Schneider was back in the lineup on Wednesday evening as Snell returned for his second start of the series, but this time he was used as the leadoff hitter in place of the ailing George Springer. While some fans questioned the decision on social media before the game, the former 28th-round pick quickly silenced any doubters with a solo home run against Snell on the very first pitch of the game.
Blake Snell faltered in Game 1, exposing the Dodgers' vulnerable bullpen, which allowed nine runs in a single inning. The Dodgers' World Series hopes rest entirely on their elite rotation because their bullpen cannot survive even one mediocre start by any of their starters. Future starts by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani must reach deep into games to shield a bullpen the team knew was their greatest weakness.
As former San Francisco Giants starter Blake Snell gets ready to start Game 1 of the World Series for the archrival Dodgers, one key figure around the Giants is saying the left-hander will have a serious impact on how much San Francisco can spend this offseason. Giants broadcaster Dave Flemming was a guest on the " TK Show" podcast from San Francisco Standard columnist Tim Kawakami.
Snell had everything working, and he ended up facing the minimum over eight shutout innings while striking out 10 batters. He only allowed one hit, but picked off the batter shortly after the single. At one point, Snell retired 14 consecutive hitters, which began after he allowed the single to lead off the third inning, and took him through the eighth.
Snell gave the Dodgers six shutout innings while allowing just two hits and two walks. He also struck out a season-high 11 batters. The only time the Rockies put a runner in scoring position was in the fourth inning with two outs, which was the result of a walk and a stolen base by Ezequiel Tovar. Other than that, Snell only allowed two singles and didn't allow them to advance.
The last Dodgers-Padres series was the biggest of the year, and now this one overtakes it. The series started off with a well-played, low-scoring affair thanks mainly to and Blake Snell dueling. Unfortunately, it was Snell who gave up one more run, and that was all the Padres needed, as the Dodgers weren't able to get anything going in the 2-1 loss.
