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 Talker fight Back, David Basse.
We are live at Dodgers Stadium after the Padres turn a game ending triple play to beat the Dodgers tonight by a final score of four to two. Welcome the Dodger Talk. David Vasse, live at Dodgers Stadium, taking your
phone calls until eleven thirty tonight. As you can imagine, there's a lot of reaction to the way this game ended tonight, as the Padres have cut the Dodgers' lead to two games in the NL West with five to go, including two more games in this series, and a shocking way to end this game, a game ending triple play Number one. You don't see triple plays that often. The last time the Dodgers hit into a triple play was
ten years ago. We don't need analytics or percentages to know that a triple play was highly unlikely in that situation, but it did happen. And the last time a game ended in a triple play was June twentieth, twenty twenty one at Yankee Stadium, where the Yankees turned a game
ending triple play against the Oakland A's. The Dodgers had momentum on their side in the bottom of the ninth inning, key K a Hernandez doing key K a Hernandez things when it matters the most, driving in I run and putting on a lot of pressure against the Padres and Robert Suarez, so much pressure that Mike Shilt had Wandy Peralta warming up the lefty behind Suarez to probably face Sho hai Otani if he got to the play. He never got to the plate because Miguel Rojas into hit
into a game ending triple play. You heard Dave robertson The Clubhouse Show and on sports Net LA say the reason why he took the bun off was because he saw the Padres getting ready for the wheel play, which means both corner infielders are crashing right away and you're having the shortstop Bogarts go to shortstop or go to third base to cover third. Well, I just looked at the play that Rojas was showing bunt on the first
pitch from Suarez. The wheel play was not on when Rojas showed bunt all of a sudden, Machado was late reacting at third base and Bogarts was going to cover the second base back and Donovan Solano also was late to to come in on that play as well, So the wheel play was not on when Rojas showed it initially.
And then if you look at the play where he decided to swing away and the bunt was off, Machado and Solana were pinching and Bogarts was maybe taking a couple of steps towards third base, but nobody was crashing. And even if they were, why are you allowing the padres to dictate what you should do? And that's find a way to have Otani and Mookie Betts come to the plate with runners in scoring position. Miguel Rojas has
done a phenomenal job all season long. Mind you, Miguel Rojas also leads the Dodgers and executed sacrifice bunts this season. He's executed two that leads the team. So I know the Dodgers are not really a belief in doing that
and giving up outs. But in that situation, if we're talking that the Dodgers are playing this game like a postseason game, and you have Miguel Rojas, the number nine hitter, at the plate with runners at first and second, nobody out, with Otani, Betts and Freddie Freeman do to come up with nobody out, you're telling me in a playoff game, you're letting Miguel Rojas swing away and allowing the opposing team to dictate you taking the bunt playoff. I'll just
preface everything right here, right now. I love Dave Roberts. I believe he has done a really good job this season, but I disagree with that, and you gotta give Otani a shot to come to the plate with runners at second and third. It's not about the triple play, as he always says, You're always gonna second guess if the play doesn't go the way you would wanted to or
if it turns out negatively. Nobody thought it would end in the triple play, but you would expect Rojas to still attempt to bunt the ball and allow Otani and Bets to come to the plate. And even if they decide to intentionally walk Otani, which I'm not sure Mike Shilt was going to do because he had the lefty Wandy Perralta warming up, you have a guy that has hit three point eighty with runners in scoring position in mookie bets that would be coming up with the bases loaded.
We have seen that movie twice already in Anaheim and also just recently in Atlanta when Brian Snicker did the same thing. You got to bunt it to third or you deaden the bunt to first base. You have options, and you have a veteran that is very experienced in handling the bat in those situations. Speaking of Miguel Rojas, let's go down stairs right now to here from the Dodger veteran on sports at l A.
Yeah, definitely a tough one for myself, and I feel like I got an opportunity to get the bone down early on on the bad but kind of couldn't get a job done there then just because the way that they were playing the defense. If I think it makes sense for me to swim the bat there and have totally confident that I can get to a fastball, unfortunately hit on the ground and and it's been tough for me the last couple of days. I haven't been able
to get a job done. But definitely this one, especially for me, I think I let that team down in that one.
So the first time scoring around that was your call to the first time.
No, it was a bond sign in the first one, and then they let me hit on the second one when.
You saved the way the defense is playing, Like, what did you see specifically that?
Yeah, many a there was in and Bogers was chief into third base. So if I if I make a harbore like I supposed to the third base, they probably get that out there. So they let me hit on the sit right there, and I gotta fastball in. I handled that pitch well and I just hit it hard right into the ground, and unfortunately I could I get the job done.
What did you think of the play that man made on that ball?
Well, I couldn't see. I haven't I haven't checked. I just hit the ball and put my head down and started running because it was a possibility because I hit it pretty hard. But definitely, Uh, I wasn't trying to hit a grand ball there. I was trying to hit something hard, obviously.
Uh.
When when it happens to to be like that, just a grand ball right at the third basement, it's it's unfortunately, how frustrating were just all the mischances you guys had tonight, you know, even before the ninth and yeah, it was a lot of them. We got a lot of situations where we got opportunity to score.
Runs early in the game.
And this is kind of one of those games that kind of teach you that early runs can win the game too. So we gotta continue to have good at bats when when Ronnie is scring position and early in the game, you never know what kind of what run is gonna win the game for you.
How much pressure do you guys feel, not just to try to close up the division, but also you know, play.
Well in this kind of series going into the postseason.
Yeah, this is kind of a mini pos season for us, you know, like a three games heeries that we need to win the series, and we got an opportunity tonight. Obviously, we we didn't get it done. We got to come back tomorrow, win tomorrow, and win the next day. So I feel like that's the mentality of everybody in this clubhouse trying to trying to win this series is going to be important for us going forward in the playoff.
All Right, there's Miguel Rojas on sports net LA. He obviously saw the same thing that Dave Roberts was seeing from the dugout. But when you look at the replay and we have a camera angle that is high above home plate, here, Xander Boguards on the game ending triple play was playing at straight up shortstop. And yes he was cheating, maybe a step or two once the ball was put in play, But by no means with Solano
or Machado crashing. Adrian and who played first base for the Dodgers for a number of years, was the best at crashing. The wheel play was his specialty. That's not what we were seeing on that play or what it was appearing to be. That's not the wheel play. We saw it here with the Dodgers for a long time, and Adrian Gonzalez was the best. Donovan Solano, by the way,
is not known for his glove. So if you're concerned about Machado making the play deaden the ball to first base, make Solano make a play, Make Bogarts and Machado make a decision right there, who's going to cover third base. Xander Bogarts, by the way, has not been sure handed at shortstop, as evident by the throw he made in the first inning one thing I will say as well.
This game had a couple of opportunities for the Dodgers to really not give the Padres hope and leave the door open, especially in the second inning with the bases loaded. Mookie bed strikes out to end in that inning. I felt like that was a key inning for the Dodgers to maybe get a couple of more runs on the board after Croninworth hits a go ahead two run home run. Jake Croninworth, by the way, had no RBIs in the month of September. Tonight he drives in three of the
four Padres runs. Eight six, six, nine, seven, two five seventy is the phone number. Padres beat the Dodgers four to two. But I know you're freaking out, and I know I was getting texts throughout the game. Everybody's freaking out over a two to one deficit in the fourth inning, a four to one deficit halfway through the game. Season's over, Sky's falling in. The Padres are winning the World Series. Last time I checked, there's two more games to go in this series. The Dodgers have a two game lead
in this division. These games mean more to the Padres than they do to the Dodgers. Time is on the Dodgers side. Are the Dodgers playing their best baseball right now?
Absolutely not. Are the Padres playing their best baseball? Yeah? Probably, considering they're forty one and seventeen since the All Star break, which reminds me of the twenty thirteen Dodgers when in July and August of that year you remember the wild horse Yasio Puige making his major league debut, Hanley Ramirez coming off the IL, all that came together for that team when they went forty two and twelve. The Padres are forty one and seventeen since the All Star break.
You gotta sometimes tip your cap to the opponent. And right now the Padres are the best and hottest team in Major League Baseball. They are a freight train right now, and you saw how they do it. Nobody's trying to be a hero tonight. It was Croninworth in Bogarts. It wasn't Tattoos and Machado. Eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to Rick and Glendale. Lead us off on Dodger Talk.
How you doing, Rick, Hey, Dave, how are you doing? Thanks for having me on. Yeah, I'm I'm very frustrated because I I heard Roberts uh after game comments and he doesn't take accountability. You know, say I made a mistake, I let him hit away. I don't care. It doesn't matter what the count is. If it's owing two three, two too two, you bun I don't care if the fight be from home play the entire info. You bun
him over. The worst second happened is he pops it up, or they get him out of third, or he moves them, and the best thing is move him over, they walk with Tani or like you said, they may be pitched to him. You still have a chance with Betts, and you know on Uh Freeman Freeman coming up potentially after.
Bets, even if it's not a triple play, all of a sudden, the rallies killed because he hit into a double play. So all of a sudden you go from runners at first and second nobody out, to a double play where you know you got maybe a runner at second, maybe a runner at third, with Otani coming up as the potential game tying run with two outs. That's a lot different than second and third nobody out, or second and third one out with Otani, Betts and Freeman coming up.
And you know Rojas too, he's a veteran and he's done great all year. I mean, I'm glad we have him, but he's got a thing too. You know what, They're letting me hit away, but I'm going to try to put it down.
Oh, you gotta follow what the manager sending. If if they did not send a bunt sign in the first pitch, then all of a sudden, you could say, all right, Rojas, you take it upon yourself, because some Dodgers have done that this season. But when the manager is putting on the bunt play on the first pitch and then all of a sudden, it's taken off you as the player,
now you're starting to go rogue. And that's not the right play he did with the manager asked him to, and that was to swing away, unfortunately, something you rarely see, a game ending triple play. Thanks for the phone call, Rick, appreciate it. Let's go out to Raymond who was at Dodgers Stadium tonight. Raymond, it felt like everybody in the stadium was a little shocked and in disbelief that the game ended in a triple play.
Man you're talking. Oh brother, you hit so many good points. You called it the Roberts. It's all on Roberts. He's got to be He's got to be.
Held account of bo.
He needs to treat this game like a playoff. Ro just mentioned that it's like a mini playoffs and for and I don't agree with you saying that this needs more.
This game in more more to the Potters than the Dodgers. I didn't say.
Well, I did say that it did mean more to them because they're the one chasing the Dodgers.
Yeah, but you know what, Harston was on UH with Fred Rogan on UH on the radio, and he mentioned about the regular season being a boxing fight and playoffs being a dog fight. Well, you know what, we got a little taste of the dog fight today and we lost.
We lost.
I don't want to it.
Of a boxing match. It felt like the Dodgers needed some smelling salts. Halfway through this game. I'm not sure they realized it started at seven ten, just like they weren't sure Sunday's games started at one ten. They had Michael King on the ropes, they really did, and they'd failed to take advantage of that. Raymond, but the Dodgers are still in the driver's seat of this division and getting hopefully a bye coming into the game tonight, Raymond,
I'm not sure you realize this. The Dodgers have the best record in baseball. That's how good the Padres are, That's how good the NL West is this season.
I agree with you, but it's as a Dodger fan has been coming a little frustrating to lose games like this on I had you.
I'm with you that it's unfathomable that a game like tonight would end in a triple play, Raymond, and that's why we're all in disbelief and very much frustrated. Nobody's more frustrated than Dave Roberts, Miguel Rojas and the Dodgers.
And by the way, the San Diego Padres, who won their ninety first game of the season tonight, beating the Dodgers four to two and officially clinching their postseason birth, obviously have celebrated in their clubhouse at Dodgers Stadium, and now the entire team has come out between home plate and first base to take a team photo with their
goggles on their heads. So they obviously celebrated unsure if they would be able to celebrate a division championship, because they know as well as we do this is on the Dodgers side as far as winning an NLS championship, and that's the reason why the Dodgers did not do what the Padres are doing right now and celebrating just a postseason birth. They are in the driver's seat with all the disappointment and frustration of the way this game
ended tonight. If the Dodgers win the next two games here at Dodgers Stadium with Jack Flaherty and Walk Bueller on the mound, the Dodgers are the NLS champions. Triple play or no triple play? Eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to Joe in Monrovia. Yeah, clear that throat, Joe, you're on the air.
How you doing, Yeah, Hi, Dave? Yeah, Okay. A couple points one. The Dodgers do not have the best starting pitching.
They got a.
Good bullpen, but I've seen what happened the triple play. Yes, he should have bunted, but I've seen a lot of this during the year. Runners at first and third, one out or no out, runners at first and second pop up that they need to sacrifice more bunt, get the ball and play to get the runners over to even play, you know, to play for a run at one time. They don't do that, and I don't understand it.
The Earth team they want.
A lot of home runs. That that's not you know, if you've been watching the Dodgers the last ten years, that's not theirhilosophy. I will say this, Dave Roberts is the manager that is more inclined than any other that I've seen to employ the safety squeeze. So Dave Roberts has used the bunt play to the Dodgers advantage. He just saw something that made him hesitate to try to do it again, and unfortunately it ended in not a double play, it ended in a game ending triple play.
Thanks for the phone call, Joe, we got a full boarder calls at eight six six nine, eight seven two five seventy. After the Padres beat the Dodgers for the eighth time this season. The Padres are eight and two against the Dodgers in their first ten meetings this season. They obviously have won the season series and that's why a two game lead in reality is only a one game lead for the Dodgers because San Diego holds the tiebreaker,
And that's why Sundays win over the Rockies. That walk off, back to back home run win by the Dodgers was so big in so many different ways. If you lose that game, you come into this series just two games ahead of the Padres. You lose this game in this fashion, all of a sudden, you're only one game up with the Padres holding the tiebreaker. That's the reason why Sunday's win was so huge. Eight six six seven two five seventy is the phone number. All right, let's head down
to San Diego. Charles, you're on Dodger Talk. Are you a Padres fan or are you a Dodger fan and a fish out of water down there?
Oh?
Yeah, suld to me by that for a first comment, But yeah, I'm a fish out of water definitely. So I get it going to work and everywhere I go. So yeah, yeah, he hit the points that I wanted to make, you know, most of them left a little bit beat on the bone for me.
Look at you izing up professional words right there, Charles.
What do you do for uh? I'm an engineer even meet on the bone.
That's something Joe Davis would say.
So, yeah, definitely he should have bunded for for a couple of reasons. You know, I can point out that, as you said, I can point out several different things you have the game. I can pick n pick at and whatnot that the doctors weren't doing or you know, should have been doing. But the uh, one of the
main reasons was why he should have bunded. Well, you got the arguably the best hitter in the history of baseball coming up at next at bat and then fall up by potential m v P if he didn't get heard so and if if Roberts was so afraid of them crashing on both sides from first and third, why didn't he like sorty'll do like abundant run And it's basically the whole key is to get the man over, you know.
For that.
The other reason is you take out the double play.
Yeah, if you want the wheel plays on the base runners have to recognize that the runner at first base has got to get a bigger lead because the first baseman is playing in front of him, and the runner at second base has the opportunity of getting a better secondary jump so there are ways Even if the Padres were employing the wheel play, which they were not, those two corner infielders were not crashing, they were pinching. If that's the case, then the base runners have the opportunity
to get a bigger secondary lead. And the lead runner at second base was Tommy Edman, who is really, uh not that slow of a runner. So yeah, that's a great point. Charles. Thank you for the phone call. Eight six six nine seven two five seventy is the phone number. We're going to take a time out here on Dodger Talk. When we come back, more of your phone calls. As the Dodgers fall to the Padres tonight four to two in a game ending triple play on a five to 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 Bassey.
David Bassey live at Dodgers Stadium. After a game ending triple play goes in the favor of the San Diego Padres with a four to two win, Dodger Talk with you until eleven thirty tonight, We have a full board of calls. I feel like we can go into Wednesday morning, but we're not going to do that. Obviously, a disappointing loss. Obviously the race is on as the Dodger lead is down to two games, with the Padres hold the tiebreaker, winning eight of the first ten meetings in this season series.
So definitely this race is not over with, but the Dodgers are still very much in control. 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. Let's talk about the good that happened in that ninth inning before we get back to the phone calls.
Keike A Hernandez got into this game, came up with another clutch hit in the bottom of the ninth inning to really put pressure on Robert Suarez. It cut the lead to four to two and gave the Dodgers the opportunity and momentum with runners at first and second and nobody out. If you look at Gavin Lux. Since August twenty first, he's only hitting one ninety one. It just feels like Gavin Lux is not only physically spent at this stage of the season, but mentally spent as well.
There is no player on this team that is built for October more than KEYK a Hernandez. That was one of the reasons Brandon Gomes the Dodgers gm cided all the way back in spring training when games were already being played. When they made room to sign key K a Hernandez, it was for October. And ever since Keyk got his eyes checked and fixed, he has been hitting the baseball really well. The month of August before Max Munsey came back, he was one of the best hitters
the Dodgers had against righty's and lefties. What I'm suggesting is Kei K a Hernandez to be the Dodgers every day second basement in October, maybe as soon as tomorrow, even against Dylan c I really, you know, Gavin Lux has had a really good comeback season. It just feels that physically, mentally, emotionally, he's not where the Dodgers need him to be, and he has had to fight through a lot to come back from a very severe right
knee surgery Achille surgery. He had a great month six week span, but he's hitting one ninety one since August twenty first, and it feels like he's starting to run out of gas. And Keik A. Hernandez is on this team for one reason to do what he did in the ninth inning. He's a really good player that can play second, center, short, third. We have seen it. I'm suggesting Keik Hernandez to be the everyday second baseman moving forward. Eight six six nine, eight seven two five seventy is
the phone number. Let's go out to Danny, who is at Dodgers Stadium tonight. Hi, Danny, you're on Dodger.
Talk by Dave.
Thank you for giving me on. I uh, you know, I didn't know that triple players were real.
Yeah right.
I feel like.
Especially in games and the wheel player was not on. I've had multiple people that play Major League Baseball currently text me the wheel play was not on. So that's a moot point.
I was right behind the Dodger dugout and they were not crashing at all. I'm not one, you know. I'm a Dave Roberts supporter and I'm not one to criticize managerial decisions typically just because there's so many variables that go into any particular decision, you know, stuff the fans aren't even where out there that that are weighing on
why the decisions made. But for for Dave to come on and say, you know, he's gonna listen to what the game, the game's gonna dictate what to do, I mean, that's a clear blunt situation as there's been all season long for the number nine years. Then to come up there, You've got to stay out of the double play there because you want you to have the top of the warder coming up. It's a clear butlen situation regardless of
how the defense is set up. Even if he strikes out, even if he pomps the butt up, you still have two runners on in the top of the white lineup coming up. If they had been able to steal this game tonight, they would have taken so much momentum away from the Padres and really blocked up the division tonight. They had that opportunity, and they just didn't have played with life all game long, all game while they weren't played with life until that ninth Diddy and for that
decision to be made to take the fun off. But I don't understand it at all, Dame. I don't understand how you don't bunt there.
All right, Danny, thank you for the phone call. Here's another idea. If that's a bunt play and you're worried about Machado making the plane, you have a right handed hitter at the plate, Kevin Kiermeier. I mean, he's the guy that can bunt, but Miguel Rojas, as a right handed hitter, has a good opportunity to deaden the bunt to first base, where you're making a subpar defense player in Donovan Solano at this stage of his career, to make a play for you want to be the aggressor
make the opponent react to you. You don't want to be on your heels and allow that dugout to dictate what you're going to do. And that's apparently what happened tonight. Eight six six nine eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number outside of the ninth inning. There are other reasons why the Dodgers lost this game. They had opportunities with runners in scoring position. They were two for ten. I mentioned Mookie Betts, who has been outstanding and in baseball,
you're not going to deliver every time. I understand that, but there was a key play bases loaded two out after Otani walks, Mookie Bets strikes out to end that inning with Michael King on the ropes. Another layer to this is landon Nack the biggest start of his life tonight. He was holding the Padres at bay. Obviously made a mistake pitch to Jake Crouninworth for a two out, two run home run in the second inning. You can live with that. He threw thirty nine pitches through the first
three innings of tonight's game. He threw thirty nine pitches in the fourth inning and all of a sudden. Now, as I mention all day long and on Sunday, the Dodgers are only going to be as good as their starting pitching in this series. Well, for the eighth time in their last thirteen games, a Dodgers starting pitcher only went four innings or less. That is not sustainable, especially against a good team like the Padres. That is just
not going to work. And that's why I'm confident the Dodgers will have an opportunity to win each of the next two games. I do believe in Walker Buehler. I do believe in Jack Flaherty. I do believe both those guys will keep the Dodgers in the game at least through five innings. Eight six, six, nine, eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. Dodgers fall to the Padres tonight four to two. The Padres celebration team Photo has concluded they've gone back into the dugout after securing
a postseason berth. With the win tonight, let's go out to Newport Beach. Ken, You're on Dodger Talk Live from Dodgers Stadium.
Hi Ken, Hi David.
I'm still trying to figure out what I just saw.
I don't believe what I just saw.
The month of September. San Diego is fourteen and five. The Dodgers are now eleven and nine. And what I felt like I was seeing here was the last two years of playoffs where you got nothing from Mooki and Freeman whirl for eight and if you remember, Moki had sixty in those two years, and it looked like one team was playing the butts off, diving for balls, getting
extra bases. The other team I'm watching Mookie get picked off a third base, which made no sense, and I'm watching a ball go to right field and MOOKI never even took a step, he just let it go. He missed hall.
He misjudged that ball. You're right, And yeah, there's no excuse to being thrown out at third base on that plane the first inning. So yeah, you're right. That was It wasn't a great game for Mookie Betts, but I still like the Dodgers' chances if he has a chance to come to the plate in the ninth inning. You're right, And the Dodgers didn't just lose this game in the
ninth inning. That was my point. Ken. It's very easy to point the finger and say a triple play, but those plays come back to haunt you when you're playing the hottest team and best team in baseball right now.
Yeah, and by the way, one hundred percent agree with you.
Lux.
By the way, in the last eight games is hitting one to seventeen and he's made five errors in the last ten games. He needs to sit, get Hernandez out there, and we've got to get this thing going, because you know what, this is getting scary. It's really one game between these two teams, and San diegoes, like you said, the hottest team in the major leagues.
Yeah, and if you're counting for the Diamondbacks to beat them, they just lost to the Giants tonight eleven to nothing. The Diamondbacks are in their free fall, and the Padres can beat anybody, as was evident tonight. Let's take one more phone call before we check in with Jose Mota, Hector, and La Puente. Thanks for being patient. How you doing, Hector?
Oh say it takes Thanks for taking my call, man, Yeah, I hear everybody. The last two callers really nailed them.
Man.
You know, the Dodgers started stuff in the foot. You know, they weren't hitting all gaylong, you know, and they depend on that ninth day they come back. I mean it was exciting, but Dell Machado in the positive of hell of a play. But I hate to see them celebrating our field. I hate to see them they're taking pictures behind home play like you mentioned. I didn't see that one, but you said it.
You called I've got too many teams celebrate here at Dodgers Stadium. Recently, Hector and they were celebrating a postseason birth, most wins they've had since ninety eight with the Padres, and hopefully that's the last celebration they will have. Thanks for the phone call, appreciated, Hector. All right, let's get into Jose Mota.
It's tough to go around the horn with Jose Mota.
We should change the name of this segment to the mind of Mota. Jose Mota, we want to know what's on your mind. Obviously, that ninth inning, game ending triple play not ideal. What did you see in that sequence of events with the bunt being on and then the bunt being off.
What I saw was the fact that in that case, I am not looking for Miguel Rojas to be my hero. He needs to put the butt down and then I want the guys behind him to take care of business. That's what I saw. If I see if he shows my okay and and he doesn't bun like the first pitch, right, I want to read with the defense do it. It was not clear that they were crashing. Now say that
they're crashing right the wheel plays on. That means I have to abandon second base of the shortstop and give that guy at second base as much lead as possible. I vantage him second base was going to crash you because he has to be at first base because he's abandoning the position. So in that case, if you buy it too hard and machiadle field it and throws the third base at the very worst, yeah, first and second now for Otani and Mookie bets right. So it has
to be so clear. You know, it's like the old they call a slash play.
Uh uh.
Picture member of the pictures were hitting like if he show show but early if they crashed or Herschels there was a best at that. He was the best at that, but he understood he hits it hit them on the ground. Now in this case, Dave, I'll go back to my original stop. I want Miguel Rojas to bun the ball, and I want him to do it ear and it doesn't matter when mar Chad's playing or where Solado's playing, and you have to bunt the baseball and if they
get one out. There's another thing that's lost in baseball, and I'll explain it real quick because of these sliding rules where he cannot break a double player where he used to well, it used to be that manager will tell you, hey, you take a big leader second base. I'm still gonna bunt, and when you get to third base, you gotta break up that double play. In other words, youre going to crash into that short stop and take his legs out in other words, so there's no double play.
You can't do that anymore. But still the runner at second base has a big advantage in getting there and being at least a distraction in modern day baseball, but this is a playoff game, and in a playoff game, Miguerre Rojas has to bunt the ball.
What did you see on the first pitch where he pulled the bat back? Was that a bad pitch to try to execute a bunt? Obviously he didn't feel he could handle it. Seven ninety eight down and in on the zone.
It's actually would have been a very good pitch and bun down the third baseline. Because when you want to do there is take the third basement out of the play if you have to. Because on the first time, on the first try day, all they're doing is you know we're gonna be In fact, my Chuttel was even with the bag and Solona was in more and they're trying to say, well, is he gonna do it or not.
Let's see if they really hadn't wanted to crash, that would have done it immediately to say, hey, you're gonna have to beat us this way right now. So and then with ballgarts, if there's a wheel play on, he's actually not going to start running towards third base. He's going to start in that hole and then take three or four steps, and he's a third base So what I saw was in decision in the part of Rojas and not getting the bat out early, because you do
it is somebody throwing down art. You want to get your bat out as soon as possible and pull back if it's a ball, pull back. But actually it was a pitch him which you could have handled.
And on the line, Jose mode is joining us. After the Dodgers fall to the Padres tonight four to two, obviously everybody will zero in on that ninth inning. But Jose, did you feel like that second inning was a golden opportunity with Michael King on the ropes? And also in that first inning when Mookie Betts was thrown out to end the first inning. I mean that was not phive Beta Kappa either.
First inning. It's a design play right. Dodgers have been so good with this play they they stole a couple of runs this season. First and third, two outs. You kill a guy at first base, Hey, you're gonna go, but you cannot get tagged. So what that means is if they throw through runner of third base, you're going with a throw from the casher and it doesn't matter. Make sure you know where your thirst basement is, but
you're going with theo you cannot read. How to play develops because we're gonna make that guy stop it to the first and second on purpose because which one is still run with you and the guy second base means nothing.
It's you that matters.
Mookie bets and I get a good read. And once you start out at third base like that, it never ends well when you're not decisive on what to do right from the get go. So it's one of those players where the tur coach goes, listen, he's gonna go, and he's gonna stop. But if you see a throw go through, you go right away. And if they come to distance, a whole plate making a race, but you're gonna get to the value because you're gonna go on that throw. If they fake. Make sure that you get back to the.
Back, simple, Jose. It feels like the last two weeks or so, these are the type of things that are costing the Dodgers. Base running mistakes, mental lapses. It just feels like all those things are costing the Dodgers games that they have a chance to win.
So let's put it this way. The Dodgers have had comfortable leads the last couple of years, and they had not played meaningful games like this in a couple of seasons. September Dave, I'm gonna say this as an optimius, this is what they need to go through before October, because once you get to October, you're not going to be
forgotten for this. You're not going to be forgiven. So I would say that in a way as good as it is happening, I mean, defensive lap says we saw on the trip and things like that, but they have to get to the point now it's like, Okay, we've done enough to give away enough runs, extra runners, extra pictures on our guys. Is kind of clean it up, and if there is a playoff Baseball, then go out
through and clean up. Because anything happen right now to take this into October today that those mistakes cannot happen.
Then all right, Jose Motor before I let you go lost in all, this was the major league debut of Edgardo Enriquez, a scoreless seventh inning, throwing one hundred miles an hour using an eighty eight slider. Did the Dodgers just find another relief weapon going into the postseason?
Yes, because what you do here is you have guys identified that can help you had not been exposed to big league hitters, and you try to use those weapons as much as possible and expose him immediately. By using him today, you're able to save say, you know, save more arms out of that bullpen they have available for the next couple of days. But this kid playing four levels now five levels. You saw why he's not afraid.
He got his punch outs. He throws the slaughterer around the zone and uh, he pitches with a lot of intensity, which we saw in this the minute he took them out. So hopefully is a weapon that I'm not gonna make sure her name, but you know it's happened before we people make the abuse them in September, before you know the league is like we had no idea about this kid nowadays, and he goes out and just win some games for you, at least allows you to win games.
Later, I asked Dave Roberts about that parallel to Frankie Rodriguez with the Angels in September of two, and he told me to basically pump my brakesh.
Hey, I remember when Frankervidge's debut that Mike solisions I don to throw him out there, but he wait like till the last week of September to put him in a game for the same reason.
Well, here we are, last week of September with Enriquez making his debut.
Don't puff the brakes on.
Come on now, uh the mind of Moda. We will check in with you again tomorrow. Jose, thanks a lot.
Tell you better got what gotta go.
There he goes, Jose Moda joining us after calling the game for the Dodgers Spanish radio broadcast with Pep Bee and Ingez and the great Fernando Valenzuela. By the way, the Dodgers hit into another double play tonight. In the last three games the Dodgers have in it have hit into seven double plays. So this game was not just about the ninth inning. Obviously a very disappointing end to this game with the triple play, but the Dodgers made
mistakes well before the ninth inning. Eight six, six, nine, seven two five seventy is the phone number. Oh, you're pulling at my heart strings when somebody from Woodland Hills is calling, Matt. You're on Dodgery talk. How you doing?
I've been better. I don't know, you don't remember that I kind of foreshadowed this in April April twelfth, I believe, is when we lost that overtime or the where were we HQ?
Gastro Paoli's Where did you foreshadow this in Woodland Hills h Q?
Well right down to Tamoya Sushi, But we'll leave it for another day. Yeah, so I don't know. Back in April twelfth, we lost ex training this one run to the Padres and this is when Chris Taylor was like, oh for forty or fifty two for fifty and they had him hit away bottom of the tenth with a runner on second down, one run and lost eight to seven, of course, And uh yeah, I mean this is just
something that's just indicative of this team. They don't really play to win It's just a slugging team, and I think it just built completely wrong to make deep runs into the playoffs. Same thing with the pitching staff, just old and always hurt. I mean, sounds great, but never gone through a whole season. We're relying on him, Walco buh are coming off injury. Kershaw's never played a full season. Again, It's just painfully obvious and it's just very frustrating. So
I'll leave it at that. But a stranger thinks.
Have happened, Matt Stranger, things have happened. The Cardinals back in what twenty eleven limped into the postseason and made a run. So I know tonight is disappointing. You have to remind yourself the Dodgers, even though nobody else around Major League Baseball wants to give the NL West the credit it deserves. This year, without a doubt, it's the best division in baseball. Everybody always goes to the Automatic, it's the AL East. Well, this year it's the NL
West between the Dodgers, the Padres, and the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers had or came into the game tonight with the best record in baseball, clinging to a three game lead over the Padres you're going to have right now as of now, if the postseason started right now, Matt, all of those three teams from the NL West would be in the postseason. At some point, everybody has got to concede the fact that, yes, the Dodgers are one of the best teams in baseball, but so are the San
Diego Padres. At some point we all have to stop looking at the Dodgers and maybe give the team and the other dugout a little bit of credit.
Oh.
I one hundred percent agree with you. I just think in terms of performance at most jobs, is one team spending six hundred million another one point four billion, and you're in this situation.
Well, the Padres are spending quite a bit as well, Matt. The Padres have spent a lot on Tatis, sa Machado, on boguards, on you darvish. So let's not act that they have a homegrown team, because they don't.
No, I mean, they're they're good team.
These are two the salary teams. It's not like they're the sisters of poor over there.
Yeah, yeah, I understood, all right.
Let's give them a little credit here, okay, Oh sure, all right, Matt, thanks for the phone call. Eight six six two five seventy is the phone number. We're gonna walk it off with the most positive caller in Dodger Talk history, that is Eric in Hollywood. Eric, I hope, uh, there are not tears, but I hope there are cheers on the way.
Out Dodger Day Show.
There we go.
Oh Man, David, what is happening with the Dodgers?
Man, I don't know they're independant race.
This is a postseason New Year, same outcome, postseason game. Ammasphere and the basket go silent two for tag with runners in scoring position. David, I'm I'm upset. We are supposed to fight. Our energy gone MAXI nonexistence. If we don't hit, we don't win. Like you said, we had Michael Keg on the Rogues and we did it choke him. David, you talked me off the ledge before, but I'm frustrated. Dodger Dation. It's frustrated. We could have picked up a
game of the Phillies for the best record of the league. David.
I'm with you.
I I blue, I bleed blue.
I hear you, and I feel your frustration. But don't forget the Dodgers are not the ones that are two games back. Eric, Obviously the Padres have had their number. It's been a bad matchup. The Padres are one of the hottest teams, actually the hottest team in baseball. But let's see how the rest of this series goes. And look, there's no secret at this point in time in the season. For the Dodgers to get to the World Series, they're going to have to out talent the opponent. I think
that's becoming very apparent to all of us. So their talent won the game on Sunday, even though they did not play their best tonight. They were about to out talent with the final at bat, but obviously one of the rarest things to happen happened, a game ending triple play. Eric will talk to you tomorrow night. Thanks for the phone call, and thanks to all of you who called in. We'll be back at it tomorrow after the Dodgers and Padres play game two of this three game series. Dylan
ceaes on the mound for the Padres. He is fourteen and eleven with an era at three forty two. Remember the Padres traded for Cease the day before or a couple of days before they left for South Korea. To begin the regular season against the Dodgers, the Dodgers will have Jack Flaherty, who they acquired at the trade deadline from the Tigers. Wouldn't the Tigers love to have Jack Flaherty back at this point in time? Too bad? He's a Dodger. Thirteen and seven with an era at three ten.
This guy is the right guy to have on the mound. Tomorrow Night, Morongo Casino, Dodgers on Deck begins at six o'clock with first pitch from Dodgers Stadium with Rick Monday and Steven Nelson. 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 or our pre game conversation with Miguel Rojas, you can find it on the iHeartRadio app.
Once again. The final score from Dodgers Stadium the Padres defeat the Dodgers four to two. Ben Maller is next on Fox Sports Radio. Have a great rest of your night, stay up see him at the season. Sometimes the dreams of the up