Saturday, October 10, 2015

MISERY doesn't love Company: Fans sweat Don Mattingly's Decision in Game 1 NLDS

It was absolutely miserable last night at Chavez Ravine...




                                                         Beautiful, but disgusting.

Rolling up to the Stadium was no "big deal."  Thank you, Magic Johnson.  



And, the energy was absolutely electric. 

What we didn't know was how electric Jacob deGrom's fastball would be in this static air that filled the night's sky. He was clocking regularly at 97 mph.

The fans were loud.  The sparsely placed Mets' Fans also attempted their chants, in unity, making sure that Dodgers' Fans knew they were present.  Personally, I respect that.  A visiting chant goes off like, "Let's Go M e t s .." It continues and builds amongst a handful of the orange, black, and blue littered about, and, soon enough BOOS rain down upon them, drowning them back to the rat-infested sewers from whence they came.  Which reminds me, "New York SUCKS" chants follow the BOOs to which a nearby Met fans turns to say, "Your team is From New YORK!"  Other Mets' Fans join in to help all of Los Angeles understand that the Dodgers originated from Brooklyn.  

Aye, tis' true 

But, I heard the reply that spoke for ALL of US, 

"Yes, but they thought BETTER of it, and left.."  Just like so many do.

I digress

Although it hurt when Daniel Murphy hit that solo shot in the top of the fourth: the misery began earlier.

The fans started quieting down going into the third inning.  It was hot.  Game time temperature was reported as 92 degrees.  It felt warmer.  The crowd was a sell-out at 54,428.00  As you walked down the alley of the stadium towards the plate, the heat rose.  The were so many people and the air was completely still.

This may have only helped deGrom has he lit the Dodgers' lineup up fanning 13 in a record-setting NLDS performance combining with Kershaw for 24 (second most ever in a playoff game).

But, Kershaw had walks.  Four of them.

Three of which came in the fabled "seventh" to load the bases.  Without hesitation, Don Mattingly made the call.  He never went out like previous times.  Kershaw was yanked before Donnie Ballgame hit the chalk.

The entire TWC SportsNet panel were emo afterwards.  Hershiser may have led that charge and had this to say,

"
          I would tell you this: in the seventh inning, he's (Kershaw) is pitching in a one nothing game.  The walks don't bother me at all.

 He's pitching to get in the dugout with a ZERO.


so when he walks guys and he's taking the blame himself, he's thrown 113  pitches, he's walked the bases loaded,  he's Clayton Kershaw that's given up four hits.  One's a home run and he's in a one nothing game. He's walking a tightrope and he's trying to figure out a way to get his team in the dugout  with a ZERO,and he doesn't care if he has to do it with bases loaded and two outs.  He doesn't care HOW he gets em in the dugout! There was a sacrifice bunt, and a chopper. He wasn't getting hit! When he gets backed into the corner, with bases loaded 2 out, is he going to throw strikes to David Wright? He sure is! Right now when he's walking these guys he's trying to make meticulous pitches, to the corner, not give in to hitters because he's in a one-to-norhing ballgame."

 _Orel Hershiser

"And he (Kershaw)  knows that Curtis Granderson squared him up a couple times." _ J Hairston

"David Wright really wasn't swinging the bat well against Clayton Kershaw." J Hair

"I know and I feel bad talking about it because Don Mattingly is our friend.

It's an emotional decision for all of us." _ Hershiser

But, THIS is how I feel when Pedro Baez is asked to step in:



And, I feel this way because I saw him in preseason groove one to Albert Pujols.  It sickened me, thus I have this strange Pavlovian response when his name is called that evokes a gut-wrench, bordering on projectile vomit ever since that moment.  MISERY.

 Baez, Donnie? REALLY?







And, not only do I want to hurl when THIS hurl-er is announced but this happened too:




The lineup has changed for game 2 to possibly include more "pop."  Let's see how Kike and Yasmani fare.  My question is where are Puig and Jimmy Rollins?  Perhaps both HAVE fallen out of favor for different reasons but JR's veteran presence along with the huge "unknown" factor with Puig might pose more of a threat to the hard-throwing arms of the METS,

Nomar reminded the world how poorly the dodgers are versus velocity (something like .152 versus speed over 95 mph.)  OUCH.  That is miserable unto itself.

Gee, thanks Nomar...