Dodgers Blue Heaven: 2020 Topps Now - Lux's Multi-Homer Evening

Wednesday, September 09, 2020

2020 Topps Now - Lux's Multi-Homer Evening - #232

Is this the turning point to Gavin's season?

Lux has had a poor start to 2020 -- first, not making the teams roster and batting below the Mendoza Line when he finally came up to Los Angeles. But last night he put up the kind an results that can lead to something good.

Prior to yesterdays game he was slashing a woeful .148/.258/.222/.480 in just eight games played. Now, after last nights three hit effort he is slashing a much improved .219/.324/.469/.793 while also walloping his first two homers of the season. And those two home runs were the difference in the Dodgers 10-9 extra inning victory over the Diamondbacks. Per Ken Gurnick at MLB,com:

Roberts said Lux is playing “much more like himself, much more free and easy.”

Hopefully, him settling down will lead to the kind of streak we saw him record in the minors just one year ago -- slashing an impressive .347/.421/.607/1.028 in the high minors.

BTW, Lux's two bombs made him the youngest Dodger in its history to have a multi-homer game as a second baseman since 1901. In honor of this Topps created his first 2020 Topps Now card to memorialize it. Check out the card above and to the right. Go here to check it out and order. Below is what's written on the reverse:

Gavin was an absolute force at the plate on Tuesday -- crushing home runs in the second and 1-th innings as the Dodgers battled the Diamondbacks in a 10-9, extra-inning win. Lux became the youngest Dodgers second baseman to register a multi-homer game since 1901. Also, this was the first multi-homer game of his Major League career.

Additionally, I've been rather remiss when it comes to posting on this blog, and as a result I missed a couple of Dodgers' Topps Now cads from over the past week. Check those out below. There's one of Clayton Kershaw and another of Mookie Betts with catcher Will Smith.

This Kershaw card, #208, celebrates Clayton recording his 2,500 career strike out. A total of 938 cards were ordered. Below is what's written on the reverse:

Clayton became the 39th member of the 2,500-strikeout club during Thursday night's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. After collecting two whiffs in the opening frame, the 32-year-old struck out Nick Ahmed on a wicked 0-2 curveball to reach the historic mark. Kershaw is the third youngster pitcher to join the club and just the eleventh left-hander. He finished the night with wight strike outs over six innings, improving his record to 5-1 with the 5-1 victory.

This next card celebrates the Dodgers surprising come-from-behind walk-off victory over the Diamond backs earlier this month. It features that evenings heroes -- Mookie Betts and Will Smith. A total 509 cards were created. Below is what's written on the reverse.

Down, 1-0, in the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers were looking for someone to come through in the clutch. Luckily, there were a couple of players in the lineup who were capable of the job. Mookie launched a solo home run to deep center foeld off Diamondbacks reliever Kevin Ginkel to send the game into extra innings. Then after D-Backs scored a run in the opt of the 10th, and a Chris Taylor sacrifice bunt re-tied the game in the bottom of the frame, catcher, Will Smith cracked an RBI single to give Los Angeles the 3-2 walk-off victory.