Mookie Betts is batting .196 …
… and so they’re nonetheless the highest-scoring staff in baseball.
Walker Buehler has an earned-run common within the fours, Julio Urias isn’t throwing as exhausting as he did final 12 months, Andrew Heaney is on the injured listing …
… and so they nonetheless have the very best report within the majors.
They began their backup catcher and a journeyman utility participant on Sunday …
… and Sean Manaea lasted solely 4 1/3 innings as they trampled the San Diego Padres 10-2 of their sequence finale at Petco Park.
The Dodgers are the whole lot they have been made out to be, the proof of their anticipated offensive firepower discovered as a lot in what has gone fallacious as what has gone proper.
Their rotation depth is already a priority. Their Trevor Bauer drawback stays within the background. And Betts isn’t their solely key participant trying to find his rhythm on the plate, with Justin Turner and Max Muncy in related conditions.
Regardless, the Dodgers are a serious league-best 11-4 after profitable two of three video games towards the Padres.
The Dodgers have scored 5 or extra runs in 10 video games. Their common of 5.47 runs per sport is essentially the most in baseball.
They outscored the Padres over the three-game sequence, 18-6.
“I believe it’s in all probability quite a bit to ask 9 guys to be going good all on the similar time,” Clayton Kershaw mentioned. “However that’s what’s so nice about our lineup. We don’t should have all 9 going. Now we have to have a couple of guys sizzling and everyone else do their jobs and have good at-bats.”
Kershaw was a beneficiary of the lineup’s most up-to-date outburst, which included a few homers by Cody Bellinger and one other by Freddie Freeman.
With the Dodgers holding an 8-1 lead, Kershaw was in a position to depart from the sport after solely 5 innings. Sidelined for the 2021 postseason by an harm, Kershaw has been notably aware of defending his arm within the early a part of the season, particularly since spring coaching was shortened by a lockout.
Supervisor Dave Roberts was happy with the consistency of the offense Sunday. As an alternative of scoring the vast majority of their runs in a single inning, the Dodgers scored in 5 of the primary six innings.
“It was actually the primary time all 12 months we tacked on runs,” Roberts mentioned.
The Dodgers collected eight hits and 4 walks whereas exploiting a few errors by the Padres.
Roberts credited the staff’s mindset for the early-season manufacturing.
“We all know how good we may be,” he mentioned. “However I believe it simply speaks to not solely the expertise however simply the staff offense.”
Turner, who drove within the first run and was two for 4, struck out to finish the third inning. However he fouled off seven consecutive pitches and compelled Manaea to throw 11 pitches within the at-bat.
Bellinger homered the following inning.
“I believe, at occasions, whenever you get lots of actually good offensive gamers, guys are type of egocentric with their at-bats,” Roberts mentioned. “However we do an important job of valuing the stroll, taking 90 ft and operating the bases. We run the bases in addition to we've got since I’ve been right here.”
To Roberts’ level: The staff’s 13 steals are tied for essentially the most within the majors.
The Dodgers didn’t steal any bases on today, however Roberts was in a position to supply different examples. He pointed to when catcher Austin Barnes tagged as much as attain third base on a fly ball to heart area by Freeman within the sixth inning, which positioned him to attain on a fielder’s selection.
The supervisor additionally applauded a groundout by Muncy that drove in Betts later within the inning to increase the Dodgers’ result in 10-1. Betts reached base 3 times, twice on walks.
“These runs matter,” Roberts mentioned.
The additional runs allowed Roberts to keep away from calling on most of his high-leverage relievers. The exception was nearer Craig Kimbrel, who had not pitched in six days and was in want in sport motion.
Bellinger is now the Dodgers’ home-run chief with 4, one thing he mentioned was partly a mirrored image of the staff’s depth.
Whereas the Dodgers definitely welcome Bellinger’s resurgence, they didn’t enter the season relying on it. Bellinger batted seventh Sunday.
“That is the craziest lineup I’ve been a part of and it positively simply means that you can simply keep easy and simply type of have the hand-the-baton-off type of mentality,” Bellinger mentioned.
The Dodgers have a run differential of plus-44, which leads the majors.
They’re good.
They’re actually good.
And right here’s what’s scary: When Betts, Turner and Muncy inevitably begin taking part in like themselves once more, they are often even higher.
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