June 25th, 2021 at 1:30 pm 
by Ron Cervenka There is no disputing that Dodger players need an occasional day off – or ‘blow,’ as they are often called. This most certainly includes their veteran (old) guys … say, like, 36-year-old Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner.
But here’s the thing. Turner also just so happens to be the team’s best hitter with a .283 / .379 / .474 / .853 slash line and a team-second-best 12 home runs (behind Max Muncy‘s 14).
But here’s the kicker. The Dodgers just returned home for Thursday night’s three-game series opener against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium, having just been swept by the hard-charging San Diego Padres at Petco Park. And while it is certainly understandable that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wanted to stay away from his third baseman for the entire game, when it got to… say… the fifth or sixth inning and his team was still looking for their first hit, perhaps the seven-year Dodgers skipper should have revisited his earlier decision to sit Turner for the entire game. The Dodgers, of course, went on to be combined no-hit by Cubs right-handers Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, left-hander Andrew Chafin, and right-hander Craig Kimbrel in the eventual 4-0 Dodgers loss.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
“Getting no-hit at home, obviously, frustrating for everyone,” Roberts said postgame. “I just think that, overall, we just didn’t do a good job collectively of executing a game plan. We just didn’t execute a plan tonight, collectively.”
And exactly who is in charge of that “game plan,” Doc (rhetorical)?
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)
Even if for only one pinch-hit at-bat with a runner(s) on base, it is difficult – if not impossible – for Roberts to justify not allowing his best hitter to come to the plate. And to hide behind the excuse that it’s only one of 162, as both Dodgers superstar outfielder Mookie Betts and Roberts did postgame, is a cop-out.
“We play 162 games,” Betts said. “I don’t know of very many teams that are hot for 162 games. So you just go with the wave. That’s pretty much it.”
“You can’t expect all players and teams as a unit to stay hot, absolutely,” Roberts concurred. “I think there’s certain ways how you go about each night attacking a pitcher. I think that we can be more consistent with that, though.”
…and It all starts at the top.
Play Ball!
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Posted in 
These loses are not good, no matter how many hits they get, or don’t get.
Things better start going our way before it’s too late.
Turner should have started at 1st. Pujols has no business starting against righties. Roberts loves all the analytic crap, so why is Pujols starting against a righty?
[…] make a significant player transaction on that date. In fact, they lost 4-0 to the Chicago Cubs on a combined no-hitter. Nonetheless, that loss may have been the defining moment the team needed to break out of their […]
[…] make a significant player transaction on that date. In fact, they lost 4-0 to the Chicago Cubs on a combined no-hitter. Nonetheless, that loss may have been the defining moment the team needed to break out of their […]