Yoshinobu Yamamoto again dominated the NYY hitters. It took a while before Yamamoto had control/command of his 4-seamer. But after he surrendered the 3rd inning bomb by Soto on a 4-seamer on the inside third/middle, a pitch Soto is not going to miss, something clicked. The 4-seamer started to hit black, and that got the swing and miss from his secondary breaking pitches, and he retired the next 11 batters.
With one out in the 7th, NYY had 4 out of the next 5 hitters coming up being LHH and called on Anthony Banda. It sure seems by the comments that I am in the minority as I agreed with the pitching change. Before the inning started, I told my wife that Giancarlo Stanton would be Yoshi’s final batter. Could Yamamoto have gotten Chisholm and Rizzo out…maybe. But we do know that Banda got out of the inning with one HBP.
Banda threw 16 pitches (9 strikes) to the three batters he faced. He will be fine the next time LAD needs him.
Michael Kopech threw 14 pitches, 4-seamers (12) and cutters (2). He stuck exclusively with the 4-seamer against LH hitters (Wells and Verdugo). He threw two cutters (out of the zone) and two 4-seamers to get Torres. Kopech has now faced Wells, Verdugo, and Torres twice in the two games with Torres getting the only hit (double).
The usage of Treinen is getting reminiscent of the 2017 usage of KJ and Brandon Morrow. It was clear that Doc did not feel comfortable with anyone other than Treinen to close out a 3-run lead. He was there to face Soto, Judge, and Stanton. What baffled me was that after Stanton singled, why didn’t Vesia come in to face the lefties. It is not like Treinen was getting beat by soft contact. The two singles were official hard hits, with Soto’s 110 MPH, and a very, very wild pitch. Judge helped him with a swing at a sweeper that was never a strike.
Treinen gave up a single to Jazz Chisholm (that’s two now), HBP for Rizzo, and he needed to strike out the RH hitting Volpe. Vesia needed one pitch to get his first post season save.
Maybe Treinen should not have been allowed to pitch to Chisholm and Rizzo in the 9th. But I have no problem with Banda coming in for Yamamoto. Again, it worked, so I am not going to get too exasperated for pitching changes that some of us would do different. As it turns out, Doc was not wrong. So maybe this is a 2020 version of Doc where he seemingly makes all the right moves.
Pitcher breakdowns for Game 2:
One thing I do find somewhat funny…before the end of the season there were multiple cries for Knack to be the 3rd SP over Buehler. Then he has a disastrous inning and most do not believe he should be on the roster. Both Flaherty and Yamamoto had disastrous playoff starts, and yet came back to make brilliant starts. Yamamoto has an ERA of 1.72 in 15.2 IP (3 starts) since his bad start against SD. Flaherty has had 2 bad starts followed by 2 very good starts in his 4 playoff starts. Not to be outdone, Buehler has had one very good (albeit short) start, and one not so good start.
Knack is certainly not alone in his HR allowed.
- Yamamoto – 3 HRs in 18.2 playoff innings.
- Flaherty – 4 HRs in 18.2 playoff innings.
- Buehler – 1 HR in 9.0 playoff innings
- Knack – 1 HR in 3.0 playoff innings.
The one area where it was believed that NYY had a clear advantage was in SP. In the first two games, the two LAD starters were better than the two NYY starters. How will Buehler fare against Clarke Schmidt in Game 3? Schmidt has not completed 5.0 IP in either of his two playoff starts: one against the weaker hitting KC and one against the weaker hitting Cleveland. I am going with Big Game Walker.
It sure looks like both the Dodgers and Yankees have selected one batter in the lineup that they will not allow to beat them. Dodgers are pitching around Aaron Judge and letting him chase knowing he wants to do something positive. NYY is pitching around Ohtani. Ohtani is always a risk to expand the strike zone, and the NYY pitchers are obliging.
Ohtani is making more contact, as he has struck out just 2 times in 9 PA with 1 BB. Judge, OTOH, has one ground ball single with 6 strikeouts in 9 PA. Judge says he needs to adjust and not expand the zone and take the walk. Easier said than done.
Both NYY and LAD have been successful with shutting down both Judge and Ohtani. This means that Mookie and Freddie need to come through for LAD and Soto and Stanton for NYY.
Freddie has been big for LAD, while Mookie has been a bit snakebit. He has hit a couple of screaming outs to go with his 2 hits in 7 AB plus a BB and a SF. But the biggest bat thus far for LAD is the MLB baseball player…Tommy Edman. Edman is 4-8 with 2 doubles, 1 HR, and one SB. Teoscar is 3-8 including a HR, and ZERO Ks. How about those ZERO Ks. The Dodgers have scored 10 runs with Edman, Freeman, and Mookie scoring 2 each.
Soto has been big for NYY, and Giancarlo has been very helpful as well. Soto is 3-7 with a HR, 2 BB, and has scored 3 of the 5 NYY runs. Giancarlo is 2-9 with a 2-run HR and a run scoring single (3 RBI). Jazz Chisholm is 3 hits and 3 SB.
The Dodgers have drawn 3 BB against 10 K. Muncy (3) and Ohtani (2) account for half the strikeouts. Muncy is 0-6 with 3 Ks, Ohtani is 1-8 with 2 Ks, and still the Dodgers are 2-0 in the WS. Muncy does have a HBP, the only time he has reached base.
The Yankees have drawn 6 BBs against 20 Ks. Soto and Rizzo have 2 BBs each, with Rizzo also having 2 HBP. Judge is 1-9 with 6 Ks. Volpe is 0-8 with 4 Ks. Rizzo and Wells have struck out 3 times each.
Two games are not necessarily indicative for the remainder of the series. But thus far the Dodgers are making more contact and slugging a ton more. Both teams’ first two games hitting stars are more than capable of continuing, while both teams have other players who are capable of getting hot.
I am comfortably confident with Buehler in Game 3. He says he is a better pitcher in colder weather, and the expected temperature for New York at 8:00 PM will be in the low 50’s and drop into the 40’s by 10:00. Apparently, Ohtani is going to be in the lineup for Game 3 (per Dave Roberts to ESPN), although no official word from The Dodgers. Four NYY batters have faced Walker Buehler with Jazz Chisholm 3-5. Trent Grisham is 4-19 with 2 HRS. Soto is 4-15, and Rizzo is 1-9. He has struck out Soto 3 times against 2 BB. Overall he is 13-48 against four NYY hitters with 4 BB and 10 K in 48 AB. Will they change Grisham for Verdugo?
Only three batters have faced Schmidt: Kiké Hernández – 1-7 (single) with 3 K, Teoscar Hernández – 0-3 with 1 K, Shohei Ohtani – 1-3 with1 HR and 1 K.
Yes they will hold on and get:
Two more wins!!!
No holding on; they have to go out and get it. They have the talent.
Blake Treinen has thrown 55 pitches in back to back games.
Why would they do that to him? His ERA is 9 and his WHIP is 2.5. And this isn’t Monday Morning Quarterbacking here, I’ve been clear that I think this is bad policy and I’m being proven right.
There will be a bullpen game on Tuesday. He will be needed then. Does he pitch tomorrow too? Would love to see Doc’s charts on this. Someone else is going to have to face Judge and Stanton. Who? Better not be someone whose best pitch is a fastball, with exception of Kopech of course. And I don’t want to see him on back to back days either.
Agree about the Brandon Morrow comp. I was thinking that exact thing during game 1, and it only was reinforced watching game 2 on tv.
Heyman reports the Dodgers will be in on Soto if he is interested in playing in Los Angeles. Per MLBTR.
Shohei san good to go .
Hope Striker Buehler is on his game tonight.Have to win at least one game in the Bronx. From a pitching matchup view this might be our best shot at a W.
Bullpen game tomorrow and then have to face Cole again.
Schmidt has been good this season but I think the Dodgers can get to him . We haven not seen the Dodgers offense of the previous two round yet. Hopefully we break out today . Going up 3-0 would be pretty much seal the deal. At least from a statistical an historical standpoint.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For Shohei…
and others….
https://youtube.com/watch?v=yRqqQGQt9FU&si=luIY2UMvDhC0EnBQ
Take note on how the hands are used.
I prefer 3-0 to 2-1.
How great would it be to repeat the 1963 Dodger sweep? I guess I shouldn’t get ahead of myself.
The notion that the Dodger starters have outpitched the Yankee starters simply isn’t true. Only Yamamoto was better than his counterpart Rodon.
Flaherty was not better than Gerrit Cole. Flaherty pitched well, but he didn’t outpitch Cole.
Some TV commentators pointed out that Freddie’s slam was especially tough for the Yankees because it meant Cole’s excellent start went for naught. Sucks for them.
Very happy that my prediction of Dodgers in 7 looks faulty now. Buehler’s last game gives me hope that the Dodgers could keep rolling.
But Judge is due, isn’t he?
The Yankees will not roll over and play dead.
Great information Jeff. I appreciate the time and effort.
What I’m enjoying is the team is making contact with their at bats. They have struck out only 10 times in the two games. This is quite an improvement from past World Series and other playoff games.
Jeff mentioned that Mookie has been snake bitten so far. That may be true, but I see it as a positive in that he is making contact which increases his chances for a productive AB. He hit a screaming line drive out to CF in game one to drive in Ohtani. He’s only had one K so far. As long as he and the team continue to put the ball into play, good things will happen.
Hopefully, Buehler can be that clutch postseason pitcher he has been in the past. Dodger baseball is hitting on all cylinders right now. All they need is another two games. Wouldn’t it be fitting to win tonight and then close it out with a bullpen game? After all, it’s the bullpen that has saved the season for the Dodgers.
Enjoy the game!!
Carry on.
Series facts: LA is hitting .234 as a team, the Yankees .197. Top Dodger hitters in order Edman, Teo, Freeman, Betts, Kike and Smith tied, Ohtani. Muncy, Lux, Rojas yet to get hits. LA has outscored NY 10-5. Soto and Stanton have driven in 4 of the 5 Yankee runs. Dodgers have 15 hits, Yankees 14. NY has 6 walks and LA has 10. LA has struck out 10 times, the Yankees 20. LA staff ERA is 2.37. NY is 4.58. Team going up 2-0 wins 80% of the time.
What is your confidence level that we bring this series home with a WS title and downtown parade ?
If only looking at history and stats the percentage of a Dodgers title is at 84% after winning the first two games.
My personal confidence level before Game 3 is considerably lower. I would say 60%.
This is mostly because of Shoheis injury (no one will know for sure how he feels until he steps into the batters box tonight) and the question of how long we can hold down Judge.
The pitching matchups in GAmes 3-5 are about even, maybe a slight edge to the Yanks because of the bullpen game we will have to turn to in Game 4.
I also think that Treinen and maybe Kopech will not be available today.
Freddie and Yoshi played hero in Games 1 and 2 respectivly.
Dodgers need two more heroes to step up to bring those 2 wins we need.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With Graterol, Freddie and Ohtani’s recovery I find it awesome how good the Dodgers’ training staff has gotten! (Gotten? Should be performed?)
Oh how quickly the mood can change.
It’s quite easy to take for granted how elite this organization is from top to bottom.
From the new food concessions, to the sponsorship people and, of course, to Andrew Friedman and Stan Kasten, everyone delivers an high quality/performance.
Even if the team loses four of the next five.
Shohei is in the lineup today, and batting leadoff, of course.
Ohtani
Betts
Freeman
Teo
Muncy
Smith
Lux
Kike
Edman
As you pointed out, Jeff, Schmidt’s home numbers are much worse than his road numbers. Home runs allowed in particular. He’s probably looking over his shoulder to right field as he delivers pitches to lefty batters.
Max, Freddie, Lux and Edman should be looking forward to tonight’s game and even Smith, who has been known to poke one out to right field.
We just need to hope that we don’t wake up the slumbering giant (Judge) or if that happens, that the other giant (Stanton) goes to sleep.
The LAD AAA affiliate, OKC, has changed their name from The Baseball Club to the Comets. Chickasaw Brickyard Ballpark, the OKC Stadium, is located on Mickey Mantle Drive. Mantle is an Oklahoma native.
OKC has also named AA Tulsa manager, Scott Hennessey, as their new AAA manager. Hennessey has been the Tulsa manager since 2017. He was an amateur scout prior to that since 2007.
Last year’s OKC manager, Scott Barbary, wanted to be reassigned to a roving instructor in the LAD organization. Barbary has been the OKC manager since 2019.
More pitches that the team probably wanted in the first but the inning went about as good as it could.
Bleh.
I think Lux was safe AND the catcher blocked the plate, but I HATE HAVING EDMAN sacrifice.
Why the fuck do you take the bat out of this hands?!?!??!?
I had him safe.
And why have a block the plate rule if you’re not going to call it.
Muncy is scuffling in the WS. Hitless so far through four games.
First things first:
pitchers with 3+ WS outings of 5+ IP & 4 or fewer baserunners allowed:
Walker Buehler
that’s it.
And in the first 3 WS outings of his career.
Present moment:
Gotta get 6 outs. Ideally without Treinen again.
Kopech, Brasier and what’s left of Banda.
Looking good! Nice job by Brasier.
Woo-Hoo!! We win. Buehler was nails.
LOL.
No way my sweep prediction comes true, but it’s fun coming close.