WEBVTT - "Braves Sweep. Sky's Falling"

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<v Speaker 1>Howdy, folks. Buenos dias, people. Konnichiwa. Fano minasan. It's Richard.

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<v Speaker 2>Couple weeks back, we set a goal to reach 200

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<v Speaker 2>ratings on Apple Podcasts. We still haven't made it there.

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<v Speaker 2>If you leave a review and send it to us,

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<v Speaker 2>we will A, number one, send you a sticker in

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<v Speaker 2>the mail if you like, with the beautiful DBD watercolor

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<v Speaker 2>rendering done by my mom. Or B, number two, if

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<v Speaker 2>you'd like to ask us a question and have it

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<v Speaker 2>read and addressed on the show. As long as it's

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<v Speaker 2>a five-star rating, we will do that in exchange for

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<v Speaker 2>your support.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for considering it. Let's get on to this one.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome. It is Friday, August 28th, 2026. The Los Angeles

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<v Speaker 2>Dodgers are in first place in the NL West with

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<v Speaker 2>a record of 80 and 53. As I write these

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<v Speaker 2>words before Thursday's game against the Atlanta Braves, the boys

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<v Speaker 2>in blue have lost two in a row to those Braves,

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<v Speaker 2>and they sit as the number two seed with the

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<v Speaker 2>second best record overall in the National League, two fewer

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<v Speaker 2>wins than the Milwaukee Brewers. With those same Braves, nipping

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<v Speaker 2>at our Dodgers' heels. Having won three in a row,

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<v Speaker 2>including the last two against these Dodgers, the Braves have

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<v Speaker 2>a record of 78 and 55, so two fewer wins

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<v Speaker 2>than the Dodgers. That two-game difference will change by a

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<v Speaker 2>game in one direction or another based on what happens tonight.

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<v Speaker 2>Things are getting hot, hot, hot with 29 regular season

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<v Speaker 2>games left to play.

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<v Speaker 1>We out here. and Cali, baby, SoCal. We're dreaming Dodger Blue.

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<v Speaker 2>It's Dodger Blue Dream, the podcast event that explodes with

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<v Speaker 2>broad-spectrum SPF 100 narrative analysis and digest of the Los

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<v Speaker 2>Angeles Dodgers baseball season each and every Friday here in

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<v Speaker 2>your feed. Nom, nom, nom. Please follow along, subscribe, like, rate,

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<v Speaker 2>and review. I'm Richard Parks III, a former junior lifeguard.

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<v Speaker 2>Will Rogers State Beach was my territory back when they

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<v Speaker 2>were filming Baywatch the original.

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<v Speaker 1>Pamela Hasselhoff. You know the vibes.

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<v Speaker 2>Point is, I go way back with these Dodgers, and

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<v Speaker 2>I've been making this here show for three consecutive seasons.

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<v Speaker 2>Meaning each and every year that I have, my favorite

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<v Speaker 2>baseball team has taken home the World Series title. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>as we come down the stretch, the question is, can

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<v Speaker 2>my Dodgers make history along with this podcast and log

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<v Speaker 2>a third consecutive World Series title? It's something that has

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<v Speaker 2>not been done in this millennium, and it's never been

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<v Speaker 2>done in the National League.

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<v Speaker 1>How about that?

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<v Speaker 2>We're going to take a short break after which we'll

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<v Speaker 2>get into what's going on with our beloved boys in blue.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks so much for tuning in. See you after the break.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome back to the show. It's Dodger Blue Dream. Thanks

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<v Speaker 2>so much for tuning in. And at this point, I'd

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<v Speaker 2>say it's time to get into it. So hopefully you

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<v Speaker 2>listened to every single word I.

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<v Speaker 1>Said about the standings.

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<v Speaker 2>If not, or even if so, just to underline what's

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<v Speaker 2>most important, because of the recent changes in the playoff

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<v Speaker 2>structure for Major League Baseball, where there are three wildcard

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<v Speaker 2>teams that make the playoffs in each league, while winning

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<v Speaker 2>the division is still super important and obviously guarantees a

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<v Speaker 2>spot in the playoffs, Not all of the three division

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<v Speaker 2>winners in each league will be exempt from playing in

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<v Speaker 2>the wildcard round. One of the three, the team with

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<v Speaker 2>the third best record of those division winners will have

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<v Speaker 2>to play in the wildcard round.

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<v Speaker 1>And why is this so important?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, the top two best record teams advance straight to

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<v Speaker 2>the division series AKA they have a buy past that

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<v Speaker 2>wildcard round, which consists of a very short best of

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<v Speaker 2>three game series. Now, as we all know, once it

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<v Speaker 2>comes to the post-season, anything can happen.

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<v Speaker 1>This is baseball.

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<v Speaker 2>And the reason this is all especially important is because

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<v Speaker 2>anything tends to happen more often and more unpredictably in

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<v Speaker 2>a shorter post-season series. The Division Series is best of five.

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<v Speaker 2>The Championship and World Series are best of seven. A

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<v Speaker 2>best of seven series more often, I would say, rewards.

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<v Speaker 1>The better overall team.

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<v Speaker 2>The shorter a series gets, the fewer games that decide it.

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<v Speaker 2>The more it introduces a factor of unpredictability where a

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<v Speaker 2>streaky team that is not necessarily the best or... hasn't

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<v Speaker 2>necessarily been the best for the regular season, may have

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<v Speaker 2>the upper hand. And we've seen our Dodger teams have

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<v Speaker 2>incredible regular seasons, winning 100-plus games, only to get bounced

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<v Speaker 2>in the first round of the playoffs to a lesser team,

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<v Speaker 2>as in 2023. In 2023, the Dodgers won 100 games,

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<v Speaker 2>and they won the National League West handily. In that

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<v Speaker 2>2023 regular season, the Arizona Diamondbacks won 84 games, finishing

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<v Speaker 2>way back in the standings from the Dodgers.

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<v Speaker 1>What is that?

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<v Speaker 2>16 games back. Second best a long way down. But

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<v Speaker 2>through today's wildcard format, the D-backs made the postseason. And

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<v Speaker 2>they ended up playing the Dodgers in the division series,

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<v Speaker 2>riding a hot streak that had started in the month

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<v Speaker 2>of August. And we got swept. And the D-backs, the

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<v Speaker 2>84-game winners, made it all the way to the World

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<v Speaker 2>Series that year. Although they did not win, they almost

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<v Speaker 2>did win it all. And the memory of that division

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<v Speaker 2>series sweep still stings. including a particularly rough outing for

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<v Speaker 2>our beloved Clayton Kershaw. All speed pitch laced to the

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<v Speaker 2>left center field.

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<v Speaker 1>Outstyle of Kershaw. Ball hit through the middle. Marte around third.

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<v Speaker 2>He's going to score.

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<v Speaker 1>Line to left, a base hit. High fly ball to

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<v Speaker 1>deep left field. Forget about it.

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<v Speaker 2>It's gone.

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<v Speaker 1>A disastrous start for Clayton Kershaw.

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<v Speaker 2>And also how a team plays in the post season

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<v Speaker 2>and in these shorter series, especially when they have to

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<v Speaker 2>keep playing through the regular season, all the way through

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<v Speaker 2>a wild card series, a division series, a championship series,

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<v Speaker 2>then to the world series. It's implicit in the description

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<v Speaker 2>of how much baseball that equals that it's a tiring process.

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<v Speaker 2>And for a team like the Dodgers that has been

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<v Speaker 2>playing baseball into November for the past couple seasons, and

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<v Speaker 2>is on average an older veteran team, maybe taking a

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<v Speaker 2>little break from baseball is a good idea. And so

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<v Speaker 2>you want that bye, especially badly. There is a counter

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<v Speaker 2>narrative to this that before we won two consecutive World Series,

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<v Speaker 2>Dodger fans would talk a lot about, which is that

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<v Speaker 2>baseball is all about momentum and the day to day

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<v Speaker 2>of it all. And so taking a week long break

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<v Speaker 2>after playing for six months and then having to play

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<v Speaker 2>for another month after that break might be a disadvantage.

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<v Speaker 2>And so you don't want the bye week. Fans were

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<v Speaker 2>talking about this a lot after that disastrous 2023 exit,

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<v Speaker 2>including that Kershaw shellacking where we were bounced by the

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<v Speaker 2>streaky young 84 game winners, the D-backs. But that argument

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<v Speaker 2>has not been made as much over the past couple

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<v Speaker 2>of years. The Dodgers played in the wild card series

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<v Speaker 2>last year. They did not play in the wildcard series

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<v Speaker 2>in 2024. Both of those years, they won it all.

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<v Speaker 2>So there's arguments for both avenues. In any case, baseball

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<v Speaker 2>observers watch this seed placing very closely. And that brings

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<v Speaker 2>us up to this week where the Dodgers are facing

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<v Speaker 2>off against the Atlanta Braves. As a refresher, the Milwaukee

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<v Speaker 2>Brewers have the best record in the National League, having

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<v Speaker 2>won 82 games. The Dodgers are in the two seed,

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<v Speaker 2>having won 80 games. And the Braves are in the

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<v Speaker 2>three seed with a bullet. having taken the last two

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<v Speaker 2>games from the Dodgers, now with 78 wins, going into

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<v Speaker 2>Thursday night's game. The Dodgers were looking pretty good last week.

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<v Speaker 2>They swept the Colorado Rockies, and then they went home

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<v Speaker 2>and swept the Pirates. But before winning six in a

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<v Speaker 2>row against those far lesser teams, The Dodgers were on

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<v Speaker 2>a troubling losing streak. They had narrowly avoided a four-game sweep,

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<v Speaker 2>taking one game from the Milwaukee Brewers. And they just

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<v Speaker 2>haven't been playing their best baseball since the All-Star break.

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<v Speaker 2>They pretty much have a middling record. And they've mostly

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<v Speaker 2>been carried by their super strong starting pitching and a

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<v Speaker 2>bullpen that kind of comes and goes, but an offense

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<v Speaker 2>that is really underperforming. So if you look at the

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<v Speaker 2>last month, the Dodgers look great as long as they're playing,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, a last place team, which the Colorado Rockies

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<v Speaker 2>certainly are. And the Pirates are not technically. They're currently

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<v Speaker 2>in fourth place, but they have a losing record. So

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<v Speaker 2>the Dodgers can handle those teams. But when it comes

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<v Speaker 2>to playing their main competition, the type of team that

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<v Speaker 2>they're going to meet in the playoffs, i.e. the Milwaukee

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<v Speaker 2>Brewers and now the Atlanta Braves, well, it's already a

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<v Speaker 2>lock that the Dodgers have lost both of those series.

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<v Speaker 1>And they were short series.

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<v Speaker 2>What I want to do after the break is dig

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<v Speaker 2>in a little deeper to this Atlanta Brave series and

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<v Speaker 2>talk about some things that I noticed that tell a

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<v Speaker 2>bigger story that maybe is a little concerning about this

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<v Speaker 2>2026 Dodgers team and what this series indicates about how

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<v Speaker 2>we might perform in a playoff scenario. We'll be right

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<v Speaker 2>back after this short break.

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome back to the show.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's talk about this Dodgers Braves series that's.

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<v Speaker 1>Still going on.

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<v Speaker 2>We're about an hour from first pitch for the third

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<v Speaker 2>game of a three-game series as I write these words

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<v Speaker 2>on Thursday at 3.23 p.m.

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<v Speaker 1>Pacific Time. Very specifically, Pacific Time.

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<v Speaker 2>So as we said, this is like a potential playoff

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<v Speaker 2>matchup with the Dodgers and the Braves being two of

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<v Speaker 2>the three top teams in the National League. And as

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<v Speaker 2>it's a direct head to head matchup, each team had

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<v Speaker 2>an opportunity to gain three games on the other in

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<v Speaker 2>their competition for that two seed in the National League,

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<v Speaker 2>which would win them a bye so that they wouldn't

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<v Speaker 2>have to play in the wildcard series. And obviously that

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<v Speaker 2>race is far from finished. But the Dodgers have already

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<v Speaker 2>dropped the first two games to the Braves. And what

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<v Speaker 2>we've seen in those two games brings up several of

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<v Speaker 2>the key points of concern for this team looking towards

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<v Speaker 2>the postseason. And continues trends that are troubling that started recently.

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<v Speaker 2>Around the midpoint of this season. So, on Tuesday, the

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<v Speaker 2>Dodgers lost 4-3. And on Wednesday, the Dodgers lost 6-5.

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<v Speaker 2>That one was a walk-off, where the Braves won it

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<v Speaker 2>in the bottom of the ninth inning. And right away,

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<v Speaker 2>what jumps out is, first of all, that these are

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<v Speaker 2>both one-run games, one-run losses. And the Dodgers have been

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<v Speaker 2>getting into a lot of one-run games since the All-Star

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<v Speaker 2>break and losing most of them. So that is a

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<v Speaker 2>troubling pattern. With an offense like this, we should be

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<v Speaker 2>able to find ways to score. You know, with basically

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<v Speaker 2>two highly paid closers in the bullpen, one of whom

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<v Speaker 2>is on the quote-unquote IL right now, we should be

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<v Speaker 2>able to close out close games. And we should be winning,

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<v Speaker 2>you guys. You know? The other thing that jumps out

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<v Speaker 2>just based on those scores is not super high scoring games.

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<v Speaker 2>Neither of them, especially that first one where the Dodgers

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<v Speaker 2>only managed to get three runs. Our offense has not

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<v Speaker 2>been performing to its potential, especially since the All-Star break.

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<v Speaker 1>There's a lot that goes.

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<v Speaker 2>Into this, and you could point the finger at many

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<v Speaker 2>players who are having problems. underperforming seasons or are slumping

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<v Speaker 2>right now but in these two games what we think

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<v Speaker 2>about when we see those scores is just how many

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<v Speaker 2>runners in scoring position we've had meaning runners that with

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<v Speaker 2>a simple base hit would come in to score but

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<v Speaker 2>didn't On Tuesday, the Dodgers were 3 for 12 with

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<v Speaker 2>runners in scoring position, stranding 11. On Wednesday, the Dodgers

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<v Speaker 2>went 4 for 14 with runners in scoring position, also, again,

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<v Speaker 2>leaving 11 men on base.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's just a.

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<v Speaker 2>Very high number of opportunities for that one run, which

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<v Speaker 2>would have kept us in these games. And you could,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, go glass half full with all this information

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<v Speaker 2>and say, like, look, in a one run game, that

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<v Speaker 2>means that we were really in that game.

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<v Speaker 1>We almost won.

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<v Speaker 2>And with all the runners left on base and scoring position,

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<v Speaker 2>that means that we were getting runners into scoring position. So,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, we got part of the way there. We

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<v Speaker 2>just weren't able to get that base hit to bring

0:16:30.530 --> 0:16:36.710
<v Speaker 2>them home. And to that, I say. Baseball fans are

0:16:36.770 --> 0:16:41.350
<v Speaker 2>not glass half full people. We are glass half empty people.

0:16:41.860 --> 0:16:45.920
<v Speaker 2>And the difference between a team that advances through the

0:16:45.960 --> 0:16:50.490
<v Speaker 2>postseason and short series and ones that end up going

0:16:50.540 --> 0:16:55.200
<v Speaker 2>home are things exactly like this. The teams that do

0:16:55.220 --> 0:16:58.590
<v Speaker 2>the little things, the teams that even get lucky some

0:16:58.610 --> 0:17:01.550
<v Speaker 2>of the time, because baseball is a game of inches

0:17:01.930 --> 0:17:05.369
<v Speaker 2>and so many things have to be done correctly and

0:17:05.450 --> 0:17:09.560
<v Speaker 2>go in your favor to create wins and to eventually

0:17:09.580 --> 0:17:13.080
<v Speaker 2>win it all, which is the idea here. But right now,

0:17:13.480 --> 0:17:19.250
<v Speaker 2>when we're playing good teams, that ain't happening. This is

0:17:19.310 --> 0:17:23.570
<v Speaker 2>despite some really stellar performances from our starting pitching staff,

0:17:23.890 --> 0:17:27.090
<v Speaker 2>which is so stacked and deep right now with some

0:17:27.150 --> 0:17:28.540
<v Speaker 2>injuries and things to work around.

0:17:28.859 --> 0:17:29.760
<v Speaker 1>We can talk about that.

0:17:30.220 --> 0:17:34.100
<v Speaker 2>And this is despite a bullpen that has faltered at

0:17:34.160 --> 0:17:38.640
<v Speaker 2>times throughout this season, performing totally adequately, I would say,

0:17:38.720 --> 0:17:42.210
<v Speaker 2>in the balance of things. Really, what's not happening here

0:17:42.490 --> 0:17:45.980
<v Speaker 2>is the scoring. The offense isn't getting it done. And

0:17:46.000 --> 0:17:50.400
<v Speaker 2>those offensive players, when they're playing in the field, also

0:17:50.640 --> 0:17:54.980
<v Speaker 2>haven't looked excellent playing that side of the ball. So

0:17:55.040 --> 0:18:00.490
<v Speaker 2>while Wednesday's loss was a walk-off and Tanner Scott gave up...

0:18:01.090 --> 0:18:03.250
<v Speaker 2>the deciding run in the bottom of the ninth inning

0:18:03.330 --> 0:18:06.189
<v Speaker 2>to his former teammate, Hasan Kim. I don't want to

0:18:06.230 --> 0:18:10.390
<v Speaker 2>pin this on Tanner Scott because if this team was

0:18:10.490 --> 0:18:15.379
<v Speaker 2>clicking right now and the offense was playing even partially

0:18:15.640 --> 0:18:18.600
<v Speaker 2>the way towards its potential, Tanner Scott wouldn't have been

0:18:18.640 --> 0:18:21.600
<v Speaker 2>in this game. And it's all the moments where we

0:18:21.660 --> 0:18:26.119
<v Speaker 2>didn't score and all the moments where we didn't play

0:18:26.300 --> 0:18:30.780
<v Speaker 2>solid baseball and gave up. opportunities and runs to the

0:18:30.820 --> 0:18:35.320
<v Speaker 2>other team that preceded Tanner Scott's appearance that I'm most

0:18:35.359 --> 0:18:39.199
<v Speaker 2>concerned about here. And you guys know me. I celebrate

0:18:39.280 --> 0:18:42.869
<v Speaker 2>our boys. I actually am as positive, I'd say, as

0:18:42.900 --> 0:18:46.109
<v Speaker 2>they come for a baseball fan. And I certainly don't

0:18:46.230 --> 0:18:50.030
<v Speaker 2>want to point fingers or scapegoat anybody. But as I

0:18:50.090 --> 0:18:53.350
<v Speaker 2>look at these past couple games against the Braves and

0:18:53.410 --> 0:18:57.929
<v Speaker 2>the disappointment of these one-run losses, I'm thinking about the

0:18:58.030 --> 0:19:03.949
<v Speaker 2>offense and position players, I'm looking towards the outfield and

0:19:03.990 --> 0:19:09.480
<v Speaker 2>I'm looking to the corner positions of the outfield. And

0:19:09.520 --> 0:19:12.659
<v Speaker 2>I'm seeing a couple guys out there that we really

0:19:12.720 --> 0:19:15.200
<v Speaker 2>need to get going if we're going to have a

0:19:15.359 --> 0:19:20.060
<v Speaker 2>solid shot at doing this three-peat thing. And those guys,

0:19:20.260 --> 0:19:25.110
<v Speaker 2>of course, are left fielder Teoscar Hernandez and the focus

0:19:25.140 --> 0:19:34.699
<v Speaker 2>of last week's episode, right fielder Kyle Tucker. So as

0:19:34.740 --> 0:19:38.720
<v Speaker 2>you know from last week's episode, Kyle Tucker is having

0:19:38.740 --> 0:19:43.649
<v Speaker 2>a really tough year, falling way short of expectations for

0:19:43.690 --> 0:19:46.649
<v Speaker 2>his first year in Dodger Blue, making a cool 60

0:19:46.650 --> 0:19:51.880
<v Speaker 2>mil in 2026. And we ended last week's episode by

0:19:51.960 --> 0:19:55.359
<v Speaker 2>telling you that there had been cries on social media

0:19:55.500 --> 0:19:59.730
<v Speaker 2>for a standing ovation for Kyle Tucker's loss. first at

0:19:59.770 --> 0:20:05.629
<v Speaker 2>bat at Dodger Stadium of the Dodgers' then-upcoming homestand, a

0:20:05.690 --> 0:20:09.880
<v Speaker 2>grassroots campaign to put some wind in this guy's sails

0:20:10.280 --> 0:20:13.420
<v Speaker 2>and show him that we're behind him and we believe

0:20:13.460 --> 0:20:16.760
<v Speaker 2>that he can turn this thing around. And indeed, a

0:20:16.800 --> 0:20:21.379
<v Speaker 2>week ago today, on Friday, Kyle Tucker did get a

0:20:21.420 --> 0:20:26.240
<v Speaker 2>standing ovation at Dodger Stadium from his new hometown crowd.

0:20:26.859 --> 0:20:28.800
<v Speaker 2>And this carried extra meaning.

0:20:29.380 --> 0:20:32.780
<v Speaker 1>That it was at home. Because while Tucker's.

0:20:32.380 --> 0:20:37.160
<v Speaker 2>Numbers had been marginally respectful on the road, albeit under

0:20:37.260 --> 0:20:41.340
<v Speaker 2>his career norms, his numbers at home at Dodger Stadium

0:20:41.740 --> 0:20:46.140
<v Speaker 2>had been historically low. And he gets the ovation on Friday.

0:20:46.640 --> 0:20:51.190
<v Speaker 2>And then he goes 0 for 4 that night. And then,

0:20:51.210 --> 0:20:55.330
<v Speaker 2>the next night, finally... It seemed he snapped out of

0:20:55.369 --> 0:21:00.619
<v Speaker 2>his slump, which had included an 0-for-26 streak by smacking

0:21:00.740 --> 0:21:05.040
<v Speaker 2>a clutch go-ahead two-run single against the Pittsburgh.

0:21:04.640 --> 0:21:08.310
<v Speaker 1>Pirates, which ended up being the winning hit in that game.

0:21:08.990 --> 0:21:11.330
<v Speaker 2>I haven't had a hit in the last three homestands,

0:21:11.430 --> 0:21:14.630
<v Speaker 2>Tucker said to the media in a post-game interview. When

0:21:14.750 --> 0:21:21.020
<v Speaker 2>asked about the ovation, the always mid-tempo Tucker said... It's nice.

0:21:21.359 --> 0:21:24.439
<v Speaker 2>They come out and support us every single day. So,

0:21:24.859 --> 0:21:30.200
<v Speaker 2>ovation acknowledged, I guess. Again, it seemed that the slump

0:21:30.260 --> 0:21:35.859
<v Speaker 2>was over. But the surge in Tucker's offensive performance was short-lived.

0:21:37.920 --> 0:21:41.619
<v Speaker 2>After that series against the Pirates, Tucker started slumping again

0:21:41.800 --> 0:21:44.300
<v Speaker 2>on the road trip that followed. And then in the

0:21:44.340 --> 0:21:47.889
<v Speaker 2>first game of this series against the Braves, Tucker went 1-for-4.

0:21:49.369 --> 0:21:53.810
<v Speaker 2>managing just a little pop fly single thing. In the

0:21:53.850 --> 0:21:58.510
<v Speaker 2>second game of this Brave series, Tucker went 0 for 5.

0:21:58.510 --> 0:22:01.690
<v Speaker 2>And in the third and final game, which just ended,

0:22:01.950 --> 0:22:04.649
<v Speaker 2>so now I can talk about it a little bit, here,

0:22:05.520 --> 0:22:09.909
<v Speaker 2>later on Thursday night, we lost another one-run game, 1-0,

0:22:10.619 --> 0:22:15.020
<v Speaker 2>in an incredible pitcher's duel. Chris Sale pitched a complete

0:22:15.060 --> 0:22:20.310
<v Speaker 2>game shutout. out-dueling Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who just gave up one

0:22:20.510 --> 0:22:24.000
<v Speaker 2>little solo home run on the first pitch of the game.

0:22:24.020 --> 0:22:26.240
<v Speaker 1>That was it. But it was enough.

0:22:26.760 --> 0:22:30.060
<v Speaker 2>And Tucker was not even in the lineup against the

0:22:30.119 --> 0:22:32.879
<v Speaker 2>tough lefty that is Chris Sale. He came in as

0:22:32.920 --> 0:22:35.680
<v Speaker 2>a pinch runner in the ninth inning, but nothing came

0:22:35.720 --> 0:22:40.790
<v Speaker 2>of it. Tucker's struggles represent that of the Dodgers' entire

0:22:40.850 --> 0:22:45.740
<v Speaker 2>team writ large. Simply underperforming. And when it matters the most,

0:22:46.240 --> 0:22:50.010
<v Speaker 2>he's been at his worst. And he's not the only one,

0:22:50.109 --> 0:22:52.409
<v Speaker 2>and I certainly do not want to scapegoat him. He

0:22:52.430 --> 0:22:55.310
<v Speaker 2>has gotten so much bad attention from the media of late.

0:22:55.750 --> 0:22:58.530
<v Speaker 2>But since we focused on him last week, it seemed

0:22:58.590 --> 0:22:59.949
<v Speaker 2>worth following up.

0:23:01.090 --> 0:23:01.690
<v Speaker 1>And Teo.

0:23:02.730 --> 0:23:05.740
<v Speaker 2>I said we'd talk about Teo. Teo is on this

0:23:05.810 --> 0:23:09.350
<v Speaker 2>team for his bat. He's not the best defensive outfielder.

0:23:09.430 --> 0:23:10.630
<v Speaker 1>No one expects him to be.

0:23:11.090 --> 0:23:12.689
<v Speaker 2>It's part of the reason why he went back to

0:23:12.730 --> 0:23:14.870
<v Speaker 2>left field this season and we went out and got

0:23:14.890 --> 0:23:18.149
<v Speaker 2>Kyle Tucker because he couldn't really hack it in right field.

0:23:18.450 --> 0:23:21.390
<v Speaker 2>And left was the lesser of two evils. But Teo

0:23:21.520 --> 0:23:24.020
<v Speaker 2>is having a tough year at the plate. He had

0:23:24.040 --> 0:23:26.600
<v Speaker 2>a tough year last year, but this year is even worse.

0:23:26.980 --> 0:23:29.680
<v Speaker 2>And it's gotten so bad that in this series against

0:23:29.720 --> 0:23:33.800
<v Speaker 2>the Braves, in the first game, during an important... Late

0:23:33.880 --> 0:23:38.070
<v Speaker 2>inning at bat, against a tough left-handed reliever, Dave Roberts

0:23:38.130 --> 0:23:41.090
<v Speaker 2>needed a pinch hitter, and Tao, who was supposed to

0:23:41.130 --> 0:23:43.379
<v Speaker 2>be a lefty masher and who had not made a

0:23:43.400 --> 0:23:47.460
<v Speaker 2>start that day, was passed over by Doc, who instead

0:23:47.560 --> 0:23:52.610
<v Speaker 2>pinch hit Miguel Rojas. Miggy Rowe is having a great

0:23:52.630 --> 0:23:56.050
<v Speaker 2>year at the plate, especially against lefties, so this move

0:23:56.190 --> 0:23:59.210
<v Speaker 2>made a lot of sense. But we have Teoscar Hernandez,

0:23:59.650 --> 0:24:03.760
<v Speaker 2>the big-time slugger, and he's been so clutch over the

0:24:03.800 --> 0:24:07.100
<v Speaker 2>past few years for us on this historic World Series run.

0:24:07.600 --> 0:24:12.419
<v Speaker 2>He hit that grand slam in San Diego back in 2024.

0:24:12.420 --> 0:24:15.540
<v Speaker 2>We don't win that series without that hit. He was

0:24:15.600 --> 0:24:19.320
<v Speaker 2>also in the mix during that Game 5 turnaround in

0:24:19.359 --> 0:24:22.810
<v Speaker 2>New York City, the deciding game of the 2024 World

0:24:22.850 --> 0:24:25.939
<v Speaker 2>Series that same year. He hit a clutch homer in

0:24:26.109 --> 0:24:29.810
<v Speaker 2>Philly in the following postseason. But if he's not able

0:24:29.890 --> 0:24:32.990
<v Speaker 2>to perform in a late inning game in August, can

0:24:33.030 --> 0:24:35.590
<v Speaker 2>we expect that he'll be able to do it in October?

0:24:37.330 --> 0:24:39.649
<v Speaker 2>And then in the second game of this series, Teo

0:24:39.710 --> 0:24:43.409
<v Speaker 2>did have a couple hits. But he overran a ball

0:24:43.530 --> 0:24:49.399
<v Speaker 2>in the outfield, and that defensive miscue lost the Dodgers

0:24:49.859 --> 0:24:54.500
<v Speaker 2>a 3-2 lead. Instead, the Braves went ahead 4-3, and

0:24:54.540 --> 0:24:58.580
<v Speaker 2>so those two runs caused by the misplay ended up

0:24:58.800 --> 0:25:02.929
<v Speaker 2>being the difference maker, negating the contributions Tao made at

0:25:02.970 --> 0:25:06.369
<v Speaker 2>the plate that day. In this third and final game,

0:25:06.850 --> 0:25:12.070
<v Speaker 2>the nail-biting, agonizing 1-0 loss that just ended here on

0:25:12.130 --> 0:25:16.300
<v Speaker 2>Thursday night, we just got beat by a Cy Young

0:25:16.400 --> 0:25:21.119
<v Speaker 2>award-winning pitcher in Chris Sale, who ever so slightly out-dueled

0:25:21.380 --> 0:25:26.340
<v Speaker 2>our ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who again gave the offense more

0:25:26.380 --> 0:25:29.350
<v Speaker 2>than a fair opportunity to give the Dodgers a W,

0:25:29.660 --> 0:25:32.510
<v Speaker 2>but nobody could get anything going against Sale. And that's

0:25:32.550 --> 0:25:35.790
<v Speaker 2>going to happen, and it wouldn't be so darn frustrating

0:25:35.810 --> 0:25:38.609
<v Speaker 2>had it not been that we already lost the first

0:25:38.650 --> 0:25:42.040
<v Speaker 2>two games against this team for reasons that, as I

0:25:42.119 --> 0:25:46.300
<v Speaker 2>just detailed throughout this episode, are a cause for concern

0:25:46.820 --> 0:25:51.109
<v Speaker 2>as we look toward October. Lucky for us, there's still

0:25:51.310 --> 0:25:54.410
<v Speaker 2>almost 30 games of baseball left to be played during

0:25:54.450 --> 0:25:58.909
<v Speaker 2>this regular season. And tonight's game against the Detroit Tigers

0:25:59.470 --> 0:26:03.209
<v Speaker 2>could be the emotional reset that this team needs to

0:26:03.270 --> 0:26:09.500
<v Speaker 2>get back into form just at the right time. The

0:26:09.580 --> 0:26:13.919
<v Speaker 2>Dodgers are in Detroit to take on the Tigers, a.k.a.

0:26:13.960 --> 0:26:17.750
<v Speaker 2>the team that Tarek Skubal spent his first six seasons with,

0:26:18.290 --> 0:26:21.310
<v Speaker 2>won two Cy Young Awards with, the place where he

0:26:21.330 --> 0:26:24.650
<v Speaker 2>has his family, his friends... the place he just got

0:26:24.690 --> 0:26:28.540
<v Speaker 2>traded from a few weeks ago to the Dodgers. And

0:26:28.619 --> 0:26:31.520
<v Speaker 2>guess who's pitching in the first game of this series

0:26:31.560 --> 0:26:33.340
<v Speaker 2>in Detroit for the Dodgers?

0:26:34.340 --> 0:26:38.080
<v Speaker 1>That's right. Scooby-Doo-ger!

0:26:38.740 --> 0:26:41.720
<v Speaker 2>It's bound to be an emotional day for Tarek Scooble,

0:26:42.080 --> 0:26:46.420
<v Speaker 2>no matter what, but it could be cathartic and inspiring

0:26:47.010 --> 0:26:50.790
<v Speaker 2>to see him rise to the occasion amid what is

0:26:50.869 --> 0:26:55.389
<v Speaker 2>sure to be a boisterous atmosphere and one that no

0:26:55.450 --> 0:26:58.609
<v Speaker 2>doubt would tug on his heartstrings as much as it

0:26:58.670 --> 0:27:02.900
<v Speaker 2>will stress everybody out. One of the things I love

0:27:02.960 --> 0:27:06.440
<v Speaker 2>most about this time of year, this time in the season,

0:27:06.810 --> 0:27:10.229
<v Speaker 2>is that you can start looking for moments that will,

0:27:10.450 --> 0:27:14.590
<v Speaker 2>in retrospect, look like turning points, where the story shifts,

0:27:15.090 --> 0:27:18.320
<v Speaker 2>and what follows is a beautiful last chapter. In a

0:27:18.380 --> 0:27:32.379
<v Speaker 2>baseball season, we will never forget. Dodger Blue Dream is

0:27:32.440 --> 0:27:36.910
<v Speaker 2>written and produced by me, Richard Parks III. My co-host

0:27:37.050 --> 0:27:41.110
<v Speaker 2>is Chef Wesley Avila. Original music in this episode by

0:27:41.190 --> 0:27:45.919
<v Speaker 2>William Ryan Fritch, Jonathan Snipes, The Blasting Company, and by me.

0:27:49.970 --> 0:27:52.729
<v Speaker 2>Dodger Blue Dream is produced in partnership with iHeart's My

0:27:52.750 --> 0:27:56.950
<v Speaker 2>Cultura podcast network. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the

0:27:56.970 --> 0:28:00.760
<v Speaker 2>iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to

0:28:00.800 --> 0:28:01.639
<v Speaker 2>your favorite shows.

0:28:14.280 --> 0:28:15.540
<v Speaker 1>Thank you.