Justin Turner Heating Up
Justin Turner has been heating up for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the month of August. He ended the month slashing .330/.389/.680 with 10 home runs and 19 RBI. The month of August has been very helpful to Turner’s overall stats. He is currently slashing .296/.368/.897 with 26 home runs and 65 RBI. The Dodgers will need Turner to continue to produce through September and October in order to make a deep postseason push.
Justin Turner this month: .333/.393/.688/1.081 with 10 HR.
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) September 1, 2019
Turner’s Dominance in August
Justin Turner is no stranger to heating up at the end of the year. Turner was named the National League Player of the Month in August of 2018. His month of August may have been more impressive last year. He slashed .402/.491/.722 and reached base safely in 24 of 25 games during the month. This dominant month increased his overall average from .259 to .312 for the year in 2018.
Recent Dodger Struggles
The Dodgers have lost three in a row during their series in Arizona. Despite their struggles, Turner has been very good. He has had five hits and four RBI in this series. The recent skid stems from blown pitching performances rather than poor offensive production. Hyun-Jin Ryu and Clayton Kershaw both got roughed up and pulled early in their starts. The bullpen also blew some chances to come away with a win in late innings.
No Need to Panic
It is still impossible to hit the panic button on this Dodgers team. They have 89 wins and own the National League West. A three-game losing streak is nothing to worry about with this Dodgers team. With an 18 game lead over the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks, this divisional race is over.
It is understandable to question the bullpens ability to hold a lead late in games. However, adjustments will need to be made before the playoffs start. The Dodgers do have options on their 40 man roster to fix the bullpen woes.
The Facts
The Dodgers lineup is scary. Anytime you have to face MVP candidate Cody Bellinger, red-hot third baseman Justin Turner, and newcomer Matt Beaty in the same lineup you have a lot of opportunities to make a mistake. This lineup will score runs. The starting rotation will come to play in October. There is not a team in the league that wants to play the Dodgers in the postseason. They are a scary combination that is hungry for a World Series trophy.
Moving Forward
It has been great to see Justin Turner perform well in August. The Dodgers will need to see continued production down the stretch in order for the Dodgers to be successful. Cody Bellinger has carried the squad for most of the year. However, it is ignorant to think that he will do it all by himself. He needs some help to get the Dodgers offense going. Furthermore, he needs to be protected in the lineup to ensure that the will get pitched to. If Turner and other role players can produce down the stretch there may be a seventh World Series title coming back to Los Angeles this year.
