Ups and Downs for Gavin Lux Against Cubs, Angels

Ups and Downs for Gavin Lux – Recap: May 3-9

It was a week of ups and downs for Gavin Lux at the plate but certainly an improvement over the previous one. He cut back on the strikeouts and picked up a few more hits but still left more to be desired. If he can keep making consistent contact, hopefully, we start to see the power come along with it as well.

Gavin Lux vs. Cubs

May 3 – Game canceled due to rain

May 4 – Doubleheader Game 1

Lux was coming off a two-hit game in Milwaukee when he got the start in the first game of the doubleheader. He hit a chopper up the middle in his first at-bat that Báez had to sit on with two outs, allowing Lux to reach easily. On an easy double-play ball in the second, Lux received the throw from Turner at third and tagged second before airmailing the ball over Muncy’s head at first. Santana got out of the inning, so the errant throw did not cost the team, but Lux did pick up his first error of the season. \In his second AB of the game, Lux had an opposite-field base hit with two outs and nobody on. He now had back-to-back multi-hit games for the first time since the first two games of the season. He grounded into a force out in his last AB of the game.

May 4 – Doubleheader Game 2 

Lux didn’t find any success at the plate in the second game, but he did make contact in every AB, which is always an improvement. He is currently striking out at a 25% rate which is a 2.5% better rate than last year, but still a number I’m hoping he can get down as it does rank in the 38th percentile in baseball. He grounded out in all three ABs but did move the runner over in his final AB, allowing Ríos to come around and score on a wild pitch in Turner’s AB. 

May 5 – Swept at Wrigley

Lux’s day got started with a play at second when he charged in on a broken batted ball hit off Heyward and bobbled it but was able to get the toss in time to Muncy to beat a quick runner. He got his first AB in the third inning when he grounded out to first. In the fifth, he came up with a runner on first and doubled down the left-field line driving home Taylor and giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. His first extra-base hit since returning from the IL. He flew out to right his next time up. But he hit it 102.6 MPH, showing he’s starting to make solid contact again as he did before his injury. 

Lux popped out in the ninth inning and scored in the tenth on Muncy’s double when he was the runner at second in extra-innings. He singled in his final AB of the game, picking up his second multi-hit game of the series. 

May 6 – Dodgers off day and travel day

Gavin Lux vs. Angels

May 7 – One Hit Night

Lux went 1-for-4 in the series opener. He singled to right in the fifth inning against Canning for his only hit of the night. Lux had cut back on the strikeouts in the series against the Cubs, where he didn’t strike out once. But he struck out twice against the Angels, both times when he was leading off the inning. The first strikeout came when he swung and missed at a changeup on the inner half of the plate. He swung and missed at a fastball that was off the bottom outer half of the plate in his final AB.

May 8 – Ups Followed by Downs for Gavin Lux

Lux’s first AB of the game came in the third inning, and he flew out to left-center with Trout making a running grab to get to it. Even though it was an out, this was the furthest hit ball by a Dodger all night at 363 feet. He was intentionally walked his next time up to load the bases and came around to score on Mookie’s base hit, giving the Dodgers a 7-0 lead. With runners at first and second with nobody out, Lux had a chance to add to the Dodgers lead but flew out to left field for the first out. He went down swinging on a changeup running in on him – just like he did the night before. 

With a 13-0 lead in the game, Roberts took Seager out of the game to rest.  Lux took over at short. In his final plate appearance of the game, Lux hit an accidental bunt straight into the ground.  It landed only a couple of feet in front of the plate but stayed fair for his only hit of the game.

May 9 – Hitting Streak Ends

Lux went on a three-game hitting streak that came to an end on Sunday. He made some contact but nothing fell in the right place for a hit. Lux reached on an error in his first AB but was left stranded on base. He grounded out the next time up on a pitch that was basically on his hands. Lux did hit a deep enough ball his third time up that Taylor could tag up from second and go to third on. But this was really the most success Lux saw on the day. He struck out swinging his final time up.

In Review:

Lux had up and down days throughout this series. He has some ABs that looked like maybe he was starting to come around, and then he had some that looked like he was lost at the plate again. He’s still rolling over on a lot of inside pitches. And grounding out to the right side. And swinging through a lot of pitches in the zone.

With the injuries this team currently has, it’s not expected Lux will be sent back down to AAA. But once McKinstry and Bellinger return, if Lux still hasn’t found it, it’ll be interesting to see what the team decides to do with him. Roberts did say the team plans on giving him plenty of leeway, but with the way things have been going having a bat in the lineup that isn’t producing has been tough to watch. He cut his strikeout number in half this week and got more hits, so there are some positives we need to see a little more from him to start feeling comfortable.

WEEKLY STATS:

BA: .209

OPS: .515

R: 2 (6)

Hits: 6 (18)

RBI: 1 (8)

AB: 23 (86)

BB: 1 (5)

2B: 1 (1)

3B: 0 (2)

HR: 0 (0)

SB: 0 (1)

For last week’s recap, click here.

For the latest Gavin Lux stats, click here.

Photo Credit: John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images