Tag: Dodgers

Don’t blame the MLB playoff wild card format for the Dodgers’ and Orioles’ failures

The format is fine. The league’s best teams just aren’t playing well enough to win.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, Winners! Thanks for taking some time and reading TMW today.

There’s been a lot of discussion surrounding rest versus rust in the MLB postseason so far. Now, with the Dodgers and Orioles both in 2-0 holes as the top seeds in the AL and NL, that conversation is heating up even more.

To be fair, what’s happening is very weird. In the first 118 MLB postseasons only three 100-win teams lost their first two postseason games at home, per ESPN. The Dodgers and Orioles have done it on consecutive nights here. That’s wild.

This strange phenomenon has led some people to question the league’s new playoff format. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal even wrote a column on what changes could be made to improve the format.

But do we really need to go that far?

The biggest problem here the best teams in baseball just aren’t winning right now. That’s not a playoff format problem — that’s an individual team problem.

The Braves certainly had no trouble digging a tough one out against the Phillies on Monday night. It took a bit of superhero work from Michael Harris II in the end, sure, but Atlanta made it happen.

That’s just sports, man. It’s the playoffs. Find a way to win. If you can’t? Tough. Go home.

It might be news to some, but the best teams in baseball don’t always win. Check this out from USA Today’s Gabe Lacques from last year. 

“The best team won’t win the World Series? Brother, that’s old news: Since divisional play began in 1969 through 2021, the team with the best record in baseball won the World Series just 14 times in 52 years – or 27% of the time. And since MLB split into a six-division format beginning with the 1995 playoffs, we’ve welcomed plenty of relatively middling champions.” 

Sure, sometimes we get juggernauts like last year’s Astros or the 2020 Dodgers who are very clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in the league. But other times, we get teams like 2021’s 88-win Braves who manage to climb the mountaintop.

The fact that we can have both is what makes the sport — and this journey as a whole — beautiful. It’s imperfect and that’s awesome.

The NBA’s future is alien

TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP

That’s the only way possible to describe what we saw from Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren on Monday night. Those dudes just don’t make any sense. Literally.

The two rookies squared off in a preseason game and I felt like I might has well been watching a Kaiju flick. A 7-5 big guard versus a 7-1 big guard. Basketball has never looked like this before.

I’ll let Bryan Kalbrosky tell you how wild it was.

“Both of these players did so many things we’re simply not used to seeing on the confines of an actual basketball court.

Holmgren is 7-foot-1 but scored as the ball-handler in a pick-and-roll set and nailed a 3-pointer using an off-ball screen. He also scored in more traditional ways like a big man would, including putbacks and basket cuts and rim rolls.

Wembanyama also managed some absurd scoring possessions. Some of his most impressive moments came after off-ball screens, dribble handoffs and transition leak-outs.

His offensive rebound putback scores were exciting but the finesse that he displayed on his layup package was fully unbelievable.”

My favorite part of the game was when Wembanyama basically stole the ball from Cason Wallace from the 3-point line (!!!!). It was unreal, man.

The next 10 years are going to be so fun, man. Please stay healthy, fellas.

Can we turn off injuries? Please?

Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Obviously, we hate to see injuries happen to anyone. But it always stings a bit more when you see some of the best players in the NFL go down.

It feels like we’ve gotten so many of those major injuries in the last few days. Just today we saw big news on the injury front with:

— Justin Jefferson being placed on injured reserve for the next month with a hamstring injury.

— Rookie standout De’Von Achane is reportedly out for multiple weeks with a knee injury

It’s football. We know injuries are going to happen. It’s part of the game. You just absolutely hate to see it.

Football gods, let’s just turn off injuries like we do on Madden. Please? Just this once? I would like to watch Justin Jefferson play football.

Quick hits: It’s the 49ers then everyone else in the NFL … Micah Parsons talks too much … and more

— Wake up, babe. Robert Zeglinski and Christian D’Andrea just dropped their Week 6 NFL power rankings and the 49ers are at the top of the top.

— Micah Parsons keeps talking about the 49ers and it’s really weird. He’s mad at George Kittle now. Cory Woodruff has more.

— Tyler Nettuno has winners and losers for Week 6 in the college football world. Shoutout Brent Venables and Oklahoma.

— Charles Curtis has the 6 best moments from the ManningCast. This is the content I look forward to every week.

— Mary Clarke and Charles have their NHL predictions ready to go for you.

— Michael Harris II was so hyped after Austin Riley’s home run against the Phillies. This is the best.

That’s all for Tuesday, folks. Catch you again tomorrow! Thanks for reading. Have a fantastic day.

The internet fell for a misleading video of Dodger Stadium flooding during Tropical Storm Hilary

Dodger Stadium appears to be just fine after Tropical Storm Hilary passed through.

Obviously, the situation in southern California is a pretty scary one right now. Even with Hurricane Hilary being downgraded to a tropical storm, the area has still seen some pretty devastating weather over the last few days.

There was a magnitude-5.1 earthquake Sunday that hit parts of southern California, along with some pretty bad aftershocks that came with it. The thing that we’re hearing about most today, though, is the flooding that has come along with the tropical storm.

There are parts of California that are just covered in water right now. Things have slowed down a bit, but even the remnants of the hurricane have brought some pretty dangerous flooding conditions to the area. 

For much of Monday, people thought that those dangerous flooding conditions were also impacting Dodger Stadium. There was a photo and a video circulating around the internet that seemed to indicate that it was true. It also didn’t help that the storm was essentially directly over the stadium, per the Los Angeles Times.

But, contrary to popular belief, it seems that Dodger Stadium isn’t actually flooded. In fact, it looks just fine.

Chargers donating minimum of $50,000 to Maui wildfire relief efforts

The Chargers are part of the effort to bring help to the island after devastating wildfires.

The Chargers are lending their support to help the survivors of the devastating wildfires on Maui. They are donating at least $50,000 to aid the relief efforts.

The Bolts, along with the other Los Angeles professional sports teams have committed to donating a combined $450,000 to the American Red Cross.

“The images and video coming out of Maui over the past week are heartbreaking,” Chargers owner Dean Spanos said. “The destruction is beyond comprehension, and the loss of life is nothing short of tragic.

“This hits especially close to home when I think of the vibrant Hawaiian community here in Southern California and players past and present like [former linebacker] Manti Te’o and [safety] Alohi Gilman.”

Over 100 people were killed when wildfires swept through parts of the Hawaiian island.

“In the wake of recent events in Maui, the images, videos and stories of the past few days have struck a deeply personal chord with me,” Gilman said.

“Maui isn’t just a place on the map; it’s a part of my homeland, my connection to Hawaii. My heart resonates with the resilience of the people who lost their homes while also stepping up for their neighbors in need.”

The Chargers will donate their portion of their 50/50 raffle proceeds that they make during their preseason game against the Saints on Sunday.

Fans can start buying tickets when the gates open on Sunday until the end of the third quarter. They can be purchased on the concourse and at raffle kiosks throughout SoFi Stadium. The winning ticket number will be posted in-game on the video board during the fourth quarter.

Those who cannot attend the game can still donate to the American Red Cross to lend support.

“It’s been extremely heartening to see people from all walks of life rally around my people and return that love and support,” Te’o said.

“In life there are things that we simply cannot control, but what we can control is how we respond. This weekend is an opportunity for our Chargers ‘ohana to respond; to come together and assist Maui in its time of need.”

Ranking all 30 MLB teams in 2023, from least to most watchable

Which teams to watch when Shohei Ohtani isn’t batting or on the mound

Spring training is winding down, final roster cuts are being made and Opening Day is practically here for the 2023 Major League Baseball season.

Which means it’s once again time to renew those MLBTV subscriptions and curse at the league’s horrible blackout restrictions. But which teams should you pay attention to that are available in your region?

Allow us to help with the 2023 MLB Watchability Rankings. A complete list of all 30 teams to help you decide which games are worth your time and which are perfect for a midday nap.

MORE: All 30 stadiums ranked in 2023

The 2022 Watchability Rankings are available here. And you can find the 2021 list here. The BetFTW crew also gave their best guesses for which teams will hit their win total projections this season —putting money on a team instantly makes them more watchable when all else fails.

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Lincoln Riley attends LA Dodgers’ opening playoff game

Riley and the Dodgers are both winners. They face very important games this week, and they will have to beat a Southern California-based rival to win a title.

Lincoln Riley faces a very significant week in his USC coaching career. He is preparing to take his Trojans to Salt Lake City for a big game against the Utah Utes. This doesn’t mean, however, that Riley couldn’t enjoy three and a half hours on a Tuesday night, a diversion from football and his pregame preparations.

By Tuesday night, the game plan has been arrived at. The film study sessions with players have been conducted. The groundwork has been laid for the rest of the week. An evening of fun and entertainment is certainly allowed.

Riley attended Game 1 of the National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers won, 5-3. Game 2 is Wednesday at 5:37 p.m. in Los Angeles.

Riley threw out the first pitch at a Dodger game earlier this season. He has done nothing to diminish the USC brand thus far; precisely the opposite. Riley has USC unbeaten and playing above expectations in Year 1 of his tenure. The Trojans were widely expected to be a three-loss team. They haven’t lost any of their first six games and seem likely to win at least 10 games this season.

USC faces Utah this Saturday on Fox Sports. The Dodgers are scheduled to play the Padres in Game 4 of the NLDS on Saturday.

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Dave Roberts was thrilled for Albert Pujols after his 700th home run until he remembered they’re not on the same team anymore

Dave Roberts is a real one, man. That’s all you can say about this.

Dave Roberts seems like such a great friend, man. It’s one thing to root for the success of one of the homies. But to do it when that success literally comes at a cost to you? That’s a real one.

That’s the only way to describe Roberts from Friday night when Albert Pujols hit his 700th home run against his Dodgers. He legitimately made real history against Roberts’ team.

Did Roberts care? Certainly. But he was over the moon for Pujols and we all visually saw it happen. Roberts got up and celebrated after her realized what Pujols did, but then immediately got this dejected look after he remembered…Pujols just did this against his team.

That. Is. Hilarious. Dave Roberts is a real one, man.

It makes sense for him to be happy for Pujols here — he did play for Roberts’ Dodgers last season. They’ve got a legitimate connection here and Roberts seems genuinely happy for one of his guys.

It just…came at his expense. And that’s fine! The Dodgers are sitting pretty, anyway. Real friends are OK with that. Fans absolutely loved this.

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Albert Pujols’ 700th home run was eerily predicted by this MLB Network analyst…all the way back in April

This might be the most accurate prediction in the history of sports.

Albert Pujols finally did it. He reached the pinnacle. He hit the 699th and 700th home runs of his career on Friday night against the Dodgers.

He didn’t need to do this to become a legend in baseball, but it almost certainly bumps him up a few notches.

The thing is, we all had a feeling that Albert Pujols was going to finally reach the benchmark of 700 career home runs at some point this season. But it didn’t feel like it became a real thing until June or July.

But for MLB Network Greg Amsinger? He knew almost exactly how this would happen. He picked the right game and the right date…all the way back in April.

On April 13, Amsinger accurately predicted Pujols would hit his 700th home run against the Dodgers on September 23rd on the road. He absolutely nailed it.

“Albert’s going to play so much more than people think…He will reach 700 career home runs. I do have bad news, Cardinals fans. He’s going to hit his 700th career home run on the road. Friday night, in Los Angeles in September off Clayton Kershaw. That’s when it’s going to happen, against his former teammate. Hall of Famer vs. Hall of Famer. It’ll be on the road. I can’t wait to see it.” 

Y’all. The only thing wrong with his prediction is he thought it’d come against Clayton Kershaw instead of Phil Beckford.

Otherwise, this is Simpsons-level accuracy on this prediction. Fans minds were blown.

Que Craig Kimbrel salga al campo con ‘Let It Go’ de Frozen ha sido el mejor amuleto de la suerte

La música con la que salen al campo los cerradores, quien usan canciones específicas cuando entran a los juegos de la MLB para intentar lograr algunas salvadas es algo real (¡o al menos eso pensamos!). Edwin Diaz regresó a usar Narco y se convirtió …

La música con la que salen al campo los cerradores, quien usan canciones específicas cuando entran a los juegos de la MLB para intentar lograr algunas salvadas es algo real (¡o al menos eso pensamos!).

Edwin Diaz regresó a usar Narco y se convirtió en algo enorme para el cerrador de los New York Mets y es algo que le ayuda a enfocarse y a pichar mejor.

¿Y qué pasa con Craig Kimbrel, el cerrador de Los Angeles Dodgers? Un cambio en sus canciones resultó ser justo lo que ordenó el doctor.

El mes pasado, en el Día de las Mujeres en el Dodger Stadium, los jugadores eligieron canciones diferentes para entrar al campo, canciones que fueron elegidas por sus parejas. A Kimbrel le pusieron Let It Go de Frozen.

Ese día pichó muy bien, así que decidió dejarla como su canción de entrada al campo, y desde entonces, ha pichado MAGISTRALMENTE.

Así fue como empezó

Traducción: En honor al Día de las Mujeres en el Dodger Stadium, los jugadores de Dodgers entrarán al campo con canciones diferentes según las hayan seleccionado sus parejas.

 

Traducción 1: Chris Kimbrel acaba de entrar (con una ventaja de 10-3) con “Let It Go” de Frozen. Tienen que amar esto.
Traducción 2: En honor al Día de las Mujeres en el Dodger Stadium, los jugadores de Dodgers entrarán al campo con canciones diferentes según las haya seleccionado sus parejas.

Así va hasta ahora

Traducción: Algo que aprendí hoy: la canción de entrada de Kimbrel es “Let It Go”.

 

Traducción: En la era de “Let It Go”, ahora Craig Kimbrel tiene 4.1 entradas sin anotación. 0 hits, 2 BB, 5 K.

 

Traducción: Los Dodgers ganaron 9-4. Van 92-41. Ganan la serie contra los Padres y su número mágico es el 9.
Craig Kimbrel libre fue para una entrada 1-2-3. Ahora, su ERA está por abajo de 4.

 

Esto es lo mejor

Traducción: Kimbrel entrando al campo con Let It Go.

 

Traducción: Acabo de ver a Craig Kimbrel entrar otra vez con “Let It Go“. Está funcionando. ¿Tal vez “Let It Go” sea la nueva “Narco“?

 

Traducción: El ERA de Craig Kimbrel desde que cambió su canción de entrada a “Let It Go”: ¡0.00!

 

Traducción: Craig Kimbrel tiene una frecuencia de bases por bola de 0% cuando entra con Let It Go.

 

 

Artículo traducido por Ana Lucía Toledo

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Dodger fans trolled the Padres about Fernando Tatis’ suspension by throwing an inflatable PED on the field

Dodgers fans are TROLLS.

Baseball fans, man. You’d think they’d be just as chill as their favorite sport is. Nope. Quite the opposite.

We’ve seen some wild fan behavior this season. Not in a bad way, necessarily. But definitely in a weird way.

For example, remember the dude who drank through a hot dog straw? I wonder if he’s been jailed for that. Or how about the 11-year-old White Sox fan who ran on the field? Man, just five more years and he’s probably getting tackled like it’s NFL Sunday.

See what I mean? Weird behavior. Also hilarious behavior, too. We have something else to add to that list now.

Dodgers fans were absolutely ruthless in their trolling of the Padres after Fernando Tatis’ suspension. He’s out for 80 games because he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Obviously a devastating blow to a deep that had aspirations for making a deep playoff run at the very least.

So what did Dodgers fans do? Remind them of their misery by throwing a giant inflatable PED on the field.

TROLOLOLOLOL. That’s so wild, y’all. And then the nerve to do this while they’re actually down 4-0 in the game, too? That’s hilarious.

Fans thought this was great.

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Mookie Betts jugó a cachar la pelota con un joven fan de Dodgers en las gradas

Es posible que Mookie Betts le haya hecho la noche a este joven fan. Durante el partido de la noche del lunes de Los Angeles Dodgers contra los Milwaukee Brewers, Betts fue más allá del deber para que un fan tuviera este momento tan especial. En …

Es posible que Mookie Betts le haya hecho la noche a este joven fan.

Durante el partido de la noche del lunes de Los Angeles Dodgers contra los Milwaukee Brewers, Betts fue más allá del deber para que un fan tuviera este momento tan especial. En lugar de su calentamiento usual entre una entrada y otra, Betts encontró a un pequeño fan de los Dodgers sentado en las gradas del campo central con un letrero que decía “Mookie, ¿quieres jugar a cachar la pelota?”, ¡y decidió jugar con él!

Y no fue únicamente una vez, Betts y el fan de los Dodgers estuvieron lanzando y atrapando la pelota por varios minutos durante media entrada para el calentamiento del jardinero derecho. Esto será un momento que nunca se olvidará.

Traducción: Mookie jugando a cachar la pelota con un fan en las gradas.

 

Traducción: Mookie Betts calienta en el jardín derecho con un fan en las gradas.

 

Definitivamente este será un momento que ese fan siempre recordará con cariño por el resto de su vida. ¡Qué momento de tanta clase! ¡Betts tomó tiempo de su calentamiento para ayudar a que un joven fan cumpliera su sueño!

 

Artículo traducido por Ana Lucía Toledo

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