After getting off to a smoking hot 13-2 start to the 2021 season, the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers went into a horrible slump, during which they lost 15 of 20 games. That ugly skid finally came to an end when they knocked off an eight-game winning streak.

If this past weekend’s four-game series against their division-rival San Francisco Giants in which they went 1-3 is any indication, it appears that the (now) 31-22 National League West third-place Dodgers are heading into yet another slump.

For those fond of saying “It’s still early,” I have some disappointing news for you: No, it is not still early. A loss in April and May carries exactly the same weight as a loss in September and October and can never be made up.

But as is always the case, every dark cloud has a silver lining, and in this case two silver linings – 30-year old Dodgers utility infielder Max Muncy and 41-year-old future Hall of Fame first baseman Albert Pujols.

In the bottom of the eighth inning and trailing The Hated Ones by a score of 5-1 on Sunday, Muncy crushed a 421-foot solo home run to right/center field at a (COVID-19) sold-out Dodger Stadium to make it a 5-2 ballgame. It was the Midland, TX native’s 100th career home run.

“It’s pretty special; it’s a pretty cool number,” Muncy said of his milestone 100th career home run. “It’s a lot of home runs in the big leagues, something I never thought I’d get to, especially with how my career started. For me, it means a lot. But I’d have rather had the victory today.”

Asked if he was able to get his trophy-case-worthy home run ball back, the normally expressionless Dodger slugger broke into a grin and shared this with reporters:

“Yes, I did,” Muncy answered. “I’m not sure who caught it, but the next inning when I came in, a couple of the equipment staff came up and said that they got the ball. All the guy wanted was an autograph, so I ‘graphed the guy one. That was awesome to be able to get back, it definitely puts a big smile on my face. So, to whoever that was, thank you very much.”

One inning later, in the bottom of the ninth, Pujols, who currently sits fifth on MLB’s all-time home run list, hit the 670th home run of his Hall of Fame career – a two-run/394-foot blast into the Dodgers bullpen in left field.

Pujols has appeared in 12 games as a Dodger since being signed as a free agent on May 17. He has homered in three of them. If you were to add the five that he hit with the Angels of Anaheim this season before being unceremoniously released by them, his combined eight home runs would rank him third on the team behind Muncy’s (now) 13 and Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner‘s nine.

Thanks for the silver linings, guys!

Play Ball!

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