At 22-8, LA feeling ‘really good’
Adding Mookie Betts,
LOS ANGELES — Even amid the upheaval of a pandemic, one thing is predictable: the Dodgers are very good.
In fact, they’re the best team in baseball, boasting a 22-8 record at the halfway point of a shortened season.
They went 13-4 playing a stretch of 17 consecutive days that ended Sunday, capped by an 11-3 win over the Rockies in which the Dodgers blasted seven home runs.
Instead of being on fumes, manager Dave Roberts said, “We all feel really good.”
It shows in their balanced offense and pitching. The Dodgers lead the majors in home runs (59) and runs scored (171). They also have the lowest team ERA (2.65), while their WHIP (1.04) is just behind the Indians’ leading 1.03. The Dodgers staff is doing it without David Price, who opted out of the season due to the coronavirus.
The Dodgers won a franchise-record 106 games last season to go with their seventh consecutive NL
West title. They made a loaded roster even more so with the addition of 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts.
The Dodgers took a four-game lead over the Padres in the NL West into the second half.
“We’re trying to run away with the division,” second baseman Kiki Hernandez said. “That’s step number one to the main goal.”
The ultimate goal, of course, is a World Series championship, something the Dodgers haven’t won since 1988 despite back-toback appearances in 2017 and 2018.
Mets: The Mets will resume play Tuesday after no additional members tested positive for COVID-19 since the team learned of two infections that caused four games to be postponed last week. A doubleheader against the Marlins at Citi Field was scheduled for Tuesday beginning at 5:10 p.m. EDT, with the Mets the home team for the first game and the Marlins the home team for the second. The Mets’ series finale Thursday in Miami and their three weekend Subway Series games against the crosstown Yankees were postponed after the positive tests were announced. The Mets will make up the series against the Yankees with doubleheaders Friday and Sunday at Yankee Stadium and a single game on Sept. 3 at Citi Field.
Blue Jays: Randal Grichuk hit a three-run HR in the seventh and the Blue Jays beat the host Rays 6-4 on Monday. Reliever Aaron Loup (3-2) replaced Edgar García with one on and one out. After Cavan Biggio reached on catcher’s interference, Grichuk gave the Jays a 5-3 lead with his seventh home run. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. also homered for the Jays, and Thomas Hatch (2-1) worked two scoreless innings for the win. Jordan Romano worked the ninth for his second save. Yoshi Tsutsugo and Willy Adames homered for Rays. Oft-injured Rays OF Kevin Kiermaier was hit on the right foot by a pitch in the sixth and left after the seventh . ... The Jays acquired DH/1B Daniel Vogelbach, 27, from the Mariners for cash considerations. The Mariners designated Vogelbach for assignment Wednesday barely a year after he was a first-time All-Star. Vogelbach is hitting .094 with only five base hits and two HRs.
Cubs: LHP Jose Quintana will be activated from the IL on Tuesday but will start his season in the bullpen after missing action due to an injured pitching hand. “I’ve been in the bullpen a couple times,” Quintana said. “I feel OK with that.” Quintana, 31, injured his hand while doing the dishes not long before summer camp began. RHP Alec Mills took his place in the rotation, compiling a 4.76 ERA over four starts.
Indians: Manager Terry Francona will miss the club’s three-game series against the visiting Twins this week while he continues to deal with health issues. Francona underwent another procedure Friday at the Cleveland Clinic to address a gastrointestinal condition that has bothered him for nearly a year. The 61-year-old Francona already has missed 17 games and the club will be without him as they take on the AL Central-leading Twins, who led the Indians by 11⁄2 games going into Monday’s series opener.
Hall of Fame: The board of directors of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum voted unanimously to move this winter’s two Era Committee elections to next year because of concerns associated with the coronavirus pandemic. The Hall said the Era Committee process requires in-person dialogue involving the members of the 16-person voting committee.