And now your host of Dodger Talk, David Vase.
We are live at Nationals Park in our nation's capitol after the Dodgers fall to the Nationals six to four in the first game of this three game series and have dropped two games in a row for the first time this year. Phone lines are open at eight six six nine, eight seven two five seventy. We will hear from Jose Mota a little bit later. We will also give you an update on Clayton Kershaw. We had a chance to check in with him today, and whatever you need to know about Blake Snell's injury, I will.
Be able to answer those questions.
Not to mention, we do have a winning bid on the World Series ball that Will Walker Bueler and the Dodger Foundation collaborated to auction off to benefit the fire Relief Fund. So we'll let you know how much that last out baseball from last year's World Series went for. Speaking of last year's World Series, we all talked about how base running and defense in the little things were the difference in that World Series. Right now, I'm not
seeing any of that from the Dodgers. I'm seeing an offense that is trying to make up for a lot of mistakes, whether it be base running or defense. You're not gonna be able to have your offense bellue out every single night, even though the Dodgers have had that happen a few times, and tonight they were very close. It was very risky for Davy Martinez to bring in Kyle Finnegan, who yes, is their closer, but for a five out save on the third straight day that he's pitching.
That was a gamble that paid off this time for Davy Martinez. And the facts are I feel like when I say a team survived the Dodgers, that applies tonight more than any other game this year that the Dodgers have lost, and they've only lost three.
The Nationals survived this game.
It was it was close to being over if Tommy Edmond comes to the plate in the ninth inning. Instead, Mookie Betts grounds out with runners at first and third to end the game. So a very risky managing decision by David Martinez that.
He got away with.
And look, the Dodger defense now has committed seven errors in eleven games. The problem is they have guys that are out of position. Look, I know Mookie Betts put in a lot of time during the offseason to learn shortstop, but he's out of position.
It's a new position.
I believe we can all agree on that, and there's going to be still growing pains and all that, not just him being able to field ground balls, but more importantly the nuances of the position where he should be on relay throws, just the feel for the position. And tonight he missed a ground ball that he probably should have had that led.
To a run.
Miguel Rojas, who is sure handed as anybody, but hasn't played a lot of second base the last year plus, made a costly era as well.
So you got two guys.
Up the middle that aren't really used to playing those positions. Those are not their natural positions, let's put it that way. But you had guys that have played defense in left field and center field a lot, and Chris Taylor and Tommy Edmond it's no coincidence they made a lot of good plays tonight. So there is that, And there is the fact that the Dodgers have been on their feet since nine am this morning with the White House visit and then coming directly to Nationals Park to play in
very cold weather. That's not an excuse, it's just a fact in reality. I'm not saying that's the reason why they made a couple of errors early in the game, but it was a tale of two games. I felt like the Dodgers played a lot better after the third inning tonight.
And how about Dustin May.
Think about what Dustin May did tonight, and our good buddy Petros even recognized it back at his home on the Hill. Dustin May went six innings tonight, allowed just
one earn run. That is exactly what the Dodgers needed tonight after their bullpen was used so much in those last two games in Philadelphia, where their starters gave them a combined six innings, including Tyler Glasnell's meltdown in the third inning yesterday where he only went two plus coming off Rochi Sazaki going four plus innings the day before.
It was huge what Dustin May did tonight. Dustin May is the unsung hero of the game tonight and maybe the last series on the road here in Washington, d C. For what he was able to do tonight. Let's head downstairs right now, do you hear from the big ginger Dustin May?
Probably the fourth inning, fourth fifth and six. I felt pretty settled. I felt like I could throw a strike the first three innings. I don't think I could have been paid anymore to throw a strike, So yeah, I settled down in the fourth, fifth, and sixth and felt like it was a strong anam, What.
Did you seem was just missing?
I guess really in the game for you that wasn't allowing you to execute the pitches as.
You'd like to kind of everything just wasn't really feeling SYNCD up in my mechanics and everything was just kind of feeling rushed and couldn't repeat a delivery.
Is that maybe when the velocity was down a little bit tonight?
No, how do you get it from like when you're not feeling SYNCD up early to kind of find in a rhythm later. Is it just kind of getting into the game and change you made at all?
Did reps just getting more throws? I mean for me, the more I throw, the better I feel. So being able to get out and get through the rough innings, what was a good mentality boost knowing that I can bounce back.
Through I really do for yourself kind of feeling that way you know earlier and starts or is that something that you just have to figure out.
Yeahs the w see what was I mean?
It was just today. I mean, just how the start of today run.
How different does the start day feel when it starts at the White House and everything you guys did this morning.
It was the early launch today. Normally would not be up that early, but I mean I just didn't have it in the first three.
So it's all you can tell.
I know, you talked about how just after your last that was more of a kind of the emotions to return and the anticipation of that if you felt just with this one it was kind of just back to your routine and kind of getting yourself to a good spot.
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean once I got to the field to day, I mean everything was normal go and then was normal feelings throughout the whole day. So yeah, nothing different, just like less weight on my shoulders.
All right, there's Dustin May. Thanks to Sports Net LA for bringing tonight's starter. And look, he even said it early launched today. It's not an excuse, it's just the reality. Baseball players usually don't wake up until eleven ish, especially on the road. After the Dodgers trained it from Philadelphia to Washington, d C. They knew they had an early day, and obviously a great honor for them to be invited
to the White House. And you know they're not going to use that as an excuse, but it's a reality. And Dustin May, you know, he averaged ninety five miles
in hour on his four seam fastball tonight. I didn't feel like there was any issues with the velocity and he's not going to throw his teammates under the bus, but if there were some defensive plays made behind him, especially since he's a ground ball pitcher, you need really good defense on the infield behind him, And to me, I don't care, you know, I know he's disappointed with the team losing and him giving up three runs while
he was in there, even though one was earned. Dustin May did more than his job tonight, especially like I said, what took place the previous two games for the Dodgers where they had to go to their bullpen in the fifth inning on Saturday, and they had to go to their bullpen in the third inning yesterday because Tyler glass Now couldn't handle the rainy conditions. So I mean, Dustin May going six innings tonight was huge, eight six six, nine to eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number.
Like I mentioned, the Dodger infield defense the first three innings not the best. Like Dustin May said, it felt like the Dodgers kind of woke up after the third inning and it was a much different game, and they came this close to coming back against Kyle Finnegan in the Nationals, except Finnegan was able to wiggle out of some trouble in that ninth inning after giving up two
runs in the eighth to make this a game. It kind of felt like the walls were going to break there in the ninth inning, considering Finnegan finished with thirty two pitches going for that five out save, and the fact that he had pitched the previous two days to close out two other Nationals wins. So a gamble that paid off for Davy Martinez tonight as the Dodgers fall.
Six to four.
Now, I know it's early in the season, and I mentioned this in the Clubhouse Show, but after the Dodgers started undefeated eight to zero to begin the season, and there's a h one hundred and fifty games less left, so this really doesn't mean a whole lot, but it's kind of odd that the nine to three Dodgers will wake up tomorrow firmly in third place in the NL West. Whether or not the Giants winner lose tonight against the Reds,
they will wake up tomorrow in third place. I believe that's more of an indication of how good the NL West is. The Giants signed Willia Doomas, who was a huge difference maker for the Brewers. That's evident by how the Brewers are kind of floundering to start the year. The Giants left side of the defense, left side of the infield defense is arguably the best with the Damas and Matt Chapman. Not to mention Jung Ho Lee in center field, so in that ballpark, Buster Posey understands pitching
in defense wins in their home ballpark. So the Giants are going to be very competitive this year. Not to mention the diamondback Scott Better. And they were just what one win away from being a playoff team last year and the miracle OMG Mets being out and the San Diego Padres, despite how many people want to just dismiss them, they did not do a selloff this offseason. They are still really good and don't discount the fact that Jason
Hayward is in that clubhouse. That's a very emotional team and having a steadying personality like Jason Hayward is going to make a difference where it means the most. So the Padres are going to be there. Trust me, they will be a playoff team. Eight six six eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. How about show Aotani.
He's amazing. And we had Michael Conforto on the pregame show earlier today and he was just marveling at the preparation Otani has and how hard he hits the baseball, not only in games, but even in batting practice, and that was evident again tonight. His first three at bats, he gets on base and is just a double shy of the cycle. Otani has hit for the cycle before, he did it at Tropicana Field a few years ago
playing for the Angels. He was just a double shy tonight after going three for three against National starter McKenzie Gore, left handed pitcher Mackenzie Gore, Otani infield single in his first at bat, then ties the game with a two run home run a no doubter, and then triples off the tall wall in straightaway center field. He was off to the races and had a couple of chances to be able to double.
He struck out in.
His fourth at bat and then walked against Finnigan in the ninth inning, And I actually thought, speaking of that at bat in the ninth inning, Finnigan wonted no part of Otani. He didn't intentionally walk in, but he was doing the unintentional intentional walk to Otani, and then you know, try to get back into the count very dangerously. He threw a three to zero fastball right down the middle for a strike to Otani, and Otani took it. That was the pitch of the at bat, and Otani took it.
It was three to one and then three to two, and then he walked him on the sixth pitch of the at bat. But uh if Otani was a little bit more aggressive there. Maybe he puts a little bit more pressure on finnigin with two outs and Mookie Bets coming to the plate.
But it just it didn't happen.
Eight six six nine, eight seven two five seventy is the phone number, no other way to put it. It didn't happen. Two lines open. Let's go out to the phones for the first time tonight.
UH.
Let's go out to uh Santos in upland you're on Dodger Talk Live from National's Park.
Hi, Santos, Hey DV. How you doing brother, I'm doing great. I can't believe I got this much energy. I've been up since seven ares.
Yeah.
You know, first, I just want to talk about like I've been look enough to have been to the two walkoffs of Mookie nol Tani, and I just like this team's never really out of it. Even coming down to that last I bat, it really felt like we could come back. So, I mean, this team definitely has some fight, and you know, it's kind of disappointing to see those airs in the second or the third, but I think no matter how far we get down, our leadership really can take us to a win.
Yeah.
I mean, their offense is really good. There's no better offense out there than the Dodgers, but that doesn't win championships.
Santos. We saw that in the World Series last year. They've got to get this rectified.
And look, we're they've only played twelve games, so seven errors in what twelve games? I'm not going to, you know, overreact, but it feels like it's one of those things. By July, the Dodgers will kind of move the chairs around on the on the infield and possibly in the outfield to be able to have their offense still as good as it is, but putting guys in positions that they can excel in. Right But I'm not saying that they're not doing that now one hundred percent.
But look, last year we saw it.
Mookie Betts recognized that maybe he was better for the team and right field, and who knows, he may have that revelation again and slide to second base, and tom Yedman goes to center. And you know, we're going to see Hayesan Kim at some point this year, and he can help the team defensively and be a good nine hitter to turn the lineup over with speed for Otani and Betts and Edmund and Freeman. So the Dodgers have so many options at their disposal. It's only twelve games
into the season. They want to see what this version looks like.
Hey, I got one more thing for you. No, definitely, I think we'll definitely turn around. It's just the beginning of the season and everyone's out a place. I thought it was really good point. You brought up the one more thing. What was like your most memorable moment for today's White House? Is it for yourself?
Well, I wasn't with the team, right, So I wasn't on the bus with the team to the White House. I was credentialed with the rest of the media and first time ever for me to be at the White House. And for me, the most startling thing to, you know, find out is how small that briefing room is, because that's where all the press is, that's where they hang out, that's where all the press conferences are, and it's so small and antiquated.
It's crazy. We watch it on TV and we think it's this huge room. It's not.
It's anything but that. That was That was the one thing that stood out to me. But today was an eventful day in the world, and the Dodgers were there playing in the sandbox for a half hour or so with the President, so it was it was an eventful day news media wise, and that was pretty cool to see.
Cool well, Dodgers.
All right, Santos, thanks for the phone call.
Speaking of the White House, I'll get more into it when we continue here, because I'll just share my experience there. It was different than the players because I wasn't allowed where they were allowed in the White House and everything else. So I'll share that with you, and also I'll let you know how much that final out baseball from last year's World Series went for. The auction closed yesterday and
they got a pretty good haul. And that's thanks to Will and his wife, Kara Smith, Walker Buehler and his wife and the Dodger Foundation all coming together and saying, let's choose this baseball for good and auction it off for the fire relief funds. So we'll let you know about that, and you'll hear from Clayton Kershaw plus Jose Moto will join us and your phone calls. Two lines open eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy.
Dodgers fall to the National six to four on a five to seventy LA Sports.
Dodger Talk is available on AM five seventy LA sports dot com hand of the iHeartRadio app. Back to more Dodger Talk with Dodger insider David Vasse.
Now too old, pitch Otani swings hammers are deep to right.
This one's heading back to the wall, it has gone a home.
Run and Otani ties the game with his fourth home run of the season.
Show Hey Otani, a double shy of the cycle tonight and a losing effort as the Dodgers fall to the Nationals six to four. David Vasse live at Nationals Park with you until the top of the hour. Eight six six seven two five seventy is the phone number we want to remind you that Daniels Julius presents the home run forecast. Go to am fire 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 eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number you heard our caller before the break asked me about my experience or what stood out the most about the White House?
Uh Number one.
Being a kid growing up a Dodger fan, a Laker fan, you had seen these teams over the course of decades. Go to the White House after winning the NBA Championship or winning the World Series from Ronald Reagan to UH, Bill Clinton, UH, to Obama to you know, Joe Biden. You've seen all those teams go to the White House after winning the World Series and winning the NBA Championship.
It seems so far away. Never in my wildest dreams did I believe that I would be at the White House with the Dodgers or the Lakers watching Oral Herscheiser, Steve Sachs, Kurt Gibson in nineteen eighty eight. That was so cool to see them be at the White House after winning the World Series, the Miracle Dodgers of.
Nineteen eighty eight. That was awesome.
To see Magic and Kareem at the White House during the eighties, So that was awesome.
That was awesome. So it just seems so far away.
And when I've come to Washington, DC over the last thirteen years, I've walked by the White House daytime, nighttime, but you know, you're only allowed so close. And it was a process to get the media credential. It's not easy to get into the White House, even with the press credential when you're not an everyday pool reporter. So up until about nine o'clock Eastern time last night, I did not know for sure that I was going to be approved for a credential, and I got that word
that I was in. I got to the White House at about nine am. Jack Harris of the La Times and I met at a coffee shop across the street, walked across the street together. He was let in first, and then I stood out there for thirty minutes because my credential was not ready in the computer system. So I was standing in the rain for thirty minutes outside
of the White House, but nonetheless got in. And once you get in, you have to stop at another security booth where you get your pass, and then from there there's a walkway.
And this was so.
Behind the scenes, behind the curtain. We watch all these morning shows, whether it's Channel KCBS or NBC, the Today Show this morning, all those well they have their reporters standing outside the White House, and I saw all of them in their isolated canopy tents walking to the briefing room. And the briefing room is where we waited until call to the East Room, and that happened at about ten forty five. And the briefing room, like I mentioned, is so small, and I.
Was talking to reporters.
An AP reporter that has a locker there said during the summer, it's so hot there's no air coming through, and you can understand why it gets heated in there in a lot of different ways. But it's so small and it looks so big on television. And then just being there in the East room watching the Dodgers come in to I Love La and we are the Champions
by the White House Band. It was surreal and like Mookie Bets and Keik Hernandez told us the previous a couple of Dodger talks in Philadelphia, it didn't feel political at all. This was just being celebrated and that's it. So that was my experience. I was not with the team. I was behind the ropes with the rest of the media documenting the Dodgers for you, like I do everywhere they go, whether it's Tokyo, Japan, Sydney, Australia, or Washington, DC.
Eight six six seven two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to Hollywood. Roy, You're on Dodger Talk. How you doing, Roy?
Good Dave, You're still mister Dodger Baseball in my book, but I want to put you on the spot a little bit far, tuny Uh, do you have a prediction I would care to make one on the steels this year as well as the home runs. And do you think stealing is uh something that he could get hurt with? I mean obviously did last year.
Yeah, obviously it's a risk because in when he stole his first base of the season, he kind of went back to his old uh sliding pattern where the play that he jammed his shoulder in the World Series. But since then he's been reminded and he's reminded himself to keep you know, his left arm above ground and kind of cross it over his shoulders so he doesn't jam
that left shoulder again. He only has two stolen bases right now, two out of three three attempts, So I'm going to say twenty five twenty five stolen bases.
How about that? You like the over on that or you like the under on that.
I would take the over, but I like it.
I think that's a good total. I like it five.
Yeah, all right, Roy, thanks for the phone call, appreciate it. And I don't believe we're going to see Otani pitch until the second half of the season. I've been saying that since day one of the regular season starting, and I am not moving off of that. Nothing has indicated to me that that's changing. So the Dodgers want him as a weapon in the postseason. They also want Clayton Kershaw to be a weapon in the second half and
in the postseason. And Kershaw not only made a great speech representing the organization at the White House today, but he also threw a bullpen session. And here's what Clayton had to say when I asked him about when he might be coming back. What's the process in timeline for him to make his return to a major league mound.
Yeah, through another bullpen today. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go and face some hitters on Thursday in Arizona. You know I did that last Thursday, face through two innings, So I'm kind of just gonna keep on that schedule. It's it's kind of a weird needle to thread because physically my arm is ready to go, you know, I'm ready, but my toe isn't all the way there yet. So it's just like, whenever my toe finally is strong enough
to be out there, I want to be ready. So it's just kind of threading that needle as best I can. It's obviously a unique injury for pitching, unique injury for baseball, so there's not a whole lot of precedent with it. So we're just kind of where whenever my toe is ready to go, I'll be ready to go.
Is it similar when you're coming back from your shoulder the day after, field after or is it something they get feeling in the moment.
No, I mean day after it usually goes back to the way it is. So I think it's just just that final little push off that I'm trying to figure out how to get that last little bit of be low, that last little bit of life to your pitch, you.
Know, all right there?
Actually I don't know, but I'll take his word for it. And that was Kershaw before the game today, just giving us an update on where he's at. Right he's kind of the forgotten guy, and he shouldn't be, because his arm feels great and when he was healthy last year he was really good and the Dodgers could use him and use what he represents on the mound, and that's a lot of toughness and the Dodgers certainly need that no matter what these other guys. You want to talk
about Snell Glass. Now, all those guys, Yeah, their stuff might look great on the on the stat sheet, and they haven't accomplished what Kershaw has, and they don't represent what Kershaw represents to the organization. And they don't have the toughness that Krushaw has. He's the toughest competitor I've been around since covering the Dodgers in twenty twelve, and I think the only other athlete I could say that has had the work ethic and mental toughness is Kobe Bryant.
I've covered both those guys. I've seen them both behind the scenes, and those are the two guys that are above and beyond everybody else in that department.
All right, let's check in with Jose Mota.
It's tough to go around the horn with Jose Mota.
Jose Mota is joining us.
He's part of the Dodgers Spanish radio broadcast in Jose. It felt like a tale of two different games. The Dodgers seem to forget when first pitch was tonight, but after the third inning they looked a lot sharper.
Oh yeah, I know, thanks to a guy in the mound who came back after an emotional start and gives them a chance to you know, staying the game. So yeah, I mean and even a you know, a game of two different parts from the defensive side day when he consider two guys thrown out by the Dodgers at third base, a guy at home plate, and then a couple of mischus that again become very costly things. As you have been saying throughout the show, shows, they're going to get
cleaned up. Guys are going to get their grip on things. Some pieces will be moved. But I'm going to make a point about Mookie Bets. Mooki Bets works as hard as anybody taking ground balls early. Right, you know about that, right? Dave does he Yeah, he does, he does. Okay, here's one thing the Mookie still has got to get used to. In my opinion, they're talking to experienced coaches and all star players balls off the bat. It is a different story to get used to the backgrounds, the different in
fields that he's going to be playing in now. Is an everyday short stuff. Because it's great that you're a good athlete, it's great that you are willing to do it, but these are going to be adjustment, So you're gonna have to be adjusting on the fly and taking ground
balls off the fungal sometimes is not enough. And I'm not saying he needs to be can both off the bat and VP, but just taking jumps off the bat and understanding that conditions and every single ballpark are going to be different and go out there, makes some plays and feel comfortable. Sometimes you got to play deeper. Sometimes you got to bary your angle. Sometimes you got to really almost stay lower because the backgrounds is not really good. So things like that are going to catch up with
him eventually. But it's an adjustment for Mookie Bets and hopefully, you know, he'll come through this.
Yeah, that's interesting because all we heard about and Mookie told me he never started working out as quickly as he did after last season. In his career, he was at Crespy High School, he was at different high schools around the San Fernando Valley working on playing shortstop, and so it's not like he just started in spring training. So I still feel like there's nuances to that position that's hard to come by at this stage of his career.
Oh, no doubt. David and Dank consider this. You got a guy like Dustin May throwing ground balls a ton of them there today, And and then you got to say, Okay, if he is at ninety nine and one hundred miles an hour with that velocity, perhaps I'm going to really read swings and see how they're reacted to velocity today at ninety four ninety five. Well, sometimes that thinker is not going to be is going to be more effective, I should say, And you got to be anticipating a
little bit more. And even cheats as we call in the infield, keeps your right against the riters a little bit more. So things like this. All those noises you're talking about are very true. And I can tell you that as a former player, I can spend the whole off season hitting VP and then came back speed called facing game speed and is not the same. So that
is what Mooki's going through right now. Where the game speed is the one's going to be dictating to him, perhaps where he should play, how how many ground balls he should take, where he should be positioned when the values are so good at that positioning guys in the right spot. But repetitions are going to be the key for him to understand the ball is going to find you, but adjustments coming to fly pretty much every single pitch and every single ballplub that playing Jose.
Mota is joining us.
After the Dodgers fall tonight six to four to the Nationals, how about Dustin May. I've been singing his praises all night long. I mean, after Sazaki and Glassnew give them a total combined six innings in their previous two games. For Dustin May, like you said, and like he said, maybe not to have the life on his fastball that he wanted the first two or three innings, but to hang in there for six and pitch really well. I mean that says a lot in something we didn't see the pre or yesterday.
We did not see that yesterday. It was great.
I mean, think about it. This guy has power stuff to knock you out your feet and to have some swings of misses. But he showed me a lot more today than if he had fan ten guys. He showed that his stuff plays well, and it plays well up in the zone when he needs to. Because now with ninety four, when Gouzrin sayspenty ninety nine, he can beat upstairs a little bit easier. And he didn't try to that. He was like, Okay, this is working. Let me try a little bit less. Let me put those guys to work.
You're still gotta go out there and trust your defense. And these are the types of outings that to me tell more about a guy and his makeup, dave and evolution and immaturity than anything else in punching out ten guys as I mentioned, which we all love. But I just hope that tomorrow the headlines are not about him and velocity being down because this guy pitched today and pitchability, as we know nowadays is not something you run across very often. But to him, second start still very emotion.
We'll be on my own now on the road. I think I applaud the effort because he still give the team of chans by going out there and really trusting his stuff and being on the zone.
I can't talk to you tonight without bringing up Otani just a double shy of the cycle. I'm sure you were there in Tampa Bay when he hit for the cycle his only time in his major.
League career a couple or a few years ago.
Did you feel like he was going to get that double? Do you believe that he's thinking about that double in his last two plate appearances.
Heck, yeah, he is. I mean, don't let him lie to you. He's thinking about that place we don't show, Hey, with all the things that you've accomplished in one swing and throughout his career, he's like, when I need one more thing, I'm going to go out there and find it with the fifty to fifty number forty, with a grand slam, things like that. He's going to find a way to get it done right. A quick story about when he did it in Tampa Bay. I'm doing TV and we go down and do the posting an interview
with him and we'll record it right. So I got a signal in my ear Dave that you want to hear as an interviewer, Jose tell him that we didn't have the interview. We have to do it again.
I'm like what.
Oh no, I'm like, I'm like, shure, Hey to his interpreter back then, do you mind doing this again? He's like, Okay, no problem. But he's like full of dirt, he's tired, and he's like, no, it's not a problem. So I'm like, thank you very much. So the producers like, please thank him, Please thank him, because I mean he really saved us.
So nonetheless, he was as gracious as ever. And no, I had no doubt in my mind that he was closely doing that again today Eddie got in the pitch, not the three old one, but if you got in the pitch hit, I think he was living for that double.
All right, Jose, thanks a lot for sharing that. That's a great story.
We'll check in with you tomorrow night after Justin Robleski makes his season debut. Was back all right, there he goes Jose Mota, part of the Dodgers Spanish radio broadcasting. Yes, Justin Robleski will make the start that Blake Snell was supposed to make tomorrow. Snell obviously on the il, probably going to miss two starts. And the reason why Dave Roberts said the Dodgers chose Robleski over Nack or Miller
is because that was his scheduled start date. And Dave Roberts, with a smirk, also said, anticipate Landon Nack being activated either tomorrow or Wednesday. The Dodgers need a spot starter on Wednesday as well, so likely you're going to see Robleski tomorrow and landon NAX start on Wednesday eight six six seven two five seventy is the phone number Dodgers fall to the Nationals tonight, six to four. Let's go back out to the phones. Diana in Granada Hills. You're on Dodger Talk.
Hi Diana, Hi David. How are you doing.
I'm doing great, fun.
Day, awesome, awesome. So piggybacking on the Mookie Talk, I'm sorry if you mentioned this already, but I'm really trying to understand the true reason we have Mookie playing shortstop when we have other options there, and you know he's an amazing right fielder. I don't get it.
I know it's a hard one to figure out, Diana. I mean a lot of people that saw Willie May's play that I've spoken to, said Mookie Betts is the best outfielder they have seen since Willie Mays.
So it's hard to figure out.
But I could tell you this, MOOKI and the Dodgers agree that maybe you take him off his feet a little bit more by having him play the maybe not necessarily shortstop, but second base when it's all said and done, so, if he moves off a shortstop, I don't see him going back to the outfield unless there's a catastrophic injury to Taoscar Hernandez or Michael Conforto.
Uh.
If the Dodgers and MOOKI feel like, you know what, we're a better team. If I'm somewhere else, then I believe it'll be second base. But that's the reason why they want to keep him off his feed and he wants this challenge right now. And they were able to move ta Oskar to right field and sign Confortos, So your lineup is that much deeper with Muki at shortstop.
Okay, Dave, I count on you.
I'm with you.
It's like it's hard to wrap your head around that the best right fielder in the game is playing shortstop.
But I mean, we'll see. We'll see what happens, Diana, We'll.
See what happens, all right, David, thank you so much.
Thank you for the phone call. Appreciate it.
Eight six six nine eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number Dodgers fault to the Nationals tonight, six to four.
Look, I understand what you're all thinking out there.
I'm with you, and I was very vocal about it last year, and I was happy that Mookie realized it, you know, in season, only having a week to prepare for that position. The Dodgers were better off with him in right field. But he's worked all off season to try to make this happen. And I believe he deserves more than just twelve games before the Dodgers pulled the plug on him, which they're not going to do. I just feel like he deserves more than twelve games, more
than fifty games to see where it goes. I mentioned, and I was kind of bringing attention to this because it was a great cause. The last strikeout, Walker Bueller striking out Alex Verdugo. Will kept the lost out of last year's World Series, the baseball of last year's World Series, And you could argue that he owned some of it. Walker Bueller owned some of it. The Dodgers owned some
of that baseball. Well, they all came together, the Bueller family Foundation, Will and Carra's Foundation, Catching Hope, and the Dodgers Foundation came together with a great idea to auction off that baseball, the final out from last year's World Series. Auction it off, and with the unfortunate fires and the Palisades and Alta Dina why not donate the funds to
the fire relief fund. And that's what they did. The auction closed on Sunday, and thanks to my good buddy Harlan Werner, he was the one that hosted the auction. He let me know that the auction for that baseball went for four hundred and fourteen one hundred thousand dollars. Four to one four one hundred thousand dollars. That's how much the last out baseball from the twenty twenty four World Series went for in an auction, and the proceeds
are going to the fire relief Fund. So I just wanted to go and give you the full circle on all that, and congratulations to Will and Carras Smith, Walker and McKenzie Buehler and the Dodger Foundation for doing the right thing and trying to help out those that need it the most with the fire relief funds.
So kudos to them.
Now, tomorrow, game two of this three game series between the Dodgers and Nationals, as the Dodgers all of a sudden have a two game losing streak that they're trying to snap, Justin Robleski will be making a season debut. He was really good in spring training, and it wasn't just spring training. He made some big time adjustments to get better, and we'll see it on display tomorrow in a regular season game, the first of the year for Robleski taking the spot of what would have been Blake'snell's
spot Marongo Casino. Dodgers on Deck begins tomorrow at two thirty with Tim Kates, first pitch from National's Park at three forty five with Rick Monday and Tim Neverett. That'll do it for us tonight on Dodger Talk. Thanks to Dwayne McDonald and Colin Yee for their help.
Thanks to you for listening.
In case you missed any of the show, you can find it on the iHeartRadio app.
That's also where you can.
Listen to our full conversation with Dodger left fielder Michael CONFORDO get to know him a little bit better and his thoughts on hitting and being a Dodger.
It's a great conversation.
A great guy, humble guy, and a proud Italian American. Also, if you want to see some photos from today or the Dodger season, you can follow me on Instagram at officially Vassa and on x at the Real underscore DV once again. The final score tonight from Nationals Park in Washington, d C. The Nationals defeat the Dodgers six to four. Have a great rest of your night. We'll talk to you tomorrow.
See ya, La,