“THIS IS OUR YEAR” – Dave Roberts!!!!
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 19, 2020
“This is our year” – A common phrase coaches, players, and fans use to express the confidence they have in their team. It was also the closing remark of Dave Roberts’ speech following the Dodgers’ huge NLCS victory about 45 minutes ago. I’m too superstitious to ever say something as bold as “This is our year” about a team I deeply care about, but I fucking love the confidence by Roberts there.
The stage is now set. Dodgers vs. Rays in the 2020 World Series. To be completely honest, I couldn’t name one guy in the Rays starting lineup except for that guy Randy with the cowboy boots, but they weren’t the best team in the American League for no reason…they can play. Lead by Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, the Rays have one of the best pitching staffs in the league, and Moneyball’d their lineup to somehow score runs.
However, after just beating the Braves, who had one of the best pitching staff’s in the League this year, the Dodgers couldn’t have had a better pre-World Series matchup. Suffice to say, theoretically, if the Dodgers were able to hit that well against an elite group of Braves pitchers, they should be able to be just as good (if not better) in the World Series. It’s even scarier that there isn’t a break in the Dodgers lineup, especially with a DH. In how many other MLB lineups would reigning MVP Cody Bellinger bat sixth? None, that’s how many. And by the time pitchers reach the bottom of the Dodgers lineup, they have Mookie Betts, Corey Seager (daddy), and Justin Turner waiting for them right around the corner. Their lineup is RELENTLESS. So, what this final round ultimately comes down to is whether or not the Dodgers pitching staff can out-duel an inferior group of no-named Rays hitters.
Look, the Dodgers didn’t have the best record in the Majors this year for no reason. They’re the best team on paper in the league (possibly ever) and now they’re riding high off of a HUGE game 7 victory. The Rays are also just off of a game 7 win, but they let the sub .500 Asterisks come back after being down 3-0 in the series. While it’s still a big deal they were able to win the series, the hype doesn’t compare to the Dodgers, who were down 3-1 and just won three games in a row. I will tell ya that only having ONE day off before the World Series starts could factor into the Dodgers’ ability to start hot, but the way the game is played now, it might be better for them to have virtually no rest. Rest vs. Rust. Ideally, I’d love if they had at least one more day off just so their pitching staff could recover a little more, but I think for the most part they’re in a solid position to come out strong.
Like I said earlier, I’ll never say “This is our year”, but let’s just say I certainly like our odds more than I did in the last World Series the Dodgers were in. Granted, hindsight is 20/20, but with the team built the way it is, it’s hard to bet against them. If the Dodgers could win the chip just a few weeks after the Lakers won theirs, I think it’s only right Garcetti says to hell with Covid and throws a joint parade the likes of which could never be topped. I’ll show up in a god damn hazmat suit if that’s what it takes.
Sorry, was getting a little ahead of myself there. 4 more. Globe Life Field. World Series. Game 1. Tuesday at 5:09 PM. Dodgers vs. Rays. Job’s not finished. 