… pants today, IMO costing the Dodgers at least a chance of winning a very winnable game.
1. He walks Lindor to load bases with 2 outs in the 2nd, to pitch to a post-season-hot Vientos. Kind of strange.
2. If, in the 2nd inning, he puts in Phillips to get the last based loaded out as a high-leveerage move, rather than leaving an obviously struggling Knapp in, they might have been up 3 to 2
3. Down by only 3 in the 9th, he treated the last inning as if the game was not still in play, leaving Rodriguez in rather than a more experienced reliever to keep the game in play. Knowing that both Ohtani and Mookie were coming up, three seemed reasonably reachable. Four, on the other hand seemed like too much. With a light bullpen game yesterday and a day off tomorrow, why did he withhold better relievers in at least 2 situations? I don’t get it.
On the bright side, Honeywell looked good in his first playoff outing.
Meanwhile, Kike did not have one of his better games, stranding 5 in his last 2 bats (4 in scoring position and one at bat with only 1 out hitting into that DP). And Mookie/Ohtani are still struggling. Edman had a nice game, and Muncy jacked one off of the left-hander.
Bottom line, the Dodgers did not hold serve, and now has to win at least one game at Citi in order to bring the series back home.