Cody Bellinger Bombs: Chronicling Home Run 50

Dodgers Nation will be writing about ‘Bellinger Bombs’. The Dodgers have one of the best young power hitters in the game under contract for the foreseeable future. Writers like Sam Miller have asked the question ‘What if Cody Bellinger is going to break the all-time home run record’. As the career home runs continue to pile up, we will examine each one in greater detail. We will allow you; the fan, to savor each one as they should be. Because what’s more fun than a home run? (You can look back at the collection here). 

It was getaway day at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The Dodgers needed a win to take the road series, and Cody Bellinger had homered the previous two days prior.

No one would have faulted the Dodgers or their young slugger for packing it in and preparing for their flight back to Los Angeles. But that is not what happened on Thursday afternoon. Bellinger and the Dodgers battled to escape with an 8-7 victory. None of this would have been possible without Bellinger’s’ 50th career home run, his third in three games.

Is it possible for a player to turn around his season in one series? Bellinger did his best to enjoy the fruits of PNC Park. In this post – we examine the 50th home run of his big league career – and it was a beauty.

The Home Run

Oppo-??! #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/1SLbfCOSqI

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 7, 2018

You know the drill. The Bellinger home run log tells us where his lifetime count sits on all things long ball. Of course, this was his third career home run at PNC Park (all in three game’s work). The blast was his second off Tyler Glasnow, who we will get to in a minute. Bellinger has homered 26 times in road parks, and 35 times against right-handed pitching. His second career home run to left field was the 38th in his career as a first baseman.

A player’s 50th career home run is the first mini-milestone of their career. Bellinger’s 50th blast moved him into 58th place on the Dodgers’ all-time list with Todd Hundley and Jimmy Wynn. Next up on the list is Corey Seager and Russell Martin at 54.

How Bellinger’s Home Run Impacted The Game

Bellinger’s home run had a huge impact on this game – they needed these insurance runs. They led the game 4-3 when he stepped to the plate with Matt Kemp on base. With a 70 percent win expectancy – you feel good about a team’s chances. However the Dodgers were running a bullpen game, so that was probably a tad inflated given the circumstances.

After Bellinger’s home run, the Dodgers win expectancy swung to 89 percent, a 19 percent resulting play. This was a big swing in a big spot for the Dodgers and Bellinger.

The Victim

Well, well, well… if it isn’t our friend from a few days ago Tyler Glasnow. We eulogized him properly in serving up home run 48 to Bellinger the other night. However, we’ll do it again here. He’s earned it.

Glasnow has now appeared in 41 career ballgames and allowed 19 home runs. The last two were to Cody Bellinger, and his career ERA has climbed to 6.21 currently. Glasnow boasts a 3-10 career record for the Pirates. We are hopeful that a long career awaits Glasnow in which he faces Bellinger many times. He now has the dubious distinction of being one of five pitchers that Bellinger has taken deep twice.

Exit Velocity, Distance, Pitch Data, and Angle

#Dodgers 6 @ #Pirates 3 [T7-1o]?Cody Bellinger homers (11): fly ball to LCF (2-run)

Exit velocity: 104mph
Distance: 404ft
Angle: 26°? pic.twitter.com/QgO4fNngTr

— Home Run Tracker (@DingerTracker) June 7, 2018

This was one of the more beautiful swings that Bellinger has taken all season in 2018. The pitch was in a 1-2 count, and an 83.7 miles per hour curveball caught too much of the plate. Bellinger supplied all of the power and went backside with the ball to left field at 104 miles per hour exit velocity. This is so very impressive to see from a hitter, especially one coming out of a slump.

The distance checked in at 404 feet – the area where the ball landed is not an easy area to homer at PNC Park. The ball had an angle at it’s apex of 26 degrees, so it was a line drive home run.

Overall Bellinger-Bomb Prominence Score

This was the one we have been waiting on. Cody Bellinger homered in three straight ballgames, and this was a crucial play in a game they won by a run. It checks all the boxes: beautiful swing, milestone home run, high leverage spot in the game. All things considered, it was one of the more prominent home runs that Bellinger has hit in 2018. We score it accordingly.

Dodgers’ Nation Prominence HR Score: 9.0