Speaker 1: The quest for the three peat has begne.
Speaker 2: Only four teams in Major League Baseball history have won
Speaker 2: three consecutive titles. The Dodgers are the favorites to become
Speaker 2: the fifth.
Speaker 1: This is World Champion Dodger Talk.
Speaker 2: Here we go again, Righero running back to.
Speaker 1: Get in on the show called eight six six, not
Speaker 1: eighty seven two five seven, and be sure to follow
Speaker 1: Dodger Talk wherever you get your podcasts. Here's your host,
Speaker 1: David Vasselasing.
Speaker 2: Welcome to Dodger Talk. David vasse with you until nine
Speaker 2: thirty tonight here on AM five to seventy LA Sports.
Speaker 2: After the Dodgers put up an eighth spot and beat
Speaker 2: the Astros tonight eight to three behind a well pitched
Speaker 2: game from Yoshi Yamamoto, who went six innings tonight, struck
Speaker 2: out eight, allowed just three earned runs. Yamamotos record is
Speaker 2: now three and two. He beats Ryan Weiss, who is
Speaker 2: the second of five pitchers the Astros used tonight in
Speaker 2: a bullpen game. Weiss was charged with six earned runs
Speaker 2: and the Dodgers the National nightmare is over. They hit
Speaker 2: a home run, In fact, they hit two. Alex Freeland
Speaker 2: and Kyle Tucker went deep for the Dodgers tonight. Freeland
Speaker 2: was on base four times. Tonight, he had three hits.
Speaker 2: Tucker let off the third inning with a home run
Speaker 2: to right field, and that was good to see. It
Speaker 2: was a fastball on the third pitch of the at bat,
Speaker 2: and that's what Tucker does. He doesn't missed fastballs and
Speaker 2: he hits them for home runs like he did in
Speaker 2: that third inning. But we did get breaking news from
Speaker 2: Dave Roberts moments ago. So let's head back to Houston
Speaker 2: right now to hear from the Dodger manager who announced
Speaker 2: just moments ago that tomorrow's pitcher show, he Otani will
Speaker 2: only pitch and he will not dh wondering if his
Speaker 2: over seventeen slump has anything to do with it. So
Speaker 2: let's hear from the Dodger manager.
Speaker 3: I thought in that fourth at bat he was starting
Speaker 3: to feel something a little bit. I thought it looked better.
Speaker 3: I think he took a walk right there, and then
Speaker 3: he had the left you where he flew out to
Speaker 3: center field. So he's working hard. He's out there early today.
Speaker 3: You know, there were some good, some not so good.
Speaker 3: Tomorrow he is just going to pitch. I think tomorrow
Speaker 3: we're just gonna you know, I just decided that just
Speaker 3: kind of watching him, just give him the opportunity to
Speaker 3: focus on the pitching, uh, you know, rest his body,
Speaker 3: and then you know, we'll we'll figure o who's gonna
Speaker 3: be the designat of tomorrow.
Speaker 4: Same decision to take what during the game as you're
Speaker 4: watching him.
Speaker 3: Or during the game, during the game, just kind of
Speaker 3: seeing how things are going, and then I just felt that,
Speaker 3: you know, in my mind, just kind of seeing how
Speaker 3: it's playing out. I think it's best for for everyone.
Speaker 3: Is that for you a body language thing or is
Speaker 3: that like a results thing that you're seeing. Definitely not results.
Speaker 3: It's a little bit more body language and just kind
Speaker 3: of watching watching the player.
Speaker 5: If that's a mental off time, I think.
Speaker 2: So, yeah.
Speaker 3: I think regardless, it's it's still a big toll, you know.
Speaker 3: Anyway that and we've certainly enjoyed the fruits of him
Speaker 3: doing it, which he will continue to at times. But
Speaker 3: you know, I think for me, it's a start by
Speaker 3: start kind of readoact situation.
Speaker 2: All Right, there's Dave Roberts giving his reason on why
Speaker 2: he decided in the middle of the game that show, hey,
Speaker 2: Otani will not be a two way player tomorrow instead,
Speaker 2: for the third time this season, O'tani will only pitch,
Speaker 2: and he's been phenomenal. He's coming off winning Pitcher of
Speaker 2: the Month in the month of April with an ERA
Speaker 2: of zero sixty. But Otani is in the longest slump
Speaker 2: of his major league career. He has one home run
Speaker 2: in his last eighty four plate appearances, he's oh for
Speaker 2: his last seventeen, and today did something that he rarely does.
Speaker 2: If you remember, during the postseason last year, he took
Speaker 2: batting practice on the field because he was in a
Speaker 2: little bit of a postseason hitting slump. And after he
Speaker 2: took betting practice the first time during the NLCS, he
Speaker 2: came back and hit three home runs and struck out
Speaker 2: ten Brewers in Game four of the clinching NLCS game
Speaker 2: against Milwaukee. But here's what's concerning shoeo Tani took fifty
Speaker 2: five swings in batting practice earlier today. He's thirty one
Speaker 2: years old, He's not twenty seven. That was the last time,
Speaker 2: basically twenty seven to twenty eight years old that he
Speaker 2: did both pitching and hitting, and he did it with
Speaker 2: the Angels who were not going anywhere. So there was
Speaker 2: a lot less mental physical toll on him. Not to
Speaker 2: mention his season was ending in September, not in November
Speaker 2: like it has the last couple of years. Not to
Speaker 2: mention again, I'll repeat this again, he's thirty one years old.
Speaker 2: It takes a thirty one year old starting pitcher five
Speaker 2: days to recover for his next start. Trust me, and
Speaker 2: the Dodgers and Otani are trying to do something that's
Speaker 2: never been done before. It seems like every time he's
Speaker 2: on the field, he's trying to do something he's never
Speaker 2: done before. He's done something already that nobody's done in
Speaker 2: modern baseball and b this grade of a four time
Speaker 2: MVP as a pitcher and a hitter. And you know,
Speaker 2: I honestly you go back and listen to those questions
Speaker 2: to Dave Roberts, somebody asked about whether or not it's
Speaker 2: mental toll. Yeah, I'm sure there's a mental toll going
Speaker 2: over your last seventeen when you're a fifty home run
Speaker 2: hitter and you only have one home run in your
Speaker 2: last eighty four plate appearances. But to me, the most
Speaker 2: obvious question that has not been asked is whether or
Speaker 2: not Otani is dealing with something physical that is preventing
Speaker 2: him from being a pitcher and a hitter. That's the
Speaker 2: thing standing out to me. How nobody has asked that
Speaker 2: is very interesting, and I actually feel like, you know,
Speaker 2: maybe that's a question that needs to be asked if
Speaker 2: it isn't by the end of this road trip, certainly
Speaker 2: the first question I would ask Dave Roberts when I
Speaker 2: see him on Friday at Dodger Stadium. Tonight's game brought
Speaker 2: to you by Modello Modello the mark of a fighter.
Speaker 2: I mean, Otani's trying to do something that nobody's done before.
Speaker 2: You got a guy like Ben Maller who just rips
Speaker 2: players every night. It takes him at least thirteen hours
Speaker 2: to give his gums a rest to recover for the
Speaker 2: next overnight show that he does. So what Otani's doing
Speaker 2: is a lot more than anybody else has ever tried
Speaker 2: to do in Major League Baseball. But one home run
Speaker 2: in his last eighty four plate appearances and he has
Speaker 2: to start tomorrow. So how much attention can he give
Speaker 2: his hitting the way he gave it today when he's tomorrow.
Speaker 2: It's just impossible. So, you know, thirty one years old,
Speaker 2: and I'm not sure if you realize this, but his father,
Speaker 2: this doesn't happen in the United States, and I'm not
Speaker 2: fully one hundred percent understanding. I don't understand fully the
Speaker 2: Japanese culture. I mean, I'm around a lot of Japanese
Speaker 2: reporters now two great Japanese players and then Roki Sasaki
Speaker 2: who doesn't really talk much. But their culture is a
Speaker 2: culture of respect. And this past offseason, after the Dodgers
Speaker 2: won the back to back World Series championship, his Otani's
Speaker 2: father took a page out in the newspaper in Japan
Speaker 2: wrote an open letter to Otani congratulating him and then
Speaker 2: encouraging him to give up pitching in the near future
Speaker 2: and maybe pick up an outfielder's glove so he can,
Speaker 2: you know, be able to extend his career being thirty
Speaker 2: one years old. So that's strange and something I've never
Speaker 2: asked Otani about. Limited time with Otani once a week
Speaker 2: when he speaks to the media, so that's not something
Speaker 2: a topic I'm sure he wants to tackle in that
Speaker 2: once a week session. Eight six six nine eight seven
Speaker 2: two five seventy is the phone number. Freddie Freeman had
Speaker 2: two hits tonight. He has seven hits in eighteen at
Speaker 2: bats on this road trip, after going three for twenty
Speaker 2: five on the last homestand but Freddie Freeman only has
Speaker 2: one extra base hit it was a double yesterday, no
Speaker 2: home runs. And I know Freddy doesn't consider himself a
Speaker 2: home run hitter, but I think the Dodgers are going
Speaker 2: to have to be content with this version of Freddie Freeman.
Speaker 2: But coming out of a three for twenty five slump
Speaker 2: to get seven hits in the first four games of
Speaker 2: this road trip, Freddie will take that. The Dodgers will
Speaker 2: take that, and that keeps the line moving for other guys.
Speaker 2: And that's where you know, if Otani's not going to
Speaker 2: be that forty I'm not even gonna say a fifty
Speaker 2: home run guy. If Otani's not going to be a
Speaker 2: thirty or forty home run guy at this rate he's not,
Speaker 2: then Kyle Tucker, ta Oskar Hernandez will Smith, Mookie Betts
Speaker 2: when he comes back, they're going to have to pick
Speaker 2: up the power slack without Otani leading off and being
Speaker 2: a fifty home run guy. And like I said, not
Speaker 2: even fifty. I think at this point the Dodgers would
Speaker 2: take a thirty five home run season from Otani, and
Speaker 2: I feel like he would as well. Kyle Tucker hit
Speaker 2: a home run tonight on a fastball, and that's what
Speaker 2: he does, and he didn't miss it tonight leading off
Speaker 2: the third inning. Let's go back to Houston to hear
Speaker 2: from the former astro.
Speaker 6: I mean, I loved, you know, being here and playing here,
Speaker 6: and there's a lot of new faces over here or
Speaker 6: over there, but it's always nice coming back and seeing
Speaker 6: seeing some of the guys and reconnecting with him. So
Speaker 6: it's always nice to be back.
Speaker 2: For he in the Hall park to come to.
Speaker 6: Like when you guys are kind of scuffling as a
Speaker 6: lineup a little bit, I mean, it just depends. I mean,
Speaker 6: if we just continue just keeping our head down, grinding
Speaker 6: and putting up some good at bats, you know, good
Speaker 6: things can happen. So we're just gonna try and keep
Speaker 6: doing that no matter where we're playing.
Speaker 2: Were you surprised to hear some booze out there tonight
Speaker 2: when you're walking up, I don't know.
Speaker 6: I don't really focus on like crowd noise and stuff.
Speaker 6: Like most of the time I don't hear a whole lot,
Speaker 6: so I don't really have a take on.
Speaker 4: It like just with the offense fell like a normal game.
Speaker 4: I mean you saying you had a normal game, But
Speaker 4: is that a fair take?
Speaker 2: I don't know.
Speaker 6: I mean, yeah, I know we haven't hit a homer
Speaker 6: in a while anyone, But so having a couple of
Speaker 6: those today was nice. Just good to see, like good contact,
Speaker 6: get up bads, guys, getting the walks and moving guys
Speaker 6: over and getting them in was huge. So did a
Speaker 6: really good job at that throughout the game and especially
Speaker 6: at the beginning first half. So I'm just gonna try
Speaker 6: and do that moving forward as well.
Speaker 2: Kind of quality of contact and at bats and approached
Speaker 2: the last couple of days, did.
Speaker 4: It feel like it was building towards something like this somewhat?
Speaker 6: I mean I had like a couple good of bats.
Speaker 6: I mean some not really, but I'm just gonna try
Speaker 6: and keep barreling balls and see what happens.
Speaker 2: All right. There is Kyle Tucker who hit a home
Speaker 2: run tonight leading off the third inning, got a bloop
Speaker 2: RBI base hit as well, and the Dodgers beat the
Speaker 2: Astros tonight eight to three. It's significant because the Dodger
Speaker 2: offense finished the home stand losing the last two to
Speaker 2: the Marlins and scoring a combined three runs, and then
Speaker 2: in Saint Louis they did not really do much offensively,
Speaker 2: did not hit a home run in those three games,
Speaker 2: And in those three games at Bush Stadium, the Dodgers
Speaker 2: combined to score only eight runs. Tonight they match it
Speaker 2: with an eight spot in Houston against the Astros and
Speaker 2: basically taking care of business. This offense should ravage that
Speaker 2: Astros pitching staff in the next two games they the
Speaker 2: way they did tonight, There's no excuses not to score
Speaker 2: off this Astro pitching staff. It may not be as talented,
Speaker 2: that's one thing, but the other part is that it's
Speaker 2: worn down. They've had to use their bullpen a lot
Speaker 2: the last two weeks of the season, especially and coming
Speaker 2: into this series. So no excuses. I don't want to
Speaker 2: hear about anybody feeling under the weather or any of that.
Speaker 2: They should sweep this series in Houston. Celebrate ninety years
Speaker 2: of racing at Santa Anita Park every Friday through Sunday
Speaker 2: with millions and payouts every race day. For our heart
Speaker 2: pounding action and a new experience, visit Santa Anita dot
Speaker 2: com slash events and oh, by the way, the Dodgers
Speaker 2: have the picture of the month on the mound tomorrow
Speaker 2: and show he Otani, and then the day after to
Speaker 2: close out this series, they got Tyler glass Now, who
Speaker 2: very well could have won it as well. Uh And
Speaker 2: if you remember the Dodgers squandered Otan, they had Yamamoto
Speaker 2: Otani Glassnew against the Marlins, and they only won one
Speaker 2: game and lost the last two. So they got to
Speaker 2: make up for that and win these next two because
Speaker 2: Otani and glass Now are going to do their job.
Speaker 2: Eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy is
Speaker 2: the phone number. We got the news from Dave Roberts
Speaker 2: because he just made the decision in the middle of
Speaker 2: the game. Otani will only pitch again tomorrow. He will
Speaker 2: not hit. How do you feel about that? Is this
Speaker 2: the new world for the Dodgers and Otani this year?
Speaker 2: Eight six six nine eighty seven two five seventy is
Speaker 2: the phone number. I have a solution for days like
Speaker 2: this when we continue on Dodger Talk, David Vasse with
Speaker 2: you until nine thirty right here on a five to
Speaker 2: seventy LA Sports. After the Dodgers beat the Astros eight
Speaker 2: to three.
Speaker 1: On air at AM five seventy online at AM five
Speaker 1: seventy LA sports dot com and available by podcast on
Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app. This is Dodger Talk with David Bassin.
Speaker 2: Man Tucker Felts went the right field and deep. This
Speaker 2: Paul Packet has got a home run. Kyle Tucker in
Speaker 2: a solo shot and it is four to two. Oh
Speaker 2: bullet of a line drive the right. King Tuck with
Speaker 2: a home run back in the spot where he started
Speaker 2: his major league career Houston. He let off the third
Speaker 2: inning with a home run a solo shot, and the
Speaker 2: Dodgers go on to beat the Astros tonight eight to three.
Speaker 2: They hit two home runs. Tonight, Alex Friedland tied the
Speaker 2: game with a solo home run in the second inning
Speaker 2: as well. Daniel S. Jewelers, they present the home run
Speaker 2: forecast for your chance to win a fifty dollars Daniel
Speaker 2: Jeweler's gift card, visit AM five to seventy lasports dot com.
Speaker 2: Use the keyword home run into your name and you
Speaker 2: could win Daniel S. Jeweller's own the Dream eight six six,
Speaker 2: nine eighty seven, two five seventy is the phone number.
Speaker 2: All right, let's dive deeper into this o'tani not hitting
Speaker 2: when he's pitching situation, because Dave Roberts broke that news
Speaker 2: after the game in his office, and nobody asked whether
Speaker 2: or not there's some physical limitation with Otani that is
Speaker 2: preventing him from being the hitter that he's normally been
Speaker 2: in his entire four time MVP career. I've learned something
Speaker 2: over the years. Now, I'm not very smart, but I
Speaker 2: have paid attention over the years, and I feel like
Speaker 2: I've relayed this to you a few different times. Great
Speaker 2: players don't all of a sudden turn into pumpkins overnight
Speaker 2: unless there is something physically wrong with them or something
Speaker 2: off the field. Nothing off the field going on with
Speaker 2: Otani this time, and even when there was stuff going
Speaker 2: on off the field, he never missed a beat. So
Speaker 2: I'm not saying I know anything, but I would love
Speaker 2: to have the opportunity to ask him. Ask Dave Roberts,
Speaker 2: is there something physically preventing you from being the hitter
Speaker 2: that you have been your entire year, your entire career.
Speaker 2: When was the last time you ever saw show Hey
Speaker 2: Otani hit one home run in his last eighty four
Speaker 2: played appearances. Never, I have the answer for you. Never.
Speaker 2: It's never happened in his major league career, and I
Speaker 2: would venture to say it never happened to him in
Speaker 2: Japan either. So that's a red flag for me right there.
Speaker 2: And yes, of course it's mental at this stage. Over
Speaker 2: his last seventeen he looks very human at the plate.
Speaker 2: He has poured in so much effort in trying to
Speaker 2: be the best pitcher he can be this year, trying
Speaker 2: to go after that Cy Young Award, and yes, those
Speaker 2: are all factors. But I would love to know whether
Speaker 2: something is physically wrong with Otani. Now I know early BP.
Speaker 2: I just mentioned to you the Japanese media counted how
Speaker 2: many swings he took in early BP today and the
Speaker 2: total was fifty five swings. So obviously he's healthy enough
Speaker 2: to do that. But here's the thing. Let's say it's
Speaker 2: not physical and now it's becoming a snowball at the plate.
Speaker 2: He has to start tomorrow. So how is he going
Speaker 2: to fix his hitting issues tomorrow? He tried today, and
Speaker 2: I guess is that bad swear a little better. But
Speaker 2: here's my thought. Okay, Dave Roberts, you saw something during
Speaker 2: the game that told you, you know what, I'm not
Speaker 2: gonna have him hit tomorrow. What do you think one
Speaker 2: day is gonna do for this guy if he's in
Speaker 2: that much of a hole. If I'm the Dodgers, I
Speaker 2: don't play Otani the last game in Houston either it's
Speaker 2: a day game. After he pitches, I'm not letting Otani
Speaker 2: DH the next two games. Just let him reset. Maybe
Speaker 2: on Wednesday during the game he could go into the
Speaker 2: cage with JT. Watkins, who is one of the best
Speaker 2: hitting coaches the Dodgers have, go in the lab in
Speaker 2: Houston with whatever you have and maybe try to figure
Speaker 2: something out there during the game. But playing him Wednesday
Speaker 2: is not going to solve anything. Don't play him Wednesday.
Speaker 2: Either day is an off day. He'll have Thursday off.
Speaker 2: He could possibly go into the stadium, maybe look at
Speaker 2: some stuff and maybe take a few swings, but maybe
Speaker 2: not do anything at all, and then come back Friday
Speaker 2: for the beginning of a three game series against the
Speaker 2: best team this side of the Dodgers, in the Atlanta Braves.
Speaker 2: That seems extremely sensible. If this is what you're seeing,
Speaker 2: Dave Roberts, that you don't want him to DH tomorrow,
Speaker 2: you want him to focus on pitching, I would say sorry,
Speaker 2: show Hey, this is what's best for you. You're not
Speaker 2: hitting tomorrow, you're pitching. And the last game of the
Speaker 2: series a day game after a night game. Use that
Speaker 2: day for recovery, and use Thursday a true off day
Speaker 2: for recovery. Because remember early in the season, the Dodgers
Speaker 2: were lining up his starts on Wednesdays because they would
Speaker 2: have most Thursdays off like they are this week. So
Speaker 2: I see no reason to have Otani step in the
Speaker 2: batter's box again in Houston in these next two games.
Speaker 2: Eight six six none to eight seven two five seventy
Speaker 2: is the phone number. And how about this Tomorrow, I'm
Speaker 2: playing Dalton Rushing at first base and Freddie Freeman's getting
Speaker 2: off his feet and dhing and he's doing it again
Speaker 2: on Wednesday, and then Freddie has Thursday off. Or I'm
Speaker 2: having Dalton Rushing catch Wednesday. Will Smith is my DH
Speaker 2: and Freddie Freeman is at first base. That's what I
Speaker 2: would do tomorrow. Freddy, you're the DH rushing, you're playing
Speaker 2: first base, Wednesday rushing, you're catching Will Smith, you're the DH,
Speaker 2: or you're not playing at all. Eight six six none,
Speaker 2: eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. I
Speaker 2: feel like I figured that out out for us all
Speaker 2: right here on Dodger Talk eight six six Night seven
Speaker 2: two five seventy, we're going to the bottom of the hour.
Speaker 2: I can solve other problems too, if you need me to,
Speaker 2: not just mine. I mean, I cannot solve my own problems.
Speaker 2: Let's go out to Danny and Claremont. You're on Dodger Talk.
Speaker 2: How you doing, Danny?
Speaker 5: I'm doing great. Dave's my first time getting to talk
Speaker 5: to you this year. Thank you for giving me on.
Speaker 5: I appreciate it.
Speaker 2: Did they just put cell towers out there at Claremont?
Speaker 2: Is that why?
Speaker 4: Hey?
Speaker 5: Easy, Dave, we got more to talk about here. You
Speaker 5: don't want to hear it, hear you talking that way about?
Speaker 2: What do you think, Danny? Do you agree with me?
Speaker 2: O Tani should not step in the batter's box the
Speaker 2: next two games? If this is what we heard from
Speaker 2: Dave Roberts.
Speaker 5: Uh, Dave, I strongly agree with you. And when I
Speaker 5: first heard that they were talking about doing this with
Speaker 5: the show Hey, you know, I thought it was a
Speaker 5: great idea. You know, everything that that show Hey does
Speaker 5: is unprecedented territory for the team and for the player
Speaker 5: and taking off anything they can do to mitigate that risk.
Speaker 5: You know, especially if he's gonna be pitching like he
Speaker 5: is this year and pitching at such an exceptional level.
Speaker 5: You know, they're not gonna take him out of rotation.
Speaker 5: They want him, They want him pitching the way he is.
Speaker 5: They got it, They got it, you know, take the
Speaker 5: rest when they can, if that means him sitting down
Speaker 5: these days pitches the days after. Like you're like, you're
Speaker 5: suggesting now, you know, I'm all for it. If he's
Speaker 5: got to go thirty thirty this year and to the
Speaker 5: fifty to fifty, that's just what we gotta live with.
Speaker 1: Man.
Speaker 2: And Okay, here's another question for you, Danny, because this
Speaker 2: is going to be a question that comes up during
Speaker 2: the season. If he doesn't get it going offensively and
Speaker 2: he's all in with the pitching, Who do the Dodgers
Speaker 2: need more Otani the pitcher or Otani they hit her?
Speaker 2: I personally believe they need Otani, they hit her more
Speaker 2: than they need Otani the pitcher.
Speaker 5: I think they need him both, Dave. I mean, even
Speaker 5: if you can't say he just won Picture of the
Speaker 5: Month and saw what he did at times last year
Speaker 5: in October as a pitcher.
Speaker 4: Uh, he's still a better hitter on both sides.
Speaker 2: That's still a better hitter. And you're getting Blake Snell back.
Speaker 2: You'll have Snell, you have Yama Moto, you'll have Glass.
Speaker 2: Now you have Robleski. I think the Dodgers need Otani
Speaker 2: the hitter more than they need Otani the pitcher. If
Speaker 2: I had to choose, well.
Speaker 5: I don't know, Dave. I think once we get to October,
Speaker 5: you got to see who's healthy and who's ready to go.
Speaker 5: You know, circumstance might dictate, you know, who's who's going
Speaker 5: to be pitching on the mound. We got a lot
Speaker 5: of offense and you definitely want in there.
Speaker 2: Do the Dodgers really have a lot of offense? Danny?
Speaker 2: Have you seen this offense the last couple of weeks
Speaker 2: without Otani being that guy?
Speaker 5: Theoretically we got a lot of offense.
Speaker 2: But you're right.
Speaker 5: I did hear Tim Nevertt Tim Neverertt's call of Tucker
Speaker 5: hitting the home run tonight. I didn't catch the game,
Speaker 5: but he hit a home run. Yeah.
Speaker 1: I didn't know he was.
Speaker 5: Still doing that kind of thing. So that's really good to.
Speaker 2: Hear Tucker hitting a home runner Tim Negverett making the call.
Speaker 5: Well, Tim Nevert's always great to hear. But Tucker hitting
Speaker 5: the home run, that was good to hear that he
Speaker 5: did that.
Speaker 2: You still getting a tip of the cap to John
Speaker 2: Sterling by Tim Nevertt. Hey, Danny, keep those cell towers
Speaker 2: up in Claremont and call back.
Speaker 5: Okay, will do my friends, keep it keep it going, Dave.
Speaker 5: Nice talking to you.
Speaker 2: Nice talking to you too. Thank you for the phone call,
Speaker 2: and hopefully Danny, you come out to Downy Hunday on Thursday.
Speaker 2: Alex Vesia and I are going to be down there
Speaker 2: from four to five o'clock. We're going to have a
Speaker 2: Dodger talk show with that live crowd out there. It's
Speaker 2: going to be a party, because Downy Hunday is not
Speaker 2: just a car dealership, it's an experience. Seventy five point
Speaker 2: fifty Firestone Boulevard This Thursday, four to five o'clock me,
Speaker 2: you and alex Vesia. There's gonna be a DJ, there's
Speaker 2: gonna be food and drinks. It's gonna be a party
Speaker 2: at Downey Hunday this Thursday, So you want to get
Speaker 2: there early and we'll have a great time with Alex
Speaker 2: Vessia from four to five o'clock. Let's go out to recita. John,
Speaker 2: you're on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi. John.
Speaker 4: Hey, Dave, thanks for taking my call, and I love
Speaker 4: your comment and I strongly agree with you. Also, I
Speaker 4: was thinking, he put so much.
Speaker 2: Do you agree with Joe? Do you agree? Which part
Speaker 2: do you agree with?
Speaker 4: Well? I agree with you about the pitching him only,
Speaker 4: I mean not hitting him on the days that he's pitches,
Speaker 4: not dhing on that, and.
Speaker 2: I was sent and I also said, I strongly that's
Speaker 2: a debatable thing, but I strongly believe he should not
Speaker 2: hit the rest of this series in Houston, especially with
Speaker 2: the day off.
Speaker 4: I agree with that also. And my idea for that is,
Speaker 4: let's give Hassan Kim a chance to lead off. He's
Speaker 4: one of the best fastest guy on the team. He
Speaker 4: gets a ball on the ground, he can make it
Speaker 4: the first base, he can set it up for the
Speaker 4: other guys, and then see how that works out for
Speaker 4: the Dodgers. When he can lead off and he gets
Speaker 4: on base, he gets on base and the other guys
Speaker 4: can bring him in and so Hey, if he puts
Speaker 4: too much pressure on himself leading off, move him down
Speaker 4: the lineup a little bit. Let's hassan Kim can continue
Speaker 4: to lead off and see what happens. Maybe it's something
Speaker 4: that could happen. What do you think.
Speaker 2: I wouldn't be opposed to it in the short term, John,
Speaker 2: But when Mookie Betts comes back, I would have Mookie
Speaker 2: Betts as the leadoff hitter. He is one of the
Speaker 2: greatest leadoff hitters in the history of baseball. I think
Speaker 2: we all forget that. And I know last year was
Speaker 2: a nightmare of an offensive season for him, but it's
Speaker 2: a new year and he's been out for a while.
Speaker 2: When Mookie Betts comes back on games that Otani's not
Speaker 2: leading off and being the DH, or if the Dodgers
Speaker 2: decide to move Otani down in the order, Mookie Betts
Speaker 2: is my first choice to lead off again.
Speaker 4: I can see that. But why not give on Kim
Speaker 4: a chance?
Speaker 2: It's fine, I would Okay, how about tomorrow. Otani's not
Speaker 2: going to hit, so how about tomorrow? Why not have
Speaker 2: Kim lead off. The last time this happened, Dalton Rushing
Speaker 2: was the DH and he was the leadoff hitter. But
Speaker 2: I'm I'm all in the thing with the Dodgers, though,
Speaker 2: John and what you're saying is with Kim leading off
Speaker 2: in the like tonight, Wan Sota was leading off for
Speaker 2: the Mets. The reason why he was leading off is because,
Speaker 2: like you said, he gets on base, but he's the
Speaker 2: mets best hitter. The reason why Otani leads off is
Speaker 2: because he's the Dodgers' best hitter and he can change
Speaker 2: the game with one swing. And the leadoff hitter gets
Speaker 2: more at bats as the lineup turns over during games.
Speaker 2: So you're saying that you want Kim to be that
Speaker 2: guy that get the most at bats in the game tomorrow.
Speaker 4: I think so. I think you give him a chance.
Speaker 4: I bet you he'd come through for us, because I've
Speaker 4: seen him play. He can hit the all fields, he's
Speaker 4: got a little bit of power, he's got speed beyond
Speaker 4: anybody else on the team, and I think it would
Speaker 4: be a good a good experiment to try, all right.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm not opposed to the experiment, and tomorrow's a
Speaker 2: good day to try it against the very weak Astros
Speaker 2: pitching staff. Thanks for the phone call, John, appreciate it.
Speaker 2: Eight sixty six nine to eight seven two five seventy
Speaker 2: is the phone number. Dodgers beat the Astros. Tonight eight
Speaker 2: to three. Their pitching staff struck out fifteen Houston Astros
Speaker 2: tonight and only walk two, led by Yamamoto, who went
Speaker 2: six innings tonight was only charged with three earned runs.
Speaker 2: He had eight strikeouts tonight in one walk, and after that,
Speaker 2: the Dodger bullpen did another stellar job. Nobody talks about
Speaker 2: the bullpen when they do well. Kyle hurt Blake, trying
Speaker 2: in Jack Dreyer all put up zeros in their innings
Speaker 2: and combined for seven strikeouts of their own. So the
Speaker 2: Dodger bullpen had seven strikeouts, Yamamoto had eight, and the
Speaker 2: Dodgers beat the Astros eight to three in every facet
Speaker 2: of the game. Tonight, Otani goes hitless. He had two walks.
Speaker 2: He's zero for seventeen oh for his last seventeen, and
Speaker 2: Dave Roberts decided in the middle of the game it
Speaker 2: would be best to not have Otani hit tomorrow, just
Speaker 2: pitch for the Dodgers and start the game, which I'm
Speaker 2: all for. I'm cool with that, but after what I
Speaker 2: heard Dave Roberts say, one game is not going to
Speaker 2: change anything for Otani, so I'm very much advocating for
Speaker 2: Otani not to hit tomorrow and not to hit Wednesday
Speaker 2: day game after a night game in Houston at the
Speaker 2: end of a six game road trip. Thursday's a day off.
Speaker 2: Let him reset, let him work on the hitting if
Speaker 2: he wants to, and then be ready for a big
Speaker 2: showdown against the Atlanta Braves, who have the best record
Speaker 2: in baseball. Dodgers have the second best. Let's go out
Speaker 2: to Whittier. Julian, you're on Dodger Talk. How you doing, Julian.
Speaker 7: Dave, Long time no talk. It's nice to talk to
Speaker 7: you again. I listened to you. Sometimes it's hard to
Speaker 7: get through. Thank you for taking my call. Uh, let's
Speaker 7: let's be real simple. I'm gonna make this real quick
Speaker 7: for everyone. So this guy puts out, he puts out
Speaker 7: as a pitcher and as a hitter all the time
Speaker 7: players at this high level. It can be psychological, it
Speaker 7: can be burnout. I remember once Mike Piazza went three
Speaker 7: for thirty one just one time. So my point is
Speaker 7: is it's gonna be fine. It's early in the season. Otani,
Speaker 7: he'll come, He'll get through this. It's like, maybe you
Speaker 7: should give him a break, you know what I mean,
Speaker 7: Let him reset. Excuse me, yeah, I.
Speaker 2: Agree with you. Reset, do not hit tomorrow, do not
Speaker 2: hit Wednesday, half Thursday off, play with your decoy and
Speaker 2: get away from it, and then come back Friday refreshed
Speaker 2: and reset.
Speaker 7: I totally agree. And the last thing I'll say is
Speaker 7: we're going back to the World Series and Otani's going
Speaker 7: to be the most valuable player. So thank you very much,
Speaker 7: David for the phone call, and I hope to talk
Speaker 7: to you again sometime later this season.
Speaker 4: Thank you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that would be great. Thank you for the phone call, Julian.
Speaker 2: And look, Julian mentioned a buzzphrase burned out. Okay, let's
Speaker 2: say Julian's right and Otani's burned out. It's only May fourth.
Speaker 2: That's what's concerning, right. If it's taken a toll on
Speaker 2: him right now, how is he going to finish the year?
Speaker 2: That's my concern. It's not about you know, one start
Speaker 2: or one game or an zero for seventeen, but if
Speaker 2: Dave Roberts feels like he's getting burnt out, how is
Speaker 2: this going to play out the rest of the season.
Speaker 2: And even Andrew Friedman told us on the last homestand
Speaker 2: they're very well aware and going to try to do
Speaker 2: everything they possibly can to keep Otani going for the
Speaker 2: entire season as a pitcher and as a hitter, the
Speaker 2: two way unicorn that he is, the four time MVP
Speaker 2: that he is. It may be like tomorrow where he
Speaker 2: doesn't hit on the days that he pitches, is what
Speaker 2: Andrews said, And also he conceded there might be days
Speaker 2: like Wednesday where he doesn't lead off and is not
Speaker 2: in the starting lineup and could be used as a
Speaker 2: bat off the bench. Let's not forget that there's that threat,
Speaker 2: but I feel like it in this case. And you
Speaker 2: hear this a lot, and even Joe Kelly told us
Speaker 2: this on Off Day Dodger Talk last Thursday. You got
Speaker 2: to read and react during the season. And if I'm
Speaker 2: reading and reacting like Dave Roberts was in the middle
Speaker 2: of the game and saying, you know what, I see
Speaker 2: something whether it's mental or physical that I don't like,
Speaker 2: and you're not going to hit tomorrow, well I would
Speaker 2: read and react and say, you know what, show Hey,
Speaker 2: you're in the worst slump of your career. How about
Speaker 2: reset for the next three days as a hitter, pitching
Speaker 2: Tomorrow Wednesday, you know, do some work if you want
Speaker 2: during the game and the cage with JT. Wakins. Thursday
Speaker 2: day off, do whatever you need to do, but you're
Speaker 2: not starting in the game for the next few days.
Speaker 2: And then come back Friday at home at Dodger Stadium
Speaker 2: with the adrenaline of fifty thousand plus at a sellout
Speaker 2: Dodger Stadium first game of the home stand against the
Speaker 2: Atlanta Braves. Come back home and do your thing like
Speaker 2: you always do. But nothing is going to serve Otani
Speaker 2: offensively by him playing in a day game after a
Speaker 2: night game that he pitches in. If we're all in
Speaker 2: for the well being of Otani and keeping him fresh,
Speaker 2: the bounce back a day game after a night game
Speaker 2: at thirty one years old after making a start on
Speaker 2: the road, Come on, this guy is the greatest baseball
Speaker 2: player we have ever seen, and I would go as
Speaker 2: far as to say top five athlete I have ever
Speaker 2: witnessed since I've been alive in sports period. But he's
Speaker 2: not twenty six anymore. He's not twenty seven. Even Michael
Speaker 2: Jordan's started taking jumpers at the end, he didn't go
Speaker 2: to the rim every night for punishment. Otani's thirty one
Speaker 2: years old. You've got to evolve with age and manage
Speaker 2: it differently, and I don't think he's pushing back right now,
Speaker 2: which I applaud him for. Obviously, great competitors like him
Speaker 2: don't believe they're vulnerable, but right now they're some vulnerability
Speaker 2: at the plate. The numbers don't lie, and on the
Speaker 2: days that he pitches, in sixty four at bats with
Speaker 2: the Dodgers, he's hitting two hundred with only two home runs,
Speaker 2: So having him hit tomorrow is not going to serve
Speaker 2: any purpose. I'm completely on board with Dave Roberts and
Speaker 2: the Dodgers' decision to have him just pitch tomorrow, but
Speaker 2: I'll double down on that. Don't have him play on Wednesday,
Speaker 2: give him the next two days after he pitches as well,
Speaker 2: And it makes sense right the Dodgers had kind of
Speaker 2: lined it up that way to begin the year. This
Speaker 2: makes complete sense. I would be shocked if O'tani plays
Speaker 2: Wednesday after pitching tomorrow, with the way he's in an
Speaker 2: offensive mental, physical funk at the plate, and the Dodgers
Speaker 2: have good enough players to cover it, and they have
Speaker 2: some guys, two guys in particular that could use a
Speaker 2: dhday in Freddie Freeman and Will Smith the next two days,
Speaker 2: so to me, it's a it's really not a question.
Speaker 2: All right. Before we say good night, I want to
Speaker 2: give you an update on brock Stewart. As I had
Speaker 2: concluded after he went back to back games in Oklahoma City.
Speaker 2: He's going to be activated either tomorrow or Wednesday, which
Speaker 2: is a huge boost to the Dodger bullpen. Already a
Speaker 2: really good bullpen, but now you're getting brock Stewart back.
Speaker 2: Bruce Star, Gretorol and keike A Hernandez are with Oklahoma
Speaker 2: City now, so that's a good thing. And can we
Speaker 2: just get rid of that dropkick celebration that we saw
Speaker 2: in Saint Louis And it has nothing to do I've
Speaker 2: been assured it has nothing to do with Dalton rushing.
Speaker 2: It was just somebody came up with, hey, let's kick
Speaker 2: the bad vibes out of here, and that's what they
Speaker 2: came up with, and Alex Call was the first one
Speaker 2: to do it. How about if we don't do it again,
Speaker 2: that's that's kind of corny. I want to go for it.
Speaker 2: If you're asking my opinion, that's not la Okay, we
Speaker 2: could do better, all right, that'll do it for us.
Speaker 2: On Dodger Talk to Night Tomorrow, Otani on the mound
Speaker 2: only going up against Peter Lambert who's one and two
Speaker 2: with an elray of three point fifty two. Morongo Casino.
Speaker 2: Dodgers on Deck begins at four o'clock with Tim Kates.
Speaker 2: First pitch from Houston with Rick Monday and Tim Neverett
Speaker 2: on Otani Day at five ten. Thanks to Dwayne McDonald
Speaker 2: and Houston. Thanks to Colin Yee back in Burbank, and
Speaker 2: thanks to you for listening. In case you missed any
Speaker 2: of the show, you can find it on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2: That's also where you can make us a preset subscribe,
Speaker 2: and also there's a microphone top right. You can give
Speaker 2: us some feedback and if it's positive feedback, I'd be shocked.
Speaker 2: We'll play it on the show tomorrow once again. The
Speaker 2: final score tonight the Dodgers beat the Astros and hit
Speaker 2: two home runs eight to three. Fox Sports Radios next.
Speaker 2: Have a great rest of your night, See you
Speaker 6: Six