Game Day - Opening Day Has Arrived! March 30th Late Games
Huzzah! Opening Day has arrived as we have baseball that counts in the standings. I will be looking at the AL East on a daily basis. I will have an eye on the Dodgers, but I’m blacked out of their games because MLB hates baseball fans. In the AL Central, I’m not sure who I really care to follow this season. I will let the standings decide over time but chances are good I will follow through the games the AL Central plays against the East. In the AL West, Houston, Texas and Seattle are on the radar to start the season. Six series felt like enough to follow in the opening weekend and Houston was the last team to miss the opening weekend review roster. In the National League, I am most interested in the Dodgers and Padres from the west and Atlanta, New York, and Philadelphia in the east.
Cleveland Guardians @ Seattle Mariners
Two teams that will have impact on the Jays’ playoff standings
If you like pitchers duels, this one was for you. Watching the game would suggest there was a non-trivial percentage of meh coming from the bats and a lack of pop or consistency. I don’t want to take away from the pitchers, they were in control and gave their own team’s offense a chance to get in the game a score a run. My only evidence is in my game notes where in the bottom of the fifth I wrote “A Hit AND a steal!” then Bieber proceeds to pitch out of the situation; I think some of the credit for this pitcher’s duel goes to the bats not bothering to show up at all.
That all changed in the Bottom of the eighth when Ty France comes to the plate with two on and hits a 3-run home run. This is one of your star players doing when they do when they need to do it. Awesome, Mariners win 3-0
It’s too early for trends but it’s the right time to take some notes. Who is going to show up in game two of this series? What happens when the pitcher on the mound isn’t the other team’s Ace? Can they possibly have more 3 up 3 down innings in game two than they did in game one?
These types of games happen and it’s too early to know if this is how the Mariners win or Cleveland losses during this season. What I do like about this game is that this feels like it could set the far end of a spectrum. Someone didn’t do what they are more likely to do and they have the opportunity to come back today and give it another go.
Arizona Diamondbacks @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Here for the Dodgers
ACT I – Game Reset
The bats from both teams were not exactly impressive to start the game. While the Dodgers were making outs, the Diamondbacks were finding ways to get their precious base runners around the diamond. By the time the Dodgers had their third at-bat, the D-Backs had a 2-0 lead that didn’t feel like a 2-0 lead. This game has a weird feel to it. Feels like the Dodgers should always beat the D-backs but there is no winning momentum yet, for either team. As for the game story. We’ve reset the game at 2-2. The D-Backs are looking for a way to string some hits together, maybe post a crooked number. The Dodgers are looking for anything. They had one good half inning but how long are they going to let the D-Backs hang around?
Act II – The Smallest Mountains are Still Mountains
It’s the third time through the lineup that gets the top of the Dodgers lineup to string some on base together and score not one but three runs. They go to the sixth inning with a three-run lead and based on the way the D-Backs have been hitting so far in this game, I have no confidence they will make a run at tying this game. Urias will take this game into the sixth inning. The D-Back has 3 hits so far. Three runs in today’s early games would have been a nothing lead but tonight, it seems like Everest is standing in front of the team from Arizona.
Act III – All About that Ace (and the Bullpen)
Outman hits a home run and the lead is now 7-2. I feel reasonably secure in the result of this game. This is where I start asking questions about what I’ve seen (or listened to) so far. At what point do I get worried about Muncy? What do Dodger wins look like when the top of the lineup isn’t generating offense? Martinez, Outman, and Rojas provided positive WPA towards the game. I expect that from Martinez, even if it isn’t at the same level as his Detroit days, but I want to see a positive WPA from him. The bottom of the lineup made some noise tonight, how often will we see that during the year?
One game is one game. That’s why I won’t get too excited about the bottom of the lineup nor start to look for third-base options on the trade market. My biggest concern is, what happens when it isn’t the D-Backs in the other dugout. A game like tonight probably doesn’t stay tied for this first half of the game. However, you play who shows up for the game, and this looks like it will be a win. Job well done, on to the next one.
Specific to the Bullpen, the Dodgers did exactly what they needed to Bickford, Miller and Almonte struck out two, surrendered no hits, and made the mountain impossible to climb. Dodgers take the win 8-2.
