Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Two days, two editions of Dodgers Dugout. It’s like “Groundhog Day.”
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The Padres series
The Dodgers won two of three from the Padres, dropping San Diego to third place in the NL West. Several readers were unhappy with the second game of the series, which the Dodgers lost 11-1, feeling they left Matt Sauer in for way too long and brought in Kiké Hernández in too soon, in effect giving the game away.
And you are absolutely right. The Dodgers did give the game away. By choice.
Don’t get me wrong. The Dodgers didn’t go into the game wanting to lose. But, the Dodgers’ bullpen is exhausted. The hope was that Sauer would pitch well and keep them in the game, or heck, even leave with the Dodgers leading. But once the Padres started scoring, Dave Roberts had two choices: Go to his already tired bullpen in hopes they could stop the surge, knowing coming back against a Dylan Cease who was on top of his game was unlikely, or, let Sauer take a beating in order to save the bullpen for Wednesday’s game. The Dodgers went with the second option, and it worked. Because Wednesday, they were able to use seven rested relievers to preserve a 5-2 victory and a series win over San Diego.
Roberts, to reporters after Tuesday’s loss: “You just got to look at where our ’pen is at, and appreciating what we have the next couple days, it wasn’t smart to chase and redline guys. A guy that was available tonight, [Michael] Kopech, I’m not going to pitch him down six or 7-0 in the sixth inning, to then not have him available tomorrow. As the rules are, we abided. That’s kind of what you do to essentially move forward and win the ensuing games.”
Heck, the Dodgers used this strategy in the World Series last season, letting Brent Honeywell get rocked in Game 4, their only loss, to preserve the bullpen.
Of course, most of us grew up in the days of Tommy Lasorda, who wanted to win every game at all costs. If it meant Orel Hershiser or Fernando Valenzuela pitching 10 innings, or Jay Howell pitching five days in a row, that’s what happened. Those days are over. There will come a time again this season where the Dodgers let a reliever get rocked. That’s just the way they approach things. And considering they win more than 95 games every year and have won two titles, it seems to work pretty well for them.
The rest of the series went well. Teoscar Hernández broke out of his slump. Even Michael Conforto played well, going two for seven with a homer. Ben Casparius pitched so well Wednesday (four innings, one run, three hits, two walks, two strikeouts) that Roberts said he is now part of the starting rotation. And the Padres fell to third place. Of course, there’s still 93 games left in the season, so let’s not get too carried away.
A minor quibble
Major League Baseball has got to do something about position players pitching. In Tuesday’s loss, Kiké Hernández started pitching in the sixth inning and finished the game. I’m sorry, but that’s ridiculous. I don’t blame the Dodgers for using the rules to their advantage, but there needs to be some addition to the current rules that state a position player can’t pitch before the ninth inning.
What if you are a fan who saved his money to go to one game this season, and that was the game you picked? You stopped seeing real competition in the sixth inning, as it was a farce after that. If you are a Padres fan, it wasn’t so bad probably, but what if it had been at Dodger Stadium? You would have shelled out around $500 or so to see two-thirds of a real game. It shouldn’t happen. The fans shouldn’t be punished because relievers can’t pitch more than one inning nowadays.
More good news
The Dodgers got some good news on three pitching fronts this week:
Shohei Ohtani took part in another live batting practice session, throwing 44 pitches over three simulated innings, striking out six. Ohtani was so impressive that Roberts said he could return before the All-Star break.
Tyler Glasnow threw a bullpen session, felt OK, and could face live hitters soon.
Blake Snell threw 15 pitches, his first session since suffering a setback in his recovery.
Of course, seeing is believing, and we are a bit away from seeing any of these guys in a real game yet.
And for those asking, the Dodgers do not plan to send Ohtani out on a minor-league rehab assignment. He will continue to do what he’s doing now, facing hitters in simulated game situations, until he’s ready to be activated.
The Giants are up next
The NL West’s new second-place team, the San Francisco Giants, are in town for three games starting tonight, followed by four more games against the Padres. These are the first three of 13 games against the Giants this season, so let’s take a look at them. The Giants have won seven in a row and are only a half-game behind the Dodgers for first place. You can see all the stats on the Giants team page at baseball-reference.com.
Catcher
Patrick Bailey (.185/.246/.272, 50 OPS+)
Bailey is a mediocre hitter (although not usually as bad as this season so far), but won the Gold Glove last season. His career high in home runs is eight, so he’s not a power threat. He was put on the IL Wednesday because of a strained neck and will be replaced by Sam Huff or Logan Porter, neither of whom hit well either.
Bonus fact: Bailey has a cannon for an arm, and once was timed throwing the ball to second base in 1.71 seconds, a record since that started being recorded in 2015. He also has the record for fastest throw to first base (1.39 seconds).
First base
Dominic Smith (.238/.250/.286, 55PS+)
The Giants designated LaMonte Wade Jr., who had started 41 games at first, for assignment and then traded him to the Angels. Wade was hitting .167. Smith was released by the Yankees on June 2 and signed by the Giants on June 4. His last good season was 2020.
Bonus fact: Smith led Junipero Serra High in Gardena to a CIF title in 2013.
Second base
Tyler Fitzgerald (.248/.315/.346, 91 OPS+)
Fitzgerald was the Giants’ shortstop last season, switching to second when they acquired Willy Adames. He hit well last season (.280/.334/.497).
Bonus fact: His father, Mike, played in 13 games with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1988.
Third base
Matt Chapman (.243/.360/.452, 133 OPS+)
Finally, someone in the Giants infield who can hit. Chapman is one of the best third basemen in the game, finishing 11th in MVP voting and winning the Gold Glove last season. He is in his ninth season overall, second with the Giants, and has won five Gold Gloves. He’s a big reason why the Giants are in second place. However, he was put on the injured list Wednesday because of a sprained right hand. Casey Schmitt will probably get most of the starts in his absence. Schmtt is hitting .224, but hit better than that with moderate power last season.
Bonus facts: Chapman has Tourette’s syndrome. “I’m pretty comfortable with it now, but it was definitely something I was embarrassed about when I was younger,” he told the Orange County Register. “I wanted nobody to know about it because of how kids are. But now that I look back on it, it was a blessing in disguise because it made me who I am today. It gave me that drive and that chip on my shoulder.”
Shortstop
Willy Adames (.203/.288/.339, 81 OPS+)
Adames left Milwaukee to sign a seven-year, $182-million deal with the Giants before the season. He finished 10th in MVP voting last season, but has not gotten on track this season at the plate. His defense slipped last season, which is one reason the Brewers let him go. If his bat is slipping as well, that will be an ugly contract for the Giants.
Bonus fact: In 2024, Adames homered in five consecutive games, tying the record for a shortstop shared by Eddie Miller, Alex Rodriguez, Corey Seager, Trea Turner and teammate Tyler Fitzgerald, who also did it last season.
Left field
Heliot Ramos (.295/.365/.484, 143 OPS+)
Ramos was an All-Star last season and has been even better this season. He’s one of those guys like AJ Pollock, who provided steady play for three seasons for the Dodgers but drew few headlines.
Bonus fact: He is the first homegrown Giants outfielder to make the All-Star game since Chili Davis in 1986.
Center field
Jung Hoo Lee (.275/.332/.446, 123 OPS+)
Lee came to the Giants last season from the Korean League, and his season ended in May because of an injured left shoulder. He has blossomed so far this season. He was a Rookie of the Year and an MVP award winner in the Korean League, so he has tremendous talent.
Bonus fact: Lee played on the South Korean team at the 2020 Olympics and the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Right field
Mike Yastrzemski (.239/.332/.376, 104 OPS+)
A fan favorite who puts up steady, if not spectacular, numbers, which describes almost the entire Giants team. He led the Giants in home runs during his rookie season and has been a GoldGlove finalist in right.
Bonus fact: His grandfather, Carl, was apparently a decent ballplayer too.
Designated hitter
Wilmer Flores (.256/.323/.412)
Flores is on pace for a career high 26 homers, but only nine doubles.
Bonus fact: Remember the 2015 NLDS, when the Dodgers were playing the Mets and Chase Utley slid hard into Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada, breaking his leg? Flores replaced Tejada at short.
Starting pitching
We will focus on the three pitchers scheduled to start against the Dodgers.
Logan Webb (5-5, 2.58 ERA, 148 ERA+)
Landen Roupp (4-4, 3.29 ERA, 116 ERA+)
Kyle Harrison (1-1, 4.56 ERA, 85 ERA+)
Webb is one of the best pitchers in the game, finishing sixth in Cy Young voting last season and second in 2023. Webb and Robbie Ray give the Giants an outstanding 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. Roupp is in his second season in the majors and first as a full-time starter. He is averaging five innings a start, so expect to see the Giants’ bullpen a lot on Saturday. Harrison also doesn’t go much past five, so if the Dodgers can get to Roupp early Saturday, it will set them up for success Sunday too.
Bonus facts: Webb wears contact lenses and without them is considered legally blind due to severe astigmatism…. Roupp played in the minors for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, which I bring up only because I love that nickname…. In his high school career, Harrison went 21-1 and held batters to a .137 average.
Closer
Camilo Doval (3-1, 1.69 ERA, 10 saves)
Doval lost the closer job to Ryan Walker last season. This season, Walker got off to a shaky start and Doval won the job back. In 2023, he led the league with 39 saves.
Bonus fact: Doval has 23 siblings and half-siblings.
You look at all of the above, and you notice the Giants have no superstars, like the Dodgers and Padres do. They just have a bunch of guys who do all the little things needed to win games. That’s why they’ve won seven in a row and why they are in second place. Everyone talks about whether L.A. or San Diego will win the West. It could be San Francisco. It’s a big mistake to overlook them.
Dodger Stadium Express
There is a curfew in downtown L.A. because of the violence, looting and vandalism that sometimes accompanied the protests against federal immigration enforcement in the downtown area. Dodger Stadium is not in the curfew area; however, Union Station is, and that’s where fans headed to the stadium take the Dodger Stadium Express bus. The bus will still run during the curfew, according to Metro officials. But it’s best to check Metro alerts.metro.net or via X at @metrolaalerts. for and updates before you leave for the game. You can read more here.
Top 10 first basemen
Who are your top 10 Dodgers first basemen of all time (including Brooklyn)? Email your list to top10firstbasemen@yahoo.com and let me know.
Many of you have asked for a list of players to consider for each position. Here are the 40 strongest first baseman candidates, in alphabetical order:
Del Bissonette, Jack Bolling, Ken Boyer, Greg Brock, Dan Brouthers, Enos Cabell, Dolph Camilli, Hee-Seop Choi, Jake Daubert, Frank Dillon, Jack Doyle, Jack Fournier, Dave Foutz, Freddie Freeman, David Freese, Nomar Garciaparra, Steve Garvey, Adrián González, Buddy Hassett, Gil Hodges, Hughie Jennings, Tim Jordan, Eric Karros, Ed Konetchy, Norm Larker, Sam Leslie, George LaChance, James Loney, Dan McGann, Eddie Murray, Dick Nen, Dave Orr, Wes Parker, Bill Phillips, Albert Pujols, Olmedo Sáenz, Ed Stevens, Dick Stuart, Franklin Stubbs and Tommy Tucker.
A reminder that players are listed at the position in which they played the most games for the Dodgers, which is why Garciaparra is listed here and not at shortstop.
Scheduling note
No Dodgers Dugout this Monday. Instead, we’ll be back Thursday with the top first baseman and Friday looking at what happened against the Giants and Padres. Will the Dodgers be in first place, second or third by then?
Up next
Friday: San Francisco (Logan Webb, 5-5, 2.58 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 6-4, 2.20 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Saturday: San Francisco (Landen Roupp, 4-4, 3.29 ERA) at Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 1-0, 4.35 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Sunday: San Francisco (*Kyle Harrison, 1-1, 4.56 ERA) at Dodgers (Dustin May, 3-4, 4.46 ERA), 4:10 p.m., ESPN, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
*-left-hander
In case you missed it
Hernández: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is always the calm center during the storm
Shohei Ohtani (and Glasnow and Snell) could be back on Dodgers’ mound sooner than expected
Shaikin: Despite a quiet offseason, Padres are still making noise in competitive NL West
Andy Pages is used to beating the odds, and he’s doing it again with the Dodgers
And finally
From 1988, Kirk Gibson scores from second on a wild pitch (this link should work). Watch and listen here.
Until next time…
Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
