TUESDAY

BACK TO THE AL

POSTSEASON HISTORY SAYS…

In postseason history, teams taking a 2-0 lead in a best-of-5 series have won that series 80 of 90 times (88.9%).

In Division Series with the current 2-2-1 format, teams to win games one and two on the road (like the Dodgers) have advanced 16 of 18 times (88.9%), including 12 sweeps. The last team to win the LDS after losing the first two games at home was the 2015 Blue Jays, who then won three straight against the Rangers.

THE DODGERS WIN, 4-3, LEAD 2-0

The Dodgers had Blake Snell wheeling and dealing to start this game, but it was Mookie Betts and Max Muncy wheeling in the 9th that saved this game. Let’s go to the videotape.

The Dodgers won this game with a four-run 7th inning off Jesus Lazardo, who was brilliant through six innings, and Orion Kerkering, who was not so great in relief. Kerkering has now allowed the two runners he has inherited in the postseason to score. In fact, in these two games, you see that the Phillies' bullpen has an ERA of 4.50, allowing nine runs in 18.0 IP. But it is worse than that. They have inherited seven baserunners and allowed five to score, a rate of 71.4%. That’s the worst rate of any of the teams that have appeared in the postseason this year. During the regular season, that rate was 31.8%. The Dodgers had the lowest IRA in the NL at 26.3% in the regular season.

So far, the Dodgers have held the Phils to a .203 BA and a .600 OPS in the two games. The Phillies’ problem is worse than that, when you realize that their 1-2-3 batters, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper, so far are 2-21 (.095) without an extra-base hit, with one RBI, and 11 strikeouts.

The end is nigh as the Phillies and Dodgers head to Los Angeles tomorrow.

DAVE ROBERTS IS A TREINEN-HOLIC

“My name is Dave and I’m a Treinen-holic”