Dodgers Dugout: Dodgers get the Game 1 victory

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and the Game 1 win wasn’t pretty, but I’ll take it.

Some random thoughts about Game 1, in no particular order:

—Mookie Betts two hits, rest of team four hits. That’s that high-powered offense I was telling you about.

—Betts got most of the (well-deserved) credit this season, but you could make a case the Corey Seager was just as valuable to the Dodgers. And he gave the Dodgers some needed breathing room with his seventh-inning homer.

—Um, interviewing a player when he’s trying to play defense isn’t the greatest thing I have ever seen. How about saying “No” and just focusing on the game?

—I know they weren’t at the stadium, but the ESPN announcing crew were particularly somnambulant for Game 1.

—The Dodgers’ failure to break the game open in the first two innings made me particularly nervous.

—The Walker Buehler who came out in the second inning, after that long bottom of the first, wasn’t the same Buehler who pitched the first inning. He lost command of his curveball and you had to wonder if his blister was bothering him. Not that the ESPN crew noticed.

—You can’t say enough about the relief job by Julio Urías. OK, technically you can say enough about it, but you know what I mean.

—You weren’t nervous when Kenley Jansen came in in the ninth were you? Me either.

—You’ll hear a lot of talk on TV about how this guy now has the Dodgers record for postseason games played or this other Dodger has the record for most postseason at-bats. It’s pretty meaningless. If they had the same number of playoff rounds back in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, guys like Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Maury Wills, Steve Garvey and Ron Cey would be way, way ahead.

—If the Brewers somehow win the next two, then get the 11 more victories necessary to win a World Series, they still would finish the season with fewer total victories than the Dodgers had during the regular season.

Playoff roster

My streak of unsuccessfully predicting the playoff roster remains intact. Here’s the roster for this round (rosters can chance between each round):

Pitchers (13)

Pedro Baéz
Walker Buehler
Tony Gonsolin
Victor González
Brusdar Graterol
Kenley Jansen
Joe Kelly
Clayton Kershaw
Adam Kolarlek
Dustin May
Jake McGee
Blake Treinen
Julio Urías

Position players (15)

Austin Barnes
Matt Beaty
Cody Bellinger
Mookie Betts
Terrance Gore
Kiké Hernández
Max Muncy
Joc Pederson
AJ Pollock
Edwin Ríos
Keibert Ruiz
Corey Seager
Will Smith
Chris Taylor
Justin Turner

Beaty and Gore are surprises. Gore will be used just as a pinch-runner. Gavin Lux was left off the roster, and he should have been. The shine is off of his star, and he’s going to have to work hard this offseason to restore his status as a top prospect. And it’s good to see three catchers on the team, which means today they can start Barnes behind the plate to catch Kershaw, and let Smith be the DH.

Is today Justin Turner’s last appearance at Dodger Stadium?

Something that has gotten a bit lost in all the talk of shortened season: Justin Turner, Kiké Hernández and Joc Pederson are free agents after the season, and with the rest of the NL playoffs taking place in Texas, today could be the final appearance for each of them as a member of the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

Traditionally, when a player who has meant as much to the Dodgers as Turner, has a possible final at-bat at home, he gets a huge ovation. Turner won’t even get that. Neither will Hernandez or Pederson. And that’s a little sad. If this is their last game at Dodger Stadium with the team, hopefully they each get a warm reception the next time they come to town with whichever team they are playing for, on whatever day we are finally able to watch a game in person again.

Get your NLCS and World Series tickets

MLB made a surprising announcement Wednesday: They are selling tickets to the NLCS and World Series, both of which will be played in Arlington, Texas, at the home of the Texas Rangers.

The league said 11,500 tickets will be available for each game and the tickets will go on sale Oct. 6 at 8 a.m. PDT at mlb.com.

MLB said it received “the appropriate approvals to host fans in the ballpark and will implement fan health and safety protocols in conjunction with state and local regulations.”

No word on pricing, but if you want to take a chance that the Dodgers will make it to the World Series, then you might be able to watch them in person if you sign on, get lucky, and don’t mind driving to Texas for the games.

Ask Dylan Hernández

It’s a big month in the Los Angeles sports world. The Lakers take on the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals and the Dodgers open the baseball playoffs against the Milwaukee Brewers. For this special occasion, the Times is bringing in sports columnist Dylan Hernández to answer your questions. Please submit your comments, questions and thoughts about these playoff runs by clicking here and Dylan will do his best to answer them. Just click here to ask him a question.

Up next

Game 2: Today, Milwaukee (Brandon Woodruff) at Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw*), 7 p.m., ESPN, AM 570

Game 3**: Friday, Milwaukee (TBD) at Dodgers (TBD), 3:30 p.m., ESPN, AM 570

*-Left-handed

**-if necessary

In case you missed it

Dylan Hernández: Walker Buehler’s blister saga reveals a deeper truth — Dodgers aren’t invincible

World Series quest begins despite the lack of playoff atmosphere at Dodger Stadium

A rejuvenated Clayton Kershaw set to start for the Dodgers in Game 2 vs. Brewers

And finally

1981 World Series Game 3: Ron Cey hits a three-run homer. Watch it here.