Friday night’s 9-5 Dodgers win over the Angels of Anaheim at Dodger Stadium will best be remembered as the third-to-the-last game of the COVID-10-shortened 60-game regular season. It will also be remembered as the game in which the Dodgers hit a combined five home runs, including two by Dodgers veteran third baseman Justin Turner.

“I don’t usually double my home run total in September,” Turner would later kid with reporters about his (now) four-home-run season.

But one of Friday night’s round-trippers was rather unique and (probably) caught the eye of only the savviest of Dodger fans. It was the (eventual) game-winning two-run home run hit by Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who was the designated hitter for this game.

During Smith’s fifth-inning at-bat, the 25-year-old Louisville, KY native and Dodgers first-round draft pick in 2016 out of the University of Louisville saw eight pitches from Angels right-hander Matt Andriese, fouling off four of them. On the ninth pitch, an 86.9-mph change-up on a 2-2 count, Smith sent it over the fence and into the Dodgers bullpen in left field for his seventh home run of the season.

“It was a good at-bat all the way around, the battling,” Smith told SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo. “Just trying to get a pitch I could hit to the outfield or drive; good swing on a change-up that came in the zone. You just kind of battle until you get your pitch.”

Ironically, and as if by premonition, prior to Friday’s game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked (by Rizzo) about keeping Smith’s suddenly-red-hot bat in his everyday lineup for the remainder of the regular season and into the postseason; this because Dodgers ace and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw was going to be on the mound. It’s no secret that the eight-time All-Star and three-time National League Cy Young award winner prefers pitching to 30-year-old Dodgers back-up catcher Austin Barnes over Smith, despite Smith’s (now) .290 batting average compared to Barnes’ (now) .250 batting average, and the fact that Smith has (now) slugged seven home runs and Barnes only one. Smith has also thrown out five would-be base stealers compared to Barnes’ four; hence, the question.

“He’s really turned into a complete player and he’s only going to get better as he continues to learn,” Roberts answered. “But I think that for us to have him, as we finish out this season and going into the postseason, just to continue to take regular at-bats.

“So I think that there’s a scenario where I could see him being the DH for a game or two in the postseason. Obviously, we have confidence in Austin as a ballplayer as well; so just to kind of – number one – get him those at-bats leading up to the postseason, also, just to try to get him more acclimated to that role if it does happen at some… certain times.”

It’s not much of a reach to figure out that those “certain times” will be whenever Kershaw is on the mound.

… .290 batting average, seven home runs, and five caught-stealings notwithstanding.

Play Ball!

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