MidValleySports.Com

By Those Deferred BenchWarmers

We say this knowing we Dodger fans have been spoiled, but was this the most depressing weekend in recent memory?

Not only did the Dodgers get swept by the JV team from the OC, Kersahw’s return was a disappointment and Chris Taylor was DFA’d in one of the more uncreative moves by the Dodgers.

The Weekend in Review
Headline for the Week: Angels Use Big First Innings to Sweep Dodgers

Results: The Dodgers were shut down in game 1, 6-2, and couldn’t hold a lead in game 2, losing 11-9. They were quickly down 4-0 in Game 3, battled back to tie the score, but ended up with the 6-4 loss.

Pitching Analysis:
Clayton Kershaw showed some glimpses (2 ks in the first, an 11 pitch second), but it was clear he hadn’t thrown in a Major League game since August of last year, and only seven times since October of 2023. He did not have good command of his curveball and struggled a bit with locating his other pitches (3 walks). Still, it’s good to have Kershaw back and healthier than he’s been in the last year and half.

Dustin May also struggled, allowing 4 runs in 5 innings, but he did strike out 8. Tony Gonsolin gave up four runs in four innings, walking 5 and giving up two homers in the process.

At this point, for these guys, the importance is getting them back healthy, into a good routine, and back in the groove of pitching in the majors. The process won’t be without the ups and downs, but the goal is to win games in October, and having these guys available as steady options is more important than “Rivalry Weekend.”

The bullpen, one of the top most-used in the majors, definitely seems like it needs a break, especially with Kirby Yates leaving game 2 in the 7th inning. It’s somewhat comforting to know the Dodgers’ injured list is an effective staff on its own and the return of the injured pitchers will be strong reinforcements similar to a great deadline deal, but one has to worry a bit about the toll being placed on certain guys who are healthy. The more of a burden they take on through the dog days of summer, the less effective they’ll be in October (It doesn’t help when some of those healthy guys, like Anthony Banda and Luis Garcia, struggle to get guys out).
  
Hitting Analysis:
The series was really a mixed bag. The Dodgers tied a team record by grounding into five double plays in game one, with Andy Pages and Freedie Freeman bouncing back nicely in game two. Max Muncy had better at bats, including a clutch single in the 8th inning of game two. 

Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 6 in game two, the first time in his career he’s had 6 at bats without a hit in a game. And, since we did the research: With the Angels, Ohtani had six at bats (ABs – not plate appearances) three times, all in 2019. With the Dodgers, Ohtani’s had five such games last year, including the infamous 6 for 6 game against Miami. This year, it’s happened twice already, including Saturday’s game. 

The Catchers though?
Those guys are legit. Dalton Rushing impressed this series and Will Smith looked strong as well. As great as it would be to get both guys in the lineup, having a bat (and arm) like Rushing will make it a lot easier to give Smith breaks and keep him fresh throughout the season.

Defense/Base-Running/Takeaway for the Week/Burning Question (And Attempted Answer):
Instead of this, we’ll give a special shout out to Austin Barnes for being a reliable enough backup who never complained about his role, and a special thank you for knocking Blake Snell out of Game 6 in 2020.

Additionally, we’d like to thank Chris Taylor for his walk off HR in the Wild Card game against the Cardinals in 2021, his amazing, game-saving grab in left against the Brewers in game seven of the 2018 NLCS, his game tying single against the Astros in Game 5, the three homer game that gave us hope in game five against the Braves in 2021, and his first pitch homer in Game 1 of the 2017 World Series.

We gave it some thought, and although many people rank that Game 7 catch as Taylor’s number one moment, we’d rank the Wild Card walk-off number one, because it led us to a meeting with, and eventual victory over, the Giants in the NLDS.

Around the MLB: 
The Baltimore Orioles fired their manager, Brandon Hyde, on Saturday after a 10-6 loss to the Washington Nationals. The Orioles, two years removed from an AL East Crown and one year removed from a Wild Card appearance, were 15-29 and 10.5 games back of the division-leading Yankees. For context, the O’s have only one more win than the White Sox.
 
The Twins extended their major league best winning streak to 13 on Saturday, but saw the streak end with a 5-2 loss to the Brewers on Sunday. The streak pushed the Twins into second place in the AL Central (still 5 games back of the Tigers), and atop the AL Wild Card lead.

Next Series’ Preview
Matchups: The Dodgers will wrap up the home stand with a three game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

Analysis:
The Dodgers and D-Backs split their most recent series in Arizona, with the Dodgers scoring 22 runs in their pair of wins, but managing only three runs in the two losses.

Brandon Pfaadt, the scheduled game one starter, threw six strong innings against the Dodgers, allowing only four hits while striking out six in a 5-3 Dbacks win.

Corbin Burnes threw seven shutout innings in Arizona against LA last week to out duel Dustin May, and those two will face off again in game three of this series. The D-backs were the first team to make Yoshinobu Yamamoto look somewhat human, and he will take the mound for the Dodgers in game two. 

What to Look For:
This is the final tune-up before the Dodgers’ incredible next two weeks: the Dodgers will play 13 straight games against 2024 LCS participants: They’ll start in New York to face the Mets, then head to Cleveland to face the Guardians, then return home for seven games against the Yankees and Mets.

With the up-and-down performances at the plate and the injury riddled staff, the Dodgers will need to display some consistency over the next three days in order to evoke some confidence as they test their mettle during this two week span.