Get Out Of Denver With Three Wins, A Share Of First Place And Zero Hospitalizations? A Rousing Success For Dodgers.

Fine pitching performances, clutch hitting and one historically bad baserunning blunder highlight 2021 season-opening series.

Christian Murdock/The Gazette

You get out of Denver with a series win and zero hospitalizations without having to play 16 hours of baseball to do it, it’s a rousing success. Even better if you aren’t forced to trash your pitching plans for the next series. The Dodgers followed a sloppy opener Thursday with three straight victories at Coors Field over the weekend and escaped to Oakland to face the 0-4 Athletics Monday through Wednesday tied for first place in the National League West, thank you very much.

There were some concerning things (baserunning paramount among them), but considerably more to celebrate.

While it isn’t reflected in the earned run average (5.68), Trevor Bauer was great in his debut Friday, taking a no-hitter into the seventh before tiring after spending the previous half inning on the bases.

Walker Buehler put his frustrating exhibition season behind him with six strong innings Saturday, getting the win on four hits, two earned runs and no walks in six innings. Fan (and columnist) pin cushion Kenley Jansen contributed a downright inspiring five-out save to secure that one, which is not something I expected to see even a single time in 2021. And certainly not at Colorado.

Julio Urias pitched beautifully Sunday, going seven-plus innings, allowing just three hits, a walk and an inherited runner to score after exiting, with six strikeouts. And Corey Knebel was nasty in both of his weekend appearances out of the pen, earning the save in the finale.

The Los Angeles batsmen were quite good as well. Corey Seager had eight hits, including two doubles plus three RBIs in 12 at bats (.667), Mookie Betts went 5-14 (.357) and Justin Turner added four hits in 11 ABs (.364). Max Muncy went 5-18 (.312) digging out balls at first ala Wes Parker and Zach McKinsty had three hits in seven at bats, including his first career homer run, an inside-the-park job (see below). Gavin Lux lashed two triples in going 6-16 (.375) in the four games, notably with a couple of beautiful plays in the field, including this one.

Who Goofed?

All in all, a good showing for Los Angeles. Except for the baserunning. Oh, the baserunning. Guys getting throw out at third base to end innings, a mixup on a steal-a-run play with Betts, of all people, who was guilty of a couple of gaffes, including choosing to get caught in a rundown for an automatic out after an overthrow at first base Sunday, instead of trying for second and forcing the Rockies to make a play.

And there was this one for the history books, starring Justin Turner in what I’m calling the “Second Dumbest Thing I’ve Seen on a Baseball Diamond” (with Turner’s mask-less post-World Series celebration last October being the dumbest). Rather than try to explain the awfulness of the thing in long form, I’ll just suggest you consider yourself lucky if you missed it. Or go ahead and torture yourself, below. It’s entirely up to you.

I’m sorry, but that’s all Turner going all-rookie. Just monumentally dumb. And you know that had Yasiel Puig pulled a boner like that at any time during his Dodgers career, Bill Plaschke would’ve immediately called for his head. And imprisonment.

While we’re on the subject of JT, I kind of have to call him out for something else that’s been bothering me for a while, which is the nonchalant lollipop throws to first on routine plays, of which there were two for errors in Colorado. And several in recent years.

Look, infielders, you’re not going to hurt the first baseman. Fire the damn ball over there. I’m especially annoyed because the Dodger veteran was recently quoted as crediting David Wright for setting him straight about just that kind of lazy play when the two were Mets in the previous decade. If Mr. Wright is reading this (and I’m sure he is:), perhaps he can interest his former pupil in a refresher course, from one third baseman to another. In other words, drill baby drill.

Tweet of the Week:

makenna martin💙 @makenna_m19

Trivia Question:

What happened in the famous Harvey Haddix non-perfecto, non-no-no, non-shutout, non-win game, May 26, 1959, that relates to something we discussed above? Hint: Here’s the boxscore.

ICYMI:

Dodgers right-hander Tony Gonsolin was placed on the injured list Sunday with shoulder inflammation. Right-hander Dennis Santana was recalled to replace him in the bullpen.

White Sox Yermin Mercedes, who went 5-for-5 in his 2021 debut Friday versus the Angels at Anaheim and followed up with hits in his first three at bats Saturday, is the first player in the modern era (since 1900) to begin a season 8-8, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Undaunted by missing a grand slam in the right field corner this afternoon in Detroit, Twins Nelson Cruz followed with an actual slam to right on the next pitch.

ESPN @espn

Good baseball karma? 😳 Nelson Cruz thought he hit a grand slam that was ruled a foul. The next pitch, he actually did hit a grand slam. 📺: ESPN

“New York Mets owner Steve Cohen says he's 'all-in,' expects team to make playoffs this season.” Oh he does, does he? Well, isn’t that special? In case you missed my 2021 Predictions column, here’s what I had to say about that last week: “Team pegged most likely to improve enough to make the postseason that doesn't? The New York Mets.”

Shohei Ohtani was a busy Angel last night in the OC. He threw a 100 mph fastball and mashed a ball into the right field bleachers with an exit velocity of greater than 100 miles per hour— supposedly the first time that’s happened in baseball history — and left the game after taking a header on a play at the plate. Shaken up but fine, according the club. Watch the videos here.

Media Savvy:

ESPN Insiders debate: “AL MVP or end of the two-way experiment? Debating Shohei Ohtani's 2021 potential.”

The Athletic’s first power rankings article is out today, with the Dodgers in the top spot and San Diego and the Yankees tied for second place.

Here is Peter Abraham’s always-good Sunday baseball notes column at the Boston Globe.

“Here are ETAs for MLB's top prospects,” by Sam Dykstra at MLB.com.

And here is a story I knew nothing about, by Benoît Morenne at the New York Times: “How the Yankees’ Luckiest Batboy Ended Up in an Unmarked Grave: Eddie Bennett earned fame in the dugouts of the Major Leagues. He had almost slipped from memory when New Yorkers teamed up to honor his short, dramatic life.” Photo below.

Kiké and Joc Watch:

Kiké Hernandez is getting a taste of losing baseball for the first time in a long time. After hitting .347/.450/.569 with three homers in Spring Training, Hernandez went 1-10 with a critical error in his debut series as his Red Sox were swept three by the woeful Orioles at Boston.

Joc Pederson, who was unstoppable in the preseason (.378/.431/1.000, 8 HR, 19 RBIs in 45 ABs), is still looking for his first hit as a Chicago Cub (0-10 with 5 Ks).

Baseball Photos of the Day:

Bo Belinsky.

Steve Garvey, 1981.

John Montefusco.

Lou Gehrig.

Trivia Answer:

Braves’ Joe Adcock hit what appeared to be a walkoff three-run homer to spoil Haddix’s no-hitter (an error and walk earlier in the inning ended the perfect game opportunity) in the 13th at Milwaukee, but passed Hank Aaron on the bases and was credited with a double and a solo RBI instead. Braves over Pirates, 1-0. Read about it here.

Goo goo ga joob:

This isn’t a baseball reference, obviously, and I don’t go to big city newspapers for recipe news (or anywhere really), but how could I let a headline like this go without sharing it my friends? “We Are the Eggmen.”

And remember, glove conquers all.

Howard Cole has been writing about baseball on the Internet since Y2K. Follow him on Twitter. Follow OBHC on Twitter here. Be friends with Howard on Facebook.

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