Dodger Talk is sponsored by LA Care Health Plan, providing affordable healthcare insurance to
millions of Angelinos for over twenty five years. And now your voice for Dodger
Talking like back, David Basse. We are live on the South side of
Chicago, I guaranteed Rate Field where the Dodgers defeat the White Sox tonight by
a final score of four to three. Welcome the Dodger Talk. David Vasse
with you until nine thirty tonight on AM five to seventy LA Sports. We
have phone lines open at eight sixty six, nine, eight seven two five
seventy. We will hear from Landon Nack, who joined us on the pregame
show. Landon Nack will start Friday night in San Francisco for the Dodgers,
his first taste of Dodgers giants up there in the Bay Area. Also,
we will let you know which Dodgers top prospect was promoted today officially. And
I know we had a caller last night asking me about a couple of different
Dodger pitchers. Well, I did some homework. Talked to one of the
members of Andrew Friedman's staff, Jeff Kingston, out here at a guaranteed rate
field, and he gave me the lowdown on these guys more than just what
you're seeing in the box scores and online. So got some information on that
once we get to the minor league portion of the show. But tonight obviously
a disappointing night for my guy, Bobby Miller. He had thirty two family
and friends. That was what I got from Joe Davis before the game,
and he is from Illinois, just outside of Chicago. He's a huge Bears
fan, and you know he wanted to perform well. But I thought jose
Motas said it perfectly. He missed a month with right shoulder inflammation. When
you come back, you're trying to get your velocity back, and I guess
it's similar to when guys come back from Tommy John surgery, even when it's
just a month, and even though it's your shoulder, the command is the
last thing to catch up to everything else. So tonight Bobby Miller did not
have command. That's the reason why he threw sixty pitches in two innings,
and that's the reason why Dave Roberts had to scramble and go to six different
relievers for the Dodgers. Tonight, how about Michael Peterson out of Riverside Community
College. Two scoreless innings in relief. He picks up his second career major
league win, both with the Dodgers. Joan Ramirez came in, Anthony Banda
came in and really helped the Dodgers out in the fifth inning when Ramirez allowed
two on with two out and Dave Roberts went to the lefty Anthony Banda.
I thought that was a really great move for two reasons. Number One,
he got the lefty Nicky Lopez out of the game. He forced the White
Sox to make that choice, and they brought in Danny Mednick, who I
have never heard of before tonight. I'm sure you have never heard of Danny
Meddick tonight. He's hitting one ninety three on the season, and Banda delivered
for Dave Roberts. He was able to get out of that two on,
two out jam and the Dodgers were holding on to that four to three lead.
From there, it was Blake Trinan who went an inning and a third
tonight. Daniel Hudson pitched the scoreless eighth and Evan Phillips faced the Big Boys
again. Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez to get the final three outs of the
game. If you remember last night, Evan Phillips took down Andrew Vaughn,
Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez. Tonight he had to do it in the ninth
inning. Eight six, six, nine eighty seven two five seventy is the
phone number. Dodgers win their fiftieth game of the season. They are on
pace to win another one hundred games in their fifth consecutive full season. The
Dodgers won one hundred plus games in nineteen twenty one, twenty two, twenty
three, and now looking to do it again. They're on pace for exactly
one hundred wins this season. Let's head downstairs right now to hear from Freddie
Freeman after his game, tying to run a home run in the third inning.
Show hey, for a few years first half of the season here,
is he another player entirely an even higher level. Yeah, I mean it's
hard to even I don't know what more we can really say about about him,
And I think we've said everything we can since he's entered this league about
what an amazing player he is. But when you come over here, you
just never know how first year is going to go in any team, But
I mean this is you just sometimes you just gotta step back and just appreciate
a player like this. You're swing tonight. Are you kind of finally at
peace with where you're at right now? Or looking for more? I've always
I mean, I'll never say it's good, unfortunately, but much better,
like I've said over the last few weeks. There's still a few cut swings
here and there, but better overall, more quality than not over the last
few weeks. So hopefully that keeps the trend going. Looking sinker away on
that pitch strikes, that's all. Yeah, hopefully that continues. It's just
trying to get strikes and hit them. Don't matter what the pitches, just
what's working best for you right now during this good stretcher in or what would
you kind of attribute to Yeah, I don't ever think that much. I
just kind of see strikes and hit it and sometimes they fall and sometimes they
don't. Right now their fall impressed. It was a seven scoreless from the
bullpen. Yeah, that's what I was talking to say after the game.
Seven innings from pretty much almost everyone except for what Vest and Yard. It's
a lot of guys. That's got to be perfect and that's hard to do.
But they stepped up. We I mean, we only scored and they
made it count. Cover seven endings is a lot, especially you know Bobby.
At least he gave us one more after the first There's a lot of
pictures in the first inning, so that's nice. Said that he was able
to give us the second win. So hard to do and got a good
credit to bullpen. That's why we went Hey club house. Shout out by
Freddie Freeman on Sports and at LA. I appreciate it, Freddie. And
the story goes a little bit deeper as far as the home run Freddie Freeman
hit to left field to tie the game in the third inning. Freddie always
comes out early for his pregame routine. He had his son Charlie out here
today and once he had everything done with Charlie was playing with the other kids.
Freddie was talking shop with me before the game and he noticed the wind,
the wind blowing out to right field or doing something the right field,
and he pointed to left field and he said, I'm going to hit one
there tonight. I said, you can do it, and top of the
third inning one on and Freddie Freeman ties the scorer with a two run home
run to left field. So I know that's not like Babe Ruth pointing,
but I'm going to blow that up. As Freddie Freeman calling his shot.
I'm the witness. There was nobody else there, but I feel like you
can trust me that Freddie Freeman did point to left field and said I'm gonna
hit one there tonight. So that's what he did, and it was a
big one in the third inning to tie the score at two, And Freddie
Freeman and show Heyotani combined to drive in all four Dodger runs tonight. Show
Heyotani with a leadoff home run, his second of the season and the eighth
time in his career that he has hit a leadoff home run. And Otani
now with the Dodgers in this role leading off since Mookie Betts went on the
injured list, Otani is hitting three seventy one with five home runs. This
goes back further than him just starting to lead off when Mookie Betts broke his
left hand. This goes back fifteen games. It doesn't just go back nine
games or eight games or seven games. His hot streak goes back fifteen games.
In his last fifteen games, show Hao Tani is hitting three sixty four
with a nine to twenty seven ops. He has nine home runs and nineteen
RBIs. And I guess the most striking thing after what we heard Jose Mota
talk about and also what Dave roberts has said, the difference is is controlling
his strike zone. Sho Hao Tani in his last fifteen games has twelve walks
and nine strikeouts. That's a complete one point eighty from what we saw when
he was in that big slump for twenty five games. Eight six six nine
eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. We have two lines open.
After the Dodgers defeat the White Sox for three, let's go out to
Lahabra. Lorenzo. You're on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi. Lorenzo,
Dave, how you doing, Hey, great win for the Dodgers, great
job by the Bullpen's got a question, uh kainn. I want to preface
this by saying that I'm a Dave Robertson, I'm a bruin. I appreciate
the way he played baseball, but I'm perplexed because he manages the opposite way
he played. He played small ball, he manufactured runs, and when it's
now that he's managing, he's doing I mean, quite the opposite. Like
tonight. The a perfect example. You have Miguel Vargas at first or no,
actually had lucks at first, and they have Vargas at bet and then
perfect opportunity right for a hint, run or do something, and there's been
plenty, plenty of opportunities, and he just doesn't do it. So,
I mean, it's hard to convince me not to say that this is right.
This comes from treatment and from upstairs that that we have to wait for
a two run shot or three run shot. We cannot play small ball because
that's not Dave Roberts. I don't. I think you're making a lot of
a lot of statements that are just not true. Number One, the game
has changed tremendously since Dave Roberts was playing. That's that's number one. Number
two, I'm all for putting runners in motion. And Miguel Vargas, as
I mentioned during the Clubhouse show, is swinging the bat much better, and
his last nine starts he has a hit in all nine of them. Sure,
there's an argument to be made you could put lux in motion, but
it worked out. You had runners at the corners for Cavin Bigio with one
out, he flew out to left field, and you still had Otani who
was coming up, and he delivered the go ahead base hit. So I
will I understand that part. And look, the one thing that Dodgers and
a lot of teams don't want to do is give up outs, and a
lot of their philosophy is to bunt and give up and out is not something
that they're in favor of. I there are certain situations where I disagree with
that, but I will say this Dave Roberts, I'm sorry being long winded,
Lorenzo. I feel like Dave Roberts puts on the safety squeeze more than
any other manager I've seen in the last nine years. So that's a little
unfair. And he's not telling anybody not to bunt. In fact, he's
trying to tell more of his players if they see the third basement playing back,
lay down a bunt like Calvin Bigio did on Saturday night at Dodgers Stadium.
Right Like, again, I'm not trying to nippick, you know,
this is first game, but a cool we're talking baseball game postseason. That's
something like I'm thinking postseason. Yes, I know you are. The last
couple of years, you know, I mean, our bats have been dead
and we needed to manufacture and in all fairness, there hasn't been anybody on
base to really manufacture runs, right, Lorenzo, the last two postseasons.
And it's gonna come down to the big three, right, Mookie Beds,
Freddie Freeman, show Aotani. Two of those three guys have to be hot
in the postseason or come up with some big hits for the Dodgers to run
the table. I feel like that's fair, right, right, right,
But we also but then I understand the bottom third guys, the bottom third
of the order has to do the little things. And I'm with you.
So it's not that it's making the right play, it's making the right play,
Lorenzo. Yeah, yeah, Lorenzo, Do you want to talk betting
averages or do you want to talk about what I'm trying to agree with you
on you If you have a runner at second base less than two outs,
one of those bottom three guys has got to find a way to get that
runner to third base with less than two outs. If there's a runner at
third base less than two outs, you're gonna have to find a way to
get that run home. The Dodgers have not been able to do that the
last two postseasons. Can we just say we agree, we agree, We
agree on that for sure, David. Let's go Dodgers, all right,
thanks, Lorenzo, appreciate it. Eight six six seven, two five seventy
is the phone number. And look, let's look at the Dodger roster construction
the last four years. By the way that they've won one hundred plus games,
Let's not forget that they the way they do it is working in the
regular season. They have mastered the regular season. But you're right, in
the postseason, you can't just wait for a three run home run. You're
gonna have to find a way for these lesser players in the lineup to do
the little things to get the runner over or to get a run home.
I think back to the twenty nineteen NLDS Game five. Matt Batty had an
opportunity to hit the ball to the right side and get the run home from
third base. Instead, he's trying to launch a home run. That's not
what you need from Matt Beatty. That's not what you need from Gavin Lux
or Cavin Bigio. So we all agree on that. But the roster construction
is a slugging team, and luckily the Dodgers have been able to find superstars
that don't just try to swing for the fences. They're looking for hits.
Mookie Betts, shoey O, Tawni, will Smith, Freddie Freeman, all
those guys are great hitters that in the process will hit home runs. Eight
six, six, nine, eight, seven, two, five seventy is
the phone number. The Dodgers win their fiftieth game in the season, by
the way, beating the White Sox tonight four to three. They're on pace
to finish the season with one hundred wins for the fifth consecutive year. Let's
go out to the Palis Sades. John, You're on Dodger Talk Live from
Chicago. Hi, John, Hey David. You know I must say that
as Dodger fans, don't if we realize how fortunate we are. I mean,
we have one of the best organizations. I mean, and you know,
a game like tonight especially, there should be no complaints. I don't
know why there's one call, even not even one, will we complain when
you have Vigio, who I don't think is a big league player, but
you know he did his part, Taylor, Vargas, Rojas and Luck and
you win a game like that where Bobby is impatient as the best ball,
right, And I mean we I'm glad you're saying that, John, because
you know, we go around the league now we're seeing other teams. Man
the Dodger fans, if they look around the league and for the last eleven
twelve years, they should be very thankful that. Number one, the ownership
hasn't taken a break from funneling resources to Andrew Freeman to be able to sign
players like Otani Yamamoto. I mean, he's spent what a billion dollars this
offseason. Some teams don't spend that in twenty five years. So that's number
one. Number two, they should be thankful that the Dodgers have a great
infrastructure to support these players. And you know what, it's a pretty well
oiled machine, absolutely, and Dave Roberts is doing an incredible job. I
mean, we the only complaint And like I said, this shouldn't be any
but we play a little more small ball in those situations, but it seems
to be working well, and we had one of the best players to ever
play the game. I mean his plate discipline, because of course he's an
incredible power hitter, but Otani's plate discipline. To have that kind of power
and that kind of discipline is just phenomenal to watch, no doubt, John,
thanks a lot for the phone call. Appreciated. Eight sixty six nine
eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. And look, I know
where many of you are coming from. You're thinking about October and you've been
disappointed the last few octobers, more Octobers than we would like to count as
far as disappointments go. But there's a lot of teams out there that are
saying good night to their season, like the White Sox are in May and
June. So it's great to want to win the World Series and have the
expectations of winning the World Series. But let's not take for granted these great
teams that we've been able to see since twenty twelve without taking a season off.
Because teams take seasons off. Ask the Yankees, Ask the Red Sox,
ask the Chicago Cubs. They got money, they're not really spending it
that much. They're not adding, they're taken back, and I think we
all should be very thankful because who knows how long this is going to last.
Right, The Dodgers have a great thing going here, and hopefully their
superstars will show up in October and lead the way because you look at the
other World Series champions. Yes they get big hits from unlikely heroes, but
they're big boys. Seem to come through to set the tone for everybody else
and starting pitching. Pitching. Pitching pitching has got to be there, and
that's the reason why the Dodgers are being so careful with guys like Gavin Stone
and Tyler Glass. Now let's go out to Joe in San Diego. You're
on Dodger Talk. Hi, Joe, Hey, Dave, thanks for taking
a call. I think you hit the nail on the head about why a
lot of Dodger fans are frustrated, because, yeah, you know, this
is going to be the fifth year that we're going to potentially win one hundred
games. But you're right, I mean, in October we are spoiled.
Now, I will say, you know again, like you're pointing out,
we do have one of the best player development organizations in the organization out of
all the organizations in the league, top to box, no doubt. I
mean, you look at Atlanta, you look at the Giants. We've got
guys from the front office in those in those teams now, so that tells
you how quality you know, our organization is now saying that you know now
that we're talking about potentially going into October, I just wanted to get your
thoughts on if we are going to try to pull this deal for for Crotchett
and Robert, which are parents don't talk like money and Petros it's Crochet,
Crochet, Okay, Crochet, what do you think is going to be what
we got to give up to to get those guys? Obviously starting pitching,
you can never have too much of it, especially with Kershaw being shut down
after his his rehab starts and then Glass Now you know potentially, you know,
we never know what's going to happen. Given the amount of innings he's
pitching now, I think he's going to go over what he normally pitches in
the last couple of years. Get Crochet. To get Crochet, you're going
to have to give up one of your young starting pitchers. Whether it's uh
Land and or whether it's Justin Robleski in Oklahoma City, You're gonna have to
give up something really good for Garrett Crochet because he's under team control for two
more years. And I would imagine it wouldn't just be for Crochet. The
Dodgers probably would trade for Luis Robert or Tommy fam in the same deal.
So it's gonna take. It's gonna take a lot of young players to send
to the White Sox to be able to pull away a Crochet and one of
those other two players to go along with him. Well, you know wherever
it takes. I mean, you know, like I said, we can't
have enough you know, good pitching in the start because obviously pitching wins in
the postseason. Well there's another layer to that too, because Garrett Crochet has
never pitched these many innings in Major League Baseball and he did have Tommy John
surgery four years ago. So, uh, that is part of the thinking
with the Dodgers and other teams out there as well. My understand and I
learned this today that the Padres are still very much in to try to trade
for Garrett Crochet as well. Thanks for the phone call appreciated. Joe eight
sixty six eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number. We're gonna take
a time out here on Dodgery Talk. When we come back, more of
your phone calls. We have almost a full board, but one line open
at eight six six eighty seven two five seventy after the Dodgers defeat the White
Sox four to three on AM five to seventy LA Sports 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 Bassan the
two to one offering the Shan Hitch. It's a left field pretty well,
it's kring Gon attend me back to the wall. Let's got a hold on
Honey framing an opposite field homer ties the game at three. Home run numbers
twelve for Freeman. Hey, the Dodgers have come back to tie it in
the top of the third three to three. Freddie Freeman had his eyes on
those left field bleachers earlier in the afternoon. He delivered in the third inning
with a game tying two run home run. As the Dodgers go on to
beat the White Sox tonight four to three. David Vassey live at Guaranteed Raid
Field in the South Side of Chicago as the Dodgers win their fiftieth game of
the season. They are on pace to win one hundred games for the fifth
consecutive full season. Daniels Jewelers, they are the official sponsor of the Trip
around the Diamond. Stop by any Daniel's location and say home run for your
free team bracelet and fifty dollars gift card toward any purchase of ninety nine dollars
or more. Daniels Jewelers own the Dream. Eight six six nine eight seven
two five seventy is the phone number. Last night I mentioned that the Hollywood
Chamber of Commerce announced that our very own Oral Herscheiser is going to get a
star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I mentioned that Vince Scully had a
star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but today I was informed that also
another Hall of Fame broadcaster for the Dodgers has a star as well, and
that is Haimi Hareen. So it will be the third Dodger that will have
a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Only one of those three actually
played and that is oral Herscheizer and Magic Johnson has won the uh well,
magic is magic. Former Laker and now part Dodgers owner I mentioned a Dodger
prospect got promoted today, Diego Kartaya, who kind of leaked out his own
news on his Instagram page. Today, the Dodgers made it official. Diego
Kartaya is being promoted from Double A Tulsa to Triple A Oklahoma City, and
tonight he was in the Dodgers OKC Baseball clubs starting lineup, batting sixth and
dhing and the manager at Oklahoma City, Travis Barbery, said that the way
they will balance and develop the two catchers that are pretty good Hunter Fiducca and
Diego Kartaya at the same level at Triple A will be by having each guy
catched three times a week, and obviously the days that Cartaya is not catching,
he will dh And my understanding is is that Cartaya has started to find
something here offensively that he lost the last couple of years. Number One,
his back is healthy. Number two, his swing is a little bit better,
his approach is better. He's trying to use the whole field. My
understanding was somehow some way. He started to try to pull everything for slug
and the Dodgers were were good enough to help him understand you want to use
the whole field, and that's what he did when he first got to the
lower levels of the Dodgers minor league organization. So that's a good thing that
he's been able to get back to that. And he started the year slow,
so for him to hit two thirty six right now with five homers and
twenty seven RBIs is pretty good because he was sitting the first month and a
half of the season in the one hundred. So he's picked things up here.
So he's a good kid, only twenty two years old. I've know
we've heard about him since the Dodgers signed him out of Venezuela since he was
sixteen, but he's only twenty two and still developing. Eight six six nine
eighty seven, two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to
Huntington Beach. Joyce, You're on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi. Joyce,
Hi there, I just oh, I love the Dodgers, everything about
them, the organization, and I just want to come him at Dave Roberts.
What a skipper. He is. You know, you can tell he
loves his players and in turn, they love him, and he gives them
heart to decide back, you know, from a deficit and the Dodgers,
oh wow, you know, and he could and he's so wise. A
six relief pitchers. He orchestrated that to help, you know, shut them
down. And I just say, you know, he's such a good manager.
All right, Joyce, thanks for the phone call. I think,
uh, if you're going to criticize Dave Roberts and blame him, if you're
a fan, you certainly have to compliment him when I mean, he's been
pretty successful. He's the most winningest manager percentage wise in Major League Baseball,
and you've got to give him credit. And I know there's always going to
be discussions and questions on why he decided to do certain things. Even I
have those questions, and those are valid. Just because he's the manager of
the team and just because the Dodgers have had a lot of success doesn't mean
that we can't ask a question why what went behind that decision? And I
think it is unfair when people blame when things go wrong on Dave, but
they don't seem to give him the credit he deserves when things go right.
Eight six six seven two five seventy is the phone number. Before we get
back to the phone calls. Let's head back downstairs to hear from Bobby Miller.
I want to hear what Bobby had to say about those two innings where
he really didn't have his stuff tonight. Yeah, I mean they're following off
a lot of good pitches as well as much as bad pitch, as much
as bad pitches as there were. You know, obviously I've been a little
tough spot lately. It's been a little tough coming back from this rehab,
which feels like I just went through spring training again. But one thing I
can say is every time I'm out there, I'm giving it my all every
single time. But you know, all it takes is just one getting again
just to get back into swing things. And I'm just not gonna doubt myself.
And I know who I am, I know who I can be,
and I'm just gonna keep trusting my stuff out there. I know I've talked
about just how your shoulder is feeling so much healthier in a really good spot
right now. You just feel like kind of looking for more better feel with
your pitches or I guess what's kind of the part where you realize you're kind
of over that next time. Yeah, you know, shoulder feels great,
body feels great. I think it's just sometimes I'm trying a little bit too
hard out there, doing a little bit too much. But even the good
pitches I was making today, it feels like they were They had some really
good takes filed off a lot of pitches as well, which caused my pitch
count to get really high and taken out earlier in the game. You know,
yeah, just lead off walk wasn't really too good after an O two
count. I'll be what could you say about the pen, you know,
picking you up with seven scoreless tonight? Yeah, I mean that's huge.
I can't say I'm surprised either. That's something that they've always been doing.
It is holding it down. So really thankful for that, and you know,
that's something I always take pride in, as well as putting the bullpen
in against spot and keeping them fresh. But you know, just didn't have
my best stuff today and they held it down like they always do. All
Right, there's Bobby Miller thanks to Sports at LA and look he's very honest
with himself. He's honest with us and candid with his answers. And again
it just seemed like he said it trying too hard, trying to do too
much, and when he does that, things seemed to go sideways, just
like they did at coors Field last week where he got the first two batters
out. He was he was looking like he was cruising and all of a
sudden things went sideways on him. So kind of a similar thing that happened
tonight. And Paul Deyong had an amazing at bad against him as well tonight.
Fought off what ten to eleven pitches and that got his pitch count up
as well. Eight six, six, nine eighty seven, two five seventy
is the phone number. Despite Bobby Miller only going two innings tonight, the
Dodger bullpen, as you heard, pitched seven scoreless innings. Michael Peterson got
his second major league win tonight, and can't say enough. Usually when the
starting pitcher only goes two innings, you don't win the game. And the
Dodgers won this game tonight. They got all four runs driven in by Freddie
Freeman and show hey O Tani, Let's go out to Rancho Kukamonga. Michael,
you're on Dodger Talk. Hi, Michael, Hey dv hardest working man
in the sports industry right now. Appreciate you staying up late on the East
Coast to bring this Dodger talk. So appreciate everything that you do. Thank
you. Just appreciate that. Yeah, no problem, Salute to you.
So, just interesting comment about Carteja. I know a couple of weeks ago
called in another caller mentioned about our catchers in the minor league, and I
know that you mentioned, and at that time, a couple of weeks ago,
you know, they weren't really ready the benefit of having Austin Barnes,
his veteran presence, the way that he can sometimes navigate younger pitchers through through
a ballgame, and things like that. So do you think the promotion for
Cartea is more about trade bait than it is maybe about the success that he's
having. I believe it might be twofold. He's earned it. He's been
at Double A for the last couple of years, and obviously they felt like
he deserved a promotion, So I wouldn't rule that out, you know,
to just put him back on everybody's radar that he's doing good again. So
I know for a fact as well that the White Sox do have a scout
or two watching Oklahoma City for the next week or so and they'll get their
eyes on Diego Kartaya. Thanks for the phone call, Michael. Appreciate the
love. Eight six nine seven two five seventy is the phone number. Wasn't
getting too much love today on the way to the ballpark, so I always
appreciate it from you. Let's go out to Cherry Valley. Scott, you're
on Dodger Talk. How you doing, Scott good? How are you?
You know? I've read some stories about Tyler Anderson in a possible trade.
He's doing really well with the Angels. But one of the names that was
brought up, and I really don't want to see this guy traded for anybody
is landon Nac. I think that young man is quite a picture. I'd
love to see him stay with you. You'll see him again on Friday.
I love landon Nack as well because he's a pitcher. I was talking to
Mark prior yesterday. He's a pitcher. He's not going to overpower you,
but he knows how to command all four pitches, and he knows how to
put more on take something off. He is the true definition of a pitcher.
Yes, I agree, all right, Scott, thanks a lot for
the phone call. You don't want to go anywhere, because I did catch
up with Landon Nac on the pregame show, and he was one of those
Dodger minor leaguers during the COVID season of twenty twenty that was at USC at
what they called the Ultra its Sight. And I haven't talked to too many
guys looking back on it, whether or not it was good or bad or
stunted their development. And Landon Nack always a great answer from him, a
thoughtful answer. Here's what he shared about being part of those group of minor
leaguers the Dodgers thought so much of to have at USC during twenty twenty.
Absolutely, I mean it was something that not many people kind of got to
go through, and so the guys that did and where we were kind of
all kind of just away from everything. It was just hotel field and back,
and so it was just kind of those were your only group of people
you really got to be around during that time. And so yeah, of
course you kind of create a bond with those guys and have that shared experience
that you'll be able to remember for the rest of your life. Do you
feel like it helped your development or do you feel like you were a year
behind because of that. I think it helped a lot just being able to
be around some of the older guys. I think it kind of got us
a little bit more comfortable in kind of being able to like talk with them
and understand like professional hitters. Like obviously getting to jump straight into facing really
Triple A and big league hitters for your kind of your first taste of professional
baseball was a huge help, just kind of getting that step ahead of like
what you're working towards, Like they immediately show you where you're missing things and
what you need to work on. It feels like maybe the game slowed down
a little bit where you know, during the minor league season you're competing obviously
against other teams and you're trying to impress. Feels like that was somewhat of
a controlled environment with competition, but also giving yourself the grace to grow.
Absolutely, yeah, it's it's obviously it's a different situation than most people get
to go into, but of course, Yeah, the just kind of the
being able to control the environment of like how many innings you get, like
kind of making it more of it's not quite an intersquad, but it's like
more just like an intersquad type fields where they can control the game and really
like let you work on different stuff while still getting to compete against guys.
So yeah, no, it was absolutely it was a great experience. All
right. There's part of our conversation with landon Nac, great insightful answers about
his experience at USC during the twenty twenty COVID season in that alternate site where
that's where the Dodgers' minor leaguers convene, the ones that the Dodgers felt were
close to the big leagues, that's where they wanted them, and landon Nac
was part of that group. If you want to hear the full conversation or
listen, there's a lot of people hearing these days and not listening. If
you'd like to listen to the landon Nac conversation, you can find it on
the iHeartRadio app. Eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy is the
phone number on a night Bobby Miller only goes two innings and throws sixty pitches.
The Dodger bullpen was used quite a bit six different relievers tonight, and
Michael Peterson at a Riverside Community College, picks up his second major league win
tonight. He was followed by Johann Ramirez, Anthony Benda, Blake Trinan,
Daniel Hudson, and Evan Phillips locked down his thirteenth save of the season.
As I mentioned earlier, the Dodgers are on pace now for one hundred wins
after winning their fiftieth of the season, and on the flip side, the
White Sox lost their sixtieth game of the season. The White Sox are twenty
one and sixty on the season, which puts them on pace to tie the
expansion nineteen sixty two Mets for the most losses in baseball history. The White
Sox are on pace right now to finish with one hundred and twenty losses.
One hundred and twenty losses the Mets in nineteen sixty two went forty and one
twenty. You might say, wait a minute, that does not add up
to one sixty two. You're right, because two games were not made up
that season, and we actually here heard an announcement and during the game that
the White Sox and Braves are going to play a makeup game. Maybe they
want to take a cue from the sixty two season and just say, you
know what, we don't need to play that game. Maybe the Braves do,
but the White Sox certainly don't. The Dodgers will look for the sweep
Tomorrow night here at Guaranteed Rate Field, another night game for the primetime Dodgers.
Gavin Stone will be on the mound. He's eight and two with an
ERA of three zero four, going up against Eric Fetti, who is five
and two with an ERA of three zero six. Morongo Casino Dodgers on Deck
begins at four o'clock with first pitch at five to ten. I know I
did not get to the scating report on some of the pitchers I was asked
about last night. We'll get to that in San Francisco after a Friday night's
game. Tim Kates will have Dodger Talk tomorrow night on Getaway Day, and
I'll be filling in again for Kusten Watson on Sports net LA. Thanks to
Dwayne McDonald out here on the South side of Chicago. Thanks to calling back
at our Burbank studios and thanks to you for listening. Listening is important.
Hearing is not listening. You might hear Hendrix, but I listen to Hendrix.
I want you to listen to Dodger Talk. In case you missed any
of the show, you can listen on the iHeartRadio app once again. The
final score tonight from Guaranteed Rade Field, the Dodgers defeat the White Sox four
to three. Have a great rest of your night. Seal it