CLINCH WATCH 2021 – Dodgers Have Perfect Home Stand – 9/15/2021

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Dodgers Have Perfect Home Stand

I kept telling myself not to get too excited, that it was only the Diamondbacks, who are circling the drain record-wise this season.  But when Kenley Jansen threw an eleven pitch inning with three strikeouts, I couldn’t help but let out a whoop of happiness.

The 2021 Dodgers finally look like the team we knew they were all along.

I can’t impress upon you how much I’m NOT disappointed by them.  The only reason we’re not shouting GOAT at this team is because the Giants are on a previously unimaginable tear through the league.  Despite our rotation being in shambles, chronic injuries, and slumps from key players, the Dodgers are still putting up one hell of a season.

The Giants are having stellar seasons from several key players, especially veterans.  Their record shows it.  The Dodgers have had entire chunks of the lineup gone at times and are breathing down their necks.  

That’s not nothing.

Dodgers improve to 94-53 and Julio Urías picked up his MLB-high 18th win.  Diamondbacks fall to 47-99.  Only the Orioles have a worse win percentage, but that’s just because of number of games played.  It’s possible the D-backs will be the first team to lose 100 games this season.  Hope they get some good draft picks out of it, at least.  I guess.

Padres Beat Giants With Good Small Ball

No doubt, Jurikson Profar’s two-run homer in the 7th helped put some space between the Giants and the Padres, but most of the Dads’s runs came from playing the short game.  Five Padres players doubled, Machado twice.  Tommy Pham might have been 0-3 a the plate but drew two walks, though he didn’t score with them.

On the Giants side, a little bad luck and bullpen game gave advantage to the visitors.  Most of their runs came from the long ball, with Estrada, Bryant, Duggar, and Belt all knocking solo homers.  They also knocked in four RBIs with two outs.  Posey came up clutch in the ninth with an RBI single, but it wasn’t enough to get a true rally going.

Still, this orange team is frustratingly relentless.

Padres improve to 75-70, Giants “fall” to 95-51, and, as mentioned are within spitting distance of the indomitable Dodgers.

Rockies Squeeze Another Close Win Out Of Atlanta in Extras

Rockies closer Robert Stephenson earned the save in extras, though it took him 21 pitches with a HBP to do it.  

Former Dodger and all-around-lovable goof Joc Pederson once more pinch hit in the seventh but flew out to left.  Joc is hitting .230 for the Braves right now, exactly the average he hit while with the Cubs.  Neat.

Raimel Tapia came in to the game in the bottom of the ninth as part of a defensive double switch.  It was Tapia who singled in the ghost runner in the 10 after Dom Nunez grounded out to move the runner to third.

The Braves sent up some of their big swingers, but they wren’t able to retake the lead.

Rockies improve to 68-78 and with a .528 win percentage, the Braves still somehow lead the NL East Division.

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