On his Bobblehead night, Will Smith blasted a 3-1 sinker off Lance Lynn in the first inning of the Dodgers’ first game against the White Sox. Leading up to the home run, Lynn had thrown the same sinker away from Smith.
Smith did not take the bait and took the balls.
With Freeman on first after a walk, Lynn couldn’t afford to board another runner. After throwing two sinkers away, Lynn opted to throw Smith the same pitch, except inside this time. Smith waited for the right pitch and launched a two-run home run in the first inning. He became the sixth player in the team to reach a two-digit total in home runs.
After a single by Jason Heyward and a strikeout swinging on JD Martinez, David Peralta hit a first-pitch home run off a cutter down the middle. The Dodgers took a 4-0 lead before many fans finished their first bite off their Dodgers Dog.
The massive numbers put together by the Dodgers’ offense are often spoiled by the lackluster performances of the pitching staff, except for this game. Gonsolin pitched six innings of two-hit baseball. Great things happen when pitchers throw deep into a game.
The Dodgers Offense
The top of the Dodgers’ offense has solidified itself as one of the league’s best 1-2 punching combinations. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman will dominate opposing pitching for years to come as they both signed long-term contracts with the team. The Dodgers currently find themselves in second place behind the sneaky-good Diamondbacks, a standing that does not reflect their offensive numbers.
Massive numbers are being put up by the Dodgers offense, with the help of veterans on the team such as Heyward, Martinez, and Peralta. The offense is also the only reason they’re winning games. June has seen the pitching staff crumble down and knock the team off first place. The starting pitchers are dealing with injuries or are stuck in a funk that lands them on the injured list. Without a closer to anchor the ninth inning, the bullpen arms are being overworked.
As of June 14th, the Dodgers lead the league in home runs with 115. Six of their starting players have hit double-digit home runs. JD Martinez, Jason Heyward, and David Peralta are flexing their power and helping the Dodgers score runs. Their heroics are not helping the team as they find themselves behind the Diamondbacks.
The Answer to the Woes
The Dodgers currently find themselves in the top three in runs, runs batted in, home runs, and walks. If this team had a pitching staff like the ones previously put together by Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers would be running away with the division.
Instead, the Dodgers haven’t won a series in the month of June, their pitching is patched up like Frankensteins’ monster, and Roberts doesn’t have a reliable arm to put in to close the games.
The MLB Trade deadline falls on August 1st this year. Teams asking prices during the trade deadline are always high, with teams asking for prospects that are major-league ready.
Andrew Friedman must pay the high prices and trade away some of the Dodgers’ prospects to bolster the pitching staff.
The offense cannot get spoiled because of pitching. Andrew Friedman needs to trade for backup.
Will Smith deserves it.
Photo: —
