Let’s be brutally honest here – Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel has not lived up to the expectations and reputation for which the Dodgers are paying him $16 million for the 2022 season.

Let’s be brutally honest here – Dodgers outfielder Trayce Thompson has far exceeded the expectations for which the Dodgers are paying him the MLB minimum salary of $700,000.

Thompson, who was acquired by the Dodgers on June 20, 2022 from the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations, was added to the Dodgers 40-man roster to fill the vacancy created when Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler was placed on the 60-day injured list for a right flexor strain. Since his acquisition, the Los Angeles, CA native and second-round draft pick in 2009 by the Chicago White Sox out of Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA is slashing .295 / .383 / .513 / .895, with six doubles, one triple, three home runs, and 15 RBI.

On Friday night, Kimbrel entered the game in the bottom of the ninth with his team up 5-2 over the National League West last place Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. After retiring Rockies designated hitter Charlie Blackmon on a ground out to Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, Kimbrel gave up a single to Rockies left fielder Kris Bryant. He then struck out Rockies first baseman C.J. Cron and it looked as though the Dodgers third consecutive win was in the bag.

…and then the wheels came off for Kimbrel, who has been anything but stellar as the Dodgers closer since his acquisition from the Chicago White Sox on April 1, 2022 in exchange for outfielder AJ Pollock.

Although Kimbrel entered the game with 17 saves and only one blown save with the Dodgers this season, he is 3-4 with an un-closer-like 3.97 ERA. He has also walked 14 – including one on Friday night – while striking out 49 – including one on Friday night.

After striking out Cron for the second out of the inning, Kimbrel gave up a another single to Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers, walked shortstop José Iglesias on a 3-2 count, and gave up a two-run single to Rockies center fielder Randal Grichuk to make it a 5-4 ballgame, with the tying run on second base (after the unsuccessful throw home) and Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon stepping to the plate representing the winning run.

On a 3-2 count and on his 29th pitch of the inning (of which 17 were strikes), McMahon hit a slicing foul flyball down the left field line. On an absolute dead run from left-center field, Thompson made a spectacular running catch in foul territory for the final out of the inning and the game.

“That was a play we needed,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame. “That was going to be Craig’s last hitter, so we needed every bit of that.”

As for Thompson, he was rather humble when asked about his outstanding game-ending catch.

“I don’t know if it was just because it was at the end of the game or whatever, but I didn’t feel fast running for it,” Thompson told reporters after the game. “I feel like in the moment, you don’t really hear the noise or anything like that. You’re just trying to make the play, and lucky for us, we came out on the right side of it.”

In addition to his highlight-reel game-ending catch, Thompson also went 2-for-5 at the plate, including his fourth home run since joining the team – a 430-foot two-run blast to left-center field in the top of the second inning to give the Dodgers their third and fourth runs of the night.

Thompson added a single in the top of the fifth inning that was initially ruled a 5-3 ground out but was overturned when the Dodgers challenged the call.

“It sounds redundant, but Trayce has been a huge addition to our ballclub defensively, which we see every night, and I’ve given him some tough matchups [at the plate],” said Roberts. “But he’s still productive against right-handed pitching. Certainly, losing Justin [Turner] and C.T. [Chris Taylor] and having some guys not being consistent with the bat, having Trayce be there and perform has been a big lift to our lineup.”

Getting back to that brutally honesty thing, Roberts is going to have a tough time keeping Thompson out of his (almost) everyday lineup when Justin Turner and Chris Taylor return from the IL.

Play Ball!

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