The Dodgers found the best way to follow up a 1-5 week was to win five of six games against a pair of bad baseball teams, sweeping the Mets in New York then winning two of three against the Rockies at home.
Batter of the week
Freddie Freeman looks back on track, with a five-hit doubleheader in New York, then ending the week by reaching base seven times in his last nine plate appearances. Freeman had an extra-base hit in four of six games last week, including a home run in the 10th inning to provide extra cushion against the Mets in the first game of a doubleheader.
Pitcher of the week
Either one of Gavin Stone’s scoreless starts would have been enough to win this award in most, and in total they look even better, with 12 scoreless innings to beat the Mets and Rockies.
And though his strikeout rate is low this year, Stone has still been effective while refining his fastball to help open up his entire repertoire. This week, he was missing bats too, with a career-high seven strikeouts in New York on Tuesday then struck out six more in five scoreless innings on Sunday.
Week 11 results
5-1 record
27 runs scored (4.50 per game)
10 runs allowed (1.67 per game)
.860 pythagorean win percentage
Year to date
38-23 record
297 runs scored (4.87 per game)
211 runs allowed (3.46 per game)
.651 pythagorean win percentage (40-21)
Miscellany
Late impact: Jason Heyward did not start Wednesday in New York, with left-hander David Peterson on the mound. Heyward did get into the game eventually, but not until he pinch-hit for Andy Pages in the eighth inning. Heyward tripled off Adam Ottavino in a six-run frame. Then Heyward homered off Josh Walker in the ninth, just the second time Heyward has batted against a lefty this season.
Heyward is just the third Dodgers player ever to homer and triple in a game they did not start, joining fellow outfielders Gordie Windhorn (September 12, 1961) and Chris Taylor (July 22, 2017).
Designated to steal: Shohei Ohtani on Saturday not only stole his 100th career base, one of four players born in Japan with that many steals in MLB (Dave Roberts is second, with 243 steals). That stolen base was Ohtani’s team-leading 14th of the season, more than halfway to his career high (26, in 2021), and it matched the totals of every other Dodgers designated hitter before this season.
By George: One of the three hitters Clayton Kershaw faced in his simulated game on Saturday was Low-A Rancho Cucamonga outfielder Kendall George, the 19-year-old outfielder who was drafted last year in the first round by the Dodgers. Manager Dave Roberts had a nice long conversation with George on the field before the Dodgers took batting practice.
“Just kind of seeing how his first full season has gone, and what affects it has on his body, playing every day and the grind out it,” Roberts said. “Because at that age, he should be in college right now, so it’s a big adjustment.”
The Dodgers routinely bring minor leaguers from nearby Rancho Cucamonga up for simulated games, sometimes pitchers to give Dodgers hitters extra work, and sometimes hitters to face rehabbing pitchers, like George on Saturday and outfielder Juan Alonso facing Bobby Miller on May 21. I asked Dave Roberts if when he was in the minor leagues if he ever got such an opportunity to join the major league team. His best shot likely would have been in Double-A Akron in 1998 while in the Cleveland system.
“No, I signed for $1,000,” Roberts said with a laugh. “The organization wasn’t as invested in me.”
Transactions
Tuesday: Nick Ramirez was called up as the 27th man for the doubleheader in New York, but did not pitch. He was sent back to Triple-A afterward.
Friday: Evan Phillips was activated after missing 24 games on the injured list. Elieser Hernández was designated for assignment. Hernández allowed three runs without recording an out last week. The other eight Dodgers relievers combined for 21 scoreless innings.
Game results
MondayTuesday (Game 1): Dodgers 5, Mets 2 (10)- Tuesday (Game 2): Dodgers 3, Mets 0
- Wednesday: Dodgers 10, Mets 3
- Friday: Rockies 4, Dodgers 1
- Saturday: Dodgers 4, Rockies 1
- Sunday: Dodgers 4, Rockies 0
Week 11 batting
| Player | AB | R | H | 2B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | PA | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | AB | R | H | 2B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | PA | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Heyward* | 13 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 0.385 | 0.467 | 0.846 | 1.313 |
| Freeman* | 21 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 27 | 0.381 | 0.481 | 0.810 | 1.291 |
| Vargas | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 0.333 | 0.400 | 0.778 | 1.178 |
| Rojas | 14 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 0.429 | 0.500 | 0.571 | 1.071 |
| Smith | 22 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 0.273 | 0.273 | 0.773 | 1.045 |
| Pages | 21 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 22 | 0.429 | 0.455 | 0.476 | 0.931 |
| Barnes | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0.375 | 0.375 | 0.375 | 0.750 |
| Lux | 12 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 0.250 | 0.357 | 0.333 | 0.690 |
| Ohtani | 19 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 0.158 | 0.273 | 0.316 | 0.589 |
| Betts | 27 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 29 | 0.185 | 0.241 | 0.296 | 0.538 |
| T. Hernández | 26 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 27 | 0.231 | 0.259 | 0.269 | 0.528 |
| Taylor | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0.200 | 0.200 | 0.200 | 0.400 |
| K. Hernández | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0.188 | 0.188 | 0.188 | 0.375 |
| Offense | 213 | 27 | 61 | 10 | 9 | 25 | 3 | 19 | 45 | 233 | 0.286 | 0.343 | 0.479 | 0.822 |
*Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward each hit a triple last week, too
Week 11 pitching
| Pitcher | G | Record | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitcher | G | Record | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA | WHIP |
| Stone | 2 | 2-0 | 12.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 0.00 | 0.750 |
| Paxton | 1 | 0-0 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.00 | 0.667 |
| Yamamoto | 1 | 1-0 | 6.0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1.50 | 1.333 |
| Glasnow | 1 | 0-0 | 7.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 2.57 | 0.857 |
| Buehler | 1 | 0-1 | 6.0 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4.50 | 1.667 |
| Starters | 6 | 3-1 | 34.0 | 24 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 38 | 1.59 | 1.029 |
| Grove | 3 | 0-0 | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0.00 | 0.750 |
| Vesia | 3 | 0-0, Sv | 3.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.00 | 0.300 |
| Hudson | 3 | 1-0 | 3.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.00 | 1.333 |
| Treinen | 3 | 1-0, Sv | 3.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.00 | 1.000 |
| Ramírez | 2 | 0-0 | 2.7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 | 1.125 |
| Banda | 2 | 0-0 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.00 | 1.500 |
| Yarbrough | 1 | 0-0 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.500 |
| Phillips | 1 | 0-0, Sv | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.000 |
| Hernández | 1 | 0-0 | 0.0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ----- | ----- |
| Bullpen | 19 | 2-0, 3 Sv | 21.0 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 1.29 | 1.000 |
| Totals | 25 | 5-1 | 55.0 | 37 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 58 | 1.47 | 1.018 |
Previous reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10
Up next
The Dodgers run the Jack Saltzgaver gauntlet, back on the road to face the Pirates and Yankees. Six straight games with early afternoon starts for the west coast. The weekend rotation for New York is an educated guess.
There are national telecasts for all three games in New York, including the rare step of Friday’s Apple TV+ broadcast against the Yankees non-exclusive and also on SportsNet LA.
Week 12 schedule
| Mon, Jun 3 | Tue, Jun 4 | Wed, Jun 5 | Thu, Jun 6 | Fri, Jun 7 | Sat, Jun 8 | Sun, Jun 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Jun 3 | Tue, Jun 4 | Wed, Jun 5 | Thu, Jun 6 | Fri, Jun 7 | Sat, Jun 8 | Sun, Jun 9 |
| OFF | at Pirates | at Pirates | at Pirates | at Yankees | at Yankees | at Yankees |
| 3:40 p.m. | 3:40 p.m. | 3:40 p.m. | 4:05 p.m. | 4:35 p.m. | 4:10 p.m. | |
| Glasnow v. | Paxton v. | Buehler v. | Yamamoto v. | Stone v. | Glasnow v. | |
| Jones | Skenes | Falter (L) | Poteet | Cortes (L) | Gil | |
| SNLA | SNLA/MLBN* | SNLA | Apple/SNLA | Fox | ESPN |
*MLB Network telecast as out of market only Fox and ESPN telecasts are exclusive (no SportsNet LA)
