[ad_1]
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers have sailed in the 2018 regular season as a persistent riddle. They were talented and rich in depth, distinctly and significantly above the vast majority of their competitors. However, their run to a sixth consecutive divisional title was marked by several dizziness – which sometimes lasted a few rounds, sometimes a whole month – that prevented their progression.
The start of this series of National League championships has evolved into a painful reminder.
From the first launch of each series to the last of Game 7, you can follow the full post-season MLB on ESPN Radio. Listening »
In Monday's third game, which took place three days after the first match, the Dodgers once again lost the lead, ending up in a 4-0 defeat and a 2-1 series deficit against the younger ones. less advertised Milwaukee Brewers.
Manny Machado, the star shortstop, made two clumsy slips in second base and was called for interference on his second goal, thwarting an early exchange. Cody Bellinger, an excellent center player on most occasions, misjudged a deep volley, which led to a triple over three and possibly a race. Yasmani Grandal, struggling fiercely behind and to the plate, made his third ball pass at his second start of the series, sparking faint vocals for his replacement.
The match ended in a decent manner: the Dodgers placed the runners in second and third places, with none of them coming out in the ninth inning against a troubled reliever and scoring no points.
They finished 0-on-10 with the riders in scoring position.
"Home runs were not there," Bellinger said, "and when home runs are not there, we have to find ways to score."
The Dodgers went to the bottom 235 times and scored 804 points in the regular season, the two leading brands in the NL. They outperformed their competition by 206 points. But they only won 92 games, 10 less than they should have, because of their inflated play differential, largely because they have always struggled to make circuits.
The Dodgers collectively beat .253 with the riders in the standings, a mark overtaken by 11 other teams, and the playoffs did not seem to have solved their problems.
"I think we're just looking for ways to get the job done," Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy said. "I still do not really know what it is, I hope we can get there, we had the opportunity to score points tonight, we had the opportunity to make some sleeves. and that simply did not happen. "
Four Dodgers reached the goal against the Brewers' right – hander, Jhoulys Chacin, in the second inning, but none of them scored. Machado opened the fourth goal by trotting, then sprinted to second base to try to split a double game. He was called for interference and added extra shot on a game that Bellinger easily beat at the back .
Machado grabbed Orlando Arcia by the Brewers, his right hand on the first-run slide, but was not called for interference.
Machado did something similar in the fourth, sliding to the left of the bag, then grabbing Arcia's knee with his right hand. It was well after Arcia got rid of his throw, but the replay leaders ruled against Machado, who was not available to talk about the post-game.
The starting pitchers of Milwaukee – Jhoulys Chacin in the third match – and the depth of the composition were a big problem for L.A., while most expected something else.
While Yasmani Grandal continued to fight – knocking three times, the last with a goal and the bases loaded in the ninth inning – the fans took note of it. But the Dodgers did not appreciate the reaction.
From the Wild Cards round to the World Series, we'll be covering the 2018 playoffs.
2 related
"On the first, I did not think there was something wrong," Arcia said. "On the second, I really felt a little more."
But the Dodgers had other opportunities. In the fifth, Grandal started with a double on the ground and was stuck at second base, in part because Dodgers coach Dave Roberts had decided not to play for starting pitcher Walker Buehler. In the sixth, Justin Turner finished second with a foul on a throwing foul by Brewers third baseman Mike Moustakas, but did not go any further.
Jeremy Jeffress, who allowed a couple to run in the second game, gave Turner a single and a double at Machado to start the inning.
Then Bellinger flew to the shallow left field, grabbed his stick at both ends and threw it to the ground, falling to 1 of 21 in the playoffs.
Then Grandal hit and slammed the cannon of his bat on the ground in front of him. It was his third win of the night and his 30th in 25 playoff games.
Then, after a walk through Yasiel Puig, Brian Dozier came off the bench and also hit, giving the Dodgers 14 punches tonight – a franchise record, surpassing the 13 strikeouts of the first game.
The Dodgers field player Enrique Hernandez, who regretted the supporters of Grandal, felt his team was playing "without energy", a surprising achievement given the stakes.
"That's what it is," said Hernandez, who saw his team become the first in playoff history to commit four errors and two balls in the first game. "The game is already over, we lost, that's why we lost."
Source link
