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Dodgers News: Adrian Gonzalez Frustrated By Game-Changing Play

The Los Angeles Dodgers suffered yet another early postseason exit Thursday night, losing to the New York Mets in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. For the Dodgers it is a second consecutive season in which they were ousted in the NLDS.

For All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez it’s another crushing defeat considering their expectations this year. Gonzalez and the Dodgers went a combined 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position in the winner-take-all game.



“We got off to a great start and kept putting guys out there for the first five or six innings and we weren’t able to capitalize,” he said. “That run where [Daniel] Murphy took third base was huge. Just a game where we had all the opportunities to win and we just couldn’t make it happen. When you don’t have those big hits and you let runs score you lose games.”

Daniel Murphy, who was the Mets’ best hitter during the NLDS, capitalized on a key Dodgers mistake in the fourth inning. While Murphy was on first, the Dodgers were in a shift, playing left-handed hitter Lucas Duda to pull.

After a walk, Murphy proceeded to take third as no one went to cover the base. “I wouldn’t call it a stolen base, I’d call it a given base,” Gonzalez said after the loss. “We talked about it and obviously when you play the shift you put yourself vulnerable for things like that and we weren’t heads up and it ended up being the difference in the game.”

At the time of the play the Dodgers were ahead 2-1. Murphy would eventually come around and score on a sacrifice fly. “It’s something you can’t let happen in a game this big with this magnitude and for the most part it’s probably one of the biggest reasons we lost,” Gonzalez said.

Staff Writer

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11 Comments

  1. The real mental mistake was Ethier catching that foul fly ball that allowed the runner from third to score. The busted play allowing a runner to third was all on the manager. Even high school teams shouldn’t have lapses like that.

    1. I disagree. You have to take the out when given one. It’s was the 4th inning plenty of game left to make up a run, which the Dodger had plenty of opportunities and didn’t capitalize. Besides, who knows what would have happen next if Ethier lets the fly ball drop. What if that batter hits a HR in the next swing? Now their down by 3 runs instead of 1. The lack of run support is the compaling factor. Too many runners left on base!

      1. I totally agree with your analysis ARODCO3. The biggest sin was the 2 for 13 performance with RISP. I was so frustrated watching the Dodger hitters choke.

      2. I don’t see why the left fielder didn’t back-up the play. If there’s a play in the infield, the outfielders should run to the infield just in case.

  2. Corey took the blame, even as a rookie, and for that I applaud him, but if you listen carefully , he was not fully prepared for “the play that changed the game”, and ultimately I think shifted the momentum to the Mets for good,,,and why was he not prepared for it ???….because his manager and coaches did not prepare him in advance for such a situation, and did not alert him to the possiblities that playing “the shift” woud create and who is supposed to cover 3rd if a walk occurs…See ya Donny, we’ll get em next year without you

  3. If there is someone to be blame on the field its Seager. But his teammates also have a responsibly to be aware of the situation. Someone covering 3rd is the obvious way to have prevented this game changing mishap. But what about someone calling for time as soon as that walk was issued? This would have induced a dead ball situation and prevented Murphy from advancing. Calling for time would have been ideal especially when players are out of position to cover 3rd. A quick visit to the mound would have done also so yes Donny or Honeycutt are also to blame.

  4. Murphy’s Law: “When you snooze you lose” Dodgers beat themselves! That is what happens when the players are “watching” the game, instead of “playing ” the game. Always a Dodger Fan!

    1. I believe Murphy’s law is more along the lines of “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” But your point is well taken.

  5. Yes, that is the definition of Murphy’s Law! But, what I did was a play on words using the name of the Mets player “Murphy” who was the heads up runner! I would say he was the MVP (Murphy Valuble Player) Sorry, about the play on words…..

  6. Here is another one for you! Abbot and Costello’s stick, “That’s right. Who’s on first, What’s on second, I Don’t Know’s on third.

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