Dodgers Dugout: Pass the Pepto Bismol as Dodgers win Game 1
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and I don’t know about you, but if every postseason game is going to be like Game 1, I’m going to need to get some prescription acid reflux medication.
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—It was a tale-of-three game. The Dodgers offense dominated the first three innings. The Padres offense dominated the next three. The bullpens the final three.
—I never thought I’d miss Joe Buck calling Dodgers games. And I was right.
—FS1 commentator AJ Pierzynski has a firm grasp of the obvious.
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—No huge surprises on the Dodgers’ NLDS roster. Miguel Vargas made it over Hanser Alberto. Dustin May and Blake Treinen are both on. Not making it were Craig Kimbrel, Caleb Ferguson and David Price.
—A few readers wondered why Chris Martin was the “closer” and not Evan Phillips? Well, the Padres had just scored three runs in the fifth and had the momentum. So, Dave Roberts turns to his top reliever down the stretch to face Juan Soto and Manny Machado in the sixth, hoping to stop the momentum, and it worked (though Phillips was a bit shaky at first). That set up Alex Vesia to face two left-handed hitters in the seventh and Soto in the eighth. And Martin, with his 1.46 ERA, isn’t exactly a slouch.
—Which brings up another point about Pierzynski, who apparently didn’t research the Dodgers ahead of time. He wondered who would pitch the eighth now that the Dodgers had used their “high-leverage” relievers. His speculation: May. I guess he had never heard of Martin or Brusdar Graterol.
—Trea Turner has hit .228 in the postseason in his career and .216 with the Dodgers last season. He almost made up for all of it in his first two at-bats Tuesday, homering in the first and doubling to lead off the third.
—Pet peeve: Saying that someone has “struck out the side” when they also gave up a hit or two in the inning. You can’t strike out the side if not everyone strikes out.
—The Padres bullpen threw 5.1 hitless innings, walking only two and striking out seven. The Dodgers bullpen threw four innings, giving up three hits and one walk while striking out four.
—Gavin Lux has been criticized for his defense this season, but he made a great play snaring that 100-mph one-hopper and starting a double play to end the two-on, one-out threat in the sixth.
—The Dodgers were three for eight with runners in scoring position, the Padres 0 for 4. For all those who claim the Dodgers don’t hit in those situations, keep in mind that the Dodgers led the majors in batting average with runners in scoring position at .272. The Padres were 16th at .254. (The worst team? Pittsburgh at .221).
—If you want to break it down even further, the Dodgers were fifth with two out and runners in scoring position at .251. The Padres were seventh at .248. The worst? The Angels at .188.
—Game 1 winners of best-of-five series have gone on to win the series 102 of 144 times (70.8%).
—Padres starter Mike Clevinger is going to have a hard time adjusting to a pitch clock next season with all the rocking back and forth he does.
—Julio Urías was great until all of a sudden he wasn’t great. And the sweat was pouring off of him because of the humidity.
—Freddie Freeman was very quiet.
—Now, a couple of notes for fans in attendance:
—It was hard to tell if that fan interfered with Wil Myers’ home run ball or not. The camera angle from the side showed his hands sticking past the fence a little. Trayce Thompson wasn’t going to catch it, but it might have bounced off the top of the fence for a double. Either way, if you are a fan, be aware of the game situation. The last thing you want to do is cause your team to lose in your haste to get a ball. And, when they show you on TV afterward, don’t be smiling and laughing and on the phone with people like you’ve just done the greatest thing in the world. Unless you are proud of being a doofus, then by all means smile.
—And if you are going to bring a beach ball, keep the ball in the stands.
—And now all you kids get off my lawn.
—By the way, if the Dodgers decide to make more money by selling “Home Run Seats” to fans, they can’t cry too much when fans interfere.
—The Dodgers won’t have Clevinger to kick around in Game 2. The Padres turn to Yu Darvish while the Dodgers counter with Clayton Kershaw.
—My prediction remains Dodgers in four.
Dodgers against Yu Darvish
Lifetime, including the postseason:
Trea Turner, .353, 6 for 17, 2 doubles, 1 homer
Freddie Freeman, .318, 7 for 22, 1 double, 2 homers
Max Muncy, .200, 5 for 25, 1 double
Gavin Lux, .200, 2 for 10, 1 double
Mookie Betts, .192, 5 for 26, 3 doubles, 1 homer
Justin Turner, .182, 4 for 22, 1 double, 1 homer
Cody Bellinger, .143, 2 for 14, 1 homer
Austin Barnes, .143, 1 for 7, 1 homer
Will Smith, .133, 2 for 15, 1 homer
Chris Taylor, .000, 0 for 10
Joey Gallo, .000, 0 for 7
Trayce Thompson, .000, 0 for 1
Team, .184, 10 doubles, 10 homers
Padres against Kershaw
Lifetime, including the postseason:
Jose Azocar, .500, 1 for 2
Manny Machado, .257, 9 for 35, 3 homers
Jake Cronenworth, .222, 4 for 18, 1 double, 1 homer
Trent Grisham, .200, 3 for 15, 1 homer
Jurickson Profar, .182, 2 for 11
Jorge Alfaro, .182, 2 for 11
Wil Myers, .173, 9 for 52, 1 double, 1 homer
Ha-Seong Kim, .167, 1 for 6, 1 homer
Brandon Drury, .150, 3 for 20
Juan Soto, .125, 1 for 8, 1 homer
Austin Nola, .100, 1 for 10
Josh Bell, .000, 0 for 5
Team: .188, 5 doubles, 9 homers
What Vin Scully meant to you
Louie Valdez of Big Bear: My son and I were fortunate to meet him as he went to the same local Catholic church. My son was about 5 years old when after mass ended, I walked him over and Vinny looked at him and said “My, young man, you have broad shoulders.” Classic Vinny line even when he wasn’t behind the microphone.
Roni Ellis: I too fell asleep at night to the voice of Vin Scully. I was a young girl in the ‘60s and lived in East L.A. Simply put, there was a lot of chaos in our small apartment with five children, but this young girl could not wait to get under the covers at night to the soothing voice of the kindest man she would never meet. But boy, did he make her smile. I think my first two “crushes” were Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax because of how they were described by Mr. Scully. I then put their pictures up on our bedroom wall and stared at both of them all the time. I guess I felt like I knew them. I just made the comment to my husband on the night that Vin Scully died that aside from family and friends, there are not many left in the world who would bring me to tears when they passed.
Joseph Duncan of Torrance: My earliest memory of Vin Scully was listening to Dodgers games on the radio at my grandfather’s house. He was a Dodgers fan because of Jackie Robinson and I became one because of Vin Scully. This was at a time when very few games were on television, but Vin painted such a picture with his words and the varying tones in his voice that you felt like you were watching the game instead of only hearing it. To me, Vin Scully is just as much a part of Los Angeles as palm trees or the Hollywood sign. Now that voice has gone quiet.
Up next
Game 1: Dodgers 5, Padres 3
Tonight: Padres at Dodgers, 5:30 p.m., FS1
Friday: Dodgers at Padres, 5:30 p.m., FS1
*Saturday: Dodgers at Padres, 6:30 p.m., FS1
*Sunday: Padres at Dodgers, 6 p.m., FS1
*—if necessary
Stories you might have missed
Hernández: Julio Urías was masterful in Game 1 until he wasn’t. Can he keep the Dodgers’ trust?
Shaikin: For Dodgers during postseason, it’s the next reliever up
Yu Darvish wouldn’t object to an umpire ear inspection: ‘Touch my wherever’
A more relaxed Clayton Kershaw hopes he’s aced the timing on dominant stretch
Photos: Memorable moments from Dodgers’ win over Padres in Game 1 of NLDS
Craig Kimbrel off Dodgers’ NLDS roster; Blake Treinen, Dustin May, Miguel Vargas are on
How the Dodgers’ mariachis have become a very L.A. tradition
And finally
Trea Turner gets the Dodgers started. Watch and listen here.
Until next time...
Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
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