Get Over it!

To me, that applies to a whole lot more than baseball. Lot’s of people could apply this in their everyday lives… but I digress. Last year’s season was a sprint in 60 games and the Dodgers broke out of the gate and never looked back and at the end of 60 games they had 8 more wins than this team. Of course, they had about 25% of the injuries this team has experienced. Also, there is that dreaded “World Series Hangover.”

In this case, it is real. For the last eight years the Dodgers have finished at the top of the pack and should have won two (not just one) World Series, so they were really primed last year. After winning it in 2020, the urgency is lessened somewhat and the fact of the matter is that you cannot play 2021 like you did 2020. No one can sustain the intensity that long. At this juncture, you don’t want to push these guys that hard… and I am not just talking about pushing them physically. I am talking about pushing them mentally. As the finish line can be seen in the distance, then you light the fire. This team is so good that can play as bad as they have and still be within three games of the best record in the NL. They will “cruise” up until that stretch drive. Some say, “You can’t just flip the switch.” I think you can when you are this good!

This team is better than the 2020 team. I believe that and while you might say “I’ll believe it when I see it“, I see it because I believe it.

What I See

• I see Gavin Lux struggling at the bat. While playing a solid SS, he is hitting .200 the past 15 games. I had lost confidence in Lux, but started to regain some of it back and now it is slipping away again. This year he is hitting .265 against RHP, but just .178 against LHP. All of his HR are against RHP. I see a platoon player and when Corey Seager comes back, he should never get an AB against a LHP. CT3 and Gavin have to platoon at 2B.
• I see AJ Pollock getting his timing back and he is a guy who will put up solid numbers day in and day out, against LHP or RHP pitching. I was not a fan of the signing, but I have come to appreciate AJ’s play very much.
• I see Cody Bellinger struggling to get his timing back and I am confident that he will. Contrary to what many think, Cody is very coachable and is a smart guy. He is driven to be the best and he will be back with a vengeance – it just takes time to get your game legs and timing back. He is an intense guy and sometimes tries too hard, but I have complete confidence that he will play at an MVP Level soon.
• I see Joe Kelly learning how to pitch again. It’s quite likely the cyst in his shoulder has been impeding his pitching since he signed with the Dodgers and has impacted his mechanics. I see a guy struggling with his release point and learning how to pitch again. I am not as confident about Kelly as I am Bellinger, but I am hopeful.
• I see Nate Jones as being a solid weapon out of the bullpen. With his funky delivery and velocity, I think there is a lot of potential here. Many of you saw that he gave up 2 HR last night. I saw a lot of potential.
• I see Striker Buehler developing into the Dodgers’ Ace. Many of you wanted to anoint him the Ace for the past two years, but it has to be earned and he is earning it. He is also learning to pitch to contact an that he does not have to strike out everyone. Maybe he is the Co-Ace as Trevor Bauer is pretty good too. The “spin-rate” issue has yet to play out and I am not jumping to conclusions.
• I see a Dodger bullpen that has been decimated by injuries, but that will be a strength in the last third of the season. The bullpen gets better today as the “Catman” returns which should take the pressure off the pen. Hopefully, he can go at least 4 innings and I will be watching his velocity.

I got over it. This team is in a very good spot and no one should panic. However, the biggest thing that I see is the impact that Albert Pujols is making on this team. He probably had a bad attitude playing with the Angels who have no hope of going anywhere, but home. It appears he is the guy who is picking up his teammates and pushing them to greater things. Now we know why Andrew Friedman signed Albert, but he is more than a cheerleader. While no longer a superstar, he is quietly OPS’ing .809 as a Dodger. I also see Yoshi Tsutsugo going BYE-BYE. The experiment is over – you blew up the lab, Andrew!

Dodgers MiLB REport

• OKC BOXSCORE – OKC is on a roll as they won 9-6 bringing their record to 13-17. Reks was 3-5. Ruiz was 1-3 with 2 BB and 2 RBI. Raley was 1-2 with 2 walks and 2 RBI including a triple. Souza and Peters also homered. Nunez was ricked for 4 hits and 3 runs in 2.1 IP. Bruihl got the win with 2 scoreless IP, striking out 4 and Quackenbush got his 5th save and is unscored upon in 11 appearances.
• TULSA BOXSCORE – The Drillers beat the Wichita Wind Surge 8-3. Jeren Kendall remains red hot, hitting 2 HR’s. Donovan Casey was 2-4 with his 2nd HR. Mike Busch retired and hit #3 and was 1-4. Aaron Ochsenbein closed out the game with a scoreless inning. His ERA sits at 2.04.
• GL BOXSCORE – The Loons lost to the Dayton Dragons 8-7 as Miguel Vargas continues to rake. He was 2-5 with his 6th HR. Valera was 1-3 with his 7th HR. Carson Taylor drove in 3 runs with a double and Ching also doubled and was 2-4.
• RC BOXSCORE – The Quakes absolutely destroyed the Lake Elsinore Storm by two touchdowns and went for two on one of the extra points, 15-4! 20-year-old Jorbit Vivas went 6-6, scoring 3 runs and driving in 4. Cartaya was 1-5 with 2 RBI. Deluca tripled and Leonard, DeJesus and Vivas also homered