Dodgers Beat the Streak: Game two of the doubleheader
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Dodgers won game one of the doubleheader today due to some clutch hitting from Kyle Farmer. Who will get a hit in game two?
Kyle Farmer eats, sleeps and breathes clutch RBI doubles, doesn’t he? For the third time in his short big league career, Farmer won the game for the Los Angeles Dodgers with a clutch hit late in the game.
This one may have been the sweetest.
All game the Dodgers battled an interesting strike zone that resulted in Dave Roberts, Matt Kemp and Yasmani Grandal getting ejected. A sluggish start from Kenta Maeda and a sluggish offense resulted in the Dodgers being down to their final strike, losing 3-2.
Farmer then made fans forget all about the struggles of the entire game and delivered a 2-2 double down the left field line to put the Dodgers in the lead, 4-3.
Now, the Dodgers enter game two of the doubleheader with some momentum and confidence and one of our Beat the Streak hitting streaks continued.
Justin Turner delivered a one-out single in the top of the ninth that resulted in him being the winning run for the Dodgers. In the process, Turner also extended my streak. Sarah, though, was not as fortunate. Her selection, Enrique Hernandez, went hitless in his lone at-bat.
Sarah’s pick — Current streak 0: Austin Barnes
Alright Dodger Nation, I hope you’re ready for a whole lot of baseball because there’s more coming your way. After a wild night of rain and power outages in Chicago, the Dodgers are set for a double-header in the Windy City.
Today may mark the first time the Dodgers play at Wrigley since the decisive NLCS Game 5, but it also marks the return of one of the fiercest competitors on this squad; Rich Hill. Should Hill stay healthy, and should his curveball continue to baffle hitters, he’s going to be so valuable to this team.
So, that said, my pick for today is the guy who is most likely to be Hill’s battery mate in Game 2 of the doubleheader; Austin Barnes. Barnes has not been nearly as solid this season as he was last year. I think most of us, including myself, thought that it would be Barnes with a majority of the heroics behind the plate this season, given how strong of a postseason he had.
Grandal, however, has been so elite and has become one of the team’s most consistent hitters. Barnes, however, is fast. He’s clutch, and he’s patient at the plate. Not to mention, in 2017, Hill pitched far better with Barnesy behind the plate, boasting a 2.41 ERA in 71 innings.
I think that, with Barnes as Hill’s potential battery mate today, he is already put in the position to pitch well, and I think that will transfer to Barnes’ success at the plate, hopefully giving him a knock or two in tonight’s nightcap in Chicago.
Jason’s pick — Current streak 2: Matt Kemp
Matt Kemp is back in the starting lineup for game two of today’s doubleheader despite being tossed in game one for arguing balls and strikes. Kemp definitely is going to be under a fine microscope by the umpiring staff but will also be motivated to produce in game two.
Kemp and the rest of the Dodgers are matched up against southpaw Mike Montgomery, who has excelled in the Cubs’ starting rotation in place for the injured Yu Darvish.
Montgomery has gotten the best of Kemp over a small sample size; Kemp is 1-9 against Montgomery in his career. However, Kemp is hitting .361 against southpaws this season.
Next: Revisiting the 2017 NLCS
After getting ejected and going hitless in his three at-bats in game one, the safe bet is that Matt Kemp is going to have a big game for the Dodgers.