Looking Back On A Blowout

by Eric Stephen on Oct 19, 2009 8:24 AM PDT in Research Comment 9 comments

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

Whatever "it" is, Hiroki Kuroda just didn't have it last night

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"Boy, that escalated quickly... I mean, that really got out of hand fast."

-Ron Burgundy, Anchorman

Here are a few notes about last night's game:

Hiroki Kuroda's outing of only an inning and a third was the shortest start by a Dodger in the playoffs since John Tudor walked off the mound with an injury after getting four outs in Game 3 of the 1988 World Series, which was also played on October 18
Kuroda's game score of 19 was the fifth worst in Dodger playoff history
The Dodgers allowed a major league low 11 three-run home runs in the regular season, but have allowed three in three games to the Phillies in the NLCS
Carlos Ruiz is hitting .591/.719/1.045 against the Dodgers this season, including the playoffs, in 33 plate appearances, including 10 walks and just one strikeout. Ruiz in 2009 has hit .233/.324/.377 against everyone else
The 11-0 loss matched the worst playoff loss in club history. The Dodgers also lost Game 1 of the 1959 World Series by the same score, but went on to win the series 4-2.
Last night was the fifth time in their postseason history that the Dodgers have given up 11 or more runs.
Before last night, there were 20 wins by 11 runs or more in MLB playoff history that didn't end a series. The winning team won the next game of the series 13 of 20 times. Of all the teams that have won a playoff game by 11 or more runs, they have won that series 13 of 22 times.
The Dodgers have not scored a run off a Phillies' starting pitcher for the last 15.1 innings, not since the fifth inning of Game 1
Last night's game only counted as one win for the Phillies. Nothing more. In 1960 the Yankees outscored the Pirates 55 to 27 in the World Series, yet lost four games to three.

Game 3 was certainly awful for the Dodgers, but they have an immediate chance to erase that memory tonight.

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I agree

with who say a loss like this is easier (for a fan, no idea for a player at that level) to shrug off. It was a fluke, the Dodgers hardly ever got blown out this year. I do think the environment of Philly combined with the fact that they have a phenomenal team, makes getting one win there a big accomplishment. And one that I think they’ll do tonight!! Go Randy!

by LA Taco on Oct 19, 2009 8:32 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

offensive woes

They could very easily explained by the guys not being adapted to the weather. I’m at school in central PA; about 2.5 hours from Philly. And it is FREEZING. It was in the 20’s-30’s last night here.

Combine that with facing a great pitcher like Lee, and I expected us to struggle (and most likely lose) last night. Sure, I didn’t expect 11-0, but who did? As you said, it’s one loss, and if anyone can rebound from that, I believe that it’s this Dodger team. I think we should be more ready for the weather tonight (it’s also warmer today than it was yesterday) and I’m predicting that we come up with a big win.

Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf?

by bucknellbruin on Oct 19, 2009 8:37 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

and as for struggling against Pedro

because weather had nothing to do with that, I mean, come on. Did anyone NOT expect Pedro to keep haunting us?

Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf?

by bucknellbruin on Oct 19, 2009 8:37 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The weather...

had nothing to do with what happened last night. Being from the Philly area and absolutely hating the cold, the weather was pretty mild for an October night. It was actually shorts wearing weather in the day and upper 40s during the night.

by Cpreils on Oct 19, 2009 12:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

you said it yourself

“being from the Philly area”. I’m from LA and I thought last night was cold as hell.

This whole team is from warm areas. Especially the key guys – Ethier (Arizona), Kemp (Oklahoma), Furcal (DR, played most of his career in ATL), Loney (Texas).

Manny played 8 years in Boston, and, not coincidentally in my opinion, was the only guy who looked good at the plate yesterday.

It may not be cold for a native person, but it was for someone not from the area. I’ve spent almost 12 months here since last August, and I thought it was freezing.

Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf?

by bucknellbruin on Oct 19, 2009 4:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That was not a fun game to attend

but it was not as gut wrenching as 2008 NLCS game 1, which I was also at. After the second inning, it was easy to accept the loss and just relax for the rest of the game.

Since there was nothing notable to mention on the field, one of my favorite moments came after the Phanatic did a skit playing on the late-arriving, early-leaving Dodgers fans. An inning after that skit, there were huge sections of empty seats at CBP. I’m not making an “our fans are better than yours argument.” Just pointing out how moronic and hypocritical it can be to stereotype fans.

I think they get it done against Blanton today and then all of a sudden the Phillies won’t seem so dominant.

by Sam PHL on Oct 19, 2009 8:44 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

hard to believe that we had four games worse then the stinker that Kuroda threw up there last night. What an ugly list, I liked the Padillia list much better.

Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen

by Phil Gurnee on Oct 19, 2009 9:33 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This morning I am thinking Torre would have been better off with Garland if he was not going to start Bills. I am still in shock over this decision.

by delias man on Oct 19, 2009 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Forgettable game

Long time lurker, first time poster. Had to sign up to share my thoughts on the Game 3 debacle:

Cliff Lee – Is Lee a great pitcher? Yes, and an AL CY Young suggests so. Did Lee pitch well last night? Yes, he was lights out. Did Lee have 10 K/0 BB/3 H stuff last night? No. Although I must admit I missed the better part of the game after watching Elbert struggle to throw a strike (the Bears-Falcons game was far more entertaining, so I watched that mostly, and the Bears managed to lose by fewer points), from what I saw Lee was good but not incredible. Frankly, I believe Padilla has had the best performance of any starter on either team in this series before. I wasn’t overly impressed by Pedro either. Really, the Dodgers look absolutely lazy at the plate last night (as they did on Friday, a game I nearly fell asleep watching). I didn’t feel like I was watching a fantastic pitcher dismantle a MLB team, I felt like I was watching a good MLB pitcher dismantle a low-A ball lineup.

Hiroki Kuroda – Can we claim the back is injured and swap this guy out for Weaver? What was this guy doing starting Game 3? Yes, I have hindsight to work with here, but I will offset that by stating that I didn’t think (and still don’t think) Padilla should have been starting Game 2 (9 times out of 10 he doesn’t go up against Philly and hold them to 1 run, we got lucky). Wolf should have been on the mound last night, and Billingsley tonight. If you’re going with a BB-prone youngster in Game 1, why not go with a BB-prone youngster in Game 3 or 4? Especially when the alternative is a SP who unfortunately has missed a great deal of time due to injury recently. Kuroda starting seems to be a case of look-at-this-guy-he-pitched-a-great-simulated-game-recently and hey-remember-last-year-this-guy-threw-at-the-other-guys-but-Chad-didn’t. Ridiculous… Free Chad Billingsley!!

Ronnie Belliard – It’s time to get this guy back on the bench. You hit well for us (read: you hit like someone who isn’t Ronnie Belliard) down the stretch and in the NLDS, but you’re not getting it done now. I’d rather fold the hot but cooling hand and get the defensive upgrade with Hudson and a more versatile batter to boot. Every time I see the Phillies shoot a single up the middle, past the fat man, I cringe.

I must evoke Dennis Green. I hate to say it, but I’m starting to wonder if the Dodgers are who everyone else thought they were: a good defensive team with no ace pitcher, a slightly-above-average NL offense, and a slugger who looks lost at the plate since serving a suspension for using a banned substance. At least we still have baseball’s best bullpen, but that doesn’t matter if you can’t get a run on the board, whether your starter gives up 6 runs in 1.1 innings (Kuroda) or 1 run in 7.1 innings (Padilla).

Hamels, Pedro, Lee, Blanton… a very good staff, no doubt, but that can’t be an excuse. We put up 13 ER on Lincecum in 25.2 innings this season, 6 in 12 against Cain, 9 in 9.1 against Jurrjens. We had 9 hits in 5 innings against Carpenter last week. The headlines should not read “Lee steamrolls dodgers,” they should read “Dodgers leave bats in LA, look like fools on the mound.”

No, I’m not giving up on the team. But I’m fed up with the joke of a team that is playing the Phillies right now. Where’s the team that I was so certain was the best all around team in the NL, from March until last Saturday? Get those guys out on the field in CPB. I want to watch them. They’re a great, fun team. They’re my team. Not these layabouts that fumbled and bumbled around last night.

2 more in Philly, 2 more in LA, 3 games to win, and only one more that we can give up. Dodgers can do this. A win tonight and we’re in the driver’s seat. Get the bats off your shoulders, offense. Throw strikes, pitchers. This is our year! GO BLUE!

by chicagododgerfan on Oct 19, 2009 9:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs