美国国家公共电台 NPR--MLB playoffs: There are 4 division series matchups this weekend

MLB playoffs: There are 4 division series matchups this weekend

Transcript¹

The Major League Baseball playoffs are in full swing. NPR's A Martinez talks to Alanna Rizzo from the MLB Network about baseball's 2022 postseason.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

The Major League Baseball playoffs are in full swing, with a slate² of games scheduled for today and over the weekend. All of these series are best of five, so the team that wins three games moves on to the next round. Alanna Rizzo from the Major League Baseball Network is with us.

Alanna, let's start in the National League - Phillies hosting the Atlanta Braves, series tied at 1. How are the Phillies, the team with the worst playoff record - actually, the regular season record in the playoffs managed to basically put the Braves on the brink³ here.

ALANNA RIZZO: Well, good morning. I think the biggest thing is that the Braves do such a great job at home. They're at Truist Park in Atlanta. And they have such a great record there over the course of the regular season. I want to say it's the third-best record in all of baseball in terms of home-field advantage. And the Phillies - you have to keep in mind, they've been playing on the road for quite some time. So the fact that the Phillies were able to get that first game is huge. You want to go on the road and at least - at the very least - be able to get a split. The Phillies did that in Game 1. The Braves answered in Game 2. And they had that timely hit that you're constantly looking for.

So I don't think for one second that the Atlanta Braves are worried at all about this series now that they go back to Philly and play at Citizens Bank Park. The Atlanta Braves are, of course, the reigning⁴ World Series champions. They have an incredibly good core of players. And I do think that they'll be just fine. I certainly picked Atlanta in that series.

MARTINEZ: All right. Now, the Padres, San Diego Padres - they're home tonight to take on the LA Dodgers⁵. It's a chance to take a 2-1 lead. The Dodgers won 111 games, fourth most in history. They dominated the Padres all season. How much trouble are the Dodgers in?

RIZZO: I don't think the Dodgers are in any sort of trouble at all. If you take a look at what the Dodgers have done historically - and I understand that Padres fans think that this is a rivalry⁶. I can respect that. But it's not a rivalry until there's, you know, equal wins and losses on both sides. I think the Padres did a tremendous job in Game 2 of being able to use their bullpen effectively. And I also think that Manny Machado, who has carried the Padres the entire season, came up huge against Clayton Kershaw with an early home run in Game 2.

But if you look at the Dodgers - and you mentioned 111 wins - they just have the playoff experience that the Padres do not have. Now, what I do think the Padres have over the Dodgers is probably better starting pitching. In Game 3, it's Blake Snell going up against Tony Gonsolin. In Game 4, it's Joe Musgrove going up against Tyler Anderson. The Dodgers wouldn't have been where they were without those two. But when you're going head to head, I think it favors the Padres. But I certainly - just based on the offense⁷ of the Dodgers and postseason experience, I don't consider the Dodgers to be in trouble. I pick the Dodgers in four.

MARTINEZ: OK. We've got a minute left - two series to go, Astros trying to get back to the World Series. They lead the Mariners⁸ 2-zip. The Mariners were a big surprise - first time in the playoffs in 20 years. Are the Astros are about to rain on that Seattle parade?

RIZZO: I don't think so. And I think, you know, the fact that the Astros had an opportunity to lose Game 1 - and they didn't. And the Mariners let Justin Verlander off the hook. And now they're going down - back home, thankfully - but they're down 0-2. And that's a very difficult thing to respond to and come back from. The Astros are about to make their sixth straight trip to the American League Championship series. And I love what the Mariners are putting together, and they have a bright future. But I think there's no way the Astros will lose three in a row.

MARTINEZ: Now, speaking of rainouts, the first game of the day is a makeup⁹ of yesterday's Game 2 rainout in New York between the Yankees and Cleveland Guardians¹⁰. If this were the regular season, a rainout would probably be no big deal. But how does a rainout impact a team's playoff strategies?

RIZZO: Well, if it was the regular season, you'd find an equally - mutually agreed upon makeup date. But that's not the case. Now what they're going to have to do is potentially play four straight games, which really wreaks¹¹ havoc¹² on their bullpen.

MARTINEZ: That's a Alanna Rizzo from the MLB Network.

Alanna, thanks a lot.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 slate   

n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订

参考例句：

• The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
• What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？

3 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

4 reigning   

adj.统治的，起支配作用的

参考例句：

• The sky was dark, stars were twinkling high above, night was reigning, and everything was sunk in silken silence. 天很黑，星很繁，夜阑人静。
• Led by Huang Chao, they brought down the reigning house after 300 years' rule. 在黄巢的带领下，他们推翻了统治了三百年的王朝。

5 dodgers   

n.躲闪者，欺瞒者( dodger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a crackdown on fare dodgers on trains 对火车逃票者的严厉打击
• But Twain, Howells, and James were jeeringly described by Mencken as "draft-dodgers". 不过吐温、豪威尔斯和詹姆斯都是被门肯讥诮地叫做“逃避兵役的人。” 来自辞典例句

6 rivalry   

n.竞争，竞赛，对抗

参考例句：

• The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。
• He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

7 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

8 mariners   

海员，水手（mariner的复数形式）

参考例句：

• Mariners were also able to fix their latitude by using an instrument called astrolabe. 海员们还可使用星盘这种仪器确定纬度。
• The ancient mariners traversed the sea. 古代的海员漂洋过海。

9 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

10 guardians   

监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者

参考例句：

• Farmers should be guardians of the countryside. 农民应是乡村的保卫者。
• The police are guardians of law and order. 警察是法律和秩序的护卫者。

11 wreaks   

诉诸（武力），施行（暴力），发（脾气）( wreak的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Worshipping the sun wreaks havoc on skin. So does smoking. 过度晒太阳会毁掉好皮肤，吸烟也是如此。
• His hard work wreaks havoc in his personal life. 他拼命工作破坏了他的私人生活。

12 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。