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 Talking like the Back, David Vasse.
We are live at Dodgers Stadium. After the Rays come from behind and beat the Dodgers tonight in ten innings, nine to eight the final score. Welcome the Dodger Talk David Vasse with you until ten thirty tonight here on a five to seventy LA Sports. We have phone lines open at eight six, six, nine eighty seven two five seventy. We will hear from Freddie Freeman. He did speak about the Dodgers designating for assignment Jason Hayward. Also, we will let you know about a huge step Otani took today
in his recovery from his second elbow surgery. Ho hum, just another day for a guy that went forty to forty last night in Grand Fast. So we'll let you know what O'tani was doing before today's game as far as the pitching side of things, and O'tani tonight tried to come to the rescue again, hitting his fourth home run in the last seven games, a go ahead two run home run for the Dodgers to give them a
six to five lead in the fifth inning. But unfortunately for the Dodgers, they're two best relievers, Michael Kopek and Evan Phillips, could not protect a two run lead with six outs to get. Kopek gave up a run in the eighth inning after loading the bases, and then Evan Phillips gave up a game tying home run to one of the best unknown players in baseball, Junior Cavin Naro. He's a blue chip player. He could play third base,
he could play shortstop. My understanding is the Rays were even willing to trade camon Naro to the Angels for sho he O'tani the last couple of years, and he was three for five tonight with the game tying home runs. So the two best relievers, Kopek and Phillips, could not protect a two run lead and the Dodgers had to go to extras. That's where Joe Kelly, who is a flip of the coin these days, because let's face it, Joe Kelly was talking about retirement last year if the
Dodgers won the World Series. If that's not a red flag to everybody involved that maybe his arms not feeling the greatest. I don't know what is. But Joe Kelly, as we know, has a lot of guts, and he has a lot of testicular fortitude, and he's got a lot of edge and toughness and every other adjective you can use to describe him. He is going to go out there no matter if he's feeling great or really not feeling great at all. And my tail sign and something for you to look for moving forward is if
Joe Kelly is feeling good, he's throwing his curveball. If he's not feeling good, he's not throwing it that much. And tonight we didn't see it that much, which told me he didn't have feel for that curveball. So that was an issue for me in the tenth inning, and obviously a gut punch to give up a go ahead to run home run like that in the tenth inning. Also, we can't forget that Clayton Kershaw was not sharp in the first inning. He put the Dodgers in a four
to nothing hole in the first inning. And also Will Smith did not catch a ball that he should have caught that was ruled a wild pitch in that first inning that put or advanced runners from ninety feet to second and third. So it was a rough first inning for Kershaw and will Smith, and the Rays had a four to nothing lead after one inning. Let's head downstairs right now to hear from Clayton Kershaw on sports net LA.
Yeah, first inning, he knows, can't happen, you know, get our team, you know, behind that much that early is tough to come back from. But when you're on a great team like we are, you know, you just try and try and make it as best you can. And I mean our team showed what they can do tonight. You know, they came back that they battled and you know, can't say enough good things about, you know, offensively what
these guys did. And you know, Bradley's a really good picture on the other side, so for them to put up that many runs against him is impressive.
But yeah, you.
Know, first thing was bad and kind of settled in there in a little bit, and you know that fifth inning run really bothered me. There after we got those runs back. So just a lot of things that I need to execute better on for sure.
What was important for the other person, I don't know.
It just made some bad pictures, you think, the spots and as opposed to maybe stuff in the first it's kind of one and the same. Yeah, I wish you.
Just tribed just the defensive performance tonight, because it did seem like guys were coming out pretty clutch in some situations. Just to limit the damage here and there.
Yeah, I may he made some great plays, you know, will thrown out runners, you know, all the way around. Yeah, just I think on the you know, getting our guys healthy on the position player side, it's uh, it's pretty impressive. And then you add you know what show he's been doing. It's been it's been pretty amazing. So you know, myself and especially just needs to pick it up and give our team a little bit more of a chance and we'll we'll win a lot of games.
After our first thing like that.
How do you get.
Back on track, I mean, you don't really have another option, you know, you just keep going. You just try to make the next pitch, keep trying to make the next pitch over and over again. And you know, I worked there for a little bit, but obviously got to be better in the first to start suh, you know, go ahead.
Home on there, Wi the way Nagle's the strollers.
What a big game coming out against big spots.
Yeah, I mean, show has been. You can't say enough. I don't know what else you can say. You know, it's just every night there's something special that he does, and all the while, you know, rehav't and trying to get ready to pitch. So it's it's pretty remarkable, you know. I think you see a day in day out, you probably take it for granted a little bit, but it's a pretty special season and you know he's he's the best for reason.
You know, curs innings like that can't happen.
When they do, does it feel like a little bit of a setback?
Well, yeah, I mean it's not great, but what else are you gonna do? Just gotta keep pitching, all.
Right, That's Clayton Kershaw on sports Net LA. And that's what he kept doing even after that four run first inning. A lot of other pitchers would a lot that would have let this game get away from them, but Kershaw held the line. He only gave up one more run and that was in his final inning of work in the fifth inning. But certainly he labored in that first inning, throwing thirty two pitches, and the Rays scored four runs off of Kershaw, off of Will Smith, ta Oscar Hernandez
bobbled the ball in left field. Those things allow runners to move up and for four runs to be scored. But certainly Kershaw, as he admitted right there, he's got to be better, and certainly he was better from the second inning on eight six, six, nine, eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. Dodgers fall to the race tonight, nine to eight in ten innings. Let's go out to Ari in Guardina. You're on Dodger Talk. How you doing?
Ari?
Not great?
Oh, you're not doing good. Dodgers just had a five game winning streak, had one eleven out of their last fourteen. They lose tonight and you're doing horrible.
Yeah, yeah, thats great because this loss is as bad as that one in seventeen stretching twenty seventeen.
Oh stop, no, it's not.
I know, I know, I know, I know I'm exaggerating, but like this is pretty bad. Like Dave Roberts, why why did he put in both Evan Phillips and.
Joe Kelly over anyone else? Especially like, Okay, this.
Is I have a question for you.
Was Cobec available tonight?
He pitched in the eighth inning and he gave up a run and he did not look that great back to back night?
Right, right?
Right? I forgot, I completely forgot.
Wait, so hold on one second. You're ready, you're ready, You're ready to rip Dave Roberts, and yet you don't even know what happened in the game. You're already second guessing Dave Roberts and you don't even know who came into the game. That ain't right. I'm sorry, that ain't right. Thank you for the phone call. Yeah, if you're going to call in and get ready to second guest the manager and moves, you better know who's in the game. And I know, you know people want to always pick
apart what he does. But come on, Arian Gardena, you got to be better than that. Let's go out to Ken and Newport Beach. You're on Dodger Talk. How you doing Ken?
Hey?
Hi, theer David.
So there's a couple of things I'm confused about Kelly. In his last seven times, he's pitched as an eight fifty seven. Now, unless Dave is not even looking at statistics, it makes no sense. To bring him in there. You had Vessia, you have a few other people in the pen. Why bring a guy in who's the single worst pitcher that you have e r a Wise on the roster. It made no sense. Another thing that's.
It's kind of a far out.
Thing that bothers me. Heywood was a decent pinch hitter and they dumped them they needed. There were two times when he could have pinch hit, like the one guy this lineup.
Now, look at this lineup. Now, is he pinch hitting for Otani? Is he pinchating for Bets? Is he pinch hitting for ta Oscar Hernandez? Is he pinch hitting for Will Smith?
Fielder?
Who the guy that's in one seventy seven right now? Oh?
When he was in the game there, Well, you had Kevin Kiermeyer. You could have used Kevin Kiermyer to pinch it.
Yes.
Well, I'm not a big Hayward fan, but I think that in a pinchhit important position, he's done pretty good this year. So my last concern is Will Smith. Not only is he hit not hitting, but he's missing a lot of balls. There's five or six that were questionable that he normally seems like he would have gotten in front of.
Well, that's the one thing we agree on out of your whole phone call tonight, Ken, That's the one thing we agree on. There is big concern when it comes to Will Smith, And honestly, the bat's been slow since the month of May. And if you look at his numbers since the beginning of June, he's a two to oh one hitter since June first. And you want to talk about walks and him getting on He's a three h five on bass clip since June first, and his ops since June first is six sixty two. So I'm
with you. He's not chasing pitches outside of the stre zone. He's getting pitches in the strike zone and he's missing them. So I don't know if he's worn down or if there is something physical going on with him, but he has I've asked him numerous times that there is something. He has not said that there is anything specific. So if he's going to say he's fine physically, Uh, there's not much I could do to defend in that department.
Okay, So Barnes is hurt. Who would come in and replace Smith right now?
Hunter Fiducca, who they called up when they put Barnes on the.
Il all right, I wasn't even sure if they picked him up. All right, Well, hey, I can't leave them all, but this one kind of made me angry to see a guide. A matter of fact, I wrote it down when they bring me Kelly in, I said, this is wrong. You cannot bring this guy in with his last seven games numbers.
Well, he's been good as last two before tonight.
Well, seven games, eight fifty seven all I got for you.
All right, Ken, thanks for the phone call. Eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. Look, if Joe Kelly's active, Dave Roberts should be able to use him. You can't use the same relievers over and over again. Last night Ryan Brazier pitched multiple innings. Alex VESSI has been used a ton this year. He was used in his last time he pitched was on Wednesday. So yeah, it's been a few days. But there's obviously a little bit more that we don't know if Dave
Roberts is not using him in that spot. So you know, a lot of times when it comes to bullpen usage and why a guy's not being used or not. Uh, the obvious answer. I'm sure Dave Roberts knows it, but sometimes there's underlying issues as far as what he can or can't do in that spot. But the facts are.
You want to point the finger at Joe Kelly, Yes, he gave up a go ahead two run home running the tenth inning, But everybody's in love with Michael Kopek, and he wasn't himself on the second night of a back to back, and when he was in Saint Louis, same thing, back to back, velocity down. So I look at Dave Roberts pushing the right buttons. But unfortunately tonight relievers are the most vulerable part of your team, and unfortunately tonight Michael Kopek and Evan Phillips couldn't get the
job done. Let's go out to Monrovia. Frank, you're on Dodger Talk. How you doing, Frank?
Hey, Dave, you know, thanks for taking my call quickly. You know, just two things, you know, when Kelly went out there in the tenth you can you know, just those first couple of pitches, you could tell there was something off. You know, he usually comes out with a bit more.
I mean it takes a little bit.
More of a risk in the beginning, but there was just something about him today. It was noticeable right away, even when we were able to get a few of those warm up pitches, just there was just something in his movement. Second thing is that again, you know, taking five of six lately is not something to scoff at. But when we get the stakes this upcoming Labor Day weekend, it's gonna be tough because the middle of their lineup is no joke these days.
And then last question for me, Jerrel's back. That's the scariest part for the Dodgers and every other team in baseball. He is back, He is on fire, and it's unfortunate the Dodgers are not going to have They're two big signings of the offseason in trades, Tyler Glass now and Yoshiyama Moto available for what could be the biggest four game series in September to decide who wins the division.
Exactly, Dave, last big question for.
You, You know.
Seeing kirsh on the mound, you know it made me nostalgic. Will we ever, you know, based on the metrics, will we ever see another pitcher in the Dodge organization with more than one hundred complete games.
I would say I would bet the under on that the way teams are handling pictures, there might be a pendulum swing as more arm injuries occur, and maybe they try to convince pictures not only in college but in high school, to throttle down and not try to make their perfect pitch to last longer in games. But yeah, you know, Andy McCullough wrote a great biography on Kershaw called the Last of his Kind, and I feel like that's fitting in more ways than one, including that.
You know what, Dave, I just finished it a couple of weeks ago. I thank you for Pascale long to me and my dad, and that nostalgia there for seeing a complete game win, that many complete game winners is something I'll cherish.
You know, watching the game in the future.
All Right, Frank, thanks a lot for the phone call, appreciate it. And look, there may not be another three hundred game winner. Look, pitchers don't stay in the game long enough, and sometimes when they do stay in long enough, third time through the order, they're not allowed to be in there to try to get the win. And I just harken back to guys like Fernando to Kershaw, you want the ball in your hand because you feel like you have a better chance of winning that game than
trying to pass the baton to the bullpen. And that's no knock on any bullpen. But there's a reason why they're relief pitchers and they're not starting pitchers. Eight six six nine eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number we're gonna take a time out here on Dodger Talk. When we continue, more of your phone calls at eight sixty six nine eighty seven two five seventy. Also, you'll hear from Freddie Freeman and we'll let you know about the big step sho hey Otani took today to return
to the mound next season. Dodgers fall to the Rays in ten, nine to eight on A five seventy LA Sports.
On air at AM five to seventy, online at AM five seventy LA sports dot com, and available by podcast on the iHeartRadio app. This is Dodger Talk with David Bassa.
Here's Miguel Rojas based He's Epony one out for seventy al Rojas torches one left field one and.
Out of here.
Well, Rick Monday, we asked for some insurance to Miguel Rojas wasted no time against Joe Kunnell, providing so his fourth home run of the season. It's now seven five Dodgers.
The seventh inning belonged to Miguel Roja, se he hit his first home run since June, a big insurance run at the time for the Dodgers with one out in the seventh inning. And also, we all know about the great glove instincts baseball field Rojas has and that was on fold display in the seventh inning as he was able to help the Dodgers get out of a jam by throwing behind Brandon Laud to get a big first
out in that seventh inning. So Miguel Rojas did a great job tonight in a lot of different ways, and that seventh inning especially was Rojas's. Unfortunately, the Dodgers come up short tonight to the Rays nine to eight in ten innings. Daniel's Jewelers they are 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 owned the dream all right. Last night on Dodger Talk, it was a big celebration, and rightfully so of Shohi Otani, who became the Dodgers' first forty forty player. And Rick Monday was bringing this up during the game that there has been no one that has achieved forty forty in the same night, meaning nobody has stolen their forty base and also hit their
fortieth home run on the same night. But that was Otani who became the sixth player in baseball history to have a forty forty season, and right now he's on pace for a fifty to fifty season. No player in baseball history has ever achieved that accomplishment. But right now, especially after Otani hitting his forty first home run of the year, he is on pace for fifty home runs
and fifty stolen bases. How many guys also could say, you know what, forty forty walk off grand slam in the ninth inning, and you know the next day, I'm gonna start throwing to come back from my second elbow surgery. Not only throw like he has been in extending his flat ground catch play, but today was the first day we saw show hey Otani throw off the mound in the Dodger bullpen. The catcher was standing up, albeit and he only threw ten pitches from the mound, but that
was a huge marker. And Dave Roberts has been saying all season long that Otani would be throwing off the mound by September, and here we are a weak shy of September first, and Otani not shockingly is ahead of schedules. So Otani getting ready to be that unicorn next season for the Dodgers. He is not going to pitch in the playoffs, trust me. The Dodgers have a long term investment in Otani. They want him healthy on the mound, and Otani wants to be healthy on the mound for
next year as well. But it is a significant development in his rehab to become a pitcher again, a two way player with him throwing ten pitches off the mound with the catcher standing up today. Eight sixty six nine eight seven two five seventy is the phone number Dodgers fall to the race tonight in ten innings, nine to eight. Also in the excitement Ovotani's grand night last night to walk off with a grand with a Grand Slam, we never got to the Freddie Freeman reaction to Jason Hayward
being designated for assignment. Well before today's game, Freddie Freeman spoke to a couple of reporters and Fabi and Ardaya from the Athletic was one of them.
Forever how long he's here, he's going to make a lasting impact for many mini here beyond when he's done with his time here. And I think it's rings true. And every single person in this organizations clubhouse is sat.
You know.
That's the impact He's had on so many people, I mean lasting impact. And he made a lot of the young guys better. And that's that's why I really wanted to be here in the first place, because I know what kind of impact he's going to have on certain people's careers to say before.
All right, that was Freddy Freeman speaking to reporters before today's game. Freddy also added that Hayward really hasn't responded to any text messages, because you wouldn't feel great after getting fired from your job. But Freddie said he has gotten three texts back from Hayward. Obviously a very disappointing situation for Freddie and Hayward. They came up together through the Braves organization. Freddie was the one that advocated for
the Dodgers to give Hayward a chance. Last season it paid off, but this year it just never came to fruition. But as you can see, the Dodgers are not missing a beat. They got a lot of veterans in there. They've seen a lot in baseball. Even though they love Hayward and are disappointed to a certain extent, some more than others, obviously, but they all know that they have to keep moving forward because they certainly have something special in the works. Eight six, six nine, eight seven two
five seventy is the phone number. Let's go back out to the phones. Nate in Glendale. You're on Dodger Talk. How you doing, Nate?
I'm doing good. Dave, how are you?
I'm doing great. I'm a little surprised about the doom and gloom after one loss.
Oh well, I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to bring a little bit more of that. Oh wow, this show tonight. I was at the game and things really went down hill for me in the eighth inning when we brought Coopek out. Yeah, we brought we brought him out as our closer when we were in Saint Louis last week
twice and he got the job done both times. And then we brought him back out in the ninth yesterday and he had another one, two, three scoreless inning and we ended up winning that game, obviously, But then we throw him out there in the eighth inning today, and it just seems like we did the same thing with Hudson when he was in that closer role, where we'd be kind of moving, you know, him from the eighth to the sixth to the seventh, and he kind of got out of his rhythm. And you could kind of
see that with Copek today. I mean, he was leaving pitches over the middle, They were getting hit, the walk, runs were scoring, all that, and then.
And you think it's because he was there in the eighth inning, even though Dave Roberts has used him in the sixth inning, the seventh inning, the eighth inning, the ninth inning. And talking to Copax during the road trip, I could find that interview for you. He said he
has embraced the way the Dodgers deploy their relievers. Now I understand, I understand we all believe that Kopek has the stuff to be a closer, but Dave Roberts felt like those were the most dangerous hitters and he wanted Copek to base.
Yeah, I guess the bottom of the orders that they brought Copek in for that doesn't really seem like high leverage to me.
That's true. That's a good point. You're right. In the eighth inning, it was Josh Lowe and Cabierro who doubled off of him, and maybe there was a little less adrenaline.
Yeah, I mean that. And then the tenth inning, I mean, we had Daniel Hudson and Alex Vesia available, and you can't tell me that Joe Kelly is better than either of those guys.
I don't know what their status was, my book, I mean, we both don't know what their status was, whether or not they were even available, or if Dave Roberts was told to stay away from them.
Well, in the bottom of the tenth Hudson was getting loose before we lost, obviously, so he must have been available, and Vessio was getting loose in the seventh or eighth, but then he sat back down. So I think both guys were available, but obviously neither of them were used. And I don't know. I don't think Kelly was a better action there.
I didn't see Hudson warming up because where I'm standing in the ninth and tenth innings of games is right by the Dodger dugout the near side, and I can't see who's warming up. So I appreciate you letting me know Hudson was warming up in the tenth thinning. But yeah, if he was available, I guess that's not a bad play to use Hudson in a tied, tied game in the.
Tenth Absolutely, thanks for taking my call, all.
Right, Nate, thank you for the phone call. Yeah, if Daniel Hudson's available to warm up in the tenth thinning, then yeah, he was available to come into the game. But like I said, at some point, you got to try to use some other pitchers not named Daniel Hudson and Alex Vesia and Evan Phillips, and even to this extent, Michael Kopek and Joe Kelly had pitched pretty well the last two times out. He obviously just didn't have it tonight,
and he did throw curveballs tonight. Looking at the breakdown of his pitches, he threw six fastballs and five curves and that, I guess is a good sign. He just made a mistake slider pitch that was the go ahead two run home run to Jose Cabiero. And those are all fair questions, but nobody asked Dave Roberts about that in his postgame press conference, so we don't have the
answers until tomorrow. I will circle back with Dave Roberts to get his thought process on the eighth, ninth, and tenth innings of tonight's game for you, and we'll report back tomorrow. Eight six six seven, two five seventy is the phone number, David and Westlake. You're on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi David VV.
How are you? Thank you for taking my call. Yeah, that's a tough one tonight. I got a couple questions for you. If Bazooka comes back, and if you can give me an update on Bazuka, I appreciate it. If he comes back, who is the odd man out in the bullpen? Could it be Joe Kelly?
And very well might be Joe Kelly because I feel like there you could pick a lot of different body parts on Joe to put him on the il and not just lose him out right.
I agree, and I just he's got to give props to Mickey Road tonight. I mean, he made an incredible play at shortstop and he hit the ball well, and he's such a valuable component to this team. I really think he's going to help us a lot in October.
Yeah, I mean, it's great to have him at shortstop where he belongs, and Mookie betson right field, where he's a six time goal glover. So all of a sudden, now you have a goal glover at short you got a goal glover and right when Kevin kier Myers and center you got a Platinum Glove player and center, so you're up the middle defense. Your outfield defense is that much better. Thanks for the phone call, David, appreciate it.
And also before we close things out, I do want to point out, even though Will Smith has not been the same hitter that we're accustomed to seeing, he has been a great throwing catcher this year. He has thrown out thirty five percent of the runners attempting to steal. That's the best in the league. Thirty five percent throwing
out runners. That's a really good clip. And he had another one tonight, So kudos to Will Smith, who has a great throwing arm and certainly the pitchers are giving him a chance to be able to throw out runners at a thirty five percent clip. Now Tomorrow, Gavin Stone, who has been I would argue, the most consistent and reliable starter the Dodgers have had this season, will be on the mound to try to win the series for the Dodgers. He's eleven and five this year with an
ERA of three forty four. He's going up against Shane Boss who's one and two with an ERA of three forty eight. Marongo Casino. Dodgers on Deck begins at noon tomorrow with first pitch at one ten. That'll do it for us on Dodger Talk tonight. 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. That's also where you can find our pregame conversation with Ryan Pepio, one of three former Dodgers on the Rays, Johnny de Luca, who started in center field and had a big two run base hit off a Kershawn the first inning. Garrick Clevenger, who closed out the tenth inning for Tampa Bay for his fourth save of the year. And Ryan Pepio who has made nineteen starts for Tampa Bay with a whip just to tick over one and an el just over
three and a half. He's not pitching in this series. He's pitching on Monday in Seattle for Tampa Bay. So great to see Ryan Pepio and he has still got that Butler mullet flowing in South Florida once again. The final score tonight from Dodgers Stadium. The Dodgers fall to the Rays nine to eight and ten innings. Have a great rest of your night. See you