World Learns Dodgers Won 100 Games Despite Their Entire Starting Rotation Being Injured

Plus, the Phillies look like a team of destiny, the Orioles fight to save their season today, and the Twins have to overcome the noise at Minute Maid Park.

Mookie Betts makes the “We’re losing a billion to nothing” face. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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Hi friends-

We’re talking baseball today during the two AL playoff games. Paid subscribers come hang out with us in here:

If you’re new to the Long Game and you’re trying to figure out who I am or what this newsletter is, all those answers can be found here.

Also, we’re starting a book club in November for paid subscribers, because so many of you have asked for it!

The first book we will read is The Boys of Summer, by Roger Kahn. We will discuss it the last week of November over Zoom. I’ll send you the Zoom date later, but I wanted to provide you with the title to give you ample time to read it. Our book for December will be The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk. Both of these books are quite famous for good reason. If you haven’t already read them, you will love them. If you’ve already devoured one or (both), I hope you’ll join our Zoom convos anyway! <3

Ok. Whew. Gah. Last night.

I watched the Dodger game from a sports bar in Los Feliz. On my way there, a friend texted me with fake news that Kershaw had been scratched to rile me up. (He only let me believe it for 30 seconds, but still. He’s now on my list!!)

I actually thought it was kinda weird that Kershaw was starting Game 1, since his arm is working like a wet piece of spaghetti right now. I guess I just assumed the Dodgers would start Bobby Miller, so I didn’t bother writing a piece on why they should start Bobby Miller. Um. Not that they listen to me, but oops.

James Outman set the tone early for a Kershaw nightmare playoff start by flubbing a fly ball hit to him that should have been caught or ruled an error. It Outman makes that catch, perhaps Kershaw only gives up two runs that inning and the whole game is different. I’m not saying the Dodgers would have won, because Kershaw had *nothing* working for him. But perhaps he would have gone three innings and given up five instead of giving up six runs and getting one out in the worst start of his career.

I wrote Friday that Merrill Kelly would have to get over his trouble facing the Dodgers for the D-Back to have a chance in this series. Well, pitching with an 11-run lead is one way to knock that gorilla off your back. Kelly was able to aggressively pound the strike zone in a way that he would not have been able to had the game been close. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, Kershaw’s horrendous first inning sent them all into a coma, and it looked as if the team thought, alright. Let’s just re-group for Monday.

Here’s a thought exercise for you: