Dodgers like their odds with Betts in or out of the lineup

Mookie Betts has been so hot for the Dodgers lately, the only one who can cool him off is manager Dave Roberts.

Roberts plans to rest Betts in Monday’s series finale against the Florida Marlins.

His reasoning? Playing on turf takes its toll. Plus even Roberts recognizes Betts needs a break from time to time even if the temptation is to play him every inning of every game.

“It seems like every swing he takes is center cut so I think the challenge for me is to recognize that but resist the urge to run him out there every single day,” Roberts told the Associated Press.

When you have a Ferrari, what’s the point of keeping it locked in the garage? But Roberts knows he gets the best out of Betts when he lets him rest and recoup.

Betts homered four times in three games against the Marlins over the weekend. He hit two home runs in Friday’s game. His homer off Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara in Saturday’s game accounted for the Dodgers only run in a 2-1 loss.

He went 8-for-15 (.533) with seven RBIs in the first three games of the series against the Marlins. He was 9-for-26 (.346) in six games last week between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Marlins.

Betts has hit 31 home runs and has quietly entered the conversation for MVP. 

He has definitely been a big part of the Dodgers success since the All Star Game.

The Dodgers are 28-8 since the All Star Game and are 50 games over .500 with the best record in the major leagues. They went 4-2 last week and outscored their opponents 41-20 in games against the Brewers and Marlins.

There are other players who have contributed to the Dodgers surge.

Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman are 1-2 in the National League for most hits. Freeman is second in hitting with a .326 batting average. Turner is fourth with a .311 batting average. Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals leads the NL with a .338 average after Sunday’s games.  

Tony Gonsolin and Julio Urias have been among the best pitchers in the league since the All Star break.

Gonsolin leads the NL in wins with 16 and ERA at 2.10 after Sunday’s games.

Urias is 14-7 and has won 10 of his last 11 starts. He was the winning pitcher in Sunday’s game against the Marlins. The Dodgers won 8-1 with Urias going six innings and giving up one run on one hit, a solo home run by Brian Anderson.

But it has been Betts bringing the boom.

His 31 home runs are third in the NL. He leads the league in runs scored with 99. And he is still the best right fielder defensively in the majors.

With those numbers it’s easy to see why Roberts wants to play him every day. Save some of those days for the playoffs.

Dodger starters power rankings:

1. Tony Gonsolin
2. Julio Urias
3. Andrew Heaney
4. Dustin May
5. Tyler Anderson

The Dodgers (88-38) finish their four-game series against the Marlins today before heading to New York for a three-game series with the Mets starting on Tuesday. The Dodgers come home on Friday to start a weekend series with those pesky San Diego Padres.

Dodgers tee off on Cy Young Award favorite

Florida Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara was billed as the second-coming of Sandy Koufax this season. He has been the favorite to win the Cy Young Award since the All Star Game. There were some who suggested he even start the All Star Game at Dodger Stadium for the National League over hometown favorite Clayton Kershaw.

He was at best third in line to start the All Star Game behind Kershaw and Tony Gonsolin. And after losing to the Dodgers on Sunday, he is at best fifth in the Cy Young Award rankings.

The Dodgers roughed up Alcantara in a 10-3 win. They chased Alcantara in the fourth inning. It was his shortest outing of the season.

The Dodgers scored six runs on 10 hits off the Marlins ace, both season highs for Alcantara.

And his 11-6 record is anything but impressive.

There are three Dodger starters who have better Cy Young Award resumes at this point in the season.

Dodger rookie starter Ryan Pepiot outpitched Alcantara on Sunday. Pepiot went six innings, gave up two runs on four hits, and struck out seven.

Alcantara wouldn’t have had a chance against any of the top three Dodgers starters.

Gonsolin has emerged as the surprise ace of the Dodgers staff. He leads the National League in wins with 15 and has a 15-1 record. He leads the National League in ERA at 2.12, after Alcantara’s ERA rose to 2.19 after Sunday’s game. Gonsolin has a 0.86 WHIP, tops in the National League and the best among Dodger starters, to go with his league-leading stats.

Tyler Anderson is tied for second in the National League with 13 wins and has a respectable 2.73 ERA. His 0.98 WHIP is also second on the Dodgers and among the best in the National League.

Julio Urias, who starts tonight against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, might be the most impressive pitcher in the Dodgers rotation. In his last six starts, Urias is 6-0 with a 0.95 ERA. He hasn’t lost a game since June 12 to the San Francisco Giants.

He pitched five shutout innings against the Brewers in a 4-0 win last Monday and improved to 13-6. He is tied for second in the National League in wins and has a 2.40 ERA. His 123 strikeouts lead the Dodgers.

Strikeouts is the only pitching category Alcantara has an edge over any of the top three Dodger pitchers. He has 157 Ks, the fifth most in the National League after Sunday’s games.

If anything, Alcantara has been struggling in his past eight starts. He is 2-3 in that span.

The Dodger hitters were not intimidated by Alcantara. And after Sunday, Urias, Gonsolin and Anderson should be eyeing the Cy Young Award, not Alcantara.

The Dodgers went 5-2 last week after splitting a four-game series against the Brewers in Milwaukee and sweeping the Marlins over the weekend. The Dodgers have a nine-game home winning streak and an 18-game lead in the National League West standings over those pesky San Diego Padres.

Dodger starter power rankings:

1. Tony Gonsolin
2. Julio Urias
3. Tyler Anderson
4. Dustin May
5. Ryan Pepiot

The Dodgers (84-56) start a three-game series with the Brewers at Dodger Stadium on Monday and head to Miami for a weekend series against the Marlins starting on Friday.

Dodgers flirting with history after 12-game winning streak

The Dodgers ended a season-high 12-game winning streak with a 4-0 loss to the lowly Kansas City Royals on Sunday. It was the first time the Dodgers lost in August. It was the first time the Dodgers lost since July 30, 5-3 to the Colorado Rockies.

"I mean, we knew we weren't going to win every game," Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman told the Associated Press.

Perhaps. But for a minute there, it didn’t look like the Dodgers were going to lose another game.

The Dodgers winning streak, as impressive as it was dominating, was not even the longest winning streak of 2022. That belongs to the Atlanta Braves and Seattle Mariners. The Braves had a 14-game winning streak in June. The Mariners matched the Braves with a 14-game winning streak in July.

Still, the Dodgers have used their winning streak to build the best record in baseball and a 16-game lead in the National League West standings.

The Dodgers recent run is the second longest since the team moved to Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Dodgers had a 13-game winning streak in 1962 and another 13-game winning streak in 1965. 

The Dodgers won the World Series in 1965. They didn’t play in the World Series in 1962, losing a playoff against the San Francisco Giants for the National League pennant after both teams tied for the best record in the league.

The 12-game winning streak matches a run the Los Angeles Dodgers had in 1976. That team, the first with Tommy Lasorda as manager, finished in second place in the National League standings, 10 games behind the Cincinnati Reds. 

The longest winning streak in Dodger franchise history goes back to the Brooklyn days when the team was the Robins in 1924. That team, with Zack Wheat, power-hitting Jack Fournier and ace Dazzy Vance, won 15 games in a row.

The 1924 Brooklyn Robins ended up with a 92-62 record and finished in second place in the National League standings.

The Dodgers are on pace to set records for most wins in franchise history and most wins in Major League Baseball history.

The Dodgers won 106 games in 2019 and again in 2021, both franchise records. The 2022 Dodgers are on pace to win 113 games.

The 1906 Chicago Cubs and the 2001 Seattle Mariners hold the major league record for most wins in a season with 116. The Dodgers have to pick up the pace a little to break that record.

The Dodgers are also on pace to break the franchise record for winning percentage, well, at least the record for a full season winning percentage.

The Dodgers had a .682 winning percentage, 105-49, in 1953. That team had Roy Campanella, who won the National League MVP, and Jim Gilliam, who won the Rookie of the Year. That team also won the National League pennant, but lost to the New York Yankees in the World Series in six games.

After Sunday’s game against the Royals, the Dodgers have a .699 winning percentage.

The Dodgers record for winning percentage in a season is .717 in 2020, the pandemic shortened year when the Dodgers went 43-17 in 60 games.

With the way the Dodgers have been playing lately, even that record doesn't seem out of reach.

Dodger starters power rankings:

1. Tony Gonsolin
2. Julio Urias
3. Tyler Anderson
4. Ryan Pepiot
5. Andrew Heaney

The Dodgers (79-34) head to Milwaukee to start a four-game series with the Brewers on Monday before heading home for a weekend series against the Florida Marlins starting on Friday.  

Vin Scully signs off forever

Vin Scully wished us all a final good afternoon, wherever we may be last week. The Hall of Fame Dodgers broadcaster, the voice of Los Angeles really, died at the age of 94 on Tuesday. He was the Dodgers broadcaster for 67 years, and so much more. He was there when Los Angeles adopted the Dodgers in 1958, was there for the Dodgers first World Series victory in Brooklyn in 1955, was there for Sandy Koufax’s one and only perfect game and there for Kirk Gibson’s famous home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. 

Scully was the narrator for many of the great moments in Los Angeles and Dodgers history.

His voice was as reliable and dependable as an old friend, a favorite uncle, a cherished partner.

One night, in 1989, it was the most surprising voice to hear.

The Dodgers were playing the Houston Astros, June 3, 1989. It was a Saturday night. I was 18 years old, and going out with friends. While getting ready, we were watching the Dodgers game, and listening to Vin Scully call the game. It was tied 4-4 and heading into extra innings when we decided to head out.

When we got back home after a night of partying and hijinx, the game was still going on. It finally ended in the 22nd inning, the longest regular season game in Dodgers history. Jeff Hamilton was pitching. Fernando Valenzuela was playing first base. And Scully was still calling the game.

It ended when Rafael Ramirez hit a line drive into right field that scored the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 22nd inning. The ball deflected off Valenzuela’s glove into right field. If he was an inch taller, they might still be playing that game today.

But after seven hours and 14 minutes, the game was over. It was almost 2 in the morning LA time. Almost 4 in the morning in Houston, where the game was being played. And Scully’s voice was crisp, clear and comforting, even in calling the play that cost the Dodgers the game.

For whatever reason, that game stands out for me. Scully’s voice was not the one I was expecting to hear in the wee hours of June 4, 1989, but it was the one that we all fell asleep to that night. It was the voice we all fell asleep to while listening to Dodger games.

I only met Scully once, sort of. I was covering a baseball game at Dodger Stadium and wandered into the press cafeteria before the game started. Scully was in the eating area, sitting at a table, and telling stories to a small group of people. I eavesdropped for a few minutes and then went back to work. Not everyone gets a chance to be in the same room with someone like Scully, and it’s not something that’s easy to forget.

The Dodgers went 7-0 last week, sweeping the San Francisco Giants in four games at Oracle Park and taking three games from those pesky San Diego Padres at home over the weekend. 

The Dodgers had a special ceremony to remember Scully on Friday night before the game against the Padres. A banner was unveiled from the press box saying: We’ll miss you. 

Los Angeles and baseball will miss Vin, wherever he may be. 

The Dodgers have a seven-game winning streak after shutting out the Padres 4-0 on Sunday. The Dodgers outscored the new-look Padres and their shiny new All Star outfielder Juan Soto 20-4. The Dodgers outscored the Giants 25-10 in their four-game sweep earlier in the week.

The Dodgers didn’t need any sort of inspiration, but the team gave Scully plenty of reasons to cheer and smile.

Dodger starters power rankings:

1. Tyler Anderson
2. Julio Urias
3. Tony Gonsolin
4. Andrew Heaney
5. Clayton Kershaw

The Dodgers (75-33) have a 15.5-game lead over the Padres in the National League West standings. The Dodgers start a two-game series against the Minnesota Twins at home on Tuesday and finish the week with a three-game series on the road against the Kansas City Royals starting on Friday.

Dodgers wouldn’t trade places with any other team

The Dodger reached the 100-game mark of the season with a 67-33 record. Before the week was over, the Dodgers improved to 68-33 and won three of four games against the Rockies in Colorado.

The Dodgers continue to impress, going 21-5 in July and have a 12-game lead over those pesky San Diego Padres in the National League West standings.

The starting pitching has been strong. Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson are tops in the National League in wins and ERA.

Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman are the top two hitters in the major leagues. Freeman had three hits on Sunday against the Rockies and leads the majors with 128 hits. Turner singled in the first inning and extended his hitting streak to 18 games. He is one hit behind Freeman, with 127, for second place in the majors.

But the most surprising contribution of the weekend came from rookie James Outman, the unfortunately named outfielder who had one of the most impressive debuts in major league history.

Outman had three hits and drove in three runs in Sunday’s 7-3 win over the Rockies on Sunday.

He is the first Dodger with three hits and three RBIs in his first game.

He homered in his first at-bat, on his first pitch, and became the fourth Dodger to do that since the team moved to Los Angeles.

He joined Jose Offerman, Gary Ingram and Keibert Ruiz as the other Los Angeles Dodgers to homer in their first major league at-bat.

The Dodgers are finding production from all sorts of unexpected places.

Yet, the Dodgers are looking to make more additions.

Trade talk is circulating around Washington Nationals outfielder and All Star Juan Soto. The Dodgers are reported to be one of three teams still in the hunt for Soto. The San Diego Padres are one of the other teams looking to trade for Soto.

As great a player as Soto is, the Dodgers don’t need him.

They probably don’t need to make any trades.

But the Dodgers refused to stand pat and made a deal for some bullpen help.

They acquired reliever Chris Martin from the Chicago Cubs for Zack McKinstry. Martin is nothing really special. He is 1-0 with a 4.31 ERA and should be a reliable addition to the bullpen. But he does have one extraordinary talent: He doesn’t walk anybody.

He has only walked four batters all season. That is in 31 ⅓ innings. He has 40 strikeouts to go with those four walks. There are not many free passes coming from Martin.

In addition to Martin, the Dodgers have a few fresh arms waiting in the wings to join the team.

Blake Treinen is close to returning to the bullpen. Walker Buehler and Dustin May are expected to return before the end of the season. And Andrew Heaney, with his miniscule 0.47 ERA, is already back in the rotation and scheduled to start Monday against the San Francisco Giants.

Plus the Dodgers are rolling along without two of their best hitters, Chris Taylor and Justin Turner.

The Dodgers have reinforcements coming. And it’s not like they are struggling without some of their best players.

Dodger starter power rankings:

1. Tyler Anderson
2. Tony Gonsolin
3. Julio Urias
4. Clayton Kershaw
5. Mitch White

The Dodgers (68-33) head to San Francisco to start a four-game series with the Giants on Monday and finish the week with a three-game series against the San Diego Padres at home on Friday.