MidValleySports.Com

By Those Deferred BenchWarmers

The Dodgers are back on track, and just in time for a ten game road trip. Encouraging starts (in the MLB and rehab) by Tony Gonsolin and Clayton Kershaw are good news given the injury troubles in the rotation, and the bats came alive against Miami to the tune of 36 runs in three games.

The Week in Review
Headline for the Week: Bats Wake Up as Dodgers Sweep Marlins

Results: The Dodgers swept the Marlins, nearly blowing game 1 before winning on a walkoff in extras. Games 2 and 3 were a lot less dramatic as LA outscored Miami 29-9.

Pitching Analysis: Welcome back Tony Gonsolin! Gonsolin’s delayed return from Tommy John surgery was an enormous success. Pitching in the majors for the first time since 2023, he struck out nine and walked none in six innings, generating 17 whiffs, his highest total since 2022. He was pleased after the game, saying “It feels good to be back on the mound for sure… I thought I had a lot of fun today.” Gonsolin has an advantage in this stage over typical TJ recoverers as he revealed on Dodger Talk that he was ready as an emergency option in the playoffs, and although a back injury set him back during Spring Training, he did have an otherwise complete offseason and Spring Training to prepare.

Dustin May, on the other hand, was not pleased with his performance at all in game 1. He was solid, but left with one out in the sixth and two runners on. May lamented his control, as he only threw eight first pitch strikes to the 22 batters he faced. His line was made worse by the Grand Slam Anthony Banda allowed upon May’s departure.

Other fun tidbits, from game 2: Matt Sauer got his first major league victory during the Dodgers 15-2 bullpen game victory, throwing five innings of one run ball as the Dodgers increased their lead from three to ten. And, of course, Kiké Hernandez finished the lopsided victory, throwing one, very safe, shutout inning.

Hitting Analysis: The Dodgers averaged 12 runs a game this series, and the wealth was spread around well.

In game one, Miguel Rojas had 3 of the team’s 12 hits. Along with the hits, the Dodgers were able to walk 7 times, with Shohei Ohtani receiving 3 of those walks. Teoscar Hernandez contributed with a 2-run HR in the 5th inning for his 9th HR of the year. Tommy Edman pinch-hit for Rojas in the 8th and lined out, but in the bottom of the 10th with the bases loaded, Edman was able to line a single into right, driving in two runs to walk-off the Marlins.

Andy Pages has been on fire lately, as he is batting over .500 during his 8 game hitting streak. He raised his average from .183 last week to his current .292 clip.

Related to that: The Dodger nine hitters, much maligned recently, have done well. Entering the Miami series, the nine-hole hitters in the Dodger lineup had 12 hits the last six games. This continued against Miami, as they batted .500 (7 for 14) this week. Production at the nine spot is especially important, as it turns the lineup order to Ohtani and the rest of the Big three.

We can’t end without mentioning that Max Muncy hit his first homerun of the year, as he seems to be slowly getting out of his season-long slump.

Defense/Base Running Analysis: Michael Conforto’s drop aside, the Dodgers played solid defense, and even he was able to turn the drop into an out. Kiké Hernandez has promised to get some PFP work as well. The Marlins approached the 1992 Mets’ record of most stolen bases allowed in the first part of the season, with the Dodgers contributing 10 stolen bases in the three game set.

Takeaway for the Week: The Dodgers seem to be hitting their stride. It’s come against weak competition, but they are doing what they are supposed to do. The competition ramps up slightly now and then really gets going in the middle of May, so hopefully the stride continues through Atlanta, Miami and Arizona.

Burning Question (And Attempted Answer):
Is Max Muncy’s slump over?
The hope is high! Muncy seemed almost relieved and Freeman’s reaction was classic. Muncy has averaged at least one homerun every 3 games against the Braves in his career, so hopefully he can tee off on them a bit to keep the slump away.

Around the MLB:
The Yankees hit 3 straight home runs to start a game for the second time this season, when Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge, and Ben Rice did it in a 15-3 victory over Baltimore.

Jacob Degrom got his first win in almost 2 years, throwing six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. The Rangers beat the A’s 15-2.

The Mets became the first team to 20 wins, and secured the best record in baseball at the end of April (they are tied, with the Dodgers, but that doesn’t help our April World Series jokes so we’re not going to mention that).

Mike Trout left the Angels’ game against Seattle with knee soreness. At the time of writing, there was no timetable released.

Next Series’ Preview
Matchups: The Dodgers travel to Atlanta for a weekend series with the Braves, where the Dodgers will start with the top of their rotation for games one and two.

Analysis: The Dodgers swept the Braves in the beginning of April, part of the Braves’ seven game losing streak to start the season. After alternating wins and losses for ten games, the Braves are 9-4 and playing much better baseball. After a 3 game losing streak, the Dodgers have found their groove with five straight victories over the hapless Pirates and Marlins, but the Braves, despite their troubles, represent a big leap up in competition, especially considering they are 8-2 at home this year.

What to Look For: The immediate things that come to mind: The Dodger Road Woes get a real test: three games each in Atlanta and Miami, followed by four in Arizona. Andy Pages’ hit streak will be tested against Grant Holmes (0.93 ERA at home) and Spencer Schwellenbach (1.29 ERA at home). Perhaps the biggest thing to keep an eye on is Max Muncy and his ability to end his season opening slump.