COMMENTARY Braves face must-win in Game 4 Down 2-1, Atlanta is relying on veteran Freddy Garcia to keep the series alive By Molly Knight | ESPN The Magazine -- 2 hours ago Hanley Ramirez had three hits as the Dodgers cruised past the Braves 13-6 to take a 2-1 series lead. LOS ANGELES -- If you had told the Atlanta Braves Sunday morning that they would rough up Los Angeles Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu for four runs and knock him out of pivotal Game 3 of the NL Division Series after just three innings, they'd have felt pretty good about their chances. The Dodgers thumped the Braves 13-6 in a wild game at Chavez Ravine Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in this best-of-five series, and now all that stands between Atlanta and a long offseason is the arm of a 37-year-old journeyman starting pitcher who spent most of this season in the minor leagues. Freddy Garcia will take the ball for the Braves in Game 4 in Los Angeles on Monday to try to help them stave off elimination. Atlanta certainly had a golden opportunity to take a series lead Sunday night and recapture home-field advantage. The Braves struck early in the first inning when Justin Upton doubled over Dodgers center fielder Skip Schumaker's head. Two batters later, Evan Gattis singled him home. Then, Brian McCann walked, and Chris Johnson singled Gattis home. After an impressive rookie season, Julio Teheran was less than his best on Sunday. But Julio Teheran couldn't hold the early lead. The Braves' 22-year-old rookie righty gave up six runs in just 2⅔ innings, including a two-out, three-run home run to Carl Crawford that ignited Los Angeles' video game-like offense. The Dodgers' 13 runs tied a franchise postseason record that has stood since 1956. "I didn't have my best, and I tried my best," said Teheran, who had a fantastic first season in the big leagues, posting a 3.20 ERA and striking out 170 in 185⅔ innings. "It was just one of those games that you do everything, and the things don't go as you expect." If the Braves hope to force a Game 5 in Atlanta on Wednesday, they'll need Garcia to do much better. The Venezuelan began the season with the Padres but was cut in spring training. He then signed with the Orioles but was demoted to their Triple-A Norfolk affiliate in June after posting a 5.77 ERA in 53 innings. Baltimore traded Garcia to the Braves for cash in late August, and he was added to the big league roster as a September call-up. He earned a spot on the Braves postseason roster by pitching excellently down the stretch, posting a 1.65 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 27⅓ innings. Andrelton Simmons could only watch as balls flew far out of reach off the Dodgers' bats. "We've got a lot of faith in him," said catcher McCann of Garcia's Game 4 chances. "He's been there and done that. He's pitched in every situation you could possibly pitch in. We know what we have to do." Garcia, who has thrown 2,264 innings in his career and gone 6-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 10 career postseason starts, says he is unfazed by the pressure of pitching on the road in an elimination game. "I'm the kind of guy who relaxes on the mound," Garcia said after Game 3. "I don't panic. I just go out there and pitch." His task will not be easy. To force the series back to Atlanta, Garcia will have to neutralize a scorching-hot Dodgers lineup that is collectively hitting .333, slugging .524 and getting on base at a .390 clip this series against a pitching staff that posted the best ERA (3.18) in baseball this season. (The Braves are hitting just .221 this series, slugging .284 and have a .308 OBP.) "They're an aggressive, good-hitting club that hits every mistake," Garcia said. When asked if he has any ideas regarding how to stop the Dodgers offense after watching them torch his rotation mate in Game 3, he stood by his locker and smiled. "I can't tell you my plan," he said. "You'll have to wait and see tomorrow." With Freddy Garcia starting Game 4, the Braves might find the spirit willing but the arm lacking. Making matters even more difficult, the Dodgers had yet to announce Sunday night whether they would start Ricky Nolasco in Game 4 versus Garcia as planned or bring back ace and likely 2013 NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw to try to close out the series on three days' rest. Kershaw has been nothing short of brilliant in his short career, leading the National League in ERA the past three seasons and posting an infinitesimal 1.83 ERA this season. But the 25-year-old has never pitched on short rest, and it's far from guaranteed he'd be himself. From 2005 to 2011, pitchers going on three days' rest in the postseason were 6-10. Should the Braves win Monday against Nolasco, they'd face Kershaw on regular rest in Atlanta in Game 5. If the Dodgers throw Kershaw on Monday and the Braves beat him, they'll force a series finale versus Zack Greinke on regular rest. But the Braves aren't looking that far ahead. "We need to win [Monday] or we go home," right fielder Justin Upton said. "That's the bottom line." __
stick with Nolasco, at least for 3 innings... you can always send CK out, but I think Ricky can give us 5/6 innings of 3 run ball, and with Garcia pitching, we should score more than that...
As for Game 3: I wanna give credit to Mattingly... I know it wasn't a close game at all so not a lot of strategy involved but pulling Ryu and bringing in Capuano was the right move and it paid off. Also, credit to management/Capuano in having him on the roster for exactly a moment like this. We didn't exactly kill our bullpen last night (We have Withrow/Wilson/Jansen fresh meanwhile Belisario+Howell might have some pitches left in them) even though our starter only went 3 innings.
ALSO (fuck, I'm annoying) for those of you that missed it.. The umpire was a dick to Adrian last night: This was a convo between Adrian and the HP Ump according to Craig Sager. “You can’t give him that pitch, it wasn’t a strike. Listen to me.” – Adrian Gonzalez I’m not listening, you just swing the bat, cause they all might be strikes.” – John Hirschbeck
they said it on the tbs telecast and doyer's right, hirshbeck made some shit strike calls on adrian thereafter
just in!!! Dodgers to start Ricky Nolasco, not Clayton Kershaw, in Game 4Aaron Gleeman | NBC Sports Hardball TalkToday -- minutes agoWith a 2-1 lead in the NLDS the Dodgers are sticking with Ricky Nolasco as their Game 4 starter tonight against the Braves rather than turning back to Clayton Kershaw on short rest.Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports that the Dodgers were thinking about using Kershaw in Game 4 if they were facing elimination, but instead they blew out the Braves in Game 3.Atlanta must now win a game started by Kershaw to win the series, so Los Angeles might as well let him take the mound on full rest, especially since he might not be needed at all and could then be fresh for Game 1 of the NLCS.Also of note: Kershaw has started 183 career games and none of them have come on short rest. He’s made 103 starts on four days’ rest, 61 starts on five days’ rest, and 18 starts on six or more days’ rest. And in those 18 extra-rest starts Kershaw has a 1.91 ERA. __
some notes from espn's sweet spot... of the last 15 Division Series in which the first two games were split, the winner of Game 3 has won 14 of those 15. After the Dodgers took a 6-4 lead, Hyun-Jin Ryu was due up with two outs. Ryu is actually a good batter. But Mattingly sensed an opportunity to get more runs and did not hesitate, and not to gamble by keeping Ryu in there after he'd struggled through three innings. If this were the regular season with a 6-4 lead, you let Ryu go back out there, hoping you can squeeze a couple more innings out of him. But Mattingly yanked him and went to Chris Capuano -- who responded with three scoreless innings. As for Hanley Ramirez, the dude is ripping line drives all over the place. After going 3-for-4, he's 7-for-13 in the series with six RBIs and six extra-base hits. He could be headed for one of those Reggie Jackson/David Ortiz/David Freese postseasons. Ramirez was the best player in 2013 on a per-game basis, and he's showing why he hit .345 with 20 home runs in 86 games. The Braves have 24 hours to figure out how to get him out. Dodgers wrap this one up in four. link __
Garcia and Nolasco was funny and RACIST!!... but funny... Whereas Clayton should not be disrespected like that. but considering whom I'm addressing...
