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After taking his regular spherical of infield grounders in the course of the Dodgers’ off-day exercise Sunday, Kiké Hernández jogged to heart subject and spent a noticeable period of time fielding fly balls there.
On the eve of Sport 3 of the World Collection, it may not have been a coincidence.
After utilizing the identical 9 gamers of their beginning lineup in six straight video games because the begin of the Nationwide League Championship Collection, the Dodgers have been contemplating a change for Monday — one that would drop struggling second-year slugger Andy Pages to the bench.
Whereas the Dodgers’ total offense has been inconsistent this postseason, Pages has endured probably the most obtrusive hunch. He has collected simply 4 hits in 43 at-bats, registering a .093 common. He has 11 strikeouts, no walks, and just one extra-base knock, offering little pop or spark from the No. 9 spot.
Supervisor Dave Roberts acknowledged earlier than Sport 2 that he was mulling whether or not to maintain Pages within the lineup. And although the 24-year-old outfielder, who had 27 house runs and 86 RBIs within the common season, had a success and run scored on Saturday, Roberts reiterated Sunday that making a transfer with Pages was “nonetheless on the desk” and “entrance of thoughts.”
“Simply making an attempt to determine the place he’s at mentally, bodily,” Roberts mentioned. “The efficiency hasn’t been there. So considering of different choices, yeah.”
One purpose the Dodgers have caught with Pages is due to their restricted defensive options — together with, firstly, utilityman Tommy Edman being restricted to solely second base this October due to a lingering ankle damage.
Edman, who break up time final postseason between heart subject and shortstop, did say this weekend that his ankle was feeling higher (regardless that he didn’t shut the door on doubtlessly needing surgical procedure this offseason). However Roberts famous that Edman “hasn’t taken a fly ball on the market in a month,” casting continued doubt over his capability to play anyplace else.
With out Edman, Hernández is the one different true center-field choice for the Dodgers to make use of of their beginning lineup, having additionally performed there in the course of the workforce’s World Collection run final 12 months. This postseason, Hernández has been a fixture in left (whereas additionally mixing in at third base). But when he have been to slip to heart subject for Sport 3, it may open left subject for somebody like Alex Name.
Name, a commerce deadline acquisition who was a part-time participant down the stretch within the common season, doesn’t symbolize as a lot of an influence menace as Pages, however is a greater contact hitter with extra on-base capability.
In fact, the Dodgers’ offensive inconsistencies have gone past Pages.
They haven’t topped 5 runs in a sport because the wild-card spherical. They’ve hit simply .216 as a workforce because the begin of the division collection. Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman are nonetheless batting underneath .225 within the playoffs. Mookie Betts is batting .136 because the begin of the NLCS.
Throughout their Sport 2 win, Roberts felt the membership missed plenty of hittable pitches in opposition to Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman, earlier than Will Smith and Max Muncy lastly broke by with house runs within the seventh.
That, Roberts felt, was an indication his lineup was “slightly bit in between” in its method, squandering alternatives to do injury in opposition to fastballs over the plate whereas additionally making an attempt to guard in opposition to breaking stuff out of the zone.
“They’ve made good pitches, however now we have missed pitches as effectively,” Roberts mentioned. “I do assume that coming house, I really feel that we’re again into slightly little bit of a rhythm offensively.”
Maybe shaking up the lineup will assist, as effectively.
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