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Dave Roberts’ Los Angeles Dodgers outlasted the Milwaukee Brewers in last night’s 2-1 win in their 13-inning, 5-hour, 15-minute Game 3. It all ended with a walk-off single by Dodgers’ infielder/outfielder Cody Bellinger, but it took a while to get there and Roberts talked about the challenging nature of a game like that.
“We had our Game 6 starter going to the pen,” Roberts said. “We had Julio [Urias] for two, maybe three innings. So I guess the poker reference, we were all in. And one of the crazier games, where there’s really no margin on either side. Can’t say enough about our defense.”
“And the bullpen, just -- Rich [Hill] initially was good, and gave us five innings. But the bullpen, what they did tonight against a very good offensive club, my hat’s off to these guys.”
Brewers’ skipper Craig Counsell talked after the loss about coming out on the wrong end of a game like that and the issues it creates.
“We had to cover 13 innings of baseball,” Counsell said when asked about all the pitchers he had to use to get through the game.
“So I think anytime you’ve got to cover 13 innings and there’s a game the next day you’re always worried about that. And we’ll have to kind of put our heads together and look at what we’ve got. We’ve got some guys we’ve used quite a bit. We were able to stay away from a couple of guys tonight. But we’re in a little bit of a tough spot, for sure. And I think that’s just the nature of a 13-inning game and losing your starter in the second inning.”
This afternoon in LA, the two teams play Game 5 of the NLCS at 5:05 PM EDT with Clayton Kershaw on the hill for the Dodgers against Wade Miley.
Boston and Houston get the late night slot tonight with Game 4 to be played at 8:39 PM EDT in Minute Maid Park.
Rick Porcello starts for the Red Sox, who have a 2-1 lead in the ALCS after their 8-2 win last night. Astros’ right-hander Charlie Morton goes for the home team.
Red Sox’ skipper Alex Cora talked about the team’s success on the road after the win which left them 3-0 so far away from Fenway Park this Fall. What’s led to that success?
“I don’t know,” Cora said. “We’ve been saying it all along, I know it sounds boring, but we prepare, we play and then we turn the page and they don’t get caught up in the moment.
“I do feel that ALDS, we grew up as a team going to Game 3. The sky was falling in Boston, it seems like all of a sudden we weren’t good.
“And they put [together] a great game in Game 3. Finished the job in Game 4 and coming to this environment, it’s not easy to win here. This is a place that they feed off the crowd. They’re very comfortable here offensively and to show up today and play the way we did, I’m very proud of them.”
Charlie Morton was asked before the game last night about how excited he was to get on the mound at home in a postseason atmosphere, in what’s now a fairly important game if his Astros are going to avoid falling behind 3-1 in the series.
“I don’t really think that I’m eager to get into a game,” Morton said.
“There’s been plenty of baseball here. We’re in the middle of October. It’s not like I haven’t had enough baseball. But eager to get into a postseason game and contribute to this team and what we’re doing right now. I think that’s where that would come from, is just wanting to be a part of it and contribute in the postseason.”
He’ll get an opportunity to contribute tonight. Enjoy your postseason baseball...