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Los Angeles Dodgers Beat the Streak Selections — May 9

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 08: Enrique Hernandez #14 of the Los Angeles Dodgers watches his solo homerun to tie the game 5-5 with the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on May 8, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 08: Enrique Hernandez #14 of the Los Angeles Dodgers watches his solo homerun to tie the game 5-5 with the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on May 8, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Dodgers had yet another heartbreaking loss Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks. At least one of our streaks extended.

Nothing seems to be going right for the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason. Even when the team looks to be recapturing its magic from 2017, the team strands six runners during extra innings and loses on a Daniel Descalso three-run, two strike, home run in the top of the 12th.

Dodgers fans have seen this story play out countless times this season and cannot wait for the team to be healthy. Although Corey Seager will not return, the returns of Justin Turner, Logan Forsythe and Yasiel Puig are going to be huge for the offense.

Right now, the Dodgers have no real depth outside the top five hitters. Max Muncy, Tim Locastro and Kyle Farmer all have prominent roles; they are all minor leaguers that do not seem ready for the big leagues.

Alex Verdugo is being trusted as the number two hitter to fill Corey Seager’s spot. Despite being the top hitting prospect on the team, he is not off to the red-hot start that fans saw from Cody Bellinger last year.

Our options are limited for out Beat the Streak series.

Tuesday’s picks:

I saw my streak finally take off from ground zero as I selected Yasmani Grandal, who was coming off of two days rest and had not gotten a hit in over a week. Grandal delivered with the biggest night, alongside Matt Kemp, going 2-4 with a home run and two RBIs.

Sarah went with the leadoff man, Chris Taylor. Taylor continued his early season struggles, going 0-4 in the contest with two strikeouts.

Sarah’s pick (Current streak: Zero): Chris Taylor

Tonight, I was tempted to pick Matt Kemp, because he’s been absolutely on fire as of late, but I’m going with my gut and picking Chris Taylor again. It’s no secret that the Diamondbacks are dominant this season and so far, the Dodgers haven’t earned their place in the ranks of the National League’s elite.

This isn’t 2017 and we can’t treat it like it still is. Maybe I’m a tad angry, because of the outcome of last night’s game, but I think it’s okay to be upset about where this team is right now. They need to start hitting, they need to start winning.

That said, I can’t help but notice how this team seems to desperately be grasping for something to get them going. That thing, I’m sure of, has a name; Justin Turner. He, however, is still injured and there are still plenty of games to be played.

Until then, I believe that Taylor is the guy the Dodgers need right now. As the leadoff hitter, he sets the tone for the game, or the inning, whatever it may be. Tone setting doesn’t always mean runs will be scored, but starting the game with a walk, or a hit (or a home run of the World Series Game 1 variety) is most definitely better than a strikeout.

I believe that tonight Taylor is the guy the Dodgers need to set the tone and, hopefully, lead them to a victory over the Diamondbacks.

Jason’s pick (Current streak: One): Enrique Hernandez

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The Dodgers are facing a southpaw in Patrick Corbin so Enrique Hernandez is undoubtedly going to get the start at either second or third base.

Hernandez came up with a huge home run in the ninth inning of last night’s game that sent the Dodgers into extra innings and really should have been the catalyst for a Dodgers’ extra-innings victory.

Instead, it wasn’t. However, Hernandez seems to realize the importance of every at-bat with this current set of guys; every pitch matters and the Dodgers just need to hang in there while they wait to be healthy.

Because of that, we have seen much better approaches out of Hernandez; attacking the ball when necessary and staying within the strikeout more often than not.

Next: The Dodgers literally have half of the World Series roster

Hopefully, this approach will lead to a base hit off of Patrick Corbin tonight. The Dodgers are going to need all the help they can get, the odds are in Corbin’s favor for a dominant performance.

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