September 13th, 2022 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka When 27-year-old Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger struck out in the top of the third inning on Monday night at Chase Field, it didn’t really come as a surprise to Dodgers fans. It was the Scottsdale, AZ native’s 135th strike out of the season, second-most on the team behind only Chris Taylor‘s 141.
But for those who have refused to give up on the two-time All-Star, 2017 National League Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner, and 2019 National League MVP despite his struggles this season, it was no surprise that he hit a huge two-run double into the gap in left-center field at Chase Field in the top of the seventh inning to give the Dodgers a (then) 3-0 lead in their eventual 6-0 shutout win over the NL West fourth-place Arizona Diamondbacks. It was Bellinger’s fourth hit in his last two games.
(SportsNet LA)
“It’s a good time to heat up,” Bellinger told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson postgame. “Really, the only time that matters is coming up. Just continue to play really good baseball leading up to it, and yeah, definitely feeling good.”
“I think there’s some confidence starting to brew, I think he’s really competing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Bellinger’s last two games. “Yesterday, to kind of get that last infield hit to kind of have a two-hit day, and today, I thought he swung the bat well, really good compete. So, I think we’re on the right track right now.”
The right track at exactly the right time – “…the only time that matters.”
And then there’s that Mookie Betts fellow.
With runners on first and second in the top of the ninth inning, the 29-year-old perennial All-Star and 2018 AL MVP clubbed his team-leading (and career-high) 34th home run of the season, a 397-foot blast to left field, to seal the Dodgers 6-0 win.
(SportsNet LA)
With the victory, the Dodgers are now one win away from clenching their ninth National League West Division title in the last 10 seasons. They also have future Hall of Fame left-hander Clayton Kershaw going for them on Tuesday evening against the Snakes.
Put that Champagne on ice now!
Play Ball!
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@Dodgers I’m as staunch a Bellinger supporter as there is, so it’s great to see him with a little success a couple nights in a row. Hopefully this momentum carries through the rest of the season and into the playoffs. He’s such an important piece for this team.
With Belli back, LA is unstoppable.
He is already among the best defensive CF in all of MLB, now to just get him consistently hitting
From what I was told, Joe and Orel (or Joe and Nomar – I don’t know, because I mute the TV and listen to Rick Monday on the radio broadcast), they said that regardless of Bellinger’s offensive struggles, he would be on the postseason roster because of his tremendous defense.
If he is indeed back with the bat, LOOK OUT!!!
blind squirrels may find the occasional nut but ultimately they do not survive much less thrive.
although i would love to be wrong, i believe that Jesse’s piece yesterday is much more realistic.
I truly hope that I am wrong about Cody and all of his fans can give me their collective raspberries after the Dodgers win the World Series. But a word of caution, Cody has teased us in the past only to be disappointed when he goes back into the abyss of either striking out or hitting directly into the shifts. Anyone remember last April/ May when “Cody is back” turned to same-old, same-old from June until September? Remember who Cody was hitting against for his last 4 hits — I want to see him put together a string of quality at-bats against front line pitching before I am ready to jump on his bandwagon — fool me again, shame on me.
Cody needs just look at how he was swinging the bat from 2017-2019 he went to left center or dead center Do the batting coaches show him. He is the only player, I see to not swing level,when he pulls the ball its really not good for him
I don’t know Bellinger, but my impression from watching him struggle with mechanics and approach is that he is stubborn to a fault, hurting himself and team offensively. Compare him to how Gavin Lux has embraced the Freddie Freeman approach — night and day difference. I think Cody will be playing elsewhere in 2023 — perhaps he will adjust with a huge pay day awaiting him in 2024 as motivation.
Would very much like to see Bellinger back but I don’t see it happening, he will make the Dodgers playoff roster, but I see the same Bellinger as we have seen all this season. He will play great defense but will show very little offense, bat him 9th and lets all pray.
it would be a very poor business decision to bring him back.
arbitration will get him upwards of $20M while free agency will draw offers of $3-5 i suspect. (based on the money kyle and joc received last year and the MA Taylor contract) i keep comparing him the Micheal Taylor but that’s not really fair to Taylor; with 84 more ABs, cody has 41 more Ks.
There is one scenario for Bellinger to return — but it is something from the Twilight Zone.
The Dodgers tell Boras and Bellinger that the team would like to have him back on an incentive laden contract that would give him the opportunity to build his stats for 2024 free agency. The team then non-tenders Cody, making him a free agent that allows Boras to market him to the other MLB teams. If some team wants to give a large, guaranteed contract then well wishes from the Dodgers as he goes elsewhere. But, if the offers are low ball then a one year Dodgers incentive deal might work out. I think these is a huge long shot, with the Dodgers perhaps preferring to sign free agent Gallo to a two year, incentive heavy contract. It will be an interesting Hot Stove season for the Dodgers with so many free agents.
i cant see signing either of them.
if it’s WS or bust, james outman should be on this roster right now.
it’s ridiculous that he isnt getting a shot at this post season.
while it’s easy to lament how they were cheated in the 2017 WS, it’s hard to overlook that cody struck out SEVENTEEN times.
even his MVP year wasnt a great year, it was a great start.
that quality has been proven to be the outlier not this slump
in the months of 2019 he hit
march .500 (4 games)
april .416
may .319
june .272
july .265
aug .235
sept .280
as for the rest of the FA’s, the right handed infielder i suggested last winter as a stop gap (turned out to be hanser) has been a joyous, if low producing, addition this year but it’s time to promote or cut bait on vargas, amaya and/or busch.
trea is my absolute favorite five tool player in the game today but Lux is ready so from a business model, it’s time to move on. unless he wants to move back to CF on a deal like freddie’s but he’s going to get corey money somewhere and he should. if our OF is betts, taylor, thompson and outman, i feel pretty good going forward. thompson may or may not be sustainable but he’s 1/10 the money. the pitching staff has 8 arb cases and 4 FAs i might like to retain so that money matters.