GAME THREAD D'BAGS/DODGERS NLDS

yup
a marathon with tons of walks but little hitting
need jd/goldy etc to go into tailspins

 

Anderson, Eckersley and Simpson to call Dodgers NLDS games for TBS
by Eric Stephen | True Blue LA — 2 Oct 2017, 10:10am PDT

LOS ANGELES — The entirety of the National League playoffs will be televised by TBS. That includes the broadcast crew of Brian Anderson, Dennis Eckersley and Joe Simpson, along with reporter Lauren Shehadi calling the Dodgers’ NLDS against the NL wild card game winner...



TBS announced their television plan on Monday, with Ernie Johnson, Ron Darling, and Sam Ryan slated to call the NLCS and the wild card game on Wednesday night in Phoenix between the Diamondbacks and Rockies.

The Dodgers play the winner in the NLDS, which begins Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Game 1 is scheduled for 7:31 p.m. PT, with Game 2 slated for 6:38 p.m., as the Dodgers got prime time billing for each of the first two games of the series.

TBS will also have pre- and postgame coverage every day there is a National League playoff game, with host Casey Stern joined in studio by a trio of former Dodgers as analysts — Pedro Martinez, Gary Sheffield and Jimmy Rollins...



Friday’s TBS coverage begins with pregame coverage from the studio at 4 p.m., followed by Game 1 of the Nationals-Cubs NLDS at 4:30 p.m. That series will be called by Johnson, Darling, and Ryan.

The NLCS will be called by Anderson, Darling and Ryan.

 

and wtf with pedro, sheff and rollins as analysts?
diction and grammar be damned

 

Wood may start and pitch out of bullpen during NLDS
by Matthew Moreno | Dodger Blue — 10 minutes ago



With a surplus of starting pitchers on their roster, the Los Angeles Dodgers broke camp during the spring with Alex Wood bumped into a relief role. He voiced disappointment over the circumstances but said he accepted any decision the team made.

Wood’s time in the bullpen was short lived. He made a spot start April 10 and another 11 days later. There was one relief appearance sandwiched between the two outings. Wood start again April 26, and remained in the rotation for the entire season.

With the Dodgers set to embark on their fifth consecutive trip to the playoffs, Wood’s outlook once again is clouded. While he was one of the team’s better starters throughout the year, the Dodgers have not committed to Wood being in their postseason rotation.

Hyun-Jin Ryu’s string of recent success, coupled with Wood’s previous experience in pitching out of the bullpen, has lent to him possibly shifting to the bullpen once more.

Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:

“Roberts indicated the Dodgers are considering a hybrid approach, with Wood available as a reliever early in the series while still slotted to start a fourth game.”​

Wood is a career 4-2 with a 2.53 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 37 games as a relief pitcher. He went 1-0 and pitched 5.1 scoreless innings in two such games this season.

Overall in 2017, he finished 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA, 3.32 FIP and 1.06 WHIP in 27 games. The 26-year-old was an impressive 10-0 with a 1.67 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 10.8 strikeouts per nine in 15 games (13 starts) in the first half to earn his first career selection to the All-Star Game.

Wood battled a second brush with left SC joint inflammation and regressed some in the second half. In 12 starts he was 4-3 with a 3.89 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and averaged 6.8 strikeouts per nine.

It should be noted he was 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA in his last three starts.

 

We got this homo instead

 

Roberts confirms Hill will start Game 2, Darvish Game 3
by Matthew Moreno | Dodger Blue — 7 minutes ago



While the Los Angeles Dodgers wait to learn the identity of their opponent in the National League Division Series, manager Dave Roberts formally announced Rich Hill will start Game 2 at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 7. That pushes Yu Darvish to a start in Game 3, on the road.

“Rich threw the ball well and faced some hitters, and came out of it well,” Roberts said on a conference call Tuesday evening. “We’re looking forward to him pitching in Game 2.” A decision to follow Clayton Kershaw in the series with another southpaw was simply a matter of comfort.

“Opponent withstanding, we feel good with Rich pitching at home. He’s comfortable and had a lot of success here,” Roberts explained. “And Yu feels comfortable pitching either at home or on the road.”​

Barring unforeseen circumstances, Hill will take the mound on nine days’ rest. He downplayed any concern over the long layoff and stressed the importance of remaining consistent with his regular routine.

Hill went 7-5 with a 2.77 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 14 starts at Dodger Stadium this season, compared to 5-3 record and a 4.06 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 11 road starts.

Because of not having home-field advantage and how the Dodgers aligned their rotation, Hill did not pitch at Chavez Ravine during the 2016 NLDS. He tossed six shutout innings against the Chicago Cubs in Game 3 of the NL Championship Series.

In advance of potentially facing the Colorado Rockies in a Game 3 at Coors Field, Darvish used the Dodgers’ weekend series to work off and become familiar with the mound. He’s yet to pitch in the Rockies home ballpark in his career.

What’s more, Darvish’s only career start against the Rockies came this season after being traded to the Dodgers. He allowed five runs on five hits (one home run) and struck out six in just 4.1 innings of work.

Darvish struck out 10 and allowed two runs on five hits (one home run) in five innings of work at Chase Field this season. It’s one of two starts made at the home ballpark of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Darvish is expected to complete a simulated game on Wednesday. He last pitched Sept. 25.

 

Roberts expresses confidence in Baez, says he may include on NLDS roster
by Matthew Moreno | Dodger Blue — 27 minutes ago



Pedro Baez rebounded from a tough stretch to close out the regular season on a high note, and it may have earned him a spot in the playoffs when the Los Angeles Dodgers set their roster for the National League Division Series.

Manager Dave Roberts did not officially commit to as much while on a conference call Tuesday evening, but he again praised Baez:

“I’m definitely confident that he’s worked out his issues,” Roberts said. “It was a tough, I don’t know, three weeks of tough sledding for Pedro. But I think his last four outings he’s thrown the ball really well. If you look at the entire body of work, he’s had a great year.”

​

Baez went 0-4 with a 10.38 ERA and 2.42 WHIP in 11 relief appearances over the final month of the regular season. His once-sparkling ERA increased with each turn of the calendar.

Despite a low ERA for much of the season, Baez’s peripherals raised red flags. He pitched to a career-worst 4.44 FIP and his strikeout rate was down from last season’s 28.1 percent to 23 percent this season. During that same span, Baez’s walk rate increased from 7.5 percent to 10.4 percent.

Roberts regularly came to the defense of his embattled reliever. After Baez struggled to locate pitches in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Roberts said he was entitled to an occasional subpar outing because of past success.

When Baez was booed upon entering a game at Dodger Stadium but before throwing a single pitch, Roberts chastised fans for their behavior. Despite being backed by his manager, the 29-year-old continued to labor, even when facing the bottom of an opponent’s lineup.

Roberts eventually provided Baez with a mental break by having him remain in the dugout for a few games. That appears to have helped him right the ship and perhaps reclaim a role for the playoffs.

 

Roberts still hasn’t decided between Ethier and Pederson
by Eric Stephen | True Blue LA — 4 hours ago

Given their performance and how they were used in September, the idea that Andre Ethier would be left off the NLDS roster in favor of Joc Pederson would be considered quite a surprise. But Roberts wouldn’t commit to either, or Ethier on Tuesday.

“We still like the quality when he gets in the box, and [Ethier’s] done it over the last couple years of his career,” Roberts said...



“To say definitively that he’s on the roster, we’re not going to do that.”​

Ethier hit .235/.316/.441 with a pair of home runs and a double in September after missing the first five months of the season with a back injury. Pederson was sent to the minors after a 2-for-41 slump in August, and he returned to hit .182/.357/.273 in September, going 4-for-22 with six walks and two doubles, the latter coming on the final day of the season.

“Joc’s done some good things. He can obviously help us in a lot of different ways.” Roberts said.



“He can play defense, could be a bat off the bench, and can run,” Roberts said. “The role would be be a left-handed bat off the bench, but we haven’t made that decision if he’s going to be on the 25 yet.”​