Mother Goose.
Ever since that silly goose landed on the field at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers have been putting up a lot of goose eggs on the scoreboard.
As far as superstitions go, this one is for the birds.
Whoever heard of a cursed goose? A cooked goose, yes. That usually means one’s fate is sealed, doomed really. Was the goose that landed at Dodger Stadium an omen of doom? A fowl of foreboding fortunes? An ill-fated feather of a different color?
The Dodgers started the National League Division Series against those pesky San Diego Padres on the right foot. On the right wing? It was definitely going in the right direction. The Dodgers won Game 1, 5-3. They took a 5-0 lead. They looked like they were in complete control of the game, from making the right choice to start Julio Urias to seeing Trea Turner banish his demons of playoffs past.
But in Game 2, things changed. The goose brought some bad juju when it landed in shallow centerfield. It has brought nothing but sorrow and slumps for the Dodgers.
Clayton Kershaw turned in an ugly performance in Game 2. It was really a classic Kershaw playoff start, with fat and hittable pitches that led to rallies run amok, yet the Dodgers were never really out of the game, until the goose made an appearance. The last goose to strike this much fear in the Dodgers was named Gossage. Perhaps this latest goose was channeling Dodger repelling powers of the original Goose Gossage.
The Dodgers lost Game 2, 5-3. The Padres were all of a sudden flying high on optimism. There was no telling what heights they might reach, heading home to Petco Park with home-field advantage and their heads in the clouds with thoughts of knocking the Dodgers out of the playoffs.
The Dodgers slump spilled over into Game 3. The Dodgers bats were cold. The Dodgers decided to start Tony Gonsolin, who barely lasted two innings. They loaded the bases in the third inning, and it was almost as if the Padres had the Dodgers right where they wanted them. The Dodgers failed to score, and the Padres had thoughts of feasting on the Dodgers bullpen.
Light-hitting Trent Grisham continued his sudden playoff success for the Padres, hitting a solo home run to give the Padres a 2-1 lead.
It was all the space the Padres needed.
They won Game 3 and are on the verge of eliminating the Dodgers from the playoffs.
The thought of the Padres knocking the Dodgers out of the playoffs gives all the Dodger fans goose bumps.
What is the best way to break the curse of the goose? It wasn’t the Catman. It wasn’t Kershaw. It looks like the Dodgers are going to turn to Tyler Anderson to see if they can find their way back on the correct playoff path.
If not, the Dodgers goose is cooked.
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