The Los Angeles Dodgers completed the four-game sweep against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night, and the new Dodgers made their presence felt immediately. Albert Pujols and Yoshi Tsutsugo both got their first hits and RBI as Dodgers in the series. Tsutsugo was 1 for 9 with an RBI and two walks, which is not great, but he had been struggling to the tune of 1.61/.247/.207. As a result, it was good to see him get on base three times and get his first RBI as a new Dodger player.
The Tsutsugo RBI was key because it was the first run of the game for the Dodgers in a 4-2 win. Furthermore, it was an answer to the two-run home run by Eduardo Escobar in the top of the inning. The Dodgers have a lot of experience with players who just need a minor change to their approach in order to make things click at the plate. So, Tsutsugo could be their next success story. Pujols, on the other hand, was batting just .198 with only five home runs. This is why the Los Angeles Angels designated him for assignment on May sixth. As a new Dodger, he has been more productive–going 3 for 11 with four RBI and a run. However, he scored that run on his first home run. He could have had a couple more runs, but DJ Peters was asked to pinch-run for him twice. And, he scored in both instances.
The Rest of the Dodgers
Several of the Dodgers hitters were coming alive already at the start of this series. This began happening when this homestand started–with a two-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners before they took two of three from the Miami Marlins. The sweep of Arizona capped off the homestand. The best news is that the Dodgers have been scoring a lot of runs, without relying on homers. They have been getting a lot of hits. For example, in the nine-game homestand, the Dodgers outhit their opponents 75-25 and outscored them 50-25. Therefore, the Dodgers offense is finally getting going again.
Mookie Betts went 7 for 28 with three RBI, three runs, a home run, and a stolen base on the homestand. Will Smith went 9 for 22 with four RBI, six runs, and two homers. He also gunned out Tim Locastro as he was attempting to steal second, which is very hard to do. Max Muncy went 15 for 32 with seven RBI, nine runs, three homers, and a stolen base. Chris Taylor stayed hot–going 8 for 23 with four RBI, eight runs, a homer, and a stolen base. And Gavin Lux started heating up as well on this homestand. He went 11 for 31 with 10 RBI, six runs, and two homers–including a grand slam.
Heading to San Francisco
The Dodgers went 8-1 on the homestand. They got a lot of hits and scored a bunch of runs–all while limiting their opponent’s hits and runs. The new Dodgers are already being productive, and players are finally starting to return from the IL. David Price rejoined the team and pitched a perfect inning on Tuesday, May 18, and two more scoreless innings Thursday night. The Dodgers will have Tony Gonsolin and Zach McKinstry back within the next week, so they will get stronger, which is good because they currently sit in third in the West–two games out of first, and one game out of second.
The Dodgers will bring their momentum and new players into the San Francisco Giants‘ house on Friday night and will look to remove their rivals from first place. It will be hard because the Giants and San Diego Padres have both been winning a lot of games and heating up too. The Giants are 8-2 in their last 10 games, like the Dodgers, and the Padres are 9-1, so the NL West is getting highly competitive again. The Dodgers and Giants will play seven games in the next 10 days. Hang onto your hats folks, because things are heating up and getting exciting.
“Main Photo”
Embed from Getty Images
Players Mentioned:
Albert Pujols, Yoshi Tsutsugo, Eduardo Escobar, DJ Peters, David Price, Max Muncy, Gavin Lux, Chris Taylor, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Tim Locastro
