense, I'm a little surprised we haven't had one of those 16- or 18-inning games yet in these playoffs. Could still happen -- last year it was in Game Three of the World Series.
ReplyDeleteIn the bottom of the fifth, the Brewers take the lead on a walk to Garrett Mitchell, a sacrifice bunt by Cooper Pratt, and single by Luis Lara. Milwaukee now leads 2-1.
ReplyDeleteBased on what I've seen in these playoffs, pitching has gotten so good that you really have to be able to score by using small ball. Tampa Bay and Milwaukee are both great at small ball, and they each led their respective league in wins.
ReplyDeleteBrewers have runners at the corners with two out in the bottom of the 5th. Turang has a chance to blow the game open.
ReplyDeleteTurang walks and the bases are loaded.
ReplyDeleteSkubal v. Contreras (bases loaded, two out):
ReplyDeletePitch 1: Ball low (1-0)
Pitch 2: Called strike (1-1)
Pitch 3: Foul (1-2)
Pitch 4: Foul (1-2)
Pitch 5: Foul (1-2)
Pitch 6: Ball low (2-2)
Pitch 7: Fly out to right. The inning is over. The Brewers leave the bases loaded. Milwaukee leads 2-1 after 5.
The Brewers have never won the World Series. They haven't been to the World Series since 1982.
ReplyDeleteMisiorowski is no longer in the game. He left after throwing 94 pitches in 4 1/3 innings. So it's up to the Milwaukee bullpen.
ReplyDeleteIn the top of the 6th, the Dodgers get singles from Ohtani and Muncy, and so they have runners on the corners with two out:
ReplyDeleteUribe v. Pages (1st and 3d, two out):
Pitch 1: Swinging strike (0-1)
Pitch 2: Called strike (0-2)
Pitch 3: Swinging strike. Three out. The inning is over, and the Brewers still lead 2-1.
Small ball is not working for the Dodgers. They have seven hits, but only one run.
ReplyDeleteSkubal is gone after five innings, as the Dodgers turn to Alex Vesia.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to see how this game turned out. I went to bed after Uribe struck out Pages.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I have a question: Why do I find baseball better than ever? For my money, the first 13 days of Month of MLB have been the most appealing presentation of the game itself I can remember. I have had almost no rooting interest (I was mildly for the White Sox), and I know the Dolphins have freed me up to pay more attention to pay baseball than football than is typical for me at this time of year. But I don't think that's all of it. I also know that my wife enjoys baseball more than football, so that's definitely at work here, too--but, again, only part.
I think we're in this Billy Bean/Whitey Herzog strategic paradigm shift, and that definitely makes things more interesting.
ReplyDeleteI think the individual-skill level just seems out of sight (it seems to me that most every game features has a Graig Nettles-1977/78-highlight-reel performance by some infielder).
I also think it turns out I really enjoy the more demonstrative reactions of the players (it doesn't seem so much like hotdogging as it does genuine relief and shock in the player who succeeded because he knows how good the players are that he just succeeded against).
Finally--this factor I know is huge for me--Tim Kurkjian comes on Tony Kornheiser's podcast pretty frequently, and his enthusiasm for baseball gets me to take a new look at the game every time.