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Watching Gavin Lux this year has been a little bit like watching Cody Bellinger back in his rookie year. I’m not comparing their skill level, but rather their demeanor at the plate and running around the field. Lux has looked (especially earlier in the season) at times uncomfortable, nervous, overswinging, clearly wanting it just a bit too much to focus on his talent. Since coming back up, despite taking on a few new roles and some odd defensive plays in those new positions, he looks more settled and confident — more like the rumors we heard about him. It makes sense to have one of the team’s most athletic players in center field, and I think the guidance there from Betts (and Taylor, etc.) could help Lux level up even further as a member of the Dodgers. Jack Harris at the LA Times writes about Gavin Lux stepping up in the outfield: Second base can wait for now: Gavin Lux is helping the Dodgers in the outfield
A few more historical Dodgers Links for you today...
- Love or hate the wild card system (and it seems to be generally “hate” for fans), baseball is simply not used to the idea of things being decided in just 9 innings. Why does a single game feel so different from a Game 7 when the series is tied 3-3? Just look to last year’s NLCS for the last time the Dodgers found themselves in that situation, having battled back from a 3-1 game deficit. A little bit of history by Christian Stone of the LA Times on the winner-takes-all situations that Dodgers have seen before: Dodgers have played 16 winner-take-all playoff games. Here’s the story of each one
- Jon Weisman has an excerpt from the latest edition of his book 100 Things Dodgers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die on the legendary announcer Jaime Jarrín over at his blog, Dodger Thoughts
- Jorge Castillo talked to several fans about their memories of Jaime Jarrín in a wonderful piece at the Los Angeles Times. Jarrín announced Tuesday he would retire after the 2022 season, his 64th year calling Dodgers games.
- Times the Dodgers and Giants specifically have been here before from Manny Randhawa at MLB.com: Dodgers-Giants goes down to wire again
- A nice piece from Dodger Blue on Orel Hershiser: This Day In Dodgers History: Orel Hershiser Breaks Don Drysdale’s Record With 59 Consecutive Scoreless Innings
- And a video on the topic everyone can’t get enough of... the epic Dodgers-Giants rivalry throughout history:
Rivals for more than 130 years, the @Dodgers & @SFGiants are in the midst of one of the greatest divisional races in the Wild Card Era.
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) September 28, 2021
✏️ @jonmorosi | #Dodgers | #ResilientSF pic.twitter.com/RT3utAPkuj