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Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: Mookie Betts, Ryan Ward and some random thoughts
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. It's time for some random thoughts about the Dodgers. —This team seems to make more costly errors than any Dodger team in recent memory. —Why is James Outman, who is hitting .137/.245/.269 over his last two seasons with the Dodgers (including .103 this season), in the majors while Ryan Ward, who is hitting .315/.401/.614 with 26 homers at triple-A Oklahoma City, sits in the minors? Maybe Ward (who hit .258/.317/.543 with 33 homers last season in triple A) will flame out in the majors, but we know Outman can't hit. We don't know what Ward can do yet. —Would moving from shortstop help Mookie Betts hit again? Let's take a look at his numbers last season: when he started at shortstop: .308/.407/.500, 15 doubles, nine homers, 39 walks, 29 K's in 240 at bats. at right field: .273/.324/.517, eight doubles, nine homers, 14 walks, 21 K's in 161 at bats. He hit better as a shortstop last season, so perhaps that isn't the problem after all. However, I think the Dodgers are much better defensively with Betts in right and Miguel Rojas (or someone else) at short. —The Dodgers have played poorly lately, but we still won't have any sense of what this team really is until after the trade deadline. —Betts is 32 and has always had one of the slowest bat speeds in the majors. We could be looking at how he's going to hit from now on. Probably not, but the days of 39 homers and 107 RBIs may be over, regardless if he rebounds this season or not. —A lot of people have asked what is up with Charley Steiner, who called part of the first game of the season and nothing since. The Dodgers remain mum, but we do know he was battling cancer last season. We wish him well. —Tyler Glasnow looked like an ace Tuesday, giving up one run in seven innings while striking out 12. If he can stay healthy, that will be huge come the postseason. That's a big if though. —Austin Barnes is hitting .174 (4 for 23) for the Giants in triple A. He singled off Blake Snell, who was pitching a rehab game for the Dodgers, so some things never change. If he could have faced Snell his whole career, he'd be in the Hall of Fame. —Dalton Rushing, who came up when Barnes was released to provide more offense, is hitting .216/.280/.297 in 27 games. With the Dodgers this season, Barnes hit .214/.233/.286. It was still the right move to make, but it hasn't worked out like expected so far. —Max Muncy is ahead of schedule as he works to return from a bone bruise in his knee. In May, who would have thought we'd be eagerly awaiting the return of Muncy? —Bobblehead nights I'd like to see: A duo of reliever Mike Marshall and outfielder Mike Marshall. John Shelby, pounding his glove just before a catch. Jay Howell, with a lot of pine tar on the outside of his glove. Pedro Guerrero, holding a bat with no glove in sight. Jerry Reuss no-hitter bobblehead. Mickey Hatcher two World Series home runs bobblehead. Steve Yeager blocking home plate, with that flap hanging down from his mask. Bill Buhler with that can of freeze spray he used. Brian Holton and Tim Crews, unsung heroes of the 1988 team. The 1988 'Stuntmen,' Hatcher, Rick Dempsey, Dave Anderson, Franklin Stubbs and Danny Heep. Jim Wynn and Lance Rautzhan, two of my favorite Dodgers. —Blake Treinen could be back in the next couple of weeks. —I don't wish for anyone to be injured, but this forearm inflammation that is sidelining Tanner Scott could be a blessing in disguise, giving him a chance to reset mentally and come back like the Scott of old. He is a much better pitcher than he has shown so far. —The Dodgers are hitting .212 in July. —The league might be catching up to Hyeseong Kim. He is hitting .191 this month with only one extra-base hit and on walk in 47 at bats. —Tommy Edman is seven for his last 49 (.143) —Michael Conforto is hitting better than Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández this month. —There are 59 games left to go and the Dodgers are still in first place. We can always examine the negatives, but we have to remember the positives too. —Baseball Reference ran a simulation 1,000 times of the remaining games and the postseason. Here are the teams that won the World Series at least 20 times in those simulations: Chicago Cubs, won World Series 175 timesDetroit, 125 timesMilwaukee, 114 timesNY Yankees, 105 timesHouston (no relation), 95 timesDodgers, 72 timesPhiladelphia, 61 timesToronto, 49 timesNY Mets, 44 timesBoston, 31 timesSeattle, 30 timesSan Diego, 26 timesTampa Bay, 26 timesTexas, 23 times The trade deadline was Thursday at 3 p.m. PT. The Dodgers have needs. They signed relievers (Scott, Kirby Yates) in the offseason so they wouldn't have to trade for relief help, yet here we are. An outfielder could be nice. I've long since stopped guessing what Andrew Friedman will do at the deadline, because it's almost always something unexpected. Instead, we will look at the top players available at positions it seems the team needs help. Click on the player name to be taken to their stats page at Baseball Reference. They are listed in alphabetical order and stats are through Wednesday. Starting pitchers Sandy Alcantara, Miami: Won the NL Cy Young in 2022. Missed last season after Tommy John surgery, so you know that makes him extra appealing to the Dodgers. Has a 6.66 ERA this season, which I'm told is not very good. Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh: Is only 4-10 with a 3.53 ERA and is owed $56 million over the next three seasons, so this seems unlikely, but possible. Seth Lugo, Kansas City: Lugo throws nine different pitcher (think Rich Hill, only right-handed.) Finished second in AL Cy Young voting last season after going 16-9 with a 3.00 ERA. Has a 2.95 ERA this season. Relief pitchers Félix Bautista, Baltimore: It would take a slew of prospects to get him, but Bautista has thrown 161 innings in the majors and struck out 248 to go with a 2.01 ERA. David Bednar, Pittsbugh: A two-time All-Star who has rebounded from a terrible 2024 season (5.77 ERA), Bednar would probably cost the least, as far as prospects go, in a trade. Led the league with 39 saves in 2023. Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland: Had one of the best seasons ever by a closer last season (4-2, 47 saves, 0.61 ERA, 39 hits and 10 walks in 74.1 innings) but is having his worst season this year, if you can call 5-2, 22 saves and a 2.80 ERA 'worst.' Jhoan Durán, Minnesota: His fastball averages 100 mph. Had an off year last season (3.64 ERA), but has rebounded, posting a 1.94 ERA and 15 saves in 46.1 innings, giving up 37 hits and 16 walks while striking out 51. Pete Fairbanks, Tampa Bay: He's 31, but has added velocity to his fastball this season. Ryan Helsley, St. Louis: Had 49 saves last season, but not quite as successful this season. 34 innings, 34 hits, 14 walks is not a shutdown reliever. Griffin Jax, Minnesota: Has struck out 68 in 44 innings, but also has a 4.09 ERA. His FIP is 2.07 though, so he has been a bit unlucky. Cade Smith, Cleveland: Only in his second season, he drew Cy Young votes as a rookie last year, when he struck out 103 in 75.1 innings. Has struck out 64 in 43.1 innings this season as the stup man for Clase. Could the Dodgers send over a package that could land them Clase, Smith and Kwan? They are one of the few teams that could. Outfielders Jarren Duran, Boston: Having an off season by his standards but finished eighth in MVP voting last season. Steven Kwan, Cleveland: A three-time Gold Glove in left who hits for average and draws walks. Cedric Mullins, Baltimore: He would give the Dodgers a true center fielder, but just an average bat. Hit 30 homers in 2021, but hasn't had more than 18 since. Luis Robert, Jr., Chicago White Sox: Good glove, and used to be able to hit, but not anymore. Hitting .206 this season. Continually linked to the Dodgers in trade rumors, but, well, let's hope not. Please note that this is not an all-encompassing list. It's mainly the names that have been linked to the Dodgers at one point over the last several weeks. It doesn't include players such as Jesús Sánchez, Bryan Reynolds or Mason Miller, who are also possibilities. And, time for the warning I give out every year: Don't fall for every rumor you see online. Some sites will try to lure you in with a headline such as 'Dodgers, Rays discuss Mookie Betts deal' when what happened was the Rays GM called the Dodgers and asked 'Any chance you will trade Mookie Betts?' And the Dodgers say 'No.' Technically, they discussed a Betts deal, but did they really? If you want to keep track of what's going on with the Dodgers, Jack Harris has it covered for us at Jack takes a look at the trade deadline here. For a broader picture, I recommend Shohei Ohtani homered in his fifth consecutive game Wednesday, tying the Dodger record. A look: Home runs in five consecutive games: Ohtani, July 19-23, 2025 (five home runs total)Max Muncy, Aug. 15-21, 2019 (five)Joc Pederson, May 31-June 3, 2015 (five)Adrián González, Sept. 27, 2014-April 8, 2015 (seven)Matt Kemp, Sept. 28-Oct. 3, 2010 (five)Shawn Green, July 21-25, 2001 (five)Roy Campanella, June 11-17, 1950 (five) A Dodger has homered in four straight games 35 times, including four times by Duke Snider and twice by Pedro Guerrero, Matt Kemp, Gary Sheffield and Reggie Smith. Rich Hill, a fan favorite when he pitched for the Dodgers back when Gerald Ford was president, signed with the Kansas City Royals and gave up only one run in five innings of his first start. Hill, 45, is pitching for his 14th majors league team, tying the record set by former Dodger top prospect Edwin Jackson. Hill has played for: AngelsBaltimoreBostonChicago CubsClevelandDodgersKansas CityMinnesotaNY MetsNY YankeesOaklandPittsburghSan DiegoTampa Bay Players to play for 13 teams*Octavio Dotel 12 teams*Mike MorganMatt StairsRon Villone 11 teams*Paul BakoMiguel Batista*Henry BlancoBruce ChenRoyce ClaytonBartolo ColonJoe GerhardtLaTroy Hawkins*Kenny Lofton*Deacon McGuire*Terry Mulholland*Dennys ReyesFernando RodneyJulian Tavarez*Gus WeyhringRick White*Todd Zeile *-played for the Dodgers The Dodgers are 6-11 this month. Have they had any months where they finished .500 or worse since their postseason streak began in 2013? Months at .500 or worse by the Dodgers since 2013: May, 2013, 10-17, .370July, 2025: 7-11, .389September, 2017: 12-17, .414April, 2018: 11-14, .440September, 2013, 12-15, .444July, 2024: 11-13, .458April, 2016: 12-13, .480May, 2018: 14-14, .500May, 2014: 15-15, .500June, 2015: 15-15, .500June, 2023: 12-12, .500 Note: This does not include short months (March or October) when they may have gone 0-1 or 2-3. Friday: Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 1-1, 4.41 ERA) at Boston (Brayan Bello, 6-4, 3.23 ERA), 4:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Saturday: Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 4-1, 3.27 ERA) at Boston (*Garrett Crochet, 11-4, 2.19 ERA), 4:15 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Sunday: Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, 0-0, 1.50 ERA) at Boston (Walker Buehler, 6-6, 5.72 ERA), 10:35 a.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-handed Beyond the bullpen, how aggressive will the Dodgers be at the MLB trade deadline? Dodgers put Tanner Scott on IL, but hopeful he returns this season Rich Hill isn't finished yet. Former Dodgers and Angels player will pitch for his 14th MLB team Hernández: 'Still a threat.' Why Shohei Ohtani needs to remain a two-player for Dodgers From a day off to the leadoff spot, Dodgers try unraveling mystery of Mookie Betts' slump The Dodgers score five runs in the second inning of Game 2 of the 1988 World Series, including a key homer by Mike Marshall. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Los Angeles Times
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: Jaime Jarrín discusses Vin Scully, Fernando Valenzuela and Muhammad Ali
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Doesn't it feel like Chris Taylor and Austin Barnes were released last season? No, that was this season. We received many questions for Jaime Jarrín, who was kind enough to take time out of his day to answer some of those questions. Deputy sports editor Ed Guzman conducted the interview by phone. Because Jarrín was the longtime Spanish-language broadcaster for the Dodgers, it seemed appropriate for a couple of the questions and answers to be in Spanish. In the case of multiple people asking the same questions, the person who asked the question first gets credit for the question. Questions without a name were asked by Guzman. From Virgilio Del Rio: How did you prepare to become a sports broadcaster? Jarrín: Well, before becoming a sports broadcaster, I was a newsman. I used to write news, I edited news, that was my experience. Sportscasting, I learned that when I came to this country. But back home, for four years, I was a newsman writing news, editorials and things like that. (Follow-up question from Guzman): Once you were a broadcaster here in the States, did you ever want to broadcast games in English or were you always just focused on doing it in Spanish? Jarrín: I always wanted to do it only in Spanish. I never really wanted to go into English-language because I thought that it was my duty to do this in Spanish. So I'm very proud to have done it all in Spanish. From Jerry Smith of Los Angeles: You called the 'Thrilla in Manila' between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. What was that like? Jarrín: It is my greatest experience doing sports because the atmosphere in Manila was unbelievable. I was there for I think it was two days before the fight and it was like a carnival there. Muhammad Ali was walking the streets around the arena, you know, promoting the fight and signing many things. And he was a great, great promoter. So it was unbelievable. And the day of the fight, it was so hot, so rainy, and the fight was held at 10 o'clock in the morning (to accommodate the international viewing audience). It was really a great, great experience. From Alex Andrade of Paramount: How difficult or easy is it to switch from calling boxing versus calling a baseball game? Jarrín: Well, it's totally different. In boxing, I was the blow-by-blow announcer. So I didn't have time to do commentary. Besides, I had a commentator with me, Mr. Cuco Conde, who was a very famous boxing promoter in Cuba. So in my case, I just narrate the fight. In boxing, you have to follow the action through the blows that are thrown by the fighters. In baseball, you have time to describe what's going on, you have time for anecdotes, important dates and things like that. From Mark Layne: Do you have a favorite story about Vin Scully? Jarrín: I was very fortunate. It was a privilege to spend so much time with him because on the road we were always together, having lunch together, then dinner at the ballpark. Same thing here in Los Angeles. We always had dinner together before the games. And to see how nice he was with everybody; he never refused to shake hands with anybody; he never refused to take a picture with anybody. He was very, very special. As a baseball announcer, as a sports announcer, he was the best of the best of all time. But as a human being, he was exceptionally beautiful. Something very special I have to mention is the fact that when my wife passed away six years ago, he was the first one to call me and he talked to me for about 20 minutes. It was the most beautiful call I ever received. The way that he talked about my wife, about our friendship, the way that he handled the language, his intonation, his delivery on the phone. It was really, really something very, very unique that I will never, never forget. Very touching. Very touching. From Paul Aist of Ventura: In your opinion, did Tommy Lasorda shorten Fernando Valenzuela's career by overusing him? Jarrín: In a way, probably, but it was because Fernando wanted to stay in the games. He used to tell me, 'Jaime, when I start something, I like to finish that. And when I start a game, I want to finish that.' So I'm sure that Lasorda wanted to take him out earlier in many games, but he insisted on staying on. The Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony is later this month for the newest class. What do you remember about your induction into the Hall of Fame in 1998? Jarrín: I remember very well the phone call that I received from the head of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Around 8 o'clock in the morning, I got a telephone call. They told me, 'Please, Jaime, be around a telephone because probably you are going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.' And the telephone rang at around 9:30 in the morning. And it was the head of Cooperstown. And he said, 'Jaime, it's my pleasure to let you know that you have been selected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year along with Don Sutton and Larry Doby.' You can imagine how excited I was. My wife, Blanca, was standing there next to me near the phone. And she saw my face, my reaction, and she started crying. And that was really something very, very special, something that is in my heart for the rest of my life. It was very emotional. It was very, very incredible. And then the ceremony in Cooperstown is something very unique, very special. I would say that before the ceremony, they put you with all the Hall of Famers in a room. And there were about, I would say, 25, 28-30 Hall of Famers. And to be there among them, it was, to me, like being in heaven. I couldn't believe that I would be there next to Henry Aaron, next to Willie Mays and Sandy Koufax and Tom Seaver and all those Hall of Famers. It was something special, and that changed my life. Because before that, I was one of the many, many announcers doing baseball. But after the Hall of Fame, owners of the different ballclubs, GMs and people like that, they would look for me to take a picture, to shake my hand, to introduce themselves. So really, it was a turning point. Fantastic. How much do you watch this year's team? Well, I follow every single game on TV. When I go to the ballpark, I go to the field, I go to the clubhouse, I say hello to the ballplayers. Then I go to the press box because I like to see the writers because they were so nice with me, English or Spanish. They wrote beautiful things about me, about my career. I like to see the employees at the press box. Then I stay for three, four or five innings and come home. So it's perfect. The perfect combination. But I follow the team through TV when I am not at the ballpark, yes. ¿Qué opina usted sobre el pitcheo del equipo de esta temporada? El pitcheo deja mucho que desear debido a las lesiones. Los Dodgers durante el invierno fueron en busca de verdaderos ases del montículo y lograron contratar a varios de ellos. Pero dos de ellos han estado lesionados todo el tiempo y eso ha desbalanceado completamente el desempeño del equipo de lanzadores. Debido a las lesiones, también hemos tenido prácticamente cada juego en que los abridores únicamente lanzan tres o cuatro innings, máximo. Y eso ha minado mucho la fortaleza del bullpen. Y el bullpen se ha visto dismal en verdad, en lo que a potencia se debe debido al uso cotidiano prácticamente de todos los días. Espero que en este descanso los Dodgers logren consolidar el excelente elenco de lanzadores que necesitan para poder llegar y ganar la Serie Mundial. Hemos escuchado el cuadrangular de Kirk Gibson en la Serie Mundial en la transmisión de Vin Scully, y también en el relato de Jack Buck. Pero uno no puede encontrar el relato de ese jonrón de usted o de René Cárdenas. ¿Por qué no hay modo de escuchar ese relato? La simple respuesta: porque en aquel entonces, lamentablemente, la estación de radio y los mismos Dodgers no se preocuparon en guardar las transmisiones. No tenemos ninguna, ninguna grabación de ninguno de los juegos de los Dodgers hasta hace pocos años. Es un misterio, en verdad. KWKW y KTNQ, las dos emisoras que estuvieron con los Dodgers en esos años, no se preocuparon en mantener grabaciones de eso. Y por eso es que no existe absolutamente nada en lo que respecta a nuestras transmisiones. Es una lástima, en verdad, pero es la realidad. From Bruce Campbell of Los Angeles: Your wife, Blanca, died in 2019. What would you want people to know about her? Well, you know, it was such a heavy blow to myself and my family, my two sons, Jorge and Mauricio. What can I tell you? She was such a beautiful person. She was so supportive of me. All the accolades that I have gained is thanks to her because she was behind me all the time. She never complained about my being absent because I used to travel with the Dodgers and sometimes, road trips took 16 days, 19 days. And she was so generous with people and everything. The Jaime and Blanca Jarrin Foundation has expressed a desire to uplift underserved students by awarding scholarships to those pursuing careers specifically in law and journalism. Why those two areas? Jaime: Jorge can answer that because he is on top of everything. He can express very well the goals of the foundation. I was very pleased when Jorge and Mauricio, along with my three grandsons, joined forces to create a foundation in order to preserve the image and the name of my wife, Blanca, who was a very generous person. So I was delighted when they told me about the project. And now, I just try to help my family as much as possible. Jorge and the rest of the family work very hard in trying to create the funds that we need for the scholarships. Jorge Jarrín, Jaime's son, who sat in on the interview: That's easy, actually. You know, when we started this foundation in honor of my mom, in the back of my mind, I also knew the importance, as my father was nearing the twilight of his career, looking for a way to maintain and uphold the legacy that he has created as an immigrant coming to this country. You know, he knows the trepidation and the fear that comes naturally to an immigrant coming to a nation where he doesn't necessarily really speak the language, doesn't really know a lot of people, is looking to establish roots so that he can, in turn, he or she, in turn, can bring their family so that they can create a better life. So, that's that legacy. And when my mom passed away, I thought, this is the way to do that. Speaking selfishly for a moment, this is a way to accomplish two things. To honor the memory of my mom who created such an environment for us growing up that we never felt neglected. We never felt that we missed out on anything because my father was gone all the time. And there was no guilt. There was nothing negative along that line. And so, knowing that my father, at this point, had been speaking to Latino homes for 60-plus years, I know how people react when they see my father for the first time, when they talk to him, when they have a chance to meet him in person. Because he represents, for many, their childhood growing up, their relationships with their parents, their grandparents, aunts and uncles. He gave them that commonality of which they can talk about together. So, knowing that impact that he has on people, we thought it's one thing to give scholarships. But for a lot of Latinos, to get a scholarship from Jaime Jarrin is even more special. We call them the Jarrín Scholars. And the reason we did journalism, to get back to your original question, journalism and law, two reasons: The journalism honoring the career that my father chose to create, the path that he took. And the law, because we have been fortunate in addition to the Los Angeles Dodgers to have a long and steady career as a spokesperson for Los Defensores. Los Defensores is an organization, it is a cooperative legal marketing firm that represents a network of Spanish-speaking attorneys who are there to help people, Latinos, who don't know the language well, who are intimidated, who may be undocumented. But there are certain rights that they're entitled to under the law, under the Constitution. And we try to empower Latinos to speak up for themselves, to not be afraid, to not be intimidated. So my father has had a 40-year career of being the voice of Los Defensores, too. So it only made sense that because of our association with Los Defensores that we also single out law because overall, we're seeking to help those who are eventually going to be making decisions that affect us as a community and as a society. We want to empower them, we want to help them to be the best that they can be. Unfortunately, you look at for example the state of California, 49% of which are Latinos, and yet less than 3% Latinos pass the bar examination to become attorneys. Less than 6% of the attorneys in the United States are Latinos. Yet it doesn't reflect the numbers of our community in terms of its makeup of demographics, so there's something not right here. And we're trying to get those in a four-year college the help that they need, not only financially but because I've had students say to me: you saw me, you recognized me, and you're willing to invest in my future. Because that's what it is, it's an investment and it's a validation that we see them, we recognize them, we want to support them. That's it in a nutshell. —Thank you to Jaime Jarrín for taking time from their day to answer reader questions. The Jaime and Blanca Jarrín Foundation are having 'Wine Night at the Ravine,' at the centerfield plaza in Dodger Stadium on Aug. 19. For more information and tickets, click here. We'll talk about Mookie Betts and the Dodgers continuing to scuffle (if they still are). Betts was benched Saturday to get a mental reset, then was moved to the leadoff spot Sunday, with Shohei Ohtani moving to the two spot. It has been a tough stretch. They score six runs, the opponent scores seven. But if they hold the opponent to two runs, the Dodgers score just once. When they hit well they don't pitch, when they pitch well they don't hit. And they don't field well most of the time. Freddie Freeman was hit on the wrist by a pitch Sunday and had to leave the game. X-rays were negative, according to the Dodgers, but a wrist injury isn't good for hitters. Luckily for them, the Giants are playing worse, and the Padres are playing just OK. Monday: Minnesota (David Festa, 3-3, 5.25 ERA) at Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, 0-0, 1.00 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Tuesday: Minnesota (Simeon Woods Richardson, 5-4, 3.95 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 8-7, 2.59 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Wednesday: Minnesota (Chris Paddack, 3-9, 5.14 ERA) at Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 1-1, 3.10 ERA), 1:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-handed Pitching injuries continue to be an issue in MLB. How it's impacting pitchers at all levels Is there a way to mitigate pitching injuries? The Rays (and Dodgers) may shed some light New mural at Dodger Stadium honors Fernando Valenzuela Dave Roberts gives Mookie Betts a day off as season-long slump continues 'As lucky as we could be.' Dodgers' Max Muncy already recovering better than expected Shaikin: Why the small-market Milwaukee Brewers might be America's team Four major questions the Dodgers face in the second half of the season The Dodgers retire Fernando Valenzuela's number. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Los Angeles Times
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: Is pitching again hurting Shohei Ohtani at the plate?
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Turns out I actually had COVID! And the Dodgers played like I felt the week before the All-Star break. The Dodgers stumbled into the break, losing seven in a row before rallying to win the last two games against the Giants. It's probably no coincidence that the team started losing after Max Muncy was injured. The offense took a nosedive during the streak. We'll look at that in a minute. But there's still reason to be optimistic. For one thing, the losing streak is over. For another, they still have a 5 1/2-game lead in the NL West, the second-largest division lead in the majors. They also still have the second-best record in the majors, too. We go through this every year. The Dodgers play poorly for a stretch of games, some people get overly worried, but it all works out in the end and the Dodgers make the postseason, where, cliche or not, anything can happen. The pitching has been as erratic as ever, but let's look at the Dodger offense since July 1. Will Smith, .357/.514/.607 (10 for 28, 1 double, 2 homers)Miguel Rojas, .273/.333/.591 (6 for 22, 1 double, 2 homers)Michael Conforto, .250/.289/.444 (9 for 36, 1 double, 2 homers)Dalton Rushing, .250/.250/.313 (4 for 16, 1 double)Esteury Ruiz, .250/.250/.250 (3 for 12)Andy Pages, .244/.306/.333 (11 for 45, 1 double, 1 homer)Hyeseong Kim, .226/.250/.258 (7 for 31, 1 double)Teoscar Hernández, .222/.250/.258 (1 double)Freddie Freeman, .208/.240/.292 (10 for 48, 4 doubles)Mookie Betts, .205/.229/.386 (9 for 44, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 4 RBIs)Shohei Ohtani, .186/.340/.395 (8 for 43, 3 homers)James Outman, .111/.200/.222 (1 for 9, 1 double)Tommy Edman, .063/.189/.063 (2 for 32)Max Muncy, 0 for 5Kiké Hernández, 0 for 9Team, .211/.281/.334, 14 doubles, 12 homers, 3.42 runs per game The guys who usually pace the offense are all slumping at the same time. That's not good. Michael Conforto is suddenly their third-best hitter. Mookie Betts has been in a slump all season. We can only speculate as to why. Is it because of the illness that caused so much weight loss just as the season was starting? Is it because he is playing shortstop? Whatever the case, it seems unlikely that they will move him back to right field. I would. Freddie Freeman seems to always have a month where he slumps. He hit .250 in July 2024. .255 in June 2023. The problem this season is this his second straight below average month. He hit only .200 in June. You have to wonder if all his nagging injuries are finally wearing him down. But the big concern, at least to me, is Shohei Ohtani. He returned to the rotation on June 16. Ohtani through June 15:.297/.393/.642, 11 doubles, 5 triples, 25 homers, 11 stolen bases in 326 plate appearances Ohtani from June 16 to now:.209/.351/.495, 1 double, 2 triples, 7 homers, 1 stolen base in 112 plate appearances. He's two different players. On the days he pitches, he is hitting .250 (5 for 20). On the day after he pitches, he is hitting .067 (1 for 15). Can we now conclude he shouldn't be pitching? No. Too small a sample size, plus, he hit pretty well with the Angels when he was pitching. From 2021-23 with the Angels, he hit .277/.379/.585, averaging 41 homers each season. During those three seasons, he went 34-16 with a 2.84 ERA, averaging almost 25 starts and 143 innings. But it's safe to say that pitching again has had some effect on him, which had to be expected. He will rally, he's too good a player not to. But when will he start hitting again? A lot of the Dodger offense revolves around him, and if this slump continues, it will have repercussions throughout the lineup. The Dodgers have the sixth-easiest schedule the rest of the season. Teams with the easiest schedules: 1. Cleveland (opponents have a .476 winning percentage)2. Houston (.482)3. Chicago Cubs (.482)4. San Diego (.483)5. Detroit (.485)6. Dodgers (.487) Teams with the most difficult remaining schedule: 1. Cincinnati (.522)2. Colorado (.517)3. Boston (.516)4. Baltimore (.515)5. Milwaukee (.515) Key games remaining: Aug. 15-17, vs. San DiegoAug. 22-24, at San DiegoSept. 12-14, at San FranciscoSept. 18-21, vs. San Francisco Of course, the Dodgers close the schedule with their traditional end-of-season opponent, the Seattle Mariners, Sept. 26-28 at Seattle. We asked, 'Who is the greatest pitcher in Dodger history, Clayton Kershaw or Sandy Koufax?' After 11,094 responses, the results: Sandy Koufax, 80.2%Clayton Kershaw, 17.5%Someone else, 2.3% Don Sutton and Fernando Valenzuela led the someone else category. Friday: Milwaukee (Quinn Priester, 7-2, 3.55 ERA) at Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 1-0, 3.52 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Saturday: Milwaukee (Freddy Peralta, 11-4, 2.66 ERA) at Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 1-0, 2.03 ERA), 6:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Sunday: Milwaukee (*Jose Quintana, 6-3, 3.28 ERA) at Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 4-1, 3.38 ERA), 1:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-handed Freddie Freeman MLB Network documentary showcases storied career, and his vulnerability Hernández: Secret to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 2025 success? His hero-like effort in NLDS Game 5 Hernández: 'Time heals everything.' Freddie Freeman, Braves fans find peace at All-Star Game Shaikin: How to revitalize baseball's All-Star Game? Bat flips 'Put a 'W' next to Dino's name.' NL wins All-Star Game swing-off, with help from Dino Ebel 'It was awesome.' Clayton Kershaw is the All-Star among All-Stars as NL defeats AL Amid resurgent year and batting title push, Will Smith unbothered being 'overlooked' Amid immigration raids, MLBPA advises players to keep legal documents with them Agent: Julio Urías has 'every intention to continue his career' Futures Game MVP Josue De Paula wants to be a Dodger 'for a very long time' The Dodgers pay tribute to Matt Kemp. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Los Angeles Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: Who's better, Clayton Kershaw or Sandy Koufax?
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Sorry we are a day late, asthma, plus a cold, plus smoke in the air from fireworks equals bad breathing. For the next part of our 'Ask....' series. Jaime Jarrín, the Spanish-language voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, for 64 seasons before retiring after the 2022 season, will answer selected questions from readers. Jarrín is in the Baseball Hall of Fame as a broadcaster and was the longtime interpreter for Fernando Valenzuela. Please send your questions to askjaimejarrin@ before 10 p.m. Friday. When Clayton Kershaw reached the 3,000 strikeout mark, Bill Plaschke wrote a column saying it clinched Kershaw being the greatest pitcher in Dodgers history, greater than Sandy Koufax. I could give you pages of stats and biographical information on both men, but I'm guessing most of you already know about them. Books have been written about Koufax, and books will be written about Kershaw. A few weeks ago, I wrote 'Kershaw and Koufax are the two best pitchers in Dodgers history,' and I got inundated with emails from angry Koufax fans, wondering why I would mention them in the same sentence, let alone list Kershaw first (um, alphabetical order). So, I broach the topic very carefully. The thing to keep in mind is they are both great pitchers. Both first-ballot Hall of Famers. Both have won World Series, Cy Young Awards and MVP awards. So how do you determine who is the best? It depends on how much you value certain things. Let's look at some arguments. 1. Koufax had only five great seasons, and they all came when the rules of the time favored the pitcher. 2. In his prime, Koufax pitched 300 innings a season and had multiple complete games (Koufax had 27 complete games in 1965 and 1966. Kershaw has had 25 complete games in his career and never pitched more than 236 innings in a season). Keep in mind that Kershaw never wanted to come out of games, he was really an old-school pitcher stuck in modern times. 3. Koufax is the best postseason pitcher in history with an 0.95 ERA in eight postseason games, all in the World Series. Of all pitchers with multiple Cy Young Awards, Kershaw is easily the worst in the postseason, going 13-13 with a 4.49 ERA. If we just limit it to the World Series, it's not much better, as he is 3-2 with a 4.46 ERA. 4. Koufax pitched in three World Series that the Dodgers won. Kershaw pitched in only one. 5. Koufax didn't have to pitch in multiple postseason rounds like Kershaw did. If he had to pitch in three rounds just to get to the World Series, his numbers likely wouldn't be as good. 6. Kershaw had a much, much longer career where he was one of the best pitchers in baseball. Depending on what you call a great season, it's 10, 11 or 12. Koufax had 'just' the five. 7. Kershaw has a career ERA+ of 155, meaning he was 55% better than a league average pitcher in his career. Koufax's was 131, meaning he was 31% better. Of course, Kershaw didn't pitch into the eight and ninth all that often, helping save his ERA somewhat. Those are just a few of the arguments. As to what I think? If I had to pick one, in their prime, to start a winner-take-all game, I'd pick Koufax. If you said 'You can have this guy's regular-season career, starting from Game 1, for your team,' I'd go with Kershaw. So, it depends on what you consider great. They were both great. Read Plaschke's column, which has several good arguments, by clicking here. Have you read it? Then please vote in our survey, 'Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Sandy Koufax?' Heck, you can vote even if you didn't read Plaschke's column. You can vote by clicking here. Of all teams to be swept by, it had to be the Houston (no relation) Astros? They did expose some problems the Dodgers have had all season: Banged-up players and bad pitching. Max Muncy, who was their best hitter in the last six weeks, is on the IL (more on that below). Tommy Edman has a broken toe. Teoscar Hernández fouled a ball off his left foot Saturday, and is still plagued by the groin injury that put him on the IL earlier this season. He isn't close to 100%. Kiké Hernández went on the IL Monday with elbow inflammation. Mookie Betts hasn't seemed to recover from losing 25 pounds just before the season and is hitting a paltry (by Betts' standards) .252/.324/.397. Last season he hit .289/.372/.491. He is currently on track for the worst offensive season of his career. Add in the fact that Teoscar is just a brutal fielder in right, and you have to wonder if a move back to right is being considered, not that they'd talk openly about it. I mean, it was so bad that Michael Conforto hit fifth Sunday. Pitching wise, Ben Casparius is suddenly having trouble getting people out. Noah Davis, with a career ERA of 8.95 was on the staff and gave up 10 runs Friday. Most of the guys in the bullpen are having bad seasons compared to their career norms. The bullpen ERA (4.41) is 24th of the 30 teams. In the rotation, they have one reliable guy (Yoshinobu Yamamoto), two erratic guys (Dustin May and Kershaw), one guy who might be solid, but it's too soon to tell (Emmet Sheehan), one guy who pitches well but hasn't gone more than two innings (Shohei Ohtani) and a bunch of wishes and prayers for everyone else. We keep hearing that Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell are returning soon (Glasnow perhaps this week), but I'll believe it when I see it, and given their history, how long before they get hurt again? Does this mean it is time to panic? Of course not. Despite all of the above, the Dodgers have one of the best records in baseball and have a comfortable lead over the Giants and Padres. They will make the postseason. If you recall, they struggled at times with similar issues last season, and that season ended OK if I remember correctly. Andrew Friedman has shown that he is not afraid the make moves at the trade deadline. You can count on a move or two before the deadline this season (July 31 at 3 p.m. PT). The roster right now will not be the roster on day one of the postseason. So, let's see what happens. You have to feel bad for Max Muncy. He finally had turned things around and was one of the team's best hitters again. Then, his knee is injured when Michael Taylor of the White Sox slides into it while trying to steal third. It looked terrible, as your knee isn't designed to bend that direction. It looked like he had torn everything in his knee and would be out for the season. However, the Dodgers say an MRI exam showed just a bone bruise and he should be back in six weeks. Hopefully, that's what happens and he doesn't lose his swing while he's recovering. However, the Dodgers have been historically vague when talking about injuries. If you remember, Muncy hurt his elbow on the last day of the 2021, in a similar situation, only the runner collided with his elbow at first instead of his knee at third. After that injury, the MRI was described as the best-case scenario, and Dave Roberts said, 'I just don't want to, we don't want to, close the door on a potential down-the-road postseason appearance.' Muncy and the club kept insisting he could return for the postseason if the Dodgers advanced to the World Series. A month or so after the Dodgers were eliminated from the postseason, Muncy said he had torn the UCL in his elbow and knew he wasn't going to play in the postseason. So, hopefully his new injury is the best-case scenario, but I'm not holding my breath. With this injury, the Dodgers said they won't be actively exploring a deal for a third baseman since Muncy will be back, meaning we will know a lot more about the accuracy of what they are saying if they actually don't trade for a third baseman. The five Dodgers who will be on the All-Star team this season: StartersFreddie FreemanShohei OhtaniWill Smith PitchersClayton KershawYoshinobu Yamamoto Kershaw was named as the commissioner's 'Legend Pick.' Christian Walker continues to be a Dodger killer. He had a big series for the Astros, and is one of only nine opponents with at least 20 homers at Dodger Stadium. The list: Barry Bonds, 29George Foster, 23Henry Aaron, 22Dale Murphy, 22Mike Schmidt, 22Willie Stargell, 21Paul Goldschmidt, 20Dave Kingman, 20Christian Walker, 20 In his career against the Dodgers, Walker is hitting .259/.318/.563 with 10 doubles, 28 homers and 64 RBIs in 340 plate appearances. Some have emailed wondering if they should just intentionally walk Walker in every at bat. No. That would be foolish. Just walk him when the situation calls for it (second and third, one out, for example, depending on who is pitching). There is no one in baseball history you should walk every at bat. Dodgers pitchers Clayton Kershaw, Yoshinobu Yamamoto named to all-star game roster Hernández: Dodgers must aggressively pursue pitchers before the trade deadline With Max Muncy expected back from knee injury, Dodgers stick with trade deadline plans Max Muncy heads to IL with what Dodgers are calling a left knee bone bruise Jaime Jarrín's Hall of Fame speech. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Los Angeles Times
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: Clayton Kershaw joins the 3,000 strikeout club
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Shouldn't Kellogg's have commemorative boxes of Special K cereal with Clayton Kershaw on the front ready for sale in Los Angeles? Yes, I know I said there wouldn't be another newsletter until next week, but, Kershaw became the 20th pitcher in baseball history to strike out 3,000 batters when he reached that milestone during Wednesday's game against the Chicago White Sox. It's a testament to his longevity and the fact he pitched at an elite level for many years. Even now, when he is no longer the Kershaw of old, he is still one of the best starters the Dodgers have. Here is a statistical look at his 3,000 strikeouts. The 3,000 strikeouts club ranked by strikeouts per nine innings: Max Scherzer, 10.64Randy Johnson 10.61Pedro Martinez, 10.04Clayton Kershaw, 9.69Nolan Ryan, 9.54Justin Verlander, 8.97Curt Schilling, 8.60Roger Clemens, 8.55John Smoltz, 7.99CC Sabathia, 7.78Bob Gibson, 7.22Steve Carlton, 7.13Tom Seaver, 6.85Bert Blyleven, 6.70Ferguson Jenkins, 6.38Don Sutton, 6.09Greg Maddux, 6.06Gaylord Perry, 5.95Phil Niekro, 5.57Walter Johnson, 5.34 Batters Clayton Kershaw has struck out the most (does not include pitchers) 30 timesBrandon Belt (4 for 62 overall against Kershaw) 24 timesPaul Goldschmidt (15 for 67) 22 timesCarlos González (10 for 57) 20 timesHunter Pence (18 for 91) 19 timesBuster Posey (25 for 113)Drew Stubbs (6 for 39) 17 timesTroy Tulowitzki (18 for 66)Ian Desmond (8 for 48)Justin Upton (7 for 47) Batters Kershaw has trouble striking out (minimum 20 at bats) struck out 0 timesOrlando Hudson, (6 for 21 overall against Kershaw) one timeDaniel Murphy (5 for 20)Marco Scutaro (9 for 26) three timesMiguel Tejada (7 for 20)Allen Craig (6 for 22)Joe Panik (11 for 41) four timesRandal Grichuk (5 for 20)Jordan Pacheco (3 for 23)Pat Burrell (6 for 20)Anthony Rendon (7 for 22)Carlos Gomez (7 for 24)Jonathan Lucroy (1 for 24)Chris Young (7 for 29)Jimmy Rollins (7 for 31)Ryan Zimmerman (10 for 33) The count1-2, 1,053 times2-2, 8220-2, 7193-2, 406 Outs2, 1,0060, 1,0041, 990 Inning1: 4632: 5043: 4504: 4395: 4446: 3447: 2328: 939: 31 Game totals15 strikeout games: 214: 413: 912: 811: 1810: 279: 538: 487: 636: 615: 594: 403: 232: 181: 5 Milestone strikeouts First strikeoutMay 25, 2008Skip Schumaker, St. Louis 100th strikeoutSept. 29, 2008Kevin Kouzmanoff, San Diego 500th strikeoutMarch 31, 2011Buster Posey, San Francisco 1,000th strikeoutApril 17, 2013Yonder Alonso, San Diego 1,500th strikeoutMay 10, 2015Drew Stubbs, Colorado 2,000th strikeoutJune 2, 2017Jonathan Villar, Milwaukee 2,500th strikeoutSept. 3, 2020Nick Ahmed, Arizona 3,000th strikeoutJuly 2, 2025Vinny Capra, Chicago White Sox By month:March: 23April: 454May: 496June: 577July: 432August: 490September: 489October: 39 By catcherA.J. Ellis, 920Austin Barnes, 551Yasmani Grandal, 451Russell Martin, 379Will Smith, 251Rod Barajas, 171Dioner Navarro, 106Brad Ausmus, 55Drew Butera, 45Tim Federowicz, 22Danny Ardoin, 19Rámon Hernández, 17Matt Treamor, 11Dalton Rushing, 2 His decisionsIn his wins: 1,672no decision: 752in his losses: 576 His roleAs a starter: 2,995As a reliever: 5 Pitch countPitch 1-25: 700Pitch 26-50: 815Pitch 51-75: 760Pitch 76-100: 579Pitch 101+: 146 BatterRight-handed: 2,265Left-handed: 735 Where?Home: 1,630Away: 1,370 OpponentSan Francisco, 413Colorado, 321San Diego, 317Arizona, 294St. Louis, 158Washington, 139NY Mets, 126Milwaukee, 124Chicago Cubs, 121Philadelphia, 118Cincinnati, 116Miami, 116Angels, 115Atlanta, 98Pittsburgh, 79Houston, 59Seattle, 42NY Yankees, 36Chicago White Sox, 34Oakland, 31Tampa Bay, 27Kansas City, 21Minnesota, 20Cleveland, 20Detroit, 20Texas, 19Toronto, 16 Note: Kershaw has never faced Baltimore or Boston in the regular season. Number of pitches4: 8975: 7733: 6086: 4437: 1618: 859: 2110+: 12 By batters' defensive positionFirst base, 361Left field, 357Right field, 347Center field, 341Third base, 310Catcher, 295Pitcher, 285Second base, 286Shortstop, 274Designated hitter, 78Pinch hitter, 66 Bases occupiedBases empty, 1,947Man on first, 429Man on second, 249Men on first and second, 146Man on third, 70Men on first and third, 67Men on second and third, 50Bases loaded, 42 Batting order position9th, 4221st, 3505th, 348 6th, 3254th, 3242nd, 3217th, 3153rd, 3068th, 289 By score marginDodgers lead by four or more, 385Dodgers lead by three, 207Dodgers lead by two, 306Dodgers lead by one, 461Tied, 1,014Dodgers trail by one, 338Dodgers trail by two, 188Dodgers trail by three, 66Dodgers trail by four or more, 35 Swinging or looking?Swinging strikeout, 2,225Caught looking, 775 Eight runners reached first after a strikeout because of wild pitch or passed ball Source: Plaschke: There are 3,000 reasons Clayton Kershaw is the greatest pitcher in Dodger history Photos: Kershaw's road to 3,000 Fans react to Clayton Kershaw reaching 3,000 career strikeouts Clayton Kershaw reaches 3,000 career strikeouts, is 20th pitcher to do so in MLB history Clayton Kershaw gets his 3,000th strikeout. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
