so you don't think the dodgers have a run scoring problem?

I have to chuckle.  When things go bad it is Thomas, Feduccia and Rortvedt that should shoulder the blame.  The Dodgers offense and depth is supposed to be able to mitigate the problems with poor hitting subs.  Pages is out, Smith and Rushing are out and that damn AF does not have All Stars to replace them.  

But they do have 3 HOF at the top of lineup that should be able to offset the weak hitters.  Thomas has played 4 games for the Dodgers.  Since they joined the Dodgers, the trio has 81 combined PA.  They certainly are not being heavily counted on. 

I understand fans get excited when Dodger sweep the likes of KC, Colorado, and Pittsburgh.  But it is not as if they slugged their way past them.  In the 9 games (yes, all wins), they scored 52 runs or 5.77 runs per game.  Perhaps that looks like a lot but not necessarily considering that through June (86 games) the team averaged 5.36 runs per game. 

Since July 31, the Dodgers have played 5 teams with winning records.  Their record is 2-14, and they have scored 47 runs, or 2.93 runs per game.  That is not good.  That is not because Thomas, Feduccia, or Rortvedt were playing. 

This paucity of offense is team wide.  It cannot be laid at the feet of 1 or 2 or 3 specific players.  When you look for scapegoats for a team wide funk, you are ignoring the bigger problem. The team is not producing runs.  There is minimal situational hitting.  There is minimal moving of runners to 3rd with less than 2 outs.  There is too many GIDP.  And yes, not enough HR. 

This team, like the 2024 and 2025 WS teams, is built for the HR.  In 2024, the Dodgers were outhit and outpitched by NYY.  But timely HR helped give LAD the championship.  

·      Game 1 – Trailing 3-2 in the 10th, Freddie hit a game winning walkoff grand slam. 

·      Game 2 – In a 4-2 win, all four runs were from HR: Freddie and Edman hit solo HR, and Teo hit a 2-run HR.  

·      Game 3 – Freddie hit a 2-run HR in the 1st, for a lead they never relinquished in a 4-2 win. 

·      Game 4 – Lost 11-4, but 3 of the 4 runs were due to HR: Freddie hit a 2-run HR, and Smith hit a solo HR. 

·      Game 5 – 5 unearned runs, primarily due to a dropped fly ball (Judge), a bad throw to 3rd (Volpe), and a failure to cover 1st base (Cole). 

In 2025, Toronto outhit and outpitched LAD. 

·      Game 1 – Loss 11-4.  2 of the 4 runs came from Shohei’s 2-run HR. 

·      Game 2 – 5-1 Win.   Smith and Max hit solo HR in the 7th to take a 3-1 lead. 

·      Game 3 – 6-5 Win.  Solo HR from Teoscar and 2 from Shohei, plus the walkoff HR from Freddie.

·      Game 4 – Loss 6-2. No HR. 

·      Game 5 – Loss 6-1.  The lone run came from a solo Kiké HR. 

·      Game 6 – 3-1 Win. No HR. 

·      Game 7 – 5-4 Win.  Max solo HR in 8th.  Miggy Ro game tying solo HR in the 9th.  And Smith’s game winning solo HR in the 11th. 

The Dodgers power is experiencing a relatively significant decrease in HR.  HR production is down 16.4% from 2025.  201 HR in 2025, and 168 in 2026.  Comparison of HR in 2026 vs HR over the same period of time in 2025, mínimum of 150 PA. 

·      Shohei – 30 in 2026 vs 45 in 2025 (-15).

·      Freddie – 15 in 2026 vs 18 in 2025 (-3).

·      Pages – 21 in 2026 vs 23 in 2025 (-2).

·      Teoscar – 11 in 2026 vs 21 in 2025 (-10).

·      Max – 26 in 2026 vs 17 in 2025 (+9).

·      Mookie – 16 in 2026 vs 14 in 2025 (+2).

·      Smith – 6 in 2026 vs 16 in 2025 (-10).

·      Edman – 5 in 2026 vs 12 in 2025 (-7).

·      Miggy Ro – 3 in 2026 vs 6 in 2025 (-3) 

Others in 2026:

·      Rushing - 12

·      Tucker – 11

·      Freeland – 3

·      Call -1

Others in 2025:

·      Conforto – 10

·      Kiké – 8 

The other facet of the game that proved to be critical in both series was defense.  The lack of NYY defense in 2024 played a big part, especially in Game 5. 

In 2025, the number of critical defensive plays made by Edman to Miggy Ro, to Kiké, to Pages, to Betts, and Smith were special.  That is why I have no hesitation to Thomas playing.  He is considered an elite defensive CF.  We know that Tucker and Teoscar are poor defensive OF, and they will need late inning replacements.  In essence, Thomas replaces Justin Dean from the 2025 roster. 

Had nothing happened to Pages, I still believe that Thomas would have been recalled in September.  But with Pages out, I am comfortable with Josue De Paula getting a call to join the roster.  This will give him experience that only playing MLB can give.  I am not worried about starting his clock.  This will have no effect on next year.  As Mark said, there is no downside.  I am also not concerned with him being overwhelmed if he starts out slowly.  He was 0-19 after being promoted to AA last year, and it did not seem to effect him in 2026. 

Yesterday, someone opined that Thomas was going to be DFA before the playoffs.  No.  If Pages makes it back before the playoffs, Thomas will just get optioned.  He will not be DFA. No reason to be.  

This team has stopped scoring and they have hit a lot less HR in 2026.  What does that mean?  Absolutely nothing.  Just like what they did last year means nothing. But they cannot dismiss what many consider a concern with the lack of run-scoring. They will make the playoffs, and they will have an extremely formidable rotation.  Maybe those timely Big Flys will come back.  Maybe not.  It is less likely they will all of a sudden become situational hitters, or begin running the bases to create havoc, but you never know.  That is why they play the games.   

El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego) 5 – OKC Comets 4 

I am not sure how meaningful these games are, as El Paso is way out of contention, and OKC is 4.5 games behind the 2nd half leader with 3 teams ahead of them, and one 0.5 games right behind OKC. 

What was meaningful is that RHSP Joe Musgrove was pitching 5.0 scoreless innings.  He allowed 5 hits, no walks, and 3 K.  He threw 60 pitches before being relieved for.  I am guessing that Musgrove is ready to resume his spot in the SD rotation.  I know, I know…Musgrove sucks.  He falls into the category that he is not a Dodger, so therefore he sucks. 

LHSP Cole Irvin was not sharp in this game and was hit relatively hard.  He allowed a single, double, and RBI groundout in the 2nd inning.

 In the 3rd, Irvin got two quick outs, but a single, double, and his own throwing error brought home 2 for a 3-0 lead. 

Irvin allowed a solo HR in the 5th. 

OKC got on the board in the 6th when SS Noah Miller singled and scored when 3B Alex Freeland doubled (6). 

El Paso got the run back in the 7th with RHRP Ryder Ryan on the bump.  He walked a batter with 2 outs and then allowed a RBI triple. 

OKC made a game of it in the 9th.  C Chadwick Tromp drew a lead off BB, and 1B Ryan Ward walked with one out.  CF Zach Ehrhard hit a 3-run HR (18) allowing OKC to climb to within 1 run.  But that was it. 

C Will Smith started the game and had 3 AB.  He went 0-3 with a K.  

·      Alex Freeland – 2-4, 1 RBI, double (6)

·      Hyeseong Kim – 2-4

·      Noah Miller – 2-3, 1 run

·      Zach Ehrhard – 1-4, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (18) 

Box Score 

Midland RockHounds (As) 4 – Tulsa Drillers 2 

Tulsa had 7 singles from 7 different batters, and there was 1 BB. 

LHSP Wyatt Crowell only retired 2 batters in the 1st.  He gave up a single and 3 walks before being lifted by LHRP Myles Caba who got the final out. 

In the 3rd inning, Caba walked the leadoff hitter, and one out later he scored on a double. 

LHRP Alex Walsh entered in the 4th inning inheriting a runner at 2B with 1 out and got out of the inning.  But in the 5th, Walsh proceeded to walk the leadoff hitter, followed by a single.  The next batter hit a sac bunt, moving the runners to 2nd and 3rd.  Both runners scored on a 2-run double. 

The Drillers were basically shut down for 8.2 innings.  In the 9th, 2B Taylor Young opened with a 1B and moved to 2nd when LF Josue De Paula reached on a fielding error.  A WP moved both runners up 90 feet, and C Griffin Lockwood-Powell hit a 2 run single before the final out. 

Box Score 

Great Lakes Loons 7 – Lansing Lugnuts (As) 2 

CF Charles Davalan hit a lead off solo HR in the 1st inning.  

In the 2nd inning, 2B Eduardo Guerrero drew a BB, and 3B Mairo Martinus singled, moving Guerrero to 2nd.  LF Samuel Munoz hit a RBI single giving GL a 2-0 lead. 

RHSP Brooks Auger gave it back in the 3rd inning.  2 leadoff walks to start the inning.  The next batter doubled home 1 run and moved the second runner to 3rd where he scored on a SF and a 2-2 tie. 

In the 6th, with 2 outs, Guerrero and Martinus singled.  Guerrero scored when the pitcher made a throwing error on a pickoff attempt. 

In the 7th, Davalan led off with a single and moved to 3rd on SS Emil Morales’ double (17).  RF Jaron Elkins plated Davalan with a SF, and Morales moved to 3rd.  Morales scored when DH Nico Perez singled. 

In the 8th, Munoz and 1B Anson Aroz both walked.  C Gio Cueto sacrificed both runners to 3rd and 2nd.  Munoz scored on a groundout, and Aroz followed on an errant throw. 

Somewhat surprisingly, 5 relievers provided excellent relief.  Combined they did not allow a run or hit.  The one exception to excellent pitching was RHRP Reynaldo Yean.  He faced three batters and walked all three.  RHRP Dilan Figueredo entered with the bases loaded, struck out the first batter he faced, a force out at home, and a groundout ended the inning. 

Great Lakes has 1.5 game lead in the 2nd half with 10 games to play. 

·      Charles Davalan – 2-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, HR (22)

·      Mairo Martinus – 3-4

·      Emil Morales – Double (17) 

Box Score

Ontario Tower Buzzers 8 – Stockton Ports (As) 2 

21-year-old RHSP Marlon Nieves (#27 on MLB Top 30) completed 4.2 scoreless innings.  He allowed 4 hits, 2 BB, and struck out 7.  He was pulled after 81 pitches.  RHRP Devin Bell relieved Nieves and got the 3rd out of the inning. 

Ontario scored a run in the 1st.  2B Kellon Lindsey opened with a BB, and RF Javier Herrera singled.  With 2 outs, SS Caleb Johnson continued his clutch hitting with an RBI single. 

In the 3rd, with one out, LF Ching-Hsien Ko and 1B Oswaldo Osorio singled.  After the 2nd out, a WP moved both runners up.  DH Aidan West singled home a pair and a 3-0 lead. 

In the 6th, 3 consecutive batters led off with a BB: CF Abel Lorenzo, Lindsey, and Herrera.  With 2 out, Johnson walked to score Lorenzo.  West doubled home Lindsey and Herrera.  Johnson scored on a WP and a 7-0 lead. 

Bell pitched a scoreless 6th, and he was lifted in the 7th by RHRP Javier Bartolozzi, who pitched a clean 7th with a K.  But in the 8th, he allowed a pair of doubles, a groundout, and a WP for 2 runs. 

Ontario scored an insurance run in the 9th.  C Connor O’Neal led off by drawing a BB and moved to 2nd on a single from 3B Bryan Gonzalez Garcia (BGG). O’Neal scored on a single from Lorenzo. 

LHRP Ian May pitched a scoreless 9th with 1 hit and 2 K.  This was May’s 7th game since signing as a UDFA out of UCLA.  He is getting a good look. 

·      Ching-Hsien Ko – 2-6, 1 run, double (16)

·      Aidan West – 2-5, 4 RBI, double (2)

·      Kellon Lindsey – 1-3, 3 BB, 2 runs 

Box Score