Dodgers Clinch, and Uehara Blows It

Uehara blew it?!? What?! After all I’ve been writing about! I feel like a fool. To be fair, he still has pitched like the best reliever in baseball, but it’s just a little disappointing. It looks like nobody will sweep in the Divisional Series.

Before discussing more about the Red Sox and Rays, I apologize for yesterday. Just after I posted my blog about the preview of the Dodgers-Braves game tonight, Los Angeles Manager Don Mattingly decided that ace Clayton Kershaw would start instead after only three day’s rest. Why he would do that since Kershaw already won on the road if they had to go to a Game 5, I’m not too sure.

It turned out to be a good/bad decision. We’ll never figure out how Ricky Nolasco would have done, but to be honest, he might have done better than Kershaw. Weird as it may sound, Clayton Kershaw did not have a good night. I don’t blame him; on only three days’ rest, Kershaw had to try and win the series right there and then. If not, Zack Greinke, who got the loss in Game 2, would most likely get the start in Game 5. 

Freddy Garcia had a great start, going six innings and giving up two runs, both coming from Carl Crawford and his two-homer night. Kershaw did not give up an earned run (the Dodgers committed two errors in the fourth), but only could go three innings, leaving the game to the bullpen. Right away, Ronald Belisario blows the lead right away, but luckily Brian Wilson and Kenley Jansen were in the 8^th and 9^th innings. 

Dan Carpenter was to pitch the 8^th innings and to try and hold the game until Craig Kimbrel came in. Kimbrel was already warming up and ready in case they wanted him to get a two-inning save. Instead, after Yasiel Puig hits a double down the right field line, Carpenter stays in.

Now, it’s Juan Uribe’s turn.

Uribe’s first intent was to bunt to move Puig to third base, which would’ve been a big help anyways. Instead, he bunts both tries foul, and they let him hit. On a breaking ball that barely broke and was left up and in, Uribe hammers it down the left field line to take the lead 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth.

No Craig Kimbrel. Instead, no Braves whatsoever.

Shocked at what just happened, the Braves entered the 9^th inning, and struck out all three tries. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the first team to move on to the Championship series. Congratulations. They will play either Pittsburgh or St. Louis in the NLCS.

Uribe’s homer will be something to remember, I guarantee you. Dodger fans might find it better than Kurt Gibson’s home run back in 1988. That year, they won it all. Their ace was Orel Hersheiser, and now their ace is Clayton Kershaw. Do they have the same stuff as 1988? Hmmmmmm.

It looks like the Dodgers will have three days to celebrate now. It also looks like having Kershaw start wasn’t the worst move ever. Although he did not get the win, he still had a decent outing.

Things got heated in Detroit. Home runs went out flying in the first half of the ball game, while no runs were produced in the rest. I called yesterday that it would be a high scoring game, but I didn’t expect Tigers started Anibal Sanchez  to get rocked. He only lasted 4.1 innings, giving up five earned runs on eight hits, and gave up three home runs, two in the 5^th inning. Jarrod Parker, the A’s starter, had an ok day, going five innings while giving up three runs. 

Things got a little rowdy in the 9^th, as A’s closer Grant Balfour and Tigers’ catcher Victor Martinez exchanged some cuss words to each other. The benches cleared, but nobody was ejected and things resumed normally. I’m not really sure what happened; all of a sudden the camera showed Martinez, who slowly began to start throwing f-bombs. Martinez would end up getting out.

The A’s now take a big 2-1 lead, and look to seek revenge from last year and make it to the ALCS. Tomorrow will be another elimination game, as the A’s will start Dan Staily (10-8, 3.96 ERA, and only 24 years old), against Doug Fister (14-9, 3.67 ERA, 4.1 WAR). Fister will be making the most important start in his career, but in order to win this game, the Tigers need to hit. Their offense, though one of the best in the regular season, has been struggling big time. With the return of SS/OF Jhonny Peralta, things could change with that.

I could talk about Michael Wacha all day next year. The kid is proving to be one of the best, and has been the best pitcher in his last two starts. In his last start, he was one out away from a no-hitter. This time, he took a no-no into the 8^th inning before giving up a home run to Pedro Alvarez (watch out for him in Game 5, he’s been great in this NLDS).

It was Wacha's 10th start in the Major Leagues. 

Only two plays provided the runs in this game, Alvarez with one homer, and Matt Holliday with a two run shot in the 6^th inning. The rest was a pitching battle. Charlie Morton pitched exceptionally well, giving up only three hits in 5.2 innings, but he would walk four as well. 

What a great move to start the rookie for St. Louis. I thought that the A’s-Tigers 1-0 Game 2 would be the best pitching battle, but that one is up there. Now they go back to St. Louis, and it’ll be Gerrit Cole, not A.J. Burnett for the Pirates, who got a win in this series earlier, against a name to be decided. It will probably be Adam Wainwright. Cole is 8-1 following a Pirates loss this season.

It looks like the Rays-Red Sox series will not be a sweep after all. Like I mentioned before, I am shocked at Uehara blowing the save and the game. He gave up a walk off home run to who else but Jose Lobaton, the Rays backup catcher. Uehara hadn’t given up a home run in his last 37 outings. 

This game was back and forth towards the end. The Red Sox had a 3-0 lead in the 5^th before giving up a three-run blast to Evan Longoria. It wasn’t until the 8^th inning where Delmon Young grounded out to take the lead 4-3 for the Rays, but very quickly Fernando Rodney blew the save, and the game is tied again. 

Uehara seemed to have the 9^th in the bag when, suddenly, with two outs, Lobaton golfs one into the pool in Tampa Bay.

Game Four, here we come.

It’ll be Jake Peavy vs. Jeremy Hellickson for Boston and Tampa Bay, respectively. Peavy, who was traded in the middle of the season to the Red Sox, is 4-1 with a 4.04 ERA with them. Hellickson was much better in his previous two years, going 23-21 with a 3.02 ERA, and winning the Rookie of the Year in 2011, but is only 12-10 with a 5.17 ERA this year.

Today is not as fun as yesterday, since there are only two games today. But it’s getting heated now. Soon there will only be four left. Who will they be?! Email me at statsbuddy42@gmail.com for your picks!

-Evan Boyd