Max Muncy, Dodger Depth Tested
Max Muncy and Dodger Depth Tested Against Mariners and Padres – Weekly Recap
The much-lauded Dodger depth was tested this week, along with slugger Max Muncy. He started out rough but by the end of the week, Max found his strike zone and earned an impressive eight walks this week, five of them in one game against the Padres.
Max Muncy vs. the Mariners
April 19 – Muncy Gets A Break
Max was the last starter to have an off day on the roster and it came during their second road trip while the Dodgers were in Seattle. Edwin Ríos covered first base, Muncy’s usual spot.
April 20 – One Run Pitching Duel
This game was a tightly contested pitching duel between Dodger Julio Urías and Mariner Marco Gonzales and their respective bullpens. Max had three ground outs and a strikeout on the last Dodger at-bat of the night. The entire team only scored one run on a Corey Seager singled in the third, but it was enough to win.
Dodgers win 1-0.
April 21 – Travel Day
Max Muncy vs. the Padres
April 22 – Padres Come to Town
In the first of a four-game series against the Padres at home, the Dodgers faced off with high hopes. But with a large portion of their starters on the injured list or just recently day-to-day, the offense struggled. The famed Dodger depth was tested during this series and in some places found lacking.
Max started the game with a hit-by-pitch from Ryan Weathers in the bottom of the second but remained at first the entire inning. The rest of the game was soft contact and a strikeout for Muncy.
The Dodgers lose 3-2.
April 23 – A Sound Trouncing
Gavin Lux experienced some wrist soreness before this game, so Muncy moved to second base. He had a slightly better night at the plate, knocking in a run in the first inning. It would be the only one for the Dodgers that night. He earned a walk in the third off of Yu Darvish, major credit to Muncy’s plate discipline, but was stymied for the rest of the game.
Dodgers lost 6-1.
April 24 – Victory At Last
A much better night for Muncy and for his fellow Dodgers as well. He worked a walk in the fourth off of Blake Snell but was left on base. He walked again in the seventh off relieve Aaron Northcraft but was caught up in a double play in the next at-bat.
The Dodgers managed a 4-5 victory, but left ten players on base and were only 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position. A premonition for the night ahead?
April 25 – An Extremely Blown Lead
Oh boy, this game. Played on the same night as a delayed Oscars celebration, I defy the Academy to produce a show with more drama.
In this game, the bats finally came awake, putting the Dodgers up by six runs in the sixth inning. Muncy scored two of those runs, getting on base an impressive five times via the walk. Turns out when the strike zone is more consistent, our boys do better at the plate.
There is still plenty to criticize about home plate umpire Jim Reynolds in this game, but he is definitely not the reason the Dodgers lost. Starter Dustin May threw a personal record of ten strikeouts (earning Dodger fans a free Jumbo Jack all on his own) but the bullpen steadily gave up pairs of runs until the Padres tied the game. Dodgers played small ball but left a frustrating number of players on base, eighteen in total.
The game went into extra innings. Both benches ran dry and so Dodger fans saw what could have been a rare treat: Clayton Kershaw pinch-hitting for the Dodgers. Alas! Nothing came of it but more frustration.
If the changes to the ball were made to make the games more interesting, perhaps it’s working. The entire baseball nation tuned in to watch, though I wish the Dodgers could have put on a better show.
The Dodgers lost in eleven innings 8-7.
Despite what the week’s record shows, the Dodger bats are finally coming back to life. Max is trusting his eye and making pitchers work to get him out. The Dodger depth was tested and fell just short, but only just. I’m looking forward to what the Dodgers can do against the Reds in the upcoming series.
Weekly Stats:
BA: .258
OPS: .904
R: 2 (14)
Hits: 1 (17)
RBI: 3 (11)
AB: 13 (66)
BB: 8 (21)
IBB: 0 (3)
2B: 0 (2)
3B: 0 (1)
HR: 0 (3)
SB: 0 (0)
For more on Max’s performance this season, click here.
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