Here are the things that worry me as a Dodgers fan, as we sit less than an hour from game time.

Yes, I am at home. Lowest ticket prices were $772, and cheapest one I'd sit in was $1500. Too much.

Judge/Soto/Stanton are beasts, and might be difficult for the uneven Dodgers pitching to deal with.

Judge has killed the Dodgers. In 10 career games, he has 8 HR (!!) and a .389 average. In 2024, he hit 3 HR in just 8 AB.

Over 26 games versus the Yankees in his career (surprised it's not more, but he missed a number due to injuries), Ohtani is hitting just .209 against the Yankees, though he does have 9 HR. He went 1/9 this year with 0 HR.

While the Dodgers pitching shocked everyone (including me) with 33 straight scoreless postseason innings, much of it was done with smoke and mirrors. Basically the Dodgers are not bringing a single killer pitcher to the table. Yamamoto is inconsistent. Flaherty's velocity is down, and he might be bad again tonight. Buehler... do I have to even say? And that bullpen, while overachieving this year (especially in the postseason), simply isn't a collection of great talents. It's a bunch of minor leaguers and journeymen who somehow cobbled together a good season. Holding down the bats of the hotheaded/immature Padres and the undertalented Mets is one thing Holding down the Yankees big 3 is another. Evan Phillips, who came into 2024 as the team's closer, was left off the roster.

With that said, the Yankees bullpen is not stellar either. And color me really really skeptical about Luke Weaver. Sure, he had a nice year, but look at his past two, featuring ERAs over 6.50. This guy is someone I could totally see the Dodgers tagging hard in a big spot at the end of the game. Mariano Rivera he ain't.

This might just be a slugging series, where both teams slam the other's pitching. As tough as it is to face Judge/Soto/Stanton, it's not like it's going to be a picnic for the Yankees to deal with Ohtani and the rest of what the Dodgers have to offer. I think some of the Dodgers' success will depend upon whether they're getting contributions from guys like Muncy, Will Smith, and Kike' Hernandez. And if Freeman can stay healthy. But they can't keep getting clobbered in the opening innings because their starting pitching sucks. That's not gonna fly here.