Los Angeles Dodgers Beat the Streak Selections – April 22
Last night, a stellar performance from Hyun-Jin Ryu helped the Dodgers to a 4-0 win over the Nationals. Tonight, they’ll face former Phillie Jeremy Hellickson at 5:05 on ESPN.
Baseball is a game of skill. It’s a game that seems like it shouldn’t make sense but does. It’s a game where one person is trying to throw the ball within the bounds of a small rectangle, while the other is trying to hit a 95 mile per hour speeding sphere that deceives its recipients. That deception was Ryu’s greatest weapon on Saturday night, giving him his third win of the season.
Even though it was a relatively low-leverage game in April, the Dodgers played postseason baseball against the Washington Nationals last night.
Speaking of last night, Jason and I both picked Corey Seager to get a hit. Though three homers powered the Dodgers past Washington, Seager didn’t hit one of them, and rather went 0-3 with a walk.
Tonight, the Boys in Blue will face a somewhat familiar face in Jeremy Hellickson. Only 5 current Dodgers, as well as an injured Justin Turner, have faced him; Chase Utley, Yasmani Grandal, Joc Pederson, Kiké Hernandez and…
Sarah’s Pick (Current Streak: 0)
Matt Kemp. Of the five Dodgers who have faced Hellickson, Matt Kemp is the most familiar with him, having stood at the plate 22 times against the Iowa native. In 22 attempts, Kemp has 7 hits and a.318 average against today’s starter.
Matt Kemp is a player that nobody predicted would play a role in the Dodgers’ 2018 campaign. But here he is, hitting homers and getting some of the loudest applause at Dodger Stadium.
I chose Kemp not only because, well, he’s Matt Kemp and he hits bombs, but because he spent 176 games of his career in the same division as Hellickson. Not only does he know him, but he spent a year and a half on a team with players who’ve seen him work.
Kemp may not be the kind of player he was in 2011 when he hit 39 homers in a Dodgers uniform, but he’s not on the verge of calling it a career, either. Whether you’re at the stadium or watching the game on TV, one thing is obvious; Matt Kemp loves being a Dodger. He was away for awhile, but #27 is back, and he’s about to start hitting like it’s 2010 all over again.
Jason’s Pick (Current Streak: 0)
My choice for tonight is someone a bit unorthodox for this series; Chase Utley.
Typically, we go with some of the best bats on the Dodgers in order to ensure a hit. While Utley is not that guy, he has been swinging a hot bat to start the season and will capitalize on the right-handed Jeremy Hellickson.
I don’t expect anything big out of the Silver Fox, but for some reason, a double down the right-field line in a key moment is calling to me.
Utley is going to come up big in the series finale against the Nationals and kickstart my streak once more.
Next: Dodgers Beat the Streak Selections - April 21
Tonight’s game will be exclusively on ESPN with first pitch at 5:05 PM PST.