WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.720 --> 00:00:03.480 And we continue on Fred Rogan, Rodney Pete at five 2 00:00:03.520 --> 00:00:08.000 to seventy LA Sports. Okay, Dylan sees and Dustin May 3 00:00:08.199 --> 00:00:11.880 tonight down in San Diego Dodgers and Padres. Go at it, Rodney, 4 00:00:11.880 --> 00:00:14.800 and let's get down to the gas lamp district. Maybe 5 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:17.320 I think that's where he is because Jack Harris at 6 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:20.519 the times usually drinks heavily before the games. So I'm sure, 7 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:24.399 freddie Well, what what. 8 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:26.879 Did I jump to an assumption there? Yeah, you jump 9 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:29.239 to a real assumption. But let's let's find out. 10 00:00:29.640 --> 00:00:31.719 All right, let's bring on Jack, Jack, how are you. 11 00:00:33.520 --> 00:00:37.039 Not drinking yet? That would be nice, but probably outside 12 00:00:37.079 --> 00:00:39.840 the bounds of what's allowed for this job, I'm afraid. 13 00:00:40.359 --> 00:00:42.640 Okay, well you hey, you make your own rules. You know, 14 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:44.679 you're you're really one of the best at what you do, 15 00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:47.119 so whatever you want to do works for us. 16 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:51.640 Oh I appreciate that. Uh yeah, that set approval. 17 00:00:51.960 --> 00:00:55.119 Yeah, Jack, legends get to do whatever they want. Absolutely, 18 00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:57.280 That's what Fred is really saying. You get to do 19 00:00:57.399 --> 00:00:59.039 whatever you want. 20 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:02.359 In the NASA's place. Is that simple? 21 00:01:02.439 --> 00:01:04.280 Huh? 22 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:07.719 Okay, Jack, here we go. Let's just start with the 23 00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:09.760 enormity of this series. 24 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:15.920 Is it enormous, enormous might be big. I think the 25 00:01:15.959 --> 00:01:17.959 way I think you got to look at this whole 26 00:01:18.439 --> 00:01:21.400 ten game stretch they have coming this series against the Padres, 27 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:23.480 and then they come home and have the Giants and 28 00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:26.480 the Padres on their next home stand. It really sets 29 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:28.879 up to me what the rest of the season is 30 00:01:28.920 --> 00:01:31.400 going to look like. The Dodgers could play well over 31 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:33.719 the next week and a half, open up some breathing room, 32 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:36.480 give themselves a little more margin for error as they 33 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:38.959 continue to work through their pitching injuries and kind of 34 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:41.120 figure out what the second half of the season's going 35 00:01:41.159 --> 00:01:43.560 to look like, or if they played poorly, they're going 36 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:45.799 to be in a hole. Now, it's not one that 37 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:48.120 they can't recover from the division. It's not going to 38 00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:50.640 be decided in the next week and a half. But 39 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:55.760 repeatedly this season there have been allusions to twenty twenty 40 00:01:55.799 --> 00:01:58.000 one when the Dodgers and the Giants were in that 41 00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:01.760 epic division battle, and how strenuous that was on the 42 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:05.120 Dodgers that year by the time they got to October 43 00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:07.280 and got to the NLCS and when they lost to 44 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:11.319 the Braves. The one key answer that people gave about 45 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:13.159 why they failed there is that. You know, they just 46 00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:14.639 kind of ran out of gas. They were having to 47 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:17.759 push so hard the entire second half of that season 48 00:02:18.439 --> 00:02:21.439 that by the middle part of October, you know, their 49 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:25.000 pitching had been worn down, the lineup was worn down, 50 00:02:25.400 --> 00:02:28.400 And I think they're trying to avoid that same situation 51 00:02:28.520 --> 00:02:30.280 happening this year. So if you play well in the 52 00:02:30.280 --> 00:02:32.240 next week and a half, you come down here to 53 00:02:32.599 --> 00:02:34.599 San Diego and win this series. If you take care 54 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:36.759 of business at home, you put yourself in a much 55 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:39.039 better situation going into the second half of the year. 56 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:42.120 But if you don't, they could be facing a deficit 57 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:43.879 in the division. They could be in third place in 58 00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:46.039 the division if the next couple of weeks don't go well, 59 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:47.800 and then suddenly you have a lot of ground to 60 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:50.960 make up with a roster that still is pretty far 61 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:53.240 from full strength and probably isn't going to get there 62 00:02:53.240 --> 00:02:55.719 for at least another month or two. So that's the 63 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:59.599 stakes of this series, of this coming stretch of the schedule. 64 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:02.360 They haven't played these teams yet in their division that 65 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:04.199 are at the top of the division with them, and 66 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:06.199 it's a chance to either try to open up some 67 00:03:06.280 --> 00:03:08.360 breathing room or put yourself in a hole that you're 68 00:03:08.360 --> 00:03:09.520 going to have to try to dig out of the 69 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:10.120 rest of the year. 70 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:18.479 Yeah, Jack, and you just you just mentioned that that 71 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:23.080 you know, at this point in the season, does it 72 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:25.400 really matter? Does it really matter at this point in 73 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:28.280 the season. And the Padres, who's been a thorn in 74 00:03:28.360 --> 00:03:30.879 the Dodgers' side and kind of fought them along the way. 75 00:03:30.919 --> 00:03:33.360 We just had a question with callers about is this 76 00:03:33.479 --> 00:03:38.360 a rivalry with the Dodgers and the Padres. Do you 77 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:39.439 think this is a rivalry? 78 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:43.360 Oh, I think it's for sure a rivalry and probably 79 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:47.719 one that you know, lacks the historical significance and weight 80 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:50.639 of Dodgers giants. But if you look back over the 81 00:03:50.680 --> 00:03:53.520 last five years now, the Padres have been the team 82 00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:57.479 most consistently pushing the Dodgers in the division, making life 83 00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:00.199 tough on them both in the regular season and the playoffs. 84 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:02.639 And in a world, you know, with the schedule now 85 00:04:02.680 --> 00:04:05.360 where you don't play as many games against these teams, 86 00:04:05.879 --> 00:04:08.240 the games you do play take on even more importance. 87 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:11.080 You factor in, you know, all the stuff that happened 88 00:04:11.159 --> 00:04:14.199 during last year's inn LDS from you know, the game 89 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:16.639 where people threw stuff on the field to Manny Machado 90 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:20.439 throwing the ball at the Dodgers dugout, to just the 91 00:04:20.920 --> 00:04:25.480 really raw emotions that surrounded the Dodgers comeback. Then, to me, 92 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:30.079 the Dodgers Padres rivalry, at least of this current group 93 00:04:30.120 --> 00:04:32.480 of players is almost more heated and more intense and 94 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:35.399 has more backstory than the Dodgers and the Giants too 95 00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:38.199 right now, so it's definitely a rivalry. I think it's 96 00:04:38.240 --> 00:04:41.720 a really compelling matchup with this core of players on 97 00:04:41.800 --> 00:04:44.480 both teams who have now met in the playoffs three 98 00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:47.120 of the last five years, have knocked each other out 99 00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:49.120 of the playoffs and are going into what's going to 100 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:51.639 be or what at least looks like another pretty compelling 101 00:04:51.639 --> 00:04:52.639 Division race this year. 102 00:04:53.160 --> 00:04:57.000 Yeah, Jack, you mentioned how it took the wind out 103 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:59.240 of the Dodgers sales when they had to battle the 104 00:04:59.319 --> 00:05:01.399 Giants all the way to the end and then they 105 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:03.720 got to play the Braves and just ran out of gas. 106 00:05:05.480 --> 00:05:07.959 There's the flip side of that too. In the past 107 00:05:07.959 --> 00:05:11.000 two the Dodgers have run away with the Division, and 108 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:13.759 people have said they went into October where they were 109 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:16.399 rusty and hadn't played a meaningful game for a month 110 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:19.199 month and a half and it hurt them as well. 111 00:05:19.480 --> 00:05:22.480 What is the formula and where is the fine line 112 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:26.839 between being in a heated pennant race or division race 113 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:30.000 or running away with it where you can rest your 114 00:05:30.040 --> 00:05:33.040 guys and don't play meaningful games until the playoffs start. 115 00:05:34.600 --> 00:05:36.319 You know, I think you look at last year as 116 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:38.720 a good example. Last year was not an easy division 117 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:42.079 race for the Dodgers. Pretty much up until the last 118 00:05:42.120 --> 00:05:45.600 weekend of the year, they had meaningful games to play. 119 00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:48.519 The key part there was they had a division lead 120 00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:50.000 that whole time. And even if it was only a 121 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:52.120 couple of games. You know, when San Diego came into 122 00:05:52.120 --> 00:05:55.000 Dodgers Stadium for that that series at the end of 123 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:57.160 the year, the one where Freddie Freeman rolled his ankle, 124 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:00.399 the Dodgers had a little bit of margins for you know, 125 00:06:00.439 --> 00:06:02.439 there was that game that ended on the triple play, 126 00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:04.319 and then they came back and they won the next 127 00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:07.040 two games. They clinched the division. And that's because they 128 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:09.879 had given themselves just enough breathing room early in the 129 00:06:09.959 --> 00:06:12.000 year that even though the Padres were the hottest team 130 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:14.240 in baseball are in the second half, even though they 131 00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:16.839 could never really shake them up until that last week, 132 00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:18.720 they weren't in a play they were still in a 133 00:06:18.759 --> 00:06:21.199 place where, if you remember last year, there were still 134 00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:24.160 some games down the stretch they punted on or they 135 00:06:24.199 --> 00:06:26.040 were able to rest relievers, and they were able to 136 00:06:26.120 --> 00:06:29.240 do that because they knew they still had a little 137 00:06:29.240 --> 00:06:31.519 bit of margin for aer right and that you know, 138 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:33.959 even if they lose a game to San Diego at home, 139 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:35.759 they could still come back and win the division. So 140 00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:39.360 that's why, you know, the difference even of having a 141 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:41.680 two or three game lead by the time you get 142 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:44.839 into August and September can be a lot different than 143 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:46.959 when you're down a couple games in the division and 144 00:06:47.399 --> 00:06:49.879 you really can't afford to punt on games if you 145 00:06:49.879 --> 00:06:51.319 want to try to win the division and get a 146 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:53.720 buy and put yourself in the best position possible for 147 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:55.879 the playoffs. And I think the other thing the Dodgers 148 00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:58.680 figured out last year was how to handle that bye week, 149 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:01.160 you know, how to to keep the momentum of the 150 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:04.720 regular season going, how to build some chemistry and camaraderie 151 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:07.519 with the time off that they had. And I'd also 152 00:07:07.560 --> 00:07:10.000 point out, like you know, even having those three days 153 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:12.680 at the end of last season, after they clinched the division, 154 00:07:12.920 --> 00:07:14.759 you know, was helpful for Freddi Freeman who didn't have 155 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:17.000 to play in those games and even just got a 156 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:19.519 small breeder going into the playoffs so that he could 157 00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:22.000 still be, you know, a productive and impactful member of 158 00:07:22.040 --> 00:07:25.519 the team. So it is a fine balance. I think 159 00:07:25.560 --> 00:07:28.120 where the Dodgers are at now, you know they're they're 160 00:07:28.199 --> 00:07:31.560 much more well equipped to handle. You know, if they 161 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:33.079 have a week or two at the end of the 162 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:35.959 season that isn't as meaningful, and they would still take 163 00:07:35.959 --> 00:07:38.360 that one hundred times out of one hundred, especially given 164 00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:41.439 the pitching injury concerns that they're going to have to 165 00:07:41.480 --> 00:07:44.120 manage during the second half of this year. So again 166 00:07:44.199 --> 00:07:46.759 going back to like the importance of these games coming 167 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:49.000 up over the next couple of weeks. That's why this 168 00:07:49.079 --> 00:07:50.560 is so big, because it can make a world of 169 00:07:50.600 --> 00:07:52.639 difference even if you have a small lead in the 170 00:07:52.680 --> 00:07:55.399 division versus trying to make up ground in the second 171 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:56.040 half of the year. 172 00:07:56.759 --> 00:07:59.480 Okay, well, talking about injuries, what about Tony Gonsolin. Where 173 00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:00.399 are we at with now? 174 00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:04.680 It's not a worst case scenario, as Dave Roberts said 175 00:08:04.680 --> 00:08:07.920 over the weekend, is the UCL is intact, but he 176 00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:11.439 gets thrown into this bucket of other pitchers where they 177 00:08:11.560 --> 00:08:15.079 got to give him some time off from throwing, see 178 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:18.120 if the discomfort and his elbow dissipates, then try to 179 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:21.040 ramp them up slowly where you're trying to balance this 180 00:08:21.160 --> 00:08:23.800 and knowing you need to get some pitchers back. Ver, 181 00:08:23.800 --> 00:08:25.959 it's also not rushing guys back where they could get 182 00:08:26.040 --> 00:08:28.120 hurt again, and it's the same thing they've been dealing 183 00:08:28.120 --> 00:08:33.120 with with Blake Snell and Tyler Glass now and Rookie Sasaki. Obviously, 184 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:35.600 it leads them in a much tougher spot in the 185 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:38.120 short term, starting with tomorrow and how they're going to handle, 186 00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:41.200 you know, the pitching plan for that game in a 187 00:08:41.240 --> 00:08:44.840 world where they don't have Tony Gonsolin. The thing that 188 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:47.960 Dodgers have kept saying this year that's different than last 189 00:08:48.039 --> 00:08:50.039 year is that none of these guys have been knocked 190 00:08:50.039 --> 00:08:52.639 out for the year. Right The only guy they've lost 191 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:55.879 permanently this season is Evan Phillips, and because of that, 192 00:08:56.360 --> 00:08:59.559 they still have confidence that in the long term, they're 193 00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:01.639 pitching staff is going to get healthy enough for them 194 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:03.919 to be in a place where they're confident about their 195 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:07.519 chances to go into October and compete for another World Series. 196 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:10.000 But every time you have another situation like this, and 197 00:09:10.039 --> 00:09:12.440 the longer it takes guys to come back, it just 198 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:15.399 creates more uncertainty about exactly what the pitching staff is 199 00:09:15.399 --> 00:09:18.679 going to look like. It creates uncertainty about how aggressive 200 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:20.159 you have to be at the trade deadline, you know, 201 00:09:20.200 --> 00:09:22.080 to try to give yourself some insurance in case some 202 00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:24.679 of these guys don't come back as expected. So it's 203 00:09:24.679 --> 00:09:28.039 just another kind of piece of this unknowable puzzle that 204 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:31.159 goes into trying to manage pitching injuries and build a 205 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:34.519 healthy pitching staff, and one that especially in the short term, 206 00:09:34.679 --> 00:09:37.080 you know, just makes life that much tough around the Dodgers. 207 00:09:37.559 --> 00:09:41.159 Well, staying with pitching, how do you how do you 208 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:46.360 handle Otani right, because obviously they've been very very conservative 209 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:49.639 with him and all accounts that he probably could have 210 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:54.159 started the season, but they're being extra extra careful with 211 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:59.519 him when he does come back. How do the Dodgers 212 00:09:59.559 --> 00:10:02.279 are how what would you suggest they handle him? Because 213 00:10:02.519 --> 00:10:05.720 it could fall into not only out of necessity that 214 00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:08.440 they got to use him more than they expected, but 215 00:10:08.600 --> 00:10:10.600 do they because you don't want to lose his. 216 00:10:10.679 --> 00:10:16.519 Bat yeah, and that explains why they've managed him on 217 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:19.039 the pitching side the way they have to this point, 218 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:22.879 because they know that they can maybe live in a 219 00:10:22.919 --> 00:10:25.600 world where shohe Otani isn't an impact pitcher. They just 220 00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:27.919 won a World Series last year without him on the mound. 221 00:10:28.440 --> 00:10:31.080 Life's a lot tougher if you try to rush him 222 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:33.120 back as a pitcher, and you raise the risk of 223 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:35.440 him getting hurt doing that, and then you lose his 224 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:37.360 bat for any for a long period of time. That's 225 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:40.320 the one thing they really can't afford to have happened. 226 00:10:40.360 --> 00:10:44.080 So the way they've tried to plan this out is 227 00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:48.600 give him as much time as possible, very methodically built up. 228 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:50.720 You know, he's going to do another live session this 229 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:53.320 week in which I'm guessing you'll see his pitch counts 230 00:10:53.399 --> 00:10:56.000 kind of keep ticking up. It was around thirty last time, 231 00:10:56.039 --> 00:10:59.720 maybe gets two thirty or over it this week, and 232 00:10:59.720 --> 00:11:02.159 then try to give him enough time that when he 233 00:11:02.200 --> 00:11:04.320 does come back as a pitcher, you know, he has 234 00:11:04.360 --> 00:11:06.360 time to kind of figure out where he's at physically, 235 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:08.600 who has who he is as a pitcher now coming 236 00:11:08.600 --> 00:11:11.080 off the second Tommy John. That's why you know, Dave 237 00:11:11.159 --> 00:11:14.200 Roberts has kept saying, we're expecting to get him back 238 00:11:14.200 --> 00:11:16.559 after the All Star break. If you get him back around, 239 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:20.480 then you're probably looking at eight to ten ish starts 240 00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:23.399 over the rest of the season for him to try to, 241 00:11:23.639 --> 00:11:25.879 you know, figure out where he's at as a pitcher, 242 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:28.639 and then at that point you can make a determination, Okay, 243 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:30.679 where's the rest of the pitching staff, how badly do 244 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:32.679 we need him as a pitcher? How has he performed, 245 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:35.320 you know, coming off a second TJ, which is not 246 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:37.120 something you can take for granted. I mean, we saw 247 00:11:37.159 --> 00:11:40.159 Walker viewer last year. He was great in October, but 248 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:42.519 the whole regular season was a roller coaster for him 249 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:44.440 trying to figure out where he was at coming off 250 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:47.320 his own second Tommy John procedure. So I think to 251 00:11:47.399 --> 00:11:51.279 this point it's been a logical progression of trying to 252 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:53.600 protect him, trying to make sure that he's still an 253 00:11:53.639 --> 00:11:57.320 impact piece of your lineup, while also you know, threading 254 00:11:57.320 --> 00:11:59.519 that needle to where he's going to have just enough 255 00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:01.919 time to figure out where he's at on the mound 256 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:04.440 and how badly they're going to need him. 257 00:12:04.440 --> 00:12:07.320 Talking about injuries, if we reverse the roles, if the 258 00:12:07.320 --> 00:12:10.000 padres itself with a number of injuries the Dodgers had 259 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:12.519 this year, Jack, would the Padres be as good as 260 00:12:12.519 --> 00:12:15.240 they are? Because I contend it's remarkable the Dodgers are 261 00:12:15.240 --> 00:12:17.399 where they're at given the number of injuries. 262 00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:21.879 No, probably not. I don't think there's there's really any 263 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:25.679 other team in baseball that could have withstood, you know, 264 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:30.000 losing basically four out of your five opening day pictures 265 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:32.320 for the majority of the first two and a half 266 00:12:32.360 --> 00:12:35.080 months now and still be in the position the Dodgers are. 267 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:37.440 That speaks to the depth they have. It speaks to 268 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:40.639 the resources they put into this roster to try to 269 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:44.279 work around when situations like this arise. And it's the 270 00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:46.600 reason why, you know, going into this week, even with 271 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:49.399 all the problems they've had, they are still in first place. 272 00:12:49.879 --> 00:12:51.679 You know, a team like the Padres just doesn't have 273 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:53.559 that much depth, and I think you've even seen them 274 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:55.759 kind of tail off a little bit as injuries have 275 00:12:55.799 --> 00:12:58.000 started to catch up to you know, some guys in 276 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:00.240 their lineup and their bullpen, and they haven't played as 277 00:13:00.279 --> 00:13:03.919 well as they did early in the season. The tricky 278 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:06.519 part for the Dodgers is is that while that depth 279 00:13:06.559 --> 00:13:08.960 can help you get through the regular season. You need 280 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:12.360 your star players, you need your best pitchers available by 281 00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:13.799 the time you get to the stretch run of the 282 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:16.919 year in the playoffs. So that again goes back to 283 00:13:17.320 --> 00:13:19.720 why the team has been as cautious as they have 284 00:13:19.799 --> 00:13:22.080 been with some of their injured arms. They feel like 285 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:24.200 in the short term, even if it doesn't look pretty 286 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:26.879 on an everyday basis, and it really hasn't for the 287 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:30.320 Dodgers going back to you know, like they're what four 288 00:13:30.440 --> 00:13:32.519 or five games above five hundred since that eight no 289 00:13:32.679 --> 00:13:35.279 start to the season. This is their weathering the storm 290 00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:37.480 phase of the year. They are equipped to be able 291 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:39.320 to do it now, but at some point they are 292 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:41.279 going to have to get healthy again, and it's about 293 00:13:41.279 --> 00:13:43.240 trying to figure out, you know, how can you get 294 00:13:43.240 --> 00:13:46.879 there while still preserving your best guys to be available 295 00:13:46.919 --> 00:13:49.559 for you know, when the games really start to matter. 296 00:13:51.639 --> 00:13:55.720 Hey, Jack, what do you say to Dodger fans who 297 00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:58.240 at the beginning of the season and when they made 298 00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:00.759 all these acquisitions in the offseason and they think that 299 00:14:00.799 --> 00:14:03.200 the Dodgers should be running away with it should be 300 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:07.759 just like twelve games up on everybody else, and you 301 00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:11.279 look out there and they're playing the Padres, right, you 302 00:14:11.320 --> 00:14:14.519 know in the three game series. Now, Padres have talent 303 00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:16.519 up and down that lineup as well. You look at 304 00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:19.840 the Phillies. The Phillies have as much talent as anybody 305 00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:24.120 in baseball. The Mets are very talented, as we saw 306 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:27.120 when they came to Dodgers State am very talented baseball team. 307 00:14:27.559 --> 00:14:29.559 It is not going to be easy for the Dodgers 308 00:14:29.559 --> 00:14:31.480 to run through the National League and get back to 309 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:34.159 the World Series and win it. There are a number 310 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:36.639 of teams out there, and I know the Dodgers have 311 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:38.919 star power and they spend the most money and all 312 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:43.600 those things, but baseball, and especially the National League is 313 00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:47.519 still very, very competitive, and I wouldn't be surprised whoever 314 00:14:47.639 --> 00:14:50.080 came out of the National League at this point. 315 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:55.159 Yeah, I mean, the reason to me the Dodgers haven't 316 00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:58.120 been better goes back to just the fact that they've 317 00:14:58.120 --> 00:15:01.440 been playing shorthanded. They haven't had the p staff, either 318 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:03.960 in the rotation or the bullpen that they were hoping 319 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:07.200 to have for you know, or expecting to have coming 320 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:09.960 into the year. I still do think it's full strength. 321 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:12.759 The Dodgers are better than anybody in baseball. If you 322 00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:14.919 have the rotation you want, and you have your top 323 00:15:14.919 --> 00:15:18.080 believers available to go along with this lineup that, even 324 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:20.320 though it's dealt with its own ups and downs, has 325 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:23.120 still statistically been one of the best units in the 326 00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:26.200 sport this year. You know, the Dodgers still have when 327 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:28.879 you look at their whole roster of probably the most 328 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:30.840 talent in the game. The problem is that so many 329 00:15:30.840 --> 00:15:33.080 of those names right now have the eye out designation 330 00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:37.519 next to them. So again, the Dodgers, because of their depth, 331 00:15:38.200 --> 00:15:41.639 hand handled this kind of stuff better. But you know, 332 00:15:41.799 --> 00:15:43.759 especially in the National League, like you said, there's a 333 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:46.279 lot of really talented teams, and if you don't get 334 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:49.639 healthy completely, if you don't have the kind of makeup 335 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:52.840 roster wise that you were anticipating having coming into the 336 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:55.639 season after spending all the money they did both this 337 00:15:55.799 --> 00:15:58.799 winner and last winter, it's going to be difficult and 338 00:15:58.840 --> 00:16:01.480 there's going to be teams like we've already seen this year, 339 00:16:01.480 --> 00:16:05.519 the Dodgers have not really played all that impressively against 340 00:16:05.639 --> 00:16:09.679 fellow playoff contenders or fellow World Series contenders, and it's 341 00:16:09.720 --> 00:16:13.639 a reminder that, yes, while they can tread water to 342 00:16:13.879 --> 00:16:16.159 a certain extent in the regular season and still win 343 00:16:16.279 --> 00:16:19.480 enough games to be in first place in the NLS 344 00:16:19.559 --> 00:16:22.799 and be in an okay spot in the standings. They're 345 00:16:22.840 --> 00:16:25.720 going to need to have something close to the best 346 00:16:25.799 --> 00:16:28.720 version of themselves by the end of the season to 347 00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:32.840 make a legitimate run at repeating his World Series champions 348 00:16:33.240 --> 00:16:35.799 And it makes you know, this stretch right now important 349 00:16:35.879 --> 00:16:39.039 to just try to again avoid long losing streaks or 350 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:41.679 really bad stretches of play for a prolonged period of time. 351 00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:43.960 But that's only one part of the puzzle, and the 352 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:45.919 second part is going to be they are going to 353 00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:48.840 have to start playing higher level baseball more consistently as 354 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:51.639 the season goes along and as they get healthier, because 355 00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:53.960 to this point, yeah, when you look at just the 356 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:56.399 on the field product over these first couple months, they 357 00:16:56.399 --> 00:16:58.159 have not been the best team in baseball right now. 358 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:00.399 They're not even you know, in a even though their 359 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:02.759 first place in the NLS, there's two teams in the 360 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:05.279 National League with better records than them, And it all 361 00:17:05.319 --> 00:17:08.119 speaks to how difficult it's going to be for them 362 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:11.279 to try to repeat this year and the need again 363 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:14.000 to try to get as healthy as possible by the 364 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:15.759 end of the season, because that's what it's going to 365 00:17:15.799 --> 00:17:19.119 take most likely to go on another deep October run. 366 00:17:19.720 --> 00:17:22.960 All right, well, Jack, thanks so much. Do you hang 367 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:24.480 out in the gas lamp down there. 368 00:17:26.119 --> 00:17:28.400 A little bit? There is a convention going on down 369 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:31.720 here this week, though, where all the hotels were a 370 00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:34.400 thousand bucks or more. So I'm staying out of downtown 371 00:17:34.680 --> 00:17:36.599 this trip, so it might be a little bit quieter, 372 00:17:36.680 --> 00:17:38.799 but we'll see. There might still be some time for 373 00:17:38.839 --> 00:17:39.640 a postgame beer. 374 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:41.640 Wait a minute, let me ask you something. So when 375 00:17:41.640 --> 00:17:44.640 you travel and you know your life is difficult, people think, oh, 376 00:17:44.680 --> 00:17:46.599 you get to go to all the game. No, no, 377 00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:48.680 you're traveling all the time and you're in and out 378 00:17:48.680 --> 00:17:51.480 of airports. Are you telling me the Times would in 379 00:17:51.559 --> 00:17:57.079 spring for a thousand bucks for Jack Harris to beat downtown. 380 00:17:58.680 --> 00:18:01.359 We're trying to be strategic with our budget. Make sure 381 00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:04.119 that you know we're there in person no matter where 382 00:18:04.119 --> 00:18:07.000 we go. So, uh, it's it's all good. I get 383 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:08.960 the I gotta drive this week, so I get the 384 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:10.359 mile leadream person out of it. 385 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:11.039 So that's all right. 386 00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:13.680 There you go, So it's a good it's a good week. 387 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:16.119 Yeah, it's silver linings. 388 00:18:16.440 --> 00:18:17.359 That's it, all right. 389 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:19.240 Well, Jack, thanks have fun down there. 390 00:18:20.279 --> 00:18:22.039 All right, appreciate you guys. 391 00:18:21.799 --> 00:18:24.960 Our buddy Jack Harris from the Times. You know, there's 392 00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:28.279 a little something something to this tonight, Rodney. Yeah, I 393 00:18:28.279 --> 00:18:29.240 mean it's gonna be fun. 394 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:31.519 Now. There's little edgings to it. That's what I love. 395 00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:37.279 There's some edgings to it that you know, they they 396 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:40.680 don't they don't like us, We don't like them. And 397 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:46.319 it's and it only works, you know, you cannot like somebody, 398 00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:49.920 but it only works when you're competitive, when both teams 399 00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:51.799 have a chance to win, and you can compete with 400 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:53.799 me and it's gonna you know, it could come down 401 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:56.079