Max Muncy Walking Tours: Now Open – Recap April 26-May 2
Max Muncy Walking Tours: Now Open – April 26-May 2
Mad Max the Road Warrior has transitioned to full on Rick Steves, walking the basepath between home and first several times this week. While I hope he finds better luck with balls inside the strike zone, I’m impressed with the way he finds a way to get on base almost every game.
Max Muncy vs the Reds
April 26 – Casual Strolling
He started the game with a walk but Will Smith eliminated Max from the bases when he grounded into a double play. The same exact thing happened again in the 8th. Max reached on a hit by a pitch from Reds lefty Tyler Mahle in the fourth. This time, Rios stranded him on base after a swinging strikeout.
Max had two strikeouts in this game with a rare chase outside of the zone for a swinging k in the in the eighth.
Dodgers lost 5-3.
April 27 – Finally Knocked In
Another two walk, two strikeout game for Max. But this time, he crossed home plate on Will Smith home run in the fourth inning. Max hit a loud(ish) flyout in the fifth on a first pitch swing for contact. He foul tipped into Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart’s glove for his last at-bat in the seventh.
Dodgers lost a close game 6-5.
April 28 – Dodgers Win, But…
With Kershaw on the mound, the Dodgers managed to pull the rug back underneath themselves for a little bit. And sure the offense finally perked up, but Max had a dismal day at the plate with two strikeouts (one of them chasing again), a groundout, and a flyout.
Max might have an eagle eye for the zone, but his swings inside the box have been rough. Pitchers know that he’s a walking tour guide by now and when they do find the zone for him, he can’t seem to make good contact. For now, at least.
Dodgers win a semi-blowout 0-8…but not because of Max.
Max Muncy vs the Brewers
April 29 – One Hit Wonder
New ballpark, same offensive woes for Max and his teammates. Max lead off the second inning with a walk but was caught up in a double play ball from Chris Taylor. In the fourth, Max hit a very hard line drive but Brewers shortstop Luis Urías flashed some leather and nabbed it from the air.
Max’s first hit of the week came in the sixth inning, a well-hit single into center that managed to stay out of Urías’s glove. Max has hit the ball to dead center or very close to it several times this year. Pitchers beware.
Despite Max’s hit and walk, the Dodgers lost 1-2 in a complete game loss for Dodgers starting pitcher Trevor Bauer.
April 30 – Battered in the Batters Box
Muncy worked a single walk in the first inning, his only time reaching a base this game. The scouting report for Max might be changing, because he watched five of the seven strikes thrown to him sail right by without swinging – and not because of a wonky strike zone. With his bat not swinging like it should, it seems that pitchers are more willing to serve him a few meatballs, knowing he’s not going to feast like he usually does.
Dodgers lose 1-3.
May 1 – Game from Hell
The headline of this game is definitely the injury to Dustin May that took him from the game in the second inning, followed by a bullpen of tired arms and rookie call-ups. Still, pitching managed to keep the Dodgers in contention for the entire game, which of course went into extra innings.
No way to slice it, this was a hard game for the Dodgers and a terrible night at the plate for Max. His only time on base came in the tenth inning – an intentional walk. Otherwise, he had three strikeouts and one ground out.
Due to the numerous switches needed to cover the pitcher’s spot in the lineup, Max spent a little time at second this game.
Dodgers lost in the eleventh inning on a walkoff single from Brewers third base player and thorn in the Dodgers’ side Travis Shaw.
May 2 – Dodgers Win, But Once More Without Muncy’s Help
Max had an off day Sunday. The Dodger bats did not. Thanks to two grand slams – one from A.J. Pollock and one from Matt Beaty, the Dodgers rocketed to a 16-4 win.
Max Muncy Walking Tours: Open All Season Long
On the positive side, Max is still working his counts high. Even if he isn’t getting on base, he’s still making pitchers work to get him out of the box. At the very least, Max will help drive up the pitch count.
And I’m not joking about the Max Muncy walking tours. In twenty-seven games, Muncy leads the entire Major League in walks with 23 walks in 27 games. He’s also tied with Mike Trout and Justin Williams for intentional walks with four each. He makes pitchers throw him strikes, and it looks like pitchers are starting to do just that. If this coincides with Max figuring out his own swing woes, he’ll be back to dealing damage with his silver hammer once more.
If there’s any player capable of pulling himself out of a slump, it’s Max Muncy. He might not be literally sitting on his couch at home, but perhaps watching Matt, A.J., and the other hitters breakout will put the spark back into his swing.
WEEKLY STATS:
BA: .235
OPS: .787
R: 1 (15)
Hits: 1 (18)
RBI: 0 (11)
AB: 19 (85)
BB: 7 (28)
IBB: 1 (4)
2B: 0 (2)
3B: 0 (1)
HR: 0 (3)
SB: 0 (0)
To read about last week’s games, including a FIVE walk game from Max, click here.
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