True Blue LA - June 15: Dodgers 5, Phillies 3Where The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2021-06-16T01:20:27-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/222995452021-06-16T01:20:27-07:002021-06-16T01:20:27-07:00Mookie finally gets his moment in front of a full Dodger Stadium crowd
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<figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>“Mookie really came to life tonight,” Dave Roberts said. “We just have a way of rallying around him.”</p> <p id="EqbQlo">A lot happened in the 16 months since Mookie Betts was acquired by the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>, who snapped a 32-year title drought in the superstar’s first season with the team. But in nearly a year and a half since first joining the team, Tuesday was the first time Betts got to play as a Dodger in front of a full Dodger Stadium.</p>
<p id="jONr10">Betts’ seventh-inning home run off Ranger Suárez broke a tie and delivered the Dodgers what became a 5-3 win over the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> on what was dubbed re-opening day in front of 52,078 at Dodger Stadium.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Liftoff. <a href="https://t.co/pP4zYYbJIv">pic.twitter.com/pP4zYYbJIv</a></p>— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsNetLA/status/1405025555758534657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2021</a>
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<p id="E3ep23">“It was a great feeling knowing they’re finally cheering on my behalf, since 2018,” Betts said. “I’m just happy and thankful that we finally got to this day.”</p>
<p id="V27agd">By now, Betts is used to the ins and outs of Dodger Stadium, especially the home clubhouse and dugout. Tuesday was his 59th home game played at the stadium. Twenty-nine of those came last year, in front of no fans except of the cardboard variety.</p>
<p id="xpH8ic">In the Dodgers’ first 33 home dates of 2021 they averaged 15,987 fans, topping out at 20,220 last Friday against Texas. But Tuesday marked <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1404798689017741320">an official lifting of COVID-19 restrictions throughout the state of California</a>, and the first time stadiums could open to full capacity.</p>
<p id="A7F5Ba">Tuesday’s crowd was the most in a game at Dodger Stadium involving Betts since Game 5 of the 2018 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a>. Betts homered that night too, in front of 54,367 that watched the <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> become the second team in as many years not named the Dodgers win a championship at Chavez Ravine.</p>
<p id="YgCmI9">“Our fans, as far as full capacity, haven’t had a chance to watch him in person for quite some time. I think you can say most fans <em>haven’t</em> had that chance,” manager Dave Roberts said. “For them to get here, and you hope that your superstar player performs, and you get a go-ahead homer. It was a big jolt. The club felt it, the dugout felt it, the fans felt it.”</p>
<p id="W7EIeK">In addition to the home run in the seventh, Betts also drove home an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI single, one of three hits on the night.</p>
<p id="WMADXF">On June 6 in Atlanta, Betts was showing signs of coming out of a frustrating slump, but hadn’t hit a home run in over two weeks. Roberts said, “He’s taking really good swings, taking really good at-bats. There’ll be some homers coming soon.”</p>
<p id="ITGe8g">Though Betts didn’t homer in the series finale in Atlanta, he’s homered once in each of the Dodgers’ three series since. On the season he’s up to .258/.371/.462, with a 135 wRC+ that nearly matches his career 136 wRC+. </p>
<p id="u45O49">Not that Betts is satisfied with his swing just yet.</p>
<p id="OUGvc6">“Maybe in a month or so we can kind of take a look back, but right now it’s just one day at a time,” Betts said. “All it takes is one pitch or one swing, but it’s been so in and out, it’s been kind of tough.”</p>
<h3 id="9Vqps4">On the mound</h3>
<p id="RUxoBb">It was a mixed bag on Tuesday for Julio Urías, who wasn’t exactly helped by a Dodgers defense that made three errors on the night. But he was also pulled during a sixth-inning rally in a tie game. “I thought he was at the end of his rope,” Roberts said.</p>
<p id="JiBJr6">But Urías also doubled home a run in the fourth inning, a fifth straight game with a run batted in for the left-hander. It’s tied for the longest RBI streak by a pitcher in Dodgers history, matching Don Drysdale in 1958.</p>
<p id="hT0Qt6">Among all major league hitters this year, Urías and A’s second baseman Elvis Andrus have the longest <em>active</em> RBI streaks.</p>
<p id="JHZWGd">“I was going after that first pitch,” Urías said. “Luckily, I got it, and put a good swing on it.”</p>
<h3 id="I18J27">Tuesday particulars</h3>
<p id="iDNWX0"><strong>Home runs</strong>: Mookie Betts (8); Andrew McCutchen (11)</p>
<p id="oIsbtu"><strong>WP — Joe Kelly (2-0)</strong>: 1 IP, 1 strikeout</p>
<p id="JbN79Y"><strong>LP — Ranger Suárez (2-1)</strong>: 1⅓ IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 2 walks, 1 strikeout</p>
<p id="wKJhMD"><strong>Sv — Blake Treinen (3)</strong>: 1 IP, 1 strikeout</p>
<h3 id="W8mj2T">Up next</h3>
<p id="ZP3MCU">Clayton Kershaw starts the final game of the homestand on Wednesday night (7:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network). The Phillies turn to Zack Wheeler, who has a 1.39 ERA and 71 strikeouts in his last seven starts.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2021/6/16/22536007/mookie-betts-home-run-dodger-stadium-capacity-crowd-reopening-dayEric Stephen2021-06-15T18:47:00-07:002021-06-15T18:47:00-07:00Dodgers vs. Phillies Game II chat
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<figcaption>Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Re-opening day at Dodger Stadium</p> <p id="nCAhIz">The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> try for a third straight win on Tuesday, dubbed “Re-opening night” with Dodger Stadium open to full capacity, facing the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a>. Julio Urías starts for Los Angeles, while old friend Zach Eflin starts for Philadelphia.</p>
<p id="Dz58CO">Here’s Vin Scully re-introducing a fully-open Dodger Stadium:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today's the day we've all been waiting for. Happy <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ReopeningDayLA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ReopeningDayLA</a>. We can't wait to see you. <a href="https://t.co/oWjqhHdHK7">pic.twitter.com/oWjqhHdHK7</a></p>— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/1404833429120716802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2021</a>
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<h3 id="cwFOzv">Game info</h3>
<p id="xI5Umd">Teams: Dodgers (40-26) at Phillies (32-32)</p>
<p id="mhmhlG">Location: Dodger Stadium</p>
<p id="zSYr2H">Time: 7:10 p.m.</p>
<p id="OuMrJW">TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2021/6/15/22535018/dodgers-phillies-game-threadEric Stephen2021-06-15T17:01:39-07:002021-06-15T17:01:39-07:00Bellinger’s stops & starts continue with another IL stint
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<figcaption>Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Bellinger sidelined with left hamstring tightness.</p> <p id="BUwVsO">Cody Bellinger was placed on the 10-day injured list with left hamstring tightness Tuesday, continuing a frustrating season full of stops and starts for the centerfielder and former MVP.</p>
<p id="RVluaG">Bellinger hit and did some running on Tuesday, but was considered day to day until literally minutes before the first pitch against the Phillies.</p>
<p id="XvDGvC">“We’re trying to wait as long as we can to make a decision on the IL,” manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday. “I don’t think there’s much of a cost right now, where we’re at today.”</p>
<p id="mqMpl1">Before Bellinger was placed on the IL, Roberts said would unavailable in any role in Tuesday’s game, and said it was unlikely he’d play Wednesday, with a team off day coming Thursday.</p>
<p id="cMAjME">Bellinger <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2021/6/11/22530490/dodgers-offense-five-home-runs-clayton-kershaw-max-muncy-cody-bellinger-rangers-recap">left Friday night’s game in the fifth inning</a>, after his RBI single gave the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> an 11-0 lead. The injury occurred earlier in the at-bat, when Bellinger tried to get out of the way of a wild pitch by Texas right-hander Brett de Geus.</p>
<p id="RcbPpk">“Cody felt it on a take, the ball in and he felt his hamstring kind of tug. He thought it was a cramp,” Roberts said Friday. “He didn’t feel it trying to stretch a single into a double [in the fourth inning]. The way he was running down the line [in the fifth] didn’t feel great.”</p>
<p id="vSA2bx">On Monday, Roberts said, “We were initially hopeful it was going to be a day or two, but as the days progressed there hasn’t been a whole lot of improvement.”</p>
<p id="43X2ca">What the Dodgers were weighing with Bellinger was the hope of his return in under a week, against the cost of any additional games missed. Teams can backdate an injured list stint up to three days, so should the Dodgers decide to place Bellinger on the IL before Tuesday’s game, it would be the same as if they made the move on Saturday, one day after his injury.</p>
<p id="6EJ9DH">Bellinger is eligible to be activated on June 22, next Tuesday. </p>
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<p id="QCaa2G">By waiting, any future placement of Bellinger on the IL would have meant he’d have to miss the next seven days’ worth of games.</p>
<p id="UHz4MC">Bellinger already <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2021/5/29/22458477/cody-bellinger-activated-dodgers-injured-list-fractured-fibula">missed 46 games this season with a fractured left fibula</a>. Since his return from the injured list, Bellinger started 11 of 12 games in center field. After an 0-for-11 skid with eight strikeouts when he was first activated, Bellinger is 10-for-32 with a home run and four walks, hitting .313/.389/.406.</p>
<p id="Ethh1E">In November, Bellinger <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2020/11/17/21572327/cody-bellinger-injury-shoulder-surgery-dislocation-dodgers-nlcs-home-run">had surgery to repair a shoulder he dislocated</a> during a celebration of his pennant-winning home run in Game 7 of the NLCS. That essentially sidelined him until halfway through spring training. He really only had about two weeks of Cactus League games, then was injured in the fifth game of the regular season.</p>
<p id="CkEiVu">Bellinger said in May that in spending so much time rehabbing his injuries, a lot of it at Camelback Ranch in Arizona, “Honestly, I feel like I haven’t been part of the team this year.”</p>
<p id="1mRTSD">He’s started only 15 of the Dodgers’ 67 games this season (counting Tuesday night’s non-start), including just one stretch of more than three games in a row. Bellinger has been good in center field defensively, but is hitting just .226/.324/.323 overall.</p>
<p id="cDzdkZ">“There’s gotta be some frustration in there,” Roberts said. “I do think that, part of the inconsistencies of spring training, to then coming back, having a five or six-day rehab assignment, to not get on track offensively, has been part of that.”</p>
<p id="IG5m4V">Perhaps the relatively low cost of waiting on Bellinger was related to the options are available in Triple-A. On the 40-man roster, Sheldon Neuse, DJ Peters, and Zach Reks are starting Tuesday night for Oklahoma City. The only other position player on the roster is catcher Keibert Ruiz, who has four home runs in his last five games.</p>
<h3 id="sYFeq7">Bullpen coverage</h3>
<p id="NE1x93">But instead of recalling a position player, the Dodgers instead recalled Mitch White, giving them an extra reliever after heavy bullpen usage the last two days. </p>
<p id="YFBQOZ">When I asked Roberts if the team planned to call up any pitching reinforcements earlier, he said, “Not tonight. I don’t expect it tomorrow.”</p>
<p id="QCqpJx">The team now has 14 pitchers on the active roster, including nine relievers.</p>
<p id="UpZZ2A">Kenley Jansen, Blake Treinen, and Victor Gonzalez all pitched on each of the last two days. That trio pitched on back-to-back days a total of 19 times between them before the last two games. None have pitched on three straight days. In 18 of those instances, they got <em>at least two days of rest</em> after the back-to-back games.</p>
<p id="zj9yvg">Dennis Santana is the only Dodgers pitcher to pitch on three straight days this season, doing so on April 26-28.</p>
<p id="rSpU6Z">Jimmy Nelson and David Price both also pitched on Tuesday, and both have pitched on back-to-back days once each this season. Price pitched on April 15-16, the latter an extra-inning appearance in San Diego. Nelson did so on April 30-May 1, with his second appearance coming in a scramble situation after Dustin May suffered his UCL tear in the second inning in Milwaukee.</p>
<p id="UZTWv8">“We’re going to stay away from Kenley [tonight] certainly, and David,” Roberts said. “But outside of that, we’ll kind of read and react on guys, how they feel after playing catch.”</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2021/6/15/22530891/cody-bellinger-injured-list-left-hamstring-dodgersEric Stephen