NLDS Game 2: Dodgers 10, Cubs 3
In case you were wondering, only one team in the history of baseball has dropped the first two games of a best-of-five series AT HOME and come back to win the series -- Joe Torre's 2001 Yankees, who did it against Oakland. Still, the Cubs aren't dead yet. But they are at least on life support. And they are playing like a team that BELIEVES it is cursed. The Dodgers, meanwhile, continue to play loose and brash and to take advantage of whatever opportunities the Cubs give them -- and the Cubs gave them a bunch of them tonight, committing four errors that led to five unearned runs. ... The legion of Japanese reporters covering this series probably won't get to see Kosuke Fukudome face Hiroki Kuroda in Game 3 on Saturday night. This Lou Piniella after the game when he was asked about Fukudome, who is 0 for 8 with four strikeouts in the first two games: ``From now on, I don't want to hear about Fukudome anymore as far as whether he is going to play or not. I'm going to play (Mike) Fontenot and Reed Johnson or somebody else, and that's the end of the story. The kid is struggling, and there is no sense sending him out there anymore.''
How about Chad Billingsley tonight? WE need to extended him this offseason.
sThe mainstream sports media might be saying the Cubs lost this one with their errors but the Dodgers still had to get those hits. Good teams take advantage of those situations and they did well tonight. I am almost in shock. I kind of can't believe this is happening but I'm not surprised at the teams success. I've always thought if we went with the youth we'd play our best team and when Joe started playing the kids full time this team went from a mediocre team to a pretty damn good team.
Broxton and Saito worried me tonight. Hopefully they got their bad game out of the way tonight.
Bills...best start of his career I think. This cub offense is so potent (they still make me nervous), but Bills took charge and just about shut them down!
Also, that second inning was so damn fun to watch. I pretty much yelled at the top of my lungs when Martin cleared the bases w/ his double.
Where has this team been all year!? HA!I'm going to tomorrow's game, so lets sink this team and go for the SWEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My guess is that Harden won't walk 7 and that the cubs won't make 4 errors in a game again. So the Dodgers are going to have to expect to win this one without charity. In all sports, the final game of the series is always the toughest to win, I expect this one will be no different. I don't expect the Cubs to fold like the Dodgers have so many times in Game #3's of NLDS's after losing the first two.
It's time for Hiroki Kuroda fun facts! Wanna know why Joe started him in Game #3 and not Kershaw? Hiroki was WAAAY better against NON-DIVISION opponents than he was against SF, SD, COL & ARZ.
Overall against teams not in the NL West:
6-4 record
2.42 ERA (28 ER in 104 INN)
0.98 WHIP (102 Walks & Hits in 104 INN including ONLY 78 hits)
But wait there's more:
At HOME against Non NL West opponents:
4-0 record
1.94 ERA (12 ER in 55 2/3 INN)
0.79 WHIP (47 Walks 7 hits in 55 2/3 INN including only 35 hits)
But wait there's more:
Overall against CHC
1-1 record
0.59 ERA (1 ER in 15 1/3 INN)
0.91 WHIP (14 Walks & Hits in 15 1/3 INN including 11 hits)
And not putting the cart before the horse (and my apologies to Joe for doing it, but):
Overall against CHC & PHI
2-1 record (also one no-decision that the Dodger lost)
0.95 ERA (3 ER in 28 1/3 INN)
0.71 WHIP (20 Walks & Hits in 28 1/3 INN including ONLY 15 hits)
Does this guarantee the Dodgers victory against Chicago tomorrow night? Hardly, but Joe has to like the guy he's sending to the hill and if he attacks the strike zone and avoids walking guys like he has all season (2.07 BB/9) Hiroki should do well.
And by his numbers against the Phillies, you can expect to see him in that series as well if the Dodgers can stay loose and finish the job.