The Dodgers, A Division Rival, and a Double Digit Streak Makes Three
After splitting the series against the Chicago Cubs in Los Angeles, the Dodgers welcome the Colorado Rockies to Chavez Ravine for a three-game set beginning tonight.
Well, Dodger fans, that was it for the Dodgers, and the Cubs, in the regular season. Was it dramatic? A little. Did it carry the weight of a postseason series? Absolutely not, and it wasn’t expected to.
After an October in which the Dodgers charged through Chicago like an autumn storm, they lost 4 of 7 to the club in regular season play. That isn’t the most interesting part, however. The most interesting part is seeing how the two teams react to the remnants of the past. Yu Darvish felt the pain of Game 7 again and made it a point to try and mend the cracks that his missteps in that series finale created.
Dodger fans won’t soon forget the heartbreak of last November, but neither will Darvish. He wants to be better and is fully aware of what Dodger fans had to go through because of his untimely failure.
He wants to get past the World Series, but the one thing that still catches my eye, and probably those of my fellow Dodger faithful, is that no matter how good Darvish gets, whatever redemption he finds won’t be in a Dodger uniform which, in a way, misses the point entirely.
I could write about this topic forever, but like the Dodgers, I intend to shake off yesterday’s loss and move on. Today, we are moving on to the Colorado Rockies and a team that once seemed strong, but is now three games below .500.
Speaking of numbers (I mean, this is baseball, aren’t we always talking about numbers?) one of us has a streak headed for double digits, that is, if their pick gets a hit against Tyler Anderson and the Rockies bullpen.
Last night, Jason went with Logan Forsythe, a strong player who has yet to get hot but has a tendency for getting on base. The Cubs, however, baffled many Dodger hitters yesterday, including Forsythe.
It looked like my pick, Justin Turner would be one of those who failed to get a knock, but would come up late and hit a 9th inning homer to shorten the Cubs’ lead. In the end, it wasn’t enough to get the win. Turner’s homer, however, extended my streak to nine, and put double digits in sight headed into Friday’s matchup against the Rockies.
Here’s who Jason and I think will get a hit against Colorado this evening.
Jason’s Pick: Current Streak-0: Matt Kemp
Matt Kemp has been ice cold the last two weeks for the Los Angeles Dodgers and is scaring Dodger faithful that he would have another summer decline. Last season, Kemp actually had a statistically better month of May than the crazy one he had this season. The rest of the year was played under replacement level.
Tonight, Kemp and the Dodgers are facing off against a southpaw in Tyler Anderson. Kemp is 3-6 off Anderson with a home run in his career. If Kemp gets at least four at-bats, he should be able to record at least one base knock.
Whether or not that can be an extra-base hit to get him hot again is yet unclear.
Sarah’s Pick: Current Streak-9: Cody Bellinger
My pick for tonight comes as no surprise. My streak is high, and Bellinger has been good, but I also picked him because he is 2-4 with a homer against tonight’s starter, Tyler Anderson. Bellinger hasn’t been too good against Colorado this season, but that shouldn’t be disconcerting. Past stats can either stand as a taste of what’s ahead, or a false representation of a player’s strengths.
On Thursday, Max Muncy took the team lead in home runs, hitting his 17th, but Bellinger is second with 16.
We may see a BelliBomb tonight, we may not. Regardless, he has been about as consistent as it gets this season. Him, and Max Muncy who, if I do say so myself, deserves the worlds biggest round of applause.
Tyler Anderson is a lefty, and so far this season, Bellinger has hit 11 of his homers off righties. For a guy that see’s the ball best out of the mitt of a right-handed pitcher, though, his stats aren’t too bad against lefties. Hopefully, we see more of that tonight, be it against Anderson or someone else.
Next: The Ten Best Teams in LA Dodgers History
It’s been a long time since the World Series, something Bellinger was very much a part of. So, as we approach July, let’s focus on what’s ahead, starting with tonight.