Big game tomorrow. Hill needs to be in control and not be too pumped like he was last year for his first go around in the NLDS. Pitch like that guy from the NLCS that completely shut down the Cubs. The Backs have hardly any success against him, but they have used the long ball a bit. Gotta win tomorrow or I could see this thing ending in AZ.
I'll live with a couple of solo shots. Have to hope the Dodgers keep swinging it like they did tonight.
His slider was not fooling people again as only two swing and misses on it, which was a season low. This seems to happen when he gets overly excited and he struggled with it earlier this season when he was throwing it too hard so it flattened out. The greats have ice in their veins and slow the game down, Kershaw has shown his whole career during the regular season he can do that. He just needs to start doing it in the post season as well. An easy indicator is how spent he is at the end of these PO games. His adrenaline is so high early that he crashes hard. Breaking down late is understandable, but he seems to fall off a cliff after the 85-90 pitch mark in the post season and that is just not normal Kershaw.
Dbacks pick up JD Martinez. Tribe picks up Jay Bruce. Meanwhile, the Dodgers pick up the skeletal remains of Curtis Granderson and hang on to the corpse of Andre Ethier.
The guys who didn't start tonight have decent and great numbers against him (Barnes and Kike) while Logan and Taylor have crushed him as well. Seager, Belli, Turner and Puig have not done well, but with the atmosphere I expect them to put together better AB's.
It will be Ray's first playoff start. Let's see how he reacts. Hopefully like Walker did, but I'm not holding my breath on that.
A couple of things to watch for with Ray on short rest is the breaking pitch. Seems to be that they are much more crisp after these quick turnarounds, but the fastball command seems to be less consistent. If that is the case, the team is going to have to be much more patient, even moreso than they were tonight. Make him work and get to that pen early again.
That is the negative of the other night. He came in and pitched really well, so he probably was able to shake some of the anxiety. Just have to hope that he can't make the turnaround and that Hill fucking deals.
True. But coming out of the pen he had no time to think about it. Now not only does he have to think about it, his team is down 1-0.
AT the very least the offense carried this game. Too many times CK has gone to the seventh with a 1 run lead and blown it. Dave has just gotta recognize what we’ve all noticed: CK CANNOT pitch into the seventh. For whatever reason he’s gassed. And with the juiced balls. Those HR are gonna pile up. Just let your bullpen do their thing. Although that may be dangerous with Baez in the mix.
agree gave up solo hr's with a big lead the last two he shouldn't have even been out there tbh morrow is fucken nails
today was the most important game of the season now tomorrow is huge difference going to az up 2-0 vs 1-1 1-1 they'll know they're still in it down 2-0 they'll be gripping i'm thinking (okay, hoping) ray will be at less than full strength having thrown 35 pitches wednesday got to jump on him early and get that pitch count up and get him out of there and hill needs to be at his best i know, easier said than done
I never bought into something being wrong with Kershaw more than I did after seeing him give up back to back homers to Ketel Marte and Jeff Mathis. But good win. Now all we need is one of the next two and we face Walker again in Game 4 and Game 5 in Dodger Stadium with Kershaw on full rest
Postseason is the only time where pitcher wins matter to me, and he got one. I shit on the guy more than anyone, but compared to other aces this series it was a good start.
Need Hill to pitch into the 6th at least. Good thing is all our relievers (both of them) should be good to go.