The Dodgers won the first game of the 2019 NLDS by a convincing 6-0 margin, and they did it on the strength of stellar pitching and Max Muncy‘s bat.
Oh, and a couple of home runs, just for insurance.
The Dodgers pitching staff held the Nationals to just two hits while striking out 13.
Los Angeles started the scoring early, by being patient. Patrick Corbin couldn’t find the strike zone in the first frame, walking four batters. That matched his career-high in walks against the Dodgers in a game.
Walker Buehler faced the minimum through three, but ran into some trouble in the fourth inning. He walked the bases loaded, but was able to escape on a comebacker for the third out.
The Dodgers were held hitless through three innings. Muncy led off the fourth with a hit against the shift, the first of the game. He was followed by Corey Seager, who slipped one under Howie Kendrick‘s glove for the second straight hit of the inning, but the Dodgers were unable to cash in.
After a 1-2-3 inning by Buehler, Cody Bellinger walked to start the fifth inning, and Chris Taylor beat out a infield hit despite a spectacular play by Anthony Rendon. Muncy hit another one under Kendrick’s glove, and the Dodgers took a 2-0 lead. Taylor was thrown out at home for the third out of the inning.
Buehler again threw a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth. He ended his night with 100 pitches—no runs, one hit. three walks and eight strikeouts.
Adam Kolarek relieved Buehler to start the seventh. He struck out Juan Soto on three pitches. He was immediately replaced by Kenta Maeda, who retired the next two batters.
Tanner Rainey took over for Corbin in the seventh inning. The Nationals starter finished with one earned run, three walks, five walks, and nine strikeouts. Pinch hitter Joc Pederson walked, and Turner blooped a single info shirt right. Fernando Rodney replaced Rainey, with runners on first and third. Rodney walked Taylor, and Muncy subsequently delivered a two-run single. The Dodgers took a 4-0 lead.
Maeda was dominant in the eighth, retiring the side and collecting two strikeouts in the process.
The first home run of the postseason was hit, of course, by a rookie. Pinch-hitting for Maeda, Gavin Lux took Hunter Strickland deep to give the Dodgers a 5-0 lead. Lux became the youngest Dodger in postseason history to homer for the Dodgers.
The second long ball was hit by Pederson—a shot off the right field foul pole, stretching the Dodgers’ lead to six.
Joe Kelly was brought on to throw the ninth. He promptly gave up a leadoff double, but then retired the next three batters to preserve the two-hit shutout.
The Dodgers and Nationals will face off in Game 2 on Friday. Clayton Kershaw will take on Stephen Strasburg at Chavez Ravine.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
Didn’t expect a shutout but did expect to score late.
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What’s the secret for staying logged in here?
Ok, I think I solved it. Let’s see how long it lasts.
Rams are off. Goff is off, offensive line needs to improve, too many drops, giving up too many points. Will they improve? Maybe. I think this group needed a few quarters of playing time in pre-season.
I can see every game in this Washington series looking like last night’s game. We need to lay off the low snappers. 12 k’s. Yoiks. We did manage 7 walks but those numbers could have been reversed if we hadn’t chased so many breaking balls out of the zone. Pick up the spin right away! That is what is meant by SEE THE BALL. See the spin, then hit those that are over the plate between your navel and your knees. Easy peasy, if you first SEE THE …. ball.
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Nope. Kicked me out again. Been wrasslin with this long enough. I’ve got things to do.
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Every time I come back to the site, it seems as if I need to login as well. It was never like that in the past. I was told the WordPress engineers are looking into it. I know Bear1 was having the same problem.
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Loved the great pitching, and some timely hitting. Turner and Bellinger’s strikeouts don’t settle too well, only because we need those guys to be hitting well. But hey! They don’t grade on style points. Up 1-0 feels good! God bless you guys.
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Can Kersh get out of the first inning unscathed? That’s a key for us tonight and can we drive up Strasburg’s pitch count? I would expect him to throw a lot of fastball first pitch strikes anticipating that strategy. That was Brewers strategy the other night was to go after Scherzer first pitch fastballs. Well see
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After watching the Dodgers flail away at ankle high breaking pitches I’d throw high heat followed by bouncing downward spinners.
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