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Talking like the Back, David Vasse. Welcome the Dodger Talk David Vase live
at P and C Park in Pittsburgh. After the Pirates shut out the Dodgers
by a final score of one to nothing, we are with you until seven
thirty tonight. Eight six six, nine eighty seven, two five seventy is
the phone number. The Dodgers fall to the Pirates one nothing for the first
time since August of twenty seventeen here at PNC Park, the last time the
Pirates beat the Dodgers by the identical final score we had tonight was a difficult
one for a lot of us because in twenty seventeen, the Dodger offense was
scoring runs up and down the lineup, But on August twenty third, twenty
seventeen, here at PNC Park, they could not score a single run for
America's pitcher Rich Hill, who threw nine no hit innings against the Pirates.
The game went extra innings and Josh Harrison hit a walk off home run off
of rich Hill to obviously beat Hill in the Dodgers and also spoil what would
have been a special night for rich Hill as he did not have the no
hitter for ten innings. But nonetheless, tonight a very different story in some
ways. Glass Now a tough luck pitcher tonight in a lot of ways because
for the fourth or excuse me, the fifth straight start for Tyler glass Now,
the Dodgers did not score while he was on the mound. The last
time the Dodgers scored for Tyler glass Now while he was still in the game
was all the way back on May fourth. They have not been giving their
best starter a lot of run support, and tonight was evident of that.
Glass Now made a mistake pitch fastball up in the zone that I'm sure he
wished he could have back. But Jack Slewinski, the number nine hitter coming
into the game hitting one seventy four with four home runs, sent one over
the Roberto Clemente wall in right field and gave the Pirates an early one nothing
lead, and that would be the final score Tonight. The Dodgers shut out
for the fourth time this season. Just to put that in context, the
Dodgers were shut out four times all of last season. This Dodger offense with
Otani slumping, with not a lot of power coming from Mookie Bets. He
homered for the first time in his last fifty at bats on Sunday afternoon at
Dodgers Stadium, So they're not getting a lot of power from Mookie. You
know, everybody keeps saying Freddy Freeman is in a slump. I would love
to be in a slump. Hitting over three point fifteen coming into the game
since the end of April. I'm not sure what we're seeing with Freddy Freeman.
Obviously, the extra base hits have not been as frequent as they were
a year ago, but he's still getting hits. He's hitting over three hundred
over the better part of the last two and a half months. Show hey.
Otani, though, on the other end, is hitting a buck fifty
in his last sixteen games. The Dodgers may want to rethink their batting order
until Otani can recalibrate and move Freddy back up to the two spot. I'm
not trying to be mister panic or knee jerk reaction, but you gotta do
something to jump start this offense because what's going on. Right now, it's
not working, And you could always point at the seven eight nine hitters.
Yeah, they could be better. They could try to cut down on swings
and make adjustments. But right now Otani is coming up in situations and not
delivering, and Freddy comes up with the bases empty. That's not gonna get
it done. So look, I'm not saying to bench anybody, but maybe
recalibrating the Otani Freeman stack, as Dave Roberts alluded to on Sunday, against
lefties, he may consider it, but maybe against righty's as well. When
you look at this Dodger offense, I thought they had a golden opportunity.
In the first inning, ta Oscar Hernandez admitted that was his worst at bat
of the game. First pitch, swinging after he had runners at second and
third and Jared Jones, maybe fighting some nerves against the team that he grew
up rooting for. Taoscar swings at the first pitch, grounds out to third
base. Inning over second inning, here we go with the seven eight nine
hitters needing to move the runner over or having productive outs. After Jason to
Hayward walked and stole second base, Gavin lux needed to get him to third
base. Instead, he struck out first out. Miguel Rojas, trying to
do the right baseball play to get him to third base, grounds out to
the shortstop. Hayward's at third with two outs. By then it's too late,
and Chris Taylor flew out to end the inning. And then Taoscar Hernandez
again came up in the third inning with two outs, runners at first and
second and flew out to left field. And that's what you get, being
blanked by not only Jerry Jones, but also the rest of the Pirate staff
that included Eraldus Chapman and their closer David Bednar. Eight six six nine seven
two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to La Joe.
You're on Dodger Talk with David Vese. Hi, Joe, Hey, Dave,
how you doing. You're doing great, shot, Dan. I want
to tell you right now. But I'm an ex player, way back,
I played with the era of bench and Rod Carew was my teammate. I'm
an old guy, but that doesn't I don't That doesn't mean I don't know
the game. We all do. When he played long enough and all the
years that we watched it and played it and whatever the problem, I'm gonna
tell you. I know the kid's I knew him as a baby. He
plays for the Washington Nationalies. A five tool player. He's twenty seven or
eight. His name is Lane Thomas. This kid had he's hurt this year.
He had an MCL to two month spring. But last year, look
at his stats. His ops was was three point fifteen, his slug was
seven eighty three almost eight hundred. He can run, field, throw,
and hit for average ana home run twenty eight home runs last year eighty six
RBIs you want to solidify a year center field and outfield position, you're playing
a bunch of guys that are on the last legs. You're playing guys that
are just not there six years ago. There for fine, not anymore.
Kevin lux is never, never gonna be a great player never. He doesn't
have it. There's problems. Okay, I don't want to get into all
the Dodger problems, but I want to say, get Lane Thomas. I
know I was in spring training last year with for next year. You're saying
for next year deadline, get him at the trade deadline or whatever his contract
is inexpensive days. Look it up, you can do it, You're yeah,
I see it. I see he's having a down year. He's having
a down year, but he was really good last year. And yeah,
that may be one of those under the radar type of moves that the Dodgers
may make because there's not a lot of great outfielders to be had. Tommy
fam we hear his name, We hear Taylor Ward's name. But yeah,
maybe a guy like Lane Thomas. Lane Thomas could be a guy that can
get jump started. But you know, it's hard Joe to sell Lane Thomas
when he's sitting to eighteen this year. Wait a minute, he's been hurt
for two months. He had a spring n CL. He just came back,
all right. Yeah, but the Dodgers need help now. They can't
wait for a guy to get his legs underneath him. That may be true,
and that's one hundred percent true. It takes time to come back.
But Gavin Lux is evident of that as well. I mean, he missed
all the last season with a devastating knee injury. Are we not taking that
into account? No, he's on the rise. Look at this last week
of battle. I know he's good, Joe, Joe, I know he's
good. But are you saying the Dodgers should take on a hitter that's hitting
two eighteen trying to come back? He will, he will be back,
David. All Right, my name is Joe. I played the game.
I played with a lot of Hall of famers, Dave, and I'm telling
you this. We know as a kid can play, he can play.
I don't doubt that. I don't doubt that. I'm not doubting that.
All right. It's a contract, David's inexpensive contract. And why would the
Nationals want to trade him with the Nationals want to trade him? Maybe Martinez
loves him, I'm telling you, Okay, so why would they want to
trade him? All right? I'm not against Lane Thomas? All right,
Joe, thanks for the phone call. I'm not opposed to Lane Thomas,
who in his last eight games has picked it up, hitting three thirteen with
an ops of eight sixty one. He was a really good player last year.
Maybe he's on the Dodgers' radar. We'll have to wait and see.
But I've heard a lot crazier ideas. But right now, the Dodgers need
to find a way to win games before the trade deadline, and they've got
to find a way to get these hitters to make adjustments and make the right
baseball play. You know Darryl Strawberry, who was one of the greatest players
of his generation. The guy was a thirty to thirty player in the eighties.
He was a monster six' six. You know, a guy that
had a massive power, great speed, middle of the order bat, but
still understood to how to play the game and understood how to hit. You
had to if you're gonna hit close to three hundred home runs from nineteen eighty
three to nineteen ninety one. And the one thing he reminded me of that
I always heard players talk about. It wasn't just moving closer to home plate
or moving away from home plate to make adjustments. It was when you're not
able to hit a pitcher's off speed pitch, how about moving up towards the
pitchers mound to not allow that curveball to break on the back end of the
plate. When you're not able to catch up to a fastball, how about
move back away from the pitcher, move back on the plate so he gives
you a better chance to let the ball travel deeper into the strike zone.
When was the last time you ever heard a player talk about that? And
when was the last time we ever saw a Dodger or any other player in
Major League Baseball talk about that. I haven't seen it. I haven't heard
it. But that was something that players used to do on a regular basis,
and you just don't see it. So when you hear about when you
hear about adjustments, it's not just mechanical adjustments. It's about being able to
move up, up and down from home plate, move back and forth.
There's a lot of different ways to make adjustments. If you're not doing well
against the pitcher, you don't go up there with the same approach or the
same placement of where your feet are. Eight six six nine eighty seven two
five seventy is the phone number. We'll get back to the phone calls in
a second, but I want to head downstairs to let you hear from Tyler
Glass Nile. It's cool, familiar feeling. I hadn't been back in a
while. It was cool seeing like messages out there, old coach, some
Jordan bolkincatchers how Mitch. That was cool before the game, and then felt
good tonight. Yeah, you're really effective. And is that was the pitch
that they got you for the home run? Do you think that was one
in which it was a mistake on your side? Do you think that's just
a good thing on their part. I think I just threw too many heaters.
I think it was like, oh, one, then I got to
three one just like heater, heater, heat, a heater, and it
was like a good carry heater just in his barrel path, and he hit
a homer. And I feel like as long as it was since you've been
back here, kind of yeah, I hadn't been here in a long time.
It felt like a pretty long time. It was like in that regard
coming back and so much you've been through since you left here, it's kind
of it's just normal. I guess I've really like thought too deep into it.
But it was just cool to be back. And then I'm glad.
I felt good tonight. I realized the team has since scored a run with
you on the mound in a month. I didn't know. I don't know.
Baseball is hard. I mean they I mean at the beginning of the
year, I feel like every time I pitched it was like ten runs,
so I think it just kind of has to even itself out. Yeah,
yeah, sort at that point. How do you think Jones fared against your
guys lineup would be a good good picture? Got some good stuff, really
good, young one. I think at the start of the year, like
we asked you, when you have big leads, it's make it easier to
go through starts, like when it's the inverse may note, Does it just
add a little bit of stress during starts at all? When you're pitching close
games? Like you can think of it both ways. I guess I think
it's a close game, it's like more important to pitch well, and you
kind of have that little added adrenaline, I guess. But I wouldn't say
it's like two different either way. I just think you kind of have to
pitch regardless, yeah, off each other in that context, I know,
I don't even like I just go into my own little world in the tunnel
and do my stretches. I'm not even like watching really, I'm like keeping
up with what's going on, but I'm not like investing in anything. I'm
kind of interest in my own world. When you look back on the starts
you used to make here, do you feel like a different guy taking them
out there at PNC. Yeah, I mean then I just sucked every time,
and then now I feel like I'm bad than I was then, So
uh, definitely like a stark difference for sure. All Right, it was
the night. It was a good crowd night for sure. Yeah, I
think Dodgers and yeah it was good crowd for sure. It was awesome.
Geez, we get it. He pitched here for the the first time since
being traded to the Rays. We get it. That's not what the story
was tonight. The story was he pitched great and they did not score for
him. It wasn't about how you felt or man, did it feel different
being out here? Yeah? It did. By the way, the Pirates
traded Tyler Glass now and Shane Baz who turned out to be a really good
pitcher for the Rays for Austin Meadows and Chris Archer back in August twenty eighteen,
I would say the Rays won that trade. Eight six six nine eight
seven two five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to Wilmington.
Will You're on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi Will yes, sir, hid
everybody out there, Hey listen, what's Yeah, what's going on? You
guys can't hit or what was I mean? But you know what, the
only thing the good thing that I do see is I don't see them frustrated.
I kind of see, Oh Tawny was a little frustrated today when he
struck out. Ain't doing nothing with runners's corn position. That's it kind of
scares me because because we're getting set up for October, when October comes,
it's a big let down. You know, they could win one hundred and
thirty games, you know, but when it comes to October, these guys,
you know, I mean these other teams, you know, they they
know what's what's at stake, So I don't know they play harder what these
guys disappeared. The good thing is the one thing I will say, Will,
the one thing I will say Will, it's June, it's not October
number two. I believe last year the Dodgers did not face any sort of
adversity like they're facing right now with the offense. And I feel like this
is a good thing to try to figure things out right now. They're not
doing a good job of it, but this is more adversity offensively than what
they faced last year, So I feel like that's a good thing in the
long run. Yeah, oh you don't like that. Huh No, you
know what it is. It's cool. I see what you're trying to say.
But you know what, I've been reading the newspaper a lot in the
they're really talking about the newspaper. Who reads the newspaper anymore? For the
sixties. He came up on the Dodgers too, because they were up like
keen runs and they ended up losing, you know, Like he said,
Man, we always ended up losing to the Yankees or some other you know
what I mean. I hope, Yeah, they lost a lot to the
Yankees. Hey, I love Wilmington. Call back anytime. Will and Man
keep subscribing to those newspapers. They need somebody to all right, there he
goes Will and Wilmington appreciated newspapers. I don't even read the newspapers anymore.
I get it online, and I'm rethinking that these days. Eight six six
nine, eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. Pirates shut out
the Dodgers tonight one to nothing. They were zero for twelve with runners in
scoring position. We're gonna take a time out here. On Dodger Talk.
When we come back, we may hear from Dave Roberts, but also we'll
hear from Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins, who addressed the trade rumors of Bob
Bischette and Vladimir Guerrero. I know there's a lot of Dodger fan sites hysterical
about Bo Boschett. Well, we'll go on the record with the Blue Jays
GM next as we continue to talk about tonight's game and also some mind numbing
trade talk after the Dodger offense struggles again, shut out by the Pirates one
to nothing on the Los Angeles Dodgers Audio Network on air at AM five to
seventy, online at AM five seventy, LA sports dot com, and available
by podcast on the iHeartRadio app. This is Dodger Talk with David Bassa.
What no highlight? Oh yeah, that's right. The Dodgers were shut out
tonight one to nothing by the Pirates. David Vasse live at PNC Park in
Pittsburgh where Jerry Jones, who grew up in La Morata, a Dodger fan,
stifled the team that he loved six scoreless innings, six strikeouts, pumping
one hundred miles an hour tonight to beat the Dodgers and to give their offense
a lot of things to contemplate as they make the walk over the Clemente Bridge.
Tonight, Tyler glass Now, the losing pitcher. Tyler glass Now,
by the way, with nine strikeouts, becomes the first pitcher in Major League
Baseball to have one hundred strikeouts this season. Also, this is something that
I still can't believe, even though our producer engineer here in Pittsburgh presented this
to me because he's so good with the projections. With glass Now's nine strikeouts
tonight, Tyler glass Now has one hundred and four strikeouts on the season.
Can you believe that Glass now is on pace for two hundred and seventy two
strikeouts. That would be the most strikeouts in a single season for a Dodger
right hander in franchise history. I'll say that again, Tyler Glass Now is
on pace for a record setting two hundred and seventy two strikeouts this season.
That's remarkable. He's been everything and more that the Dodgers advertised after making the
trade with the Rays and then sending or giving him a five year extension.
I'm not sure if he's going to stay healthy all five years, but this
year, for sure, he looks strong, He looks healthy, and he
looks like he's not losing anything. 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 racelet 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. I want to let you
hear from Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins because there's been a lot of buzz around
the league about the Dodgers and Blue Jays possibly matching up on a trade for
Toronto shortstop Bob Bishett, who is having a down year. But obviously the
Dodgers kind of have to find a way to move Mookie Bets back to second
base if there's a better option on the trade market, and Bo Bishett appeared
to be an obvious choice. There's a lot of Dodger fan sites that yell
at you hysterically about Bo Bishett, but I'm sure many of those that are
screaming for Bo Bishett did not hear Ross Atkins the Blue Jays GM on MLB
Network Radio kind of shut down any of those thoughts that they may trade Bobishet
or Vladimir Guerrero Junior. This year, both of them, especially the month
of May, have been very solid. Glad he's been exceptional in May.
He had a slow start, some swing adjustments for him, that he is
in a really really strong place and as I mentioned, Bo had a strong
May and that's going to continue. Means both of them just have such good
feel for the barrel and such good feel for competing in the batter's box that
they're going to perform. On the second part of that, on extension,
of course, we have dialogue with them and that is something that will continue.
We believe in them, we believe in their futures and hope that there's
a way they can play here for a long time. And then on the
third part part of the question of potential trade, it just doesn't make any
sense for us, you know, we you know, oftentimes not often,
there there will be occasional times as you're talking to other executives that they'll ask
if we'll consider and we just say It's not something that we have spent any
time on, but because they're so talented and such great teammates, they are
attractive to other teams, so they will call. It was disappointed to see
a report that that was something that another executive had commented on about our team,
But it just doesn't make sense. So really excited about what's ahead for
them and how well they've played in May. Really going to be a lot
of fun today to see flaying third base. I don't know if you saw
that in the lineup yet, but all right, there's Ross Atkins. We
don't need to hear more of Blue Jays propaganda at the end. We get
it. You're not going to trade Bob Bashett or Vladimir Guerrero Junior. The
Blue Jays, by the way, got beat up ten to one by the
Orioles tonight. The Blue Jays are now in dead last place in the AL
East, fourteen games back at the Yankees at twenty eight and thirty two,
and five games back of the second wildcard spot in the American League. Not
to mention, they have five teams ahead of them. The translation is the
Blue Jays are going nowhere unless they pick it up offensively. Justin Turner outside
of the first three weeks of the season has gone cold and right now the
Blue Jays are just not as good as these other teams in the American League
East, and Bob Baschett is under team control not only for the end of
this year, but also next year as well. The kind of quagmire Ross
Atkins is in is because the Blue Jays, they are Canada's team. There's
a lot of pressure on them to fill up that new renovated SkyDome. So
that's the reason why he's probably not going to wave the flag and trade one
of his two young stars that many in Canada believe are going to be the
cornerstones of the franchise. But you need two to tango. Does Bob Baschett
and or Vladimir Guerrero Junior want to spend the rest of their careers in Toronto.
Nobody has asked that question. So if Bob Baschett doesn't want to stay,
why wouldn't you trade him when you can get the most for him?
Right now, I can understand not giving up on next year, but that's
a tough call. And my understanding is, uh, the Blue Jays are
a little gun shy when having to make a trade. So that's another layer
to all this as well, that you won't hear on some fan site.
Eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. How
about from within the Dodger system getting some help. Remember James Outman, Yeah,
that James Outman that was sent down. Well, he hasn't felt sorry
for himself. He's fifteen for forty two since being sent down to Oklahoma City.
That's a three point fifty seven batting average with an ops of eleven sixty
one. So who knows the Dodgers sent Outman down to figure things out.
Maybe they're they believe that he has figured something out, and maybe with Max
Munsey not doing anything right now because of the oblique strain, maybe the Dodgers
feel like, Okay, James Autman has worked on what we wanted him to
work on, and we can use him back up here. So we'll see
where it goes with James Outman as well. Let's go out to the miracle
mile Fred. You're on Dodger Talk Live from PNC Park. Hi, Fred,
Hi, how are you tonight? I'm great? Hello? Hello Fred?
Hi, how are you tonight? Three questions if you don't mind how
the first two go, we'll go question by question, we'll see how they
go. All right, the first one, are you aware of how poor
the Dodgers are performing against high velocity pictures this year? And I am?
Would you attribute that to? Uh? Nobody has that answer. Even Dave
Rober hasn't been able to figure that out. Because the Dodgers' identity the last
ten years has been being really good at hitting fastballs. They've been not very
good against spin. So I'm not sure about why that's happening right now.
Tonight one hundred miles an hour, they were figuring it out against Jerry Jones.
They just couldn't get the big hit with runners in scoring position. What's
question two? Question two is how close is Chris Taylor to Carl Crawfordville in
terms of getting the man you are really going for the juggular? Well,
Chris Taylor actually had some pretty good at bats tonight. I don't believe he's
he's close to being DFAED after starting in center field tonight. So so far,
your first two questions are legit, even though harsh. What's your last
one? So my third one would be and you might qualify it as harsh
as well. Can you explain the reasoning why Key k Hernandez was hired?
Excuse me? He was signed basically taking his spot from either Outman or Vargas.
He did not take a spot from Altman or Vargas. He took Manuel
Margo's spot on the roster. That's why they traded Margo to be able to
clear that spot. So they wanted Keyk's versatility. Key K wanted to be
a Dodger. It felt like the right thing. I was not upset about
Key k Hernandez coming back. You don't think he's a bit redundant to mention
he's a playoff player, but he is redundant in that he's a mistake hitter,
a la monci A, la rojaff A Lah, a lot of other
of the right east that they have on the road. Well, that's why
he's not I mean, they signed him for four million dollars fread. He's
a role player. That's what role players usually do. They hit mistakes and
make good baseball plays. He's played really good defense everywhere he's played. So
yeah, I'm I mean, he fits, he fits a purpose, and
don't forget about October. Well, he's an October player. There's not too
many of those, all right. Thanks for the phone call, Fred,
call back anytime. Eight six six nine eighty seven two five seventy is the
phone number. Speaking of fastballs, the Dodgers are going to face another heart
throwing young right hander from the Pirates out of El Toro High School, Paul
Skeens, who at this time last year was pitching in the College World Series
for LSU and winning a national championship. But his story goes way back other
than just those two years as an LSU Tiger. That's where he got a
lot of fame and got drafted. But his story began in Orange County and
specifically at El Toro High School, under the guidance of their gray coach,
Mark Gonzalez. Did you know Paul Skeens was a catcher in his junior year
but his coach told him, you know what, you're too big for that
position. And did you know that Paul Skeens out of high school went to
the Air Force Academy. He wanted to be a fighter pilot, but his
size made him not really fit into those airplanes, so pitching it was.
And earlier today, Paul Skeens joined us on the pregame show a little bit.
I've been to one Dodgers game in my life and it was at Dodgers
Stadium, and that was, you know, a surreal experience just to you
know, watch a game there. So you know, I paid attention to
that. My my grandpa was more of a Dodgers fan than I was or
my family was. But no, it's gonna be cool. When you grew
up as a high school player, you know, you're you're pretty good.
Was there anybody that you try to emulate or at that point in time,
are you just yourself? A little bit? Just myself? But definitely seeing
Otani do do what he was doing with the Angels because I was an Angels
fan. Seeing him hit and pitch that kind of you know, gave me
some sim inspiration to be able to do that at the next level. So
just kept working and you know, did that as long as I could.
How good of a hitter was Paul Skans in high school? I was good.
I was. I was a better hitter than I was a pitcher when
I was in high school. But I mean I didn't get drafted for a
reason. Yeah, yeah, Paul, your family has a background in the
military. Right you went to Air Force your first two years of college.
How much did you see in your future maybe being a fighter pilot for the
Navy. That was the goal, you know, since I was probably like
a freshman or sophomore in high school. I just wanted to fly and kind
of saw baseball as a as a avenue to do that, you know,
as a way to get you know, an education and that kind of thing.
But my goal was was to fly. Oh yeah, Paul Skans I
feel the need the need for speed, and he has speed on that fastball,
and the Dodgers are going to get a first hand look tomorrow night at
Paul Skiens and his fastball schemes this year for the Pirates two and oh with
an ERA of two forty five, going up against James Paxton, who is
five and oh with an ERA of three twenty nine. Morongo Casino Dodgers on
Deck begins at two point thirty tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch from PNC Park
at three forty. That'll do it for us tonight on Dodger Talk. The
tarp is on the field. Rain is expected overnight and in the early mornings
here in Pittsburgh, so hopefully no rain when it's time to play ball in
Game two of this three game series, appreciate Dwayne McDonald for hanging out and
giving us a lot of good wisdom and historical context all throughout the game and
into the postgame show. Thanks to calling ye back at our Burbank studios.
And in case you missed our conversation with young Paul Skins and his mustache,
you can find it on the iHeartRadio app. That's where you can find this
show as well all the episodes podcasted on the iHeartRadio app. Once again,
the final score tonight from P and C Park in Pittsburgh, The Pirates blank
the Dodgers one to nothing. Fox Sports Radio is around the corner, Ben
Mallor a little bit later tonight, enjoy him once again. The final score
the Dodgers fault of the Pirates one to nothing. Have a great rest of
your night, Seal