Puig Returns In Style

Whenever Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers does anything, he does it with style. In the bottom of the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals the Dodgers trailed 3-2 and Howie Kendrick was on first base. Puig hit a single up the middle and it rolled under Nationals centerfielders Michael Taylor's glove and rolled to the warning track. Puig had rounded first base and whenever he saw the ball get by Taylor, he circled the bases in 15.2 seconds and dove head first into home plate to score the winning run. In Little League it would have been a homerun. In the Major Leagues, it was a walk off three base error. Puig is fresh off his latest stint on the Disabled List and he also ran through a stop sign by the third base coach. Puig announced his return to the roster in a style that only Puig can.

The Showdown That Wasn't

Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals ducked out of the much anticipated matchup with Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers due to "back tightness." Washington Nationals Manager Dusty Baker attributed it to "too much of a strenuous workout" a couple of days before the game. It is the first start this season that Strasburg has missed.

ESPN announcer Rick Sutcliffe took the high road and said he did not believe that Strasburg ducked the matchup versus Clayton Kershaw based on the fact that this is a long season, the Nationals want Strasburg in it for the long haul, and this is a game in the middle of June. I agree with that line of thinking but I would add that if I was Strasburg, I would look forward to facing the Dodgers much maligned offense.

Clayton Kershaw came through as advertised. He gave up one run in seven innings, struck out eight including Bryce Harper three times, and did not walk a batter. The Dodgers won 4-1 as Justin Turner stayed hot as he homered in the first inning and extended his hitting streak to eight games. Kenley Jansen came on in the ninth inning to nail down his franchise record 162nd save.

A Little Dust Up

Justin Turner and Yasmani Grandal had a little dust up the night against the Milwaukee Brewers but I believe the media is making a much bigger deal out of it than what it was. The Oakland A's of the early 1970's and the New York Yankees of the late 1970's used to stage "Friday Night at the Fights" and the Oakland A's won three consecutive World Series titles from 1972-74 and the New York Yankees won titles in 1977 and 1978.

In Justin Turner's estimation, Yasmani Grandal made a base running error that almost cost the Los Angeles Dodgers the tying run in a close game. It was also a lot of frustration on Grandal's part. Grandal's batting average is down into the low .180's, he has been fighting injuries for much of the season, and his play has suffered. A base running mistake is something you would not expect from a veteran player like Grandal.

Justin Turner goes out in the next game against the Milwaukee Brewers and drives in all three of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs with two solo homeruns and the walk off single in a 3-2, 10 inning victory. The Dodgers need something to get the offense started and maybe this was a team building event.

The Whiff N' Poof Express

Several years ago in the comic strip BC, the manager of the caveman baseball team was asked what the nickname was of his batting lineup a la "The Murderer's Row" of the 1927 New York Yankees. The manager's reply was "The Whiff and Poof Express." I thought of that comic strip when I was glancing at the Los Angeles Dodgers offensive statistics for the 2016 season.

In their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Los Angeles Dodgers had three players out of their starting eight regulars that by the end of the game were hitting below the infamous "Mendoza Line", a term used to describe a level of futility in major league hitters. Outfielder Enrique Hernandez finished the game at .198, fellow outfielder Scott Van Slyke at .185 (although he did hit the game winning three-run homerun), and Catcher A.J. Ellis at .187. Granted all three of those players have spent the majority of the season coming off the bench, spot starting, or on the Disabled List.

The overall statistics don't lie. A team batting average of .231 good for 12th in the National League, On Base Percentage of .307 good for 11th, 13th is Slugging Percentage at .376, ninth in Runs Scored with 277 good for a little over 4.1 a game, and they are eighth in strikeouts and in homeruns. Those middle of the pack statistics lead to a record of a little over .500 and lagging behind in the National League West.

A Tribute To Earl Weaver

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in an Earl Weaver kind of game. It featured Clayton Kershaw's great pitching and a three-run homer by Scott Van Slyke. The Dodgers need to get their offense one swing at a time because they have not been getting it any other way. Clayton Kershaw pitched seven and one-third innings, giving up the two runs, struck out 11 and the biggest news was that he walked a batter. If Kershaw keeps up his current pace, he will obliterate the record for strikeout-to-walks ratio record. Scott Van Slyke celebrated his return to the active roster by hitting his first homerun of the season.

Sweeping The Atlanta Braves

Sweeping the Atlanta Braves does not have as much meaning this season because the Atlanta Braves stink. After a 9-26 start, the Atlanta Braves fired their first manager of the season and have only been marginally better since then. Corey Seager hates to see the Braves leave town as he torched the Atlanta Braves for five homeruns in the three game series.

The highlight of the game for me actually came before the game as Chip Caray, the announcer for the Atlanta Braves, interviewed Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully as it was going to be the last game that Vin Scully was going to announce against the Atlanta Braves. Chip Caray comes from an announcing background with his grandfather Harry Caray and father Skip Caray were both announcers and had the opportunity to announce games in the opposing team's booth. In today's era of political correctness, it is ironic that Vin Scully's most memorable moment with the Atlanta Braves was the first time the Atlanta Braves fans did the Seminole war chant, also know as the tomahawk chop, against the Dodgers. Vin Scully is always about the fans.

Clayton Kershaw At His Worst

Clayton Kershaw did not have one of his customary starts against the Atlanta Braves. Kershaw only went six innings, threw 96 pitches, only struck out four and even walked a batter and hit the opposing pitcher Bud Norris with a pitch. He was definitely not on target or at the top of his game. That would be the bad news for Kershaw. The good new is that he still pitched six shutout innings and scored the first run of the game for the Dodgers and he left with a 1-0 lead. The bullpen came on and pitched three shutout innings and the offense added three more runs and the Dodgers secured Kershaw's eighth win on the season.

Corey Seager's Big Game

"Corey Seager's Big Game" sounds like the title to a children's book but Corey Seager's three homeruns against the Atlanta Braves was not child's play. Three solo shots- one to right field, one to right center, and one to left- to give him 12 homeruns on the season. The most impressive homerun he hit against the Atlanta Braves was the one that he hot to left field and it also proved to be the game winner. Seager leads the Dodgers in homeruns with 12 and RBI's with 31 and also in games played and at bats. Seager has been carrying much of the offensive load for the Dodgers and if he does not win the National League Rookie of the Year Award he is at least the team's offensive Most Valuable Player.