Trend of the Week: Muncy Scores on McKinstry Hit
Max Muncy Recap: April 5 – 11
Is there a better word to describe Muncy than solid? Because every way you look at him, that’s just what he seems to be. It’s unclear so far how the deadened ball will affect America’s Slugger (and everyone else) when it comes to home runs, but it hasn’t affected his OPS! And it certainly didn’t stop him from knocking around the A’s before returning to Dodger Stadium for the Home Opener. There was also a new trend of the week: Muncy scoring on a McKinstry hit. It’s a trend Dodger fans could get used to.
Muncy vs. The A’s
April 5th – Designated Hitting
Max Muncy kept his Road Warrior title here, going 3/4 at the plate with some extremely useful singles. In the first inning, his single turned into a run on a Zach McKinstry sac fly. In the third, he singled and scored again, this time on a McKinstry single. Alas! It was not to be repeated on his last single of the game – he was left on base. Max struck out in the 6th, his last at-bat before Matt Beaty pinch-hit for him. It was also a good night for Max off the field, as he got to sneak into the clubhouse between at-bats and watch his beloved Baylor Bears finish first in the Big 12 in men’s basketball.
Dodgers win 10-3.
April 6th – Long Ball
After a HBP in the first but getting left on base, Mad Max struck again in the third with a 2-run homer to right field to put the Dodgers up 4-1. The real story that night, however, was the return of prime Clayton Kershaw on the mound.
Dodgers win 5-1.
April 7th – Walking Tours
Wednesday was a classic Muncy day, with four walks and only one strikeout. He also saw a total of twenty-four pitches in four at-bats and was walked intentionally in the 7th to load the bases.
Even so, the Dodgers dropped the game 3-4 on an Oakland walk-off.
April 8th – Off Day
Muncy vs. The Nationals
April 9th – Season Home Opener
After a touching ring ceremony where his childhood hero Jim Thome personally congratulated Max via video on the win, the Dodgers faced off against the Nationals in a tense, low-scoring game. Max had a rough night at the plate, only reaching once on a fielder’s choice, but so did the rest of the Dodger lineup.
The only run of the game came on a solo home run from Justin Turner in the 6th but it was enough. Dodgers won 1-0.
April 10th – Return to Form
The Dodger offense didn’t stay quiet for long, nor did Max Muncy. He reached in the first on a six-pitch walk, then came around to score on a McKinstry 2 run single (again? I like!). In a rare one-pitch AB, Max singled in the third but was caught up in a double play that put both him and AJ Pollock out. The Nationals intentionally walked him in the 5th, but was left on base. Max knocked another single in the 7th to load the bases for Pollock, who knocked in a 3 RBI double.
The Dodgers won 9-5.
April 11th – Muncy Scores On McKinstry Hit Yet Again
The main event on this night was the showdown between future Hall of Famers Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer. The two teams on the field were just along for the ride. To me, the most pivotal moment came in the second inning, when Max singled hitting leadoff in the inning. He stayed at first for two more hitters, seemingly waiting for that Muncy-McKinstry magic to strike again. And it really did. Nationals center fielder Victor Robles lost a McKinstry fly ball in the sun, allowing it to drop on the warning track. Allowing Max to scoot around the bases and score once more on a McKinstry hit. Max was already running on the crack of the bat with two outs. With his deceptive speed, he made it home with time to spare.
Because of the excellence of the starting pitching, Max only had two other ABs for this game, a rare swinging strikeout in the 4th and a fly out to left in the seventh.
Dodgers tacked on two more in the seventh to win 3-0.
Not a lot of news on the defensive side from Muncy, which is kinda exactly what you want from a first base player. Muncy is dependable at first. If the ball is anywhere near where it should be when it comes towards him, he makes the out. There have been a few runners to beat out a throw for a single, but none have been on Max Muncy this week.
It’s unclear what will happen with Zach McKinstry when Betts and Bellinger return from the injured list. Once more, the Dodgers are blessed with too many good options. But as long as Zach is in the lineup behind Muncy, I see good things happening.
M&Ms, anyone?
Weekly Stats:
BA: .375
OPS: 1.086
R: 7 (8)
Hits: 7 (12)
RBI: (5)
AB: 16 (32)
BB: 6 (9)
IBB: 2 (2)
2B: 0 (1)
3B: 0 (1)
HR: 1 (1)
SB: 0 (0)
Miss Max’s Opening Week with the Rockies? Don’t worry, we got you covered!
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