TORONTO — Yes, the bullpen is to blame. I won't even try to convince you otherwise.
But for Dodgersguilt for the disaster that was Game 1 of the World Series not everyone has to fall to the bullpen.
A star-studded squad that failed in the previous two rounds of the playoffs. I got into a fight here again on Fridaythis time without the cover of an outstanding starting pitch.
In the last nine games of the division series vs. Philadelphia Philliesleague championship series vs. Milwaukee BrewersAnd World Series Opening vs. Toronto Blue Jays – Dodgers are batting .219.
The Dodgers had seven hits in the NLCS opener as Blake Snell tossed eight shutout innings. He sensed the offense.
They had six hits in the World Series opener when Snell gave up five runs in five-plus innings and they couldn't pick him up.
The Blue Jays scored 11 runs. The Dodgers led the National League in runs scored during the regular season, but even then they scored at least 11 runs just three times after the All-Star break. The Blue Jays have done it three times this postseason alone.
“You can do something if you want to do something,” shortstop Mookie Betts said. “We are more than capable of scoring 10-11 goals a game. It's just hard to do that in the postseason.
“Obviously, they just did it. They did it all the time, so it might not be difficult for them. For us, we didn't do it. But we'll find ways to win games.”
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts reacts during a pitch in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
They better find him quickly. The Blue Jays are averaging seven runs per game in the postseason. The Dodgers did not score seven runs in any game in the NLDS, NLCS or World Series.
“If you look back at the last couple of weeks, there are some key at-bats that can turn the game around.” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Sometimes I think the offense looks great from a pitching standpoint, but there are some key at-bats that you need to win innings and use the other side of the field, get a hit, get a walk, whatever it is.
“I think we can get better. We need to get better.”
The Dodgers had three hits in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position, which sounds pretty good until you realize that all seven of those at-bats came in the second and third innings.
In the third inning, three of the last four batters hit runners in scoring position and scored one. But the second inning was worse: They had the bases with one out on three consecutive batters and scored once again.
“We've got to make money in this situation, especially against a team like this that plays the situation really well,” Betts said. “I feel like that was a big moment in the game that really made the difference.
“It really changed the game.”
The Dodgers scored 13 times, the Blue Jays scored four. On Friday, the Jays perfected their high-contact, low-strike offense. The Dodgers led the National League in home runs this season and they hit 50 more than Toronto, but they only hit one home run on Friday: a two-run shot. Shohei Ohtaniwith the team trailing by nine points.
Kevin Gausman, the Blue Jays' starting pitcher in Game 2, has a long memory. On Friday, he remembered October 14, 2021.
That was the day the Dodgers eliminated the 107-win San Francisco Giants from the NLDS. Gausman, working as a relief, was the Giants' final pitcher. Max Scherzer, who is now also in Toronto, was the Dodgers' last pitcher.
Final pitch of the game: the much-discussed third strike to Wilmer Flores.
“I’m still thinking about testing Wilmer Flores,” Gausman said. “I don’t think it was a swing, but, you know, it’s some kind of water under the bridge.”
Four years later, Gausman hasn't forgotten. The thing is, just because the Dodgers expect to make it to the World Series every year doesn't mean they will. If a team with three Hall of Famers on its roster doesn't take action, the Dodgers may not forget this for years to come.
