The Dodgers Are Pulling The Plug On Yasmani Grandal After Nightmarish Game 3

Yasmani Grandal has been having an absolutely terrible postseason for the Dodgers, batting .136 through seven playoff games. But the Game 3 shutout against the Brewers was a tipping point for fans and manager Dave Roberts. At the post-game press conference, Roberts announced that backup catcher Austin Barnes would start in place of Grandal for Game 4. Barnes started for 13 of the Dodgers’ 15 postseason games when Grandal began to slump late last season.

Grandal has been a pretty big defensive liability for Los Angeles. At the top of the sixth with two outs and a runner on third, he let a pitch get past him which allowed the Brewers to double their lead at the time to 2-0. Two innings later, he let another pitch get away from him for his third passed ball in two starts. It was at that point that the crowd really turned on him.

Even Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart was sick of Grandal’s shit.

It didn’t get much better for Grandal in the batter’s box. He left five runners on base in two of his plate appearances, which included a three-pitch strikeout in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded. Grandal did manage to hit a double in the one plate appearance he didn’t strike out in, and he seems to have taken the optimistic energy from that one positive play tonight and run with it.

Unfortunately, optimism only gets you so far when your manager agrees with the jeering fans within your own stadium, and you’re being subbed for your replacement from last season’s playoffs in a contract year.