In this roller coaster of a season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are back on the top of the hill, having won eight of their last ten games. It is the right time for the Dodgers to get hot, as their three toughest series of the year are about to start.
The Dodgers will face the NL West leading San Francisco Giants at in San Francisco for three games starting Friday, then after an off day on Monday, travel to Houston for two games, and then back home to Los Angeles for a four-game set. Theoretically, these upcoming games with the Giants could go a long way to deciding the fate of the NL West.
While the Dodgers have been on their hot streak, the Giants have been on one of their own. Not predicted to be in this position at any point in the season, the Giants also have won eight of their last 10. They sit at 28-17, holding the best record in the majors, with a game lead over the San Diego Padres, and a 2.5 game lead over the Dodgers.
Before that series starts, however, the Dodgers have one more game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday evening. David Price will make his return from the injured list, starting the game. It will be his first start since September of 2019, while he was still with the Boston Red Sox. Manager Dave Roberts said in his pregame presser that he wants Price to go “as hard as he can, as long as he can.” Edwin Uceta will throw the bulk of the innings of this scheduled bullpen game.
Old Friend Josh Reddick will be in the game also, having been called up from the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A team. He is sure to be met with many boos from Dodger fans.
The Dodgers, as we all know, have been dealing with a depleted roster and minor leaguers left to fill big leaguers’ roles. That soon should be coming to an end. Roberts also announced that both Cody Bellinger and Zach McKinstry will start their rehab assignments in Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday, moving them closer to joining the team, hopefully for the upcoming road trip.
Chris Taylor is having a great season. The gem unearthed by the Dodgers is hitting .356 over his last 15 games with 12 walks and plenty of timely hitting. He leads the team in batting average, stolen bases, runs, slugging, and triples. His versatility in the field and in the lineup is allowing the Dodgers to make other lineup and defensive fluctuations around him, knowing he’ll be a steadying force wherever he plays or bats.
Gavin Lux seems to have finally found his footing with the team. Moving over to shortstop to fill in for the injured Corey Seager, Lux is batting .375 over his last seven games, with a grand slam. Along with Taylor, he is making the bottom of the lineup as formidable as the top.
Edwin Riós underwent surgery Thursday to repair a partially torn labrum in his right shoulder. He is expected to be ready in time for next year’s spring training.
Maybe it turns out that Lux only hits well when he plays shortstop. Hmmmmmm……………………………………..
Andy, my schedule shows this weekend’s 3-game series is in SF and the 4-game next weekend is in L.A. You might want to check that out.
Yup, you’re right. I apparently can’t read 😂. Thanks!
The author always has a much more difficult job than the proof reader. 🙂
I would not call Reddick an old friend. He was a huge bust as a Dodger. Albert gets his first Dodger dinger, and they get little else from the rest of the team. Turner is slumping badly, no other way to call it. Muncy stays hot, but Betts is still struggling. I believe his back might still be a problem.
Old Friend is a term used for anyone who played previously on the Dodgers, and I capitalized it to have sarcasm to it
I get it. But some of them were not friendly at all. Reddick, Granderson, Gyorko, White, the list goes on and on. Now Freese is an old Friend…..
Yes that was what the sarcasm was for!
SMILE
Bear, never tell a woman to smile 🙃
And why not????? I have been telling people to smile since I was 6. 67 years ago. Works for me…none of them slapped me yet! LOL
Granderson was friendly. 🙂
They won last night’s game. Pujos hit a HR as did Smith. What a public relations nightmare for the Angels. Trout is on the IL, they are losing, have no pitching and Albert Pujos is playing well for the team across town.
Lux has been better and has settled down defensively at SS, he has decent range. Huge props for the bullpen! Price, Nelson Vesia, Gonzalez, Treinen, and Jansen all pitched well. Kelly allowed an HR on a knuckle-curve that was too good. Kelly is coming around though. I am impressed as shoulder surgery is a tough rehab he must have worked hard to get back so soon. Gonzalez has been amazing. The other night if Lux had fielded either ground ball he would have gotten out of the inning.
As no-hitters are now commonplace and the offenses across the MLB are at record lows what does the MLB do? The ballplayers are so pull fixated they will not hit to the opposite field no matter what…. which would solve the problem. So do they change the defensive rules for shifts or wait for the players to get a clue? Might be a very long wait…
Kelly made one bad pitch. The hanger hit for a homer. The double down the line was on a very good pitch on the outer half that the hitter just went with. Umps K zone was consistent on the outer half, but not up and down. Kelly got squeezed on a pitch that was in the zone low. Wood pitching for the Gnats tonight. 5-0 with a sub 2 ERA. Dodgers have their work cut out for them and I HATE LOSING TO THE GIANTS…SO THEY HAD BETTER WIN. !!!!!
Pujols looks so dang happy! I have not spent much time watching the Angels, but there seems to be a joy coming from within him. He and Will Smith becoming buddies after he recorded the message as Smith’s favorite player for the ring ceremony. I think the “locker room presence” thing can be played out but I really think Albert is going to help in that respect too
Oh yeah, Gonzalez still walks to many hitters.. He has only 2 more K’s than walks. He does a tight rope act everytime he has gone out there. Not amazing, but nerve racking? Oh hell yeah. Because he could not get 3 outs, Kenley had to pitch a 4 out save in that 4-2 win.
Gonzalez does walk too many. But he is young 25 and more importantly still inexperienced. He will learn. With that, he still has a WHIP of 1.25 which is good…He came in and struck out Leyba with 2 on last night and then had a good 1-2-3 inning in the 7th.
Bear as you once predicted Nelson has been a solid contributor this year also. He currently has a 1.18 WHIP which is impressive.