True Blue LA - NLDS Game 2: Nationals 5, Dodgers 2Where The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2016-10-09T14:04:32-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/129762332016-10-09T14:04:32-07:002016-10-09T14:04:32-07:00Lobaton homers, Dodgers LOB a ton in Game 2 loss
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<img alt="Division Series - Los Angeles Dodgers v Washington Nationals - Game Two" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Mm-pcYdtSKVwER84KAqUoLPcJYA=/0x0:3300x2200/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51275425/613622886.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jose Lobaton’s three-run home run turned Game 2 around. | Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The NLDS is tied at 1-1</p> <p id="bPnP0S">The Dodgers built another early lead but couldn’t tack on, and the Nationals made them pay with a comeback 5-2 win on Sunday at Nationals Park in Washington D.C. in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, now even at one game apiece.</p>
<p id="qm6bJv">Jose Lobaton hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning to give the Nationals the lead, and Daniel Murphy was 3-for-3 with a walk and a pair of run-scoring singles to key the win for Washington.</p>
<p id="Bmc9d4">The Dodgers scored single runs in the first and third innings against Nationals starter Tanner Roark, but could cash in any of their several other opportunities against him.</p>
<p id="fMNT6r">They loaded the bases with one out in the second, third and fifth innings against Roark, all with one out, and failed to tack on any extra runs.</p>
<p id="QnwdVM">The third-inning situation was unfortunate in that pitcher Rich Hill was the first batter once the bases were loaded. He struck out, followed by a ground out by Chase Utley to end the threat.</p>
<p id="l08YkB">In the third inning, catcher Yasmani Grandal hit into a double play, and in the fifth inning he struck out, followed by a 107-mph line drive by pinch hitter Howie Kendrick that was caught in left field by Jayson Werth.</p>
<p id="lgeNO1">Not every situation is the same, obviously, but on average in 2016, having the bases loaded with one out produced 1.5691 runs in the rest of the inning, <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/sortable/index.php?cid=1918829">per Baseball Prospectus</a>. The Dodgers had three of those situations in Game 2, with an expected 4.7 total runs, roughly, but scored none.</p>
<p id="LeW5it">The Dodgers left a pair of runners on in the sixth as well, and for the game left a total of 12 runners on base.</p>
<h4 id="C4HagL">One that got away</h4>
<p id="mypdeh">Hill had the curve ball working early, striking out the side in the first inning, and he tied a major league postseason record with seven strikeouts the first three innings, holding the Nationals scoreless.</p>
<p id="HslyP5">Washington threatened in the second inning with a hit, a walk and a hit by pitch, loading the bases themselves with one out. But Lobaton bounced back to the box, where Hill was able to start a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning.</p>
<p id="xqVTqR">Lobaton, a 31-year-old switch-hitting veteran with parts of seven seasons in the majors, got another chance two innings later. This time, batting with two on and two out, Lobaton drove a curve ball left up by Hill deep through the wind in left field and over the wall for a stunning three-run home run, turning a 2-0 Dodgers lead into a 3-2 deficit.</p>
<p id="fRx9eG">How rare was the Lobaton home run? He has two regular season home runs in 293 career plate appearances against southpaws. Also:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jose Lobaton is only the 2nd hitter to homer this season on Rich Hill's curveball. Jose Altuve did it back in May. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dodgers?src=hash">#Dodgers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nationals?src=hash">#Nationals</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NLDS?src=hash">#NLDS</a></p>— Inside Edge (@InsideEdgeScout) <a href="https://twitter.com/InsideEdgeScout/status/785197009816870912">October 9, 2016</a>
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<p id="3syxmN">The home run was obviously the key blow of the inning, but the batter before was pretty key as well. Danny Espinosa was an escape hatch for the Dodgers in Game 1, striking out all three times up, all with two runners on base. But in his first trips to the plate on Sunday, Hill hit him with a pitch, including a curve on the back foot in the fourth, just before Lobaton’s home run.</p>
<p id="9bZeis">Espinosa struck out in his other two plate appearances on Sunday, making him 0-for-5 with five strikeouts and two hit by pitches in the series.</p>
<p id="ZNizuU">The Nationals added another run with three hits in the fifth inning, driving Hill from the game with an RBI single by Daniel Murphy that widened Washington’s lead to 4-2. The lead might have grown but Kendrick was able to corral a fly ball in the wind in left field by Anthony Rendon, then recover to throw out Bryce Harper at the plate.</p>
<p id="ZRdZdV">It was the sixth outfield assist of the season for Kendrick — a career second baseman — tying him with Yasiel Puig for the team lead.</p>
<h4 id="Wh1mdu">Pen men</h4>
<p id="RTdVmC">Both starters lasted just 4⅓ innings on Sunday, which meant a lot of work for both bullpens. </p>
<p id="wpvGHN">Werth doubled against Grant Dayton with two outs in the seventh inning, followed by a single by Daniel Murphy to give the Nationals a 5-2 lead. It was Murphy’s third hit of the day and fourth time reaching base.</p>
<p id="LRGtRz">But it was also the first run allowed by either bullpen in the series.</p>
<p id="o8BwC4">Nationals relievers through two games have pitched 7⅔ scoreless innings, allowing 4 hits and 5 walks, with 7 strikeouts. They allowed no hits in Game 2 until Justin Turner singled in the ninth.</p>
<p id="xPUYGT">Turner was 2-for-3 with two walks on Sunday, and has a seven-game postseason hitting streak. Turner has reached base at least twice in all seven games.</p>
<p id="mdlSXT">The Dodgers bullpen has allowed one run on four hits in their 7⅔ innings, with two walks and 11 strikeouts.</p>
<h4 id="sYiTFI">Tower of power</h4>
<p id="Sdw8hF">After Roark “buzzed the tower” (as <a href="https://twitter.com/handlebars41/status/785165779427745793">Dodgers reliever Chris Hatcher described it</a>) with a pitch well up and in and over Seager’s head, Seager took him out to right field for another quick 1-0 lead for the Dodgers.</p>
<p id="Kyt8CM">Seager is the first Dodger with a home run in back-to-back postseason games since Carl Crawford and Juan Uribe each did so <a href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/9q5Hs">in Games 3-4 of the 2013 NLDS</a> against Atlanta. The club record is three straight games with a home run, set by Bill Madlock in Games 4-6 in the 1985 NLCS against St. Louis.</p>
<h4 id="FoiBem">Seven-year itch</h4>
<p id="3QBemX">Hill tried a hybrid bunt / butcher boy swing with the bases loaded in the fourth, only to foul the ball off in an at-bat that ended in a strikeout. But in the fourth, with nobody on, Hill got a drag bunt down and into no man’s land behind the mound toward second base. The ball wasn’t fielded cleanly by a charging Daniel Murphy, and Hill got his first hit as a Dodger. In fact, it was his first major league hit of any kind since a June 19, 2009 single against Antonio Bastardo of the Phillies, when Hill was with the Orioles.</p>
<h4 id="HGbUWv">Game 1 particulars</h4>
<p id="t4AOAM"><strong>Home runs</strong>: Corey Seager (2); Jose Lobaton (1)</p>
<p id="zQSps6"><strong>WP - Blake Treinen (1-0)</strong>: 1⅓ IP, 2 strikeouts</p>
<p id="ltcDBX"><strong>LP - Rich Hill (0-1)</strong>: 4⅓ IP, 6 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts</p>
<p id="XHJcf6"><strong>Sv - Mark Melancon (1)</strong>: 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 strikeout</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/9/13219098/jose-lobaton-really-dodgers-frustrating-nlds-game-2-recapEric Stephen2016-10-09T12:00:03-07:002016-10-09T12:00:03-07:00NLDS Game 2 chat
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<figcaption>Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Continue your Game 2 discussion here ....</p>
<ul>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/6/13184230/dodgers-nationals-nlds-2016-preview">Series preview</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/8/13209682/justin-turner-hitting-streak-playoffs-dodgers-nlds-game-2-preview">Game 2 preview</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/8/13209780/rich-hill-opportunity-nationals-minors-dodgers-nlds-game-2">Rich Hill's Nationals connection</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/7/13197600/dodgers-nlds-roster-2016">Dodgers NLDS roster</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/7/13197602/nationals-nlds-roster-2016-dodgers-lhp">Nationals NLDS roster</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/8/13213348/nlds-schedule-update-dodgers-nationals-2016-rainout-game-times">Updated NLDS schedule</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016-nlds-dodgers-nationals">Full NLDS coverage</a></li>
</ul>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/9/13218284/nlds-game-2Eric Stephen2016-10-09T05:00:03-07:002016-10-09T05:00:03-07:00NLDS Game 2 redux
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<img alt="Division Series - Los Angeles Dodgers v Washington Nationals - Game Two" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/46B1G1WKcfmt4SYkqiflPbtpSoI=/0x0:3648x2432/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51268891/613368864.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>LA going for commanding 2-0 series lead</p> <p id="VapWTf">Let’s try this again.</p>
<p id="Ph5gyz">The Dodgers and Nationals will try again to play Game 2 of their National League Division Series on Sunday, this time with an early morning start, at least on the west coast.</p>
<p id="qjRChz">Los Angeles has a chance to win their first two games on the road for the first time since the 2008 NLDS against the Cubs.</p>
<p id="hi1bTp">That series ended okay for the Dodgers, just like every other best-of-5 series that saw the Dodgers capture Game 1 . LA is 6-0 after winning the first game of a best-of-5 series — winning the 1974 NLCS over Pittsburgh, the 1978 NLCS over Philadelphia, the 1981 NLCS over Montreal, 2008, the 2009 NLDS over St. Louis, and the 2013 NLDS over Atlanta.</p>
<p id="D3qsjK">Rich Hill starts for the Dodgers as planned, <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/8/13209780/rich-hill-opportunity-nationals-minors-dodgers-nlds-game-2">against an organization he was with on a minor league deal to open 2015</a>. Tanner Roark <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/7/13200074/tanner-roark-game-2-nlds-nationals-dodgers">starts for the Nationals</a>, the second straight right-hander to start for Washington.</p>
<h4 id="4PH5R2">Game 2 info</h4>
<p id="mkLbgu">Series: Dodgers lead Nationals, 1-0</p>
<p id="lux0n7">Where: Nationals Park, Washington D.C.</p>
<p id="hMsHtd">Time: 10:08 a.m. PT</p>
<p id="ci5kmR">TV: Fox Sports 1 (Kenny Albert, Tom Verudcci, Harold Reynolds, Jon Morosi)</p>
<p id="5P4MFD">Local radio: 570 AM (Charley Steiner and Rick Monday)</p>
<p id="UUZmpK">National radio: <a href="http://www.espn.com/espnradio/">ESPN Radio</a> (Dave O’Brien, Jim Bowden)</p>
<p id="KWTsMM">Online: <a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/">Fox Sports Go app</a> or <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/subscriptions/index.jsp?product=PostseasonTV&c_id=mlb&affiliateId=PSTVREDIRECT">Postseason.tv</a></p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/9/13215310/dodgers-nationals-nlds-game-2-try-againEric Stephen2016-10-08T13:52:31-07:002016-10-08T13:52:31-07:00Rainout opens door for Urias in Game 4
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<img alt="MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-aaohJ5W5y6pbloP_ptuR5MQzwY=/0x0:4460x2973/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51264867/usa-today-9575613.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>LHP would be youngest postseason starting pitcher ever</p> <p id="dZ0WYo">The postponement of Game 2 to Sunday throws a wrench into any plans the Dodgers might have had of starting Clayton Kershaw on short rest in the National League Division Series. In other words, expect Julio Urias to start Game 4 against the Nationals on Tuesday, should such a game be necessary in this series.</p>
<p id="MJFpr1">With two off days built into the NLDS schedule, the option usually exists to start the Game 1 starter on short rest in Game 4 if needed, followed by the Game 2 starter on regular rest in Game 5. It has been a nice little quirky advantage for a top-heavy rotation like the Dodgers have had, first with Kershaw and Zack Greinke for three years and now with Kershaw and Rich Hill.</p>
<p id="fl8mr8">Earlier Saturday, before the Game 2 postponement, manager Dave Roberts said the plan was to start Kershaw on short rest in Game 4 only if down 2-1 in the series.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Roberts said Kershaw for Game 4 is "on the table" if team is trailing series. Otherwise Urias starts. Kershaw cane out of Game 1 healthy.</p>— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) <a href="https://twitter.com/kengurnick/status/784826842708602880">October 8, 2016</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Roberts said Kershaw for Game 4 is "on the table" if team is trailing series. Otherwise Urias starts. Kershaw cane out of Game 1 healthy.</p>— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) <a href="https://twitter.com/kengurnick/status/784826842708602880">October 8, 2016</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dave Roberts said starting Clayton Kershaw on 3 days rest is "on the table," will depend on where series stands. Urias starts if LAD up 2-1</p>— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) <a href="https://twitter.com/billplunkettocr/status/784827406766993408">October 8, 2016</a>
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<p id="fYUjnQ">But with Hill now starting Sunday, and the remainder of the series schedule unchanged, he would only be available in Game 5 Thursday if pitching on short rest, something the Dodgers are highly unlikely to consider.</p>
<p id="86DkY3">In other words, the plan now is Urias in Game 4, Kershaw in Game 5, again if the series lasts that long.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dodgers?src=hash">#Dodgers</a> Dave Roberts: "Any thought is us having Clayton come back on short rest is probably nixed"</p>— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) <a href="https://twitter.com/billplunkettocr/status/784844543745228801">October 8, 2016</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"There's no absolutes," Dave Roberts says, "but right now I see Julio making that start" even if Dodgers trail in the series.</p>— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) <a href="https://twitter.com/jphoornstra/status/784843647602700288">October 8, 2016</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Julio Uriás, will start Game 4, if necessary. Very unlikely Roberts would start Kersh or Hill on short rest.</p>— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) <a href="https://twitter.com/alannarizzo/status/784844198835085313">October 8, 2016</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"We've got all the confidence in Julio and the rest of the guys in the pen." - Dave Roberts on <a href="https://twitter.com/FS1">@FS1</a></p>— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) <a href="https://twitter.com/DodgerInsider/status/784847571382444032">October 8, 2016</a>
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<p id="THBm43">Should this NLDS last four games, and should Urias make the start on Tuesday, the left-hander at 20 years, 60 days old will be t<a href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/0gkNA">he youngest Dodgers playoff starting pitcher ever</a>.</p>
<p id="Kq19sk">The current record is 20 years, 339 days by Fernando Valenzuela in Game 1 of the 1981 NLDS against Houston.</p>
<p id="L9Nxlq">Urias would also be the <a href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/l3iZD">youngest postseason starter ever </a><a href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/l3iZD"><em>in MLB history</em></a>, too, younger than Bret Saberhagen (20 years, 175 days) in Game 2 of the 1984 ALCS).</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/8/13212988/nlds-rainout-julio-urias-game-4-dodgers-nationals-clayton-kershaw-rich-hillEric Stephen2016-10-08T12:22:33-07:002016-10-08T12:22:33-07:00Game 2 postponed until Sunday
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<img alt="MLB: NLDS-Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington Nationals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ui4LOfUcVQ3r3BOQokJGChtfUF0=/0x0:5568x3712/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51264165/usa-today-9595039.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Game 2 will start on Sunday at 10:08 a.m. PT</p> <p id="RZInMi">It is official. Game 2 of the National League Division Series will not start on time on Saturday, and in fact won’t be played today at all. The game has been officially postponed by rain, and will now be played on Sunday at 10:08 a.m. PT.</p>
<p id="RV77k9">“It appears the rain we’re seeing right now will persist until at least 8 o’clock,” baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said. “As a result, we have decided to postpone tonight’s game until Sunday.”</p>
<p id="Dc9tvh">Manfred said even if the game started by 5 p.m. PT on Saturday, the field likely wouldn’t be playable by that time.</p>
<p id="Bqy30K">The schedule for the remainder of the series, including an afternoon game Monday in Los Angeles for Game 3, remains unchanged, Manfred said.</p>
<p id="heleVf">The delay, especially with advance notice, isn’t expected to affect Rich Hill, who was <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/8/31/12734398/bud-norris-dodgers-rich-hill-scratched-rockies">scratched from a start in Colorado on Aug. 31</a> on after warming up for 40 pitches the night before then getting rained out, affecting the blisters on his left hand.</p>
<p id="KihRRN">“With the Commissioner, they do a good job, the umpires, giving us a heads up on the game time with respect to the weather,” manager Dave Roberts said in his press conference earlier on Saturday. “At that point in time, we'll know, and Rich will know, when to start getting hot. And I don't think anybody wants a delay, as far as a stop after a start.</p>
<p id="EqWH8A">“So once we have a game time, you know, we're going to do everything we can, I know they are, to have continual play. And so Rich won't get started and stop, so they are kind of good about that.”</p>
<p id="vXR96Q">Roberts mentioned earlier that the rain was expected to stop roughly between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. PT, giving them a possible window to get a game in after maybe an hour delay.</p>
<p id="irfeNp">But that start time turned out to be way too optimistic <a href="https://weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/l/USDC0001:1:US">given the forecast in the area</a>.</p>
<p id="81Njh8">The last Dodgers game postponed by rain was Game 3 of the 1988 NLCS against the Mets in New York.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/8/13212472/nlds-game-2-postponed-rain-dodgers-nationals-weather-sundayEric Stephen2016-10-08T10:56:51-07:002016-10-08T10:56:51-07:00Game 2: Same lineups, rain looms
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<img alt="Division Series - Los Angeles Dodgers v Washington Nationals - Game One" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sXdpaSYE3ColAXYBUBfeaC3IFwM=/0x0:5099x3399/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51263349/613196286.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Toles gets second straight start in left field</p> <p id="2K0moV">The Dodgers are sticking with the same lineup in Game 2 of their National League Division Series against the Nationals, with the only question when the actual game might be played.</p>
<p id="RNr17i">There is <a href="https://weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/l/USDC0001:1:US">heavy rain in the Washington D.C. area</a>, so the 1:08 p.m. PT start time doesn’t seem all that likely.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dave Roberts said he was told the window of play is 5-8. Likely delay at the start.</p>— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) <a href="https://twitter.com/kengurnick/status/784805747028811778">October 8, 2016</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Chance of rain during Game 2...<br>4 p.m. - 85%<br>5 p.m. - 50%<br>6 p.m. - 35%<br>7 p.m. - 35%<br>8 p.m. - 15%</p>— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkZuckerman/status/784804497230958592">October 8, 2016</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I'm hearing from <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB">@MLB</a> that they will have another meeting at 3pE regarding the rain at Nats Park. They expect to play but likely not on time</p>— Scott Braun (@scottbraun) <a href="https://twitter.com/scottbraun/status/784811409200689153">October 8, 2016</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Game 2 we're ready, just need the weather to cooperate! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LALovesOctober?src=hash">#LALovesOctober</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NLDS?src=hash">#NLDS</a> <a href="https://t.co/88vtgD7ttA">pic.twitter.com/88vtgD7ttA</a></p>— Adrián González (@Adrian_ElTitan) <a href="https://twitter.com/Adrian_ElTitan/status/784810166080471040">October 8, 2016</a>
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<p id="ZlPCfl">When the game does start, the Dodgers will have the same lineup as Game 1, which means Andrew Toles starting again in left field and not Howie Kendrick. </p>
<p id="1tOLzN">Toles was 1-for-2 and scored the Dodgers’ second run in Game 1, scoring from second on a single by Chase Utley in the third inning.</p>
<p id="WYPkTr">The only change for the Nationals in their lineup is that veteran catcher Jose Lobaton is starting behind the plate. The switch-hitter gets the call after rookie Pedro Severino started in Game 1.</p>
<div id="NtEz58"><div class="sidebar">
<h4>Starting Lineups</h4>
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<tr>
<td colspan="2" width="125" align="center" bgcolor="#1e90ff"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Dodgers</b></font></td>
<td colspan="2" width="125" align="center" bgcolor="#ba122b"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Nationals</b></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Utley (L)</td>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Turner</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Seager (L)</td>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Harper (L)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Turner</td>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Werth</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Gonzalez (L)</td>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Murphy (L)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Reddick (L)</td>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Rendon</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Pederson (L)</td>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Zimmerman</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>C</td>
<td>Grandal (S)</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Espinosa (S)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Toles (L)</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>Lobaton (S)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>P</td>
<td>Hill (L)</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>Roark
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<span><b>Location</b>: Nationals Park<br><b>Time</b>: 1:08 p.m. PT<br> <b>TV</b>: Fox Sports 1<br><b>Radio</b>: AM 570, ESPN Radio</span>
</div></div>
<p id="sTLo72">There is no change at shortstop after Danny Espinosa struck out three times in three at-bats on Friday, all with two runners on base. Espinosa hit 24 home runs during the season, but hit just .209/.306/.378, which included a 12-for-89 September that saw the switch-hitter bat .135/.212/.281.</p>
<p id="wuZ8XZ">“Well, who else do I have? That's my answer,” manager Dusty Baker said in his pregame press conference. “I mean, you can give me somebody better, then I can play somebody instead of him. You know, certain times you have certain people on your team and that's what you've got.”</p>
<p id="Np5ylu">Tanner Roark starts for the Nationals. The two Dodgers with home runs off him are Yasmani Grandal, whose three-run shot in the eighth inning on June 21 at Dodger Stadium was a game-winner, and Adrian Gonzalez, who homered off Roark in 2015 in Washington D.C.</p>
<p id="SKgiPA">Gonzalez was 0-for-4 in Game 1, snapping a six-game postseason hitting streak for the Dodgers first baseman.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/8/13211842/nlds-game-2-dodgers-lineup-rain-delay-looming-nationalsEric Stephen2016-10-08T05:00:07-07:002016-10-08T05:00:07-07:00Turner continues to produce
<figure>
<img alt="MLB: NLDS-Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington Nationals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NUJNd4EQNCpSOYN3yuFyQnOR_Zc=/0x0:2179x1453/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51259769/usa-today-9593228.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>“I, Justin Turner, solemnly swear to keep hitting the bejesus out of the ball.” | Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Dodgers 3B has a 6-game postseason hitting streak, including 7 extra-base hits</p> <p id="mHuWy2">Justin Turner is one of the biggest success stories in the history of the Dodgers, and he continues to produce as the stage gets larger. The third baseman will try for more success and a 2-0 series lead over the Nationals in Game 2 of the NLDS on Saturday afternoon in Washington D.C.</p>
<p id="3nL6ZG">Turner hit a two-run home run in the third inning and later singled in the Dodgers’ 4-3 victory on Friday in Game 1. Not only were the runs needed by the Dodgers, but they came after a brief scare in the first inning when Turner was hit by a pitch on his left hand, a slider from Max Scherzer.</p>
<p id="qkDxsE">“In these games, there's no way, I don't think any of us are coming out of them,” Turner told reporters after the win. “So tape it up and put a pad on my batting glove and get back out there.”</p>
<p id="FBmhc4">Turner saw limited time in the 2014 NLDS, going 0-for-2 as a pinch hitter, but last year in the playoffs, by then the Dodgers’ regular third baseman, Turner was on fire, hitting six doubles while hitting .526 (10-for-19) in five games against the Mets.</p>
<p id="yQnXGs">Add in his two hits on Friday, Turner is now 12-for-24 (.500) in the postseason, and with his seven extra-base hits sports a slugging percentage of .875.</p>
<p id="CZW2pr">Including the hit by pitch, Turner reached base three times in Game 1, and has a postseason streak of six straight games reaching base at least twice. That’s <a href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/pkPmK">the third-longest streak in Dodgers postseason history</a>, trailing only Manny Ramirez (9 games, 2008-09) and Pee Wee Reese (7 games, 1949-52).</p>
<p id="osnams">Not bad for Turner’s <em>first six</em> postseason starts.</p>
<p id="jN3tQt">“I like playing in them, first of all, having the opportunity. Just trying to get good pitches to hit and staying in the zone,” Turner said. “Usually, when you swing at good pitches, you get pretty good results. I did a good job tonight swinging at strikes and got good results.”</p>
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<p id="KCRoQ8">Ever since Turner signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers before the 2014 season, he has done a great job of swinging at good pitches, and the results <em>have</em> followed.</p>
<p id="QBDeZJ">Since the start of 2014, Turner has hit .296/.364/.492, and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=1000&type=8&season=2016&month=0&season1=2014&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=17,d">among the 235 major league hitters with at least 1,000 plate appearances during that span</a> Turner’s 138 wRC+ (where 100 is average, and being above is a good thing) ranks 18th.</p>
<p id="Jwh8Tz">He has blossomed from a utility man in 2014, to the regular third baseman last year, to — following <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/2/2/10896804/justin-turner-rehabilitation-knee-microfracture-surgery">microfracture surgery on his left knee last November</a> — a fully healthy everyday player who played in a career-high 151 games in 2016 and has become an indispensable part of the heart of the Dodgers batting order.</p>
<p id="GnPel3">“ I don't know what happened but obviously my career has kind of taken a turn for the better once I put the Dodger uniform on,” Turner said. “I couldn't be happier to be here and share the same uniform as this guy [Kenley Jansen, sitting next to him] and the rest of the guys, and be on a team that from day one is all about winning.”</p>
<h4 id="4PH5R2">Game 2 info</h4>
<p id="mkLbgu">Series: Dodgers lead Nationals, 1-0</p>
<p id="lux0n7">Where: Nationals Park, Washington D.C.</p>
<p id="hMsHtd">Time: 1:08 p.m. PT</p>
<p id="ci5kmR">TV: Fox Sports 1 (Kenny Albert, Tom Verudcci, Harold Reynolds, Jon Morosi)</p>
<p id="5P4MFD">Local radio: 570 AM (Charley Steiner and Rick Monday)</p>
<p id="UUZmpK">National radio: <a href="http://www.espn.com/espnradio/">ESPN Radio</a> (Dave O’Brien, Jim Bowden)</p>
<p id="6lQcrX">Online: <a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/">Fox Sports Go app</a> or <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/subscriptions/index.jsp?product=PostseasonTV&c_id=mlb&affiliateId=PSTVREDIRECT">Postseason.tv</a></p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/10/8/13209682/justin-turner-hitting-streak-playoffs-dodgers-nlds-game-2-previewEric Stephen