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 Basse.
We are live at Corsfield after the fireworks show here on a Friday night has concluded. The Dodger offense provided all the fireworks for these fans at Corsfield that we're chanting MVP for Shohei Otani during the Dodgers eleven to four win over the Rockies in the first game of the final weekend series of the regular season. Phone lines are open at eight six, six, nine eighty seven, two
five seventy. In case you missed it last night, Freddie Freeman let us know after the NLS clinching game that Mookie Betts spent over an hour in the batting cage before first pitch, taking close to four hundred swings to try to get his swing on track, and Mooki delivered with a big two run base hit last night and
the Dodgers win over the Padres. We will share with you my exclusive interview with Mookie Betts about all that in about five minutes, So stay where you are, but we have to really celebrate where the Dodgers are and where sho Hey o'tani is. The Dodgers, with the win, now have a two game lead in the lost column over the Phillies in the National League and all of Major League Baseball. The Dodgers and Phillies have the two best records in Major League Baseball, not to mention in
the National League. So there's only two more games to go. For the Dodgers to fall from the number one seed. They would have to lose these next two games to the Rockies, and after tonight that seems like kind of a long shot, and the Phillies would have to win the next two games. The Phillies were beat by the lowly Washington Nationals, so right now the Dodgers have a two game lead on the Phillies for the best record
in the National League. And the reason why I say the Dodgers need to win at least one of the next two to secure the best record in Baseball and home field advantage all through the World Series is because the Phillies own the season series over the Dodgers, so if on Sunday they had the same record, it would be the Dodgers being the number two seed while the
Phillies being the top seed in the National League. In all of Major League Baseball right now, as it stands, the Dodgers would play the winner of a best out of three wildcard series between yes, the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets, who just lost their third baseman, their star third basemen who left the game with the back injury, Francisco Alva. And right now, the way it stands, the Phillies would play the winner of the Diamondbacks and
Brewers series. So that's the way it stands right now. If all remains the same, that's the way it would stack up. More than likely the Dodgers facing the winner of a Padres Mets series, and that is going to be one of the most anticipated series in Major League Baseball if it does come to fruition. A rematch of the twenty twenty two nlds and Francisco Alvarez helped off the field in a game that the Mets lost tonight, So a disappointing night for the Metropolitan So we'll see
where all that goes. Because it's the Diamondbacks, it's the Mets, it's the Braves, all vying for the final two spots in the National League playoff. Picture show hey. Otani is not only trying to keep things rolling for him himself as he heads into his first ever playoffs, but he is competing for the triple Crown in the National League. After four hits tonight, Otani is just four points behind Luisa Rise of the San Diego Padres for the batting title.
He's one point ahead of Marcelo Zuna of the Braves. Otani, after going four to five tonight, has a three to zero nine batting average. He has one hundred and ninety four hits on the season, which is six shy of his first ever two hundred hits season. The most hits Otani has ever had in one season was one hundred and sixty back in twenty twenty two. Otani leads the National League in homers. He leads the National League in RBIs.
He is trying to become the first Dodger ever to win a triple crown and the first Japanese born player in Major League Baseball to win the triple crown. Otani twenty six hours. In his last twelve games, he has been a video game like player It really is unbelievable to watch. And you know, even more impressive than his home runs was a ball he hit in the eighth inning opposite field and went to the left center field wall here at Corsefield. But it wasn't hit in the air.
He hit a rocket through the infield that was hit so hard it split the outfielders for a double, a stand up double in the eighth inning. This guy is unbelievable. Eight six six nine, eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. Dodgers beat the Rockies tonight eleven to four. Let's go out to Irwindale. Mike, You're on Dodger Talk Live from Denver. How you doing, Mike, I'm good, David.
Just a quick question, which players are on the bubble to not make the playoff ross Well.
That's a great question. It depends on who the Dodgers are going to face in the NLDS. They could choose to carry one less pitcher and go with an extra position player like they have done in certain nlds is before. But as far as position players goes, it feels like Kevin Kiermeier, Chris Taylor, and Andy pa haz are all
fighting for two spots with three guys. As far as the bullpen goes, it feels like the Dodgers don't have really a lot of choices, So it feels like it's pretty set in the bullpen with Joe Kelly, Daniel Hudson and the young men that we saw again tonight Edgardo and Riquez being part of the Dodger bullpen at least in the NLDS.
Now.
Remember you can change your roster every round. Yeah, yep, I know that Henriquez.
He looks really good from one way to the Major League Baseball and one Cheason.
That's incredible.
Yeah, it really is. He's done a magnificent job. Thanks for the phone call, Mike, appreciate it. When you're talking about the star pitchers, Dave Roberts, let us in on who that's going to be, in no particular order, it is going to be Landon, Nack, Yoshi Yama, Moto, Jack Flaherty, and Walker Buehler. What I can tell you is in the best of five series, Game three is the most pivotal game in a best of five series because that can go any different ways, as we have seen in
the last two years. Right, you get the Dodgers are going to play the first two games at Dodgers Stadium. Let's say for some reason they split those two games, so now you're playing your first game on the road, and whoever wins Game three is in control of winning the series. So I personally believe Yoshi Yamamoto is going to be the Game three starter for the Dodgers, while they may go with Jack Flaherty as the Game one starter.
And we all know how good Walker Bueller is at Dodgers Stadium and we saw it last night, so it kind of feels like Bueller and Jack Flaherty would be the first two pitchers in a series. Not to mention, Yamamoto, even if he starts Game one or Game two, cannot come back to pitch a possible Game four or Game five with how many days off he needs in between starts. So for all those reasons, I believe Yamamoto will be
the Game three starter. Now where does that leave Clayton Kershaw, Well, it may leave him on the outside looking in, and it's a long shot right now for him to be the be part of the NLDS roster. I feel like there's a great shot at him being part of the NLCS roster, but there is now seven days to go before Game one of the NLDS. Unless his left big toe makes a big time improvement between now and then, I'm not sure the Dodgers can allow Kershaw to be
on the rosters. So I kind of feel like he's going to have to be patient and keep his fingers crossed for the NLCS. And in case he missed it, his good buddy Brad Paisley released his latest song, The Truck Still Works, and Brad told me he believes Clayton is the truck. So here is part of Brad Paisley's
newest released song. And a big Dodger Talk fan and a close friend of Clayton Kershaw, it feels like he wrote this song for Kershaw to hang in there even though the truck is still in the garage because of the left big toe. Don't give it up. When we continue here on Dodger Talk, we will get to your phone calls and also you will hear my exclusive conversation with Mookie Begs a night after he helps the Dodgers win another NLS championship. Tonight, the Dodgers beat the Rockies
eleven to four. But hey, the Kershaw truck still works. How about little Testra down by the lane. Let it works.
Let's see if that song and says let's see them miles of course, still got that seed.
On air at AM five seventy, online at AM five seventy, la sports dot com, and available by podcast on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Dodger Talk with David Bassi. They all pitture three two to show, Hey, O'tani, these wings hits a drive deep to right field, way back upper deck home run show. Hey old Tony with home run number fifty four.
He's coming in three more.
And the Dodgers add on it's nine to two show. Hey Otani is absolutely incredible. He's three for four in the game. Otani would finish score for five with four RBIs. He is trying to get that triple crown in the National League. His batting average at three to zho nine, just four points behind the leader and Luis arise. The Dodgers defeat the Rockies tonight by a final score of eleven to four. They had a few regulars in the
starting lineup tonight, including Mookie Betts. You will hear my conversation with Mookie in just one moment but we want to remind you that 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.
All right.
I mentioned that last night Freddie Freeman wanted to heap praise on Mookie Betts and his work ethic, saying that MOOKI spent over an hour in the Dodger batting cage before the game, taking to four hundred swings to get
his swing right. Well, Mookie was able to come up with a key to run base hit in the Dodgers clinching win over the Padres last night, and I caught up with the Dodger right fielder, a two time World Series champion, and asked him what led him to put in that much time and that many swings before such a big game. That really showed a lot about who you are. But what made you go in there for four hundred swings for an hour?
Give a edition?
You know?
I mean, I don't know where this narrative, this is like a narrative that people think I don't care or some me doing the podcast has something to do with me at work.
I don't understand how.
They correlate, but I mean it's my job, like flake up every morning, want to do this. Of course I have to establish a life doing podcasts and other things because you don't play this forever, and you know, sometimes you got to do both. But man like me going in there and take three hundred swings, that means to me. I mean, this is just shows me how I want to win a world series.
But I don't know.
You know, hey, I don't know if anyone else.
Did you feel like your swing was that far off?
Now?
I felt like it was close, but that was the problem, Like it was close, but it wasn't working.
So I just keep swinging and eventually didn't.
Always work like that would work out like that where you figure something out.
But I mean it's better than not doing anything.
Can they keep it real with you? Did you feel like you heard stuff that people were upset if you interviewing tattoos?
Yeah, I mean yeah everybody. A lot of fans didn't like it. They they got thinking I'm not don't care or this, this, that series meant too much to be a normal person. I don't understand how that correlates, but you know, it is what it is.
I mean, they didn't matter.
Like I've been trying to get him for a minute, I've been trying to get guys.
It's not The podcast has nothing to do with the game. It's about getting to know the players the game. That's the whole point of it.
Like you, some people may not have ever heard from Tatis or know where he's from, or know why he does what he does. That's the point of the podcast, not that's that's the whole objective of it. And I don't understand how me doing that, bettering myself in my life and not getting in the way of my job.
I don't understand why that affects people.
But I mean, people are gonna always have their opinions and they're entitled to it.
It kind of feels like baseball's behind the other sports, and it feels like you're trying to market the.
Sports exactly other sports do it. It's never a problem. So because we've played that, I don't know. I don't know, man, I mean, maybe people are stuck in their way.
I don't know. I'm I'm trying. I can't. I can't stop living my life in trying to better.
Myself for my life. I mean, I got eight years left, man, I don't want to get to the end of this and not have explored other avenues of what I want to do when I'm forty years old.
Like forty is young. You have a whole life to live in front of you. And I'd be a fool to.
Lose the platform, you lose what I've created from playing the game and just let that kind of go by the wayside.
Like you know, I just my opinion, but you know, it is what it is.
Yeah, I don't think you interviewing Tatis affected you coming up with a big hit last night.
No, I didn't. It didn't.
That's why I'm trying to figure out how to interview, you know, But it is what it is.
You know, people are gonna think and say and do whatever they want.
Thanks Mikey to serve there he is. Mookie Bets, addressing the criticism that he got he heard about interviewing Fernando Tatists Junior after the first game of that series on the podcast that he's been doing for two years, interviewing players from other teams that the Dodgers are playing, and look, I can relate to Mookie Bets. I know how hard it is to get a superstar like Fernando Tatists Junior to do a podcast or a radio show or even
a TV show. I'm also with Mookie Bets that baseball needs to do a better job of showing the personalities of these players. I mean, I'm a big fan of the Netflix series Receiver, where they highlight last season Devonte Adams, a mon Saint Brown, Justin Jefferson. I'm sure you've seen it. Baseball would help itself if they did more things like that.
And I'm not saying that every player needs to do a podcast, But all I'm saying is Mookie Betts has a vision for his career and his brand, and it's not going to affect him playing, as evident by the way he played last night. Mookie Betts interviewing Fernando Tattis Junior has nothing to do with Mookie Betts playing the game that night. Because Mookie Betts isn't late for the games.
He gets here on time. It's not like he's late for betting practice or stretch He's here when he needs to be, and he puts in the work when he's here, So I'm not sure why he got so much much criticism from you. And the reason why I know he got a lot of criticism is because I had fans sending me on Instagram a clip of Mooki and Fernando Tattist Junior talking about the game ending triple play the
night before. Now, don't you want to hear it like you do in NFL films or NBA productions, NBA entertainment. What Fernando tattists Junior and what Mooki bets were thinking when the bunt was not laid down and instead a game ending triple play occurred. I don't know about you, but I love hearing that type of stuff and knowing what those guys in a relaxed setting, in an intimate setting like Mooki has really think about plays like that.
So you know, I was not anticipating Mooki going in that direction when I asked him about why he put in so much time before yesterday's game, But he went there and obviously wanted to get some things off his chest and set the record straight with you. And that's why he came to me. Eight six six nine, eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. Dodgers beat the Rockies tonight, eleven to four. Let's go out to
the phones. What did you think about what MOOKI had to respond with after the criticism he received for just talking to Fernando Tatist Junior well before hours before first pitch between the Dodgers and Padres. Let's go out to Roland Heights. Paul, you're on Dodger Talk. How you doing, Paul?
Hey, good? Thank you, Dave. I was gonna talk about the trades that the inter freedom made. But yeah, Mookie's very smart, intellectual. I mean, it's beautiful to hear him speak.
And do you feel a little bit better hearing his reasoning on all of that criticism he got. I feel like he really I think if I'm a guy out there in LA that was upset with him after hearing his point of view, how can you be upset with him?
You can't. You can't because I I know it's not the same I play on Sunday League Baseball. I work as a male man. But thank you. I did go three for three last game, but that's beyond the subject.
Podcast before the game.
No, I'm not as intellectual as Mookie Bets. Obviously I did go to college, but no, but definitely he It is good to hear him speak to these other players and to really like Rob Maffort has really dropped the ball and getting these guys, you know, more involved in I think we would get a lot more fans. You know, if if.
Everybody Baseball and Netflix teamed up with all MAHA productions to have cameras follow Mookie Bets, Aaron Judge and pick whoever else, maybe you know a journeyman type player and make a series similar to Receiver and Quarterback on Netflix right now, So Mookie's trying to do all he can to promote the game of baseball by showing the real personalities of these players. I agree, Yeah, I don't have
any issues with it. Thanks for the phone call, Paul, And yes, the trades Andrew Freeman made at the trade deadline, Jack Flaherty, Michael Kopek, and Tommy Edmond all in the same deal. Edmund and Kopek in the same deal in a three way trade certainly paid off huge for the Dodgers. I don't believe the Dodgers win the NL West without any one of those three players. They needed all three. Let's go out to Aliso Via. Ho, Gil, what did you think about what Mookie Bets had to say?
Hey, again, I think the fans are upset because we are we're in a battle. We're in a battle, and we are.
Not spoiled to talk to the enemy after the season is over.
Yes, there's no issue. That's what most of the fans are probably mad at.
I can understand that guilt, but the reality is that podcast took place even before noon and the game was at seven to ten. Do you believe Mookie Bets talking to Fernando Tattis Junior about just what makes him take his personality really was going to affect anything. I understand that, but come on, you see it now in every sport, these guys hugging each other on other teams. That is, unfortunately something that is not is not part of the culture anymore.
Yeah, but it's still after after our series is over today.
Yeah, go ahead, but not not in the.
Middle of the series.
We're fighting.
We're fighting there.
We're fighting a war against San Diego, and you don't want to you don't know the.
Diletrics are going to win the NLA. I understand, Gil, But if MOOKI did that during a playoff series against the Padres, I completely understand your point of view. But it was three regular season games. The Padres were a huge long shot to beat the Dodgers in the nl West. To me, in the regular season, I think it's within bounds. If it's the playoffs, it's out of bounds.
Yeah, I mean, that's what I believe the fans coming from. I mean the middle of the middle of the you know.
I hope, I hope you listened to what Mooky had to say and understand that he wasn't trying to upset you or any other Dodger fan out there. He did not feel like like Chick Curran used to say, no harm, no foul. The Dodgers won the last two games of the series, so obviously Mooky coming up big last night as well and interviewing Tatisse the day before did not really affect that. Okay, all right, thanks for the phone call. He look, he respects your point of view, and he's
hoping that you respect his. Let's go out to Harber's Greg You're on Dodger Talk. And by the way, this was not planned between me and Mookie. I just wanted to know what drove him to take four hundred swings before a big game last night. And that's the tangent he went on because obviously he wanted to get it off his chest. Greg in Harbor City, You're on Dodger Talk. How you doing, Greg, I'm doing real good.
I to know, I'm sure about the Mookie thing. I can't even really believe it's an issue. It's just, you know, these guys are professionals. We all got families. I think maybe back like when the NHL has six teams, everybody hated each other. It's a little different. But these guys are all professionals, and Mookie's gonna play good and so tatis.
They should have nothing to do with anything. If you ask me, it's a bunch of just social media has given a bunch of people a voice that maybe they shouldn't have a voice, that they're gonna be bothered by something this so minuscule. It just it just bothers me that even I don't say anything.
Well, a lot of people were, and I would have to say, I agree with you, Greg. It's given a lot of people a voice and it feels like it's given the vocal minority really some power that in sports that really nobody else that I talked to on the streets of LA were really upset about Mooki and interviewing Fernando Tattis Junior. Thanks for the phone call, Greg, Do you want to know where this changed the culture? Free agency?
When guys stayed on the same team for their entire careers, that's where there was a lot more animosity and guys really did not fraternize with each other. But once free agency became a big thing, not only in Major League Baseball, but also in the NBA, that's where guys did not stay with one team for their entire careers, and a lot of teams were changing. A lot of players were
changing teams multiple times. So when your teammates for eve in just one season, you have a connection with those players. So that's why I'm not saying that's the case here with Mooki and Tatis, But that's where the culture changed, where there is a lot more fraternizing between the lines in between plays. That's my opinion. Let's go out to Long Beach. Mark, You're a Dodger, talk how you doing.
Mark, you're doing fantastic for someone to say that, I don't have any problem with it. I mean, look, you Bett has access to people we don't have access too, so it's it's refreshing to hear what the other side says. But I understand the fans upset because what was Mookie Bets in the postseason last year? Like oh for ten and then going into right before he had his four hundred swings, he was oh for eight. If Luky Betts was four for you know, four four eight going into
the interview, you wouldn't be hearing anything. But at that point he was over. And the biggest series of the year he's over. Just like the postseason, he was over. And I think that's why the fans were upset.
Great point, Mark, and maybe that's what drove him. It sounded like what he just told us. It sounded like that drove him to put in the work to maybe silence the critics with a good game, and he finally came up with a big hit. So everybody around the Dodgers was very impressed by a player of Mooki's stature to be able to put in that work and deliver in a big game. Thanks for the phone call, Mark
appreciate it. Speaking of Freddy Freeman, who let us in on the work that MOOKI put in before the game yesterday, Freddie is back in Los Angeles, as is Miguel Rojas. Freeman, from what I understand, is still in a walking boot. We'll see where things progress. Dave Roberts did not have any new information on whether or not the swelling went down. Likely tomorrow we may know more about the swelling, and I wouldn't be surprised if Freeman got an MRI just
to see what the ligaments look like. And as far as Miguel Rojas goes, there was some sort of plan where he might have played Sunday if the game mattered, but after the Dodgers clinched yesterday, he stayed back in LA as well to get treatment on that left groin. And Dave Roberts does not see any reason why Rojas wouldn't be ready for Game one of the NLDS, which
will be a week from tomorrow at Dodgers Stadium. Tomorrow, the Dodgers still have another game to play, Game one hundred and sixty one as Otani chases two hundred hits, chases the Triple Crown and chases sixty stolen bases. Yoshiyamamoto will have a final tune up before his first ever start in a Major League Baseball playoff game. He's going up against Antonio Senzateela Morongo Casino. Dodgers on Deck begins at five o'clock tomorrow, with first pitch at six ' ten.
I'll do it for us tonight from Corsfield. Thanks to Colin Ee back at our Burbank studios, thanks to Dwayne McDonald out here at coors Field, and thanks to you for listening. In case you missed any of the show, including our exclusive conversation with Mookie Betts. You can find it on the iHeartRadio apps. You can also follow me on social media, on Instagram atificially Vassa and on ex
at the Real Underscore DV. Once again, the final score from Denver, the Dodgers defeat the Rockies eleven to four. Have a great rest of your Friday night. We'll talk to you tomorrow. See them