Jack Harris of the LAT had a great recap of last night's game at the Stadium, where a Shohei Ohtani walk-off HR in the ninth allowed the Dodgers to win the game 6-5, open up the year with an unprecedented 8-0 record, and sweep the Braves (who are now 0-7 on the year, notable because no team has ever started 0-7 and made the playoffs).
But what was funny was, as bad as the Dodgers were playing early, those of us who had been watching this year knew what was coming. Sure, Max Muncy made two throwing errors and three feeble at bats to start the game (Muncy did hit a two-run double in the eighth to tie the game at 5, but before we all get excited, let's remember that Muncy's hit lifted his pathetic 2025 average to .120 and his his OPS to .414 (which translates to an OPS+ of 21, 79% worse than the major league average)).
Andy Pages' dropped ball in center was also coupled with a feeble batting line (0-for-3 wwith 2 Ks, sitting on a .120 BA). And big contract Blake Snell, who only lasted five innings last start, was even worse this outing, with a 4.0 IP, 2 K night that does not portend well for the remaining 4.9 years of this contract.
But when the Dodgers are down 5-0, great things seem to happen. Tommy Edman and Michael Conforto homered for the first three runs of the comeback; Muncy got two runs across the plate in his last AB; and then Shohei hits the first pitch for a game-winning HR in the bottom of the ninth. Aaron Judge didn't even need to drop a ball in this contest; the Dodgers were capable of winning this game anyway.
Said Dave Roberts in the aforementioned LAT piece, "We had no business winning that game. But to our guys’ credit, we just kept fighting.” In eight games, we've had six comeback victories. Imagine how this team might be if we actually put all the pieces together and / or had a complete lineup (our outfield bats are still questionable outside Teoscar Hernandez, and Freddie Freeman was out of the lineup for the third straight game).
Off to our road trip!
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