Well lookie here, the Dodgers actually find themselves with a little two game win streak. Wonder how they’ll manage to step on their own toes this time.
(I hate that this team has turned me into a full-time cynic)
Okay so while things haven’t been the best let’s look at where they have been better as of late. The Dodgers have been taking baby steps so maybe so can I, on my road back to full-time optimist.
Ben Rortvedt
When Will Smith incurred an injury to his hand, all Dodger fans held their breath.
Smith has been having a stellar year both in front of and behind the plate. X-rays were negative and he has managed to stay off the injured list. Dalton Rushing then stepped up, even though he hadn’t played three games in a row in the majors to that point. Then he fouled a ball off his knee/shin, and he went on the IL. In steps Ben Rortvedt, a career mostly Triple-A catcher.
In the three games that Rortvedt has started, two have been no-hitters into the ninth inning. That’s pretty impressive for a catcher that has only been with the team since the trade deadline and was pressed into service. While he isn’t on fire at the plate, he’s also scored a run in all three of those games. You probably couldn’t ask much more of your newly acquired, third-string catcher in that situation.
Michael Conforto
The one-year flyer that never quite took flight. Many fans want him off the team. Unfortunately, the outfield situation for the Dodgers is not the best right now. Teoscar Hernandez is just not doing anything well at the moment. Andy Pages has lost whatever mojo he had at the plate earlier in the season.
Conforto is batting .194 on the season. BUT! in his last seven games, he’s slashing .250/.375/.250. Am I grasping at straws here? Taking some good copium? Probably. But we can for a second let ourselves hope he is finally trending in the right direction.
Tanner Scott
Ok, yes, this really is a baby steps thought but the way it’s been going for Scott since he came off the IL, I’ll take anything I can get.
We all know what happened in Saturday’s game horrific loss after Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s stellar 8 2/3 innings in Baltimore. Monday, Scott was brought in again to preserve a win in the ninth, and this one also happened to be for a combined no-hitter. He immediately lost that bid, allowing a double to the first batter. He was booed by the home crowd. The pitch wasn’t even that bad – it was a ball low and away out of the strike zone, and the batter just happened to get a good read on it. It also didn’t help that maybe Alex Call didn’t get the best jump on it. Regardless, he didn’t let that get to him and went on to get the next three batters out and get the save.
Max Muncy
He’s back! The cornerstone of the Dodgers offense is back! Hooray!
All the above are examples of small things that maybe don’t seem that big. But you do need to start somewhere on your way back up, and these things are just as good as any to seize on and move forward.
Now excuse me while I go refill my cup of copium.
