Dodgers Dugout: Dodgers snatch defeat from the jaws of victory

Dodgers remain inept with runners in scoring position and are now one loss away from elimination. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Los Angeles Times] Dodgers Dugout October 15, 2022 [View in browser]( [Click to view images]( Freeman watches from the bench during the eighth inning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and can we start a gofundme to buy the Dodgers a clutch hit? —Trea Turner seems to be involved in everything important that happens in this series. He’s not exactly enhancing his free-agent value. —X-rays on Turner’s jammed finger were negative. His status today will depend much on whether he can grip a bat. —Another day, another game with no hits with runners in scoring position. After going three for eight in Game 1, the Dodgers have gone 0 for 17 (0 for eight in Game 2, 0 for nine in Game 3). That’s how you fall behind 2-1 in a series. —It’s really easy to hit from the comfort of my living room, but it gets frustrating to watch what seems like every Dodger take the first pitch down the middle with men on base. Enjoying this newsletter? Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. [Become a Los Angeles Times subscriber.]( —The Dodgers have the better batting average this series, which seems hard to believe, but it’s true. They also have four more extra-base hits. The two teams are very evenly matched. They each have 23 hits. The Padres have scored 10 runs, the Dodgers nine. The Dodgers have drawn 10 walks, the Padres eight. The Dodgers just aren’t hitting in clutch situations. —Let’s break it down, shall we? —In the first inning, Mookie Betts singles and takes second on a wild pitch while Freddie Freeman is batting. Freeman strikes out, Will Smith strikes out. —In the third inning, Trayce Thompson walks and moves to second on Austin Barnes’ single. Betts lined to third, Trea Turner struck out, Freeman walked and Smith fouled to first. —In the fifth inning, Thompson singled and Barnes doubled, putting runners at second and third with none out. Betts hit a sacrifice fly to score the Dodgers’ only run. Barnes took third, so almost any ball in play scores him. Trea Turner fouled to third and Freeman grounded to third. —In the sixth inning, Max Muncy doubled with one out. Justin Turner struck out and Chris Taylor grounded to the pitcher. Four opportunities to score multiple runs. Only one run was scored. —You also have to tip your cap to Padre pitching. It’s easy to blame everything on the Dodgers, but the Padres have taken advantage of opportunities and have made the right pitch when needed. —If you had told me before the game that the Padres would score only two runs in the Tony Gonsolin started game, I would have bet the Dodgers would win. You can’t fault Dodger pitching too much this series. —Gonsolin has a 2.51 career regular season ERA. He has a 9.21 career postseason ERA. —Let’s take a look at Dodgers with runners in scoring position this series. Max Muncy, 1 for 1 Will Smith, 1 for 5 Gavin Lux, 1 for 3 Justin Turner, 0 for 3 Freddie Freeman, 0 for 3 Trea Turner, 0 for 3 Mookie Betts, 0 for 2 Cody Bellinger, 0 for 2 Trayce Thompson, 0 for 1 Austin Barnes, 0 for 1 Chris Taylor, 0 for 1 —When Betts, Trea Turner and Freeman are a combined 0 for 8, it’s not good. —Whenever the TV cameras show the Dodgers bench, they all look like they are at a funeral. —Dodgers hitters through the first three games: Austin Barnes, .667, 2 for 3, 1 double Max Muncy, .364, 4 for 11, 1 double, 1 homer, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 4 K’s Gavin Lux, .333, 3 for 9, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 K Trea Turner, .308, 4 for 13, 1 double, 2 homers, 2 RBIs, 4 K’s Will Smith, .231, 3 for 13, 2 doubles, 1 RBI, 1 K Freddie Freeman, .200, 2 for 10, 1 double, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 3 walks, 3 K’s Mookie Betts, .182, 2 for 11, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 2 K’s Cody Bellinger, .167, 1 for 6, 4 K’s Trayce Thompson, .111, 1 for 9, 3 walks, 5 K’s Justin Turner, .100, 1 for 10, 2 walks, 3 K’s Chris Taylor, 0 for 4, 2 K’s Team, .232, 23 for 99, 9 runs, 8 doubles, 4 homers, 10 walks, 31 K’s The Dodger team ERA is 3.12. Their rotation ERA: 5.56 in 11.1 innings Their bullpen ERA: 1.23 in 14.2 innings. —Padre hitters through the first three games: Jake Cronenworth, .417, 5 for 12, 1 homer, 3 RBIs, 2 K’s Austin Nola, .333, 3 for 9, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 2 K’s Trent Grisham, .300, 3 for 10, 1 homer, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 4 K’s Manny Machado, .300, 3 for 10, 1 double, 1 homer, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, 4 K’s Jurickson Profar, .200, 2 for 10, 1 RBI, 2 walks, 2 K’s Wil Myers, .167, 2 for 12, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 4 K’s Juan Soto, .167, 2 for 12, 1 double, 1 walk, 2 K’s Ha-Seong Kim, .154, 2 for 13, 1 double, 5 K’s Brandon Drury, .143, 1 for 7, 5 K’s Josh Bell, 0 for 6, 3 K’s Team, .228, 23 for 101, 10 runs, 4 doubles, 4 homers, 8 walks, 33 K’s The Padre team ERA is 2.77. Their rotation ERA: 5.54 in 13 innings Their bullpen ERA: 0.00 in 13 innings. —The Game 3 “nugget o’ wisdom” from AJ Pierzynski is that the deeper a starter goes into a game, the more it protects the bullpen. Apparently, a starter going five innings puts more of a burden on the relievers than a starter going seven innings. —My prediction remains: Dodgers in, um, five. ADVERTISEMENT Dodgers against Joe Musgrove Lifetime, including the postseason: Max Muncy, .429, 9 for 21, 3 doubles, 1 homer Mookie Betts, .417, 5 for 12, 2 doubles Justin Turner, .400, 6 for 15, 3 homers Freddie Freeman, .381, 8 for 21, 1 triple, 1 homer Will Smith, .231, 3 for 13, 1 double Chris Taylor, .200, 4 for 20, 1 double, 1 homer Joey Gallo, .200, 2 for 10, 1 triple Austin Barnes, .167, 1 for 6 Trea Turner, .136, 3 for 22, 1 homer Cody Bellinger, .118, 2 for 17, 1 double Gavin Lux, .000, 0 for 8 Team, .240, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers Padres against Tyler Anderson Lifetime, including the postseason: Jose Azocar, .500, 3 for 6, 1 double Ha-Seong Kim, .417, 5 for 12 Brandon Drury, .318, 7 for 22, 4 doubles, 1 homer Austin Nola, .267, 4 for 15, 1 double Jorge Alfaro, .250, 2 for 8, 1 double, 1 homer Trent Grisham, .222, 2 for 9, 1 triple Juan Soto, .214, 3 for 14 Wil Myers, .208, 5 for 24 Jurickson Profar, .188, 3 for 16, 2 doubles Manny Machado, .125, 3 for 24, 1 double Josh Bell, .125, 1 for 8 Jake Cronenworth, .105, 2 for 19 Team: .219, 10 doubles, 3 homers What Vin Scully meant to you Duane Mitchell of Escondido: Back in 1993, I was covering a game at Dodger Stadium with a friend acting as my photographer. We are standing in the “chow” line in the press box before the start, waiting to collect a couple of Dodger Dogs. Suddenly, the double doors to the left of us fling open, and out strides Vinny (“dapper” as ever in a dark blue suit). “Hi fellas, how are you doing?”, he said as he walked towards us. It was like hearing the voice of the “almighty”; a voice I had listened to since the Campanella tribute in May of ’59 at the tender age of 6. We replied “feebly” that we were doing fine; awestruck to hear “The Voice” directed at us. It still feels as if it was yesterday! I will forever cherish the 57 seasons I was privileged to share with him. Rachel Andrews: My family are Dodgers fans because of my dad and his love of the game. My dad grew up listening to Vin on the radio. He has been deaf in one ear since the age of 3 or 4 and hard of hearing in the other. When my dad was a teenager, Vin was the last person he heard, he fell asleep listening to him, and woke up deaf. Rick Sanders: This would have been in the mid-60’s... My family had been to a game and when we didn’t leave early to beat traffic we would stay until the visitors’ bus came onto the track and stopped in front of the dugout. On one of those occasions where we had stayed late we drove home to Culver City. Sitting in the back seat I noticed a car had been behind us the whole way. The man driving was smiling, so I waved. We got off the 405 at Culver Blvd and he followed us off the freeway, now laughing. I was waving like crazy. He followed us around the corner where the 405 north on ramp was and got back on with a big wave. It was Vin Scully. He just seemed like he was having such a good time, connecting with a kid. ADVERTISEMENT Up next Game 1: Dodgers 5, Padres 3 Game 2: Padres 5, Dodgers 3 Game 3: Padres 2, Dodgers 1 Tonight: Dodgers (Tyler Anderson) at Padres (Joe Musgrove), 6:30 p.m., FS1 *Sunday: Padres (TBD) at Dodgers (TBD), 6 p.m., FS1 *—if necessary Stories you might have missed [Plaschke: The unthinkable might happen. The 111-win Dodgers a single loss away from collapse]( [Elliott: Tony Gonsolin’s struggles expose Dodgers’ lack of pitching depth at the worst time]( [Hernández: Panic mode has taken root for Dodgers, who are doing very little right]( [Shaikin: Padres’ Joe Musgrove can solidify hometown hero status in Game 4 of NLDS]( [Dave Roberts ‘surprised’ Showalter asked umps to check Joe Musgrove for substances]( And finally Vin Scully gives his final call at Dodger Stadium. [Watch and listen here](. Until next time... Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? 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