4 Errors and 2 Passed Balls

This was not a good showing for the Dodgers even though they had their best pitcher on the mound. How is a team expected to win a game in the League Championship Series when they commit 4 errors and allow 2 passed balls? It isn’t impossible but the Dodgers showed they couldn’t do it. Sure, they came close to a comeback win but they dug their hole too deep for that in Game 1.

The Dodgers got on the board first with a quick home run by Manny Machado in the 2nd and things looked good. With Kershaw on the mound and a lead, even if it was only a single run, the Dodgers were close to winning already. But then in the 3rd inning, the newly entered relief pitcher, Brandon Woodruff became the first left handed hitting pitcher to homer off Kershaw and the third reliever to hit a home run in the playoffs. That started the ball rolling for Milwaukee who ended up scoring 2 in the 3rd and another 3 in the 4th to knock Kershaw outta the game.

But the Dodgers weren’t gonna let that score stand. They rattled off a 3-run inning of their own in the 8th on singles by Yasmani Grandal, Chris Taylor, Manny Machado, and Matt Kemp. That lead to a controversial play overturned at first in the 9th that saw the Dodgers down to their last out when Joc Pederson drew a walk.

With a runner at first, Chris Taylor smacked a ball to right center that was mishandled by Lorenzo Cain and resulted in a triple. With Pederson scoring the game was now a 1 run affair. Could the Dodgers score Taylor from 3rd? Well…you can figure that out on your own as Los Angeles lost 6–5.

I still don’t like these bullpen games but at least Milwaukee makes it seem that there’s more to their plan than just throwing pitchers on the mound like Oakland did.

Player of the Day: Manny Machado, LAD – 2–4, 1 R, 3 RBI, HR (Chris Taylor would have the award but he contributed 1 of the errors so that lowered the value of his 3–5 performance)
Pitcher of the Day: Brandon Woodruff, MIL – 2 INN, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 K, 1–1, HR, 1 R, 1 RBI

Sports – West Coast Baseball – 4 Errors and 2 Passed Balls<_font><_p>