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LAD beats TB 4-2 (LAD leads World Series 3-2)
All the runs tonight were scored in the 5th inning or sooner. The bullpen was actually lights out on both sides, which is surprising given both the Dodgers and Rays went through a majority of the arms in their bullpen last night. The score when both Starters came out was 4-2 Dodgers, and that remained the final score of the night.
Today’s pitching matchup was the same as Game 1. Glasnow did a bit better than in Game 1, Kershaw did a bit worse, but the outcome was the same: Dodgers won.
LAD: Clayton Kershaw: 5 2/3 innings, 2 runs, 6 K’s, 85 pitches
TB: Tyler Glasnow: 5 innings, 4 runs, 7 K’s, 101 pitches
Attempted Steal of Home
When was the last time you saw a straight steal of home? Well TB Manny Margot just attempted to steal home on Kershaw and it was fantastic. He was tagged out by a hair, but I have to applaud him for his attempt.
Here’s what happened. Manny was hanging out on 3rd base and observed Kershaw being oblivious and lethargic once he got the ball back from his Catcher. After getting the ball back, Kersh would turn his back to the third base runner, shuffle some dirt, and take his time to set up to throw again. Kersh is one of the “slowest” Pitchers out there in this regard. He likes to gather his thoughts between pitches and can forget to watch his runners.
On the second pitch of Kiermaier’s at bat, Manny went for it. As soon as the Catcher throws the ball back to Kershaw, Manny books it down the line for home plate. Kiermaier in the batter’s box wasn’t expecting this either. He was the first to react and leapt backwards out of the batter's box. I wonder if Kiermaier jumping backwards was what first tipped Kershaw off and made the difference. If Kiermaier hadn’t reacted so quickly, would Kershaw have been a few milliseconds later to realize and make the throw? Would Manny have then been safe at home?
Kershaw’s throw back to the Catcher was not great either, but it got the job done. Manny dove head first and Catcher Barnes turned around just in time to tag him on his hand. As he dove, Manny’s helmet popped off his head, bounced back up, and cut Manny in the lip. He was fine though and stayed in the game.
This was a pretty close play. Even though he was out, Manny was all smiles afterwards. A straight steal of home is one of those “once every few seasons” type of plays. They are not always successful, but they are sure to be high in entertainment value.
The Pop of the Bat. LAD Max Muncy hit a monster solo homer in Top 5 off a Glasnow 100 mph fastball. Truthfully, I wasn’t actually watching my TV screen when this happened (I was scrolling Instagram or something equally unproductive). However, I heard a deafening “POP” of that bat and knew someone hit a bomb. In a game with real fans, that’s the type of “POP” that makes the entire stadium of people wake up, even the folks face deep in their chili cheese dogs.
Joey Wendle Feels the Burn. I just noticed that TB Joey Wendle bats barehanded. That’s a pretty rare and bold move. Hitters wear batting gloves to prevent blisters and the pure contact shock on their hands. You better believe their hands feel the burn after getting a piece of a 98 mph fastball. (For context, my hands even blister after hitting a few 30 mph BP pitches thrown by my Dad). Some other MLB players who choose to not wear batting gloves include Matt Carpenter, Wil Myers, and Hunter Pence (only wears a left glove). By my observation, the market is pretty well divided for brands of big league batting gloves. I’ve seen: Franklin, Under Armour and Nike.
About the Author
Bonnie Young runs the Amplified blog. She shares her insights on market trends from US to Asia and interviews founders shaking up the tech scene. She has been passionate about baseball since the age of 13 and regularly attended A's games before the pandemic. Bonnie is currently looking for a growth equity or VC role in the Bay Area. You can reach her at bonnieyoung@berkeley.edu
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