Max Muncy, Joc Pederson Power Dodgers to Game 1 Win over Braves

Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Joc Pederson, left, celebrates his home run with Max Muncy during the first inning in Game 1 of a baseball National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

The Los Angeles Dodgers opened their postseason with a 6-0 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night.

Joc Pederson led off the first inning with a solo home run, and Max Muncy followed his lead with a three-run shot in the second to give the Dodgers sufficient breathing room while Hyun-Jin Ryu was dealing on the mound.

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In all, Ryu pitched seven innings and gave up four hits and struck out eight before the Dodgers bullpen took over and shut the door on a Braves offense that did not register an extra-base hit.

Muncy, Pederson Power Duo Could Swing Series for Dodgers

The Dodgers didn’t play small ball in Game 1. Then again, they didn’t have to.

Instead, manager Dave Roberts’ squad channeled the formula it embraced throughout the regular season when it cranked out a National League-leading 235 home runs.

Muncy was the engine behind that power-packed attack, and he didn’t deviate from that role Thursday as he mashed what proved to be a devastating blow to Atlanta’s Game 1 hopes.

Alden Gonzalez @Alden_Gonzalez

Max Muncy’s improbable run continues. From 27-year-old non-roster invitee to a .973 regular-season OPS to a big three-run homer in the postseason opener. 4-0, Dodgers, in the 2nd.

Stats By STATS @StatsBySTATS

Max Muncy of the @Dodgers is only the fourth player ever with 3+ RBI and 3+ walks in a playoff game. The others? Eddie Murray (1983), Barry Bonds (2002) and Manny Ramirez (2007). #LADetermined

Pederson, meanwhile, stayed hot with his solo shot after he had seven jacks, a .269 average and a .941 OPS over the final 25 games.

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The headliners of the Dodgers offense, of course, are Justin Turner (1-for-2, 2B, two walks) and Manny Machado (0-for-4, three strikeouts).

But if Pederson and Muncy can continue to crank out a steady stream of long balls and make Braves pitchers pay, they should solidify the top of a batting order that has a chance to propel the Dodgers to their second straight NL pennant.

Foltynewicz’s Inability to Chase Dodger Demons Puts Braves in Hole

There’s no debating Mike Foltynewicz deserved to start Game 1.

The 26-year-old went 13-10 with a 2.85 ERA, two complete games and 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings during the regular season, and he was clearly Atlanta’s best option to take the hill with a chance to steal a win in enemy territory.

There was, however, reason to believe he wouldn’t hold up his end of the bargain despite that encouraging production.

Because even though Foltynewicz blistered most opponents this season, the Dodgers—in an admittedly small sample size—proved to be his Kryptonite.

Specifically, the right-hander gave up four earned runs, two home runs and six hits in five innings when he made his lone regular-season start against the Dodgers on July 27.

And while the bottom of the Dodgers order shouldered the load that night, the top of the lineup inflicted the damage Thursday as Pederson and Muncy jumped on a pair of four-seam fastballs to send the Braves tumbling into a 1-0 series hole.

In all, Foltynewicz allowed four earned runs and three hits while logging five strikeouts in two innings before he was pulled for Sean Newcomb.

David O’Brien @DOBrienATL

#Braves’ Folty first two innings: three walks, a hit batter and two homers allowed.

Cory McCartney @coryjmccartney

Mike Foltynewicz has had only one start in his career close to being this short (2 2/3 on Aug. 11, 2017). Potentially saving him for as early as Game 3, but rough #Postseason debut. #Braves

Foltynewicz could be presented with a shot at redemption later in the NLDS, but his struggles Thursday won’t inspire much confidence if he is fortunate enough to grab another starting nod against L.A.

Kershaw Has Chance to Give Dodgers Series Stranglehold

The Dodgers couldn’t have asked for a better start against the Braves.

They’re in prime position to take a commanding 2-0 series lead with Clayton Kershaw headed to the hill Friday night.

Sure, Kershaw may not be at the peak of his powers after he nursed a back injury throughout the regular season. But considering he posted a 2.73 ERA with 155 strikeouts across 161.1 innings, the Dodgers have to feel good about their prospects entering the weekend.

Furthermore, Kershaw dominated the Braves on July 27 when he scattered six hits across 7.2 innings and allowed a single earned run while recording eight strikeouts and zero walks.

As if that wasn’t enough to like the Dodgers’ chances, Kershaw seems to have a chip on his shoulder after he was bumped down in the rotation in favor of Ryu.

“I don’t really need to prove myself to anybody,” Kershaw said Thursday, per the Orange County Register‘s Bill Plunkett. “I want my teammates to want me out there. I think that’s the biggest thing. Hyun-Jin has had a great season and he’s pitched really well for us. I’m looking forward to watching him tonight. And I’ll get my turn tomorrow.”

Don’t be surprised if the three-time Cy Young Award winner makes a statement before the series shifts to SunTrust Park on Sunday.

What’s Next?

Game 2 is set for Friday night in Southern California. Clayton Kershaw will take the hill for the Dodgers against Atlanta’s Anibal Sanchez.

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Mike Moustakas Walk-Off Hit Hands Brewers Dramatic Game 1 Win vs. Rockies

MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 04: Christian Yelich #22 of the Milwaukee Brewers and Lorenzo Cain #6 celebrate after Yelich hit his two-run homerun in the third inning of Game One of the National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies at Miller Park on October 4, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

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The Milwaukee Brewers avoided a late disaster to escape Game 1 of the National League Division Series with a 3-2 win in 10 innings over the Colorado Rockies.

Christian Yelich started the scoring with a two-run homer in the bottom of the third inning. He also worked a walk in the bottom of the 10th after falling behind 0-2 against Adam Ottavino, took second on a wild pitch and scored the winning run on Mike Moustakas‘ walk-off RBI single.

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This is OCTOBER BASEBALL!

The @Brewers walk things off in Game 1 of the NLDS! https://t.co/O0yUACs19a

Milwaukee closer Jeremy Jeffress, who was dealing with neck spasms last week and wasn’t available during the NL Central tiebreaker against the Chicago Cubs on Monday, looked rusty in his first appearance since Sept. 29.

The Rockies tied the game with two runs on three hits against Jeffress in the ninth. They seemed set for a bigger inning when Charlie Blackmon was initially awarded a ground-rule double that scored one run and put runners on second and third with no outs.

Replay showed the ball hit just to the right side of the chalk, resulting in a foul ball:

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Oh. My. Goodness.

Baseball is truly a game of inches. https://t.co/Sug4bri5f0

Blackmon eventually hit an RBI single to get Colorado on the board, which was followed two batters later by Nolan Arenado’s sacrifice fly to even the score.

Opting to go with a bullpen day to start the postseason, six Brewers pitchers combined to hold the Rockies to four hits with 12 strikeouts in the win.

On the losing side, Colorado’s pitching did everything possible to keep the game close. Starter Antonio Senzatela’s homer to Yelich was his only real blemish. The 23-year-old allowed three hits and two walks over five innings.

Christian Yelich’s Red-Hot Hitting Will Carry Brewers Offense

Yelich has been playing at a high level all season, but he’s been particularly locked in down the stretch.

Since Sept. 3—the day Milwaukee began play five games behind the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central—Yelich has gone 32-for-84 with 10 home runs, 31 RBI, 23 walks and 16 strikeouts in 26 games.

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YELICH!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

This guy is on straight !

@Brewers take the 2-0 lead! https://t.co/GwmERP9tGe

Going back a little further, Yelich has been directly responsible for nearly one-third of all the runs Milwaukee has scored since the start of September:

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Since September 1st, the Brewers have scored 149 runs.

Christian Yelich has either scored or driven in 50 of those runs. That’s just over 33%.

The dude is locked in. https://t.co/YMUN4T9owO

The Brewers have quality depth in their lineup—four players hit at least 20 homers during the regular season, and Yelich and Jesus Aguilar drove in over 100 runs—so they are capable of scoring runs with anyone in the NL.

Yelich, though, is what makes the entire group work because of his ability to hit for average, power and get on base to put pressure on opposing hitters. He will carry the Brewers lineup as far as it will go in the postseason.

Deep Bullpen Makes Brewers NL’s Most Dangerous Team

One day after the Oakland Athletics’ bullpen experiment crashed and burned against the New York Yankees, Milwaukee showed the virtues of using a host of relievers in lieu of a traditional starter.

Brandon Woodruff, who made four starts in 19 appearances during the regular season, showed no nerves at the start of the game. The right-hander had three strikeouts over three scoreless innings.

Corey Knebel and Josh Hader did their part with four strikeouts over three hitless innings before giving way to Jeffress. Joakim Soria, who had a 3.12 ERA and 75 strikeouts over 60.2 innings during the regular season, didn’t even pitch until the 10th inning.

“Everybody is rested. That’s the first thing,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell told reporters Wednesday of his decision to go with the bullpen in Game 1. “And I think for our team, we have—largely, we’re trying to get away from what the word ‘starter’ and ‘reliever’ means. That’s how we’re going to get through the postseason, I think.”

Jeffress had gone 11 straight appearances without giving up a run, so his struggles Thursday aren’t a major concern yet.

This Brewers pitching staff is built in a similar fashion to the 2015 Kansas City Royals squad that won the World Series. Luke Hochevar, Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis logged 44 strikeouts and gave up one run over 35 innings.

Brewers relievers led the NL with 10.38 strikeouts per nine innings and ranked second with 7.1 FanGraphs wins above replacement and a 3.47 ERA.

If they can just get adequate four-inning starts from Chacin and Chase Anderson, the bullpen is more than capable of handling things the rest of the way to keep the opposition at bay.

This has been the year of the reliever in MLB, so it’s fitting a Brewers team led by its bullpen would be the most dangerous in the National League.

Rockies Need Fast Fix for Offensive Issues

As impressive as Milwaukee’s pitching was Thursday, the Rockies have a significant problem they need to correct if they want to make a deep October run.

Here are the Rockies’ offensive numbers away from Coors Field during the regular season in 2018:

Zachary “Doom” Rymer @zachrymer

The Rockies had a 78 wRC+ on the road this year. That’s worse than what the Giants (82 wRC+) had overall.
So, the Rockies not having homefield advantage in this or any series is…kinda big.

Joe Sheehan @joe_sheehan

RoadRockies hit .225/.295/.370 this year.

Over the last 11 road games, the Rockies have scored 26 runs and been shut out twice during that span. They’ve racked up four runs over 23 innings dating back to their 2-1 win against the Cubs on Tuesday.

Even though the Rockies are often known for boasting a loaded lineup, they only had three regulars with an above-average OPS+ (Blackmon, Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story). Their slugging percentage is 133 points lower on the road (.370) than at Coors (.503).

Colorado only had five at-bats with a runner in scoring position Thursday. The pitching has more than held up its end of the bargain lately, giving up three runs in the past two games.

Unless the Rockies can muster some offense when Blackmon, Arenado and Story aren’t in the batter’s box, they will be looking at another early playoff exit.

What’s Next?

The Brewers will host the Rockies in Game 2 on Friday at 4:15 p.m. ET. Colorado will try to even the series behind Tyler Anderson (7-9, 4.55 ERA). Milwaukee will send Jhoulys Chacin (15-8, 3.50 ERA) to the mound on three days’ rest after he logged 5.2 innings against the Cubs.

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China denounces ‘ridiculous’ US claims of election meddling

China angrily denounced on Friday renewed US allegations that it was interfering in upcoming American midterm elections.

In a wide-ranging speech delivered on Thursday night, US Vice President Mike Pence said Beijing was meddling in the vote to counter tough trade policies against China. The comments echoed those by President Donald Trump recently.

Pence said Beijing’s actions add up to a simple message: “China wants a different American president.”

China hit back furiously on Friday, branding Pence’s accusation “ridiculous”.

Hua Chunying, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, said Beijing objected to Pence’s “groundless” allegations and urged the US to stop hurting ties between the two superpowers.

Can the US and China resolve their differences?

“This is nothing but speaking on hearsay evidence, confusing right and wrong, and creating something out of thin air,” Hua said in a strongly worded statement.

She said China was a “builder of world peace” with no interest in meddling in US elections.

“It is very ridiculous for the US side to stigmatise its normal exchanges and cooperation with China as China interfering in its internal affairs and elections,” Hua said.

“The international community has already known fully well who wantonly infringes upon others’ sovereignty, interferes in others’ internal affairs and undermines others’ interests.”

Relations between the world’s two largest economies have plummeted in recent weeks with Trump placing $250bn in tariffs on Chinese goods, in part over charges that Beijing forces US companies to hand over technological know-how. China responded with $60bn in tariffs on American products.

China urges US to stop ‘slander’ after Trump’s election claims

‘Covert actors’?

Pence also denounced China’s manoeuvres in the South China Sea, its oppression of Christians, Muslims and other religious believers, and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature infrastructure and foreign policy initiative.

But his statements on the November US elections were at the forefront of his speech.

“Beijing has mobilised covert actors, front groups and propaganda outlets to shift Americans’ perception of Chinese policies,” he said.

“What the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what China is doing across this country and the American people deserve to know. China wants to turn these voters against our administration.”

The unusually expansive and aggressive criticism of Beijing by a senior US official indicated that Washington could be preparing to take a more confrontational approach with China on issues beyond just the trade dispute.

Pence also accused Beijing of showing its “aggression” when a Chinese navy vessel recently sailed in the dispute-ridden South China Sea near the USS Decatur destroyer, which according to US officials had to make a quick detour to avoid collision.

“Despite such reckless harassment, the United States Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and our national interests demand,” Pence said.

“We will not be intimidated; we will not stand down.”

China has maintained a calm tone as US language escalates. China’s ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai – in an interview with National Public Radio aired shortly before Pence’s address – said there was a “much larger need for cooperation” than competition with Washington.

China ‘broadside’

Analysts with the Eurasia Group consultancy noted the allegations of Chinese meddling are largely unsubstantiated and could allow Trump to distract from the special counsel’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

They also said it was the first time a senior US official had delivered such a “broadside” against China on an array of issues.

“The more open tone of confrontation from Pence will strengthen the perception in China that the ultimate US objective in the [trade] dispute is to contain China’s rise,” the group’s analysts led by Asia director, Michael Hirson, wrote.

The vice president, a favourite of conservative US Christians, also criticised China on human rights, voicing disappointment that rising prosperity has not led to reforms.

China “has taken a sharp U-turn toward control and oppression”, Pence said. “A new wave of persecution is crashing down on Chinese Christians, Buddhists and Muslims.”

Pence’s sharply worded address comes days before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to visit China on a trip focused on nuclear diplomacy with North Korea – an area in which the United States still seeks Beijing’s cooperation.

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Kavanaugh says his testimony might have been ‘too emotional’ and ‘sharp’

“I hope everyone can understand that I was there as a son, husband and dad,” Judge Brett Kavanaugh wrote of his testimony. | Erin Schaff-Pool/Getty Images

Kavanaugh Confirmation

As the Supreme Court nominee made a direct appeal for his confirmation, Trump pushed for him at a Minnesota rally.

President Donald Trump continued to push for Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation Thursday night and slammed Democrats for their treatment of his Supreme Court nominee, while Kavanaugh himself expressed some regret over his tone and emotional performance during his testimony last week.

“I was very emotional last Thursday, more so than I have ever been,” Kavanaugh wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. “I might have been too emotional at times. I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said.”

Story Continued Below

He continued: “I hope everyone can understand that I was there as a son, husband and dad. I testified with five people foremost in my mind: my mom, my dad, my wife — and most of all my daughters.”

Kavanaugh appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 27 for a hearing on allegations of sexual assault made by professor Christine Blasey Ford, who testified earlier in the day. During a 45-minute opening statement, Kavanaugh blasted Senate Democrats, the media and even Bill and Hillary Clinton for how he has been treated.

“This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election, fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record, revenge on behalf of the Clintons and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups,” Kavanaugh said during his testimony. “This is a circus.”

Repeatedly stopping to compose himself, Kavanaugh at multiple junctures was almost shouting during his statement. His tone grew even sharper later in the hearing as Democratic lawmakers queried him about his drinking habits and the meaning of certain phrases from his high school yearbook.

“Do you like beer, Senator, or not?” Kavanaugh snapped at Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) at one point.

Democratic lawmakers and others criticized him for what they said was a lack of judicial temperament. On Thursday, former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, a lifelong Republican, said Kavanaugh’s performance “changed my mind,” and more than 2,400 law professors from across the country have signed an open letter, saying the tone of Kavanaugh’s testimony should be disqualifying.

On Thursday night, however, Trump backed his nominee and continued to attack Democrats for their actions during the process, while steering clear of mentioning Kavanaugh’s accusers, including Ford, whom he mocked earlier in the week.

“Democrats have been trying to destroy Judge Brett Kavanaugh since the very first second he was announced,” Trump told attendees at a rally in Rochester, Minnesota, on Thursday night.

That was a significantly different approach than in Mississippi on Tuesday, when he made fun of Ford for not being able to recall some details about allegedly being sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh during a party in the early 1980s.

Trump was in Minnesota to tout a number of Republican candidates running in the traditionally blue state, which has trended closer to Republicans in recent years. The president lost the state in 2016 by just 1.5 percent. Trump’s rally in Rochester comes as the open-seat 1st Congressional District is viewed by many as a potential and rare GOP pick-up opportunity in next month’s midterms. Democratic Rep. Tim Walz, who currently holds the seat, is running for governor, and Trump carried the district by 15 points in 2016.

The White House defended the president, saying he was just pointing out the facts, but a number of Republican lawmakers expressed dismay, including Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Jeff Flake of Arizona, the final three Republicans who have yet to declare their positions on the Kavanaugh confirmation vote.

The three undecided Republicans on Thursday pored over the FBI’s supplemental investigation into some of the claims against Kavanaugh. Senate Democrats say that the White House limited the inquiry and that there were still unanswered questions about the allegations.

Kavanaugh’s decision to write an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal marks the second time that he publicly commented on his nomination outside of public testimony, a rare step for a Supreme Court nominee. He previously joined his wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, for an exclusive interview with Fox News that Trump reportedly found lackluster and wooden compared with his impassioned testimony.

POLITICO previously reported that Trump was delighted with the forcefulness of Kavanaugh’s testimony and the emotion he showed.

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NLDS Live: Braves Take on Dodgers

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Dodgers Enter Game 1 Hoping to Pick Up Where They Left Off

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NLDS Live: Braves Take on Dodgers

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Amy Schumer, Emily Ratajkowski Arrested During Brett Kavanaugh Protest

Exactly one week after celebs praised Dr. Christine Blasey Ford for her powerful testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding her accusation that Judge Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were in high school, Amy Schumer and Emily Ratajkowski have taken their support to the next level.

Schumer and Ratajkowski joined the thousands protesting the Supreme Court nominee on Capitol Hill on Thursday (October 4) — and were arrested alongside 291 others in the process. Each arrested protester was reportedly charged with crowding, obstructing, or incommoding.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

Before the arrest, the Trainwreck actress reportedly told fellow protestors, “We’re going to keep showing up and no matter how this goes, they cannot keep us down. We will win. A vote for Kavanaugh is a vote saying ‘Women don’t matter.’ Let’s stay together. Let’s fight. Let’s keep showing up.”

Schumer has yet to release a statement regarding her arrest, but a video posted to Twitter shows a police officer asking Schumer if she wanted to be arrested. “Yes,” she soundly replied, while she held a “We believe Anita Hill” sign and donned a jacket that read, “This today, then #ERA.” (ERA refers to the Equal Rights Amendment, which guarantees equal rights for all citizens.) The alternative to getting arrested was to immediately vacate the protest.

Ratajkowski, on the other hand, was quick to post about her experience on Instagram. Alongside a photo from the protest — where she waved a sign that read, “Respect female existence or expect our resistance” — the Gone Girl actress wrote, “Today I was arrested protesting the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, a man who has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault. Men who hurt women can no longer be placed in positions of power. Kavanaugh’s confirmation as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is a message to women in this country that they do not matter. I demand a government that acknowledges, respects and supports women as much as it does men.”

The protest grew on Capitol Hill after the FBI submitted the results of their re-opened background check on Kavanaugh to senators in a private document. The inquiry sought to further investigate the claims against him made by Ford and two additional women who accused the judge of sexual misconduct.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

A number of key Democrats — including Schumer’s cousin, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — criticized the report as being too limited in scope and thus “incomplete,” particularly after a number people from Kavanaugh’s past spoke against his sworn testimony, telling news outlets he severely downplayed his teenage behavior. Many of the whistleblowers reportedly attempted to submit statements to the FBI and were unsuccessful.

Despite the star-powered protests, Republican leaders are determined to vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation by the end of the week. They’ll need at least 50 votes in favor of Kavanaugh in order to appoint him to the Supreme Court, with Vice President Mike Pence on call to break a potential tie.

With most senators expected to vote on party lines, all eyes are on four key swing voters: Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, Maine Senator Susan Collins, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. Flake and Collins expressed satisfaction with the FBI’s report after their initial viewings of the documents, leaving Kavanaugh’s supporters confident and hopeful for his confirmation.

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Kavanaugh probe secrecy again leaves FBI exposed to politics

Chuck Grassley speaks to reporters about the FBI investigation — Sen. Chuck Grassley speaks to the media about the FBI’s investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh. Former law enforcement and FBI officials say the inquiry has once again left the bureau exposed to partisan sniping. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The FBI’s investigation into sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh has turbocharged the partisan passions surrounding the appellate judge’s Supreme Court nomination and fueled even uglier divisions in the Senate. And, up to this point, it’s left the public in the dark.

From the moment it was announced last week that the Senate was going to put off a vote on the nomination to allow the FBI to extend its background check to include the new allegations, there has been bitter debate over the extent of probe, its goals and the FBI’s authority to define it.

Story Continued Below

Democrats say the fact that the FBI apparently interviewed fewer than 10 people — and did not speak to accuser Christine Blasey Ford or Kavanaugh himself — proves the whole process was a “sham.”

Republicans say the report, which lawmakers and the White House argued should be narrowly focused on specific claims and limited to individuals who could address them, did not corroborate the allegations against the judge.

Former law enforcement and FBI officials, meanwhile, say the inquiry, shrouded in mystery and driven by the White House, has once again left the bureau exposed to partisan sniping. And they say the secrecy around the report, shown to lawmakers Thursday in secure rooms usually reserved for classified briefings, potentially put the FBI’s credibility at risk before the American public.

“I think there are going to be long-term implications for the FBI, for Kavanaugh, and for the court if he’s confirmed on the back of such a suspect investigation,” said Matthew Miller, a former Justice Department spokesman under President Barack Obama.

“What you have at the end of the day is a report that is tainted, suspect and inadequate,” said Gene Rossi, a former Justice Department official.

The center of partisan crossfire is an increasingly familiar position for the FBI. The bureau has been a piñata for President Donald Trump and his allies this year amid heavily disputed allegations that anti-Trump bias seeped into the bureau’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

This time, it’s Democrats raising questions about whether political interference by the Republican White House has tainted the bureau’s work.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), one of the few Democrats who had not said whether she’d vote for Kavanaugh as of Thursday morning, announced she’d oppose his nomination, in part because of a “horribly handled” process.

Among other confusion about the probe, the White House’s mixed messages about its own role in the investigation have helped fuel the sense that the bureau was limited in what it could pursue.

Initially, the White House and the Senate instructed the FBI to interview four witnesses. Then, The New York Times reported Monday that the White House told the FBI it could interview anyone necessary, as long as the process was completed by the end of the week.

But on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders implied in comments to reporters that the FBI didn’t need to interview Ford, who says Kavanaugh assaulted her when they were both in high school, or the judge because both had already testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Meanwhile, an attorney for another accuser, Deborah Ramirez, has said the FBI didn’t follow up on her recommendations of people to interview about her claim that Kavanaugh exposed himself and caused her to touch his penis without her consent during a dorm party at Yale University.

“One of the basic tenets of investigation 101 is to interview your complainant and to eventually interview your subject,” said Frank Figliuzzi, former FBI assistant director for counterintelligence. “The fact that that hasn’t happened in this case raises serious concerns about the validity of the investigation and the constraints put on the FBI by the White House.”

But Tom Fuentes, former assistant director of the FBI, said the agency may have determined that an interview with Ford was not necessary, given that she testified under oath. Ramirez, who did not testify, was interviewed.

“There’s really no need to go back,” Fuentes said. “If she was in fact not interviewed, the FBI in their judgment thought there was … nothing else to ask her.”

Some ex-FBI officials said the partisan fallout from the report’s release was inevitable.

“This was going to be viewed through a partisan prism, a partisan lens, from the outset,” James Gagliano, a former FBI agent, told POLITICO. “Whatever they found, it was not going to be good enough. We’re all seeking one of two things. … You’re seeking either corroboration of the allegation or exoneration of Judge Kavanaugh. In my humble estimation, you are not going to get either.”

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