Jon Weisman – Page 24 – Dodger Thoughts

On October 15, 2016

In Postseason, Transactions

By Jon Weisman

Left-handed pitcher Alex Wood and infielder-outfielder Kiké Hernández have been added to the Dodgers’ official roster for the National League Championship Series, replacing Austin Barnes and Charlie Culberson.

Wood gives the Dodgers an extra pitcher for the best-of-seven series, which could include games on three consecutive days Tuesday-Thursday in Los Angeles. In addition, there is a chance of rain this weekend in Chicago, though it looks most likely to come in between Games 1 and 2.

The departure of Barnes removes the luxury of a third catcher for the Dodgers, though in two of the five National League Division Series games, Dave Roberts already showed he was willing to go down to use his last backstop off the bench with multiple innings to go.

Hernández replaces Charlie Culberson, who went 0 for 7 in the NLDS. Hernández has a single, triple and homer in 12 career at-bats against Game 1 starter Jon Lester, with the homer being the only run the Dodgers scored against the Cub left-hander in 15 innings this year, as Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. pointed out.

Here’s the lefty-righty breakdown of the Dodger roster:

Maeda to start NLCS Game 1, Kershaw for Game 2?

Photos: Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Kenta Maeda will start Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Saturday, Dave Roberts confirmed, with Clayton Kershaw looking likely to make Sunday’s Game 2 start.

Kershaw was in good shape after Thursday’s late-night bullpen session that climaxed with the final seven pitches of the Dodgers’ National League Division Series clincher over Washington.

The Dodgers’ biggest win since 1988

In Postgame

By Jon Weisman

As I sat watching Clayton Kershaw throwing those pitches in Washington, trying to protect a one-run lead and save the Dodgers’ season, of course my mind hearkened to 1988, when Orel Hershiser was doing the same thing in the 12th inning in New York.

But just as present was 2009, Jonathan Broxton trying to protect a one-run lead and save the Dodgers’ season in Philadelphia.

Part of the problem was I was literally in the exact same seat, in our little half-office at home, watching on the same 13-inch television purchased in an era closer to Tommy Lasorda than Dave Roberts. It was the same moment, the same prayers, the same brain-crushing line between agony and ecstasy.

Video: Happy retiree Vin Scully on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’

In Television

Enjoy these clips below from 11-day retiree Vin Scully’s lively appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Thursday, taped during Game 5 of the National League Division Series but airing shortly after the marathon ended.

— Jon Weisman

Comeback ended on mound, but sparked with Joc

By Jon Weisman

A year ago this week, Joc Pederson was nearly a ghost in the National League Division series, left with little more than his ability to let pitches go by him.

NLCS begins Saturday in Chicago, comes Tuesday to Dodger Stadium

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Hey, guess what? The 2016 National League Championship Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers begins Saturday.

Jon Lester will start Game 1 for the Cubs, with Kenta Maeda expected to take the mound for the Dodgers on four days’ rest.

Here’s the schedule (all times Pacific):

Game 1: Dodgers at Cubs, 5:08 p.m. Saturday
Game 2: Dodgers at Cubs, 5:08 p.m. Sunday
Game 3: Cubs at Dodgers, 5:08 p.m. Tuesday
Game 4: Cubs at Dodgers, 5:08 p.m. Wednesday
*Game 5: Cubs at Dodgers, 5:08 p.m. Thursday
*Game 6: Dodgers at Cubs, TBD October 22
*Game 7: Dodgers at Cubs, TBD October 23

*if necessary

Absolutely yes! Epic effort sends Dodgers to NLCS

In Postgame, Postseason

By Jon Weisman

You are dry. You are bled dry, you are bone dry, you are a body crawling across the desert toward paradise, and not until the last reach of the arm, not until the last extension of the fingertip, not until the last grain of sand was behind you, did you know if you had reached a mirage or the Promised Land.

You open your eyes, and it’s paradise.

In the most epic Dodger playoff game in a generation, in the longest nine-inning playoff game in postseason history, the Dodgers found the buried treasure of a four-run seventh-inning rally, then watched Kenley Jansen and Clayton Kershaw drag that golden chest to glory, defeating the Washington Nationals, 4-3, to advance to the National League Championship Series.

Jansen, whom Dave Roberts boldly put into the game with the tying run on base in the seventh inning, threw a career-high 51 pitches — four fewer than Dodger starter Rich Hill — to get the Dodgers within reach of victory.

Kershaw, the 19th Dodger to play in the game, got the final two outs, two nights after he threw 110 pitches in the Dodgers’ Game 4 victory — instantly recalling Orel Hershiser’s extra-inning save in the last playoff series the Dodgers came from behind to win, the 1988 NLCS.

[mlbvideo id=”1206140483″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Could not be prouder of Clayton!!

— Orel Hershiser (@OrelHershiser) October 14, 2016

The winning pitcher was none other than Julio Urías, who became the youngest pitcher in MLB playoff history to get the W.

It was the victory of a generation. It was a victory that seemed to take a generation.

Turner and seven lefties lead surge against Scherzer

In Postseason, Pregame

NLDS Game 5
Dodgers at Nationals, 5:08 p.m.

Nationals
Trea Turner, CF
Bryce Harper, RF
Jayson Werth, LF
Daniel Murphy, 2B
Anthony Rendon, 3B
Ryan Zimmerman, 1B
Danny Espinosa, SS
Jose Lóbatón, C
Max Scherzer, P

Dodgers
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Josh Reddick, RF
Joc Pederson, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Andrew Toles, LF
Rich Hill, P

By Jon Weisman

The eight position players the Dodgers have used in their three previous National League Division Series games against right-handed starters will take the field tonight for Game 5 in Washington against Max Scherzer.

Over six innings in Game 1 six days ago, Scherzer walked none, hit one (Justin Turner) and allowed only five hits, but two of those hits were home runs. That’s basically the one vulnerability for Scherzer, who led NL pitchers with 31 gopher balls.

Including his final three regular-season starts, the 32-year-old Scherzer has given up seven homers in his past 23 2/3 innings.

“I think there’s a lot of confidence,” Dave Roberts said this afternoon of the Dodger offense. “Obviously, when you face Scherzer, whether you faced him a few days ago or you haven’t, this guy’s got elite stuff. He’s a big-game pitcher. Our guys realize that. But having known that we have gotten to him before, and recently, I think that that bodes good for us and our psyche.

Dodgers will attack NLDS Game 5 inning by inning

In Bullpen, Pitching, Postseason

Rich Hill (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

By Jon Weisman

What’s the ideal scenario for the Dodgers at Washington tonight in the deciding game of the National League Division Series?

Pretty simply: An early lead, six or seven combined innings from Rich Hill (officially announced as today’s starting pitcher) and Julio Urías, and matchups from the set-up men before Kenley Jansen sends Los Angeles to Wrigley Field.

It’s hardly implausible, given that the Dodgers scored four runs in the first three innings against Nationals starter Max Scherzer in Game 1. Then there’s the potential of Hill and Urías.

As Kershaw survives, Dodgers advance

By Jon Weisman

If the Dodgers’ victory today clawed every bit of energy out of the fans, it nearly did the same out of Clayton Kershaw.

Nine hands on deck for Dodgers in NLDS Game 5

Kenley Jansen catches a flip throw from Chase Utley and records the final out of NLDS Game 4.

By Jon Weisman

Nine innings separate the Dodgers from the National League Championship Series.

And nine arms will be available for Dave Roberts to try to push them there.

Though it’s not yet official, Rich Hill, who threw 82 pitches in Sunday’s Game 2, is expected to get the Game 5 start Thursday on three days’ rest for the Dodgers when they meet the Nationals in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. But a rested Julio Urías is also available for an early entrance.

And behind them, with Wednesday’s flight to Washington serving as the best possible spa day under the circumstances, will be relievers Grant Dayton, Josh Fields, Ross Stripling, Pedro Baez, Luis Avilan, Joe Blanton and Kenley Jansen. Seven brothers to avoid being bridesmaids.

Dodgers, Kershaw extend season in Game 4 thriller

In Postgame

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Clayton Kershaw stood on the mound in the angled October sun, at once alone and the embodiment of the Dodgers’ postseason fate.

Bullpen usage key in decision to start Kershaw

In Bullpen, Managing, Pregame

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

NLDS Game 4
Nationals at Dodgers, 1:08 p.m.

Nationals
Trea Turner, CF
Bryce Harper, RF
Jayson Werth, LF
Daniel Murphy, 2B
Anthony Rendon, 3B
Ryan Zimmerman, 1B
Danny Espinosa, SS
Pedro Severino, C
Joe Ross, P

Dodgers
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Josh Reddick, RF
Joc Pederson, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Andrew Toles, LF
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Two critical factors in favor of Julio Urías starting today’s Game 4 of the National League Division Series fell away Monday.

No. 1 was that the Dodgers lost, making today’s game an elimination game. No. 2 was that the Dodger bullpen, already on its heels after Saturday’s postponement and Sunday’s 3 2/3 innings, was forced to throw 131 pitches Monday after Kenta Maeda’s fourth-inning exit.

Whatever you might speculate about Clayton Kershaw’s durability at this point, his typical outing is longer than a typical outing for the 20-year-old Urías. With that in mind, the Dodgers decided to put their best pitcher out there today.

One whom, it must be added, has actually thrived on three days’ rest, with a 1.89 ERA in 19 such innings over three starts.

“With Clayton, we had complete certainty from the training staff (and) doctors that health wasn’t a factor,” Dave Roberts said. “Obviously, it’s a game we need to win. One, Clayton gives us the best chance to win, and two, he gives us the best chance to go deeper into a game.”

Basically, the Dodgers need to play 18 innings of winning baseball over the next three days. The Dodgers will start attacking those innings with Kershaw, and then use the remaining 10 pitchers on their staff (except, one supposes, for Kenta Maeda) to cover the rest.

Baseball’s top players describe Kershaw’s greatness