FSM Essential Recap: Dodgers vs Brewers - Series 52

FSM Essential Recap: Dodgers vs Brewers – Series 52

www.FranchiseSportsMedia.com

Los Angeles Dodgers (106-56) |  Milwaukee Brewers (95-67)

 

“Listen, if you start worrying about the people in the stands, before too long you’re up in the stands with them.”

– Tommy LaSorda

 

Game 3:

 

The Dodgers did not win the National League West, but they did close the season out with loads of offense, a three-inning save, and a seven-game winning streak, including 10-3 on Sunday over the Brewers at Dodger Stadium.

Sunday’s win was the 106th for the Dodgers, tying a franchise record set in 2019. But they finished one game back of the Giants, who clinched the division on Sunday with a win over San Diego.

“It was a great regular season. It was. You have to give credit to the Giants,” manager Dave Roberts said. “They took it from us. I don’t think we just gave it away.”

Trea Turner punctuated his MVP candidacy with a grand slam, his second in three days, and the Dodgers’ 11th of the season, breaking 2004’s franchise record.

Turner finished his season hitting .328/.375/.536 with 28 home runs and 32 stolen bases. He led the NL in hits (195), steals, and total bases (319). He’s the first Dodger to win a batting title since Tommy Davis in 1963, and the first Dodger to lead the majors in batting average since Eddie Murray in 1990.

“It’s been a good season from a health standpoint,” Turner said. “Any time you can win anything in this league, it’s special, so it’s pretty cool and I’m proud of it.”

After playing shortstop for the Nationals the last four and a half seasons, Turner moved to second base after the Dodgers acquired him on July 30, which wasn’t lost on his manager.

“For him to continue to stay the course and perform, do a position change and still ultimately win a batting title, it’s huge,” Roberts said. “I believe batting average still matters, and it goes with getting on base and driving in runs. He’s an MVP-caliber player, and we’re lucky to have him.”

Turner with Los Angeles is hitting .338/.385/.565 with 10 home runs and 11 steals in 52 games. The Dodgers are 41-12 since he was activated on August 6.

His grand slam broke open a close game and made a winner out of Walker Buehler, whose final regular-season start lasted five innings, allowing only a run on three hits, while striking out a season-high 11, bolstering his NL Cy Young candidacy.

Buehler finished his season with a 2.47 ERA and 3.15 FIP in a career-best 207⅔ innings, with 211 strikeouts, and a 16-4 record.

“I think I checked a lot of boxes for myself and goals I’ve set for myself for a long time, and was finally able to achieve them and stay healthy,” Buehler said. “To make 33 starts is the biggest thing for me, and I feel really proud about that.”

 

Corey Seager continued his hot hitting as well with three hits in his three at-bats Sunday, his infield single in the fifth inning giving the Dodgers their first lead of the day.

It’s highly unlikely Max Muncy will be available for the Wild-Card game after injuring his elbow in the third inning Sunday. After the game, Roberts said X-rays and further testing on Muncy’s elbow were unclear, but that he could potentially miss extended time.

“I’m not going to close the door on Max looking out, but right now it’s certainly doesn’t look great,” Roberts said.

Matt Beaty added a three-run home run in the eighth inning to put the Dodgers in double digits. Beaty, who did not start, entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning and finished with three hits, driving in four runs, and played in both right field and at third base on Sunday.

The Dodgers finished the season with at least eight runs in five straight games, tying the longest such streak in franchise history. They also accomplished the feat in 1913 and 1945 in Brooklyn as well as 2017 in Los Angeles.

Andre Jackson, called up earlier Sunday, entered with a six-run lead in the seventh and closed out the game, earning the Dodgers’ first save of three innings or more since September 2, 2019, when Kenta Maeda had a four-inning save.

 

Game 3 Boxscore:

WP: Walker Buehler (16-4)

LP: Aaron Ashby (3-2)

SV: Andre Jackson (1)

HR: Trea Turner (28), Matt Beaty (7)

The Dodgers will host the Cardinals in the National League Wild Card game on Wednesday. Max Scherzer starts for Los Angeles, facing Adam Wainwright for St. Louis. The first pitch is at 5:10 on can be seen on TBS.

 

 

Game 2:

 

The Dodgers kept their NL West hopes alive, as they defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 8-3. It all comes down to Sunday, where the Dodgers have a chance at tying the Giants and forcing a Game 163 on Monday.

In their three prior games, the Dodgers have combined for 14 home runs. Each one of them seems to have come up in a very clutch situation as well.

That narrative remained true on Saturday night, as the Dodgers hit three more home runs to give them 17 in their last four games.

Their first homer came in the first inning and set the tone for the game. With two outs, L.A. put together a rally as Trea Turner and Max Muncy reached base. Justin Turner stepped up to the plate and crushed his 27th home run of the season. For the 36-year-old, it tied his career-high for home runs in a season.

The Dodgers scored three more runs in the fourth inning, with two of them being courtesy of a home run. AJ Pollock connected for his 21st of the season, tying his career-high in home runs. He hit 21 with the D-Backs in 2018. Since joining L.A. in 2019, Pollock has 52 home runs in 257 games. Pollock continues to be on fire, as he’s hit four home runs in his last four games.

Corey Seager hit a solo shot in the fifth inning, his 16th this season.

 

Julio Urias picked up his 20th win of the season tonight, the only pitcher in all of baseball to reach that number.

 

“It’s a dream season,” Urias said following the game. “The focus, adrenaline and energy level was all at peak [tonight] knowing what was at stake. It kept me focused throughout the entire start.”

He was fantastic for L.A., especially after the first inning. Things looked as if they’d get rough in the first inning, as the Brewers had runners on second and third with only one out. Urias ended up allowing a run, but that would be all Milwaukee would score off the lefty. After Eduardo Escobar doubled, the Brewers went 0-for-18 at the plate until Urias was taken out.

With one out in the seventh, Dave Roberts pulled Urias and made sure that he got a standing ovation. For the game, the lefty went 6 ¹⁄₃ innings and allowed only one run on one hit. He struck out seven and issued two walks.

“Tremendous outing,” Roberts said. “We needed every bit of it. To cap off a tremendous regular season for him, really proud of him. It’s a feather in his cap winning 20 games. Those are hard to come by these days. Really happy for him.”

Urias finishes the season with a 2.96 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 195 strikeouts.

 

Game 2 Boxscore:

 

WP: Julio Urias (20-3)

LP: Corbin Burnes (11-5)

HR: Justin Turner (27) AJ Pollock (21) Corey Seager (16) Willy Adames (29)

 

The Dodgers have a chance to tie the Giants in the NL West on Sunday. If the Dodgers win and the Giants lose, the two teams will play on Monday to determine the winner. Walker Buehler gets the start for L.A. The first pitch is at 12:10 and can be seen on SportsNet LA.

 

 

Game 1:

 

On the night the 104-win Dodgers were pushed to the brink of the wild card game, Dodger Stadium opened with a terrific national anthem using not the world’s smallest violin, but one of its oldest. In the 8-6 win over the Brewers, the Dodgers lost starter Clayton Kershaw to left forearm discomfort in the second inning.

The Dodgers’ string of National League West division titles isn’t quite that old, but it is close to being over after eight seasons. The Giants just keep pushing forward, their 3-0 victory over the Padres a seventh straight win and San Francisco’s 106th of the year, keeping them two games up on the Dodgers, but with two left to play.

If the Dodgers are going to win the NL West, it will have to be in San Francisco on Monday, following two more Dodgers wins and two Giants losses this weekend. A tall order.

“At this point, I just assume they win because they win a lot, and so do we,” said Turner when asked if he saw the Giants score during the game.

Kershaw got the start on Friday, his fourth since returning from an over two-month stay on the injured list with elbow/forearm inflammation. But he allowed five hits to his 10 batters faced, allowing three runs while recording only five outs before walking off the field with trainer Neil Rampe in the second inning.

Kershaw will undergo more testing on Saturday to determine the severity of the injury, but his season is very likely over.

“He couldn’t continue pitching, so that’s pretty telling,” manager Dave Roberts said.

 

“I just wanted to be a part of this team going into October. This team is special,” he said. “It’s going to be a challenge to even contribute at all.”

An impromptu bullpen game for the Dodgers meant more runs for the Brewers, but the Dodgers were at least able to score for a change against their nemesis Eric Lauer.

Trea Turner tagged the Brewers left-hander for a pair of home runs, a solo shot in the first inning, and a grand slam to tie things up in the fifth. Turner is the ninth different Dodger to hit a grand slam this season, and the 10 total slams tie the franchise record set in 2004.

Lauer left after allowing five runs in five innings, after allowing only 11 total runs in his first eight career starts against the Dodgers.

Matt Beaty’s pinch-hit home run off Jandel Gustave kicked off a three-run seventh inning that provided the winning margin for the Dodgers.

L.A.’s offense has scored eight or more runs in each of the last three games, their longest streak since August 11-14, 2019.

 

Game 1 Boxscore:

 

WP: Blake Treinen (6-5)

LP: Jandel Gustave (1-2)

SV: Kenley Jansen (38)

HR: Trea Turner 2 (27), Matt Beaty (6)

 

 

Julio Urías makes his final start of the regular season on today trying to become the second Dodgers pitcher with 20 wins in a season in the last 30 years. Corbin Burnes starts for Milwaukee, trying to put the finishing touches on both his Cy Young Award case and an ERA title over Max Scherzer. The first pitch is at 6:10 and can be seen on SportsNet LA.

Dodgers vs Brewers             Dodgers vs Brewers               Dodgers vs Brewers               Dodgers vs Brewers               Dodgers vs Brewers             Dodgers vs Brewers               Dodgers vs Brewers               Dodgers vs Brewers               Dodgers vs Brewers                              

– Joe Arrigo

Follow Joe on Twitter @JoeArrigo

Follow The Franchise on social media

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube