August 16th, 2019 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka Under the category of ‘Well … at least there’s that,’ the Dodgers made MLB history on Thursday afternoon despite their ugly 13-7 loss to the NL East last-place Miami Marlins at Marlins Park.
This from ESPN Stats & Info on Twitter:
Those four home runs came courtesy of left fielder Kyle Garlick (3), second baseman Max Muncy (29), shortstop Corey Seager (12), and right fielder Cody Bellinger (40).
That’s not a typo. It was Bellinger’s (now) MLB-leading / career-high 40th home run of the 2019 season; a reported 412-foot / three-run shot (which seemed a lot farther) halfway up the second deck in right field in the top of the seventh inning to pull the Dodgers to within six of the Marlins. Unfortunately, it would be as close as they would get.
But wait… there’s more!
In the top of the fourth inning before slugging his 40th home run, the Scottsdale, AZ native and Dodgers fourth-round draft pick out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, AZ – and 2017 National League Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star – stole second base, having reached on a remarkable 11-pitch walk. In addition to it being his team-leading 10th stolen base of the season, it put him in the extremely rare company of only two other Dodgers in franchise history to have at least 40 home runs and at least 10 stolen bases in a single season, joining Hall of Famer Duke Snider (42/16 in 1953) and Shawn Green (49/20 in 2001).
That 49-home run thing by Shawn Green is very significant. As most Dodger fans know, it is the most home runs hit by a Dodger – Brooklyn or Los Angeles – in a single season in the 136-year history of the franchise. In other words, Bellinger has, as of this writing, exactly 39 regular-season games remaining to hit nine home runs to tie Green and 10 to pass him to become the Dodgers new all-time single-season home run leader – a difficult but doable task.
Play Ball!
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Posted in 
It IS difficult but doable, but that’s one HR record the Dodgers have that I’d truly like to see fall. 50 would be a much better number that 49.
The big question is: Is Cody really out of his slump? If yes, we can count on him reaching 50 HR’s.
For me, the determining factor will be the willingness of opposing pitchers to give Belly anything good to hit.
Heading into Friday’s game vs. Atlanta, he already has a career-high 15 IBB’s and countless “unintentional intentional walks,” as the great Vin Scully used to call them.
Ron, it really will depend upon who Roberts puts in the 5th spot in the lineup to ‘protect’ Bellinger. I know Tyler White went on IL but he was not the guy that should have been batting 5th behind Bellinger. So I feel it is very important to put the best possible potential run producer behind Cody or else he simply won’t get any more pitches to hit. If not and I am an opposing pitcher, I walk him every time in certain situations if necessary.