Dodgers Beat the Streak: Freeway Series revenge
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Dodgers enter the second set of the Freeway Series in sole possession of first place and are likely looking for some revenge.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in sole possession of the first place for the first time this season and do not want to look back. Back in early May, the idea of the Dodgers ever reaching first place seemed absurd. Now, the team has a very good chance at being in first heading into the All-Star Break.
In the team’s way of a first-half first place finish is the Los Angeles Angels, who travel to Chavez Ravine to close out the first half. The Angels got the best of the Dodgers in the first set of the Freeway Series, beating the Dodgers in two of the three games.
That series stung for the Dodgers, who arguably should have won all three games. Game one was a sloppy, uncharacteristic blown save by Kenley Jansen and the Dodgers. Game three started with a three-run home run and the Dodger bats could not capitalize and allowed the Angels to score four uncontested runs.
Tonight, the Dodgers again match up with Felix Pena, who threw five and 1/3 innings in his outing against the Dodgers and allowed two runs. On the bump for LA is the returning Walker Buehler.
Hopefully, the Dodgers can hit Pena around to extend our Beat the Streak hitting streaks. Last night, Andrew Toles extended my streak. However, Justin Turner failed to extend Sarah’s streak in the lone plate appearance he had as a pinch hitter.
Sarah’s pick — Current streak 0: Matt Kemp
My pick for tonight’s series opener against the Angels is Matt Kemp. Nobody has faced tonight’s Angels starter, Felix Peña, more than three times, but Kemp is the only one with an RBI against him.
Though two at-bats is an extremely small sample size it means that, for at least one at-bat, Kemp saw Peña well, and if he did it once he can do it again. Another reason I am picking Kemp tonight is that he is the best the Dodgers have when it comes to hitting with runners in scoring position, and that’s something the Dodgers struggled with last weekend against the Halos.
If the Dodgers are going to win this series, or at least tonight, they’re going to need to knock guys in every chance possible, and I think Matt Kemp will play a big role in that this evening.
Jason’s pick — Current streak 2: Cody Bellinger
Matt Kemp may have been the only Dodger hitter to get an RBI against Pena in last week’s contest and Sarah’s pick is a very smart one because of it. However, even though Kemp had the two RBIs, he did not have the best hit ball in that game.
The best hit ball the Dodgers had all night off Pena was off the bat of Cody Bellinger, who nearly left the yard with a double off the wall. It was Bellinger’s double that led to Kemp’s RBI single and it will be the bat of Bellinger again tonight that provides some premature Friday Night Fireworks.
Bellinger is going to send a ball into the Angels’ bullpen in right-field alongside a roped base hit that will lead to the team’s first run. Whether it is an RBI or a run scored by Bellinger depends on the rest of the hitters.
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What I do know is that Bellinger is going to set the table for the team early on before delivering the knockout blow in the mid to late innings.