Blog Kiosk: 6/23/2016 - Dodgers Links - Six Wins in a Row!

What's happening?!

All of the sudden the Dodgers are getting all the breaks.

It started innocently enough when in the first inning Chase Utley scored his 1,000th career run on a wild pitch to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.  Via Jack Baer at MLB.com:

"It's a cool accomplishment. I've been fortunate to be on a lot of good teams. They could swing the bat, constantly driving guys in. It's really more of a team accomplishment than an individual accomplishment."

Then, with the game tied at two in the top of the fifth inning, a game of pickle inside of a circus suddenly showed up on the field.  Nationals pitcher Joe Ross hit a high pop fly to the first base side that saw three Dodgers fielders converge towards the right field stands.  Utley got to the ball first, but was only able to haphazardly swipe at it with his glove.  Fortunately, he deflected it towards a charging Adrian Gonzalez.  It bounced off AGone's leg, barely missing the grasp of his left hand and fell towards the ground between his feet.  Then, with the reflexes of a jaguar, Adrian grabbed the ball with his glove just inches before bouncing on the dirt.  Wow!  Go here to watch a video of the catch.

Remarkable, eh?   Obviously the Baseball gods were not going to let the Dodgers lose this game.  With them down by a run in the ninth and the tying run on first base, Yasiel Puig hit a sharp ground ball through the middle that was misplayed by the centerfielder.  This crucial error resulted in a Little League-styled inside-the-park walk-off home run victory.  Watch it here.  You can listen to Puig talk about the bizarre ending here.  Via Doug Padilla at ESPN:

"I was ready for the hit, and nobody thought that the ball would go through," Puig said through an interpreter. "So when I did see the ball go through, I had to talk to my hamstring so I can figure out how far I could go on the bases."

All the photos above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016.  Go here to check out more pics by Jon from yesterdays game.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodger History: In 1930 the Dodgers record twelve consecutive hits against the Pirates during the sixth and seventh innings.  This includes two home runs being hit by Babe Herman. In 1956 Don Zimmer is hit in the face with a pitch; breaking his cheekbone.
• Via Doug Padilla at ESPN; "Julio Urias' steady rise has Dodgers excited for his future."
  

  “What he has done for me, and I think I can speak for others, is that it hasn’t surprised us at all,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Really, the stuff he has, the way he has carried himself, the way he has feel for pitching and handles the bat, handles the running game. If he executes pitches with his mix then he should get guys out.”

• The Dodgers have signed their fifth round draft pick Devin Smeltzer, via a tweet by ICON Sports.  The Dodgers also signed 11th round draft pick AJ Alexy, via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA.
• VIDEO: Watch Vic The Brick presents Justin Turner with a "Red Samurai" tee. (Link Here)
• Via Randy Holt at RotoGraphs; "Justin Turner’s Battle with BABIP."
• Via Claire Smith at ESPN; "Bryce Harper visits Vin Scully in booth before Nats-Dodgers finale."

(pic via Claire Smith on twitter)

Scully told Harper on his favorite player growing up -- Mel Ott ("512 home runs," Scully said matter-of-factly). The Ford C. Frick Award winner related how, as a youngster who had once dreamed of playing pro ball, he'd imitated Ott's batting stance , specifically the famed leg kick. And as he spoke, up went the leg, as Harper stood laughing. Scully, laughing, too, lamented that as much as he tried, something somehow got lost in translation between the hands and the bat swing and it was then he knew he was not destined to be the next Ott.

But, Scully told Harper, imagine nowadays, how many countless children stand in front of mirrors pretending to be ... Bryce Harper. The Nationals star beamed.

(Pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers)

• Via Ryan Walton at True Blue LA; "Vin Scully picks up foul ball in the booth, tosses it to lucky fans."  There's a video included.

Scully narrated the video of himself in the act as he dropped the ball to the lucky fans below his booth.

"There you go," Scully said. "Now to find it, pick it up and look for a child. I couldn't find one so I just dropped it down."

• Bob D'Angelo at Sports Collectors Daily tells us a bit about the 'Boardwalk and Baseball" theme park that once existed in Florida and a companion Baseball card set they put out. 

 

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