Dodgers: Is Cody Bellinger Back? The Offense Adjusts Big Time & More
After a dreaded regular season filled with injuries and offensive career lows across the board, Cody Bellinger has taken advantage of the clean slate offered by the start of the postseason.
Bellinger has put his stamp on both of the Dodgers’ playoff wins this October. First, the former MVP reached base three times in LA’s Wild Card Game win over the Cardinals, including a key two-out walk that led to Chris Taylor’s dramatic walk-off home run that sent the Dodgers to the NLDS. Then, Bellinger came up big again last night against San Francisco.
The 2-time all-star cranked a 2-run double off the wall in left center that sparked the Dodgers’ offensive explosion where LA’s bats erupted for nine runs on the night, helping them even the National League Division Series vs. the rival Giants at one game apiece. We discuss if Bellinger’s play over the first three games of the 2021 postseason has earned him a spot as an everyday starter and we break down the adjustments he’s made at the plate.
Plus, who will start at first base for the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLDS?
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“Is Cody Bellinger Back?” Uh……NO!!
Bellinger isn’t starting Game 3, Pujols is. Relax and be thankful Dodgers have the winningest manager in baseball history!
The winningest manager in baseball history is Connie Mack. Google it. If you post opinion feel free to write what you wish; If you post fact be accurate and precise.
Bum4ever, I should have been more specific in my comment. Dave Roberts is the winningest manager in baseball history BY PERCENTAGE GAMES WON (.622) not total wins. He’s only managed for 6 years. Connie Mack managed for 53 years! My bad. But you get the point 😉
Bellinger struck out in 3 of his 4 at bats in the last game. If you want to call that good, go ahead.
How about 2 of 3 at bats in the previous game. 5 SOx in 7 ABs not back but just was facing a bad pitcher and hitting a hanging curve. Tired of the lovefest for this guy.
Why is it that most announcers on DODGER playoff games assume CORY SEAGER WILL BE GONE NEXT YEAR & TREA TURNER WILL BE THE SHORTSTOP????????
Because that’s what is going to happen. With the exception of last year’s playoff MVP season, Seager has been a total playoff bust. Look up the stats for yourself. I have no problem letting him go. Give me back Joc and Kike!
Bellinger, 16 million per year, 100,000$ per game, 25,000$ per strikeout .146 ba
Urias, 1 Million per year, .200+ ba , 20 game winner.
Who will not be a Dodger next year?
Walked twice in game 1. Struck out 3of 4 times in game 2. Sure he is trying hard. But don’t say he is BACK
Saying he’s back might be an over-statement. However, I think the point of the story is that while he struggled mightily during the season, he is still capable of helping the Dodgers win games in the postseason. I don’t think that’s a stretch by any means. I listened to a Giants podcast and they are still afraid of Bellinger. They realize the former rookie of the year and NL MVP still poses a threat. Any contribution in game 3 will be coming off the bench. Pujols gets the start at 1B vs the lefty Wood as I mentioned yesterday BEFORE IT WAS ANNOUNCED!
I think the title should have been is Matt Beaty back? Didn’t Beaty have 2 RBI’s as well in that 9 run game?
Kirk, nope Beaty had 1 RBI which came after the Dodgers were already up 6-1! Dodgers were up 2-1 when Bellinger came through with a 2 RBI double. Big difference IMHO. it’s not just how many hits a player gets vs WHEN and in what situations they occur that really matter. Some folks just don’t seem to understand this.
Bellinger definitely has had some big hits in his time with the dodgers, and his double that extended the lead was a good one. To say beaties hit wasn’t as important is wrong. Every RBI and hit against the VAgiants particularly is just as important. Urias had the biggest hit of the game. They walked pollock to get to him and he got the team energized and firedup with that Knock…When bellinger has a 3-4 game with a Dinger and 4 RBI’s is when we will consider him closer to being ” Back” and or even somewhat deserving of 16 million.
Both are the “winningest mangers” in history > according to the way in which you measure the statistic.
He is not totally back. Two games does not make you the All-Star. Huge Bellinger fan here but he still has work to do. He showed patience in the WC game, and yes, came up big with that double. But he is still chasing pitches. More patience and I see him getting there.
Good day Kirk. As Dodger offense goes , so will go the teams chances to advance to the NLCS. That means the entire lineup must have good AB’S and avoid striking out in key situations.
Paul, you are so right about the offense. It absolutely has to show up for the Dodgers to advance. I like their chances for both games due to the success they’ve had against the two Giants’ starters going. If the Dodgers have to go back to SF, chances are much less advantageous for sure. Let’s take care of business at the Ravine and put an end to this fairytale season of the Giants.
Yes sir Paul, I went hunting so was out of cell for a week or so but saw that I almost perfectly called the Wild card game. I predicted Scherzer would shut the cards down for 6 or 7 ( ended up being 5) and the bull pen would hold them, while since the Dodgers ( Only) swing for homers) someone would homer late in a 2-1 game. Just a tad off, but that’s how it went exactly. But I also predicted the White sox would make the ALCS DUUUUUUUUUUUUPE !!!!!!! Lol’s
Kirk, nice call on the WC game. White Sox not dead yet. Huge win for them yesterday. Won’t be easy for them, but it ain’t over until it is.
Can you imagine the uproar if Souza had hit the walk-off in the WC game? Would have been a disaster!
And can anyone tell wtf AF was thinking when he let Kike Hernandez leave via free agency? All he did was set a Boston Red Sox franchise record (Nomar Garciapara’s) for total bases in a play-off series with 17 vs 14. The same Boston Red Sox who had Ted Williams, Carl Yazstremski, David Ortiz, Manny Ramerez. And little old .240 career BA Kike out hit them all!
Anyone miss Joc Pederson??? How bout Kiki?? Anyone seen Baurer?? “Genius” Andrew Friedman tried to fix what wasn’t broken and now the Dodger’s season is about end.
As I said, if the offense lays an egg Dodgers are in trouble and that’s EXACTLY what they did. The Dodger season could be over unless somehow some way they can get past Webb in SF in game 5. Scherzer pitches well enough for 7 innings, allowing 1 stinking run and that was enough to beat because tonight the Dodger bats once again disappeared for the whole game
Paul, correct again. Another pathetic offensive display. Why doesn’t the fastest player in baseball bunt when he is leading off an inning down a run???
It’s like they don’t want it bad enough. Thoroughly disappointed.
At least it ain’t over yet. We were down 3-1 to the Braves and pulled it out. Can be done.
Butane goes tomorrow and Dodgers simply need to give him a couple of runs for a change.
Kike just had a post season series that’s “one for the ages” against the Rays.
Joc is putting his stamp all over the Braves-Brewers series.
Wood and McGee were huge tonight for the Giants.
Their performances in the post season, so far, definitely get our attention.
Um ya. FO made a couple of major blunders without a doubt. They simply “out smarted themselves.”
In my opinion, you never let a PROVEN PLAYOFF PERFORMER get away. They just don’t make many of those.
Joctober Pederson a career .230 hitter is 8th ALL TIME in playoff slugging. Ruth 1, Gehrig 2, Pujols 6 and Pederson 8! Pretty heady stuff!
Kike Hernandez a career .240 broke the Red Sox record for total bases in a playoff series.
Shaking my damn head! As AJ Pollock and his .300 average goes Ofer with 2 more strikeouts to add to his 11 strikeouts in 2019! Arghhhhh
When I expressed concern weeks ago that the Dodgers sometimes Jekyll and Hyde offense might shut down in the post season, some fans, understandably, came out of the woodwork and pulled out all the gaudy offensive numbers that the team had in the regular season.
They said that it was ridiculous to suggest that the team was going to have any serious issues offensively and the stats backed that up. They pointed to the total runs scored and the Dodgers’ gaudy run differential as proof that there was nothing to worry about.
However, I, and others, had a feeling that the Dodgers could be dominated at any time by opposing pitchers and completely shut down.
We saw it in the WC game before Taylor’s dramatic 9th inning walk off HR and we’ve seen the team shutout 2 of 3 games in this series. There’s a difference between being able to scratch and claw for a few runs on a consistent basis and getting completely shut down,
Willie, I got nothing. Absolutely unbelievable that a team with this much talent can be so inept. It’s as if they just don’t really want it bad enough.
Thank goodness there is another game Tuesday. Dodgers were down 3-1 to the Braves last year too. Unfortunately we don’t have Joc and Kike anymore. Anyone see their playoff performances?? Andrew Friedman, you out smarted yourself pal. You got wrapped up in meaningless regular season stats when it’s postseason performance that wins championships!!!!! Nice going.