Dodgers Dugout: Dodgers get the Game 1 victory

It wasn't pretty, but the Dodgers came away with a Game 1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Los Angeles Times] Dodgers Dugout October 1, 2020 [View in browser]( Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and [the Game 1 win wasn’t pretty]( but I’ll take it. Some random thoughts about Game 1, in no particular order: —Mookie Betts two hits, rest of team four hits. That’s that high-powered offense I was telling you about. —Betts got most of the (well-deserved) credit this season, but you could make a case the Corey Seager was just as valuable to the Dodgers. And he gave the Dodgers some needed breathing room with his seventh-inning homer. —Um, interviewing a player when he’s trying to play defense isn’t the greatest thing I have ever seen. How about saying “No” and just focusing on the game? —I know they weren’t at the stadium, but the ESPN announcing crew were particularly somnambulant for Game 1. —The Dodgers’ failure to break the game open in the first two innings made me particularly nervous. —The Walker Buehler who came out in the second inning, after that long bottom of the first, wasn’t the same Buehler who pitched the first inning. He lost command of his curveball and you had to wonder if his blister was bothering him. Not that the ESPN crew noticed. —You can’t say enough about the relief job by Julio Urías. OK, technically you can say enough about it, but you know what I mean. —You weren’t nervous when Kenley Jansen came in in the ninth were you? Me either. —You’ll hear a lot of talk on TV about how this guy now has the Dodgers record for postseason games played or this other Dodger has the record for most postseason at-bats. It’s pretty meaningless. If they had the same number of playoff rounds back in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, guys like Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Maury Wills, Steve Garvey and Ron Cey would be way, way ahead. —If the Brewers somehow win the next two, then get the 11 more victories necessary to win a World Series, they still would finish the season with fewer total victories than the Dodgers had during the regular season. Enjoying this newsletter? Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. [Become a Los Angeles Times subscriber.]( ADVERTISEMENT Playoff roster My streak of unsuccessfully predicting the playoff roster remains intact. Here’s the roster for this round (rosters can chance between each round): Pitchers (13) Pedro Baéz Walker Buehler Tony Gonsolin Victor González Brusdar Graterol Kenley Jansen Joe Kelly Clayton Kershaw Adam Kolarlek Dustin May Jake McGee Blake Treinen Julio Urías Position players (15) Austin Barnes Matt Beaty Cody Bellinger Mookie Betts Terrance Gore Kiké Hernández Max Muncy Joc Pederson AJ Pollock Edwin Ríos Keibert Ruiz Corey Seager Will Smith Chris Taylor Justin Turner Beaty and Gore are surprises. Gore will be used just as a pinch-runner. Gavin Lux was left off the roster, and he should have been. The shine is off of his star, and he’s going to have to work hard this offseason to restore his status as a top prospect. And it’s good to see three catchers on the team, which means today they can start Barnes behind the plate to catch Kershaw, and let Smith be the DH. Is today Justin Turner’s last appearance at Dodger Stadium? Something that has gotten a bit lost in all the talk of shortened season: Justin Turner, Kiké Hernández and Joc Pederson are free agents after the season, and with the rest of the NL playoffs taking place in Texas, today could be the final appearance for each of them as a member of the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Traditionally, when a player who has meant as much to the Dodgers as Turner, has a possible final at-bat at home, he gets a huge ovation. Turner won’t even get that. Neither will Hernandez or Pederson. And that’s a little sad. If this is their last game at Dodger Stadium with the team, hopefully they each get a warm reception the next time they come to town with whichever team they are playing for, on whatever day we are finally able to watch a game in person again. Get your NLCS and World Series tickets MLB [made a surprising announcement Wednesday]( They are selling tickets to the NLCS and World Series, both of which will be played in Arlington, Texas, at the home of the Texas Rangers. The league said 11,500 tickets will be available for each game and the tickets will go on sale Oct. 6 at 8 a.m. PDT [at mlb.com](. MLB said it received “the appropriate approvals to host fans in the ballpark and will implement fan health and safety protocols in conjunction with state and local regulations.” No word on pricing, but if you want to take a chance that the Dodgers will make it to the World Series, then you might be able to watch them in person if you sign on, get lucky, and don’t mind driving to Texas for the games. ADVERTISEMENT Ask Dylan Hernández It’s a big month in the Los Angeles sports world. The Lakers take on the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals and the Dodgers open the baseball playoffs against the Milwaukee Brewers. For this special occasion, the Times is bringing in sports columnist Dylan Hernández to answer your questions. Please submit your comments, questions and thoughts about these playoff runs [by clicking here]( and Dylan will do his best to answer them. [Just click here to ask him a question](. Up next Game 2: Today, Milwaukee (Brandon Woodruff) at Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw*), 7 p.m., ESPN, AM 570 Game 3**: Friday, Milwaukee (TBD) at Dodgers (TBD), 3:30 p.m., ESPN, AM 570 *-Left-handed **-if necessary In case you missed it Dylan Hernández: [Walker Buehler’s blister saga reveals a deeper truth — Dodgers aren’t invincible]( [World Series quest begins despite the lack of playoff atmosphere at Dodger Stadium]( [A rejuvenated Clayton Kershaw set to start for the Dodgers in Game 2 vs. Brewers]( And finally 1981 World Series Game 3: Ron Cey hits a three-run homer. [Watch it here](. Until next time... Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at [@latimeshouston](. To get this newsletter in your inbox, [click here](. ADVERTISEMENT Thank you for reading the Los Angeles Times Dodgers Dugout newsletter. Invite your friends, relatives, coworkers to sign up [here](. Not a subscriber? Get unlimited digital access to latimes.com. [Subscribe here](. [Los Angeles Times] Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times 2300 E. Imperial Highway, El Segundo, California, 90245 1-800-LA-TIMES | [latimes.com]( *Advertisers have no control over editorial decisions or content. If you're interested in placing an ad or classified, get in touch [here](. We'd love your feedback on this newsletter. Please send your thoughts and suggestions [here](mailto:newsletters@latimes.com). You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from The Los Angeles Times. 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