Hi all. Here’s how I see baseball on this Saturday, October 13. Clayton Kershaw didn’t get past the fourth inning last night as the Brewers took a 6-5 win over the Dodgers. With the win they are ahead 1 game to None in their league championship series.
Quietly, the Brewers have won a dozen games in a row. These include game 163 of the regular season to take the NL Central pennant from the Cubs, 3 straight over the Rockies and last night’s win over the Dodgers. The last time he left the gate, the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw gave up just 2 hits to the Braves in 8 innings. Last night he gave up 5 runs including a home run by Brewers’ relief pitcher Brandon Woodruff. Somehow, the Crew won the first game of this series as they won game 1 against the Rockies-without a lengthy performance from their starting pitcher. Gio Gonzalez was removed after two innings having given up a home run to the Dodgers’ Manny Machado. From there the bull pen kept the Dodgers quiet until the 8th. Woodruff, a former two-way player at Mississippi State tied the game in the home third with a long one off Kershaw. The Brewers scored again in the third and put up 3 more an inning later, sending Kershaw to the showers. Considering the rally the Dodgers put on later, Jesus Aguilar’s home run in the 7th gave the home team what would turn out to be a vital run. Josh Hader kept the Dodgers’ bats quiet through the fifth, 6th and 7th. After the bull pen gave up 3 8th-inning runs, Cory Knebel held on for the save. He had a near miss when Chris Taylor tripled a run home with two out to make it 6-5.
Later this afternoon the Dodgers and Brewers meet in game 2 of their series. In a night game at Fenway, the Astros visit the Red Sox, hoping the weather will allow them to begin the ALCS. The Dodgers turn to Hyun-Jin Ryu who’s been lights out for the past two months. Atlanta got just 4 hits in 7 innings in game 1 of the Division Series. The Brewers turn to Wade Miley. While they’re a game ahead, their bull pen worked most of the game last night, meaning Miley will have to give them serious innings. He didn’t last 5 innings in game 3 against the Rockies. As for the game in frigid Boston, a cold rain is falling as I write this with tonight’s forecast not looking any better. Whether it happens tonight or tomorrow night, both teams have their top guns ready and waiting. For the Astros it’s Justin Verlander who got the win in game 1 against the Indians. For the Red Sox, it’s Chris Sale who did what he does against the Yankees in game 1. A year ago, this was the matchup in the ALDS game 1. That day the Astros tagged Sale for 7 runs en route to an easy win.