Dodger Talk (6-7-25)

DV takes your calls after the Dodgers fall to the Cardinals, 2-1. Dave Roberts and Ben Casparius talk to the media. A caller shares where he was for Freddie's World Series Grand Slam, and more talk about the 1985 NLCS. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
One thing about this gene is the invisible and tangibles
that they have.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
This team is really becoming a family.

Speaker 3 (00:09):
Let's not play one on Tom.

Speaker 4 (00:10):
Let's wind it.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
I love writing me these guys after the show.

Speaker 5 (00:13):
So just thank you, give me are your attention, your fire,
not a pisson.

Speaker 6 (00:17):
This is world champion, Dodger world championing for a.

Speaker 7 (00:21):
Small soft time. They get up people what they want
to die too in a row two is special. I'm like, yeah,
it's not a headache as one of a con. This
ball's gone. You ready to go? Sure, old time go
to the sud grab your phone to.

Speaker 6 (00:36):
Get in on the show called eight six six nine
eighty seven two five seven and go to the show.
And now your host of Dodger Talk, David Vasse.

Speaker 8 (00:47):
We are live at Bush Stadium in Saint Louis, where
the Dodgers come up a run short today by a
final score of two to one. We have phone lines
open at eight sixty six, nine, eight seven, two five seventy.
Welcome the Dodger Talk. David Vase with you until three
point thirty this afternoon. And if you hear some baseball
in the background, there's some high school teams playing here

(01:10):
at Bush Stadium with aluminum bats. They play with aluminum
bats here at high school in Saint Louis. I think
they do that in LA too, But nonetheless, that's the
crowd that is still here as we have Dodger Talk
for you until three thirty. Phone lines are open at
eight six six nine, eight seven two five seventy.

Speaker 7 (01:29):
And there is so much to unpack in this game today.

Speaker 8 (01:33):
Let's start with the fact the Dodgers again had so
many opportunities with runners in scoring position and could not
cash any of them in. They were oh for twelve
today with runners in scoring position. In the first two
games of this series, they were combined one for twenty five,
one for thirteen yesterday, oh for twelve today. As I

(01:56):
mentioned to Jose Moda, I thought Dave Robert pushed the
right buttons at the right time today. In the sixth inning,
after a leadoff walk by Will Smith, Max Munsey singled
into second base, so you had runners at first and
second with nobody out. Andy Pie has came up a
lot today with runners on base and runners in scoring

(02:18):
position and didn't do much. He's had a great year,
but today was not his day. He struck out twice
today with runners in scoring position, including in the sixth inning.
Then the Cardinals went to Stephen Mattz, the former met
and Michael Conforto's spot was due up, and Dave Roberts
automatically going to keyk Hernandez. Keyk's numbers against Steven Mattz

(02:43):
coming into the game today were off the charts. Keik
was hitting three twenty three, ten for thirty one with
a home run against Stephen Mattz. Michael Conforto zero for
eight in his career against his former teammates, so that
was an automatic and Keyk that was not a great
at back.

Speaker 7 (03:02):
He gave.

Speaker 8 (03:04):
Strikes out on three pitches for the second out of
the game, and then Tommy Edman, I don't know if
he's trying to do too much, but he's swinging at
a lot of pitches outside of the strike zone.

Speaker 7 (03:15):
He flies out to center field. Inning over.

Speaker 8 (03:18):
I thought the sixth inning was a key inning for
the Dodgers, maybe to get the first couple of runs
on the board, and they were not able to do it.
So a very disappointing day in that department, and really
that's where it starts and ends. The Dodger offense just
has been way too big with their swings. It seems
outside of Mookie Betts, that everybody's trying to swing for

(03:41):
the fences so far in the first two games of
this series and not realizing how many outs, what the
score is, what the situation is.

Speaker 7 (03:49):
Sonny Gray carved the Dodgers up yesterday.

Speaker 8 (03:52):
He was able to use sixty three percent of his
pitches for three different variations of his fastballs, and then
with runners scoring position, throw his sweeper.

Speaker 7 (04:02):
Throw his change up.

Speaker 8 (04:03):
And today the Dodgers were just over zealous in those situations.
So let's just make that clear. That was the reason
why the Dodgers lost today. And I know that Stephen
Nelson and Oral Hersheizer pointed this out on the Sports
and at LA broadcast, but it bears repeating. Yama Moto

(04:23):
was terrific today, six scoreless innings, nine strikeouts, sixty one
of his ninety four pitches were strikes. He had his
split fingered fastball working on fifteen swings on his splitter.
Today he got eight whiffs on that split fingered fastball,
so it was back.

Speaker 7 (04:43):
But here's the catch.

Speaker 8 (04:44):
Yamamoto has been that guy that doesn't get run support.
Even though his ZRA is two and a half, his
record certainly doesn't reflect it because of the lack of
run support. In eight of Yamamoto's last thirteen starts. While
he's been out there, the Dodgers have not scored or
barely scored a run for him.

Speaker 7 (05:04):
That just won't get it done. As the great Sto
Lance would say, eight.

Speaker 8 (05:09):
Six six seven, two five seventy is the phone number
Dodgers fall to the Cardinals today, two to one.

Speaker 7 (05:16):
Let's head downstairs right now to hear from manager Dave Roberts.

Speaker 9 (05:20):
It just makes it, you know, the way things are
going right now, It just our margin is small, and
we've got to find a way to capitalize on whatever
opportunities we do get, and uh, you know, recently we haven't.
And yeah, when when Yoshi pitches the way he did,
go six scoreless, uh you know, you'd like to think
you're gonna come away with the wind right there, but

(05:43):
to their credit, they prevented runs and got outs when
they needed to, and unfortunately, uh, you know, we're in
a position to try to salvage a series tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (05:52):
Have you explained one for twenty six with runners in
scoring position?

Speaker 7 (05:56):
To the News here. Yeah, I didn't know that stat.

Speaker 9 (06:02):
Iolog Yeah, I mean, obviously those they're they're they're making
pitches when they need to. There's some strikeouts, there's some
soft contact, and honestly, I don't think there's you know,
hard hit balls that were being robbed in those situations.
They're just making pitches when they need to. So I
know we talked about it yesterday, but I do think that,

(06:24):
you know, from what my eyes tell me that they
are going soft, you know, and we're just not putting
good swings on some of these pitches.

Speaker 2 (06:30):
But you do have nineteen hits right in two games,
and you only run comes in a lot of pitch.
That's gotta be a little concerning.

Speaker 9 (06:36):
Yeah, you know, it's it's a ball that hits the
bag and you get a runner and scorn a walk pitch.

Speaker 7 (06:41):
So that's baseball.

Speaker 9 (06:42):
And we gave ourselves a chance, but obviously, you know,
not enough.

Speaker 5 (06:47):
When the risk numbers do break this way like they
have over the last week, what do you guys have
to do to make sure your group stays.

Speaker 3 (06:52):
Focused with they need to be and stays with the
approach that you want them to have.

Speaker 9 (06:55):
I think that's what you got to do is right now,
it kind of goes in waves and you can't kind
of ride the emotional waves, and knowing that each guy
is putting in the work and prepared and they're gonna
it's gonna turn. So there's certainly no kind of angst panic, frustration,
certainly because you don't like losing and not driving in

(07:16):
runs when you have opportunities.

Speaker 7 (07:17):
And we are getting hits, so.

Speaker 9 (07:19):
We are getting guys on base, but we're just not
cashing in.

Speaker 2 (07:22):
Can you talk a little bit about what went into
decision or a tunnel?

Speaker 9 (07:26):
Yeah, he just had some elbow discomfort, and obviously with
the picture when there's elbow discomfort, it just we didn't
see him making his start, his next start, and so
it just seemed like the logical thing, you know, given
where the pitching is at a guy that's not going
to make his next start, to get him offline, give

(07:46):
him a handful of days to not play catch, hopefully
that that paying discomfort subsides and get them throwing again
and see where it takes us.

Speaker 7 (07:56):
All right.

Speaker 8 (07:56):
That was Dave Roberts answering the question about the move
that they made before the game. Tony Gonsolin going on
the injured list with right elbow discomfort after you know,
just over a year ago coming back from Tommy John surgery,
where he just came back after having Tommy John surgery
a year ago.

Speaker 7 (08:15):
But you know, we'll talk about that later.

Speaker 8 (08:18):
My biggest thing is how does nobody in that office
ask Dave Roberts what the thought process was for not
trying to challenge the play at first base in the
ninth inning, after Norman Nolan Gorman doubles the catcher for
the Cardinals, Pedro Pas lays down a bunt that Ben

(08:40):
Casparius did not feel cleanly.

Speaker 7 (08:42):
It's a close play play at first base.

Speaker 8 (08:45):
Tommy Edmund climbs the ladder, but if you look at
the replay, his foot comes down on the bag before
Pi Haz does.

Speaker 7 (08:53):
He was out.

Speaker 8 (08:55):
From me to you, I took a screenshot. I've posted
the milliseconds before Edmund actually hits the base. Paz was out.
That changes the complexion of what Dave Roberts does in
that situation. Instead of nobody out, runners at the corners

(09:16):
and Nolan Arenado coming up to pinch it, it's one
out with the runner at third. I'll give it to
you ninety feet away the winning run. But that changes things,
I would imagine a little bit. I mean, it's one
out instead of nobody out. But you know, I'm not
saying that's the reason why the Dodgers lost. But how
do you not ask him about that? Because we're all

(09:38):
wondering why the Dodgers did not challenge that play at
first base? So uh, in Bank, Casparius, you know that
play in the eighth inning. It's easy for you and
me to say, Ah, he shouldn't have thrown it, or
he should have made a better throw.

Speaker 7 (09:54):
He's a rookie.

Speaker 8 (09:55):
There's been a lot thrown at him, and he has
answered the bell time and time again.

Speaker 7 (10:00):
But that's a hot shot. It kind of rattles you.

Speaker 8 (10:03):
And experienced pitchers usually are the ones that are able
to compose themselves and make an accurate throw or make
the decision and have the awareness to say, you know what,
I'm just gonna put this in my back pocket. But
he's a rookie and he made a mistake, a poor
decision to try to throw it, and when he did
throw it, it pulled Freddy Freeman off the bag. And

(10:23):
you got to give Mason win heads up credit right
there for a randing third and coming home in a
scoreless tie to give the Cardinals the lead.

Speaker 7 (10:31):
So I know it's easy for all of us up
here and at home to say, oh, you.

Speaker 8 (10:35):
Know, he should have put it in his back pocket,
or he shouldn't have thrown it.

Speaker 7 (10:40):
Well, we're not on the field. It's easy for Twain
McDonald to second guess. Right here.

Speaker 8 (10:46):
Eight sixty six nine eighty seven two five seventy is
the phone number. I do not second guests. I first
guess if you saw that Apple documentary. You saw that
in the press press box. Let's go out to Mission Viejo.

Speaker 7 (10:59):
Bill.

Speaker 8 (10:59):
By the way, I do not endorse that documentary. Hi, Bell,
you're on Dodger Talk.

Speaker 3 (11:04):
Hi, thanks for taking my call. What's been going on
with the taoscar with a lot of the strikeouts lately?
Is he kind of going through a little bit of
a slump.

Speaker 8 (11:13):
Yeah, going back to the last homestand he has gone down.
He isn't a slump and it happens to the best
of them. So it was a good day for him
to get a day off today, certainly because he has
been grinding through a little bit of a slump.

Speaker 7 (11:28):
Thanks for the phone call, Bill, and I'm just kidding.

Speaker 8 (11:30):
It was a great documentary on the Dodgers in the
World Championship run. I love the fact that Apple actually
had a lot of access to Freddie Freeman, not knowing
that he was going to be the World Series MVP
and the hero. So that worked out really well. So
if you haven't seen it, it's a pretty good watch.
Eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy is

(11:51):
the phone number speaking of Freddie Freeman and his Grand Slam.
Let's go out to Mark in Virginia. You're on Dodger
Talk Live from Saint Louis.

Speaker 3 (11:58):
Hi, Mark, David, how you doing good?

Speaker 7 (12:02):
I heard you want to share with me where you
were when Freddy hit his slam?

Speaker 10 (12:08):
I do.

Speaker 11 (12:08):
I It had always been on my bucket list to
go to Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, and that day
my wife and I had spent the day at Omaha
Beach and at the American Cemetery there and came back
to our hotel to listen to the game. Of course,
it was the middle of the night in France, so

(12:31):
when he hit his Grand Slam, it was four thirty
in the morning. I'm listening to the game on my phone.
My wife sot asleep next to me, and it was
just everything I could do not to jump up and
down and scare the heck out of her because it
was just an awesome moment.

Speaker 8 (12:46):
Hey, thank you for calling in and telling us that story.
You know it's ironic about that, Mark, is that D
Day was just a couple of days ago. In fact,
it was just yesterday, I believe right yesterday.

Speaker 3 (12:58):
Yeah, it was yesterday.

Speaker 11 (12:59):
I would have called you, yes, Vibe, I was asleep
by the time that game ended. But I have another
one for you real quick, all right. October nineteen sixty,
nineteen sixty three, I was eight years old. I watched
Sandy Kofax break out fifteen New York Yankees in the
first team of the sixty three World Series.

Speaker 3 (13:18):
And that's the game.

Speaker 11 (13:20):
I was an Upstate New York at the time. That's
the game that made me a lifelong Dodger fan.

Speaker 7 (13:26):
I love it, Mark, I love those memories.

Speaker 8 (13:28):
That's a great story of where you were when Freddie
Freeman hit his walk off Grand Slam.

Speaker 7 (13:33):
Thanks a lot for sharing, and thanks a lot for listening. Mark.

Speaker 11 (13:36):
You bet take care, take care.

Speaker 7 (13:39):
Wow, that's a pretty good one.

Speaker 8 (13:40):
That's one of the best stories I've heard of where
a fan was when Freddie Freeman hit his walk off
Grand Slam. And you know, the reason why I know
yesterday was D Day was because Vince Scully always reminded
us he would always have great stories and make sure
we really realized what June sixth was all about in

(14:02):
American history. So that's thank you, Vin for making me
aware every year of June sixth, the D Day, and
prayers to all those that lost their lives in defense
of freedom, uh for for us and for the world
on D Day. Eight sixty six, nine eighty seven, two
five seventy is the phone number. Let's go out to

(14:22):
Bob and Malibu. You're on Dodger Talk Live from Saint Louis, Hi.

Speaker 5 (14:26):
Bob Dave in the city of Saint Louis, Man, how
you doing out there?

Speaker 7 (14:31):
Well, I gotta be honest with you, Bob.

Speaker 8 (14:33):
I don't look forward to coming here for a number
of reasons, and it always feels like it's a it's
a tough win here in Saint Louis whenever you get one.

Speaker 5 (14:41):
If you're a Dodger, well, I mean I have the
same memory you do of the eighty five you know
games and that that always just brings back that memory
to which I don't like. But if you're looking for
good food day, salt and smoke, that's a great spot
by the stadium right there.

Speaker 7 (14:57):
Okay, thank you for the wreck. What else you got?

Speaker 11 (15:01):
Well, I'm with you.

Speaker 5 (15:01):
I'm wondering why we didn't challenge that call in the
ninth I mean, you know, that was a wide open
opportunity right there for us to change the dynamic of
that ninth inning right there and put a little more
pressure on I just surprises me being that Dave even
came out on that ball that hit Freddy in the
leg the inning before to talk to the umpires, but
there was no challenge there. Any thoughts on why that
would be or who missed that call inside the dugout there?

Speaker 8 (15:26):
Yeah, well I don't know. I mean, that's the manager's call.
He's got two bench coaches basically next to him. One
of them, I think Danny Lehman gets on the phone
my vantage point from the press box. I'm not sure
what happened or why they didn't try to challenge it,
but yeah, I thought it should have been challenged Dan.

Speaker 7 (15:45):
Look, Dave and his staff do a great job.

Speaker 8 (15:47):
Just I'll have to ask him tomorrow what was going
on in the dugout and why they didn't decide to
challenge it. But honestly, Bob, this game to me was
lost in the first seven innings. The Dodgers had so
many chances is to break this game open, and it
seemed like they were playing home run derby a lot
of times.

Speaker 2 (16:06):
I couldn't agree with you more.

Speaker 5 (16:08):
I think we wasted a lot of opportunities. Obviously did.
On that note, are we seeing more breaking pitching in
these last two games than we've seen in a while.

Speaker 7 (16:17):
No, no, we're not.

Speaker 8 (16:19):
We're seeing him in key spots Like yesterday Sonny Gray,
sixty three percent of his pitches were fastballs, whether it
was a cutter, whether it was a four seamer or
a sinker. When he did throw his sweeper and his
change up was when there were runners in scoring positions,
so he used it, picked up picked his spots, but

(16:39):
set him up with the fastballs.

Speaker 7 (16:41):
So no is the answer.

Speaker 8 (16:44):
Fetti was throwing a lot of fastballs today and they
just they didn't hit him. He was spotting them really well,
and honestly, like I said, in the sixth inning, they
let Steven Matts off the hook. Thanks for the phone call, Bob.
Eight six six nine seven two five is the phone number.
We're going to take a time out here on Dodger
Talk live from Bush Stadium.

Speaker 7 (17:05):
When we continue, you'll hear from Ben Caspirius.

Speaker 8 (17:07):
We'll give you an update on some of the roster
moves the Dodgers made before the game, and also we'll
get back to the phone calls. Eight sixty six nine
eight seven two five seventy. Nolan Aernado walks it off
in the ninth inning. A five man infield left a
lot of grass in left field. Nolan Aernado, out of

(17:27):
El Toro High School, longtime nemesis of the Dodgers, is
one hundredth career RBI. A walk off base hit in
the ninth inning, and the Cardinals beat the Dodgers two
to one on a five to seventy LA Sports.

Speaker 6 (17:45):
On air at AM five to seventy, online at AM
five seventy LA sports dot com, and available my podcast
on the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 7 (17:54):
This is Dodger Talk with David Basse said one one pitch,
one on and hit in the air to the left.

Speaker 3 (18:02):
Here, She's gotta do it.

Speaker 7 (18:04):
That's just gonna drop in safely.

Speaker 10 (18:06):
For a hit.

Speaker 7 (18:07):
Morrero Stores and the Cardinals have walked.

Speaker 12 (18:10):
Off two to one, a walkoff pinch hit for Nolan Arenado.
It's the third time this year the Cardinals have walked off,
and the second time this week.

Speaker 8 (18:24):
The pride of El Toro High School in southern California.
Nolan Arenado with his one hundredth career RBI against the Dodgers,
a walkoff winner as the Cardinals beat the Dodgers two
to one. David Vasse Live at Bush Stadium in Saint Louis.
After the Cardinals beat the Dodgers two to one, coming
off shutting them out last night five to nothing. Daniels

(18:48):
Jewelers presents the home run Forecast. Go to AM five
seventy LA sports dot com use the keyword home run
for your chance to win a fifty dollars Daniels Jeweler's
gift card predicting the number of home runs in the
next game. Daniel Jewelers owned the dream. It was kind
of a wild eighth and ninth inning for both teams.
Ben Casparius did not feel his position well in the

(19:11):
eighth and ninth innings.

Speaker 7 (19:12):
Like I said, in the eighth inning.

Speaker 8 (19:14):
That's tough to hold anything against a pitcher that takes
a hard shot comebacker. But he was able to regroup,
be able to grab the baseball, but throw wide, and
Mason Wins scored the goal ahead run in the eighth inning.
And then in the ninth he kind of compounded matters
by bobbling a bunt by the Cardinals catcher who was

(19:37):
Pedro Pajez, and threw it high. Tommy Edmund had to
climb the ladder. Nonetheless, he was out and the Dodgers
did not challenge it for whatever reason, so the call
on the field stood, you had first and third, nobody out.
The Dodgers brought in five man infield, and Nolan Arenado
found grass in left field. And that's how the Cardinals

(19:59):
beat the Dodgers today in the eighth and ninth innings.
But like I said, the Dodgers had so many opportunities
again today, to nit pick anything that happened in the
eighth and ninth inning is just completely unfair. Let's head
downstairs right now to hear from Ben Casparius on sports
and at LA just.

Speaker 1 (20:17):
Think I wasn't sharp in general. Obviously those are us
the first base are crucial. It can't really happen, but
just sleeping off speed up in the zone. I thought
they had a pretty good approach, but I think overall
just not sharpens.

Speaker 3 (20:30):
The score, the pressure for the pictures to feel or
to be a little bit finer to maybe you know, the.

Speaker 7 (20:36):
Pressure that you can't give up anything. Yeah, I don't.

Speaker 1 (20:39):
I don't think too much. Obviously, you know our offense
is better than that. And again it's a close game
like that, But I don't really see it as us
trying to do too much.

Speaker 7 (20:50):
You playing the any look back on it, you just
ate the ball.

Speaker 1 (20:54):
I guess, Yeah, for sure, I thought I had a
shot there again, make a great start on Freddy had
a really good effort at home. Then you know, ultimately
should hold on them all. Where did the ball off?

Speaker 4 (21:05):
The can ball catch hitting the shoe or something?

Speaker 10 (21:07):
Think I'm the rest in the rip.

Speaker 1 (21:08):
Yeah he's sitting here.

Speaker 7 (21:11):
Okay, yeah, okay.

Speaker 8 (21:13):
Ben Casparius speaking to the media on Sports and at LA.
The Dodgers fall to the Cardinals today two to one.
And here's something else to keep in mind as far
as the Dodgers losing this game. Yama Moto pitched another
great game. He won six scoreless innings today. And considering
where the Dodgers starting rotation is these days, and you

(21:34):
get a start like that from yama Moto, again, you've
got to win these starts. I don't care if he
gets the win or not, but you've got to win
these games. Considering where things are at with this rotation
and the uncertainty the other four or five days when
you have other guys on the mound, the one certainty
nine out of ten times is that Yama Moto is

(21:56):
going to pitch great. He obviously did not against the Yankees,
but that was that was an aborration to his great season.
You got to win these games at Yamamoto is pitching.
Eight six six, nine, eight seven two five seventy is
the phone number. Let's go out to ken and Newport Beach.
You're on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi.

Speaker 10 (22:15):
Ken Hi, David, thank you for taking a call. First,
I'm going to give you some team numbers, and I'm
going to give you some player numbers, and you're going
to see what's the problem with the team last twenty games,
Like Dodgers are now nine to eleven last thirty, they're
fourteen and sixteen. Now you want some information about Fernandez

(22:36):
last twenty games, He's sitting one fifty seven with one
home run and twenty six strikeouts. Otani last seven games,
hitting two fifty nine, one home run and two RBIs.
So their two best RBI guys are pathetic right now
and they're striking out. And by the way, Otani has
eleven strikeouts. So yeah, the team now is basically a

(23:00):
five hundred team getting ready to go into San Diego
for six games back and forth in San Francisco. Something's
got to change, and as far as Dave is concerned,
he's got to pay attention to that. Maybe that's a
difference between a one year and a three year contract,
but I'm not going to look.

Speaker 8 (23:16):
But yeah, he benched tae Oscar Hernandez today because he
was slumping, and I got some I got a number
for you, Ken. With all that being said, I actually
looked at it today. With all that being said, do
you realize the Dodgers still are top three in runs scored.
Players are going to go through slumps, even the great ones,

(23:38):
but other guys have got to pick it up. And
the Dodgers in the first two games of this series
had nineteen hits.

Speaker 7 (23:44):
They just didn't deliver with runners in scoring position.

Speaker 10 (23:49):
Yeah, and those things happen. But you're going back now
thirty games and they're under five hundred. That's a really
bad sign for a team that was top one or
two for most of the season.

Speaker 8 (24:01):
But you know what that goes back to. I mean,
you're misleading the audience here. It goes back to poor
starting pitching. It goes it's not the offense, Ken, It's
not the offense that's really unfair. Okay, hang in there, Ken,
hang in there.

Speaker 10 (24:17):
Ken, You thanks man.

Speaker 7 (24:19):
Okay, bye bye. Ken in Newport Beach. I mean, he
knows his stuff.

Speaker 8 (24:24):
But come on, the reason why the Dodgers are two
games under five hundred in the last thirty games is
not because of their offense. Their offense is for most
games tried to do everything they can to will them
to wins.

Speaker 7 (24:38):
It's poor starting pitching.

Speaker 8 (24:39):
They got too many guys hurt right now and that's
an issue, and the guys that are healthy have been erratic,
to say the least. And another Dodger starting pitcher ended
up on the injured list today. Tony Gonsolin was placed
on the injured list unexpectedly to all us after his
last start.

Speaker 7 (24:57):
He has right elbow discomfort.

Speaker 8 (25:00):
I'm sure he got a scan on that right elbow,
so I guess that's halfway good news. That Dave Roberts
downplayed the severity of it, but the Dodgers always downplay
the severity of the injuries. But the sense I'm getting
talking to people around the Dodgers is Tony did not
have the same sensation that he had when he did

(25:22):
really injury his elbow and forced to have Tommy John surgery.
So hopefully it is just inflammation and part of the
pains of coming back from being out for so long
and coming back from UCL surgery on his right elbow.
But the Dodgers, now you talk about that series in
San Diego, they're gonna throw three pitchers that you normally

(25:45):
would not see the Dodgers throw against the Padres Monday,
Dustin May We've seen that, and that's fine. But Tony
Gonsolin was scheduled to start on Wednesday, Tuesday or Wednesday.
So now Justin Robleski's gonna stick around. He'll start on
WEDNDS Day, and the Dodgers will have a decision to
make whether or not they're going with a bullpen game
on Tuesday, or if they decide to call up Bobby

(26:08):
Miller again and give him a chance against that Padres offense,
We'll see which direction they go, but certainly not ideal
for the first three games you see the Padres and
certainly in a tight NL West. Let's go out to Claremont. Danny,
You're on Dodger Talk Live from Saint Louis.

Speaker 2 (26:25):
Hi, Danny, Hey, Dave, thanks for giving me on uh
noeah the tough team to day. But you know, I'm
glad you called ken Ken.

Speaker 13 (26:33):
From Newport out there. The offense hasn't been a problem,
and you know clearly it's the starting pitching and it's
kind of affecting everything else. And you know, I can
understand the Oscar and show hair and a slump right now,
But are those two guys that you're really worried about
this season?

Speaker 2 (26:48):
I don't think so. You know, they're going to go
through their slumps. But yeah, it's good, good calling you
to call out the real issue of the problem there.
And you know today's game was russ uh you hainte
see him lose like that, But it's gonna that's gonna
happen sometimes, and that's why those short series at the
end of the season are.

Speaker 13 (27:05):
Really scary to get into in October because over two
game stretch, your Basco.

Speaker 2 (27:09):
Cold and your season's done. You know, hopefully that doesn't happen,
you know, this October and you get him out now.
So you know, really, Dave, I really wanted to talk
about that eighty five Dodgors game. You know, it's been
coming up a lot last Oh.

Speaker 7 (27:20):
Why would you want to do that to me, Danny?

Speaker 2 (27:23):
Oh, it's just been coming up so much. And what
else are we gonna talk about?

Speaker 7 (27:26):
You know, haven't I I don't know. I mean, there's
a lot of other things we could talk about.

Speaker 8 (27:31):
We could talk about the Dodgers so walk off a
wild card win, we could talk about I don't know
not much else, you know, off the top of my
head when it comes to Dodgers Cardinals postseasons.

Speaker 7 (27:44):
But man, Danny, you really have to cut me deep
and go back to my childhood like that.

Speaker 2 (27:49):
Well it takes me there too, Dave. It's the same thing, man.
Cardinals matchup has always been traumatic, and that eighty five
game was a little bit before my time, you know,
I was just a real small kid then, but I
grew up here and all about it because my my
dad and my cousins Fred they went to that game,
and man, that game traumatized them. I cannot tell you

(28:10):
how many times I heard about Jack Clark and Tom
Needing Fewer and how they were sitting on the third
base or on the third base line and they saw
the ball fly right by them out of the park.
And so, you know, I grew up with this irrational,
you know, hate and dislike for the Cardinals and Jack Clark.
I didn't even know why, you know, but now I do.
I got my time too seeing Kershaw melt down against them,

(28:30):
and you know, multiple times the Cardinals are always here.

Speaker 7 (28:33):
Really, now, you're really going deep.

Speaker 8 (28:35):
The one thing about that, Danny, is Tom need and
Fewer never even needed to face Jack Clark. Jack Clark
should have been walked. They would have faced a young
Andy Van slike that. Wasn't the Andy Van Slike that
we knew with the Pirates and Jerry Royce, I believe
was warming up in the bullpen. So there was no
reason for Tom Needing Fewer to even face Jack Clark,

(28:58):
even a twelve year old day a vast a knew
that eleven year old No, nine year old, sorry, nine.

Speaker 7 (29:03):
Year old David Bessie can't remember. Well, not good at it.

Speaker 2 (29:06):
Well, that was a heck of a series going back
and forth. You had the Ozzie Smith home run, the Dodgers.

Speaker 8 (29:12):
Won the first two games of that series. The Dodgers
won the first two games of that series. I thought
we were on our way to the World Series.

Speaker 2 (29:21):
As prime Fernando her Sizer pitching.

Speaker 3 (29:24):
Good, I mean that was oh yeah, you know.

Speaker 8 (29:27):
Nineteen eighty five was Oral Herscheiser's probably second third best season.
He won nineteen games that year. He was tremendous. I
believe he even started Game six. I think he was
the starter of Game six, and he pitched great. Thanks
for the phone call, Danny. I appreciate you bringing up
those great.

Speaker 7 (29:46):
Memories anytime, Dave. Thanks hey.

Speaker 8 (29:52):
By the way, when we talk about Dodgers Cardinals rivalry,
I always remember when Vin Scully would be at Dodgers
Stadium or at the old Bush Stadium, and you remember
when Vin would come on and greet us right away
before the lineups were given up. He would always remind
us how close the Dodger Cardinal rivalry. Was one of

(30:13):
the first things he would tell us was how close
the win loss record all time was between these two
storied franchises. And right now it's only a nine game
difference in the regular season. Unfortunately, the Cardinals have that
edge now. One thousand and fifty wins for the Cardinals,
one thousand and forty one wins for the Dodgers. And

(30:35):
in case you're wondering, the Dodgers and Cardinals had six
playoff matchups in their history. The Dodgers won in twenty
one the old Chris Taylor walk off home run in
the wild card game. In two thousand and nine, the
Dodgers swept the Cardinals in the NLDS.

Speaker 7 (30:51):
Remember Matt Holliday.

Speaker 8 (30:53):
Losing that fly ball in left field with all the
white towels at Dodgers Stadium.

Speaker 7 (30:58):
But the Cardinals certainly have had their share as well.

Speaker 8 (31:00):
They beat the Dodgers in the eighty five NLCS, four NLDS,
twenty thirteen NLCS Game six, Matt Carpenter we all remember,
and the walk off home run by Matt Adams in
Game four of the fourteen NLDS. So thank you so
much for bringing all that up. Eight six, six, nine

(31:20):
eighty seven two five seventy is the phone number on
top of it.

Speaker 7 (31:24):
The Dodgers have lost the first two games of this series.

Speaker 8 (31:27):
Shout out yesterday by Sonny Grand Company five to nothing
and today frustrated again with runners in scoring position.

Speaker 7 (31:35):
Oh for twelve. Let's go out to George in La.
You're on Dodger Talk with David vasse Hi, George H.

Speaker 4 (31:43):
Dave Man. I called it to talk about the Dodgers,
but now so like them in therapy with the eighty
five j I thank you George's old In that game,
it was the worst thing ever?

Speaker 7 (31:54):
Did you hear me? Last last Wednesday? Two wednesdays ago.

Speaker 8 (31:59):
After that Jack Clark home run, there was a black
and white photo on the front page of the Herald
Examiner of Tommy Lasorda in his office with his hands
in his head on his desk. I cut out that
picture and put it on my bedroom door, so anybody
that walked in they knew the pain I was feeling
for that entire offseason.

Speaker 7 (32:21):
And the photographer that took that photo called in.

Speaker 8 (32:24):
That's how deep it ran for a nine year old
David vase Hey coming off the Celtics beating the Lakers
in the eighty four finals.

Speaker 3 (32:33):
I'll tell you what.

Speaker 4 (32:34):
To me, as a Dodger fan, that is the most
the most painful loss I've ever witnessed, because it still ring.
It still haunts me this day. Jack Clark, of all people,
the way he streutted around that base path, I mean,
they were just sticking it to us.

Speaker 3 (32:48):
It was awful.

Speaker 4 (32:48):
An I don't even want to talk about that anymore,
but I'm glad you brought it up because it is
therapy for a lot of people. That is the most
painful loss ever. Not the twenty seventeen World Series. I'm
talking if you weren't around a witnesses, witnesses d feel lucky.

Speaker 8 (33:04):
But the seventeen World Series, Uh, that cuts deep in
a different way. But let's move on, George, I don't
want to get into that.

Speaker 4 (33:13):
But look, hey, look, I know you're talking about the
offense and stuff, But would it be so wrong, Dave
to consider maybe linkedining this lineup a bit, a little bit,
like maybe putting like Edmund or or Kim at the
leadoff spot with the clear mandate just to get on,
don't worry about hitting.

Speaker 7 (33:30):
No chance. I want to put Kim lead off unless
he learns how to bunt.

Speaker 8 (33:33):
Kim's got to learn how to bunt, if I'm even
con he needs to learn how to bunt right now
because every third basement is giving him the left side
of the infield. He's got to learn how to bunt
and at least make it a threat. But if I'm
going to change the lineup, I'm moving Otawi to third
and I'm having Mookie Beds or Tommy Edmond lead off.

Speaker 7 (33:56):
Because I mentioned this yesterday, I'll mention it again.

Speaker 8 (33:59):
I did some recent and the facts are last year
in Major League Baseball, the difference in average of plate
appearances between the leadoff hitter and the third hitter of
all teams in baseball last year was only thirty three.
The leadoff hitter only had an average of thirty three
more played appearances than the number three hitter. So you know,

(34:21):
Otani's coming up a lot of times with bases empty
or leading off innings that are not the first inning.
That's not ideal for a guy that has twenty three
home runs and right now only has thirty seven RBIs
because of it.

Speaker 4 (34:35):
Well, that's what I mean. It's like no one's on
when he's hitting these home runs.

Speaker 3 (34:39):
So it just feels like it's okay to change a
little bit because the rest of.

Speaker 4 (34:43):
The team is adjusting to us now, and they're pitching
is a lot of off speed, a lot of down
on the way, a lot of low pitches that we
can't seem to reach or barely hit off the end
of the bat. So yeah, I just hope that they're considering.
They're not too proud to maybe make a change if
if they think they can do it.

Speaker 8 (35:00):
Hey, they made a change last year, so they aren't
too proud, And I'm I'm planning on asking Dave Roberts
about that if there have been any internal discussions. It's
a fair question. Thanks for the phone call, George, appreciate it.
Let's take one more phone call before we say goodbye
from Saint Louis. Ish in Riverside, walk us off on
Dodger Talk.

Speaker 3 (35:21):
Hi, Ish, Hey, what's up?

Speaker 6 (35:23):
Dave?

Speaker 3 (35:23):
Hey, So listen, just want to piggyback real quick. I
know we're going to be all right, I really do,
but I want to pick you back on the preview.

Speaker 7 (35:30):
Of course, they're going to be all right.

Speaker 8 (35:31):
We're just court the Dodgers are going to make the
postseason they're going to win this division. But you just,
you know, we're in the moment right now, and we
got to talk about the games that are in front
of us, and the Dodgers have to play the games.

Speaker 7 (35:45):
You can't take all of that for granted.

Speaker 8 (35:47):
But yes, they are going to win the nl West,
and I firmly believe they're going to be in the NLCS.

Speaker 3 (35:54):
Yeah, no, I believe that, man. But I guess in
the interim, I mean, it's you know, approaching the dog
days of summer here soon. It's not even August yet, right,
But you know earlier caller was tracking about twenty games.
Twenty games ago was pretty much when they defate Barnes. Now,
I know you're a big Barnes fan as well, so
I guess the question is, do you feel that there's
a void that still needs to be earned, that has

(36:16):
been left by his absence, just in terms of like,
you know, the play on the field, like five min
er ball. What do you think Bence?

Speaker 8 (36:24):
Okay, well, number one, I'm not going to minimize his
impact after you know, basically saying for the last ten
years how much it was felt. So yeah, I do
believe there's a void they got a rookie catcher now
that is trying to find his way after being a
star in college and in the minor league. So he
doesn't have the experience. And when he's not playing, what's

(36:46):
he going to offer to the pitchers out on the bench.
I mean, Austin Barnes did a great job of being
able on days that he wasn't even catching to be
able to see things to offer what he's seeing, maybe
pitch sequence Dalton Rushing one day, we'll get there. But
he's only two weeks into his major league career, so yes,

(37:07):
there is a void in that respect. And as far
as the receiving goes, you know, Dalton Rushing place twice
a week.

Speaker 7 (37:14):
He's got a good arm.

Speaker 8 (37:16):
That's the reason why he's in there, and that's part
of the reason why the Dodgers made that decision. But yeah, Ish,
certainly you miss that veteran experience when you're a backup catcher.

Speaker 3 (37:28):
Yeah no, I mean we can definitely see it, you know,
all the way out here back home, But like I say,
I don't know what stud has been done, and you know,
we are behind Rushing and I feel like, you know,
he's got those good instincts the intangible. So I don't
know how you feel about that.

Speaker 7 (37:45):
Yeah, no doubt.

Speaker 8 (37:46):
I like his edge, I like his passion, his emotions,
but he's got to be able to control them as
well and find a new routine playing twice a week.
Everybody thinks it's so easy, Ish, everybody thinks it's so
easy to come off the bench and be a backup
catcher twice a week.

Speaker 7 (38:02):
It's not that easy.

Speaker 8 (38:04):
And I think everybody's starting to realize that what Austin
Barnes did was truly an art. Thanks for the phone call, Ish,
And you know, in his role, you got to be
able to add more than just backing up the catcher,
the starting catcher, the all star catcher in this case,
and that's what he did so well. But nothing lasts
forever and sports father time always wins out. And obviously

(38:27):
the Dodgers saw decline, and yeah, it's unfortunate it went
down the way it did in the middle of the season.
But you wonder as well, now, is Dalton Rushing made
to be a backup catcher twice a week? Are the
Dodgers evaluating that in real time as well? And feel like,
all right, maybe we're stunting his development. Only having him

(38:48):
catch twice a week. I know that he's up here
to advance his development, to understand the game planning and
what it takes to be a catcher for the Dodgers.
So it's not as cut and dry as you might imagine.
That'll do it for us on Dodger Talk Today, Will
Smith should be behind the play tomorrow. Day game, Today,
day game Tomorrow. It's Kershaw Day here in Saint Louis.

(39:11):
He's only twenty four strikeouts away from three thousand, looking
for his first win of the year.

Speaker 7 (39:16):
Going up against the Cardinals.

Speaker 8 (39:17):
Top pitching prospect out of UC Santa Barbara Michael McGreevey
will be making his second major league start. He has
fifty eight strikeouts and fifty five innings in Triple A
Morongo Casino. Dodgers on Deck begins at ten am tomorrow
with first pitch at eleven fifteen with Rick Monday and
Tim Neverritt.

Speaker 7 (39:37):
That'll do it for us on Dodger Talk.

Speaker 8 (39:38):
Thanks to Colin Yee back at our Burbank studios, is
Duyne here, Hey, Dway there you are.

Speaker 7 (39:43):
Dwayne McDonald's still in the house. Thank you to him.

Speaker 8 (39:46):
He is a one man production show here not only
a producer, not only an engineer, but a great baseball resource.
That's for sure for all of us. In case you
missed any of the show or our conversation with maybe
the it was relief bullpen arm fined by the Dodgers
Lou Trevino. You can find it on the iHeartRadio app.

(40:06):
Brad Paisley our guy, Night two at the Greek Theater.
If you're going to the show tonight, tweet at me
at the Real Underscore DV. By the way, my cousin
went to the show. He was kind of doing the
passive aggressive Hey we're going to see Brad Paisley tonight,
kind of like fishing for a backstage invite, but I
did not bite anyway.

Speaker 7 (40:26):
He sent me a photo.

Speaker 8 (40:27):
Brad Paisley did pay homage to his favorite baseball team,
the Dodgers, So if you're going to the show tonight,
I'm sure he may do the same thing once again.

Speaker 7 (40:36):
The final score. Have fun. Brad's a great guy, he
loves the Dodgers. Trust me. He might even see Andrew
Freeman at the show tonight once again.

Speaker 8 (40:44):
The final score from Saint Louis at Bush Day in
the Cardinals beat the Dodgers two to one. Have a
great rest of your night. Let's see if that truck
still works tomorrow.

Speaker 7 (40:53):
See him time sbot Way

Speaker 8 (41:03):
Times, M