Los Angeles Dodgers Beat the Streak Selections — May 11

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ bats were terrible in the opening contest of the four-game set against the Cincinnati Reds.

We really do not want to talk about it but we kind of have to. The Los Angeles Dodgers entered a much-needed series against one of the worst teams in the league in the Cinncinati Reds. LA lost game one as the Reds posted as many runs, four, as the Dodgers did hits.

And while the Dodgers can still rebound and win three of the remaining for, the team needed to catch fire in this series to finally flip the script on the season. With a series against the Marlins in Miami after this one, winning at least three of these games are immensely important.

Three more wins here and the Dodgers could have the potential to win six in a row with three against the Marlins. Of course, they probably won’t, as the team as has been playing terrible and dropped the first series against the Marlins earlier in the season.

It has gotten so bad that I have stuck my neck out, proclaiming that if the Dodgers somehow get swept by the Reds (which is a longshot but still would not be surprising) that I would wave the white flag on the season. If the Reds somehow win four of four against the Dodgers, that is it; the season is over and I would bet $1,000 that the Dodgers will miss the playoffs.

Enough of that. Let’s get into the picks.

Thursday’s picks:

Thursday was yet another example of something that is becoming a trend here in our Dodgers Beat the Streak series; one of us extends our streak while the other losses it. If we were to combine our picks and count that as one whole streak, we really would be on a roll.

I went with Cody Bellinger, who seemed destined to get a hit. He didn’t. He went 0-4. Sarah, on the other hand, was successful in selecting Chase Utley to get a hit. Utley delivered an RBI single in the first inning that seemed to set the table for a great night.

It did not. Utley did get another hit in the game, though.

Sarah’s pick (Current streak: one): Matt Kemp

More from LA Sports Hub

• Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
• LA Chargers: Week 8 against Denver Broncos is a must-win
• LA Rams: Jared Goff wants to keep the Los Angeles title streak going
• Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
• LA Chargers: Justin Herbert wins AFC Rookie of the Month

My pick for tonight is Matt Kemp. It’s not really a secret as to why he’s my pick for this evening since he’s been the most consistent hitter the Dodgers have had this season. Lately, the offense has been swinging at pitches outside the zone or swinging over pitches that they’d normally launch into the right-field pavilion.

I’m no expert in hitting. My .100 batting average in my one season of little league stands as proof. The offense, however, has clearly been struggling. Ever since their 15 run outburst in San Francisco, the offense hasn’t looked right. The fans in the stands can see it, and so can the coaching staff. Things are bound to change.

Now, I don’t want to bash the Reds. They’re a Major League team, with good players, meaning they can win baseball games. The Dodgers, however, did not make it to the World Series by playing like this.

We’ve been waiting for this offense to get hot for a long time, and maybe we’ll have to wait a little longer until Justin Turner returns, but until then, it’s players like Kemp and Bellinger that need to get this team on the right path.

Jason’s pick (Current streak: Zero): Yasiel Puig

I seriously considered picking nobody as this offense has been so bad I do not even know what to think anymore.

However, I am going to go with the man returning from the DL, Yasiel Puig. In his first game back, Puig went 3-4 with two runs scored and was a huge part of the Dodgers pulling away with a 6-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

Puig was not so impressive in his second game, going 0-4 with two strikeouts. However, the Dodgers are coming up against Matt Harvey in his first start as a Red, who has not been that impressive on the mound this season.

Next: The Dodgers are missing half the team

Harvey does still have some velocity behind his fastball but nothing that Puig cannot handle. Harvey is the perfect candidate to leave a fastball belt-high for Puig to use his natural strength and muscle it ten rows into the outfield seats.