The little red birds came to town and were swept by the new average Joes of the league, the LA Dodgers. It was the perfect home series to ignite the team and remind them how to win. This was the first 3-game sweep of the season.
The LA Dodgers closed out the first month of the season by beating the Cardinals 7-3 in game one, 1-0 in game 2, and 6-3 in game. A series against a Cardinals team that is expected to perform better than their current standing can work as the perfect cure for this Dodgers team.
Despite being a battle of future Wild Card teams, the series was full of highlights. Miguel Vargas hit his first home run of the season in game 1. Clayton Kershaw said, “Fuck it, lets take it back to when I carried this team,” and pitched a 7-inning shutout. Lastly, Syndergaard earned his first win as a Dodgers.
We gained a yard.
The Dodgers will close out their home stand with a 3-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Bryce Harper is expected to return to the lineup after his Tommy John surgery.
But for now, let’s dive into the good, the bad and the ugly of the series.
The Good
The LA Average Joes earned their first 3-game series of the month. Previously, they swept the Colorado Rockies during a two game series at home. The Dodgers find themselves three games above .500, and tie for first place.
Injured players like Will Smith and Tony Gonsolin are finding their way back into the lineup at a perfect time. Gavin Stone, the Dodgers #3 prospect, is set to make his major league debut. The team is getting healthier just in time for a critical stretch of the season.
With warm weather around the corner, the Dodgers can look forward to warmer temperatures that hopefully wake up their bats.
The Bad
Speaking of bats waking up, 4 essential role players are all hitting under .200. Don’t expect productivity to be created by the bottom half of the order and the bench. Chris Taylor is playing more often because of Miguel Rojas’ injury. By playing Taylor at shortstop, it leaves an outfield position open for Peralta and Thompson.
Let’s not forget about Barnes, but with Smith back, he’ll go back to being Kershaw’s personal catcher.
For the Dodgers to move beyond their Average Joe moniker, their role players need to start hitting the batting cage. They must make adjustments to their swing and realize the importance of their role in the team.
The Ugly
During their series against the Cardinals, the Dodgers went 4 for 32 with runners in scoring positions. Ew. However, the team still found a way to score 14 runs, which is quite impressive.
Struggling to hit with runners in scoring positions has been an issue for the Dodgers in previous seasons. If it weren’t for their tie at the top of the division, I would be hitting the panic button faster than trading Barnes if he continues to struggle.