Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. One of the most exciting World Series games in history followed by one of the most boring.
Game 4 thoughts:
—Tinashe sang the U.S. national anthem. Deborah Cox sang the Canadian national anthem. Apparently, Bruce Hornsby and Avril Lavigne were unavailable.
—Orel Hershiser threw out the first pitch. Apparently Dave Goltz and Don Stanhouse were unavailable.
First inning
—You have to wonder which relievers will be available for either team. Let’s look at those Game 3 pitch counts:
Dodgers
Anthony Banda, 3
Justin Wrobleski, 28
Blake Treinen, 15
Jack Dreyer, 5
Roki Sasaki, 29
Emmet Sheehan, 37
Clayton Kershaw, 8
Edgardo Henriquez, 30
Will Klein, 72
It would seem Banda, Treinen, Dreyer and Kershaw would definitely be available.
Blue Jays
Fluharty, 14
Varland, 20
Dominguez, 27
Bassitt, 8
Hoffman, 33
Fisher, 19
Lauer, 68
Little, 28
You have to figure Fluharty, Varland, Bassitt and Fisher would definitely be available.
—No George Springer in the lineup for the Blue Jays. He hurt his side while swinging in Game 3. Sometimes this can be a rallying point for a team, and the player who replaces the star can lift his game, just like Mickey Hatcher did when he replaced Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series.
—Will pitcher Shohei Ohtani‘s legs be strong tonight after reaching base nine times yesterday? We’ll find out.
—Great defensive play by Kiké Hernández. He hasn’t quite been Super Kiké at the plate, but he still raises his game in the postseason.
—The Blue Jays made Ohtani work a little, but he got out of it. 19 pitches.
—They pitch around Ohtani, then the runner is stranded. Uneventful first inning.
Second inning
—Seven-pitch inning for Ohtani. Blue Jays should be trying to work the count more.
—Dodgers have first and third and one out. Need to score a run here.
—Kiké brings him home.
—Can Andy Pages break out of his slump?
—He cannot.
Third inning
—Well, that home run by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was well struck. It’s OK, seemed unlikely the game was going to end 1-0.
—Ohtani has made 42 pitches through three innings. This may become important later.
—The Dodgers are hitting the ball hard, but right at people.
Fourth inning
—Everyone on the field seems tired. Heck, I’m tired. Are you tired?
—Ohtani strikes out the side. He’s the only one who doesn’t look tired. I’m pretty sure he’s some sort of android.
—Ohtani has made 59 pitches through four innings.
—And poor Will Smith. Catches 18 inning last night, back in there today.
—I’m not a fan of these in-game interviews with the manager. The questions are usually lame and it detracts from the actual game going on. People tune in to see the game. They don’t call out to their family, “Honey, quick, you are missing the in-game manager interview!”
Fifth inning
—Ohtani has made 76 pitches through five innings. Perhaps two more innings for him? Maybe three? It’s his last pitching start of the season.
—Can Andy Pages break out of his slump?
—He cannot.
—The Dodgers are not working the count ever. Bieber has made 75 pitches through five.
—I’m guessing this game does not end 2-1.
Sixth inning
—Ohtani made only one bad pitch this game, and it cost him two runs. He has looked great otherwise.
—Ninety pitches through six innings, so one more inning.
—Freeman gets a single and again the next batter doesn’t work the count.
—Bieber talked manager John Schneider into leaving him in the game. Will that come back to haunt him?
—Teoscar Hernández singles, so so far it was a bad decision.
—And now Bieber comes out for left-hander Mason Fluharty.
—And Fluharty gets Max Muncy and Tommy Edman. The Dodgers waste their best chance so far.
Seventh inning
—Single. Double. This game could be out of hand in a hurry.
—That’s it of Ohtani. Anthony Banda is the next man up for the Dodgers.
—If the Dodgers can get out of this giving up only one run, it’s a rousing success.
—The Blue Jays get two runs. It’s 4-1. The Dodgers can come back from that, but they look tired.
—Oh, no! It’s Blake Treinen!
—And he Blake Treinens the place up. It’s 6-1.
—With a tired bullpen, maybe Dave Roberts had no choice but to bring Treinen in today. But let this be the last time we see him this season.
—Like usual, it doesn’t look like the Dodgers will be winning the World Series at home.
—Can Andy Pages break out of his slump here?
—We’ll never know, as Alex Call pinch-hit for Pages and struck out. Heck, Pages could have done that.
Eighth inning
—The Dodgers just look lethargic. Of course, their offense has been below par ever since the start of the NLDS.
—Their starting pitching has carried them, and when the starting pitcher gives up a couple of runs, trouble ensues.
Ninth inning
—Dreyer ate up the innings, which is just what the Dodgers needed. He probably won’t be available in Game 5, but everyone else will be.
—Now the Dodgers need Blake Snell to pitch better than he did in Game 1.
—The offense comes alive a little bit in the ninth, but too little, too late.
—Mason Fluharty is the unsung hero of the game.
—Mason and Hannah were in their assigned seats, but the Dodgers lost, so they are now released from captivity.
—It’s now a best-of-three series, and the Blue Jays have home-field advantage.
—I get the feeling there will be at least one lineup change for the Dodgers in Game 5.
—My prediction remains, like I’ve said all along, Dodgers in um, six.
—More important, we wish Alex Vesia and his wife the best as they go through a trying time.
In case you missed it
Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series matchup a boon for viewership in Japan and Canada
‘Who is this guy?’ Inside Will Klein’s impossible rise to Dodgers World Series hero
Who would have pitched had World Series Game 3 went to 19+ innings?
‘Got an out’: Inside Clayton Kershaw’s brief but clutch appearance in World Series Game 3
This is how much Dodgers fans spent to attend the World Series: ‘This is the golden ticket in L.A.’
Former Dodger Mike Davis wants to be remembered for more than a well-timed walk
The perfect L.A. bakery for this Dodgers moment
And finally
Forget Game 4, let’s look at 30 minutes of highlights from that amazing Game 3. Watch and listen here.
Until next time…
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