Dodger Talk is sponsored by La Care Health Plan, providing affordable healthcare insurance to millions of Angelinos for over twenty five years. And now your voice for Dodger Talk like back David Vase. Welcome the Dodger Talk David Vase live at Dodgers Stadium. After the Dodgers take care of the Diamondbacks tonight by a final score of six to four, phone lines are open eight sixty six nine to eight
seven two five seventy is the phone number. We have a couple of calls on hold, on ready, so on hold already, and so we have a few more lines open if you want to get in and talk about these
Dodgers who continue to put on a show. They have the largest divisional lead in all of Major League Baseball. They win their thirty third game of the season tonight, beating the defending National League champions behind a very good performance by Yoshi Yamamoto, who continue I used to show that he has a lot of compete in him because in the third inning he was up to the fifty pitch
mark, but he found a way to push through. He got a great play behind him by Jason Hayward to end the third inning, and from there he cruised into the seventh inning, and he threw one hundred pitches in the game. That's the first time he has ever thrown one hundred pitches in a Major League baseball game in his young career. So a really good night for
Yamamoto. The split fingered fastball was working really well. My favorite at bat of the night that showed a lot of compete in him was the top of the fifth inning because earlier in the game, Jock Peterson drove in the first run against Yamamoto in the top of the third inning. Jock got him on his split fingered fastball. So Yamamoto made the adjustments, and in the top of the fifth inning he threw three straight fastballs by Jock Peterson and he sent
it up a notch ninety six miles an hour. So that was really impressive, and to me, that was my favorite at bat of the night. That was indicative of yama Moto's competitive fire where he was able to remember what Jock Peterson did and then say, all right, you got my split fingered fastball, Let's see what you could do with this ninety six and he struck out Jock Peterson on three pitches tonight. The Dodgers starters have been unbelievable.
Not only are they going deep into games, but they're giving great great I mean, I hate to say defending the runs or whatever they say run prevention. They're pitching great, and they're keeping teams down and they're letting the offense do their job. They got six runs for Yamamoto tonight in the third inning thanks to a Freddie Freeman Grand Slam and two other home runs. But now Dodgers starters are the Dodgers. They're twenty two and three when their starters go
six or more innings, and that's not a coincidence. Anytime you get starters going that deep into the game means something is going right. And the Dodgers certainly not only have quantity, but quality in their starting rotation with Clayton Kershaw and Bobby Miller on the horizon. Freddie Freeman hit his third Grand Slam as a Dodger tonight in the third inning. Let's head downstairs right now to hear from steady Freddie Freeman on sports and at LA just to hear the chance.
What did that mean for it? Yeah? I mean like I to ok here, So it's nice. We were working every day, grinding every day, and and fans appreciate some little things in the games when we're ultimately trying to get the win. It's just it feels good. Yeah, okay, yeah, you have been It feels like I've been treading water all the year, but you know, still looking at the numbers and they're okay. So I'm just kind of waiting for the really really hot streak. But ultimately my
swinging feeling a little bit better. Been like today, both balls kind of in the middle, even the double play against mantiplay Saint Crinity to to stay inside of it. So even though it's an out, there's little little wins inside those that create things later in the game. So feeling a little bit
better. It's played as approachaseed to Cooni that ning where for six guys reach safe from kind of we just had a game plan of you know, we've never faced the guy before and two steamer change up kind of a cutter guy against Righty's kind of occasional cribbos a LEFTI so trying to get him up and be on the heater and we're able to do that in that ending. Well,
the game plan came from Key k Hernandez. At least that's how it appeared from up here, because after Key k let off the third inning with a home run of his own, it seemed like he was having a lot of conversations with the hitters that were coming up after him. So I don't believe it was a coincidence the Dodgers had a big third inning against Slay Chacone. I really do believe keyk Hernandez brought some information back and the rest of the Dodger hitters were able to follow. Eight six, six, seven,
two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to the phones for the first time tonight. Let's head out to Gabe, who is at Dodgers Stadium tonight. Hi, Gabe, you're on Dodger Talk. What's up, David. It's a new season, You're still awesome? And yeah, I brought my friends Ellie and Mike. Mike's in town from Denmark. It's not his first baseball game, but it's his first Dodger game, so it's good to see the win. It was a great time to be their great atmosphere.
That inning with the six runs was awesome. I definitely would love to see a lot more, you know, run run, spread out through innings. But I'll take the win. Yoshi was solid. I thought, is strike two or strike three pitches rather? Especially that splitter you were talking about was on. It's great to see that I did have a question for you because you did mention you got Clayton Kershaw and Bobby Miller on the horizon. What are the Dodgers do in that situation? Paxson is pitching excellently, and
you know Bueler's pitching excellently. Gavin Stone is making a case to stay up like it seems to be a log gym. Do you stack guys up? Do you have long relievers? So what's the game plan once you get into the dog days? With six seven you know, solid starters who put up good numbers. I know it's a great problem to have, but it is
something that I'm very curious about. Okay, Gabe, Well, number one, A lot can happen between now and the dog days of August, right, I mean, we see injuries happen all the time, especially the pitchers. So I would love to believe that nobody's going to have any little hiccup to their season, But the chances are one of these guys is going to
have a hiccup to their season. And also, the Dodgers have a lot of starting pitching where they can manage these innings with a guy like Walker Bueller that's coming off as second elbow surgery, Guys like Gavin Stone who's in his first full May League season. James Paxton's thirty five years old. So when I say Clayton Kershaw's on the horizon, he's in on the horizon after the All Star break to provide support for all that. And as far as Bobby
Miller goes, he's going to be back within the next month. But the one thing gave the Dodgers cannot continue to go on a six day rest rotation, and I don't believe they will. They're coming off the earliest spring training of any team in baseball because of starting the season in Korea. The first couple of months, we've seen a lot of pitching injuries, and the Dodgers have done a pretty good job of using their depth to manage the workload on
these guys. So I would imagine as we get into June and July, we're going to see a more traditional rotation. Yeah, I agree with you on that, especially once you get to playoffs, you gotta have a five to five day rotation, even with a four man starting lineup there starting rotation for pictures. So I do completely agree this six day rest thing. It's nice that we can spread it out, but it doesn't get pictures in a rhythm. It can throw people. I've seen it thrown pictures off in past
season. So I completely agree, and you make a good point. A lot can happen. And it's also, like I said, it's a great problem to have when you have the guys who are there now putting in quality innings, you know, doing like what Yoshi's doing thoughing hundred pitches in striking out seven people, eight people, and then you got more guys coming for reinforcements, and who knows. I mean, I remember one season, I think it was Donsol and Dustin May stacked up or something like that, and
they had those two guys there and then one of them went down. So you make a good point that things can happen between now and then. But in any case, I love the win man. Thanks David, all right, Gabe, thanks for the phone calling Yamamoto himself. They're keeping them on six days rest, but this is his first full major league season. It's very different. A couple of Japanese report orders were explaining this to me.
The travel itself is more rigorous for Yamamoto and Major League Baseball than what it would be in Japan. For instance, if Yamamoto was pitching his next start in New York, he would not travel to Cincinnati with the Dodgers. If this was Japan, he would travel directly to New York to make that start. So not only are the days of rest different, but the travels different. The expectations are different, the baseball is different. So there's a lot
of differences between playing in Japan. The seasons longer here as well. The Dodgers have expectations to play deep into October, so Yamamoto is another guy that you have to take into consideration where they may find a way to pause his season to keep him fresh for October as well. Let's go out to Danny who is at Dodgers Stadium tonight. Danny got a chance to see Yamamoto tonight. How you doing, Danny doing great day? Thank you for taking my
call. Yeah, Yamamoto is electric. I got to watch him up, watch him warm. Up in the bullpen and the ball just flies out of his hand. He's really cool to watch, has a lot of unique techniques when he's getting ready, don't see other pitches do, and the ball is just so alive out of his hand. I've been watching bullpens all year and there's been no one I've seen like Yapamoto, but the player I want to talk about Dave the play at the game, I don't think anyone's talked about
it yet. First ginning show, Aotani drops a fund Yeah, where did that come from? Man? The most surprised people were proud of the Diamondbacks. I agree. I think maybe the Dodgers were surprised as well, because he did that on his own. He saw the left side of the infield, the third baseman shifted where the shortstop usually plays. It's the first inning, so he's trying to set the table for the guy behind him. Maybe he's trying to send a message to the rest of the team that he's not
just there for himself or to slug. So we have to find a way to ask Otani the next time he speaks to the media what was going through his head to decide that was the play? But hey, they're giving it to him, so why not take it? Hey, I love seeing it. That was one of the coolest things. He's the all round ball player.
I go to a lot of games with my friend Mark, who's an old school Dodger fan from the sixties, and he's always complained that these guys don't find anymore nobody bunts, and so it made his day to see show, Hey drop that button, get on first station. Are you saying, Danny, your buddy would rather see O'tani drop a bunt there than hit a home run? I mean, he does lead major League Baseball and home runs. That's the catch twenty two. Do we really want Otani dropping bunts?
I'm sure the Diamondbacks prefer that. Hey, every once in a while, why not when you got the bass open and there's a reason to do it. He gets plenty of homers. You know, I don't mind seeing stuff like that every once in a while. Day. All right, Danny, thanks for the phone call. First time ever we've had anybody say they'd rather see Otani drop a bunch than hit a home run. How about that? I'm not sure I would go that route. And really, that's the thought
between opposing teams shifting that way. Even with a big power hitter, they would prefer him to drop a bunch and to swing away and possibly give the Dodgers a one nothing lead in that situation. But I'm sure he saw something. Maybe he wasn't picking up the ball really well from man to to play, and he saw the way they were defending him, So why not try to get on base for Freddie Freeman, who followed by hitting into a double play. Eight six six nine seven two five seventy is the phone number.
Dodgers scored six runs in the third inning with three home runs tonight, first time since twenty twenty two the Dodgers have hit three home runs in the same inning. The Turners were part of that. Not Jerry Turner, he's the old clubhouse attendant. Justin Turner and Trey Turner were part of that three home run inning back in twenty twenty two. Tonight it was Keith a Hernandez, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith went back to back, Freddie with the grand
Slam and Will Smith with his fifth home run of the year. Eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks tonight six to four in Game one of this three game series. We were talking about the Dodgers starting pitching well. I had a chance to catch up with Walker Buehler, who has certainly been a fan favorite over the years because of his ability to pitch big in big games. Here's what he had
to say about just his mentality then and now. Do you pitch with a chip on your shoulder? People always seemed to short change you, whether it was in college, you were better than where they slotted you. You were better than where you were drafted. Do you pitch with that chip on your shoulder? Yeah? I think so. I mean I think you're kind of always teetering with you know, if you're having any sort of success, I think you're teetering behind or between like that chip. And then you know,
being too common it in and you know, when you get hurt. I think that's probably the most humbling thing that can happen to an athlete. You know, if you if you perform badly, like you get to do it
again the next week or the next day or whatever. But getting hurt it's really you know, for me, it's been what twenty two months of kind of trying to figure out how to be good at this game again and you know, provide for your family and all of that, and so yeah, I mean I think there's some sort of chip I think for that to actually do anything, you have to like physically be right and mentally be ready to compete. And I think this last start was kind of all of that coming
together. Before I let you go, you must have been feeling a little buffalo trace ish when you gave Austin Barnes credit for why you moved on the mound. I thought that was really revealing. He's been telling me this for a couple of years and I don't I don't like doing it, but Barnsy has his moments, and it really made a difference, I think. So, I mean, you know, it's kind of an abstract thing, but the orientation of our b and the way my eyes see the plate and stuff
like that can kind of dictate some things happen physically. And you know, Barnes has always talked about how he wants certain things to come out in certain you know, lanes and things like that, and I had to be really perfect for it to come out like that where I used to be and so hopefully, you know, this kind of change works for the long term, but even just for the one I have to give him a little little hot top. That's a lot for Walker Buehler to concede that to Austin Barnes.
And certainly that's the value of a backup catcher that has the baseball IQ and the awareness that Austin Barnes has to see things like that. And I guess he's been telling Walker Buehller to move to that part of the rubber for a couple of years now, and he finally conceded, and he pitched six scoreless innings and had what seven strikeouts with no walks. So let's see if it works again in Cincinnati. Buehler's expected to pitch there on Friday, the first
game of a three game series against the Reds in their ballpark. We're gonna take a time out here on Dodger Talk. When we come back, we'll check in with Jose Mota and also more of your phone calls. At eight sixty six seven two, five seventy. After the Dodgers defeat the Diamondbacks six to four on a five to 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 Vasse. The walls one stripe so Cony de Freeman, I am here center field, hit deep, Harold's at the wall. It is gone, Hey Graham. Swing for Freddie Freeman. Freddie Freeman all smiles after a grand slam with nobody out in the third inning to give the Dodgers a five to one lead. Will Smith would follow with a home run of his own, the second time the Dodgers have hit back to back home runs this season. Freeman and Otani did it earlier this year.
Tonight, a grand slam by Freeman and will Smith the second time the Dodgers have hit back to back home runs, and that would be the scoring for the Dodgers as they defeat the Diamondbacks tonight six to four for their fourth straight win on this homestand the Dodgers now thirty three and seventeen on the season.
They lead the second place Padres by eight games in the NL West. Daniels Jewelers is the official sponsor of the Trip Around the Diamond stop by any Daniel's location and say home run for your free team bracelet and fifty dollars gift card toward any purchase of ninety nine dollars or more Daniels Jewelers Own the Dream. It's time to go around the horn, Hosean Mota. All right, Jose Mota. We could talk about that third inning, we could talk about Yamamoto.
But I feel like after the other night where Mookie Betts was so hard on himself, a night like tonight might not get talked about because he made the plays. Muki is ready to make plays. Dave, There's no doubt about it. I mean, you know, one thing about guys that want
to be better is that they want the ball hit to them. Usually when guys are struggling and they're not very sure about themselves and the work they've done previously the game and throughout their year, well, you know what, there's a hesitation of I don't know if I want the ball hit to me. That goes along with every single player that's played the infield, even in the outfield. It happens sometimes, But I'm glad that Muki wants the baseball.
The ball it's going to continue to find him at shortstop and I just continue to do a very good job positioning him. He did a great job on a badhanded play that's given him a lot of trouble earlier tonight on a sharp ground ball and there was a line out, hard hit line drive and he was able to react and shortstop. Like I said, Jose the other days or if there are plays that he doesn't make, it's going to be talked about a lot. But how many people are talking about the fact that on
nights like tonight he makes the plays that most shortstops make. Yeah, these players are not gonna make any highlight reels anywhere around on national TV. But here's what we know. We talked about this coming into the season. All Mookie Best needs to do is make the routine plays. Everything beyond that with the athleticism is going to come naturally by instincts. Okay, And I did notice it's light change in his backhand today. I saw doing before the game.
He's trying to get his body a little bit lower, so his eyes are a little bit closer to the glove, thus the ball. In other words, he's not trying to reach out and extend that left him. He's getting ready to as he gets to the ball on the backside and flips his glove to get us by a little bit lower. Then he's got some momentum and to push off right away to make a longer throw, which you know, I think still overall, he's going to do a better job using the
outfielder's arm, which I think he hasn't yet at short stop. I like to see, you know, I like to see a little more a little Sean Dunston in him. Just air it out sometimes, just let ago. But for sure, he is making strikes every single day, and I'll be very happy if he doesn't make a highlight play the rest of the season, but makes the routine play, because that's what wins games like today with Yamamoto, throw a lot of strikes. Yeah, Yamamoto was in trouble in the
third inning. Hoseah mentioned this. He was up to fifty pitches in the third inning. He got bailed out by Jason Hayward making a great catch, and then from there, I mean, it seemed like it was a lot smoother sailing for him into the seventh inning. Oh Man, Samurai was on man. He was sharped one thing and he mentioned this the best sequence, and I haven't written out of my book. Also, the same thing you mentioned, the one against Jack Peterson, and why is that to me?
First of all, he knows jacka is looking down, dipping up front shoulder, looking for the hofspeed and especially that splitter right so he has enough of that fast to elevate in three different levels and three different lanes. I would say to get just over the hands. And then his last pitch that he got him the fastball in the fifth inning. I mean, that's a game
changer right there. Jock has enough power to hurt you and make that bag him a little bit closer right then, and amplify even the amount of pitches. But he came back with number one knowing that reading batter's intentions as we saw Chota and I would do so well in Chicagoan's highlighted and document it same thing. He reads intentions on the swing and counteract because he does have a cliffer of pitches and very happy to day day once again to see more sliders.
It is going to be a big pitch for him, and I'm glad his back. Yeah, the Dodgers are bringing that along little by little. The last time he was out there only three sliders tonight, ten sliders for
Yamamoto. That's a pitch that they've been working on with him. As far as the Dodger offense goes Jose, obviously, how can you complain about a six run inning, But any concern they're not able to tack on, and the fact that they've only scored in three of their last nineteen offensive innings, No, I'm not gonna be concerned about it because they're winning games, and
you know, winning games comes in different designs. It's not how you do it or how much he scores, is the fact that you score more than the other team if the other team obviously is battling and coming back, obviously going to find a way to strategize and find a way to score more runs. But you know, in one sixty two, man, you go through so many stretches when you're pounding runs, and then your pitcher gives it up and you got pounding runs again. So I'll take this. It doesn't matter.
You know, they score only in what that one inning, in the sixth inning, because what they made was the most that one inning before actually getting retired sixteen in a row because she called him ended up finding a nice little groove there, but it was nicely. Plus he had the right hind the mound, knowing that he's not going to be going away and giving away walks to get that team back into the game too. Yamamoto, all right, yeah, we'll take it for sure, just thinking big picture. There's
it's okay. You know what it's in the World Series game today. Would you complain about it? Not at all. But I think we're facing slate Chicone in the World Series. But a six running is a six running, no matter if it's April or October. You'll think it anyways, because it's a win, no doubt. But I love the tech on runs too. Tech I love it too, don't don't get me wrong, I do too. All Right, Jose, we'll see out here tomorrow night. I love
watching Gavin Stone pitch looking forward to it. Yes, he's your guy, he's your pick. I remember you send sprint training big Year. Yeah, big Year, big Year, Big rookie Year. Thanks Jose. There he goes. Jose Mota part of the Dodgers Spanish radio broadcast, and man, they had a celebrity in their booth. I forgot to ask Jose about that. I mean they had a big time star from the Apple TV series that I love Ted Lasso. I don't even have to say Apple TV Ted Lasso.
One of the main characters from that show, was visiting the press and specifically the Spanish radio booth. Cristo Fernandez, who played Danny Rojas. Football is life, coach, No, Baseball is life. And he actually said that to me in the hallway. So awesome meeting Cristo Fernandez, who is here at Dodger Stadium, and Joe Davis called me out. He said, don't go fanboy on that guy. Well I did. I love ted Lasso. My wife hated me watching it, but I loved it. Danny Rojas,
Baseball is life. Awesome meeting Cristo. Thanks for coming out to Dodger Stadium tonight. Let's go out to the phones again, Gil and Aliso Viejo. You're on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi. Gil, Hey, Dave, Plus, let me say this's a Jose the best man. He knows his stuff. Hey. My question or comedy is with Kershaw and Miller coming back. I think our pitching staff is best on baseball? What do you
think? Yeah? I would agree. I saw some ranking from one of these websites that had the top ten pitching staffs and all of baseball, and the Dodgers were like nine or ten. I'm not sure if they're watching or understand the depth the Dodgers have, but I would put them at the top with anybody. Yeah, those are the East Coasters, so they don't know baseball. You're right, they had the Orioles number one, Gil, thanks
for the phone call. Appreciated. Yeah, pound for pound, I would stack the Dodgers pitching staff up against any team out there when you go one through not just one through five or one through six, one through thirteen. The Dodgers, especially when they're healthy, pound for pound, I would take them. When you're talking about pitching staffs, you're not just talking about the
ace of that staff, You're talking about the entire staff. So I was a little surprised to see it was actually Mookie's website, the br Walkoff, that had the Dodgers pitching staff down at the Bottommokie obviously did not rank them. It was some other Jabroni that I've ever heard of that ranked it. But anyway, let's go out to Sacramento. Frank, you're on Dodger talk with David vasse Hi. Frank, hey day, first time talking to you this year. That's been going, man, I've been waiting for you.
Frank, Thank god you've called. Just want to talk about that third inning. I mean, Key k hitting their home run and then Freddy Freeman with this grand Slam and then will get jiggy with it in the Hey, fred, why don't you do us a favor? You said Freddy Freeman's name so nicely right there. How would you recreate that call of that grand Slam? Can you call Freddy's Grand Slam for us? I can try, all right, Let's give it your best shot right here, Freddy Freeman, there's a
drive to deep center field. It is a grand Slam, Freddy freaking Freeman. I love it. I love it. Frank, we'll walk it off right there. Thank you for the phone call. Yes, indeed, I hope Stephen Else and Joe Davis are not nervous after Franken Sacramento just put out his audition tape right there. Hey, before we say goodnight. You don't
see too many times players in Major League Baseball stealing home plate. Right The one famous attempt of stolen base in recent history was Manuel Margo trying to steal a home during the World Series against Clayton Kershaw. He was cut down at
the plate. Well tonight, Christian Yellich in Miami, his former team, the Brewers were facing the Marlins. He was back in his former city of Miami, and in the top of the sixth inning, with one out and the right handed hitting William Damas at the plate, Christian Yelich caught the Marlin sleepin'. It's a quick oh too, that one didn't There comes Yelich to the plate and Yellis is safe at home. Oh my goodness, and now
our teams is gonna take second base. As forts is down, Yelich came sprinting home on the throw back to the picture, and that was Jeff Levering on the Brewers TV network. Yeah, Yelich picked their pocket there as the
catcher was throwing it back to the picture. There, Yelich saw that they were just going through the motions in I'm sure lackluster atmosphere there at Marlins Park, with what thirty five hundred give or take right, So he was able to take off and steal a home plate and with the right handed hitting Adamis he stepped out at the last minute, and he went feet first as you
should when you're sliding into home plate and caught the Marlins napping. So Christian Yellich, out of Westlake Village High School, was able to steal home plate tonight in Miami against his former team, the Marlins. That'll do it for us. Tonight On Dodger Talk tomorrow, Gavin Stone will be on the mound for the Dodgers. He's four and one with an ERA of three to twenty seven, going up against Brandon Fott, who gave the Dodgers fits last year
this season. Fought is one in three with the n ERA of four seventeen. Morongo Casino Dodgers on Deck begins at six o'clock with first pitch at seven ten. How about that? Tonight in Major League Baseball Show, Hey Otani bunts for a single and Christian Yellich steel's home plate. How about that? And we had Frankett Sacramento call Freddie Freeman's vand Slam Special night around the League. Thanks to calling ye back at our Burbank Studios, Thanks to dwayn McDonald
out here at Dodgers Stadium, and thanks to you for listening. In case you missed any of the show or our interview with Walker Buehler, you can find it on the iHeartRadio app. Just search Dodger Talk. Subscribe and you'll get all the Dodger content that you need. Once again, the final score tonight from Dodgers Stadium. The Dodgers win their fourth in a row with a six to four victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Have a great rest of your night. Ben Mahler on Fock Sports Radio is next. See yup.