WEBVTT - Dodger Talk (4-18-26) 0:00:00.560 --> 0:00:02.880 The quest for the three peat has begun. 0:00:03.120 --> 0:00:06.960 Only four teams in Major League Baseball history have won 0:00:07.040 --> 0:00:11.440 three consecutive titles. The Dodgers are the favorites to become 0:00:11.760 --> 0:00:12.600 the fifth. 0:00:12.640 --> 0:00:15.080 This is World Champion Dodger Talk. 0:00:15.160 --> 0:00:16.960 Here we go again. We're geta running back. 0:00:17.040 --> 0:00:19.200 To get in on the show called eight six six 0:00:19.440 --> 0:00:22.040 nine eighty seven two five seven, and be sure to 0:00:22.079 --> 0:00:26.599 follow Dodger Talk wherever you get your podcasts. Here's your host, 0:00:27.120 --> 0:00:27.960 David Vasse. 0:00:32.360 --> 0:00:36.080 Welcome the Dodger Talk David Vasse live at corps Field. 0:00:36.360 --> 0:00:40.400 After the Rockies hold on and survive the Dodgers four 0:00:40.479 --> 0:00:43.839 to three, we're with you until nine o'clock tonight. Eight 0:00:43.920 --> 0:00:47.479 sixty six nine eighty seven two five seventy is the 0:00:47.520 --> 0:00:50.640 phone number. The Dodgers fall to the Rockies tonight, four 0:00:50.720 --> 0:00:54.840 to three. Emmitt Sheehan did not have his good fastball 0:00:54.880 --> 0:00:58.920 command tonight, so he wasn't able to duplicate what Tyler 0:00:58.960 --> 0:01:01.279 Glass now was able to to do last night and 0:01:01.400 --> 0:01:04.840 just pound the strike zone with fastballs. It was just 0:01:05.240 --> 0:01:07.720 one of those nights for Sheihan, one of those nights 0:01:07.720 --> 0:01:11.399 for the Dodger offense, which had opportunities and they just 0:01:11.480 --> 0:01:15.280 weren't able to cash them in an unfortunate night. But 0:01:15.360 --> 0:01:17.959 it's gonna happen. The Dodgers are not perfect. They're not 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:22.120 running the table on the rest of the season, and 0:01:22.240 --> 0:01:25.080 it was their first loss to a National League team 0:01:25.280 --> 0:01:29.199 ten and one. They are now against the National League 0:01:29.240 --> 0:01:33.080 and go figure, the first loss is handed to them 0:01:33.120 --> 0:01:36.479 by the Rockies, but still with baseball's best record at 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:39.919 fifteen to five, and look, got two more games against 0:01:39.920 --> 0:01:43.600 the Rockies here at Corsfield. We'll see how it plays 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:48.800 tomorrow afternoon with Roki Sasaki at the plate. All right, 0:01:48.880 --> 0:01:52.320 so here is a question. I brought this up to 0:01:52.400 --> 0:01:56.440 Jose Mota, and I'm a firm believer. The contact play 0:01:57.040 --> 0:02:00.400 has been going on since the mid two thousand. Mike 0:02:00.520 --> 0:02:03.760 Soshia put it on virtually every time there was a 0:02:03.840 --> 0:02:07.560 runner at third base and less than two outs. Freddie 0:02:07.560 --> 0:02:11.760 Freeman tripled with one out and you got ti Oscar 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:16.120 Hernandez at the plate. Muncy who is off tonight. You 0:02:16.160 --> 0:02:18.480 could tell that he just wasn't in sync at the 0:02:18.520 --> 0:02:22.160 plate and you're down a run at that point in time. 0:02:22.639 --> 0:02:26.960 That's a perfect situation for the contact play. If the 0:02:27.040 --> 0:02:31.560 contact play is on, Freddie Freeman scores easily. Kyle Carross 0:02:31.639 --> 0:02:34.440 made a great play to stop the ball going into 0:02:34.960 --> 0:02:38.240 left field. He made a diving stop behind the third 0:02:38.240 --> 0:02:43.440 base bag to throw out taoscar Hernandez. Freeman scores easily 0:02:43.880 --> 0:02:47.440 if there's a contact play, and that would have tied 0:02:47.480 --> 0:02:50.240 the game and put a little bit more pressure on 0:02:50.280 --> 0:02:53.760 the Rockies at that point in time. Instead, Freeman still 0:02:53.800 --> 0:02:56.680 standing at third base, and he was standing there at 0:02:56.720 --> 0:02:59.080 the end of the inning because the Dodgers could not 0:02:59.280 --> 0:03:02.920 cash him in. That was one opportunity missed. In the 0:03:03.000 --> 0:03:06.480 eighth inning, the Dodgers had runners at first and second, 0:03:06.600 --> 0:03:10.400 nobody out and couldn't score a run. They had bases loaded, 0:03:10.440 --> 0:03:16.440 two outs. Max Munsey struck out. That was an unfortunate 0:03:16.600 --> 0:03:20.040 sequence of events. And in the seventh inning, Alex Call 0:03:20.480 --> 0:03:23.040 came off the bench for Alex Friedland, who kind of 0:03:23.120 --> 0:03:26.240 jammed his thumb. Call got hit by the first pitch 0:03:26.280 --> 0:03:30.560 he saw and promptly was picked off at first base. 0:03:31.919 --> 0:03:34.280 We talked about the bottom of the order being so 0:03:34.520 --> 0:03:38.160 vital to the Dodgers' success tonight, they didn't get much 0:03:38.200 --> 0:03:41.440 production out of the bottom of the order, and Call 0:03:41.560 --> 0:03:45.320 getting picked off prevented a chance of a bigger inning 0:03:45.360 --> 0:03:49.080 with Otani coming to the plate. So those were some 0:03:49.240 --> 0:03:52.400 of the moments where I felt like the Dodgers had 0:03:52.400 --> 0:03:56.120 an opportunity to do more. They were zero for seven 0:03:56.520 --> 0:04:00.360 with runners in scoring position tonight eight men left on 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:03.200 bass and uh, look those nights are going to happen. 0:04:03.560 --> 0:04:06.120 But I really thought the sixth inning, after the Freeman 0:04:06.240 --> 0:04:10.320 one out triple, that was the big missed opportunity. Eight 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:13.880 six six seven two five seventy is the phone number. 0:04:14.200 --> 0:04:17.680 I mentioned this during the Clubhouse show as well. But 0:04:18.080 --> 0:04:22.000 another big at bat was in the ninth inning. No, 0:04:22.320 --> 0:04:26.640 not just Kyle Tucker, but Sho Hao Tani coming up 0:04:26.960 --> 0:04:30.080 after Will Smith hit a seeing I single up the 0:04:30.120 --> 0:04:33.720 middle to keep the game alive, to bring up baseball's 0:04:33.760 --> 0:04:38.839 best player and most dangerous hitter in show Heotani facing 0:04:38.920 --> 0:04:45.880 Victor Vodnik show Hao Tani versus Wognik. That's that's advantage Otani. 0:04:46.440 --> 0:04:48.839 And look he got a base hit. But it was 0:04:48.880 --> 0:04:52.640 a big victory for Vodnik to keep Otani in the 0:04:52.680 --> 0:04:57.120 ballpark because it very easily could have been a two run, 0:04:57.240 --> 0:05:00.360 go ahead home run by show Hao Tani and dead 0:05:00.760 --> 0:05:04.239 it was a single and that brought up Kyle Tucker, who, 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:07.720 let's face it, it's been struggling his first few weeks 0:05:07.760 --> 0:05:11.320 as a Dodger, even though tonight he had three hits 0:05:11.360 --> 0:05:14.599 coming into that last at bad, including a two run 0:05:14.720 --> 0:05:18.480 home run in the first inning. Couldn't understand why he 0:05:18.640 --> 0:05:21.680 was swinging first pitch after what he saw with Will 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:25.960 Smith and o'tani facing Vodnik. But he swung first pitch 0:05:26.279 --> 0:05:28.640 and it was a lazy fly ball to the left field 0:05:28.640 --> 0:05:31.680 and the game was over. Let's head downstairs right now 0:05:31.720 --> 0:05:34.880 to hear from the Dodger right fielder Kyle Tucker on 0:05:34.960 --> 0:05:38.080 Sports at LA so bad. 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:41.080 I mean, some of bats are better than others. I 0:05:41.200 --> 0:05:43.320 just needed to try and carry it over to each 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:46.440 of bat in each game rather than just kind of 0:05:46.480 --> 0:05:49.880 here and there. But I hope they'll just continue doing 0:05:49.880 --> 0:05:50.680 that tomorrow as well. 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:53.320 He guys actually had sknock too, especially late in this game. 0:05:53.360 --> 0:05:55.320 What did you find just when it came to I 0:05:55.360 --> 0:05:57.360 guess kind of leaving runners on or even just kind 0:05:57.360 --> 0:05:59.360 of falling shorts with later in this one. 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:04.320 I mean it happens at times, you know, they we're 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:08.679 facing big league pitchers and they're they got some guys 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:11.520 in there. And their bullpen that can you know, Pitt 0:06:11.560 --> 0:06:13.120 really well. But you know, at the same time, we 0:06:13.120 --> 0:06:15.839 got to do our part. You know, we had some 0:06:15.880 --> 0:06:19.840 opportunities with guys on base, especially late, just got to 0:06:19.839 --> 0:06:21.720 find ways to get hits or just get those guys in. 0:06:21.920 --> 0:06:24.720 So it happens at times, but you just got to 0:06:24.720 --> 0:06:27.479 do a better job at it. What's the home run like? 0:06:27.560 --> 0:06:29.480 To be able to attack a first pitch like that, 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:30.080 Like when you're. 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:32.839 Talking about ending at thats sooner and not getting behind 0:06:32.880 --> 0:06:34.520 an account, Like, is that an example of kind of 0:06:34.560 --> 0:06:36.400 what you're talking about to be able. 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:40.320 To Yeah, I mean I've kind of fat off pitches 0:06:41.279 --> 0:06:44.320 like that or like swung through some. I mean it 0:06:44.360 --> 0:06:46.320 wasn't bad pitches, you know, heater at the top of 0:06:46.360 --> 0:06:48.720 the zone, but you know, I feel like I should 0:06:48.720 --> 0:06:50.719 be able to hit those pitches and stay on top 0:06:50.760 --> 0:06:53.520 and say through them and you know, barrel them up 0:06:54.320 --> 0:07:00.320 more often. But it's just a good swing right there. 0:06:58.839 --> 0:06:59.960 Good pulls ball. 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:01.360 They are a couple of times this week. Does that 0:07:01.440 --> 0:07:03.480 whet to tell you that the swing is just getting 0:07:03.520 --> 0:07:06.120 closer to where you kind of want it. Yeah, that's 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:07.800 the thing. I mean, you know, like I said, I 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:10.560 have had good swings that I just need to carry 0:07:10.640 --> 0:07:12.200 over to the next I bat in the next about 0:07:12.240 --> 0:07:15.840 in the next game, rather than just kind of sporadically throughout. 0:07:17.160 --> 0:07:19.120 So I just have a few good A bads and 0:07:19.160 --> 0:07:21.040 good swings. I just need to do a better job 0:07:21.080 --> 0:07:22.680 at carrying it over to the next one. 0:07:23.800 --> 0:07:26.560 All Right, there's Kyle Tucker on sports Net LA, a 0:07:26.600 --> 0:07:29.480 little surprised why nobody asked him why he's swung at 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:32.320 the first pitch in the ninth inning. That's the question 0:07:32.840 --> 0:07:36.080 in the game context. We're not talking bigger picture here. 0:07:36.520 --> 0:07:41.000 That last at bat was a game ending play and 0:07:41.200 --> 0:07:44.040 kind of a head scratcher swinging at the first pitch 0:07:44.160 --> 0:07:47.880 right there. So missed opportunity to ask Kyle Tucker the 0:07:47.880 --> 0:07:52.080 most important question of the night. Eight six, six, nine, seven, 0:07:52.160 --> 0:07:54.680 two five seventy is the phone number. We're going to 0:07:54.760 --> 0:07:56.840 take a time out here on Dodger Talk. When we 0:07:56.920 --> 0:07:59.400 come back more of your phone calls. We'll get into 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:02.520 another big question that I have, as far as the 0:08:02.560 --> 0:08:08.160 way baseball keeps records of streaks, hitting streaks, scoreless inning streaks, 0:08:08.400 --> 0:08:12.040 and on bass streaks. Otani extended his tonight in his 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:15.200 last at bat with the single. There's a there's a 0:08:15.240 --> 0:08:18.360 head scratching question that nobody's asking, and we'll get to 0:08:18.400 --> 0:08:21.760 that as we continue live from coors Field after the 0:08:21.840 --> 0:08:25.000 Dodgers fall to the Rockies tonight four to three on 0:08:25.080 --> 0:08:35.240 A five to seventy LA Sports. 0:08:30.960 --> 0:08:34.120 On air at AM five seventy, online at AM five 0:08:34.200 --> 0:08:38.360 seventy LA sports dot com, and available by podcast on 0:08:38.400 --> 0:08:42.800 the iHeartRadio app. This is Dodger Talk with David Bassi. 0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:48.640 One one delivery, Hey Sin, it's a high flyve aall alright, 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:50.720 carrying HiT's back toward the wall. 0:08:50.960 --> 0:08:51.800 It is going to. 0:08:51.840 --> 0:08:56.920 Be gone off the top of the wall. Dalton rushing, Well, 0:08:56.960 --> 0:09:00.680 there's fifth home run of the season and it's three 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:07.640 to one. Dalton rushing in his first at bat, homers 0:09:07.679 --> 0:09:10.800 to right field over the high score board wall here 0:09:10.880 --> 0:09:14.360 at Corsfield. That was his fifth home run in his 0:09:14.480 --> 0:09:19.320 first eighteen at bats this year. Unfortunately, not enough for 0:09:19.400 --> 0:09:22.680 the Dodgers, as the Rockies hold on to beat the 0:09:22.720 --> 0:09:26.679 Dodgers tonight four to three. Daniels Jewelers presents the home 0:09:26.760 --> 0:09:29.600 run Forecast for your chance to win a fifty dollars 0:09:29.720 --> 0:09:33.160 Daniels Jewelers gift card, visit AM five to seventy. LA 0:09:33.280 --> 0:09:36.640 sports dot Com used the keyword home run into your 0:09:36.720 --> 0:09:40.320 name and you could win. Daniels Jewelers own the Dream 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:43.800 eight six six nine to eight seven two five seventy. 0:09:44.400 --> 0:09:48.880 Speaking of Dalton Rushing, he's been very patient waiting for 0:09:48.920 --> 0:09:52.920 his opportunities. He's come into this year with a different 0:09:52.960 --> 0:09:55.600 mindset than what he had when he was called up 0:09:55.679 --> 0:09:59.160 last year. A guy that has not been the starting 0:09:59.280 --> 0:10:04.160 catcher day since maybe never. He was in high school, 0:10:04.200 --> 0:10:06.640 he was in college, he was in the minor leagues, 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:10.079 and this is the first time he's a backup, and 0:10:10.200 --> 0:10:13.439 there's a different mentality that goes into that, especially for 0:10:13.480 --> 0:10:16.560 a guy that believes he is the man. But he 0:10:16.679 --> 0:10:20.160 understands Will Smith is the man on the Dodgers. He's 0:10:20.160 --> 0:10:26.400 not going anywhere, and he's gonna play at least six five, 0:10:26.520 --> 0:10:28.680 six times a week and. 0:10:28.640 --> 0:10:29.880 He has to wait his turn. 0:10:30.440 --> 0:10:33.400 But how do you get Dalton Rushing more at bats 0:10:33.480 --> 0:10:36.520 because it seems like he can be a difference maker 0:10:36.600 --> 0:10:39.600 with one swing of the bat. I know the Dodgers 0:10:40.200 --> 0:10:42.880 going into last year and it played out that way, 0:10:43.000 --> 0:10:47.560 wanted to keep Will Smith fresh for the postseason, and 0:10:47.600 --> 0:10:50.320 by doing that, they wanted a catcher that can give 0:10:50.360 --> 0:10:53.160 them a little something as far as throwing behind the plate, 0:10:53.640 --> 0:10:56.560 some offense behind the plate, and Dalton Rushing is that 0:10:56.720 --> 0:11:00.120 type of guy. But if it's not behind the play 0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:05.040 and Rushing's hot, is it? At first base? Freddie Freeman 0:11:05.320 --> 0:11:08.440 is still, you know, swinging the bat really well. But 0:11:08.720 --> 0:11:12.040 like I said, big picture, thirty six years old, would 0:11:12.080 --> 0:11:14.880 it benefit Freddy Freeman to get more days off as 0:11:14.920 --> 0:11:18.360 we go through the summer and Dalton Rushing and Will 0:11:18.440 --> 0:11:21.240 Smith being in the same lineup with Rushing at first 0:11:21.320 --> 0:11:25.079 base and Smith catching just to keep if we're talking 0:11:25.120 --> 0:11:29.040 about keeping guys fresh and we're talking big picture, wouldn't 0:11:29.080 --> 0:11:32.720 that help Freddie Freeman Because you know, there are times 0:11:32.760 --> 0:11:36.040 that maybe he shows his age during the summer. Maybe 0:11:36.080 --> 0:11:38.400 he's going through it, and he's a big believer that 0:11:38.520 --> 0:11:41.880 the way he gets out of slumps is by playing 0:11:41.920 --> 0:11:44.719 every day. But I think you have to adjust as 0:11:44.760 --> 0:11:47.079 you get older, even if you're playing first base. 0:11:47.160 --> 0:11:50.320 But I'm not saying that we're at. 0:11:50.160 --> 0:11:53.440 The point that we were in twenty seventeen where Adrian 0:11:53.480 --> 0:11:56.480 Gonzalez was running out of gas at first base and 0:11:56.559 --> 0:11:59.600 Cody Bellinger needed to get in that lineup and really 0:11:59.679 --> 0:12:03.280 took off one rookie of the year. But certainly, you know, 0:12:03.400 --> 0:12:06.920 if we're talking big picture, like the Dodgers always talk about, 0:12:08.240 --> 0:12:10.959 I don't see any harm in Dalton rushing getting more 0:12:11.000 --> 0:12:14.360 starts at first base. Not necessarily now, but as you 0:12:14.440 --> 0:12:17.920 go through the summer into August, to keep Freddie Freeman 0:12:18.040 --> 0:12:21.160 fresh and ready for October. Eight six six nine eight 0:12:21.280 --> 0:12:24.720 seven two five seventy is the phone number. Rockies beat 0:12:24.760 --> 0:12:27.679 the Dodgers tonight four to three in Game two of 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:31.680 a four game set here at Coors Field. Show Heyo 0:12:31.840 --> 0:12:35.640 Tani reached base twice on errors that would not have 0:12:35.760 --> 0:12:39.040 extended his on base streak. What extended it was his 0:12:39.160 --> 0:12:42.000 two out single in the ninth inning, which gave him 0:12:42.000 --> 0:12:44.280 an on base streak of fifty games. 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:45.440 Here's the question. 0:12:46.120 --> 0:12:49.240 Obviously, the Dodgers have not played fifty games this year, 0:12:49.559 --> 0:12:52.280 so it's on base streak that carried over from a 0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:57.640 year ago. Have you ever asked yourself why baseball allows 0:12:57.800 --> 0:13:01.199 a streak and on base streak to carry over from 0:13:01.280 --> 0:13:04.960 one season to the next, but they don't allow a 0:13:05.080 --> 0:13:09.439 hitting streak to carry over from one season to the next. 0:13:10.480 --> 0:13:14.680 That seems a little peculiar to me, that's not something 0:13:14.760 --> 0:13:19.000 that you would accept as I don't know. Maybe that's 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:21.560 why I'm not putting a lot of weight into this 0:13:21.679 --> 0:13:24.160 on base streak. And there's a number of ways to 0:13:24.200 --> 0:13:27.119 get on base, and he's the leadoff hitter. It's impressive 0:13:27.160 --> 0:13:31.600 that he's gotten on base in fifty consecutive regular season games. 0:13:31.720 --> 0:13:35.720 But every season's new. How many times do we hear 0:13:36.000 --> 0:13:40.839 major league players say every season is unique. That's behind us, 0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:44.079 that's behind me. Well, why does a hitting streak not 0:13:44.280 --> 0:13:48.040 carry over? But an on base streak does? And if 0:13:48.040 --> 0:13:54.080 I remember correctly, Oral Herscheiser's fifty nine consecutive scoreless innings 0:13:54.440 --> 0:13:57.920 in the regular season carried over from nineteen eighty eight 0:13:57.920 --> 0:14:01.240 to nineteen eighty nine. They're going to carry that over 0:14:01.360 --> 0:14:06.840 as well. And honestly, Oral had sixty seven consecutive scoreless innings, 0:14:06.880 --> 0:14:09.439 but they didn't count what he did in his first 0:14:09.440 --> 0:14:12.800 start in the NLCS against the Mets. So just a 0:14:12.880 --> 0:14:17.920 baseball question wondering why that is the case and hitting 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:18.640 streaks do. 0:14:18.679 --> 0:14:19.520 Not carry over? 0:14:20.280 --> 0:14:24.640 Eight seven, two, five seventy is the phone number. Dodgers 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:28.640 fall to the Rockies tonight, four to three. Brendan Bernardino, 0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:31.920 the winning pitcher, Victor Vodnik gets the safe and Will 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:36.240 Klein takes the loss. How about Ryan Feltner? He hung 0:14:36.280 --> 0:14:38.840 in there for five and two thirds innings, only gave 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:44.280 up that two run home run to Kyle Tucker, and 0:14:44.360 --> 0:14:47.480 he gave up a solo home run to Dalton Rushing. 0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:52.720 I actually thought Feltner was tipping his pitches because five 0:14:52.760 --> 0:14:57.320 out of the first six Dodgers swung at first pitch fastballs, 0:14:57.920 --> 0:15:01.520 so I was thinking a crooked number was coming because 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:04.920 I felt like maybe the Dodgers had a tip on Feltner. 0:15:05.480 --> 0:15:08.280 And what's interesting, if they did have a tip, he 0:15:08.680 --> 0:15:12.440 either executed better, or the Dodgers mispitches, or a combination 0:15:12.560 --> 0:15:17.320 of both, or something that rarely happens may have happened tonight. 0:15:17.960 --> 0:15:21.160 A lot of times pitchers have told me, yeah, I 0:15:21.240 --> 0:15:23.720 was tipping. I knew I was tipping, but there was 0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:26.920 nothing I could do. And they go back to the 0:15:27.040 --> 0:15:30.600 video room after the start or in between starts, and 0:15:30.640 --> 0:15:35.000 they identify what they were tipping. But it's very difficult 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:39.480 for a pitcher to identify when he's or how he's 0:15:39.520 --> 0:15:44.640 tipping pitches. So if Feltner was tipping pitches, that's pretty impressive. 0:15:44.640 --> 0:15:47.160 That he was able to correct that in the middle 0:15:47.160 --> 0:15:49.920 of the game, and the Dodgers kind of let him 0:15:49.960 --> 0:15:52.840 off the hook, let some of the Rockies' relievers off 0:15:52.840 --> 0:15:56.200 the hook, and they fall tonight four to three. First 0:15:56.280 --> 0:16:00.120 lost to a National League team tonight, the Dodgers fall 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:03.120 to Colorado of all teams. But hey, they lost twice 0:16:03.120 --> 0:16:05.920 to the Rockies last year as well. They won eleven 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:08.680 out of thirteen from the Rockies, so they didn't sweep 0:16:08.760 --> 0:16:11.960 all thirteen games from the Rockies last year on their 0:16:11.960 --> 0:16:15.080 way to the championship. A few other things going on 0:16:15.280 --> 0:16:18.520 in Major League Baseball that I felt like, maybe just 0:16:18.560 --> 0:16:21.600 to put how good the Dodgers are playing into context. 0:16:22.120 --> 0:16:24.920 The team with the second best record now in the 0:16:25.000 --> 0:16:28.120 National League and all of Major League Baseball to the Dodgers, 0:16:28.440 --> 0:16:32.480 are the Atlanta Braves. The surprising Atlanta Braves are fourteen 0:16:32.520 --> 0:16:35.720 and seven now, their percentage points behind the Dodgers for 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:38.760 the best record in baseball. The Dodgers are fifteen and five. 0:16:39.120 --> 0:16:41.560 They have one more win than the Padres, who are 0:16:41.760 --> 0:16:46.880 playing in Anaheim tonight. Also something interesting about the NL East. 0:16:47.800 --> 0:16:52.000 The Braves are the only team to be above five 0:16:52.160 --> 0:16:53.800 hundred in that division. 0:16:54.280 --> 0:16:55.040 The second place. 0:16:55.160 --> 0:16:58.000 Marlins are nine to twelve and oh, by the way, 0:16:58.080 --> 0:17:01.880 the Mets lost their ten in a row. The Mets 0:17:02.040 --> 0:17:05.840 are seven and fourteen. That's the same record as teams 0:17:05.880 --> 0:17:08.760 like the Blue Jays who are in last place, the Royals, 0:17:08.840 --> 0:17:12.159 the White Sox, and also the Astros who are eight 0:17:12.280 --> 0:17:18.000 and fourteen. The Phillies are looking old. Speaking of looking old, 0:17:18.080 --> 0:17:21.520 they're looking old. The only division in baseball right now 0:17:21.960 --> 0:17:25.480 that have all of the teams in the division above 0:17:25.560 --> 0:17:31.080 five hundred is the NL Central. Every team first place 0:17:31.160 --> 0:17:34.800 to last place is above five hundred. The Reds are 0:17:34.840 --> 0:17:38.600 in first place thirteen and eight. The Cubs are eleven 0:17:38.640 --> 0:17:41.720 and nine in last place in the NL Central. 0:17:41.840 --> 0:17:42.640 So there we go. 0:17:43.080 --> 0:17:46.200 Eight sixty six, nine eighty seven two five seventy is 0:17:46.240 --> 0:17:48.840 the phone number. Look, last night, I know there was 0:17:48.880 --> 0:17:52.160 a report from the athletic that Ryan Ward is being 0:17:52.200 --> 0:17:52.760 called up. 0:17:53.080 --> 0:17:55.479 He was not here. He was not here today. 0:17:56.160 --> 0:18:00.000 That move probably coming tomorrow, and I'll let the dot, 0:18:01.040 --> 0:18:03.080 you know, figure out what that move is going to be. 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:07.639 But why is everybody freaking out over Ryan Ward? I 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:09.600 like Ryan Ward a lot. I know he won the 0:18:09.600 --> 0:18:12.760 PCL Player of the Year, but I love the Dodgers 0:18:12.800 --> 0:18:15.399 calling him up for a few days just to reward 0:18:15.520 --> 0:18:17.679 him for all that because he still hasn't made his 0:18:17.760 --> 0:18:21.080 major league debut. But it's not like the Dodgers are 0:18:21.080 --> 0:18:24.719 calling up Corey Seeger a Cody Bellinger. They're calling up 0:18:24.840 --> 0:18:28.600 Ryan Ward for a short period of time for whatever 0:18:28.680 --> 0:18:32.399 reason that's going to be. But look, I like Ryan Ward. 0:18:32.440 --> 0:18:35.199 He's a great guy. But the way the media and 0:18:35.320 --> 0:18:39.119 some of the bloggers react to his name, he's twenty 0:18:39.160 --> 0:18:43.399 eight years old and hasn't made his major league debut yet, 0:18:43.560 --> 0:18:48.240 he's a He could be a guy in the past 0:18:48.520 --> 0:18:51.960 where the Dodgers didn't have the wherewithal to sign players 0:18:52.359 --> 0:18:55.320 like ta Oscar Hernandez or Kyle Tucker to maybe get 0:18:55.640 --> 0:18:59.399 more of a runway, similar to them finding Max Munsey. 0:18:59.520 --> 0:19:03.160 But fortunately for Ryan Ward, there's no spot for him 0:19:03.160 --> 0:19:06.760 on this roster. So look, I like him, but there's 0:19:06.760 --> 0:19:09.880 no spot on this on this roster for him right now, 0:19:09.920 --> 0:19:12.280 So we'll see what the move is going to be. 0:19:12.400 --> 0:19:17.119 But Ryan Ward's locker was not there before tonight's game. 0:19:17.560 --> 0:19:21.000 Celebrate ninety years of racing at Santa Anita Park every 0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:24.080 Friday through Sunday with millions of payouts every race day. 0:19:24.400 --> 0:19:25.720 For heart pounding action and. 0:19:25.680 --> 0:19:31.280 New experiences, visit Santa Anita dot com slash events all Right. 0:19:31.320 --> 0:19:33.880 Before the game today, had a chance to get into 0:19:33.960 --> 0:19:37.479 the manager's office and talk to Dave Roberts for a 0:19:37.520 --> 0:19:38.960 one on one conversation. 0:19:39.480 --> 0:19:42.960 Here's how it went, and certainly Dave deserves. 0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:45.159 A lot of credit for the success the Dodgers have 0:19:45.280 --> 0:19:47.960 had since taking over in twenty sixteen. 0:19:48.480 --> 0:19:50.600 Yeah, Dave, it's always good catching up with you, and yeah, 0:19:50.600 --> 0:19:53.120 we're off to a good start. And you know it's 0:19:53.160 --> 0:19:56.320 interesting is yesterday we were in the midst of snow 0:19:56.359 --> 0:19:59.359 and today it's clear skies and it's seventy degrees. Dave. 0:19:59.440 --> 0:20:02.320 One thing that I'm not sure everybody can wrap their 0:20:02.359 --> 0:20:06.080 head around. You're the manager. You're never feeling comfortable, no 0:20:06.119 --> 0:20:08.959 matter how good the record is. How do you handle 0:20:09.000 --> 0:20:11.399 this with the team playing as well as it has. 0:20:12.000 --> 0:20:13.320 Yeah, it's a good question. 0:20:13.720 --> 0:20:18.800 I think that there's a realistic perspective, a presence in 0:20:18.840 --> 0:20:21.320 the sense of appreciating that you're winning more than you're losing, 0:20:21.359 --> 0:20:24.640 which is good. But I think as a manager you're 0:20:24.680 --> 0:20:28.040 always mindful of trying to keep things on the rails 0:20:28.080 --> 0:20:32.560 and moving forward, So you know, whether it's player staff, 0:20:32.640 --> 0:20:36.880 how we play, you know, the mindset, the mechanics part 0:20:36.880 --> 0:20:39.520 of it, and just trying to have a pulse on that. 0:20:39.720 --> 0:20:43.960 So but again still being positive, appreciating the start we're 0:20:43.960 --> 0:20:44.840 off at. 0:20:44.640 --> 0:20:48.160 This time last year, the defense was a little inconsistent, 0:20:48.359 --> 0:20:52.560 the bullpen was a little leaky. How big had those 0:20:52.560 --> 0:20:55.680 two areas contributed to having the best record to start 0:20:55.720 --> 0:20:56.720 the year both. 0:20:57.800 --> 0:21:01.280 I think that certainly the bullpen has done a fantastic job. 0:21:01.320 --> 0:21:05.440 There was obviously, you know, going back to last year, 0:21:06.040 --> 0:21:08.439 there's a lot of questions with the pen, and then 0:21:08.600 --> 0:21:11.280 you know, coming into the spring, how the spring some 0:21:11.320 --> 0:21:13.320 of these guys had. There were some questions kind of 0:21:13.320 --> 0:21:15.959 coming into the season, but all those questions have been 0:21:16.000 --> 0:21:19.080 answered up to this point, and you know, so I'm 0:21:19.119 --> 0:21:21.919 really excited about what they're doing. And the starting pitchers 0:21:21.920 --> 0:21:24.159 have done a fantastic job. And obviously we saw what 0:21:24.200 --> 0:21:27.199 Tyler did last night, and hopefully emmittt can build on 0:21:27.240 --> 0:21:30.120 what he's done the last couple outings and the defense, 0:21:30.640 --> 0:21:33.080 and so I think that for me, it's what Andy's 0:21:33.080 --> 0:21:37.160 done it in centerfield, what Max has done at third base, 0:21:37.200 --> 0:21:40.720 and obviously, you know, you expect the shortstop play to 0:21:40.720 --> 0:21:43.320 be really good even without Mookie out. But I think 0:21:43.320 --> 0:21:45.320 Tao has done a great job. I think Tucks played 0:21:45.320 --> 0:21:47.960 a really nice defense and a nice right field and 0:21:48.000 --> 0:21:51.119 Freddy's sunwell. So across the diamond, we're playing well and 0:21:51.280 --> 0:21:51.920 it's good to see. 0:21:52.200 --> 0:21:54.440 Is it fair to say it feels like the pieces 0:21:54.480 --> 0:21:57.520 are fitting a little better defensively this year? 0:21:58.040 --> 0:22:01.159 They are, they are, but I just feel that we're 0:22:01.240 --> 0:22:05.520 also playing better. I think that you know, Max looks 0:22:05.520 --> 0:22:08.720 a lot better, He's in better shape. I think that 0:22:08.800 --> 0:22:12.800 Freddie's done a lot to work on his mobility, which 0:22:12.840 --> 0:22:16.240 has helped, and obviously adding Tucker, I think Tucker's done 0:22:16.240 --> 0:22:17.920 a nice job in right field. And then I think 0:22:17.920 --> 0:22:21.320 Tao's inspired and he's playing really good left field, and 0:22:21.320 --> 0:22:23.560 he's getting off the ball really well. And Andy continues 0:22:23.600 --> 0:22:26.840 to make stride, so it's fun to see. And at 0:22:26.880 --> 0:22:28.800 second base, Alex Friulan, one of the things that we 0:22:28.840 --> 0:22:31.400 asked him to do is play good defense, and he's 0:22:31.400 --> 0:22:34.600 done that and getting Haysong Kim in the mix, he's 0:22:35.240 --> 0:22:38.520 you know, been a wonder at second and a shortstop. 0:22:38.600 --> 0:22:40.359