2018 Topps Now - #378 - Muncy and Pederson are on a Home Run Tear

This has been a wild month.

Not too long ago fans were ready to thrown in the towel. The Dodgers had gotten off to a terrible start to the season, so doom and gloom prevailed. Now, after slugging their 53rd homer as a team during the month of June last night (tying a club record), we find ourselves right in the thick of a division race. Best yet, Topps decided to commemorate the Dodger power surge by issuing a Topps Now card that makes note of two specific Dodgers' for being the first duo to hit ten or more home runs during the same month in franchise history. They are Max Muncy and Joc Pederson. See the card above and below. Go here to check it out and order.

Blog Kiosk: 6/29/2018 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Kershaw looked liked he hadn't missed a beat. He was fantastic during his first start since going on the DL. Per Alden Gonzalez at ESPN:

"I saw 100 percent from him," Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes said of Kershaw. "I didn't see anything hampering or laboring or anything. I thought he was the Kershaw that I know."

Dave Roberts added more, via Rowan Kavner at Dodger Insider:

“Very positive for us going forward,” said manager Dave Roberts. “Clayton was efficient, got up and down five times, felt the fastball had life (at 92–93 mph), good command. Curveball was sharp and the slider was good. I think that it’s only going to get better.”

Photo above of Kershaw via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2018 at Dodger Insider. Clayton went five innings, striking out six and walking none. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1990 Fernando Valenzuela no-hit the Cardinals, 6-0, at Dodger Stadium.  With 119 pitches he struck out seven and walked three.  Also, on this same night, former Dodgers starter Dave Stewart threw a no-hitter against the Blue Jays; thereby marking the first time in modern Baseball history that two no-hitters were thrown on the same day. In 1995 Hideo Nomo struck out thirteen Rockies to give him a then team record of 50 strike outs in four consecutive starts. In 1996 Mike Piazza hit three home runs against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. He became the fifth Dodger to hit three homers in a game. In 2012 the Dodgers signed amateur free agent Yasiel Puig.
• Happy Birthday, Wilbert "Uncle Robbie" Robinson, Farmer Steelman, Bobby Morgan, Rick Honeycutt & Pedro Guerrero!