In honor of breaking the Dodgers franchise record for career saves the Dodgers and former star closer Eric Gagne came out before the start of yesterdays game to present Kenley Jansen with various mementos celebrating the accomplishment. Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:
"You guys have the greatest closer in Dodger history right here," Gagne said.
As for the evenings game, it was all about the resurgence of Yasmani Grandal. He hit a thrilling eight inning three-run home run to help extend the Dodgers current winning streak to five games. They defeated the Nationals, 3-2. Per Jamal Collier and Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:"It's a grind for Yazzy," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "He's doing a great job behind the plate and that's priority No. 1. Offensively, he's been squaring a lot of balls up but maybe right at guys and he's getting frustrated. You know a few days ago he had that big at-bat, the walk-off walk, so to win it again today for us in fine fashion, that was fun."
Hopefully the past few days is a sign that he is ready to get out of his funk. Via Doug Padilla at ESPN:"I've been hitting the ball pretty hard the past couple of weeks," Grandal said. "I feel like this whole month I have been hitting the ball well, I just haven't been getting it in the air. This game is about inches or angles.The photos above via Juan Ocampo & Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016. Go here to check out more pics by them from yesterdays game. Below are more links to check out:
"When I look up and I hit a ball hard over 100 mph, for me that's what I'm trying to do. So far, I feel like I have been doing a pretty job of that and I look forward to keep doing that. Obviously, hits will start to fall at some point. I was just happy to get the ball in the air and put us ahead."
- This Day in Dodger History: In 1959 Sandy Koufax struck out 16 Phillies batters to set a new record for strikeouts in a night game.
- Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider; "Farm Fresh: Top pick Gavin Lux makes debut."
Newly signed Dodger first-round pick Gavin Lux has reported to Camelback Ranch, where he will play in the Arizona Fall League, as several members of the 2016 draft class got into their first action as pros Monday.
In his debut, Lux batted leadoff and went 0 for 2 with a walk and two runs in the AZL Dodgers’ 8-7 victory over their White Sox counterparts. Brandon Montgomery, a 20-year-old taken in the 26th round from San Jacinto Junior College, succeeded Lux at shortstop, and walked and tripled.
Seventh-round pick Luke Raley, a 21-year-old outfielder from Lake Erie College, had three singles and a run batting cleanup.
- Panini America provides more preview pics of their Immaculate Baseball card set; including the Corey Seager card on the right. Go here to check out more pics. BTW, this product officially releases in late August.
- Via Jeff Sullivan at FanGraphs; "Where Adrian Gonzalez’s Power Went." AGone has basically turned into a groundball machine.
- Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider; "Roberts will study Puig’s mechanics in his return."
“For me, I want to see consistent quality at-bats from him, regardless of the results, because I believe with his skill set, if he’s putting up good at-bats and squaring the baseball up, he’ll get hits and drive runs in,” Roberts said. “It could be a week, it could be two weeks, it could be three weeks. It could be four games. Whatever the number, for me it’s just the day-to-day, watching him and evaluating him.”
- Via Doug Padilla at ESPN; "Dodgers extend Julio Urias' stay by one more start."
The 19-year-old, who is scheduled to pitch Wednesday against the Washington Nationals and then have his status reevaluated, is getting at least one more start in the big leagues.
"He's going to keep going," manager Dave Roberts said. "I think he's earned the right to keep going, and we're looking forward to that start tomorrow, and we'll make the next one after that."
- Are we really looking to sign him? Via JP Hoornstra at Inside the Dodgers; "Source: free agent infielder Yulieski Gurriel works out at Dodger Stadium." This recently declared free agent has a monster bat. Learn more about Gurriel in this fantastic post by Mark Polishuk at MLB Trade Rumors.
- Matt Flaten at Heartbreaking Cards of Staggering Genius recently visited the Ty Cobb museum in Georgia and shares a bunch of pics.
- I love reading this kind of stuff from old time ballplayers. Via Baseball History Daily, he shares a bunch of quotes from Hall of Fame infielder Johnny Evers on the difficulties of playing third base. (Link Here)
“Right now it strikes me that there is more luck in playing third base. You get them or you don’t. I mean by that the hot shots. When one of those line drives or swift bounders comes at you the isn’t time to play the ball. You leap and knock the ball down if you can. If it isn’t right at you it is past you so quickly that you can’t get a square crack at it.”
“Playing the third base is pretty much of a gamble. If the ball happens to be hit right at you then you get it. Otherwise, there is nothing doing.”
Ironically enough, after I read the above article I then saw this story by Liz Roscher at Big League Stew about Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez being unable to find a batted ball in his own glove. This just proves that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
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