DOUBLE

ONE of the world’s most luxurious trains is set to return in 2027.

The Orient Express – often known for being the site of the Poirot’s most famous fictional case – went out of operation 16 years ago.

But now, it is set for a comeback.

The train will relaunch in 2027, using 17 original carriages from the 1920s which were previously lost before a team of historians tracked them down and refurbished them.

Inside each carriage, there will be the same Art Deco elements experienced in the 1920s.

As for the bedrooms, each will have a double bed and feature a Cartier clock.

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In the Bar Car, passengers will have a vaulted ceiling with original pieces recovered from the Nostalgie-Istanbul Orient Express.

There are also large windows for passengers to watch the landscape whizz by.

In the Dining Car, there is a mirrored ceiling that features several arches.

Armchairs offer comfier spots to eat and watch chefs at work behind a large glass wall.

As for The Suites, guests can enjoy rail motifs and opulent features, such as dark wood and a leather wall.

In the daytime, there will be a sofa for guests to relax on, then there will be ‘the Great Transformation’ in the evening, which is when the cabin will be changed into the ‘night’ room configuration.

Each suite also has a bathroom with sliding doors and a dressing room.

For the ultimate luxury, passengers can book the Presidential Suite, which occupies an entire car with its own living room, bedroom and bathroom.

Ticket fares are yet to be announced, but it is more than likely it will be a small fortune.

On its website, The Orient Express states: “The Orient Express will invite travelers to relive the legend aboard 17 original Orient Express cars dating back to the 1920s and 1930s, adorned with exceptional décor – a set of cars formerly known as the ‘Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express’.”

The new service launching next year follows the relaunch of the Orient Express brand which saw its La Dolce Vita Orient Express train head off on its first journey this year.

The brand is owned by Accor, Europe‘s largest hospitality company, and has also launched its first hotel called La Minerva, which can be found in Rome, Italy.

There are also plans to open a second site in Venice, in April 2026.

The Orient Express used to be loved and used by the upper classes and operated between Istanbul and Paris from 1883 to 2009.

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BABY JOY!

Coleen Nolan becomes a grandma for the third time as daughter Ciara gives birth

In other rail news, an Art Deco English train station gets £325k revamp – and it’s right by major UK attraction.

Plus, passengers can now travel on UK trains without buying tickets.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell.

Game 5 thoughts:

—Magic Johnson, part owner of the Dodgers and perhaps the greatest Lakers player of all time, sent out a very important tweet before the game: “With the Series being 2-2, Game 5 is very important. Whichever team wins takes control of the Series!”

—That’s the type of insight you can only get from someone who has been there.

—Magic also threw out the first pitch before the game. Apparently, Kurt Rambis and Norm Nixon were unavailable.

—But really, Magic throws out the first pitch? All the great Dodgers in history who are still around, and you pick the Lakers star?

First inning

—So what’s going to happen tonight? Will Blake Snell be locked in? Will the offense show up?

—Some lineup changes, Mookie Betts drops to third and Will Smith moves to second. Andy Pages hits the bench and Alex Call starts and bats ninth.

—This is not the start the Dodgers were looking for.

—We don’t know if Snell has his good stuff yet because we haven’t seen any of his pitches. Just home runs.

—That’s a great way to take the crowd out of the game.

—And, as usual, the Dodgers go down quietly.

Second inning

—Trey Yesavage looks like a much better pitcher than he did in Game 1. He strikes out the side as the Dodgers continue to just swing at everything.

—What happened to the patience? They know it works, because they talk about it.

Third inning

—A rare misplay from Mookie Betts at short. He seemed to be in too big a hurry to throw the ball. It happens.

—The problem with this Blue Jays team is there’s no one on it to dislike, other than George Springer. And he’s not playing. They have a bunch of baseball players and no giant superstar.

—This is Trey Yesavage’s season:

April 8: First career start in single A
May 20: First high-A start
June 12: First double-A start
Aug. 14: First triple-A start
Sept. 15: First start in the majors
Oct. 5: First postseason start
Oct. 13: First ALCS start
Oct. 24: First World Series start
Oct. 29: Second World Series start

—Super Kiké has finally arrived. But can the Dodgers eventually hit a home run with runners on base?

—Major league players voted Kyle Schwarber the NL player of the year. That’s a surprise.

—This game won’t end 2-1.

Fourth inning

—Another terrible defensive play by Teoscar Hernández. He has been brutal in the field this year.

—And really, despite the rules of scoring a game, he should be given an error on that play. It should be a single and two-base error.

—And the Blue Jays immediately cash it in.

—Remember last season, when some Dodgers were bragging afterward that they knew they could take advantage of a sloppy Yankees team, which was poor on fundamentals on defense? That has been the Dodgers for much of this season. Poor at the basics and defense. What goes around, comes around.

—Quick everyone! Gather around the TV! It’s the in-game manager interview!

—Tommy Edman ends the inning. Whatever happened to Tommy Tanks?

Fifth inning

—Mary Hart got a foul ball after it bounced off her husband!

—The Dodgers have turned into strikeout machines.

—Once again, Shohei Ohtani will lead off an inning. No one on base. The switch to Call has not paid off.

Sixth inning

—I believe that Liberty Mutual seagulls commercial was directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

—Snell really settled down after that first inning. The third run wasn’t his fault. The Blue Jays are making him work, but he’s not giving in.

—Moving Smith to the two spot hasn’t really paid off. Better to move Freeman to the two spot.

—Eleven strikeouts for Yesavage.

Seventh inning

—You know, the Dodgers have never won a World Series when Game 3 went 18 innings.

—Edgardo Henriquez comes in during a tough spot. This is where not having Brusdar Graterol, Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech and the real Blake Treinen hurts.

—Blue Jays score a run on a single and three wild pitches (one was initially called a passed ball, but it was really a wild pitch). What was that about the Yankees not being fundamentally sound again?

—And the wheels come off again. It’s now 5-1. And with this Dodger offense, there’s no coming back.

—Why do we blame the Dodger offense for being bad and not give credit to the Blue Jays’ pitching? After all, when Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches a gem, we give him the credit and we don’t say the other team’s offense is weak. Human nature, I guess. Seeing everything through the lens of the team you root for.

—I’m not sure why they go to Tom Verducci and Ken Rosenthal for their comments during the game. They don’t say anything we don’t already know and … the game is still going on!

—And an inning-ending double play. Masterful game from Yesavage.

Eighth inning

—No game tomorrow. The Dodger offense will take batting practice and go 2 for 27 with 10 strikeouts.

—Another wild pitch. Will Smith caught all 18 innings in Game 3, and he looks like he’s moving slow back there. The Blue Jays’ main catcher, Alejandro Kirk, did not catch all 18 innings.

—The Dodgers have one of the oldest rosters in the league. The average age of their position players this season was 30.7 years old. That was the oldest in the majors. And they are playing like how I feel after spending a day at Disneyland.

—It’s funny, because my inbox is filling up with emails from people saying this team is an embarrassment or a disgrace. Really? The series isn’t over. The Dodgers won the World Series last year. If this team is an embarrassment or a disgrace to you, then you should move on with your life and find another sport to watch, because baseball isn’t for you.

Ninth inning

—Blake Treinen is in the game! It’s 6-1, so he’ll probably pitch a perfect inning.

—And he did.

—It looks like Mary Hart gave up on the game. She took her foul ball and went home.

—On the telecast, John Smoltz wondered what the team batting average was for teams who went into a World Series after sweeping an LCS when the other team went the full seven games. Well, if he read this newsletter, he would know! We covered that in the preview! Come on John, subscribe!

—And that’s that. The Dodgers made 27 outs, 46 of them by strikeout.

—Game 6 is Friday. Joe Davis and Smoltz seemed very confident about Yamamoto, but everyone was very confident about Snell coming into this series and the Dodgers lost both of those games.

—Last two games combined took less time than Game 3.

—My prediction remains, like I’ve said all along, Dodgers in seven.

—More important, we wish Alex Vesia and his wife the best as they go through a trying time.

World Series stats

Batting

Dodgers

Teoscar Hernández, .318/.375/.455, 7 for 22, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 2 walks, 7 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, .316/.500/.895, 6 for 19, 2 doubles, 3 homers, 5 RBIs, 7 walks, 5 K’s
Freddie Freeman, .250/.400/.450, 5 for 20, 1 double, 1 homer, 2 RBIs, 4 walks, 4 K’s
Will Smith, .238/.333/.381, 5 for 21, 1 homer, 4 RBIs, 2 walks, 6 K’s
Kiké Hernández, .211/.200/.368, 4 for 10, 1 homer, 3 RBIs, 10 K’s
Max Muncy, .150/.261/.350, 3 for 20, 1 double, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 3 walks, 8 K’s
Alex Call, .143/.250/.143, 1 for 7, 1 walk, 2 K’s
Tommy Edman, .143/.217/.190, 3 for 21, 1 double, 1 RBI, 2 walks, 6 K’s
Mookie Betts, .130/.231/.130, 3 walks, 5 K’s
Andy Pages,.067/.067/.067, 1 for 15, 2 K’s
Miguel Rojas, 0 for 2
Team, .201/.296/.354, 5 doubles, 8 homers, 24 walks, 55 K’s, 3.6 runs per game.

Justin Dean, Hyeseong Kim and Ben Rortvedt have not batted during the series.

Blue Jays

Addison Barger, .471/.500/.647, 8 for 17, 1 homer, 5 RBIs, 1 walk, 3 K’s
Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., .364/.500/.636, 8 for 22, 2 homers, 3 RBIs, 6 walks, 2 K’s
Alejandro Kirk, .333/.458/.667, 6 for 18, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 5 walks, 4 K’s
Ernie Clement, .318/.304/.364, 7 for 22, 1 double, 2 RBIs, 2 K’s
Bo Bichette, .313/.389/.313, 5 for 16, 3 RBIs, 2 walks, 2 K’s
George Springer, .273/.333/.364, 3 for 11, 1 double, 3 K’s
Ty France, .250/.250/.250, 1 for 4, 1 RBI, 1 K
Nathan Lukes, .250/.333/.313, 4 for 16, 1 double, 1 RBI, 2 walks. 3 K’s
Daulton Varsho, .227/.346/.455, 1 triple, 1 homer, 2 RBIs, 2 walks, 4 K’s
Davis Schnedier, .222/.300/.556, 2 for 9, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 4 K’s
Andrés Giménez, .158/.261/.158, 3 for 19, 3 RBIs, 2 walks, 9 K’s
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, .063/.118/.063, 1 for 16, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 3 K’s
Tyler Heineman, 0 for 3, 1 K
Myles Straw, 0 for 8, 3 K’s
Team, .261/.341/.389, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 22 walks, 44 K’s, 5.8 runs per game

Pitching

Dodgers

Will Klein, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, 2 hits, 2 walks, 5 K’s
Justin Wrobleski, 0.00 ERA, 2.2 IP, 1 hit, 2 K’s
Jack Dreyer, 0.00 ERA, 2.1 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 3 K’s
Edgardo Henriquez, 0.00 ERA, 2 IP, i hit, 2 walks, 2 K’s
Roki Sasaki, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 1 hit, 2 walks
Clayton Kershaw, 0.00 ERA, 0.1 IP
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 1-0. 1.00 ERA, 9 IP, 4 hits, 8 K’s
Tyler Glasnow, 3.86 ERA, 4.2 IP, 5 hits, 3 walks, 5 K’s
Blake Treinen, 5.40 ERA, 1.2 IP, 5 hits
Shohei Ohtani, 0-1, 6.00 ERA, 6 IP, 6 hits, 1 walk, 6 K’s
Blake Snell, 0-2, 7.71 ERA, 11.2 IP, 14 hits, 7 walks, 11 K’s
Emmet Sheehan, 9.00 ERA, 3 IP, 5 hits, 3 walks, 2 K’s
Anthony Banda, 18.00 ERA, 3 IP, 6 hits, 1 walk
Team, 2-3, 4.58 ERA, 53 IP, 53 hits, 22 walks, 44 K’s

Blue Jays

Eric Lauer, 0.00 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 hits, 5 walks, 3 K’s
Chris Bassitt, 0.00 ERA, 4 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 5 K’s
Jeff Hoffman, 0.00 ERA, 3.2 IP, 2 hits, 2 walk, 4 K’s
Shane Bieber, 1-0, 1.69 ERA, 5.1 IP. 5 hits, 3 walks, 3 K’s
Trey Yesavange, 1-0, 2.45 ERA, 11 IP, 7 hits, 3 walks, 17 K’s
Seranthony Dominguez, 1-0, 2.70 ERA, 3.1 IP, 1 hit, 3 walks, 4 K’s
Kevin Gausman, 0-1, 4.05 ERA, 6.2 IP. 4 hits, 6 K’s
Mason Fluharty, 5.40 ERA, 1.2 IP, 3 hits, 2 K’s
Braydon Fisher, 5.40 ERA, 3.1 IP, 2 hits, 3 walks, 4 K’s
Max Scherzer, 6.23 ERA, 4.1 IP, 5 hits, 1 walk, 3 K’s
Louis Varland, 9.00 ERA, 3 IP, 5 hits, 2 walks, 3 K’s
Brendon Little, 0-1, 9.00 ERA, 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 walk, 1 K
Team, 3-2, 3.06 ERA, 53 IP, 38 hits, 24 walks, 55 K’s

In case you missed it

Plaschke: Disappearing Dodgers backed to the brink of disaster after World Series Game 5 loss

Dodgers’ offensive woes send them into a World Series tailspin with Game 5 loss

World Series Game 5: Dodgers fall, on brink of losing the World Series | Dodgers Debate

Freddie Freeman on the Dodgers’ World Series Game 5 loss

Hernández: Why Shohei Ohtani’s Game 4 failure will drive him to pitch again in this World Series

And finally

A palate cleanser from Game 5. One year ago today, the Dodgers win the World Series. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

The Faithfuls have finally banished a Traitor, as Jonathan Ross was voted out – but the twists aren’t over as the Celebrity Traitors finale draws near

The Celebrity Traitors has been packed with twists and turns so far, and though the show is nearing its end, those plot twists are far from over. A dramatic double twist has already been revealed for the penultimate episode.

The hit BBC series is set to conclude on 6 November. Ahead of that episode, Claudia Winkleman revealed two twists that would shake things up for the celebs. It comes just after the Faithfuls finally managed to nab a Traitor and sent Jonathan Ross home.

As the Faithfuls celebrated their victory, Claudia rained on their parade by revealing that, at the next roundtable, banished players would not tell the remaining group if they were Faithful or a Traitor. “After tomorrow, the banished players will not reveal their true identity,” Claudia warned.

READ MORE: Shark Power Pro vacuum with ‘excellent suction’ drops £90 in early Black Friday saleREAD MORE: Claudia Winkleman ‘breaks character’ on Celebrity Traitors as fans spot ‘TV gold’

This is not the only twist. Claudia also revealed to the remaining Traitors, Alan Carr and Cat Burns, that they had to murder in plain sight that evening. In letters read by each deceitful player, Claudia said: “Traitors, tonight there will be no secret meeting in the turret. Instead you must murder in plain sight at tonight’s dinner.

“To do this one Traitor must toast the player you want to murder while saying the words ‘Parting is such sweet sorrow’ followed by their name. You must do this before the night is over.”

Alan has already killed in plain sight, having murdered his friend Paloma Faith by touching her face after touching a ‘poisoned’ plant. In a quiet discussion, Cat and Alan agreed that he would be the one to kill again, as Cat wasn’t very convincing when she tried to say it.

Cat suggested that Alan pretend to quote recently banished Stephen Fry whilst delivering the phrase, which is from Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.

In an aside, Alan joked that he always had to do the Traitors “dirty work”. He said: “I have to do all the dirty work for these traitors. I’m surprised they don’t have me up in that turret with a hoover doing some light dusting. Why is it always me?”

The episode also saw Jonathan Ross head home. He was the first Traitor caught on the show and was voted out by six people, including both Cat and Alan. In fact, all bar two people voted for Jonathan, with the outliers being him and David Olusoga. David voted for Nick Mohammed.

Jonathan’s exit speech, dubbed “ridiculous” by Joe Marler, kept the other Faithfuls on their toes. He said: “I’ve got no idea what everyone is doing wrong.

“I cannot believe you’ve done it again. I can’t believe I’m standing here for no good reason so I don’t want to be rude but you’re idiots. But I am not judging because it’s fiendish.

“I’m not blaming the players, I’m blaming the game. I am now and have always been throughout the game completely faithful… to the Traitors!”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. One of the most exciting World Series games in history followed by one of the most boring.

Game 4 thoughts:

—Tinashe sang the U.S. national anthem. Deborah Cox sang the Canadian national anthem. Apparently, Bruce Hornsby and Avril Lavigne were unavailable.

—Orel Hershiser threw out the first pitch. Apparently Dave Goltz and Don Stanhouse were unavailable.

First inning

—You have to wonder which relievers will be available for either team. Let’s look at those Game 3 pitch counts:

Dodgers
Anthony Banda, 3
Justin Wrobleski, 28
Blake Treinen, 15
Jack Dreyer, 5
Roki Sasaki, 29
Emmet Sheehan, 37
Clayton Kershaw, 8
Edgardo Henriquez, 30
Will Klein, 72

It would seem Banda, Treinen, Dreyer and Kershaw would definitely be available.

Blue Jays
Fluharty, 14
Varland, 20
Dominguez, 27
Bassitt, 8
Hoffman, 33
Fisher, 19
Lauer, 68
Little, 28

You have to figure Fluharty, Varland, Bassitt and Fisher would definitely be available.

—No George Springer in the lineup for the Blue Jays. He hurt his side while swinging in Game 3. Sometimes this can be a rallying point for a team, and the player who replaces the star can lift his game, just like Mickey Hatcher did when he replaced Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series.

—Will pitcher Shohei Ohtani‘s legs be strong tonight after reaching base nine times yesterday? We’ll find out.

—Great defensive play by Kiké Hernández. He hasn’t quite been Super Kiké at the plate, but he still raises his game in the postseason.

—The Blue Jays made Ohtani work a little, but he got out of it. 19 pitches.

—They pitch around Ohtani, then the runner is stranded. Uneventful first inning.

Second inning

—Seven-pitch inning for Ohtani. Blue Jays should be trying to work the count more.

—Dodgers have first and third and one out. Need to score a run here.

—Kiké brings him home.

—Can Andy Pages break out of his slump?

—He cannot.

Third inning

—Well, that home run by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was well struck. It’s OK, seemed unlikely the game was going to end 1-0.

—Ohtani has made 42 pitches through three innings. This may become important later.

—The Dodgers are hitting the ball hard, but right at people.

Fourth inning

—Everyone on the field seems tired. Heck, I’m tired. Are you tired?

—Ohtani strikes out the side. He’s the only one who doesn’t look tired. I’m pretty sure he’s some sort of android.

—Ohtani has made 59 pitches through four innings.

—And poor Will Smith. Catches 18 inning last night, back in there today.

—I’m not a fan of these in-game interviews with the manager. The questions are usually lame and it detracts from the actual game going on. People tune in to see the game. They don’t call out to their family, “Honey, quick, you are missing the in-game manager interview!”

Fifth inning

—Ohtani has made 76 pitches through five innings. Perhaps two more innings for him? Maybe three? It’s his last pitching start of the season.

—Can Andy Pages break out of his slump?

—He cannot.

—The Dodgers are not working the count ever. Bieber has made 75 pitches through five.

—I’m guessing this game does not end 2-1.

Sixth inning

—Ohtani made only one bad pitch this game, and it cost him two runs. He has looked great otherwise.

—Ninety pitches through six innings, so one more inning.

—Freeman gets a single and again the next batter doesn’t work the count.

—Bieber talked manager John Schneider into leaving him in the game. Will that come back to haunt him?

—Teoscar Hernández singles, so so far it was a bad decision.

—And now Bieber comes out for left-hander Mason Fluharty.

—And Fluharty gets Max Muncy and Tommy Edman. The Dodgers waste their best chance so far.

Seventh inning

—Single. Double. This game could be out of hand in a hurry.

—That’s it of Ohtani. Anthony Banda is the next man up for the Dodgers.

—If the Dodgers can get out of this giving up only one run, it’s a rousing success.

—The Blue Jays get two runs. It’s 4-1. The Dodgers can come back from that, but they look tired.

—Oh, no! It’s Blake Treinen!

—And he Blake Treinens the place up. It’s 6-1.

—With a tired bullpen, maybe Dave Roberts had no choice but to bring Treinen in today. But let this be the last time we see him this season.

—Like usual, it doesn’t look like the Dodgers will be winning the World Series at home.

—Can Andy Pages break out of his slump here?

—We’ll never know, as Alex Call pinch-hit for Pages and struck out. Heck, Pages could have done that.

Eighth inning

—The Dodgers just look lethargic. Of course, their offense has been below par ever since the start of the NLDS.

—Their starting pitching has carried them, and when the starting pitcher gives up a couple of runs, trouble ensues.

Ninth inning

—Dreyer ate up the innings, which is just what the Dodgers needed. He probably won’t be available in Game 5, but everyone else will be.

—Now the Dodgers need Blake Snell to pitch better than he did in Game 1.

—The offense comes alive a little bit in the ninth, but too little, too late.

—Mason Fluharty is the unsung hero of the game.

—Mason and Hannah were in their assigned seats, but the Dodgers lost, so they are now released from captivity.

—It’s now a best-of-three series, and the Blue Jays have home-field advantage.

—I get the feeling there will be at least one lineup change for the Dodgers in Game 5.

—My prediction remains, like I’ve said all along, Dodgers in um, six.

—More important, we wish Alex Vesia and his wife the best as they go through a trying time.

In case you missed it

Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series matchup a boon for viewership in Japan and Canada

‘Who is this guy?’ Inside Will Klein’s impossible rise to Dodgers World Series hero

Who would have pitched had World Series Game 3 went to 19+ innings?

‘Got an out’: Inside Clayton Kershaw’s brief but clutch appearance in World Series Game 3

This is how much Dodgers fans spent to attend the World Series: ‘This is the golden ticket in L.A.’

Former Dodger Mike Davis wants to be remembered for more than a well-timed walk

The perfect L.A. bakery for this Dodgers moment

And finally

Forget Game 4, let’s look at 30 minutes of highlights from that amazing Game 3. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. That was an incredible game.

Game 3 thoughts:

—Brad Paisley sang the U.S. national anthem. JP Saxe sang the Canadian national anthem. Apparently Bruce Springsteen and Paul Shaffer were unavailable.

—Hideo Nomo threw out the first pitch. If Lance Rautzhan was still alive, I’m sure it would have been him.

First inning

—Tyler Glasnow has to limit walks. Runners can steal on him and things could get out of hand in a hurry.

—I really could have lived without seeing highlights of George Springer in the 2017 World Series.

—Eight pitches to get out of the top of the first. That’s great.

—Leadoff double for Shohei Ohtani, which is a good sign. If he starts hitting again…..

—Now if only Freddie Freeman could get going.

Second inning

—Dodgers got a break there. A verrrrry slooooow strike call and Bo Bichette thought it was ball four and got picked off first. You have to wait for the call. Of course, we’d all be a lot more irate if it happened to the Dodgers.

—Two hits and a walk, and no runs scored.

—This is why you leave Teoscar Hernández alone. Yes, he looks terrible with four strikeouts in one game, but the next game he homers in his first at-bat.

Third inning

—Mookie Betts has become one of the best fielding shortstops in baseball. It’s so amazing to watch. To move to shortstop later in your career and excel is virtually unheard of.

—It may be time to give Alex Call a shot in the lineup in place of Andy Pages.

—Ohtani is back. He doesn’t get cheated on his home runs.

—Middle infielders need to learn to keep the tag on the runner in case his foot bounces off the bag. A few outs seem to be missed that way. Freeman’s foot bounced off the bag on his steal and he would have been out if Bichette maintained the tag.

—Dino Ebel gambles a lot at third base. There’s no way Freeman was going to score on a hard hit ball to Addison Barger, who has one of the best arms in the game. Keep him at third, and run up Max Scherzer‘s pitch count. This could be important later.

Fourth inning

—Tommy Edman‘s error was the first error of the series for either team.

—And it proved costly.

—You can’t give good teams extra outs, especially in the postseason.

—And then in the bottom half, the Dodgers go down quietly. This all stemmed from Freeman being thrown out at home. Ebel never should have sent him.

Fifth inning

—It seemed to be a struggle all night for Glasnow. He has erratic control, and that’s deadly against a team like Toronto. Now we go to the porous Dodger bullpen. Can they hold Toronto? If so, the Dodgers can come back. If not, this game could get ugly quickly.

—Anthony Banda is first man up. And he did fine to end the inning.

—I love the ad with Ken Griffey Jr. playing the organ. I mean, it no Limu Emu (and Doug) but it’s very good.

—Bringing in a left-hander to face Ohtani. Can he respond?

—He does. And that’s why he’s the best player in baseball.

—Freeman comes through too. Blue Jays manager John Schneider brought in Mason Fluharty to get Ohtani and Freeman, hoping he could also get Mookie Betts. Instead, he gets Betts, but can’t retire Ohtani or Freeman. Sometimes you can push all the right buttons and it doesn’t work.

—I wonder if Blue Jays fans are yelling at Schneider right now.

—I’m just glad Schneider was able to find work again after “Smallville” was canceled.

—Wait, I’m being told that’s a different John Schneider. No wonder Tom Welling isn’t one of his coaches.

Sixth inning

—Justin Wrobleski in to pitch now. Another left-hander. Why not stick with Banda? Playing three games in three days may have something to do with it.

—Maybe they can count on Wrobleski now too.

—Inning ends on another nice play by Betts.

—I also like the Bateman, not Batman, commercials. I’ve liked Jason Bateman ever since one of his first roles in the sitcom “It’s Your Move.”

—Great play by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base throwing Teoscar out at third. But some bad baserunning. No need to take that chance with two out. That’s twice the Dodgers have run themselves out of an inning. What would have happened in those inning otherwise? We’ll never know.

Seventh inning

—George Springer hurt himself on a swing. Don’t like Springer, but I don’t want anyone to be injured. People cheering when he was taken off should be embarrassed.

—Hey, Blake Treinen came in and let the Blue Jays get ahead. Who would have guessed.

—I guess Dave Roberts is never going to give up on Treinen. I know they don’t have a lot of right-handed options, buy what about Will Klein. I mean, we KNOW what Treinen is going to do at this point. Maybe we can find another budding star. And if he can’t do it, you get him out quickly just like you did Treinen.

—This Ohtani guy is pretty good.

—My wife: “Why is he always up with the bases empty. Drop him down in the lineup.”

—Here’s a great thing about Ohtani. People told him “You can’t hit and pitch, you have to pick one.” And he refused to listen. Not to get over saccharin here, but you can apply that to your life, and it’s a great lesson for kids. If you have a dream, don’t let people tell you the many reason you can’t do it. You never know unless you try,

Most home runs in one postseason:

2020 Randy Arozarena, 10
2025 Shohei Ohtani, 8
2023 Adolis Garcia, 8
2020 Corey Seager, 8
2011 Nelson Cruz, 8
2004 Carlos Beltrán, 8
2002 Barry Bonds, 8

Eighth inning

—Jack Dreyer, last seen when Don Mattingly was the manager, now pitching.

—And just like that, Dreyer gives up two hits and is done. We’ll see him again in 10 years.

—It’s nice, and sad, to see the Dodgers wearing a No. 51 on their caps to show support for Alex Vesia.

—Roki Sasaki always looks scared. He’s not, he just has that look.

—A bobble by Max Muncy stops a possible double play. That could be important.

—Sasaki gets out of it. The Dodgers are now out of reliable relievers. They better score in the bottom of the eighth.

—That Amazon commercial where the teenage daughter walks in on her dad exercising in shorts that don’t fit right is a little creepy.

—Samuel L. Jackson is great in everything.

—Chris Bassitt pitching for the Blue Jays.

—The Dodgers go down meekly.

—The heart of the Blue Jays lineup bats in the ninth. Big inning. If the Dodgers get out of it, I think they will win.

Ninth inning

—Sasaki gets Guerrero, then pitches to Isiah Kiner-Falefa like he’s Babe Ruth and walks him.

—Great, great play by Tommy Edman, redeeming his earlier error.

—Great at-bat by Andy Pages with a poor ending.

—Intentionally walking Ohtani with the bases empty. Wow.

—And that’s why you hold the tag. And that’s why analytics hates stolen bases.

—We go to the tenth. The two best teams in baseball, battling it out in extra innings. This is fun, folks.

Tenth inning

—Emmet Sheehan in the game. He has been terrible this postseason. Can he told things around.

—More bad baserunning, this time by the Blue Jays. Davis Schneider had no chance to score on that, and Guerrero was on deck.

—Sheehan got hit hard. Does he come back out in the 11th if there is an 11th?

—Dodgers strand runners on first and second. We go to the 11th. And I can’t find my asthma inhaler.

Eleventh inning

—What a great game.

—Sheehan looked like the old Emmet Sheehan there.

—Braydon Fisher now pitching for the Blue Jays. The Dodgers traded Fisher to the Blue Jays on June 12, 2024 for the immortal Cavan Biggio, who is now with the Angels. Biggio played in 30 games for the Dodgers, hitting .192 and getting himself a World Series ring.

—Kiké Hernández has been very quiet this World Series.

—They walk Ohtani again with the bases loaded. This is against the spirit of the game. They should make a new rule: Walk a batter with the bases empty and he automatically gets placed on second.

—Ohtani has reached base every at bat. You have to wonder if this will be a problem tomorrow when he pitches.

—The Dodgers have wasted a lot of scoring opportunities.

—Where is my asthma inhaler?

Twelfth inning

—Sheehan is in there again. Clayton Kershaw is warming up. Are the baseball gods conspiring to get Kershaw into one more World Series game?

—The Dodgers walk the No. 9 hitter. You don’t see that often. Will they regret it? Giménez hit worse that Schneider during the season.

—And here comes Kershaw. Bases loaded, two out. Twelfth inning. No pressure at all.

—The baseball gods have set this up for Kershaw to get one more World Series win. Now the Dodgers need to score in the bottom half.

—Ellen Kershaw‘s reaction had more emotion than most two-hour movies.

—If Kershaw never pitches again, that was a great moment to go out on.

—Will Smith tried to win it for Kershaw with a couple of home run swings.

—Another left-hander comes in, Eric Lauer, who was a starter until Shane Bieber (the Game 4 starter) came off the IL.

—And the Dodgers go down quietly.

—Seriously, I think the dog took my asthma inhaler.

Thirteenth inning

—Edgardo Henriquez, who has not retired a batter this postseason and has an ERA of infinity, is now pitching.

—The Dodger Stadium crowd is very quiet and sounds tired. Must be thinking about that hour wait in the parking lot while trying to go home.

—Leadoff double is just what the Dodgers needed.

—And look at Miguel Rojas. Hasn’t played all series and lays down a perfect bunt.

—Now Alex Call, who rarely plays. Can he be the hero?

—Man on third, one out. You have to score here.

—And of course they are going to walk Ohtani.

—And they walk Betts intentionally too. Wow. Pitching to Freeman with the bases loaded.

—And the Dodgers fail to cash in. Freeman is not having a good series.

—I think maybe my grandson hid my inhaler.

Fourteenth inning

—Rojas and Call stay in the game. Henriquez back on the mound. Will Klein is the only reliever left.

—Henriquez has looked good, but how long can he pitch?

—That foul ball by Giménez hit both of his legs. Baseball players must have tons of bruises at the end of the season. And it’s amazing that catchers can even walk.

—Someone on the Dodgers just needs to hit a home run and end this.

—And Will Smith came close.

—You know what Fox should do? Go around before the game and find some normal, average people at the game. Ask them their name and where they are from. Then, instead of showing the celebrities, “Justin Bieber is here. Sean Hayes is here,” say “Henry Blake from Lancaster is here with his wife Lorraine.” “Sherman Potter is here from Carson with his wife Mildred.”

—And Muncy came close before walking.

—Dieter Ruehle‘s fingers must be cramping by now.

—Tommy Edman has not been Tommy Tanks so far this postseason.

—And we go to the fifteenth. I believe a UFO flew down and teleported my inhaler away.

Fifteenth inning

—Will Klein now pitching for the Dodgers, who are now out of relievers. The Blue Jays are out of position players.

—The terrible Dodgers bullpen has been incredible tonight. 10.1 innings, 10 hits, four walks, eight strikeouts, one run. Now I’ve probably jinxed them, so they better score now.

—If Call reaches first, would they walk Ohtani intentionally?

—We won’t find out. He grounded to second.

—And they walked Ohtani again. He has reached base all eight of his plate appearances.

—Betts and Freeman need to cash this in.

—They do not. We go to the 16th. The record for longest World Series game is 18 by the Dodgers and Red Sox in 2018.

—We go to the 16th. I’ve given up on finding my asthma inhaler. I’ll just go ahead and pass out.

Sixteenth inning

—A lot of people are going to call out sick to work tomorrow.

—This has reminded me why I don’t obsess over every Dodger win or loss during the season. I get paid to watch and write about it. Truly a blessed life.

—Klein looks like a guy who should be higher on the Dave Roberts trust tree.

—According to the Fox telecast, the Dodgers will bring in a position player after Klein pitches the next inning. That would be very sad to see.

—Sixteen innings, and Hyeseong Kim still can’t get in a game.

—Dodgers are going down very quietly every inning.

Seventeenth inning

—You can’t say enough about this performance by Klein. Three innings, one hit, four strikeouts.

—If it’s true the Dodgers are bringing in a position player to pitch the next inning, then they really need to score now.

—Yoshinobu Yamamoto has volunteered to pitch the next inning. Will they need him?

—Brendon Little now pitching for the Blue Jays. He is their last reliever.

—Call singles. Will they walk Ohtani?

—They basically walked him. Didn’t give him anything to hit. Pitched around him.

—Again, the Dodgers can’t cash in. Who pitches the 18th?

—I need to shave again.

Eighteenth inning

—Klein’s arm must be about to fall off. His fastball is a couple miles per hour slower this inning. If the Dodgers win it all, he certainly earned his World Series ring.

—Kiner-Falefa was out at first.

—You’d think with all the power on these teams, someone would have hit one out. Must be a marine layer at the game.

—Klein’s career high in pitches is 36. He made 72 tonight.

—Max Muncy bats third this inning. He won the last, and previously the only 18-inning game with a home run in the bottom half of … Game 3 … against Boston in 2018.

—But we don’t need to wait for him. Freeman comes up big once again. He has cemented his Hall of Fame status the last two seasons.

—What an incredible game. Incredible. With the best ending, unless you are a Toronto fan. Two great teams. It seemed every player had a moment. Two bad bullpens were dominant.

—They get to do it again in a few hours.

—For those keeping track of this (and I appreciate the emails from those who are), Hannah and Mason were not in their assigned spots for the game, but came home in the 14th inning, and then the Dodgers won.

—My prediction remains, Dodgers in five.

—More importantly, we wish Alex Vesia and his wife the best as they go through a trying time.

In case you missed it

Freddie Freeman’s walk-off homer lifts Dodgers to 18-inning win in World Series Game 3

What are your superstitions and lucky items to help the Dodgers win the World Series?

Mookie Betts on winning the 2025 Roberto Clemente Award

Shaikin: What are the motives behind Frank McCourt’s Dodger Stadium gondola plan?

Hernández: Don Mattingly reveals why his Dodgers managerial career ended a decade ago

Dodgers keep Andy Pages in Game 3 starting lineup; Shohei Ohtani laughs off Toronto chants

And finally

Freddie Freeman walks it off for the Dodgers, again. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. I must be dreaming, because I am almost positive I watched someone pitch a complete game.

Game 2 thoughts:

—Alessia Cara performed the Canadian anthem, and Bebe Rexha performed the U.S. anthem before the game. Apparently, Bryan Adams was unavailable.

—Don’t get mad and call me un-American, but the Canadian national anthem is beautiful.

—Joe Carter threw out the first pitch. Apparently Dave Stieb was unavailable.

—I was concerned after the first inning. It was a repeat of Game 1. Dodgers score, but Blue Jays threatened before being retired without a run scoring. Just like Game 1.

—This time however, Yoshinobu Yamamoto settled into a groove and was dominant. If someone told me after that inning, where Yamamoto threw 23 pitches, that he would pitch a complete game, I would have laughed.

—Nice to see Will Smith hit a home run. It was his first extra-base hit of this postseason. It seemed to fire the team up. It certainly fired Smith up.

—Blue Jays fans were mad at manager John Schneider for not removing Kevin Gausman sooner. Complaining about a manager and how he handles pitchers? Sounds familiar.

—I’m just glad Schneider was finally able to find steady work so many years after “The Dukes of Hazzard” was canceled.

—Wait, I’m now being told that is a different John Schneider. I guess that explains why Tom Wopat isn’t one of his coaches.

—Teoscar Hernández is three for his last 22 with nine strikeouts and struck out in all four of his at-bats in Game 2. He is going through one of those phases where he chases pitches well out of the zone. Hopefully he snaps out of it.

—Justin Dean made a very nice play in center field in the ninth inning, showing why the Dodgers have him on the roster. The jump he got on the fly ball was incredible. He has now been in 11 of the 12 postseason games without coming to the plate, though he did score a run as a pinch-runner.

—You have to wonder what Hyeseong Kim thinks. He’s been on the roster for every round of the postseason, but has only played in one game, as a pinch-runner.

—Many of you don’t like John Smoltz because he talks too much. And I agree, he needs to cut down a bit, but what he says is usually very good. Plus, he’s very vocal in pushing back against the ridiculous pitch-count theory, that 100 pitches is the limit. I appreciate him for that.

—Yamamoto was in a zone. It was like he saw nothing else except Smith behind the plate. The Toronto crowd is loud, and it didn’t seem to bother him at all.

—Some numbers about Yamamoto:

He’s the fourth pitcher to retire the last 20 or more batters of a postseason game, joining Don Larsen of the Yankees, who retired all 27 batters in his perfect game against the Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series. St. Louis’ Grover Cleveland Alexander, who retired 21 Yankees in a row in Game 2 of the 1926 World Series and Boston’s Dutch Leonard, who retired 20 Phillies in a row in Game 3 of the 1915 World Series.

No Dodger had ever retired 20 batters in a row in a postseason game. The previous high was 19 by Carl Erskine in Game 5 of the 1952 World Series.

It was only the eighth time a Dodger pitched consecutive complete games in the postseason, joining Orel Hershiser (three consecutive in 1988), Sandy Koufax in 1963 and 1965 World Series, Sal Maglie (1956), Johnny Podres (1955), Whit Wyatt (1941) and Sherry Smith (1920).

—But more importantly, it was a wonderful throwback to the way baseball used to be. A pitcher going deep into the game, dominating an opponent even though he may be tiring. Getting big congrats from teammates for a job well done. That’s how legends are made.

—And the best part, in both his complete games, is the little smile Yamamoto gives after he gets the last out.

—The Blue Jays turn to Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber in Games 3 and 4.

—The Dodgers won the 2020 World Series five years ago today.

—My prediction remains, Dodgers in five.

—More importantly, we wish Alex Vesia and his wife the best as they go through a trying time.

Postseason stats

How the Dodgers and Blue Jays have done this postseason:

Batting

Alex Call, .750/.857/.750, 3 for 4, 2 walks

Ben Rortvedt, .429/.500/.571, 3 for 7, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 K’s

Miguel Rojas, .375/.444/.375, 3 for 8, 1 RBI

Will Smith, .314/.400/.400, 11 for 35, 1 homer, 6 RBIs, 4 walks, 10 K’s

Kiké Hernández, .273/.333/.364, 12 for 44, 4 doubles, 5 RBIs, 4 walks, 13 K’s

Mookie Betts, .271/.364/.396, 13 for 48, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 6 RBIs, 6 walks, 6 K’s

Tommy Edman, .262/.295/.429, 11 for 42, 1 double, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 2 walks, 14 K’s

Teoscar Hernández, .229/.275/.500, 1 double, 4 homers, 11 RBIs, 3 walks, 16 K’s

Max Muncy, .229/.386/.429, 6 for 28, 1 double, 2 homers, 2 RBIs, 8 walks, 9 K’s

Shohei Ohtani, .224/.333/.633, 11 for 49, 1 triple, 6 homers, 11 RBIs, 8 walks, 19 K’s

Freddie Freeman, .222/.340/.400, 10 for 45, 5 doubles, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 7 walks, 11 K’s

Andy Pages, .093/.133/.116, 4 for 43, 1 double, 1 RBI, 11 K’s

Dalton Rushing, 0 for 1, 1 K

Team, .244/.331/.416, 18 doubles, 2 triples, 16 homers, 44 walks, 113 K’s, 4.58 runs per game

Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., .431/.500/.843, 22 for 51, 3 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBIs, 7 walks, 4 K’s

Ernie Clement, .429/.442/.592, 21 for 49, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 8 RBIs, 1 walk, 2 K’s

Bo Bichette, .333/500/.333, 1 for 3, 1 walk

Nathan Lukes, .318/.375/.386, 14 for 44, 3 doubles, 8 RBIs, 4 walks, 7 K’s

Addison Barger, .300/.378/.575, 12 for 40, 2 doubles, 3 homers, 8 RBIs, 5 walks, 8 K’s

George Springer, .259/.349/. 593, 14 for 54, 6 doubles, 4 homers, 9 RBIs, 5 walks, 12 K’s

Alejandro Kirk, .255/.316/.529, 13 for 51, 2 doubles, 4 homers, 10 RBIs, 5 walks, 8 K’s

Daulton Varsho, .255/.296/.510, 13 for 51, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 10 RBIs, 2 walks, 13 K’s

Andrés Giménez, .244/.292/.400, 11 for 45, 1 double, 2 homers, 9 RBIs, 2 walks, 5 K’s

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, .200/.200/.280, 5 for 25, 2 doubles, 1 RBI, 1 K

Anthony Santander, .200/.250/.200, 3 for 15, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 5 K’s

Myles Straw, .182/.250/.182, 2 for 11, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 3 K’s

David Schneider, .154/.313/.251, 2 for 13, 1 double, 3 walks, 5 K’s

Joey Loperfido, 0 for 1

Team, .294/.352/.510, 27 doubles, 1 triple, 23 homers, 37 walks, 76 K’s, 6.38 runs per game

Pitching

Jack Dreyer, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 walks, 1 K

Justin Wrobloeski, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP

Will Klein, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP, 1 hit

Tyler Glasnow, 0.68 ERA, 13.1 IP, 7 hits, 1 ER, 8 walks, 18 K’s

Roki Sasaki, 1.13 ERA, 3 saves, 8 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 2 walks, 6 K’s

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 3-1, 1.57 ERA, 28.2 IP, 17 hits, 5 ER, 4 walks, 26 K’s

Shohei Ohtani, 2-0, 2.25 ERA, 12 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 4 walks, 19 K’s

Blake Snell, 3-1, 2.42 ERA, 26 IP, 14 hits, 7 ER, 8 walks, 32 K’s

Alex Vesia, 2-0, 3.86 ERA, 4.2 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 3 walks, 4 K’s

Blake Treinen, 7.36 ERA, 1 save, 3.2 IP, 5 hits 3 ER, 2 walks, 5 K’s

Anthony Banda, 8.10 ERA, 3.1 IP, 4 hits, 3 ER, 1 walk, 3 K’s

Emmet Sheehan, 17.18 ERA, 3.2 IP, 8 hits, 7 ER, 3 walks, 2 K’s

Clayton Kershaw, 18.00 ERA, 2 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 3 walks

Edgardo Henriquez, infinity, 0 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 2 walks

Team, 10-2, 3.06 ERA. 4 saves, 109 IP, 74 hits, 37 ER, 42 walks, 116 K’s

Blue Jays

Chris Bassitt, 0.00 ERA, 3.2 IP, 1 hit, 5 K’s

Jeff Hoffman, 1.13 ERA, 2 saves, 8 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 3 walks, 13 K’s

Kevin Gausman, 2-2, 2.55 ERA, 24.2 IP, 14 hits, 7 ER, 9 walks, 18 K’s

Max Scherzer, 1-0, 3.18 ERA, 5.2 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 4 walks, 5 K’s

Seranthony Dominguez, 2-0, 3.38 ERA, 8 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 5 walks, 7 K’s

Trey Yesavage, 2-1, 4.26 ERA, 19 IP, 14 hits, 9 ER, 10 walks, 27 K’s

Shane Bieber, 1-0, 4.38 ERA, 12.1 IP, 16 hits, 6 ER, 3 walks, 15 K’s

Louis Varland, 0-1, 4.63 ERA, 11.2 IP, 10 hits, 6 ER, 2 walks, 13 K’s

Mason Fluharty, 5.40 ERA, 5 IP, 6 hits, 3 ER, 2 walks, 8 K’s

Eric Lauer, 6.75 ERA, 4 IP, 4 hits, 3 ER, 2 walks, 6 K’s

Braydon Fisher, 7.94 ERA, 5.2 IP, 8 hits, 5 ER, 3 walks, 8 K’s

Yariel Rodríguez, 10.13 ERA, 2.2 IP, 2 hits, 3 ER, 4 walks, 1 K

Brendon Little, 0-1, 12.00 ERA, 3 IP, 5 hits, 4 ER, 4 walks, 2 K’s

Tommy Nance, 13.50 ERA, 1.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 1 walk

Justin Bruihl, 54.00 ERA, 0.1 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER

Team, 8-5, 4.38 ERA, 2 saves, 115 IP, 96 hits, 56 ER, 53 walks, 128 K’s

In case you missed it

World Series: George Springer says he will focus on game, not boos, at Dodger Stadium

Shaikin: No more dead-arm nightmares for Dodgers and their uncomplicated pitching strategy

Hernández: What Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complete games reveal about the Dodgers’ star pitcher

Healthy and energized, Will Smith’s resurgence coming at a perfect time for Dodgers

Plaschke: As tied World Series returns to Dodger Stadium, George Springer and Max Scherzer beware

Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complete-game repeat a brilliant oddity ripped from a bygone era

Arellano: He’s just happy to root for the Dodgers again after almost dying during the last World Series

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches a masterclass, Dodgers win World Series Game 2 | Dodgers Debate

Max Muncy talks World Series Game 2 win, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s performance

What it’s like to experience a World Series game at Cosm Los Angeles

And finally

Highlights from Game 2 of the World Series. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Gee, the Dodgers haven’t lost a World Series game this badly since…. let’s see, do the archives go back that far? Oh yes, here it is: Since Game 4 of last year’s World Series, which they lost, 11-4.

Musings while Game 1 was happening:

Pre-game

—Pharrell Williams and the Voices of Fire provided the pregame entertainment. Apparently, Anne Murray was unavailable.

—Cito Gaston threw out the first pitch. Apparently Garth Iorg and Rance Mulliniks were unavailable.

—Joe Davis and John Smoltz are the game announcers. They are good. Coincidentally, the Dodgers’ announcer is also named Joe Davis. I wonder if they are related.

—Is it really necessary to have a long hype video for the World Series? I mean, we’re already tuned in and watching. Who is this for?

First inning

—The Toronto crowd is LOUD. Good for them.

—Toronto starter Trey Yesavage is the second-youngest World Series Game 1 starter ever, trailing only Ralph Branca. He doesn’t seem nervous.

—The Dodgers went down quietly in the top half. They need to do the same to Toronto in the bottom half to keep the crowd under control.

—Blake Snell doesn’t have the command he has had this postseason. Is it because of the long layoff? Just amped up?

—George Springer leads off. Is that a trash can I hear?

—And the Blue Jays did not go quietly, but at least they didn’t score.

—The Blue Jays are like the Dodgers in that they take a lot of pitches, which is bad for the Dodgers. It’s going to be a lot harder for the starters to pitch into the seventh, eighth or ninth inning, meaning more exposure for the weaker elements of the bullpen.

Second inning

—Can some scientists get together and study how Kiké Hernández becomes so much better in the postseason? Perhaps reduce it to a serum we can all take before pressure situations.

—Bases loaded and one out and the Dodgers don’t add any runs. That could come back to bite them.

—The Blue Jays are letting Snell lock in, unable to take advantage of his early shakiness.

—Where were the middle infielders when Freddie Freeman was looking to throw the ball there for a force? And Snell had great presence to whirl and throw to third. A lot of pitchers would have been upset they missed the bag at first.

Third inning

—Yesavage lost his fastball and suddenly seems a lot more nervous.

—A rare baseunning error by Freeman.

—The Dodgers have four hits and three walks but only two runs. That could be important later.

—Yasavage has thrown 71 pitches in three innings. That’s a lot.

—Davis Schneider looks like he should be working at Jiffy Lube.

Fourth inning

—The Dodgers chased pitches this inning, going away from what makes the so successful on offense. As a result, Yesavage felt no pressure and could even go one more inning.

—OK, maybe Snell wasn’t quite as locked in as I imagined. Daulton Varsho smoked that ball for a two-run homer.

—Do you know how many homers Snell had given up to a left-hander this season? Counting Varsho’s, one.

Fifth inning

—The Blue Jays take Yesavage out after four innings.

—Nature called and I missed Fluharty’s entire appearance!

—I once got an angry email from a ready who was upset the Joe Davis always says “We are halfway home” after the top of the fifth inning, because that’s not right, saying it was after the bottom of the fifth. The person was irate! But Davis is right.

—Why are ads featuring baseball players the most boring ads in the world? They haven’t had a good campaign since “Chicks Dig the Long Ball!” It’s as if all the people who come up with these ads hate baseball.

—Freeman is the best Dodgers first baseman at digging balls out of the dirt since Steve Garvey.

—The Capital One school career day ad with Derek Jeter and Karen Nyberg is great. I mean, it’s no Limu Emu (and Doug), but it’s great.

Sixth inning

—Seranthony Dominguez has the best first name in baseball.

—The split-screen ad during the game? Not a fan.

—Seranthony seemed a bit fired up out there.

—A walk to Bo Bichette. Snell is not long for this game. I’m surprised they wanted until now to have someone warm up. I would have had someone up when the inning started.

—Bases loaded, nobody out. Game changing moment. And Emmet Sheehan will be on the mound.

—And the wheels are coming off.

—I do believe the Dodgers are going to lose this game. Time to get in players who may not ever get a chance to play in a World Series again.

—I think the Dodgers postseason ERA is going to go up a bit.

Seventh inning

—Ohtani rounded the bases faster than Mickey Hatcher on that home run, almost as if he was saying “We’re still down by seven, let’s not get carried away here.”

—Justin Wrobleski is the answer!

Eighth inning

—Remember, the Dodgers lost Game 4 of last season’s World Series 11-4 and everything seemed to work out OK. They lost Game 1 of the 1959 World Series 11-0 and everything worked out OK there. Some athletes will tell you it’s easier to shake off a rout than it is losing a close game, because you can’t really say “If only I had done this….”

—For those of you who remember an earlier newsletter this postseason….. Mason and Hannah weren’t able to watch this game, so the loss is entirely their fault.

Ninth inning

—Is the game still going on? My mind is wandering, and it’s too little to be out by itself.

—The Dodgers had multiple chances to put more runs on the board early in the game and didn’t do it. You have to capitalize on almost every opportunity in the World Series.

—Being picked off first would have been an appropriate way to end that game.

—All you can do is shake this game off and come out strong tomorrow. It’s only one game. I have a feeling Yoshinobu Yamamoto is going to be very sharp in Game 2.

—My prediction remains, Dodgers in five.

—More importanly, we wish Alex Vesia and his wife the best as they go through a trying time.

In case you missed it

Plaschke: After Dodgers’ disastrous World Series Game 1 loss, doubt has crept in

‘Guys kind of felt the velocity a little bit more.’ Was rust a factor in Dodgers’ loss?

Dodgers will keep Alex Vesia off World Series roster: ‘So much bigger than baseball’

Meet Baby Shohei? These parents named their kids after Dodgers players

25 Dodgers food and drink specials for the World Series

Where to watch the World Series near Dodger Stadium

Hernández: MLB needs Shohei Ohtani as a two-way player. Game 4 of the 2025 NLCS was a reminder

And finally

“Highlights” from Game 1 of the World Series. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and judging by the numerous emails on the topic I’ve received, fans really want to beat George Springer.

Springer was the MVP of the 2017 World Series that was won by the cheating Houston (no relation) Astros.

—Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are the best hitters on the Blue Jays and have been playing very well this postseason.

—Actually, the whole Blue Jays offense is doing well, hitting 296/.355/.523 and averaging 6.45 runs per game. They haven’t faced a starting rotation as good as the Dodgers’ however.

—Even if you discount his 2017 postseason stats, Springer remains one of the best postseason hitters of all time.

—The Dodgers will go with Blake Snell in Game 1 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2.

A quick chart for those of you who miss the days of starting pitchers pitching deep into games:

Most innings pitched by starters in a four-game LCS:

1979 Orioles: 33.1
1974 A’s: 29.2 IP
1983 White Sox: 29.1 IP
1990 A’s: 29.1 IP
2025 Dodgers: 28.2 IP
1983 Orioles: 28.2 IP

—Dodger pitchers have given up four home runs this postseason. Blue Jays pitchers have given up 18.

—How humble and cool is Shohei Ohtani? In the clubhouse after he was named NLCS MVP, he covered up his name on the trophy and replaced it with something that said Team Effort. You can see a picture of it here.

—Some bad news for the bullpen: Alex Vesia might miss the World Series because he and his wife are dealing with a “a deeply personal family matter.” From Jack Harris’ story:

“We have a little bit of time — I think 10 o’clock tomorrow or something like that — to finalize our roster,” Dave Roberts said. “But, yeah, we’re going through the process of trying to backfill his spot on the roster.”

One potential option for the Dodgers would be to place Vesia on MLB’s Family Medical Emergency List, which would require him to miss a minimum of three days but make it possible for him to rejoin the active roster later in the World Series.

—That would be a big blow to the Dodger bullpen. Vesia was one of the handful of guys they counted on this postseason. I would imagine Anthony Banda would fill his role as the main left-hander out of the pen.

—But the important thing is not how it hurts the Dodgers, it’s that Vesia and his wife come through this OK. Our best wishes to them.

—Which unlikely player will rise up to be a star this World Series? I’m going with Andy Pages, who is overdue to break his slump.

—The dream scenario: Dodgers win it at home, and have a big enough lead that Clayton Kershaw comes in to pitch the final inning.

—Because I had “4-0” and “4-3” on the mind (or, I’m just dumb), in the last newsletter I had the Dodgers defeating the A’s 4-3 in the 1988 World Series. It was 4-1 of course.

—What do the Dodgers need to do to win? Cool off Springer and Guerrero. Work the count and tire out the pitching staff, which pays off even more as the series progresses. The pitchers need to attack hitters and not just nibble around the corner. All of that is easier said than done though.

—Whichever team wins, Jose Ureña is guaranteed a World Series ring. He pitched for the Dodgers and Blue Jays this season. For the Dodgers he gave one run in three innings, for the Blue Jays, five runs in 12.1 innings. The Dodgers signed him on June 3 and released him on June 13.

—Familiar face Don Mattingly is the bench coach for the Blue Jays. Believe it or not, in his long, illustrious career, this is the first time he has been in a World Series.

—One thing the Dodgers have working in their favor: The Blue Jays don’t have many strong left-handed pitchers. They can’t just pound them with lefties like the Brewers did.

—The series won’t be easy. The Dodgers have made winning in the postseason look easy, but it isn’t. But there are four more wins left in them.

Prediction: Dodgers in 5.

Let’s take a look at how the teams compare and where they ranked among the 30 teams:

Batting

Runs per game
Dodgers, 5.09 (2nd)
Blue Jays, 4.93 (4th)
MLB average, 4.45

Batting average
Blue Jays, .265 (1st)
Dodgers, .253 (5th)
MLB average, .245

On-base %
Blue Jays, .333 (1st)
Dodgers, .327 (5th)
MLB average, .315

Slugging %
Dodgers, .441 (2nd)
Blue Jays, .427 (7th)
MLB average, .404

Doubles
Blue Jays, 294 (3rd)
MLB average, 258
Dodgers, 257 (13th)

Triples
Dodgers, 21 (T12th)
MLB average, 21
Blue Jays, 13 (26th)

Home runs
Dodgers, 244 (2nd)
Blue Jays, 191 (T11th)
MLB average, 188

Walks
Dodgers, 580 (2nd)
Blue Jays, 520 (13th)
MLB average, 513

Strikeouts
MLB average, 1,355
Dodgers, 1,353 (16th)
Blue Jays, 1,099 (29th)

Stolen bases
MLB average, 115
Dodgers, 88 (T21st)
Blue Jays, 77 (28th)

Sacrifice bunts
Blue Jays, 35 (3rd)
MLB average, 19
Dodgers, 13 (T20th)

Batting average with two out and runners in scoring position
Dodgers, .271 (1st)
Blue Jays, .264 (4th)
MLB average, .233

Pitching

ERA
Dodgers, 3.95 (16th)
MLB average, 4.15
Blue Jays, 4.18 (19th)

Team ERA after All-Star break
Dodgers, 3.45 (2nd)
Blue Jays, 4.23 (17th)
MLB average, 4.28

Rotation ERA
Dodgers, 3.69 (5th)
MLB average, 4.21
Blue Jays, 4.34 (20th)

Bullpen ERA
Blue Jays, 3.98 (16th)
MLB average, 4.08
Dodgers, 4.27 (21st)

FIP (click here for explainer)
Dodgers, 3.93 (7th)
MLB average, 4.16
Blue Jays, 4.27 (23rd)

Walks
Dodgers, 563 (5th)
Blue Jays, 517 (15th)
MLB average, 513

Strikeouts
Dodgers, 1,505 (1st)
Blue Jays, 1,430 (6th)
MLB average, 1,355

Saves
Dodgers, 46 (5th)
Blue Jays, 42 (T12th)
MLB average, 40

Blown saves
Dodgers, 27 (T7th)
MLB average, 24
Blue Jays, 23 (T14th)

Inherited runners who scored %
Dodgers, 26.1% (3rd)
Blue Jays, 27.6% (8th)
MLB average, 31.8%

Relief innings
Dodgers, 657.2 (1st)
Blue Jays, 597.1 (13th)
MLB average, 595

Relief wins
Dodgers, 44 (T1st)
Blue Jays, 44 (T1st)
MLB average, 33

Relief losses
Dodgers, 33 (T7th)
MLB average, 29
Blue Jays, 22 (T26th)

Fielding

Errors
Blue Jays, 86 (12th)
MLB average, 82
Dodgers, 68 (25th)

The players

When comparing the main players on the teams, keep in mind that players can move around depending on who is starting and managerial whim. For a full look at the Blue Jays statistically, click here.

DH
Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani. .282/.392/.622, 25 doubles, 55 homers, 102 RBIs
Blue Jays, George Springer, .309/.399/.500, 27 doubles, 32 homers, 84 RBIs

The best hitter on both teams bats leadoff. Far cry from the days when the DH would be the slow, aging, plodding slugger, batting fourth or fifth.

Catcher
Dodgers, Will Smith, .296/.404/.497, 20 doubles, 17 homers, 61 RBIs
Dodgers, Ben Rortvedt, .224/.309/.327, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBIs
Blue Jays, Alejandro Kirk, .282/.348/.421, 8 doubles, 3 homers, 20 RBIs
Blue Jays, Tyler Heineman, .289/.361/.416, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 17 RBIs

Don’t expect Rortvedt or Heineman to get too much, if any, playing time.

First base
Dodgers, Freddie Freeman, .295/.367/.502, 39 doubles, 24 homers, 90 RBIs
Blue Jays, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., .292/.381/.467, 34 doubles, 23 homers, 84 RBIs

Guerrero is red hot. He was named ALCS MVP after hitting .385 with three homers and he hit .529 in the ALDS. He has six home runs and 12 RBIs in 11 postseason games this season. Priority one will be slowing him down some.

Second base
Dodgers, Miguel Rojas, .262/.318/.397, 18 doubles, 7 homers, 27 RBIs
Dodgers, Tommy Edman, .225/.274/.382, 13 doubles, 13 homers, 49 RBIs
Blue Jays, Andrés Giménez, .210/.285/.313, 11 doubles, 7 homers, 35 RBIs
OR
Blue Jays, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, .262/.297/.334, 21 doubles, 2 homers, 40 RBIs

When I see good glove, no hit guys like Giménez in a World Series lineup and begin to think “easy out,” I stop myself and start thinking about Brian Doyle in the 1978 World Series. He was a career .161 hitter who hit .438 in that series.

Third base
Dodgers, Max Muncy, .243/.376/.470, 10 doubles, 19 homers, 67 RBIs
Blue Jays, Ernie Clement, .277/.313/.398, 35 doubles, 9 homers, 50 RBIs

Shortstop
Dodgers, Mookie Betts, .258/.326/.406, 23 doubles, 20 homers, 82 RBIs
Blue Jays, Andrés Giménez, .210/.285/.313, 11 doubles, 7 homers, 35 RBIs
OR
Blue Jays, Bo Bichette, .311/.457/.483, 44 doubles, 18 homers, 94 RBIs

The Blue Jays’ middle infield depends entirely on the health of Bichette. He has been out for six weeks because of an injured left knee, but says he will be ready for the World Series. If he is, then Giménez slides over to second. If not, the Giménez plays short and Kiner-Falefa plays second.

Left field
Dodgers, Kiké Hernández, .203/.255/.366, 8 doubles, 10 homers, 35 RBIs
Blue Jays, Nathan Lukes, .255/.323/.407, 19 doubles, 12 homers, 65 RBIs

Center field
Dodgers, Andy Pages, .272/.313/.461, 27 doubles, 27 homers, 86 RBIs
Blue Jays, Daulton Varsho, .238/.284/.548, 13 doubles, 20 homers, 55 RBIs

Right field
Dodgers, Teoscar Hernández, .247/.284/.454, 29 doubles, 25 homers, 89 RBIs
Blue Jays, Addison Barger, .243/.301/.454, 32 doubles, 21 homers, 74 RBIs

Barger is Max Muncy, if Muncy didn’t draw any walks.

Of the Blue Jays, Giménez, Lukes, Varsho and Barger bat left-handed. Heineman is a switch-hitter.

Starting pitchers

Dodgers
*Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA, 61.1 IP, 51 hits, 26 walks, 72 K’s
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA, 173.2 IP, 113 hits, 59 walks, 201 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, 1-1, 2.87 ERA, 47 IP, 40 hits, 9 walks, 62 K’s
Tyler Glasnow, 4-3, 3.19 ERA, 90.1 IP, 56 hits, 43 walks, 106 K’s

Blue Jays
Kevin Gausman, 10-11, 3.59 ERA, 193 IP, 155 hits, 50 walks, 189 K’s
Shane Bieber, 4-2, 3.57 ERA, 40.1 IP, 34 hits, 7 walks, 37 K’s
Trey Yesavage, 1-0, 3.21 ERA, 14 IP, 13 hits, 7 walks, 16 K’s
Max Scherzer, 5-5, 5.19 ERA, 85 IP, 87 hits, 23 walks, 82 K’s

These are the four pitchers who started for the Blue Jays in the ALCS. It’s conceivable they could use left-hander Eric Lauer as a starter, or as an opener, to help neutralize Ohtani and Freeman. He started for them during the season before going to the bullpen when Bieber joined the rotation.

The main relievers

Dodgers
*Alex Vesia, 4-2, 3.02 ERA, 5 saves, 59.2 IP, 37 hits, 22 walks, 80 K’s
Emmet Sheehan, 6-3, 2.82 ERA, 73.1 IP, 49 hits, 22 walks, 89 K’s
Blake Treinen, 2-7. 5.40 ERA, 26.2 IP, 30 hits, 19 walks, 36 K’s
Roki Sasaki, 1-1, 4.46 ERA, 36.1 IP, 30 hits, 22 walks, 28 K’s
*Anthony Banda, 5-1, 3.18 ERA, 65 IP, 45 hits, 34 walks, 61 K’s

Blue Jays
Jeff Hoffman, 9-7, 4.37 ERA, 33 saves, 68 IP, 54 hits, 27 walks, 84 K’s
Louis Varland, 1-0, 4.94 ERA, 23.2 IP, 24 hits, 9 walks, 28 K’s
*Mason Fluharty, 5-2, 4.44 ERA, 1 save, 52.2 IP, 36 hits, 24 walks, 56 K’s
*Eric Lauer, 9-2, 3.18 ERA, 104.2 IP, 90 hits, 26 walks, 102 K’s
Seranthony Dominguez, 2-1, 3.00 ERA, 21 IP, 12 hits, 12 walks, 25 K’s

*-left-handed

Postseason numbers

How the Dodgers and Blue Jays have done this postseason:

Batting

Alex Call, .750/.857/.750, 3 for 4, 2 walks
Ben Rortvedt, .429/.500/.571, 3 for 7, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 K’s
Miguel Rojas, .375/.444/.375, 3 for 8, 1 RBI
Kiké Hernández, .306/.375/.417, 11 for 36, 4 doubles, 4 RBIs, 4 walks, 9 K’s
Mookie Betts, .293/.370/.439, 12 for 41, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 6 RBIs, 4 walks, 4 K’s
Tommy Edman, .286/.306/.486, 10 for 35, 1 double, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 1 walk, 12 K’s
Will Smith, .286/.375/.286, 8 for 28, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, 10 K’s
Teoscar Hernández, .268/.302/.585, 1 double, 4 homers, 11 RBIs, 2 walks, 11 K’s
Freddie Freeman, .231/.333/.410, 9 for 39, 4 doubles, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 5 walks, 11 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, .220/.333/.634, 9 for 41, 1 triple, 5 homers, 9 RBIs, 7 walks, 17 K’s
Max Muncy, .214/.389/.357, 6 for 28, 1 double, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 7 walks, 6 K’s
Andy Pages, .086/.135/.114, 3 for 35, 1 double, 1 RBI, 9 K’s
Dalton Rushing, 0 for 1, 1 K
Team, .256/.340/.430, 17 doubles, 2 triples, 13 homers, 35 walks, 93 K’s, 4.6 runs per game

Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., .442/.510/.930, 19 for 43, 3 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBIs, 6 walks, 3 K’d
Ernie Clement, .429/.444/.619, 18 for 42, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 7 RBIs, 1 walk, 2 K’s
Nathan Lukes, .333/.381/.410, 13 for 39, 3 doubles, 7 RBIs, 3 walks, 5 K’s
Addison Barger, .286/.375/.514, 10 for 35, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 4 RBIs, 5 walks, 7 K’s
Daulton Varsho, .273/.304/.500, 12 for 44, 4 doubles, 2 homers, 8 RBIs, 2 walks, 12 K’s
Andrés Giménez, .263/.317/.447, 10 for 38, 1 double, 2 homers, 8 RBIs, 2 walks, 5 K’s
George Springer, .239/.321/. 609, 11 for 36, 5 doubles, 4 homers, 9 RBIs, 5 walks, 11 K’s
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, .238/.238/.333, 5 for 21, 2 doubles, 1 RBI, 1 K
Alejandro Kirk, .222/.286/.467, 10 for 45, 2 doubles, 3 homers, 7 RBIs, 4 walks, 7 K’s
Myles Straw, .222/.300/.222, 2 for 9, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 2 K’s
Anthony Santander, .200/.250/.200, 3 for 15, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 5 K’s
David Schneider, .200/.385/.300, 2 for 10, 1 double, 3 walks, 4 K’s
Joey Loperfido, 0 for 1
Team, .296/.355/.523, 26 doubles, 1 triple, 20 homers, 33 walks, 64 K’s, 6.45 runs per game

Pitching

Anthony Banda, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 walks, 1 K
Jack Dreyer, 0.00 ERA, 2.2 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 3 K’s
Tyler Glasnow, 0.68 ERA, 13.1 IP, 7 hits, 1 ER, 8 walks, 18 K’s
Blake Snell, 3-0, 0.86 ERA, 21 IP, 6 hits, 2 ER, 5 walks, 28 K’s
Roki Sasaki, 1.13 ERA, 3 saves, 8 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER,, 2 walks, 6 K’s
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 2-1, 1.83 ERA, 19.2 IP, 13 hits, 4 ER, 4 walks, 18 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, 2-0, 2.25 ERA, 12 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 4 walks, 19 K’s
Alex Vesia, 2-0, 3.86 ERA, 4.2 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 3 walks, 4 K’s
Blake Treinen, 7.36 ERA, 3.2 IP, 5 hits 3 ER, 2 walks, 5 K’s
Emmet Sheehan, 10.80 ERA, 3.1 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 2 walks, 2 K’s
Clayton Kershaw, 18.00 ERA, 2 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 3 walks
Edgardo Henriquez, infinity, 0 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 2 walks
Team, 9-1, 2.45 ERA. 4 saves, 92 IP, 56 hits, 25 ER, 38 walks, 104 K’s

Blue Jays

Chris Bassitt, 0.00 ERA, 2.2 IP, 3 K’s
Jeff Hoffman, 1.23 ERA, 2 saves, 7.1 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 2 walks, 12 K’s
Kevin Gausman, 2-1, 2.00 ERA, 18 IP, 10 hits, 4 ER, 9 walks, 12 K’s
Max Scherzer, 1-0, 3.18 ERA, 5.2 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 4 walks, 5 K’s
Louis Varland, 0-1, 3.27 ERA, 11 IP, 8 hits, 4 ER, 1 walk, 13 K’s
Seranthony Dominguez. 1-0, 4.05 ERA, 6.2 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 5 walks, 5 K’s
Trey Yesavage, 2-1, 4.20 ERA, 15 IP, 10 hits, 7 ER, 7 walks, 22 K’s
Shane Bieber, 1-0, 4.38 ERA, 12.1 IP, 16 hits, 6 ER, 3 walks, 15 K’s
Mason Fluharty, 6.23 ERA, 4.1 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 2 walks, 7 K’s
Braydon Fisher, 7.36 ERA, 3.2 IP, 7 hits, 3 ER, 1 walk, 6 K’s
Eric Lauer, 9.00 ERA, 3 IP, 4 hits, 3 ER, 1 walk, 5 K’s
Yariel Rodríguez, 10.13 ERA, 2.2 IP, 2 hits, 3 ER, 4 walks, 1 K
Brendon Little, 0-1, 12.00 ERA, 3 IP, 5 hits, 4 ER, 4 walks, 2 K’s
Tommy Nance, 13.50 ERA, 1.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 1 walk
Justin Bruihl, 54.00 ERA, 0.1 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER
Team, 7-4, 4.36 ERA, 2 saves, 97 IP, 84 hits, 47 ER, 44 walks, 108 K’s

Poll results

We asked, “Who will win the World Series?”

After 13,296 votes:

Dodgers in five, 44.5%
Dodgers in six, 40.7%
Dodgers in four, 6.3%
Dodgers in seven, 4.5%
Blue Jays in six, 1.9%
Blue Jays in seven, 1.2%
Blue Jays in five, 0.6%
Blue Jays in four, 0.3%

Up next

Friday: Dodgers (Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA) at Toronto (Trey Yesavage, 1-0, 3.21 ERA), 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Saturday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA) at Toronto, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Monday: Toronto at Dodgers, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Tuesday: Toronto at Dodgers, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Wednesday: Toronto at Dodgers, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Friday, Oct. 31: Dodgers at Toronto, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Saturday, Nov. 1: Dodgers at Toronto, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-if necessary

In case you missed it

Alex Vesia might not pitch in World Series because of personal matter

‘It’s just in our DNA’: Why Dodgers treat title pressure as routine while chasing dynasty

Dave Roberts doesn’t think the Dodgers are villains

Hernández: Yamamoto’s interpreter almost quit after 2 days. Now he’s hoping his underwear can help in World Series

Cuban Andy Pages’ Dodgers success is bittersweet due to family separation

How a difficult season transformed Blake Snell into the Dodgers’ October ace

Shaikin: ‘I let down an entire nation.’ Canadians wanted Ohtani. They got a ‘Shark Tank’ star instead

Dodgers’ Justin Dean has not batted yet in the playoffs. Here’s how he still contributes

And finally

Freddie Freeman hits a walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. I was hoping for Seattle, since they had never made the World Series before.

Here we are on Wednesday, with the World Series two days away. It will have been a week off for the Dodgers, while the Toronto Blue Jays will have had only three days off. They say that rust will hurt a batter more than it will a pitcher. Will the time off hurt the Dodgers?

Before this season, there have been four times when one league’s LCS went seven games and the other league’s went four games, giving them much more time off before the World Series. One of these you will be very familiar with:

1988
NLCS: Dodgers defeat the Mets, 4-3
ALCS: A’s defeat the Red Sox, 4-0
World Series: Dodgers defeat the A’s, 4-1

Oakland, which had the mighty Bash Brothers of José Canseco and Mark McGwire, hit .177 in the series, with Canseco and McGwire getting only one hit each (both were homers). They scored 11 runs in the series, and never more than four in a game, which came in Game 1 on Canseco’s grand slam off of Tim Belcher. This seemed not so much a case of rust as it was the A’s running into an outstanding Dodger pitching staff, led by Orel Hershiser, who pitched a three-hit shutout in Game 2. The Dodgers hit .246 in the series and outhomered the A’s, 5-2.

2006
NLCS: Cardinals defeat the Mets, 4-3
ALCS: Tigers defeat the A’s. 4-0
World Series: Cardinals defeat the Tigers, 4-1

The Tigers hit .199 in the series and scored 11 runs. The Cardinals went 83-78 during the season, including 12-17 in September, so they weren’t exactly a juggernaut. Plácido Polanco went 0 for 17, Curtis Granderson went two for 21 and Magglio Ordóñez went two for 19. They had three guys who hit .353 or better, so it was all or nothing for their offense. Neither side hit well, as the Cardinals hit just .226.

2007
NLCS: Rockies defeat the Diamondbacks, 4-0
ALCS: Red Sox defeat the Indians, 4-3
World Series: Red Sox defeat the Rockies, 4-0

The Rockies hit .218 in the series and scored 10 runs. The Red Sox hit .333 and scored 29 runs, so this was more a case of bad pitching by the Rockies, as their starting pitchers combined for an 8.33 ERA. The Red Sox hit an amazing 18 doubles in four games.

2012
NLCS: Giants defeat the Cardinals, 4-3
ALCS: Tigers defeat the Yankees, 4-0
World Series: Giants defeat the Tigers, 4-0

The Tigers hit .159 in the series and scored only six runs. Jhonny Peralta went one for 15, Prince Fielder went one for 14, Miguel Cabrera went three for 13. The Giants hit .242 and scored 16 runs.

So, the teams that had extra time off lost all four World Series and went 4-16 in the 20 games played. Three of the four hit below .200.

That stat does not bode well for the Dodgers, but it is an extremely small sample size. Keep in mind the Dodgers had six days off before the start of last year’s postseason, and that turned out just fine.

What are the Dodgers doing to combat the extra time off? Jack Harris wrote a story on it you can check out here.

Some key takeaways:

—Now, as they did back last year, the Dodgers are incorporating more simulated game activities into their schedule. On Sunday, they played a seven-inning sim game. On Monday, they took more rounds of live batting practice.

—“I think it’s nice to have rest and kind of let everybody take a deep breath and rest up or whatnot. … Just rest up and keep sharpening your skills.” Mookie Betts said.

—“All we’re trying to do right here is get four more wins to win a World Series,” Miguel Rojas said. “Last year, when we had the bye, and the year before, we were trying to get through one more month of baseball. You’re trying to prepare for that. You’re trying to get some guys healthy. I just feel like the difference with this one [versus] the one we had the last couple years is everybody is locked in on winning the World Series. We’re really close to doing that. And winning four more games is the most important thing.”

America hates the Dodgers

The people at Betonline.ag have analzyed tweets, hashtags and direct keyword phrases about whom fans are rooting for. On X, 92% of fans are rooting for Toronto.

The state-by-state rooting breakdown:

Dodgers – 4 states (California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah)
Blue Jays – 46 states (All other states)

Poll results

We asked, “Which team would you like to see the Dodgers play in the World Series?”

After 16,483 votes:

Seattle, 84.3%
Toronto, 15.7%

Poll time

What is your prediction for this World Series?

Click here to vote in our survey.

In case you missed it

Shaikin: Most MLB owners want to curb big spenders like the Dodgers. What does the union say?

World Series preview: Are the Dodgers actually the favorites? | Dodgers Debate

Here’s how to see the Dodgers in the World Series in person without a ticket

Nine concerns the Dodgers should have about facing the Blue Jays in the World Series

How Dodgers are navigating their World Series bye week: ‘Keep sharpening your skills’

Why the Dodgers’ return to the World Series was only a matter of time

Shohei Ohtani highlighted in film tracing history of Japanese and American baseball

And finally

Vin Scully and special guest Fernando Valenzuela throw out the first pitch before Game 2 of the 2017 World Series. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

BBC Breakfast staff are rumoured to be raging at the “double standards” of suspending Kaye Adams from Radio Scotland whilst their own presenters remain in their roles whilst under review

The staff of BBC Breakfast are reportedly furious at the network bosses’ “double standards” after Kaye Adams was suspended from Radio Scotland following bullying allegations, while their own presenters, Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt remain in their roles, despite a review underway for similar claims.

Adams was pulled from her BBC radio show after allegations arose about her ‘bullying’ her colleagues. But, BBC Breakfast hosts Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt are under review for the same complaint, it has been alleged, and have not been suspended from their show.

BBC bosses are said to be considering a range of allegations about the duo, but while they have already taken action against Adams, they have not taken action against Munchetty and Stayt.

READ MORE: Loose Women star Kaye Adams ‘taken off air’ following internal complaintREAD MORE: BBC Breakfast’s Naga and Charlie announce heartbreaking news as guest living with incurable illness

A source said Adams’ suspension “put a cat among the pigeons” behind the scenes at the BBC: “The review on Naga and Charlie is rumbling on because new complaints keep coming up, which raise new questions, so they have to keep interviewing other people.

“The news about Kaye Adams’ suspension up in Scotland has put the cat among the pigeons because she’s been accused of the same thing as Naga and Charlie – bullying.

“People are saying it’s double standards and that the BBC are pandering to Naga particularly, because she is the big name because she has Breakfast and her 5 Live show. They are the nation’s broadcaster and should treat all complaints the same way.”

Adams was removed from her hosting job on BBC Radio Scotland while bosses conduct an inquiry. It is believed that complaints against the 62-year-old were raised under the BBC’s Call It Out scheme.

The initiative was set up after a review into the conduct of former MasterChef presenters Gregg Wallace upheld several allegations of inappropriate language and the misuse of power. The report also upheld an allegation that John Torode used inappropriate language. After allegations were brought against Wallace, a review into the working environment on MasterChef was conducted.

Following the review, both Wallace and Torode were told they would no longer be MasterChef’s presenters, though they did appear in the latest series as that had already been filmed. They will be replaced with Grace Dent and Anna Haugh for the next series.

The same Call It Out initiative that started from this situation and led to complaints from BBC Radio Scotland staff, rooted out complaints on BBC Breakfast.

When asked about the situation with Munchetty, Stayt and Adams, a BBC spokesperson said: “We do not comment on individual HR matters.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. I don’t know why everyone is carrying on about Shohei Ohtani, after all, he did give up two hits and walked three batters.

—I was under the impression that David Corenswet was going to be the new Superman. Apparently, I was wrong.

—So, I’m sitting there watching as Ohtani hits three home runs, strikes out 10 and pitches six shutout innings and wondering what to write about it. There are no words.

—Every Dodgers fan, heck, every baseball fan should pause for a moment and make sure they realize just what an amazing athlete we are watching.

—And to do it all with such apparent grace and humility. All you can say is “Wow!”

—Not everyone in my family is as hardcore a baseball fan as I am, but they all realize what an amazing thing this is.

—Colleague Bill Plaschke tried to explain it here.

—OK, maybe the NLCS will be a cakewalk after all.

—Judging just by body language, it looked like the Brewers gave up sometime in the middle of Game 3.

—Brewers manager Pat Murphy spent most of the series telling the media how much the Dodgers spend and how great they are and that’s how the Brewers played, like they were just lucky to be on the same field.

—Dave Roberts is managing the bullpen beautifully, just like he did last season. Blake Treinen doesn’t have it in Game 4, then he gets Trienen out of there as soon as he can.

—Anthony Banda should be high on the trust tree right now. He looks very good out there.

—The Dodgers only had to use 18 players from their 26-man roster to beat the Brewers. Not appearing at all in the NLCS: Position players Hyeseong Kim, Miguel Rojas and Ben Rortvedt and pitchers Ben Casparius, Jack Dreyer, Clayton Kershaw, Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski. Justin Dean appeared in every game but never batted.

—Just to show it’s a team game, if you take away Ohtani’s three homers, the Dodgers still win Game 4.

—They gave the NLCS MVP award to Ohtani, but consider this: Seven different Dodgers drove in at least one run, six Dodgers scored at least one run, eight Dodgers drew at least one walk.

—The Dodgers had 14 extra-base hits in the series. The Brewers had 14 hits, period.

—Dodgers starting pitchers threw 28.2 innings, gave up only nine hits and seven walks while striking out 35 and had an ERA of 0.63.

—The bullpen threw 7.1 innings, gave up five hits and four walks while striking out six and had a 2.46 ERA.

—This is only the second time the Dodgers swept a best-of-seven series. The other time was in the 1963 World Series, whose starting pitchers were also dominant (they threw 35.1 of a possible 36 innings).

—Speaking of which, up next is the World Series. But we aren’t going to worry about that today, or this weekend. It starts next Friday against either Toronto or Seattle. And I’m telling you now, the Dodgers are going to win that series too.

—But in the meantime, enjoy the weekend. Series like this make it easy to remember that this is supposed to be fun.

Poll time

Which team would you like the Dodgers to play in the World Series, Seattle or Toronto?

Click here to vote in our survey.

In case you missed it

Plaschke: ‘Ohhhhhtani!’ Immortal Shohei Ohtani blasts Dodgers to the World Series

Another champagne celebration for the Dodgers, who still want one more

Shohei Ohtani’s unprecedented performance lifts Dodgers back into the World Series

Hernández: Did the Dodgers figure out their bullpen issues? Roki Sasaki is only part of the story

Shaikin: Shohei Ohtani could pull off a playoff feat even Babe Ruth never achieved

Plaschke: Are these Dodgers the best postseason team in baseball history? They will be

And finally

Highlights from Game 4 of the NLCS. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Somewhere in baseball heaven Fernando Valenzuela is saying to himself, “A complete game. What’s the big deal?”

The story of the postseason so far has been the starting pitching. Amazing. Let’s take a look at how the Dodgers’ starters have done:

NL wild-card series vs. Reds

Game 1: Blake Snell, 7 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, 1 walk, 9 K’s, Dodgers win 10-5
Game 2: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 6.2 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 2 walks, 9 K’s, Dodgers win 8-4

NLDS vs. Phillies

Game 1: Shohei Ohtani, 6 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 1 walk, 9 K’s, Dodgers win 5-3
Game 2: Blake Snell, 6 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 4 walks, 9 K’s, Dodgers win, 4-3
Game 3: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 4 IP, 6 hits, 3 ER, 1 walk, 2 K’s, Dodgers lose, 8-2
Game 4: Tyler Glasnow, 6 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 3 walks, 8 K’s, Dodgers win, 2-1

NLCS vs. Brewers

Game 1: Blake Snell, 8 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 0 walks, 10 K’s, Dodgers win, 2-1
Game 2: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 9 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 1 walk, 7 K’s, Dodgers win, 5-1

In eight games, starting pitchers have thrown 52.2 innings, giving up 24 hits and 13 walks while striking out 63 and posting a 1.54 ERA.

—It’s as if suddenly Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale are taking turns on the mound again. Of course, they always did it in the World Series, as there were no other rounds back then.

—In the 1963 World Series (a four-game sweep of the Yankees), Koufax, Drysdale and Johnny Podres combined to pitch 35.1 innings, giving up 21 hits and five walks while striking out 36 and posting a 1.02 ERA

—In the 1965 World Series, won in seven games against Minnesota, Koufax, Drysdale and Claude Osteen combined to pitch 49.2 innings, giving up 34 hits and 13 walks while striking out 48 and posting a 1.27 ERA.

—Pedro Martinez (can you believe he didn’t choose to wear a Dodger cap on his Hall of Fame plaque) had this to say on X about Snell: “I’ve been part of many postseason games, and I’ve done some great things, but in my career I haven’t seen someone do the amount of things he’s done. It gave me goosebumps to watch him. I think we can all learn from him. He deserves a lot of credit and respect.”

—That leadoff home run in Game 2 seemed to anger Yamamoto.

—Proving himself to be the master of the understatement, Yamamoto said this after the game: “I was able to pitch until the end. So I really felt a sense of accomplishment.”

—This has been like watching old-school baseball. Starting pitchers going deep into games. Dodgers bunting on occasion. Not every run coming on a home run. What is happening?

—Whatever it is, I like it.

—Let’s unpack that crazy Game 1 play. Bases loaded, one out, Max Muncy at the plate. He lifts a fly ball to deep center. Brewers center fielder Sal Frelick leaps, and the ball bounces off his glove and hits the fence on the yellow line before Frelick corrals it again. OK, let’s stop there:

In Milwaukee, the yellow line does not signify a home run. If a ball hits the yellow line, it means ball is in play. Visiting teams are reminded of this rule when they visit Milwaukee.

The left-field umpire immediately signals no catch, ball is in play. Unfortunately, it appears the only person paying attention to him is Brewers catcher William Contreras (also the only person on the field who is naturally facing the outfield to see all of this.)

As far as tagging up on a catch, the rule is you can run as soon as the ball hits the glove. Teoscar Hernández tagged up, started to run, saw the bobble, ran back, tagged up again, and by the time he made it home, the throw had beaten him. Because it wasn’t a catch and the bases were loaded, it was a force play at any base. Contreras, knowing it was a force play, didn’t even try to tag Hernández. He then ran to third to force Will Smith there. Smith, thinking the ball had been caught, had run back to second and told Tommy Edman, who had advanced to second, to go back to first. In the meantime, while Edman was doing that, Muncy passed him on the basepath. So really, the Brewers could have had a triple play, or even a quadruple play if such a thing were possible.

Third base coach Dino Ebel says he told Hernández to go. Hernández took full blame for the baserunning mistake the next day.

Hernández : “I just f— up. It’s that simple. It was one of those plays that if you would have asked me two days ago what would you do in this situation, I would say, as soon as the ball touched the glove, I would go. But in the moment, I got blocked, I think, and there’s not an explanation. I saw it when the ball hit the glove, I went. Then I saw it bounced off the glove. And I just reacted bad. Just one of those moments, you block your mind. But there’s nobody to blame but myself. And it happens.”

Smith also messed up by running back to second and telling Edman to run back to first. It was extremely loud in Milwaukee’s stadium, so apparently no one could hear Ebel.

Everyone on the field seemed confused (except Contreras). Both managers seemed confused at that moment. The TBS announcing crew was confused. People on social media were confused. We finally found something to unite us all: Confusion. It was crazy.

—In some years, the Dodgers would have fallen apart after that and lost the game.

—And then Snell marched out after that deflating half inning and mowed down the Brewers, 1-2-3 in the next half-inning. That’s what aces do.

—Who among you was screaming “Nooooooooooooooooooo!” when Blake Treinen came into Game 1? Roki Sasaki didn’t have it that night. But somehow Treinen got out of it.

—It seemed to make Dave Roberts think twice about pulling Yamamoto in Game 2 though.

—The offense isn’t quite clicking, but they are doing just enough to win. Baserunning gaffe aside, Teoscar continues to come up big in the postseason. As does Super Kiké.

—Now the baton passes back to Tyler Glasnow for Game 3.

—The last Dodger to pitch a postseason complete game was José Lima in 2004, when he shut out the Cardinals on five hits in Game 3 of the NLDS. It was the team’s first postseason win since Game 5 of the 1988 World Series. It was his only season with the Dodgers. He went 13-5 with a 4.07 ERA. His final season in the majors was 2006. He died of a heart attack in 2010. He was 37.

—To think, the Dodgers are doing this with basically a three-man bullpen.

—In Game 2, Muncy hit his 14th postseason home run, setting the all-time Dodgers record. It’s a little misleading, since guys such as Duke Snider only got one round of postseason play, and guys such as Steve Garvey usually got only two. But it’s still a nice accomplishment.

The most postseason homers in Dodger history:

14
Max Muncy (one every 16.1 at bats)

13
Corey Seager (17.9)
Justin Turner (24.2)

11
Duke Snider (12.1)

10
Steve Garvey (18.2)
Kiké Hernández (21)

9
Cody Bellinger (26.9)
Joc Pederson (16.8)
Chris Taylor (25.2)

—The Dodgers seem to have another gear they have shifted into this postseason, while the other teams don’t have that extra gear as of yet.

—The Dodgers have gone 22-6 in their last 28 games.

—But this series is far from over.

Dodgers in the postseason

How the Dodgers are doing this postseason:

Batters

Alex Call, .750 (3 for 4), 2 walks
Ben Rortvedt, .429 (3 for 7), 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 K’s
Kiké Hernández, .379 (11 for 29), 4 doubles, 4 RBIs, 4 walks, 7 K’s
Miguel Rojas, .375 (3 for 8), 1 RBI
Mookie Betts, .303 (10 for 33), 3 doubles, 1 triple, 5 RBIs, 4 walks, 2 K’s
Tommy Edman, .296 (8 for 27), 1 double, 2 homers, 4 RBIs, 1 walk, 7 K’s
Teoscar Hernández, .295 (10 for 34), 1 double, 4 homers, 10 RBIs, 2 walks, 7 K’s
Max Muncy, .273 (6 for 22), 1 double, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 6 walks, 5 K’s
Freddie Freeman, .242 (8 for 33), 4 doubles, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 3 walks, 8 K’s
Will Smith, .238 (5 for 21), 2 RBIs, 2 walks, 7 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, .147 (5 for 34), 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 6 walks, 15 K’s
Andy Pages, .069 (2 for 29), 1 double, 1 RBI, 6 K’s
Dalton Rushing, .000 (0 for 1), 1 K

Note: Justin Dean has been in eight games but has not batted (he has scored one run); Hyeseong Kim has been in one game, has not batted and has scored a run

Pitching

Tyler Glasnow, 0.00 ERA, 7.2 IP, 4 hits, 5 walks, 10 K’s
Jack Dreyer, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 walks, 1 K
Anthony Banda, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP, 1 walk, 2 K’s
Blake Snell, 3-0, 0.86 ERA, 21 IP, 6 hits, 2 ER, 5 walks, 28 K’s
Roki Sasaki, 1.50 ERA, 2 saves, 6 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 1 walks, 5 K’s
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 2-1, 1.83 ERA, 19.2 IP, 13 hits, 4 ER, 4 walks, 18 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 6 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 1 walk, 9 K’s
Alex Vesia, 1-0, 6.00 ERA, 3 IP, 2 hits, 2 ER, 3 walks, 3 K’s
Blake Treinen, 6.75 ERA, 1 save, 2.2 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, 1 walk, 3 K’s
Emmet Sheehan, 10.80 ERA, 3.1 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 2 walks, 2 K’s
Clayton Kershaw, 18.00 ERA, 2 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 3 walks, 1 K
Edgardo Henriquez, infinity, 0 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 2 walks

Poll results

What will be the outcome of the NLCS (poll closed one minute before the first pitch of Game 1)?

After 11,709 votes:

Dodgers in six, 43.3%
Dodgers in five, 25.6%
Dodgers in seven, 19.6%
Brewers in six, 4.7%
Brewers in seven, 3.2%
Dodgers in four, 1.8%
Brewers in five, 1.3%
Brewers in four, 0.5%

Up next

Game 1: Dodgers 2, at Milwaukee 1 (box score)
Game 2: Dodgers 5, at Milwaukee 1 (box score)

Thursday: Milwaukee at Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 4-3, 3.19 ERA), 3 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Friday: Milwaukee at Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, 1-1, 2.87 ERA), 5:30 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Saturday: Milwaukee at Dodgers, 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Monday: Dodgers at Milwaukee, 2 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Tuesday: Dodgers at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-if necessary

In case you missed it

Shohei Ohtani takes rare on-field BP amid playoff slump, downplays impact of two-way role

Shaikin: Dodgers starting pitchers proving to be the ultimate opposing crowd silencers

In this postseason, Dodgers’ offense starts from the bottom

Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws a complete game to NLCS Game 2 | Dodgers Debate

Hernández: The Dodgers’ latest starting-pitching flex? Make the bullpen a non-factor

Just how much are the Dodgers charging for World Series tickets?

Kiké Hernández and Will Smith talk NLCS Game 2 win, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s big night

Shaikin: Blake Snell replicating what Sandy Koufax achieved 60 Octobers ago

It took some luck, but good things finally happen to Dodgers’ Blake Treinen

Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández avoids Milwaukee’s allegedly haunted hotel at wife’s insistence

And finally

Highlights from Game 1 of the NLCS. Watch and listen here. Highlights from Game 2. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and I can picture Vin Scully and Bob Uecker sitting on a cloud, watching this series.

—First, the bad news: In the NLCS, the Dodgers will be facing the team with the best record in baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers. And the Brewers went 6-0 against the Dodgers this season, outscoring them 31-16.

—The good news: None of that means anything in the postseason.

—This is the seventh time a team has swept an opponent in the regular season and met that same team in the postseason. A look:

2015 NLCS: Chicago swept the Mets in the season, 7-0. Mets swept the Cubs in the NLCS, 4-0.

2014 World Series: Kansas City swept San Francisco in the season, 3-0. Giants beat the Royals in the World Series, 4-3.

2009 ALDS: Yankees swept Minnesota in the season, 7-0. Yankees swept the Twins in the ALDS, 3-0.

2007 ALDS: Yankees swept Cleveland in the season, 6-0. Indians beat the Yankees in the ALDS, 3-1.

2006 World Series: Detroit swept St. Louis during the season, 3-0. Cardinals beat the Tigers in the World Series, 4-1.

2003 ALDS: Yankees swept Minnesota during the season, 7-0. Yankees beat the Twins in the ALDS, 3-1.

—Who will be on the NLCS roster? We should find out a few hours before game time today. With it being a seven-game series, I would expect fewer position players and more pitchers, but which relievers make the team?

—The Dodgers will start Blake Snell in Game 1 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 against the Brewers, who have not announced a Game 1 starter, but their ace, Freddy Peralta, will start Game 2.

—The Dodgers need another reliever to step up in this series, as it seems unlikely that Roki Sasaki can pitch three innings every game. Will they keep Justin Wrobleski on the roster? Which right-handers will they add? Ben Casparius?

—The biggest question on offense: Can Shohei Ohtani start hitting again? He went one for 18 in the NLDS, with nine strikeouts.

—The Brewers used a ton of lefties against Ohtani. “There were at-bats that didn’t go the way I thought they would,” Ohtani said after the Game 4 victory. “The opposing pitchers didn’t make many mistakes. They pitched wonderfully, in a way that’s worthy for the postseason. There were a lot of games like that for both teams.”

—Dave Roberts’ take: “Hoping that he can do a little self-reflecting on that series, and how aggressive he was outside of the strike zone, passive in the zone. The at-bat quality needs to get better.”

—Not only Ohtani, but the Dodgers overall are much more successful when they remain patient and work the count. It also allows them to get to the other team’s bullpen quicker. Wearing out the other team’s bullpen will be key the longer the series goes.

—The ALCS features teams that joined the league in 1977: Seattle and Toronto. The Mariners are the only current MLB team to never play in the World Series.

—Once again, the Dodgers’ opponent will have home-field advantage.

—I could go on and on with thoughts and reflections, but it doesn’t mean much. The postseason is all new, and anything can happen. Just hang on and enjoy the ride.

Prediction: Dodgers in 6.

Let’s take a look at how the teams compare and where they ranked among the 30 teams:

Batting

Runs per game
Dodgers, 5.09 (2nd)
Brewers, 4.98 (3rd)
MLB average, 4.45

Batting average
Brewers, .258 (2nd)
Dodgers, .253 (5th)
MLB average, .245

On-base %
Brewers, .332 (2nd)
Dodgers, .327 (5th)
MLB average, .315

Slugging %
Dodgers, .441 (2nd)
MLB average, .404
Brewers, .403 (12th)

Doubles
Brewers, 265 (9th)
MLB average, 258
Dodgers, 257 (13th)

Triples
Dodgers, 21 (T12th)
MLB average, 21
Brewers, 18 (T19th)

Home runs
Dodgers, 244 (2nd)
MLB average, 188
Brewers, 166 (22nd)

Walks
Dodgers, 580 (2nd)
Brewers, 564 (4th)
MLB average, 513

Strikeouts
MLB average, 1,355
Dodgers, 1,353 (16th)
Brewers, 1,266 (26th)

Stolen bases
Brewers, 164 (2nd)
MLB average, 115
Dodgers, 88 (T21st)

Sacrifice bunts
Brewers, 26 (6th)
MLB average, 19
Dodgers, 13 (T20th)

Batting average with two out and runners in scoring position
Dodgers, .271 (1st)
Brewers, .265 (3rd)
MLB average, .233

As you can see, the Dodgers have more power, but the Brewers are more pesky on offense, getting more singles and stealing more bases. They stole two bases in the NLDS, the Dodgers haven’t tried to steal a base in the postseason.

Pitching

ERA
Brewers, 3.58 (2nd)
Dodgers, 3.95 (16th)
MLB average, 4.15

Team ERA after All-Star break
Dodgers, 3.45 (2nd)
Brewers, 3.49 (3rd)
MLB average, 4.28

Rotation ERA
Brewers, 3.56 (3rd)
Dodgers, 3.69 (5th)
MLB average, 4.21

Bullpen ERA
MLB average, 4.08
Brewers, 3.63 (7th)
Dodgers, 4.27 (21st)

FIP (click here for explainer)
Brewers, 3.91 (6th)
Dodgers, 3.93 (7th)
MLB average, 4.16

Walks
Dodgers, 563 (5th)
Brewers, 534 (10th)
MLB average, 513

Strikeouts
Dodgers, 1,505 (1st)
Brewers, 1,432 (5th)
MLB average, 1,355

Saves
Dodgers, 46 (5th)
Brewers, 45 (T6th)
MLB average, 40

Blown saves
Dodgers, 27 (T7th)
MLB average, 24
Brewers, 21 (T21st)

Inherited runners who scored %
Dodgers, 26.1% (3rd)
Brewers, 31.7% (13th)
MLB average, 31.8%

Relief innings
Dodgers, 657.2 (1st)
MLB average, 595
Brewers, 634.2 (4th)

Relief wins
Dodgers, 44 (T1st)
Brewers, 37 (T6th)
MLB average, 33

Relief losses
Dodgers, 33 (T7th)
MLB average, 29
Brewers, 25 (T21st)

The players

When comparing the main players on the teams, keep in mind that players can move around depending on who is starting and managerial whim. For a full look at the Brewers statistically, click here.

DH
Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani. .282/.392/.622, 25 doubles, 55 homers, 102 RBIs
Brewers, Christian Yelich, .264/.343/.452, 21 doubles, 29 homers, 103 RBIs

Catcher
Dodgers, Will Smith, .296/.404/.497, 20 doubles, 17 homers, 61 RBIs
Dodgers, Ben Rortvedt, .224/.309/.327, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBIs
Brewers, William Contreras, .260/.355/.399, 28 doubles, 17 homers, 76 RBIs
Brewers, Danny Jansen, .254/.346/.433, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 17 RBIs

First base
Dodgers, Freddie Freeman, .295/.367/.502, 39 doubles, 24 homers, 90 RBIs
Brewers, Andrew Vaughn, .308/.375/.493, 14 doubles, 9 homers, 46 RBIs

Rhys Hoskins was the Brewers’ starting first baseman when the season begam, but he was injured and sidelined for a couple of months. When he came back, Vaughn had won the job.

Second base
Dodgers, Miguel Rojas, .262/.318/.397, 18 doubles, 7 homers, 27 RBIs
Dodgers, Tommy Edman, .225/.274/.382, 13 doubles, 13 homers, 49 RBIs
Brewers, Brice Turang, .288/.359/.435, 28 doubles, 18 homers, 81 RBIs

Third base
Dodgers, Max Muncy, .243/.376/.470, 10 doubles, 19 homers, 67 RBIs
Brewers, Caleb Durbin, .256/.334/.387, 25 doubles, 11 homers, 53 RBIs

Shortstop
Dodgers, Mookie Betts, .258/.326/.406, 23 doubles, 20 homers, 82 RBIs
Brewers, Joey Ortiz, .230/.276/.317, 18 doubles, 7 homers, 45 RBIs

Left field
Dodgers, Kiké Hernández, .203/.255/.366, 8 doubles, 10 homers, 35 RBIs
Brewers, Jackson Chourio, .270/.308/.463, 35 doubles, 21 homers, 78 RBIs

Center field
Dodgers, Andy Pages, .272/.313/.461, 27 doubles, 27 homers, 86 RBIs
Brewers, Blake Perkins, .226/.298/.348, 6 doubles, 3 homers, 19 RBIs

Right field
Dodgers, Teoscar Hernández, .247/.284/.454, 29 doubles, 25 homers, 89 RBIs
Brewers, Sal Frelick, .288/.351/.405, 20 doubles, 12 homers, 63 RBIs

Of the Brewers listed, Yelich, Turang and Frelick bat left-handed. Perkins is a switch-hitter.

Starting pitchers

Dodgers
*Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA, 61.1 IP, 51 hits, 26 walks, 72 K’s
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA, 173.2 IP, 113 hits, 59 walks, 201 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, 1-1, 2.87 ERA, 47 IP, 40 hits, 9 walks, 62 K’s
Tyler Glasnow, 4-3, 3.19 ERA, 90.1 IP, 56 hits, 43 walks, 106 K’s

Brewers
Freddy Peralta, 17-6, 2.70 ERA, 176.2 IP, 124 hits, 66 walks, 204 K’s
Quinn Priester, 13-3, 3.32 ERA, 157.1 IP, 145 hits, 50 walks, 132 K’s
Jacob Misiorowski, 5-3, 4.36 ERA, 66 IP, 51 hits, 31 walks, 87 K’s
*Jose Quintana, 11-7, 3.96 ERA, 131.2 IP, 120 hits, 50 walks, 89 K’s

The main relievers

Dodgers
*Alex Vesia, 4-2, 3.02 ERA, 5 saves, 59.2 IP, 37 hits, 22 walks, 80 K’s
Emmet Sheehan, 6-3, 2.82 ERA, 73.1 IP, 49 hits, 22 walks, 89 K’s
Blake Treinen, 2-7. 5.40 ERA, 26.2 IP, 30 hits, 19 walks, 36 K’s
Roki Sasaki, 1-1, 4.46 ERA, 36.1 IP, 30 hits, 22 walks, 28 K’s

Brewers
Trevor Megill, 6-3, 2.49 ERA, 30 saves, 47 IP, 36 hits, 17 walks, 60 K’s
*Aaron Ashby, 5-2, 2.16 ERA, 3 saves, 66.2 IP, 54 hits, 24 walks, 76 K’s
Abner Uribe, 3-2, 1.67 ERA, 7 saves, 75.1 IP, 51 hits, 27 walks, 90 K’s
*Jared Koenig, 6-1, 2.86 ERA, 2 saves, 66 IP, 57 hits, 20 walks, 68 K’s
Nick Mears, 5-3, 3.49 ERA, 56.2 IP, 42 hits, 13 walks, 46 K’s

The Brewers used Megill and Ashby as openers in the NLDS against the Cubs, including using Megill, their closer, as the opener in the decisive Game 5. He pitched a perfect inning, then gave way to Misiorowski, who pitched four innings, giving up one run. So the Brewers are not afraid to think outside the box as far as their pitching staff is concerned.

*-left-handed

Poll results

Which team would you rather have the Dodgers face in the NLCS? After 10,236 votes, the results:

Cubs, 89.3%
Brewers, 10.7%

Poll time

What will be the outcome of the NLCS?

Click here to vote in our survey.

Up next

Monday: Dodgers (Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA) at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Tuesday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA) at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Thursday: Milwaukee at Dodgers, 3 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Friday: Milwaukee at Dodgers, 5:30 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Saturday: Milwaukee at Dodgers, 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Monday, Oct. 20: Dodgers at Milwaukee, 2 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Tuesday, Oct. 21: Dodgers at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-if necessary

In case you missed it

How Roki Sasaki’s transformation from injured starter to closer saved the Dodgers’ season

Nine concerns the Dodgers should have about facing the Brewers in the NLCS

Can Shohei Ohtani find it at the plate for NLCS? ‘At-bat quality needs to get better’

Shaikin: Are these the real Dodgers? Why a ‘whole other level’ could emerge in the NLCS

Hernández: Roki Sasaki’s playoff dominance shows why he’s the Dodgers’ future staff ace

And finally

Highlights from the 2024 Dodgers-Mets NLCS. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

In late August, I was listening to Nvidia‘s (NVDA -4.84%) earnings call for its fiscal second quarter (ended July 27). When Colette Kress, CFO of the artificial intelligence (AI) tech leader, gave quantifiable data about the company’s sovereign AI business, I thought, “Finally!” as such data is only rarely shared.

Nvidia’s sovereign AI business is growing like gangbusters. It appears to be the biggest growth engine of the company’s AI-driven data center platform, which accounts for the bulk of Nvidia’s total revenue. Yet, it gets little coverage in the financial press.

“Sovereign entities” are those that are independent and have total or at least significant control within their borders. This includes many nations, U.S. states, and the European Union (EU).

Image source: Getty Images.

Nvidia “on track to achieve over $20 billion in sovereign AI revenue this year”

From Kress’ remarks on last quarter’s earnings call:

Sovereign AI is on the rise as the nation’s ability to develop its own AI using domestic infrastructure, data, and talent presents a significant opportunity for NVIDIA Corporation. NVIDIA Corporation is at the forefront of landmark initiatives across the UK and Europe. …

We are on track to achieve over $20 billion in Sovereign AI revenue this year, more than double that of last year.

I’ll put the $20 billion in context below.

Kress said that the EU plans to invest 20 billion euros to establish 20 AI factories in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. This will include five gigafactories, and it will increase its AI compute infrastructure by 10-fold.

A “gigafactory” means that the AI compute facility will contain the number of Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs) — which dominate the market for AI chips — that require at least 1 gigawatt of power. For context, 1 gigawatt (or 1,000 megawatts) equates to about the power output of a large-scale nuclear power plant.

Nvidia CEO: “Nations are investing in AI infrastructure like they once did for electricity and the Internet.”

The above quote is from CEO Jensen Huang’s remarks on Nvidia’s fiscal first-quarter earnings call in May. Here are more Huang snippets from that call:

I was honored to join him [President Donald Trump, in May] in announcing a 500-megawatt AI infrastructure project in Saudi Arabia …

[In May,] we announced Taiwan’s first AI factory … Last week, I was in Sweden to launch its first national AI infrastructure. Japan, Korea, India, Canada, France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, and more are now building national AI factories to empower startups, industries, and societies. … [N]ations are investing in AI infrastructure like they once did for electricity and the Internet.

All the countries that Huang rattled off as building sovereign AI infrastructure are using Nvidia’s GPUs and related technology. Talk about big customers!

Putting the sovereign AI business’ projected annual growth in context

For the current fiscal year (fiscal 2026, which ends in late January), Wall Street expects Nvidia’s revenue to be $206.5 billion, up 58% from $130.5 billion last fiscal year. If that estimate proves relatively accurate and the sovereign AI business brings in revenue of $20 billion, it will account for about 9.7% of total revenue. And Kress said “over $20 billion,” so the percentage could be higher.

Below are more stats for further context.

Data source: Nvidia. *Calculations by author.

The above are half-year stats, but they give you an idea of what a standout performer Nvidia’s sovereign AI business is. Given the annual projections Kress shared, this business probably generated first-half revenue in the ballpark of $8 billion, or 10% of the data center’s revenue, and likely grew 100%-plus year over year.

Why Nvidia’s sovereign AI strategy is particularly brilliant

Nvidia is not only selling its technology to sovereign entities, it’s also assisting them in their massive undertakings. These relationships should make Nvidia’s sovereign AI business especially “sticky.” Countries that are happy with Nvidia are likely to stick with Nvidia when they want to upgrade or expand their AI infrastructure.

The sovereign AI business should also lead to other opportunities for Nvidia. Companies, researchers, and technology students that use and become familiar with a country’s sovereign AI infrastructure will probably be more likely to buy Nvidia’s offerings if and when they need their own AI-enabling tech.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and I believe my heart stopped beating after the eighth again and started beating again just a few minutes ago.

—That was a great series between two great teams (gee, this guy likes to use the word great a lot). It felt like a World Series, but the Dodgers have a bit of work to do still.

—I was a little worried about Tyler Glasnow heading into the start, since he hadn’t had a long outing in over a week. I shouldn’t have been worried.

—Funny how baseball works. With a month to go in the season, no one was thinking “Roki Sasaki, bullpen savior,” but here he is, pitching three perfect innings and looking like he’s been a shutdown reliever his whole life.

—The Dodgers gave the Phillies a run when Emmet Sheehan forgot how to catch a ball, then the Phillies gave it back at the worst time for them.

—Am I wrong to feel bad for Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering a little? I’ll take the victory, don’t get me wrong, but your heart has to go out to him a little. Particularly since you know some people in Philadelphia will make his life miserable for a while.

—It was great to see Phillies manager Rob Thomson console Kerkering right at the end of the game. That’s what you want in a manager, putting aside his disappointment to make sure his player is OK.

—Hyeseong Kim missed home plate initially, then went back and touched it.

—The Dodgers really relied on just three relievers when they had a lead in the NLDS, Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan and Alex Vesia. They were helped by the day off between Games 1 and 2. There will be no extra days off in the NLCS, so it’s unlikely they can rely on only those three guys again. But who else will step up? Jack Dreyer and Anthony Banda seem like candidates.

—For you Dave Roberts haters, he didn’t bring them in while the Dodgers were trailing in Game 3, to save their arms. The Dodgers got five innings out of them in Game 4 and don’t win without them. So, Clayton Kershaw did indeed take one for the team, and because of that, it put them in position to close it out Thursday.

—Roberts has his flaws, as do all managers, but you need to tip your cap when he gets it right.

—Tanner Scott had an abscess incision procedure former and was removed from the NLDS roster in favor of Justin Wrobleski. This means Scott can’t be on the NLCS roster. An abscess incision is a surgical incision to drain pus, leaving the wound open to heal from the inside out. Best wishes to Scott.

—Andy Pages went 0 for 5, but got the biggest hit of the night.

—Shohei Ohtani looks lost at the plate.

—I’d rather have Freddie Freeman batting third and Teoscar Hernández hitting fourth.

—The Phillies got only four hits in Game 4 and hit only .212 in the series, scoring 15 runs. The Dodgers hit only .199 in the series, scoring 13 runs.

—The two runs in Game 4 were scored by Justin Dean and Hyeseong Kim. Neither one has come to the plate this postseason.

—Too many people are writing and saying that the NLCS will be a cakewalk compared to this. It won’t be. It will be a struggle, just like this series was. Milwaukee and Chicago are formidable teams. Don’t look past them.

—Game 1 of the NLCS will be Monday, at Dodger Stadium if the Cubs win their series, at Milwaukee if the Brewers win.

—But we will worry about that in the next newsletter on Monday, previewing Game 1. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend.

—And remember, this is supposed to be fun!

Poll time

Which team would you rather have the Dodgers face in the NLCS, the Cubs or the Brewers?

Click here to vote.

Dodgers postseason stats

Through six games:

Batting
Alex Call, 3 for 3, 1 walk

Ben Rortvedt, .429, 3 for 7, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 K’s

Mookie Betts, .385, 10 for 26, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 5 RBIs, 2 walks, 2 K’s

Miguel Rojas, .375, 3 for 8, 1 RBI

Kiké Hernández, .318, 7 for 22, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, 3 walks, 4 K’s

Max Muncy, .313, 5 for 16, 1 double, 3 walks, 4 K’s

Teoscar Hernández, .308, 8 for 26, 1 double, 3 homers, 9 RBIs, 1 walk, 7 K’s

Freddie Freeman, .217, 5 for 23, 2 doubles, 3 walks, 5 K’s

Tommy Edman, .200, 4 for 20, 2 homers, 3 RBIs, 5 K’s

Will Smith, .154, 2 for 13, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 6 K’s

Shohei Ohtani, .148, 4 for 27, 2 homers, 5 RBIs, 3 walks, 12 K’s

Andy Pages, .042, 1 for 24, 6 K’s

Dalton Rushing, 0 for 1, 1 K

Justin Dean, no plate appearances, 1 run scored

Hyeseong Kim, no plate apperances, 1 run scored

Team, .259, 10 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 18 walks, 56 K’s, 5.17 runs per game

Pitching

Roki Sasaki, 0.00 ERA, 2 saves, 5.1 IP, 1 hit, 5 K’s

Tyler Glasnow, 0.00 ERA, 7.2 IP, 4 hits, 5 walks, 10 K’s

Jack Dreyer, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 walks, 1 K

Anthony Banda, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP, 1 walk, 2 K’s

Blake Snell, 2-0, 1.38 ERA, 13 IP, 5 hits, 5 walks, 18 K’s

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 1-1, 2.53 ERA, 10.2 IP, 10 hits, 3 walks, 11 K’s

Shohei Ohtani, 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 9 K’s

Alex Vesia, 1-0, 6.00 ERA, 3 IP, 2 hit, 3 walks, 3 K’s

Blake Treinen, 7.73 ERA, 2.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 K’s

Emmet Sheehan, 10.81 ERA, 3.1 IP, 6 hits, 2 walks, 2 K’s

Clayton Kershaw, 18.00 ERA, 2 IP, 6 hits, 3 walks

Edgardo Henriquez, infinity, 0 IP, 1 hit, 2 walks

Team, 5-1, 56 innings, 3.38 ERA, 2 saves, 42 hits, 27 walks, 63 K’s

Dodgers postseason career stats

Includes postseason games for other teams:

Batting
Alex Call, 3 for 3, 2 walks

Ben Rortvedt, .429, 3 for 7, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 K’s

Kiké Hernández, .282/.357/.512, 71 for 252, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 15 homers, 39 RBIs, 26 walks, 55 K’s

Tommy Edman, .273/.306/.432, 38 for 139, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers, 19 RBIs, 7 walks, 27 K’s

Freddie Freeman, .272/.369/.500, 69 for 254, 14 doubles, 1 triple, 14 homers, 36 RBIs, 35 walks, 56 K’s

Mookie Betts, .270/.351/.429, 86 for 319, 25 doubles, 1 triple, 8 homers, 38 RBIs, 42 walks, 56 K’s

Teoscar Hernández, .257/.339/.515, 26 for 101, 2 doubles, 8 homers, 25 RBIs, 12 walks, 27 K’s

Miguel Rojas, ..227/.277/.295, 10 for 44, 1 homer, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 4 K’s

Max Muncy, .224/.393/.438, 49 for 219, 8 doubles, 13 homers, 34 RBIs, 57 walks, 80 K’s

Shohei Ohtani, .205/.333/.386, 18 for 88, 1 double, 5 homers, 15 RBIs, 16 walks, 34 K’s

Will Smith, .197/.282/.359, 44 for 223, 10 doubles, 1 triple, 8 homers, 31 RBIs, 26 walks, 55 K’s

Andy Pages, .116/.156/.256, 5 for 43, 2 homers, 4 RBIs, 12 K’s

Dalton Rushing, 0 for 1, 1 K

Justin Dean, no plate appearances, 1 run scored

Hyeseong Kim, no plate apperances, 1 run scored

Pitching
Roki Sasaki, 0.00 ERA, 2 saves, 5.1 IP, 1 hit, 5 K’s

Jack Dreyer, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 walks, 1 K

Anthony Banda, 1.00 ERA, 9 IP, 6 hits, 7 walks, 13 K’s

Alex Vesia, 1-0, 2.04 ERA, 1 save, 17.2 IP, 12 hits, 11 walks, 22 K’s

Blake Snell, 6-3, 2.92 ERA, 1 save, 61.2 IP, 43 hits, 28 walks, 79 K’s

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 3-1, 3.38 ERA, 29.1 IP, 22 hits, 9 walks, 26 K’s

Blake Treinen, 4-3, 4.24 ERA, 4 saves, 40.1 IP, 36 hits, 11 walks, 44 K’s

Shohei Ohtani, 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 9 K’s

Clayton Kershaw, 13-13, 4.63 ERA, 1 save, 196.1 IP, 171 hits, 54 walks, 213 K’s

Tyler Glasnow, 2-6, 4.89 ERA, 53.1 IP, 47 hits, 30 walks, 71 K’s

Emmet Sheehan, 9.00 ERA, 7 IP, 10 hits, 4 walks, 6 K’s

Edgardo Henriquez, 9.00 ERA, 5 IP, 9 hits, 5 walks, 3 K’s

In case you missed it

Dodgers defeat Phillies in a wild, instant-classic walk-off to reach the NLCS

Tommy Edman and Andy Pages put struggles aside to be key part of decisive Dodgers’ inning

Plaschke: A wild finish propels the Dodgers into NLCS and past their toughest playoff test

And finally

Dodgers-Phillies Game 4 highlights. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and we shouldn’t be so surprised that the Phillies came back strong in Game 3.

—After all, the Phillies didn’t win 96 games by accident.

—If Kyle Schwarber‘s bat is awake, then it got a lot harder for the Dodgers to win.

—Now, someone needs to wake up Shohei Ohtani‘s bat. He is one for 14 with six strikeouts in the NLDS.

—Some fans want the Dodgers to start Ohtani on the mound tomorrow. I disagree. Tyler Glasnow is the right call, with Blake Snell starting Game 5 if necessary. Game 4 isn’t enough rest for Ohtani.

—Ohtani is swinging at pitches well out of the zone, which is what he does when he’s in a slump. Hopefully it is short-lived.

—Ohtani is now hitting .214 in 21 career postseason games.

—The Dodgers had a chance to put the Phillies in a big hole in the first inning. Mookie Betts tripled with one out, and you need to score that run in the postseason. But Teoscar Hernández struck out, Freddie Freeman was hit by a pitch and Will Smith struck out.

—Betts is hitting .409 this postseason.

—I know I picked Dodgers in five, but you don’t really want to go back to Philadelphia after being up 2-0.

—Someone please let Andy Pages know that it’s OK to get a hit. When you have Miguel Rojas batting for you, it’s not a good sign.

—I still like the TBS announcers, but play-by-play man Brian Anderson can’t tell if a fly ball is a home run or not.

—Dodgers fans were taught this by Vin Scully: Don’t watch the ball, watch the outfielder.

—It was tough to see Clayton Kershaw left out there to take a beating.

—I didn’t have Kershaw penciled in as the man who would fill the Brent Honeywell role this postseason.

—For those of you irate that Dave Roberts apparently punted the game away by leaving Kershaw out there, have we already forgotten last season? He did the same thing during the postseason then, including during the World Series.

—Seems to me Kershaw deserves better than that role, but we have no idea what conversations took place between Roberts and Kershaw before the series, or Game 3. Perhaps Kershaw volunteered to take one for the team. He is the type of guy who would do that.

—“He just didn’t have a great slider tonight,” Roberts. “Clayton pitches off his slider. He was working behind, too. The command wasn’t there tonight.”

—One reason Kershaw was left out there: The Phillies have a lot of left-handed hitters, and Tanner Scott wasn’t available for personal reasons. Alex Vesia pitched the last two games. Kershaw was the only left-hander available at that time.

—Kershaw has a career 4.63 postseason ERA in 196.1 innings.

—Yoshinobu Yamamoto didn’t have it in Game 3. Only two strikeouts, and didn’t fool many batters. That’s what happens sometimes.

—It really isn’t, but for some reason Game 4 feels like a must-win game, doesn’t it?

—Maybe Ben Rortvedt is the Dodgers’ good-luck charm and needs to start every game, with Will Smith coming in around the fifth inning.

—Judging by the response I got, I indeed am the only person who like the Limu emu (and Doug).

—Anthony Banda looked strong in his brief outing.

—To beat Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez today, the Dodgers need to do what they did to him in Game 1 (and something they didn’t do in Game 3): Work the count, drive up his pitch count and get him out of the game by end of the sixth inning.

—“Obviously there’s still a lot of pressure on us, but pressure is a privilege,” Betts said. “We’re going to do what we always do. Tomorrow is a new day.”

—Remember, this is supposed to be fun.

Dodgers postseason stats

Through five games:

Batting
Alex Call, 2 for 2
Ben Rortvedt, .429, 3 for 7, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 K’s
Miguel Rojas, .375, 3 for 8, 1 RBI
Mookie Betts, .409, 9 for 22, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 1 walk, 1 K
Teoscar Hernández, .333, 7 for 21, 1 double, 3 homers, 9 RBIs, 1 walk, 4 K’s
Kiké Hernández, .333, 6 for 18, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, 2 walks, 3 K’s
Max Muncy, .286, 4 for 14, 1 double, 3 walks, 4 K’s
Will Smith, .250, 2 for 8, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 4 K’s
Freddie Freeman, .222, 4 for 18, 2 doubles, 3 walks, 4 K’s
Tommy Edman, .200, 3 for 15, 2 homers, 3 RBIs, 5 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, .174, 4 for 23, 2 homers, 5 RBIs, 2 walk, 10 K’s
Andy Pages, .053, 1 for 19, 5 K’s
Dalton Rushing, 0 for 1, 1 K
Team, .278, 10 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 14 walks, 44 K’s, 5.8 runs per game

Two position players on the NLDS roster, Justin Dean and Hyeseong Kim have not come to the plate yet.

Pitching
Roki Sasaki, 0.00 ERA, 2 saves, 2.1 IP, 1 hit, 3 K’s
Tyler Glasnow, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 hits, 2 walks, 2 K’s
Jack Dreyer, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 walks, 1 K
Anthony Banda, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP, 1 walk, 2 K’s
Blake Snell, 2-0, 1.38 ERA, 13 IP, 5 hits, 5 walks, 18 K’s
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 1-1, 2.53 ERA, 10.2 IP, 10 hits, 3 walks, 11 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 9 K’s
Blake Treinen, 7.73 ERA, 2.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 K’s
Alex Vesia, 9.00 ERA, 2 IP, 2 hit, 2 walks, 2 K’s
Emmet Sheehan, 11.59 ERA, 2.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 walks, 1 K
Clayton Kershaw, 18.00 ERA, 2 IP, 6 hits, 3 walks
Edgardo Henriquez, infinity, 0 IP, 1 hit, 2 walks
Team, 4-1, 4.00 ERA, 2 saves, 38 hits, 23 walks, 51 K’s

Up next

Thursday: Philadelphia (*Cristopher Sánchez, 13-5, 2.50 ERA) at Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 4-3, 3.19 ERA), 3 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Saturday: Dodgers (TBD) at Philadelphia (TBD), 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

*-left-handed
x-if necessary

In case you missed it

Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Dodgers quickly lose control in NLDS Game 3 loss to Phillies

Plaschke: Dodgers blow surefire win in NLDS Game 3 vs. Phillies, and now they could blow the season

‘You get a new game every day.’ Clayton Kershaw tries to put Game 3 debacle behind him

Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts talk losing NLDS Game 3

Dodgers are crushed in NLDS Game 3 as bats disappear | Dodgers Debate

Shaikin: Dodgers hope a very-rested Tyler Glasnow can pitch them into the NLCS

And finally

A mental palate cleanser for us all: Vin Scully reads a grocery list. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and the Dodgers were just trying to make Game 2 interesting for those watching at home.

—OK, the Dodgers won Game 2, but before we talk about that….

—Blake Treinen, thank you very much for what you did in 2024. The Dodgers might not have won the World Series without you. But I hope to never see you come into a game this season, unless it’s in a Brent Honeywell role.

—Bringing in Treinen was a big mistake. And this is not hindsight. Before the ninth inning, I was trading messages with friends saying they should either stick with Emmet Sheehan, or bring in Roki Sasaki. I’d have stayed with Sheehan, and if he gave up a hit, you go with Sasaki.

—Dave Roberts, on why he didn’t go with Sasaki: “I thought about it. He hasn’t gone two of three much, at all. Just figuring the run right there, Blake’s pitched some of the biggest outs, innings in the postseason for us. And felt really confident right there. And with Vesia behind him, if needed. So I didn’t want to just, kind of, preemptively put him in there. Again, I felt good with who we had with a couple of our highest-leverage relievers. Fortunately, he was ready when called upon. I liked him versus Trea and he got a big out for us.”

—Hey, at least Roberts brought in Alex Vesia and not Tanner Scott.

—Has anyone seen Scott lately?

—The Dodger bullpen is basically Sheehan, Vesia and Sasaki. If the starters don’t go into the sixth or seventh, trouble arises.

—The schedulers did the Dodgers a favor with an off day after Game 1. Let those three rest up and be ready for Game 2. Now a day off, so they can rest up again.

—And then Tommy Edman was seemingly possessed by Steve Sax on that final throw. My life flashed before my eyes. It was much too short.

—But what a scoop by Freeman at first. Great, great play.

—Of course, it was Vin Scully who always reminded us, “The Dodgers never do things the easy way.”

—What a play by Max Muncy to throw Nick Castellanos out at third in that pivotal ninth inning. And what a play by Mookie Betts to hustle over to third and make the tag while Castellanos was sliding into him.

—That play took some of the air out of the inning for the Phillies.

—That was the old “wheel play,” designed to get the runner at third. As the pitch is thrown, the third baseman and first baseman rush toward home plate, to be in position to field the bunted ball as quickly as possible. The shortstop rushes over to cover third, while the second baseman runs to cover first. The defense seeks to have defenders in position such that once the ball is bunted, it can be picked up quickly and thrown to the shortstop to retire the runner advancing from second base.

—Amazing that things taught 100 years ago in the game can still apply now, even with all the changes in baseball since then.

—“I’ve got to give that credit to Miggy Rojas,” Betts said. “We did it earlier in the year in Anaheim, and I remember asking him, ‘When’s a good time to do it?’ He said: In a do-or-die situation.”

—“When Doc came out and made the pitching change, we talked to him about it and he was all on board,” Muncy said. “I am going to credit Mook. It was his idea.”

—Phillies manager Rob Thomson: “Mookie did a great job of disguising the wheel play. “We teach our guys that if you see wheel, just pull it back and slash because you’ve got all kinds of room in the middle. But Mookie broke so late that it was tough for Stotty to pick it up.”

—Fun stat: The Dodgers didn’t have a 5-6 putout in the regular season, the only team in the majors without one.

—He gave up a run, but Emmet Sheehan looked like a totally different pitcher out there compared to his appearance against the Reds.

—Blake Snell pitched a brilliant game. One hit in six innings, four walks, nine strikeouts.

—I like the booking.com commercial features the New York family in Boston. Especially at the end, when the mom says “Those aren’t our kids.” and the little girl says “We’re not?” She says it so sadly.

—Also, I may be the only one who enjoys the Limu emu and Doug commercials.

—Just for the record, the Dodgers have outscored the Phillies 9-3 when my youngest daughter, Hannah, and her fiance Mason are watching, and they have been outscored 3-0 when they aren’t watching.

—Hannah says the Dodgers can send the World Series share directly to her.

—I predicted Dodgers in five, but let’s hope it doesn’t go to a Game 5, particularly with the next two games at Dodger Stadium.

—Yoshibobu Yamamoto pitches Game 3. Aaron Nola goes for the Phillies. Nola had a 6.01 ERA. Ranger Suárez, who most Phillies fans think should be starting Game 3, had a 3.20 ERA. It’s possible they start Nola, hope the Dodgers load their lineup with lefties, then bring in Suárez in the second inning. But we will see. The Dodgers did have the habit this season of making starters with high ERAs look like the second coming of Sandy Koufax.

—That play where Miguel Rojas ran to third and barely beat Trea Turner for the force was just bizarre. Even though it worked, it seemed like the wrong choice. Rojas had a similar play last postseason where he didn’t beat the runner.

—“I think it was the wrong decision,” Rojas said. “But after I went to third base, I felt like I needed to give it my 100% effort. I’m glad that I got there and [the inning] didn’t go farther than that.”

—Are the Dodgers capable of losing three in a row to the Phillies (or, better put, can the Phillies beat the Dodgers three in a row?) Sure. But it seems unlikely.

—But you can’t ask for much more as far as excitement in this series.

—”I’ll take off my Dodgers hat and just put on a fan hat,” Betts said. “I think that was a really, really dope baseball game. I think both of these games were really, really dope baseball games, fun to be a part of. Obviously, it’s a lot better when you’re on the winning side, but you can’t ask for better postseason baseball. It’s just fun. This is why we play.”

—Let’s hope the crowd Wednesday is as loud as the Philadelphia crowd was, and has no reason to be silent. And let’s hope those sitting behind home plate noticed that the Phillies fans behind home plate didn’t spent most of the game on their phone or contemplating their next drink order.

Dodgers postseason stats

Through four games:

Batting
Alex Call, 2 for 2
Miguel Rojas, .429, 3 for 7, 1 RBI
Ben Rortvedt, .429, 3 for 7, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 K’s
Teoscar Hernández, .412, 7 for 17, 1 double, 3 homers, 9 RBIs, 1 walk, 3 K’s
Mookie Betts, .389, 7 for 18, 3 doubles, 3 RBIs, 1 walk, 1 K
Kiké Hernández, .313, 5 for 16, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, 3 K’s
Freddie Freeman, .267, 4 for 15, 2 doubles, 3 walks, 2 K’s
Will Smith, .250, 1 for 4, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 2 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, .222, 4 for 18, 2 homers, 5 RBIs, 2 walk, 9 K’s
Max Muncy, .200, 2 for 10, 1 double, 3 walks, 4 K’s
Tommy Edman, .091, 1 for 11, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 5 K’s
Andy Pages, 1 for 17, .059, 4 K’s
Team, .289, 10 doubles, 6 homers, 26 RBIs, 12 walks, 36 K’s, 6.75 runs per game

Three position players on the NLDS roster, Justin Dean, Hyeseong Kim and Dalton Rushing, have yet to bat.

Pitching
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.2 IP 4 hits, 2 walks, 9 K’s
Roki Sasaki, 0.00 ERA, 2 saves, 2.1 IP, 1 hit, 3 K’s
Tyler Glasnow, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP. 2 hits, 2 walks, 2 K’s
Jack Dreyer, 0.00 ERA, 0.2 IP, 1 walk, 1 K
Blake Snell, 2-0, 1.38 ERA, 13 IP, 5 hits, 5 walk, 18 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 9 K’s
Alex Vesia, 9.00 ERA, 2 IP, 2 hit, 2 walks, 2 K’s
Emmet Sheehan, 11.59 ERA, 2.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 walks, 1 K
Blake Treinen, 13.53 ERA, 1.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 K’s
Edgardo Henriquez, infinity, 0 IP, 1 hit, 2 walks
Team, 4-0, 3.25 ERA, 2 saves, 26 hits, 17 walks, 47 K’s

Three players on the NLCS roster, Anthony Banda, Clayton Kershaw and Tanner Scott, haven’t pitched in the postseason yet.

Up next

Wednesday: Philadelphia (Aaron Nola, 5-10, 6.01 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA), 6 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Thursday: Philadelphia (TBD) at Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 4-3, 3.19 ERA), 3 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Saturday: Dodgers (TBD) at Philadelphia (TBD), 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

*-left-handed
x-if necessary

In case you missed it

Dave Roberts explains why the Dodgers didn’t use Roki Sasaki earlier in Game 2

Shaikin: Inside the Mookie Betts play call that won NLDS Game 2 for the Dodgers

Hernández: The Phillies are done, and the Dodgers’ path to the World Series looks clear

‘Pass the baton.’ Dodgers finally get to Jesús Luzardo in pressure-packed seventh inning

Dodgers take NLDS Game 2 and are on the verge of the NLCS | Dodgers Debate

Mookie Betts and Max Muncy talk wheel play in the 9th inning of NLDS Game 2

Shaikin: Clayton Kershaw isn’t first Hall of Fame-bound pitcher to finish career in Dodgers bullpen

And finally

Game 2 highlights. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and that was an exciting Game 1.

—Two great teams, making it interesting every inning. That was a great game.

—The Dodgers should think about signing every player who has Hernández as a last name.

—Or, should I say, Super Kiké.

—Shohei Ohtani has one rough inning, but then seemed to say “Enough!” After J.T. Realmuto‘s triple, he retired the next 10 batters. And he could have given up only two runs, but Teoscar Hernández seemed particularly slow in right field and let Realmuto’s ball get past him, allowing Realmuto to take third, where he scored on a sacrifice fly.

—Then, in the fifth, Ohtani retired a batter, then hit Harrison Bader with a pitch and gave up a single to Bryson Stott, putting runners at first and second. Dave Roberts stayed in the dugout, which he might not have done in a regular-season game. Ohtani got Trea Turner to line to short and struck out Kyle Schwarber on a full-count pitch. It felt like a momentum shift.

—“I think it might have been a scene that decided the direction of the game,” Ohtani said.

—The only drawback: Ohtani struck out four times at the plate.

—“I use the word compartmentalize a lot, but this epitomizes compartmentalizing,” Roberts said of Ohtani. “To go out there and give us six innings, keep us in the ball game, I just don’t know any human that can manage that, those emotions. How do you not take [the hitting struggles] to the mound?”

—The Dodgers scored two runs in the next inning when Freddie Freeman walked, Tommy Edman singled and Kiké doubled.

—Then Teoscar hit his three-run shot in the seventh, and that was enough.

—“When you can hear a pin drop in the stadium, that’s the ultimate feeling in baseball,” Max Muncy said of the home run. “I felt like the people in the upper deck could hear us cheering in the dugout.”

—That Dodgers bullpen we were all worried about? With Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki out there, it looks a lot better. Glasnow won’t be available the next two games because he will start Game 4 if it is needed.

—Sasaki wasn’t quite as dominant as he was against the Reds, but he is facing a much better team.

—By the way, TBS announcers Brian Anderson, Jeff Francoeur and Lauren Shehadi are much better than the ESPN crew.

—But let’s not get carried away. The Phillies will not go down quietly. This will be a fight to the finish (Gee, how many cliches is the writer going to use?)

The NLDS roster

There were only two changes for the Dodgers on the NLDS roster. Clayton Kershaw and Anthony Banda were added, while Edgardo Henriquez and Justin Wrobleski were removed. Justin Dean remains on the roster and Michael Conforto remains off the roster.

Counting the postseason, Dean has appeared in 21 games with the Dodgers and has only two at-bats. He’s 0 for 2 with a stolen base and a strikeout.

In the history of baseball, there have been only three players to appear in at least 21 games and have two or fewer plate appearances. They are:

Gary Cooper, 1980 Atlanta Braves. Cooper went 0 for 2 with two stolen bases and three runs scored. He was used as a pinch-runner and for late-inning defense.

Allan Lewis, 1973 Oakland. Lewis appeared in 40 games (counting the postseason) and had no plate appearances. He was used as a pinch-runner and scored 16 runs while also stealing seven bases. He appeared in five postseason games and scored two runs.

Herb Washington, 1974 Oakland. Washington appeared in 92 games, all as a pinch-runner. As you can tell, having a pinch-runner on the team was an obsession of A’s owner Charlie Finley. Washington stole 29 bases, was caught 14 times, and scored 29 runs. In track, he still holds the record for the fastest 50-yard and 60-yard dash. That’s why Finley wanted to sign him, thinking he would be an unstoppable base stealer. He wasn’t, since there’s more to base stealing than just being fast. In his short career, Washington played in 105 games without batting, pitching or fielding.

Money talks?

Where the 12 postseason teams rank among team payrolls this season:

1. Dodgers, $350,300,236
3. NY Yankees, $300,187,616
4. Philadelphia, $290,286,320
5. Toronto, $255,380,936
9. San Diego, $216,835,142
10. Chicago Cubs, $211,947,613
12. Boston, $200,904,575
15. Seattle, $164,517,201
17. Detroit, $157,566,294
22. Milwaukee, $121,674,704
23. Cincinnati, $119,523,192
25. Cleveland, $100,365,031

Teams ranked in the top 15 for payroll that did not make the postseason:

2. New York Mets, $342,377,486
6. Houston (no relation), $232,884,232
7. Texas, $226,026,491
8. Atlanta, $218,842,260
11. Angels, $206,688,366
13. Arizona, $178,987,367
14. San Francisco, $178,312,152

Numbers provided by spotrac.com.

Poll time

We asked, “Who do you think will win the Dodgers-Phillies series?”

The results, after 8,632 votes:

Dodgers in five, 49.8%
Dodgers in four, 32.9%
Phillies in five, 8.2%
Phillies in four, 7%
Dodgers in three, 1.7%
Phillies in three, 0.6%

Up next

Monday: Dodgers (*Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA) at Philadelphia (*Jesús Luzardo, 15-7, 3.92 ERA), 3 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Wednesday: Philadelphia (TBD) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA), 6 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Thursday: Philadelphia (TBD) at Dodgers (TBD), 3 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Saturday: Dodgers (TBD) at Philadelphia (TBD), 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

*-left-handed
x-if necessary

In case you missed it

Shaikin: ‘I try to put it in the trash.’ How Teoscar Hernández’s mindset delivered October magic

Hernández: Dodgers save Shohei Ohtani, not the other way around, in monumental Game 1 NLDS win

NLDS Game 1: Dodgers steal home field advantage

Tyler Glasnow talks relief pitching in NLDS Game 1

Clayton Kershaw added to Dodgers’ NLDS roster as expected, Will Smith remains active

‘Better late than never.’ How Mookie Betts salvaged the worst season of his career

And finally

Game 1 highlights. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and our long regular-season journey has ended with more October baseball.

The Cincinnati Reds won the final wild-card spot and will face the Dodgers in a best-of-three wild-card series starting today at 6 p.m. at Dodger Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN; in fact, all three games will be at 6 p.m. on ESPN (and on the usual Dodgers radio stations).

On paper, the Dodgers should beat the Reds, but we all know what that is worth.

Let’s take a look at how the two teams compare and where they ranked among the 30 teams:

Batting

Runs per game
Dodgers, 5.09 (2nd)
MLB average, 4.45
Reds, 4.42 (14th)

Batting average
Dodgers, .253 (5th)
MLB average, .245
Reds, .245 (18th)

On-base %
Dodgers, .327 (5th)
MLB average, .315
Reds, .315 (16th)

Slugging %
Dodgers, .441 (2nd)
MLB average, .404
Reds, .391 (21st)

Doubles
MLB average, 258
Dodgers, 257 (13th)
Reds, 250 (18th)

Triples
Reds, 23 (10th)
MLB average, 21
Dodgers, 21 (T12th)

Home runs
Dodgers, 244 (2nd)
MLB average, 188
Reds, 167 (21st)

Walks
Dodgers, 580 (2nd)
Reds, 527 (12th)
MLB average, 513

Strikeouts
Reds, 1,415 (9th)
MLB average, 1,355
Dodgers, 1,353 (16th)

Stolen bases
MLB average, 115
Reds, 105 (19th)
Dodgers, 88 (T21st)

Sacrifice bunts
MLB average, 19
Dodgers, 13 (T20th)
Reds, 12 (24th)

Batting average with two out and runners in scoring position
Dodgers, .271 (1st)
MLB average, .233
Reds, .208 (28th)

Pitching

ERA
Reds, 3.86 (12th)
Dodgers, 3.95 (16th)
MLB average, 4.15

Rotation ERA
Dodgers, 3.69 (5th)
Reds, 3.85 (9th)
MLB average, 4.21

Bullpen ERA
Reds, 3.89 (14th)
MLB average, 4.08
Dodgers, 4.27 (20th)

FIP (click here for explainer)
Dodgers, 3.93 (7th)
Reds, 4.11 (18th)
MLB average, 4.16

Walks
Dodgers, 563 (5th)
MLB average, 513
Reds, 494 (20th)

Strikeouts
Dodgers, 1,505 (1st)
MLB average, 1,355
Reds, 1,380 (13th)

Saves
Dodgers, 46 (5th)
Reds, 41 (T15th)
MLB average, 40

Blown saves
Dodgers, 27 (T7th)
MLB average, 24
Reds, 22 (16th)

Inherited runners who scored %
Dodgers, 26.1% (3rd)
MLB average, 31.8%
Reds, 31.8% (14th)

Relief innings
Dodgers, 657.2 (1st)
MLB average, 595
Reds, 569.1 (25th)

Relief wins
Dodgers, 44 (T1st)
MLB average, 33
Reds, 30 (20th)

Relief losses
Dodgers, 33 (T7th)
Reds, 30 (11th)
MLB average, 29

The players

When comparing the main players on the teams, keep in mind that players can move around depending on who is starting and managerial whim. Gavin Lux, for example, has started at left field, DH and second base for the Reds. For a full look at the Reds statistically, click here.

DH
Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani. .282/.392/.622, 25 doubles, 55 homers, 102 RBIs
Reds, Miguel Andujar, .359/.400/.544, 7 doubles, 4 homers, 17 RBIs

Catcher
Dodgers, Will Smith, .296/.404/.497, 20 doubles, 17 homers, 61 RBIs
Dodgers, Ben Rortvedt, .224/.309/.327, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBIs
Reds, Jose Trevino, .238/.272/.351, 20 doubles, 4 homers, 22 RBIs
Reds, Tyler Stephenson, .231/.316/.421, 18 doubles, 13 homers, 50 RBIs

First base
Dodgers, Freddie Freeman, .295/.367/.502, 39 doubles, 24 homers, 90 RBIs
Reds, Spencer Steer, .238/.312/.411, 21 doubles, 21 homers, 75 RBIs
Reds, Sal Stewart, .255/.293/.545, 1 double, 5 homers, 8 RBIs

Second base
Dodgers, Miguel Rojas, .262/.318/.397, 18 doubles, 7 homers, 27 RBIs
Dodgers, Kiké Hernández, .203/.255/.366, 8 doubles, 10 homers, 35 RBIs
Reds, Matt McLain, .220/.300/.343, 18 doubles, 15 homers, 50 RBIs

Third base
Dodgers, Max Muncy, .243/.376/.470, 10 doubles, 19 homers, 67 RBIs
Reds, Ke’Bryan Hayes, .234/.315/.342, 6 doubles, 3 homers, 13 RBIs

Shortstop
Dodgers, Mookie Betts, .258/.326/.406, 23 doubles, 20 homers, 82 RBIs
Reds, Elly De La Cruz, .264/.336/.440, 31 doubles, 22 homers, 86 RBIs

Left field
Dodgers, Michael Conforto, .199/.305/.333, 20 doubles, 12 homers, 36 RBIs
Reds, Gavin Lux, .269/.350/.374, 28 doubles, 5 homers, 53 RBIs

Note: Lately, when a left-hander is on the mound, Steer moves from first to left, Stewart starts at first and Lux hits the bench.

Center field
Dodgers, Andy Pages, .272/.313/.461, 27 doubles, 27 homers, 86 RBIs
Dodgers, Tommy Edman, .225/.274/.382, 13 doubles, 13 homers, 49 RBIs
Reds, TJ Friedl, .261/.364/.378, 22 doubles, 14 homers, 53 RBIs

Right field
Dodgers, Teoscar Hernández, .247/.284/.454, 29 doubles, 25 homers, 89 RBIs
Reds, Noelvy Marté, .263/.300/.448, 17 doubles, 14 homers, 51 RBIs

The three probable starting pitchers

Dodgers
*Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA, 61.1 IP, 51 hits, 26 walks, 72 K’s
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA, 173.2 IP, 113 hits, 59 walks, 201 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, 1-1, 2.87 ERA, 47 IP, 40 hits, 9 walks, 62 K’s

Reds
Hunter Greene, 7-3, 2.76 ERA, 107.2 IP, 75 hits, 26 walks, 132 K’s
*Andrew Abbott, 10-7, 2.87 ERA, 166.1 IP, 148 hits, 43 walks, 149 K’s
*Nick Lodolo, 9-8, 3.33 ERA, 156.2 IP, 138 hits, 31 walks, 56 K’s

The main relievers

Reds
Emilio Pagán, 2-4, 2.88 ERA, 32 saves, 68.2 IP, 41 hits, 22 walks, 81 K’s
Tony Santillan, 1-5, 2.44 ERA, 7 saves, 73.2 IP, 53 hits, 29 walks, 75 K’s
*Brent Suter, 1-2, 4.52 ERA, 67.2 IP, 69 hits, 18 walks, 53 K’s

Dodgers
Tanner Scott, 1-4, 4.74 ERA, 23 saves, 57 IP, 54 hits, 18 walks, 60 K’s
*Alex Vesia, 4-2, 3.02 ERA, 5 saves, 59.2 IP, 37 hits, 22 walks, 80 K’s
Emmet Sheehan, 6-3, 2.82 ERA, 73.1 IP, 49 hits, 22 walks, 89 K’s
Blake Treinen, 2-7. 5.40 ERA, 26.2 IP, 30 hits, 19 walks, 36 K’s

The wild-card roster

We know Clayton Kershaw will not be on the wild-card roster, as Dave Roberts announced that over the weekend.

Will Smith is still dealing with a hairline fracture of his right hand. Will he be able to play in the wild-card series? That’s a big question. And if they put him on the roster and have to take him off because he is too injured, then he would also have to sit out the next round.

Max Muncy is ready for the wild-card series; they were just being judicious with his playing time to protect the various sore body parts he has right now.

Brock Stewart won’t be on it. He’s having season-ending shoulder surgery.

Who makes it among Alex Call, Michael Conforto and Hyeseong Kim? If Smith makes the roster, do they add Dalton Rushing as a third catcher? Do they put Tyler Glasnow in the bullpen for this round or go with a true reliever?

Who’s going to win?

The Dodgers have been playing some of their best baseball lately, going 15-5 in their last 20 games. The Reds are a good team, but I think the Dodgers will get past them. Prediction: Dodgers in two.

The folks at baseball-reference.com simulated the postseason 1,000 times, and this is how many times each team won the World Series:

Milwaukee, 216
Philadelphia, 191
Toronto, 134
Seattle, 125
Boston, 68
New York, 52
San Diego, 46
Dodgers, 44
Cleveland, 38
Chicago, 37
Cincinnati, 25
Detroit, 24

Nice moment

Since he is not on the wild-card roster, Clayton Kershaw pitched what could be his final game Sunday in Seattle. He struck out the final batter he faced.

Striking him out seemed apropos, since a strikeout is what put Kershaw on the scene with Dodgers fans.

It was spring training of 2008, and the game was on TV, on a station where everyone could watch it (the good old days). Most fans knew Kershaw was a highly touted prospect, the seventh overall pick in the 2006 draft. But that’s all they knew.

And then Kershaw came in to pitch. Back then, fans didn’t trust anything unless it was told to them by Vin Scully, who was in the booth for the game. Kershaw was wearing not No. 22, but No. 96, as he wasn’t expected to make the team.

Scully was recounting Kershaw’s many accomplishments in high school and the minors when Sean Casey of the Boston Red Sox came up to the plate. Casey was a career .302 hitter, so he was no slouch at the plate. Kershaw got two strikes on him, then broke off his famous 12-to-6 curve. Casey’s knees buckled. Scully said

“Oh, what a curveball. Holy mackerel! He just broke off Public Enemy No. 1. Look at this thing. It’s up here, it’s down there and Casey’s history.”

People were talking about it the next day. “Did you see Kershaw yesterday? Did you hear what Vin said?”

That began the legend of Clayton Kershaw. Hopefully, there’s at least one more magical moment left.

Remember them?

The Dodgers used 25 position players and 40 pitchers this season (some, such as Kiké Hernández and Shohei Ohtani, did both). Do you remember them all? Here’s they are, listed in order of plate appearances and innings pitched.

Position players
Shohei Ohtani
Mookie Betts
Freddie Freeman
Andy Pages
Teoscar Hernández
Michael Conforto
Will Smith
Max Muncy
Tommy Edman
Miguel Rojas
Kiké Hernández
Hyeseong Kim
Dalton Rushing
Alex Freeland
Alex Call
Ben Rortvedt
Austin Barnes
James Outman
Chris Taylor
Esteury Ruiz
Buddy Kennedy
Eddie Rosario
Hunter Feduccia
Chuckie Robinson
Justin Dean

Pitchers
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Clayton Kershaw
Dustin May
Tyler Glasnow
Ben Casparius
Jack Dreyer
Emmet Sheehan
Justin Wrobleski
Anthony Banda
Blake Snell
Alex Vesia
Tanner Scott
Shohei Ohtani
Kirby Yates
Landon Knack
Roki Sasaki
Tony Gonsolin
Matt Sauer
Luis García
Blake Treinen
Lou Trivino
Edgardo Henriquez
Will Klein
Michael Kopech
Alexis Díaz
Noah Davis
Evan Phillips
Kiké Hernández
Miguel Rojas
Bobby Miller
Yoendrys Gómez
Chris Stratton
Brock Stewart
Jack Little
José Ureña
Ryan Loutos
Paul Gervase
J.P. Feyereisen
Julian Fernández
Andrew Heaney

Up next

Tuesday: Cincinnati (Hunter Greene, 7-4, 2.76 ERA) at Dodgers (*Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA), 6 p.m., ESPN LA, AM 570, KTMZ 1220

Wednesday: Cincinnati (TBD) at Dodgers (TBD), 6 p.m., ESPN, AM 570, KTMZ 1220

Thursday: Cincinnati (TBD) at Dodgers (TBD), 6 p.m., ESPN, AM 570, KTMZ 1220

*-left-handed

The other postseason games

In case you want to watch how the other teams are doing:

Tuesday
Detroit at Cleveland, 10 a.m., ESPN
San Diego at Chicago, noon, ABC
Boston at New York, 3 p.m., ESPN

Wednesday
Detroit at Cleveland, 10 a.m., ESPN
San Diego at Chicago, noon, ABC
Boston at New York, 3 p.m., ESPN

Thursday*
Detroit at Cleveland, 10 a.m., ESPN
San Diego at Chicago, noon, ABC
Boston at New York, 3 p.m., ESPN

*-if necessary

Note: Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Toronto and Seattle have first-round byes.

In case you missed it

Dodgers feel an urgency to deliver another World Series title to L.A.

‘That’s why I came here.’ Dodgers bet on Blake Snell’s potential as a postseason ace

Dodgers-Reds wild-card preview | Dodgers Debate

Nine concerns the Dodgers should have about facing the Reds in the NL wild-card series

Plaschke: Dodgers hero Kirk Gibson now tries to be a hero for those battling Parkinson’s disease

Dodgers find out Brock Stewart won’t return this season before win over Mariners

World Series hangover? Dodgers feel battle-tested for October by repeat challenges

And finally

Freddie Freeman removes Clayton Kershaw from his final regular-season start. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

In 1997, the comedy “In & Out” did its shiny, star-studded best to mainstream the story of a closeted gay man in a rock-ribbed American community embracing his truth. The fine new indie drama “Plainclothes,” which takes place in 1997 in Syracuse, N.Y., and centers on a young police officer in the throes of desire, wants to remind us that the reality of such reckonings was a bit more fraught.

In first-time screenwriter-director Carmen Emmi’s tense, sensitively threaded scenario, fresh-faced cop Lucas (Tom Blyth) isn’t just holding a secret — he’s involved in the enforced criminalization of it. His assigned undercover detail is the mall, using a seductive look (not entirely acting) to lure gay men to the restroom, silently clocking the moment they meet the minimum requirement for breaking indecent exposure laws, then having them arrested.

Something shifts inside Lucas during one of these stings, however, when he locks eyes with a target named Andrew (Russell Tovey), whose soulful return gaze promises a deeper connection than instant gratification. He spares Andrew the planned indignity waiting outside, but secures a phone number away from the watchful eye of his sergeant (Christian Cooke). Weeks later, the pair arrange to meet in the upstairs balcony of an old movie palace. (Though we never see the screen, sharp-eared film buffs will recognize allusions to Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 surveillance classic “The Conversation.”) After a couple of warm, intimate exchanges in secluded spaces, Lucas allows himself to imagine a future free from hiding, even if Andrew cautions that what they have can only ever be temporary.

Early in “Plainclothes,” thanks to changes in aspect ratio and Lucas’ facial hair, we realize that this timeline amounts to an extended memory, triggered in the present scenes by tense New Year’s Eve preparations at Lucas’ childhood home and a misplaced letter that he hopes neither his adoring, recently widowed mother (a wonderful Maria Dizzia) nor his obnoxious, hot-headed uncle (Gabe Fazio) find.

The backward-forward structure creates entwined tracks of suspense between the outcome of the Andrew relationship and the expected ramifications of what’s assumed to be a revealing letter. That framework gives “Plainclothes” the feeling of an emotional chase film where pursuer and pursued are the same, stuck in a loop of possibility, torn about what being caught really means.

Emmi’s well-conceived screenplay does justice to the ways a compartmentalized life can crack. When Lucas is with Andrew — and even in scenes with a nice ex-girlfriend (Amy Forsyth) — acceptance is palpable, understanding real. Among family, the pressure to conform activates his guardedness. And when his department, steeped in macho culture and eager for more mall arrests, starts deploying a video camera behind a one-way mirror, an increasingly anxious Lucas is made to feel nothing but risk about his identity.

There may be little that’s psychologically fresh about “Plainclothes,” but the fact that its low-key, close-framed style suggests a taut, moody gay indie you might have seen in the ’90s works in its favor. It’s also well cast, with the appealing Blyth always in control of the undercurrents, especially alongside the excellent Tovey, playing a sadder, wiser closetedness. I wish Emmi hadn’t overegged the visual motif that Lucas’ POV in moments of stress is akin to the fuzzy texture of Hi8 video: A little of it goes a long way and too often pulls us out of the tone in a room. But it’s the kind of choice that’s easier to forgive in a movie so well-attuned to shifts in perception, one that dimensionalizes the problem of achieving clarity when leading a double life.