LOS ANGELES — On the 30th anniversary of Kirk Gibson’s miraculous home run, the Dodgers could find no magic and not one single clutch hit.
The hard reality is that if not for Justin Turner’s two-run, eighth-inning home run in Game 2 the Dodgers would be looking at the possibility being swept by the Brewers.
Milwaukee stunned the low-energy Dodgers 4-0 Monday night at Dodger Stadium to take a 2-1 lead in the NLCS. The Dodgers came into the postseason so confident of success that Yasiel Puig promised to the world, “We are going to the World Series again and this time we are going to win.’’
On the whiteboard in the Dodgers clubhouse someone wrote “7 Wins.’’
That’s how many wins they need to capture the World Series. The Dodgers might want to focus on getting past the pesky Brewers’ first before they think too far ahead.
The Dodgers were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position Monday and twice left the bases loaded. They are playing some bad baseball. For a team that thought it was going to basically have a pass to the World Series, not much is going its way.
“We sucked,’’ said Enrique Hernandez. He nailed it.
Puig doubled to put runners on second and third with one out in the second against Jhoulys Chacin but Yasmani Grandal struck out, swinging for the fences, when the ball just had to be put in play. After an intentional walk, Chacin struck out opposing pitcher Walker Buehler.
Grandal also had another passed ball and could not block a wild pitch that led to the Brewers’ second run. He is having a dreadful series. He has started two games and has allowed three passed balls. Dave Roberts said Grandal will be benched Tuesday for Game 4 in favor of Austin Barnes.
Grandal is a free agent after the postseason and the Mets supposedly have interest.
Might want to rethink that, Mets.
The catcher said the most disappointing thing for these Dodgers is not getting the big hit.
“I’m a big part of that,’’ Grandal said of the team’s failures in the clutch and the 52,793 fans booed him all night. “They’ve made some quality pitches on me,’’ he said, but also admitted he has been overanxious.
“He had a tough night, and obviously the fans voiced their opinion,’’ manager Dave Roberts said. “I think in moments of leverage in the box I see him getting a little too anxious.’’
That is a polite way of saying Grandal is choking.
Milwaukee shortstop Orlando Arcia lifted his second home run of the series, a two-run shot to right in the seventh that made it much easier for the Brewers bullpen. It was his third home run of the postseason. That equals the amount of home runs he hit in the regular season over 366 plate appearances.
The Dodgers were supposed to have the kind of deep roster that can get them get through October and all the different matchups but in this series they have been overmatched by the Brewers pitchers in every way. It also didn’t help that Clayton Kershaw put up another postseason stinker in Game 1.
Essentially, the Dodgers have yet to show up for the series.
Yes, Turner came up with the monster home run in Game 2 but he only has three hits in the series. Turner was hitless in Game 1. The Brewers are working him high and away and he is falling into their trap. On his home run Jeremy Jeffress missed his spot by a foot and wound up throwing down and in to Turner.
Josh Hader dominated out of the bullpen again, striking out the only two batters he faced. He should be good to go in Game 4 when the Brewers will be forced to start Gio Gonzalez.
All the pressure is on the Dodgers. The fans came to Dodger Stadium Monday night ready to remember Gibson’s miraculous pinch-hit home run and were expecting to celebrate new postseason heroics from this generation of Dodgers.
The Dodgers have not won a World Series since that 1988 season. Two more losses and it will be yet another lost Dodger blue season.
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