And now your host of Dodger Talk, David Vasse.
Welcome the Dodger Talk David Fassey live from Dodgers Stadium until eleven o'clock. We are taking your phone calls at eight six six nine, eight seven two five seventy. Jose Moto will check in. You'll hear from Freddie Freeman. But tonight was about the Dodgers improving to seven and oh, and it was about Dustin May a successful return to the man for the first time since twenty twenty three. The Dodgers are seven and oh to begin the season.
That is new.
That is a new record to start the season for any LA Dodger team. The eighty one Dodgers begin their season six and oh. These Dodgers are now seven and oh. The best start to any season for a Dodger franchise team was the nineteen fifty five Dodgers, who began that season ten and oh. And if you want more context to what the Dodgers are doing, only the nineteen thirty three World champion Yankees started the season seven to zero
as a defending champion. So not only did the Dodgers win the World Series last year, they have continued to play with edge and urgency and have played like they did not win.
The World Series last year.
They want more and that's the most encouraging part of the start to this season. Not to mention, guys are playing really well even with or without Freddie Freeman on certain nights to start this year, even without Mookie Bets on certain nights to start the season. Freddie was not in the starting lineup for a second straight night, but you'll hear from him he's encouraged about how his right ankle is re cooper rating from that shower fall on
Sunday morning. Mookie Bets, by the way, big game for him, especially in the sixth inning when he hit that go ahead two run home run off of Chris Sale, making up for the air that he made earlier in the game to allow the Braves to score their first and only run of the game. You know, Mookie Bets was feeling good, and you know Mookie Bets felt redemption as he was rounding the bases after that go ahead two run home run off his former teammate Chris Sale in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Nookie, You've had three home runs on this season. All three of them have been go ahead home runs. When you think about that on that against Chris Sale, he was cruising to this one. How did you get to him?
I was just ready to hit him. Mean, he was throning a lot of strikes and you know, I mean he's bitching really well. I mean, there was nothing else I can really do but be ready to swing.
Yes, close game.
When you think about just earlier in the game, the defensive mishap to come back to get that go ahead home run, did it make it feel any sweeter for you?
Yeah?
It was huge.
I mean I'm still beating myself self up about that because that's just that can't happen. And so I'm glad I was able to make up for it. But you better believe I'll be working on that same late tomorrow.
This game was also about Dustin May making his return to the mountain. When you saw what he was able to do, his efficiency, what stood out about his.
Performance to you, I mean everything, I mean, he was he was in the zone, got himself out of trouble a couple of times. He really just did a great job, and especial with this his first time pitching, and so long. You know, he there were some emotions out there and you felt it, and I'm just glad to pitch.
Well, you guys are continuing to be undefeated seven and zero on this season. That ties a record for most wins just coming off of winning the World Series. The tone you guys have set this early in the season doesn't say about this for.
You know, I don't.
I think it's more just the culture we created here. You know, it's a winning culture. And you know, we looked up we're seven and zero, but I mean, nobody here really cares. You know, We're just focused on the game tomorrow and we're got a final way to win tomorrow, and you know the record will be the record. You know, well, we're not gonna worry about that.
Congratulations on this one tonight, bookie.
Thank you.
Mookie Betts with Kirsten Watson on sports Net LA after he comes up with the big hit and redemption in the bottom of the sixth inning off of Chris Sale with a two run home run off his former teammate to give the Dodgers a two.
To one lead, and then Tommy Edmond and.
Will Smith teamed up for the third run in that inning that came off a reliever Pierce Johnson. Edmund got on base and then stole second, and the Braves rookie catcher Drake Baldwin threw it into center field. Edmund got to third and scored with the infield drawn in will Smith hitting one past the drawn in Ozzy Albis to give Will Smith a nine game hitting street going back to last season, and now Smith is four for five
with runners in scoring position. Quite honestly, Will Smith probably has the best job on this Dodger team because not only is he hitting in and big and being a big part of the best offense in baseball, but he also has a front row seat catching the best pitching staff in baseball, including tonight with Dustin May coming back and pitching in a Major league stadium for the first time since May seventeenth of twenty twenty three. And what a start for Dustin May tonight, striking out the Braves
in order to begin his comeback. He struck out Michael Harris looking, Austin Riley swinging, and Matt Olsen looking to get those first three huge threats of the Braves and skipped off then. And I'm sure I had a prayer or just something to himself to say thank you for allowing me to be here, because he was facing the dugout wall and I'm sure he was saying some sort of prayer of thanks no matter what you believe in.
He was saying thank you to somebody. Let's head downstairs right now to the Dodger Clubhouse to hear from the big ginger.
Well.
To start off, they started with the wrong walkout song, so that kind of pissed me off to start the game.
But it's okay.
It ended up being a good start, so I can't complain it. But there was definitely a lot of emotions that got let out after the first hitter and the first thing. Definitely, like I said, after my first outing in spring training, it was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. It was just super super great to be.
Back out there just seeing how your stuff played. Though. Just how rewarding was it to see all the hard work that you have been doing to make sure you're in a good spot and didn't see it really playing out.
The world.
Knowing that my stuff still plays, I mean, I thought I could strike a lot of guys out of my bullpens that I've been throwing, because I've thrown a lot of them, but it was good to see actually get big lea kidders out in the big league game.
If they've been theory and hoop.
He would that big. Yeah, I mean it was huge. I mean, we're we're never out of it. I mean, especially with the hitters that we got. I mean, we can go score ten runs and one anything. I mean, we're very very talently team. We're gonna have to wait for the next one.
I guess it looked like it was just fun out there for yeah.
I mean even if it would have went bad, I mean I still would have been having a good time just being being back on the Big league mount. I mean it literally meant the world to me just to be back out on the mount, because about eight months ago.
I didn't know if I would be all right.
There's Dustin May, who had a good sense of humor about himself. Obviously, he told us during spring training that he has a different outlook on life after what took place last year with choking on salad on a piece of lettuce where he had you know, obviously the lettuce did not cause his esophagus to tear. It was something that was I'm sure happening, but man, that changed his outlook on life, and he's worried about his his warm up song.
That's pretty funny.
But whatever it was, I guess it worked against the Braves because he struck him out in order to start the game and pitch five scoreless innings tonight with six strikeouts and certainly proved that he belongs here still after not pitching since May of twenty twenty three. Eight six six nine, eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to Colin and Costa Mesa. You're on Dodger Talk Live from Dodger Stadium.
Hey DV, thanks for having me on. I just wanted to say I went to the game tonight. I had no expectations. I was just happy to be there. Stressed out after the playoff last year, and these guys are working so hard. I can't believe it to see Dustin come back. It's so inspiring to watch his team every night. And I want to say that I hope we can get Freddie a flat shower bed.
In his guest room.
Yeah, hopefully he gets that, but he told us that he will not be showering there again, and we're gonna take a time out here on Dodger Talk. When we come back, you'll hear from Freddie Freeman. We'll also chick in with Jose Mota. After the Dodgers defeat the Braves three to one and remain undefeated seven and zero on the season. The Dodgers and Brave Dodgers and Padres are the only two remaining undefeated teams, and they happen to be in the same division. Should be a fun season.
It's off to a great start for the Dodgers after a three to one win over the Braves on five seventy LA Sports.
Dodger Talk is available on AM five seventy LA sports dot com, hand on the iHeartRadio app. Back to more Dodger Talk with Dodger insider David Basse.
The one to one pitch, Mookie fla ball left.
Field, going back toward the wall.
It is.
Oh did do?
Mookie pumps his this twice as he hits third base and gives the Dodgers a lead.
You know, Mookie wanted to redeem himself after an embarrassing error early in the game to allow the Braves to score the first run of the game. That would be the only run Atlanta score tonight. As the Dodgers go on to beat the Braves three to one and improve their record to seven to oh while handing the Braves their six straight loss to begin the season. Atlanta is all and six. Daniels Jewelers presents the home run Forecast.
Go to AM five to seventy lasports dot com and use the keyword home run for your chance to win a fifty dollars Daniels Jewelers gift card predicting the number of home runs in the next game. Daniels Jewelers own the Dream. Eight six, six, nine, eight, seven two five seventy is the phone number with the seven and oh start. The Dodgers this season have set a new best to
begin a year with a seven and oh record. They are chasing the nineteen fifty five Dodgers for the best start to a season The Boys of Summers started that year ten and oh. The Dodgers win again against Freddy
Freeman's former team without Freddy Freeman. And if you remember last night, I was a little curious about the story Dave Roberts was telling yesterday because he said Freddie Freeman slipped and fell in his shower on Saturday night, and that didn't really add up, considering the Dodgers played on Saturday night. You're telling me that Freddie Freeman took two showers.
Well earlier today, Freddie Freeman was out on the field doing his normal pregame routine and came over and spoke to a few of us to kind of take us through the sequence of events that led to him reaggravating his right surgically repaired ankle.
Chelsea drove me to the field Sunday morning and then I was able to drive home, so big, that was a big progress, big relief. Really, I've had an X ray. There's no little chips or anything like that. But I literally stepped in with my right foot and it slid and I went down, which is a glass door, So it could have been so much worse, you know, I could have hit my head or something like that. So I'm very thankful that it was just a little misshalf
of my ankle. So I'm feeling good today and did this. I'm gonna go hit and if hitting goes well, I'll come out here and run a few Sprintston just trying to check out the boxes, trying to check out.
So Freddie went into the shower at about ten fifteen on Sunday morning. That's when he slipped and fell in his bathtub slash shower. He was telling us there were some plumbing issues in his master bedrooms, so he went to go use a different shower that he normally doesn't use, and he slipped and fell, and that's where he had some issues, and he had his wife, as you heard him say, Chelsea, drive him to Dodgers Stadium. He had three hours of treatment and then was able to drive
back home. And that's a huge relief for Freddy and the Dodgers that there were no bone chip fragments shown in the X ray, So that's great news. It's great news that he was trying to hit today. He's going to try to force the Dodger's hand to let him play tomorrow. The chances of him playing tomorrow are not very high. The Dodgers are going to play a caution and see how things go in Philadelphia where rain is
in the forecast on Friday night. So we'll see how that plays into the Dodgers' decision, especially after Freddie having to fly across country on the travel day Thursday.
But Freddy did have.
A good sense of humor about all this, which tells me things are not that serious, and he feels pretty good about where his right ankle is and it wasn't a huge setback. Here's what Freddy had to say about how things have been going for that right ankle since the beginning of the season.
I've been actually feeling really good. I have not felt my rib at all, which is that's the most kind of the frustrating part. I was actually feeling really good with all my injuries. I got sick, the sickness was doing good too, so I was I was so close, you know, really hard to get in these regular season games right now. But I'm feeling much better today, so hopefully. I mean, they're gonna, I know them, they'll probably push me to play Friday, just because of the flying across country.
It's gonna be cold and filled. There's a lot of variables that we're gonna have to deal with in the East Coast as well. So I think they all know my plan. They're actually okay with me if everything goes well to playing tomorrow. But you know, I'm gonna get to push back a little bit. I'm sure tomorrow, but I feel good enough so far. The hitting is a big one because it's more of when I get my stance. I don't want to be on my back side. I want to be able to go into my front leg
a little bit so which causes a little dorseyflection. So if that goes well, which I'm about to go try and do now, then I really do believe I'll can potentially get back out there tomorrow.
So you feel like you haven't set yourself back.
I don't think so. No. I mean the way how it's responded to the treatment, I think it was just, you know, I just kind of just irritated everything again. So Bernard's been working real hard again trying to get me back. So we we were down to like a fifty minute treatment before the games, and we're back up to three hours again. So I don't feel bad for Bernard, but he's got me into a good spot. You know, yesterday was just a full shutdown to try and do
what I was doing today yesterday. But then Thomas and Doc they're like, let's just give you a day. So I'm feeling much better, so I'm going to try and do all.
That's it even more frustrated that you're not able to play in this particular series.
Obviously, I would love to be I want to be in every game. I think that we all know that. But thankfully, you know, it kind of works. We got a lot of guys and we're getting rotating at bass Hey case just coming back off his sickness, can said more about Zmiggie. So, I mean, we got such a deep team that I want to be out there every game, but we're not losing that much, so you know, the
boys are playing really good right now. So I think the main thing is getting me healthy so I can make it through the rest of the year.
So there it is.
You heard from Freddie Freeman himself. You did not have to read words or read between the lines. You heard the tone of his voice. Things are okay with his right ankle. So that's a huge relief for the Dodgers and Freddie Freeman who had a freak accident on Sunday morning, slipping and falling in his uh one of his whatever x amount of showers in his house.
But that's good. That's a good sign.
And the Dodgers kept rolling tonight as they beat the Braves three to one and improve their record to seven and zero.
It's time to go around the horn with jose Mota.
All right, jose Mota, we talked a lot about Dustin May. We heard from Dustin May. Let's talk about something that fans were trying to pick apart, and that is new closer Tanner Scott. I know Blake Trynin faced the heart of the Braves lineup, but it was still good to see Scott get the Braves out in order in the ninth inning.
Boy, it was good to see him be put on that situation. And as you mentioned, Dave, Robert has a way because the luxury of so many guys that can go their and close. But you got to throw about the fire. I mean, there's no reason to paddic there's no reason to not trust the guy. The one thing you don't want to do with a guy that just joins your organization and whom you publicly said and he's going to get the majority of says opportunities. You don't let just the bad start a couple of innings here
and there derail him. So you got to throw him out that the only way to get fixed is out there on the field. A bullpen side is not.
Going to do it.
He's got to read hitters get the reactions, how their reaction to things. And the one thing that obviously he knows he's got to get better at is get those lefties out. Because he's been so good throughout his career.
Up until last year, basically he's been a journeyman reliever. He gets a big contract during the offseason with the defending world champion Dodgers. I'm sure we always talk about position players trying to do too much. I'm sure Tanner Scott is trying to show out. Do you believe that maybe played a part in some of the rocky outings he's had so far in this Homestand.
It's fair to say that, Dave, it's normal to think that. I mean the expectations you mentioned something so important, which is for journeymen, when that means people are not believing in you, that's where you're bouncing around and somebody has a doubt, but somebody always believes and gives you that opportunity. And now the big contract, the higher expectations. When he joined the Powders last year. Is not pitching in Miami anymore.
It's pitching for the Dodgers, and that, you know, brings a whole lot and then to say you are a guy who's gonna say games pull the Dodgers in LA it's not the same as other other places. And I think at the same time we look at a big number of the Dodgers put on him with that contract. It's naturalist, normal, and it's human to go I got to be perfect, but we know one thing. This game is not perfect, and he was on for a reason.
Every dad that you needed from him you had, and every chance to know that you don't need to match him against lefties or right he's he's with the guy that's going to go out there and challenge people, which is what you want, and he's got it done.
We talk about Father Time always winning. Jose, how is Blake Trining as nasty as he is at age thirty six almost age thirty seven.
You've had a lot of conversations with him. This guy is so analytical. He is so precise in self assessing that I'm not surprised at all. He's not chasing velocity, which he has. He has movements, he has the ability to pitch backwards. He's very hard to predict, and I
think Dave he has fun doing this. When there's a time last season, when the word got around that he's throwing that wrapper around, break the ball down in the back of the foot of the lefties, guys got away from it and they start to not swing at it. He reinvented himself. It's going to be a little bit slower, a little bit tighter, smaller to gain a strike, and before you know it, he's out there in the middle of every important inning, in the limelight in October, getting
it done. Because I don't think he's ever satisfied. He knows there's always another level. That's what you want from your guys out there, and that's how they're going to take it to another level. And that's why guys want to copy people like that, because they know the leadership and the guts of their takes and know that one bat outing is not going to derail them.
Jose Mota is joining us after the Dodgers improved their record to seven and oh to begin the season with the three to one win over the Braves Bets with the big hit Jose in the sixth inning off his former teammate Chris Sale a go ahead to run home run, and Mooki admitted he was very relieved and happy that he could redeem himself after a play that caused the Braves to score their first run.
Yeah, I mean, as we're just talking about Tanner Scott. Yeah, it matters to these guys. They're they're even, they have feelings and Mookie, by the way, that was the Dodgers first air of the season. You think about this, We talk about the prows of the offense, the pitching, how well they're doing, but that was the first era committed about the Dodgers defense this season in seven games, which
is remarkable. But going back to MOOKI having a conversation went before the game and he's one of those guys a day. But you can count in one hand the guys that can tell you if I get out of bed, I'm playing, meaning all the questions about his weight coming back from Japan and all the obviously the wheel wondered, but he goes, oes, Hey, if I can get up, I'm gonna play, and there's no doubt. And then we
talk about greatness. That's trying to be great. And I'm glad that he mentioned in his interview the fact the fact that he wanted to he was thinking about the air still gonna eat him up. He's gonna work on that tomorrow. But to have the ability to just turn the game around like that, what he does with once thing is pretty sweet.
All Right, we'll see if the Dodgers go eight and oh on snell Zilla Day tomorrow.
Jose, look forward to seeing you out here.
A big day for you. Deve Assey. The Snell's back.
Hey, I'm not on the mound.
He is, though, He's fun to watch. Take care of good night, all right.
Good night, Jose moda. Good to have Jose back with us this season. Part of the Dodgers Spanish radio broadcast. It is snell Zilla Day tomorrow, the Dodgers looking to improve their record and to eight and oh.
The Dodgers and Padres are the.
Two only undefeated teams in baseball this season. I couldn't get over the fact everybody was just disregarding the San Diego Padres coming into the season. I know they've had some issues with their ownership after the unfortunate passing of a great man, Peter Seidler, but they did not sell off their players like everybody thought they were going to do. They still have Fernando Tattis Junior, they still have Manny Machado.
They still have boguards.
They still got Luisa Rise, They still have a budding star in Jackson Merrill. They still have Dylan Ceese and Michael King and You Darvish and Robert Suarez. They didn't add a big piece during the off season, no doubt about it. The Dodgers blew them away in the off season. The Dodgers are the defending World Series champions, and they
added even more. The Padres did not really make a significant addition during the off season, but they still have basically the same team that pushed the Dodgers to five games in the NLDS, and still have the same team that many believe was good enough to win the World Series if they got past the Dodgers. So I'm a
big believer in the Padres hanging around all season long. No, I don't believe they're going to win the NL West, but I do believe they're a playoff team, and I do believe we could have a rematch in the NLDS of a year ago between the Dodgers and Padres. So I'm and I'm a firm believer. If the Dodgers win ninety nine games or one hundred and seventeen games. That first round is still the most dangerous round for any
division winner. If the Dodgers can get past that trap round like they did last year, they're going on to the World Series, and I believe they'll win the World Series.
But that first round is a wildcard.
Everybody knows it, and I could see the Dodgers and Padres playing again in that first round. I also believe the Diamondbacks are going to be a playoff team, and I still believe this Braves is going to be a wildcard team as well, even though their record and their offense don't reflect that. Right now, they're owing six to start the season. Tonight, Anthony Banda got the winning relief
for the Dodgers. Chris Sale takes the loss in his first outing at Dodgers Stadium since Game five of the twenty eighteen World Series, when he came through the bullpen gates to close out that World Series and beat the Dodgers in twenty eighteen. Tanner Scott got his second save of the season and a successful night for Dustin May, who returned to a Major League mount for the first time since May of twenty twenty three. Tomorrow Night is showe Aotani MVP Bobblehead Night, which means you want to
get here early. There's gonna be a lot of traffic around the stadium. No, they're not opening the gates any earlier, but just get here early. You know when I used to come the games and it was a big giveaway night, I got here at least an hour before first pitch, So I would recommend doing that. I know it's an early start, but do your best and save yourselves some headaches. Snell Zilla is on the mound for the second time as a Dodger. He's going up against right hander Bryce
Elder Morongo Casino. Dodgers on Deck begins at four thirty tomorrow, with first pitch at five thirty eight, and then the Dodgers hit the road again. They will travel to Philadelphia and Washington, DC on their upcoming East Coast road trip. That'll do it for us tonight on Dodger Talk. Thanks to Colin Yee back at our Burbank Studios, Thanks to Dwayne McDonald out here at Dodgers Stadium, and thanks to you for listening.
In case you missed any of the show, you can find it on the iHeartRadio app. Once again.
The final score from Dodgers Stadium the Dodgers defeat the Braves three to one. Ben Maller on Fox Sports Radio is next. We'll talk to you tomorrow on snell Zilla Day. See them times said it away