Tomorrow night, the Los Angeles Dodgers begin their playoff journey and the NLDS at home against the Washington Nationals. Indeed, the player opposing them on the mound may seem a little scary. While not the most physically intimidating figure – Corbin has nastiness on the mound – and stuff that plays up against the Dodger lefty bats.
Furthermore, he sports a 3.36 lifetime ERA against Los Angeles in 19 career games started. Considering that some of those starts came in the hitters haven in Arizona, Corbin has handled the Dodgers well in the past.
On Wednesday, the Dodgers met with the media to discuss the upcoming NLDS. Of course, at the forefront of topics discussed was Corbin and the Nationals’ pitching staff that includes Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.
Dave Roberts Breaks Down Facing Patrick Corbin Game One
Dave feels "familiarity" with Patrick Corbin plays up for Dodgers in game 1.
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 2, 2019
First, Dave Roberts says that the ‘familiarity’ the Dodgers have with Corbin actually serves as an advantage. Moreover, he used this familiarity with the Nationals’ game one starter to profile Corbin a bit.
“With Corbin – coming out of Arizona – he’s fastball and slider. That’s to the lefties and the righties. If we can keep him in the strike zone, it increases our opportunities. But if we are chasing below the zone, then it’s going to be a long day for us.”
Honestly, while some might disagree with Roberts’ familiarity comment; it should give the Dodgers a competitive edge in terms of developing a game plan and scouting report.
Cody Bellinger On The Dodgers’ Young Left-handed Hitters versus Corbin
On advice vs Corbin for young lefties? Bellinger "forget about the name on his back."
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 2, 2019
Lifetime, Cody Bellinger is 2 for 8 against Patrick Corbin. While it’s not a large body of work, he has enough of a memory bank to remember what an at-bat against Corbin feels like. Therefore, Bellinger’s advice for other left-handed hitters in the Los Angeles lineup is simple.
“Forget about the name on his back.”
Simply – Bellinger is speaking like a veteran here – and it’s awesome to hear. Obviously, Corbin has developed a reputation for being a big-game pitcher. Furthermore, Bellinger is telling his teammates to remain in the moment and treat Corbin like he’s any other southpaw.
For a third-year player – albeit one that has already been through the rigors of two deep postseasons – this is an awesome quote.
Cody Bellinger Talks Dodgers Bats versus Nationals Starting Pitching
Bellinger knows that the Nats starters are "strikeout pitchers but we're ready for it."
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 2, 2019
Thankfully, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg were used in the NL Wildcard game and won’t be seen until later on in the NLDS series. Still, they’re coming. With that being said, Bellinger was asked about the Nationals’ highly-praised pitching staff, and how the Dodgers will deal with them.
“They are strikeout pitchers but we’re ready for it.”
Remember, the deep data says the Dodgers are as good at hitting hard stuff as anyone in baseball. Therefore, guys with really hard stuff like Scherzer and Strasburg don’t really scare them. Truly, I take Bellinger at his word with this simple quote; I believe the Dodgers will treat the two right-handed aces of Washington like any other hard throwing pitchers.
Full Dodgers’ NLDS Press Conference
In case you were not able to see the full press conference, it’s provided in full for you right here:
Final Word
Truly, is there anything better than the eve of a playoff series? Without a doubt, the Dodgers sound reserved and confident. From Roberts to Bellinger, you can tell that this is a team that realizes this is only the first step in many. They aren’t treating this like it’s everything, they’re taking it one day at a time and remaining in the moment.
Finally, we are abundant with reasons to be excited about the next few nights and this month as a whole.
