Indians v. Cardinals
34. 1952 World Champion New York Yankees v. 98. 2017 NL Champion Los Angeles Dodgers
All 5 teams which have advanced to the next round are World Champions - if the Dodgers take this series, that would break that streak. We see our first 21st century team in Round 2, and we skip forward a decade in Yankee franchise history from the bottom half of Region 1.
Yankees 95-59 Mgr. Casey Stengel
Won AL Pennant
d. Dodgers in WS
d. #95 1971 Pirates (MVP-Hank Bauer)
All-Stars: OF Hank Bauer, C Yogi Berra (4th AL MVP) OF Mickey Mantle (3rd AL MVP) 2B Gil McDougald, SP Vic Raschi, SP Allie Reynolds (2nd AL MVP) SS Phil Rizzuto
Hall of Famers: Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Johnny Mize, Phil Rizzuto, Casey Stengel
Dodgers 104-58 Mgr. Dave Roberts (2nd NL Mgr of Year)
Won NL West
d. Diamondbacks in NLDS
d. Cubs in NLCS
lost WS to Astros
d. #31. 1912 Red Sox (MVP-Clayton Kershaw/Rich Hill)
All-Stars: 1B Cody Bellinger (NL ROY) RP Kenley Jansen (5th NL Cy Young) SP Clayton Kershaw (2nd NL Cy Young) SS Corey Seager, 3B Justin Turner, SP Alex Wood
Dodgers Lineup
SS Seager (23) 126 5.2
1B Bellinger (21) 143 4.1
3B Turner (32) 150 5.1
LF Taylor (26) 123 4.6
RF Puig (26) 119 3.5
C Grandal (28) 101 3.8
CF Pederson (25) 96 .2
2B Utley (38) 93 .95
P Kershaw (LH) (29) 179 6.1
Bench
CF Toles (25) 102 .4
CF Hernandez (25) 92 1.3
C Barnes (27) 138 3.2
2B Forsythe (30) 1.5
SP2 Wood (LH) (26) 152 3.8
SP3 Hill (37) (LH) 125 2.7
Yankees Lineup
LF Woodling (29) 148 3.6
CF Mantle (20) 162 6.3
C Berra (27) 137 5.6
1B Collins (29) 140 3.1
RF Bauer (29) 132 3.6
3B McDougald (24) 101 3.3
SS Rizzuto (34) 94 3.8
2B Martin (24) 90 1.8
P Reynolds (35) 161
Bench
SP2 Lopat (LH) (34) 131 1.8
SP3 Raschi (33) 119
WAR Advantage
C - Yankees
1B - Dodgers
2B - Yankees
SS-Dodgers
3B-Dodgers
LF-Dodgers
CF-Yankees
RF-Yankees
SP1-Dodgers
SP2-Dodgers
SP3-Dodgers
Bullpen -Dodgers
Dodgers-8 Yankees 4, so the Yankees have the better seed giving them home field advantage but the Dodgers have a substantial WAR advantage. The Yankees do have the best player, a 20 year old Mickey Mantle, but its close. I'll say the Dodgers are the favorites to advance here.
GAME ONE
1st: Allie Reynolds gets the ball for the Yankees; 35 year old RH, 20-8, 2.06 -- this is Reynolds' 11th big league season; the first five were in Cleveland, without any real distinction (he led the league in Ks once and in BBs once) and right after the '46 season, the Indians dealt him to New York for future Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Gordon. Reynolds' peak has been the last two seasons, 3rd in the MVP race in '51, second this year. At 35 years old, this is easily the best version of Allie Reynolds on the mound right now. He gives up a one out walk to Cody Bellinger and a two out walk to Chris Taylor - but LA doesn't score.
1st: The Dodgers do not have any Hall of Famers, but that's just a function of time, Clayton Kershaw will be inducted one day - he is a 29 year old lefty, 18-4, 2.31, he has been in the Dodger rotation since he was 20 years old. Kershaw won the Cy Young in 2011, finished second in 2012, won in 2013 and 2014, finished 3rd in 2015, 5th in 2016 and finished 2nd this year. 1-2-3
2nd: Yasmani Grandal is platooning at catcher for LA - he walks. Grandal came over to LA from the Padres prior to the 2015 season in a deal for Matt Kemp; he'll spend 4 years as the Dodgers catcher before heading to the Brewers as a free agent; after an out, Reynolds walks Chase Utley - that's four walks in two innings, but no runs.
2nd: 1-2-3
3rd: After two out, Chris Taylor doubles for the game's first hit. Taylor was a bench piece for the Mariners who they sent to LA during the 2016 season for Zach Lee - he split his time this year in center, in left, at short - the Dodgers really valuing positional flexibility. He's left stranded at third.
3rd: 1-2-3, 9 up, 9 down.
4th: Joc Pederson walks, that's the fifth walk of the game allowed by Reynolds. Pederson's platooning in this series, LA has a couple of center fielders sitting on the bench ready to get a start against a LH. He finished 6th in the NL Rookie of the Year in 2015, he had his lightest year with the bat to date this year, hitting .212. Two outs later Corey Seager walks - six walks in 4 innings, but still scoreless.
4th: After two outs, Joe Collins singles. Johnny Mize is a Hall of Famer, despite being 39 years old he still had a good year with the bat - but he can't get into the lineup for this series, blocked by Collins. He came up in '48 and this is his first year as a full time player and the best year he'll ever have with the bat. He'll play a decade, all with the Yanks. That's all.
5th: Justin Turner walks - the 7th Dodger base on balls. With his 150 OPS+, Turner is the best bat on this Dodger club. He had five unnoticed seasons when he signed as a free agent with the Dodgers prior to the 2014 season, completely retooled his swing and had an instant, dramatic improvement - bumping up 55 OPS+ points from his previous high. He finished 9th in the ML MVP in '16 and 8th this year. Two outs later Grandal singles and then Pederson drives both home with a double to score the game's first runs. Utley is intentionally walked to bring Kershaw to the plate - he singles home Pederson and LA has opened up a lead Dodgers 3 Yankees 0
5th: Gil McDougald singles, he's a career Yankee - was Rookie of the Year last year, in '51 - and made his first All Star team this year. he'll have two top 10 MVP finishes in '56 and '57 and be out of the league after the 1960 season. Phil Rizzuto doubles - and the Yankees score their first run on a Billy Martin groundout. Casey goes to his bench right now and brings on Charlie Silvera, the backup catcher, to hit for Reynolds - he hits a sac fly that scores Rizzuto; Gene Woodling singles, it ends there, but the Yankees are back in it - Dodgers 3 Yankees 2
6th: The Yankees do not have nearly, not nearly the bullpen the Dodgers have - 34 year old RH Johnny Sain gets the call here. He won 11 games for the Yankees with a 3.46 ERA. Sain shares a birthday with me and Rizzuto. He broke in with the Braves in '42 and then missed 3 years for the War. He came back in '46 and had top five MVP finishes in both '46 and '48 as half of the Spahn and Sain and Pray for Rain Boston duo. He fell off the table in '49 and the Yankees got him during the '51 season for Lew Burdette. Next year, he'll bounce back with an All Star campaign in the Yankees rotation and pitch until '55. He gives up a one out Turner single, then a two out Puig single, that's all.
6th: Hank Bauer, the MVP of the Yankees round 1 win, singles with 2 out. Bauer came up with the Yankees in '48, he's in his prime right now, this year was his first AL All Star team, he'll make the team the next two years and his only top 10 MVP finish will be '55. He'll be a Yankee through '59. Kershaw holds here and LA still has a one run lead heading to the 7th.
7th: Sain hits Pederson, that's it.
7th: Phil Rizzuto hits his second double - we saw Rizzuto in Region one with the '41 Yankees, but not the '43 Yankees because he's gone for the War - he came back in '46 and will be a Yankee the rest of his career, retiring after the '56 season. He advances to third - but Kershaw strands him there.
8th: Cody Bellinger is the NL Rookie of the Year - 21 years old - two years from now he'll win the MVP. Right now he hits a first pitch homer - a real titanic blow to right center to extend the Dodger lead. Taylor walks after an out and then Puig singles. Sain keeps LA there. Dodgers 4 Yankees 2
8th: LA has a deep pen; 31 year old RH Josh Fields gets the call with a 2.84 ERA. He came over to LA last year in a deal with Houston for Yordan Alvarez, 1-2-3
9th: Corey Seager singles with 2 out, Seager was Rookie of the Year last year and through 2020 remains the Dodgers primary shortstop - Bellinger doubles, that's going to score Seager and it looks like LA is going to get game one. Dodgers 5 Yankees 2
9th: 29 year old RH Kenley Jansen comes on. 41 saves and a 1.32 ERA. A real hammer. He broke in in 2010 and has been the Dodger closer since 2012. He was 5th in the Cy Young race this year, the best of his career.
Bauer is first - K.
McDougald is next - he reaches by error.
Rizzuto strikes out. Two away.
Billy Martin goes down 0-2, but fists a single into left. 2 on. 2 out. Johnny Mize comes on to hit.
The Big Cat is now 39; he broke in with the Cards back in '36, had 4 top 10 MVP finishes through '42 and then missed 3 years for the War. He led the league in homers with the Giants in '47 and '48. The Yankees bought him during the '49 season. Next year will be his last.
And Mize comes through with a base hit - that's going to score a run and it's 5-3.
Gene Woodling is next - runners at the corners -- two out -- and Jansen strikes him out on 3 pitches.
Dodgers 5
Yankees 3
WP Kershaw
LP Reynolds
Strong 7 for Kershaw with an RBI and the Dodgers take game 1.
Seager reached twice
Bellinger reached 3 times with a homer
Turner reached twice
Taylor reached 3 times
Puig had 2 hits
Grandal reached twice
Pederson reached 3 times
Utley reached twice
For the Yanks -
Rizzuto had two hits, both doubles
Game 2 in New York - can the Yankees salvage a split at home?
LF Taylor (26) 123 4.6
3B Turner (32) 150 5.1
1B Bellinger (21) 143 4.1
C Barnes (27) 138 3.2
RF Puig (26) 119 3.5
SS Seager (23) 126 5.2
SP2 Wood (LH) (26) 152 3.8
RF Bauer (29) 132 3.6
CF Mantle (20) 162 6.3
LF Woodling (29) 148 3.6
1B Collins (29) 140 3.1
C Berra (27) 137 5.6
3B McDougald (24) 101 3.3
SS Rizzuto (34) 94 3.8
2B Martin (24) 90 1.8
SP2 Lopat (LH) (34) 131 1.8
GAME TWO
1st: Tasked with evening this up is a 34 year old lefty, Eddie Lopat, 10-5, 2.53, Lopat came up in '44 with the White Sox, prior to the '48 season the Yankees got him in a deal that included Eddie Robinson, Lopat's only All Star appearance was '51, the year after this, '53, he'll lead the league in ERA and retire as an Oriole in '55. Taylor singles to open the game, after two outs Austin Barnes, catching today against the lefty, doubles him home. Dodgers 1 Yankees 0
1st: LA throws another lefty at the Yanks, 26 year old Alex Wood, 16-3, 2.72, Wood broke in with the Braves in '13, was dealt to LA at the Break in '15 in a massive 3 team deal that included 11 other players. This is Wood's career season, he finished 9th in the Cy Young race. He gives up a leadoff single to Bauer, gets two outs and then gives up a 2 run bomb to Joe Collins - that gets this Yankee Stadium crowd alive. Dodgers 1 Yankees 2
2nd: Kike Hernandez is in center today against the lefty and he walks with one out, he came up with the Astros in '14, wound up in Miami before the end of that season and onto LA before the start of the next, he and Barnes came over together with Dee Gordon, Dan Haren and Miguel Rojas headed the other way. Hernandez plays all over the diamond for LA. The Dodgers do not score.
2nd: 1-2-3
3rd: Taylor singles and Justin Turner walks, and out later he walks Barnes to load the bases. This is Barnes career year with the bat pretty easily - Lopat gets the second out - but then a Seager base hit ties the score and a Hernandez walk puts the Dodgers again out in front. Logan Forsythe is the third Dodger playing today against a lefty - and he also comes through here, with a single that scores two runs. Dodgers 5 Yankees 2
3rd: Bauer singles with one out, after the second, Gene Woodling walks. Woodling came up with Cleveland when he was 20 - served two years in the military - went to the Pirates and then in '49, was bought by the Yankees from the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. Woodling will lead the AL in OBP in '53, and be in the bigs until 1962 when he retires as a Met. The Yanks don't score.
4th: 1-2-3
4th: Yogi singles. Yogi was 21 when he came up in '46, finished third in the AL MVP race in '50, won it in '51, 4th this year, 2nd in '53, won in both '54 and '55, 2nd in '56 -- Yogi is an AL All Star 15 consecutive seasons. McDougald singles. After an out, Martin singles and the Yankees have them loaded - but they do not score.
5th: Barnes walks, an out later Seager singles, and then Hernandez walks and now it's LA who has loaded the bases -- but the Dodgers also do not score.
5th: Woodling hits a one out double -- but nothing else.
6th: Taylor singles, an out later Bellinger singles, Lopat keeps the Dodgers from scoring again.
6th: McDougald walks - but Wood shuts it down -- the Dodgers are just three innings away from taking a 2-0 lead.
7th: Seager walks/Hernandez singles- that ends Lopat's day, Johnny Sain enters for the Yanks, he gets the next 3 to keep New York within shouting distance.
7th: As was the case in game 1-, the Dodgers turn to Josh Fields, he gets the first two, but then gives up a Gene Woodling homer and the Yankees get a little closer. Dodgers 5 Yankees 3
8th: Barnes singles with two out, that's all. Lopat keeps the Yankees in this one.
8th: After an out, McDougald singles - that's going to bring the tying run to the plate and Dave Roberts to the mound for a pitching change; 29 year old RH Pedro Baez had a 2.95 ERA, and he comes on now -- and he gers through it.
9th: Puig reaches on an error and then Seager and Hernandez walk back to back -- bases loaded and nobody out for the Dodgers, they're a hit away from icing this game - Puig scores on a Forsythe groundout, and then Seager scores on a Joc Pederson sac fly. That sure looks like plenty. Dodgers 7 Yankees 3
9th: 32 year old RH Brandon Morrow had a 2.06 ERA and he's on to end this, 1-2-3
Dodgers 7
Yankees 3
WP Wood
LP Lopat
The Dodgers were favorites, despite the lower seed, and they came into Yankee Stadium and played like it, taking both games.
For LA -
Seager has reached 6 times
Bellinger has reached 4 times with a homer
Turner has reached three times
Barnes reached 4 times
Hernandez reached 5 times
Taylor has reached 6 times
Puig had 2 hits
Grandal reached twice
Pederson reached 3 times
Utley reached twice
For the Yanks -
Rizzuto had two hits, both doubles in game 1
Bauer reached twice in game 2
Woodling had 2 game two hits
McDougald reached 3 times in game 2
And Mantle is still hitless.
Game 3 - back in Dodger Stadium, the Yankees are really up against it now.
RF Bauer (29) 132 3.6
CF Mantle (20) 162 6.3
LF Woodling (29) 148 3.6
1B Collins (29) 140 3.1
C Berra (27) 137 5.6
3B McDougald (24) 101 3.3
SS Rizzuto (34) 94 3.8
2B Martin (24) 90 1.8
SP3 Raschi (33) 119
SS Seager (23) 126 5.2
1B Bellinger (21) 143 4.1
3B Turner (32) 150 5.1
LF Taylor (26) 123 4.6
RF Puig (26) 119 3.5
C Grandal (28) 101 3.8
CF Pederson (25) 96 .2
2B Utley (38) 93 .95
SP3 Hill (37) (LH) 125 2.7
GAME THREE
1st: Third straight Dodger lefty is Rich Hill, 37 years old, 12-8, 3.32, Hill broke in with the Cubs in '05, it was during his 12th season, now with the A's, that he was sent to LA at the 2016 deadline. with Josh Reddick for Jharel Cotton and Frankie Montas. He moves into the Dodger rotation where he stays until leaving for the Twins as a 40 year old in 2020. 1-2-3
1st: Vic Raschi is a 33 year old RH and he stands on the Dodger Stadium mound; 16-6, 2.78, he was a 27 year old rookie with the Yankees in '46, led the league in starts in '49, had top 10 MVP finishes in '50 and '51, his last All Star game was this year, and '53 will be the last effective year of his career. 1-2-3
2nd: 1-2-3
2nd: 1-2-3
3rd: The first hit of the game is Phil Rizzuto's, a single - and the first run of the game is scored by Rizzuto on an RBI double by Billy Martin. Martin's already advanced to the next round, as the '77 Yankees manager. He came up as a 22 year old two years ago, this is his first season as a starter; he'll make one All Star team, in '56, which was his last full season as a Yankee. His last year in the bigs is '61 in Minnesota. Hill gets two outs and then, despite his still being hitless, the Dodgers intentionally walk Mantle - and it works. Yankees 1 Dodgers 0
3rd: Raschi hits Pederson - could be inadvertant, or could be a message from a tough minded Yankee club; he retires the next 3.
4th: Collins walks, nothing else.
4th: 1-2-3, Raschi has yet to allow a hit
5th: After an out, Martin singles, that's all.
5th: Yasiel Puig singles, LA's first hit. Puig was 2nd in the NL Rookie of the Year in 2012, outside of injury he's been the Dodger right fielder since, next year will be his last in Dodger blue. Grandal walks, Raschi gets an out - but then Chase Utley singles home the tying run. Yankees 1 Dodgers 1
6th: Woodling walks with one out, that's all.
6th: 1-2-3
7th: 1-2-3, Hill has allowed 3 hits.
7th: Taylor walks - two outs later Pederson is hit again. That's going to end his series, Kike Hernandez enters to run for him - Raschi's only allowed 2 hits and we go to the 8th.
8th: For the third straight day, Josh Fields is on in relief; 1-2-3
8th: Andrew Toles hits in the pitchers spot and walks, Corey Seager singles and there's a stir here in Los Angeles - the go ahead run is at second; Raschi bears down and gets the next 3.
9th: Pedro Baez is on for the second straight game; 1-2-3
9th: 1-2-3; Raschi has thrown all 9, given up just 3 hits.
10th: After an out - Rizzuto triples -- go ahead run now 90 feet away for the Yankees; and they get it on a Billy Martin double - big, big game for Martin and the Yankees take the lead. Brandon Morrow replaces Baez - and he gets through it. Yankees 2 Dodgers 1
10th: Johnny Sain is on for the third straight game - he needs 3 outs.
Chase Utley is first - he grounds to Martin. One down.
Logan Forsythe is next, hitting for the pitcher - he grounds to Rizzuto, two down.
Corey Seager grounds to Rizzuto - onto first -- and the Yankees are a game away from tying the series.
Yankees 2
Dodgers 1
WP Raschi
LP Baez
9 innings of 3 hit ball for Raschi,
For the Yanks -
Rizzuto has 4 hits
Woodling reached 3 times in the last two games
McDougald reached 3 times in game 2
Martin had 3 hits today with two dobules
And Mantle is still hitless.
For LA -
Seager has reached 7 times
Bellinger has reached 4 times with a homer
Turner has reached three times
Barnes reached 4 times
Hernandez reached 5 times
Taylor has reached 7 times
Puig has 3 hits
The Game 1 pitchers - Kershaw and Reynolds will return for Game 4. Can the Yankees force a Game 5?
RF Bauer (29) 132 3.6
CF Mantle (20) 162 6.3
LF Woodling (29) 148 3.6
1B Collins (29) 140 3.1
C Berra (27) 137 5.6
3B McDougald (24) 101 3.3
SS Rizzuto (34) 94 3.8
2B Martin (24) 90 1.8
P Reynolds (35) 161
SS Seager (23) 126 5.2
1B Bellinger (21) 143 4.1
3B Turner (32) 150 5.1
C Barnes (27) 138 3.2
LF Taylor (26) 123 4.6
RF Puig (26) 119 3.5
2B Utley (38) 93 .95
P Kershaw (LH) (29) 179 6.1
GAME FOUR
1st: Clayton Kershaw won Game 1 and he returns here looking to end the series. 1-2-3
1st: His opponent is Allie Reynolds - he gives up a first pitch single to Corey Seager - he's reached 8 times now in the series; it ends there.
2nd: 1-2-3
2nd: 1-2-3
3rd: Martin is the first Yankee baserunner, walking with one out - it ends there.
3rd: 1-2-3, 8 straight for Reynolds.
4th: 1-2-3, Kershaw has not allowed a hit
4th: 1-2-3, 11 straight for Reynolds
5th: After two outs, the first Yankee hit is Rizzuto's, a double - Kershaw intentionally walks Martin to pitch to Reynolds -- who he also walks to load the bases -- but that's all.
5th: Taylor walks and then steals second - Dodgers have a runner in scoring position with no one out - Reynolds gets two - intentionally walks Utley to pitch to Kershaw - and gets him. We head to the 6 th in a taut Game 5.
6th: Mickey Mantle singles. His first hit of the series. Mantle's just 20, the youngest player in the series, he came up last year and that year and 1966 will be the only years of his career he didn't make the All Star team. He finished 3rd in the AL MVP race this year, will win in '56, '57 and '62. Gene Woodling walks and the Yankees are in business - but Kershaw holds the line.
6th: 1-2-3, Reynolds has given up one hit.
7th: Rizzuto reaches on a one out error and Martin walks, Charlie Silvera hits for Reynolds - big decision there by Casey - Kershaw gets him to ground out to the right side and everyone moves up a base - and that matters immediately when Bauer singles to right field to score both runners. The Yankees have taken the lead - Mantle singles again - it ends there, but the Yankees are the first team to dent the scoreboard, Yankees 2 Dodgers 0
7th: For the 4th straight game - here comes Johnny Sain. He gives up a one out Taylor double, and then a run scoring single to Puig. The Yankees bullpen is their weakest area and they have to find 8 more outs. Berra guns Puig down trying to steal second - with two out now, Hernandez walks and Utley doubles.
So - Yankees up a run. 2 out. 2 men in scoring position - pitchers spot up and Andrew Toles comes to the plate. Casey counters with a 31 year old RH Bobby Hogue with a 5.32 ERA. Toles singles sharply to score the tying run. That's where it ends - but it's all tied up. Yankees 2 Dodgers 2
8th: For the 4th straight game, the Dodgers turn to Josh Fields - he gives up a one out single to Yogi - but that's it. Tough to win this battle of the bullpens if you're the Yankees.
8th: 1-2-3, nice inning for Hogue.
9th: Fields gets two - but then gives up a single to Bauer and that will bring Mickey Mantle to the plate. The Dodgers counter with Pedro Baez.
So - here we are. 2-2, man on. 9th inning, 2 out. Yankees need this game to force a Game 5.
And Baez strikes Mantle out.
9th: 25 year old RH Jim McDonald enters, hes got a 3.50 ERA - he walks Taylor on four pitches and that's the possible winning run - he gets one - and then Hernandez lines one to right - Taylor was running on the pitch -- it's into the RF corner - Taylor is going to round third -- Bauer hits Martin - the relay home ---
Safe.
Yankees 2
Dodgers 3
WP Baez
LP McDonald
LA with the win in the bottom of the 9th and this Dodger team has advanced to the Round of 32.
Seager reaches 8 times for LA.
10 times for Chris Taylor - and he scored the series winning run.
The 2017 Dodgers move on and will face the 1948 Indians in the next round.
