Dodgers Major Lineup Shakeup, Why Chris Taylor Should Always Start, Pollock’s Postseason Struggles.
The only thing chillier than the weather last night in game one of the much anticipated National League Division Series between the Dodgers and Giants was LA’s offense. In the shutout loss to the Giants, the Dodgers hit .156 (5-for-32) with just two extra base hits all night. The Dodgers went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and struck out eleven times without drawing a walk.
The biggest area of concern proved to be LA’s 5 through 7 hitters – Matt Beaty, AJ Pollock, and Cody Bellinger – who combined for a 0-for-9 night with 5 of the club’s 11 strikeouts on the night.
In the team’s first two postseason games, LA has mustered just three runs in 18 innings, with two of those runs coming thanks to Chris Taylor’s heroic two-run walk-off home run in the Wild Card Game vs. the Cardinals a few nights ago. With LA’s offense clearly needing a spark, one would have assumed that the hero of the Wild Card Game, Chris Taylor would have been in the starting lineup and at the very least would have had an at-bat. Instead, CT3 remained bundled up in the Dodgers dugout and never saw the field.
Following the 4-0 loss, manager Dave Roberts said Taylor would be in the starting lineup for game 2. The 2021 All-Star proved during the Dodgers 2017 postseason run that he’s more than capable of getting the job done in center field where posted a .889 OPS with 3 home runs and two doubles. We discuss why Chris Taylor should be in the Dodgers starting lineup for the remainder of the postseason.
Plus, we break down the Dodgers offense vs. Giants starter RHP Kevin Gausman in Game 2.
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Seriously doubt CT3 isn’t in the starting lineup in EVERY postseason game from here on out! Nice going “Babe” Urias! Take matters into your own hand! Kudos. Let’s go Dodgers!!!!
OMG! AJ Pollock finally gets a meaningful postseason hit! Guess all the Bellinger detractors have to eat crow now. You aren’t going to keep a NL MVP down forever. Too much talent!
Exactly! I believe Urias broke the ice. And once the scoring started it continued. Funny how this game can transpire overnight. With that, I believe our lineup is set the rest of the way. Go Dodgers!
AJ Pollock did just fine in last years post season, you can’t keep a good hitter down for long, to paraphraes you. And Bellinger has a swing that launches if he can make contact but is hard to make contact. Beatty and Pollock got big hits last night. I think sometime it’s best to just sit back, watch and enjoy, which is easier without your foot in your mouth.
Bernie, please get a clue! Pollock went 4-20 in the NLCS vs the Braves and 1-6 in the WS. You call that good??? He went 0-13 with 11 strikeouts in 2019 vs the Nats! Kike hit 3 Hr’s in one game vs the Cubs in 2017. Last year he hit 2 HR’s in the NLCS. Please do you research before you make stupid comments!
Just had an epiphany, anyone who has read my comments know I am a huge Kike Hernandez fan…come on anyone who hits 3 HR’s in one postseason game? I know AF is kicking himself in the rear for letting him go. Yes, I know he wanted to be an everyday player and the Dodgers didn’t see him as such. But I think there might be another component to it. Something tells me that the FO might have held him partially responsible for dislocating Bellinger’s shoulder in the post HR celebration last year. Might be a stretch, but you never know.
My feeling is you should never let a proven playoff performer get away if at all possible.
Dodgerfan4life, concur about Kike H. It pretty much boiled down to him wanting a starting job from the get go, same for Joc. As you know, Dodgers weren’t able to guarantee them that. I know Joc wasn’t too fond of platooning and wanted more of a chance against LHP. Wish Kike was doing this hitting for Dodgers instead of Red Sox but IIWII.
I’m embarrassed with the Dodgers performance tonight.
Scherzer pitched a very good game nd alllowed 1 run on 3 hits. The Dodgers hitting, once again was nonexistent. What really erks me is the fact that my great, great, great grandmother? and my 6 year old grand daughter only has 1 less hit than Trea Turner. Trea is 1-14 in the series. With all the great players on this Dodger club, Trea’s my favorite player and he’s failed miserably at the plate and I’m embarrassed for him. I don’t know what happened to him, but he needs to pull his head out and start hitting within himself instead of trying to be Mr Homerun man. Get on base and change the way the Giant pitchers are pitching so we can support Scherzer and company.