September 27th, 2019 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka In the big scheme of things, the Dodgers 1-0 win over the NL West fourth-place and long ago eliminated San Diego Padres on Thursday afternoon at Petco Park was as meaningless of any game the Dodgers have played all season. That is, of course, unless you think that having home-field advantage in the World Series is also meaningless. In other words, although the game had no bearing whatsoever for the NLDS-bound Dodgers, it was huge when it comes to where the National Anthem will be sung for Game-1 of the Fall Classic, should the Dodgers get there.
With Thursday’s win, the Houston Astros (who also won on Thursday) currently hold a precarious one-game advantage (104 wins to the Dodgers 103 wins) for the best record in baseball with three games remaining in the 2019 regular season. This, of course, means that should the season end this way, the aforementioned National Anthem would be sung at Minute Maid Park in Downtown Houston for Game-1 of the World Series, should the Astros get there.
However if, by chance, the Dodgers manage to win out the three-game weekend series against the NL West third-place San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park and win the NLDS and NLCS, and if, by chance, the Astros were to get swept by the (wait for it…) Angels of Anaheim this weekend at The Big A, Dodgers popular organist Dieter Ruehle will be playing said National Anthem at Dodger Stadium for Game-1 of the World Series.
That’s a lot of ifs and a monumental task for the Dodgers and an even more monumental – and near-impossible – task for the Angels which, of course, brings us back to the importance of Thursday’s otherwise meaningless 1-0 Dodgers win over the Padres.
Although Thursday’s box score will forever show that the Dodgers lone game-winning run came after very speedy Dodgers center fielder Chris Taylor drew a two-out walk off of Padres left-hander Joey Lucchesi in the top of the sixth inning and then scored from first base on a single to left/center by Dodgers second baseman Max Muncy, that game-winning run actually scored because of an incredibly gutsy send by Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel.
“It was big,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Ebel sending Taylor home. “But you’re talking about CT getting a good secondary [lead], a ball in the gap, two out, and going until he stopped. And so, right there, with two outs, Chris gave Dino the opportunity to send him by going hard all the way around second base, get to third base.
“And so it was a great send regardless of the result right there,” Roberts added. “I thought it was a great send and fortunately for us, Hedges couldn’t handle that throw.”
Well done, Dino!
Oh … and you too, Chris.
Play Ball!
* * * * *
Posted in 
This should be a big weekend in regards to who will end up with the best won and loss record.
GO DODGERS!!!!
I didn’t see the play live, but this does reflect the Dodgers aggression on the bases. It may not always show up as stolen bases, but their team speed has shown up all season taking extra bases and going for home with Dino green lighting lots of tight plays. Forcing other teams to execute relays perfectly can be a strategy in it’s own right!
This weekend , the Giants will have nothing else in mind but to help spoil Dodger’s chances for HFA should they get to the WS. Giants will be looking to play their best baseball this weekend ,more so than at any other time this year. And remember that the HFA in the 2017 WS didn’t matter because of the results anyway.