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Trea Turner #6 of the Los Angeles Dodgers beats out the throw as first baseman Jared Walsh #20 of the Los Angeles Angels waits for the baseball for the Dodgers first hit of the game in the fourth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after striking out looking against the Los Angeles Angels in the fourth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers strikes out with bees loaded against the Los Angeles Angels in the fourth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Pitching coach Matt Wise #83 of the Los Angeles Angels talks to starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard, left, as catcher Max Stassi #33 of the Los Angeles Angels looks on with the bases loaded against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Trea Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers singles against the Los Angeles Angels in the fourth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on against the Los Angeles Angels in the third inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers high fives teammates after scoring on a bases loaded walk by teammate Justin Turner (not pictured) of the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Los Angeles Angels in the fourth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson is treated by Los Angeles Dodgers trainer Nathan Lucero after being hit in the face off a broken bat by Mike Trout (not pictured) of the Los Angeles Angels against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ninth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson is treated by Los Angeles Dodgers trainer Nathan Lucero after being hit in the face off a broken bat by Mike Trout (not pictured) of the Los Angeles Angels against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ninth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson is treated by Los Angeles Dodgers trainer Nathan Lucero after being hit in the face off a broken bat by Mike Trout (not pictured) of the Los Angeles Angels against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ninth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson is treated by Los Angeles Dodgers trainer Nathan Lucero after being hit in the face off a broken bat by Mike Trout (not pictured) of the Los Angeles Angels against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ninth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers along with Mike Trout #27 and first base coach Damon Mashore #80 of the Los Angeles Angels look on after Home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson was hit in the face off a broken bat by Mike Trout in the ninth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson is treated by Los Angeles Dodgers trainer Nathan Lucero after being hit in the face off a broken bat by Mike Trout (not pictured) of the Los Angeles Angels against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ninth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson is hit in the face by a broken bat from Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels as catcher Will Smith #16 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on in the ninth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers high fives teammates after scoring on a bases loaded walk by teammate Justin Turner (not pictured) of the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Los Angeles Angels in the fourth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers rounds second base after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers high fives teammates after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers high fives teammates after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Closer Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to the plate against the Los Angeles Angels in the ninth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Closer Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to the plate against the Los Angeles Angels in the ninth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Closer Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to the plate against the Los Angeles Angels in the ninth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Second baseman Gavin Lux #9 of the Los Angeles Dodgers can’t reach a single by Mike Trout (not pictured) of the Los Angeles Angels in front of centerfield Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ninth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson is hit in the face by a broken bat from Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels as catcher Will Smith #16 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on in the ninth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Max Muncy #13 of the Los Angeles Dodgers grounds into a fielders choice against the Los Angeles Angels in the fourth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers high fives teammates after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Manager Phil Nevin #88 of the Los Angeles Angels looks on against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels singles against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Right fielder Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers makes the catch on a fly ball by Taylor Ward (not pictured) of the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Second baseman Gavin Lux #9 of the Los Angeles Dodgers tags out Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels at second base on a attempted steal in the fourth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels singles against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after striking out looking against the Los Angeles Angels in the fourth inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels looks toward the third base coach against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to the place against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard #34 of the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning of a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to a MLB baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to a MLB baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Former Los Angeles Dodgers Chase Utley prior to a MLB baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to a MLB baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Hanser Alberto #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to a MLB baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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David Price, left, of the Los Angeles Dodgers with bat boy Francisco Herrera prior to a MLB baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Clayton McCullough #86 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws batting practice prior to a MLB baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
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Bench coach Bob Geren #88 of the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to a MLB baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
LOS ANGELES – OK, I get it. Go ahead and blame me.
Yeah, I wrote it, it appeared in the May 15 editions of the Southern California News Group papers, and I meant every word of it at the time.
“It is early – just about a fifth of MLB’s 162-game grind has been played – and yet the imagination dances, day-to-day results aside. The Dodgers and Angels are both near the top of their leagues, and is it too much to imagine them sharing a field in late October?”
The morning that appeared in your Sunday paper, the Dodgers were 24-13 and in a virtual tie with the Padres atop the NL West, and even though they’d faced a rough patch that week against the Pirates and Phillies, it only seemed a matter of time before they took control of the division. The Angels were also 24-13, unexpectedly so, and were in a virtual tie with the Astros in the AL West and had a five-game cushion in the wild-card race.
We all know what has happened since. The Dodgers are 38-23, still tied with the Padres after a 2-0 victory over the Angels Tuesday night – with a finish that Craig Kimbrel made more tense than necessary – and hoping this starts a reset after a weekend sweep by the Giants that featured a puzzling inability by an All-Star lineup to hit with runners in scoring position. Additionally, Walker Buehler’s out for quite a while, and right now Tony Gonsolin is their best pitcher.
The Angels are 29-34, 9-1/2 games out of first place and 4-1/2 out of a wild-card spot after their 17th loss in 18 games, and Phil Nevin was answering the questions rather than Joe Maddon. Their health situation seemed more settled when Taylor Ward and his 1.087 OPS returned to the lineup … but then Anthony Rendon left the game in the fifth inning Tuesday night after aggravating his already injured right wrist.
And the talk throughout baseball these days is about a Subway Series, not a Freeway Series. How galling is that?
Under the circumstances, the historical nugget that Tuesday’s was the first game since 1982 where the rosters featured six former MVPs was sort of hollow. (For the record: Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in red, and Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in blue. The last time it happened also involved the Angels: Don Baylor, Rod Carew, Fred Lynn and Reggie Jackson, along with the Royals’ George Brett and Vida Blue.)
“There’s going to be no other baseball game that has more superstars, which creates great moments and obviously great talent facing each other,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So for us, we’re spoiled in a sense that there’s a freeway rivalry that lends itself to that.
“I love watching Ohtani. I love watching Trout, Rendon. I don’t like playing against those guys, but we’ve got some good ballplayers, too.”
Of course, it didn’t do much for the entertainment value, though Tony Gonsolin’s 6 1/3-inning performance was a delight for those who appreciate pitching. But the place didn’t really start rocking until Betts’ eighth-inning home run, and Kimbrel had fans of both teams on the edges of their seats in the ninth before striking out Jared Walsh and Max Stassi to leave the bases loaded.
Anyway, the talk of former MVPs inevitably comes back to the traditional question: What have they done lately?
The Dodgers have 101 games left, the Angels 99. There’s time, and a lot can happen. But by mid-June, there’s a need for urgency … and not just for an Angels club which, as we’ve discussed over the last week, has a forgiving stretch of schedule coming up following this series and a chance to reverse course.
“This is the big leagues,” Nevin said. “Everybody’s got good clubs. (Someone) mentioned six MVPs just a minute ago. Both sides are well equipped right now, and I expect these to be just good baseball games.
“Desperation, I don’t like to use that word. We come out, we expect to win every day. I’m sure they do, too.”
Winning a baseball game every day – and not worrying about the day before, the day after or anything other than the task at hand – has been Roberts’ mantra ever since he took over Dodgers in 2016. It’s why he has the third-best managerial winning percentage in the 139-year history of the Brooklyn-Los Angeles franchise, .622 (580-352), which is better than Hall of Fame managers Tom Lasorda or Walter Alston and trails only Bill McGunnigle (267-139, .657 from 1887-90) and Charlie Dressen (298-166, .642 from 1951-53). You can look it up.
(And yes, I know, a certain segment of Dodger fans absolutely will not be mollified by the numbers. The torches and pitchforks were already being unholstered before Kimbrel got out of trouble Tuesday night. I get that, too.)
That philosophy of worrying about today’s game and nothing else won the Dodgers a World Series two years ago. But Roberts saw some individual approaches he didn’t in recent days and suspected maybe that his players had lost track of that overriding goal. He said Tuesday he’d had conversations with “certain players,” following his comments over the weekend suggesting some slippage.
“How we go about that shouldn’t waver, and the goal shouldn’t waver,” he said. “… I rely on our players to understand the importance of everything, not just that we got swept by a division rival. We’re playing a major league baseball team today, and there is a sense of urgency to win. And whatever that means, whatever it takes, that’s our goal. Win or lose, we do the same thing tomorrow.”
Is that something players need to be reminded about at various points of a season?
“Yeah, I think so,” Roberts said. “I played this game. I was guilty many times at looking at feeling sorry for myself, looking at my own statistics, and you sort of lose sight of the big picture, the main goal. I think everyone’s guilty of that at times. And I think it’s my job to have the pulse of that and to remind people, let’s stay the course and continue to focus on what’s important.”
In the end, the set of numbers that really matters shouldn’t be the one that comes up in arbitration hearings, in other words. (Or MVP balloting, for that matter.)
It’s the one that positions you to win a World Series.
jalexander@scng.com
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