MidValleySports.Com

By Those Deferred BenchWarmers (Re-Called)

The Dodgers split their weekend series with Arizona, including a memorable Game 2 Friday night, as part of a 6-4 road trip.

The Weekend in Review
Headline for the Weekend: “Ohtani and Freeman Lead Dodgers to Series Split with Diamondbacks.”

Results: We saw the best of both worlds against the Diamondbacks, as the Dodgers looked incredibly human in their losses, and looked unbeatable in their wins. They were thoroughly shut down in a 3-0 loss to Corbin Burnes in game 3, but scored 14 runs, including an electric six-run ninth, in game 2. They ended the series in dominant fashion, netting 18 hits, four by Freddie Freeman in an 8-1 Mother’s Day victory. 

Pitching Analysis:

The Good: Tony Gonsolin was sharp in game 4, throwing five scoreless innings. The Tanner Scott and Jack Dryer tandem had a solid weekend, combining to throw 5 and ⅔ innings in four appearances. Neither pitcher allowed a run. 

The Okay: Roki Sasaki. We refuse to classify this in the “bad” category, as Sasaki is still a rookie and still in the adjustment phase (see burning question). Friday’s start was a mixed bag: He had much better control (threw first pitch strikes to 70% of the batters he faced), but was hit hard and was not fooling hitters much (only 4 swing-and-misses and zero strikeouts). We would have liked for him to have had the opportunity to try to power through the fifth, but we trust Roberts’ overall handling. 

The Bad: Yoshinobu Yamamoto looked human in game 1, giving up five runs in five innings of work. Games like this will happen in baseball… it was bad, yes, but we’re not overly concerned. 
The Ugly: Anthony Banda (we see the irony here). He came on in relief of Sasaki, and promptly allowed four Diamondbacks to score to tie the game at eight. He has not looked good in a majority of his appearances so far this season. 
  
Hitting Analysis: As Ohtani/Betts/Freeman go, so do the Dodgers. The trio batted 16 for 29 with 11 RBI in the two wins, and 5 for 24 with 1 RBI. Ohtani delivered the big moment on Friday, and Freeman led the way on Sunday. 

Takeaway for the Weekend: Shohei Ohtani is amazing. We are still buzzing from the Dodger 9th on Friday. Down 11-8 heading into the ninth, the Dodgers quickly tied the game, setting the stage for Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani seized the moment, launching a 1-2 pitch deep in the seats. At that moment, Chase Field felt like Dodger Stadium East. The hit + bat flip literally made us get out of our seats (on the couch). 

Burning Question (And Attempted Answer): There are lot of side questions: Will Anthony Banda survive the return of the plethora of Dodger arms (50/50), should we be worried about Yamamoto’s Thursday start (no), is everything okay with Dustin May (yes, just a rough patch and he has had 2 years off)… but we will focus on Roki Sasaki. The discourse on Dodgers twitter was focused on his diminished velocity, which was followed by both a) other accounts “in the know” pointing out that the Dodgers were encouraging more control and b) Sasaki, in the very next inning, throwing with increased velocity (not where everyone things it should be, but still better). Our thoughts? Games like Friday are great reminders why we distance ourselves from certain sections of Dodger twitter… Sasaki was born after 9/11 happened and has only pitched in eight major league games… and in order to do so he’s had to move halfway across the world, use unfamiliar baseballs, and has the pressure of playing for a big contract on the defending World Champions. There’s going to be a learning curve. 

Around the MLB: The Rockies, off to a historically bad start punctuated by a 21-0 loss, fired manager Bud Black

Next Series’ Preview
Matchups: The Dodgers host fellow Mid-Valley Sports’ Team the Oakland A’s as part of a 9 game home stand. 

Analysis: The A’s are in the thick of the AL West Race, two games back of the Mariners. For better analysis, check out Tim Byrnes’ “Athletic Notes” on MidValleySports.com 

What to Look For: The A’s have given up the most runs in the American League, trailing only the Nationals, Marlins, and Rockies overall. They will trot out two starters with ERAs over 4.75, so this should be a good series for the Dodger bats to get going again, especially with the backing of the hometown crowd.