Sep 6-9: Labor Day special today as we move on to St Lou. Giants at Rox, so we stand to lose a game to them as they sweep. Tio Albert returns home for this long season.
Game 1– A Labor Day special day game (3pm local time). Leadoff greatness as Trea gets a double. Followed by hits from Muncy and Mookie, but JT hits into a DP scoring the 2nd run (OK). Walk to Seager followed by a mighty blast from slumping CT3 for 2 more runs. 4-0 in 1st! (Bet we don’t score again.) Yay, we do score again (3rd): Mookie walk + error to 2B; Seager hit to score Betts. Now 5-0. But all is quiet on the Dodger front through 8. As predicted, Dodgers sleepwalk through rest of the game, getting only 2 hits after the 3 in the 1st.
Pitching: Max gets greeted with a leadoff double on an elevated change (not a good start). But he does his thing striking out 2 to leave the runner at 3B (after a WP that Barnes should have blocked). Scherzer clean through the 3rd. Leadoff hit by Goldie in 4th, but Max very efficient, ending the inning on 9 pitches total. And another quickie in the 5th. There is some traffic in the 6th, and Cards score 1 on another WP that Barnes should have blocked. Max has an easy 7th. So 5-1 through 8, with Max at 1R, 6H, 13K(!). In comes Kelly to close it, and he goes a nice 1-2-3 (rare). So Dodgers take an easy opener 5-1.
Game 2- Who gets rested today? Muncy and Mookie (M&M — why both? Put them on a milk carton?) Who got called up? Steven Souza Jr for McKinstry, who I feel wasn’t given a chance. But why start Souza in place of Mookie? Tio Albert goes yard (679) in 1st for a 1-0 lead. Cards tied it in the 2nd 1-1. 3rd: Trea gets a 1-out double with a slip-and-slide (extends hitting streak to 14), but is stranded by JT and Tio. 3rd: Dodgers string together some hits for 2 runs, including a double from unlikely Souza — 3-2 Dodgers. 4th: JT pokes a solo (his 22nd) inside the LF foul pole — 4-2. 6th: Cards now Happ-less as pen enters. CT3 K on bad chase. Will Smith goes solo (his 23rd) on yet another high fastball, thank you. Souza chase K, Belli tap out (literally?) — 5-2. Out in order in the 7th. Will Smith goes 4-4 in the 8th on his 3rd infield hit (!). But nothing else. Dodgers content with 5-2 lead. Belli weak hit into the shift (0-4 again). Mookie PH grounder. Trea 2nd hit of game. Surprise: JT smacks 2nd HR to deep CF (Dodgers’ 4th HR): 7-2.
Pitching: Bullpen vs Happ. Opener Knebel (again) gives up 1 on a double and sac fly. Newbie Evan Phillips OK in the 2nd. Phillips in 3rd gives up a double with 2 outs. CT3 makes a nice scoop but throws way off; should have gotten the runner. Cards cash that in on another hit to CT3, who charges but makes an awful throw home (cutoff). After 3rd straight hit, Phillips is replaced by Vesia, who fans Carpenter on 3 pitches (yay). 2-1 Cards. 4th is no runs from Shane Greene, after a double and good play at SS by Seager. Now 4-2 Dodgers. 5th brings in 5th pitcher: Bickford, who gives up O’Neill’s 3rd hit, but gets flies from Arrenado and Molina. 6th, now 5-2, sees 6th pitcher: Graterol, who has easy breezy inning. Next up, in the 7th, our 7th pitcher, Joe Kelly: side in order. Next up, in the 8th, our 8th pitcher, Treinen: leadoff walk, K of Arrenado in long AB, K of Molina (another great slider), cold Carpenter delivers a room service fly out. Jansen was warming up, but now 7-2 so he sits and in comes rookie and new callup, Neftali Feliz. Dodgers record of 9 pitchers in 9 innings! Pop foul; long fly out; base hit (hanger); ground out. Game over: 7-2.
Game 3- Vs old slow pitch Wainright, the Dodgers are baffled. 1st: Trea K; Muncy 1B; Mookie 1B; Seager off the LFwall scoring Muncy but Betts is out at home; Smith lineout to P: 1 run. Dodgers retired on 5 pitches in the 2nd. 3rd: 2K and a groundout by Muncy. Dodgers go in order in the 4th and 5th, in all 13 in a row until Muncy bombs his 31st to cut the lead to 4-2. Dodger bats quiet until the 9th, when they score 2 to cut the lead to 1, but alas, lose 5-4.
Pitching: Mitch White back for a start. Gives up 2 leadoff hits, then doesnt pay attention to the runners and they double steal. Gets a K, then a hard 1-hopper to SS, but Seager chose not to throw home (why not?) so game is tied. But then the crusher: Molina hits a 2-run HR, so now 3-1 (still in the 1st!). Maybe White will settle down? 2nd starts with a dribbled comebacker, but White has a brain cramp and lobs the ball into the back of the runner. But that’s all. White K’s the side in the 3rd. White gives up 1 more run in the 4th on a Molina double, WP and a hit. White leaves after 5 innings, down 4-1. Followed by Graterol in the 6th, the Dodgers go into their pitcher per inning mode, but do shut down the Cards.
Game 4- Dodgers yet again decimate their lineup (JT sat y’day) by sitting a hot Smith, Seager and Taylor — in favor of weak Belli, Souza, McKinney and Barnes (pencil in some 0-fers). Also swap of Trea and Betts 1 for 3. Dodgers score 1 early and then fade. But fun that JT leads off the 6th after making a diving stop in the 5th (baseball maxim). But after Turner comes the Roberts surrender offense of Belli, Souza, McKinney and Barnes. Finally, in the 7th, we get some PH: CT3 for McKinney (F-9); Barnes out (6-3); Pujols for pitcher gets walked; Betts ends the inning (FC6-4). Dodgers go quietly in the 8th (boo). Last chance 9th down 2-1. Why not PH Seager for Belli (awful- pops up)? At least Seager PH for Souza but K’s. CT3 K’s, ending a dreadful 2-1 loss with only 4 hits (doubles by Max and Trea, singles by Betts and Trea).
Pitching: Gonsolin is back, and goes 3 with 1R/3H (pretty good). Usual opener Knebel is used for a good 4th (1BB). Reliable Bickford gets the top of the order in the 5th, and gives up a homer just barely clearing the LF fence to O’Neill. (Maybe CT3 catches that ball, but not Souza.) Now 2-1 Cards. Vesia K’s the side in the 6th. Joe Kelly in the 7th hangs a 2-seamer (at only 95) for a leadoff hit. Balks him to 2B. But ends the inning on a short fly to RF where Souza (why not Mookie?) makes a lumbering awkward sliding catch. Jansen hurls a 1-2-3 8th. Let’s hope we pitch a 9th. Not. Terrible to lose a game when you give up only 2 runs.