The Dodgers and Nationals are tied up in the best of 5 series at 1-1 in the NLDS. The Dodgers suffered their first loss Friday night falling 4-2 with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th. The Dodgers offense had no answer for Strasburg through the first 4 innings as no man reached base. It wasn’t until 2 out in the 5th inning where Will Smith dropped one in for a base hit. In the 6th inning, the Dodgers began to rally by scoring a run on a sacrifice fly by Justin Turner. Unfortunately Pollock was the next batter up and he lined out to the pitcher on the 2nd pitch. It was an ugly showing by the Dodgers offense, they were struck out 17 times, which was a season high in a 9 inning game, while also hitting 5-31 (.161) and leaving 7 on base.
There are 2 players that have to start coming through for the Dodgers in order to have any shot to make the World Series. That would be Cody Bellinger and AJ Pollock. In Game 2, Pollock hit 3rd while Bellinger was slotted in the cleanup spot. In a spot where you need production, these two combined for 0-8 with 5 strike outs. In the 2 games thus far they are a combined 0-14 with 10 strike outs!
Cody Bellinger had a season for the ages in 2019 and should in all likelihood be the National League MVP. However, that has not transcended into the postseason. Bellinger is a lifetime .164 hitter in the postseason with just 4 home runs, 13 rbis and 49 strike outs over 122 at bats. That is a 40% K rate in a sport where putting the ball in play is essential. Bellinger is 1 for his last 25 in the playoffs.
Both Bellinger and AJ Pollock had their moment to shine last night when the team needed them most after Turner led off the bottom of the 9th with a ground-rule double. Pollock struck out swinging and Bellinger popped up to Rendon on the first pitch, which gave Daniel Hudson an easy 2 outs.
AJ Pollock was given a 5 year/ $60 million in the offseason to be that missing bat the Dodgers needed in previous postseasons. So far, he’s off to an 0-8 start with 6 strike outs in the NLDS. Pollock is another player who has yet to find himself in the postseason. He’s hitting .136 with 10 strike outs in 22 at bats; therefore striking out 45% of the time. Pollock has been swinging at a lot of pitches outside the strike zone and needs to fix this issue sooner than later.
Game 3 of the NLDS begins Sunday as Max Scherzer is scheduled to face Hyun-Jin Ryu
photo credit: KTLA