Catching the Dodgers’ Trea Turner is no easy task

3 years ago 380

LOS ANGELES ― Dating to their aboriginal days successful Brooklyn, 8 antithetic players successful the past of the Dodgers franchise person led the National League successful stolen bases.

Trea Turner has a accidental to go the ninth. He swiped his NL-leading 32nd basal Tuesday night, and it was among the astir challenging. Yu Darvish picked him disconnected 2nd basal but Turner sped to 3rd basal to debar a tag and get recognition for the steal.

“I got fortunate there, but that’s gonna hap erstwhile you’re stealing bases,” Turner said. “You’re expected to bargain and beryllium harmless but sometimes the different squad makes a play connected you.”

The Dodgers’ past stolen bases champion was Dee Strange-Gordon, who swiped 64 bags successful 2014. He’s the lone Dodger to pb the league successful the class successful the past 45 years.

It’s a reflection of the changing strategy league-wide astir the stolen base. Teams prize ratio alternatively than measurement from their basal stealers. Fortunately for the Dodgers, Turner excels successful some categories. His 89 percent occurrence complaint is the highest among qualified basal stealers.

Roberts said Turner mightiness beryllium the champion basal stealer he’s managed successful six seasons successful Los Angeles.

“He’s surely 1 of the fastest guys successful each of baseball,” Roberts said. “He picks his spots. An encouragement from maine is to beryllium a small spot much assertive due to the fact that I don’t deliberation helium realizes however accelerated helium truly is. Even if he’s astatine archetypal basal helium creates hostility to the opposing pitcher and defense.”

Literally oregon figuratively, Turner is improbable to beryllium caught successful the last 3 days of the regular season. St. Louis Cardinals infielder Tommy Edman ranks 2nd successful the NL with 28 stolen bases.

ROTATION PLANS

Clayton Kershaw volition commencement Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers, followed by Tony Gonsolin connected Saturday. Walker Buehler is lined up to commencement Sunday, but the Dodgers mightiness springiness him an other time of remainder successful lawsuit of a imaginable Game 163 tiebreaker connected Monday successful San Francisco.

“We haven’t made that decision,” Roberts said. “Walker’s expecting to transportation Sunday, but the eventual extremity is to triumph the World Series. If we person to work and respond to summation our chances to bash that, we’ll bash so.”

It’s unclear who would commencement Sunday if Buehler isn’t available. The Dodgers awoke Wednesday trailing the San Francisco Giants by 2 games successful the National League West standings.

To unit a Game 163, the 2 teams would request to decorativeness the regular play with identical records. The Padres sojourn San Francisco for 3 games opening Friday.

Buehler started and won a memorable Game 163 connected the last time of the 2018 regular season, a shutout triumph implicit the Colorado Rockies, that clinched the part rubric for the Dodgers.

ALSO

Albert Pujols was activated from the injured database aft conscionable 1 day. The archetypal baseman was placed connected the IL connected Tuesday aft reporting broadside effects from his 2nd COVID-19 vaccination. … Pitcher Andrew Vasquez was optioned successful a corresponding roster move. … Chris Taylor started astatine 3rd basal connected a time disconnected for Justin Turner. … Outfielder Cody Bellinger volition beryllium successful the starting lineup Thursday with right-hander Vince Velasquez connected the mound for the Padres, Roberts said. It volition beryllium Bellinger’s archetypal commencement since Sept. 17.