ARLINGTON, Texas – Austin Barnes dropped Cody Bellinger at the top of the square – a very fine strip – around a square and Bunten down. After two innings, he rotated a slider over the plate and carried it into the bullpen in the left-center area. Barnes is a career backup catcher who was dropped from the Los Angeles Dodgers postseason roster last year. He batted ninth in Game 3 on Friday, ending 6-2 with a 2-1 series win over the Tampa Bay Rays, and appeared largely in line due to his relationship with starting pitcher Werker Buhler. And yet he became the second player in the history of the World Series to run with a sacrifice and run home in another.
One of his balls went 4 feet and traveled 35 miles. The other went 425 feet and did 104 miles. Together, they served as an exaggerated representation of what would differentiate the 2020 Dodgers, and how to finally make them champions for the first time in 32 years – they could beat their opponents anyway.
That hasn’t always happened. Rising stakes in recent October have been hampered by crimes in recent years that are often cold; Who struggled to adapt to a high level of pitching and at the time sat and waited for a home run that didn’t come. These dodgers look different.
“It’s not about running the ball,” said a guy named Mocky Bates who said he set the tone to change attitudes. “We’ve proven we can do it, and we’ve proven we can take our singles too. There’s a time and place for both. I think we’ve done a good job of making the side proud and the long ball side by side. Put on and play pepper. Sometimes that’s the way to play the game. “
The Dodgers, who have spent the last 18 days out of the sprawling Globe Life field, scored five runs within the first four innings of Charlie Morton, who entered the 25⅔ post-season innings thrown for the Rays with a 0.70 Era. Homers of the Barnes scored the fifth time the Dodgers with two outs and two strikes, this postseason – 50 runs with two outs and 36 runs with two strikes.
It started with Justin Turner, who turned two-out, 1-2 fastballs in the first inning and hit his 11th career postseason for Homer, tying Duke Snyder the most in franchise history. With two outs in the third, Corey Seeger hit the pitch, Turner doubled on a 2-2 curb ball, and Max Muncie led the line-drive single to the right-center field on a 2-2 cutter. After Barnes ’safety squeeze – all postseason was started by any team by the third sacrifice – Bates gave the RBI a 3-2 sinker back up for another two-out.
“From top to bottom, we’re doing a few things,” said Dodgers Utility Man Chris Taylor. “We take what they give. It’s not all for the long ball. Naturally with our hitters, we’ll take part in the couple. But I think we’re taking our singles and counting, on base. Getting in person. More consistent. “
It is clear, too, at a loss. Like Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, when they put together a ninth innings of four runs and came within 90 feet of an unlikely comeback. Or Game 2 of the World Series, when they were unaffected by the first four innings, trailing 5-0 after the top of the fifth, although Black Snell was limited to 14 outs and scored a tiring run for the bat three times. In the eighth. These Dodgers are patient of equal parts, resourceful and relentless, characteristics that have become more apparent with each passing round.
Here’s a look at their post-season numbers from recent years:
2017: .242 / .338 / .448, 23.0 K%, 11.2 BB%
2018: .205 / .299 / .344, 27.6 K%, 10.7 BB%
2019: .220 / .303 / .428, 32.8 K%, 10.3 BB%
2020: .253 / .353 / .463, 24.3 K%, 12.3 BB%
And the percentage of postseason created by Homers:
2017: 46.3%
2018: 54.2%
2019: 59.1%
2020: 43.7%
And how they deal with runners in the scoring position in October:
2017: .726 O.P.S.
2018: .657 O.P.S.
2019: .691 O.P.S.
2020: .878 OPS.
“Staying within us, knowing how good the next person is, and not being pressured,” Barney said of what has made Dodgers good in that situation. “Passing the baton, and when you get that pitch, hit it.”
The Dodgers have set up mostly this month. During his 17-13 43-1 regular season, he finished second in his percentage of homers and is ranked 25th in terms of pitches seen in terms of plate appearance – typically embodying swampy, one-dimensional teams struggling at this time of year. Is. Through it all, however, Turner talked about how these dodgers are better equipped in the manufacturing run, and Bates compared them to the 2018 Boston Red Sox team, which was particularly adept at grinding -t-bats. Then the playoffs came, the stakes grew and it proved to be true.
Barnes’ sacrificial set went unnoticed, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was impressed with a cigar in the ninth inning, his team scored five runs, and a base hit to Rays reliever Shane McLennan on the 10th pitch. .
It can be boring, but it can also be what ultimately makes Dodgers champions.
“I think it’s just more of a basic philosophy of trying to really grind, try to win the pitch and move the ball forward, beat the shift if we want to and try to shorten our swings if we need to.” “This is something for us, years of experience in postseason, as a group, that when you participate in 1 and 2 se – these people can make good pillows, quality pitches. Field to try to use the other side, to shorten your swing. , Give yourself a better chance – for the hitting coach’s credit, they’ve done it. “
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