Matt Kemp gained some measure of revenge as he belted a go-ahead three-run home run to propel the Padres over the Dodgers last night. Unfortunately, the Dodgers 5-1 loss came at the expense of an brilliant outing by starter Alex Wood - who went seven innings, struck out nine and allowed just one run.
If only the Dodgers offense could put some runs on the board. As it were, they couldn't. The team floundered, and so it seems that their closed door meeting before the game had not yet set in. Per Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider:
“You just got to get back to the fundamentals and trying to play clean, crisp baseball and play every pitch,” Roberts said. “I think that there are signs of that. … Whether we’re winning games or not winning games, I still think there’s a process that needs to be in place, and you just don’t want things to get away from you. So right now, it’s kind of hit the reset button a little bit.”This all strikes me as a minor blip on the road. This team is too good to disappear into oblivion, and I suspect it'll be something we'll remember as an molehill.
Among other issues, Roberts has the sense that Dodger batters are pressing at the plate.
“You know, it’s funny — I think it’s just guys are trying too hard,” he said. “And you hear it all the time when guys aren’t swinging well, that guys want to do it so bad, it’s a little bit, ‘Try a little less hard.’ Because guys just start swinging the bat, and you start coming out of the strike zone.”
Photo above via SportsNet LA on twitter. Below are more links to check out:
- This Day in Dodgers History: In 1940 Dodgers pitcher James 'Tex' Carleton throws a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds. It is the teams ninth straight victory to start the season.