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 Vasse.
We are live at Dodger Stadium.
I'm after the Orioles hold on for a three to two win in Game one of this three game series.
Welcome to Dodger Talk.
David Vase with you until eleven thirty tonight here on five to seventy LA Sports.
We got a big show for you tonight.
Mike Soosha joined us on the Off Day Dodger Talk last night, and we are going to share part of that conversation with you. Since this is a series of two of the better young catchers in baseball, and Adalie Rushman and Will Smith, we'll hear from the man that caught more games than any other Dodger catcher in franchise history and is also a great teacher managing for twenty years with the Angels. So we'll hear from Mike Soosie and we'll get a catching clinic that he gave us
last night on the Off Days show. Also, Jose Moto will check in at the top of the hour, but between now and then, it's your phone calls at eight sixty six, nine eighty seven, two five seventy, and man, I have to say before we go any further, how impressive it was to have a sellout crowd of fifty two thousand, three hundred and eighty two at the end of August. That just shows the passion of this city for this team, and it was great to celebrate Salvadorian
Night here at Dodger Stadium. There were a lot of featured foods around the ballpark, and certainly there was a lot of Salvadorian pride at Dodger Stadium tonight. But nonetheless, fifty two thousand and three and it was legit because a foul poll to foul pole, every seat was taken. So that was pretty awesome to see on a Monday night.
You know, like I mentioned, when we travel around to these different cities, even on a weekend, they don't have a sellout and they don't have a stadium this big to sell out, So honestly, truly impressive to see a sellout crowd tonight here at Dodgers Stadium on a Tuesday night.
I apologize always feels like the first game of the series is a Monday, but first game of the series this week is Tuesday, as the Dodgers are closing out and All American League homestand this is the final leg of a nine game homestand that welcomed in the Mariners for a sweep. The Rays came in got lost two out of three to the Dodgers, and the Dodgers are looking to win the final two games of this series
to have a really successful home stand. And tonight the Dodgers blew a golden opportunity to gain a game on the Arizona Diamondbacks, who lost to JD. Martinez and the Mets tonight in Arizona eight to three. The Padres were in Saint Louis and beat the Cardinals seven to five. So this is your up to date standings in the NL West. The Dodgers now seventy eight and fifty four, three games ahead of both the Diamondbacks and the Padres in.
The NL West.
And we all know that there is a huge series looming beginning on Friday in the Desert, a wrap around four game series Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday in the Desert for the Dodgers, and it goes even into Tuesday in Arizona, so Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and also Monday, sorry, doesn't go into Tuesday.
Just stick with with me.
A four game series and the final time the Dodgers and Diamondbacks will see each other during the regular season. And by the way, speaking of all that and the implications that go into it, right now, if the postseason started, it would be the Diamondbacks and Padres playing in a best out of three wildcard series and the winner would
play the Dodgers. So the number one seed would play the winner of Arizona and San Diego as it stands right now, and honestly, if the Dodgers go into Arizona and even split four games, to me, that's a winning series for the Dodgers because there is a tiebreaker at stake, and also time is running out on Arizona if all they get is a split, and it's important for the Dodgers to have at least a three game lead over
Arizona going into that four game series. They're not going to have Yama Mode or Glass now pitching in that series. Jack Flaherty and Gavin Stone will be part of that series. And probably Kershaw because that's just the way the days line up, and those are right now the three best healthiest pitchers on their staff. So that's where things stand after tonight's loss. And look, the reason why I keep saying the Orioles held on is because they did just
barely hold on. That ninth inning was the Dodgers to take, and they almost did. Those were great at bats from start to finish. Miguel Rojas with a base hit to get that rally going in the ninth inning, Kevin Kiermier came off the bench to pinch run, and then you had great at bats by Max Munsey and Gavin Lox
and even Chris Taylor Monthly. He was fit to be tied in an at bat that probably could have ended differently if Jansen Visconte would have been a little bit more on the calls on the balls and strikes there.
And Munsey and the rest of the Dodger dugout had an argument there during that at bat that there was a pitch down and a way and it was it was called a strike, and I thought it showed some maturity from Max Munsey to gather himself after a call that went against him, and obviously he was upset barking at the home plate umpire during that at bat. But I love that Max Munsey was able to gather himself and continue that bat at bat and continue to fight.
There was the fourth pitch of that at.
Bat, ninety nine down in a way that was a ball, and then the fifth pitch of the at bat was a foul ball where Munsey was protecting the outer part of that strike zone. After that poor call on the fourth pitch of the at bat, So after Monthsy flies out, Gavin Lux comes to the plate. He's down two to Sir Anthony de Minguez, and somehow walks on nine pitches to set up Chris Taylor, who had a seventh pitch at bat hit the ball hard but right out the
left fielder to end the game. All in all, Sir Anthony Dominguez gets his seventh save, but through thirty two pitches in that inning, and the Dodgers come up a buck.
Short to the Orioles.
Tonight three to two, eight six six nine, seven, two five seventy is the phone number. Let's head downstairs right now to the Dodger Clubhouse to hear from Jack Flaherty, who loses his first game as a Dodger.
That's good.
There.
Checks out pretty good, and we'll see how it is tomorrow. Pfas freg here right now and you follow up on the progress of it. We need some more imaging and stuff, and I'll talk to enough for this.
We just.
Looked at a little bit, but I think we're pretty good stuff wise. How did you feel out there before and after the hit? I mean, all felt the same. I wouldn't have kept pitching if if things felt felt bad. That's just a situation there.
Trunter gets a hit and walk walk Tony, but just gonna go out and make pitches. And then Tail made a really nice play to get me out of that ending. But you know, overall, just two pitches that I really like back that they put the swings onto the ship and uh, you know, otherwise, just continue to find a ways to get out and I'm trying to get deeper, but.
I'd known the second one is that kind of way you're trying.
To throw it.
No, no, no, I'm not trying. I'm not trying to throw it there.
I don't know.
I think accounts one two there like I throw them, throwing them a handful of good ones and just uh need to get it more to the outer half and get it down away in there is where you can handle it. And you know he put a good swing on. It doesn't always happened. You know, hitting is hard, but you wanna you wanna fill up the zone. You want to go attack, but you want to make a better pitch there, and you know I would love to have that one back.
Is there any bruising or swelling on the wrist?
Is obviously wrapped up between innings after you got hit.
I mean I was able to go out and finish the finish the sixth with no real issues whatsoever.
And I'll see how it is.
Tom, He's fine.
Dave Roberts would not have sent him back out there for the sixth inning if there was any swelling or any bruising to his right pitching hand. Jack Flarerty's tough, but the Dodgers would have protected Flarity from himself in that situation. And really that fifth inning, I mean he was dodging bullets from the very beginning. Cedric Mullens sent a line drive right back at Flarerty and the ball went right into his mit. And then after the Ramon
Uias to run home run. It was Colton Kowser, the leadoff hitter, that hit Flarity on that right pitching hand, but luckily it caught the outer part of the meaty area of his hands. So the Dodgers and Flarity uh dodged a bullet no pun intended right there and Ramon Urias a slider that leaked out.
Over the middle part of the plate elevated. He did not miss it.
And even though he's the ninth hitter, he's a big league hitter and those are pitches that he's going to hit his tenth home run of the year. And I'm sure Jack wanted that back as soon as it left his hand, because he went down to his knees when that ball was traveling towards the left field seats over there at Dodgers Stadium. So a tough way for Flarity to lose. And honestly, we've heard this many times before.
You don't always lose games in the ninth inning, And to me, I felt like the key inning tonight was that fifth inning. Not only does Flarity make a mistake pitch to the ninth hitter for a go ahead, two run home run, but in the bottom half of the fifth inning, Keik Hernandez led off with a double Chris Taylor walked, So the eight to nine hitters for the Dodgers did their jobs for the big boys, and Otani
popped up to the third baseman. Mookie Betts flew out to the right fielder, and Taoscar Hernandez also flew out to right field, so they had first and second nobody out for their first three hitters, and they couldn't get a run across. All in all, the Dodgers were just one for eight with runners in scoring positions. So for me, that's where the game turned right there in the top half of the fifth and also the bottom half of the fifth inning, and the Dodgers fall to the Orioles Tonight.
Three to two eight six six, nine, seven, two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to John who is at Dodgers Stadium tonight. Hi, John, you're on Dodger Talk.
Hi.
How you doing great at the ballpark? Talking baseball? John doesn't get better.
Beautiful, you know, I'm I'm kind of nipicking that. I because I love Jackson. No, sorry, I think he's a great I think he's a great pitcher, but I'm kind of frustrated with him. I'd like to see him loose the ball up and down a little bit. I don't think he wasted up my pitches.
All right, I'll let him know your advice, John. I feel like he's done a pretty good job. He just made a mistake pitch there. But I understand what you're saying. You just can't go east and west. You got to go north and south a little bit more. I understand what you're saying.
Yeah, I think sometimes pitchers don't want to waist pitches are they want to cut their pitch count down. And I think it's so important to get that ball up of the strike.
Well, sometimes that's true.
I mean that's been in vogue for the last six or seven years, trying to get that strike at the top of the zone. But now it's kind of moved to getting the ball down and getting those lower strikes. I will say this, for Flaherty, early in this game, when things were going right for him, strike won. When things were not going right for him, ball won, and getting that first pitch strike was crucial to him. That was just a mistake pitch to Urius. He had two strikes on him and he made a bad pitch. So
maybe he outthought himself on that one. Throwing his third best pitch getting beat on his third best pitch, probably not the best.
Yeah, I agree.
I think you bitch good enough to night to win and we gotta we gotta hit the ball a little bit better.
Yes, they do.
Thanks a lot for the phone called John, appreciate it. Eight sixty six two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to the miracle mile, Fred. You're on Dodger Talk.
How you doing, Fred, I'm well yourself.
I'm doing great.
So what do we have to do to get rid of Chris Taylor?
What you didn't like Chris Taylor? Is that bad? In the ninth Inny Tonight? Fred?
I think Chris Taylor's ops plus this year, where one hundred is normal, is fifty. He's been dreadful the last two playoffs. He's been dreadful the last two years. Almost any player they have would be an improvement.
That's a little harsh for a guy that's come up with some big hits in his Dodger career. And the fact is Redd, he's under contract for big money. So you know what they say in professional sports, money plays. But I feel like you're being a little harsh, especially after at bat he had in the ninth inning tonight that was very good at bat. It just didn't work out. It happens sometimes. I'm sure Duke Snider and Gil Hodges didn't always come through in the ninth inning either.
Wait, are you comparing Chris Taylor to Gil Hodges.
I am not, but I'm just saying even the greatest of players don't always come through in the ninth inning.
He's very far from the greatest of players. He's that tree the team.
Okay, all right, Fred, I understand you don't like Chris Taylor. Would you rather have had Jason Hayward stay on the team over Chris Taylor.
No. I think you can bring up rushing. I think you can bring up outman. Again, there's a bevy of players who at least are young and need need to be blooded instead of veterans who do nothing and have done nothing for the last two years.
Well, I feel like veterans are more equipped to come off the bench better than young players. You want young players to get better and seasoning in the minor leagues. But I will say this, Fred, The one thing we agree on on this call, other than Chris Taylor's nack, Gil Hodges, is that Dalton Rushing could be a very interesting player for the Dodgers in September. He had two more home runs tonight in Oklahoma City, and there is a very real possibility you may see Dalton Rushing in September.
Fred hung up. I was trying to say I agreed with him. Sheesh.
I wasn't expecting that hate on Chris Taylor after the ninth inning. Wow, Fred on the miracle mile not giving CT three a lot of love.
Look, he has not had a great year, there's no way around that.
But before he got hurt, he certainly was starting to trend in the right direction. His ops was eight hundred, he was hitting two fifty, and he cut the strikeouts out by half the last thirty games before he went on the il, and tonight I thought he had good at bats. Wow, Fred, I'm shocked. I don't know what one of the few times I'm speechless after a caller. Eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. Luckily for Fred, he will not be
seeing Chris Taylor get regular at bats. Gavin lux will be back in there against the right handed Corbyn Burns tomorrow night. And speaking of the Dodger lineup, Freddie Freeman was out of it tonight despite having a day off yesterday, and he may not be in the starting lineup again tomorrow because the Dodgers want to get the inflammation out of Freddie's right middle finger that has a micro fracture in it. He sustained it in Saint Louis on the
last road trip fielding a ground ball. It got the top part of his right middle finger the nail area, and frankly, Freddy hasn't been the same guy since he had that micro fracture in his right middle finger. Freddie Freeman is just three for his last twenty three with no home runs and only two doubles. He just has not looked like Freddie Freeman, so he is human as well. And like I mentioned, the Dodgers have a huge four
game series against the Diamondbacks beginning on Friday. The Dodgers need Freddy Freeman to be in that starting lineup and to have some better feel in that right hand with that microfracture in his fingers. So hopefully he's ready to go and speaking of Freddie Freeman, his best buddy Jason Hayward, who was let go by the Dodgers last week, was signed by the Houston Astros. Jason Hayward is a Houston Astro.
And we also have an update on Yoshi Yamamoto. He is going to make his first rehab start since going on the IL tomorrow in Oklahoma City for two innings. Eight six, six nine seven two five seventy is the phone number. We're gonna take a time out here on Dodger Talk. When we come back, we'll check in with Jose Mota. After the Dodgers fall to the Orioles three to two on a f five to seventy LA Sports.
On air at AM five to seventy, online at amfive seventy LA sports dot com, and available by podcast on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Dodger Talk with David Bassi.
I'm still here, Fred from the Miracle Mild did not chase me away all as well. David Basse live at Dodgers Stadium. After the Orioles hold on for a three to two.
Win in Game one of this three game series. The Dodgers and Orioles got two more to go.
Here at Dodgers Stadium to close out this nine game All American League homestand for the Dodgers Tomorrow night show. Hey Otani Bobblehead Night, the second one of the season.
This time he's.
Holding his dog decoy and there is a lot of demand. First forty thousand in attendance will receive the Otani decoy bobblehead and I guess the Dodgers are spicing it up again. A few of them have been sprinkled in in all gold fake gold, the gold painting. Daniel's 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. Daniel's Jewelers Own the Dream. We'll check in with Jose Mota in a moment. You'll hear from Mike'sosha as well. But first let's take another phone call Danny, who is at Dodgers Stadium tonight part of the sellout crowd of fifty two thousand plus. Hi Danny, You're on Dodger Talk.
Hey Dan, thanks for gonna be on pleasure.
You gonna Are you going to just give me a warning?
Are you going to attack Chris Taylor the way Fred from the Miracle Mile did, because I'll get ready.
No, no, no, lay no.
Is uh.
You know, if the team's gonna ride with him, I'm gonna ride it him too.
You know.
I was there for the three home run game in the playoffs. I watched that happen. That was amazing. This guy's done a ton of amazing plays for the team over the years, and he just gotta trust that he still has in him. You know, if the team's gonna believe in him, then as fans, we should believe in
him too. And he did have a really good at bat to day and that's something that I like that Dave robertson a few days ago when he was asked about Chris Taylor and he said, all he wants to see good at bats, And I think that's a great approach because the guy can play all over the field. You can use him as a pitch runner, and he
has an experience. It don't be surprised if he shows up in October it has a big hit or two down the line, because that's the kind of player, and he is, so you can't count on him out just yet.
So no, I'm not gonna talk trust.
That's not my cup day to talk trust about Chris Taylor.
Wow, Danny part of the Chris Taylor Marching Chowder Society.
I like that, Danny, all right? What else he got?
Well, you know the thing with Freddy's finger. You know, I'm on the thought if if it's not right, then
let him sit and let him rest. And I hope they do let him rest for a few days at least, And if he's gonna be out of the lineup, I'm thinking, you know, I would like to see MaTx Monthsely in that three spot because I think it'll the lineup integrity holds a lot better when you say, when he's still to the left right left, because you saw to day and Dave mentioned that too, how they were able to line up to the bulking against them with the way
the lineup, the structure. I think Munsey is the kind of hitters given against the left handed pitcher, you know, he he hits well against left pander's or he'll give you that good at that. I would like to see him that three spot of Freddy's gonna be outlive. I wouldn't mind.
Seeing that, all right, that's fair.
Tomorrow Corvin Burns is going to be on the mounds, so you're either going to see Monsi or Gavin Lux hitting third if Freddy's out, which I kind of feel like he will be. That's kind of the feeling I'm getting that Freddy. The earliest he's going to play is Thursday in the finale. The Dodgers need him right or as close to being right for that four game series in Arizona without doubt.
Man, he brings so much to the lineup.
Are you coming to the Desert, Danny? You're bringing the family to the to support the Dodgers.
Well, I would if I could. Man, we're gonna get out there in a few weeks. I was trying to get tickets where tomorrow, but that didn't happen. So we'll see if I'll get out there as soon as.
I can do.
All right, Danny, thanks for the phone call, Thanks for coming out tonight. Appreciate it.
On a Tuesday night, a sellout crowd at Dodgers Stadium, by the way, with the Dodgers loss and Arizona losing, and the Padres winning Arizona and the Padres are three games back of the Dodgers, and as far as the best record in baseball goes, the Dodgers are now tied with the Phillies for the best record in baseball. Dodgers fall to the Orioles tonight, three to two. Let's head out to our guy, Jose Mota.
It's time to go around the horn with Jose Mota.
Jose Mota.
That ninth inning, we both had a front row seat to Sir Anthony Demingez holding on by the hair of his chinny chin chin right there, and that ninth inning felt like the Dodgers were going to come back with those great at bats.
I was getting ready, just like you, Dave, to get on that field and get somebody to interview and find a hero.
Right.
But you know, you and I talk about more matter sometimes, and it's it's a it's a thing to go out there and put some get up bats towards the end. Things have not come your way. You're still playing a playoff team and grind out.
Man.
Just go out there and know that you saw their closer who made up with thirty pitches and the guy that's been pretty erratic and their bullpen is not a bullpent that obviously away from you know the guy today, they did a very fine job. But you can go out there and get those guys and there's no doubt that you can build off from me at them from the ninth inning and build up with that and then the get going to me.
It might go.
Unnoticed because the Dodgers did not come back in the ninth inning. The best at bat at that ninth inning was Gavin Lux down two and works a nine pitch walk.
To keep the inning alive.
I agree with you, and we have that view that on the field and you see the speed of the game and how he's a in the game and the pitches he's laying off of knowing today be aware that you mentioned this what top of Zoner is being called or not called in turn because he did a good job just protecting and defending and for Gavin, whom I for sure know that he can handle lefties and righties at this point in his season where he is, I'm sure they can get take that at bat and know
that he can go out there and take the same approach on waiting the baseball, let the ball trup a little bit more trust his hands and go out them spread out and sometimes even as he told me now, he'll go out there today with a two strike approach early in counts to make sure he doesn't get too long with his bat, Jose.
It felt like the fifth inning was the key inning of this game, outside of the ninth, where the Dodgers almost came back. They had a golden opportunity with the eight to nine hitters at first and second, nobody out, and the big boys couldn't get them home after Baltimore took the lead in the top half of the inning.
Yeah, the bottom part of that lineup does their job, and all your hope is that the top goes out there and.
Does the same thing.
And obviously those guys are targets. Those are the guys that opposing teams say they're not going to beat me. And they make good pitches on all three of those guys. Ton three at the ball quite well to the opposite field, and Santander, who is sometimes not overlooked the defender, made it two very fine plays today and that was.
Pretty much the case.
You know, in that case, one thing that you do want to see, Dave is a deeper, more fought at bat for the guys. They're supposed to do that, but they did not get good looks at all in the key situation there, and that's why the orders made the pitches and he does some soft contact.
Jose Mota is joining us. After the Dodgers fall to the Orioles tonight three to two. Jose Tomorrow, Walker Bueller is on the mound for the Dodgers. Am I overstating this is a kind of crossroad start for Bueller?
Obviously?
He says he gets he's getting closer and closer against the Mariners. He had more movement on his pitches than what we have seen. Is this a make or break start for Walker Bueller tomorrow against a good offense.
It could be.
I mean, there's going to be a big test from the middle that lineup from the top to number five. They can go out there and hurtual mistakes and for walk here for the Dodgers, obviously, you want to give him the longer LEAs because he's done it before. Now it's a matter of where his mind is. And one thing for sure today when you have the ability to throw five or six pitches, sometimes that is an issue. Go out there and find two or three that are
working for you, and forget about the scountry report. That's one thing to throw away the scouty report. See what's working for you and react on what hitters are doing against you and taking pitches and filling balls off. It's a Flowerty did today against Elojimenez. He's say to break them all the entire time. A couple of fastbaals hit the ball and he just can not pull the trigger. So for a guy like Walker competes so much, and you just love to see the bulldog, you know, attitude
on the mound. Just whatever's working, go out there and work with that. Don't try to be pretty and set people up. Just go out there and understand that your stuff is good enough to get people out and hopefully out the mental side. Knowing that he said after the last time that he did take a step forward.
And if you're Will Smith and the ball's moving and his fastball's moving as much as it was in his last start, don't try to nibble on the edges. Just put your glove right down the middle and let Walker Bueller eat and let the baseball and the fastball life do its job right.
A lot of times as Mike Sosha you know very well, has told me and taught me many many years with the Angels guys when the ball's moving and sinker ball guys, don't get too pretty with them. Just allow the ball to do his natural thing. And there are times in which sometimes even the humidity and dryness will allow you to see things that perhaps don't happen on a regular basis. But whatever he has that day, even arm angle could
change things in the way the ball moves. Just apply it and just go out and hitter reactions before trying to make it too pretty, to make it better, to make a more perfect pitch, Just try to make a better pitch in that situation.
Everybody knows what Walker Mueller's ceiling is and what it could be if he got if he gets right for the postseason, But Jose, the Dodgers only have a three game lead in the division. How much longer can they try to wait and be patient for Bueller to figure it out and not compromise their bullpen and obviously try to win games Going into Arizona.
The least shower set is very short, and you're counting only to you know on the results that you've seen and the opportunity you've been given a couple of times, and you are not setting guys up to see how they test out. It's a matter of winning. These are winnable games. You gotta go out there and know that you know when somebody's not giving you any lench. There's a lot of things to get compromised, as you mentioned,
with a bullpen. Same time, we go out there and see how we pitched through one part of the order, second time around, hopefully a third time around, and gives you everything he has. There's no testing times right now. This is going out there and just knowing that there's people rereading on you and every single ditch counts.
But hopefully we'll see.
It from Phage because you need him to be good.
Yeah, they do, and everybody's pulling for Walker Bueller to have a really good start tomorrow night. It would help him and it would help the Dodgers. Jose, thanks a lot for checking in. We'll talk to you tomorrow night after game two of this three game series, and hopefully we're celebrating Walker Bueller getting back on track.
Dave, good to see everybody again, Good to see you, and good to be back all right.
Hose, great to have you back, thanks for the phone call. There he goes Jose Mota, who checks in after every game part of the Dodgers Spanish radio broadcast and tonight filling in on sports Net LA on the sidelines. Eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. Dodgers fall to the Orioles tonight, three to two. Like I mentioned earlier, it bears repeating the scoreboard watching the Diamondbacks fell to the Mets eight to three in Arizona.
It snaps their six game winning streak, and the Padres were winners tonight in Saint Louis, beating the Cardinals seven to five. So the Cardinals, excuse me. The Padres and Diamondbacks are both three games back of the Dodgers in the NL West. Now, last night we had an off day Dodger talk show and we had Joe Kelly join us and share with us some behind the scenes regarding
Otani's forty forty night. And we also were joined by former Dodger Mike Soshia, two time World Series champion in eighty one and eighty eight with the Dodgers and the only manager to lead the Angels to a World Series championship after twenty years of managing them, and Mike Sooshia, who managed Team USSA in the last Olympics, is going to manage the Team USA baseball team this November, and
what they're calling the Premiere twelve. It's the twelve best teams in the world as far as baseball goes.
And because USA is.
Going to be the host country for the twenty eight Olympics, it's not a must win in this tournament, but certainly it's a great measuring stick for what they're going to be up against in twenty twenty eight here in Los Angeles. And Mike Sosha is going to be the manager this November of the Premiere twelve squad, and he also has Dodger third base coach Dino Ebol joining his staff and a special assistant to Andrew Freeman Ron Renicky on his
staff Dave Wallace, former Dodger pitching coach. One of the best this game has ever seen is his pitching coach. So the press release said, eighty four years of experience on that coaching staff and a lot of baseball wisdom, that's for sure. And during our conversation last night with Mike Sosha I brought up the fact that we're seeing a lot more catchers interference this season than we ever
have before. In fact, an opposing player told me once this season, if you read, I'll teach, meaning that I'm not going to cut short my swing. So here was Mike Soosha last night on off Day Dodger talk about the abundance of catchers interference we're seeing and also giving us a catcher's clinic enjoy.
Well, there's no doubt that the catching business position is changing. You know, I'm not going to say it's for the better, but it's changing into and it's evolving into really trying to steal a strike, steal a low strike. You're moving your glove a lot, You're trying to catch the ball out in front to keep it keep that low pitch looking like it's a strike. And at times your glove's going to get out there a little bit early and you're going to get some interference calls, that's for sure.
It's just really the it's a philosophy of you know a lot of analytically driven teams to say, look, we're going to do everything we can to steal that low pitch, and here's the way you have to do it.
So there's a lot of glove movement.
The glove is out in front, and you know, my position on this whole thing is you always want to represent a good target for the pitcher. And we were taught to get low strikes back in nineteen seventy six instructional League. I remember being taught how to get a low pitch from guys like Johnny Roseboro and Del Crandall and Roy Campanella. And you were in a conventional stance, and you learned how to get up underneath that low pitch and frame it and make it look good. And
they've taken it to the nth degree. So you're going to see a little lot more movement. You know, there's certainly a one knee aspect to catching right now, to try to get low that is, that is making some of the other things, not that it's impossible, but some of the other things the catcher has to do a little more difficult. So, you know, just so you're talking
about catchers, interferences is up for this simple reason. These you know, catchers are reaching a little bit to try to keep that low pitch looking like a strike.
I remember growing up they would always talk about a good catcher is quiet behind the plate. That doesn't sound very quiet when you're moving. As much as these guys.
Are, well, you're certainly not quiet. And before, even before you're receiving the ball, I think it's important to give and give that pitcher a definitive target. That's part of the pitcher catching communication that are so important. I think pitchers need to have that target. They need to understand what their focus is. Uh. There's an old adage in almost every sport. I know it's in golf and baseball.
We talk about it aim small, miss small. So if these pitchers can get a good target and really zero in on what part of your glove, there's a better chance they're going to execute a pitch. So you know, that's where I think. You look at Bob Boone, what a tremendous receiver he was, How quiet he was, Johnny Bench, you know, all the all the great receivers that were you know a little before me. But those guys were the class of their own and the league of their own.
And I think it has a lot of merit on the way they receive the ball and they they got more strikes called then, uh, you know than anyone else on borderline pitches.
Yeah, you guys were pretty good back in the day without trying to do all these different things.
Uh.
I guess you used to present the strike. That's the term that you used to talk about, right, Mike, present the strike to the umpire and not try to yank it.
Oh you want to you want to hold that ball there and and and you're right, give the umpire a good look where you held that ball. You know, you worked on getting strong hands and being able to control the ball. That was That was all part of the training you went through as a young catcher. And I'm sure it's the same now as far as how important you know, you know, the party they put on having strong hands and controlling the ball. It's just there's a there's a huge there's a huge gap in the guys
that put the ball on the plate. Put them put the glove on the plate, and they come up to catch a pitch and then they keep going. You know, it almost ends up high higher or you know, or waist high on a pitch that was maybe four inches low. So there's a lot of glove movement. I think you're going to see some issues and guys on if a guy's running and some of the transfers that go on. It's just a different philosophy that's really in play right now.
David.
That was like a clinic on catching, a free clinic from one of the greatest defensive catchers of his generation, the one and only Mike Soosha. That was awesome and couldn't agree more. Even in that ninth inning tonight Will Smith was on one knee and couldn't block the ball and he tried to backhand it and it got behind him. Luckily for the Dodgers, it did not come back to haunt them. But that's the norm these days in catching,
and there are different ways to do it. But it seems like what is being taught today is I guess okay, But certainly you can find a way to get the low strike calls and be able to do a lot of other athletic things behind the plate by not going down on one knee. So if you want to hear the full conversation with Mike Soshia, you can find it on the iHeartRadio app. Speaking of Dodger catchers, Austin Barnes, who is on the IL with a fractured left big toe.
Seems to be okay sim game today caught a bullpen. He is going to be activated on Thursday for the Dodgers before the final game of this three game series against the Baltimore Orioles.
Speaking of the rest.
Of this series tomorrow, Walker Buehler is making a huge start. It is somewhat of a crossroad start for Walker Buehler. He's one and four with an ERA of six to zero nine, going up against former Brewer Corbin Burns, who is twelve and six with an ERA of three twenty eight in his first season with Baltimore Morongo Casino. Dodgers on Deck begins at six o'clock with first pitch from Dodgers Stadium at seven to ten. Then I'll do it
for us on Dodger Talk tonight. Thanks to Colin Ye back at our Burbank Studios, Thanks to Dwayne McDonald out here at Dodgers Stadium.
And thanks to you for listening.
In case you missed any of the show, you can find it on the iHeartRadio app.
Once again.
The final score tonight from Dodgers Stadium. The Orioles hold on for a three to two win. We'll talk to you tomorrow night, Fox Sports Radios.
Next, see ya,