Over the course of a 162-game season, there will unquestionably be some very good at-bats and unquestionably some very bad at-bats.

On Tuesday night, 36-year-old Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner had a very good at-bat. It wasn’t a home run or even a double, nor did it even drive in a run. But what it was was an eight-pitch at-bat that ended in a single to left field that moved Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux from first to third. Lux would then score on a ground ball force by Dodgers catcher Will Smith on which Turner was erased at second base. Although Turner’s base hit will forever remain under the radar, it was every bit a good at-bat and contributed to the Dodgers eventual 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

On Wednesday night, 31-year-old Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes had an at-bat that was arguably the worst at-bat of the 2021 season (thus far). It wasn’t a called third strike or a strikeout swinging at a bad pitch. But what it was was a swing at the very first pitch of the at-bat in the bottom of the ninth with no outs and the Dodgers trailing 2-0.

In the bottom of the ninth and down to their final three outs, 32-year-old Dodgers newcomer Steven Souza Jr. (remember that name, folks) – who had collected his first hit as a Dodger in the bottom of the fourth inning – was (painfully) hit on the left arm with a 93.5-MPH sinking fastball by Phillies right-hander Héctor Neris on a 2-1 count to lead off the frame to give the Dodgers a pulse (albeit a slight one) and brought Barnes to the plate representing the tying run, still with no outs. It was abundantly clear – or at least should have been – that Neris was struggling with his control. But for reasons that only he knows (and we never will), the .229-hitting Dodgers catcher swung at the first pitch, grounding into a textbook 4-6-3 double play to break the hearts of the 52,157 on hand at Dodger Stadium and the millions of others watching or listening on TV or radio.

But wait, there’s more.

Following Barnes’ demoralizing at-bat, the very next batter, Dodgers pinch-hitter Will Smith, was (wait for it…) hit by a pitch by Neris, to miraculously once again bring to potential tying run to the plate, this time in the form of perennial All-Star Mookie Betts. Unfortunately, Betts did not pull off the miracle that Dodgers fans were hoping (and praying) for and instead lined out to center field to end the game. But what Betts did not do was swing at Neris’ first pitch (it was his fourth).

If the Barnes at-bat wasn’t the worst AB of the season thus far, it definitely ranks right up there. That being said, the Dodgers are a very proactive/positive re-enforcing bunch and it is difficult – if not impossible – to believe that someone, perhaps Dodgers hitting coaches Brant Brown or Robert Van Scoyoc, Dave Roberts, or one of his veteran teammates, say… like… Justin Turner, Mookie Betts, or future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols didn’t point out to Barnes that his was a less-than-quality at-bat, so there’s that.

Play Ball!

  *  *  *  *  *  *