Through the first three games of the 2018 National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers, Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal has committed two errors, has allowed three passed balls (with a wild pitch that should have been scored a fourth), is 2-for-9 at the plate (.222), with a team-leading five strikeouts.

Yet when the 29-year-old La Habana, Cuba native was asked about all of this following Monday night’s 4-0 shutout loss, he had this to say:

“The way I see it is overall, I was pretty good.”

No seriously, he actually said this.

Rather that simply admit to reporters that he is having an atrocious NLCS on both sides of the ball, Grandal smugly told them that he thinks he is doing “pretty good.” (Video capture courtesy of FS1)

Here is what he said verbatim:

“I think it’s driving you guys [the media] more nuts than me. I blocked eight balls in the dirt today. I mean, the one ball that kicks off the plate, we had a man on third, it still hits me in a good spot. It just happened to be one of those plays where, as the ball is coming down, it’s picking up speed and it hits the back of the plate and picks up even more speed. I think any baseball person understands what it is to be able to block a ball like that.

“The way I see it is overall, I was pretty good. I don’t really hear the noise outside. I value my opinion way over everybody else. That’s what keeps me sane.”

The “noise” of which Grandal speaks were the loud boos from the 52,793 at Dodger Stadium who didn’t quite see it that way. In fact, the last time the Ravine heard boos of this nature directed at one of their own was when Dodgers reliever Pedro Baez was completely ineffective before finally (and thankfully) reinventing himself to the point where he is now arguably the best reliever in the Dodgers bullpen not named Kenley Jansen.

Among those expressing their dissatisfaction with Grandal’s shoddy play on Monday night were two of the Dodgers biggest and most loyal fans – the lovable Mary Hart (of Entertainment Tonight fame) and her husband, movie and television producer Burt Sugarman, who are longtime Dodgers season ticket holder in the front row directly behind home plate.

I can assure you that Burt Sugarman and Mary Hart aren’t expressing their approval of Grandal after his eighth inning passed ball in Monday night’s 4-0 Dodgers loss to the Brewers in Game-3 of the NLDS. It was Grandal’s third passed ball of the series. (Video capture courtesy of FS1)

What does Dodgers manager Dave Roberts have to say about Grandal’s horrible play through the first three games of the best-of-seven NLCS?

“We’re going to play [Dodgers back-up catcher] Austin [Barnes] tomorrow, Austin will catch,” Roberts said after the game. “Yaz will be ready to go off the bench. He’s been good for us all year, so he’ll be ready off the bench tomorrow.

“He had a tough night and obviously the fans voiced their opinion,” Roberts continued. “They’re passionate, they want to win, they want the best out of all of us, especially in the postseason. So, I know it’s not personal and I think it’s just one of those things that they were just as frustrated as we all were.

“I think in moments of leverage, in the box, I see him getting a little too anxious. And the block tonight with Shaw at third base, a back-up slider, that he just couldn’t get around, but that was a tougher play than it seemed, than it looked like. And then there was the passed ball that just hit his glove off the [Alex] Wood pitch,” concluded the Dodgers skipper.

Grandal’s eighth inning passed ball literally went into and out of his glove, allowing Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun to take second base. (Video capture courtesy of FS1)

As for Grandal’s offense, it has been near non-existent. In addition to his dismal 2-for-9 at the plate with five strikeouts, Grandal came to the plate in the bottom of the second inning on Monday night with one out and runners at second and third. But whereas a simple fly ball would have scored a run and a base hit two, Grandal struck out for the first of what would end being three strikeouts on the night for him.

A simply fly ball with one out and runners at second and third would have scored a run. Instead, Grandal struck out. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

But the biggest – and last – strikeout of the night for Grandal occurred in the bottom of the ninth with one out and the bases loaded representing the tying run … on three pitches. But there would be no Kirk Gibson-esque “impossible / improbable” home run for the beleaguered Dodgers catcher on this, the thirtieth anniversary of the greatest home run in Dodgers and baseball history, to the day.

Although it is easy to point the finger at Grandal as the reason why the Dodgers now find themselves down two games to one in the win-or-go-home NLCS, there is another and even bigger concern for Roberts and his team. They were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight runners on base on Monday night.

In the simplest of terms, it is imperative that the Dodgers win on Tuesday night in Game-4 of the NLCS, when they send left-hander Rich Hill to the mound opposite Brewers left-hander and Game-1 starter Gio Gonzalez.

The good news is that win or lose, there will be a Game-5 on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw will make the start in that game.

The bad news is that even if the Dodgers win one or both of the next two games at Dodger Stadium, they will have to return to Miller Park in Milwaukee for at least a Game-6 and quite possibly a Game-7.

…not exactly a favorable thing, other than still being in the hunt.

Play Ball!