Pieces falling into place at right time for Dodgers
The Dodgers are in first place once more, as a result of they’re nearly all the time in first place the way in which the Braves are. The one time previously decade they didn’t find yourself in first place was 2021 — a 12 months once they gained 106 however the Giants gained 107. They don’t have Clayton Kershaw or Max Muncy proper now, haven’t had Walker Buehler all season and misplaced Gavin Lux for the season early. Somehow, they’re the place they all the time are within the National League West. They are actually good — once more — and the dangerous news for everyone else within the league is that they is likely to be even higher the remainder of the way in which.
Maybe that’s the reason why their supervisor, Dave Roberts — who is likely to be doing one of the best work of his profession — sounds extra like a Dodgers fan than a supervisor once you ask him about his baseball group.
“This is such a great group of men,” Roberts stated over the weekend after I requested him to inform me in regards to the Dodgers. “And such a fun team to root for.”
For positive, they’ve hit rather a lot higher than they’ve pitched on their approach again to the highest of the division. The solely group within the NL with extra house runs than the 179 the Dodgers had hit by way of Sunday night time is the Braves at 212. Mookie Betts leads them with 30 homers to go along with a .285 common. Freddie Freeman is taking part in just like the MVP that he was three years in the past with the Braves, with a batting common of .339, 23 homers and 80 RBIs, plus the flawless first base he continues to play.
Muncy had 27 homers earlier than injuring his wrist. J.D. Martinez has 25 and have become an All-Star once more as soon as he acquired to Los Angeles. And you realize who batted cleanup for Roberts on in his group’s Sunday Night Baseball recreation towards the Padres? Amed Rosario, whom the Dodgers acquired from the Guardians and is now taking part in second base. Of course, Rosario jacked a house run himself, to go along with those hit by Betts and Freeman.
So it isn’t simply acquainted stars hitting this fashion for the Dodgers. When I requested Roberts if there was one large shock for him up to now, this was his response:
“The outfield production. [Jason] Heyward, [David] Peralta, [James] Outman, with a little Betts sprinkled in. They have been incredible.”
When Roberts talks about Betts, one of many actually nice defensive outfielders within the recreation, being “sprinkled” in, it’s as a result of he has hung out in 50 video games this season — out of necessity — at shortstop and second base. It may make him much more of an MVP candidate this season than he was when he gained the award 5 years in the past in Boston. But Roberts has been in a position to transfer him in from the outfield due to the performances of Heyward, Peralta, Outman.
Jason Heyward (11 house runs) has discovered his recreation once more with the Dodgers, and isn’t it humorous how typically that occurs with gamers as soon as they placed on a Dodgers uniform? Outman has hit 13 house runs. The veteran Peralta, who performed most of his profession with the D-backs earlier than ending up with the Rays final season, has performed 92 video games for Roberts, batting .277 with seven homers and 40 RBIs.
Now we are going to see what occurs with the pitching over the 52-game dash to the end. Kershaw, who sat down with a sore shoulder, is anticipated again quickly, and the large dream for the Dodgers is that Buehler, on his approach again from Tommy John surgical procedure, is likely to be accessible someday in September. After assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness watched Buehler throw the opposite day, he stated, “He looks like Walker.”
There are going to be questions in regards to the Dodgers’ bullpen all the way in which to October. Only a whole meltdown on Saturday night time, the Padres scoring seven runs within the backside of the eighth, saved them from profitable the primary three video games of the collection. But on Sunday night time, Ryan Brasier, Brusdar Graterol and Yency Almonte backed up Lynn with three innings of one-run reduction, and all of us noticed what the Dodgers, who can completely mash, appear to be once they pitch.
Everybody is aware of what Kershaw and Buehler can do when they’re wholesome. Kershaw has a 2.55 ERA by way of 16 begins this season, one which noticed the Dodgers lose Dustin May to elbow surgical procedure after 9 begins and a 2.63 ERA of his personal. But Julio Urías and Tony Gonsolin have made 33 stars for Roberts between them. Kershaw is anticipated again quickly, and Buehler should be coming in September.
That is the great news in L.A. and the dangerous news for everyone else, even in what seems like a Braves 12 months within the National League. You’d say, right here come the Dodgers, apart from this: The Dodgers by no means go wherever.
